One day a cold spell came through right when I was visiting Brown Memorial Nursing home.  Mama Mitchell, along with two others were awaiting lunch.  Their ages were 103, 79 and 94.  I started off with a yarn.
   In Texas we called the cold spell a “Blue Norther”.  We would see it coming and all the neighbors would meet at the lake with their shot guns.  Right when it hit, we would discharge the guns and all the frogs  would jump toward the water, and the would freeze them with their legs  sticking straight up.  Then we would go get our lawn mowers and just harvest the frog legs.
   “Just what do you think about that?”  All during the story they just sat pale face without emotions.  I waited.
   Finally the 94 year older look up and said in a south Georgia twang, “All I know is that you’re the biggest liar I ever heard in my life!”
   We all had a chuckle about the story that had won the national Liar’s contest a few years before.  Now let’s hear the truth.
   Never lie to your Mom and Dad.  Never – ever lie to those who gave you life and would give their life for yours.  There is no hope for the liar.  There is no way to deal with a liar, and when you begin early, you become professional in lying.
   The three basic sins that run together are lying, cheating and stealing.  When you practice one you practice all.  They come ion a package form.  Cheating in school or at work makes one that steals and lies.  Practice one and practice all.  Kill one and kill them all.  You can always deal with problems growing up, but no one can deal with a liar!
   Jesus said, “You are of your father, the devil, and the lusts of your father you will do.  He was a murderer from the beginning, and a bode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him.  When he speaks a lie, he is speaking of his own; for he is a liar and the father of it” (John 8:44).
   Almost all wrongs can be righted but not the lie. The liar denies himself for he denies that he is a liar.  It makes no difference to him who gets punished as long as he escapes.  It will sooner or later become a habit to lie and if such course is pursued the habit will so possess him that he cannot distinguish right from wrong, truth or error, fiction or reality.
   Thank God it is not too late for you.  Stop now, change your mind, Say to yourself, “I am a liar, and I have repeatedly lied to my parent, teacher, friends – but NEVER AGAIN.  It will test your courage in a way that it has never been tested before.
   Take the case of your parents.  Ask them for a special conference.
   When the meeting takes place, stand tall, straighten your shoulders, look them squarely in the eye, and kill the devil’s  power with the simple words, “Mom, Dad, I’ve been lying to you.”  That’s really no secret for they have known it all along.  “Will you forgive me?”
   If you were like me when I was coming up, I’ve been through that process a number of times, but this time it’s different.  Tell them of the vow you made to God.  Tell them how you found a wooden peg or wedge and wrote on the side at the top the date and time.  Relay to them that you placed the sharpen wedge in the center of the devil’s heart and vow a vow. “God, I will NEVER, EVER, lie to my parents or to anyone else, as long as I live on the face of the earth  —  I vow it, so help me God.”
   Each time you climb those steps, look at the top of that wedge that drove through the heart of Satan and say, “I killed you, you devil, I killed you.”  Your parent can and will forgive you and after the tears of joy are shed, you can begin all over again.
   Go to your teacher and follow the same procedure.  Tell your parent, teacher or whoever, “You can do with me what you will – I quit lying.”  When you humble yourself, and draw the courage of confession and accept whatever consequences are due a new day will dawn.
   When you are secure in marriage and have children, they will want to know the story behind the wedge.  Now is the time to tell them.
   You wonder why they have not treated you with more respect and privilege?  You just found the reason.
   No, you’re not home yet, but you have certainly turned things around.  The stake will mark the day the year and the hour when things “began to be good again”.  Life without lies.  No more cheating in class – Fibbing, (lying) to the teacher or your parents or friends.  No more cutting corners, ducking responsibility, throwing the dice.
   More freedom will be yours, for freedom is just another way to spell honesty, integrity, and responsibility.  Now a special word will appear on you life-chart.  It’s called TRUST.
   As they say in the ads, “You can do it and we will help you build a life that will last.