Those That Wait Upon the Lord

1984 Goldwing

Three and a half weeks ago I posted Know When to Fold Em’, Know When to Walk Away and talked about the Memorial Service of a CMA member and the Pig Roast.  I said is was going to get back to the ministry that God had directed me to.  I made the statement that if it was to be, God would provide me with another motorcycle.

That was just three and a half weeks ago and Friday I picked up a 1984 Goldwing GL1200.  After our devotions we have on the 3rd Tuesday of every month I was talking with one of our CMA members, telling him I was looking for a bike and he said he had a Goldwing I could have.  All I had to do was pick it up and put it back together.

Friday morning I went and picked up the bike and a pickup load of accessories.  The bike needs the carburetors put back on and the radiator installed. Then the Fairing, Bags and Trunk put on and all the lights and wiring hooked up.

1984 Goldwing Parts

He sent me home with a manual for 84-87 Goldwings, a bunch of parts and a spare 1200cc motor.  The bike has new front and rear tires on it and a new wind screen and a new pair of progressive rear shocks.  Not too bad a deal, if I can get the bike running but I will put my trust in God and He will direct my hands and thoughts.

Today I will get the carbs put back on and the radiator installed.  Then on to the plastics, the Fairing, bags, trunk, gas tank cowling and the side covers.  The fairing and bags are currently grey primer, the trunk and cowl are brown and gold, and the side covers are blue.

I was originally going to paint the bike Red and White but discussing it over with Sharon we decided to go with the metallic Orange that is being used on the newer cars.  That will come later however and I will put it on the road in Black primer with a few Red accents.  I will then paint it Orange next winter.

So, God is good, all the time.  Today I will close with one of my favorite verses, Isaiah 40:31:

But those who wait on the Lord
Shall renew their strength;
They shall mount up with wings like eagles,
They shall run and not be weary,
They shall walk and not faint.

Check back and we shall see if I get this running and how the ministry goes.

What Would You Do?

I found the following story on Facebook and it really has a good some good points.  Please read and then comment if you like.

I sat, with two friends, in the picture window of a quaint restaurant just off the corner of the town-square.. The food and the company were both especially good that day.
As we talked, my attention was drawn outside, across the street. There, walking into town, was a man who appeared to be carrying all his worldly goods on his back. He was carrying, a well-worn sign that read, ‘I will work for food.’ My heart sank.
I brought him to the attention of my friends and noticed that others around us had stopped eating to focus on him.. Heads moved in a mixture of sadness and disbelief.
We continued with our meal, but his image lingered in my mind. We finished our meal and went our separate ways.. I had errands to do and quickly set out to accomplish them. I glanced toward the town square, looking somewhat halfheartedly for the strange visitor. I was fearful, knowing that seeing him again would call some response. I drove through town and saw nothing of him I made some purchases at a store and got back in my car.
Deep within me, the Spirit of God kept speaking to me: ‘Don’t go back to the office until you’ve at least driven once more around the square.’
Then with some hesitancy, I headed back into town. As I turned the square’s third corner, I saw him. He was standing on the steps of the store front church, going through his sack.
I stopped and looked; feeling both compelled to speak to him, yet wanting to drive on. The empty parking space on the corner seemed to be a sign from God: an invitation to park. I pulled in, got out and approached the town’s newest visitor.
‘Looking for the pastor?’ I asked.
‘Not really,’ he replied, ‘just resting
‘Have you eaten today?’
‘Oh, I ate something early this morning.’
‘Would you like to have lunch with me?’
‘Do you have some work I could do for you?’
‘No work,’ I replied. ‘I commute here to work from the city, but I would like to take you to lunch.
Sure,’ he replied with a smile.
As he began to gather his things, I asked some surface questions. Where you headed?’
‘ St. Louis
‘Where you from?’
‘Oh, all over; mostly Florida ‘
‘How long you been walking?’
‘Fourteen years,’ came the reply.
I knew I had met someone unusual. We sat across from each other in the same restaurant I had left earlier His face was weathered slightly beyond his 38 years. His eyes were dark yet clear, and he spoke with an eloquence and articulation that was startling. He removed his jacket to reveal a bright red T-shirt that said, ‘Jesus is The Never Ending Story.’
Then Daniel’s story began to unfold. He had seen rough times early in life. He’d made some wrong choices and reaped the consequences. Fourteen years earlier, while backpacking across the country, he had stopped on the beach in Daytona. He tried to hire on with some men who were putting up a large tent and some equipment. A concert, he thought.
He was hired, but the tent would not house a concert but revival services, and in those services he saw life more clearly. He gave his life over to God
‘Nothing’s been the same since,’ he said, ‘I felt the Lord telling me to keep walking, and so I did, some 14 years now.’
‘Ever think of stopping?’ I asked.
‘Oh, once in a while, when it seems to get the best of me But God has given me this calling. I give out Bibles.. That’s what’s in my sack. I work to buy food and Bibles, and I give them out when His Spirit leads.’
I sat amazed. My homeless friend was not homeless. He was on a mission and lived this way by choice. The question burned inside for a moment and then I asked: ‘What’s it like?’
‘What? ‘
‘To walk into a town carrying all your things on your back and to show your sign?’
‘Oh, it was humiliating at first. People would stare and make comments. Once someone tossed a piece of half-eaten bread and made a gesture that certainly didn’t make me feel welcome. But then it became humbling to realize that God was using me to touch lives and change people’s concepts of other folks like me.’
My concept was changing, too. We finished our dessert and gathered his things. Just outside the door, he paused. He turned to me and said, ‘Come Ye blessed of my Father and inherit the kingdom I’ve prepared for you. For when I was hungry you gave me food , when I was thirsty you gave me drink, a stranger and you took me in.’
I felt as if we were on holy ground. ‘Could you use another Bible?’ I asked.
He said he preferred a certain translation. It traveled well and was not too heavy. It was also his personal favorite. ‘I’ve read through it 14 times,’ he said.
‘I’m not sure we’ve got one of those, but let’s stop by our church and see’. I was able to find my new friend a Bible that would do well, and he seemed very grateful.
‘Where are you headed from here?’ I asked..
‘Well, I found this little map on the back of this amusement park coupon.’
‘Are you hoping to hire on there for awhile?’
‘No, I just figure I should go there. I figure someone under that star right there needs a Bible, so that’s where I’m going next.’
He smiled, and the warmth of his spirit radiated the sincerity of his mission. I drove him back to the town-square where we’d met two hours earlier, and as we drove, it started raining. We parked and unloaded his things.
‘Would you sign my autograph book?’ he asked. ‘I like to keep messages from folks I meet.’
I wrote in his little book that his commitment to his calling had touched my life. I encouraged him to stay strong. And I left him with a verse of scripture from Jeremiah, ‘I know the plans I have for you, declared the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you; Plans to give you a future and a hope.’
‘Thanks, man,’ he said. ‘I know we just met and we’re really just strangers, but I love you.’
‘I know,’ I said, ‘I love you, too.’ ‘The Lord is good!’
‘Yes, He is. How long has it been since someone hugged you?’ I asked.
‘A long time,’ he replied
And so on the busy street corner in the drizzling rain, my new friend and I embraced, and I felt deep inside that I had been changed. He put his things on his back, smiled his winning smile and said, ‘See you in the New Jerusalem .’
‘I’ll be there!’ was my reply.
He began his journey again. He headed away with his sign dangling from his bedroll and pack of Bibles. He stopped, turned and said, ‘When you see something that makes you think of me, will you pray for me?’
‘You bet,’ I shouted back, ‘God bless.’
‘God bless.’ And that was the last I saw of him.
Late that evening as I left my office, the wind blew strong. The cold front had settled hard upon the town. I bundled up and hurried to my car. As I sat back and reached for the emergency brake, I saw them… a pair of well-worn brown work gloves neatly laid over the length of the handle. I picked them up and thought of my friend and wondered if his hands would stay warm that night without them.
Then I remembered his words: ‘If you see something that makes you think of me, will you pray for me?’
Today his gloves lie on my desk in my office. They help me to see the world and its people in a new way, and they help me remember those two hours with my unique friend and to pray for his ministry. ‘See you in the New Jerusalem,’ he said. Yes, Daniel, I know I will…

Know When to Fold Em’, Know When to Walk Away

Know When to Play Them

I’m back…  It’s been awhile since I posted anything on here but I figured it was time.  Life can deal you some messed up cards sometimes but it’s all in how you play them that determines the outcome.  I have been fighting all the signs on how my life should go, but today I made the decision to get back to my roots and pick back up where I quit two years ago.

My wife and I attended a funeral today for a good friend and a great Christian Motorcyclist.  It was a very nice funeral that lasted nearly an hour and a half.  Person after person shared memories and testimonies about the persons life and how he had affected them.  It was a great time of sharing with friends, some we hadn’t see in a couple of years.

A couple of those were two CMA ministry leaders that I had the pleasure of working with up until about two years ago.  I took all last year off mainly because of health issues but after talking with the two of them I have decided to go back into CMA and make myself available as much as I can.  It will be different seeing as I sold my motorcycle last fall but the call has come so I will return in a cage.

I am also trying to put it all in God’s hands and am trusting Him to provide me with whatever I need for the ministry.  If I am to get another bike, He will provide.  ‘Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths.’  Proverbs 3:5-6  (NKJV)  So, that is what I will do.

Back to the Sober & Clean folks, that’s were I’m headed.  First to Woody’s Pig Roast and then we will go from there.  Woody’s was the first Clean & Sober event we went to when we got involved in CMA seven years ago.  We went for the day on Saturday.  We were hooked and have been every year up until last May.

If you have never been to a Clean & Sober motorcycle rally, campout or event imagine a bunch of bikers having fun and not a drop of alcohol around.  The Pig Roast puts on a big Filipino Pig Roast on Saturday afternoon.  They have guest speakers, bike games and a ice cream run.  If you never been come on out to Woody’s Memorial Day Weekend in Waitsburg, Wa.  Leave the booze at home and come party with us.

So after holding my cards for 2 years, it’s time to play them.  I’d be willing to bet that I win and I will be blessed.  Until next time, please take it One Day at a Time.

How I Will Change in 2013

It’s been awhile since I blogged anything.  I had a small stroke the end of September and since then it’s been one thing after another.  You can read all about it over at one of my other two blogs, Rollin’ in the Years or Something Unique.  I thought what I would do in this blog today is talk about my New Years resolutions.

First off, I resolve this year to take better care of my self.  We sold the Harley in September because of my legs.  They hurt so bad that I could hardly hold the bike up.  I have been told that when I get better, both my concentration and my stamina I can get another one.  So, I must lose 20-30 pounds.  In order to do that I must exercise.  That was the way I lost 20 plus pounds after the second TIA.  I have started walking again.  Over 8000 steps today.  Need to get to over 10,000 steps a day.  Also, I must start eating healthier again.  I can do it, I did it before.

Second is the big one.  I must control my anger and rage in the car.  No more calling people idiots or stupid.  All it does is get me riled and raise my blood pressure.  I have to show everyone love.  Love will make my heart stronger and me stronger.  I must practice what I preach.

I must follow this rule:

The Way of Love

13 If I speak with human eloquence and angelic ecstasy but don’t love, I’m nothing but the creaking of a rusty gate.

² If I speak God’s Word with power, revealing all his mysteries and making everything plain as day, and if I have faith that says to a mountain, “Jump,” and it jumps, but I don’t love, I’m nothing.

^3-7 If I give everything I own to the poor and even go to the stake to be burned as a martyr, but I don’t love, I’ve gotten nowhere. So, no matter what I say, what I believe, and what I do, I’m bankrupt without love.

Love never gives up.
Love cares more for others than for self.
Love doesn’t want what it doesn’t have.
Love doesn’t strut,
Doesn’t have a swelled head,
Doesn’t force itself on others,
Isn’t always “me first,”
Doesn’t fly off the handle,
Doesn’t keep score of the sins of others,
Doesn’t revel when others grovel,
Takes pleasure in the flowering of truth,
Puts up with anything,
Trusts God always,
Always looks for the best,
Never looks back,
But keeps going to the end.

^8-10 Love never dies. Inspired speech will be over some day; praying in tongues will end; understanding will reach its limit. We know only a portion of the truth, and what we say about God is always incomplete. But when the Complete arrives, our incompletes will be canceled.

¹¹ When I was an infant at my mother’s breast, I gurgled and cooed like any infant. When I grew up, I left those infant ways for good.

¹² We don’t yet see things clearly. We’re squinting in a fog, peering through a mist. But it won’t be long before the weather clears and the sun shines bright! We’ll see it all then, see it all as clearly as God sees us, knowing him directly just as he knows us!

¹³ But for right now, until that completeness, we have three things to do to lead us toward that consummation: Trust steadily in God, hope unswervingly, love extravagantly. And the best of the three is love.

1 Corinthians 13  (The Message)

That’s it for this time.  I hope everyone has a great and blessed New Year.

Independence in 2012

Happy Independence Day! Happy 4th of July!! It is on this day that we celebrate the adoption of the Declaration of Independence. The document that declared our independence from the tyranny of the British Government and gives us the idea that we should no longer have to live under any government that is destructive to the people of the United States of America. The Preamble of the Declaration of Independence also calls out what we are to do if the Government becomes destructive to the people of America.

Here is the Preamble in it’s entirety:

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights,^[76]that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. — That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, — That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.

Is it really self-evident, that all men, in the United States, are created equal? Have we been endowed by our God with unalienable rights? Do we have the right to Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness?

Some people would say that we are not created equal because Trump, Buffet and Gates have more money than most Americans. However I would argue that all men have an equal right to do with their lives what ever they wish. It’s been proven over and over again in America that a low life can come from the slums and work their way to the top of the American corporate ladder.

God has endowed us with unalienable rights. It says so in the Bible in Galatians 5:13, where it tells us: ‘You my brothers (and sisters) were called to be free, but do not use your freedom to do evil, rather server one another with love. (paraphrased)’ The  King James version uses the word ‘liberty’ instead of freedom. Liberty ‘suggests that people should, must, and ought to behave according to their own free will, and take responsibility for their actions.’ It leaves the choice up to the individual.

Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness, lots of problems here. Our Government with their universal health care will take away life from us. Most people in this country do not know what socialized medicine does to the health care in the country. The quality of health care goes down. You may not be able to go to the doctor you have gone to in the past and you may have to wait for months to receive treatment. Don’t ask about choice, as you will be told who you can see and you will be told you have to carry insurance. The choice is gone. So much for Life, Liberty and Happiness.

The preamble then states that ‘to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed,’ So how many times have you been asked by our Government what you want? Did anyone call and ask you if you wanted universal health care? Has anyone asked you about sending our young men and women off to war? Has anyone asked you about drilling for oil in our own country? I doubt it.

So, what can we do about it? The next part of the preamble gives us the answer: ‘That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness.’  That’s right, it is our right as American citizens to alter or abolish and institute a new Government.

The preamble goes on to say that mankind will suffer under a long established Government rather than abolish that which we have become accustomed too. Have we become complacent America? Are we so accustomed to being suppressed by Government that we are afraid to change it? It’s time my fellow Americans that we take a stand against the Government that has suppressed our Life, Liberty and Happiness.

It concludes by saying that when a long period of abuses and usurpations, creating a design to reduce us to absolute Despotism, or tyranny, it is our right, our duty to throw off the old Government and install a new guard.

In common usage, the word “tyrant” carries connotations of a harsh and cruel ruler who places his or her own interests or the interests of a privileged group over the best interests of the general population, which the tyrant governs or controls. Sounds like the entire Government we have in control right now. The president and V.P., Congress and Senate and even the Supreme Court, and any other elected official that is in control the people and they are only looking out for their interests.

The time has come for us to take America back! It is time for us as citizens of the United States to install a new government. If we don’t we are going to become a very suppressed people. There is very hard times ahead. If you think things are bad now just wait and see what happens next. Unemployment in the double digits again, more home foreclosures, banks defaulting. We’re not talking recession but another Great Depression, of the likes no one has ever seen.

We have our chance to change America now, in 2012. This November, when we go to the polls, forget your party affiliation and become an independent. Then vote for every new person on the ballot. Vote every single politician out that has had a term in office. The current lot that is running, or should I say ruining America, will not put term limits in place so we the people will have to place our rule of term limits on them ourselves.

Imagine  what kind of an impact it would make on the White House, Congress and the Senate if they ALL wound up unemployed. It would send a message that we are tired of the partisan politics, the uncontrolled spending, the special interests that they serve and that WE are not going to stand for it any longer.

This 4th of July I ask that you all consider this. If a majority of Americans will join in arms and vote this way and we can take America back. It will send a message to the Politicians that we are tired of them and that we are serious about how they manage our countries affairs.

Happy 4th of July America!!! Today as we celebrate our freedom. please take a moment to pray for our men and women in harms way, protecting what freedoms we have left. Pray for our country and all it means to us and pray that the elections in November make an impact America. Enjoy your family picnics and light off a few fireworks, that is, if that freedom has not been taken away from you yet.

I also ask that you share this with everyone you know. Get the word out and let’s make America the land of the free and the home of the brave once again.

Church, Have We Got It All Wrong

Why I Hate Religion, but Love JesusThere is a new video out on YouTube that has gone viral. It’s entitled ‘Why I Hate Religion, but Love Jesus’. It is supposed to make you think about the difference between Jesus and false religion but in some cases it can backfire. The way he talks about the church and false religion it can make some think he’s church bashing, and that really sets some people off. It led my wife and I into  discussion of the gospel, religion and the church. I had read her another article where they were defending ‘Why I Hate Religion, but Love Jesus’ and the author used some very strong comparisons between the gospel and religion. He basically attacked the church through it’s members by saying things like ‘My prayer life consists largely of petition and it only heats up when I am in a time of need. My main purpose in prayer is control of the environment’ and ‘My identity and self-worth are based mainly on how hard I work. Or how moral I am, and so I must look down on those I perceive as lazy or immoral. I disdain and feel superior to ‘the other’. Why wife said how can they judge people and say things like that when they don’t know what’s in their hearts.

My wife went on to add that she thought women should do all the preaching because women love from the heart. Men love with their brains. Men are always fighting and at war with each other, trying to prove who has more knowledge, who’s right and who’s wrong.

My wife truly has the gospel in her heart. She never judges another person, is always kind and compassionate toward others. She works very hard for causes she feels in her heart. She has helped out in the Philippines for the last three years sending clothes, school supplies and Christmas boxes to children in mountain villages. Why, because she heard there was a need and her heart went out to those children. Children she has never met and will probably never meet. None the less, she felt the Lord telling her to do something and she did.

She went on to defend the church. She said that she works with other Christians, just like I do, but at work we can’t talk about Jesus in a easy, relaxed manner. We can’t lift our hands in praise and we can’t teach each other or really get into prayer together. We need church to do that.

She says all religion should really be about is the essential doctrine of the Church. What is the essential doctrine of the Church? The best way to share the the essential doctrine of the Church is through the Apostle’s Creed:

I believe in God, the Father almighty, Creator of heaven and earth, and in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died and was buried; he descended into hell; on the third day he rose again from the dead; he ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of God the Father almighty; from there he will come to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and life everlasting. Amen

Everything outside of the essential is manmade doctrine. Manmade doctrine is false religion. It has nothing to do whether your saved or not. It has nothing to do with whether you can call yourself a Christian. If you believe in God, His Son Jesus and the Holy Spirit, and you believe Jesus was born of the virgin Mary, He suffered, was crucified, dead and buried and on the third day He arose again, and you believe we need fellowship with other Christians, that your sins have been forgiven, that one day we will be risen from our grave and have an everlasting life, you understand the essential doctrine. Anything else is not to be argued over because it is not essential to having a relationship with God the Father, His Son Jesus and the Holy Spirit.

If you want to live like Jesus did and mend your broken, hardened heart, live the gospels. Live the books of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. Jesus lays it all out in the gospels and if you follow Him, He will show you the way, the truth and the life. A life of real freedom, free from condemnation of false religion, free from legalism and judgmentalism. Do as Jesus does and quit bickering and fighting over religion.

You my brothers were meant to be free, but do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature, rather serve one another in love. The entire law is summed up in a single command, ‘Love Your Neighbor as Yourself’. If you keep on biting and devouring each other, watch out, or you will be destroyed by each other.

A Very, Very Happy Turkey Day

Rockwell

Happy Thanksgiving! Yep, it’s that day again. The day when we get together with family, some we haven’t seen for a year, and gorge ourselves with wonderful, fantastic pies! That is after we have gorged ourselves on turkey, ham, mashed taters, sweet potatoes, cranberry sauce, olives, deviled eggs and we must not forget the infamous green bean casserole. It’s typically the day when our weight goes up and we begin the our Christmas goody eating binge. This year I have decided, like I have in so many past years, to diet between Thanksgiving and Christmas so I can gorge myself once again at Christmas. It has never worked in the past and I really doubt it will work this year with all the candy, cookies, pies and cakes that make the rounds.

Speaking of Thanksgiving and Christmas, why is it ‘politically correct’ to say Happy Thanksgiving but not to say Merry Christmas? As I see it Thanksgiving is the original Christian holiday in America. That was a day to give thanks to God, it was a day set aside to pray and thank God for everything He had given. The bounty of the land, the safe passage, the enduring the hardships. Christmas is nothing anymore except a day of greed on the part of big business.

Now, don’t get me wrong, there are those who reflect on Christmas as the birth of Christ but the day has been taken over by commercialism. A family may go to church or mass on Christmas day or pray, read the Christmas story from the bible, set up a Nativity but then it’s opening presents, Santa Claus and Dreaming of a White Christmas. We feel that everyday should be a refection on Jesus and trying to follow His way for our lives.

Speaking of commercialism, remember when Thanksgiving was a day of families, food and football. I cannot believe what big business has done to the traditional Thanksgiving. Remember when if you forgot something for the Thanksgiving meal you went without because ALL the grocery stores were closed. Today most grocery stores are open, at least until early afternoon. Retail is killing the traditional Thanksgiving and the family time that it should be about. Many stores are open today, Thanksgiving, like Big Lots, Dollar Tree, Rite Aid, Walgreens, Shopko, Fred Meyer and the biggest of them all, Walmart, among others. Now for the first time ever Macy’s, JC Penney, Best Buy, Target, Kohl’s and many that I probably don’t know about will open at midnight. Why? To try and get our dollars first. Toys-R-Us is opening at 9pm to get a jump-start on Black Friday. If it keeps going we won’t have a Thanksgiving, it will be called Black Thursday. So much for family values, turkey and pumpkin pie. It’s becoming all about HDTVs, Video Games, Tablets and Kitchen Appliances.

We need to get back to the basics of life and forget the Black Friday Doorbusters. A year or two of no one showing up on Thanksgiving, Midnight or 4am and then we could all have the Thanksgiving we remember.

Sorry for ranting but American Families deserve better than what were being handed by Washington, Wall Street and Big Business. So, what are we thankful for this year?

First off we are thankful that we live in this great country and for all the men and women that serve this great country. May God continue to shed His grace on America and the people of this nation. Then I am thankful that my wife and I both have jobs. Things are really shaky, we both work in government-funded positions and budget cuts are hitting our area hard but we Keep on Rollin’. Hopefully next year is as good to us as this year has been.

We are thankful for all that we have. There are so many that do not have what we have. We don’t have to worry about where we will find our next meal, where we will sleep or what we will wear. We are very fortunate and have all the basic necessities of life. Plus we have Bell, the Beast, a Durango, a 94 LeBaron Convertible and a Harley. Much more than many but at the same time God has blessed us with the ability to use it all for His glory. With these we meet many people that we would not have met otherwise and can share with them about the stuff and that God has blessed us tremendously.

We are blessed with families, both sets of parents, sisters and brothers, sons and daughters, grand children and nieces and nephews. We are blessed with great friends, those we can get together with and those that we only converse with on Facebook. We are blessed with a great CMA family and people who care more about others than themselves.

We will not be participating in any Black Friday shopping. We probably will not even go shopping this week-end other than for necessities. We will be spending Thanksgiving with Sharon’s family and will have a traditional Thanksgiving feast.

Finally, I, Gary, would like to say thanks for my beautiful wife of 38 years. She puts up with me and my quirks. She is there for me when I need her and she gives me everything I need. Heck, she baked 5 different kinds of pie for today, including my favorite, cherry. Sharon’s cherry pie is to die for. It is pure ecstasy. And she is making corn bread stuffing for the dinner. Mmmmm…

Thank you for visiting Rollin’ in the Years. Thank you for putting up with my rants. Enjoy the day with family and friends and remember to give thanks for everything that you have. Life is short and you never know what tomorrow will bring. So, until next time, don’t eat too much and if you do just lay on you side and Keep on Rollin’.

Patriot’s Day – We Will Never Forget

Entrance to the Unveiling of the 9/11 Memorial

I remember September 11, 2001 like it was yesterday. Those images of the planes, the twin towers, the fire and smoke and the towers crashing to the ground are forever burned into my mind. I was working from home that morning when a colleague from Florida called and ask if I had the TV on. I replied no and he said to turn it on. I sat for the longest time in disbelief and shock as I watched the two planes fly into the towers. Then the fires and the reports of the people trapped in the two towers that could not get out. I remember I cried that day as I watched and prayed. I remember thinking, ‘God, how could you let this happen?’ Then the towers started falling, collapsing in on themselves as the heat, the fire and the explosions took over. I will never forget that day as long as I live.

I know today that God was in those towers with those people who were trapped. God was in the planes with those that perished on those flights. God was with the Firemen, the EMTs and the Police that respond and lost their lives as they tried to rescue those that may have survived. As America watched and cried at the horror that took place that day I am sure God was just as sad about those that lost their lives that day. Today I know that God didn’t let it happen. I know that God gives us all a free will and let’s man make his own decision without interfering with man’s choice. I know it’s hard to imagine but if God interfered with man’s decisions we would all be nothing but puppets on a string.

Fast forward ten years. Today Kennewick unveiled it’s 9/11 Memorial. It was to start with a escort of Fire, EMT, Police and motorcycles to the Southridge Sports Complex. Since we only live two block from Highway 395 we heard the Fire Trucks as they made the turn from Kennewick Avenue to 395. We ran out and jump in the car and headed off to view the procession. It was awesome seeing the procession of Fire Trucks, Police cars, Ambulances and motorcycles make their way to the memorial site.

We attended the unveiling and dedication of the 9/11 Memorial in Kennewick this afternoon. As we enter the Southridge Sports Complex we were greeted by a huge American flag hung between two Fire Trucks. It was totally moving to walk under that flag and see all the people that turned out for the dedication. As we walk under the flags and on to the grounds we were handed two balloons. The crowd was a mass of red, white and blue as those in the crowd held onto their balloons and they floated above everyone’s heads.

As we got close to the memorial site hundreds of people were standing in the hot afternoon sun to witness a piece of history be unveiled. It was almost a carnival like atmosphere with the balloons, the tents set up to our backs, and the people talking and chattering all around. Then Kennewick’s Chief of Police gave a few opening remarks and then introduced a group of Kennewick Boy Scouts that provided the Color Guard and presented the Colors. One of Kennewick City Councilmen then talked about how the beams came to Kennewick. Kennewick was one of 81 areas to be given sections of the beams. After a couple of more speakers the memorial was unveiled.

The unveiling of the 9/11 Memorial

The entire crowd was in total silence as a Lampson crane withdrew the tarps from the massive 35 foot tower section planted in the ground. Then an American Flag was hoisted by the one of the Vets organizations up a flagpole that was placed between the two beams. It was totally a breath taking and very solemn moment as everyone watched.

The flag flying above the Twin Tower artifacts

The 9/11 Memorial is unbelievable. To see the two artifacts from the Twin Towers and their enormous size makes one wonder how the towers ever came down. One column of steel is a full 35 feet high and must be at least 16 inches square. The beams presented to Kennewick were exterior beams meaning they ran inside of the outer walls of the towers.

At the end of the presentation the crowd released their 3000 red, white and blue balloons all at once. A sea of red, white and blue surrounded the tower beams as the balloons took flight. One group got caught on the flag pole and stood as a reminder, at least for awhile as if to say, ‘Never Forget’. As anyone from the Tri Cities heads south on Highway 395 they will always be reminded of the Twin Towers and the events of September 11th, 2001. Yes, Tri Cities, we will never forget.

3000 Red, White and Blue Balloons released

Did you know that 9/11 is Patriot’s Day? On October 25th, 2001 President Bush declared 9/11 as Patriot’s Day. On this day we should all fly a flag outside of our home and take a moment to remember those that gave their all on that tragic day 10 years ago. We should also never forget, whether you agree with the wars in Iraq or Afghanistan, those that gave their all in response to those terrible events of that day. Also, we should not forget those who are currently in harms way providing us with the freedom to fly our flags and continue with the freedoms we have. We should thank God that we live in the Land of the Free and the Home of the Brave. Yes, We Will Never Forget

The Light in the Darkness

It amazes me how many brothers and sisters get caught up in the world. Here on Facebook and other places on the web I see posts from brothers and sisters sharing their horoscopes, apps like what mythical character are you, what Greek god did you descend from, etc. We must be careful with the things that we get caught up in. We are told not to imitate evil but what is good.

Some will say – ‘What’s wrong with horoscopes?’ Horoscope is another word for astrology. With that let’s look at a couple of definitions.

Astrology: the study that assumes and attempts to interpret the influence of the heavenly bodies on human affairs. Synonym: star divination

Divination: is the attempt to gain insight into a question or situation by way of a standardized process or ritual. It is an integral part of witchcraft and has been used in various forms for thousands of years.

There you have it, astrology (horoscopes) are a ritual that is an integral part of witchcraft. The Bible says in Deuteronomy 18:10-11

10 There shall not be found among you anyone who makes his son or his daughter pass through the fire, or one who practices witchcraft, or a soothsayer, or one who interprets omens, or a sorcerer, 11 or one who conjures spells, or a medium, or a spiritist, or one who calls up the dead. (NKJV)

There’s witchcraft, also soothsayer, a person who professes to foretell events. The bible is very clear that we are to stay away from any form of witchcraft. In Galatians 5 Paul tells us that those who practice witchcraft will not inherit or partake of the Kingdom of God.

Now some will say they just use it for amusement, but Paul warns us in Ephesians 4:27 to not give place to the devil, to not give a foothold to the devil, we are not to do anything to allow evil to have any place in our lives.

This goes to those who use the apps that ask questions and then tell you what Greek god or goddess you are. Once again, this is giving the devil a place in your life. It may be very unassuming, but if you let evil creep in, if you post these alter egos, what are you telling others? What are you claiming in your post? You’re a god, or a goddess. There is only one God, and it should be the God that you are following.

These apps and posts may seem relatively innocent but that is exactly how we open the door to allow evil to creep in. In John 10:10 Jesus said ‘The thief comes only to steal, kill and destroy.’ Why give the ‘thief’, ‘the evil one’ a foothold to destroy us.

Finally, in Ephesians 6 we read:

10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. 11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. 13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. (NKJV)
We must take up our stand against the devil. It’s not like were fighting a human made of flesh and blood. We are fighting against principalities, powers and the rulers of the darkness of this age. So take your stand so that we may be able to withstand the evil in our day.

Walk in the light, the light of the world. Walk in the light of Jesus so that you may overcome the darkness of this world. Let Jesus lead you in the truth, so that your deeds may be clearly seen and that they have been done with God. I want to end with this:

16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. 17 For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.
18 “He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. 19 And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. 20 For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. 21 But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God.” John 3:16-21 (NKJV)

A New Year, a New Way…

It’s the New Year. A time of making resolutions and trying to change the things that we have resolved to change. I think most people fail to achieve their resolutions. I don’t think most people have the power within themselves to keep them from a habit that has been with them for years. That is why so many people wind up in AA, NA, or one of the many other 12 Step programs. They are looking for help in resolving, recovering from, a behavior that has been with them for years and they can’t seem to break out of it.

A study was done throughout 2007, where 3000 plus people were tracked while attempting to achieve a range of resolutions that included losing weight, visiting the gym, quitting smoking, and drinking less. At the start of the study only  52% of participants were confident of their success. About half thought that they  could or would actually accomplish their goals. Why even make a resolution if you think you will fail from the start? At the end of 2007 it was found that only 12% actually achieved their goal. That is about the same as the recovery rates of AA and NA. So, what’s missing in the New Years Resolution and Recovery equation?

We have to get ‘I’ out of the equation to make any steps towards success in any resolution. It’s the same as with any 12 Step Recovery program, we have to let go and let God! We first must admit that we are powerless over our addiction, adverse behavior, mistakes we keep making, whatever you want to call it, and that it controls our life, that our life is unmanageable.

Once we can admit we are powerless then we can come to terms with the fact that if we can’t do it, it will take someone with more power over our life then we have. We come to believe that a power greater than ourselves can  restore us to sanity.

So, where do we find that Higher Power, a power that can take our bad behaviors that have placed us in bondage and set us free? We find that power in the only one that has the power to heal our hurts, to heal our relationships, to remove our shortcomings, to reveal to us the truth that can set us free. The one that offers us a real freedom. A freedom that doesn’t just free us from one or two of our behaviors but a freedom that is revealed in every aspect of our lives.

We must turn of will and our live over to the care of God. The one true God, the creator of the earth and the giver of life. The Triune God, that is, God the Father, His Son Jesus, and the Spirit He has promised to send us. We must turn our will over to the care of God, as we understand Him. We don’t need to know anything other than we believe that God exists and ask for His saving grace through His Son, Jesus.

Jesus said ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.’_[a] Jesus tells us that the only way to the Father is through Jesus. The only way to experience the true power of God is to enter into relationship with Jesus. Jesus gives us all access to God the Father, and lets us experience all that God has to offer us, including help with our resolutions.

It was Jesus that said ‘…you shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free’_[b] and ‘…if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed’._[c]

Jesus said He could make us free and He will show us the Way, the Truth and the Life. He will show us the way to live our life according to His way and it’s not as hard as most religious people make it out to be. He will show us the truth, the truth that will set us free, all we have  to do is be willing to listen. He will give us life, a life of freedom here on this earth today, and a eternal life for tomorrow.

So this year make just one resolution. Resolve to follow the Way, the Truth, the way to a life of freedom. Just let go and let God. ‘Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding.’_[d]

Notes:
All quotations NKJV
a. John 14:6
b. John 6:32
c. John 6:36
d. Proverbs 3:5