THINK ABOUT IT              3-12-25

In this case I should say,”Thinking About It”, because that’s all I can do.

Today, March 12, 2025, would have been the 65th anniversary for Bev and I. Before she went home to be with the Lord on Jan,6th we were looking forward to this day, but God had other plans.

We were married on Mar.12, 1960, so for the rest of my life this date will continue to be special to me. After the first six years of me making our marriage miserable for her, I received Christ as my Savior on Aug.14, 1966, and we enjoyed a wonderful life together. Then God called her home.

Having lost both of my parents, a daughter, a sister, and numerous friends, I thought I knew what grief was like. But I never experienced anything like Bev’s death. I miss her every minute of every day.

I called her “Lady” because she was truly a lady. I called her “Babydoll”when I was expressing my affection for her. I called her “Little Miss Detail” when I was teasing her. When I was going somewhere I always told her “I love you” and gave her a kiss or blew her a kiss when  she was leaving in the car. But she was much more to me than words can describe. I love her more than anything on earth.

Now that she is gone I catch myself thinking I hear her voice. I have often started to call out a question to her before it dawned on me that she isn’t here. And now I’m blowing kisses at her picture on the dresser. I suspect I’ll be doing these things the rest of my life. But thank God for the memories.

Missing her makes me miserable, but I’m learning to deal with it by reminding myself of all the great years we had together. Having enjoyed those blessings I have no right to complain. The other thing that helps me is knowing I will see her again. God’s people never meet for the last time. So, knowing I’m going to be with Christ assures me that I will see my Lady again and that keeps me going with gladness, rather than groaning with sadness.

I’m glad because I had the privilege of being married to a virtuous woman, a help-meet, a lady whose value is far above rubies, a wife who is deserving of honor. And I’m glad that someday, maybe soon, I will be reunited with her forever. Until then I live with the precious memories of a woman who loved Christ more than me. It doesn’t get any better than that. As the song says, she’s always on my mind. So, I’m thinking about it everyday. I am blessed! HDS

THINK ABOUT IT              3-10-25

DISTRACTIONS

The author of the following is unknown by me, but this message deserves to be made known.- HDS

We are distracted. We are so distracted, and so accustomed to it, that after a while we almost become distraction. We lose the ability to be still. We fear the quiet. We are intimidated by the moments where there is nothing to look at, nothing to do.

Distraction is one of the costs of life in a digital world. Paul Graham says it well: “Distraction is not a static obstacle that you avoid like you might avoid a rock in the road. Distraction seeks you out.” We surround ourselves with devices that bring us so many good gifts, but even these good gifts exact a cost—the cost of distraction. The iPad that allows me to read the Bible anytime and anywhere also barges into my devotional life with notifications and alerts. The phone that allows me to stay in touch with my family while they are far away also wakes me at night with its buzzes and flashes. It giveth with one hand and taketh away with the other.

We are learning. We are learning the costs so that we might also learn the solutions. Here are three of the costs of all of this distraction.

Shallow Living.

Distraction leads to shallow thinking, and shallow thinking leads to shallow living. All of this distraction prevents us from thinking deeply. No sooner does the mind press in on a problem and begin to turn it over and examine it and search for a solution, than there is a beep or a buzz or another interruption. If we are unable to think deep thoughts, we will be unable to live deep lives. The best-lived life is the life that flows from deep contemplation, and especially deep contemplation of the deepest truths. Distraction is the enemy of the best kind of life.

Shallow Doing

Distraction leads to procrastination, and procrastination leads to discontentment. Many of our distractions are gladly received. We want them, we welcome them, we miss them when they have been absent for too long. When they don’t come, we go looking for them, mindlessly typing f-a-c-e-b-o-o-k into our browser, hoping for something, anything, to amuse. An hour passes. Two. And we have accomplished none of what we desired, none of what we had set out to do. As distraction increases, productivity declines, and we become discontent with what we have accomplished. Distraction is the enemy of the best kind of productivity.

Shallow Loving

Distraction leads to shallow communication, and shallow communication leads to shallow relationships. Our distraction prevents us from deep engagement with other people. We are always just one beep or one more buzz away from disengaging from a conversation and turning our attention to that text message, that email, that notification. Relationships thrive on deep communication; relationships flounder on trite and inattentive communication. Distraction is the enemy of the best kind of relationships.

The costs lead us to the solutions, and those solutions are so very simple: Take control! Our devices and new technologies have only as much authority in our lives as we allow them. Determine how much authority your device will have, and force it to live within appropriate boundaries. If you don’t own your tools, they will own you. – End of quote. THINK ABOUT IT

David Stone  

Lakeway Baptist Church 

Humble, Tx.

THINK ABOUT IT              3-7-25

Since so few have studied Church history, and so many wonder why we are Baptist, the following article gives you just a glimpse of our history. Telling people to attend the. Church of their choice is nonsense. Many so called churches are not churches at all. HDS

David Stone  

Lakeway Baptist Church   

Humble,Tx

REJOICE OR REPENT
“Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice”–Phil. 4:4

Here is a divine imperative, and it is a present one— meaning that it is to be ongoing, a lifestyle of joy, constant. It is a responsibility, an obligation regardless of circumstances. Joy is a duty— a delightful one. It is a mystery that we could fail in discharging a duty such as this, but we do. There are far too many sad saints.

As Christians we have no excuse for lacking joy. The apostles “departed from the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for his name”(Acts 5:41). How can we, who live in the lap of luxury, dare do any less? We not only have a responsibility to “rejoice in the Lord” we have numerous reasons to do so. The blessings of the Lord are more than we can number, which should cause us to “rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory”(1 Pet. 1:8).

Start your day by counting your blessings rejoice and you’ll be able to stand against whatever you are forced to face. That’s not only pleasurable, it is profitable. If “the joy of the Lord is your strength” (Neh. 8:10), and it is, he who loses his joy is in great peril. Your ability to resist temptation, overcome trials, and witness effectively is lost when joy is absent. You become puny rather than strong.

If that describes you repentance is in order. As a child of God you have the choice to rejoice. However, the choice is not a matter of just deciding to rejoice, but rather to surrender. When you yield yourself to the control of the Holy Spirit the fruit of the Spirit, of which joy is a part, flourishes in your life. So, joy is more than a matter of choosing to feel a certain way, it is a matter of obedience. Repentance results in rejoicing.

After repenting of his sin, David prayed, “Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation- – “(Ps. 51:12), and that’s exactly what every joyless Christian ought to do. The absence of joy is a sure fire indication that something is wrong in a person’s life. You can ignore it and go on in your misery, or you can pretend all is well, or you can actually deal with the problem and be joyful in life. The most miserable person on earth is a child of God out of the will of God, and the only road to rejoicing is repentance. You either repent or you rebel. It’s your choice! Think about it! – HDS

David Stone
Lakeway Baptist Church
5801 FM 1960 E
Humble, TX. 77346

PASTOR’S PEN             2-24-25
A number of years ago, a developer in Canada built a subdivision in the Toronto suburbs. The houses were expensive, beginning in the $200,000 range. Today that number would be twice that.The lots sold quickly and many beautiful houses were finished by summer. When winter arrived, there was a great deal of rain,ice and snow. One of the homes collapsed into a sinkhole … then another and another. Under pressure, the developer confessed the subdivision had been built over a landfill. And instead of taking the time to bring in good fill dirt and prepare good foundations, he simply built on top of the garbage. According to Jesus, there are a lot of people who have foundation problems.

David Stone  

Lakeway Baptist Church   

Humble, Tx