Everything in our lives works when the timing is right. Sometimes we don’t like waiting, but it still has to be the right timing. You can have everything in the world going for you, but if the timing isn’t right, it’s not worth much. Everyone has had this happen to them, where you were at the right place and at the right time. That is called timing. Everybody knows about the wrong place. King Solomon said, to every season there is a time. He knew that in every season of life there is a right time for everything. And knowing when it is the right time is skill not dumb luck. There is over 570 references in the bible to time or timing. God knows how important it is to us. And show us the way to have that skill in our lives. God gives us a certain amount of time. Once it is gone, we can’t get any more time. We have to use our time wisely. Because we are immortal, sometimes we think we will live forever on this earth. It doesn’t work that way. This earth is just a temporary home. We are walking through it on our way back home. So, our timing has to be just right to get us from here to home. There is no secret to God’s timing. Everybody knows how to use it to get to God. What is unfortunate is that some people don’t want to use God’s time to get home. You see everything is in the timing. See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, redeeming the time.

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My family has always tried to stay close to each other. My earliest recollections of my family were a get together in a park where they prepared food, the men played cards and everyone danced to music that my cousins played. I have gathered with my family since I was little. Whenever there was chance to meet, we came together. Even if it was just for coffee and fellowship. We were always driving out to the country to meet those who could come. My immediate family always came together for Thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter. What this did was to build relationships across generational lines. Everyone knew who you were and would talk to you about anything. I knew my great grand aunts. The family was close to each other. When we would travel, we would stay with relatives across the country. We were a family unit. It didn’t matter how rich or poor you were. If you were family, that was what was important. It gave me a sense of community, that I wasn’t alone in this world. God’s family is the same way. It is across generational lines. It doesn’t matter where you came from or what color you are. If God accepted you into the family, you are a member of my family. And my family hasn’t stopped growing. There are still more people to join my family. The sense of community is as strong as my earthly family. And I love them just the same, because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts. If you are looking for a home and family to belong to, just turn to God and ask Him to come in. No matter who you are, God will accept you.

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The skies are clear. It is 48 degrees and it seems to be a perfect day. But there is a 63% change of rain in the forecast. Again, what constitutes a perfect day? It is all in your perception that counts. What you see and believe is what you think and are. It could be a hurricane and still be a perfect day. As a child, there was nothing better than a storm to keep me from school. When I began to grow up, things changed in my life. My priorities changed with the season. I knew what I wanted to do, but didn’t always know how to get there. I was always searching for the way to accomplish my goals. Some ways didn’t turn out to be so good and I paid for them. Sometimes I paid dearly. But I knew that if I kept searching I would find the perfect way. I also knew that I wasn’t the only person who knew which way to go. I had to listen to other people to find what I wanted. Sometimes, I had to listen to things I didn’t want to hear or let alone do. But I knew that if a listened, I would find the right way in life. It took years for me, because I am as stubborn as hell. I would dig my heels in so much that people would just walk away from me. I try very hard not to be that way, but it pops out every so often. I found the Way, almost by accident I thought. But it was all by design. My life had been plan and I stumbled on to it. I have been walking in that plan for some 40 years. And I still stumble sometimes, but now I have someone to help me up and put me back on the path. Yes, it is God, Himself. You see He says, all things work together for good, for them that love God and are called according to His promises. Thank God.

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This saying appeared as the lead title on the daily newspaper. They were referring to the crowd of people that will descend on our city for Mardi Gras. But they don’t know how accurate they really are and I am not talking about people. The saying is talking about a calm period of time before something major happens, like storms, battles, struggles or just people coming to a festival. Although, the presidential election has changed the face of the nation, there is an uneasiness in this country. It is like a bomb about to explode. People aren’t sure what will happen in this country. All the protest over the election is more of a tantrum than anything substantial. Do you know why the civil war was fought in America? It wasn’t over slavery. It was over different fundamental ideas. People who were diametrically opposed to changing, on both sides. There were about 31 million people living in America and there were about 1 million causalities. By todays population that would be about 10 million people. But all this uneasiness isn’t about political views. It’s funny how the bible talks about situations that are going to happen. The bible says that in the last days of the earth, people will carry on as normal. They will say there is no problems, we have peace. But they will be carried away by the flood to come. And make no mistake there is a flood coming. God says to live as if this were your last day on earth. Then you will be prepared to go when the end comes. You see this is just the calm before the storm.

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You will get many different answers to that question. There are many yardsticks to measure success by. Which one do you use? The most obvious one is money. The pursuit of money has occupied more people than anything else. But is it the most rewarding? You know we have to keep up with the Jones’. The pursuit of money has destroyed more people than it is really worth. Everyone needs money, but not to worship it. Some people choose alcohol or tobacco. A sad commentary in our nation’s history is the pursuit of drugs. It is nothing new. It spans over several centuries. What is it that people are trying to fill their lives with? What is that void in people’s lives? Why does this pursuit destroy people? Humans are a very complicated organism. We have to have salt and water to survive. Food come in second to water. Then we have to have clothing and shelter. What then? We are social beings and need fellowship. We need to communicate with each other. Once we have accomplished all that, what is next? Do we accumulate all the wealth in the world? What is it that we need to accomplish with that wealth? God didn’t give to us, to sit on it and do nothing. The only way that we can truly be successful is to give. To give of ourselves and our wealth, so that there is room for more to give. In God’s economy, giving is the basis of all blessings. If you hold on to what God has given you, it will die within you. Give and that more abundantly, press down, shaken together and you will receive. It is the formula for success.

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My wife and I went to Mexico years ago, to visit her family. Her grandmother had just gotten out of the hospital. My wife was raised in America, but her dad is from Mexico. We went with our 2 oldest sons. Our oldest son was 2 years old and the other was 6 months old. When we arrived, her grandmother was being cared for by a granddaughter who had a baby. She had no husband and the baby no father. The baby cried most of the time we were there. The baby kept saying over and over again, look at me. My wife’s aunt and uncle asked me why I thought the baby cried all the time. They saw how happy and content our sons were. I told them that it was because the baby has no father. Having a father brings stability to the home. I also said it was because of God in our lives. I said that children need a father and mother to know security and peace in the home. In God’s economy, the mother owns the home and is in charge of the children. The father is to provide for his family and love his wife and children. This brings security to the home, where the children can grow up and be fulfilled in life. This is God’s example to us to able to see who He is. My children can always come to talk to me. They may not like what I have to say, but that won’t stop them from talking. This is God’s example.

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The saying is an old ad to promote people using the telephone to connect with people. It seems that everyone has taken it to heart. The use of cellphones is phenomenal. People use that phone while doing everything. As I drive through the city it is scary to see that phone struck to people’s ear while driving. I never found that much to say to anyone. I know that the phone has caused many accidents. People are distracted and not focusing on driving. There is another way that people can communicate with each other. With all the modern technology, it has become a lost art. That lost art is listening. You would think with all the phones in use, people are listening. But you would be wrong. The more people talk on phones, the less they listen and hear what is being said. You haven’t communicated until you have reached out and touched someone. The person you are speaking to has to hear and understand what you are saying to them. Then you have communicated. Otherwise it is just noise. And brother there is more noise in this world than it is worth. Have you ever had someone say something to you and you turned to them and saw what they were talking about. That person has communicated with you. It doesn’t make any difference what they are talking about. If you understood and saw what was being said. That is their heart speaking to your heart. And that is communication.

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I was just watching a circus act of a man and eight horses. He rode two of them in the roman style of riding, standing on their backs. Then the other horses came out and performed together with him. What struck me is that he had a strong relationship with the horses. Horses are curious animals. They don’t trust very easily. And they can sense fear in any person who rides them. If you want the horses to obey your commands, you have to connect with them. Otherwise the horse is uneasy and may not obey your command. It was obvious that this man had spent many hours with these horses training them. It was also obvious that he cared a great deal for these horses and they knew it. What he had done was to develop a relationship with them. It is the same for our pets. We put a lot of time into their care and feeding. Our pets respond with affection and obedience. Then tell me, why is man so short-sighted in their relationship with God? If it takes time and effort to develop a relationship, why aren’t there more with God? Our parents put in time and effort to see that we were taken care of. They even sacrifice things for themselves to give to us. Just to see that we had what we needed to grow up. The same is true with God. He sacrificed for us that we might be able to grow up and live the life He always wanted for us. I’ll ask the question again. Why is man so short-sighted in their relationship with God? Take time and develop a relationship with God before it is too late.

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Today, 1/3 of all monies spent in America, goes to entitlements, social security, Medicare or welfare. Though they have value, our system is being over burdened with debt. The sentiment behind these systems were honorable. The people who started these programs wanted to help people who hit hard times, but not to support them for their entire life. When people immigrated to this country, there was no guarantee that money was available to anyone who didn’t work. There was only hope that people would help you get started in life. What the people had was a community of like-minded people. And based on the strength of that community, it prospered or failed. Abraham Lincoln left his Kentucky to move to little town in Illinois that came into existence a year before. He lived there doing any kind of work he could find. Abraham lived there for 10 years, then he moved to Springfield, Ill., to study to be a lawyer. That little town went out of existence a year after he left. This same story has been played out in every community across this land. Where people help each other to make a living to raise their family and become part of a community. The key is that everyone does their part to build the community. Working together building a life to be proud. Then you have a community of people to be proud of. The work ethic is part of this nation’s history and heritage. When it is taken away, what you get is nothing. This is why the message of this president rings true in every heart. It is the strength of the community that will make this nation great again.

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What would you give for the chance to obtain your dreams? Would you leave your native home, cross an ocean, to a place that doesn’t speak your language? Would you up root your family, not knowing whether or not you could survive? Then getting there, meant that you had to work for slave wages to provide for your family. Then working in unsafe conditions that actually killed many people. All this just to be able to live a life free for tyranny. And calling this place the promised land. What would you do to reach this land? Would you stowaway on ships, swim rivers, go through deserts to reach this promised land? Always being afraid that you would be caught and deported or killed. When you got to the promised land, people hated you because they came before you. They didn’t want you to take their jobs or positions. Trying to learn a foreign language than would someday become your native tongue. But knowing in your heart that this was the right thing to do. Would you take that chance to live a life you always dreamed of? This land is a country of immigrants. They came from every nation in the world. Wanting what was promised, that they could be free and raise their family with dignity. My family immigrated to this country 400 years ago. They weren’t wealthy or politically important. But made their way through struggles and wars. They came from every circumstance and situation in the world. Only to speak one language, American.

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