Big Sister, Little Brother

Just looking at this photo, I can tell that these two children are in for a very exciting future, and it reminds me of my childhood.

I was the big sister, and I used to put my little brother through all kinds of silly things. At least, I did until he got bigger than me and could beat me up!

At one point in my life, we lived in a neighborhood where there were no girls my age to play with, so I used to play with my little brother and his friends. I was 10 or 11 years old and my brother was 7 or 8 years old. On one occasion, I remember that I dressed them all in my dresses and, somewhere, I still have the photograph.

When our parents divorced, we became latch-key kids--walking home from school to an empty house--for a short period of time. Our dad was usually home within an hour, but it's amazing the amount of trouble you can get into in an hour! And I'm pretty sure that I was probably the instigator of our mischief.

One time, we explored all of the cabinets in the upper-reaches of the kitchen, like the cabinet above the refrigerator. We had always wondered what was up there, so I pulled a chair up to the cupboard, climbed up and opened the door. I remember finding some magazines that I had never seen before and my dad's service revolver. I was pretty sure we weren't supposed to see that stuff, so I put everything back and shut the door. I am also certain that my dad never found out what we found out that day. (Unless, of course, he reads this blog!)

When my brother and I had an argument, we would chase each other through the house and try to hit each other. I remember one incident where we had been playing pool and my brother got mad at me. He chased me around the house with a pool cue. I ran into a bedroom and slammed the door shut, and he promptly jabbed the base of the pool cue through the door. The thin plywood on the door splintered and left a 2" gash in the door. Needless to say, our mom wasn't too happy with us. For years, the door had an orange, vinyl flower adhered to the door to cover up the hole.

Fortunately, as we grew older and somewhat more mature, we actually started liking each other. We played tennis, went to the movies, spent the day at Disneyland and did a lot of other fun activities together. When my brother played in various sporting activities, I was his biggest fan.

In the photo above, I see a hint of the fun that these two children will enjoy as they grow up. And they will, indeed, grow up. It'll be a joy to watch the two of them together.

Fresh and New

What is he thinking? So small, so vulnerable, so adorable. What could be going through his little brain?

Is he thinking about his next meal or nap time? Perhaps he is wondering who is going to pick him up and cuddle him, smothering him in kisses. Maybe he is watching his big sister and wondering how long it will be before he can do what she is doing.

What must it be like to see everything fresh and new? Every day is a new learning experience when seen through "new" eyes.

We can have that same experience by reading our Bible every day and walking close to the Lord. He opens our eyes so that we see things from a fresh, new perspective.

"Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade--kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God's power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time." (1 Peter 1:3-5, New International Version)

Wow! We, too, can see through "fresh" eyes, much the same as a newborn baby, discovering the many wonders in the world around us. We can gain strength through our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ! We can learn to appreciate the "newness" we see all around us. We can grow to become the man or woman of God that he wants us to be.

A Quiet Hush

In the quiet of the early morning hours, a hush fell over the trees, which were shrouded in a thick, dense fog. Everything took on an eerie appearance in the gray stillness. A few people were in the park playing Frisbee golf or feeding the geese. Even these could not break the silence that hung over the trees.

"The earth is the Lord's, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it." (Psalm 24:1, New International Version)

In the peace and stillness of the morning, I can see the Lord's handiwork in all that He has made. What better place to draw close to the Lord than in the quiet of an early morning?

Just do it!

Have you ever noticed that when a child does something out of the ordinary, they jump in with both feet? They don't stop to analyze what is going to happen or why they are doing it; they just do it.

They do it because they are ready and willing to experience new things. They do it because they are doing it with someone special. They do it.....because.

As we get older, we are less inclined to jump in with both feet to accomplish a task. We tend to analyze and evaluate and weigh the results before we even take a step to start the task. Why? It may have something to do with the fact that our minds are littered with "tasks gone bad". How many times has a simple task turned into a lengthy chore? A project that we thought would take a couple of hours takes a couple of days instead.

Perhaps we need some of the childlike innocence in our lives, the willingness to do and not worry about the consequences (within reason, of course!).

The Bible says, "Unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven." (Matthew 18:3, New International Version) There is a difference between "childish" and "childlike". Jesus wants us to open our minds and have the simple trust and loving obedience that is characteristic of children. These are character traits that are highly treasured in the kingdom of heaven.

Simple trust, loving obedience--character traits of children--these are the desirable traits in the children of God who long to share heaven with Jesus.

No Words Needed

When I made the decision to post this photo on my blog, I tried and tried to come up with a story to go with it. Then I realized that the photo doesn't need any written text. The photos says it all. I should probably explain that the rubber mallet was a birthday gift, and Les had just opened it.

Good News - Bad News - Sensational News

Unless you live in a cave, you cannot avoid the news. It's on television, radio, and you hear it from friends, family and co-workers. News about fires, floods, airplane crashes, murders, and so on. The media produces very little "good" news because the public loves the drama and wants to hear the sensational news stories.

Have you ever heard this lead-in on the evening news? "We start tonight with our top story we've been following for you today here on the News at 6. Jesus was born in a stable tonight and will bring peace and eternal life to all men."

Do you think this will hit the news? "Jesus was seen by every man, woman and child on earth today, as foretold in Revelation 1:7." Hmm, I wonder if that will be dramatic enough to appease the public desire for sensationalism.

We have the most sensational news on earth: the news of Jesus' soon return to take His people home. We are tasked with the responsibility to get this news out to the public. Jesus IS coming again, to rule the earth, to take us home....for eternity.

"You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven." (Matthew 5:14-16, New International Version)

Let the light of Jesus shine in you and around you as you share the most glorious, sensational news of all.

Creation or Evolution?

As I gaze into the face of a newborn babe, I have great difficulty believing in evolution. I don't believe for one second that this beautiful child developed over millions of years of evolution from an ape-like creature. This perfect little being with ten fingers and ten toes is, according to the Bible, created in the image of God.

Open your Bible to the very first book, Genesis, and turn to chapter 1, verse 26: "Then God said, 'Let us make man in our image, in our likeness.'" It doesn't say to make man from an ape or an organism that will crawl up out of the sea onto the land. It clearly states that man will be made in the image, or likeness, of God. Verse 27 continues, "So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them."

Creation or evolution--which will you believe? Regardless of which you choose to believe, they must both be accepted on faith. There are no hard facts on evolution--that's why they call it the theory of evolution. It's based on man's opinion of how it all started without any hard evidence. Creation, on the other hand, has a strong foundation based on scientific evidence.

Archeological research has proven that what is written in the Bible is based on fact. History also supports the evidence of creation, through the life of Jesus Christ as told in the Bible. Man has been provided with this written history, yet still he tries to fabricate the origin of the species and support the theory of evolution.

By definition, faith is belief that is not based on proof. If we choose to accept the Bible by faith as the historical record of creation, it gives us all the proof we need to support that belief.

Evidence of creation vs. the theory of evolution--which will you choose to believe?