Have a Blessed Memorial Day!

Thanks for stopping by . . .

pj

Living by the Book!

Single mother and Wal-Mart employee Heather Ravenstein did what she thought she had to do - stop a shoplifter from stealing a $600 computer. The suspect had set off an alarm when he exited the store without paying for the computer. Ravenstein went after him. When she caught up with him (he was walking somewhat briskly), she asked him to see the receipt for the computer. When he ignored her request, she grabbed the computer. After a brief tussle, he let go of the box and ran off. Yea Heather Ravenstein! You foiled the attempts of a would-be shoplifter, thus saving Wal-Mart (and really all of us in the long run, as costs associated with shoplifting are passed on to us the consumer) money!

But wait! Not so fast. The next day, Ravenstein was fired by Wal-Mart. According to a spokesman for the giant retailer, Wal-Mart has a policy that clearly states that only a manager or someone in asset protection is to try to stop a customer from stealing. This policy is in place to protect both employees and customers. Wal-Mart views this so seriously that to violate this policy leads to immediate termination. Ravenstein claimed that she was unaware of the policy - but that was irrelevant as far as Wal-Mart was concerned.

Now I must admit when I first read of this incident, I was a bit peeved at Wal-Mart. Here is this huge corporation firing a single mom and all she did was stop a shoplifter. But, after hearing of their policy (which does make a lot of sense when you think about it), my anger toward Wal-Mart abated. Now as to whose fault it is that Ravenstein did not know about the policy - if indeed she is telling the truth - whether Wal-Mart for not clearly communicating this policy with employees or Ravenstein for not paying attention to clearly stated store policies - I don't know. But this incident does remind me of our relationship to God's Word. In the Word, God lays out His will for our lives. He gives us clear instruction on what we are to value and how we are to live. He wants us to live life by the Book - His Book! So ... to do this, we must KNOW the Book (we cannot obey and practice what we do not know). One day ... we will have to give an account to God as to how we lived our lives in light of the Book. Claiming ignorance of the Book will not acceptable on that Day. So ... that leads me to the question: have you been in the Book today?

Thanks for stopping by . . .

pj

Big Brother is Watching!

In an attempt to curb increasing crime rates in urban areas, a growing number of municipalities are adding surveillance cameras to their downtown streets. This has many libertarians quite upset. "It is an infringement upon a person's privacy," they protest. Many claim it is unconstitutional (although I am not a constitutional scholar, I don't think the right to privacy is actually a right mentioned in the Constitution). But in spite of protests, the cameras are there ... and being used quite effectively.

Now it is not my purpose to argue the pros and cons of such cameras (although my view is if you don't have anything to hide, what's the problem with the cameras?). I do want to remind all of us that all the cameras could be removed and we would STILL be under surveillance. Scripture tells us that "the eyes of the LORD are everywhere, keeping watch on the wicked and the good" (Proverbs 15:3). So it does not matter whether "Big Brother is watching" - unless, of course, you are committing a crime! But it does matter that God is watching!  So as you go about your day today ... remember these words: "Nothing in all creation is hidden from God's sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account" (Hebrews 4:13).

Thanks for stopping by ...

pj

Don't Neglect Your Family and Friends!

Monday was my day off. I spent the day cultivating relationships that are important to me. I had breakfast with my oldest sister (who lives in Etters, PA in northern York County). I went to a late morning showing of Iron Man 2 with my son and then grabbed a late lunch with him at Burger King. I came home to spend time with my granddaughter who my wife was babysitting. Then that evening, I was with my wife, our two daughters, their spouses, my daughter-in-law and granddaughter (my son had to work) as we enjoyed talking over pizza at my oldest daughter's house. I wrapped up the day watching the final episode of Lost with my wife (see yesterday's post). All-in-all, it was a very good, satisfying day!

Family and friends. So important. But in our busy, fast paced lives, it is far too easy to overlook those who are (or should be) important to us. I believe all of us could to a better job at cultivating life's important relationships. It is the depth of relationships that will go a long way toward making or breaking our enjoyment of life. One of my favorite movies is the film, It's a Wonderful Life. At its conclusion, George Bailey (played by Jimmy Stewart) looks at a copy of the book, Tom Sawyer, left for him by the angel Clarence. Inside the book's cover, Clarence had written the following words: "Remember, no man is a failure who has friends." Friends and family are gifts God gives to us. Let's not abuse these gifts through neglect or mistreatment of any kind. Rather let's determine to practice Proverbs 17:17 which reads, "A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity."

Thanks for stopping by . . .

pj

The Series Finale of "Lost"

I don't watch many TV shows. Apart from some newscasts and sporting events, I usually limit myself to watching one (or at most two) television series with any regularity. The one I have followed in recent years has been ABC's Lost. Those of you who are fellow "Lost-ers" have probably by now viewed the final episode of Lost (my wife and I viewed it last night as we were unable to see it live on Sunday evening). As the show concluded, I was trying to figure it all out and decide on whether or not I liked it (my wife informed me immediately that she indeed liked how it ended). Guess what ... I am still unsure of how I feel about the series' conclusion. But as I think on this (and trust me, I won't spend much more time on this) ... here are some thoughts:

1. For me, the series finale left too many questions unanswered, too many details unexplained. For example, we know how Jack died, but how did the others die? And why wouldn't Ben Linus enter the church for the closing scene ... and what ever happened to the island?  As I posed these questions to my wife, she reminded me that really - that is true to life. Many of our questions about life remain unanswered - and details unexplained. There are a lot of loose ends in life - Lost was no different.

2. The finale led viewers into the "after life." Yea! I thought! At least the writers got that part right. There is an "after life" for all of us, as the Scripture states clearly, "Just as man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment" (Hebrews 9:27). So there is an "after that" to life. The writers got that! (but they missed the judgment part!).

3. What I will miss most about the series is the characters. The writers did a wonderfully creative job of telling the stories of the various people who made up the cast. I felt that I had become friends with all of them. This reminds me of how important relationships are to me (and this is no surprise given that God created us in HIS image ... and He is a relational being (think "Father, Son and Holy Spirit) and so we are relational beings.) Therefore, I need to give more weight to the significant relationships in my life.

Thanks for stopping by . . .

pj

Now That's Weird!

I've read some odd news stories in my life, but one recently might have taken the proverbial cake! The headline read, "Lord Jesus Christ hit by car in Massachusetts." The story went on to give the account of a 50 year old man who was struck by a car in Northampton, Mass. The man gave his name to police as "Lord Jesus Christ." When officers checked his ID, sure enough that was indeed his legal name. Ouch! I don't know if this man was given this name at birth or if he changed his name legally to "Lord Jesus Christ" (probably the latter is more likely). But in either case this is very strange! Certainly someone was/is trying to make some kind of statement. But exactly what? I have no idea!

But this leads me to ask you a question to "chew on" today. What kind of statement are you making with your life? The choices you make? The words you speak? The values you embrace? The schedule you keep? Think about it ... you might need to make some changes!

Thanks for stopping by . . .

pj

Gracing Others

Michael Vick, the former Atlanta Falcons quarterback (and now a Philadelphia Eagle) who was convicted of running a dog fighting ring and sent to prison has been in the news quite a bit here in Lancaster. He was in town two weeks ago to speak at a local charity fundraiser. His presence got many people upset.And some are still "fighting mad!". One individual wrote a letter to the editor of the Lancaster paper, published just this morning. It's headline grabbed my attention. It read, "Vick does not deserve a second chance." I got to thinking about that and it struck me: WHO among us does? Really do I ... do you deserve a second chance? Especially when it comes to our standing before God. The Bible is clear: the only thing we deserve from God's hand is judgment. But God who is rich in mercy and love offers us a second chance. Not just once but over and over and over again! That's called grace! God giving to us what we in NO WAY deserve! And as God graces us ... we need to learn to grace others. Because offering others grace is part of what being like Jesus is all about!

Thanks for stopping by . . .

pj