July 26, 2012   

Today's Photograph . . . . What We Say About Others Can Simmer And Suddenly Explode   (MQ)

Bible Study Verses

James 3: 9-11

With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse human beings, who have been made in God's likeness. Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this should not be. Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring?  (NIV)

Thoughts

The best part of a camping trip is sitting around a campfire at the end of the day providing the only light in the camp.

They provide time for quiet reflection. It just seems like your mind becomes more attuned with nature around you. I can remember campfires after a day at the lake fishing. Nothing but the crackling of the burning wood and the deep throaty chorus of bull frogs talking to each other from the water's edge.

A campfire can bring a gathering to friends generating the warm atmosphere to encourage the swapping of tales about their latest outdoor adventures.

Kids are drawn like iron to a magnet. Get a bunch of kids together around a campfire and start telling stories. You have their attention for the night.

The body can be fed as well as the soul. Stick a hot dog on a stick; place a couple of marshmallows on a stick, roasted to perfection over the glowing embers, and you have a gastronomical delicacy!

(Tom B)

Action Point

Campfires, although a great balm of peace and fellowship for friends and kids, if left unattended, not properly built, and watched over, can bring disaster out of a peaceful setting. One small spark from a campfire into nearby brush or field can cause major damage to the surrounding nature.

The same with our talk. What we say about others can simmer and suddenly explode into a major conflagration hurting that person or the people around them. Don't get involved in gossip. The well worn advice, "If you can't say anything good about someone, then don't say anything at all," should govern our conversations as well as our spirits.

Sportsmen's Tip of the Day

Keep campfires small. A good bed of coals or a small fire surrounded by rocks gives plenty of heat. Scrape away any burnable material within a 10-foot diameter circle. This will keep a small campfire from spreading.