EARTH DAY

 

     There are so many holidays and special celebration days throughout the year. When you go into a card store you see various cards that are designated for those "Holidays" such as Nurses Day, Grandparents Day and even Administrative Professionals Day which used to be called "Secretaries Day." There are no cards for Arbor Day or Groundhog Day and we can all understand why! Tomorrow, April 22 is the annual Earth Day. Earth Day was created in April of 1970. I honestly don't remember when it started because I was only 6 years old. In an effort to keep our earth clean and protect our environment, Senator Gaylord Nelson of Wisconsin, an environmentalist created this day to help bring awareness to our country. This past week I have been thinking a lot about our environment. Yesterday, in fact, while I was walking along the boardwalk at Sunken Meadow State Park I stopped and I was literally 7 feet away from a deer that was feasting on greenery in the wooded area by the boardwalk. I looked up at the trees and saw new buds beginning to form that will one day become leaves. I later sat on the beach in my beach chair reading my bible, a book and a devotional. I stared at the ocean water that calmly splashed on shore with seagulls walking by and two very unique looking ducks swimming by, both almost totally black. It was very relaxing and I said to myself "Why don't you do this more often?"   

     Earth Day is celebrated every year by many environmentalists giving lectures, some groups do fundraisers while others will plant trees in their cities to help encourage their cities to help to "Green it" and make it more 'Earth friendly." There is one thing that bothers me about Earth Day. As I google Earth Day and think about and event or so called "Holiday" that is celebrated every springtime in April for the past 53 years, there is one person who is never mentioned on Earth Day or never ever given credit for it...GOD! In the Bible in Genesis chapter 1 we read in the entire chapter how it took God 6 days to create the heavens, the earth and every living creature and thing on the earth. On day 7 he rested. Yes! Even God needed to rest! It does not say in the bible anything about an "Big Bang Theory" or that we evolved from monkey's. We are not any "Monkey's Uncle" and whenever I hear that phrase I still hear in my head Lou Costello saying to Bud Abbott, "If you are a Monkey's Uncle then let me see you swing from your tail!" Earth Day should be celebrated every day but with one simple emphasis. We need to emphasize in this crazy mixed up world we live in who created this earth and give Him thanks and praise for doing so. It was God! I am all for keeping our environment clean. I hate when I see debris all along major highways and byways. I wish New Yorkers would take pride in where they live and not toss garbage out of their windows. I am all for keeping our air clean. I love walking along Sunken Meadow and smelling the fresh air and the salt from the ocean water. I am also for recognizing Earth Day BUT recognizing the one who created the heavens and the earth...GOD!

THANKS FOR READING AND HAVE A BLESSED DAY AND EARTH DAY!!    

BIRDS DON'T WORRY

     

     Birds don't ever worry! Have you ever noticed that? In my life time I have been the proud owner of 3 cockatiels. I bought my first one in the fall of 1990. I named him Norton! (Yes, I did use a Honeymooners characters name. I did own a dog once named Trixie!!) Norton was a great bird and I was able to hold him, pet him and he loved to whistle. He was very tame and he whistled loudly whenever I got home. He was gray with some white and yellow mixed in. I had him for about 12 years. I didn't get my second cockatiel until the summer of 2018. I heard about a family who could no longer could take care of their cockatiel so I gladly welcomed into my home Buttercup. Buttercup was a sweet bird who was very tiny and also very tame. He was white and yellow and only whistled loudly when I heard birds outside making noise. About a year later as my kids were about to move into an apartment with their Mom, they asked me to take in my father in laws bird Benny. Benny was another story! He loved to talk and make noise BUT...he would not let me hold him whatsoever. Whenever I tried to hold him he would pretend my finger was dinner so I was not able to hold Benny...ever! I had Buttercup and Benny together in cages side by side and Benny was not fond of Buttercup so Buttercup stayed far away in his cage! Buttercup went to birdy heaven before the pandemic began and Benny went to birdy heaven 6 months later. All three birds had one thing in common. When it was feeding time, they would run back and forth on their perch frantically until I put bird food in their dishes on the side of their cages. These 3 birds never worried. They knew I would feed them! 

     Last week while I was talking to my friend and Landlord Roy in the kitchen, 2 pigeons appeared out of nowhere. They landed on the side of the house on a railing by the side door. They were not nervous at all! In fact Roy's son Tim walked over and took pictures of the birds and they didn't fly away. They actually stared at us and made themselves comfortable. Even when we walked by the door they never flinched! That night after I went for a walk around the neighborhood I decided to chillax and watch a YouTube sermon from a pastor from Oklahoma, Craig Groeschel. Ironically his message was about birds and how they never worry! What he spoke on was so true. His text was Matthew 6:26 & 27 - Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life ?  

     Think about it!! You will never see a bird pouting, looking depressed or looking worried. They always seem to find a way to take care of themselves. They know where to go to find food, worms and bugs. They know where they can find straw, hay, grass or leaves to build their nest. THEY NEVER WORRY! What Jesus is saying here is so true. If God can provide for all the birds of the air, don't you believe He can take care of you? This was a lesson I had to learn the hard way. Lately I have been worried a lot about finances. I needed a reminder not only from a preacher down south but also from God's word that their is no need for me to worry! God has my back and God will always provide for me. Trust me when I say "HE HAS!"

HAVE A BLESSED WEEK!!            

 

3 NAILS... 3 DAYS... 1 WAY TO GOD!!

     My blog today is gong to be short but sweet as they say! I could not let this weekend end with recognizing an amazing holiday that in my opinion is overlooked! EASTER! Or as I have always liked to refer to it as RESURRECTION SUNDAY! Since 1984 I have always loved listening to a Christian band

 called "Undercover." Their music was very "Punk like" and I'm sure many of you would wonder how in the world "Mild Mannered Dave" would love a Christian Punk Band but it's true I did and I still do. I used to have great conversations with guys and even a few girls in Bible College about some of these bands who were from California. I never got to see any of them in concert unfortunately mainly because not many came to the great state of New York! We would swap tapes and talk about the songs that they sung. I remember when I was working security at my college I had some music playing softly and one girl was not happy I was listening to "junk." Sorry ma'am!  I didn't own a lot of Amy Grant or Sandy Patty tapes! Anyway, Undercover had a song that I always think about every Easter season. It's called "3 Nails." When I think about what Jesus did for my by sacrificing his life just for me, it's so hard to fathom his body was nailed to a cross with 3 nails...one in each hand and one in his feet. He was treated like a criminal and He did absolutely nothing wrong! Before they nailed Him to the cross he was whipped, spit at, beaten and they even placed a crown of thorns on His head. He was mocked, ridiculed and tortured! The movie "A Passion for the Christ" which came out in 2004 was mild compared to what Jesus endured on the cross in my opinion. They placed His body in a tomb and sealed the tomb with to men guarding it. Jesus conquered death and on that third day He ROSE AGAIN! HE IS ALIVE!! Because of what He has done for us we can have eternal life by accepting Him into our hearts! Jesus took our punishment for our sins by enduring the cross. Today He is alive!! So many people to this very day continue to mock Him and make a mockery of His name! I love so much teaching kids about Jesus because I know what an amazing difference He has made in my life. I know I am going to heaven! I have that assurance! Not because I'm Pastor Dave and I've been in ministry for many years. Not because of my ministry gifts or pastoral positions I have had and continue to hold. I am NOT going to heaven because of my works and what I have done. I'm going to heaven because of what Jesus did for me! I pray He touches your life just like He touched mine as a 13 year old insecure shy kid i 1977. 3 NAILS...3 DAYS...1 WAY TO GOD!!

HAPPY RESURRECTION SUNDAY EVERYONE!!     

HOW IS YOUR SERVE?

 

     

     When I was in Jr. High and high school I loved to play tennis. I actually thought about becoming a Pro Tennis Player and dreamed of facing Jimmy Connors, Bjorn Borg and even crazy John McEnroe. That was, as you may have guessed, a dream and not reality for my life. I think I made a good choice bypassing Wimbledon and entering full time ministry! When I was in 7th grade, I participated in the Town Of Smithtown Recreation Tennis Tournament and lost my first match. Reality seriously hit me when I was in High School and was cut from the tennis team (one of the first ones to be cut, unfortunately). However, I did love going to a local High School either at Smithtown West or King's Park High School and loved hitting the ball over the net with a friend. There was one part of my game that was terrible. I never had a good serve! I had a great backhand and a decent forehand but my serve?? Well, let's just say my Grandma Harff had a better serve than me and I don't think she ever did much athletically! She did watch baseball games with us but I don't think she ever played tennis...ever! Maybe if I applied myself, maybe if I continued taking lessons, I would have been a better player with a killer serve and made my High School Tennis team. Maybe I would have received a Tennis scholarship at UCLA and gone pro in 1985 and then played matches in front of thousands of people in the U.S. Open in Queens.....okay...back to reality...maybe not! 

     This past week I had the privilege of sharing at the West Sayville Christian School Chapel, something I have done almost every school year since 1994. The principal will always let me know what the theme is for that particular chapel. In the month of March the theme verse was 1 Peter 4:10 which says "Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms."  Through various methods of teaching (Ventriloquism, storytelling, gospel illusions and object lessons) I challenged the students in grades Kindergarten to 12th grade to use their gifts and talents for the Lord. The key words in 1 Peter 4:10 are "use whatever gift you have to serve others. My blog today is obviously not about playing tennis, but how God has gifted everyone with a special gift we need to be using to serve Him!

     I shared with the students how I discovered my gift as an 8 year old kid in 3rd grade. My teacher, Mrs. McMahon told my parents I was a very gifted writer and I was very creative. I held onto that my entire life of course not realizing I would use it for the glory of God as a children's pastor. That was my gift! Being creative! Coming up with crazy ideas! My gift was NOT counseling or building sets from scratch or being a Youth Pastor. My gift was being creative. That is what I did and how I served God. Lately, my responsibilities have changed and I have been doing more with adults teaching classes and occasionally preaching when needed. My heart has always been to do whatever is necessary to serve God. I pointed at he students in that chapel service and told them "You all have a gift God has given you! Use it for His glory!"Several years ago Charles Swindoll, a gifted speaker and pastor from California wrote a book called "Improving your serve." In some secular book stores, his book was placed in the sports section because people thought the book was about tennis. It was not! The main theme was the book was to encourage Christians to take a deep look into their own lives to see where they were lacking in their service to God. I am not sure if the book is still in print but it really challenged me as a young bible college student when I read it.

     So, how is your serve? What are you doing when it comes to your service to God? Are you using your talents for the Lord or are you merely a spectator in church expecting everyone to serve you. It says in Matthew 20:25 "If you want to become great, you must become a servant." I don't know about you but I want to make it a priority to work on my "serve". My tennis days are over but my walk with God continues every day and I do my best to work hard at it and work on my serve...my service to Him!

GOD BLESS YOU ALL AND ENJOY THIS HOLY WEEK! HE IS RISEN!!