The Lost Art.

I was watching TV recently and a commercial came on about a new revolutionary medicine to treat some chronic ailment that seems to be the latest malady to afflict us humans.  I forget the the drugs name or even the condition it was designed for but no matter, the side effects of the medicine were enough to send me running out of the room!  Yikes!!!  Between the nosebleeds, constipation, heart palpitations, chronic baldness and ingrown toenails, I was better off having the medical problem to begin with.  It was pathetically hilarious and ridiculously sad at the same time.  But it sort of reminded me about the state of our fallen condition we daily face outside the grace of God.
Too often we want to take a quick fix for what ails us.  Take two pills and see me in the morning.  What bothers us will all go away magically in a few days.  Now, I am not trying to be a cynic of doctors or the drugs and treatments out there for treating us when we are ill.  After all they have skills and abilities gifted by God and we should all be grateful for modern medicine today.  I am talking about a condition of our spirit which so often hinders our physical healing as to cause all kinds of unnecessary distress.  It's so common that I firmly believe it's a root cause of family problems, marital issues, friendships and business relationships.   Put simply it's an unforgiving heart!
Whatever gets us to the point of alienating people we profess to care so much about too often becomes the controlling factor of our thoughts and emotions.  It's so easy to harbor the bitterness and disappointments of situations or circumstances past that have angered us because we feel that we are right.  And we all want to be right , don't we?   The devil would like us to keep thinking this but Jesus talked very often about our own issues as judges and condemners of other people.  He warned us to be careful about taking positions of righteousness and piety when we are lovers of hypocrisy ourselves.  Matthew 7:5 says,
"You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother's eye."  In other words, fix your own heart before you go around advising others.   I know this has been an issue for me personally in the past.  It wasn't put aside until I surrendered to a Grace much bigger than I had.  So I make it a point to practice the lost art of forgiveness when I have the opportunity.  And I have to tell you,  it's not easy folks!  Surrendering your sovereignty over your own emotions and decisions to a Holy God takes work.  Lot's of work!!  But the rewards and freedoms He gives your spirit and attitude are truly transforming.  The three simple words of "I forgive you", cast aside all differences.  They melt years of pent up anger and feelings.  Heck, many times after the tears and hugs we often realize the mole hill that became a mountain was ridiculous to begin with.   The bible say that our lives are but a vapor.  We don't have a lot of time here so we need to make it count.  Living for Christ is the only way to live abundantly in this short time we are gifted with.  I have seen my life change dramatically in my walk with the Lord.  I am a better husband, father, son and person to those I know and love. Practice this lost art and watch the flowers grow where weeds once flourished.  Mend your fences and you will mend your heart!


Matthew 6:14-15 ESV For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

Once a boy, now a man.

My son leaves tomorrow to begin his new career.  I am all at once a bundle of emotions.  Proud, anxious, excited, nervous, ready for anything, wait a minute, you'd think I was going!  Even though somehow in a way I am.  You see, I am no different than any other parent in the fact that we vicariously live through our children.  That's why we try and involve them in every sport or outdoor activity when they're young.   Oh, I know we want them to play sports so that they learn about sportsmanship, competition and teamwork.  But us dad's have ulterior motives.  We want them to achieve the glory and honor we didn't.  The cheers and accolades for the heroes are sweet music to our ears.  The home runs and touchdowns or game winning shots make us the envy of the neighborhood dad's when we are the Home Depot on Saturday.  It's as if we turn back time to our glory days!  I have to laugh as I find myself embellishing my son's stories sometimes with my own little subplots as if I was reading it in the paper.  Now, I know that as a Christian I have a duty to be honest in conversations and not to lie.  I am hoping that God has a bit of grace for an overly zealous dad and his whimsical story telling. ;)
Anyway, he leaves and with him go the fastest 19 years of his and my lives.  He is now a man and must find his way in this world.  A world that is equal parts exciting and full of potential to dangerous and cold at times.  But I don't see the little boy that used to think I was the greatest thing since sliced bread.  I see a man.  A young man who has made his mom and I proud.  Who has prepared for this moment in his growing up.  Who wants to climb his own mountains and achieve his own dreams.  Funny thing though, I was that man once.  I know the feeling.  I can empathize with him in this biggest of steps in his life's journey.  My peace is in the fact that my son loves the Lord.  He has the full armor of his Heavenly Father with him.  He knows that he is never alone and as long as he stays in the center of God's will he can't make a wrong decision.  But he has to tap that resource in order to be enriched, encouraged and strengthened.  To live for Christ means to walk, talk and be like Him.  That can be a tall order in today's wrong is right world.  But I have supreme confidence in him, after all he is a chip off His Father's block!

Proverbs 22:6
Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.

The gift of a Father.

I know that I've been talking about my father quite a bit lately.  But with his sudden passing it's hard not to be overwhelmed by daily reminders and memories which either bring mostly smiles and a few tears.  And of course with this Father's Day on Sunday, the first without dad, there's  one less card to send and one less phone call or hug to give.  Well that's not right!  Just cause dad's in heaven doesn't mean that Father's Day stops.  After all, I'm a father for a quite a few years now.  So are my brothers and friends too.  The day is for celebration not sorrow.  I was privileged to have had my dad for 50 years.  He taught me how to be a man. How to work, fish, hunt, provide for and raise a family.  He also taught me how to face up to my responsibilities and mistakes.  Of which there were plenty in my younger days!  But probably most of all he passed on to me a very precious and valuable gift.  He passed on his absolute unconditional love.  Never once in my life can I think of a circumstance or moment that we experienced together that he abandoned me or shut me out.
He always forgave.  Love and forgiveness are two powerful traits to possess.  The subject of love is brought up and discussed 314 times in the Bible.  Jesus declared emphatically that love was the greatest attribute we can have.  It conquers all!  It is the cornerstone to the Christian walk.  Quite simply, where love is Christ is and where love is absent sin, hate and destruction abound.    So this gift of unconditional love my dad so generously doled out, was simply a gift he had received.  He knew that his job was to pass on to others what he had been so freely given by his father.   My point is this.  When our time is up and we go home to the O.G. ( Original God, that's my take on original gangster slang to be hip with my younger readers ) He will talk to us about the opportunities we had to pass on His gift.  It's not the money, real estate, possessions or trappings of this life we are to leave.  Those things all pass away!  It's love.  The gift that keeps on giving.  So well done father and Happy Father's Day.  But do yourself a favor and let God run the grill!!   P.S. - For those that knew my dads ability to destroy perfectly good steaks.;)

John 3:16   
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

America has a heart problem

I get a kick out of the many news reports each day of the condition of our country.  The condition of the economy, the congress, the deficit, the wars in Irag and Afghanistan, the housing and job markets, the many natural disasters that seem to be occurring more frequently and any other relevant or irrelevant topics people seemingly need to report about.  Between the internet, TV,  talk radio and our cell phone we can stay in touch with all this great news 24 hours a day.  We can be informed. Stay up to date.  Have our bit ready for the water cooler.  Eager to pass along the misery that seems to all at once both captivate and dominate our days.
  I am often amused to a degree about the things I overhear while in line at the local Walmart.  It seems almost every story you hear past the usual superficial pleasantries tends to devolve into a "did you hear about story."  Rife with sordid details about someone else's misfortune or tragedy.  Now mind you, I am not hear to espouse about the commonplace occurrences of our day to day lives.  Gossip needs no endorsement from me to fuel it's own fire.  Rather, I am just making an observation that all of us know and hear and talk about each day as we hurry along.   A famous news producer once said that "Nobody tunes in to hear about all the money raised at the local church bake sale."
  Sad but true!  But we want to be happy, don't we?  We want to smile more, laugh more, enjoy more, relate to others more fully and be bringers of good news, don't we?   Then why is it we focus so much time and energy on what's wrong or bad or sad?  I thought about this for awhile then took a look at my own life.  I found that in my journey I have had many of these same attributes that are mentioned here.  Too often, my countenance or attitude were determined by outside influences or conditions that were out of my control.  Being bombarded 24/7 by negativity without adequate resource to combat it will transform the stoutest of optimists after time.  It's just inevitable.  Until, one day not so long ago I met Jesus on my walk of life.  Funny, as I seldom noticed before but it always seemed that He was there.  Not a mile or two ahead or behind but always right there.  Now mind you, I never paid much attention to this most Pleasant Pest.  I didn't have time.  I was too busy being me.  But He sure did pay attention to me!   He finally got tired of my complaining and grumbling and He flat out told me I have a heart problem.  A heart problem?  No way!!  Yes, He said and you need surgery.  You need spiritual surgery!  And right now!
  Well through the next few weeks I faced the most intense physical trials and heartfelt anguish I had ever gone through.   I'll save this story for another day.  Old demons were battled and put away.  Transforming love and healing swept over me and fundamentally changed me.  Released from my past anger and disappointments I felt new.  Not tummy tuck, botox, face lift, hair transplant new!  But new from the inside.  A joy and peace I had never had before.  It was as if I was laboring and just enduring my life 's journey before but now could could breathe and see and experience without my past burden's.  My load was taken away by the Lord who had been knocking at the door of my heart for a long time.  My surgery was successful.  So, I am now a staunch advocate for just such checkups and if needed the necessary surgery.  No worries though folks, as He's the most gifted and able surgeon of all.  All this comes down to my one big point.  America has a heart problem!  And it starts with each of us.  If we want to fundamentally see our country restored.  Our ideals and values and prosperity come back, then you need to call on the Great Physician!  For if we all change individually for Him we will then change collectively too.  Heart surgery is our countries only hope.  Get your checkup and watch what healing will do for you!!


2 Chronicles 7:14
If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.

When heroes die.

We buried my/our dad last week.  It's hard to lose your hero.  My father was larger than life.  He lived his life with gusto.  Always loving, laughing, weeping, feeding, advising, challenging, rebuking, guiding and forgiving with the grace and authority given to him by Jesus.  I told someone that I am selfish.  I want my dad with me.  I wasn't through talking to and asking things of him yet.  And judging by the turnout at his wake and funeral, neither were many people.  My dad was the measure of a man in the true sense.  He was devoted to his God and family and friends.  That devotion and selfless love are what I wanted to stay.  But my God usurped my selfish thoughts and tapped him on the shoulder and said, "Frank come home."  My father died as he lived, doing his gardening on a bright May afternoon when his appointment with the King came.  So, sudden as to shock me to my core.  But oh, what a way he would want to go.  My mom found him in the grass, lying on his back, as if asleep with a small smile on his face.   So typical,  like the twinkle in his eye when he knew something you didn't and the childlike mischief my dad always had.  It was as if he was saying,  " I am sad to leave you, but oh, what awaits!!!"

Now that I've had time to think, I realize that my dad's selfless love and devotion lives on in me.  Just as it lives on in the people he touched and knew after they had met him.  Just as it lives on through the generations of our friends and families.  Selfless love.  Hmm, I know of a carpenters son who lived a life like that.  The gift of the cross is far more precious than gold or silver.  It is in the giref of death that I found the legacy of my father.  For that I stand proud and wipe my tears away.  I put a smile on my face and lock him away in my heart till I see him again!  What glory that will be!!


1st Cor. 15:55   
O death, where is your sting? O grave, where is your victory? 


See you again dad!

Welcome to "The Simple Truth!"

Hi Folks,
  Welcome to our blog! I started this forum to talk about our great Lord Jesus and His Church.  In these perilous times, we the Church are called now more than ever to reach out and touch people with the gospel message of salvation.  To tell the simple truth of the story of salvation and the way of the cross.  No watered down sermons, no legalistic church doctrines, no preconditions or requirements.  Just the great news of the saving blood of Christ!  We will encourage prayers, discussion, testimonies, needs and praises.  We will act in accordance to our Father's will and and exemplify the life of our Lord.  So feel free to check in each week and let's light the fire of "The Simple Truth!"

In His Service!

Rick Paulette