I Remember When

I remember.......
You could say 6-pack and everybody knew it meant three 2-barrell carburetors.
People knew what a carburetor was.
Motor oil came in a large metal can that you had to puncture with a church-key or slip funnel to use.
Drink machines that had a lid on top that you opened up and got "glass bottles" to drink out of.
Coke cans that had no pop-top on them, they were smooth and you had to pop holes in them to drink.
Gas was around .50 a gallon.
The switch for your high beams was on the floorboard by your left foot.
Tires were ordered with something like L-50's instead of P275-60R15.
Full size trucks with all the trimmings were less money than cars.
8-track tapes. That's something that came out before cassettes.
33-LP's and 45's on a record player.
Juke boxes with records in them.
When you called up the operator to dial a number FOR you. You didn't dial the number.
When you could make a call in Albany using, for example, 436-6121 and only have to dial 6-6121.
Police cars had a single bubble-gum light on top.....and they were red!
A 32-caliber pistol was the pistol of choice with police officers.
Nothing but black and white TV on a 13" screen with rabbit ears and aluminum foil on them to help pick up the signal.

But mostly, I remember a time when praying in school was cool. Not neccessarily cool in the fashionable sense, but everybody did it, and it was okay. In fact, it was broadcast across the PA systems.

I remember when homosexuality was not an accepted lifestyle and marriage between same sex people would have NEVER even been spoken of, much less be voted on.

I remember a time when if someone tried to get the 10 Commandments removed, or the words "One Nation Under God" taken from the pledge, they would have never gotten a chance to go to court for it. They’d have been taken out to the woodshed for some "enlightenment".

I remember a time when this nation as a majority served and worshipped the One TRUE God, but now we are a minority. Now we have new age thinkers that say everybody can be God, Islam that says Jesus was not the Son of God, Catholics that think a Pope is God on earth and priests can forgive you of your sins, Mormons that think Joseph Smith will be seated beside Jesus on Judgment Day, people that worship cows when I'd rather knock their horns off and put them on the grill, and the list goes on.

I remember a time when people would look for reasons to GO to church rather than make up excuses not to. People are scared to give a few hours on Sunday and during the week for Him. Good thing Jesus didn't feel the same way on the Cross! And some say that they need family time and Sunday is the best time. Without God in the middle, your time together is worthless.

I remember the day prayer got taken out of school and can look back and see now the rapid rate at which school has become a wasteland since that happened. High drop-out rates, higher teen pregnancy, increased drug use, more fights, guns and knives in school, profanity, total disrespect for authority, and many killings.

I can remember when this nation faced the Lord and gave thanks, rather than turn their backs and thumb their nose at Him and do what THEY want to rather than His will.

I can remember a time when Christians would stand up and fight back when all these things happened, but not enough of them. And now it continues that fewer and fewer do. I look back and see the failure of the Christians when all these things started happening and how complacent we have become. Now things like Harry potter that glorify witchcraft are "ok" because it's just entertainment.

How are you living your life? The youth of today are the next generation, and even though you are young, you have to start making a difference now. How you act, what you say, the music you listen to, how you react to others....sinners judge our faith not by what you say you do on Sunday, but by how you act in accordance with that outside the church walls. If you don't live Christ like, you'll drive them away.

A great nation, built on God. Now too wrapped up in games, computers, having fun, free-thinking, living for the moment, and one night stands. I look around and see the same places underneath it all from when I was young, but it's covered in pride, selfishness, fear, and being popular. I shudder to think what this nation will look like when my children get my age.

Yep, I remember when. 

Mike Harris