A day late and a dollar short?

When the school of hard knocks hands you your diploma, it more than likely follows the phrase my Ol’ Daddy often used, “Looks like you are a day late and a dollar short!” and Mom in her later years would often say, “My, my how time do fly.” 

Yes, time seems to move on and the more age you achieve, the faster it seems to move. We all get caught up in the hustle bustle of a busy world and the truth is, the faster we go, the behinder we get! Seems in today’s world, we are always in a hurry! 

This tends to be true whether at home, at work, or at play. We never have enough time to meet our basic needs and absolutely no time to insert a creative view or just enjoy what we have managed to accomplish. And that certainly eliminates any time to plan for the future. 

To strategically tackle your task, you will have to prioritize the steps to completion and maybe even take some of your load off. No, you probably won’t find the solution in magic formulas or mysterious potions, but you could do what many of us eventually come to realize. Force yourself to cleve a little bit of time out of each day to get quite and still and pray. 

Sometimes, the Lord will reveal to you a better way to do your task that you were just too busy to think about, give you an idea of where to get help, or even convince you to take a different direction to accomplish this deed. Yes, a prayer time allows us a chance for our brain to catch up and think more clearly. 

My Granddad, Papa Hop said that God gives us the talent to succeed, but He wants us to have an active roll in getting the job done! When you stop to pray, He encourages you and the task seems to  be easier to carry off. In fact, I suggest that you develop a habit of starting each day with a prayer time. I think you will see that your load appears to be a little lighter. And if it isn’t, you at least had a moment to let your mind rest and that just might be what the Lord had in mind. 

Works for me and I am thankful for the men and women who have sacrificed so much to keep America free and allow us to have the freedom to worship, pray, and read the Bible without fear of reprisal. A luxury that many in our world do not have!

Strength and Hope

Oh for the wisdom to come along the way,

While Childhood mem’rys mark our trail,

Often our paths linger and want to stay,

But life marches on without fail.

Father time comes along to sing us the blues,

That our daily grind is through,

But friend, it’s up to you and I to choose,

The path to bring our souls renew. 

We wallow in pity, point the blame, slip and fall,

We yearn for courage true and strong,

We must realize that God is there through it all,

And lift to the air our praise song.

For we must remember as we travel this trail,

When our day has now reached its end,

And if it was you whom may have slipped and fell, 

God’s strength will be there like a friend.

Tho pitfalls, brambles, trials, and snares may add to your load,

Just keep the faith and hold your head high,

For the Master will guide you along life’s road,

And on His strength you must rely.

Often brothers and sisters around you fall,

So be a beacon to their plight,

For what God has done for one, He’ll do for all,

And from the darkness He’ll bring light!

He’ll see you thru and never will you walk alone,

Although some trails seem mighty dim,

You must believe His strength will carry you on,

Continue to rely on Him!

 See, the seed was started at an early age,

And life does meander about,

But early teachings help us turn the page,

And wisdom gained along the way helps remove our doubt.

Yes, childhood mem’rys do often come to bear,

Bringing those thoughts of lessons learned,

That gave us wisdom that guides and keeps us from despair,

Even when our trail in life has turned.

Put your hope in Jesus for His word is true,

And you, my friend, His strength receive,

He will help carry your burdens the whole day thru,

When in your heart you first believe.

Know that through life’s journey, God is there by your side,

Or carrying you in life’s race,

So know that He is present, don’t steal away an hide,

Accept the free gift of God’s Grace!

  ©  Ol’ Jim Cathey     

The Staurt Hamblen song says”What He’s done for others He’ll do for you,

It is no secret what God can do!”

Join us at First Baptist Church Marlin

 God bless each of you and God Bless America!