Think on these things...

And again...

And again...
This week our #2 grandson has been spending a few days with us. His name is Joel (Joey) and he loves fishing a lot like his grandpa. We decided to go fishing on Wednesday to a place he has never been, Hobart Lake. The road is pretty rough in places and requires a 4 wheel drive vehicle to get to the trailhead, and then it's about a 1/2 mile walk to the lake.

We had a great time talking, walking, fishing, eating, fishing...
As I enjoyed the richness of the day, thoughts of many years ago, being at that same lake with my sons... and now, again... with one of the next generation of 'Locke boys.'

My heart overflowed with thankfulness and praise to God... and continues to.

"Children's children are the crown of old men, and the glory of children is their father" (Proverbs 17:6)

Do you remember...?

Do you remember when you ate your first McDonald's hamburger and fries? In the '60s, I remember hearing about a place that sold delicious fries for 5 cents and cheeseburgers for 20 cents; Jimmy Murphey ( a good friend of mine ) and I drove down to Muscle Beach in California and first tasted the food from the famous Golden Arches.
Decades later I heard about a new burger place with really good burgers and the best fries ever....it's name was IN N Out Burger, and all they sold were burgers, fries and shakes. We used to drive to Auburn every few weeks and fill up on these awesome burgers.
It's interesting how many times we can remember the first time we ate something that then became something that we eat a lot of.
Do you remember when you first heard about the good news of Jesus' love for you, and responded to it. I do. It was in 1970, in my uncle Bruce's house on HunterLake Drive in Reno.
Burgers were good, fries were good, but what I was hearing and believing about Jesus Christ was doing more that just filing my stomach, it was transforming and changing my life! And it still is!
Remember the first time. Build an altar there... and continue... walking with and following Jesus.

Recreation

No it's not me flying thru the air, but it is my motorcycle.
Years ago I rode a lot, even raced a few desert 100 mile-ers in Hawthorne and Lee Vining.
Riding has always been enjoyable and 'relaxing' is a good kind of way. This dirt bike will be street legal so I can ride it to work during the week on occasion.
Maybe I should try a jump like this one....?

Look for the good...

One of the things that I tire of in political seasons is the constant criticizing and tearing down that goes on between candidates, especially in the Presidential race. If it’s not on the war in Iraq, it’s about the economy… or …whatever the subject of the day is.

People often ask why there is so much of this negativism and ‘dirt’ in politics… and the answer I hear most often is, “Because it is effective.” Tearing down of the other guy, whether it is the truth or not, is effective in politics in advancing one’s own position.

The Word of God clearly directs believers in an opposite direction; instead of criticizing and tearing down, we are to about encouraging and building up.

The apostle Paul wrote to the Corinthian church exhorting them with this principle:

Let all things be done for edification (for the building up and strengthening of the church.) (1 Cor 14:26)
Again to the Ephesians he wrote… Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers. (Eph 4:29)

And in 1 Thessalonians…
Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing. (1 Th 5:11)

Paul also said: …the authority the Lord gave me is for building you up, not for tearing you down. (2 Cor 13:10)

I believe this principle should be a guide for our thoughts and conversation: Seek to ‘build up’ not to ‘tear down.’ Look for the good and encourage it. Look for the good in your spouse and encourage. Look for the good in your kids and seek to build them up in it.

One more time, Let all things be done for edification (building up and strengthening) (1Cor 14:26).

The Wisdom of Teachableness

The ear that hears the rebukes of life will abide among the wise.
He who distains instruction despises his own soul.
But he who heeds rebuke gets understanding.
The fear of the Lord is the instruction of wisdom and
Before honor is humility.
(Proverbs 15:31-33)

The Wisdom of Teachableness
1. The ability to hear the rebukes of life - not just reacting, but hearing and being shaped and corrected - that's wisdom.
2. There is something of self-hatred in despising instruction.
3. The beginning point of wisdom is the fear of the Lord and the honoring of His ways and principles.
4. Humility is the pathway to honor.

Wounds of a Friend

Wounds from a friend can be some of the most painful we bear. There can be soul searching, confusion, anger, resentment, pain, hurt… and many times, no satisfying answers to the questions that plague our mind.

King David experienced much in his life, and thankfully recorded not only the situations, but also the agonizings of his heart and how and what he did with the pain.

Psalm 55 is one of those times: David wrote:

"For it is not an enemy who reproaches me; Then I could bear it. Nor is it one who hates me who has exalted himself against me; Then I could hide from him. But it was you, a man my equal, my companion and my acquaintance. We took sweet counsel together, and walked to the house of God in the throng!
The words of his mouth were smoother than butter, But war was in his heart; His words were softer than oil, Yet they were drawn swords." (Psm 55:12,21)

David was good at expressing his pain and hurt, but more important is what he did with it. Verse 22 of this psalm is a familiar and usually is not thought of in it's context, but it helps instruct us when we find ourselves ˜wounded.“

"Cast your burden on the LORD, And He shall sustain you; He shall never permit the righteous to be moved."

There's the answer: Turn to the Lord, give it all to Him, He will sustain and give you strength in the midst of it all.

Distorted Reality

There is an interesting story recorded in 2 Samuel 10 about the how the reality of situations can be easily distorted.
The king of Ammon died and his son Hanun began to reign in his place. About this time King David decided that he would show kindness to Hanun the son of Nahash, as his father had showed kindness to him, so he sent a number of his servants to go and bring comfort to Hanun because of the loss of his father.

This is where the twist comes in. It seems that the princes of the people of Ammon said to Hanus, “Do you think that David really honors your father because he has sent comforters to you? Has David not rather sent his servants to you to search the city, to spy it out, and to overthrow it?”

Because of this conversation, Hanun’s perception of reality was distorted. David’s intent was to do him good in sending people to comfort him – but because what he heard from the princes, he now thought David’s intent was evil instead of good. Hanun responded to the bad information and treated David’s servants badly – he shaved off half their beards cut off their garments in the middle, at their buttocks, and sent them away (that must have been quite a parade on the way back home.) David wasn’t happy with the reception his servants received, and, well, a bit of a war followed.

The thing that caught my eye was how quickly the reality of the situation was distorted. The words of the princes caused Hanum to think that David was intending to do him harm instead of the truth that David meant to bring kindness, and he acted accordingly.

As we walk with God, there are a lot of voices that come our way and try to distort our realities, including the truth about our relationship with God, about our relationship with others and realities about ourselves.

What can help us stay on track? Be a person who knows God thru the knowledge of His Word and the Person of the Holy Spirit. Keep communications open with others and don’t base your beliefs and actions on second hand chatter – go to the source and talk.