Ten Minas Blog

A Season for Everything

Gary Martin Abbott — Tue, 05 May 2026 03:39:30 GMT

In the Fall of 1969, I was in the eighth grade and working diligently toward my Eagle Scout. One of the requirements was the Camping Merit Badge. Generally it involved camping all alone (mostly) for a couple of nights. I say mostly alone because Mr. V.G. Rollins, the Scout Master and a few other adults were nearby to inspect how I setup camp, made the fire, cooked my food and cleaned up after a meal, etc. I assume they were there also just in case something happened that was outside the capability of a 14-year old.

I had always (according to my parents) been an independent type, always wanting to do things myself without help. So, a solo camping trip was exactly my kind of a merit badge requirement!

I know there were several other boys on that campout that weekend, but I don’t recall how many or who else was there. After much preparation, we arrived at the campground and were directed to our respective piece of earth where we would do battle with the elements and the usual fears through which boys of that age (and too many men) wrestle. Per the Boy Scout Handbook, I quickly setup camp. However, not that quick, because I was a perfectionist. Nevertheless, I successfully put up my tent all by myself, gathered firewood, built a fire, cooked dinner and called for Mr. Rollins to inspect the camp as well as sample dinner (that was a requirement as I remember!) So far, everything was going very well and according to plan ... of course.

After dinner, I boiled water to sanitize the dishes; got everything clean and set-aside to dry. Next, I picked up the pot of boiling water to dump it out. However, somewhere in the process, I must have stumbled because I dumped some of the water down my left hiking boot. As you can imagine, there was instant intense pain.

My first reaction was to take off my boot and pull off the steaming sock. With that sock came numerous layers of skin from the front of my ankle. I then started to hobble toward the adult campsite. (Remember I was fiercely independent!) Thankfully, I didn’t have to go far because the adults came running toward me.

After an in-the-woods triage that seemed to last forever, I wouldn’t be surprised if I said something stupid like, “I’m good, I’d like to stay and finish the requirements of the merit badge.” Thankfully, wiser men prevailed and Mr Rollins drove me in his Volkswagen Beetle to a hospital nearby. I don’t know for sure, but I assume it was the only medical facility in Hallsville, Texas, a booming metropolis. (According to the interwebs, the population was between 684 and 1038 in 1969.)

After some initial treatment and ineffective pain-relief, Mr Rollins drove me home. In the year, 1969, there were no mobile phones and a call all the way from Hallsville to my home in Longview (about 12 miles) would have cost a fortune. So, I don’t know if Mr. Rollins called my parents or just showed up at the door after dark carrying me. Regardless, I am very grateful to him for taking care of me! Sadly he passed in 2016.

Although I was now home, it was just the start of many weeks of incredible pain as my ankle healed. There are few things as painful and long-lasting as a deep burn. I have been told natural child-birth and kidney stones are the worst pain. I have had neither so I can’t comment on the intensity. But both of those are over in hours or at most a few days. A deep burn takes many, many weeks or months to heal and hurts the whole time.

Not only was my ankle in incredible pain, but I had to use crutches for most of the healing process which caused pain in my armpits, etc. But ... I was fiercely independent!

Back in the day, students didn’t use backpacks to carry books, etc. like they do today. So, carrying books and navigating campus on crutches was very difficult. Furthermore, the Judson Junior High School campus was rather hilly (up hill no matter to which class I was heading) which exacerbated my challenges.

Notwithstanding my burned ankle, being a typical 14-year old boy, my emotions were a roller-coaster. On one hand, I was and wanted to be independent; I didn’t need or want any help. On the other hand, I wanted someone to help me, especially one or more of the cute girls in my class. Apparently, my internal confliction must have communicated “leave me alone.” Because that is just what they did! I struggled my way to each class on crutches carrying my books on crutches ... alone.

Fast forward ... my ankle healed and four years later I graduated from High School in 1974. Then a couple of months later, my father died from a heart attack. Once again, I had a choice, “suck-it-up” and “deal-with-it” by myself, or let others in to help with the pain. Any guess which path I chose???

Over the years, God has given me many opportunities to choose wisely when dealing with pain, physical or emotional. However too many times I “chose poorly” much like the line in the movie, “Raiders of the Lost Ark.” One of the recent “opportunities” was on my 65th birthday when my youngest daughter was killed in a vehicle accident. Maybe I am learning. I think I did better with this one.

Despite Solomon’s many many poor choices, he is credited with being the wisest. He wrote in the Ecclesiastes 3.1-8:

To everything there is a season, and a time for every purpose under heaven:

a time to be born and a time to die,
a time to plant and a time to uproot,
a time to kill and a time to heal,
a time to break down and a time to build,
a time to weep and a time to laugh,
a time to mourn and a time to dance,
a time to cast away stones and a time to gather stones together,
a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing,
a time to search and a time to count as lost,
a time to keep and a time to discard,
a time to tear and a time to mend,
a time to be silent and a time to speak,
a time to love and a time to hate,
a time for war and a time for peace.

There is a time for independence and a time for dependence. Living perpetually in either is not healthy nor God honoring.

Choose wisely!

Be Ready - Thursday, 2026.03.19

Gary Martin Abbott — Fri, 20 Mar 2026 02:05:06 GMT

God hates pride!

To fear the LORD is to hate evil; I hate arrogant pride, evil conduct, and perverse speech. {Proverbs 8.13}
This is why it says: “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” {James 4.6 (BSB)}
Young men, in the same way, submit yourselves to your elders. And all of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” {1 Peter 5.5 (BSB)}

God consistently and almost immediately disciplines me not only for prideful actions but even for prideful thoughts.

How about you? How does God deal with your pride?

Be Ready - Wednesday, 2026.03.18

Gary Martin Abbott — Thu, 19 Mar 2026 02:39:08 GMT

Why is it so hard for us to exercise self-control?

Actually, all of us STRIVE toward immediate gratification instead of long-term rewards. Most of us even justify our nature by quoting some Bible verses out of context:

But look, there is joy and gladness, butchering of cattle and slaughtering of sheep, eating of meat and drinking of wine: “Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die!” {Isaiah 22.13 (BSB)}
Then I will say to myself, “You have plenty of good things laid up for many years. Take it easy. Eat, drink, and be merry!”’ {Luke 12.19 (BSB)}
“Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die.” {1 Corinthians 15.32b (BSB)}
Let’s continue in sin so that grace may increase! {Romans 6.1b (ABV)}

But ripping sound-bites out of the Bible actually leads to sin. The Bible is clear: “the wages of sin is death” {Romans 6.23a (BSB)}

In addition to the “stick”, the Bible also offers “carrots” in the form of rewards!

Here are just seven from the book of Revelation. The context is omitted for brevity, but please read the whole passage!

To the one who overcomes, I will grant the right to eat from the tree of life in the Paradise of God. {Revelation 2.7b (BSB)}
The one who overcomes will not be harmed by the second death. {Revelation 2.11 (BSB)}
To the one who overcomes, I will give the hidden manna. I will also give him a white stone inscribed with a new name, known only to the one who receives it. {Revelation 2.17b (BSB)}
And to the one who overcomes and continues in My work until the end, I will give authority over the nations. He will rule them with an iron scepter and shatter them like pottery — just as I have received authority from My Father. And I will give him the morning star. {Revelation 2.26-28 (BSB)}
He who overcomes will be dressed in white. And I will never blot out his name from the Book of Life, but I will confess his name before My Father and His angels. {Revelation 3.5 (BSB)}
The one who overcomes I will make a pillar in the temple of My God, and he will never again leave it. Upon him I will write the name of My God, and the name of the city of My God (the new Jerusalem that comes down out of heaven from My God), and My new name. {Revelation 3.12 (BSB)}
To the one who overcomes, I will grant the right to sit with Me on My throne, just as I overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne. {Revelation 3.21 (BSB)}

So, I ask again, why is it so hard for all of us to exercise self-control and overcome????

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Authorized Bud Version (ABV) courtesy of Scott!

Be Ready - Monday, 2026.03.16

Gary Martin Abbott — Mon, 16 Mar 2026 23:05:33 GMT

Yesterday, 2026.03.15 I asked the question, “What does it look like to overcome?”

Some observations:

There are 28 occurrences of the Greek word, nikaó (Strong’s G3528) in the New Testament.
John, as author used 24 of those 28 in his writings.
Thirteen of the 28 occurrences (almost half) are in the book of Revelation.
With so many occurrences of a powerful and loaded verb like “to overcome” in the final book of the Bible, “the revelation of Jesus Christ,” it would seem God is making a point to which we should pay attention!

» But what point(s)?

The Greek word, “nikaó” (Strong’s G3528) is translated by the NASB as follows:
- overcome (11), overcomes (10), overcame (2)
- conquer (1), conquering (1), overpowers (1), prevail (1), victorious (1)
An interesting “factoid”
- “nikaó” (Strong’s G3528) comes from niké (Strong’s G3529)
- Not only does the word niké (Strong’s G3529) look like the name of the sports equipment giant, but it is pronounced “nee-KAY” and means “victory”

So, as a first thought about what it means “to overcome,” it could be related to being victorious

Over the next few days, I plan to look at all 28 of the occurrences. Hopefully, through the process the Holy Spirit will reveal what He wants me to know.

Be Ready - Sunday, 2026.03.15

Gary Martin Abbott — Sun, 15 Mar 2026 16:11:43 GMT

I am writing to you, little children, because your sins have been forgiven through His name.
I am writing to you, fathers, because you know Him who is from the beginning.
I am writing to you, young men, because you have overcome the evil one.
I have written to you, children, because you know the Father.
I have written to you, fathers, because you know Him who is from the beginning.
I have written to you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God abides in you, and you have overcome the evil one.

{1 John 2.12-14 (BSB)}

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Be Ready - Saturday, 2026.03.14

Gary Martin Abbott — Sat, 14 Mar 2026 15:58:13 GMT

What does it look like to persevere?
{Revelation 1.9 (BSB)}

I, John, your brother and partner in the tribulation and kingdom and perseverance that are in Jesus, was on the island of Patmos because of the word of God and my testimony about Jesus.

Be Ready - Tuesday, 2026.03.12

Gary Martin Abbott — Thu, 12 Mar 2026 13:10:43 GMT

Question
John liked sets of three! In the first eight verses of Revelation 1, I found eight sets.

How about you? What sets of three do you see?

Note
This post and the previous one were inspirited by observations from my son-in-law during our morning Bible study on our recent family camping trip.

Be Ready - Tuesday, 2026.03.10

Gary Martin Abbott — Tue, 10 Mar 2026 15:14:37 GMT

Passage
John, To the seven churches in the province of Asia:
Grace and peace to you from Him who is and was and is to come, and from the seven spirits before His throne, and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth.
{Revelation 1.4-5 (BSB)}

Be Ready - Saturday, 2026.02.28

Gary Martin Abbott — Sat, 28 Feb 2026 15:16:49 GMT

Jesus promised in Revelation 1.3 that those who read aloud the words of His prophecy would be blessed as well as those who hear and obey what is written in it. He said this was so because the time is near.

This morning I recorded an m4a audio file of me reading Revelation 1. However, I learned that most social media outlets only accept video. So, soon I’ll redo the reading on mp4 video.

The audio is available on my website at: Revelation 1 -- Reading

Be Ready - Thursday, 2026.02.26

Gary Martin Abbott — Thu, 26 Feb 2026 12:14:58 GMT

What does it look like to be “blessed?”

Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear and obey what is written in it, because the time is near. {Revelation 1.3 (BSB)}

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Be Ready - Wednesday, 2026.02.25

Gary Martin Abbott — Thu, 26 Feb 2026 01:03:19 GMT

Who are all the participants in the first paragraph of the book of Revelation?

This is the revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show His servants what must soon come to pass. He made it known by sending His angel to His servant John, who testifies to everything he saw. This is the word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ. {Revelation 1.1-2 (BSB)}

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