Wednesday, May 16, 2012

God is in Control

Today I am doing a blog about "Church".  I have thought about this for quite sometime but just didn't know quite how to go about it.  There has been so much controversy in churches lately that I have been quite concerned about it.  If you go to church, you will know what I am talking about.  If you don't go to church then this doesn't pertain to you and you can only guess what I am talking about.  

A church is not, what most people believe to be, the building where we worship. The people who gather in the building during a worship service is what makes up the body of the church.  We as Christians are to be the example to the rest of the world.  I am not saying that we are better because we go to church, but if we go and are born again believers we are to be on the same page with God.  This does not always happen and we make mistakes as all people do but we are to get on our knees and ask Gods forgiveness, pick ourselves and let our lights shine forth.  Our work should never be done when we are serving God.   

In these times there is so much conflict in churches that Satan is dancing in the aisles.  Not only do we get bent out of shape because someone picked the wrong carpet but we get upset with how the song service goes and what Pastor said in the pulpit.  When Paul went on his missionary journeys, planting churches, he instructed them to unite and be strong in the Lord.  We should heed to that same advice today.  

If I belong to a body of believers I am expected to be involved with them.  This doesn't mean that I can't do other things but if God has a plan for my church, I should support it, not make trouble about it.  I am seeing churches all over this area splitting because of this.  A church is only as strong as the people who serve in it.  If my church is a bible believing church, then I am for what goes on there.  I can't complain about something that I have not been a part of.  If my church is having a special event, I should be a part of it.  I shouldn't take a covered dish, leave and hope that someone else shows up for the party.  

In truth, this blog is for me.  I am lazy in the things that I do.  As I get older, it is sometimes easier to not do everything.  Oh, I want to do the fun things, but why do we have to do all of the work too.  Our church is very small, everyone has a job, and it mostly is working together.  If someone is gone, we miss them.  Even in a larger church it takes everyone to make the body complete.  It just doesn't seem right if you are not in your usual pew, sitting beside your friends, or if you get upset and quit singing in the choir.  Even if your don't have a solo, your voice is what helps make the song complete.  

I have to remember this and impress it......We do not go to church to please or serve anyone but God.  We are not to notice how everyone else is doing or not doing.  That is God's job.  Maybe Pastor had a lousy sermon today, but it touched a lot of lives because the alter was full at the invitation.  Maybe someone wore rumpled clothes and old shoes.  Maybe it is all they have and so what, they are in Gods house and He is looking at their heart not what they are wearing.  Can we do less?  Are we the ones in charge?  Maybe Pastor is  not pleasing us.  Maybe he is having a problem of his own.  There are so many ways that Satan gets into our churches today...and we allow it to happen.

I must not forget.....God is in control.  Sin is still sin, no mater what our society has tried to say and Jesus is still the only way to Heaven, and now that I have preached my sermon, I think I shall have a talk with God and go to bed.   

Monday, May 7, 2012

Car Shopping

Dear Friends, I am shopping for a different  means of transportation.  There is really nothing wrong with my 2003 Suburban but the Rancher thinks it is time for ME to have something new to drive.  He has bought 2  pickups (that is trucks to you city folks), 2 tractors and a worn out Isuzu since I have had anything new.  Anyhow, I have been looking around.  

I am appalled that what I want to have cost so much.  Only 10 years ago (well almost)  I bought my lovely 8 passenger gas guzzler for a fair amount of money.  The past week I have been looking at 5 passenger fuel efficient cars that cost  1 and a half times what my old car did. I don't know what to do. A new suburban gets right up there to buying a half of a house.  I do spend a lot of time in my auto but not enough to take up residence.

I love my old car.  It is my truck,  It is comfortable There are no dents in it.  The paint is good and dad gum it, the radio still works.  Americas love affair with SUV's is something that I can relate to.  I love to sit up where I can see what is coming down the road. Recently my mother-in-law was riding with me and she didn't realize there were so many things beyond the fence along the highway.  Her little car sits right down there on the ground and you can't see a thing.

The new vehicles are beautiful, They have on star, Sirius  radio, sun roofs, back up camera, heated seats, yadadadadadaaa.  You get the picture.  Oh but listen they all, and I do mean all of them, have BLACK carpet.  Maybe the entire interior is black.  Some have accent colors but Black is somewhere throughout.  It is the new thing in the American Auto industry.  Well, anyhow at the product that I am looking at.  I live on a ranch on a dirt road and have a car port.  When I opened one of the doors to a car on the lot, the footprints on the floor looked terrible on that black. I wonder if mud, muck and whatever else comes from the boots of a cattle person would look like on that floor.  I have always preferred brown.  That is not a choice.  You can have it on the seats but I am not really concerned about them.

Well, I am going to look at the big city in the Texas Panhandle later this week.  That is where I bought my Suburban so many years ago.  Maybe they will have something that I will just fall in love with.  It will have to be just perfect, Something with a classy color.  Not RED...Red, makes me drive too fast.  Well, at least I think the Highway Patrolmen notice you more if you are driving red.  I see red cars pulled over more than any other color.  One of my daughters had a red car and it always made her drive too fast too.  

If you see me in a month or two and I am still driving my old Suburban, that will be okay.  I am rather fond of it and it only has 176,000+ miles on it.  It is just getting broke in and I found out it is not worth a thing to anyone but me.  

Sunday, May 6, 2012

Sunday Afternoon Thoughts

I was recently reading how to remember to spell things.  Little tricks that we learn to encourage our minds.  It reminded of sayings that we learned in grade school to help us remember how to spell geography and arithmetic.  To remember arithmetic we would simply say "A rich Irishman thought he might eat toads in cream". For Geography it was George Edwards old grandmother rode a pig home yesterday."  How in the world this came about, I do not know.  I was in the 5th grade and I am sure the teacher thought we would have more fun saying these little chants and remembering the 1st letter of each one rather than actually just learning the word.  I am sure she wasn't the only teacher to use this theory.  Today, arithmetic is simply MATH.  My grandchildren look at me in wonder  when I ask them about their arithmetic homework.  It sounded scary to me too. 

It has been HOT in the Panhandle.  It was over 100 degrees on three different days this week.  Today, it is 73.  A windy Sunday afternoon and a good day for the rancher to take a nap and rest.  He has been buying cattle, putting up hay and planting feed.  It is a busy time on the Ranch.  We still have calves to work.  Some of that is done but as we don't have cowboys around , The Rancher and Son do it when they can.  Times have changed.  When you get older, you find that you need to have  a slower pace if you are going to make it through the day.

Last year at this time I had mowed the yard....This year I can say that I have mowed the yard 5 times.  Love the moisture but it keeps me busy.  Now the yard on the Ranch isn't 200' X 150' like some of those in town.  It is a major project to mow this place.  We mow the area from fence to fence and what we can't get, we put up a hot fence and let the cattle eat.  We mow the ditches from the corner to a certain fence north of the house.  It is just something that I want done.  I hate snakes, and other predators that like to slither through the grass and disturb my otherwise welcoming homestead.  By the way,  I saw several snakes on the road this week.  They are finding their way about.  

I am not having a garden.  The Rancher says we will be traveling and that I do not have time for one.  Isn't he sweet.  I really like fresh garden though.  I put some tomato plants and peppers in some liquid feed tubs and they are doing great.  I had to laugh as I thought "If I have to, I can just take these with me in the camper."  Wrong!!! I can't even scoot those things around .  I might take a planter with some petunias in them but that is about all I can lift anymore.  I just a weakling not as strong as I once was. I really am reminded of that each Spring when yard work begins.  

We had a wonderful church service this morning.  We had a visitor.  It is so exciting when someone stops by.  You see, we are pretty isolated and hardly see any new faces.  The Rancher always prays for the little church on the hill to be filled on Sunday morning.  I remind him that God will be there and if WE are filled with His spirit, that will be amazing.  There are so few neighbors that don't go to church somewhere that we truly feel blessed when a new face joins us.  Isn't God wonderful?