I shook the governor’s hand as he was handing me a plaque thanking me for my service to the Maine EMS system. I felt a little foolish because I knew there were hundreds of people more deserving of this than I was. I’m not trying to be humble, just telling it the way it was.

The reason I was nominated is because of the many friends I acquired in my three decades of involvement with EMS. They are the ones who put my name into the hat. It was again proof to me that relationships can put you ahead of the line of others more deserving of acknowledgement than you are. I’m just setting the record straight. Not that I desired friendship to gain advantage, it was just a natural outcome.

Here’s what the Scriptures say about friendships:

Proverbs 18:24

A man that has friends must show himself friendly

It’s making friends with the right people.

Proverbs 22:24-25 

Make no friendship with a man given to anger, nor go with a wrathful man, lest you learn his ways and entangle yourself in a snare.

Many of my advantages in life are a result of good relationships. We are not an island but are connected to others, and these others can make all the difference in the world.

Think about it.

Gary

Over breakfast, a woman said to her husband, “I’ll bet you don’t even know what day this is.”

“Of course, I do,” he answered, as if he were offended, and left for the office.

At 10 A.M., the doorbell rang, and, when the woman opened the door, she was handed a dozen long-stemmed red roses. At 1 P.M., a foil-wrapped, two-pound box of her favorite chocolates was delivered. And at 4 P.M., a boutique delivered a designer dress.

The woman rushed up to her husband when he came home. “Thank you so much for the flowers, the chocolates, and the dress!” She exclaimed. “You’ve made this the most wonderful Columbus Day of my entire life!”

Always remember you’re not the sharpest knife in the drawer. If you don’t have enough information to handle a subject, don’t wing it.

Romans 8:7
Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be.

Don’t get it all wrong because of a carnal mind. Ask the right questions and get the right information.

Think about it.

Gary

It is a picture in a 1970 yearbook from my old high school. There is a girl jammed into a waste basket so tightly, she can’t get out.  Most people would look at that picture and think, What is that all about?  I’m not most people because I’m the one who put her there. This event was only in my memory for many years, but I discovered by looking at an old yearbook there is a surviving photo of this event. I placed her there just before the English teacher entered the room. It didn’t take the jaws-of-life to get her out, but it did take three of us boys. One had to hold the basket while the other two strained and lifted.

A picture is worth a thousand words, but a picture is very limited unless you have a witness.  The Apostle Paul spoke of witnesses who saw the Lord Jesus after the resurrection.  Someday, we will be able to ask them about that event, for we just have a limited picture at this time.

1 Corinthians 15:6

After that He was seen by over five hundred brethren at once, of whom the greater part remain to the present, but some have fallen asleep.

How many memories do you have that could use some living proof?

Give it some thought.

Gary

Matthew 20:30

And behold, two blind men sitting by the road, when they heard that Jesus was passing by, cried out, saying, “Have mercy on us, O Lord, Son of David!”

This was no ordinary road. It was the road of recognition because two blind men recognized Christ. Many with their sight do not recognize Him as the Son of David.

It was the road of mercy because God shows His mercy to those whom the world believes don’t have a chance. Many of the world’s outcasts have experienced and appreciated God’s mercy. Many erroneously believe they don’t need God’s mercy.

It was the road of decision because these two made a decision for Christ.  Once a man said, “I’m not at war with God.” Poor ignoramus, he didn’t realize he was up to his eyeballs battling God.

Finally, it was the road of overcoming obstacles.  There were no medical, financial, emotional or prideful reasons not to cry out. Have you cried out or do you have an obstacle?

What road are you sitting alongside, blind and in need?

Give it some thought.

Gary

I recall being three years old and standing on the seat of that brand new 1955 GMC pickup. Dad had just purchased his first new vehicle and the dealership was tanking it up for free.  My other seven siblings must have been home at the time, and they had only brought the brat. In reality, trucks were much smaller in those days and more than three individuals would be a tight-fit in that cab. The column had a three-speed forward and reverse gear and my mom could handle that as well as Dad.

I’m examining that event sixty-six years later. That truck was for work, for getting necessary things for the home, and for pleasure. It was utilitarian. Except for the 5 ½ Evinrude outboard motor and the Homelite chainsaw, that was it for gas engines at our place.

People die and life takes you from childhood to the nursing home at breakneck speed.  There is a message in this essay about today:

Hebrews 3:13

But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called “today,” that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.

Machines change, people change, and values change. But in this world, there is one constant:

Hebrews 13:8

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.

Give it some thought.

Gary

When I was in EMS, another medic told me about a mother who allowed her kids to play in the road. Every once in a while, one of the children would get hit by a car. Those situations never seemed to change her faith in God.

Sometimes Christians will tell me they don’t take precautions when it comes to Covid-19. They just have a tremendous faith in God. Now I take as many precautions as I can, and I believe myself to have faith in God.

Sometimes the devil lies to individuals to get them off track. He tried that with Jesus, so I think he does that with believers also.

Matthew 4:6-7

 Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. “If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down. For it is written:

“‘He will command his angels concerning you,
and they will lift you up in their hands,
so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.’

The evil one has a working knowledge of the Word of God. Don’t listen to him, for he’s a liar.

Can you imagine Paul saying to Timothy, “Don’t worry about my coat because God will keep me warm this winter.”? Timothy would have to lug that garment a great distance over some rough territory to get it to Paul.

Think about it and keep yourself and others safe.

Gary

Don’t forget when writing a date that it will be 2022. Some of us old geezers are still mistakenly putting a nineteen instead of a twenty. I don’t know about you but it seems like these past years flew by. Of course waiting to see if the computers of the world would go into a tailspin at the turn of the century seems like yesterday and that was twenty two years ago.

Here is something new you can do in the New Year if you haven’t already done so.

2 Corinthians 5:17

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.

If you haven’t entered into God’s covenant it is not too late.

Hebrews 12:24

To Jesus the Mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling that speaks better things than that of Abel.

Also if you are a young Christian here is some sound advice.

1 Peter 2:2

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

I hope this is not new to you but give it some thought.

Gary