Week Twenty-Five, 2025

Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, write all the words which I have spoken to you in a book (Jeremiah 30:2).

From kindergarten on, one was frequently in my hand, and I learned to write with it. The object was a simple combination of graphite, clay, wood, metal and rubber. It was a pencil. Back then, it was a staple of the world.

Although there are now other types of writing instruments around, the pencil, with its ability to both write and erase, is still around. Today’s pencils are made from wood from the Northwest, lead from South America, and an eraser from the Middle East.

Time was when the pencil capital of the country was just north of where I live in a little town called Cedar Key. Millions of pencils were made there until they ran out of cedar trees.

Actually, something as apparently simple as a pencil is in fact the product of a very complex economic process based upon the division of labor, international trade, and comparative advantage.

There’s an anonymous story of a pencil maker who took the pencil aside just before putting it into the box. “There are five things you need to know,” he told the pencil, “Before I send you out into the world, ALWAYS remember them and never forget, and you will become the best pencil you can be.

• ONE: You will be able to do many great things, but only if you allow yourself to be held in someone’s hand.
• TWO: You will experience a painful sharpening from time to time, but you’ll need it to become a better pencil.
• THREE: You will be able to correct any mistakes you might make.
• FOUR: The most important part of you will always be what’s inside.
• AND FIVE: On every surface you are used on, you must leave your mark. No matter what the condition, you must continue to write.”

Now replacing the place of the pencil with you; always remember them and never forget, and you will become the best person you can be.

• ONE: You will be able to do many great things, but only if you allow yourself to be held in God’s hand. And allow other human beings to access you for the many gifts you possess.
• TWO: You will experience a painful sharpening from time to time, by going through various problems, but you’ll need it to become a stronger person.
• THREE: You will be able to correct any mistakes you might make.
• FOUR: The most important part of you will always be what’s on the inside.
• AND FIVE: On every surface you walk through, you must leave your mark. No matter what the situation, you must continue to do your duties. By understanding and remembering, let us proceed with our life on this earth having a meaningful purpose in our heart.

What kind of pencil for God will you be?

Sometimes True Stories

“People who conceal their sins will not prosper, but if they confess and turn from them, they will receive mercy.” (Proverbs 28:13 NLT)

King Frederick, the 11th, an eighteenth-century king of Prussia, was visiting a prison in Berlin. Each of the inmates tried to explain how they were innocent and had been unjustly imprisoned. All except one. That one sat quietly in a corner, while all the rest protested their innocence. Seeing him sitting there oblivious to the commotion, the King asked him what he was there for.

“Armed robbery, Your Honor.” The King asked, “Were you guilty?” “Yes, Sir,” he answered. “Entirely deserve my punishment.” The King then gave an order to the guard: “Release this guilty man. I don’t want him corrupting all these innocent people.”

When we confess our sins, we receive mercy, that is the Christian bar of soap. When we confess our sins, God will restore us to full, untarnished fellowship with Him. God knows where we have been, and His grace allows us to know where we are going. Tony Ferguson

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Law of Gravity –

Any tool, nut, bolt, screw, when dropped, will roll to the least accessible place in the universe.

Law of Probability –

The probability of being watched is directly proportional to the stupidity of your act.

Law of Random Numbers –

If you dial a wrong number, you never get a busy signal; someone always answers.

Variation Law –

If you change lines (or traffic lanes), the one you were in will always move faster than the one you are in now.

Law of the Bath –

When the body is fully immersed in water, the telephone will ring.

Quotes You Can Use

Strong men discuss ideas. Average people discuss events and weak minds discuss people.

Be thankful for yesterday, grateful for today, and hopeful for tomorrow. Snoopy

Peace doesn’t come from finding a lake with no storms. It comes from having Jesus in the boat. John Ortberg

When wealth is lost, nothing is lost. When health is lost, something is lost. When character is lost, all is lost. Billy Graham

Study the Word so that your wisdom may not stand in the wisdom of man, but in the power of God. Charles Spurgeon

Expect great things from God. Attempt great things for God. William Carey

The closer you get to God, the more you realize how pointless the things of this world are.

To be an atheist, I would have to believe that nothing produced everything, that non-life produced life, that randomness produced precision, and that chaos produced order. I simply do not have that much faith.

Don’t give up. It’s often the last key on the ring of keys that opens the door.

Society has become so fake that the truth actually bothers people.

There is no reason to not teach children “please” and “thank you”. Manners are free.

Never argue with someone whose TV is bigger than their bookshelf. Emilia Clarke

If you want to reach a large audience, appeal to idiots. Arthur Schopenhauer

NEXT TIME YOU HEAR SOMETHING DESCRIBED AS “GOVERNMENT-FUNDED” REMEMBER THAT THE GOVERNMENT IS 100% TAXPAYER-FUNDED.

Stay away from people that act like a victim in a problem they created.

The best time to repair the roof is when the sun is shining. Mark Twain

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