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Chip Shots from the Ruff of Life
by Tom Kelley
Napoleon Hill, he of Think and Grow Rich fame, once said, "What the mind of man can conceive and believe, it can achieve." He has a very valid point. Joe Gawzner, founder of Parrot Products, was growing increasingly uncomfortable with the comfort stations he was encountering across the United States. The bathrooms he was finding in rest areas and truck stops were completely grossing him out.
Tired of accepting the substandard conditions he invented the Enable Kit in March of 2002. Each kit costs $3.79 and includes hand wipes, area and fixture wipes, rubber gloves, toilet paper, a paper seat cover and even a face mask to handle those particles that are airborn or otherwise floating around. He asked the question, "Why suffer when nature calls?"
Ah yes, conceive, believe and achieve. That works with inventions but not quite with heaven. You see, there are those who honestly think that if they can conceive a way to be holy in the world's sight and believe it with total faith in themselves, God will throw open heaven's doors and welcome them with open arms. The problem is God already conceived the whole holiness thing.
You see, holiness comes from God's very nature. It is not something man can conceive nor achieve on his own regardless of how much he believes he can. Isaiah 64:6 says, "We are all like an unclean thing. And all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags; we fade as a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away." In short we cannot be holy because we cannot overcome our past of unholiness.
It is only when man accepts the salvation offered by God through Christ Jesus that holiness becomes a reality through the Holy Spirit. "Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? If anyone defiles the temple of God, God will destroy him. For the temple of God is holy, which temple you are." 1 Corinthians 3:16, 17 God makes us holy and then gives us His Spirit to keep us holy.
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...He was the Minister of the Minorsville Christian Church located near Stamping Ground, KY.
...Becky and Tom have three children; John, single and in worship ministry in Nicholasville, Kentucky; Sean, married (Jennifer, elementary school teacher) with twins (Grace and Patrick, b.d. 10/31/04) and regional director of Papa John's Pizza in Central KY; Kara, married (Vince Taylor, prison guard) and working with Hospice East in Winchester, KY.
...Tom went to be with the Lord on November 13, 2009 after a lengthy battle with cancer. If you have been touched by Tom's writings please send an email to Tom's son at jkelley@catalystchristian.net
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