I talked to a “cochon” the other day and this is what he said about his world view. “I’m in this pigpen and I’m going to eat all the slop that is poured my way. I don’t care if others have eaten some of it first or if they stand in it with their filthy feet. This pen and its limitations are all that I have.  My only pleasures are found in what’s left over and discarded as unfit for human consumption and mating. Being a hog is my lot in life.”

2 Peter 2:22

What the true proverb says has happened to them: “The dog returns to its own vomit, and the sow, after washing herself, returns to wallow in the mire.”

Don’t make a pig of yourself. Trust Christ and inherit a new nature. Give it some thought.

Gary

One of my son’s Naval assignments brought him to Pensacola, Florida. During a visit with him, we watched the Blue Angels fly out of their home base in Forrest Sherman Field. Can you imagine what it takes to become part of that wing? They have to possess physical stamina, endure training, receive necessary education and have the willingness to give up so many of life’s pleasures. Those pilots sit up there in that cockpit because they deserve it.

We will never reach heaven because we deserve it. Continuing with that thought, becoming angels is also an impossibility. However, heaven is in reach, not because of our accomplishments but because of His.

Hebrews 9:28 

So Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for Him.

We will see heights and be involved in feats impossible for those without Christ. If you want to be part of that wing, take Christ as your Savior. Give it some careful consideration.

Gary

He was being transported to a higher level of care, and I was loading him into the ambulance. Standing there with a solemn look on her face, a young woman watched over him.  I was about to ask, “Would you like to say goodbye to your dad?” Just then, she bent over and an affectionate lip lock between the two of them revealed their true relationship. That was his wife and I just missed a bullet by a fraction of a second. Things are not always as they appear.

John the Baptist was the last of the prophets and his dress and diet revealed that God isn’t concerned about the special dignity some seek with their finery.

Mark 1:6

Now John was clothed with camel’s hair and with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey.

Don’t go by the outward appearance. Give it some thought.

Gary

If you’re going to sail your “ship of life,” there are certain things you need to know in order to stay afloat.

Prepare: Check the weather, make sure your boat is in good condition, and have all safety equipment working.

John 16:33

I have said these things to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”

Stay safe: Wear a life jacket, keep a first-aid kit on board, and use sunscreen.

John 14:6 

Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.

Stay hydrated: Drink warm liquids to stay hydrated, even if you’re not a coffee drinker.

John 4:14 

But whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”

Maintain your boat: Regularly check your boat’s rigging and lines, and keep your engine well-maintained.

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.

 Give it some thought and we’ll see you at the end of the run.

Gary

I walked the dog this morning and frost covered everything. To me it is God asking, “Are you ready for what’s ahead?” Living in Maine, one has to be ready for the winter months. The Lord has promised the seasons would remain and He always keeps His Word.

Genesis 8:22 

While the earth remains, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night, shall not cease.”

Speaking of seasons consider this:

Galatians 6:9 

And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.

How are you doing with the seasons? Give it some thought.

Gary

I had some plans in my youth that lacked clarity and goals that were unrealistic. Life is like being in a twister; you just hang on sometimes because there are forces so much stronger than your puny efforts at control and your landing is uncertain.

Thankfully, there is someone who cares for me that is perfectly capable of managing my existence here on the planet. He knows me intimately because He created me for this time. Our God is willing to take over if we ask Him to.

2 Corinthians 5:17 

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.

Romans 12:2 

Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

Directing my life is like someone trying to herd cats.  I must say, however, that He is doing okay.

Give it some thought.

Gary

Someone once said, “When someone dies, a library is burned.” I’ve stood beholding the ashes of way too many libraries. I need to study the contents of the remaining centers of higher learning in my life before they too succumb to this tragic end. They have so much to offer, though it’s for such a brief period of time.

Matthew 2:18 

“A voice was heard in Ramah, weeping and loud lamentation, Rachel weeping for her children; she refused to be comforted, because they are no more.”

1 Thessalonians 4:13 

But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope.

Learn from them while they live, and they will still be with you after they are gone.

Give it some thought.

Gary