Pastor’s Corner

Happy Saturday you completed another week. Well guess I don't feel so bad because i guessed the same as you all, we all guessed Amazon was the most visited website, but it was actually Google that is most visited. Are you surprised? In fact You Tube is the second most visited & Amazon the third wow, who knew?

By the Way; can you guess why we hold elections in November? Make a guess & I'll tell you tomorrow.

Saturday 1/14

Prov. 27:7 "A person who is full refuses honey, but even bitter food tastes sweet to the hungry."

Well what a healthy reminder of human nature in general:

When we are full even the sweetest flavor known to man isn't appreciated.

This reminds me of two such experiences in my life:

As a child we didn't have much candy, unless other people gave us some, like Halloween. I remember,

The first time getting home and glutting on candy, this was an experience I had never had before, then

going to bed sick. I learned the benefit of taking just one piece of candy a day and how wonderful it

tasted, savoring the varied flavors of candy.

Then there was the first time the apples began turning green & enjoying eating several apples, but soon

afterwards feeling sick.

Both of these experiences taught me a valuable lesson. You enjoy delicacies as long as they remain special by being unusual, & unique. If these delicacies become common faire, they lose the special enjoyment thay they brought when my primary diet was common food. Kind of like eating too much ice cream, or glutting on Sees candy.

I remember, Jeffrey my church friend, he was an only child, and I was for many years being jealous, because he always had new nice clothes, while I had warn clothes, oh, they were clean, and always repaired but not new just for the sake of having something new. I will never forget standing in his closet looking at all his clothes and marveling over them. Then Jeff said this, "I would gladly have only one pair of pants if I could live in the house where you live, with a caring, loving brother to share a bed with and two sisters to play with whenever you wanted." I have been reminded of that moment many times. Really, I realized that I was blessed in so many ways. Jeffery, upon on getting married had baby after babies and his adult life is over flowing with laughter & tears all aplenty with children & now grandchildren.

This lesson being passed on to Solomons sons had deep meaning, for being wealthy, royalty, powerful, and famous could easily bring disdain for the common things in life. Their table was always full of rich, bounty with the choicest, sweetest foods, They could easily become expected rather than valued like the share cropper who labored everyday just to put food on the table for his children.

Here in California we enjoy so much fresh produce that we fail the thrill when fresh juicy peaches or crisp tart apples are finally ripe or full, sweet corn is ready to roast on the BarBQue. The warning here is don't fall into the trap of the ungrateful.

I remember being away in Canada and being so homesick for my family, my dad would write a letter and I would save reading it till I got to my room. Then I opened it and sat in the overstuffed chair I had savaged from the dump, and I would read & cry and reread & cry. I promised myself that I would never again waste any minute with my family ever again, by being mad at them or hurt by them. I remember arriving home after a 3 day bus trip that night everyone piled into the bed and catching up with that years events until early in the morning we all drifted off to sleep. We have lived in varied parts of the country, most of our adult life, but every time we talk or write, I still sense the joy we were raised with. Gladly my parents put being together at a huge priority. Many were the three hour phone calls with my parents, catching up on the family.

Thankfulness & gratitude is our most precious gift to offer to our Father, He joys in it when we express our inner expressions to Him. Don't get so used to good things that you fail to enjoy the simple things in life.

So Go With God let your words, acts, or service fail to express your genuine thankfullmess for His many works in your life.