by J. Randal Matheny

[This went to the UPLift list several days ago. Seems I'm doing more there than here ...]

Dr. Seuss met a brain surgeon at a party. The surgeon said, "Oh, you're that man who writes those children's books. Some Saturday, when I have a little extra time, I am going to write one of those."

Dr. Seuss replied, "Ah, yes. And some day when I have a little free time, I'll do brain surgery."

Some people want to accomplish great things. But they want to do them in their off-time, in their spare moments. They think they can do them in a snap, easy, no sweat. They are mere dabblers, not masters of their skill.

If you would excel, devote yourself wholly to it.

Most worthy of complete devotion is receiving God's approval. No weekend enthusiasts need apply. Punching a Sunday time clock earns no credits.

Christianity is an all-out effort, a full-time job, an undertaking that will consume you entirely.

One of the great words of Scripture is "diligence," generally translated from the Greek word "spoudazo." Louw and Nida translate it "to do something with intense effort and motivation --'to work hard, to do one's best, to endeavor.'" We find this word in 2 Timothy 2:15:

"Study and be eager and do your utmost to present yourself to God approved (tested by trial), a workman who has no cause to be ashamed, correctly analyzing and accurately dividing -- rightly handling and skillfully teaching -- the Word of Truth" (Amplified).

I quoted the words of Yoda to my son recently. They fit here: "Do or do not. There is no try."

Neither is there dabble.

Whether you want to be a Dr. Seuss, a brain surgeon, or a Christian, it's not the extra time but the overtime that will bring you success and, more importantly, God's approval.

So be diligent.

New Testament in Survey, by Paul Southern

Roy Davison has put online this 80-page study guide with introductions to all the books of the New Testament, in The Old Paths Archive at this address. This material can be useful for class or personal study.

As of today, you have exactly 50 days left in the year.

The question is, what are you going to do with them?

What's your plan?

See yourself at the end of the year, 31 December 2003. You are looking over the last 50 days. You are telling yourself, congratulating yourself or lamenting within yourself, what you have done during these days.

What will you tell yourself?

Will you work, study, teach, write, paint, so that you can be grateful for that time?

Or will you moan over lost time, again?

What are you going to do the next 50 days? Write it down. Right now.

No, not LATER, I said, RIGHT NOW. (Yes, I'm YELLING!)

"Look carefully how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil" (Ephesians 5:15-16, ESV).

how much do you tend to see the good in every situation? (Circle one)

1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 - 6 - 7 - 8 - 9 -10

Then read this:

"An individual has a healthy personality to the exact degree to which they have the propensity to look for the good in every situation." --Ralph Waldo Emerson

It's one of the dangers of scanning your emails.

The title read, "Honor the Dead by Helping the Living."

I read it as, "Humor the Dead by Helping the Living."

As a verb, "humor" means 1 to comply with the mood or whim of (another); indulge 2 to act in agreement with the nature of; adapt onself to.

What would be the mood of the dead? What would they want to tell us right now? What message would they send us, if they could?

It might be a worthy exercise to imagine the mood of the dead and "humor" them by passing that mood on to the living.

Then we might be more ready when our day comes to join them.