Your Relationships

Be Prepared To Stop - #6946

Monday, August 26, 2013

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You've probably been speeding down the highway as I have at times, and all of a sudden you'll come to a construction area that says, "Slow down-35 mph." So everyone, of course, slows down by two or three miles an hour. They're down to 57 mph or something like that. And then you'll see as you get a little more into the construction area these words, "Be prepared to stop." Well, I don't want to be prepared to stop. I don't know if you're like me, but I calculate how many miles I've got to go, how long it's going to take. Let's see, "Sixty miles – sixty minutes." Something like that. I don't want to be prepared to stop. I'm prepared to do the speed limit. You know, sometimes we live our whole lives that way. We're speeding too fast to stop.

Our Pride and Joy - #6943

Wednesday, August 21, 2013

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So this friend of mine pulled out his wallet and said, "Ron, can I show you my pride and joy?" And he did. There was a picture of a little dusting compound called Pride and a dish washing detergent called Joy. So, here were these two household items. I was fully expecting to see his children, but then, of course, I have strange friends.

Leaving a Trail of Gifts - #6938

Wednesday, August 14, 2013

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My wife is one of the most generous people I know. We've never had a whole lot to spend on gifts, but somehow she usually finds a way to give them. Over the years God has blessed us with some friends who have been very generous with us. They have invited us to get away to their cabin or their cottage or their farm. I can remember occasions where I've been all packed and ready to go and anxious to leave, and my wife hasn't come out yet. I'll go back inside and I'll say, "Honey, what are you doing?" You know where she is? She's rummaging through her gift box or her gift closet, and she'll say, "Wait a minute, Honey, I'm looking for a gift."

The Door Is Locked - #6928

Wednesday, July 31, 2013

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It's a bitter wound! I was undefeated in Scrabble until my son beat me at the age of 13. It was down to the end of the game, there were no letters left to draw and I was about to be stuck with a Z. Now, if you've ever played Scrabble, you know that a Z is worth 10 points if you can play it. You lose 10 points if you're stuck with it at the end of the game. Okay, this is heavy pressure. Finally I found one corner of the board that had the letters I and T and there was room for a Z. I suddenly remembered that slightly uncouth slang term the teenagers use for blemishes. I used my Z to spell zit. I've often heard kids complain about zits.

The 'How Far Can I Go' Fever - #6923

Wednesday, July 24, 2013

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I wonder what the question most asked by Christian teenagers is? I don't have any formal research to report to you today, but I have been listening to teenagers for a lot of years, and a lot has changed over those years. But I'm not sure the big question they have has. It was and continues to be, I think the most asked. It's not, "How do I have better devotions?" Or, "How can I serve the Lord?" It's, "How far can I go?" Wish I'd have a dollar for every time I've been asked that question. And they're not talking about driving privileges when they ask that question. How far can I go? Actually, long after our dating years are over, you know, that still seems to be the question we're dealing with. That's too bad.

No Way to Score Points - #6912

Tuesday, July 9, 2013

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I used to be undefeated in Scrabble. I'm sure you're real excited about that. Of course I've never heard of an Olympic Scrabble Tournament, or I would have entered it. But you notice what I said...I used to be undefeated? Yeah.

The Trumpet On the Wall - #6904

Thursday, June 27, 2013

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Did you ever do the bumper cars at the carnival? Our family loves bumper cars! When you first get in the bumper car, you start at approximately the same place. But when you step on the pedal, you take off in about ten different directions and occasionally bump into each other. That was a description of our family when we were all still living under one roof. A description of yours maybe, too? You know, a bumper car family! See, you start out at the same place in the morning, you step on the gas pedal, and off we would go in five different directions, and every once in a while we would just happen to bump into each other.

Sunday Grins or Sunday Grouches - #6901

Monday, June 24, 2013

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You know, people in certain jobs end up being treated kind of like vending machines it seems like. Now, the state that I lived in for many years, we still had full service gas and we had gas station attendants. People just sort of drive up and grunt a couple of words to him, and then he would dispense his service, and people would drive off. Oh, of course, we did give him a little money. Waitresses—there's another one. And the checkout people at a grocery store. Well, you know what? I've got a little personal crusade to help these service people feel human again; to get them to talk. Now brace yourself...even to get them to smile sometimes. I feel like I've succeeded if they'll smile.

Father Power - #6895

Friday, June 14, 2013

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It was Father's Day, and my friend Dave and I were making the most of it. We had our two families together for a picnic. He's a father too, and we expressed our needs shall we say, we let everybody know what we needed and wanted. And every once in a while somebody even paid attention. Well, we were all gathered around the picnic table and we were explaining to everyone why it was a day of special privilege for Dave and me. And I said, "Hey, it's Father's Day! That's why we're planning everything." I'll never forget what Dave's son said. He said, "Hey, at our house every day is Father's Day." Well, in a sense - probably a different sense than our teenage friend had in mind - it is very much that way in many things.

The Legacy of a Lifetime - #6877

Tuesday, May 21, 2013

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In the past, the classic retirement scene went something like this, there was a dinner in the retiree's honor, there were some heart-warming but predictable speeches, and if you'd put in enough years, like a gold watch, or at least a plaque or a certificate. And then very quickly the hole that you left in the company closed up, and you wondered what was really accomplished for all those years of service. Well, now it's worse. You may not get to retire. You might be "downsized." You end up asking yourself the question, "What do I have to show for my years of service?" Frankly, I think you can do better than a gold watch or a severance check.

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