Thursday, March 31, 2011

SECOND FIDDLE

I read where a great orchestra leader was once asked which instrument he thought was the most difficult to play. Without any hesitation, he quickly replied, “The second fiddle. Without it there would be no harmony.”


I think the greatest second fiddle player in the Bible is John the Baptist. He never auditioned for first chair. He is a reminder to us that our position in life is to be in harmony with the One whose shoes we are not worthy to unloose.

Think about how vital those second fiddle positions are in our church or home or at the workplace. They are filled with unsung heroes who quietly maintain the harmony and make sure the “first position” looks and sounds good.
 
I have no doubt but what you know several of these folks.  As a matter of fact you are probably thinking of one or more of them right now. People who are the, " If they don't make it to heaven, I don't have a chance," kinda of people.
 
Let's make it a point this week to tell them how much we appreciate the invisible yet vital roles they play in our lives. 

I think Jesus might have had the second fiddle in mind when He said in the thirteenth chapter of John, “Verily, verily, I say unto you. The servant is not greater than his master.”
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John 1:27
”He it is, who coming after me is preferred before me, whose shoe's latchet I am not worthy to unloose.”

Monday, March 28, 2011

GET RICH QUICK

I AM SO EXCITED!
I just watched a 30 minute program on television telling me how to become independently wealthy and have anything I ask for.
AND IT IS SO EASY!

I know it is a legitimate plan because the man presenting the program was a preacher. You could tell it was working for him because he had on a tailored suit that must have cost $1,500.00, and a ring on his microphone hand with a diamond that would choke a mule. He had a $100.00 hair style and a pair of alligator shoes that cost more than the whole alligator.

AT FIRST I DOUBTED!

But then when he showed a picture of a new Cadillac that he had received from his seed, and he started quoting from the Bible, I knew it was the real thing. After all, if it's in the Bible and a preacher says it, far be it from me to doubt.
I'M GETTING IN ON THIS DEAL!

I didn't understand every detail of the program, but I think it has to do with investing in a farm. He kept talking about sending him “Seed Money”. I guess he must buy the seed for you and at harvest time someone will just send you a check for 500 to 1000 percent increase on your money. Boy that beats 401K's or CDs. I thought at first that he must own the stock market, but the stock market never pays off that well. I guess he just owns a very very big farm.

IF IT WORKS FOR HIM IT WILL WORK FOR YOU AND ME!

So I'm starting my own farm and I want you to have the blessing of being one of my first “Seed Sowing Partners”. You don't need to have any worries because I bought me an Preachers license off of the internet, and wrote down all of the scripture verses from the TV program. But my program is going to better than his because I am going to donate all of the surplus money to a needy family. ( I already have one in mind)

JOINING IS EASY!

All you have to do is send me your “Seed Money” check (cash would be better) and you don't even have to call me about your money. I will call you as soon as harvest is in and we “Hit it Big”.

JUST SEND YOUR MONEY TO :

“Needy Family Ministries”
% of The Very Rev. Dale Paul
P.O. Box M.O.N.E.Y.
Del Rio Tx. 66666
REMEMBER, THE MORE YOU SEND THE MORE BLESSING YOU WILL RECEIVE!

P.S. If you send in a $1000 seed or more, I will send you a anointed handkerchief that has been dipped in the Holy Water from Jacob's Well right here on the “Farm”.



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Thursday, March 24, 2011

LEARN TO LAUGH, By Bill Burch

LaughImage via Wikipedia
Learn to Laugh
(I borrowed this one from my friend, Bill Burch.)

Do you know that people who laugh live longer? It's true. Proverbs 13:30 says,

"A relaxed attitude lengthens a man's life." (TBL)

Humor is an amazing thing. It's a tension dissolver. It's an antidote to anxiety. It's just like a tranquilizer, but without any troublesome side effects. And it's free! You don't even need a prescription.

Laughter is life's shock absorber. If you want to have less stress in your life, learn to laugh at your circumstances. Somehow, you must find the fun in the frustrating.

Someone once ask President Lincoln how he handled all the stresses of the Civil War. He said, "If it hadn't been for laughter, I could not have made it." Many famous comedians grew up in poor neightborhoods with lots of problems. They coped with their troubles by learning to laugh and making other laugh.

So learn to laugh. If you can laugh at it, you can live with it. And besides, if you learn to laugh at your troubles, you'll never run out of anything to laugh at! Life is full of funny situations. Will Rogers once said, "I don't know any jokes. I just watch the government and report the facts." Proverbs 17:22 says, "Being cheerful keeps you healthy." (GNB) We all need to develop a sense of humor.

One of my favorite verses in the Bible is Psalms 2:4,

"The One enthroned in heaven laughs." Isn't that a great verse. God has a sense of humor. God laughs!

Have you even seen the face of an orangutan? God thought that one up. That proves he has a sense of humor. Do you want to be more like God. Learn to laugh. A sense of humor can preserve your sanity.

So take my advice: acquire a sense of humor. Learn to laugh. It's relaxing and healing and a buffer to all the stress the world throws your way.

You are Blessed. . .Be a Blessing!
Great Days Ahead!

Bill Burch
Thanks Bill for letting me pass this on.
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Tuesday, March 22, 2011

HOME IS WHERE YOU PARK IT?

Bumper sticker car parked in Santa Cruz, Calif...Image via Wikipedia
Do you like bumper stickers
While traveling in our R.V. I passed a motor home with a bumper sticker which read, “Home is where you park it.”


That is a clever saying and I've thought a lot about it, but I just can't buy it. There is a lot more to home than just “parking.”

A young boy was standing on the side walk watching his house burn when a bystander said to him, “Well son, I guess you don't have a home now.” To this the lad quickly replied, “Oh, yes we still have our home , we just don't have a house to put it in.”

Houses are made of sticks and stones held together by nails and mud, but homes are made of hearts and souls held together by love and care.

Strengthen your home today. Take time to give someone you live with a hug, and tell them how much you love them. If it happened to be the last time you see them alive, you will be glad you did.

It doesn't matter if your house is a shack, mansion, or an RV. It can be a wonderful home if those who live there are bound together with a strong love for each other and a strong love for God.

Above all else, follow the admonition Joshua 24:15 that reads “….as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.”
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Wednesday, March 16, 2011

WHERE DID ALL THE MEN GO?

The other day someone asked me, “Hey Dale, watcha' know?” My answer was, “I know more and more about less and less, and someday I will know everything about nothing.”
In this blog I will probably prove that point.

I am going to just “ramble around” making some observations about stuff I don't understand and asking some questions about things that I don't have answers for.

The title of this blog asks the question, “Where did all of the men go?”

Most of you are not as old as I am, but I remember when it would have been the exception to find a woman realtor. Now it is the exception if you find a man realtor.

I remember when it was difficult to find a woman in a management position in a bank, and now it is difficult to go into a bank and find a man.

I remember when it would have been a novelty to see a lady commentator on television, and now they out number men at lest two to one. (And there are no ugly ones).

I saw a construction company the other day named “Two girls and a hammer.” Really? Yes, really!

More and more CEO's of major corporations are women.

Remember when most politicians were fat old cigar smoking men? How does that compare to today when more and more women are filling up the halls of congress and even running for president?

It is not unusual at all to see a women climb out of the drivers seat of a big eighteen wheeler at the truck stop. (though I doubt seriously that they loaded the truck.)

Have you noticed that more and more of the “Managers Badges” are pinned on females at the fast food restaurants?

I recently heard a woman speak who was a jet fighter pilot. And there is an increasingly large number of females being placed in combat positions as foot soldiers.

I even saw a lady, with my last name, who is a fire fighter. She was featured on the cover of a magazine. Yep, her last name was Paul, and naturally, she was very pretty.

I'm concerned about some things that are happening in our world today and I wonder if any of the next ten statements relate to what I have already written.
  1. Unemployment is very high and men can't find jobs.
  2. The traditional home is breaking down.
  3. One out of every two marriages ends in divorce.
  4. Student achievement scores continue to go down.
  5. Great numbers of children go to a “Latch Key” program after school, or go home to an empty house.
  6. Preschoolers are being raised by day care centers.
  7. In the absence of moms and homemakers, children are being taught and molded by television.
  8. Most children have unrestricted use of computers and cell phones.
  9. The lack of “tough love” discipline and boundaries, by parents that are too busy or absent, is psychologically crippling our young people.
  10. As fewer and fewer families attend church, the moral fiber of our nation is beginning to unravel.
I offer the following scripture with fear and trembling, because I really don't know how well it relates. But I do know it won't be seen favorably in today's American culture.

Ephesians 5:21-24, 28
22 Wives, submit yourselves to your own husbands as you do to the Lord. 23 For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior. 24 Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything.......28 In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies.

As I said when I started to write, I am throwing out controversial concepts and asking complicated questions that I can't answer.....But whether you agree or not I've given you something to think about.




Monday, March 7, 2011

ODE TO A CAT?

We have a gorgeous cat at our house.
I think she is a Persian/Siamese mix 
 I have never been a cat lover, however this cat is perfect in every way.  

She never gets on the furniture or scratches the drapes. She is perfectly house broken even without a sandbox. She is so self reliant that we don't have to feed her. She will let us pet her any time and is so quiet you never know she's around. She just sits on the hearth by the hour and is a model cat.

You would think there would be a real love affair between us and a cat like that, but there isn't. She is cold, indifferent, and acts like we don't exist. She could leave tomorrow and we wouldn't shed a tear.

You see, our cat is ceramic. She has the form of a cat but is void of the life and power of a cat.

Paul Warns us in II Timothy 3:5 about being that kind of Christian. He says that there are Christians who, “Have the form of godliness, but deny the power thereof”. From such, he says, “turn away”.

He says it is easy to be the “great pretender.” To know all the right words and sing all the right songs. To look like a Christian but be void of any real spiritual power. And believe me, the world around us knows a phoney when they see one. Without the love of Christ being shared thourgh our lives, we aren't fooling any one.
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 “Lord, breathe your spirit into me anew today. Make me a dynamic, active Christian so that all who see me will see the power of Christ at work in the world.”

Wednesday, March 2, 2011

WHERE IS HOME?

When I was in high school, my dad and mom owned a small hotel on main street in Ada Oklahoma. It was one of those small, upstairs rooming houses on the wrong end of town. However, they worked very hard to make it a clean, respectable place. It was one block from the railroad crossing (and whistles), so if the main street traffic didn't keep you awake the train would. 

Our clientele was made up, primarily, of traveling salesmen and a few local “Regular renters”. The rooms cost $1.00 a night (Bath at the end of the hall), or $1.50 for a room with a private bath. So you can probably understand why paying $75.00 to $100.00 a night for a motel room is like pulling teeth for me. 

I have a lot of fun, strange, and exciting memories of those years. One of the things that stand out in my memory is the little business cards my dad handed out to the renters. They had the usual information on them and then at the bottom they read, “This is your home away from home”.

The memory of that little card lit up in my mind recently when I heard a minister say, “This world is not our home. It is just our home away from home”.  

I know all of those salesmen who stayed with us at the Brown Hotel only had one goal in mind. Get back home! So let's not get too comfortable in this world. We are just in this “Over night stop” until we can get back home. 

The scriptures in John 14:2-3 reads, “ In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.

Now let me ask you a question....Are you ready for your heavenly home? If you are,WONDERFUL! But if you aren't why not read the words of this old hymn as a heartfelt prayer to your Heavenly Father and start packing you bags...

I’ve wandered far away from God,
Now I’m coming home;
The paths of sin too long I’ve trod,
Lord, I’m coming home.


Coming home, coming home,
Nevermore to roam,
Open wide Your arms of love,
Lord, I’m coming home.


I’ve wasted many precious years,
Now I’m coming home;
I now repent with bitter tears,
Lord, I’m coming home.


Coming home, coming home,
Nevermore to roam,
Open wide Your arms of love,
Lord, I’m coming home.


I’m tired of sin and straying, Lord,
Now I’m coming home;
I’ll trust Thy love, believe Thy Word,
Lord, I’m coming home.


Coming home, coming home,
Nevermore to roam,
Open wide Your arms of love,
Lord, I’m coming home.


My soul is sick, my heart is sore,
Now I’m coming home;
My strength renew, my hope restore,
Lord, I’m coming home.



Coming home, coming home,
Nevermore to roam,
Open wide Your arms of love,
Lord, I’m coming home.


My only hope, my only plea,
Now I’m coming home;
That Jesus died, and died for me.
Lord, I’m coming home.


Coming home, coming home,
Nevermore to roam,
Open wide Your arms of love,
Lord, I’m coming home.


I need His cleansing blood, I know,
Now I’m coming home;
O wash me whiter than the snow,
Lord, I’m coming home.


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