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.

Reminder

 

I read my Bible daily and memorize Scripture (as much as this old mind will allow).  I am faithful in church attendance and in giving.  I witness to pagans that I come into contact with, but I am weak in my prayer life.  I have asked the dear Lord to help me in this area of my spiritual life.  I don’t want prayer to be work; I just want to have closer fellowship with my Creator.  So, I have asked the Lord to give me ticklers to remind me to pray. and I had one this morning.  I like to eat sourdough bread with my 1 slice of bacon and two eggs for breakfast.  My daughter-in-law makes great sourdough bread which I buy (to support her, not the big box store), and it has cute packaging with her name on it.  An old pastor friend of mine once said, “The sizzle sells the steak.”  And Laura’s cute packaging reminds me to pray for her each morning that I eat a slice of her sourdough bread.  Paul said of his dear friends in Phillipi in Philippians 1:3&4, “I thank my God upon every remembrance of you, Always in every prayer of mine for you all making request with joy.”  I wonder if Paul ate sourdough bread?  Hey, if you are in the Chattanooga area, get some Laura Lu’s Sourdough Bread.  It’s good stuff!  And while you’re at it, say a prayer for Laura and for me too.

Useless or Useful?

 

I got a coffee filter out yesterday and was surprised.  As you can see from the picture, the paper was accidentally folded before it was crimped/cut leaving the filter only half shaped and totally useless.  Paul said in Rom 12:1, “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.”  If Jesus gave His life for us, it is only reasonable for us to live for Him.  Hey, don’t be useless to Jesus like my coffee filter was useless to me.  Be useful for Jesus today.  After all, it’s just reasonable.