The use of “square” as a derogatory reference to someone conventional or old-fashioned dates to the jazz scene of the 1940s; the first-known reference is from 1944. There it applied to someone who failed to appreciate the medium of jazz, or more broadly, someone whose tastes were out of date and out of touch.

There was a derogatory reference found in the first century relating to Christians. They were called followers of “the Way.”

Acts 9:2

And asked him for letters to the synagogues in Damascus, so that if he found any there who belonged to the Way, whether men or women, he might take them as prisoners to Jerusalem.

Slandering Christians is back in vogue. However, Jesus made a tremendous statement about the Way.

John 14:6

Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.

Let them carry on; they don’t realize the stone they throw is sometimes truth. Our goal should always be to help others find their way to truth.

Give it some thought. A square has four good sides.

Gary

“You Raise Me Up” is an incredible song written by Josh Groban, published in 2001. It’s about the scary stuff that life throws at you and the support that can be there during those times.

When I am down and, oh my soul, so weary
When troubles come and my heart burdened be
Then, I am still and wait here in the silence
Until You come and sit awhile with me.

You raise me up, so I can stand on mountains
You raise me up, to walk on stormy seas
I am strong, when I am on Your shoulders
You raise me up to more than I can be

Our God’s support is there even when our faith falters. Peter didn’t die from drowning.

Psalm 56:3-4 

When I am afraid, I put my trust in you. In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I shall not be afraid. What can flesh do to me?

Give it some thought.

Gary

Shakespeare’s Macbeth revealed his philosophy of life when he said, “Life’s but a walking shadow, a poor player that struts and frets his hour upon the stage, and then is heard of no more. It is a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing.”

What a philosophy! What an outlook on life! We all have a belief system of some sort to which we hitch our buggy. What’s yours, Shakespeare?

Colossians 2:8 

See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ.

1 Corinthians 2:13 

And we impart this in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Spirit, interpreting spiritual truths to those who are spiritual.

Be smart and give it some thought.

Gary

He was my brother and as children we slept in the same double bed.  He was thirteen while I was three. While stationed in France with the army for two years, he sent me a huge book of historical pictures of WW2. On his return to Allagash, he began to work for a paper company and continued to do so for thirty years. Sometimes he would ask me to go with him for a day. We would fill the time with conversation and have a great day. Before his death, we hiked sixteen-miles on an old railway bed. He died twelve years ago and I still miss him.

Life is made up of a lot of special individuals who spent time in our space and leave us with added wealth.

Proverbs 17:17 

A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.

Ecclesiastes 4:12 

And though a man might prevail against one who is alone, two will withstand him—a threefold cord is not quickly broken.

 We need to be intertwined with other people’s lives.

Give it some thought.

Gary

The attorney tells the accused, “I have some good news and some bad news.”

“What’s the bad news?” asks the accused.

“The bad news is, your blood is all over the crime scene, and the DNA tests prove you did it.”

“What’s the good news?”

“Your cholesterol is 130.”

They say there is a silver lining behind every cloud. I’m not so sure about that, but I do know when God is involved, the unbelievable can happen.

Genesis 50:20

You intended to harm me, but God intended it all for good. He brought me to this position so I could save the lives of many people.

Give it some time. There could be some divine purpose in it.

Give it some thought.

Gary

Is that what they meant? These statements appeared in a church bulletin:

• Don’t let worry kill you – let the church help.
• Thursday night-potluck supper-prayer and medication to follow.
• Remember in prayer the many who are sick of our church and community.

Statements are very important and should always be reviewed by others before distribution.

Ephesians 4:29 

Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.

Psalm 141:3 

Set a guard, O Lord, over my mouth; keep watch over the door of my lips!

Give it some thought.

Gary

Everything that makes up your body requires genetic information. You’ve got your hands and feet because of your genes code for it. The same is true for any creature—be it a dog, a camel, you name it.

The genetic information in humans varies from the information in animals, plants, and so on. Seems obvious, so why point it out? Because for animal-kind-A to somehow “presto-change-o” into animal-kind-B, the information’s got to change. A fish doesn’t just morph into an amphibian without something changing in the genes. It would have to gain some new information. God’s in charge of that information.

– Answers in Genesis, an apologetics ministry

Job 12:8

or speak to the earth, and it will teach you,
or let the fish in the sea inform you.

Read this chapter in Job. He was talking to know-it-alls. Give it some thought.

Gary