Finding a Babysitter

            Are you like me? Is it easy for you to allow your kids to swallow up all of your family time?           

            A Sunday school teacher asked her class why Joseph and Mary took Jesus with them to Jerusalem. A small child answered, “They could not get a babysitter.”

            I don’t know about that, but I do know couples spending time together—away from kids—is important. Guys, let’s find a babysitter so we can spend time with our wives.

Who’s Your Daddy?

            A friend shared with me the other day a funny story:

            Two boys were walking home from Sunday church after hearing a

strong sermon on the devil. One boy said to the other, “What do you think  

about all this Satan stuff?”

            The other boy replied, “Well, you know how Santa Claus turned out. It's probably just your dad.”

            Peter realizes that Satan is not a myth: 8 Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. 9 Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings (I Pet. 5:8-9.)

            

The Party

            The old comedian, Groucho Marx, once told a hostess as he was leaving a dull Hollywood party, “I’ve had a wonderful evening, but this wasn’t it.”

            Somehow, I think Groucho was being too direct. His response makes me think of the Proverb, “A kind answer soothes angry feelings, but harsh words stir them up” (Prov. 15:1.) CEV

Source: Edmund Fuller

Huck Finn, Jim, and Theology

            Mark Shaw wrote creative little book called DOING THEOLOGY WITH HUCK AND JIM: PARABLES FOR UNDERSTANDING DOCTRINE. He takes Mark Twain’s novel THE ADVENTURES OF HUCKLEBERRY FINN and uses to teach Christians how to think theologically.

            Shaw begins with Twain’s account of Huck and the slave, Jim, who were running away. The two were on a raft when, after a period of silence, Huck asked Jim:

            “What did you bring for food? I'm hungry.”

            Jim unwrapped his bedroll. His worldly possessions were contained in it. Immediately it is all laid out in full view. There was a hat and some fruit, a pair of socks, a rabbit’s foot, and a book. Jim tossed up a piece of fruit.

            “Why did you bring the book for?" asked Huck with the tone of irritation.

            “I bought it to read,” said Jim. 'What else is a book good for?”

            “I didn't think you could read?” Huck said and wished he had not said it.

            “I can read,” Jim responded with intense seriousness, gazing into the night.

            “What kind of book is it?” Huck asked.

            “It's a book about theology,” Jim said, his voice trailing away.

            “Theology! I hate theology almost much as I hate schools and rules,” Huck said. “What good is a theology book on a trip like this?”

            Jim was silent a long time before he answered. “A trip like this is long. A lot of things are going to happen. Might come in handy.”

            Shaw’s point is this: life is a trip that takes a long time. We make decisions based upon what we think. What we think is based upon what we believe. These conspire to impact our relationships and our consequences of life. Theology, doctrine, and teaching matter.

Source: George Guthrie–Hebrews NIV Application Commentary (Page 214)

True Love

            I came across this story too late for Valentine’s Day, but Bernard Schneider writes about a young reporter working for a newspaper, who suggested to her editor a story on love for Valentine's Day. The editor was concerned about the reporter’s inexperience in life, and he questioned her if she knew what true love was.

            “Sure I know.” she answered with deep feeling. “Love is a wonderful thing when you sit alone with your sweetheart by the lake in cheery moonlight. Love is…”

            The editor abruptly dismissed her. “Nonsense, that is not love. That is just sentiment and moonlight. Love is getting up at two o'clock in the morning to fix the baby his bottle.”

Oh Those Typos!

            I love to read the author John Feinstein. His latest book-ONE ON ONE- is another excellent one. He closes it by telling a very emotional story of a tragedy involving one of his friends.

            The story concludes with his friend encouraging himself with the classic poetic quote that hangs above the door of the Army football locker room at West Point, “I lay me down for to bleed a while but I will rise to fight with you again.”

            Next comes Feinstein's last paragraph. He writes of how he was so emotional hearing this from his friend, he wept.

            Seeking a satisfying climax, Feinstein, in his last sentence, describes how lucky he has been “to have known the people I have known over the plast twenty-five years.”

            That is not a typo; the last sentence contains the word “plast” instead of “past.”

            Having written an entire book, with deep emotions and tears, having written tens of thousands of words, Feinstein, three words from the finish line, types a typo!

            I was amazed and stunned. Perhaps, in his original manuscript, Feinstein had typed the correct word–“past.” Perhaps, along the way, someone in the publishing company pushed wrong key on his computer.

            Still, everybody missed it. And ultimately, Feinstein's name is on the product.

            Can you imagine how he felt when he discovered the mistake? I’m sure he was distressed that all of his work geared toward a stirring finish was wasted because of the distraction of that last sentence.

            In a strange way, I find comfort in this mistake. I hold Feinstein in the highest regard; this mistake does not change my feelings for him.

            If someone of his quality can make a mistake, I do not have to beat myself up for mine. The Lord knows I make plenty of them, beginning with MY TYPOS in my blogs (including this blog!)

            More importantly, I’m glad that my Lord not only forgives me for my mistakes—he forgets them.

             The writer of Hebrews, quoting Jer. 31:34, writes of God saying, “Their sins and lawless acts I will remember no more.”

Expressing Disagreement

            In a dispute, it can be hard to be kind. A professor by the name of Parson was engaged in an argument with a man. Professor Parson grew so sarcastic that he exasperated the gentleman with whom he argued.

            At last, the man said, “Professor, I am going to have to walk away because my opinion of you is a perfectly contemptible one.”

            Professor Parson replied, “I never knew any opinion of yours, sir, which was not contemptible.”

            “A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger” (Prov. 15:1.) ESV