PAP’S LAUGH SMILE DEVOTION

PAP LOVES MIRACLES     (True Story)

A miracle to Pap is anything that happens he can’t explain. Pap is a simple man so he lives in the world of miracles. He believes God can do anything anyway he chooses. Pap says he does not try to explain how God works. He does not judge God, or the acts of God. Pap believes it is good to grow up but it is also good to retain the heart and faith of a little child.

Pap loves to hear people tell how God has mysteriously moved in their lives. His simple rule of thumb is, “If someone thinks they have experienced a miracle then to them they have. Other people may not think so but that doesn’t matter. The best kind miracle is the very private one experienced in a quite place between that person and God.”

Pap grows immediately suspicious if someone on television promises miracles for donations. That’s what Pap calls miracles on demand. Pap says he doesn’t believe anyone controls God or causes God to act in a certain way at a certain time. Pap says, “No human being. no matter how brilliant or charismatic, pulls the strings of God.

That said, Pap has seen a couple of miracles in his time. He has seen some things he can’t explain. Pap is not a dumb man, and he has given it plenty of thought. He can’t explain a couple of things, so to him they were miracles.

Lala, Pap’s wife, joins the conversation,  “Pap I believe in miracles too.  I’ve got to be honest,  about all the miracles I’ve heard of happened to someone else.  They have been hearsay.  Pap, as long as I have known you I have never known you to tell something as truth that you couldn’t back.  So, if you tell me you have witnessed a miracle I believe you.  I would like to hear more about it.”

Pap said a close friend called him and wanted him to pray for his little boy who had ingested Drano and was dying. Pap prayed with that young father. Within an hour the young father called back and said a miracle had happened and the child was completely healed. Pap had to set down for a while. The doctor could not explain what had happened. Pap said he wasn’t even going to try to explain it her just knows first hand that it happened.

Another time a church family called Pap and wanted him to come to their house for prayer. A cousin, in another state, had gone into surgery for a routine procedure and had aspirated destroying her lungs with stomach acid. The doctors had called the immediate family in for a last good-bye. Pap went over and had prayer. Pap left their house and drove home which was no more than a mile away. Lala,  met him at the door and said a miracle had happened. The young lady was completely healed. The doctors had no explanation for what had happened. Pap had to set down again.

“Don’t you remember that,” Lala

“I sure do!  I just wanted you to talk about it again,”  Lala answered with a tear in her eye

The family said it was Pap’s prayers that did it. Pap’s answer was, “It was a miracle from God I’m not about to take any credit for.”

Pap has prayed for many others and he is always careful to say, “The power and results are up to God, not me.”

Pap’s simple conclusion is, “He doesn’t understand, nor can he claim credit for miracles, but he sure likes it when they happen.” Pap says, “Every time I pray I expect a miracle…but I can’t guarantee one.”

ODE TO  CHILDLIKE FAITH

Growing up
Is worth the while
If you keep the faith
Of a little child!
Tis’ the very best
No more no less
tp

Matthew 10: 14-15 Suffer not the little children to come to me, forbid them not; for such is the Kingdom of God…who shall not receive the Kingdom as a little child, shall not enter there in.

PAP’S LAUGH SMILE DEVOTION

WHO IS THE GREATEST CHRISTIAN YOU KNOW?

Pap thinks people will start thinking about Christians when they read this devotion. That’s his point, but it isn’t headed where you think. Lala (pronounced Lay ler), Pap’s wife asks, “Where do you think people will expect this to go?” Pap says, “I think they will think of the great early followers of Jesus. You know, Matthew, Mark, Luke , John, Peter, Paul and Mary. They will think about all those early Christians we owe so much to. Lala said,” “I think you are right, Pap. Isn’t that the correct answer?” Pap says, “No, they aren’t the ones I’m talking about. You have read about them, but you did not know them.”

Lala takes another look at Pap’s subject and notes that he is asking who is the greatest Christian you know. “Pap, will they think about Mother Treasa, or maybe Dr. David Livingstone? What about the newest Pope, or the last Pope that everyone wants to make a saint? What about Reverend Billy Sunday, or what about any number of great protestant preachers? What about the Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr?” Pap says, “Lala, that’s a mighty fine list alright, but they are not who I had in mind” “Why not them, Pap” Lala is getting more interested all the time. Pap smiles his, I got you going now, smile and asks, “How many of these do you know?”

Lala knows she hasn’t found the answer yet. “What about the Reverend Billy Graham? He’s about the only famous living minister that no one has ever found fault with. He’s a great preacher both on television and in person. He gets invited to the White House all the time. Everyone, from the President on down, loves him.” Lala is satisfied she has found the answer and waits for Pap to say, yes, “That’s it!” Pap just smiles, shakes his head and says, “No, that’s not the answer.

Pap says, “I’m asking who is the greatest Christian you know? It is a question for every reader of this devotion. It’s a personal question. It is not the question of who is the most famous Christian you have heard of living or dead. It is the question of who is the greatest Christian you know?” Do you know Reverend Graham?” “No,” Lala confessed.

Lala isn’t sure where Pap is going with this devotion but she’s pretty sure it will be a surprise when he gets there.

“Could it be the Jones family? We know them well and they never miss a single church service. What about the Skaggs, they had at least one son who became a minister. The Cavanaugh family had the most money and it was rumored they gave enough to the church to pay half the minister’s salary. Brother Bill Dowdy could pray the longest, sweetest prayer. He could get the children of Israel into and out of bondage while praying the benediction. Mrs. Sarah Fry was the best cook in the church. She always brought the best fried chicken. The doctor said it was probably all that fat the chicken was cooked in that clogged poor old John Fry’s arteries.

Pap said, “No, that’s not the answer to my question.” Lala says, “Alright Pap, what’s the answer to your question. I want to know and I want to know right now!”

Pap said, “it’s actually two questions I’m raising for my readers. One is, who is the greatest Christian you know? The other is, WHY AREN’T YOU THAT PERSON?

2 Timothy 4:7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith.

PAP’S LAUGH SMILE DEVOTION

THE APPLE IN THE GARDEN

Pap may not be a preacher but that does not keep him from preaching some. He says preachers have years of training and experience and so much knowledge they have limitations that he does not have. Pap says he can’t be fired by a congregation if they don’t like what he says, because he does not have a congregation to be fired from.  He is not limited by what others think or want him to think. His mind is free to roam and is limited only by the number of brain cells he has or does not have. He says, “I will tackled any subject and it doesn’t even have to make sense. I can take thoughts that no one else has ever had, about things that no one else has ever bothered with, and have fun even if I’m sitting in a corner laughing alone.”

Lala ,  Pap’s wife, says, “Okay Pap, I know you have something in mind with this rather ambiguous subject.  Where are you going with this?  You are going to talk about what apple in what garden? There are  a lot of apples in a lot of gardens.  No, don’t tell me let me guess. .  Since this is a devotion I suppose you are talking about the Garden of Eden.  What’s this thing about an apple?  You know as well as I do that the Bible doesn’t say there was an apple tree in the garden.”

“Well of course I know that Lala,”  Pap answers.  “I want to assure you there was an apple there and it was that apple that caused all the trouble that  happened to Adam and Eve in the Garden”

“You better give me scripture and verse for this,”  Lala orders.  “Every bible scholar and theologian will want to know where this can be found.  I think everyone will be interested in where you are getting this strange idea.”

Pap responds,  “There is nothing strange about this idea.  It is there in plain sight.  Just look in Genesis Chapter 3.  There is absolutely nothing hidden about it  Yep, it was an apple, no doubt about it.  I guess I’m the only one in the whole world that can prove it.”

Lala is really interested now.  She has just looked up the subject on her iPad and she can’t find anyone that says it was an apple in the Garden that got Adam and Eve in trouble  She knows that when Pap says he can prove it, he can.  “Okay Pap, get on with it.  Everyone will agree with you or laugh at you.  If I was a betting person I would put money on the laugh part..”

Pap clears his throat and says,  “Well you see it was this way,  Eve talked with the Serpent.  She liked what she heard.  She talked with Adam about the Serpent’s ideas.  She talked, and talked, and talked until Adam began to see her point.  Whatever resistance he had was washed away with the flood of Eve’s logic and words.  He followed her lead and the Serpent’s advise.”

“The truth is, whatever they ate off that tree didn’t matter.  They were disobedient to God and that is what mattered.  They made a very bad choice,” Pap announced.

“Pap, then why did you call it an apple that got them in trouble?” Lala asked, more than a little troubled.

Pap answered,  “Don’t you get it? It as an apple.  It was Eve’s Adams Apple!”

ODE TO EVE

Eve was a non-stop lady talker
She talked enough to totally baffle
She was the first woman in trouble
With her little Adam’s Apple!
tp

Genesis 3:17

PRAYER:  Father,  forgive me for not listening to you.  Just like Eve and Adam I can  listen to the voice of the world and go astray.  Forgive me of the times I have failed to listen to you and follow your leadership.  I am your child and thankful for it.  Amen

PAP’S LAUGH SMILE DEVOTION

A MEMPHIS TENNESSEE GANG

Pap’s devotion today involves a street gang, but not in the way you think. Street gangs get a bad press. It is the bad that makes the news. Street gangs are looking for love and acceptance as strange as that may sound. Everyone is looking for love and acceptance, street gangs are no different. What makes a gang bad is looking for, and finding love, in all the wrong places.

Pap says, “Gangs are the human way. Humans clump together in groups as most animals do. The herd instinct prevails. Rather than call it a herd or flock, it’s called a gang when humans get together. The family is a gang of sorts. The church is a gang. Clubs are gangs of people coming together for a common purpose. Gangs are not bad except when they come together for the wrong purpose. Gangs can bring out the best in us, or they can bring out the worst.”

“Okay Pap, where is this going?, Lala his wife (pronounced Lay ler), wanted to know. She knew Pap always had a point but sometimes it took a while to get there. She liked to keep him focused and was good at it.

Pap said, “Let me tell about the United Methodist Neighborhood Centers in the intercity of Memphis Tennessee and one very dumb director. What he lacked in intelligence he made up for with enthusiasm.” Lala said, “That sounds like he did some dumb things with gusto!” “Yep, that’s right,” Pap agreed.

“That young director decided it would be wonderful, for the cause of Christ, if the street people and the wonderful woman’s club of the United Methodist Church could somehow be brought together in the spirit of mutual respect and trust. His plan was to invite the UM Women to hold one of their big evening meetings in the UMNC headquarters which was in the Hurt Village Area shown in the movie, The Blind Side.” Pap said, “Now, what could possibly go wrong.”

The young director was advised against his plan. His young, smart, beautiful wife, summed it up best when she asked, “Have you lost your ever loving mind?”

Undeterred by the wisdom of others, he invited the ladies to come to the intercity for an evening meeting. Being the loving spirits they are, they agreed. All went well until, at the close of the meeting, some of the ladies came back inside crying. Their cars had been broken into!

The grand plan to bring people together in Memphis Tennessee was well on it’s way to being almost irreparable. The “I have a dream”, by the UMNC Director was a full blown nightmare. Of no real importance, was the fact that the young director’s life and career flashed before his eyes, all the way to it’s feeble, miserable end.

What happened next was nothing short of a miracle. The young director, who days before was so confident, was now on his knees, with no plan of how to proceed. A knock on his office door brought him out of his self pity. It was some street men who were regular recipients of the outreach program of the UMNC. They said, “We know what you were trying to do and we believe it to be right. Please invite the ladies to come back. If they will come back we will form a UMNC gang and guarantee nothing like this will ever happen again.

The ladies were willing to come back. They didn’t want the dream to fail, either. It turned out to be a wonderful experience. The ladies gang (UMW), along with the (UMNC) street gang formed one wonderful gang that the young director called, “The Memphis Tennessee Gang.”

It is time the story is told of the good gang in the intercity of Memphis Tennessee. All the UMNC gang of street men needed was an opportunity to let their light shine. The UMW gang gave them that opportunity. The young director said, “God is good!”

Lala said, “Pap, we recognize this young man don’t we.” Pap said, “Yep, he is just like me.”

Matthew 5:16 Let your light shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father in heaven.

PAP’S LAUGH SMILE DEVOTION

WE ARE AFRAID OF WHAT WE FEAR  –   According to Pap  –  WE CAN  BE FREE OF FEAR

There is a difference between being afraid and fearing something. Being afraid of something doesn’t mean some sort of action will result. Fear is the motivation for action. Being afraid of the dark is very different from the fear that results when something is moving in the dark that feels like a threat. A student might be afraid of failing a test and fear what the results will be. Just being afraid doesn’t mean the same as feeling fear. We might be afraid of being run over by a car. Fear would be the feeling the moment a speeding car was headed in your direction. The closer it came the greater the fear. The fear would translate into the action of jumping out-of-the-way.

In Jesus’ time his followers were afraid of what could happen to them as they preached the word, but they were fearless in their preaching. They were afraid of pain and prison but that didn’t stop them. They were afraid but preached without fear.

Using the concept of being afraid and the concept of fear explains what happened to Jesus. The political/religious leaders of his day were afraid of Jesus. When they began to fear him they decided he needed to be removed. Because of the greatness of their fear, they decided that crucifixion was the best way to destroy him and all he stood for. They were so filled with fear they would do anything to get rid of all traces of him. For a while it seemed they had succeeded.

Pap says,  “When hate is mixed with fear terrible things happen.  Unimaginable things  so terrible they almost defy description can and does happen, when hate is inspired by fear.  The crucifixion of an innocent man is the perfect example of this.  Being afraid of what we fear can so easily turn into hate, and the hate into action.”

“We have to be vigilant all the time because anyone of us at anytime can fall into a trap of fear and hate.  It can be based on such simple things as color, race, nationality, religion and even political preference.  The results will not always be violent but the potential is always there.  This is not just my opinion this is a judgment based on history.”

“In the battle between good and evil, ultimately good will prevail. In the battle between love and hate, ultimately love will prevail. Hate and evil will ultimately sink to such low levels they will destroy the foundation that gave them life. Good and love are the building blocks for a brighter tomorrow. They will prevail. History says this is so without fail. Unfortunately, history also shows that the fall of evil and hate are short-lived. They rise again and the pattern is repeated.”

Pap says he likes to include a smile in every devotion. He often writes things that everyone knows but he writes it in such a way that it encourages folk to take a second look. Here are two such statements. The first is, we fear what we are afraid not to fear. The second is, we love and support what we love to love and support. The smile comes when you realize that these statements are more than just a play on words.

Lala. Pap’s wife  asked,  “Pap, why didn’t you just come right out and say if you put your trust in God you can erase statement number one completely.  If you place your trust in God completely you have nothing to fear.  God takes away all fear.  You are saying we can’t change history but we can change the future by placing complete trust in God and by living a life built on love and trust rather than hate and fear.”

Pap just smiles and says, “Sweetheart, I could have done that but you can say it so much better than I can.”

ODE TO A BETTER WORLD

There is a better world
the heart knows it is true
the mind and eye may fail
as they are wont to do
fearful  hate has no place
in a world of God’s grace
love and trust are not new
just hidden in me and you
tp

 John 4:18 – Perfect love casts out fear.

PRAYER:  Father, in the battle between good and evil let me always be on the side of good.  Teach me  to truly love everyone as I want them to love me.  Let the change in this world for the better begin in me.  Amen

PAP’S LAUGTH SMILE DEVOTION

IS IT POSSIBLE FOR A ROCK TO SPEAK? (Easter Resurrection Message)

Pap knows a rock can speak. A big rock says, “I’m heavy.” When Pap says a rock speaks he does not mean literally speaks. He means the rock speaks in a figurative sense. He also knows that rocks do not lie. They are incapable of telling a lie. A big rock is heavy, you can count on it. It will remain in place until some external force moves it. It has no thought for good or evil and can never be blamed if it is used in some harmful way.

When Jesus was placed in the tomb a big rock was rolled into place to keep him in and the world out. The big rock was just doing what it was designed to do. The rock was saying I’m here and I’m going to stay. An external force said, “No, you are not going to stay here. You will not hide my son from the world.” That external force was God and the stone was moved!

When God wants the stone moved it will move even if it’s the size of a mountain. No stone could stop Jesus from being revealed alive to the world.

Evil men have often tried to hide Jesus away from the world using the stones they have devised for that purpose. Even the mighty Roman Empire, which was figuratively as large as a mountain, crumbled before the mighty God. Jesus won again as the stone of the empire was rolled away.

There are evil forces at work today that would hide Jesus away from the world. They say, “Don’t speak his name in public.” They say, “Do not pray aloud in public.” These voices stop short of saying, “You will be put in jail if you speak the name of Jesus in public.” How long these voices will stop short of that is anyone’s guess.

Not to fear, these efforts are just big stones tying to hide Jesus from the world. They will not succeed for long. God is still in control and he will remove these stones when he is ready.

Pap says, “If you listen carefully the big stones are speaking and what they are saying is, we will obey God not man.” Lala, his wife (pronounced Lay ler) said, “This sounds to me like the gospel according to Pap.” Luke 24:2

PAP’S LAUGH SMILE DEVOTIONS

AN EYE FOR AN EYE, WHAT’S THIS ABOUT? (Reasoning behind Crucifixion)

In the Old Testament times the concept of an eye for an eye was prevalent. What did that mean and why did it find it’s way into the Old Testament? It meant just what it sounds like. If someone hurt someone in the long ago the law allowed for them to be hurt in the same way. An eye for an eye, a hand for a hand, a life for a life, was the middle eastern law of justice and punishment. It is still he prevalent law in certain countries today. It seems barbaric to us now and brings up the question of how and why this was ever in Jewish law. It has to be remembered that the old Jewish law was formed in the middle east and was the same as that of their neighboring countries. Unlike many of the countries surrounding them, Jewish law underwent a drastic change.

The change in Jewish law found its best and clearest expression in the message of Jesus. His message was so profound that in time, it changed everything. The fear of this change was one of the underlying causes of the crucifixion of Jesus. Crucifixion did not stop Jesus nor did it stop the changes he brought. His message was so powerful that a new message had to be written. It is known to us as the New Testament or New Will. Jesus did not do away with the Old Testament law he just gave it new expression. The eye for an eye still rules, but now, according to Jesus, it is giving an eye for an eye rather than taking one. His ideas were so profound they have literally changed a major portion of the world and shaped the Western World. The world is a kinder, gentler place because of him.

Pap said he really liked the message of Jesus. He said he liked to be surrounded by Christians who really did try to be like Jesus. Pap added he did have to acknowledge that being surrounded by Christians could have it’s problems. Lala, his wife (pronounced Lay ler), looked at Pap like he had just lost his mind, “What do you mean by such a dumb statement as that?”

Pap answered, “They are the kind of people that will bring food and the like to your house, when you are not there, and never tell who did it.” “What’s wrong with that Pap?” Lala wanted to know. Pap answered, “I didn’t say there was anything wrong with it. It’s just that you go through the rest of your life wondering who did the good deed. They don’t care for recognition so they don’t tell you who did it.”

Pap’s simple conclusion is that he wants to do good things for his neighbors, and never tell them who did it, just to get even.

Colossians 3: 12-14

PAP’S LAUGH SMILE DEVOTION

IT IS THE SIMPLE THINGS THAT UNITE US

Pap understands it is the simple things that unite us. How we explain the simple things makes the simple things complicated. It isn’t the simple things, but the explanations of simple things where divisions arise. The division over simple things starts at the most basic level with human beings.

There is a whole cooking industry based on the different ways to prepare a better pot of beans,” Pap says. “A bean is a bean and that doesn’t change. How it looks and how it is served does change, but a bean is still a bean.”

“Getting from point ‘A’ to point ‘B’ always remains getting from point ‘A’ to ‘B’, that doesn’t change,” Pap says. “What you travel in may not always look the same. The problem arises when you start believing how you get there is more important than getting there.”

Pap says, “Human beings, around the world, base their disagreements at the simplest fundamental level which is how best to cook beans or get from point ‘A’ to ‘B’. What comes out of the disagreements can lead to war and every level in between.”

Pap says his real subject today is religion. He is just using beans and point ‘A’ to ‘B’ as examples.

Pap says, “He is a simple man and education has not complicated his life. His approach to explaining the gospel is through the eyes of a little child. Each idea he discusses is discussed in simplest terms. It’s not because he doesn’t have degrees, he does. He has two Master’s degrees and is only a shade away from a doctorate. The degrees have never carried him beyond seeing the gospel through the eyes of a little child.

It is refreshing to look back at a time when you could easily understand the gospel. The gospel seemed simple then. That was before you discovered all the different ideas about the gospel. You learned the term ‘church dogma’ and discovered that ‘dogma’ is divisive and complicated. You learned that groups of Christians became separated by dogma and so dogma has a downside to it.

You learned Church Dogma is the different rules, regulations, interpretations and explanations each church denomination places on the simple gospel. You learned that the simple gospel became so shrouded in dogma, by each denomination, it became hardly recognizable from one church group to another. You wonder why this happened. Pap wondered why this happened and vowed not to fall into the trap of ‘dogma’. He has stayed with the simple things. One of the simple things is that the gospel is not complicated. For God so loved the world he gave his only son that whosoever believed in him would not perish but have everlasting life. Different church dogma says, “Yes, but.”

Pap’s simple conclusion is, he is not going beyond John 3:16. He says, “If you add anything to John 3:16 it is dogma and, in his simple opinion, you should get off that dog.” John 3: 16

PAP’S LAUGH SMILE DEVOTION

DEVOTIONS ARE FOUND EVERYWHERE

Pap wants to deliver his devotions in a way they will be remembered. Pap is a big believer that devotions can be found everywhere. He looks for the ordinary, where most of us live, to show the presence of God. All you need do is open your eyes and ears to God. God is always speaking but we are not always listening. If we look and listen we can see God even when our plans don’t seem to work.

We usually think of devotions as formal experiences delivered by some religious authority in a predictable way. We have heard so many devotions in a certain way that when the speaker announces his/her subject we can close our eyes and finish it for them. We aren’t accustomed to something new and different. There is nothing wrong with always being the same and it certainly has merit. There is nothing wrong with being a little different either.

Lala his wife (pronounced Lay ler), said, “Pap, please tell me you are not going to tell about bobbing the puppy’s tail. Pap responded, If I said I wasn’t it would be a lie because that’s what I’m going to do.”

It was Lala’s idea to bob the puppy’s tail. “He’s going to be a little dog so bobbing his tail will balance him out,” she said. Pap didn’t want to do it because he didn’t have the money to take the pup to the Vet. Pap would have to do it. He had never done it before.

It didn’t seem too difficult. Lala would hold the small puppy while Pap took some sharp tin snips and ‘snip’ it would be done. He read a little about it and it seemed simple enough. Snip the tail off, put some healing powder on it, bandage it, and the puppy would hardly know what happened. Whoever wrote that obviously had never done it.

Lala held the pup firmly in her lap while Pap did his part. Snip, the tail was gone. So far, so good. Wrong! Pap had pulled the loose skin of the tail the wrong way. He should have slid the loose skin on the tail toward the little pup’s rear. Instead, he pulled the loose skin toward the tip. When he released the skin about a quarter inch of bone appeared. About this time the pup decided he didn’t approve of the plan involving his tail. His solution was to bite everything within reach. This was mainly Lala’s hands She didn’t think about gloves until then.

Pap pulled the loose skin toward the bouncing rear of the little pup. He finally managed to snip off about a half inch more tail bone, releasing the loose skin which then covered the cut area. Pap is not a cussing man but he was heard to say, “Oh my god,” a few times. Lala was heard to say, “Lordy, lordy, lordy,” a few times. The pup was speaking a language that all peoples on the face of the earth could understand.

Lala said, “Pap, you can’t make a devotion out of this.” Pap said, “Yes, I can.” He said, “You can keep your mind on God when things go poorly. You can keep your mind on God when you handle things badly. You can praise God even when your plans go wrong. You know God loves you even when you fail. We love animals and don’t mean to hurt anything. You know God loves you right here in the real world.

Lala said, “Okay Pap, we get the message.” Romans 8: 38-39 Ephesians 5: 20

PAP’S LAUGH SMILE DEVOTION

RETIREMENT IS REINVENTING YOURSELF

Pap says, “Retirement is fantastic. Now, in retirement you can be who you want to be. You can do whatever you want to do. You can reinvent yourself. You can uninvent yourself or you can start a blog and vent yourself. The opportunity is yours and the limits, maybe for the first time in your life, are only bounded by your imagination.

Pap is suddenly feeling a sense of self importance now that he is retired and more in control of his life. Lacking a sense of self importance has never been one of Pap’s problems. He was always one to speak his mind. Most of the time it didn’t take him long to complete the job. Now that he was retired he could speak with complete confidence since his opinions would be practically based on nothing. Lala, his wife (pronounced Lay ler) said Pap could always speak the longest about things he knew the least about. Lala could always keep Pap under control and focused. Once he said, “I think I’m going crazy.” Lala responded by advising him to pack light because it wouldn’t be a long trip.

Lala loved Pap deeply, so she decided to play along. “What are you going to do in retirement, Pap?” Pap said, “I think I will become a motivational speaker for senior citizens.” Lala said, “You know, that just might work. They would know if you can succeed they would be able to succeed as well. You could not only speak long on the subject but could be the living example as well.” Something about the way Lala had said that made him feel a little uneasy because he often had trouble deciding if her opinion was a spoof or a tweak.

“What would you tell them Pap?” Lala asked. She wanted to know because Pap could have some funny ideas but he could also be right on the proper point.

“First, I would tell them to get on their knees and ask God to write their name, with the blood of Jesus, in the Book of Life, if they had not already done that.” At their age, I would tell them, “It is high time this was done. Second, I would tell them to make up for lost time telling the world about Jesus. Third, I would tell them to start a SENIORS FOR JESUS CLUB wherever they are.” Lala asked, “Would the crazy political correct laws we have today let them do that?”

Now, Pap smiles broadly, “Lala, don’t you know there are no laws against clubs. There may be laws against speaking the name of Jesus in public or praying to God in public but there is no such law against clubs and their rules. All clubs would have to be outlawed if the seniors couldn’t have their Jesus club.

Pap’s simple conclusion is that now he is retired he can say what he wishes and just claim to be a crazy old man. There is no law against being crazy, so we can all be crazy for Jesus.
Romans 5: 1-11