Men can’t live without Him, and be men!”
–Ralph Connor (The Sky Pilot)

“For I am not ashamed of this Good News about Christ. It is the power of God at work, saving everyone who believes—the Jew first and also the Gentile.”
–Romans 1:16 (NLT)
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Take a gander at the following epitaphs; they were actually put on tombstones.

On the grave of Ezekiel Pease in Nantucket, MA

Pease is not here,
On his pod
He shelled out his Peas
And went to his God.

On the grave of a grave digger

Hooray my brave boys
Let’s rejoice at his fall.
For if he had lived
He would have buried us all.

One more–on a grave in Silver City, NV

Here lays Butch
We planted him raw.
He was quick on the trigger
But slow on the draw.

I have often wondered at the initials on tombstones or when people say it when someone dies. R.I.P. — Rest In Peace. I guess they say it to make others, or themselves feel good, but in reality many of those who are R.I.P. are not really doing so.
But I want to mention a question raised by Dave Roever in his newsletter. “Must we die to Rest in Peace?” With the terrible shooting yesterday in Florida can we say that we are at peace? Our nation is seeing darkness move across it; the darkness of immorality of a “dark, mental state.” Roever states that “We are a ntion at war, not in the Middle East only, but at home. It’s a spiritual war and it’s deadly. The spiritual state of the Union is cold. Cold and dying.”
A member of the F.B.I. stated on television after yesterday’s shooting that the cause is the moral state of the country. I read where one of those on the view mocked Vice-President Pence and said that he had a mental disorder because he talked to God, and even worse God talked to him. Oh my, how deadly that we would have men that listen when God speaks.
Go back to your school days. Did you ever fear going to school and worried that some nut would come in and start blasting away? We have the media taking constant shots with little or nothing to back up what they say; people do not have to be guilty of any charge, for to be accused is to be guilty–no peace. We have judges making decisions “according to thie wicked conscience, or total lack of conscience.” Praying is not allowed, and any religion or thought is alright unless it is Christian.
If this continues there will be even less peace. There will be a “famine of peace, rest and righteousness.” We must realize, no matter what the liberal left says, no matter what the pseudo-intellectuals say, no matter what the scorners and mockers say, that the only way to have peace is to have faith and hope in Jesus.

A man could live in any kind of a house, so long as it kept the rain off of his head. But he couldn’t expect a woman to live that way, not if he had any real feeling for her.”
–Elmer Kelton (After the Bugles)

“This explains why a man leaves his father and mother and is joined to his wife, and the two are united into one.”
Genesis 2:24 (NLT)
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Here we go, Valentine’s Day. The day of diamonds (forbid), chocolate, and flowers. It’s not a day that I go overboard with to celebrate. I have always wondered about this day along with “cupids.” I figure that it should not be just one day a year, but it should be a lifestyle to be practiced.
Romantic? Sure, but that should be the norm. Perhaps at my age, maybe more nostalgic, but then what is romance? Is it that gushy, mushy feeling or is it something that is solid and stable? I was looking through some of my files for something that I could put on here for Valentine’s Day and came across the following.

“Some cowboys sat around a table
in a café close to here
jawin’ about the weather
and a horse that had not fear.

when one old puncher’s voice
broke in to recollect
how his wife set a table
and it made them all reflect.

on tablecloths and silverware,
fresh flowers in a vase
food prepared with loving care
n’ maybe saying grace.

Arturos’ wife could doctor cattle
then cook with little muss
Sam could see his wife fix stew
and how she made a fuss.

Bill could see his wife as her
hands placed fork and spoon
then in her sly way
asking, “Fixing coffee soon?”

Each thought of a special woman,
helping hold life together
a partner full of strength who
was gentle as a feather.

and how each day was special
at the beginning or the end
cause they could sit and eat,
and talk with their best friend.”
–Steve Dirksen

So I sit here and ponder some what makes my Valentine so special. I guess it’s being with her on a daily basis for almost 48 years. If I was with those cowboys at that café, I would have to bring up the wonder of her pies, how she enjoys doing things for others, like making me biscuits ‘n’ gravy or the way she prepares my eggs to get me ready for the day. But those last two verses are what all of us should be able to agree upon. My Valentine is what helps hold life together, full of strength. I think some of the special times were traveling with her as “shotgun,” or around a campfire, or just sitting any where together enjoying coffee.
Maybe I should throw in something mushy so I’ll close with the old song sang by Gene Autry and written by Scott Wiseman.

“Have I told you lately that I love you
Could I tell you once again somehow
Have I told, with all my heart an soul how I adore you?
Well, darlin’ I’m tellin’ you now.

My heart would break in two if I should lose you
It’s no good without you anyhow.
Have I told you lately that I love you?
Well, darlin’, I’m tellin’ you now.”

You oughtn’t to hate work. Hard work makes for what I reckon you like in a man, but don’t understand. As I look back over my life…what I remember most an’ feel best over are the hardest jobs I did an’ those that cost the most sweat an’ blood.”
–Zane Grey (The Mysterious Rider)

“I am yours; rescue me! For I have worked hard at obeying your commandments.”
–Psalm 119:94 (NLT)
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I wrote some about those who dream and may have a dream, but that’s as far as it goes. It is one thing to have a dream, even one that God has given, and another thing to work so that it comes to pass. Perhaps that is why I enjoy the Winter Olympics so much. These are individuals who had a “dream” and worked hard, exceptionally hard to try to fulfill that dream. Any of those in the Olympics, whether they win or not have fulfilled that dream, for they made it to the Olympics.
“I miss it a lot. I miss the lifestyle. I miss the constant grind and struggle and I know that sounds kind of wild but there is a real sense of value and purpose when you are training for an Olympic games obviously. It is very specific and your results are given to you on a daily basis.”
–Apolo Ohno
Notice the words, the “constant grind and struggle.” Hard work is required. The purest form of natural joy is fulfillment of a job that took hard work. Yet today, there are so many that shirk away from hard work. Those who have the “give-me” attitude will never know the satisfaction of what it is to earn something.
I hated those assignments when I had to work with those that wanted to sponge off me, or the group. Those that did not want to do their share. Those individuals are perhaps the ones that rate the lowest in my list of people. The Bible calls them shirkers or sluggards; those who want to just get by, those who do not understand the price and value of sacrifice.
Become what the Lord has for you, but realize that it will take hard work. “But the one who endures to the end will be delivered.” (Matthew 24:13, HCSB)
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Ponder This: My personal method to abide in peace, Dave Roever:
1) Stop watching the news on television. Don’t buy the lies.
2) Lighten the work load by working smarter not harder.
3) Enjoy your family time.
4) Worship the Lord and give Him praise.
5) Read the Word of God until it speaks to you!
6) Oh, and laugh! Yes, laugh more and gripe less!

Whatever happens we cannot break… . We must sacrifice, work, prepare, and fight for the future.”
–Zane Grey (The Desert of Wheat)

“We will use these stones to build a memorial. In the future your children will ask you, ‘What do these stones mean?’”
–Joshua 4:6 (NLT)
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“Now ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?”
–1 Corinthians 3:16

I could write a dissertation on this scripture, as there is so much stated and implied. I believe it is one of those scriptures that is put aside and perhaps used for convenience rather than for the truth it contains. However, I came across one good reason we should be practicing and realizing this scripture in my devotional reading a couple of days ago. This is something I’ve tried to practice and exhort others, because truly, if we are Christians we are the temple of God. It is taken from Rick Renner’s book, Sparkling Gems From the Greek, Vol II.
He and his wife had just started a church in Moscow, the year was 2000. God moved in the church and they were finding they were continually having to find a larger building, plus the fact they needed an office for the business ends of things. Finally they secure an office “directly in the center of downtown Moscow–a two-minute walk from the Bolshoi Theatre and a short seven-minute walk from Red Square.”
“Because of the building’s prime location, I knew that many high-ranking visitors would come to this office to meet with our ministry. Therefore, our space needed to be decorated professionally and beautifully to make a first-class impression of the Gospel on every person who entered that office.” He and his wife then began to work hard on furniture, wallpaper, carpet, the things that would adorn the new office.
“The reception area was the first room in our office to be wallpapered. This was the most important part of our office because it was where people’s first impressions of our ministry would be made. Many people in this region of the world have historically ridiculed people of faith, so it was essential to us that our guests associate excellence with the name of Jesus Christ as they entered our reception area.”
They had chosen a member of the congregation to hang the wallpaper. She said she was a master of the craft and would even do it for free as a donation to the church. Renner had to attend a meeting in another part of Moscow and he felt confident the work was in good hands. When he returned, “I was shocked! She had hung a lot of paper and done it very quickly, but none of the patterns from strip to strip matched each other.” He was stunned and told her the patterns didn’t match. He made her start over again. This attempt she did match the patterns but put them on crooked. He explained that this room was very important and the paper could be crooked. The woman said, “But if you look at it like this, it doesn’t look crooked.” She had tilted her head sideways. Pastor Renner tore it down again.
“When I saw people staring in disbelief at what I was doing, I turned and explained to them, ‘This room is designed for guests. Nothing less than our best is acceptable. I want every person who enters this room to sense that we care about them and have prepared a place for them that is special and shows them respect.”
What kind of “home” do we have prepared now that the “Spirit of holiness” now resides inside you? Are you happy that He is there? Do you show respect and honor to Him that shows that you are honored that He is there? Far too many “Christians” like the world, look at the world, act like the world, and talk like the world. Hmmm, perhaps they are of the world. Old things have passed away, all things are made new.