George Lee

We spent the day in Canton, Ohio just 30 some odd minutes from our home in Alliance, Ohio. One of our stops was at my wife's doctor. it was her first visit w3ith this doctor so we knew it was going to be a long visit. So as i sat there with my three older kids all boys we sat and listened to the goings on in the waiting room, the silent TV on the was playing the food network. We watched as Anne Burrell made some kind of dish i would never even think of making or even want to make.
i glanced over at the wall that had some kind of accented art peace in a pale sky blue color that made ripples as if it were a moving ocean as the light hit it, I was bored so I stared at it for a few more minutes. I looked at my second son Stephen and he was leaned back dozing, My Oldest Cody was reading a highlights magazine doing some of the find the difference puzzles in the back of the magazine, and Michael he was viewing his texts and KiK's and whatever social apps.
The Boredom all went away when this older gentlemen hobbled in the waiting room he looked at the kids, my young men ranging from 22 to 16 looked at him smiling and then he looked at me and his first words I will always remember.
He said with a priceless smile and a glimmer in his eyes, "OH, Allison." His daughter of 58 years old, "Oh look at the happiness"
We spent the next thirty minutes listening and talking with George Lee. You don't know him, he is not famous, but should be. He is not a well known man of Canton, but many may know him, because he is man that for 50 plus years has spent that time waiting in waiting rooms, or lines for movies or restaurants and may have spoken to you. not just in Canton, or Ohio. but maybe even in Oklahoma or any National Park in America.
You see he has been retired from two loves of his life three years in the Army in WWII and then retired as a truck driver from Railway. But one thing he never retired from was life. He told us of his wife who had past a few years ago, and his five kids, four girls and one boy. He spoke of how great his kids are and how i should always remember the good times with these fine young men of mine. He said so many things that I will cherish. But there are three things he said that I will always remember:
1. Don't sweat the small stuff - all it would do is make you mad and no man needs that
2. Spend time with your kids as long as you are still breathing
and
3. Live Happy- happiness is just grand

Yip forever I hope to remember this sweet 89 year old man's face. I hope too I will grow old and live life Happy not sweating the small stuff and do things with them as George Lee does still with his kids. You see he was there having his blood sugar checked and getting ready to make a trip 'out west' to see more of God's green earth because there are miles and miles of time to spend talking to his kids....
Ain't life happy when you're a dad.
Ain't life happy when you're a kid even in your 50's and see your dad talking. I looked over at Allison and i saw her smile a few times once when George spoke of his wife, he said that once you have the best you will never find anyone to replace her, and I haven't and I won't. and Another smile crossed her face when he said that she, pointing to Allison, takes me everywhere, i bug her to death and she keeps on taking me.
Happiness is someone like George Lee, who has a metal hip, knees and ankles walks with a cane and is bow legged. but goes fishing several trips to Canada with friends from the army, police departments and whoever else he befriends.
Ain't life Grand...
Yes it is Mr George Lee...
Yes it is.

Why me?

I have colon problems like man men my age. Last night was a very bad night for me trip after trip to the bathroom followed by an accident that many in my position knows both bathrooms were busy and there it goes, loose bowel. As I was standing there in tears from embarrassment and tears from the pain I asked out loud not really wanting to believe who I was really asking I asked in anger, "Why Me?"

Through a sequence of events this morning starting with an email from my pastor about something totally different, 'Noetic effects of the fall from Albert Mohler'. So I looked this up and it was a question from this past weekends radio show of Al Mohler. I studied into it and then went to www.desiringgod.com to look for a sermon that Al Mohler gave but stopped when I saw another video on the sight that caught my eye. It is a Speaker Panel at the 2010 Desiring God conference. I love watching these because ti shows another side of pastors talking to each other and in front of lay people like me, its cool. I was watching and thinking back at last nights events and my burning question and John Piper says the following:


I would also say that we leaders here believe in a certain vision of God’s sovereign grace. There’s not a thing in you or me that inclined God to chose you for himself. It is totally free. This is our theology: unconditional election, regeneration, propitiation. Our theology is meant to flatten us so that no one would boast in the presence of God. Let him who boasts, boast in the Lord. The new Calvinism is about smashing human pride and getting glory for God. The cross is good news showing how much I’m loved and that it’s free. He’s going to get you a theology with him so massively at the center that you won’t even think of being there.

found here: http://www.desiringgod.org/conference-messages/speaker-panel-with-piper-anyabwile-chan-and-mohler

To say the least I have my answer and I am humbled. Humbled and ashamed for not remembering what I have gone through before in my life that has been filled with events like the one last night and many other times. I am also ashamed because this is not the first time I have been told this or heard this, my mom and dad told me several times that God has a way to slow us down and say hey what's really going on here and consider what we have been missing. And mom would always and still does today that the answer is always the same, GOD!

Why am I still sick? -- God

Why am I still here and not dead? -- God

What is my answer for my life's troubles in the past and present?

GOD!

He is always the Answer.

AMEN! 

Hubris

Do we now in 2014, know more than those in the First Century Church? 

Quick answer No.

To think that we here in the 21st century know more than a person that is called an Apostle such as like Paul or Peter, who saw Jesus with their own eyes is prideful. Today we are seeing this in our culture in our days. In example of that pride Matthew Vines' book "God and the Gay Christian: The Biblical Case in Support of Same-Sex Relationships".

This is an example that can and very well be the beginning of a major split in evangelicalism. 

It doesn't take a philosopher or theologian, although it helps us lay people, to know that what is thought of in the 1st century or even before that as a sin is STILL a sin now. The bible teaches that God is the same, yesterday, today and forever:

Hebrews 13:7-9

English Standard Version (ESV) 7 Remember your leaders, those who spoke to you the word of God. Consider the outcome of their way of life, and imitate their faith. 8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. 9 Do not be led away by diverse and strange teachings, for it is good for the heart to be strengthened by grace, not by foods, which have not benefited those devoted to them.

 This is what was taught to the Hebrews as read in The Holy Bible then and we can rest assured that this brilliant, holy teaching is accurate today. 

We need to take teachings as like Vines' and line it up with scripture and see if what he says is what God has said since the beginning. 

When you do you will see that it is true then and a now homosexuality on the whole is a sin. But we need to teach what is good and what is right and that which is holy, to those who do not want to see that this and any other sin is wrong, and we need to restart using the 'R' word.

REPENT!

Psalm 7:12

If a man does not repent, God will whet his sword; he has bent and readied his bow;

Matthew 3:2

“Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”

Mark 1:15

and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.”

Mark 6:11-13

English Standard Version (ESV)

11 And if any place will not receive you and they will not listen to you, when you leave, shake off the dust that is on your feet as a testimony against them.” 12 So they went out and proclaimed that people should repent. 13 And they cast out many demons and anointed with oil many who were sick and healed them.

Acts 8:22

Repent, therefore, of this wickedness of yours, and pray to the Lord that, if possible, the intent of your heart may be forgiven you.

and on this last one REALLY read it and study and pray that you have repented as well. (this goes for me as well)

Romans 2:3-5

English Standard Version (ESV)

3 Do you suppose, O man—you who judge those who practice such things and yet do them yourself—that you will escape the judgment of God? 4 Or do you presume on the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God's kindness is meant to lead you to repentance? 5 But because of your hard and impenitent heart you are storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath when God's righteous judgment will be revealed.

all scripture taken from www.biblegateway.com