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.
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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

 

 

　

　

 

 

Butt Prints

BUTT PRINTS IN THE SAND
Otherwise known as the sequel to “Footprints in the sand.”
Footprints in the sand

One night I had a wondrous dream,
One set of footprints there was seen,
The footprints of my precious Lord,

But mine were not along the shore.
But then some stranger prints appeared,
And I asked the Lord, "What have we here?"
Those prints are large and round and neat,
“But Lord, they are too big for feet.”
“My child,” He said in somber tones,
“For miles I carried you alone.
I challenged you to walk in faith,
But you refused and made me wait.”
“You disobeyed, you would not grow,
The walk of faith, you would not know,
So I got tired, I got fed up’
And there I dropped you on your butt.”
“Because in life, there comes a time,
When one must fight, and one must climb,
When one must rise and take a stand,
Or leave their butt prints in the sand.”

–Author Unknown


I've not posted in a while. It is more of lack of dedication and abundance of laziness. I'm still battling pressure sores. They have caused me to be limited on my time spent out of bed. About 6 hours daily. However the one thing that I want to avoid is "pity parties". It's getting easier to drive right through the middle of the valley and not to be worried about anything.
Because of my set up that God has provided I can watch my TV with surround sound while I am in bed. My wife & mother-in-law have been recording movies for me to watch in the late afternoons. There are all kinds of movies available through DirecTV, but I find myself watching old John Wayne and Clint Eastwood movies. The content is very PG with the exception of a few choice words. It seems like too many current movies have a dark overtone with plenty of sexual scenes. All the things that I used to find interesting are now the things that bother me. Don't get me wrong, I'm not speaking from the values of my 20-year-old self. I am now 58 and born-again. I have the Holy Spirit telling me that those "things" are not the kind of "things" that I should be doing. Thank you Jesus for sending the Holy Spirit to guide and direct me.

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

Grace

 

How to Get to Heaven?

A teacher asked the children in her Sunday School class, "If I sold my house and my car, had a big garage sale and gave all my money to the church, would I get into heaven?"

"NO!" the children all answered.

"If I cleaned the church every day, mowed the yard, and kept everything neat and tidy, would I get into heaven?"

Again, the answer was "NO!"

"Well," she continued, "then how can I get to heaven?"

In the back of the room, a five-year-old boy shouted out,

"You gotta be dead!"

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Most of the things that I write are not my original thoughts. I put together what I have read. I just wanted to make sure that everyone is aware of that.
 
For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God. — Ephesians 2:8

Your hearts should be strengthened by God’s grace, not by obeying rules. — Hebrews 13:9 NCV

Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. — Matthew 11:28 NASB

Biblical grace is God's unmerited favor. God doing good for us what we don't deserve. In the Bible, grace and mercy are like two heads of the same coin. Mercy is God withholding judgment or evil that I deserve; grace is God giving me blessing or good that I don't deserve. Because of God's mercy, I do not receive the judgment of God against my sins. Because of God's grace, I receive eternal life and a promise of heaven though I don't deserve them. Both mercy and grace come to me though the Lord Jesus Christ.

Max Lucado video

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

Grandma Martha

Most people who know me are aware of the love I have for "Grandma Martha". Grandma was 98 in May. We could see the life being drained from her body. She began sleeping most of the day. Her memory was playing tricks on her. The only person she consistently recognized was my dad, her only child. She lost her 1st husband ( my grandfather ) in 1969. She later remarried Delbert VanHoy.

 Delbert was a jolly man who brought laughter back into the life of Grandma Martha. They married in 1975, but she was widowed again in 1976. Once again grandma was on her own. That didn't stop her from maintaining a full-time job as the manager of an apartment complex. In 1996 she moved to Fairview, right across the street from me. When she first arrived, she was maintaining an exercise regimen that consisted of walking 2 miles daily. She had several walking partners but she soon was walking alone. Osteoporosis began to take a toll on her body. She didn't complain much, just altered one leg of her slacks so they were even.
I'm really going to miss my 1996 Grandma Martha. I'm waiting to reunite with her in heaven. I miss Grandma Martha.
Much love, Dennis

Why Worry ?

A farmer was driving along the road with a load of natural fertilizer. A little boy, playing in front of his house, saw him and called, "What've you got in your truck?"

" Natural Fertilizer," the farmer replied.

"What are you going to do with it?" asked the little boy.

"Put it on strawberries," answered the farmer.

"You ought to live here," the little boy advised him. "We put sugar and cream on ours."

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                      Worry Is Worthless

 Worry is a complete waste of time and energy.  Pity parties result in a tremendous drain on your body. It may take weeks to fully recover from a party. I’m speaking from experience.

Which of you by being anxious can add a single cubit to his life’s span? — Matthew 6:27

I believe He was saying, “You go to bed tonight and fret and fuss because you’re not five feet, eleven inches tall; you’re only five feet, nine inches. But when you wake up in the morning, you’re still going to be five feet, nine inches.

Worries can be our mental and emotional companions. But Jesus says, in effect, that they’re worthless!

O men of little faith. Do not be anxious then, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘With what shall we clothe ourselves?’ — Matthew 6:31

We waste a lot of precious time becoming anxious about things we have no control over. It won't solve our problems, and we'll never recoup the time we've lost. When we worry, we weigh ourselves down, which can lead to health problems and serious psychological issues. Worrying is a hard habit to kick. When I find myself anxious, my best tool is to concentrate on Bible verses. The more scripture you have memorized, the easier it will be to keep worry on the sidelines. This works for me, I believe it will work for you.
Much love, Dennis