I was going to post tonight about rude "christians" and the rude customers and rude "christian" customers. After tonight, I am going to put those on hold and make an observation that I would like to share with my friends. After spending days on end dealing with the customers in retail, I have come to realize just how much I love my wife and kids. When I have had a bad day at work, I can come home to someone that never changes, always loves me and always listens to me. I truly am blessed to have Angel as my wife and I really appreciate her. She is the strength of this family and being around people all day long really makes me know that. She always is thinking of the kids and I and I can't praise her enough.
To all of you out there who have had a bad day or when you do have a bad day, I pray that you remember who you love and who you serve. I pray that you have someone who you can go home to or call to make you realize what is important in life.
God Bless and I will post on rude "christians" later.
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
Saturday, March 20, 2010
Hachi
Saw a movie tonight called Hachi. Great movie about a dog that waited for his master at the train station for 10 years after the master died. Really made me think. I have had several animals in my life that have met a great deal to me, but I am not sure I miss them quite like this dog missed his master. I have a cat now that means a great deal to me, and I am sure that when she dies I will sob uncontrollably for a while. Animals touch our very souls and it is obvious that God has created certain animals to be helpers and pets for each person. Though I find it strange to have pet snakes and spiders, people are in tune with those animals and treat them as members of their family also. My wife had a dog growing up that was her best friend. The dog always slept outside her window and when she went away to college, the dog waited for her. The dog died outside my wife's old bedroom window, waiting for her master.
These 2 dogs, my wife's and the one from the movie, present a very poignant question for me.
Do we wait for our master? Is our love and need for our Lord Jesus and God enough that we would be willing to forego all we have and care about in the world, to wait upon His return? There is nothing more important to an animal than its master. A dog knows in its heart when the master is coming home. My cat waits at the door around the time my pickup enters the neighborhood and expects to be greeted with a scratch behind the ear after I have hugged my family. She knows I will be there. But what if I don't come right away? Will she forget me? No, even after I was gone for several weeks in the hospital, and even when I couldn't have her on my lap because of my bag and the scars, she still loved me and accepted me.
How much more should we be waiting and doing the will of our Master? You know, we do a lot of waiting. We wait in line to buy our junk from Walmart. We wait in line to get the newest DVD, or to see the newest movie. In fact, we line up our whole year with what movie comes out next. I was reminded tonight that I was angered almost 8 years ago because my daughter was scheduled to be born on the release day of a certain Star Wars movie. Why do we do that? When Jesus was praying in the garden, repeatedly He woke up His disciples telling them, "Couldn't you just wait a little bit with me?" I, too, like the disciples, fall asleep waiting on the Lord. I get all fired up when I hear a new song, or read a new book, or glean some new insight from the Bible from a sermon I heard, but then shortly thereafter, I forget about it and get back into my newest sci-fi book, or newest political news, or who won the latest Nascar race. I mean, come on, I can't wait for the sermon to be over on Sunday, and I don't have time to prep for the Sunday School lesson, but I can wait through 3 hours of men turning left?
Let's be honest, we can't wait on God like an animal waits on man because of one thing. SIN. We have too much eye candy in the world to possibly waste anytime on waiting on God. Remember this, God waited on us. Just like Hachi waited on the man and died waiting, God waited so long that He died also. Jesus died on the cross while waiting on us to come home. I do know of some people who have died while diligently waiting on God. Paula Bounds died, but lived every day waiting on the Lord, knowing where she was going when she died. She lived life more fully than anyone I have ever known, and did so from a wheelchair. Her husband, Jack, was another one of those who lived waiting on the Lord. After his wife died, Jack continued to be a strong example of doing God's will while waiting. He passed away, and waits no more, safe in the arms of the Master. I wish there were more people like that. I could name several, but I could name just as many who did not die while waiting on the Lord. They died while waiting on the next big thing, or the next person who could make them a buck.
What if we have it all wrong. There is a older country song that says, "I'm in a hurry to get things done. I rush and rush until life's no fun. All I really have to do is live and die, but I'm in a hurry and don't know why." Why are we so much like those with no hope? What are we running after? What are we in a hurry about? We know the Master, we know he will take care of us, and the only thing we don't know is when. It's like a shirt I used to have that said, "Jesus is coming, everyone look busy." Why do we take on the appearance of the world and fill our lives with busyness? Why do we need to look busy to make Jesus happy? We don't. We have to do as He says. Go into all the world, spreading the Gospel. Good News! We don't have to kill ourselves waiting on the next promotion, or next new car, or next high. We just have to wait upon the Lord. The Bible says that by doing so, He will renew our strength. What could be better than that?
I am not saying be lazy and don't work and let the government take care of everything. But I am saying, wait on the Lord and let HIM TAKE CARE OF EVERYTHING!
If none of this made sense, that's okay. It's my ramblings and I am okay with that.
These 2 dogs, my wife's and the one from the movie, present a very poignant question for me.
Do we wait for our master? Is our love and need for our Lord Jesus and God enough that we would be willing to forego all we have and care about in the world, to wait upon His return? There is nothing more important to an animal than its master. A dog knows in its heart when the master is coming home. My cat waits at the door around the time my pickup enters the neighborhood and expects to be greeted with a scratch behind the ear after I have hugged my family. She knows I will be there. But what if I don't come right away? Will she forget me? No, even after I was gone for several weeks in the hospital, and even when I couldn't have her on my lap because of my bag and the scars, she still loved me and accepted me.
How much more should we be waiting and doing the will of our Master? You know, we do a lot of waiting. We wait in line to buy our junk from Walmart. We wait in line to get the newest DVD, or to see the newest movie. In fact, we line up our whole year with what movie comes out next. I was reminded tonight that I was angered almost 8 years ago because my daughter was scheduled to be born on the release day of a certain Star Wars movie. Why do we do that? When Jesus was praying in the garden, repeatedly He woke up His disciples telling them, "Couldn't you just wait a little bit with me?" I, too, like the disciples, fall asleep waiting on the Lord. I get all fired up when I hear a new song, or read a new book, or glean some new insight from the Bible from a sermon I heard, but then shortly thereafter, I forget about it and get back into my newest sci-fi book, or newest political news, or who won the latest Nascar race. I mean, come on, I can't wait for the sermon to be over on Sunday, and I don't have time to prep for the Sunday School lesson, but I can wait through 3 hours of men turning left?
Let's be honest, we can't wait on God like an animal waits on man because of one thing. SIN. We have too much eye candy in the world to possibly waste anytime on waiting on God. Remember this, God waited on us. Just like Hachi waited on the man and died waiting, God waited so long that He died also. Jesus died on the cross while waiting on us to come home. I do know of some people who have died while diligently waiting on God. Paula Bounds died, but lived every day waiting on the Lord, knowing where she was going when she died. She lived life more fully than anyone I have ever known, and did so from a wheelchair. Her husband, Jack, was another one of those who lived waiting on the Lord. After his wife died, Jack continued to be a strong example of doing God's will while waiting. He passed away, and waits no more, safe in the arms of the Master. I wish there were more people like that. I could name several, but I could name just as many who did not die while waiting on the Lord. They died while waiting on the next big thing, or the next person who could make them a buck.
What if we have it all wrong. There is a older country song that says, "I'm in a hurry to get things done. I rush and rush until life's no fun. All I really have to do is live and die, but I'm in a hurry and don't know why." Why are we so much like those with no hope? What are we running after? What are we in a hurry about? We know the Master, we know he will take care of us, and the only thing we don't know is when. It's like a shirt I used to have that said, "Jesus is coming, everyone look busy." Why do we take on the appearance of the world and fill our lives with busyness? Why do we need to look busy to make Jesus happy? We don't. We have to do as He says. Go into all the world, spreading the Gospel. Good News! We don't have to kill ourselves waiting on the next promotion, or next new car, or next high. We just have to wait upon the Lord. The Bible says that by doing so, He will renew our strength. What could be better than that?
I am not saying be lazy and don't work and let the government take care of everything. But I am saying, wait on the Lord and let HIM TAKE CARE OF EVERYTHING!
If none of this made sense, that's okay. It's my ramblings and I am okay with that.
Thursday, March 18, 2010
Second Try
Well, its March and I haven't updated this since June. Guess I'm not a very good blogger. Let's give this thing a second shot. Since last June and my first surgery, I had a second surgery to reverse the first surgery. It happened in July and after a much shorter recovery, I went back to work at Lifeway. I work there about 40 hours a week and have had an interesting time recovering from my surgery and all and getting used to not lifting as much and not eating what I want. I am not very good at the eating thing and gained all my weight back. Now I am on a diet. It has been interesting to learn what I can and can't eat.
List of things I can't eat:
-Fried Okra (or any kind of okra, can't have the seeds.)
-Lettuce or cabbage or spinach (they don't digest.)
-Sunflower seeds (this is killer)
-Popcorn (the kernels get stuck)
-Anything with a seed
-Anything too spicy
-Anything leafy or pointy.
-Oats or seeds of any kind.
-Granola bars
-Ranch Dressing (BAD!!)
-Raw Broccoli
-No POP
-Nothing with High Fructose Corn Syrup should be eaten, but I am not good with that, and its in everything!
But I have found that there are many things I like that I have never eaten.
Cooked broccoli, carrots and the sort are good as long as they are properly cooked not soggy
Love Apple Juice now
Meats are good and so are veggies and fruits, just need to cut down on the breads and carbs.
Have to up my fiber and protein and up my water consumption.
I have my good and bad days. As long as I stick to my diet, I should be good, but if I don't I have to spend a day doing nothing but liquids to flush my system out.
It is important for me to remember that I will always have diverticulitis. There are still a couple of pouches in my intestine that could weaken and burst causing me to have more surgeries. Just have to eat the right things.
Okay,
I will post more tomorrow or this week.
List of things I can't eat:
-Fried Okra (or any kind of okra, can't have the seeds.)
-Lettuce or cabbage or spinach (they don't digest.)
-Sunflower seeds (this is killer)
-Popcorn (the kernels get stuck)
-Anything with a seed
-Anything too spicy
-Anything leafy or pointy.
-Oats or seeds of any kind.
-Granola bars
-Ranch Dressing (BAD!!)
-Raw Broccoli
-No POP
-Nothing with High Fructose Corn Syrup should be eaten, but I am not good with that, and its in everything!
But I have found that there are many things I like that I have never eaten.
Cooked broccoli, carrots and the sort are good as long as they are properly cooked not soggy
Love Apple Juice now
Meats are good and so are veggies and fruits, just need to cut down on the breads and carbs.
Have to up my fiber and protein and up my water consumption.
I have my good and bad days. As long as I stick to my diet, I should be good, but if I don't I have to spend a day doing nothing but liquids to flush my system out.
It is important for me to remember that I will always have diverticulitis. There are still a couple of pouches in my intestine that could weaken and burst causing me to have more surgeries. Just have to eat the right things.
Okay,
I will post more tomorrow or this week.
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