A record-breaking daredevil who performed alongside Madonna at the Super Bowl XLVI halftime show is one of two men who died in a BASE jumping accident near Moab, Utah, over the weekend, according to the Grand County Sheriff’s Office.

FYI: BASE jumping is an extreme sport where participants leap from fixed objects (rather than aircraft) and deploy a parachute to descend safely. The acronym stands for the four categories of launch points: Buildings, Antennas, Spans (bridges), and Earth (cliffs)

As I read this sad account, some verses came to mind.

James 4:14 

Yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes.

Psalm 39:4 

“O Lord, make me know my end and what is the measure of my days; let me know how fleeting I am!

Life is brief and unpredictable. Give it some thought before you jump. It could be your last one.

Gary

Math teacher: If I have three bottles in one hand and two in the other hand, what do I have?
Student: A drinking problem

The way you see it and the way others see it might not be the same. Then again, the way you see it and the way others see it might not be the way God sees it. I’ve been present in many a spiritual debate where this kind of phenomena has taken place. Does the Bible address it? Glad you asked.

Proverbs 2:6 

For the Lord gives wisdom; from His mouth come knowledge and understanding;

Hosea 4:6 

My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge; because you have rejected knowledge, I reject you from being a priest to Me. And since you have forgotten the law of your God, I also will forget your children.

Psalm 111:10

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; 

May the light of His Word guide us. Give it some thought.

Gary

During the pandemic, my two granddaughters—six and eight years old—were being home-schooled by their mom. One day, the eight-year-old had a spelling bee with her sister. “Spell ‘elephant,’” the older one said.

“Let her spell small animals, not big ones,” said her mom.

The older sister paused, then said, “Spell ‘mosquito.’” 

–  Misir Doobay, Toronto

I’d like to springboard off of that to advice given to us by Dick Goupille, our first pastor, He suggested that we send a prayer heavenward before we tried to explain God’s Word to others. He knew we wouldn’t want to be confusing when we shared God’s Word. Does the Bible address this fact? Glad you asked.

2 Timothy 2:15 

Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the Word of truth.

1 Peter 3:15

But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear;

Are you striving to be ready? Give it some thought.

Gary

“Under quarantine, marijuana is legal and haircuts are against the law. It took half a century, but hippies finally won.” – Ruth Buzzi, actor

Interestingly, things can get turned around in the course of time on the third rock from the Sun. Does the Bible address these phenomena? Glad you asked.

Isaiah 5:20

Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil;
Who put darkness for light, and light for darkness;
Who put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!

Give it some thought when it comes to changes in our culture.

Gary

Devotional by my friend Al:

Late one night over Lake Superior, I was flying from Green Bay, Wisconsin, to near Thunder Bay at the Ely airport.  Storms can arise there with no warning! This one was so violent; I literally feared the wings would break away (attested to by the black & blue marks over my body the next morning).

In the pitch-black darkness, except for the flashes of lightning, I faintly saw that rotating beacon all those miles away.  Unbelievable how comforting that was!  I experienced that very thing in the vast Amazon landscape. As our end comes near, we face a lot of inner dark hours, and we cry out for the fulness of the light of Christ available only in our Savior and Friend.

John 8:12

Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, “I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness but have the light of life.”

Are you flying in a storm right now? Look to the light. Give it some thought.

Gary

The song writer declared, “Not everyone gets the chance to grow old.” My mind traveled back in time and reminded me of the many in my life who didn’t get that chance. Why am I now an elderly man and not them? That question just hangs in the air because here there will be no resolution to that perplexing statement. However, it should stimulate us to inform the youth of today that while it is today, they should not forget the Creator.

Ecclesiastes 11:9 

Rejoice, O young man, in your youth, and let your heart cheer you in the days of your youth. Walk in the ways of your heart and the sight of your eyes. But know that for all these things God will bring you into judgment.

2 Timothy 2:22 

So flee youthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart.

Give it some consideration.

Gary

Two frogs fell into a churn of milk while trying to escape the rain. One frog lost hope and drowned, while the other continued swimming and churning the milk into butter, which allowed it to climb out of the churn to safety.

So many give up on life and go down without a fight, never giving a thought as to how we got into this mess in the first place. Thankfully, there are those who fight on.

Matthew 7:7-8

Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.

Are you on your way up or down? Whom are you looking for to help you through? Give it some thought.

Gary