Category Archives: Battles

High Pockets, Haymakers and Flash

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I hope you enjoy this trip down memory lane. You will see why I say The Sweetheart is a good sport. Be blessed!

After 43 years of wedded bliss, The Sweetheart has always, always preferred me before himself. He has been a gentleman and yet, at the same time, assumed the masculine role of Helper, Handyman and Hero all at the same time.

Except for one day in particular that stands out to me.

The year was 1982.

The place? That is a story in itself.

In high school, The Sweetheart was not known by the title I have bestowed upon him. That would have been weird. He had several names in his Joe Cool days such as,

  • High Pockets (six-foot-two-152-pounds-soaking-wet-all-legs)

  • Haymaker. This was his CB handle. Back-in-the-day we didn’t have cell phones, texting, Facebook, twitter or Instagram. Say what?! A CB (Citizens Band radio) was the coolest thing around for a country boy. “Breaker, breaker, 1-9, this is Haymaker, anybody on?” The Haymaker handle came from the fact that this good-lookin’ guy could heave bales of hay over his head like they were empty cardboard boxes. (Be still my beating heart!)

  • Flash. Yeah. Flash. This High Pocket Haymaker was a pretty good photographer. Again, we are going back in time for some of you…before the digital age, before you could take 1,000 pictures on your cellphone and not worry about how much it would cost. We had something called film that DID cost and we had also had flashbulbs on less expensive cameras and flash attachments on his professional cameras. They didn’t come with a flash, that was something you purchased extra. Hence, the nickname.

Flash spent much of his high school days with the journalism and yearbook staff. He was the resident photographer at many, many events. He landed a job at a photo finishing lab known for their same-day-turn-around. This was a major big deal in the late 1970’s folks. Take your film into the store and come back and pick it up later that day. Huge.

High Pocket Haymaker Flash gets married and decided to open his own photo finishing lab in a neighboring town.

Big dreams, no money, big dreams.

High Pocket Haymaker Flash has a Cute, Adorable and Very Young Wife who delights in helping him in his adventures and most every day you would find them developing film and handing out pictures to happy customers.

The first couple of weeks after the grand opening, Flash and his Cute, Adorable and Very Young Wife were driving their orders back to his former employers’ store for developing while awaiting the arrival of a piece of equipment. The Cute, Adorable and Very Young Wife was designated most days to make the 30 minute drive.

Now, Flash had a car that fit his name perfectly. For his graduation present, his parents had bought him a brand new Camaro, firethorn red in color. Super cool. (I just happen to have a picture of it in his driveway.)

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Flash, being the loving young newlywed husband that he was, gave the car to his Cute, Adorable and Very Young Wife and bought himself a truck.

His Cute, Adorable and Very Young Wife hated the truck.

She didn’t dislike it because it was a stick-shift. Her first car was a stick and Flash had taught her how to drive it when she was only 16. She wasn’t fond of the truck because it just wasn’t cute. But the car went fast. The car was red. The car turned heads and she was Cute, Adorable and Very Young.

We should pause here and catch up the reader to the fact that Flash and his Cute, Adorable and Very Young Wife were married almost two years when they were blessed with a Blond-Hair-Blue-Eyed-Boy-Wonder that turned their world upside down in a very good way. The super cool Camaro would soon be replaced with something more practical but, for now, they still enjoyed feeling young and invincible. And the Blond-Hair-Blue-Eyed-Boy-Wonder was staying with my good friend, The-World’s-Best-Babysitter.

high pockets

So back to the first two weeks of owning the new business…Flash has the order all ready to take north and his Cute, Adorable and Very Young Wife is all set to jump in her super cool car and start the journey. But Flash decides she should take his truck, for reasons that this writer, who has aged many years since then, cannot remember. Still, he was insistent and even though she protested because she detested driving the truck, and hadn’t learned how to pout and get her way, grabbed the keys and jumped in the little Nissan.

Heading down the four-lane highway in the town where they had their business, Flash’s Cute, Adorable and Very Young Wife had not gone far when an elderly lady in a tank pulls out in front of her. There was no time, people, no time at all to even think of finding a way out. All she remembers is a loud crash and pain. Lots of pain.

The Cute, Adorable and Very Young Wife jumps out of the truck because she thought it was on fire (just the radiator ma’am) and takes two steps before she collapses in the arms of the leader of the Hells Angels, her knight-in-shining-armor and the only soul on the highway who stopped to help. He picks her up and sets her back inside the truck telling her to wait for the ambulance. (I am not making this up!)

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Well, that shouldn’t take long. Where does this accident take place you ask? Directly in front of the town hospital; and even then, all of those years ago, someone brighter than me and you decided that sending an ambulance to their front yard made more sense than the policeman just pulling in the driveway with the injured. Go figure.

In the Emergency Room all is a blur. There is blood everywhere but we deduce that it is all from a lost front tooth that met hard with the steering wheel. The doctor was convinced both legs were broken from the impact and they were preparing for x-rays. The nurse wanted to call Flash to come but the Cute, Adorable and Very Young Wife knew he couldn’t leave the lab. There were no other employees at the time, Flash was all alone. Yet, the nurse insisted because she thought the injuries were severe enough that someone should be there. She dialed the number but handed the phone to the Cute, Adorable and Very Young Wife and the conversation went something like this:

Flash: Photo Finish, how may I help you?

Cute, Adorable and Very Young Wife: I’ve been in an accident and haven’t made it to the lab yet. Can you come?

Flash: I don’t have time for jokes, I’m very busy. Where are you and why aren’t you there?

Cute, Adorable and Very Young Wife: I said I’ve had a wreck! I’m at the hospital now and they want you to come!

Flash: Listen, I’m glad you think we have time for humor but I am swamped now get going and call me when you are ready to head back.

Cute, Adorable and Very Young Wife: But Flash, I’m really hurt, they think I’ve broken both my legs!

This is when my opinion of the nursing profession soars and I envision one of my children with an RN and many other credentials after their birth name. She takes over and grabs the phone from me:

Nursing Professional with Domineering Personality: Mr. Flash? This is the hospital ER department. Your Cute, Adorable and Very Young Wife has been in a terrible accident. We are preparing for x-rays on her legs immediately. I strongly suggest you get in your car right now and GET HERE. Did I make myself clear?

Flash: On my way.

Flash does come to the rescue of his Cute, Adorable and Very Young Wife. Her legs, fortunately, were not broken, only badly bruised and traumatized. The next stop was the dentist’s office, after hours, to deaden the root of the lost tooth. The driver of the other car, who was in her late 80’s btw, was not injured, thankfully, and was very concerned about the Cute, Adorable and Very Young Wife.

The moral of the story?

We disagree on that, the two of us.

Flash and his Cute, Adorable and Very Young Wife learned many things that fateful day.

Flash lost his beloved little truck and his Cute, Adorable and Very Young Wife talked him into a new family car.

His Cute, Adorable and Very Young Wife is reminded of that painful day every time she looks in the mirror at the new tooth that just doesn’t seem to belong.

Flash continued to shoot weddings and Little League teams before he made his way into the world of air traffic control. But the most important thing is that he now wears the title of Hero and has never missed a chance to rescue his damsel-in-distress since that unforgettable day all of those years ago.

p.s. His Cute, Adorable and Very Young Wife had a CB handle too! I was his Sunshine. Of course!
So, Happy Birthday, Flash! You’ve worn many titles since then including The Sweetheart but now you relish your most earned and beloved title of Poppy to your half dozen grands. We may have changed a bit since those glory days of our youth but we are still together, celebrating life and being thankful for the blessings of our God.

 

When Ye Fast: Tighten that Belt!

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When Ye Fast: Tighten that Belt! Today we are talking about putting on the Armor of God. We are posting every day in January for those that are beginning the New Year with fasting! You can read yesterday’s post here, here and here.

Jump here and read the scripture first! I will wait for you! It’s a little long but necessary.

Awesome, so now we know that putting on the armor of God gives us power to resist the enemy. Paul tells us the battle is not with people, it is “against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places”.

Spiritual warfare. This is serious stuff. In order to stand, in order to be effective in our own circle, to be a witness, to have the strength and wisdom to recognize an attack from the enemy and how to resist, we must put on that armor every day. A soldier wouldn’t think of going out to face his enemy without his suit!

Today’s average soldier carries at least 60 pounds of gear, including weaponry and body armor, which we will discuss later. If they are going on an extended mission, that weight could double! And their cold weather load could be over 100 pounds. Yikes!

They have to be strong, they have to be prepared to even suit up. The soldier will have spent hours upon hours in training and much practice on how to even get all of his gear on.

While on a fast of any kind, we must be aware every day of what we are putting on.

  • Is it godly?
  • Is it necessary?
  • Is it beneficial for the Kingdom’s sake?

Fasting is not just going without food; if we are not praying and asking God to reveal our shortcomings and ways to draw closer to Him, we are wasting our time. God will speak to you during your fast and begin to show you things that are not part of your necessary armor. And He will also reveal those things that you may have discarded that are crucial to your walk.

So, whether you have begun your fast or not, consider things that might be getting in the way of your armor. Remember, the armor of God will strengthen you, not drag you down! Ask God to show you things that have crept in and you might need to address.

As you can see, the first thing mentioned is the Belt of Truth. There is no point even trying to put on any of the other pieces of armor if we are not girded, completely wrapped in truth! Winning the battle, any and every battle of spiritual warfare, doesn’t require us to take on the devil alone, no, to win this battle we submit to our God, put on truth and all of the armor of God and the devil doesn’t stand a chance!

Jesus said, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” John 14:6. 

The Apostle Paul based his reference to the armor on the Roman soldier of his day. This was a soldier prepared for battle. Their belt was not like we wear today to hold up our pants or as a fashion accessory. This belt was a thick leather and metal band which also had a protective piece hanging down from it in the front. This belt held their sword and other weapons. Did you catch that? This first piece of armor that we are to put on, this Truth, holds the Sword, the Word of God! “Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth.” John 17:17. The Word is Truth!

Think of the power portrayed here. Think of the power given to us, to you, when you put on the belt of truth. This is the foundation for all other pieces of armor, this is the foundation of our faith. When we are rooted and grounded in Truth, we are unshakable and we are able to stand against the attacks of the enemy.

The best way to do that, to be on guard, is to fast and pray.

Temptation will come while you are fasting, expect it. Jesus, who was hungry the Bible says, responded to temptation with the Word of God. He declares that it isn’t the temporary things of this world that will sustain us in difficult times, it is the Word, that foundation, that Truth that comes directly from GOD, the Creator of the Universe, that will

  • Keep us
  • Protect us
  • Fulfill us
  • Convict us
  • Strengthen us
  • Provide for us
  • Watch over us
  • Save us and much, much more!

The Bible says to “gird your loins”, not a phrase you hear much of any more for sure. But the meaning is far reaching and pretty awesome. Gird means to tighten your belt, to get ready for a dangerous situation, prepare for a military attack, be ready for any confrontation!

Tomorrow we will look at the Breastplate of Righteousness. Be blessed as you fast unto the Lord, whether you are fasting now or later in the month, I pray you are encouraged to STAND.

Do you have your copy of my easy-to-read Fasting Devotional? Don’t let the title fool you! It is a 21 day devotion for ANY FAST. Each day is an example of someone in the Bible who fasted, some for the wrong reason as well, and what we can glean from them. There are also Daniel Fast recipes and instructions for following that fast as well. Available at Amazon.com in Kindle or paperback!

Does fear threaten your faith?

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Does fear threaten your faith?

“For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.” 2 Timothy 1:7 NKJV.

It seems we cannot get away from it. The television newscasts are overrun with it, Facebook screams about it all day long, the images and headlines play over and over in our heads until we cannot possibly erase them. So much fear.

Wildfires.

COVID-19.

Hurricanes.

Coronavirus.

Floods.

SARS-CoV-2.

Earthquakes. 

Covid pneumonia.

Threats of nuclear war.

And the list goes on…

Fear and Faith.

Can we have both at the same time? King David did. He tells us in Psalm 56: 3, “What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee.”

David was hunted down, literally, by King Saul who was so jealous of David that he thought the only way to get rid of this nemesis was to kill him.

We can assume David was afraid most every day while he was on the run and that is the cool thing about this verse. He is admitting he is afraid but when he is, when he is overcome with that emotion that we are born with, he knows what to do.  Even though he might be scared, he doesn’t let it paralyze him and turn him into a shivering coward. When he is afraid? He trusts in the One who does away with fear.

In the last few months, fear has taken hold of many people, those that know God and those that do not. But our God doesn’t want us to be consumed with fear and trembling. If you are filled with His spirit, you have the power to overcome that fear!

If we let that anxiety consume us, then we would never overcome. This is not the will of God. We must TRUST in the One who orchestrates our lives and give Him these fears every single day.

  • Purpose in your heart when you get out of bed in the morning to tell the Lord that you will not give in to fear today or give place to the enemy!
  • Don’t even let him have a foothold into your mind but fight that fear and anxiety by putting your trust in God.
  • Speak His Word out loud and claim His promises as your own.
  • Bind the spirit of fear in Jesus’ name and loose the peace of God in its place. It works!
  • Put on the whole armor of God!

Now, what about those that trusted in God but have perished in the storms, fires, earthquakes, wars, etc.? They may have gotten up one morning and placed their trust in God for the day and before it was over they had not survived. Did He not hear their prayer that morning? Why did He not protect them from evil or disaster?

“For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.” Romans 8:18 ESV.

What the enemy meant for evil…God will use for His glory!

Jesus was there, He was with them, He did not leave them! You can’t have a testimony without a test; use it for His glory!

Even though we live in the HERE and NOW it really isn’t all about that, is it? It is about our future, our eternity, where our soul will reside when all is said and done. The Bible says we WILL be persecuted for His namesake. It also says He will never leave us or forsake us but that doesn’t mean we won’t face trials, temptations or even have our very lives threatened…or taken.

We are not exempt from suffering; we live in a fallen world. But our hope is not in this life or in this world! It is in what is to come, HE is our hope!

“For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison.” 2 Corinthians 4:17 ESV.

One day, His Word promises that Jesus will come back and take His people out of here. And we are promised 1,000 years of peace! We lean on that promise as we see the days grow darker and darker.

Until then? We go on sharing the Gospel, living each day to the fullest and being Salt and Light in a dark and evil world.

No matter what comes upon us, we do not have to let FEAR overtake us. We have hope beyond this life and a promise that He is with us to the very end, whenever that might be.

“Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” Matthew 5:10.

What are you afraid of today? Would you take a moment to ask God to deliver you from fear and replace it with His peace that passes all understanding? Then, believe what you have asked Him for and walk as a child of the King and don’t let fear threaten your faith!

“Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in that name…” 1 Peter 4:19 ESV.

For the kingdom