Honor and Oath

The Bible speaks about honor and oaths many times and how important they were. The two are hard to separate without affecting their meaning. God made oaths to his people and followed up that He would honor the oath. When people took an oath in biblical times, it was like signing a contract and sealed by honor. It was like sealing an agreement with a handshake which is rare these days. I still like to do that with someone because to me it is a binding agreement that I am willing to put my honor on the line. Our Pastor Steve is that kind of guy that believes a handshake is something that seals the importance of the moment. He is someone I can relate to and trust. Oaths are all about trust and belief.

You can tell our country has changed because now two parties need lawyers and written contracts and honor is often thrown out the window. Our elected officials take an oath to protect the Constitution of the United States as do our military. The difference is the military honor that oath but the politicians forget all about after they are in office. We have many of our leaders trying their best to circumvent the Constitution and tell us it is outdated for our times. I don’t think so! It is going to take this country getting back to God to see any of his blessings. Right now I’m not confident that will happen.

It is time for Christians to become active in government and demand accountability from our leaders. We need to remind them of the oath they took which the founding fathers knew was important for this country’s survival. Those men looked for guidance from God everyday with prayer to guide them. How many of our elected leaders do that?

The foundations of this Republic are being shaken and we are close to losing our God given freedoms that so many people died for. We need to pray that our leaders seek the Creator for wisdom and that this country will humble itself before God. He promises to hear our prayers and heal our land. It is an oath He made thousands of years ago.

Teamwork

August 21 is our 44th anniversary which is getting to be a milestone in today’s world. We are blessed to have two great daughters and son-in-laws plus two sweet granddaughters. Life is sometimes a blur and we have to step back and realize the blessings Gods bestows on us.

Marriage is about teamwork; learning each others strengths and using that to help each other. Ardella balances me out with her peacemaker strength which I often need. I have learned much about patience from her. Fortunately we both like the outdoor world and love exploring God’s creation. Ardella has helped me band ducks in Iowa, climbed numerous mountains in Idaho, and enjoyed the wildness of Alaska as much as I did. She is an excellent shot and has harvested more black bears and elk than I have. She has always been my favorite hunting partner.

Too many couples opt out of marriage because they are not a team. Each lives a life without involving their mate in much of their daily lives. Going it alone will not make a marriage.

Color Purple

The woods of north Idaho are experiencing a bumper crop of huckleberries this year. The purple fruit is highly prized for pies and jam. We like them in hotcakes. It has been several years since there was a good crop so both bears and people are enjoying the bounty. The other evening we drove up Baldy Mountain north of Sandpoint and came home with over four and a half gallons of huge purple berries. I kept an eye out for bears as I picked since they had visited the patch I found laden with big juicy berries. I have never had any trouble with bears while picking but you never know so I carry a can of bear spray. I always leave enough for bears to eat when I’m done as the huckleberry is an important food source to them so they can build up fat for their winter nap.

The color purple was highly prized by the Hebrews as a symbol of royalty. Fabric was dyed various shades of purple from a mollusk that lives along the Mediterranean shores. Solomon had the seat of his chariot covered with purple and the priest used it on their robes. Remember. They put a purple robe on Jesus at his trial to mock him.

Jesus didn’t need a purple robe to show he is King. The empty tomb declares Jesus is our King and Savoir. He will come back with an angel army to gather up his people. Will you be one of them? Spending eternity with Him really isn’t as hard as religion makes it. We need to recognize Jesus as our Savoir, ask Him to forgive our sins, and spend the rest of this life glorifying Him to others. If you don’t know Him, please invite Jesus into your heart right now. He is waiting.

Party On

Today is my birthday and we went out for lunch with Connie, Jolene, Vance and the girls. We celebrated Sunday afternoon when the whole family could be here. Ardella and the little girls made me a delicious chocolate cake from scratch which is my favorite. Hannah and Lizzie help Grandma decorate the cake and said it would be the best one I ever had. I totally agree!

Some people think life is an ongoing party and live only for the moment. Unfortunately they don’t see the whole picture and their lives are really hollow shells of what they could be. God calls us to live with purpose. Rick Warren wrote, “Its not abut you.” It took me three times of reading the book to get it. Jesus said we should have a servant’s heart; living a life of helping others.

The real party will be when we enter Heaven where there is no sickness or problems we live with on earth. The Apostle Paul was given glimpses of Heaven but said he could not reveal the glory he saw. I believe Heaven will be greater then anyone can imagine. The God of Creation is going to knock our socks off! Many people will not experience the party because they will not accept Jesus as their savoir. He offers us a free gift and we reject it. If you do not know Jesus this is as good as your party gets; but if He is your Savoir, the real party won’t begin until you leave this world. Which party would you rather be at?

I have a fourteen old cousin that found out today he has stage four cancer so I would like prayers for Trevor and his family. Ardella and I prayed with his Grandma and an aunt and uncle this week for a miracle of healing. We prayed for some of the family members to put their trust in Jesus and accept Him as savior. Pray that God uses this time to change lives for eternity.