Month: June 2025

The year was 1969, and this song spoke to two groups of people. In one group, soldiers, mainly young men, were shipping out to the Vietnam war.  Heartbroken and teary-eyed girlfriends, fiancés, and wives were unsure if their loved ones would return.  The song was burning a hole in the airwaves and in the hearts of listeners.  It challenged the day and added to the uncertainty of tomorrow.

Local visits to our Woolworth, was a delight because as my mom shopped, I would listen to the endless sounds of Motown playing through the store’s loudspeakers.  There was an atmosphere of hope and love.  Being twelve years old, the world of songs depicting pain, hope, and a promising future, was new and exciting for me.  The melodies were enchanting.

But countless people’s lives were impacted by a window in time that made their ordeals all the more real.  Leaving home and not knowing if they’d return was like a punch in the gut for many. To this day, there are many who can attest to never welcoming their loved-ones, home.  Many injured, maimed, and suffering men returned with scarred lives. Such heartache, such tragedy.

A second group consisted of those in love. There were couples at crossroads, and some who broke off their engagements and have always wondered what life would be like if they hadn’t. The song glues them to that time and place in their past.  Two lines say: “A long time ago, my, my sweet thing, I made a big mistake, honey (I said) see I said goodbye.” Many regrets. Many unknowns. That was then, but what about today? Are you living in the past or the present?

Getting to the nitty-gritty, have you walked away from God?  Do you recognize your mistake in saying goodbye to Him, or (ever since that day) All I want to do, oh, is cry, cry”?  Hey, God knows the stories behind your tears.  He’s waiting for your return.  No questions asked.

The song’s purpose is to give us hope of someday reuniting with  loved-ones.  Everyone wants to hold that little one on their lap, or hug that teenager ever-so-tightly.  Many would love the chance to hold their dads or moms at least one last time.  It might appear impossible to some, but there’s hope.

Likewise, from eternity to eternity, God’s plan has been to reunite with His beloved creation: you and me.  Before He founded the world, even from everlasting, God’s plan of salvation was already in place, and His promises still hold true.

Just as the song says, “I long for you” King David in his many Psalms talks about a longing for God.  Psalm 42:2 reads: “As the deer longs for streams of water, so my soul longs for you, O God.”  

You might be hurting over memories of the past.  Maybe your loved one didn’t make it home, or maybe (s)he got away. But we have a hope in Christ that we’ll see them again; if they, and we, are saved.

 The “war” (of good over evil) soon will be over, and God, our Beloved, will be coming home, not confused, unstable, or unrecognizable, but triumphant!  Will he have injuries? YES! He’ll have the piercings as proof He’s the real deal, but alive forevermore!

In Christ, there will be plenty of tears of joy and happiness when we stand in His presence surrounded not only by myriads of angels, but by those who have gone before us. And once that delight hits home, the celebrations begin!  That “Someday,” will have arrived!!  But the tears of sadness will be gone!

Revelation 21:3, 4 NIV tells us: And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them.  They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God.  He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying, or pain, for the old order of things has passed away”

God Bless!

Sam

By Diana Ross and the Supremes

Beginning somewhere around 1982, as our family began growing, we needed to do something to survive. I was the breadwinner while Viv was a stay-at-home mom.  We had two little ones and another would soon follow. I remember my low-paying job and how little we got paid.

I recall the joy on coworkers’ faces when we got our “raise.” I asked Terry and Hector, “Two dollars?” “Yep!” they replied.  “Is that 2 bucks per paycheck?” I asked. “Ha-ha, ha-ha” they laughed. “That’s $2 per year!” they said.  I couldn’t believe it!  “For this they were so excited?” I asked myself.

It was true, they were practically doing a jig; arm around each other and dancing in a circle! Life was good!  They danced some more-Hee-Haw style.  Me? I couldn’t believe we were actually working for peanuts; I mean pennies-a-day.

At home, we discovered a meat warehouse where I’d buy 40 lb. boxes of chicken legs for $.29/lb. or $11.60 per box.  Sometimes I’d get wings at $.9lb. or $3.60 per 40 lb. box!  We also discovered Murray’s on Broadway Ave. (Brooklyn) who sold meatloaf for $4 carton and 100 small patties, good for our tiny tots. A sure winner for us was Big R Supermarket where we’d buy 60 boxes of entrees of varying types to go along with our mashed potatoes, fries, rice, etc.

Hey, being on a tight budget called for extreme measures! One day at my job, I told them we had actually gone out to eat over the weekend!  When they asked where we went, and I said “Church’s Chicken,” they laughed!  Not understanding what was so funny, I was told, “For a guy who eats chicken all the time, you’d think he’d go to eat something different!” It was fine by me!  Would you believe I was earning some $5800 yearly?! I soon left that job during a difficult time for us: my parents were moving to Puerto Rico at the end of October, 1984.  We were left with no job and three kids aged 4, 2, and almost 1.

When March, 1985 rolled around, it was great when, after volunteering at a school, I finally got hired as a paraprofessional earning some $11,200 yearly!  We were rich! We were finally able to throw some $.59 lb. steaks on the table!  We were h-o-w-l-i-n-g and dancing our own jig!  No doubt, God was good!

In February, ’88 I officially began teaching. With a promised yearly salary of just over $21k, we were able to purchase our cabin in the woods!  Through lots of tears, chicken legs, disappointments, chicken wings, bad news, steaks, and good news, we were no longer flying low.  We were scaling new heights!  When I finished my BS degree in ’87, my wife began hers right after. At that point, it was my turn to care for the kids after work for the next three years. Armed with degrees, the skies were the limit.

How’s it going with you? Flying high? Flying low?  Running around like a chicken without its head? Drifting under tough circumstances?  God knows your every doubt as well as your joys.  He knows your every fear and disappointment. He knows mine!  He knows exactly where we stand right now.  “Shed those wings” and invite Him into your heart! He’ll strengthen your “legs” too!  Cast your cares upon Jesus and you’ll soon be flying high-in His will!

“Take my yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  For My yoke is easy and My burden is light” (Matthew 11:29,30).

Recommended Song: Cast Down Your Cares John Michael Talbot

God Bless!
Sam

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

Recommended Song: Listening by Christafari

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