Affordable Health Care

         Is the Affordable Health Care, better known as Obama Care, really affordable?  It appears that for many it has been exactly the opposite, especially in Lancaster County.  In 2008 the cost of family health coverage was 17.8% lower than the national average.  Today it is only 5.6% lower than the average.

         The average cost for an individual per month has risen from $359 to $492.  For a family it has grown from $902 to $1,392.  Now if you are fortunate enough to be employed and receive health care as part of your benefit package, on the average such a single pays about $100 a month of the actual cost and a family $407 per month of these costs. If you must buy your own, without any company help, you are much worse off. And not only is it growing much more expensive, but deductibles and co-payments have risen and coverage restrictions have increased.  And often you are forced to change doctors.   Less coverage, higher deductibles, and increased costs - affordable health care?  

          Some of the selling points OF AHC are supposed to be that preexisting conditions are now covered and that "affordable care" is available to all.  But if you don't purchase coverage, there will be fines for you to pay.  But our local newspaper recently reported that there are still thousands in the county who haven't purchased coverage.  And we have heard of one situation where they had to go to court because a pre-existing need wasn't covered after all.

          It is also a fact that numerous employers have been forced to go to court to be excused from some required coverages or items that are in opposition to their religious beliefs.  And this is America where in the past folks have risked their lives to come here just for religious liberty.  But times and values have changed.  The government has taken over.

          And the AHC has also placed many, many new burdens upon busy doctors and medical facilities.  For example, doctors are now required to personally prepare a report for their patient after each visit.  These must now be done by the doctor and not by a nurse or secretary.  And they are required to give you a copy of the report unless you are on their portal.  What a waste of their time and of paper.  Most of our reports have been two to three pages in length with only a sentence or two about the actual visit and recommendation.  Think of how many trees and hours are being wasted to make this happen.  I am also aware of one doctor who left his family practice to go with a medical group because of all the increased costs and requirements of AHC.

         Now I must admit, I do like the new required portals.  They provide a review of all your visits and test results.  They notify you of future appointments.  They list your meds.  They remind you of needed tests and procedures.  We also appreciate the fact that we usually get the results of blood and other tests online long before we are actually notified by the doctor.  In fact, sometimes they have been available within a couple of hours after being done.

         I also like the feature that allows you to correspond with your doctor concerning simple questions and get a response in 24 hours of less.  We have used that feature several times, eliminating additional visits or leaving phone messages.  And our doctors have been excellent in responding quickly to us.

         In a related matter, a few months ago we found that some of our doctors were now giving us follow-up cards which urge us to use their portal to send a message to them in 3 to 5 days telling them how we are doing since our appointment.  Unfortunately, many folks feel better and then just don't respond.  We found out that if the practice doesn't have 5% or more of their patients respond each month, they lose 1% of their federal reimbursements.  And our family practice has had difficulty reaching that mark.  Just one more federal requirement from AHC.

          My only complaint about the portals is that they aren't coordinated.  In our case, the Lancaster General Health does include several of our doctors and their portal is very easy to use.  But we also have portals for PAL, Urological, May-Grant, Parish and LOG.  Our foot doctor may also soon have one.  But some of these can be difficult to use and, unfortunately, your information is not shared among the various portals and doctors. That is sad.

          AHC?  I guess it is here to stay and we, as well as our doctors, will need to adjust to all of it, including all of its negative aspects.  But there is one way to  beat it - don't ever get sick or need a doctor

Three Shows

         I've learned the secret of getting three different shows for the cost of one.  I've learned this recently by attending high school football games.

         Times have certainly changed.  When I was a teen I played in the band for six years and went to every game, home and away.  We used to go to cheer on our football team.  We played football music to stir them and the crowd on.  We helped the cheerleaders with football cheers such as "We want a touchdown!" or "Hold That Line!".  All eyes were on the game.  But that is the way it used to be.

         The first show that you get at a game today is done by the cheerleaders.  Most of the time they have their backs to the game and have no idea what is even happening with the game. They don't even watch their own band perform. Often they are busy stretching and fixing their hair.  They are there to perform and perform means doing cartwheels, dances, build pyramids, and do fancy cheers which few in the crowd know.  They love to shake and dance and do fancy jumps.  It is obvious that they think they are the stars of the night and that people have come to be entertained by them.  And they are often well trained and very good.  But their participation and attention has little to do with the game being played. They practice long and hard. But, they do little or nothing to help the football team.

         My observation?  When schools are having so much trouble meeting budgets, the first line item that I would delete is that of cheerleaders.  There are enough sports for women available today that cheerleaders have no real contribution to make to athletic competitions.  At Penn Manor they now have an independent, very active student cheering section which has taken over what the cheerleaders used to do.  And that doesn't cost the district a cent.

         Then there is show number two.  Here is where I may get myself in trouble. This has become the "sacred cow" of devoted band parents. It is the band show.  Most high school marching bands now exist mainly to participate in competitions.  It appears that football games just give them another opportunity to practice.  Here is a typical night for a high school band today.  They show up early to tune up and to cheer on the other team's band as they do part of their competition program before the game begins. That is good sportsmanship. During the first quarter of the game they might play a number or two.  During the second quarter they leave the stands and spend the entire quarter warming up somewhere behind the endzone for their show.  At half they do their performance.  Then the third quarter is free time to get something to eat and talk to their friends.  Then they usually reassemble in the final quarter to watch the game and maybe play another number or two.

          There are very few what I call "football bands" today.  Marching bands exist for the weekend band competitions. Bands have become very small because of the number of hours required to perfect their show and enter their weekend competitions.  Kids today just don't have the time or aren't willing to devote all their "spare" time to the practice and competitions.  My grandson's band put in over 150 hours of practice - before school even began.  Most bands in Lancaster County now have 40 or fewer instrumentalists.  Few play many or any football march songs.  And so Friday football games become their practice session for Saturday's competition.  And they are cheered on by devoted band parents who follow them and support them everywhere.  If the band wasn't at the game, they wouldn't be there either.

         Oh yes, what is show number three?  Surprise, it's a football game.  While the other two shows are going on, a game is still being played on the field for those who might be interested.  In reality, it is no longer the main event of the night.

          But this is just one of the many changes that have happened over the years.  Give me a good football team which is supported by a 100+ group of musicians who play stirring numbers and by energetic cheerleaders who understand and watch the game and get the crowd involved in supporting their team.  But that is the way it used to be and I guess time changes most things.

         But then why should I complain?  Where else today can you watch three shows for the price of one?

Beware!

          I guess there have always been scams and those who would try to profit by being deceitful.   You can probably even trace such actions back to the times of Cain and Abel  or Jacob and Esau, just to name a few.  But I think modern technology is providing an explosion of new ways to fool folks and steal from them.

In recent weeks we have had numerous such attempts made on us.  One of the biggest is phishing, the attempt to acquire sensitive information such as usernames, passwords, and credit card details (and sometimes, indirectly, money) by masquerading as a trustworthy entity in an electronic communication.  We have had numerous e-mails telling us that we need to update our accounts at places like banks or credit card companies or ebay or paypal or aol.  They ask us to click on a link to do this and that link would take us to a site where such information would be requested in the name of this company. Sometimes they even come from companies which we don't deal with at all, so those are dead giveaways. But I wonder how many users actually fall for these schemes.

          As I was writing this, I actually received an e-mail from my financial advisor warning of a new phishing scheme involving a company that he uses for our investments.  His warning showed a very professional e-mail that informed me that my account was about to be closed unless I immediately used a link to update my account information.  If you weren't aware of this scheme you could potentially lose all of your investments.

         Another one which has been very common recently on our computers has been e-mails from a delivery service telling us that they couldn't make the delivery to our house.  To get the order we need to click on a link to make new delivery arrangements.  In almost every case we weren't even waiting for a delivery, so it was very easy to spot those attempts.

         Many of the scams come by phone. Some electric suppliers are the worst offenders.  One starts by asking you if you saw the notice in your last bill that there is a way to guarantee your rate won't change for three years.  Well most people don't realize that such notices were not sent out.  The caller claims that they are just following up to enable you to get this suggested service. They show you the bait and then try to trap you by asking you to get your recent electric bill while they switch you to another rep who really is a salesman.  He starts by asking you for your account information from your bill.  Now at that point I refused to go any farther until he answered some questions for me.  It turns out that he was trying, as I anticipated, to switch me to another provider who was actually charging more than I currently pay.  If I had given him the information he probably would have changed me without even needing my consent. And some folks would probably never even know that they were changed. Buyer beware - they are clever and deceitful.

          I have a new line that I use when the caller asks for the person who pays the electric bill.  I tell them I am Amish and we don't use electricity.  One salesman actually apologized and said she didn't realize that before she hung up.  I guess that response wasn't on her script.  At least I had my laugh for the day.

          But the worst scam was a call we received from a "windows" rep about a virus which had infected our computer.  He was offering me a free service to show me what this would do to my computer and then remove it for me.  He wanted me to go to my computer and log in.  I knew what was coming next.  If I had followed his instructions he would have gained access to my computer remotely so that he could steal all my information and passwords.  Knowing this was coming, I mentioned to him that I did not use windows and asked how my computer could then be infected.  He tried to convince me that I was hit by trying to share with me my mailing address.  That was interesting because of his language difference, he couldn't even read my address correctly.  But friends, that is frightening because if I hadn't known better and wasn't computer literate, I might have been scared and he would have been able to get access.  I am sure that he has successfully done this with many worried computer owners.

          Some common sense principles - never give your account and personal information to anyone in response to a call or e-mail request.  Don't use your credit or bank information on the internet when purchasing something unless the url address starts with https, not just http.  That "s" must be there to make it secure. Don't download attachments, especially forwards, unless you are 100% sure they are virus free.  And change your passwords frequently. Use common sense and protect your information because there are very clever and resourceful folks out there trying to steal from you.

A Memorable Week

 

President Reagan and me (with the mustache)

        It is hard to believe that this month is 30 years from one of the most exciting weeks of my life.  My how time flies.  This special week began with an unexpected letter from the White House. The letter told me that I had been chosen to receive the Presidential Award for Excellence in Teaching Mathematics and we were to spend five days in Washington D.C.  I knew I had been nominated, but I never expected to be chosen as the one to be honored.  This was the second year for the prestigious award given annually to one mathematics teacher from each state.  I had been chosen to represent Pennsylvania.

          Quickly all our plans and priorities changed.  The President had summoned us and nothing was more important.  The calendar was cleared, events rescheduled - we were going to Washington.  I needed a new suit if I was going to appear before President Regan.  I found the one I wanted only to be told that it would take a week for alterations.  However, when I told the salesman why I needed it, he quickly changed his story and said it would be ready tomorrow.  And it was!

         The morning we were to leave for Washington we had car problems.  We took it to a local garage and explained our need.  They discovered the car needed a part which they didn't have but they called a dealer who had the part and agreed to take care of us immediately.  Getting us to Washington became a priority for both garages.

          We left Millersville feeling that we were something special.  The Lancaster Newspapers carried front page stories and pictures.  Even John Herr's Village Market featured me on their sign on Manor Ave.  "Congratulations to Barry Kauffman, Presidential Awardee!"  It seemed that everyone was sharing in this special honor and we could barely contain our excitement of meeting President Regan.   Our time in Washington was very special.  We attended numerous banquets and receptions.  We toured historical buildings.  We visited congressmen.  We had a news conference.  We were given many gifts, including a computer.

          While I was attending a session, Dianne decided to go shopping and for lunch with a group of wives she had met in the hotel lobby.  When she took some time to look at some puppets in one of the stores, the conversation moved to our use of puppets in our family ministry.  Dianne then discovered that the other two women were also born again and active in their churches in New Mexico and Nebraska.  This began a special relationship that lasted many years.

         But not everything was going perfectly.  We were stunned to learn that the President would not be able to see us as planned because of plans to campaign for next month's presidential election.  Instead we were to receive our awards from another government official.  The news was not only disappointing but devastating as well.  We were not his priority at that time.

I suggested that we needed to express our disappointment and I encouraged the awardees to flood the White House switchboard with calls.  We did!  It worked!  The plans were changed to allow the President to meet us on the White House lawn on Friday before he boarded a helicopter to fly to New York for a campaign speech.

          That Friday was a highlight of our lives as we greeted the President.  I got to shake his hand, take his picture and actually talk to him for a few seconds.  Unfortunately, because of the press of the crowd, Dianne couldn't even get her arm out to shake his hand.  But she saw him by looking over my shoulder. Then he was gone and we were left with exciting memories.

          On the way out we collected fall leaves from the lawn.  We were suddenly challenged by the Secret Service, but we had already gathered enough to take home.  We laminated them and gave them out as bookmarks to all our Awana clubbers.

         But we still had some lessons to learn.   When we arrived home we found that we had been replaced on John Herr's Village Market sign with a sale in wild birdseed and ground beef!  The newspapers didn't call and on Monday I had to face my students again with all of us knowing that I really wasn't the best math teacher in the state.  And some of my fellow teachers were jealous and resentful of my award.

          On Monday the President made a campaign visit to Millersville and our students were dismissed to watch him arrive by helicopter.  But I was only an observer, from the parking lot, this time.  Craig actually got closer to the President than I did because he was working with the fire company in providing security.

          The biggest lesson was still to come.  We received a call that my close friend, Paul Brosious (father of Lisa Beamer), had a massive heart attack and was called to his eternal home in heaven.  As we learned more about his death we came to understand that it happened almost at the same minute when I was shaking hands with the President.  So while I was shaking hands with the most powerful leader in the world, Paul was unexpectedly being ushered into the presence of Almighty God, Creator and Sustainer of the Universe.

          Earthly awards are temporal.  They rust.  They fade.  They wear out.  They are forgotten.  But what is done for the Lord is eternal.  That is why the scriptures warn us not to lay up treasures here on earth but to lay up our treasures in heaven.  "Seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness.  And all these things shall be added unto you".  Matthew 6:33.  That should be our priority.

The Advice Of Mothers

         Most of us remember things that out mothers told us as we were growing up.  Sometimes they were very serious.  Sometimes they were funny.  Sometimes we listened and obeyed and maybe sometimes we didn't.  But our mothers always wanted what they thought was best for us because they loved us.

          I imagine that the mothers of children who turned out to be famous also wanted the best for their children.  And maybe history would be different if their children had listened and obeyed.  Here are some pieces of advice that mothers could have given their children over the years.

MONA LISA'S MOTHER: "After all that money your father and I spent on braces, that's the biggest smile you can give us?"

COLUMBUS' MOTHER: "I don't care what you've discovered, you still could have written!"

MICHELANGELO'S MOTHER: "Can't you paint on walls like other children? Do you have any idea how hard it is to get that stuff off the ceiling?"

NAPOLEON'S MOTHER: "All right, if you aren't hiding your report card inside your jacket, take your hand out of there and show me."

ABRAHAM LINCOLN'S MOTHER: "Again with the stovepipe hat? Can't you just wear a baseball cap like the other kids?"

MARY'S MOTHER: "I'm not upset that your lamb followed you to school, but I would like to know how he got a better grade than you."

ALBERT EINSTEIN'S MOTHER: "But it's your senior picture. Can't you do something about your hair? Styling gel, mousse, something...?"

GEORGE WASHINGTON'S MOTHER: "The next time I catch you throwing money across the Potomac, you can kiss your allowance good-bye!"

JONAH'S MOTHER: "That's a nice story. Now tell me where you've really been for the last forty years."

THOMAS EDISON'S MOTHER: "Of course I'm proud that you invented the electric light bulb. Now turn it off and get to bed!"

PAUL REVERE'S MOTHER: "I don't care where you think you have to go, young man, midnight is past your curfew."

Encouragement part 3

          The second way that the Lord regularly encourages me is through Christian music, especially the old hymns of the church.  Growing up my family sang hymns all the time, especially when traveling in the car.  I learned by heart all the verses of many great hymns this way and the Lord continually brings them back to my mind.  In our senior years the Lord has given us the privilege of leading many hymn sings and we find so many folks miss the hymns so deeply.  I also have a weekly hymn blog and about 750 people visit this each week.
          Now I refuse to get drawn into the "church music wars" of hymns vs. praise choruses.  They each have a place in worship.  But my one concern about the praise choruses is that they change every few months.  Seldom do we sing one that we sang a year or two ago.  They appear to come and go and while they do minister to us at the time and enable us to worship, I can't help wonder what the younger generations will have to recall as they grow older.  I am so thankful for all the hymns which the Lord recalls to encourage me in various times of my life.
          For our October hymn sing at Pinebrook I choose the theme "Hymns of Encouragement".  Here are a few portions of some of the hymns that were included.

"Have we trials and temptations?  Is there trouble anywhere?  We should never be discouraged; take it to the Lord in prayer.  Can we find a friend so faithful who will all our sorrows share?  Jesus knows our every weakness; Take it to the Lord in prayer."  What A Friend We Have In Jesus by Joseph Scriven and Charles Converse.

"He giveth more grace as the burdens grow greater, He sendeth more strength as our labors increase; To added afflictions He addeth His mercy, To multiplied trials He multiplies peace.  His love has no limits, His grace has no measure, His power has no boundary known unto men; For out of His infinite riches in Jesus.  He giveth, and giveth and giveth again."  He Giveth More Grace by Annie Flint and Ray Steadman-Allen

"All your anxiety, all your care, bring to the mercy seat, leave it there, Never a burden He cannot bear, never a friend like Jesus."  All Your Anxiety by Edward Joy 1920

"O victory in Jesus, my Savior forever. He sought me and bought me with His redeeming blood; He loved me ere I knew Him, and all my love is due Him.  He plunged me to victory beneath the cleansing flood."  Victory In Jesus by Eugene Bartlett

          "So amid the conflict, whether great or small, Do not be discouraged, God is overall; Count your many blessings, angels will attend, Help and comfort give you to your journey's end.  Count your many blessings, name them one by one ... Count your many blessings, see what God hath done."  Count Your Blessings by Edward Excell.

          "Jesus my Lord will love me forever, from Him no power of evil can sever; He gave His life to ransom my soul, now I belong to Him.  Now I belong to Jesus, Jesus belongs to me.  Not for the years of time alone, but for eternity."  Now I Belong To Jesus by Norman Clayton.

          "No matter what may be the test, God will take care of you; Lean weary one upon His breast, God will take care of you.   God will take care of you, through every day, O'er all the way.  He will take care of you, God will take care of you."  God Will Take Care of You by Stillman Martin.

           "What have I to dread, what have I to fear, Leaning on the everlasting arms.  I have blessed peace with my Lord so near, Leaning on the everlasting arms.  Leaning, leaning, safe and secure from all alarms; Leaning, leaning, leaning on the everlasting arms."  Leaning On The Everlasting Arms by Anthony Showalter.

          "O safe to the Rock that is higher than I, my soul in its conflicts and sorrows would fly.  So sinful, so weary, thine, thine would I be.  Thou blest Rock of Ages, I'm hiding in Thee."  Hiding in Thee by Ira Sankey.

         "When all my labors and trials are o'er, and I am safe on that beautiful shore.  Just to be near the dear Lord I adore, will through the ages be glory for me.  O that will be, glory for me, glory for me, glory for me.  When by His grace I shall look on His face.  That will be glory, be glory for me."  Oh, That Will Be Glory by Charles Gabriel.

          "I must tell Jesus!  I must tell Jesus!  I cannot bear my burdens alone.  I must tell Jesus, I must tell Jesus!  Jesus can help me, Jesus Alone!"  I Must Tell Jesus by Elisha Hoffman.

          "Standing before Him at last, trial and trouble all past, crowns at His feet we will cast, Jesus is coming again!  Coming again, coming again, may be morning, may be noon, may be evening and will be soon.  Coming again, coming again, O what a wonderful day it will be.  Jesus is coming again!"   Jesus Is Coming Again by John Peterson.

          "Sometimes the day seems long, our trials hard to bear.  We're tempted to complain, to murmur and despair.  But Christ will soon appear to catch His bride away!  All tears forever over in God's eternal day!  It will be worth it all when we see Jesus.  Life's trials will seem so small when we see Christ;  One glimpse of His dear face all sorrow will erase.  So bravely run the race till we see Christ."   It Will Be Worth It All by Esther Kerr Rustholi.

           And that is just a quick sampling of some which encourage me.  And I haven't even mentioned ones like Great Is Thy Faithfulness, Day By Day, Stayed Upon Jehovah, I Belong to the King, Standing On The Promises, Blessed Assurance, My Hope Is In The Lord, Face To Face, The Sold Rock, He Hideth My Soul, Shelter In The Time of Storm, and How Great Thou Art.  I could go on and on.  I thank the Lord for hymn writers who composed these meaningful words to encourage thousands.  Discouraged?  Try singing these old hymns.  If you need some help, consult my hymn blog each week.   Be encouraged in the Lord!  He is good, all the time!

Encouragement part 2

          In my last blog I discussed some general opinions about encouragement.  I hope they have challenged you to find folks to encourage.  Maybe you could compile a list of people and each week send a card of encouragement to one of them.  Or call one a week and just tell them that you are praying for them.  What an impact you could have on them and on their ministry.

          Now I mentioned that seldom do most of us receive any encouragement from others.  But, by God's great grace, He provides us with encouragement in several different ways.  There are two ways that I find that He provides that for me.

          The first is through Scripture.  Now it may be just an excuse, but I find it harder to memorize the older that I get.  But growing up I memorized many verses and hid them in my heart.   And it is amazing how often the Lord brings those back to me when I need them.  

          We taught children for many years and we borrowed an idea from my uncle and aunt, Pastor Bob and Thelma Smock.  For their VBS programs they put a verse to music for each letter of the alphabet.  They rotated them over several years and the children really learned them.  I have probably now composed 50 or more of these choruses myself that we have used with both adults and children.  And so often these melodies still come back to me and I can sing them and often even remember the reference.

           Reading, memorizing, and meditating upon Scripture can be a great source of encouragement.  Here are a few examples of encouraging verses.   

Proverbs 3:5-6  "Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding;  in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight."

Proverbs 18:10  "The name of the LORD is a strong tower; the righteous run to it and are safe."

Isaiah 41:10  "So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand."

John 14:27  "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid."

John 16:33  "I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world."

Psalm 46:1-3  "God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.  Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea,  though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging. Selah."

2 Timothy 1:7  "For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline."

Psalm 16:8  "I have set the LORD always before me. Because he is at my right hand, I will not be shaken." 

Psalm 55:22  "Cast your cares on the LORD and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous fall." "

1 Peter 5:7 "Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you."

Isaiah 26:3 "You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in you."

Psalm 120:1  "I call on the LORD in my distress, and he answers me."

Jeremiah 33:3  "Call upon me and I will answer you and show you great and mighty things which thou knowest not."

Psalm 139:3  "Thou compasseth my path and my lying down and art acquainteth with, all my ways."

  Matthew 6:26  "Look at the birds of the air, they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them.  Are you not much more valuable than they?

Psalm 138:8  "The Lord will fulfill his purpose for me."

      Philippians 1:6  "He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus."

Deuteronomy 31:6  "Be strong and courageous.  Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you."

Psalm 32:8  "I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go.  I will guide you with my eye."

1 John 4:4   "The one who is in you is greater that the one who is in the world."

Psalm 23:1  "The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want."

1 Peter 4:10  "When the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that will never fade."

So are you discouraged or in need of encouragement?  Then spend some time in the Scripture and be reminded of God's promises.  He never fails. Be encouraged, God is still on the throne and in control.

Encouragement, Part 1

           Encourage- give support, confidence, or hope to (someone).   Have you ever been encouraged by somebody?  How did it affect you?   Or a better question, how often do you attempt to encourage others?  I believe the action of encouragement is one of the most important actions that two people can have between them.  It is so important in my opinion that I will attempt to devote three blogs to this topic.  While this one will deal with some general views and opinions, the next two blogs will deal with two specific ways that I have been encouraged.

            1 Thessalonians 5:11  "Therefore comfort each other and edify one another."

          Now, if you are like me, receiving genuine encouragement doesn't happen too frequently, especially if you are in a leadership role.  While we appreciate encouragement from others, encouraging others doesn't seem to be part of our nature.  Maybe that is why we sometimes need to schedule it.  For example, October has been set aside as Pastor Appreciation Month.  Now that is great, but why must we be reminded, once a year, to encourage our pastors.  It seems as though that should be done regularly throughout the year.  But, in most cases, it probably doesn't happen, so we schedule a particular time to make it happen.

          Maybe encouragement is on my mind because of a thank you card that I recently received.  In the card the writer expressed sincere appreciation for a ministry job that I do every week.  This was extra special because it was only the second time in 12 years that such appreciation was expressed to me for this work . And this note has been a real encouragement to me.  Do I serve for the praise of men?  Certainly not.  Did I need this encouragement?  Not really, but it certainly was special and uplifting.

          I think it is vital for leaders to regularly encourage those who serve under them, especially when those folks are volunteers.  I have always tried to make this a priority with those I taught, those I supervised in school, and those that I led in Awana.  In most cases this was appreciated and was helpful to them.  Generally they were encouraged and so was I.  My brother, Terry, was a great encourager and he always went out of his way to show appreciation to those he knew.

         But sometimes, even with good intentions, our most sincere efforts to encourage do fail.  For many years I have organized a special banquet to honor and thank our volunteer Awana staff for serving.  Our cost to do this has been about $2,000 annually which has been covered by some special contributions.  About 70% of the staff come and have a great time.  They look forward to it and talk about it for months.  But about 30% choose not to attend.  I guess I will never fully understand that.  But at least I have been sincere and have tried to encourage them.  

          Now if you are going to be an encourager, you need to be careful and sincere and not over do it.  There are a few folks that I know who are always so positive that their appreciation at times almost seems programmed and insincere.  You know the compliments are always going to come from them and you must consider how meaningful it really is.  But folks like that are in the vast minority.  Most never say anything positive.

         Now let me challenge you to think of some folks that you know and can encourage this week.  Think of those who work quietly behind the scenes and who are faithful in serving. Think of those who are facing tough times and challenges. Think of those who might be discouraged or even getting weary in well doing.  We don't need to schedule another special month or holiday to do this.  It should be a natural action from our hearts and should be motivated by 1 Thessalonians 5:11.

        Now let me clarify something. Folks shouldn't serve just to receive praise. I Peter 4:11 reminds us "If anyone serves, he should do so with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised."  But even though the praise should be God's, it is still nice to know once in awhile that others around you appreciate what you do.  Be an encourager.

         "May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope, encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good deed and word."  2 Thessalonians 2:16-27.

Now by His grace, the Lord has provided two special sources of encouragement to me that have helped me over and over throughout my life.  They will be the topics of my next two blogs.

Don't Mess With Them!

         It's been over a year since I learned a tough lesson - don't believe little old ladies who are still driving cars.  As you might remember, a little old lady ran a red light outside Park City and plowed into the side of our car.  Fortunately, while our car had considerable damage, nobody was hurt.  The little old lady was very apologetic and admitted that it was all her fault.  She told me it was her first accident and that her husband was at home, very ill.  I fell for it and I pitied her.  I decided not to have the police prosecute her.  We helped her with her car and acted with kindness to her, even though our car had to be towed.

          Then, weeks later I found out that this little old lady had taken me.  She filed a false insurance report saying that it was all my fault.  We were stunned.  And we were even more stunned when the two insurance companies couldn't agree on what had happened, despite pictures and detailed explanations from us.  We had to pay our $500 deductible and I learned not to trust little old ladies who are driving, no matter how trusting they might appear.

         Then I came across the following story.  Now I don't know that it is a true story, but even if it isn't, it does give more credibility about the lesson I learned.  Don't mess with them!

An older lady gets pulled over for speeding...

Older Woman: Is there a problem, Officer? 

Officer: Ma'am, you were speeding. 

Older Woman: Oh, I see.

Officer: Can I see your license please?

Older Woman: I'd give it to you but I don't have one.

Officer: Don't have one?

Older Woman: Lost it, 4 years ago for drunk driving.

Officer: I see ... Can I see your vehicle registration papers please.

Older Woman: I can't do that.

Officer: Why not?

Older Woman: I stole this car.

Officer: Stole it?

Older Woman: Yes, and I killed and hacked up the owner.

Officer: You what?

Older Woman: His body parts are in plastic bags in the trunk if you want to see.

The Officer looks at the woman and slowly backs away to his car and calls for back up. Within minutes 5 police cars circle the car. A senior officer slowly approaches the car, clasping his half drawn gun.

Officer 2: Ma'am, could you step out of your vehicle please! The woman steps out of her vehicle.

Older woman: Is there a problem sir?

Officer 2: One of my officers told me that you have stolen this car and murdered the owner.

Older Woman: Murdered the owner?

Officer 2: Yes, could you please open the trunk of your car, please.

The woman opens the trunk, revealing nothing but an empty trunk.

Officer 2: Is this your car, ma'am?

Older Woman: Yes, here are the registration papers.

The officer is quite stunned.

Officer 2: One of my officers claims that you do not have a driving license.

The woman digs into her handbag and pulls out a clutch purse and hands it to the officer.

The officer examines the license. He looks quite puzzled.

Officer 2: Thank you ma'am, one of my officers told me you didn't have a license, that you stole this car, and that you murdered and hacked up the owner.

Older Woman: Bet the liar told you I was speeding, too. 

Story Of The Three Sunflowers

          Now today I am going to share with you a true but probably very insignificant story that has happened to us this summer.  Maybe it should be a parable, or maybe there is a moral to the story, or at least there may be some practical application.  But if there is, I still haven't figured out what it might be.  Maybe you can provide it for me.

         Early this spring we were shopping at a local nursery store and while we were checking out, we saw packets of sunflower seeds.  Now we've never tried to grow sunflowers before but we thought that they might make a great addition to our flower garden.  So we purchased a pack and began the process.

         The packet contained about 20 seeds and so we planted them in a box and made a small "hot house" for them to help them germinate.  Soon about 12 actually geminated.  As they grew we decided to transplant them into individual cups to give them more space to grow.  Unfortunately, only three of the twelve actually grew large enough to be transplanted into our garden.  So from about 20 we ended up with just three.

          Now I was concerned that our rabbits might enjoy sunflowers just like they have enjoyed many of our other young plants.  So I came up with an idea to make three circular fences about 30 inches high and a foot in diameter.  I was proud of my work and we went ahead, transplanted the three, and enclosed them in my inventions.  And actually it worked and the three plants began to grow.

         Then as we watched them grow, their growth reminded me of the story of the three bears - Papa Bear, Mama Bear and Baby Bear.   Does that children's story have a moral?  Maybe it would be the same one as this story.

         Papa Sunflower began to grow - taller and taller.  It eventually stood strong and firm, about 8 ft. in height. It towered over everything in our garden. I thought that maybe it was going to be Jack's beanstalk. And alas, it finally produced - two sunflowers! Please note, in all fairness to Papa, it now has a few more buds and may still produce another flower or two if the Fall doesn't get it first.

         Then there was Mama Sunflower who quickly grew to about five feet tall.  And she was actually the first to produce a flower - a pretty, but rather small sunflower.  But alas, the Japanese Beetles got after it and it never developed fully before dying.  But she wasn't done and she eventually produced about five more flowers.

          Then there was little Baby Sunflower.  It struggled to grow, although a late spurt finally made it about four feet tall.  And guess what?  Baby Sunflower outdid the "parents" by producing about 12 beautiful yellow flowers.  It was the star of the show.

          Now as I was watching them grow I couldn't help but think of the Biblical parable of the talents.  Does that fit here?   I really don't know. Or how about the woman who quietly gave her all in the offering when others showed up but actually gave so little of their large funds?  I'm not sure. Could the lesson be that some folks who appear to be "big" in the eyes of others really don't produce much spiritual fruit while some lesser folks, behind the scenes, are much more fruitful?  Again, I don't have any idea but there must be a lesson there to be learned.

          I do know, however, that I can't wait until next Spring to start this process and challenge once again. I may need to build some more rabbit proof cages.   Oh, by the way, did you know that the seeds of a sunflower are actually in a Fibonacci sequence?  That is one of the amazing facts about God's creation and maybe that is one of the many reasons that I love sunflowers.

POSTSCRIPT

         Just before this blog was published things changed dramatically.  Poor Mama Sunflower seemed to shrink and her flowers began to dry up.  Maybe a case of old age "osteoporosis"? I don't know.  Poor Baby Sunflower became over zealous and produced so many flowers that his stalk couldn't handle it and he doubled over.  In doing so his stalk broke and his top flowers all quickly dried up.  And it was too late for my attempted "spinal fusion" on him.   But the real surprise was Papa Sunflower with his tall strong stalk.  Suddenly he broke out with a surprisingly large number of beautiful sunflowers.   He bore beautiful fruit in his old age.  I guess us old guys hope that will be our experience as we continue to age.

          Now I have no idea what the parable or lesson of this whole sunflower growing experience may actually be.  And I don't intend to spend too much time trying to find it.  Instead I'll just enjoy the beautiful flowers that remain.

Baby

Papa

Mama