Greg's Watering Hole

Renovation

2012-01-31T06:52:00.001-06:00

As I said before, I worked a lot of construction as a young man. It was cool to see a project from beginning to end. What once was an empty lot became a school, hospital or a large office building in the span of 12 to 18 months. I would later find out that new construction was by far and away easier and more enjoyable than renovation.

When I was in my twenties I was hired onto a job that was a renovation of an old multi floored furniture store. It had been vacated and had sat empty for awhile. The job was to turn it into an office building. From the first day I hated this one. Up the elevator I went with a 90lb jack hammer. My first mission was to break through two layers of brick wall at prescribed locations so that windows could be installed (where there had been none) in the second floor warehouse area.

There was no ventilation to speak of so there was dust and rubble everywhere. We had to wear hard hats, mask and goggles on the second floor all day long. There was destruction going on everywhere in the building. It was an old brick structure, so if felt like I was working in a cave or a mine that was about to cave in!

Yea, I was in my twenties and in good shape physically, but have you ever ran a 90lb jack hammer... 3ft upside a wall...for eight hours a day?! That was manual labor as hard as I have ever done it!

The outside of the building appeared to be in good shape. Only cosmetic work was done on the outside. Clean the walls, paint the trim, put in some new doors and some nice landscaping on the grounds.

I look back now and see this building's renovation as a comparison of how God has worked in me. Not much was needed on the outside, I could always APPEAR to be OK on the outside. But the inside was an absolute mess. My real condition could only be "renovated" by extensive reconstruction on the inside.

It was not always easy, because sin had absolutely caused me to "cave in". God was the one on the "jackhammer" (Jesus) who opened me up from the inside and now the fresh air of forgiveness, mercy and grace can come in because I have "opened the windows" He offered and "installed" in me for free!

Sometimes this "old building" still needs some "cleaning out", but He is always there to renovate!

Drop me a line,

Greg

It Just Doesn't Get Any Better Than That!

2012-01-30T06:09:00.000-06:00

1 Afterward Jesus appeared again to his disciples, by the Sea of Galilee. It happened this way: 2 Simon Peter, Thomas (also known as Didymus), Nathanael from Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two other disciples were together. 3 "I’m going out to fish," Simon Peter told them, and they said, "We’ll go with you." So they went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing. 4 Early in the morning, Jesus stood on the shore, but the disciples did not realize that it was Jesus.

5 He called out to them, "Friends, haven’t you any fish?"

"No," they answered.

6 He said, "Throw your net on the right side of the boat and you will find some." When they did, they were unable to haul the net in because of the large number of fish.

7 Then the disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, "It is the Lord!" As soon as Simon Peter heard him say, "It is the Lord," he wrapped his outer garment around him (for he had taken it off) and jumped into the water. 8The other disciples followed in the boat, towing the net full of fish, for they were not far from shore, about a hundred yards. 9 When they landed, they saw a fire of burning coals there with fish on it, and some bread.

10 Jesus said to them, "Bring some of the fish you have just caught." 11 So Simon Peter climbed back into the boat and dragged the net ashore. It was full of large fish, 153, but even with so many the net was not torn. 12Jesus said to them, "Come and have breakfast." None of the disciples dared ask him, "Who are you?" They knew it was the Lord. 13 Jesus came, took the bread and gave it to them, and did the same with the fish. 14 This was now the third time Jesus appeared to his disciples after he was raised from the dead.

15 When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, "Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?"

"Yes, Lord," he said, "you know that I love you."

Jesus said, "Feed my lambs."

16 Again Jesus said, "Simon son of John, do you love me?"

He answered, "Yes, Lord, you know that I love you."

Jesus said, "Take care of my sheep."

17 The third time he said to him, "Simon son of John, do you love me?"

Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, "Do you love me?" He said, "Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you."

Jesus said, "Feed my sheep. 18 Very truly I tell you, when you were younger you dressed yourself and went where you wanted; but when you are old you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go." 19 Jesus said this to indicate the kind of death by which Peter would glorify God. Then he said to him, "Follow me!"

John 21, great stuff! Jesus appears to His disciples again after His resurrection. He seems to have a few things in mind here.

1) Showing again who He is with His appearance after being crucified, dead and buried. He is the ONLY victor over sin and death!

2) Miracles often occur in conjunction with our obedience, not in conjunction with us sitting on our butts waiting for them to land on us. He told them to throw their net on the right side of the boat. What if they had not done that? No fish, that's what!

3) Jesus wants to spend time with us. I love how He wanted to just hang out with the guys cooking and eating some fish around a fire. It just doesn't get any better than that!

4) He will restores us. To God, sin is sin. But man measures wrongs in differing degrees (murder is worse than lying). So, I can't think of much worse sin than denying Christ (except maybe doing it three times)! Yet Jesus not only forgave Peter, but also restored Him to being the "Rock". "And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven." Matthew 16:18-19

What do I get out of this? If we feel separated from God by some sin or even something less, we can go to the only victor over sin and death. We can hang out with Him all we want. We then can obey what He says and receive His miracle of forgiveness, healing AND restoration!

It just doesn't get any better than that!

Drop me a line,

Greg

Manual Or Automatic

2012-01-29T07:07:00.001-06:00

It has always been more fun to me to drive cars with a standard transmission. You know, push the clutch in and shift the gears yourself, real driving. Automatic transmissions do all the shifting for the driver and it seems as if having one less thing to consider takes away a responsibility as well as some of the fun of driving.

It seems at times my life (my mouth in particular) can be on "automatic". Automatic responses (usually emotional, without thought) to questions about things that I have my mind made up about and don't want to hear other views. Some times I respond strictly out of emotion (with cutting or hurtful remarks) because I'm angry or hurt. And of course there are times when I'm just not interested or paying attention and I give the automatic response: "uh-huh".

Last night Hannah comes to me needing to discuss something she knew was a touchy subject for me. I have been on "automatic" so long she knew what was coming. When she started talking about this subject I reacted like a fire having gasoline poured on it! Excellent communication strategy Greg! Now she's rightfully upset and I'm just on fire!

I'm going to ask God to change my "transmission" to a manual transmission. I want Him to give me a "clutch" to push in and knock my emotions and mouth "out of gear and into neutral" while listening to others and making decisions. Then when He has shown me the correct response or decision I can let the "clutch" out and move "smoothly down the road". This could make the road through life smoother, with a little more joy and understanding.

Drop me a line,

Greg

Fishing In A New Spot

2012-01-28T05:59:00.001-06:00

That summer in Lakeland (read "Thanks" blog from yesterday) I fished that pond almost daily. I could catch a lot of catfish, but only catfish, and they were a pain to clean. I got to the point of thinking the only kind of fish in the pond was catfish!

There was this area of the pond that resembled a channel on one side. It was almost inaccessible because of the overgrowth of grass, bushes and the like. It would take a little work to get very far down the channel because of the overgrowth. There was an old bridge a little way down the channel that was probably access to what used to be a barn or something on the other side.

One day my friend and I made the effort to clear a path through the brush and get to the little bridge. The idea was to check out the barn. After making it onto the bridge and seeing that we would need land clearing equipment to get any further, we abandoned our quest to get to the barn. But we did run back to the house and get our fishing gear.

We came straight back to that little bridge, drop our lines through the lily pads beneath the bridge and immediately caught bream as big as your hand! We did this the rest of the summer! We could plan a fish fry and know we were going to have bream and catfish (if we wanted) every time. We had found an endless supply at our own secret "Fishin Hole"!

I was thinking the pond and the Bible have some similarities. At first it was fun catching and eating the catfish. But every time I went back to the pond I was "catching the same fish". Will it always be catfish? No. My friend and I decided to try it from a different "place". Our perspective changed and we were looking at it from a different point of reference. It was the SAME WATER, producing a new and exciting result just for us!

The Word of God is said to be "living and active". We are creations of God that go through constantly changing emotions, situations, stages of life and any number of daily changes in perspectives and points of reference. Doesn't it make sense that each time we read the Bible we would hear God from a different "angle"? Doesn't it make sense that God speaks to us through His Word at the PLACE we are in our lives? He is not a God who says I will only speak to you here! He continually says and shows us that He is with us EVERYWHERE we go!

The Word of God speaks to us where ever we find ourselves and no matter how many times we read it, it continually gives us "new and fresh revelation" every time!

Have you "fished" any new spots lately?

Drop me a line,

Greg

Thanks

2012-01-27T05:51:00.002-06:00

Before retiring, my Dad was a Construction Superintendent. He would often be sent out of town on big jobs that would last a year or so. He would come home on weekends. However his living out of town during the week would require him to have a second residence. He would choose some pretty cool places to stay (at least from my perspective as a young adventurous boy).

I remember visiting him on some weekends or even spending most of a summer with him in some of the most fun places. He stayed in a camper on a mountain side and a couple of different trailers by a lakes among other places that were in easy reach of fishing, places to ride motorcycles, shoot guns and just have general young boy fun.

I guess my favorite place was near Lakeland, Florida. I spent a summer there with Dad in a trailer park with a pond on one side and pasture on another. I spent my days shooting snakes and turtles, catching catfish and bream, flying model rockets, and swimming in the motel pool just down the highway.

Many of the other people in this park of about eight trailers were people who worked with my Dad. The only ones I remember who lived there that did not work with Dad were two brothers who drove trucks. They went by the names of Long John and Archie (great truck driver names!).

I remember one time when we had a fish fry. We cooked the fish my friend and I caught. Long John and Archie even made turtle soup and cooked one of the landlords ducks!

I'm not sure what the "spiritual significance" of this blog is except maybe to say this: I know it was difficult on Mom and Dad being apart during those times but they were doing what was best for the family at the time. So thanks Mom and Dad for the sacrifices you made for me, but let me say that along the way I had some wonderful times as a boy, right in the middle of your tough times.

Drop me a line,

Greg

Nail In My Finger

2012-01-26T06:41:00.001-06:00

As a young man I worked quite a bit in construction. Working on construction sites offers plenty of possibilities for getting hurt even when you are working as safe as possible.

For instance, on one occasion I was nailing strips of wood onto concrete walls with the old concrete nails. I had to hammer the snot out of these nails to get them into that old, hard wall. During this process, I noticed blood running down my fingers. My blood! A sliver of one of the concrete nails had gone into my finger. I never felt it and the little sliver was all the way in, not partly sticking out like a splinter.

On another occasion, I was driving small wooden grade stakes into some hard packed ground with a 3lb sledge hammer. As I was driving in a stake it splintered, sending a sliver of wood into the joint of my thumb. I thought I got it all out and went back to driving stakes.

Both of these "wounds" seemingly healed. The skin grew over and everything looked OK. However the wood in my thumb festered and became a pretty gross sore. I eventually had to open the "wound" up again and squeeze out the rest (about a 1/4 inch) of the splinter.

The sliver of nail in my finger is still there. It doesn't hurt or hinder me in any way. It's like it's not even there. It's like it never happened.

Our response to others "wounding" us (verbally or otherwise) is going to be a lot like these physical "wounds" I had. We can let what they have said or done "fester" to the point of the "wound" being as bad or worse than it originally was or we can forgive them and let the "wound" heal completely over. And if we truly forgive them it will be like the nail in my finger. It will no longer hinder or hurt us in any way. It will be like it never happened!

After all, who is the one "festering" with bitterness if we don't forgive?

Drop me a line,

Greg

Well Done

2012-01-25T05:58:00.000-06:00

"Well done good and faithful servant". Those words out of Matthew 25 have been on my mind lately as I ponder some things I may undertake. What believer doesn't want to hear those words come out of Jesus' mouth when they stand before Him?

My decisions on whether or not to be of service to someone has often been based on how it would affect me. Try these scenarios of my possible service for example.

I could send twenty bucks to the local soup kitchen. Twenty dollars won't impoverish me and it would provide some needed meals for some folks. No strain, no time lost and it's a good thing to do for others.

Maybe some family in the church has fallen on hard times and a plea is put out for some money to help them out. OK, I could give maybe a hundred to help out. That may cause a short term strain on me, but not much, and still no personal time lost.

Or it could be the elderly widow with the leaky roof. Some of the guys are going over and will spend the entire day repairing it. Now that will cost ME my day off!

Then there's the mission trip that cost $2500 just to go! Never mind that two weeks of MY vacation time will be burned up building basic housing, in the monsoon season, for people who have lived outdoors all their lives!

And then the kicker! The first day off after the mission trip, I'm pulling the boat out to go fishing and see the grumpy old guy next door staring at a flat on his car. He sees me and ask me if I could help him. I scream NO silently in my mind. I told him last night that tire was low! I know he didn't fix the spare the last time because he didn't have the money. This will require removing the tire, taking it to get fixed, replacing it onto the car and then he's going to ask me if he can go fishing with me!

What would you do in these cases, really? We should make our decisions of whether or not to be a servant based on how it will positively affect others and the Kingdom, rather than how we might perceive that decision affecting us negatively.

It is true that God will bless us for our service in His name. But our motive should be to serve rather than receiving the reward. And what better reward than: "Well done good and faithful servant..."

Drop me a line,

Greg

Jesus Christ-Tough Guy, Man's Man

2012-01-24T06:58:00.001-06:00

I think Jesus is and has often been viewed wrongly as a man (especially by men). When we see old movies, some music videos, Easter plays at church with the appearance of Jesus as a victim and Christmas as a helpless baby, it contributes to a world view of Jesus "the man" as soft and even wimpy. We continue to hear of His love and mercy as we read the Bible or listen to a preacher and some (men especially) scoff at the notion of outward expressions of love and caring for others. What a load of crap!

First let me say that His birth, death, resurrection, His compassion, love and mercy are all central to our faith in Him as believers. However in this case I am addressing the not so uncommon view by some (mostly men) of Jesus (the man) as soft, wimpy push over.

Jesus was a carpenter. I have been a carpenter, a fisherman and a soldier and nothing is soft or wimpy in those occupations! I have worked on construction sights where carpenters endured extremes in weather and continual hard labor, and we had power tools. My grandfather was a carpenter and he thought he had it made when he got a circular saw! Do you think it was easier in Jesus' day?

Have you seen the various fishing shows on television where men fish for a living? Does that look like easy money? That was even harder back in Jesus' days on this earth! That's the kind of guys Jesus was around. He chose "real men" to be His disciples!

Not enough. How about Simon the Zealot? A rebel with a cause and I'll bet he would have fought the Romans to his death. He was one of Jesus' buds too!

Do you think it wimpy to go around the country openly preaching against the very people wanting to kill you? How about willingly dying for those you care about? I don't think so, I think that's at the top of the courage scale!

Do you fancy yourself a "real man"? Then how about following in the footsteps of a genuine "Tough Guy"?

Jesus Christ! Tough guy! Carpenter. Friend of fishermen and righteous rebels. Son of God! Loving and merciful Saviour too!

Drop me a line,

Greg

Who's Your Hero?

2012-01-23T06:21:00.000-06:00

Who's your Hero? For some it's a ball player or a movie star. You know what I mean, the guy your friend just can't shut up about! I suggest that some of these people (movie stars, ball players and other celebrities) may be good role models, but not heroes. I mean "Hero" in the sense of the word being defined as: "someone who has saved your life".

Hero defined this way has just left a lot of people out of the conversation. Yet I have heard of and read about real life, genuine heroes. Meaning a person who has literally snatched someone from the jaws of certain death! Heroes who have yanked a child from a raging river. The Coast Guard swimmer who pulls men out of stormy seas as their ship sinks. Just the other day men heroically rescued passengers from a disabled cruise ship.

Then there are the "Heroes" who literally gave their own lives to save others. The police and firemen of "911". The guy who dives into the street to push a child out of the path of an oncoming truck and then is hit and killed himself. The soldier who jumps on the grenade to save his friends. The mom who decides to go through a high risk birth for the sake of her unborn child and then doesn't survive the delivery.

Do you know how I heard about these stories of heroism? The same way you have heard of the acts of heroes. Somebody told you. Often the stories are told to us by the person(s) whose lives were saved by their "Heroes". People whose lives were saved by an act of heroism will gladly tell their story at any opportunity!

So why is it that many of us as Christians walk around with our mouths shut when we have a Hero who has saved our immortal souls? Don't we have a wonderful story of salvation to tell? A Hero who died for us so that we could live. Forever!

Lets take our opportunities and tell others about our Hero. He's still in the Hero business. He can save them too!

Drop me a line,

Greg

Stick To The Plan

2012-01-22T06:44:00.000-06:00

Yesterday I had a ton of mail to case (put in route order) before leaving the office for the days deliveries. So much so that I required assistance to deliver it all by the prescribed return time (to finish on time).

The boss said to give my helper how ever much mail I needed to give Him for me to able to return to the office on time. When the help arrived I gave him less than I should have because I knew he had to go help someone else too. If I gave him more it would have made him and the other person he was going to help both later.

Upon returning to the office, my boss was less than pleased. None of us had made it back by the requested time. I pleaded my case. The other two carriers would have been later. Nevertheless, had I given my helper a little more mail (which is what he had directed me to do), at least I would have been back on time. Apparently this would have been a better result according to the boss's plan.

Ephesians 6:5-6:8: 5 Slaves, obey your earthly masters with respect and fear, and with sincerity of heart, just as you would obey Christ. 6 Obey them not only to win their favor when their eye is on you, but as slaves of Christ, doing the will of God from your heart. 7 Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not people, 8 because you know that the Lord will reward each one for whatever good they do, whether they are slave or free.

I know most everyone reading this is probably not a slave, but this passage does give us encouragement to be responsible and have integrity on the job. Yesterday, even though I was trying to be helpful to the other two carriers, I did not follow the boss's plan. He is the one with the overall picture of what he is trying to accomplish. It is not my job to change his plan.

What happens if we as believers decide we are not going to follow God's plan at this point or that point? What happens if we go around screwing up His "big picture" because we don't like the plan or don't know plan, or worse think we have a better plan? God knows the big picture. Stick to His plan!

Drop me a line,

Greg

Stick'em Up

2012-01-21T08:11:00.001-06:00

There is this wonderful lady who works on my route. She is getting close to retirement age but still has a lot of fiestyness (is that a word). She takes care of her husband, her home and holds down a full time job. She is strong, independent, dependable, and has a touch of a banty hen's demeanor. Yet deep down, she's caring, considerate and desires what's fair and best for all.

A few nights ago her house burned down. Now out of a place to stay, she is faced with depending on others. This goes contrary to every grain of her strong, tough, and independent nature. She was basically forced to "surrender" her independence and trust others for her needs.

I think it's this way for a many of us. We have an independent nature. Maybe it's pride. Maybe it's not trusting others. Maybe it's truly believing our way is the best way or even the ONLY good way. Maybe it's living in a free country and we don't want to relinquish our freedom.

If we are in combat and we have no option but to surrender, we raise our hands, we are then captured and are no longer free. We are subject to the actions of our captors. We have lost our freedom!

In the Kingdom we are captives UNTIL we surrender. Captives to sin. It is in "surrender" that we are set free from sin. We spiritually "put our hands up" surrendering to God our lives. In that surrender we are set free and are no longer captive to sin.

It doesn't take a brain surgeon or fifty years of reading the Bible to see that sin can "burn our house to the ground". If you're a "prisoner of sin", stick 'em up! Surrender is the way to freedom!

Drop me a line,

Greg

Out Of Order

2012-01-20T06:57:00.000-06:00

I know many Christians (me included) who have been absolutely stressed out to no end when trying to decide what to DO next! I'm talking about when we are trying to truly figure out what God wants us to do according to His will for our lives. I am not saying that we should not do what God would have us to do, but that maybe we should first BE who He would have us to BE.

I have seen family members, friends and young people in serious "confusion" over what to DO for God! And we know who wants us confused and we know God is not the author of confusion.

I have been reading a lot of Proverbs the last couple of months and can't get through two or three verses without reading "if someone has this trait, heart, or personality then they will do this, this or this". In other words, their makeup, whether good or evil, Holy or unholy, wise or unwise, obedient or disobedient, kind or ruthless, worker or lazy, loving or hateful, etc...will be the determining factor of their actions and results.

The world often looks at what we DO to determine our value. While in the eyes of God, who we are BEING (which is the fruit of our inner man) is the determining factor in what we DO.

In Matthew, Jesus tells us to not worry about life, but to seek first His Kingdom. I think this even goes for deciding what God would have us to DO. We should first seek His Kingdom. We should first Be who He would have us to Be. Then we will be Doing what He would have us to DO because of who we are in Him.

Drop me a line,

Greg

Just Asking

2012-01-19T06:46:00.001-06:00

Years ago we would see it on T-Shirts, wrist bands, and coffee mugs. WWJD, what would Jesus do? I understand the good intentions of the question, but was there more money made on that question than action taken because of it? Just asking. What I'm asking is, do we spend more time "looking and acting" like the worlds perception of a "religious person", rather than "being" a follower of Christ?

I confess I've fallen into the religious hole all too often. I can look the part with the best of them, but my stomach truly turns at the thought of it these days. I used to buy the coolest Christian "tees" I could find, and then wear them to church or some youth event, otherwise they didn't come out of the closet. I would wear a suit and tie to church and look like the worlds idea of the clean, well to do preacher man. Pure phoniness! I even gave money to ministries with no intention of doing any of the "service" for others myself.

When Jesus walked this earth He wreaked havoc on the "religious leaders". He cleared the temple of the moneychangers. He told the "religious leaders" they taught one thing and lived another way. There is something terribly wrong with just "looking and acting" like a follower of Jesus.

What would Jesus do if He were walking the earth today? I don't think He would enjoy sitting through a "dot the i's and cross the t's" church exercise. I think you might find Him hanging out at a homeless shelter or a nursing home. I don't think He would routinely race for the "all you can eat buffet restaurant" on Sunday at 12 noon sharp. I imagine He might grab a bite to eat at the local soup kitchen.

We are going to "be" something. Are we going to be "religious" people or are we going be "His followers"? Just asking. Oh, by the way, people can tell the difference from a mile away.

Drop me a line,

Greg

Routine Busters

2012-01-18T06:42:00.000-06:00

I get comfortable in my routine. Each day I go to work I expect a certain consistency. I case up mail in order of delivery. Then I load it in the truck in a particular way and deliver along the same route everyday. I'm OK with that. In fact there is a certain peace and comfort to the routine of it all, knowing what to expect, no surprises.

Except, there is often something that breaks my routine. Sometimes it's a little thing like leaving late with more mail than usual. This throws my timing off for breaks, lunch and a potty stops. These are small inconveniences.

Other days it's someone parking in front of their mailbox, so that I can't just pull up in my vehicle and drop their mail in and pull away. This causes me to have to stop, turn the truck off, get out and walk to their mailbox to make the delivery. This is a moderate aggravation.

There are other small and moderate "routine busters" such as parents letting their small children run out in front of the mailbox to meet the postman and bring the mail back to them. And of the course those who let their "he won't bite" dogs out.

Then there's the big obstacles, like road construction. These guys may block mailboxes for blocks or even pull them up to do their work. This is a major "routine buster"! Depending on how big of a project this is, I could have get out and walk through their work area to deliver to people. It can cause time consuming detours. I may even have to read adjust the route's line of travel temporarily. Major aggravation!

I feel like God does this to my routine quite often. I'm just cruising along with everything clicking smoothly as I go through life. Then an inconvenience, aggravation or obstacle pops up and I have to come out of my "comfort coma" and decide how to proceed.

In the Kingdom, "routine busters" may inconvenience us and be aggravating. They may even be large obstacles to overcome, but they will most certainly grow us.

For me, these road blocks in life continue to teach me to trust God more and more. I admit to wanting to take control of these kinds of situations in life and just fix things myself. But it's the times that I ask God and trust His answer that things work out for the best. When I just charge ahead through the road block I usually drive right into a hole!

Some times the detour is the best choice. Other times, we may have to push through the road block. And then there will be times when we need to just stop our truck (life, agenda) and help fix the road. Stop. Ask Him. Trust Him. Obey Him.

Drop me a line,

Greg

Toe "Nailed"

2012-01-17T08:17:00.001-06:00

As I got out of the rack this morning and was putting on my britches (in the dark) I kicked my left leg through and busted my toe upside the steel bed rail. It hurt alright, but not more than any other stubbed toe. Upon further review (the light of the bathroom) I had a loose toenail with blood coming out from underneath.

I figured since the blood is coming out from the loose toenail it won't build that throbbing pressure up underneath the nail that I would later have to relieve by use of some medieval method (hot needle etc).

This is the way we look at things sometimes, is it not? We let a fingernail build pressure to an absurd point before opening that bad boy up so it can heal. We wait until a painful tooth is causing abscess misery before we go to the dentist.

I once had a infected bump on my leg that was nasty looking! A big red bump with a giant yellow core in it! It looked like a giant zit and it hurt like mad! I finally went to the doctor and he did just what I was afraid of, he got his sterile pliers out and literally yanked that core out! I came up off of the table with tears in my eyes as he pulled the core out. I told him he better have gotten it because that was his first and last attempt!

I could go on and on about waiting until I couldn't stand: the stress of some financial pressure, or the anguish of some mental hurt, the shame of hurting someone else, or the conviction of some sin I committed. When anywhere along the path to complete misery over some situation, a moment of pain, humility, confession or asking for forgiveness could have relieved the misery long ago.

Just like a hot needle through a smashed toe nail, it may hurt for a instant, but the relief and peace is certainly worth.

The Devil's weapon is fear. Fear of a little pain. Fear of what people will think. Fear of facing who we really are.

Where ever your pressure may be, I say: "Stick a hot needle in the fear of man and the Devil's plans, relieve the pressure. Freedom feels great!"

Drop me a line,

Greg

Where Has All The Carbon Paper Gone?

2012-01-16T07:26:00.003-06:00

Last night I had to fill out some forms in duplicate. I figured it would make sense to go to the nearby drugstore and grab some carbon paper. This would save me half the time of filling out these forms. I went to two nearby stores and neither had carbon paper. Where has all the carbon paper gone? Has it gone the way of the rotary phone? The cloth diaper (good riddance)? The bad gum in baseball cards? One on one discipleship?

By far and away, one on one discipleship is the biggest failure of "the church" today! It has been fumbled by us and the enemy has picked it up and ran the other way for what seems to be a sure touchdown.

We will not succeed in "raising them up in the way they should go" (children or disciples), by just having them in Sunday School and listening to a preacher an hour a week (if that often). Those are good things, but are not the totality of "making disciples". That is what He commissioned us to do, make disciples.

I have seen (a few) people who are wonderful at making disciples. They are great "carbon paper". What makes them so successful? Are they smarter than everyone else? Richer? Cooler? More likable or outgoing? Nope. They are willing to give of their time. That's their best trait.

Many of us are willing to give a little of our "spare time" to a project at church. However, we often would much rather give our money than our "not so spare time". But that's what it will ultimately require, total availability to others.

That's the way Jesus showed us to disciple. He lived with those guys (His disciples) for years. He was available to them, teaching and demonstrating the everyday walk of a Godly man. They weren't "carbon copies" of Him, but they were "carbon copies" of His message.

I have dropped the ball in this area before because of my own selfishness with "my time". But it isn't really "my time", is it? So, I'm praying again: "Lord, if you desire it, show me if their is someone willing to have me share what you have shown me. Maybe we could leave a few of YOUR copies here for the next generation.

Drop me a line,

Greg

Grab 'em!

2012-01-15T06:57:00.001-06:00

Isolation, a dangerous and effective tool of the enemy. Divide and conquer. Satan likes to take a perceived or real offense, feeling of self doubt, insecurity, feeling of not being loved or cared about and other negative emotions to isolate us from one another. He wants to break up our support of one another by any means, even by trying to confuse us about our faith.

To think that we can be all we can in and for the Kingdom while we are on this earth without the support of other believers is plain foolishness!

I can hear it now: "All I need is Jesus. I'm good, I can make it to heaven. All I have to do is hang on and wait it out."

OK, fine. Sit in your box and wait it out!

But answer me this: What does it mean when the Word tells us to not forsake meeting together? What about loving our neighbor? What about as iron sharpens iron, one man sharpens another? What about different parts of the body working together as Christ would have us to work? I could go on and on.

If this sounds a little harsh, well good! The enemy has me ticked off about this and it's our own fault! Yes, ours. Those that isolate themselves and those of us who do not or have not reached out to the isolated.

Plainly said, we as believers need to get off our collective butts and reach out to each other. If your isolated, reach out. If you know of someone isolated reach out to them. Grab on to each other with the love of Christ and get free from the isolation of the enemy.

Got friends, brothers and sisters? Grab'em!

Drop me a line,

Greg

Paid In Full

2012-01-14T06:33:00.003-06:00

Money and finances have been a source of anguish for me most of my adult life. Although I have made a decent amount of money for most of my life, I lived beyond my means. It was my own fault because I stayed stretched out through use use credit and lack of planning for the future. Plain and simple, I was a lousy steward of money! As I have written before, God has brought me a long way towards being debt free. I said all that to give perspective to what follows.

I had finally been able to save a little money and we needed to replace a glass door (See last blog "Easy Renovation"). Well the price seemed to be creeping up. It wasn't a standard size door. I needed a few extras to make it work correctly. The little things added up. However we needed the replacement and we had the money. I bought and installed the door.

There was a different feeling this time from when I had made rather large purchases in the past. Prior to this, my decisions to make big purchases were mainly dependent on my available credit line. In other words, not so sound financial strategy. This time it felt a lot different! I'm not sure you'll get this if you have been a good steward of money and not had "credit crutches". The idea that this entire amount was going to come straight out of my bank account in one big chunk gave me pause to think and evaluate this decision from a different angle.

My thoughts: Is it worth it? It will cost a lot. But it will be paid for in full. Will I take it?

My response: It is. It did. It is. Yes, I did.

The Father's thought about sending Jesus to die for us: Is it worth it? It will cost a lot. But it will be paid for in full. Will they take it?

Your response here: ________________

Drop me a line,

Greg

Easy Renovation?

2012-01-12T05:49:00.000-06:00

With a few days off this week we decided to replace a glass door at our house. This door had been a pain since we moved into this house. It not being a standard size glass door put me on notice that this may be a bit of a challenge. I was right. No one carried that size glass door in stock. It could be ordered, for a good bit more than a nominal fee.

We opted for a french door that looked very nice and was the right size. I was soon to relive some of my construction days when I learned that just because a door or window is the right size, even the right one, does not mean everything will go smoothly.

Among many other difficulties I faced installing the doors, here's just a few. The jamb is supposed to fit right into the opening the glass door came out of, it did. Except, there was nothing to mount it to right behind the brick. I had to take the brick mold off and recess the door jamb. I had to chisel away brick, make all sorts of adjustments, not to mention half a dozen trips back and forth to the hardware store for the goodies to make the adjustments work.

It looks and works great now, but it took a lot of adjustments to make it function correctly.

Are we like this when God tries to use us? He knows we are the right ones for a certain task or ministry. In fact we are special ordered, a perfect fit for the situation or task. Yet we may resist, not trusting God, thereby making it difficult or impossible for Him to use us.

I know there have been times when God had to chisel away my fears and doubts to get me to move on with Him. We have to trust Him from the start so that He won't have to continually adjust us. I know we grow through all kinds of situations. But I also know the sooner we obey, the sooner everything comes into alignment and things "fit" correctly into God's plan.

Drop me a line,

Greg

Are We At Our Duty Station?

2012-01-11T06:01:00.000-06:00

The process of becoming a soldier in the military has a lot in common with becoming a soldier in God's Army.

I was recruited when I was 18 years old. The recruiter told me about all the wonderful things, people and places that I would encounter. He left out some of the not so wonderful things. However, three squares a day, room and board, a little travel and a paycheck sounded pretty good to a kid with no marketable skills, outside of flipping burgers and mowing some grass. I signed up and was off on my adventure.

First stop was basic training where I was shown the importance of discipline and obedience to those over me. I saw how things went much smoother when my troop did things the way we had been instructed. I also learned the consequences for lack of discipline and being disobedient.

Tech school was next. This was where I learned the basic skills for doing my job. I was to work on airplanes, particularly the sheet metal and frame areas of the aircraft. I learned what many tools were used for and the most efficient and effective way to repair damage and do general maintenance.

Upon completing tech school I was assigned to my duty station. This is where I received specific (on the job training) on the actual aircraft I would be assigned to work. The learning never stopped because there was always a new challenge. It was always important to do the job correctly.

Thankfully, someone experienced was always there to advise me or a technical manual was available to tell me how to proceed. Even when I became one of the trainers and had a question or doubt, it was beneficial to check the manual and get the advice of a more experienced mechanic. It could mean the difference between a successful mission or a tragedy.

There are similarities to this in the Kingdom. A wonderful teacher taught me the three E"s. We are to "Evangelize, Establish, and Equip" others to work in the Kingdom.

"Evangelize": Recruit for "God's Army" by offering people the love of Christ as demonstrated in what He did for us, dying on the cross, paying for our sin and His resurrection in defeat of death.

"Establish": Teach them the importance of discipline and obedience to God by telling and showing how God has been faithful to us and others since creation. As well as truthfully sharing what has been or could be the cost and consequences of disobedience.

"Equipping": Investing of ourselves (discipling) into their lives by showing and telling the way to live a Godly life. Also by teaching them from and showing them how to use the manual (Bible). And always being available for counsel, comfort and instruction when needed.

Drop me a line,

Greg

Trust The Navigator

2012-01-10T05:59:00.000-06:00

I bet you have seen those car tags that say "God Is My Co-Pilot", or "If God Is Your Co-Pilot You Better Switch Seats" (implying He should be the pilot in our lives). I'm not knocking these quotes because they obviously mean God should direct our lives and I agree totally. I just want to look at God's guidance from another angle.

I kind of see God as the Navigator in our lives. For instance, a navigator of a ship will plot out a course for a vessel. He should offer to the pilot (helmsman) the best course to arrive at the desired destination. They may want to get to a destination quickly so they seek the fastest route. The cargo may be fragile so they may desire the smoothest route. They may be caught in a storm and want the safest way out. The navigator knows how to plot the best course in every situation.

God is the perfect Navigator for us (we are the pilot or helmsman of our own lives) to be guided by throughout our lives. He should also be the owner of our ship (our lives) as well. Even if we are believers and give Him ownership of our ship, we are still at the helm steering the ship. This means we still have to make the conscious choice to follow (obey) His recommended course. The Navigator's recommended course may not be the fastest, smoothest, or even safest route, but it will be the best course. Trust your Navigator!

Drop me a line,

Greg

Shade Tree Christian

2012-01-09T06:30:00.002-06:00

My first car was a '63 Falcon. It was clean and it ran just fine. The only thing I didn't like about it (other than it wasn't a '64 Mustang) was the engine had a knocking lifter. Although I had little knowledge of engines and even less experience working on them, I proceeded to "fix it". I fixed it alright!

After I got it back from my mom (I wrecked her car a few days after I got the Falcon, so she drove it while her car was in the shop), I proceeded to tear that Falcon engine apart. I mean I tore it too pieces! I suppose it was weeks later when I got it back "together". Well it looked OK. I was proud too, real proud...until I drove it almost all the way to work before I slung a rod and blew the engine! Dead it was, in a puddle of oil in the middle of 9th Ave.

Why did I think I could fix that car when I really didn't have a clue what was "really" wrong. Maybe that engine could have run ten more years if I had left it alone or taken it to a real mechanic. Especially since I really had no idea what was wrong or how to fix it! It just appeared and sounded like something was wrong.

The real problem was my pride. That's what was wrong. "I know what's wrong. I can fix it". Doofus!

Well then, at least I learned something about pride from this experience. Or maybe not. Lately I have been able to see what's wrong with everyone else. I could see and hear what was wrong with everyone I came across and I could fix it, I thought. So, I'd judge them and offer my "insightful correction". Yea, that's been working out great!

Why would I think I could fix anyone else when no one can save me from myself except Jesus? PRIDE!

I can't tell you how much I have been "coming across" in the Bible lately that has really spoken to me about pride. "...think of others more highly than yourself...love your neighbor as yourself...remove the plank from your own eye..." OK, stop it already!

So, I have been asking God to change me, fix me, because I CAN SEE that my "engine" is the one with the "lifter knocking" causing all the "noise". What's not easy is that as He answers this prayer the "rebuilding" hurts a little as I see what's been causing me to "run so rough". The "motor" needs repairs now and then. I suggest getting it fixed before too many parts break.

Drop me a line,

Greg

Protection In The Fog (Aimee's Reply)

2012-01-08T06:17:00.002-06:00

Good afternoon Greg,

I had a whole other experience in the fog this morning. I was zipping along (not super fast, but cautiously fast) when a truck pulled out in front of me. Thankfully my brakes worked well enough to slow me down so I could pull off the road and drive along the ditch until finally coming to a stop several 100 feet down the road. I missed the guy probably by about a foot.
He stopped to check on me as I sat shaking and praying in my car! I was so thankful that my brakes didn't fail. We have been having problems with these brakes so I know that God was with me today! After reading your blog, this is what I thought of.

In the mist of doubt, confusion, or even just a time of waiting for the fog to lift, Satan will throw things unexpectedly in our path to slow us down or even harm us. It is best to remain cautious and alert as we wait for the fog to burn off. BUT, even in the mist of the fog, God will never leave us. He is right there with us!

Have a blessed day!

Aimee

Waiting For The Fog To Lift

2012-01-07T05:51:00.001-06:00

We are all ready to go fishing this morning.

The boat is ready to go. The motor is in good working order. I went and filled it with (non ethanol) gas last night. The trailer is hooked to the truck.

The fishing gear is ready to go too. I rigged all of the rods and reels last night for the fish we will be trying to catch. I got trolling rigs ready for mackerel, lures ready for trout, surf rigs ready for pompano and bottom rigs ready for the rest.

I've got ice in the ice chest, drinks in the ice, bait on the boat, a net, a gaff and a tackle box on board. We are good to go!

Yet, here we sit. What are we waiting for? The right timing.

The best results in fishing are obtained when we can be out there at the right time. No matter how sophisticated your equipment, no matter how fancy your boat, if the timing (weather conditions, tides, etc) are not right you will get skunked!

The problem this morning, fog, thick soupy fog. When it's foggy, the worst fog will be on the water. It sometimes get so thick, your visibility is zero. You could hit anything before you see it and sink or be injured. When you're moving in fog in a boat, you can't hear other boats with your motor running, much less see other moving vessels.

So here we sit, waiting for the fog to burn off or blow away. Waiting for the right timing.

It's this way in the spiritual kingdom too. We may know what God wants us to do or be in our lives. We may feel we are equipped and ready. We may "feel" the time is now, and it may well be time. But lets be sure, so as not to get ahead of God. His timing is part of His will, not just knowing what to do, but also when to do it.

In the Bible, David knew for a long time he would become King of Israel. It was definitely God's will. He had several opportunities to kill Saul himself and become King. However, he knew it wasn't time for him to be King yet. So, he waited on God.

We should be diligent (and patient) when carrying out His will in our lives. We should be equipped and ready to move when He says to move. His timing is crucial!

Drop me a line,

Greg

Integrity Or Ill Gotten Booty?

2012-01-06T06:06:00.004-06:00

The other day I walked into a restroom in a store on my route. Up on the soap dispenser was a ladies wallet. No, I wasn't in the ladies restroom, this store has only one potty. I took the wallet to the store manager who opened it looking for some form of identification. The lady who had left the wallet worked just down the street, so I took it to her. She had not even missed it yet and was surprised and thankful.

Her wallet had $250 cash inside, not to mention credit cards. There was a day this would have been a severe temptation for me. That's not bragging on me, but God has obviously done some work in me. Selfishly, I did have some hope of a little financial reward, but there was none.

It seems to me that our society today looks at "lying, cheating and stealing" in degrees of severity. We may wink at a "little" lie or think that "cheating" on our taxes is OK and "stealing" some tool or supplies from work is just not that big of a deal. We may even think it's funny and try to justify getting over on the government or some big cooperation by saying "no one is getting hurt" or "they'll never miss it".

I have been guilty of this sort of thing in my life. Years ago I had made a deal to buy a car. I was literally on my way to trade in the car when radiator pieces started going through the fan in front of the radiator. I pulled over, yanked the pieces out of the fan and proceeded to the car dealer. I traded the car without telling them of the new damage to the vehicle.

On another occasion, we were about to sell our house and my wife wanted me to tell the buyer about the septic system needing repair. I was furious, this would cost us more money or we could lose the sale completely! I wanted to go through with the sale telling the buyer nothing.

However, I have never cheated on my taxes and I'll tell you why. Several years ago I ended up owing a considerable amount in income taxes. I couldn't pay them, so they took what I owed them right out of my paycheck. They didn't ask, they didn't have to, they had the power to take what they were owed. I now have a "fear" of the IRS (along with a conscience) that would prevent me from cheating on my taxes.

If we "lie, cheat or steal", (for our own selfish ends) no matter to what degree or justification, we are demonstrating we have no "fear of God" in the matter. Not to mention showing disobedience and lack of integrity. By the way, He has the power to take away our "ill gotten booty" we think we have pirated.

Integrity is not just doing the right thing, like returning a full wallet and people know about it. Integrity is doing the right thing when no one but God will know about it.

I respect no man more than a Godly man of integrity.

"For a man's ways are in full view of the Lord, and He examines all his paths." Proverbs 5:21

Drop me a line,

Greg

Preparing The Way?

2012-01-05T06:47:00.003-06:00

There is a TV series playing now that is centered around the building of the cross country railroad. For this railroad to be built there had to be men go ahead of the actual construction and to "prepare the way". There had to be maps made, decisions about the route to be taken, land to be cleared, supplies and men brought in to build the railroad not to mention the perils to be faced that are common to the wilderness.

However, upon completion of this railroad, it was much easier and safer to travel cross country in a minimal amount of time. Men had "prepared the way" and made going from one coast to the other easier and more accessible to everyone.

That's what John The Baptist did in "preparing the way" for the coming of Jesus. He dressed differently and lived out in the wilderness, living off the land. I believe one of the reasons he lived differently than his contemporaries was that the Kingdom of God that was coming was different than the religious leaders were presenting to the people at the time. The religious leaders knew all the law and had added a lot of their own rules, but had lost the intent of the law based on the love of God.

John challenged these religious leaders (as Jesus soon would) and showed that God desired men to come unto Him, not religion. John preached repentance and coming to God. He "prepared the way" for people to come to God because God loves us and not because we are the best at "keeping the rules".

John did say:"Produce fruit in keeping with repentance". Meaning that our lives should reflect God's work in us and our surrender to Him. That we should now be the ones who "prepare the way" for others to come out of the wilderness of life without Jesus. Work in the wilderness can be tough, but it will make it easier for others to get through.

Are we living out the change that He has made in us so others can see the real Jesus, or since we have made it through "the wilderness" are we sitting quietly in our own "safe zone" just trying to "obey the rules"?

Drop me a line,

Greg

Wise Guys

2012-01-04T07:52:00.001-06:00

I just finished reading the story of about some "Wise Guys" who came a long, long way to give expensive gifts to and worship a baby they knew was going to be a King. Until then, all we know for sure is that a few shepherds had been by to honor the new baby King. I suppose these shepherds told some friends what had happened a year or two before, but there doesn't seem to have been a media circus around this baby at the time.

Then these "Wise Guys" (Magi) come rolling into town where this guy Herod is the ruler of Israel appointed by the Roman Empire. Herod is a murderous ruler bent on maintaining his grip on his kingdom. The "Wise Guys", obviously men of some stature and importance, get an audience with Herod and ask him where this child is that is born King of the Jews.

Herod inquires of the religious scholars and sends the "Wise Guys" off toward Bethlehem. Herod also tells them to stop by on the way back and tell him where they found this baby King. Herod says he wants to worship the baby King as they do, but instead desires to kill this child who would be King.

The "Wise Guys" found the baby King, worshipped Him and gave Him gifts. Gold for a King, incense for His deity and myrrh, a spice for someone who is going to die. The "Wise Guys" knew what was up while most of the people around Him (who had been expecting Him) didn't even see Him right under their noses!

What's more? Even a "Wise Guy's" wisdom is enhanced and multiplied by the directions of God. They were warned in a dream to not go back by Herod's place, so they returned home by another route.

Some Bible notes I read on this pointed out that when we come to Jesus we are put on another path or route in life like the "Wise Guys" were after they met Jesus. They were still "Wise Guys", they just had a new, wiser Leader.

When we come to Jesus, He erases our sins, not who we are. Yet He molds our character into who He designed us to be, as long as we allow Him. (Read "Crewed Awakening" below) We're still who we are, we're just His.

Yea, I wanna be a "Wise Guy", with God's wisdom too, gimme a lot of that!

Drop me a line,

Greg

Crewed Awakening (First Published July 2009)

2012-01-04T07:43:00.003-06:00

Psalm 37:4 says: "Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart". When I first read this verse I had a "Let's make a Deal" mentality. My motive was to get the desires of my heart, not delighting myself in the Lord. (See Motives blog). I am now seeing how God means for this to work in my own life.

As far back as I can remember, I have loved fishing, the sea, and as I got older, boats. I remember as a small boy fishing with my grandfather, standing in shallow streams in Washington State, catching rainbow trout and putting them in a fish basket. I also remember as a small pirate fishing here on the Gulf Coast with my other grandfather. He would give me his cane pole and put a little piece of bait on the small hook and I would tirelessly catch one pinfish after another, all while drinking coffee with him out of his thermos. I recall the day I caught a 13 inch white trout (a monster at the time) while fishing with my dad. I cannot tell you how many Saturdays, during my teen years, I spent on the Three Mile Bridge with my friends fishing the night away. Then there was the time with my dad fishing in a way too small boat, in way too turbulent water, but we truly caught the monster that day! I have taken my own sons fishing, bringing back memories of good times together. Those were the days!

I spent many hours of my formative years in a pool hall. It was my favorite hangout because everyone knew me and many of us truly cared about one another. There was this unbelievable level of openness and trust. We would shoot pool, play cards, eat together and leaned on each other when necessary. Sticking together through thick and thin, and there was a plenty of both. Those were the days!

In the past I have spent my fair share of time as a volunteer bartender, in my home and others. Alcohol aside, it was always nice to spend time together with friends and share our life experiences. Those were the days!

"Cheers" is one of my all time favorite TV shows. It was often kooky and had a little to much hormonal overload from Sam. However it was a place where "everybody knows your name". Who doesn't want to be where everybody knows your name?

What does this have to do with Psalm 34? Please receive this as boasting in the Lord and not myself. I have been seeking God, trying to "delight myself in Him", not as a means to get the desires of my heart but just to know Him more. Well, well, guess what. That's right, "desires of my heart".

He is bringing so many of the streams of my past together. He made me the way that I am. The personality He gave me is being aligned with His will to be used for His glory. It is amazing to me to look back at my life and see what He has been up to all along. The gates of hell cannot prevail against Him. The only thing that can screw this up would be disobedience. (Pray for me to know and do His will at every step).

So what's up. Tomorrow Greg's Fishin Hole takes a next step. The opening of a place where we can come together and share life. A place where we can be there with one another and for one another. A place where we can play, pray, laugh and cry. Where everybody knows your name, and I pray it will be a place where everybody knows His name. A place where God will get the glory. These are the days!

Drop me a line,

Greg

Smokin'

2012-01-03T06:10:00.003-06:00

I guess I was around eleven when I started smoking. It all began as a cool macho thing and that was pretty much the reason I continued to smoke up into my twenties. Looking back to the beginning of my smoking years brings to me a lot of questions and thoughts to ponder.

It actually began at my Grandparent's house. My Grandfather was a smoker. He would often leave half smoked cigarettes in his ashtray. It finally came to a point one day that I just had to try one out! When the coast was clear I took one of the half smoked goodies and headed to the bathroom. I locked the door and fired that puppy up. I smoked it down, flushed the butt and then sprayed the air freshener before leaving the bathroom.

This became my ongoing plan when I was over at my Grandparent's house. It seemed to be working well enough. Grandfather always seemed to leave several butts in his ashtray for me to swipe. I don't think he knew what I was up to because he often would light one up away from his chair and end up with several "half smokes" in the ashtray.

My plan was working so well until "the experiment". I had seen a science show on TV demonstrating the basic operation of a flame thrower. One afternoon while I was "burning one" in the bathroom I decided to try this flamethrower theory out. I took the air freshener and sprayed it across the lit end of my cigarette. It worked just like they said. In fact, better than I expected. Flame shot across the bathroom (about three feet) and caught grandmothers fuzzy toilet tank cover on fire! Yea baby! Now we have problem! In my panic, my wonderful solution was to cover up the charred remains of the tank cover with the Kleenex box and a couple of bathroom decorations and make a run for it!

Interestingly and to my amazement and relief, nothing was ever even said about the incident. I know Grandmother had to have been the one who found the evidence, because if Grandfather would have found it, talking would not have been part of the remedy!

Now, for the sake of analogy (not an opinion or condemnation on smoking), lets view smoke as sin. I probably was not getting away with my "boys room smoking" because of the use of air freshener to cover up the smell. It was probably due to the house smelling like smoke all the time anyway.

Sin around other sin may hardly be detectable to the sinner. But where there is smoke, there is fire and it can get out of control. And it will find us out. If we deliberately continue in sin it will burn us.

The solution is to repent and go to the Lord for forgiveness. Then, just like Grandmother did for me, He will pour out His mercy, grace and forgiveness and no one else may ever have to know. Unless you write a blog.

Drop me a line,

Greg