Papa Pat Tiny Devotionals

 A great good morning to all my friends and neighbors in Internet Land! And to family members who have dropped by, it’s Small Group Weekend! Give no sleep to your eyes, Nor slumber to your eyelids; Save yourself like a gazelle from the hunter’s hand, And like a bird from the hand of the fowler. Proverbs 6:4-5, NASB Yes, you can get hit by a meteorite. Don’t worry about it. The risks discussed in this verse are not getting hit by a meteorite, or being struck by lightning.  It’s  promising to pay the debt of someone you don’t know; or know very slightly. But who would do something THAT goofy?  Well, LOTS of people. A few months ago, the SEC put out a warning about increasing numbers of investment scam complaints. A lot of those were related to promises about some new wonder product/treatment/test for COVID-19;  others just made extravagant promises that exploited the fear, realistic or not, that many people felt. So: don’t obligate yourself foolishly; and, if you ...

A great good morning to all my friends and neighbors in Internet Land! And to family members who have dropped by, some blatant bragging. Now then, my children, listen to me And do not turn away from the words of my mouth. Proverbs 5:7, NASB February 24, 1983, is a red-letter day for me; it’s the day I became a father. That’s when my education about unconditional love began. Just writing those words brings back some powerful memories and emotions. I’ve been sitting here, staring at the keyboard, for some infinite and unmeasurable time, while mental images cascade inside my head. This morning, though, I only have 300 words available, so you won’t be getting any of that. Instead, I want to hammer this idea HARD: godly instruction is not a straitjacket, intended to control. It’s a support system; it’s training wheels. It’s labeling the keys on the keyboard so you know which ones to press. It’s a recipe. And, like most recipes, the instructions found in the Book of Proverbs only give you th...

A great good morning to all my friends and neighbors in Internet Land! And to family members who have dropped by, wear something RED to Remember Everyone Deployed. For I give you good teaching; Do not abandon my instruction. Proverbs 4:2, NASB “Teaching” and “instruction” have a particular flavor to me, because I just watched Kenneth and Alicia leave for their last day of ROTC camp. He’s 16, she’s 15; their lives are centered about receiving instruction.  Yesterday, that took the form of an obstacle course using zip lines. I highly approve of learning that way! What I don’t approve of is learning theory, theory, theory, without practice.  (Several decades of ever-changing methods of math instruction: I’m looking at YOU!)   I want the instruction I provide my kids to be HIGHLY practical; the very first goal is quite simple: It keeps them alive. I didn’t go into the history of the internal combustion engine, or discuss the meaning of the phrase “all roads lead to Rome,...

A great good morning to all my friends and neighbors in Internet Land! And to family members who have dropped by, rice and salsa for breakfast. Do not let kindness and truth leave you; Bind them around your neck, Write them on the tablet of your heart. Proverbs 3:3, NASB Assorted Neckwear When I was being in-processed to the Army, I was issued a pair of dog tags. Stamped into the metal was my name, serial number, blood type, and religious preference. I wore them every day for three years. On the wall above my desk, I have a collection of various name badges I’ve been issued, going back to 1983, from short-term, hand-made badges, just intended to be worn for a few days, to the high-tech badge from my term as a security volunteer during the 1996 Olympics. I’ve worn a lot of neckties over the years. Those, too, are a badge; I wore them as a symbol of professionalism. Some people wear beautiful/expensive necklaces. Are kindness and truth spiritual analogues of these other items of neckwear...

 A great good morning to all my friends and neighbors in Internet Land! And to family members who have dropped by, check your pulse-ox; it’s the only way to be sure. For if you cry out for insight, And raise your voice for understanding; Proverbs 2:3, NASB ...this happens. “Lower your voice, please; you are attracting attention...” (or) “...you are embarrassing me.” Ever said those words to your kid? Ever had those words said to you? I’ve had them said to me, and if I didn’t say them to my kids, it’s because I never gave a rip for decorum. It certainly wasn’t because my kids never asked loud questions. (Exception: I cared about decorum when my mother would reach over and pinch a big piece of meat out of my leg in church to get me to sit still.) The point is that if a child wants something, or wants to know something, badly enough, they are going to ask. Loudly. In the context of this verse, that’s what we are to emulate. Take it to the extreme: You know those kids who pitch a tempe...

 A great good morning to all my friends and neighbors in Internet Land! And to family members who have dropped by, Nutella on good bread. To know wisdom and instruction, To discern the sayings of understanding, Proverbs 1:2, NASB Sarah and her grandchildren ~1943 At the moment, it doesn’t seem like it, but if I were a betting man, I’d bet that much of the reason I’ve survived to this point, is because of the approach that this verse describes. It was the approach taken by the adults in my life when I was a little boy. It was a proactive approach, designed first to keep me from accidental death, and next to turn me into a decent human being. The lessons about sobriety, duty, and perseverance I learned much later, the hard way.  I use those lessons every single day, but, here’s the kicker: How did I know that those were the right lessons? It’s because Sarah,  Bill,  Bessie, Bebe, and Earnestine taught me to discern the sayings of understanding. They didn’t use fancy wo...