Weekly Words of Wisdom

"I would rather be governed by the first 100 names in the Boston phone directory than by the Harvard faculty."

~ William F. Buckley

Weekly Words of Wisdom

The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. - John 1:14

Wise men still seek Him!

UN Home Security System

Check out this great video on the new UN Home Security System. I am sure you will want one!

Silly Signs on Saturday

A few good friends sent me this photo from San Diego.

Weekly Words of Wisdom

We should give as we would receive, cheerfully, quickly, and without hesitation; for there is no grace in a benefit that sticks to the fingers.
~Seneca (Roman statesman, philosopher)

Weekly Words of Wisdom

"I am strongly in favor of common sense, common honesty, and common decency. Of course, this makes me forever ineligible for public office."

~ H.L. Mencken

Weekly Words of Wisdom

All our discontents about what we want appear to me to spring from the want of thankfulness for what we have.

~Daniel Defoe

What a cool car!!!

Check out this cool flying car created by Steve Saint, son of missionary Nate Saint, who was killed by the Waodani tribe in Equador. Inspired by his father's legacy, Mr. Saint developed a car that could go where traditional cars and planes could not go.


To see another even better video of this car, click here.

Silly Signs on Sunday

No loud praise and worship allowed here!

Weekly Words of Wisdom

Forgiveness is God's command.
~Martin Luther

Silly Signs on Sunday

This sign is adjacent to a bike / pedestrian trail down in Florida...

Burned Biscuits - author unknown

When I was a kid, my Mom liked to make breakfast food for dinner every now and then. And I remember one night in particular when she had made breakfast after a long, hard day at work.

On that evening so long ago, my Mom placed a plate of eggs, sausage and extremely burnt biscuits in front of my dad. I remember waiting to see if anyone noticed! Yet all my dad did was reach for his biscuit, smile at my Mom and ask me how my day was at school. I don't remember what I told him that night, but I do remember watching him smear butter and jelly on that biscuit and eat every bite!

When I got up from the table that evening, I remember hearing my Mom apologize to my dad for burning the biscuits. And I'll never forget what he said: "Honey, I love burned biscuits."

Later that night, I went to kiss Daddy good night and I asked him if he really liked his biscuits burned. He wrapped me in his arms and said, "Your Momma put in a hard day today and she's real tired. And besides - a little burned biscuit never hurt anyone!"

Life is full of imperfect things and imperfect people. I'm not the best at hardly anything, and I forget birthdays and anniversaries just like everyone else. But what I've learned over the years is that learning to accept each other’s faults - and choosing to celebrate each other’s differences - is one of the most important keys to creating a healthy, growing, and lasting relationship.

And that's my prayer for you today. That you will learn to take the good, the bad, and the ugly parts of your life and lay them at the feet of God. Because in the end, He's the only One who will be able to give you a relationship where a burnt biscuit isn't a deal-breaker!

We could extend this to any relationship. In fact, understanding is the base of any relationship, be it a husband-wife or parent-child or friendship!

"Don't put the key to your happiness in someone else's pocket..... keep it in your own."

So, Please pass me a biscuit, and yes, the burned one will do just fine. And PLEASE pass this along to someone who has enriched your life.

Be kinder than necessary because everyone you meet is fighting some kind of battle

Weekly Words of Wisdom

The concept of total wellness recognizes that our every thought, word, and behavior affects our greater health and well-being. And we, in turn, are affected not only emotionally but also physically and spiritually.
~Greg Anderson (writer, wellness expert)

Weekly Words of Wisdom

You can't live a perfect day without doing something for someone who will never be able to repay you.
~John Wooden

Great Evangelism Video

Weekly Words of Wisdom

"If man is not governed by God, he will be ruled by tyrants."

~ William Penn, founder and first governor of Pennsylvania

Weekly Words of Wisdom - BONUS

The end of learning is to know God, and out of that knowledge to love him and imitate him.
~John Milton

Weekly Words of Wisdom

When wealth is lost, nothing is lost; when health is lost, something is lost; when character is lost, all is lost.
~Billy Graham

Silly Signs on Sunday

Weekly Words of Wisdom

"Thousands have trodden the path you are pursuing, and have awoke too late to find it end in misery and eternal ruin. They have fought hard for wealth, and honor, and office, and promotion, and turned their backs on God, and Christ, and heaven. … And what has their end been? Often, far too often, they have found out that their whole life has been a grand mistake."

~ J.C. Ryle

Silly Signs on Sunday

In response to popular demand (i.e. BOTH of the people who read this blog: my wife and daughter), I have decided to launch a new weekly series on my blog: Silly Signs on Sunday. As anyone familiar with the Hagen Homestead can tell you, alliteration abounds around our abode. Thus I had to wait and launch this on the weekend. Anyhow, without further ado...here is the premier installment of Silly Signs on Sunday!

Weekly Words of Wisdom

Do not pray for more of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is the Third Person of the Trinity and is not in pieces. Every child of God has all of him, but does he have all of us?
~F. B. Meyer (British pastor, evangelist)

Weekly Words of Wisdom

He is a wise man who does not grieve for the things which he has not, but rejoices for those which he has.
~Epictetus

Weekly Words of Wisdom - BONUS

God loves with a great love the man whose heart is bursting with a passion for the impossible.
~William Booth (founder of the Salvation Army)

Weekly Words of Wisdom

Risk more than others think is safe. Care more than others think is wise. Dream more than others think is practical. Expect more than others think is possible.
~West Point cadet maxim

Weekly Words of Wisdom

"Every government degenerates when trusted to the rulers of the people alone. The people themselves are its only safe depositories."

~Thomas Jefferson

Weekly Words of Wisdom

"Essential characteristics of a gentleman: The will to put himself in the place of others; the horror of forcing others into positions from which he would himself recoil; the power to do what seems to him to be right, without considering what others may say or think."

~John Galsworthy

Weekly Words of Wisdom

Only a life lived in service to others is worth living.

~Albert Einstein

Takin' Back Our Country

Check out this great music video!

Thought Police in Academia

A christian student at a public university in Georgia is being told that she must abandon her deep-held biblical beliefs or be expelled. To see more on this shocking story, click here.

It is hard to believe that in this nation that was founded on the principle of religious liberty, a public university would endorse, condone, and practice religious persecution. Public universities like this are no longer places of education, they are simply places of indoctrination.

Weekly Words of Wisdom

I prefer dangerous freedom over peaceful slavery.
~ Thomas Jefferson

The Oil Disaster in the Gulf

Interesting video: Is the Gulf oil disaster a man-made mistake, or the judgement of God?

Weekly Words of Wisdom

The salvation of a single soul is more important than the production or preservation of all the epics and tragedies in the world.

~C.S. Lewis

Kids Say the Darndest Things...

This week, Art Linkletter passed away at the age of 97. He leaves behind his wife of 75 years and two daughters. For those of you too young to remember him, his show was on TV when I was a boy. Here is an excerpt from his book, Kids Say the Darndest Things that was based on stuff kids said on his TV show of the same title:

Gregory, aged five, announced to me that he'd like to advertise something on the program. When I inquired about his product, he replied:

"I want to sell my sister for half price. That's fifty cents!"
"What would you do with the money?" I blandly carried on.
"Buy a baby brother that'd be some fun for a change."
"Where would you buy him?"
"From my mother, of course. She's the one who produces them all."

Towel Day?!?

I had never even heard of "Towel Day" until one of my brothers sent me an e-mail about today being so designated. Apparently, the 25th of May is designated "Towel Day" in honor of the late author Douglas Adams who wrote, among other things, "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy." However, as I looked into this a little, I surmise that towel day may be appropriate in this case: we should be crying for the soul of this man who will be spending eternity in Hell. According to the information posted regarding Mr. Adams, he was an avowed atheist - so much so that today's lead evangelist of atheism, Richard Dawkins, dedicated one of his books to him. It bewilders me that anyone can look and study the incredible beauty and wonder of the universe and not see the handiwork of the Creator.

"The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the works of His hands." - Psalm 19:1

When I look up into the beauty of the star-filled sky, the words of that old hymn come to mind:
"O Lord my God, when I in awesome wonder, consider all the worlds thy hands have made; I see the stars, I hear the rolling thunder, thy power throughout the universe displayed." This awe and wonder becomes even greater as I ponder and consider the way that the universe is so perfectly balanced and proportioned: how all of these things are lined up with such precision that they could have only come from an omniscient Creator.

"When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, the moon and stars, which You have ordained" - Psalm 8:3

The Lord has indeed blessed us and continues to bless us. He shows forth His amazing handiwork, if only we will open our eyes and see. However, we are living our lives in grave peril if we look upon these wonders and try to deny that there is a God that is Lord over all.

Please check out the "God of Wonders" video below...

Weekly Words of Wisdom

God has cast our confessed sins into the depths of the sea, and he's even put a "no fishing" sign over the spot.
~D. L. Moody

Weekly Words of Wisdom (bonus)

No man has ever risen to the real stature of spiritual manhood until he has found that it is finer to serve somebody else than it is to serve himself.
~Woodrow Wilson

Weekly Words of Wisdom

"Courage is more exhilarating than fear and in the long run it is easier. We do not have to become heroes overnight. Just a step at a time, meeting each thing that comes up, seeing it is not as dreadful as it appeared, discovering we have the strength to stare it down."
~ Eleanor Roosevelt

Screen Door on a Submarine

Here is a great video recorded of Rich Mullins doing this song:

That's My King!

Great Parental Rights Video

Weekly Words of Wisdom

"All men dream: but not equally. Those who dream by night in the dusty recesses of their minds wake in the day to find that it was vanity: but the dreamers of the day are dangerous men, for they may act their dream with open eyes to make it possible."

~ T.E. Lawrence

Weekly Words of Wisdom

"Q: How can you tell if a person needs encouragement?

A: If they are breathing."

~Truett Cathy (founder of Chick-fil-A)

Great seatbelt video:

Weekly Words of Wisdom

It is a great deal better to live a holy life than to talk about it. Lighthouses do not ring bells and fire cannons to call attention to their shining-they just shine.
~ D. L. Moody

Weekly Words of Wisdom

"The man who thinks hateful thoughts brings hatred upon himself. The man who thinks loving thoughts is loved...The man who sows wrong thoughts and deeds, and prays that God will bless him, is in the position of a farmer who, having sown tares, asks God to bring forth for him a harvest of wheat. He who would be blest, let him scatter blessings. He who would be happy, let him consider the happiness of others."

– James Allen

Say NO to Darwin Day

Did you know that the American Humanist Association wants President Obama to issue a proclamation that honors Charles Darwin and his theory of evolution? It’s time to make a stand and have your say. This has gone far enough! Creation Ministries International has started a new petition to counter their efforts. To sign the petition that will be delivered to Congress and the President, click on this link: http://www.nodarwinday.com

Weekly Words of Wisdom

"Profanity is the use of strong words by weak people."
~William A. Ward

Bumper sticker seen at Father-Daughter Retreat:

Why I am for global warming...

2 Peter 3:10-18 (NIV):

¹⁰But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything in it will be laid bare.

¹¹Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives ¹²as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming. That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the elements will melt in the heat. ¹³But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, the home of righteousness.

¹⁴So then, dear friends, since you are looking forward to this, make every effort to be found spotless, blameless and at peace with him. ¹⁵Bear in mind that our Lord's patience means salvation, just as our dear brother Paul also wrote you with the wisdom that God gave him. ¹⁶He writes the same way in all his letters, speaking in them of these matters. His letters contain some things that are hard to understand, which ignorant and unstable people distort, as they do the other Scriptures, to their own destruction.

¹⁷Therefore, dear friends, since you already know this, be on your guard so that you may not be carried away by the error of lawless men and fall from your secure position. ¹⁸But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever! Amen.

So yes, there will be global warming. However, it will not be man-made but will instead be God-made. What this passage tells us is that we should be looking forward to this and speeding its coming. So I have absolutely no fear of man-made global warming (or climate change) bringing destruction to the earth. God has promised that God-made global warming will bring about destruction to the heavens and the earth so that we, who call on Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, can enjoy a new heaven and new earth with Him forever.

If you do not know Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, please click here.

Weekly Words of Wisdom

Take all of the pleasures of all of the spheres,
and multiply each through endless years -
one minute of heaven is worth them all.
- Thomas Moore (Irish poet)

Obamacare

If you have not seen Ray Steven's video on Obamacare, click here. It is a must see!

The State of the Nation

Ken Ham of Answers in Genesis made a presentation a few weeks ago that highlights the current state of spiritual affairs in the United States. It is one hour of great commentary that you do not want to miss. To view the presentation online, go to www.answerslive.org. I cannot recommend this highly enough. Every Christian in America should watch this. It will challenge you greatly!

Shuttle Launch

One of my brothers forwarded this photo to me. It was taken from the CR 210 bridge over the intracoastal waterway in Ponte Vedra, Florida (over 100 miles from the launch site). This was the last scheduled night-time launch of the space shuttle, February 8 of this year. The photographer used a tripod, and the exposure took several minutes in order to capture the full fire trail (that is why the stars appear as lines rather than dots).

Weekly Words of Wisdom

We are continually faced by great opportunities brilliantly disguised as insoluble problems.
~ Lee Iacocca

Highway to Hell

I was working down in Florida a few weeks ago and found myself on the highway to Hell...

Weekly Words of Wisdom

"Essential characteristics of a gentleman: The will to put himself in the place of others; the horror of forcing others into positions from which he would himself recoil; the power to do what seems to him to be right, without considering what others may say or think."

~John Galsworthy

Texting while driving...

Weekly Words of Wisdom

A positive attitude may not solve all your problems, but it will annoy enough people to make it worth the effort.
~ Herm Albright

Weekly Words of Wisdom

Things turn out best for the people who make the best of the way things turn out.
~ John Wooten

Weekly Words of Wisdom

True holiness consists in doing God's will with a smile.
~ Mother Teresa

Happy New Year!

Glory to God in highest heaven,
Who unto man His Son hath given;
While angels sing with tender mirth,
A glad new year to all the earth.
~ Martin Luther