Insightful Musings on the Scripturesby
Ray Sparre, NU class of '67
Ray has a wealth of experience as a Husband, Father, Pastor, Missionary, and student of the Word. He believes and practices his faith where the rubber meets the road. You'll find his writings to be practical, insightful, and grounded in a truly Christ-centered world view.
Below are links to a printable daily Bible reading guide which Ray has followed, and an archive of all his daily devotional writings for 2010 and 2011.
| Daily Reading Guide | 2011 Devotion Archives | 2010 Devotion Archives |
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19 Mar 11
Hello, dear ones.
It’s kind of slow getting this production done while I’m here at this big horse show. We keep engaging in all kinds of conversations. It’s really kind of fun. However, we’re not yet turning up anything that would represent substantial work. And, as you know, just talking about ideas, no matter how great they are, doesn’t pay the bills. So this adventurous experiment is still in motion.
It’s kind of neat that this Linn County Fair facility has Wi-Fi internet access with no charge or password. So that’s what I’m using to get this off. As you wills see, I began this note at 2:59pm. It’s now 3:20pm.
Blessings on your day…and the rest of your life.
Love, Dad/Ray
19 March 2011
Proverbs 19
Focus: “Laziness brings on deep sleep, and the shiftless man goes hungry.” Proverbs 19:15.
I really like an acrostic that was presented to Thano during the course of his therapy at PRA (Progressive Rehabilitation Associates) following his head injury. It’s not only a good bit of advice for people who are recovering from brain injury—it’s also good advice for preventing it—even for just plain living. STAR—S-T-A-R—Stop, Think, Analyze, Respond.
I believe that some of the hardest kind of work on the planet is careful mental thought and analysis. And it’s possible to be a very hard worker insofar as physical labor is concerned, but very lazy insofar as thinking carefully about the important, sometimes complicated, matters of life and eternity. That kind of LAZINESS BRINGS ON DEEP SLEEP—the worst kind of sleep—sleep that becomes an escape mechanism—the kind that Paul was inspired to address in Ephesians 5:14. “Wake up, O sleeper, rise from the dead and Christ will shine on you.” And Jesus warned, “If he comes suddenly (“the owner of the house”), do not let him find you sleeping” (Mark 13:36).
I will assume that a SHIFTLESS MAN is one who does not exercise well his mental muscle. He is more inclined to live by the standard of his shifting feelings, or the shifting expectations of people around him. And if Jesus’ words are true that “Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God” (Matthew 4:4), this person is destined for hunger.
Please Stop, Think, Analyze, Respond, and don’t let any of this bad stuff happen to you.
“A lazy person tempts the devil to tempt him.”