Randy Lewis's PhuseBox

What's Important

Randy Lewis — Tue, 24 Jul 2007 10:28:47 -0500

What's important to my friends

should also be somewhat important to me,

if my friends are important to me.

Love and Friends

Randy Lewis — Wed, 30 May 2007 09:54:20 -0500

It's sad what it takes to begin discovering who your true friends are.

Anyone interested should look up:
1 John 4:7-12 and John 15:12-14.

Unfortunately it seems that even small sacrifices are too much for some "friends". Especially those who you didn't expect would consider it a sacrifice at all.

I'm sure there at least a few amens out there.

Friendship

Randy Lewis — Tue, 17 Apr 2007 21:51:49 -0500

I am finding myself wondering exactly what is "friendship". I remember what it used to be but it seems that it is not the same these days. These days it seems that a friend is a friend as long as they are useful. And when they are not useful they are simply tolerated, or pushed away (until they are useful again). Would anyone care to offer an opinion?

Heaven and Hell

Randy Lewis — Wed, 14 Mar 2007 19:55:36 -0600

"Heaven & Hell"

A
man spoke with the Lord about heaven and hell. The Lord said to the man
"come, I will show you hell". They entered a room where a group of
famished people sat around a huge pot of cooking stew. Everyone in the
room was starving and desperate. Each person held a spoon that reached
the pot but each spoon had a handle so much longer than their own arms
that it could not be used to get the stew into their own mouths. The
suffering was terrible. "Come now, I will show you heaven" the Lord
said.

They entered another room identical to the first,
the big pot of stew, the group of people and the same long-handled
spoons. But here everyone was happy and well nourished. "I don't
understand" said the man.

"Why is everyone happy here and miserable in the other room? Everything is the same."

"Here," said the Lord "they have learned to feed each other."

Be Still My Soul

Randy Lewis — Mon, 05 Mar 2007 21:54:20 -0600

Be still, my soul: the Lord is on thy side.
Bear patiently the cross of grief or pain.
Leave to thy God to order and provide;
In every change, He faithful will remain.
Be still, my soul: thy best, thy heavenly Friend
Through thorny ways leads to a joyful end.

Be still, my soul: thy God doth undertake
To guide the future, as He has the past.
Thy hope, thy confidence let nothing shake;
All now mysterious shall be bright at last.

Listening and Doing

Randy Lewis — Fri, 23 Feb 2007 11:33:32 -0600

Every now and then when I'm studying, something I am studying just begs to be posted. I don't know why. Maybe so someone else can benefit from it. I have been studying the book of James and this just needed to be posted:

James 1:

Listening and Doing 19My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, 20for man's anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires. 21Therefore,
get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly
accept the word planted in you, which can save you. 22Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. 23Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror 24and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. 25But
the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and
continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it—he
will be blessed in what he does.

Imitating Christ's Humility

Randy Lewis — Sun, 18 Feb 2007 21:44:41 -0600

I think this speaks for itself.

Philippians 2

1If
you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any
comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any
tenderness and compassion, 2then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose. 3Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. 4Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.

Life Lessons

Randy Lewis — Tue, 23 Jan 2007 08:27:38 -0600

If life is filled with disappointment,
lower your expectations.

Aim high, expect nothing.

In relationships (all relationships)
Give all you can,
Expect nothing back.

Hard lessons to learn,
but sometimes life itself teaches the lessons.

I’m still learning.

"Not as I will, but as you will"

Randy Lewis — Mon, 15 Jan 2007 09:03:31 -0600

Matthew 26:36Then Jesus went with his
disciples to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to them, "Sit here
while I go over there and pray." 37He took Peter and the two sons of Zebedee along with him, and he began to be sorrowful and troubled. 38Then he said to them, "My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me."

39Going
a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, "My
Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I
will, but as you will."

40Then he returned to his disciples and found them sleeping. "Could you men not keep watch with me for one hour?" he asked Peter. 41"Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the body is weak."

42He
went away a second time and prayed, "My Father, if it is not possible
for this cup to be taken away unless I drink it, may your will be
done."

43When he came back, he again found them sleeping, because their eyes were heavy. 44So he left them and went away once more and prayed the third time, saying the same thing.

Do you ever feel like this?

"My
Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I
will, but as you will."

Merry Christmas

Randy Lewis — Sun, 24 Dec 2006 22:14:23 -0600

Merry Christmas everyone!

What are you giving Jesus for His Birthday?

I'm giving Him more of my time for the next year.

Happy Birthday

Randy Lewis — Fri, 08 Dec 2006 07:32:07 -0600

Happy Birthday Shari_Sherbet!

Mark 5:36

Randy Lewis — Tue, 05 Dec 2006 17:06:36 -0600

"Don't
be afraid; just believe."

-Jesus-

Psalm 107

Randy Lewis — Wed, 22 Nov 2006 08:01:43 -0600

I know this is long, but it seemed appropriate for today.

1 Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good! His faithful love endures
forever. 2 Has the Lord redeemed you? Then speak out! Tell others he has
redeemed you from your enemies. 3 For he has gathered the exiles from many
lands, from east and west, from north and south. 4 Some wandered in the
wilderness, lost and homeless. 5 Hungry and thirsty, they nearly died. 6 “Lord,
help!” they cried in their trouble, and he rescued them from their
distress. 7 He led them straight to safety, to a city where they could live.
8 Let them praise the Lord for his great love and for the wonderful things he
has done for them. 9 For he satisfies the thirsty and fills the hungry with
good things. 10 Some sat in darkness and deepest gloom, imprisoned in iron
chains of misery. 11 They rebelled against the words of God, scorning the
counsel of the Most High. 12 That is why he broke them with hard
labor; they fell, and no one was there to help them. 13 “Lord, help!”
they cried in their trouble, and he saved them from their distress. 14 He led
them from the darkness and deepest gloom; he snapped their chains. 15 Let
them praise the Lord for his great love and for the wonderful things he has
done for them. 16 For he broke down their prison gates of bronze; he cut apart
their bars of iron. 17 Some were fools; they rebelled and suffered for their
sins. 18 They couldn’t stand the thought of food, and they were knocking on
death’s door. 19. “Lord, help!” they cried in their trouble, and he saved them
from their distress. 20 He sent out his word and healed them, snatching them
from the door of death. 21 Let them praise the Lord for his great
love and for the wonderful things he has done for them. 22 Let them
offer sacrifices of thanksgiving and sing joyfully about his glorious
acts. 23 Some went off to sea in ships, plying the trade routes of
the world. 24 They, too, observed the Lord’s power in action, his
impressive works on the deepest seas. 25 He spoke, and the winds
rose, stirring up the wave. 26 Their ships were tossed to the
heavens and plunged again to the depths; the sailors cringed in
terror. 27 They reeled and staggered like drunkards and were at their
wits’ end. 28 “Lord, help!” they cried in their trouble, and he saved
them from their distress. 29 He calmed the storm to a whisper and stilled
the waves. 30 What a blessing was that stillness as he brought them
safely into harbor! 31 Let them praise the Lord for his great
love and for the wonderful things he has done for them. 32 Let them
exalt him publicly before the congregation and before the leaders of the
nation. 33 He changes rivers into deserts, and springs of water into
dry, thirsty land. 34 He turns the fruitful land into salty
wastelands, because of the wickedness of those who live there. 35 But
he also turns deserts into pools of water, the dry land into springs of
water. 36 He brings the hungry to settle there and to build their
cities. 37 They sow their fields, plant their vineyards, and harvest
their bumper crops. 38 How he blesses them! They raise large families
there, and their herds of livestock increase. 39 When they decrease
in number and become impoverished through oppression, trouble, and
sorrow, 40 the Lord pours contempt on their princes, causing them to
wander in trackless wastelands. 41 But he rescues the poor from trouble and
increases their families like flocks of sheep. 42 The godly will see these
things and be glad, while the wicked are struck silent. 43 Those who are
wise will take all this to heart; they will see in our history the
faithful love of the Lord.

Now go back and read verses 1 and 2 again.

Stress

Randy Lewis — Sun, 19 Nov 2006 19:09:05 -0600

According to a high school psychology textbook, stress is "a
particular pattern of disturbing psychological and physiological
reactions that occur when an environment event threatens important
motives and taxes one's ability to cope."

In plain English, stress is the "wear and tear" our bodies experience as we adjust to our continually changing environment.

But not all stress is bad -- some stress is good. In fact, everyone
needs stress in their lives; without it, life would be dull and
unexciting. Stress adds flavor, challenge and opportunity to life.
Stress can pump you up, give you energy, supply that zest for living.

Stress is an unavoidable part of life. The challenges caused by
stress help to develop new skills and behavior patterns. The problems
occur, however, when stress becomes excessive. It can become
destructive and can turn into distress. Too much stress on your mind
and body can make you feel miserable, worried, sad and ill.

Contrary to popular belief, stress is not the pressure from the
outside--the divorce, the death, the burned supper, the vacation, the
isolation. Those are stressors. Your response to those situations constitutes stress.

Matthew 6:27 Who of you by worrying can add a
single hour to his life?

John 16:33 "I have told you these
things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble.
But take heart! I have overcome the world." (NIV)

Pride or Fear

Randy Lewis — Thu, 02 Nov 2006 13:57:47 -0600

Over
the past several months, I have noticed that most people who are going through a rough time, even if they will tell about it, refuse to ask for or accept help from others. I wonder if this is from a fear of needing help, or a fear of being rejected, or just pride getting in the way.

Just thinking out loud.

THE JUDGMENT

Randy Lewis — Tue, 24 Oct 2006 21:35:55 -0500

I went to the dress rehersal on Tuesday. It was awesome. If you are in Murfreesboro on one of the nights of this presentation, you have to go to it. If you don't, you'll wish you did. Then it'll be too late.

God punishes who?

Randy Lewis — Tue, 17 Oct 2006 21:26:59 -0500

I am almost certain that some of you might have a response to this, but I have a question. I have not gone into diligent study about this, so help me out, please.

With the exception of Job, who was "tested" by God, where in the Bible was anyone "punished" by God or His people for any reason except that they either turned their backs on God, or persecuted His people?

Christian Motocross?

Randy Lewis — Tue, 17 Oct 2006 18:53:43 -0500

The Fellowship of Christian Athletes and the Christian Motorcyclists Association are presenting a motocross training event in November.

Hospital Visit

Randy Lewis — Mon, 25 Sep 2006 16:48:09 -0500

So I went to Vanderbilt to visit a friend who was injured in a motocross accident. There were 4 of us there from CMA (Christian Motorcyclists Association). We prayed with the family and then we just hung out with them waiting for the doctors to decide what they were going to do. Well, it was only about a half an hour before things got really interesting. We happened to overhear someone say why they were there, and we asked if we could pray with them. They said yes, and we did. That's when the awesome God thing got started. People started to come to us to ask if we would pray with them. Of course we would. I think we must have prayed with about 6 families before we had to leave. Of course we also had discussions with them about their faith, etc. What an emotional evening.

I got the call yesterday, late in the afternoon. I was tired, and I didn't really want to go, other than to show my CMA brother that I was there for him and his family. I couldn't get rid of the feeling that I needed to be there, so I went. I am so glad I did. It was a real blessing. God will use us if we will listen to His promptings and not be "too tired".

Serving at Motocross

Randy Lewis — Sun, 20 Aug 2006 21:48:06 -0500

This weekend we went to the Meadow Creek Motocross races in Crossville. This was my first experience with motocross. On Saturday they practiced most of the day. The track announcer, known as Bubba got married Saturday evening on a hill in the middle of the track. She married Virgil. Her real name is Valerie and his is Joshua.

Sunday was all out racing action. It was a blast to watch. It looks like it would be a lot more fun to participate.

By the way, we were there with our fellow members of the Christian Motorcyclists Association. Sunday started out with a Church Service on the bleachers. There were about 30 people there for service. We also got to open the "Riders Meeting" with prayer. We helped with registration, wedding set up, etc. We also prayed with some of the people there. Mostly we were just there to help out wherever needed. It's amazing how God can use you if you just make yourself available. Our motto is "Here when you need us". It was awesome. I was blessed.

THE SNEEZE

Randy Lewis — Wed, 05 Jul 2006 21:22:55 -0500

THE SNEEZE
They
walked in tandem, each of the ninety-two students filing into the
already crowded auditorium. With rich maroon gowns flowing and the
traditional caps, they looked almost as grown up as they felt. Dads
swallowed hard behind broad smiles, and Moms freely brushed away tears.
This class would not pray during the commencements - not by choice, but
because of a recent court Ruling prohibiting it.
The
principal and several students were careful to stay within the
guidelines allowed by the ruling. They gave inspirational and
challenging speeches, but no one mentioned divine guidance and no one
asked for blessings on the graduates or their families. The speeches
were nice, but they were routine.....until the final speech received a
standing ovation.
A solitary student walked proudly to
the microphone. He stood still and silent for just a moment, and then,
it happened. All 92 students, every single one of them, suddenly
SNEEZED!! The student on stage simply looked at the audience and said,
"GOD BLESS YOU, each and every one of you!" And he walked off stage...
The
audience exploded into applause. The graduating class found a unique
way to invoke God's blessing on their future with or without the
court's approval.

Isn't this a wonderful story? Pass it on to all your friends.........and GOD BLESS YOU!!!!

In God We Trust, United We Stand.

This is a true story; happened at the University of Maryland ~Psalms 27:1~

Hmmmm!

Randy Lewis — Wed, 07 Jun 2006 20:39:34 -0500

Opportunity
may knock once,

but temptation bangs on
your
front door forever.

Forbidden
fruits create many jams

God
promises a safe landing,
not a calm passage.

Prayer:
Don't give God
instructions -- just report
for duty!

Randy Lewis — Tue, 30 May 2006 20:50:43 -0500

I think MaryBeth likes Daniel.
I think he's trying to figure out why she's smiling. Maybe he's contemplating his next Phusebox Blog.

Linda and Chris dinner before prom

Randy Lewis — Mon, 01 May 2006 21:43:00 -0500

Kate and Paul Prom Pic.

Randy Lewis — Mon, 01 May 2006 16:01:20 -0500

Changes

Randy Lewis — Mon, 24 Apr 2006 16:06:31 -0500

Changes

By: John Ogden, Sr.

He will
transform the body of our humble condition into the likeness of His glorious
body, by the power that enables Him to subject everything to Himself.
Philippians 3:21

We cannot become what we need to be by remaining what we are. If we only do
what we have always done, we will only be what we have always been. If we
are to grow in our relationship with God then we are the ones who must grow
and change. God is unchanging. We are the ones who will grow and produce change
as we follow Him.

Are you growing in your Christian walk? Look back over the past 5 years of
your walk with Christ. Have you changed? Are you changing today? A fundamental
element of the Christian experience is change, we are always changing. We
are daily entering into His presence and being changed more and more into
His likeness. If we are not changing, then we are not growing. If we are not
growing then we are not living. Christ came that we might have life and have
it to the fullest. The full life which Christ desires each of us to have is
a life that is totally saturated in Him. It is a life that is constantly expanding,
constantly growing, constantly striving for more and more of God.

Seek the presence of the Lord today. Inquire of the Father where you need
to be changed, how you need to grow. Then surrender to His process!

This is the latest CMA on-line devotion. Any comments?

July 7th. Enough said.

Randy Lewis — Tue, 11 Apr 2006 05:50:41 -0500

Amanda

Randy Lewis — Mon, 03 Apr 2006 16:47:33 -0500

Doesn't she look sad?

Doesn't this one make you wonder what she's up to?

Randy Lewis — Sun, 02 Apr 2006 10:20:53 -0500

Here they are without redeye. I'm still speechless.

Randy Lewis — Sun, 02 Apr 2006 06:53:53 -0500

Hows this? I know, beautiful. I'm speechless! I mean without the redeye.
I'll do some more later.

Man Can't, God Can

Randy Lewis — Mon, 27 Mar 2006 15:29:30 -0600

This is the latest devotion from a Christian Motorcycle organization that I belong to. Some of us have been trying to deal with things on our own. Maybe, if we could remember this from scripture, it will help us turn it all over to God. I hope so anyway. Without Him, we are nothing.

When
he saw Jesus from afar, he ran and worshiped Him. (Mark 5:6)

This setting of scripture describes the account of a man called Legion, which
is recorded in Mark 5:1-20. You may want to read the entire setting of scripture.
Here we see the story of a man that could not help himself, nor could the
wisdom and best intentions of the leaders (doctors, lawyers, priests, etc.)
in his hometown. When the leaders had done all that they could, they released
him and left him in hopelessness to dwell in the tombs of the dead. Many people
today are living among the dead with no hope. With man, there is no hope;
with God, there is always hope and deliverance.

As the story unfolds, we see Legion running to Jesus and falling down to worship
Him. Then the bondage of the world, both physical and spiritual, took control
of him, and he could not do what he desired to do. Jesus broke the bondage
and set Legion free as we see Legion in verse 15 clothed and in his right
mind.

You may be at your wits end in circumstances and situations. You may feel
as if you cannot go on. You may feel that your situation is hopeless. The
doctors may have given you a bad report. May I remind you that there is hope
in Jesus! I challenge you to do as Legion did: fall down, give the circumstances
and the situations to Him, and ask Him to do the impossible. In Him there
is hope.

Remember that where our possibility ends, it is just the beginning of the
possibilities in Christ. Put your confidence in Him, and you will be more
than an overcomer.

Stuff to think about (When you're bored)

Randy Lewis — Wed, 22 Mar 2006 20:37:17 -0600

Here are a few things to think about that you probably have
never

thought about;

Can you cry under water?

How important does a person have to be before they are considered

assassinated instead of just murdered?

Why do you have to "put your two cents in".. . but it's only a

"penny for your thoughts"? Where's that extra penny going to?

Once you're in heaven, do you get stuck wearing the clothes you were

buried in for eternity?

Why does a round pizza come in a square box?

What disease did cured ham actually have?

How is it that we put man on the moon before we figured out it would

be a good idea to put wheels on luggage?

Why is it that people say they "slept like a baby" when babies wake
up

like every two hours?

If a deaf person has to go to court, is it still called a hearing?

Why are you IN a movie, but you're ON TV?

Why do people pay to go up tall buildings and then put money in

binoculars to look at things on the ground?

Why do toasters always have a setting that burns the toast to a

horrible crisp, which no decent human being would eat?

If Jimmy cracks corn and no one cares, why is there a stupid song

about him?

Can a hearse carrying a corpse drive in the carpool lane?

If the professor on Gilligan's Island can make
a radio out of a

coconut, why can't he fix a hole in a boat?

Why does Goofy stand correct while Pluto remains on all fours?

They're both dogs!

If Wiley E. Coyote had enough money to buy all that ACME stuff, why didn't he just
buy dinner?

If corn oil is made from corn, and vegetable oil is made from

vegetables, what is baby oil made from?

If electricity comes from electrons, does morality come from morons?

Did you ever notice that when you blow in a dog's face, he gets mad at

you, but when you take him for a car ride; he sticks his head out the

window?

Do you ever wonder why you read this blog in the first place?

Randy Lewis — Wed, 15 Mar 2006 19:45:09 -0600

Real
Stories of the Non-Technical (from comedy central)

I called a company and asked to speak to Bob. The
person who answered said, "Bob is on vacation. Would you like to
hold?"

I worked with an individual who plugged their power strip back into itself
and for the life of them could not understand why their computer would not turn
on.

"Do you know anything about this fax-machine?"
"A little. What's wrong?"
"Well, I sent a fax, and the recipient called back to say all she
received was a cover-sheet and a blank page. I tried it again, and the same
thing happened."
"How did you load the sheet?"
"It's a pretty sensitive memo, and I didn't want anyone else to read it
by accident. So I folded it so only the recipient could open it and read
it."

I recently saw a distraught young lady weeping beside her car. "Do you
need some help?" I asked.
"I knew I should have replaced the battery in this remote control door
unlocker. Now I can't get into my car. Do you think that store would have a
battery for this?"
"Hmmm, I dunno. Do you have an alarm, too?" I asked.
"No, just this remote," she answered, handing it and the car keys
to me. As I took the keys and manually unlocked the door, I said, "Why don't
you drive over there and check about the batteries? It's a long walk."

Things we wouldn't know without movies

Randy Lewis — Tue, 14 Mar 2006 05:27:18 -0600

-It is always possible to park directly outside any building you are visiting.

-A detective can only solve a case once he has been suspended from duty.

-If you decide to start dancing in the street, everyone you bump into will know all the steps.

-Most laptop computers are powerful enough to override the communication systems of any invading alien civilization.

-It does not matter if you are heavily outnumbered in a fight involving martial arts - your enemies will wait patiently to attack you one by one by dancing around in a threatening manner until you have knocked out their predecessors.

-When a person is knocked unconscious by a blow to the head, they will never suffer a concussion or brain damage.

-No one involved in a car chase, hijacking, explosion, volcanic eruption or alien invasion will ever go into shock.

-Police Departments give their officers personality tests to make sure they are deliberately assigned a partner who is their total opposite

-When they are alone, all foreigners prefer to speak English to each other.

-You can always find a chainsaw when you need one.

-Any lock can be picked by a credit card or a paper clip in seconds, unless it''''s the door to a burning building with a child trapped inside.

-An electric fence, powerful enough to kill a dinosaur will cause no lasting damage to an eight-year-old child.

-Television news bulletins usually contain a story that affects you personally at that precise moment you turn the television on.

Randy Lewis — Tue, 14 Mar 2006 05:21:03 -0600

Romans 8:28

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him,^[a] who^[b] have been called according to his purpose.

escape the corruption

Randy Lewis — Mon, 13 Mar 2006 06:15:44 -0600

2 Peter 1:3His divine power has given
us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of
him who called us by his own glory and goodness. 4Through
these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that
through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the
corruption in the world caused by evil desires.

5For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; 6and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; 7and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love. 8For
if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep
you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our
Lord Jesus Christ. 9But if anyone does not have them, he is nearsighted and blind, and has forgotten that he has been cleansed from his past sins.

10Therefore,
my brothers, be all the more eager to make your calling and election
sure. For if you do these things, you will never fall, 11and you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.