Techology!?!!??!

I love it! I spend hours a day working on my computer or checking e-mail or looking at facebook. In the world of technology, things are changing so much that I can barely keep up. But, I take pride that I was able to figure out this blog thing and set up my own blog. Anyhow, today I find an notice to confirm Ashley's new blog by simply clicking on the link. I did. The site proceeded to tell me that I needed a key that was previously sent to me. If it was, I never saw it. At least in snail mail if someone sends you a key you can feel it in the envelope! So, I x-ed out of the message and went back to the original posting, clicked on the link again, and again was told I need the key to get in. Great. I'll just wait until Pastor Tim comes into work and have him fix it for me. As I tried to x out of the key message, nothing happened. The next thing I know I am being sent a message, "This program is not responding!" I thought, "You think so? I am aware of that! I'm sitting here waiting for something to happen, while nothing happens."

And so I figure I am a genius. I could figure that nothing was happening with my computer before it told me nothing was happening. I'm really getting this computer thing figured out.

Oh What A Relief It Is!

The old ad Alka Seltzer used to put out said, "Plop, plop, fiz, fiz. Oh what a relief it is!" I had an upset stomach yesterday and took some Alka Seltzer. It worked well. That was in the physical realm of life. There are days that I have an upset spirit within me and Alka Seltzer can't do a thing to help that. I have found that God's Word is the relief that I need on those days when my spirit is churning and gurgling! You know what I mean. Sometimes the problem is something I have caused myself. Sometimes the problem comes from something someone else has said or done. Sometimes the problem is that I have just been too long away from the Word of God and I am not connecting with His Spirit.

God's Word is the Alka Seltzer for spiritual unsettling. Plop down away from everything and everyone a couple of times a day and drop a couple of times of Bible reading into your cup of life. Watch it bubble up! But I have to warn you. Sometimes the taste of the Alka Seltzer is so repulsive that I want to pour it down the sink before drinking it. It is only going to work when you get it in you! God's Word is the same way. Sometimes what he is telling us to do is repulsive to what we want to hear. When we read it, we want to pour it down the sink instead of letting it work in our lives. Don't pour! Drink! It will do you good and you will feel better!!

Plop, Plop, Fiz, Fiz!

Last night I did a dumb thing! When I got home from work, I fixed a big pot of chili. Mistake number one! Then I ate a couple of bowls of it with cheese and crackers. Mistake number two.
Later, Glenda cut up some peaches and made a peach pie. I had to have pie and ice cream on top of the chili. Mistake number three. Guess what I have discovered. Chili and pie don't mix--maybe it was the chili and ice cream? Also, my 62 year old body is telling me, "You're nuts! I can't handle chili in any quantity anymore!" Getting up a 4:00 AM doesn't help! Mistake number four.

Ohh, I need a an alka seltzer!

Hurts And Frustrations

My wife is going through a reorganization in the job that she works at. The outfit she is working for is going through a down sizing and merging 300+ departments into a little over 100. Her specific workplace is putting four departments into one, and so the pressure is even worse than normal. Over the last few months, she has had to consider issues of retiring, of being promoted to higher position, issues of taking a lesser position and issues of finding herself out of a job completely with no insurance and no retirement. All the time that this is going on, she is expected to develop and make recommendations of how this new department should function once the merge takes place.

During the last week the hiring process has begun to take place. She applied for a specific job. She was recommended by her retiring CEO to make the application. She has had several people within the workforce tell her she should apply for the position. She did apply, and she didn't get it. The new CEO apparently hired from outside of the company to fill the position. She came home from work last night in tears and deeply hurt. And to say the least, even more confused now than ever about what to do.

Hurts and frustrations are a part of life! It is unfortunate that life is that way, but it is. We have to learn how to deal with them. Sometimes they are little hurts and frustrations that go away easily. Other times we have to dig deep and wait for them to go away on their own.

But Jesus says in Matthew 11:28-30, "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." When the hurts and frustrations of life are deep, we need to turn to Jesus. We need to give our burdens to him and let him deal with them in his way. Don't carry them with you. They are heavy. Give them to Jesus. He promises to give you rest from them.

Catching Up!

Does one ever catch up on the work that needs to be done? It sure doesn't seem like it. I have finished two projects today that needed to be done this week and I think there are at least a half dozen more to do. Sometimes the work load never seems to even out--there's always more to do. What really bugs me is to finish something and find it is obsolete before the ink dries or that I made a glaring mistake (Yes, I do make mistakes!) in the middle of it. One of the projects that I finished today had the obvious mistake in the middle of it. Obvious to me, anyhow. It's already at the printer and too late to fix now. I'll be that you won't even see it. What is even worse is to have someone promise to get a job done for me that they never even start. Oh well! That's a part of life.

I do what I can, which isn't near what it used to be. I love what I am doing, although there are times I would just like to go fishing. Not today--it's raining. I find someone to help on the things that I can no longer do. Everything else will just have to wait.

Another Day, Another Dollar

Just the other day I heard someone say that. Far too often that is exactly how we see life--that it is all about earning a dollar. In true perspective life is about earning a dollar, or better put, making a living. God told Adam in the garden to fill the earth and rule over it. He was telling Adam there is no free ride, but in the paradize condition that they lived in Adam didn't see it as work, until after the sin. When we work in good working conditions and like the people around us and make a good living, many of us seldom see going to work each day as a burden that we hate. I love the work that I do more than any other job I have ever had.

The difference is that in my work it is not just about making another dollar. My work is helping people in so many different ways, and I think that is what makes the difference. If everyone of us sees our work as a means to help other people, and the pay as the means to do that, we would have a different perspective on going to work. Start today by looking around you to see who can help. God will put magnifying glasses on your eyes and you will begin to see opportunities that you didn't know existed.

Step out in faith and make a difference for someone, no matter how small it might be. Your attitude toward going to work to just make another dollar will change. Your attitude toward the people around you will change. Your attitude toward the blessings that God is giving will change.
Try it!

Another Day

It is Monday and another day of my life has gone by. At the same time I face another day of life, and I praise God for it. So what was accomplished with yesterday-- the day that is forever gone? Did it make an eternal difference for anyone beside myself? I hope so! It started with waking my wife of 41 years and our two grandchildren for church. That doesn't seem like a big deal, but I could have let them sleep in, as a lot of people do, and not go to church at all. The results of this Sunday morning ritual is seen in most of my family as they do the same thing each Sunday morning with their family. Yesterday, New Life Bible Church worshipped with somewhere around 250 in attendance. Plus, New Life Church in Beloit and Family Bible Fellowship in Rockford could easily add another 100+ for the record. My oldest son (Jason) and his wife (Marcee), my son-in-law (Tim) and his wife, my oldest daughter (Shelly), serve along side of me in these ministries to our communities. Families are finding Jesus in their living, and lives are being changed for the better. As I step back from the business of the day ahead, I thank God that He has used me to make this difference for eternity for so many people. Today should be a slower day than yesterday. I pray for my granddaughter, Ashley. She traveled all night last night and today starts a three month study with Taylor University near Dublin, Ireland. I also pray for others in my circle of influence to find Jesus in their lives. Maybe some today, Lord God. Let this be a productive day in my life for your kingdom!

I Lost My Way!

Technology!!! I had the where-with-all to set up a blog on my own and then lost the way to the blog. Three days have gone by and all the time I have been looking for my blog. I think this is the way it works for a lot of people when they find Jesus. They make the decision to do something about their problem, ask Jesus into their heart and then lose him just about that fast because of the carnel things of the world and the desires of the flesh. Matthew 13 tells us about the parable of the sower. In his explanati0n, Jesus says the worries of the world choke out the seed and there is no fruit produced. Well, I am back at my blog now that I have refound my way. I pray that if the worries of the world have choked out your love for Jesus that you refind your way to him. He will gladly welcome you back with open arms.

Let's get started!

I'm off and running! I was told months ago that I should set up a blog. Didn't know how and no one was there to show me. Today I got courious and went looking on my own. Still don't know what I am doing but the process keeps telling me to keep going. Will work with this process and see what happens. Maybe it will work-- may be it won't. Maybe after I get it working I will wish it didn't work -- never have been too steady at something that requires daily action. We'll see. God bless to all who read this. Have a great day!