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September 26

Tuesday, September 26th, 2023

You have probably heard the joke about 2 friends who were hunting in the woods when they saw a large, mean grizzly bear begin to approach them. One of the men turned to take off running and the other said, “You don’t think you are going to outrun that grizzly do you?” He said, “I don’t have to. I just have to outrun you.”

What a great friend! (I will now remove my firmly implanted tongue in my cheek).

I suspect we have all had friends like that. We call them “fair weather” friends, for that is truly what they are. They are with you until it gets sticky or too hot in the kitchen. Tragically, I have read and know of friendships that fell apart with an accusation, a word behind the back, a betrayal, or simply a lack of trust.

Here are a few questions to consider: When someone says something about a friend, what is your reaction? Do you defend your friend? Do you allow yourself to be swayed, to have some doubt? Do you betray your friend by piling on the accusations or simply by saying nothing at all? I remember many years ago defending a friend (Person A) against accusations made by a coworker (Person B).  For the record, we did not work in the same place. It strained the friendship with Person B. Then years later I found out what he said was true. The other man’s (Person A) wife left him; he lost his family; he lost his ministry; and a lot of people were hurt by his duplicity. I apologized for my defense and the breach in our friendship to Person B when I heard the truth.

I honestly did what a friend should do. I heard the accusations from others. I went to the accused and was told they were all lies. I then defended the friend. But sometimes friendship is sticky, especially when you feel like you are in the middle. This time was like that. I don’t regret defending a friend. What I did regret is straining another friendship, only to find out what was being said was true.

Friendship takes work. Friendships are hard. Jesus once said, “Greater love has no man than this, that a man lay down His life for a friend.”

Be a friend, even when it gets sticky. I’d rather be loyal to a friend and maybe find out later that trust was misplaced, than walk out on a friend and find out my trust was really needed and the accusations were false.

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September 25

Monday, September 25th, 2023

Bryan Johnson is sad.

Not sad as in “Boo-hoo” sad. Not the “cry-me-a-river” type of sad.

But sad as in the “clueless” department.

So you might be wondering, “Who in the world is Bryan Johnson?”  (No, I am not talking about the lead singer of AC/DC. Besides, he spells his name with an “i.”)  You can Google his name or you can take my word for it in my short synopsis. Bryan was a tech millionaire who sold his BioHacking company to PayPal for $800million.  Yeah, you read that right. That’s not a bad thing. I don’t begrudge that at all. More power to him.

Here’s what is sad. Bryan Johnson is on a quest for immortality. You read that right: I.M.M.O.R.T.A.L.I.T.Y.  To accomplish that he has some strange habits.  He takes 111 pills a day.  He goes to bed every night at 8:30 and is up by 6:00.  There is nothing in his bedroom besides his bed, except a laser face shield that shoots collagen into his face, and one unmentionable item I’ll let you research. He avoids the sun. He doesn’t go out at night.  He drives 16 mph (He would be one who would put me in an early grave if I was following him). He has multiple other habits.

I’ve seen stickers on trucks that say, “Silly boy.Trucks are for girls!” I want to say to Bryan, “Silly Bryan. Immortality is for One.” He believes at age 46 (which he is as I write this) that he has a heart of a 37 year old and the bones of a 30 year old. His goal is to be 18…and to live forever.

Sadly, he is moving in the area of F.U.T.I.L.I.T.Y. There is only ONE who has conquered death and it isn’t and won’t be Bryan.

I hope Bryan learns soon enough, i.e. sooner than later, that he is wasting his time and $2million/year for nothing. Envious? Not a bit. One half of what he is spending is more than I’ll make my entire lifetime.  Personally, I hope he learns the lesson of the rich man that Jesus taught about in Luke 12. It says the land of the rich man produced plentifully so he thought to himself, “What shall I do? I know. I’ll build bigger barns. You know…eat, drink and be merry.” But that night God said to him, “You fool! This night your soul is required of you.”  What good was his money then?

I sincerely hope Bryan learns sooner than later that one thing is certain: we all die.  He won’t cheat that. His money will not get him out of the one date we all will keep. No concoction will save him. There will come a day when Bryan will go the way of all of us. I just hope he finds out before it is too late.

To die in his lost condition? Now that would be sad.

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September 20

Wednesday, September 20th, 2023

It was not a pretty sight. In fact, they were a downright mess. Years of fitful care came home to roost. Some of it was DNA. Some of it was a failure to have checkups regularly and proper maintenance. So at the age of 55 I found myself having radical dental work done culminating (I thought) with wearing braces for almost 3 years.

My DNA was not good. Dentures all around, except for my mom whose teeth were not the best (but she still smiled a lot). The shape of my jaw caused me to chew in such a way that I wore off the bottom teeth. Nerves became exposed. Flossing and brushing were not enough to make up for the years of early neglect. The lack of maintenance at the dentist (like none) as I raised two daughters certainly didn’t help. X-rays were needed and revealed a lot. So the process began. Two surgeries to remove one the largest torus mandibularis, aka tori (bone growth) the doctor had ever seen. This tori was between the bottom teeth and had I not been a side sleeper he said I would have probably died in my sleep because my tongue had nowhere to go. Then began the process of pulling teeth, wearing braces for almost 3 years, crowns, implants…well, you get the picture.

It didn’t happen overnight. It took time. And even after the braces came off (I followed the rules religiously), I’ve had other procedures. They are too numerous for me to mention (or to remember!). 🙂

I wear retainers every night to keep the alignment correct. I’m not going to throw over $15k down the tubes because I wish I could go to bed without them. They make me lisp when I talk and dry-mouthed when I wake up.

The life and growth of a Christ-follower is like that. After years of living in sin, of making a royal mess of our life, we find ourselves having radical treatment. It’s called salvation, where sin is dealt with and treatment is done. It takes awhile to learn, understand and respond to the truth of the Gospel, and then there is the ongoing care which lasts a lifetime. There are glitches along the way, but maintenance is still necessary. Prayer. Bible reading. Fellowship. They are all needed for ongoing spiritual health.

Salvation happens immediately when our sins are forgiven. The ongoing growth and maintenance requires the rest of our lifetime.

Where are you in the process?

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September 19

Tuesday, September 19th, 2023

It was the middle of my 7th grade year at Edison Jr High. We moved from 287 Utah Ave to 930 Commonwealth Ave. That might not seem like a big deal to kids these days, but to me it was.

New home. New school district= new school. Say what? You read that right: N.E.W. S.C.H.O.O.L. In the middle of the 7th grade.  To my recollection, we had never lived outside the projects.  I know we moved a couple of times, but all within the projects and that was for a place with more bedrooms.  But always within Emerson Elementary or Edison Jr High.

But this move took me to Homeville Jr High. New school. New teachers. New surroundings. New classmates. Even for this extrovert that was sort of daunting. (It didn’t take me long though to lose any reserve I might have had). 🙂

I remember though, one Spring-like day going up the back steps our of our patio to the upper layer of our yard and walking to the playground at the top of the hill. It had some swings and a couple of hoops. There was someone there who let me shoot around (if you can call it that at that stage of my career) with him. It was soon time for him to leave when an angel in the house next to the playground-who had been sitting on her porch watching-said, “You must be new around here. My name is Mrs. John. Would you like some cookies and iced tea?” Well…yeah! Only I didn’t say it like that. I was taught manners like “Yes m’am.” So began a 5-year cookie and iced tea rendezvous. Sometimes I would play then visit. Sometimes I would just walk up and visit. I went away to college and would still visit on breaks.  I graduated and still have the Nave’s Topical Bible (even though it is King James) and the Spurgeon’s Treasury of Psalms she gave me as graduation gifts.

Mrs. John is now with Jesus…for a long time now. I’m sure this angel with the chocolate-chip cookie-open-door policy heard “Well done, good and faithful servant” when she was called home to be with the Jesus she loved so much and exhibited so clearly to a somewhat disoriented 7th grade boy.

Moral: never shy away from sharing-in big and small ways-the heart of Jesus. “Thank you Mrs John for the cookies and tea, and the conversations in your kitchen, on your pack porch, and in your living room. But, most of all, thank you for showing me Jesus.”

Who might you thank for something big or small? Better  yet, will someone thank you for your show of Jesus by an act of love?

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September 18

Monday, September 18th, 2023

Jo and I and our daughter traveled an hour away yesterday afternoon to attend the Celebration of Life of a friend. On August 23rd I wrote about us attending a funeral visitation of a friend. That visitation was on Tuesday, the 22nd. On Wednesday, the 23rd, I made my way to the hospital to visit a friend from that same town who was in the hospice unit. It was a matter of time for her to pass. Both families were tied together by blood and hearts. On Saturday, the 26th that friend went to be with Jesus. Due to various circumstances, they had to wait almost a month to honor their mom.

One of the qualities of this friend people kept talking about was her sweet spirit. I have known her as a pastor and a friend since 1987 and never once did I ever hear a cross word or a bad mouth about anyone come from her lips. In fact, on display by all who knew her and spoke of her was her tender, gentle heart. That heart came from her deep and committed relationship to Jesus Christ. It permeated every part of her. If there was someone of whom it could said “every joint, every bone, every muscle, every fiber of her being was locked on to Jesus,” it would be her.

I think the best words I could say-that I want said about me when my days are done-is that she loved. There is a passage of Scripture which I think sums up Sherri’s life. I’ll let it speak for itself and say the rest of my words:

“Let no unwholesome word come out of your mouth, but if there is any good word for edification according to the need of the moment, say that, so that it will give grace to those who hear…All bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and slander must be removed from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, compassionate, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you. Therefore, be imitators of God, as beloved children; and walk in love, just as Christ also loved you and gave Himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma.” (Eph. 4: 29, 31-5:2 NASB2020)

What words would you want said about you if people gather to celebrate your life?

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September 13

Wednesday, September 13th, 2023

I read this morning that as thousands of Ukrainian women and children arrived at Berlin’s railway station fleeing war, they were met with a surprise-German families holding homemade signs offering refuge in their homes. “Can host two people!” one sign read. “Big room [available],” read another. Asked why she offered such hospitality to fleeing strangers, one woman said her mother had needed refuge while fleeing the Nazis and she wanted to help others in such need. (Source: Our Daily Bread-9/13-Sheldon Voysey author)

The word refuge stood out to me as I read that story. I think of a refuge as a place to hunker down during a storm. There have been times I have been out riding my bike when a storm has hit unexpectedly (and I was trying hard to beat it). Out of necessity I have ridden in a misty rain or a steady rain (Getting from Point A to Point B), all the while looking for a place to get out of the rain. But a storm? I look for the first porch, first barn, first roof, first covered inset of a building to (hopefully) wait out the storm.

Multiple times in the book of Psalms we read the word refuge. Here are a few:

Psalm 2:12- “Kiss the Son…Blessed are all who take refuge in Him.”

Psalm 5:11- “Let all who take refuge in you rejoice…”

Psalm 7:1- “O Lord my God, in you I take refuge…”

Psalm 11:1- “In the Lord I take refuge…”

Psalm 16:1- “Preserve me, O God, for in you I take refuge…”

Psalm 46:1- “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.”  (It is reported H.G. Wells once said, “God is an ever absent help in time of trouble.”)

As you can see the verses speaking of God as a refuge are many, and those are just a small handful of verses from Psalms.

Storms come. They know no discrimination. They know no boundaries. We will all experience storms. Some catastrophic; some light. Some inexplicable; some easy to read. What makes a difference is to WHOM we run. In WHOM will we seek refuge? David, the author of most of the Psalms, found his refuge in God.

What about you? Where will you find your refuge?

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September 11

Monday, September 11th, 2023

September 11.

‘Nuff said.

I was sitting in my recliner for a few minutes before heading out for a ride yesterday when I turned to my wife and said, “Do you realize tomorrow is 9/11?”

9/11. Oh…the memories. 22 years ago and it seems in some ways like it was just yesterday when the world of the USA was turned upside down. I can still remember where I was and what I was doing when I got the news. (And I am willing to wager you do also). Two other men and I had made a short drive from Sandusky, OH to Massillon, OH for a one-day finance seminar for churches. It was live streamed (before that was even a big hit). We hadn’t head anything about the attacks since the radio was off as I drove and we talked. We were stunned when we arrived; the seminar was delayed; and we heard the news. Although, admittedly, I had no knowledge of the Twin Towers (finances and building were not my thing), I sat in stunned disbelief and silence as the TV replayed the events of the morning. Then the reports of a downed plane in a Pennsylvania cornfield and a plane hitting the Pentagon made us all realize we were the victim of a terrorist attack. (Gone, for sure and maybe forever) was our sense of security and our manner of doing things, especially travel. The next few days were a blur as I sat in front of the TV in the evenings hoping for recovery of bodies. A changed sermon for that upcoming Sunday.

But there are some other thoughts:

  • Party politics took a back seat as our lawmakers sang “God Bless America” as one (How different 19 years later during the summer of 2020).
  • People cared about people. Stories of heroism emerged out of the rubble of downed building and a downed airplane in a field. Police, firefighters, and others were heroes for selfless acts (Again, how times had changed in 2020).
  • 33 year old Todd Beamer, a husband to Lisa, a father of one, and a Christ-follower whose words “Let’s Roll” became synonymous with heroism and unselfishness.
  • Heartbreaking stories of loss emerged. So did tributes. Tunnels to Towers, an organization committed to building debt-free homes for disabled vets, emerged as a tribute to a firefighter brother who died at the Twin Towers doing what he was supposed to do.

Lots of memories. Memories we must not forget. Stay tuned tomorrow for more reflections. Until then…“Never forget.”

Those two words are making havoc in my brain this morning.

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September 5

Tuesday, September 5th, 2023

There is one word-in leadership and in life-that never has and never will go out of style.

That one word? I.N.T.E.G.R.I.T.Y.

Integrity has been defined as “who you are when no one’s looking.” That is a pretty spot on definition but in some ways it is almost incomplete.  I get what the definition is saying. Many people are one way in public and another in private. The “up front” persona picture people see is no where near the “in secret” persona. I’ll let you pursue that thought on your own.

But I also think that saying might be a tad bit short on meaning. Being who we are behind the scenes as we are up front is vital. But…what do people see up front? It is someone worth emulating? Is it someone worth following?

I was reminded of that this morning as I read Titus 2:7-8- “Show yourself in all respects  to be a model of good works, and in your teaching show integrity, dignity, and sound speech that cannot be condemned, so that an opponent may be put to shame, having nothing evil to say about us.” Do you see the word “model?” Do you see the words “integrity, dignity, and sound speech?” Those are some serious words! And they come with some meaning and challenge. My translation of that verse is “Live in such a way that when someone says something bad about you people will know they are lying.”

I thought of the Apostle Peter’s words in I Peter 3:16-17- “Having a good conscience, so that, when you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame. For it is better to suffer for doing good, if that should be God’s will, than for doing evil.”

Integrity means being who we say we are-in private and in public.

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August 30

Wednesday, August 30th, 2023

When Benjamin Franklin wrote Poor Richard’s Almanac he passed along some very wise thoughts. One of them I thought of today was “People who are wrapped up in themselves make small packages.”

What does that mean? Actually, it isn’t hard to figure out. People who are very self-absorbed, and perhaps even narcissistic, really do not have much to offer others. They may think they do (thus the nature of their disease), but they fail.  Contrast that to someone who is focused and concerned about others, who take an interest in people and life beyond themselves.

I think we all know self-absorbed people. You walk away from them feeling invisible. They didn’t care how much you were hurting, seeking a friend to listen, or just to be “there.” Nope. It was all about them. Self-centered people are just that: SELF. CENTERED.

I thought of that this morning (and hence the Franklin quote) as I read Proverbs 30. The chapter is filled with one or two verses (sometimes more) of pithy sayings, often bound together. For example, verses 12-13 say, “There is a kind who is pure in his own eyes, yet is not washed from his filthiness. There is a kind-oh how lofty are his eyes! And his eyelids are raised in arrogance.” (NASB2020) What an ugly picture that gives us. This is a picture of a self-absorbed person! They can’t see themselves for what and who they are. They can’t even see beyond their own nose.

That is just one of the reasons “Follow your heart” is not a good philosophy to live by. Jeremiah 17:9 says, “The heart is deceitful about all things, and desperately sick (wicked); who can understand it?” (ESV)  I’ll let that stand on it own merit.

Focusing inward makes for a very small package. Thank you Benjamin Franklin. It makes for a very myopic view.  Thank you writer of Proverbs 30. So…stop gazing at your navel and start seeing others.

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August 28

Monday, August 28th, 2023

There is an old saying I’m pretty sure we have all heard: “Be sure your sins will find you out.”  We read stories-often daily-where this adage plays itself out.

  • A church treasurer who decides the church’s money is their personal bank so they begin using the money for themselves and financing ventures for personal gain.
  • An accountant who siphons money from a client or clients because of greed.
  • A builder who uses cheap materials and takes shortcuts while building.

The sad list goes on. Men and women who are trusted, but end up cheating, lying, and taking advantage of others. All while believing they are not going to get caught.

I Timothy 5:24 says, “The sins of some people are quite evident, going before them to judgment; for others, their sins follow after.” (NASB2020) See that last phrase? My translation: sin will come to roost.

But how about good? You know…there are people who do good but want no recognition. But try as they many, word gets out. I was reminded of that when I continued reading I Timothy 5:25-“Likewise also, deeds that are good are quite evident, and those which are otherwise cannot be concealed.”  (NASB2020)

Good should never be done for the purpose of recognition. But sometimes it just can’t help itself.  But keep this in mind: it is far better to be known for doing good, than to be known for your “sins.”

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We had a good weekend. I know some of you had prayed for that. We celebrated Janna’s birthday. She had a migraine so we brought her food home after eating supper with Braden. We visited Jo’s sister, who did not know me, and I’m thinking barely knew Jo. We watched Braden play football Friday night. He played a good game and even intercepted a pass. We also had a safe trip with all the driving miles. Thanks for all your prayers.

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