rode tests

Based on the specs, one bike may be favorable over the other.  More horsepower, lighter weight, more goodies.  And if that spins your tach, then so be it.  But there are certain intangibles that if you ride are more important.  Sure the seat may look more comfy, but how does it fell at the end of a 500 mile day?  Maybe it gets better gas mileage, but the tank is small and you have to stop every 100 miles to fill up.  It has a longer warranty....but is it reliable?  But it has a higher top speed, how often do you really ride at over 150 mph?  But they have dealers everywhere, good, you may need one, I just hope you don’t.  They offer more accessories than anyone else-good, bring your wallet, I’ll be riding.  It comes in red-so do police lights.  All my friends ride that brand, but will their wives ride with them?  And of course, it is priced less, in fact I can get a deal on a last year’s model, only difference is color.  And so it goes for the tangibles, the things seen and compared.  But how many have multiple bikes to compare on a regular basis?  How many go by what Cycle World says, or because it was a superbike Champion once?  Are you green with Kawasaki envy, or blue over Yamahas?  Do you see red every time you are passed by a Honda, or blinded by the light of a yellow Suzuki?  Is your choice of colors black and white, but rode all over?  Do you buy into the advertising, the image of its brand, or do you want to ride?  Are you more concerned  about what your friends will say about your purchase?   Sadly their opinions sell many bikes....but what does riding it do for you?  To you?  Is the road test more important than the rode test?  The only way to tell is by riding...

For me the best view is behind bars, handlebars that is.  I’ve owned BMW’s before they were cool, ridden café racers before they were cool, and toured on non-touring style bikes.  I have commuted on racers, and raced on commuters.  I was adventurous before Adventure bikes were popular, and people found you could tour on one.  I rode a Scrambler before they were cool, Hondas when they were, two strokes because I could, and many new bikes over the years.  I have had blues, reds, blacks, whites, and yellow bikes.  Silver too.  Hi-ho.  I have passed sport bikes on cruisers, and cruised on sport bikes.  Toured on them too.  But the one constant has always been, how does the bike make me feel when riding it?  There are road tests by magazines, I prefer a rode test by me.  Ride it for yourself and see.  Never mind the specs, does it turn you on?  And it comes down to two basic facts for me, the cool factor and the grin factor.  If the bike isn’t fun, why ride it at all?  Why be uncomfortable when you don’t have to be?  Ride and smile, and be cool.  To yourself, never mind the opposition-just ride!

My old 2006 Triumph Scrambler was cool.  Slow, but cool.  Looked neat, and after 100 feet I always found myself smiling.  It passed the test for 20,000 miles.  Our Bonnevilles have done the same thing, for over 78,000 miles for Theresa.  It isn’t the fastest, smoothest, and you can grind foot pegs in corners.  But the smile it brings is priceless.  Tour on my Tiger 955i?  When there are Gold Wings and Ultras?  Soft travel, long suspension, hard bags, and handling like a sport bike.  And it gets 45mpg, and a 6.3 gallon tank-I can ride forever, and have.  Why stop when you are having fun?  My old R60/5 BMW was slower than my CB350, but a cool you couldn’t describe.  I still don’t get that one.  And after a long day, was still grinning.  The new Daytona R may be a narrow focus ride, but when I come up among sport bike riders, they all give me thumbs up.  They know what it is, and one trip to redline and the exhaust note is intoxicating.  A triple has a sound all its own, and a power curve to match.  Even my old GS 1000, she of 1978 Suzuki vintage, has a cool factor, and many younger riders think it is new, not knowing that it is the GSXR’s grandpa.  So for me the real test is after riding it, that is the real test.  And I have never found a motorcycle that let me down...although others had to convince me otherwise.  In their jealousy, I was being paid a compliment.  Which made me grin, and that is always cool.  Enough talk, let’s ride.

Simply put there is nothing cooler than being a Christian.  Living life knowing Jesus cannot be beat.  Motorcycles can come close, but offer no forgiveness, nor eternity.  They are created, I choose to worship the creator.  But I am also thankful he created them.  Just thinking about Jesus brings a grin to my heart, and I can be in the worst of situations, but he is with me, and I don’t need to panic.  For nothing can separate from his love.  Nothing, another thing God created we don’t give him credit for.  Out of nothing, he created the heavens and the earth.  Now that’s really cool.  But Romans 8 asks us who can separate us from the love of Christ?  Trouble, hardship, persecution, famine, nakedness, peril, or sword?  Those are all pretty tough situations, yet Jesus is with us, and we become closer to him when they occur.  All things that may separate us from our ride, include rain, running out of gas, a ticket, or breaking down.  But when we ride with Christ, he gets us through.  How many times was I offered free gas from a stranger when the gauges showed miles to empty left, only the tank didn’t know it?  How many times has a simple repair been all that was needed, and found after a costly diagnosis was given?  A hardship of not enough money to get home, and my wife calls to tell me you got a check, I deposited it, you can take your time and not worry.  Perils from the road, from storms, from those in cages, each time a reason to get upset, but a better reason to turn to Christ.  Who knows what is up ahead, and is ready for it.  Like finding the last room one night, which doesn’t take checks, but will because you ride, and a tornado coming down with two blocks of you, but you are safe.  Putting 4.8 gallons of gas in a tank that holds 4.3, coasting into the station.  And in every case, Jesus was there, and is still there now.  Ready for what you need, how cool is that?  And now that you have read my road test, go out and experience Jesus for yourself, find the incredible grin factor only he can bring, and find out how cool the Son of God really is.  Don’t read about him, live him.  Ride with him today and see.  Of all the miles I have ever ridden, over 900,000, the best miles are still ahead.  Maybe the ads do bring us in, but it is the relationship that keeps us coming back. 

But one thing can separate you from Christ, your decision to deny him.  And that will take the smile off any face, and isn’t very cool.  Some have known him and turn away, some neglect him, saying they’ll wait.  Some are concerned about what their friends will say, but what do you say about Jesus is the final exam?  Many in old age turn away, but I find that you don’t get old from riding, you get old when you quit riding.  Old age and experiences don’t rob my joy, not having Jesus does.  Again the grin and cool factor.  But let me leave you with one spec to consider, 100% of us will die.  And there is life after death, one heavenly, the other is hell.  No escape from hell, no one wants to escape heaven.  Consider tht when you choose your God.  Only Jesus delivers...and at prices you can afford.  My rode test with him is almost 40 years, the illusion of knowledge will never make up for not knowing him.  Only Jesus makes it all about the ride....and where it ends up.  Nothing can separate us from his love.

love with compassion,

Mike

matthew25biker.blogspot.com

only $17 a day and 17 cents a mile

Rent to own is not a new concept, it works with big screen tv’s, appliances, and even Harley Davidsons.  But back in 1965, a chicken farmer named Carroll Shelby was building a Shelby Mustang GT, and was looking for more exposure.  He cooked up the sweetheart deal of the year with Hertz, the rent a car people, to buy 1001 of his specially prepared Mustangs to rent.  Essentially a race car, it had 306 hp, would go 0-60 in 6.6 seconds and could be rented from Hertz for $17 day and 17 cents per mile, if you were a Hertz Sports Car Club Member.  Sign me up!  Of course you had to be 25 to enjoy all the benefits, and despite Avis trying harder, it was hard to beat Hertz.  And letting Hertz put you in the racer’s seat was sure more fun.

Initially the cars had 4 speeds, but reports of burned out clutches changed the final 916 to automatics.  Sold to Hertz for a whopping $3887.45 each, almost 1 1/2 times the price of a new Mustang, the racing set soon found out, and the lines were long.  Win on Sunday, sell on Monday became rent on Sunday and back to work on Monday as the few who were fortunate enough to rent one took them racing.  These cars were flogged to death, with rumors of leaving the rental garage, driving right to the track and racing.  Some were even rumored to have the motors removed and put in their own cars for the weekend, then swapped back and returned.  We all know of the abuse rental cars take today, you can only imagine what these cars withstood then.  And strangely for many years after, were not sought after, just another abused rental, but today are highly sought after.  Known by their Raven Black pint and gold stripes, some were finished in blue with white stripes, white with blue stripes, and candy apple red with gold.  But today, the faithful lust after the black and gold, with the distinctive stripes, hood scoop, and racing seat belts.  All high end race stuff back in 1966.  For only $17 per day....you could go racing!

And not continued in 1967, perhaps due to the finicky public, and Hertz only renting current year cars.  They were almost half of the Shelby production for 1966, and the first ones off the line, and by the summer of 1966 the new Mustangs for 1967 were coming out.  So Hertz cancelled, Shelby still produced his GT, but now you had to buy one.  And in 2006, the 40th Anniversary, they got together again and produced a Hertz GT-H.  0-60 in 5 seconds, and only available with an automatic, a 5 speed now, but still rentable at the time.  And for only $149.95, still gotta be 25, and 39 cents per mile-oh how 2006 must have been fun.  But almost 10 years later, you can buy a Shelby with over 565 hp, that will blow it in the weeds for under $60k.  No rent to own-the cost of ownership has gone up, maybe you can rent one to your friends.  Suddenly you can see why Hertz got out of the rent a racer market.  And like most of us know, it is more fun driving someone else’s car, especially a race car.

So add Hertz Rent a Racer to the list of rental cars, work trucks, and loaners that take abuse at our hands.  That go through more daily torture than any factory testing, and still perform every day.  Cars and trucks that don’t get serviced regularly, cleaning is minimal, what’s detailing?, then they get sold to the public.  With Budget’s ads telling us what a great deal we get, would you let anyone do that to your car?  Would you lend it to someone who would?  And would you buy it knowing its past?  Broken in, and broken now have two distinct meanings.  But there was a time long ago, where there was a place known as Camelot, and they rented Shelby Mustang GT’s!

Now I leased a car once, which essentially is a long term rental.  Under the threat of being billed for misuse, I kept it very clean, only to find out when time to turn it in, that I could buy it. And the girl told me, the price, which seemed good, but her response to “did you want to look at it?” surprised me.  “We don’t care if it comes in a box, its your car now.”  And all the waxing and servicing paid off, I was buying a one owner lease car, and I knew the owner, and its history.  Such a deal, but with no racing history.  But her words “in a box,” stuck with me.”  For we will all end up in a box some day, some sooner, some later, for the death rate is still 100% today.  And the better you take care of yourself, you can live better, and have a better standard of living.  And make for a prettier corpse.  But if you live life like a rental car, some day it will catch up to you, and you will only be worth the $20 of chemicals left in your body.  But if you live for Christ, your body may only be worth $20, but your testimony will be priceless.  Today a restored 1966 Shelby Mustang GT-H is worth upwards of $150,000-not bad for an ex-rental car.  But again your body will be priceless, and fully restored in heaven, the only cost taken care of by Jesus.  Burned out lives replaced as burned out clutches were.  All evidence of hard miles replaced by a new body in heaven.  And every step I take on cold mornings make me looking forward to that.  And a new heart, for my plastic aorta will be replaced and beat on forever.  But we have all this available now...just join the club.

No daily fees, no mileage penalty, and no dues. Meetings weekly, but you get to go, you aren’t forced.  The club comes with an owner’s manual, and will guide you through anything life throws at you.  And isn’t available to rent...for you have been bought with a price, no rent to own, or lease to buy with Jesus.  He tells us you are either for me or against me, no window decal will fool him.  No fancy Bible cover will gain access to heaven.  It takes knowing God, and it is only in Jesus we can know him.  All types of shapes and sizes, even racing models.  Even motorcyclists, hookers, junkies, and Pharisees.  All are welcome, no FICO score needed, just a clean heart.  And the desire to have Jesus change it, and you will be born again. 

The days of putting him off grow shorter everyday.  The Hertz GT only had a short run, only one year.  Tomorrow is promised to no man, so God tells us today is the day of salvation. And for many it will be.  But sadly for many it will also be the day of damnation, as they decided no to Jesus, or they would wait, or would check him out, or any other excuse.  Just like being the next one inline when the GT’s were all rented, miss Jesus you miss heaven.  So make your reservation now, turn to Jesus and be assured.  Why rent when you can have all of heaven.  Today many will build Shelby tribute cars, using a base Mustang and building one of their own, but the numbers don’t match, and the value isn’t there.  Just a pretty face that looks like, may drive like, and sound like the real thing-but isn’t.  Don’t settle for anything, or anyone less than Jesus.  Your life depends on it.  Let Jesus put you in the driver’s seat today.  Trying harder will never get you there.  Only Jesus.  Anything else is just a look alike. 

love with compassion,

Mike

matthew25biker.blogsspot.com

schools dazed or tales of two cities

I am a Baby Boomer, born in the fifties, grew up in the sixties, graduated in the seventies, and had a family in the eighties.  But growing up in a suburban town in New Jersey had its fair share of difficulties almost 60 years ago.  My first address was on Westfield Road, Brennan lived in back on Westfield Road Circle, and only a block away was Westfield Avenue.  All in Scotch Plains.  A lot for any 5 year old to take, but when we moved to the other side of Scotch Plains that year, things got even more confusing.  My parents bought a house on Trenton Avenue, after almost buying one on Westfield Avenue,  finally moving to Scotch Plains, which had a Westfield mailing address.  And there was another Trenton Avenue about 1 mile away, with empty land with no road through it connecting the two.  You had to go through Fanwood, a small borough fully enclosed by Scotch Plains to connect the two.  So fearing problems, they changed the name to Mohawk Lane, until they found a Mohawk Lane in Westfield, which curiously enough could only be accessed from Scotch Plains.  So they changed it to Algonquin Drive and all went well and goes well to this day.  But only a few blocks away was Scotch Plains Avenue, in you guessed it, Westfield.  And my friend Eddie who lived in Scotch Plains and was a pretty good athlete, had a Westfield address, with both towns wanting him to play for them, and both laying claim to him.  Scotch Plains won out, not sure of the hows and whys,  but that chapter ends, but the story goes on.

I walked to kindergarten over a mile to La Grande Elementary School, crossing over two busy streets on the way.  But for first grade, was transferred to Shackamaxon, as Scotch Plains was growing and it demigraphics changing.  Although the kids only one block away went to La Grande still.  But for second and third grade I went to Brunner School, a new school that opened up, and was closer, and many of my friends and I were reunited, along with others.  Now just when you thought you had finally found a home, it was back to Shack for fifth and sixth grades.  It seems the train tracks going through our town were a line of demarcation, and I fell on the Shack side, even though Brunner was closer.  And friends up the street still went to La Grande!  With McGinn opening on our block the next year, thankfully I would be on to Junior High by then.  And in all this time my address never changed from Algonquin Drive in Scotch Plains, I mean Westfield.  Today by some happy coincidence, the mail is serviced by Scotch Plains, and its identity is fully realized.  You can only imagine the inner turmoil when somebody asked “where do you live? or “where did you go to school?”  But the story is almost over, as the tracks also told us where we went to Junior High, but both would go to a common high school, Scotch Plains Fanwood High School, on you guessed it, Westfield Road.  Schools dazed or dazed by schools, these are tales of two cities.

Imagine being new to Jerusalem and meeting Jesus.  He was from Nazareth, born in Bethlehem, but did most of his ministry in Jerusalem, and was known as the man from Galilee.  No record found of any public education.  And we know he had at least two brothers, James and Jude, half brothers.  Can you imagine the questions they had to answer.  So if Joseph is your dad, but not your brother, who is his dad?  Try explaining God to some fifth graders or their parents.  But didn’t Joe and Mary, your parents, have him when they were married?  Again, try explaining that one even today.  But the truth is God is the Father of Jesus, and Mary is his mother.  Joseph raised him, along with  his other sons, who became believers of his claims after they saw their brother resurrected.  You think government paper was bad now, try to fill out that one 2000 years ago, must have used a lot of space on the back.  Good thing Jesus never applied for food stamps, I can see him being denied instantly.  Section 8 housing....maybe, but tell me more about your real father first.  And how the kids at school must have talked, as we all know kids will.  And their parents.  And think of when something broke at home, they couldn’t blame Jesus, so it had to be the others.  And how come Jesus’ room was always clean, he was never late for dinner?  How come he always won at hide and seek?  Imagine growing up in the home with him at Christmas time?  They must have had one heckuva nativity scene!  Think of Joe trying to explain why he stayed with Mary, and didn’t have her served with divorce papers, which he could have.  But they stayed together for the children.  But really for God.  As we find that when Mary had doubts and questions, she pondered the things of God in her heart.  She knew what the Holy Spirit had told her, and both she and Joe knew she was a virgin, at least she was sure.  But Joe needed the same comforting, for he knew many questions would be asked, and he had no answers.  He already had questions with no answers, so God intervened and comforted him. And somehow they both trusted God, raised a family, and the oldest son went into the priesthood.  And would die a horrible death at an early age, his mother at the cross when he died.  His brothers believing his claims only a few weeks later after they saw him resurrected.  And both writing New Testament books bearing heir names, James and Jude.  So maybe all my early childhood confusion had an earlier start, and all ended well, despite humble beginnings.  Just like in the Bible.

And yes, it only took me 21 years to come to know Jesus personally.  Maybe about the same time it took their brothers.  But we were both saved by the same Holy Spirit, the same spirit that impregnated Mary, that comforted Joe and Mary, that saw him crucified and resurrected, and who saw his brothers become believers.  And is still changing the hearts of millions today.  Times are still tough today, and will continue to be until Jesus calls us home.  Until then when our reservation in heaven is filled, we struggle everyday wondering who we are, and why we are here.  Again Jesus is the answer.  He has a place for us in heaven with our Heavenly Father, right next to him.  Our citizenship confirmed in the Book of Life.  No forwarding address cards to fill out, no street names to remember, and no alumni functions to attend.  No changing schools, it takes a change of heart to be guaranteed of heaven, it takes Jesus.  So maybe the easiest and most correct answer is I’m just passing through.  Jesus did, and we all shall.  The final destination up to us, and there is no confusing heaven and hell-there is a difference, and you cannot get out of hell, and you won’t want to leave heaven.  Jesus knows that, and now you do too.  Boomers of all generations welcome...take it from a kid from Scotch Plains, there is no place like heaven.  Home.  See you at the reunion.  Just don’t call me Old School, School will be enough.

love with compassion,

Mike

matthew25biker.blogspot.com

what's up?

The word “up” has more meanings and connotations attached to it than any other word found in the English language.  So next time someone asks “what’s up?” you may consider what is up before you answer.  The sun came up this morning, it is time to wake up, and shower up before show up at work.  You lathered up in the shower, while your wife put on her make up, waited for your toast to pop up, and had trouble with your car starting up.  Maybe the battery needed charging up, or the car needs a tune up.  Or maybe it is time to trade up.  Your first stop is to pick up your coworker, then get stuck behind a Prius in the fast lane.  After being held up, you try to make up time by passing the Prius, only to see a cop catching crooks in a hold up, they are with their hands up, up against the wall.  I guess the jigs up.  Stop for a coffee for a pick me up, and you are glad you took your pick up, so you can pick up your dirt bike after work.  They were fixing the upper shock towers.  You finally arrive at work, where your secretary is going through a break up, needs extra make up, and can’t seem to keep up.  Your wife later calls you up, and asks you if you are up to tonight’s plans?  You are tired, you were up late watching football, the game almost over and your team marching up the field, when they had to review a play, and the decision was upheld, not in your favor.  “It’s up to you honey,” you say.  And she says she is tired too, one of the kids was sick and throwing up.  Seems in gym he had to do too many sit ups, and push ups, and now can only throw up.  But really it started because he was told to hang up his clothes, put his shoes up on the shelf, and his story Is not quite on the up and up.

The playoffs are on, and as you listen on the way home, you hear batter up, then who’s up next, and how the champs have their backs up against the wall after losing the first two games.  It is up to their star lefty to get them going, but most fans have given up.  Stopping quick, you spill your latte, wishing you had a Bounty, the quicker picker upper, and wish you could just pick up and leave on vacation.  Maybe the Upper Peninsula, taking a train, sleeping in the upper birth.  When the low fuel light goes on, reminding you to fill up before you run out.  Up ahead is a station, you fill up, and then get home.  But overall it had been a good day, the Dow was up, your stocks were up, but so was the price of gas.  You were tired, but feeling up beat, despite being beat up all day, maybe you would go out tonight, after all it is up to you.  So it is upstairs to change, call up for reservations, and hope there are no further hold ups.  Saturday is here, the temperature is up, your spirits are up, but your bike won’t start?  Again what’s up?  Didn’t I fill the tank up?  Is the oil filled up?  Going through a mental check list, are all the blanks filled up?  Then you notice your green sticker is expired, the year is up, time to renew.  Meanwhile the Fifth Dimension sings in the background “up, up , and away” and you just can’t get up the energy anymore.  If only the guy at the shop had been up front with you about the condition of your ride, now you’d just like to shoot up the place.  Maybe a 7-Up to calm you down, and you remember their old tag line “make 7-Up yours.”  Up to now it has been a rough couple of days...

The a neighbor stops by, he just got a call from his CO it is time to re-up, and he wonders if he is up to another tour?  His last one led to a break up of his marriage, they made up, but he doesn’t know what to do.  With the upheaval in the Navy, he rather have a job in the upper echelon than below the decks.  Fed up, he won’t re-up, averting a breakup.  His blood pressure was up, maybe it all will change now.  But he wants you to have a burger with him, do you want ketchup on it?  Or is it catsup?  You watch as your kids play flies up,  thinking your time is about up, when up comes the burger, and up until now you didn’t know how hungry you were.  Better than going through the drive-up at McDonald’s.  “Order up,” he calls jokingly to you.  This is better than warmed up left overs you think.  You brighten up, maybe time to polish up the car, lock up the house, get dressed up and go out.  But then he realizes the drain is stopped up, and he is about to crack up!  He is so mixed up, that when it starts to rain, the gutters fill up, and he can’t wait for the sun to dry up the sidewalks. 

Maybe it is time to wrap up now, before I crack up.  Before I am told to shut up!  And heading for bed, I am reminded of the first thing you do when you wake up, and the last thing before going to bed-U P!  So many uses for up, if you don’t believe me, look it up!  I didn’t make this up!

Up was no stranger to the Bible either.  It is only mentioned 2134 times in the King James!  From creation when a mist went up from the earth, and then there was an upheaval in heaven.  To Noah being sealed up in the ark, to the waters drying up.  Then Abram went up to Egypt, Lot was told to get up and out of Sodom and Gomorrah, and finally Abraham giving up the ghost at an old age.  God desired to bring the children up out of bondage, while God reminds us he lifts us up.  Oh, have mercy upon us Lord.  And when enemies rise up against us, he lifts us out of trouble.  He is able to burn up the chaff in our life.  But the best is still to come... Jesus.

The wise men looked up for a star to guide them, God was up to something.  He was about to give us a heavenly treasure, reminding us not to store up our treasures here on earth.  He fed 5000 after looking up to heaven and giving thanks, picking up 12 baskets when they were done, and someday we will be caught up in the clouds to meet him.  Meanwhile we are to take up our cross and follow him.  Knowing we will be given up to councils to share our faith, but he will give us the words.  Peter’s nets were full up with a catch, but we would be fishers of men, fulfilling a prophecy.  And later he met with them in the upper room, before being taken up in a cloud for all to see.  And so we are to lift up our voices in praise and worship, for it is all up to him now.  We are to be built up in the faith, and lifting up holy hands to him.  And finally we know of the day, where he told John to “come up hither and see the things which are to come.”  And while the unsaved will call up from hell forever and ever, the devil will be shut up there forever and ever, while we are up in heaven with Jesus. For the time is upon us, and we should be ready for that upward call any day.  How can you feel down now when you can lookup and see what is ahead for those that believe?

So don’t keep your light under a basket, or shut up about the things of God.  In the upper room things changed, but they all changed that day when Jesus was up on the cross.  Upheld for all to see, and since he is lifted higher, we shall all live in glory when we get up there.  So what’s up?  Maybe it can be defined in just one word-JESUS.  Accept him before time’s up.  He knows what you are up to, the rest is up to you.

love with compassion,

Mike

matthew25biker.blogspot

the grand opening or you're in good hands

It is 1960, and a young mother with two children, a son and a daughter, goes to the new Shop Rite grand opening up on Route 22.  It is tough feeding a family on a teacher’s salary, so she looks for bargains, and today they are not in short supply.  But with all celebrating that goes on with a new store opening, and this was a huge store for back then, no big deal compared to today, and many vendors are sampling their products.  While walking down a crowded aisle,a man approaches, and begins to talk to her, and soon her son, about 6 years old, is whisked off with a young woman.  Not knowing what is going  on, he is happily led to the book/magazine section, and told to pick out whatever he wants-such a deal.  He chooses a book about a man and his bulldozer, and after a few minutes is escorted back to his mother.  All the time his younger sister, about 3 has been sitting in the cart. She doesn’t get a book, and her brother doesn’t ask why or what happened.  It is not until they get home that he finds out the truth.

It seems this man who approached his mother, worked for a public relations firm, and was asking questions about products women used to clean around the house.  His mother had answered “that green stuff,” and when he confirmed she meant Comet Cleanser, he proceeded to interview her.  All the time the tape was rolling, she was making an on the spot TV commercial, and one day her words would speak to millions across the US of A, telling them how well Comet cleans and how she uses it.  Her husband is amazed and amused, and she will get residuals every time it is aired.  They had just bought a new home, and were finishing the upstairs adding a den and bedroom, and the money earned while shopping that day would pay for it all, including furnishing it.  And although it aired many times, I did manage to see it a few times, and there they were, my sister sitting impatiently in the cart, and my mother answering the leading questions, all the time not knowing she was going to be on TV.  Giving honest answers, telling her testimony of Comet Cleanser, and later getting endorsement checks.  Big money for then, and at the time I thought I got the best of the deal, I got the book on bulldozers!

You may have seen the Allstate ads for motorcycle insurance, one with Nate Hudson of BA-Moto.  Nate, or Nathan as we know him, is like one of our sons, and has been for years.  He tells me of how he had a friend who made commercials, and was asked to do a burnout for one, they liked it, and he made a short burnout and got paid for it.  So impressed were they, they asked him to model for an ad, and he made big bucks for a struggling, young business owner.  And suddenly there he is, for all to see on a Triumph, not his, he rides a Scrambler, and has for almost 100,000 miles, even gone to Alaska and back in a week.  But here he is, and fame has found him when he least expected it.  Maybe the most important, and definitely the most profitable burnout he ever did.  Two people, separated by almost 55 years, by chance given opportunities to voice an opinion, and both ended up getting compensated for it.  Maybe the dream job for any of us, getting paid for just giving our opinions....burnouts extra.  Where do I apply?

You may not be paid for your opinions, but every day we give them to whoever listens.  By what we ride, what we clean with, or where we go to church, our opinions, many times unspoken will precede us, and leave a lasting impression.  It has been said, and accurately noted, that you may be the only Bible some will ever read.  Someone is always watching your actions, listening to your words, and willing to comment on them.  We are told to be witnesses of Christ, but we aren’t told when that event may occur.  And for many of us, we are glad the cameras aren’t rolling, and the event not captured on a cell phone to be used against us later.  But many who have been identified as a Christian will be called to testify for Jesus today, and will not be prepared.  An event will take place, and their reaction will be a Bible many will see, some reacting “see I told you so, they are all hypocrites,” or “wow, something is different about them.  I wonder what it is?”  And we are given a chance to tell them about Jesus either way.  Some will cower when accused of being a hypocrite, and being told the church is full of them, to which I respond, “it isn’t full, there is always room for one more.”  But the one I prefer is when they see Jesus in my response, and ask questions.  To which God always has the answers I need, just like he said he would, which you would know if you actually read your Bible,  but for now must assume I am telling the truth.  Jesus never wandered from the truth, but told it in love.  Whether at the well with a woman, another time when a woman was about to be stoned, or when a man was asked about gaining his sight, Jesus told the truth.  So we can depend on him now as we can in the future.  His words still touching and changing hearts today as they have for over 2000 years.  And despite all our failures, still chooses us as his PR firm to declare his story of salvation.

Revelation tells us we are saved “by the blood of the lamb, and the word of our testimony.”  Some may doubt Jesus’ words of truth, but our testimony carries weight.  We were there, we bore witness, and now we can be a witness.  And we are given the chance to bear witness everyday, we just aren’t told when, where, how, or to whom we will witness.  55 years later my parents upstairs still bears testimony of my mother’s TV interview, one she was totally unaware of, but was able to see her compensation.  She never did get to see all those who bought Comet because of her words.  Nathan will never see how many bought Allstate because of his burnout, but he was compensated well for it.  We are given the opportunity to see the results of our unpaid witnessing in heaven.  I just know someone will come up to me there, and say “aren’t you the guy who shared Jesus and the miracle he did with your heart?”  Or “I heard you not backing down, yet not arguing with that guy who insulted your Jesus, and it gave me encouragement to be bolder in my witness.”  I only know I won’t hear “I denied Jesus because you were a hypocrite.”  That is their choice, as choosing Jesus is yours.  I’ll hear “well done my good and faithful servant,” from God.  In heaven.  The spirit convicts, if it were solely my testimony no one would get saved.  It takes the blood the lamb, Jesus, who was slain so we can be forgiven and live, who saves souls.  We just get to be part of it, so we can give him more glory, to be more encouraged to tell others, and to be strengthened in our walk with him.  The cameras are rolling, you have been given your script, the Bible, and your director the Holy Spirit is directing your paths.  Someone may make a decision for Christ based on your commercial, your Bible today.  An ad that many will see, but only one may respond to.  A grand opening to eternal life, when you least expect it.

And like the ad says, “white noise is dangerous.”  And offers a guarantee.  A pretty good one.  But only Jesus offers a lifetime, an eternal guarantee.  No white noise, and burnouts are welcomed.  And you thought riding a motorcycle was dangerous.  And I wish I still had that bulldozer book.

love with compassion,

Mike

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