It's Been A Long Time

I realized today that it's been a long time since I posted anything, so here it goes.

Sandra and I are grateful for God's protection.  A huge storm ripped through Bowling Green, KY last night.  

Our little subdivision missed the first storm that was just north of us, but around 10:30 PM, we awoke to violent wind, rain, and lightning.  You're not supposed to look out the window when a tornado-like storm is outside, but that's what we did.  The winds were swirling about, so I'm certain that a tornado could easily have developed.  God was gracious to this little subdivision and protected us - once again!

Today was beautiful and sunny.  We enjoyed a morning walk, and we surveyed the damage to the neighborhood.  The worst damage that we saw was a pergola that had been picked up and shoved between two homes.  In the process, it ripped off some siding of the one home.  All could have been much worse.

Today's fitness routine was a series of pullups, squats, and pushups.  Try this little routine to improve your pullups ...

5 band-assisted pullups - 20 seconds of rest

12 squats while holding a kettlebell or dumbbell (I used a 30# kettlebell) - 20 seconds of rest

12 pushups - 20seconds of rest

8 side lunges while holding a kettlebell or dumbbell

Repeat the series 3 times.

At the end, I did a dead-hang to improve grip strength.  My goal is 2 minutes.

Today, I spent some time in Leviticus during our morning devotional time.

"And the LORD spake unto Moses and to Aaron, saying unto them,  Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, These are the beasts which ye shall eat among all the beasts that are on the earth." 

                                                                                               Leviticus 11:1, 2

This chapter is full of dietary laws that were given to the children of Israel.  I enjoyed a commentator who pointed out that God has the right to give me instruction in every area of life.  These laws gave Israel the opportunity to obey God, regardless of what they thought of the law.  The commands protected them from disease and health issues by encouraging cleanliness and avoiding dirty animals.  The laws also protected them from affiliating with heathen worship practices that permitted the consumption of some of these animals.  

God knows what He is doing, even if I don't understand.  I just need to trust Him.

A Surpassing Spirit and a New Weight Rack

Then this Daniel was preferred above the presidents and princes, because an excellent spirit was in him; and the king thought to set him over the whole realm.  Daniel 6:3

The word behind excellent means something that surpasses or more.  Daniel had a spirit that surpassed the spirits of the people around him.  What does this mean?  Based upon the context, Daniel was an honest man who was faithful with the responsibility that Darius gave to him.  I imagine that he was also approachable, kind, and certainly discerning.  

Daniel's spirit is a good example for me.  How about you?  Are we trustworthy, discerning, approachable, and humble people?  Or, are we bitter, antagonistic, self-centered, and short-sighted?  It's easy to have a spirit that is filled with all of the wrong things, isn't it?  If our faith is in Christ as our only Savior, we have His Spirit.  We just need to yield to it.

The workplaces, churches, homes, and society are all filled with people who don't have a good spirit.  Let's be different.  Let's be like Daniel.

I added 40s, 35s, and 30s to my dumbbell collection, so it was time for a new rack.  The rack arrived today.  It fits well into the space.

This is a before picture.

This is after.

Just to be clear, the pink sweater on the right side of the picture is Sandra's, not mine!

The Fiery Hammer and the Useless Dreams

"The prophet that hath a dream, let him tell a dream; and he that hath my word, let him speak my word faithfully. What is the chaff to the wheat? saith the LORD.

Is not my word like as a fire? saith the LORD; and like a hammer that breaketh the rock in pieces?"

                                                                                         Jeremiah 23:28, 29

I've always been fascinated by these words.  God spoke these words to His prophet Jeremiah almost 2500 years ago.  Jeremiah was dealing with people who valued their dreams over God's Word.  Did they have dreams about the future?  Maybe, but it didn't make any difference.  The false prophets were telling the people that Jerusalem wouldn't be destroyed, and they convinced the people that Jeremiah couldn't be trusted.  God's Word was clear, unmovable, and inerrant, but the "dreams" of those religious people were fallible and untrustworthy.  In the end, Jerusalem was levelled, just like God promised would happen, and all the dreams of the prophets came to nothing.

This reminds me of what's happening in our society.  I talk to people and I hear about their "thoughts" and "dreams" that they have on truth and religious matters, but personal thoughts and dreams aren't the things upon which we can build a foundation.  Only God's Word stands.  Be careful about putting stock in anyone's dreams or thoughts.  The Bible is the only information that you can trust.  Be especially careful when someone tells you of a dream that is in direct contradiction of biblical truth.  If they truly had a dream like that, it didn't come from God!

I like the way the Lord simply said, "Have your dreams, and the one who has My Word, let him keep proclaiming it faithfully!"  God's word is the wheat, and our human dreams and opinions are the chaff.  Only the wheat will survive.  Only the wheat will nourish.  Only the wheat is worth keeping.

In the coming day of judgment, God's Word will burn through the false and break in pieces the opposition, and every "dream" upon which so many people place so much value, at the expense of loving and obeying the Bible, will be completely forgotten.

Awake and Sing

"Thy dead men shall live, together with my dead body shall they arise. Awake and sing, ye that dwell in dust: for thy dew is as the dew of herbs, and the earth shall cast out the dead."

Isaiah 26:19

Undoubtedly, this is one of my favorite verses concerning the promise of a righteous resurrection.  In the middle of severe times and heavy burdens, Isaiah looked ahead, in faith, to the resurrection day of the righteous who are in Jesus the Messiah. 

Recently, friends of ours have said goodbye to someone they love.  By God's grace, those who left were redeemed by the blood of Christ, and for those of us who also are resting in Jesus' righteousness, we will see them again.  This is more certain than all the temporary things that seem so certain but are not.

"Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live, 

And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?"

John 5:25, 26

Perfect Morning to Run

 The thermometer hovered around 62F this morning.  That's good running weather for August if you ask me!  After numerous mornings of "feels like" 85F, I was lovin' my cool morning run 🏃

I did 3 miles this morning, but my tracker didn't pick up the whole thing, so it showed up as 2.76 miles.  

This verse stood out to me as I read my Bible the other morning ...

"He that loveth pleasure shall be a poor man: he that loveth wine and oil shall not be rich."  

Proverbs 21:17

Living above one's means and "having it all now" are common themes in today's society.  People can't stand to miss a pleasure or forego a luxury.  Credit card companies are loving the money made from all the debt that's being racked up on credit cards.

Have you heard the saying, "He has money because he doesn't blow money"?  This verse reminds us all to be content and to live within our means.  I don't need to have a new pleasure every day.  I don't need what my neighbor has.  So many people are running around acting rich and "buying" things, but it's so superficial because they can't afford what they are buying and they don't even own it truly.  

Live simply, expect less, give much.  God is good, and He supplies my every need.

A Nice Start to the Day

The temperature was in the 60s this morning. I enjoyed opening the garage door and doing my workout in the fresh air.  

Today's workout incorporated light weights (12 pounds each) for strength moves and bodyweight cardio moves.

I followed this with my favorite chocolate banana smoothie.

I tweaked this recipe a bit.  It had ...

3 tablespoons of almond butter

1 cup almond milk

1/2 cup riced frozen cauliflower

1 frozen banana

1 tablespoon cocoa powder

Dash of vanilla

Topped with raw cocoa nibs

This yields about 15 grams of protein.  The muffins had 5 grams each, so that gets you to the desired 25-30/meal for adults.

Before any of this, I spent some time in I Chronicles. I was reading about David's mighty men. They were his top warriors, and each one had a strong loyalty to David (Joab's loyalty was unconventional). How much stronger should my loyalty be to God? 

A Trip to Seymour

 I needed to make a trip to my company's northern-most store - Seymour.  The tech couldn't get a tractor's electronics to calibrate.

Turns out, he was looking at the wrong address for the sensor.  She's working now.

On the way through town, I found a nice park where I could set up shop for a few minutes and answer emails.  The day was beautiful!

After a long day, I came home and did some stretching.  If you've never tried legs-up-the-wall, you should.  Find an empty wall, and place something comfortable on the floor to lay on (unless you have carpet).  Place your legs straight up the wall with your back flat on the floor so that your body is in the shape of an "L."  If this is too intense, you can bend your knees a bit.

Why do this?  It improves circulation and helps relax you.  It's also a good stretch for the back of the legs.  If you stretch your arms straight over your head, you can get a bonus stretch for your upper back and shoulders.

John 5:5-8

5 And a certain man was there, which had an infirmity thirty and eight years.  

6 When Jesus saw him lie, and knew that he had been now a long time in that case, he saith unto him, Wilt thou be made whole?

 7 The impotent man answered him, Sir, I have no man, when the water is troubled, to put me into the pool: but while I am coming, another steppeth down before me.

 8 Jesus saith unto him, Rise, take up thy bed, and walk.

You know the story.  In Jerusalem there was a pool called Bethesda.  This was a special place, because every so often, God miraculously moved the water by an angel.  Anyone who had any kind of disease was instantly cured if he or she could make it into the pool when this happened.

This man couldn't fight the crowds.  He couldn't walk.  He didn't have a helper to pick him up and carry him into the water.  Can you imagine the people fighting to get into that water!

The Lord finds this man, and He heals him.  This man is an interesting character.  The Bible doesn't have much to say about him, so I can't draw any definite conclusions; however, the Bible doesn't mention that ... 

... he thanked Jesus.

... he repented when Jesus found him in the temple later on and told him not to sin any more lest something worse happen to him.

... he followed Christ after his healing.

The Bible does say that he found the Pharisees and told them that Jesus had healed him.

I like to contrast this man with the blind man in chapter 9.  We are given more facts about that guy.  He boldly stood against the bad doctrine of the Pharisees.  He worshipped Jesus when Jesus found him a second time.  He believed on Jesus as Messiah.

The guy in chapter 5 always leaves me wondering a bit.  Was he happy to be healed but unwilling to change?  Did he view Christ as a powerful prophet but not the Messiah?  I don't know.

I want to be grateful for how Jesus has healed me spiritually by forgiving me of my sins.  I don't want people to read the story of my life and have insufficient information to know whether or not I loved God.  I want to be more like the blind man in chapter 9.

Strength and Cardio for People Who Will Never Own Weights

Perhaps you don't own weights and never intend to, but you like to jog or run.  If that describes you, here's a way to add strength training to your cardio routine.

I started with a 1 mile run, then followed it with 20 pushups, 20 squats, and 20 crunches.

I ran another mile and repeated this series, except I did reverse lunges in place of the squats.

I ran another mile and repeated set number one.

I followed this with a stretching session.  After running, walk around for about 2-3 minutes to let your heart rate come down a notch and then do the strength sessions.

If you're not into running or able to run, walk for 1\2 to 1 mile and then do this strength routine. You can modify the pushups by doing them from the wall and leaning slightly into the wall. You can also modify the squats by sitting down onto something and getting up again. The crunches can be modified by doing a high-march in place.

This was the verse for the day ...

Psalms 104:34

"My meditation of him shall be sweet: I will be glad in the LORD."

I want better thoughts throughout the day, so while I drove for work today, I prayed and thought on Scripture that I had memorized. 

I've never heard anyone say, "My meditation of the news channel shall be sweet. I will be glad after listening to it."

God never disappoints. I've yet to spend time meditating on God and the Bible and come away disappointed or angry or depressed.

Did you spend quality time with God and His Word today?

Concerned for Others or Really for Myself??

"Then Saul's anger was kindled against Jonathan, and he said unto him ... do not I know that thou hast chosen the son of Jesse to thine own confusion, and unto the confusion of thy mother's nakedness?  For as long as the son of Jesse liveth upon the ground, thou shalt not be established, nor thy kingdom. Wherefore now send and fetch him unto me, for he shall surely die.  And Jonathan answered Saul his father, and said unto him, Wherefore shall he be slain? what hath he done?  And Saul cast a javelin at him to smite him: whereby Jonathan knew that it was determined of his father to slay David."

I Samuel 20:30-33

At first, it seems that Saul is upset at Jonathan's friendship with David because he believes that his son Jonathan won't have the political advantage if David is allowed to live; however, Saul quickly proves that he's not really concerned for Jonathan, because in a fit of rage, Saul tries to kill his own son.

So, for whom is Saul truly concerned?  That's easy - for himself.  Deep down, Saul wasn't concerned primarily for Jonathan's ascension to the throne.  Primarily, Saul wanted to protect his pride.  He wanted David dead, because he saw that God blessed David and stopped blessing Saul.

Every time I read the story of Saul and David, I ask myself, "How different would Saul's life have been if he had stepped down from the throne when God told him, through Samuel, that he was done being king due to rebellion?"  I imagine that Saul's life would have been much different, and better, and longer.

Instead of continuing to fight against God's decree, Saul could have said, "I repent and hand over the throne to God's man."  Why didn't he do that?  Pride.  He couldn't bear to swallow his pride, step down, and let someone more qualified step up for the job.  Instead, he fought against God, fought against David, ruined his family life, and in the end, lost his own life along with those of his sons.

How many leaders, both in the secular and religious realms, would be better off if they simply stepped down because they were no longer qualified instead of hanging on to a career that has been ruined by sin?

How many pastors have disqualified themselves due to sins of the flesh or spirit, but they are still hanging onto their position, pretending that the problem is with anyone but them?

Saul's biggest problem was his pride.  It corrupted him, ate away at him, and in the end, destroyed him.  "He that being often reproved hardeneth his neck shall be suddenly destroyed, and that without remedy."

I do not want to be like Saul.  

Scripture Time, Kale Smoothies, and a 2.5 Mile Run

"And the men of Israel were distressed that day: for Saul had adjured the people, saying, Cursed be the man that eateth any food until evening, that I may be avenged on mine enemies. So none of the people tasted any food."  I Samuel 14:24

Most of us know the story.  Saul tried to take matters into his own hands, and instead of waiting for Samuel and trusting in God's timing, he offered a sacrifice and incurred God's anger.  Instead of Saul winning a victory that day, God used Jonathan to put the Philistines to flight.  

In selfish stupidity, Saul made all of his men swear that they wouldn't eat anything until the Philistines were beaten.  I like what one commentator said about Saul, "He was a rebellious baby."  That's probably not far from the reality.  Saul was focused on what he thought was best for him and not on what was best for his people.  His pride had robbed him of his good sense.  Who fights well on an empty stomach?  If you've ever had to exert extreme amounts of energy for a long time, you know how faint the body becomes without proper fuel.

Saul's men were completely drained that day, and they likely would have had a greater victory against the enemy had they been allowed to eat.  Jonathan said it best, "My father hath troubled the land: see, I pray you, how mine eyes have been enlightened, because I tasted a little of this honey. How much more, if haply the people had eaten freely to day of the spoil of their enemies which they found? for had there not been now a much greater slaughter among the Philistines?"

A good leader doesn't do what he believes is best for himself.  A good leader does what he or she knows is best for others. Saul spent the rest of his life wasting away in narcissistic pride instead of humbling himself before God and doing what was best for others.

I want to be a leader who puts the needs of others first, even if my pride gets hurt.  After all, my pride is a stench to God anyway.

Breakfast today was a power smoothie of ...

1 cup almond milk

1/3 cup of plain Greek yogurt

1/2 cup chopped Kale

1 cup of frozen strawberries

1/2 frozen banana

1 peeled cutie

1 Medjool date

Any taste of the Kale is completely lost in the taste of the fruit.  Give it a try!  Kale is good for your heart because it has soluble fiber (lowers LDL) and calcium, among many other things.  Strawberries and oranges provide an abundance of vitamin C, and the banana gives you more fiber and potassium.

After work today, I went for a 2.5 mile run.  The weather was Beautiful!!  It was 70F, so I couldn't pass up the chance to get a run in.

I'm grateful for a clean concrete driveway where I can enjoy a post-run stretch and cooldown session.

Tonight, Sandra made Chili Lime Maple Salmon Bowls with Forbidden Rice.  The recipe can be found at ambitiouskitchen.com.  They were fantastic!!  The recipe includes mango.  Normally, I'm not much of a mango fan, but it works with this recipe.  One serving gets you 40 grams of protein!  We aim for 25-30/meal, so this meal gets the job done.  Nice find dear wife!!!

Top it off with some avocado and you have an extra dose of healthy fats.

The Perfect Day

My idea of a perfect day involves relaxed Bible time in the morning, being with Sandra on a walk in the sunshine and finding some health-conscious eatery along the way ... this day involved all 3.

I'm grateful for the slower pace of Saturdays because it makes for a more relaxed time in the Scriptures.  I've been studying for a series on the fear of the Lord, and I came across this verse in my reading.

"Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God."  Ephesians 5:21

The fear of God motivates me to put others first.  Yes, God wants us to submit to His earthly authorities, but this verse involves more than that.  God wants me to submit myself to the needs of others - to place the wellbeing of others before my own (Phil. 2:4).  By submitting myself to others, I am saying, "You are important to me.  How can I serve you?"  This attitude is contrary to what my flesh wants because I am selfish.  That's where the fear of God steps in and motivates me to do what I should do.  I serve others and submit myself to their needs because, ultimately, I want to please my high and holy God.

The sun was out today, and the air was cool but warm when walking in the direct sunlight.  Sandra found a healthy eatery in downtown Bowling Green, so we gave it a try.  Indeed, it is a gem of a place.  I don't think they have a foul ingredient in the whole cafe.  Sandra tried the Peace smoothie which had spinach, banana, mint, cacao, seed blend, and date drizzle.  My smoothie consisted of banana, cacao powder, almond butter, cold brew, seed blend, and date drizzle.  For those of you who appreciate the good ingredients of God's creation, I recommend it - highly.

This was our breakfast, so afterwards, we took a long walk from the downtown area and circled around the WKU campus.  This is a good time of year to walk there because the student population isn't out much, so the sidewalks are clear and the scenery may be enjoyed more easily.

After some stressful weeks, we needed a recharge, and God gave that to us today through quiet study, good food, and a brisk walk that inspired some delightful conversation.

God is gracious.

Orlando Trip: Day 5

Saturday morning, I found a Jersey Mikes.  They have gluten-free bread.  No, this isn't what you would call healthy, but I was starving.  I didn't feel like a $13 granola bar.  It hit the spot.

This was the best day of the trip.  Why?  Because I'm back with Sandra, of course!!  

After she picked me up, we swung down to CoreLife Eatery in Murfreesboro.  Now that was worth the detour.  I tried their Greek and Quinoa bowl.  It has grilled chicken, quinoa (of course), feta, tomatoes, hummus, cucumbers, and dill-cucumber dressing.  It was fantastic.  Add the ginger, honey lemonade, and you're really rolling!!

The verse for the last day is ...

"Let my mouth be filled with thy praise and with thy honour all the day."  Psalm 71:8

I can never give enough praise to God.  Praise can turn a "bad" day into a good one.  Praise takes the focus off of me and my troubles and places it directly upon God and His mercy.  This will cheer the heart and refresh the soul.

Thank you Lord for a safe trip, for food each day, for the peace of knowing Jesus as Savior, for a job that supports the family, for a home that meets the needs, and for a sweet wife who is my best friend!

Orlando Trip: Day 4

Friday was 73, muggy, and buggy.  It had rained a bit that night, so the ground was quite a mess.  This was the combine section.  You can have your very own X9 if you have 1.5 million bucks lying around 😉  The training was in 2 waves.  I was in wave 2.  The first wave started on Monday and ended on Wednesday.  The 2nd wave started on Wednesday and ended on Friday.  By Friday, the poor instructors were pretty much done.  They had been giving the same spiel for 5 days to 8 groups a day.  I would've been done too.  They did very well considering the demands.

After training, I went to the hotel gym and did a simple arms and legs routine.  It consisted of 4 primary moves.  They were curls, hip lifts, tricep extensions, and dumbbell deadlifts.  I did 40 seconds of rest and 20 seconds of rest.  I varied the style of each move, but stayed with these four basic patterns for 5 rounds.  It was a good routine.  All you need is a simple set of dumbbells.  I used 20 pounders.

Friday evening weather looked threatening, and I wasn't feeling up to a walk in the rain, so I got the grand idea to catch a shuttle to the airport and visit the Chick-Fil-A - Big Mistake!!  Airport Chick-Fil-As are not good.  Everything was in a state of confusion.  I walked up to the counter and said, "I'd like a kale salad, and a #4 grilled chicken nugget meal with unsweetened tea."  The kid looked at me so long it became awkward and then said, "Do you want grilled nuggets?"  I then said "Yes," while thinking, "Isn't that what I just said?"  He then said, "Do you want fries with that or the kale salad?"  I then repeated myself.  He then said, "You want sweet tea, right?"  I then said "No.  I want unsweet tea," but I was thinking, "Is this really happening?"  15 minutes later after much entertainment I received a bag with a half-filled fry box, kale salad, chicken nuggets, no utensils and zero sauces, and a drink that had no more ice because it had melted in the millennium leading up to receiving the food. 🥤

Every customer around me looked aggravated and confused.  I'm pretty sure no one got their food without some type of hiccup.  The lady that yelled out your name had such a thick accent, you couldn't tell what she was saying.  If your name was Sarah, it sounded like Ci, and if your name was Chris, it sounded like Ci, and if your name was John, it sounded like Ci.  Get it??

Haha!!  It was actually quite amusing.  

Poor Chick-Fil-A.  Not their finest location.

My verse for the day was ...

"Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them."  Romans 16:17

Don't tolerate false teachers and doctrinal trouble-makers, deal with them.  Don't ignore them and think, "It's the pastor's worry, not mine."  Don't follow them on Facebook, or give them your ear on the radio or Podcast.  Mark them, deal with them, avoid them, and don't adopt their teaching or way of thinking.

And, Yes.  They are often polite, political, and charming, so ... beware.

 

Orlando Trip: Day 3

Thursday's weather was quite nice.  I think the high was about 63.  This is a picture of a John Deere gator.  The base price is $43,000, but when you add GPS and auto-steer like this machine has, it's a mere $55,000.  Very affordable 😉  That's over 3.5 times what we paid for our car.  😕  This one will "paint lines" using the GPS receiver (the yellow dome on top), and then you can follow that "painted" line using Auto-Track.  It's pretty cool.  Farmers use them for spot-sprayer and fertilizing.

 My workout that day consisted of a simple mobility session in the morning.  

After the epic Your Pie-failure, I decided to go for a sure winner.  When Sandra and I were in Orlando last year for the same training, we found a Greek place called Little Greek.  Below is their 3-skewer dinner plate - grilled chicken, yellow rice, Greek salad, Tzatziki sauce, potato salad, beets and a pita.

This is worth a trip to Orlando!! Delicious, and relatively good for you, considering many other options.

My verse for this day was,

"Now I say that Jesus Christ was a minister of the circumcision for the truth of God, to confirm the promises made unto the fathers: And that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy ... ."  Romans 15:8, 9

I love these verses.  In context, the "circumcision" is referencing the Jewish nation.  God gave Abraham the "seal" or "sign" of circumcision as a token for the faith that Abraham had toward God (Ge. 15-17, Ro. 4).  Jesus was a minister of God's promises in that He fulfilled the promise of a Messiah Who would come down from heaven, suffer for the sins of mankind, and rise from the dead.  God the Father promised the Jews a Messiah Who will expiate the sins of all who look to Him in faith.  Jesus Christ was and is the fulfillment of that divine promise.

God also promised that "in Abraham" all the families of the earth would be blessed.  Through Abraham's lineage came Jesus the Messiah Who offers salvation to all who are willing to place repentant faith in Him.  By following Abraham's example of simple faith in the promises of God, anyone, Jew and non-Jew, may find eternal redemption.  Truly, through Abraham, all the families of earth have been blessed, even though not all have or will take advantage of that blessing.

Praise God for offering salvation to everyone, both Jew and non-Jew!  Praise God for His sinless Minister of the Circumcision!

Orlando Trip: Day 2

 

It was 65 that day and partial sun, so I found an outdoor area to stretch and do some mobility work.  The area was relatively people-free, so I had it to myself.

The place where I stayed had plenty of nice sidewalks, so getting around wasn't an issue.

                                                             

I've said this before, but it is worth repeating, I love loop resistance bands.  They are lightweight, super easy to pack, and offer a means of doing strength training without all the hassle of weights.  Wednesday training ran long.  I didn't get back from the field until 5:30, so I did a shorter, focused strength training session in my room.  Pushups, banded squats, banded rows, and banded Bulgarian split squats made up the main moves of my routine.  I did 30 seconds of work followed by 30 seconds of rest for 5 rounds of 4 exercises.  The ottoman that you see served to assist me in my split squats.

The racket ball is an easy way to looses up muscles and give yourself a focused massage without packing a large foam roller.

                                      

                                              

Ok, this was a major disappointment!!  I found a place called Your Pie.  I'm pretty sure it should be called Poor Pie or Nobody's Pie.  The crust was burnt and watery at the same time.  Sandra thinks that they may have steamed it to thaw it out.  I don't know, but it was really bad.  The sauce was watery, and the Italian sausage resembled puppy treats.  The salad that you see was a $10 pile of Romain lettuce with a few slices of tomato thrown at it from a distance.  Total waste of money.  If you see a Your Pie, keep driving, or, in my case, keep walking.

"Let us therefore follow after the things which make for peace, and things wherewith one may edify another."  Romans 14:19

This was my verse for that day.  It reminded me to be a man who encourages peace.  It reminded me to be an influence for good toward others, not bad.  It's easy to share things with people that don't help them, but it takes submission to Christ's Spirit to share things with others that will encourage them toward God.

A Favorite Coffee Stop

Today, the Wright Implement store in Shepherdsville needed help, so my travels took me there.

Near to the store is a Scooters Coffee drive-thru ⛾.  Scooters will let you get any size brewed coffee for $1.  They don't charge extra for cream, and you can add a shot of flavor for $0.80.  For a $1.80, you can get an outstanding cup of coffee.  I like the dark roast with heavy cream and one shot of vanilla flavor.

This has become a new favorite of mine.  For those of you who think that my decaf coffee is just dirty water will be happy to know that this cup was caffeinated.  Scooters doesn't offered decaf brewed hot coffee 😞.

The 2-hour drive from Bowling Green to Shepherdsville gave me a long time to think about these verses ...

"O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out!

For who hath known the mind of the Lord? or who hath been his counsellor?

Or who hath first given to him, and it shall be recompensed unto him again?

For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen."

Romans 11:33-36

God is the Sovereign.  I need not worry.  I need only believe Him and obey Him.  In context, these verses come at the end of 3 chapters in which Paul describes God's ability to guide in the affairs of all men, both Jew and non-Jew.  

God is in control.  He hasn't experienced failure, because He never fails.  He doesn't worry about anything or fear anything, and He never forsakes those who have entered into a relationship with Him through faith in His sinless Son, Jesus Christ.

I really like the last verse.  Everything is of Him, or out from Him.  Creation came forth from God.  He spoke it into existence.  Without Him, EVERYTHING would fall apart.  "...By Him all things consist."

Everything is through Him, or by means of Him.  He created all things.  "For by Him were all things created that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible ... ."  

Everything is to him, or going toward him.  Regardless of who likes it, world events are leading us all toward the return of the King of kings and the establishment of His Kingdom after which will be ushered in the Eternal State.  "Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power."

It's Not Hard

I was reading my Bible today, and I came across this verse in Deuteronomy, chapter 30.

"See, I have set before thee this day life and good, and death and evil."

In context, God had just explained to Israel that if they love and obey Him, they will be blessed, but if they reject Him and rebel, they will be cursed.

As sinful humans, we like to make things harder than they are.  Actually, life isn't as hard to understand as it might seem.  We can say, "Yes, God," or we can say, "No, God."

A person can look at the wonders of creation with its endless examples of intelligent design and say either, "Yes, there must be a God," or "No, all of this is the product of chance."

We can either accept God's authority over us or reject it by making up endless reasons as to why He doesn't exist.

A person can either read God's preserved Word, the Bible, and choose faith in Christ, or reject Him.  We can either submit ourselves to the Bible's endless teaching of justification by faith, or we can twist the Word to make it say as we please.

With these basic of all decisions comes also two different results.  Saying, "Yes, God," brings life and good.  Saying "Yes" to God's authority as seen in creation, saying "Yes" to His revealed truth in the Bible, and, ultimately, saying "Yes" to Jesus Christ and asking Him to save you will result in life and good.

However, saying "No" will bring death and evil.  Saying "No" to God's authority as witnessed by creation will result in an emptiness that can't be filled by anyone or anything.

Saying "No" to God's truth as revealed in the Bible will leave one empty, deceived, and destitute.

Ultimately, saying "No" to God's forgiveness that is offered through repentant faith in Jesus Christ will leave one destined for Hell when life comes to a close.

Life is full of many hard things, and some things are hard to understand, but the most important thing in life is quite simple, bow your heart to the truth of the Bible and turn to Jesus for forgiveness, or remain obstinate and set in your ways and suffer the consequence of eternal damnation.

Say, "Yes, God," and find endless joy and fulfillment, even in the worst of times, or say, "No, God," and be empty and miserable, even in the best of times.

When I read my Bible, I want to have a heart that is always willing to say, "Yes, God."  Gratefully, Jesus is my Savior, and I can't lose my salvation, but I can get myself into some miserable situations by saying, "No, God" when the Lord is trying to teach me through His Word.  When I read about the need to forgive, I want to say, "Yes, I'll do that."  When I read His commands to be different than the world, I want to say, "Yes, I'll do that."  When I read about the need to be constantly grateful, I want to say, "Yes, by God's grace, I'll do that."

God is merciful.  He didn't have to give me a choice at all, because I don't deserve anything good, but He did, and I'm grateful.

"See, I have set before thee this day life and good, and death and evil."

Thanksgiving Day at Cumberland Falls

Family needs are different this year, so we found ourselves with the day together and nothing planned.

We decided to make a 2 1/2 hour trip into eastern Kentucky to see the waterfalls at Cumberland Falls State Park.  They are known as the Niagara Falls of the south.  The falls were lovely.

We intended to hike a 5.8 mile trail which would have looped us around and ended at the falls, but the trails weren't well marked (or maybe I'm a lousy trail guide 😉), so we ended up taking 3 or 4 shorter trails.

After we were all done walking, we made a detour to see what was at the end of the picnic area parking, and there we found the marker for the trail that we intended to take!  

We enjoyed ourselves.  Sandra packed turkey sandwiches, veggies, and crackers.  We ate in the beautiful outdoors beside the Cumberland River. 

It was refreshing to spend the days outside in God's magnificent creation.  We praise Him for all the beautiful things that He has made.

"Say among the heathen that the LORD reigneth: the world also shall be established that it shall not be moved: he shall judge the people righteously. 

Let the heavens rejoice, and let the earth be glad; let the sea roar, and the fulness thereof.

Let the field be joyful, and all that is therein: then shall all the trees of the wood rejoice

Before the LORD: for he cometh, for he cometh to judge the earth: he shall judge the world with righteousness, and the people with his truth."

Psalm 96:10-13

Eternally Secure ... Contrary to Some Teaching

And this is the Father's will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day.  John 6:39

Apart from simple faith in the finished work of Christ, what part did your have in saving you soul, if you are saved?

The answer is, None.  Salvation is of the Lord (Jonah 2:9).  I do not have any power or ability to save myself.  Salvation is entirely an act of God's grace apart from ANY work of my own (Ephesians 2:8, 9).

So, if we know that we can't EARN our salvation, why would we ever think that we can KEEP our salvation?

According to this verse, what part do you play in keeping your salvation?  I don't see the believer doing anything in this verse to secure himself in Christ, but I do see Christ doing everything to prevent the believer from being lost.

Notice that the Father has given the Son all who are willing to place faith in Christ, and notice also that the Son has promised that every soul entrusted to him will be safe.  He won't lose one - not even one.

In fact, He promises that every soul that has placed faith in His redeeming blood will be raised again at the last day.

So what if I fail God miserably or even allow myself to reject fellowship with Him and choose worldliness instead?

The Bible makes it clear that carnal decisions carry consequences in this life (Romans 6:23) and loss of rewards in heaven (I Corinthians 3:11-15); however, an individual's salvation can't be lost.  It can't be lost because you didn't earn it, and it's not up to you to keep it.  That's Jesus' job, and He's very good at it!

Lending a Hand ... to Someone Who Hates You

"If thou meet thine enemy's ox or his ass going astray, thou shalt surely bring it back to him again.  If thou see the ass of him that hateth thee lying under his burden, and wouldest forbear to help him, thou shalt surely help with him."  

Exodus 23:3-4

If I found the power drill of a neighbor who hated my guts, my flesh wouldn't be inclined to return it; however, showing kindness, honesty, and concern for my neighbor who doesn't like me is exactly what God commands here.

If I saw a neighbor who hated me struggling to fix a flat tire along the highway, I can't say my first thought in the flesh would be, "Happy day!  I get to help my neighbor who hates me!"  Yet, putting aside my natural inclination and showing the love of God to a disagreeable neighbor is precisely what God is commanding here.

These verses remind me of what Jesus said.  "... If ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same?  And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans so?"

My religion has no more depth than that of a self-righteous Pharisee if I refuse to show God's love to people who don't like, or perhaps even hate, me.

I've always been challenged and motivated by David's words, words that he spoke as a king who was hounded and hated causelessly by Saul.

"... Is there not yet any of the house of Saul, that I may shew the kindness of God unto him?"