Sidewalk Chalk

I know this is going to sound utterly silly to some, but I love highway underpasses and sidewalk chalk. You see every time I drive over this one overpass or see a box of those big old pieces of colored chalk at the store, or even just remnants of a young artists work on a sidewalk my heart instantly swells up with joy.

Now before you think I have some sort of strange mental problem with chalk, allow me to explain why I love sidewalk chalk. We’ve all had experiences in our lives that we are reminded of when we smell, hear or see something that’s related to that particular experience and therein lies the reason why I love sidewalk chalk.

It’s been a long, long time ago in a galaxy far, far away...no wait a minute, that’s been used somewhere...anyway, long ago when our children were young I had the idea and the opportunity to drive our daughter and our son, along with a box of sidewalk chalk out to this overpass a couple of miles east of our home town on 10 highway so they could create a little chalk art on a grand scale up under the bridge.

Now I didn’t tell them where we were going or what we were doing so it'd be a surprise when we got to the underpass between Eudora and Desoto. When we pulled up under the bridge with cars roaring by above us we got out and started creating our little hearts out.

And the thing is, I honestly don’t remember what we talked about, what the pictures looked like, how long we were there, or even what time of the day it was. All I can remember about that day is that we had a great time creating these murals out of chalk together.

Now being that these beautiful works of art were created out of chalk, the wind and the rain eventually eradicated and erased their existence, leaving behind only the awesome memory of this really great time I shared with my kids.

And the awesome thing is even though those murals are gone forever, the time I spent with my daughter and son that day will never be eradicated or erased from my memory. And so every time I see sidewalk chalk and every time I drive over Evening Star road on 10 highway I can’t help but smile and dream and wish for more sidewalk chalk moments.

But now they’re both grown, married and moved away. And my one wish for both my kids and for their spouses is that when they have children of their own that they take the time to create as many sidewalk chalk memories as humanly possible before their kids grow up.

Love Dad

Blessed are those who are too tired, too busy and too distracted to spend an hour once a week with their fellow Christians in Church — they are my best workers.

Blessed are those Christians who wait to be asked and expect to be thanked — I can use them.

Blessed are the touchy, with a bit of luck they may stop going to church — they are my missionaries.

Blessed are those who are very religious but get on everyone’s nerves — they are mine forever.

Blessed are those who are bored with the minister's mannerisms and mistakes - for they get nothing out of service.

Blessed are the church members who expect to be invited to their own church - for they are a part of the problem instead of the solution.

Blessed are those who are easily offended - for they will soon get hurt or angry and quit.

Blessed are those who do not give their tithes to carry on God's work - for they are my helpers.

Blessed are those who profess to love God but hates his brother and sister - for they will be with me.

Blessed are the troublemakers — they shall be called my children.

Blessed are those who have no time to pray — they are easy prey for me.

Blessed are those who gossip — for they are my secret agents and they cause strife and divisions that please me.

Blessed are those critical of church leadership — for they shall inherit a place with me in my fate.

Blessed are the complainers — I’m all ears for them.

Blessed are you when you read this and think it is about other people and not yourself,
because I have you too.

"The Devils Beatitudes"

(something I found in my office while cleaning up years of hoarding)

deeply concerned

I am deeply concerned for the spiritual well being of Christ followers. The line between right and wrong, holiness and unholiness and sin or not sin seems to be widening. Now I was going to add "in my opinion" but I believe with every ounce of my soul that this is something that concerns God too. We are living in a time where Christ followers should be seeking God's guidance in life matters, habits and decisions but instead they seem to be compromising themselves by living spiritually compromising lives.

Now I'm not talking about us being legalist, I'm talking about living Godly lives. And when it comes to legalism we know that it's not what we do that gets us into heaven because we can't work or do anything to achieve that, Christ has done that for us. BUT if we truly love God then we will be more than willing to live by and obey His laws based on our love for Him. And it's just common sense that tells us that laws were NOT made to broken they were made to be followed and obeyed for the safety and well being of everyone involved. So even in our legal system today there are penalties and consequences for breaking laws. And the thing is with God's laws they will be judged not by our peers (who by the way are imperfect) but by God Himself who is perfect and sees and knows all things.

So I guess what I'm trying to say is, I am deeply concerned for the souls who live by what they believe to be true instead of by what the Word says is true.

Fervently Praying,
Ron

Flat Tired!

This past winter Evonna and I headed into Walmart to pick up a couple of things. Now the roads were slightly slick in spots but we made it safe and sound. But after I parked the van and we were in the process of getting out, a man I met twice but didn't recognize (because he had grown a totally radical beard) was getting out of his car in front of us with some other people. He came walking at me and at first to be honest with you for some stupid reason I thought maybe I was going to have to defend myself. But when he got closer he said, "Hey Pastor, you don't recognize me do you?" And as I was shaking his hand I had to tell him I was sorry but I didn't. And as soon as he told me his name I remembered meeting him before. And at that point he proceeded to ask me, "Do you know your tire is flat?" And of course I had to tell him I didn't. So I thanked him as we looked at my dangerously flat tire. As we parted ways I immediately drove the van to the Walmart service department and had it fixed.

Now I mentioned this story for 2 very important reasons.

#1. He didn't have to tell me there was something dangerously wrong with my tire but he did.
#2. I didn't really have to have it fixed. I could have just aired it up and went about my way.

You see I knew that tire had been leaking air over a period of a week or so and I almost always checked every tire to see if they were low or not before we went anywhere. But that morning I just took for granted everything was OK so I didn't even look at them. We just got in and drove at least 13 miles on a dangerously low, low, low (did I say low?) tire. And if this man had not told me something was wrong I may not have noticed and the possibility of my wife and I being hurt or even killed is totally in the equation. And all because of my neglect to check my own tires.

Now the moral of this story holds more air than it appears. (pun intended)

Tolerance or not, we have a responsibility as followers of Christ to let people know the dangers of not checking their lives in reflection to God's Word daily. The Bible says that the wages of sin is death but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. And so we need to constantly check ourselves and then stand up and IN LOVE warn others of certain destruction if they don't check themselves. The thing is they may not even know there is a problem and our informing them may save their life.

Now on the other hand, I'm flat tired of the way we debate over what's sin or not sin and the thing about some followers is, like myself and the low tire, I had the knowledge about the leak but didn't think it needed fixing. So I just aired it up once a week and wouldn't fix it.

So here we go...when God shows us through His Word or through a Sunday message or maybe even through a stranger that we have a problem it's up to us to fix it. Because if we don't it will cause us harm in the future. So my plea is if you have a doubt check it out, or just don't do it. And always take special care to FIX the problem not just keep airing it up.

You see we should always be open to the fact that maybe we aren't perfect and there's still room to improve on our walk as follower of Christ and our relationship with Christ and others.

In these troubled times it's more important than ever that we live the life God designed for us and the life His Only Son died to give us. A resurrected and abundant life that is pleasing to God and worthy of being called His followers.

21 GRAMS

“Suddenly, coincident with death, the beam end dropped with an audible stroke hitting against the lower limiting bar and remaining there with no rebound. The loss was ascertained to be three-fourths of an ounce.”
-Dr. Duncan MacDougall

April 10, 1901, an unusual experiment was conducted in Dorchester, Massachusetts. Dr. Duncan MacDougall was going to prove that the human soul had mass, and was therefore, measurable.Dr. MacDougall conducted this experiment on six dying patients who were placed on specially made Fairbanks weight scales just prior to their deaths. Dr. MacDougall’s intention was to weigh each body before and after death to determine any differences measured by the delicate scales. The patients were selected based upon their imminent death. Two patients were suffering from tuberculosis, 5 were men and one was a woman.
In the company of four other doctors, Dr. MacDougall carefully measured the weight of his first patient prior to his death. Once the patient died, an interesting event occurred.
“Suddenly, coincident with death,” wrote Macdougall, “the beam end dropped with an audible stroke hitting against the lower limiting bar and remaining there with no rebound. The loss was ascertained to be three-fourths of an ounce.”
The experiment continued on the next patient with the same results. Dr. MacDougall felt he was on to something extraordinary.

A quote from the 11 March 1907 New York Times article captures the historic moment:
“ The instant life ceased the opposite scale pan fell with a suddenness that was astonishing – as if something had been suddenly lifted from the body. Immediately all the usual deductions were made for physical loss of weight, and it was discovered that there was still a full ounce of weight unaccounted for”.

All five doctors took their own measurements and compared their results. Not all the patients lost the same weight, but they did lose something that could not be accounted for. Unfortunately, only four of the six patient’s results could be counted due to mechanical failures or the patient dying prior to the test equipment being in place.
But what about the consistent weight loss? Everything was taken into account, from the air in the lungs to bodily fluids. It still could not be explained. An interesting variation occurred on the third patient, who maintained his same weight immediately upon death. But after one minute, he lost about an ounce of weight.

Dr. MacDougall explained this discrepancy as follows:
“ I believe that in this case, that of a phlegmatic man slow of thought and action, that the soul remained suspended in the body after death, during the minute that elapsed before its freedom. There is no other way of accounting for it, and it is what might be expected to happen in a man of the subject’s temperament”.
Following the experiment and consulting with the other attending physicians, it was determined that the average weight loss of each person was ¾ of an ounce. Dr. MacDougall concluded that a human soul weighed 21 grams.
------------
I really believe this gives us all something to think about it.

21 grams, the weight of a stack of 5 nickles, or the weight of a chocolate bar, or the weight of a humming bird. The weight of the human soul?

"Science too often proves the human spirit exists and to me for anyone to not believe is ludicrous."
- R.E. James

huh?

"Hlinlkjalkj knlkn nl l, mlsaojem. Ljoimkm, ko kolkell ulkmoijoel."

You ever have one of those days where nothing makes sense? Well take heart (cheer up in Christianeese) because God knows what's going on even when we don't. He knows where we've been, where we are and where we are headed. And I am so glad He does. I am content in knowing that I don't know everything but He does.

So . . . jlmva poim oollkmk kn, l;lkmm, r4,900. kjojj! Life is a gift even when we don't understand what we're doing with it so enjoy the gift while it lasts.

Just Yesterday

It was just yesterday you heard my first words as I'd talk,
and just yesterday you taught me how to walk.

Yesterday you placed me on my first trike,
and just yesterday you brought home that used bike.

It was just yesterday you picked me up whenever I'd fall,
and just yesterday you coached me in baseball.

Yesterday you stood oh so tall,
and yesterday you were there every time I would call.

It was just yesterday you helped me in everyway,
and yesterday we'd always have a lot to say.

Just yesterday I was your biggest fan,
because you were my greatest example of how to be a man.

And then just yesterday we would sit and talk,
and yesterday I would help you when you needed to walk.

Just yesterday I’d help you stand tall,
and yesterday I’d be there when you’d call
and lift you up when you would fall.

And it was just yesterday I was holding your hand,
when you crossed from this world into the promise land.

And just yesterday you taught me how to love,
because it was just yesterday
you were the perfect example of our Heavenly Father above.