Category: Personal

Query Family Vacations

Query Family Vacations

Some of my favorite childhood memories were that of our family vacations. To the best of my recollection, most of our vacations were either to Florida or Ohio. One year we’d go somewhere in Florida and the next year we’d go to Cincinnati. Florida was quite a bit further away from Indianapolis than Cincinnati, so Cincinnati was more affordable as it was only a couple of hours away. We also didn’t usually stay very long in Cincinnati, but it was always fun! 

Of course Florida was fun too. Well, mostly. Actually I got the worst sunburn of my life in Daytona Beach when I was 13 years old. What can I say? I was young and dumb. I spent the entire first day of that vacation walking up and down the beach in my new bikini. It was my first bikini and I thought I was so cool. Ha! Actually, burnt to a crisp is probably a better description! I was in so much pain that first night. I was fainting and vomiting and probably really should have gone to the ER. Long story short, I spent the rest of the vacation sick in bed. Fun times. Not.

Actually, I have a lot of great memories of our Florida vacations. I remember my mom would always pack sandwiches, chips, and soft drinks in preparation for the long drive. We’d usually got the kind of hotels that had refrigerators in them and my mom would fix meals in her electric skillet that she had brought from home. Of course we ate out at restaurants on occasion, which was always a treat! 

My dad also knew that a hotel with a swimming pool was a top priority. Once we got to Florida a hotel on or near the beach was rare but super cool when we did. We enjoyed swimming regardless if it was at a hotel pool or at the beach. Most of the hotels we stayed at would probably be best described as small inexpensive roadside motels; nothing fancy and nothing expensive.

Some of my favorite memories in Florida were riding the Glass Bottom boat at Silver Springs, watching the Wiki Wachi skiers, going to different beaches, and visiting the Kennedy Space Center.

I especially liked stopping at various points of interest and different rest stops between Indianapolis and Florida. I liked the caves in Kentucky and Tennessee, and the Stuckey’s stores in Georgia and Florida. Stuckey’s had the best taffy and candy! 

So, why Cincinnati?!

Well first, it was just a little over a hundred miles away from Indianapolis, so it was close to home. 

Second, the Cincinnati Reds Baseball Team.

And third, Coney Island!

Coney Island was a wonderful but very old amusement park in Cincinnati. We all enjoyed Coney Island but my dad especially liked going to watch the Cincinnati Reds play ball. So while he took my older brothers with him to the baseball game, my mom, me, and my little brother, Dougie, would go shopping or just hang out at the hotel. Regardless, whatever else we did, the highlight of our trip was always Coney Island! It didn’t really bother me one bit that I didn’t get to go to the baseball games. Now, I do remember being upset when I first heard about Coney Island closing in 1970. I wasn’t upset for long as I soon learned that Kings Island was scheduled to open in 1972, and that it would be twice as large as Coney Island. Although, by the time it opened, I had already graduated from high school and our family vacations were soon becoming a thing of the past.

Looking back, I realize that life doesn’t have to be perfect to be wonderful, and vacations don’t have to cost a lot of money to be fun. Spending time together away from home, even in simple accommodations, was fine with me. I was just happy that we got to go on vacations. Even as a child, I sensed that it was a financial strain on my parents to raise six kids and also afford family vacations.  

I also realize I may have not expressed my thankfulness back then to my parents. I suppose when we’re young most of us take a lot of things for granted, and by the time we come to realize this, it’s too late. But, if both of my parents were alive today, I’d tell them how much I love them, and I would thank them for all that they did for me, and for all of the sacrifices they made as parents. I would also tell them that going on our family vacations gave me some of my happiest memories of my childhood. ❤️

Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.
I Thessalonians 5:18

Here’s a few of our family vacation photos between 1959 and 1971.

Joyce, Eldon, Mom, Ronnie, Denny, me, Dad & Eldon in Indianapolis ready to go on vacation in 1959.
York Valley Inn Motel in Florida. Me in the pool, Ronnie on the diving board, and Denny playing shuffleboard with Ronnie in Florida in 1959.
Scenic Jungle Cruise at Silver Springs, Florida in 1968.
Mom & Eldon outside zour Florida hotel in 1959.
Denny, Ronnie, Dougie, & me “in the lock-up” at Coney Island in Ohio in 1965. Ronnie, dad, Eldon, Dougie, mom, & me, fourth row back at Mammoth Cave National Park near Brownsville, KY in 1961.
Me, Ronnie, Mom, & Dougie in Florida in 1967. Ronnie, me, Dougie, & Denny at Coney Island in 1965. Dougie, Ronnie, & Denny in Florida in 1968. Dad, me, Dougie, Ronnie, & Denny, somewhere between Indianapolis and Florida in 1967.
Mom in Florida in 1961. Me swimming in Florida in 1962. Dougie, me, Ronnie, & Denny watching TV in a Florida hotel in 1970. Mom in Florida in 1962.
Mom and Dad in Florida in 1968. Dad in Florida in 1967. Mom, Dad, and Dougie on the beach in 1968. Mom on the beach in 1970.
Denny, Dad, me, Mom & Dougie on the Scenic Jungle Cruise at Silver Springs in 1968. Ronnie & me on the moped at Daytona Beach in 1968. Me on the float and poolside in Florida in 1971.

Joy!

Joy!

When I was in junior high school from 1966 to 1969, the journalism class put out a monthly publication with the current school happenings and various articles written by journalism students. One month it included a section with comments from several students who had completed the following statement,

“Happiness is…”

I wish I had saved a copy of it, but didn’t, and I don’t remember any of the answers but I do remember the different types of comments. Some were funny, some were trying to be funny but weren’t, and a few were really sweet. I remember this giving me a glimpse into the different personalities of my classmates.

So, how would you fill in the blank?

“Happiness is…”

I know completing that statement might be difficult for some. I think it’s mostly because happiness is often circumstantial and is likely determined by what’s currently going on in your life. It can be difficult to be happy when life isn’t going well, when life is hard, and when tears are many.

But I do believe there’s a joy that transcends our circumstances. It’s a joy that remains in and through the difficult times in life. It’s a godly joy, and it comes from knowing the Lord and from looking to Him in all of life’s circumstances; both good and bad.

“You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.” Psalm 16:11

The joy of the Lord is actually more than a belief; it’s my experience. Joy in just knowing the Lord. Joy in the good times. Joy in the bad times. There have been many times in my life where God has given me peace in the middle of the storm, and joy in spite of my circumstances. Times when I trusted in Him no matter what, and rejoiced in Him no matter what.

Because,

The Bible tells us, regardless of our present circumstances, that we are to rejoice in the Lord. When we look to Him and praise Him in worship, our hearts are filled with His joy.

“Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice.” Philippians 4:4

Even when life is difficult.

So today, if you find yourself feeling down, upset, lonely, or sad, it’s my prayer that God will surround you with His presence and fill you with joy, peace, and hope in Him.

“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.” Romans 15:13

Here are the first two verses and the chorus to a sweet old children’s song (author unknown) about the joy of the Lord. Perhaps you remember it from long ago. May it bless you as you read (and sing) along today.

Title: I’ve Got the Joy, Joy, Joy, Joy!

Verse 1:

I’ve got the joy, joy, joy, joy down in my heart.

Where?

Down in my heart!

Where?

Down in my heart!

I’ve got the joy, joy, joy, joy down in my heart,

Down in my heart to stay!

Chorus:

And I’m so happy, so very happy,

I’ve got the love of Jesus in my heart

Down in my heart.

And I’m so happy, so very happy,

I’ve got the love of Jesus in my heart.

Verse 2:

I’ve got the love of Jesus, love of Jesus down in my heart.

Where?

Down in my heart!

Where?

Down in my heart!

I’ve got the love of Jesus, love of Jesus down in my heart.

Where?

Down in my heart to stay.

Chorus:

And I’m so happy, so very happy

I’ve got the love of Jesus in my heart.

Down in my heart.

And I’m so happy, so very happy

I’ve got the love of Jesus in my heart.

Male and Female He Created Them

Male and Female He Created Them

God’s word explains, “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness.” 2 Timothy 3:16

And God’s word is clear, “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.” Genesis 1:27

There are only two sexes, “Jesus said, ‘Have you not read that he who created them from the beginning made them male and female.’” Matthew  19:4

Yet, in the last few years we find ourselves living in a world where,

– Gender ideologies defying God in an attempt to redefine God’s creation of man and woman and their God-given roles.

– Men who identify as women being allowed to use women’s public restrooms and dressing rooms.

– Public school teachers proactively teaching young children about changing their gender as they teach their woke worldview version of sexuality and without the parents’ knowledge.

– Young children given puberty blockers and hormones in an attempt to change their gender, and in some cases against the will of one of their parents.

– Public libraries hosting drag queen story hours for young children, where men mockingly dress up as sexually provocative women.

– Men who identify as a women being allowed to compete in women’s sports, who are winning and literally stealing trophies away from rightfully deserving women athletes.

– Men and women voluntarily undergoing irreversible, painful, and numerous surgeries, and voluntarily taking hormones in a futile attempt to change their gender.

– Public school teachers who are allowed to teach K-12 students about LGBTQ lifestyles and agendas.

And this is just a partial list of some of the more recent societal changes regarding sexuality.

How did we get here?

Some might say we could blame it on Gloria Steinem of the 1970s Women’s Liberation movement. This is the woman who defied God and successfully convinced millions of women that they had the right to be liberated from traditional women’s roles.

Some might say we could blame it on the Supreme Court for enacting same-sex marriage laws and allowing same-sex couples to adopt a child.

Some might say we could blame it on woke corporations who’ve hired DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) managers to ensure their company meets certain expectations to keep their ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) scores high.

Some might say we could blame it on the men who fail in their God-given roles as spiritual leaders in their home and as head of the household.

Some might say we could blame it on the women who try to “run the show” in their marriage by usurping their husband’s God-given role as head of the household.

Some might say we could blame it on woke churches that allow Beth Moore and other so-called “women pastors,” who dare to defy God and His word (1 Timothy 2:12) each time they stand at a pulpit and preach to men.

While I believe all of these things have certainly played a part, they’re not the root cause.

We find the root cause in the Bible.

In the book of Genesis, in the Garden of Eden, Eve believed the serpent and chose to disobey God. As Eve was tempted by the devil, Adam was tempted by Eve, and sin entered the world through Adam.

“Now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, ‘Did God actually say, “You shall not eat of any tree in the garden?”’And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden, but God said, ‘You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the midst of the garden, neither shall you touch it, lest you die.’” But the serpent said to the woman, ‘You will not surely die. For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.’ So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate.” Genesis 3:1-6

And, “Therefore, just as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men, because all sinned.” Romans 5:12

The Bible explains our root problem is sin. “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” Romans 3:23

And, sexual sin, in particular, is not only against God, it is against one’s own body.

“Flee from sexual immorality. Every other sin a person commits is outside the body, but the sexually immoral person sins against his own body.” 1 Corinthians 6:18

God implores us to “abstain from sexual immorality” in 1 Thessalonians 4:3

However, unrepentant sinners, by nature, don’t want to repent, obey God, or His word. By nature, unrepentant sinners love the darkness instead of the light.

“And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil.” John 3:19

To add insult to injury, “the wicked boasts of the desires of his soul” (Psalm 10:3-4).

But it doesn’t have to be so. The distance between an unrepentant sinner and God is not far.

If you find yourself described here, and feel God convicting you to make a change in your life, just turn around. Turn toward Christ and away from sin.

It’s not too late.

For Jew or Greek, male or female, LGBTQ or heterosexual, rich or poor, etc.

The good news is that God made a way by sending His Son to take the penalty for our sin—for all who’ll come to Christ in repentance and faith.

“For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” 2 Corinthians 5:21

Acknowledge the sin in your life today and repent of it. Put your faith and trust in God, the Maker of heaven and earth. Cry out to Him and humbly ask for His forgiveness. Trust in Jesus’ sacrificial death on the cross.

And, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.” Proverbs 3:5-6

If you’re male, trust in God’s plans and God-given roles for men. If you’re female, trust in God’s plans and God-given roles for women.

“O taste and see that the Lord is good; How blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him!” Psalm 34:8

Interestingly, I remember when I was a child, I used to dress up in my brother’s army outfit and crawl around in the backyard playing “Army” with a toy machine gun strapped to my back and a rubber knife in my mouth. I was, what was commonly called, a tomboy. Vic Morrow of the TV show, Combat, was my inspiration. But, you know what? I grew out of it. How glad I am that no one tried to give me puberty blockers or tried to convince me I needed to try to change my gender back then! I love being a woman. Actually, I love all the roles that God has chosen for me in life, and I especially love being a mom, and a grandmother, aka “Maw-Maw.”

“For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Jeremiah 29:11

Mother’s Day

Mother’s Day

As the years have gone by, Mother’s Day has become one of my favorite holidays. My perfect Mother’s Day includes food, family, flowers, fun, and a Mother’s Day card.

So in the days leading up to Mother’s Day, I always think of my mom who passed away in 1998. I was blessed to have her in my life for the first 44 years of my life. She was the main role model in my life and in so many ways—as a woman, a wife, a mom, and a Christian. I will forever remember her praying on her knees by her bedside at night, and studying her Bible in the early mornings when I was a child.

”Strength and dignity are her clothing, and she laughs at the time to come. She opens her mouth with wisdom, and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue. She looks well to the ways of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness. Her children rise up and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her.” Proverbs 31:25-28

My mom and me in Indianapolis back in the late 1970s.

My grandma, my mom, and me in 1979.

My mom passed away at the age of 77 after suffering for several years from Alzheimer’s Disease.

“Strength and dignity are her clothing, and she laughs at the time to come. She opens her mouth with wisdom, and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue. She looks well to the ways of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness. Her children rise up and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her.” Proverbs 31:25-28

My grandma was a godly woman too. When I was a child I loved going to her house just to be close to her. When I was a teenager and again as a young adult, she would pull me aside and tell me that she was praying for me. I knew she loved me and she knew I needed prayer.

Here’s a photo of my grandma in our kitchen nook in Indianapolis back in the early 1970s. She was trimming the meat off a turkey to make us some of her delicious homemade turkey noodle soup.

“Older women should be reverent in their behavior, not slanderers or addicted to much wine. They should teach the younger women to love their husbands and children, be self-controlled, pure, working at home, kind, and submissive to their own husbands, so that the word of God may not be reviled.” Titus 2:3-5


My grandma was recognized and honored in her community as “Mother of the Year” in the 1960s.

And here is a photo of my great-grandma Stockrahm. I think this picture was taken in the early 1950s. She lived with my grandma in Frankfort, Indiana, when she was elderly and where my grandma took care of her until she passed away. I was very young back then, but I do remember she was very quiet and that my grandma was very protective of her. I remember feeling so sorry for her because she was fragile and ill.

My great grandma Stockrahm.

“Rather, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight.” 1 Peter 3:4

I’m so very thankful for my mom, my grandma, and great-grandma. They were wonderful and godly mothers.

My mom and grandma taught me that as mothers and grandmothers, we should never give up. We are to continue in prayer for each one of our loved ones. We are to continue modeling Christ to our family, and to take advantage of any opportunities to share Christ with our children and grandchildren. Our influence has an eternal impact on the lives and futures of our children, our grandchildren, and so on.

“Even when some children will not let us speak to them about religion, they cannot prevent us speaking for them to God. Never, never let us forget that the children for whom many prayers have been offered, seldom finally perish.” #JCRyle

“Good mothers are very dear to their children. There’s no mother in the world like our own mother.” #CharlesSpurgeon

“To be a mother is by no means second class. Men may have the authority in the home, but the women have the influence. The mother, more than the father, is the one who molds and shapes those little lives from day one.” #JohnMacArthur

I’m so thankful that being a mother was in God’s plan for me. I thank Him for our three daughters, who are mothers now as well, but more importantly, they’re Christian mothers.

My girls and me.

“I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth.” 3 John 1:4

Mother’s Day 2021

Mother’s Day 2022

“Children’s children are a crown to the aged, and parents are the pride of their children.” Proverbs 17:6

Mother’s Day 2023

Mother’s Day 2024

Mother’s Day 2025

Called By Name

Called By Name

“Elaine Crandell! Come on down! You’re the next contestant on The Price is Right!”

I first remember watching “The Price is Right” sometime after I graduated from high school in 1972. I continued watching it on and off over the years, basically whenever I just happened to be at home during the day. I never thought I could ever be a contestant on the show until sometime after 1989, when I started working for Delta Air Lines. My travel benefits at Delta opened up a whole new world of possibilities for me and my family.

So in January 2005, my daughter Megan and I flew to Los Angeles for three days of sightseeing and shows.

Now instead of going to bed the night before the show, like any normal person might do, we left the comfort of our warm hotel room and spent the night standing (in my daughter’s case, sitting in her wheelchair) in the cold, in the dark, in downtown Los Angeles, on the sidewalk just outside of CBS Television City studios.

We arrived outside the studio really early, around midnight actually, which made us the third group in line, and pretty much assured us we’d be able to exchange our tickets for a studio admission number at 6:00 a.m. We spent the night trying to keep warm, eating bagels, and talking with everyone around us in line. It was fun but in the middle of the night I started feeling sick and went back to the rental car to lay down. I couldn’t sleep so I got up and got back in line. By the time 6:00 a.m. rolled around, the line had grown around the block and out of sight, and I had a soar throat, but, we got our studio admission numbers!

We left to go back to the hotel with strict instructions to be back within three hours to get back in another line. We freshened up but were afraid to lay down thinking we might oversleep.

About three hours later, with our admission numbers in hand, we got back in line at CBS Television City. This was about a three hour process and although we were exhausted, it turned out to be a nice experience. It was here I met a young man who was a previous showcase winner a few years before. He was now working as a student advisor at a college and was back in line on this day with a group of students from his college. We talked for a while about a lot of different things, including my faith in Christ.

Continuing our way through the admission line, we encountered the show producers who were conducting interviews with each one of us, one by one. I noticed they were very personable and were taking notes as they did their interviews. The producer who interviewed me asked me what I did for a living. I smiled and told him, “I make mad people happy!” He laughed and then asked me what I really did. I explained that I was a customer service agent for Delta Air Lines and that I help passengers and agents resolve various problems and issues.

He must have liked my answer.

Within a couple of hours, I heard my name:

“Elaine Crandell! Come on down! You’re the next contestant on The Price is Right!”

I jumped up, screaming, and ran up to the podium. Within a few minutes I got the winning bid on a metal detector and ran up on stage. At this point my heart was pumping and my mind was racing with so many thoughts: “Mercy, those lights are so bright! Do I look sick? Do I need more make up? Do I look like I’ve been up all night?!” Suddenly I found myself talking with Bob Barker and playing The Range Game. I looked back to find my daughter in the crowd and all I saw was what seemed to be everyone telling me to stop. I hit the stop button but it was a tad bit too soon.

They cut to a commercial break and whisked me off stage to sign a bunch of legal papers: one giving my consent to be a contestant on a CBS game show, another explaining that I understood that I’d be responsible for any and all tax implications of my prize winnings, and yet another paper that gave me an option to decline any or all of my gifts.

By the time I finished signing all the papers it was time to go back on stage to spin the Big Wheel in the Showcase Showdown. My 95, in one spin, won me the chance to bid on a showcase!

During one of the next commercial breaks, a stage manager came up to talk with me. He was so kind. Talking with him really helped calm my nerves. My only regret at this point was that I realized then that I forgot to say, “Hello!” to my family while waiting for the Big Wheel to stop.

So then came the chance to win the showcase. Mine was a set of video phones, a Colorado Hot Air Balloon trip, a Colorado ski vacation, and a ski boat. I had no idea how much that ski boat was worth but decided to bid low as I didn’t want to overbid. My mind raced back to a few weeks before when my husband and I were invited to go on a ski boat but we declined because neither of us skied. I suddenly wished we’d gone as maybe the price of it would have came up in our conversations. Oh well, too late now.

As it turned out, the ski boat was worth a lot more money that I thought. I underbid my showcase by over $25K and lost to my opponent who also underbid her showcase, but by less.

What a day! All 24 hours of it! We went back to our hotel and as soon as the excitement wore down we both fell asleep in exhaustion.

A few weeks later I made a T-shirt to remember the experience. I used the photo of my expression when I realized I’d lost the showcase and titled it “The Price was Wrong!” Ha!

In retrospect, so much of what happened was right. I enjoyed and shared a great experience with my daughter. I won a metal detector worth $1100, which I still have. I got to be a contestant on one of the longest running game shows in television history. I got to meet Bob Barker, and I got to share my faith with a stranger.

In the big picture of life, “The Price is Right” is just a TV game show. My name was called and I won a gift.

Oh so much more importantly, Jesus knows my name! By faith, I’ve received the gift of eternal life; life here and now, and life in the ever after.

Not because I’m a “good person.” Not because I was baptized or a member of a church.

But because I trusted in Jesus and His plan of salvation one night many years ago, when God lovingly convicted me that I was a sinner in desperate need of a Savior. I responded and called out to Him in repentance and faith, and placed my trust in Jesus alone.

It was Jesus who took the penalty for my sins on the cross; He paid the price in full on my behalf. God, the Creator, Sustainer, and Author of Life, made a way for a sinner like me to be redeemed.

The Price Jesus Paid is Right, and it was according to His perfect plan and unfathomable love; it’s for all He calls to come and follow Him, for all who will respond in repentance and faith.

Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine. Isaiah 43:1

Jesus Revolution Movie

For several years, beginning back in the early 2000s, I was a frequent listener to Greg Laurie’s daily radio ministry program, “A New Beginning.” I also followed his podcasts when they became available a few years later.  I found him to be very likable and an effective evangelist. I have several of his books, The Great Compromise, Worldview, Run to Win, and Lost Boy, with my favorite being The Great Compromise.

In his book, The Great Compromise, Greg Laurie outlines the many ways people compromise in their faith. He offers examples of great men of faith in the Bible who stood on God’s Word during times of testing and trials. He points out that if we are to fight the good fight of faith and complete the race to the finish, we too must rely on God’s Word. He reminds us that God has provided us with everything we need to equip us in the Scriptures.

Harvest Christian Fellowship, Riverside, California in January 2006, with my two oldest daughters, Michelle and Megan (in the wheelchair) and back when we all had the same hair color. Actually mine was gray even back then but my dark hair came out of a bottle!

On a January 2006 visit to California, I visited Harvest Christian Fellowship in Riverside, California with two of my daughters, for a Sunday morning service.

Greg Laurie and Ethan at Prestonwood Baptist Church, February, 2009

In 2009, my oldest daughter Michelle and I went to hear Greg Laurie preach at Prestonwood Baptist Church in Dallas. This is a large Southern Baptist church in Plano, Texas, where Dr. Jack Graham is the senior pastor. Michelle just so happened to bring her stepson, Ethan, along with her that night. Ethan sat through the entire program and heard the gospel presented by Greg Laurie. He went forward to profess his faith in Christ that very evening. This photo of Greg Laurie and Ethan was taken out in the church lobby after the service was over and as we were on our way out of the front door.

A few years later, I went to his 2016 Harvest America Crusade in Dallas, also with my daughter Michelle, and then again to his 2018 Harvest America Crusade in Dallas, where I sang in the choir.

So, it’s fair to say I’m very familiar with Greg Laurie’s ministry, although I have to say I have not followed his ministry recently like I used to. For the past several years I have shifted more toward Reformed Bible teachers. I have also developed a dislike of popular contemporary Christian music being used in church worship services, but perhaps that is a story for another day.

When I heard late in 2022 that Greg Laurie was involved in a new movie, Jesus Revolution, and that it was going to be on a limited release schedule in February 2023, I was hopeful that it would be shown in a theatre near me. I’m old enough to remember the June 1971 Time magazine cover photo, “The Jesus Revolution” and I also remember hearing people talking about the “Jesus Movement.” I was 16 years old at the time.

So in February 2023, I bought two tickets for the February 24th 6:10 p.m. showing, which was actually the first time in a long while, that I’d bought movie tickets. Most of the movies that Hollywood has been producing the past few years have been very disappointing. We rarely go to the movie theater anymore—perhaps another story for another day as well.

So I was very hopeful about going to this movie, but my hope subsided after actually seeing it. It was quite a bit different from what I was expecting. As I watched it and as soon as it was over several questions popped up in my mind:

1. I was a little surprised the movie didn’t clearly present the gospel. Did I miss it?

2. The words spoken at Greg’s baptism were minimal. It was like he wasn’t quite sure what he was doing there or that he just happened to be there and was caught up in the moment with the crowd. Why so vague?

3. The underwater portion of the baptism scene seemed overly dramatic: Baptism is a first step in obedience; an outward sign of an inward change in a believer’s life. Why such an exaggerated emphasis on the water?

4. I also don’t recall hearing anything about repentance in the movie. Did I miss that too?

Now, I know Greg Laurie’s ministry. Although I no longer actively follow his ministry, I’ve heard him present the gospel many times in the past. His gospel presentation is biblical. I even checked his current statement of faith on his church website and other than the fact that he is now associated with the Southern Baptist Convention, his statement of faith is still biblical. On a side note, while I agree in principle with the Baptist Faith and Message, I do take issue with the Southern Baptist Convention in practice due to the liberal left-leaning drift in both their leadership and in their majority since 2019. Nonetheless, I decided to look a little more into the making of the movie.

After just a little research, I learned that while the story is based on Greg’s autobiography, the co-directors and screenwriter, together with the producer, production company, etc., had artistic license to present the movie as written by the screenwriter. The artistic license allows deviations from the original story as written in the autobiography. Although I haven’t read the book, I understand that the Jesus Revolution movie is not the same as the book. But of course, this wouldn’t be the first time we find a movie differs from the book.

Actually, seeing this movie raised more than a couple of other concerns with me.

To begin with, there are potential problems whenever the gospel is combined with entertainment. Movies, no matter the genre or the intent, are still a form of entertainment. So, the conveyance of the gospel in a movie is quite a delicate task, if not outright difficult, especially when artistic license is added to the mix. Basically they combined that which is holy, the gospel, with that which is not, the movie industry.

Regardless, and thankfully…

The gospel stands alone. God’s purposes and plan of salvation were achieved perfectly in the finished work of Jesus Christ on the cross. No movie, or anything else for that matter, will ever negate the gospel of Christ. If God allows this movie to help point people to repentance and faith in Him, so be it.

Secondly, Lonnie Frisbee, I take issue with both the actor who played his part in the movie and with Lonnie Frisbee himself.

I believe the casting director, or whoever was in charge of hiring Jonathan Roumie to play the part of Lonnie Frisbee, made a poor choice. Jonathan Roumie’s theology is a train wreck to put it nicely. He was reportedly involved in a practice called “grave soaking” or “grave sucking,” in preparation for this movie. He’s on record as stating that on more than one occasion he visited Lonnie Frisbee’s gravesite and laid down next to his grave in an effort to “connect in some way with Lonnie” and “to pray with him.” That is in no way biblical. In fact, it’s way creepy and is actually akin to demonic or occult practices. The Bible strictly forbids and warns us against the practice of communicating with the dead, also known as necromancy:

“A man or a woman who is a medium or a necromancer shall surely be put to death. They shall be stoned with stones; their blood shall be upon them.” Leviticus 20:27

So while Greg Laurie went on to have a successful Christian ministry, Lonnie Frisbee, I’m sorry to say, did not. I found several disparaging articles, comments, and videos on the internet about Lonnie Frisbee. Toward the end of his approximately one-and-a-half years’ involvement with the Jesus Movement at Calvary Chapel, Lonnie grew increasingly erratic, self-centered, and overly focused on faith healing. After he left Calvary Chapel, Lonnie got involved with several questionable ministries, including the Vineyard Church, which focused on “signs and wonders” and “faith healings.” Lonnie, who referred to himself as a “seeing prophet,” struggled with drugs and homosexuality for many years and died at age 43. The movie did touch on some of his erratic behavior but that was about the extent of it.

Greg Laurie, in a February 2023 interview, briefly explained that although he was not in contact with Lonnie Frisbee after Lonnie left Calvary Chapel, he did visit him shortly before his death in 1993. Greg stated that Lonnie was, in fact, repentant of his sins. Greg then eloquently reminded us that we are all flawed in one way or another, and that God often uses flawed people to accomplish His purposes.

To be clear, salvation grants us forgiveness of our sins and gives us not only a renewed life in Christ, but also eternal life in Him. As Christians, we all struggle against the flesh and the negative influence of our former sin nature, but ideally, we sin less and less as we grow in Christ. This is called the process of sanctification. However, there should be a noticeable difference in a believer’s life before salvation and after salvation.

I’ll leave it at that.

Now, I wonder if Greg Laurie had also been the screenwriter, perhaps this movie wouldn’t have raised so many questions and concerns. Maybe, or maybe not. I really don’t know.

Despite all my questions and concerns, I still give the movie a thumbs up; it has some flaws, but the message is still inspirational. In retrospect, I think the overall theme of this movie is that Jesus still seeks and saves the lost, and still sets the captives free. In addition, both Greg Laurie and the Jesus Revolution movie remind us that God can, and does, use flawed people to accomplish His purposes.

Mardi Gras

Mardi Gras

For several years while Harold and I were in the RV business, we kept very busy traveling. Typically we would buy one-way flights once or twice a month to go buy motorhomes at various locations, then drive them back home to Texas to sell. We traveled all over the United States, but the road between Texas and Florida was our most traveled route. We’d often stop for the night in Mississippi or Louisiana on our way home to Texas, as either state was a good halfway stopping point.

Anytime we traveled in the first quarter of the year, no matter where we stopped in the Mississippi or Louisiana area, we’d find ourselves engulfed in a sea of purple, green, and gold Mardi Gras décor. The colors were vivid, and eye-catching, but what I found strange was that they also decorated Christmas trees. The same trees that held Christmas ornaments in December were decorated with Mardi Gras ornaments, signs, and ribbons in January, February, and sometimes March.

In February of 2023, after once again seeing the Mardi Gras decorated trees, I decided to look a little more into the history of Mardi Gras.

So one day I decided to look into this and did an internet search. I learned that the Mardi Gras tradition dates back well over 2,000 years to the pagan celebrations of spring and fertility, which included raucous Roman festivals. When Christianity arrived in Rome, the religious leaders (Catholicism) decided to incorporate these popular local pagan traditions into their religion, which apparently was an easier task than abolishing them altogether. As a result, the excess and debauchery of the Mardi Gras season became a prelude to Lent, the 40 days of fasting and penance between Ash Wednesday and Easter Sunday. Initially, I found the merger somewhat interesting, but the more I read, the more disturbing I found it.

Growing up attending a Methodist church, I was somewhat familiar with Ash Wednesday and Lent. However, years later, after I actually came into a saving relationship with Jesus Christ, I noticed the Baptist church I attended didn’t speak about Ash Wednesday or Lent. It was then I learned that the practices of Ash Wednesday and Lent were actually man-made traditions primarily found in the Catholic Church, and a few Protestant denominations such as the Methodist Church. A few years later I learned that penance is a Catholic sacrament and even though it may sound similar to repentance it’s not the same thing.

Repentance is a change of mind: turning away from sin and turning to God. Repentance (of sin) and faith (in Christ) are commonly referred to as two sides of the same coin. Repentance not only precedes salvation but is an ongoing daily practice for believers in Christ.

“The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.” Mark 1:15

“Repent therefore, and turn back, that your sins may be blotted out, that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord.” Acts 3:19

“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” 1 John 1:9

Penance is a Catholic sacrament in which an external action or form of discipline is performed to show sorrow for sin. Generally, penance takes the form of praying certain prayers a specified number of times, fasting, or spending time in front of an altar. This is unbiblical. Nowhere does Scripture teach that performing works or the act of punishing oneself can make restitution for sin.

“See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ.” Colossians 2:8

Now I realize that Mardi Gras has long been considered a colorful cultural tradition for many of those raised in the South. The colors, the cakes, the parades, and social gatherings have become an enduring Southern tradition that many people have enjoyed since childhood. And while it’s not my intent to offend anyone, I do want to try to convey a biblical perspective here. So I have to say that I find the excess, debauchery, drunkenness, and such as what goes on in New Orleans and elsewhere in the name of Mardi Gras, including Fat Tuesday, sickening. People overindulging, sinning egregiously, and doing so publicly; supposedly getting the sin out of their system before they start trying to be “good” again. The Bible specifically reminds us, “No one is good, no, not one.” (Romans 3:10), and one doesn’t become “good” by performing any kind of man-made tradition. Sin is a serious matter that is offensive to God and should never be celebrated in parades.

“Do not offer any part of yourself to sin as an instrument of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer every part of yourself to him as an instrument of righteousness.” Romans 6:13

The truth is we’re all sinners who fall short of the glory of God. It’s only when we repent of our sins and place our faith and trust in Jesus Christ and the finished work He did on the cross that He covers us with His righteousness.

“For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” 2 Corinthians 5:21

The idea that Mardi Gras evolved from the mixing of raucous pagan festivals, the Catholic Church, and man-made traditions with the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ doesn’t sit well with me. Let alone the fact that these increasingly lewd and indignant Mardi Gras celebrations have been going on for so many years, and as a form of entertainment no less. And while I suspect many non-believers participate in Mardi Gras festivities and are just there for the party, what about those who participate in Mardi Gras festivities who claim to be Christian? Do you not realize you are mocking Christ and His finished work on the cross? Christ did not die for your sins so that you could celebrate them in Mardi Gras parades and parties. Nor did Christ die on the cross for your sins so that you could sin all you want and assume all is good as long as you can go do some penance.

Repent and trust in Christ alone.

“Thus says the Lord, ‘Behold, I set before you the way of life and the way of death.’”Jeremiah 21:8

Monday Memorization ~ 2023

Monday Memorization ~ 2023

This year one of our family goals was to memorize the answers to 52 questions put together by the Redeemer Presbyterian Church and TGC in The New City Catechism flip book from Truth For Life. Using the kid’s answers for simplicity. #MondayMemorization

Q1: What is our only hope in life and death?

That we are not our own but belong, body and soul, both in life and death, to God and to our Savior Jesus Christ.
Q2: What is God?

God is the creator and sustainer of everyone and everything. He is eternal, infinite, and unchangeable in his power and perfection, goodness and glory, wisdom, justice, and truth. Nothing happens except through him and by his will.
Q3: How many persons are there in God?

There are three persons in the one true and living God: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. They are the same in substance, equal in power.
Q4: How and why did God create us?

God created us male and female in His own image to know Him, love Him, live with Him, and glorify Him. And it is right that we who were created by God should live to His glory.
Q5: What else did God create?

God created all things by His powerful Word, and all His creation was very good; everything flourished under His loving rule.
Q6: How can we glorify God?

We glorify God by enjoying Him, loving Him, trusting Him, and by obeying His will, commands, and law.
Q7: What does the law of God require?

Personal, perfect, and perpetual obedience; that we love God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength; and love our neighbor as ourselves. What God forbids should never be done and what God commands should always be done.

Q8: What is the law of God stated in the Ten Commandments?

You shall have no other gods before me. You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below – you shall not bow down to them or worship them. You shall not misuse the name of the LORD your God. Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. Honor your father and your mother. You shall not murder. You shall not commit adultery. You shall not steal. You shall not give false testimony. You shall not covet.

Q9: What does God require in the first, second, and third commandments?

First, that we know and trust God as the only true and living God. Second, that we avoid all idolatry and do not worship God improperly. Third, that we treat God’s name with fear and reverence, honoring also his Word and works.
Q10: What does God require in the fourth and fifth commandments?

Fourth, that on the Sabbath day we spend time in public and private worship of God, rest from routine employment, serve the Lord and others, and so anticipate the eternal Sabbath. Fifth, that we love and honor our father and our mother, submitting to their godly discipline and direction.
Q11: What does God require in the sixth, seventh, and eighth commandments?

Sixth, that we do not hurt, or hate, or be hostile to our neighbor, but be patient and peaceful, pursuing even our enemies with love.
Seventh, that we abstain from sexual Immorality and live purely and faithfully, whether in marriage or in single life, avoiding all impure actions, looks, words, thoughts, or desires, and whatever might lead to them. Eighth, that we do not take without permission that which belongs to someone else, nor withhold any good trom someone we might benefit.
Q12: What does God require in the ninth and tenth commandments?

Ninth, that we do not lie or deceive,
but speak the truth in love.
Tenth, that we are content,
not envying anyone or resenting what
God has given them or us.
Q13: Can anyone keep the law of
God perfectly?

Since the fall, no mere human has been able to keep the law of God perfectly, but consistently breaks it in thought, word, and deed.

Kid’s Answer:
Since the fall, no human has been able to keep the law of God perfectly.

Bible Reference: Romans 3:10-12
Q14: Did God create us unable to keep his law?

No, but because of the disobedience of our first parents, Adam and Eve, all of creation is fallen; we are all born in sin and guilt, corrupt in our nature and unable to keep God’s law.

Kid’s Answer:

No, but because of the disobedience of Adam and Eve we are all born in sin and guilt unable to keep God’s law.

Bible Reference: Romans 5:12
Q15: Since no one can keep the law,
what is its purpose?

That we may know the holy nature and will of God, and the sinful nature and disobedience of our hearts; and thus our need of a Savior. The law also teaches and exhorts us to live a life worthy of our Savior.

Kid’s Answer:
That we may know the holy nature of God, and the sinful nature of our hearts; and thus our need of a Savior.

Bible Reference: Romans 3:20
Q16: What is sin?

Sin is rejecting or ignoring God in the world he created, rebelling against him by living without reference to him, not being or doing what he requires in his law-resulting in our death and the disintegration of all creation.

Kid’s Answer:
Sin is rejecting or ignoring God in the world he created, not being or doing what he requires in his law.

Bible Reference: 1 John 3:4
Q17: What is idolatry?

Idolatry is trusting in created things rather than the Creator for our hope and happiness, significance and security.

Kid’s Answer:
Idolatry is trusting in created things rather than the Creator.

Bible Reference: Romans 1:21 and 25
Q18: Will God allow our disobedience and idolatry to go unpunished?

No, every sin is against the sovereignty, holiness, and goodness of God, and against his righteous law, and God is righteously angry with our sins and will punish them in his just judgment both in this life, and in the life to come.

Kid’s Answer:

No, God is righteously angry with our sins and will punish them both in this life, and in the life to come.

Bible Reference: Ephesians 5:5-6
Q19: Is there any way to escape punishment and be brought back into God’s favor?

Yes, to satisfy his justice, God himself, out of mere mercy, reconciles us to himself and delivers us from sin and from the punishment for sin, by a Redeemer.

Kid’s Answer:

Yes, God reconciles us to himself by a Redeemer.

Bible Reference: Isaiah 53:10-11
Q20: Who is the Redeemer?

The only Redeemer is the Lord Jesus Christ, the eternal Son of God, in whom God became man and bore the penalty for sin himself.

Kid’s Answer:

The only Redeemer is the Lord Jesus Christ.

Bible Reference: 1 Timothy 2:5
Q21: What sort of Redeemer is needed to bring us back to God?

One who is truly human and also truly God.

Kid’s Answer:

One who is truly human and also truly God.

Bible Reference: Isaiah 9:6
Q22: Why must the Redeemer be truly human?

That in human nature he might on our behalf perfectly obey the whole law and suffer the punishment for human sin; and also that he might sympathize with our weaknesses.

Kid’s Answer:

That in human nature he might on our behalf perfectly obey the whole law and suffer the punishment for human sin.

Bible Reference: Hebrews 2:17
Q23: Why must the Redeemer be truly God?

That because of his divine nature his obedience and suffering would be perfect and effective; and also that he would be able to bear the righteous anger of God against sin and yet overcome death.

Kid’s Answer:

That because of his divine nature his obedience and suffering would be perfect and effective.

Bible Reference: Acts 2:24
Q24: Why was it necessary for Christ, the Redeemer, to die?

Since death is the punishment for sin, Christ died willingly in our place to deliver us from the power and penalty of sin and bring us back to God. By his substitutionary atoning death, he alone redeems us from hell and gains for us forgiveness of sin, righteousness, and everlasting life.

Kid’s Answer:

Christ died willingly in our place to deliver us from the power and penalty of sin and bring us back to God.

Bible Reference: Colossians 1:21-22

#MondayMemorization
Q25: Does Christ’s death mean all our sins can be forgiven?

Yes, because Christ’s death on the cross fully paid the penalty for our sin, God graciously imputes Christ’s righteousness to us as if it were our own and will remember our sins no more.

Kid’s Answer:

Yes, because Christ’s death on the cross fully paid the penalty for our sin, God will remember our sins no more.

Bible Reference: 2 Corinthians 5:21
Q26: What else does Christ’s death redeem?

Christ’s death is the beginning of the redemption and renewal of every part of fallen creation, as he powerfully directs all things for his own glory and creation’s good.

Kid’s Answer

Every part of fallen creation.

Bible Reference: Colossians 1:19-20
Q27: Are all people, just as they were lost through Adam, saved through Christ?

No, only those who are elected by God and united to Christ by faith. Nevertheless God in his mercy demonstrates common grace even to those who are not elect, by restraining the effects of sin and enabling works of culture for human well-being.

Kid’s Answer:

No, only those who are elected by God and united to Christ by faith.

Bible Reference: Romans 5:17

I realize this weeks answer may be a bit controversial as it clearly Reformed Theology, so I’ve added some additional references to expound on it a bit more.

And to be clear, I do agree with this quote:

I am a Calvinist: I believe in
election and predestination;
but I would not dream of
putting it under the heading
of essential. I put it under the
heading of non-essential….
You are not saved by your precise
understanding of how this
great salvation comes to you. #MartynLloydJones

Additional references:

What is the Doctrine of Election?

https://www.gotquestions.org/doctrine-of-election.html

Who are the Elect of God?

https://www.gotquestions.org/elect-of-God.html

Unconditional Election.

https://www.gotquestions.org/unconditional-election.html

What is Conditional Election?

https://www.gotquestions.org/conditional-election.html
Q28: What happens after death to those not united to Christ by faith?

At the day of judgment they will receive the fearful but just sentence of condemnation pronounced against them. They will be cast out from the favorable presence of God, into hell, to be justly and grievously punished, forever.

Kid’s Answer:

They will be cast out from the presence of God, into hell, to be justly punished, forever.

Bible Reference: John 3:16-18 and 36
Q29 How can we be saved?

Only by faith in Jesus Christ and in his substitutionary atoning death on the cross; so even though we are guilty of having disobeyed God and are still inclined to all evil, nevertheless, God, without any merit of our own but only by pure grace, imputes to us the perfect righteousness of Christ when we repent and believe in him.

Kid’s Answer:

Only by faith in Jesus Christ and in his substitutionary atoning death on the cross.

Bible Reference: Ephesians 2:8-9
Q30: What is faith in Jesus Christ?

Faith in Jesus Christ is acknowledging the truth of everything that God has revealed in his Word, trusting in him, and also receiving and resting on him alone for salvation as he is offered to us in the gospel.

Kid’s Answer:

Receiving and resting on him alone for salvation as he is offered to us in the gospel.

Bible Reference: Galatians 2:20
Q31: What do we believe by true faith?

Everything taught to us in the gospel. The Apostles’ Creed expresses what we believe in these words: We believe in God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth; and in Jesus Christ his only Son our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended into hell. The third day he rose again from the dead. He ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of God the Father Almighty; from there he will come to judge the living and the dead. We believe in the Holy Spirit, the church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting.

Kid’s Answer:

We believe in God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth; and in Jesus Christ his only Son our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended into hell. The third day he rose again from the dead. He ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of God the Father Almighty; from there he will come to judge the living and the dead. We believe in the Holy Spirit, the church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting.

Bible Reference: Jude 1:3
Q32: What do justification and sanctification mean?

Justification means our declared righteousness before God, made possible by Christ’s death and resurrection for us. Sanctification means our gradual, growing righteousness, made possible by the Spirit’s work in us.

Kid’s Answer:

Justification means our declared righteousness before God.
Sanctification means our gradual, growing righteousness.

Bible Reference: 1 Peter 1:1-2
Q33: Should those who have faith in Christ seek their salvation through their own works, or anywhere else?

No, they should not, as everything necessary to salvation is found in Christ. To seek salvation through good works is a denial that Christ is the only Redeemer and Savior.

Kid’s Answer:

No, everything necessary to salvation is found in Christ.

Bible Reference: Galatians 2:16
Q34: Since we are redeemed by grace alone, through Christ alone, must we still do good works and obey God’s Word?

Yes, because Christ, having redeemed us by his blood, also renews us by his Spirit; so that our lives may show love and gratitude to God; so that we may be assured of our faith by the fruits; and so that by our godly behavior others may be won to Christ.

Kid’s Answer:

Yes, so that our lives may show love and gratitude to God and so that by our godly behavior others may be won to Christ.

Bible Reference: 1 Peter 2:9-12
Q35: Since we are redeemed by grace alone, through faith alone, where does this faith come from?

All the gifts we receive from Christ we receive through the Holy Spirit, including faith itself.

Kid’s Answer:

From the Holy Spirit.

Bible Reference: Titus 3:4-6
Q36: What do we believe about the Holy Spirit?

That he is God, coeternal with the Father and the Son, and that God grants him irrevocably to all who believe.

Kid’s Answer:

That he is God, coeternal with the Father and the Son.

Bible Reference: John 14:16-17
Q37: How does the Holy Spirit help us?

The Holy Spirit convicts us of our sin, comforts us, guides us, gives us spiritual gifts and the desire to obey God; and he enables us to pray and to understand God’s Word.

Kid’s Answer:

The Holy Spirit convicts us of our sin and he enables us to pray and to understand God’s Word.

Bible Reference: Ephesians 6:17-18
Q38: What is prayer?

Prayer is pouring out our hearts to God in praise, petition, confession of sin, and thanksgiving.

Kid’s Answer:

Prayer is pouring out our hearts to God.

Bible Reference: Psalm 62:8
Q39: With what attitude should we pray?

With love, perseverance, and gratefulness; in humble submission to God’s will, knowing that, for the sake of Christ, he always hears our prayers.

Kid’s Answer:

With love, perseverance, and gratefulness.

Bible Reference: Philippians 4:6
Q40: What should we pray?

The whole Word of God directs and inspires us in what we should pray, including the prayer Jesus himself taught us.

Kid’s Answer:

The whole Word of God directs us in what we should pray.

Bible Reference: Ephesians 3:14-21
Q41: What is the Lord’s Prayer?

Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.

Kid’s Answer:

Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.

Bible Reference: Matthew 6:9
Q42: How is the word of God to be read and heard?

With diligence, preparation, and prayer; so that we may accept it with faith, store it in our hearts, and practice it in our lives.

Kid’s Answer:

With diligence, preparation, and prayer; so that we may accept it
with faith and practice it in our lives.

Bible Reference: 2 Timothy 3:16-17
Q43: What are the sacraments or ordinances?

The sacraments or ordinances given by God and instituted by Christ, namely baptism and the Lord’s Supper, are visible signs and seals that we are bound together as a community of faith by his death and resurrection. By our use of them the Holy Spirit more fully declares and seals the promises of the gospel to us.

Kid’s Answer:

Baptism and the Lord’s Supper.

Bible Reference: Romans 6:4 and Luke 22:19-20

Q44: What is baptism?

Baptism is the washing with water in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit; it signifies and seals our adoption into Christ, our cleansing from sin, and our commitment to belong to the Lord and to his church.

Kid’s Answer:
Baptism is the washing with water in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

Bible Reference: Matthew 28:19
Q45: Is baptism with water the washing away of sin itself?

No, only the blood of Christ and the renewal of the Holy Spirit can cleanse us from sin.

Kid’s Answer:

No, only the blood of Christ can cleanse us from sin.

Bible Reference: Luke 3:16
Q46: What is the Lord’s Supper?

Christ commanded all Christians to eat bread and to drink from the cup in thankful remembrance of him and his death. The Lord’s Supper is a celebration of the presence of God in our midst; bringing us into communion with God and with one another; feeding and nourishing our souls. It also anticipates the day when we will eat and drink with Christ in his Father’s kingdom.

Kid’s Answer:

Christ commanded all Christians to eat bread and to drink from the cup in thankful remembrance of him.

Bible Reference: 1 Corinthians 11:23-26
Q47: Does the Lord’s Supper add anything to Christ’s atoning work?

No, Christ died once for all. The Lord’s Supper is a covenant meal celebrating Christ’s atoning work; as it is also a means of strengthening our faith as we look to him, and a foretaste of the future feast. But those who take part with unrepentant hearts eat and drink judgment on themselves.

Kid’s Answer:

No, Christ died once for all.

Bible Reference: 1 Peter 3:18
Q48: What is the church?

God chooses and preserves for himself a community elected for eternal life and united by faith, who love, follow, learn from, and worship God together. God sends out this community to proclaim the gospel and prefigure Christ’s kingdom by the quality of their life together and their love for one another.

Kid’s Answer:

A community elected for eternal life and united by faith, who love, follow, learn from, and worship God together.

Bible Reference: 2 Thessalonians 2:13
Q49: Where is Christ now?

Christ rose bodily from the grave on the third day after his death and is seated at the right hand of the Father, ruling his kingdom and interceding for us, until he returns to judge and renew the whole world.

Kid’s Answer:

Christ rose bodily from the grave on the third day after his death and is seated at the right hand of the Father.

Bible Reference: Ephesians 1:20-21
Q50: What does Christ’s resurrection mean for us?

Christ triumphed over sin and death by being physically resurrected, so that all who trust in him are raised to new life in this world and to everlasting life in the world to come. Just as we will one day be resurrected, so this world will one day be restored. But those who do not trust in Christ will be raised to everlasting death.

Kid’s Answer:

Christ triumphed over sin and death so that all who trust in him are raised to new life in this world and to everlasting life in the world to come.

Bible Reference: 1 Thessalonians 4:13-14
Q51: Of what advantage to us is Christ’s ascension?

Christ physically ascended on our behalf, just as he came down to earth physically on our account, and he is now advocating for us in the presence of his Father, preparing a place for us, and also sends us his Spirit.

Kid’s Answer:

Christ is now advocating for us in the presence of his Father and also sends us his Spirit.

Bible Reference: Romans 8:34
Q52: What hope does everlasting life hold for us?

It reminds us that this present fallen world is not all there is; soon we will live with and enjoy God forever in the new city, in the new heaven and the new earth, where we will be fully and forever freed from all sin and will inhabit renewed, resurrection bodies in a renewed, restored creation.

Kid’s Answer:

That we will live with and enjoy God forever in the new heaven and the new earth, where we will be forever freed from all sin in a renewed, restored creation.

Bible Reference: Revelation 21:1-4

Query Family Christmases

Query Family Christmases

My childhood Christmas memories were some of my fondest childhood memories. We were not well off financially but we always had a wonderful Christmastime. Our Christmas celebration was fairly traditional all except for one thing: we had it in the middle of the night! It was not until several years later that I realized that most people don’t have Christmas at 3:00 a.m.!

Christmas 1956
Christmas 1956
Our family Christmas card Circa 1961 or 1962. I’m sitting on my dad’s lap, Dennis standing next to me, and Doug on my mom’s lap. Standing in the back is Eldon, Joyce, and Ronnie.

Actually, my dad worked a second job as a musician. He played guitar 🎸 and got home around 2:00 or 3:00 a.m. So instead of him going straight to bed and having to wake up in a couple of hours, we’d all get up when he got home. By the time we were done opening presents, my mom would fix us a big breakfast and then she’d lay back down for a morning nap while we played with our new toys. Then it was off to my grandma’s for a visit and dinner. She would give each of her grandchildren a small gift or maybe just a dollar bill for Christmas, but the size of the gift didn’t matter to me. I loved my grandma and grandpa so much! After a day of food and fun playing with my cousins and siblings, we’d pile back into the car and fall asleep on the ride back home.

On my grandma’s stairway with my cousin Connie, and my brothers Dennis, Ronnie, and Doug, Circa late 1950’s or early 1960’s.

When I was old enough to shop for presents on my own, I remember going to K-Mart or Ayr-Way (later bought by Target) and getting all my Christmas shopping done in one day. I loved being able to do this, and really enjoyed buying my family handpicked gifts. It didn’t matter that they were from a discount store. I thought they were perfect gifts and I felt joy in giving gifts that I had bought on my own. In retrospect I believe this is when I first experienced the blessing of giving gifts.

It is more blessed to give than to receive. Acts 20:35

Now many years later, with grown children and ever growing grandchildren, I still enjoy giving gifts at Christmastime, but it’s more about being together as a family and making memories that I cherish the most. Our Christmas gatherings have taken on a deeper meaning to this aging wife, mom, and grandmother. Lord willing, I’ll have many more Christmases and many more years here on earth but I know my days are numbered.

Yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. James 4:14

As for man, his days are like grass: he flourishes like a flower of the field; for the wind passes over it, and it is gone … But the steadfast love of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear him. Psalm 103:15-17

One day God will take me home and in turn, I’ll be but a memory to my loved ones, and awaiting to see them again in heaven. In the meantime it’s my hope and prayer that each one of my loved ones will have personally received the most perfect gift ever:

The LORD Jesus Christ.

Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift! 2 Corinthians 9:15

Count your Blessings

Count your Blessings

In the early 2000s, a little before Thanksgiving time, I sat down and wrote out a detailed list of the blessings in my life. My salvation in Christ, my family, and God’s provisions topped the list, but I was deliberate to also include personal experiences and events that most people likely wouldn’t initially consider a blessing. Honestly, they probably didn’t seem like a blessing to me at the time either. I realized, in time however that many of my blessings and much of my spiritual growth has come from relying on God and His word during the difficult times in my life. In some cases, years after it occurred in my life, and now many of which I have included in my writings of my life story.

Romans 8:28 is still one of my favorite Bible verses:

“And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.”

Over the years I’ve learned that being a Christian doesn’t make any of us immune to life’s trials and problems, but more importantly I’ve learned that those trials and problems often have a divine purpose.

“Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing” James 1:2-4

I primarily write about my life experiences combined with one or more aspects concerning my faith in Christ. Things like the sin nature we’re all born with, our need for repentance and forgiveness, God’s amazing mercy, and the undeserved grace that He gives freely to all who turn away from sin and turn to Him in repentance and faith.

I believe that forgiveness from God, besides being the one thing we need most from Him, is often the catalyst that leads us to forgive others.

And that forgiving others leads to blessings, and blessings lead to thankfulness; a thankfulness not necessarily based on the circumstance but rather in Him.

“In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.” 1 Thessalonians 5:18

One of the most significant things I ever realized in my own life was that it was not until I received God’s forgiveness that I was able to actually forgive others. That forgiveness which I’ve extended to others has in turn blessed me in ways I would have never realized without first being forgiven by Christ.

And,

Forgiveness is like a two-way street.

“Forgiveness is setting the prisoner free, only to find out that the prisoner was me.” Corrie ten Boom

I suspect people who choose not to forgive others are setting up at least two traps for themselves.

One,

Missing out on the blessing of a mutual loving relationship, and

Two,

Having a questionable relationship with God.

“Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.” Ephesians 4:32

The joy of knowing that God knows the worst of me and loves me anyway, is immeasurable. The blessing of being forgiven by Christ and the freedom of forgiving others also brings a joy to my life that is hard to describe. Words like peace, happiness, gratitude, thankfulness, and blessedness, probably come closest to describing this feeling.

After writing down that list of blessings, I’m ever thankful for my salvation in Him, my family, and His provisions. His amazing grace and providence in my life have been and continues to be truly amazing. 

I’m also continually reminded that many times in life a blessing may not initially appear to be a blessing. It is with hope and faith in Him that we look to God for answers during times of trial, and in His perfect timing, we trust Him no matter what. In the meantime, we are to have a spirit of thankfulness in all things. We’re to continually count our blessings and never forget them as Johnson Oatman, Jr reminds us in his sweet hymn:

“Count your blessings,

name them one by one;

Count your blessings,

see what God hath done;

Count your blessings,

name them one by one;

Count your many blessings,

see what God hath done.”

And be thankful.