Finding Laughter In Difficult Times

A great song of the 60s, took a while to get noticed because Jr. Walker kept getting brushed off by a producer.  After a year, the producer agreed to finally listen to the song.  He loved it!  As one line goes, “What does it take to win your love for me?”  God is saying those very words to you today!  His voice is in all the earth. It covers every square inch announcing His creation and glory and love for you.  But some people don’t listen in on it.  Most miss it.

The story is told about a young Native American guy, who with his American friend visited a large city for the first time.  As they walked amidst the blaring sounds of talkers, music playing, blaring horns, and other sounds, he stopped his American friend when he “heard” something.  “Did you hear that?” he asked. “Hear what?” the American asked. “There’s a bird trapped around here” said the Native American. Though the American thought his friend was losing it, they backtracked and looked into a grate on a sidewalk.  There, below the surface was a tiny bird chirping.  The American asked, “How in the world did you hear it amongst so much noise and sounds?”  The Native replied, “It depends on what you’re listening for (to).”

Are you listening for God’s voice echoing His love for you throughout the earth?  Do you hear it?  Don’t you see it everywhere?  Yet, it’s there!                                                                    “The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they reveal knowledge.  They have no speech, they use no words; no sound is heard from them. Yet their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world” (Psalm 19:1-4a).

The skinny on it: Without saying an audible word, the heavens and all creation speak volumes to our hearts.  They testify that with wisdom and knowledge, an Intelligent Creator, God, made it all.

As the lyrics continue: “I tried, I tried, I tried, I tried in every way I could to make you see how much I love you, Woo, I thought you understood.”

After giving man His written word, sending prophets, and working miracles, God personally came down to tell you He loves you.  And, lest you misunderstood His message, God performed the ultimate act of love: He sacrificed His life on the cross for yours so that you may live eternally with Him.  Now that’s love! Yet, so many fail to see His love for them.

To answer the question: what does it take to win your love for me?  It begins with faith and believe (on our part) in Him, followed by an admittance that we’re sinners in need of a Savior, and then to say, “YES!” to Him, thereby surrendering our lives to Jesus!   If you wonder why He did it, were He to sing this song to you, He’d say, “Ooh, baby, ‘cause I love you so.”

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:16).

God Bless!

Sam

This is another one of those great songs I’ve used before in my writings.  For all those Walter Mitty-s out there, our imaginations are always running!  This song and others like it, paints a picture of gentle, simpler times in our lives.  Who hasn’t dreamt of being swept away in love or whisked off their feet by the person of their dreams?  In our minds, we can write an entire love story with glorious beginnings, happy endings, and omit all heartaches and obstacles.

Recently listening to this song, I read some attached comments. As with other wonderful songs of the 60s and 70s, many people cry over them due to the strong impacts the songs have (had) on them.  The lyrics are only a fraction of the full experience.  The music also plays such an important part in the impact upon our lives.  Emotions are affected by it, as well as the location where we remember them.  The time of day, the season, the reason, the person we sang it to or had it played for us, all contribute to a full experience. You can hear it now and even smell the aromas present when it first meant so much to you.

“But it was just my imagination running away with me…” the song goes. While it’s great to live in the moment of our thoughts, past experiences, and dreams, we need to awaken from Fantasy (Earth, Wind, and Fire-1974) and face the world.

One day soon, Jesus will return for His beloved bride, that’s a fact!  It won’t be just your imagination kicking in high gear when you see the King of all creation standing before you!  You’ll probably rub your eyes in disbelief as you’ll see trillions upon trillions of angelic beings flying or standing before His throne praising His majesty forever!  You’ll join billions of believers worshipping God for His glorious plan of salvation and riddance of evil.

You’ll stand upon streets of gold clear as crystal in a new and perfect world free of death, pain, and trials, and you’ll fall in adoration at the feet of Him who lives forevermore!

If you don’t personally know Christ yet, then it’s He who sings, “But in reality, she doesn’t even know me…”  Jesus longs to hold you near.  He wants you to know Him!  Don’t let Him sing that to you any longer!  Change your imagination to reality!

“Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you” (James 4:8).   “Look, I am coming soon bringing my reward with me to repay all people according to their deeds” (Revelation 22:12).

The song of your heart is His Number One Hit!

God Bless!
Sam

Many people are on the road, some, seeking work, others seeking love, and some, seeking answers.  Some, have found their answers, while others have found more questions than answers.  Many are therefore, as the song goes, on the road again.

Are you on the road of life?  Are you parked? Moving?  Finding yourself at a standstill?  Have you no strength to go on? Run out of gas?  Are you, as the Commodores sang, “Searching for that love” (Sweet Love)?

The road you’re on may be like MOST of Puerto Rico’s roads: dilapidated, full of potholes, laden with speedbumps, maybe you’re wanting to get on to a smooth surface (join the crowd!), or maybe, like National Lampoon’s European Vacation Roundabout scene, you’re forever going in circles!

Guess what? God’s on the road too. He’s watching you whether you’re going in circles or are parked, etc. He too is searching, not for love, for He is Love (1John 4:8), but waiting to meet up with you and shower you with His love.  Unlike Chevy Chase, who can’t get to the left lane, God moves about unobstructed.  Nothing hinders His plans. He knows what road you’re on, knows your whereabouts, and can pin-point your exact coordinates to reach you.

Might as well call out to Him now and get Hitchin’ a Ride (Vanity Fare, 1969) home.  Don’t need to wait for drastic encounters like Apostle Paul’s Road to Damascus trip to kill Christians where He was blinded by the LORD and apprehended by God to become a servant of His (Acts 9).

Thumbs Up!

Sam

Everyone knowing the song, loves it. Everyone’s who has ever had “a girl” in their lives, knows how special she can be.  A girl, in the life of a guy can make him change his ways. A guy smitten with love can dream of seeing her without tiring.  He’ll write poetry, songs, cook, bake, build, and do a number of things for his beloved.  The power of love, makes all the difference.  And it’s only appropriate to reciprocate that love.

Have you been smitten by a girl? Do you have a “My Girl” in your life?  If yes, congrats!  If you don’t, someone loves you anyway.  The Temptations may have sung the great song loved by many, but God was already smitten by your beauty! Whether you’re female or male, to God, you’re His special treasure regardless.  He’s thrilled about you either way!

“Talking about My Girl,” she and I will be celebrating our 44^th anniversary today! Through lots of trials and triumphs, God has been central to serving each other in love and togetherness. I continue being smitten by the big brown-eye girl that caught my attention over 44 years ago!

Love ya Hunz,

Sam

Quick, Mom, get it!  Find some loose change! Two nickels, ten pennies, a nickel and five pennies! Or just a dime!!  We were screaming our heads off.  This was serious stuff and I was frantic! The lightly-playing music in the backdrop signaled it was here and could just as quickly vanish to another neighborhood.  We couldn’t allow that to happen!  We had to act fast! Frantically I ran downstairs jumping over, and skipping several steps as I made it to the curb in time to line up behind several other frantic kids. Mr. Softie had arrived, and we had to get our ice cream before he’d leave!  Ten-cents bought us a large cone with great-tasting vanilla or chocolate ice cream. For two more cents, we could add sprinkles-yummy!

Every so often the truck would arrive and if no one was outside, it’d leave within a few minutes.  It was imperative we act quickly.  This was yet, another great thing about the 60s and the early 70s. Dimes weren’t necessarily easy to come by. Getting good treats was special and essential for our survival!

God tells us to seek wisdom the same way, with effort and diligently (Proverbs 4:7). 

Jesus told about the lady searching for a lost coin, how she’d sweep everything in hopes of finding it. In essence, she had a meltdown before finding it. Afterwards, rejoiced when it was found (Luke 15:8-10). Likewise, Jesus turns every nook and cranny searching for His lost children.  Once found, there’s rejoicing in heaven for finding YOU, “the lost coin.”

Nowadays, people have meltdowns for all types of reasons. You can relax if you invite Jesus into your life.  He’ll not leave you or forsake you, but you do have to act fast-Today’s the day of salvation (2 Corinthians 6:2).  You may not be around tomorrow.

We know He has no need for your dime or two-cents, yet, you’ll enjoy eternity with Him sweet as ice cream.  Plus, I’m sure in heaven you’ll enjoy your double or triple scoops in every variety, with, or without sprinkles, and no panic attacks or added pounds!

God Bless!
Sam

If you grew up in the 60s, you know how much fun kids had! We’d yell, “I’m going outside!”  We’d open the door and head for a day of adventure.  Sure, now and then in some rural part of the globe, maybe near AREA 51, a kid might disappear, but with all the aliens replacing them…who was complaining?! Parents were happy to have someone mow their lawn.

But a great part of the 60s were comic books!  You’d hide them from teachers and old librarians who’d look at you over their gold-rimmed glasses with that big-bad-wolf face letting you know, “Young man, that ain’t readin’ material…”

The best part of the comics, wasn’t when The Green Lantern saved the day, or where Spiderman flung from a bridge to scoop up a lost girl and return her to her parents, nah, it was the page with all those goodies for $.29-$1.00!

What kid didn’t dream of having a whoopie cushion to use on grandpa? He’d sure enjoy it.  Or, the fake dog poo, or fake blood, and big spiders, among other goodies? But the best, best, best item there, were those expensive ($1.00) X-Ray Vision glasses! You’d see the drawing of the old-looking young man with wide-opened eyes staring at his skeletal hand.  Gosh, he could see right through it! 

Fourth grade classmates, George V. and Freddy R. had their pair in red with the black & white spiral drawings on the glass.  They’d pop them on and the girls would begin screaming as they ran for cover from them who’d say things like, “Wow, I can see what they’re wearing” and, “They sure look good!”

Man, I wanted a pair! I waited two years for my set.  At first, I was a bit concerned, I mean, I didn’t want to get into trouble for being able to look through the wall that separated our apartment from the neighboring 18 yr old twin sisters….so I figured it be safer to look through my little brother’s head to detect brain activity, or lack thereof…yep, little brothers have always been useful!  The glasses were fun! Turns out you really couldn’t see anything, but they were fun to own! 

Having vision is super-important in our lives. We need to have dreams and ideas and visions of things we’re setting goals for.  God agrees.  He says in His word, “Where there is no vision, the people perish… “(Proverbs 29:18). He wants us to succeed in life and to entrust Him with it.

Even better than what life was like in the 60s, God wants us to enjoy His presence.  He walked daily in the garden of Eden and rapped with Adam & Eve (Genesis 3:8). And He wants to fellowship with you too. He wants us to read His word and soak it in.  His word, like real X-Ray glasses sees through to our hearts. “For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart” (Hebrews 4:12).

God doesn’t need X-Ray glasses to see through us.  And we don’t have to scream and run away from Him, or even hide as Adam & Eve did (Genesis 3:8).  Might as well say as Samuel did: “Here am I,” and, Speak, for thy servant heareth” (1Samuel 3:4, 10b), because He knows where you are and what you’re doing.

You might be all dirty from sin, but you’re beautiful in His eyes, no matter what.

God Bless!
Sam

Almost every person alive believes he’s the exception to the rule. People swear they will not be like their mom or dad.  They’ll be different.  They’ll act differently.  They’ll even look differently. Just shy of 50 years ago, a man showed me his wedding picture of a quarter century earlier. He had put on weight.  Then he assured me the same thing would happen to me. I swore it’d never happen.  I was an all-around sports guy playing handball, running track and covering miles on my bike.

He pointed out something I had never thought about.  He said, “If you gain just one pound per year…in 40 years…”

So, it doesn’t matter how much we exercise, how well we eat, or what sports we play, our bodies will change in time.  Now, I’m one for exercising and staying active, but certain things just can’t be controlled.

Our good friend Toño (pronounced Tonyo), is 83 years old and weighs about 140 lbs. He always looks the same.  I told him he had gained about 1 lb. in the last 40 years, and he kind of put his head down and said, “That’s true.” Shoo, who wouldn’t like to have gained only 1 lb. in 40 years?!

We’re not the exception to any rule! The wisest man on earth, King Solomon, said, “As happens to the fool, so it happens even to me” (Ecclesiastes 2:15a, 16b). “And how dieth the wise man? as the fool.”

All in all, there’s only one man who was and continues to be the exception to every rule, Jesus. Not because He didn’t gain weight, not because He was hypocritical or a gossiper, or because His sports team always won, or lost, but because He was without sin. But how? He was God in the flesh. 

Unlike many of us, Jesus didn’t wish to be different from His Father. In fact, He said, “I, and the Father are one” (John 10:30).  Jesus did the works of His Father. He followed His Father’s plans. Notice: “For I have come down from heaven not do my will, but the will of him who sent me” (John 6:38).

Want to be the exception to the rule? Follow in Jesus’ footsteps: Walk as He walked.  Keep His word. Talk as He talked.  Do the Father’s will. Become like His Father. Become one with Him in purpose.

God Bless!

Sam

There are people missing their moms on this day. Many have lost them recently, and some, months or years ago.  In contrast, there are many people having their moms around but don’t bother with them.  Ironically, some people just don’t appreciate, or know what they have until they lose them.  Some things in life, including people, will never change.

God knows everyone’s pain and loss.  He’s made a way for us to reconnect with loved ones whom were saved at the time of death.

He’s always there to fill every void, to lift up every spirit, and to comfort every heart.  And for those of you whose moms are still around, treasure them, honor them, and enjoy them!

“Honor thy mother and thy father that thy days may be long upon the land which the LORD thy God givest thee” (Exodus 20:12)
God Bless!
Sam

There are people missing their moms on this day. Many have lost them recently, and some, months or years ago.  In contrast, there are many people having their moms around but don’t bother with them.  Ironically, some people just don’t appreciate, or know what they have until they lose them.  Some things in life, including people, will never change.

God knows everyone’s pain and loss.  He’s made a way for us to reconnect with loved ones whom were saved at the time of death.

He’s always there to fill every void, to lift up every spirit, and to comfort every heart.  And for those of you whose moms are still around, treasure them, honor them, and enjoy them!
God Bless!
Sam

Falling isn’t funny, and sometimes people get hurt.  But three days ago, my wife was sitting on the floor massaging my mom’s feet. Upon finishing, she asked me to help her up. I placed my hands around her waist and pulled up, but she wasn’t coming up! I said, “Lady, what’s up?” “Keep pulling,” she said. I thought, man, she said she just dropped like 15lbs…so I pulled and she’s going to the right, going to the left, moving backwards…I could just see her face going into the foot massager. “Yuk!” I thought.   Man, we were fighting it out. Finally, red-in-the-face, laughing hilariously, she came up!  I said, “Dag, girl!” Mom pointed down.  Viv’s right sock was all off, and her left sock was almost out too. Her socks were causing her to slide everywhere on our ceramic tiles!

We enjoyed a good laugh!  She was glad to get off the floor, and I was glad I could help.  Unfortunately, that’s where humanity finds itself, on the floor.  Mankind fell centuries ago, and it can’t get up. Try as it might, pulled by whomever, it keeps sliding away.   Mankind can try whatever creams or vitamins it wants it can delve deeply into several of the thousands of religions out there, but nothing will help. No self-help book, videos, seminars, or trips to the moon will ground mankind on earth.

Actually, after the fall, after Satan promised Adam and Eve that their eyes would be opened and they’d be as gods knowing good and evil (Genesis 3:5), they became more ignorant than they ever were!  They sowed fig leaves as coverings and they hid from God.  They should have known one can’t hide from Him, and that leaves will fade.

The very God they hid from was the God that could save them.  See, God already knew what would happen. He already had a plan of salvation for humanity.

If you’re still sliding across the floors of life, find yourself red-in-the-face, if you’re still down and out and can’t find which way is up, while you’re down there, look up. He’s there right now with open arms waiting to lift you up.  It doesn’t matter how heavy or light you are.  It doesn’t matter how deep in sin you are, and it doesn’t matter how good and innocent you are either.  You’ve fallen, and you can’t get up. Only Jesus can help you up.  “For all this his anger is not turned away, but his hand is stretched out still” (Isaiah 9:12)

“He set my feet upon a rock, and made my footsteps firm” (Psalm 40:2b).

Hebrews 13:6 in the New King James Version reads: So we may boldly say: “The LORD is my helper; I will not fear. What can man do to me?”

God Bless

Sam