Is It Soup Yet?

As a youngster it was often when mom would spend most of the day in the kitchen preparing meals for all of us kids and dad.  Breakfast, lunches and dinner occupied a lot of her time.  Quite often she would make soup and sandwiches for us for lunch.  Being typical children we were usually hungry long before mom would be ready to serve.  So very often she would hear us ask "is it soup yet?"  It got to be such a favorite expression that we extended that question to mean almost any meal or any project.  Getting ready for church - one of us being cute might ask "is it soup yet?"  As we worked on other projects around our the house - you could very often hear one or another ask "is it soup yet?"  So that phrase became equivalent with "are you ready?" or "is it done?' or "are you prepared?" for whatever.


Most of us have our pet projects that go on and on for ever and a day.  We start all excited, but then boredom or other things take a higher priority and our pet project lays in waiting - waiting for us to get back on track and complete what we started.


Unfortunately there are too many people who treat their relationship with God as a pet project.  At first they are excited and spend a lot of time with God in various ways - and then a distraction, a delay, a step backwards and they lose steam and their spiritual growth comes to a halt.  Sometimes this period of waiting is  short - for others it may be years, even decades.  The entire time Jesus is there - smiling and watching - waiting in love for them to start over to be excited again for coming closer to Jesus, closer to God.  


If you happen to be one of  those whose relationship with Jesus has grown stale and you are now contemplating getting back on track - the word is "go" just do it - start talking with God through prayer  with quite time in meditation.  He has all the time for you - he is waiting there silently thinking "is it soup yet?"


Deacon Dale  

Rotting Fish?

There is an old 17th century saying that says "a fish rots from the head down".  What that is suppose to mean is that the leadership of an organization is the root cause of problems within.  


When a group makes a public statement that inflames people and causes undue conversation, arguments and unkind remarks flying back and forth - you have to wonder where the lack of wisdom came from.  You know that an entire group would rarely make these kinds of statements and upon examination it usually comes down to one or two individuals at the top of the organization who took the liberty to speak for the entire group and ended up putting all their feet in their mouths.  How do we allow this to happen?  It is very easy - either we were not involved in the discussion in the first place or we chose to not be involved - and thus we are guilty by association.  


When God first revealed Himself to people - their understanding was that their relationship was not a personal one but a group relationship.  "I will be your God and you will be by people"  (Jeremiah 31:33).  So the idea was that when one sinned - all sinned.  When one pleased God - all pleased.  Eventually the relationship with God went from a corporal relationship to a personal relationship - fathers were no longer held responsible for their son's sins, nor was a community punished for what the few did.  So today we are all captains of our own ships - we are all responsible for ourselves and our own lives.  Although we may try to influence spouses, children, family and friends - in the end it is ourselves for whom we are accountable.  When our fish stinks - we are the head and only we can be blamed for the offense.


Thinking before speaking - praying before thinking and submitting oneself to God's will should help all of us keep our boats afloat on the sea of life!


Deacon Dale  

Chop Chop - Shake A Leg

Last January 2011,  I had the opportunity to travel with a group of deacons and wives on a familiarization trip to the Holy Land.  Basically it was a training trip for those of us who might bring our own group of pilgrims on a future trip.  Because of this it was a 10 day pilgrimage squeezed into a 6 day trip.  We had a lot to see and learn in a very short time.  Because of this our tour guide was heard constantly saying "chop chop - shake a leg" in order to get the group moving.  Considering that the average age of the participants was around 60 - it was not surprising that some in the group tended to either walk slow or just lag behind.  


Sometimes I wonder if this isn't the reason why so many people do not take their walk with the Lord as seriously as they should.  Maybe they think they have all the time in the world to work on that relationship, so they tend to focus on other things that they think are more important.  Many people would rather spend countless hours on the stock market, television, golf, shopping, etc, etc. instead of improving their relationship with Jesus.  This is not a wise thing to do because we all know the scripture verse that says no one knows the day or  the hour...


When we are called from this earth we will not have time to stop and catch up on our relationship with Jesus - no it will be the final call and no time left on the clock.  We need to get our priorities in order and realize that our eternal life with God will be much more important that the dollars we leave behind.  We need to focus now on our relationship and work on it now.  Chop chop - shake a leg - we don't have much time!


Deacon Dale 

Kicking Back

When most people think of kicking back, they are looking forward to time away from work and other commitments and a welcomed period of relaxation.  All of us deserve "respite" time - where we can recharge our batteries and relax from our busy lives.  I value the times when I can kick back and relax.


However, there is another aspect of kicking back and that is more in line with defending yourself or your beliefs.  Today as moral people we are all being called to kick back and voice our concerns for a recent ruling by the US Government in regards to changes in health care laws and imposing rules that force people of belief to go against what they believe.  It is deplorable that in our country where we value separation of Church and State - that the State would ignore that separation and make rules that fly in the face of people's beliefs .  It is not only Christians who fear this action.  If the government is able to impose their rules on one group - what will it take before they attack the belief systems of any other group in this country.  One day it is issues like birth control and abortions and the next it could just as likely be specifying what religions are approved or what day they can meet or any other numerous idiotic ideas.  This is the kind of thing that has happened in other countries around the world - but in a nation where we profess allegiance to one Nation under God - this is unbelievable.  


As concerned citizens, each and everyone of us needs to notify our senators and congresspeople and voice our concerns for any and all actions that violate our constitutional freedoms.  If we fail to act now - we may not even have time in the future to kick back in any aspect.


Dcn Dale 

Wait Loss

Although it is still early in the New Year when many people are moaning about the extra pounds put on during the holidays I do not mean to discuss Weight Loss.

I am thinking instead of people who are notorious procrastinators - those who take forever to make up their minds about almost anything. I realize that certain issues need the time to collect data and then analyze - before an intelligent decision may be made. That is understandable - but what about those who wait forever on - either very simple matters or very obvious decisions? As I have told my sons over the years - make a decision - ask God to bless it and then move on. If you realize later than you made a wrong decision - you can always change your mind and make a new decision. Very few decisions will lock you into a situation that has no escape. As one of my deacon brothers likes to say "no decision is a decision - a decision to do nothing". I find that a poor decision if you ask me.  Waiting too long means that very often opportunities are lost forever - never to be regained.  Eventually these losses build up to the point that few people will come to you for a decision since they know you have this problem.

Why is it that these perpetual procrastinators have this "wait loss" problem? Perhaps it is a lack of faith - a lack of trusting God that He has blessed them with the grace to come to a decision and move on with their life. If you are one of those with a "wait" problem then I suggest doing some exercises. Allow yourself to be put into a decision making situation and make a decision promptly  asking God to bless it and trust that it was the correct one. Make an effort daily, if possible, to make good prompt decisions. Then when those big issues come charging at you - you will be able to have an answer in a more suitable time. Trust in God - trust in His graces and trust in yourself - God does!

Deacon Dale

Isn't that Super!

Today is Super Bowl Sunday - and what are you doing to celebrate?  Perhaps you are having a group of friends over to have a pre-game party to share food and conversation and reconnect after a busy holiday season.  Nothing wrong with that - in fact we should all take more time out of our overly busy lives and get together more often.  


Many years ago I was kidding around at work with some of the staff and we decided that we should re-invent the calendar.  My suggestion was to take the middle Wednesday of the month and rename it "Free Day".  Then whenever "Free Day" came around you would be able to do whatever you wanted to do.  If you were scheduled to work - then it became a paid day off to spend the day as you desired.  If you were already off work or retired - then you were completely free to cancel any other commitments - just for the sole purpose of getting together with family, friends, associates - whomever you wished to be with - just to celebrate life, fellowship, joyful times.


In this country we are so caught up with other obligations - we fail to celebrate life.  God never intended us to work our lives away.  No, He gave us our lives and this earth to live on and filled it with goodness - for us to enjoy.  The next time you are feeling overwhelmed by life and over committed - just declare a "Free Day" and enjoy the life God gave you.


Peace
Deacon Dale 

When is enough - enough?

There are times when you just want to scream and say ENOUGH! 


We have all been there - concerns over work, money, relationships, sickness, children, parents and so on - all our problems just seem to pile up into one giant ball of frustration, headache and heartache.  Enough! Stop the world - I want to get off!


But the world doesn't stop and our giant ball of whatever just goes on and on.  And, if we allow it - yes we actually are in control - it can last for what seems forever.  It is at times like that when we have to take a deep breath - maybe a very deep breath - and pause and get control of our selves.  After all we are Christians and we have a God who loves us and wants us to be happy and at peace don't we?  The answer is yes - God does not allow us to have more on our plate than we can handle and when it seems like our plate is over flowing - He gives us extra Grace to cope with whatever it is.  


When we pause and take stock in our lives and what is going on and remember that God is there to help us - we realize that our giant ball of frustration is not really so ginormous, but rather much smaller than we first realized.  When we start analyzing what is going on and deal with each issue individually - our huge pile of problems begins to melt away.  Getting up and walking around, taking a look out a window, petting the dog or cat for a few minutes distracts us enough that God can work in that tiny window of opportunity.  With God all things are possible - a phrase that I repeat quite often - and when we remember that, life becomes much easier to handle.


The next time you feel like screaming ENOUGH! - take the time to invite God into your life - and ask Him - who loves you more than you can imagine - to give you the grace to handle those obstacles of life.


In His Name
Deacon Dale 

Peer Pressure

All of us have had to deal with peer pressure from time to time.  You think you know what you want to do and then a group puts the pressure on and you end up doing exactly the opposite that you originally planned on doing.  Then you kick yourself in the rear for being so weak. 


Why is it that we are so quick to crumble?  Is it because we are seeking approval from others and - fearing loss of popularity - we give in and agree to whatever it was because we do not want to disappoint?  Or perhaps there are other forces at work in our lives.  Maybe we are guilty of playing the popularity game - or maybe it will benefit us personally as we climb the corporate ladder to success or perhaps enhance our political career?  


Recently the Susan G Komen Foundation made a decision to stop funding Planned Parenthood.  What I really don't understand is why a charity whose business and focus is to raise money for breast cancer awareness, research and treatment is spending any of its donor monies on other organizations?  If I donate to the Susan G Komen Foundation, I want my monies to stay right where I sent them - to be spent on helping women face the issue of breast cancer.  Those dollars which I donated were not meant to fund any other charity or organization.  They were not intended for mens health, premature babies, etc etc.so why would that money end up outside the foundation to which it was donated?  And what is their concern with funding other causes with money donated for breast issues?  As I see it - it is wrong.  If they want to support other issues then they should lend their voice and not their dollars to those other charities and organizations.  To me it seems like a conflict of interest when charities take donated funds and use those funds in other charities unrelated to the issues they deal with.  


When Jesus came to us He invited us to share His life with Him.  He did not exert any pressure - He did not threaten us in any way.  He did offer us healing, forgiveness, reconciliation and a new life in Him.  No pressure - no high profile tactics.  No - He made us an offer and then went silent - waiting for us to digest and understand what He was offering. No pressure at all - just joy and peace.


Deacon Dale 

Blind leading the blind

It is sad when we come across those in a leadership position who lead others down paths not ordained by God. In Matthew 15:14 Jesus says "If a blind person leads a blind person, both will fall into a pit.” He was warning those around him not to follow man made rules that are not of God's plan. In today's world the Church is filled with all too many blind leaders.

You just have to turn on the television or radio and you will find those who "speak for God", but do not "speak of God". The words that flow from their mouths feed their own bellies but have little to do with building up the Kingdom of God. People caught up in their own self righteousness and importance cheerfully lead blind followers down the wrong path of life. When you come across these people run - do not walk - away.

By God's grace the majority of us have good quality leaders who do "speak of God" and whose only goal is building the Kingdom of God. They do not worry about profiting for themselves but rather look to the needs of others - those who they have been sent to serve.  The next time you are around such leaders, let them know that you appreciate their honesty and hard work.  They deserve to know that you are not blind!

Deacon Dale 

Reality Check

All of us are dreamers in one way or another.  We dream of a better life, better jobs, better circumstances, better relationships.  Sometimes we get so caught up in our dreams we forget about the reality of what we have right before us.  For many people what they have would be envied by most others.  Yet for many others - the reality of their lives leaves all too much to be desired.  For a small number in this situation - the courage to change what they are experiencing just isn't there, so they go day after day not living but existing. 


To these people I suggest that they start talking to God on a regular basis and ask Him for help with their situations.  It is no surprise to me that when they do open themselves up to God things begin to happen.  If you are one of those people start now - begin a conversation with Him and listen - He will give you an answer.


Deacon Dale