Life Blogs Archives - Page 13 of 21 - GraceAndWorks

Tractors without cabs, air conditioning, stereos or radios. Cars, pickups, and trucks with no air conditioning and not much of a heater. Up at 6 AM and work until 6 PM. Get done what you could and start all over the next day. Winter time, up early in the morning to feed the cattle and then off to school. Working on a farm was a way of life. It wasn’t easy, but you never gave it a second thought. You just did the work without question.

We had about a thousand acres of wheat land to farm and 125 head of cattle to take care of. We had alfalfa, cane, and grass for the cattle. Some 15,000 bales were put up each summer so we had feed for the cattle in the winter. We didn’t have the equipment that is available today. Bales were rectangular, weighed 50-75 pounds, and all had to be handled by hand. We would load them on a trailer and haul them to a stack to store for the winter. Hard work, yes!! But a way of life and we never questioned doing it. We had miles of fence to take care of and tended to that when it had rained and it was too wet to work in the fields. Working in the fields we sat on open tractors as the dirt swirled around us. We were never concerned about spraying for weeds or bugs and sitting in the open breathing all that in. This was back in the 50’s and 60’s. I don’t know exactly what farming is all about today, I’ve been away from it for many years now. However, I do know it has evolved with better and more efficient equipment. The work still has to be done. The work is still not easy. The work is still a way of life.

Why did I tell you all this? In 2nd Timothy 2:6, Paul encourages and admonishes us to be as hard working as a farmer. He is talking about our work in God’s kingdom. Are we as dedicated as the farmer? Are we as diligent to our work as the farmer? Are we as focused as the farmer? The work has to be done. The work isn’t always easy. The work should be a way of life.

Count your many blessings and thank God for them, through prayer and your work for Him in the Kingdom.

If you are like me, it seems that life is like a NASCAR race. You just go around and around in circles making nothing but left hand turns. Sometimes we don’t even get the circle completed before something else comes up.

There are several paths as we go through life. When I lived on the farm we had paths that we drove on through the fields. They were bumpy and rough to ride on. Then there were the gravel country roads. Better that a path, but could still be bumpy and rough to ride on. We then graduate to the paved roads. Smooth sailing along the way. Until…..you hit that dreaded “Chuck Hole”, then BOOM, the ride turns bumpy and rough.

If this all sounds waaaaay to familiar, take a look at your life. Are things bumpy and rough and the ride you have isn’t as smooth as you thought it would be? Maybe it’s time to do something about the rough patches.

Awwww if only we would do what God wants us to do, life would be a much smoother ride. He doesn’t want us to hold grudges, harbor anger, worry about things that don’t matter, covet what others have–be satisfied with what He has provided for us, have a disrespect for others, and being self-centered. He wants us to be obedient to Him. Lead a righteous life, go to Worship services on the first day of the week, be baptized for the remission of sins, be cordial to others, and have the love and respect for others that they deserve. What a better world we would live in, if all would abide in God’s rules instead of just doing what we want!! No more lying, cheating, murder, stealing, and gross immorality. Those things would all be gone and out of our lives. Awwwww the smooth ride through life that we desire.

Everyone has an opinion!! However, they are like armpits–everybody has a couple and most of them stink.  Millions of voters have once again been duped and misled by the President, Congress, and Senate. Voters were promised that the Affordable Care Act would be overturned and replaced. Well, how did that work out? I have a couple takes on this: 1) Congress has gotten so used to saying no that they don’t know any better. The last administration put up with this for 8 years. Soooo it’s only fitting that they continue the practice of “Just say no”. 2) The Republicans that said they hated the Affordable Care Act, now, can’t find a way to make it better. They must have decided it wasn’t so bad after all. The past Administration and the Democrats must be having quite a chuckle over the “Non” vote to make changes.

Since when is it OK to hate all Muslims, when the majority are good people? Is this not an act of prejudice? We don’t hate all blacks because there are a few that create problems. We don’t hate all whites because there are a few that create problems. We don’t hate all Indians because there a few that create problems. There is an old saying, “Because one white dog bites you, do you shun all white dogs?” I think most of us would say, “No that is crazy!!” I, personally, don’t see the difference. God created all men equal and I don’t think He intended us to have hate or prejudice in our hearts toward our fellow man.

I’m extremely happy to be a Christian!! God is my Commander In Chief. His decisions are always the right ones. He doesn’t have to rely on anyone to say, “It’s OK.” He has made Christians a promise to prepare a place for us, if we are obedient and live righteous lives. You can go to the bank with His promise. It’s fair, just, and will not change.  God will not lie to us, He will not dupe us, and He will not mislead us. His commands are simple ones and VERY easy to understand. 2nd Timothy 2:15 and following tells us to study to show ourselves approved, rightly dividing the Word of God. Know what He has to say, don’t take things out of context, and all will be good for you.

God has the say!! Quit worrying about things you have no control over.

I suppose as you read this title, many thoughts came to mind. I look  around the neighborhood and see signs in many yards that advertised their home is protected by security systems. That’s all well and fine, however, they are not fail proof. We put new tires on our vehicles to protect us when driving down the road, however, there may be flaws and they are not fail proof. I’m sure some of you thought about safe sex when you saw the title, however, what ever the protection, it is not fail proof. We can put safeguards on our bank accounts and credit cards, however, those safeguards are not fail proof. We go to the doctor for checkups to make sure we are OK, however, no matter what he does or says, he can’t make our health fail proof. We have police on our streets and in our neighborhoods to keep us safe and protect us, however, they can’t guarantee our safety because they may not be there when you need them. We lock our doors on our homes, cars, and businesses to protect us and our belongings, however, a thief can nearly always break in and those locks aren’t fail safe. The list could go on and on, but I think you get the idea.

There is one protection that IS fail proof. God!! In Ephesians Chapter Six  verses 10-20, it talks about putting on the full armor of God. Firemen, policemen, and soldiers put on armor to protect themselves, however that is not what Paul is talking about in this letter. He says, “Put on the whole armor of God, that you may stand against the wiles of evil.” Verse 14 tells us to gird your waist with truth (God’s Word-The Bible) and put on the breastplate of righteousness (doing as God commands to live the right life). These verses also tell us to always be prepared with the Gospel of Peace (God’s word). Above all take the shield of FAITH, so you can stop all the evil you will encounter.  Take the “helmet” of salvation and the “sword” of the Spirit, which is the word of God; Pray always with prayer and supplication in the Spirit. Now be watchful to the end with all perseverance and steadfastness in the Word. The full armor of God: The Bible, Faith, and righteousness living.

God will protect you. He IS fail proof!!

Have a good day all!! Please share if you like this blog.

I was listening to a talk sports radio show in my car a couple days ago and they were talking about how bad the Referees were. One guy said he really didn’t want to say anything bad about the refs, but he asked, “How many times have you heard someone say, Those Refs tonight were really good?” I started laughing and about drove off the road. The more I thought about it , the more it became true to me. Every since kids were old enough to play pee-wee baseball, flag foot ball, or grade school basketball, all they have heard is someone complaining about the Refs. Why as adults would they not be the same way?

Referees have a lot of control in ball games. It’s college “March Madness” time so let’s just look at basketball for the moment. Refs call fouls, and if you get 5 before the end of the game, you are ejected and can’t play anymore in that game. They make judgement calls on a lot of the fouls, traveling, etc. They are only human after all. They will make mistakes. Then there are technical fouls. If you done something bad enough to get “T’d Up”, most times it not real bad and then there are other times you could get ejected from the game and you can’t play anymore that night. Most refs just want to protect and enforce the rules of the game, others want to have control to the extent that it influences the outcome of the game. How ever one wants to look at it, Refs are inconsistent, will make bad calls and we as parents and fans are going to boo and complain (Especially if our team loses). “It’s the Refs fault” we say.

However there is one Referee that is consistent, fair, and will never make a bad decision. He is the same today as He was yesterday and He will still be the same tomorrow. He has rules to follow and will enforce them. He is full of Grace and Forgiveness. He won’t take you out of the game and make you sit on the bench. Quite the contrary, He wants you to keep on keeping on, fight the good fight, and finish the race to receive the crown of life. Of course, the Referee I’m talking about is God. Get to know Him, He’ll treat you right. The one Referee you don’t have to boo or complain about.

Have a good day all and SMILE God loves YOU!!

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I was looking at a neighbor’s tool shed the other day and it was piled to the ceiling with “Stuff”. I’d wager they don’t have much of an idea what is in there. I’m sure there are some of you in the same situation. Some, however know exactly what is in the shed. There are all kinds of things we put in there, fertilizer for the plants and yard, lawnmowers, tools, holiday supplies, clothes, pots and pans, hedge trimmers, extension cords, jumper cables, and the list goes on. There are times the shed needs cleaned out and you think to yourself, what am I going to do with all this “Stuff’? Maybe a yard sale? Maybe we’ll just give it to the garbage man? Maybe just give it away? After all one person’s junk is another person’s treasure. Whatever the case, it just has to be gone!!

Now for the REAL question. What about your personal tool shed? What do you have stored away? Grudges? Sorrow? Family issues? Job problems? Health issues? Money woes? Discouraged? Depressed? Drug/Alcohol problems? Homosexuality? Just what is in there? You can probably add to this list. Soooo, what to do? You need to clean house. Call the garbage man? NO. Have a sale? NO. Give them to someone else? NO. Who would want your problems? They certainly aren’t treasures for someone else!!.

After you have given this much thought, you call on God. You start talking to Him through prayer and one by one He accepts your garbage. Pretty soon you have your “house” cleaned. God will never leave you or forsake you no matter how bad things seem to be. Get all the stress out of your life!! Start now and you’ll be surprised how quick God has all the issues and you are free from the burdens.

Have a good day all. SMILE God loves YOU!!

When driving around town, there is a stoplight at nearly every major intersection. Green lights for go, red lights for stop, and amber lights for caution. Most people obey the signals, but when others don’t there can be problems.

I don’t know about all of you, but I wish I had a light like this for life. When I’m about to make a major mistake or making a wrong decision, I wish there was a BIG RED LIGHT that would come on so I would know to stop before proceeding. That in itself would solve a lot of problems that I create by just forging ahead with what I deem as being right. By the way, I tell people I have only been wrong once and that was when I thought I was wrong. lol

Now when I’m headed in a little bit of a wrong direction, a BIG CAUTION light would come on. That would let me know that it’s probably OK to proceed, but do so carefully. Check all facts and concerns, look every direction, and make sure you are doing the right thing. That would certainly help, knowing the decision is right.

The BIG GREEN light is what we all look for. It simply means charge straight ahead, everything is OK. Nothing to be concerned about so no worries.  If we only had a traffic light for life!!

The one place we do have the light is in our Christian lives. God has provided us with an instruction manual called the Bible. His words on what we are to say and do. He has put big RED LIGHTS throughout the text to let us know we need to STOP “IT”. He has put passages throughout to let us know to be careful and think about what we are about to do. The big CAUTION LIGHT. It may be OK, but proceed carefully. Then there are passages than say everything is OK. The big GREEN LIGHT to let us know we can charge ahead and not be concerned or worried. Thank you God for giving me direction for my Christian life!!

There is a multitude of things that are going on right now that are just mind boggling to me and should be to you. Just a few of these are:

Anyone can have an opinion.

Anyone can say what they want.

Anyone can just worry about self.

Anyone can hurt others feelings.

Anyone can hate.

Anyone can be nonchalant.

Anyone can not care.

Anyone can cause quarreling to happen.

Anyone can deceive.

The list goes on, but basically anyone can do WHAT THEY PLEASE!!!

No matter what you might think, this is what is going on in the world today. These things are causing divisions in family, friends, workplace, and God’s Church. Somehow–someway–this has got to stop and God has the answers in Titus chapter 3.

Model citizens/Christians should act like this:

Verses 1 and 2 tell us to respect authority, speak evil of no one, to be peaceable, gentle, showing humility towards all men.

Verses 3-8 Talks about our changing from an old life to a new life (Baptism), Christ’s coming and His death on the cross for our salvation. These verses also show us that those who believer in God should maintain good works. Those things that are profitable and good to men.

Verse 9: Avoid foolish disputes, contentions.

Verses 10 and 11 instruct us to REJECT a divisive man after you have tried to correct the wrongness he is causing. Knowing full well that such a person is warped and sinning, being self condemned.

God wants us to be MODEL CITIZENS!! He wants us to FOLLOW HIS INSTRUCTION. If we would just do that, we would have a better world to live in. Take some time and study this chapter, make yourself and those around you appreciate what we have and stop dwelling on negative things that are happening.

My daughter, Tami, is diabetic and has to watch what she eats. She can have, pretty much, whatever she wants. Just has to be careful not to overdo the eating. She takes insulin shots to help her regulate her blood sugars. A special diet–no, a watched diet–yes. Many of us have some type of health problem that dictates, somewhat, how and what we eat. Most of us eat three meals a day to stay up on our needs for good health. We make an honest effort to do the shopping, so the food we buy is healthy for our bodies. Fast food every day is not conducive to a healthy diet. When we were living on the farm, Mom would fix a good meal at lunch time so we had the energy needed to work the afternoon. The right food, right diet, and right exercise will lead to a healthy body and life.

The question I have is this:

If we need three meals a day, right diet, and good exercise for our daily lives–Why don’t we need the same nutrition and exercise for a healthy Christian life? There are people that never go to Worship Services, never fellowship with fellow Christians, never Pray to God, and never open their Bible (If they even have one). How can they survive with no nutrition at all? Some people will go to Worship on Sunday morning and do nothing else the rest of the week. How can they survive on one meal a week? Some will go to Worship on Sunday morning and Sunday evening and do nothing else the rest of the week. How can they survive on two meals a week? The answer, to the above questions, is–They CAN’T!!!

God tells us in the 10th Chapter of Hebrews to attend Worship Services (Not forsaking the assembly of the Saints). He tells us in 2nd Timothy chapter 2 to study to show ourselves approved. These two things alone tell us that we need daily nutrition to sustain us in our Christian walk. One meal a week won’t work for God. 2 meals a week won’t work for God. Daily nutrition works for God. A special diet–no, a watched diet–no. The diet, exercise, and food we need is simply, IN THE BIBLE. Are you getting the right nutrition? If not, make some changes so that you are not only a healthy person, but you are a healthy Christian.

Have a good day all and SMILE God loves YOU!!!

Back in the 1950’s we lived on a farm in a small farming community in Western Nebraska. Things were tough financially so my Dad drove a school bus to help make ends meet. He would pick the kids up in the morning and deliver them back home in the afternoon after school. If I remember right, it took about an hour and a half to run the route each time. There were rules on the bus that the kids had to follow. No running on the bus (had to remain seated), no loud talking or screaming, no picking on others, and no fighting. Dad was good at keeping everyone in line, however, if it got too bad he would stop and talk to the parents when he dropped their child off. That not only took care of that problem, but all the others would then behave. They didn’t want to have him talking to their parents. So basically everyone did as they were expected and got delivered home.

The second bus I want to talk about is the one God drives. He has all His children on it and expects them to follow the rules just as the school bus driver expected. In order to ride God’s bus here are some of His rules: Repent and be Baptized, attend Worship Services on Sunday (The Lord’s Day), do good works, have proper faith, set a good example to others, and go into all the world preaching and teaching (the Great Commission). If the children get out of line, God has His ways to get everyone back in line. So basically everyone does as expected and gets delivered home (Heaven)

The third bus to talk about is the one Satan drives. Now, this bus doesn’t have any rules. It’s the “Fun” bus. You get to do whatever you want. You can drink all you want, do drugs, indulge in immorality, be a homosexual, cause strife with others, fight with your family, fight with your friends, make it so everything is all about “Me”, and the list goes on and on and on and on…….. You know what else? He will even let you drive. So every one does as expected and gets delivered into darkness.

Which bus are you on? Satan’s or God’s? Are you in obedience to God? or Are you on the “Fun” bus? God says, “Obey My commands and I will prepare for you a place and I will deliver you home (Heaven).” Satan says, “Do what ever you want and I will have a place prepared for you and I will deliver you home (Eternal Darkness).”