Books authored by Dr. James Dyet. Purchase on JamesDyet.com

Saturday, February 28, 2009

Zoom!

My car has 265 horsepower. That’s more power than I need, but occasionally all that power comes in handy, especially when I enter an interstate highway and have to accelerate rapidly to keep from getting run over. Zoom!
But time zooms faster than my car. This fact became extremely clear when I spoke at the 50th anniversary of Bible Baptist Church in Williamson, New York, in 2005. I had served as the church’s first full-time pastor until 1964. More than four decades of absence seemed like days, not decades. So I expected to find everyone I had left in Williamson to look the same as he or she did in 1964. Wrong! In 1964 the church’s leaders were in their early 40s. At the 2005 celebration, they were in their early 80s. Somehow, their energy had plunged, their walk had slowed, and their faces had wrinkled. (Their bright smiles were still bright, though.)
When I left in 1964, the youth group was overflowing with vivacious teenagers. Much to my delight, a few were on hand for the 50th anniversary. “Glenn, how old are you now, I asked one of the former teenagers.”
“Fifty-nine. I retired from Kodak,” Glenn responded.
Turning to another former teenager, I asked, “How old are you, Terry?”
“Sixty-one.”
Zoom! Where had the years gone?
I’m sure you, too, have wondered where the years have gone. You can close your eyes and see yourself in high school or learning to drive or at your first job or at your wedding or holding your first baby. It’s hard to believe the past passed so quickly.
The apostle James compared life to a mist that evaporates rapidly, so he counseled us to make the most of whatever future remains by living according to God’s will.
When I was in my late teens, I heard the words, “Only one life. ‘Twill soon be past. Only what’s done for Christ will last.” None of us know how much time remains to do God’s will, so I want to make today count—for eternity.

Wednesday, February 25, 2009

Happy Birthday, Rosie!

Rosie, our red toy poodle is celebrating her sixth birthday today. She is all poodle: protective, loyal, devoted, and oblivious to the fact that she is not a human. Rosie has two favorite places in the house: at my feet or on my lap.

Our other dogs are special, too, and I wouldn’t accept a million dollars for them and Rosie, even in these tough economic times.

If I value our three dogs so highly, how much more must our heavenly Father value His children? He assures us in Scripture that one soul is worth more than the whole world. His Son gave His life for us, and our heavenly Father has promised to meet all our needs—every day without fail.

I’m thankful Rosie, Molly, and Sadie are members of our family, and I’m glad Gloria and I are members of God’s family.