Truth

In the past I blogged a couple of times on being Honest or Truthful. Let your yea be yea and your na be na. Or I listed Honesty as one of the core values I though a christian should have some time back. I heard Charles Stanley use this verse Proverbs 3:3 "Let not mercy and truth forsake thee: bind them about thy neck; write them upon the tables of thine heart." Then if you go to Ephesians 6:14 "Stand, therefore, having your loins girt about with truth,"...   Both of these verses are attaching truth to us "bind them about thy neck" or "having your loins girt about with truth". I do indeed believe truth or honesty needs to be a core value. Attaching truth to us as these scriptures do emphasize the need for truth in our lives. Have you ever had someone lie to you? I think of several instances where I know someone lied to me and it is hard to believe them about anything. I've know people that tell you what they think you want to hear, that is not truth. Or as we commonly hear the little white lie, perhaps to soften what we want to say. That is not truth.  The first verse talks about mercy being bound to us also, and I think if we show mercy as part of who we are, the truth will be acceptable. I like verse 4 that follows in Proverbs "So shall thou find favor and good understanding in the sight of God and man." God bless, LVZ.

Churches again

As I have said many times, I was raised in church. I do not believe every church out there is healthy. Yet here I am still going to church after all these years.  I have learned to observe and seek God about where to attend. I see many that will spend a life time in the same dysfunctional church year after year and I wonder do they pay attention to what is being said? Do they discern what is being fed to them? I am not here to promote any one doctrine or organization, but to promote God. We do have a responsibility for what we eat spiritually. I remember the time I started attending a church other than the organization I was raised in. It took about four years before I felt OK with going someplace other than the church I was raised in. I wonder about that now, I realize that was not healthy teaching that will keep you bound to an organization instead of bound to the God of all. What happens to people when they are bound to an unhealthy organization, where do they go from there? They need to be bound to the rock of ages, that changes not. There are a lot of good churches out there. I have found some that I am happy to belong to. I have attended some where I think why would anyone go here? Some want to build a church, some want to build people. I think if you find a place that is trying to build people, you'll be OK. Some want to grow and be the biggest place in town. Some want to find any way they can to help others receive the same help and grace they have received. Believe me there is a big difference and if you are discerning and ask God for guidance, he will give it. God tells us to forsake not the assembling of yourselves together Hebrews 10:25. I believe in praying about where to attend and receive my spiritual nourishment. I don't want this to be a negative blog, but when I see people stuck in what I consider an unhealthy place, I wonder why. When God tells us to assemble, I believe he will guides us as where we should go to assemble. Then in retrospect, I have learned even from the places in my past. Most importantly somewhere in the past a seed stuck and I developed a relationship with God that is bigger and better than any one organization. Another thing to remember is God's word does not return void but accomplishes the purpose for which it was sent. God's word stands alone, it does not need to be propped up by any organization or person. God can work through or in spite of people. This was not intended to turn away from attending but to prayerfully attend. God is why most churches open their doors. God bless,  LVZ.

what came first night or day?*

What came first, night or day, is the question Rose asked. Without thinking much I answered, night. As I looked into God's word, I believe I gave a correct answer. Genesis 1:2-3; "And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. And God said, Let there be light, and there was light."  So after reading this, it sounds like it was dark all around and God created light. I also thought about this and I believe this is how God wants to teach our children about him. One question at a time. No big theological discussion, just a simple question, and a simple answer, in the course of a day. None of us learn it all at once, it is more of a lifetime of learning. Even as adults, we still learn day by day. This simple question was not a theological question at all. Rose is only 7. But I believe God wants us to take these small insignificant moments to teach about him, the creator of night and day and all creatures great and small. I wished I'd done more of this type of interaction when my kids were small. Perhaps they would now know God and have that personal relationship with him that is so needed in all our lives. God bless, LVZ.

the rules don't apply to me

Did you ever think the rules of life do not apply to me? I have at times thought that way. Galatians 6:7 "Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap." This is a rule of life: what a man sows, he also reaps. Don't be fooled, the rules of life apply to everyone living now, or has lived in the past, or will live in the future. God sees all, he set the universe in place, Don't know if this is something he set in place specifically or if it is just a result of life itself, but it does happen. Many times those who have traveled the road we are on ahead of us will try and give us advice. Sometimes we think we know better or just think the rules don't apply to me. Sometimes it because a harvest of what we sow doesn't happen over night and we think we got away with it. I remember a time in divorce recovery class where statistics were given that it takes about 1 year of recovery for every 4 or 5 you were married. I also remember thinking that doesn't apply to me, we were on the down hill stroll long before the divorce was final. They also said, recovery doesn't start until the marriage is over. I remember thinking, this rule does not apply to me. I wonder how much grief and heartache I could have avoided if I had listen to those who went down this path before me.  Could I have avoided the pain and suffering endured in 3 other failed marriages if I had listen and followed the advice given by those who had been there before? We can fool other people, I am OK, we say, but God is not fooled, he knows us better than we know ourselves. In hind sight I can look back and see the rule did apply to me and wish I had listened. God bless, LVZ.

226*

Finally after all this time. Every date I thought I'd be in has passed. I quit setting new dates. III John 2 "Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth."
I am thankful for this house that God has allowed. I think it has been for my learning as much as anything else. There have been trials and difficult moments. As I read this verse and especially the last part. even as thy soul prospereth, our spiritual well being is most important. Through this building process, I learned I wasn't as forgiving as I thought I was. It is fundamental to a Christian to be forgiving, but I have had to ask God to help me in this area of my life. Especially for one shade tree carpenter as I call him.  It also got me to pray for just about everything. Things went wrong and I got so discouraged, especially as it drug on and on.  When I got the OK to occupy, even though it is not complete, it eased the pressure I felt to get it done. I still have tons to do, but the pressure is gone. Most of all I hope I have learned any lessons God had for me, I don't want to do them again. I hope more than anything, my soul has prospered through this ordeal. I have arthritis in my elbow and my knee. It has really slowed me down. But as the doctor said for 61 the knee still in pretty good condition. I hope to find a release for the pain. I just noticed even in the picture my right knee looks swollen. More important than anything, has my soul prospered? God bless LVZ.

Long Life

I was listening to Willard Scott as he tells of these men and women celebrating their 100th birthdays, he sometimes tells what they attribute their long life to. I thought of this scripture that has a promise attached to it, Exodus 20:12.  "Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee."  I don't know if they ever investigated this part of the lives of these centenarians.
This is a promise that God makes to us, long life if we honour our parents. One thing to note it does not say good parents, and it does not exclude bad parents. It just says honour thy father and they mother.  From the dictionary:  perceived quality of worthiness and respectability that affects both the social standing and the self-evaluation of an individual or corporate body. We hear people attribute long life to a healthy diet, exercise etc., and I believe these things do benefit us. Once in a while you will also hear someone tell of smoking  everyday, or perhaps they have their shot of bourbon everyday. Perhaps both the persons that practiced a healthy lifestyle and those that didn't, honoured their parents as this scripture says. God keeps his promises. God bless, LVZ.

Fathersday

Fathers day, a time to reflect. I was listening to a father tell about something he did with a son of his.  The kid wasn't a bad kid, he was very sociable and loved to have fun. Every year at the beginning of school his grades would be bad until they restricted him. In the 11th grade this man told his son if it happened that year, there would be no track. It happened again, and as a father he stuck to his word and didn't let the kid join track. It meant a lot to the kid, and he felt it ruined things for him. The father felt he did the right thing. This story reminded me of a choice I made for my son many years ago. My kid and the neighbor kid were fighting over a toy. It had belonged to the neighbor kid but he lost it on our property. My son found it and claimed it, finders keepers, etc. The neighbor kid came to get it back and came inside the house. My kid pointed a 22 rifle at the neighbor kid and told him to get out. This was over a toy, I don't even remember what the toy was. When I came home and heard about it, I felt I needed to take action to let my son know how serious it is to pull a gun on someone. You hear frequently about some kid getting shot over just playing with a gun and it goes off and a life is ended over nothing. It could so easily happened in this situation, and my son could have lived with taking a life on his conscience for the rest of his life, over a toy. I whipped him, I wanted him to understand how serious this was and not to do it again. You don't threaten to take a life over a toy. It is OK to defend you home and family, but you don't do it over a disagreement over a toy. My son thought I was unfair, he was after all defending his home. The neighbor kid was invading our home. What I saw was it was a dispute between two juveniles over a toy. This was not serious enough to pull a gun. I wanted to teach him a lesson, he would not soon forget. He hasn't but even at 40, I believe he still thinks I was wrong. Fathers sometimes have to teach difficult things to protect their kids in the future as I did and as this other father did. I wanted to be a good father and I did the best I knew at the time.  God bless, LVZ.

gossip

I wonder about gossip and the trouble it causes. So many do it and think nothing of it. Proverbs 26:20 " Where no wood is, there the fire goeth out: so where there is no talebearer, the strife ceaseth." The writer of Proverbs is saying just like a fire goes out when there is no wood so does strife cease when there is no talebearer. There are many verses about the words we speak, good and bad. Gossip ends on the bad side of the list. Good words tend to encourage, build up. edify. Gossip seems to do the opposite. Where do we or should we draw the line between gossip and just having a conversation? Do the words put someone in a bad light or a good light. Do they build up or tear down. Conversation is necessary with others to pass on info. As I was looking into this subject the words I read were words like slander, bear false witness, sowing discord, speak evil, whisperer, careless words. I have at many times said things I regret and wish I could take back.
   The opposite would be kind words, words that build up, encourage, uplift. Look to these things the Bible tells us, things of good report. Philippians 4:84" Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things." Quite a contrast and there would be less strife in our world. In another place  the Bible tells us to speak evil of no one. I sometimes doubt many politicians read these scriptures. I wonder how our elections would go if people running for office would practice this? Would we be better informed about what they plan on working for? Makes you wonder if a Christian can even run for political office, because we see so much negativity and slander in any important race.  After saying that, there are no perfect Christians. If someone slandered me in a political race, would I so easily be able to forget all the cruel things said? This was not intended to be a political blog. Sometimes I ramble on.  God bless, LVZ.    

He will Keep your life.

Psalms 121: 7b, "he will keep your life." (The Amplified Bible) In the New International Version it says, "He will watch over your life." The King James says, "He shall preserve thy soul."  I have read this Psalm before and remember the first part of Psalms 121 "I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help." I remember those words but when I read these words, He will watch over your life, it stood out. I believe God has done that in my life. I have been a Christian since childhood, walked away in my late twenties, and returned to trying to live a Christian life somewhat imperfectly. When I look back and see all the times God intervened in my life I know he has indeed watched over my life. I think of the time I was living in a beat up old mobile home and I was back to work and I knew I needed to do something better for my family. I was looking at double wide mobile homes when my neighbor came and said I will build you a 3 bedroom rambler for the same price, and he did. I feel that was God intervening in my life. That was in 1986. Earlier than that I had a job that I really liked. I took an off hours class occasionally and after this one particular class I realized the job that I liked so well was going away. I looked around at my situation and determined if I didn't do something I would end up working in the factory crawling around an airplane, doing things I may not like just to keep a job. God blessed me to be able to take more of these classes and get paid while doing it and became an engineer. In someways I was still doing the same thing, instead of a physical mockup, it was a computer mockup.  I look back and I see God was watching over my life. I had thought one day I'd be a lead in Mockup, but when I went to the engineering side, because I didn't have an engineering degree and many of my co-workers did, I never thought that would happen. My last 4 years on the job, I was lead of Design Engineers in an Electrical Corrective Action Team. It just happened, I didn't seek it.  They needed a lead for the DE team and I said I would step in on a temporary basis until they found a lead. Two months later my boss asked if I would just take the position and I did. I worked harder as a lead than I did before.  Once again I see God watched over my life. Once in a difficult marriage I was praying about a decision I needed to make and God answered that prayer as I was still praying about it. He showed me what I needed to know. God watched over my life in a very difficult time. I thought about moving south after I retired and after the 2000 census I was looking at info about Mississippi. Many times I wondered about my fascination with Mississippi. I took a trip to see what Mississippi was like in 2001  and spent about two weeks on the gulf coast. Years go by and I think I am still going to move south when I retire, then after my last divorce a church member insisted I meet her sister. For two years she tried to get us to talk on the phone and finally we did.  I thought back to the Divorce Recovery Class I had gone through and how one speaker said if God has some one for you way over there and you are way over here, God will move you to where they are at or he will move them to where you are at. God did just that. Barbara came out to Washington for her sisters birthday and we met after having talked on the phone for a few months. The rest is history, once again I look back and see God watching over my life. There are many more things I could write about how God has blessed my life if I think about it. God bless, LVZ.

Romans 1*

I was reading this chapter because we are studying Romans in Sunday School, I came across this verse. Romans 1:25 "Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, Who is blessed forever! Amen."  In January I blogged about what does God think? This verse ties into that blog. Verse 26, says God gave them up to vile affections, or verse 28 says, God gave them over to a reprobate mind. It does matter what God thinks. It is important to try and understand the Bible from God's viewpoint and not rewrite it to say what we want. I believe many people will be in trouble on the day they stand before God. I know I have changed my view on many things over the years, and that doesn't concern me, because God also sees the heart and if we are really trying to follow his word, he will correct us. God does see the difference in our heart between actively seeking his word to know him and manipulating the word to fit us. The point is to try and follow God's view of scriptures and not create our own version or interpret the Bible to say what we want it to say. I like to ask the question: How does this apply to me or my life?, as I am reading scripture. The Bible is meant to shape us, conform us into his likeness. Yes, over the years my view on different subjects has changed, but I still need God. He doesn't need us, we need him. He is the creator of all and is worthy to be praised. God bless, LVZ.

You could have said NO *

I was doing stuff with Elijah around the house. First, we made a little wooden school bus. I tried to let Elijah do as much as he is capable of but when he is struggling I tried to tell him a better way. He wouldn't listen, here is a five-year-old that thinks he knows better than I. Finally I took the part and showed him and then he did it the way I showed him and he was more successful. We got the wooden school bus built. Then we painted. What a mess. We got the wall painted with touch up being necessary to the surrounding walls and baseboard. We went outside and the neighbor's 4-year-old asked to play horseshoes. I pounded in a metal stake and of course, Elijah wanted to pound in a metal stake also. I gave him the hammer after I started the stake. I turned my back to talk to Barbara and Elijah was crying his head off. Somehow he managed to hit his finger. He wouldn't let me look at it. I had to threaten him to let me look at it. Anyway as we were thinking what to do, was it serious enough to have a doctor look at it? Elijah says "You could have said No." I cracked up. It was my fault that he hit his finger because I could have said no and not let him use the hammer.  I try to let Elijah do things. It is faster to do it myself and he tries my patience because he thinks he knows more at five than I do with 55 years more experience. Proverbs 22:6 "Train up a child in the way he should go; and when he is old, he will not depart from it." I think about this verse as I deal with Elijah and the other grandkids. Once, Callia got to Gio over some toy and she knew she upset him. I will never forget when she said with a smile on her face, "I am sorry." we smile at the things grandkids say and do. They are learning in almost everything we do with them. It is our responsibility to train them. I do know as I got older I did try to teach my kids more. I remember having Carla watch as I changed oil and replaced a headlamp in a car. I wanted her to have a basic understanding of car maintenance. She surprised me when she put on coveralls and helped pull an engine in her VW. Just everyday stuff, showing them how to do just about anything we do. I remember an incident years ago when I was riding with a Pastor and we drove by a church member's house and saw this member putting up a fence. He was an older man but had never been taught even basics. The pastor stopped and we helped this member get his fence going before it looked too bad. He had never been taught even some basics and I tried after that to show my kids what I could. I learned a lot of things on my own. It could have been so much easier if someone had spent time with me. I remember a friend whose father was a machinist and he taught his boys how to use all those machines. Show our children what we know, and they will remember and do better. God bless, LVZ.

consistent *

I find it hard to be consistent. Some days I get up and immediately have something to do and I pass over my devotional time. I have realized over time that I need God. Maybe I hope to influence others towards God that may read my blog, but I really need God for me. For instance a while back I wrote several blogs about forgiving. It is a necessity to forgive. Every once in awhile in my building project I come across an error that the shade tree carpenter (as I call him) made. A few days ago I was installing a door in a bathroom. The rough opening is supposed to be 26 inches. It was 26 inches at the top but barely 25 inches at the bottom and  I had trouble with that door. I couldn't get it to fit smoothly. I ended up taking the door down and shaving the edge of the door. Many of these are first time projects for me. The shade tree carpenter had twenty years experience, or perhaps he repeated 1 year twenty times.  The second door I ended up being able to make it better by beating on it and cutting away at the bottom of the rough opening. I realized by measuring the actual door and door jam, the rough opening needed to be slightly more than 25 inches. In the process of shaving down the door, I lifted it up to reinstall and hit the fan turning overhead and damaged several blades of this fan. I had to order new parts. I really had to pray about keeping a forgiving spirit towards this man. It has been so many things, and I am still not done with the house, so I may find other things the shade tree carpenter messed up. But I need God for me, I thought I had this forgiving spirit down. I have been through 4 divorces and feel I managed to be forgiving. This man made me realize I still need God's help in something so basic for a Christian, to have a forgiving spirit. I'm not there yet, I'm still working on it. Things go better when I remember to start my day with God. I need him. I have trouble following through with projects and this has been the biggest project of my life. I also learned I am not as forgiving as I thought I was. Matthew 6:14 "For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you:" God bless LVZ.

New Grandchild

It seems from face book I have a new granddaughter. As I was thinking on this I thought I hope my son gets the DNA checked. He is not married to the mother nor was he in a long term relationship with this child's mom. I am afraid to say anything, my son will take it wrong. Others feel the same way, they do not feel they could bring up the subject without getting verbally assaulted for their efforts. This is not meant to say anything bad about the mother. Does even my son know that this is really his child. The mom could certainly know. If she had a casual relationship with my son could she have not had a casual relationship with some other man? Only she would know if there was any other relationship that could be responsible for this child, or not. I think it best to leave it in God's hands, if my son ends up supporting a child that is not his is it any different then me raising him? I knew from the start, and I chose to support him. Children are a blessing from God, and this could be his blessing. I pray he will be a better father than I was. He has twice the years behind him, I was only 21 when he was born. He is forty. I hope he is twice as mature as I was. I was still learning and when I look at 20 year old kids today, I think, I was still a child. This child did not ask to be born any more than my son asked to be born some 40 years ago. God help us to be the best parents and Grandparents we can be. Psalms 127:3 "Lo, children are an heritage of the Lord; and the fruit of the womb is his reward."  God bless, LVZ.