I shouldn’t have jumped off the trunk of a car going that speed, but felt I had no choice. This resulted in my torso being ahead of my legs, and I was trying to convince them that they had to move faster than ever before. Down into the ditch we went and, miraculously, my two extremities saved the day.

When you’re a teenager, things can get out of hand quickly. Youth does not linger long on the consequences of actions. That day could have ended in another ER visit, for sure. My “friends” returned for me and we all had a good laugh.

Proverbs has a lot to say about youth that can make the journey through life easier.

Proverbs 3: 5-8:

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart
and lean not on your own understanding;

in all your ways submit to him,
and he will make your paths straight”.

Wisdom will save one from sitting on the fender of a moving vehicle. Trusting in the wrong things can be detrimental. Where is your understanding coming from these days?

Give it some thought.

Gary

Get Smart was an American comedy television series that was broadcast before most of you were born. There may be some exception of some retired educators who will remember it well.

The comedy was about a secret agent who had a shoe for a cellphone. Whenever he was in a jam, all he needed to do was place the heel of his shoe against his ear and he was in contact with 911. Of course, 911 wasn’t invented yet, but it was something like that.

If anyone saw him talking to his shoe, that person would just think the agent was crazy. He wasn’t crazy; he was a secret agent man.

The Apostle Paul wasn’t crazy either but was accused of that on one occasion:

Acts 26:24

And as he was saying these things in his defense, Festus said with a loud voice, “Paul, you are out of your mind; your great learning is driving you out of your mind.”

Even to the present time, those who serve the risen Savior are considered crazy by many.

The one who was insane was Festus, as demonstrated by that comment to Paul.

Give it some thought.

Gary

Here is an observation I found somewhere, but I can’t acknowledge the author, for I don’t know who it is. I just didn’t want you to think that I am that smart.

Some self-professed athletes can “talk” a great game, but that tells you nothing about their athletic skills. And not everyone who talks about heaven belongs to God’s kingdom. Jesus is more concerned about our walk than our talk.

Matthew 7:21
[ I Never Knew You] “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven.

I come from a small town that has a very unique accent, and if any of us hear that intonation anywhere in the world, we can tell the speaker is from home.

Our speech should match our identification with Christ.

 Give it some thought.

Gary

There is a song that I like and it is taken from the Book of Psalms. It expresses the heart of the captive Israelites taken to Babylon.

Psalm 137:1-4 

¹ By the rivers of Babylon we sat and wept
when we remembered Zion.
² There on the poplars
we hung our harps,
³ for there our captors asked us for songs,
our tormentors demanded songs of joy;
they said, “Sing us one of the songs of Zion!”
⁴ How can we sing the songs of the Lord while in a foreign land?

Many times, I stood on top of Mount Katahdin and looked down on the trail that brought me to the summit. It was a hard climb with rough ground, switchbacks, and a few steel bars to get a grip, but what a feeling to be on top.

The opposite kind of view comes into my mind in thinking of sins and failures in my journey through life. I look back through the meandering of the trail that brought me down to that unfortunate disaster and sometimes want to cry.

I think it is all about a constant rearview, examination of the road you’re on, and the destination you have in mind. Israel didn’t do that, and the road led to captivity.

Give it some thought.

Gary

I watched him come flying down that 30-foot waterslide, whereupon it took another 30 feet of pool water to stop him. My opinion was that it might take the jaws-of-life to recover that Speedo and pull it back where it belonged. It amazes me what people will do for pleasure and expose it to the world.

With that said, the Scriptures give some strong warnings when it comes to some of the pleasures that only belong to the dark side:

2 Thessalonians 2:12

in order that all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness.

2 Timothy 3:4

treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God,

Titus 3:3

For we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, slaves to various passions and pleasures, passing our days in malice and envy, hated by others and hating one another.

Pleasure can prove to be embarrassing sometimes, so be careful where and how you’re looking to have a good time.

Think about it.

Gary

Traveling to work early that morning, I came behind a Mach truck loaded with logs. The driver pulled over to let me pass, and to my surprise and his, the rig rolled over into the ditch. What caused the accident was that the snowplow had pushed some of the snow over the ditch and hidden the fact that it was not part of the road. Looks can be deceiving.

Sadly, he’d decided to take his wife on this particular run. I don’t know if she ever got into a truck again. In any case, she experienced a rollover.

Those hidden things in life can also lead to disaster as Jude describes false teachers:

Jude 1:12

These are hidden reefs at your love feasts, as they feast with you without fear, shepherds feeding themselves; waterless clouds, swept along by winds; fruitless trees in late autumn, twice dead, uprooted;

How much better to allow the One who sees all things be the chauffeur:

Hebrews 4:13

And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account. 

Careful out there! It might look good, but looks can be deceiving.

Think about it.

Gary

“Every morning in Africa a gazelle wakes up.

It knows it must run faster than the fastest lion or it will be killed.

Every morning a lion wakes up.

It knows it must run faster than the slowest gazelle

or it will starve to death.

It doesn’t matter whether you are a lion or a gazelle,

when the sun comes up, you’d better start running.”

Everybody must run, but most run for nothing. The Bible has a lot to say about running to win. We must allow the Word to be our coach as long as we breathe.

Hebrews 12:1

Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 

1 Corinthians 9:26

So I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air.

Galatians 5:7

You were running well. Who hindered you from obeying the truth?

Come on, you big couch potato. Get off that recliner, put on the armor of God, get out there, and run. Your lack of spiritual activity has made a wreck of your body.

Give it some thought.

Gary