He decided that he would never ignore Christmas again, and not just the date on the calendar.”
              –C.J. Petit  (The Second Star)

    “Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.”
              –1 Corinthians 1:25 (NKJV)
—————————
I trust that you had a very wonderful Thanksgiving.  It should have been a grand day to reflect on the goodness of the Lord.  The same is true as we finish Psalm 31.  David has been moaning and groaning.  He is almost done in and he is wearied to the bone.  But then…he remembers the Lord.  God has an unfailing love!  When times are tough hearken to the voice of the Lord.  Contemplate on these verses and you will find instructions.

    19 – How great is Your goodness that You have stored up for those who fear You and accomplished in the sight of everyone for those who take refuge in You.
    20 – You hide them in the protection of Your presence; You conceal them in a shelter from the schemes of men,
from quarrelsome tongues.
    21 – May the Lord be praised, for He has wonderfully shown His faithful love to me in a city under siege.
    22 – In my alarm I had said, “I am cut off from Your sight.” But You heard the sound of my pleading when I cried to You for help.
    23 – Love the Lord, all His faithful ones.  The Lord protects the loyal, but fully repays the arrogant.
    24 – Be strong and courageous, all you who put your hope in the Lord. (HCSB)

    Often we worry so much about little or nothing.  Our fears become a nightmare.  When, oh when, we will begin to trust in the Lord?

           “Oh, what blessings will attend
            Those who make the Lord their friend.
            Lord, may this my portion be.
            Seek it, all your saints with me.”
                  –Henry F. Lyte

Often we use pieces of God’s Word to comfort us in tough times, but forget His challenges after it passes.  In the midst of an attack we seem to go through the same motions as before but we should remember that we can depend on God.  We need to be loyal to Him no matter the plight we find ourselves in and not worry so much about those who mock God.  God can take care of Himself.
    There is so much talk among Christians about “relationship.”  From what I have observed, it is mostly meaningless talk.  Take Thanksgiving for instance; we think some about our blessings and are thankful, when in actuality we should live in that blessedness all year round.  Christmas is approaching and we become joyful, yet we should have Christmas in our hearts all year round.  And just think, our visible blessings, here and now, are nothing compared to what we can have if we truly want and have a relationship with Christ.  I like what Alexander MacLaren says,

            “All of our visible blessings are but pale shadows of the real wealth that we can have if we live in continual communion with God.  He does not put His best gifts in the store windows.  He keeps those in the inner chambers.  The best good is not the good that we can touch, taste, and handle and that men can see.”

This season, look inward for the “best good.”  Something else, there are things that we are to do.  We are to praise Him, take refuge in Him, and be loyal.  He also tells us to be strong.  Something to consider–look at the epistles of Paul and Peter and dwell on those words.  Be strong!

I would say you are richer than you know.  You have a house, some cattle, you have food, and you have each other.”
              –Louis L’Amour  (A Man Called Noon)

    “Not that I speak from [any personal] need, for I have learned to be content [and self-sufficient through Christ, satisfied to the point where I am not disturbed or uneasy] regardless of my circumstances.”
              –Philippians 4:11 (AMP)
—————————–
Before I give a couple of thoughts about contentment I want to share a story.  So many times we misuse or do not understand what a word means.  I recall an old Gene Autry movie (yes, I’m that old) where a woman from the east was posing as a cattle owner.  A reporter asked her what type of cows she raised; she was dumbfounded until she spied a can of evaporated milk, then she replied, “contented cows.”
    I believe one of the biggest problems in our country is the lack of being content.  “More, more, give me more,” is the cry.  People wait in line for hours for the newest phone or gadget because they are not content.  Never satisfied–there has to be something to rant against.
    I also believe that contentment is akin to thankfulness and having a grateful heart.  To be content means that one is grateful.  Every Thanksgiving my Aunt Bern used to call my Mom up to thank her for telling her about a job at Safeway.  Bern was always content with what her heavenly Father gave her.  There was a job opening, Bern went for an interview and worked many, many years after that at Safeway, first in the bakery that was just opening, then in the meat department.
    Here is a little something for you to ponder for Thanksgiving, or anytime for that matter.

         I weight not fortune’s frown or smile;
            I joy not much in earthly joys;
         I seek not state, I reck not style;
            I am not fond of fancy’s toys:
         I rest so pleased with what I have
         I wish no more, no more I crave.

         I quake not at the thunder’s crack;
            I tremble not at news of war;
         I swound not at the news of wrack;
            I shrink not at a blazing star;
         I fear not loss, I hope not gain,
         I envy none, I none disdain.

         I see ambition never pleased;
            I see some Tantals starved in store:
         I see gold’s dropsy seldom esed;
            I see even Midas gape for more;
         I neither want not yet abound,–
         Enough’s a feast, content is crowned.

         I feign not friendship where I hate;
            I fawn not on the great (in show);
         I prize, I praise a mean estate,–
            Neither too lofty nor too low:
         This, this is all my choice, my cheer,–
         A mind content, a conscience clear.
                   –Joshua Sylvester

To all my readers, friends, and family–have a wonderful Thanksgiving.  Dig into that turkey and dressin’, but don’t forget to save room for the pie.

I wish we didn’t go so fast.  People nowadays haven’t time to draw a comfortable breath.”
              –Zane Grey  (The Call of the Canyon)

    “But you, Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book until the time of the end; many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall increase.”
              –Daniel 12:4 (NKJV)
—————————
         “Over the river, and through the wood,
          To Grandfather’s house we go;…”
                 –Lydia Maria Child

There’s a chance if’n a person decides to come to our house that they may cross over the Trinity River, or possibly the San Jacinto.  For sure if’n they’re coming in from the north they will cross over Wolf Creek and if they travel from the south they will have to cross Indian Creek.  Then it’s around the bend, up over the hill and down then up another hill around another bend and there nestled down in the trees is our little home in the woods.  There won’t be any snow, so no need of a sleigh.  
    Grandma and Grandpa’s house…it’s  supposed to be a home, but what is that?  Some have said that where a man hangs his hat is a home.  However, it is the woman that makes the home.  It is built and nurtured around her toil, tears, sweat, blood (I just sharpened the knives, Annie cut herself) and prayers.  It is the woman that makes the home and gives it warmth.  Grandpa is there to sharpen the knives and eat the cookies.
   There is a word that is a key factor in this poem, one of the earliest that I can remember.  It is mentioned twice and my favorite line of the poem is:

         “Hurrah for the pumpkin pie!”

Yep, don’t forget that pie.  Pumpkin is always good with or without a large dab of whipped cream.  But my wife is not satisfied with just a pumpkin pie.  She’s going to make an apple pie and a German chocolate pie.  Let me tell you that this ol’ fence post is going to sample each one.
    There’ll be turkey with all the fixin’s, ham, taters both white and sweet, most likely green beans, and I’m sure that some will bring their favorite.  The feast is fast approaching, and I’ll be there to check the pies.  Because of all the doin’s next week I’m not sure when or if an “Echo” will be sent out.  
    Maybe sitting around the fire at the camp I’ll come up with some thoughts that will come forth in future “Echoes.”
Be sure you to take time to be thankful.  Don’t get caught up with that piece of turkey in front of you, or those slabs of pie just to the top that you forget the person sitting next to you or across from you.  
    Most important of all–give thanks to the Lord that He has allowed to you be sitting there.  Stop, take time to reflect on all the things that you see before you, for all the things He has seen you through.

If evil and hardship come upon you at least you will be aware of what is happening, and you will have some understanding of why.  It is better than falling under the axe like some dumb brute in a slaughterhouse who has no awareness of what is happening to him.  A wise man can even experience the approach of death with some awareness.  It may be the final experience, but it is experience.”
              –Louis L’Amour  (The Proving Trail)

    “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, But fools despise wisdom and instruction.”
              –Proverbs 1:7 (NKJV)
———————–
    I have often heard, and thought it to be true, that “ignorance can be fixed, but stupidity is fatal.”  If a person doesn’t know, he can learn, but what if it is reversed?  Let’s take a look at the following verses:  

          “Professing to be wise, they became fools, and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man—and birds and four-footed animals and creeping things.”
                   –Romans 1:22-23(NKJV)

I was reading Francis Schaeffer’s book, The Finished Work of Christ, which is a commentary on Romans 1-8.  He made some interesting comments on the above verses.  Man was made in God’s image, but man has instead decided to make God in their image.  Being made in God’s image means that man is rational, moral, and has significance.  But now…  “He has exchanged the infinite for the finite.  He exchanged great wealth and truth for poverty, for sorrow, and for ignorance.” (Schaeffer)
    Why is man in the mess he is in?  Because he has chosen to be ignorant.  When one chooses to be ignorant they become fools, and that is a dangerous position.  Ignorance may be fixed, but when a man chooses to be ignorant that goes beyond stupid, that is the mark of a fool.  Remember, a fool is someone who does not believe in God.  Here we see that a fool is someone who chooses to become their own god, to become autonomous without the ability to do so.  When man gets into this position everything becomes a lie.  “Mankind doesn’t know who he is.  The truth is gone.” (Schaeffer)
    Jeremiah said, “The LORD is the God of truth”.  Mankind has changed the truth of God into a lie.  “When people throw away the God of truth, all truth is gone.  All that is left are sets of opinions, and personal gods and pleasure.” (Schaeffer)  Man is left ignorant–man is a fool!  I like the way J.B. Phillips translates the verses from Romans.  

         “Behind a facade of “wisdom” they became just fools, fools who would exchange the glory of the eternal God for an imitation image of a mortal man, or of creatures that run or fly or crawl.”
                  –Romans 1:22-23(Phillips)

    When you see all the foolish things that are happening do not be surprised.  They are part of what God has said, the truth is there.  When you read and see the foolish statements remember these scriptures.  Then look at a fool in the Book of Proverbs.  There is no way you can deal with a fool.