In the early 1900s, Fort
Bragg, California, residents threw their household garbage over a cliff
to a deserted beach below. For decades people dumped all kinds of refuse
there into the ocean, old cars, metal, furniture and mostly household
garbage, which included innumerable glass containers.
In the
1940's the area became known as "The Dump," and fires were often lit to
burn down the growing trash piles. Finally in 1967, the city leaders
wisely closed the area to dumping. Various cleanup programs were
undertaken to try to clean up the damage, but without much success.
Over the next thirty years the pounding waves cleansed the beach,
breaking down and washing most everything away, everything except the
glass and pottery. The ceaseless waves disintegrated the trash but broke
up and smoothed the broken glass - tons of it - moving it back and
forth along the shore. The broken glass shards remained along the sea
shore by the millions, polished by the ceaseless waves until an amazing
new beach was formed. The locals noticed this and renamed the area
"Glass Beach."
Its sea glass is the product of a long and brutal
process. Fragments are tumbled in the water, twenty-four hours a day,
bumping and grinding against each other, breaking and fashioning
surfaces into a frosty and glistening appearance. As the ocean tumbles
the pieces against each other, sand and pebbles join to smooth the rough
edges until the sea glass resembles precious gems.
In 1998, the
owner of the property suggested that Glass Beach should belong to the
public, so in 2002 it became part of MacKerricher State Park. Glass
Beach quickly attracted large numbers of tourists. The tinkling sounds
of the glass pebbles tumbling together by gentle waves makes a visit
there memorable.
Visiting Glass Beach today is unique. Whereas
decades ago people dumped their refuse on the shore, now they try to
take home glass pieces as souvenirs. How ironic that where it was once
illegal to dispose of trash, trash now turned into treasure, today it is
illegal to remove even a piece of it.
Maybe at some time you
have felt like trash, left behind, dumped overboard or abandoned as
worthless. Hopefully the bumps and bruises of life have shaped you well
and made you realize you are more valuable. Life may try to dump and
grind us, but God considers us His treasures. He believes we so precious
that He gave the life of His only Son that we might be with Him
forever.
Because of Jesus, we are all God's precious gems!
Monday, November 3, 2014
Monday, October 27, 2014
JESUS NEVER FAILS!
Tim Conway, comedian and actor, grew up in Chagrin Falls, Ohio, a safe and happy town where almost everyone went to church. God was a mysterious presence in his life, and even though he had no proof God existed, everyone said He did, so Tim figured He must.
Every year at the annual Blossom Festival a carnival came to town. Down by the river a magical mini-village sprang up with its giant ferris wheel, booths and the smell of popcorn. Ten year-old Tim had fifty cents in his pocket as he made his way to the midway, five dimes he'd earned on his paper route. After buying a coke and ticket for the ferris wheel, he decided to try his luck at a game booth where he saw a white plastic cross that glowed in the dark. Tim decided he wanted it.
All he had to do was snag one of the plastic ducks with a little fishing pole and get the prize named under it. First dime, first try, he missed the ducks entirely. Second dime, second try, he hooked a duck but only got a cheap charm. Third dime, third try, another cheap thing. Tim wanted that cross but was out of money.
Sad faced, he started walking back home wishing he could have that cross. Then he spotted something shiny next to the sidewalk - another dime! Tim picked it up and started back for the midway and another chance.
This was a big moment, so he sat down under a big maple tree and prayed, "Lord, I would really like that white cross, the one that glows in the dark." He spoke his little prayer slowly, got up and went to the booth. He handed over the dime, concentrated and snagged the first duck with the pole hook. It won him the cross!
"I kept that cross under my pillow until I went to college," Conway later said. "and I still have it." In his subsequent years of uncertainly, from college exams to casting calls, Tim Conway has been bolstered by the assurance he'd gain that day when he prayed. He never forgot the answer to his prayer, nor the God who gave him the cross.
Does God ever seem mysterious and intangible to you? Do you hear He exists, but you're not quite sure? Then watch for a small sign from Him that He does, a sign of His love shown by a cross.
Jesus never fails!
Every year at the annual Blossom Festival a carnival came to town. Down by the river a magical mini-village sprang up with its giant ferris wheel, booths and the smell of popcorn. Ten year-old Tim had fifty cents in his pocket as he made his way to the midway, five dimes he'd earned on his paper route. After buying a coke and ticket for the ferris wheel, he decided to try his luck at a game booth where he saw a white plastic cross that glowed in the dark. Tim decided he wanted it.
All he had to do was snag one of the plastic ducks with a little fishing pole and get the prize named under it. First dime, first try, he missed the ducks entirely. Second dime, second try, he hooked a duck but only got a cheap charm. Third dime, third try, another cheap thing. Tim wanted that cross but was out of money.
Sad faced, he started walking back home wishing he could have that cross. Then he spotted something shiny next to the sidewalk - another dime! Tim picked it up and started back for the midway and another chance.
This was a big moment, so he sat down under a big maple tree and prayed, "Lord, I would really like that white cross, the one that glows in the dark." He spoke his little prayer slowly, got up and went to the booth. He handed over the dime, concentrated and snagged the first duck with the pole hook. It won him the cross!
"I kept that cross under my pillow until I went to college," Conway later said. "and I still have it." In his subsequent years of uncertainly, from college exams to casting calls, Tim Conway has been bolstered by the assurance he'd gain that day when he prayed. He never forgot the answer to his prayer, nor the God who gave him the cross.
Does God ever seem mysterious and intangible to you? Do you hear He exists, but you're not quite sure? Then watch for a small sign from Him that He does, a sign of His love shown by a cross.
Jesus never fails!
Monday, October 20, 2014
UP, UP AND AWAY!
Often in a Bible study someone mentions the many definitions of one word, LOVE. There are seven or eight different ways we use that word in our language.
There is another amazing word in the English language that can have five separate uses: as a noun, verb, adjective, adverb, and preposition. It is a two-letter word that has more meanings than just about any other word in our language. That word is UP.
It's easy to understand "regular" UP, meaning toward the sky or at the top of the list, but when we awaken in the morning, why do we wake UP? At a meeting, why does a topic come UP? Why do we speak UP, and why are the officers UP for election? Why is it UP to the secretary to write UP a report? Do people still drive UP town?
Listen UP everybody! We call UP our friends, brighten UP a room, polish UP our shoes, warm UP the leftovers and clean UP the kitchen. We also lock UP the house and fix UP the old car. We may might even tell someone to hush UP while we watch the movie called, "UP."
If we are confused, we're UP a creek (without a paddle). At various times, people stir UP trouble, line UP for tickets, work UP an appetite, and think UP excuses. To be dressed is one thing but to be dressed UP is special. And why must a drain be opened UP? Because it is stopped UP.
We seem all mixed UP about UP! We open UP a store in the morning then we close it UP at night. In order to know the many uses of UP, look UP the word UP in the dictionary. It probably takes UP a quarter of the page and can add UP to thirty or more definitions.
If you are UP to it, try building UP a list of the many ways UP is used. It will take UP a lot of time, but if you don't give UP, you may wind UP with dozens of uses. The sun comes UP in the morning, and the moon comes UP at night. When it threatens to rain, we say it is clouding UP and when the sun comes out, we say it is clearing UP. When it rains, it soaks UP the earth, and when it doesn't rain, the earth dries UP.
One day God will take all His faithful people UP to heaven because Jesus rose UP from the dead. There in His presence we will lift UP our voices and sing praises to God who has raised us UP. I could play "One UP" with you on this, but I think I'll wrap it UP, because my time is UP!
"Lift UP your eyes and look to the heavens." (Isaiah 40:26)
There is another amazing word in the English language that can have five separate uses: as a noun, verb, adjective, adverb, and preposition. It is a two-letter word that has more meanings than just about any other word in our language. That word is UP.
It's easy to understand "regular" UP, meaning toward the sky or at the top of the list, but when we awaken in the morning, why do we wake UP? At a meeting, why does a topic come UP? Why do we speak UP, and why are the officers UP for election? Why is it UP to the secretary to write UP a report? Do people still drive UP town?
Listen UP everybody! We call UP our friends, brighten UP a room, polish UP our shoes, warm UP the leftovers and clean UP the kitchen. We also lock UP the house and fix UP the old car. We may might even tell someone to hush UP while we watch the movie called, "UP."
If we are confused, we're UP a creek (without a paddle). At various times, people stir UP trouble, line UP for tickets, work UP an appetite, and think UP excuses. To be dressed is one thing but to be dressed UP is special. And why must a drain be opened UP? Because it is stopped UP.
We seem all mixed UP about UP! We open UP a store in the morning then we close it UP at night. In order to know the many uses of UP, look UP the word UP in the dictionary. It probably takes UP a quarter of the page and can add UP to thirty or more definitions.
If you are UP to it, try building UP a list of the many ways UP is used. It will take UP a lot of time, but if you don't give UP, you may wind UP with dozens of uses. The sun comes UP in the morning, and the moon comes UP at night. When it threatens to rain, we say it is clouding UP and when the sun comes out, we say it is clearing UP. When it rains, it soaks UP the earth, and when it doesn't rain, the earth dries UP.
One day God will take all His faithful people UP to heaven because Jesus rose UP from the dead. There in His presence we will lift UP our voices and sing praises to God who has raised us UP. I could play "One UP" with you on this, but I think I'll wrap it UP, because my time is UP!
"Lift UP your eyes and look to the heavens." (Isaiah 40:26)
Monday, October 13, 2014
CHECK THE PORKCHOPS!
No matter how great a thought may elevate us to the heights of discovery, there's always something mundane to bring us back to earth. I have been busy this summer writing Bible Studies, three on New Testament books (James, Epistles of Peter and Matthew) and the fourth an overview of the Major and Minor Prophets of the Old Testament titled, Old Testament Disciples.
It's no secret that the OT Prophets are difficult to read. Book after book is a record of God's disappointment with unfaithful people and His prophecies of what is coming because of their sins. Gratefully, His grace and mercy are always there if they repent, but that seems to happen infrequently. Each book has its rich Hebrew name, Ezekiel, Obadiah, Habakkuk and Zephaniah to name a few, and each is a record of God's attempt to turn the hearts of His sinful people before it's too late.
The prophet Haggai caught my attention. His prophecy to Judah came fifteen years after they had returned from exile in Babylon. The people were busy rebuilding their homes and families and businesses, but things weren't going well. Haggai told them it was because they'd been busy with the wrong things. If they would put God's work first and their own needs second, he said, life will be far more productive. God was saying, "First things first!" Great idea for a sermon!
I came out of the office with this exciting news to share with my dear wife. After patiently listening to my "discovery" she smiled and said, "Check the porkchops." "Did you hear what I said?" I asked, and she said, "Yes, every word, Now check the porkchops on the grill or they will burn."
As I begrudgingly checked them, I realized that she as usual, she had a point. No matter how wonderful an idea may be, if the food is burning, we'd better tend to that first. Even the most exciting revelation has its proper place in the line of human need. It was her way of saying, "First things first!" just like Haggai said.
Jesus put us first on the cross. He came to serve us, not to be served. He made sure our needs were served, and then His own. On Calvary He lived the axiom, "First things first." I wrote a sermon on it that turned out well.
Now that I've told you something worthwhile (hopefully), I'd like to suggest you check out my four new Bible Studies on Discipleship at "http://www.bobtasler.com." One of them might be just what you need for your personal or group Bible study.
Don't forget to check the porkchops!
It's no secret that the OT Prophets are difficult to read. Book after book is a record of God's disappointment with unfaithful people and His prophecies of what is coming because of their sins. Gratefully, His grace and mercy are always there if they repent, but that seems to happen infrequently. Each book has its rich Hebrew name, Ezekiel, Obadiah, Habakkuk and Zephaniah to name a few, and each is a record of God's attempt to turn the hearts of His sinful people before it's too late.
The prophet Haggai caught my attention. His prophecy to Judah came fifteen years after they had returned from exile in Babylon. The people were busy rebuilding their homes and families and businesses, but things weren't going well. Haggai told them it was because they'd been busy with the wrong things. If they would put God's work first and their own needs second, he said, life will be far more productive. God was saying, "First things first!" Great idea for a sermon!
I came out of the office with this exciting news to share with my dear wife. After patiently listening to my "discovery" she smiled and said, "Check the porkchops." "Did you hear what I said?" I asked, and she said, "Yes, every word, Now check the porkchops on the grill or they will burn."
As I begrudgingly checked them, I realized that she as usual, she had a point. No matter how wonderful an idea may be, if the food is burning, we'd better tend to that first. Even the most exciting revelation has its proper place in the line of human need. It was her way of saying, "First things first!" just like Haggai said.
Jesus put us first on the cross. He came to serve us, not to be served. He made sure our needs were served, and then His own. On Calvary He lived the axiom, "First things first." I wrote a sermon on it that turned out well.
Now that I've told you something worthwhile (hopefully), I'd like to suggest you check out my four new Bible Studies on Discipleship at "http://www.bobtasler.com." One of them might be just what you need for your personal or group Bible study.
Don't forget to check the porkchops!
Monday, October 6, 2014
FEEDING THE COWS
Today on a lovely Colorado autumn afternoon I finished a project and rewarded myself with coffee and a great carmel roll at the local bakery. I read awhile in a little book I had along, and part of the story was about a farmer feeding his cows hay.
It reminded me of a Sunday afternoon forty-some years ago in my first church up in North Dakota. My wife and our little boys were visiting Art and Peggy and their older kids at their farm on a chilly October afternoon. The little ones had fallen asleep so Art asked, "Want to help me feed the cows?" Well, I'd done that before so we put on our caps, coats and gloves and went outside.
Art had already loaded hay bales on his old truck so he started it up and we lumbered down the road a half mile to a gate where he stopped and unlatched it. The pasture looked empty so I asked, "Where are the cows?" He said, "They'll come." He drove in about a hundred yards, turned off the truck and commenced to honking his horn. Sure enough, in less than a minute fifty or sixty cows came running over a hill. Not walking, running. The cows were hungry and it was a cold day. "They know my horn," Art said, "They know it means lunch."
That sounded like something from John chapter 10 where it says, "My sheep hear my voice, and they follow me." I told Art that, and he said with a grin, "I don't care much for sheep." I can still remember the way he grinned when he said it, like it was yesterday.
Art's gone to be with the Lord a long time now, but I still exchange Christmas cards with Peggy. Our kids are all grown up, but we still have our memories. I can still see those cows running over the hill and hear Art's voice.
And I am eternally grateful that our children and their families know the voice of their Good Shepherd Jesus and follow Him. I'm thankful they, too, regularly receive His holy meal.
"My sheep follow me, and they follow me and no one can snatch them out of my hand." (John 11:27)
It reminded me of a Sunday afternoon forty-some years ago in my first church up in North Dakota. My wife and our little boys were visiting Art and Peggy and their older kids at their farm on a chilly October afternoon. The little ones had fallen asleep so Art asked, "Want to help me feed the cows?" Well, I'd done that before so we put on our caps, coats and gloves and went outside.
Art had already loaded hay bales on his old truck so he started it up and we lumbered down the road a half mile to a gate where he stopped and unlatched it. The pasture looked empty so I asked, "Where are the cows?" He said, "They'll come." He drove in about a hundred yards, turned off the truck and commenced to honking his horn. Sure enough, in less than a minute fifty or sixty cows came running over a hill. Not walking, running. The cows were hungry and it was a cold day. "They know my horn," Art said, "They know it means lunch."
That sounded like something from John chapter 10 where it says, "My sheep hear my voice, and they follow me." I told Art that, and he said with a grin, "I don't care much for sheep." I can still remember the way he grinned when he said it, like it was yesterday.
Art's gone to be with the Lord a long time now, but I still exchange Christmas cards with Peggy. Our kids are all grown up, but we still have our memories. I can still see those cows running over the hill and hear Art's voice.
And I am eternally grateful that our children and their families know the voice of their Good Shepherd Jesus and follow Him. I'm thankful they, too, regularly receive His holy meal.
"My sheep follow me, and they follow me and no one can snatch them out of my hand." (John 11:27)
Sunday, September 28, 2014
AIN'T IT AWFUL?
September 29, 2014
Dear friends,Several decades ago two boys were selling newspapers on a Detroit street corner. One of them shouted, "Read all about it!" and then shouted a headline like, "President elected! Read all about it!" The other boy just said in a loud, whiney voice, "Ain't it awful!" He held up an open newspaper and shouted in a pleading voice, "Ain't it awful!"
Which boy do you think sold the most copies? The second one, of course, the one who "awfulized" the news. People stopped to see what was so "awful" about the news, and more bought from him than from the other.
Most will agree that newspapers and news programs "awfulize" the news to get our interest. There's a saying, "No News is Good News." Today's journalist says the opposite: "Good News is No News." The nasty story is always on the front page, while any good news is buried in the back.
Perhaps that's because there is so much news that is awful - wars that won't end, the evil killing the innocent, world disease, drug murders, ugly politics, planet destruction and death. What will tomorrow bring? "Ain't it awful!
Jesus was no stranger to the "awful" side of life. He saw brutality and depravity around Him, but He didn't spend His life preaching about it. His life message was God's marvelous plan that they can have a better life than this world gives them. Jesus "marvelized" our awful world with His love and forgiveness, His hope and peace. No matter how ugly life may look, with Jesus life can be marvelous.
Sin has made our world and its people wallow in the "awful," but Jesus has a solution. He gave His life on the cross so that all who trust Him will not perish, but have eternal life. Sin and Satan "awfulize" life, but Jesus "marvelizes" it.
Pardon my grammar, but "AIN'T THAT GREAT!"
Dear friends,Several decades ago two boys were selling newspapers on a Detroit street corner. One of them shouted, "Read all about it!" and then shouted a headline like, "President elected! Read all about it!" The other boy just said in a loud, whiney voice, "Ain't it awful!" He held up an open newspaper and shouted in a pleading voice, "Ain't it awful!"
Which boy do you think sold the most copies? The second one, of course, the one who "awfulized" the news. People stopped to see what was so "awful" about the news, and more bought from him than from the other.
Most will agree that newspapers and news programs "awfulize" the news to get our interest. There's a saying, "No News is Good News." Today's journalist says the opposite: "Good News is No News." The nasty story is always on the front page, while any good news is buried in the back.
Perhaps that's because there is so much news that is awful - wars that won't end, the evil killing the innocent, world disease, drug murders, ugly politics, planet destruction and death. What will tomorrow bring? "Ain't it awful!
Jesus was no stranger to the "awful" side of life. He saw brutality and depravity around Him, but He didn't spend His life preaching about it. His life message was God's marvelous plan that they can have a better life than this world gives them. Jesus "marvelized" our awful world with His love and forgiveness, His hope and peace. No matter how ugly life may look, with Jesus life can be marvelous.
Sin has made our world and its people wallow in the "awful," but Jesus has a solution. He gave His life on the cross so that all who trust Him will not perish, but have eternal life. Sin and Satan "awfulize" life, but Jesus "marvelizes" it.
Pardon my grammar, but "AIN'T THAT GREAT!"
Monday, September 22, 2014
TOO MUCH OF A GOOD THING
Can a person get too much
of a good thing? What happens when we lose interest because we've become
too immersed for too long in something good? Is it possible to lose
interest in something we truly value and love?
We visited our grandchildren last week and had supper at the Organ Stop Pizza in Mesa, Arizona, where the mighty Wurlitzer pipe organ played a song that had been the children's favorite. "Let It Go" is the Oscar-winning song from the animated movie, "Frozen," and last spring our two granddaughters couldn't hear or sing it often enough. Then they played and sang it over and again with energy and joy, but now their interest was gone. "They're tired of it," our daughter-in-law said. "They sang it too many times."
Of course it is true that a person can get too much of a good thing. Steak doesn't taste as good if you have twice a day. Your mother's prize-winning apple pie every meal will grow tiresome. A person can even eat too much chocolate cake!
Our human nature can grow weary of even our most precious possessions. I recall a Seminary class where one of my classmates asked a professor what heaven would be like. The professor's description of endless joy, worship, singing and being in the presence of God provoked the youthful response, "Sounds boring!" Heaven boring? But that's the attitude of weak and sinful people getting too much of a good thing.
Married couples can struggle when the love they had changes. An advice column quoted a woman saying she and her husband still loved each other, but they were no longer "in love" with each other, so they were getting a divorce. But marriage does not consist of constant, unchanging love. The "good thing" this couple had now seemed lost so they wanted to find it again somewhere else.
Does God's love for us change? The Bible emphatically says, "NO!" Despite our loveless, rebellious and foolish acts, God's love for us remains the same. The Bible is filled with examples of God taking back His people, no matter how many times We rebel against Him.
Have we sung our song too many times? Just remember, God will not grow tired of His people, no matter what. And if we grow weary of Him or His people, He says, "I will satisfy the weary soul and every languishing soul I will replenish." (Jeremiah 31:25)
In Jesus Christ, we can never get too much of a good thing.
We visited our grandchildren last week and had supper at the Organ Stop Pizza in Mesa, Arizona, where the mighty Wurlitzer pipe organ played a song that had been the children's favorite. "Let It Go" is the Oscar-winning song from the animated movie, "Frozen," and last spring our two granddaughters couldn't hear or sing it often enough. Then they played and sang it over and again with energy and joy, but now their interest was gone. "They're tired of it," our daughter-in-law said. "They sang it too many times."
Of course it is true that a person can get too much of a good thing. Steak doesn't taste as good if you have twice a day. Your mother's prize-winning apple pie every meal will grow tiresome. A person can even eat too much chocolate cake!
Our human nature can grow weary of even our most precious possessions. I recall a Seminary class where one of my classmates asked a professor what heaven would be like. The professor's description of endless joy, worship, singing and being in the presence of God provoked the youthful response, "Sounds boring!" Heaven boring? But that's the attitude of weak and sinful people getting too much of a good thing.
Married couples can struggle when the love they had changes. An advice column quoted a woman saying she and her husband still loved each other, but they were no longer "in love" with each other, so they were getting a divorce. But marriage does not consist of constant, unchanging love. The "good thing" this couple had now seemed lost so they wanted to find it again somewhere else.
Does God's love for us change? The Bible emphatically says, "NO!" Despite our loveless, rebellious and foolish acts, God's love for us remains the same. The Bible is filled with examples of God taking back His people, no matter how many times We rebel against Him.
Have we sung our song too many times? Just remember, God will not grow tired of His people, no matter what. And if we grow weary of Him or His people, He says, "I will satisfy the weary soul and every languishing soul I will replenish." (Jeremiah 31:25)
In Jesus Christ, we can never get too much of a good thing.
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