Crimson, Clover, and My Lawn

    The 60's were an amazing period for the music industry. Mind you, groups like the Stones, Who, Beatles were at the top of what would become rock music legends. Now take Tommy James and The Shondells. They had a few hit songs; however, when Crimson and Clover was released the soft sounds and lyrical content caught the listeners ears. The song jumped to #1 in 1969. Yes, the year of Woodstock. 

    Decades later I find Crimson and clover at odds with one another... in my lawn. Crimson is a notable color expressing love and well, clover is the enemy and evil in my lawn. The two in my mind and lawn do not go together. Thus I am often at an impasse each spring and early fall to combat the evil empire of clover.

    My life is very much like Crimson and Clover.  It's here that I find the coexistence of sin and the grace of our loving God. Now I can fret over the weeds of sinful desires by ignoring them, giving into them. Or I can weed them out by allowing the Holy Spirit to eradicate them from my life in His way through the transforming power of God's loving grace. (Romans 12:1-2)

    In God's kingdom it's much the same. Recorded for us in Matthew's gospel (13:24-30, 36-43) is a powerful lesson for us. There is coming a time when the gathering will take place. The Lord will send His angels to gather up both the causes and sowers of evil. At that time they will both be cast into a fiery furnace.  As for today, I need to do a daily examination of my own life. I cannot concern myself with my neighbor's life to the neglect of my own. I have to tend to my own life first by digging into the Bible daily.

    It's God's grace and love that motivates me to continue day after day in tending to my own life. In the end, I make it my goal to live at peace with everyone, work hard with my own hands and my own business. (1 Thessalonians 4:11-12). It's in this that the clover seems to find less a stronghold and the radiance of a live lived well... 

In Christ.

Can We Get Along?

 It's been a while, but I'm back and ready to share a few things. But first, let me explain. For those of you who know me, there have been a few changes, but with those changes have come some great blessings. 

Remarried in November 2023 to Susan (Graham) Cunningham is at the top of the list. We grew up across the street from each other. I loved to irritate her to no end back when we were in grade school. Little does one realize that irritating a pretty girl at age 7-11 is actually a form of expressing one's interest in "going steady". The decades passed and we reconnected on Facebook of all places! I was in the process of deleting my account when I noticed I had a friend request from her. Long and wonderful story, we video dated and after insuring that she had passed my "7 Rules for Dating Paul" we were engaged and were soon after married. This brings me to my point in random fashion; "Can We Get Along?"

For those of you who are just finding out about me, you should know that I have a German Shepherd. His name is 'Schweinsteiger'. To his credit he has six tear drops, 3 under each eye (3 cats, 2 possums and a deer). One of those cats on Christmas morning a few years ago and yes, the Baby Jesus was watching. 

Marriage to Susan has brought another interesting wrinkle into the home... a cat. Knowing Schweinsteiger's propensity for feline violence, it was a concern. However, he adjusted over time. The telling moment was Evie' (female cat) ability to throw 6 punches in a matter of 1.3 seconds to his nose. Girls do have a way of changing boys! Now they walk past each other with little or no concern for one another. She drinks from his water bowl while standing in his food bowl. Somehow, they have figured out how to 'Get Along'. 

And that is today's subject; Can We Get Along?  If you've read previous year's postings you would figure out that I was quite... hmmm... unpolitically correct and rather expressive. I don't hide the fact nor do I apologize for most comments on politics. So today I return to that subject but from a different place. Can  We  Get  Along ?

The last time i posted a political point, the. national debt was over half its level right now. Our culture is at a perilous place in history. Without a movement of the Spirit of God, we will continue the descent into chaos and into open civil war of the worst sorts. The worst sort being where there are no sides or uniforms, just everyone for themselves. The answer to my question is one we will all have to answer on an individual level but not just the populous... it applies I believe more to the the federal establishment of our government. 

I wonder sometimes if both sides get together in the dark moments of the day to discuss 'what can we do to perpetuate the chaos and our control over the people?' I sometimes muse and envision party leaders smoking cigars or vaping, drinking shots of Jack in the darkness of night and scheming tomorrow's headlines. Call me cynical, you are probably right. Remember this...

Romans 12:18; "As far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone..." 

If Schweinsteiger can Get Along with Evie... we can Get Along... 

In Christ!