Repurposed

 

I make these little swirly steel key fobs out of rebar.  I heat them to a cherry red and hammer them down to a point, then curling them neatly before quenching them in a beeswax/tung oil mixture.  A drilled hole, ground end, and a second quenching completes the project.  To me, it is instructive that I take rusty old steel rebar and repurpose it to make a pretty key fob that is cherished.  God repurposes too.  II Corinthians 5:17, “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.”  Hey, have you been repurposed by the Creator of the universe?  Would you like to be?  fb message me and we can chat.

The Buffer

 

The saga of the fellowship hall floor continues.  We have a very old 13” buffer that has been a blessing.  I think it came over with Leviticus on the ark.  But with a stripping pad and stripper solution, that old buffer can really scrub the floor!  But its old cord has been wound up the same way so many times over the years that it has serious cracks in the rubber sheath.  Marleen cautioned me last Monday, “Don’t you think that you should put come electrical tape on that cord?”  I dismissed her suggestion as an interruption to my work, but I should have listened to her.  Tuesday, I heard a zapping noise, smelled burning rubber, and the buffer suddenly stopped working.  Bare wire had finally shorted out the buffer and stopped my progress.  I looked at repairing the old cord but decided to get an entire new cord.  But new wire was pricey!  So I bought a heavy 12 gauge extension cord, cut off the end, rewired the switch, and was back in business in an hour.  I should have listened to Marleen, but don’t tell her that I said so.  Often it is better to start out new than to patch the old stuff.  Even Jesus will discard this old sin-cursed world and make a brand-new world for us to live in.  John said in Revelation 21:5, “… Behold, I make all things new …”  The dear Lord will start over with a new heaven, a new earth, and a new capital city, the New Jerusalem (Revelation 21:2)!  What a wonderful place and what a joyous time!  Hey, are you ready for all those changes?  Or are you cobbling together your old life?  Pitch it all and start anew!  Start with Jesus, and you’ll never be sorry that you did!

My Bed

 

I got up this morning at 4:15am as usual and made my bed.  And for some reason, I took a moment and looked at my made bed.  I was satisfied at what I saw, but why?  No one will see my bed today, and I will get right back into it tonight, so why make it this morning at all?  Not being a psychologist, I’m not sure of the reason why, but I can think of several reasons: I learned to make my bed when I was a boy, and I just feel good about myself when I make my bed.  In my mind, I can hear the voice of my mother saying, “Good job, Gerald.”  And then, I’m OCD and I just like to see my bed covers and pillows looking straight.  But lastly, I think that the good Lord is pleased with my made bed.  I Corinthians 14:33, "For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints."  God likes order, my bed is orderly, and God is pleased.  So there you have it.  That’s my story, and I’m sticking to it.  But really, doesn’t my bed look good?!