Moved To Her Home In Heaven

          

          On Saturday my dear Aunt Ellen Derck stepped on the shores heaven where she was greeted by her loving Lord whom she had served most of her nearly 96 years here on earth.  While she didn't want to leave her dear husband of 73 years and her family, she had looked forward to sharing the joys of eternity in heaven.
         I imagine that she was also soon reunited with many friends and family members, including her two sisters and her brother (my dad), their spouses, her mother, her stepfather, and for the first time ever, her father, H.A. Kauffman.  My aunt's real father, my grandfather, died before she was born, so she never knew him.  She must be having an exciting reunion with him - one that I look forward to having someday.
          Several times over the past several years the doctors were sure that she was about to make this journey from earth to heaven.  They even went as far as to summon the family.  But each previous time the Lord still had work for her to do and He extended her days.   But not this time.  She had a marvelous way of making friends and sharing the Gospel with those she met, especially doctors and nurses.  Many lives were touched by her outreach to them in the final years of her life.   We believe that the Lord prolonged her life for that reason.
           My memories of Aunt Ellen are many, going back to when I was just a child.  While her husband, Uncle John, was serving in France during World War II, she often helped care for me.  But probably my greatest memory was when she led me to the Lord at the age of four on June 12, 1945.  I will be eternally thankful for that.
          When I was in third grade our families shared a row house in Lancaster.  They lived on the main floor and we had the apartment on the second floor.  About a year later they rented another home and moved.  But we were close enough that we still spent much time together, visiting with them most weekends.
         Uncle John was a manager for Penneys and so they moved quite frequently.  He started in Sunbury and then was assigned to Lancaster.  I'm not sure of all the locations where he served, but I do remember visits with them in Fredericksburg Virginia, Derby Connecticut, and Pottstown PA.  I remember visiting with them in Derby and traveling with them to New York City to see the Billy Graham Crusade in Times Square.  What a good memory.  Dianne and I also visited them in Derby on our first vacation after we were married.  After Uncle John retired at Pottstown, they decided to move to Wisconsin to be near their daughter and her husband who were in charge of a year round camp run by Wheaton College.  They enjoyed Wisconsin but still rooted for the Penn State football teams.
          My uncle and aunt were very supportive of us when we had our family ministry.  When we would have the Saturday programs at the Old Mill Bible Conference they were always there with us.  When we had programs in their church at Spring City they always entertained us for dinner.  They loved us and loved our boys.
           And despite the amount of travel involved, when my grandparents were alive they were always with them for Christmas.  My father's family all loved and served the Lord and we were all very close. I will never forget the times we all joined in singing "We Thank Thee Lord For This Our Food" as our prayer for our Christmas dinner.  This is a tradition that we have continued with our family.  Then there were annual family gatherings at Mizpah Grove and Mt. Gretna. The memories of times together will never be forgotten.  What an amazing legacy the Lord has given me.  And my Aunt Ellen is a major part of that legacy.
           Several years ago she had a stroke which took away her ability to walk.  At times her speech was slurred, but PTL  her mind was sharp right up to the end.  She continued to organize and attend a Bible study for the folks in the retirement home where they lived. We had the joy of visiting them in Rhinelander several times and they were precious times.  On our last visit she enjoyed listening to my wife play hymns on the piano.  My Uncle John calls us about once a week and several times I had the chance to talk to Aunt Ellen.  While sometimes I had some difficulty understanding all that she said, those conversations were special and something I will never forget.
          Aunt Ellen's son, my cousin Jerry, will conducted her funeral service on Sunday.  He expects to speak on Proverbs 31 and use an acronym, SPECIAL, to describe his mother. SCRIPTURE because that was central for her.  PRAYER WARRIOR for that was what she was. EVANGELISTIC- she shared the Gospel with everyone she met. CHILDREN - she loved them, especially her grandchildren and great grandchildren.  INTENSE INTEREST in others - definitely and people loved her.  ALWAYS DETERMINED and among other things that helped her live with her stroke effects.  LOVED HER LORD - without a doubt and that was obvious to all who knew her.  A fitting description.
           Now I will miss her deeply but do not wish her back. I feel for the great loss that my uncle now faces and I pray for comfort for him.  She lived a long and godly life and deserves a new body and the rewards of heaven which she has earned.  But I will especially miss her because she was a real prayer warrior who faithfully remembered me and my family.  I have had a few such people over the years, but one by one they have graduated to heaven and that is leaving a major hole in my life.
          And with her passing, I am now the oldest living member in the Kauffman line and that is another reality which is hard to accept.  Where have all the years gone?
        Thank you Lord for my heritage and for the impact of Aunt Ellen on my life and the lives of my family.  I have been blessed.

Power Saver

         It was 20 years ago that we remodeled our kitchen.  At that time we had a new microwave built in above our stove.  For two decades it met all of our needs and we often took that for granted.  Then last winter it just died!
So we headed to out favorite appliance dealer, L. H. Brubaker.  Fortunately we found that over two decades the measurements stayed practically the same, except that they were just a little deeper.  No problem.  But there were so many options now available and dozens to choose from and this made purchasing difficult  We chose a basic model with all the features that we felt we needed.  They installed it for us and remarked that now microwaves only last seven to ten years.  They must cut down the quality to produce extra sales over the years.
For ten months the new one worked perfectly.  We were pleased. Then suddenly one day we found that the clock would suddenly shut off.  When you opened the door the clock would come on and stay on ...  for about a minute.  Then it would shut off.

So we stopped by the store and asked if there was something that we were doing wrong with the settings.  They didn't know but referred us to an employee who they said knew everything about microwaves.  When we talked to him he concluded that we needed a new panel and a new clock.  Since it was still under the guarantee we asked him to order the needed part.
Well a week later the repairman showed up with the needed parts.  Like us, he was perplexed by the problem.  He asked to read our manual just as I had done when it first went bad.  He almost gave up when he found a little information at the end of the book about a power saver button.  As he experimented he found out that the only indication that this function is in use is ... the clock display shuts off when the microwave is not being used.  Everything else, including the lights and fans, still works ... but not the clock display.  So since the power saver had accidentally been activated, the clock was shutting off.  No repair needed.
After he left I did some investigation online and found that if activated, this feature saves up to 20% of the power use when the microwave is not being used.  And the clock still maintains the correct time even though it is not displayed. This is unique to GE microwaves.  Not a bad feature, if it actually works.  And 20% savings is nice.  However, why don't they explain this in the manual.  There is no explanation there telling what it actually does.  And the microwave guru and the repairman didn't even know about this.

So now we are saving energy. We've activated the button. We just can't read the clock display.  But 20% is 20%!
Now I've been thinking, wouldn't it be nice if our bodies had a "power saver" button.  We could just push it when we had no work to do and we could save and build up our energy.  That would be a great feature for those of us who are growing older and have less energy than we used to.  But wait a minute, I think the Creator did take care of that.  Instead of a button, he used something called ... a "nap".  And the older I get, the more I appreciate and need that function.
Guess I'll sit down now and activate my "power saver".  I love it!

Changes

          Three of my favorite years growing up were the years that we lived in downtown Lancaster - 48 N. Queen St.  Those years may have been hard for my father since parking was rather difficult, but I thoroughly enjoyed my time there.
We lived in a row home and for the first year there we shared our home with my aunt and uncle and cousin.  We lived upstairs and they lived downstairs.  When they moved out we had the entire house to ourselves and we enjoyed having loads of room.  We didn't have much of a yard, but that didn't matter since the large house and the whole town were our playground.
My brother and I walked several blocks to school at George Ross Elementary.  After school I would often walk downtown, by myself, and explore the stores and the city.  I learned to love the city.  I was only a youngster, but I felt entirely safe.  My parents and I never had any fears about my safety.  It was great.
           During the summer, when our new church held tent meetings, we often had Bible school students who were helping with the meetings stay in our house.  That was a great experience.  When our new church met in a hall downtown, our family often walked to church, Sunday mornings and evenings and Wednesday evenings.  We had friends in that area that we would go to visit.  No fears.  Great memories.
Now fast forward  60 years - times in Lancaster have changed drastically.  Today I would never consider walking in my old neighborhood at night.  Even during the day I would be careful and concerned.  I would not ever let my children walk to school unattended.  Crime, fights, shootings and drugs are now common.  It's so sad.
          In the last three months there were at least ten shootings in Lancaster.  Three of them were fatal.  And one elementary school teacher was brutally killed in her home in an attempted burglary.  The majority of these were in the northeast section of town, an area recently thought to be very "safe".  In 2012 there were 26 shootings.  In 2013 there were 29.  In the first eleven months of 2014 there were 34 shootings.  Not too comforting.  Some were drive by shootings.  Some shot were innocent bystanders.
          The mayor blames it on the state which he says "refuses to do everything it can to keep guns out of the hands of people who use them unlawfully."  He says that the shootings do not indicate that the general public is at high risk.  He says drunken drivers pose a bigger danger to law abiding citizens.   Really?
The police chief said that residents, visitors and downtown merchants should know that most such incidents arise from personal disputes - not drug or turf wars involving gangs.  Is that comforting?  Tell that to the 54 year old man who was fatally wounded and the 60 year old woman and 25 year old man who were all wounded in the same incident.  All three  were described as innocent bystanders.
           But no matter what they do, the cause of this is man's sin.  They can try stricter laws, tougher prosecution, more police, wars on drugs, or whatever, but until the hearts of men are changed, violence like this will just increase.  The cure for the world's ills is Jesus, but He has become politically incorrect in today's society.  Instead of depending upon Him, society has tried to remove Him from all aspects of today's life and what we are facing today is the sad and dangerous result.
           Unfortunately this problem is not just Lancaster's.  Almost every night the local news reports shootings in York or Harrisburg as well as Lancaster.  Now many residents say they don't fear the city.  Good for them.  Let them live, walk, and shop there.  As for me, I will still spend limited time there, but only when I have to.
I guess we've come a long way ... but change isn't always good.  In this case I'd rather have the "good old days".

The Lottery

Every morning that I walk at the Park City Mall I pass a tobacco shop where they sell lottery tickers.  Almost every day I see folks, most of them seniors, purchasing lottery tickets.  Many of them purchase the scratch off cards and then move to the mall where they sit and begin to scratch.  In  most cases when they are done, they get up and leave, having lost once again.  Others choose numbers for the daily drawings or the huge lotteries where millions are given away.  I assume that most of these purchasers also end up being disappointed.
Now I will probably never win since I don't play.  I have reservations about gambling so I stay away.  I also know myself enough to know that if I started playing I might have a tough time stopping and all I would do is lose more money.  And finally, as a math teacher, I know the tremendous odds against winning.  Your chances are almost zero.
         However, I do leave myself a little opening.  We had a friend who used to enjoy giving his friends a lottery ticket as a birthday gift.  Now I know folks who tore them up and threw them away without checking them out.  Maybe I'm in the minority, but I feel that if it is a gift and I've not invested anything of my own funds, I would be crazy not to see if it was worth anything.  I certainly would take cash as a gift if it were given to me as a present, so I don't see a big difference between cash and a ticket.  But that probably won't happen again because the gift giver recently passed away.
          Now while I don't play, I have often thought about what I would do if I were to win several million.  Obviously, the first thing I would do is hire a good accountant who could help me handle the money.  Then I would want to take care of all the tax obligations the money would bring.
          My first priority would be to help my church and my denomination's Bible and Retreat Center pay off their loans.  Being able to do that would give me real joy.  However, the question would be would they even accept the money since it came from the lottery.  I do know about a local school teacher whose wife bought a ticket and didn't tell him.  She won the grand prize and wanted to give the money to their church.  But the church refused to accept it.  While he had been very active in his church for many yers, he eventually left the church not only because of their rejection but also because of the way folks treated him as a "gambler".
          My next choice would be to set up scholarships for my seven grandchildren.  Three are now in college and some of them have hopes of going to graduate school.  The other four will probably also attend college when they graduate from high school.  I'd love to be able to help them reach their goals without running up huge debts for their education.
         Would I want anything for myself?  Well I'd like to take a trip to Alaska while contractors are fixing the many problems in our house so that it could be sold.  Then I'd like to sell it and move to a top notch retirement home where we could be cared for the rest of our lives.  I really wouldn't need or want much more for us since the Lord has been good to us and has provided all that we really need.
          While I don't play, I did have a very unusual thing happen once when I was teaching.  One day I was making up additional practice problems to work in front of the class on the overhead projector - anyone remember those things?  Three problems in a row unexpectedly ended up with solutions involving the three digits 7, 1, 6.  My students and I remarked about this unusual situation and I made the off hand remark that maybe I should break my rules and bet 7, 1, and 6 in the lottery that night.  We laughed about it. But the next morning a student brought the results of the lottery to class and showed that ... guess what ... 7, 1, 6 was actually the winner.  Wow!   And how much did I win?  Zero!
          So there are my thoughts.  They sound good but there is no chance that any of this could happen ... unless somebody else gives me tickets as a gift ... and that probably won't happen again.  Incidentally ... just in case you are interested ... my birthday is April 6 ... and of course there is always Christmas ... or Valentines Day ... or June 2, our anniversary!

Rain or Snow?

Now here is something for you to think about:
A Russian couple were walking down the street in Moscow one night when the man felt a drop hit his nose.  "I think it's raining", he said to his wife.
"No, that felt more like snow to me", she replied.
"No, I'm sure it was just rain" he replied.
Well, as these things go, they were about to have a major argument about whether it was raining or snowing.  Just then they saw a former official of the Communist Party walking toward them.
"Let's not fight about it", the man said.  "Let's ask Comrade Rudolph whether it's officially raining or snowing"
As the official approached, the man said, "Tell us, Comrade Rudolph, is it officially raining or snowing?"
"It's raining, of course", he replied and walked on.
But the woman insisted, "I know that felt like snow!".  To which the man quietly replied, "Rudolph the Red knows rain, dear!"

Getting Ahead

        I've come to the conclusion that it isn't always just good hard work that leaves a good impression, but unfortunately it might also be the little things that you do that help create a good perception of you by others.  Recently I read these "Ten Commandments for Working Hard."

1. Never walk without a document in your hands

People with documents in their hands look like hardworking employees heading for important meetings. People with nothing in their hands look like they're heading for the cafeteria. People with a newspaper in their hand look like they're heading for the restroom. Above all, make sure you carry loads of stuff home with you at night, thus generating the false impression that you work longer hours than you do.

2. Use computers to look busy

Any time you use a computer, it looks like work to the casual observer. You can send and receive personal e-mail, chat and generally have a blast without doing anything remotely related to work. These aren't exactly the societal benefits that the proponents of the computer revolution would like to talk about but they're not bad either. When you get caught by your boss - and you will get caught  your best defense is to claim you're teaching yourself to use new software, thus saving valuable training dollars.

3. Messy desk

Top management can get away with a clean desk. For the rest of us, it looks like we're not working hard enough. Build huge piles of documents around your workspace. To the observer, last year's work looks the same as today's work; it's volume that counts. Pile them high and wide. If you know somebody is coming to your cubicle, bury the document you'll need halfway down in an existing stack and rummage for it when he/she arrives.

4. Voice Mail

Never answer your phone if you have voice mail. People don't call you just because they want to give you something for nothing - they call because they want YOU to do work for THEM. That's no way to live. Screen all your calls through voice mail. If somebody leaves a voice mail message for you and it sounds like impending work, respond during lunch hour when you know they're not there - it looks like you're hardworking and conscientious even though you're being a devious weasel.

5. Looking Impatient and Annoyed

According to Seinfeld's George Costanza, one should also always try to look impatient and annoyed to give your bosses the impression that you are always busy.

6. Leave the office late

Always leave the office late, especially when the boss is still around. You could read magazines and storybooks that you always wanted to read but have no time until late before leaving. Make sure you walk past the boss' office on your way out. Send important emails at unearthly hours (e.g. 9:35pm, 7:05am, etc.) and over the holidays.

7. Creative Sighing for Effect

Sigh loudly when there are many people around, giving the impression that you are under extreme pressure.

8. Stacking Strategy

It is not enough to pile lots of documents on the table. Put lots of books on the floor etc. (Thick computer manuals are the best).

9. Build Vocabulary

Read up on some computer magazines and pick out all the jargon and new products. Use the phrases freely when in conversation with bosses. Remember: They don't have to understand what you say, but you sure sound impressive.

10. MOST IMPORTANT:

DON'T forward this to your boss by mistake!!!

Prayer for 2015

           As we come to the end of 2014, I want to share my prayer for the future.  I don't make resolutions, but this old hymn states my desires for the future and it is my prayer.  Actually I am sharing the blog that I've written for my hymn blog.  It appeared there on December 28.  I think the hymn should be shared with my readers on both blogs as we approach 2015.  Here is what I have written for that blog:

         Traditionally, when January 1 rolls around, many people make resolutions for the coming year.  Quite often they are about health goals, financial goals, work goals, recreational goals or even family goals.  But what about spiritual goals?  I think that this hymn would make a tremendous goal or prayer for each of us for the coming year.  The Bible teaches us that God's goal for His people is that they "become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ"  (Ephesians 4:13).  Christlikeness is much more than a religious profession or visits to church.  It is a total way of life, a total commitment.  The words for this hymn/prayer were written by Thomas Obadiah Chisholm (1866-1960).  Chisholm was born in a log cabin in Kentucky.  He educated himself and became a school teacher at the age of 16.  By the age of 21 he was an associate editor of his local newspaper. After he was born again, as a believer at age 27, after hearing his mentor, Dr. Henry Clay Morrison, at a revival service, he penned the words of "Oh, To Be Like Thee".  He knew, as a new believer, how his life compared to God's, and so he called out to Him. Chisholm's words show the zeal of this new Christian, as he sought the character traits of Jesus, not merely to admire them, but to shape himself. Later the words were put to music by William James Kirpatrick.  Thomas' physical condition would be a challenge in the period following the hymn's publication in 1897, as he pursued being editor of the Pentecostal Herald in Louisville and then ordained ministry. Both of these efforts were suspended because of poor health. He must have wondered how his desire to serve and be like Jesus would be accomplished, as he was forced to abandon editing and preaching in pretty short order.  But throughout his life he kept writing poetry, ultimately authoring some 1,200 poems, including 800 that were eventually in print.  Probably his most famous hymn is "Great Is Thy Faithfulness" which he wrote when he was fifty-seven.  The words of these two hymns might be his personal diary.  He started his spiritual journey with the stated desire to be like Jesus.  And as he neared the end of his journey on this earth he proclaimed God's greatness and faithfulness.  What a testimony.  May this be our experience and testimony as well.  Why not begin 2015 by making it your prayer to be like Jesus in all that you do. "O to be like Thee! O to be like Thee!  Blessed Redeemer, pure as Thou art;  Come in Thy sweetness, come in Thy fullness; Stamp Thine own image deep on my heart".

1.  O to be like Thee! blessed Redeemer;

This is my constant longing and prayer;

Gladly I'll forfeit all of earth's treasures,

Jesus, Thy perfect likeness to wear.

O to be like Thee! O to be like Thee!

Blessed Redeemer, pure as Thou art;

Come in Thy sweetness, come in Thy fullness;

Stamp Thine own image deep on my heart.

2.   O to be like Thee! full of compassion,

Loving, forgiving, tender and kind,

Helping the helpless, cheering the fainting,

Seeking the wand'ring sinners to find.

O to be like Thee! O to be like Thee!

Blessed Redeemer, pure as Thou art;

Come in Thy sweetness, come in Thy fullness;

Stamp Thine own image deep on my heart.

3.   O to be like Thee! lowly in spirit,

Holy and harmless, patient and brave;

Meekly enduring cruel reproaches,

Willing to suffer, others to save.

O to be like Thee! O to be like Thee!

Blessed Redeemer, pure as Thou art;

Come in Thy sweetness, come in Thy fullness;

Stamp Thine own image deep on my heart.

4.   O to be like Thee! Lord, I am coming,

Now to receive the' anointing divine;

All that I am and have I am bringing;

Lord, from this moment all shall be Thine.

O to be like Thee! O to be like Thee!

Blessed Redeemer, pure as Thou art;

Come in Thy sweetness, come in Thy fullness;

Stamp Thine own image deep on my heart.

5.   O to be like Thee! While I am pleading

Pour out Thy Spirit, fill with Thy love.

Make me a temple meet for Thy dwelling,

Fit for a life which Thou wouldst approve.

O to be like Thee! O to be like Thee!

Blessed Redeemer, pure as Thou art;

Come in Thy sweetness, come in Thy fullness;

Stamp Thine own image deep on my heart.

You can listen to it here.   LISTEN

Have A Blessed Christmas!

     I almost decided to skip writing a Christmas blog because I was sure that my very few followers would be too busy to read it.  But then a friend shared a special feature with us on Facebook and I felt that this would be a perfect "gift" to share with you on this Christmas Day.   Please take time to watch and listen to all of it.  I hope you will be entertained but inspired as well.  Have a very blessed and happy Christmas Day!

CHRISTMAS FEATURE

And the angels sang?

"Hark the herald angels SING, glory to the newborn King!".   Is that a true statement or having we been singing false theology for centuries?  Do angels sing?  It's a question I have been asking myself since I don't want to offend folks by choosing hymns for my weekly hymn blog that might not be theologically correct.

It appears that this question has been debated for many years and many folks are sure that they have the correct answer.  The problem comes with the interpretation of Luke 2:13-14 which informs us, "Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, 'Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom His favor rests.'"  It appears that the angels here are shouting but not singing as many Christmas hymns seem to say.

Actually the Bible does not have very much to say about angels. I read that much of what people believe about angels today does not come from the Word of God but comes from the Middle Ages, with no scriptural foundation whatever.  It's interesting to note that angels as we know them today have been sent forth as ministering spirits (see Hebrews 1:5-14). We know so little about them and the little that we do know is the contact they've made with earth.

So called authorities and scholars have disagreed for centuries on other scriptures that could indicate that angels might sing, such as Job 38:7 and Revelation 5:11-13.  But the fact that the angels are worshipping and praising God in the Luke passage could seem to argue for singing as the meaning, not just speaking. God has created humanity with an innate connection to music and singing, especially in regard to worship (Ephesians 5:19).  So It might seem logical that God could have created the angels with that same "propensity" for singing.

Some disagree strongly.  The late Bible teacher Dr. J. Vernon McGee says, without any hesitation, "Well, hark, the herald angels don't sing! This Christmas carol that they sing has no scriptural proof at all. We can do something which angels cannot do, and that is sing." Maybe he is right.

Now while we don't want to promote ideas that are false or just tradition, maybe we also need to be careful on this question. Just because the Bible doesn't explicitly state that they did sing does not necessarily mean that they did not. Some who have even argued that angels do not or cannot sing at all must adequately address Job 38:7 and other passages that seem to support the idea that they can and have sung. Furthermore, there is no biblical or logical reason why they could not sing. Angels appear to be highly intelligent beings who are capable of speaking. Why would they be incapable of putting those words into song, especially since other beings in heaven sing (Revelation 5:9–14)?

Charles Wesley must have thought that they did sing when he penned the words of his long famous Christmas carol.  Was he wrong?  Even Charles Spurgeon, the famous nineteenth century preacher, waxed eloquent on singing angels: "And notice how well they told the story, and surely you will love them! Not with the stammering tongue of one who tells a tale in which he has no interest; nor even with the feigned interest of a man that would move the passions of others, when he feels no emotion himself; but with joy and gladness, such as angels can only know. They sang the story out, for they could not stop to tell it in heavy prose. They sang, "Glory to God on high, and on earth peace, good will towards men." I think they sang it with gladness in their eyes; with their hearts burning with love, and with breasts as full of joy as if the good news to man had been good news to themselves."  Interesting opinion.

But maybe a contemporary, Dr. David Jeremiah, sums it up the best.  "So are angels melodious, or tone-deaf? The Bible doesn't seem to care enough to clear it up for us. I guess we'll just have to wait and see! And while we're waiting, there are plenty of places where it encourages us to sing our praises to God!"  

Now what do we do with "heaven's arches rang when the angels sand," or "the world in solemn stillness lay to hear the angels sing." or "Ye who sang creation's story, now proclaim Messiah's birth," or "angels we have heard on high, sweetly singing o'er the plains," or "whom angels greet with anthems sweet," or "sing choirs of angels, sing in exultation, O sing all ye bright hosts of heaven above," or "heavenly hosts sing allelujah," or "hark the herald angels sing!"  I guess that is your choice.  Fortunately your opinion does not affect your destiny.  But I'd be glad to at least to hear what you think.  As for me, I will probably still sing ... or say them ... maybe I should try replacing "sing" with "said"... "Hark the herald angles said."

In any case, when we think about God's amazing gift of a Savior to mankind on that night, we should glorify and praise God, whether in spoken word or in song, just as the shepherds did on that incredible night after they had seen the newborn King.

Names

            "For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace."   Isaiah 9:6.

This familiar scripture has been shared many times during the Christmas season and it reminds us of the many names and attributes of Jesus.  Likewise there are many names for God that describe His attributes.  If you are looking for a great personal Bible study theme for 2015, you might consider researching His names.

Names are important.  Sometimes they have a special meaning, such as many of those found in the Bible.  Sometimes they bring to our mind good and bad memories of people that we have met during our lives.  If nothing else, usually they are very important to the person who bears that name.

I must admit that one of my biggest weaknesses in life is remembering names and at times I feel very guilty about this since names are so important to people.  As a teacher I struggled to learn the names of my students each time I began a new class.  Some years I even took pictures of my students and reviewed them daily in an attempt to memorize their names.  This has been tough for me even though I know how important it is.  And I am glad that I am now retired, because the very unusual names being given to children today will be nightmares for their teachers tomorrow.  And many children will need to live all their lives with strange names that will be continually mispronounced and strange spellings that will seldom be spelled correctly.

Remembering names incorrectly or spelling them incorrectly can be very disappointing to the person with that name.  Throughout her life my wife has struggled with the fact that the majority of people, including close friends, continue to spell her name incorrectly as Diane rather than the correct Dianne.  They have seen her name so often on greeting cards and in other places, but they still spell it wrong.  I think 75% of the Christmas cards that she has received so far this year have the wrong spelling, even though most of them were prepared after having received, opened and read our Christmas letter - with the correct spelling.  This is especially true at our church where she is well known as the person who sends birthday cards to most people. We laugh about it now and expect it.  But it does continue to amaze us.  Unfortunately, her correct spelling just doesn't matter to most other people ... except her.

But fortunately her heavenly Father knows who she is and cares for her.  He doesn't make mistakes.  And when I think of those spelling her name incorrectly, I often think of a praise chorus that reminds us that He knows our name.  And that is important and I am sure our names are spelled correctly in the Lamb's Book of Life.

I have a Maker

He formed my heart

Before even time began

My life was in His hands

He knows my name

He knows my every thought

He sees each tear that falls

And hears me when I call

I have a Father

He calls me His own

He'll never leave me

No matter where I go

He knows my name

He knows my every thought

He sees each tear that falls

And hears me when I call

He knows my name

He knows my every thought

He sees each tear that falls

And hears me when I call

          What a joy to realize and experience the truth of this great chorus.  If you don't know this chorus, you can listen to it here.  HE KNOWS MY NAME

Invisible

          What would you do if you could be invisible?  That's an interesting question that was recently posed by the editorial staff of the LNP, the Lancaster daily newspaper.  How would you respond?   Now be careful, your responses might reveal quite a bit about you and what you really believe and think about.

          The newspaper printed responses from nine different people and they were very interesting and not always surprising.  A 25 year old male said that he would go swimming in the ocean because he has a terrifying unnatural fear of sharks.  He feels that there would be no way that the sharks would know he was there if he were invisible.  Interesting.  I wonder if you were invisible if you would still give off a scent.

          A 44 year old male said that he would observe big corporate business people in meetings to see if they were really doing the right things to benefit people.  Obviously he doesn't trust the corporate world and maybe he has good reason not to trust it.  Their bottom line is profit.  But if he didn't like what he heard, what could he do about it ... especially if he were invisible?  Would the media listen to a voice out of the air with no apparent source?

          Along a similar line, a 45 year old male said he would like to be in the war room of the White House during discussions of ISIS.  Now that sounds very interesting and with the recent lack of White House security you could probably do that, especially if you were invisible.

         A 48 year old man said that he would help save the city by just doing stuff nobody would see him doing.  Now that is an commendable answer but I wonder what he would actually do.  I'm not sure how anyone, visible or invisible, could repair the infrastructure and improve the financial status of city government.  But it would be worth a try.

          Then there were the answers that revealed more of man's real nature - getting something for nothing by breaking the rules.  A 23 year old female said that she'd probably go to see music all the time and get in free and just hang out in cool places that she typically wouldn't be able to.  Hmm, how honest is that?  By the way, if you were invisible would you get cold in a "cool" place?

          A 43 year old female said that she would sneak into a Steelers game.  Again - getting something illegally - for nothing.  If you are invisible would you be bothered by unruly fans who pelt you with beer?   And speaking of beer, a 45 year old male said that he would steal all the beer.  Wow, visible drunks are bad enough, but an invisible drunk?  By the way, if one was invisible, could you follow the beer as it travels through the body?  Now that would be an interesting sight!

          And then there were two more who gave the answers I anticipated ... getting something ... illegally ... for nothing.  A 24 year old female said she'd rob a bank.  She didn't see any other use of being invisible.  And a 22 year old female also said that she would rob a bank and never get caught.  Maybe this sinful activity is one which many of us would consider, but never admit publicly.  The scripture tells us that the heart is desperately wicked.  It is also interesting to note the ages of these two women.  Are they representative of that generation which has grown up without absolutes and moral standards?  I guess the sample size is too small to draw any conclusions like that, but I do find it interesting.

         Now we'll never get to be invisible but it might be more interesting to know what would happen if our hidden thought life would be shared publicly.  That might be very embarrassing.  But someday it will be shared.

          Knowing this, my daily prayer is that the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart would always be acceptable in the sight of God.   And that should be our desire ... no matter if we are visible ... or even invisible.

To Tell The Truth

There was a time when the Ten Commandments were taught, displayed and served as a model to most folks, even nonbelievers.   But times have changed and they have been removed from many locations.  And atheists continue to challenge them in court.  And this movement certainly appears to coincide with the growth and open displays of sin in our society.  One of the commandments that is openly violated is that we should not bear false witness - we should not tell lies. But public and government officials break this one quite regularly. However, too often believers do the same.  We like to call those sorts of lies "white lies".  But whether they are "white" or "black" they are violations of this commandment. Now sin is not funny and needs to be taken seriously.  However, some of the results of "white lies" have interesting consequences.  Here is a story that I recently read about a "white lie".  It may not be true, and while it might be funny, it should also make us think about what we say.

Alice was to bake a cake for the church ladies' group bake sale, but she forgot to do it until the last minute. She baked an angel food cake and when she took it from the oven, the center had dropped flat.  She said, "Oh dear, there's no time to bake another cake."  So, she looked around the house for something to build up the center of the cake. Alice found it in the bathroom ... a roll of toilet paper.  She plunked it in and covered it with icing. The finished product looked beautiful, so she rushed it to the church.

Before she left the house, Alice had given her daughter some money and specific instructions to be at the bake sale the minute it opened, and to buy that cake and bring it home.When the daughter arrived at the sale, the attractive cake had already been sold.  Alice was beside herself.

The next day, Alice was invited to a friend's home where two tables of bridge were to be played that afternoon.  After the game, a fancy lunch was served, and to top it off, the cake in question was presented for dessert.  Alice saw the cake, she started to get out of her chair to rush into the kitchen to tell her hostess all about it, but before she could get to her feet, one of the other ladies said, "What a beautiful cake!"

Alice sat back in her chair when she heard the hostess (who was a prominent church member) say, "Thank you, I baked it myself!"