I don’t have any valid scientific data for this, it just seems to be so. There are a lot of reasons for it. Some are justified, some are not.

“I thought you said something else…” is a popular one.

Are we purposefully ignoring what was said, or did we truly not understand what was said?  Hey… here is a novel idea… how about asking for clarification once in a while..

Sometimes we hear only what we want to hear. That makes it easier for us to write off not following through with what our loved one intended for.

Then there is simply misinterpretation. I find it hilarious and yet sad, when two people get completely different ideas from one conversation. This has happened around my house many times. One of our boys will say something and I will laugh. I look at my wife, and she is far from laughter. I will say something and my wife will laugh. Our two oldest boys, will look at us like we committed a heinous crime!

How many times have you had to go back and say, “But you misunderstood what I was trying to say!”

To have effective communication, we have to listen!  

“…let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath.” (James 1:19)

He and I walked amid the sounds of popping floor boards into the “screech” of the front screen door as it was opened, to view the expanse of his front yard.  W.C. told me there was something he wanted to show me and before I could even guess what it was, he was out in the yard; playing with an ugly, old, bulldog.

This dog would fetch. He would sit. He would lay down and he would shake your hand, and there was no doubt that he loved his master!

W.C.’s ability to train this old dog always amazed me, for if my memory serves, he did not acquire the dog as a pup. They say you can’t teach an old dog new tricks. On this particular day, I found that statement to be untrue.

Change is what we are.

Change is who we are.

Every second of our lives is change, for every second we are getting older and are having to cope with all of the changes, age brings us.

We move in and out of people’s lives, and they move in and out of ours.

Our aches and pains become more and we slow down having to adjust our lives to compensate for it. Whether we want to accept it or not, our attitudes change.  There are somethings that have disappointed us in this life, that have caused us to re-evaluate the way we look at things. Then, there are the wonderful blessings that pounce upon us, opening our eyes to make drastic changes in our character.

You can change from a person that is materialistic and sinful, to one that is spiritually based and pure! All you need is the proper motive as a catalyst. Being devoted to The Master is that proper catalyst!

Romans 12:2 tells us to not be conformed to this world: “but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.”

When Brother W.C. Cofield starting training that old dog, I bet he spent a lot of time repeating the same commands, in the same way, consistently; for that dog to learn.

If we are going to learn something new, we have to do it over and over again so it is nothing more than a secondary reaction to our environment. A dedicated study of God’s written word, will bring about the appropriate changes, no matter how old or young we are.

We also need to be completely devoted to our Master.  There will never be true change in our lives if we don’t truly embrace Him.

When I hit the creosote bridge it sounds out a thump-thump-thump-thump-thump, in quick succession. My hand, and left foot work in unison, gearing down again into second for the slight climb to our abode. Dust roils around me as I pull into my designated parking space, so I sit for just a moment, then pull up my hand break, turn the ignition off and climb out.

I enter the back door, walk through the kitchen and living room, to the back of our house where my bedroom is situated and dump all of my school stuff on the floor. It is at this point my stomach rumbles.

I immediately go back through the house and head to Granny’s. The numerous dogs that we own rush toward me; so I begin jumping and running, playing our special game of tag.

When I reach her house, I bound up the steps, then knock; even as I open the door, stepping inside. Granny’s home is warm and comfortable as always and she is sitting at her kitchen table shuffling a deck of cards, getting ready for our, somewhat, daily game of Gin Rummy. Walking over to her,I give her a big hug; my stomach again betraying my hunger. She laughs, halfway hugging me back from her sitting position and tells me there is food on the stove and that I am welcome to it. Sauntering over to her counter, my mouth waters as I look at a heavenly sight.

Sitting in a pan is a plate full of fried steak strips. Their aroma is still evident and I start stuffing them into my mouth wolfing them down as fast as I can. My mouth is full as I find a glass and poor myself some milk, when Granny berates me and instructs me to get a plate and stop eating strait out of the pan.

Since I had already eaten half of her leftovers, I tell her I have had enough, thank you, and those were the best steak strips I have ever eaten. She chuckles bobbing up and down, then tells me that was not steak but liver…

I am shocked and really not sure how I should react.

She has never lied to me before, even in fun, so there is no way she would be pulling my leg; but liver?

I hate liver!

From that point on, although liver is not one of my favorite meals, if I can imagine myself in my Granny’s kitchen eating hers, I can eat anyones.

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No matter how engrossed we are in our habits, whether they be things that we detest or love, we can change!  What determines our change, is our need.  2 Corinthians 7:10 tells us, “Godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation…” If we want it bad enough. We will attain it….

I would like to challenge you to find one thing about your life, that is keeping you from having a closer relationship with God. When you pinpoint the one you want to work on; pray. Pray for His strength. Pray for His guidance. Pray for His understanding. Proverbs 2:6 reads, “For the Lord giveth wisdom; out of his mouth cometh knowledge and understanding.”

May God bless us all, as we endeavor to continually change into a more devoted follower of His…

They were afraid, for they had nothing to focus on, but their own failures; then He spoke. “Go ye therefore and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I commanded you: and low I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world.”

As He spoke, the men became more introspective and were able to reconcile their mistakes with the promise that was given to them. Their backs straitened as determination swept over them like a warm blanket. They had let Him down once. They would not let Him down again!

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Shortly before ascending into heaven Jesus spoke those words to his disciples and they took His words very seriously. From the beginning in Jerusalem, the men were a complete unit as Peter started preaching Jesus to the Jews, making them realize they had murdered God’s only son, saying, “Repent and be baptized everyone of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. For the promise is unto you and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call.”

Even under heavy persecution these men, then eventually many more like them, proclaimed The Gospel; just as Jesus had directed them that lone, chilly evening before his ascension.

They scattered, fleeing from prison and certain death, but they never stopped teaching others about The Savior.

One of their greatest persecutors, became their eventual ally and suffered with them on a daily basis; never backing down, never ashamed. This man, The Apostle Paul, stated in Acts the twentieth chapter, verse twenty four; “But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry, which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God.”

Because of these men and women, beaten, but not defeated; the gospel message was spread throughout the world. Whenever I compare the dedication of these men and women to my own, I feel like, what I imagined the disciples felt, when they had to face their own inadequacies sitting around that fire, with the man they had just a few days earlier deserted.

What was the difference?

Shame.

The disciples ran scared when Jesus was taken and they were ashamed when faced with Him and His resurrection. They did overcome that shame however and that is what we must do!

It doesn’t matter what we did yesterday, or even an hour ago. What matters is what we will do from now on!

This week, I challenge you to look at least one person in the eye (preferably someone who is seemingly down and out) and tell them plainly, “God Loves You!”

It is a very good thing for us to build ourselves up spiritually. It is an even better thing to build someone else up.

“By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another”   - Jesus of Nazareth, John 13:35

If upon reading this, you feel inspired. I ask that you pass it on to others. Don’t be ashamed….

May God bless all of us!

Farmer’s Daughter Lesson #1: How to drive the tractor. 

One afternoon, Dad and I went on a “tractor date” so that I could learn how to drive the tractor. While he wanted me to learn how to drive the tractor so that I could work and help out on the farm and make some money, I can almost guarantee that he had an ulterior motive… I mean honestly, what farmer wouldn’t love the fact that his daughter can drive the tractor?

Click Here to Read the rest of Abigail’s “Bless My Life” blog!

For some, it might be people chewing gum, smacking their food, lying, not washing their hands after going to the bathroom, etc…

I actually just listed a few of mine. However, one of my biggest pet peeves is when people use the acronym “FML”. (I will now use *ML from now on because I don’t even like using it myself but I felt the need to use the full 3 letter acronym so that you, the reader, will know exactly what I’m referring to.)

I hate when people use it for a few reasons:

- For one thing, that first word is just plain tacky. To imagine that that word actaully comes out of your mouth… ewww gross.

- People aren’t even using the word in the right context. How dumb is that? For instance, it’s like using the word elephant in the place of ran. “Oh man, I just had to elephant all the way to my car in the rain!” Yeah… not cool.

- Let’s get serious. The majority of the time, well… I’ve never actually seen an instance that actually warranted the person using that acronym. Usually people insert that acronym on Facebook. For instance, “*ML… my pencil broke.” Okay… Your pencil broke. Not a big deal. Get a new one from your backpack/purse/pocket. There is absolutely no need to describe your life in such a vulgar fashion… and especially not in public on Facebook.

Now that I’m off my soap box, I challenge you to use a different phrase: “BML”.

I would ask that you do a drum roll but I feel that the title kinda most definitley gave it away but it’s not the end of the world. 

Okay… so “BML” stands for “Bless my life”.

If I remember correctly, the first time I ever saw BML used was on my friend’s Facebook status. I remember thinking…  did they spell that correctly? Then I realized that by golly, they sure did!

I was so moved and impressed that they dared to be different and go against the grain. I also realized… why shouldn’t we feel that our life is blessed rather than the “other option”?

If I’m ever having a bad day, here are some things that I tell myself:

- I’m completely healthy.

- I have an amazing family I wouldn’t trade for the world.

- I have amazing friends.

- God has blessed me more than I could have ever imagined.

So if you’re ever having a bad day, or feel the urge to use “*ML”…. don’t. Rememer that God loves you… your family loves you… and that you’re extremely blessed.

BML: Bless My Life.

*Posted by permission – Abigail Grace Miller

As we were laughing at one of my more original jokes I noticed a faint buzz in my ear. The buzz gradually turned into a din, which soon thereafter became a loud whine. Not long after that, the noise grew to a cacophony of blaring sirens. The whole restaurant turned toward the windows to see an ambulance navigating itself through a congested intersection. We sat in silence for a nano second and the restaurant erupted back into conversation and laughter.

It was at this point, I noticed one of my dinner companions with her head bowed moving her lips. I thought, “What in the world is she doing?”

Granted we normally ask God to bless our meal whether we ate at home or out, but we had not even ordered our meal yet. When she was finished and raised her head, I asked her about it. She proceeded to explain, saying she was praying for whoever was in the ambulance. I was aghast! Why would she do that?

I said, “The person in that ambulance could be a murderer that was shot fleeing from a police officer, or a man that had one too many while driving and just killed a teenage girl. How can you know that the person in that ambulance is worthy of our prayers?”

After spewing these words of indignation, I realized how crass I sounded and was immediately saddened by my own vitriol. My dinner companion looked at me with tears in her eyes as I berated myself. There was nothing for her to say…

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Do you know what the first commandment is? Jesus tells us in Matthew 22:37 that the first and greatest commandment is to love God. Of course we know this! Any person that has been around any type of religion for even the shortest amount of time knows this. But, do you know what the second greatest commandment is? “And the second is like unto it °, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.” (Matthew 22:39)

The above scenario is fiction, based upon the testimony of a brother in Christ. He is a loving and caring man. He is a student of God’s word, but in this one moment, he admittedly forgot the second greatest commandment. When he related this story, I immediately delved into my own life and experiences. I wondered how many times had I forgotten this important commandment?

We see and hear stories about “paying it forward.” There are even television ads that encourage others to realize the good deeds that are done before them and in return do good deeds for others. What would it take for us to live our whole lives as a “pay it forward?” How much effort does it take to open the door for not just a lady, or someone that is an obvious elder, but for any and all? Do we move so fast in this world that we can’t take a minute out of our day to hold the door open for two, or five, or even fifty people that are focused on their own destination?

What about dropping whatever it is we are doing and praying for that person in the ambulance? What if we prayed for the driver of the vehicle that cut us off, instead of wanting, or actually cursing at him/her? What about the cashier at our local retail store, that acts like he/she ate a box of six penny nails for breakfast? Can we say a kind word to that person? Can we invite them to attend church with us, or to study God’s word?

There is all sorts of room in our lives to fulfill the second greatest commandment and if you have read this far, you are ready for my challenge. In the next 24 hours and the days following, I challenge you to fulfill the second greatest commandment to at least one individual you do not know. If it has no impact on them, it will have an impact on God!

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Whenever I hear a very inspiring sermon, or as in this case, four, I like to make a mental list of the things that I have learned. Today, I want to write those things down and share them with you. As a matter of fact, I think that I will endeavor to start a new habit of writing down the things that I have learned, as compared to simply making a mental list.

The overall theme was to encourage each individual member of each congregation to evaluate what they, as individuals, could do to help their home congregation grow. Chris Abercrombie had the task of conveying the importance of study. Now we are not talking about each of us simply studying His word, but each of us studying with each other. He took a very novel approach to this, by showing the humanistic ideas that our government requires the local school system to teach. What I learned, is we should do more studying with each other, to overcome these humanistic ideas. It goes a little further than that though. We should also find different avenues for us to encourage a study of God’s word with everyone we come in contact with. It doesn’t have to be us trying to convert every person to Christianity with every study. As a matter of fact, if we can find common ground ideas from God’s word to study, it will more than likely build a stronger foundation for those more soul searching, conversion studies later on. There is another very good thing about this. It places a demand on us as individuals, to know the subject matter ourselves; thus it will encourage us to study our bibles more at home.

Timothy Fleming talked to us about using hospitality to help our home congregation grow. What I learned from him was the idea, that we do not have to invite everyone to our home for a five course meal, every time we see an opportunity. We can invite anyone just about anywhere and use that converging of two human souls to praise God and spread his word. An .89 cent hamburger with a spiritually based conversation can accomplish the same thing as a pot roast.

Jared Kirby presented some very inspiring ideas about benevolence. Whenever we think of benevolence we think of charity and money. That is not how it should always be. Granted monetary help is accepted gratefully from people that are truly in need and there is a huge door for us as Christians to make contacts. Sometimes all we may need to do is mow a lawn or pick up someones yard. There are a lot of families that are in need of clothes or can goods. Each one of these contacts present the opportunity for glory to God. Each one of these contacts could be hurting more spiritually than financially and a spiritual boost may be just what they need to get their monetary affairs in order.

Van Miller preached a very good sermon on individual evangelism. As a disciple of Christ (which you are if you call yourself a Christian) it is our duty to spread the word. It doesn’t have to be through the organization of the local church. We can and should do this on a personal basis as well. I learned from Van’s ideas, that I am not asking enough people to church! Van suggested that we should make a list of names and then ask each one of them to church. He encouraged us to keep records on when we invited each person and how they responded. If a person turns us down, what have we lost? Nothing. Do we ask that person again? Well, not necessarily the next day or week, but yes we should ask them again and keep asking until it is evident they will never respond. He also suggested that 200 different names a year is not that large of a number, especially when we consider how many different people we come in contact with each day and how many people we know.

Based upon these thoughts,  this is what I am going to do and what I encourage you to do.

Make four separate lists. First make a list of ten people that you will invite to church this week. Keep up with the list and tweak it as needed, but do not fail to ask those ten people to church. Each week start a new list. Keep people from the previous week on it if you like, but only those that you feel might respond to your invitation eventually. Each new week make a new list.

The second list is of five different ways you can be benevolent for the glory of God each week. It could be things as mundane as giving a co-worker a couple of dollars that seems to be struggling (without expecting payment in return).  It could be something as extravagant as finding a family in need and helping them monetarily or physically with the basic necessities of life.  It is extremely important that we not just be benevolent, but we use that benevolence to bring God’s word into their lives as well. Never forget, the purpose of these lists, is to save souls.

On the third list, consider individuals or families that you can be hospitable to in some form or fashion. Make this list a monthly goal. Plan it out how you can show your hospitality to someone who is not familiar with God’s word and The Church, then follow through with that plan. It may be taking someone out to eat, or inviting them to your home, but make it something that has not only value, but an avenue for proclaiming the gospel.

The fourth list encompasses them all. As you invite people to church, help those in need and  use your hospitality; encourage them to study the bible with you. This is one that will have to be “played by ear.” You never know when someone will accept your invitation to study, so you must be prepared by studying God’s word yourself.  There are also DVD’s, books and study guides that  you can find for this and if you need help finding something appropriate contact me. I will be glad to either give you some material or direct you to someone that has what you are looking for.

It is extremely important that we remember as disciples of Christ we are his ambassadors, so we should make every effort to represent The Body of Christ in our lives.

Certainly it is a good thing to simply help someone in need, or to be hospitable at every opportunity; but as I stated earlier, the spiritual needs of those we come in contact with are much more important than the physical ones.

Just recently I put forth an effort to get over 1000 followers on facebook.  I did not do this to embolden my self worth. I did this for one reason alone. Periodically I write this blog and I try to write something that is uplifting and encouraging. At the very least I write something that I hope you, as the reader, will find beneficial to your daily walk as a child of God. The more people that read this blog the better. I don’t profess to be a professional writer. I don’t profess to be anywhere near the same league as the prominent spiritual self help writers of our day. What I do profess is a love for God and a love for his word and my wish is to reach at least one person each time I symbolically put pen to paper.

I would like to make a request of you. If you like what you read on my blogs; share it. Send the bit.ly link to as many people as you can. This one act could be the one thing that helps someone in a time of  spiritual need.

Thanks to all of you that read this on a regular basis and the kudos that you send my way. Those well wishes you send my way are not expected, but they are appreciated!

Consider that Happiness can actually be forced upon you, especially by the right person. My wife knows how to get a smile on my face. My mother knows how to get a smile on my face. My boys know how to get a smile on my face. I can be made, by their laughter and smiles, to become happy.  Happiness is nothing more than a state of mind and God wants us to be Happy. As a matter of fact, he commands it! (Philippians 4:4)   The reason he commands it of us, is because it is good for us. Consider Proverbs 15:13. “A merry heart maketh a cheerful countenance: but by sorrow of the heart the spirit is broken.”

We need to remember there is no amount of true happiness in anything other than spiritual fulfillment. We may think we are happy, but that happiness does not last. It will wear off, or get old and we will soon be looking for something else to make us feel good. (Ecclesiastes 5:10)  We should remember the example that our savior was for us. (Hebrews 12:2)  He knew the pain he was about to suffer and he suffered through it anyway. He knew how he was going to be ridiculed and he took it on the chin. He even knew his mother would be hurt and he made sure she was taken care of. He knew it would only be for a short period of time and we need to remember such as well.

The next time you have a choice between doing something spiritual and something physical, choose the spiritual. In the end, you will be much happier for that decision.

Not a person was worried of the impending gloam.

As Christians redeemed by His blood that was shed,

Our bibles left open where they last had been read.

The children were nestled all snug in their beds,

With pictures of heaven running through their heads.

My wife and I settled down to relax,

Confident and secure giving rest to our backs.

When out from the east there arose such a noise,

I sprang from the bed tripping over some toys.

The door was open to our back deck,

I stepped upon it, giving the sky a check.

The sky grew bright with His presence I knew,

Making the black of the night, begin to turn blue.

My eyes grew wide from what I did see,

Angels were singing and shouting with glee.

The noise they made was much like a shout,

At this time in my mind, there was no doubt!

Christ had returned from his home above,

My heart was filled with joy and love.

I gave my family one last long look,

Together we rose, to the sky we took.

In an instant our bodies were changed from the old,

We became something else, sparkling like gold.

I was thankful that Jesus, for me, lived and bled,

For I was imperfect, with the life I had lead.

The gospel showed me what was required,

Through baptism, salvation is what I acquired.

If you don’t have this solace as a part of  your life,

The end result is nothing but strife.

Believe and obey God’s wonderful plan,

Peace is your’s, not the fall of man.