Hidden Beauty

 

This past week, Marleen and I installed two double doors between the fellowship hall and the Ladies’ classroom at church.  It really opened up the rooms.  And in the process, we had to remove two old prehung doors and trim.  I pulled the trim off the door casing and cut the pieces down to size so that we could fit them into the church dumpster.  And after a closer look at the trim, there were 4 layers of paint covering mahogany trim!  Thirty years ago, mahogany trim was cheap; it was called manoc.  But only for a few years, because quickly, much of the old-growth mahogany trees in Brazil were cut and the wood was exported.  Now, mahogany is expensive with most of it grown on managed plantations.  For years that beautiful, expensive wood trim was covered with ugly paint.  Romans 7:22, “For I delight in the law of God after the inward man.”  When you are born into God’s forever family, the inner man is strengthened.  Hey, is your inner beauty coming out today?  Or are you covered with layer upon layer of ugliness?  Let the dear Lord rule in your life and let your inner beauty shine forth!

As a Child

 

There are many complex doctrines in the Bible: doctrines of the Trinity, doctrines of the end times, and doctrines of the spirit world.  And there are many spiritual doctrines that I believe.  But there are only few things that you must believe to become a Christian … only very few!  Matthew 19:14, “But Jesus said, Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me: for of such is the kingdom of heaven.”  A marketing worker at Lowe’s last Friday understood that principle well: he put the items targeted for children on the bottom shelf of the cooler where the children could access them.  Hey, I’m glad that God made His plan of salvation so simple that a little child could understand it.  As a matter of fact, I was that little child!  I accepted God’s free gift of salvation April 17, 1956.  As a six-year-old boy, I was immediately born into God’s forever family!  Still am!  So, how about you?  Are you part of God’s forever family?  Come to Jesus as a little child and accept His salvation!  Do it today!  You’ll be glad that you did.

The Circle of Life

 

I enjoyed watching my 3 youngest grandchildren interacting with each other at the Brainerd Road Farmer’s Market last Saturday.  When they were young, they fought like cats and dogs.  But now that they are young adults, they get along quite well … that is until they play giant Jenga!  They are very competitive!  I enjoy watching babies grow and learn. I enjoy watching them learn to crawl, then learn to walk, then learn to talk.  I am so proud of my children as they teach their children (my grandchildren).  I take comfort in the knowledge that the circle of life goes on.  And what a reunion heaven will be!  I will not only see my grandchildren, but I will see my grandparents’ grandchildren: me!  I am looking forward to heaven!  But the best of all is to see my Savior, Jesus Christ, Who makes all of this circle of life possible!  Hey, have you thanked the good Lord for His goodness today?  Shut down facebook, read a chapter in your Bible, and thank the Lord for your family and for God’s goodness.  And then, have a great