Life Lessons

Sample

admin — Wed, 31 Dec 1969 16:00:00 +0000

Choose Your State

Still No Church

admin — Wed, 31 Dec 1969 16:00:00 +0000

Other

admin — Sun, 07 Oct 2007 20:13:14 +0000

Search: Google -- Ask News & Info: DrudgeReport -- FactCheck -- StraightDope -- Snopes -- Fark -- Reading Sites: LifeHacker -- Gutenberg -- Pew Research -- Wired -- PodcastAlley -- -- Huggingtonpost -- Nolo --Wikipedia --

Shopping: Audible - Overstocked - Amazon - Shop Local - Priceline - Zinio - Blockbuster - Craigslist -- Consumerist -- Dynamism -- Ebay -- ThinkGeek

Entertainment Links RichmondMovies - IMDB - Cartoons - Comics - Stupid Videos - TV Guide - XMRadio - QuickSilverScreen Blogging: Problogger.net - Seth's Blog -

Links

admin — Tue, 09 Oct 2007 13:48:50 +0000

Services : *Google * Maps * Zip Codes * Zillow -

Shopping: * Audible * Amazon - Blockbuster -

Other Links - DrudgeReport - USA Today - Answers - Seat Guru - LuLu.com - Instant Publisher

HowJSay.com

Ministry

admin — Tue, 09 Oct 2007 16:54:02 +0000

Churches: * Southwest * Hilltop * BrightAngel * JoshFreeman Sermon Sites: * Sermon Central * SermonNotebook * Pastors.com * CreativePastors * Lightsource.com * OnePlace.com * Ray Stedman * Preacher’s Files Bible Study: Net Bible - Fourfold Gospel - Treasury of David - Dr. Constable - Commentaries - Word Pictures - Verse Study - Executable Outlines - Devotionals: Upperroom - Crosswalk Counseling: O*Net Online - Career 1 Stop - CPP.com

It Might Have Been

admin — Wed, 10 Oct 2007 14:11:00 +0000

You don't know his name, but in 1840, John Janney was the chairman of the Whig Party. Your teacher almost made you study his life. He is the man who was nearly President of the United States. Here is how it happened. The 1840 election was won by the Whigs. The new President was William Henry Harrison. His name you know. His Vice-President was John Tyler of Virginia who, of course, became President when Harrison died shortly after taking office. No one could have known, but in the election that year, the man who was Vice-President was destined to be President. Here is the strange twist: at the nominating convention, John Tyler and John Janney were tied for votes to be the Vice-President. Only one man was left to vote and his vote would decide the nominee. That man who was still to vote was John Janney himself. John Janney did what was then considered to be the honorable thing. He voted for his opponent, John Tyler. So you see, John Janney was the man who was nearly President of the United States. All he had to do was to vote for himself. There is a little bit of John Janney's story in all of us. Maybe we weren't nearly the President, but all of us can look back on our life and see something that we might have been. We might have been a business owner, a professional athlete, a teacher, a doctor, a lawyer, a nurse, or simply rich. We might have been, but we are not. Of course, we can be happy where we are and whatever we are, but sometimes we get to thinking about what might have been. None of these "might have beens" ought to alarm us, but there is one "might have been" that I don't want to look back on my life and regret. I do not want to come to my final day and say, "I might have been a Christian." To live one's life as a Christian is more important than living our life as an athlete, a teacher, or the President of the United States. More than a century and a half later, we can look back on John Janney and realize that it does not matter today whether he served as President. Today all that matters to John Janney is whether he lived his life as a Christian. There are many "might have been a Christian" stories out there. Millions who have been offered the chance to be Christians have delayed the call for a lifetime. A century from now, no one will remember their names or write about what they failed to become, but the story of rejecting Christ is sadder than that of nearly President, John Janney. Lonnie Davis

Tech

admin — Wed, 10 Oct 2007 16:55:29 +0000

Whois.net - Lunarpages - Godaddy - Cpanel.net - Php.net/manual Learningnerd.com - Tutorials - Tech Answers - DLL.Files - Sourceforge Lightningsource.com - fonerbooks.com - Retrevo - MySql tutorial - Webmaster Tips - Webbalert.com - Chris.Pirillo.com - VTC Tutorials - GeekBrief.TV - SlideShare - News of the Weird - Kasamba - Podcast Alley - eHow - Office Training - CommonCraft -

MBA Leaders

admin — Thu, 11 Oct 2007 02:50:14 +0000

A nineteenth century preacher, Dwight L. Moody once said, "The measure of a man is not how many servants he has, but how many men he serves." As wise as this is, it is merely a commentary on a statement of Jesus. "Whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all." (Mark 10:43-45) These words by Jesus are not some cheap words born out of philosophy, but rather a principle that He lived by. Jesus affirms this by concluding with these words, "For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve." (Mark 10:45). If you were to ask 100 preachers what the greatest need in the church today is, the answers might vary, but every answer would be rooted in leadership. No church outgrows its leaders. No church with great leaders can be mediocre. Great leaders bring greatness to themselves and others. "Whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant." Leadership is about serving others. We can also add, no family outgrows its leaders. No family with great leaders can be mediocre. Great leaders bring greatness to themselves and to their family. Dave Thomas, the founder of Wendy's, became a wealthy man by living this principle. He was a high school dropout whose formal education included a G.E.D. He explained his life this way, ""I got my M.B.A. long before my G.E.D. At Wendy's M.B.A. does not mean Master of Business Administration. It means Mop Bucket Attitude." To the world, Dave was the leader of Wendy's. To Dave, Dave was the head of the mop bucket brigade. This was the way Jesus did leadership. On the last night he would spend with his disciples, he sat around the table with them. As they sat there, Jesus did a most surprising thing. "He got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples' feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him." (John 13:4-5). Jesus washed the feet of Peter, Andrew, James, John, and the others at the table – including Judas. They were shocked, but Jesus knew the secret. If you want to be great, you have to serve. The church, your family, your workplace all need more people with a MBA – mop bucket attitude. Leaders with that kind of MBA are people who are not here to be served, but are here to serve others. These are true leaders. Lonnie Davis

P A

admin — Thu, 11 Oct 2007 13:50:29 +0000

PalmAgent Downloads

Company Domains -- PalmAgent.com PalmAgent.us

AlamoAgent.net - AlamoAgent.us - CapitolAgent.net - CapitolAgent.us - Cendera.com? - Cendera.us -

ChicagoAgent.net - ChicagoAgent.us - CommunityAgent.biz - CommunityAgent.org - EastTXagent.com

EastTXagent.us - FidelityAgent.com - FidelityAgent.us - HatcoAgent.com - HatcoAgent.us

JeffersonAgent.com - JeffersonAgent.us - LandmarkAgent.com - LandmarkAgent.us

LincolnEvansAgent.com - LincolnEvansAgent.us - MonteithAgent.com - MonteithAgent.us

PorterAgent.net - PorterAgent.us - ServiceTitleAgent.com - ServiceTitleAgent.us

TicorAgent.com - TicorAgent.us - TUAgent.com - TUAgent.us - UniversityAgent.net

UniversityAgent.us - WesternAgent.com - WesternAgent.us - WestTXagent.com

PalmAgentTraining.com - PalmAgentVideos.com - Downloads -

Jeremy

admin — Thu, 11 Oct 2007 17:49:01 +0000

Important Sites: TDAmeritrade - Bank of America - Ebay - TheStreet - Shortterm - Travel: * Priceline * Hotwire * American Airlines * AirTran - Seat Guru - Travelocity - FlightAware - Travelzoo Miscellaneous: ESPN - Google Maps - Movies - LonnieDavis.net Church Sites: Southwest - Richland Hills - Fellowship - Hilltop – Misc. Home Projection TV - RealTime Quotes -

Squirrel Fur

admin — Fri, 19 Oct 2007 06:25:24 +0000

Jon Bennett loves to fish and hunt. Naturally his three sons inherited their daddy's love of the outdoors. A few days ago he told them he was going squirrel hunting and naturally they wanted to go. He told the nearly five-year-old Dylan that he would take him, but wanted to make sure he understood what they were going to do. "Son, were going to hunt for squirrels. Do you know what we will do when we see one?" "We will shoot it," Dylan said. "What happens to the squirrel," Jon asked. Dylan said, "It will be dead." "Then what do we do?" dad asked. Dylan thought for a minute and answered, "I don't know." Jon said, "Well, we eat it." Dylan said, "I don't like squirrel." "Well son," Jon said, "If we kill it, we have to eat it. We don't kill anything that we don't eat. Are you okay with that?" "Yes," Dylan said. "Son, are you willing to eat the squirrel?" "Yes," he said again. He paused and then he asked, "Can we take the fur off first." Though he did not want to eat fur, little Dylan was willing to do whatever he needed to do in order to do what he wanted to do and to please his father. There are two great truths in this story. The first truth is this: people do what they have to do in order to do what they want to do. I want to hunt and if I have to eat fur, then I will. One of the wisest sayings I've ever heard was this: "To become what you want to become, you must do what you don't want to do." The second truth is this: We must be willing to do anything for our father – our heavenly father. A four-year-old can't possibly understand all the reasons why we have to eat what we kill, but daddy said it was so and so he believed his father. We may not understand all of God's principles, but we have to trust that He knows best. At the end of our life we will be able to look back and see that our Father knew best all the time. I love the way one man put it, "Life can only be understood looking back, but must be lived looking forward. Just trust God. He will take care of you. Next time God allows a hard task into your life, you can pray, "Do I have to eat the fur," as long as you are willing to do whatever He calls on you to do. Lonnie Davis

admin — Fri, 19 Oct 2007 19:43:25 +0000

Fun

admin — Mon, 22 Oct 2007 16:40:24 +0000

Expert Village - Addicting Games - Pandora Radio - Shoutcast - Live365 - Canvas Art -

Overcoming Procrastination

admin — Thu, 25 Oct 2007 15:49:38 +0000

Paul's sermon was powerful. The Roman ruler had to deal with it. He found the perfect answer. It has been nearly 2,000 years and his solution is still the favorite one for those who do not wish to deal with a decision. Felix spoke up and said, "That's enough for now! You may leave. When I find it convenient, I will send for you." (Acts 24:25). We have a word to describe this behavior – procrastination. I love the words of the poet:

Procrastination is my sin. It gives me endless sorrow. I have decided to give it up And I will begin tomorrow.

We live in a society that rewards procrastination. We really do not give the early bird the worm. When is the best time to get great deals on Christmas gifts? The answer is: "On the first day after Christmas." We do not reward the early, but rather we punish the tardy. If all taxes that were filed during January had an automatic 10% rebate, there would be little need to provide extensions to tax payers. Why do we procrastinate? There are several reasons: (1) Fear. We are afraid we will not succeed so we delay trying. (2) Busyness. We stay busy doing good things but let that busyness crowd out the important things we ought to do. (3) It works! By putting off hard tasks till tomorrow we really don't have to deal with them today. Unfortunately a lot of our hard work is just the easy work that we did not do when it was still easy. Here are some ways to overcome procrastination. 1. Quit lying to yourself. Some people tell themselves that they work better under pressure and looking down the barrel of a deadline. No you don't, it is just that you have waited till the last minute so often and now you have come to associate yourself with pressure. We work best in a calm environment. 2. Break it down. Don't put off the task because it is too big. Start with something, even if it seems insignificant. There is an old proverb that says, "The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step." 3. Make a list and be accountable to it. Better yet, make the list the night before. It is always easier to think we will get up early the next morning to do the task that we could have done the night before. The tragedy of life is not that it ends too soon, but that we wait too long to begin it! Lonnie Davis

Website on Addiction

admin — Wed, 31 Oct 2007 13:21:55 +0000

My good friend JB Myers has a website. In this site he talks about Christians and addiction. There is much false information on this subject. You would do yourself a favor if you were to check out his site. to get to it click here: JB Myers Lonnie

The Millionth Customer

admin — Fri, 09 Nov 2007 20:07:29 +0000

The Millionth Customer This generation thinks they invented reality television, but it was born almost as soon as television was invented. The old "Candid Camera" and "To Tell the Truth" programs used to put real people into hysterical situations. Years ago, one of those shows picked out three people as they were paying their bills at a grocery store in New York City. As the middle lady paid her bill, bells went off and balloons dropped from the ceiling. She was told she was the one millionth customer. Of course the other two were the number 999,999 and 1,000,001. Only the millionth customer was real, the others were plants. First they announced the prize for the customer number 999,999 – a trip to Europe. The 1,000,001 customer got her prize next – a trip around the world. At this point he millionth customer was overjoyed. If that is what the near winners got, she could only imagine her wonderful prize. Her prize? A walking tour of New York City. She was furious. She protested that since she was the millionth customer, she ought to have the biggest prize and did not want the walking tour. Of course we know that she had done nothing to earn her gift. The "walking tour" was still more than she earned, but instead of being happy with what she was given, she compared her gift to what the other had received. Aren't you glad you don't have this problem? You never compare yourself to someone else, do you? In case you don't know it, that is facetiousness. It is a problem as old as mankind. Cain killed Able because Able was praised for his gift, while Cain was not (Gen 4:3-8). King Saul tried to kill young David because the people sang "Saul has slain his thousands." That would have been okay, but then they sang David has slain his ten thousands (1 Samuel 18:7). Do you know the secret of happiness? It is simple – learn to be content with what you have (Hebrews 13:5). Unhappy people focus on the things they do not have. They look around them and compare their possessions to the things and stuff and junk that others have. They imagine that they themselves are not blessed. When we fail to look at all that God has given us and focus on all that we do not have, we will be miserable. We are all rich, when compared to someone. We are all poor, when compared to someone else. We are all great athletes compared to some and clumsy compared to someone else. We are all attractive when compared to some. We are all plain when compared to others. We would do well to remember, no matter how we are, we are exactly what God needs us to be. Do not spend your life thinking about what others have that you do not have. Such a life will never have joy. Do not spend your live feeling like the millionth customer that ought to be given something. There is no happiness in that. Lonnie Davis

The God of Little Things

admin — Thu, 22 Nov 2007 21:00:07 +0000

God is great and it is easy to think that he is not concerned with details. The Scriptures do not portray God as being unconcerned with details. Nowhere is this more evident than in the story of the third post- resurrection appearance of Jesus to His disciples. It was getting toward evening and Peter decided to go fishing. The others disciples joined him. In the dawn of early morning, as the disciples were about 100 yards from shore they saw a stranger on the banks of the Galilee. He shouted to them, "Friends, haven't you any fish?" (John 21:5). When they said they had not, He gave them instructions about where to fish. Following his instructions, they caught so many fish one would think the nets would break. They came to the shore and ate with him. That is the quick summary of the story in John 21. A closer reading will reveal that God takes care of the little details in life. When he told them where to fish, they caught 153 fish – large fish. (21:11). When the disciples got to the shore, they found that Jesus had cooked breakfast for them. He had a fire of burning coal, some fish and some bread. (21:9). Jesus served the bread and fish. (21:13). He didn't just say, "There it is guys, help yourself." Several things about this story are amazing to those who think: (1) Upon seeing the risen Lord, someone still counted the fish, (2) Jesus brought bread for the disciples, (3) Jesus caught fish before they even saw him, (4) Jesus cooked breakfast. (4) Jesus served the breakfast. Life is about the little details. Those who will not pay attention to the little details will have a hectic life. They will constantly feel like the wheels are coming off or life is unraveling before their eyes. Someone has to make the fire. Someone has to count the fish. Someone has to serve the bread. Someone has to do the little things. Mountains are made of little stones. Miles are covered by little steps. Love is show with little acts. Successful lives are built on little things. If God takes care of the little things, then surely we must do the same. Lonnie Davis

Agreeing to Disagree

admin — Tue, 04 Dec 2007 14:44:53 +0000

For 12 years, King Saul hunted David like he was an animal. For 12 years David fled from his home land. He lived in caves, hid in mountains, and even lived with his old enemy, the Philistines. Maybe the most dramatic moment of all was when David was hiding in a cave. It happened that King Saul went into that cave. David, at the urging of his men, had the opportunity to kill Saul and end the reign of terror. David took out his knife and then instead of killing Saul, he merely cut off a piece of his robe. Saul never even knew it happened. When Saul left the cave, David showed him the cutting and shouted to him, "May the Lord Judge between you and me." (1 Sam 24:12).

He could have killed Saul, but instead he left vengeance to God.

We love to call David "a man after God's own heart" and long to become a man or woman after God's heart. What does it mean to be a man or woman after God's own heart? This moment in David's life gives us insight into his heart. Instead of seeking vengeance or even justice, David was willing to let God handle things. He said, "May the Lord judge between you and me. And may the Lord avenge the wrongs you have done to me, but my hand will not touch you." (24:12). In modern language he said "Saul, I don't understand why you are trying to kill me, but I will not raise my hand against you. I will let the Lord handle all of this."

It is a rare person who can truly agree to disagree and not let it destroy the relationship. We all want all want relief. We all want justice. We all want our own way. We can be like the little boy who came home from school and told his mother that the bully in class had hit him and that tomorrow he was going to hit him back. His mother told him that vengeance belongs to the Lord and he needs to let God handle it. Little Johnny replied, "Okay, I will give him until Friday."

Sometimes you have to agree to disagree, but in so doing, you must not be spiteful or hateful. He you must not cut off the other person. Let him or her be who they are. You have to say, "May the Lord judge between you and me."

Can you do that? If so, then maybe you are a man or a woman after God's own heart.

Lonnie Davis

A Million Years from Now

admin — Fri, 14 Dec 2007 21:08:20 +0000

It is not the years of your life, but the life in your years that matters. The story of Carrie C. White illustrates this. Carrie was a Florida resident who died in 1991 at the ripe old age of 116. Just think of all you could do with a life span of 116 years. Looking further into her story reveals that she was a resident of a Palatka, Florida nursing home at the time of her death. At 116 it is not surprising that she lived in a nursing home. The sad thing is that she entered the nursing home 82 years before she died! I don’t think I will mind living in a nursing home from ages 110 to 116, but I do not want to live in a nursing home for the last 82 years of my life.

Once a group of young people were discussing old age when the age of 95 came up. One of them asked, “Who in the world would want to live to 95?” Some else answered, “Well, I guess anyone who is 94.” After thinking about Carrie White, we can’t help but add, “Yes, but only if it really is living.” Just breathing is not living. Living means doing something with life.

A first grade teacher was going through the grief of losing her mother. Children pick up on things and one of the students noticed that the teacher was not doing well. She came up to the teacher and asked what was wrong. When the teacher shared the loss with the child, the little girl answered, “Well, I hope you live until you die.” Maybe the little girl did not fully understand it, but she said something profound. Too many people do not live until they die.

For many years Dean Martin was part of the Hollywood scene. After he died, one of his close friends noted that Dean Martin had lost his will to live when his son died several years before him. “He never was the same,” the friend said. Sometimes there are things that take your life before they take your heartbeat.

It must not be that way for us. 10,000 years from now, we will all be living somewhere. 100,000 years from now all of this will be a distant memory for us, but we will not be just a memory. A million years from now. We will all be alive. Nothing should happen here to make us lose the will to live the plan that God has for us.

It is not the number of years you live while here that matter. It is the kind of life you live. A million years from now the life you live then will be a reflection of the life you live now. Life here is just a preparation for the life that is to come.

Lonnie Davis

Abraham's Secret

admin — Fri, 04 Jan 2008 13:06:43 +0000

It was a time when a woman with no child had no standing. It was a day when a man without a son had no legacy. Year after year, Sarah prayed for a child. Year after year her heart was broken. She knew her husband wanted a son and wanted to give him a son, but for a lifetime God had not blessed her. Finally she reached the age when having a child was no longer humanly possible. In such times it is easy for dreams to die.

In the midst of such broken dreams, God reached out to Abraham and Sarah. The Scriptures tell us, “By faith Abraham, even though he was past age — and Sarah herself was barren — was enabled to become a father because he considered him faithful who had made the promise.” (Hebrews 11:11).

“Even though he was past age,” is an understatement. When their child was born, Abraham was 100 and Sarah was 90. If nothing else, one can read that story and realize that nothing is impossible to God. Your dreams are never too big for God.

I want to be like Abraham, the friend of God. I do not want to wander with no place to call my own. I do not want to live in tents and ride on camels, but I do want to be God’s friend and receive blessings that are seemingly beyond human possibility. To do this, I must have Abraham’s secret.

What was the Abraham’s secret? Read the passage again and you will see. “He considered him faithful who made the promise.” Abraham’s believed God was faithful and would keep His promise.

Preachers love to preach on man’s need for faithfulness. What may be needed more are lessons reminding us of the faithfulness of God. Only when we believe that God is faithful and will keep his promises will we look past the blessings of earth and see the blessings of heaven.

All the promises that God has made to you in His Word, He will keep. God is faithful. Believe it!

Lonnie Davis

The Frog Who Went to Be With Jesus

admin — Sun, 20 Jan 2008 02:44:21 +0000

The Frog Who Went to Be with Jesus

Little Gwen loves animals and somewhere she acquired a tiny frog. I guess she did not know that frogs were a plague, but that would not matter to a four-year-old girl. Even if it is a frog, it is still a pet. Little frogs in the possession of little girls do not have a long life span. Before long the frog died and her dad disposed of it. Her mother explained it to her by saying that the frog went to be with Jesus. Gwen cried and said, “I want Jesus to give me my frog back.”

We all understand that sentiment, not about a frog, but about someone we love who has gone to be with Jesus. When my Granddad died, I felt like crying that I wanted Jesus to give him back. I think of my mother often. My Aunt Maxine went to be with Jesus before I was old enough to go to school. I want to meet her again and get to know her better. We all have someone that makes us feel this way.

In the early church, these kinds of thoughts were hurting many at Thessalonica. They grieved for those who had died, or as Paul said, have “fallen asleep.” To encourage them he wrote, “Brothers, we do not want you to be ignorant about those who fall asleep, or to grieve like the rest of men, who have no hope. We believe that Jesus died and rose again and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him.” (1 Thess 4:13-14).

When frogs are gone, they are gone. When Christians “fall asleep” they will wake up. We are not really dead; we have simply gone to be with Jesus. Do not grieve like others who have no hope.

Little Gwen called me last week and told me she had a new pet. It is a lady bug and it is living in a Tic Tac candy box. When it goes to be with Jesus we may have to have a full funeral service.

Lonnie Davis

Cannibal Cows

admin — Fri, 25 Jan 2008 19:05:57 +0000

The Story of the Cannibal Cows

Have you ever heard the story of the cannibal cows? The story is found in Genesis 41. The rule of Egypt had one of those puzzling, troubling dream. It was the story of the cannibal cows. He tells us the story,

Gen 41:17-21

"In my dream I was standing on the bank of the Nile, when out of the river there came up seven cows, fat and sleek, and … After them, seven other cows came up — scrawny and very ugly and lean. I had never seen such ugly cows in all the land of Egypt. The lean, ugly cows ate up the seven fat cows that came up first. But even after they ate them, no one could tell that they had done so.” (Genesis 41:17-21).

After the dream, the king turned to his wise men but they could not tell him the meaning of the dream. Only a man of God named Joseph could tell them the meaning of the dream. The seven fat cows were seven good year. The seven scrawny cows were seven years of famine. The famine followed the good times. The lesson for the king was that he needed to use the good times to prepare for the hard times.

Because he got the point, Egypt was spared from ruin. Because he used the good times to prepare for the hard times, they made it through the famine.

As you read this story, learn the lesson of the cannibal cows, the seven fat cows and the seven scrawny cows. Their story is one for all times. It is one for all lives. It is one for your family. As night follows day, life is a series of cycles. Good days follow bad days and bad days follow good days. If you will observe the lesson of the seven fat cows and seven scrawny cows, you will be prepared when seven scrawny cows come into your life. This is a hard lesson to learn, but ignoring it will lead to hard years.

As you read the story in Genesis 41, remember that the lesson of the cannibal cows came from God.

Lonnie Davis

A Twig and A Rose

admin — Mon, 11 Feb 2008 03:17:59 +0000

A Twig and a Rose

August 3, 1492 – October 11, 1492

To see the dates listed in this way make it appear as the days of a brief life, but it is not. They are 70 days that changed the world.

Setting out to reach the east by sailing west, the world thought Christopher Columbus was crazy. On August 3, 1492 three ships sailed into history. Few expected that they would find anything but the end of the earth from which they would fall as though going over the edge of a great waterfall. 70 days into the trip, the ship was near mutiny. Fearing for their lives, the crew argued passionately for turning back. Columbus promised them that in three days, if they had not found land, they would turn back.

Hours from failure, someone spotted a reed and a carved piece of wood and soon thereafter a twig and roses. It was a hopeful sign. These things indicated land and civilization. The crew now knew that if they would just bear a little longer in their journey, they would succeed. Within hours, they found the new land. The rest is history that we all know.

Anyone of thousands of sailors could have discovered this new land. Reaching the new land required no skill that other sailors lacked. Greatness is usually not the result of great skills, but rather the result of great faith. Others could have made the trip, but they lacked faith to start. If other sailors ever did start, they quit before they succeeded.

Faith comes in degrees. Others may have had the faith to start such a journey, but lacked the faith to last to the end. They lacked the faith to persist till they could find a twig and a rose.

The challenge for Christians today is to start the journey before you see the end. Any old heathen can walk by sight, but a Godly man or woman can start in faith and spot the twig and the rose along the way.

As the Bible says, “We walk by faith, not by sight,” but along the way God sends us a twig and a rose to encourage us.

Lonnie Davis

PA Links

admin — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 18:48:19 +0000

Company Domains

Main-- PalmAgent.com -- PalmAgent.us

AlamoAgent.net - AlamoAgent.us

CapitolAgent.net - CapitolAgent.us

Cendera.us –

ChapinAgent.com -- ChapinAgent.us

ChicagoAgent.net - ChicagoAgent.us

CommunityTitleAgent.com -- CommunityTitleAgent.us

CommunityAgent.biz - CommunityAgent.org

EastlandAgent.com -- EastlandAgent.us

EastTXagent.com -- EastTXagent.us

FidelityAgent.com - FidelityAgent.us

FidelityAgent-or.us

HatcoAgent.com - HatcoAgent.us

HillcountryAgent.net -- HillcountryAgent.us

JeffersonAgent.net - JeffersonAgent.us

Kerrcountryagent.com -- KerrcountryAgent.us

LandmarkAgent.com - LandmarkAgent.us

LincolnEvansAgent.com - LincolnEvansAgent.us

MonteithAgent.com - MonteithAgent.us

NSTitleAgent.com -- NorthshoreAgent.us

PorterAgent.net - PorterAgent.us

PorterabstractAgent.com -- PorterabstractAgent.us

SecuritytitleAgent.com -- SecuritytitleAgent.us

ServiceTitleAgent.com - ServiceTitleAgent.us

StewartAgent.net -- StewartAgent.us

TicorAgent.com - TicorAgent.us

TUAgent.com - TUAgent.us

UniversityAgent.net-- UniversityAgent.us

WesternAgent.com - WesternAgent.us

WestTXagent.com -- WestTXAgent.us

Others:

PalmAgentTraining.com - PalmAgentVideos.com - Downloads -

How to Overcome Procrastination

admin — Sat, 17 May 2008 12:34:15 +0000

Overcoming Procrastination

Paul’s sermon was powerful. The Roman ruler had to deal with it. He found the perfect answer. It has been nearly 2,000 years and his solution is still the favorite one for those who do not wish to deal with a decision.

Felix spoke up and said, “That's enough for now! You may leave. When I find it convenient, I will send for you.” (Acts 24:25).

We have a word to describe this behavior – procrastination. I love the words of the poet:

Procrastination is my sin. It gives me endless sorrow. I have decided to give it up And I will begin tomorrow.

We live in a society that rewards procrastination. We really do not give the early bird the worm. When is the best time to get great deals on Christmas gifts? The answer is: “On the first day after Christmas.” We do not reward the early, but rather we punish the tardy. If all taxes that were filed during January had an automatic 10% rebate, there would be little need to provide extensions to tax payers.

Why do we procrastinate? There are several reasons:

(1) Fear. We are afraid we will not succeed so we delay trying. (2) Busyness. We stay busy doing good things but let that busyness crowd out the important things we ought to do. (3) It works! By putting off hard tasks till tomorrow we really don’t have to deal with them today.

Unfortunately a lot of our hard work is just the easy work that we did not do when it was still easy.

Here are some ways to overcome procrastination.

1. Quit lying to yourself. Some people tell themselves that they work better under pressure and looking down the barrel of a deadline. No you don’t, it is just that you have waited till the last minute so often and now you have come to associate yourself with pressure. We work best in a calm environment.

2. Break it down. Don’t put off the task because it is too big. Start with something, even if it seems insignificant. There is an old proverb that says, “The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.”

3. Make a list and be accountable to it. Better yet, make the list the night before. It is always easier to think we will get up early the next morning to do the task that we could have done the night before.

The tragedy of life is not that it ends too soon, but that we wait too long to begin it!

Lonnie Davis

The Secret of Happiness

admin — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 23:30:46 +0000

The Secret of Happiness

Each morning as I leave for work, I often use the first part of my drive for a little “Thank-You” time. It is not really prayer, it is just a few moments of thankfulness. I begin by telling God some of the things for which I am thankful. I mention people: my wife, my children, my grandchildren. I mention things: my job, my car, my computer, my big screen television, etc.

Sometimes as I drive along, I try to think of things that I have never given God a “thank you” for – my sight, my feet, my blood, my fingers, my toes, and all things I would miss so much if they were gone or defective. Once you start thinking like this, you can go on and on. Even in this writing, I have not mentioned my health or my wealth. I am healthy and have no complaints. My only bad health has come from bad habits (diet and exercise). As for wealth, none of us are Bill Gates, but we are all rich people. We ought to give thanks to God for our wealth.

The Bible says that Job was the richest man in the east and we know that in his day, the east was the richest part of the world. Job never slept in an air-conditioned room, watched a color television, or rode in an automobile, or flew in a plane. You and I have done all of these things. If he was rich, then what are we?

God has given us so much that it is hard to imagine why any of us would ever be unhappy. There is a reason for it and here it is: blessed people become unhappy when they focus on the things they do not have instead of the things they do have. Count your blessings and not your troubles. That is the secret of happiness. Paul said, “Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.” 1 Thess 5:16-18).

Lonnie Davis

It's About Him

admin — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 19:15:29 +0000

It is About Him

It is Olympic time and I love watching the great athletes. My six-year-old granddaughter and I were watching the female gymnasts. As we watched a tiny girl do a big tumbling run, I tried to be clever and told her, “I can’t do that.” Instantly she responded, “I know, cause you’re too old.” I just said, “Yes, I know.”

“Too old was just an excuse,” but I kept it. Even if I were twenty I could not do those things, but for her I needed an excuse. Excuses are a part of the human fiber. Even the great men and women use them.

Moses spent his first forty years living in a palace. He spent the next forty years working as a shepherd. At eighty he had lived a full and varied life, but just when he may have been looking toward the golden years, God had another plan for Moses. From a burning bush God called Moses to go tell the Pharaoh to let God’s people go. Moses started with his excuses. First there was “Who me?” (Ex. 3:11). Next was “Who are You?” (Ex. 3:13) Though he uses other excuses the next one is the real one, “What if I fail?” Here are his exact words, “What if they do not believe me or listen to me and say, 'The LORD did not appear to you'?" (Ex. 4:1). Moses’ next excuse is actually the same fear of failure excuse. “O Lord, I have never been eloquent, neither in the past nor since you have spoken to your servant. I am slow of speech and tongue." (Ex. 4:10).

God responds to this excuse by telling Moses that it was not about him. It was about God. God says, "Who gave man his mouth? Who makes him deaf or mute? Who gives him sight or makes him blind? Is it not I, the LORD? Now go; I will help you speak and will teach you what to say." (Ex 4:11-12). Moses failed to understand that what God called on him to do, God would help him do.

This is the great lesson that we all need to understand. We all make excuses and we all have fear of failure, but we only need to know what he wants us to do. What God wants us to do, we can do. He will see to it. Do not ask, “Can I accomplish this?” Ask only, “Does God want me to do this?” When we attempt those things that God wills for us, we will succeed. It is not about us. It is about Him.

Lonnie Davis

Justification

admin — Sat, 16 Aug 2008 18:20:03 +0000

It is a great text: Romans 5:1-5.

Rom 5:1-5
5 Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. 3 Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; 4 perseverance, character; and character, hope. 5 And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.

From this text we see 10 assets that come from Justification:
1. We have PEACE with God.
2. ACCESS to God.
3. we have GRACE
4. We can rejoice in Hope.
5. We can rejoice in Adversity.
6. PERSEVERANCE!
7. CHARACTER.
8. HOPE
9. The love of God
10. The Holy Spirit

WiseWords

admin — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 13:21:13 +0000

WiseWords I love WiseWords. You know, those things that are so wise that they must be in the Bible somewhere. Here is one of my favorite: "A luxury once tried becomes a necessity." In my family, I can start that quote and any of them can finish it. I thought about this truth a lot during the 2008 Olympics. I enjoy watching it on my plasma television in high definition. I cannot imagine watching it on an old black and white set or even a 19 inch color TV. I remember once when a member of the church used the phone in our house and was talking to his wife. He told her "They even have a color TV." Now that which seemed to wonderful to him has become a common possession. We can't go back to how things used to be. A luxury once tried becomes a necessity. I read about one young bride who was showing her great-grandmother all of the modern conveniences in her kitchen. She showed her a garbage disposal, dishwasher, icemaker, and trash compactor. When she got through she asked her great-grandmother which modern convenience she liked best. Her great-grandmother replied, "I think I like running water the best." Not only does a luxury once tried become a necessity, but it also becomes an expectation and an entitlement. We must remember to be appreciative or else our possessions will possess us. Lonnie Davis

The Mouse

admin — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 13:19:06 +0000

The Mouse and the Elephant

There once was a little mouse who had to take a long and arduous journey. As the day wore on the little mouse grew tired and began looking for some easier way to complete the trip. By and by an elephant came along and gave the little mouse a ride on his massive back. Hour after hour the mouse rode on the back of the elephant. The mouse was filled with joy to see how much distance he was able to cover while riding on the back of an elephant. Finally they came to a narrow bridge. The elephant paused and then passed over the bridge. With each step the elephant took the bridge shook. When safe on the other side, the little mouse told the elephant, "We really shook that bridge."

Gideon was called by God to deliver Israel from their enemies. Gideon protested, "How can I deliver Israel? My clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my family." God listens to his fears and then says, "But I will be with you." (Judges 6:14-16). Gideon did not know it, but God did not need him to defeat the enemy. God only wanted him to go along for the ride. The victory was assured.

You and I face our own difficult journeys. We go through minefields, we cross shaking bridges, and pass through the valley of the shadow of death. As Christians while going through all of these places, we too are traveling on the strength of someone else. Paul said, "I can do all things through Him who strengthens me." (Phil 4:13). Jesus promised, "I will be with you always." (Matthew 28:20).

When we face scary life passages, we must remember that we are merely a mouse riding on the back of One who is able to shake the bridge. When we are eventually safe on the other side of the shaking bridges of life, we may be tempted to say, "We really shook that bridge," but we must remember that it was not us, but Him who shook the bridge.

Lonnie Davis

The Two Football Man

admin — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 17:56:20 +0000

The Two Football Man

If you ask any Alabama football fan who the greatest coach of all time is, they will answer, “Bear Bryant.” Bear Bryant did have great success as a coach. Coach Bryant used to have a drill designed to show him who really had what it takes to be a great football player. He would get all 120 of his players into one end zone and then tell them (I’m paraphrasing here), “Boys, in the other end zone I have placed five footballs. I want each one of you to bring me one.” I confess that I would like to have seen that drill. The chaos that ensued must have been amazing. One year he pulled this drill and he had a player named Lee Roy Jordan. Lee Roy was a great football player. He brought the coach two footballs! I can’t even imagine someone that fast, strong, or talented. He had the determination to be a “Two Football Man.” He did not look for an excuse, he looked for a football! In life there are those who get things done and there are those who make excuses. Solomon said, “The lazy man says, ‘There is a lion outside. I shall be slain in the streets.’” (Proverbs 22:13). Of course there is no lion outside, but when someone does not want to work, they always can find an excuse. Ben Franklin wisely said, “He that is good for making excuses is seldom good for anything else.” Of course excuse makers usually do not think they are making excuses. They think they are telling you reasons. People who achieve things in life, people who get things done realize that giving in to excuses under the guise of reasons will always stop you from achieving your goals. I never had the speed to be a two football person on the football field, but there are other areas of life where the principle of two footballs can work in my life. “I’m tired. I want to rest. I deserve a break. It is someone else’s turn to do the work.” None of these excuses get in the way of a two football man or woman. I do realize that sometimes there really are reasons, but make sure you are not just settling for an excuse. Go get that second football. Lonnie Davis

A Matter of Focus

admin — Sat, 13 Sep 2008 12:46:49 +0000

A Matter of Focus

Classmates.com is a huge website that lets long lost friends find each other. I guess before you sign up you have to decide if you really want to find each other. The other day I read the story of a lady who bumped into an old friend. While waiting for her first appointment in the reception room of a new dentist, she noticed his certificate, which had his full name. Suddenly, she remembered that a tall, handsome boy with the same name had been in her high school class some 30 years earlier. As soon as she saw him she discarded any such possibility. She was sure that the balding, grey-haired dentist with the deeply lined face was way too old to have been her classmate. After he had examined her teeth, she asked him if he had attended the local high school. "Yes," he replied. “When did you graduate?" she asked. He replied, "In 1971. Why?" "You were in my class!" she exclaimed. He looked at her closely and then asked, "What did you teach?"

Ouch!

There is a part of this story that I love. I love people who can enjoy life enough that they don’t feel as old as they really are. If we were more like these two, we would do better in life. There are three qualities about these two old friends that I would like to have:

1. They did not focus on what they didn’t have.

2. They did not focus on the negatives.

3. They did not see obstacles to a good life.

Okay so they didn’t have youth. So what? They had the wisdom that comes with a lifetime of living. Maybe one of them didn’t have hair, but he had an education that caused others to call him Doctor. One of them was at a dentist, but at least she had teeth that the dentist could work on.

So many times when God closes one door for us, we stare at it and grieve so long that we never see the two doors that God has opened. I love God’s promise in Jeremiah 29:11. “’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.’” You must believe that God has good plans for you. Your joy depends on it!

Death by Hardening of Our Ways

admin — Sun, 21 Sep 2008 03:09:26 +0000

Death by Hardening of Our Ways In Fort Worth, Texas, there is a famous old golf course called "Glen Garden Golf and Country Club." If you read any old golf books, you may come across this course. Started in 1912, it was been around for nearly 100 years. By any standard that is an old course in America. My kids learned to play golf on that course, but that is not what makes it famous. It used to be a stop on the PGA tour, but that is not what makes it famous. It is the course where Byron Nelson and Ben Hogan learned to play the game. It is a short, unchallenging course. Many courses start out that way, but over the years the course changes and the members spend money to upgrade and improve it. In the 1930s, a man named Marvin Leonard came to Glen Garden and offered to plan and finance the upgrades necessary to make Glen Garden a better course. The members rejected his plans. They did not want anything to change. Rejected at Glen Garden and at another course, Mr. Leonard decided to build his own course. He built the Colonial Country Club in Fort Worth, Texas. Today it is arguable the most famous course in all of Texas. In the years since, I have played many rounds on the Glen Garden course. It is still the same basic course it was in the 1930s. Other men have tried to update the course, but the members did not want anything to change. The old-timers liked things just as they were. Since it was the course of his youth, my son played it again not too long ago. Everything was just as he remembered some ten years earlier. Well, there was one thing different. It was almost exclusively played by old golfers. I have no problem with that since most of them can beat me. It does, however, serve to remind me that if we want things like they always were, we will never reach people of another generation and we will never be all that we can be. Paul said, "I become all things to all people." He did not mean that he became a liar to liars or a cheat to cheaters, but rather than he could adjust his customs to fit those around him. He did not insist that others adjust their traditions to fit in with his. For each new custom that comes along, we must ask two questions: (1) Does God care? If He does not then we cannot let a custom stand in our way. We must become all things. (2) Does this new "custom" stand in the way of reaching out to other people? If it does, then we must refer back to number 1. The church of Jesus Christ must not fall into the behavior of a dying, old golf course. It is a disease that causes death by hardening of our ways. Lonnie Davis

Before He Was Born

admin — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 17:19:32 +0000

Before He Was Born

John 1:1-2

1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning.

When Abraham Lincoln was elected President, Jesus was there. When Abraham of the Old Testament was childless, Jesus was there. When Noah started building the ark, Jesus was there. When Adam was created, Jesus was there.

In Genesis 1:26, God said, “Let us make man in our image.” Who do you think He was talking to when he said that? Who is the “us” of that verse? John 1:1-2 make that clear. Jesus is the one who made everything that has been made. Jesus is not just the carpenter from Nazareth. He is also the Great Carpenter of the universe.

He made the sun, the moon, and the stars. He made the cattle and the birds and the fish. He made man and woman. He made the angels. He made me and He made you.

What was His name before it was Jesus? No one really knows. Some commentators think he is the Angel of the Lord in the Old Testament, but Jesus is not an angel.

He is one of the three in the Godhead.

“Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” - Matthew 28:19-20
“May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.” - 2 Corinthians 13:14

He always was. He always is. He always will be. That is the definition of an eternal God. Our minds are unable to imagine the possibility of a place where time does not exist, where time is irrelevant, where there are no clocks or calendars. Such a place is where Jesus was, where Jesus is, where Jesus always will be.

Since He is there and I am going there, then there will never be another time when I will not exist. This is because of who Jesus is and who He was before He was born on earth.

Lonnie Davis

Dealing with Adversity

admin — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 12:34:19 +0000

Dealing with Adversity

In the 14^th century, Julian of Norwich wrote, “He said not, thou shall not be tempested or thou shall not be afflicted. He did said, Thou shall not be overcome.” Our task is not to live our life in such a way that there are never any difficult days, but to live so that we can overcome the hard days.

Somewhere I read, “If you would be successful, do the things that are hard and lonely.” Everyone can do the fun things, the social things, or the easy things. Anyone can watch a football game with a friend or go to a movie with a special person. These things are fun and social for most of us. Doing them will bring us no lasting success in life. Few people are willing to do the hard things, the lonely things. Few people are willing to spend time alone memorizing math formulas so those who do are thought of as smart. Few people are willing to sit up at night with the television off and memorize passages from God’s word. To get ahead in your job or any part of your life, be willing to do the hard and lonely things. The fact that they are hard will mean you will be lonely in doing them, but doing these things will set you apart from the crowd. Do not curse the hard circumstances, but rather relish them as opportunities for victory.

Abraham Lincoln was reared in deep poverty. It was hard, but he was willing to overcome it. Franklin D. Roosevelt was a victim of polio. Beethoven, one of the true musical geniuses of the world, was completely deaf. Their problems, their almost impossible circumstances simply meant they must work harder. They did the hard and lonely things. We will always remember them. Never give in just because something is hard. The fact that circumstances are hard is what allows your victory to be great.

In the 17^th century, Anne Bradstreet put it beautifully, “If we had no winter; the spring would not be so pleasant; if we did not sometimes taste of adversity, prosperity would not be so welcome.”

Lonnie Davis

Knowing What to Do

admin — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 18:39:19 +0000

In 1939, the Nazis were invading the Netherlands. The first people to be affected were the Jews who lived in the Netherlands. A group of Christians came to the Dutch theologian, Henry Cramer, and told him, “Our Jewish neighbors are missing from their homes.” They then asked, “What must we do?”

Cramer’s answered, “I cannot tell you what to do. I can tell you who you are. If you know who you are then you will know what to do.”

Read those last words again, “If you know who you are, then you will know what to do.” The Nazis are not marching in our streets, but those words should still convict us. When Satan sends temptations, you do not need to ask what to do. You only need to remember who you are.

Sometimes Christians will be confronted with a temptation to evil. It sounds holy and righteous to hear them say, “I will pray to God for an answer about what I should do.” It is not holy and righteous. It is weak. God has already told us what to do with sin. We only need to remember who we are.

In our story, the men and women who asked the question of Henry Cramer became part of the Dutch resistance movement. They helped save the lives of many. In times of stress and temptation, if you and I will remember who God is and who we are, it will determine our conduct.

2,000 years ago, on a storm tossed ship in the middle of the sea, Paul used that principle to make his decision. He told the freighted sailors, “Last night an angel of the God whose I am and whom I serve stood beside me and said, 'Do not be afraid, Paul. You must stand trial before Caesar; and God has graciously given you the lives of all who sail with you.' So keep up your courage, men, for I have faith in God that it will happen just as he told me.” (Acts 27:23-25)

Paul said, “I know God knows me and I know who I am and whose I am.” Since he knew these things, he knew what to do. When you know those things, you too will know what to do.

Lonnie Davis

ps 121

admin — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 18:31:12 +0000

admin — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 18:33:18 +0000

help

admin — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 18:35:37 +0000

Mrs. Ham's Lessons

admin — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 15:36:26 +0000

Genesis 7:13

“On that very day Noah and his sons, Shem, Ham and Japheth,

together with his wife and the wives of his three sons, entered the ark.”

Mrs. Ham’s Lessons

Imagine what life was like for Mrs. Ham. She was in a boat with pigs, sheep, elephants, giraffes, and every other kind of animal. Thirty days after she entered the boat it was still raining. The sea is tossing, the smell is terrible, and the only light came from an oil lantern. She had neither sun nor moon nor fresh air. On top of this she did not know when or how this is all going to end.

This is not what she signed up for when she became Mrs. Ham. Life is not about what happens to you, but about what you do with what happens. If we could talk with Mrs. Ham today, there are many things she would tell us. Here are four life-lessons from Mrs. Ham.

1. Your seemingly crazy in-law might not be crazy after all.

100 years into the boat building, the neighbors surely thought that Noah was crazy. He was gathering animals and building a giant boat in the middle of dry land. No doubt that Mrs. Ham’s friends thought she had a crazy father-in-law. He was not crazy.

2. You do too marry his family.

Many folks marry into a family and say, “I am marrying him, not his family.” At the end of life, everyone understands that you marry not only him, but his family. The wise woman will get to know the family she is marrying.

3. If you marry the right person, it may save your life.

When Mrs. Ham was safe and dry while the whole world was drowning, she had to realize that she was safe because she married into a family of faith.

4. You are going to wind up in the same boat.

You need to learn to love your family because you are going to wind up in the same boat with them. You can say it is not so, but it is!

Do not live your life like you are the first person to walk the earth. Learn from those who have walked your path before. You will learn the lessons of Mrs. Ham. The only question is are you willing to learn from her experience or do you have to learn the hard way – by experiencing it yourself.

Lonnie Davis

Excuses or Opportunities

admin — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 04:43:25 +0000

Excuses or Opportunities

Luke 14:16-18 –

“He said to him, ‘A man was giving a big dinner, and he invited many; and at the dinner hour he sent his slave to say to those who had been invited, 'Come; for everything is ready now.’ ‘But they all alike began to make excuses.’”

Bob knocked on his neighbor’s door. When Barry answered the knock, Bob asked him, “Can I borrow your rope?” “No,” Barry answered, “we are using it.” Bob was surprised at being turned down and probed, “Really? What are you using it for?” “Well,” Barry answered, “we are using it to tie up our orange juice.” “How is that possible,” Bob asked. Barry paused and then responded, “I don’t know, but if you don’t want to do something, then one excuses is as good as another.”

Over the decades of preaching, I’ve heard just about every excuse imaginable for forsaking the worship of God. People have told me that they do not come because they are too busy. Some have told me that they don’t come because they are out of town. (Every Sunday?) I knew one many who had a mysterious illness that afflicted him on Sunday, but never on Saturday (the Devil must have sent it). I do not know how many times I have had people tell me that they were coming, but just as they were getting ready, relatives from out of town came over.

Let me tell you how one man handled such a situation. One Wednesday night in 1999, it was getting near church time. Byron Nelson had a friend come by for help with his golf swing. As it drew nearer the time for Bible study, he turned to the friend and said, “We go to church on Wednesday night. You are welcome to come with us or stay here till we get back.” The friend decided he too would go to study the Bible. So that night Byron and his wife brought Payne Stewart to worship and Bible study in a little church in Roanoke, Texas.

He could have just said, “I have company, famous company, so I’ll just stay here with him.” He did not. He used that time as an opportunity to bring a friend to worship. Some folks look for excuses to miss worship and others look for opportunities to share worship and Bible study.

Lonnie Davis

Everyone Fails

admin — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 15:05:38 +0000

Everyone Fails

You have to love the spirit of Arthur Pedrick. Between 1962 and 1977 Arthur patented 162 inventions. Among other inventions, Arthur patented a bicycle with amphibious capability, a golf ball that could be steered in flight, and a way to supply water to the deserts of the world by keeping a constant supply of Arctic snowballs flying to the deserts with giant peashooters located in the Arctic.

What about his spirit is there to love? In the face of failure after failure, Arthur never quit trying. In 1902, the poetry editor of Atlantic Monthly returned a stack of poems to an aspiring poet. This note accompanied the unpublished poems, “Our magazine has no room for your vigorous verse.” The aspiring poet’s name is Robert Frost. In 1905, the University of Bern turned down a doctoral dissertation as “irrelevant and fanciful.” That aspiring scholar was Albert Einstein. In 1894, a teenager named Winston Churchill had a note on his report card which noted his “conspicuous lack of success.”

Faith is not just belief. Faith is a belief that allows one to keep on keeping on, even in the face of failure. Before he was the leader of a nation, Moses was a 40-year-old failure, running from the Pharaoh. Before he was a preacher on Pentecost, Peter lied and denied that he even knew Jesus. Before he penned the Gospel of Mark, he offended the Apostle Paul so much that Paul would not even take Mark on a missionary trip with him.

It is not your failures that define you. It is how many times you are willing to fail and then try again. Everyone remembers Will Rogers for his great wit and sense of humor. He did not start out as a humorist. He started out as an act that entertained audiences with rope tricks. One day, in the middle of his act, Will failed. He got tangled up in his ropes. Facing people who had paid money to see him do rope tricks, he said, “A rope ain’t so bad to get tangled up in if it ain’t around your neck.” The audience roared. He loved their response to his humor. His failure changed his life.

Failure is not a sin. As the Bible says, “The godly may trip seven times, but they will get up again. But one disaster is enough to overthrow the wicked.” (Proverbs 24:16). You have only failed with you quit trying. There is a difference between saying, “I have failed” and “I am a failure.” Everyone fails, but not everyone is a failure.

Lonnie Davis

Beginning Again

admin — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 14:25:10 +0000

We all love happy endings.

Poets know this and so end their fairy tales with “and they lived happily ever after.” The great old cowboy movies often ended with the cowboy victoriously riding off into the purple sunset. Feel-good movies all have happy endings. We hear those happy endings and see those purple sunsets and long for that in our life. The real secret of happiness is not in those purple sunsets, but in the chance to start over – to begin again.

The prodigal son far from home, broke, and hungry, did the one thing he could. He went home. He started over. He began again.
Hezekiah on his deathbed repents of his failures and starts over. God lets him begin again.
Joseph sold into slavery, cast into prison, and forgotten by his friends, began again. It took two years, but instead of losing faith, he waited with patience. When his door to home was closed, he knew that some greater door would open (Gen 50:20).

In “The Land of Beginning Again,” L.F. Tarkington wrote,

I wish that there were some wonderful place Called the Land of Beginning Again Where all of our mistakes, and all of our heartaches, And all of our poor, selfish grief Could be dropped like a shabby old coat at the door And never be put on again.

At some time or another in our life, we all long for that land of beginning again “where all our mistakes” can “be dropped like a shabby old coat.”

In the end of this life, what we are promised is a new start. John, gazing into heaven, wrote, “I saw a new heaven and a new earth” (Rev 21:1). Even eternity will be a chance to start over.

Birthdays are special. Thanksgiving is wonderful, and Christmas can be great, but I’ll take New Year’s Day anytime. It doesn’t have all the presents associated with it. It is not a special time of giving, but it is a day we associate with beginning again.

“For though a righteous man falls seven times, he rises again, but the wicked are brought down by calamity” (Proverbs 24:16).

Righteous people do fall down, but they get up and begin again.

Lonnie Davis

Angry Like Jesus

admin — Fri, 08 May 2009 20:00:34 +0000

“A fool gives full vent to his anger, but a wise man keeps himself under control. “ – Proverbs 29:11

Jesus got angry, or so every angry person would have you believe. Usually folks who make this statement are trying to justify their own anger. After all if Jesus got angry, then no one can blame me for being angry. The problem is that this statement is grossly overstated.

To prove their point, angry people use the story of Jesus driving the money changers out of the temple (Mark 11, Matthew 21, Luke 19, John 2). Before anyone accuses Jesus of anger in that story, he or she ought to read the story again. Nowhere do the Scriptures say that Jesus was angry. Jesus was bothered. Jesus was troubled. Jesus was determined to stop unrighteousness. Jesus was not angry.

This is easy to understand when a person looks at what anger does. Anger puts a person into an impaired mental state and reduces one’s ability to grasp ambiguity or see any nuance in a situation. Anger gives us an adrenalin rush which clouds our ability to make judgments. This is not the emotion that Jesus was experiencing when he drove the crooked merchants out of the temple. Jesus did not “lose it.” With a clear mind, Jesus removed scam artists from the temple area.

There is one time in the Bible that says Jesus experienced anger. In Mark 3, the Bible says that Jesus “look around…in anger.” Read the text and you will find that the only way you know Jesus was angry is that the Scriptures tells us so. He did not hit anyone. He did not call anyone a name. He did not shout at anyone. He did not get red-faced. He was angry, but he dealt with it quietly and then he helped a man.

If you want to be angry like Jesus, then that is your example.

Haircuts and Life

admin — Sat, 16 May 2009 19:57:50 +0000

Haircuts are no big deal to me. I prefer to get them wherever I happen to be. I have two rules that keep me okay with this: (1) Don’t cut it too short. If I follow this rule a bad cut grows out quickly. (2) Blow the cut hairs out of my hair. If this rule is done then I do not have to go wash my hair immediately.

At hair cut time I went to the closest place. The lady cutting my hair followed rule one okay. As she was winding up, I had to remind her about rule two. She picked up her hair dryer and started using it on my hair. Half through she got distracted and left the scalding wind blowing in one spot against the grain. It got hotter and hotter. Just before I could yelp, she moved it away.

Finally she tried to comb my hair. I had one patch of hair that stuck straight up no matter what she did. You can guess that the unruly spot was exactly where she kept the hot wind blowing. Finally, she said, “Your hair has a mind of its own.” I did not respond.

I thanked her, paid the bill, and left a tip. I knew that eventually my hair would be okay. Later I thought about that patch of unruly hair. The stress of the heat and force of the wind left it abnormal. I thought about how the heat and the winds o life do the same thing to us.

A storm of life beats on us and we get bent out of shape. The storm passes, but we stay damaged.

The Real Source of Joy

admin — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 13:55:11 +0000

Sometimes life tumbles in. Sometimes you really are on a bed of affliction. Sometimes the wolf is at the door. Sometimes your child is missing or sick or near death's door. All of us have struggles and when they happen it is hard to imagine that anyone else has ever been so lost or felt so helpless.

600 years before Christ was a time when life was tumbling in for God's people. A powerful army was bearing down upon them and would soon burn their homes, steal their property, and lead them away as slaves. Most of them would never be free again. Many of them would be killed. In times like that Habakkuk uttered these words:

"Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the Lord, will be joyful in God my Savior." (Habakkuk 3:17-18).

If the power of this verse is lost on us, maybe it is because we do not care if the fig tree buds or whether there are grapes on the vines. Most of us never grow food in our fields, nor have any sheep or cattle. Because those things are not a part of our experiences, we may not feel the pain in this verse. It might feel different if this verse were written in modern times and said, "though every grocery stores and restaurant closes down and every factory in America is empty, though the stock market drops to zero, 'Yet I will rejoice in the Lord, will be joyful in God my savior.'"

Habakkuk is saying that his joy does not come from things and stuff and junk. His joy comes from God. His joy is not circumstantial, but is founded in the One who can change the circumstances.

When life tumbles in, when you are on the bed of affliction, when the wolf is at the door, find your joy in the Lord. He is the only source of joy that will not change.

Lonnie Davis

061909_1652_1.jpg

admin — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 16:52:06 +0000

061909_1709_BalconyPeop1.gif

admin — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 17:09:24 +0000

Balcony People

admin — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 17:09:26 +0000

Balcony People

It was in the 1970s that Baylor University in Waco, Texas hired a new football coach. They had a long history of failure. It seemed they could not win their conference or even really compete. Grant Teaff took over a team that had won less than two games a year for the previous five years. He hit town and so did the folks who were ready to tell him how to run things. The story goes that he listened to the critics and then told them that he did not respond to criticism and worked a lot better with encouragement. He was right and within two years he took that pitiful program and won the conference championship.

All of us work better with encouragement. I like to call them "the balcony people." At a successful Broadway play, when the play is over the balcony people stand and cheer. Everyone needs balcony people in their life. We need people who bless us and give us courage and encouragement.

We need our family to be our balcony people. They know our strengths and weaknesses. They can easily boo our flops, but we need them to clap at our successes. Knowing us as well as they do, surely they can find something to clap about.

We need our church family to be our balcony people. All week long we live in a world that is not friendly to our Christian values. When we walk through the church doors on Sunday morning we need to be lifted up. We need to leave with encouragement that will help us go back and face the world. When Paul wrote to his Christian family he almost always started with words of encouragement.

We need God to be in our balcony. Thankfully, He is always there for us. When God spoke to Jeremiah He promised him, "'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. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you," declares the LORD." (Jeremiah 29:10-14). The promise God made to Jeremiah is a promise to us also. For us that promise is found in the words of Jesus, "I am with you always." (Matt 28:20).

Lonnie

061909_2206_FiveGuideli1.png

admin — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 22:06:09 +0000

061909_2206_FiveGuideli2.png

admin — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 22:06:13 +0000

061909_2206_FiveGuideli3.png

admin — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 22:06:16 +0000

I Know the Plans

admin — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 13:16:30 +0000

Usually when I get a phone call from a stranger who is asking spiritual questions it will end up with asking for money. I do not mean to sound cynical, but that is how things usually happen. Not this time. This time she started with question that I had difficulty understanding. She seemed incoherent and confused. She finally got to her real question, "How can a God who loves us allow such terrible things to happen in our lives?" Her question went way beyond this, but that was the heart of her question. She even quoted a Scripture, Jeremiah 29:11

"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."

After quoting the verse, she lamented her troubles. Homeless, abused, neglected and rejected, she questioned how she could possibly believe in a God who says He loves her and then allowed all of those circumstances.

She really did not want to listen to anything I had to say. She saw herself as a victim and just wanted to rant. I listened for a while, never learned her real story. She might really be a victim of many terrible events, but seeing oneself as a victim never leads to a solution. Here are the truths that lead to solutions:

God is on your side.
God does have wonderful plans for you.
Whether you live in a mansion or a cardboard box. For those who love Him, God can give you a joyful ending. (See the story of Lazarus – Luke 16).

Like so many people, the lady on the phone had pulled out a part of a text and left the other unread. Listen to the rest of the verse that she quoted:

"'Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you,' declares the Lord." (vs 12-14)

It is not enough to just believe that He has great plans for us. We must read the rest of the story. We must call upon Him. We must seek Him with all our heart. Then, and only then, do we have the promise that we will find Him.

Lonnie Davis

Mile Markers of Forgivenss

admin — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 17:59:43 +0000

I've traveled highway 45 between Houston and Dallas so many times that I know where things are by the mile markers along the way. My son still makes this journey often and when he calls me to tell me he is "going to Houston," I always ask him what mile marker he just passed. Mile marker 178 is Buffalo, Texas and marker 118 is Huntsville. For me, I am in Houston when I hit mile marker 64.

Highways are not the only mile markers. Our spiritual lives have markers along the way. The presence or absence of these markers tells us where we are in the journey. If we do not see the marker of prayer in our life, we are not on the right spiritual track. Worship and giving are two more spiritual markers in our journey.

Forgiveness also has mile markers along the way. Jesus said, "If you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins." (Matt 6:14-15). If you want God to forgive you of your sins, you must forgive others when they hurt you. Presence or absence of my forgiveness of those who hurt me is a clear marker of God's forgiveness of me.

Such a thought can be heavy on our hearts. In our desperation to have forgiveness, we make try to fake forgiveness for others. Fake forgiveness is saying we forgive, but not really forgiving. Listed below are four mile markers for real forgiveness. These markers all involve our prayers for the offending person (we'll call him Bill). Obviously if you are not willing to pray for Bill, you have not truly forgiven him.

The first prayer of forgiveness:
"Lord, please be with Bill and help him see how much he has hurt and wronged me."
The second prayer of forgiveness:
"Lord, forgive Bill of his sin."
The third prayer of forgiveness:
"Lord, bless Bill that the rest of his life will be better."
The real prayer of forgiveness:
"Lord, I thank you for being with Bill. I am so happy that his life is blessed by you. Please continue to bless him."

You know you have forgiven when you no longer pray for Bill to repent, but instead thank God for the blessings He has bestowed on Bill.

If you want to be forgiven, forgive. If you want to know if you have forgiven, pray. The tone of your prayer and the emotion in your heart will tell you where you are in your process of forgiveness.

Lonnie Davis

Life lessons from a Dead Skunk

admin — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 18:06:16 +0000

The drive from my house to the church building is a beautiful drive. Every day I get to drive a couple of miles through a state park and year round it is beautiful. In the winter, the snow can hang onto the tree limbs that outline the road. In the spring the new growth is amazing. In the fall, the changing of the colors is a site to see. I love it.

A couple of weeks ago something happened to ruin it – well, at least a part of it. Someone accidentally ran over a skunk. I know it was an accident because no one would ever do such a crazy thing on purpose.

For the past few days, when I drive down that beautiful road there is a section of the drive that stinks. Over the past two weeks it has gotten a little better, but it still stinks. I have seen policemen pull over and remove the bodies of dead animals from the highways, but no one has removed this dead skunk. During these two weeks, I have been reminded of several truths from this incident.

1. A mess is a mess, even when it is an accident.

Many people excuse every terrible thing they have done with a "I didn't mean to." Children think that an apology is all it takes to make everything okay. I sometimes appreciate an apology, but a stink is still a stink. Do not focus on the word "sometimes" in the last sentence. A true apology is always appreciated, but there are people who apologize, but never try to fix anything. That is not a real apology.

2. Sometime things happen in life that you can't fix.

No one wanted to clean up the mess, so we just have to wait till it goes away on its own. David asked for forgiveness from his sin. God forgave him, but the sword never departed from his house. Jacob wrestled with an angel till the angel touched him in the hip and for the rest of his life he limped. Even with forgiveness there are often consequences.

3. The smell will eventually go away.

Right now it may seem like you will never get past your problem. Don't be impatient, this too will pass. I love the fellow who was asked what his favorite Bible verse was and he quoted "it came to pass." What ever your hard spot is, it will pass. It always does. The phrase "it came to pass" is found 453 times in the KJV.

This skunk too will pass.

Lonnie Davis

The God of Little Things

admin — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 16:25:07 +0000

It was getting toward evening and Peter decided to go fishing. The others disciples joined him. In the dawn of early morning, as the disciples were about 100 yards from shore they saw a stranger on the banks of the Galilee. He shouted to them, "Friends, haven't you any fish?" (John 21:5). When they said they had not, He gave them instructions about where to fish. Following his instructions, they caught so many fish one would think the nets would break. They came to the shore and ate with him. That is the quick summary of the story in John 21. A closer reading will reveal that God takes care of the little details in life.

When he told them where to fish, they caught 153 fish – large fish. (21:11).

When the disciples got to the shore, they found that Jesus had cooked breakfast for them. He had a fire of burning coal, some fish and some bread. (21:9).

Jesus served the bread and fish. (21:13). He didn't just say, "There it is guys, help yourself."

Several things about this story are amazing to those who think: (1) Upon seeing the risen Lord, someone still counted the fish, (2) Jesus brought bread for the disciples, (3) Jesus caught fish before they even saw him, (4) Jesus cooked breakfast. (4) Jesus served the breakfast.

Life is about the little details. Those who will not pay attention to the little details will have a hectic life. They will constantly feel like the wheels are coming off or life is unraveling before their eyes. Someone has to make the fire. Someone has to count the fish. Someone has to serve the bread. Someone has to do the little things.

Mountains are made of little stones. Miles are covered by little steps. Love is show with little acts. Successful lives are built on little things. If God takes care of the little things, then surely we must do the same.

Lonnie Davis

Sidney’s One-Speed Bicycle

admin — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 16:26:37 +0000

Approaching eighty years, he had been frugal and had provided well for his financial needs. He came by my office to say hi. It was not the visit that surprised me, but how he got there. Sidney had a can route that he ran every day. He put wire baskets on his old fashioned bicycle and would ride up and down his self-appointed route and pick up cans on the side of the road. He was not doing it to keep the highways clean. He was earning money, as meager as it might be.

One day I went out in front of the church building just as he rode up. His bicycle was what I would call a piece of junk. It was at least twenty years old, had only one gear, and wobbled as he rode. Since I knew he could afford anything he wanted to buy, I asked him, "Sidney, why don't you buy you a new bike, a ten-speed bike." He thought for a minute and then answered, "Well," he said, "I can barely use the one gear I have."

Sidney grew up in a time when one-speed bikes were the norm. It had been that way for seventy plus years and he was not going to change something that worked. He was right, his bike did work. It worked, but there was something better. A few years later, Sidney died and he still had that one speed bicycle.

It has been many years since that event, but every so often I remind myself about Sidney's one-speed bicycle. I think about it when I get stuck in how things used to be. I think about it when the leaders gets stuck in how thing used to be. We love "how things used to be" because we know how things worked out when things were like they used to be. The future is unknown and in an effort to bring comfort to it, we cling to "how things used to be."

You cannot go back in time. Well adjusted happy people are people who can look to the future and embrace whatever changes it brings. As Christians we do not know what the future holds, but we know who holds the future. That is enough for us.

Sidney's could have had a better bicycle, but he just would not challenge his old thinking when presented with something new.

Lonnie Davis

Bible Encyclopedia

admin — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 15:27:48 +0000

Easton Bible Dictionary

Gospel Parallels

Bible.org

1189

admin — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 15:34:29 +0000

This page list many of the materials I use to write my Project 1189 daily post.

Resources

admin — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 15:39:02 +0000

Video Sermon

admin — Sun, 10 Jan 2010 20:42:57 +0000

Here is one of my video sermons. To view it, click here: VIEW

A Can of Corn

admin — Sat, 30 Jan 2010 01:39:21 +0000

A Can of Corn

When Liz and I first married we learned many things from each other. She was a country girl and I was a city boy. I was from Houston, Texas (Population 1,000,000 +). She was from Jack’s Creek, Tennessee (Population 100+). That is a cultural clash. My first church was in a farming community. One day my country wife told me that we were going to go get corn and took me to a farm where we picked our own corn. We shucked it, cut it off the cob and made our own cream style corn. I did not say so at the time, but I thought it was not very good. I liked canned corn. I was very young and very, very ignorant.

Growing up my mother made corn often. She would go the pantry, get a can, open it and pour it into a pan. When the temperature was right she would serve it to us. Hmmmm, good! (I hope I did not give away her secret recipe).

Over the years I have learned the difference between superior and inferior corn. Taste is a funny thing. One can get used too things that are not very good. One can even learn to think that inferior stuff is superior stuff.

It is a principle that is as old as the world. Cain thought inferior worship was better than faith worship (Genesis 4). Demas though the world was superior to serving with Paul. (2 Timothy 4:10). Judas thought 30 pieces of silver was better than walking with Jesus.

Unfortunately it is a principle that still allures people today. Everyday people choose the world over the spirit. Everyday people choose sin over righteousness. Everyday people choose lies over truth. Everyday we all have to make those same choices. Joshua challenged Israel:

“If serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your forefathers served beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD.” (Joshua 24:15).

“No one can serve two masters,” Jesus said (Matthew 6:24). We must learn to choose the superior ways of the Spirit over the inferior ways of the world. This choice should be a “can of corn” for a Christian (That means easy). Choose to follow Jesus.

Lonnie Davis

The Captain of the Hudson

admin — Sat, 30 Jan 2010 01:42:16 +0000

A man or woman can work a lifetime to build a reputation and yet have his or her life defined in a single act. On January 14, 2009, few people knew who Chesley Sullenberger was. He was just another unknown airline pilot. On January 15

^th

all of that changed. He was the pilot in charge of US Airways Flight 1549 as they flew over the Hudson River in Manhatten, New York. Things went wrong and Captain Sullenberger landed his passenger jet in the Hudson river. There was no loss of life and the previously unknown pilot became an instant national hero.

This article is not about his flying skills. In the months that followed this event, Captain Sullenberger wrote a book called “Highest Duty.” In his book he tells of what life is like with his new hero status. When he speaks over the intercom on flights, after he says his name he has to pause because the people on the flight clap for him. Experiencing this, he wrote,

"I flew thousands of flights in the past 42 years but my entire career is now being judged by how I performed on one of them. This has been a reminder to me that we need to try to do the right thing every time to perform at our best because we never know which moment in our lives we will be judged on."

As you read this passage again, think of two short verses from God’s Word.

(1) Ecclesiastes 7:1 - “A good name is better than fine perfume.”

For all those times when you get it right there is a great reward. It is not someday in the sky, but now. Because you did the right thing, you have a good name.

(2) Ecclesiastes 10:1 - "As dead flies give perfume a bad smell, so a little folly outweighs wisdom and honor."

For those times when you get it wrong, for those times when you act out or make poor choices, there are always consequences. A dead fly in the perfume runs everything.

Be on guard to how you live your life. You reputation here and eternity there hang in the balance. A moment of folly or a moment of greatness can change everything.

Lonnie Davis

Still No Church

admin — Sun, 31 Jan 2010 17:00:56 +0000

It is Sunday, January 31, 2010 and I am at home all morning. Yesterday we got snowed in and for the second time this winter we had to cancel the Sunday services. As I was reading this morning I came across an interesting story.

On January 29, 2010, ABC news ran a news story under the theme of "Still No Church." The point of the article is that after one year President Obama still has found no church to attend. They point out that he attended church only three times in the past year.

What is said of Obama could be said about millions of American. Millions of Americans seldom or never attend the meeting of the church. Since it is not unusual this story is not about our president skipping worship worship, but about what those close to him said about it.

ABC news reported, "Sources familiar with the president's personal life say Obama remains a faithful Christian while in the White House."

There is is! People just do not get it. Christ died for the church. The Holy Spirit commanded us to gather for worship with the church.

You can ignore the church, but you cannot be a faithful Christian while doing so.

Look it up - Hebrews 10:25.

A snow storm or a sickness may make you "providentially hindered," but choosing not to worship is being unfaithful to the commands of the Holy Spirit.

Lonnie Davis

God, Snow, and Airplanes

admin — Sat, 13 Feb 2010 17:29:12 +0000

God, Snow, and Airplanes

I got on the plane. Terrible seat! Sandwich seat! No legroom! The lady next to me was already opening her smelly food. “Sorry about the food,” she said. “It’s okay,” I responded. In a few minutes a man came up and said, “You are sitting in my seat.” I checked my ticket. No, I was sitting in the right seat. I looked at his ticket. Sure enough, it was his seat too. I gave him the seat and told him I would find a different one. The flight attendant sprang into action. He walked me to the back of the plane. I saw an empty seat on the exit row (I call them “economy first class”) “I can just sit here,” I told him. He would not let me. He took me off the plane, telling me I would have to wait to see what was available. I went all the way to the gate and watched them assign seats to others. Outside was the snow was falling hard (eventually 12 inches). I was afraid I might be trapped at the airport. Finally they gave me a ticket. I walked to my new seat. It was the exit row and the aisle seat. Wonderful! We pushed away from the gate at 1:30 and took off at 3:45 (deicing).

Sometimes life does not go as you planned. When you have little hiccups along the way it is easy to be frustrated and angry. It is better to decide that God’s hand is in the details. When Israel left Egypt and headed to the Promised Land, the Bible tells us:

“When Pharaoh let the people go, God did not lead them on the road through the Philistine country, though that was shorter. For God said, ‘If they face war, they might change their minds and return to Egypt.’ So God led the people around by the desert road toward the Red Sea.” - Exodus 13: 17 - 18,

There was a quicker route, but God knew they needed to take the long way. He gave them what was best and not what they might have wanted. God still works that way, even when the snow is falling and you are getting on a plane.

As we were sitting on the tarmac, the captain walked back and talked to our row and apologized for the long delay. I spoke up and said, “We’re okay. We are sitting here reading books and relaxing. We do not have to fret with small children. We’ll be okay.” He smiled and went to talk with others. As long as we keep God in our plans, God will work things out for the good. (Romans 8:28).

Lonnie Davis