But as for me and my house:
we will serve the
LORD.
Joshua 24:15
Credit is given where it is known
FOR ALL OF US IN A HURRY
Jack took a long look at his speedometer before slowing down: 73 in a
55 zone. .. Fourth time in as many months. How could a guy get caught
so often? When his car had slowed to 10 miles an hour, Jack pulled
over, but only partially. Let the cop worry about the potential
traffic
hazard. Maybe some other car will tweak his backside with a mirror.
The cop was stepping out of his car, the big pad in hand. Bob?
Bob
from
church?
Jack sunk farther into his trench coat. This was worse than
the coming ticket. A Christian cop catching a guy from his own
church.
A guy who happened to be a little anxious to get home after a long day
at the office. A guy he was about to play golf with tomorrow.
Jumping
out of the car, he approached a man he saw every Sunday, a man he'd
never seen in uniform.
"Hi, Bob. Fancy meeting you like this."
"Hello, Jack." No smile.
"Guess you caught me red-handed in a rush to see my wife and kids."
'Yeah, I guess."
Bob seemed uncertain. Good.
"I've seen some long days at the office lately. I'm afraid I bent the
rules a bit-just this once." Jack toed at a pebble on the pavement.
"Diane said something about roast beef and potatoes tonight. Know
what
I mean?"
"I know what you mean. I also know that you have a reputation in our
precinct."
Ouch. This was not going in the right direction. Time to change
tactics.
"What'd you clock me at?"
"Seventy-one. Would you sit back in your car, please?"
"Now wait a minute here, Bob. I checked as soon as I saw you. I was
barely nudging 65." The lie seemed to come easier with every ticket.
"Please, Jack, in the car."
Flustered, Jack hunched himself through the still-open door. Slamming
it shut, he stared at the dashboard. He was in no rush to open the
window. The minutes ticked by. Bob scribbled away on the pad. Why
hadn't he asked for a driver's license? Whatever the reason, it would
be a month of Sundays before Jack ever sat near this cop again.
A tap on the door jerked his head to the left. There was Bob, a
folded
paper in hand. Jack rolled down the window a mere two inches, just
enough room for Bob to pass him the slip. "Thanks." Jack could not
quite keep the sneer out of his voice.
Bob returned to his car without a word. Jack watched his retreat in
the
mirror. Jack unfolded the sheet of paper. How much was this one
going
to cost? Wait a minute. What was this? Some kind of joke?
Certainly
not a ticket. Jack began to read:
"Dear Jack,
Once upon a time I had a daughter. She was six when killed by a car.
You guessed it - a speeding driver. A fine and three months in jail,
and the man was free. Free to hug his daughters. All three of them.
I
only had one, and I'm going to have to wait until heaven before I can
ever hug her again. A thousand times I've tried to forgive that man.
A
thousand times I thought I had. Maybe I did, but I need to do it
again. Even now. Pray for me. And be careful. My son is all I have
left.
Bob"
Jack...twisted around in time to see Bob's car pull away and head down
the road. Jack watched until it disappeared. A full 15 minutes
later,
he, too, pulled away and drove slowly home, praying for forgiveness
and
hugging a surprised wife and kids when he arrived.
Life is precious. Handle with care.
When God turns your best into a Masterpiece
Wishing to encourage her young son's progress on the piano, a mother
took
her boy to a Paderewski concert. After they were seated, the mother
spotted
a friend in the audience and walked down the aisle to greet her.
Seizing the opportunity to explore the wonders of the concert hall, the
little boy rose and eventually explored his way through a door marked
"NO
ADMITTANCE." When the house lights dimmed and the concert was about to
begin, the mother returned to her seat and discovered that the child was
missing.
Suddenly, the curtains parted and spotlights focused on the impressive
Steinway on stage. In horror, the mother saw her little boy sitting at
the
keyboard, innocently picking out "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star." At
that
moment, the great piano master made his entrance, quickly moved to the
piano, and whispered in the boy's ear, "Don't quit. Keep playing." Then
leaning over,Paderewski reached down with his left hand and began
filling in
a bass part. Soon his right arm reached around to the other side of the
child and he added a running obbligato.
Together, the old master and the young novice transformed a frightening
situation into a wonderfully creative experience. The audience was
mesmerized. That's the way it is with our Heavenly Father. What we can
accomplish on our own is hardly noteworthy. We try our best, but the
results aren't exactly graceful, flowing music. But with the hand of
the
Master, our life's work truly can be beautiful.
Next time you set out to accomplish great feats, listen carefully. You
can
hear the voice of the Master, whispering in your ear, "Don't quit. Keep
playing." Feel His loving arms around you. Know that His strong hands
are
there helping you turn your feeble attempts into true masterpieces.
Remember, God doesn't call the equipped, He equips the called. And
He'll always be there to love and guide you on to great things.
--Author Unknown
Joy In The Journey
If you have ever been discouraged because of failure, please read on. For often, achieving what you set out to do is NOT the important thing. Let me explain.
Two brothers decided to dig a deep hole behind their house. As they were working, a couple of older boys stopped by to watch.
"What are you doing?" asked one of the visitors.
"We plan to dig a hole all the way through the earth!" one of the brothers volunteered excitedly.
The older boys began to laugh, telling the younger ones that digging a hole all the way through the earth was impossible.
After a long silence, one of the diggers picked up a jar full of spiders, worms and a wide assortment of insects. He removed
the lid and showed the wonderful contents
to the scoffing visitors. Then he said quietly
and confidently, "Even if we don't dig all the
way through the earth, look what we found
along the way!"
Their goal was far too ambitious, but it did
cause them to dig. And that is what a goal is
for -- to cause us to move in the direction
we have chosen; in other words, to get us to
digging!
But not every goal will be fully achieved.
Not every job will end successfully. Not
every relationship will endure. Not every
hope will come to pass. Not every love will
last. Not every endeavor will be completed.
Not every dream will be realized.
And when that happens, when you fall short of your aim, can you say, "Yeah, but look at what I found along the way! Look at the wonderful things which have come into my life because I tried to do something!"
For it's in the digging that life is lived. And
it is joy in the journey, in the end, that truly
matters.
The Cold Within
Six humans trapped by happenstance
In a black and bitter cold
Each one possessed a stick of wood,
Or so the story's told.
Their dying fire in need of logs,
The first woman held hers back
For on the faces around the fire
She noticed one was black.
The next man looking cross the way
Saw one not of his church,
And couldn't bring himself to give
The fire his stick of birch.
The third one sat in tattered clothes
He gave his coat a hitch.
Why should his log be put to use
To warm the idle rich?
The rich man just sat back and thought
Of the wealth he had in store.
And how to keep what he had earned
>From the lazy, shiftless poor.
The black man's face bespoke revenge
As the fire passed from his sight.
For all he saw in his stick of wood
Was a chance to spite the white.
And the last man of this forlorn group
Did naught except for gain.
Giving only to those who gave
Was how he played the game.
The logs held tight in death's still hands
Was proof of human sin.
They didn't die from the cold without,
They died from the cold within.
-Annonymous-
Brownies
After the tragedy of "non parenting" evidenced in Littleton, many parents
are working hard to explain to their children and teens why some video
games, music, movies, books and magazines are not acceptable material for
their youth to see or hear.
One parent came up with an original idea that was hard to refute. He
listened to all the reasons his children gave for wanting to see a
particular PG-13 movie. It had their favorite actors. Everyone else was
seeing it. Even church members said it was great. It was only rated
PG-13 because of the suggestion of sex. They never really showed it. The
language was pretty good. They only used the Lord's name in vain three
times in the whole movie. The video effects were fabulous and the plot was
action packed. Yes, there was the scene where a building and a bunch of
people got blown up, but the violence was "just the normal stuff." It
wasn't real bad.
Even with all these explanations for the rating, the father wouldn't give
in. He didn't even give them a satisfying explanation for saying, "No."
He just said, "No."
It was a little bit later that evening when this same father asked his
teens if they would like some brownies he had prepared. He explained that
he had taken the family's favorite recipe and added something new. When
asked what it was, he calmly replied that he had added a special
ingredient--"dog poop".
He stated that it was only a little bit. All the other ingredients were
gourmet quality. And he had taken great care to bake it at the precise
temperature for the exact time. He was sure the brownies would be superb.
Even with all the explanations of the perfect attributes of the brownies,
the teens would not take one. The father acted surprised. There was only
one little element that would have caused them offense. And he assured
then that they would hardly notice it at all. But they all held firm and
would not try the brownies.
He then explained that the movie they wanted to see was just like these
"PG-13 rated" brownies. Sin enters our minds and our home by first
deceiving us into believing that just a little bit of evil won't matter.
Now when the father's children want to do something or see something they
should not, the father merely asks them if they would like some of his
special brownies... and they never ask about that activity again.
Sherri Cooper
University Advancement
Donor Records
At the Foot of the Cross
Marcia Krugh Leaser
Fearing the battle was over
and I'd already lost the war,
I was tired of trying and failing.
I just couldn't fight anymore.
So, dragging my battle-scarred body,
I crawled to the foot of the cross.
And I sobbed. "Oh please, Father forgive me.
But I tried...I tried.. and still lost."
Then the air grew silent around me.
I heard his voice just as clear as the dawn:
"Oh, My child, though you are tired and weary,
you can't stop, you have to go on."
At the foot of the Cross , where I met Him,
At the foot of the Cross, where He died,
I felt love, as I knelt in His presence .
I felt hope, as I looked in His eyes.
Then He gathered me lovingly to Him,
as around us God's light clearly shone.
And together we walked though my lifetime
to heal every wound I had known.
I found bits of my dreams, long forgotten ,
and pieces of my life on the floor.
But I watched as He tenderly blessed them,
and my life was worth living once more.
I knew then why I had been losing.
I knew why I had not grown.
At the foot of the Cross came the answer:
I'd been fighting the battle alone .
At the foot of the Cross, where I met Him,
At the foot of the Cross, where He died,
Then I knew I could face any challenge
together--just my Lord and I.
Where Do You Run?
My friend tells the story of something that happened while his dad was deer
hunting in the wilds of Oregon. Cradling his rifle in the crook of his arm,
his dad was following an old logging road nearly overgrown by the
encroaching
forest. It was early evening, and he was just thinking about returning to
camp
when a noise exploded in the brush nearby. Before he even had a chance to
lift
his rifle, a small blur of brown and white came shooting up the road
straight
for him. My friend laughs as he tells the story.
"It all happened so fast, Dad hardly had time to think. He looked down and
there was a little brown cottontail--utterly spent--crowded up against his
legs between the boots. The little thing was trembling all over, but it
just
sat there and didn't budge. "Now this was really strange. Wild rabbits are
frightened of people, and it's not that often you'd ever actually see
one--let
alone have one come and sit at your feet.
"While Dad was puzzling over this, another player entered the scene. Down
the
road--maybe twenty yards away--a weasel burst out of the brush. When it saw
my
dad--and its intended prey sitting at his feet--the predator froze in its
tracks, its mouth panting, its eyes glowing red.
"It was then that Dad understood he had stepped into a little
life-and-death
drama of the forest. The cottontail, exhausted by the chase, was only
moments
from death. Dad was its last hope of refuge. Forgetting its natural fear
and
caution, the little animal instinctively crowded up against him for
protection
from the sharp teeth of its relentless enemy."
My friend's father did not disappoint. He raised his powerful rifle and
deliberately shot into the ground just underneath the weasel. The animal
seemed to leap almost straight into the air a couple of feet and then
rocketed
back into the forest as fast as its legs could move.
For a while, the little rabbit didn't stir. It just sat there, huddled at
the
man's feet in the gathering twilight while he spoke gently to it. "Where
did
it go, little one? I don't think he'll be bothering you for a while. Looks
like you're off the hook tonight." Soon the rabbit hopped away from its
protector into the forest.
Where, beloved, do you run in time of need? Where do you run when the
predators of trouble, worry, and fear pursue you? Where do you hide when
your
past pursues you like a relentless wolf, seeking your destruction? Where do
you seek protection when the weasels of temptation, corruption, and evil
threaten to overtake you? Where do you turn when your energy is
spent...when
weakness saps you and you feel you cannot run away any longer?
Do you turn to your Protector, the One who stands with arms open wide,
waiting
for you to come and huddle in the security of all He is?
by Ann Wells
Los Angeles Times
WHISPER JESUS
Today I got a burden,
And I felt that I should pray,
For God's spirit seemed to tell me,
That you were having a bad day.
I don't know just what that problem is,
But I sure do know the cure;
And if you'll only let Him,
God will keep you safe and secure.
In life there's always problems;
Cropping up to spoil our day;
But my friend you know the answer,
All you have to do is "PRAY".
If you still feel you're defeated,
And you want to run and hide;
Just reach out, and I'll be there,
Standing right there by your side.
So remember--WHISPER JESUS
For He's just a prayer away.
The Gift
One day I was in my office, when my old friend Jack dropped by. He was
in a
desperate situation, had just been through a divorce, and owed a $50,000
debt,
due in a few days or his house and assets would be seized. On top of that,
he
had lost his job and didn't even have enough money for daily necessities.
Because I loved Jack, I decided to do two things:
I offered Jack a job. I told him that at least he would have some income
for daily necessities. I offered to loan Jack the $50,000. I said, "Jack, I
do
have $50,000 but it is my entire life savings. I am willing to loan it to
you
if you promise to pay me back. When you get your paycheck you can begin to
make me some kind of payments." Jack was thrilled and promised to do so.
Jack made a few payments and then the problem began. I don't know what
Jack
does with his money but he certainly didn't fulfill his promise to pay me.
How
do you tend to act around someone, when you owe them and don't pay them or
can't pay them? Do you call them up on the telephone and say, "Let's have
lunch! or Let's play golf tomorrow!" No, you do everything possible to
avoid
them. In other words, you don't want to hang around a person to whom you
owe a
debt.
Jack couldn't look me in the face. So one day he just didn't show up for
work. I later heard that he had taken a boat late at night and had gone to
South America. I like Jack and wish we could be friends. In fact, I would
like
to have him work for me again.
Cliff, another friend of both Jack and myself had heard about the
$50,000 that had ruined our relationship. Being a wealthy man, Cliff
offered to pay Jack's debt so that we might be reconciled. So he payed me
and
the debt is cleared. Now as far as my "accounts receivable" is concerned,
it
is clear. The problem is, Jack doesn't know it.
So Debbie, another friend of ours, gets on a boat and goes to South
America
and finds Jack. "Jack," she says, "I've got good news for you! Cliff has
paid
off your debt, Don has written it off his books, you don't owe a thing! Don
says he even wants you to come back and work for him."
Now what are Jack's choices? How many ways can he respond?
Jack could say, "No. I don't believe it. It's a trap. Don's just saying
that to get me back on U.S. soil so he can have me arrested."
Jack could deny he owed the debt. He could say, "Don is a crook and is
trying to get money that I don't owe." It is an insult to tell someone to
pay
a debt that they don't owe.
Jack could say, "Really! You mean the debt is over, I can go back to the
people that care about me and get on with my life?
The answer is "Yes! Come on back."
The point of this parable is this: The gospel message of Jesus Christ is
good news. Jesus paid the debt of sin for the whole human race. But the
world
doesn't know it. When you pick up a newspaper you are reading about things
that have already happened. God has done something that is to be shared as
good news. Christ has died for your sins. The burden is not on you to fix
the
problem. Don't deny the debt of your sins, rather come back to the Saviour
that has paid the price to bring you back into friendship with the Living
God.
Salvation is an accomplished fact that has already been purchased by the
death of the Saviour. Your part is only to "come back" and accept the mercy
of
a loving Saviour.
Can you see that salvation is by Grace? It's all based upon what God has
done for you. He has paid the debt of our sins so that we may have eternal
life and a right relationship with Him.
Would you like to come back (we've all gone astray), and receive this
gift
of right standing with God? The Scriptures say, that "they which receive
the
abundance of grace (God's kindness) and the gift of righteousness (right
standing before God) shall reign in life..."(Romans 5:17).
In our search for a suitable pastor, the following scratch sheet was
developed for your perusal. Of the candidates investigated by the committee, only one was found to have the necessary qualities. The list
contains the names of the candidates and comments on each, should you
be
interested in investigating them further for future pastoral
placements.
NOAH: He has 120 years of preaching experience, but no converts.
MOSES: He stutters; and his former congregation says he loses his
temper
over trivial things.
ABRAHAM: He took off to Egypt during hard times. We heard that he got
into trouble with the authorities and then tried to lie his way out.
DAVID: He is an unacceptable moral character. He might have been
considered for minister of music had he not 'fallen.'
SOLOMON: He has a reputation for wisdom but fails to practice what he
preaches.
ELIJAH: He proved to be inconsistent, and is known to fold under
pressure.
HOSEA: His family life is in a shambles. Divorced, and remarried to a
prostitute.
JEREMIAH: He is too emotional, alarmist; some say a real 'pain in the
neck.'
AMOS: Comes from a farming background. Better off picking figs.
JOHN: He says he is a Baptist but lacks tact and dresses like a hippie.
Would not feel comfortable at a church potluck supper.
PETER: Has a bad temper, and was heard to have even denied Christ
publicly.
PAUL: We found him to lack tact. He is too harsh, his appearance is
contemptible, and he preaches far too long.
TIMOTHY: He has potential, but is much too young for the position.
JESUS: He tends to offend church members with his preaching, especially
Bible scholars. He is also too controversial. He even offended the
search
committee with his pointed questions.
JUDAS: He seemed to be very practical, co-operative, good with money,
cares for the poor, and dresses well. We all agreed that he is just the
man we are looking for to fill the vacancy as our Senior Pastor.
Thank you for all you have done in assisting us with our pastoral
search.
Pastoral Search Committee chairman
The Blessing Of Burdens
Read: 2 Corinthians 12:1-9
"Most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of
Christ
may rest upon me." --2 Corinthians 12:9
There's a story about an old grandfather clock that had stood for three
generations in the same corner of a room, faithfully ticking off the
minutes
and hours, day after day. In the clock was a heavy weight that was pulled
to
the top each night to keep it running.
Then one day the clock was sold, and the new owner noticed the heavy
weight.
"Too bad," he said, "that such an old clock should have to bear so great a
load." So he took the weight off the chain. At once the clock stopped
ticking.
"Why did you do that?" asked the clock.
"I wanted to lighten your burden," said the man.
"Please put it back," said the clock. "That's what keeps me going!"
Most people are looking for an easy way through life. They think that if
they
had no burdens they could live pleasantly and triumphantly. They don't
realize
that God often keeps us going spiritually by the weights that seem to pull
us
down. Trials can give our feet spiritual traction. Our burdens not only
bring
us blessing in this life, but they also are "working for us a far more
exceeding and eternal weight of glory" (2 Cor. 4:17). --HGB
One day at a time, and the day is His day:
He has numbered its hours, though they haste or delay,
His grace is sufficient; we walk not alone;
As the day, so the strength that He gives to His own! --Flint
The heavier the load, the better the traction.
Posted From [Our Daily Bread]
Around The Corner
Around the corner I have a friend,
In this great city that has no end,
Yet the days go by and weeks rush on,
And before I know it, a year is gone.
And I never see my old friend's face,
For life is a swift and terrible race,
He knows I like him just as well,
As in the days when I rang his bell.
And he rang mine.
If, we were younger then,
And now we are busy, tired men.
Tired of playing a foolish game,
Tired of trying to make a name.
"Tomorrow" I say, "I will call on Jim."
"Just to show that I'm thinking of him."
But tomorrow comes and tomorrow goes,
And distance between us grows and grows.
Around the corner! - yet miles away,
"Here's a telegram sir."
"Jim died today."
And that's what we get and deserve in the end.
Around the corner, a vanished friend.
Remember to always say what you mean.
If you love someone, tell them.
Don't be afraid to express yourself.
Reach out and tell someone what they mean to you.
Because when you decide that it is the right time, it
might be too late. Seize the day. Never have regrets.
And most importantly, stay close to your friends and
family, for they have helped make you the person that
you are today.
By Henson Towne
The Station
Tucked away in our subconscious is an idyllic vision.
We are traveling by train - out the windows, we drink in
the passing scenes of children waving at a crossing, cattle
grazing on a distant hillside, row upon row of corn and
wheat, flatlands and valleys, mountains and rolling hillsides
and city skylines.
But uppermost in our minds is the final destination.
On a certain day, we will pull into the station. Bands
will be playing and flags waving. Once we get there, our
dreams will come true and the pieces of our lives will
fit together like a completed jigsaw puzzle. Restlessly
we pace the aisles, damning the minutes - waiting, waiting,
waiting for the station.
"When we reach the station, that will be it!" we cry.
"When I'm 18." "When I buy a new 450sl Mercedes Benz!"
"When I put the last kid through college!" "When I have
paid off the mortgage!" " When I get a promotion!" "When
I reach retirement, I shall live happily ever after!"
Sooner or later, we realize there is no station, no
one place to arrive. The true joy of life is the trip.
The station is only a dream. It constantly outdistances us.
"Relish the moment" is a good motto, especially when
coupled with Psalm 118:24: "This is the day which the Lord
hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it." It isn't the
burdens of today that drive men mad. It is the regrets over
yesterday and the fear of tomorrow. Regret and fear are
twin thieves who rob us of today. So stop pacing the
aisles and counting the miles. Instead, climb more mountains,
eat more ice cream, go barefoot more often, swim more rivers,
watch more sunsets, laugh more, cry less. Life must be lived
as we go along. The station will come soon enough.
The Young Man and the Sea
A boy was sitting on a park bench with one hand resting on an open Bible.
He was loudly exclaiming his praise to God. "Hallelujah! Hallelujah! God
is
great!" he yelled without worrying whether anyone heard him or not.
Shortly, along came a man who had recently completed some studies at a
local university. Feeling himself very enlightened in the ways of truth
and
very eager to show this enlightenment, he asked the boy about the source
of
his joy.
"Hey" asked the boy in return with a bright laugh, "Don't you have any
idea
what God is able to do?
I just read that God opened up the waves of the Red Sea and led the whole
nation of Israel right through the middle."
The enlightened man laughed lightly, sat down next to the boy and began
to
try to open his eyes to the "realities" of the miracles of the Bible.
"That
can all be very easily explained. Modern scholarship has shown that the
Red
Sea in that area was only 10 inches deep at that time. It was no problem
for the Israelites to wade across."
The boy was stumped. His eyes wandered from the man back to the Bible
laying open in his lap. The man, content that he had enlightened a poor,
naive young person to the finer points of scientific insight, turned to
go.
Scarcely had he taken two steps when the boy began to rejoice and praise
louder than before. The man turned to ask the reason for these resumed
jubilations.
"Wow!" exclaimed the boy happily, "God is greater than I thought! Not
only did He lead the whole nation of Israel through the Red Sea, He topped it
off by drowning the whole Egyptian army in 10 inches of water!"
-Contributed by Evelyn Thomas
My wife invited some people to dinner. At the table, she turned to our six-
year-old daughter and said, "Would you like to say the blessing"? "I wouldn't
know what to say," she replied. "Just say what you hear Mommy say," my wife
said. Our daughter bowed her head and said: "Dear Lord, why on earth did I
invite all these people to dinner?"
After the church service, a little boy told the pastor: "When I grow up,
I'm going to give you some money." "Well, thank you," the pastor replied, "
but why?" "Because my daddy says you're one of the poorest preachers we've
ever had."
Over the massive front doors of a church, these words were inscribed:
"The Gate of Heaven". Below that was a small cardboard sign which read:
"Please use other entrance"
Rev. Warren J. Keating, Pastor of the First Presbyterian Church of Yuma,
AZ, says that the best prayer he ever heard was: "Lord, please make me the kind of person my dog thinks I am"
On a very cold, snowy Sunday in February, only the pastor and one farmer
arrived at the village church. The pastor said, "Well, I guess we won't have a
service today". The farmer replied: "Heck, if even only one cow shows up at
feeding time, I feed it".
During a children's sermon, Rev. Larry Eisenberg asked the children what
"Amen" means. A little boy raised his hand and said: "It means 'Tha-tha-tha-
that's all folks!'"
A student was asked to list the Ten Commandments in any order. His answer?
"3, 6, 1, 8, 4, 5, 9, 2, 10, 7."
I was at the beach with my children when my four-year-old son ran up to
me, grabbed my hand, and led me to the shore, where a sea gull lay dead in
the sand. "Mommy, what happened to him?" the little boy asked. "He died and
went to Heaven," I replied. My son thought a moment and then said, "And God
threw him back down?"
Bill Keane, creator of the Family Circus cartoon strip, tells of a time
when he was penciling one of his cartoons and his son Jeffy said, "Daddy,
how do you know what to draw?" I said, "God tells me." Jeffy said, "Then why
do you keep erasing parts of it?"
There's a miracle called Friendship
That dwells in the heart
You don't know how it happens
Or when it gets it start
But you know the special lift
It always brings
And you realize that Friendship
Is God's most precious gift!
Friends are a very rare jewel,indeed.
They make you smile and encourage you to succeed.
They lend an ear, they share a word of praise, and they
always want to open their heart to us.
Show your friends how much you care.....
: CHECK YOUR WORKPLACE ATTITUDE
I drive into work listening to gospel music or a pre-recorded
sermon on the radio. I get out of the car and walk to the building
entrance. As I open the building door I leave just enough room for me
to get in and I leave Jesus standing outside as the door closes behind
me. He's standing with His palms on the door glass and watches me
as I get on the elevator. His eyes are sad and He turns and goes to
sit
on the stone bench. There He'll sit patiently and wait for me for the
next
9 hours. First two hours of work--I fuss and complain about things not
going right. Jesus, sitting with his chin in His hand looks upward
toward
the building wishing He could help me. By lunch time--I'm flustered,
regretting I work in this place and sputtering bitterness all over
folks.
Jesus comes around to the side of the building where my cube is
located.
He looks up from the ground trying to get my attention but I can't hear
him; my focus is on my problems. Jesus goes back to the front of the
building, sits down and continues to wait for me. He thinks to Himself
as He looks up to the third floor, "She went in there defenseless. If
only
she had taken me in there with her. When will she learn?"
End of the day--I'm pooped, run down, no energy, irritable &
frustrated.
I leave the building & Jesus gets up happily to greet me but I'm in no
mood for Him now. I've just been to hell and back and the last thing
I want to do is be bothered with anyone. God just actually showed me
this is how I'VE been acting. He showed me each act and worst of all,
He let me feel a small portion of how grieved He was because of my
actions
and attitude. I left Jesus standing outside, From time to time our
jobs
overwhelm us and we completely forget to "take Jesus with us". We
may not go around cursing anyone out or punching anyone in the face
(hopefully) but what are our actions saying about us and about who or
whose we are? We are the salt of the Earth and the light of the world.
A city on a hill can not be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp
and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it
gives
light to everyone in the house. Matt. 5:13-15. We should be bringing
peace to our jobs not be the cause of confusion. We should be the
ones to bring our gifts & talents to the table to help in WHATEVER area
God has chosen for us to work in. Col. 3:23-24-"Whatever you do, work
at it with ALL your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since
you
know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward.
It
is the Lord Christ you are serving." My hope in sharing this is that
this
will help someone who may be having a hard time in their workplace.
God Bless
Word of the Day: "Qualities of Love"
Scripture of the Day: "Love suffereth long, and is kind; love envieth
not; love vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, Doth not behave
itself
seemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil;
Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; Beareth all
things,
believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things. Love
never
faileth."
I Corinthians 13:4-8 (KJV)
"Have a Good and Godly Day" Woodward Coale
Host of Back to the Bible
A mother was teaching her three year old daughter The Lord's
Prayer. For several evenings at bedtime, she repeated it after
her mother. One night she said she was ready to solo. The
mother listened with pride, as she carefully enunciated each
word right up to the end..."And lead us not into temptation",
she prayed, "but deliver us some e-mail, Amen."
Stand Up For Jesus
Stand up, Stand up for Jesus,
His love to proclaim.
Tell all the world about him,
And praise His holy name.
Stand up, Stand Up for Jesus,
To all who will hear.
Tall all the world about His wondrous love
And what He did when He was here.
Stand up, Stand up for Jesus,
To all who would deny,
The greatest gift of love he gave,
By dying for you and I.
Stand up, Stand up for Jesus,
Let all the whole world know,
Though others may forsake you,
From your side He will never go.
Then if lifes' troubles come your way
And you don't know what to do
Just call upon His holy name,
And He will show you what to do.
I love animals. I'll admit that I love some more than others.
Last night, I got to see one of my favorite animals, a fox, under
rather unusual circumstances. We have a neat park not too far from our
home. It used to be the estate of one of the original families in this
area. The county ended up with it and have turned it into a lovely
gathering place. A full-flowing creek runs into the Intercoastal
Waterway
along one side. They recently installed a triple gazebo back in the
trees
for family picnics.
I pulled into the park and drove back to the picnic area. I got out of my
car and sat
at one of the picnic tables.
Soon after I arrived, a car sped into the parking lot near where I
was
sitting. Quite frankly, it was an unwelcome interruption of my time to
just
sit, think, meditate, and relax. Then she let this huge dog out of her
car.
I'm using the name "Rascule" (Rascal) in order to protect his identity.
I
wouldn't want him embarrassed if he happens to access this piece!
Rascule ran through the woods and across the neatly mown lawns.
Technically, we have a leash law in our county, but Rascule wasn't on a
leash. I couldn't blame him. He was running free and wild. After a bit,
I
heard a different kind of barking sound. I knew from experience that it
was
the sound of a fox. Rascule heard it, too. He slid to a stop, threw it
into
reverse and went tearing after the fox. I had a perfect vantage from
which
to view the whole thing. He chased the fox in large circles. I
discovered
that
foxes can turn circles much easier than can a dog!
Finally, the fox appeared to be somewhat cornered. The dog began
closing in, yapping and yelping. The dog's owner was hollering his
name,
telling him in no uncertain terms that he was to obey her and get back
in
the
car.
Now, I understand about food chains and natural instincts. As
painful
as it seems sometimes, animals do attack each other, sometimes because
they're
hungry, other times because they're mean and/or territorial. I was
rooting
for the fox with all my heart. I didn't see any way to intervene and
change
what appeared to be the eventual outcome. Rascule had caught the scent
of
victory and was doing everything he could to get the fox.
As he got in pretty close, I could see that the fox was tiring.
After
all, the fox was about a third the size of the dog. Suddenly, with no
warning
whatsoever, the balance of power shifted! In a last ditch effort at
self-
preservation, the fox lashed out with one of its paws and raked his
claws
across the dog's nose. The dog immediately lost all desire to dominate
and
defeat the fox. He began yelping and yowling. He ran straight for his
master's
car and began begging to be allowed in. The wise fox, while savoring
its
unexpected victory, headed off in a totally different direction,
content
to
escape with life, limb and fur.
Now let's shift from the animal world to the people world. While
we expect animals to follow their natural instincts and behave
accordingly, in the human world, we, too, face danger from our greatest natural enemy -
satan.
The Bible describes him as a roaring lion roaming the earth trying to
devour God's people. He is still as subtle as he can be. He's tricky,
he's mean as
a snake (pardon the pun) and has nothing but evil in mind for all of
us.
WHAT ARE THE LIFE (OR DEATH) LESSONS IN THIS INCIDENT?
• In God's strength, we don't have to hide behind a tree or a bush. We
don't have to run in circles in order to preserve our lives.
• God is greater than our enemy. He has promised that nothing satan can
do can defeat us while we're under His covering. Read the book of Job if
you'd like some encouragement along that line.
• I don't suggest that victory over the ol' devil is always easy to
achieve. However, we do have His promise of victory. God has assured us
that even the very gates of hell won't prevail against a Saint who
takes the offensive.
• When we feel cornered, we mustn't forget the weapons with which He's
provided us.
• The weapons of Word of God, prayer, meditation, fellowship with other
Christians are available to us.
• Much like the fox, we have resources available from God that will tip
the scales in our favor.
• We have armor (Ephesians 6:11, 13) to wear that will protect us from
satan's vicious attacks.
• With His help, we can put satan on the run and send him yipping and
yelping in full retreat - looking for a place to hide!
---Water Fountain Thought of the Day
This story has made it here through the sharing of one friend to another,
and finally to me. I would like to say, that one of the original
senders actually happens to be someone very special to JoyRiver, where
she did some wonderful work.
"A true story sent by Josh and Karen Zarandona. Josh teaches Bible,
Spanish and Geometry at Mt Pisgah Academy in N. Carolina.
THE ANT
Brenda was a young woman that wanted to learn to go rock climbing.
Although she was scared to death she went with a group and they faced
this tremendous cliff of rock. Practically perpendicular. In spite
of her fear, she put on the gear and she took a hold of the rope and
she started up the face of that rock.
Well, she got to a ledge where she could take a breather. As she
was hanging on there, whoever was holding the rope up at the to of
the cliff made a mistake and snapped the rope against Brenda's eye
and knocked out her contact lens.
You know how tiny contact lenses are and how almost impossible to
find. Well, here she is on a rock ledge, with who know how many hundreds
of feet behind and hundreds of feet above her. Of course, she looked
and looked and looked, hoping that she would be able to find that
contact lens. Here she was, very far from home. Her sight was now
blurry. She was very upset by the fact that she wouldn't be anywhere
near a place where she could get a new contact lens. And she prayed
that the Lord would help her to find it.
Well, her last hope was that perhaps when she got to the top of the
cliff, one of the girls that was up there on the top might be able
to find her contact lens in the corner of her eye. When she got to
the top, a friend examined her eye. There was no contact lens to
be found. She sat down with the rest of the party, waiting for the
rest of them to come up the face of the cliff.
She looked out across range after range of mountains, thinking of
that Bible verse that says, "The eyes of the Lord run to and fro
throughout
the whole earth." She thought, "Lord, You cans see all these mountains.
You know every single stone and leaf that's on those mountains and
You know exactly where my contact lens is."
Finally, the time came when it was time to go down. They walked down
the trail to the bottom. Just as they got there, there was a new
party of rock climbers coming along. As one of them started up the
face of the cliff, she shouted out, "Hey, you guys! Anybody lose
a contact ens?" Well, that would be startling enough, wouldn't it?
She had found the contact lens! But you know why she saw it? An
ant was carrying that contact lens so that it was moving slowly across
the face of the rock. What does that tell you about the God of the
universe? Is He in charge of the tiniest things? Do ants matter
to Him? Of course they do. He made them. He designed them. Brenda
told me that her father is a cartoonist. When she told him this
incredible
story, he drew a picture of that ant lugging that contact lens (as
you see in the comics with a balloon with words in it over his head)
with the words: "Lord, I don't know why You want me to carry this
thing. I can't eat it and it's awfully heavy. But if this is what
You want me to do, I'll carry it for You."
If God is in charge of the ants, don't you think He cares about you
and me?"
Father, I praise You that You care about this world that You created
and all that is in it. You know us and love us, You care for us and
guide us. We are so blessed to have You as our Father. May we thank-You
in our hearts, minds, and deeds. In Jesus Name. Amen.
"For in all things God works for the good of those who love
Him....
and who are called according to His good purpose." Romans
8:28
REST IN PEACE
A new business was opening and one of the owner's friends
wanted to send flowers for the occasion.
They arrived at the new business site and the owner read
the card; it said "Rest in Peace".
The owner was angry and called the florist to complain.
After he had told the florist of the obvious mistake and how
angry he was,the florist said.
"Sir, I'm really sorry for the mistake, but rather than getting
angry you should imagine this: somewhere there is a funeral taking
place today, and they have flowers with a note saying,
"Congratulations on your new location.
CHRISTIAN SURVIVAL KIT
MUSTARD SEED: To remind you that nothing is impossible.
NEEDLE: To remind you that it is easier for a camel to go thru the eye of
a
needle than for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of God.
CLAY: To remind you that He is the potter and we are all the work of His
hand.
CANDLE: To remind you that God is the way, the light.
HEART: To remind you that the man who loves God is known by God.
BLOCK: Though you may stumble, you will not fall for the Lord upholds
you
with His hand.
DIME: To remind you to give back to God 1/10 of the blessings He has
given
you.
TOOTHPICK: To remind you not to try and remove the splinter from
someone else's eye until you remove the plank from your own.
by Henry HeSavMe@aol.com
Little Lost Dog
Through the living room window I watched our fifteen year old son, Jay,
trudge down the walk toward school. I was afraid that he might again head
out into the snow-blanketed fields to hunt for his missing beagle, Cricket.
But he didn't. He turned, waved, and then walked on, shoulders sagging.
Ten days had passed since that Sunday morning when Cricket did not return
from his usual romp in the fields. Jay had spent that afternoon searching
the countryside for his dog. At times during the those first anxious days,
one or another of us would rush to the door thinking we'd heard a whimper.
By now my husband, Bill, and I were sure Cricket had been taken by a hunter
or struck by a car. But Jay refused to give up. The previous evening, as
I stepped outside to fill our bird feeder, I heard my son's plaintive calls
drifting over the fields near us. At last he came in, tears in his blue
eyes, and said, "I know you think I'm silly, Mom, but I've been asking God
about Cricket and I keep getting the feeling that Cricket's out there
somewhere."
Although we all attended church regularly, Bill and I often wondered where
Jay got his strong faith. Perhaps the blow of losing a much-loved older
brother in an auto accident when Jay was six turned him to the Lord for
help.
I wanted to hold Jay close and tell him that he could easily get another
dog. But I remembered too well the day four years before when we brought
him his wiggling black-white-and-brown puppy.
The two of them soon became inseparable and, although Cricket was supposed
to sleep in the garage, it wasn't long before I'd find him peacefully
snuggled on the foot of Jay's bed.
However, that night I did tell Jay that I felt there was such a thing as
carrying hope too far. Temperatures were very low, and I felt sure no lost
animal could have survived.
"Mom," he said, "I know it seems impossible. But Jesus said that a sparrow
doesn't fall without God knowing it. That must be true of dogs, too, don't
you think?"
What could I do but hug him?
The next day, after sending him off to school, I drove to my real estate
office, where I forgot all about missing dogs in the hustle of typing up
listings.
At two o'clock, the telephone rang. It was Jay. "They let us our early,
Mom-a teachers' meeting. I thought I'd hunt for Cricket."
My heart twisted. "Jay," I said trying to soften the irritation in my
voice, "please don't put yourself through that anymore. The radio here
says it's below freezing, and you know there's no chance of-"
"But Mom," he pleaded, "I have this feeling. I've got to try."
"All right," I conceded.
After our phone call, he took off through the field where he and Cricket
used to go. He walked about a half mile east and then heard some dogs
barking in the distance. They sounded like penned-up beagles. So he headed
in that direction. But then, for a reason he couldn't determine, he found
himself walking away from the barking.
Soon Jay came to some railroad tracks. Wondering if the tracks would be
hot after a train went over them, he climbed up the embankment and felt
them. They were cold as ice.
Now he didn't know what to do. He pitched a few rocks and finally decided
to walk back down the tracks toward where he had heard the dogs barking
earlier. As he stepped down the ties, the wind gusted and some hunters'
shotguns echoed in the distance.
Then everything became quiet. Something made Jay stop dead still and
listen. From a tangled fence row nearby came a faint whimper.
Jay tumbled down the embankment, his heart pounding. At the fence row he
pushed some growth apart to find a pitifully weak Cricket, dangling by his
left hind foot, caught in the rusty strands of the old fence. His front
paws barely touched the ground. The snow around him was eaten away. It
had saved him from dying of thirst. Although his left hind paw would later
require surgery, Cricket would survive.
My son carried him home and phoned me ecstatically.. Stunned, I rushed to
the house. There in the kitchen was a very thin Cricket lapping food from
his dish with a deliriously happy fifteen-year-old kneeling next to him.
Finishing, Cricket looked up at Jay. In the little dog's adoring eyes I
saw the innocent faith that had sustained him through those arduous days,
the trust that his master would come.
I looked at my son, who, despite all logic, went out with that same
innocent faith and, with heart and soul open to his Master, was guided to
Cricket's side.
-by Donna Chaney
Chicken Soup for the Pet Lover's Soul
PHILOSOPHY
1) Words can't break bones, but they can break hearts.
2) Those who walk with God won't run from people's needs.
3) Sorrow looks back, worry looks around, but faith looks up.
4) We're richer when we give and poorer when we keep.
5) Because of the cross of Christ, we can become friends of Christ.
6) Amid the darkness of sin, the light of God's grace shines in.
7) Enthusiasm for Christ is contagious; has anyone caught it from you?
8) Be as patient with others as God has been with you.
9) It is better by far to die for something, than to live for nothing.
10) The God who sends you will also sustain you.
11) It's always darkest before the dawn.
12) To change your outlook, remember God's looking out for you.
13) Confession of sin is not an admission of weakness, but a sign of
strength.
14) The harder you work at what you should be, the less you'll try to
hide what you are.
15) Reading the Bible without meditating on it is like eating without
chewing.
16) Work well done for Christ will receive a "well done" from Christ.
17) Don't complain over what the world is coming to; proclaim the one who
is coming to the world.
18) We are not saved by good works, but for good works.
19) Spiritual victory comes only to those who are prepared for battle.
20) Apply yourself to the scriptures and the scriptures to yourself.
21) The Bible is not meant merely to inform, but to transform.
22) Grace is everything for nothing to those who don't deserve anything.
23) Courage is not the absence of fear, but the mastery of fear.
24) If you keep in step with God, you'll be out of step with the world.
25) Salvation is so simple we can overlook it, so profound we can never
comprehend it.
Jesus Saves
The Enemy of the world, Satan, was on the side of life's road with
a very large cage. The man coming towards him noticed that it was
crammed full of people of every kind, young, old, from every race
and nation.
"Where did you get these people?" the man asked.
"Oh, from all over the world," Satan replied. "I lure them with
drink, drugs, lust, lies, anger, hate, love of money and all manner
of things. I pretend I'm their friend, out to give them a good time,
then when I've hooked them, into the cage they go."
"And what are you going to do with them now?" asked the man.
Satan grinned. "I'm going to prod them, provoke them, get them to hate
and destroy each other; I'll stir up racial hatred, defiance of law and
order; I'll make people bored, lonely, dissatisfied, confused and
restless. It's easy. People will always listen to what I offer them and
(what's better) blame God for the outcome!"
"And then what?" the man asked.
"Those who do not destroy themselves, I will destroy. None will
escape me."
The man stepped forward. "Can I buy these people from you?" he asked.
Satan snarled, "Yes, but it will cost you your life."
So Jesus Christ, the Son of God, paid for your release, your freedom
from Satan's trap, with His own life, on the cross at Calvary. The
door is open, and anyone, whom Satan has deceived and caged, can be
set free.
From: GOT2PRAY@aol.com, as posted in Lola Conley's Devotional
GOD SENT US A SAVIOR
If our greatest need had been information,
God would have sent us an educator.
If our greatest need had been technology,
God would have sent us a scientist.
If our greatest need had been money,
God would have sent us an economist.
If our greatest need was pleasure,
God would have sent us and entertainer.
But, our greatest need was forgiveness,
So God, sent us a Savior..
Yes you can
Yes you can have the life you want. Yes you can be all that you were
meant to be. Yes you can make the most of yourself. Yes you can know joy
and fulfillment.
Yes you can start today. Yes you can keep going for as long as it takes.
Yes you can meet the challenges. Yes you can triumph over adversity. Yes
you can create something great that has never existed before. Yes you can
live with integrity and prosper in a world that often does not care.
Yes you can build your own future. Yes you can get past your fears. Yes
you can learn. Yes you can follow your most deeply desired dreams. Yes you
can, right now. Yes, you.
Yes you can. If you will.
I. To handle yourself, use your head; To handle others, use your
heart.
II. Anger is only one letter short of danger.
III. Great minds discuss ideas; Average minds discuss events; Small
minds discuss people.
IV. He who loses money, loses much; He who loses a friend, loses more;
He who loses faith, loses all.
V. The tongue weighs practically nothing, But so few people can hold
it.
VI. God gives every bird it's food, But He does not throw it into it's
nest.
See success
Those who achieve success are those who can see success,
and who act on what they see. There is success in a cold,
dreary day, for the person who can see the need for overcoats
and firewood, and then supply them to people who want to
stay warm.
There is success in the irate customer, for the person who
can see the cause of the problem and solve it. There is success
in disaster, for the person who can see the way to rebuild and
to learn from past mistakes.
Success is everywhere for the making, if only you can see it.
In every situation is the seed for success. Successful people
don't wait for the situation to improve. And they don't complain
about it. They simply take action to improve the situation.
Success, achievement and greatness come from the belief in, and
the commitment to, improving the world around you. When you set
out looking for ways to make the world a better place, what you
find... is success.
The Boat in the Window
A young boy spent many hours building a little sailboat, crafting it down
to the finest detail. He then took it to a nearby river to sail it. When
he
put
it in the water, however, it moved away from him very quickly. Though he
chased it along the bank, he couldn't keep up with it. The strong wind
and
current carried the boat away. The heartbroken boy knew how hard he
would have to work to build another sailboat.
Farther down the river, a man found the little boat, took it to town, and
sold it to a shopkeeper. Later that day, as the boy was walking through
town, he noticed the boat in a store window.
Entering the store, he told the owner that the boat belonged to him. It
had
his own little marks on it, but he couldn't prove to the shopkeeper that
the
boat was his. The man told him the only way he could get the boat was to
buy it. The boy wanted it back so badly that he did exactly that.
As he took the boat from the hand of the shopkeeper, he looked at it and
said, "Little boat, you're twice mine. I made you and I bought you."
In the same way, we belong twice to Someone. He both created us and paid
a great price for us. With the blood of His Son, we have been redeemed
and
reunited with Him. His Son gave His life to get us back, yet so often we
show such little gratitude for what He has done for us.
"Our Father"
I cannot say "our" if religion has no room for others and their needs.
I cannot say "Father" if I do not demonstrate this relationship in my
daily
living.
I cannot say "who art in heaven" if all my interests and pursuits are on
earthly things.
I cannot say "hallowed be thy name" if I, who am called by his name, am
not
holy.
I cannot say "thy kingdom come" if I am unwilling to give up my own
sovereignty and accept the righteous reign of God.
I cannot say "thy will be done" if I am unwilling or resentful of having
it
in my life.
I cannot say "in earth as it is in heaven" unless I am truly ready to
give
myself to his service here and now.
I cannot say "give us this day our daily bread" without expending honest
effort for it or by ignoring the genuine needs of my fellowmen.
I cannot say "forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass
against us" if I continue to harbor a grudge against anyone.
I cannot say "lead us not into temptation" if I deliberately choose to
remain in a situation where I am likely to be tempted.
I cannot say "deliver us from evil" if I am not prepared to fight in the
spiritual realm with the weapon of prayer.
I cannot say "thine is the kingdom" if I do not give the King the
disciplined obedience of a loyal subject.
I cannot say "thine is the power" if I fear what my neighbors may say or
do.
I cannot say "thine is the glory" if I am seeking my own glory first.
I cannot say "forever" if I am too anxious about each day’s affairs.
I cannot say "amen" unless I honestly say, "Cost what it may, this is my
prayer."
(Author Unknown)
John Blanchard stood up from the bench, straightened his Army uniform,
and
studied the crowd of people making their way through Grand Central
Station. He
looked for the girl whose heart he knew, but whose face he didn't, the
girl
with the rose. His interest in her had begun thirteen months before in a
Florida library...
Taking a book off the shelf he found himself intrigued, not with the
words of
the book, but with the notes penciled in the margin. The soft handwriting
reflected a thoughtful soul and insightful mind. In the front of the
book, he
discovered the previous owner's name, Miss Hollis Maynell. With time and
effort he located her address. She lived
in New York City. He wrote her a letter introducing himself and inviting
her
to correspond. The next day he was shipped overseas for service in World
War
II.
During the next year and one month the two grew to know each other
through the
mail. Each letter was a seed falling on a fertile heart. A romance was
budding. Blanchard requested a photograph, but she refused. She felt that
if
he really cared, it wouldn't matter what she looked like.
When the day finally came for him to return from Europe, they scheduled
their
first meeting - 7:00 PM at the Grand Central Station in New York.
"You'll recognize me," she wrote, "by the red rose I'll be wearing on my
lapel."
So at 7:00 he was in the station looking for a girl whose heart he
loved, but
whose face he'd never seen. I'll let Mr. Blanchard tell you what
happened:
A young woman was coming toward me, her figure long and slim. Her blonde
hair
lay back in curls from her delicate ears; her eyes were blue as flowers.
Her
lips and chin had a gentle firmness, and in her pale green suit she was
like
springtime come alive. I started toward her, entirely forgetting to
notice
that she was not wearing a rose.
As I moved, a small, provocative smile curved her lips. "Going my way,
sailor?" she murmured. Almost uncontrollably I made one step closer to
her,
and then I saw Hollis Maynell. She was standing almost directly behind
the
girl. A woman well past 40, she had graying hair tucked under a worn
hat.. She
was more than plump, her thick-ankled feet thrust into low-heeled shoes.
The girl in the green suit was walking quickly away. I felt as though I
was
split in two, so keen was my desire to follow her, and yet so deep was my
longing for the woman whose spirit had truly companioned me and upheld my
own.
And there she stood. Her pale, plump face was gentle and sensible, her
gray
eyes had a warm and kindly twinkle. I did not hesitate. My fingers
gripped the
small worn blue leather copy of the book that was to identify me to her.
This
would not be love, but it would be something precious, something perhaps
even
better than love, a friendship for which I had been
and must ever be grateful.
I squared my shoulders and saluted and held out the book to the woman,
even
though while I spoke I felt choked by the bitterness of my
disappointment.
"I'm Lieutenant John Blanchard, and you must be Miss Maynell. I am so
glad you
could meet me; may I take you to dinner?"
The woman's face broadened into a tolerant smile. "I don't know what this
is
about, son," she answered, "but the young lady in the green suit who just
went
by, she begged me to wear this rose on my coat. And she said if you were
to
ask me out to dinner, I should go and tell you that she is waiting for
you in
the big restaurant across the street. She said it was some kind of test!"
It's not difficult to understand and admire Miss Maynell's wisdom. The
true
nature of a heart is seen in its response to the unattractive. "Tell me
whom
you love," Houssaye wrote, "And I will tell you who you are."
My own personal thoughts: "Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by
so
doing some peaople have entertained angels without knowing it." Hebrews
13:2
(NIV)
Willing To Bleed
She stood outside the doorway of the
church intrigued by the love and joy
displayed by those inside. The American
missionary had asked her to come in, but
she had politely declined. It wasn't because
she didn't want to accept the kind offer.
Quite the opposite; her heart was beckoning her
to join in their singing and worship. They seemed so
happy, and the fellowship was so spontaneous and natural. But this was
a hostile area in the Philippines, and her father had strictly
forbidden her to have anything to do with "those Christians."
Unknown to the little Filipino girl, the missionary was praying
fervently for her soul, longing to see the day when she would
accompany her inside the village church and learn of Jesus and how He
shed His blood on a cross so that her sins could be washed away. The
girl
knew something was happening because each week she found it harder and
harder to say no to the missionary. Finally one Sunday morning, she
accepted. She accepted the invitation to attend the Sunday school
class, but also opened her heart to Jesus and became a child of God.
The missionary, overjoyed with the new believer, soon presented her
with a beautiful white dress, representing the fact that Jesus had
washed all her sins away.
Anxious to see her new disciple the missionary rushed to the next
service. But the girl was nowhere to be found. No one had seen her or
heard of her whereabouts. Concerned for the girl, the missionary
traveled to her home village.
Upon arriving at her home, she found the young, new believer lying in
the dirt. Her white dress was
torn, filthy, and soaked in blood. The girl's father
hadn't shared the missionary's joy in his daughter's newfound faith.
In a drunken rage he had beaten her, repeatedly kicked her, and left
her to die.
The missionary gently lifted the fragile girl and carried her back to
the church where a doctor rushed in to help her. But there was nothing
he could do. He removed the ragged dress and cleaned her up, but
her injuries were too severe. The young Filipino girl would soon die.
The missionary and other friends stayed with her, trying to comfort
her during her final hour. Upon regaining consciousness she made an
unusual request. Despite the pain and trauma of her father's beating,
she was insistent on holding the white dress the missionary had given
her. They explained that it was torn and soaked with blood and dirt,
but she insisted on having it in her hands. With the simple faith of a
ten-year-old she whispered, "I just want Jesus to know that I was
willing to bleed for Him."
Many want the Christ of the cross without the cross of the Christ.
You cannot wander too far, fail too many times or exceed Christ's
forgiveness.
Happiness is a perfume you cannot pour on others without getting a few
drops
on yourself.
When you break a confidence you break a heart.
Live in such a way that those who know you but don't know God will come
to
know God because they know you.
Two things are hard on the heart: running up stairs and running down
people.
Sometimes God doesn't tell us His plan because we wouldn't believe it
anyway.
If your Christian life is a drag, worldly weights may be keeping you
down.
Counting time is not as important as making time count.
Kindness is the oil that takes the friction out of life.
Be quick to repent and quick to forgive and you'll never be far from
God.
Don't ask the Lord to GIVE you strength during a difficult time, ask the
Lord
to BE your strength!
When you put yourself on a pedastal expect to fall down.
God does not comfort us to make us comfortable but to make us
comforters.
Humility is doing something and not looking back.
To forgive is to set a prisoner free and discover the prisoner was you.
A true friend never gets in your way unless you happen to be going down.
Knowing God makes us humble, knowing ourselves keeps us humble.
Your ulcers aren't due to what you eat but to what's eating you.
Faith isn't faith until it's all you're holding onto.
UNCHANGING GOD
The parting of the Red Sea
turning water into wine.
These are all miracles
done by the Holy One Divine.
He could walk on water
rose Lazarus from the grave.
He would heal those who came
His mercy and love He gave.
What makes you even think
that He's changed in any way.
He is the same back then
as He is this very day.
Our God is great and mighty
we have no need to fear.
There is nothing we can't do
when His power is near.
--Susan M. Swann
When we believe, we will receive.
Once a church had fallen upon hard times. Only five members were left:
the
pastor and four others, all over 60 years old.
In the mountains near the church there lived a retired Bishop. It
occurred to
the pastor to ask the Bishop if he could offer any advice that might save
the
church. The pastor and the Bishop spoke at length, but when asked for
advice,
the Bishop simply responded by saying, "I have no advice to give. The
only
thing I can tell you is that the Messiah is one of you."
The pastor, returning to the church, told the church members what the
Bishop
had said. In the months that followed, the old church members pondered
the
words of the Bishop. "The Messiah is one of us?" they each asked
themselves.
As they thought about this possibility, they all began to treat each
other
with extraordinary respect on the off chance that that one among them
might be
the Messiah. And on the off, off chance that each member himself might be
the
Messiah, they also began to treat themselves with extraordinary care.
As time went by, people visiting the church noticed the aura of respect
and
gentle kindness that surrounded the five old members of the small church.
Hardly knowing why, more people began to come back to the church. They
began
to bring their friends, and their friends brought more friends. Within a
few
years, the small church had once again become a thriving church, thanks
to the
Bishop's gift.
Something to think about.... What if God were one of us??
The old teacher at a religous school taught a class on the old
testament and every year for the final exam asked just one question,
the same question, "Name the kings of Israel in chronological order."
The students came to count on that precise question and prepared for
it.
Then one year the teacher changed the final exam question to "Name
the major and minor prophets." All the students but one slunk out of
the room, having turned in blank test books. The one student wrote
furiously and turned in the following: Far be it from me to
distinguish which of the prophets of Israel were minor or major for
they all speak the Lord's word. But it occured to me that you might be
interested in knowing the kings of Israel in chronological order.....
"There will be a meeting of the Board immediately after the service,"
announced the pastor. After the close of the service, the group
gathered at the back of the auditorium for the announced meeting. But
there was a stranger in their midst. He was a visitor who had never
attended their church before. "My friend," asked the pastor, did you
understand that this is a meeting of the Board?" "Yes," said the
visitor, "and after that sermon, I'm about as bored as you can get!"
An atheist was spending a quiet day fishing when suddenly
his boat was attacked by the Loch Ness monster. In one easy
flip, the beast tossed him and his boat high into the air. Then
it opened its mouth to swallow both.
As the man sailed head over heels, he cried out, "Oh, my
God! Help me!"
At once, the ferocious attack scene froze in place, and as the
atheist hung in mid-air, a booming voice came down from the
clouds, "I thought you didn't believe in Me!"
"Come on God, give me a break!!," the man pleaded. "two
minutes ago I didn't believe in the Loch Ness monster either!!!!!!
THE LAST DAY OF SCHOOL
By Roy Exum
When Tony Campolo was in Chattanooga, Tennessee to speak at the annual
"Gathering of Men" breakfast, the noted sociologist told a story that
begs to be repeated. Here it is...
It seems that there was a lady named Jean Thompson and when she
stood in front of her fifth-grade class on the very first day of school
in the fall, she told the children a lie. Like most teachers, she looked
at her pupils and said that she loved them all the same, that she would
treat them all alike. And that was impossible because there in front of
her, slumped in his seat on the third row, was a boy named Teddy
Stoddard.
Mrs. Thompson had watched Teddy the year before and noticed he
didn't play well with the other children, that his clothes were unkempt
and that he constantly needed a bath. Add to it the fact Teddy was
unpleasant. It got to the point during the first few months that she
would actually take delight in marking his papers with a broad red pen,
making bold 'X's and then marking the 'F' at the top of the paper
biggestof all.
Because Teddy was a sullen little boy, nobody else seemed to
enjoy him, either. Now at the school where Mrs. Thompson taught, she was
required to review each child's records and because of things, put
Teddy's off until the last. But, when she opened his file, she was in
for a surprise.
His first-grade teacher wrote, "Teddy is a bright, inquisitive
child with a ready laugh. He does work neatly and has good manners. He
is a joy to be around." His second-grade teacher wrote, "Teddy is an
excellent student and is well-liked by his classmates-but he is troubled
because his mother has a terminal illness and life at home must be a
struggle." His third-grade teacher wrote, "Teddy continues to work hard
but his mother's death has been hard on him. He tries to do his best but
his father doesn't show much interest and his home life will soon affect
him if some steps aren't taken." Teddy's fourth-grade teacher wrote,
"Teddy is withdrawn and doesn't show much interest in school. He doesn't
have many friends and sometimes sleeps in class. He is tardy and could
become a problem."
By now Mrs. Thompson realized the problem but Christmas was
coming fast. It was all she could do, with the school play and all,
until the day before the holidays began and she was suddenly forced to
focus
on Teddy Stoddard on that last day before the vacation would begin. Her
children brought her presents, all in gay ribbon and bright paper,
except for Teddy's, which was clumsily wrapped in the heavy, brown paper
of a
scissored grocery bag. Mrs. Thompson took pains to open it in the middle
of the other presents and some of the children started to laugh when she
found a rhinestone bracelet, with some of the stones missing, and a
bottle that was one-quarter full of cologne. She stifled the laughter
when she exclaimed how pretty the bracelet was, putting it on, and she
dabbed some of the perfume behind the other wrist.
At the end of the day, as the other children joyously raced from
the room, Teddy Stoddard stayed behind, just long enough to say, "Mrs.
Thompson, today you smelled just like my mom used to." As soon as Teddy
left, Mrs. Thompson knelt at her desk and there, after the last day of
school before Christmas, she cried for at least an hour. On that very
day, she quit teaching reading and writing and speaking. Instead, she
began to teach children. And Jean Thompson paid particular attention to
one they all called "Teddy".
As she worked with him, his mind seemed to come alive. The more
she encouraged him, the faster he responded and, on days that there
would be an important test Mrs. Thompson would remember that cologne. By
the
end of the year he had become one of the smartest children in the class
and well, he had also become the "pet" of the teacher who had once vowed
to love all of her children exactly the same.
A year later she found a note under her door, from Teddy,
telling her that of all the teachers he'd had in elementary school, she
was
his
favorite. Six years went by before she got another note from Teddy. And
then he wrote that he had finished high school, third in his class, and
she was still his favorite teacher of all time. Four years after that,
she got another letter, saying that while things had been tough at
times, that he'd stayed in school, had stuck with it, and would graduate
from
college with the highest of honors. He assured Mrs. Thompson she was
still his favorite teacher.
Then four more years passed and yet another letter came. This
time he explained that after he got his bachelor's degree, he decided to
go a little further. The letter explained that she was still his
favorite teacher but that now his name was a little longer. And the
letter
was
signed, "Theodore F. Stoddard, M.D."
The story doesn't end there. You see, there was yet another
letter that Spring. Teddy said that he'd met this girl and was to be
married. He explained that his father had died a couple of years ago and
he was wondering if Mrs. Thompson might agree to sit in the pew usually
reserved for the mother of the groom.
You'll have to decide yourself whether or not she wore that
bracelet, the one with several rhinestones missing. But, I bet on that
special day, Jean Thompson smelled just like... well, just like she
smelled many years before on the last day of school before the Christmas
Holidays began.
LIFE SPEED
Have you ever watched kids on a merry-go-round, or listened to rain
slapping the ground? Ever followed a butterfly's erratic flight, or
gazed at the sun fading into the night? You better slow down, don't
dance so fast, time is short, the music won't last.
Do you run through each day on the fly, When you ask "How are you?", do
you hear the reply? When the day is done, do you lie in your bed, with
the next hundred chores running through your head? You better slow
down, don't dance so fast, time is short, the music won't last.
Ever told your child, we'll do it tomorrow, and in your haste not see
his sorrow? Ever lost touch, let a good friendship die, 'cause you never
had time to call and say "hi"? You better slow down, don't dance so
fast, time is short, the music won't last.
When you run so fast to get somewhere, you miss half the fun of getting
there. When you worry and hurry through your day, it's like an unopened
gift thrown away. Life is not a race, so take it slower, hear the music
before the song is over.
- Unknown
Jesus Saves
A long time ago far, far away, the great religious leaders of the world
were
engaged in a fierce competition to test their skills at programming.
After
many days of writing code, only two leaders remained -- Jesus and
Mohammed.
The final test began with both feverishly typing away on their
keyboards......
routines -- applications -- windows -- dialogs -- and intricate
graphics
flew
by at incredible speeds. Fifteen seconds before the clock chimed to
end
the contest, there was a lightning strike and subsequent power outage.
Within a few moments, power was restored and the contest ended. The
Judge
asked the two leaders to reveal their finished products. Mohammed
angrily
said that he'd lost his entire application in the outage. Jesus
smiled,
clicked the mouse, and a dazzling interactive web page of unbelievable
intricacy and stunning color appeared. The Judge, duly impressed,
declared
Jesus the winner.
When asked why Jesus had won, the Judge merely pointed out the one
characteristic that sets Jesus apart from all other leaders, and that is
the moral of our little story -- Jesus saves!
"REAL BREAD"
Years ago, in a far-away land, a young man began to announce the
availability of a new kind of bread. Consumers were skeptical at first,
but some of them took it and found that it tasted far better than any
of the other kinds on the market - and really satisfied their hunger.
They were happier in themselves, and really admired the young man who
was willingly giving this Bread away to anyone who wanted it - refusing
to charge! This bothered some of the rich people, but the poor folk
loved it. But the other bread manufacturers were angry. All this was
hurting their business.
Soon, the young man had followers who were traveling all over the
place giving away this new Bread to anyone who wanted it. It was an
instant success. Thousands of people were sold on this Bread, and
formed small groups everywhere to spread it around. The other bakers
tried to force the young man to charge for his Bread, but he refused.
He simply said, "It didn't cost me anything - my father gave it to me."
Despite their attempts, many people kept getting it. "It really
satisfies - and you can't beat the price!" they kept on saying. The
other bread manufacturers plotted to kill the young man. They paid a
'friend' to betray him and witnesses to testify against him falsely.
They got him convicted and executed. They assumed that the whole thing
would now be forgotten.
But to their dismay, the young man's followers kept distributing the
Bread. It really got out of hand - as if the young man wasn't dead at
all. He had certainly started something that was going to be hard to
stop.
The other bakers came up with a clever substitute for the true Bread.
It looked the same as the young man's, but it didn't satisfy. They
used the same name that the young man had used, and got many of his
followers to join them. But people had to buy this counterfeit bread -
and so small groups of them everywhere continued to discover and
distribute the true Bread for free. Thousands of them were killed for
their efforts - but the young man's Bread was here to stay.
Thousands of years have passed now - and his Bread is still available.
it is still free, and people are still discovering it and experiencing
its unique benefits. Sure - there are still those who are trying to
sell counterfeits. Others are saying the Bread is not needed because
people aren't really hungry. Still others say a little bit of it is
O.K. - so long as you don't go overboard on it. Then there are people
who worship books about the original Bread, and others who have
the true Bread but won't let anyone else have it. But the young man's
Bread is still available for those who really want it. And there is
absolutely nothing quite like it for taking away the awful hunger that
gnaws at the insides of every person on earth! "I am the bread of
Life. No one coming to me will be hungry again. Those believing in me
will never thirst!" (Jesus - John 6:35).
The Best Is Yet To Come
he sound of Martha's voice on the other end of the telephone always
brought a
smile to Brother Jim's face. She was not only one of the oldest members
of
the congregation, but one of the most faithful. Aunt Martie, as all of
the
children called her, just seemed to ooze faith, hope, and love wherever
she
went. This time, however, there seemed to be an unusual tone to her
words.
"Preacher, could you stop by this afternoon? I need to talk with you."
"Of
course, I'll be there around three. Is that ok?"
It didn't take long for Jim to discover the reason for what he had only
sensed in her voice before. As they sat facing each other in the quiet
of her
small living room. Martha shared the news that her doctor had just
discovered
a previously undetected tumor. "He says I probably have six months to
live".
Martha's words were naturally serious, yet there was a definite calm
about
her. "I'm so sorry to ..." but before Jim could finish, Martha
interrupted.
"Don't be. The Lord has been good. I have lived a long life. I'm ready
to
go. You know that." "I know," Jim whispered with a reassuring nod.
"But I
do want to talk with you about my funeral. I have been thinking about
it, and
there are things that I know I want." The two talked quietly for a long
time.
They talked about Martha's favorite hymns, the passages of Scripture that
had
meant so much to her through the years, and the many memories they shared
from
the five years Jim had been with Central Church. When it seemed that
they had
covered just about everything, Aunt Martie paused, looked up at Jim with
a
twinkle in her eye, and then added, "One more thing, preacher. When they
bury
me, I want my old Bible in one hand and a fork in the other". "A fork?"
Jim
was sure he had heard everything, but this caught him by surprise. "Why
do
you want to be buried with a fork?" "I have been thinking about all of
the
church dinners and banquets that I attended through the years," she
explained,
"I couldn't begin to count them all. But one thing sticks in my mind,
"At
those really nice get-togethers, when the meal was almost finished, a
server
or maybe the hostess would come by to collect the dirty dishes. I can
hear
the words now. Sometimes, at the best ones, somebody would lean over my
shoulder and whisper, 'You can keep your fork.' And do you know what
that
meant? Dessert was coming! "It didn't mean a cup of Jell-O or pudding
or
even a dish of ice cream. You don't need a fork for that. It meant the
good
stuff, like chocolate cake or cherry pie! When they told me I could
keep my
fork, I knew the best was yet to come! "That exactly what I want people
to
talk about at my funeral. Oh, they can talk about all the good times we
had
together. That would be nice. "But when they walk by my casket and look
at
my pretty blue dress, I want them to turn to one another and say, 'Why
the
fork'? That's what I want you to say, I want you to tell them, that I
kept my
fork because the best is yet to come!"
Pappy was a pleasant-looking old fellow. He had the whitest hair which
he
kept neatly cut and combed. His eyes were blue, though faded with age,
and
they seemed to emit a warmth from within. His face was quite drawn, but
when
he smiled, even his wrinkles seemed to soften and smile with him. He had
a
talent for whistling and did so happily each day as he dusted and swept
his
pawnshop; even so, he had a secret sadness, but everyone who knew him
respected and adored him.
Most of Pappy's customers returned for their good, and he did not do
much
business, but he did not mind. To him, the shop was not a livelihood as
much
as a welcome pastime.
There was a room in the back of his shop where he spent time tinkering
with
a menagerie of his own precious items. He referred to this back room as
"memory hall." In it were pocket watches, clocks, and electric trains.
There
were miniature steam engines and antique toys made of wood, tin, or cast
iron,
and there were various other obsolete trinkets as well.
Spending time in memory hall delighted him as he recalled many treasured
moments from his past. He handled each item with care, and sometimes he
would
close his eyes and pause to relive a sweet, simple childhood memory.
One day, Pappy was working to his heart's content reassembling an old
railroad lantern. As he worked, he whistled the melody of a railroad
tune and
reminisced about his own past as a switchman. It was a typical day at
the
shop. Outside, the sun illuminated the clear sky, and a slight wind
passed
through the door. Whenever the weather was this nice, Pappy kept the
inner
door open. He enjoyed the fresh air--almost as much as
the distinctive smell of antiques and old engine oil.
As he was polishing his newly restored lantern, he heard the tinkling
of
his bell on the shop door. The bell, which produced a uniquely charming
resound, had been in Pappy's family for over a hundred years. He
cherished it
dearly and enjoyed sharing its song with all who came to his shop.
Although
the bell hung on the inside of the main door, Pappy had strung a wire to
the
screen door so that it would ring whether the inner door was
open or not. Prompted by the bell, he left memory hall to greet his
customer.
At first, he did not see her. Her shiny, soft curls barely topped the
counter.
"And how can I help you, little lady?" Pappy's voice was jovial.
"Hello, sir." The little girl spoke almost in a whisper. She was
dainty. Bashful. Innocent. She looked at Pappy with her big brown
eyes,
then slowly scanned the room in search of something special.
Shyly she told him, "I'd like to buy a present, sir."
"Well, let's see," Pappy said, "who is this present for?"
"My grandpa. It's for my grandpa. But I don't know what to get."
Pappy began to make suggestions. "How about a pocket watch? It's in
good
condition. I fixed it myself," he said proudly.
The little girl didn't answer. She had walked to the doorway and put
her
smalll hand on the door. She wiggled the door gently to ring the bell.
Pappy's face seemed to glow as he saw her smiling with excitement.
"This is just right," the little girl bubbled. "Momma says grandpa
loves
music."
Just then, Pappy's expression changed. Fearful of breaking the little
girl's heart, he told her, "I'm sorry, missy. That's not for sale. Maybe
your
grandpa would like this little radio."
The little girl looked at the radio, lowered her head, and sadly
sighed, "No, I don't think so."
In an effort to help her understand, Pappy told her the story of how
the
bell had been in his family for so many years, and that was why he didn't
want
to sell it.
The little girl looked up at him, and with a giant tear in her eye,
sweetly
said, "I guess I understand. Thank you, anyway."
Suddenly, Pappy thought of how the rest of the family was all gone
now,
except for his estranged daughter whom he had not seen in nearly a
decade.
Why not, he thought. Why not pass it on to someone who will share it
with a
loved one? God only knows where it will end up anyway.
"Wait...little lady." Pappy spoke just as the little girl was going
out the door--just as he was hearing his bell ring for the last time.
"I've
decided to sell the bell. Here's a hanky. Blow your nose."
The little girl began to clap her hands. "Oh, thank you, sir.
Grandpa
will be so happy."
"Okay, little lady. Okay." Pappy felt good about helping the child;
he
knew, however, he would miss the bell. "You must promise to take good
care of
the bell for your grandpa--and for me, too, okay?" He carefully placed
the
bell in a brown paper bag.
"Oh, I promise," said the little girl. Then, she suddenly became very
still and quiet. There was something she had forgotten to ask. She
looked up
at Pappy with great concern, and again almost in a whisper, asked, "How
much
will it cost?"
"Well, let's see. How much have you got to spend?" Pappy asked with
a
grin.
The child pulled a small coin purse from her pocket then reached up
and
empited two dollars and forty-seven cents onto the counter. After
briefly
questioning his own sanity, Pappy said, "Little lady, this is your lucky
day.
That bell costs exactly two dollars and forty-seven cents."
Later that evening as Pappy prepared to close up shop, he found
himself
thinking about his bell. Already he had decided not to put up another
one.
He thought about the child and wondered if her grandpa like his gift.
Surely he would cherish anything from such a precious grandchild.
At that moment, just as he was going to turn off the light in memory
hall,
Pappy thought he heard his bell. Again, he questioned his sanity; he
turned
toward the door, and there stood the little girl. She was ringing the
bell
and smiling sweetly.
Pappy was puzzled as he strolled toward the small child. "What's
this,
little lady? Have you changed your mind?"
"No," she grinned. "Momma says it's for you."
Before Pappy had time to say another word, the child's mother stepped
into
the doorway, and choking back a tear, she gently said, "Hello, Dad."
The little girl tugged on her grandpa's shirttail. "Here, Grandpa.
Here's
your hanky. Blow your nose."
Guide To Calorie-Burning Activities
Beating around the bush. . . . . . . . . . . 75
Jumping to conclusions . . . . . . . . . . 100
Climbing the walls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 150
Swallowing your pride. . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
Passing the buck . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .25
Throwing your weight around
(depending on your weight). . . . . . 50-300
Dragging your heels. . . . . . . . . . . . . 100
Pushing your luck. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .250
Making mountains out of molehills. . . 500
Hitting the nail on the head . . . . . . . . .50
Wading through paperwork . . . . . . . . 300
Bending over backwards . . . . . . . . . . 75
Jumping on the bandwagon . . . . . . . 200
Balancing the books. . . . . . . . . . . . . .25
Running around in circles . . . . . . . . 350
Eating crow. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 225
Tooting your own horn. . . . . . . . . . . . .25
Climbing the ladder of success . . . . 750
Pulling out the stops . . . . . . . . . . . . .75
Adding fuel to the fire . . . . . . . . . . . 160
Wrapping it up at the day's end. . . . . .12
Opening a can of worms . . . . . . . . . .50
Putting your foot in your mouth. . . . .300
Starting the ball rolling. . . . . . . . . . . .90
Going over the edge. . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Picking up the pieces after. . . . . . . .350
Counting eggs before they hatch. . . . . 8
The Burden
"Why was my burden so heavy?" I slammed the office door and leaned
against it.
Is there no rest from this life? I wondered. I stumbled to my desk and
dropped into my chair, pressing my face into my arms to shut out the
frustrations of my existence.
"Oh God," I cried, "let me sleep. Let me sleep forever and never wake
up!"
With a deep sob I tried to will myself into oblivion, then welcomed the
blackness that came over me.
Light surrounded me as I regained consciousness. I focused on its
source: The
figure of a man standing before a cross. "My child," the person asked,
"why
did you want to come to me before I am ready to call you?"
"Lord, I'm sorry. It's just that... I can't go on. You see how hard it is
for
me. Look at this awful burden on my back. I simply can't carry it
anymore."
"But haven't I told you to cast all of your burdens upon me, because I
care
for you? My yoke is easy, and My burden is light."
"I knew you would say that. But why does mine have to be so heavy?"
"My child, everyone in the world has a burden. Perhaps you would like to
try a
different one?"
"I can do that?"
He pointed to several burdens lying at His feet. "You may try any of
these."
All of them seemed to be of equal size. But each was labeled with a name.
"There's Joan's," I said. Joan was married to a wealthy businessman.
She
lived in a sprawling estate and dressed her three daughters in the
prettiest
designer clothes. Sometimes she drove me to church in her Cadillac when
my car
was broken.
"Let me try that one." How difficult could her burden be? I thought. The
Lord
removed my burden and placed Joan's on my shoulders. I sank my knees
beneath
its weight.
"Take it off!" I said. "What makes it so heavy?"
"Look inside."
I untied the straps and opened the top. Inside was a figure of her
Mother-in-
law, and when I lifted it out, it began to speak. "Joan, you'll never be
good
enough for my son," it began. "He never should have married you. You're a
terrible mother to my grandchildren..."
I quickly placed the figure back in the pack and withdrew another. It was
Donna, Joan's youngest daughter. Her head was bandaged from the surgery
that
had failed to resolve her epilepsy. A third figure was Joan's brother.
Addicted to drugs, he had
been convicted of killing a police officer.
"I see why her burden is so heavy, Lord. But she's always smiling and
helping
others. I didn't realize...."
"Would you like to try another?" He asked quietly.
I tested several. Paula's felt heavy: She was raising four small boys
without
a father. Debra's did too: A childhood of sexual abuse and a marriage of
emotional abuse. When I Came to Ruth's burden, I didn't even try. I knew
that
inside I would find arthritis, old age, a demanding full-time job, and a
beloved husband in a nursing home.
"They're all too heavy, Lord," I said." "Give me back my own."
As I lifted the familiar load once again, It seemed much lighter than the
others did.
"Lets look inside" He said.
I turned away, holding it close. "That's not a good idea," I said.
"Why?"
"There's a lot of junk in there."
"Let Me see."
His gentle voice compelled me. I opened my burden. He pulled out a brick.
"Tell me about this one."
"Lord, You know. It's money. I know we don't suffer like people in some
countries or even the homeless here in America. But we have no insurance,
and
when the kids get sick, we can't always take them to the doctor. They've
never
been to a dentist. And I'm tired of dressing them in hand-me-downs."
"My child, I will supply all of your needs... and your children's. I've
given
them healthy bodies. I will teach them that expensive clothing doesn't
make a
person valuable in my sight." Then he lifted out the figure of a small
boy.
"And this?" He asked.
"Andrew..." I hung my head, ashamed to call my son a burden. "But,
Lord,
he's hyperactive. He's not quiet like the other two. He makes me so
tired.
He's always getting hurt, and someone is bound to think I abuse him. I
yell at
him all the time. Someday I may
really hurt him...."
"My child," He said, "If you trust Me, I will renew your strength, if you
allow Me to fill you with My Spirit, I will give you patience."
Then He took some pebbles from my burden.
"Yes, Lord," I said with a sigh. "Those are small. But they're important.
I
hate my hair. It's thin, and I can't make it look nice. I can't afford to
go
to the beauty shop. I'm overweight and can't stay on a diet. I hate all
my
clothes. I hate the way I look!"
"My child, people look at your outward appearance, but I look at your
heart.
By My Spirit you can gain self-control to lose weight. But your beauty
should
not come from outward appearance. Instead, it should come from your inner
self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great
worth in my sight."
My burden now seemed lighter than before. "I guess I can handle it now,"
I
said.
"There is more," He said. "Hand Me that last brick."
"Oh, You don't have to take that. I can handle it."
"My child, give it to me." Again His voice compelled me. He reached out
His
hand, and for the first time I saw the ugly wound.
"But, Lord, this brick is so awful, so nasty, so...Lord! What happened
to
your hands? They're so scarred!"
No longer focused on my burden, I looked for the first time into His
face. In
His brow were ragged scars-as though someone had pressed thorns into His
flesh. "Lord," I whispered. "What happened to you?"
His loving eyes reached into my soul. "My child, you know. Hand me the
brick.
It belongs to me. I bought it."
"How?"
"With My blood."
"But why, lord?"
"Because I have loved you with an everlasting love. Give the last brick
to
me."
I placed the filthy brick into His wounded palm. It contained the entire
dirt
and evil of my life: my pride, my selfishness, and the depression that
constantly tormented me.He turned to the cross and hurled my brick into
the
pool of blood at its base. It hardly made a ripple.
"Now, My child, you need to go back. I will be with you always. When you
are
troubled, call to me and I will help you and show you things you cannot
imagine now."
"Yes, Lord, I will call on you." I reached to pick up my burden.
"You may leave that here if you wish. You see all these burdens? They
are
the ones that others have left at my feet. Joan's, Paula's, Debra's,
Ruth's...
When you leave your burden here, I carry it with you. Remember, My yoke
is
easy and My burden is light."
As I placed my burden with Him, the light began to fade. Yet I heard Him
whisper, "I will never leave you, nor forsake you."
A peace flooded my soul.
Hang Up Your Troubles
The carpenter I hired to help me restore an old farmhouse had just
finished a
rough first day on the job. A flat tire made him lose an hour of work,
his
electric saw quit and now his ancient pickup truck refused to start.
While I
drove him home, he sat in a stony silence. Upon arriving, he invited me
in to
meet his family. As we walked toward the front door, he paused briefly
at a
small tree, touching the tips of the branches with both hands. When
opening
the door he underwent an amazing transformation. His tanned face was
wreathed
in smiles and he hugged his two small children and gave his wife a
kiss.Afterwards he walked me to the car. We passed the tree and my
curiousity
got the better of me. I asked him about what I had seen him do earlier.
"Oh
that's my trouble tree" he replied. "I know I can't help having troubles
on
the job, but one thing for sure troubles don't belong in the house with
my
wife and children. So I just hang them up on the tree every night when I
come
home. Then in the morning I pick them up again." "Funny thing is" he
smiled,
"When I come out in the morning to pick them up, there ain't nearly as
many as
I remembered hanging up the night before."
In all the world there is nobody like you. Since the beginning of time
there has never been another person like you. Nobody has your smile.
Nobody
has your eyes, your nose, your hair, hands, your voice. You're Special!
No one sees things just as you do. In all of time there has been on one
who
laughs like you, no one who cries like you and what makes you laugh and
cry
will never provoke identical laughter and tears from anybody else ever!
You are the only one in God's creation with your set of natural
abilities.
There will always be somebody who is better at one of the things you're
good at, but no one in the universe can reach the quality of your
combination of talents, ideas, natural abilities and spiritual abilities.
Like a room full of musical intstuments, some may excel alone, but none
can
match the symphony sound you have when all are played together.
Through all eternity, no one will ever look, talk, walk, think, or do
exactly like you. You are Special. You are rare. And as in all rarities,
there is great value. You need not attempt to imitate others.
You should accept, yes, celebrate your differences. Continue to realize
it's not an accident that you are special. Continue to see that God
created
you special for a very special purpose.
Ask the Creator to teach you His divine plan for your life and that it
may
stand forth revealed to you as it should, unfolding in perfect sequence
and
perfect order.
Out of the billions that have lived and are living on this earth, only
you
are qualified, only you have the best combination of what it takes to
fulfill this specific plan given to you. As surely as every snow flake
that
falls has a perfect design and no two designs are the same, so no two
people are the same, and without you, the Creator's plan would be
incomplete.
Brandon's Mess
There was once a dad who had a three-year-old son named Brandon.
One day, Brandon sees his dad eating chocolate chip cookies in the
living
room and says to himself, 'Daddy loves chocolate chip cookies with milk.
So I'm going to give Daddy a glass of milk.' With that thought Brandon
goes
into the dining room and drags a chair from the dining room into the
kitchen, leaving a trail of scratch marks on the floor.
Brandon climbs up on the chair and hitches himself onto the counter to
pull at the cabinet door. Wham! It smashes against the adjacent cabinet
door, leaving a gash where the handle hit it. Brandon reaches for a
glass,
accidentally knocking two others off the shelf. Crash! Tinkle, tinkle!
But
Brandon doesn't care. He's thinking, 'I'm going to get Daddy some milk!
Meanwhile, Brandon's dad is watching all this, wondering if he should
step
in and save the rest of his kitchen. He decides, for the moment, to
watch a
little more as Brandon scrambles off the chair, dodging the pieces of
broken glass, and heads for the refrigerator.
Pulling violently on the refrigerator door, Brandon flings it wide open
-
and it stays open, of course. Brandon puts the glass on the floor - out
of
harm's way, supposedly - and grabs, not the little half gallon of milk,
but
the big gallon container that is full of milk. He rips open the top,
pours it
in the vicinity of the glass, and even manages to get some milk in the
glass. The rest goes all over the floor.
Finally done, Brandon puts the milk carton on the floor and picks up the
glass yelling, "Daddy, I got something for you!" He runs into the living
room, trips, and spills milk all over the place - the floor, the sofa,
his
dad.
Brandon stands up and looks around. He sees broken glass, milk
everywhere, cabinets open, his dad with milk from his eyebrows to his
toes, and starts to cry. Through his tears, he looks up at his dad with
that
pained expression that says, "What are you going to do to me?"
His dad only smiles. He doesn't see a kid that just destroyed his house.
Instead he sees a beautiful little boy whom he loves very much. It
doesn't
matter what he's done. Brandon's dad stretches his arms out to hold his
little boy tight and says, "This is my son!"
When we talk about God as our Father, the kind of father we're talking
about is Brandon's father. God is a father who loves us unconditionally,
even though we make a real mess of things. Jesus told a similar story
about another son who messed up. We call the story "The Prodigal Son."
It
also could be called "The Parable of the Loving Father" because, just
like
Brandon's dad, the father in the story threw his arms around his son and
said, "This is my son!" (See Luke 15:11-32)
F O R G I V I N G M E T H I S D A Y
I may never see tomorrow; there's no written guarantee,
And things that happened yesterday belong to history,
I cannot predict the future, I cannot change the past,
I have just the present moment, I must treat it as my last,
I must use this moment wisely for it soon will pass away,
and be lost to me forever as part of yesterday,
I must exercise compassion, help the fallen to their feet,
Be a friend unto the friendless, make an empty life complete,
The unkind things I do today may never be undone,
And friendships that I fail to win may nevermore be won,
I may not have another chance on bended knee to pray,
And thank God with humble heart for giving me this day.
In Hebrews12:2 ".......WHO FOR THE JOY THAT SET BEFORE HIM
ENDURED THE CROSS, DESPISING THE SHAME, AND HAS SAT DOWN AT THE RIGHT
HAND OF THE THRONE OF GOD"
Have you ever wondered why God went on after what happened in
the garden of Eden? Why He never just destroyed everything and started
over? Being the omniscient God that He is, He had to know what was
going to transpire down through the ages to come. All the evil and
terrible things to happen. All the unbelief, disease, murders, etc.
Why God just didn't just throw in the towel, I never understood.
He began to show me back with Enoch. In Genesis 5:24, we see
that Enoch walked with God so much by faith. God just said, Come unto
me and enter in. You see Enoch never died, he was just translated into
the kingdom of heaven. As God looked down the ages, He saw Enoch. Look
at Genesis 6:1-8. God saw all the evil of man. Man just thought about
evil all the time. Incessantly. But Noah found grace in the eyes of
the Lord. Verse 9 says that Noah was a just man, blameless and having
integrity. Noah was just. The just shall live by faith. As God looked down the ages He saw Noah. In Genesis 15:6, God saw Abram. Abram
believed in the Lord and it was accounted it to him for righteousness.
As God looked down the ages, He saw Abraham.
What does this have to do with anything? God could have
destroyed everything, but did not because of those that would put
their faith in Him. Jesus saw that joy. In Matthew 13:44-45, Jesus
talked about a field with a treasure. The person hid the treasure and
sold all that he had and bought the field. Did not Jesus empty Himself
so that you and I would be filled. That we would be complete and be
those children. You and I are that treasure.
As God looked down the ages, He saw Kathi, Janie, Lynn, Derry,
Amy, Curley, Bonnie, Pearl, etc.. He saw all of us and knew that If He
quit we would never have a chance to be His children and participate
in the greatest relationship known to anyone on this planet. He saw
WORTH.
If you are struggling with your self worth today, Jesus has made
a statement that you were the joy set before Him. When it says that He
despised the shame, it meant that He thought nothing of the shame. He
is saying that you and I were worth it. You were worth not scrapping
the world and not starting over. He saw that when we were not saved
and when we blow it now. He is never disgusted with us when we blow
it. He just calls us and says "Give it to me. Confess it to me, so you
can be free and I can open that line of communication up again."
We can just step out and shout. We can just go tell that lost
person we know that there is a Savior that sees them worth something.
It motivates us to seek Him out to know Him more. That is what He
wants. He wants us to know He is accessible and desires a moment by
moment walk with Him. That is the pure joy of our lives. Everything
else is so dim.
And for us, it helps us come to Him for that flooding of His
Presence in our lives. Did you know that He has a plan for your life?
In John 17:23, when Jesus said that you may be made perfect in the
relationship with Him, it meant to satisfy a condition and to answer a
purpose. Ask yourself today, "do I know what my purpose is here? What
has God created me to do?" Then ask Him. He will tell you I guarantee
it. I guarantee it is not just to have children, a career, or have
nice things, and live for 70 years and die.
Be Blessed.
Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God.
Shalom
The Treasure
by Alice Gray as printed in "More Stories for the Heart"
The cheerful girl with bouncy golden curls was almost five. Waiting with
her
mother
at the checkout stand, she saw them: a circle of glistening white pearls
in a
pink
foil box. "Oh please, Mommy. Can I have them? Please, Mommy, please!"
Quickly the mother checked the back of the little foil box and then
looked
back into
the pleading blue eyes of her little girl's upturned face.
"A dollar ninety-five. That's almost $2.00. If you really want them,
I'll
think of some extra chores for you and in no time you can save enough
money to
buy them for
yourself. Your birthday's only a week away and you might get another
crisp
dollar
bill from Grandma."
As soon as Jenny got home, she emptied her penny bank and counted out 17
pennies. After dinner, she did more than her share of chores and she
went to
the
neighbor and asked Mrs. McJames if she could pick dandelions for ten
cents.
On
her birthday, Grandma did give her another new dollar bill and at last
she had
enough money to buy the necklace.
Jenny loved her pearls. They made her feel dressed up and grown up. She
wore
them everywhere--Sunday school, kindergarten, even to bed. The only time
she
took them off was when she went swimming or had a bubble bath. Mother
said if
they got wet, they might turn her neck green.
Jenny had a very loving daddy and every night when she was ready for bed,
he
would stop whatever he was doing and come upstairs to read her a story.
One
night when he finished the story, he asked Jenny, "Do you love me?"
"Oh yes, Daddy. You know that I love you."
"Then give me your pearls."
"Oh, Daddy, not my pearls. But you can have Princess--the white horse
from my
collection. The one with the pink tail. Remember, Daddy? The one you
gave
me.
She's my favorite."
"That's okay, Honey. Daddy loves you. Good night." And he brushed her
cheek
with a kiss.
About a week later, after the story time, Jenny's daddy asked again, "Do
you
love
me?"
"Daddy, you know I love you."
"Then give me your pearls."
"Oh Daddy, not my pearls. But you can have my babydoll. The brand new
one I
got for my birthday. She is so beautiful and you can have the yellow
blanket
that matches her sleeper."
"That's okay. Sleep well. God bless you, little one. Daddy loves you."
And
as
always, he brushed her cheek with a gentle kiss.
A few nights later when her daddy came in, Jenny was sitting on her bed
with
her
legs crossed Indian-style. As he came close, he noticed her chin was
trembling and one silent tear rolled down her cheek.
"What is it, Jenny? What's the matter?"
Jenny didn't say anything but lifted her little hand up to her daddy.
And
when she
opened it, there was her little pearl necklace. With a little quiver,she
finally said, "Here, Daddy. It's for you."
With tears gathering in his own eyes, Jenny's kind daddy reached out with
one
hand to take the dime-store necklace, and with the other hand he reached
into
his pocket and pulled out a blue velvet case with a strand of genuine
pearls
and gave them to Jenny. He had had them all the time. He was just
waiting
for her to give
up the dime-store stuff so he could give her genuine treasure.
So like our heavenly Father.
What are you hanging on to?
Trials
You perhaps recall the story of the blacksmith who gave his heart to
God. Though conscientious in his living, still he was not prospering
materially. In fact, it seems that from the time of his conversion
more trouble, affliction and loss were sustained than ever before.
Everything seemed to be going wrong.
One day a friend who was not a Christian stopped at the little gorge
to talk to him. Sympathizing with him in some of his trials, the
friend said "It seems strange to me that so much affliction should
pass over you just at the time when you have become an earnest
Christian. Of course, I don't want to weaken your faith in God or
anything like that. But here you are, God's help and guidance, and yet
things seem to be getting steadily worse. I can't help wondering why
it is."
The blacksmith did not answer immediately, and it was evident that he
had thought the same question before. But finally, he said "You see
here the raw iron which I have to make into horse's shoes. You know
what I do with it? I take a piece and heat it in the fire until it is
red, almost white with the heat. Then I hammer it unmercifully to
shape it as I know it should be shaped. Then I plunge it into a pail
of cold water to temper it. Then I heat it again and hammer it some
more. And this I do until it is finished."
"But sometimes I find a piece of iron that won't stand up under this
treatment. The heat and the hammering and the cold water are too much
for it. I don't know why it fails in the process, but I know it will
never make a good horse's shoe."
He pointed to a heap of scrap iron that was near the door of his shop.
"When I get a piece that cannot take the shape and temper, I throw it
out on the scrap heap. It will never be good for anything."
He went on, "I know that God has been holding me in the fires of
affliction and I have felt His hammer upon me. But I don't mind, if
only He can bring me to what I should be. And so, in all these hard
things my prayer is simply this: Try me in any way you wish, Lord,
only don't throw me on the scrap heap."
Emergency Numbers:
When in sorrow, call John 14
When men fail you, call Psalm 27
If you want to be fruitful, call John 15
When you have sinned, call Psalm 51
When you worry, call Matthew 6:19-34.
When you are in danger, call Psalm 91.
When God seems far away, call Psalm 139.
When your faith needs stirring, call Hebrews 11.
When you are lonely and fearful, call Psalm 23.
When you grow bitter and critical, call 1 Cor. 13.
For Paul's secret to happiness, call Col. 3:12-17.
For idea of Christianity, call 1 Cor. 5:15-19.
When you feel down and out, call Romans 8:31-39.
When you want peace and rest, call Matt. 11:25-30.
When the world seems bigger than Go, call Psalm 90.
When you want Christian assurance, call Romans 8:1-30.
When you leave home for labor or travel, call Psalm 121.
When your prayers grow narrow or selfish, call Psalm 67.
For a great invention/opportunity, call Isaiah 55.
When you want courage for a task, call Joshua 1.
How to get along with fellow men, call Romans 12.
When your pocketbook is empty, call Psalm 37.
When you think of investments/returns, call Mark 10.
If you are depressed, call Psalm 27.
If you're losing confidence in people, call 1 Cor. 13.
If people seem unkind, call John 15.
If discouraged about your work, call Psalm 126.
If you find the world growing small and yourself great, call
Psalm 19.
*** Emergency numbers may be dialed direct. No operator
assistance is necessary. All lines are open to Heaven 24 hours
a day !!!
Feed your faith, and doubt will starve to death!
The Stranger
"A few months before I was born, my dad met a stranger who was new to
our
small Tennessee town. From the beginning, Dad was fascinated with
thisenchanting newcomer, and soon invited him to live with our family.
The stranger was quickly accepted and was around to welcome me into
the
world a few months later. As I grew up I never questioned his place in
our
family. In my young mind, each member had a special niche. My brother,
Bill,
five years my senior, was my example. Fran, my younger sister, gave me
anopportunity to play 'big brother' and develop the art of teasing. My
parents were complementary instructors -Mom taught me to love the word of
God,
and Dad taught me to obey it. But the stranger was our storyteller. He
could
weave the most fascinating tales. Adventures, mysteries and comedies
were
daily conversations. He could hold our whole family spell-bound for
hours
each evening. If I wanted to know about politics, history, or science,
he
knew it all. He knew about the past, understood the present, and
seemingly
could predict the future. The pictureshe could draw were so life like
that I
would often laugh or cry as I watched.
He was like a friend to the whole family. He took Dad, Bill and me to
our
first major league baseball game. He was always encouraging us to see
themovies and he even made arrangements to introduce us to several movie
stars. My brother and I were deeply impressed by John Wayne in
particular.
The stranger was an incessant talker Dad didn't seem to mind-but
sometimes
Mom would quietly get up- while the rest of us were enthralled with one
of his
stories of faraway places- go to her room, read her Bible and pray.
I wonder now if she ever prayed that the stranger would leave. You
see, my dad ruled our household with certain moral convictions. But this
stranger never felt obligation to honor them. Profanity, for example,
was not
allowed in our house-not from us, from our friends, or adults. Our
longtime
visitor, however, used occasional four letter words that burned my ears
and
made Dad squirm. To my knowledge the stranger was never confronted. My
dad
was a teetotaler who didn't permit alcohol in his home -not even for
cooking.
But the stranger felt like we needed exposure and enlightened us to other
ways
of life. He offered us beer and other alcoholic beverages often. He
made
cigarettes look tasty, cigars manly, and pipes distinguished.
He talked freely (probably much too freely) about sex. His comments
were sometimes blatant, sometimes suggestive, and generally
embarrassing. I know now that my early concepts of the man - woman
relationship were influenced by the stranger. As I look back, I
believe it was the grace of God that the stranger did not influence us
more. Time after time he opposed the values of my parents. Yet he was
seldom
rebuked and never asked to leave. More than thirty years have passed
since the
stranger moved in with the young family on Morningside Drive. He is not
nearly so intriguing to my Dad as he was in those early years. But if I
were
to walk into my parents' den today, you would still see him sitting over
in a
corner, waiting for someone to listen to him talk and watch him draw his
pictures.
His name? We always just called him TV."
" U "
Before U were thought of or time had begun,
God even stuck U in the name of His Son.
And each time U pray, you'll see it's true
You can't spell out JesUs and not include U.
You're a pretty big part of His wonderful name,
For U He was born; that's why He came.
And His great love for U is the reason He died,
It even takes U to spell crUcified.
Isn't it thrilling and splendidly grand
He rose from the dead, with U in His plan.
The stones split away, the gold trUmpet blew,
and this word resUrrection is spelled with a U.
When Jesus left earth at His upward ascension,
He felt there was one thing He just had to mention.
"Go into the world and t
FOR ALL OF US IN A HURRY
Jack took a long look at his speedometer before slowing down: 73 in a 55 zone. .. Fourth time in as many months. How could a guy get caught so often? When his car had slowed to 10 miles an hour, Jack pulled over, but only partially. Let the cop worry about the potential traffic hazard. Maybe some other car will tweak his backside with a mirror.
The cop was stepping out of his car, the big pad in hand. Bob?
Bob from church?
Jack sunk farther into his trench coat. This was worse than the coming ticket. A Christian cop catching a guy from his own church.
A guy who happened to be a little anxious to get home after a long day at the office. A guy he was about to play golf with tomorrow. Jumping out of the car, he approached a man he saw every Sunday, a man he'd never seen in uniform.
"Hi, Bob. Fancy meeting you like this."
"Hello, Jack." No smile.
"Guess you caught me red-handed in a rush to see my wife and kids."
'Yeah, I guess."
Bob seemed uncertain. Good.
"I've seen some long days at the office lately. I'm afraid I bent the rules a bit-just this once." Jack toed at a pebble on the pavement. "Diane said something about roast beef and potatoes tonight. Know what I mean?"
"I know what you mean. I also know that you have a reputation in our precinct."
Ouch. This was not going in the right direction. Time to change tactics.
"What'd you clock me at?"
"Seventy-one. Would you sit back in your car, please?"
"Now wait a minute here, Bob. I checked as soon as I saw you. I was barely nudging 65." The lie seemed to come easier with every ticket.
"Please, Jack, in the car."
Flustered, Jack hunched himself through the still-open door. Slamming it shut, he stared at the dashboard. He was in no rush to open the window. The minutes ticked by. Bob scribbled away on the pad. Why hadn't he asked for a driver's license? Whatever the reason, it would be a month of Sundays before Jack ever sat near this cop again.
A tap on the door jerked his head to the left. There was Bob, a folded paper in hand. Jack rolled down the window a mere two inches, just enough room for Bob to pass him the slip. "Thanks." Jack could not quite keep the sneer out of his voice.
Bob returned to his car without a word. Jack watched his retreat in the mirror. Jack unfolded the sheet of paper. How much was this one going to cost? Wait a minute. What was this? Some kind of joke? Certainly not a ticket. Jack began to read:
"Dear Jack,
Once upon a time I had a daughter. She was six when killed by a car. You guessed it - a speeding driver. A fine and three months in jail, and the man was free. Free to hug his daughters. All three of them. I only had one, and I'm going to have to wait until heaven before I can ever hug her again. A thousand times I've tried to forgive that man. A thousand times I thought I had. Maybe I did, but I need to do it again. Even now. Pray for me. And be careful. My son is all I have left.
Bob"
Jack...twisted around in time to see Bob's car pull away and head down the road. Jack watched until it disappeared. A full 15 minutes later, he, too, pulled away and drove slowly home, praying for forgiveness and hugging a surprised wife and kids when he arrived.
Life is precious. Handle with care.
When God turns your best into a Masterpiece
Wishing to encourage her young son's progress on the piano, a mother took her boy to a Paderewski concert. After they were seated, the mother spotted a friend in the audience and walked down the aisle to greet her.
Seizing the opportunity to explore the wonders of the concert hall, the little boy rose and eventually explored his way through a door marked "NO ADMITTANCE." When the house lights dimmed and the concert was about to begin, the mother returned to her seat and discovered that the child was missing.
Suddenly, the curtains parted and spotlights focused on the impressive Steinway on stage. In horror, the mother saw her little boy sitting at the keyboard, innocently picking out "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star." At that moment, the great piano master made his entrance, quickly moved to the piano, and whispered in the boy's ear, "Don't quit. Keep playing." Then leaning over,Paderewski reached down with his left hand and began filling in a bass part. Soon his right arm reached around to the other side of the child and he added a running obbligato.
Together, the old master and the young novice transformed a frightening situation into a wonderfully creative experience. The audience was mesmerized. That's the way it is with our Heavenly Father. What we can accomplish on our own is hardly noteworthy. We try our best, but the results aren't exactly graceful, flowing music. But with the hand of the Master, our life's work truly can be beautiful.
Next time you set out to accomplish great feats, listen carefully. You can hear the voice of the Master, whispering in your ear, "Don't quit. Keep playing." Feel His loving arms around you. Know that His strong hands are there helping you turn your feeble attempts into true masterpieces. Remember, God doesn't call the equipped, He equips the called. And He'll always be there to love and guide you on to great things.
--Author Unknown
Joy In The Journey
If you have ever been discouraged because of failure, please read on. For often, achieving what you set out to do is NOT the important thing. Let me explain.
Two brothers decided to dig a deep hole behind their house. As they were working, a couple of older boys stopped by to watch.
"What are you doing?" asked one of the visitors.
"We plan to dig a hole all the way through the earth!" one of the brothers volunteered excitedly.
The older boys began to laugh, telling the younger ones that digging a hole all the way through the earth was impossible.
After a long silence, one of the diggers picked up a jar full of spiders, worms and a wide assortment of insects. He removed the lid and showed the wonderful contents to the scoffing visitors. Then he said quietly and confidently, "Even if we don't dig all the way through the earth, look what we found along the way!"
Their goal was far too ambitious, but it did cause them to dig. And that is what a goal is for -- to cause us to move in the direction we have chosen; in other words, to get us to digging!
But not every goal will be fully achieved. Not every job will end successfully. Not every relationship will endure. Not every hope will come to pass. Not every love will last. Not every endeavor will be completed. Not every dream will be realized. And when that happens, when you fall short of your aim, can you say, "Yeah, but look at what I found along the way! Look at the wonderful things which have come into my life because I tried to do something!"
For it's in the digging that life is lived. And it is joy in the journey, in the end, that truly matters.
The Cold Within
Six humans trapped by happenstance
In a black and bitter cold
Each one possessed a stick of wood,
Or so the story's told.
Their dying fire in need of logs,
The first woman held hers back
For on the faces around the fire
She noticed one was black.
The next man looking cross the way
Saw one not of his church,
And couldn't bring himself to give
The fire his stick of birch.
The third one sat in tattered clothes
He gave his coat a hitch.
Why should his log be put to use
To warm the idle rich?
The rich man just sat back and thought
Of the wealth he had in store.
And how to keep what he had earned
>From the lazy, shiftless poor.
The black man's face bespoke revenge
As the fire passed from his sight.
For all he saw in his stick of wood
Was a chance to spite the white.
And the last man of this forlorn group
Did naught except for gain.
Giving only to those who gave
Was how he played the game.
The logs held tight in death's still hands
Was proof of human sin.
They didn't die from the cold without,
They died from the cold within.
-Annonymous-
Brownies
After the tragedy of "non parenting" evidenced in Littleton, many parents are working hard to explain to their children and teens why some video games, music, movies, books and magazines are not acceptable material for their youth to see or hear.
One parent came up with an original idea that was hard to refute. He listened to all the reasons his children gave for wanting to see a particular PG-13 movie. It had their favorite actors. Everyone else was seeing it. Even church members said it was great. It was only rated PG-13 because of the suggestion of sex. They never really showed it. The language was pretty good. They only used the Lord's name in vain three times in the whole movie. The video effects were fabulous and the plot was action packed. Yes, there was the scene where a building and a bunch of people got blown up, but the violence was "just the normal stuff." It wasn't real bad.
Even with all these explanations for the rating, the father wouldn't give in. He didn't even give them a satisfying explanation for saying, "No." He just said, "No."
It was a little bit later that evening when this same father asked his teens if they would like some brownies he had prepared. He explained that he had taken the family's favorite recipe and added something new. When asked what it was, he calmly replied that he had added a special ingredient--"dog poop".
He stated that it was only a little bit. All the other ingredients were gourmet quality. And he had taken great care to bake it at the precise temperature for the exact time. He was sure the brownies would be superb. Even with all the explanations of the perfect attributes of the brownies, the teens would not take one. The father acted surprised. There was only one little element that would have caused them offense. And he assured then that they would hardly notice it at all. But they all held firm and would not try the brownies.
He then explained that the movie they wanted to see was just like these "PG-13 rated" brownies. Sin enters our minds and our home by first deceiving us into believing that just a little bit of evil won't matter.
Now when the father's children want to do something or see something they should not, the father merely asks them if they would like some of his special brownies... and they never ask about that activity again.
Sherri Cooper
University Advancement
Donor Records
At the Foot of the Cross
Marcia Krugh Leaser
Fearing the battle was over
and I'd already lost the war,
I was tired of trying and failing.
I just couldn't fight anymore.
So, dragging my battle-scarred body,
I crawled to the foot of the cross.
And I sobbed. "Oh please, Father forgive me.
But I tried...I tried.. and still lost."
Then the air grew silent around me.
I heard his voice just as clear as the dawn:
"Oh, My child, though you are tired and weary,
you can't stop, you have to go on."
At the foot of the Cross , where I met Him,
At the foot of the Cross, where He died,
I felt love, as I knelt in His presence .
I felt hope, as I looked in His eyes.
Then He gathered me lovingly to Him,
as around us God's light clearly shone.
And together we walked though my lifetime
to heal every wound I had known.
I found bits of my dreams, long forgotten ,
and pieces of my life on the floor.
But I watched as He tenderly blessed them,
and my life was worth living once more.
I knew then why I had been losing.
I knew why I had not grown.
At the foot of the Cross came the answer:
I'd been fighting the battle alone .
At the foot of the Cross, where I met Him,
At the foot of the Cross, where He died,
Then I knew I could face any challenge
together--just my Lord and I.
Where Do You Run?
My friend tells the story of something that happened while his dad was deer hunting in the wilds of Oregon. Cradling his rifle in the crook of his arm, his dad was following an old logging road nearly overgrown by the encroaching forest. It was early evening, and he was just thinking about returning to camp when a noise exploded in the brush nearby. Before he even had a chance to lift his rifle, a small blur of brown and white came shooting up the road straight for him. My friend laughs as he tells the story.
"It all happened so fast, Dad hardly had time to think. He looked down and there was a little brown cottontail--utterly spent--crowded up against his legs between the boots. The little thing was trembling all over, but it just sat there and didn't budge. "Now this was really strange. Wild rabbits are frightened of people, and it's not that often you'd ever actually see one--let alone have one come and sit at your feet.
"While Dad was puzzling over this, another player entered the scene. Down the road--maybe twenty yards away--a weasel burst out of the brush. When it saw my dad--and its intended prey sitting at his feet--the predator froze in its tracks, its mouth panting, its eyes glowing red.
"It was then that Dad understood he had stepped into a little life-and-death drama of the forest. The cottontail, exhausted by the chase, was only moments from death. Dad was its last hope of refuge. Forgetting its natural fear and caution, the little animal instinctively crowded up against him for protection from the sharp teeth of its relentless enemy."
My friend's father did not disappoint. He raised his powerful rifle and deliberately shot into the ground just underneath the weasel. The animal seemed to leap almost straight into the air a couple of feet and then rocketed back into the forest as fast as its legs could move.
For a while, the little rabbit didn't stir. It just sat there, huddled at the man's feet in the gathering twilight while he spoke gently to it. "Where did it go, little one? I don't think he'll be bothering you for a while. Looks like you're off the hook tonight." Soon the rabbit hopped away from its protector into the forest.
Where, beloved, do you run in time of need? Where do you run when the predators of trouble, worry, and fear pursue you? Where do you hide when your past pursues you like a relentless wolf, seeking your destruction? Where do you seek protection when the weasels of temptation, corruption, and evil threaten to overtake you? Where do you turn when your energy is spent...when weakness saps you and you feel you cannot run away any longer?
Do you turn to your Protector, the One who stands with arms open wide, waiting for you to come and huddle in the security of all He is?
by Ann Wells
Los Angeles Times
WHISPER JESUS
Today I got a burden,
And I felt that I should pray,
For God's spirit seemed to tell me,
That you were having a bad day.
I don't know just what that problem is,
But I sure do know the cure;
And if you'll only let Him,
God will keep you safe and secure.
In life there's always problems;
Cropping up to spoil our day;
But my friend you know the answer,
All you have to do is "PRAY".
If you still feel you're defeated,
And you want to run and hide;
Just reach out, and I'll be there,
Standing right there by your side.
So remember--WHISPER JESUS
For He's just a prayer away.
The Gift
One day I was in my office, when my old friend Jack dropped by. He was in a desperate situation, had just been through a divorce, and owed a $50,000 debt, due in a few days or his house and assets would be seized. On top of that, he had lost his job and didn't even have enough money for daily necessities. Because I loved Jack, I decided to do two things:
I offered Jack a job. I told him that at least he would have some income for daily necessities. I offered to loan Jack the $50,000. I said, "Jack, I do have $50,000 but it is my entire life savings. I am willing to loan it to you if you promise to pay me back. When you get your paycheck you can begin to make me some kind of payments." Jack was thrilled and promised to do so.
Jack made a few payments and then the problem began. I don't know what Jack does with his money but he certainly didn't fulfill his promise to pay me. How do you tend to act around someone, when you owe them and don't pay them or can't pay them? Do you call them up on the telephone and say, "Let's have lunch! or Let's play golf tomorrow!" No, you do everything possible to avoid them. In other words, you don't want to hang around a person to whom you owe a debt.
Jack couldn't look me in the face. So one day he just didn't show up for work. I later heard that he had taken a boat late at night and had gone to South America. I like Jack and wish we could be friends. In fact, I would like to have him work for me again.
Cliff, another friend of both Jack and myself had heard about the $50,000 that had ruined our relationship. Being a wealthy man, Cliff offered to pay Jack's debt so that we might be reconciled. So he payed me and the debt is cleared. Now as far as my "accounts receivable" is concerned, it is clear. The problem is, Jack doesn't know it.
So Debbie, another friend of ours, gets on a boat and goes to South America and finds Jack. "Jack," she says, "I've got good news for you! Cliff has paid off your debt, Don has written it off his books, you don't owe a thing! Don says he even wants you to come back and work for him."
Now what are Jack's choices? How many ways can he respond?
Jack could say, "No. I don't believe it. It's a trap. Don's just saying that to get me back on U.S. soil so he can have me arrested."
Jack could deny he owed the debt. He could say, "Don is a crook and is trying to get money that I don't owe." It is an insult to tell someone to pay a debt that they don't owe.
Jack could say, "Really! You mean the debt is over, I can go back to the people that care about me and get on with my life?
The answer is "Yes! Come on back."
The point of this parable is this: The gospel message of Jesus Christ is good news. Jesus paid the debt of sin for the whole human race. But the world doesn't know it. When you pick up a newspaper you are reading about things that have already happened. God has done something that is to be shared as good news. Christ has died for your sins. The burden is not on you to fix the problem. Don't deny the debt of your sins, rather come back to the Saviour that has paid the price to bring you back into friendship with the Living God.
Salvation is an accomplished fact that has already been purchased by the death of the Saviour. Your part is only to "come back" and accept the mercy of a loving Saviour.
Can you see that salvation is by Grace? It's all based upon what God has done for you. He has paid the debt of our sins so that we may have eternal life and a right relationship with Him.
Would you like to come back (we've all gone astray), and receive this gift of right standing with God? The Scriptures say, that "they which receive the abundance of grace (God's kindness) and the gift of righteousness (right standing before God) shall reign in life..."(Romans 5:17).
In our search for a suitable pastor, the following scratch sheet was developed for your perusal. Of the candidates investigated by the committee, only one was found to have the necessary qualities. The list contains the names of the candidates and comments on each, should you be interested in investigating them further for future pastoral placements.
NOAH: He has 120 years of preaching experience, but no converts.
MOSES: He stutters; and his former congregation says he loses his temper over trivial things.
ABRAHAM: He took off to Egypt during hard times. We heard that he got into trouble with the authorities and then tried to lie his way out.
DAVID: He is an unacceptable moral character. He might have been considered for minister of music had he not 'fallen.'
SOLOMON: He has a reputation for wisdom but fails to practice what he preaches.
ELIJAH: He proved to be inconsistent, and is known to fold under pressure.
HOSEA: His family life is in a shambles. Divorced, and remarried to a prostitute.
JEREMIAH: He is too emotional, alarmist; some say a real 'pain in the neck.'
AMOS: Comes from a farming background. Better off picking figs. JOHN: He says he is a Baptist but lacks tact and dresses like a hippie. Would not feel comfortable at a church potluck supper.
PETER: Has a bad temper, and was heard to have even denied Christ publicly.
PAUL: We found him to lack tact. He is too harsh, his appearance is contemptible, and he preaches far too long.
TIMOTHY: He has potential, but is much too young for the position.
JESUS: He tends to offend church members with his preaching, especially Bible scholars. He is also too controversial. He even offended the search committee with his pointed questions.
JUDAS: He seemed to be very practical, co-operative, good with money, cares for the poor, and dresses well. We all agreed that he is just the man we are looking for to fill the vacancy as our Senior Pastor.
Thank you for all you have done in assisting us with our pastoral search.
Pastoral Search Committee chairman
The Blessing Of Burdens
Read: 2 Corinthians 12:1-9
"Most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me." --2 Corinthians 12:9
There's a story about an old grandfather clock that had stood for three generations in the same corner of a room, faithfully ticking off the minutes and hours, day after day. In the clock was a heavy weight that was pulled to the top each night to keep it running.
Then one day the clock was sold, and the new owner noticed the heavy weight. "Too bad," he said, "that such an old clock should have to bear so great a load." So he took the weight off the chain. At once the clock stopped ticking.
"Why did you do that?" asked the clock.
"I wanted to lighten your burden," said the man.
"Please put it back," said the clock. "That's what keeps me going!"
Most people are looking for an easy way through life. They think that if they had no burdens they could live pleasantly and triumphantly. They don't realize that God often keeps us going spiritually by the weights that seem to pull us down. Trials can give our feet spiritual traction. Our burdens not only bring us blessing in this life, but they also are "working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory" (2 Cor. 4:17). --HGB
One day at a time, and the day is His day: He has numbered its hours, though they haste or delay, His grace is sufficient; we walk not alone; As the day, so the strength that He gives to His own! --Flint
The heavier the load, the better the traction.
Posted From [Our Daily Bread]
Around The Corner
Around the corner I have a friend,
In this great city that has no end,
Yet the days go by and weeks rush on,
And before I know it, a year is gone.
And I never see my old friend's face,
For life is a swift and terrible race,
He knows I like him just as well,
As in the days when I rang his bell.
And he rang mine.
If, we were younger then,
And now we are busy, tired men.
Tired of playing a foolish game,
Tired of trying to make a name.
"Tomorrow" I say, "I will call on Jim."
"Just to show that I'm thinking of him."
But tomorrow comes and tomorrow goes,
And distance between us grows and grows.
Around the corner! - yet miles away,
"Here's a telegram sir."
"Jim died today."
And that's what we get and deserve in the end.
Around the corner, a vanished friend.
Remember to always say what you mean.
If you love someone, tell them.
Don't be afraid to express yourself.
Reach out and tell someone what they mean to you.
Because when you decide that it is the right time, it
might be too late. Seize the day. Never have regrets.
And most importantly, stay close to your friends and
family, for they have helped make you the person that
you are today.
By Henson Towne
The Station
Tucked away in our subconscious is an idyllic vision. We are traveling by train - out the windows, we drink in the passing scenes of children waving at a crossing, cattle grazing on a distant hillside, row upon row of corn and wheat, flatlands and valleys, mountains and rolling hillsides and city skylines.
But uppermost in our minds is the final destination. On a certain day, we will pull into the station. Bands will be playing and flags waving. Once we get there, our dreams will come true and the pieces of our lives will fit together like a completed jigsaw puzzle. Restlessly we pace the aisles, damning the minutes - waiting, waiting, waiting for the station.
"When we reach the station, that will be it!" we cry. "When I'm 18." "When I buy a new 450sl Mercedes Benz!" "When I put the last kid through college!" "When I have paid off the mortgage!" " When I get a promotion!" "When I reach retirement, I shall live happily ever after!"
Sooner or later, we realize there is no station, no one place to arrive. The true joy of life is the trip. The station is only a dream. It constantly outdistances us.
"Relish the moment" is a good motto, especially when coupled with Psalm 118:24: "This is the day which the Lord hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it." It isn't the burdens of today that drive men mad. It is the regrets over yesterday and the fear of tomorrow. Regret and fear are twin thieves who rob us of today. So stop pacing the aisles and counting the miles. Instead, climb more mountains, eat more ice cream, go barefoot more often, swim more rivers, watch more sunsets, laugh more, cry less. Life must be lived as we go along. The station will come soon enough.
The Young Man and the Sea
A boy was sitting on a park bench with one hand resting on an open Bible. He was loudly exclaiming his praise to God. "Hallelujah! Hallelujah! God is great!" he yelled without worrying whether anyone heard him or not.
Shortly, along came a man who had recently completed some studies at a local university. Feeling himself very enlightened in the ways of truth and very eager to show this enlightenment, he asked the boy about the source of his joy.
"Hey" asked the boy in return with a bright laugh, "Don't you have any idea what God is able to do?
I just read that God opened up the waves of the Red Sea and led the whole nation of Israel right through the middle."
The enlightened man laughed lightly, sat down next to the boy and began to try to open his eyes to the "realities" of the miracles of the Bible. "That can all be very easily explained. Modern scholarship has shown that the Red Sea in that area was only 10 inches deep at that time. It was no problem for the Israelites to wade across."
The boy was stumped. His eyes wandered from the man back to the Bible laying open in his lap. The man, content that he had enlightened a poor, naive young person to the finer points of scientific insight, turned to go.
Scarcely had he taken two steps when the boy began to rejoice and praise louder than before. The man turned to ask the reason for these resumed jubilations.
"Wow!" exclaimed the boy happily, "God is greater than I thought! Not only did He lead the whole nation of Israel through the Red Sea, He topped it off by drowning the whole Egyptian army in 10 inches of water!"
-Contributed by Evelyn Thomas
My wife invited some people to dinner. At the table, she turned to our six- year-old daughter and said, "Would you like to say the blessing"? "I wouldn't know what to say," she replied. "Just say what you hear Mommy say," my wife said. Our daughter bowed her head and said: "Dear Lord, why on earth did I invite all these people to dinner?"
After the church service, a little boy told the pastor: "When I grow up, I'm going to give you some money." "Well, thank you," the pastor replied, " but why?" "Because my daddy says you're one of the poorest preachers we've ever had."
Over the massive front doors of a church, these words were inscribed: "The Gate of Heaven". Below that was a small cardboard sign which read: "Please use other entrance"
Rev. Warren J. Keating, Pastor of the First Presbyterian Church of Yuma, AZ, says that the best prayer he ever heard was: "Lord, please make me the kind of person my dog thinks I am"
On a very cold, snowy Sunday in February, only the pastor and one farmer arrived at the village church. The pastor said, "Well, I guess we won't have a service today". The farmer replied: "Heck, if even only one cow shows up at feeding time, I feed it".
During a children's sermon, Rev. Larry Eisenberg asked the children what "Amen" means. A little boy raised his hand and said: "It means 'Tha-tha-tha- that's all folks!'"
A student was asked to list the Ten Commandments in any order. His answer? "3, 6, 1, 8, 4, 5, 9, 2, 10, 7."
I was at the beach with my children when my four-year-old son ran up to me, grabbed my hand, and led me to the shore, where a sea gull lay dead in the sand. "Mommy, what happened to him?" the little boy asked. "He died and went to Heaven," I replied. My son thought a moment and then said, "And God threw him back down?"
Bill Keane, creator of the Family Circus cartoon strip, tells of a time when he was penciling one of his cartoons and his son Jeffy said, "Daddy, how do you know what to draw?" I said, "God tells me." Jeffy said, "Then why do you keep erasing parts of it?"
There's a miracle called Friendship
That dwells in the heart
You don't know how it happens
Or when it gets it start
But you know the special lift
It always brings
And you realize that Friendship
Is God's most precious gift!
Friends are a very rare jewel,indeed.
They make you smile and encourage you to succeed.
They lend an ear, they share a word of praise, and they
always want to open their heart to us.
Show your friends how much you care.....
: CHECK YOUR WORKPLACE ATTITUDE
I drive into work listening to gospel music or a pre-recorded sermon on the radio. I get out of the car and walk to the building entrance. As I open the building door I leave just enough room for me to get in and I leave Jesus standing outside as the door closes behind me. He's standing with His palms on the door glass and watches me as I get on the elevator. His eyes are sad and He turns and goes to sit on the stone bench. There He'll sit patiently and wait for me for the next 9 hours. First two hours of work--I fuss and complain about things not going right. Jesus, sitting with his chin in His hand looks upward toward the building wishing He could help me. By lunch time--I'm flustered, regretting I work in this place and sputtering bitterness all over folks.
Jesus comes around to the side of the building where my cube is located. He looks up from the ground trying to get my attention but I can't hear him; my focus is on my problems. Jesus goes back to the front of the building, sits down and continues to wait for me. He thinks to Himself as He looks up to the third floor, "She went in there defenseless. If only she had taken me in there with her. When will she learn?" End of the day--I'm pooped, run down, no energy, irritable & frustrated.
I leave the building & Jesus gets up happily to greet me but I'm in no mood for Him now. I've just been to hell and back and the last thing I want to do is be bothered with anyone. God just actually showed me this is how I'VE been acting. He showed me each act and worst of all, He let me feel a small portion of how grieved He was because of my actions and attitude. I left Jesus standing outside, From time to time our jobs overwhelm us and we completely forget to "take Jesus with us". We may not go around cursing anyone out or punching anyone in the face (hopefully) but what are our actions saying about us and about who or whose we are? We are the salt of the Earth and the light of the world. A city on a hill can not be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. Matt. 5:13-15. We should be bringing peace to our jobs not be the cause of confusion. We should be the ones to bring our gifts & talents to the table to help in WHATEVER area God has chosen for us to work in. Col. 3:23-24-"Whatever you do, work at it with ALL your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving." My hope in sharing this is that this will help someone who may be having a hard time in their workplace.
God Bless
Word of the Day: "Qualities of Love"
Scripture of the Day: "Love suffereth long, and is kind; love envieth not; love vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, Doth not behave itself seemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things. Love never faileth."
I Corinthians 13:4-8 (KJV)
"Have a Good and Godly Day" Woodward Coale
Host of Back to the Bible
A mother was teaching her three year old daughter The Lord's Prayer. For several evenings at bedtime, she repeated it after her mother. One night she said she was ready to solo. The mother listened with pride, as she carefully enunciated each word right up to the end..."And lead us not into temptation", she prayed, "but deliver us some e-mail, Amen."
Stand Up For Jesus
Stand up, Stand up for Jesus,
His love to proclaim.
Tell all the world about him,
And praise His holy name.
Stand up, Stand Up for Jesus,
To all who will hear.
Tall all the world about His wondrous love
And what He did when He was here.
Stand up, Stand up for Jesus,
To all who would deny,
The greatest gift of love he gave,
By dying for you and I.
Stand up, Stand up for Jesus,
Let all the whole world know,
Though others may forsake you,
From your side He will never go.
Then if lifes' troubles come your way
And you don't know what to do
Just call upon His holy name,
And He will show you what to do.
I love animals. I'll admit that I love some more than others.
Last night, I got to see one of my favorite animals, a fox, under rather unusual circumstances. We have a neat park not too far from our home. It used to be the estate of one of the original families in this area. The county ended up with it and have turned it into a lovely gathering place. A full-flowing creek runs into the Intercoastal Waterway along one side. They recently installed a triple gazebo back in the trees for family picnics.
I pulled into the park and drove back to the picnic area. I got out of my car and sat at one of the picnic tables.
Soon after I arrived, a car sped into the parking lot near where I was sitting. Quite frankly, it was an unwelcome interruption of my time to just sit, think, meditate, and relax. Then she let this huge dog out of her car. I'm using the name "Rascule" (Rascal) in order to protect his identity. I wouldn't want him embarrassed if he happens to access this piece!
Rascule ran through the woods and across the neatly mown lawns. Technically, we have a leash law in our county, but Rascule wasn't on a leash. I couldn't blame him. He was running free and wild. After a bit, I heard a different kind of barking sound. I knew from experience that it was the sound of a fox. Rascule heard it, too. He slid to a stop, threw it into reverse and went tearing after the fox. I had a perfect vantage from which to view the whole thing. He chased the fox in large circles. I discovered that foxes can turn circles much easier than can a dog!
Finally, the fox appeared to be somewhat cornered. The dog began closing in, yapping and yelping. The dog's owner was hollering his name, telling him in no uncertain terms that he was to obey her and get back in the car.
Now, I understand about food chains and natural instincts. As painful as it seems sometimes, animals do attack each other, sometimes because they're hungry, other times because they're mean and/or territorial. I was rooting for the fox with all my heart. I didn't see any way to intervene and change what appeared to be the eventual outcome. Rascule had caught the scent of victory and was doing everything he could to get the fox.
As he got in pretty close, I could see that the fox was tiring. After all, the fox was about a third the size of the dog. Suddenly, with no warning whatsoever, the balance of power shifted! In a last ditch effort at self- preservation, the fox lashed out with one of its paws and raked his claws across the dog's nose. The dog immediately lost all desire to dominate and defeat the fox. He began yelping and yowling. He ran straight for his master's car and began begging to be allowed in. The wise fox, while savoring its unexpected victory, headed off in a totally different direction, content to escape with life, limb and fur.
Now let's shift from the animal world to the people world. While we expect animals to follow their natural instincts and behave accordingly, in the human world, we, too, face danger from our greatest natural enemy - satan.
The Bible describes him as a roaring lion roaming the earth trying to devour God's people. He is still as subtle as he can be. He's tricky, he's mean as a snake (pardon the pun) and has nothing but evil in mind for all of us.
WHAT ARE THE LIFE (OR DEATH) LESSONS IN THIS INCIDENT?
• In God's strength, we don't have to hide behind a tree or a bush. We don't have to run in circles in order to preserve our lives.
• God is greater than our enemy. He has promised that nothing satan can do can defeat us while we're under His covering. Read the book of Job if you'd like some encouragement along that line.
• I don't suggest that victory over the ol' devil is always easy to achieve. However, we do have His promise of victory. God has assured us that even the very gates of hell won't prevail against a Saint who takes the offensive.
• When we feel cornered, we mustn't forget the weapons with which He's provided us.
• The weapons of Word of God, prayer, meditation, fellowship with other Christians are available to us.
• Much like the fox, we have resources available from God that will tip the scales in our favor.
• We have armor (Ephesians 6:11, 13) to wear that will protect us from satan's vicious attacks.
• With His help, we can put satan on the run and send him yipping and yelping in full retreat - looking for a place to hide!
---Water Fountain Thought of the Day
This story has made it here through the sharing of one friend to another, and finally to me. I would like to say, that one of the original senders actually happens to be someone very special to JoyRiver, where she did some wonderful work.
"A true story sent by Josh and Karen Zarandona. Josh teaches Bible, Spanish and Geometry at Mt Pisgah Academy in N. Carolina.
THE ANT
Brenda was a young woman that wanted to learn to go rock climbing. Although she was scared to death she went with a group and they faced this tremendous cliff of rock. Practically perpendicular. In spite of her fear, she put on the gear and she took a hold of the rope and she started up the face of that rock.
Well, she got to a ledge where she could take a breather. As she was hanging on there, whoever was holding the rope up at the to of the cliff made a mistake and snapped the rope against Brenda's eye and knocked out her contact lens.
You know how tiny contact lenses are and how almost impossible to find. Well, here she is on a rock ledge, with who know how many hundreds of feet behind and hundreds of feet above her. Of course, she looked and looked and looked, hoping that she would be able to find that contact lens. Here she was, very far from home. Her sight was now blurry. She was very upset by the fact that she wouldn't be anywhere near a place where she could get a new contact lens. And she prayed that the Lord would help her to find it.
Well, her last hope was that perhaps when she got to the top of the cliff, one of the girls that was up there on the top might be able to find her contact lens in the corner of her eye. When she got to the top, a friend examined her eye. There was no contact lens to be found. She sat down with the rest of the party, waiting for the rest of them to come up the face of the cliff.
She looked out across range after range of mountains, thinking of that Bible verse that says, "The eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth." She thought, "Lord, You cans see all these mountains. You know every single stone and leaf that's on those mountains and You know exactly where my contact lens is."
Finally, the time came when it was time to go down. They walked down the trail to the bottom. Just as they got there, there was a new party of rock climbers coming along. As one of them started up the face of the cliff, she shouted out, "Hey, you guys! Anybody lose a contact ens?" Well, that would be startling enough, wouldn't it? She had found the contact lens! But you know why she saw it? An ant was carrying that contact lens so that it was moving slowly across the face of the rock. What does that tell you about the God of the universe? Is He in charge of the tiniest things? Do ants matter to Him? Of course they do. He made them. He designed them. Brenda told me that her father is a cartoonist. When she told him this incredible story, he drew a picture of that ant lugging that contact lens (as you see in the comics with a balloon with words in it over his head) with the words: "Lord, I don't know why You want me to carry this thing. I can't eat it and it's awfully heavy. But if this is what You want me to do, I'll carry it for You."
If God is in charge of the ants, don't you think He cares about you and me?"
Father, I praise You that You care about this world that You created and all that is in it. You know us and love us, You care for us and guide us. We are so blessed to have You as our Father. May we thank-You in our hearts, minds, and deeds. In Jesus Name. Amen.
"For in all things God works for the good of those who love Him.... and who are called according to His good purpose." Romans 8:28
REST IN PEACE
A new business was opening and one of the owner's friends wanted to send flowers for the occasion.
They arrived at the new business site and the owner read the card; it said "Rest in Peace".
The owner was angry and called the florist to complain. After he had told the florist of the obvious mistake and how angry he was,the florist said.
"Sir, I'm really sorry for the mistake, but rather than getting angry you should imagine this: somewhere there is a funeral taking place today, and they have flowers with a note saying, "Congratulations on your new location.
CHRISTIAN SURVIVAL KIT
MUSTARD SEED: To remind you that nothing is impossible.
NEEDLE: To remind you that it is easier for a camel to go thru the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of God.
CLAY: To remind you that He is the potter and we are all the work of His hand.
CANDLE: To remind you that God is the way, the light.
HEART: To remind you that the man who loves God is known by God.
BLOCK: Though you may stumble, you will not fall for the Lord upholds you with His hand.
DIME: To remind you to give back to God 1/10 of the blessings He has given you.
TOOTHPICK: To remind you not to try and remove the splinter from someone else's eye until you remove the plank from your own.
by Henry HeSavMe@aol.com
Little Lost Dog
Through the living room window I watched our fifteen year old son, Jay, trudge down the walk toward school. I was afraid that he might again head out into the snow-blanketed fields to hunt for his missing beagle, Cricket. But he didn't. He turned, waved, and then walked on, shoulders sagging.
Ten days had passed since that Sunday morning when Cricket did not return from his usual romp in the fields. Jay had spent that afternoon searching the countryside for his dog. At times during the those first anxious days, one or another of us would rush to the door thinking we'd heard a whimper.
By now my husband, Bill, and I were sure Cricket had been taken by a hunter or struck by a car. But Jay refused to give up. The previous evening, as I stepped outside to fill our bird feeder, I heard my son's plaintive calls drifting over the fields near us. At last he came in, tears in his blue eyes, and said, "I know you think I'm silly, Mom, but I've been asking God about Cricket and I keep getting the feeling that Cricket's out there somewhere."
Although we all attended church regularly, Bill and I often wondered where Jay got his strong faith. Perhaps the blow of losing a much-loved older brother in an auto accident when Jay was six turned him to the Lord for help.
I wanted to hold Jay close and tell him that he could easily get another dog. But I remembered too well the day four years before when we brought him his wiggling black-white-and-brown puppy.
The two of them soon became inseparable and, although Cricket was supposed to sleep in the garage, it wasn't long before I'd find him peacefully snuggled on the foot of Jay's bed.
However, that night I did tell Jay that I felt there was such a thing as carrying hope too far. Temperatures were very low, and I felt sure no lost animal could have survived.
"Mom," he said, "I know it seems impossible. But Jesus said that a sparrow doesn't fall without God knowing it. That must be true of dogs, too, don't you think?"
What could I do but hug him?
The next day, after sending him off to school, I drove to my real estate office, where I forgot all about missing dogs in the hustle of typing up listings.
At two o'clock, the telephone rang. It was Jay. "They let us our early, Mom-a teachers' meeting. I thought I'd hunt for Cricket."
My heart twisted. "Jay," I said trying to soften the irritation in my voice, "please don't put yourself through that anymore. The radio here says it's below freezing, and you know there's no chance of-"
"But Mom," he pleaded, "I have this feeling. I've got to try."
"All right," I conceded.
After our phone call, he took off through the field where he and Cricket used to go. He walked about a half mile east and then heard some dogs barking in the distance. They sounded like penned-up beagles. So he headed in that direction. But then, for a reason he couldn't determine, he found himself walking away from the barking.
Soon Jay came to some railroad tracks. Wondering if the tracks would be hot after a train went over them, he climbed up the embankment and felt them. They were cold as ice.
Now he didn't know what to do. He pitched a few rocks and finally decided to walk back down the tracks toward where he had heard the dogs barking earlier. As he stepped down the ties, the wind gusted and some hunters' shotguns echoed in the distance.
Then everything became quiet. Something made Jay stop dead still and listen. From a tangled fence row nearby came a faint whimper.
Jay tumbled down the embankment, his heart pounding. At the fence row he pushed some growth apart to find a pitifully weak Cricket, dangling by his left hind foot, caught in the rusty strands of the old fence. His front paws barely touched the ground. The snow around him was eaten away. It had saved him from dying of thirst. Although his left hind paw would later require surgery, Cricket would survive.
My son carried him home and phoned me ecstatically.. Stunned, I rushed to the house. There in the kitchen was a very thin Cricket lapping food from his dish with a deliriously happy fifteen-year-old kneeling next to him.
Finishing, Cricket looked up at Jay. In the little dog's adoring eyes I saw the innocent faith that had sustained him through those arduous days, the trust that his master would come.
I looked at my son, who, despite all logic, went out with that same innocent faith and, with heart and soul open to his Master, was guided to Cricket's side.
-by Donna Chaney
Chicken Soup for the Pet Lover's Soul
PHILOSOPHY
1) Words can't break bones, but they can break hearts.
2) Those who walk with God won't run from people's needs.
3) Sorrow looks back, worry looks around, but faith looks up.
4) We're richer when we give and poorer when we keep.
5) Because of the cross of Christ, we can become friends of Christ.
6) Amid the darkness of sin, the light of God's grace shines in.
7) Enthusiasm for Christ is contagious; has anyone caught it from you?
8) Be as patient with others as God has been with you.
9) It is better by far to die for something, than to live for nothing.
10) The God who sends you will also sustain you.
11) It's always darkest before the dawn.
12) To change your outlook, remember God's looking out for you.
13) Confession of sin is not an admission of weakness, but a sign of strength.
14) The harder you work at what you should be, the less you'll try to hide what you are.
15) Reading the Bible without meditating on it is like eating without chewing.
16) Work well done for Christ will receive a "well done" from Christ.
17) Don't complain over what the world is coming to; proclaim the one who is coming to the world.
18) We are not saved by good works, but for good works.
19) Spiritual victory comes only to those who are prepared for battle.
20) Apply yourself to the scriptures and the scriptures to yourself.
21) The Bible is not meant merely to inform, but to transform.
22) Grace is everything for nothing to those who don't deserve anything.
23) Courage is not the absence of fear, but the mastery of fear.
24) If you keep in step with God, you'll be out of step with the world.
25) Salvation is so simple we can overlook it, so profound we can never comprehend it.
Jesus Saves
The Enemy of the world, Satan, was on the side of life's road with a very large cage. The man coming towards him noticed that it was crammed full of people of every kind, young, old, from every race and nation."Where did you get these people?" the man asked.
"Oh, from all over the world," Satan replied. "I lure them with drink, drugs, lust, lies, anger, hate, love of money and all manner of things. I pretend I'm their friend, out to give them a good time, then when I've hooked them, into the cage they go."
"And what are you going to do with them now?" asked the man.
Satan grinned. "I'm going to prod them, provoke them, get them to hate and destroy each other; I'll stir up racial hatred, defiance of law and order; I'll make people bored, lonely, dissatisfied, confused and restless. It's easy. People will always listen to what I offer them and (what's better) blame God for the outcome!"
"And then what?" the man asked.
"Those who do not destroy themselves, I will destroy. None will escape me."
The man stepped forward. "Can I buy these people from you?" he asked.
Satan snarled, "Yes, but it will cost you your life."
So Jesus Christ, the Son of God, paid for your release, your freedom from Satan's trap, with His own life, on the cross at Calvary. The door is open, and anyone, whom Satan has deceived and caged, can be set free.
From: GOT2PRAY@aol.com, as posted in Lola Conley's Devotional
GOD SENT US A SAVIOR
If our greatest need had been information,
God would have sent us an educator.
If our greatest need had been technology,
God would have sent us a scientist.
If our greatest need had been money,
God would have sent us an economist.
If our greatest need was pleasure,
God would have sent us and entertainer.
But, our greatest need was forgiveness,
So God, sent us a Savior..
Yes you can
Yes you can have the life you want. Yes you can be all that you were meant to be. Yes you can make the most of yourself. Yes you can know joy and fulfillment.
Yes you can start today. Yes you can keep going for as long as it takes. Yes you can meet the challenges. Yes you can triumph over adversity. Yes you can create something great that has never existed before. Yes you can live with integrity and prosper in a world that often does not care.
Yes you can build your own future. Yes you can get past your fears. Yes you can learn. Yes you can follow your most deeply desired dreams. Yes you can, right now. Yes, you.
Yes you can. If you will.
I. To handle yourself, use your head; To handle others, use your heart.
II. Anger is only one letter short of danger.
III. Great minds discuss ideas; Average minds discuss events; Small minds discuss people.
IV. He who loses money, loses much; He who loses a friend, loses more; He who loses faith, loses all.
V. The tongue weighs practically nothing, But so few people can hold it.
VI. God gives every bird it's food, But He does not throw it into it's nest.
See success
Those who achieve success are those who can see success, and who act on what they see. There is success in a cold, dreary day, for the person who can see the need for overcoats and firewood, and then supply them to people who want to stay warm.
There is success in the irate customer, for the person who can see the cause of the problem and solve it. There is success in disaster, for the person who can see the way to rebuild and to learn from past mistakes.
Success is everywhere for the making, if only you can see it. In every situation is the seed for success. Successful people don't wait for the situation to improve. And they don't complain about it. They simply take action to improve the situation.
Success, achievement and greatness come from the belief in, and the commitment to, improving the world around you. When you set out looking for ways to make the world a better place, what you find... is success.
The Boat in the Window
A young boy spent many hours building a little sailboat, crafting it down to the finest detail. He then took it to a nearby river to sail it. When he put it in the water, however, it moved away from him very quickly. Though he chased it along the bank, he couldn't keep up with it. The strong wind and current carried the boat away. The heartbroken boy knew how hard he would have to work to build another sailboat.
Farther down the river, a man found the little boat, took it to town, and sold it to a shopkeeper. Later that day, as the boy was walking through town, he noticed the boat in a store window.
Entering the store, he told the owner that the boat belonged to him. It had his own little marks on it, but he couldn't prove to the shopkeeper that the boat was his. The man told him the only way he could get the boat was to buy it. The boy wanted it back so badly that he did exactly that.
As he took the boat from the hand of the shopkeeper, he looked at it and said, "Little boat, you're twice mine. I made you and I bought you."
In the same way, we belong twice to Someone. He both created us and paid a great price for us. With the blood of His Son, we have been redeemed and reunited with Him. His Son gave His life to get us back, yet so often we show such little gratitude for what He has done for us.
"Our Father"
I cannot say "our" if religion has no room for others and their needs.
I cannot say "Father" if I do not demonstrate this relationship in my daily living.
I cannot say "who art in heaven" if all my interests and pursuits are on earthly things.
I cannot say "hallowed be thy name" if I, who am called by his name, am not holy.
I cannot say "thy kingdom come" if I am unwilling to give up my own sovereignty and accept the righteous reign of God.
I cannot say "thy will be done" if I am unwilling or resentful of having it in my life.
I cannot say "in earth as it is in heaven" unless I am truly ready to give myself to his service here and now.
I cannot say "give us this day our daily bread" without expending honest effort for it or by ignoring the genuine needs of my fellowmen.
I cannot say "forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us" if I continue to harbor a grudge against anyone.
I cannot say "lead us not into temptation" if I deliberately choose to remain in a situation where I am likely to be tempted.
I cannot say "deliver us from evil" if I am not prepared to fight in the spiritual realm with the weapon of prayer.
I cannot say "thine is the kingdom" if I do not give the King the disciplined obedience of a loyal subject.
I cannot say "thine is the power" if I fear what my neighbors may say or do.
I cannot say "thine is the glory" if I am seeking my own glory first.
I cannot say "forever" if I am too anxious about each day’s affairs.
I cannot say "amen" unless I honestly say, "Cost what it may, this is my prayer."
(Author Unknown)
John Blanchard stood up from the bench, straightened his Army uniform, and studied the crowd of people making their way through Grand Central Station. He looked for the girl whose heart he knew, but whose face he didn't, the girl with the rose. His interest in her had begun thirteen months before in a Florida library...
Taking a book off the shelf he found himself intrigued, not with the words of the book, but with the notes penciled in the margin. The soft handwriting reflected a thoughtful soul and insightful mind. In the front of the book, he discovered the previous owner's name, Miss Hollis Maynell. With time and effort he located her address. She lived in New York City. He wrote her a letter introducing himself and inviting her to correspond. The next day he was shipped overseas for service in World War II.
During the next year and one month the two grew to know each other through the mail. Each letter was a seed falling on a fertile heart. A romance was budding. Blanchard requested a photograph, but she refused. She felt that if he really cared, it wouldn't matter what she looked like.
When the day finally came for him to return from Europe, they scheduled their first meeting - 7:00 PM at the Grand Central Station in New York.
"You'll recognize me," she wrote, "by the red rose I'll be wearing on my lapel."
So at 7:00 he was in the station looking for a girl whose heart he loved, but whose face he'd never seen. I'll let Mr. Blanchard tell you what happened:
A young woman was coming toward me, her figure long and slim. Her blonde hair lay back in curls from her delicate ears; her eyes were blue as flowers. Her lips and chin had a gentle firmness, and in her pale green suit she was like springtime come alive. I started toward her, entirely forgetting to notice that she was not wearing a rose.
As I moved, a small, provocative smile curved her lips. "Going my way, sailor?" she murmured. Almost uncontrollably I made one step closer to her, and then I saw Hollis Maynell. She was standing almost directly behind the girl. A woman well past 40, she had graying hair tucked under a worn hat.. She was more than plump, her thick-ankled feet thrust into low-heeled shoes.
The girl in the green suit was walking quickly away. I felt as though I was split in two, so keen was my desire to follow her, and yet so deep was my longing for the woman whose spirit had truly companioned me and upheld my own. And there she stood. Her pale, plump face was gentle and sensible, her gray eyes had a warm and kindly twinkle. I did not hesitate. My fingers gripped the small worn blue leather copy of the book that was to identify me to her. This would not be love, but it would be something precious, something perhaps even better than love, a friendship for which I had been and must ever be grateful.
I squared my shoulders and saluted and held out the book to the woman, even though while I spoke I felt choked by the bitterness of my disappointment. "I'm Lieutenant John Blanchard, and you must be Miss Maynell. I am so glad you could meet me; may I take you to dinner?"
The woman's face broadened into a tolerant smile. "I don't know what this is about, son," she answered, "but the young lady in the green suit who just went by, she begged me to wear this rose on my coat. And she said if you were to ask me out to dinner, I should go and tell you that she is waiting for you in the big restaurant across the street. She said it was some kind of test!"
It's not difficult to understand and admire Miss Maynell's wisdom. The true nature of a heart is seen in its response to the unattractive. "Tell me whom you love," Houssaye wrote, "And I will tell you who you are."
My own personal thoughts: "Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some peaople have entertained angels without knowing it." Hebrews 13:2 (NIV)
Willing To Bleed
She stood outside the doorway of the church intrigued by the love and joy displayed by those inside. The American missionary had asked her to come in, but she had politely declined. It wasn't because she didn't want to accept the kind offer. Quite the opposite; her heart was beckoning her to join in their singing and worship. They seemed so happy, and the fellowship was so spontaneous and natural. But this was a hostile area in the Philippines, and her father had strictly forbidden her to have anything to do with "those Christians."
Unknown to the little Filipino girl, the missionary was praying fervently for her soul, longing to see the day when she would accompany her inside the village church and learn of Jesus and how He shed His blood on a cross so that her sins could be washed away. The girl knew something was happening because each week she found it harder and harder to say no to the missionary. Finally one Sunday morning, she accepted. She accepted the invitation to attend the Sunday school class, but also opened her heart to Jesus and became a child of God. The missionary, overjoyed with the new believer, soon presented her with a beautiful white dress, representing the fact that Jesus had washed all her sins away.
Anxious to see her new disciple the missionary rushed to the next service. But the girl was nowhere to be found. No one had seen her or heard of her whereabouts. Concerned for the girl, the missionary traveled to her home village. Upon arriving at her home, she found the young, new believer lying in the dirt. Her white dress was torn, filthy, and soaked in blood. The girl's father hadn't shared the missionary's joy in his daughter's newfound faith. In a drunken rage he had beaten her, repeatedly kicked her, and left her to die.
The missionary gently lifted the fragile girl and carried her back to the church where a doctor rushed in to help her. But there was nothing he could do. He removed the ragged dress and cleaned her up, but her injuries were too severe. The young Filipino girl would soon die. The missionary and other friends stayed with her, trying to comfort her during her final hour. Upon regaining consciousness she made an unusual request. Despite the pain and trauma of her father's beating, she was insistent on holding the white dress the missionary had given her. They explained that it was torn and soaked with blood and dirt, but she insisted on having it in her hands. With the simple faith of a ten-year-old she whispered, "I just want Jesus to know that I was willing to bleed for Him."
Many want the Christ of the cross without the cross of the Christ.
You cannot wander too far, fail too many times or exceed Christ's forgiveness.
Happiness is a perfume you cannot pour on others without getting a few drops on yourself.
When you break a confidence you break a heart.
Live in such a way that those who know you but don't know God will come to know God because they know you.
Two things are hard on the heart: running up stairs and running down people.
Sometimes God doesn't tell us His plan because we wouldn't believe it anyway.
If your Christian life is a drag, worldly weights may be keeping you down.
Counting time is not as important as making time count.
Kindness is the oil that takes the friction out of life.
Be quick to repent and quick to forgive and you'll never be far from God.
Don't ask the Lord to GIVE you strength during a difficult time, ask the Lord to BE your strength!
When you put yourself on a pedastal expect to fall down.
God does not comfort us to make us comfortable but to make us comforters.
Humility is doing something and not looking back.
To forgive is to set a prisoner free and discover the prisoner was you.
A true friend never gets in your way unless you happen to be going down.
Knowing God makes us humble, knowing ourselves keeps us humble.
Your ulcers aren't due to what you eat but to what's eating you.
Faith isn't faith until it's all you're holding onto.
UNCHANGING GOD
The parting of the Red Sea
turning water into wine.
These are all miracles
done by the Holy One Divine.
He could walk on water
rose Lazarus from the grave.
He would heal those who came
His mercy and love He gave.
What makes you even think
that He's changed in any way.
He is the same back then
as He is this very day.
Our God is great and mighty
we have no need to fear.
There is nothing we can't do
when His power is near.
--Susan M. Swann
When we believe, we will receive.
Once a church had fallen upon hard times. Only five members were left: the pastor and four others, all over 60 years old.
In the mountains near the church there lived a retired Bishop. It occurred to the pastor to ask the Bishop if he could offer any advice that might save the church. The pastor and the Bishop spoke at length, but when asked for advice, the Bishop simply responded by saying, "I have no advice to give. The only thing I can tell you is that the Messiah is one of you."
The pastor, returning to the church, told the church members what the Bishop had said. In the months that followed, the old church members pondered the words of the Bishop. "The Messiah is one of us?" they each asked themselves. As they thought about this possibility, they all began to treat each other with extraordinary respect on the off chance that that one among them might be the Messiah. And on the off, off chance that each member himself might be the Messiah, they also began to treat themselves with extraordinary care.
As time went by, people visiting the church noticed the aura of respect and gentle kindness that surrounded the five old members of the small church. Hardly knowing why, more people began to come back to the church. They began to bring their friends, and their friends brought more friends. Within a few years, the small church had once again become a thriving church, thanks to the Bishop's gift.
Something to think about.... What if God were one of us??
The old teacher at a religous school taught a class on the old testament and every year for the final exam asked just one question, the same question, "Name the kings of Israel in chronological order." The students came to count on that precise question and prepared for it.
Then one year the teacher changed the final exam question to "Name the major and minor prophets." All the students but one slunk out of the room, having turned in blank test books. The one student wrote furiously and turned in the following: Far be it from me to distinguish which of the prophets of Israel were minor or major for they all speak the Lord's word. But it occured to me that you might be interested in knowing the kings of Israel in chronological order.....
"There will be a meeting of the Board immediately after the service," announced the pastor. After the close of the service, the group gathered at the back of the auditorium for the announced meeting. But there was a stranger in their midst. He was a visitor who had never attended their church before. "My friend," asked the pastor, did you understand that this is a meeting of the Board?" "Yes," said the visitor, "and after that sermon, I'm about as bored as you can get!"
An atheist was spending a quiet day fishing when suddenly his boat was attacked by the Loch Ness monster. In one easy flip, the beast tossed him and his boat high into the air. Then it opened its mouth to swallow both.
As the man sailed head over heels, he cried out, "Oh, my God! Help me!"
At once, the ferocious attack scene froze in place, and as the atheist hung in mid-air, a booming voice came down from the clouds, "I thought you didn't believe in Me!"
"Come on God, give me a break!!," the man pleaded. "two minutes ago I didn't believe in the Loch Ness monster either!!!!!!
THE LAST DAY OF SCHOOL
By Roy Exum
When Tony Campolo was in Chattanooga, Tennessee to speak at the annual "Gathering of Men" breakfast, the noted sociologist told a story that begs to be repeated. Here it is...
It seems that there was a lady named Jean Thompson and when she stood in front of her fifth-grade class on the very first day of school in the fall, she told the children a lie. Like most teachers, she looked at her pupils and said that she loved them all the same, that she would treat them all alike. And that was impossible because there in front of her, slumped in his seat on the third row, was a boy named Teddy Stoddard.
Mrs. Thompson had watched Teddy the year before and noticed he didn't play well with the other children, that his clothes were unkempt and that he constantly needed a bath. Add to it the fact Teddy was unpleasant. It got to the point during the first few months that she would actually take delight in marking his papers with a broad red pen, making bold 'X's and then marking the 'F' at the top of the paper biggestof all.
Because Teddy was a sullen little boy, nobody else seemed to enjoy him, either. Now at the school where Mrs. Thompson taught, she was required to review each child's records and because of things, put Teddy's off until the last. But, when she opened his file, she was in for a surprise.
His first-grade teacher wrote, "Teddy is a bright, inquisitive child with a ready laugh. He does work neatly and has good manners. He is a joy to be around." His second-grade teacher wrote, "Teddy is an excellent student and is well-liked by his classmates-but he is troubled because his mother has a terminal illness and life at home must be a struggle." His third-grade teacher wrote, "Teddy continues to work hard but his mother's death has been hard on him. He tries to do his best but his father doesn't show much interest and his home life will soon affect him if some steps aren't taken." Teddy's fourth-grade teacher wrote, "Teddy is withdrawn and doesn't show much interest in school. He doesn't have many friends and sometimes sleeps in class. He is tardy and could become a problem."
By now Mrs. Thompson realized the problem but Christmas was coming fast. It was all she could do, with the school play and all, until the day before the holidays began and she was suddenly forced to focus on Teddy Stoddard on that last day before the vacation would begin. Her children brought her presents, all in gay ribbon and bright paper, except for Teddy's, which was clumsily wrapped in the heavy, brown paper of a scissored grocery bag. Mrs. Thompson took pains to open it in the middle of the other presents and some of the children started to laugh when she found a rhinestone bracelet, with some of the stones missing, and a bottle that was one-quarter full of cologne. She stifled the laughter when she exclaimed how pretty the bracelet was, putting it on, and she dabbed some of the perfume behind the other wrist.
At the end of the day, as the other children joyously raced from the room, Teddy Stoddard stayed behind, just long enough to say, "Mrs. Thompson, today you smelled just like my mom used to." As soon as Teddy left, Mrs. Thompson knelt at her desk and there, after the last day of school before Christmas, she cried for at least an hour. On that very day, she quit teaching reading and writing and speaking. Instead, she began to teach children. And Jean Thompson paid particular attention to one they all called "Teddy".
As she worked with him, his mind seemed to come alive. The more she encouraged him, the faster he responded and, on days that there would be an important test Mrs. Thompson would remember that cologne. By the end of the year he had become one of the smartest children in the class and well, he had also become the "pet" of the teacher who had once vowed to love all of her children exactly the same.
A year later she found a note under her door, from Teddy, telling her that of all the teachers he'd had in elementary school, she was his favorite. Six years went by before she got another note from Teddy. And then he wrote that he had finished high school, third in his class, and she was still his favorite teacher of all time. Four years after that, she got another letter, saying that while things had been tough at times, that he'd stayed in school, had stuck with it, and would graduate from college with the highest of honors. He assured Mrs. Thompson she was still his favorite teacher.
Then four more years passed and yet another letter came. This time he explained that after he got his bachelor's degree, he decided to go a little further. The letter explained that she was still his favorite teacher but that now his name was a little longer. And the letter was signed, "Theodore F. Stoddard, M.D."
The story doesn't end there. You see, there was yet another letter that Spring. Teddy said that he'd met this girl and was to be married. He explained that his father had died a couple of years ago and he was wondering if Mrs. Thompson might agree to sit in the pew usually reserved for the mother of the groom.
You'll have to decide yourself whether or not she wore that bracelet, the one with several rhinestones missing. But, I bet on that special day, Jean Thompson smelled just like... well, just like she smelled many years before on the last day of school before the Christmas Holidays began.
LIFE SPEED
Have you ever watched kids on a merry-go-round, or listened to rain slapping the ground? Ever followed a butterfly's erratic flight, or gazed at the sun fading into the night? You better slow down, don't dance so fast, time is short, the music won't last.
Do you run through each day on the fly, When you ask "How are you?", do you hear the reply? When the day is done, do you lie in your bed, with the next hundred chores running through your head? You better slow down, don't dance so fast, time is short, the music won't last.
Ever told your child, we'll do it tomorrow, and in your haste not see his sorrow? Ever lost touch, let a good friendship die, 'cause you never had time to call and say "hi"? You better slow down, don't dance so fast, time is short, the music won't last.
When you run so fast to get somewhere, you miss half the fun of getting there. When you worry and hurry through your day, it's like an unopened gift thrown away. Life is not a race, so take it slower, hear the music before the song is over.
- Unknown
Jesus Saves
A long time ago far, far away, the great religious leaders of the world were engaged in a fierce competition to test their skills at programming. After many days of writing code, only two leaders remained -- Jesus and Mohammed.
The final test began with both feverishly typing away on their keyboards...... routines -- applications -- windows -- dialogs -- and intricate graphics flew by at incredible speeds. Fifteen seconds before the clock chimed to end the contest, there was a lightning strike and subsequent power outage.
Within a few moments, power was restored and the contest ended. The Judge asked the two leaders to reveal their finished products. Mohammed angrily said that he'd lost his entire application in the outage. Jesus smiled, clicked the mouse, and a dazzling interactive web page of unbelievable intricacy and stunning color appeared. The Judge, duly impressed, declared Jesus the winner.
When asked why Jesus had won, the Judge merely pointed out the one characteristic that sets Jesus apart from all other leaders, and that is the moral of our little story -- Jesus saves!
"REAL BREAD"
Years ago, in a far-away land, a young man began to announce the availability of a new kind of bread. Consumers were skeptical at first, but some of them took it and found that it tasted far better than any of the other kinds on the market - and really satisfied their hunger. They were happier in themselves, and really admired the young man who was willingly giving this Bread away to anyone who wanted it - refusing to charge! This bothered some of the rich people, but the poor folk loved it. But the other bread manufacturers were angry. All this was hurting their business.
Soon, the young man had followers who were traveling all over the place giving away this new Bread to anyone who wanted it. It was an instant success. Thousands of people were sold on this Bread, and formed small groups everywhere to spread it around. The other bakers tried to force the young man to charge for his Bread, but he refused. He simply said, "It didn't cost me anything - my father gave it to me." Despite their attempts, many people kept getting it. "It really satisfies - and you can't beat the price!" they kept on saying. The other bread manufacturers plotted to kill the young man. They paid a 'friend' to betray him and witnesses to testify against him falsely. They got him convicted and executed. They assumed that the whole thing would now be forgotten.
But to their dismay, the young man's followers kept distributing the Bread. It really got out of hand - as if the young man wasn't dead at all. He had certainly started something that was going to be hard to stop.
The other bakers came up with a clever substitute for the true Bread. It looked the same as the young man's, but it didn't satisfy. They used the same name that the young man had used, and got many of his followers to join them. But people had to buy this counterfeit bread - and so small groups of them everywhere continued to discover and distribute the true Bread for free. Thousands of them were killed for their efforts - but the young man's Bread was here to stay.
Thousands of years have passed now - and his Bread is still available. it is still free, and people are still discovering it and experiencing its unique benefits. Sure - there are still those who are trying to sell counterfeits. Others are saying the Bread is not needed because people aren't really hungry. Still others say a little bit of it is O.K. - so long as you don't go overboard on it. Then there are people who worship books about the original Bread, and others who have the true Bread but won't let anyone else have it. But the young man's Bread is still available for those who really want it. And there is absolutely nothing quite like it for taking away the awful hunger that gnaws at the insides of every person on earth! "I am the bread of Life. No one coming to me will be hungry again. Those believing in me will never thirst!" (Jesus - John 6:35).
The Best Is Yet To Come
he sound of Martha's voice on the other end of the telephone always brought a smile to Brother Jim's face. She was not only one of the oldest members of the congregation, but one of the most faithful. Aunt Martie, as all of the children called her, just seemed to ooze faith, hope, and love wherever she went. This time, however, there seemed to be an unusual tone to her words. "Preacher, could you stop by this afternoon? I need to talk with you." "Of course, I'll be there around three. Is that ok?"
It didn't take long for Jim to discover the reason for what he had only sensed in her voice before. As they sat facing each other in the quiet of her small living room. Martha shared the news that her doctor had just discovered a previously undetected tumor. "He says I probably have six months to live". Martha's words were naturally serious, yet there was a definite calm about her. "I'm so sorry to ..." but before Jim could finish, Martha interrupted. "Don't be. The Lord has been good. I have lived a long life. I'm ready to go. You know that." "I know," Jim whispered with a reassuring nod. "But I do want to talk with you about my funeral. I have been thinking about it, and there are things that I know I want." The two talked quietly for a long time. They talked about Martha's favorite hymns, the passages of Scripture that had meant so much to her through the years, and the many memories they shared from the five years Jim had been with Central Church. When it seemed that they had covered just about everything, Aunt Martie paused, looked up at Jim with a twinkle in her eye, and then added, "One more thing, preacher. When they bury me, I want my old Bible in one hand and a fork in the other". "A fork?" Jim was sure he had heard everything, but this caught him by surprise. "Why do you want to be buried with a fork?" "I have been thinking about all of the church dinners and banquets that I attended through the years," she explained, "I couldn't begin to count them all. But one thing sticks in my mind, "At those really nice get-togethers, when the meal was almost finished, a server or maybe the hostess would come by to collect the dirty dishes. I can hear the words now. Sometimes, at the best ones, somebody would lean over my shoulder and whisper, 'You can keep your fork.' And do you know what that meant? Dessert was coming! "It didn't mean a cup of Jell-O or pudding or even a dish of ice cream. You don't need a fork for that. It meant the good stuff, like chocolate cake or cherry pie! When they told me I could keep my fork, I knew the best was yet to come! "That exactly what I want people to talk about at my funeral. Oh, they can talk about all the good times we had together. That would be nice. "But when they walk by my casket and look at my pretty blue dress, I want them to turn to one another and say, 'Why the fork'? That's what I want you to say, I want you to tell them, that I kept my fork because the best is yet to come!"
Pappy was a pleasant-looking old fellow. He had the whitest hair which he kept neatly cut and combed. His eyes were blue, though faded with age, and they seemed to emit a warmth from within. His face was quite drawn, but when he smiled, even his wrinkles seemed to soften and smile with him. He had a talent for whistling and did so happily each day as he dusted and swept his pawnshop; even so, he had a secret sadness, but everyone who knew him respected and adored him.
Most of Pappy's customers returned for their good, and he did not do much business, but he did not mind. To him, the shop was not a livelihood as much as a welcome pastime.
There was a room in the back of his shop where he spent time tinkering with a menagerie of his own precious items. He referred to this back room as "memory hall." In it were pocket watches, clocks, and electric trains. There were miniature steam engines and antique toys made of wood, tin, or cast iron, and there were various other obsolete trinkets as well.
Spending time in memory hall delighted him as he recalled many treasured moments from his past. He handled each item with care, and sometimes he would close his eyes and pause to relive a sweet, simple childhood memory.
One day, Pappy was working to his heart's content reassembling an old railroad lantern. As he worked, he whistled the melody of a railroad tune and reminisced about his own past as a switchman. It was a typical day at the shop. Outside, the sun illuminated the clear sky, and a slight wind passed through the door. Whenever the weather was this nice, Pappy kept the inner door open. He enjoyed the fresh air--almost as much as the distinctive smell of antiques and old engine oil.
As he was polishing his newly restored lantern, he heard the tinkling of his bell on the shop door. The bell, which produced a uniquely charming resound, had been in Pappy's family for over a hundred years. He cherished it dearly and enjoyed sharing its song with all who came to his shop. Although the bell hung on the inside of the main door, Pappy had strung a wire to the screen door so that it would ring whether the inner door was open or not. Prompted by the bell, he left memory hall to greet his customer.
At first, he did not see her. Her shiny, soft curls barely topped the counter.
"And how can I help you, little lady?" Pappy's voice was jovial. "Hello, sir." The little girl spoke almost in a whisper. She was dainty. Bashful. Innocent. She looked at Pappy with her big brown eyes, then slowly scanned the room in search of something special.
Shyly she told him, "I'd like to buy a present, sir."
"Well, let's see," Pappy said, "who is this present for?"
"My grandpa. It's for my grandpa. But I don't know what to get." Pappy began to make suggestions. "How about a pocket watch? It's in good condition. I fixed it myself," he said proudly.
The little girl didn't answer. She had walked to the doorway and put her smalll hand on the door. She wiggled the door gently to ring the bell. Pappy's face seemed to glow as he saw her smiling with excitement.
"This is just right," the little girl bubbled. "Momma says grandpa loves music."
Just then, Pappy's expression changed. Fearful of breaking the little girl's heart, he told her, "I'm sorry, missy. That's not for sale. Maybe your grandpa would like this little radio."
The little girl looked at the radio, lowered her head, and sadly sighed, "No, I don't think so."
In an effort to help her understand, Pappy told her the story of how the bell had been in his family for so many years, and that was why he didn't want to sell it.
The little girl looked up at him, and with a giant tear in her eye, sweetly said, "I guess I understand. Thank you, anyway."
Suddenly, Pappy thought of how the rest of the family was all gone now, except for his estranged daughter whom he had not seen in nearly a decade.
Why not, he thought. Why not pass it on to someone who will share it with a loved one? God only knows where it will end up anyway.
"Wait...little lady." Pappy spoke just as the little girl was going out the door--just as he was hearing his bell ring for the last time. "I've decided to sell the bell. Here's a hanky. Blow your nose."
The little girl began to clap her hands. "Oh, thank you, sir. Grandpa will be so happy."
"Okay, little lady. Okay." Pappy felt good about helping the child; he knew, however, he would miss the bell. "You must promise to take good care of the bell for your grandpa--and for me, too, okay?" He carefully placed the bell in a brown paper bag.
"Oh, I promise," said the little girl. Then, she suddenly became very still and quiet. There was something she had forgotten to ask. She looked up at Pappy with great concern, and again almost in a whisper, asked, "How much will it cost?"
"Well, let's see. How much have you got to spend?" Pappy asked with a grin.
The child pulled a small coin purse from her pocket then reached up and empited two dollars and forty-seven cents onto the counter. After briefly questioning his own sanity, Pappy said, "Little lady, this is your lucky day. That bell costs exactly two dollars and forty-seven cents."
Later that evening as Pappy prepared to close up shop, he found himself thinking about his bell. Already he had decided not to put up another one.
He thought about the child and wondered if her grandpa like his gift. Surely he would cherish anything from such a precious grandchild.
At that moment, just as he was going to turn off the light in memory hall, Pappy thought he heard his bell. Again, he questioned his sanity; he turned toward the door, and there stood the little girl. She was ringing the bell and smiling sweetly.
Pappy was puzzled as he strolled toward the small child. "What's this, little lady? Have you changed your mind?"
"No," she grinned. "Momma says it's for you."
Before Pappy had time to say another word, the child's mother stepped into the doorway, and choking back a tear, she gently said, "Hello, Dad."
The little girl tugged on her grandpa's shirttail. "Here, Grandpa. Here's your hanky. Blow your nose."
Guide To Calorie-Burning Activities
Beating around the bush. . . . . . . . . . . 75
Jumping to conclusions . . . . . . . . . . 100
Climbing the walls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 150
Swallowing your pride. . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
Passing the buck . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .25
Throwing your weight around
(depending on your weight). . . . . . 50-300
Dragging your heels. . . . . . . . . . . . . 100
Pushing your luck. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .250
Making mountains out of molehills. . . 500
Hitting the nail on the head . . . . . . . . .50
Wading through paperwork . . . . . . . . 300
Bending over backwards . . . . . . . . . . 75
Jumping on the bandwagon . . . . . . . 200
Balancing the books. . . . . . . . . . . . . .25
Running around in circles . . . . . . . . 350
Eating crow. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 225
Tooting your own horn. . . . . . . . . . . . .25
Climbing the ladder of success . . . . 750
Pulling out the stops . . . . . . . . . . . . .75
Adding fuel to the fire . . . . . . . . . . . 160
Wrapping it up at the day's end. . . . . .12
Opening a can of worms . . . . . . . . . .50
Putting your foot in your mouth. . . . .300
Starting the ball rolling. . . . . . . . . . . .90
Going over the edge. . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Picking up the pieces after. . . . . . . .350
Counting eggs before they hatch. . . . . 8
The Burden
"Why was my burden so heavy?" I slammed the office door and leaned against it.
Is there no rest from this life? I wondered. I stumbled to my desk and dropped into my chair, pressing my face into my arms to shut out the frustrations of my existence.
"Oh God," I cried, "let me sleep. Let me sleep forever and never wake up!" With a deep sob I tried to will myself into oblivion, then welcomed the blackness that came over me.
Light surrounded me as I regained consciousness. I focused on its source: The figure of a man standing before a cross. "My child," the person asked, "why did you want to come to me before I am ready to call you?"
"Lord, I'm sorry. It's just that... I can't go on. You see how hard it is for me. Look at this awful burden on my back. I simply can't carry it anymore."
"But haven't I told you to cast all of your burdens upon me, because I care for you? My yoke is easy, and My burden is light."
"I knew you would say that. But why does mine have to be so heavy?"
"My child, everyone in the world has a burden. Perhaps you would like to try a different one?"
"I can do that?"
He pointed to several burdens lying at His feet. "You may try any of these."
All of them seemed to be of equal size. But each was labeled with a name. "There's Joan's," I said. Joan was married to a wealthy businessman. She lived in a sprawling estate and dressed her three daughters in the prettiest designer clothes. Sometimes she drove me to church in her Cadillac when my car was broken.
"Let me try that one." How difficult could her burden be? I thought. The Lord removed my burden and placed Joan's on my shoulders. I sank my knees beneath its weight.
"Take it off!" I said. "What makes it so heavy?"
"Look inside."
I untied the straps and opened the top. Inside was a figure of her Mother-in- law, and when I lifted it out, it began to speak. "Joan, you'll never be good enough for my son," it began. "He never should have married you. You're a terrible mother to my grandchildren..."
I quickly placed the figure back in the pack and withdrew another. It was Donna, Joan's youngest daughter. Her head was bandaged from the surgery that had failed to resolve her epilepsy. A third figure was Joan's brother. Addicted to drugs, he had been convicted of killing a police officer.
"I see why her burden is so heavy, Lord. But she's always smiling and helping others. I didn't realize...."
"Would you like to try another?" He asked quietly.
I tested several. Paula's felt heavy: She was raising four small boys without a father. Debra's did too: A childhood of sexual abuse and a marriage of emotional abuse. When I Came to Ruth's burden, I didn't even try. I knew that inside I would find arthritis, old age, a demanding full-time job, and a beloved husband in a nursing home.
"They're all too heavy, Lord," I said." "Give me back my own."
As I lifted the familiar load once again, It seemed much lighter than the others did.
"Lets look inside" He said.
I turned away, holding it close. "That's not a good idea," I said.
"Why?"
"There's a lot of junk in there."
"Let Me see."
His gentle voice compelled me. I opened my burden. He pulled out a brick. "Tell me about this one."
"Lord, You know. It's money. I know we don't suffer like people in some countries or even the homeless here in America. But we have no insurance, and when the kids get sick, we can't always take them to the doctor. They've never been to a dentist. And I'm tired of dressing them in hand-me-downs."
"My child, I will supply all of your needs... and your children's. I've given them healthy bodies. I will teach them that expensive clothing doesn't make a person valuable in my sight." Then he lifted out the figure of a small boy. "And this?" He asked.
"Andrew..." I hung my head, ashamed to call my son a burden. "But, Lord, he's hyperactive. He's not quiet like the other two. He makes me so tired. He's always getting hurt, and someone is bound to think I abuse him. I yell at him all the time. Someday I may really hurt him...."
"My child," He said, "If you trust Me, I will renew your strength, if you allow Me to fill you with My Spirit, I will give you patience."
Then He took some pebbles from my burden.
"Yes, Lord," I said with a sigh. "Those are small. But they're important. I hate my hair. It's thin, and I can't make it look nice. I can't afford to go to the beauty shop. I'm overweight and can't stay on a diet. I hate all my clothes. I hate the way I look!"
"My child, people look at your outward appearance, but I look at your heart. By My Spirit you can gain self-control to lose weight. But your beauty should not come from outward appearance. Instead, it should come from your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in my sight."
My burden now seemed lighter than before. "I guess I can handle it now," I said.
"There is more," He said. "Hand Me that last brick."
"Oh, You don't have to take that. I can handle it."
"My child, give it to me." Again His voice compelled me. He reached out His hand, and for the first time I saw the ugly wound.
"But, Lord, this brick is so awful, so nasty, so...Lord! What happened to your hands? They're so scarred!"
No longer focused on my burden, I looked for the first time into His face. In His brow were ragged scars-as though someone had pressed thorns into His flesh. "Lord," I whispered. "What happened to you?"
His loving eyes reached into my soul. "My child, you know. Hand me the brick. It belongs to me. I bought it."
"How?"
"With My blood."
"But why, lord?"
"Because I have loved you with an everlasting love. Give the last brick to me."
I placed the filthy brick into His wounded palm. It contained the entire dirt and evil of my life: my pride, my selfishness, and the depression that constantly tormented me.He turned to the cross and hurled my brick into the pool of blood at its base. It hardly made a ripple.
"Now, My child, you need to go back. I will be with you always. When you are troubled, call to me and I will help you and show you things you cannot imagine now."
"Yes, Lord, I will call on you." I reached to pick up my burden.
"You may leave that here if you wish. You see all these burdens? They are the ones that others have left at my feet. Joan's, Paula's, Debra's, Ruth's... When you leave your burden here, I carry it with you. Remember, My yoke is easy and My burden is light."
As I placed my burden with Him, the light began to fade. Yet I heard Him whisper, "I will never leave you, nor forsake you."
A peace flooded my soul.
Hang Up Your Troubles
The carpenter I hired to help me restore an old farmhouse had just finished a rough first day on the job. A flat tire made him lose an hour of work, his electric saw quit and now his ancient pickup truck refused to start. While I drove him home, he sat in a stony silence. Upon arriving, he invited me in to meet his family. As we walked toward the front door, he paused briefly at a small tree, touching the tips of the branches with both hands. When opening the door he underwent an amazing transformation. His tanned face was wreathed in smiles and he hugged his two small children and gave his wife a kiss.Afterwards he walked me to the car. We passed the tree and my curiousity got the better of me. I asked him about what I had seen him do earlier. "Oh that's my trouble tree" he replied. "I know I can't help having troubles on the job, but one thing for sure troubles don't belong in the house with my wife and children. So I just hang them up on the tree every night when I come home. Then in the morning I pick them up again." "Funny thing is" he smiled, "When I come out in the morning to pick them up, there ain't nearly as many as I remembered hanging up the night before."
In all the world there is nobody like you. Since the beginning of time there has never been another person like you. Nobody has your smile.
Nobody has your eyes, your nose, your hair, hands, your voice. You're Special! No one sees things just as you do. In all of time there has been on one who laughs like you, no one who cries like you and what makes you laugh and cry will never provoke identical laughter and tears from anybody else ever!
You are the only one in God's creation with your set of natural abilities.
There will always be somebody who is better at one of the things you're good at, but no one in the universe can reach the quality of your combination of talents, ideas, natural abilities and spiritual abilities. Like a room full of musical intstuments, some may excel alone, but none can match the symphony sound you have when all are played together.
Through all eternity, no one will ever look, talk, walk, think, or do exactly like you. You are Special. You are rare. And as in all rarities, there is great value. You need not attempt to imitate others.
You should accept, yes, celebrate your differences. Continue to realize it's not an accident that you are special. Continue to see that God created you special for a very special purpose.
Ask the Creator to teach you His divine plan for your life and that it may stand forth revealed to you as it should, unfolding in perfect sequence and perfect order.
Out of the billions that have lived and are living on this earth, only you are qualified, only you have the best combination of what it takes to fulfill this specific plan given to you. As surely as every snow flake that falls has a perfect design and no two designs are the same, so no two people are the same, and without you, the Creator's plan would be incomplete.
Brandon's Mess
There was once a dad who had a three-year-old son named Brandon.
One day, Brandon sees his dad eating chocolate chip cookies in the living room and says to himself, 'Daddy loves chocolate chip cookies with milk. So I'm going to give Daddy a glass of milk.' With that thought Brandon goes into the dining room and drags a chair from the dining room into the kitchen, leaving a trail of scratch marks on the floor.
Brandon climbs up on the chair and hitches himself onto the counter to pull at the cabinet door. Wham! It smashes against the adjacent cabinet door, leaving a gash where the handle hit it. Brandon reaches for a glass, accidentally knocking two others off the shelf. Crash! Tinkle, tinkle! But Brandon doesn't care. He's thinking, 'I'm going to get Daddy some milk!
Meanwhile, Brandon's dad is watching all this, wondering if he should step in and save the rest of his kitchen. He decides, for the moment, to watch a little more as Brandon scrambles off the chair, dodging the pieces of broken glass, and heads for the refrigerator.
Pulling violently on the refrigerator door, Brandon flings it wide open - and it stays open, of course. Brandon puts the glass on the floor - out of harm's way, supposedly - and grabs, not the little half gallon of milk, but the big gallon container that is full of milk. He rips open the top, pours it in the vicinity of the glass, and even manages to get some milk in the glass. The rest goes all over the floor.
Finally done, Brandon puts the milk carton on the floor and picks up the glass yelling, "Daddy, I got something for you!" He runs into the living room, trips, and spills milk all over the place - the floor, the sofa, his dad.
Brandon stands up and looks around. He sees broken glass, milk everywhere, cabinets open, his dad with milk from his eyebrows to his toes, and starts to cry. Through his tears, he looks up at his dad with that pained expression that says, "What are you going to do to me?"
His dad only smiles. He doesn't see a kid that just destroyed his house. Instead he sees a beautiful little boy whom he loves very much. It doesn't matter what he's done. Brandon's dad stretches his arms out to hold his little boy tight and says, "This is my son!"
When we talk about God as our Father, the kind of father we're talking about is Brandon's father. God is a father who loves us unconditionally, even though we make a real mess of things. Jesus told a similar story about another son who messed up. We call the story "The Prodigal Son."
It also could be called "The Parable of the Loving Father" because, just like Brandon's dad, the father in the story threw his arms around his son and said, "This is my son!" (See Luke 15:11-32)
F O R G I V I N G M E T H I S D A Y
I may never see tomorrow; there's no written guarantee,
And things that happened yesterday belong to history,
I cannot predict the future, I cannot change the past,
I have just the present moment, I must treat it as my last,
I must use this moment wisely for it soon will pass away,
and be lost to me forever as part of yesterday,
I must exercise compassion, help the fallen to their feet,
Be a friend unto the friendless, make an empty life complete,
The unkind things I do today may never be undone,
And friendships that I fail to win may nevermore be won,
I may not have another chance on bended knee to pray,
And thank God with humble heart for giving me this day.
In Hebrews12:2 ".......WHO FOR THE JOY THAT SET BEFORE HIM ENDURED THE CROSS, DESPISING THE SHAME, AND HAS SAT DOWN AT THE RIGHT HAND OF THE THRONE OF GOD"
Have you ever wondered why God went on after what happened in the garden of Eden? Why He never just destroyed everything and started over? Being the omniscient God that He is, He had to know what was going to transpire down through the ages to come. All the evil and terrible things to happen. All the unbelief, disease, murders, etc. Why God just didn't just throw in the towel, I never understood.
He began to show me back with Enoch. In Genesis 5:24, we see that Enoch walked with God so much by faith. God just said, Come unto me and enter in. You see Enoch never died, he was just translated into the kingdom of heaven. As God looked down the ages, He saw Enoch. Look at Genesis 6:1-8. God saw all the evil of man. Man just thought about evil all the time. Incessantly. But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord. Verse 9 says that Noah was a just man, blameless and having integrity. Noah was just. The just shall live by faith. As God looked down the ages He saw Noah. In Genesis 15:6, God saw Abram. Abram believed in the Lord and it was accounted it to him for righteousness. As God looked down the ages, He saw Abraham.
What does this have to do with anything? God could have destroyed everything, but did not because of those that would put their faith in Him. Jesus saw that joy. In Matthew 13:44-45, Jesus talked about a field with a treasure. The person hid the treasure and sold all that he had and bought the field. Did not Jesus empty Himself so that you and I would be filled. That we would be complete and be those children. You and I are that treasure.
As God looked down the ages, He saw Kathi, Janie, Lynn, Derry, Amy, Curley, Bonnie, Pearl, etc.. He saw all of us and knew that If He quit we would never have a chance to be His children and participate in the greatest relationship known to anyone on this planet. He saw WORTH.
If you are struggling with your self worth today, Jesus has made a statement that you were the joy set before Him. When it says that He despised the shame, it meant that He thought nothing of the shame. He is saying that you and I were worth it. You were worth not scrapping the world and not starting over. He saw that when we were not saved and when we blow it now. He is never disgusted with us when we blow it. He just calls us and says "Give it to me. Confess it to me, so you can be free and I can open that line of communication up again."
We can just step out and shout. We can just go tell that lost person we know that there is a Savior that sees them worth something. It motivates us to seek Him out to know Him more. That is what He wants. He wants us to know He is accessible and desires a moment by moment walk with Him. That is the pure joy of our lives. Everything else is so dim.
And for us, it helps us come to Him for that flooding of His Presence in our lives. Did you know that He has a plan for your life? In John 17:23, when Jesus said that you may be made perfect in the relationship with Him, it meant to satisfy a condition and to answer a purpose. Ask yourself today, "do I know what my purpose is here? What has God created me to do?" Then ask Him. He will tell you I guarantee it. I guarantee it is not just to have children, a career, or have nice things, and live for 70 years and die.
Be Blessed.
Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God.
Shalom
The Treasure
by Alice Gray as printed in "More Stories for the Heart"
The cheerful girl with bouncy golden curls was almost five. Waiting with her mother at the checkout stand, she saw them: a circle of glistening white pearls in a pink foil box. "Oh please, Mommy. Can I have them? Please, Mommy, please!"
Quickly the mother checked the back of the little foil box and then looked back into the pleading blue eyes of her little girl's upturned face.
"A dollar ninety-five. That's almost $2.00. If you really want them, I'll think of some extra chores for you and in no time you can save enough money to buy them for yourself. Your birthday's only a week away and you might get another crisp dollar bill from Grandma."
As soon as Jenny got home, she emptied her penny bank and counted out 17 pennies. After dinner, she did more than her share of chores and she went to the neighbor and asked Mrs. McJames if she could pick dandelions for ten cents.
On her birthday, Grandma did give her another new dollar bill and at last she had enough money to buy the necklace.
Jenny loved her pearls. They made her feel dressed up and grown up. She wore them everywhere--Sunday school, kindergarten, even to bed. The only time she took them off was when she went swimming or had a bubble bath. Mother said if they got wet, they might turn her neck green.
Jenny had a very loving daddy and every night when she was ready for bed, he would stop whatever he was doing and come upstairs to read her a story. One night when he finished the story, he asked Jenny, "Do you love me?" "Oh yes, Daddy. You know that I love you."
"Then give me your pearls."
"Oh, Daddy, not my pearls. But you can have Princess--the white horse from my collection. The one with the pink tail. Remember, Daddy? The one you gave me.
She's my favorite."
"That's okay, Honey. Daddy loves you. Good night." And he brushed her cheek with a kiss.
About a week later, after the story time, Jenny's daddy asked again, "Do you love me?"
"Daddy, you know I love you."
"Then give me your pearls."
"Oh Daddy, not my pearls. But you can have my babydoll. The brand new one I got for my birthday. She is so beautiful and you can have the yellow blanket that matches her sleeper."
"That's okay. Sleep well. God bless you, little one. Daddy loves you." And as always, he brushed her cheek with a gentle kiss.
A few nights later when her daddy came in, Jenny was sitting on her bed with her legs crossed Indian-style. As he came close, he noticed her chin was trembling and one silent tear rolled down her cheek.
"What is it, Jenny? What's the matter?"
Jenny didn't say anything but lifted her little hand up to her daddy. And when she opened it, there was her little pearl necklace. With a little quiver,she finally said, "Here, Daddy. It's for you."
With tears gathering in his own eyes, Jenny's kind daddy reached out with one hand to take the dime-store necklace, and with the other hand he reached into his pocket and pulled out a blue velvet case with a strand of genuine pearls and gave them to Jenny. He had had them all the time. He was just waiting for her to give up the dime-store stuff so he could give her genuine treasure.
So like our heavenly Father.
What are you hanging on to?
Trials
You perhaps recall the story of the blacksmith who gave his heart to God. Though conscientious in his living, still he was not prospering materially. In fact, it seems that from the time of his conversion more trouble, affliction and loss were sustained than ever before. Everything seemed to be going wrong.
One day a friend who was not a Christian stopped at the little gorge to talk to him. Sympathizing with him in some of his trials, the friend said "It seems strange to me that so much affliction should pass over you just at the time when you have become an earnest Christian. Of course, I don't want to weaken your faith in God or anything like that. But here you are, God's help and guidance, and yet things seem to be getting steadily worse. I can't help wondering why it is."
The blacksmith did not answer immediately, and it was evident that he had thought the same question before. But finally, he said "You see here the raw iron which I have to make into horse's shoes. You know what I do with it? I take a piece and heat it in the fire until it is red, almost white with the heat. Then I hammer it unmercifully to shape it as I know it should be shaped. Then I plunge it into a pail of cold water to temper it. Then I heat it again and hammer it some more. And this I do until it is finished."
"But sometimes I find a piece of iron that won't stand up under this treatment. The heat and the hammering and the cold water are too much for it. I don't know why it fails in the process, but I know it will never make a good horse's shoe."
He pointed to a heap of scrap iron that was near the door of his shop. "When I get a piece that cannot take the shape and temper, I throw it out on the scrap heap. It will never be good for anything."
He went on, "I know that God has been holding me in the fires of affliction and I have felt His hammer upon me. But I don't mind, if only He can bring me to what I should be. And so, in all these hard things my prayer is simply this: Try me in any way you wish, Lord, only don't throw me on the scrap heap."
Emergency Numbers:
When in sorrow, call John 14
When men fail you, call Psalm 27
If you want to be fruitful, call John 15
When you have sinned, call Psalm 51
When you worry, call Matthew 6:19-34.
When you are in danger, call Psalm 91.
When God seems far away, call Psalm 139.
When your faith needs stirring, call Hebrews 11.
When you are lonely and fearful, call Psalm 23.
When you grow bitter and critical, call 1 Cor. 13.
For Paul's secret to happiness, call Col. 3:12-17.
For idea of Christianity, call 1 Cor. 5:15-19.
When you feel down and out, call Romans 8:31-39.
When you want peace and rest, call Matt. 11:25-30.
When the world seems bigger than Go, call Psalm 90.
When you want Christian assurance, call Romans 8:1-30.
When you leave home for labor or travel, call Psalm 121.
When your prayers grow narrow or selfish, call Psalm 67.
For a great invention/opportunity, call Isaiah 55.
When you want courage for a task, call Joshua 1.
How to get along with fellow men, call Romans 12.
When your pocketbook is empty, call Psalm 37.
When you think of investments/returns, call Mark 10.
If you are depressed, call Psalm 27.
If you're losing confidence in people, call 1 Cor. 13.
If people seem unkind, call John 15.
If discouraged about your work, call Psalm 126.
If you find the world growing small and yourself great, call Psalm 19.
*** Emergency numbers may be dialed direct. No operator assistance is necessary. All lines are open to Heaven 24 hours a day !!!
Feed your faith, and doubt will starve to death!
The Stranger
"A few months before I was born, my dad met a stranger who was new to our small Tennessee town. From the beginning, Dad was fascinated with thisenchanting newcomer, and soon invited him to live with our family. The stranger was quickly accepted and was around to welcome me into the world a few months later. As I grew up I never questioned his place in our family. In my young mind, each member had a special niche. My brother, Bill, five years my senior, was my example. Fran, my younger sister, gave me anopportunity to play 'big brother' and develop the art of teasing. My parents were complementary instructors -Mom taught me to love the word of God, and Dad taught me to obey it. But the stranger was our storyteller. He could weave the most fascinating tales. Adventures, mysteries and comedies were daily conversations. He could hold our whole family spell-bound for hours each evening. If I wanted to know about politics, history, or science, he knew it all. He knew about the past, understood the present, and seemingly could predict the future. The pictureshe could draw were so life like that I would often laugh or cry as I watched. He was like a friend to the whole family. He took Dad, Bill and me to our first major league baseball game. He was always encouraging us to see themovies and he even made arrangements to introduce us to several movie stars. My brother and I were deeply impressed by John Wayne in particular. The stranger was an incessant talker Dad didn't seem to mind-but sometimes Mom would quietly get up- while the rest of us were enthralled with one of his stories of faraway places- go to her room, read her Bible and pray.
I wonder now if she ever prayed that the stranger would leave. You see, my dad ruled our household with certain moral convictions. But this stranger never felt obligation to honor them. Profanity, for example, was not allowed in our house-not from us, from our friends, or adults. Our longtime visitor, however, used occasional four letter words that burned my ears and made Dad squirm. To my knowledge the stranger was never confronted. My dad was a teetotaler who didn't permit alcohol in his home -not even for cooking. But the stranger felt like we needed exposure and enlightened us to other ways of life. He offered us beer and other alcoholic beverages often. He made cigarettes look tasty, cigars manly, and pipes distinguished.
He talked freely (probably much too freely) about sex. His comments were sometimes blatant, sometimes suggestive, and generally embarrassing. I know now that my early concepts of the man - woman relationship were influenced by the stranger. As I look back, I believe it was the grace of God that the stranger did not influence us more. Time after time he opposed the values of my parents. Yet he was seldom rebuked and never asked to leave. More than thirty years have passed since the stranger moved in with the young family on Morningside Drive. He is not nearly so intriguing to my Dad as he was in those early years. But if I were to walk into my parents' den today, you would still see him sitting over in a corner, waiting for someone to listen to him talk and watch him draw his pictures.
His name? We always just called him TV."
" U "
Before U were thought of or time had begun,
God even stuck U in the name of His Son.
And each time U pray, you'll see it's true
You can't spell out JesUs and not include U.
You're a pretty big part of His wonderful name,
For U He was born; that's why He came.
And His great love for U is the reason He died,
It even takes U to spell crUcified.
Isn't it thrilling and splendidly grand
He rose from the dead, with U in His plan.
The stones split away, the gold trUmpet blew,
and this word resUrrection is spelled with a U.
When Jesus left earth at His upward ascension,
He felt there was one thing He just had to mention.
"Go into the world and t