Sowing and Reaping in the Backyard and in Life

One of the things I love about gardening is the sowing and reaping that takes place. Charlene, my daughter's mother-in-law, gave me a load of daffodils last fall. I dug down deep to get these bulbs in. With the warm weather the past month my work is showing up. They have pushed their way through the soil. All through the yard yellow and white flowers will appear this spring. I sowed and I am about to reap. It is gratifying!

I also put crocuses all across the lawn in the front. Sometime next month there will be purple and yellow and orange and white blooms announcing the beginning of the warmer weather and many many more beautiful displays.

Life is much like a garden, you reap what you sow.

Solomon knew the Word of God. He knew the instruction given to Moses by God to be given to the kings Israel would eventually have. It is very plain:
When you enter the land the LORD your God is giving you and have taken possession of it and settled in it, and you say, "Let us set a king over us like all the nations around us," be sure to appoint over you the king the LORD your God chooses. He must be from among your own brothers. Do not place a foreigner over you, one who is not a brother Israelite. The king, moreover, must not acquire great numbers of horses for himself or make the people return to Egypt to get more of them, for the LORD has told you, "You are not to go back that way again." He must not take many wives, or his heart will be led astray. He must not accumulate large amounts of silver and gold.

When he takes the throne of his kingdom, he is to write for himself on a scroll a copy of this law, taken from that of the priests, who are Levites. It is to be with him, and he is to read it all the days of his life so that he may learn to revere the LORD his God and follow carefully all the words of this law and these decrees (Deuteronomy 17.14-19)

Solomon did not follow this direction. He took many wives, 300 to be exact. He also had 700 concubines. He knew what he was doing. He was to read this each day!

Solomon brought Pharaoh's daughter up from the City of David to the palace he had built for her, for he said, "My wife must not live in the palace of David king of Israel, because the places the ark of the LORD has entered are holy." (II Chronicles 8.11)

He knew that he should not have married Pharoah's daughter, yet he did. When he got her back to Jerusalem the truth began to hit him. He tried to stop it but he couldn't. He ended up reaping what he sowed and in the next generation the kingdom of Israel was split.

It is interesting. When a person begins to reap what they have sown it is either joy and peace or bitterness and turmoil. It is either joyful anticipation of what it to come or dread over what will be.

Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.

Peacemakers who sow in peace raise a harvest of righteousness.

Strong Words From Jesus

Luke17.10 So you also, when you have done everything you were told to do, should say, "We are unworthy servants; we have only done our duty."

Jesus spoke strong words all the time. These are no exception. I have heard men brag about what they have done as well as what they have left to serve the LORD. It always troubles me. Think about what God has done and what Jesus left to come here to this earth then this verse from Luke's Gospel comes into focus.

Some have gloried in their own crosses, impressing upon others what they have given up for Jesus. Paul puts this in perspective for us, But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world. Galatians 6.14 Glory in the cross of Jesus. Boast in the LORD and what He has done. Do not glory in yourself or what you have sacrificed. God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble. Humble yourself under God's Almighty Hand. Anything other than that is sheer foolishness.

Memories and Memorials in the Yard

My yard holds some special memories. When I first moved to Bay Shore in 1984, one of the first persons I made a pastoral call to was Gretel Roth. She had MS. She was confined to a wheel chair and had no use of her arms or legs. She was a lady with a great deal of grace and dignity. Few people have handled a terminal disease so gracefully. A few days before she died some years later the doctor wrote on her chart, "Inappropriately cheerful". He was right. She knew where she was going. She is now in heaven.

On a visit to her home one day she asked me if I liked Sweet Pea which was in bloom in her garden. I told her it was lovely. The next time I went to see her there was an envelope with my name on it with sweet pea seeds in it. I followed her instructions and to this day I have never failed to have these beautiful blossoms adorning my garden each summer.

They bring back fond memories of a lady
now with Jesus who was a blessing to me.

In my front yard I have a little garden set up in memory of my brother, Mark.

It is lined with stones from the creek on my parent's property upstate. My Uncle John who is now with Mark in heaven helped me put it in. They were two peas in a pod- always making us laugh. I can't wait to see them again.

In the backyard is a beautiful azalea.

It has been a reminder of my grandmother, Rose Biggs. She loved them and I still have recollections of her coming to our yard in Bellmore in May 1959 on Mother's Day, seeing the azalea there in bloom and praising the LORD for the beauty of his creation. She is now praising her Savior in His Presence, in the land where the roses never fade. She left us a legacy of love.


Behind the azalea on the left is a childhood memory. It is Honeysuckle. I found out how to transplant it and did so a few years back. It has come in so well and give sthe yard such a beautiful fragrance. It reminds of the days of my youth in Bellmore when we would take time to do crazy things like pull the flowers off the honeysuckle for that single drop of nectar. I am glad I am still a kid at heart!

The Junior Department, Melrose Church of the Nazarene, June 1961

So reads the inscription in a commentary I have on my shelf. It was presented to Rev. Grant Cross. Before he retired and moved to Florida I got some of his books from his library. He is now enjoying heaven.

I'm not sure what the occasion of this gift was. Pastor's Appreciation Month had not been invented yet. I myself was just in Sunday School at the time. It was no doubt a love gift.

When I use it I think of the fact that back when I was younger than the kids in that department a gift was given by them to their pastor. They are close to retirement themselves! I think of the church and the teachers. What a great thing the church is. It is His new creation by water and the blood.

E. Stanely Jones' words come back again: "The church, with all its faults, is still the best serving institution on earth. So get into it and serve!"

Potpourri

Here are some good things I have found on the web:

Oswald Chambers' story and Daily devotional My Utmost For His Highest
http://www.rbc.org/utmost/index.php

John Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress
http://www.sacred-texts.com/chr/bunyan/index.htm

Charles Spurgeon Site
http://www.spurgeon.org/

A Great Site
http://www.sermonindex.net/

News
http://www.christianheadlines.com/

Hope you find these helpful.

All Cleaned Up

Yesterday I did something I have needed to do for weeks. The need for this became even more apparent when Theresa came over to FAX something and I had to shift the stacks of stuff around so we could operate the machine. My desk was a mess! My friend Frank Willoughby had a sign on his desk in the Nazarene Church Pastor's Study in Jamestown, NY amidst the towering mountains of paper, bulletins and letters read and reread, "A Clean Desk is the Sign of a Sick Mind". I was rivaling Frank's mess... I mean desk!

After Theresa left, I went to work. I cleaned and cleaned. Since Christmas things had been piling up! Yesterday the demolition crew arrived. I filed, threw away and put away. I organized and revamped. When I got done I almost had a high! It looked so good. I remember what color the wood the desk in made out of is now!

I'd like to say it will stay this way but I know better. It is not that I don't want it to remain clean it is just as Brother Hazzard once said, "That ain't the way life is!" For now I am enjoying it, though!

Our hearts are like my desk. Every once in a while we need a clean up. We need to pray, "Create in me a pure heart O God." Its not that we purposely pull things in and mess it up- it is just life. Little offenses can pile up- it is the little foxes that destroy the vines! Other things come in- even needs of others can even fill our hearts so we can't do much of anything- no wonder Jesus insisted on retreats for His followers- He still does.

Spring cleaning is on the hoizon. We'll open windows, let the fresh air in as we sweep the house clean. It is always a proper time to ask the LORD to search our hearts and for us to purify ourselves. If there are stacks of stuff- all the more reason to do it now.

Have a great Wednesday!

Wait Three Months!

Isn't intersting how we so very often rush to judgement on something, only to have it prove to us later that we were way off? It is not only interesting but can be devastating. We can pass some future blessing by and miss good things if we do that. Take the backyard- my backyard. Today it looks like this:

Last April it looked like this:
And by the summer...


Joseph went from the prison to the palace in a day. One minute he was in Egypt's prison for governmental workers, the next minute he was the head of that government. Israel was born in a day- Who has ever heard of such a thing? Who has ever seen such things? Can a country be born in a day or a nation be brought forth in a moment? Yet no sooner is Zion in labor than she gives birth to her children. (Isaiah 66.8) There is nothing too difficult for the LORD. Wait a little bit. He may just turn that empty place in your life today- the place (or person) you have given up on- into a beautiful blooming garden that bears little resemblence to what it is now!

Monday, Monday

Pop Music has cast Monday in a bad light. I can think of a number of songs that make Monday out to be something to be dreaded. One even went so far to equate Mondays with rainy days. Do you know what our world would look like without rain?! Soon we would be in a desert!

Today is Monday. It begins a new work week. It is full of opportunities. May it be a good day for you!

Go Ahead, Smile!
I triple dog dare you!

Sunday Morning

Sunday Morning has always held a sense of expectation for me. It is the day believers gather to worship the LORD. Since I was a kid, as far back as I can remember I have believed God's people are gathering and Jesus has promised to be in the midst and good things are bound to happen.

I wonder what this day will bring forth. Good things for sure- It is the LORD's Day.

It's Saturday!

Do you remember what it was like when we were kids and Saturday came? We would stay in our pajamas a little longer, eat cereal and watch cartoons. The Bugs Bunny-Road Runner Show was one of my favorites.

Saturdays were like holidays in and of themselves- a kids holiday.

It was a pretty standard rule that if you had homework over the weekend you got it done Friday after you got home from school. Although we would never admit it at the time it was a great rule. That meant being free on Saturday to do nothing.

My weekends were pretty standard as a young kid growing up in Bellmore. Come home from school on Friday, do homework, eat dinner. Then Dad would get home. It didn't matter if Mom could not drive. We only had one car anyway. We would all pile into the car and go grocery shopping. Our store was The Big Apple on Jerusalem Avenue in Bellmore. Shopping with the family usually meant we were able to pick out at least one thing- more times than not it was a box of our favorite cereal to be partially consumed the next morning. We would get home in time for two shows: The Addams Family and Gomer Pyle, USMC. Shortly after they we over we would go to bed. Then came Saturday! Cartoons in the morning then outside (even in the cold weather) to play. Sometimes some of Mom's homemade chicken soup for lunch and then back out for the rest of the afternoon. We would play until dinner or until it got dark- whatever came first. Church was the next day so we would start our Saturday night ritual- baths. We would finish in time to catch the Honeymooners which was orginating from Miami Beach by this time. Funny they didn't come close to the 39 episodes which everyone has come to identify as the real show. And so Saturday ended.

The LORD has blessed me with a memory of details. I must admit the good ones are a joy to recall. Thanks for letting me share it with you.

Oh yes, I think I am understanding a little bit more about what Jesus meant when He said we must become like little children in order to enter the kingdom of heaven. One of the reasons we were able to get such glee out of those Saturdays as young kids is that we had parents who loved us and took care of us. We have a Father in Heaven who loves us. The very thought of that truth should lighten the load we are carrying today (and every day!)

Rejoice! Its Saturday!

"Beep Beep!"
Have a good one!

A Postscript: (10:45am) My niece Kirstin just began a blog- it is interesting what she wrote in her entry for today- very interesting! http://kirstinshangout.blogspot.com/

That's All Folks!

Moe and Snow

It is winter on the Island this morning. We got out first snow (people north of us would laugh- our southern friends would ooo and ahhh or say, "Better them than us!") Snow is a wonderful thing. Lucy was reminding me how it cleans the air. If I remember Earth Science correctly (Am I right Mr. Limmer?) snowflakes actually form around a particle of dirt or dust. No one snowflake is the same as another.

As I write it is now clearing and the snow is rapidly disappearing.

Before I got on the track and cross country team I used to hope for snow days. (That was before I was informed by Stu Altenhaus and Frank Benso that, "School is just a break in between Cross Country practices.") More often than not growing up on Long Island we were disappointed. We would get a dusting like we did this morning and then it would stop and we would have school. Only a few times did we have the joy of a day off and no teachers to "ruin" it by giving us homework! I remember one such snow when my dad came home early from work (that seldom happened) and we all sat on the couch in the living room at 2804 Martin Avenue and watched Gene Rayburn and The Match Game when it was still broadcasted from the New York Studio. It came on around 4pm. Dad was home when it was still daylight! Now the winters have become a time when the garden sleeps- takes a nap before showing off in the spring.

Moe, our dog, is pictured on the blog today as well. What a dog! He keeps the yard free from squirrels. He loves going out with me in the early mornings to feed the birds. He is a true pal. Moe came to live here on Father's Day 2002. He was a gift from my girls.

Naming him was easy. He reminded me of Moe from the Three Stooges. But there is more. That name has been a nickname in my family for generations. My grandfather called everyone that and my Uncle John picked up on it too. He called my brother and I "Moe". I named my Father's Day gift after Moses Horowitz (Moe, The Stooge) and John Biggs, my uncle. When my Aunt Vivian came for a visit shortly after Uncle John went to be with the LORD, she asked, "What's the dog's name?" I told her, "Moe!" She responded with laughter and tears. Then called my cousins in Florida and told them. I guess Uncle John was not that flattered that I named a dog after him! I now have the privilege of being called this name by one of my nephews.

So here it is- snow and Moe. It makes me happy to Moe enjoying the winter.

It is the Real Thing!

Back in the late 60's & early 70's Coke had a sales slogan: "It's the real thing!"

They had a popular song that the adapted to the theme and the tune is still in our minds today- pretty effective advirtising!

But there was more. Since that time imitation items have grown. Sometimes it is hard to find the real thing today. Imitation crabmeat is really codfish with color and some chemicals. There is no comparison between it and king crab legs. For the past few days I have settled for dry creamer in my coffee. Yesterday I picked up half and half and when I put it in my coffee this morning- well you coffee drimkers know what I am talking about! We even have outdooor imitation flowers. They look real but who ever heard of tulips blooming in the summer?! I have two beds of tulips I put in two years ago. They bursted open last spring and one of my daughters admiring their beauty heard me comment that they will last about two weeks. She asked surprisingly, "You mean they are real?!"
Unfortunately we have come to accept imitation in our culture today. The search for reality is nothing more than a TV Show to many. There are no imitation flowers in my backyard or even my front yard for that matter.

Once you have experienced the real thing, nothing else can ever fully satisfy.

Jesus Christ is the Way, the Truth and the Life!


________________________

12:21pm- Back from the Thursday Morning Bible Study- It has been a month since we met. This morning we studied Psalm 58-60. We sang and prayed together. Just as He promised Jesus was there in our midst. Hebrews 10:25

Feed the Birds!

Remember the song Mary Poppins sang to the Banks children at bedtime?

Early each day to the steps of Saint Paul's The little old bird woman comes
In her own special way to the people she call, "Come, buy my bags full of crumbs
Come feed the little birds, Show them you care
And you'll be glad if you do
Their young ones are hungry Their nests are so bare
All it takes is tuppence from you
Feed the birds, tuppence a bag
Tuppence, tuppence, tuppence a bag
Feed the birds," that's what she cries
While overhead, her birds fill the skies
All around the cathedral the saints and apostles
Look down as she sells her wares
Although you can't see it, You know they are smiling
Each time someone shows that he cares
Though her words are simple and few
Listen, listen, she's calling to you
"Feed the birds, tuppence a bag
Tuppence, tuppence, tuppence a bag"
Though her words are simple and few
Listen, listen, she's calling to you "Feed the birds, tuppence a bag
Tuppence, tuppence, tuppence a bag"

Then there was the pigeon lady in Home Alone II. I saw someone like her in Flushing last week. Lucy and I were heading to the Chinese Store to get something to bring upstate and there was a guy with all kinds of rock doves (the proper name for pigeons) all around him as he fed them. Lucy said, "He is always there feeding the birds in that little park."

I can relate to these folks because I have enjoyed feeding our little feathery friends. Nana used to throw stale bread to them. My folks are avid feeders. When Emma is over she loves to help Poppa fill the feeders. One time I helped a friend pick out a feeder and feed as his wife wanted to join in the fun.

Jesus had some things to say about the birds and life.

As much as we enjoy feeding them and watching them, if we didn't they still would be taken care of. There is a great message for you and I here.

Matthew 6:25-27 (New International Version)

25"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? 26Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?

Don't worry!
Relax!
God is in Control!

Evening Reflections

As I unpacked from the trip upstate I found a few lists at the bottom of a small shopping bag. One was a Christmas Shopping List, the other a grocery list both from a few weeks ago.

Isn't it interesting how we live by lists?! "To do" lists lay out a day's work for us. We judge how sucessful a day was by how much of the list we got done. I have often wondered what the LORD thinks of our lists and the way they ruin (oops) run (excuse me- must have been a Freudian Typo) our schedules.

Do Quiet Times make your list? Do you make them as something to do along with a litany of other things? Martin Luther once said, "I have so much to do today I will spend the first two hours in prayer!" Priorities... Jesus had them all right. He had a mission and a vision and He was committed to them. He completed it at age 33. Isn't it interesting that many don't even get started until that age today?

Quieting ourselves is not easy. Important things seldom are. But important things are indespensible. You can drive a car without a hubcap but not without a tire.

May the indespensible things, the eternal things dominate your life.
Then and only then will you achieve balance.

Spring this Morning, Winter Tonight

I returned home from my Dad's birthday celebration to a wild sight- the hyacinth Joe and Ilona gave me last year was in bloom! I took in inside for the winter to keep it from the squirrels. It has been so warm that it opened up before Christmas, started to put out a scape last week and when we got home last night it was in bloom.

Tonight winter will return. It was 54 degrees outside last night and this evening it will go down to 19 here. That is okay. We could even use some snow.

Seasons in our lives can turn in a moment. We never know what is just around the corner. But those who know Jesus know He will be with them come good or bad.

I'll never forget what a man told me years ago, "I have a lot of friends, but they are all fair weather friends."

Jesus not only rides with us in the storms, He is our shelter in them!

What a Friend We Have in Jesus!

Here are two hymns and their stories, one from the title above and one from the picture:

William Cowper was so depressed one night that he hired a cab to bring him to London Bridge, where he had planned to throw himself off, ending his life. A fog blew in on the way and the cabbie rode around London for two hours. Finally he told Cowper, "I'm lost. I cannot find the bridge." Cowper asked him if he could find his way back to his house and an hour later they arrived. He went to pay the cabbie. The cabbie refused citing that he didn't get him to his destination. Cowper said, "Young man, you saved my life. I was going to throw myself off the bridge this evening." William Cowper then stumbled back into his house where he penned these words:

Light Shining Out of Darkness

by William Cowper

---

God moves in a mysterious way,
His wonders to perform;
He plants his footsteps in the sea,
And rides upon the storm.

Deep in unfathomable mines
Of never failing skill,
He treasures up his bright designs,
And works his sovereign will.

Ye fearful saints, fresh courage take,
The clouds ye so much dread
Are big with mercy, and shall break
In blessings on your head.

Judge not the LORD by feeble sense,
But trust him for his grace;
Behind a frowning providence,
He hides a smiling face.

His purposes will ripen fast,
Unfolding ev'ry hour;
The bud may have a bitter taste,
But sweet will be the flow'r.

Blind unbelief is sure to err,
And scan his work in vain;
GOD is his own interpreter,
And he will make it plain.

Another favorite of mine is:

WHAT A FRIEND WE HAVE IN JESUS

What a friend we have in Jesus, all our sins and griefs to bear!
What a privilege to carry everything to God in prayer!
O what peace we often forfeit, O what needless pain we bear,
All because we do no carry everything to God in prayer

Have we trials and temptations? Is there trouble anywhere?
We should never be discouraged; Take it to the Lord in prayer!
Can we find a friend so faithful, who will all our sorrows share?
Jesus knows our every weakness. Take it to the Lord in prayer!

Are we weak and heavy laden, Cumbered with a load of care?
Precious Saviour, still our Refuge; Take it to the Lord in prayer.
Do thy friends despise, forsake thee? Take it to the Lord in prayer.
In His arms He'll take and shield thee; Thou wilt find a solace there.

Someone has well penned this statement, "A Christian's practical theology is often his hymnology." Many of us could attest to this truth as we recall some deeply moving experience - perhaps the loss of a dear loved one-and a simple hymn which has been used by the Holy Spirit to minister to our spiritual need. Such a hymn is "What a Friend We Have in Jesus." Though it is not considered to be an example of great literary writing, its simply stated truths have brought solace and comfort to countless numbers of God's people since it was first written in 1857. So relevant to the basic spiritual needs of people are these words that many missionaries state that it is one of the first hymns taught to new converts. The very simplicity of the text and music has been its appeal and strength.

Joseph Scriven was born in 1819 of prosperous parents in Dublin, Ireland. He was a graduate of Trinity College, Dublin. At the age of twenty-five he decided to leave his native country and migrate to Canada. His reasons for leaving his family and country seem to be two-fold: the religious influence of the Plymouth Brethren upon his life estranging him from his family and the accidental drowning of his fiancee the night before their scheduled wedding.

From that time Scriven developed a totally different pattern of life. He took the Sermon on the Mount literally. It is said that he gave freely of his limited possessions, even sharing the clothing from his own body, if necessary, and never once refused to help anyone who needed it. Ira Sankey tells in his writings of the man who, seeing Scriven in the streets of Port Hope, Ontario, with his sawbuck and saw, asked, "Who is that man? I want him to work for me." The answer was, "You cannot get that man; he saws wood only for poor widows and sick people who cannot pay." Because of this manner of life Scriven was respected but was considered to be eccentric by those who knew him.

"What a Friend We Have in Jesus" was never intended by Scriven for publication. Upon learning of his mother's serious illness and unable to be with her in far-off Dublin, he wrote a letter of comfort enclosing the words of this text. Some time later when he himself was ill, a friend who came to call on him chanced to see the poem scribbled on scratch paper near the bed. The friend read it with keen interest and asked Scriven if he had written the words. Scriven, with typical modesty, replied, "The Lord and I did it between us." In 1869 a small collection of his poems was published. It was simply entitled Hymns and Other Verses.

After the death of Joseph Scriven, also by accidental drowning, the citizens of Port Hope, Ontario, erected a monument on the Port Hope-Peterborough Highway, which runs from Lake Ontario, with the text and these words inscribed: Four miles north, in Pengally's Cemetery, lies the philanthropist and author of this great masterpiece, written at Port Hope, 1857. The composer of the music, Charles C. Converse, was a well-educated versatile and successful Christian, whose talents ranged from law to professional music. Under the pen name of Karl Reden, he wrote numerous scholarly articles on many subjects. Though he was an excellent musician and composer with many of his works performed by the leading American orchestras and choirs of his day, his life is best remembered for this simple music so well suited to Scriven's text.

Ira D. Sankey discovered the hymn in 1875, just in time to include it in his well-known collection, Sankey's Gospel Hymns Number One. Later Sankey wrote, "The last hymn which went into the book became one of the first in favor."

My Dad's 80th Birthday

Our Family all together after church on Dad' s Birthday.
Except for my brother Mark who is with the LORD,
Dad had all his children, grandchildren and great grandchild with him on his 80th Birthday.

It was a great time of celebrating a man's life who has been the shepherd of our family and an example of faithfulness for all our lives.

God bless you, Dad!

January, Joshua, The Jordan River etc.

January brings the New Year. Joshua brought the children of Israel over the Jordan, marking a new day for the nation.

Birth, new life, new opportunities, hope, a new start, different challenges, learning can bring out the best in a person.

May this day bring God's Best for you!

Winter Solstice Past, Spring is Coming

Signs of Spring

Birds building nests, my pond fish coming up for food after winter, my neighbor's snow drops in bloom, tulips, hyacinths and daffodils pushing through the soil.

Tempertures moderating, early vegetables showing growth, red winged black birds...

The warmth of the sun, clear skies..

All of this happening now on Long Island on January 10th!

From an e-mail from past winter of 2004
Quite a different story this winter.
This was sent out on February 4, 2004

For those of us living here in the Northeast this has been a long winter. We have had our share of cold and snow. Many of us are ready for spring... more than ready! For some of us this winter has been a difficult one in ways that are bigger than the weather. The promise of spring is more than just a season change. We hope for new life and restoration from some difficult days.

The groundhog was of little help. Six more weeks of winter! Or is there? You could say the pessimist sees six more weeks of cold, possibly snow and little sign of spring. I must be an optimist then!

I do have my personal reasons... Emmariah Rose, my first grandchild is due any day. In fact she's already late. We are all waiting for her to make her appearance. Her middle name reminds us of spring.

But let me tell you quickly about a little backyard project I did last year that also tells me spring is close.

I put in solar lights for the gardens; four to be exact. I purposely left them up over the winter. They provided some beauty while the ground was snow covered. Some of you may remember the first snow arrived days before the first day of winter! But as the days grew short, I noticed one of the lights, the one furthest north in the backyard failed to light at night. I thought perhaps they weren't such a good deal after all. I had bought them at a local liquidator store. Then I realized that the sun was not reaching this lone light, thus no night illumination. Until tonight! For as the days have been slowly growing longer since December 22nd, so now the sun reaches this spot in the yard, overcoming the shadows that hid it before today.

Spring is not far off. While there are other places in the country that have a warmer and drier climate than we do, I am sure they are not going to relish the spring like we will this year.

And while we may experience six more weeks of winter, it really is not that long. Enjoy the coming of spring and all the beauty the LORD will display in a short time. For me, its the greatest show on earth!

This evening, January 10, 2007
all the lights were lit brightly!

Another Day, Another Dollar or Is It?

Bill was an assistant butcher in the grocery store I worked in when I was in High school. When I worked a full day like on a Saturday or school vacation, he always greeted me, "Well Larry, another day, another dollar."

In a song by the same name of Bill's Greeting the last stanza is:

Now my life is like a highway
Just too many roads to take
You know I'll try to take the right one
Just gets harder every day

This poor soul doesn't know the joy and peace of traveling on the road that leaves to life. Jesus Christ is the Way. My friend Rudy Migliore told me a few years back something that has stuck in my mind, "You know, Pastor Larry," he said, "there are a lot of broken hearted people out there." He was and is right.

What a different way of looking at things this song writer had:

Oh I have found it! The Crystal Fountain,
Where all my life deep needs have been supplied,
So freely flowing from Calvary's Mountain,
And now my soul is fully satisfied.

His name was Floyd Hawkins. I had the privilege of meeting him. I was working in another grocery store- this time when I was in college. He and his wife were shopping. I recognized him from his being introduced to our congregation in church the past Sunday. When I told him how meaningful his songs has been to me as a young man, he blushed a bit. You see the poor soul that wrote, "Another Day, Another Dollar," by his own self confession was lost, while Floyd Hawkins and all have sung this song he wrote from their hearts know the origin of it is from heaven.

It can be another day another dollar today
or
This is the Day that the LORD has made
I will rejoice and be glad in it!

The song that is in your heart today tells the direction you are heading
and the road you are traveling on.

Sunrise is upon us here in the east.

Top of the Morning to You!

Tuesday Morning Sunrise and Sunshine

Any of us who have kids grow up in the house the last 30 years remember Fred Rogers, of Mr. Rogers Neighborhood, singing his welcome song, "Its a beautiful day in the neighborhood..."

This morning on Long Island, after the soaking we got yesterday, the sun is shining brightly, the winds have died down and once again in January, our usual coldest month, there is a sense of spring all around.

There are many songs that have been written around the theme of sunshine, both love songs and worship songs. Do you recall these:

Oh there's sunshine in my soul today... for Jesus is my Light...

or how about

Climb, climb up sunshine mountain, face is all alglow...

or

You are my sunshine, my only sunshine...

Something struck me years ago and yet I fell back into the "darkness" as I wrote these opening lines... in the midst of the pouring gray day yesterday- the sun was still shining! Its rays were simply obstructed by the clouds! Duh! See how easy it is to think things that are not correct and draw wrong conclusions? At least it is easy for me!

Sunday we shared the Word about how Jacob lamented, "Everything is against me!"
Of course it was not. It just seemed that way. In a short while there was going to be a family reunion, Jacob was going to find out his son Joseph was not only alive but he was well and in charge of Egypt. He and his sons and their families were going to be spared from the famine in the land! Jacob was going to watch his son forgive his brothers and prove it by his actions! I just wrote to a friend earlier today, III John 4 I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth.

Isn't amazing how we can easliy see the clouds and conclude the sun is not shining?! Even more how much like the children of Israel I can be, who had God working miracles one moment, and then began to stress over the future in the next moment.

The sun is shining today! The Son of God reigns!
Lord, open our eyes so we can see!

Good Night and May God Bless!

So many are in need of prayer this evening. It has been a full day of bearing each others burdens. As I finish this day I am so thankful that He Who watches over Israel neither slumbers or sleeps! The LORD will be watching us as we sleep. Pleasant dreams! Good Night.

Good Morning Long Island and the Rest of the World!

Isn't it something waking up to spring like weather in January?!

My daffodils didn't bloom like Islip Town Hall's did over the weekend but they are up several months early. I noticed here on January 8th that my tulips are all up about two to three inches.

This is from last year. But at the rate we are going we could see blooms by Valentine's Day!

Its Monday, the beginning of a new week. May it be a blessed one for all who visit this blog today.

Love These Pictures!

With all the technology at our finger tips today, I have combined some pictures with present and past. Here are some of my favorites:

Isn't this some trio?
On the left is my son-in-law, James
the right my daughter, Tonya
in the middle is Emma, my granddaughter, a custom blend!

The Title of this one is "My Smiles"
(Click on pictures to enlarge)

Like Father, like daughter!

Definitely an incredible picture
Tonya and I in May 79 when I graduated from Bible College
Emma and I the night her dad graduated from
Med School in June 2006
Both of my girls had a full night and were all tuckered out!
What great kids!

More of my story...
An oldie but a goodie!

This is a combined picture (like you couldn't tell) of my friend and brother and prayer partner,
Kim Richardson. He was traveling with a musical group from college and I was in a musical group made up of teenagers from across Nazarene Churches in Metro New York.

Kim's group played at a camp I attended back in 1971. Little did I know then that, at this point in 2007, he and I would have been praying together for 17 years on a regular basis. We meet several times a year to pray.

I don't remember meeting him in 1971 but I do remember the group.

The group I was in was a traveling group that met on weekends and over summers.
This picture (of me) was taken in the Clinton, New Jersey Church of the Nazarene. The pastor was Bob Rapaljie. Two years later he would come to pastor the Church of the Nazarene in Bay Shore, Long Island. He built the church without ever borrowing a penny- yes it never had a mortgage! That was in 1976. 8 years later I would come to pastor that same church!

Kim pastored the Buffalo First Church of the Nazarene in the early 1980's while I was the pastor of the Olean Church of the Nazarene. That is how we met. I came back to the Island and a few years later Kim went to Massachusetts. While taking a class there we talked and first thought about praying together.

All these connections were being made back then and I didn't know it. I did not have a clue! Now God is continuing to connect the dots in my life. It is wonderful.

To God Be the Glory!

A New Blog and Some Reflections

I created a new blog today. It has this morning's message from the church. Each Sunday we'll post the bulletin and message. Feel free to forward this as you feel led to. The new address is

http://thesundaymorningmessage.blogspot.com/

We had a good service this morning with sweet fellowship afterwards. I am blessed to be the pastor of the Bay Shore Church of the Nazarene.

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Hebrews 12.1

2007 is going to be a year of great blessing in our lives!

To God be the Glory!



Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever.
I Corinthians 9.24-25

What a Day when we hit that finish line!

GOMER PYLE, USMC

I had some Christmas money (yes at 50 years of age I still get some from my 87 year aunt!) to spend so I went to BEST BUYS with a few coupons and picked up the first season of Gomer Pyle, USMC. I remember watching this show every Friday night along with the Addams Family. Mom and Dad got us home just in time usually to rip off our coats and turn on the TV for the opening theme song and credits. I can still see Sgt. Carter yelling at Gomer as he marched with a big smile on his face. More of that in a moment.

Opening a new season set of some old TV Shows now on DVD is like going up in the attic and pulling out things that brought us joy and laughter when were kids. Like the Kellogg's Corn Flakes commercial, "Taste them again for the first time." From Gilligan's Island to M.A.S.H., from Mary Tyler Moore to F- Troop, these were the show us Baby Boomers grew up with! We have the privilege of watching them again now that we know how good they were and are. Buying these classic shows is an investment for me. I can laugh again at some very funny stuff while being given life lessons. I have already shared some with my granddaughter and she loves them- black and white and all! She didn't budge a few weeks ago when we watched the Andy Griffith Christmas episode. I was a little older than she is now when it came out. She was glued to something that has stood the test of time.

I got the last Gomer Pyle, USMC, First Season at Best Buys this morning. When the sales associate (what we used to call a clerk) asked me if I needed help I said, "No, I know exactly what I want!" I picked it up and began to talk to him. It was like he was from another planet. I began to explain how Gomer Pyle got his own show. He didn't know what I was talking about. Then I asked him, "Well, surely you know of Andy Griffith?" He never heard of him. I suddenly felt bad for this young man. He doesn't know what he is missing! Next time I fill out one of surveys on line for my shopping experience at Best Buys I am going to recommend something radical. I am going to suggest that they require all their employees a certain amount homework in the form of DVD viewing of old TV Shows like Andy Griffith and Gomer Pyle, USMC. so they can be "educated" about the customer's needs. I bet it will end up being something these sales associates love and they will be better people for it.

I just put on the first disc of Gomer Pyle and got a wonderful surprise. As Gomer says, "Surprise! Surpise! Surprise! The pilot episode which is really an Andy Griffith Show regular epsiode is included as a bonus. It has Jim Nabors himself telling about it. I am right in the middle of it but wanted to pass on these thoughts while they were fresh on my mind. Okay back to Mayberrry and off to Camp Wilson. Yippee!!! Oh yeah Gomer said to say, "Hey!"

Winter Warmth Continues

This is wild mild weather we are having on Long Island. I brought in more green onions from our garden yesterday. There have been Januarys when the ground was so frozen solid. Not this year. Funny when the weather is this good here the taunts from the Floridians quiet right down. Let it snow and my phone and e-mail fill with jeers from "paradise" about us "poor" northerners!


Third Snowstorm Blows Into Colo., Plains
DENVER (AP) -- The third snowstorm in as many weeks barreled into Colorado on Friday, blanketing the Denver area with up to 8 inches of new snow and further hampering efforts to rescue thousands of cattle stranded by last week's blizzard. Crews worked around the clock to clear roads so residents could get to stores for food and medicine. Several school districts canceled classes because winds gusts up to 30 mph had reduced visibility.

I remember being in Bible College in Colorado in the winter of 1977 when the East Coast was having horrible treacherous winter weather and we were in the 60's with spring temperatures at the same time. The tables have turned.

I plan on taking down the exterior Christmas Lights today then doing yard work in the back, in Larry's Backyard (the name of this blog).

Also in the news:
TOKYO (AP) -- Momofuku Ando, the Japanese inventor of instant noodles -- a dish that has sustained American college students for decades -- has died. He was 96. Nissin Food Products Co., the company Ando founded, said on its Web site that he died Friday after suffering a heart attack.

These were a staple of my diet when I was in college in the late 70's.

Early Rising

I come from a long line of early risers- people who get up before the sun does. My Nana was an early bird. I have told the story many times about when she stayed at our house overnight one summer. It had to be in the late 1960's. A few of us in the neighborhood decided we would go fishing. We had heard the best fishing in early in the morning. So we decided to go at 6am. I got up and quietly went downstairs (I figured everyone was asleep except Dad who would have left for work by then-more about him in a minute). I can still see what I saw in the corner of the living room when I opened the door at the bottom of the stairs. There was my Nana, sitting on the couch, with her Bible opened on her lap. When she heard and saw me she said, "Oooo you are up so early." I said, "We're going fishing." I loved her gentle spirit. She smiled and said, "Oh." Guess she realized that I was becoming like her in this way.

My dad got up early almost all his life until his retirement 15 years ago this month. I was with him on his last day of work. When he lived in Bellmore he would rise around 5am. He worked for WISE Potato Chips and needed to be in Brooklyn by 7am. He worked in the Carnarsie section. He had to drive and pick up his truck first in New Hyde Park and then get back down to Brooklyn to begin his route. When he moved upstate in 1973 he had a Drakes Cake Route and on Mondays he would get up at 4am. He sleeps in these days.

Now I have continued this practice. I'm up now at 5:50am on a Saturday. I spoke to a funeral director last week. He rises at 4am each day. But we know we are in the minority. It is quiet at this hour because there are so few up before the sun. We are in good company though. When Jesus was here, well let me quote it right from Mark's Gospel, chapter one, verse thirty five. Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where He prayed.

Good Morning whatever time it is when you read this.

People Who Have Blessed My Life

Parents and Grandparents
Brother and Sister
Brother-in-law

My Girls, My Nieces, My Nephews, My Granddaughter

My Mother, a little flighty but I love her

My Dad

My Daughter, Tonya

My Daughter, Theresa


My Daughter, Tina

My Daughters, Theresa and Tina

My Brother Mark on earth with me
Now in Heaven with the LORD.
I miss him. See you soon Bro!

My Wife Lucy and Emma our Granddaughter

My sons (in-laws), Mike and James

Our dear family in China

My friend John


My good friend Rudy with his wife

Dr. Orville Jenkins

Billy Graham
Since I was a young boy Billy Graham has been someone I have looked up to. When I was 12 years old I attended my first Billy Graham Crusde in Madison Square Garden. Little did I know then that 22 years later I would be serving in the 1990 Long Island Billy Graham Crusade. What a blessing!


Chuck Smith and Gayle Erwin


My Granddaughter Emma just being a kid


Dal and Sandy Mucci


Jerry Bonfiglio and Dallas Mucci

Art Alexander
In 1988 I was privileged to go to the Holyland with my friend Art Alexander. He put up with me shraing a room with him for a two weeks. I have returned several times but that first trip was special in its own way. It was a wonderful time which I'll never forget.


The People of this Parish
I thank my God for them.
They have enriched my life so much over these 22+ years.





Leo and Helen


Aunts



Uncle John and Poppa



Cousins, Second Cousins, Third Cousins


I am a very blessed man. These and many others have blessed my life beyond measure.
I am so very thankful for the people God has placed in my life. Some are in heaven. Others like my Nana are mentioned in others spots on this blog. Others are still to make their appearance (future grandchildren). There has never been a time in my life when I have not felt support coming from people who love me. The reason I am smiling in all these pictures (except the one where Uncle John and I are untangling fishing lines on the boat- no one smiles then!) is because of the people I am with! They bring joy to me.I pay tribute to these in this entry.
Thanks Guys! You are all beautiful!
I love you!