A Time For Everything
I was reading in Ecclesiastes today from Chapter 3 where there is a time for everything. I began thinking about my sister and my Dad cleaning out the house in which we grew up. In the house were many items my Mom treasured. Growing up on a farm in Southeast Missouri, she would tell us stories of how her dad would take her out of school so they could pick cotton. She told us she never wanted to see another cotton field after that.
One of those items my mom treasured from the house were dolls. Mom loved dolls and she had over 500 Barbies still in the box on a wall for display. She never wanted to touch them or take them out of the box she just wanted to admire them.
Now, she did have about 10 dolls that were about 3-4’ tall, and to be honest those creeped me out. I used to pull pranks on my sister, putting the doll by her bed with a knife in its hand or if she spent the night in the downstairs bedroom and turned on the light to go upstairs, I would put the doll at the top looking down on her. Now keep in mind she got me back many times.
We look back on those times with a smile on our faces. Each year we would get Mom a new Barbie or Barbie ornament. That would bring her such joy. Now each Christmas, in her honor, we put up her Barbie tree full of Hallmark Barbie ornaments, each ornament packed in the original box.
Many things in the house which were mine I would never need anymore, like my 10th-grade typing homework, my satin country and western shirt, or my old McCloud coat. The scripture says in verse 6 “There is a time to keep and a time to throw away.”
But there are some things I found which brought back floods of emotion. I found a picture of my mom when she was 19. I think of my life when I was 19, and of course, I knew it all. Ha Ha. Just what were her thoughts for her future and what was going through her mind? So many pictures and memories to go through, and honestly, the rest is just stuff. There are sentimental items we have taken so we can pass them on to our kids, but the main thing I think of is the love she gave us in those 4 walls. She told me and my sister a few years before she passed, she apologized because she could not give us all the things other families were giving their kids. My sister and I looked at each other at the same time and we told her “We never felt poor because we had all we needed.” There was never a day where we came home and felt unloved, unprotected, or hungry.” My mom told me when I was one before we moved, we used to live in a concrete block house and in the winter, it would get so cold ice would be on the inside of the blocks. She said she would wrap me up in blankets and hold me close to keep me warm. That is the love I always felt. On the anniversary of my mom’s passing my sister wrote “God didn’t have to bless us with an awesome mom…. But he did!”
Ecclesiastes’ 3: 1-8
A Time for Everything
3 There is a time for everything,
and a season for every activity under the heavens:
2 a time to be born and a time to die,
a time to plant and a time to uproot,
3 a time to kill and a time to heal,
a time to tear down and a time to build,
4 a time to weep and a time to laugh,
a time to mourn and a time to dance,
5 a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing,
6 a time to search and a time to give up,
a time to keep and a time to throw away,
7 a time to tear and a time to mend,
a time to be silent and a time to speak,
8 a time to love and a time to hate,
a time for war and a time for peace.
There are items we have that bring us joy and there is nothing wrong with that. Just as the scripture says, “A time to scatter stones and a time to gather them.” Wherever you are in this time in your life, there is time for everything. The only question is are you too busy or too stubborn to stop and know what season you are in? There will be a day where you will start cleaning out your stuff and realize it is just stuff and the people, family, and friends in your life that you have touched and have touched you will be what you treasure the most.
Blessings,
Mike
Sounds from Mars
It was only a few days ago that NASA shared the first audio recording from Mars. In the 18 second clip, you hear a lot of the noise the rover makes itself, and then a gust of wind. It might seem like an overreaction to get excited about a little bit of wind, but it’s the first time we have heard what it sounds like on another planet. Anytime there’s a bit of news from outer space, the discussion inevitably goes to alien life. When that happens, Christians often find themselves in a theological dilemma. If self-conscious extraterrestrials exist, how do we make sense of that theologically? Do they know God? Did Jesus die to save their sins too? In a way, it’s the extreme “man on an island” scenario.
As much as I wish I had some definite answers for you, I think anyone offering definitives in this case are full of it. However, I think more important than the actual answer is the process of how we think about these issues when they arise. It’s very similar to the way education is designed to work. It’s not necessarily about knowing all the right answers by memory, but being able to critically think about the answer and to be able to work it out.
So let’s start with the science part to see what we have to deal with. There’s a famous equation created by Frank Drake that is used to estimate the number of potential alien civilizations in the Milky Way galaxy. It takes into account the rate that stars are created, how many stars have planets, the number of planets that might be able to support life, the number of those that might actually develop intelligent life, and so on. Of course, several of the factors are big unknowns because even though there are billions of stars and planets, so far the actual known number of planets outside of Earth with any life is zero.
Furthermore, even intelligent life on Earth is extremely rare. No, this isn’t a commentary on the state of certain people, but rather a realization that out of the 8 million or so species on earth, only one (humans) is classified as intelligent. This leads us into just a philosophical dilemma. No one wants to say that we are indeed the first or the smartest. When there’s a possibility of 15 million other alien civilizations, statistically it’s a 1 in 15 million chance that we are the smartest.
By now you might be wondering where theology comes in. Let’s start with some a simple assertion. God is creator of all that is, seen and unseen (taken from the Nicene Creed). So if there is indeed life beyond Earth, it falls perfectly within Christian theology that God created it. In other words, the existence of alien life doesn’t change anything about who God is. Actually, the only thing that would ever change with new knowledge is just our understanding of who God is.
The trickier question is did Jesus die for their sins too. My gut reaction is to explore if they have sin to begin with. But since we are using our imaginations here, there’s no real answer to this question. If they don’t have sin (meaning that sin is truly just a human issue) than that speaks into our understanding of our own need for a savior and how messed up we truly are. If they do have sin, what does that mean for Jesus’ death and resurrection? To be honest, we have enough problems trying to figure our what Jesus’ death and resurrection mean without throwing aliens into the mix. What we’re talking about is atonement theory, and there are several compelling ideas about what Jesus’ death and resurrection actually did, but there isn’t total agreement in the Christian community. However, I think that studying these atonement theories through the lens of other life is vitally important for the church.
After nearly 400 years the church still hasn’t lived down it’s handling of Galileo. The battle between science and theology is an unfortunate one. One that I fully believe shouldn’t be a battle at all. The Bible was written by, and primarily for, people living thousands of years ago. Their understanding of the universe was vastly different from ours. The authors, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, didn’t write the Bible as a science book or as a way to explain the workings of the universe. They wrote it as an account of their experience with God. So while it doesn’t ever specifically address things like extraterrestrials, there is a full enough understanding of who God is for us to be able to say that if they do exist, God is still Lord over all.
Side note: There is so much to this topic that can’t be crammed into a snack-size blog. If you want to continue the conversation, I’d be happy to grab a cup of coffee with you while we dive deep into the great unknown.
Which Type Are You?
Yes, we are in the year 2021 now. Many people are saying thank the Lord that 2020 is over. But we still have the same issues now that we had over a month ago. But what we do have now is optimism. Just the thought that it has to get better offers us optimism.
There are three different kinds of people in this world. This may sound simple, but I think we all can relate. Let’s compare these three types of people with computers.
Type 1
This group grew up without computers, cell phones, Google, or the world at their fingertips. There were 3 stations on TV, and you had to get up to change the channel. When you used the phone, you might have been on a party line at your house (this means a group of neighbors shared the same line and if you picked the phone up someone could be talking.) To look for a phone number you actually had to look the number up in a phone book and to look up history you went to your Encyclopedia Britannica for answers. Just keep in mind this generation grew up poor (in today’s standards) but was never without. And survived. Proud Americans sacrificed so much for this country and knew the USA was the best place in the world.
Type 2
This group grew up with bicycles, groups of neighborhood friends who would meet in the front yard of someone’s house and just play outside all day. When it was lunch time you knew your mom’s voice when you would hear, “Lunch” shouted out over the neighborhood. There was no real threat of predators to kidnap and there was not even a thought about it. We grew up seeing the Vietnam war on TV and seeing Americans die in a foreign land on a daily basis. We saw peaceful protests, Woodstock, and Civil unrest in our streets. Atari, Sega and Pacman were coming on as games and you were something if you had that. Cable and MTV were coming into the picture and the thought you had more than 3 channels was mind-blowing. We were being introduced to computers at this time, but the internet was not a thought yet. But then as we grew older and the internet became available and the way we did things suddenly changed. We adjusted to working devices, portable phones and computers as the world changed in front of our eyes. But we adapted, maybe not grasping it all but holding on for dear life, remembering we were told computers would make our lives easier.
Type 3
You grew up with tablets for our kids and computers in the classroom, iPhones and iPads which could show you anything you want them to in a matter of seconds. You never waited for a dial up signal, for something to download. The world has been at your fingertips, ever since you could say Mom or Dad. You grew up knowing how to put together documents, type code, looking at icons and knowing what each one does. You were brought up in that environment, and at times you find it hard to believe there are people who are just learning the language or in the beginning stages of it. That is just in your DNA.
So, with those 3 types which do you most identify with? Let’s put this into prospective.
Here is the fact; no matter what type you are, if you know God, you have put in the work and read the Bible and heard sermons to help you explain who God is to you. God is at work in your life, look back at all the God moments you have had. Do not let the moment pass you by when someone you know is searching and wants to have a relationship with God. Don’t scare them, help them. You could be that first step for someone having eternal life. It is a two-way street to have a relationship with the Lord, He died so our sins are forgiven and has promised eternal life. HELLO! You must trust in Him and surrender to him.
No matter where you are in your walk with God, lean on other people to help you along the way. If it is showing you how to load a PDF, scan pictures, or pull up a document or helping someone in need or asking for help. We all need people in our lives to help us along the way.
We are in this Pandemic we must lean on one another, respect each other, and help each other through all this so when we come out on the other side, the gratification we will receive will far outweigh the time we have invested.
Let’s be God centered with our eyes focused on his good words and deeds not the different types we see others to be.
Help someone this week!
God Bless
Mike
Let's Be Honest
There is a lot of unrest in our country right now. It might be the election, racial equality, devastation from fires and hurricanes, a supreme court nominee, COVID or just plain hatred. We need to step back and know where we came from to appreciate where we are today. We grew up in the United States of America where every day at the beginning of grade school we would stand and say the pledge of Allegiance to one nation under God. God has blessed this country. Men and women have died so we can enjoy the freedoms we have today.
It wasn’t that long ago when we let our kids ride their bikes anywhere, parents trusted the kids to come back around lunch and dinner time. I was one of those kids. I would leave with my friends and we would ride all over town, have donuts, ice cream, stop for a hamburger at McDonalds and just hang out in the park until we all rode home. My parents trusted society and did not think anything about it. Yes, they were simpler times and we have lost the trust we once had.
I remember a time when you turned on the news and there was one man that America trusted in what he said “and that’s the way it was” with Walter Cronkite. I watched in 1963 when he came on and with tears in his eyes told America the President of the United States had been assassinated. You could see and feel his emotions, but he delivered unbiased news.
I am so disappointed there is nobody in America who delivers the news which I can say I trust. Sure, there are reporters who might have started off with an un-biased opinion, but when they were hired to X network the network tells them “YOU WILL TAKE THE NETWORK STANCE.” Yes, you can go all over the internet now and find someone who has your opinion. But is that what we really want? It is so sad. But we just want someone to look at the camera and not lie. There was only one perfect person we can believe and trust and that is Jesus.
Proverbs 10:9
The man of integrity walks securely, but he who takes crooked paths will be found out.
Proverbs 11:1
The lord abhors dishonest scales, but accurate weighs are his delight.
We as parents have to wonder what do our kids think? I am sure you have answered a question or two you did not want to answer. Who they can trust or respect? We are constantly bombarded with social media, TV, or sports stars who have their own agenda. What happened to role models? As parents we can be that!
We as parents want to make sure we give out kids the best chance to succeed in life. Not every child gets a trophy either. As they grow up and get in the real world and they find out the hard way not everyone wins. Life can be a real eye opener.
Even though the news fails us, we all need someone we can trust and who will be honest with answers and be bold enough to be a role model that we can respect.
Once I witnessed to a man getting let go from his job. He was a hard worker, and the boss thought he was trying to get his job. So, the boss fired him out of his insecurity. When the man left, he looked at his boss and said “I leave here with my head held high with the respect of all of my co-workers. However, that is something you will never have.”
It takes years to gain the respect and a loose tongue or action only a few minutes to remove it.
Psalm 86: 11
Teach me your way, O lord and I will walk in your truth.
Psalm 119:30
I have chosen the way of truth: I have set my heart on your laws.
A good friend of mine passed away a few weeks ago. He was the most honest, caring, loving father and husband I have ever known. At his celebration of life service his son said, “I am proud you were my father”. Simple truthful words which echo with me every day.
It is in our power to be honest and truthful. We might not be looking into a camera lens, but the eyes we are looking into are the most important.
God Bless,
Mike
Buckin Bales
I grew up in a fairly small town in the Southeast part of Missouri called Cape Girardeau, right on the Mississippi river. I remember in the fall we all looked forward to the college homecoming parade down Broadway. I believe the whole town came out to see the bands and floats, and afterward would be the football game with the SEMO Indians and some other team. It was small town America, where when a funeral approached, we always stopped and showed respect. Also, when you heard a siren you got out of the way fast.
During two weeks of every summer, I would go work on my grandpa’s farm. I’m not sure how much I helped but he always included me in every project. Most of the time I was at the farm when he was baling hay. When I was younger, I would be in charge of driving the truck in the field in “granny low” as he called it. But I was helping. There would be one man on each side and a man on the truck bed stacking the hay. When I got older, I asked grandpa if I could help “Buck” the bales. He asked if I was ready for hard work and I assured him I was. Mind you I was not going to let him or myself down. I worked bailing hay and bucking bales for a week (that almost killed me) but I was not going to let him know. At the end of the week he gave me $20.00 and said, “you did a good job this week”. For me $20.00 was a lot but it did not compare to the words he told me.
Paul writes in Ephesians 4
As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.
I know that he was patient and kind to me and his words and actions I hold dear to my heart.
Years later I moved from Missouri to Orlando, Florida. Now I really do not know how but I just gravitated to water and the beach and could not get enough of being on a boat. That was a piece of mind I could see myself adjusting to well. However, the stress of the big city is something I look back on now and wonder how we maintained sanity. Something is just not right when you go into town and it’s a success if you come home unharmed. Now that is a bit of an exaggeration, but the fear is always there. Most people are too busy and caught up in their own world to stop and look around. There is a whole different attitude living in the city which I never got used to. We have friends that we are still in touch with and will always treasure them. We had a friend visit us from Missouri and his analogy was spot on he said, “People down here are in such a hurry to get somewhere so they can relax”.
Paul continues in Ephesians chapter 4
Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; one Lord, one faith, one baptism;
We have been forced to live in different times. We pray together for God to stop this pandemic. We pray for all of the nurses, doctors and first responders who put their lives on the line for our well-being. Since we have been in the panhandle, we have noticed people are looking out after people. We care that Bill down the street who owns the local restaurant is struggling and we want to help his business out. Or you see the Domino’s pizza manager standing in the middle of Highway 90 giving out water during the fires when everyone was stranded because traffic was not moving.
We should look for the good and how we can help rather than have our blinders on.
Maybe its time we walk along a truck and buck a few bales.
God Bless
Mike