Discovery

 

I made a discovery Saturday morning that has existed for many years: my dress pants have 5 belt loops on them, but my jeans have 7 belt loops on them.  Which got me to thinking.  The jeans need more belt loops on them because they are designed for the working man who bends down picking up boards, plywood, and nail guns; while the dress pants are designed for the business man who sits at a desk or at a luncheon table making deals.  Years ago, I had a middle school student who said, “My daddy doesn’t work for a living; he talks for a living.”  That was because his dad was a salesman who truly did talk for a living.  But whether you talk or work with your hands, both are respectable.  And whether you have 5 belt loops or 7 belt loops, put those pants on in the morning and go to work and be profitable.  Solomon said in Proverbs 14:23, “In all labour there is profit: but the talk of the lips tendeth only to penury.”  Under inspiration of the Holy Spirit, Solomon said that ALL work (physical or mental) is profitable, but talking ONLY leads to poverty.  Hey, get out there and work today!  Then come home to your sweet family and rest.

Pollen

 

Bittersweet is how I felt Sunday morning.  I like to get up early, and the first thing that I heard when I woke up was the rain pitter-pattering as it ran down the thin aluminum downspout.  It reminded me of the noise that the raindrops made on our metal trailer roof 35 years ago when it rained.  I don’t usually like rain on Sunday morning, but the pollen has been soooo thick that I was happy to hear the rain washing it away.  Saturday afternoon, I used my powerful gas blower (thank you, Eric) to blow away the pollen, but this picture is how much had accumulated only 24 hours later!  Kathy and I went out Saturday, but I made her keep her car window up and we used the A.C.  She likes the warm spring air, but I am tormented by the pollen.  Reminds me of Matthew 5:45, “… he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.”  Now, I’m not going to speculate as to which one of us is evil or good/just or unjust, but I am going to say that I am grateful that the dear Lord sent the rain to wash away the pollen.  Thank you, Lord.

Toothache

 

Exactly one week ago, I began to have a toothache.  So, I brushed my teeth especially well where the pain was occurring and rinsed my mouth out with mouthwash.  I was careful not to eat any sweets or hot/cold drinks, and the pain went away.  Great!  I planned on calling the dentist Monday morning.  But with the pain gone, I forgot all about the dentist … until a week later.  Yesterday, I was chewing gum (duh!) and felt something odd in my mouth: my crown had come off!  I picked it out of the gum and put it in my pocket.  Now I had to call the dentist on Monday morning.  I told my wife that I was going to put the crown under my pillow for the tooth fairy.  We laughed, and I said, “I’ll get a couple of dollars for the crown but have to pay $2,000 at the dentist’s office for another one!”  Not a very good idea.  And another bad idea is listening to someone’s advice about the Bible who hasn’t read it.  That’s second-hand information.  A better idea would be to read the Bible for yourself.  And like second-hand smoke, second-hand information about the Bible could be deadly!  If your pastor/priest/imam/rabbi hasn’t read the Bible, don’t listen to their advice!  Read the Bible for yourself!  Jesus spoke of two roads in Matthew 7.  Jesus said in Matthew 7:13&14, “Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.”  Hey, don’t be like me and give a $2,000 crown to the tooth fairy!  A bad decision!  Listen to the dear Lord for spiritual advice.  A good decision!