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CarSpace Sandman's LogbookMy first car was a clean 1963 Chevrolet Bel Air that my dad bought me for my sixteenth birthday. Thirty some years and dozens of cars and trucks later, this is my blog... Nov 20, 2009 - Thanksgiving 2009
This is the time of year when we think about all we are thankful for. The farmer’s crops are in and it is a time of abundance and rest. Construction season is winding down as Fall turns into Winter. We look forward to spending time with family and friends. I jotted down some of the things I am thankful for this year and I thought I would share them. The Bible tells us to: Eph 5:20 always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. I am Thankful for… God’s love and grace: In one of the most familiar passages in Scripture the Apostle John wrote: “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. Jn 3:16 Eternal life, not just an endless existence, but life with God, eternally deep and growing in quality. I used to think it would be boring just sitting on a cloud playing a harp for all eternity. But I believe heaven will be a place of continuous learning and development. We will have an eternity to explore our infinite creator and his creation. God’s sacrifice As the apostle John explains: 1Jn 4:9 This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. 1Jn 4:10 This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Sacrifice is an expression of God’s love. Jesus sacrificed his physical body and eternal relationship with God the Father on the cross. He was cursed, or shunned by God, taking on the sin of the world to satisfy the payment required by a just and holy God. As He hung from the cross at Calvry, Jesus exclaimed “It is finished”; our sin debt was paid in full! God’s forgiveness Seven hundred years before Christ, Isaiah prophesied: Isa 53:5 But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed. Some of my charismatic friends like to quote the last part of this Scripture to claim physical healing, and in a sense it does extend to physical healing in heaven. But in context, Isaiah is speaking of forgiveness. Our relationship with God is healed and we die to sin when we accept Jesus’ sacrifice. Peter makes this clear when he quotes Isaiah. 1Pe 2:24 He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed. God’s peace How many times on Sunday morning have you asked someone how are you, without really expecting an answer? It’s like saying good morning or have a nice day. In Jesus’ day a common greeting would be “peace be with you”. In the fourteenth chapter of John, Jesus says: Jn 14:27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. Jesus gives us peace in all situations because we have peace with God, all our sins have been covered with the blood of Christ. God gives me a quiet assurance that helps me boldly face the world. He doesn’t prevent the storm but He is with me in the storm. With Jesus next to me, I have nothing to fear. God’s assurance As the Apostle Paul explains: Ro 10:9 That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. As someone who was raised in the Roman Catholic Church, I grew up with an awful fear of death. I remember a conversation with my mom after a funeral. I asked her if I would die some day and she said yes, but not for a long time. Suddenly the mindless prayers I had been repeating took on a whole new urgency, especially the line: “If I should die before I wake”, yikes! I wanted to end up in heaven because I didn’t want to go to hell. Fear of punishment overshadowed heavenly rewards. I used to think Born Again meant delusional, brainwashed and ignorant. Now I know it means free, loved, and assured. God’s power The prophet Jeremiah said: Jer 32:17 “Ah, Sovereign LORD, you have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and outstretched arm. Nothing is too hard for you. The greatness of the world we live in, the ocean tides, the solar system, our galaxy, the universe. Through Christ, God created it out of nothing and holds it all together! There is nothing too difficult for God, nothing He wouldn’t do for our good, because he loves us. God’s knowledge The psalmist writes: Ps 147:5 Great is our Lord and mighty in power; his understanding has no limit. Paslm 147:5 As God’s power is shown in the greatness of creation, I think His knowledge is shown in the smallness of it. The complexity of the genetic code or molecular structures. Not only does God understand it, he designed it. God’s knowledge is eternal, He knows my every thought, past present and future. Nothing ever takes Him by surprise. God’s providence In his letter to the Romans, Paul writes: Ro 8:28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. God has a plan. I believe He uses everything to accomplish His will in the world and in our lives, even sin and evil. Mordecai believed in God’s providence, he convinced Esther to intercede for the Jews to King Xerxes, reasoning that God put her in a position to do it. God would save His people with or without Esther’s help. As Mordecai said to Esther: Est 4:14 What if you don’t say anything at this time? Then help for the Jews will come from another place. But you and your family will die. Who knows? It’s possible that you became queen for a time just like this.” When I face challenges in my life, I am thankful I can seek God’s will and trust Him to work it out for my good, according to His purpose. God’s fellowship In his letter to the Galatians, Paul describes our relationship with God: Gal 4:6 Because you are sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, “Abba, Father.” It’s funny how we look at God in light of our own parents. I was blessed with loving parents, but dad worked a lot and mom was kept busy raising twin boys. I always thought that if I didn’t bother God with my problems, he would appreciate it. The thing is, he wants us to bother him, He wants the communication. He sees us as children; he wants to hear our problems, our wants, our fears, and our joy. He wants us to shout look at me! look at me! Like a kid on the playground. He knows what we are going to ask before we even think of it, but he wants us to ask, because he wants a relationship with us, just like the perfect father. God’s spiritual gifts and talents As Peter wrote in his first letter to encourage the early church; 1Pe 4:10 Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms. When I first became a Christian I wanted to teach and sing. But I was terribly shy and couldn’t speak to more than a few people at a time. It was hard for me to walk through the door of my church the first time, not knowing anyone. I had been a Christian for several months and I knew I needed to get into a body of believers. I was welcomed with open arms and God gave me the push I needed through other Christians to take the step of faith and use my gifts. I am not saying I couldn’t sing or play guitar before I was saved, but I wasn’t able to use that talent until God gave me the opportunity and ability to overcome my fears. One of the spiritual gifts I received was confidence. God’s Word (Scripture) As Paul explains to Timothy in his second letter: 2Ti 3:16 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, 2Ti 3:17 so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. I believe God speaks to us through his Word. Whenever I have a decision to make, I think about what, if anything, God has to say about it. But I also believe His plan for my life involves the freedom to choose when all options are good. When we take a child to a buffet we might not let them get all deserts but we let them choose different foods as they please. In the same way, I think God delights in giving us the desire of our heart. I am thankful the Lord has detailed his moral will in Scripture to guide my life, and then lets me choose what I put on my plate. God’s Comfort and Compassion As Paul praises God in his letter to the Corinthians: 2Co 1:3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, 2Co 1:4 who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God. I remember Renee sobbing as we held each other, tears on my neck and face. I could accept the death of our unborn baby, but her anguish was unbearable. When we cry I think God cries with us. Renee suffered terribly for the next several months. But with prayer and some solid Christian counseling, she gradually learned to accept it. We both have grown closer to the Lord through this tragedy. I am thankful that I can face all things through Christ who gives me strength. And finally, I am thankful for God’s people As the early church is described in the book of Acts: Ac 2:46 Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, As we get ready to enjoy this holiday season, I am reminded how thankful I am for the body of believers here. One of the things I enjoy most is getting together with friends for food and conversation. As a kid, we spent summers at my grandparents’ farm in Canada. I remember Sunday supper when all the family would gather around a big kitchen table or a clam bake on the beach, or a pot of hot steaming lobsters. It was more than just eating, it was telling stories and laughing, I didn’t want it to ever end. We could take off our masks and enjoy each other in love. I can’t wait to enjoy the dinner parties in heaven, to see old friends and relatives and have a meal with them; to sit and dine with Jesus and all the saints. I wonder which apostle will be the jokester, who will get teased by the others; Peter comes to mind. I want to hear the fish stories and funny anecdotes; to listen to Jesus talk as he passes me the potatoes with a big smile on his face, what a glorious time that will be. Heavenly Father, we have so much to thank you for. Above all we thank you for loving us enough to send your Son to pay the penalty for our sin. Help us to always pray in your will, to trust you and keep you first in our lives. We love you Lord. Fill us with your Holy Spirit and guide us in your love. We ask in the name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen
Nov 10, 2009 - It's a BOY!!!We just found out today my wife and I are having a boy!
Mar 28, 2009 - Street DifferentialWell my bargain third member for my Chevelle turned out to be not such a bargain. After teardown, I found out that I needed a ring and pinion, clutches, bearings, and side and pinion gears. Oh and the yoke was wrong. Well I got everything on ebay including a used ring and pinion. It came from a Nascar team according to the seller. I got it together yesterday, and took it out for a spin. The 2.86 gear was a joy to drive at highway speeds and a first gear burnout was great. With the 3.70 gear and a 10 inch torque converter, first gear was useless on the street with the 3.70. The True-lock is quiet and mades turning much easier than the spool I was running. I had some trouble setting up the used ring gear, it was tough to get a good pattern. I am getting a little wine on the coast side but over all I am very happy with it. Check out the new album with pictures of the swap. With the bolt in 9 inch Ford third member, it is an hour job to change it back for the track.
Mar 21, 2009 - First Living Sacrifice Christian Coffee HouseThis has been a wonderful day. We had our first coffee house and we had a house full! We had several talented people singing and playing music. My wife and I (Living Sacrifice) opened with a sing along, then turned it over to a young Christian rock band, a soloist, and an up and coming singer/song writer. We closed the set and I even broke out the banjo tonight for an impromptu version of I'll Fly Away with a neighbor and my other half. We learned a lot, sound and video equipment we will need to get, program details, ect. I can't remember when I have so much fun. I will post a few pictures and a video on You Tube soon. Next coffee house scheduled for June. Oh, I forgot to mention, it is my 50th birthday today. Best time ever.
Mar 7, 2009 - Allow me to introduce myselfI have been a car guy as for long as I can remember. From the time I was old enough to ride a trike, I wanted to drive. But, to be fair, that is not who I am now. Sure, I own four cars and a six car garage with a lift, and drive a tractor-trailer for a living. The truth is I am a Christian first, a husband second, a patriot third, and somewhere down on the list, a car guy. All my strength, everything I am, I owe to my Lord and Savior, Christ Jesus. This is not a religious blog, but my relationships will discussed, and the most important one is with God.
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