I Am Not ready to Die!

I have attended hundreds of funerals and conducted or took part in 175. All of them differed to some degree and some were  even bizarre.

This year I have been involved in 12 funerals and almost every time my “take away” thought is, “What would people say about me?” “Would anyone even come?”

I watched with great interest, the funeral service for Senator Kennedy. When his boys spoke of him and their love for him it brought tears to my eyes. He had made a great and powerful impact on them.

Made me wonder……

I heard a friend several years ago say that he just wanted to be a “sweet old man”. Since he was not even fifty at the time I thought about making that my goal as well since some were already referring to me as being old. And, I am working on that being “sweet” thing.

But after hearing all the accolades about those whose funerals I have attended I realize that I am just going to need more time to work on being a husband,dad, and friend. And oh yeah,  “being sweet”.

In the Bonds of Calvary,

People Who Need People

People are illogical, unreasonable, a n d self- centered…

Love them anyway.

If you do good, people will accuse you of selfish ulterior motives…

…Do good anyway.

If you’re successful, you’ll win false friends and true enemies-

…Succeed anyway.

The good you do today will perhaps be forgotten tomorrow

…Do good anyway.

Honesty and frankness make you vulnerable

Be honest and frank anyway.

The biggest man with the biggest ideas can be shot down by the smallest man with the smallest mind…

…Think big anyway.

People favor underdogs but follow only hot dogs

…Fight for the few underdogs

What you spend years building may be destroyed overnight

…Build anyway.

In the Bonds of Calvary,

I Promise

Do people still make and keep promises?  The kind of promise they choose not to quit when the going gets tough because they made a promise to see it through.

Even when it seems a lost cause….they stick. They will hold on to a love that has diminished and cooled off. They stay with people who have become pains in the neck. They still dare to make promises and care enough to keep the promises they made.

 Keeping promises makes you more like God.

A promise reaches into our unpredictable future and makes one thing predictable.

 “I will be there even if it costs me more than I want to pay,” is what the promise says.

When someone makes a promise he stretches himself into circumstances that no one can control.

With one simple word of promise, a person creates an island in a sea of uncertainty.

When a person makes a promise, they stake a claim on their personal freedom and power.

When you make a promise, you take a hand in creating your own future.

 I am going to get better at this…….

I Promise!

In the Bonds of Calvary,

Trapped in a Coconut

Do you know how the natives used to catch monkeys in the islands?

They would cut a hole in the top of a coconut, hollow it out, fill it with sweet beans,

and tie it to the base of a tree..

During the night, a monkey would approach the coconut shell, reach inside, and grab a

handful of sweet beans, making a fist as he did so. With his hand rolled into a fist, he could not pull his hand back through the opening in the coconut because he wouldn’t let go of the beans, so in the morning, the monkey was still trapped there, and the natives only had to come by and pick him up.

 Sometimes we find ourselves trapped simply because we won’t let go of all our past

grudges, resentments, bitterness, guilt over past sins, and unrealistic expectations of

ourselves and others.

Did you know that my hands cannot be filled with God’s blessings of peace, joy, happiness, contentment, or fulfillment when my fists are not free to receive these gifts?

 It is time to let go of the past and accept what has happened and get on with life.

If I continue to hang on to something from the past  it has me trapped because I

won’t let go.

Ouch!

I must let go and turn my hands upward.

In the Bonds of Calvary,

The Cost of Character

You owe it to yourself to have enough of a relationship with God that you can hear His clear and distinct voice in the times of difficultyso that you can speak words of direction and hope into the lives of others.

 This kind of character and ministry does not come without a cost. 

You will face down your own weaknesses and failures. 

You will have to overcome the very uncertainties of life (and we all have them).

You will find it necessary to harness your emotions.

You will be asked to resist the temptation to “roll with the flow.”

You will need to pursue it daily.

 But the value of such a life pays huge dividends not only in your life but in the lives of others.

And, I want my life to make a difference so I am willing to pay the price.

In the Bonds of Calvary,

HIM Is Able

Today I looked at 25 words that are recorded in Jude 1:24. It gives me great assurance that God is able.

Now    (that’s the present)

unto Him    (that’s the person) God
that is able    (that’s His power)
to keep you    (that’s his protection)
from falling    (that’s to make me perfect),
and to present you faultless   (that’s to make me pure)
before the presence of his glory   (that’s His prestige)
with exceeding joy   (that’s my pleasure).

I’ m just going to keep praising Hm for all he means to me.

In the Bonds of Calvary,

Feeling Old? Not Me!

As I was reading through my Face Book page this morning I noticed several comments from posters who were lamenting the fact that they were getting older.

One said, “My children are starting school today. I feel old”

Another said, “My son is turning 20 today. I feel old.”

There were several other comments and replies so you get the idea what was going on here.

Now I am beginning to feel old…..

My primary doctor called me to tell me that she was no longer working in the same department at the VA so I had been assigned to a new primary physician. I wasn’t happy about that but I have learned to deal with changes in my life. So, “goodbye” doctor and “hello” new doctor.

But wait, then she said she had been transferred to the geriatric department and really liked it there and that because of my age I could be transferred to that department as well and she could continue to be my doctor.

Do you know how happy it made me to be told that now I can hang out with the “geriatric gang”?

Not much time left. Got to get to work on my “Bucket List”.

Now I am beginning to feel old…..

In the Bonds of Calvary,

The importance of embracing good thinking

Good thinking creates the foundation for good results

Good thinking increases your potential

I want my thinking to be more productive,  Therefore, I will make good thinking a habit.

 I am aware that:

unsuccessful people focus on survival,

average people focus on maintenance,

successful people focus on progress.

 I must begin by discovering:

What’s in my heart?

 What am I doing to increase my potential for good thinking?

 What am I doing to make good thinking a habit?

 

In the Bonds of Calvary,

He Will Get us Across

A grandfather was taking a nature hike with his 6-year-old grandson. The child was running ahead, and came to a creek…afraid that he was going to fall in, the grandfather said, wait for me and I’ll get you across…surprisingly, the child obeyed, and when the grandfather got there, he lifted the child upon his shoulders, and waded across the creek.

The grandchild said, “If I hadn’t waited on you, I would never have made it across!”

How true….. If I  WAIT ON GOD..HE’LL GET ME ACROSS ANY OBSTACLE LIFE PUTS IN MY WAY.

I’m gonna Wait on Him,

 In the Bonds of Calvary,

True Faith Does “What”?

 True Faith states, “I know what I know because of the Spirit of Christ living in me. I have seen His transforming power in my life. I am convinced that, as Jesus says, ‘I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.’” (John 14:6)

We love others, regardless of what they believe. We carry no animosity toward others, regardless of what they do to us.

Paul says, “Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everybody. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord. On the contrary:

“If your enemy is hungry, feed him;
if he is thirsty, give him something to drink.
In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.”

Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” (Romans 12:17-21)

WOW!

I’ll try to do this.

In the Bonds of Calvary,