Deep Water Ministries

The Anchor

The National Park Service reported that, within the parks system, men account for 83 percent of recorded fatalities, continuing a long national tradition in which men overconfidently engage with nature, transportation, machinery, weather, ladders, grilling propane, and their own lack of general knowledge with broadly similar results.

According to information reviewed by Outside, several rangers privately admitted they had “a working theory” that a multitude of incidents begin with “hold my beer and watch this” and end with “charred beyond all recognition.”

Search-and-rescue veteran Dan Whitten said men are more likely to take risks in the backcountry, especially in activities involving solitude, altitude, water, speed, darkness, or laminated maps they refuse to unfold. Whitten said wilderness skills are not automatically issued at birth with cargo shorts, though many men continue to behave as if they were.

Officials stressed that the biggest danger in a national park is usually not a bear, a canyon, or an ancient curse buried beneath a scenic overlook, but the drive there. Nationally, men account for nearly 70 percent of motor vehicle collision fatalities, whether in national parks or not, suggesting the most dangerous animal in the American wilderness remains male humans not watching the road while mansplaining why everyone else is the problem.

So... overconfidence can be fatal!!! This can definitely also apply to the Christian life. Sometimes we reach a point in our existence that we are convinced that everything we do is good, and we are good, and God is thrilled with us. That is NEVER a good attitude to have when considering eternity!

We need to deeply consider, and truly realize, that at our very best we are still not good enough to deserve the goodness and mercy that God extends to us every day. And - how could we ever be good enough to deserve Heaven?

Be sure you take time every single day to seek God for direction, and forgiveness. We need direction to stay on the path that is laid out for us. We need forgiveness for all the things we do (intentionally and unintentionally) that fall into the category of sin. Never go to sleep at night with un-repented sin!

Be confident that you are a Child of God - forgiven, saved, headed for Heaven. But never, ever, ever, take it for granted and be over-confident.

Overconfidence might cause an abundance of deaths in our national parks, but it can also cause spiritual death in our own lives.

Don’t be part of the 83%!!!

Terresa Hale

The Anchor

Authorities in Marion County Florida say a man was arrested after stealing a septic tank from a construction site. Deputies responded to a reported theft at a construction site in Dunnellon. Investigators reviewed surveillance video that showed a man attempting to steal a septic tank.

According to the sheriff’s office, the first attempt happened when the suspect arrived at the site in a 2013 Toyota Corolla. However, his plan failed when a Jeep Cherokee drove into the area, causing him to leave before taking anything. He returned the next day with a rented U-Haul truck. This time, he successfully loaded the septic tank into the vehicle and also took electrical pipe worth about $2,500.

Investigators said he tried to avoid identification by covering the U-Haul’s license plate and identification numbers with tape. Despite that effort, a detective was able to identify him and obtain an arrest warrant.

He now faces several charges, including grand theft, unlawful use of a two-way communication device, and intentionally obscuring a license plate during the commission of a crime.

Everyone has their own version of what they NEED. Apparently the man in our story really NEEDED a septic tank. Odd. According to statistics, it is quite rare for someone to attempt the theft of a - septic tank.

The key take-away is this: What might seem odd to you, may be perfectly normal to someone else. For example, just because you may not like to eat fish, there may be another person who ONLY eats fish. One person may prefer to drive a pickup, while the next prefers to drive a sedan. We all have a difference of opinion about almost every single thing in this - life. And - most of it absolutely does not matter! It’s okay to like different things, go different places, have different opinions, and be different. A person who needed a septic tank might assume this this news item was perfectly normal.

It is okay to be different. However - there is one thing that we all need to not disagree with. There is only one God - The Lord God Almighty. And we all need to worship the one true God if we want to live in Heaven for eternity. And that is the only thing that really matters at all.

So - even if you don’t like the color your neighbor painted their house, you can still agree to serve the same God. You can still pray for one another. You can still share the Truth found in God’s Word. And you can still love your neighbor.

Don’t go around stealing septic tanks, but do try to understand the differences behind the actions of others. And do share the Hope of Salvation with everyone you meet! God is still in the saving business!

Terresa Hale