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Bite the Dust

Bite the Dust

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Bite the Dust-oak treeI watched an old friend bite the dust last week. He had greeted me faithfully every day for years. Standing stately and tall, the mighty oak inspired me to do the same.

I knew my friend was dying.

He was many times older than me. With each new season, he grew weaker and suffered more losses. Yet, my heart hurt when he finally fell.

Oh, the stories he could have told, if only he could have talked.

  • Birds born in his branches
  • Children who played in his shade
  • Young love ignited with spring’s new growth
  • Seniors who smiled at memories shared
  • Death of people, plants, and pets

Bite the Dust-Fallen oak Tree trunk circlesLike the circles inside his trunk, so goes life.

We all die. Eventually we bite the dust.

However, death does not have to be the end.

When Jesus rose from His tomb on the third day, He defeated sin and death.

If we accept Jesus as Savior and Lord, we receive His victory over sin and death.

He promises an eternal home in heaven when we leave this world.

Thank you for the reminder, dear friend. I will miss you.

“‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” (Revelation 21:4 NIV).

Thanks to Jeri Stone for the photo of my friend before he bit the dust.

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That’s Life

That’s Life

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That's Life-tree with hard lifeWe can’t control everything in our lives.

  • Both good and bad happen.
  • We celebrate, and we mourn.
  • Everything can change in an instant.

That’s life.

This tree reminds me of life. All wrapped together, we see:

  • Healthy limbs
  • Dead limbs
  • Missing limbs
  • Injured limbs
  • Other plants pulling life from it

The poor tree, a victim of many storms, looks terrible. Yet, it stands. It:

  • Continues to grow
  • Refuses to fall
  • Still offers shade to everything and everyone under it

We can control parts of our lives.

Like this lovely old tree, we may have suffered much.

  • We probably caused part of our pain.
  • Others may have hurt us.
  • Life storms often leave us scarred.
  • We feel in over our heads.

That’s life.

In spite of our suffering, will we choose to stand? Will we:

  • Stand tall
  • Continue to grow
  • Refuse to fall
  • Still offer help to those around us

Will we pick up the pieces of our lives, give them to God, and keep going?

Life and death
Struggles and scars
Beauty and ugliness
All wrapped together
That’s life.

“[God] comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God” (2 Corinthians 1:4 NIV).

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Straight and Narrow

Straight and Narrow

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Straight and Narrow--alleyTo get from one place to another, we must often follow the straight and narrow:

  • Alleys
  • Streets
  • Paths
  • Seas or rivers

Occasionally we see this expression written strait and narrow.

Some narrow sea passages are called straits.

The Strait of Gibraltar leads from the Atlantic Ocean into the Mediterranean Sea. At one place it is only eight miles wide.

You can find more information about the Strait of Gibraltar here.

When we follow the straight and narrow, we do what we should.

That is true for our lives as well as travel.

We follow the straight and narrow when we:

  • Go the right direction
  • Follow rules or laws
  • Act right
  • Speak the truth

 We may get in trouble if we leave the straight and narrow.

Many times we:

  • Get lost
  • Lead other people the wrong way
  • Get hurt or hurt others

Life can be fun off the beaten path.  However, we want to be sure that path does not take us the wrong way.

Let’s enjoy where we go and what we do when we hit the trail. However, let’s also watch our step and go only where we should go.

“Enter through the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the road is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who go through it. How narrow is the gate and difficult the road that leads to life, and few find it” (Matthew 7:13-14 HCSB).

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Beyond the Call of Duty

Beyond the Call of Duty

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Beyond the Call of Duty--flag flyingA person who goes beyond the call of duty does more than required.

They do their job plus more. This expression is often used for:

  • Soldiers
  • Firefighters
  • Police officers

Those jobs are dangerous. To go beyond the call of duty makes them more dangerous.

People who chose such work put themselves at risk for the sake of others. Yet, many people accept that risk every day.

Anyone can go beyond the call of duty.

  • Teachers
  • Factory workers
  • Restaurant workers
  • Anyone

To go beyond the call of duty costs something.

  • Time
  • Money
  • Health
  • Life

July 4, Independence Day, celebrates the birth of the United States.

That birth came at great cost. Many, who did more than they had to do, lost their lives.

Never forget the price paid for the freedom so many enjoy.

Thank a veteran or a soldier who continues to make that freedom possible.

 “You’ve gone far beyond the call of duty in taking care of us; what can we do for you?” (2 Kings 4:13 MSG).

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A Dog’s Life

A Dog’s Life

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A Dog's LifeMany dogs, like Tina, never have to live a dog’s life. Their owners spoil them. They receive all they need and most of what they want.

  • Attention
  • Love
  • Rest
  • Food and shelter
  • Toys and more

In contrast, when we say we lead a dog’s life, we mean we have a terrible life.

  • We receive little or no attention.
  • No one cares.
  • We work too hard.
  • Our needs and wants are unmet.
  • We never have any fun.

Occasionally we may live a dog’s life. Most often, we have an easier life than we think. World news reminds us just how good our life is. Many people suffer because of:

  • War
  • Religious persecution
  • Abuse and neglect
  • Weather-related tragedies
  • Murder and other crimes

The list of suffering seems endless.

If we have food, shelter, and someone to love, we are blessed beyond measure. Our cups run over.

“You, Lord, preserve both people and animals” (Psalm 36:6 NIV).

Thanks to Phyllis Holland for the expression and Shirley Cheatham for the photo.

 Do you have a dog’s life example? If so, please comment.

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