Ghost?!

 

I get up early, turn off my phone alarm, and stumble to the bathroom.  My next stop is the kitchen where I make the coffee.  A must at 4:15am.  Last week I got out the filters and pulled off a single thin one setting it onto the stovetop.  Sometimes I carelessly get two, and the added filtration causes the water to run over the top, around the filter(s) dripping grounds into the glass carafe below.  I poured a bottle of filtered water into the coffee pot and turned to get the filter just in time to see it dancing across the glass cooktop!  It moved a bit, stopped, and moved again!  It jumped a little, twisting slightly to one side.  The filter moved as if a ghost was playing a joke on my mind!  I walked over and grabbed it before it could float onto the floor below and felt the A.C. blowing from above.  My ghost was air from the vent invisibly moving the filter.  In John 14, Jesus promised the disciples that He would not leave them comfortless, but that He would send them a Comforter.  John 14:16, “And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever.”  Elsewhere, this Comforter is called the Holy Spirit of God (Greek: “pneuma”, or “breath”) and empowers us to live for God.  Hey, if you are born into God’s forever family, the Holy Spirit is empowering you and moving you today.  I am excited to be a part of God’s plan for the ages!  Are you excited to be God’s child today?!

Squawking Chickens

 

Our church has hosted Word to the World mission conference this week, and Marleen and I have taught the kids.  Teaching 4-8 year-olds has been interesting.  We have learned a Bible verse, learned songs, and had a story about David, the shepherd king, each night.  The kids especially liked the games: Zonk, rope the cow, and toss the rubber chickens.  My finger rocket game was a bust.  Not even the adults could do it.  Oh, well.  It thrilled my heart to see little kids, who can’t even read, memorizing Scripture!  Psalm 119:11, “Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.”  God can use His eternal Word to speak to these little hearts for years to come.  The adults hated the squawking chickens, but I got the kids to squawk “Jesus Loves Me” in rhythm with rubber chickens!  What a hoot!

Misshap

 

I began teaching at Berean Academy in Hixson, Tennessee in 1977 shortly after it had started.  I taught P.E. and French, drove the bus, and was the janitor.  A man of many talents.  Ha, ha!  I made a set of volleyball poles out of steel pipe, eyebolts, and car wheels.  The rubber tires/rims filled with concrete made great portable anchors for the net.  We used the parking lot at dismissal, so I had to take the poles in and out each time that I used them for volleyball at P.E.  It was easy to move each pole by tipping it over, twisting the pole, and rolling the tire base wherever I wanted.  That was until the day that I was rolling one of the poles out and my wedding ring got caught on the back of the eyebolt!  I immediately knew that I was in trouble.  So, I grasped the pole as hard as I could to stop it, but the rolling momentum of the tire was powerful.  My hand was pulled over the pole as I slowed the rolling base.  At the last second, I did a flip over the pole to save my finger as the tire finally stopped.  I pulled my ring off of the end of the bolt and surveyed the damage to my poor finger.  Other than a cut and a bruise, my finger was still intact.  The next thing that I did was to look around to see if anyone had seen my mishap.  Apparently, no one was looking, and my dangerous mistake was a secret … until now.  I’m sure that the dear Lord laughed as He watched the event unfolding, for God’s eyes are everywhere.  Solomon said in Proverbs 5:21, “For the ways of man are before the eyes of the LORD, and he pondereth all his goings.”  Often, we are reckless in our behavior, and we may think that our mishaps are unseen.  But always remember, God sees everything … even foolish P.E. teachers!