Hand Cream

 

The back of my hands have been dry and flaky and not responding to the cheap lotion that I have been using after my shower.  So, I ordered some serious healing cream and started to use it.  I drizzle a bit into my left palm (I’m right-handed: squeezing the tube with my right hand) and transfer half to my right hand and then work the cream into the backs of my hands and fingers.  Then I use the residue to lubricate my dry elbows.  But then I wipe the excess off of my palms with my morning shower washcloth.  I must wipe off the excess because contrary to the back of my hands, I actually want the palms of my hands to remain dry.  I like my palms to feel like a man’s hands and not like a baby’s butt.  In his closing words, Paul admonished the church in Corinth in I Corinthians 16:13, “Watch ye, stand fast in the faith, quit you like men, be strong.”  Hey, I’m glad for the women in our church, but we need strong men!  We need manly men in church who have rough hands and don’t shirk from rolling up our sleeves and working for the dear Lord.  Hey, God wants a few good men!  Yes, He does!

Garbage

 

There is an expression with computers, “Garbage in, garbage out.”  So, what does that mean?  Well, if you enter the wrong information into your computer, you will have errors in the solutions that your computer produces.  Hey, that’s the same with our minds.  If we want to have pure thoughts, we must put pure things into our minds.  If we dwell on porn, we will have wicked thoughts.  David said in Psalm 101:3, “I will set no wicked thing before mine eyes …”  And David should know.  He was at the wrong place at the wrong time looking the wrong way and ended up in an adulterous affair.  So, what should David have done?  Hey, what should we do?  Paul gave the answer in II Corinthians 10:4&5, “For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds, casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ.”  We must capture every thought and get them under control.  A tall order, but a necessary order.  Control your thoughts and you will control your mind.  And verse five says that the way to control your thoughts is to meditate (to think) upon Jesus Christ.  Good advice from the Bible.  Hey, take a few minutes to read it right now.  You’ll be glad that you did.

Honesty

 

In 1955, Richard lived next door to me in Henry Freuling’s trailer park.  He was one year younger than me and one year older than my brother, Phillip, so Richard fit right in with my family.  My mother baby sat Richard, and we had to take naps in the afternoon.  One particular afternoon, my mother heard noise back in the bedroom when we should have been asleep.  So she wisely said, “Are you boys asleep back there?”  And we naïvely answered back, “Yeah, we’re asleep.”  Gotcha!  Why is it so easy to catch children in their mischief?  Well, I think it’s because children are not so sophisticated and haven’t figured out how to get away with deceit.  It’s wise for parents to teach their little ones early on to be honest.  Solomon said in Proverbs 12:22, “Lying lips are abomination to the LORD: but they that deal truly are his delight.”  Hey, teach your children to be truthful.  Teach them to honor God.  You’ll be glad that you did, they will be glad that you did, and the dear Lord will be glad that you did.