Month: August 2025

Be glad in God! I don’t mind repeating what I have written in earlier letters, and I hope you don’t mind hearing it again. Better safe than sorry! Phillippians 3:1

Many years ago when our kids were small, we had to drive around 10-15 miles to take them to a movie. It was sometimes difficult to get everyone “ready to roll,” and thus, we often arrived after the movie of choice had begun!

We usually missed the first ten to fifteen minutes of the movie by the time we bought snacks and got settled. Even though it wasn’t hard to ascertain the plot of the movie, the kids always wanted to stay and watch the next showing from the beginning! It is entirely possible that they just wanted an excuse to have more popcorn, but none the less, we acquiesced and waited for the movie to begin again!

Usually by the time the next movie had started again, Randy’s patience was running thin, but the kids were totally absorbed. Suddenly, Randy would stand up and announce, “All right ya’ll, this is where we came in! Let’s go!!

The expression This is where I came in originates from the practice of continuous movie screenings in early 20th century cinemas. The viewers could enter a film in progress, stay to watch the part they missed, and identify their entry point to others.

The phrase is also used to describe a situation where a discussion, argument, or project has returned to its starting point often indicating that things are going in circles or have an unresolved pattern. At this point, folks are known to say, This is where I came in!

Most teachers I know were subjected to faculty meetings every week! We were required to attend, but usually after the first ten minutes, most of us were thinking, This is where I came in!.

I’m pretty sure that God feels like This is where I came in in regard to many in the Old Testament, the New Testament, and this world of today. People in all of these had occasions where they ignored God, they disobeyed God, or they just refused to listen.

Adam and Eve are the classic case of disobedience. God only asked one thing of them, “Do not eat from the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil.” Satan was able to tempt them into doing just that, and God probably said, This is where I came in!

The Israelites, despite witnessing God’s power, repeatedly ignored His request to trust and obey Him. That’s when God said, This is where I came in, and decreed that they would not enter the Promised Land.

The parable in Luke of a rich man and Lazarus, tells of a rich man who refused to listen to the needs of Lazarus. After the rich man’s death, he found himself in eternal torment emphasizing the consequences of refusing to listen to God. God said, This is where I came in and punished the rich man.

The world of today has views which ignore God, disobey God, and refuse to listen to Him. For example, people may believe that science dispells the idea that miracles exist because it goes against scientific principles. God says, This is where I came in!

God says, “Thou shall not kill”, and there are people who continue to do just that in this world. God says, This is where I came in!

In the scripture above, Paul would have us to remember not to tire of hearing the scripture that tells us to obey God, to listen to God, and to never ignore His teachings. Don’t tire and think This is where I came in!. The scripture and teachings are definitely worth repeating. Never tire of telling it over and over.

There is an old hymn, I Love To Tell The Story, that expresses the need to repeat the wonders of God.

I love to tell the story of unseen things above. Of Jesus and His glory, Of Jesus and His love. I love to tell the story because I know tis true; It satisfies my longing as nothing else can do. I love to tell the story, Twill be my theme in glory; To tell the old, old, story of Jesus and His love. Words and music by Arabella Hankey and William Fischer

The fundamental fact of existence is that this trust in God, this faith, is the firm foundation under everything which makes life worth living. It’s our handle on what we can’t see. Hebrews 11:1 The Message

During the 1970’s, Heinz catsup had a commercial which aired to show the television audience just how rich and thick their catsup was compared to other brands. In the add, as the catsup slowly poured from the Heinz bottle, the song, Anticipation by Carly Simon, was playing in the background while viewers watched the catsup slowly pour from the bottle over a plate of french fries. It was the perfect illustration of anticipation!

Anticipation is defined as waiting eagerly for something you know is going to happen. At this time of year, the anticipation around our house is building every day as we await the beginning of another season of College Football and the Dawgs back in action. The prognosticators have been working feverishly to set the stage for what they say will be, the best season ever.

Randy and most of his buddies, can tell you exactly how many days, hours, and minutes are left before the players hit the field, the football is “teed up”, the whistle blows, and the game begins. We’ve anticipated this day for about seven months, and the day is almost here!!

Sometimes it’s exciting to anticipate an event, a trip, a special occasion, etc., but on the other hand, it can be nerve wracking. Anticipation is basically a meditation on the notions of time, and how we all get trapped thinking about the future instead of enjoying the present.

In the spring of 1924, Jack Sundine was a four year old kid, standing in a line with his father inside the White House, eagerly anticipating meeting President Calvin Coolidge. As they neared him, Jack noticed that the President said something to each visitor. He couldn’t wait to hear what the President would say to him. Soon the thrilling moment arrived. Jack put his small hand in the hand of the President’s. Then the President said words Jack had not anticipated, but he would never forget: “Move along.” Not the ending he had anticipated.

Sometimes anticipation doesn’t live up to our hopes, but it is a powerful thing if it is directed in the right manner toward the right thing. Anticipation can either destroy your peace and even your faith through worry and anxiety over what is, or something that may never happen, or it can spur you onward in faith and joy.

Anticipation is a core element of the Christian faith, involving not just waiting, but also actively preparing and living in a way that reflects Christ’s teachings. As Christians, we are anticipating the return of Jesus someday, and the ongoing presence of His grace in this world of today.

There is a tension we feel in this country as we try to get a grip on the senseless shootings, natural disasters, and everyday pain, frustration, and sadness. Things that we never in our wildest thoughts anticipated would happen in our country are happening right before our eyes, and we seem helpless to stop them.

On a daily basis, we see much unrest, war, and human suffering. It is frustrating as we ponder an answer to these problems, but if we look ahead with a sense of anticipation, we remember that we also have faith in Jesus to handle his world.

Anticipation is about expectation. We look ahead to what is coming and believe with certainty that it will happen. Another word for anticpation and expectation is faith. Faith is the confidence that what we believe is true, and our faith as believers is rooted in who Jesus is, what He has done, and what He will do.

Rather than anticpating the worst, try remembering that whether we experience good things right now or one day in eternity, good things are ahead because our God is faithful and everything He promises is true.

Andy Warhol said, The idea of anticipating something makes it more exciting. As we enter the fall, and all the anticipation ahead of us remember that He has made an awful lot of exciting things for us to enjoy! Go Dawgs!

Anyone who has seen me, has seen the Father. John 14:9

There was a news story this week which highlighted a seagull on the beaches in Connecticut. It appears that he terrorizes beachgoers by swooping down and stealing their food, even several sandwiches at one time. The situation has gotten so bad, that the county has put up wanted signs on the beach which show a picture of the seagull with the words, Have you seen him?

The seagull’s name is Cecil, and he is known for his persistence, biting while stealing sandwiches, and arriving just at lunchtime when the food begins to appear.

Seagulls are present on beaches everywhere, and we have always found them to be pretty even tempered animals. However, many beaches do warn against feeding them as they are nature’s ultimate opportunists when it comes to food.

I began to wonder what would happen if we placed signs with a picture of Jesus around a community with the words, Have you seen Him? In the scripture above, Jesus is telling his disciples that “If they have seen Him, they have seen God.” There are so many times and places in our daily lives where we “See God” without even noticing it!

The disciples and many of the people in the New Testament were fortunate enough to see Jesus in the flesh when He walked among them. We will need to be content with feeling His spirit and seeing His works until that day when we will see him face to face.

People experience Him in a variety of ways, from profound life altering encounters to subtle every day feelings. Some may find Jesus in moments of peace, joy, or a sense of connection to something greater than ourselves while others find Him in life altering situations. These experiences are deeply personal and vary greatly from one person to another.

Seeing Jesus in our everyday places is like seeing a reflection of God’s nature and character. If we are honest, most of us feel the reassurance of seeing God’s hand in the things and events of life.

For example, have you seen Him in the first light of day while the “dew is still on the roses”? Who else could bless us with the beauty of each new day?

Have you seen Him in the face of a newborn baby as parents and family feel that sense of unconditional love and connection?

Have you seen Him in acts of service as the joy of selfless giving of ourselves and our resources show us God’s love in action through Missions to others?

Have you seen HIm in challenging situations when He bestows peace, strength, or hope in the way that allows us to experience God’s presence?

Have you seen Him when hummingbirds come back every year to visit as a reminder of those who are no longer with us, but with the reassurance that God is there?

Have you seen Him during “rainbow days” when His promise is bright and reassuring in the heavens?

Have you seen HIm through people who remain “anonymous” even though they give so much of themselves to others?

Have you seen Him in the comforting words and actions of those around us when we lose a loved one?

Have you seen Him through the kindness of others?

Have you seen Him through prayer and meditation that allows you to develop a deeper connection with Him?

Have you seen Him in the mundane of the everyday life such as a commute, a grocery store line, or a long hold on the phone?

Have you seen Him in the faces of the young person who is leaving home for the college adventure and dealing with all the excitement and emotion that accompanies that big step in life?

Have you seen Him in the many volunteers who rush to aid victims of floods, fires, or other natural disasters?

Have you seen Him in the faces of congregations across this world as they joyfully offer praises and thanks to Him in worship?

As Christians, we know that we are supposed to see Him in our lives every day growing, strengthening, guiding , and sustaining us everyday. However, for many of us, hearing the words, “Have you seen Him?” become just a cliche’ because many of us miss seeing Him in our every day lives because of the distractions all around us.

Even with the beauty of creation, the natural wonders of the world, the cycle of life, etc., we don’t take the time to really see Him. In this world, we heavily rely on what we can see as we face the circumstances of life which captures our focus and our attention.

God is never silent in our lives, and we only need to be aware of His presence to see Him. Finally brethern, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of a good report; think on these things and you will see Him. (Phillippians 4:8)

I will probably never see Cecil, but I can say that I will see God in the everyday miracles of this life!

Words have immense power, both bringing life and causing death. Proverbs 18-21

It’s hard to believe that teachers, students, and parents are getting back to school and back to the routine that goes with it! The first day of school can be traumatic especially for the kindergarten classes because some parents have a hard time saying the word, good bye. When the teachers manage to pry the kids away from the parents, the three words or phraases most often heard from the parents are, I love you, mind your teacher, see you later, or do your best!

Words have the ability to bring both positive or negative consequences. They can impact relationships and self esteem, build up or tear down, encourage or discourage, inspire or demoralize. Words reveal the condition of our heart, and they should be those of encouragement rather than words of anger, judgment, or criticism.

Words have incredible power. The story is told of a teacher who had the same group of students when they were in the third grade, and she had them again when they were in the ninth grade. She immediately noticed the change in attitude and the condition of their heart near the beginning of the new year, so she gave them an assignment.

The teacher had the students take out a piece of paper, write the name of each person in the class, and then write the nicest thing they could think about of this person. She took the list and composed a list for each of the students of the nicest words their classmates had written about them.

Nothing was said, but in later years one of their classmates was killed in Viet Nam. At the funeral, his mother pulled out the paper of the nicest words the classmates had written about him and explained that he took this paper with him as he fought in Viet Nam. At that point, others in the class revealed that they, too, kept this paper and read the kind words frequently. Words have power.

God used words to create the world. Words like, let there be light, let the birds fly, let the earth bring forth vegetation, and let us make humankind in our image. Genesis says that He spoke these words, He didn’t just think them. The words we speak have power.

Parents speak words in raising their children. Words like, Lord help me, Lord forgive me, Lord show me the way, and Lord thank you. Speaking the words gives us power and strength than we don’t have.

As a teacher, we learned that positive words get much greater results with students than negative ones. If you start a sentence with “DON’T”, the negative connitation is there. For example, rather than saying “don’t run” use the word, “walk”, and it gets more attention.

Lately, I’ve wondered if we could write a message to God with only three words, what would it be? I think mine would be Lord, thank you. Most of us, myself included, love to hear words of thanks and appreciation because there is a lot of power in words of gratitude. I realized that I don’t say those words enough.

Samuel Lebowitz, a lawyer who saved seventy eight people from the electric chair admited that not one of them reached out to say thank you for his help. It’s the same with many professions. The author William Steiger was asked if he could remember how he became such a master of words, and he pointed to one specific teacher. After the interview, he wrote her a letter of thanks. She wrote back these words, “I taught school for over fifty years, and yours is the first note of thanks I have ever received.” Words of gratitude and thanks can warm a cold heart.

As this new school year begins, it would be great to start it with words that are filled with inspiration, affirmation, and gratitude! “Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in thy sight, O Lord, my strength and my redeemer.” Psalm 19:14