I live my life by what I consider a sane and sober approach, which I have named "The Mack Truck Theory Approach To Living Life". It's not something I talk about every day...

It comes up now and then when I meet the  "Evidently I'm Not Going To Die Today Because I Haven't Died On Fifteen Thousand Yesterdays" Theorists. (I spoke with one yesterday). This popular theory- based on something like Las Vegas odds- is based on the indisputable reality that most days these people are correct - they DON'T die that day. 

However, this popular approach to living life fails to embrace all the ODDS surrounding it - the odds are 100% that ONE DAY WILL be the day they are wrong. Seems to me that it only takes one day of dying to undo a lifetime of living - no matter how many days you HAVEN'T died. 

These people are close cousins to the Christian counterparts who live by the "Right Before I Die I'll Make Things 'Right with God" approach to living life.  

The Mack Truck Theory of Living Life has it's basis in an often unasked question:  "Who says I won't get hit by a Mack Truck today?"  I am not a morbid person.  I think it makes me appreciate every single thing in every single day.   Evidently, I am one of the few people who has ever asked this question, as evidenced by the snickers I hear whenever I voice it. The timeline of the Mack Truck theory is not complicated and leaves little room for negotiation.  It's -  "Boom! ---- Mack Truck! ----- Throne of God!"   Doesn't leave much time for those prayers of repentance, does it?  (I might point out...without actually listing the hundreds of verses.. that the timeline of this theory coincides with the way God talks about life and death. Though I do not believe it is referred to as The Mack Truck Approach To Living Life.  I could be wrong, however)

According to government statistics, in 2006

42,642 people went to meet their Maker as a result of an auto accident.  ( I cannot provide statistical evidence concerning how many of these involved an actual MACK TRUCK. I'll get back to you on that)

27,323 were driving the car.

9,473 of them were passengers in those cars. (Wonder what happens to you when you're the driver of car that kills it's passengers?  In heaven, do the passengers find you and say, "Hey! What were you looking at??? Didn't you see that truck coming??? )

106 were listed as"unknown" (When an auto accident occurs.. you've got the driver and the passenger.  Who were the "unknowns"?  They weren't pedestrians.  They're included in statistics below.  Were they skateboarders hanging on to the bumper? Aliens?)  

I do meet people who try to poke holes in this approach to life by pointing out that they don't drive therefore, don't have to think about a Mack Truck and Eternity. (Yeah.. like.. never drive..never, ever, ever in a car?????)  

Those same statistics tell us that:

4,784 pedestrians were minding their own business and somehow became victims of an auto accident. Did they think they were going to get bumped to eternity that day?  I don't think so.

773 pedalcyclists lost their lives as a result of an auto accident..

183 "unknowns" - they're listed as "nonmotorist" victims. (any ideas on who these unknowns are?) 

IN reality, (which I've been told is the place most people live) none of us reading this blog will get hit by a Mack Truck today. Probably not.   Does that mean we can ignore God when He says  "Today is the day of salvation" and "Seek the Lord while He may be found".  

More tomorrow... Part Two.. Mack Truck

HEADLINES:  So...this woman in Russia went away to her country home for a few weeks... and when she got back to her OTHER house - her main house-  it wasn't there.  Demolition crews had demolished her house BY MISTAKE while she was away.  DEMOLISHED HER HOUSE...and everything in it.   By mistake.  So, what should happen to someone who destroys someone else's house by mistake?  Should he have to give the woman HIS house?  Should he have to rebuild hers?   How does a person undo a mistake so permanent? How can you forgive the person who has destroyed your home?   How do you undo a mistake that so completely obliterates someone else's life?  Some people don't even try. How do you live with that? How do you live with yourself when you've destroyed something so important in someone else's life?  Hmmmmm.

(Just got back from the gym... two days in a row... I did TWO MILES in 32 minutes.. meaning.. I walked a 16 minute mile.. meaning....I need to walk a little faster tomorrow.. but.. I'm happy that I walked at all today.)

I lead a women's Bible Study on Weds. mornings at the church we attend. 

Yesterday, we were talking about the scene where Jesus washed the feet of His disciples.  The discussion was really great - the women had excellent insights.Jesus said, "I've done this so that you have an example to follow" and we talked about what we saw in Jesus example.  The conversation was GREAT! 

Ultimately, though, for me, it was the fact that Jesus hid nothing of himself that stood out in the story.  He undressed Himself.  He revealed all He was to the disciples in the process of serving them.

God's love is a two way street - He wants to know me and He wants me to know Him.  The story in the Bible is a story of Him wanting to show Himself to us -   He sent His prophets in the Old Testament, He sent His Word, His Spirit. The heavens declare His majesty.    And though there is so much wonder and glory about God and who He is and what He does.... we cannot escape the fact that: 

HE REVEALS HIS HEART.

And if we want to love the way He does- and apparently, that's the new COMMANDMENT - - then there's no room for hidden hearts in the Body of Christ. It's easier to accept you than it is to run the risk that you might not accept me.  But if I don't show you who I really am... then I'm not really loving you the way God loves me.  And if don't love you the way God loves me......then...........I'm not really loving you at all.  Am I?  So then......what's the point of loving you half way?  There isn't one. 

New POLICY:  Shorter blogs.  Sheesh... Can I talk or what?

OK..No gym today.  And I just ate a candy bar on the way home from Walmart.    But I don't feel bad.   because I could have chosen to eat TWO candy bars.. but I only ate one.  I'm proud of myself.. Oh wait, I also had the option of eating NO candy bars....BUT..(no pun intended) I chose to go the path of the shrinking jeans.  Speaking of.....there is some kind of chemical reaction that happens when denim hits chocolate.  Suddenly the jeans SHRINK.  I wonder why scientists have not discovered the cure for chocolate.  They have!  French fries!!!  

Confession:  I didn't go to the gym yesterday and I"m going to miss it today.  Phew, I feel better.  OK... today I want to talk about Great expectations and the people who have them.

Great expectations are really not that great.  I think they're the reason for so much depression all around us.  I'm not talking about HOPE which is an essential ingredient to living life the way God wants us to - especially since His Word tells us that no one who puts their hope in God is EVER disappointed.   Nope...I'm talking about expecting stuff... expecting great stuff.  Having GREAT expectations. 

When you expect stuff you start to think you deserve it...

Sometimes we expect stuff just because it keeps happening... we expect the sun to rise so we hardly think about the fact that when we see the sun rise it means that God has given us another day of life.  For me it means...another day to drink hot delicious coffee (mmmmmmm), to kiss the delicious face of people who call me "Mema" (who are shorter and cuter than I am) and also people who don't... another day to be ALIVE.  Just because I've seen the sun rise 20,000 days in a row doesn't mean I should expect Day Number 20,001.  Does it? Nope. Nobody deserves another day of life, another meal, another anything.  

Expecting what I deserve is a better way to live a happy life.  Seriously.   I deserve nothing.  Actually, I deserve death.. because....I've broken God's laws. When I expect what I really deserve and then get what I don't....it makes the day a great one!  I'm so thankful that He isn't mad at me..just the opposite... HE LOVES ME!  I mean, seriously, how can a person take that for granted?  Like, "yes.. I was going to hell forever, but now I'm not.. big deal!".. NEVER forget that..I NEVER will.... I'm so thankful that He gives me eyes to see the new day - it's a miracle to have sight..... I'm so thankful for every day I live that doesn't have a terminal illness attached to the life of anyone I love.. I can't assume that will always be the case... I'm so thankful for girlfriends who "get me" and a husband who loves me......I'm so thankful. that my eyes didn't get poked out yesterday...and I wasn't in a terrible car crash.... I'm thankful that I get to drive my car....Anyway....being a thankful person is becoming a hazardous condition.  Seriously.... thankfulness is definitely out of style in most circles....  OK... done.   Thanks for reading. See ya.

Well, since I posted 3 times yesterday... I'm going to give my brain a day off. No words today.  Numbers, however.   Over 20 people a day reading this blog.  IP addresses showing lots of people in PA interested, people in Texas, Florida, NY.  Someone in someplace called Seychelles keeps checking out my websites.  OK.. end of words.  Tell me how you are.

There's a REAL New York-style deli in Nashville...close to Vandy....Vanderbilt University.. called "Noshville's".  It's a 30 minute trip from our house....and....it has REAL Jewish deli type food, including real Matzoh ball soup..I get there when I can... and I don't get there that often..And NOW....(drum roll!) there's one in COOL SPRINGS.which is WAY closer. There's something wrong with blogging in the morning about the gym and in the evening about Noshville's.  I didn't have cheesecake.. I didn't have cheesecake.. I didn't have cheesecake.. I shoulda had cheesecake.. I shoulda had cheesecake.. Why didn't I have cheesecake? 

I went to the gym!  I went to the gym!  I got on the treadmill!  And I did TWO MINUTES on some other kind of stair-stepper thing.  My daughter-in-law Renee is teaching me about teaching.  I'm learning that the best way to teach is by example.  She's BEEN going to the gym... and has succeeded and exceeded her goals. I'm learning from her that  #1- You can teach a whole lot better if people can use your life as an example  And #2- She says nothing but encouraging words.  When I'm embarrassed about the treadmill being one notch faster than  the "OFF" button, she talks about how difficult it was for her when she first started.  I'm learning that #2 - it's much more comforting to hear that someone has been where you ARE and has succeeded rather than trying to get someone to think it's impossible to reach a goal.   That's the whole point of overcoming - to let other people know it can be done! Anyway.. I went to the gym!  I went to the gym!  

This morning's news reports mention an interesting statistic from a survey: the average person lies four times a day.  How they came up with this statistical truth is something I'm not sure of.. but.. I'm surprised it's only FOUR times a day. Let's face it, it's easy to lie, and it's easy to get away with it.  But, "thou shalt not lie" is one of the Ten Commandments.  The seriousness of lying is right up there, according to God, with the seriousness of murder, adultery, stealing, envy and five other pretty big "thou shalt not's.   

Big Sins vs. Little Sins

If we admitted the truth, we've divided God's law in to BIG sins and LITTLE sins. Society has -  and - many of us who call ourselves Christians have done the same thing.  For example,   murder is a Big sin but lying is a Little sin.  Adultery is a Big sin but coveting your neighbor's car (or wife)  is a little one.  Certainly God won't keep someone out of heaven because of one little lie??? (Read Rev. 21:8 and tell me what you think). 

Little Sin People and Big Sin People:

The diabolical ROOT of this is that it keeps BOTH sets of people away from knowing the LOVE of God. It keeps us from meditating on His Word, waiting in His presence, wanting His Spirit to guide us.  The core of all God's dealings comes down to this: God wants you to know HE LOVES YOU.   It takes a SUPERNATURAL miracle for a human heart to comprehend the love of God. That's what God wants to accomplish because when we KNOW God's love......the battle is won - no matter how many years we fight the Good Fight.  But if we don't spend time with God.. then how can we know God?  And if we don't know God how can we believe His love?  Exactly. So Satan comes up with a theology that seems to make sense.  Big sins vs little sins.

Little Sin People are those of us who haven't murdered someone, who haven't committed adultery, who haven't robbed a bank and who ARE loving our spouse, loving our kids, helping our neighbors, going to church and paying our tithes and our taxes.  We've convinced ourselves that "Little sin people" are good enough for God and that He isn't seriously going to include someone who tells a "white" lie, or who  covets his neighbors wife with people who commit the BIG sins.  So, we "Little Sin" people just live our lives, not hungering for God, His mercy, His Spirit, or His ways. (Read Rev. 21:8).  Little sin people don't talk to God because they believe The Lie that their good behavior will get them in to heaven.   They never know or feel God's love because they don't feel the need to seek Him.  Exactly.

Big Sin People:

Big Sin People keep the news business and the gossip mills going.   We are the ones who've been caught in a BIG sin - we're now known as the drug addict, pornography addict, adulterer, thief and murderer.  We are the ones who have had abortions, robbed convenience stores.  We do bad things to little kids, have weird addictions that make people all around us afraid of us. We've done jail time,rehab and still don't measure up.  Deep inside we're so ashamed of what we really are.   We know we're bad.  We too far gone for anyone to love, much less a Holy God.     Big Sin people don't talk to God because they believe The Lie that their bad behavior will keep them out of heaven. They never know or feel God's love because they don't think He will let them seek Him.  Exactly.

The point being that whether you think you're not bad enough to have to seek God or that you're too bad to bother...........we all need to know........

The Truth About Liars, Murderers, Adulteres, Thieves and.....

"This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all.If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.

If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word has no place in our lives. 

My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have one who speaks to the Father in our defense—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for [a]the sins of the whole world."
(1 John 1:4 - 1 John 2:1-2)

Just because something is too GOOD TO BE TRUE doesn't mean it isn't.