This Question Is Worth Thinking About: What Is Really Important?

What is really important? Is that a question you think about…a lot?  You say, “Well, I’m busy.  I don’t have time to sit around pondering those kinds of questions.” But the busier you are and the more limited and precious your time is, the more critical the question becomes. It is worth knowing “what is really important” and then, with God’s help, living consistently with that reality.

A Good Kind Of Grieving

There will be grief in this world, it is unavoidable.  However, we can grieve with a sense of despair or we can grieve with a sense of hope.  My family and I grieve with a sense a hope because Jesus has vanquished death.  Also, we can grieve ALONE or we can grieve with the love and care and support of others.  I am so thankful to all of my friends, your love brings great help & comfort to my heart!

E-Flash from Dan, Re: Luther Marler

Dear E-Flash Friends;

One of the most important persons in my life passed away, last evening, my father, Luther Marler.  My dad was, sort of, a Character in many ways.  (You’ll notice I spelled “character” with a capital “C”…that was intentional.)  If you knew him, you know what I mean.  If you didn’t know him, it would be hard for me to explain it.  To some of my family and close friends, he seemed a little larger than life and, he even seemed…indestructible.  One of our family’s friends even referred to him as a “legend” in a comment posted on-line.  He was definitely a legend to me.

He cheated death a number of times—including on the front lines of battle in WWII—and he squeezed a tremendous amount of LIFE into his 89 years.  It’s possible that he may have gotten 109 or 110 years worth of actual living into his 89 chronological years of life.  I think part of me wanted to believe that nothing would really ever stop him.  Of course, we know that cannot be the case.

It feels weird to think that he’s not here in this world anymore.  I guess my mind is still trying to process the reality that he’s gone.  I’d prefer not to process it, but when we don’t acknowledge reality it tends to work against us.

This is a note that I posted on Facebook and on my blog today…

Luther J. Marler, incredible father, story-teller, WWII hero, the most RESPONSIBLE person I’ve ever known, humorist, man of integrity, able to fix or repair anything, possessor of wisdom, dependable, optimist, wise-cracker, a man who spent his whole life taking care of others, follower of Christ. My world will never quite be the same without him in it. 1920-2010.

A Facebook status report only allows so many characters of text, so, I left out two other qualities that I wanted to include in that post:  “ironman” and “lover of music”.

My dad was a product of the WWII generation and when I was younger he was not inclined toward tender, affectionate words.  It seems like “real men” from that era were not comfortable communicating that way.  However, as my dad got older he became much more tender and he would frequently tell me how much he loved me—especially in the past couple of years.  In fact, I was surprised how expressive he was about it.

The last conversation I had with my dad ended with he and I expressing our love for each other.  As I think about that, now, I am so thankful to God that that’s how it happened.  That parting conversation is another gift to me from my Father in Heaven.

The wake for my dad will be Thursday, March 11^th, from 3 to 9pm at the First Church of God, 4600 W. 111^th St., in Oak Lawn.  The funeral services will be Friday, March 12^th, at 10am, at the church.

We have received many expressions of love and sympathy and I am so grateful.  Your words have been tremendously comforting to me—more than you will ever know.  Thank you, your support during this time is an invaluable blessing to all of my family and to myself.

I love you all!

Oh, by the way, if your dad is still around, I’ve got a great idea…tell him that you love him.

Blessings,

Dan

Here's Luther with his daughter-in-

law Candi, and three of his grand-

daughters, Erin, Lindsey, & Carly.

Luther Marler...If You Didn't Know Him, I Wish You Could Have

Luther J. Marler:  incredible father, story-teller, WWII hero, the most RESPONSIBLE person I’ve ever known, humorist, man of integrity, able to fix or repair anything, possessor of wisdom, dependable, optimist, wise-cracker, a man who spent his whole life taking care of others, follower of Christ. My world will never quite be the same without him in it. 1920-2010.

We Can Choose The Way We Think

“One of the most significant findings in psychology in the last twenty years is that individuals can choose they way they think.”—Seligman.  Hmm, we can choose the way we think, huh? “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.” Phil.4:8

Be On "God's Side"

It is quite natural that we would want God to be “on our side”.  That can be a bit arrogant, though, if you think about it.  It is probably more realistic for us to make a sincere attempt to be ‘on His side”.  Read God’s word daily; be in prayer with Him honestly and frequently; worship with the body of Christ regularly; surrender to His will humbly; serve Him faithfully; love Him whole-heartedly.

Guess What? All People Have Faith

All people have faith. In other words, all people have some fundamental beliefs—which represent the first principles of their world view—that cannot be proven. They presume these beliefs to be true. This is an act of faith, whether they have identified it as such, or not. So, the question is not: Do you have faith? Rather, the question is: In what do you have faith? I recommend God…but that’s just me.

To Whom Are You Connected?

Considerable research confirms a simple but very important truth: we are significantly influenced in many different ways—including even aspects of life like physical health—by the people to whom we are connected. Are the people to whom you are connected likely to influence you in the way that’s best for you to go? [Scripture, speaking to the church] “Let us not give up meeting together…” Heb.10:25

A Cell Phone Tale...Really

Last fall, we changed cell phone plans and Nadia came home with these fancy new cell phones.  I mean they could do it all…texting, pictures, music.  I accidentally left my phone at home one day, when I got back…it had painted the house.  That’s how incredible these new phones are!

When she first brought the phones home, I was like, “…Yeah, whatever.  They’re nice.  That’s cool, but it doesn’t matter to me.”  In fact, at the time, part of me would prefer not have a cell phone.  I don’t necessarily like being available to people all the time.  (Actually, there aren’t that many people who are dying to reach me, but just pretend to accept that last sentence at face value.)

But you know what?  Then I started texting, and taking pictures with the phone, and posting things on line.  And very quickly…well, I’m a little embarrassed…but very quickly, I got to where I really liked it.  In fact, I loved my new phone.

Around Christmas, I was walking in the door at my sister-in-law’s house and I was carrying a bunch of things, including my phone and a large cup of iced tea.  And in a strange fluke of an accident, I dropped my phone and it fell right into the iced tea!

I was heart broken.  Electronic gadgets don’t do well when they’re submerged in liquids.  (You knew that already, didn’t you?)  My phone was dead.  That phone that initially I didn’t care that much about…?  Now, I loved it.  Now I was sad and crying.

We used a blow dryer on it. 

Nope, it was dead. 

We buried it in rice because that’s what people told me to do.

Nope, it was dead.

We gave it a paint brush and tried to coax it into doing some painting.

Nope, it was dead.

Finally, I took it to the phone store and told the guy, “I dropped it in a cup of iced tea.”

He said, “You’re not supposed to do that.”

I said…“Really?”  

(That’s my famous response to everything… “Really?”)

Anyhow, for a fee, they replaced the phone and I was happy again. 

But wait, then my brand new phone—the new replacement phone—began to have some problems.  So, I took it in last week to the phone store.  And the guy at the phone store looked at it and he said, “Oh yeah, I’m familiar with this model.”  Laughing, he said, “We had this dumb guy in here back in December who dropped one of these into a cup of iced tea.  Can you believe it?"

And I said…“Really?”

Today, the “new replacement” of the “first replacement phone” came in and I went to the phone store so they could…I don’t know…do their thing that they had to do.  (I hope I didn’t lose anyone with that sophisticated technical description.)

They transferred all of my contacts and pictures, etc. over to the new replacement of the first replacement phone.  And the guy at the phone store said, “Take care of this one, I don’t think we’ll be able to get you another one.”

I said, “No problem.  I’m really careful with my phone.”

But I don’t think he believed me…really.

The Good News Is...We Don't Save Ourselves

Isn’t it great to know that we don’t save ourselves? I do not like the thought that my eternal destiny would depend on me & what I do. With my track record, that’s not a comforting thought—it is not what I would call Good News. The Good News is that Jesus has done it. Jesus has already provided salvation. The work is DONE. It is liberating to simply accept the salvation that Jesus freely offers.

Trusting God And Stepping Out In Faith

God wants us to trust Him so completely that we will step out and follow Him even though He doesn’t make it totally clear, in advance, where we are going. In a way, this can seem like a somewhat foolish concept but actually it’s the simple concept of “faith”. “By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place…obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going.” Hebrews11:8

Do People Worship Idols?

When I was young, I used to think that God’s commandment against idolatry was sort of silly and unnecessary. “Gee whiz, no one worships idols,” I thought. I hadn’t lived much, at that point. (Can you tell?) Now I’m older and I’ve come to realize how easy it really is to value and desire other things over God. “You shall have no other Gods before me.” Exodus 20:3.