Grab a Noose!

     I took the jeep to Express oil today for the full service change.  I'd put it off for too long and knew it had to be done.  I've used Express for about two years, after getting annoyed at our local Wal-Mart Service Center for taking too long.  I understood I was supposed to shop & buy more stuff while waiting, but it was ridiculous.  It became a "time" thing.
     If it is time you want to save, Express is the place.  It took just over ten minutes today.  Did you know time is expensive?  My bill was a little over $40.00.  With the company discount for oil, I suppose the actual cost was around seven dollars and the rest was profit.  The online price at my old place is only $24.00.  Guess I'll have to take a book with me next oil change.
     I don't know if you've figured it out, but profit margins are totally outrageous!  I found a website that listed the worst perpetrators;

     Women's cosmetics - made from clay with fragrance & oil mixed in.  Markup is somewhere around a gazillion percent.  I would never have thought you ladies looked so nice with dirt on your faces!  Just kidding, you look fabulous!

     Bottled water - world's most plentiful resource placed inside an almost free plastic container.  The profit is over 1000% people!  A city's tap water is required to be okay to drink at thrift store prices!  Not only that, it has been proven that chemicals nearby can leech through plastic containers.  That makes city water the safer choice.

     Greeting cards - this one caught me by surprise but my family will tell you I haven't bought one in a while anyway.  I like the homemade versions.  Let's see, almost free compared to five dollars... You do the math.

     Restaurant drinks - A no brainer here.  If a twenty-four pack of drinks can be purchased at the grocery store for the same price as one at the restaurant - they're making big bucks.

     Eyeglasses - A little scrap of plastic holding two lenses... Would you believe up to 1000% profit?  No wonder my vision plan at work is so bad.

     Movie theater popcorn/candy - I couldn't quit without giving you my favorite.  I skipped about three years before being talked into going to a theater and almost passed out at the counter!  I asked the manager in an email why they had gone to a "funeral home" pricing structure.  He actually replied, whining about what they were charged by Hollywood... Yep, it all gets passed down to us, the consumer.

     God blesses us with money and expects us to spend it wisely.  I believe there was an old saying, "a fool and his money are soon parted".  There should be a new one, "corporate thieves will be hung at sundown"!

Just For You!

     You are amazing!  Your talents are impressive and you have a good heart!  You were put here for a purpose and God knows you are working toward the goal.  He knows you struggle, as we all do, with desires of the flesh.  It isn't easy being human.  You're torn with loving this world, (with all its glitter, pleasures, and personalities) and the one to come.
     God put it inside you, deep in your mind, that your future home will be with Him!  The place you live now is a mud puddle in comparison!  He does wish you would pray more and extend a little more effort to help others.  The battle wages worse for some close to you.  But again, God knows your heart.  He knows the mistakes you've made and knows you're sorry for them.  You've got a few bruises and splinters from leaving the right road.  They hurt now but will heal.  You'll suddenly realize one day that the pain is gone.
     Remember, God knows where you live and the roads taken as you travel back and forth.  don't forget where His house is, nor the letters he wrote to you.  In those letters are some shortcuts and tips for making your travels easier.  There are suggestions to help you fight the human desires and many stories others have told that will inspire your inner spirit to new heights.  As you strive to accomplish God's will in your life, may your prayer be the same as our Lord's mother, "may it be done to me according to thy word." Luke 1:38

Give a Hand!

     I was on vacation last week, so I had an opportunity to volunteer at the Shelby Baptist Association.  Judy and Stephen have been taking one day per week to help sort and stock items either in the thrift store or the kitchen.  They've enjoyed meeting folks there and as they mentioned names, I didn't have the faces to put them with.  So, I rolled up my sleeves and pitched in on Wednesday, working in the Daily Bread store.
  

 It was pretty amazing how efficient everyone was.  Stephen and I were assigned processing duties for a small trailer load of food from a local store.  I would really love to mention the names of the businesses who are the best supporters, but I don't think I should.  There are those who would visit them and complain about them giving to a Christian organization.  But, I know some great businesses and will personally recommend them to others.  There is still great generosity in the world regardless of those who say otherwise.

     Being the time of the year for inventory(yes, they keep one), the food we weighed and boxed had to be kept separate from the food being given out.  You'll notice the yellow tape in the picture across the shelves, that indicates it has been counted for the year end totals.  We emptied thirty five sacks of groceries, sorted the items, and stacked everything in boxes.  Naturally,  the only empty shelves were on top.  It is surprising how heavy large boxes of peanut butter and jelly are!
     Judy was helping Donna and Gene fill orders for assistance.  The way that works is,  people who need help come in, they are interviewed(by staff) and it is determined how much they will receive.  There is no shortage of people in need.  Jesus said, "For you always have the poor with you, and whenever you wish you can do good to them".  There are always those who will take advantage of good hearts.  Hence, the interview, where they also pray together and can spend time in the chapel.  Help for the body with none for the soul would not be a good thing!


     After our work in the back, we rolled the shopping carts outside and loaded up the groceries for people in their cars.  They had filled one buggy full for a lady's family of four, and we rolled it out the side door waiting on her to bring the car around.  I knew we were in trouble when she backed up to the curb with a small two seater.  She opened the tiny trunk and I saw a folded up stroller taking up most of the room.  "Can we put some of this in the front?" I asked.  She replied, "No, my daughter is up front."  I said, "it's okay, we'll find a way".  We un-sacked stuff and literally packed it in every available space in the trunk, then managed to put the rest in the front floorboard.  She left wiping her eyes and actually apologized for the trouble.  It was no trouble and made up feel good to help her.  It's like she asked God for a cup and He overflowed it!


     Volunteering for a day is a great experience.  Just about every organization that helps people this time of year needs help themselves.  Why not find one and pitch in?  It will give you a whole new perspective 

Please Turn Off the Lights!

     I was looking online in the Birmingham events calendar and found that our very own, Oak Mt. State Park, listed one for the holidays!  Now, I'm a fan of Oak Mountain and since our granddaughter was coming to visit, it seemed like two nice things to combine.  The website boasted a hayride and view of the lights in the park.  We used to visit the lighting display at Noccalula Falls in Gadsden and it was great, so this should be too!  There would be hot chocolate and furthermore, admission was only $3.00 per adult!  Wow, why hadn't any of our neighbors or work colleagues mentioned this before?  So, last Friday evening about seven, we loaded up and headed out to the state park for a great evening.
     I pulled up to the gate and waited behind a park ranger who was having a conversation with the attendant. I thought to myself, "where is everyone?"  After several minutes the ranger pulled off and we pulled up.  The lady attendant asked "how many" in one of those - I don't want to be here tones!  I said five with one child.  Again, same tone, "how old's the child".  I answered "six".  "That'll be 23 dollars"!  I quickly did the math in my head, 5x3 + x=$23.00  So, I figured the price had gone up to make the decorations better-no problem.  I was counting out the money and was about to hand it to her, when she said, "How many did you say"?  Ah, the mistake is coming...  "five with one child", I repeated.   She said, "I was wrong, the price is really $28.00".  I felt the blood rising a little... thought quickly, granddaughter present, wife present, children present, one boyfriend present... BE NICE!  I swallowed hard, paused, and added five more dollars, thinking, "this must be some hayride"!  She handed me six tickets and said, "drive to the pro shop"!
     I pulled away, noting the darkness of the road ahead.  No traffic in, no traffic out... Hmmm!  We arrived at the Pro Shop to a load of folks sitting in the back of a trailer on hay bales.  There were about four seats left.  The Pro Shop was dark and locked up.  There were very few streetlights so it was difficult to see.  There were a few Christmas lights across the front of the building.  The trailer was connected to a tractor and the driver was obviously the fellow anxiously waiting for us to walk across the parking lot.  He was standing at the back with the tailgate in his hand.  He asked for the tickets and told us to "come on, get on" with the exact same attitude of the attendant at the gate.  By this time, I know for a fact, I've been swindled out of $28.00.  I'm okay with it however because I like the park, and I considered it a donation, not a purchase.

     I have included some photos that were taken with a cell phone.  The lighting didn't put out enough for the pictures to be good, but you can get some idea of this sad visit!

      We squeezed onto the trailer(Stephen had to sit on the floor), and took about a ten minute ride up to the lake where the lights were.  The ride was cold, it was probably 35-40 degrees with a 20-25mph tractor wind.  It didn't seem too long because four young girls in the front sang one half verse of everything from a Star Spangled Banner/Fleece Navidad medley to Don't Stop Believin'.  I wanted to join in but Stephen said not to encourage them.  We talked about how it looked like every horror movie, especially the ones with killers coming out of the woods.  The driver finally pulled up to the building you see in the picture above, and said, "everybody off", & "ya'll walk that way to see the lights and get yer hot chocolate".
     They had a small cafe with a couple of people serving the INSTANT hot chocalate(not mixed well)!  The guy serving the cups said for us to go see the fire, and pointed "its that way"(photo below).  It was four logs burning in a picnic grill.
     Judy and I walked along the path suggesting things they could have done with such a great resource.  More lightening, reading the Christmas story by the fire, church carolers, friendly employees, quality snacks, lighted boats, etc...   the list could go on and on!
     I enjoyed the family time together and after leaving we drove around Pelham looking at better Christmas lights.  The one on David Drive was especially good.  Maybe the State could hire him to decorate next year.
     So, if you're thinking about taking in the State Park lights, don't!   Just pick any decent neighborhood, turn your radio to 96.5, and drive.  Except for the gas, it's free and the show is much better!

Does Membership have it's Privileges?

     This is a little different blog today.  I’m going to ask for your opinion on church membership.  Now, I’m not talking about becoming a Christian within a denomination.  I am referencing the actual act of placing “membership” at one individual church. 

       I’ve always been a little iffy on the subject.  My opinion is that it is an unnecessary step.  If I’m attending at your church on a regular basis and participating (volunteering & contributing), then you should consider me a regular.  The Baptist (my preferred sect in the denomination world) generally request placing membership in a somewhat formal way and when that membership is accepted, a “letter” is transferred from your former local church to the new one.  Some places are even requiring attendance at a special class or writing an essay on your personal experience.

        We had a group of three people visit us from Pelham First Baptist once after attending one Sunday morning.  During some small talk one of them dropped the bombshell that he was actually still a member at a church in another town.  Now, he is a member of a Sunday School Class, active at the church, visiting new comers, and the others were appalled that he wasn’t a member!  It was a little funny.  He was no less a Christian, but obviously wasn’t a card carrying member at Pelham. 

         When I was in the Church of Christ, membership was simply an announcement that “so & so” had placed membership.  That put their name on the role and I assume under the oversight of the elders.  If they never placed membership were they lost & going to Hell?  No, not in the least!  If a nonmember put money in the offering every week, was it given back?  Of course not!   Did the eldership work harder to keep members “saved”?  I didn’t see it.  With membership, does Jesus or the local church get credit for "good works"?

          My opinion is that it’s about holding some power over you by the rulers.  Christ didn’t free us from Hell’s first assembly meeting then pass out a form to be completed for membership.  It’s about belief, trust in him, and loving others!  Did the disciples line everyone up to see if they were all approved?  I don’t think so.  I think we need to tear down the walls that separate one denomination from another and focus on the stuff that really matters!  I see it like my Heavenly Father has many many buildings/places for me to worship in and He owns them all.

           I googled “church membership application” and came across one website that stated the following;  

Attending does not make you a member.

Completing the application does not make you a member.

Longevity at the church does not make you a member.

Participation in a fellowship group does not make you a member.

Ministry does not make you a member.

Baptism does not make you a member.

Sounds like only the preacher writing your name in the holy “Book of Membership” makes you one!  What do you think, necessary or not?  If you‘ve got a great verse for your reason, I’d like to know that too!  Hey, Thanks for using the comment section!  You may also use email if you have a lengthy argument, and thanks again!

Smoking Hot

    Our family project for Saturday began early with a hour & a half drive north to my Mother-In-Law's house.   Funny that it didn't even dawn on me to call it my Father-In-Law's house.  But that is usually the case, isn't it.  In the old days, we always went to Grandma's. But, if it's a farm, it's "my Granddad has this farm...". Okay, chased a rabbit there, back to the story.
     They had been gathering leaves & sticks and putting them in a common pile for about four years. I've known we would eventually have to burn it, but was hoping some act of nature, i.e. wind, lightening, tornado, flood, etc would manage to handle it for us. In leu of that not happening, we made the decision to get up early and go take care of it.
     I've had my share of big fires, having been on a volunteer fire dept. and having(several years ago) eight acres to keep up. For some reason, it isn't the fire, but the smoke that gets to me. With outdoor fires, the smoke can carry irritants such as poison oak or toxic chemicals from man made objects.  Plastic and styrofoam being just a couple.  We checked the wind direction and lit that sucker.
The sticks and leaves were all pretty dry, so it didn't take long till we had a nice blaze going.

   Thinking ahead, we had filled a couple of five gallon buckets with water to  have on standby.  She had three sections of garden hose which reached almost up to it as well.  I've only had one fire which jumped my fire line, and it taught me to be prepared because this stuff can get out of hand quickly.  So fast actually, you can need multiple fire departments and sometimes they can't save the important stuff.

      Let me get back to the smoke.  This one had a lot, and remembering all the danger made me think about my Dad.  He smoked two packs of cigarettes a day most of his life.  Therefore, I probably have some lung damage just from being around him during my youth.  He gave up the habit not long after the Surgeon General made tobacco companies put the warning label on the side of each pack.  But the damage had already been done.  Not long afterward he was diagnosed with emphysema, and I watched an otherwise healthy individual slowly loose his breath.
     It has to be a terrible way to die.  You begin to notice a shortness of breath when being active, then later even when at rest.  Coughing and wheezing slowly follow and your lungs fill up with fluid, further complicating the deep breath you need.  Dying from emphysema doesn't come quick, it can take years.  Finally, near the agonizingly long end,  an oxygen mask covers your mouth helping keep you alive.  You can't talk, except with short gasps, and your every effort  is concentrated on trying to get the air that is needed so desperately.  There isn't anything anyone can do except watch you slowly die!
     What makes it even sadder is that the early death caused by smoking all those stupid cigarettes, cheated your loved ones too.  Statistics say the average smoker would have lived another twenty years!  So the next time you think about smoking...  don't!

Christmas Shopping

    My wife, Judy, and I went Christmas shopping today in Leeds at the new Grand River Shops.  I must say that they were not what I had expected.  The design is somewhat unique.  It is in the shape of an H,  with the main entrance at the middle dash and isles of stores on the four ends.
     The selection of stores is nice but again, I thought there would be more.  It was a cold day, so the wind blowing through the walking areas was brisk.  Parking was not a problem, the lot goes all the way around the facility with entrances on each of the 4 ends & the main middle one.  Exiting via car back to I-20 was somewhat of a challenge, the exits are not marked well.  My first attempt ended me up at a dead end.  I just circled around and followed the car in front who had done the same thing.

     The prices of most items weren't much different from the Galleria or Summit stores.  We breezed through the small food court before heading back, deciding our own shopping area in Alabaster wins out for convenience and cost.  If you add the time traveling to shop and gasoline spent on a out of town trip, it is usually best to just buy from local vendors.  Your tax money stays home and you may even keep a friend employed.

What are your friends like?

     It isn't rocket science that you generally become "like" those you hang with.  Even if you have different attitudes about things.  This is especially the case in youth.  Most youngsters are willing to compromise any belief just to stay in their current group of friends.  I suppose that is why drug use is so prevalent in our society today.  Kids, most of the time, can't say no when peer pressure is involved.  Those who can, reap the rewards of courage, individualism, and better friends!
     That paragraph was probably easy to agree with.  But now, lets talk about adults for a minute.  There are grownups who still act like kids when it comes to choosing their friends.  The sad thing is, they're older and should know better.  There is a motorcycle couple in our neighborhood who often arrive home just before dawn.  We wonder who's taking care of their young daughter.  She does manage to get on the elementary school bus every morning.  But, how much better would her life be if her parents had different friends?
     I think I used to be in that category with the church I attended.  I was supposed to believe the Bible a certain way so that I could stay in "fellowship" with my "friends".  That church considered everyone who wasn't a member not only lost, but a Biblical false teacher.  I rejected a lot of great friends, just to stay in the small circle.  That was several years ago, now I belong to a church with a more tolerant attitude.  The difference is amazing.  1 Corinthians 13:11 puts it like this, "When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child.  When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me (NIV)."
     If your friends require you to walk a narrow unreasonable path just to be in their fellowship--get some new ones!
  
 

Making Memories

     After a very short Saturday morning at home, we went to the Alabaster Christmas parade at 9:30am.  Unfolded our chairs and planted ourselves on the side of Highway 31 for about two hours.  There were around eighty units from marching bands, floats, and and a few pickup trucks.  There were ballerinas, fire trucks, and candy!  So much candy!  It was almost like snow on the ground.  Kids had plastic sacks straining to hold the loot inside.  We decided the occupation of dentistry would be a booming business for years to come.
     We went to lunch at our favorite Chick-fil-la after the parade. Then all separated for our own projects for a while.  Anna to the library for a school project.  Judy to the kitchen, to prepare for the evening "ornament party", Stephen to the X-box, and me to the garage.  The SEC Championship game didn't start till 3:00pm, so I had a couple of hours.  Biting off more than I could chew, I took an old computer apart, added a slave hard drive, new ram memory, changed out the CD rom drive to a DVD writer, and put in a iso image of SUSE linux to completely change the operating system.  Finished it all up at five minutes till three, hit the power button and... nothing!  Granted there was a lot to go wrong here but I really expected it to work perfectly.  Time and my Auburn loyalty forced me upstairs to the TV where at least three of us enjoyed a great football game!
     At halftime, Judy had a great meal prepared of homemade yeast rolls, salad, meatball lasagna florentine, and to top it off, double chocolate surprise cupcakes.  It was all awesome!  The kids unwrapped their Christmas tree ornaments.  Stephen got a pretty red car, representing all his preparation for a driving license.  Anna received a frog ornament.  This, of course, was symbolic of her relationship with Randy Anderson(Prince Charming thing).  Judy has been giving these for about fifteen years and always puts a lot of thought into the selection.  The new ornaments are hung on the Christmas tree along with all the ones from previous years.
     We watched almost another quarter of the game then had to pack up to get to Kingwood Church to see their drama called "The Gospel According to Scrooge".  I figured Auburn wouldn't miss me and I learned a phrase from a comedian that has made my life easer.  Ready for it... "Happy Wife - Happy Life"!  It was a good show and a nice end to a good day!
     It's sometimes difficult to get all our family together for one event much less four and all in one day.  Appreciate those kind of times.  Like Judy says, "it's about making memories"!

All I want for Christmas

     I have always read that it is the younger generation that powers the spending at Christmas.  I understand that now.  My family is trying to pry a wish list out of me and it is honestly difficult to come up with one.  So far I've come up with house shoes and underwear (lol).
     Last week I went to a home to repair their telephone line.  Parking my truck, I noticed the garage door up and an avalanche of "stuff" spilling out onto the concrete driveway.  Honestly, it was piled to the ceiling and there was no way you could even walk inside.  There were two large dogs guarding the front door and barking ferociously.  I had already spoken to her on a cell phone, so I just walked around back to check the line.  From the back side of the house, all the curtains were missing and each window displayed the same disease as the garage, hoarding!  It was one of the worst cases I've ever seen.  The owner finally came out, sipping a cup of coffee.  She didn't see embarrassed and, of course I didn't ask about her overindulgent hobby.
     It seems we are all at times overly consumed with "stuff".   Most of it isn't something we need, we just want it.  Others have it, the commercials say it's awesome, so we want one too.  It doesn't matter we're still paying on the last one we bought.   This new one is a better version with more functions--whatever it is.
     I seem to be moving in the other direction.  I like being warm and comfortable, inside on a rainy day, and my tummy comfortably fed.  Sounds a lot like Winnie-the-Pooh doesn't it?  Speaking of Pooh, I like good friends too.
     Paul wrote in Philippians 4:11, "I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content".  Combine that with the thought that God is going to provide for our needs(Matthew 6:30) and you could make the argument against buying that new item.  Do you really need it?  Is it just to excite your human senses?  If you still just absolutely have to have it...  Stay a little behind the curve of the new prices.  Buy a slightly used product from the thrift store, a deep discount store, or from some owner who just bought the newest model and is selling the old one.
     Who knows, the money you continually save, may help you pay for that emergency that will happen when you least expect it.  Or, it could even help you enjoy a great retirement one day!