2016 picture of Ray Sparre

Insightful Musings on theScriptures

by

Raymond P. Sparre
Northwest University class of '67



These devotional messages are personalized as messages to Ray's granddaughter, Samara.

30 January 2017

Good morning, Samara

It looks like I’ve failed to produce for two days. Just too much congestion. Oh well. I’m sure you will survive. But I think may be seeing you today—an early celebration of your 14th birthday. Hope so. Just think of the fact that you only have about 59 years to catch up with me!

A guy is supposed to be coming soon to check out our wrecked Honda Accord. I’ll be interested to hear what he has to say. Not sure I can squeeze in a jog at this point.

Have another great day.

Love, Tua.


Proverbs 30
Focus: “For as churning the milk produces butter, and as twisting the nose produces blood, so stirring up anger produces strife.” Proverbs 30:33.

More accurately, churning cream produces butter. My experience has been that even cream that is overly diluted with the milk will not advance to butter no matter how long you whip it. But that’s a non-important technicality. The main idea is to follow the parallel cause-and-effect reasoning that leads to the principle of peace—understanding how we encourage and maintain it. To be sure, peace within human relationships should be a priority.

That was definitely NOT the case yesterday morning when Nicholas and Kaden got out of bed about 6:30am. I was the only one up at the time. They immediately were engaged in a knock-down-drag-out fight over some stupid little dispute. I let them go at it with the hope they would gain control on their own—responding to my reasonably gentle commands. Not a trace of restraint. So I very deliberately took some drastic measures to restore the peace that I want to prioritize in my home. Wow! That became an amazing counter-cause to produce a wonderful effect. Peace was restored.

Jesus said, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God” (Matthew 5:9). Do you suppose it’s possible to get in on God’s blessing by being an impulsive angry chaos maker? Paul instructs believers, “If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone” (Romans 12:18-19).

Let me throw in a bit of humor in the form of a poem composed by my good friend and mentor, Jim Davis (2012). He titles it, “THE ATHEIST.”

He said he was an atheist,
That the Bible wasn’t true;
That when you die it’s over—
For Christian, Atheist, or Jew.

He went on to say the Bible
Was just a silly story book.
I said, “Have you ever read it?
If not, let’s take a look.”

“Now here’s a little verse
That’s very interesting indeed.
It says that if you twist the nose
Then that will make it bleed

“We can tell if the Bible’s true
If we just try that out.”
So quickly I reached over
And grabbed him by the snout.

One good twist was all it took
And the blood began to drip,
It really started running
When I gave it one more flip.

“Well, I guess that proves it—
Only took two seconds flat!”
With a sigh of great relief
He said, “Thank God for that!”


“Every word of God is flawless;he is a shield to those who take refuge in him.”
~ Proverbs 30:5 ~