Surrender to God – Pathway Journey

May 26, 2022May 26, 2022

Where Do We Go From Here?

PRAY FOR THE FAMILIES OF UVALDE, TEXAS!

It is horrible thing when two neighbors have a quarrel, and one kills the other. It is so unthinkable when an evil person kills at random one or more who are innocent and vulnerable with whom he had no quarrel. It is unthinkable because normal, descent folks just cannot imagine why anyone would do such a thing—it is unthinkable.

There is the usual rush to put a “why” on the “what”. Most of us who have an ounce of compassion first think about those in our lives who approximate the same age as the victims, then a deep sick feeling wells up in our souls to the point we quickly change the channel in our mind to something less painful. We whisper a prayer for the hurting while our souls scream, “WHY?”

May 17, 2022May 17, 2022

Arrogance of Mankind

We find ourselves attracted to confident people but at the same time appalled at arrogance. It is a thin line from one to the other. As a person of faith, I find it unthinkable and sickening to see a person being arrogant toward God.

Recently when I was praying, in my prayer I was praising God for Who He Is. I almost became convicted with the absurdity of my prayer. How could I even imagine who God really is? His greatness is so beyond me.

April 19, 2022April 18, 2022

Half-a-Glass of Water

In another lifetime ago, when I taught school, I liked to break the study of subjects with a little humor or thought-provoking intermission. One day, I had a half of a glass of water, and I was asking the proverbial question, “Is this glass half full or half empty?”

April 13, 2022April 13, 2022

The Executioner’s Dream

A Story of the Executioner at Golgotha by Harry L. Whitt

After their scourging, we herded the three men through the jeering streets to Golgotha. The citizens of Jerusalem hate us only a bit less than we hate them. Being assigned to the occupation force of Judea is a good point for a possible promotion but today the city is set on edge. One of the three is a popular prophet to the common people but hated by the elites of their counsel.

Finally, we are out of the bustle of the city streets and bring the three miserable souls to the top of the hill, the place of the skull. The rock outcropping resembles a skull, and today it the place of execution for all to see.

The schemer who devised the crucifixion is to be congratulated. Nothing puts the fear and dread in occupied people as the crucifixion. It is an agonizing death to endure and to witness. I have killed countless men in warfare with sword and spear, but this is the most gruesome of all.

The poor creatures are hammered on the cross with hand forged spikes which tear flesh and sinew. We set their knees at a bend, so they can push up to catch a breath of air, and then hang by their arms until they began to smother. This reeling up and down until their last life fades from their bodies takes sometimes days. It is a wretched sight for wretched souls.

We put the so-called prophet in the middle as he is the most renown. The other two are common thieves. The middle one gets the most attention as some of his mourners are at the foot of his cross. Some say his mother is present along with mostly women and a few men. Why do they come to see? I do not know.

His scourging left his back nothing but ribbons of flesh with clotted blood. He cried out as we laid him on the splintered wood. Then we raised his cross and the jar of the upright going from empty hole to solid earth left him with a quiver in his body that took some time cease.

April 9, 2022

Simply Put

Put me in a family to love
Put me in a community to serve
Put me in Your Kingdom to sacrifice

Put Your Word in my ear to hear
Put Your Word in my heart to believe
Put Your Word in my mouth to speak

Put something in my hand to give
Put compassion in my heart to heal
Put bread in my hand to share

Put me in a place to trod
Put me in Your field to work
Put me in the world to shine

Put me in the line to stand
Put me in the battle to fight
Put me in the war to win

Put me in Your altar to pray
Put me in Your heart to worship
Put me in Your hand to die

—Harry L. Whitt

April 5, 2022April 8, 2022

When You Have Had Enough!

When I was in the eighth or ninth grade, my Daddy bought me a horse. Her name was Sugar and at first, she was as sweet as her name. Then Sugar realized I was a greenhorn cowboy, and she started misbehaving like her name was Diablo. She would get to the edge of our yard, and she would “pitch a fit”. After about two go arounds of that, I was more afraid of her than she was of me.

March 30, 2022March 30, 2022

Old Men

I remember when I was a boy looking at old men in wonderment. They were either my grandfather or someone else’s grandfather. I knew my granddaddy was once a farmer and he still dabbled with farming. He helped my Daddy with a few things, had a garden, and sometimes had a little patch of corn. He got a few dollars every month from the plan put in place by FDR.

January 11, 2022January 13, 2022

Pressing Forward

We have dipped our toes into the New Year and have the slate our future before us. I encourage you to look up and look forward. God has something good for you. Every day is a gift from God.

Life is difficult. Everyone deals with something. Yes, some folks have had it better than others, but no one leaves this earth without a scar. So, the heart of my remarks is not to belittle your difficulties but to encourage you move forward in spite of them. Some of life’s greatest victories were born out of great tragedies.

December 30, 2021December 30, 2021

Resolution: An Improved You or A New You?

Now at the flipping of the calendar to a New Year, all around us the marketing has begun to sell us a new diet plan, a book on how to be a better you, a program to get you out of debt, or a plan to get you a house on a cul-de-sac (country boys call it a dead-end). Some of that you may need but…

October 13, 2021October 12, 2021

Radical

A true radical probably doesn’t think himself a radical. Radicalism in some respects may be a personal perspective. Those who have a position that is diametrically opposite than another may consider the other person a radical and vice versa.