By GARY ANDREWS
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Over the past few weeks my wife has been going through boxes and boxes of what we have saved from when our four children were in school. She has neatly divided and marked the contents for each one of our children. We have anything from sports memorabilia, newspaper clippings and photos, to report cards, journals they wrote, stuffed animals, etc.
I remember a story I read about an elderly father that was doing the same thing we are. He came across his son’s journal and remembered the journal he kept also. He opened up his journal to a certain date and it read, “Went fishing with my son today. Terrible day, didn’t catch a fish.”
He opened his son’s journal to the same date and read one of the most shocking things he had ever read. His son had written in his journal, “Went fishing with my dad today. One of the best days of my life.”
It is unique that two people can look at the contents of a day, after spending time with each other, and see it totally different. One saw the day as a duty to fulfill and the other saw it as a time to spend with his dad. It is a sad day when we, as adults, look on the time we spend with our children and grandchildren as a duty to fulfill instead of viewing the great joy that they can provide for us and we can provide for them.
My wife and I made a promise to each other that when we were blessed with children that we would grow up with them. We would spend time with them and stay active in their lives.
The Lord has tremendously blessed us and our children. Three out of the four are married and have families of their own. The fourth is a high school counselor and associates with teenage children every day.
Spending time with our children has been most rewarding. They continue to come home and we are invited to their homes. It is a sad day when parents are so involved with themselves, such as jobs, social life, etc., that they have little or no time for their own children. It’s amazing how many nannies, daycares, and others are raising children for families.
Most young marriages require two jobs to make ends meet. This is because the younger generation is always trying to have more than they really need or can afford. My wife was a stay at home mom and this was one of the best decisions we have ever made. She is a certified school teacher but stayed at home with our children until our youngest started school. She then went to work when they went to school and came home when they did.
It was a great day when our daughter announced that she would be staying home with her children. She quit teaching school when her first child was born.
Time is the most precious item we can ever offer our children. Cherish every moment that you have with them because, and you can truly believe me on this one, time waits for no one and tomorrow they will leave you nest empty.
As my wife had compiled the items for each of our children, she came across a school assignment that my son had written. The assignment was to tell about his best friend. When she showed it to me big old tears came into my eyes as I read, “Let me tell you about my dad, my best friend.” Memories such as these can never be lost or replaced.
It’s my wish that all parents could spend more time with their children. Even with all the gifts we offer them and big ticketed items we buy for them, nothing can replace the love or the time we can give them.
Prayer: Thank you Lord for the children you have blessed me with. Be with them each and every day and lead them on the path you would have them go. I pray that our parents of today will give more time to their children and raise them to know you and your saving grace. Amen.
(Suggested daily Bible reading: Sunday – Mark 10:13-16; Monday – 2 Samuel 7:1-17; Tuesday – Ecclesiastes 6:1-6; Wednesday – Matthew 18:1-6; Thursday – Ephesians 6:1-4; Friday – Titus 1:6; Saturday – 2 Chronicles 24:1-2.)
Gary Andrews is the author of Encouraging Words: 30-days in God’s Word. To obtain a copy go to his website www.gadevotionals.com.

By GARY ANDREWS
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In the late 1990’s I taught Journalism, part-time, to high school students. I am not a certified teacher however I did, at that time, have over 25 years of journalism experience and was considered a professional in the field.
This qualified me to help our local high school which was short a teacher.
It was refreshing to be with most of these students. It was a challenge to be around some of the others. School had changed so much from my days of high school and college.
Having no textbooks for this elective course, I had to bring in materials I had gathered over my print media span and use it to the best of my ability. The students were hungry for what I had to say, but did not appreciate the fact that I made them write a lot of stories, read a lot of material, but most of them really hated my spelling tests. They couldn’t believe juniors and seniors in high school had to take spelling tests, which was desperately needed. Most of them did not want to think on their own. They wanted every answer given to them and it bothered them that I wouldn’t do that. I thought students needed to learn the way I did when I was in school.
I used riddles and puzzles and made them figure them out. One puzzle I gave was very hard and the answer to it was very tricky. I challenged them with this puzzle and made the statement that the first one with the correct answer, I would give an “A” grade for that semester. The worst thing I did was allow them to work on it overnight instead of in class.
One student brought the puzzle back with the accepted answer. No one else in class got the answer. I knew this student and his parents and knew his parents worked the puzzle for him.
True to my word I gave this student an “A” for the semester even though he was barely above failing.
I tell this story because a couple of years later I ran into this student who was a stock person for a local retailer. He spoke to me and told me he didn’t appreciate me giving him a “B” for the year. He thought I should have given him a better grade.
My reply to him, which I said in haste, that he was correct. I should have given him what he earned. The only way he was awarded the grade he got for the year was because of the promise I made, during the first semester, for the first one to get the answer to the puzzle, which he didn’t do on his own. At this time he was walking away but I had to tell him his grades were below normal and that’s what he really earned. Be grateful for what I gave you!
There are so many in our country that is just like this young man. They want all the answers given to them so that they can prosper at someone else’s expense. They are not willing to put forth the effort of trying to solve their own problems, let alone, anyone else’s problem. It is all about them and if anyone tries to help or teach them something new, they are not interested.
This young man has very successful and well educated parents. His brother is a highly motivated coach and teacher. I wish I knew where this young man is today and I hope that he continued to get an education and learned to listen from those who are more experienced than he is. I know he went to church and I hope he learned from where true wisdom comes. In Proverbs 1:7 it tells us, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline.”
Prayer: Father God I give you all of the praise for where I am today. Thank you for your word and thank you for leading me. I pray that I will and can be the example you want me to be. Amen.
(Suggested daily Bible readings: Sunday – Proverbs 1:1-7; Monday – Daniel 1:17; Tuesday – Ecclesiastes 1:1-11; Wednesday – Daniel 1:1-20; Thursday – Luke 6:39-40; Friday – Hebrews 6:1-12; Saturday – John 13:12-17.)
Gary Andrews is the author of Encouraging Words: 30-days in God’s Word. To obtain a copy go to his website www.gadevotionals.com.

By GARY ANDREWS
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I remember a story of a young atheist who took a theology of faith course in a northern university. This young man was looking for God and on the last day of class he asked his professor if he will ever find him. The professor answered, “No, but I am absolutely certain He will find you.”
The young man went on about his life and quit searching for God. At the age of 24 he was diagnosed with terminal cancer which changed his mode of thinking. He revisited his college professor and told him that God had found him.
The young man decided he really didn’t care anything about God and decided that he would do something productive with his life. He told his professor that it is an essential sadness to go through life without loving. He also realized that it would be equally sad if he left this world without telling those he loved that he loved them.
How many of us today have this same story? How trivial it is for us to hold a grudge against family members, friends, or others we don’t even know without talking with these people. Most of the time the differences we have are going to be very insignificant and over some petty misspoken words or deeds.
The young man related to his professor that the professor’s words to him were correct. He told him that even though he quit searching for God; God found him. He realized that the surest way of finding God is not to make Him a private possession, a problem solver, or an instant consolation in time of need, but rather by opening to love.
When we love we find a life that is more beautiful that eyes have ever seen, ears have ever heard, or the mind ever imagined. Our most precious possession that we can ever have, and it is a free gift, is the Saving Grace of Jesus Christ. All of us need to remember that God is love!
Along these same lines we need to understand that the most destructive habit we can have is to worry. Our greatest joy is giving; our greatest loss is self-respect and our most satisfying work is helping others. The greatest problem for us to overcome is fear and the worst thing to be without is hope. We need to realize that the deadliest weapon is the tongue, the most worthless possession is self-pity, and the most crippling disease is excuses.
Our greatest asset is faith and the most contagious spirit is enthusiasm. Our most beautiful attire is a smile, our most prized possession is integrity, and our most powerful channel of communication is prayer.
Just as God found the young man with a terrible cancer, the man changed his thoughts and lifestyle from one of no hope to one of love. Love is what makes the world go round and the quicker we realize this the more comfortable we will be with our own lifestyle.
Prayer: Father thank you for finding me and giving me eternal life when I leave this world. I know without uncertainty that you are the one and only true God. I praise you for this time on earth and pray that I can be a witness for you and your glory. Amen.
(Suggested daily Bible readings: Sunday – John 3:16; Monday – Song of Songs 8:6-7; Tuesday – 1 Corinthians 13:1-13; Wednesday – Revelation 3:14-22; Thursday – Psalm 136:1-26; Friday – Job 10:12; Saturday – 1 John 2:1-6.)
Gary Andrews is the author of Encouraging Words: 30-days in God’s Word. To obtain a copy go to his website www.gadevotionals. com.

By GARY ANDREWS
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In the early 60’s there was a very popular folk song called, “Where have all the flowers gone?” written by Pete Seeger. This song has been recorded by many artists and in many languages.
Considered to be a political song the message is very strong and has so much meaning. Many say it talks about the struggles of anger and war among the nations, but some have said it speaks also to the inner struggles of man with himself. The phrase “When will they ever learn,” is the endless battle within all of us and passes from generation to generation.
I think about this song in a different but similar way. I firmly believe that all of us could sing this song and not talk about the warfare within us but to the wisdom that has escaped us through the loss of older and wiser generations. Seeger’s song relates to young girls plucking the flowers and then the young girls being picked by the young men for their wives. The men go off to war and return to graveyards, which again produces flowers for the young girls to go and pluck again. It is a rotation that seems to never cease.
Thinking back to when I was a teenager I wish that I had spent more time listening and learning from the previous generation. Even though we are in the midst of the most advanced electronic age, have we learned the basics of life or are we just getting by with imitations that will soon fade into obscurity? What has happened to common courtesy? Where has the respect of elders gone to? What about the reverence of Sunday and God’s house?
We have become a generation of fast food, less family time, impatience, rudeness, little or no hospitality, self-centeredness, laziness, and, for many, Godlessness. The world moves in a fast circular motion and people are continuing to look about and wonder why we are changing to the immoral and unethical values that are so prevalent today. Why have we quit standing up and speaking up for God? Why are we allowing radical religions to dictate to us what we should or should not be doing? Little by little Satan and his force of demons are taking away our freedoms that our previous generations treasured and stood up for.
Where have all the flowers gone? Gone to graveyards every one, when will we ever learn? If we continue on this path of destruction and our non-obedience to the one and only true God, then we will go to graveyards with no legacy to leave to our future generations. The future starts now and if we are not willing to stand and fight for what we know is right, then we have no hope. We need to hear and heed the psalmist words in Psalm 37:1: “Do not fret because of evil men or be envious of those who do wrong
Prayer: Father thank you for another day of life. I pray that the life I lead will be a testament to the ones that follow me. I pray for our sinful world and pray that our country will return to you. Amen.
(Suggested daily Bible readings: Sunday – Psalm 73:2-28; Monday – Luke 10:18-23; Tuesday – Proverbs 24:19-22; Wednesday – Job 17:1-16; Thursday -  1 Corinthians 11:17-22; Friday – Exodus 10:1-2; Saturday – 1 Peter 2:23.)
Gary Andrews is the author of Encouraging Words: 30-days in God’s Word. To obtain a copy go to his website www.gadevotionals .com.