I have friends and relatives who work in corrections and law enforcement. They tell me that they must stand in their place of authority. Although they show respect to the inmates and respect the danger of the criminal element, they cannot be “buddies” with them. To do so would put their lives and the lives of those they protect in jeopardy. They must stay in their position or place of authority.

As believers in Christ we have a place of authority. Adam once had dominion over the whole earth. (Genesis 1:26) When Adam sinned, he forfeited or relinquished his position of authority. (Luke 4:6) When Jesus – Immanuel – was begotten of the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary, he was given the legal right to regain what was lost.

Have you ever felt brain dead, burned out, stressed out, or just plain worn out? If not, stop reading, this article is not for you. But if you have experienced any of the aforementioned symptoms – you deserve a break today. A fast food restaurant tells you that “You deserve a break today!” But you need more than a quick and easy break. You need a regular, deep, quality break. You need a time of rest, relaxation, and rejuvenation.

Many Hispanic countries have wisely incorporated a daily break into their very culture. In hot climates, people take a siesta to rest and rejuvenate during the hottest time of the day.

Bart was desperate. He was flunking fourth grade. His reputation, his career, his life would be ruined. When he flunked his book report on Treasure Island because he only knew what was on the cover was the last straw. Bart’s teachers, parents, and school psychiatrist decided that Bart should repeat the fourth grade.

Bart pleaded. “Look at my eyes,” he said, “See the sincerity? See the conviction? See the fear? I swear I’ll so better!”

Bart came up with a plan. He made a deal with Martin the Brain. He’d teach Martin how to be cool if Martin would help his pass his history exam. If he passed, Bart would be allowed to graduate.

It hit me personally almost a decade ago. As I drove into the parking lot, a wooden cutout of an old black crow and a bouquet of black balloons dancing in the wind greeted me. They announced to the world and reminded me, as if I needed reminded, of who was “over the hill”. Many have encountered the same revelation or questioning of themselves that I did that day. Some call it a “mid-life crisis”. We wonder what we really have achieved in life that is significant. Some are disappointed that their goals and expectations were not realized. Others perhaps reached their goals but wonder what’s left in life.

As I walked up the street with my golden retriever, I saw her standing in front of the small village post office. She was looking up at the sun through her fingers. I could tell she was probably autistic. When she saw my golden retriever, she looked at us through the slits in her fingers. “Does it bite?” she asked. “No, she loves people”, I replied. Coming closer, she asked if she could pet her. “Sure,” I replied, “Her name is Miki. What’s your name?” “Candie,” she said, as a smile brightened her face. “That’s a sweet name,” I told her. “You can pet Miki while I go into the post office for a minute.” When I returned, we said goodbye to Candie and went on our way.

On a wonderful fall morning I sat on our backyard swing wondering where all the beautiful birds were. On the ground below our birdfeeders was a flock of sparrows joyously feeding in the grass. I’ve honestly never been too excited about sparrows. They seem so common, colorless, and, you know – ordinary. This particular morning God began to speak to me about the sparrows.

Jesus drew the attention of his disciples to the sparrows. “’Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? And one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father knowing. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered.

A few years ago one of the funniest and exciting comedies was released entitled “The Princess Bride”. Westley, a poor stable boy, searches for TRUE LOVE. Blonde haired Buttercup was kidnapped and taken by evil Prince Humperdinck to be his Princess Bride. But through many perilous hardships Westley finds and save his true love.

The world hungers for true love. An old song says, “Love makes the world go around”. It certainly does. But what is TRUE LOVE? The common Greek word for love is “Eros”. It is not found in the New Testament. It refers to a sexual, selfish, appetitive love. “Philos” is another Greek word for love. It refers to esteem and affection. We are familiar with Philadelphia, the city of brotherly love. The Apostle Paul used a word for God’s love – Agape. Agape is a self-giving love. It involves concerned commitment.

I must confess – as a child, I was afraid of the dark. I was especially afraid of things that go bump in the dark. A light in my bedroom would comfort me but my dad thought that it was unnecessary. At the time, we had a coal burning stove and occasionally I would have to go down the long dark path to the coal shed to fill the coal bucket in the middle of the night. I out ran the shadows and imaginary monsters in record time on my way back to the house. I still have a long scar on one arm from tripping over a hobgoblin. Surprisingly, I had no fear when my dad went with me and no monsters ever showed up.

It was a rainy fall afternoon when we walked through fallen leaves up the hill of the cemetery to stand by the graves of my two teenage brothers and a cousin, the fallen victims of a young drunk driver. Standing in the cold rain with tears coursing down our cheeks, I was asked the question I’ve been asked a multitude of times by broken, hurting people – “How can I ever forgive the individuals who have perpetrated such horrible hurts?” Many are consumed by the resulting rage and pain of wrongs done to them but others choose not to be.

Imagine facing your worst nightmare. Perhaps it’s Freddy Krueger splintering your bedroom door with a blood soaked axe. You’re lost and you cannot find your way out of a dark house of horrors. Someone is screaming with ear piercing decibels and you wake up realizing that those terrible screams are emanating from your mouth.

Perhaps your fear is not near as dramatic as some people face, but it is just as real. In school, I had a mental block when it came to math. I had an incapacitating fear of math class. For some people the fear factor is simply an adrenaline high reality game show. But the reality is that most people have certain fears that they must deal with. Courage is not the absence of fear but it is punching through the fear. To live the life that God means you to live, you must overcome fear. “Fear hath torment” (I John 4:18). Fear neutralizes, paralyzes, destroys, and stymies faith and love.

A young, single mother struggles to make ends meet. Two of her three children have severe medical problems. Nine year old, Evon is undergoing her second round of cancer treatments. Sometimes this mother feels so alone and tired, but she perseveres. What gives her the strength to carry on?

A young father grieves the death of his wife who died in the World Trade Center on the tragic day of September 11th. How can he go on without his beloved wife?

A young man runs for his life and hides in caves in the wilderness. The king has tried to kill him and has put out a “contract” on his life. How will God’s promises and plans ever be fulfilled in his life?

The tongue can produce terrible evil or tremendous good. The tongue can lash and libel or the tongue can liberate and express love. Recently two talk show hosts were fired because of their constant abusive tongue. Terrorists are fomenting mayhem and death through their rhetoric of hate. The Word of God tells us, “But a tiny spark can set a great forest on fire and the tongue is a flame of fire. It is a world of wickedness corrupting your entire body. It can set your whole life on fire, for it is set on fire by hell itself” (James 3:1-12 NLT).

Grey, dismal skies sometimes enshroud our souls. I don’t know about you but I feel so much better when the sun shines brightly. I’ve thought many times how nice it would be to live in the Sunshine State where the sun almost always shines. A weather forecaster predicted, “Today the sun will shine for four hours.” Of course he was wrong. The sun shines constantly – we just can’t always see it because of the clouds that obscure its view. But the sun is still there shining brightly.

What is the sense of suffering in the world? Young lives are snuffed out by a drunk driver, grieving family members stand by the grave of their loved one and ask the age old question – why? Crying children and a brokenhearted wife sit in the cold and confusion of the after math of a broken marriage and a shattered family.

From the fall of man in the Garden of Eden up to the present time through tears we still ask, “Why do bad things happen, even to good people?” Many have become estranged in their relationship with God because of this one issue. But instead of asking why bad things happen, we would do better to ask, “How should we respond to suffering?” How does God respond to tragedy and suffering?

The pilgrim fathers of America came to a bountiful land. The first winter was harsh and they were ill prepared to survive in the wilderness. Over half of them perished from the cold, hunger, or disease. With the help of some kind Native American Indians, they were taught to grow corn and squash and to hunt for wild game to make provision through the year. The next fall they celebrated with a feast to show their gratitude to their new friends and to offer thanks to God for their bountiful harvest.

Our founding fathers openly recognized God.

Christmas is about giving. God gave His greatest gift – the gift of His only begotten son. “That whoever believes in him should not perish but have everlasting life” (John 3:16).

The wise men from the east followed his star to Bethlehem. When they saw the young child with Mary, his mother, they fell down and worshipped him. Then they brought their treasures and opened them. The wise men presented unto the Lord gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. (Matthew 2:11) The gold was fit for a king, the frankincense for our high priest of the new covenant, and the myrrh speaks of Christ’s sacrificial death on the cross.

Grandpa Os had a fruit stand where he sold peaches, apples, and melons. He was an expert in testing the ripeness of a watermelon. He would thump it with his thumb. If a customer was not convinced, he would offer to plug the melon. He would cut out a triangular plug from the watermelon and have the customer taste how ride it was. I never knew him to plug an unripe watermelon. The thumping told him when it was ripe and good for eating.

Have you been thumped lately? God allows testing and difficult situations to develop our character and bring us closer to him.

I’m not an aficionado of pudding but I do like the old-fashioned, homemade type. I don’t consider the instant box type as real pudding, but homemade rice pudding, tapioca, or custard pudding – now that’s delicious. A century or so ago many people considered plum pudding a delicacy. I’ve never eaten plum pudding but if anyone makes a good plum pudding I’d be glad to sample some of it.

There is an interesting quotation dating back to at least 1615 when Miguel de Cervantes published “Don Quixote”. In his comic novel he uses the phrase, “The proof of the pudding is the eating.”

Valentine’s Day, February 14th, gives us another opportunity to express the very heart of ministry. When Jesus was asked what the greatest commandment was he replied, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind . . . and you shall love your neighbor as yourself” (Matthew 22:37-39). When we consider Christ’s love for the church, God’s Word gives us this illustration of love. “Husbands love your wives just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her” (Ephesians 5:25). Marriage is to be an illustration of God’s love.

Many of the great men and women of America have come from small and obscure places. Many have forgotten or have not become acquainted with the great contributions of “The Great Commoner,” William Jennings Bryan, who was born in 1860 in Salem, Illinois. A museum in Salem portrays some of the heritage and works of statesmanship and literature that he left behind. He was almost idolized by the masses because of his masterful oratory and as a champion who was said to have acted as “the conscience of the nation in opposing special privileges for favored groups.”

Manuel’s drug of choice was more costly than he ever dreamed. It cost him his marriage, his dignity, and left him dependent, depressed, and – dead. A well-known talk show host became hooked on prescription painkillers and now faces criminal charges. A church deacon’s drug of choice started with one reluctant drink at an office party and resulted in 30 years of alcoholism.

Our country has treatments and drugs for almost every malady. But there are some remedies we can only obtain from God’s pharmacy.

Where were you that terrible Tuesday, September 11th? As I was getting ready to go to my church office, my wife called and told me to turn on the television. I could hardly believe the footage of the World Trade Center exploding before my eyes. At first, I thought a plane was off course and computer animation was showing what “could” happen. But then the reality of the horrendous trauma hit me. It was really happening!

What happens to our emotional and mental state when we witness trauma? How do we cope with tragic events that touch and change our very lives? We all respond differently. Some are in shock, dazed, some are angry, some are in denial, they can’t believe it happened, some are fearful, and some have disturbed sleep.

As I leaned back in my favorite La-Z-Boy recliner and closed my eyes, my granddaughter walked into the living room. “What are you doing PaPa?” she asked. “I’m just resting my eyes,” I replied. The other day she asked, “PaPa, are you going into the room where you rest you’re eyes?” I guess she noticed I enjoy going into “my” room, kicking back, and “resting my eyes”.

We all will one day “rest our eyes” in death. The Word of God tells us, “It is appointed unto man once to die and after that the judgment” (Hebrews 9:27). In the old west, when pioneers and settlers would bury someone, they would often erect a wooden grave marker with R.I.P. inscribed on it. One child remarked to his parents, “There sure were a lot of people named ‘RIP’ around here.” R.I.P. was a short sentiment that would fit easily on the marker – Rest In Peace.

Have you ever been bone-tired and weary? I’m ready for our annual pilgrimage to see the eagles. As we drive along the scenic Great River Road on the way to Pere Marquette State Park, I anticipate the exhilaration that comes when I see the eagles soaring overhead. I remember that same feeling several years ago while hiking up the backside of a mountain in Yosemite National Park and hearing the majestic call of an eagle. Now within an hour’s drive from home we have the privilege of viewing what few American’s ever see up close and personal – the American Bald Eagle.

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.