Claire at One Passion One Devotion wrote a little snippet at the end of one of her posts. It was about this thingy called Condron.US. All we bloggers have to do is sign up; and then, more people may end up reading our posts.
So, far it has worked for me. Check it out for yourself.
Filed under Uncategorized
My Uncle Phil flew on a B-24 Liberator during World War II. His ten-man crew survived thirty-five bombing missions over Germany, Yugoslavia, Czechoslovakia and Austria.
Survived? Each time the crew took off from their base in Venosa, Italy, they knew one third of the planes would not return. One in three – not good survival odds when you factor in thirty-five missions, right?
On one particular mission, Uncle Phil’s B-24 came under heavy anti-aircraft fire. A piece of flak ripped a hole in the hydraulic reservoir, causing oil to spray all over the cabin area. If left unfixed, the bomb bay doors would remain open and the wheels could not be lowered into landing position.
Valuable seconds ticked off. Something had to be done, or the plane had to be ditched, forcing the crew to use parachutes. A dangerous last resort over enemy territory.
Captain Tom shouted at Phil, “See if you can fix it!”
Looking around, Phil found a small broom. He broke off the handle and made his way toward the hydraulic tank.
Now, under normal conditions, the trek to the rear of the plane was precarious because there was no aisle, just an eight-inch wide catwalk which spanned the twelve-foot aluminum doors. But on this day, the bomb bay doors were wide open and everything was covered with slippery hydraulic oil. Plus, the B-24 was at twenty-eight thousand feet and the temperature was a chilly forty degrees below zero.
Phil unhooked his parachute pack and edged sideways out over the catwalk, much like a high-wire walker in a circus. He reached the leaking tank and shoved the broom handle and a part of his leather glove into the gaping hole. It worked; the leak was fixed.
Did Uncle Phil receive a medal for this act of bravery? No, and to be honest, he did not care. His attitude was, “Somebody had to do it and it turned out to be me.”
To his fellow B-24 crew members, Uncle Phil was the right man in the right place at the right time, a nineteen-year old hero from Waterloo, Iowa.
Thanks Uncle Phil; and thank you to every armed forces soldier that has served and is now serving our nation. We Americans owe you a debt of gratitude for the freedoms which we enjoy today.
Swimming Upstream appears at this blog site on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. It’s a little of this and a little of that, all written to encourage and exhort believers in their Christian journeys.
Filed under America, Christianity, Christians, Faith, God
Early in our marriage, Honey and I faced some tough circumstances. Answers were needed…as in now.
I did what I normally do when there are problems: I crawled out of bed early in the morning and sought the Lord. An hour passed. Two hours passed. Three hours passed. And yet, I heard no answers from heaven.
A little before 8 a.m., Honey awakened and walked into the living room. She was wearing pajamas and yawning, stretching her arms in the air. After slumbering over to the coffee pot and pouring herself coffee, she came over to the sofa where I was praying.
“Oh sweetheart,” she said, “I had the best night’s sleep and the greatest dream. Do you want to hear it?”
I nodded. She told me her dream.
And of course, her dream was the answer we needed from heaven for our problems.
Now, is this the only example of my seeking the Lord for hours and Honey seemingly spending little time doing that, but yet, somehow, the Lord favors her with the answers? Oh no! Of course not! I have dozens of examples.
It seems unfair, right? And it is, until you factor in the Lord’s grace.
The measure of grace on my life for prayer and seeking the Lord is different than what Honey has. Period.
For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think…(Romans 12:3)
Swimming Upstream appears at this blog site on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. It’s a little of this and a little of that, all written to encourage and exhort believers in their Christian journeys.
I read this quote in Post Charismatic, a book which I may review sometime:
If there is anything that characterizes Christian maturity, it is the willingness to become a beginner again for Jesus Christ. It is the willingness to put your hand in His hand and say, “I’m scared to death, but I’ll go with You. You’re the pearl of great price.” (John Wimber)
Right now, in my life, the Lord is quiet. Very quiet.
I don’t think it’s a sin problem on my part; or that it’s a lack of my seeking Him. How can I be sure, right? I have peace in my spirit; there is no churning restlessness within me. Just peace.
Why is the Lord quiet? Over the years, I have learned that when He is quiet, He is about to do something in my life. Maybe change or rearrange something within me. His quietness is sort of like the still before a storm.
Does this mean my life is in perfect shape … with no problems? Oh heavens no! Everything is up in the air. There are loose ends all over the place. Disaster awaits us just ahead if He doesn’t answer our prayers, but what’s new, right?
And yet, He is quiet.
So, what do I do?
Be still, and know that I am God… (Psalm 46:10)
Swimming Upstream appears at this blog site on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. It’s a little of this and a little of that, all written to encourage and exhort believers in their Christian journeys.
What do you think the Apostle Peter’s wife said when he came home and told her he was dropping everything and following a man named Jesus?
Maybe, something like: “Are you nuts? What about the fishing business? Who is going to run it? And what about my mother? And me? You can’t be serious, right? We’ll starve, won’t we?”
Now, we Christians read scripture and gloss over facts without ever putting our brains in gear. We just assume the Prince of Peace waved His magic wand over Peter’s household and everything fell in place. All nice, neat and tidy. Right?
Maybe, when Jesus healed her mother (Mark 1:30-31), it helped convince Peter’s wife. And also, the other healings at Peter’s house that evening (Mark 1: 32-33) probably helped some, too.
But my guess is that Peter and his wife struggled with his apostolic calling. As in STRUGGLED!!
After all, they were humans just like us, and guess what? We humans who are married struggle with whatever calling the Lord has placed on us versus what our mates expect from us.
Jump to the back of the book of Mark to where Peter denied Jesus (Mark 14:72). Try to imagine how Peter’s wife handled the Crucifixion and Peter’s self-destruction.
Maybe, she said things like, “I told you so. Didn’t I? But no, you wouldn’t listen, would you? You believed everything He said, didn’t you? Now, look at yourself!”
But out of all their possible struggles over Peter’s apostolic calling, we can eventually be encouraged:
Do we have no right to take along a believing wife, as do the other apostles, the brothers of the Lord, and Cephas? (1 Cor. 9:5)
Peter’s wife joined him in his apostolic ministry.
Swimming Upstream appears at this blog site on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. It’s a little of this and a little of that, all written to encourage and exhort believers in their Christian journeys.
Okay. Okay. So you want the truth, huh? We’ll, it ain’t pretty, but here it is:
You see, I’ve been a pizza delivery driver for the last eighteen months. That’s right!
I know. I know. My about states I am a businessman, real estate agent, dreamer and more. And also, my web site lists a bunch of glamorous sounding jobs that I’ve held in the past. Repeat: the past.
But right now, I’m a pizza delivery driver. Period.
And you might as well know the whole truth, okay? That is, if you can handle it.
I don’t listen to Hillsong Worship music while I’m driving my truck on pizza deliveries. In fact, no Christian music at all.
“Oh no!” you are probably ranting at this very moment. “What pagan stuff do you listen to on your MP3?”
Sarah Brightman, Andrea Bocelli, Yo Yo Ma, Sissel, il Divo, Irish Tenors, Mario Frangoulis, Placido Domingo…and a smidge (an itsy-bitsy smidge) of Bob Seger (Like a Rock), Neil Diamond (Pretty Amazing Grace) and Allison Krause (Gone, Gone, Gone).
There you have it. Whew! I feel better. What about you?
And you shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free. (John 8:32)
Swimming Upstream appears at this blog site on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. It’s a little of this and a little of that, all written to encourage and exhort believers in their Christian journeys.
Did you know David was King Saul’s armorbearer before David fought Goliath?
So David came to Saul and stood before him. And he loved him greatly, and he became his armorbearer. (1 Samuel 16:21)
Not only did David strum his harp for Saul when the king was distressed, but David was also Saul’s personal servant or amorbearer. Now, this brings up an interesting question?
How come King Saul loved David when the lad was a peon, but hated David when he became a national hero?
In 1 Samuel 9:2, it states that Saul was the most handsome and tallest man in all of Israel. He looked good! He looked like a warrior! He probably even had a deep, booming voice!
And yet, when it was Saul’s duty to fight Goliath on the battlefield, he cowered and stayed away, and allowed a fifteen-year old youth to be his combat substitute.
Then afterward, how did Saul treat the victorious hero?
So Saul eyed David from that day forward. And it happened on the next day that the distressing spirit came upon Saul…So David played music with his hand, as at other times, but there was a spear in Saul’s hand. And Saul cast the spear, for he said, “I will pin David to the wall with it”…(1 Samuel 18:9-11)
So, how is this relevant for us today?
Every David that the Lord is raising up to fight the Goliaths who are ruling over cities, inner cities and regions in America needs to remember spiritual truths do not change.They remain the same down through history.
So, these Davids (spiritual warriors) should expect to fight principalities, powers, rulers of darkness and spiritual hosts (Eph. 6:12), as well as taking on the Sauls of our generation at the same time. Many of these Sauls will be respected church leaders.
Sounds exciting, right?
Swimming Upstream appears at this blog site on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. It’s a little of this and a little of that, all written to encourage and exhort believers in their Christian journeys.
Filed under Christian Conservative, Christianity, Christians, Church, church planting, Emergent Church, Faith, Gifts of the Spirit, God, grace, Home Church, Inspirational, jesus, Kingdom of God, morality, Prayer, Prophecy, Red Letter Christians, reformation, Religion, spiritual warfare, Spirituality
I grew up listening to Paul Harvey on WLS Radio every morning before I went to school. So, borrowing on his theme, this article tells The Rest of The Story for my Mother’s Day article:
A week before Officer Fred Cannon stopped Mom for speeding, a confrontation between him and her had occurred in his office at the town jail. The occasion? Three other boys and myself were accused of overturning an outhouse on Halloween.
You have to understand that this scene did not take place in an interrogation room at LAPD with a good-cop, bad-cop routine attempting to break apart a gangbanger’s alibi. It took place in a small, stuffy police office in the middle of a town with a population of 1,150 people.
The accused – us four boys – sat on wooden chairs lined up in front of Officer Cannon’s desk. Our parents stood directly behind us. Cannon sat in a swivel chair behind his desk. A bright light shone over his left shoulder into our faces. No other lights were on.
Cannon laid out our despicable crime to everybody. He summed up by adding, “I know these boys are seniors in high school. They have high hopes of playing basketball on the school team this winter. But who knows? A crime like this could make them ineligible. What do you parents think?”
“Officer Cannon, whatever you decide, I’ll back you,” said one parent. Two other sets of parents nodded in agreement.
Cannon turned toward my parents. “What about the Nevenhoven’s?”
Mom glared at him. “Freddie, this is so stupid. I don’t really care what you do. We’re going square dancing!”
Mom and Dad turned around and left. The door slammed behind them.
The other three sets of parents began laughing. The accused – including me – laughed so hard we almost fall out of our chairs. The meeting ended moments later.
So,where’s the scriptural principle in all of this, right?
A man has joy in an apt answer, and how delightful is a timely word. (Proverbs 15:23)
Swimming Upstream appears at this blog site on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. It’s a little of this and a little of that, all written to encourage and exhort believers in their Christian journeys.
Filed under Christian Conservative, Christianity, Christians, Church, church planting, Emergent Church, Faith, Gifts of the Spirit, God, grace, Home Church, humor, Inspirational, jesus, Kingdom of God, morality, mother, Prayer, Prophecy, Red Letter Christians, reformation, Religion, spiritual warfare, Spirituality
Mom was in a hurry to get home. Potatoes had to be peeled and the roast removed from the oven. No one was in sight; so she stepped on the gas.
Whrr! Whrr! A siren pierced through the stillness of the autumn evening.
Oh no! she thought. I’m in trouble. Freddy’s caught me! Now what?
She pulled the blue Pontiac over to the curb. A black police car pulled up behind her with its red light flashing. A man, resembling Broderick Crawford, stepped out of the car, adjusting his gun and holster as he walked toward her. She rolled down her window.
“So, Mrs. Nevenhoven, we meet again?” said officer Freddie Cannon. A smirk cutting across his lips.
“Yes, Freddie, we do,” replied Mom in a deadpan tone.
“Well, you were doing forty-five miles per hour in a thirty mile per hour speed zone. I’ll have to ticket you,” he said.
Mom shrugged. “Okay! But I’m not paying it.”
“What?” he said. “It’ll only be thirty dollars!”
“I don’t care,” she replied with a set jaw. “I’m not paying it.”
He laughed. “Then, it’ll be thirty days in jail. How’d you like that?”
“Well, you’d better lock me up now! Because I’m not paying the fine.”
He stared into her eyes for a moment or so. Then, he shook his head. “No way am I going to put up with you for thirty days. Go!” He spun around and went back to the police car. Mom resumed her journey home.
This is a true story.
Now, Mom would probably not choose the word feisty as a one-word description of herself. She’d rather have a more feminine adjective, but guess what?
Her husband, her two children, her five grandchildren, her many great-grandchildren and, at least, one police officer would agree with the one-word description.
Mom is feisty. Period.
Happy Mother’s Day, Mom. You’re the best!
Filed under Christians, humor, mother
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Larry Who 