Say "Thanks!" to a Vet Today!

Even though WW I (known in its day as "The Great War") did not officially end until the Treaty of Versailles was signed on June 28, 1919, actual fighting had ceased when an armistice (a temporary cessation of hostilities) between the Allied nations and Germany went into effect on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month. Therefore, November 11, 1918 is the date most often referenced when discussing the end date of "the war to end all wars" (oh that it were so!).

One year later, in November 1919, President Woodrow Wilson proclaimed November 11 as the first commemoration of Armistice Day with these words: "To us in America, the reflections of Armistice Day will be filled with solemn pride int he heroism of those who died in the country's service and with gratitude for the victory, both because of the thing from which it has freed us and because of the opportunity it has given America to show her sympathy with peace and justice in the councils of nations . . ." Armistice Day was made a legal holiday by an act of Congress in 1938. In 1954, Congress removed the word "Armistice" and replaced it with the word "Veterans." This was done to assure that American veterans of all wars (important since WW I was NOT the "war to end all wars!") would be remembered and honored on this day.

If you know a vet - please thank them for their service to our country. And as you think of those who gave their lives fighting to preserve our freedoms, be sure to thank God for them. And above all - take a moment to thank God for the One who gave his life on a cross so that you might enjoy the ultimate freedom ... the freedom from death and sin! (see Romans 8:1-3)

Thanks for stopping by . . .

pj

A Blown Light Bulb and a Tripped Circuit Breaker

This morning when I flipped on a small desk lamp in my office, the bulb blew. So I went over to a floor lamp that sits in the corner and turned its own switch. Nothing. Hmm. Circuit breaker tripped? So I made my way to the janitor's closet that contains the breaker panel ... and when I opened its door - there staring back at me in all red was the blown breaker. All is now well after I simply reset the breaker and replaced the blown bulb.

Wouldn't it be great if we could fix every problem as simply as that? But life doens't work that way. The fix for many problems require much more effort (and other resources). And the bigger the problem ... and the longer the problem has been around ... the more effort and resources we must expend to fix it! We do not like this reality of life! We all would like to snap our fingers and make our problems go away. But that's not going to happen. So, should we throw up our hands in defeat ... and simply "grin and bear it?" Not at all. God has given us all the resources that we need to "fix" our problems. But we must also do our part (see 2 Peter 1:3-9). We must grab hold of these God-given resources and "discipline ourselves for godliness" (see 1 Timothy 4:7-8). Only as we commit to partner with God and allow Him to do His work IN us and then THROUGH us will we begin to have success "fixing" our problems. Now that's a thought! That the King of the Universe would be willing to partner with us!!!

Thanks for stopping by . . .

pj

A Random Act of Culture or a Reminder of Who is King?

A few weeks ago .... the following "Random Act of Culture" occurred at Macy's in Center City Philadelphia (the shoppers had no idea that it was coming!). What a contrast: a song sung to the glory of the King of kings in the midst of the opulence of the god of consumerism. In the end ... it is the former who will win out! Enjoy!




Thanks for stopping by . . .

pj

Some Brief Monday Morning Thoughts

1. Last Wednesday I drove out to Winona Lake, Indiana. Saturday I drove home. 597 miles ... mainly interstate. Both trips took in the neighborhood of ten hours. Now I am sure it would not surprise you to know that during those ten hour trips I made a few stops. For starters, I like to drink coffee. Given that there are a number of Starbucks along the way (especially along the PA Turnpike), I can tend to drink a lot of coffee. This necessitates some of the stops. In addition, my car can only hold about 14 gallons of gas. At about 25 miles to the gallon you can see that some stops are needed to gas up. And sometimes ... I just feel a need to stop and stretch. All this to say, rest stops are often a welcome site. Now ... if I can just transfer that concept to my daily routine. All too often I am in the go, go, go mode. I admit that I am too driven. So ... I am making a commitment today to SLOW DOWN! I want to take Jesus up on the invitation that he offers (see Matthew 11:28-30).

2. I am grateful for the victory that my son-in-law enjoyed last Tuesday at the polls (66% to 34% margin of victory). Ryan Aument is the real deal. He is a man of integrity and cherishes the values that I cherish. The residents of Pennsylvania's 41st legislative district are truly blessed to have him as their state representative. I would ask you to keep Ryan in your prayers. Serving in public office these days is not an easy task. Thanks for your prayers on his behalf.

3. Yesterday ushered in the return to standard time. Now the sun will be setting prior to 5 pm! As the days grow shorter and the nights longer, cold weather is sure to follow. And even though I am a warm weather guy, there are some things I enjoy about the winter months. Like climbing into a warm bed on cold night or walking into my house to the smell of freshly baked bread (we tend to do this more so in the winter than in the summer - why, I don't really know!). And before we know it we will be changing the clocks again ... as we welcome springtime! That's the way life goes .... it just flies by. All the more reason to make today count for Christ and his kingdom!

Thanks for stopping by . . .

pj

Off to Winona!

Today I will be driving to Winona Lake, Indiana (about a ten hour drive). Our Grace College and Seminary fall board meetings begin tomorrow morning. Please pray for our board of trustees and the administrative staff with whom we will be meeting. This has been a difficult fall semester for the college (primarily due to the death of one student and the serious injury of another in a tragic accident). Pray that we as a board can be an encouragement to the administrators. Also ask our wise God to impart His wisdom to us as we are called upon to make some important decisions concerning the ongoing work of the college and seminary. I will be traveling back to Lancaster on Sunday.

Thanks for your prayers! And thanks for stopping by . . .

pj

PS - I will get back to posting early next week!

In the Land of Many Cell Phones and Few Toilets

According to a recent report issued by the United Nations University (a U.N. think tank), over 563 million people in India have cell phones. This means half of India's population are mobile subscribers. At the same time, only 1/3 (approximately 336 million) of India's people have access to proper sanitation. Consider the following as a case in point: The Mumbai slum of Rafiq Nagar is populated by some 10,000 people. They live in shanties made of cardboard, bamboo and ripped tarps. There is no garbage pickup in Rafiq Nagar and little electricity. And not a single toilet or latrine. Yet almost every one of the destitute families living there has a cell phone! And some have three!

Now I scratched my head when I read this. And quite frankly, I am not sure what to make of it. Some might scoff at what they see as misplaced priorities. A cell phone over a commode? But is that really the case? Could it be that what is going on here is the deep desire of the human heart to be connected with others. Given the extent these people must go to in order to just survive - perhaps the cell phone gives them opportunities to relate with family and friends that they might not otherwise enjoy. Whatever the answer truly is, we can certainly take away from this a needed reminder to value our relationships. Please don't cheat on these. Make your significant relationships an integral part of your life. At the end of the day, you will be glad you did!

Thanks for stopping by,

pj

Some Random Thoughts To Start Your Work Week

As you get going on yet another week, here are a few thoughts to think about:

1. Isn't it a good feeling to get something that you know will be tough to do .... done? I am feeling good (at least on the inside) that all my adult children are now in their homes. After three moves in the last four months (the last being this past Friday-Saturday and that's why the good feeling is on the inside of me ... my body is still aching!), I am quite grateful that there are no more moves in the foreseeable future. Yes!

2. Tomorrow is ELECTION DAY. I encourage all of you who are registered to vote to get out and cast it! I often hear people complain about our elected officials, only to find out they never vote! So head to the polls and prayerfully consider supporting those candidates who value life!

3. There are only 23 days until Thanksgiving and 53 days until Christmas. That's right. The holidays are knocking at the door! I bring this up to urge all of us to plan to emphasize the spiritual aspects of these holidays. There was a reason God instituted the Old Testament feasts for the people of Israel. In part it was to give them time to come apart from their regular routine to remember HIM and His ways. You may want to check out the following resources: For Thanksgiving Day (http://www.biblicalspirituality.org/sing.html or http://www.crossroad.to/HisWord/notes/oswald/thanksgiving.htm) and for Christmas (http://www.biblicalspirituality.org/xmas.html).

Thanks for stopping by . . .

pj