OLD FRIENDS

Have you thanked Him?

Have you praised Him?

Have you made it your priority to agree and cooperate with Him today?

Have you taken that deep breath and listened for what He has for you today?

1 Timothy 2:1 (The Message)

1-3The first thing I want you to do is pray. Pray every way you know how, for everyone you know.

“I remember the time an older man asked me when I was young, "Do you know what you are doing now?" I thought it was some kind of trick question. Tell me," I said.

You are building your memories," he replied, "so make them good ones.” ― Ravi Zacharias

Yesterday I was down in “Hillsboro”.  It is a little town about 70 minutes from my home.  I was there for work, but as I was wrapping up the work part and sitting in my truck prepping my GPS for the next destination, I got to thinking about how lucky I was just a few minutes before.

Back in 1968 I was the ring bearer for one of the guys I was meeting with.  A lot has happened for both of us since then, mostly good but not without its share of “not so good” as well.

Our families have been friends and ministry mates for the longest of times.  We have sung together in the past, my mom and dad were big parts of his growing up and he mine.  Sitting there in the truck, I had several good memories come flooding back.

And GOD had me pause and thank Him for them.

Thank Him for important and life-long relationships.

Thank Him for a new chapters with old friends.

Sometimes we need to thank GOD for those old friends and good memories.

I am going to date myself a little but I can remember Bob Hope singing thanks for the memories.  My millennial friends will need to GOOGLE or YOUTUBE that one.

But sometimes it is GOOD to reflect on the blessings of our past, on those points in time where GOD was faithful and friendships were birthed.

Like I said, it is good to thank GOD for “old friends”…

Old friends, after all of these years

Just old friends, through laughter and tears, old friends

What a find, what a priceless treasure, old friends, like a rare piece of gold my old friends

Now God must have known… that's why he sent, friends like you along. – adapted from Gaither

And now GOD has sent a friend like him along to join me in our journey against opiate addiction.

We both laughed for there was no way to see that one coming. No way at all those many years ago.

So can I encourage you today?

Got an old friend you haven’t connected with in a while?

Maybe it is time you do.

Perhaps GOD has a little more gold to find or mine in that friendship.  Maybe there is more to do together.  Maybe it is just a good time to encourage one another, remember some good times and memories.

Maybe it is time to start making a few new ones.

Proverbs 17:17 (ICB)

17 A friend loves you all the time. A brother is always there to help you.

“Friends are hard to find. In a lifetime you only get a few. And when you find them, you always know them by sight and heart alone, you always grow a little bit taller in your soul, and you know you have been blessed just to know them.” ― Ashley Rice

I love you ALL!

FREEDOM CHURCH (CHAMPIONS NETWORK)