MY DOG LITTLE LUKE

image courtesy photobucket

We got this dog, that ain’t much of a dog.

But the thing is he don’t know that he ain’t much account.

Luke likes to sit with me on our porch.  He also enjoys following me around in the yard and back again to the porch.

He just goes about and does what the other dogs do, and acts like he was just as good as the rest of them. The other dogs put up with him cause they don’t care one way or the other whether he is good or not.

The thing is he considers himself to be the best of the lot. To him if he has any short comings, that only means he is special, and better that the rest of the pack.

If any of the other dogs said to him you don’t measure up to the rest of us, he would just ignore them, and go right on as if they didn’t exist.

While the others go about solemn, doing their job, he does his job and is happy, and has fun while doing it.

Try as they may, so far they haven’t made him live according to their standards they have set up for them-selves. For Little Lukey, as it were marches to his own woof, woof.

Sometimes I think that dumb dog is smarter than me. He doesn’t let anyone or anything stifle his creativity, and he is making the most of what he has got. He follows his own rules but hurts no other dogs in the process and is happy while doing it.

Should he do things like the other dogs he would surly be a failure but he is his own man, err dog.

When David volunteered to fight Goliath, King Saul tried to equip David with his armor, but David refused it and used his own weapons to destroy the giant.

In life it is needful to know thyself and be true to yourself, for then, and only then will you have success.

This post has been entered in “Changing the World One Word at a Time” The word is Porch.  Please visit and check out the other great posts at: http://peterpollock.com/

UNDER THE OLE TIN ROOF

What we call a tin roof is most often a galvanized sheet metal roof.

These types of roofs were common in the south on the cheaper homes and did the job.

Along with millions of people who have slept in these houses, I remember all the little things about them. Every so often they needed some maintenance, like re-nailing them where the nails backed out and the sheets began to loosen up.

You either did this or you would find your roof in a ditch somewhere all bent up after a wind storm, and the house would be soaked if rain came with the wind.

As the sun came up, the metal would begin to expand, and the squeaking and screeching would start. It was much like waking up when grandma was beginning to stir around and start breakfast, with the skillets and pans banging. What a sweet sound that was, for soon the smells would follow of coffee, biscuits baking, and bacon and eggs a frying.

After supper the reverse would happen as the metal began to cool and shrink ever so slightly. That sound was the signal to prepare for bed.

These houses were very lo-cost with no insulation to dullen the wonderful noises these roofs made especially when a storm would pass through.

Sometimes the rain would fall so hard you couldn't hear what people were saying unless they shouted and if it started hailing you just forgot it for the noise was deafening.

Along with the rain came cool damp air, when you breathed it was like taking a drink of water that refreshed like no air condition could do. It felt like you were completely enveloped with love. At nighttime the comfort of the rain pelting the metal roof seemed to say; “All is well in the world,” and you slept the sleep of the righteous, feeling safe and secure.

As a child, it seemed like me and that ole tin roof was one.  It carried with it a feeling of caring and belonging, where the animate and inanimate had become as one.

Today we have lost the ole tin roof interactions for present day roof coverings are quiet and the insulation mutes the rain noise. Added to that, we live in a noisy environment with all the appliances, television, computers and hi-fi blasting away.

Still in my memories form time to time, and I slip away back to the era when I loved to hear all of the sweet sounds that came from out of the ole tin roof and am refreshed once again. It helps me retain my roots and sanity in this day.

OH WELL, TIMES

Around our house we have all kinds of times. There are good times, bad times, so-so times and then we have oh well times. Oh well times will help preserve your sanity.

Good and bad times are relative to your expectations. What is good times for one family might be just “the run of the mill for others. The same applies for the bad times. It is hard to enjoy the fact that your bad times can’t get any worse when they are as bad as they can get.

At our house things are pretty good, so good that we mostly have to look for something bad. Although when I do, I’m pretty efficient and can come up with something, when I should just enjoy what I do have.

1 Timothy 6:8-9 As long as we have food and clothes, we should be satisfied. But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction.

That is about the last thing some Christians want to hear, for they want more, but it is pretty good advice anyhow.

Now lest we become indolent we must keep in mind: Proverbs 6:6 Take a lesson from the ants, you lazybones. Learn from their ways and become wise! I have never heard of an ant being on welfare so they must know something.

There are some other times that I call, “Oh well, times.”

These are the times when I enter the state of futility. These are times when I have seemly done my best to solve my problems and have come to my wits end. Or if I haven’t really tried hard, to my half wits end.

The kids are helpful in bringing you to this state for they are experts in this field.

How is this; I told those kids not to do that and now they have destroyed the garage door, no matter where I hide the keys they find them and start the car, “Oh well.”

I forgot to pay the credit card bill and now they want 22% interest on everything I owe, “Oh well.”

The husband has just spent $35,000 and bought a new truck he didn’t need, and we don’t have enough money to pay for it, “Oh h….”

The list is quite long and a lot of this is of our own making. I find it hard to pray and ask GOD to get me out of these kinds of problems for I’m afraid I’ll just do it again.

What I need is some wisdom, James 1:5 If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.

Daniel 12:3 tells me the result of it; Those who are wise will shine like the brightness of the heavens, and those who lead many to righteousness, like the stars for ever and ever.

That wasn’t an ”Oh well” statement it was an AMEN statement.

JUST BLOGGING?

Did you ever notice that some of the books in the Bible read like Blogs?

Take Ecclesiastes for instance. If Solomon had Internet and a following, then the things he wrote would be like some of the stuff on FaceBook today.

Another example can be found in part of the book of Job.

Sections of Revelation would have made for some interesting Blog material.

It makes you ask yourself wherein does the difference lie?  For the answer to that you start with;

2Peter 1:21 For prophecy never had its origin in the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.

1 Corinthians 10:11 These things happened to make them an example for others. These things were written down as a warning for us who are living in the closing days of history.

John 20:31 But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.

1John 5:13 These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life.

There are many ways to express the work in people’s lives by the HOLY SPIRIT. One of the most used expressions today is, “The Anointing,” meaning the SPIRIT OF GOD is being manifested through an individual in some manner.

Those who both wrote and spoke in the biblical past were so moved upon.

I suppose that some would say they write with the anointing in their Blogs. In order to save an argument I won’t disagree with them, but in order to make sure the message isn’t partially from their own psyches, they must start in the SPIRIT, stay in the SPIRIT and finish in the SPIRIT, and not get angry when others judge.

I have found when writing a Blog it is often difficult to say what you want to say. It is like a painter, who has his canvas, paint and brushes, and knows that some where in his tools there is a great painting, but to get the paint from the tubes to the canvas is sometimes very difficult.

The same thing happens when writing. The thoughts are there but they are not always clear enough to get them on paper. Ideas bounce around in my mind like rocks that are being shaken in a tin can. You know something is happening but you are not sure what it is.

Anyhow something usually comes out of it, and my prayer is that it will bless encourage and motivate you!

NO MAS

I have just changed our phone, Internet and TV service because the company we had was not even second rate. For over two years the static on the lines was so bad I could hardly hear the caller. We complained about it and the complaint taker would say; yes I can hear it, sorry for the inconvenience. That was the last I would hear from them. They would ignore my problem, and that seemed to work for them.


For the last seven weeks we have had almost no service. For four weeks there was no dial tone and no Internet and the other three weeks it was off and on. Each time I called they would say; I’m sorry you are having a problem, I’ll put you on our list and in about a week someone will contact you.


Each time the service person came out he would say; “Oh I can’t fix this type of problem, you need another kind of service, I’ll make a report.” Back in line for another week and I got the same response for seven weeks. The problem still isn’t fixed but in few days I’ll have a new service. I won’t mention the name of the old company but the initials are AT&T.

The above was sent to the editor of our newspaper for the opinion page. We are limited to 250 words and so I couldn’t say all I would like to have said.  One thing was I’m embarrassed to think I put up with this terrible service for as long as I did. I guess it was because I wanted to give them every chance to change and get better. Week after week they paid no attention to my problem and when the rains came, all the neglect of maintenance showed up and since they had made no provision for this they were overwhelmed.

I was embarrassed because of my patience and I wondered if GOD ever gets embarrassed because of HIS waiting on people to straighten up and live right. If we have concluded that HIS grace and mercy is license to live unrighteous and ignore HIS instructions in righteous living then the time for HIM to make a change may come.

I paid for service that I wasn’t getting and GOD may have paid for service HE isn’t getting. If that is the case in my case then maybe I should improve in certain areas especially in the area of maintenance.

1John 1:6-10 If we say that we have fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth; fellowship with GOD requires obedience to HIS word but if we walk in the light as He Himself is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin. If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves, and the truth is not in us. We all mess up sometime. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Let repentance precede confession. If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us.
I am just guessing but I bet there are some areas in my life where I could improve. Perhaps I should do it before GOD decides to help me get it done.

Chances are HE will say in a bold voice, “NO MAS.”

THAT’S LIFE

The statement “you’re d…. If you do, and d…. If you don’t” is a way of life no matter what your life style is.

This is probably because there are so many paranoid people walking around. We all are affected by something that is not exactly paranoia but exhibits some of the watered down traits of it.

An example is our ability to misunderstand what is being said in a conversation, because we interpret what is said to mean something that isn’t actually said.

You could call it “sensitivity imagination.” You sense something and imagine it means something else.

Suppose three girls went to the mall and you saw a classmate, not a friend, but you knew each other. Now she has seen you and you felt you should acknowledge her.

You leave you friends and greet her by saying, “How are you doing?’

She answers by saying; “What do you mean how I’m doing? Have you heard something about me? Were you and your friends talking about me? What were you saying? I’m tired of people lying about me behind my back. If I hear you said something about me, I will get even with you and your friends.”

WOW, you are now faced with the situation that no matter what you say it will just make things worse. If you try to deny her allegation, it will start a new round of accusations and threats. You could tell her “I have no idea what you are talking about,” but that would validate every thing she said.  The best thing to say might be, “see you later,” and leave for at that point the imaginary has become real.

We are a complex people and we react to our environment in different ways. We all have found ourselves in similar situations as above, maybe not as radical but certainly being misunderstood.

Even in the church world all of the negative attitudes are present. A man might shake hands with a lady and the husband might conclude he held her hand too long. Then on the way home the accusations begin to fly. You should have pulled your hand back and not let him hold on to it. Then there is the hugging in church and so on all of which is fertile ground for vain imaginations.

The truth of the matter is there is justification for some suspicions for some have perfected their guile to seem marginal.

Just a word about offended parties whether the offence is real or imaginary the effect is the same.  If they will listen you can explain that you never meant to hurt them and try to mend fences to the point where they understand that they just misunderstood the whole thing and all is well.

Except, if you imagined you were being accused of something, and you were not guilty, you went through a process something like; insult, feeling ill, loss of self esteem, and so on until you get mad about it and the hurt is deep seated where no amount of explaining can ever expunge it.

One of the things we hate the most is being misunderstood, where our intent is seen to be something other than what we meant. Our efforts to clear up an issue like this are kind of like using “white out” to fix a typing error. It covered up the mistake but left it with an impression behind.

Because these things are implanted deep within (whether real or imaginary) it is hard to forgive and forget. The best we can do is get on by it and act as if it didn’t happen, and though the memory remains refuse to let it dominate you.

The scripture says; 2 Corinthians 10:5 Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ

LET’S HAVE A LITTLE HARMONY AROUND HERE!

Around the close of the nineteenth century there was a lot of twentieth century harmonizing.

People of the same ilk, like barber shop quartets, sometimes waiters and the such, would sing and hopefully harmonize songs like;  My gal Sal, and if you wore a Tulip.

There was nothing worse than someone who couldn’t stay on key or whose timing was off. This was especially bad when in close harmony and singing acappella. This could be very grating almost like a donkey braying in a women’s trio.

Harmony is needed at work. How often do people whose personalities clash upset the whole work force.

When driving someone doesn’t want to flow with the traffic and cuts in and out it causes everybody to get upset and can result in someone else doing something unwarranted.
I might as well mention the family; this is a prime scenario for discord among all members.

And the church, there is no place where harmony is needed more than the church! Except maybe the operating room, especially if I’m on the surgery table.

In politics it is expected to have strong disagreements and they want to be applauded when they do agree on something. It causes one to think that maybe the elected ones are little more that lobbyist for certain causes.

But now we come to the most important place on the personal level where harmony is a must and that is within the person themselves. Discord within the person is a life most miserable. Sometimes at a funeral someone will say the dead person is finally at peace with themselves.

There are too many ways to mention, how we can be at odds with ourselves. There are times when our bodies demand things our mind knows aren’t good for us.

When we do that which is wrong for us, there is inner conflict and the whole person suffers; spirit, soul and body. It is as if we have some sickness that is attacking us.

Then there are the Christians, those who profess to be at peace with joy in their heart; do they ever have discord within themselves?  Are there times when the inner man that is born anew is at odds with their soulical nature?

When emotions run wild and demand to be catered to and overrule the spiritual nature, the result being sin, does that happen? That sounds like what Paul called; walking after the flesh.

In the 49ers days the miners would stake a claim and then try to prove up on their claim by producing gold but sometimes their claim would only produce a little dust. Are some of us only claimers and not producers? When people get to know us and dig around, do they find a vein of gold or just a little dust.

What we profess and what we produce must be Siamese twins, what one professes the other produces. It can’t be as a set of twins who appear to be alike but yet are separate each doing their own thing.

There is nothing worse than when our lifestyle doesn’t validate our testimony. Avoid at all costs being just a claimer.  Lets have a little Harmony here!!