The Peacemaker

You would have thought that Pastor Jim was a kid turned loose on a free shopping spree in a toy store. That’s how excited he was about visiting the Wight Patterson Air Museum in Dayton Ohio. On the three-hour trip home, all he talked about was the aircraft, bombs, and missiles he saw at the museum.

One missile really caught my attention because of its name, Peacekeeper. A four-stage missile that could travel six thousand miles at fifteen thousand miles per hour and deliver ten nuclear bombs didn't sound like a peacemaker.

Pastor Jim explained how the then Soviet Union and the USA were in what historians called the “Cold War.” Each side had extremely powerful and deadly weapons that could virtually wipe out most of the world. The Peacemaker was developed as deterrence – to make the other side think before entering into war.

“Shouldn’t people think before the go to war” I asked?

“Yes, Bear they should; but often wars and fighting are reactions to emotions and fear. That’s the reason why Christians need to pray and seek God’s leadership before they get angry and start fighting with someone. The Bible says, ‘Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.’ The real ‘Peacemakers’ of the world are Christians that are willing to let God live through them.”

“Do you think Christianity is a more power force for peace than nuclear missiles” I asked.

“Yes Bear I do” replied Pastor Jim. “And that is the Bear Truth.”

Post Falls and Poor Pastor Jim

Pastor Jim went to Post Falls, Idaho, without me! He said he was going to take me but he might have to pay for an extra seat for me on the airplane (He is still mumbling about what cheapskates the airlines are now and how all that he got to eat was a bag of peanuts!).

Still, I would have liked to have went. They, Mr. Musgrave and Pastor Jim, went to help build a church building for a new church that started there. I guess it was an exciting time; but when Pastor Jim returned eight days later, he didn't look all that excited. He looked pooped. For over a week, he complained about “every muscle in this body” aching. I asked him why he went if he knew the work was hard?

“Bear,” replied Pastor Jim, “there can be great joy – inter-joy, when you are working very hard for the Lord.” Pastor Jim paused for a moment and continued, “The people that make up this new church and their missionary-pastor found encouragement and hope when their Brother and Sisters in Christ are will to work hard for the Lord. The Bible teaches that '...whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men.” (Col 3:23)

After our talk, Pastor Jim said he wasn't going to complain anymore because he had worked for the Lord and should be happy. God had given him a healthy body and a the chance to do a good work – and that is the Bear Truth.

Talking to Mr. Mower

I never knew that lawnmowers could talk. Well, I never really heard the lawnmower talk but I did hear Pastor Jim talking to his “Red Machine”. Maybe lawnmowers can only hear? Anyway, Pastor Jim wasn’t happy with Mr. Mower. It seems Mr. Mower was broken and wasn’t cooperating with Pastor Jim. One of Mr. Mower’s bolts wouldn’t come out and Pastor Jim was not very happy. He warned Mr. Mower that he was about to end up in the junkyard but Mr. Mower wasn’t buying it.

After several one-sided conversations, Pastor Jim put the tools away and took me into the house. He cleaned up and poured himself a large glass of ice tea and plopped down in the easy chair. We both sat there for thirty minutes, not saying a thing. Finally I broke the silence. “We’re not mowing the lawn today?” I asked.

“No Bear,” Pastor Jim answered softly. “Not today.”

“Did you fix Mr. Mower?”

“No Bear. Mr. Mower is still broke,” replied Pastor Jim.

“You couldn’t fix him?” I meekly asked.

“No Bear, I couldn’t fix him. You see sometimes you run across things you cannot fix or you cannot fix at that time. It’s sometimes better to quit trying because you’re so frustrated that you end up breaking it more.” Pastor Jim paused for a moment and then continued; “You should never try to solve a problem when you’re anger. Anger is a powerful emotion that if not held in check can cause a lot of problems. We will try fixing the lawnmower tomorrow.”

That night after Pastor Jim had went to bed; I gave a lot of thought to what Pastor Jim said. I thought about all the people that are broken whose life has been messed up because of sin. They, like Mr. Mower, often fight the Lord who is trying to fix them. That must be why the Bible says that God is longsuffering and patient.

Thankfully the Lord does give up on them just like Pastor Jim didn’t give up on his “Red Machine.” You see the next day Pastor Jim was back with some help from the church and Mr. Lawnmower was fixed. So if you have someone that you love who is fighting against the Lord, don’t worry. The Lord won’t give up and that is the Bear Truth.

Knock His Block Off!

I am more of a lover than a fighter. You should be able to tell by the “hug me” tattooed on my feet. Pastor Jim doesn’t care much for conflict, neither does Sister Pat. So you must understand my surprise when I saw Pastor Jim delivering karate chops at the air and punching an invisible object with all his might.

In a timid and peace loving manner, I asked him what he was doing. It was clear he was aggravated. He said he was “fighting the devil!”

“Really,” I replied in meekest tone possible.

“No! Not really. It’s just that I get so irritated with the devil always laying temptation in my way that I would like to punch him out.”

This was one of those awkward moments when I didn’t know what to say. Then Pastor Jim began to explain.

“The devil never lets up. He is always trying to cause Christians to slip up and to diminish their testimony. Sometimes he succeeds. Sometimes he succeeds with me. It is always a battle and occasionally I get so frustrated that I’d like to knock his block off.” I didn’t know the devil had a block but it was clear that Pastor Jim was upset with the devil. It was also clear that he was upset with himself.

“Does boxing at the wind help?” I asked.

“Yes and no. No, it doesn’t stop the devil and it doesn’t hurt the devil; but it does make me feel a little better,” answered Pastor Jim

I was a little bewildered with Pastor Jim’s answer; but I could tell he felt much better. I guess if you’re going fight anyone it should be the devil – and that’s the Bear Truth!

Bear Finds Home

I have always wanted a home; and when Pastor Jim and Sister Pat stopped at a nursery named the Enchanted Garden, I found a perfect house for me. It was scaled just to my size with all the room I would ever need. Even the landscaping was great.

I was ready to move in but Pastor Jim said it wasn’t a home. He said that home is where your heart is; and although this was fine house, it would never be a home because my heart would always be with my family. That is true. It is a nice house but it would be a lonely house without my family.

The Bible tells Christians that where their heart is there is also their treasurer. Since Pastor Jim’s and Sister Pat’s heart is with the Lord, they long for their home in heaven. But! While here on earth, the Lord has also given them His Spirit to dwell in them so that they can have a touch of home while doing the Lord’s work. Pastor Jim says the Holy Spirit is the assurance that some day they will be at home with the Lord.

I thought about what he said as we drove out of the Enchanted Garden sitting between Pastor Jim and Sister Pat. I am at home – sitting between the two people I love. Sister Pat must have been thinking the same as she reached over and patted me on the head. If heaven is greater than this then it truly must be a wonderful place – and that is the Bear Truth.

Capture the Wind

I was extremely curious at the strange contraption we found in one of the parks we visited recently on vacation. It caught Pastor Jim’s eye too. Pastor Jim said it was a windmill. He explained that in times past people used windmills to capture the power of the wind to grind gain and pump water. He also said that today they are building enormous modern windmills to produce electricity. (Have you ever notice how Pastor Jim produces a lot of wind explaining thing?)

I remembered a Sunday School lesson where Jesus explained to Nicodemus that the Holy Spirit is a lot like the wind. You can’t see the Spirit but you can feel its affects – and use its power. Perhaps each of us needs to become better windmills and tap the power of the Holy Spirit. And like a windmill we need to internalize that power and produce good works. And that is The Bear Truth.

Love “…seeketh not her own” I Cor 13:5

Sister Pat loves to quilt and anything that has the word quilt or quilting in it will catch her eye. So it wasn’t a complete surprise when Sister Pat announced that we were going on a road tour of the Quilt Gardens while on vacation. Because northeastern Indiana has a large population of Amish, the road trip was sprinkled with a large dash of black buggies and some super eating places. The gardens were neat, each one designed after a quilt pattern; but after the first few, I was ready to return home and maybe take a dip in the swimming pool. Of course, that didn’t happen.

Since I know that Pastor Jim’s idea of fun isn’t running around looking at different quilt patterns, I asked Pastor Jim why he was pampering Sister Pat so much on this vacation. Pastor Jim explained that love and marriage is not about seeking your own needs but about seeking the needs of your mate. He explained that being a pastor meant that often his time was spent meeting the needs of others and that he always devotes a lot of his vacation time to meeting only the needs of his wife. He said that makes for a happy mommy bear and happy mommy bears make for happy daddy bears.

I guess he knows what he is doing because Pat sure is a happy bear. Still, I became very tire of sitting in the gardens and fell asleep several times in the car as Sister Pat went into detail about each quilt pattern and every flower that was used. Pastor Jim just smiled and listened carefully as he drove to the next quilt garden. And, that is the Bear Truth.

Campfires, Rollercoasters, and Jet Planes

I asked Pastor Jim what was so great about vacation if you didn’t do anything exciting. I mean why didn’t we go mountain climbing or why didn’t we go ride the rollercoasters? What was so great about watching the sunset by a campfire and watching a sunrise with a strong cup of coffee?

He said that rollercoasters can be fun but that this vacation was about slowing down and giving attention to some of small wonders of life. For example, he pointed to the sky and a jet plane flying thousands of feet above us. “Bear,” he said, “We see these jets everyday but today I seen God at work in his church?” Now, I was confused. “Today, because I have slowed down and relaxed, I was able to marvel at all the different parts and pieces that make that plane fly so smoothly across the sky. The church is like that too. It takes all the members doing as God gifted them to keep the church moving smoothly.”

I had to think on that for a minute or two as we watched the plane disappear into the clouds. The church should work as smoothly as a jet flying across the sky and all her members must function in unity. And that is the Bear Truth.

Let the Vacation Begin

Usually on Monday mornings, when school is not in, Sister Pat moves slowly allowing her coffee to take full affect; but this Monday was different. It was vacation time! This is when Pastor Jim and Sister Pat throw things into a suitcase and then spend the next few hours questioning each other if they remembered this-or-that. I wasn’t counting but I believe the “I forgot” out numbered the “I remembered”.

We spent the next few hours traveling on unfamiliar roads and going through many towns and cities. One city, named Gas City, caught my attention. I couldn’t think of why anyone would want to live in a town called Gas City. Every time Pastor Jim has gas, we have to roll the windows down in the car.

We arrived at a campground and made camp in a cabins. Each cabin was closer than any of Pastor Jim’s neighbors but that didn’t matter because Pastor Jim said we were getting away. The campground was only a few miles for a town called Middlebury. It claimed to be the Mayberry of Indiana and Pastor Jim and Sister Pat needed a little Mayberry time.

The remainder of day was pleasant. As the day gave way to night; all were very weary but relaxed. The last thing I heard Pastor Jim pray before falling asleep was, “Let the vacation begin” I guess the vacation has began. You can be sure I will share the lessons learned on this vacation – And that is the Bear Truth.

Crock Pots & Microwaves

Bear Truth tagged along with Pastor Jim and Pat to their church’s annual marriage retreat! This appears to be a time when married couples dump their kids with relatives so they can act like kids for a weekend. It was also a time for the ladies to be pampered and the men to play the role of white knight.

There were some serious moments, when the group would allow it, for the guest speaker, Bro Rodney, to share some insight about marriage and the marriage relationship. For example, the first night I learned that men are like microwaves and women are like crock pots. Men tend to quickly make decisions and act while ladies are more prone to think things out. Men heat up quickly while the gals come to a slow boil. I can testify of this to be true between Sister Pat and Pastor Jim. I can also confirm that, while these differences can be a source of conflict, they can also be a source of strength and can actually complement one another.

However, I do have a problem! Every time I now look at Pastor Jim, he looks like the broken down microwave we carried to garbage a few years ago and Sister Pat looks like the shimmering new crock pot we purchased last spring. Don’t tell Pastor Jim but that is the Bear Truth.

Witticisms about Marriage

"All married couples should learn the art of battle as they should learn the art of making love. Good battle is objective and honest--never vicious or cruel. Good battle is healthy and constructive, and brings to a marriage the principle of equal partnership." -Ann Landers, Ann Landers Says Truth Is Stranger..., 1968

"For two people in a marriage to live together day after day is unquestionably the one miracle the Vatican has overlooked." -Bill Cosby

"All young women begin by believing they can change and reform the men they marry. They can't." -George Bernard Shaw

"Love seems the swiftest, but it is the slowest of all growths. No man or woman really knows what perfect love is until they have been married a quarter of a century." -Mark Twain

"A successful marriage requires falling in love many times, always with the same person." -Mignon McLaughlin

Road Trip Signs

Few remember the old Burma-Shave signs that once appeared along the road as you traveled. They were cute and catchy but also offered some really good advise for drivers. Below are a few I have gathered. Enjoy! And if you are under 30, learn from the wisdom.

On curves ahead
Remember, sonny
That rabbit's foot
Didn't save
The bunny
Burma-Shave

A guy
Who drives
A car wide open
Is not thinkin'
He's just hopin'
Burma-Shave

Violets are blue
Roses are pink
On graves
Of those
Who drive and drink
Burma-Shave

He tried
To cross
As fast train neared
Death didn't draft him
He volunteered
Burma-Shave

Bear’s Road Trip

Bear has spent a few days in Milan Illinois, which is near Moline Illinois. Sister Pat was visiting her mother. Sister Pat’s mother is eight-two years young and can proof it. She can and did keep up with the best of shoppers including Sister Pat. That is really saying something since Sister Pat believes her spiritual gift is shopping.

Today we took a road trip looking for a quilting store that took us about thirty miles out of town only to find that the store had closed a few months earlier. On the way back Sister Pat tried to find an old school she had once attended using one of Pastor Jim’s newest toys, a GPS. Either the GPS is broken or Sister Pat programmed it wrong because we ended on gravel road going no where. I sat quietly as the discussed matter!

There is a little wisdom to be found in our gravel road adventure. If you really want true guidance on where you are going and the right way to go then depend on the Bible – people and doohickeys can let you down. When it comes to knowing God’s will for your life don’t look to horoscopes or the crowd for direction, look to the Word. And that’s the Bear Truth!

Vacation Witticisms

“Vacation is what you take when you can't take what you've been taking any longer.”

“On vacations: We hit the sunny beaches where we occupy ourselves keeping the sun off our skin, the saltwater off our bodies, and the sand out of our belongings.” -Erma Bombeck

“A vacation is like love - anticipated with pleasure, experienced with discomfort and remembered with nostalgia”

Babies don't need a vacation but I still see them at the beach. I'll go over to them and say, 'What are you doing here, you've never worked a day in your life!'. -- Stephen Wright

No man needs a vacation so much as the person who has just had one. -- Elbert Hubbard

Bear goes to church

I was glad when they said unto me, Let us go into the house of the LORD. - Psalms 122:1

With the arrival of summer (Officially starting June 21st), many will answer the call of the sun and make their way to vacation activities. Bear Truth has no problem with vacations or the enjoyment of summer but he does worry when people put recreation before worship.

Do as bear does, always take the time to gather with the people of God and give the honor and glory the Lord is worthy of on the Lord’s Day. It may surprise you to find that the joy of summer can be found in the presences of the Lord.

Bear Sees Red and Meets Attitude

Delbert, also known by his friends as Red, had a visit from Bear the other day. Red has suffered a stroke. After a four week stay in the hospital, Red has spent the last three weeks in Rehab. Bear was happy to see that his friend was making great progress despite this major set back in his life. A few minutes with Red and you would understand why. Delbert has a great attitude.

When it comes to life, attitude can either be a great obstacle or a super energy. A bad attitude will insure defeat; and a good attitude can help you climb mountains. And the wonderful thing about attitude is that it’s infectious – you can catch it. Be around someone with a bad attitude and there is a good chance you’ll leave with a bad attitude. Bear left the Rehab Unit with a positive attitude. If Bear should visit you, would he leave with a good or bad attitude?

Attitude Witticisms

“The problem is not the problem; the problem is your attitude about the problem”

“Attitude is a little thing that makes a big difference.” - Winston Churchill

“Your attitude, not your aptitude, will determine your altitude” - Zig Ziglar

“A positive attitude may not solve all your problems, but it will annoy enough people to make it worth the effort.” - Herm Albright

“The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life. Attitude, to me, is more important than facts. It is more important than the past, the education, the money, than circumstances, than failure, than successes, than what other people think or say or do. It is more important than appearance, giftedness or skill. It will make or break a company... a church... a home. The remarkable thing is we have a choice everyday regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day. We cannot change our past... we cannot change the fact that people will act in a certain way. We cannot change the inevitable. The only thing we can do is play on the one string we have, and that is our attitude. I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me and 90% of how I react to it. And so it is with you... we are in charge of our Attitudes.” - Charles R. Swindoll

Money Facts

About 43% of American families spend more than they earn each year. The latest statistics on consumer credit from the Federal Reserve says that average American family owes about $18,654 per household, a figure that doesn’t include mortgage debt. (Source: How does your debt compare?)

Money Witticisms

"Money grows on the tree of patience." -Proverb

"Make all you can, save all you can, give all you can." John Wesley

"Annual income twenty pounds, annual expenditure nineteen six, result happiness. Annual income twenty pounds, annual expenditure twenty pound ought and six, result misery." - Charles Dickens David Copperfield

"If you would be wealthy, think of saving as well as getting." - Benjamin Franklin

"The safest way to double your money is to fold it over and put it in your pocket." - Kin Hubbard

"Never spend your money before you have it." - Thomas Jefferson

Creditors have better memories than debtors. -Benjamin Franklin

A nickel ain't worth a dime anymore. -Yogi Berra

The real measure of your wealth is how much you'd be worth if you lost all your money. -Unknown

Wisdom from an Ant Hole

Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise: (Proverbs 6:6)

While most ladies do not want ants in their home, all families would gain from having a few of the ants’ traits in their life. Ants are industrious little creatures who understand the importance of saving – a trait few American families have.

James J. Hill gave this advice on success and the necessity of saving money:

If you want to know whether you are destined to be a success or a failure in life, you can easily find out. The test is simple and it is infallible. Are you able to save money? If not, drop out. You will lose … You will lose as sure as you live. The seed of success is not in you.

I don’t suggest to check out or “drop out” if you have not been a saver but I do suggest that you get into the game and start saving. Think you’re too old? A funny thing about ants, they never stop storing up food. They never stop saving! They save in the spring and in the fall. Even if all you can do is put a dollar a week in a plastic bank, consider the ant and start saving. And that’s the Bear Truth