An Old Friend

Hey, Pallies,
Is there anything better than an old friend? Uncle D. says no! That's why I've been
spending some time with the Heidelberg Catechism recently. In the book of Isaiah,
chapter 49, verse 13  declares "Shout for joy, O heavens! And rejoice , O earth!!
Break forth into joyful shouting, O mountains! For the Lord has comforted His
people, and will have compassion on His afflicted.
My old friend asks,"What is your only comfort in life and death?":
That I, with body and soul, both in life and death, am not my own, but belong
unto my faithful Saviour Jesus Christ; who with His precious blood has fully
satisfied for all my sins, and delivered me from all the power of the devil; and
so preserves me that without the will of my heavenly Father not a hair can fall
from my head; yea, that all things must be subservient to my salvation, wherefore
by His Holy Spirit He also assures me of eternal life, and makes me heartily
willing and ready, henceforth, to live for Him.
I think Jesus would have you introduced to this good old friend of mine.
D.

We Didn't Start The Fire

HiYa Pallies,
Uncle Donnie has been hearing this phrase alot lately,"are you on fire for the Lord?"
Maybe coz I heard a sermon on Rev. 3 regarding the church at Laodociea, who was
neither hot or cold, you remember it right? Anyways, I've been thinkin  how hot is  this
fire supposed to be with Jesus? Is it supposed to be smelting hot like steel melting or
campfire hot for hot dogs or maybe candle hot, you know wax melting hot, I dunno!
Somebody smarter than I can help me, but I don't think I've ever read from the Scriptures
about being on fire for Jesus. Call me crazy, call me goofy, whatever; just explain to me
where this terminology comes from! I hear phrases like "be fervent in spirit, devoted to
one another, serving the Lord". I read about the refining fires and the fires of hell and of
judgement; I get all those, you know what I mean? I know how many saints were in history
literally on fire for the Lord in their martyrdoms, and I know that one of the fruits of the
Spirit is not being on fire for Jesus. Nothing in the Sermon on the Mount about it , and
where is being on fire for Jesus found in the epistles? Help me out here?
What I do know is that even a smoking flax(Isa.42) he will not quench!
I know that if I love Him I will keep His commandments.
I know that these commandments are not burdensome.
I know the two greatest commanndments.
I know that to Love is the fulfilling of the Law.
I know to be an imitator of Christ as a little child.
I know if I confess Him before men, He will confess me before His Father in heaven.
I know that greater love has no man than to love his neighbor as himself.
That's probably enough, although much much more could be quoted from Holy Writ
regarding our responsiblities communicated in concrete, and tangible terms.
I'm not sayin....I'm just sayin, leave us keep our speech Bible speech! You know
what I mean?

Zealously,
Uncle Donnie

Don't Put Kepitch On Your Busgetti

When Uncle Donnie was just a bambino and not to familiar with human communication(makes
you wonder about non-human communication, doesn't it?) he was used to words like kepitch....
"hey could you pass the kepitch, I need it for my hangaber". Just figured that everybody put
kepitch on their hangeber, know what I mean? My mom would often open up a can of Franco-
American busgetti and we would eat it with peanut butter toast....I can still taste it after all those
years. Ocassionally she would make us busgetti and meatballs...we ate it, you know what I mean?
If any of us kids got sick we were accustomed to hear this diagnosis, "Oh my, you gotta bad
case of rectopupilitis", better get you to the Dr. quick! To this day that term makes me sick and
laugh at the same time. They(my parents) often told us not to worry about the dog licking us in
the face, because as everyone knows a dogs mouth is cleaner than a human mouth. Which always
bothered me coz I would often see our dog lick himself, lick his own vomit, lick other dogs, lick
other animals poop, lick anything vile and repugnant! That dogs mouth shoulda been quarantined,
capisci, mi! For all I knew the dog had rectopupilitis and thats why all the unholy licking, right?
Don't let that dog lick you! He might have rectopupilitis! Then you'll get it and start licking
things that you shouldn't be licking. Hey sonny whats wrong with your dog there? Don't worry
Mister, he's just a poop licking sufferer of rectopupilitis!
Whattayagonnado, is there any wonder why Uncle D. ended up being a few fries short of a
happy meal?
Later,
Don

It's All Good.....Right!

So Uncle Donnie went to the grocery today and came out with seven lbs.
of ground beef, two bottles of cabernet, eight packages of taco sauce mix,
and one box of mini Haagen-Dasz bars; very eclectic wouldn't you say?
It's like a beautiful thing when I hafta go to the grocery store, you know
what I mean? Uncle D. is, let's say very Ecclesiastes like, you know that
right? "Go eat your bread with joy, and drink your wine with a merry heart;
for God has already accepted your works."  "Live joyfully with the wife
whom you love all the days of your vain life which He has given you under the
sun"....."Here is what I have seen: it is good and fitting for one to eat and
drink, and to enjoy the good of all his labor in which he toils under the sun
all the days of his life which God gives him; for it is his heritage. As for every
man to whom God has given riches and wealth, and given him power to eat of
it, to receive his heritage and rejoice in his labor---this is the gift of God. For
he will not dwell unduly on the days of his life, because God keeps him busy
with the joy of his heart."
Uncle D is a very  busy guy! You know what I mean?
And the conclusion to this whole matter is this:
"Fear God and keep His commandments, For this is man's all.
For God will bring every work into judgement, including every secret thing.
Whether good or evil.
A Dopo,
Uncle Donnie
P.S. Happy Birthday H.