The Secret to a Happy New Year

Just about everyone starts off the New Year by making a few, well-thought out New Year’s resolutions. In fact, I would venture to guess that most of us reason that if we will remain true to our vision of a better “you” and will commit ourselves to the fulfillment of our resolutions…we will enjoy a truly HAPPY New Year. The sad fact of the matter is that RARELY EVER HAPPENS.

So, in order to insure that you and my other faithful reader enjoy a blissful and extremely HAPPY New Year, I have decided to share my secret with you; although in truth, it really belongs to the apostle Paul. He wrote in Philippians 4:11-12 the following, “Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. I know how to be brought low and I know how to abound. In any and EVERY circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need.”

And there it is, my friend….in a few simple sentences, the great apostle Paul tells us the secret to happiness….for life, health, wealth and everything else. We need to learn contentment….whether in good times or bad, whether happy or sad, in want or abundance; we need the following mindset...LEARN TO BE CONTENT AND YOU WILL BE HAPPY!

 Now, I know that sounds almost too simplistic and as you stand there scratching your head, think on this….We learn contentment when we abandon comparison….It is the constant use of comparison that leads to discontentment. If we buy a new car that meets our needs, we have reason to be happy…. until we compare our ride to that of our boss or neighbor or anyone else who has a newer, sleeker model. The bloom of comparison leads to the seeds of discontent and there goes the joy and happiness that was once ours.

Time after time after time, when we compare what others have with what we don’t have, we tear down our foundation to happiness. We need to see what we have as sufficient for our needs…as God’s measured blessing to insure our happiness and to keep us focused on doing His will. Whenever you trade your contentment for discontentment, you become myopic in your vision for the Lord’s work and in His will for your life. You become so self-centered in looking at what you don’t have that you are rarely thankful for what God has given….this is more than just seeing the glass as half-empty or half-full….it is a greater truth that speaks to the heart of who you are and who you want to be in Jesus Christ.

Contentment is a learned response to the actions of a loving God….you can choose to be happy with little or with much…with great wealth or abject poverty….with exceptional wellness or poor health….the list is inexhaustible ….but the choice is always yours ….and the correct choice will lead to contentment and happiness that is often inexplicable to those who view your life from outside the faith. So, learn this invaluable lesson that Paul sought to teach each of us….in EVERY SITUATION, in EVERY CIRCUMSTANCE….don’t look around to see if others have more or less than you…learn to be content in your situation….then you will be able to live in the fullness of verse 13 in Philippians 4 that says, “I can do all things through Him that gives me strength.”

Choose today to be a person that lives with a flexible cup that is always ready to expand or contract  based on the Lord’s provisions…it is a mindset that will lead to contentment and one step closer to living a life that will honor your Heavenly Father….get started today; and oh, by the way, this is a secret that is okay to share with those you love….I know that’s what I intend to do.

Go On…..Make it a Happy New Year,

WPQ

 

Poem for the day:

Every year about this time,
The calendar begins to shrink...
And we are left to wonder,
To ponder and to think.
 
Am I happy with what I have
Or am I a discontent...
That squanders all my blessings
Wondering where my money went?
 
For when I trust in the things I have
I'm left feeling empty and wanting more.
My joy and happiness come and go
Like living life in a revolving door.
 
But when I give my all to my Master;
My Savior...My Lord...My King!!!!
My heart is overflowing and
My soul will shout and sing...
 
Hosannas to HIM in the highest
I'm thankful for whatever comes my way.
I'm always blessed beyond measure
And thankful for each new day!
 
Make this new year your BEST ever...and give your Heavenly
Father the praise and adoration that He is due!
 
 
WPQ © Dec 2017

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Letting God's GPS Direct You in 2025

This is a reprint of a former post...May You Be Richly Blessed in 2025!

GPS for the New Year…It was Christmas a year ago that my wife gave me a Garmin GPS system. Now, as any red-blooded American male would do, I thanked her profusely for her unselfish gift and thought to myself, “I don’t need some computer gizmo giving me directions…I can find where I need to go and how to get there ON MY OWN!”

Well! Here it is a year later and boy, was I ever wrong….this thing has been great. Over the first three months of 2019, I had a new job calling on businesses in the greater Greenville, SC area …going, or trying to go, to places I had never been before; some, in fact, probably did not even showing up on a map. I was intrigued that every time I typed an address into the GPS, it gave me turn by turn directions to that specific location. This was nirvana for a manly man such as me….getting directions without having to ask someone.

You know, a lot of us treat God like that….we want to go where He wants us to go; we just don’t want to ask for His directions. Scripture says, “The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes (directs) his steps.” Proverbs 16:9  We say that we want to be “in the Father’s will,” but then we set out to follow the desires of our hearts and hope that at some junction along our journey, our will and God’s direction will mesh in perfect harmony. Unfortunately, it hardly ever works out that way

We become lost in life’s journey to serve a risen Lord when we fail to consult His GPS….God’s Placement System…..His Holy Word. God is ready, willing and totally able to direct and establish the roads that He wants us to take if we will only consult Him and read His word. The more we read, the more He directs; the more He establishes the way that is right ….the more we enjoy the journey. Proverbs 3: 5-6, a favorite verse that was given to me as a young man from one of my spiritual mentors says, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will direct your path (steps).”

So don’t try to make it along life’s highway with just your understanding….tap into God’s GPS and acknowledge that He and He alone knows best. Read, study and ingest His Holy Word … let Him guide you and follow the path that He has set before you. And if, at some point, the directions seem fuzzy or you have gotten off course, do what my GPS does for me each time I make a wrong turn, miss an exit or travel too far down the road past my desired destination…..it screams at me,

RECALCULATING,RECALCULATING!!!!

The start of this New Year is a great time to recalculate where God is directing you in service for Him…or to confirm that you are firmly implanted on the path that He has directed you to travel. Either way, it’s a great time to get into His Word and become a better you. Yes, God’s Holy word is your GPS and it will direct you to where He wants you to go. The question is simple ….Are you too manly (or womanly) to ask the God of Creation for directions? I pray that 2025 will be the best year of your life thus far as God directs your steps and you follow His heavenly directions…..and if you have a moment; from time to time, drop me a line and let me know how goes the journey…..

Traveling Life’s Highway ….Following His Directions,

WPQ

 

 

Poem for the day:

The start of a New Year
Is exciting for most of us;
As long as we're don't become mired
In the hoopla and all the fuss.
 
So set your sights on progress
As you contemplate your road...
And prepare for the journey
By lightening your load.
 
Just trust the Father's guiding hand
So that in his hands, you'll rest...
Spend time with Him in His Holy Word
And let it be your G P S!
 
WPQ  © Jan 2018
 
 

SEVENTEEN INCHES.....The Absolute of Life!

This is a reprint of a article that was sent to me some time ago...perhaps it's even been years; however, it's message still resonates with me EVERY TIME I READ IT... and I pray that it always will! It will take you several minutes to read it in its entirety; but don't miss a word so you will not miss the poignant message it has for everyone of us that mentor young people...or believe that our country is in sorry shape and we want to be a part of the solution and not a part of the problem. The story begins....

In Nashville, Tennessee, during the first week of January, 1996, more than 4,000 baseball coaches descended upon the Opryland Hotel for the 52nd annual ABCA convention. While I waited in line to register with the hotel staff, I heard other more veteran coaches rumbling about the lineup of speakers scheduled to present during the weekend. One name, in particular, kept resurfacing, always with the same sentiment — “John Scolinos is here? Oh man, worth every penny of my airfare.”

Who the heck is John Scolinos, I wondered. Well, in 1996 Coach Scolinos was 78 years old and five years retired from a college coaching career that began in 1948. No matter, I was just happy to be there.

He shuffled to the stage to an impressive standing ovation, wearing dark polyester pants, a light blue shirt, and a string around his neck from which home plate hung — a full-sized, stark-white home plate. Pointed side down. Seriously, I wondered, who in the world is this guy?

After speaking for twenty-five minutes, not once mentioning the prop hanging around his neck, Coach Scolinos appeared to notice the snickering among some of the coaches. Even those who knew Coach Scolinos had to wonder exactly where he was going with this, or if he had simply forgotten about home plate since he’d gotten on stage. Then, finally … “You’re probably all wondering why I’m wearing home plate around my neck. Or maybe you think I escaped from Camarillo State Hospital,” he said, his voice growing irascible. I laughed along with the others, acknowledging the possibility.

“No,” he continued, “I may be old, but I’m not crazy. The reason I stand before you today is to share with you baseball people what I’ve learned in my life, what I’ve learned about home plate in my 78 years.”

Several hands went up when Scolinos asked how many Little League coaches were in the room. “Do you know how wide home plate is in Little League?” After a pause, someone offered, “Seventeen inches,” more question than answer.

“That’s right,” he said. “How about in Babe Ruth? Any Babe Ruth coaches in the house?” Another long pause.

“Seventeen inches? "came a guess from another reluctant coach.

“That’s right,” said Scolinos. “Now, how many high school coaches do we have in the room?” Hundreds of hands shot up, as the pattern began to appear. “How wide is home plate in high school baseball?” “Seventeen inches,” they said, sounding more confident.

“You’re right!” Scolinos barked. “And you college coaches, how wide is home plate in college?” “Seventeen inches!” we said, in unison. "Any Minor League coaches here? How wide is home plate in pro ball?” “Seventeen inches!” And in the Major Leagues, how wide home plate is in the Major Leagues?” "Seventeen inches!”

“SEV-EN-TEEN INCHES!” he confirmed, his voice bellowing off the walls.

“And what do they do with a Big League pitcher who can’t throw the ball over these seventeen inches?” Pause. “They send him to Pocatello!” he hollered, drawing raucous laughter.

“What they don’t do is this: they don’t say, ‘Ah, that’s okay, Bobby. You can’t hit a seventeen-inch target? We’ll make it eighteen inches, or nineteen inches. We’ll make it twenty inches so you have a better chance of throwing the ball over it. If you can’t hit that, let us know so we can make it wider still, say twenty-five inches.’”

“Coaches, let me ask each of you.… what do we do when our best player shows up late to practice? What do we do if he violates curfew? What if he uses drugs? Do we hold him accountable? Or do we change the rules to fit him? Do we widen home plate?

The chuckles gradually faded as four thousand coaches grew quiet, the fog lifting as the old coach’s message began to unfold. Then he turned the plate toward himself and, using a Sharpie, began to draw something. When he turned it toward the crowd, point up, a house was revealed, complete with a freshly drawn door and two windows. “This is the problem in our homes today. With our marriages, with the way we parent our kids. With our discipline. We don’t teach accountability to our kids, and there is no consequence for failing to meet standards. We just widen the plate!”

Pause. Then, to the point at the top of the house he added a small American flag.

“This is the problem in our schools today. The quality of our education is going downhill fast and teachers have been stripped of the tools they need to be successful….to educate and discipline our young people. We are allowing others to widen home plate! Where is that getting us?”

“And this is the problem in the Church, where powerful people in positions of authority have taken advantage of young children, only to have such an atrocity swept under the rug for years. Our church leaders are widening home plate!”

I was amazed. At a baseball convention where I expected to learn something about curveballs and bunting and how to run better practices, I had learned something far more valuable. From an old man with home plate strung around his neck, I had learned something about life, about myself, about my own weaknesses and about my responsibilities as a leader. I had to hold myself and others accountable to that which I knew to be right, lest our families, our faith, and our society continue down an undesirable path.

“If I am lucky,” Coach Scolinos concluded, “you will remember one thing from this old coach today. It is this: if we fail to hold ourselves to a higher standard, a standard of what we know to be right; if we fail to hold our spouses and our children to the same standards, if we are unwilling or unable to provide a consequence when they do not meet the standard; and if our schools and churches and our government fail to hold themselves accountable to those they serve, there is but one thing to look forward to …”With that, he held home plate in front of his chest, turned it around, and revealed its dark black backside....

“… Dark Days Ahead.”

Coach Scolinos died in 2009 at the age of 91, but not before touching the lives of hundreds of players and coaches, including mine. Meeting him at my first ABCA convention kept me returning year after year, looking for similar wisdom and inspiration from other coaches. He is the best clinic speaker the ABCA has ever known because he was so much more than a baseball coach. His message was clear:

Coaches, keep your players — no matter how good they are — your own children, and most of all, keep yourself at seventeen inches. It a measurement that is TRUE for everyone of us!

THANKS FOR READING AND SHARING THIS POIGNANT MESSAGE!

WPQ

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The Satisfaction of Changing a Light Bulb!

Now I hate to admit this, but I am not what you might consider a "manly " man? For most of us, when we think of a manly man, we think of a man that can handle tools, power or otherwise, with great ease and proficiency. Or a man that is good with his hands and likes to tinker with and fix old, non-working things like cars, appliances and such. Or perhaps your version of a manly man is one that can hunt or fish, bring home his catch or kill, skin it or dress it, then throw it on the grill...and before you know it, a feast of magnanimous proportion.

I AM NOT ANY OF THOSE MEN LISTED ABOVE...but I have been told I am a "manly" man. So, if you want someone to hit a golf ball and make it curve in midflight to the left or right, I'm here to do that for you. If you need someone to field a hard-hit ground ball and turn a double play; well, I've done that like a thousand times....and I'll be glad to teach you to do likewise. If you need someone to sing the national anthem in front of a large crowd, I'm your guy. Or if you need someone to change a light bulb, I CAN MAKE THAT HAPPEN FOR YOU.

SO, WHY DO I BRING THIS TOPIC UP.....because this morning, my lovely wife asked me to change a light bulb...and so I did! She had taken a light bulb out of one of her lamps in the guest bedroom, and at the time, we did not have a replacement for that lamp. She went to turn the lamp on this morning, but to her dismay, there was no corresponding light, after turning the switch, because there was no bulb in the socket. AND THIS WAS ONE OF THE MANLY THINGS I CAN DO....BUT WHY WAS THERE SATISFACTION INVOLVED?

Let me see if I can explain? In that room, without the bulb in its place, no matter how many times she might turn the switch, there would be no light....JUST DARKNESS! TOTAL DARKNESS.... WHICH IS THE ABSENCE OF LIGHT! However, when I did my manly act and put in a light bulb, when we now turn the switch, the light from the lamp will illuminate the room and drive darkness away...and as long as the light remains on, the darkness will be gone....and that got me thinking.

 Just yesterday, we celebrated the darkness of this world being interrupted by THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD BEING BORN AS A BABY...COMING TO DRIVE DARKNESS FROM OUR LIVES AS OUR SAVIOR IS BORN. In Scripture we read, "The light keeps shining in the dark, and darkness has never put it out. " John 1:5  (CEV)  Or, in the Gospel of John he writes, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life." John 8:12  But, one of my favorite verses about light found in Scripture comes from the prophet Isaiah  who writes, "Nevertheless, there will be no more gloom for those who were in distress. The people walking in darkness have seen a great light". Isaiah 9:1

 Have you seen that Great Light of the World known as Jesus....born in a cattle stall; placed in lamb's birthing cloths and laid in a manger? Have you read of His feats as a blameless, spotless lamb that God sent to save us? Have you experienced the pain of His Crucifixion; reveled in the joy of His resurrection from the dead; been caught up in His ascension to the right hand of the Father....and are you one of His followers that is waiting for His triumphant return to take us, His Church, to our gloriously new, well-prepared home known as Heaven?

Or are you still walking in darkness??? Do not let the sun set this day without knowing THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD....THIS MAN...JESUS!!! DO THE MOST MANLY THING YOU WILL EVER DO...SURRENDER YOUR LIFE TO THE SAVIOR OF THE WORLD....AND BEGIN THE NEW LIFE HE WILL GIVE YOU AS YOU WALK WITH HIM INTO ETERNITY....

IT WILL BE THE MOST MANLY THING YOU CAN DO...AND GOD WILL HONOR THAT MANLY ACT OF SURRENDER WITH YOUR INCLUSION TO LIFE EVERLASTING !!!!

Walking with my Savior....Reveling in His Glorious Light,

WPQ

Poem for the day....
When you want to be known as a manly man,
Then ever be looking to lend a helping hand.
Don't squander your calling to step out today
Bring light to someone; chase their darkness away.
 
For when you serve as directed by God's holy grace;
You'll know that He'll send you to just the right place.
So in all you encounter, He'll turn darkness to light;
He'll be there to guide you,  so all turns out right!!!!
 
WPQ © Dec 2024
 
 

THERE IS A STORY...MARY AND HER LAMB!

There is a story we've all been told
From childhood days so long ago;
About a little girl named Mary
And the Lamb who loved her so.
This little lamb, with fleece so white
Without blemish or darkened stain;
Would follow her to school each day
As she skipped merrily down the lane.
 
This little Lamb was God's only Son
And each day at Mary's school;
The little lamb would teach each child
How to follow the Golden Rule.
For at the beginning of each class,
At the start of each new day;
The little children would bow their heads
And in silence they would pray.
 
But one day Mary arrived at school
And much to her dismay...
She and all her friends were told,
"IT'S AGAINST THE LAW TO PRAY!"
They could not understand this;
Why the Lamb who was so kind;
Was taken from their daily lives
To be blotted from their minds.
 
So no longer with the Lamb to lead,
Their hearts, now broken with despair;
It wasn't long before their school
Was broken beyond repair.
Fights broke out, drugs were sold;
A depressing gloom fell over all.
As children lay shot and dying
While armed gunmen roamed the halls.
 
This has been a terrible fiasco
Brought about by those now "woke;"
A desperate attempt to change the things
That were never, ever broke.
But how do we take back our schools
So little children just like Mary?
Can once again follow the Lamb....
Will more die while we tarry?
 

W. Patrick Queen © Sept 2024

SATAN'S DECEITFUL NATURE....THE WAR CONTINUES

As we turn our thoughts on getting back to that GOOD OLD TIME RELIGION, let us continue to evaluate this new spirit of progressive Christianity that tells us to believe the mindset that says, we know better than God; that since these words were written by mere mortal men, thousands of years ago; then truly the plain sense of the words of the Bible cannot be trusted, and that the old, proven paths are not proven at all. In fact, the very God of the Bible must be recreated if He is to live up to our enlightened standards. This would be bad if it was some uprising of intellectuals, spouting this rubbish from afar; however, it is worse, unfortunately,  because it is being espoused from the pulpit of so many of our "modern day churches." The teachings of Jesus to love our enemies is still true; but we have allowed these "enemies" to stand in our pulpits and tell us that sin is okay. We are told to accept homosexuals, love 'em and praise them for their willingness to bring, what was once called "sin against God and sin against humanity",  out into the open forum so that ALL mankind will no longer call this type of lifestyle, "SIN";  but rather celebrate their "forward thinking" that they know better than God how to live their lives and be fulfilled, while living a lifestyle, corrupted by sin.

BUT, we should know better! For when we begin to think in such a manner, what we are then left with is simply our religion—a faith without a backbone; a bible with which we have chosen only the parts that fit our distorted mindset and a god that we have created in our image, based on our values. 

Augustine summed it up nicely: “If you believe what you like in the Gospel, and reject what you don’t like, it is not the Gospel you believe, but yourself." Christ warns, on many occasions in His words to us, "And He said: “Take heed that you not be deceived. For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am He,’ and, ‘The time has drawn near.’ Therefore do not go after them." Luke 21:8....and that is EXACTLY what we see happening in so many of our long, established houses of worship here in the United States.

 We should also take to heart the message from the Apostle Paul when he writes in 1 Corinthians 9 &10, "Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God."

However, there are two more passages from GOD'S WORD, THE BIBLE, that tell us not TO BE DECEIVED....Don’t be deceived! “Evil companionships corrupt good morals.”  I Cor. 15:33 WVB

as well as, ^"Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows." Galatians 6:7 NIV

AND THAT IS EXACTLY WHAT WE ARE DOING...WE ARE MOCKING GOD with our outlandish ways on how to live and our smug attitudes that thumbs our collective noses in God's face, calling Him out and daring Him to correct us and our demonic mindset....A MINDSET that tells us to believe that we are GOD and HE IS NOT!!!

The following excerpt is from Michael Brown ©2022  and the reason I wrote this series... But, again, this is not merely an intellectual battle. At root, this is a spiritual battle, one that can only be won through prayer, fasting, through clear Gospel proclamation, through resisting the enemy, refusing to compromise and walking in genuine, heartfelt love. The spirit of the age will be against us (“You are so old-fashioned and outdated!”). The spirit of the flesh will be against us (“You are such boring legalists!”). The spirit of that ancient serpent will be against us (“If you want to be on the right side of history, you need to abandon your inflexible, fundamentalist mindset!”).

But the Holy Spirit is with us, and by His power we pull down these deceptive strongholds and demolish these destructive ideologies. We do it by wrestling in prayer in the secret place before we raise our voices in the public square. We do it by pointing to the inevitable trajectory of progressive beliefs, as little by little, they depart further and further from the faith until even the most fundamental doctrines are denied. We do it by exposing the moral bankruptcy of a faith that questions God’s integrity and His Word, producing bondage rather than freedom. And we do it by setting the captives free, offering them radically new life through the Gospel and a true encounter with the living God through His Son, Jesus.

In the days ahead, this battle will intensify. The foundations of our faith will be questioned as never before, and the “old ways” will be rapidly abandoned. But be encouraged. Progressive religion is no better than a beautiful sandcastle, soon to be washed out when the tide comes in.

It is that holy tide, in the life and power of the Spirit, grounded in the Word of truth, that will carry us to victory and deliver many from its deception and the adjoining lies. (End of Michael Brown insert)

Don't be one of those fools of which the Bible speaks of in the days that lie ahead...where in 2 Timothy 4:3, it reads," For there will come a time when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, because they have itching ears, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in line with their own desires." Evangelical Heritage Version

Those times are upon us and you must choose whom you will serve...the GOD of AGES PAST, who sent His Only Son to die on a Roman cross for your sins and mine; then rose on that third day to now stand at the right hand of the Father, waiting for that trumpet blast to GO GET GOD'S CHILDREN AND BRING THEM HOME TO ETERNAL REST.... OR....You may choose the God of YOUR OWN MAKING AND THOUGH NOT A PROPHET, I DO NOT FORSEE A HAPPY ENDING FOR ANYONE FOOLISH ENOUGH TO MAKE SUCH A CHOICE! 

May the God of that GOOD OLD TIME RELIGION FOREVER DWELL IN THE HEARTS AND MINDS OF THOSE HE HAS CALLED TO BE HIS OWN....AMEN and AMEN!             

 WPQ

 

Lyrics from Old Time Religion....

Give me that old time religion
Give me that old time religion
Give me that old time religion
It is good enough for me

It was good for my old mother
It was good for my old mother
It was good for my old mother
And it's good enough for me

It was good for the Hebrew children
It was good for the Hebrew children
It was good for the Hebrew children
And it's good enough for me

Well, give me that old time religion
Well, that old time religion
Give me that old time religion
It is good enough for me

I want that old time religion
Give me that old time religion
Give me that old time religion
It is good enough for me

 

Another Step A Way ....

As we continue our study of how we got so far away from that Good Old Time Religion, we must next look at the family...and how the dynamics of family, raising children, technology and sports have worked quietly behind the scenes to disrupt and even destroy the family unit here in America and across the world.

When I was being raised as a child, my family had a different dynamic than most. There was my dad, mom, my younger sister, me....and my aunt (my father's younger sister) and her daughter who was six months older than me....and all this new family came to be shortly after I had my sixth birthday. It was quite different; adding a sister/cousin and an additional mom....talk about a double whammy when it came to being chastised and disciplined. But, as families did back then, we settled into life, loving and leaning on one another for familial support. My sister now had someone she could play with and thus, not spend her time, bugging me....and I had another mom who was a great cook. We did what most families did back then....go to work and school, play outside until the street lights came on or my dad hollered for us to come home for supper or school work; went to church Sunday morning for Sunday School, worship service; back at 5 pm for Youth Choir; Wednesday family supper, prayer meetings and youth activities...and if all was going well, a vacation trip each summer for a week's vacation at the beach or to the mountains to visit aunts, uncles and other cousins. I played baseball and took up golf and basketball in junior high....and my all-star baseball team traveled some in the summer before school began in the Fall.

But the mainstay, rock-bed foundation of our family was our evening meal. WE ALL SAT DOWN at the same time, ate the same thing, seated around the dinner table as we discussed the highs and lows of our day... parents and children all joining in to share what was taking place in our lives. If the phone rang during the meal, it rang until it stopped...no one got up to answer it, thus breaking our family circle that was sacred at dinnertime. Everyone was given a chance to share, no interruptions, and seconds, both in food and conversations, was always allowed. The only night we did not eat together at home was on Wednesday night, when we ate at church; or if a special occasion occurred and we went out for dinner. Fast food was NOT AN OPTION....only thing about fast food at my house...how fast I could eat it, so I could be excused ands get back outdoors!

There were no answering machines to take a message; no cellphones, tablets or personal computers, vying for our attention; no tweets, no Instagram, no selfies, no self-inflicted interruptions to take us away from what mattered most...SPENDING TIME TOGETHER, CATCHING UP ON LIFE, EATING A GOOD MEAL, TALKING ABOUT OUR SUCCESSES AND OUR "SPEEDBUMPS"....AND LETTING THOSE WE LOVED KNOW THAT WE HAD MISSED THEM DURING THE DAY!

But all one has to do is look at what modern technology has done to the family dynamics in this modern era....everyone coming and going their own ways, with little to no interaction with others in the family. Hardly ever eating together; both parents working and the kids involved in almost every sport imaginable; running from one end of the county to the other; exhausted and distraught, shortened hours for sleep, homework....but plenty of time for X-box or other diversions that may add to self indulgence, but do little for self-worth and self-improvement. 

Church life is almost becoming an extinct activity for families. Forget Wednesday night at church or Sunday afternoon choir for kids and young people....they are all wrapped up in traveling team sports, often leaving on Friday afternoon to go play in a tournament that won't wrap up until late Sunday afternoon; or participating in a swim, track or gymnastic event that takes them away from attending Sunday School/Bible Study or worshiping together as a family on Sunday. SPORTS FOR OUR CHILDREN HAVE BECOME THEIR IDOL AND WE DRIVE THEM TO WHEREVER THAT MAY TAKE THEM...until they can drive and then, they leave to go play and we go back to taking a long nap on Sunday afternoon. 

No wonder our world is being turned upside down with all these "woke" and "off-beat worldly views." God has been left off of our "things to do" list and our children, our families and our churches are suffering the ill effects of trying to teach our children to live a "good life" with a broken compass that gives them neither spiritual guidance nor heavenly directions....What we need is to return, once again, to that 

OLD TIME RELIGION.....AMEN AND AMEN,

WPQ