I keep pieces of the past because of the uncertainty of the future. I have my great grandmother’s dresser. I also have my grandmother’s china hutch. I have my mother’s secretary desk. I kept them because they are a comfort to me and because they are beautiful. It still doesn’t replace them in any way. But reminds me of who they were and the life they led. We restored my mother’s buffet and let our oldest son have it. It is made out of walnut. Our other sons don’t quite appreciate those things yet. But I know that one day it will come to them. It is important that we remember the past because of the future. My great grandparent’s walked across this country after the Civil War to settle in Louisiana. They were cotton growers. Many of my family left their homes in Europe to come to America. Most of them had no money and carried the possessions on their backs. They were farmers, merchants, doctors, lawyers and even privateers (pirates). They built a life for themselves and their families. Many things were handed down from one generation to the next. My mother had a wedding quilt from her grandmother. It was over a 100 years old. My great grandmother’s dresser is 150 years old. I had it restored and one of my sons will get it. So that he can appreciate the effort his family from the past put into providing for his future.

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How far do you trust anyone? Do you include the people around you? To what level do you trust them? Depending on where you live and work really is the judge of how much you trust someone. Do you see the people around you as trusted friends that you can confide in? More and more I see that the trust matrix is being broken down. When I was young you could leave your doors to your house unlocked. That began to change drastically as the crime rose in our community. It wasn’t certain who you could trust. The murder rate in this country has risen drastically over the last 40 years. Of which I believe it is due to one event in 1973. It was the US Supreme Court decision for Roe vs. Wade. The decision to allow abortions in this country. You see there is no law protecting the sanity of life. If you can kill babies then why not adults also. The government has dug a hole that they can’t get out of. One of the greatest efforts of that decision is lack of trust one person has for the other. So it is black verses white. And Hispanic verses black. The lack of trust is so wide spread that nothing real or substantial is being done in this country. No one trust anyone. The media will tell you a half-truth to make you believe a lie. So how do we get back to trusting each other? Trust is always earned. It is developed over time by people who are consistent in their lives. There are trustworthy individuals out there. You are just going to have to find them on your own. And when you do trust it will build your security.

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You have heard stories about people who have displayed courage in their lives. My favorite stories about courage are the ones about King David when he was a young man. When he was actually king, his life wasn’t filled with these stories. As a young man, he had hope and a vision of what he could be. Like every young person, they look at what could be if only they would step up to the plate. Courage is never a great man doing something great. It is always an ordinary person taking a chance and doing what they think is right. Standing up for what they believe and not backing down even if it kills them. Courage is a value that is gone after by most everyone. And for sure, it will cost you something. If it doesn’t cost you personally, it isn’t worth anything. You should never discourage young people from making good decisions that will propel them forward in life. I have seen people with a vision that have changed the world. They did it a little at a time and they were changed forever. It takes courage, but you can’t get courage until you are willing to step out and believe. It is almost a catch 22. But when you take courage and use it to change the world, it is no holds barred. It is interesting if you want courage, you have to step out in faith to receive. It is amazing.

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Words have meaning. When I was in college I took a course on words. It was an English class on the meanings of words. In the class we broke the words apart to find their origins. The American English language is composed of words from England, France, Germany, Russia, Poland, Italy, Greece, Israel, Africa, Middle East, China, Japan, Polynesia, Spain, Portugal and Native Americans. Our language is a mixture of all languages around the world as our country is. You know who invented the telegraph? The French in the 1850’s because Napoleon III wanted to talk to his troops in Turkey fighting the Crimean War. Today there are so many ways to talk to someone around the world. The capabilities grow every year. There seems to be no stopping it. It is the Age of Information. Words by themselves have no real power. But when they are spoken they come alive. So why is that? It is because we give words power. People sometimes don’t even understand how much power we give words. As the bible says life and death are in the power of the tongue. I have seen it. People say I can’t do it and they can’t. Or they says I wish I would die and they do. The spoken word has changed the entire universe. But it isn’t a broad sword to use on your enemies. You should think before you speak. And when you speak you should mean what you say. God has always meant every word He spoke. As He has said in the bible in Matthew 11:28 “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” (KJV).

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Other than the time my parents died, these last 5 weeks have lasted forever. We are waiting on the insurance companies about my flooded house. All the people have been very kind and understand about our situation. And I appreciate their kindness. As you know, instant gratification is the soup de jour. I know this is a learning situation. And I know that my learning curve for patience is very steep. Sometimes I want to scream. It won’t help. I still have to learn. As a young man, I thought I was as smart as anybody could be. I didn’t listen very often. How I still learned has amazed me all my life. I have had this unquenchable thirst for knowledge. I read the World Book Encyclopedia from A to Z. it helped an awful lot in college. But not so much afterwards. I have always had a project to work on. It kept my mind busy and working. My brother started working on the family history. Then I look it up. It is very interesting how much you can find out about your ancestors. I and my family descend from 4 distinct family groups, 2 from France, 1 from Scotland/Ireland and 1 from Italy. I have only gone back to the 1500’s. So further back from there, I don’t know. And I consistently researched my family for years. And now I am asked to wait for the insurance companies to decide what to do. But I know I must wait because I am learning patience. I want to skip this test and go right to the end. But it ain’t going to happen. So in a few weeks I will have more patience. And I know I will be better for it. Blahh……….. Until tomorrow.

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Throughout the history of man there have been covenants. Covenants have been made between individuals as well as nations. They are made for many reasons. Some are mutual protection or commerce or just to keep the peace. They can be as simple as a wall or as complicated as a garrison of troops. Because of the hostility of man and the uncertainty of life, covenants like NATO were established. Usually there is a stronger member of the covenant. This will guarantee the protection and commerce needed to survive. And if you break the covenant there are consequences. Sometimes it is catastrophic for the small member. When a covenants was made in ancient times, there was always the shedding of blood to seal the deal. Animals were sacrificed as part of the agreement, signifying what will happen to the person who breaks the covenant. Also to make the bond stronger between the 2 parties. Most people don’t understand what happens when they break a covenant. Divorce is the breaking of a covenant. And the consequences to the 2 parties are real and lasting. God made a covenant with man and sealed the deal with the blood of Jesus Christ. Anyone can enter into the covenant. God has opened it up to everyone. Again those that break the covenant with God the consequence is death. But God has made a way back into His good graces by asking for forgiveness. Man is the only one that God gives a second chance too. As it says in the bible in John 3:16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” (KJV). Because of this we have a chance to not only survive but prosper in the covenant of God.

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I was over at my brother’s house last night. It was a birthday party for a friend. My wife couldn’t go so I went alone. It is always interesting to go to my brother’s house for an event. We gather for football games, birthdays, Thanksgiving, Christmas and any social event we deem fun. Last night was typical as any event I have gone to. Most of the people there know I am a conservative Christian. But that doesn’t stop anyone from speaking out on most any topic. We are the most diverse group of people you would ever want to meet. The spectrum is from conservative to liberal. We like each other and respect each other’s view. But that doesn’t mean we wont discuss a hotly contested topic with passion. But we will walk away being friends. They are very sweet people and care deeply about the world around us. But they are still a crazy group of women. There is every age there. But I have noticed how people’s values have changed over the years. Due to circumstances and other disasters in their lives. It has forged certain ideas. I don’t agree with them all, but some have merit. I love my brother and sister-in-law and want to be with them. No matter how crazy their ideas get.

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A famous quote from a very popular story, Peter Pan, written by the Baron James Barrie in 1904. It is a fantasy about what children dream of. It shows how that dream can be turned into reality. It can happen if you believe. Isn’t it funny that a children’s story can effect so many people for so long. The story is as popular today as it was a 100 years ago. It is popular because it touches a nerve in us. We can see ourselves in that story. And see how we believed as children and saw the many possibilities that exist in the world for us. So what happened? What has changed in your life? Why don’t you believe anymore? The opportunities are still there. We still can go out and make those dreams a reality. I see it over and over again. How reality beats people down and they forget about the dream. To obtain greatness doesn’t take a great person. It takes an ordinary person who believes that they can obtain a goal. All those people who are successful in whatever they do, started out just as an ordinary person with a dream. And they turned their dream into a reality with hard work and persistence because they believed in what they were doing. Each of our lives are meant to succeed and fulfill the plan that God gave us. Yes sometimes you have to walk through the valley of death, but if you believe God will see you through. So what is stopping you from obtaining that dream of yours? As Peter Pan said, Seize the Day!

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A question for the ages, how to know. Growing up I was never certain about anything. My body was never the same size because it was always changing. Everything changes every day. How do you know for sure? As life goes by it like you in movie of your life. Sometimes it is in slow motion. And then again my life has gone by in a flash. Yesterday I was 18 years old, then I looked in the mirror and saw a wrinkled face. How do you know what to do or where to go? When I graduated from high school, my mother said I had a frown on my face. I realized that that part of my life was over and the future was uncertain. That uncertainty cause problems in my life. I like to have things in order, neatly in order. There was a plan for my life, I wasn’t finding it. What I didn’t know was that the plan was unfolding despite me. Learning that you aren’t in control of everything is unsettling at the least. I wanted predictable things in my life. I wanted to see results like I thought should be. When the whole thing collapsed on me, I found the thing that never changes. I wish I had been more willing to listen to the truth. I wouldn’t have suffered as much as I did. But the plan for my life depended on me listening and surrendering my life voluntarily. So when I got myself into a hole I couldn’t get out of, I stopped and listened. I was surprised at what I heard. I found someone who loved me for me. It didn’t make any difference what I had done. I had come home. And my Father was there waiting for me. He opened His arms and held me. I had come home to my Father and Jesus. I began to see how much He loved me and had helped me all along the way. He never forsook me or left me alone. I have lived at my Father’s home for a long tme. I wouldn’t live anywhere else. And all you have to do is ask.

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Since we pulled everything out of my flooded house. We put everything we saved into plastics totes. I have been going through these totes one by one. I have found things that make no sense. But we kept it anyway. One particular tote had pictures. Some of these pictures are over a 100 years old. I have a snapshot of my great, great grandfather and his family. He came to this country in 1855. My family is as diverse as America. They came to America at different times and from different nations. But you know what is strange is that they were all headed in the same direction. They were headed to the same destiny. And the snapshot of their lives are basically the same. They came with their families and worked hard at providing an opportunity for themselves and their families. They spoke different languages but understood each other. Because they believe that coming here was the right decision. Most of them came with no money. All they had was what they could carry. But it didn’t stop them from coming. What are your grandchildren going to see when they look at snapshots of your life? Will your life have value for them? Or will they say how sad their life was. It is all in the believing. People came to this country for freedom to live their lives, raise their children and worship as they pleased. What do you believe?

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