My Blog

I enjoy writing. I would like for what I write to at least make people think. Every one of us has come from different circumstances. We have had different influences in our lives. We have had different experiences in our lives. I can only write about mine. What is in my heart comes out of my mouth. There have been times when I have taken what people have said personally. What they said wasn't directed at me, but sometimes the shoe fits. Perhaps that is what happened when I wrote the last black / white blog.  Its my blog, not many people read it. Thats OK, its my blog and I can write what is on my heart that day. I would like to be a blessing. If what I write offends someone, pray for me. I still want to write about my experiences, I don't post them on face book because I don't know who all will see it or read it. I really don't know who all reads by blog either, but they are entering my space when they read my blog. I may not see every thing as anyone else, that's why it is my blog. I think some black people took offense to some of the things I wrote. They didn't comment as they could have. But in sort of a back door way they did. They commented to someone who knew my wife, knowing that person would say something to my wife. My Wife doesn't read my blog. She gets blind sided by these comments. People say I intimidate them. I don't know who. I am usually a quiet person. I don't like to talk to two or more people. I only feel comfortable one on one. Any group of two or more and my discomfort level increases. Perhaps that is why I like to blog. I can say what I feel. I can remember two times in my life that I actually remember trying to intimidate people. Once, someone called Barbara's phone the first time we were in Mississippi after we were married. I answered the phone and a man was threatening to harm Haji over some money he felt Haji owed. him. I told Barbara about it and when Haji came home I listen in the back ground as they were talking. I found out the Guys name. THen on the internet I found his address. I had a GPS in the car and when Barbara sent me to the store, I looked for his guy. I found him and knocked on his door. Your the guy that threatened Haji, I just wanted you to know that I know where you live. I was trying to intimidate that man. He called the Sheriff and shortly after I returned home the Lee County Sheriff Deputy that saw me at that address  and knew who I was. The Deputy showed up at our doorstep.  I did not display or carry a weapon with me, I went unarmed. Another time I saw two teenage boys fighting and one ended on the ground and the other guy kept kicking him. I stopped and yelled at him to stop. He told me it was none of my business. I got out of the car and said "how about if I make it my business." they stopped and walked away together so perhaps it was not as serious as it looked to me. My quietness sometimes makes people uneasy. I have tried to talk more and be more open but I am still pretty much a quiet person. Black people don't feel comfortable coming and talking to me. I've had several people want to ask about renting the house that is empty, but they don't talk to me, they ask for Barbara and ask her. I feel I handled the incident with the young black man that pulled a gun on me correctly. I backed away and called the police. I found out later he had pulled a gun on several other older black men prior to the incident with me and they did nothing. I signed an arrest warrant or what ever they call it and he probably had to pay $500 to bond out. That is what I found out is normal on the internet. I do not know anything specific after I signed the paper.  I also found out that had those men done the same as me it would have been a felony charge because they were both older than 65. I feel I did the right thing because I doubt he will pull a gun on anyone just because he is not getting his way. That was a very immature way for a 30 + man to act over a few words that he disagreed with.  Maybe I shouldn't have spoken,but I did. It was my wife's property and his they were talking about and I really had no say in it, but when he was asking to put a dog fence on her side and then as we were walking  away, asked her if she told me about squatters rights. With out thinking I just popped off, "I think you just talked yourself out of a dog fence."   That is all I said but he went to get a gun to shoot me.  If I am  a racist, I don't see it. I have opinions about blacks having spent some 15 years attending several Black Churches. Those are my experiences and my thoughts. after all this is my blog.  Black people expected that would not be the end of it, that I being a white person would do something to this young black man. I guess they don't know me very well. I was very patient with several ex-wives and one of the fathers even said to his daughter, if he was a black man he would have killed you by now. I don't try to be intimidating most of the time, I just am mostly quiet, but I do stick up for myself when the need arises. If black people are reading this and you have an issue with me, talk to me directly. Don't go through others through a back door approach. I am not that unapproachable. I haven't killed any ex-wives that treated me badly, nor have I done anything more towards this young black man mentioned above, And I do not intend to do anything more. I feel he learned from that experience and it won't be a problem in the future. I really don't think I am that racist that a black person cannot talk to me directly.  I am not always right but I think what I think just like everyone else, right or wrong  .God bless, LVZ.

Another listen.

Charles R. Patrick has a video on my timeline in Face book pSeptember 3 at 9:58pmosted on Septermber 3rd.September 3 at 9:58pm
I think I successfully pulled a link this time, click on one of the underlined September 3rd.
His language is street language, but he is saying a lot of good things.

Listen to this guy

I can't seem to get this link to work, but listen to this guy. He is on my face book timeline.
http://rare.us/story/this-man-believes-that-liberalism-is-doing-more-harm-to-african-american-communities-than-good/PCuV3rEZiRUCIGvg.01September 23 at 11:22pm
Try the September 23 underlined link.  THese last two post are black men that are thinking for themselves. A white man cannot say this effectively.  God bless, LVZ.

My blog

I feel I need to say this again. I think I upset a lot of people with a recent blog. I didn't mean to be offensive, I did want people to think about what I said. I think I accomplished that but possibly in a bad way. My blog is not about I ate pancakes this morning and went to Starbucks. What I think is different than what others think, but they are my thoughts. My experiences have been different then others. I do believe what is in our hearts comes out of our mouths. If my blog upset you, pray for me.
I like to blog and I do want people to think about what I write. I do not wish to make enemies. I didn't think very many people read my blog but because of a recent reaction, I think more people see my blog than I knew. The blog that got the attention only had 4 hits according to what I see. I have had some blogs have 26 hits. Probably one of the most hits I have seen on any blog. I took it down, I didn't want to be offensive. It is my blog, it is what I think, I may be wrong, but I still think I said some good stuff that needs to be thought about. Most of my blogs are about a scripture, and sometimes I do get off into a political blog.  You do not have to agree with me but at least consider what I wrote. I am not trying to be offensive, I do want people to think about what I write. The reason I don't write most of this stuff on face book, it probably would piss some people off. This is my page, my thoughts, enter at your own risk. If it pisses you off, remember you entered my page. God bless, LVZ.

quiet / or slow to speak

I've been considered quiet most of my life. That's bad and good. Sometimes in a relationship, your partner doesn't know what your thinking, sharing is important in a relationship.  Then it is good to think before you speak. When you are not quick to answer, some may think your stupid.  It has been something I have had to work at in my lifetime, to speak up, voice my opinion. Many times I will lose my thought when someone interrupts me. The Bible says to be slow to speak. James 1:19  "Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath:"  Note the verse starts off saying be swift to hear, and ends with slow to wrath.  I think we do want to think before we speak, consider proper words, proper tone of voice.  A lot of  my being slow to speak is just my personality, a somewhat quiet person. A supervisor once said , Leon, the quiet one. At that time I may have been the most soft spoken person on the crew. Listening first and trying to be sure we understand what another person is saying. Sometimes people will use the wrong word, or in writing, a punctuation mark in the wrong place can change the meaning. Some from other parts of the country or even another country may speak in a manner that is confusing to us. Down here they use the term for bypass instead of freeway. Knowing people helps, and a lot of communication is none verbal. Another problem I have run into is calling a street 45, which is the bypass. At one time, and I do not know how far in the past, the main north / south route through Tupelo was 45 and many still say its on 45. I am thinking the north / south freeway (or bypass), but if I am listening, I know there are no businesses directly on 45, and most times I already know someone is speaking of Gloster street, but I will ask for clarification. Add to the confusion, there is a 45 and an alternate 45 that meet at an overpass just south of Tupelo. The alternate 45 and 45 meet together again about 40 to 50 miles south of here.  And go to the first major street towards a town off of 45 and you will find 145 or 245. The same is true of 78, you'll find 178 or 278 just off the main freeway. Add another hiway south about ten miles called 278 and you can find it confusing.  It helps to practice our listening skills. It also helps to be slow to wrath or to get angry. Ask questions and get clarification on what a person is asking or saying. Repeating back what you heard. Or which 45 do you mean?  Many years ago I had a little kid  come up to me when visiting his home. I said he is not strange, What I meant was he was not a stranger to me, he was friendly. The mother gave me a look and I quickly tried to explain myself. I think that terminology may have come from the German and Midwestern background.  I do not use the word strange in that manner anymore. Being swift to hear and slow to speak , slow to wrath helps in many relationships. At work it certainly helped to hear people out and even asking a few questions or looking at the situation helped understand what they wanted. Writing them off to quickly as not a good idea did not help relationships with the shop. But trying to understand fully did help build relationships. We found many people in the shop could help us build a better product and save time building it if we Engineers would listen long enough to understand the real problem. The Bible has a lot of good advice in every area of life if we listen. Some say I had good people skills and ethics. I thought many times, this is stuff I learned in Sunday School. People skills are not as easily taught as the technical stuff. Sunday School was a blessing to me my whole life. God bless, LVZ.

Be established / strengthened / prepared

James 5:8 "Be ye also patient; stablish your hearts: for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh." 
In the prior verse it is also telling us to be patient unto the coming of the Lord.  Stablish is a strengthening of the heart. Render constant, confirm one mind are other words used in the definition. This sounds like a preparation being made in our hearts for the coming of the Lord. No one knows when Jesus is coming back. Some say things  that sound like he came when we gave him our hearts and while that is true because he dwells in us, there is another scripture I turn to that makes me believe there is another coming of the Lord. I Corinthians 15:19 says if we have hope in this life only in Christ,  we are of all men most miserable. I believe there is much scripture pointing to another coming of the Lord. Some of us will go by the grave. I expect that is what will happen to me, some day. Psalms 90:10 tells us our years may be 70 or if by strength we make it to 80, it is soon cut off. Verse 12 in this Psalms tells us to number our days. It is not saying years but days. 35 years ago, I heard people talking about retirement and it seemed so far away, it seemed useless for me to even think about it. But the years came and went, as I got closer to my retirement day, I started counting the days. I had preparations to make. I had to set a last day for me to show up at work. I told my bosses some 700 days in advance that I was leaving. 60 days ahead of time I had to turn in paper work with my last day of work identified.  I had to prepare, it was uncharted territory for me. Was my retirement check going to show up. I couldn't work the month of August but my check would not arrive until September.  I was moving 2500 miles. I had to prepare. So it is with our hearts, we must prepare. Psalms 90:12 "Teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom." I think the wisdom here is to not think that day is way out there years away so we end up unprepared. Counting the days is like it is just around the corner and our hearts need to be established in relationship with God.  We do not know if God has given us the 3 score and ten years or the 4 score years. Many depart unexpectedly even before the 70 years, and for that reason we need to be prepared.  What if all I have is tomorrow? Is my heart stablished in Jesus Christ? Have I repented of my sins? Do I live in a state of readyness?  Have I surrendered every area of my heart and life?  Be patient, the days may be many but be ready. All it takes to be ready is Jesus come in to my heart, forgive me of all my sins. Though they be many they shall be forgiven when we ask. Then be patient, the day is coming, just be ready.  I have a hope of eternity in Christ.  God bless, LVZ.

James Golden

I listen to an interview of James Golden. Here is a black man that thinks for himself. He does not follow the path of the 98% Black Americans who buy the Liberal Lies. I understand that some do think liberally honestly just I I think conservatively. But when you see a block of 98% of a single race voting one way consistently, you really wonder if they are thinking things through. I doublt that at least half are not and just going with the liberal flow. One thing that James Golden said about this mother was: She asked him what happened to you? He told her, I followed what you and Dad taught me growing up. To do for myself, as much as is possible. Don't depend on the government. He in turn asked what happened to you? Why do so many black Americans not follow their own beliefs and blindly support any black politician that comes along. They are doing that locally for a Judge that broke the law. He hurt his own people by trying to help them. But because he is black, the Black Community is supporting him and ignoring the fact he did wrong and he is being removed from being a Judge. He broke the law, was warned and continued. He let many habitual offenders off again and again in a drug court. He tried to get all the black people cases he could,  and let them off again and again. Did he help his people, no. He ruined it for a lot of other people that could have been helped if he had administered Justice fairly.  They do not look at the facts, they look at the fact he was black and there fore deserves their support.  That is the only thing that matters. Throw the other facts out the window. He broke the law himself and administered justice unfairly. He needs to be fired as a Judge.  Leave the color of his skin aside and look at his actions alone. He is black therefore he needs their blind support no matter what he has done. Think it through, this black judge broke the law and administered Justice  unfairly. I believe James Golden is a black man that thinks for himself. Does not follow the crowd and vote the way the Black Liberal Ministers tell him to vote. We ride the media storm only to find out later they duped us into believing what they wanted us to believe. In the last month I have seen two postings by Black men that are thinking for themselves. I posted both of them on my timeline in facebook.  I think that is a good sign. Perhaps there is hope for Ben Carson if he runs for President. He is another Black man that thinks for himself. I do not think any other race in America has been 98% one way or the other. These men are from the other 2% that actually think things through. Walter Williams, is another good read,  as is Thomas Sowell.  I am not saying unless they think conservatively they are not thinking things through, but 98%, come on something is wrong there. Some will think things through and still come up with liberal thinking. All of us are never going to think alike. It would be a boring world if we did.  God bless, LVZ.

Do not swear

James 5:12 "But above all things, my brethren, swear not, neither by heaven, neither by the earth, neither by any other oath: but let your yea be yea; and your nay, nay; lest ye fall into condemnation." Many times in my life I have heard people try to convince others of something and they will say something like I swear on my brothers grave, that is true. As I tried to understand the meaning of swear, I saw this meaning: In swearing to call a person or thing as a witness, to invoke, swear by.  The swearing I want to talk about is the one just described, not what we consider cursing or using foul language. When we are telling the truth, we do not need to back it up by calling someone as a witness, dead or alive. God tells us to just let our yea be yea and our nay be nay. Most of the time when I can tell someone is lying is when their words don't match. I don't know if I can explain it very well. As they talk something they said doesn't fit with something they said earlier. To me I just say their words don't match.  In this passage God is telling us through James the writer of this book not to swear by someone or something else.  I know when I don't want to tell something, I beat around the bush. I don't want to lie so I will tell other things that don't really answer the question. I remember this incident at work many many years ago. I had a company phone with an outside line in the area I was in charge of. I saw a lot of people come through my area just to use that phone and it irritated me. I hid the phone without saying anything to anyone. People that were coming up to my area to use that phone were calling outside the company.  I do not know if I had the right to do that or not, I just did it because I didn't like them bothering me. Someone went to the lead man and reported that phone missing. The lead man came straight to me and asked if I did something with that phone? Do I know where it is? I hem and hawed and didn't answer his question because I didn't want to say I hid it. I may not have had the right to do that. "Leon", he says, just give me a yes or no answer, I know if you do that you will tell me the truth. Do you know where that phone is?" I said "Yes". He didn't ask anymore questions and just walked away. I don't think he was upset with me for hiding it, he just needed to know if he needed to report it missing.  Let your yea be yea and your nay nay. We don't need to swear by anyone or anything, just be truthful and people will know they can trust what we say.  When someone lies to you, you never know when you can believe them. Many times I have seen people lie when the truth would even be easier and better. Some get in such a habit  of lying, you feel they are lying every time they open their mouth. When people tell you the truth you can deal with it, you know what the circumstance is and go ahead. But when someone lies you spend needless energy trying to find out what really happened so you can move ahead. You may not always like the truth but it is what it is and you can figure out what to do with it. Sometimes when people lie, it like spinning your wheels and going no where. God bless, LVZ

What kind of soil?

Matthew 13:18-23: "Hear ye therefore the parable of the sower. When any one heareth the word of the kingdom, and understandeth it not, then cometh the wicked one, and catcheth away that which was sown in his heart. This is he which received seed by the way side.    But he that received the seed into stony places, the same is he that heareth the word, and anon with joy receiveth it; Yet hath he not root in himself, but dureth for a while: for when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, by and by he is offended. He also that received seed among thorns is he that heareth the word; and the care of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful. But he that received seed into good ground is he that heareth the word, understandeth it; which also beareth fruit, and bringeth forth, some an hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty." What kind of soil am I? As I look back over my life and think about this passage of scripture, I think of different times in my life when I was more than one of these. We have the seed of the word of God sown into our hearts in so many ways. I remember Sunday School as a child. I remember what they called gleaners, the pre teen children in the church I was raised in. Sermons I have heard attending Church services through out my life. Listening to speakers on the radio or on television. Talking with friends. Bible studies, or even reading on my own.  All these ways have sown seed into my heart. Even today sometimes I have to listen carefully to what is being said to understand. There have been many times the word was sown by the wayside and it didn't take root. Or the times I would joyfully listen to the word and I did not have root in myself. I didn't think about it later and it just faded away.  I remember a time when I was offended and allowed a thorn to grow up in my heart and for a time I walked away from God.  But the part I really took notice of today was when the word was sown and received good ground. The word was heard, I tried to understand it. I pondered the words that were spoken and many times I will think, how do I apply this to my life? There is an effort on my part to take this into my heart and apply it to me. Many times I listen and write down keys words, or perhaps the speaker has key points that he is pointing out and I write those down. Perhaps later or even days later I will read those notes, ponder what was said. Perhaps even reading the scripture again on my own, in my devotional time. How do I apply this to my life? I remember one time in particular when I heard a speaker preach on Psalms  chapter one, I knew God was trying to get my attention. For many many days after that Sunday I would read Psalms chapter one over and over again. I knew God had been talking to me. I did not want that word to fall by the wayside. I wanted to make it a part of me. God had gotten my attention and I wanted to hear his words to me and I wanted to change my life. That is when the seed falls on good soil.  That is the type of soil I want to be.  Good soil, I hear the word, I act on it, I tried to memorize that passage. I thought when I read Psalms one, God is telling me:  I am going places I shouldn't go, listening to people I shouldn't listen to. The end result will not be good, But when I make a change and my delight is in the Law of the Lord, and I try to change my life, listening to what God has for me. That is seed falling into good soil. I had a Tomato plant in Tacoma one year that just took off. We got a hundred and fifty tomatoes off that one plant. It was huge and it bore much fruit, I have never had another tomato plant do that good since. That is what I want for me spiritually, like that tomato plant in Tacoma in I think the summer was 2008. That seed fell into good soil and I know I pruned that plant, watered it. God blessed us with sunshine that summer. I know Tomato plant roots can go deep as far as 8 feet. Perhaps I had even dug deep that year and loosened the soil and fertilized it. To hear God's word, read it again, study it, ponder what it means for me. Last year we had an Okra plant that did the same think. It bore fruit many times over the seeds that were planted. I liked the flowers and tried to plant an Okra in a big planter at the front of the house, but something was wrong and not one bloom. How do I apply this to me?   What kind of soil am I for God's word?  I want to be spiritually what that good Tomato and Okra plant did, bear fruit and much fruit.  God bless, LVZ. 

II Chronicles 7:14*

So many of us are politically motivated as we should be. We have the freedom to vote and we should. But that said, I still believe it is going to take God to move in the hearts of our people to heal our land. We as a nation are straying from God. We are allowing things and creating laws to protect and promote activities that are contrary to God's word. I do not believe this is something the republicans or democrats can fix. I do not believe it is something the liberals or conservatives or the Tea party can fix. II Chronicles 7:14 says  "If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land." There are several conditions that I think need to happen before God will heal our land. We Christians need to humble ourselves, it says My people or God's people shall humble themselves and pray. We need to seek God and ask for his intervention. Seek my face sounds like a very serious effort on our part and I don't think we are there yet. When we get serious like Daniel and three times a day he would kneel at his window and pray to his God. Even when they made it unlawful, he continued to pray as he always had. Seek God's face. and turn from their wicked ways. Divorce among Christians is almost as common inside the church as it is for nonchurch goers. We have people that it does not bother them to live as husband and wife without being married inside the church. Our pocketbooks are not saved. it is said that most Christian do not tithe biblically. We are not serious about our relationship with God. We need to turn from our wicked ways, we need to repent and turn away from our sins. We make many laws in this country that are contrary to God's word. There is sin in our lives as Christians.  But when we get serious and stand for truth and pray and humble ourselves, God says he will hear from heaven and heal our land. It will not happen any other way. We hear Christians from both sides of the political aisle looking to their political leaders to turn things around. It will not happen that way. When God moves and only then will our land be healed. If we are looking at a political party to fix this nation, we are looking to the wrong source. God bless, LVZ.  

God's Detox

I thought about using this word Detox as a title because in some ways that is what I am doing. Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it. I am still influenced more than I want to be by my upbringing. The legalism still comes through many times even though I don't want to be legalistic. I think that is why we need to be careful who we allow to feed us spiritually. When we were raised we could not go to dances or Professional sports games etc.  A very legalistic environment, you could not be a christian if you smoked or drank any alcoholic beverages. Some times I see it (legalism) in my responses to people I don't agree with. I really don't want to be that way. II Timothy 3:16-17 "All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works." God loves me, he does not beat me up because of any wrong thinking on my part, he corrects and teaches me daily. As I see things that need to change, I try to work on it. God is not up there with a big club to strike me down when I mess up. He lovingly corrects and teaches as a parent does their child. But through the years my understanding of some things has changed greatly.  I still very rarely will drink any alcoholic beverage, its not so much that I think it is wrong, but much more because of the way I was raised. I see absolutely no benefit to smoking but it is not like I can turn to the Bible and find a scripture that says do not smoke a cigarette ever. I do believe it is harmful and choose not to. The Bible is very clear about some things.  Jesus taught us we must forgive, we must love our enemies. Those are things I can find a direct command to do or not do. Legalism can have you thinking you'll go to hell if you have a skin piercing, wear an earring or what ever.  Those are the types of things I try to detox from my thinking. They might be things I choose not to do, but I might find it hard to back up with scripture some beliefs we were taught. I have trouble just doing everything I already know. Recently I found an area where I felt someone wronged me and I know I need to have a forgiving spirit. Love our neighbors, the Pharisees tried to say Moses taught them to love their neighbors but hate their enemies. Moses never said that. Some times people will use the unsaid to support their erroneous beliefs. If we give God our hearts and trust him, he will fix us. He loves us and wants what is best for us. He tells us to love even our enemies and to pray for them. I am not worried about being wrong, I am in a relationship with God, and he loves me enough to correct / teach me when I am wrong. God fixes us from the inside out. We can never be good enough to come to God. Grace is a free undeserved gift from God. we cannot buy, earn or otherwise obtain except just accepting it free from God's hand. One of the teachings I use to illustrate some of my wrong beliefs is : I was taught that the Church I was raised in was the true Church of God, and that all true Christians from all other Churches would someday become a part of that church. I don't think that organization teaches that anymore. I think there are many other things that they have revised their teachings on. Another one was a very strict teaching on Divorce and remarriage. If you got divorced, they taught you must remain unmarried or be reconciled to your spouse. Many times that is not even a safe option for some people to be reconciled to their spouse. I learned that divorce is not the unpardonable sin. I saw them counsel people to leave a second spouse and be reunited with a first spouse. Yes, I still believe that God's perfect plan is one man / one woman for life. There are so many other areas where we fall short of God's perfect plan. God does forgive and teaches us, corrects us and most of all loves us through it all.  It is so important to carefully read and teach scripture. God wants to help us but first of all he needs our hearts. God works from the inside out, just as we are. God's detox is from the inside out.  God bless, LVZ.

A wise man once said

I try to feed my self from the word of God. I listen to sermons by either in Church on Sunday or on the Internet. I am influenced by those sermons. I try to make these readings mine, but those I allow to feed me influence my thinking. Perhaps that is the way it is meant to be.  Solomon was said to be the wisest man that ever lived. He was wealthy, had so many wives and concubines. When you read that you wonder if he used the knowledge he had. The book of Proverbs is for instruction in right living. I wished I had lived by everything I knew was right. Proverbs 3:5-6 "Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths." As I write I am still thinking about Pastor Wolfson's sermon. I have read this in both the King James and New International versions. Trust in the Lord with all thine heart, the wise man says. Pastor explained, in every area of life. marriage, job, family. Do you trust in God only on Sunday? Do you pray to God for direction on Sunday and forget him during the rest of week?  The next verse says in all thy ways acknowledge him.Trust in the Lord with all your heart and in all thy ways acknowledge him. Every area of life. Are their areas of life we keep off limits to God?  Do we trust him at home but not at work? Do we trust him on our way to Church but what about when we are on vacation? This is a wise man (Solomon) instructing us. He saw and understood much more than I will ever hope to.I think this is something God has been trying to get me to understand, even when building a house I need to trust him. In so many areas of life I have prayed and then did what I wanted to do without waiting for God to answer. Pastor Wolfson said something, trust in God from the start even before you do your research.  Start the day acknowledging God. Lean not to thy own understanding. Sometimes my understanding is flawed. Sometimes I do not have all the facts I need. Sometimes humans lead us astray. God will not, God always has our best interest at heart. We can trust God , he will do what is best for us. Even in the past year, I wish I had done better at simply trusting God and not leaning or trusting on my knowledge. It ends with He (God) shall direct thy paths. The New International versions says, he will make your paths straight.  Our best will come forth when we learn to trust God in every area of life.  Solomon is giving instruction for life. He was considered to be the wisest man that ever lived. We would be wise to listen. In all they ways acknowledge God, Trust God with all your heart.  God wants our hearts.  God bless, LVZ.

Fatherless children

I believe I have blogged on this subject more than once. I guess what turns my thoughts back to this is recent interaction with Elijah. I saw the look on Elijah's face when he came to school  the morning they were having donuts with Dads.  I went because I didn't think Elijah's Dad was going to make it. Usually Elijah will spend most of his time with me. But when he saw his Dad he barely even noticed me. No one can take the place of a Dad in a child's life. It just brightened his day and I saw it on every kid who was there with their Dad. God knows this and I think that is why God is so protective of Fatherless Children.  look at the Strong language in Deuteronomy 27:19 "Cursed is anyone who withholds justice from the foreigner, the fatherless or the widow.  In many verses in Deuteronomy when farmers were harvesting their crops, they were told not to go back over their fields to retrieve any thing they missed but to leave it for the foreigner, the fatherless and the widow. Psalms 68:5 " A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in his holy dwelling."  At one time in my life I took note of the fatherless children I came in contact with. I wrote name after name in a little notebook I had. Kids I met in the neighborhood where I lived, or at church I would see Kids without their Dad's. It amazed me to see how many fatherless children there were. I think what really started me to notice is when I went through my first divorce and saw my daughters grades tumble from 3.4 GPA to 1.17 GPA after I left the house.  There was nothing I could do. I did not live there, I could not make her go to school. Shortly after that I met the mother of a 12 year old girl named Asia. Asia had no idea who her father was. She lived with her grandmother and I heard her grandmother say with her own mouth that she didn't want her granddaughter.  As I was keeping the list of fatherless kids, I think in just a couple of years I had written down 50 plus names. I have lost that note book but I remember many of the names. Asia, Detra, Amanda, Jasmine, Jiovanni, Katelynn ( I have forgotten the name of Katelynns little sister), Chiquita, Audrey ( Audrey had a child out of wedlock also named Asia). Cookie ( I have forgotten Cookie's sisters name), Miciah, Devon ( I have forgotten Miciah and Devon's sister name), Danny and her brother and sister. Brianna and Jordan, and so many others. Sometimes I can think of where they lived or where I knew them from but I now realize how many names I have forgotten. But this I know God has not forgotten their names. Many of these are now grown. One day I was at Mcdonalds and I saw a teenager behind the counter with the name Katelynn, and I asked about her to see if she was the Katelynn I carried outside my apartment in Tacoma. She was only 6, she was barefoot and it was snowing, her mother and her mothers boyfriend were fighting in the apartment above me. I pick Katelynn up and carried her to my apartment until her mother came looking for her. Later that week I ran into Katelynn and her mother at the grocery store. Katelynn asked me to come to her school program that week and I did. So many of these names I could tell little stories like Katelynn's about how I met them or where. God has his eye on the fatherless children and we best treat them right.  God bless, LVZ.

Miss Mattie Bonner

The I went to a funeral today for Mattie Bonner. A home going celebration for a Christian are always the best. People are missed, they always are. Mattie was 94. I saw a picture of her from the local newspaper from July of this year, and she was still looking good.  She was active in her church through the years. She had four husbands, but the obituary did not say much about them. Her living son was from the first marriage. I met Mattie since I've been here in Tupelo. I've been to her house. I knew she was pretty old when I met her. She still had been working in her flower garden as recent as a week ago.  I think of  James 4:14 "Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, then vanisheth away." And so it is, even that 94 year life span is but a little time and its over. Even a long time like 94 years is but like a vapour in God's time.  But as they say about a christian, she is in a better place. No tears, no sorrow, no knee pain. I do remember someone talking about some difficulties she had. I identified with the knee pain I have had this year. Mattie is in a place where she will never feel knee pain again. No tears, no sorrow. She is with her God, for an eternity. 94 years is so insignificant in comparison to eternity. I stayed with the company I worked for for some 30+ years to be able to enjoy the retired life that I now have. Others in my family are just now getting to that same age. There are many people in this world that don't plan ahead, some are older than me and still find jobs to supplement their income in their retirement years. There are only two choices in life. There will be no opportunities to supplement a lifestyle in eternity. I believe this way, and I know many do not,  many live just for today. Mattie chose ahead of time and was ready to go. She is blessed. Some of us have prepared for a retirement, but most of the time our retirement years are much shorter than  the preparation years. Not so with eternity. The preparation years  are like a vapour, it is there for just a moment and it is gone. Something to think about. What a trade off. Just a moment in time for an eternity. It requires preparation. It requires a relationship with God. It requires coming face to face with our sinfulness and turning our lives over to the creator of all.  God wants our hearts. Mattie made a good choice, she is now in eternity with her God.    God bless, LVZ,

The more I read (Political Blog)

The more I read about Congressman Mark Sanford the sorrier I feel for South Carolina and the Republican Party. Both need to lose this guy and fast. Can they fire a congressman? Can his colleges in Washington boot him out. I think this guy is crazy and probably shouldn't have visitation rights.  The good thing in all this is he is not a senator as I first thought, just a congressman with a much shorter term.  Hopefully South Carolina will not reelect him after this term. His girlfriend is lucky she did not marry him. Why do us voters vote for a guy like this in the first place? He ran unopposed, but was there not another Republican with better common sense than this man?  I think the Republican Party needs to boot him out. His morals are more like those of Bill Clinton, John Edwards. OK we have had other Republicans just as bad, although I can't think of one right now. South Carolina ought to be ashamed to have this man represent them in Washington.  IS the whole state this bad that they couldn't even find one Democrat or Independent to run against this guy.  I need to shut up, but he should not represent anyone in Congress. We ought to think more of the office of congressman than this. God bless, LVZ.

first responders*

I like what CFAN in Tacoma does with First Responders. They have about a 13-year tradition of honoring First Responders on a Sunday in September. This year I noticed something one of the First Responders said as he was being honored: After 9/11 their department had more requests than they could fill to be at some church. This year was the first-time CFAN was the only request to appear somewheres. Our First Responders are still doing the same job and perhaps doing it better than on 9/11.  My thoughts on this reflect off Pastor Bill Wolfson's sermon that Sunday, September 7th.
Are we First Responders in life. Do we get involved when we see a need or walk on by? Pastor Wolfson's scripture text was the story of the good Samaritan. We probably have all heard that story.
Some thieves attacked a man and robbed him, left him wounded and hurt on the side of the road. Luke 10:30-37. The Bible says he was half dead. A Priest walks by sees him and passes by on the other side of the road. A Levite also walked down that same road when he saw him passed by on the other side of the road. Levites were assistants to the Priests. These were religious people and they did nothing to help the wounded hurt traveler. A good Samaritan walked down that same road and stopped, attended to the mans hurts, took him to an Inn nearby, paid for his care. Left money with the Innkeeper to continue the care and if it cost more he would reimburse him the next time he came through. We usually talk about neighbors when we cover this passage of scripture. But I want to use the term First Responder. Are we First Responders in life when we see situations that need our help as this good Samaritan did? Or do we pass by? God bless, LVZ.

Political blog

I read in the paper about the uproar about some more Football players. I also read about Mark Sanford, the ex South Carolina Governor that the voters in South Carolina elected to the congress. Remember his disappearing act while Governor to Argentina to spend time with his long time girlfriend Maria Belen Chapur.  So what is he doing now, has he learned from his mistakes in the past? No, he is repeating them as a congressman. He just spent time with Maria in Paris. Are these trips paid for with tax payer money? I hope not. But now South Carolina has him for six years. I hope they have learned and don't reelect him after this term is up. It is obvious his judgement is bad, why would we want someone with his bad judgment to represent their state? A corporation I used to work for fired a CEO because he showed bad judgement in a relationship with a female subordinate. Why do we not realize this shows bad judgment and decision making capabilities in a political figure? Is he laughing at the voters that elected him when he puts it all on facebook? South Carolina voters wakeup, I think you need to fire him as a Congressman and send a message to other political figures, you elect them to show good judgement. God Bless, LVZ.

faith

We have been studying James in this Sunday School class and I briefly mentioned Dynamic faith in Sunday's blog. As we talked about this in Sunday school James 2:17 says "Even so faith without works, is dead, being alone." This whole chapter is discussing actions or lack of actions about believers. In verse 14 it asks a question: What doth it profit, my brethren though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him?  If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food, And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what does it profit? We can have faith but if there are no works with that faith, it is a dead faith. Then it goes on even further and talks about how devils also believe and tremble. They have faith, they know who God is and tremble, they are fearful. There is emotion attached to their faith, but that still is not good enough. Verse 22 "Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect?  And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the friend of God."  Abraham was a good man and lived a good life honoring God.   24."Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only." Then in the last two verses it talks about a not so good person. Rahab the harlot. She also believed and she also acted on her faith and had sent them out another way for the messengers safety. 26. "For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also." Dead faith, demonic faith, and we called the last one that Abraham and Rahab had, Dynamic faith. We still need faith in God, works alone does not save you. but faith without works is dead. We need actions with our faith. God bless, LVZ.

James 4:1-3

Reading in James 4:1-3. "From whence come wars and fightings among you? come they not hence even of your lusts that war in your members? Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not. Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts." As I read this and try to understand, it is James the brother of Jesus writing to Christians. It sounds to me like he is saying there is contention and strife in the body. And where does this come from, this strife and contention? Come they not from your members? I think of Matthew 12:34 says ... "for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh."  Our heart is key to so much of what goes on in us. The strife and contention was coming from internally, from their hearts, from their members. I think of the times when I prayed and God answered almost immediately and one time in particular it was immediate. More often than not, it seems God does not answer immediately. I find in myself that sometimes I pray, and then do what I want anyway and don't wait for an answer from God. I find I am a very impatient person. I want what I want now. I prefer the microwave, where I notice Barbara will heat up stuff on the stove itself. Ye ask and receive not because ye ask amiss. Now I can identify with that, wrong motives. God does not always answer right away, or perhaps he said no and I just wasn't listening. Everything I ask for is not necessarily good for me. or perhaps God just doesn't think it is in my best interest.   God always has our best interest in mind. It is like a child, they may want that candy or cookie 10 minutes before mealtime and the parent knows it will spoil their appetite for the good stuff they need. So the good parent says no. God does have our best in mind at all times. I remember the first time I ran into a name it and claim it Christian. He had a good car, it was a fairly new Camaro, but there was a really nice souped up Camaro on the lot. I think he had the current camaro for less than a year. We were talking as we were working and he was telling me about this souped up camaro. Then he says, "I am claiming it." It just didn't feel right to me. He had a perfectly good vehicle already, but it was a desire he had for more. Ye lust, a strong desire for something that you probably don't need or would do you harm. Ye ask and receive not because ye ask amiss, with wrong motives. God is not a cosmic gopher, that does our bidding, gives us everything we want when we want it. And we shouldn't with our children and grandchildren. We spoil them. Imagine how bad christians would get if we did get every last thing we ask for. I believe God does answer prayer but he is like the good parent that always does what is best for us. As we mature, we probably don't ask as much for things to consume with our desires. We probably have a better idea of what is good for us. As an adult, we may discipline ourselves and not eat that cookie just before dinner. God does have our best interest at heart. God is interested more in the condition of our heart than he is in our comfort. I have seen this in my own heat many times, I pray but I don't wait for God to answer because I want what I want when I want it. It's like we sometimes feel we know better than God what we need. We don't, God always has our best in mind.  God bless, LVZ.

Fathers

I need to revise this, I sent this before I left this morning.
And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. Ephesians 6:4 
I don't know where to begin. I wasn't the best father. I wish I'd done better, but I think I did the best I knew at the time.  Nobody sets out to screw up their kids. Nobody sets out to be the worst parent they can be, They perhaps they just do nothing. In this scripture there are two words that stand out to me. Wrath and nurture. Wrath in the original language is keyed to the same number in Strongs concordance as provoke with several other words in between when translated into English. In the original language Provoke and wrath are one word.   It means: To rouse to wrath, to provoke,exasperate, anger.   I  guess I may be a little angry this morning as I begin to write this. I am going to Dad's and Donuts with Eli this morning as a backup Dad. That's what Grandfathers are sometimes, backup Dad's when the real Dad's don't show up. Haji came and you should have seen the smile on Elijah's face when he saw his Daddy.  When I was at Grandparents day with Eli, another little white boy from Eli's class came up to me and asked if I would take him to the library. Of course I couldn't, I was there with Eli and I didn't know this kid from Adam and I doubt the teacher would allow it in the first place, for me to take some kid I don't know to the library. But by the same token, it breaks my heart that this kid had to ask, there was nobody at grandparents day for him. I am 2500 miles from my other grandkids and perhaps that is why there is no one there for this kid on that day. I don't know.  The other word was nurture, which means:  1. The whole training and education of children (which relates to the cultivation of minds and morals, and employs for this purpose now commands and admonitions, now reproof and punishment) It also includes the training and care of the body  2. whatever in adults also cultivates the soul, esp. by correcting mistakes and curbing passions. A. instruction which aims at increasing virtue. B. chastisement, chastening, (of the evils with which God visits men for their amendment)  Wow what a mouthful. Fathers have a big job to fill and you can't do it by staying home or being absent. This is a big deal foe Elijah and Eli's dad. It shows he cares, it brightens Eli's day more than another large box of lego's.  His Dad has the opportunity to nurture. all that stuff in the meaning of the word nurture. We have a fatherless generation coming up and it should scare us. The vacuum that is left by Dad's not showing up can be filled by any type of garbage this world has to offer. and as I read the definition of nurture, there is a large space to fill.  A grandfather is like the second or third string on a team. They will not be as effective as a Daddy can be. Nobody can fill Daddy's spot.  I have said this before and I believe our nation has an epidemic of absent fathers. It is not good for our children or for our nation. Divorce, out of wedlock babies, alcoholism, drugs,even death,  whatever the cause it is leaving a big empty spot in the lives of our children. I don't want to offend anyone with my writing but this is from the heart. God bless, LVZ,  

Christianity

There are so many denominations. There are so many churches. In the US we are thought to be going backwards as a nation. Just in the stuff I read on face book causes me to wonder about Christians. I have spent many years in various churches and Christians are not perfect. I am not perfect. Some times I look back at the things I allowed in my life and I wonder what was I thinking. I have been around people that believe if you ask Jesus into your heart there is nothing that can separate you from God.  They use a scripture to back that up. Sometimes it is the only scripture they can quote. I am referring to Romans 8:35 to 39. I have seen people that would quote this scripture and then live any way they wanted to. If you questioned them they would refer you to that scripture. I grew up in a denomination that believed you could backslide and fall out of fellowship with God. I think both examples go to opposite extremes. It is a heart thing anyway, and I cannot see into a persons heart. I can tell you from my experience better than anything else I know. I grew up thinking I just couldn't live it. I wanted to and many a time I would pray and repent. I thought I had to be perfect and any sin I saw in my life made me feel backslidden. At a point in my life I became discouraged and quit altogether. I was still miserable but thought all those Christians are hypocrites anyway. I don't believe God left me during that time. I felt him still talking to me but I wouldn't go to church. I thought maybe its for other people and I just can't live it. I still had this idea that Christians somehow became perfect. Perhaps it was the perfectionism I was taught as a young person. Christ is coming after a perfect church without spot or wrinkle or any such thing. I remember a sermon one time when the preacher said if you have a person not tithing, you have a sinner not a saint.  There were some real hard stuff that was preached from the pulpit.  Recently I heard that a big percentage of Christians do not tithe Biblical.  Tithe is 10% and many may give 2 %.  But my experience has been somewhere in between the hard nose perfectionism and the live any way you want to and quote Romans 8:35-39. Even in those lean years when I wouldn't go to church at all, I still feel God was working on me. One time I felt like God said to me, If you think it is so easy, show them how it is done.  In 1984 a preacher in a revival in Mt Vernon, WA got up to preach. It was a small church in the denomination I was raised in. There may have been 5 or 6 people there. Not very many anyway. My Father-in-law at that time asked if I'd bring his daughter up to that revival to sing a special song. I said OK, and thought to myself, I can sit through another service. The preacher that night knew me. He knew I wouldn't go to church but I still tithed and he didn't understand. Most people that don't go to church,   don't tithe either but I did still tithe, because I believed God would still bless my finances. His name was Mike Mathis and he got into the pulpit and as nearly as I can recollect, he said: "Leon, some day you will stand before God on judgement day and have to give an account for your life. God is not going to ask you who hurt you or who did this or that to you but: What have you done with Jesus? Have you accepted him or rejected him?"  I went to the alter that night and asked Jesus to forgive me. My life has not been perfect since that night by no means. But I feel God stuck with me through it all.
I kept trying. I'd see sin in my life and I'd repent, not quit. Once during a difficult time in my life as I was going through another divorce, I left work one Sunday to find a nearby church. I found another little storefront church and went in. The preacher spoke on Psalms 1, and once again I felt God was speaking directly to me. I read Psalms 1 every day for a long time and tried to pull my life back together. I was going places I shouldn't go, allowing things in my life that were not pleasing to God. I never felt that God left me. he was still working on me. I did better for a while but I still would find myself lonely and allow relationships to develop outside of marriage. I'd get married to try and be right with God and it wouldn't last. God didn't leave me, he worked with me and loved me through it all. I have heard so many testimonies of others that struggled with different things and God worked with them and got them through it. I don't believe in cheap grace, but I still feel God didn't leave me but worked with me and loved me and matured me. Hebrews 12;6 "For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth,"  To this day I am still trying to live the best I know and do not regret asking Jesus into my heart back in 1984. It has not been a perfect life, many failures and trials along the way. But knowing what I know now, I'd do it again. I'd try to even be better than I have been. God has been so good to me. Like the song says there have been some hills to climb, some bad days but when I think it all over I won't complain, God has been good to me. Sometimes I feel like I may be the weakest link. I see so many Christians that seem to be doing better than me, I don't see much fruit, but I am still sowing. God bless, LVZ.

More of James 3

As I continue to read in James 3 I find these words: "13. Who is a wise man and endued with knowledge among you? let him shew out of a good conversation his works with meekness of wisdom. 14. But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth." Skipping down to verse 16, "For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work, 17. But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy. 18. And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace." Conversation  per the explanation in the resource I used was said to mean "manner of life, conduct, deportment."
I thought about a discussion I had on face book with someone. Do I promote strife with my words? As I read through these scriptures I see good conversation (good manner of life, good conduct, good deportment), meekness (mildness of disposition, gentleness of spirit), peaceable, gentle, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy.   Some of these stand out to me. There is that word mercy again.  Show mercy to obtain mercy? How about without partiality? Do I speak evil of the national leaders that I did not vote for and disagree with and only speak good of the ones I agree with.  How would that stand against partiality? The fruit of righteousness? Galatians 5:22-23 says 22. "But the fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, 23. Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law."  Once again as I read these words, I think about the conversation that comes out of my mouth. Are my words gentle, spoken or written out of love? Goodness, faith, meekness, temperance, do they show forth? It really does point to what is in our hearts.  Matthew 12:34 says ... "for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh." James is all about living it, where the rubber meets the road. I can do a lot of talking, but do my words represent the truth? God wants our hearts, because what is in our hearts comes out of our mouths. But if you have bitter envying and strife coming out of your mouth, there is confusion and every evil work.  When I talk or write, do I show the fruits of the spirit? What comes out of our mouths shows what is in out hearts. God wants to control our tongue and he does this by indwelling our hearts. From the inside out and not from the outside in. We must come to God just as we are, no excuses, leave the flimsy reasoning aside, just as we are. We can never in a million years make ourselves good enough. God works from the inside out, from our hearts outward. Our conversation and actions should reflect what God is doing in our hearts. We can have head knowledge, but if it doesn't get to our hearts it will not look like the wisdom from above. I was married before to a woman that even signed her name with a scripture as part of her signature. It was signed on the marriage license that way (x. xxxx xxxxxxx II Corinthians 5:8) . That is just an example of how she signed her name. I do not remember if the scripture was even in II Corinthians. I remember when we bought a house the Realtor was impressed. We can do a lot of things to point out that we are Christian, but if our speech and actions do not also say so, it probably gives Christianity a bad name.
She studied the Bible religiously, but her life didn't match. We were once separated for nine months and we would meet up at church and sit together. Leave Church and go our separate ways until the next Sunday morning.  Many times not even speaking through out the week. She studied the Bible religiously but it is like it never got from her head to her heart. Of course that marriage ended, She wanted to join that church and I talked to the Pastor. I told him exactly how it was, we were only together during church service on Sunday the rest of the week we lived apart. The Pastor, bless his heart, tried to get us into marriage counseling. It lasted for one session and she wouldn't go any more. It conflicted with her schedule.  We did get back together for about a year and then one day I came home from work and she was gone again. My Pastor at that time just advised me to let her go. You can impress people for a while with religious activities, but if its not in your heart, it will come out in a totally different manner.  God wants our hearts. Without God in our hearts its just religion. Earlier in James it talks about different types of faith. Dead, Demonic or Dynamic. Dynamic faith requires that God has our hearts as well as our intellect and emotions.  God bless, LVZ.

Integrity

Integrity. I think about different things that have been on the news in the last few days.  Ray Rice, a sorts figure that was seen on video in an elevator and struck his fiancee and knocked her out. I am glad the team and the NFL are taking a hard look at this. Sports figures for too long have gotten away with bad behavior and a slap on the wrist. Michael Vick broke the law and is reinstated by another team after his time was served. I think these guys should lose their jobs. We look the other way for popular figures especially when they are good at a sport or in some other way popular. We do the same thing for politicians. When we like them and they lie under oath its OK. When they are popular we want to stay out of their private lives. Politicians have been crooked and done all sorts of questionable things to get elected and its OK if we like them. If we don't and they are unpopular the same activities will get them impeached like Nixon. We have a double standard. If we like them, look the other way. If we don't like them, prosecute them to the full extent of the law. I heard one lady say it was OK that they used forged National Guard papers against Bush to defeat him in a past election. She wanted the other guy to win. Where is our individual integrity when we look the other way when we like the guy and then OK wrong doing when we don't like the guy. I think the recent runoff between Cochran and  MacDaniel is another case of dirty politics on both sides.  What happened to good sportsmanship, integrity. We need to get back to basics and expect good sportsmanship not only in professional sports, but in politics also. Cochran rightfully objected to using a picture of his wife in a nursing home, but then used that incident in his own adds to further his political career. When he objected to it, he should have left it off limits and not used it himself.  One candidate sued and won when they slandered him in an election near here. All he wanted was an apology printed in the same newspaper that printed the slander. He lost to dirty politics, but I am glad he sued the PAC and won. I think it comes down to you and me not settling for dirty politics. If they use dirty politics, don't vote for them. Mayor Shelton in Tupelo won, His opponent used dirty politics and the people didn't like it.
He was the first Democrat to win as mayor in Tupelo in a long time. I believe the other guys dirty politics backfired. It needs to happen more often, we the voters reject dirty politics snd vote for the other guy. We the voters can put a stop to it. Dirty politics from a PAC, no money. IF we want our children to play fair in sports, we should be the example in life, in politics, professional sports or what ever. I believe if we take a stand and fire a few sports figures or cancel contracts, we can improve their behavior. We stop electing dirty politicians we can clean up politics too. We should not support candidates that believe in wining by any means possible. If they turn to dirty politics, be done with them. Weaner should never be elected to another political office. The governor that disappeared to South America with his mistress, should never be elected again to any office.  John Edwards is probably through with politics and I think that is the way it should be. He violated the public trust before he was even nominated for the democratic ticket. Lets be done with these fools forever. The cleanup will not happen if we continue to turn our head and look the other way when we like the guy. Let the voters decide based on the issues not on dirty smear campaigns.  We need to look at a persons integrity more than how handsome they are and how well they can lie. Hillary should not even win the Democratic nomination based on how well people liked Bill. Look at the integrity of the Clintons. Why would we want more, All the scandals from Arkansas even before he became President. Why, he isn't that good looking and Hillary sure isn't. The integrity is not there. Very good at lying. Why would we want that in the highest office of the land even if you like them. What kind of integrity do you have if you do not see a problem with them? The Bible talks about not showing partiality: James 3:17 "But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy." Then in I Timothy 5:21 "I charge thee before God , and the Lord Jesus Christ, and the elect angels, that thou observe these things without preferring one before another, doing nothing by partiality." In both of these verses I see partiality being condemned. Are we not being partial if we condemn someone we don't like for doing something and then turn around and look the other way if we like the guy. I remember voting for Nixon and didn't like it when he got into trouble, Said things like every body does these things, he just got caught,  but if it had been the democratic candidate that got into the same trouble I would have thought it just. I have tried to change and be impartial, if it is my guy or not, I try to be the same. I think it is showing this type of partiality that has gotten us to the place we are at today. We need to stop looking the other way when we like the guy or voted for him. James 2:1-4 "My brethren, have not the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the lord of glory, with respect of persons. For if there come unto your assembly a man with gold ring, in googly apparel, and there come in also a poor man in vile raiment; And ye have respect to him that weareth the gay clothing, and say unto him, sit thou here in a good place; and say to the poor, Stand thou there, or sit here under my footstool; Are ye not then partial in yourselves, and are become judges of evil thoughts?  We need to be the same if we voted for the guy or did not vote for him, if he is on our favorite team or on our least favorite team. God does not like for us to be partial towards others. The same standard should apply and be held up for both sides. Some say Nixon should have known better, he was not popular, and should have known he couldn't get away with it. Clinton was popular and still is to many people, but we still want to put blinders on when it comes to the real Clinton. It is not right or just. It is not right or just to turn and look the other way when a man is good at sports and is doing wrong.   God bless, LVZ.

Discouragement

I want to write about this while I am not particularly discouraged. It happens from time to time and I think about the scripture: Psalms 42:5 "Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted within me? hope in God: for I shall yet praise him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God." I think we all go through periods of discouragement. I know I do and I don't like to write when I am feeling down. In those times I often think of this scripture and wonder if God is trying to do something in my life? Especially in this country, we have so much. Most of the poor have a TV, a car, access to a food pantry and who knows what else. If you go to third world countries, their biggest concern may be what they will eat for the day or where will they take shelter.
Even though we have so much, we are emotional beings and may go through times of discouragement. It is normal, but what do we do in those times? Feel sorry for ourselves or do we look up. For I shall yet praise him, and we really do have so much to thank God for. Times get better, we get through the discouragement. Sometimes we can plan our day and do little tasks just to keep moving.  Write it down and think about the things I have to do. Mark them off day by day until I get through this time. Continue to worship and praise God for he is worthy. He gives us breath. Everything is his to begin with. I think of the song God on the mountain and how when things go wrong, he'll make them right. God of the good times is still God in the bad. God of the day is God of the night. I think about how much I have to be thankful for. It is hard to do when your discouraged, but we still need to praise God.  I love this song "God on the Mountain" as sung by Lynda Randle. Look it up in google. I love it. God bless, LVZ.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RCTl4tUYIAg

Life moments

Elijah was here again, and I thought about life moments as we have talked so many times in Sunday School. Elijah watches me, more than Barbara, he spends time with me. We went up in the loft and played cars. we traded cars, he set up a board and would roll the cars down the board. I remember the last time he was here and I took a few moments to listen to Lynda Randle singing  God on the Mountain. On the way home Elijah was singing God on the Mountain from the back seat. These are life moments, teachable moments, I wish I had understood that more when my children were little. Carla once made up a song, "Its raining, its pouring, my Dad is boring." Children are so teachable at that age, and I think about those life moments and making them count for God. God is the one that Elijah or anyone else needs to turn to on the mountain top or in the valley. In the day or in the night. When things go wrong, God will make them all right. Life moments, may I be a good grandfather and make the best of those Life Moments. Moments when we can impact others for God.  God bless, LVZ.

James 3

James 3:9- "Therewith bless we God, even the Father; and therewith curse we men, which are made after the similitude of God. 10. Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing, My brethren, these things ought not to be. 11. Doth a fountain send forth at the same place sweet water and bitter? 12. Can the fig tree, my brethren, bear olive berries? either a vine, figs? so can no fountain both yield salt water and fresh."  I have had many thoughts about these scriptures. I am very political and have said some bad things about Presidents that I didn't vote for. Governors that I didn't vote for. I would read scripture that would say speak evil of no man Titus 3:2.
I built a house and was very unhappy with a carpenter, I wanted to say some really bad things about this man. He hurt me with some of his actions. I want to curse these men, Presidents and Governors that I disagree with. Worker that I hired that did me wrong. I have felt convicted of things I said about a former President. I have made an effort to not say bad things about our current President. I get upset when I hear President Bush bashed again and again. This is once again talking about the things that come out of our mouth. Our words. These things ought not to be, cursing and blessing out of the same mouth. I have tried to pray for this President, more than I criticize.  I have prayed about my attitude toward this carpenter, blessing and cursing out of the same mouth. This man was made in the similitude of God. I don't have to hire him for any other work, I don't have to recommend him to any one else. I have found a different carpenter for future work, but I feel God is saying to stop cursing this man. O that my words could be filled with grace and mercy. The same grace and mercy I want to receive.  If we go back to Genesis, God created man kind in his image, including this man. Including the President I don't like. I believe it comes down to maintaining a forgiving spirit in my heart. It is our hearts that God really wants. My neighbors have a fig tree, it does not have olive berries on it. Their pear tree does not have apples on it.  The water that comes out of my faucet is not salty. My mouth should not bring forth blessing and cursing. The last part of Matthew 12:34 says ... "for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh." What is in my heart comes out of my mouth. If blessing comes out of my mouth or if cursing comes out of my mouth, it tells me what is in my heart.   God help me. God bless, LVZ.

What about something new?

In conjunction with my last blog I was thinking how when I was very young and zealous I would think about finding a new truth in the Bible. After all others had done that and started a whole new denomination like the one I was raised in. Did they actually find a new truth or was theirs  a misinterpretation of scripture? Why would God withhold something from his children for 2000 years? I read stuff on face book that sounds like a new truth and it sounds so intelligent. It scares me, new truths scare me. I don't understand Greek and Hebrew and yet you will hear people giving an explanation and saying because of the original word it means such and such. It will be something I never heard before. Why would not all these intelligent people that did our King James, New International and other translations not pick up on it before? There is enough in the Bible to live up to, I don't need anything new. There are all kinds of scripture writings. Love, tragedy, sarcasm, parables, poems, humor. I think the real search should be how do I apply what I already know to my life. The book of James is about "Live it". There are obscure scriptures that are used to form a whole religion. I am not saying I have all the answers. I am saying the scripture needs to be carefully read and studied and I would be very careful about something new that I never heard before. It can come from a large congregation or an individual on face book. We have the blab it and grab it group. the Baptize for the dead group. New Age thinking, and don't depart from the old paths groups. But how do I apply what I already know to my life? I believe a sincere relationship with God is the answer. God has our best interest at heart. He understands even our motivations when they are not godly and works to correct us. I believe if we are more open to God than to any other person or group, we can be corrected when we are wrong. God bless, LVZ.

The tongue

In reading in James 3:1 "My bretheren, be not many masters, knowing that we shall receive the greater condemnation." This makes me think: when we try to teach others about Christ there is a responsibility to be careful. This tells me God is watching. Our speech or words we write should be seasoned with salt, grace should be used. For all have sinned, none of us is perfect. The next few verses tell us the tongue is powerful. It gives an example of how we control a horse with a bit in his bridle. We can move that horse where we want him to go and slow him down even with that small bit. When a horse is untrained that bit will hurt. When a horse is trained it takes very little effort on that bit to control him. Words can be used to inflame a situation as we have seen in racial conflict with Travon Martin and in Ferguson Missouri.  Words can be used to calm a situation as a young black man posted on face book recently and put the responsibility on us and how we live life to make things better. Another example is how a huge ship is controlled in its movements by a very small rudder in comparison to the large ship. Our tongue is small and uncontrolled it can cause a lot of damage with gossip, untruth, lies. That same small tongue even in a large man can calm a situation by using loving and understanding words. Words can be used in conjunction with the knowledge we have to save others from hurtful situations. We tell a child: don't touch that hot stove to avoid the hurt and pain they will feel if the child touches a hot stove. The tone of that voice can command attention in a critical situation to keep one from danger if we listen. Religious leaders have used their words to line their pockets or to fatten their bank account. I believe God sees and I would not want to stand before him on judgement day if I used my words in such a way. Religious leaders have propelled their followers into battle in a physical sense as we have seen with ISIS. We control the word that go forth from our tongue to do good or evil. We have also seen religious leaders propel their followers to do good as we have seen in this land in the civil rights movement in the past. Using words to motivate and make changes for the better in this land. We have seen the hurting and those living a sinful life make changes and become a better person, a productive member of society. I have seen an alcoholic become a Deacon and help others free themselves from the addiction of alcohol. Drug addicts have become ministers, helping others to free themselves from the same thing that once held them.  Words used in an AA meeting to counsel others and move them forward in their recovery. People like these that try to help society become better will be pleasing to God. But I do not want to use my words in a way to bring greater condemnation on myself. May I help others in a journey towards a loving and faithful God. James 3:5, "Even so the tongue is a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold, how great a matter a little fire kindleth!" 
God bless, LVZ.

what to write about

Some days it seems easy, lately it hasn't been easy. I started taking a Sunday School class about how to study the Bible. Context is so important. When I talk or write I want to be biblical, and interpret correctly. It is really not that easy. Just look at how many denominations there are. We disagree on little things and sometimes big things. We each have to work out our own salvation. I think about how I was raised and how at one time I thought I was pretty smart. I don't feel that way any more. I want to be fruitful and help others in their relationship with God or find a relationship with God. Many times I still want to find a scripture that agrees with what I am already thinking. Some times that may be ok, but if your thinking is wrong to start with, how will you correct it? I have changed my thinking on so many things over the years, I don't like to come off as I know it all, but perhaps I have experience that can be a help to others. I have been on this road a long time. I believe it was because of the relationship I have with God that a lot of my thinking changed. God is able to work with us if we are pliable in his hands. He is interested in our hearts. If we have a heart towards God, wanting to please him, I think we'll be OK. We must be sincere in our hearts toward God. He needs to be Lord and Savior. It is OK to believe in him, but are we willing to make corrections as he guides us? I have been thinking about that sermon I heard of Bill Wolfson "Direction not intention determines destination. The picture below happened accidentally. Wish I knew what key I pushed to get it to show up. If I wanted to find that place again, I know it was in Wyoming. A short distance off the interstate. Looking at a map and remembering where I was I could probably find my way there. Looking at the Bible I can find my way to where I want to be in eternity. Direction determines destination. If I want to get there, intention is not enough, I have to go northwest towards Wyoming to get to this place again, from where I am currently at. I would need to study a map and eventually I would find it. I would probably make a few wrong turns here and there but eventually I would find it.  So it is with eternity, intention is not enough, I need to go the right direction and I will get there from where I am currently at. God's word is the road map I need for that destination. I have made a few wrong turns on that journey but as long as I am willing to make corrections, I will get to an eternal destination I will want.    God bless LVZ.  determines destiny."  I think that is so true. I can think back today that not all that many years ago I still was making corrections in my thinking. Truth be told, I still am today.  I see times in the past where I got off track and thought I was doing good. If I could just learn to truly trust God in all situations, I would be better off. I remember one time in particular when I was going through a hard time, and it hit me like a ton of bricks about how self righteous I was. I would never have seen it if it hadn't been for that difficulty. If I could give one bit of advise to anyone it would be to develop a relationship with God. It doesn't matter where you are, but if you could get on that path going the right direction with God helping you, the destination with be worth it all.  I don't believe anyone would regret a decision to Follow God. God has our best interest at heart at all times.

A small part of my spiritual journey

Some of the religious stuff I see on face book sounds so far out. I think back to my early days as a christian. I believe I was sincere, but it is almost like I had a superiority complex back then because I belonged to a certain church. I remember riding some wheres with a Pastor and he asked me what I thought my knowledge of the scripture was on a scale between 1 and 10.  I said probably a 5. This pastor said it was probably more like an 8 because I belonged to this church. I can tell you this day I am probably 30 years older than I was at that time and I find so many people around me that know much more than I. But even then I think it is more important how much of what I have learned has been taken internally. Do I live what I already know? I see men my age that are elders and do an excellent job of teaching God's word. I hear some good preaching every week at church, on the Internet and on television. I feel I have spent the last 30 years unlearning some almost truths. I want to be sound in what I share. I remember in my twenties when I moved into my first house and I had Christian neighbors on both sides of me but I felt I would be a light to them because I was a part of that church.  I felt God would expect me to lead them to the true church, that I was apart of, of course. How differently I feel today, I feel sometimes I am the weakest link. I cannot get my neighbors to go to church. As far as I know my children do not go to church and haven't for years. Most members of my family do not go. When I stopped going to the Church I was raised in, it took about 4 years before I felt comfortable in a body of believers that did not belong to that denomination. I felt I was going against God on one hand and yet I was truly trying to follow God's leading. Looking back,(they say hind sight is 20/20), I believe it was God that moved me. Yet I was so indoctrinated that I felt I was going against him. That organization claims exclusiveness was never something they taught. But somebody taught it to me. To this day if I hear anything that sounds like exclusiveness, I want to run out the door. God has brought me where I am today because I believe I was sincere in my heart in wanting to truly follow God. I remember sermons on a vision of the church and I prayed for God to give me a vision of that church when I was young and it seems it never happened. Now I understand why. Actually I have a much different vision of God's church than what I was expecting to get. I tried to find the best Church I could when I moved to Tupelo, but I do not believe it is the only church where God shows up. I believe there are many Bible believing churches in Tupelo other than the one I belong to. Recently one of the men in my Sunday School class was substituting for a Pastor in a local Baptist Church in his absence.  But I also believe I am where God directed me to go. I am responsible for what I take in as spiritual food.  I also want to be a fruit bearing Christian. My vision of God's church includes Christians from many Bible believing denominations including the one I was raised in. There are some good christian people in that organization. I know some of them. The scripture does say "Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together,"( attend Church). Hebrews 10:25.  I ask God for direction  and he has been faithful in leading me several times to good churches.  God bless, LVZ.  

dysfunctional families

I know I was raised in a dysfunctional family. I talked about that several times. I realized something today as we were talking in Sunday School class. I have been taught and believe that Jesus went through trials the same as me. We were looking at James 1 verse 1. It doesn't seem to say much at first glance. But in investigating the context of that little scripture, I realized that Jesus is also familiar with dysfunctional families.
His family did not believe in him at first, He had four half brothers named James, Joseph, Simon, Judas and more than one sister. In Matthew 13:55-56 where it lists the names of his brothers  and although the names of his sisters was not named it does say sisters (plural). It was his friends that were near him and in Mark 3:21, it was his friends that tried to pull him away. The scripture says "they went out to lay hold on him: for they said. he is beside himself."  It was his friends who were near, not his family.  In today's language they probably would have said he is crazy. At the cross he asked John the beloved to take care of his mother.
It was not his brothers that he instructed to care for his mother but John one of his truest followers. John 19:26-27. Why would not his family be there in his darkest hour, other than his mother? His brothers did not believe in him. I had never realized this until today when we were trying to understand James 1. His brothers were not listed in the names of his followers. Some of the names of women that followed Jesus were named at various times but none are identified as his sisters. Jesus's  words had not become real to his followers until he reappeared after his Crucifixion. They looked for him in the tomb and he was not there. The followers like Peter that were fishermen went back to fishing for fish until Jesus reappeared to them on the shore and told them to feed my sheep. Jesus's family was not close to him, they were not there in his darkest hour. They did not understand until after the cross. Jesus indeed went through life trials the same as all of us. Many may have believed Jesus to be a great Prophet  when they witnessed miracles, but to truly understand he was God took his death on the cross and his resurrection afterward. The Bible does not give every little detail in every life, but why was his family not there in his darkest hour? O the families as my granddaughter where there is dysfunction and she is like a germ to her half brother and sister, Jesus went through it with his half brothers and sisters. He understands. My Daughter and Son who are half brother and sister, God understands all the dysfunction. He lives and he cares. Are we not the same today? Perhaps we believe he was a great prophet, but does it not take an encounter with Jesus at the cross to truly understand he is God and can forgive sins? As one minister said: it is direction not intention that gets us to our destination. If I want to go to Memphis from Tupelo, I must go northwest on hiway 78.  If I go southeast on Hiway 78, I will get to Birmingham. It will not matter that my intention was to go to Memphis. So it is in life, what direction are we headed? If you want to go to heaven, you direction must take you to the cross. Sometimes we need to turn around 180 degrees, repentance is turning another direction.   God bless, LVZ.