Boys vs. Grass

A great quote by Hall of Famer, Harmon Killebrew: My father used to play with my brother and me in the yard. Mother would come out and say, “You're tearing up the grass.”  “We're not raising grass,” Dad would reply. “We're raising boys.”  No one knows what the Killebrew yard looked like.  But most baseball aficionados from the 60’s and 70’s certainly know what Harmon Killebrew did.  And Harmon Killebrew’s dad knew the importance of building into the lives of his boys.  David said in Psalm 143:8 “Cause me to hear thy lovingkindness in the morning; for in thee do I trust: cause me to know the way wherein I should walk; for I lift up my soul unto thee.”  God knows what lies ahead in our lives and God can order our steps.  Hey, are you letting God direct your steps? After all, God knows exactly where you will be in the future.  Why not let Him be in charge?

My New Bike

My right knee has not recovered like I thought it should from a torn meniscus surgery last February.  I have been through two rounds of physical therapy, but it is still weak.  If I exercise it in the morning, It seems to be stronger throughout the day.  So, I have been in the market for a bicycle.  A seventy-year-old on a bicycle might not seem to be too smart, but I never was one to claim to be the brightest bulb in the pack.  So, I found a mountain bike on facebook market for $45.  Seemed like a good deal.  It looked good when I saw it, but the chain was a bit rusty.  No problem.  WD-40 can loosen up almost anything - except squeaky knees, if you know what I mean.  So, I oiled up the chain last night, but found that the shifter didn’t work.  I took it apart, and tiny little plastic pieces fell out onto the floor.  I got the model number, googled it, and found a shifter on Amazon for $10.  It should be here tomorrow.  On a lark, I looked up the bike on Wal-Mart.com and, brand new, it was $65.  Again, I never was one to claim to be the brightest bulb in the pack.  But this time I was the dimmest in the pack.  Yeah, without a doubt.  But at least with all of the work on my “new” bicycle, I did get some exercise in.  Just a little.

Picking up the Bill

I have a dear friend who insists on picking up the bill every time that we eat out.  I try to speak to the waitress privately and have her get me the bill on the sly.  I pretend to go to the bathroom and then pay the cashier.  When I do, Brother Ron is furious.  He wants to pay the bill because he wants to meet my needs.  And Brother Ron usually grabs the bill.  Hey, that’s exactly how Jesus Christ is with our salvation.  He has paid our debt in full, and it is an insult to Jesus if we ever try to pay for our salvation.  Jesus has picked up the entire bill.  He has paid our sin debt in full.  Paul explained it in Ephesians2:8 & 9, “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.”  We can’t pay for any of our sins.  Not a single one.  We just need to thank Jesus for His payment and rest in His goodness.