Time

          Time - something that we all wish that we had more of ... something that passes too quickly the older we get.  If you are like me, you often reflect upon the past and wonder where all the years have gone.  I look at my boys and my grandchildren and wonder how they can really be that old.  And how can I really be this old?  My how time flies!
         William Penn is said to have remarked, "Time is what we want most, but what we use worst."  Benjamin Franklin said, " Lost time is never found again."  Then it was Dr. Seuss who remarked, "How did it get so late so soon? It's night before it's afternoon.  December is here before it's June.  My goodness how the time has flewn.  How did it get so late so soon?"
        A Denis Waitley said, "Time is an equal opportunity employer.  Each human being has exactly the same number of hours and minutes every day.  Rich people can't buy more hours.  Scientists can't invent new minutes.  And you can't save time to spend it another day.  Even so, time is amazingly fair and forgiving.  No matter how much time you've wasted in the past, you still have an entire tomorrow."  And Tom Bennett has added, "Don't waste time in anger, regrets, worries and grudges.  Life is too short to be unhappy."
         Recently I was going through some items from by Grandpa Wolf's time as a pastor.  I came upon an old copy of "The Evangel", a monthly publication that he produced when he was pastor at the Emmanuel Bible Fellowship Church in Sunbury.  This one was dated February, 1965.  The front page included the poem "There's Time" by a Priscilla Leonard.

Life is never so short
But there's time for a song
To hearten the hours
As they hurry along:
Through the dark and the day
Its brave music can rise,
No matter how swiftly
Each winged second flies.

Life is never so short
But there's time for a deed
Of courtesy gentle
Of kindness in need:
Along the thronged highway
Where multitudes press
Each moment brings chances
To help and to bless.

Life is never so short
But there's time for a word
Of trust and of courage
Faint hearts to upgird;
Through the rush of the mart,
Through the din of the fray,
Hope finds ever its moment,
Faith conquers its way.

          So take some time in your day today to enjoy a good song, to do a good deed for somebody and to do something to encourage a "faint heart".  What a good use of our time that would be.
         A Michael Phillips has said, "The best things are never arrived at in haste.  God is not in a hurry.  His plans are never rushed."    Those thoughts remind me of one of my favorite choruses.  Meditate on these words.

1.   In His time, in His time,

He makes all things beautiful in His time.

Lord please show me every day

As You're teaching me Your way

That You do just what You say

In Your time.

2.   In Your time, in Your time,

You make all things beautiful in Your time.

Lord my life to You I bring 

May each song I have to sing

Be to you a lovely thing 

In Your time.

You can listen to this chorus here.    LISTEN

Fwd: Things Only A Mom Could Teach

          I know the official Mother's Day is now over for another year, but I thought you might enjoy some of the memories that most of us have about our mothers.  Actually, everyday should be Mother's Day so I guess this blog is still appropriate. So here are some things our mothers taught us.

*     My Mother taught me about ANTICIPATION: "Just wait until your father gets home."

*     My Mother taught me about RECEIVING:. "You are going to get it when we get home!"

*    My Mother taught me to MEET A CHALLENGE:   "What were you thinking? Answer me when I talk to you ... Don't talk back to me!"

*    My Mother taught me LOGIC:  "Because I said so, that's why."  and also  "If you fall out of that swing and break your neck, you're not going to the store with me."

*    My Mother taught me MEDICAL SCIENCE:   "If you don't stop crossing your eyes, they are going to freeze that way."

*    My Mother taught me to THINK AHEAD:  "If you don't pass your spelling test, you'll never get a good job."

*    My Mother taught me ESP:   "Put your sweater on; don't you think I know when you're cold?"

*    My Mother taught me HUMOR:   "When that lawn mower cuts off your toes, don't come running to me."

*    My Mother taught me how to BECOME AN ADULT:   "If you don't eat your vegetables, you'll never grow up."

*    My Mother taught me about GENETICS:    "You're just like your father."

*    My Mother taught me about my ROOTS:   "Do you think you were born in a barn?"

*    My Mother taught me about WISDOM OF AGE:   "When you get to be my age, you will understand."

*    My Mother taught me about JUSTICE:   "One day you'll have kids, and I hope they turn out just like you. Then you'll see what it's like."

*    My mother taught me RELIGION: "You better pray that will come out of the carpet."

*    My mother taught me about TIME TRAVEL:  "If you don't straighten up, I'm going to knock you into the middle of next week!"

*    My mother taught me FORESIGHT:  "Make sure you wear clean underwear, in case you're in an accident."

*    My mother taught me IRONY:  "Keep crying and I'll *give* you something to cry about."

*    My mother taught me about the science of OSMOSIS:    "Shut your mouth and eat your supper!"

*    My mother taught me about CONTORTIONISM:   "Will you *look* at the dirt on the back of your neck!"

*    My mother taught me about STAMINA:  "You'll sit there until all that spinach is finished."

*    My mother taught me about WEATHER:   "It looks as if a tornado swept through your room."

*    My mother taught me how to solve PHYSICS PROBLEMS:   "If I yelled because I saw a meteor coming toward you, would you listen then?"

*    My mother taught me about HYPOCRISY:  "If I've told you once, I've told you a million times: Don't Exaggerate!!!"

*    My mother taught me THE CIRCLE OF LIFE:   "I brought you into this world, and I can take you out."

*    My mother taught me about BEHAVIOR MODIFICATION:    "Stop acting like your father!"

*    My mother taught me about ENVY:   "There are millions of less fortunate children in this world who don't have wonderful parents like you do!"

          Thank you mother for all the valuable lessons you taught us!

My Regrets

          Mothers need to be celebrated!  So, President Woodrow Wilson proclaimed May 9, 1914, as the first Mother's Day. He asked Americans on that day to give a public "thank you" to their mothers and all mothers.  However, some say that the first Mother's Day in America was actually established by Anna Jarvis and was celebrated at St. Andrew's Methodist Church in Grafton, West Virginia, on May 10, 1908.

         No matter when the first celebration actually was, possibly thanks to Hallmark and other card companies, it has continued and really grown in popularity.  Today thousands celebrate by sending cards or flowers, taking their mothers out to eat, visiting with them or at least calling them.

          Now I have very few regrets in life, but one is that I should have done much more for my mother, not only on Mother's Day, but throughout her life.  Now that I am older I am beginning to realize how much visits from family members really mean to an aging parent. Visits mean so much more than even gifts or going our to eat.  There is nothing better to a parent than spending time with their children. I should have done so much more when I could have.

          In our family we never really celebrated special days, except maybe Christmas.  Others have big birthday parties and special days have special elaborate celebrations.  But that isn't the way we were raised.  But I know now that tradition isn't a good excuse.

           Unfortunately, some of us learn those lessons too late in life when things can no longer be changed.  I loved my mother.  I couldn't have asked for a better one.  I miss talking to her.  I would love to be able to tell her once again that I love her.

          Fortunately, the Lord prompted all of us to visit her the night before she unexpectedly was killed in an auto accident.  That was unusual and I thank the Lord that He prompted all of us to do that.  That is a time that I will never forget and I would have felt horrible if I had been too busy to be there.

          My mother lived a very challenging life.  As a youngster she lived through the Depression and her family had very little in the way of material goods.  Then she and my father lived through World War II and the postwar era when jobs were very limited.  For years they lived without an automobile.  They always had large gardens in order to feed us. They made nine different moves until dad was finally able to get a full-time job in Lancaster where he then worked for 25 years.  All those moves must have been very hard for her.  But I never heard her complain about it.

          Those days were challenging.  I remember how excited we would be as kids when mother would have an extra quarter and allow us to purchase a bottle of soda as a treat for the family.

          My mother had the gift of hospitality and we often had visiting missionaries and students staying with us.  She was very active in serving the Lord, teaching Good News Clubs in our homes and teaching Sunday School classes.  Her love for the Lord was a major influence in my life.

          Most people don't know that in her latter years she had many difficult physical problems and despite many visits to specialists and many tests, nobody was able to diagnose her problems or give her any relief from her pain.  I hate to admit this, but at times I began to think that much of this was just in her mind.  But now I have become my mother and am having the same discouraging problems.  Oh how wrong I was to think this about her.  But maybe my family now thinks the same about me.

          Now I still miss her and wish that once again I could call or visit her.  I miss knowing that she was praying for me.  I miss knowing that she loved me and was proud of things that I was able to do.  I miss being able to share with her my joys, my fears and my sorrows.  I wish that I had been a better son.

          If your parents are still alive, please make sure that one day you don't have similar regrets.  The greatest gift that you can give them is you.  Do that now while you still can.  Those times pass too quickly.  Here today, gone tomorrow!

Tombstones

          Sometimes it can be interesting to walk through a cemetery and read the tombstones.  Growing up I lived a block away from the Moravian Cemetery in Lititz.  There I used to enjoy reading the tombstones which date back to before the Revolutionary War.  The cemetery also contains the tombstones of many of the former citizens and families that I knew growing up in Lititz. And my parents are now buried there.  
          One summer while I was in college I worked digging graves in a cemetery in Sunbury where my in-laws are now buried. There I recognized the graves of many of the former members of the church that I attended and often had heard many of the "old-timers" talk about. 
          But, I must admit that I never have come upon tombstones as crazy as these.

Harry Edsel Smith of Albany, New York: Born 1903-Died 1942 Looked up the elevator shaft to see if the car was on the way down. It was.

In a Thurmont, Maryland, cemetery: 

Here lies an Atheist 

All dressed up And no place to go.

In a London, England cemetery: 

Here lies Ann Mann, 

Who lived an old maid 

But died an old Mann. 

Dec.  8, 1767

In a Ribbesford, England, cemetery: 

Anna Wallace: 

The children of Israel wanted bread, 

And the Lord sent them manna. 

Old clerk Wallace wanted a wife, 

And the Devil sent him Anna.

In a Ruidoso, New Mexico, cemetery: 

Here lies Johnny Yeast. 

Pardon me For not rising.

In a Uniontown, Pennsylvania, cemetery: 

Here lies the body of Jonathan Blake. 

Stepped on the gas 

Instead of the brake.

In a Silver City, Nevada, cemetery: 

Here lays The Kid. 

We planted him raw. 

He was quick on the trigger 

But slow on the draw.

A lawyer's epitaph in England: 

Sir John Strange. 

Here lies an honest lawyer, 

And that is Strange.

John Penny's epitaph in the Wimborne, England, cemetery: 

Reader, if cash thou art In want of any, 

Dig 6 feet deep; 

And thou wilt find a Penny.

In a cemetery in Hartscombe, England: 

On the 22nd of June, 

Jonathan Fiddle Went out of tune.

Anna Hopewell's grave in Enosburg Falls,Vermont:

Here lies the body of our Anna - 

Done to death by a banana. 

It wasn't the fruit that laid her low, 

But the skin of the thing that made her go.

On a grave from the 1880s in Nantucket, Massachusetts: 

Under the sod and under the trees, 

Lies the body of Jonathan Pease. 

He is not here, there's only the pod. 

Pease shelled out and went to God.

In a cemetery in England:

Remember man, as you walk by, 

As you are now, so once was I. 

As I am now, you soon will be. 

Prepare yourself and follow me.

To which someone replied by writing on the tombstone:

To follow you I'll not consent 

Until I know which way you went

From Boot Hill, in Tombstone, Arizona: 

Here lies Lester Moore 

One slug from a 44 

No Les 

No More

Hymns #2

         Last week I presented a blog which provided one man's opinion of what we lost when we lost hymns.  This week I want to share the other side, by the same blogger, what we've gained when we lost our hymns.  This was written by Tim Challies on April 18, 2017.

         A few weeks ago I wrote an article titled What We Lost When We Lost Our Hymnals and was rather surprised to see 300,000 people stop by to read it! I meant to point out that there are consequences in shifting from one medium to another - in this case, shifting from hymnals to PowerPoint projection. (I use "PowerPoint" to stand in for all forms of projection.) It is true of every new technology that it brings benefits and drawbacks. Neither hymnals nor PowerPoint are exempt from the rule.

          Where that article focused on what we lost when we shifted from hymnals to projection, today I want to focus on what we gained. When our churches turned away from hymnals to instead sing lyrics projected on a screen, here is some of what we gained.

          We gained immediacy. Not all of the good songs are old songs. In fact, today we are seeing a great resurgence in hymnody that has generated many wonderful new songs. There are some that are almost too good not to sing. Yet hymnals made us wait years or even decades before we could add them to our services. "In Christ Alone" became a modern day staple in part because PowerPoint made it so easy to add it to our services. Other songs like "He Will Hold Me Fast" or "Before the Throne of God Above" are worthy of singing and of standing the test of time, but can only easily be sung by churches that are not reliant on hymnals. PowerPoint projection reduces the lag between great new songs and updated hymnals.

         We gained posture. Hymnals forced us into a particular physical posture. We had to hold the hymnal in one hand (or even in both hands) and look down at the words. Thus hymnal posture was stiff and fixed. PowerPoint projects words onto an elevated screen and asks us to hold nothing in our hands. Thus PowerPoint posture is open and free which may be a superior posture for worship, and especially for worship that is physically expressively - something the Bible seems to allow or even advocate. It is difficult to raise your hands in worship while clutching a three-pound, five-hundred-page hymnal. It is even more difficult to clap your hands.

         We gained variety. There is undoubtedly a hazy line between a hymn and a chorus. "The Gospel Song" is probably not the kind of song that would make it into many hymnals, yet it has sound lyrics and can be a sweet addition to worship. There are many other choruses that do not fit the "hymnal mold" even though they are biblical, purposeful, and singable. To a significant degree, hymnals promoted certain kinds of songs while holding off others. Yet the Bible gives us freedom to worship in "songs, hymns, and spiritual songs", to praise God in every variety of song. PowerPoint helps us do this.

         We gained portability. In many places in the world church buildings are forbidden, rare, or unreasonably expensive. That is exactly the case here in Toronto where most new congregations have to rent space in schools, libraries, or community centers. Transporting several hundred hymnals to a building is difficult when compared to simply transporting a laptop and projector. There is a convenience and portability to PowerPoint that is missing in hymnals. Not only that, but the cost is lower. Two hundred and fifty hymnals will cost around $6,000; a laptop and projector can be had for a fraction of that.

         We gained spontaneity. PowerPoint allows a kind of spontaneity that may not be present when relying on hymnals. At a recent engagement I quoted a song's lyrics in my sermon, and with a click or two, the worship leader was able to immediately add it as the song of response. This would not have been possible if that church had used hymnals (unless, of course, that song had been in the hymnal).

         We gained service. Our hymnals reflect a vetting process where hundreds of thousands of hymns were whittled down to just a few hundred. This happened by generations of Christians fumbling their way through awful hymns so they could, over time, settle on the few excellent ones. Remember, we honor Charles Wesley for the ten or twenty of his hymns we continue to sing today, and gladly forget the other 5,980. We have the opportunity to serve future generations by singing a variety of today's songs and, as we do so, filtering the good from the bad and the best from the rest.

         The reality is that neither hymnals nor PowerPoint are entirely good or entirely bad. Both have benefits and both have drawbacks (which is what we should expect for any technology or innovation that exists in a sinful world). What is important is that we properly weigh and assess both in the light of our context and decide which will best serve our local church.

Hymns #1

          Probably the biggest church controversy in recent years is the battle between those who love hymns and those who love worship choruses.   And sometimes this has even become nasty.  People have left their churches over these differences.  There are strong opinions on both sides.

          Now I do not frequently use blogs written by others, but a recent posting on Facebook took me to blogs by Tim Challies.  He has written two very interesting blogs on what we have lost and what we have gained when we "lost" our hymns.  Unfortunately the posting in Facebook only showed the one side, what we have lost.

         So I have decided to reproduce both of his blogs.  This week we will look at what he thinks we have lost.  Next week we'll look at what he thinks we have gained.  Then you can either keep or change your opinion.  I'm not going to express mine.

         Here is what Challies wrote on March 29, 2017.

         I don't think we should go back to using hymnals. But I do think there's value in considering what we lost when, over the course of a relatively short period of time, we gave up hymnals for PowerPoint projection. Not all of us, mind you, but most of us. It's worth considering because it helpfully shows what we stand to lose when we switch from one media to another, and especially when we do so quickly and without due consideration.

         If we were to go back in time twenty or thirty years, we would find that most churches had hymnals. They had hymnals because it was the best way of providing each member of the congregation with a copy of the songs. You'd hear it in every church: "Take out your hymnal and turn to hymn 154 …" And then hymnals went the way of the dodo and we began to look instead to words projected on a screen. Here is some of what we lost along the way.

         We lost an established body of songs. Hymnals communicated that a church had an established collection of songs. This, in turn, communicated that its songs were vetted carefully and added to its repertoire only after careful consideration. After all, great songs are not written every day and their worth is proven only over time. Therefore, new hymns would be chosen carefully and added to new editions of the hymnal only occasionally. Churches would update their hymnals, and, therefore, their established body of songs, only once every ten or fifteen years.

         We lost a deep knowledge of our songs. When we removed the hymnal, we gained the ability to add new songs to our repertoire whenever we encounter one we deem worthy. And we do - we add new songs all the time. As we add new songs with greater regularity, we sing old songs with less frequency. This reduces our familiarity with our songs so that today we have far fewer of them fixed in our minds and hearts. Few congregations could sing even the greatest hymns without that PowerPoint screen.

         We lost the ability to do harmonies. Hymnody grew up at a time when instrumentation took a back seat to the voice. Hymns were most often written so they could be sung a cappella or with minimal instrumentation. For that reason, hymnals almost invariably included the music for both melody and harmonies and congregations learned to sing the parts. The loss of the hymnal and the associated rise of the worship band has reduced our ability to harmonize and, in that way, to sing to the fullest of our abilities.

         It often seems like all we want from the congregation is their enthusiasm.  We lost the ability to sing skillfully. As congregations have lost their knowledge of their songs, they have lost the ability to sing them well. We tend to compensate for our poorly - sung songs by cranking up the volume of the musical accompaniment. The loss of the voice has given rise to the gain of the amplifier. This leads to our music being dominated by a few instrumentalists and perhaps a pair of miked - up vocalists while the larger congregation plays only a meager role. In fact, it often seems like all we want from the congregation is their enthusiasm.

         We lost the ability to have the songs in our homes. Hymnals usually lived at the church, resting from Monday to Saturday in the little pockets on the back of the pews. But people also bought their own and took them home so the family could have that established body of songs there as well. Families would often sing together as part of their family worship. It is easy to imagine a family singing "It Is Well With My Soul" after eating dinner together, but almost impossible to imagine them singing, "Oceans."

         It is probably too late to go back to the hymnal. I am not at all convinced we ought to. But it is still worth considering what we lost along the way and how congregational singing has been utterly transformed by what may appear to have been a simple and practical switch in the media. That little change from book to screen changed nearly everything.

          Now to hear the other side, come back next week.

An Extravagant Lover

         At times I come upon blogs written by others that have encouraged me or state things in better ways than I can.  I feel that some of those are worth sharing with you.  One of those, "God Is An Extravagant Lover in Your Suffering" was written by a Rick Thomas.
         When I am going through difficult times I must often remind myself of Ephesians 2:10. "For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them."   That verse compliments what Rick has said below.

          I need to know that my frustrated hopes and dreams do not mean that God is not in my story. Contrary to my "man-centered thinking," the good Lord is choosing to write a story that is different from the one I expected.

          If God is with you, which He is, you must understand that He is doing good things for you. Though you may not perceive His mysterious will for your life (Deuteronomy 29:29; Isaiah 55:8-9), what He is choosing to write for you will turn out for your good (Romans 8:28), His fame, and the benefit of many people. The Lord's will for you is not about knowing all the facts, but about trusting the Author of those facts.

         There are times in your life that are excruciatingly painful, and there is nothing you can do to alleviate the suffering. You cannot pray it away, manipulate it away, or wish it away. A positive mental attitude will only last a day or two, but you soon return to the pit of sorrow and anguish.

         It is in those moments that the reality of "life gone bad" settles deep into your soul, and the current circumstances begin to define who you are. It is in those moments when you need a significant realignment of the soul.

         Though the fog is not lifting and there is no anticipation it will ever rise above the trouble in your life, you must rest in the assurance that God has not abandoned you. God is working His plans into your life.

        Your journey can go no other way than the way He has predetermined for you. It is the Lord who orders your steps (Proverbs 16:9). Before you ever entered into your suffering, God was there (Jeremiah 1:5; Ephesians 1:3-10). He was working, planning, strategizing, and implementing things in such a way that would forever change you.

         He is not doing this because He is harsh, distant, or uncaring. He is doing this precisely because He is kind, with you, and loves you. The Lord's love is more extravagant than you could ever imagine. When Job reflected upon these profound things, it caused a long reflective pause.

         "But he is unchangeable, and who can turn him back? What he desires, that he does. For he will complete what he appoints for me, and many such things are in his mind. Therefore I am terrified at his presence; when I consider, I am in dread of him. God has made my heart faint; the Almighty has terrified me, yet I am not silenced because of the darkness, nor because thick darkness covers my face."– Job 23:13-17

          God is in your darkness, which removes the terror. Talk to Him today, even if it is only a faint heart cry. Bear your soul to your heavenly Father. Live in the truth that He is finishing what He began in you (Philippians 1:6). God is an extravagant lover in your suffering.

How Are You?

          One of my pet peeves is the greeting, "how are you?"  It bothers me because probably 95% of those who ask the question, usually in passing, don't really want to know.  And generally I don't want to answer them anyway.           
         During the past couple of years the Lord has given me numerous physical challenges and I don't really want to talk about them to most people.  Not only does it take too much time to give a true answer, but it makes me sound like a complainer.  And who wants to talk to a complainer?  I know I don't.  So when they stick around for a reply I generally say "I''m hanging in there", and that seems to be enough.  In fact many just answer, "Good", even though that isn't really what I meant.  And the conversation is ended.
          But I am finding that I am not the only one who feels that way.  I recently came upon a response written by a Rev. James L. Snyder.  I thought I would share his comments from his article "How am I?  Let me Tell You!"  So enjoy!  (That comment also bothers me when a waitress says that.)
          An interesting aspect to people is their proclivity toward hypocrisy. By that I mean we say one thing but we really do not mean it or it does not really apply to us personally.
          I was complaining about this to the Gracious Mistress of the Parsonage this past week.  "Why is it," I said most curiously, "people really don't mean what they say?"  She responded by saying, "I always mean what I say."   Being the kind of husband that I am, I refused to contradict her reply. Therefore, I am not referring to her in these comments. People just don't say what they mean.
         For the past month, I've been having issues with shingles and nerve pain all the way down my right arm. It's very painful and I hope it goes away soon. Let it be clear that pain and me are not friends. The sooner the pain leaves, the better it's going to be for me.
         But I digress. My condition has been a very clear focus of my life these days. After all, it's my pain that I have to live with every day.   It happened just the other day when somebody that I was passing on my way into Publix said to me, "Hi, how you doing?" Well, I thought to myself, he asked, so I begin to tell him about my condition and all of the aspects associated with it. Within a few moments I could tell he was not very much interested in how I was doing.  I continued with all of the details and then he suddenly looked at his watch and said, "That's interesting, but I am late for an appointment and I have to leave right now."
         Well, okay, but after all, he asked the question I didn't. If he wasn't interested in how I was doing, why did he ask?   See how people say things they don't really mean?  This happened to me several times with people I had never met before. They asked the question about how I was doing, and when I began telling them how I was doing, they had no real interest in how I was doing.  That rather frustrated me. How I was doing was a very important aspect of my life and sharing my pain was someone else was something I wanted to do. However, nobody was interested in my pain.
         It brought me down to a point of discouragement. I had to stay home for several days because of the condition I was in. I could not drive and so I stayed home. Then something different opened up for me.  As I was sitting there, reveling in my displeasure and discomfort the telephone rang.  I answered the phone and it was somebody trying to sell me something. They began by saying, "Hello, how are you doing today?"
         That is all I needed to hear. I began to tell him exactly how I was doing with all of the pain and discomfort I was experiencing. I went on and on even though several times he tried to interrupt my little speech. He asked and so I was telling.   Three minutes into my little speech, I heard the telephone go "click" and there was nobody on the other end of the line. I sat back in my chair and smiled rather deeply. Why did this person asked me how I was doing if he wasn't interested in it?
         It was quite an afternoon, I'll tell you that. I don't know if the word got out that I was sick and at home, but the phone rang constantly all afternoon. Everybody asked me, "Hello, how are you doing?" And, I told them how I was.   All that afternoon I dominated the conversation of every telephone solicitor that called. I never allowed them to get a word in edge wise because they asked me how I was doing and I was going to tell them.
         My wife came home from the office and saw me smiling.  "What in the world," she said as she walked towards me, "are you all smiling about?"   "All afternoon," I explained to her, "people were calling me asking me how I was. And so I spent all afternoon telling these people exactly how I was." I then chuckled. She just looked at me and then broke out laughing herself. I found out the telemarketers are not really interested in "How you are." All they're interested in is selling something I really don't need. But I enjoyed the day telling them how I was doing.
           That's the way it is with most people today. They say one thing but they really do not mean it. They do not want to know how I am doing. It is just something they politely say when they do not know what else to say.
         David understood this when he wrote, "They speak vanity every one with his neighbor: with flattering lips and with a double heart do they speak" (Psalm 12:2).  How often does this happen in our daily life.  Then David said this about himself, "My mouth shall speak of wisdom; and the meditation of my heart shall be of understanding" (Psalm 49:3).
          As I was sitting in my chair nursing my pain, I came to at least one conclusion. I am not going to ask people how they are unless I really want to know how they are.

          Thank you Rev. Snyder for sharing my thoughts.
          So how are you today?

Kitchen Memories

          Sometimes childhood memories from many years ago suddenly come back to me.  Such was the case when we recently completed a jigsaw puzzle of an old kitchen.  While it wasn't really the same, it brought back many good memories of my Mammy Wise and her kitchen which seemed to be the center of all activity in their home. Mammy and Pappy Wise lived on Tenth Street in Sunbury for many years.  Pappy was an excellent carpenter and spent much of his life building caskets at a local company.  Everyday he walked to and from work, mostly along a railroad known as the Horn Railroad.  Today that railroad is gone - a victim of "modernization". He always had a large garden to help feed the family.  Mammy was a housewife and an amazing baker - more about that later.
          My grandparents had very little in the way of earthly items but they had a loving family and their house was always full of family and visitors.  We kids used to enjoy the front porch which had a swing.  We would swing for hours and watch the traffic and people go by.  Sometimes we would swing too wildly and hit the house and that usually brought us reprimands from the adults.
          On the main floor of their house there were two "living rooms", the kitchen and a pantry.  The middle room contained a large coal stove which was used to heat the entire house.  Floor registers allowed the heat to go to the upper floor and bathroom.  That always bothered me because the register in the bathroom was right next to the toilet and you could hear all the conversations going on in the kitchen.  And, most likely in the kitchen you could also hear many of the noises from the bathroom.
          Upstairs there were three bedrooms and my brother and I always had to share the back one which was also over the kitchen.  I never liked this because there wasn't a register opening in this room and it got very cold in the winter.  Also, the room had the door to the stairs which led to the attic.  And there were times that we could be in bed and hear the mice or rats running in the attic.  I didn't have many good nights of sleep in that bedroom.
          The basement also was known for having rats and mice.  The coal bin was there. with steep steps which must have been a challenge to climb when regularly bringing up the coal for the stoves.  I don't know if they had water problems down there, but there were wooden walkways over the dirt floor which led to shelves for canned goods and some of Pappy's equipment.  I didn't spend much time down there.
          On the small back porch they kept the wringer washer and there were many mornings when we stayed there that I would get up and the women were doing the wash.  Mammy also usually had sweet peas or morning glories growing on strings on the one side of the porch.
         But, as mentioned before, there was the kitchen.  The stove was also a coal stove on which she did all of her cooking and baking.  And it was always in use.  Mammy was an amazing baker and she always had loads of cookies and pies to offer all her visitors.  Maybe that is why so many came - all the time.  We would sit around the kitchen table and enjoy her large sugar and molasses cookies.  The adults usually had a cup of coffee to dip their cookies.  Then there were the pies - apple, cherry, peach, mince meat, montgomery and a favorite of mine - raspberry-peach.  And you had to visit at Easter when Mammy made her famous easter eggs.  They were huge - maybe even four inches long - coconut, peanut butter, cherry, cream.  Today they would cost a small fortune to make or to even buy.
          And while we would chow down - maybe for hours - the adults would sit and talk and share stories.  That is a tradition that we seem to have lost today.  Nobody seems to just drop in anymore to enjoy sharing stories, friendship, and even some food.  Our lives are now too structured, too full and too busy.  I think we have really lost something with our modern conveniences and busy schedules. Those times provided some of my best memories that came back to me while we completed the puzzle. I miss those special times and family members and wish that I could now hear more of the stories from those generations which are now gone forever.
          Maybe we need to bring back the kitchen coal stove. 

Senior Observations

          This week it is back to one of my favorite topics that I actually know something about - growing older.  Now, of course, this is something that we can't avoid.  And today is the oldest you've ever been but it is also the youngest you'll ever be.  So enjoy this day while it lasts.  And get ready to experience the following observations, if you haven't already.
~ Your kids are becoming you but your grandchildren are perfect!
~ Going out is good ... Coming home is better!
~ When people say you look "Great" ...  they add "for your age!"
~ When you needed the discount, you paid full price. Now you get discounts on everything ...  movies, hotels, flights, but you're too tired to use them.
~ You forget names .... but it's OK because other people forgot they even knew you!!!
~ The 5 pounds you wanted to lose is now 15 and you have a better chance of losing your keys -- than the 15 pounds.
~ You realize you're never going to be really good at anything  ....  especially golf.
~ Your spouse is counting on you to remember things you don't remember.
~ The things you used to care to do, you no longer care to do, but you really do care that, you don't care to do them anymore.
~ Your husband sleeps better on a lounge chair with the TV blaring than he does in bed. It's called his "pre-sleep."
~ Remember when your mother said, "Wear clean underwear in case you GET in an accident"? Now you bring clean underwear in case you HAVE an accident!
~ You used to say, "I hope my kids GET married ...  Now, "I hope they STAY married!"
~ You miss the days when everything worked with just an "ON" and "OFF" switch.
~ When GOOGLE, ipod, e-mail, modem were unheard of, and a mouse was something that made you climb on a table.
~ You tend to use more 4 letter words  ...  "what? "... when? "... ???
~ Now that you can afford expensive jewelry, it's now not safe to wear it.
~ Your husband has a night out with the guys, but he's home by 9:00 P.M.  Next week it will be 8:30 p.m.
~ You read 100 pages into a book before you realize you've read it.
~ Notice everything they sell in stores is "sleeveless"?!!!
~ What used to be freckles are now liver spots.
~ Everybody whispers.
~ Now that your husband has retired  ....  you'd give anything if he'd find a job!
~ You have 3 sizes of clothes in your closet ... 2 of which you will never wear.
~   Your mail is flooded with invitations to try new hearing aides, to join AARP or their many products or to choose a new Medicare plan.
~  Your address book is filled with names that begin with Dr. and your calendar is filled with appointments to visit them.
~  You get tired of reading lists like this one because you identify with too many of them.  Am I really that old?  Where have the years gone?

Go Ye Into All The World

          "And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature."   Mark 16:15.
          Now here is an interesting question for believers.  Does this command given by Jesus really mean "all the world" or are their limits on where we are to go?  For example, must it be overseas?  Or must our ministry be limited to just a Christian organization?  Could one share the gospel in a secular place, maybe even in this country?  Should we support those called to share the gospel in a mission field in secular America rather than in the traditional third world countries where folks live in poverty?  Have you ever thought about these questions?  Has this influenced your giving and prayer support?           Now I imagine that most believers would answer that it means all the world, but in practice they feel that it means overseas. Traditionally I think we have just thought of missionaries as those who left this country to minister elsewhere in the world. Unfortunately, to many it certainly doesn't include being a missionary in the United States.  Let me give a few examples to help make my point.
          Early in my teaching career the Lord closed some doors for us when I considered going overseas to teach in a Christian high school.  Instead the Lord called me to be a missionary in the public schools of this country.  And He gave me a 39 year ministry as a teacher and administrator in the Penn Manor School District.  There he allowed me to lead a Bible Club, the Berean Club, for most of those years.  Sometimes we had as many as 70 students attending this club, on school time.
          The Lord also allowed me to develop a community, student-led Baccalaureate Service when the school dropped their program.  After a decade this grew to several hundred folks who attended this annual program with about two-thirds of the graduating class attending and participating.  Since it was not sponsored by the district, we held it in the largest church in our district which gladly gave us their building to use.  I give the Lord all the credit for this as well as for the many opportunities I had to express my faith over the years.
          Now back to my main point.  Over the years I encountered much criticism from believers who felt that I was not in the Lord's will because I was working in a public school and not a Christian school.  Probably if I had gone overseas to teach as a missionary they would have accepted my call.  But many could not accept me as a missionary to one of the biggest and most important mission fields anywhere - our public schools. I have a real burden for young bright Christians who feel called to teach in our public schools.  I know they can have a great influence there, living a godly life in an ungodly environment.
         Here's another example.  I have known several missionaries who have had major problems raising their support if their place of ministry was in the United States.  And that is so difficult because it cost so much more to live and minister in the United States than it does in many countries overseas.  Do people really see the need in what used to be Christian America as being less relevant than the need in other places in the world?  Do our churches see the need to support those who labor in the many places of great need in this country?  Personally, I don't really think that in many cases that they do.  Maybe they do in word but not always in action.
          Ministering in the United States can be much more expensive than ministering in many foreign countries.  Our cost of living is much higher than many, but not all, other countries.  A missionary here has many of the same needs that we have, such as housing, food and transportation, and yet often with much less support provided.  And, unfortunately, the same can be said about the way many churches financially support their pastors.  Too many people expect much, but give little to support them.
          My oldest granddaughter has been called to minister on a college campus with DiscipleMakers.  There aren't too many places that are more in need today than a college campus.  She has already experienced this ministry by serving as an intern for a summer at Penn State.  But she has run into difficulty raising her support and is only at 48% of what is required.  And part of the problem is that many folks don't see this as a real missionary effort, especially since it isn't overseas.  Really?  How narrow minded.  Now I believe that if the Lord wants her serving Him in this way that He will somehow provide her support.  But how much easier it would be if more Christians would see this need and join her team.  But would it be easier to raise the support if she went to the jungles of Africa or to the wilds of South America?  Maybe more would join her team if she would plan to live in a jungle hut rather than in an apartment in a college town.  I don't know, but I suspect that it might.
     So in conclusion, how about evaluating your thoughts and actions concerning missionaries.   Help me pray for sharp Christians to be called to serve in the public schools of this country where they can have a real impact for the Lord.  And help me pray for folks, such as my granddaughter, who are struggling to raise support to serve in vital mission fields, even if their mission field is in this country.
         Remember, "go ye into all the world", and don't forget that the world, believe it or not, includes the United States.  People everywhere need the gospel.

The Fight Is On

          Like many of you, I had a great life growing up.  I didn't fear being bullied, kidnapped or shot.  I was able to safely walk to school, play outside with friends, ride round town on my bicycle, and explore and enjoy my neighborhood.

          For several years we even  lived in downtown Lancaster, just five blocks from the square.  I walked alone to school every day.  We walked to church both night and day.  I loved to explore the stores downtown, all by myself.  I enjoyed the city and never had any fear or reason to worry about my safety.  Decades later I had the opportunity to again explore that neighborhood - during the day - and I admit that I was very uneasy about my safety.  No longer would I do that at night.

          Today we live in a completely different era.  We are threatened by terrorists and now nuclear weapons.  Almost daily there are shootings - many deliberate and even some drive-bys.  We need to be alert in malls, in schools, and even in our churches.  Brutal robberies have become more common.  Dangerous drivers on drugs, alcohol or with distractions like texting and cell phones abound and threaten our safety.  Dangers surround us and we must live with it.

           And everybody seems to have their own solutions for the problems.  Many blame the government for our problems.  And while part of the blame might lie there, politics can't solve problems of morality, especially with the godless morality that we have seen displayed in government circles.

           Now there is a major push, especially by young people, for more gun controls. I do wonder why some of these guns are necessary for anyone, but I think that limiting them by the government sets a dangerous precedent.  What will they limit next - Bibles or churches because they aren't politically correct in today's society? Seems to me that this has happened elsewhere throughout history.  And I think criminals will continue to get guns, by any means, no matter what the government does.

          How about more money spent on mental health?  Sounds good and might be needed, but until we deal with spiritual health it will have little impact on our safety, no matter how much money is poured into it.  And who will determine who is unstable?  Will Christians be labeled as unstable?  What did Hitler do to the Jews?  Think about that.  It's a slippery slope!

          What about greater security in schools?  Good idea, but not a solution.  Most schools now limit public access to buildings.  I still wonder how the shooter in Florida gained easy access to the building.  Where were their security controls?  I did see a spacial on how one school has trained their students and teachers to lock doors, hide out of the view of folks in the hall and even use turned over desks as shields.  That seemed to me to be a good tool, especially for middle and high schools.  Arming teachers?  I would never have wanted to carry a weapon in school when I was teaching and it seems to me that this could cause too many accidents and other problems.

          I did read an interesting article that said that 75% of the shooters came from one parent families, without a father.  And 42% of students today do come from one parent families.  Maybe one of the major causes of this violence is the degeneration of the home.  And what can the government do about this?  With the immorality recently revealed in the lives of government and media leaders, the obvious answer is - nothing.  And what have churches done about this?  Too little.

          In my mind the obvious cause of what is happening today is the attack on the Bible and Christianity.  We condone killing of babies, so of what value is life?  We take down displays of The Ten Commandments, so what rules do people have to guide their lives?  The ACLU fights to eliminate all mentions of Christ and the Bible, so what of eternal value do they have to replace it?  Movies and games feature violence and even parents allow their children to participate but do not encourage them to participate in church or Christian activities such as Awana.

          Satan is alive and well, although it is not politically correct to talk about an actual Satan.  We are in a real spiritual war and right now it appears that evil is winning.  May Christians wake up to this fact and start putting on the Full Armor of God and depending upon the Lord for daily wisdom, guidance and protection.  Satan may win many battles, but Christ wins the final war.

            The hymn "The Fight Is On" by Lelia Morris reminds us of the battle.  The chorus says:

The fight is on, O Christian soldier,

And face to face in stern array,

With armor gleaming, and colors streaming,

The right and wrong engage today!

The fight is on, but be not weary;

Be strong and in His might hold fast;

If God be for us, His banner o'er us,

To Teach Or Not To Teach?

Do you know what this is?

          One of the biggest challenges for educators today is choosing what content is no longer relevant to be taught, especially as technology changes.  And every time that topics are eliminated or de-emphasized, those changes are usually criticized by adults because those topics were part of the curriculum when they went to school, many years ago.
          It often appears that having gone to school makes one an "expert" on what should be taught and how it should be taught, even if that experience happened decades ago.
          Years ago I was often questioned when we greatly reduced emphasis on teaching long division.  We used to spend months teaching that with two, three and sometimes four divisors. It was brutal. My questions for those who complained were, first, what do you actually use it for anymore except maybe for finding averages.  And secondly, when you do division how do you do it?  Generally the reply was, I use a calculator.  And they were correct. Incidentally,today even my car computes my miles per gallon for me.
          I went through the same process decades before that when we used to spend several months in an Algebra class teaching logarithms. Tedious and boring! And what were they used for?  Engineers used them to do calculations involving multiplication, division and powers. Those who really needed to do those calculations carried thick books of log tables to do them. We even sold books of tables to students.  Logs were the foundations of slide rules - pre calculator technology.  But then who even remembers what a slide rule is?  We used to spend time teaching students to use them. Then they were replaced by calculators and computers.  I doubt that today's math teachers even know how to use logs for calculations and most have never used or even seen a slide rule.  Now logs do have important applications in engineering and mathematics, but not as a tool for calculations.
          Another topic that used to be a big one was Roman Numerals.  Now where does anybody use those today, except maybe to read a year on a cornerstone of a building or bridge or on a clock or the number of the current Super Bowl.  So should we spend weeks teaching that?
          Then a big one which is out of my field is the teaching of cursive writing.  I admit that I struggle with the fact that this has generally been eliminated.  But then I ask myself, is it really a skill needed in our future.  Computers can help us sign and read documents.  More things are being done electronically.  So is it necessary to spend months teaching this?  I really am not sure how much should be taught but I think folks should at least know how to write their name properly.  I see how some folks sloppily scribble their names on the checks that I process at church. I do enjoy a beautifully hand written cursive letter.  Does anybody actually write letters today?  I'll leave that decision to the "experts" and hope that they know what they are doing.
          But how about spelling?  That's an interesting question.  They still spend years teaching spelling.  Kids still regularly have spelling quizzes.  Is it necessary?  It certainly is important for crossword puzzles and spelling bees.  But today almost everyone uses a spell checker.  And I guess for some that makes writing so much easier.  But is it good? 

Eye halve a spelling chequer

It came with my pea sea

It plainly marques four my revue

Miss steaks eye kin knot sea.

Eye strike a key and type a word

And weight for it to say

Weather I am wrong or write

It shows me strait a weigh.

As soon as a mist ache is maid

It nose before two long

And eye can put the error rite

It's rarely ever wrong.

Eye have run this poem threw it

Am shore your pleased to no

It's letter perfect all the weigh

My chequer toiled me sew!

          So what do you think?  Maybe spelling is still important.  Cursive?  I don't know.  Logs for computation?  Definitely not.  Although maybe kids today should be made to endure some of the pain that we had to bear in school when we were growing up.  But I guess that is another question for another blog.