Strange Taxes

In the 18^th and 19^th centuries, England, Scotland, and Great Britain taxed windows. This was an ingenious way to tax the wealthy without calling it a tax on the affluent. While some bricked their windows, it led to a fair and less arbitrary income tax on rich citizens.

Other crazy taxes include Denmark’s $110 per cow because of their methane byproducts. Alabama’s casinos complain of the ten-cent playing card tax for a deck of cards purchased in the state. Chicago charges an extra 5.25% tax on candy and sugary soft drinks. Amounting to $29 million per year, France taxes online ads on Google, Facebook, Microsoft, and Yahoo.

However, no matter how unfair taxes may seem, our government expects us to pay them. God does as well.

In Mark 12:13-17, Jewish leaders came to Jesus and asked a question about the Imperial tax to try and trap him so they could bring a charge of disloyalty to the Roman government. In a stroke of genius, Jesus told them to, “Give back to Caesar what is Caesar’s and to God what is God’s.”

In Matthew 17:24-27, Jesus went a step further. The tax collectors came to Peter and asked if Jesus paid the temple tax (a tax owed by every Israeli male over 20. Exodus 30:11-15). Peter told them yes. After they left, Jesus reminded Peter that because he was Lord of the Sanctuary, he did not owe the temple tax. He did pay though to avoid any misunderstanding about his loyalty to the temple.

Be a good citizen. Be thankful for our schools, roads, and hospitals. Pay your taxes in full and on time.

Thanksgiving and the Midterms

Neale Donald Walsch, author of the series “Conversations with God,” wrote: “The struggle ends when the gratitude begins.”

On the eve of the 2018 Midterms, only God knows who will win, if the pollsters were right, and what lies ahead.

The results should make us thankful we could vote. When we voted, we can be glad we did not have a secret police officer looking over our shoulder. Further, the election results were not announced before all ballots were tallied.

Although not all of our candidates and positions on the amendments and propositions will likely win or pass, we can praise God because He is in control. He is the one who orchestrates human history. 

Remember to vote tomorrow.

Thoughts About Life

Ever had a sudden event happen that made you stop and think about life? Well, four of those events happened to me this week.

A dear family friend died of cancer. Becky was only in her fifties. She was brilliant. She had the personality and drive to become the CEO of a large company. Instead, she volunteered at the hospital where her husband was the administrator. No one expects to get cancer. That happens to someone else.

In my high school graduating class, there were twin brothers. Their mother died peacefully. Mrs. Harwell was my brother’s favorite elementary teacher. My nieces’ husband credits her with being the motivating factor in his becoming a fourth-grade teacher.

My ninety-nine-year-old neighbor passed away as well. He remembered your name and possessed the uncanny ability to know how to make you feel special. I suppose most think someone at his age could die at any minute. Yet, his family and friends hoped Archie would make 100. His death was too soon.

His son topped a hill in glaring sun and crashed into the back of a tractor. Emergency medicine could not save him. Mark is remembered for his fine thoroughbred horses and how he helped those in recovery. I remember him because he was kind to the little kids on the school bus.

Four times this week I was shaken by sad news. These tragedies made me wonder about the remainder of my family and friends.

If I received news of your untimely death, do you know where your soul would rest? If you have the slightest doubt, please call me. Write me. Text me. Email me. CONTACT ME.

I want to spend eternity with you.

Same O’ Same O’ Church Services

We are near the end of summer and you realize your church did the same old (same o’ same o’) church picnic. Need some fresh ideas?

How about a Camo Sunday at your church next summer? Admission to the fun is wearing camouflage. Invite your community. Have it at the park where you ditch the pews for lawn chairs and park benches. If it is difficult to see the pastor for the sermon, use a six-foot tree stand. After services, have a picnic or grill hotdogs. 

A second idea is an Ice Cream Social. On a hot summer evening, nothing will attract the neighborhood like cold homemade ice cream. 

Put up a big screen or sheet and show family movies on the church property. Add snow cones and popcorn to continue the Movie Night theme. 

A Galilean Service is another fun summer activity. Find a good fishing lake, river, or farm pond. Invite the church and community to food and fishing. After an hour of catching fish, the pastor and worship team paddle a short distance from the shore or dock. Numerous sermons could be preached about Jesus and the disciples on the waters of the Galilee fishing for men. Finish the fun with lunch or a fish fry.

The Religion of “No”

Psychologists talk about regret in two ways―regrets of action and regrets of inaction. In church, you may have heard this called sins of commission and sins of omission. I am concerned believers have focused on the sins of commission for so long we have become defensive. To those outside the church, we seem negative and passive.

Sadly, by playing it safe, we do not follow God’s calling on our lives. Still worse, God is deprived of the glory He deserves.

Recently Barna Group reported half (51%) of churchgoers do not know what the Great Commission is. Jesus spelled it out in Matthew 28:19-20, “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” For the 51%, I think of this as the sin of no mission.

Recently I asked Alexa (Amazon’s voice-activated system on an Amazon Echo smart speaker), how many people are there in the world? She answered 7.4 billion. That is a lot of mission. All of us need to be involved to reach over 7 billion for Christ. There are plenty of positive proactive things to be done. Christians need to be recognized as people of action and answers.

GQ's Article About the Bible Is Partly Right

GQ Magazine recently claimed the “Bible is overrated.” In an article entitled, “21 Books You Don’t Have to Read,” GQ lists some of the classics they think you can pass over. One of those mentioned is the Bible, the all-time bestseller.

Facts and Trends magazine reported Lifeway Research “found only 45 percent of those who regularly attend church read the Bible more than once a week. And a little more than 40 percent of the people attending read their Bible occasionally, maybe once or twice a month. Almost 1 in 5 church goers say they never read the Bible.”

So, I partially agree with Jesse Ball at GQ who wrote, “The Holy Bible is rated very highly by all the people who supposedly live by it but who in actuality have not read it. Those who have read it know there are some good parts, but overall it is certainly not the finest thing that man has ever produced.”

The pretense of those who say they live by biblical principles but have not read the Bible alarms me. What standard guides their life?

The Lifeway research changed my writing several years ago. When I use scripture in my manuscripts, I usually quote the verse rather than list the reference. I count several novel writers as my friends. Whether it be a preacher sermonizing, a note passed, or a character reading the Word, they include the scripture.

Any author will tell you, Paul wrote exhaustingly long sentences and some epistle writers were uneducated fisherman. Although the grammar is not perfect, the message is clear.

Yes, the GQ Magazine article, which encouraged their readers not to read the Bible, should disturb believers. However, the fact that so many regular church attenders do not read their Bible should set our hair on fire.

Celebrate the Resurrection

For the believer, the grandest day of the year is Easter. We celebrate the resurrection of our Lord in various ways. Some gather with family and friends at church. Certain songs remind us of the resurrection. Remember: “Up from the grave He arose, with a mighty triumph o’er His foes.” (Robert Lowry) Listen Here

Later, we may meet with family or friends for a special dinner. Some get up early for a Sunrise (Sonrise) service. Cantatas, plays, concerts remain popular. We sing with the choir, “Hallelujah, what a Savior!” (Philip Bliss) Sing Here

Some like to rejoice as a family making colored eggs. Others prefer Easter egg hunts. If you need some fresh ideas to party, try this link Scavenger Hunt, which describes how to do a scavenger egg hunt. As we hunt, we can sing: “He lives, He lives, Christ Jesus lives today!” (Alfred Ackley)  Sing Along

Because the eggs symbolize the ancient god of fertility, some families prefer to not use eggs or chocolate rabbits. No problem. Use small plastic bags and chocolate crosses. Together as a family, we can watch and sing: “Because He lives, I can face tomorrow.” (Bill and Gloria Gaither) Video Here

Other families play volleyball, badminton, or softball. Some folks shoot targets or skeets. By hiking or fishing, some enjoy the nature our Savior created. Whatever you do for fun, do it with great gusto this Easter. Join together to sing and dance: “Worthy is the Lamb who was slain. Worthy is the King who conquered the grave.” Join In 

Please do not ever, positively never forget: He is risen. Celebrate!

What is Lent?

By February, I am done with winter. It is time to think of preparing the ground, to consider what seeds and seedlings to order, and to calculate how much bark mulch I will need for my flower beds.

In a similar way, Lent is a preparation for Easter and a time for removing obstacles that impede our spiritual growth. Christians celebrated Lent many years before they added Christmas as a holiday. Both are part of the Christian calendar Christian calendar explained.

During the 40 days of Lent, some Christians fast or skip chocolate. Some get up early and vow to pray more. I know of others who give up social media or unplug the TV. I read about one gal who worked to give up sarcasm her story.

As children, remember when we played hide-and-seek? The object was to be found. My cousin whistled to make sure she was found. God wants to be found. He will help us to keep our commitment to find him in a more meaningful way.

We can pray now to find what obstacle needs to be removed. Then when February 14, 2018 arrives, we will be ready for Lent. Many express the death, burial, and resurrection (1 Corinthians 15:3-4) seem much more profound after 40 days of self-sacrifice.

Fifty in the Faith

Socrates said, “the unexamined life is not worth living.” On January 17, 2018, I will celebrate my fiftieth birthday as a believer. Hooray!!! While I think of the many blessings, I also wonder if my life exemplifies fifty years of growth in the faith.

I’m not into the hype the world puts in to New Year's Resolutions. But, every January, I do set personal and ministry goals for the year. This year for personal goals I plan to use Luke 2:52 as my guide. Luke chapter two chronicles twelve-year-old Jesus getting left at the temple. When he is found and the family journeys home, the chapter concludes with: “And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man.”

Jesus grew mentally, physically, spiritually, and socially. When I set my personal goals, I divided a piece of paper into four blocks. I placed one growth area in each quarter of the page. My analysis included looking at my strengths and weaknesses in each growth area.

Then I placed a goal in each quarter that I want to work on this year. This paper is placed in my devotional materials and I check it routinely. Below are some possible goals. Notice each of these example goals are measurable so you can check how you are doing. 

                                            2018 Personal Growth Goals

                                                          Luke 2:52

          Mental                                                                Physical

          Read 12 books.                                                   Get to bed at 11 pm.

          Take knitting class.                                             Lose ½ pound each week.

                                                                                              

                                                                                              

                                                                                              

          Spiritual                                                              Social

                                                                                              

          Update prayer notebook.                                    Weekly lunch with a friend.

          Start verse memorization.                                   Monthly couples dinner.                                                                                                           

The Worst Mother's Day Gifts

Most moms are too polite to complain, but 40 percent say they have received a Mother's Day gift they didn't want. The British paper the Mirror reported on March 5, 2016 thirty terrible gifts that moms had received. Here are some of those worst gifts:

                * Deodorant

                * Fire extinguisher

                * Cleaning supplies

                * A loaf of French bread
                *  Salad dressing
                * Popcorn
                * Ants (hopefully in an ant farm)
                * Hair dye
                * Screwdriver
                * Toilet roll
                * Calculator
                * Car parts

If you're struggling what to get your mom, please do not consider any gifts from this list. Instead you could print Proverbs 31:28, "Her children arise and call her blessed." Then have it framed and gift wrapped for mom. Unless she's allergic or on a diet, chocolates work well as a present. Flowers are a winner too.

Why Are So Many Christians Unhappy?

Have you read 1 Peter 1:8 lately? “Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy.” 

 If you believe the scripture to be true as I do, then why are so many believers sad?

I suppose I could understand how a terminal cancer patient in horrific pain or a parent who stayed up all night with a sick child might suffer melancholy. In his classic book, Spiritual Depression, Martyn Lloyd-Jones, writes some by nature tend to exhibit a sad personality. As a counselor, I have observed that to be true. Also, we can’t forget the evil one thrives on stealing our joy.

However, the Christians who I have noticed to be the most miserable are those who live on the fence. They seek pleasure and satisfaction from the world but when that fails they hop back to God for security and fire insurance. This tango of tangled affections leaves them exhausted and confused.

Think back to the Garden of Eden when the serpent duped Eve into thinking the world had the pleasures of life not God and his plan. Is he not trying to trick us into the same sorrow today? My advice is to do as David did and declare, “Whom have I in heaven but you? And earth has nothing I desire besides you” (Psalm 73:25). Our steadfastness will lead us to a soul soaring with joy.

Code Blue-Gray Proposal

What a great conference last week! I have finally caught up on my sleep from the "Called to Write Conference" in Pittsburg, Kansas. Some nights I was so inspired to write, I couldn't settle down to

close my eyes. Sleep evaded me another night when I stayed up late to write a book proposal.

Debra L. Butterfield, CrossRiver Media

Code Blue-Gray: Hope and Humor for the Ill (a working title for now) was given to CrossRiver Media for consideration. The bulk of this book will chronicle my health journey from the end of 2013 to the present. Interspersed there will be one-liners, cartoons, and humorous poems. My hope is Code Blue-Gray will be marketed in hospital gift shops to give the dying and depressed some comic relief and hope for healing. Please pray with me as CRM reviews my proposal . I have met two editors from CrossRiver and was impressed with both. Debra Butterfield, Nonfiction Acquisitions Editor for CRM, presented several workshops at the conference. One I especially enjoyed was "Creating Captivating Characters." Deb is pictured to the left. If you would like to get updates about this upcoming book, please leave me a comment and I will add you to the growing list.

Kathleen Y'Barbo

CALLED TO WRITE

I am looking forward to the Called to Write Conference next week in Pittsburg, Kansas. Featured speakers are best-selling author Kathleen Y'Barbo, prolific-freelance writer Jane Landreth, and Jeane Wynn of Wynn-Wynn Media. Ramona Tucker of OakTara, whose father passed away and her mother is gravely ill, will not be able to present. She will be replaced by Debra Butterfield, acquisitions editor for CrossRiver Media. This event is hosted by the Christian Writers'  Fellowship of Girard, KS. If you would like more information on this great conference go to the link below. I hope to see you there.
        Called to Write Conference 2015

New Blog and Website

Please check out my new website and blog. Praying for Our Pastors is a blog that talks about topics of prayer and keeps you updated as to the progress of my upcoming book, Pit Crew: Praying for Our Pastors to Finish the Race. Here are the links:
Praying for Our Pastors Blog
Praying for Our Pastors Website

According to Pastoral Care Inc., 7,000 US churches close their doors each year. A study by Malony and Hunt in The Psychology of Clergy reported 75 percent of pastors experienced periods of major distress, while 33 percent have seriously considered quitting the ministry. This must stop!

My love for the work of my minister led me to pray consistently for him and his family. Further, I formed a small group to pray for all the pastors in my church. This group later became known as the "pit crew." My practical experience and research became a book called Becoming Our Pastors' Pit Crew: Praying for Our Pastors to Finish Victoriously. It is my prayer this book will be published soon.

Stringer Writer

Last week, I was asked by the Jasper County Citizen newspaper to help as a stringer writer. That means I will be a freelance writer for them, but not an employee of the paper. My first attempt to be published in a newspaper was an article about the churches in Carl Junction who had or will have a VBS program this summer. I thoroughly enjoyed doing the interviews and taking photos. My delight overflowed when the editor made my article the lead story in the paper and gave me three more assignments. For my second article, I interviewed a Purple Heart recipient from WWII and the Korean War. What a dear man who is now in his 80s. I hope it gets published for the Fourth of July weekend. Not for me and my publishing career, but to honor him and his service. If you have some thoughts about an interesting story about someone who lives, works, goes to school, or is in someway connected to our city please let me know. I will continually need new ideas to be able to provide more good stories for the Citizen. Good pictures can be tough. There was a lot of action at VBS which became difficult to capture. I struggled with a glare when I tried to shoot the picture of the Purple Hearts recipients medals because they were framed. I'm meeting new people and learning new things about ones I know.

Faith and Foxholes

A couple of years ago on Fourth of July weekend LIVE published my article entitled, "Faith and Foxholes." It is a practical article which suggests ways to encourage and pray for our troops. I have scanned it for you to enjoy and use.

Pray for the Entertainment World

Are you disgusted by the things you see on TV? Do you go nuts trying to find good movies for your teens? When was the last time you were enjoying a video, but a raunchy scene made you turn it off? If you are like me, I am fed up. Since complaining didn't seem to help, I decided to go on the offense and pray. Here is a prayer guide I devised to pray for the various aspects of entertainment that impact our society.

How to Pray for the World of Entertainment

TV, Radio, Movies, CD’s, Video Games

1. Ask God to give wisdom, knowledge and understanding to those in entertainment who make decisions.  Help them to not take advice from evil people.  (Proverbs 2:6; Psalm 1:1)

2. Pray that the leaders of the entertainment world will understand the power that pictures, sounds and words have for good and bad.  Make them remember that one day they will have to tell why they made their choices.  (Proverbs 18:21; Matthew 12:36)

3. Ask the Heavenly Father to give those in media eyes to see kids as You see them.  Give them a tender heart that wants to protect innocent children. (Mark 9:42)

4. Pray that producers will make programs that show Your truth.  Lead them to make things that are good, worthy of praise, true, honorable, right, pure, beautiful and excellent.  (Philippians 4:8)

5. Ask the Lord to open the eyes of Christians to keep away from bad entertainment.  Help them to make good choices in music, TV, movies and electronic games.  Help them to be self-controlled and not spend too much time on pleasure.  (Acts 26:18; Titus 2:11-12)

From Tragedy to Triumph

Today, my doorbell rang and I received a dozen copies of "From Tragedy to Triumph." It is difficult to get copies of this book, because it is part of a set called "Extraordinary Answers to Prayer" published by Guideposts. They prefer to sell you the entire set. They didn't even bother to get an ISBN number for the book. But I wanted several copies because of the story "Three Moms" inside. It recounts the failed adoption of our daughter Stephanie Joy. This had such an impact upon our family I hoped this writing would be a source of healing. So after much pleading with the publisher, I managed to get these twelve copies. If you are able to come across a copy of "From Tragedy to Triumph," you will find Stephanie's story on p. 91. If not, don't worry. The contract I signed gives me the copyright of the manuscript back next year when it goes out of print. Then, I am free to give a copy of the article to anyone who wants one.

National Day of Prayer

I would love some year to be able to go to Washington D.C. to attend the National Day of Prayer. With teenagers in the middle of end of school activities, it will not happen for several more years. If you're like me, you'll be spending time at the NDP website.  National Day of Prayer