Strut sent this to me through e-mail...I'm passing it on. Good stuff.
A few months before I was born, my Dad met a stranger who was new to our small Tennessee town. From the beginning, Dad was fascinated with this enchanting newcomer and soon invited him to live with our family.
The stranger was quickly accepted and was around to welcome me into the world a few months later.
As I grew up, I never questioned his place in my family. In my young mind, he had a special niche. My parents were complementary instructors: Mom taught me the word of God, and Dad taught me to obey it. But the stranger He was our storyteller. He would keep us spellbound for hours on end with adventures, mysteries and comedies.
If I wanted to know anything about politics, history or science, he always knew the answers about the past, understood the present and even seemed able to predict the future! He took my family to the first major league ball game. He made me laugh, and he made me cry. The stranger never stopped talking, but Dad didn't seem to mind.
Sometimes, Mom would get up quietly while the rest of us were shushing each other to listen to what he had to say, and she would go to her room and read her books (I wonder now if she ever prayed for the stranger to leave.)
Dad ruled our household with certain moral convictions, but the stranger never felt obligated to honor them. Profanity, for example, was not allowed in our home... not from us, our friends or any visitors. Our longtime visitor, however, got away with four-letter words that burned my ears and made my dad squirm and my mother blush.
My Dad was a teetotaler who didn't permit alcohol in the home, not even for cooking. But the stranger encouraged us to try it on a regular basis. He made cigarettes look cool, cigars manly and pipes distinguished. He talked freely (much too freely!) about sex. His comments were sometimes blatant, sometimes suggestive, and generally embarrassing.
I now know that my early concepts about relationships were influenced strongly by the stranger. Time after time, he opposed the values of my parents, yet he was seldom rebuked... and NEVER asked to leave.
More than fifty years have passed since the stranger moved in with our family. He has blended right in and is not nearly as fascinating as he was at first. Still, if you were to walk into my parent's den today, you would still find him sitting over in his corner, waiting for someone to listen to him talk and watch him draw his pictures. His name?....
Yep! Friend TV let me hear J.Hagee and J. Stanley this morning before I heard our pastors sermon! I was already fired up before we went to Church! Hallelujah!
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Jesus said, "he who stands firm to the end will be saved" Mark 13:13.
Live Life in such a way that those who do not know Christ will come to know Him because they know you
Amen Reb...It also has many good things. Can't wait to watch the Super Bowl next week. It helped us follow Jeane when she came roaring through Polk County. I enjoy hearing a couple of my favorite ministers as well ...one being a Baptist man by the name of Charles Stanley.
On the other hand I looked over the TV guide for today. Now we only get channels 2-23 because we have Road Runner computer .It's a mistake .We should not have any cable channels but they left it alone. Anyway I searched the TV guide today and I had to admit there was nothing I was interested in. I was going to watch Rush Hour but Strut's message highly convicted me. Instead..I'm on here talking with you guys.
Abe
Yeah I didn't think so. I may see Cops later. Did anyone see America's Most Wanted last night. It drove me to my knees this morning.I'm not being religious or funny. I had no idea what the Mexican police were doin gin Mexico. I pray that God somehow gets order in that country. It is run like a huge Mafia. It's horrible.
Chuck I did'nt send it to you to convict you, I just wanted to share it with you. It also show us just how we as christains can let things slip a little at a time and society can win over if we don't keep up our guard. Just look at how the people of this great country have became calloused to what we watch on TV now a days, 20 or 30 years ago there is no way we would stand for it but now it seems like its not that bad of a deal and it is the norm. Things that used to be X rated is now shown on HBO every night, and some of the language is unexcusable. Anyway I recieved it in an e-mailfrom the one that marriedmy wife and Iand also baptized us into Christ, I thought it was something that kind of hit home with me. God bless ya'll.
Had a great time at the trap and skeet range today, The next time you come up Chuck I will have to take you over there, we had a ball.
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THE NRA, WHERE WOULD YOU AS A GUN-OWNER BE WITHOUT THEM.
GUN-OWNERS, UNITED WE STAND DIVIDED WE FALL.
Chuck I did'nt send it to you to convict you, I just wanted to share it with you.Strut
Strut..Sometimes more than one person can benefit from the same lesson. Although we all know right from wrong it is healthy and good to be reminded often.Our flesh is very weak and we all need daily reminders. Thanks for making last year so wonderful. Here I was a hunter last year on here and yo opened your doors to me....a perfect stranger. Not only did I get my best buck so far but I made alot of friends and saw alot of new birds. You are very fortunate to have the support you do from a good church. Your hunting buddies are great and I kind of wished we would have gotten together around the camp fire with them and grilled a steak
I'm sure we will only be there for an evening the 19th. School will be in session and it will be a fast visit.....We will get more concrete plans as it draws nearer.
God bless brother,
Chuck7
The Stranger
