Mr Leon*

Down here I get called Mr Leon, by Black people. I don't want to be Mr Leon. I am called that because I am white. Yesterday at the funeral people who hadn't seen  Barbara in a while wanted to speak to her but they were intimidated by me because I am a white guy. They don't call a Black man Mr So and So.  I have tried for years to cross racial boundaries. But I am sort of a quiet person and not real outgoing. People told Barbara they wanted to speak to me but didn't know what to say. The only reason being I am white.  I can be intimidating when I want to be, but I really don't try to be. Sometimes you want to think we have come a long way from the '60s. And I am sure it is not the same on the west coast. We are not to have respect of persons so the Bible tells us or we sin.  If we believe the Bible, then we have to believe everyone alive today could trace their ancestry back to Noah, if it were possible. We would have a common ancestor in Great Great....... Great Grandfather Noah. What I have experienced is in the white church you have controlling people and people that do not want to do anything and you have the same thing in the black church. Different personalities, different attitudes, some with superiority complexes and others with inferior complexes and everything between.  People are people. Why do they still feel intimidated by a white man? Actually, there were older people back in the west that felt because I volunteered at a Tacoma Police substation I could do something about the house across the street belonging to black people that got boarded up by the city. I believe I can be intimidating sometimes, but I also think at times I intimidated Jenie, my first wife, also. I remember Mr K in South Carolina years ago. I could tell the minute I was introduced to him that he did not like me because I was white. I understood that because he had family that went to a police station and were never seen again. "To you", he said to me, "I am Mr K".  Ok, Mr K, I'm ok with that, I understood.  I don't want to be Mr Leon, I just want to be another man, color aside. I don't want to be the White Man married to Barbara, I just want to be Barbara's husband.  I believe we have to continue to cross racial boundaries until there is no longer a distinction of white and black. I do think it is ok to describe someone as the 6' 3" tall slender black man with the long white hair, or the short stubby balding white man that lives down on the corner. I believe crossing racial boundaries is needed. It was suggested by Promise Keepers years ago to cross racial boundaries and form friendships with men of other races. I believe it is a good thing and the only way we will get past calling a white man Mr So and So. God bless, LVZ.
Calling someone Mr can be out of respect, I just don't want it to be because I am White.

Have you had that talk?*

Palms 90:10 "the days of our years are threescore years and 10; and if by reason of strength they be fourscore years, yet is their strength labour and sorrow; for it is soon cut off, and we fly away." Today was the funeral for James Oliver Arnold, age 51. I did not know him personally. I knew his Dad and his mother since I have been down here. I knew some of his Uncles and Aunts from going to church. He was a father, husband, son, brother, uncle, nephew, friend, business partner, etc. He was still a young man. I am not sure when he got sick. But he knew for a short while unless God did a miracle his days were short. He knew because of his sickness that his days were up. I remember years ago in 1984 a dear friend who was 3 days and three months younger than me was called home. I remember thinking at the time that at the age of this friend who was only a little younger than I, wouldn't have been ready. I had dinner with this friend the evening before he died. I had just recently recommitted my life and thought at his age I wouldn't have been ready. He was killed in an instant in a traffic accident, no warning. None of us knows the number of our days. James Oliver Arnold knew his days were short, but still, he didn't know his last day on earth would be 12/15/2012. He'd had a conversation with God and he was ready when God called him home. My friend James Lee was also ready when he was taken without warning. James Lee didn't know ahead of time that his days were so short when I talked with him the evening before he flew away. It is so sad for a parent to have to bury their child. In this case, it was the second child of Willie Arnold that was laid to rest. Willie is still strong and in good health, but two sons have already taken flight before him. Barbara works with elderly who we know have a short time on this earth. Yet more than once I have heard her say, I could still go before them. And it is true because none of us knows the number of our days. Perhaps it will be the fourscore years the Bible talks about in this verse. We need to be ready, our sins forgiven at any time. All it takes is a short prayer, Jesus forgive me for my sins. Come into my heart, clean me up from the inside out. That is all it takes to start on this journey to have a friend till the end. He will never leave us nor forsake us. II Timothy 1:12B "for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day." I have that assurance, I have had that talk with Jesus. I have accepted him as my Lord and Saviour. When the roll is called up yonder, I'll be there. Be ye also ready for no man knoweth the day nor the hour when Jesus will return for us. James did not live a perfect life, but he was ready at the end of his short 51 years. God bless, LVZ.

Jesus wept*

I was reminded of this scripture today. The shortest verse in the Bible. John 11:35 "Jesus wept." Right now this is an appropriate scripture when so many families are weeping over their loss of precious children. And we should weep with them. I believe Jesus is also weeping, he is touched by what we go thru. In Matthew 19:14 "But Jesus said, suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me: for of such is the kingdom of heaven." Little children are important to God and he could stop what he was doing to attend to the little children. Today I heard a man talk bad about his 14-year-old in front of the kid. I wanted to say something so bad and I finally did. Do you know it takes 20 positives to make up for one negative? My Dad was like that, very negative, but I decided I didn't need to be like that and I have tried to be different. Last Sunday, when an altar call, was given in the church I attended, I saw at least 3 6-7-year-olds go up to the altar as the invitation was given. And I was reminded that I too began to know Jesus at such a young age. This tragedy in Connecticut is not the first time something like this has happened. Horrific things have happened in Colorado at the movie theatre, Columbine, Portland Oregon Clackamas Mall, Tacoma Mall, Tacoma Police Chief, Virginia Tech, the Kansas City Chiefs player. Need I go on? Look at Matthew 2:16 "Then Herod, when he saw that he was mocked of the wise men, was exceeding wroth, and sent forth, and slew all the children that were in Bethlehem, and in all the coast thereof, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had diligently enquired of the wise men." Evil has been in this world for a long time, it has not just started. Remember the Jews slaughtered in Germany. That is why each of us needs Jesus, we really do. That is why he was sent, this being the Christmas season when we celebrate his coming to this world to redeem mankind. Evil will not leave this world, it will happen again. We really need Jesus, we really do. God Bless, LVZ.

Churches again*

When I think of Churches, I wonder about the things we believe. Some people are in the same Church the same congregation all their life. Some like myself have changed from one Church to another thru out their lifetime. We are all different and so are churches. I have been to small churches - 5 people or maybe less in attendance and to large churches with thousands in attendance. I have been blessed with a message in a small church and remembered a sermon 10 years or more down the road. I have been to a small church and left wondering what the minister actually said. I have been to a large church and can still remember a certain sermon 10 or more years later. I have been to a large church and wondered what was actually said. I also believe God's word does accomplish the purpose for which it was sent. I believe I have a responsibility to check what I am hearing from the pulpit and discern if it is the word of God I am hearing. I think it is important to become attached to God, not necessarily a certain church or preacher. We need to read for ourselves, yet we need to assemble with other believers also, to hear what thus saith the word of God from a pulpit. Allow God to mold and shape us throughout our life. We need to individually be a Christian and collectively with a body of other believers. We need to be accountable to others, even ministers need to be accountable to someone. We are all accountable to God. God has changed me and what I believe over the years. I don't think its all that important if we attend the same church for decades or different bodies, as long as we are growing and allow God to change us into his image. God Bless, LVZ. I wrote this some time back and revised it a couple of times, and today I guess I'll send it on.