September 30, 2007

Good afternoon! It is the last day of September and yes, that means that four weeks from today we get to change back to standard time. This is a quirk of the new daylight savings calendar, that if Sept. 30 falls on a Sunday, then we have exactly four weeks until DST ends. I watched one of the Musketeer movies today, for about the 300th time or so, and it struck me as a bit of irony that in all the "Musketeer" movies the main characters seldom, if ever, touch a musket. Just one of those little odd things that I notice at times. Today, my mission is to produce my first public web site, and yes I will tell you the URL, once I finish that is. It is for my first assignment in my second web programming class, so it is not simply my own imagination as there are requirements which must be met. In one of the weekly assignments, there are four of them, I will try to add a guest book for you to sign.

This morning more wonderful sermons came to us from the men and women chosen to lead congregations in the worship of God. I do enjoy learning more about God and drawing closer to Him each day. I know that you have enjoyed the Word of God on this Sunday, and we all look forward to hearing the Word directly in Heaven. May God keep you safe and in His peace on this day.

Bucky

September 29, 2007

Good Saturday morning, and the last Saturday of September at that. Yes, the close of yet another month is upon us...which brings us closer to - Christmas! Everyone feel free to spin a few Christmas records on the stereo this morning. I realize that some of you might pause to wonder what in the world a "record" is, but trust me, at one time they were all the rage.

One reason I look forward to Christmas is that some time before that the first freeze will occur. After that my allergy-induced sneeze attacks will stop and that is something to look forward to each year. Okay, that has passed, time to get on with writing. Another sign of autumn is the increasing affection of my black cat. No it isn't a Halloween thing, he just uses me to warm up; I suppose it's good to useful for something. :-)

I see that Democrats are making news by courting the votes of evangelical Christians these days. There is good and bad in that. It is good that Christians are voting and becoming involved in government. However, we want the political candidates to come to Christ, not to us. I don't want to be thought of as just a vote; I want everyone to be saved. I do not seek to institute a theocracy, that will come in due time upon Jesus' return. I want to be able to pray in school, in the public square, and give honor to God. I want the murder of babies to stop and the worship of Jesus to begin. Other than those things, I can see that I have much in common with the political candidates. :-) How many times in the past elections have we voted for the best of a bad bunch? I wonder if any of the candidates would respond to a letter. It might be interesting to see the result of that. I will keep you posted on this.

Peace, hope, and joy to all of you this autumn season.

Bucky

September 28, 2007

Good Friday morning! As the complexity of modern life increases all around us, what do we long for? Simplicity, or the simple life. Simple does not mean the same as ignorant, though it is used that way at times, nor does it mean the same as stupid. Simple is the choice we face in Jesus, believe in Him or don't. Belief in Jesus brings us to a new view of the Bible. Instead of spending time and energy trying to disprove some part of the Bible, and by extension all of it, our belief brings us to learn from God's Holy Word. Instead of complicating our life through worries of gain and acquisition, we want only what God grants us, and what God gives is more than a person can handle! Simple is the belief that give us joy, love, peace, and hope, all undeserved in this dark world. Simple belief seems unintelligent or stupid to this world and we are often portrayed as such. Simple belief is seen as an extreme view in this world. That may seem the strangest of all, and shows us just how well Satan lies. That a simple belief in Jesus has become an extremist point of view in this world shows how far the world has fallen in these dark times. Praise God for the simple belief of many in this world. We are surrounded by believers, though we may not see that in the news. One thing I believe, that Jesus is keeping our nation safe by the simple fact that many believe in Him.

Praise God for the glory of the day!

Bucky

September 27, 2007

Good morning and may the glory of God shine on you today! Last night we did begin our Bible study as twelve men and the pastor sat down for a good time of study and fellowship. I am glad to be back for the weekly Bible study, it has been a long summer. Every year, I learn a lot as we sit down together to study the Word of God. It is no longer amazing to me that we can read the Bible over and over while continuing to learn and discover more of God's great love for us and more about God himself.

I will agree with Solomon on one thing this morning, the first light of dawn is always precious. I realize that the "crack of dawn" may be an alien concept for some, but it really is something to see. Caedmon's Call is helping out this morning by singing praises to God for me. I sing along a bit, but not nearly so well as they do. :-) I make a joyful noise, if not entirely a skillful one!

God loves each of us in a special way!

Bucky

September 26, 2007

Good morning! My eyeballs don't seem to be quite ready for writing yet this morning. Must be due to my trying to get this out early today. :-) Today we have big corporate meetings on our plans... I'm sorry, our Vision for 2012. I suspect it means more stores and more of everything else. I pray that we can handle that aggressive plan, and I haven't even seen the plan yet.

How great is our Lord? We see the darkness in the world today, and yet we are filled with hope. We see news of conflict and violence, and still we are filled with peace. Temptations beckon us at every turn, and we can stand against them in the strength of the Holy Spirit. What should be dark is light, and where God enters sin must flee. Yes, the world would gladly run us through a giant mangle, but God lifts us up and holds us tightly to Him. Instead of groaning about the current state of affairs today, let us look to Jesus.

God be with you!

Bucky

September 25, 2007

Good morning to you! We came very close to the freezing mark last night. Autumn is arriving in a big way. You might ask "is the weather all they talk about out there?" There are no mountains, oceans, forests, or even landmarks out here. We aren't really a desert, but very dry. We have rain, but not much of it. We have tornadoes, but very few and they seldom hurt anyone. The fields all look very much the same and one buffalo grass covered hill looks much like any other. So yes, we do talk about the weather a lot; without trees, you can see the weather coming too.

I must confess that I had told myself that it did not matter what my new job grade would be after the reorganization. Last week the Lord showed me that it did matter and that I was lying to myself. A mistake was made somewhere in the bureaucracy and my new job was a pay grade lower. That did matter to me, after all none of us would like to be demoted. My bosses have assured me the mistake will be corrected, but that did wake me up a bit. Although I am not spreading it around at work, it is no secret that I want to write full time. However, I still want to do well at my job and would like that to be recognized occasionally. First things first though, college is not yet finished, and I get closer to graduation each day.

Autumn, the darkness has more hours than the light now. We know that it is never truly dark with Jesus. Though the times and news may seem dark, and it is getting gloriously dark, we walk in the light. Pray today for those still lost in the darkness and hold on to that hope of Christ's return!

God bless you all,

Bucky

September 24, 2007

Good morning. It is time to begin another work week and enjoy the start of autumn. The expected high today is 60º, must be fall. Yesterday I read some ways to prevent headaches. Good news for most of us... if they work that is. In all things trust in God. Forces are at work in the world today, both for our good and those working to destroy us. We may try to hide from it, but in watching the sources of news we cannot but help see the results of these forces at work. How is a little person to stand in the great storms of life? On the rock of Jesus of course. Alone we are only chaff in the wind, blown this way and that. In Jesus we are anchored in the rock that cannot fail. In Him we can grow to our full potential, and though our potential may not seem like much, it is very great in Christ. Let Jesus raise you up to your peak, and then watch as He grows you even more!

God is with you!

Bucky

September 22, 2007

Good Saturday morning! Sorry for the pause, I'm just sitting here enjoying a few Christmas tunes. Ah, no pause in an e-mail. You will just have to imagine one then. :-) I enjoy starting a Saturday morning slowly, but that isn't always possible. Today is one of those days where it is happening and I am grateful to God for it. Too much too soon is is often the story of this life. It takes a moment like this to realize the value of time. There are only a finite number of hours left in my life on this earth, and some of them I would like to spend just enjoying life in the Lord Jesus. The world wants us to rush about gathering accomplishments and possessions. Jesus wants us to believe in Him and share the Good News of our salvation. One example of Jesus' life that we tend to miss is the lack of rushing about. He had enough time to do the things that God had sent Him to do. Why do we rush about so? Part of it certainly is being caught up in the environment, the world, that we are in right now. Part of it may be the desire to accumulate possessions. There may be many reasons, both good and bad, that cause this rush. One thing I do believe is that all of us, even those given over to the secular world, realize that time is short. The end is not far away now, and that gives us reason for great hope. Jesus is coming soon, relax and share the Good News of His coming.

Praise the good name of our Lord Jesus!

Bucky

September 21, 2007

Good morning. I suspect all but a few have noticed the longer nights or shorter days by this time of the year. The stores want us to think of Halloween already, but it seems a long way off to me. The earlier sunset makes me ready for sleep a bit earlier than I would like at this time of the year, but I do enjoy the cooler temperatures. I even have a little tree out front that will change color and drop leaves this year. Sorry, but I seem to have no earth-rumbling, tree-bending piece of wisdom or advice today. Perhaps on this Friday God would rather I simply pass on a message of His love for you. Jesus' birth was announced by angels and heavenly stars, a message of love and hope was born in a manger in Bethlehem. That message was so strong that even a criminal's death could not stop Him from returning. One day soon He will return once more to gather us up and take us home. Hold on just a bit longer and share the message of hope and joy.

God loves you and I, hold onto that hope this day!

Bucky

September 20, 2007

Good morning! It is a great in in Jesus! Some Newsboys on the stereo this morning, a good way to help start the day. You can enjoy your favorite music group, but I have come to think that it is more important than I once realized. I don't know if you can blame a suicide or other violent act on some form of music, but it sure seems to help in the other direction. Listening to some joyful music, and glorifying our Lord in song does help to lift the spirit and start the day out right.

And we do need to raise our joy at the start of a day. As the pressure at work grows, the salvos between groups and individuals start flying back and forth. We are in that run up to busy season lock down and many things must be done in a hurry. We all have our busy times at work, at least those of us who still work, but even those who do not will remember what it was like in the race to a make a living.

Where do we find a fount of joy and peace to get us through each day? In Jesus Christ of course! Are we so busy that we cannot take a few moments to pray at work? Take a break, walk away from the desk. I have been shown that I cannot be of good service to my employer when I am stressed out and anxious, and I'm sure that holds true for everyone else. We need to be firm about taking a break regularly. Use that brief time to pray, breathe deep, and find that light of joy and peace given to us by Jesus.

God's grace be with you this day,

Bucky

September 19, 2007

Good morning. It is a great day here; the Bible studies are ready to start up once more and I have looked forward to that all summer long. Summer is about to close up shop and leave us as October comes near. I am ready for autumn! I notice that everyone but President Bush has the answer to the war in Iraq. That's kind of funny given that of all people our president probably has access to more information and advice than anyone else. That doesn't mean that he cannot be wrong, but we should ponder before throwing our hat in with the critics.

I am pondering today on outside and inside. We are inside and believe in Jesus. Things that make no sense to those outside, make perfect sense to us. The intellectualism of the world would point to that as proof of their disbelief. "Everything seems right to the fanatic on the inside," they would say, before lumping all belief groups but their own into the realm of quackery. However, I would submit that there is a source to legends that is true, all others are copies. It becomes more interesting when we remember Jesus' quote, "I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life" Do you suppose that he knew the intellectualism of the world even back then? You bet he did, it was prevalent then just as it is now. People in the natural want to stand up and say "I'm smart". You may substitute any word you like behind the "I'm"... intelligent, a free-thinker, an intellectual, et al. There is nothing wrong with study, working hard to learn more, attaining a PH.D. and other intellectual pursuits. Unfortunately, in many cases this leads persons away from God instead of to Him. Intellectual pride is easy to come down with, much like a cold or flu bug. A good defense is to point to Christ, keeping your eyes upon Him. Once we remember that God is the source of all knowledge and the Creator of all, then we have a wonderful defense against that crippling and damning intellectual pride that is so common these days.

Lord how we need thee, pray for each other today,

Bucky

September 18, 2007

Good morning! Why do I continue in my endeavor to impress people? Do you find yourself locked in that same cage? I do not need to impress anyone, but I do need to obey God. It is a part of this sinful world that we will strive to impress others and seek their adulation. It is also a goad used by governments, advertisers, and most anyone else to get us to perform for their benefit. However, we know what will really benefit them and that is the salvation of Jesus Christ. Praise God that we cannot impress Jesus with our stellar performance in this world on our own. No matter what accolades the world heaps upon us, we can only impress Jesus by obeying Him! What is one command that Jesus repeated many times? Trust in Him. It sounds so easy to the untried, but how many times have you planned and plotted and worked to get out of some trial without coming to the Lord in prayer first? Guilty! I've done it, but I pray that you have trusted first in Jesus and stayed out the trap of trying to overcome in your own strength.

Praise God for His unwavering love of us all.

Bucky

September 17, 2007

Good morning. Do you read the news or take stock of your life and stuff only to realize that everything around you seems to be breaking down? Welcome to the world, everything really is breaking down. No matter how well made, the creations of man decay or break down, sometimes at an alarming rate. We are advised to keep our eyes on Jesus, trust in God and remember where our true home is. Coming home at the end of a difficult day, the sight of our house is very welcome to us. Imagine then what the sight of our heavenly home will feel like! We will arrive there at the end of a very long day of toil, pain, sadness, and loss. Is it any wonder we need to be washed in the blood of the Lamb?

Praise God for the new day!

Bucky

September 16, 2007

Good Sunday morning to you! Ahhh, our Nebraska team is most definitely not ready to play with the top-ranked teams. Last night's game served up a big dose of humble pie for Nebraska fans. Praise the Lord our life is not made any worse by a football team's loss or better by a win. It did make for a painful evening of college football though, and I did empathize with an obviously outmatched team of young men. If I can feel empathy for a team in this world, how much more does God empathize with us in the land of the dying? Jesus saw life from our point of view firsthand. He knows what we go through each and every day. Back in his day, they may not have had organized sports, but they did have one great evangelist! Jesus spread His gospel to thousands in person, and many more through the disciples and apostles; all the way down through the years to you and me!

I read an article in the paper this morning about a pair of young missionaries from Sidney. It is exciting to be able to support a mission effort so close to home. We all have a message of hope and joy to share; let's find our place in God's army to share that message!

God bless you all!

Bucky

September 15, 2007

Good morning. It may not be autumn officially, but the temperature says that fall is ready anyway. A good cup of coffee really goes down well on a cool morning. The cat is generating some heat of his own today, tearing back and forth through the house. I still sound a bit froggy, but that ol' flu bug is going away. Praise the Lord for a new life in Him!

If you are a pro football fan, you are no doubt reeling in the news of a cheating scandal. Should this surprise us? Cheating in the win at all costs world of professional sports? Say it isn't so! You may sense a bit of sarcasm there, but I long ago gave up my illusions of professional athletes and coaches doing the right thing. Only in Jesus can we find the strength and courage to do the right thing, and even then we have our failures or slips. My only lament is that somewhere along the way we started paying too much money to athletes and the "game" part of sports has been lost. Many things are lost in this secular world. Why else would Jesus tell us to become as children again?

Worship the Lord!

Bucky

September 14, 2007

Good Friday morning! Did anyone catch the Presidential address last night? I watched some of it, but I think the always so carefully constructed "leaks" kind of ruin any surprises. After a person is finished reading the press "leaks" it hardly seems worthwhile to endure the speech. To God be the Glory! I would much rather hear someone speak of Jesus and his love. However, we are all missionaries to this world and withdrawing from it is not our mission. Yes, we do take time to withdraw in prayer and communion with the Father, and also with our brothers and sisters in Christ, but we cannot pull away from the world without sharing our Good News. I realize that watching one of President Bush's speeches is much like watching cheese mold, but we should try to pay attention and know what is going on in this world. Perhaps I am just spoiled by the wonderful ministers whom God has sent to us, but our dear President could really use an injection of life in his addresses. Yup, now I'm the critic. I do not envy the President his job and heavy responsibility. Let us pray for our leaders in the White House and Congress today.

God bless you all,

Bucky

September 13, 2007

Good morning! The sun has not yet come up, but the Son has risen indeed! I do feel better today, even though the lingering effects of the flu bug are still annoying me. The trials of life are difficult, but there is so much worse that can happen to any one person. Some days we awaken to frightening news; will we have a recession or another terrorist attack? Will you or I be able to sell our house? Will our great-grandchildren face the possibility of serving in Iraq? The media brings us tales of dread and woe, more than enough to satisfy the most pessimistic curmudgeon. In this life, as we come out of one dark valley, we may have only a brief respite before facing the next valley of shadow. Praise God that He leads us through these valleys. As I come out of one valley, and do not look forward to the next since Jesus told me to only worry about today, I do think of the calling. I ponder the Great Commission and what my part may be or where I can best serve. As you could tell me, it is not for me to worry about where I can best serve, for I cannot see all of God's plan from my little viewpoint. Praise God for that! Salvation of this world is too heavy a responsibility for any of us to bear.

I need to get ready for work, and today I will leave you with and in the love of Jesus, our Lord and Savior.

Bucky

September 12, 2007

Good morning! How about a nice "Hallelujah!" for the start of a brand new day in Jesus! In reading Pastor Rogers' devotional today, it came to me that we often get legalistic about the Ten Commandments. Have you ever, usually after telling a lie, thought to yourself, "Well, the 10 Commandments forbids bearing false witness, but not lying..." or something like that? So often we try to find a legal loophole or some excuse for our sin. Jesus told us, "Let your yes be yes, and your no be no." Which like Ephesians 4:25 does indeed forbid lying. After that we tend to get situational in searching for an "out" to confessing our sin. What if we need to lie to save some one's life? This question is certainly valid, but perhaps the answer is not "that's okay then." as the world wants to hear, but rather that we must trust in God. It can be very difficult to put our trust completely in God when we see something that we can "do" to fix a situation. However, telling a lie in an attempt to fix a situation may not be God's best solution. Actually that possible solution is probably coming from our own sinful nature and is not God's will at all.

Praise, glory, and honor to our Father in Heaven,

Bucky

September 11, 2007

Good morning. It is Patriot Day, a day to remember the victims of the terrorist attacks of 9/11 and the sacrifices of our service personnel in the war on terror. It somehow doesn't seem right to append a "happy" to the front of this day, but I wish you joy in even the remembrance of this day. To work or not is a bit up in the air today. I'm better, but not healed all the way just yet. The first morning in the 30's has arrived, heralding the arrival of autumn. Yes, I read 39.8º on the thermometer this morning. Soon the leaves will change and the beauty of fall will burst forth to glorify the Lord.

I remember clearly what I was doing the morning of Sept. 11, 2001 and how I first found out about the attacks on the World Trade Center. Some events are so significant in this life, that we remember many of the things associated with them. Our parents told us how they remembered what they were doing when news of the Kennedy assassination or the first moon landing arrived in their homes. Their parents remember the day the news of Pearl Harbor broke. What will our neighbors remember on the day the Church is raptured? Will it be like the Left Behind story where chaos ensues and the Antichrist steps into the confusion to seize power? Do your neighbors know enough about your faith that the first thing they would do is run to your house to see if you have vanished in the "blink of an eye"?

My neighbors seldom see me in the first place. Much of my life is spent at work or in school. It would probably be a few days before anyone near my home thought to check on me. Work would be a different story, but I know they would be missing many more than just me, and a great "Hallelujah!" for that. Yes, we do look forward to that great day of the Lord!

What a wonderful assurance we have in Jesus!

Bucky

September 10, 2007

Good morning. It is wet and rainy here today, and my cold kind of fits the weather. I will be staying home today with a nice cough to keep me company. Did you ever start feeling pity toward yourself and want to confess everything back as far as you can remember? Colds usually make me feel that way, but it is the wrong direction to go. God has forgiven our sins, we do not need to rehash them ad infinatum. Put those dark memories aside and trust in God to see you and me through the trials of this life.

I hate having a cold, and I'm sure you do as well. Being sick with something is a sign of the fallen world. We can be grateful for the trials that bring us closer to God, but the Bible doesn't say that we have to enjoy the illness. It wouldn't be much of a trial if it was fun or enjoyable! What we do enjoy is God leading us through that dark valley of illness, and coming out the other side once more.

Is all down and grey today? Well, no. I cannot help but think of waking up to find half of a moose's antler in my yard yesterday. That is something that will make you pause your stride. I did briefly wonder where the remainder of the moose might be, but didn't really think it would be anywhere around here. Living in a town of hunters, it proved to be a piece of yard accent from one of the neighbors, probably drug over by a wandering mutt or kid. The neighbor came over around noon and drug the errant yard accent back to its usual resting place. I'm not quite sure why he would want someone to think that moose antlers were shed in his flower bed, but that's the way it goes around here. I'll get back to practicing my cough, and leave you in peace for the day.

God bless you!

Bucky