Memorial Bench.

 

 

When my mom passed last December, family, friends and loved ones generously gave us money in her honor. We were overwhelmed with the generosity shown to her (us). We were trying to figure out what to do with the money and how to honor her memory. We thought about putting a flag pole out at the pond in Maple Park. We decided against that. Then we thought, "why not a memorial bench?" So that is what we decided on. We contacted a local stone company to make this bench for us. We gave them all the specifics that we wanted and they said okay, we'll get started on it. We could not have been happier

with the final result. Red, white and blue boards on the back. All white boards to sit on, and a plaque with her name on it and two flags on either side.

  

 

 

Now the decision on where to put it. We again thought about that pond in Maple Park. Others had placed theirs out there. No, we didn't think that would be the best place for it. Then we had a epiphany. Why not place it at the old school building. Right by the ball diamonds where she spent hours upon hours and years watching me and my two brothers play ball. Perfect. As an added bonus there is a picture of her Dad's (our Grandpa's) gas station on the side of the building. So her memorial bench is right by the ball fields underneath the picture of her Dad's gas station. How neat is that?

 

So thank you to all who gave to make this bench a possibility. We love it, the family loves it, and I pray that whom ever sits on it will enjoy it watching whomever play's ball there.

 

                                                 

 

 

John 15:1 Amplified Bible

¹³ No one has greater love [nor stronger commitment] than to lay down his own life for his friends.

 

My mom never laid her life down for anyone. Not saying that she wouldn't have. But she sure put her life on hold or pause for many of us. She was there for me on so many occasions, as I'm sure that she was for a lot of you. Family, friend, didn't matter. If you needed her, she would be there. It didn't matter what she had going on, she would drop it and help out where and when needed. Because of this attitude that she had with her family and her friends, it showed with the outpouring of generosity to us during her passing. This what this bench means. It is memorial to her, but a reminder of what she meant to everyone that knew her.

 

God Bless you all!

 

 

RAGE!!

I have never seen so much rage in this country. In all my life, never have I seen such rage against our President. Rage against our police men and women. Rage against each other. White, black, Hispanic, etc. etc. Rage against Christianity.This whole country as been in a total state of rage the last few months. With social injustice and the corona virus, people are at their breaking point. There was a song by the rock band J Geils. It was called "Rage in the Cage." With what is going on reminds me of this song, in title only. America is in one big cage match, and we are all raging against each other. The riots, looting, vandalism and violence towards each other, unbelievable! Aren't we all Americans? Why are we fighting against each other?

Gods word teaches us to love one another.

Leviticus 19:18 Amplified Bible

¹⁸ You shall not take revenge nor bear any grudge against the sons of your people, but you shall love your neighbor (acquaintance, associate, companion) as yourself; I am the Lord.

 

Why do we get so offended so easily? We can all have different opinions and still get along, right? Well, we used to anyway.

 

Matthew 5:39 Amplified Bible

³⁹ But I say to you, do not resist an evil person [who insults you or violates your rights]; but whoever slaps you on the right cheek, turn the other toward him also [simply ignore insignificant insults or trivial losses and do not bother to retaliate—maintain your dignity, your self-respect, your poise].

People take offense to the littlest things now a days. Can't even look at someone crossed eyed anymore without someone getting upset about it.. Just let things roll off your back. Keep your cool.

We are becoming a nation of self. Me, myself and I. What can I do to take care of number one? I believe that is where a lot of our problems stem from. Selfishness.

 

James 4:1-3 The Message

4 ^1-2 Where do you think all these appalling wars and quarrels come from? Do you think they just happen? Think again. They come about because you want your own way, and fight for it deep inside yourselves. You lust for what you don’t have and are willing to kill to get it. You want what isn’t yours and will risk violence to get your hands on it.

 

If we all started to look out for each other, and take care of each other, I think that we would all get along much better. Take the rage out of the world. Imagine what that would look like?

 

Isaiah 26:3 New Living Translation

³ You will keep in perfect peace
    all who trust in you,
    all whose thoughts are fixed on you

 

So let's trust in The Lord, and keep our eyes fixed upon Him. The Prince of Peace!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Where Were You?

"Where Were You (When The World Stopped Turning)" is a song written and sung by country super star Alan Jackson. The song and it's writer are asking "where were you on 9/11/2001. That morning terrorists carried out the most evil attack ever on American soil. Four planes were hijacked that morning. Two of them were crashed intentionally into the Twin Towers in New York City. One was crashed into the Pentagon building in Washington D.C. The fourth one was thwarted by passengers before it could get anyplace else and crashed into a field in Pennsylvania.

I remember exactly where I was that morning. I was at work loading a truck when the driver came in and said that one of the towers in New York had been hit by a plane. "No way" I thought. Drivers come in all the time telling tall stories. I went into our shipping office to get paperwork and my boss had WGN news radio on. They were going on and on about what had happened in New York. Okay, so the driver was correct. I could not believe what I was hearing. How is that even possible? Then the unthinkable happens. A second plane hit the other tower. What?? Is this really going on right now?

I make an immediate call home to my wife at the time to see if she had heard. She was home caring for our 3 year old daughter. She said that she had and wanted me to come home as soon as possible. As I was on the phone with her, the one tower fell. We were speechless. Could not even fathom that this was done deliberately. How could someone even think this, let alone do it. And then, the second tower collapsed. Oh my goodness.

The good that came out of this tragedy was that instead of alienating us, it brought all of America together. Everywhere you went the American flag was on display. Flying outside of buildings. Bumper stickers on cars. The little flags that you could hang on your car windows. They were everywhere. Every American was proud to be an American. This tragedy unified us. Bonded U.S. closer together.

For a little while that is.

Fast forward 19 years. It is now 2020 and the people that swore they "would never forget" seemed to have forgotten what happened on that September morning. The police who were some of the first responders to run towards the towers and help people as they were trying to get out, were hailed as heroes. Now, they are seen as the enemy. They are hated and despised by many across this nation. A lot has changed in the last 19 years, and not for the better. Instead of a foreign terrorist attack dividing us, we are divided and fighting against each other.

Oh, how I wish that we could go back to September 12, 2001. We were all one people. Americans. Standing for one and for all.

This attack on our great nation shook us to our core. Nothing like this has ever happened to us before. Hopefully it never happens again.

Thankfully we can look forward to what God has in store for us.

Hebrews 12:28 New Living Translation

²⁸ Since we are receiving a Kingdom that is unshakable, let us be thankful and please God by worshiping him with holy fear and awe.

 

The Kingdom of Heaven is unshakeable. Nothing can come against, neither foreign or domestic. My prayer is that we can become a united nation once again. Quit fighting against each other. We need each other. We need a healed country.

 

2 Chronicles 7:14 New Living Translation

¹⁴ Then if my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and restore their land.

 

   

                                     

United States, Not Divided States.

The last time that I checked, our country was still The United States of America, right? USA and proud of it. Lately it seems to be a different story in our country. It seems that certain people want us to believe that we are becoming a divided nation. Division on race, politics, gender, etc. etc. To me that is just what Satan wants. He wants us to be divided and fighting against each other. He does what ever he can to distract us from Jesus and His truth. Satan is the father of lies.

John 8:44 Amplified Bible

⁴⁴ You are of your father the devil, and it is your will to practice the desires [which are characteristic] of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks what is natural to him, for he is a liar and the father of lies and half-truths.

 

So in our fleshly nature people believe the lies of the enemy. People believe the lies and hatred that he spews towards all humanity, no matter race, creed or social standing.

 

Luke 11:17-20 The Message

¹⁷Jesus knew what they were thinking and said, “Any country in civil war for very long is wasted. A constantly squabbling family falls to pieces.

 

We as Christians know better than to believe that garbage.

 

John 14:6 Amplified Bible

⁶ Jesus said to him, “I am the [only] Way [to God] and the [real] Truth and the [real] Life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.

 

Christ wants us to be unified. Standing together as one.

 

Psalm 133:1 New International Version

¹ How good and pleasant it is
  when God’s people live together in unity!

 

So my challenge to you all is this. Let's do our best to combat the enemy who is trying to drive us apart and have us fight each other. Let's put on the full armor of God and go into battle.

 

Ephesians 6:12 New Living Translation

¹² For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.

 

 

 

August 28th.

What is the importance of August 28th you may be asking yourself. Well, to most people probably nothing, but to me and my family it is my mom's birthday. She would have been 77 this year. She passed away last December, a little more than 3 months after her 76th birthday.

This year is her first birthday without her being here, and it is hard. Hard not to pick up the phone to call and wish her a happy birthday. Hard not to go and visit her, hug her and give her a kiss. Let's just face it. The last almost 9 months since she passed have been hard. Still can't believe she is gone.

But, I have my LORD & Savior to lean on during difficult times thinking about her.

Philippians 4:7 New Living Translation

⁷ Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.

 

I'm so grateful for His peace!

 

I felt more of that peace when I found out that she accepted Jesus as her Lord & Savior the night before a surgery she was about to have. She wanted to know what she had to do to make sure that if she did not survive the surgery that she would go to heaven. A visiting pastor friend explained to her what she had to do and she did it. The difference from the night before the surgery to the day of the surgery was amazing. From being super anxious to being super calm. She had called on the name of Jesus and He gave her His peace.

 

Acts 2:21 Amplified Bible

²¹ ‘And it shall be that everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord [invoking, adoring, and worshiping the Lord Jesus] shall be saved (rescued spiritually).

 

Fast forward to that fateful night in December. I got the call around 1:30ish A.M. I was told that she thought that she was not going to make it much longer. So I head to the hospital, praying that isn't true. I thought that we have plenty of time left with her. Turns out, it was only a few hours. As I was sitting next to her bed holding her hand, I heard The Lord speak to me. "Do you trust me if I take her?" I'm like "of course I trust You." "She has been my mom for 52 years, but she has been Your daughter for 76 years." "She is Yours, she was only on loan to me and my brothers."

 

So The Lord took her home to be with Him for eternity and we were left with memories.

 

Matthew 5:4 New Living Translation

⁴ God blesses those who mourn,
    for they will be comforted.

 

Wow. How The Lord really blessed me and comforted me since that day. How you may ask? He blessed me with an abundance of family time with my Aunts, Cousin and brother that we wouldn't have normally had. We spent so much time together from the day that she passed until her funeral. It was definitely a blessing. Mom had a way of bringing family together.

 

I miss you Mom, today on your birthday and everyday in between. But I know that I/we will get to see you again someday!

 

Love your son, Keven

A Game, A Broadcaster and a Homophobic Remark.

By now, probably most people have heard of what a broadcaster for the Cincinnati Reds baseball team said live on air. He made an anti gay remark after coming back from a commercial break and didn't realize that his microphone was live. He was promptly removed from the broadcast booth and subsequently suspended by the Reds. This broadcaster also calls games for the NFL for Fox Sports. He has since been removed from their broadcasting lineup for this year.

I understand the backlash against this guy. What he said was definitely inappropriate and wrong, but let's remember, he is not perfect. In fact, none of us are. There isn't a person who walks this earth that is perfect in everything that they do. No matter what it is. Speech, actions, lifestyle, etc. etc. We all fall short.

Romans 3:23 New Living Translation

²³ For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard.

 

This verse says that "all" fall short. Not just this guy who did this or that guy who said that. We all fall short. Let's be honest. If we all had a 'hot' mic in our cars or in our houses, how many of us would get fired for things that we said that weren't appropriate? More than likely, most of us. Everyone is quick to point out his sin, but how many of us have done the same thing?

 

Matthew 7:3-5 The Message

7 ^1-5 “Don’t pick on people, jump on their failures, criticize their faults— unless, of course, you want the same treatment. That critical spirit has a way of boomeranging. It’s easy to see a smudge on your neighbor’s face and be oblivious to the ugly sneer on your own. Do you have the nerve to say, ‘Let me wash your face for you,’ when your own face is distorted by contempt? It’s this whole traveling road-show mentality all over again, playing a holier-than-thou part instead of just living your part. Wipe that ugly sneer off your own face, and you might be fit to offer a washcloth to your neighbor.

 

To be transparent here. I used to be the king of that kind of talk. I've said things to people and about people that I am not proud of. That was in my BC (before Christ) days. When I accepted Jesus, one of the first things that He worked on was my corrupt speech and bad language. Not going to lie here. When I get heated I may still utter a curse word or two. I still get angry and irritated, but I'm also still a work in progress.

 

Colossians 3:8 The Message

^5-8 And that means killing off everything connected with that way of death: sexual promiscuity, impurity, lust, doing whatever you feel like whenever you feel like it, and grabbing whatever attracts your fancy. That’s a life shaped by things and feelings instead of by God. It’s because of this kind of thing that God is about to explode in anger. It wasn’t long ago that you were doing all that stuff and not knowing any better. But you know better now, so make sure it’s all gone for good: bad temper, irritability, meanness, profanity, dirty talk.

 

So maybe we cut this broadcaster a little slack. Let him serve his punishment and face what he has done, but give him a second chance. The God that I serve is a God of second chances. Look what happened to Peter after he denied even knowing Jesus three times. God used him to build His church upon. That's quite the second chance in my book. Then take a look at our own lives. God pulled us out of the muck and the mire that we were living in and set us on firm foundation, which is Christ.

 

Ephesians 4:32 New International Version

³² Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.

 

Amen!

 

 

 

Water Bottle!

The water bottle pictured was a gift from a woman as a thank you for serving her and her family every week. She comes through a food distribution site once a week to get groceries for her family. We have team of 5 people that serve her (and many others) every week. I am humbled and honored to be a part of this team. I am trying to show Jesus to her and her family.

 

Matthew 25:35 New Living Translation

³⁵ For I was hungry, and you fed me. I was thirsty, and you gave me a drink.

 

Matthew 25:40 New Living Translation

⁴⁰“And the King will say, ‘I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!’

 

Now, I'm not saying that she is the least of anything. She is just in a difficult season right now and needs a little help, which we are happy to provide.

 

God calls us to serve, so that is what we are doing for our community.

 

Hebrews 13:16 The Message

¹⁶ Make sure you don’t take things for granted and go slack in working for the common good; share what you have with others. God takes particular pleasure in acts of worship—a different kind of “sacrifice”—that take place in kitchen and workplace and on the streets.

 

 

 





 

 

Now back to the gift. The water bottle. To you it may seem like a simple water bottle, but to me it means so much more. You see, our friend thought enough to seek out our names. Not only did she learn my name, she even spelled it correctly. Then on top of that, she even did it in my favorite color. How she knew, I do not know. Let's not forget that she only comes in once a week and we see her for maybe about 5-10  minutes. 

 

So you see, it's more than just a water bottle. It is a gift of appreciation for taking the time to be kind, love on someone and their family. To let them know that someone cares about them. Talk with her, have some fun with her kids.

 

John 13:34-35 The Message

^34-35 “Let me give you a new command: Love one another. In the same way I loved you, you love one another. This is how everyone will recognize that you are my disciples—when they see the love you have for each other.”

 

Amen! Go out and love on someone and serve someone!