"Would you like to get something to drink?" Howard asked as we left the Sunday night prayer meeting.
I thought a minute, then said, "I would like a root beer float." He thought that sounded like a good idea, so we crossed the intersection to come on to the fast-food drive-in.
My husband gave the order over the speaker and waited for a reply. Nothing came, so we drove up to the window. A youth was at the window, and said, "That will be $5.25". What? For a single root beer float?
The young man seemed confused, but replied that they didn't have any root beer floats.
Then I chimed in to remind them that the sign said they would give root beer floats at no charge to veterans, to which he replied that they had never sold them.
"Then why were you charging me $5.00?" Howard questioned, to which the flustered young man admitted it was the bill for the car behind us.
As we drove away, I saw the marquee, which was emblazoned with the words, TACO BELL. "Oh, that's why they didn't have any, we were at the wrong place!" A&W was next door!
We drove to the speaker at A&W and placed our order. "Now, I'm a veteran, so I get it free!" my thirsty driver said to the attendant.
She took issue with that and told him the price, to which I chimed in, "But the sign says free root beer to veterans!"
"That is for August 6." she informed me.
"But today is the sixth!" I insisted, while she claimed it was August 4. Well, I wasn't sure, and Howard gave her his card, but she returned it unused, gave him a root beer float and closed the window! She hadn't charged us!
What a comedy of errors! Not only did we go to the wrong place to begin with, then argued about a complimentary treat not due for two more days! We shared the drink, but somehow it had lost its luster.
Just goes to show you that the blessings received at the church service can disappear if we aren't careful to guard our hearts and know what we are talking about!
Sunday, August 4, 2019
Vapor of Smoke
We always enjoy a hearty breakfast, even though it keeps me busy scurrying around the kitchen between microwave, range and fridge. This morning I was pouring coffee and forgot that I had left the toast in too long. Suddenly the room was filled with smoke, sending me opening windows and fanning a dish towel to clear the air.
Still the alarm screeched until we got it turned off. Looking out the window a little later, I saw a huge, red vehicle with ladders on the side in front of our driveway. It backed up, then the FIRE TRUCK pulled into the driveway! What? A fire truck for burnt toast? Thankfully, they left when we told them all was well.
What a morning! It left me a little unsettled. Thank God, it wasn't a fire, only smoke. Fire is mentioned many times in the Bible. It even relates an unbridled tongue to fire, as in James 3:5-6:
"Even so, the tongue is a little part of the body and boasts great things. See how great a forest a little fire kindles. The tongue is a fire, a world of evil. The tongue is among the parts of the body, defiling the whole body, and setting the course of nature on fire, and it is set on fire by hell."
Another mention of fire is from Jeremiah 20:9 where he writes: But if I say, "I will not make mention of Him nor speak any more in His name," then His word was in my heart as burning fire shut up in my bones.
This reminded me of an incident recalled in a preacher's sermon. A young girl had gotten saved at his revival meeting and was speaking in tongues as the Holy Spirit gave her utterance. She continued in her heavenly language all the way home from the services. Her father was very disturbed by this, saying "Shut her up!" Her mother locked her in a closet, but it was to no avail, for it was burning in her bones!
Praise God for the Holy Ghost and Fire!
Still the alarm screeched until we got it turned off. Looking out the window a little later, I saw a huge, red vehicle with ladders on the side in front of our driveway. It backed up, then the FIRE TRUCK pulled into the driveway! What? A fire truck for burnt toast? Thankfully, they left when we told them all was well.
What a morning! It left me a little unsettled. Thank God, it wasn't a fire, only smoke. Fire is mentioned many times in the Bible. It even relates an unbridled tongue to fire, as in James 3:5-6:
"Even so, the tongue is a little part of the body and boasts great things. See how great a forest a little fire kindles. The tongue is a fire, a world of evil. The tongue is among the parts of the body, defiling the whole body, and setting the course of nature on fire, and it is set on fire by hell."
Another mention of fire is from Jeremiah 20:9 where he writes: But if I say, "I will not make mention of Him nor speak any more in His name," then His word was in my heart as burning fire shut up in my bones.
This reminded me of an incident recalled in a preacher's sermon. A young girl had gotten saved at his revival meeting and was speaking in tongues as the Holy Spirit gave her utterance. She continued in her heavenly language all the way home from the services. Her father was very disturbed by this, saying "Shut her up!" Her mother locked her in a closet, but it was to no avail, for it was burning in her bones!
Praise God for the Holy Ghost and Fire!
Thursday, August 1, 2019
Lost Phone!
"Where is it?" I wailed. I had just come in from the porch and put the phone down. Now when I needed it, it was nowhere to be found! Maybe I put it somewhere else, I reasoned. But after looking high and low, I woke up our grandson and had him dial my number. Several tries didn't locate the phone!
We had to go out, so I gave up and headed toward the door. Going back to turn off the kitchen light, I couldn't believe my eyes. There it was, on top the cookie jar! Evidently, I unwittingly left it there! I examined it and found that the sound was off! How that happened, I don't know! No wonder I couldn't find it!
Not having communication was a strange, empty feeling of being disconnected. Nowadays, we take for granted the ability to be in touch instantly with almost anybody in the world!
I got to thinking that the inability to communicate is inconvenient, but it would be nothing to compare with being out of touch with God, our heavenly Father! Sometimes we may feel as if God is far away, but it is usually because we have not sought Him or have been neglectful of prayer and His Word.
I have been reading my One Year Bible since I bought it at the beginning of the year. I got a little behind, though, when I accidentally left my Bible at the home of our son in Houston. It was a while before he got it in the mail back to me, and I am still catching up, but if I miss a day, I do feel as if something is missing and try to make up for it the next day.
I'm reminded of an old song written when telephones were always in the same place, attached to the wall, called "Royal Telephone." Some of the lyrics are: "Central's never busy, always on the line, you can hear from Heaven almost any time."
It is still true! Jesus is waiting for us to contact Him! Being disconnected to Him is so much worse than misplacing a phone with the sound turned off!
We had to go out, so I gave up and headed toward the door. Going back to turn off the kitchen light, I couldn't believe my eyes. There it was, on top the cookie jar! Evidently, I unwittingly left it there! I examined it and found that the sound was off! How that happened, I don't know! No wonder I couldn't find it!
Not having communication was a strange, empty feeling of being disconnected. Nowadays, we take for granted the ability to be in touch instantly with almost anybody in the world!
I got to thinking that the inability to communicate is inconvenient, but it would be nothing to compare with being out of touch with God, our heavenly Father! Sometimes we may feel as if God is far away, but it is usually because we have not sought Him or have been neglectful of prayer and His Word.
I have been reading my One Year Bible since I bought it at the beginning of the year. I got a little behind, though, when I accidentally left my Bible at the home of our son in Houston. It was a while before he got it in the mail back to me, and I am still catching up, but if I miss a day, I do feel as if something is missing and try to make up for it the next day.
I'm reminded of an old song written when telephones were always in the same place, attached to the wall, called "Royal Telephone." Some of the lyrics are: "Central's never busy, always on the line, you can hear from Heaven almost any time."
It is still true! Jesus is waiting for us to contact Him! Being disconnected to Him is so much worse than misplacing a phone with the sound turned off!
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