Book Review

 After a hardy rainstorm filled all the potholes in the
 streets and alleys, a young mother watched her two little
 boys playing in the puddles through her kitchen  window.

 The older of the two, a five year old lad, grabbed his
 sibling by the back of his head and shoved his face into
 one of the water holes.  As the boy recovered and stood
 laughing and dripping,  the mother was running towards
 them in a panic. Why on earth did you do that to your little brother?!
 she says as she shook the older boy's shoulders in anger
 combined with relief.  We were just playing church mommy, he said. And I
 was just  baptizing him.....in the name of the Father,
 the Son and in the Hole-he-goes.
----------------------------------

This is a review of a book written by Lysa TerKeurst. Her new book, Uninvited, deals with rejection. It is brutally honest, yet there are sprinkles of humor and wit.

The enemy wants us to feel rejected . . . left out, lonely, and less than. When we allow him to speak lies through our rejection, he pickpockets our purpose. Cripples our courage. Dismantles our dreams. And blinds us to the beauty of Christ’s powerful love.

In Uninvited, Lysa shares her own deeply personal experiences with rejection—from the incredibly painful childhood abandonment by her father to the perceived judgment of the perfectly toned woman one elliptical over.

With biblical depth, gut-honest vulnerability, and refreshing wit, Lysa helps you:Release the desire to fall apart or control the actions of others by embracing God-honoring ways to process your hurt.
Overcome the two core fears that feed our insecurities by understanding the secret of belonging
Stop feeling left out and start believing that "set apart" does not mean "set aside."
End the cycle of perceived rejection by refusing to turn a small incident into a full blown issue.

Through the pages of Uninvited, you will be taken on a journey of finding the acceptance and love you’ve always longed for and start to pick up the pieces that maybe you’ve been trying to put back together for years. You’ll laugh, cry, and best of all discover that with Jesus you are safe, forever accepted, forever held, completely loved, and always invited in.

much love, Dennis

 

 

　

　

 

 

LIFE

12 LESSONS OF LIFE
1. Life isn't fair, but it's still good.
2. When in doubt, just take the next small step.
3. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.....
4. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends and parents will. Stay in touch
5. Pay off your credit cards every month.

6. You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.
7. Cry with someone. It's more healing than crying alone.

8. It's OK to get angry with God. He can take it.
9. Save for retirement starting with your first paycheck.
11. Make peace with your past so it won't screw up the present.
12. Its OK to let your children see you cry.
13. Don't compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about.
14. If a relationship has to be a secret, you shouldn't be in it.
15. Everything can change in the blink of an eye. But don't worry; God never blinks.
16. Take a deep breath. It calms the mind.

17. Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful.
18. Whatever doesn't kill you really does make you stronger.
19. It's never too late to have a happy childhood. But the second one is up to you and no one else.
20. When it comes to going after what you love in life, don't take no for an answer.
21. Burn the candles,

use the nice sheets, wear the fancy lingerie. Don't save it for a special occasion. Today is special.
22. Over prepare, then go with the flow.
23. Be eccentric now. Don't wait for old age to wear purple.
25. No one is in charge of your happiness but you.
26. Frame every so-called disaster with these words, ‘In five years, will this matter?'
27. Always choose life.
28. Forgive everyone everything.
29. What other people think of you is none of your business.
30. Time heals almost everything. Give time, time.

31. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.
32. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.
33. Believe in miracles.
34. God loves you because of who God is, not because of anything you did or didn't do.
35. Don't audit life. Show up and make the most of it now.
36. Growing old beats the alternative -- dying young.
37. Your children get only one childhood.
38. All that truly matters in the end is that you loved.
39. Get outside every day. Miracles are waiting everywhere.
40. If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else’s, we’d grab ours back.
41. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.
42. The best is yet to come.
43. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.
45. Life isn't tied with a bow, but it's still a gift."

For those of you looking for the joke, it's in the title :-)
Much love, Dennis

hearing from God

Brake Fluid Addiction

It's much more prevalent than we realize.  A good friend of mine related this story to me. Evidently, one of her college buddies knew about this firsthand.
It's a sad story.

                        

A mechanic noticed his co-worker drinking brake fluid at lunch.

"What are you doing, man? You can't drink that stuff!"

"Relax," replied his co-worker, "this stuff tastes pretty good, and I don't drink it all the time."

"Seriously," the mechanic exclaimed, "that brake fluid is poison!"

"Hey, man" yelled the co-worker, "back off! I can STOP any time I want."

Of course it's a joke, but my friend "Debbie" set me up perfectly. I fell for it hook, line and sinker.

It does however remind me of a Scripture that I can relate to. I don't consider myself to be influential, wise, or any type of nobility.

1st Corinthians 1:26-31

²⁶ Brothers and sisters, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. ²⁷ But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. ²⁸ God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are, ²⁹ so that no one may boast before him. ³⁰ It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption. ³¹ Therefore, as it is written: “Let the one who boasts boast in the Lord.”

I find myself more and more at ease speaking about my faith in God and what Jesus has done for me. I think that 1st Corinthians is a fairly good description of my life after my accident.

Much love, Dennis

The 10 Plagues

Nine-year-old Joey was asked by his mother what he had learned in
Sunday School. "Well, Mom, our teacher told us how God sent Moses behind
enemy lines on a rescue mission to lead the Israelites out of Egypt.
When he got to the Red Sea, he had his engineers build a pontoon
bridge, and all the people walked across safely. He used his
walkie-talkie to radio headquarters and call in an air strike. They sent
in bombers to blow up the bridge and all the Israelites were saved."

"Now, Joey, is that REALLY what your teacher taught you?" his mother
asked.

"Well, no, Mom, but if I told it the way the teacher did, you'd never
believe it!"
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

I was listening to James McDonald this morning. He was speaking about the story of Moses, God, and a Pharaoh. As Christians we are saved by faith, believing that Jesus is God in human form. We were not privileged to see signs like these. God used Moses and his brother Aaron to convince Pharaoh to set the Israelites free. The 10 signs that followed seem very obvious from the start that the God of Moses was all powerful.

With his brother Aaron, Moses asked the Pharaoh to let the people of Israel leave Egypt in order to celebrate a feast in the wilderness to honor their God.



The Pharaoh refused.

God told Moses that He would demonstrate His power to convince Pharaoh. How does someone who sees these signs be so ignorant?

First, He would "harden the heart" of the Pharaoh, making him adamant against their leaving. Then He would produce signs whose escalating severity culminated with the death of every first-born Egyptian male.

1. Water Turned to Blood

2. Frogs

3. Lice

4. Flies

5. Livestock Diseases

6. Boils

7. Hail

8. Locusts

9. Darkness

10. Death of the First Born

These were real, water to blood. That's absolutely gross!

Each plague was a little worse than the one before. I know that Pharaoh's heart was hardened, but it just seems so obvious looking at it from (3400-3600) years ago.

We are experiencing some signs today. Nothing quite as obvious as what God displayed to the Egyptians, but I personally would not want to live through anything like the 10 plagues.

Thank you Jesus for delivering me from my sins. It's obvious to me that God is exactly who he says he is.

Much love, Dennis

　
 　

TOOLS

Top 10 signs that you are in the wrong church:

10. The church bus has gun racks.

9. The church staff consists of senior pastor, associate pastor and sociopastor.

8. The Bible they use is the Dr. Seuss version.

7. There is an ATM in the lobby.

6. The choir wears leather robes.

5. The worship services are B.Y.O.S. (bring your own snake).

4. Communion is a two-drink minimum.

3. The pastor regularly attends meetings in Las Vegas and Atlantic City.

2. The ushers ask, "Smoking or non-smoking?"

1. The Women's Quartet are all married to the pastor.

[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[]]]]]]]]
I'm a big tool guy. Kind of like "Tim the Tool Man Taylor" on the TV show.
 
https://youtu.be/0V9YZ7C88iU

I really enjoyed working with my hands and having the correct tool for each project. I can remember being frustrated in my late teens and early 20s because I was trying to get by using homemade tools. I was unsuccessful or sometimes very slow to accomplish specific tasks. As time went by I was able to accumulate enough tools to make jobs easier and faster.

In today's circumstances I'm using different tools for completely different reasons. When I need help with Bible verses, understanding and searching for particular topics, I use a website called Bible Gateway. They offer 30 different versions of God's word and the ability to simultaneously show up to 5 side-by-side comparisons. I can search for topics, phrases or specific words. They even offer a tool that will read aloud the written word. Thanks to God for tools like Bible Gateway that helps me accomplish the jobs that I have today.

Much love, Dennis

Perspectives

Perspectives

 

 

Sometimes I need to take a deep breath and slowly exhale. Little things can grow into full-blown catastrophes if I allow them to. Here is a short story that I’ve heard several times and Tuesday morning, Joyce Meyer used it as part of her teaching. I really don’t think I will insert a joke with this, because if viewed from the right perspective, it is actually pretty funny. This is a story about a daughter writing to her mother and father after her first three months of college.

 

 

Dear Mother and Dad:

It has been three months since I left for college. I have been remiss in writing and I am very sorry for my thoughtlessness in not having written before. I will bring you up to date now, but before you read on, please sit down. You are not to read any further unless you are sitting down, okay.

Well then, I am getting along pretty well now. The skull fracture and the concussion I got when I jumped out of the window of my dormitory when it caught fire shortly after my arrival are pretty well healed by now. I only spent two weeks in the hospital and now I can see almost normally and only get those headaches once a day.

Fortunately, the fire in the dormitory and my jump was witnessed by an attendant at the gas station near the dorm, and he was the one who called the Fire Dept. and the ambulance. He also visited me at the hospital and since I had nowhere to live because of the burnt out dormitory, he was kind enough to invite me to share his apartment with him. It's really a basement room, but it's kind of cute. He is a very fine boy and we have fallen deeply in love and are planning to get married. We haven't set the exact date yet.

I know you will welcome him into the family with open arms. He is kind and although not well educated, he is ambitious.  He is of a different religion than ours, I know that your oft-expressed tolerance will not permit you to be offended by his radical religious beliefs.

Now that I have brought you up to date, I want to tell you there was no dormitory fire; I did not have a concussion or a skull fracture; I was not in the hospital; I am not engaged, however, I am getting a D in sociology and an F in science; and I wanted you to see these marks in proper perspective.

Your loving daughter

 I thought this was pretty funny and a good lesson in learning which battles need to be fought and which ones need just a little attention.

Much love, Dennis

 

 

Much love, Dennis

Prayer by Cody Anderson

I had planed for a blog post about evolution vs. creation today, but I ran across something that grabbed my heart.

I won't spend much time explaining what this is, because it explains itself. 
Cody Anderson has been serving as the senior pastor at Faith Center Fellowship in Meno, Oklahoma for 12 years. This is a prayer that can be found on his Facebook page.

Cody Anderson
"Let's Pray America:
Dear Heavenly Father..................may we learn to celebrate with those who are being blessed and weep with those who are going through difficult times.................discerning what true friendship is all about................and we pray for the families of the Malaysian Airliner that was shot down

.............we ask that You comfort the family members during these hours of anguish and heartbreak................and we pray this morning for those who are going to the border today to take food and other essentials to the children who are crossing our borders................showing mercy.............at the same time we pray for justice along our borders................knowing when the fence is down bad things can happen to us a nation.

..............we need Your help today Lord.............recognizing there is trouble on every hand in our country as well as those countries that we have committed to defend...........including the nation of Israel who is defending herself as Hamas continues their strikes against the land that we as Christians call The Holy Land.

............we ask that You send warring angels to encamp about that nation to defend her against the aggression of her enemies and Your enemies............remembering Your covenant with Abraham............and may we as Americans understand that You will bless those who bless Israel..............may we not forget lest we lose the favor of You Almighty God..............and we pray for the churches in Ukraine as they face major aggression.................we also pray for our Christian friends in Russia who are beginning to encounter persecution they experienced under the former communist regime...................and we pray this morning for pastors who are preparing to minister tomorrow in churches all across America.

..............and we pray that Christians will not overlook the incredible privilege that we have by going to Your house tomorrow to worship You without fear or intimidation..............and we thank You Lord for the coming revival in America.................with young adults coming out of obscurity to preach Your gospel.................no names that will shake this nation with a message of hope and salvation....................may the rain of Your Holy Spirit flood this land today...............in Jesus name we pray.................amen."
Much Love, Dennis

Independence Day

Pastor William, the old preacher, made it a practice to visit the local school one day a week. He walked into the 4th grade class, where the children were studying the states, and asked them how many states they could name. They came up with about 40 names.  Pastor William jokingly told them that in his day students knew the names of all the states.

One lad raised his hand and said, 'Yes sir, but in those days there were only 13 states.

On Friday we will be celebrating Independence Day. Here is the Wikipedia definition.
Independence Day, commonly known as the Fourth of July, is a federal holiday in the United States commemorating the adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776, declaring independence from the Kingdom of Great Britain. 
Today, many argue the history of our great nation. I didn't have to go very far when looking for quotes from some of our founding fathers explaining why we needed to be independent from Great Britain and the restricted religious atmosphere. Here are some of those quotes.

"It cannot be emphasized too strongly that this great nation was founded -- not by religionists -- but by Christians . . . on the Gospel of Jesus Christ." -- Patrick Henry 

"Do not let anyone claim to be a true American who attempts to remove religion from politics." -- George Washingtion, in his Farewell Address. 


"May every citizen in the army and in the country have a proper sense of Deity upon his mind and an impression of the declaration recorded in the Bible, 'Him that honoreth Me, I will honor, but he that despiseth Me shall be lightly esteemed'" (I Samuel 2:20). -- Samuel Adams, one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence. 

"We have no government armed with the power capable of contending with human passions, unbridled by morality and true religion. Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other." -- John Adams, our second president, in an address to military leaders. 



"God who gave us life gave us liberty. And can the liberties of a nation be thought secure when we have removed their only firm basis, a conviction in the minds of the people that these liberties are the Gift of God. That they are not to be violated but with His wrath? Indeed, I tremble for my country when I reflect that God is just; that his justice cannot sleep forever." -- Thomas Jefferson 

"The man must be bad indeed who can look upon the events of the American Revolution without feeling the warmest gratitude towards the great Author of the Universe whose divine interposition was so frequently manifested in our behalf. And it is my earnest prayer that we may so conduct ourselves as to merit a continuance of those blessings with which we have hitherto been favored." -- George Washington in a Sept. 28, 1789 letter to the Rev. Samuel Langdon 

"The teachings of the Bible are so interwoven and entwined with our whole civic and social life that it would be literally - I do not mean figuratively, I mean literally - impossible for us to figure to ourselves what life would be if these teachings were removed. We would lose almost all the standards by which we now judge both public and private morals; all the standards toward which we with more or less resolution, strive to raise ourselves." -- Theodore Roosevelt 

I am aware that Theodore Roosevelt was not a founding father, but his statement rings true in today's society.

There were so many quotes that I could have easily filled a book with them. It's easy to see what our founding fathers had in mind when they formed our Constitution. If they were to see what was going on in our country today they would be deeply grieved. If you are interested in more examples, they are easily found on the Internet. I am aware that not everything on the Internet is factual, but these quotes that I have given can be verified by other sources. You can also find people who want to discredit God from the history of the United States. There will come a day when they are convinced of God's hand upon our founding fathers. I want to leave with a quote from George Washington in his farewell address.

"It is impossible to govern the world without God and the Bible. Of all the dispositions and habits that lead to political prosperity, our religion and morality are the indispensable supporters. Let us with caution indulge the supposition that morality can be maintained without religion. Reason and experience both forbid us to expect that our national morality can prevail in exclusion of religious principle." -- George Washingtion in his Farewell Address. 

Much love, Dennis

Designing Swimming Pools

I've been taking the online "Pool Studios" classes for about 6 weeks. Things started off really good, I was feeling like this project was going to be "A Piece of Cake". Around the 3rd week, I found out that "A Piece of Cake" was the wrong term. Progress was slowing down and at times I actually had to just get away from the computer and give my mind a rest. I do have unlimited access to software support through telephone, email, and training videos.

I am not the type of person who likes to ask for help, but I found a spot that I just could not figure out. I looked at the videos concerning that part of the project and they were pretty generic. I was needing some specific guidance and I emailed the support staff along with some pictures of what I needed to create. I was having trouble creating multiple roof lines on a specific part of a house that I was trying to duplicate. My answer was a little bit disappointing. They started off by saying roof lines can be very hard. (duh) He then gave me a CAD drawing of a house with multiple roof lines.

I needed to work backwards with that drawing to see how they were able to perform the task at hand. I have been deconstructing and deconstructing and deconstructing. Finally I think that I may have a breakthrough. I really should have known this project was not going to be "A Walk in the Park" because there are very few local companies that use this software to show customers what their house, pool, and landscaping can look like before any work is ever done. My friend, Ronnie Cue, uses this tool and makes things look so simple. He came over a few months ago to give me an idea of what is required to build virtual swimming pools. Ronnie is very talented and makes most things look simple or easy.

As I backed away from the computer this week I was thinking about my lack of progress. Psalms 23 came to my mind.

A Psalm of David.

23 The Lord is my shepherd;
I shall not want.
² He makes me to lie down in green pastures;
He leads me beside the still waters.
³ He restores my soul;
He leads me in the paths of righteousness
For His name’s sake.

⁴ Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil;
For You are with me;
Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.

⁵ You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;
You anoint my head with oil;
My cup runs over.
⁶ Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
All the days of my life;
And I will dwell in the house of the Lord Forever.

I was reminded that I should not expect “A Walk in the Park or a Piece of Cake”, but rather trials and tribulations. I am going to encounter days and seasons in my life that are character building. Just like walking through the valley in life, I will maintain a steady pace and push forward with my CAD training. I know that in time they will both end with success.

Much love, Dennis

New Computer

I'm getting pretty excited. A new computer is in my near future. I've been taking online classes for quite a while. The laptop that I use will not handle the amount of information required for the CAD program that I'm working on. One of the people that have been helping me with computer training, Sterling Krysler, commented that this new system is a monster compared to my old equipment.

 I am learning how to do simulated 3-D landscaping and swimming pool design. It is amazing what can be accomplished with this software. The only drawback is that you cannot purchase the software, you must lease it on a monthly basis.

I believe that God orchestrates circumstances and situations, such as what he says in Romans 8:28 

28 And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. 

I have this opportunity and I believe that if it is God's will, then I will be successful through hard work and diligence, and making sure to give credit where credit is due: "Jesus Christ".

Speaking of computers, here are a couple of silly renderings.

Here is some information about a computer virus. I really don't think we have too much to worry about on this occasion. :-)

VARNING: MinnySoda Compewtr Virus

Ve haf just sent you da NORVEGIAN VIRUS. Since ve do not haf any programming experience and do not know how to actually demage your computir, dis Virus verks on da honor system. Please forward dis Virus to eferyvone on your mailing list and den manually delete all of da files on your hard drive.
Tank you for your cooperation, Sven and Ole

Much love, Dennis

Billy Graham

I want to thank Garen Martens for taking me to the FCA meeting last week. 
Towards the end of our meeting we discussed how one person sharing the gospel can make a big difference and lead to many other conversions. Here is an article about the importance one person can make.

Take Edward Kimball, for an example. Never heard of him?  You’re not unique in that sense.  Most people have never heard of him.

Kimball was a Sunday school teacher who not only prayed for the often rowdy boys in his class but also sought to win each one to the Lord.  If Kimball ever felt like giving up, he never talked about it. If you have ever taught the Bible to young boys, you know that the experience can often be like herding cats.

One young man, in particular, didn’t seem to understand what the gospel was about so Kimball went to the shoe store where he was stocking shelves and confronted him in the stock room with the importance of a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. That young man was Dwight L. Moody.  In the stockroom on that Saturday, he received Jesus Christ as his Savior. In his lifetime, Moody touched two continents for God, with untold thousands coming to faith in Jesus Christ.

But the story doesn’t end there. Actually that’s where it begins. Under Moody, another man’s heart was touched for God, Wilbur Chapman.  Chapman became the evangelist who preached to thousands. One day, a professional ball player had a day off and attended one of Chapman’s meetings, and thus, Billy Sunday was converted.

Sunday quit baseball and became part of Chapman’s team. Then, Chapman accepted the pastorate of a large church and Billy Sunday began his own evangelistic crusades.
Another young man was converted whose name was Mordecai Ham.  He was a scholarly, dignified gentleman who wasn’t above renting a hearse and parading it through the streets advertising his meetings.

When Ham came to Charlotte, North Carolina, a sandy-haired, lanky young man, then in high school, vowed that he wouldn’t go hear him preach, but Billy Frank, as he was called by his family, did eventually go. Ham announced that he knew for a fact that a house of ill repute was located across the street from the local high school and that male students were skipping lunch to visit the house across the street. When students decided to go to interrupt the meetings of Mordecai Ham, Billy Frank decided to go see what would happen.

That night Billy Frank went and was intrigued by what he heard. Returning another night, he responded to the invitation and was converted. Billy Frank eventually became known as Billy Graham, the evangelist who preached to more people than any other person who ever lived, including the Apostle Paul.

This fascinating chain of events was triggered by a Sunday school teacher’s concern for his boys. If you are like most people, you have served in some capacity and wondered at times if you were making a real difference or not.  Maybe you’ve thought about quitting because you didn’t think you were making any difference.

Next time you are tempted to give up, please remember Edward Kimball, whose persistence and faithfulness was tremendously honored by the Lord.  The story would have looked very differently if Edward Kimball did not take his Saturday to seek out young Dwight Moody.

Edward Kimball
D. L. Moody
Wilbur Chapman
Billy Sunday
Mordecai Ham
Billy Graham
You can count the apples on a tree, but only God knows how many apples are in a single seed.

                                      One of my favorites 

Much love, Dennis

Wisdom

I've been a Christian for many years, reading Bible passages, attending Sunday school, listening to Bible teachers on radio and TV as well as Sunday morning sermons. I thought I was somewhat familiar with what the Bible had to say. Something that I had never done until about two years ago was read the Bible cover to cover. I use Bible Gateway on my computer for lots of things including weekly devotionals. I noticed that they had a read the Bible in a year plan. You just sign up with your e-mail and they send you an Old Testament and a New Testament reading each day. I'm on my second time through and I am humbled by the lack of knowledge that I actually possess, both Old and New Testament. Some things are so graphic, especially in the Old Testament that if you would've told me they were in the Bible five years ago, I would've called you a nutbag. Something that I read recently and noticed for the first time humor, for example in the story of Samson and Delilah.

 Samson poses a riddle to 30 young Philistine men. Delilah betrayed him and gave the answer to the Philistines. Here is the question.
 “Out of the eater, something to eat;
  Out of the strong, something sweet."
The Philistines gave the correct answer.

Judges 14:18
New International Version (NIV)
18 Before sunset on the seventh day the men of the town said to him,

“What is sweeter than honey?
 What is stronger than a lion?”
Samson said to them,

“If you had not plowed with my heifer,
    you would not have solved my riddle.”

The next-to-last line, "If you had not plowed with my heifer", may have been a common phrase back then, but I had to chuckle as I read it  :-)

Something else that made me go "HUH" is found throughout the book of Proverbs. Here are a few examples, see if you can spot them.

Proverbs 1:20
Out in the open wisdom calls aloud, she raises her voice in the public square;
Proverbs 4:6
Do not forsake wisdom, and she will protect you; love her, and she will watch over you.
Proverbs 9:1
Wisdom has built her house; she has set up its seven pillars.
Proverbs 14:33
Wisdom reposes in the heart of the discerning and even among fools she lets herself be known.
Proverbs 31:26
She speaks with wisdom, and faithful instruction is on her tongue.

There are many more, I'm sure you noticed that wisdom is always referred to with a feminine pronoun.
I told Cheri and my mother-in-law that this is just more proof that God has a sense of humor.
This was one of those times when I should have kept a tight rein on my tongue  :-)

A young ventriloquist is touring the clubs and one night he's doing a show in a small club in a small town in Arkansas. With his dummy on his knee, he's going through his usual dumb blonde jokes when a blonde woman in the fourth row stands on her chair and starts shouting: ''I've heard enough of your stupid blonde jokes. What makes you think you can stereotype women that way? What does the color of a person's hair have to do with her worth as a human being? It's guys like you who keep women like me from being respected at work and in the community and from reaching our full potential as a person, because you and your kind continue to perpetuate discrimination against, not only blondes, but women in general...and all in the name of humor!''
The ventriloquist is embarrassed and begins to apologize, when the blonde yells, ''You stay out of this, mister! I'm talking to that little jerk on your knee!''

Much love, Dennis

Bible Reading

I have just finished Leviticus in my daily Bible reading. It is about the covenant that God had with Moses. I didn't count, but I've been told that there are over 600 laws in addition to the 10 Commandments that the Jewish people were to follow in order to maintain a pure relationship with God. I've read through this before, but I never actually put myself in their shoes.
I now have a different perspective on the covenant that I live under as a Christian, Grace.

Romans 10: 5-10 (amplified Bible) 

 5 For Moses writes that the man who [can] practice the righteousness (perfect conformity to God’s will) which is based on the Law [with all its intricate demands] shall live by it.

6 But the righteousness based on faith [imputed by God and bringing right relationship with Him] says, Do not say in your heart, Who will ascend into Heaven? that is, to bring Christ down;

7 Or who will descend into the abyss? that is, to bring Christ up from the dead [as if we could be saved by our own efforts].

8 But what does it say? The Word (God’s message in Christ) is near you, on your lips and in your heart; that is, the Word (the message, the basis and object) of faith which we preach,

9 Because if you acknowledge and confess with your lips that Jesus is Lord and in your heart believe (adhere to, trust in, and rely on the truth) that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.

10 For with the heart a person believes (adheres to, trusts in, and relies on Christ) and so is justified (declared righteous, acceptable to God), and with the mouth he confesses (declares openly and speaks out freely his faith) and confirms [his] salvation.


 It is so simple to understand and many people still think that living a good life will get them into Heaven. I do believe that as Christians we should strive to do good things and show unconditional love to everyone. I know of someone who expresses this well.

Here is something that concerns a law, but it is a law that we live by today.

Slow or Stop

A guy blows a stop sign in Philly and gets caught by a policeman. Cop says, "License and registration please." Guy says, "What for?" Cop says, "You didn't come to a complete stop at the stop sign." Guy says, "I slowed down, and no one was coming." Cop says, "You still didn't come to a complete stop. License and registration, please." Guy says, "What's the difference?" Cop says, "The difference is, you have to come to a complete stop. License and registration, PLEASE!" Guy says, "If you can show me the difference between slow down and stop I'll give you my license and registration." Cop says, "Okay, exit your vehicle sir." At this point, the cop takes out his Night Stick and starts beating the crap out of the guy and says, "Now sir, do you want me to slow down or stop?"

Much Love, Dennis

Old Friends and New Friends

It's been a good week, I've had several visitors and as always enjoyed each one. A longtime friend and Christian man, Vinton Baker stopped by for a short visit. He would have stayed longer, but unfortunately I had a doctors appointment in Enid. I went to school with his daughter Delia.

My mother-in-law and I both had appointments dam the St. Mary's medical complex in Enid on Thursday. She got a very good report on her shoulder and they are just continuing with rehab for now.
I am down to one skin breakdown on my left ankle. It is slowly healing and I'm looking forward to the day that those pesky breakdowns are a thing of the past.

On Friday Dan and Gwen Willits stopped by and brought with them Mike and Patty O'Brien. Dan and Gwen are part of my group of special people, and my Brother and Sister in Christ. It was an honor to meet two of their good friends. Those four were on a tight schedule and so they were unable to spend very much time here. I did manage to brag about my computer and coax them into a picture just before they left.

I have a group of "Special People" and I love them dearly. They know who they are because over the last 7+ years I have learned to tell them. It was not something that I was accustomed to or comfortable with, but I have changed a lot over the years. Saying  "I love you" is much easier than putting it into practice. Right now the Lord as been teaching me to practice love. I'm not talking about the easy kind of love, but kind of love that we are to have for those that we don't even like.


Matthew 5:42-48  Amplified Bible 
42 Give to him who keeps on begging from you, and do not turn away from him who would borrow at interest] from you.
43 You have heard that it was said, You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy;
44 But I tell you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,
45 To show that you are the children of your Father Who is in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the wicked and on the good, and makes the rain fall upon the upright and the wrongdoers [alike].
46 For if you love those who love you, what reward can you have? Do not even the tax collectors do that?
47 And if you greet only your brethren, what more than others are you doing? Do not even the Gentiles (the heathen) do that?
48 You, therefore, must be perfect [growing into complete maturity of godliness in mind and character, having reached the proper height of virtue and integrity], as your heavenly Father is perfect.

Here is a quote that I think my friends understand about me. :-)

 "A true friend is someone who thinks that you are a good egg even though he knows that you are slightly cracked." ~ Bernard Meltzer

Much love, Dennis