idea Bin
A collection of i thoughts
ideas, and illustrations to encourage readers to look up and to discover or rediscover the goodness and greatness of God
Mother
Before she held you in her arms, she held you in her heart.
She felt you kick and move around, the first time, with a ‘start.’
She prayed for you, chose pink or blue, she laughed and also cried.
Sometimes she went through hell for you, in childbirth almost died.
Then at last, she held you fast, and laid you on her breast;
there’s no one who cared more for you, or wished for you the best.
When you were sick, with worried look, she felt your fevered brow.
She made things work, like miracles, to this day you don’t know how.
She somehow mended and made ends meet
prepared your favorite, called you in to eat.
She watched you grow, and then to go- off to school or war;
then she prayed each day, she'd see your face once more
She, the first to mention Him, high who reigns above.
who gave you your first glimpse of God, in a mother's love. - id
Memorial Day
On April 19, 1775 eight men fell at Lexington as the first down payment on the high cost of freedom. Freedom is not free. The two great documents of the United States of America begin with the two words: When and We. “When in the course of human events…,” begins the Declaration of Independence. The second (the Constitution) begins with the words “We the People.” One is a time to stand and the other a time to band together. Abraham Lincoln warned that “a house divided against itself cannot stand.” America has never been more divided. That is not a wee problem. It is a “We” problem. America has a “we” problem because America has a God problem. The Bill of Rights lists the promises to the people, It was supposed to be a guarantee against the tyranny of government. These promised were the bedrock upon which a mighty nation arose and made America Great. These freedoms are, the freedom to believe, freedom to say or publish what you believe, freedom of assembly to discuss what you believe, and yes, the freedom to change your mind about what you believe. These great freedoms are taken from the opened hand of God Almighty. Woe to the nation that forgets God, and any David who attempts to face Goliath without the Rock of Ages. Woe to the Godless “We” of any house, nation or assembly. The spirit of Haman, Hitler and Atilla the Hun are like dogs barking beneath the walls of the City on a Hill.
Memorial Day is a sacred Ebenezer that reminds us that freedom is not free and is very fragile. In WWII 291,557 Americans fell in battle, 33,739 gave their all in Korea, 47,434 in the Vietnam War, and 148 more battle deaths in Desert Storm.
Our own history of faith has a similar parallel experience to our national history. “When” in the course of human events, “we” came to the place that “we” realized that a Godless “we” is worthless. That changed our life. We came to the site of the greatest battlefield, and the greatest battle for freedom in the universe, Calvary. There Jesus Christ shed his blood to set us free. Each Sunday is a Memorial Day that reminds us of the greatest “When,” (in the fullness of time) Christ died for out sins, (which is the greatest of deeds). That we might live in the light of God’s Love (the greatest of needs). It was by Grace through faith that we received the fruits of that greatest Work, and we became part of the family of God and part of the greatest “We.” -id
Lions and Tigers and Bears, Oh My!
Our Book of Acts
And sitting down, they watched him there. Don’t just sit there. Do something, say something, pray something, give something, plant something, grant something, sow something, grow something, build something, fix something. Life is what we do, or when life is done, it’s what we did. God gave us choice and made us free to choose. When people criticized the woman for pouring out the ointment, Jesus said, “leave her alone, she did what she could.” That is an epitaph worthy of any tombstone. May it be said of you and me, “He did what he could.” James said, “But be ye doers of the Word and not hearers only.” Did I do what I could, what I should, and what is good? Forget the bucket list. Get God’s To Do list. When God called Adam and Eve on the carpet, He asked “what did you do?” Paul wrote in Romans 2:6 “God will render to every man according to his deeds.” James also wrote, “To him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.” Someone speaking of all the speaking in the church said this, “When all is said and done, there is usually more said than done.” Mary told the servants in Canna, “Whatever he asks you to do, do it.” That is the best advice I ever heard. -id
