It was the eighth-grade graduation in 1985 and the MC was our thirteen-year-old son. Exhibiting all the confidence in the world in front of the crowd which had gathered, he did what was required.  Those grammar school years were over and he was ready to face the future. We couldn’t help it; we were proud.  Through his previous school years, his grades sometimes left us wondering if he could be like Albert Einstein. Ultimately, his future held four masters’ degrees.

That was thirty-eight years ago. I wish we could roll back time to that event and start over again. However, time stops for no man, and like the song, we need to try and keep the vessel between the shores. The Bible talks about that.

1 Peter 1:24-25 

For “All flesh is like grass and all its glory like the flower of grass. The grass withers, and the flower falls, but the word of the Lord remains forever.” 

Job 7:6-7 

My days are swifter than a weaver’s shuttle and come to their end without hope. “Remember that my life is a breath; my eye will never again see good.

Time can’t be bottled up, so be careful with what little you have.

Give it some thought.

Gary

If you are going to say or write something, make sure it can be interpreted correctly. Here are some headlines to back up my statement:

• Iraqi Head Seeks Arms
• Something Went Wrong in Jet Crash, Expert Says
• Police Begin Campaign to Run Down Jaywalkers
• Enraged Cow Injures Farmer with Ax
• Farmer Bill Dies in House
• British Left Waffles on Falkland Islands
• Teacher Strikes Idle Kids
• Miners Refuse to Work after Death

Does the Bible address this kind of thing? Glad you asked.

Psalm 119:130
The unfolding of your words gives light; it imparts understanding to the simple.

 Numbers 12:8

With him I speak mouth to mouth,
Even openly, and not in dark sayings,

I pray the titles of my devotions don’t leave you confused.

Think about it.

Gary

My dad was a foreman for a paper company. He had a company truck and wore a white hard hat with his thick white hair crushed under it. My uncle worked for the same company and, from the back, looked exactly like my father.

I would work a part-time job one day a week in the mill yard, operating a crane and slasher to supplement my income. After my dad’s death in ’84, I hated to see my uncle drive through the yard because it would bring tears to my eyes and interfere with my concentration. You can’t bury memories because there is always something that digs them up. However, that is OK because there are those we should never forget.

Proverbs 10:7

The memory of the righteous is a blessing, but the name of the wicked will rot.

Keep the good memories even if they make you cry.

Think about it.

Gary

“A friend is someone who knows all about you and still loves you.”

                                                                  ― Elbert Hubbard

Proverbs 17:17

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

3 John 1:15

Peace be to you. The friends greet you. Greet the friends, each by name.

They are the steel inside the cement. They are the fabric that holds the garment together. They made the early church and by the grace of God hold it together till the present time.

Give it some thought.

Gary

Don’t interrupt someone working intently on a puzzle. Chances are, you’ll hear some cross words.

Does the Bible address this kind of outburst? Glad you asked.

Ephesians 4:25–27

Therefore, having put away falsehood, let each one of you speak the truth with his neighbor, for we are members one of another. Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and give no opportunity to the devil.

Proverbs 29:11

A fool gives full vent to his spirit,
but a wise man quietly holds it back.

Give it some thought. Defuse the bomb.

Gary

We had taken the teens to a ranch where you could ride horses. Once assigned a horse, Paula and her mount were placed in the back of the line. The man in charge made a mistake in the lineup because that horse had a history of being first. When the line began to move forward, her horse started galloping to the head of the line. Paula was definitely uncomfortable and tried to find the brakes on that thing. Sometime later someone asked me what I thought when I saw her passing everyone else. I stated, “I wondered how many sick days she had left.”

You never know what a day may bring forth. There are so many variables in the game of life. As much as possible, be prepared for the unexpected. When life gets out of control, just hang on till the situation comes to a stop.

Isaiah 41:10 

Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

John 14:27 

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.

Give it some thought and hang on, because it will be over soon.

Gary

Jesus told Nicodemus that he had to be born again. Peter told the early believers that as newborn babes they needed to desire the sincere milk of the Word. The trouble with many new Christians is that they want to be theologians before they are potty trained

John 3:3

Jesus answered and said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”

1 Peter 2:2

as newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby,

Don’t be a baby about Christianity. Grow in grace.

2 Peter 3:18

but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. 

Give it some thought and allow yourself to be pampered for a while.

Gary