Good Way First

This is what the Lord says: ‘Stand at the crossroads and look; ask for the ancient paths, ask where the good way is and walk in it, and you will find rest for your souls. Jeremiah6:16NIV

But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness… Matthew6:33NIV

There are many ways out there, and when you are young there is the tendency to try a few of them without thinking of the consequences, or where they will end up. Everyone who is older, has been young once, but sometimes our younger folks don’t realise that, or they seem to think it was different way back then in the dark ages! Spoiler alert. It wasn’t any different!

The saying ‘older and wiser’ is there for a reason, and should not be discounted. Wiser doesn’t mean educated with a diploma, but experienced by virtue of the school of hard knocks graduated with a first class honours degree. I don’t say every older person has tried every road or path in life, but between us we have walked a good few. Bad destinations that you don’t recognise while you are having fun. Rough terrain but you know you can handle it. Peaks and hills that tire you out, but don’t worry there’s always tomorrow morning to sleep it off. And you will always find ‘friends’ who will help you try out as many of these paths as you can, after all you are only young once, right? Yes, I have heard it before.

You don’t really need to know it from the Bible although it is very clear there, but that piece of common sense we all have tells us that it is better to find the good way, and not to waste our life searching for the best of a bad bunch of misleading paths. Can I let you into a secret? Taking the good way really doesn’t rob you of fun, or a worthwhile experience. It’s true. The Bible puts it as ‘rest for your souls’ but that can’t be a bad thing, can it? Who, in this life, doesn’t want some peace at any age?

The key question is how do we find that good way, and know it for sure? Spoiler alert number 2. It’s using more common sense, but it might help to know the rest of the text at the top of the post. You don’t need to be educated to understand the meaning, so here it is…..

But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness… and all these things will be given to you as well. Matthew6:33NIV. Now tell me, how good is that? I’ll tell you, it’s unbeatable!

First Do No Harm

You will recognise these words from the beginning of the Hippocratic Oath, which is taken by student doctors around the world, and ingrained into their minds even before they touch a patient. The reason is clear. If you can’t make the patient any better, then at least don’t do them any harm. Oh that as believers we would take the lesson to heart.




Some Christians are so used to ‘speaking the truth in love’ that they cannot, or will not, hold their tongue when they should. After all, the argument goes, it’s in the Bible, so it must be right. I would suggest that when the truth is really spoken in love, only good will be done. After all, God does not, and will not, do harm to His own witness. He may convince and convict of the sin in our lives through the Holy Spirit, but He can do that without our feeble attempts to speak for Him in a misguided ‘in love’ pretence.




Sadly, I have come across very few Christians who are loving or lovely, when they speak their version of the truth ‘in love’.

Read This First

Buy a new piece of electronics kit or a flatpack piece of furniture, and there it is. A slip of paper with the words “Read This First”, so what do most of us do? We carefully set it aside in the sure and certain knowledge that it will not be needed, and common sense will see us through. Off we go, and we start well. The pieces fit nicely and we become smug that we knew all along that we were up to this simple DIY job. Almost there so time for a cuppa.

Then the inconceivable happens. The next part doesn’t fit properly, or we discover that the order of assembly is very important because otherwise an essential piece will just not fit, no matter how much we push, pull and wiggle. Maybe next time, we will read the instructions, but for this occasion it’s too late.

Why then do we treat our instruction for life as a second thought? The Bible has stood the test of time, and over centuries has shown the best way to fit the essential pieces of life together. In spite of a 100% positive track record, we still think we know better, and common sense will get us through. Then we are horrified when one of the pieces doesn’t fit. This can happen at a critical time, like illness, poverty, divorce, or even the death of a loved one. We can’t blame the Bible instruction if we haven’t used it, and only a fool would ignore it from that time on. I would suggest that the really wise will use the Bible as a “Read This First” instruction, and so avoid the shocks of life as they come. And make no mistake, those ill fitting pieces will come!

All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work. 2 Timothy 3:16,17

Starting a Family Photo album

My overriding wish is that you find a pleasant blog where personal photographs are displayed, and some thought provoking opinions are expressed. These opinions will be in the mainstream of thought, held by the majority of our nation, but not always spoken in our ever increasing PC society. These thoughts are my own, and not the viewpoint put forward by any political, or religious society.

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Opinions

This is my first attempt at blogging, and especially entering the scary world of exposing my photography to the world! Like many others, I am using this medium to showcase my photographs taken for family and friends' pleasure, and at the same time as a way to express my own opinions of events in the local and national news. You may not agree with all my views, but like you, I am entitled to express them within the confines of the law of the land.

The UK, and Scotland in particular, is home to many moaners, groaners, gripers and whiners, and I would not want this site to degenerate into that kind of expression of life. Instead, it should be a positive site, thought provoking, and at worst a source of constructive criticism. To me this means seeing something you think is wrong, but also being big enough to present an opinion as to what you think could be done to change the situation, or even right the wrong.