Cribbage, and life...
In Cribbage you choose the cards that will first of all give you the most points. If you have a choice between cards, you choose the one's that can be enhanced, or failing that, the one's which would yield the greatest points if the right up turned card shows up.
. . . but if you choose the cards that would give you a hi-score IF the right upturned card shows up . . . you've got (52 - 12 = 40) a 1 in 40 chance that the card you want will show up.
I wonder how many of us play life by the odds rather than by what's actually there? We go beyond "If only..." and move right past it to... "when this happens, then I'll do this this and this..." and we forget all about the fact that we've just built all our hopes on an "if" a mere chance in who knows how many possibilities.
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
Monday, March 21, 2011
Monday, March 14, 2011
In support of Faith
The solution to both lives depicted in the paragraphs to follow is to read, listen, and hear the Word of God and obey it.
There is a fellow I know who struggles with sin in his life. He struggles with the constant temptation to step over the edge and into sin. He avoids certain situations so that he will not fall into sin. His particular fear is that he'll commit adultery. He wondered out loud to me one day, as he stared at a young lady we saw as we drove down the road, "why do I still find my mind going to where it shouldn't... I shouldn't have these thoughts about her..." On the outside of it his desire seems good. But to me its merely distracted from the true trouble. Of course he's right. Unrighteous thoughts toward a passer by isn't a good thing. But should we be living our lives by such emotion? "I shouldn't" ?
Now, contrast this with the person who smugly believes and states that they are a Christian. They do not engage in regular fellowship with other believers, they don't read their bible, nor do they even know what the Bible says. They don't pray anymore than to cry out to God in each crisis. They celebrate his birth, by giving each other presents at Christmas time, they celebrate his death and resurrection by hiding chocolate eggs for their children to find, they celebrate Thanks Giving by stuffing themselves with Turkey and/or Ham and potatoes.
- Luke 11:28 But he said, "Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and keep it!"
There is a fellow I know who struggles with sin in his life. He struggles with the constant temptation to step over the edge and into sin. He avoids certain situations so that he will not fall into sin. His particular fear is that he'll commit adultery. He wondered out loud to me one day, as he stared at a young lady we saw as we drove down the road, "why do I still find my mind going to where it shouldn't... I shouldn't have these thoughts about her..." On the outside of it his desire seems good. But to me its merely distracted from the true trouble. Of course he's right. Unrighteous thoughts toward a passer by isn't a good thing. But should we be living our lives by such emotion? "I shouldn't" ?
Now, contrast this with the person who smugly believes and states that they are a Christian. They do not engage in regular fellowship with other believers, they don't read their bible, nor do they even know what the Bible says. They don't pray anymore than to cry out to God in each crisis. They celebrate his birth, by giving each other presents at Christmas time, they celebrate his death and resurrection by hiding chocolate eggs for their children to find, they celebrate Thanks Giving by stuffing themselves with Turkey and/or Ham and potatoes.
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