There are those in the media who have recently pointed out Vice President Cheney’s penchant for the often repeated phrase, “If you will”. Some have asked why he prefers to preface his points with “If you will”. Is it a colloquialism from where he grew up or simply a euphemism? When he adds “If you will” is he just being polite? Is it a bad habit of language he has developed? Is it a deliberate, calculated way of making his point? I personally don’t know why he uses that phrase so much. But perhaps, if you will, it’s not all that important to know the reason why.

Noah, our three year old grandson, sat at the long table of people, deep in thought, while waiting for the church fellowship dinner to begin. “Mom,” he said, “Dad doesn’t have any sense!” “What do you mean your dad doesn’t have any sense?” his mother replied. “He doesn’t have any bucks!” he replied. “Any bucks?” she asked. “Yes. Dad said he didn’t have any change for me to put in the offering during church today,” he stated dejectedly.

Sometimes we all have a difficult time being understood. Noah, I’ll give you a buck for that illustration. While Noah was disappointed that he didn’t have any change for the church offering, I want to point out a different type of change.

A few years ago a movie was produced with an intriguing title – “Dead Man Walking”. The movie dealt with inmates on death row and the death penalty. As an inmate is escorted to the death chamber an announcement is made, “Dead man walking!” All the other inmates on death row watch the inmate walk the last few yards to their execution.

It was a sad movie without a lot of hope offered. But the Word of God teaches us that we are all “dead men walking”. “For all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Romans 6:23).

The late George Harrison of the Beatles wrote and sang the song “My Sweet Lord”. It was a moving and intimate song of devotion to his Lord. Unfortunately “My Sweet Lord” was not directed toward the Lord, the Creator of the universe, and Savior of the world, but towards his lord, Hare Krishna. Krishna, one of the nine incarnations of the god Vishnu is a distinct Hindu sect. The ninth incarnation was Buddha.

While most of Hinduism tends to have a rather impersonal feeling about God, Krishna Consciousness stresses the importance of a personal relationship with Krishna.

I remember the house my father built with his own hands when I was a child. Much of it was built with used lumber. I remember pulling hundreds of nails from the old boards. We mixed the cement ourselves in an old cement mixer. Compared to most homes, it might have been considered just a simple cottage. But it was a labor of love.

I’ve got a more glorious mansion awaiting me in my Father’s House. The carpenter of Nazareth built it with nailed scarred hands. Jesus told His disciples, whose hearts were sorrowful because of their Lord’s predicted death on the cross, “Let not your hearts be troubled, believe in God, believe also in me.

What a surprise! I don’t really relish surprise birthday parties. As I unwrapped the gift wrapped box given to me by my special friend, out popped a white hound dog with black spots, bobbing it’s head profusely up and down and from side to side.

I’ve had numerous dogs in my life. My favorites are outside dogs. Pampered pooches are just a little too annoying. I guess I’ve never been close to a dog since Old Shep died. When I was a preschooler, my grandfather gave me a black and white border collie. It had been a cattle dog. It was probably given to me to watch over me in my many wanderings. My parents reminded me of the many times Old Shep grabbed me by the seat of my baggy pants and pulled me from the road when I got too close. Now Old Shep is long gone.

I’ve been fortunate to have some good “bosses” in my life. They encouraged me and brought out the best in me. They were patient and desired to help me reach my fullest potential. I’ve also had a few “bad” bosses over the years. Some were impatient, aloof, intolerant, and verbally abusive to people and cursed those who made a mistake.

My boss is a Jewish carpenter. Like my dad, his hands were calloused, cracked, scarred, and strong. He also died at a relatively young age. He was a hard worker.

“Her children arise up, and call her blessed, her husband also, and he praiseth her” (Proverbs 31:28). Many mothers live with a sense of guilt and frustration in measuring up to the standards of a good mother. One mother confided in me, “When will my family understand that I am not super-mom? Mothers are people too.”

How does the Bible describe the mother that pleases God? She possesses a sense of spiritual values: faith, courage, prayer, wisdom, joy, trustworthiness, dedication, kindness, and reverence. (Read Exodus 2:2; I Samuel 1:12; Proverbs 31; Psalms 113:9.)

My mom makes quilts. Quilting has almost become a lost art in America, although there seems to be a revival of it as an art form. Years ago quilting was done out of the need for warm bedding. Many women joined “quilting bees” where groups of women who enjoyed one another’s company got together and helped one another.

Quilts are now valued for their artistic form and have become valuable to collectors and treasured as heirlooms. If I had the artistic gifts, skills, and patience (and I don’t), I think that I would make a quilt.

The large living room window is constantly smudged and slathered up by Miki, our golden retriever. When we are gone from the house, Miki stands sentinel anticipating our return. When my wife pulls her car into the driveway, I may not hear anything, but Miki’s ears perk up and she runs to the window, poking her nose through the blinds for a glimpse of her “master’s” return. When the garage door starts to open, she gets even more excited. She starts to whine and bounds to the garage door with a joyful greeting.

In the mornings, after her outdoor romp, she runs to the bedroom door and whines until my wife finally opens the door and lets Miki in. Miki’s joy and compelling desire is to be with her “masters”.

The horrifying carnage in the aftermath of the terrorist’s hijacking of four airliners and the subsequent devastation of the World Trade Center and the Pentagon is almost beyond description. It was truly an attack on America. Terror, grief, anger, disbelief, and fear were common emotions that many experienced in trying to cope with such a tragedy.

Some people were so traumatized that it will take awhile for them to move on. Others are paralyzed or gripped with fear. Some refuse to fly again or enter a skyscraper. One experienced firefighter was so overcome by all the devastation that he had a fatal heart attack.

Having a farm background, I know how important it is to mend fences. It is sometimes a tedious and tiring job, but to neglect it can result in tragedy and loss. When we lived in South Dakota, a rancher friend had several sheep. When a sheep would find a hole in the fence and go through it, the whole flock would usually follow. Occasionally one would get stuck and die struggling to get out. It is imperative to be ever vigilant in mending fences.

Multitudes of marriages and human relationships have been damaged and destroyed because of the neglect of mending fences. We must constantly work at mending relationship fences in marriage, family, church, and the work place. Let us consider seven steps to healing of marriage and human relationships.

Perhaps you heard about the man who went to a rancher to buy a horse. He was informed that he had the perfect horse for him. There was one problem with this particular horse. It seems that a Christian trained it. To get the horse to go you had to yell “Praise the Lord!” To get the horse to stop you had to yell “Amen!” The man bought the horse and sure enough, when he yelled, “Praise the Lord” – the horse took off like a rocket. Suddenly the man saw a cliff looming ahead. He became so excited that he forgot the word that stopped the horse. Just in the nick of time he remembered the word and yelled “Amen!” The horse skidded to a stop within inches of the precipice. The man wiped the sweat from his brow and declared – “Praise the Lord!”

If the devil can derail or damage our marriage, he has put a damper on our ministry. Your marriage is your ministry! On Labor Day we celebrate the blessings and the necessity of work. I realize that a good marriage must be constantly worked at, tended to, and nurtured. It must be a ministry priority.

The great comedian and American icon Bob Hope lived to be over 100 years old. No doubt he took his own medicine – “A merry heart doeth good like medicine” (Proverbs 17:22). The amazing thing to many people was that he was married to his wife Dolores for over 69 years.

The world has been blessed by many great men and women throughout history. These great men and women, while passing through this world, have left it a better place. On November 11th our nation has set aside Veteran’s Day to remember and honor those who selflessly served our country in the armed forces. They helped maintain the liberty we enjoy in the United States of America and around the world. Many of them are unsung heroes and patriots. Our hats go off to them! We say, “Thank you for the sacrifices you have made for our freedom.”

What would you consider to be man’s greatest breakthrough? Perhaps you would say that it some new breakthrough in science or technology. Whatever it might be, it pales in comparison of the most earth-shattering event in the history of mankind. Even the great illusionist, David Copperfield, could not duplicate it. Man’s greatest breakthrough was the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. After dying on the cross for the sins of the world and being laid in a tomb that was sealed with a stone and Roman soldiers standing guard – Jesus Christ arose victorious over death, hell, and the grave. He broke the power of death which is sin (I Corinthians 15:56).

The headlines on the front page of the Centralia Sentinel shocked me and made me sick in the pit of my stomach. “Divorce Rate In Marion County Is Exceeding High, Says Judge.” It quoted circuit court Judge Sauer, who issued a release of the number of divorces in Marion County that showed an 83% divorce rate. The national rate is appalling enough at 50%. The article also touched on some possible contributing factors.

Families and marriages are in terrible turmoil. Is there hope for the institution of marriage? Yes, for the One who instituted marriage in the beginning not only gives hope, but also gives us the greatest marriage manual in the world – the Bible. Your marriage can make it. This article is for those who want their marriage to work and succeed. It is not for those who are unwilling to work at it or those who are unwilling to change and grow.

The Columbia River gorge in Oregon is breathtakingly beautiful. Multnomah Falls is a popular destination for many hikers and tourists. The legend of the falls tells of a beautiful Indian maiden, the daughter of the chief of the Multnomah tribe. The princess was the only child left to her aging father. The chief loved his daughter dearly and picked out a husband for her, a young warrior who was a prince of the Clatsop tribe, whom she loved. The two tribes came together to celebrate the days of the wedding feast. Just before the feast began, a terrible sickness fell on the men of the tribes killing many of them.

Being lost can be frightening. It can cause a person to become disoriented and desperate. One night as a teenager, my cousin and I had to admit that we were indeed lost. I was a bit miffed that Tom, being an avid coonhunter and woodsmen, could get us lost while only hunting a short time. It had become so cloudy that there were no stars visible to guide us back to our truck. So, after much wondering around for a while, we decided to stay put and wait for daybreak. After daybreak, we quickly found our way out.

There is a popular television series entitled “Lost”. Although I’ve never seen it, I have been told that it is a very suspenseful and well produced television series. The program began two years ago with the crash of Oceanic Flight 815 that was flying from Sydney, Australia to Los Angels, CA. For some unknown reason the plane breaks apart and crashes onto a remote island. The passengers, through story lines shown in flash backs, bring to the island their baggage of lost faith and being lost in life. The story shows how faith and purpose in life are rediscovered and sometimes lost again.

It is an awful feeling being lost. Were you ever been lost in a crowd as a child? Many people have nightmares about being lost.

Have you ever had your back against the wall with seemingly no way out? Have you ever felt that you were drowning in despair? We all face what we perceive to be impossibilities. Life has it’s cul-de-sac of problems and perplexities when we think we are at a dead end. Difficult people and awesome opportunities confront us all. Many times, we face life’s challenges and say, “why, that’s impossible.” Instead we should listen to God’s angel who told a young virgin girl, “With God, nothing is impossible” (Luke 1:37). She believed the Lord of the impossible.

Every time my wife or I return home there is a joyful celebration. Miki, our golden retriever, greets us with gleeful abandon. Brewser, our little dorky which is half miniature dachshund and half Yorkshire terrier, whom we have recently inherited, stands on her hind legs and twirls around in joy to welcome us home. They enjoy our presence.

What about your relationship with God? Do you exuberantly celebrate His presence and goodness? Judeo-Christian worship has been marked by joyful celebration. Christian doctrine and experience is joy even in the midst of suffering and trials.

A businessman shared that he felt guilty if he took time off from work for fun and recreation. I somewhat identify with him. Early in my pastoral ministry, some people tried to put a guilt trip on me if I spent time with my family or having fun. The values of our western culture would have us to believe that the busy, publicly active, nose to the grindstone person in business, work, or ministry is the most successful or spiritual person.

In our culture there are multitudes of people who live stress-filled lives that end in burn out, disease, or their world coming apart at the seams.

What would you do if you were thrown in a den of ferocious, hungry lion? Would you run, scream, faint, or pray up a storm? In all probability you very likely would perish. But Daniel, counselor to kings, spent a night in a lion’s den and lived to tell about it. Why did he survive? Daniel didn’t wait until he was thrown in a lion’s den to pray – he lived a life of prayer.

Daniel’s enemies coveted his job and sought to destroy him. (Daniel 6) The only thing they could find against Daniel was that in their view he prayed too much. So they plotted to have the king throw Daniel into the lion’s den.

I could feel and see the tension on the faces of many of the men in our prison Bible study. I had told them that Jesus taught us to relate to God in prayer as our Heavenly Father. (Matthew 6:9) I knew what they were thinking. For many of these men the image of “father” had a negative connotation. Today in America many children have a father who is abusive, distant, or absent. It is heart breaking to know that many children do not know the love and positive influence of a father.