Need to Know

Have you ever watched one of those movies with all the top secret government agents, doing top secret--better that the public sector doesn't know--kind of stuff?

Inevitably, one of the agents is furious when he finds out that he was left out of the information loop about some aspect of the operation.

When he indignantly asks the question,

"Why wasn't I informed about this?"

he is simply told,

"That information is shared on a need-to-know basis only."

From the uninformed agent's viewpoint, he probably figures he should know everything about what is going on in order to better do his job.

But from the perspective of those in charge, he only really needs to know that portion that applies to his part, and he needs to trust the masterminds of the operation to be able to bring it all together nicely (before the movie ends, of course--unless they are setting things up for a sequel!)

I think that it is human nature to want to know things that in reality we would probably be better off not knowing. It's that curiosity thing that most of us have.

The National Enquirer tabloid used to use a slogan that went something like, "Enquiring minds want to know!"

But does being slammed on every side with accounts of the misdeeds of celebrities really help us in life and the challenges we face? Or does it have a numbing effect on our sensibilities?

Is that the kind of information that, at the very least, does not benefit us and, at the very worst, subtly draws us into paths of self-destruction?

And isn't that true of much of the information that we might seek to know?

That also might be something to think about the next time that you are pleading with God to show you things concerning your future. Would you maybe be better off not knowing those things just yet?

Anyway, I think that God often operates like the "government masterminds" of my fictitious movie. I think that He only lets us know what we need to know, and wants us to trust Him to take charge of the overall picture of our lives.

I have no doubt that many a Christian who has accomplished great things for the Kingdom of Heaven would not have done so had they known, from the beginning, everything that they would face along the way.

And just one more thought: Unlike a government mastermind, isn't it nice to be able to actually trust the Mastermind of our destiny to be working at all times for our good.

"For we walk by faith, not by sight."
- II Corinthians 5:7 (NKJ)

Trusting in a Great God

Have you ever known someone who seems to have a lot of faith in God, until something happens to them, or to a loved one? Then suddenly, they find themselves questioning how God could have let this happen?

The next thing you know they are mad at God. They are ready to “throw in the towel“--give up on God--just because things didn’t turn out the way that they thought that they should.

They begin to say things like, “If God really loved and cared about me, then He would never have ever let this happen!”

Maybe they go as far as cursing and screaming at God.

Disappointment, frustration, anger, and just plain not understanding overwhelm them.

I think that in part, we bring it on ourselves, because we are somehow geared to think that we need to be able to figure everything out. We think that we have to understand the whys of everything that happens.

We are all guilty at some time or another of trying to give God advice on how He should handle a particular situation. We figure out in our own minds the best resolution to our problems and then present it to God like a Christmas wish list, rather than just trusting that He knows what is best for us.

But if we could truly understand how great our God is, I think just maybe we would take a different approach in our relationship with God.

We need to begin to try to understand the greatness of God as demonstrated in all that He has created and surrounded us with.

“The heavens declare the glory of God; And the firmament shows His handiwork.” --Psalm 19:1 (NKJ)

We cannot possibly begin to grasp the greatness of His creation, the vastness of space, and the wonders of the Universe. Nor can we ever truly understand the intricate workings of our own bodies. So how can we hope to fully know the One that created it all, and fully understand His love for us?

In Ephesians 3, Paul prays that we “may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height--to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge.” Interestingly, he prays for us to comprehend something that passes knowledge.


Yes, we need to seek to understand. We should seek to have an intimate relationship with God. But above all, we must learn to trust Him no matter what comes our way. We must trust Him like Job did when he declared,

“Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him.” --Job 15:13a (NKJ)

It is what we are instructed to do in Proverbs, and it comes with a wonderful promise.

"Trust in the LORD with all your heart,
And lean not on your own understanding;
In all your ways acknowledge Him,
And He shall direct your paths." --Proverbs 3:5-6 (NKJ)

In the very midst of all the hurt and confusion and pain, put your trust in Him, and even though what you are having to walk through may not change, He will give you the strength to go on. He will supply your every need!

Could it be that we don't think that God sees us and knows us completely?

“Have you not known?
Have you not heard?
The everlasting God, the LORD,
The Creator of the ends of the earth,
Neither faints nor is weary.
His understanding is unsearchable.
He gives power to the weak,
And to those who have no might He increases strength.
Even the youths shall faint and be weary,
And the young men shall utterly fall,
But those who wait on the LORD
Shall renew their strength;
They shall mount up with wings like eagles,
They shall run and not be weary,
They shall walk and not faint.” --Isaiah 40:28-31 (NKJ)

This day I invite you to experience for yourself the incredible peace that comes from trusting in a loving God.

The Fine Art of Flirting (How Those Sparks Keep The Fire Burning Brightly)

People often tell my wife, Nan and me that they cannot believe that we have been married for over 15 years. They just have a hard time comprehending that people that have been together that long, could act the way that we do around each other.

Well, I’m here to suggest to you that there is an art behind such a relationship. And it is an art that we have learned to do well (after all, we’ve had over 15 years of practice). It is the fine art of flirting.

Let me stop here long enough to say that not all flirting is of the “fine art” variety. There is a great amount of inappropriate flirting going on in the world, as I am sure you know.

I believe if you are married or in a committed relationship with someone, then that person should be the only one that you flirt with. Many a marriage has been ruined by what started out as “innocent” flirting.

And why does it happen so often? Because it feels good to flirt and to be flirted with, and it is probably something that is missing from their relationship at home.

But if you’re good at flirting, it feels no less “good” when you are flirting with your own spouse. It fact, I believe it feels much better, because it carries no burden of guilt with it.

There is quite a range of flirting that Nan and I engage in, from very intimate to very public. Both are important.

The intimate flirting is important because it is something that only the two of us share, which strengthens our unity and commitment to one another.

The public flirting is important because it is an outward declaration of our love for each other to the entire world, or at least as far as to those who are watching us (and people do watch). Not being afraid to show our attraction to each other in public causes trust to build between us.

Hopefully, our public flirting also serves to inspire and encourage others to work on their relationships so that they, too, can experience the joy of what we have.

Good flirting sometimes harkens back to the time when everything was new in your relationship and rekindles those feelings of excitement and anticipation of what might come out of what was only just beginning.

I recently called my wife and asked her to go to dinner with me, but I did it as if I had never asked her out before. The exchange started something like this:

“Hello, is this Nan?”
“Yes.”
“Oh hey, this is Robert. Robert McArthur? I don’t know if you remember me . . .
“Oh, yeah, how are you doing?”
“I’m good. Hey, I was just wondering . . . .”

That began an entire evening of acting like we were on a first date. The only difference was that she did come home with me to spend the night, something that would have never happened on our first date! But it was okay, because we were married before we walked through the door of our apartment!

It isn’t hard. It’s loads of fun. And it feels good.

Don’t know how to start? How about walking up to your spouse in the kitchen and saying, “So, do you come here often?” You might be surprised where the conversation goes from there.

AUTHOR’S NOTE: Special thanks to Jessica for sharing with Nan and me some of the flirtations that took place between you and your boyfriend. It helped me realize that the spark that keeps things hot for Nan and me is the flirting, and it inspired me to write this in the hope that it might help others to find a way to have this much fun! From what I can tell, I think that you and Marc have this down really well. Can you imagine how good you’ll be at it after 15 years of practice!?!

Still in the Palm of His Hand

As an update to the previous post on my granddaughter, I thought you should know that after observing her in the hospital for a couple of days, it was decided that the symptoms that she was exhibiting were not of enough concern to make it necessary to do any kind of emergency surgery. As a result she was released from the hospital and allowed to return home where she will await the originally scheduled surgery on June 25th -- still in the palm of His hand.

In the Palm of His Hand

Our grand-daughter, Elania, is in a fight for her very life.

She was first diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor when she was only two years old. After surgery, chemo-therapy, radiation, and a second surgery, she remained cancer free up until she was seven, at which time they found another tumor had developed.

Once again she had to have surgery, but this time it was even more invasive than before, as they had to go through her cerebellum in order to remove the main tumor. The decision was made to treat a couple of other areas of concern with chemotherapy. The surgery left her with some challenges in her efforts to recover and unfortunately, despite more than a year of chemotherapy (some of it very aggressive), test results showed that one of the areas of concern had grown.

The decision was made to do surgery again and a date was set. Unfortunately, before the surgery could take place Elania started displaying symptoms which led her dad to take her to the emergency room at a hospital in Savannah, Georgia, last night. From there they felt the need to airlift her to the hospital in Atlanta where the surgery was originally scheduled.

At the time that I am writing this, I don’t know any other information as to how she is doing, and that fact is very frustrating, but at the same time I have a deep inner peace that can only come from God.

I believe it comes from the personal relationship that I have with my Heavenly Father and the trust that I put in Him. I know that He knows the end from the beginning and while things happen that I don’t understand, it just isn’t always necessary for me to figure it all out. I just need to hang onto the knowledge that no matter what happens, God will bring good out of it as I trust in Him. And in that trust is the peace that passes understanding.

I choose to believe that God is good, all the time, and that He is for me rather than against me. That is why I can come to Him like a child comes to his father, and give him any concerns that I have, knowing He is well able to take care of them all.

The devil, on the other hand is a liar and will do everything that he can to deceive us so that we won’t trust God.

So this morning, with the alarming reports of last night still fresh in my mind, the Lord prepared me for this time of not knowing.

He spoke to me.

It wasn’t like an audible voice. No flashes of lightning or claps of thunder. It was just a quiet reminder of something that I already knew in my heart.

These words came gently up from the inside of me.

“The devil may blow and he may bluster, but the LORD says, 'I’ve got this one in the palm of My hand.'”

(Interestingly, “bluster” is not a word that I would typically use, so I decided to look up the definition in Merriam-Webster’s Online Dictionary where I found that it carries these meanings: to talk or act with noisy swaggering threats, or to blow in stormy noisy gusts, or to be windy and boisterous. Sounds to me like he is just a bunch of hot air!)

Our prayer is and always will be that Elania be made healed and whole, however God chooses to do that, and our comfort is in knowing he holds her in the palm of His hand.

Still Under Construction

She was an older woman, though I would have a hard time saying just how old. She was pushing a mostly empty wheelchair that afternoon a few days ago, near the entrance of the parking lot at the shopping center where I work. I saw her there, but initially I didn’t really take notice of her more than to make a brief mental note to avoid hitting her as I drove into the lot on my way to my store. I was very focused on other things. I had things to get done and the day was already wasting away.

It was my day off and I had only come to work to pick up some empty boxes for my daughter who was packing up her household for their upcoming move to another city here in Florida. I had a plan and I was trying to work my plan. I wasn’t prepared for interruptions. So, honestly, I was a bit annoyed by this one.

But how are you going to ignore an older woman who is hunched over, pushing a wheelchair across a parking lot, when she is looking distressed and is trying to flag you down as you are trying to pass to the right side of her without running her over? So I pulled up a little, so as not to block the entrance, stopped and rolled down my passenger side window to find out why she seemed so desperate to get my attention.

She came up to the window and briefly explained her predicament. She was homeless, the shelters were all full, they wouldn’t be feeding until that night, and she was feeling sick from not having eaten. Could I please help her out?

Now, I had long ago decided never again to give money to people in her type of situation, but I did feel prompted to help her get something to eat. Since she was headed in the direction of the Wendy’s restaurant on the corner, I asked her if something from there would be okay. She said that would be fine, so parked my car in a nearby spot and got out. I walked the short distance with her to the restaurant, mostly without speaking other than to ask her if she needed help getting her wheelchair over the curb.

I held the door for her as she entered and held my breath as the rush of cool air from the restaurant left me downwind from her un-bathed body. I followed her to the counter and told her just to order whatever she wanted. She placed her order to go, and I presented my debit card to the cashier and she completed the transaction.

I said, “Okay?”

The lady simply and quietly said, “Thank you,” like she was responding to someone who had stepped out of her way or had held a door for her.

My obligation was complete, so I just walked away and left her to collect her order. I’m embarrassed to admit that I can’t even say for sure that I said, “You’re welcome.”

As I walked away, I was a little bothered by what I perceived as her lack of gratitude. Hadn’t I just interrupted my own plan and gone with her to Wendy’s and let her order the largest combo meal on the menu and paid the bill?

And yet at the same time, I didn't want her to make a big deal over what I had done and bring attention to it. All I really wanted was what I had done to be between her, me and God--and for her to be grateful to God.

I went back to my mission of loading up the boxes and within a couple of minutes I saw her again in the parking lot. The food that I had just purchased for her was no where to be seen, though it may have been tucked away with her few belongings. But what really irritated me was that she had stopped someone else who was getting into their car and was apparently begging off of them, too.

The whole situation started to really get under my skin and so I tried telling myself, “Just let it go. Forget it. What’s done is done. Don’t let it consume your day. You’ve got other things to get done and you sure don’t have time to let this get to you.”

It didn’t help.

Am I the only one that is a little slow to pick up on the fact that sometimes God is trying to show you something?

So I spent a lot of the day considering what had happened and how it made me feel. And slowly, I started to see some pretty powerful messages that I think God especially meant for me.

You see, nearly every morning I take my wife’s hands and we pray together over the day ahead, and over our family and loved ones. I ask God to put people in our path that we can be a blessing to, so that they are touched by the goodness of God and drawn to Him. When I pray it, I mean it with my whole heart. But I have to tell you, I don’t always hold onto that prayer as I get busy in my day.

Still, even though I wasn’t looking for an opportunity at that moment in the parking lot, it didn’t take long for me to know that God wanted me to help that woman. I sensed it deep on the inside and I acted on it. I was obedient.

Do you realize that there is a big difference in being obedient and being willing?

I did it because I knew I was supposed to do it. God let me know that He wanted me to do it. It wasn’t going to take much effort or time or sacrifice. So I just did it and got it over with. I certainly wasn’t excited about doing it. I wasn’t shouting,

“Hallelujah! God answered my prayer!”

But you see, I would have been, if I had been willing instead of just obedient. Oh yes, I did it, but how much more of a blessing would I have been to her and just how much more blessed would I have been if I had only done it with a willing heart.

What if I had taken the time to just show a little more kindness, instead of looking at her with mistrust? What if I had made the effort to talk with her, to get to know her, to encourage her, and maybe even find out if she had some other needs? What if maybe I had even said,

“How else can I help you?”

Or what if I had said to her,

“I just want you to know that God Himself spoke to my heart and told me to help you. He sees you, He knows where you are, and He loves you”?

What if?

How much more blessed would I have been in blessing her? And how much more grateful to God might she have been?

And then there’s the other lesson (one that I’m supposed to already know).

I am only responsible to act on what I feel God is telling me to do, to the best of my ability (with a willing heart). I'm not to worry about the results. I’m supposed to leave the results up to Him. If He tells me to do something, He undoubtedly has a good reason for it. I just need to do it and trust Him to make of it what He will.

It could very well be that what happened that afternoon was intended more for me than for her. Maybe it was to see if I would be obedient, and then to show me how obedience is not enough. I must be willing, so that the next time I’m prompted, I will be a much greater blessing and in that blessing, be far more blessed.


"If you are willing and obedient,
You shall eat the good of the land."

--Isaiah 1:19 (NKJ)

Jacob's Great Adventure

Last night my wife and I watched our grandsons, Jake, who is four, and Jack, who is almost seven months. As with most kids those ages, they can be quite a handful, especially Jake, whose energy level is pretty much without limits. We live in a two bedroom apartment, so it is pretty tight quarters for an active four year old. Since Nan needed to give Jack a bath, I decided to take Jake on a walk around the grounds of our apartment complex to see if I could help burn off some of that energy and make the rest of the evening a little less hectic.

The walk turned into quite an adventure as Jake immediately took the self-proclaimed role of "leader." It turned out that this was for the best, since I didn’t have an “imaginary, invisible map” like he did. Throughout the adventure he would take out the map, unfold it, and tell me what the map said about which way we should go.

“The map says we have to follow the sidewalk this way!“

The map took us on a journey that included the discovery of gold! It was right where the map said that it was, under the “X” on the ground. All we had to do was dig it up with our imaginary shovels. What a wonderful discovery in these hard economic times!

We also spotted a stray cat that “needed to be rescued,” but was to skittish to allow us to get too close, a giant inflatable snowman, a manager scene missing the baby Jesus, and Christmas lights. After passing by some Christmas lights, Jake spotted more up ahead and said,

“How convenient, more Christmas light up there!”

After a very extensive exploration of the entire complex, traveling most of it more than once, Jake announced,

“The map says we’re lost!”

He then turned to me and with all to melodrama he could muster cried out,

“Just look at the mess you’ve gotten me into!”

All I could do was laugh.

So reflecting on the adventure of last night, got me to thinking about how we, "only being human," often want to blame others for the bad decisions that we make. And how sometimes we even want to blame God, when He was there all along trying to warn us about the trouble ahead, if we had only taken the time to listen.

It is that feeling down on the inside of you that says, “If you do that it isn’t going to turn out good.” But too often we just push right past it and do what we want to do at the time. Or sometimes we just aren’t listening for it at all. And we inevitably find ourselves stuck with the consequences.

The Bible reminds us how to listen for God.

“Then He said, “Go out, and stand on the mountain before the LORD.” And behold, the LORD passed by, and a great and strong wind tore into the mountains and broke the rocks in pieces before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake; and after the earthquake a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire; and after the fire a still small voice.”

I Kings 19: 11-12 (NKJ)

So when all else fails, as it is likely to do, LISTEN! He will speak to you in that "still small voice."

(Author’s note: after all was said and done, we did find our way back home!)

A Little Bit Of Heaven

This is my newest grand-daughter, Heaven. I've yet to meet her in person, but my wife recently met her for the first time. When I asked Nan about her, she only gave me a two word description of her: "She's perfect."

I'm thankful for the pictures, because if I didn't have them I would have thought that she had exaggerated, just a little!

Heaven basically has her whole life ahead of her. Yet, before she was born there were things in place, and in the short time she has been alive there are things that have happened, that have forever determined certain parts of the course of her life. Still, in the end, it will be up to her to become who she really is, by how she deals with whatever life brings to her.

So as I contemplate what lies ahead for Heaven, I am comforted to know that God has already made provision for everything that she will ever need. All she has to do is trust Him.

And God has already seen to it that she has someone to show her how to do it, by her example of faith--her mother.

Seeing Clearly, Looking Back

My last post to my blog entitled, From My Heart To My Mouth, got me to thinking about the value of looking back and reflecting on memories of times now passed. Certainly, as a Christian, I am to live in the present with a hopeful eye towards the future. And I should not try to live in the past or allow the past to hinder me from being everything that I am called to be in the “right here, right now.” Still, within each of our own pasts there are so many valuable lessons to learn that, if remembered, would help us with our present and our future.

For me it is very comforting to look back at my life and see how God has been faithful to see me through every single thing that I have faced in my life. Seeing this, and knowing what the Bible tells me about God, empowers me for the things that lie ahead of me. So I can’t help but feel that memories are meant to help us deal with the “right here, right now.”

Apparently, God felt that it was important also. He so wanted the children of Israel to look back and remember how he moved on their behalf, that when they finally crossed over the Jordan River and entered the Promised Land, He told Joshua to have them build a memorial of twelve stones from the river. He did it so that when their children asked about the stones they could tell them of how God had moved for them, and remember it for themselves all over again (See Joshua, Chapters 3 and 4).

Sometimes, at the time that we are going through trials, we might lose sight of how God is moving on our behalf. We might even feel that He has abandoned us, though He has promised to never leave us (See Hebrews 13:5).

I have found, for me, that the steadfast hand of God at work on my behalf is much easier seen, when I look back at the path I have traveled to get to where I am today. It is then that I can truly see that He was with me all the way.

From My Heart To My Mouth

The other day I was remembering a time many years ago and many miles away from where I now call home. I was 11 or 12 years old at the time. Life was pretty good as I remember it. My dad was the minister of the Presbyterian church in the small town of Delta, Colorado. We lived a few blocks from the church in a home that was provided for us by the church. It was a mansion, in my eyes, with a large yard and a very tall cottonwood tree off from the back corner of the house.

I have many fond memories of that place, but my favorite memories are all centered around that cottonwood tree. My younger brother, John, and I spent many days climbing and playing in the tree with friends. I can still remember a place in the tree where four branches split off of the main trunk and formed a perfect place for an eleven year old boy to stand, with relative safety, hanging onto the branches as the wind gently pushed the tree back and forth in a two or three foot sway.


From that spot, high in the tree, you could see the top of the chimney on our two story house. It was a perfect lookout spot to keep watch for enemy invaders, and in the summer, when the leaves were full and green, you could easily go unnoticed by the people passing by on the sidewalk below. It was a place where a growing boy could go to be alone and think about stuff.

At some point in time, my friend John Logan and I decided we would like to build a tree house in the tree. We schemed and designed an elaborate plan for an amazing tree house. We searched out the neighborhood for supplies and materials, and when we were confident we could really make it happen, it fell on me, to ask permission.

I figured Mom was the easier one to approach so I tried her first. Mom, however, (more wisely than she realized) told me I should ask my father. A question of this magnitude demanded a face-to-face meeting with Dad, who was at work down at the church. And so I embarked, alone, on one of the longest two or three block walks of my life.

I can still remember walking very slowly, planning my argument, pleading my case over and over in my mind, bracing myself for objections or even rejection, but hoping beyond hope for favor. It was without a doubt the biggest request that I had ever made of my father, at least as far as I could remember. I entered the church in reverential fear.

Somehow, I managed to get my request from my heart to my mouth. I braced myself for the response. The answer came back quickly and simply, “Yes.”

The rest is a blur. I’m sure I must have thanked him and I probably walked quietly out of the church, but the next thing that I actually remember was running and jumping and hollering, with inexplicable joy, all the way back to the house to share the great news with my friend!

Did we build it? Absolutely!

Was it everything we envisioned it would be? Absolutely not!

But that was probably more due to a lack of available materials (or financing to acquire them) rather than a lack of desire or willingness on our part.

I wish I knew how to really explain to you what a great gift my father gave me that day. He probably didn’t (and still doesn’t) fully comprehend it either. But I knew. And even today it means the world to me that he said yes.

So, in reading my little story, you might be able to see why it is easy for me to understand God as a Heavenly Father. You see, I grew up with a natural father who wanted to do good things for me, who took care of me, who disciplined me as I needed it, and who nurtured and loved me. But my dad not only saw to it that I had what I needed, he even allowed me to do things that were desires of my heart! And all I had to do . . . was ask.


“If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!”
--Matthew 7:11 (NKJ)



(Author's note: I left Delta in 1968 and have not been able to go back since. My parent's visited in 2004 and took the pictures that I've included here. The first is of the cottonwood tree, more than 36 years later, and the second, of the church where Dad had ministered.)

Time to play

I finally got around to watching the movie, "We Are Marshall", this past week. For those of you who may be unfamiliar with the film, it is a telling of a true event which happened in the early 70’s in West Virginia. In a tragic plane crash, virtually all of Marshall University’s Football Team was lost. The movie is about the rebuilding of the football team and the healing of the school and the town. It is a very moving film and has many thought provoking aspects.

I was particularly interested in a one theme in the film as the coach of the new team realizes that winning isn’t always everything, that it doesn’t even necessarily matter how you play the game, but rather just that you do play and that you do it with your whole heart.

We all face things in life that we don’t want to face and it is easy for us to come up with excuses for not facing up to those things. Part of trusting God is just to do the things that we know to do with our whole heart and leave the results up to Him.

So, maybe God is telling you to do something.

So, maybe you don’t succeed.

So, maybe you didn’t do everything just the way you should have.

What really matters is that you do it from your heart.

So, to borrow a line from the movie--


“It’s game day. Time to play till the whistle blows!”

No Cow Bell Necessary

In the back room of the place I work is a cow bell. It used to hang over the backroom door as an alarm bell of sorts, alerting associates to anyone who entered the backroom without authorization. Eventually, it was taken down by someone who had the good sense to see that it was overly loud, extremely annoying and not really necessary in the first place!

It still sits on a shelf as if someone consciously decided, “We’d better hang on to that--never can tell when we might need it again. And you know how often you need a good cow bell and can’t find one for nothing!” But more likely, it is still there because of the fact that whoever bought this one for the store, spent $18.25 for it, and it seems like a lot of money to spend, just to throw it away. So it will probably be around for a bit longer, gathering dust and more than a few puzzled looks.

I was noticing this particular cow bell at work the other day and was reminded of a time in my life when I was exposed to cow bells as they were intended to be used--on cows. For a short, but significant part of my life as a child, I lived with my family on a very small farm. Our neighbors across the street, an elderly man and his wife, had a much larger spread than we did and had quite a few cattle, so I was used to seeing cow bells.

The woman, on at least one occasion, had suggested to Mom that she and Dad should put cow bells on us kids so they could keep up with the four of us. (We had a lot of freedom to roam the area in that day, and we liberally exercised that freedom.) They never actually did resort to cow bells, but were probably tempted to do so a time or two when we were hard to find after a day full of exploring.

So, it got me thinking how God doesn’t need a cow bell on his children to know exactly where they are, what they are doing, or the challenges that they are facing. He not only knows where we are, He is there with us and He promised He wouldn’t ever leave us. I find great comfort in knowing that no matter where I am, I am never alone. And that if I trust Him, no matter how far I’ve wandered away, He can always get me back home.

I serve a wonderfully loving and caring God, who is mindful of my every need, and forever faithful to watch over me and keep me. All that, and no cow bell necessary! How blessed is that!

Life is Hard . . . But God is Good!

My father sometimes tells me that he is inspired by my great faith. Interesting comment, since I feel that the greatest gift my parents ever gave me was their example of faith.

I believe that one of the things that persons of faith hold in common, is that they have established certain things in their hearts. They are able to hold on to certain absolutes, and never let them be shaken out of their heart, regardless of what it looks like, sounds like or seems like. They walk by faith and not by sight.

One thing that I hold forever established in my heart is that God is good all the time. That He is working for me and not against me. Now, just because I believe Him to be good, doesn't mean I get a free pass from troubles and problems. No, the Bible tells me, "Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the LORD delivers him out of them all. Psalm 34:19 (NKJ). I like the "delivers him out of them all" part of this verse!

My father has shared with me on more than one occasion, that one of his favorite Bible verses is: "And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to his purpose." Romans 8:28 (NKJ).

Through my past experience, I know when bad things happen, I can stay at rest, knowing in my heart that God will turn it toward good. When I look back over my life I can see time after time where God has sustained me through a tough situation and brought good out of it in the long run. I think all of us can look back at our lives and say, "You know, if this hadn't happened, then I never would have . . . ."

Last year, my wife and I found ourselves in a situation where we had to sell our home and move. At the time, it was very hard on us, and yet God has turned it to good for us, and we love the place we live now even more than our former home. That's the kind of thing He has always done for me, so I can't help but look forward to seeing what He does with the challenges that are before me now.



(I would like to invite you to share your experiences of witnessing God bringing good out of something that seemed bad at the time. Just click on comments and share your story!)

At Rest

This is a picture of my newest grandson, Jack.

Jack is a very peaceful baby.

Jack doesn’t worry about a lot of things. He doesn’t wonder where his next meal is coming from or how he is going to be able to afford to put gas in the car. He has already learned, in the short few weeks that he’s been here, that if he needs something, his mommy or his daddy, or someone who loves him, is going to make sure that he gets it.

He might not get it as quickly as he thinks he should, but he’s going to get it. All he has to do is ask . . . well, cry, and he’ll get what he needs, and be well satisfied, and taken care of, and loved.

I cried to the LORD with my voice, and He heard me from His holy hill. Selah
Psalms 3:4 (NKJ)

As you can see in this picture of my grandson, Jack is at rest. He's trusting in his mommy and daddy. How much more should we be at rest, trusting in our Heavenly Father?

Be anxious for nothing . . . let your requests be made known to God.

Phillipians 4:6 (NKJ)