Saturday, December 28, 2019

An Update on the New Book--Dog Walk Talk

The foreword is being written. The last of the endorsements is being sent to me. And, the draft manuscript final edit prior to submission to the publisher is well under way. Finally, the cover(s) art (photos) are being "groomed" for submission. Little by little it is all falling into place. And, while all this is going on, the author's fingers and mind aren't idle. Material for book #3 keeps pouring out and finds it's way to it's temporary holding spot, the documents file. Finally, a whole new idea has made its way to the top of the crowded place that is my mind, and I'm looking forward to a very exciting and productive 2020. God bless!!


Wednesday, December 25, 2019

The Mean Man


We took in a rescue furbaby (German Shepherd female dog) 13 months ago. We got her from a foster mom who works with a canine rescue agency. She had been rescued from an Amish puppy mill in Indiana. Amish puppy mills are historically known for their deplorable practices and conditions. Kelly had been with the foster for just a month when she was okayed for adoption—she was social with people (though timid), not aggressive, good with kids and other pets, etc. When we got her, she was all of that—and more.

What Kelly brought to us was a smart and good dog who has a great heart and an eagerness to learn and please. She also brought with her a boatload of psychological scaring, courtesy of The Mean Man, the breeder who owned the puppy mill. Thirteen months into our family, and she is still very leery of the male of the house (me) and she finds it very hard to accept love in any form. The time with her thus far has been difficult for both of us. Her, in growing into the mind-set that I am not The Mean Man, and me in having the patience to continue to heap love and care on her as she grows through the residual damage in her mind that was heaped upon her by that Mean Man.

Folks, we all have some residue in our psyche’s that was left behind by The Mean Man, my metaphor today for those in the past who have hurt us, and possibly scarred us deeply, either willingly or inadvertently. None of us is immune. And, like Kelly, we have all or must still have, a need to accept that we have some brokenness, and work through that scarring in order to be all that we can be, all that God intended us to be. Further, we should recognize that our scarring isn’t all bad. It’s good in the sense that from it we grow.

Also, we must forgive those who were The Mean Man in our lives. Not for them, but for us if we are to move on and away from the scarring. To not do so sentences us to a few extra suitcases of negatives that simply will continue to weigh us down. Those suitcases won’t go away until we literally drop them, and the best way to drop them is at God’s feet.

Finally, what possible good are we unless we, while recognizing all of this about ourselves, fail to recognize it about those others in our lives? With those, just as with ourselves (and as I have had to be with Kelly), it is incumbent, and in keeping with what God would have us to do, for us to be patient, understanding, kind anyway, empathic, tolerant, and loving. It’s not always easy, but it’s much better than being The Mean Man reincarnated in you.

Tuesday, December 24, 2019

Just One Guy

A little over 2000 years ago, it took just one guy to change the world, and His impact is still around and felt today. He was just one lowly man, born poor in a stable, who went on to be just a carpenter. But that one common, and yet uncommon man, was the Chosen One to bring God's message to earth in flesh and blood, and later to die in a most horrific way for all of us to atone us of our sin.
We celebrate the birth of just one guy on Christmas. His name was Jesus Christ, the Son of God. And, many celebrate that birth in a very commercialized way. And many tend to forget, or to shelve, the real reason for Christmas. But, the bottom line is this--just one guy has ever had the impact on the world that that man did. We should never forget about just one guy.



Have a very blessed Christmas.

Todays Desk Doodle


Saturday, December 21, 2019

A Most Despicable Ad

I found the ad to be one of the most horrible, sickening, depraved and disgusting ads I have ever seen. It caused me great sadness as I wondered how low the morals of the country must be to tolerate such an ad. God, bring us Revival.

The ad can be seen HERE.

Pray.

We're Homesick




Most of us live in a state of chronic homesickness. Yes, we’re homesick.  Sadly, many don’t know it and never will. Some that sense it may never acknowledge it or understand it. While it may seem weird, the way that most of us experience our daily lives is with a sense of homesickness. Folks don’t know what to call it, and certainly don’t refer to it as being homesick.

The homesickness I’m referring to is ingrained deeply within us, almost as if it is a part of our DNA. All of us have it—bar none, no exceptions. Those who would deny it are those who have stuffed it far down insides themselves. They are the ones whose life choices have been, and are, predicated on the here and now. Or, perhaps they have been taught it through modeling or by example. Either way, it is completely consciously unknown to them, but it is there.

The homesickness I speak of presents itself in multiple ways; it can come in the form of a glimpse of those times in our childhood when things were simple, whole, pure, and innocent; it can come in the form of a longing for those times once one has dwelt on multiple glimpses in their thoughts; it can come through a revelation that life as we experience it isn’t what it’s all about—there’s better; it can come from a conviction that the life being led isn’t that which God intended for the one living that life. And there’s more, but you get the point.

Our homesickness, to those who are aware of it or sense it, is that longing we feel to be at one with God. We know we were made in His image, just as we know that our current image isn’t the same image we were made in. We know that He beckons the little children to come unto Him, and we know we are no longer the child he speaks of. We are homesick because we want to be that child and we’re not.

TO BE CONTINUED………

Friday, December 20, 2019

Top 10 for 2020

Around this time of the year many start thinking about their New Years resolutions. Truthfully, how often do those resolutions work out?  They sound good when we make them, and we have all kinds of resolve when we start them in January, but like a balloon, they soon seem to always lose their air. Then they go flat, and then they are discarded. Oh well, next year.

This year, why not change gears on this whole issue? Go big picture. When you start to think about some resolution you may wish to make, go deeper--beyond the resolution itself. Think in terms of what it is about you that might stop you from carrying out that resolution, and what has stopped you in the past. Then be very selfish. Address those stopping things with an "I Want to...."  Don't limit yourself. If you embrace the complete following list of Top 10 I Wants, chances are, you may find your resolve changes in a positive way. Be sure to include number 7.

Top 10 I Wants for 2020

Give up doubting yourself
 
Give up negative thinking
 
Give up fear of failure
 
Give up criticizing yourself and others
 
Give up negative self talk
 
Give up procrastination
 
Give up fear of success
 
Give up people pleasing
 
Give God the chance to work in you and trust Him
 
and, Give thanks to God for loving you so.



Todays Desk Doodle


Wednesday, December 18, 2019

The Back Way




Sometimes, when I’m driving from one place to another, I’ll deliberately take “the back way”. Generally, the back way may not be the most direct way to get where I want to go, and it will take more time to get there. Further, the roads won’t always be the nicest; they will be curvier, hillier, meander a bit, have more stops, and sometimes there might be assorted slow moving farm equipment, etc. However, there will almost always be less traffic and more interesting things to see.

Recently, I once again took the back way to drive to a destination I go to often. As I was driving the thought struck me that the back way isn’t the preferred way to go when it comes to my other, my most important journey. I realized that at times that is exactly what I do—take the back way. And I see others, sometimes close friends, doing it as well. The journey I’m speaking of is my spiritual journey.

You see, I’ve found that when my focus is on my spiritual journey, for my own good I must stick to the main roads—spiritual paths, if you will. I need the certainty of that which is familiar. I need the directness. I need more traffic—community in this case. I don’t need distractions. I don’t need to relax. I don’t need the temptation to lollygag. I do need a regular routine. I need constancy and consistency.

When I take the back way, I begin to feel unknown, unexposed, adventurous, and therefore unaccountable. Old habits and thought patterns can easily come to the forefront. It’s easier for me to hide, not be seen. And, even though I may feel secure, it is that loneness that tempts actions that I don’t desire in myself.  What “they” don’t see, “they” won’t know. But God does—and it is with that knowledge that I don’t take the back way.

Monday, December 16, 2019

Todays desk doodle


On Manhood

"Manhood is not magic. It is a building process. No
magic wand waved could produce it instantly. It doesn’t
strike like lightning. It is built, layer upon layer, line
upon line, precept upon precept, decision upon decision.
The Bible says that everywhere Abraham went he
built his altar and pitched his tents. Today, too many men
are building their tents and pitching their altars. They
spend too much time on the temporal and not enough
on the eternal—too much time on building personality,
while merely pitching character. It’s a perversion of
godly principles.
You can pitch personality, but you must build character.
One of my heroes of faith, W.T. Gaston, once told
me something I have never forgotten and have quoted
thousands of times: “When the charm wears off, you
have nothing but character left.”"
Edwin Louis Cole
Maximized Manhood
Space in Scripture

Sunday, December 15, 2019

Time Flies




Around this time of the year it is not uncommon to hear someone say something like, “It’s almost Christmas, where has this year gone?” I’ll usually quip back something akin to, “Well, after all, just yesterday it was February 24th.” The point is, time seems to fly right past many of us doesn’t it?

There is an abundance of theories that discuss the topic. A trip to Google will offer you tons of discussion about why time seems to fly. At my age, I hardly bother being concerned about it any longer. I’m no longer in any kind of hurry to get nowhere fast either.

Here’s what I can factually share, based on my experience, about time flying.  I equate it to my age. I’m in my 7th decade now.  I’d hope that those younger than I might find a take-away or two from it that would have positive effects on their lives.

·         It’s mind-boggling to discover later in life how much of one’s life has been squandered on things that don’t really matter.

·         It’s an unbelievably rude awakening to realize later in life that you didn’t consistently (if at all) prepare for that time when you can’t be financially productive, simply because you held onto the thought “I can do that later”, especially if you’re paying the consequences now.

·         It’s brutally cruel to think back to good, sound, well-reasoned advice about living that was shared by your parents in their efforts to forewarn you about what lies ahead in life, and know that you ignored it because of your belief that “it won’t happen to me” or “I know”.

·         It’s saddening to think of all of the good, righteous, worthy things you could have accomplished along the way if only you had thought of them or wanted to do them, things you’re doing now which easily could have been done then.

·         The harsh realities of health and emotional issues that you see in yourself at a later age because of your earlier dependency on self is maddening.

·         The angst you feel by knowing that your spiritual journey, the one you didn’t have or was one only of convenience, could/should have been so much better and would have had many positive impacts on your life.

·         It’s disconcerting to finally discover that the end is much closer than the beginning as you finally grasp your passion and purpose for what it really is and to know that your time is limited.

·         And, it’s frustrating to realize that in all that time, time which flew by, you let others down, yourself down, and God down by not being all that you could be during that time.

There are some bright sides to all of this. Flying time doesn’t stop anyone’s ability or desire to change. Lessons learned from flying time provide an excellent backdrop for positive growth that comes from change. And, God is pleased with progress.

Saturday, December 14, 2019

Advance Praise

Sharing some advance praise for the upcoming book "Dog Walk Talk; when I'm walking, God's talking". Words of encouragement like this help me to believe that I didn't write this one with my writer's diapers on...that I dressed up for the task.
"Joe is an engaging writer, using humor, insight and an incredible transparency that touches the heart. Taking time to ponder the extraordinary thoughts found in the ordinary of daily routine will encourage, strengthen and uplift with each page turned. " 

Lance Hurley, Executive Director
Ignite Church Planting: Chicagoland

Friday, December 13, 2019

Credit card or debit card


A walking story

I've copy/pasted this with the permission of it's author--Rich Hammershoy, a member of my men's small group. I wanted to share his insight.

           As some of you know, I like to walk. No, let me rephrase that. I love to walk!
When I walk I talk to God. I guess you could call it prayer. I just talk to God. And sometimes he brings wonderful thoughts to my mind. Like tonight for example. I was thinking about the sun.(Yes,I was thinking about the sun at night.) And how much of a wonderful blessing it is for the entire world. I mean life wouldn’t be possible without it right?  
Our planet is just the right distance from the sun that water is found in liquid form. (A necessity for all life and another blessing from God)All plant life depends on the sun. How amazing is that! That a plant lives off sunlight, in dirt. Just add water! 
Another amazing thing that the sun does for us is that it gives us vitamin D.
What? We get vitamins from sunlight? Yep.
Sunlight helps our bones stay strong. (Vitamin D actually helps us absorb calcium and phosphorus which are necessary for our bones to stay healthy, in case you were wondering. I was.) 
Anyway I was also thinking about the two different spellings of the word
sun/son. And how in heaven there will be no need for a moon or sun.
“I saw no temple in the city, for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. And the city has no need of sun or moon, for the glory of God illuminates the city, and the Lamb is its light.”
‭‭Revelation‬ ‭21:22-23‬ ‭NLT‬‬
The Son of God, The Lamb of God, Jesus, will be the light in heaven.
If the Celestial sunlight here on this earth does so many wonderful things for us and how it is absolutely necessary for life on this planet, just try and imagine what wonderful benefits are in store for us  from the light we will receive from the Lamb of God. 

Wednesday, December 11, 2019

Doppelganger


From the Miriam Webster dictionary site:

          According to age-old German folklore, all living creatures have a spirit double who is invisible but identical to the living individual. These second selves are perceived as being distinct from ghosts (which appear only after death), and sometimes they are described as the spiritual opposite or negative of their human counterparts. In 1796, German writer Johann Paul Richter, who wrote under the pseudonym Jean Paul, coined the word Doppelgänger (from doppel-, meaning "double," and -gänger, meaning "goer") to refer to such specters.


In today’s times it is not uncommon to hear folks talking about doppelgangers. One common expression is that we all have one, that none are exempt. I remember one-time years ago when we went to Las Vegas and I saw what proved to be a doppelganger. Walking toward us in a very crowded Caesar’s Palace was my best friend, Russ. It was confusing, because I knew without any doubt that Russ was in Tennessee at that time. This Russ passed right by us without eye contact or acknowledgement. I turned around and noticed that the golf ball size lump on the neck was there, so I started to follow him. I called his name, and he just continued walking. It simply wasn’t the Russ that I knew. It was his doppelganger. Same exact look, same size (short), same curly red hair, same walk, and same lump, same manner of dress. I was doppelgangered.


Today, when I saw the word doppelganger, it brought to mind that we are all just that—doppelgangers to one degree or another. I’m not saying that we all have them, I’m suggesting that we all are them. In my case, I know for sure that there are two of us who dress alike, look exactly like each other, and have the very same mannerisms. The only difference between the two is how they act and think. One of them, is a good guy, the other one is not. Both of them are a child of God, but one pleases God and the other one doesn’t. Unfortunately, my doppelganger lives in the same body as I do, and I don’t like him. Thank goodness God is working on each one every single day.

Sunday, December 8, 2019

Don't Toss the Trash


I’m not into genealogy—it’s not my thing. But I’ve engaged in conversations with enough folks who are really into it to sense that most likely all our family trees could be called nut trees. There always seems to be, somewhere in the lineage, at least one crazy one, and undesirable or two, maybe a criminal, or any number of jaded, twisted or wicked folks should one go back far enough. In some cases, they are the relative that no one wants to acknowledge or talk about. Some might say that they are the family trash. Can you relate? I sure can. I have an uncle, who all I know him by is Uncle Bill, who I never, ever, learned anything about, because no one talked about him at all. Period. He was simply a name in the family line. That’s it. I’ve often wondered why, and I’ve always been under the impression that he was the family “trash”.


If you have ever read the first chapter of Matthew, perhaps you found it to be, well, rather boring. It’s genealogy at it’s finest. It offers to the reader, the full lineage of Jesus, name by (in some cases) unpronounceable name. And, you know what?  If you were to do a bit of study on the lineage you will find that it isn’t pretty, just like our family trees. In fact, it’s quite ugly. There’s some real trash in there by today’s standards, which, in my humble opinion, would have made them very, very undesirable folks back in those times. There were adulterers, a murderer, prostitutes, an outcast, and an idolater. Since this isn’t a Bible Study piece, I will leave the exploration up to you, but know this—there were no less nuts and undesirables (trash) in Jesus’s family tree than there is in any of ours, and perhaps more.


I think the point Matthew was making (excuse me, the Holy Spirit through Matthew) was two-fold:  1) God always has a plan, and He never fails to execute it, and 2) God’s plan involves everyone, those who we might label trash, and those we wouldn’t. Matthew didn’t toss out the trash in his narrative for just that reason. We shouldn’t toss out the trash for the same reason.

Friday, December 6, 2019

Live Ridiculously


Boy, do we humans, for the most part, get it wrong. We don’t live ridiculously too much at all. I sure don’t. Way too often. Here’s a scenario I saw today right after church which I will use to explain myself.


I happened to drive past a popular and busy Dog/Spa Kennels. As I passed by it, I noticed that there were approximately 50-60 dogs outside in a large fenced in play area. I slowed down significantly to take the sight in. It was a wonderfully heartwarming sight that clearly drove home the key point of the message for today—that we should live ridiculously. I saw dogs of all sizes, breeds, colors, genders, styles of grooming, ages, looks, and I assume backgrounds. There they were—all romping together, tails wagging, happy, and yes, being ridiculous. It was obvious that none of them bothered categorizing (I call it thin-slicing when we humans do it), showing resentments, showing anger, or showing anything other than total acceptance of each other. All I saw was doggie love at work despite being surrounded by many differences.


We humans aren’t too good at that kind of “doggie love” are we? Isn’t it a shame that we are prone, because of our humanness, to categorize others based on their differences? It’s those who don’t quite fit into our little box of what’s “normal” who we tend to shy away from or have little to do with. It’s our “normal” to easily get angry or upset with others (and often express it in inappropriate ways) when things don’t go “our way”. It’s often our “normal” to seek that upper hand. It’s often our “normal” to run off at the mouth even though we later realize we can never retract those words.  Nope, we aren’t very good at that kind of “doggie love”. We don’t do well at living ridiculously do we?


Jesus modeled living ridiculously for us throughout His time on earth. God, through His Word, consistently shares with us how to live ridiculously since the time of Adam and Eve were first mentioned. Perhaps we need those great reminders, such as that “doggie love” example of today to remind us that we have some work to do. I did.

Tuesday, December 3, 2019

A Book for Men

There are a ton of guys out there, Christian and non-believers, who walk life daily wondering how to be that better husband, that better father, that better man. Here's a book, based on the real life situations, issues, and problems men face in making that walk. Its easy-to-read small article style lends itself well as a night stand book or a daily devotional. It's not heavy on God, but it is heavy on being the godly man in an ungodly world.


Monday, December 2, 2019

Live Ridiculously


Boy, do we humans, for the most part, get it wrong. We don’t live ridiculously too much at all. I sure don’t. Way too often. Here’s a scenario I saw today right after church which I will use to explain myself.


I happened to drive past a popular and busy Dog/Spa Kennels. As I passed by it, I noticed that there were approximately 50-60 dogs outside in a large fenced in play area. I slowed down significantly to take the sight in. It was a wonderfully heartwarming sight that clearly drove home the key point of the message for today—that we should live ridiculously. I saw dogs of all sizes, breeds, colors, genders, styles of grooming, ages, looks, and I assume backgrounds. There they were—all romping together, tails wagging, happy, and yes, being ridiculous. It was obvious that none of them bothered categorizing (I call it thin-slicing when we humans do it), showing resentments, showing anger, or showing anything other than total acceptance of each other. All I saw was doggie love at work despite being surrounded by many differences.


We humans aren’t too good at that kind of “doggie love” are we? Isn’t it a shame that we are prone, because of our humanness, to categorize others based on their differences? It’s those who don’t quite fit into our little box of what’s “normal” who we tend to shy away from or have little to do with. It’s our “normal” to easily get angry or upset with others (and often express it in inappropriate ways) when things don’t go “our way”. It’s often our “normal” to seek that upper hand. It’s often our “normal” to run off at the mouth even though we later realize we can never retract those words.  Nope, we aren’t very good at that kind of “doggie love”. We don’t do well at living ridiculously do we?


Jesus modeled living ridiculously for us throughout His time on earth. God, through His Word, consistently shares with us how to live ridiculously since the time of Adam and Eve were first mentioned. Perhaps we need those great reminders, such as that “doggie love” example of today to remind us that we have some work to do. I did.

Saturday, November 30, 2019

Friday, November 29, 2019

Today's desk doodle


Absolute Gratitude

I am completely humbled by some advance praise my soon to be released book received from another author. By his words, he captured the essence of my heart while I was writing it. I am very grateful for Joe and his kindness. He wrote:


“This reading caused me to ‘explore’ my very ‘Soul’, and had me sitting up like a schoolboy at story time. Strongly causes one to self-evaluate, while offering hope in ‘any season’. Exceptionally inspiring! Transparent and genuine, playing on ‘the chords of the human spirit’.

                                   Joseph Martin Salaiz, author of ‘Little Green Plant’


Thank you brother Joe Salaiz !!!

Wednesday, November 27, 2019

Do you?


A Valid Plug

An enthusiastic shout-out to a fellow Christian author. Joe's first book will be coming out Thanksgiving weekend. From once a dreg of society to a wonderfully warm man of God, a warrior for Christ, Joe is a great example of how accepting God's Grace and living in it can unleash the best in us and free us to use our gifts for Him.



Monday, November 25, 2019

Jesus Messed it up


If the title didn’t get your attention, probably nothing will. But that wasn’t the intent for the title. That title is simply a statement of fact, even though it may, at first, sound weird. Picture what I am about to relate as about you, because, like it or not, it probably will, to one degree or another be about you as well as me. In fact, I believe it is applicable to most of us Christians.


You see, I came around to Christ fairly late in life, though the timing of my acceptance of Him, nor yours, isn’t really the key issue for the purposes of this musing. What is key is that I, and you, came around—we became believers. In my other life, which I would never, ever, want to go back to, I was a pretty care-free person who knew that there are consequences for every action. And, since most of my actions were not indicators of good behavior, morals, or proper understandings of right and wrong, I really didn’t have a whole lot of tension in my life. Oh, for sure, there was plenty of stress. I stressed over whether I would get caught and punished. I stressed about the consequences of my actions, and I stressed about how to do things in such a was as to not get caught and pay the consequences. Those stressors were temporary. They ebbed and flowed in timing with my various activities, but they didn’t weigh me down, or last, and thus I didn’t necessarily feel tension.


Then I found Christ—or should I say, He captured me. He messed my tension-free life up. As I grew in my grasp of Christianity, a yet on-going process, there is always this tension within me. But it is a good tension, one that I wouldn’t have any other way. It’s the tension that comes with the recognition (as opposed to the blindness I formerly experienced) that who I am today is not the man I want to be. It’s the tension that comes with knowing that there is more that I can do, more that I can be. Again, it is a good tension because it means that now I am aware of myself, my shortcomings, my needs to overcome them, my potential, and the reward that awaits me.


Yep, Jesus messed it up, but in doing so he gave me myself and a future in Him. 

What a gift!


Can you relate?

Sunday, November 24, 2019

How Much do We Love God

The truth is, we love God ONLY as much as the love we have for the person we like the least.

A great thinkaboutit!

Saturday, November 23, 2019

From Blues to Blessed


Each year around this time many of us begin to experience the Christmas blues for a variety of reasons. I’m no exception. And, while I have generally been fairly mute about my lack of fondness for the season, it has, nonetheless, been evident to those near to me as evidenced by my demeanor. Again, it’s safe to say that I’m not alone in how I handle the season.


I don’t like feeling that way, and yet I do. The perplexing thing about it is that I seemingly can’t put a finger on why I get into this blue funk at this time of the year. That has begun to bother me. Is it now a habit to feel this way? Is there something about my heart or spiritual condition that draws me down that road? Have, perhaps, past experiences jaded me such that I find it hard to get into the season and let loose to enjoy it as others seem to do? And, again, I sense that I’m not alone in asking those questions of myself.


I believe that this season will be different. A few days back I was engaged in a conversation with a great friend who shared the same feelings and thoughts that I just expressed. That night during my evening prayer time the Holy Spirit prompted me to do something to change my seasonal attitude. I was prompted to reach out to my friend and form a partnership for the season to battle the blues back to blessedness daily throughout this season. I shared it with him, and it is now game on.


Each of us, once in the morning, and again in the evening, text each other with a text beginning with “Today I am blessed by (or because of) ___________.” We are focusing on the blessings we experience, looking at the positives instead of the negatives, and we are enjoying it.


We are moving from blues to blessed. Might this work for you?

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

There's smells, and there's stinks




I find it pleasant when someone, typically a lady, walks by or enters the room, and as she does so an amazingly wonderful of a soft perfume or cologne wafts through the air. The smell is not too strong, nor too weak—it’s just right. It’s not pungent or overwhelming. It’s a tasteful and pleasant smell. I’m always tempted to compliment the person wearing it simply to give her a spontaneous affirmation of her taste. Tempted is the operative word, because I don’t say anything typically, unless I know the person well. My hesitancy is a sign of today’s times I suppose.


On the flip side of that, I physically react when, under the same scenario as above, the person is wearing what I often say (under my breath) “stuff that would gag a maggot.” I envision them literally dumping the whole bottle on themselves, and possibly having a sensory issue to boot. That stuff doesn’t smell, it stinks.

To be completely fair, it’s not just women. I know some guys that I’m sure must take baths in the stuff. When near them, I literally gag…my nose and throat simply can’t take.  It stinks.


People are sometimes like perfumes and colognes. There is nothing better than being in a room, or crowd, with someone who easily and freely radiates unabashed natural kindness, love, compassion, and empathy. As with the first example above, I want to be around them. The smell of their attitude and example makes me want to be around them and enjoy the time with them as they radiate their goodness unabashedly. It’s good for the soul and the smell lingers pleasantly in my mind long after they are gone.


Likewise, there are those folks who just plain stink. They’re the ones who are grouchy, petulant, negative, rude and crude, and are impossible to enjoy being around. Frankly, they’re not very lovable, just like the “body wash” that would gag that maggot.


While all the above may well be true and something we run into from time to time, Jesus never mentioned anything about smells and stinks when He commanded us to love our neighbor as ourselves. In fact, He seemed to have a penchant for hanging out with the stinkers.


Another life lesson.

Tuesday, November 19, 2019

Done !!

It's a wrap.

Phew.

Done.


The draft manuscript for Dog Walk Talk; when I'm walking, God's talking is complete and in the hands of the local editor for her final edit. It will then be sent to the publisher, probably as early as next week. That means it is about a month ahead of schedule. It came out just shy of 37,000 words, and should be about 200 pages long. 

We're still waiting on the pictures for the front and back covers, and the endorsements, but there is plenty of time yet for those things because once it gets to the publishing house it will undergo a full line by line edit from their end.



The Hands that Matter (a re-post)

"I got it"
"I can handle it"
"I've got it under control"
"I can do it"
"I know"
 
Beside the "I's", isn't there a common thread in all of the above?  Sure there is....it's all about control.  That's something most of us guys are real familiar with isn't it? Com'on...aren't we all at least just a little bit control freakish?  Oh, and that would include those of us who are trying to live the Christian life.
 
Our inherent need to control comes right along with our brokenness and humanness.  Sometimes I wonder if I don't have a supercharged c chromosome in me that drives my thinking.  I actually catch myself at saying or doing something in a controlling way....and I hate it every time it pops up.
 
It is that inherent desire within us to control that drives us away from that which will help us the most to get away from that same desire.  It all comes down to a pair of hands.  A pair of hands that matter....really matter.
 
Those who leave everything in God's hand.....
 
will eventually see God's hand in everything.
 
You got that?  Can you handle that?