Saturday In The Park

Saturday In the park,
I think it was the forth of July
Saturday In the park,
I think it was the forth of July

People dancing,
people laughing,
A man selling ice cream
Singing Italian songs,
Eicay vare, eise narde
Can you dig it, yes I can
And I've been waiting such a long time
For Saturday

Another day In the park, I think it was the forth of July
Another day In the park, I think it was the forth of July
People talking, really smiling, a man playing guitar
Singing to us all,
Will you help him change the world?
Can you dig it, yes I can
And I've been waiting such a long time
For today

These are some lyrics from a popular song by the group Chicago, released in the early seventies.  When I think about those days and the times we had getting together with friends at the local parks this song always comes to mind.

I reluctantly write this next story due to it's sensitive nature and the closeness of the persons involved.  My dredging up of old memories has been painful and I seriously considered omitting it from my written testimony.  As you have already noticed I have made a concerted effort to be vague with certain details in my two previous writings, and will continue to do so.  I choose to leave out names of persons, places and locations for a few specific reasons: first of all, it's not that important to the message I am trying to convey, that God is forever faithful, even when we're not.  Next, I don't want any individual or neighborhood to be credited with some act of machismo, as if any of the events that I've been describing were in any way positive.  And lastly, I want to protect the privacy of the individuals and families of the victims and even the perpetrators involved.  I know that by telling the stories this way makes them a little more difficult to follow, but I feel this is best for the reasons given.

Again, to God be the glory for his protection over me through those turbulent times of my youth, and no less for today and all of life's present challenges. 

"Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God.  I will strengthen you, yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand."  Isaiah 41:10

"Saturday In The Park"

It was a Friday night and some of the local girls decided to have a small get together at their apartment.  They invited some friends, both from our hometown and some from a neighboring city to the north of us.

Sometime during the evening, after a few beers and a few joints, a fight broke out and eventually all the guys were involved.  When all the dust settled the guys from my town were jumping in their cars leaving in a big hurry, and some of the other guys were bleeding from stab wounds suffered in the melee, the worst one with multiple wounds, laying in the bath tub.

It was early spring 1976 and life was good.  We were having large get-togethers on a regular basis.  There was one particular park we would gather at to play softball or flag football.  We would listen to music, cruise the park, bar-b-q, and party - good friends, good food, good times.

We all were looking forward to the next gathering, it had been planned for a couple of weeks and the day was finally here, it was the Sunday after the stabbings.

Dozens of people showed up, cruising in their lowriders through the park to the selected spot.  Lining up the cars as if it were a car show, doors wide open, music blaring, everybody greeting one another.  Let the party begin!

We arrived in the 65 LeMans as usual, and parked alongside everyone else, got out and said our hellos.  It was a beautiful day, a perfect day for a ball game and bar-b-q.  The guys were unloading the food and drinks from the trunks of the cars and the girls were setting up the tables and chairs in a spot in the shade.  It had the makings of a great day.

Everyone was standing around talking, joking, telling stories.  A group of guys and girls starting playing softball while others fired up the bar-b-Q's.  The rest just sat around listening to music and enjoyed the quiet peaceful day.  At that moment in time life was good.  What more could you ask for?  More beer!  Four of us got into the LeMans to make a trip to the liquor store .

Sometime during the day, unknown to us, a group of guys had entered the park undetected by anyone from our group and parked in the area that was known as the circle.  At this particular park there were two main roads that meandered through its length, both meeting at the far end making a circle in which the cars had to travel through to proceed in the opposite direction.

We learned later that someone had tipped off these guys that we were all going to be there, they were the homeboys of the stabbing victims from two nights before.

They had entered by the road furthest from us and went right to the circle, parked and waited.  They knew that eventually someone from our group would have to come through, and they would be ready to dole out some payback.

In the late afternoon, not too long after we had left to the store, one of my good friends decided it was time to leave.   He gathered up his stuff, his girlfriend, and his little brother, got into his car and headed out in the direction of the circle.  He decided he was going cruise to the end of the road, go through the loop and cruise by one last time before exiting the park.  That decision proved to be a deadly mistake.

As he entered the circle the other group of guys, who had been waiting most of the day, were ready for him.  They came out from between the cars that were parked on the side of the road, and surrounded his vehicle.  His only possible way of escape was to put the car in reverse and try to back out, but the road was to narrow and he backed into a car that was parked on the side behind him, he was trapped.  Thus, the attack began.

The guys that surrounded his car were all carrying some type of weapon or object to be used as a weapon.  One of the attackers swung something at the driver's side, breaking through the window and into the head of my friend knocking him out.  He was placed face down on the asphalt road and someone shot him multiple time in the back of the head.

When the shooting began we were cruising back into the park, not yet aware of what had just taken place.  What we saw as we passed our picnic spot was people running in all directions.  Our intentions were to cruise through the circle and then come back and park with the rest of our party.  As we passed, one of our friends was waving and yelling for us to go back.

It was at that point that additional gunshots rang out.  The shooter, standing over the body began firing in our direction when he saw some of us had begun to run toward him.  Meanwhile, the rest of his group was scrambling to get out of there.  Realizing that they also were trapped now, one of them moved the lifeless body of my good friend, while another got into and moved his car, which was blocking their escape.

Just minutes earlier, when we had been told to go back, we had pulled over and exited our vehicle and began to run to the aid of our fallen friend.  As the shots were now directed at us we hit the ground and tried to find cover.  Next, we saw the cars of the shooter and his group coming out of the circle and racing for the park exit.

A few of us got up and ran back to our car.  We took off after them trying to catch them before they reached the street.  We failed.  We turned the car around and went back to where our group of friends were.  What I saw was heart wrenching, up until that moment I really didn't know all that had happened.  I saw, on the ground crying, one of my homeboys holding our friend in his lap, face up, holding the back of his head in his hand.  By this time most of our group were now there, watching in horror and disbelief, the result of this brutal and senseless attack.

Eventually the Fire Dept. arrived along with an EMT vehicle and an ambulance.  A second ambulance went over to the bleachers at the nearby softball field where an off-duty police officer was hit by a stray bullet while watching his daughter play softball.

CPR was started on my friend and he was loaded into the ambulance.  We returned to our car once again and made our way to the hospital.  By the time I arrived at the hospital he had already been taken into the emergency room area where we could not enter.  When we inquired about his condition we were told that no information could be given until his mother arrived and she was already on her way.  By the somber looks on their faces and the response given, I knew in my heart that he hadn't made it.

We were all enraged; we wanted to hit back fast and hard.  We started making our plans for retaliation right there in the hospital waiting area.  When his mom came out from seeing her son, she saw the anger in our eyes, she heard the plotting whispers, and she told us "Please don't do anything.  Please don't go and get in trouble.  Don't go and hurt someone else, it's not going to bring my son back."  We didn't want to hear that.  We didn't listen.

We went for the guns and went for revenge.  We were a few cars, loaded with angry young men ready to kill.  Ready to react in the same senseless way that these other angry young men had reacted.   They had reacted to the assault on their friends just two nights before at a little get together held at the apartment of some girls they knew.  We drove that other town, up and down, in and out, street after street until it got dark.  We saw no one, thank God we saw no one.  Finally, we decided to go home.  We said we would pick up the search tomorrow, but the next day the streets were so hot with cops we didn't go back.    

 "The Lord will keep you from all evil; he will keep your life.  The Lord will keep your going out and your coming in from this time forth and forevermore."  Psalm 121:7-8

I thank the Lord each and every day for His gift of life to me.  For my family and friends.  Those things we so often take for granted.  Those things that could have been taken away or never realized if I had lost my life or had taken another's during that time of my life.

"Through Him then let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is the fruit of lips that acknowledge His name."  Hebrews 13:15

This will be the last story of this chapter of my life.  It has been difficult, not only for me but for my wife as I write and she reads and we relive some of these memories.  I realize now there was a reason it has taken thirty five years for these stories to be told.  But, I do so in the hopes that someone out there will be blessed and know that no matter how tough the job, God can change any persons life that is surrendered to Him.


God Bless and Press On
Larry

There are many more episodes to tell, but I need to move on to the next chapter.   In 1981 I moved to Humboldt County California and had some very unique farming experiences, a few of them I'd like to share with you in the coming weeks.  Stayed Tuned... Your comments about this blog are always welcomed, let me know if it is benefiting you in any way.  Or not.   
Thank you, and once again, May the Lord richly bless you.




   

"Laying In Wait"

i was tired of waiting, playing all the games and,
living in a place that was not for me.

so i thought it was time, for me to get what's mine,
and to do it all everything i dreamed.

what i thought was the best of me turned to be,
all the worst i could find.

if i run to you (Lord), will you hold me in your arms forevermore?

now i got a feeling, that i got to leave and,
find a way back to where i came from.

though i don't deserve it, i know it's unheard but,
living here without you my life is done.

i confess that i shouldn't have run from you, now i know i was wrong,
nowhere to run to,

and no one to turn to, i'm dying out here on my own,
long before i even thought of returning,

your arms are wide open, waiting for me to come home. 
"Run To You"  by  Third Day

the words of this song express the way i was feeling when i finally came to the end of myself.  i felt that i had nowhere to go.  prior to this i was a proud, tough guy, who tried every vice that came my way.  but, i knew without a doubt that something was missing in my life.

"The night is far spent, the day is at hand.  Therefore let us cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light."  Romans 13:12

this week i'd like to continue with a story i've entitled "Laying In Wait".  once again i want to make clear the reason for sharing these events from my past.  my intention is not to paint a picture of this lifestyle in a positive light or to draw attention to myself, but instead to show God's grace (undeserved favor) and mercy (kindness and forbearance) towards me.  which is also available to all who would believe.  God's desire is that we all would turn from our lifestyle of sin and 'run to Him'.

"Or do you think lightly of the riches of His kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that the kindness of God leads you to repentance."  Romans 2:4

"Laying In Wait"

the peace and quiet of the early morning hour was shattered by the sound of what seemed like a hundred windows breaking.  it was a terrifying way to be awakened from a deep restless sleep.  my first thought after my head cleared was "here we go again".

i jumped out of bed and ran for the front door, i met my father and brother in the hallway.  we all ran outside just in time to see the taillights of the culprit's car turning the corner.  we turned around to see the damage that was done this time, for this was not the first time, nor would it be the last, that our house and cars would be targeted for a sneak attack by the homeboys from the neighborhood to the south.

this time it was the rear windows of the two pontiac's in the driveway belonging to my brother and i.  as we walked up to the cars we could still hear the crackling sound of the tempered glass splitting and falling out.  this time they had dented the car with the bat or bumper jack they had used to break the window out of my car.  the trunk lid and interior of both cars were filled with thousands of little pieces of glass.  this wasn't going to be any fun to clean up later this morning, it never was.

this was typical living in my life back in the seventies.  there were many nights we would be waiting up into the wee-hours of the morning, with the garage door open, guns ready, for these guys to come back by for another visit.  they did come by quit often, if not to break the windows from up close, it was to shoot at the house and cars as they drove by.  there was usually three or four of us sitting in the dark on folding chairs, talking and telling jokes, laughing and waiting.  it was not a matter of "if" they would come, but rather "when".  

 

at that time i was working in westminster at a hamburger joint, usually until midnight.  this one particular summer night, in the middle of the week, i had a near death encounter with some of the homies from that barrio to the south.

"You are my hiding place; you will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance."  Psalm 32:7

it was about 12:45 a.m. when i exited the freeway by my home and a carload of guys were laying in wait.  as i pulled onto the main boulevard the other car fell in behind me and began to follow.  looking in the rear view mirror i recognized the car and immediately knew there was going to be trouble, i only hoped that my brother and some of our friends were at my house waiting up as had become our practice lately.

i sped up to put some distance between us, trying to come up with a plan to make it home safe and alive.  of course we had no cell phones back then, so i couldn't make a call of warning, if just figured i would drive by my house and hope someone was out there to see what was happening.

as i turned onto my street i sped up a little more and began flashing my headlights off and on, trying to get my brother's attention.  when i was directly in front of my neighbor's house i put my car in neutral and stepped on the accelerator to rev the pipes as another way of attracting attention to my predicament.  

i passed by my house followed closely by my stalkers; my brother and friends were outside waiting.  i put the car back into drive and continued on to the end of the street.  i figured if i could get around the block and come by again i would give the guys and opportunity  to get some shots off.

i made a left turn at the corner and another left turn onto the next street, still being chased, now at a higher rate of speed.  i drove to the end of the block, made a skidding left turn, and another.  back on my own street my pursuers began to shoot at my car from behind, ducking down now, i kept on going straight ahead, knowing i only needed to get to my house.  when we passed my house my homeboys allow me to go by and then they open fire on the car behind me.  as i got to the corner, i again made a left turn, thinking we would do it all again, but my pursuers went right and disappeared into the night.

i cruised around the block, ever vigilant, expecting their return, it didn't happen.  i had made it home safe and alive thinking as before, how slick i was to outwit death once again.   but it was God who was present looking out for me, preparing me for a day i would run to him.

"And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me."  Galatians 2:20

for the next few years my neighborhood was very hot, the two gangs clashed quit often.  alot of fighting, many drive by shootings, and a great deal of death.  by the time i was 18 years old i had experienced eight deaths of friends and homeboys and many more from the other side.  lives wasted for no good reason, sons, brothers, and friends.  family's torn apart never to be the same again.   God's enemy, satan, was suceeding in the barrio.

"In their case the god of this world has blinded the mind of unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God."  2 Corinthians 4:4

this type of lifestyle might seem unbelievable to you, almost surreal, but it's real i assure you.  although you may not relate to the experiences i'm describing here i know there are things happening or that have happened in your life that are just as destructive.  satan uses many avenues to tempt us away from the life we were all called to live, that is a life pleasing to God our creator.

wherever you find yourself today, whether life's good right now or your in the midst of some kind of trial, maybe financial, relational, physical or emotional, God loves you and He is there for you.  He awaits you - call on His name - just run to Jesus!

"There is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to man by which we must be saved."  Acts 4:12


God Bless and Press On
Larry

Cracks At Jack's

This Is Who I Am
I'm a son of a good man.
I'm a child of an angel.
I'm the brother of a wild one,
and I'm looking for direction.
I'm the lover of a beauty.
I'm the father of blessings.
I'm the singer of a love song,
but is that all I'm good for?


 This is who I am, this is who I am,
so take me and make me so much more.
This is who I am, this is who I am,
so change me and make me someone better than before.

I'm a saint and a sinner. 
I'm a lover and a fighter,
I'm a true believer, with great desire.
I'm a preacher of grace, prophet of love, teacher of truth.
I've fallen down so many times, but here I stand in front of you.

This is who I am, this is who I am,
so take me and make me so much more.
This is who I am, this is who I am,
so change me and make me someone better than before.

Take me as I am but please don't leave me that way,
cause I know that you can make me better than I am today.
Song lyrics from  "This Is Who I Am"  by Third Day

"I have a plan for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."   Jeremiah 29:11

In a conversation I was having last week with a fellow Christian, the discussion came around to some personal stories of God's divine intervention in our lives.  After sharing a few of our own experiences we were amazed at how faithful God had been to us, even when we had yet been saved.  The both of us also said we knew of many similar stories shared by other brothers and sisters in Christ, and in each case God's sovereign hand was revealed in preventing either death or great harm.  It seemed like such a shame that God's love and power were not being shared with such stories.  That our own children had probably not heard how God had shown himself real to each one of us.  Even though we may not have recognized it at that moment, we eventually saw clearly God's hand in each encounter.

"And they have defeated him by the blood of the Lamb and by their testimony.  And they did not love their lives so much that they were afraid to die."  Revelation 12:11

In the coming weeks I plan on writing some of my story.  Through this part of my testimony I want to express my love and appreciation for God's faithfulness to me, and in doing so give Him the glory for the man I am today.  I'm certainly not perfect, far from it, but I think you will see, Jesus has made a dramatic, powerful, and yes, even a miraculous change in the person before you.  I want to share with you a few true, life experiences I had leading up to my salvation.  In no way are my intentions to glorify the lifestyle I was living in my BC (before Christ) days, nor do I want the devil's devices to be perceived as anything but destructive and deadly.  God's word says that Satan comes to steal, kill, and destroy, and if you or I give him the opportunity he will do just that.  I've entitled my first story:

Cracks at Jack's

In the mid 1970's I was running with a group of guys from my neighborhood, today we would be called gang members, but back then we didn't see ourselves that way.  There were a lot or crazy things going on in L.A. at the time, a lot of violent things.

The previous summer one of my homeboys was shot and killed at the wedding of another.  A young man from a neighboring barrio, recently released from prison, got into an arguement inside the reception hall.  He pulled out a handgun from underneath his Pendleton and fired, missing his intended target and hitting and killing my friend who was standing with his girlfriend on the other side of the room.   That incident would start a firestorm of violence between these two barrios that is still going on to this day.

"But God demonstrates His own love towards us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us."  Romans 5:8

Later that same year another friend was getting married; my brother, myself and three other buddies were to be in the wedding.  One Friday night, a month or so before the wedding, we attended a wedding rehearsal to practice the "wedding march" at the bride-to-be's home.  After the rehearsal all the guys and girls in the wedding decided to stick around and party.  We put some music on, sent someone to get some beer, and as usual somebody had some "yesca" or weed.  We spent the next three or four hours drinking, smoking and dancing.

By midnight it was time to leave, but we were all hungry, we had the dreaded 'munchies', so the five of us climbed into a 1965 Pontiac LeMans Lowrider and began our cruise.  Because of the late hour the choices for food were very limited, in fact the only place we were sure was open for business was the Jack-in-the-box in that neighboring city, which was now considered enemy territory.  I was riding shotgun, my brother and two homeboys were in the back and another was driving, and we decided to go for it, take our chances, and off the Jack's we went.

"The Lord will keep you from all harm, he will watch over your life."  Psalm 121:7

We pulled into the parking lot, looking all around, so far the coast was clear, we backed the car into a stall, just in case we needed to make a quick get away.  My brother and I gathered the money and the orders and walked into the hamburger joint and placed our orders.  After what seemed like an eternity, our food was finally ready.  As we walked to our vehicle a car full of homies pulled into the parking lot yelling and screaming curses and challenges.  "What are you punks doing in our barrio?" and then I heard "quieren plato?" which is gang slang for "do you want to fight?"  We had been found out, so we moved swiftly back to our car.

By the time my brother and I got back to our car we were blocked in by a 1954 Chevy Belair.  With a block wall behind us and this Lowrider in front, we were trapped.  We put the bags of food down and told the rest of our friends to get out of the car, that we were going to throw blows.  Before anyone but the driver could get out I noticed a handgun sticking out of the passanger side window and it was pointed at me.

"But the Lord is faithful, and he will strengthen and protect you from the evil one."  2 Thess. 3:3

I was standing behind the open passenger door of the LeMans, my brother and the driver of our car was standing behind the open drivers' door as the shooting began.  I was facing the shooter who was less than ten feet away when I saw the small muzzle flash and heard the first couple of "crack-whiz-splat, crack-whiz-splat".

I froze in my tracks, standing there watching this guy shooting at me.  I heard the crack of the round going off, the whiz of the slug flying past my right ear and the splat of the round planting itself into the stucco covered wall behind us.

It seemed to me that it was all in slow motion. finally, through the mind fog I was in, I could hear my brother yelling, "get down! get down!"  As the shooter pointed his weapon towards the drivers' side of the car and took some shoots at them, I knelt down behind the door and stayed there until the shooting stopped and I heard the car drive away.

"Do not fear, for I am with you, do not be afraid, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my victorious right hand."  Isaiah 41:10

I got up and ran to the other side of the car to make sure everyone was okay, they were.  So we grabbed our food, jumped in the car and got the heck out of there as fast as we could.  We feared they might come back after re-loading.

As we drove back to our neighborhood we were all laughing and shaking in fear.  We knew we had dodged a bullet, in fact, many bullets, but we still didn't really know how close they had come to killing one of us.  When we arrived at a buddy's house, we all got out and took a closer look at the car.  There were two bullet holes in the drivers' door and one hole in the passenger door.  How lucky we now thought we were, not understanding how God's hand of protection was surely on us that night.

By the time we went back to school on Monday morning everyone already knew of our adventure into enemy territory and the chaos that ensued.  I remember telling the story of my bravado.  Of my standing in front of the shooter, facing him down and dodging the projectiles he was hurling at me.  Telling of how tough and quick I must be to walk away unscathed by the attack, never even thinking to thank God for the opportunity of telling my tall tale.

"Whoever listens to me will live in safety and be at ease, without fear of harm."  Proverbs 1:33

It wasn't until years later, after giving my life to Christ, that I realized why I lived.  It was only because He was there.  This turned out to be one of many occasions where God intervened and preserved my life.  In the years that followed there were many life and death moments where either the Lord saved my life or saved another's life from my hand, always protecting me and saving me for something.

"I knew you before I formed you in your mothers womb.  Before you were born I set you apart and appointed you as my spokesman to the world."  Jeremiah 1:5

God had a plan for my life from the beginning, as I surrendered my life to Jesus Christ I began to see glimpses of my destiny.  Reasons why I was still alive.  There was new purpose for my existence and the purpose is something greater than myself.  I have a message to proclaim, one of hope and peace.  One of forgivenss and salvation, that's offered to each and every one of us, without exception, no matter how bad you think you are.  It's given as a free gift to anyone who will accept and receive it.  That message and that gift is found in the person of Jesus Christ our savior.  Are you ready to receive God's gift to you today?

"To all who received Him, who believed in His name, He gave power to become children of God."  John 1:12


God Bless and Press On
Larry

Anchored In Hope's Harbor

“We have this hope as an Anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain.” Hebrews 6:19
The Bible has much to say about the eternal future that God’s people will enjoy. God speaks of our future in order to challenge true believers to decide once-and-for-all whether we will obey Him and be committed to Him, regardless of our circumstances.

History and experience both prove that it is difficult to make and keep a Christian commitment for the people of today. Many commit for a little while, but for various reasons they cast aside their commitment. Many once dedicated believers have stopped praying, stopped studying their Bible, stopped going to church and assembling with other believers. Is it right that this is happening? No. But, is it happening? Yes.

“Because God wanted to make the unchanging nature of his purpose very clear to the heirs of what was promised, He confirmed it with an oath.” Hebrews 6:17

First thing we see is this: God’s promise regarding our future is intended for us to be strongly encouraged. In what way are we encouraged? We are encouraged that God’s purpose for us is changeless, it is clearly spoken, and it’s affirmed with an oath.

“God did this so that, by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled to take hold of the hope offered to us may be greatly encouraged.” Hebrews 6:18

The writer of Hebrews tells us that God’s oath should be and is for us today. The word ‘have’ is used twice, showing God’s oath is in the present tense and intended for us to be, ‘strongly encouraged’ and ‘an anchor for our souls’ right now, today.

However, it’s only for those “who have fled for refuge to lay hold the hope set before us.” We all, as Christians, have fled something (the world), in order to lay hold of something (eternal life). God speaks of the future to give hope to the believer: that we will have an anchor for our souls: an anchor to hold us steadfast and firm, a hope in Him, Jesus our Savior.

"We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure”. Hebrews 6:19a

God’s use of the word ‘anchor’ to represent the Christian’s hope gives us an accurate word picture. An anchor keeps the boat from drifting away, from being blown off course by the currents of the sea (everyday life) or the winds of a storm (life’s tragedies). So, using an anchor to describe the believers hope makes perfect sense.

When we have a clear vision of what lies ahead in our future, the reason for the hope that is in us, especially the rewards promised in God’s word, it helps to keep us for drifting away from our commitment and becoming involved in the sinful pleasures and abundant temptations of this world.

Let me share some interesting historical facts concerning the symbolism of the anchor as it pertains to the Christian faith. Some information found in “The New International Dictionary of Biblical Archeology” by E.M. Blaiklock and R.K. Harrison

The anchor was the earliest known Christian symbol. It was used to represent the hope of resurrection into everlasting life. At Pompeii, the Roman city buried in lava in 79 AD when Mt. Vesuvius erupted, a ring was discovered with a beautiful image of an anchor and the Greek word ‘elpis’ or ‘hope’ inscribed on it. Some of the earliest Christian graves have an anchor carved into the rock next to them.

Christians today use a cross as their common symbol, but there is no reference to the cross being a revered Christian image until after the Roman Empire became Christian. The cross was so abhorred as an instrument of torture that no early Christian venerated it.

Historically, the first interest in the image of the cross came after Queen Helena, the mother of the Roman emperor Constantine, reportedly found the ‘true cross’ on her trip to Israel in 326 AD. Before that time, the anchor was the symbol that the early church used to show their hope of resurrection and a wonderful everlasting future.

What an awesome symbol to represent our eternal hope! I think I will adopt it once again, now back to the Word.

“We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure”. Hebrews 6:19a

The author of Hebrews tells us what we have laid hold of: the hope set before us. We have found refuge in this hope. The refuge concerns our hope for heaven, the thing to be fled, must be this world and it’s temptations. He is describing what we have already done. The writer says ‘we’ have this anchor – he and his readers, the followers of Jesus, all of us who have come to Christ. We may not truly appreciate it yet the way we should, but it is there for us none-the-less. It is still ours, it has been given to us, an anchor for our soul that is firm and secure, that is sure and steadfast.

“It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain.” Hebrew 6:19b

Our hope is inside the curtain or veil. The curtain marked off the Most Holy Place in the Jerusalem temple, the place occupied by God. This really shows us what this hope is all about; it’s about being in the presence of God.

If we have an anchor in heaven, that means we can deal with our restlessness here on earth. We are restless because nothing seems to work the way we want it to in this place. If we think our anchor is in this world, our restlessness will never end. We’ll keep looking for a place to drop anchor, and when we find it, it will disappoint us. We’ll wander from place to place, job to job, person to person, and church to church – always looking for something better, always looking for some harbor worthy of our anchor. The reality for the believer is that our anchor is in heaven but our ship is on earth.

The writer tells us that God has promised us heaven and taken an oath to verify the promise. That seems to be all the evidence we need. God speaks. He tells us to believe Him. And as we believe, we know we have an anchor for our soul.


God Bless and Press On
Larry

additional resource; The Christian Hope;
The Anchor of The Soul
by, John W. Schoenheit

SWEET PEACE

"Your level of peace is directly related to your level of trust in God.  The more you trust God, the more peace you will experience.  The less you trust God, the less peace you will experience.  If you choose to completely trust God, then stress will not be a part of your experience."  J.B. Cisneros

Peace of Mind, What is it?  Is it possible?  How can I obtain it?

Peace is a primary principle and a prime virtue, it's inner tranquility and serenity of soul, so much more than freedom from conflict or cessation of war or hostilities.  The "peace of God that passes all understanding" is standing and enduring in joy.  "Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on Thee."

"It's not what you look at that matters, it's what you see."  Henry David Thoreau

Most of us have this idea that our peace of mind is dependent upon some person, position, circumstance or event.  We are looking for some special person, some particular thing or some significant event to happen, that will relieve us of all the pressures of this life and finally bring us joy and the peace we've so long been searching for. 

"The fruit of righteousness will be peace; the effect of righteousness will be quietness and confidence forever."   Psalm 32:17

We say; If only I could marry this person, or be accepted by that group of people, get this loftier position at work, or make a lot more money, then I would find peace of mind.  If only I could win the lottery, or my political party would get into office, if only this particular thing or that would happen I would be happy and finally find peace of mind. True peace of mind is not dependent on circumstances, it comes form the inside.  Worries, fears, desires, restlessness, nervousness drive peace of mind away.

"If half a century of living has taught me anything at all, it has taught me that nothing can bring you peace but yourself."  Dale Carnegie

The truth of the matter is that this peace of mind we seek is elusive, it's something we must decide for daily, it's something that can change in an instant, and ultimately it's a trust issue.

We all have different thoughts and ideas of what it will take to find that all elusive "peace of mind."  But there is only one true way, one sure avenue to find that complete peace that mankind is searching for, that way is Jesus.

"The Lord blesses His people with peace."  Psalm 29:11

"Restlessness and impatience change nothing except our peace and joy.  Peace does not dwell in outward things, but in the heart prepared to wait trustfully and quietly on Him who has all things safely in His hands."  Elisabeth Elliot

Our peace of mind is not determined by outside influences, but rather from within.  It starts in our own hearts not by the circumstances we find ourselves in.  In order to have peace, we are required to do our part.  The scriptures remind us that we need to be mindful of our own hearts as God's blessings always flow when we walk in obedience.  Living in peace is often an active choice of our will rather than a passive waiting for peace to fall in our circumstance.

"Turn from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it."  Psalm 34:14

"You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in you."  Isaiah 26:3

We must choose to trust God with the position and circumstance we find ourselves in, knowing He is looking to do the best on our behalf.  It's a decision we need to make daily, sometimes multiple times in a day.  We have to chose to be at peace with others, we have to learn to be content in the situation we find ourselves in today.  I don't mean we have to be satisfied with every area of our life, but, we must recognize that this is where we are today.  Be content for today and do what you can to improve your situation, the right way with the right attitude, listening for God's voice.

"I will listen to what God the Lord will say; he promises peace to his people, his saints--but let them not return to folly."  Psalm 85:8

"Relying on God has to start all over everyday, as if nothing has yet been done."  C.S. Lewis

Do not allow fear, anger, confusion or desire to sit on the throne of your heart, but make a conscious choice to place the Prince of Peace on the throne of your heart to rule and reign forever.

"Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times and in every way, The Lord be with you all."  2 Thessalonians 3:16

"There are many things which are essential to arriving at true peace of mind, and one most important is faith which cannot be acquired without prayer"   John Wooden


God Bless and Press On
Larry

Your Heavenly Treasure

"The Kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field.  When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought the field."   Matthew 13:44

The field the man found the treasure in wasn't his.  It belonged to someone else.  Didn't the man have a moral obligation to inform the lawful owner that he sat on a treasure?  Instead, our main character rushed out and did something quite deceptive. 


He didn't offer to buy the treasure from the true owner, but to buy the land, knowing that the owner didn't realize the true value of it.  If this part of the story wasn't important, Jesus could have simple said that the man sold all he had (a statement of deep desire) to buy the field.  But He didn't choose to tell the tale that way.  He turned in into a tale of obsession.


I realize obsession is a strong word, but strong words are sometimes needed to make a critical point.  Think about it.  What kind of man sells all he owns to buy a field?  A man obsessed with that field or, as in this case, the treasure in the field.  Clearly , Christ wasn't promoting deception, but He obviously thought it was a useful tool in showing just how far someone might go to secure the kingdom of heaven.


If there is one driving sentiment that heaven is worthy of, it is obsession.  Unfortunately, like desire and passion, the word obsession has been dirtied by the world.  Pure, irresistible desire has been undermined in many parts of the church.  Yet it best characterizes the kind of hope the early church had for the bliss that awaited them after this life.


Let's take a closer look at this word:
1. A persistent disturbing preoccupation with an often unreasonable idea or feeling; broadly: a compelling motivation.  (Webster's Collegiate Dictionary 11th edition)


The man from Jesus parable of the treasure in the field was indeed compelled by a persistent preoccupation with a somewhat unreasonable idea, wasn't he?  This is the missed point of the story.


The man did something unorthodox to obtain something he obviously thought was unattainable any other way.  He sold all he owned, and he went to great lengths to own the treasure by buying the field that contained it.  He was guided by obsession.


Jesus point isn't that we should all find deceptive ways to gain wealth.  It is simply that the kingdom of heaven is like a treasure, and that treasure is worth our greatest obsession.


I've seen plenty of obsessed Christians in my time.  They are usually new to the faith, and tend to bounce off the walls in their enthusiasm.  Talk about cars with them and they'll find a way to turn the subject back to Christ.  Talk about food and they will tell you they have lost their hunger for the things of this world.  They have a new compelling motivation.  They have a persistent preoccupation with an unreasonable feeling.  They are obsessed (what happened to us?)  Have no fear, new Christian you are in good historical company.


John the Baptist was obsessed:  His obsession with a simple message - prepare your hearts for the coming Messiah - compelled him to live in the desert, wear gunnysacks, and eat insects.  He was thoroughly preoccupied by an unreasonable idea.


David was obsessed:  His whole life reads like a maniacs, so passionate was he for his Deliverer.  Yet he was the one man in history called out by God as having a heart most like His own.


Paul was obsessed:  He spent years alone in the desert, feeding on the Spirit's revelation, before throwing himself into a dogged determination to spread the light to the lost.  Through it all he considered dying to be with Christ far better than living on earth. 


History is made by obsessed humans who are captivated by a compelling motivation for something they do not yet have.  That would be heaven for the Christian.


Question:  Is God obsessed?


If you say no, either you haven't read His story or you've not understood it.  The only difference between His compelling motivation to live as a human and die on the cross, and our own motivation towards heaven is that his required no faith.  But His passion far exceeds any we are even capable of in this life.  God is obsessive.  Remember Webster's definition of obsession?  God is indeed driven by a compelling motivation, a persistent preoccupation with an idea that is beyond our ability to reason.  His ways confound the wise, and his passion for YOU is beyond understanding.


He is preoccupied with YOU!  He is determined to save you from his own wrath.  He has wiped out many cities to protect his own.  He destroyed the earth with a flood in his anguish.  He goes to unthinkable lengths to find those who will allow Him to love them.  And in the end he will once again destroy the earth in the most spectacular fashion for the sake of his kingdom.


Because his ways are beyond our understanding, many people discount the records of what he has done as a fairy tale.  Many humans dismiss even the idea of God because he makes no sense to them.


Yes, God is obsessive.  Many frown on that term, but our faith in part depends on it.  God is obsessed, and now we, too, can be obsessed.


We can preoccupy our minds with an unreasonable treasure and enamor our hearts with the hope of glory.


Heaven, a treasure worthy of our obsession:


There are some people who believe that their treasure is found here on earth, that the kingdom of heaven is found in the here and now.  The treasure we experience here, now, is merely a foretaste of the great bliss that awaits us.  We do have incomparably great power to live victorious lives as we await our salvation, but we must understand that this power is designed to propel us down the road to our destiny.  Heaven.  That is the goal we are running for.  And the moment we take our eyes off the prize, our power to run the race to the finish is compromised.

"In this way they (those who put their hope in God vs.17) will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life."  1 Timothy 6:19

What a bold statement by Paul!  Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.  If the treasure you obsess after is on this earth, your heart will remain on this earth;  but if your treasure is in heaven, your heart will be there as well.


God Bless and Press On
Larry


* from Ted Dekker's
"The Slumber of Christianity"

Be Angry...part 2

“He who angers you conquers you.”                            Elizabeth Kenny

“When we hate our enemies, we are giving them power over us: power over our sleep, our appetites, our blood pressure, our health, and our happiness. Our enemies would dance with joy if only they knew how they were worrying us, lacerating us, and getting even with us! Our hate is not hurting them at all, but our hate is turning our own days and nights into a hellish turmoil.”     Dale Carnegie

As you can see I want to continue with the topic of anger. I do so because it’s such an obvious problem in our communities today, and because it has been such a huge obstacle in my life as well.

Do you allow yourself to be angered by other people’s actions or words? Do you ever find yourself saying; “He made me mad!” or “She got me angry!” to explain away an emotional blow-up of words or actions?

One thing that I have learned is; other people do not have control over your thoughts, your emotions or your actions unless you give it to them.

If you remember some of my previous posts I made reference to my past gang involvement and the violence associated with it. In that type of lifestyle anger was a necessary evil, necessary for survival. You never wanted to be caught with your guard down, or unprepared to defend yourself. You always had identifiable enemies that were just a drive-by away, that possibility was there anyway. This kept me on my toes and ready to strike at a moments notice. It also forced me to keep the anger and hatred close at hand, always at the tip of my emotions ready to explode. Many times it was expressed to the wrong people in the wrong situation for the wrong reasons. When you live like I was living anger becomes your primary emotional outlet.

It is much the same for people coming out of an abusive background or a consistently hostile work environment or children being constantly bullied. When we don’t learn to deal with this emotion properly it becomes a very destructive element in a persons life.

So where does anger come from and how are we supposed to deal with it? Is it normal? Is it always a bad thing? Can we use it to benefit us in any way? Why did God give us this capability?

Everybody must deal with anger from time to time, some of us more than others depending on our job, family, where we live and the lifestyle we are living. But how often we deal with it has much to do with our own perceptions. How we view the world and our part in it determines most often whether we become offended and get angered by a perceived slight or injustice.

Now, I’ll be the first to say, yes, there are many real abuses, offenses and injustices in the world, but most often the things we get worked up about are not genuine threats or slights, but perceived. We think more highly of ourselves than we ought to. Have you ever thought or said, “How dare you talk to me that way! Don’t you know who I am?” or things with a similar attitude. We are called to be humble but our pride often gets in the way.

“God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.”

So the first thing is to identify or differentiate between the real and the perceived. In doing so, we can probably eliminate at least fifty percent of the things that would usually cause us to become angry. Often times we take ourselves so serious that everything seems offensive to us.

What is anger? It is an emotion expressed by feelings of displeasure, indignation, hostility, wrath and vengeance. Anger begins with a feeling that’s often expressed in words or actions. We feel something and it causes a reaction.

Joyce Meyer says in “Dealing with Anger…God’s Way” that anger is the “fruit of rotten roots” and one of the primary roots of anger is family. Angry people come from angry families (this was absolutely true in my case), and the same behavior will eventually be passed on to our children if we don’t get a handle on it in our own lives.

She goes on to list other “roots of anger”

Injustice: When we are mistreated we become angry because we feel it isn’t fair.

Strife: Which is usually hidden, is often exhibited in arguing, bickering, heated disagreements and angry undercurrents.

Impatience: When we can’t get what we want when we want it.

Abuse of any kind: Sexual, physical, verbal, emotional or mental abuse almost always leads to anger.

Unmet needs: What I call “unfulfilled expectations”, we all have needs that can and should be met by those closest to us; however, they don’t know and understand our needs unless we communicate our needs and desires with them.

Jealousy: Anger is one of the more extreme results of jealousy. It reminds us of how dangerous jealousy can be. The local newspapers in recent weeks have had multiple stories of domestic violence to the extreme – murder/suicides and the likes – and the root of this evil was jealousy.

Other root causes of anger include fear, insecurity, and feelings of being controlled by a job or other people and their problems.

“Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings.” 1 Peter 5:8,9

When we begin to feel angry it’s the perfect time to exercise the fruit of self-control. You may have a good reason to be angry, but don’t use it as an excuse to stay that way. Instead of denying or justifying it, ask God to help you deal with it in a positive way.

Romans 12:21 gives us some good advice, it says “Do not let yourself be overcome with
evil, but overcome evil with good.” When Satan attacks you, instead of getting mad, go bless someone. Responding in a positive way is the direct opposite of what the enemy wants you to do. It doesn’t come naturally, and it’s not always easy, but when we do what we can do, God will do what we can’t do.

“Do not be quick in your spirit to be angry, for anger rests in the bosom of fools.”

Ecclesiastes 7:9

Is all anger sin? No, but some of it is. Even God Himself had righteous anger against sin, injustice and rebellion. Anger sometimes serves a useful purpose, so it isn’t necessarily always sin. Obviously, we’re going to sometimes lose it or not handle a situation correctly or else God wouldn’t have needed to provide the fruit of self-control. Just being tempted to do something is not sin. It’s when we don’t resist the temptation, and react to it, that it becomes sin.

While anger is often a destructive force, it can also enable a person to set limits and say no to unreasonable demands and take steps to meet important needs that have been ignored.

God sometimes allows us to feel anger so we will recognize when we’re being mistreated. But even when we experience true injustices in our lives, we must not vent our anger in an improper way. We must guard against allowing anger to drag us into sin.

“Be angry and do not sin, do not let the sun go down on your wrath, nor give place to the devil.”

Ephesians 4:26,27

Refuse to give the devil any opportunity to get a foothold in your life through anger.

All anger, regardless of its cause, has the same effect on our lives. It upsets us, causing us to feel pressure. Keeping anger locked inside and pretending it doesn’t exist can even be dangerous to our health. Most of the time we’re only hurting ourselves, and the person who angered us isn’t even aware of it. So we must take responsibility for our anger and learn to deal with it. Process it and bring closure to it, and that will relieve the pressure. When you face your anger and decide to deal with it God’s way, you can overcome it. The Holy Spirit gives us the power to be stable and walk in the fruit of the Spirit. We have the power to forgive those who do injustices in our lives and to love the unlovely.

So it really comes down to this; it’s how you respond, what you say and what you do in response to those feelings of anger that’s what really matters, that’s what’s at issue here.  So walk in the Spirit, be at peace with all man and allow God the bring you the victory!

God Bless and Press On
Larry

Be Angry...But Sin Not

"You used to walk in these ways, in the life once lived.  But now you must rid yourself of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips.  Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices."  Colossians 3:7-9

It always amazes me what actions people will justify without regard for how the Bible instructs us to conduct ourselves as Christians.  It seems that the lines of behavioral demarcation have been clouded in many areas and totally annihilated in others.  Areas ranging from sexual sin and divorce to drug and alcohol abuse, from lack of respect for others to angry and violent outbursts.

"Don't have anything to do with foolish and stupid arguments, because you know they produce quarrels.  And the Lord's servant must not quarrel; instead, he must be kind to everyone able to teach, not resentful."  2 Timothy 2:23-24

Last weekend I was at a home Bible study and the conversation turned to a discussion on anger and how we are to act when confronted with injustice or harmful behavior toward someone we love or ourselves.  One of the sisters in the group described how she had responded after she witnessed a teacher's mistreatment of her young son.  I then related a personal story of an incident that took place about eighteen years ago, involving one of my sons who was ten years old at the time, a football coach and myself.

"A quick-tempered man does foolish things, and a crafty man is hated."  Proverbs 14:17

We were two weeks into the season of Junior All-American football, the last day of conditioning and the boys would be getting their pads and practice uniforms at the end of practice.  When practice was over the kids were told to line up to get their gear.  There was a mad dash for the box of equipment and all the boys were jockeying for position.  My son was a small guy back then, and was having trouble finding a place in line.  He was half way down the line and the kids were still pushing each other and messing around.  While they were pushing and shoving one of the coaches noticing my son out of line, went over to him and shoved him in the chest knocking him to the ground.  He told him to get up and get to the back of the line, my son complied, but was upset and began to cry.  He was embarrassed and his feelings were hurt.

What would you have done as the parent?

"A hot-tempered man stirs up dissension, but a patient man calms a quarrel." Proverbs 15:18

Now, all this time I was on the sideline watching, when I saw my son hit the ground I was furious.  I approached the head coach and asked to speak to him and his assistant coach (the shover), after they were finished distributing the gear to the kids.

"If a man be under the influence of anger his conduct will not be correct."  Confucius

When the assistant coach came over to where we were standing I shoved him with both my hands to his chest and got all up in his face.  I challenged him to push me like he had done to my ten year old son and see what would happen to him next.  This coach was bigger than I, but I didn't care, I was about to kick his behind to show him nobody would treat my child that way.

"An angry man stirs up dissension, and a hot-tempered man commits many sins."  Proverbs 29:22

As things began to cool down I took a look around and realized for the first time that most of the other parents and children were still there, watching me.  Here's this Christian man, this Pastor, getting crazy and trying to pick a fight with one their coaches.  They were all very surprised at my behavior as was I.  I had been around the league for a few years by then, and had been outspoken about my faith.  I was a minister of the Lord Jesus Christ and everyone knew it, and here I was letting my anger get the best of me.  Man was I embarrassed.

"Whatever is begun in anger ends in shame."  Benjamin Franklin

I've told this story several times now to different people, at work, at church, at Bible study, to other parents and the response I get most often is something like this;  "you did the right thing", "I would have done the same thing" or "you have nothing to be embarrassed about".  And these are some of the nicer responses, some guys and even the women talk about doing great bodily harm or worse to anyone who would hurt or injure their child or a loved one.  The responses didn't seem to differ between those in the church, the Christians, and those that were not.  This concerns me.

"Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice.  Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you."  Ephesians 4: 31-32

Before I even left the park I began to feel the Lord's conviction in my spirit.  Before I made it home I was absolutely sure that my actions and words were wrong, were sin and offensive to God.  I had failed a huge test and had cast a shadow over my witness.  I knew I had to apologize to these coaches, parents and kids and ask for forgiveness for my actions.  But the most difficult part was having to apologize to my son for my behavior and explain to him why it was wrong.  To him I was his hero, I had stood up for him, and was willing to fight for him.  I know that meant a lot to him, nevertheless my actions were wrong and there was a lesson to be learned both by him and by me.

"There is no revenge so complete as forgiveness."  Josh Billings

Obedience, this is where the growth takes place, where you are changed.  When the Holy Spirit convicts you of some wrong done, and you know by the Word what your response should be, and you do it, you grow spiritually.  It's not necessarily the easy thing.  Try humbling yourself and apologizing to a group of people who didn't really think you did anything wrong.  I could have very easily ignored God or justified my own actions, but in doing so I wouldn't have given God an opportunity to make the necessary changes in my life.

"A man's wisdom gives him patience; it is to his glory to overlook an offense."  Proverbs 19:11

I'm surprised at how often we justify the actions of the flesh -- even us Christians.  We look at our circumstances through the eyes of the world instead of being led by the Spirit.  Instead of  living in obedience to Him we listen to the people around us saying, it's okay, you didn't do any thing wrong, I would have done the same thing, all the while ignoring God's Spirit convicting us.

"In your anger do not sin; when you are on your beds, search your hearts and be silent."  Psalm 4:4

There have been other opportunities through the years for me to be tested in the area of self-control and I can't say that I've always passed.  But I've become much better at hearing and obeying.  I've learned not to ignore the Holy Spirit's conviction and to use it as a guide for my conduct at all times. 

"Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.  He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of all he created.  My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, for man's anger does not bring about the righteous life God desires.  Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you."

God Bless and Press On
Larry

"HE WHO FINDS A WIFE..."

"The man who finds a wife finds a good thing, she is a blessing to him from the Lord"  Proverbs 18:22 (TLB)
 













I was competing in a track meet at a rival high school (Gahr), and stopped to watch the junior class girls practicing for their "Powder Puff" football game.  A friend and I hung around to talk to a group of these girls; one in particular caught my eye.  She was short and slim with long flowing black hair, I thought to myself "Wow, she's beautiful, I'd like to get to know her."  But, she was the quiet one; I don't think she said one word to me.  It was 1975 - little did I know ten years later she would become my wife.

Patsy and I started dating the following year at Christmas time and we've been together ever since.  It hasn't always been bliss; we virtually grew up together, experiencing all of life's ups and downs, not always agreeing on how to handle things and making more then our share of mistakes.  But our love for each other was strong enough to get us through the many break-ups and make-ups and today we look back and wonder how it was that we made it through those early years.

I attribute our success to the Lord, for without Him in our lives we would have folded the relationship many, many years ago.  I was a hotheaded homeboy and she an obstinate young girl from a family of twelve children.  She definitely had learned how to fight for what she wanted and I just loved to fight, period.  This made for an explosive combination and boy did we have our battles.

All that started to change when God got a hold of our lives.  We were at a turning point in our relationship in 1984, we had just come off a six-month separation, we had two children and Patsy was pregnant with our third.  She wanted me to leave again and I wanted to be the man in her life, but it was clear that it wasn't going to happen the way I was living.  Violence, partying with my friends and drugs were the things that made up my life at that time and I was ready for a change.  During that separation time I began to realize what was really important in life and it wasn't what I was doing, my heart was ripe and ready for a change, a change for the good.

"Behind every good man there's a woman, pushing him"  
no, wait, that's not how it goes.

"Behind ever good man there's a woman, rolling her eyes." 
no, no that's not how it goes either.

"Beside every good man is a good woman." 
yes, I think that's more like it.

Through a promotion at work I was put directly under the supervision of a man who was a committed Christian.  By his invitation Patsy and I joined he and his family at church.  It was Sunday October 14, 1984 and we both gave our lives over to Jesus, we got "saved" and that was the beginning of our restoration.

Life didn't all of the sudden become sweet and pleasant.  We both had so much baggage (more me than her); Things that took years to work through, but with the help of God we worked through each issue and we are on the other side now, the last 15 years or so have been the best of our lives together.

"House and wealth are an inheritance from fathers, but a prudent (wise) wife is from the Lord."  Proverbs 19:14 (NASB)

We were married on May 18, 1985, with our three children present, a year and a half later our fourth and final child was born.  We are now coming up on our 25th wedding anniversary in a couple of weeks, and I'm thinking once again of how very blessed I am.  Patsy truly is my best friend.  I know without a doubt that she loves me and that she always has my best interest at heart.  As we've grown up together and are growing older together we have become partners in life, we share most everything and have "become one flesh" as the scripture says in Genesis 2:24.

I don't know how it's possible that our love has grown stronger over the years, but it has.  I think of her throughout my day, wondering how she's doing.  I call her on the phone for a quick "hello, how are you doing today?"  and I feel better just because I spoke to her briefly, she tells me she feels the same way.  I really enjoy her company and miss her when we're apart.

"An excellent wife is the crown of her husband"  Proverbs 12:4a (NKJV)

One thing that I've noticed also, she knows how to love me.  What I mean by that is; she knows the things in our home, our family and our relationship that are important to me, and she puts a great deal of effort into doing those things.  She does them to make me happy, to bring me joy, she is a very giving person.  And because she does all this for me it makes me want to love her more and show her more and give her more.

"Who can find a virtuous wife? For her worth is far above rubies."  Proverbs 31:10

To some of you I probably sound like a sap, or a love struck schoolboy.  But that's all right, I have found joy and contentment in this life and I'm not ashamed to share with others where it comes from.  For me it comes from three main sources: first and foremost is my relationship with my Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, next, my relationship with my wife Patsy and finally my relationship with my family.  If these areas are okay than I'm okay - everything else will take care of itself.

Patsy my love, Happy 25th Anniversary, I want you to know that I love and appreciate you.  I truly consider you a gift from the Lord, and I look forward to many more years together.  To anyone else who may read this, my prayer is that you find the same love, joy and contentment in your life that I've found in mine, and it all starts with a relationship with your creator.
  

"But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you."  Matthew 6:33

God Bless and Press On
Larry