LOVE AND CARE

When you are little you need a mommy and a daddy. They feed, clothe, bath, and watch over you. It is called parenting. It is the greatest and most important work in the world. Loving and caring for your family; fathers and mothers loving each other and providing loving care for their little ones.

As life progresses, so do the demands within the home. Little ones get bigger. Bruised shins and elbows leave way to dating, courting, and heart issues. The stakes are larger with huge consequences. The nest becomes empty.

Then young adults marry and the process begins again. It is the cycle of love and life filled with tons of joy as well as bumps and bruises.

Then momma and daddy get older. Hopefully they move into the twilight years together.

The tables turn.

Love and care received for many, many, many years moves more in the other direction with love and care now to be given. Families of love know how to do it. You just take care of each other.

Love received must become love given.

JUST RUN

I am continuing to train for the upcoming Gate River Run in March. It is a 15 K or 9.3 mile race. Presently I am running about 3 miles a couple of times a week and bumping it up to 4 miles another time or so. Now it goes to 5 miles on one run. I think I feel sore muscles already.

Running is a quick way to exercise and it is cheap. In a half an hour I can burn enough calories to justify eating what I want and even lose a little weight. HA!

It does takes some discipline and effort. I usually don't feel like running at first, but once I get down the road and catch a second wind things go better.

What is my goal?

To finish the River Run and not to throw up!

Actually I would like to finish again in the top 1/3 of the runners. I have done that in each of my previous River Runs. So out the door I go.

Five Miles Today.

Just run.

66 YEARS

Mom and Dad have been married 66 years. I am the oldest of five children with three sisters and one brother. They have lived for the Lord all of their lives and have spent all their years together in the work of God. They have amazing and incredible stories of God's faithful blessings on their lives.

Now both are in the hospital. Dad has pneumonia and mom tripped in the hospital in a hallway as they were moving dad from the ER to a private room. She shattered her left shoulder. The surgeon said it looked like a bomb had exploded in her shoulder. Now both are in the hospital.

Dad said this was the first time that both of them had been "down" in all their years together. Now, both had urgent needs.

Please remember them in your prayers. Both still have a ways to go to recover. Mom has weeks of rehab ahead of her. It won't be easy. She has lots of pain.

Somehow God takes all these things and works them together for good. He has promised so. I believe Him.

SAID WHAT?

I preached this past Sunday morning from the Book of Daniel. He was a man of character, courage, and commitment. He continually served the Lord and was faithful to God regardless of how easy or tough things were. We were completing a 21 day Daniel fast in our church and I was excited about what God is doing in our church family.

As the sermon developed, I finally got to the part where Daniel was trapped by jealous leaders in King Darius' Court. They contrived a plan that they hoped were do away with Daniel.

So I said, "They threw Daniel in the lion of dens," and continued on with my message. Then I caught what I said. I immediately corrected my blooper and asked how many heard what I had misspoke. Only about 15% caught my error. I am amazed that I caught it. Bloopers happen.

Later Sunday afternoon I overheard Wanda on the phone. She said, "How open are you late?"

So....

We all do it.

FALSE TEETH

I took my father about three years ago to to a dentist to get all of his teeth pulled so he could get false teeth. It was about an hour ride to the dental center where he had it done. We checked in and after a few moments they called for him to go back into the office for the procedure.

It seemed like just a couple of minutes that he came back where I was waiting. His lips were shut tight. He didn't talk. I couldn't imagine that they could have pulled his teeth, but they had. He grinned without opening his mouth and motioned to the door.

"Are you ready to go," I asked?

He nodded in the affirmative, and out the door we went. All of Dad's teeth were gone. He was toothless. Couldn't talk, but was ready to go.

Later that afternoon we were to ride back the same office for him to be fitted with his new teeth. Pam! He all happened so quickly.

This past Thursday evening, my sister and I were in dad's hospital room where dad is recovering from a severe bout of pneumonia. Just before we left, Dad looked a Tricia and asked if she would mind cleaning his teeth. She took them and scrubbed them good and put them away for the night.

She looked at me and said, "Won't be long before you'll have some of these!"

I laughed and said I was going to take good care of the one's I have.

False teeth are better than none, but I like the ones I have now. Don't know why I wrote about this. I guess that it simply pointed out the progression of life and all of its many nuances and issues.

Dad is getting better. He'll need those false teeth.

SICKNESS

Good health is one of the greatest blessings of life. You can't buy it. You can't trade for it. You can't borrow it from someone. Good genetics can help. Proper hygiene and diet definitely can improve it. Poor habits can destroy it. Accidents can totally ruin it.

During almost 40 years of ministry I have visited untold sick people and prayed for thousands. Some get well. Some get worse. Some have gone to heaven. Some have gone to hell. All of that is pretty sobering.

I have watched people choose terrible eating habits and even worse habits of smoking, drugs, and drinking. They all inevitably pay a tough price. Many of them beg for more time and improved health far too late when help is almost impossible.

I have learned that living by God's laws and the instructions of His Word always improve and lengthen life spans. Time and time again I have noticed the impact on those with poor health created by poor choices as they have ignored what God's Word teaches about health care.

God's Word has a lot to say about gluttony. I am working on the overeating part and trying to get back to my more ideal weight.

So, what is the take-a-way today? Take care of yourself. You are living in the only body that you will have in this life. Spare parts are hard to find and often don't match. I haven't seen too many grow new parts and the repaired parts often only last a short while.

So take charge today. Get good rest. Don't overeat, or smoke, or get drunk, or do other abusive things to your body.

You'll have to go to heaven to get a new body. I don't think they get new bodies in hell. They just get tanned real dark.

REVIVAL MEETINGS

I love doin' church. There is no music like Gospel music. There are no meetings like church meetings. And, I love good preachin'.

We used to have three week church revivals. Night after night we would go. Altar services were long and powerful. Lives were changed. Eternity was impacted.

Now we have church concerts and an occasional revival meeting. I think we need more preaching. Now, don't get me wrong. I love the music and good singing. But preaching the Word convicts and cleanses the soul.

Sunday we had an evangelist preach for us, and the altars were filled with people reaching out to God. There were tears and repentance and lives were changed.

I pray that God will turn the hearts of His people back to the altar and deep, long, soul searching moments before Him. I think our homes would be the better for it. I think America would be impacted.