A man dies when he refuses to stand up for that which is right. A man dies when he refuses to stand up for justice. A man dies when he refuses to take a stand for that which is true.
From Amos 5:23-24: “Take away from me the noise of your songs; I will not listen to the melody of your harps. But let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.”
Waking from short overnight nap
Mind navigating through dense fog
Seeing Venus, shining above
Campfire went out, hearing bullfrogs
Experiencing nature’s gifts
From this lofty mountain retreat
Rubbing shoulders with Creator
Simple life, better than Main Street
Viewing twinkling lights down below
Village sound asleep, missing this
Flickering campfire heats coffee
Tranquility Base, full of bliss
Cooking up heartiest breakfast
There’s plenty for both me and you
Inviting Christ to take His seat
Mountain retreat, feeling brand-new
Breathing in nature’s harmony
Alone, never feeling that way
Taking in this heavenly scene
Lord, please allow this hour to stay
It is by loving and not by being loved that one can come nearest to the soul of another.
There is no harm in being afraid. The only harm is in doing what fear tells you. Fear is not your master! Laugh in his face and he will run away.
George MacDonald (1824-1905) was a Scottish author, poet, and Christian minister. His writings covered a variety of literary themes from fantasy to theological. He was also a mentor for writer Lewis Carroll.
Chosen by Jesus
Harvest love’s fruit from His vine—
Sharing with others
Embrace God’s commands
Filled with Holy Spirit’s love—
Walking with Jesus
Love one another
Watching out for each brother—
Christ’s chosen tenet
Watch God’s cyclones. The only way God sows His saints is by His whirlwind. Are you going to prove an empty pod?
From Acts 26:19-20: “After that, King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision, but declared first to those in Damascus, then in Jerusalem and throughout the countryside of Judea, and also to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God and do deeds consistent with repentance.”
Blessed sun rises, starting a new day
A precious day, under Lord’s watchful eyes
Celebrate this day, riding in love’s sleigh
Nothing ever holding back, watching doves fly
Singing of praises, blessing this fresh start
Jesus walking with us, our daily bread
Sharing this day, between loving sweethearts
Together, God’s Word keeps us full and fed
Our love sparks an endless celebration
God’s love filling hearts, fulfilling our fate
Singing songs, with love and adoration
Celebrate this day, love’s delightful taste
Jesus shares His joy, smiling from above
Making our joy complete, filling with love
You don’t have to be the Dalai Lama to tell people that life’s about change.
I have several times made a poor choice by avoiding a necessary confrontation.
From Romans 7:14-15: “For we know that the law is spiritual; but I am of the flesh, sold into slavery under sin. I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate.”
Even after salvation
Evil gathers temptation
Satan never giving up
His truth always false, made-up
Man continues to wrestle
Sin looks for place to nestle
Feelings of condemnation
Life bears guilty fixation
Inner conflict tears apart
Jesus speaks truth to each heart
Faith’s dilemma overcome
Favored, steady, beating drum
Savior’s blood wipes sin away
Blessed by love, trust never sways
God’s grace eternally flows
His constant love never slows
Father shall never reject
Those who faithfully connect
False promises never blind
Truth of Scripture filling minds
From Romans 8:1-2: “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death.”
God knows we sometimes need to reach the end of our own resources before we will turn to Him.
From Psalm 107:28-29: “Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, and He brought them out from their distress; He made the storm be still, and the waves of the sea were hushed.”
A bewildered and frustrated Sgt. Joe Friday has been working on a cold case for several weeks.
Despite his best efforts, the renowned detective can’t pin the rap on Willy Martin, a notorious bank robber. A cool $100,000 has been snatched away from the First National Bank, all in large bills (aka “Benjamin Franklin’s $100).
Sitting at his desk and checking his notes, Friday’s thoughts keep coming back to the same pattern of thinking. Since the money remains hot, it is very doubtful that Willy Martin has put any of the money back into circulation. He’s been under surveillance for weeks, but he hasn’t made any suspicious moves.
Every Saturday morning, Friday meets up with his retired partner, Bill Gannon. They hang out at their favorite coffee shop and trade war stories from their past cases.
Bill is telling a story about a funny situation which recently took place in Ohio. He recalls the situation, “A grandmother’s $25,000 went missing from her home. It was her life savings.”
Friday continues listening, but he is just about filled up with coffee and conversation. His mind keeps working overtime on the cold case.
Bill’s version of the story begins to become more interesting to his former partner, “No one knew where the money went. Her grandchildren helped clean her house one day. They were very thorough, even emptying out the old, spoiled food from her refrigerator and freezer.”
Friday eagerly waits for the story’s finale, as Bill wraps it up, “Her money was stored in the freezer in an envelope, and it was accidentally thrown away. Fortunately, the trash truck operator found the cold cash before it ended up at the landfill.”
“Bingo! Cold cash!” Friday jumps up and thanks Bill for the hot tip. As his good friend hustles out the door, Bill wonders what is really up.
On Monday, he heads across town to ask a judge for another search warrant. The warrant is for Willy Martin’s grandma’s house, more specifically her freezer. There is a large chest freezer submerged in the depths of her basement.
When Friday shows up at grandma’s door, she seems a bit shocked to see him again. After all, he searched the entire house several days ago, and nothing was found. Except, this time the determined Sgt. Friday remembers the freezer in the basement.
With the efficiency of a well-seasoned detective, Friday quickly removes the contents from the overflowing freezer. Hiding at the bottom of the freezer is a false floor. He tears open the heavy cardboard to find several envelopes hiding out down below.
As he checks the contents of several sealed envelopes, he discovers the missing loot. All $100,000 of it! Even Benjamin Franklin is winking back at the detective, “Honesty is the best policy.”
The detective reads grandma her rights. Then she suddenly begins singing like a parakeet, “I never knew what Willy put in my freezer. Honest Sgt. Friday. He promised me everything was okay while he stayed hidden from the heat, who was checking on his every move.”
Sgt. Friday replies back, “Well, crime doesn’t pay when you are asked to take the heat for hiding someone else’s cold cash.”
While the storied detective calls to make arrangements for officers to pick up Willy Martin, he finally begins to relax. This challenging cold case has been solved.
Big Sky Buckeye 