James 4:14 (KJV) - Whereas ye know not what [shall be] on the morrow. For what [is] your life? It is even a vapour, that appeared for a little time and then vanisheth away.
Proverbs 22:6 (KJV) - Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old he will not depart from it.
Saturday afternoon, I did something that I rarely do. I went to the movies.
Normally, I see movies when they come to television or watch them on DVD.
There were several reasons why I actually went to see this movie.
First, it was a western and I really enjoy that genre. They just don't make enough anymore to suit me.
Second, portions of the movie were filmed in the town of Granger, Texas about ten minutes from where I call home. I have several friends who live there and I saw first hand how a portion of that town was made to look like "the Old West" during filming.
Third, it was a remake of a John Wayne classic and I wanted to see if a modern day actor could portray the character as well as "The Duke" did back in 1969.
I enjoyed the movie and as the credits rolled my thoughts returned to why I wanted to see it in the first place.
It was one of the better westerns I recalled seeing lately and I hoped its success might inspire others to create more.
As far as the location was concerned, I felt they had successfully transported the town of Granger back in time. I even managed to recognize a few of the buildings.
As for the actor in the lead role, I felt he successfully recreated the role played by John Wayne back in 1969.
1969. Wow! Had it really been forty two years since that movie was made?
Please don't get me wrong, I am quite comfortable with my age and am grateful to God for every year He sees fit to give me. But as I walked away from my seat, I found it difficult to believe that four decades of my life had passed that quickly and that put me in mind of my opening passage of scripture which bears repeating.
James 4:14 (KJV) - Whereas ye know not what [shall be] on the morrow. For what [is] your life? It is even a vapour, that appeared for a little time and then vanisheth away.
I realized just how true that is.
Those four decades were indeed like a mist that had all too quickly vanished away.
While this was sinking in, I made my way to the exit, opened the door and stepped outside.
Before releasing the door and letting it close, I looked over my shoulder to make sure there was no one behind me.
Upon glancing backward I saw two elderly ladies engaged in conversation making their way to the door.
They proceeded slowly because one relied upon a cane for support.
She reminded me a great deal of my mother who relied on a cane to get around later in life.
As I held the door open and waited patiently, I recalled how blessed I was as Mother and I had a wonderfully close relationship.
As they walked, I wondered at the number of years they had seen. I surmised that they would agree that the decades they had witnessed had likewise passed all too quickly.
It was only when they arrived at the door that they looked up from their conversation and realized I had been standing there waiting for them.
The first stepped through and apologized for making me wait and I assured her that no apology was necessary.
The second, the one who reminded me so much of my own mother, then stepped through and thanked me.
She added, "I can tell that your mother did an excellent job in raising a polite young man."
"Thank you," I replied, "You have no idea just how much you brightened my day!"
And that is what put me in mind of the Proverb that I opened with...
Proverbs 22:6 (KJV) - Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old he will not depart from it.
Holding a door open for a lady is indeed a courtesy both my parents taught me at a young age and, as the scripture says, I have never departed from it.
Time goes by all too quickly, and there is nothing we can do about that.
Yet the way we treat others has a quality that can be truly timeless.
Jim Pokorny
The Other Brother Jim
Look for me at http://faithfulfeet.byethost3.com on Friday, February 4, 2011.
Please enjoy the contributions of my fellow Christian bloggers while you are there!
I'll be back here on Friday, February 11, 2011.
Thursday, January 27, 2011
Thursday, January 13, 2011
Breathing Easier
The weather forecast for Sunday called for a combination of rain and cold. While many found this forecast undesirable I found myself praying that this time the forecasters had gotten it right.
I suffer from an allergy to cedar pollen and during the work week I had been feeling terrible.
According to an earlier newscast, we had just experienced the second highest cedar pollen count on record. I certainly did not have to hear that report to know that the cedar count was high.
The week for me largely consisted of watery and itchy eyes accompanied by coughing and sneezing.
To add insult to injury, even my closest friends felt it necessary to remind me that I both looked and sounded terrible.
Sunday, I was to be installed as an Elder in my church and I really wanted to be there. But, as the day approached, my condition worsened.
Throughout the day Saturday I prayed for the rain that was predicted by the weather forecast that night.
When evening came, I was exhausted but found it difficult to fall asleep due to my symptoms.
It was a faint noise that woke me up after only an hour or two of sleep. Not being fully awake, I wondered what it was. A few seconds later, I realized what it was.
Rain!
I turned on the television to view the radar and beheld a beautiful sight.
This was no passing shower. Almost the entire state was experiencing rain to one degree or another.
I thanked God for this blessing and went back to sleep.
When the alarm clock woke me up Sunday morning, I heard the rain still softly falling outside.
Throughout the night, as the rain fell, countless pollen grains were being washed from the air and my symptoms had dramatically improved.
By the time I left for church, the rain had decreased to a light drizzle and I got through the installation ceremony without so much as a sneeze.
Later that day, as I thanked God once again for this blessing, I also reflected on the cleansing power of the blood of Jesus.
Just as the rain washed the air clean of airborne irritants, so the blood of Jesus washes away all of our sins.
Romans 5:8-9 (KJV) - But God commandeth His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, being justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him.
Ephesians 1:7 (KJV) - In whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace;"
Hebrews 9:12 (KJV) - Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by His own blood, He entered in once into the Holy place, having obtained eternal redemption [for us]."
It is through the blood of Jesus that we have eternal life.
And that really makes me breathe a whole lot easier.
Blessings,
Jim Pokorny
The Other Brother Jim
Look for me at http://faithfulfeet.byethost3.com on Friday, January 21, 2011.
Please enjoy the contributions of my fellow Christian bloggers while you are there!
I'll be back here on Friday, January 28, 2011.
I suffer from an allergy to cedar pollen and during the work week I had been feeling terrible.
According to an earlier newscast, we had just experienced the second highest cedar pollen count on record. I certainly did not have to hear that report to know that the cedar count was high.
The week for me largely consisted of watery and itchy eyes accompanied by coughing and sneezing.
To add insult to injury, even my closest friends felt it necessary to remind me that I both looked and sounded terrible.
Sunday, I was to be installed as an Elder in my church and I really wanted to be there. But, as the day approached, my condition worsened.
Throughout the day Saturday I prayed for the rain that was predicted by the weather forecast that night.
When evening came, I was exhausted but found it difficult to fall asleep due to my symptoms.
It was a faint noise that woke me up after only an hour or two of sleep. Not being fully awake, I wondered what it was. A few seconds later, I realized what it was.
Rain!
I turned on the television to view the radar and beheld a beautiful sight.
This was no passing shower. Almost the entire state was experiencing rain to one degree or another.
I thanked God for this blessing and went back to sleep.
When the alarm clock woke me up Sunday morning, I heard the rain still softly falling outside.
Throughout the night, as the rain fell, countless pollen grains were being washed from the air and my symptoms had dramatically improved.
By the time I left for church, the rain had decreased to a light drizzle and I got through the installation ceremony without so much as a sneeze.
Later that day, as I thanked God once again for this blessing, I also reflected on the cleansing power of the blood of Jesus.
Just as the rain washed the air clean of airborne irritants, so the blood of Jesus washes away all of our sins.
Romans 5:8-9 (KJV) - But God commandeth His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, being justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him.
Ephesians 1:7 (KJV) - In whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace;"
Hebrews 9:12 (KJV) - Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by His own blood, He entered in once into the Holy place, having obtained eternal redemption [for us]."
It is through the blood of Jesus that we have eternal life.
And that really makes me breathe a whole lot easier.
Blessings,
Jim Pokorny
The Other Brother Jim
Look for me at http://faithfulfeet.byethost3.com on Friday, January 21, 2011.
Please enjoy the contributions of my fellow Christian bloggers while you are there!
I'll be back here on Friday, January 28, 2011.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)