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Devotional Thoughts

  Devotional Thoughts
   The Spiritual Side of Our Website

This part of the site features monthly devotional thoughts by the Association's Chaplain, with the goal of encouraging Signal Corps OCS Graduates to be exceptional in their lives and to live life at a higher level. Our current Chaplain is of the Christian faith, so naturally, his devotionals are fashioned around his Christian beliefs. Your comments and suggestions are welcome and can be offered directly to the Chaplain by eMail at: MaxHolt@ArmySignalOCS.com


by LTC (R) Max Holt, Class 02-67

April 2012

STOP HORSING AROUND IN THE PAST

LTC (R) Max Holt - TodayLTC (R) Max Holt

One warm afternoon on our small northeast Texas farm my brother Frank and I were playing Rodeo by riding our stick horses around the house. During a water break we passed our mother’s sewing machine and noticed a large full spool of white thread mounted on the spindle, ready for use. Mom made most of our clothes and used a lot of thread. As Frank reached to get the thread there were several questions that should have entered our minds, but didn’t, such as, can we play with it (no), is it the last one (it was), will we get in trouble (yes!), and what will be the consequences (I don’t like to think about it!). Frank took the spool and slid it over the nail that held the rains on his horse, and then tied the loose end of the thread to the corner post of the front porch.  We both began running with our trusty steeds between our legs and watched the white thread begin to unwind from the spool onto the ground along side the house. We had made three trips around the house and as we approached the front porch again the thread ran out, leaving the spool spinning on the nail. We stopped and watched the spool spin, realizing that our original decision was not as good as we first thought. We jumped off the horses and began trying to rewind the thread onto the spool. After one circle around the house the partially rewound thread was dirty, filled with twigs and already twice the size of the original spool! As we rounded the front porch there stood mom, with a small peach tree switch in her hand! As she pulled Frank across her knees in the rocker on the porch he began to cry. I cried too, knowing I was next. Frank said, “I’m sorry, Mama, I’ll fix it, I’ll clean it up!” That’s when our mother lifted him onto her lap and said, “You can’t fix it, Frank, we’ll have to get a new one!”

I learned that day that there are some things in life that you must be very careful with because they can’t be fixed. Your heart can never really be fixed like it was before it got broken in a failed relationship. Your reputation can suffer irreparable damage when you deviate from the truth and are discovered. But, when you suffer because of your sin and then reconcile with God, start working to put it behind you. Some things can’t be fixed, you just have to start over. Praise the Lord we have a God who majors on new beginnings! The Bible says in Psalm 103:11-12, “For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.” God is faithful to forgive and to give us a fresh start. So, whatever dead horse you insist upon trying to ride from the past, get off and let God give you a new one! Submit yourself to His leadership and He will keep you riding in style.

   

Common Sense Application

1. As you concentrate on moving forward out of the failures of the past read II Corinthians  5:17 every day for a month. Write it on an index card and tape it to your mirror. Write it on a business card and take it with you to read during the day. 

2. Really let the old things begin to pass away, as the verse states. Be faithful to replace the old things with some new things of God.

3. Ask a trusted Christian friend to be your monitor, to remind you when your conversation and attitudes tend to center too much on the old things. 

 


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Prior Month Devotionalsbr>
May '11 Jun '11 Jul '11 Aug '11 Sep '11 Oct '11 Nov '11 Dec '11 Jan '12 Feb '12 Mar '12 Apr '12
May '12 Jun '12 Jul '12 Aug '12 Sep '12 Oct '12 Nov '11 Dec '11 Jan '13 Feb '13 Mar '13 Apr '13
  

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