Ring:
Tech: Thank you for calling supreme tech support, how may I help you today?
Caller: My computer don’t work and I hate your company.
Tech: I am sorry to hear that you are having problems with you computer, but I will be happy to assist you in getting it working again.
Caller: Why do you make such a rotten computer, I need it to work. I cannot make any money when the computer is not working. All my stuff is on this thing, its my whole life on this thing. All my finances are on this thing. all my customers are on this thing. I need it to work!
Tech: I fully understand how important all of your data is. May I ask, do you do a regular back up of your data, to protect against a computer failure?
Caller: I don’t know how to back up, and if your computer wasn’t so rotten I wouldn’t have any trouble anyway…. I feel like throwing this computer out the window.
Tech: Really? (Bite lip, and supress quip) Listen, I am sure this is a problem that I can help you get resolved. Tell me what happens when you press the power button?
Caller: What is the power button?
Tech: On the front of your computer there is a power button. It is the button you need to push to turn on your computer every day.
Caller: All I know is the screen is black, and there are no lights anywhere.
Tech: Ok, look on the front of your computer, do you see the power button… it’s round… it is right in the center of the front of your computer.
Caller: I see a button.
Tech: OK, now press it, and tell me if any lights come on, or if you see anything on the screen.
Caller: Do you want me to press it now?
Tech: Yes.
Caller: Ok, the light on that button is lit green. And I see your company name on the screen. And I see Windows XP on the screen. I see my log in screen. What should I do now?
Tech: OK, that’s good. You can log in.
Caller: I see my screen now. I hate your company, I have wasted more time with you people, having to get this thing fixed all the time.
Tech: I understand Sir. I would suggest, the next time your screen is black, to try and turn your system on, that has always worked for me.
Monday, June 27, 2011
Sunday, June 19, 2011
A Letter To My Dad
Dad
I wanted to ask you some questions, but now that you are in heaven, I may never know the answers. But I feel like asking them will help.
Why did you leave us? As an adult now, I understand why you left our home, but why did you leave us? I remember so many things we did together. You took us to the beach. You took us to hockey games. You took us to see Pro Wrestling, my favorite wrestler was Wahoo McDaniels. I saw the Harlem Globe Trotters with you.I caught fly balls at the baseball games you took us to. But all of these things I remember when you lived with us. I don’t remember you ever doing anything with me after you left. I don’t remember you at any of my birthdays, and you never took me fishing, as much as you loved to fish, it makes me wonder why?
Every night, you taught us something from God’s word. You helped us memorize scripture verses, and rewarded us for saying them. You always took us to church on Sundays, and showed us how important it was to be in God’s house on the Lord’s day, and to show respect. But after you left us, you never took me to church again. You never talked to me about my salvation ( I was only six), and you never asked if I was reading my bible, or memorizing scripture. I still wonder why?
Did you stop loving us when you left? Did you stop caring if we knew God anymore? When God led me back to the church where I was raised, and revealed his son to me at the age of twenty three, you were still there. After all those years of going to that church without us there too, did it ever feel strange to you? Did you ever wish we were there with you? After God saved me, and began to use me in this church, why did you act like I was your opposition? After seventeen years of me being in the perils of God’s wrath, were you not glad that I was now saved from that wrath?
Dad, what did we do to make you not care about us anymore? I wish I knew before you left us again, so I could say I was sorry. I grew up with many of the values I learned from you in the six short years you lived with us. I became a man that is trustworthy, Kind, and honest. I came to know Jesus as my Lord and Savior. I married and raised a beautiful daughter that loves the Lord. I did all that with only six tears of your influence in my life. I wonder what kind of man I would have been if you had not left us?
Dad, I forgive you for leaving. I may never know why you left, or why you did not want to share your life or faith with me anymore, but I forgive you. I know if I were you, and had time to think about what I had done to my children, I would be really sad. So I forgive you, and I Love you anyway!
Happy Father’s Day,
Your Son.
I wanted to ask you some questions, but now that you are in heaven, I may never know the answers. But I feel like asking them will help.
Why did you leave us? As an adult now, I understand why you left our home, but why did you leave us? I remember so many things we did together. You took us to the beach. You took us to hockey games. You took us to see Pro Wrestling, my favorite wrestler was Wahoo McDaniels. I saw the Harlem Globe Trotters with you.I caught fly balls at the baseball games you took us to. But all of these things I remember when you lived with us. I don’t remember you ever doing anything with me after you left. I don’t remember you at any of my birthdays, and you never took me fishing, as much as you loved to fish, it makes me wonder why?
Every night, you taught us something from God’s word. You helped us memorize scripture verses, and rewarded us for saying them. You always took us to church on Sundays, and showed us how important it was to be in God’s house on the Lord’s day, and to show respect. But after you left us, you never took me to church again. You never talked to me about my salvation ( I was only six), and you never asked if I was reading my bible, or memorizing scripture. I still wonder why?
Did you stop loving us when you left? Did you stop caring if we knew God anymore? When God led me back to the church where I was raised, and revealed his son to me at the age of twenty three, you were still there. After all those years of going to that church without us there too, did it ever feel strange to you? Did you ever wish we were there with you? After God saved me, and began to use me in this church, why did you act like I was your opposition? After seventeen years of me being in the perils of God’s wrath, were you not glad that I was now saved from that wrath?
Dad, what did we do to make you not care about us anymore? I wish I knew before you left us again, so I could say I was sorry. I grew up with many of the values I learned from you in the six short years you lived with us. I became a man that is trustworthy, Kind, and honest. I came to know Jesus as my Lord and Savior. I married and raised a beautiful daughter that loves the Lord. I did all that with only six tears of your influence in my life. I wonder what kind of man I would have been if you had not left us?
Dad, I forgive you for leaving. I may never know why you left, or why you did not want to share your life or faith with me anymore, but I forgive you. I know if I were you, and had time to think about what I had done to my children, I would be really sad. So I forgive you, and I Love you anyway!
Happy Father’s Day,
Your Son.
Monday, June 13, 2011
My Favorite Niece
Let me tell you about my favorite niece.
First of all, She is very beautiful.
She has the sweetest spirit.
She loves the Lord.
She is very smart.
She is very witty.
She is tenderhearted.
She is fun to be around.
She has the cutest smile that warms the room.
And best of all… I am her favorite uncle!
Who is my Favorite Niece? I thank the Lord for all of the wonderful children that he has graced this family with. I have watched each one grow up, and mature into wonderful people that bless all who know them. All of my nieces match the description I noted in my blog. I am thankful for each one, and proud to be loved by them. Yes… “YOU” all are my Favorite niece!
First of all, She is very beautiful.
She has the sweetest spirit.
She loves the Lord.
She is very smart.
She is very witty.
She is tenderhearted.
She is fun to be around.
She has the cutest smile that warms the room.
And best of all… I am her favorite uncle!
Who is my Favorite Niece? I thank the Lord for all of the wonderful children that he has graced this family with. I have watched each one grow up, and mature into wonderful people that bless all who know them. All of my nieces match the description I noted in my blog. I am thankful for each one, and proud to be loved by them. Yes… “YOU” all are my Favorite niece!
Sunday, June 5, 2011
Be Holy As I Am Holy
Just how holy is holy? It would seem that most people equate holiness with a life lived at a certain level of religious practices. There are a great many dos and don’ts, that help us determine just how religious, or holy someone is. Most items on these lists, as well as the degree of adherence to them are based on man’s thoughts and logic. Then there are the BIBLE rules of holiness. It is amazing that we can have debates as to what rules to follow, and what things to avoid so as to be holy.
What about those lists? There is the big ten right off. Let’s see if I can remember them. 1) Don’t Kill; 2) Don’t Steal; 3) Don’t Lie; 4) Don’t have fun… Well, maybe not that, but I don’t remember all of them. It seems that a good many people base their holiness on that list of ten commandments, yet most people cannot even quote at least half of them. Then there is man’s logic. 1) First take the three I listed above, then add the abstaining from: Drinking, Smoking, Dancing, and Cussing. There are way more, but for the sake of brevity, I will shorten the list.
Let’s look at this list: 1) Cussing. What determines what is a cuss word? The greatest example I can think of is, Don’t take the Lord’s name in vain. At what point in or daily verbiage (Conversations / Texting / Facebook updates) do we take his name in vain? I will not even type the letters of the most common and offensive form used by vile persons. But don’t we just water the same phrase down for our personal use? Like Gosh Darn? Or Oh My Goodness? You translate this: OMG. I don’t know about you, but the words were loud and clear inside my head. I could go on a rant about the many different words we classify as cuss words, and yet we say it another way, and now its ok. 2) Dancing. Really? 3&4) Smoking and drinking goes together. But what about eating? Dang, that hurt my toes! Ooops, there I go again!
Think with me one moment. What does the Bible tell us about being holy? 1 Peter 1:15 But as he which has called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of living. So the standard is not the ten commandments, or man’s list of rules. Our standard of holiness is the holiness of the Lord. The word holy means to be separated unto something, and thereby separated from something else. It was said of Jesus that he was separate from sinners, yet we see him with them all through his ministry. The explanation for this is that he is totally separated unto God, because he is God. So what he is, is what we are to be separated unto as well. Let’s look at some of these things. God is Love. God is Life. God is Light. God is truth. Now, with just these four things, imagine if you made it your passion to be separated unto them. Then imagine what you would be like when you are around worldly people. If these things were your passion, could you steal from them, cuss at them, or hurt them in any way? Wouldn’t you want them to escape God’s judgment of all unbelievers? Wouldn’t you want them to understand God’s plan of salvation, to see the light?
There are the people we have met, or will meet in the future that are “Holy People”. I remember one man who visited Jacksonville, and attended our meeting for a short time. He was all about living for the Lord. He wanted everybody he met to know his savior. I remember being a little embarrassed as he stopped to talk to every person we passed. He shared the gospel with them with such genuine concern for their souls. I remember well that man, and I compared myself to him. I have wasted a lot of years trying to reason why the way I do things is ok, that it is ok that I am not like that man. That I am holy too. But I realize, the difference was his passion and mine were focused on different things. I truly believe that he saw things through God’s eyes, not his.
Psalms 126:5 Those who sow in tears Shall reap in joy.
Psalms 126:6 He who continually goes forth weeping, Bearing seed for sowing, Shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, Bringing his sheaves [with him].
What about those lists? There is the big ten right off. Let’s see if I can remember them. 1) Don’t Kill; 2) Don’t Steal; 3) Don’t Lie; 4) Don’t have fun… Well, maybe not that, but I don’t remember all of them. It seems that a good many people base their holiness on that list of ten commandments, yet most people cannot even quote at least half of them. Then there is man’s logic. 1) First take the three I listed above, then add the abstaining from: Drinking, Smoking, Dancing, and Cussing. There are way more, but for the sake of brevity, I will shorten the list.
Let’s look at this list: 1) Cussing. What determines what is a cuss word? The greatest example I can think of is, Don’t take the Lord’s name in vain. At what point in or daily verbiage (Conversations / Texting / Facebook updates) do we take his name in vain? I will not even type the letters of the most common and offensive form used by vile persons. But don’t we just water the same phrase down for our personal use? Like Gosh Darn? Or Oh My Goodness? You translate this: OMG. I don’t know about you, but the words were loud and clear inside my head. I could go on a rant about the many different words we classify as cuss words, and yet we say it another way, and now its ok. 2) Dancing. Really? 3&4) Smoking and drinking goes together. But what about eating? Dang, that hurt my toes! Ooops, there I go again!
Think with me one moment. What does the Bible tell us about being holy? 1 Peter 1:15 But as he which has called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of living. So the standard is not the ten commandments, or man’s list of rules. Our standard of holiness is the holiness of the Lord. The word holy means to be separated unto something, and thereby separated from something else. It was said of Jesus that he was separate from sinners, yet we see him with them all through his ministry. The explanation for this is that he is totally separated unto God, because he is God. So what he is, is what we are to be separated unto as well. Let’s look at some of these things. God is Love. God is Life. God is Light. God is truth. Now, with just these four things, imagine if you made it your passion to be separated unto them. Then imagine what you would be like when you are around worldly people. If these things were your passion, could you steal from them, cuss at them, or hurt them in any way? Wouldn’t you want them to escape God’s judgment of all unbelievers? Wouldn’t you want them to understand God’s plan of salvation, to see the light?
There are the people we have met, or will meet in the future that are “Holy People”. I remember one man who visited Jacksonville, and attended our meeting for a short time. He was all about living for the Lord. He wanted everybody he met to know his savior. I remember being a little embarrassed as he stopped to talk to every person we passed. He shared the gospel with them with such genuine concern for their souls. I remember well that man, and I compared myself to him. I have wasted a lot of years trying to reason why the way I do things is ok, that it is ok that I am not like that man. That I am holy too. But I realize, the difference was his passion and mine were focused on different things. I truly believe that he saw things through God’s eyes, not his.
Psalms 126:5 Those who sow in tears Shall reap in joy.
Psalms 126:6 He who continually goes forth weeping, Bearing seed for sowing, Shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, Bringing his sheaves [with him].
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