This verse tells us that through faith, our old self dies, and we are spiritually renewed in Christ, like a caterpillar in a cocoon emerging as a butterfly. It highlights His love and sacrifice. But the old self has a way of resurfacing, so it’s a journey of struggling with old habits, thoughts, or temptations as part of the process.

Paul lets us know that we will stumble in Romans 7:15, so sometimes it’s a matter of returning to God’s grace. Maybe it’s like the prodigal son in the Bible. We’re works in progress, so to speak.

Forgiveness is given like water from a well that never runs dry. God’s mercy is greater than we can comprehend. But that doesn’t mean we have a free ticket to sin, ask for forgiveness, and sin again. The Bible tells us that God has an endless willingness to forgive, and thankfully for us, He does so countless times. However, to receive the continued grace God offers, genuine repentance is necessary.

It’s funny what you think of your parents’ anniversary. My dad smoked Lucky Strikes in the military and kept smoking those when they married. Then, my mom talked him into cigars, so he started smoking Murial cigars. In the 50s, they were a nickel, even though the box here shows a dime (give Edie Adams for her alluring wink after, “Why don’t you pick one up and smoke it sometime.” Does rhyme with dime.)

But since my mom worked for her parents at their bar, she’d bring home El Producto cigars on special occasions–and I’m not sure what those would be. They were a whopping 12 1/2 cents a cigar, two for a quarter. She’d probably bring home a large tin like the one shown for his birthday. What’s the difference between a nickel and a 12-1/2-cent cigar? I have no clue.

I remember that he always appreciated her for doing it and was surprised because she had never smoked in her life and hated it. In love, you make concessions and compromise. He gave up his Lucky Strikes, went to occasional cigars, and finally stopped smoking. Although, as an aside, she died of cancer, he didn’t.

Happy Anniversary, Mom and Dad! Wish you were here so we could share it together!

Over the past several Sundays, I’ve found a Bible verse and written about what it means to me. I picked Psalms 19:1 and wrote, but something seemed off. It was the last four words of what is now the third paragraph. With those words, which I feel are important, Romans 1:20 seemed appropriate. I hope it all works.

When I look at trees, flowers, mountains, rolling hills, and flowing rivers and feel the wind, I’m in awe of how everything works in perfect harmony. In all of nature, I see the hands of God; I see God Himself.

Take a flower. It may seem simple at first glance, but in reality, it’s precisely designed for its purpose. It knows when to grow from seed and when to bloom for pollination, which is essential for life itself. Everything about it is so perfectly crafted I can’t help but see the craftsmanship of the Creator and know God exists.

It brings me peace because, in all of this, I see and hear God, that He is always with me.

Some left early. I can’t say my dad did. He was with a glider group with the Army Air Force that was part of the invasion.

We were warned by George Orwell’s book, 1984. It was called Newspeak and Doublespeak. Today, a supposedly rational person can’t define a woman or a man. Mr. Rogers did it decades ago on his show. Rogers knew there were two genders. Today, Mr. Rogers would be surprised to learn there are, at a minimum, 72 recognized gender identities beyond male and female. The NHS is more conservative, officially recognizing 21 different genders and sexualities.

At the time Isaiah was written, there was turmoil, corruption, and injustice. Leaders and what we now call influencers distorted the truth, justifying evil as good and making good appear evil. But Mr. Rogers taught that only a little girl can grow up to be a mommy and only a little boy can grow up to be a daddy. Mr. Rogers was using the science of genetics, specifically the study of chromosomes. During the pandemic, we were told not to question the science. You can listen to him below.

Avoid the trap of moral relativism. Moral relativism asserts that moral judgments are true or false relative to a particular standpoint, such as a culture or historical period. Not true when it comes to God. In Hebrews 13:8, we know God is the same yesterday, today, and forever.

Moral relativism suggests that morality is not universal but rather varies according to the prevailing beliefs and values of a particular group. That can be said of social justice. What is legal today may not be tomorrow, and who knows what on the third day? Garbage, of course. We can say God is a constant. In God’s eyes, sin remains unchanged because the times and values change. That’s comforting to know. With the concept of social justice, or woke, if you prefer, things change by the minute because definitions are constantly evolving. Don’t try to keep up; you can’t.

You are one of the good people today, but all of a sudden, you are ostracized because you didn’t change; what changed is what is acceptable. It’s no way to live, so don’t.

Link to Mr. Rogers:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mM1ODJunrN8&t=1s