I grew up in a small house that faced a dirt road. There were a dozen houses around us, all on one-acre lots, and they were all on the same side of the road that ran along the top of a hill. In the summer we would walk to where the houses ended and the road went down a steep hill to the bottom where a creek crossed the road.
It was always a treat to get to walk to the creek. We would walk down the road past all the houses and if anyone was outside we might stop and talk with them for a minute on the way. The hill seemed long and steep but walking down it was fun. When we got to the creek the first thing we did was kick off our shoes and wade out in the cool clear water. That water seemed to take all the cares of the journey with it as it washed the dust off our feet.
We stayed a while to catch crawdads and chase minnows. Then we began the trip back up the hill, stopping now and then to catch our breath. When we finally got home we were glad to sit in the shade and rest for a while. Mom brought out a pan for us to wash the dirt off our feet before we could go back in the house. Walking back up that hill almost made me wonder why we went down it in the first place! But, the creek was so refreshing that the next day I was already thinking about going back.
Some journeys are like that. Even when you know the trip will be hard the destination is worth it all. You always know you will get your feet dirty if you walk on a dusty road but the trip is worth having to wash off a little dirt.
Jesus was with his disciples when they sat down for supper. They had three years of travel over dusty roads behind them. He had taught them everything He could along the way. He also knew what the road was going to be like ahead of them, that it led to a cross and a tomb. As they sat down to eat Jesus got up and took a pan of water and washed everyone’s feet. He did not do just it to wash the dirt off but to teach them one more lesson. He told them to do for each other what He had done for them. The road is dirty and we can only get to the end if we serve each other.
I heard a man say once that people who share the gospel have pretty feet. Isaiah said, “How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news.” (52:7). We wash each other’s feet when we encourage each other to live for Jesus and share His life. He knew the road ahead led to a cross and a tomb but he also knew it lead to a throne.
Bro. Robin
Saturday, February 25, 2012
Friday, February 17, 2012
Pencil Sharpener
I was going through a box of old craft supplies and I found a good pencil sharpener among a bunch of stuff that I no longer needed. I use a pencil out in the shop and the sharpener I use out there has had most of the plastic broken off and barely works as it is. The one I found is in excellent condition so I considered myself fortunate to have found such a treasure.
Perhaps I need to pause here and explain what a pencil is and how a pencil sharpener works. A pencil is a wooden stick with lead core, (that was actually made of graphite). If sharpened it leaves a mark when pressed against paper or other objects, such as wood. (People used to write with them before iPads). Using pencils taught me many things.
A teacher once told me, “The shortest pencil is better than the longest memory.” What he meant is that if you write things down you will always have them to remember. I like clever sayings like that because they help you remember important truths. People have been writing things down as long as there has been language.
Like us, the pencil worked best if it was sharp and had a point. The writing end had to be kept sharp with a sharpener to expose the lead. The pencil sharpener had a cone shaped hole and a razor sharp blade and when you put the pencil in and twisted it the wood would be shaved off to a perfect point for all your writing needs.
The other end had a rubber eraser so you could correct your mistakes. The eraser made pencils essential for some tasks such as math, drawing, and for many people, spelling. You had a choice. You could confidently pick up a pen and assume you would make no mistakes. Or, you could use a pencil and correct your mistakes as you go. This always made me wish life was more like the pencil. If only we could erase our mistakes and start over!
Since I use my pencil in the shop another saying I live by is, “measure twice and cut once.” This means we need to think about our decisions before we act on them. Life is not completely like the pencil. Our sins are recorded in a book and when we accept Jesus as our savior they are forgiven, blotted out, and forgotten. Jesus heals us and helps us but we still have to live with the consequences of sin. We do not get to go back and do it over. We have to move forward from here and try again.
Jeremiah 31:33 promises, “…I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts and I will be their God and they shall be my people.” (ESV) I am glad God does not do that with a pencil.
Robin
Perhaps I need to pause here and explain what a pencil is and how a pencil sharpener works. A pencil is a wooden stick with lead core, (that was actually made of graphite). If sharpened it leaves a mark when pressed against paper or other objects, such as wood. (People used to write with them before iPads). Using pencils taught me many things.
A teacher once told me, “The shortest pencil is better than the longest memory.” What he meant is that if you write things down you will always have them to remember. I like clever sayings like that because they help you remember important truths. People have been writing things down as long as there has been language.
Like us, the pencil worked best if it was sharp and had a point. The writing end had to be kept sharp with a sharpener to expose the lead. The pencil sharpener had a cone shaped hole and a razor sharp blade and when you put the pencil in and twisted it the wood would be shaved off to a perfect point for all your writing needs.
The other end had a rubber eraser so you could correct your mistakes. The eraser made pencils essential for some tasks such as math, drawing, and for many people, spelling. You had a choice. You could confidently pick up a pen and assume you would make no mistakes. Or, you could use a pencil and correct your mistakes as you go. This always made me wish life was more like the pencil. If only we could erase our mistakes and start over!
Since I use my pencil in the shop another saying I live by is, “measure twice and cut once.” This means we need to think about our decisions before we act on them. Life is not completely like the pencil. Our sins are recorded in a book and when we accept Jesus as our savior they are forgiven, blotted out, and forgotten. Jesus heals us and helps us but we still have to live with the consequences of sin. We do not get to go back and do it over. We have to move forward from here and try again.
Jeremiah 31:33 promises, “…I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts and I will be their God and they shall be my people.” (ESV) I am glad God does not do that with a pencil.
Robin
Monday, February 13, 2012
Games
I grew up in a home that enjoyed playing games. We played board games and card games in the winter and in the summer there was Wiffle Ball and Horseshoes. When we were not playing games we were “discussing” politics or religion. The games were always a welcome relief from the discussions.
As our children grew we played a lot of games. Usually around holidays when we all get together we break out a game just for fun. Games give us an opportunity to laugh and visit with a little friendly competition thrown in. If there is ever a disagreement over a game we all laugh together and the disagreement goes away with no lasting results. Rules are followed, or changed, or made up according to desires of the group. Everyone knows it is all about the fun and the way that fun brings us closer together.
Recently Joyce and I joined a few other families for a game night. We sat at a table with a few others to play a game we all played at home. However, we all played with slightly different rules. As we shared the rules with each other we came to a consensus about which rules we would follow. Everyone in the group contributed a different rule and we played the game like none of us ever played before. In short, we had fun. As we left we discussed how we liked some of the new rules we had just learned. Sharing the rules added to the fun.
Fellowship builds up the fellowship. We need to take time to be together and grow closer to each other. When we play games together we do not just learn about each other’s rules, we learn about each other.
Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 says, “Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up!” (ESV)
That is why we call our church a family. Come to church and be a part of the family of God.
Bro. Robin
As our children grew we played a lot of games. Usually around holidays when we all get together we break out a game just for fun. Games give us an opportunity to laugh and visit with a little friendly competition thrown in. If there is ever a disagreement over a game we all laugh together and the disagreement goes away with no lasting results. Rules are followed, or changed, or made up according to desires of the group. Everyone knows it is all about the fun and the way that fun brings us closer together.
Recently Joyce and I joined a few other families for a game night. We sat at a table with a few others to play a game we all played at home. However, we all played with slightly different rules. As we shared the rules with each other we came to a consensus about which rules we would follow. Everyone in the group contributed a different rule and we played the game like none of us ever played before. In short, we had fun. As we left we discussed how we liked some of the new rules we had just learned. Sharing the rules added to the fun.
Fellowship builds up the fellowship. We need to take time to be together and grow closer to each other. When we play games together we do not just learn about each other’s rules, we learn about each other.
Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 says, “Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up!” (ESV)
That is why we call our church a family. Come to church and be a part of the family of God.
Bro. Robin
Thursday, January 19, 2012
Witness Checkup
During a visit with my doctor last fall he looked at my labs and remarked about how high my triglycerides were. They have always been high but I have never really understood why. So, I asked him what caused that and if there was anything I could do to bring them down?
He said, “Yes, you like ice cream too much.” His answer was so specific that it startled me for a moment.
“How did you know I like ice cream?” I said.
“Because with men your age it is either caused by beer or ice cream and knowing you I assumed it was ice cream.”
We both had a good laugh. I was glad that he knew me that well. It made me think not only about the health of my body but also about the health of my testimony. To my doctor too much ice cream is just as bad as too much beer. But, too much ice cream, while it may be unhealthy, will not make me drunk and endanger the lives of others. To my family, friends, church, Jesus, and most others who see me, too much beer would be far worse.
I have never had a problem with beer. I could never get past the smell, let alone the taste. It always reminded me of peeling peaches over a bucket in the summer when I was growing up. The smell of that bucket of peach peelings in the summer heat was all I could think of whenever I smelled beer. No temptation there.
Ice cream, on the other hand, has always been a treat. I have four ice cream makers. I have one that has a bowl that is kept in the freezer and two that use ice and salt to freeze the ice cream. My family enjoys my ice cream so much that they gave me a new one for Christmas that has a compressor and can make ice cream any time. I love my family!
Too much ice cream could also result in the sin of gluttony, which is just as bad in the eyes of God as drunkenness. I need to be a witness in everything I do. It makes no difference if I am at home, at church, in the doctor’s office, in traffic, at a restaurant, or in the check out line at a store. I want people to be able to see that I am different so when I share Jesus they will put His word and my actions together in a positive way.
Jesus said, “Let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.” Matthew 5:16.
I am not ready to give up ice cream just yet. However, I will be careful to take care of my body and always make God visible in the relationships around me.
Bro. Robin
He said, “Yes, you like ice cream too much.” His answer was so specific that it startled me for a moment.
“How did you know I like ice cream?” I said.
“Because with men your age it is either caused by beer or ice cream and knowing you I assumed it was ice cream.”
We both had a good laugh. I was glad that he knew me that well. It made me think not only about the health of my body but also about the health of my testimony. To my doctor too much ice cream is just as bad as too much beer. But, too much ice cream, while it may be unhealthy, will not make me drunk and endanger the lives of others. To my family, friends, church, Jesus, and most others who see me, too much beer would be far worse.
I have never had a problem with beer. I could never get past the smell, let alone the taste. It always reminded me of peeling peaches over a bucket in the summer when I was growing up. The smell of that bucket of peach peelings in the summer heat was all I could think of whenever I smelled beer. No temptation there.
Ice cream, on the other hand, has always been a treat. I have four ice cream makers. I have one that has a bowl that is kept in the freezer and two that use ice and salt to freeze the ice cream. My family enjoys my ice cream so much that they gave me a new one for Christmas that has a compressor and can make ice cream any time. I love my family!
Too much ice cream could also result in the sin of gluttony, which is just as bad in the eyes of God as drunkenness. I need to be a witness in everything I do. It makes no difference if I am at home, at church, in the doctor’s office, in traffic, at a restaurant, or in the check out line at a store. I want people to be able to see that I am different so when I share Jesus they will put His word and my actions together in a positive way.
Jesus said, “Let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.” Matthew 5:16.
I am not ready to give up ice cream just yet. However, I will be careful to take care of my body and always make God visible in the relationships around me.
Bro. Robin
Wednesday, December 28, 2011
Christmas Boxes
Christmas boxes are toys no matter what is in them. That is the conclusion I have come to as I watch my grandchildren open their presents.
First there is the wrapping paper around the box. There is a special joy on their faces as they tear off the paper. You can see the excitement and expectation as every layer of paper and box reveals a little more about the contents that awaits them.
Next comes the box. They finally get to see what is inside. Suddenly we see if it is clothes, toys, games, tools, or something totally unexpected. The surprise is half the fun as we watch the excitement being unwrapped.
Some things have to be tried on or played with immediately. Other things are stacked in a corner to be examined later. The fun of giving and receiving is followed by the enjoyment of having something new. All this fun began with an empty box. Before the box could be opened it had to be filled with a present someone picked out with you especially in mind.
Jesus said, “The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up. Then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.” Matthew 13:44
A new year is like an empty box. I have heard it said that you only get out of life what you put into it. In fact, I’ve said it a few times. But that saying does not go nearly far enough. Like a present, a new year is also what others put into it for you. We are all connected to the world around us. And, we can find treasure as we unwrap every layer of our experiences of life.
Happy New Year
Bro. Robin
First there is the wrapping paper around the box. There is a special joy on their faces as they tear off the paper. You can see the excitement and expectation as every layer of paper and box reveals a little more about the contents that awaits them.
Next comes the box. They finally get to see what is inside. Suddenly we see if it is clothes, toys, games, tools, or something totally unexpected. The surprise is half the fun as we watch the excitement being unwrapped.
Some things have to be tried on or played with immediately. Other things are stacked in a corner to be examined later. The fun of giving and receiving is followed by the enjoyment of having something new. All this fun began with an empty box. Before the box could be opened it had to be filled with a present someone picked out with you especially in mind.
Jesus said, “The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up. Then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.” Matthew 13:44
A new year is like an empty box. I have heard it said that you only get out of life what you put into it. In fact, I’ve said it a few times. But that saying does not go nearly far enough. Like a present, a new year is also what others put into it for you. We are all connected to the world around us. And, we can find treasure as we unwrap every layer of our experiences of life.
Happy New Year
Bro. Robin
Monday, December 19, 2011
Stockings by the Fire
I remember as a child waking up on Christmas morning and heading straight for the presents. Some time later in the morning we would remember the stockings that were pinned to the fireplace mantel. They were overlooked mostly because we already knew what was in them. Christmas Stockings at my house were always the same every year. They were white tube socks filled with assorted nuts and fruit and maybe some coins in the toe. Dad was responsible for doing the socks and he was predictable, most years.
After I got married I discovered that Christmas Stockings were a big deal in some homes. Joyce’s family used specially made stockings. They were shaped liked stockings but much larger and decorated for Christmas. In them we found new socks, (I always found it humorous that there were socks in my stocking!), and there were always fun things like pencils, toys, and snack food.
Joyce and I have carried on her family’s tradition. Every year before the presents can be opened we look inside the “stockings.” The actual decorative stockings hang in the living room. In their place we fill gift bags with goodies that the kids and grandkids always look forward to. Some things are practical, like new socks, and there are always fun surprises that we pick out especially for each person.
They say the tradition of Christmas Stockings goes all the way back the St. Nick himself. The original Nicholas was a fourth century Christian who became a lay preacher and because of his extraordinary devotion eventually became the Bishop of Myra, in modern day Turkey. As the story goes, he heard of a man with three daughters who was so poor he could not afford dowries so they could be married. Nicholas wanted to help but knew the man was too proud to accept charity so he walked by his house and threw three gold coins in the window. As it happened, the girls’ stockings were hanging by the fire to dry and by a miracle the coins landed in the stockings. The girls could get married and a legend was born.
Christmas has been a time of gift giving from the beginning. The wise men from the east brought gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh to honor the baby Jesus. We give gifts to our children and each other. The gifts may be small or large, practical or fun, but they all represent the love and sacrifice that went into the gifts we give.
Jesus was, and is, God’s greatest gift to us. He continues to give us gifts through his Holy Spirit. As we fill our stockings and give our gifts this year I pray that we will take the time to remember his gift. “For God so loved the world that he gave…” (John 3:16)
Merry Christmas,
Robin & Joyce Cowin
After I got married I discovered that Christmas Stockings were a big deal in some homes. Joyce’s family used specially made stockings. They were shaped liked stockings but much larger and decorated for Christmas. In them we found new socks, (I always found it humorous that there were socks in my stocking!), and there were always fun things like pencils, toys, and snack food.
Joyce and I have carried on her family’s tradition. Every year before the presents can be opened we look inside the “stockings.” The actual decorative stockings hang in the living room. In their place we fill gift bags with goodies that the kids and grandkids always look forward to. Some things are practical, like new socks, and there are always fun surprises that we pick out especially for each person.
They say the tradition of Christmas Stockings goes all the way back the St. Nick himself. The original Nicholas was a fourth century Christian who became a lay preacher and because of his extraordinary devotion eventually became the Bishop of Myra, in modern day Turkey. As the story goes, he heard of a man with three daughters who was so poor he could not afford dowries so they could be married. Nicholas wanted to help but knew the man was too proud to accept charity so he walked by his house and threw three gold coins in the window. As it happened, the girls’ stockings were hanging by the fire to dry and by a miracle the coins landed in the stockings. The girls could get married and a legend was born.
Christmas has been a time of gift giving from the beginning. The wise men from the east brought gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh to honor the baby Jesus. We give gifts to our children and each other. The gifts may be small or large, practical or fun, but they all represent the love and sacrifice that went into the gifts we give.
Jesus was, and is, God’s greatest gift to us. He continues to give us gifts through his Holy Spirit. As we fill our stockings and give our gifts this year I pray that we will take the time to remember his gift. “For God so loved the world that he gave…” (John 3:16)
Merry Christmas,
Robin & Joyce Cowin
Saturday, December 17, 2011
Ready for Winter
With fall in full force I have been giving some thought to winterizing. I have already winterized most things around my house. The hoses have been drained and the lawn mower is stored. I need more firewood and I still have a few things to take care of but for the most part I am ready for winter.
As I was making my mental list for winter I remembered a time in college when I was asked to help with a winterizing job. A friend of a friend had an opportunity to make some money winterizing greenhouses in the area. He covered them with plastic sheeting that helped protect the glass-covered houses from ice and snow. It seemed like an easy way to make a few bucks so I agreed to help.
The job involved unfolding the plastic on top of the greenhouse and tacking it down at the eaves. It was cold and windy and the plastic was uncooperative. He needed someone light and agile to go to the center of the roof and help with the plastic. He had asked me to do it. It seemed easy enough until I got to the middle and realized that there was no place to put my feet, surrounded by glass, and pushed around by the wind. The sound of cracking glass was unmistakable.
We heard him groan and we all worked faster to get the job done and get off the roof before someone fell through it. When he counted the cracked panes later he said that we would all have to share from our profit to cover the cost. I could see how much this pained him so I volunteered my profit to pay for the glass. He accepted my offer and I later found out that the homeowner was very understanding. He also admitted that he should not have attempted the job with the wind blowing like it was that night. So I ended up being the only one who did not make any money.
Preparing for change costs. Change happens to us often. We experience changes at work, in our families, with our relationships, and the world around us is always changing. We also go through changes at Church. We have to constantly be on our guard against the blowing winds of change and adjust our balance to minimize the cost. But no matter what we do there is always a cost involved.
Jesus often called us to count the cost. It was never a question of whether or not there would be a cost to following Him. He called us to always be ready to make sacrifices. He also promised great rewards for those sacrifices.
He said, “And everyone who has left houses, brothers or sisters, father or mother, children, or fields because of My name will receive 100 times more and will inherit eternal life.” (Matthew 19:29 HCSB)
Obeying Jesus costs us and those around us. We may not see the rewards in this life but we gladly pay the cost because of who made the promise. We cannot stop change. We can follow the one who will lead us through it.
Bro. Robin
As I was making my mental list for winter I remembered a time in college when I was asked to help with a winterizing job. A friend of a friend had an opportunity to make some money winterizing greenhouses in the area. He covered them with plastic sheeting that helped protect the glass-covered houses from ice and snow. It seemed like an easy way to make a few bucks so I agreed to help.
The job involved unfolding the plastic on top of the greenhouse and tacking it down at the eaves. It was cold and windy and the plastic was uncooperative. He needed someone light and agile to go to the center of the roof and help with the plastic. He had asked me to do it. It seemed easy enough until I got to the middle and realized that there was no place to put my feet, surrounded by glass, and pushed around by the wind. The sound of cracking glass was unmistakable.
We heard him groan and we all worked faster to get the job done and get off the roof before someone fell through it. When he counted the cracked panes later he said that we would all have to share from our profit to cover the cost. I could see how much this pained him so I volunteered my profit to pay for the glass. He accepted my offer and I later found out that the homeowner was very understanding. He also admitted that he should not have attempted the job with the wind blowing like it was that night. So I ended up being the only one who did not make any money.
Preparing for change costs. Change happens to us often. We experience changes at work, in our families, with our relationships, and the world around us is always changing. We also go through changes at Church. We have to constantly be on our guard against the blowing winds of change and adjust our balance to minimize the cost. But no matter what we do there is always a cost involved.
Jesus often called us to count the cost. It was never a question of whether or not there would be a cost to following Him. He called us to always be ready to make sacrifices. He also promised great rewards for those sacrifices.
He said, “And everyone who has left houses, brothers or sisters, father or mother, children, or fields because of My name will receive 100 times more and will inherit eternal life.” (Matthew 19:29 HCSB)
Obeying Jesus costs us and those around us. We may not see the rewards in this life but we gladly pay the cost because of who made the promise. We cannot stop change. We can follow the one who will lead us through it.
Bro. Robin
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