A Ten-Hut!

That is what I thought they said. Really! The man with the two or three stripes on his sleeve always said “A Ten-Hut” when an man with brass on his shoulders walked in.

Now I know they were saying “Attention!” to show honor, or to recognize someone more noble.

The Challenge

Philippians 4:8 challenges us to think (meditate) on whatever is noble or honorable. This high standard of thinking requires decision making, judgments, evaluation, and planning to imitate noble personalities.

Findings

As I toil to transform into a noble or honorable person, I found Festus being honored by Paul. I recalled prophets (preachers) do not get honor where they live.

Jesus was dishonored. He was accused of being a “Samaritan” (similar to the “N-word” in our society.). Jesus said he had not received honor from the religious authorities.

How does God view being noble or honorable?

God says humility comes before honor.  He said if the Son is not honored, then He is not honored. The Son spoke of the noble-hearted as the fruitful soil.

God recognizes marriage as honorable by everyone. He saw the Corinthian's gift to the Jerusalem Christians as honorable. He wants His Son's followers to live honorably. Living noble lives protects Christians from slanderous talk, and gives Him glory. Parents should live honorably, and receive honor from their children.

Benefits for us.

As I aim for a noble life-style, benefits will come my way.

• Slanderous talk, aimed to shame, will be laughable.
• Co-workers and friends will enjoy being around me.
• A confidence will emerge that provides additional success.
• My opinions will be viewed as valuable.
• Good opportunities for service will become incessant.
• Associates will mimic my honoring of others.
• The humility that brings honor will sharpen my outlook and shrink my mood-swings.
• I will enhance the noble work of others and exhibit it in my demeanor.
• I will decide to be humble, whether honor comes or not..
• I will arrange and achieve noble activities.
• I will set personal goals as I move toward honor
• I will practice, practice and practice.

Want to join me?

Christmas Card Lessons

Hey!

You know I am not into mailing traditional Christmas cards, and more into email, blogs, and FaceBook. But I will share with you three ideas that belong in a Christmas card.

Jesus temporarily vacated heaven for me. I can think of two reasons why He left, but I can't figure out which was more important to Him. Was it more important to Him to be guided by His Dad's love for me? Or was it that He saw me as priceless? Either way, I win.

And I am thankful He sees you as priceless, too.

My second idea is how Jesus' life began in poverty and misery. Have you considered His unwed mother making the long trip from Nazareth to Bethlehem on a donkey, and not in a Lexus or a VW bug? There were no vacancies at the Ramada, La Quinta, or Motel 6. They made the drafty, cow-chip-filled barn behind the inn their home. When Jesus arrived, He was not wrapped in a new flannel blanket, but long pieces of cloth from ????? He was not laid in a fine, germ-free, frill-lined bassinet. Joseph and Mary placed Him in a feed trough with hay as a cushion. (Imagine how hard it was for Joseph to keep his donkey from eating Jesus' bed-stuffing.)

I understand starting out poor and unfortunate. Being born in '55 at a Catholic hospital, and immediately being put up for adoption may have meant I was the offspring of a teenage girl who had made a huge “mistake”. Now, I identify with Jesus. He still sympathizes with me today.

My third Christmas-card idea considers the gifts to His kingship, divinity, and His suffering. Regardless of how many wise men came, they gave three very expensive gifts: gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Gold was a vestige of Him being King. Frankincense is a costly fragrance used in worship of divinity. And myrrh was an antiseptic used in preservation of the deceased. Was this symbolic of His life?

Everything I ever received from my parents, the Lionel train, a white paper mustache, two parents who delighted over everything I did (well, at least in the early days), a Tonka truck, and the portable record player (that I wore out). There was the pine branch stuck in a bucket and covered with whipped Ivory Snow for “snow” that served as a Christmas Tree (Mom always had a very sensitive nose). But in that little house on Frazier Street, I lived like a young King.

He deserved it. He IS a king. I did not. I am not.

Aren't these three good reasons to like Christmas?

I do hope you, all your family, and all the readers of this blog will have a magnificent and joy-filled Christmas. Please, take time to remember what Christmas is really all about. It was not about getting presents. It is about Jesus being THEGIFT to you and me from God.

Essential for Being an Authority

A couple of years ago while working on my masters degree I did a 50+ page report on a four-day school week as a way for school districts to save substantial money. I spent weeks pouring over the academic research papers (super-boring), looking at tables, graphs, and other pictorial representations of findings. I even visited with the only superintendent to have successfully attempted a shortened week in Arkansas.

My extensive work gained me an "A+", compliments from my professor, and a suggestion I submit it to several academic journals for publication. If my paper was published I would be classified as an expert on the subject, qualified to travel all over the nation, and a professional speaker on the financial benefits of the shortened school week. I feel I am an authority on this tiny piece of academia.

Let's suppose YOU need to convince members of the local school board on a single method to save them scads of money. You have heard of the savings generated by the shorter school week. You can have only one person come in. Which would you chose? Would you chose me, or would you bring in a likable, experienced, successful, "4-day school week" superintendent? Anyone in their right mind will pick the superintendent. Why? He has authority based on experienced, not the type of authority based on what others have written.

Jesus had 'experiential' authority. He was with the Father in creation. He helped make man. He was with the Father when Moses received the 10 commandments, when Joshua crossed the Jordan, and when the walls fell at Jericho. Was he with the Father when the Jews stopped serving God? Was he involved in sending the Jews away to Babylon? Did he assist Nehemiah in re-constructing Jerusalem's wall? So, with all his dealings with man BEFORE he came to earth, he knows what mankind needs. He has experience!

The authority of the scribes during Jesus time on earth was like my kind of authority. They cited and quoted the works of many great Rabbis. They knew what had been written, and could report to the people what they knew. But they had no first-hand successful experience. It was an ineffective kind of authority. 

Is it any wonder people have always preferred to listen to Jesus?

Why do I have to learn this stuff?

As a teacher, students come to me asking "Why do I have to learn this 'stuff'?"  It is a good question, and deserves a respectful, thorough answer.

The simplest answer is 'it is the right thing to do."

What was it like for Jesus? We know he was a good Jewish boy, developing as he should. As a good boy he learned the trade of his father, Joseph, who was a carpenter. I am sure he had some cuts and smashed his fingers with a mallet more than once.

But he was not just a good Jewish boy. He was God's son. And as God's son, he was divine and knew all things. He asked his mother and father why they didn't realize he had to be about his FATHER'S business. So, he knew everything.

So, why did Jesus spend so much time learning a trade, carpentry, when he knew from the beginning that he would never earn a living using this knowledge? Could it be he was showing us what it means to learn obedience, even when we don't understand why? Could it be wanted us to know how much is necessary to be submissive?

Please put your thoughts in the comment section.

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