I heard about a man who was walking a Pit bull down the road. The dog got away and walked up to a preacher and bit him on the knee. Then the dog went across the street and bit a beautiful young woman. The owner was brought before a judge who asked, “Why did your dog bite the preacher?”

The man answered, “I don’t know! He’s never done anything like that before.”

Then the judge asked, “Well, why did he bite the young woman?”

The owner replied, “Oh that’s easy to answer! He wanted to get the taste of that preacher out of his mouth!”

Acts 8:28-30

 Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God, which he bought with his own blood. I know that after I leave, savage wolves will come in among you and will not spare the flock.  Even from your own number men will arise and distort the truth in order to draw away disciples after them.

Be careful whom you’re listening to because, sometimes, it is necessary to take a bite out of crime.

Give it some thought.

Gary

“I Wonder as I Wander” is a Christmas hymn written by folklorist John Jacob Niles (1892-1980), based on a song fragment he heard while traveling in the southern Appalachians. A young girl was heard singing this over and over again.

I wonder as I wander out under the sky
That Jesus my Savior did come for to die
For poor orn’ry people like you and like I
I wonder as I wander out under the sky

John Jacob Niles wrote this down and then added to it. However, at the time he asked where she got the song. She said from her mother who was taught it by her grandmother.

People in Appalachia didn’t have much of this world’s wealth or education, but they were rich in the things of God.

Proverbs 10:22

The blessing of the Lord makes rich, and he adds no sorrow with it.

Where do your riches lie?

Give it some thought.

Gary

Alfred Hitchcock (1899-1980), the movie director, told a parable in Guideposts (1959) about the unknown. There once was a king who was granted two wishes. His first was to see the future. But when he saw all that lay ahead — the beauty and the pain — he immediately asked for his second wish; that the future be hidden. “I thank Heaven,” the master of suspense proclaimed, “that tomorrow does not belong to any man. It belongs to God.”

 Romans 8:38-39

For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

He writes in characters too grand
For our short sight to understand;
We catch but broken strokes, and try
To fathom all the mystery
Of withered hopes, of death, of life,
The endless war, the useless strife —
But there, with larger, clearer sight,
We shall see this — His way was right.

Give it some thought.

 Gary

I’m heading east on Rt. 161 in a 1965 Corvair. Evening is settling in and a first date is in sight with a girl I never thought I’d be able to date. What a feeling! It’s March of 1970 and I’m a senior in high school.

It’s fifty-two years later now, the month of March, and I’m traveling north on Rt. 11 and I experience that same feeling. She has just been released from the hospital and we’ll be returning home after a medical emergency.

Proverbs 31:10-12 

Who can find a virtuous wife?
For her worth is far above rubies.
The heart of her husband safely trusts her;
So he will have no lack of gain.
She does him good and not evil
All the days of her life.

Proverbs 5:18

Let your fountain be blessed, And rejoice with the wife of your youth.

The years go by and the cars get more high-tech, but those feelings of youth can still be stimulated.

Give it some thought.

Gary

Beauty and Adversity

“Oyster, Mr. Oyster, strange creature of the sea, what have you to teach me? What is your lesson, please?”

“Come hither, my child, to the oyster come.  Sit by me and I will tell you the story of beauty and adversity. Sand from out of life, it was just a little thing as testings often can be.  I cried, ‘Oh God, why me?’ It irritated me so, this rock of offense to me. I pleaded; I begged my God from testing to be free. In a still, small voice, His quiet reply came, ‘My grace is sufficient for the patient, my child.’ He said, ‘For patient you must be if you are to learn the lesson of beauty and adversity.’ As it became a part of my life, a new perspective I did see. Lesson mine, I’ll pass on to you…a lesson from out of life, a lesson etched in the sands of time, of beauty and adversity. That stone of testing remains in my life. I can see it as a channel to the world of God, a chance to produce in me a beautiful pearl, one of great price. This wonderful pearl, you see, produced a knowing that His grace is sufficient. It still produces a wonder in me. So hear, my child, and learn you well from the oyster’s life story. The testings from our loving God are only meant to be things of beauty, gems for all the world to see. These tests are sifted by God. Beauty can truly be born in the oven of adversity.”

Adapted from a poem by Robert F. McNutt

Bob was obviously of Irish decent. He has been a friend of mine since 1977. Many times I leaned on him heavily and he carried my weight. So, I pray this will be a blessing to you as it was to me.

 2 Corinthians 4:8-10

In every way we’re troubled, but we aren’t crushed by our troubles. We’re frustrated, but we don’t give up. We’re persecuted, but we’re not abandoned. We’re captured, but we’re not killed. We always carry around the death of Jesus in our bodies so that the life of Jesus is also shown in our bodies.

Give it some thought.

Gary

This post might have some spelling errors. It could be that the verb tenses don’t always agree. Commas might be missing or placed where they don’t belong. Some proper noun might not be capitalized. I won’t even mention colons and semicolons. Then there’s that wicked faulty-sentence-structure that’s like fingernails scratching a chalkboard. Also, there might be some things not made for print.

If you never had the opportunity to hear someone’s confession, let me be your first. Everything I’ve written since 1970 has gone through a program by the name of “Paula.” That program has been a blessing and made me an outstanding student in my master’s program. I kind of liked looking at A’s and B’s, but down inside I knew one letter grade belonged to someone else.

I left the program at the hospital last night with a diagnosis of multiple blood clots in her right lung. They should be able with proper medication get her back out in a couple of days. She hasn’t spent a night in the hospital since 1972.

However, me and the dog are having a bad night. I can’t call the kids and tell them about it so I’ll tell you.

Here’s my verse for you today.

James 5:16 

Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.

So, there it is. Please give it some thought.

Gary

It was the first week of school and the first grader was having trouble adjusting. As his teacher offered comfort and assurance, the boy looked up at her and demanded, “Who signed me up for this anyway?”

We all made our entrance into this planet the usual way, and no one invited us or even asked if it was OK. However, here we are, during this time period and in this geographical location. What are we supposed to do? Where are we going to look for answers? What happens after this thing is over with?

Let me give you a lead from an ancient book that has proven itself reliable to many:

Genesis 1:26 

Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.”

Psalm 139:14 

I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well.

Proverbs 16:4 

The Lord has made everything for its purpose, even the wicked for the day of trouble.

Job 33:4 

The Spirit of God has made me, and the breath of the Almighty gives me life. 

Take one of these every morning for the next four mornings and let them do their work. It just might make one stop asking foolish questions like that first grader did.

Give it some thought.

Gary