Dear Readers,
It’s party time! Workers from all over the world can’t wait until the work week is over and they can “relax” on the weekend by enjoying themselves at a popular party. It seems social media has heightened partying to a new level. Partiers share pictures and everyone wants to get in on the action of the best ones.
Being a longsuffering fan of all Cleveland sports I shared the excitement of Johnny Manziel coming to the Browns. It only took a couple weeks before there were news stories every weekend of “Johnny Football” being shown in various stages of drunkenness at parties of famous people.
My wife and I have a degree of involvement with Mission to Amish People (MAP) and one area of large concern to Joe Keim, MAP Director, is that of young former Amish people engaging in raucous parties.
What’s at stake here? Johnny Football says that what he does on the weekends is his business, and as long as he performs well at Browns practices and in games, that is all that matters. He is after all a young man who just wants to have some fun.
I’ve been there. I was not a “party animal” like some of my friends when I was young, but I did my share of partying. Why did I go?
I firmly believe I was a lost soul in search of something. I wanted to fit in. I wanted to meet people, especially a “soul”-mate to share my life with. I did not know any other way to happiness.
It bothered me after several party incidents that I got the title “Arnie the Drunk”. (Note; My nickname back then was Big Arnie.) My friends chided me, even though most of them were much bigger partiers than I was.
I’m thankful that I was more of a cautious person than some of my friends. I always felt very poorly after one of these events. I was afraid of getting found out by my parents and disappointing them. I was also afraid of getting arrested, because one thing I learned was that parties sometimes got out of control with fighting and arguing, mostly over relationships and “who did who wrong?” I won’t even mention the driving home drunk after a party and what a disaster that could be.
Those days seem like a distant memory, and I’m glad they are. Sometimes when I hear a song from that era I feel a deep sadness of the time I wasted going down roads that I now consider “dead ends”.
So where are you? Are you a partier in search of happiness and relationships? Do you just want to have a good time and think that it’s your business and nobody else’s.
I don’t want to chide, but I do want to warn that the end of partying is sorrow, not just in this life, but in the next life. Please take to heart what Jesus said in the following verse:
“You can enter God’s Kingdom only through the narrow gate. The highway to hell is broad, and its gate is wide for the many who choose that way. But the gateway to life is very narrow and the road is difficult, and only a few ever find it." Matthew 7:13-14.
There is the greatest party ever in heaven awaiting you if you enter through narrow gate Jesus talks about. It will take some time, energy, and difficult times, but it is all worth it.
See you next time,
Arlen
Dear Readers,
There has been a buzz in Ohio, in the United States, and in the entire world about the possible return of Lebron James to the Cleveland Cavaliers professional basketball team. I’ll admit that I was one that had my eyes and ears glued to every tidbit of news. Was “King James” returning, or not? Was there a chance that the best basketball player in the world would come to lowly Cleveland, the laughingstock city of the sports world?
Aragorn led the battle for Middle Earth with Frodo, the Hobbit, and Gandalf, the Wizard in J.R.R. Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings “Return of the King” book and movie. After an exciting scrum between Frodo and Gollum, the deformed Stoor Hobbit, Gollum bit off Frodo’s finger to get the prized and enchanted Ring. But in the fight Gollum falls with the Ring in his possession into the lava. Gollum dies, the ring is destroyed, and Middle Earth is saved.
King James is returning to Ohio, and King Aragorn returned as the King of Middle Earth. In both instances people were almost giddy with the hope of a new era of victory and peace. It seemed not too unlike the jubilation evident when Queen Elizabeth, or Prince William and Kate, visit an obscure town around the world, or in the Vatican when a new Pope is christened as the new head of the Catholic Church.
But I think it would do me well to temper my excitement about these two kings. The Cleveland Cavaliers with Lebron James may prosper for awhile…and they may even win an NBA championship. It will bring a temporary euphoria. But King James will get older and will become less and less effective as a basketball player. The euphoria will die out as the Cavs come back down to earth in mediocrity.
The “Return of the King” is a wonderful story, and it may be a source of inspiration for many of us seeking adventure in conquering the giants of our lives. But in the end it is just that, a story.
There is a King, however, whose story is real, and the victory and peace he will bring when he returns will be lasting and sure. The celebration of his followers will be unparalleled. (Note: Please read Revelation 21 and 22.)
See you next time,
Arlen
Dear Readers,
Does the term “living water” fascinate you as much as it does me? John indicated in his Gospel that Jesus used the reference twice, so it must have a deep meaning in our lives.
Recently I read in John 7 the following: “Jesus stood and cried out, saying, ‘If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’ ”
It struck me that Jesus used the term “rivers” to describe a person coming to Him and believing in Him. He did not use “droplets”, “sprinkles”, or even “showers”.
In my opinion the term “rivers” that Jesus used is a big deal! He also used the plural, which means more than one river!
We are often told that our quiet humility and devotion to God will permeate our surroundings and influence the people around us. But does the term “rivers” that Jesus uses speak more to vibrancy and aliveness?
Are we thinking of our relationship to God in terms of being like quiet leisurely canoe trips? Or are we thinking in terms of it being more like wild white water rafting expeditions? I personally want my relationship with God to be more like wild white water rapid expeditions…perhaps with a few leisurely canoe trips along the way.
See you next time,
Arlen
Dear Readers,
My wife’s a writer and she sometimes talks about “writer’s block”. She explains it as a barrier that she has where she cannot think how to complete a story line. Merriam Webster dictionary defines it as “a psychological inhibition preventing a writer from proceeding with a piece of writing”.
Do you ever feel a shadow, writer’s block if you will, over you to the point where you feel you cannot move forward in life? You want good things to happen in your life and to have good friends, but you come to the realization that you can’t make them happen on your own? You feel subject to a “humdrum” existence.
I like the analogy that when we feel this way perhaps it is God trying to get our attention. When we are an “open slate” with nothing on it, when we have no alternatives but Him to turn to, perhaps only then can He complete our story line and make it into an exciting novel.
…let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith… Hebrews 12:1-2
See you next time,
Arlen
Dear Readers,
I just spent the evening watching two very interesting talk show hosts. One was Tavis Smiley, and the other was Charlie Rose, both PBS long-timers.
I don’t usually watch talk shows like this, but they had a variety of guests that piqued my interest. Mr. Smiley had 76 year old Marlo Thomas, who now is a children’s advocate with St. Jude Research Hospital. She also became interested in women’s causes after being a young female television star on the “That Girl” hit show from 1966 to 1971 when she received letters from a variety of women experiencing troubled lives. Ms. Thomas is the wife of talk show legend Phil Donahue, and the daughter of the beloved Danny Thomas, a singer and television star in his own right. She recently wrote a book entitled, “It Ain’t Over…Till It’s Over: Reinventing Your Life - - and Realizing Your Dreams - - Anytime, at Any Age”.
Mr. Rose had two guests, Ruswana Bashir, the 31 year old Co-Founder and CEO of Peek, an engaging entrepreneur, and Edward O. Wilson, an 85 year old American biologist, researcher, and author. Ms. Bashir talked enthusiastically about Peek, a travel company she helped co-found which takes booking “activities” around the globe to a new level and focuses on the experience and not just the reservation aspects of travel. E. O. Wilson, was interesting as he talked about his travels to Gorongosa National Park, and being part of a movement of trying to revive the huge Mozambique park that was devastated by a civil war.
My question for each person was this, “How did you get to become a “mover & shaker” in today’s world?" I don’t agree with Mr. Wilson’s suppositions about evolution and that global warming will bring us to a catastrophic end. I also worry about his soul, being an 85 year old nearing the end of his life. But he shared a passion for his belief systems that younger men like me could envy.
I was always a Danny Thomas and Marlo Thomas fan. They were always funny and fun. I don’t know about her belief systems, but I do like the focus of Ms. Thomas’s book at considering what exciting direction a person can take at any age of his or her life.
Lastly, I’m always intrigued by a person who is entrepreneurial, and whose passions lead them to think about the possibilities rather than the barriers of an endeavor. Ms. Bashir shared that she has learned a lot in her quest to build a “billion dollar” business. While one might question her motives in her “billion dollar” statement and the fact that she truly wants to be a “have” in a “have and have not” society, I think our world definitely needs to have dreamers who want to take their dreams to the next level, and create jobs and futures for many others along the way.
I pray for the souls of each of the persons I watched tonight, including Mr. Smiley and Mr. Rose. They were an interesting mix of personalities who are “movers & shakers” in our world. The next question is, “Can you and I become a “mover & shaker” in our respective worlds?"
Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from what is dishonorable, he will be a vessel for honorable use, set apart as holy, useful to the master of the house, ready for every good work. 2 Timothy 2:21
See you next time,
Arlen
Dear Readers,
Dr. Martin Ellingham was an accomplished London surgeon until he developed a phobia to blood. He was forced to make a career shift, so he became a general practitioner in the beautiful town of Portwenn, England.
The scenery of the BBC comedy is stunning, but there is an inevitable clash between a brilliant doctor and the quirky townspeople. The people cannot understand the Doc’s brusque manner, and the doctor cannot tolerate the inane way they deal with medical and life problems.
Doc Martin’s major downfall is his
offensive brutal honesty. He says what he thinks, and he doesn’t mince
words with anyone, even Louisa. Then he looks puzzled when they become
offended.
The people put up with Doc Martin because in many instances he saves their lives. And Doc Martin puts up with them because he has nowhere else to go, and he has an attraction to Louisa, the school headmistress.
We had Steve Hunter, a Gideon Bible Missionary, preach in our little Nazarene church this morning. He said that we should pray to be offensive toward others. Steve shared an experience about Wayne, an 83 year old neighbor, who visited him frequently, and Steve shared the gospel with the Wayne on most visits.
Wayne was craving some “man time”, and Mr. Hunter obliged and grew tender toward the elderly gentleman. Wayne, however, questioned why Steve was so “offensive” toward him, and always had to bring up the subject of God and Jesus, God’s son. Weren’t there many ways to reach God?
The relationship grew, and finally Wayne grew to appreciate Steve’s brutal honesty. One morning Wayne asked to pray to become a child of God. Steve said that three days later Wayne died.
In this case a man’s offensive brutal honesty, much like Doc Martin, saved the life of a man.
What blessings await you when people hate you and exclude you and mock you and curse you as evil because you follow the Son of Man. When that happens, be happy! Yes, leap for joy! For a great reward awaits you in heaven. And remember, their ancestors treated the ancient prophets that same way. Luke 6:22-23
See you next time,
Arlen
