New Clothes

8.26.09

Last week in some ways was a little traumatic. I cleaned out my closets.  Since last year I have lost about 30lbs.  There are a lot of reasons for my weight loss.

The doctor said I needed to lose some weight for cholesterol and triglyceride problems.  Also working out at the fitness center helped fill up my time in the evenings.  Plus, I needed to improve my chances in finding a future companion.  Now that I am getting married in a couple of weeks, I can get fat again.  Only kidding!

This weight loss made most of my clothes obsolete.  It was painful to bag them up and hand three large bags to goodwill and give some of them away to friends.  It was mostly old worn out clothes anyway.  The other problem I had was that I had spread out to two closets since “nature abhors a vacuum.”  Now I had to make room for Jeanne’s stuff and retreat to my one closet.

On top of that I had to have five suits altered.  There are more, but I stopped with those.  I even had one on last Sunday morning.  For my birthday I got some new clothes from Jeanne and Jason is always giving me stuff he no longer wears so I still have way too much stuff.

Colossians 3:8-10, 12-14

8 But now you yourselves are to put off all these: anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy language out of your mouth. 9 Do not lie to one another, since you have put off the old man with his deeds, 10 and have put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him,

12 Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; 13 bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do. 14 But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection.

If anger, wrath, malice, filthy language and lying are a part of your clothing, it is time to clean out your spiritual closet, and put on those outfits of the new man.  And above every other clothing, put on love.  These garments will never go out of style for the child of God.

Larry

August 26, 2009 | Filed Under Pastor's Thoughts

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Failed Again

8.17.09

It is hard to believe it has been a year since I got my motorcycle.  My year’s temporary license had expired so it came “crunch time.”  Either renew my temporary license or take my motorcycle skills test.  How hard could a few curves, turns and stops be?

I went by and practiced on my 1100 Honda Shadow and there was no way I could do the cone weave, much less the tight left or right turn.  Going slow, gravity lurks in and my bike wants to lay down.

So I did the next logical thing - borrowed Grady Hendrix’s small Honda 750.

In practice I actually made it through the curves.  When I took my test, I clipped the last cone with Grady’s bike.  I thought I had failed.  Then on sharp left and right hand turns I put my foot down - now I knew I had failed.  She let me go to the breaking portion but by that time that dark cloud of discouragement had settled in.

The first time I approached the breaking area too slowly so she gave me one more chance.  I hit the gas and took of with Grady’s lighter bike and skidded right through the stopping area.  The lady informed me that I had failed the test.

When I told her I thought I had already failed she told me I only had 8 points against me and I was allowed 20!  I could have passed because braking is my strong suit!  I didn’t understand the rules.

Well, now I knew I could pass.  So I came back the next morning with renewed confidence.  This time I faced a much tougher instructor, and I did a lot worse.  Hit three cones, dropped my foot three times, didn’t brake short enough and didn’t accelerate through the ‘S’ curves.  I failed again.

I immediately went in and renewed my temporary license for another year.  I know you are thinking “why should I even ride a motorcycle?”.  Well, I have it totally under control, at least if I’m going over 10mph.

2 Timothy 2:5

And also if anyone competes in athletics, he is not crowned unless he competes according to the rules.

God has supplied us with a great rule book called the Bible.  If you will follow its wonderful instruction you will succeed in this life and the one to come.

Larry

August 19, 2009 | Filed Under Pastor's Thoughts

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Old Friends

8.11.09

Last week we had a wonderful time at our General Council of the Assemblies of God in Orlando, Florida.  The evening services were excellent, the exhibits good and the business sessions boring.  But the highlight was reconnecting with old friends.  One blessing of being a Christian is having a family that stretches all around the world.

I was able to see friends from Tennessee, Ohio, Indiana, Florida, and of course Wisconsin (Jeanne Smith).  Our Central Bible College reunion was Wednesday night, and it was there I probably caught up with most of them.  They all got a chance to meet my fiance’, Jeanne.  I was also able to meet her pastor and many of her friends as well.  It all seemed to go very well.

Lindy flew in and stayed with me, so it gave her an opportunity to meet Jeanne as well.  The only immediate family yet to meet her are Chad and Amber, and that won’t happen until the wedding.

Jeanne and I went out with my good friends from Indiana, Terry and Pam Bryant.  Terry has his Master’s in counseling, and had some great advice for us in regards to second marriage and blended families.  If you’re in town on September 4th, you are more than welcome to join our wedding celebration.

Proverbs 17:17

A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for a time of adversity.

Your Friend,

Larry

August 11, 2009 | Filed Under Pastor's Thoughts

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