Harold's Act of Love

Yesterday we laid Harold Foley to rest. I wouldn't call Harold one of my friends, but he was a well-known member of my church and he loved our worship band and my wife and I would make sure we gave him a hearty greeting every Sunday he was able to be present. Yesterday I had the privilege to play with an "unplugged" version of our band at Harold's funeral. A few days earlier - the day after he passed away - we heard this story from the family that I just had to share with you.

We first got to know Harold about three decades ago when his son, Al Foley - one of our peers at Calvary Church when we first began attending - was in the final stages of cancer. Al passed away far too young. It hit Harold hard but he had come to be in a relationship with Jesus Christ through his son's testimony and witness, and so he was able to endure the loss. Harold was a large man, standing well over six feet tall, but his love for Jesus turned him into a "gentle giant" and he gladdened the hearts of all who knew him.

Eight years ago Harold was also diagnosed with cancer. The doctors gave him two years to live, but his faith and determination were strong and he well surpassed that estimate. During the last couple of years of his life, he was pretty much confined to an easy chair in his living room, with several professional caregivers coming in to provide care, housekeeping, and medical support. With each one, as soon as they'd arrive, Harold would take them by the hand, converse and chat for a bit, and then pray with them. And so his faith continued to influence those around him.

Whenever Harold needed some kind of attention from one of his caregivers, he had a small bell on the table next to his chair that he would ring. One of the caregivers would come running from whatever task they had at hand to see to his needs.

One of his favorite's was a woman named Carla. Carla had three children of her own, as well as two foster children, and worked two jobs to make ends meet. She was a person of great compassion (as most caregivers are), and through Harold's testimony, patience, and faith, Carla's spiritual life experienced a new awakening and she returned to the church, bringing her children with her.

A few weeks ago Harold confided in another caregiver that he was tired, and ready for the journey home to heaven. Last week the family could tell that he was near the end ... but his vital signs were still strong, and it was clear to all that Harold still had several days left. Last Wednesday Carla finished her shift with Harold and went home, exhausted from another very long day of working those two jobs, watched as her husband stoked the fire up in the family fireplace, and fell into a hard, deep sleep. A few hours later, as Wednesday turned into Thursday, Harold's wife held his hand in his chair as he fell asleep. He did that often, now. And in the blink of an eye, Harold was gone.

Carla, sound asleep in her bed, was having a dream. A very vivid dream, of Harold standing at the foot of her bed - sound, hale and whole - ringing his little bell for all he was worth, calling out to her, "Carla, you've got to get up." Carla refused, saying in her dream, "No, Harold, go away."

But dream Harold refused to be denied. He kept ringing that bell, saying "Carla, you've got to get up, now." Again Carla refused, "No, Harold, my shift is over. I'm tired, I'm not getting up." Again Harold tried and again Carla refused, but at last she could not suffer Harold's insistence as he just kept ringing that darn bell. Finally, she awoke with the vivid memory of a healthy Harold ringing his bell at the foot of her bed.

It was then that she noticed the smoke permeating the house. An errant spark from the fireplace had set their home on fire. The family escaped safely, and the fire department did their work. When Carla and Harold's wife later compared notes, they realized that Carla's dream had happened shortly after Harold passed away.

Did Harold give up his last few days to save the life of one he loved? No one this side of heaven will ever know for sure. But I have a feeling that when you get close to death, the veil between the two becomes more and more transparent, and you get a glimpse of the bigger picture, with larger perceptions and understandings. 

I do know that Harold was a believer, that he had found new life and faith through Jesus, and that he understood John 15:13 - "There is no greater love than to lay down one's life for one's friends."

Rest in peace, Harold Foley.

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Mark's Musings is published on a semi-periodical basis that may change without notice. Find me on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/markmusings. Facebook link is over there to the right. This blog is considered to be a digital periodical publication and is filed as such with the U.S. Library of Congress; ISSN 2154-9761.

Good Friday, 2011

Posts have been spotty this week, I know. I was tabbed to produce our Good Friday evening service and have been focused on that.

Dad tells me Mom is even closer to slipping into the Afterlife, and it's Good Friday, so this may be a good time to contemplate our own mortality. Carolyn Arends, a Canadian singer-songwriter has some thoughts on the subject.

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A GOOD FRIDAY THOUGHT

For whatever reason God chose to make man as he is -- limited and suffering and subject to sorrows and death -- He had the honesty and the courage to take his own medicine. Whatever game He is playing with His creation, He has kept His own rules and played fair. He can exact nothing from man that He has not exacted from Himself. He has Himself gone through the whole of human experience, from the trivial irritations of family life and the cramping restrictions of hard work and lack of money to the worst horrors of pain and humiliation, defeat, despair and death. When He was a man, He played the man. He was born in poverty and died in disgrace and thought it well worthwhile.

[Dorothy Sayers, writing in "Creed or Chaos?" back in 1949, as quoted in Monday Fodder]

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WEBSITE of the WEEK: And there's your winner for this week -- my cyber missionary friend, Dave Aufrance, publishes a weekly newsletter with all his ministry and missionary news from Hong Kong, then adds a healthy dollop of "Serious Fodder" and "Guffaw Fodder" along with some photos, then ties it all up in a bundle he calls Monday Fodder.

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Palm Sunday: Rise Up!

My Facebook friend - Pastor Scott Salo from Clio, Michigan - had this posted and, indeed, my spirit "rose up" while I watched.

It's called "Dance Your Shoes Off" - it was a shoe donation campaign from Second Baptist Church in Houston, Texas.

I found it extremely appropriate for Palm Sunday.




The song is entitled "Rise Up" and was commissioned by Second Baptist Church for this event. It is produced by Joshua Moore. The singer is Lauren James Camey, a member of Second Baptist.

God's Mess

Today is the day many traditionally celebrate the birth of John Wesley, who is considered to be the founder of the United Methodist Church. He would be 307 years old.

For an institution that's nearly three centuries along, that website has some pretty interesting stuff on it.

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I was the teacher for a toddler-aged Sunday School class, which included my 14-month old daughter. During our lesson on creation, I'd ask questions like, "Who made the trees?" or "Who made the sun?" and the children would respond, "God did!" I was pleased that the children seemed to quickly learn that God made everything.

The lessons at home weren't going so well. I had tried repeatedly to get my daughter to pick up her toys when she was done with them, and she just wasn't learning this very quickly at all. One day I walked into the living room to find toys scattered simply everywhere. In exasperation I asked, "Who made this mess?!"

My daughter looked at me, beamed a proud smile, and exclaimed, "God did!"

[A Dose of Inspiration via Wit and Wisdom]

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WISDOM for YOUR WEEK: "For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities -- his eternal power and divine nature -- have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse." (Romans 1:20)

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On God

Maundy Thursday, 2010.

I am once again in a cycle at work where I drive nearly every day deep into the heart of Michigan's "thumb." On my drive home, I pass houses, clumps of trees, patches of forest, barns, ranches, businesses ... and then, suddenly, this rural vista will open up. And for a few seconds, you can see the breadth of heaven and earth for, quite literally, miles. And it ... is ... just ... breathtaking. Of course, at that time of day I am usually the only car on the road, and that sense of solitude enhances the awesome.

It reminded me of an old Keith Green introduction to one of his songs. He relates how the Bible says the world was created in six days. I don't know if it was a literal six days or not. The scientists say no, the theologians say yes. But let's say that it was. The Bible also records Jesus telling us that he was going to Heaven to prepare a mansion for us there. So, if our supposition is true, all the splendor and majesty of this world - the trees, mountains, waterfalls, oceans - was created in six days ... and yet God has had 2000 years to work on that mansion.

I can't possibly imagine the glory of it all.

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ON GOD....

"Any fool can count the seeds in an apple. Only God can count all the apples in one seed." (Robert H. Schuller)

"What is it that we all believe in that we cannot see or hear or taste or smell -- this invisible thing that heals all sorrows, reveals all lies and renews all hope? What is it that has always been and always will be, from whose bosom we all came and to which we will all return? Most call it Time. A few realize that it is God." (Robert Brault)

"God loves each of us as if there were only one of us." (St. Augustine)

"For, after all, put it as we may to ourselves, we are all of us from birth to death guests at a table which we did not spread. The sun, the earth, love, friends, our very breath are parts of the banquet ... shall we think of the day as a chance to come nearer to our Host, and to find out something of Him who has fed us for so long?" (Rebecca Harding Davis)

"Every happening, great and small, is a parable whereby God speaks to us, and the art of life is to get the message." (Malcolm Muggeridge)

"God is not what you imagine or what you think you understand. If you understand you have failed." (St. Augustine, again)

[with thanks to The Quote Garden]

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WISDOM for YOUR WEEK: "For nothing is impossible with God." (Luke 1:37)

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Anthony's Future

Erg. Busybusybusy.

Just the joke today.

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A young lady came home from a date, very sad.

"What's wrong, dear?" her mother asked.

"Anthony proposed to me this evening."

"Then why are you so sad?"

"Mom," said the daughter, "when I started talking about a church wedding, Anthony told me he was an atheist! He doesn't believe in either heaven OR hell!"

"Well," said the mother, wisely, "you go ahead with your plans anyway. Between the two of us, we'll prove him wrong."

[Joke Du Jour via The Good Clean Funnies List]

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WONDER for YOUR WEEK: Is it true that when they say it takes two to make a marriage, they're talking about a daughter and her mother?

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An Olympic Meditation

As the 2010 Winter Olympics shut down in Vancouver today, I thought I would share these words from list member Paul C., who is the pastor of a Baptist Church in Pennsylvania.

He writes:

I have enjoyed watching the Olympics. You too? I’ve been drawn in by all those behind-the-scenes stories. Competitors become more human; victories, more personal; the events, more compelling. When one person wins, their whole country wins as well.

In this season of Lent, Jesus Christ is our humble hero. God comes into the world wearing our uniform. A win for Jesus will be for more than mere gold or bragging rights. A win for Him is a win for us as well. For He wears the flag of TEAM HUMANITY.

Jesus takes on the competition — Satan, who has held onto the gold all these years. Jesus gives himself completely to the struggle. It is life or death. Early on, the crowds cheer to His amazing performance. Later, the tide seems to be turning — and the competition lunges ahead. Now it looks as if there is no hope. It looks as if Jesus has lost. He cries, “It is finished.” Satan raises his arms in gleeful victory.

But wait. Something is happening! It’s not over. What looked like dismal defeat has been overturned! Jesus’ death was only a prelude to a miraculous finish! This victory for Jesus is a victory for all of Humanity! Satan has been defeated now and forever! Death and sin will no longer reign.

This description from Philippians 2 seems to describe the most amazing medal ceremony ever:

Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Thank you, Jesus.

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And thank you, Paul.

In the Beginning

So how can the Internet be more helpful for you?

How about serving as an egg timer?

Tell the site how large your egg is, if it came from the refrigerator, how well you want it cooked, and it will play a slightly nutty video from YouTube that runs the exact length of the time it takes to boil your egg.

Call it a more interesting way to watch water boil.

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AN OLDIE BUT A GOODIE

In the beginning, God created the Heaven and the Earth. And the Earth was without form, and void, and darkness was upon the face of the deep.

And Satan said, "It doesn't get any better than this!"

And then God said, "Let there be Light!" And there was Light.

And God said, "Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yield seed, and the fruit tree yield fruit."

And God saw that it was good.

And the Devil said, "There goes the neighborhood."

And then God said, "Let us make Man in our own image, after our likeness, and let him have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth. And over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth."

And so God created Man in his own image. Male and Female he created them. And God looked upon Man and Woman and saw that they were fit.

And Satan said, "I think I know how to get back into this game."

And God placed upon the earth broccoli and cauliflower and spinach and green and yellow vegetables of all kinds, so that Man and Woman would live long and healthy lives.

And then Satan created fast food restaurants. And the fast food restaurants brought forth the double cheeseburger.

And Satan said to Man, "You want fries with that?"

And Man said, "Super Size them," and gained five pounds.

And then God created the healthy yogurt that Woman might keep the figure Man found so fair.

And the Devil brought forth chocolate, and Woman gained five pounds.

And God said, "Try my crispy salad."

But Satan brought forth Ben and Jerry's, and Woman gained ten pounds.

And God said, "I have sent thee heart-healthy vegetables and olive oil in which to cook them."

And the Devil brought forth chicken-fried steak so large it needed its own platter, and Man gained ten pounds, and his bad cholesterol went through the roof.

And God brought forth running shoes, and Man resolved to lose those extra pounds.

And Satan brought forth cable television with remote control so Man would not have to toil in changing channels between ESPN and ESPN2, and Man gained another twenty pounds.

And Man went into cardiac arrest, and God sighed, then invented quadruple bypass surgery.

And the Devil canceled Man's health insurance.

Then God showed the Woman how to peel the skin off chicken and cook the nourishing grain of whole wheat rice, and God created the life-giving tofu.

But Woman ventured forth into the land of Godiva chocolates and upon returning, inquired of Man, "Do I look fat?"

And Satan whispered to Man, "Always tell the truth," and Man did.

And Woman went out from the presence of Man and dwelt in the land of the divorce lawyer, east of the marriage counselor. And Woman put aside the healthy seeds of the earth and took unto herself comfort food.

And God brought forth Weight Watchers.

It didn't help.

And God created exercise machines with easy payments.

And Man brought forth his Visa at 21 percent interest, and the exercise machine went to dwell in the closet east of Nod, south of the polyester leisure suit.

And in the fullness of time, Woman received the exercise machine from Man in the divorce settlement.

It didn't help her, either.

[originally seen in Doc's Daily Chuckle; slightly abridged by Mark Raymond]

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WISDOM for YOUR WEEK: "Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened." (Matthew 7:7-8)

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Heavenly Playground

As I've been preparing for the next couple of Sundays at church, I've wound up doing some listening to songs and reading some poems about heaven. One of them just tickled my imagination, as well as my funny bone and I thought I'd share it with you today.

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HEAVENLY PLAYGROUND
by Adrian Plass

Oh God, I'm not anxious to snuff it,
but when the Grim Reaper reaps me,
I'll try to rely on
my vision of Zion;
I know how I want it to be.

As soon as You greet me in Heaven,
and ask what I'd like, I shall say,
"I just want a chance
for my spirit to dance;
I want to be able to play."

Tell the angels to build a soft playground
designed and equipped just for me.
With a vertical slide
that's abnormally wide
and oceans of green PVC.

There'll be reinforced netting to climb on,
and rubberized floors that will bend.
And no one can die
so I needn't be shy
if I'm tempted to land on a friend!

I'm gonna go mad in the soft, squashy mangle,
and balmy with balls in the swamp
colored and spherical,
I'll be hysterical!
I'll have a heavenly romp!

There'll be cushions and punch bags and tires
in purple and yellow and red,
and a mushroomy thing
that will suddenly sing
if I kick it or sit on its head.

There'll be fountains of squash and ribina
to feed my continual thirst,
and none of that stuff
about "You've had enough,"
surely heavenly bladders won't burst.

I suppose I might be too tall for the entrance
but Lord, chuck the rules in the bin.
If I am too large,
tell the angel in charge
to let me bow down and come in.

[written by Adrian Plass; taken from the "City of Gold" CD. Note: Ribina is an uncarbonated fruit drink]

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Well, tomorrow night we're going to see comedians Bill Engvall and John Pinette with some good friends. Should be fun! Then on Sunday we're spending some time with extended family. Looks like a good weekend!

May yours be as full, and I'll see you on Monday.

Mark

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WEB SITE of the WEEK: Why not point you to this prolific, witty, insightful writer. Please visit him and perhaps even purchase a book or two at http://www.adrianplass.com/.

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Mark's Musings is sent each weekday using Ezine Director and I pay a little extra every day to make sure my posts are certified by Habeas to be a safe source of e-mail. Subscribe, view past issues in my Archives, and otherwise romp happily through the pages over to my web site. To contact me and sooner or later get a reply, click here. Heaven. Hope to see you there. You can forward or reprint "Mark's Musings" freely but please keep the credits attached. At least the part that tells them where to find me. Original material and musings © 2009 by Mark Raymond. I update this blog with a copy of my post daily and occasionally with "bonus material" whenever the mood or muse strikes. Look for the label that says "bonus" and you can bring all that extra material up with one click. My personal mission statement remains John 3:30. Find me on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/baldmark/. Gosh, is it bedtime already? Again? Morning comes so early.

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WORDS for YOUR WEEKEND: "Naturally, we cannot say much about the spiritual body, because we cannot imagine what it would be like to have a spiritual body different from that which we now inhabit but it seems to me reasonable to believe that we are weaving our spiritual bodies as we go along." (William R. Matthews)

The Beast

My band is the opening act this evening at a community concert set up to raise funds for Young Life. As laid back and fun-loving as that organization is, I'm sure they'd appreciate today's post.

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OTHER NUMBERS of the BEAST

666 - The main number of the Beast.

667 - The neighbor of the Beast.

670 - Approximate number of the Beast.

DCLXVI - Roman numeral of the Beast.

0.6666666 - Number of the MilliBeast.

1010011010 - Binary number of the Beast.

1-666 - Area Code of the Beast.

$665.95 - Retail price of the Beast.

$656.66 - Wal-Mart price of the Beast.

Phillips 666 - Gasoline of the Beast.

Route 666 - Highway of the Beast.

666k - Retirement Plan for the Beast.

666i - BMW of the Beast.

[selected from Mikey's Funnies]

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I have a rare weekend off. I plan to catch up on a lot of missed sleep and enjoy myself thoroughly.

I'll see you on Monday.

Mark

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WEB SITE of the WEEK: So learn everything you need to know about Young Life - and get your teens or grand-teens involved in a local chapter - at http://www.younglife.org/.

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Mark's Musings is sent each weekday - at some point during that 24-hour period - using Ezine Director and I pay a little extra every day to make sure those folks are certified by Habeas to be a safe sender of e-mail. Subscribe, view past issues in my Archives, and otherwise pleasantly click your mouse at my web site. To contact me and sooner or later get a reply, click here. I was so busy this week, even my appointments had appointments. You can forward or reprint "Mark's Musings" freely but please keep the credits attached. Credit detachment will shorten your lifespan. Original material and musings © 2009 by Mark Raymond. I update this blog with a copy of my post daily and occasionally with "bonus material" whenever the mood or muse strikes. Look for the label that says "bonus" and you can bring all that extra material up with one click. My personal mission statement remains John 3:30. Find me on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/baldmark/. I know I'm high maintenance, but I have this nagging suspicion I'm worth it.

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WORDS for YOUR WEEKEND: "The race is not always to the swift nor the battle to the strong -- but that's the way to bet." (Damon Runyon)

Altar Ego

I've made no secret of the fact that I've made my life's mission statement the words of John the Baptist found in the Book of John, Chapter Three, Verse Thirty: "He must become more, I must become less."

I try to remind myself of this as often as I can ... it's on my car's license plate, I put it on the end of every Friday's post, it's on my Facebook Profile (Info Tab), it's always hovering close by my thoughts, in a "What Would Jesus Do" kind of way, if you'll allow me that rapidly-becoming-tired cliché.

And yet, like Paul, I "do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do." (Romans 7:15)

It seems to me that Christianity is a constant process of intentionally making the effort to become more like Christ. To constantly be at war with our flesh and what it desires. To deny our baser natures and seek after "whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable." (Philippians 4:8)

So the war with myself goes on. I found this struggle captured almost perfectly by a Canadian woman named Carolyn Arends, on one of her earlier CDs titled "I Can Hear You." It's a song called "Altar of Ego" and there is not a word wasted in this lyric. Every one strikes the heart of the matter. At least with me.

ALTAR of EGO

I am talking too loud when there's so much I should be hearing
I am walking too proud when I know a fall is nearing
I am thinking too much for someone who knows so little
I am spinning so fast, I’m landing in the middle
Of this cold familiar place where I struggle to save face
And I lose all of the things that matter

Chorus
I don’t want to be here again
Bowed at the altar of ego
I’ve sacrificed most everything
Here at the altar of ego
The altar of ego

I’ve got just four friends I will let advise me
Me, myself, and I and the evil twin inside me
We talk each other up and we bring each other down
‘Cause there’s nothing we like more than the ever present sound
Of the voice inside my head, once again it’s led
To losing all the things that matter

(Repeat chorus)

I need a touch of love, I need a thrust of grace
A push, a shove, a slap in the face

I have gazed too long at the person in the mirror
As I turn away, I’m finding things are clearer
I will set my sights on Someone so much higher
Not on what I want, but on what I require
To travel to the place where at last I can embrace
All the things that really matter

(Repeat chorus)

© 1995 Sunday Shoes Music (ASCAP)

May your struggles be easier.

Sin Sick

List member Lavonne T. says you folks may want to know more about my new job within the Postal Service. It's easy to envision what I used to do, which was work the counter line at the retail window, basically selling stamps and mailing boxes (oh, so much more, but that's all behind me).

I now work for the Statistical Programs Unit as a "Data Collection Technician." My job is to take random samplings of the mailstream (what's in it, how much was paid for it, what does it look like, etc.), random samplings of what random employees are doing each day, and random samplings of how the mail is transported and how much space is being used up on that transport vehicle.

My daughter would love this job. She's totally into the word "random."

Anyway, when combined with random samplings from our other 35,000 locations across the country, it generates a big data picture of our business costs ... and ultimately leads to figuring out how much we need to charge for stamps and other mailing fees. I'll be doing a lot of driving all over the "thumb" area of Michigan, collecting data from nearly 60 post offices, once I'm fully trained. For the moment, I'm trying to climb a steep learning curve, but I'm already enjoying the challenge.

And speaking of generating big picture data, the Geography Department at Kansas State University has used what they call a "precision party trick - rigorous mapping of ridiculous data" to create a national map of where the Seven Deadly Sins lurk.

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My seven-year-old daughter, Jessica, is a deep thinker when it comes to theological questions. Recently we discussed why bad things happen sometimes, re-reading the story of Adam and Eve and how sin came into the world.

Later that week, Jessica was ill and had to stay home from school. Feeling miserable, she told me: "If only Adam and Eve hadn't eaten the fruit, I wouldn't be sick."

Before I could address this complaint, she added, "Of course, if they didn't eat it, we'd be sitting here naked."

["Kids of the Kingdom" in Today's Christian magazine via Your Weekly Church Laughs]

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WORDS for YOUR WEEK: "Sin is not hurtful because it is forbidden, but it is forbidden because it is hurtful." (Benjamin Franklin)

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One Moment

Imagine you're on a bus riding down from the top of the mountains out west on a very narrow barely-big-enough-for-your-vehicle winding road. You're in the back with all of your friends ... reading, laughing, making calls, texting, talking, having a great time.

Suddenly you see - from seemingly out of nowhere - a small boy start to dart across the road, directly in the path of the bus.

The bus driver has three choices. He can veer to the right, careening into the side of the mountain, killing you and all of your fellow passengers, but saving the life of the child. Or he can swerve sharply to the left and plunge off the edge of the road, bringing instant death for everyone on the bus but again, saving the boy. Or he can do the unthinkable and run the child down, but save the life of everyone on the bus.

As the bus driver slams on the brakes, you can feel the small body crumpled by the weight of the massive bus. As the dust clears and the smell of scorched rubber fills the air, the bus driver sits in tears. You approach him and try to offer some small comfort. "Don't cry," you say. "You're a hero. I have a wife and two kids. We all have families. You've saved us all!"

The bus driver turns to you and whispers, "You don't understand. That boy was my son."

God is the bus driver. And that's the choice He made. The one we commemorate this day, Good Friday.

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There was a small girl whose father was a pastor.

One day, after one of her daddy's sermons, the little girl asked him, "Daddy, can a person go their whole life without sinning?"

"No, honey," the father replied, "I'm sorry, but that's just not possible. Jesus was the only one who could."

"What about a year, Daddy?" the little girl continued. "Can a person go a whole year without sinning?"

"No, I don't think that's possible, either," Daddy said.

"What about a day, Daddy? Can a person go a day without sinning? Maybe just once?"

"Unless they're in the hospital and very, very sick and not even awake, I don't think that's possible, either, honey."

"What about one moment, Daddy? Can a person go one moment without sinning?"

"Yes, dear, I think that is possible."

"Then, Daddy, I want to live my life moment by moment."

[Author Unknown, selected from Daily Food for Thought.org with edits by Mark Raymond]

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But Sunday's coming. (See below)

I'll see you on Monday.

Mark

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WEB SITE of the WEEK: My wife bought pistachios last week as a snack for me at my fantasy baseball drafts. Since I was using my laptop this year, I couldn't really enjoy them because I didn't want to get "shell dust" all over the computer ... so I took them back to the store for a less messy snack. When I did, the clerk at customer service informed me it was a good thing because those pistachios had been recalled. Find out what other foodstuffs might be on a recall list at the Department of Health and Human Services website at http://www.hhs.gov/. And, of course, there's lots of other good stuff there, too.

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Mark's Musings is sent using Ezine Director and I pay extra to make sure those folks are certified by Habeas to be a safe sender of e-mail. That means you can trust what I send. And I promise never to send spam or give your address to anyone who will. Subscribe, view past issues in my Archives, and otherwise click your day away at my web site. (There are years of archival jokes and links, for instance, and at least three years of "Web Sites of the Week" to browse.) To contact me and sooner or later get a reply, click here. Make sure you go to a good church this Sunday. Garrison Keillor once said that without faith, life is just one long committee meeting. I couldn't agree more. You can forward or reprint "Mark's Musings" freely but please keep the credits attached. The credits go with the post like music goes with a good movie. They both enhance each other. Original material and musings © 2009 by Mark Raymond. I update this blog with a copy of this post daily and occasionally with "bonus material" whenever the mood or muse strikes. Look for the label that says "bonus" and you can bring it all up with one click. My personal mission statement remains John 3:30.

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WORDS for YOUR WEEKEND: "Easter says you can put truth in a grave, but it won't stay there." (Clarence W. Hall)

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Your Sunday Sermon

So my band played for the "Iron Sharpens Iron" Conference in Flint yesterday. There were some *excellent* keynote speakers and workshops. I'd highly recommend attending - if you're a man - when one comes to your area.

Especially if my band is providing the music. (Shameless Promotion Dep't)

But I also heard some inspiring and motivating speakers.

One of them spoke from Galatians 6. Specifically this part:

Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. (Verses 7-9)

Now, sowing and reaping are kind of old school farming terms. Let me put it into plain English: what you plant, you will harvest. If you plant tomato seeds, you won't grow apple trees.

But let's put it a different way. One a little more appropriate to the title of today's post.

If you sow selfishness, you will reap loneliness.
If you sow envy, you will reap bitterness.
If you sow laziness, you will reap waste.
If you sow anger, you will reap pain.
If you sow lust, you will reap alienation.
If you sow greed, you will reap gluttony.
If you sow foolishness, you will reap chaos.

But that passage of Scripture also assures us that we can plant good things, and harvest even better things.

If you sow wisdom, you will reap humor.
If you sow patience, you will reap affection.
If you sow kindness, you will reap generosity.
If you sow self-control, you will reap long life.
If you sow charity, you will reap friendship.
If you sow tenderness, you will reap trust.
If you sow love, you will reap respect.

One final word ... the passage above also reminds us that planting and harvesting takes time. So do not grow weary in doing good, these things will come to you in the proper time. I like the way the New King James Version says it ... "in due season."

What are you sowing?

Counting

Faith and Begorrah, but it's Saint Patty's Day, don't ya know!

Saint Patrick is, of course, the Patron Saint of Ireland. Well, at least the one most of us have heard of. There appear to be two others: Brigid of Kildare and Columba. (According to Wikipedia)

Get yourself a shamrock-full of St. Patrick's Day news here.

But what I really want to highlight, since talking about Saint Patrick leads smoothly into talk of religious things, is a link sent to me by list member Zach Y., where scientists have now recorded actual differences in the brains of religious and non-religious people. Your belief in God can, it turns out, help block anxiety and reduce stress in your life.

We knew that all along, of course, so once again we see science catching up with theology.

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Recently while we were eating lunch after church one Sunday, my youngest son asked me what the highest number I had ever counted up to was.

I said I didn't know. Then I asked him how high he has counted.

"5,372," came the prompt reply.

"Oh," I said. "Why did you stop there?"

"The sermon was over."

[Weekly Church Laughs Newsletter from Christianity Today]

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WORDS for YOUR WEEK: "Being Irish, he had an abiding sense of tragedy, which sustained him through temporary periods of joy." (William Butler Yeats)

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Mark's Musings comes on an RSS Feed or via email each weekday, and on me sainted mother's grave, I promise ye can get your own subscription every day by clicking here. 'Tis free.

Sunday Musings

So my Dad (that's him, to the left, there) was licensed for ministry in the Baptist Church this morning. Apparently now he can do pretty much everything a local pastor can do, except be called "Reverend." And that's okay, because while Reverend Raymond is alliterative, it doesn't exactly trip off the tongue without making you feel like you may have had one too many.

So that is awesome, and we gladly shared in his joy at the service this morning. My Mom has been having some medical issues and both Mom and Dad are still dealing with the pain of injuries suffered in a serious automobile collision nearly three years ago. I'm delighted that Dad now has this "new chapter" in his life to add some weight to the positive side of life's equation while we draw breath.

While we were at the church - Judson Memorial Baptist Church in Lansing, Michigan (and the church I cut my religious teeth on) - we heard the sermon by Pastor Zachary Bartels and I gotta tell ya, I think I'd pay money to hear this guy preach. He understands Scripture, and perhaps more importantly, he understands how to relate it to what you and I are dealing with today. He speaks with passion, humor, and insight. You can download MP3's of his stuff here. (He also hosts a whole plethora of other websites devoted to Calvinist theology, classic literature, humor, and keen intellectual insights.)

One of the things he said this morning I had never heard before. Maybe you had, but it was an interesting way of putting it. He said that gossip and flattery are two sides of the same coin. Gossip is saying something behind someone's back that you'd never say to their face. Flattery is saying something to their face that you'd never say behind their back. And both are sinful. (Check it out: the Bible has not much kind to say about flattery.)

After church, we had lunch with the folks then stopped in at my son's new apartment briefly to drop off a little more of his stuff. So yeah, it was a good day.

Even with our van coming down with a flat tire this morning. Ugh.

Balance in all things, I guess....

The Shack

At the behest of list member Susan B., I have been reading - and just finished yesterday - "The Shack" by William Paul Young.

I won't give away any of the plot points here, and aside from a couple minor theological quibbles that may have briefly smeared my enjoyment of the writing - emphasis on briefly - I will say that I often had to put the book down to breathe deeply and wipe away a tear or two.

Yeah, it's that good. At least it was for me. I thought that today I'd share with you just a few lines from the story that captured my mind and heart.

I think it would be safe to say that this short little book could revolutionize the way you view the Holy Trinity, as well as challenge (or confirm) some of your assumptions about God's nature. And if you're just not that into God, read it anyway. You may come to realize that God is especially fond of you.

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FROM "THE SHACK"
by William Paul Young

"Life takes a bit of time and a lot of relationship."

"You don't play a game or color a picture with a child to show your superiority. Rather, you choose to limit yourself so as to facilitate and honor that relationship." [On why God became human.]

"Faith does not grow in the house of certainty."

"If anything matters, then everything matters. Because you are important, everything you do is important. Every time you forgive, the universe changes; every time you reach out and touch a heart or a life, the world changes; with every kindness and service, seen or unseen, my purposes are accomplished and nothing will ever be the same again."

[In closing, Young quotes from an Elizabeth Barrett Browning poem, "Aurora Leigh", Book VII]

"Earth's crammed with heaven, and every common bush afire with God, but only he who sees takes off his shoes; the rest sit round it and pluck blackberries."

[selected from "The Shack," written by William Paul Young]

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WISDOM for YOUR WEEK: "But you, O Lord, are a compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness." (Psalm 86:15)

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Mark's Musings is available on your RSS Feed Reader and can also be obtained via email each weekday. Get your own subscription - for free - by clicking here.

Where God Ain't

If I asked you to become a missionary, what would be your first thought? Exotic locations? Uprooting your family for several years? Investing years of your life in a remote corner of the Third World? Perhaps you'd just whisper "no way" to yourself and move on to the joke.

But not so fast, dear friends. An initiative called Global Media Outreach has created more than 70 websites to share the gospel with people all over our planet. And they need your help to respond to emails and answer questions. They say that in 2007 more than one million people indicated a decision for Christ ... and that there are still more than three billion people with Internet access, and for most of them the Gospel does not exist in their life.

So, yeah, make a difference. Reach the other side of the world for Jesus right from the comfort of your own chair at home.

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He was just a little boy, on a brand new week's first day
He was wandering home from Sunday School, and dawdling on the way

He scuffed his shoes into the grass and found a caterpillar
He picked a fluffy milkweed pod, and blew out all the "filler"

A bird's nest in a great big tree, so wisely placed on high
Was just another wonder that caught his eager eye

A neighbor watched his zig-zag course, and hailed him from his lawn
He asked him where he'd been that day and what was going on

"I've been to Bible School" he spoke, and turned a piece of sod
He picked a wiggly worm and said, "I've learned a lot 'bout God"

The neighbor said, "A right fine way for a boy to spend his time"
"If you can tell me where God is, I'll give ya this brand new dime"

Quick as a flash his answer came, nor was his small voice faint
"I'll give YOU a *dollar*, Mister, if you can tell me where God ain't!"

[Pastor Tim's Illustrations; poetic edits by Mark Raymond]

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WISDOM for YOUR WEEK: "Be imitators of God, as dearly loved children and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God." (Ephesians 5:1-2)

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The Day After Christmas

I recently stumbled across this poem I'd written in 2004. It still seemed appropriate ... especially considering the timing of today's post, so I thought I'd reprint it.

I pray that Santa was good to you yesterday. I know God was.

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THE DAY AFTER CHRISTMAS
With gratitude and apologies to Clement C. Moore

'Twas the day after Christmas, I'm tired and sore;
My living room looks like it's been through a war.
With paper and presents strewn all about,
It will take us six weeks to clean this, no doubt.

The children had run all amok from their bed,
And now there's a pounding deep inside my head.
The screaming, the tearing, the squealing of joy
As each gift revealed a shiny new toy.

I'd wanted to get Mom a gift that would melt her;
Now all I want is some warm Alka Seltzer.
The noise of the kids with their gifts clang away;
I don't think we'll see the cat until May.

The post-Christmas blues have already set in;
The things that I bought I've started regrettin'.
Several I got may make my life easy,
But my spirit is woozy, perhaps even queazy.

We mustn't forget the Babe in the manger,
Amidst all this stuff, his tale's in danger!
And how he will grow from baby to Lord,
But the kids are already chanting, "I'm bored!"

So the lesson, this day after Christmas, I learn;
Is the stuff that we buy has no power to turn
Our hearts to the path that is narrow and true;
That must come from His love, and the faith that's in you.

[written by Mark Raymond; © 2004]

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Ahhh, at last a weekend with *nothing* to do! I'm sure we'll think of something. I'll see you on Monday.

Mark

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WEB SITE of the WEEK: One last Christmas link ... find out "almost everything you ever wanted to know about Christmas traditions" at http://www.christmaslore.com.

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Mark's Musings is certified by the folks at Habeas to be spam-free. That means I'll never email you spam. Or the leftover ham we have from Christmas dinner. Subscribe, view past issues in the Archives, and click to your heart's content at my web site. To contact me and sooner or later get a reply, click here. I'm finally getting some overtime hours at work to slip a few extra bucks into the ol' wallet. They couldn't have done this *before* Christmas? You can forward or reprint "Mark's Musings" freely but please keep the credits attached. Aren't these fun to read? Why deprive someone else of that joy? Original material and commentary © 2008 by Mark Raymond. I update this blog with a copy of this post daily and occasionally toss in bonus material on the weekends (or whenever the mood strikes). Look for the label that says "Weekend" and you can bring them all up with one click. My personal mission statement remains John 3:30. In accordance with the prophecy.

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WORDS for YOUR WEEKEND: "Patterning your life around other's opinions is nothing more than slavery." (Lawana Blackwell)

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas, everyone!

Today is the day followers of Jesus have set aside to celebrate, commemorate, and contemplate the awesomeness of what God began so many years ago. To shed the fabric of eternity, step willingly into the shackles of time, and humble himself to be born as one of us, then suffer the living and growing of more than three decades with us ... culminating in the miracle of Easter, where his mission here was completed. Incredible!

"He became what we are that he might make us what he is." (Athanasius of Alexandria)

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CHRISTMAS QUOTATIONS

"Christmas is a time when you get homesick ... even when you're home." (Carol Nelson)

"Never worry about the size of your Christmas tree. In the eyes of children, they are all 30 feet tall." (Larry Wilde)

"Christmas is not so much about opening our presents, as opening our hearts." (Janice Maeditare)

"When we were children we were grateful to those who filled our stockings at Christmas time. Why are we not grateful to God for filling our stockings with legs?" (G.K. Chesterton)

And the Grinch, with his Grinch-feet ice cold in the snow
Stood puzzling and puzzling, how could it be so?
It came without ribbons. It came without tags.
It came without packages, boxes, or bags.
And he puzzled and puzzled 'til his puzzler was sore.
Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn't before.
What if Christmas, he thought, doesn't come from a store?
What if Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more?
-- Theodore Giesel

[selected from The Quote Garden]

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WISDOM for YOUR WEEK: "For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace." (Isaiah 9:6)

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