Daylight Saving Time

 

Don’t forget to set your clocks back one hour when you go to bed this Saturday (November 1) … and get an extra hour of sleep so that you will be ready for church on Sunday!  When Daylight Saving Time began, I was just a little boy.  We lived in Maryland, which used Daylight Saving Time, but we spent vacations at Papaw’s and Granny’s in West Virginia, which did not use Daylight Saving Time.  But my dad used the discrepancy to his advantage.  When he wanted to eat early, he was on Daylight Saving Time.  When he wanted to get up late, he was on slow time – that’s what they called non-Daylight-Saving-Time-using in West Virginia.  Eventually, everyone went to Daylight Saving Time (Except Indiana and a few other holdouts).  My dad knew the true time, but he cleverly used the situation to his advantage.  Hey, do you try to leverage time to your advantage?  Would you like to gain (or lose) an hour when you needed it most?  But of course, you can’t really gain an hour.  The Lord preached in the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 6 that we cannot add to our height (or add time to our life).  Why are we so anxious then?  Do the birds worry about what they’re going to eat tomorrow?  Does the grass worry about what to wear tomorrow?  Jesus finished verse 30 in Matthew 6 by saying, “… O ye of little faith.”  So … don’t worry.  Your heavenly Father will take care of you.  Yes, He will!

A Good Night's Sleep

 

Last night I slept like a baby.  This morning, I was so comfy that I didn’t want to get up … and I didn’t!  Well, eventually I did.  I have heard that staying in bed is a sign of depression, but in my case, it was a sign of exhaustion from a week-long birthday celebration with nights of 6 hours’ sleep.  But last night, I caught up!  It has been cold at night, and I am putting off turning on the heater.  I made a new quilt and added it to my bedcovers, which made me toasty under 2 ½ covers (the half is a folded blanket for my cold feet).  The 2 quilts remind me of one of those weighted blankets.  A combination of sleep deprivation, a cool room, weighted blankets, and toasty feet gave me perfect sleep!  Psalm 127:1&2, “Except the LORD build the house, they labour in vain that build it: except the LORD keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain. It is vain for you to rise up early, to sit up late, to eat the bread of sorrows: for so he giveth his beloved sleep."  Did I fail to mention a clear conscience?  Hey, before you drift off to sleep tonight, ask forgiveness for selfish moments during the day and thank the dear Lord for watching over you.  You might sleep like a baby too!

Mike P.

 

When I was in junior high school, I was a nobody.  I was quiet, not real bright, and certainly no athlete, so I was pretty-much unnoticed.  I had a handful of friends who were like me, but we got along just fine, thank you.  But, one day at lunch, a boy from a higher circle of friends spoke to me.  I was pleasantly surprised.  But after one sentence, Mike asked to borrow 30¢ for lunch.  I had 30¢ so I gave it to him, and he left.  My group of friends had seen me talking to Mike and asked me about it.  When Donnie heard that Mike borrowed 30¢ from me, he said, “That was a mistake, Whitely.  You’ll never see that 30¢ again.”  My new-found confidence melted away.  I asked Mike about the loan a couple of times the next week, but he had a ready excuse each time.  A week after that, Mike needed 30¢ for lunch again.  We discussed his non-payment on the original 30¢ loan, but he assured me that he would pay me the full 60¢ as soon as he got his allowance.  I gave him the second 30¢, but I made sure that my friends didn’t see the transaction.  And wouldn’t you know it, two weeks later, Mike asked for 30¢ again.  I reminded him of his promise to repay the 60¢, but an argument followed.  Mike stormed away when I refused a third loan.  He made me feel like I was rude to him!  I never saw my 60¢ again, but I did learn a valuable lesson: “Neither a borrower nor a lender be.” - William Shakespeare  I should have asked around before getting involved with Mike, because I later found that he had a reputation.  But foolish me was suckered into his web of borrowing.  Solomon said in Proverbs 2:3, “A prudent man foreseeth the evil, and hideth himself: but the simple pass on, and are punished.”  I lost 60¢ but I learned not to fall for fast talking.  At least I think I learned.  If I think it’s a good cause, I’ll GIVE money, but I won’t LEND money.  It works out a lot better that way.