Jan

Topsy Turvey

Fri Jan 6th 2012 @ 4:30 am

Okay, so the New Year celebration has ended and the actual New Year is beginning. Now what? Let’s face it, 2011 wasn’t what many of us would call a great year.

Our economy stinks, millions of our fellow Americans can’t find jobs, our sports news is filled with scandal and our financial institutions have been exposed for their greed, corruption and lack of ethical standards. The vain, the shallow and the immoral of us get unending, fawning media attention, while men and women of faith, good character, integrity and family values are ripped to shreds by that same media. Good is bad, bad is good…what the heck is going on?

William Brighty Rands once wrote a children’s poem:

TopsyTurvey World

If the butterfly courted the bee,
And the owl the porcupine;
If the churches were built in the sea,
And three times one was nine;
If the pony rode his master,
If the buttercups ate the cows,
If the cat had the dire disaster
To be worried, sir, by the mouse;
If mamma, sir, sold the baby
To a gypsy for half-a-crown;
If a gentleman, sir, was a lady-
The world would be Upside Down!
If any or all of these wonders
Should ever come about,
I should not consider them blunders,
For I should be Inside Out!

Topsy Turvey! I think that pretty well sums up 2011. While God provided me with more than my share of blessings this past year, I was still more than ready to start fresh in 2012!

I’m sure you’ve noticed that each year almost all the news papers, magazines and TV are filled with segments recalling people & events that made news during the previous year. Many also include prognostications by experts predicting what they expect to see happening in the years ahead. Some even go so far as to make predictions covering 10, 20, or more years in the future. While a few of these predictions have proven accurate, others couldn’t have been more wrong.

For example, back in 1967, experts predicted that by 2000, technology would have taken over so much of our work that the average American work week would be only 22 hours long, & that we would be working only 27 weeks a year. As a result, one of our biggest problems would be in deciding what to do with all our leisure time.

Well, I don’t know about you, but that prediction certainly missed the mark as far as my life is concerned! In fact, most of us seem to be running at breakneck speed. We’re always in a hurry. We walk fast, talk fast, eat fast and eat fast food. And after we eat, we stand up & say, "Excuse me. I’ve gotta’ run."

So here we are, at the beginning of 2012. I wonder how we’ll do this coming year. Will we still be running? Will we make any better use of our time? In 365 days, when this year is over, will we be looking back with joy? Will we be shouting “Whoopee, what a great year!” Or will our lives still be Topsy Turvey?

Paul tells us, "...do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is." What is God’s will for us in this New Year? Does He want our minds so saturated with worries & anxieties that we can’t think spiritual thoughts? Do you think He wants our calendars so crowded that we don’t have time for the important things? What do you think God’s will is for us this year? Does he REALLY want us to live Topsy Turvey lives? I don’t think so.

Epilogue

Every year, about 40 to 45 percent of people in this country will make resolutions for the New Year. That’s great. But only about six percent of those people will keep them! Here are three words to put in your resolution:

• One is “grow.” This is the year your relationship with God could really take off.

• The second word is “know.” Paul said to be transformed by the renewing of your mind (Romans 12:2). As we know the Bible we’ll add discernment.

• And third, “go.” It’s my prayer that we get up and go, that we’ll serve in some capacity, to make some kind of difference, and in so doing glorify Jesus Christ in our community. It’s our privilege as believers to serve Him.

A lot of people look to the future with fear. As believers we should be confident and joyful about the future. If you’re not prone to be a joyful person, I pray that the Lord would change that, and that the joy of the Lord would be your strength.

Forward…Mail!!

If you enjoy this weekly blog…and I hope you do… please let me know in the comment box below. Then, forward the blog to all your email friends. I will really appreciate it. The web address is wwGodandEd.com.

Thought for the Day

I Once Had A Life…now I Have A Computer.

Turn the radio on

Listen to God & Ed’s Excellent Adventure on the Radio. Monday through Friday at 4pm on “The Word,” 98.5/99.3 FM. Or listen on-line at KLGO.net. It’s the place for Christians of all varieties to hang out and be loved, entertained and uplifted.

Semi-interesting fact

315 entries in Webster's Dictionary will be misspelled

Joke du Jour

Mrs. White decided to have her portrait painted. She told the artist, "Paint me with diamond earings, a diamond necklace, emerald bracelets and a ruby pendant."

"But you are not wearing any of those things."

"I know," said Mrs.White. "It's in case I should die before my husband. I'm sure he will remarry right away, and I want his new wife to go nuts looking for the jewelry."

Cool Music

We’ve added more cool songs you’ve never heard on radio. Check the player on the upper right, click and brighten your day.

Questions I ask myself:

What hair color do they put on the driver’s licenses of bald men?

Really?? Actual News Stories

Very, very cool

Residents of a small Bavarian town have built a church out of ice and snow on the same spot where another ice church was constructed 100 years ago by villagers looking for a place to worship. The temporary ice church, dubbed ''God's Igloo'' was blessed by a Catholic priest this week. The first ice church was built by mountain villagers who had to travel 90 minutes to a neighbouring town to celebrate Mass. When the town officials rejected their pleas for their own church, they built one out of snow and ice. The new ice church, near the Czech border, can seat 190 people. It's made up of about 49,441 cubic feet of snow.

Butter smugglers smeared A pair of slippery smugglers were busted in Norway looking to peddle an illicit contraband - butter.

The two men, who snuck into the country from Sweden, were arrested with about 550 lbs of butter divided into 18-ounce packets. Both admitted to churning up the scheme, authorities said. ”They have confessed that they have bought butter in Sweden to sell at a profit in Norway.” A massive butter shortage has spread throughout Scandanavia in recent months, and is expected to last into next year. This has led to the blackmarket trafficking of butter in Sweden and Norway. The two men arrested were looking to score more than $40 for each packet of butter, police said.

Burnt Offering Introducing The Jesus Toaster, which contains a specially designed metal plate that leaves an image of Jesus — with halo and rays of light — on every slice. The Jesus Toaster is sold by Burnt Impressions, a three-person company in Danville, Vt., in the remote Northeast area of the state. Jesus is “by far” the top seller

of his four stock toasters; second is the Virgin Mary, followed by the peace sign and a marijuana leaf. Many customers buy Jesus Toasters as gifts for their “priests or preachers,” founder Galen Dively said. Dively said he was rarely denounced as a blasphemer or idolater. “No death threats or mean letters,” he said. “I’m happy, because the custom toaster business is riding the coattails of Jesus,” said Dively. Buyers of custom toasters may pick two metal plates out of 26 possibilities — the Star of David, a smiley face, dog paws, assorted animals — and send a photo that the company will print on the side of the toaster. “Obama has taken off recently,” he said. More plates are coming in January.
What about Denver Broncos quarterback Tim Tebow? “A half-dozen or so people have asked about Tebow,” said Dively. “That, and Elvis. People always want Elvis.”

Man calls 911 after being hit by grocery cart Having your foot run over by a shopping cart is not an emergency, a male shopper learned Tuesday. Police responded to a 911 call around 3

p.m. from a man in distress because, he said, a woman accidently ran over his foot with a shopping cart and he required police assistance. Police said the woman promptly apologized for the mishap, but the man was unsatisfied with her apology and wanted an officer to speak with her. According to police, he refused medical care. Police are reminding residents that 911 is for life-and-death emergencies only and that shoppers should operate their carts in a safe manner.

Are you kidding me???

Did you know that the Bible has 594 chapters before Psalm 118 and it also has 594 chapters after Psalm 118

Groaner

Why is Cinderella a poor soccer player? Because she has a pumpkin for a coach!

Point to Ponder

Top 10 Predictions No Matter Who Wins the Election

1. The Bible will still have all the answers.
2. Prayer will still work.
3. The Holy Spirit will still move.
4. God will still inhabit the praises of His people.
5. There will still be God-anointed preaching.
6. There will still be singing of praise to God.
7. God will still pour out blessings upon His people.
8. There will still be room at the Cross.
9. Jesus will still love you.
10. Jesus will still save the lost.

ISN’T IT GREAT TO KNOW WHO IS STILL IN CONTROL?

Remember, Christianity is more about walking than about talking