Like A Wildfire

This past weekend, wildfires swept across the Texas Panhandle and people in parts of Amarillo and in several area towns were told to evacuate their homes. They didn't have time to pack a bag or call relatives. The fire was coming quickly. They had to get out right then. Several said they barely escaped through the dense smoke. Thank God that no one lost their life in the fires, but about 30 homes in Amarillo burned.

Even though there had been warnings all week about high winds and the fire danger, some people were still caught off guard and weren't ready to evacuate.

That's how it will be when Jesus returns. Even though the Bible gives us many signs about the End Times, many will be caught off guard on the day He comes to catch away those who have made Him lord of their lives.

We are living in an amazing time. Who would have thought that this generation would see so many Bible prophesies be fulfilled in our lifetime? It's exciting to watch the news and realize that what we are witnessing today was prophesied about in the Bible.

Prophesy teacher Jimmy Phillips, whom I was privileged to know when I lived in Amarillo, was on the radio last week talking about what's happening in the Middle East and how it relates to the last days. He says the stage is being set for the great war of Gog and Magog. He is convinced that we are on the brink of that war and the return of Christ.

So the question is when will this happen and are you ready? No one knows the day or the hour when Jesus will come, so we should live rapture ready.

The signs of the End Times are all around us. Even nonbelievers should be smart enough to see something big is about to happen in the world. If they're wise, they will get their houses in order, and we should all get ready to evacuate this world. Ready or not, Jesus is coming and He's not going to wait for us to pack a bag or get our lives in order.

Like a wildfire that breaks out suddenly, the day of the Lord's return will be just as sudden. Don't be caught off guard. Watch for Him. Be rapture ready.

What Would You Do?

When people meet someone with a disability, they may not know how to react at first. Some aren't quite sure what to say to us, and others are sometimes overly helpful.

The TV show "What Would You Do?" presented a scenario where an actress posing as a wheelchair-bound customer is at the grocery store and another customer, also an actress, wants to be a little too helpful. She insists on helping the woman in the wheelchair gather up all her groceries. The TV camera watched the reactions of the other customers in the store.

Most of the other customers walked on by and didn't get involved. But others could see that the disabled woman was uncomfortable and told the over zealous helper to back off. Several customers told the helper that the woman in the wheelchair was quite capable of getting her own groceries. As one man aptly put it, "unless the woman asked for help, don't force it on her."

I always appreciate it when someone in the store asks if I need a hand. But I have had experiences where people want to be overly helpful, particularly when I'm loading my scooter in the truck. A lot of people will walk by and ask if I need help. Some people, though, don't ask before they try to help. They just grab on and say, "let me give you a hand."

TIP: Don't hold onto or grab someone's walker, wheelchair or scooter without asking first. It can really throw him off balance very easily. I have a certain way I have to do things and if someone takes hold of the lift, it can throw me off.

When I was walking more, I had people try to take my arm to help me up a curb or step. That's OK, but you still should ask first. Unexpected moves caused me to lose my balance. I'm not shy. If I need some help, I will ask, and most other disabled people will too.

Another situation I often face is people who don't know how to talk to me. When I'm at a restaurant with Mom, the waitress will usually look at her and ask what would "he" like to order. Hey, I'm right here. Just ask ME. Mom knows a lot of things, but she's not a mind reader. I can tell you what I want to order.

I understand why waitresses do that. They may be afraid they won't be able to understand me. But it's all right to ask me to repeat it. I'm used to it, so give me a chance.

TIP: If you still can't understand someone after asking him to repeat it, just tell him you're having trouble understanding him. I know some people have a harder time understanding me than others. Then I can get Mom or someone to interpret. But at least try to talk to me. I might surprise you.

I am blessed to have great friends and family who help me when I need it. And thank God for strangers who are willing to help, too. But remember, just because someone is disabled, it doesn't mean he needs help. We all want to be treated with courtesy and respect, so give people with disabilities the same courtesy that you would give anyone else. And we will thank you for it.

Expanded Site

I enjoy writing this blog, and I'm glad you are reading it. Thanks for the comments and encouragement! Now, this blog will also be posted at http://eyeofaith.webs.com

The new site has a few photos and other information about me and my writing, and it is easier for visitors to leave comments, questions or complaints through the "Guestbook" section. I also have some fun stuff that I will post from time to time on the main page, and I'll be trying to add other features over time.

I'll still post copies of the blogs here at this site, too, because I know some readers (Mom) have just learned to find and access this Web site. So whether you read the posts here or at http://eyeofaith.webs.com just keep reading.

I hope you'll check out the new site and let me know what you think!

Trumped

Happy Presidents Day! Remember the brave patriotism of Washington, Adams, Jefferson, Lincoln and others. Jimmy Carter, though, deserves his own special day... It's called April Fools Day!

Speaking of presidents... The Donald for president? Real estate mogul Donald Trump says he is seriously considering running for president in 2012. Trump said the United States is faring poorly and has lost the respect of the world. That's true enough, thanks to our joke of a president Barack Obama.

When I think about it, Trump might actually make a good president. He certainly has more executive experience than Obama had. Trump's also a brilliant businessman. He's worth an estimated $2 billion from his successful real estate deals in New York City. Trump has also made it big as star of TV's "The Apprentice," where he gets $3 million per episode.

As for foreign affairs, Trump even has experience dealing with other nations. He is, after all, the organizer of the Miss Universe pageant. That's more than Obama, the "community organizer," had when he ran for president.

Trump can be a tough leader. If one of his Cabinet members doesn't do a good job, Trump will simply say "You're fired!" You can bet he won't mince words either. Remember the feud he got into with Rosie O'Donnell? He called her a "fat pig." Well, at least he's honest. Imagine if he would use that tactic with our enemies around the world. It would certainly make things interesting.

Actually, I think Trump is talking about running for president just to get publicity. That's really what he's all about: grabbing the spotlight to promote himself and his business. But who knows? Maybe he really is serious about wanting to improve the country. With all his resources, he could even solve the debt problem.

I don't know if I would support Trump for president. But America could do a lot worse, and it has. Do I really need to mention Jimmy Carter again?

God's Timing

Timing is everything, especially on God's timetable. When the Lord speaks to us, we have to be ready to act. If we wait too long, we will miss out on the blessings God has for us.

That's what happened to the people of Israel when God brought them out of slavery in Egypt. The Bible shows us how God delivered Israel out of Egypt and promised to give them a land of their own. As they were about to go in to possess the land, they decided to send 12 men in to spy out the land. Two spies brought back a good report about the land, but the other 10 brought a bad report, saying the people of that land were too big and fierce for Israel to conquer.

The people of Israel became scared and began complaining to Moses that God led them out of Egypt "to let them die in the desert." Because the people did not trust the Lord to protect them, God turned His anger on them. God swore that none of that unfaithful generation would ever see the Promised Land.

The Israelites then decided they could go in and fight the giants and take the land. But now it was too late. God was not with them, and their attempt to go in and take the land failed, resulting in great losses for Israel.

The people did not go in when God said to go in, so they missed out on the blessing. Instead of enjoying the good life in the Promised Land, that whole generation wandered in the desert for 40 years until they all died. Only Joshua and Caleb, the two spies who brought a good report, got to enter the land.

We can learn a lesson from the people of Israel. Right now, God is giving each of us the chance to receive eternal life in heaven, our Promised Land, if we will come to Him and accept His Son as our lord and savior. He will give us all the blessings of being a child of God if we will act now.

But we must come to Him right now. Some day, it's going to be too late. One day soon, Jesus is coming to gather the faithful followers who heeded His call to act now. But those who aren't ready will be left behind. Like the Israelites who died in the desert, those who do not accept Jesus now will miss out on the great inheritance awaiting us in heaven. They will die an eternal death and suffer in hell for eternity.

I look around at what's happening in the world today, at all the chaos in the Middle East, and I see that time is quickly running out. If you haven't accepted Jesus as lord, God is calling YOU today. Act now while He is giving you the chance. Don't wait, or it may be too late.

Music, Music, Music

Music can be a powerful force in our lives. It can evoke many emotions and memories. We all have those songs that bring back memories -- good ones and bad ones. I like many different kinds of music, and it's funny how my tastes in music have changed over the years.

I listened to mostly country music when I was growing up. I spent a lot of time with Willie, Waylon and the boys on the radio. I used to call in requests to the little country station we had in Pampa back then. I would listen to the radio late into the night.

When K-Love radio came around, I started listening more to contemporary Christian music. Praise and worship music makes me feel closer to God. It's definitely more inspiring than the honky-tonk music!

Lately, though, I've been listening to an oldies station. Amarillo has a really great oldies rock station, 100.9 FM "The Eagle," that plays music from the 1960s, '70s and '80s. The station plays a big variety of music. Jim Croce, Led Zepplin and The Beatles all co-exist together on the station.

Today, for Valentine's Day, the station is playing classic love songs. So far today, I've heard everything from Elvis and "Love Me Tender" to Sonny and Cher's "I Got You, Babe." They're playing a lot of country love songs today, too. It's some of the best music of all time.

Since I was never a big fan of rock music, some of the songs I hear on the station are new to me. I like many of them. Of course, the rock music of the '60s and '70s is much different than the rock of today. I still don't like most of today's rock music. But I'm enjoying the older stuff. Does that mean I'm getting old?

I thank God for music. It really does add a lot to our lives, and it's good to have a song in your heart!

Land of the Free?

How far will the government go to limit personal freedoms? Every day, it seems the government is infringing on our freedoms. I don't want the government to interfere in our lives, telling us what we can and cannot do.

First Lady Michelle Obama has been on tour promoting her healthy eating program. She was on "Live With Regis and Kelly" this week, urging parents to feed their kids healthier foods. That's a good message, but it should be up to the parents what their kids eat, not the government.

I found the timing of Michelle's tour kind of funny. It was right after the big foodfest during the White House Super Bowl party. This is part of the menu: bratwurst, cheeseburgers, deep dish pizza, buffalo wings, twice baked potatoes, Snyders potato chips and pretzels and ice cream. Sounds like quite a feast! Mrs. Obama defended the food choices and said it's OK to have these things "once in a while." Thanks for your permission, Mrs. Obama.

Apparently, Hilary isn't following the first lady's healthy eating plan. She's really been packing on the pounds lately, hasn't she!

It's not just our diets that the government has stuck its nose in. In New York, lawmakers want to pass a law banning smoking almost everywhere, including places outdoors like Times Square and Central Park. I know smoking is dangerous and unhealthy, but come on, this is taking it too far! There should be designated spots for smokers. If people want to smoke and ruin their health, they should have that right.

But here's the one that takes government interference way too far. In Hawaii, there's a bill that would outlaw sales of toy guns to anyone under 18. It's not just toy guns that look like real guns. It's all toy guns, like the Super Soaker water guns. Every kid needs a Super Soaker!

The thing that really gets me about all this is the government is trying to limit personal freedoms like these, but it wants to make darn sure that women have the right to have an abortion. And the government will even pay for it at Planned Parenthood. Kids can't buy a water pistol in Hawaii, but it's OK to kill unborn babies. Something's wrong with that!

The government has its priorities all mixed up. It should be working to protect all human life instead of wasting time on smoking bans and gun restrictions. It's time for the government to take its hands off our personal freedoms. This is still America, isn't it?

Snow Day

I've been wanting snow this winter, and we finally got it! I didn't think we'd get all of our snow for the season (or most of it anyway) in one day, but that's the way it seems to happen in the Panhandle. Pampa got one of the higher amounts overnight, waking up to 8.5 inches of snow and huge drifts.

The drifts are amazing, almost as high as the tops of some cars. It's beautiful to look at! It makes me marvel at God's power to create such beautiful scenes. A lot of people don't like the snow and the hassles it causes, but I enjoy it. God gives us four distinct seasons here in the Texas Panhandle. Sometimes, we get all four in the same week.

So, a lot of people got a snow day today. School was canceled in Pampa, and many offices and some businesses are closed today. I loved snow days when I was growing up. Mostly, I liked the day off from school. I could go out in the back yard and play in the snow. That was such fun, even if my sister did pelt me with snowballs.

February is turning out to be a pretty active weather month so far. With last week's arctic blast and last night's near blizzard, I bet we can look forward to a baby boom in about nine months, you think? And we still have a lot of winter left to go!

*****

I hope that no one misunderstood the point of my blog post yesterday about church. It is important to go to church. In fact, some of us should probably go more often. If you're a new believer, it's really important to go and hear the gospel preached so you will get a solid foundation. My point was that if you have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, you can be close to God wherever you are and we should do our best to live for God all week, not just at church on Sundays. So I hope that was clear in my post.

A Question To Ponder

I like to listen to one of the local Christian radio stations and am blessed by the teaching. Some of it really makes me think and get into the Bible for myself. I don’t agree with everything I hear, and I sometimes debate one of the preachers on the station through e-mails. Recently, he posed this question: “If a person’s religion doesn’t take him to church (regularly), can it take him to heaven?”

Obviously, he thinks the answer is ‘no.’ I’m not so sure, though. Here’s part of the answer I sent him:

I believe the answer is ‘yes, it can take him to heaven.’ For me, I love to go to church, and it benefits me to be there. But my dad is an example of someone who didn’t go to church often, but he lived out what it really means to be a Christian. He was saved as a boy, about age 12. After he married, he didn’t attend church much. He loved to study the Bible, and he knew more about the Scriptures than many church-goers. He prayed every day and had great faith. He really lived out what he read and studied in the Bible.

He wasn’t opposed to church. In fact, he encouraged Mom and me to go, and he liked to go to Bible studies at our church at times. But he wasn’t comfortable with the crowds and the noise and he didn’t like all the ‘politics’ that, let’s face it, are part of every church.

It was the way that Dad lived outside the church, though, that made the biggest impact on me. He showed me how a Christian should live by what he did. He studied the Bible a lot and really strived to do what it says. If he had a question or didn’t understand something, he would study until he found the answer.

Even though he was my dad, I have to say he lived as fine of a Christian life as any regular church-goer that I know. He loved God and served him in the way he lived. I know he is in heaven today, and I look forward to seeing him again.

So, to get back to that question, “If a person’s religion doesn’t take him to church, can it take him to heaven?” Absolutely! I wouldn’t recommend staying out of church to everyone. But you don’t have to go to church to get to heaven any more than you have to go to a restaurant to get fat.

It’s what’s in the heart and making Christ as your lord and savior that counts.

Remembering the Gipper

He went to Washington to change the country, and he ended up changing the world. Today would have been Ronald Reagan's 100th birthday. Reagan was the model for conservatism, and he's clearly the greatest president of my lifetime.

When I think about Reagan, one of my all-time heroes, I don't think of a typical politician. That may be what made him such a great leader. Ronald Reagan had a commonsense approach to solving the country's problems, and his policies did change America and the world.

Within hours of Reagan's inauguration in 1981, the Iranian hostages were released. His presidency has been called the "Reagan Revolution" because it caused a political realignment both within and beyond the U.S. in favor of his brand of conservatism and free markets. His administration is credited with the fall of the Soviet Union and the end of the Cold War after he left office.

Who will ever forget his famous 'Evil Empire' speech, where he told Gorbachev to "tear down this wall"?

Reagan helped pull the country out of an economic crisis with the largest across-the-board tax cuts in American history. Reaganomics, as it was called, led to a strong recovery in the '80s. He survived an assassination attempt early in his presidency and went on to win the largest landslide in U.S. politics when he was re-elected in 1984.

I absolutely love the Gipper: his politics, his style, his optimism. He truly was a great American. Somewhere, I have a tape with eight hours of coverage from the memorial services in 2004 when he died and his body was flown back to California.

Reagan always said America's best days are still ahead. I agree. If it took Carter to get Reagan, just imagine the great things to come after Obama.

Thank you, President Reagan. You're what the American dream is all about. Now, let's go out and win one for the Gipper!

Viewpoints

There's been a lot of big events in the news this week. Here's a summary of a few of them, from my viewpoint:

Turmoil is mounting around the world. Egypt is only the latest country to erupt in violence and protests. Jordan, Tunisia, Yemen and other Mid-East countries are in a state of unrest. The significance of this is in these countries' relationship and proximity to Israel. The unrest is only going to get worse, and eventually it's all going to revolve around Israel. This is another clear sign of the End Times. When all this violence comes to a boil, that's when the anti-Christ will come onto the scene with promises of peace. The key is: Watch Israel.

*****

Barack Obama spoke about his faith this week at the National Prayer Breakfast. Of course, this was a complete farse. He was there for one reason only -- to promote his health-care law which suffered a major setback in the courts. Obama is trying to garner support from Christian groups as he gears up for his re-election campaign. Remember that Obama did not participate in the National Day of Prayer in May, and he has spurned Christian activities at the White House. But now he suddenly has a change of heart and wants to talk about his faith. If someone has to keep telling people that he's a Christian, how good of a Christian is he actually?

*****

We survived the "Big Chill of 2011." The forecasters were right about one thing. We got some of the coldest temps in nearly 20 years. The snow that was predicted mostly bypassed our area and hit Oklahoma and the Midwestern states. I would have liked to have had more snow here. Even Dallas and Houston had more snow than the Panhandle. Not to worry, though. Global Cooling is set to make another visit next week. Let's hope for less wind and more moisture then. We really need the moisture.

*****

Both sides are gearing up for the big match-up on Sunday. It should be a fierce face-off. Fans on both sides are pumped. No, I'm not talking about the Steelers and the Packers going to the Super Bowl. I'm referring to O'Reilly vs. Obama. Bill O'Reilly is interviewing Obama during the pre-game show before the Super Bowl. This should be interesting. I'm sure O'Reilly will hammer Obama on health care, Egypt and other hot topics. No fluff questions here. This is the no-spin zone.