A BEAUTIFUL WEDDING

This past Saturday, Amber, my niece, Amber married Rodney at North Beach in St. Augustine, Fl. It was a beach wedding with the Atlantic as a backdrop and the beautiful beach as the decoration. Amber is a sweet young lady and was a gorgeous bride. We are so proud of her.

She is the daughter of my younger brother, Max, and his wife, Darlene. Most of our family was present to celebrate God's blessings of their lives. My father performed the wedding. Mom and Dad know a little about marriage as they celebrate their 68th anniversary this year. Wow! That is a long time to be married.

Rodney is in the Navy, and so was Dad when he and Mom married. Dad said that he had to get  a 3 day pass when they said "I Do". I don't know if Rodney had to take leave or not.


Jesus loved weddings. He performed His first miracle of turning water into wine in Cana of Galilee. The guests said His wine was the best. I bet everyone was happy with that.

I have performed countless weddings in these 40 years of ministry. Some have been beach ceremonies and others by outdoor pools but most have been church weddings. The setting is not so important as the vows and the commitment to keep the vows. Every couple has to work at having a good marriage. That is a must.

Mark Gungor said "Don't marry, be happy". What did he mean?

He meant that if you marry to "get happy" then your kidding yourself. Get happy and then marry if you choose, but don't marry thinking that will all of a sudden make you happy. It won't happen.

Amber and Rodney looked happy on their wedding day. I pray God blesses them and gives them a long happy marriage.

I'M INOCULATED!

I had my annual physical this week and my doctor encouraged me to take the flu shot and the shingles shot. In the past I've been hesitant to take the flu shot, but this year for some reason I felt different about taking it. So, the nurse stuck me. Wow! I was sore. In the night I started sneezing and cough and having a runny nose. I thought that they had given me the flu, but later that morning the symptoms began to fall away. I still have a slight nasal drain but no other symptoms. PTL!

I sure hope this works. I certainly don't won't the flu bug.

Several years back I had the shingles, and man does that ever hurt. They appeared across the left side of my belly. I didn't have a clue what the problem was. After hurting a few days, I made a doctor's appointment and found that I had shingles. The doctor showed me pictures of others who had severe cases of it, and was I ever thankful that mine were not that bad. Yes, they hurt, but not nearly as bad as they could have.

Hopefully, the shingles shot will keep me from having another bout of them. The shot was painful, but not near as painful as actually having a full fledged bout.

Here is a greater truth:

I have been inoculated by the blood of Jesus Christ. Sin's hold is broken. Death's sting has been taken away. He has freed me from the power of Satan. I'm free. Praise God I'm free.

The flu or shingles are bad enough, but nothing to compare with the sting and impact of sin. Thank God for the blood Jesus Christ. He sets us free.

CHECKUP TIME

I had my annual physical on Tuesday afternoon. The good news is that I weigh less than the last checkup. My blood pressure is fantastic. Vital signs are good. I am waiting on the lab results to see what my cholesterol is doing. That is usually high, but maybe the lost weight will help that come down too.

Physical exams are good, but daily physical care is better. Eating a balanced diet and daily exercise helps life go better. I feel stronger and am fitter for life.

I am reading through Bible for the fourth time this year and right now I am in the book of Leviticus. It gives specific directions from God to the Israelites about a lot of stuff in life. I am amazed at the clear directions God gave them through Moses. He told them what to do and what to eat and not to eat. All of that was for their good because God loved them.

God is faithful to us to give clear, good, specific directions to a better life. If we will diligently follow them then God has promised life and blessings. This was His promise to the children of Israel but also to us. We just need to checkup and see how we are doing.

My doctor checked in places that I really didn't like. He got kinda personal if you know what I mean, but it was for my good. God  gets even more personal in the deep, hidden places of our lives. He knows everything so there is nothing to hide from Him.

Spiritual checkups are good too. May God take away all in my life that would displease Him. May the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be acceptable to Him, my Lord, my strength, and my redeemer.

A NEAR TRAGEDY

Last Friday I worked for several hours pulling weeds and trimming shrubbery in our yard. It was hot, humid, and tough work. I actually was enjoying being outside and being productive, but it was tiring. Stooping over and over to pull weeds and trim is one way to trim the waistline. It was working.

In the front of our yard are several cactus plants that have to have attention every so often with weeding too. You have to be very careful or they'll spear you or cut you. They are also very toxic. If you get any juice from those plants on you, then you'll pay. They can scar or even kill.

I have read that these plants make natural guards for forts or houses in that no one would dare get close, especially at night. Believe me, I have be pricked by these cactus more than once.

Because of that I take extra care when working around them. Friday, I had worked an hour or more before getting to these cactus. As I worked around them, I used gloves and a long hoe to keep me away from them.

I carefully bent down to pull a weed out by hand, and then it happened

All of a sudden my cheek bone jolted. Pain pierce me. I could not see. Blood flowed down my face. It happened before I could stop it. A hard, long, pointed bayonette jabbed into my upper cheekbone. It went lightening fast into my cheek and banged on the bone of my cheek.

I stumbled backward unaware of what exactly happened. When I gained composure, I realized I could see, but was hurting severely. The sharp end of a cactus blade had cut into my face less than an inch from my eye. I was hurting and bleeding, but I could see.

Earlier that morning, Wanda and I had prayed over our day and asked God for his blessing and protection. I lifted my hand and gave thanks that I could see and had not lost vision in my left eye.

I am totally convinced that I would have lost my left eye if that blade had hit me only an inch of so higher. God was merciful to me. I am grateful more than I can say. I haven't had any infection or irritation. My lower eye socket is both black and red, but I can see.

Thank God, I can see.

BODY LANGUAGE

Can you tell what is happening in a person by how they stand? Or look at you? Or by facile expressions? Do they have to say anything for you to know? Or get the point? Or hear them?

Body language by a raised fist means something. So does turning your back, or looking down, or frowning, or scowling, or kicking, or even going to sleep.

Body language speaks volumes. You can hear the person whether they have ever uttered a word. You catch their tone, their attitude, their priority, even their values.

I watched with amusement as the first Presidential debate took place Wednesday night.

One guy looked bored, disinterested, sheepish, dispassionate, disrespectful, and un-Presidential.

The other stood confident, looked passionate, courteous, and bold.

All day the pundits have been sizing up the results and everyone, including the President's supporters, gave the challenger the win by a huge margin. I won't repeat the debate, but I couldn't help but focus on the body language. It was evident that one guy didn't have a clue or really care.

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Today is the 601st post of this blog. Man, that is hard to believe, but it is true. It seems like yesterday that I was writing the first post. I enjoy writing a few thoughts each week, and appreciate those who read and respond from time to time.

My goal is to encourage people to choose the better part of life.

I hope I have done that from time to time.

A NOSE RING?

I asked Wanda if she would wear a nose ring if I bought her one. Now, slow down before you think I am crazy. I haven't bought her one and I don't plan on buying one. I was reading in Genesis where Abraham's servant gave a nose ring to Rebecca after she said she would go with him to become Isaac's wife. I have read that verse many times before, but this time it caught my attention.

I like various forms of jewelry and have bought Wanda a number of pieces. She like nice things like most women, but I hadn't thought about buying a nose rise.

For some a nose ring might be just the thing. I like ear rings and rings on fingers and bracelets and necklaces, but I just hadn't really contemplated a nose ring.

From a biblical standpoint, I guess nose rings were ok with God. Abraham, God's man, had given this gift to be given to Isaac's bride to be. Surely Abraham would not have given a gift that wasn't pleasing to the Lord.

So, I guess nose rings are pleasing to the Lord, but not pleasing to Wanda.

That is ok with me too. That is not my favorite type of jewelry either.

WHO IS ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER?

I seldom watch the TV program 60 Minutes, but I watched a short segment of it Sunday evening. It was an interview with a former body builder, movie star, governor, and international personality. The program was sad. It was really sad.

Arnold told of an affair that he had with a housemaid while he was Governor of California. He fathered a child with the maid, and hid it from his wife and family. He was living a double life that led to shame, embarrassment, and ridicule.

He said it was the stupidest thing he has ever done. I can't speak for that, but I can say that his admission is sin. I can say that it hurt his family. I can say that a little boy will never know that love of a "real" father because of his stupidity.

My heart breaks for those who have been deceived by Satan's lies. Too often the results of sin don't settle in until it is too late and huge damage has been done.

The good news is that God forgives. The good news is that God redeems. The good news it that restoration is possible.

Here is better news.

God can keep you from sin's damage and shame. Through Christ and the power of the Holy Spirit, we can overcome the wicked one.

Arnold's wife, Maria, left him and has filed for a divorce. Now their four children will face a broken home. To be honest, I was a little aggravated about how the news caster exposed Schwarzenegger's sin, but the media has given the Kennedy (Maria's family) men a pass for their infidelities. There is a huge double standard going on there.

Here is the take-a-way.

Don't give way to sin. Go home to your wife. Protect your family. Don't let Satan win. Live in life and liberty through Christ Jesus. Don't live in shame.