Hello everyone,

As many of you know I’ve been publishing on MSN for coming up on somewhere around 2 years. I have had well over 18000 views, and wish to thank you all for that.

One thing I had always liked about MSN was that there was no banner ads on my blog, (other then a very small Volvo add which most people never saw on the top of the page). Recently MSN has changed that and began putting up banner ads on our spaces.

I have always held the position that I would leave MSN if they ever started doing that, mainly because I do not support a lot of the banner adds and have been to many blogs aboard where some banner ads are quite disgusting and less then edifying to say the least. My space has always been one where I want people to come to be built up spiritually, and I’m afraid some banner ads are more of a stumbling block then a help.

And so I wish to announce my leaving MSN.

However, I am not leaving the blog world. I encourage you all to drop by my new blog at:

http://isaacscountry.blogspot.com/

I hope to see you there...oh and by the way, I’m starting things off with a great blog called: Conviction

Please be patient with me as I work out the bugs of a new blog.

Thanks,

Isaac

P.S. In the months ahead I will be changing all my old articles over there and organizing them in such a way that you can find them easily.

I have the most huggable, lovable, kissable, cutest, cuddliest little baby brother in the world, and I just thought y’all should know.  

Today in passing I read two stories that I’d like to share with you all, they were written by Rabbi Ahron Hoch, who I’d never heard of, but I thought the stories were worth repeating:

“There once was a farmer who owned a horse. And one day the horse ran away. All the people in the town came to console him because of the loss. "Oh, I don't know," said the farmer, "maybe it's a bad thing and maybe it's not."

A few days later, the horse returned to the farm accompanied by 20 other horses. (Apparently he had found some wild horses and made friends!) All the townspeople came to congratulate him: "Now you have a stable full of horses!" "Oh, I don't know," said the farmer, "maybe it's a good thing and maybe it's not."

A few days later, the farmer's son was out riding one of the new horses. The horse got wild and threw him off, breaking the son's leg. So all the people in town came to console the farmer because of the accident. "Oh, I don't know," said the farmer, "maybe it's a bad thing and maybe it's not."

A few days later, the government declared war and instituted a draft of all able-bodied young men. They came to the town and carted off hundreds of young men, except for the farmer's son who had a broken leg. "Now I know," said the farmer, "that it was a good thing my horse ran away."

So many times in life, we look at things the wrong way. I’m reminded of the song by Kenny Rogers, called “The Greatest”:

Little boy in a baseball hat stands in the field with his ball and bat
Says, "I am the greatest player of them all"
Puts his bat on his shoulder and he tosses up his ball.

And the ball goes up and the ball comes down,
Swings his bat all the way around
The world so still you can hear the sound, the baseball falls to the ground.
Now the little boy doesn't say a word, picks up his ball he is undeterred.
Says, "I am the greatest that there has ever been"
And he grits his teeth and he tries again.

And the ball goes up and the ball comes down,
Swings his bat all the way around
The world so still you can hear the sound, the baseball falls to the ground.
He makes no excuses he shows no fear
He just closes his eyes and listens to the cheers.
Little boy he adjusts his hat, picks up his ball, stares at his bat
Says "I am the greatest when the game is on the line"
And he gives his all one last time.

And the ball goes up and the moon so bright
Swings his bat with all his might
The world's as still as still can be, the baseball falls
And that's strike three.

Now it's suppertime and his momma calls,
little boy starts home with his bat and ball.
Says, "I am the greatest, that is a fact,
But even I didn't know I could pitch like that!"
Says, "I am the greatest, that is understood,
But even I didn't know I could pitch that good!"

Looking back I think many of us agree that we have had some experiences that were less then desirable, but we now say that it was a good thing for us because we grew from them. So many times the issue is of our attitude, and the perspective, we don’t have the ability to see the whole picture when we were experiencing the situation, but looking back we can see it was for our good.

Let me share another story I heard from this Rabbi:

“I heard from a friend who experienced the following incident. If you've ever ridden a bus in Israel, you know how people enter the bus from the front door and pay the driver, and people exiting the bus do so from the back door. Sometimes the crowd is so great that people will also enter from the back door, and then pass their money up front to pay the driver. Well, this one time the driver decided he wasn't going to allow that. So he announced that whoever had entered from the back door, must now get off the bus and walk around to the front. Everybody complied grumpily, except for one very old man who could barely walk in the first place. Well, the driver stuck to his guns and announced that the bus would not move until this old man came on through the front door. So slowly slowly, one small step at a time, the old man got off the bus and walked around. And all the while, the people on the bus were shouting at the driver for not only his insensitivity to the old man, but for wasting everyone else's time!

Finally, the old man managed to make it up through the front door and pay the driver. And then he turned toward the bus full of angry people and told them: "Please, don't be upset. We should be grateful that my legs still work and I still have the strength to walk. Thank God!!’”

Oh that we all had the right attitude and could say thank you God, when we are in the middle of something that we see as an annoyance, perhaps it is God tugging at our attention, just to see if we have the right attitude.

Which reminds me of poem I read once:

When I Whine

~~~~~~~

Today, upon a bus, I saw a girl with golden hair

I looked at her and sighed and wished I was as fair.

When suddenly she rose to leave,

I saw her hobble down the aisle.

She had one leg and used a crutch

But as she passed, she passed a smile.

Oh, God, forgive me when I whine

I have 2 legs, the world is mine.

~~~

I stopped to buy some candy

The lad who sold it had such charm

I talked with him a while, he seemed so very glad

If I were late, it'd do no harm.

And as I left, he said to me,

"I thank you, you've been so kind.

It's nice to talk with folks like you.

You see," he said, "I'm blind."

Oh, God, forgive me when I whine.

I have 2 eyes, the world is mine.

~~~

Later while walking down the street,

I saw a child with eyes of blue

He stood and watched the others play

He did not know what to do.

I stopped a moment and then I said,

"Why don't you join the others, dear?"

He looked ahead without a word.

And then I knew, he couldn't hear.

Oh, God, forgive me when I whine.

I have 2 ears, the world is mine.

~~~

With feet to take me where I'd go.

With eyes to see the sunset's glow.

With ears to hear what I would know.

Oh, God, forgive me when I whine.

I've been blessed indeed, The world is mine.

I’m reminded of Peter as he would be walking on the water in Matthew chapter 14:

 “And Peter answered him and said, Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water. And he said, Come. And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to Jesus. But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me. And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?”

Peter took his eyes off the Lord, and that is when he started to sink. Jesus would rebuke him for doubting, I pray that even when I see the storms around me, and the wind, that I may still hold fast to my faith in Christ. We know that he works all things together for good for those who love him, perhaps we can not see the whole picture right now, but instead of focusing on the wind and the storm, let us instead focus on Christ, and give him glory despite our troubles.

I’ll close now with another poem:

I asked for strength and
God gave me difficulties to make me strong.

I asked for wisdom and
God gave me problems to solve.

I asked for prosperity and
God gave me brawn and brain to work.

I asked for courage and
God gave me dangers to overcome.

I asked for love and
God gave me troubled people to help...

My prayers were answered.

A Real Estate Broker was dismayed when a brand new real estate office much like his own opened up next door and erected a huge sign which read ‘BEST AGENTS’. He was horrified when another competitor opened up on his right, and announced its arrival with an even larger sign, reading ‘LOWEST COMMISSIONS’. The broker panicked, until he got an idea. He put up the biggest sign of all over his own real estate office. It read: ‘MAIN ENTRANCE’.

 I've heard it said:

The only difference between stumbling blocks and stepping stones is how you use them.

Author unknown:

Author unknown:

Letter from a farm kid (now at San Diego, Marine Corps Recruit Training)

Dear Ma and Pa:

I am well. Hope you are too. Tell Brother Walt and Brother Elmer that the Marine Corps beats working for old man Minch by a mile. Tell them to join up quick before all of the places are filled.

I was restless at first because you have to stay in bed till nearly 6 a.m., but I am getting so I like to sleep late. Tell Walt and Elmer all you do before breakfast is smooth your cot and shine some things. No hogs to slop, feed to pitch, mash to mix, wood to split, fire to lay... practically nothing. Men got to shave but it's not so bad... there's warm water. Breakfast is strong on trimmings like fruit juice, cereal, eggs, bacon, etc., but kind of weak on chops, potatoes, ham, steak, fried eggplant, pie, and other regular food, but tell Walt and Elmer you can always sit by the two city boys that live on coffee. Their food plus yours holds you 'til noon when you get fed again. It's no wonder these city boys can't walk much.

We go on "route marches," which the platoon sergeant says are long walks to harden us. If he thinks so, it's not my place to tell him different. A "route march" is about as far as to our mailbox at home. Then the city guys get sore feet and we all ride back in trucks.

The country is nice but awful flat. The sergeant is like a school teacher. He nags a lot. The captain is like the school board. Majors and colonels just ride around and frown. They don't bother you none.

This next will kill Walt and Elmer with laughing. I keep getting medals for shooting. I don't know why. The bulls-eye is near as big as a chipmunk head and don't move, and it ain't shooting at you like the Higgett boys at home. All you got to do is lie there all comfortable and hit it. You don't even load your own cartridges. They come in boxes.

Then we have what they call hand-to-hand combat training. You get to wrestle with them city boys. I have to be real careful though, they break real easy. It ain't like fighting with that ole bull at home. I'm about the best they got in this except for that Tug Jordan from over inSilver Lake. I only beat him once. He joined up the same time as me, but I'm only 5'6" and 130 pounds and he's 6'8" and near 300 pounds dry.

Be sure to tell Walt and Elmer to hurry and join up before other fellers get onto this setup and come stampeding on in.

Your loving daughter,
Alice

"Raising daughters is not a good business deal. You make a twenty-year investment and then just up and give the whole thing away to an inexperienced boy who doesn’t at all appreciate the value of what he is getting, and is probably not worthy of the gift, or “theft,” as it may be. To top it all off, he changes her name – takes her out of the family, and erases all traces of her lineage. Her children will not carry on your family name!

But there is comfort in knowing that all your investment was not really for that bonehead son-in-law; it was for your daughter – for her sake. Because you made her your life’s work, no matter what befalls her later in life, you can know that she will face it with courage and wisdom, bringing glory to God. She was God’s gift to you and your wife, precious and vulnerable, just raw material, and by means of his grace, you gave her back to him to be one of his stars in eternity. We dads are God’s teachers, his priests, entrusted with his most beloved creation, his last crowning feat of creation – the human female." -- Michael Pearl 

I remember the day five years ago like yesterday…September 10^th, - September 11^th 2001. I was up until 4 am putting down under-lament at our house for the flooring guys who were coming on the 11^th. About 4 am I finally crawled in bed totally exhausted, and ready to sleep for as long as I could.

4 hours later Mom woke me up and said that there was something going on that I might be interested in, Dad had called home and mentioned something about it. Groggily I turned my radio on, trying to make sense about what was happening…I’d never even heard of the Trade Centers, and was trying to make sense of what I was hearing as the radio people weren’t to descriptive at that point. I listened for about 5 minute’s then it all broke loose as the towers fell…

We don’t have cable TV of course, but I managed to hook up something and get one of the local free channels, and saw some of the footage…let me tell you, you never forget those buildings falling.

All I know is that the terrorist did some kind of job to get those demolition explosives planted inside the building in such critical spots. Just goes to show that we should always be ready to meet our maker, because we know not when our appointment is going to be.

I know it sounds odd, but if I had been there, I to would have been rushing into the Trade Centers to help; and its quite possible I could have been in the building when it came down, had I been there. I think I identify more with the firefighters, the with anyone else who was there that day. For the firefighters it was an accepted danger that they might not come out alive, and that was a danger they were willing to risk to help save others; because of their work there are more people alive today then there would have been had they not rushed in and laid their lives on the line so willingly.

I remember talking a few days later with a woman who couldn’t understand what would make me want to rush in and help, she said she would be running the other way as quickly as she could. I’m not sure even I could explain it that day.

As I reflect back today I wish to God that we could all take the same approach in our spiritual lives. Because of the firefighters, who were willing to give their lives to save others, the casualty rate, while high, was lowered significantly. What about the spiritual relm? Are we as believers willing to be the firefighters of our world today? While we may not battle smoke, explosives, dust, and terrorist, in the literal sense, we still can draw a parallel. As the firefighters carried hope to the wounded and frightened that day, so we who are believers carry the message of hope, in the gospel, that can save those around us from the ultimate fire, the Lake of Fire. Are we willing to rush in with our message of hope, laying aside thoughts of our own safety for the benefit of others? Are we willing even to give our lives should it be asked of us? Christ gave us everything, should not we in turn be willing to do the same?

I believe in you.

I believe you're a
special and gifted person.

I believe you have what it takes
to make your dreams come true.

I believe you have much inner
strength and courage.

I believe you're creative,
intelligent, and capable.

I believe you have
a bright future ahead.

And this summer,
I hope you never forget
that someone believes in you!

"I Believe In You," written by Bobette Bryan, 2001

"Have ye suffered so many things in vain? if it be yet in vain. He therefore that miniustereth to you the Spirit, and worketh miracles among you, doeth He it by the works of the law, of by the hearing of faith?" Galations 3:4-5

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." Jeremiah 29:11

God has said, "I will bring the blind by a way they did not know; I will lead them in paths they have not known. I will make darkness light before them, And crooked places straight. These things I will do for them, And not forsake them." Isaiah 42:16

Ever have one of those weeks where everything seems to keep getting worse, but you plug on…trudging along. And then out of no where a friend makes a random comment that you find hilarious, and it really brightens your day?

I spent the weekend out driving around southern Utah…yeah I was supposed to be hunting but the deer hadn’t moved down from the higher elevations into my unit yet, so me and Caleb had a blast just driving around taking pictures. You can see them now…but the way, if you get really curious, find Redmond Utah on a map somewhere, its about 3 hours south of where I live.  

’Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus,
And to take Him at His Word;
Just to rest upon His promise,
And to know, “Thus says the Lord!”

Jesus, Jesus, how I trust Him!
How I’ve proved Him o’er and o’er
Jesus, Jesus, precious Jesus!
O for grace to trust Him more!

O how sweet to trust in Jesus,
Just to trust His cleansing blood;
And in simple faith to plunge me
’Neath the healing, cleansing flood!

Jesus, Jesus, how I trust Him!
How I’ve proved Him o’er and o’er
Jesus, Jesus, precious Jesus!
O for grace to trust Him more!

Yes, ’tis sweet to trust in Jesus,
Just from sin and self to cease;
Just from Jesus simply taking
Life and rest, and joy and peace.

Jesus, Jesus, how I trust Him!
How I’ve proved Him o’er and o’er
Jesus, Jesus, precious Jesus!
O for grace to trust Him more!

I’m so glad I learned to trust Thee,
Precious Jesus, Savior, Friend;
And I know that Thou art with me,
Wilt be with me to the end.

Jesus, Jesus, how I trust Him!
How I’ve proved Him o’er and o’er
Jesus, Jesus, precious Jesus!
O for grace to trust Him more!

So there we were, eating lunch when Caleb tells us a random fact that he heard on the radio this morning. There is a new record for the animal that is able to close its mouth the fastest, an ant, able to close its mouth in thirteen milliseconds.

At first we were all shaking our heads wondering who had enough time, and finances to figure such a thing out, and why we would need to know that anyhow? I mean who really cares that an ant can close its jaw in thirteen milliseconds? It is neat, but serves no real purpose…or does it?

After listening and at first thinking the whole idea was silly, a verse came to my mind, after thinking about it for a minute I voiced my thought, which comes from Proverbs 6:6 “Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise”

Turning it into a lesson, we began discussing what we could learn from the fact of the ant who closes her mouth in thirteen milliseconds.

Reflecting on a recent experience in my own life, I must say that the conclusion reached was one full of wisdom.

The ant, which is wise, has the ability to be the fastest animal in the world to shut her mouth. It would not hurt, at least in my life, if I closed my mouth a little more, and a little faster sometimes, like the ant.

Solomon said to study to the ant, consider her ways, and be wise. Many times those who we consider to be wise are those who simply listen, instead of rushing to open their mouth…for many times that displays ones foolishness. (I speak from painful experience on that).

“In their affliction they will seek me [The Lord] early”—Hosea 5:15

Lord grant that as each of us who claim to be his followers, go about our daily lives, we would seek him constantly, not just when affliction descends upon us.