On Aging

You know you’re old when you’re no longer in a hurry to get things done. Old people are never in a hurry—they don’t have enough to do to fill their days, so they take their time in what little they have to do. Old people would do well to remember what it was like when they were younger and never seemed to have enough time to get things done!

The Trouble With Families

There are many authorities and pundits who analyze society and give reasons for the breakdown of the family in Western society. But I think they miss the main reason. The trouble with families today is that nobody's home. Mom and Dad both work outside the home, leaving the children to be raised by schools, day care centers and sometimes grandparents. When everyone returns home there is dinner to cook, clothes to wash, homework to be done, shopping or other errands. There is no time left in the day for anything other than chores and those things that have to be done. Weekends are the time for cleaning, grocery shopping and preparing for the week ahead. And Sundays are never the day of worship, rest and recreation they were meant to be.
  Not too long ago, most mothers were homemakers. They raised the children, read to them and taught them faith, values and good morals. They cooked healthy meals, chauffeured the children to their outside activities, monitored "screen" time, and prepared for holidays. They were also there so children could play outside during the day or after school. They were home to see that teens (the foolish years) did not smoke, drink or spend time alone with members of the opposite sex.
  God has a design for families. It is written in our bodies, in our minds and in our DNA. No matter what manipulations science tries, men will never get pregnant and carry a child within them. No matter how much the average woman works out, she will never be as strong as most men. The design was for women to conceive and nurture the children and for men to provide, protect and care for the family.
  People have forgotten that raising good families takes work, and time and sacrifice; not money, material possessions and vacations. Yes, there are other reasons for the breakdown of the family. But I think the fact that no one is home is the primary reason.

Imagine

One of my favorite songs is “Imagine” by John Lennon. It’s not my favorite because I think it’s true but because it’s so poignant. He looked in the Christian churches, but did not see Jesus because the image of Jesus was obscured by the sins of the people of God.  But the truth is in Jesus, the foundation of the Gospel.  There is a Heaven and a Hell.

  If John Lennon was given the wisdom to see that truth, he would have changed the words of the song to “Imagine if all Christians lived according to the teachings of Christ.”  Then the world would be more as he imagined.

Praise Litany For Holy Week

Praise You, Jesus, You are the Christ.
Praise You, Jesus, You are the Lamb of God.
Praise You, Jesus, You are the Lion of Judah.
Praise You, Jesus, You are the Messiah.
Praise You, Jesus, You are the Savior of the World.
Praise You, Jesus, You are our Salvation.
Praise You, Jesus, You are the Lamb that was slain.
Praise You, Jesus, You are the Resurrection and the Life.

Go and Sin No More

God is merciful and forgiving but we have to remember that forgiveness carries with it the necessity to try our very best not to commit the same sin again. This means praying for God's grace to help us, worshipping God with others at church and avoiding temptation.
  In the Gospel of John 8:1-11, Jesus is confronted with a woman caught in the act of adultery. The scribes and Pharisees say she should be put to death for her sin. Jesus is merciful and says: "Nor do I condemn you. You may go. But from now on, avoid this sin."
  In John 5:1-15, Jesus heals a man who had been sick for thirty-eight years. Jesus says to him: "Remember, now, you have been cured. Give up your sins so that something worse may not overtake you." Apparently there are times when sickness is caused by a person's sins. So going back to a sinful way of life may bring on something worse.
  I think the part that people neglect the most is avoiding temptation. I often think of the modern dating culture. A young couple may desire to avoid having sex before marriage. But they spend time alone, in situations where no one else is around. Of course, nature takes it's course and they end up giving into the temptation to have sex.
  Or a single man or woman may be having trouble avoiding pornography. But they have no filters on their internet connections or watch movies or TV shows with sexually stimulating scenes. A person can't deliberately expose themselves to temptation and then expect God to give them the grace to resist it!
  When we go before God to ask for forgiveness, let's also remember to look back to see what led us into temptation in the first place.