The One the Wolves Pulled Down

aggravated, anxious, defeated, depressed, discouraged, frustrated …

If you chose any combination (or all) of these words to describe how I am feeling now, you would not be incorrect. I find it sad that it seems lately that the oppression covers my life like a wet blanket on a cold day. It also seems that no matter how hard I try to do the right thing or how I try to set and follow a plan to “normalcy”, ignorant obstacles crop up in my path that inhibits my progress. I know that this is a bleak outlook on life from me and I know all the cliché’s I have told myself here in this blog as well as the many other words and phrases I have heard, but reality is a fierce opponent.

Denise and I try to plan events and schedule projects so that we actually have “checkpoints” to help alleviate stresses and “last minute” crisis. But unfortunately, many of these “checkpoints” rely on outside influences. For Example, we are moving apartments NLT 1 July. The “new” apartment is currently occupied by a couple of young kids that are rather rude, arrogant and hold little respect for the consequences of life. They have not paid the rent for a long period of time. I am not trying to pass judgment on them, but just trying to reveal their general selfish outlook on life. We used to think of a generation as a “Me FIRST” generation, but I am more and more convinced that even this has degenerated into an “ONLY ME” generation. This is a foreign concept for someone who was raised to be considerate of others and polite to everyone. This is one of the factors causing my bleak attitude toward our world.  But I digress …  This lack of cooperation is now holding up the progress of cleaning and staging our move and we are at a hold awaiting the call that they have vacated the premises and thus not allowing our current apartment to be available for the next people here. Much like a dance with the other partners walking in the opposite direction.

Another contributing blot in my life is that although I have accepted that I will not any time soon be able to travel to and fro as I would like, I find it devastating to not be able to significantly contribute to the support of my lovely and dedicated bride and family.  Due to a poor choice made in 1976, I am shackled by the consequences of that choice. At 52 years of age, I am no closer to “The American Dream” than when I was a wet-behind-the –ears kid. Actually, I am farther than ever from any kind of dream life. This mix of legal and financial nightmarish attacks has devastated my self esteem and confidence as well. Many times I feel like hiding in a dark corner while I watch my enemies dance around the corpse of my life and dreams. I feel invisible and that the world is passing me by with little more than the proverbial nod in my direction. Maybe that is when I feel safest … back against the wall, in a dark corner.  I have tried to address these issues, but because of the lack of financial resources and/or interested council, I feel I have to concede to the enemy. 

Some people think that an open attack is a horrible event, but I submit to you that invisibility is a greater foe. I pray that  every one of you enjoy the blessings that you have and that you give thanks for your achievements you have accomplished and the many things you have yet to gain. I apologize to you for this dark post, but this is one of the many reasons I am doing this ..to get it off my chest and maybe …just maybe … a direction will emerge out of the darkness and into a lighter and livelier existence

May God Bless You and Yours

Gene

Check out My Blog

Resurrection of 76??

Hey all …

As many of you have asked, I am looking into resurrecting our Class of 76 website and using it to promote Conroe High School Class of 76 events (official or otherwise). I have been writing about using our talents and gifts for the sake of the gospel. Since “the gospel” means “Good News” and not merely a religious clique, I want to show “the world” that all good things come from My GOD, the Creator of the Universe and is not confined inside some church building or social assistance bureaucracy. The real power of charity is not in the hands of governments or organized religions. God’s power is funneled into our lives through the hands of His servants. This is my way of practicing what I preach, I guess. I want to share the blessing with everyone that wishes to get involved.  I envision setting up an organization that includes local contacts and coordinators for “hands on” activities and I could set here and take care of the technological details and be the focal contact for the administrative activities. I do not presume to be able to handle this all myself, but I honestly believe that we can orchestrate this thing in a positive way as a team. By exercising our “Spirit of 76” energies and spreading our influences, we can make a lot of good things happen. To Do this, we need YOU to be involved.

Let me know if you have any ideas or suggestions or comments. Since this is still kinda in the brainstorm phase, all input is welcomed. Thank you all for being YOU

May God Bless You and Yours

Gene

A Career in Service

“How are you?”

“Fine. You?”

“Wonderful, thank you.”

Is this a familiar conversation? Most likely, this is a dialogue saturated with lies. This shallow use of generic words do nothing but make both participants “feel good” and really makes no contribution to socialization nor does it promote any tangible concern. Why do we not just bid our meetings with a mere “hello”? Instead, we want to appear to be concerned when we really could care less about the events surroundings and circumstances of our conversational partner. If we were truly concerned, I think we should specify our inquiry. For example, we could ask about a known situation and then LISTEN to the response. Maybe we could even contribute our honest views on the situation. (all provided with positive concern and critiques made in love and constructed with cordially formed words and phrases). People allegedly are endowed with above average intelligence, yet we seldom engage our brains and level of attention when we interact with each other.

Maybe I have grown jaded and cynical in my old age, but If we take the time to greet someone, we should at least offer an honest extension of ourselves to uplift our fellow human-being. Basically, do not ask the question if you do not want to know the answer. All too often, the only support we offer is that “we will pray for you”. Most of the time this is merely a nice way of saying that we really do not care to get involved, not do we really want to hear about it. We could run the risk of feeling like we have to get involved in the solution of whatever challenge is met. I am not saying that a financially challenged person should squander their meager sustenance that could put you in the same situation as the initial problem. But, at the same time, the same person could possible provide another view and possible solutions that may have been masked in the “heat of the fight”.  Many times when we are waist deep in alligators, we forget that our initial objective is to drain the swamp. Another point of view can help us re-focus our efforts and meet our personal challenges more effectively. But IF we are able, we should not be afraid to actively provide the assistance needed to help our fellow laborers.

Luke 12:35 - 48 “Get dressed for service and keep your lamps burning; be like people waiting for their master to come back from the wedding celebration, so that when he comes and knocks they can immediately open the door for him. Blessed are those slaves whom their master finds alert when he returns! I tell you the truth, he will dress himself to serve, have them take their place at the table, and will come and wait on them!  Even if he comes in the second or third watch of the night and finds them alert, blessed are those slaves!  But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have let his house be broken into. You also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.”

Then Peter said, “Lord, are you telling this parable for us or for everyone?” The Lord replied, “Who then is the faithful and wise manager, whom the master puts in charge of his household servants, to give them their allowance of food at the proper time? Blessed is that slave whom his master finds at work when he returns. I tell you the truth, the master will put him in charge of all his possessions. But if that slave should say to himself, ‘My master is delayed in returning,’ and he begins to beat the other slaves, both men and women, and to eat, drink, and get drunk, then the master of that slave will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he does not foresee, and will cut him in two, and assign him a place with the unfaithful. That servant who knew his master’s will but did not get ready or do what his master asked will receive a severe beating. But the one who did not know his master’s will and did things worthy of punishment will receive a light beating. From everyone who has been given much, much will be required, and from the one who has been entrusted with much, even more will be asked.

This is a particularly challenging lesson that we tend to overlook when we don the “Robe of Christianity”. God has blessed us with many gifts and talents that we are responsible for managing.  We are required to use these abilities and resources to advance “The Kingdom”. Unfortunately, Christianity has been the excuse for far too many murders, rapes and other atrocities. By ignoring our responsibility to our brethren, we are committing a serious sin and cheating ourselves from the potential greater reward of stewardship and heavenly treasures. I believe that we should spend our talents (financial as well as physical and spiritual gifts) in a responsible manner that provides the greatest return to our LORD and CREATOR and not to be hoarded for ourselves. In  Luke 12:34, Jesus says “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”

Paul provides guidance on how we should address our talents and gifts in Romans 12 :

Therefore I exhort you, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a sacrifice – alive, holy, and pleasing to God – which is your reasonable service. Do not be conformed to this present world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may test and approve what is the will of God – what is good and well-pleasing and perfect.

For by the grace given to me I say to every one of you not to think more highly of yourself than you ought to think, but to think with sober discernment, as God has distributed to each of you a measure of faith.  For just as in one body we have many members, and not all the members serve the same function, so we who are many are one body in Christ, and individually we are members who belong to one another. And we have different gifts according to the grace given to us. If the gift is prophecy, that individual must use it in proportion to his faith.  If it is service, he must serve; if it is teaching, he must teach -  if it is exhortation, he must exhort; if it is contributing, he must do so with sincerity; if it is leadership, he must do so with diligence; if it is showing mercy, he must do so with cheerfulness.

 Love must be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil, cling to what is good.  Be devoted to one another with mutual love, showing eagerness in honoring one another.  Do not lag in zeal, be enthusiastic in spirit, serve the Lord.  Rejoice in hope, endure in suffering, persist in prayer. Contribute to the needs of the saints, pursue hospitality.  Bless those who persecute you, bless and do not curse.  Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. Live in harmony with one another; do not be haughty but associate with the lowly. Do not be conceited.  Do not repay anyone evil for evil; consider what is good before all people. If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all people.  Do not avenge yourselves, dear friends, but give place to God’s wrath, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay,” says the Lord. Rather, if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him a drink; for in doing this you will be heaping burning coals on his head.  

Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

May God Bless You and Yours

Gene

Happy Father's Day !!!

Just a quick Blurb to wish all those Daddys out there a VERY HAPPY FATHER’S DAY !!!

Even though we've lived apart,
I do not love you less.
There's provision in the heart
For storing tenderness.

There's a love that like a star
Must reconfigure space
To turn the far-flung wanderers
Towards some predestined grace.

Time matters not, nor pain, nor death,
Nor fate as hard as stone.
This truth needs but a single breath,
And that we now have known.

Ah, Father! What a joy to live
With love at last expressed!
Life has no greater gift to give
Than that with which we're blessed.

May God Bless You and Yours

Gene

The whole is greater than the sum of its parts

1 Corinthians 3:1-11 So, brothers and sisters, I could not speak to you as spiritual people, but instead as people of the flesh, as infants in Christ. I fed you milk, not solid food, for you were not yet ready. In fact, you are still not ready, for you are still influenced by the flesh. For since there is still jealousy and dissension among you, are you not influenced by the flesh and behaving like unregenerate people? For whenever someone says, “I am with Paul,” or “I am with Apollos,” are you not merely human?

 What is Apollos, really? Or what is Paul? Servants through whom you came to believe, and each of us in the ministry the Lord gave us. I planted, Apollos watered, but God caused it to grow. So neither the one who plants counts for anything, nor the one who waters, but God who causes the growth. The one who plants and the one who waters work as one, but each will receive his reward according to his work. We are coworkers belonging to God. You are God’s field, God’s building. According to the grace of God given to me, like a skilled master-builder I laid a foundation, but someone else builds on it. And each one must be careful how he builds. For no one can lay any foundation other than what is being laid, which is Jesus Christ.

‘Psalm 133:1 Look! How good and how pleasant it is when brothers live together!

Jesus taught us the importance of working together when he said.
"Every kingdom divided against itself will be ruined, and every city or household divided against itself will not stand." Matt 12:25.

In today’s scripture Paul is trying to get the Corinthians to become a team that works effectively for building the kingdom of God. They were gifted people but they just hadn’t learned how to best use their gifts and abilities for the good of all. Some would say, “I follow Apollos’ teaching” and others would say, “I follow Paul.” This lead to a lot of bickering among them. Some were inclined to think they were more important than others and that their work was more important while they devalued the work of others. Paul said, “you are acting like worldly people, not as spiritual Christians.” We need to understand that teamwork is important if we are going to accomplish God’s purposes.

Two things to help with God’s work….
1. You have to show up.
A farmer noticed a highway department truck pulling over on to the shoulder of the road. A man got out and dug a hole, then got back into the truck. Then the other occupant got out, filled up the hole and got back in the truck. Every fifty yards this amazing process was repeated. ’What are you doing?’ the farmer asked. The driver replied, ’We’re on a highway beautification project, and the guy who plants the trees is home sick today.’

2. You have to do your part.
It is not that we are without a desire to see God’s work done, it’s just that we hope that someone else will do it.

That’s Not My Job This is a story of 4 people:
Everybody, Somebody, Anybody and Nobody.
There was an important job to be done and Everybody was asked to do it.
Everybody was sure that Somebody would do it.
Anybody could have done it, but Nobody did.
Somebody got angry because it was Everybody’s job.
Everybody knew that Anybody could do it, but Nobody realized that Somebody wouldn’t do it.
And Everybody blamed Somebody because Nobody did what Anybody could have done.

Great TEAMWORK makes things happen more than anything else in organizations – more than skill, qualifications or money! Whether it’s your Family, Church, Ministry, Business, Personal life

Throughout the Bible we read stories about people working together as teams to achieve a mission.
In the Beginning God said ‘it is not good that man should be alone’, Noah & his family, Nehemiah built wall in 52 days with a team, Moses had a team of leaders around him, Jesus & 12 Disciples, Paul & Silas, Barnabas & Mark, Gideon’s 300 etc…

AIR CONDITIONED BEE HIVE
Recently I discovered some FACINATING FACTS about Honey Bees:
On a warm day about half the bees in a hive stay inside beating their wings while the other half go out to gather pollen and nectar. Because of the beating wings, the temperature inside the hive is about 10 degrees cooler than outside. The bees rotate duties and the bees that cool the hive one day are honey gatherers the next.

3 PRACTICAL STEPS FOR EFFECTIVE TEAMWORK

1.) The team members must Care For One Another.
Uncaring people on a team remind me of two guys in a sinking boat, sitting together at one end doing nothing. As the people at the other end are bailing furiously, one says, ’Thank God that hole isn’t in our end of the boat.’ Without Sacrifice there can be no Success! Sometimes we are called to sacrifice: time, effort, comfort, own desires for the sake of the team. We need to adapt the Musketeer motto ‘All for One & One for All!’

2) The team members must Communicate.
In Hurricane Katrina, hundreds died while those who could have rescued them stood by. Why? Communication broke down.

3) ’Your rights’ must take second place.
The team’s success must always be of greater value than your own individual interests. Your ’I’ll do it myself, that way I know it’ll get done right’ attitude, robs others of the opportunity to participate, learn and grow, and leaves the job undone or poorly done.

Ephesians 4:11-16 It was he who gave some as apostles, some as prophets, some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, that is, to build up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God – a mature person, attaining to the measure of Christ’s full stature. So we are no longer to be children, tossed back and forth by waves and carried about by every wind of teaching by the trickery of people who craftily carry out their deceitful schemes. But practicing the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into Christ, who is the head. From him the whole body grows, fitted and held together through every supporting ligament. As each one does its part, the body grows in love.

A man who couldn’t swim went fishing with his friend and after awhile caught a really big fish. He was so excited about catching such a big fish that he leaned too far over and fell into the water.
“Help! Save Me! Help! Save Me!”
His friend reached out and was going to grab him by the hair and get him into the boat. But the man’s toupee came off and he slipped back into the water. He came up again and yelled, “Help! Save me!” This time his friend grabbed him by the arm. As he pulled on his arm, it came off because it was an artificial limb. The man continued to kick and thrash around. The friend reached out and managed to grab a leg and as he pulled on it, it came off. It was a wooden leg. As the man continued to splash, calling out for help his friend disgustedly said, “How can I help you if you won’t stick together?”

Sometimes God has a difficult time helping us with teamwork because we have a hard time “sticking together” as a team.

" Teamwork is the FUEL that allows Common People To Produce Uncommon Results!"

HORSE POWER!
In a horse-pulling contest at a county I fair the first-place horse moved a sled weighing 4,500 pounds. The runner-up pulled 4,000 pounds. The owners of the two horses wondered how much the animals could pull if they worked together. So they hitched them up and loaded the sled. To everyone’s surprise, the horses were able to pull 12,000 pounds that’s 3,500 pounds more than if they had gone solo!!

Here we observe SYNERGY taking place – where combining forces produces better RESULTS than individual effort. Teamwork Greater Outcome than going solo. In other words 1 + 1 = 3!

Have you ever wondered why geese fly in a very organized V Formation? Winging their way to a warmer climate, they often cover thousands of miles before reaching their destination. We can discover a lot about teamwork by studying geese – their flight patterns & in-flight habits.

SOME KEYS THINGS WE LEARN FROM GEESE
A. Those in front rotate their leadership. When one lead goose gets tired, it changes places with one in the wing of the V-formation and another flies point.

B. By flying as they do, the members of the flock create an upward air current for one another. Each flap of the wings literally creates an uplift for the bird immediately following. One author states that by flying in a V-formation, the whole flock gets 71 percent greater flying range than if each goose flew on its own.

C. When one goose gets sick or wounded, two fall out of formation with it and follow it down to help and protect it. They stay with the struggler until it’s able to fly again.
D. The geese in the rear of the formation are the ones who do the honking. I suppose it’s their way of announcing that they’re following and that all is well. For sure, the repeated honks encourage those in front to stay at it. As I think about all this, one lesson stands out above all others: it is the natural instinct of geese to work together. Whether it’s Rotating, Flapping, Helping, or simply Honking, the flock is in it together...which enables them to accomplish what they set out to do.


T.E.A.M = Together Everyone Achieves More!



Everyone have a wonderful weekend!!!

May God Bless You and Yours

Gene

Mr Mom

Let me begin with I dearly love my grandkids!!!

As many of you know, our son-in-law lost his mother yesterday and I opted to help where I could and watch the kids. This is a grandfather’s dream to have 3 grandkids climbing on and adoring him.  But in the REAL world, the 2 younger ones have decided this was a good battlefield and are spending their time and energies attacking and intimidating each other at every turn. Being out of practice with the Mr Mom role, I sat them on the sofa (facing each other) and decided that the strong will survive. I only hope that one of the survivors is me. Haha

You are probably laughing at me right now, and I do not blame you, but how many times do we do the same thing in our “adult” lives? How many times are we jealous because someone make more $$ or have more responsibility than we do. It does not matter to us that we may have all the responsibility we can  manage or that our job allows us conveniences that many other do not. We spend our time and energies trying to “Keep up with the Jones’” instead of enjoying the blessings that we do have. Like Lea and Xavier, we waste good playtime with infighting and sabotage. What if we used that energy to solve our own problems or to help someone with their problems instead of kicking them when they are down? How much more pleasant would it be to step out into the street with a smile instead of a glare?

Assignment for today: Commit a random act of kindness and expect nothing in return …

May God Bless You and Yours

Gene

RIP Monique Martin

"You can shed tears that she is gone,
or you can smile because she has lived.
You can close your eyes and pray that she'll come back,
or you can open your eyes and see all she's left.
Your heart can be empty because you can't see her,
or you can be full of the love you shared.
You can turn your back on tomorrow and live yesterday,
or you can be happy for tomorrow because of yesterday.
You can remember her only that she is gone,
or you can cherish her memory and let it live on.
You can cry and close your mind,
be empty and turn your back.
Or you can do what she'd want:
smile, open your eyes, love and go on."
David Harkins

Here is the same poem en francais as transelated by my lovely and intelligent wife:

Tu peux répandre tes larmes parce qu'elle est parti
Ou sourire parce qu'elle a vécu.
Tu peux fermer tes yeux et prier pour qu'elle revienne
Ou les ouvrir et voir tout ce qu'elle a fait.

...Ton coeur peut être vide parce que tu ne peux pas la voir
Ou être plein d'amour que vous avez partagé.
Tu peux tourner le dos au futur et vivre dans le passé
Ou te ravir du futur, car il y a eu le passé.

Tu peux te souvenir de elle en te disant seulement qu'elle est parti
Ou chérir sa mémoire et la laisser subsister au travers de cette mémoire.
Tu peux pleurer, fermer tes yeux, te sentir vide et tourner le dos au reste
Ou tu peux faire ce qu'elle aurait voulu que tu fasses :

Sourire, ouvrir tes yeux, aimer...

poème de David Harkins ... R.I.P. Monique Martin

Today, we are morning the passing of a wonderful lady, Madame Monique
Martin. She leaves behind her husband, Dephis, 4 children (Diane, Michel,
Richard and Jean-Guy) and numerous grandchildren. RIP Monique and May God
comfort and bless those left to carry on her legacy.


May God Bless You and Yours
Gene

Fighting Depression????

“Have mercy upon me, O God, According to Your lovingkindness; According to the multitude of Your tender mercies, Blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, And cleanse me from my sin. For I acknowledge my transgressions, And my sin is always before me. Against You, You only, have I sinned, And done this evil in Your sight; That You may be found just when You speak, And blameless when You judge. Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, And in sin my mother conceived me.
Behold, You desire truth in the inward parts, And in the hidden part You will make me to know wisdom. Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. Make me hear joy and gladness, That the bones You have broken may rejoice. Hide Your face from my sins, And blot out all my iniquities. Create in me a clean heart, O God, And renew a steadfast spirit within me.
Do not cast me away from Your presence, And do not take Your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of Your salvation, And uphold me by Your generous Spirit. Then I will teach transgressors Your ways, And sinners shall be converted to You. …For You do not desire sacrifice, or else I would give it; You do not delight in burnt offering. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, A broken and a contrite heart; These, O God, You will not despise” (Psalm 51:1-13, 16-17 – NKJV)
Life is hard. People disappoint us, we disappoint ourselves and circumstances offer challenges in life that are overwhelming. How can we maintain our joy and faith with all these obstacles attacking us? These are questions that I face and have seen many of you face as well. So, I wanted to seek out answers in the best place I could think of … God’s Holy Word and prayer. I am NOT claiming credit for the content of my discoveries, I only hope that these words can help all of us that make the commitment to seek our own personal answers … Luke 11:9-10 -  “So I tell you: Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened for you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.

Depression affects us all in some way or another. It is a personal attack on our confidence in ourselves and others as well as on our faith and values. Many people go through life feeling discouraged about themselves and thinking they do not have a purpose in life. But that's not true. Whoever you are—whatever your life experiences, talents, physical ability, or role—you have a purpose. For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do (Ephesians 2:1). Notice two points in this verse:

1.      God created you. You are not an accident.

2.      God has a plan for you. You have a purpose in life.

God’s Plan for each of us differ and we all have specific and individual combinations of abilities that is unique in each one of us. Paul directed the Romans in using these abilities and not to put one person’s talents over the other and we were meant to function as one body . Romans 12:3-8  For by the grace given to me I say to every one of you not to think more highly of yourself than you ought to think, but to think with sober discernment, as God has distributed to each of you a measure of faith. For just as in one body we have many members, and not all the members serve the same function, so we who are many are one body in Christ, and individually we are members who belong to one another. And we have different gifts according to the grace given to us. If the gift is prophecy, that individual must use it in proportion to his faith. If it is service, he must serve; if it is teaching, he must teach; if it is exhortation, he must exhort; if it is contributing, he must do so with sincerity; if it is leadership, he must do so with diligence; if it is showing mercy, he must do so with cheerfulness.

Do not minimize your role. Live life as an adventure—wherever you are.

All Christians collectively form the body of Christ. The body is formed of many different parts (Romans 12:4-8 and 1 Corinthians 12:12-27). All are important. It does not matter what part of the body you are.

On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, and the parts that we think are less honorable we treat with special honor. And the parts that are unpresentable are treated with special modesty, while our presentable parts need no special treatment. But God has combined the members of the body and has given greater honor to the parts that lacked it (1 Corinthians 12:22-24)

Don't compare yourself to others or give up if someone seems to do a better job than you. Of course there are others who have more talent! If all the evangelists or witnesses or teachers in the world decided to stop trying because someone else did a better job, where would we be?

Like I stated earlier (many times) …. These postings are as much for ME as they are for everyone else and I appreciate all of your feedbacks and comments as well as I am so thankful for all the encouragements you give me . Until next time ….

May God Bless You and Yours

Gene

Are You a PAGAN

Exodus 20:1-4

God spoke all these words: “I, the Lord, am your God, who brought you from the land of Egypt, from the house of slavery. You shall have no other gods before me. You shall not make for yourself a carved image or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above or that is on the earth beneath or that is in the water below. You shall not bow down to them or serve them, for I, the Lord, your God, am a jealous God, responding to the transgression of fathers by dealing with children to the third and fourth generations of those who reject me, and showing covenant faithfulness to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commandments.

I am certain that this is a familiar bible verse, whether you are Jew or Gentile. We accept this as the FIRST commandment of God via  Moses to  those that seek to be His children. What I think is lost in reading this verse is the scope and meaning of this commandment. I do not like picking on one organized religion, but the obvious transgressor of this commandment are Catholics and Orthodox Religions. Although all of them break this commandment in some form or fashion. It is not a sin to have statues for visual pleasure, but it IS a sin to worship or put them in such high regard as the Madonna or the likeness of any man, woman or any other created form.

Religion is man's attempt to reach God, Jesus is God's attempt to reach man. Don't ever confuse the two. Baptists (all flavors), Pentecostals, Catholics, Anglicans, etc are merely MAN’S limited exercise in understanding God’s Will. Unfortunately, because it is a manmade ritual, it has also been infected with man made shortcomings and prejudices. Organized religions have been accused of attempting to control the masses and used as a tool to advance personal or organizational agendas. James 1:27 says “Pure and undefiled religion before God the Father is this: to care for orphans and widows in their misfortune and to keep oneself unstained by the world.”  Is YOUR religion pure and undefiled, or are you acting out pagan rituals with no purpose? Are you worshipping other gods like money, power, greed, or power?

I have said before and truly believe that spiritual closeness to GOD is allowing The Holy Spirit to guide your actions with a joyful and willing heart (attitude). Unselfish actions performed with no expectations of rewards (as opposed to “putting on a show”) are much more pleasing to The Lord than a huge display of charity and glittering showmanship. (Mark 12:41-44 gives us an insight to how our actions are perceived by The Creator of the Universe.) HE is not impressed with the pitiful QUANTITY of our gift, but the QUALITY and ATTITUDE of our humble offerings and sacrifices. We are expected to do what we can and with a cheerful, willing and servant-type demeanor. The very GIFT of our ability is meant to be pleasing to The Lord and used with that purpose. Lay aside useless manmade rituals and idols and use everything as a tool to please Yahweh and all credit to our CREATOR. “Pictures” and images of Jesus (this  almost makes me laugh because Jesus walked this earth LONG before photography was invented) , crosses, the Madonna or any other RELIGIOUS artifacts hold no magical power and I see them as paganistic idol worship. Our faith and tribute should be made to a Real and Spiritual GOD that is jealous of His place in our hearts and He yearns for us to turn our fear and respect to THE CREATOR, rather than the creation …  including “religious icons”

WHO is YOUR God?

May God Bless You and Yours

Gene

Nuthin New going on

Sorry guys, I have no words of wisdom, today. Still trying to process what we need to do next in our quest. I so dislike being in limbo and not having any idea on what to do next. The assistance needed is not available nor do I have the resources to pursue it. Tired, discouraged and disenchanted with life right now … :-(

May God Bless You and Yours

Gene

On the Move

The annual “Great Quebec Migration” is underway.  It is an annual event that many Montrealers undergo when they play musical apartments every summer. July is the unofficial moving day for this event. Those of you that know me, know that although I have played this game too many times in my life, I still HATE it. The process of uprooting all our material possessions, stuffing them into boxes and transporting them to a new location only to be enjoyed for another year and then the process repeated. This is (in my humble opinion) a certain sign of insanity.  I so long for the time when we can find a nice place and settle there for the remainder of our days. So many of my friends have accomplished this goal and I envy (in a good way) them. But this seems to be my destiny to be a nomadic drifter, so I must learn to accept that fate and make the best of things.

I know that we cannot know what the future holds (nor do I think that I want that), but I am sometimes so discouraged that things have stalled and that I feel that I am stuck in no-man’s land. I am an “invisible” man. I have learned to appreciate the basic pleasures of life: Faith, Family and friends over material possessions and social statuses. I may be still a naive guy, but as I age, I becoming more aware that this temporary existence should not be the focus of our concerns. Our legacy and eternal destination needs to be the things we should pursue. I heard a quote from “Forrest Gump” that we should rent everything because once we are “gone”, we will not take it with us. There is a lot of truth in that thought, I think. Maybe that is just a rationalization for my seemingly inability to establish a “permanent” mark in my life, but at least it makes sense to me.

I am eternally grateful for my WONDERFUL Wife and family and regardless of my circumstances, my heart is filled with love and appreciation for all the blessings that has come my way.

Philippians 4:10-14 I have great joy in the Lord because now at last you have again expressed your concern for me. (Now I know you were concerned before but had no opportunity to do anything.) I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content in any circumstance. I have experienced times of need and times of abundance. In any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of contentment, whether I go satisfied or hungry, have plenty or nothing. I am able to do all things through the one who strengthens me. Nevertheless, you did well to share with me in my trouble.

Thank you all

May God Bless You and Yours

Gene

Greatest in the Kingdom

Who is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven?

Matt18:1-6

At that time the disciples came to Jesus saying, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” He called a child, had him stand among them, and said, “I tell you the truth, unless you turn around and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven! Whoever then humbles himself like this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoever welcomes a child like this in my name welcomes me. But if anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a huge millstone hung around his neck and to be drowned in the open sea.

Our primal instinct pushes us to want to be first in everything. It was the same with the disciples. They were so intent on doing everything they could to be everything Jesus expected of them. We see this attitude in every facet of our day to day life as well. We strive to be the best in business; the best Daddy/Mommy/Husband/Wife etc. This also encompasses our spiritual endeavors. Jesus refocused them back to the basics and back to the innocence of faith and acceptance. He also issues a dire warning to anyone that tries to mislead these children (I believe he meant spiritual children AS WELL AS the physical children).

We have heard that we should have the Faith of a Child. What does that mean? How can we overcome our prejudices and learned “intelligence” when we interact with The Creator and our brothers and sisters? Do we cast aside our experiences and literally become ignorant in our faith? Read on and let us explore the possibilities.

A child will learn and process information in a real and practical manner. This child will then apply that knowledge immediately as if it were the only acceptable response in an innocent and enthusiastic way. Regardless of the immediate outcome, this child will see the action as the correct perception of whatever the issue. If this child is taught something new and the new lesson can be combined with previously learned information. When a child encounters a challenge, they step forward with confidence that they have whatever they need to overcome the obstacle. Ask a child any question and they will provide the answer according to their limited knowledge and oblivious of “mature” variables and arguments (what if ‘s).

Have you observed children that had differences with each other? Regardless of the issue, once the heat is finished, they move on as if nothing has happened. Kids that are engaged in “mortal combat” end up as best friends forever, a few minutes later. Grudges are rarely held and the “bright-eyed” innocence try to learn everything they can about whatever their interests may be.

Children are always trying to please their authoritive figure(s). Whether it be parents, teachers or whomever is in charge of them at the time, kids glow at the drop of a kind word or praise. This child-like attribute should also be used when we seek God’s Will in our adult lives. We should seek the approval and smile of THE Creator.

One of the most despicable acts I can fathom is the abuse (regardless of the kind) of a child. It is the most certain way for me to react in an extreme response (that is my nice way of saying that I do not hold myself responsible for ripping the violator – verbally and/or physically - with no regard for the possible consequences). I think HE says the same thing toward HIS children as well. A modern analogy could be that HE would tailor a concrete swimsuit to those that knowingly mislead these innocent ones.

Might this be a lesson that we all should relearn and embrace as well?

May God Bless You and Yours

Gene

Counterattack Terrorism

Good Morning all,

I trust everyone has a good Memorial Day weekend. As a vet, this is a particularly significant holiday to me and I advocate reflecting and remembering the sacrifices our Sailors, Soldiers, Air Force and Marines have contributed to our lifestyle and freedoms with honor and integrity. With so much negativity flying about, positive thoughts and attitudes can be a refreshing change to our routine. Not only will it be good for our guardians of freedom to know how much we appreciate them, it also will strengthen our own spirits and attitudes.

I have previously stated that terrorist have won the war and polluted our lives with hatred and fear. I want to stress that the war is NOT over and we CAN overcome this challenge by combating fear with confidence in ourselves and our neighbors and fight terror with love. Focus on the “whatsoevers” (Philippians 4:8 - Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is worthy of respect, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if something is excellent or praiseworthy, think about these things.). Instead of trying to NOT do something, do something positive. Start an epidemic of random acts of love. Give of yourself to someone in need and you will receive rewards much greater than you expend. (Jesus taught in Luke 6:37 – 38:  “Do not judge, and you will not be judged; do not condemn, and you will not be condemned; forgive, and you will be forgiven. Give, and it will be given to you: A good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be poured into your lap. For the measure you use will be the measure you receive.”)

So as the summer heats up, heat up your heart and spread The Gospel of Love and Understanding and we will see evil lose the hold on mine and your life. By showing love and compassion, others will be curious as to the source of our strength and thus be more effective than screaming loud and empty words on the street corner. Remember that YOUR LIFE may be the only Bible that they will read.

Until next time:

May God Bless You and Yours

Gene

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