God Chastises His Children When They Disobey, Too!

As I was rambling through my archives of compositions I have written over the years, I ran across a short true children’s story I wrote some 75 years ago.  The theme of the story is about why Snooky (me) and Sissy (my older sister) received a spanking from our Auntie Bea.

I believe retelling this story to you is important because as I reread the actions of the characters, those behaviors conjured up interactions I have experienced during my sojourn with my Lord and Savior.  OUCH!!

Run, Snooky, run!! It’s getting dark and I believe we are lost!”, cried Sissy.

Let’s begin at the beginning…

"Snooky Gets A Spanking" - A short story by the Blogger

On Your mark!  Get set!  Go!  As I raced across the soft thick blades of grass, I could feel the cool breeze slice across my forehead and cut under my chin which was tucked down into the clef of my chest.  My two arms were outstretched and flapping as if I was imitating a free-style swimmer fresh out of water.  My older sister, Sissy, was out running me by only a few feet and I could actually gain on her if she would only run in a straight line and help break the force of wind that hindered me when she veered to the right or to the left.  Only a little farther, I thought, as we both chugged up a small slope on the grassy knoll.  Just then, Sissy's foot slipped and she nearly lost her balance as her gait mis-stepped and I went whisking passed her to run headlong into the play area with swings.  "I won, I won," I yelled as I jumped up and down on the uneven brown gravel which stretched underneath the four-seat swing set and extended over to the seesaw, the sand box and the monkey bars.

Sissy approached the swings with a slight limp and was quietly crying as she took hold of the swing's chains and lifted herself into the seat.  "Are you OK?" I asked as we both gasped to catch our breath.  "I didn't beat you fair and square.  If you hadn't slipped you would have won," I said, trying to comfort her.  After all, she was my big sister and if I wanted her to play with me ever again, I knew better then to make her angry.  "Hold tightly and I'll push you real high.  So high that you will touch the sky and I will run underneath you," I remember saying as we started to play.

That event happened in 1947 in Washington Park located on Northwestern Street in Indianapolis, Indiana, when Sissy was nine years old and I was eight.  The park was located across the street from Aunt Bea's house where we were visiting for the weekend.  Our mother and father liked to go dancing and they would often ship us off to Aunt Bea's so they could 'cut a rug' at the neighborhood juke joint.

In those days, it was safe to allow kids to play in areas a short distance from their houses as long as the  adult could see them or the children were within "yelling distance" of the house.  The playground area where we played could be seen from our front porch and every now and again, Aunt Bea would appear on the porch and wave to us.

Time passed quickly as my sister and I took turns pushing each other in the swings.  Soon, other kids joined us and we all would be having fun squealing and kicking gravel and running from one play area to another.  We would fall down and frolic in the tall grass and pick white and yellow dandelions on that bright sunny day in early March.

Without warning, an amazing sight appeared in the sky.  All the kids looked up over the cluster of bushes and saw about seven or eight brightly colored kites with beautiful streamers attached, flying silently and almost motionlessly in the blue sky.  The kite strings floated down towards us but disappeared over the next hill.  "Come on," Someone yelled:  Come on."  "Let's go see who's flying those kites."  So we all left our safe play area and took off running over the hill and out of sight and earshot of Aunt Bea.

Just over the hill we could see each kite string in the hands of a strong teenage boy who was maneuvering and jockeying for position and going with the flow of the wind as he pumped his kite higher and higher into the air.  There was a rhythm surrounding the young men as we watched in amazement.  When one moved to the left, seemingly they all moved to the left.  And with arms raised and bodies bent into the wind's current, they would all float back to the right.  Soon, we kids were drawn into their wake and found ourselves deeper and deeper into the bowels of the park and actually lost in its landscape.  No one was really aware that the sun was going down and evening was quickly approaching.  We were just too caught up in the excitement of the moment.

It was not until we reached a small pond where white ducks and geese were swimming did Sissy and I realize that we were in an area of the park that we had never ventured to before.  As our eyes met, our mouths flew open and our eyes grew bigger as we suddenly knew we were not only lost, but out of range to yell for our Auntie to find us.  What were we to do?  We ran to each other and said not a word.  We just embraced and began to cry.  The rest of the crowd moved on and were soon out of sight over the next hill.  We were now all alone, scared and frighten out of our wits.

Sissy guided me over to a tree and we sat down and stared at the ground.  In the stillness we could hear the wind ever so softly, calling our names.  Tears were streaming and the wind was faintly whispering, Sissyyyy...Snookyyy...Sissyyyy...Snookyyy.  At the second 'wind' call, Sissy and I were on our feet and running towards the sound.  We heard it again and again.  That's no wind, that's Aunt Bea we thought as our hearts raced and our feet took wings and flew us directly into her path.  We both ran smack into her massive thighs and almost knocked her down.  But her large body and her strong arms held firm.  Her mouth was set perched atop her lower lip as her right hand took hold of Sissy's collar and her left hand grabbed the back of my neck.  Without a word she marched us across the park and up the front steps of our front porch.  (To this day, I don't believe our feet ever touched the ground.)

You can imagine what happened to us once we were behind closed doors!

---------------------The End-------------------

THE MORAL OF THE STORY…GOD’S CHASTISEMENT!!

There are so many ‘life lessons‘ in the above children’s story that if we truly disscet their meaning based on our own individual life experiences, they might warn us of whether or not we are in store for a trip to the ‘wood shed‘ for some sort of discipline by our Lord and Savior. So, please privately respond to the following ten questions:

1.	 Has your life been filled with ups and downs; successes and failures; lies and truths; 
                  love and hate; doubts and faith?
2.	What has caused you to slip and loose your gait?
3.	Has someone else received a reward you thought you earned?
4.	What was your reaction to the above question?
5.	Have you ever admitted to cheating or scamming anyone?
6.	Have you ventured into uncharted waters and almost drowned?
7.	Are you able to love your family, friends AND enemies?
8.	Can you turn the other cheek?
9.	Can you name and applaud your mentors?
10.   Have you endured a punishment that restricted your freedom?



Scripture Lesson: “The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks.” Luke 6:45

Click http://www.tgifmasterminds.com every Friday for a new post from The Master’s servant manager…Me!

God Is Asking You…”How’s Our Relationship?”

field missionary
I don’t know!…I have no idea! But I want to be in good standing and in an eternal relationship with an eternal God. Please enlighten me Holy Spirit!

Whether you consider yourself a mature Christian or a novice one, may I suggest that before you respond to God’s question, isolate yourself and take mental inventory of how you perceive some of life’s greatest values. (Do you agree or disagree with the right side of the chart below?)

The Greatest Handicap..........................................................................FEAR
The Best Day..........................................................................................TODAY
Hardest Thing To Do..............................................................................TO BEGIN
Easiest Thing To Do................................................................................FINDING FAULT
Most Useless Asset................................................................................PRIDE
Most Useful Asset...................................................................................HUMILITY
The Greatest Mistake..............................................................................GIVING UP
The Greatest Stumbling Block................................................................EGOTISM
The Greatest Comfort.......................................................................WORK WELL DONE
Most Disagreeable Person..........................................................THE COMPLAINER
Worst Bankruptcy........................................................................LOSS OF ENTHUSIASM
Greatest Need.........................................................................................COMMON SENSE
Meanest Feeling.........................................................REGRET AT ANOTHER'S SUCCESS
Best Gift...................................................................................................FORGIVENESS
The Hardest and Most Painful To Accept...............................................DEFEAT
The Greatest Moment..............................................................................DEATH
The Greatest Knowledge.........................................................................GOD
The Greatest Thing..................................................................................LOVE
The Greatest Success
      In The World.........................................SELF FULFILLMENT AND PEACE OF MIND


   

So, now that you have found a way to examine your emotional feelings about some of the greatest values in life, and how those feelings can influence your relationship with God, let us now try to honestly answer God’s question concerning your relationship with him.

Where To Find Your Answers…

The Holy Bible gives us a litany of Scriptures to help us evaluate our connection and relationship status with the eternal God our Maker. He also gives us the Glue, which is through the power of the Holy Spirit, to stay connected to him. But most of all, God has given us a visible Teacher, his Only Begotten Son, Christ Jesus, to be an example and to teach, lead, and guide us along the way. And to make certain that among all whom God has given to his Son, none will be lost.

A perfect relationship with God is knowing that we are in good standing and saved (from the fate of physical death unto the power of eternal life) not by our good deeds and/or righteous living, BUT by what the Bible says about faith in the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Scripture Lessons:

“I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life. This is the assurance we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. ” I John 5:13-14

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, (a warm-blooded man to a physically cold world) that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16

“In him (Jesus Christ) we have redemption (a Ransom paid to redeem our sins) through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace that he lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding.” Ephesians 1:7

“For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, ‘Abba, Father’. Romans 8:15

“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith–and this not from yourselves, it is a gift of God–not by works, so that no one can boast.” Ephesians 2:8-9

“But your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden his face from you so that he does not hear.” Isaiah 59:2

“So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin.” James 4:17

“Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you. You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart.” Jeremiah 29:12-13

My Prayer For You…

Dear Heavenly Father: As your children go forth in an effort to solidify their relationship with you, please do not allow them to spend an enormous amount of time in doing so. Why? Because it may cause them to spend too much time thinking about themselves and their short comings and not enough time getting to know you. For your word says for us to (just) ask and we shall receive, seek and we shall find and knock and the door will be opened unto us.

For your children know that you are the Good Shepherd, and you know without any doubts those that are seeking to strengthen their relationship with you. For it is written that You, Jesus, know us and that we know You. And that you desire to have a strong relationship with us. We ask all of these blessings in the precious Name of Christ Jesus, Amen and Amen!

Dear God, we’re satisfied with you…but are you satisfied with us?

Click http://www.tgifmasterminds.com every Friday for a new post from The Master’s servant manager…Me!

God Is The Author And Finisher Of My Writings!

God caused me to ‘think outside the box’!

All I can say is…”To God be the glory.” That’s right! Every time someone ask me where do I get all my ideas to write about, all I can say is that the Holy Spirit empowers me to scribe. He and He alone placed the desire in my heart to put words to paper long before I was born. And, like the prophet Jeremiah, it’s like a fire shut up in my bones.

Sometimes I feel like Grandma Moses. She was a celebrated American painter who was born on September 7, 1860, in Greenwich, N.Y. She died 95 years later on December 13, 1961. Grandma Moses’ true grit was her passion to paint the great and beautiful outdoors and also everyday farm life. Some of her words in her memoirs have inspired me and her penchant to paint recorded therein mimic my very own reasons as to why I write. I believe we both are people who were born with a passion to follow through with our life’s goals. To persevere and work really hard to perfect our calling. To be passionate and conscientious about the gifts God has endowed us with. Our pursuits are what makes our Maker happy.

Take a listen to what Grandma Moses said about why she paints:

“I look out the window sometimes to seek the color of the shadows and the different greens in the trees, but when I get ready to paint, I just close my eyes and imagine a scene.”

“Memory is history recorded in our brain.  Memory is a painter…”

“I like to paint something that leads me on and on into the unknown, something that I want to see always on beyond.”

“You don’t get to be 95 without having some memories and knowing ugly things.  But I don’t believe in painting ugliness.  I paint pretty pictures.  If I put in something that was not pretty, I make it look a little better.  If people can’t get pleasure out of looking at a picture, what’s the use of painting it?”

So, all I have to do is substitute the word “write” for every time Grandma Moses uses the word “paint”. Because her feelings are my feelings exactly about ‘why I write’.

Following is an original poem I wrote about why I write…

This young man is not only thinking outside the box…
he is also thinking outdoors!
W  O  R  D  S

Words come soaring
Words come marching
Words come seeking
Words come stalking

Words come walking
Words come running
Words come creeping
Words come strumming

Words!  Words!
Who can live without them
Cluttering up your mind, they come
Like falling leaves in Autumn

Overflowing your heart in chaos
Fighting for space in your being
Establishing themselves in voices
Everybody speaking at once...bad timing

Trying to eradicate them from your head
Is like eliminating your body of waste
In a few short hours they are back again
With a vengeance, running around in haste

Words!  Words!
Are like parasites, no doubt
I have resolved to tolerate them
But only until death takes me out!

The End

My prayer for you…

Heavenly Father, we thank You that You have endowed each of us with special talents. And You are hopeful that we will commit our lives to the good deeds that You have planned for us. Please help us to discover and to carry out the purposes that You have in mind for us to become. Amen and Amen!

Scripture Lesson: “For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works which God prepared for us to do.” Ephesians 2:10

Click http://www.tgifmasterminds.com every Friday for a new post from The Master’s servant manager…Me!

God Suggested For Me To Do It His Way

Time To Clean House Or “I Threw It Out!”

How many of you guys out there remember a 1969 hit tune written by Paul Anka and recorded by both Frank Sinatra and Sammy Davis, Jr entitled, “I Did It My Way?” I loved the lyrics of that song and it’s smooth melody. As I have grown older, I have learned to appreciate it’s message even more and more.

Within the last few years, (that is, since I’ve moved into the Octogenarian age), seemingly the messages from heaven have been for me to get my house in order. I took that advice to mean…get your AFFAIRS in order. And so, that is what I have been doing. And, do you know what? I feel relieved.

The lyrics to the following poem entitled “Time To Clean House Or I Threw It Out!”, says it all…

As I look back on my life, I decided to throw out WORRYING,
It was getting old and in the way.  It kept me
from being me.  I couldn't do things my way, like the song says.

I threw out those INHIBITIONS; they were just
crowding me out.  Made room for my NEW GROWTH,
got rid of my old dreams and doubts.

I threw out a book on MY PAST (didn't have 
time to read it anyway).  Replaced it with
NEW GOALS, started reading it every day.

I threw out childhood toys (remember how I
treasured them so?)  Got me a NEW PHILOSOPHY, too.
Threw out the one from long ago.

Brought in some new books, too, called I CAN,
I WILL, and I MUST.  Threw out I might, I think,
and I ought.  WOW, you should've seen the dust!

I called up a GOOD FRIEND, 
have known Him for awhile.  
His name is GOD.   Yes, I really like His style.

He helped me to do some cleaning and added
some things Himself.  Like PRAYER, HOPE and FAITH.
Yes, and I put them on the shelf.

I picked up this special thing and placed it
at the front door.   I FOUND IT... it's called PEACE. 
Hallelujah!  Nothing gets me down anymore.

Yes, I've got my house looking pretty nice.  
Looks good around this ole place.  
For things like WORRY and TROUBLE 'taint no more space.

It's good to do a little house cleaning.
To get rid of old things on the shelf.
It sure makes things brighter...

Maybe you should TRY IT FOR YOURSELF!!!

My Prayer for you...

My Darling, Jesus! There are so many things that we want to praise You for. This especially includes Your grace and Your mercy towards me and all others who are reading this blog. There are so many growing pains that You correct in our lives, that help to make our existence worthwhile. We appreciate You taking the time to help us make corrections in our life styles that need eliminating. So, continue to wash and clean up these old houses. Make us white as snow and cause us to shine like the morning sun. We have grown tired and weary of our old ways and want to earnestly ‘turn over a new leaf’ and do it Your way. Forgive us Lord. For with You, all things are possible! And we will forever give you all the praise and all the glory. Amen and Amen!

Scripture Lesson: “Go, eat your food with gladness, and drink your wine with a joyful heart, for it is now that God favors what you do. Enjoy life with your (spouse), whom you love, all the days of this meaningless life that God has given you under the sun.” Ecclesiastes 9:7, 9

Click http://www.tgifmasterminds.com every Friday for a new post from The Master’s servant manager…Me!