A burglar broke into my grandmother’s house last night.  She didn’t fight back, she just put the red laser dot on his forehead, and her 3 cats did the rest.

-Author unknown

Grandma teaches that you don’t have to kill someone to get that person out of a bad situation. You just have to use the tools available to you.

Speaking of tools, we acknowledge that God has given us plenty of them.

Philippians 4:19 

And my God will supply every need of yours according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.

Proverbs 12:10 

Whoever is righteous has regard for the life of his beast, but the mercy of the wicked is cruel.

Give it some thought and don’t pull the trigger if a laser and playful cats will do the trick.

Gary

“Every strike brings me closer to the next home run.”

 – Babe Ruth

Don’t quit. Just stand there and be ready for the next fast ball. One of these pitches, you’ll hit it out of the park.

Deuteronomy 20:4 

For the Lord your God is He who goes with you to fight for you against your enemies, to give you the victory.’

Psalm 108:13 

With God we shall do valiantly; it is He who will tread down our foes.

1 John 5:4 

For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith.

As long as you’re in the game, it’s always too early to quit.

Give it some thought.

Gary

Life is hard. After all, it kills you.

-Katharine Hepburn

Katharine sure nailed that one.  A plethora of verses can back up her statement.

Psalm 23:4 

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.

Romans 6:23 

For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

John 11:26 

And everyone who lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?”

How do you view death? Give it some thought. You could be spiritually dead for a long time.

Gary

A different version of you exists in the minds of everyone who knows you.

-Author unknown

Now chew on that for a while before you go on. Shakespeare said, “All the world is a stage and we are the actors.” When we pair the first statement and Shakespeare, if we are honest, we should have an uncomfortable feeling.

Truth is we should cease playing parts and discover what the will of God is for us. He has a perfect one for every believer.

1 Thessalonians 5:18 

Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

1 Peter 2:15 

For this is the will of God, that by doing good you should put to silence the ignorance of foolish people.

Ephesians 5:17 

Therefore, do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.

 Give it some careful consideration.

Gary

They were going to shove that tube up Dad’s nose. He grimaced in pain and looked at me. My father couldn’t stop them, but I could.  I said, ”Don’t do that.” Dad was dying and didn’t need any more needless pain. How do you help someone die? At thirty-two, it was new to me.

I just had to be there and ask myself, “What would I want done for me in a situation like that?”  I pray my grandson is there when they try to make me live longer.

What would you do? Here’s the answer.

Matthew 7:12

Therefore, whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.

Give it some thought and be there.

Gary

“City of New Orleans” is a country folk song written by Steve Goodman. It describes a train ride from Chicago to New Orleans in bittersweet and nostalgic terms. According to the song, this would be its last trip.

Do you know in this creation everything has an end?  Life as we know it, Satan’s antics, man’s rule and the present universe will be dissolved. Since there is an end to so much that is familiar to us, what ought we to do? Good question. Peter gave us the answer in his last epistle.

2 Peter 3:11

Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness,

2 Peter 3:12

looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be dissolved, being on fire, and the elements will melt with fervent heat?

Give it some consideration.

Gary

As we walked up to a woman, a friend asked me, “Gary, do you know who this is?”

I replied, “No. “

The friend added, “This is so-and-so.”

She was someone I hadn’t seen in fifty years. I looked at her more closely and asked, “So-and-so, are you in there?”  That was not an appropriate response on my part. Time changes everything and is oft cruel on the exterior.

Ecclesiastes 3:1 

For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven:

2 Corinthians 4:16-18 

So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.

Give it some thought and be careful with quick responses.

Gary