May 30, 2011

"Ponder the path of your feet, then all your ways will be sure." Proverbs 4:26

Many decades ago a friend of mine and her husband were riding down the road in their car. She was driving and he was in the passenger seat. An opossum suddenly swaggered out into the road in front of her and she swerved to miss the ugly beast. Her car left the road, overturned and both of them were seriously injured. From that day on I began to condition myself and my wife to never swerve when driving. Grip the steering wheel, slow down, brake, but do not swerve. Many a person has been killed in head-on crashes when someone swerved to miss an animal in the road. Here's my point. Some of the worst decisions we have ever made in life occurred when we rushed into a choice and did not think about it. We never give God the chance to lead us and advise us. Thinking is spiritual! The Bible tells us to "Ponder" our paths. That means to consider well. Think! Pray and then consider the options, decisions and consequences and then apply the Bible. By doing this ahead of time, we will find ourselves in fewer positions that require us to make a snap decision. Then when the opossum staggers out in the road, if we have prepared ourselves mentally before hand, we will ruin his day and not the rest of our lives. Yes, God wants us to trust Him, but he also gave us brains and He wants us to use them too.

Thought for the week: Happy Birthday to Me !

　

Funny for the week: "Living Long"

My friend Ida was slowly recovering from a heart attack. "Doctor," she pleaded with her cardiologist, "you must keep me alive for the next two years. I want to attend my first grandchild's bar mitzvah."

"We'll try," he replied compassionately.

In due course Ida gratefully attended the festive rite of passage.

Some time later she again spoke to her doctor. "My granddaughter is to be married in 18 months. Please help me to be able to attend her wedding."

"We'll do our best," he replied.

And my friend happily attended her granddaughter's wedding.

Ten years passed. Ida visited her cardiologist regularly and followed his instructions religiously. One morning she called him. "Doctor," she began, "I'm feeling fine, but I have another request to ask of you: Remember how you saw me through to my grandson's bar mitzvah?"

"Yes."

"And later how you helped me attend my granddaughter's wedding?"

"Yes."

"Well, as you know I've just celebrated my 80th birthday. And I just bought myself a new mattress."

"Yes?"

"It has a 20-year guarantee..."

Me thinks she thinks too much of her doctor……..Chaplain Barnes

Last week’s answer: What did Jesus say a man would not give his son when he asks for a fish? A serpent (Matt. 7:10)

This weeks question: Why did Jacob's sons kill every male of the Hivites?