Dream Big

Refiner's Fire

2005-10-26T05:11:00.000-07:00

Refiner's Fire
~ Author unknown

"He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver" (Malachi 3:3).

This verse puzzled a woman in a Bible study and she wondered what this statement meant about the character and nature of God.

One of the women offered to find out about the process of refining silver and get back to the group at the next Bible Study. That week, the woman called a silversmith and made an appointment to watch him at work. She didn't mention anything about the reason for her interest beyond her curiosity about the process of refining silver.

As she watched the silversmith, he held a piece of silver over the fire and let it heat up. He explained that in refining silver, one needed to hold the silver in the middle of the fire where the flames were hottest as to burn away all the impurities.

The woman thought about God holding us in such a hot spot then she thought again about the verse that says: "He sits as a refiner and purifier of silver."

She asked the silversmith if it was true that he had to sit there in front of the fire the whole time the silver was being refined. The man answered that yes, he not only had to sit there holding the silver, but he had to keep his eyes on the silver the entire time it was in the fire. If the silver was left a moment too long in the flames, it would be destroyed.

The woman was silent for a moment. Then she asked the silversmith, "How do you know when the silver is fully refined?"

He smiled at her and answered, "Oh, that's easy—when I see my image in it."

If today you are feeling the heat of the fire, remember that God has His eye on you and will keep watching you until He sees His image in you.

One Thousand Marbles

2005-10-25T02:52:00.000-07:00

“One Thousand Marbles”
~ by Jeffrey Davis

I'm a Ham radio operator and spend some time working with radios and electronics. So when I heard this story it really made me think! I hope that you will find some application in your own life as well...

A few weeks ago, I was shuffling toward the basement shack with a steaming cup of coffee in one hand and the morning paper in the other. What began as a typical Saturday morning, turned into one of those lessons that life seems to hand you from time to time. Let me tell you about it.

I turned the dial up into the phone portion of the band on my ham radio in order to listen to a Saturday morning swap net. Along the way, I came across an older sounding chap, with a tremendous signal and a golden voice. You know, the kind, he sounded like he should be in the broadcasting business. He was telling whomever he was talking with something about "a thousand marbles".

I was intrigued and stopped to listen to what he had to say. "Well, Tom, it sure sounds like you're busy with your job. I'm sure they pay you well but it's a shame you have to be away from home and your family so much. Hard to believe a young fellow should have to work sixty or seventy hours a week to make ends meet. Too bad you missed your daughter's dance recital."

He continued, "Let me tell you something, Tom, something that has helped me keep a good perspective on my own priorities." And that's when he began to explain his theory of "a thousand marbles."

"You see, I sat down one day and did a little arithmetic. The average person lives about seventy-five years. I know, some live more and some live less, but on average, folks live about seventy-five years."

"Now then, I multiplied 75 times 52 and I came up with 3,900, which is the number of Saturdays that the average person has in their entire lifetime. Now stick with me Tom, I'm getting to the important part."

"It took me until I was fifty-five years old to think about all this in any detail," he went on, "and by that time I had lived through over twenty-eight hundred Saturdays. I got to thinking that if I lived to be seventy-five, I only had about a thousand of them left to enjoy."

"So I went to a toy store and bought every single marble they had. I ended up having to visit three toy stores to round-up 1,000 marbles. I took them home and put them inside of a large, clear plastic container right here in the shack next to my gear. Every Saturday since then, I have taken one marble out and thrown it away."

"I found that by watching the marbles diminish, I focused more on the really important things in life. There is nothing like watching your time here on this earth run out to help get your priorities straight."

"Now let me tell you one last thing before I sign-off with you and take my lovely wife out for breakfast. This morning, I took the very last marble out of the container. I figure if I make it until next Saturday then I have been given a little extra time. And the one thing we can all use is a little more time."

"It was nice to meet you Tom, I hope you spend more time with your family, and I hope to meet you again."

You could have heard a pin drop on the radio when this fellow signed off. I guess he gave us all a lot to think about. I had planned to work on the antenna that morning, and then I was going to meet up with a few hams to work on the next club newsletter. Instead, I went upstairs and woke my wife up with a kiss.

"C'mon honey, I'm taking you and the kids to breakfast."

"What brought this on?" she asked with a smile.

"Oh, nothing special, it's just been a long time since we spent a Saturday together with the kids. Hey, can we stop at a toy store while we're out? I need to buy some marbles."

Check Your Blind Spot

2005-09-30T03:10:00.000-07:00

Check Your Blind Spot
taken from Our Daily Bread

When I was in high school, I had a driving instructor who gave me some sound advice. "You think by looking in the rearview mirror you know what is on your left side, but your vision is limited," he said. "Always look over your shoulder before changing lanes. There may be another car in your blind spot." His wise instruction has kept me out of more potential wrecks than I care to think about.

Moses had some wise instruction for the people of Israel. They were to make the study and contemplation of God's commandments an integral part of life. Moses said, "You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up" (Deuteronomy 6:7). In short, God's words were to permeate every aspect of their lives.

The Bible is our instruction manual from God for navigating life's journey. But merely owning a copy is not enough. It must be studied, applied, and passed on to others.

VERIFICA O ÂNGULO MORTO

Estas palavras, que hoje te ordeno, estarão no teu coração.
- Deuteronómio 6:6

Quando andava no ensino secundário, tive um instrutor de condução que me deu um bom conselho. "Pensas que ao olhar pelo espelho retrovisor, sabes o que está no teu lado esquerdo, mas o teu ângulo de visão é limitado," disse ele. "Olha sempre por cima do teu ombro antes de mudares de faixa. Pode vir um carro no ângulo morto." A sua sábia instrução tem-me protegido de mais desastres potenciais do que imagino.
Moisés deu algumas instruções sábias ao povo de Israel. Eles deveriam tornar o estudo e a meditação dos mandamentos de Deus numa parte integrante da sua vida. Moisés disse, "E as ensinarás a teus filhos e delas falarás assentado em tua casa, e andando pelo caminho, e deitando-te e levantando-te" (Deuteronómio 6:7). Resumindo, as palavras de Deus deveriam permear cada aspecto das suas vidas.
A Bíblia é o manual de instruções de Deus para navegarmos na jornada da vida. Mas não basta possuir apenas uma cópia. Ela deve ser estudada, aplicada e transmitida a outros.

Turning Pain Into Gain

2005-09-26T03:08:00.000-07:00

Turning Pain Into Gain

"Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus" ~1 Thessalonians 5:18, NIV

Into the shell of an oyster a tiny grain of sand finds it's way. "The intruder, though microscopic, is a source of irritation and pain to the soft body of the oyster. Unable to rid itself of the unwelcome pebble, the oyster seeks to reduce the irritation by coating it with layers of soft, iridescent mother-of-pearl material from its own shell. Over time, the oyster transforms a painful irritation into a beautiful pearl of great value."

Most of us have "grains of sand" annoyances that come into our life fairly quite regularly ... many of which can be very frustrating and even painful.

But every one of these annoyances gives us a chance to grow. Some will require great patience, others tough love, some will require turning the other cheek, some confrontation, some kindness and understanding. For example, addicts need to be treated with tough love. Bullies require us to maintain healthy boundaries. Cheaters need to be confronted. Manipulators need to be managed. Control freaks need to be resisted, guilt throwers need to be challenged, and toxic people may need to be avoided, and so on.

With God's help, if we so choose, we can turn every one of these annoying pebbles into pearls or we can allow them to make us bitter. For it is not what happens to us that matters, but what we do about what happens to us, that's what matters—and that choice is ours.

Suggested prayer: "Dear God, please help me to see an opportunity for growth in every annoying situation. Give me the courage to be strong when needed, have healthy boundaries where required, exercise tough love here it is essential, and show kindness, patience and understanding where these are needed. Help me to always ask, 'What would Jesus do?'—and give me the courage to do just that. Gratefully in Jesus' name. Amen."

Faithful With a Little

2005-09-23T14:19:00.000-07:00

"Faithful with a Little"
by Lysa TerKeurst, President of Proverbs 31 Ministries

It was a hot day at the orphan village in Liberia. The soaring temperatures were inescapable, but at least outside there was a breeze. The boys playing soccer in the field didn't seem to mind the heat because the constant excitement of the game kept them plenty distracted. The 12 boys inside practicing their choir music found their eyes wandering often over to the soccer field, where the promise of fun and the cheers of their friends tugged at them. Was membership in the boys' choir worth sacrificing their free time playing soccer? In war-torn Liberia, every moment of fun was something to be treasured to each of these orphan boys.

Choir practice paid off down the road as the boy's choir was given the opportunity to tour the United States in an effort to raise money and support for their fellow orphans. Little did they know that their faithfulness to such a small commitment would result in a number of the boys being adopted into U.S. families and given homes. As they opened their mouths and sang from their hearts about the joy of the Lord, God opened the doors of families' hearts all over the southeast to experience it firsthand. Missing soccer to sing of God's love seemed like such a sacrifice to these impoverished boys at the time. But do you think they had any idea that this decision of obedience would one day lead to their biggest dreams coming true? Could they have possibly known that so many other children's futures would have been affected as well? Certainly not!

Like these young boys, so many times we are given the opportunity to do small things and make small sacrifices for results we cannot yet see. We may be asking why God would have us do such a minor task or give up what seems like such a miniscule detail of our day, when all along He sees the pearl inside of the seashell. Sadly, I think about the multitude of Christians who have decided they'd rather be comfortable and play games than get on with the adventure our souls were made for - living a life that requires faith.

Are you paying attention to the details of your life to see God in the small stuff? Do you see His hand touching the miniature parts of your day? When we are willing to embark on a faith-filled life, God will make us more aware of His ability to provide in the small stuff. We will never have everything in order, and faith can't be dispensed like a can of soda from a machine. Faith is learned. It's messy and unpredictable, and many times we stumble ... but in these things we become aware of our desperate need for God. And this is where He wants us!

"His master replied, 'Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in chare of many things. Come and share in your master's happiness!' ~ Matthew 25:21

Paid in Full With a Glass of Milk

2005-09-21T07:18:00.000-07:00

This is a true story... Dr. Howard Kelly was a distinguished physician who, in 1895, founded the Johns Hopkins Division of Gynecologic Oncology at Johns Hopkins University. According to Dr. Kelly's biographer, Audrey Davis, the doctor was on a walking trip through Northern Pennsylvania one spring day when we stopped by a farm house for a drink of water...

One day, a poor boy who was selling goods from door to door to pay his way through school, found he had only one thin dime left, and he was hungry.

He decided he would ask for a meal at the next house. However, he lost his nerve when a lovely young woman opened the door. Instead of a meal he asked for a drink of water. She thought he looked hungry so brought him a large glass of milk. He drank it slowly, and then asked, "How much do I owe you?" "You don't owe me anything," she replied. "Mother has taught us never to accept pay for a kindness." He said..... "Then I thank you from my heart."

As Howard Kelly left that house, he not only felt stronger physically, but his faith in God and man was strong also. He had been ready to give up and quit.

Year's later that young woman became critically ill. The local doctors were baffled. They finally sent her to the big city, where they called in specialists to study her rare disease. Dr. Howard Kelly ! was called in for the consultation. When he heard the name of the town she came from, a strange light filled his eyes. Immediately he rose and went down the hall of the hospital to room. Dressed in his doctor's gown he went in to see her. He recognized her at once. He went back to the consultation room determined to do his best to save her life. From that day he gave special attention to the case. After a long struggle, the battle was won.

Dr. Kelly requested the business office to pass the final bill to him for approval. He looked at it, then wrote something on the edge and the bill was sent to her room. She feared to open it, for she was sure it would take the rest of her life to pay for it all. Finally she looked, and something caught her attention on the side of the bill. She read these words..... "Paid in full with one glass of milk"

Signed Dr. Howard Kelly. Tears of joy flooded her eyes as her happy heart prayed: "Thank You, God, that Your love has spread abroad through human hearts and hands."

A True Story of "Tommy"

2005-09-21T07:09:00.000-07:00

This story was written by Father John Powell, a retired professor at Loyola University in Chicago. Father Powell is advanced in years, but this story was fresh in his mind and he confirmed that it is true and happened in the way that he described it.

John Powell a professor at Loyola University in Chicago writes about a student in his Theology of Faith class named Tommy:

Some twelve years ago, I stood watching my university students file into the classroom for our first session in the Theology of Faith. That was the first day I first saw Tommy. My eyes and my mind both blinked. He was combing his long flaxen hair, which hung six inches below his shoulders.

It was the first time I had ever seen a boy with hair that long. I guess it was just coming into fashion then. I know in my mind that it isn’t what’s on your head but what’s in it that counts; but on that day I was unprepared and my emotions flipped.

I immediately filed Tommy under "S" for strange ... very strange. Tommy turned out to be the "atheist in residence" in my Theology of Faith course. He constantly objected to, smirked at, or whined about the possibility of an unconditionally loving Father-God. We lived with each other in relative peace for one semester, although I admit he was for me at times a serious pain in the back pew.

When he came up at the end of the course to turn in his final exam, he asked in a slightly cynical tone: "Do you think I’ll ever find God?"

I decided instantly on a little shock therapy. "No!" I said very emphatically.

"Oh," he responded, "I thought that was the product you were pushing."

I let him get five steps from the classroom door and then called out: "Tommy! I don’t think you’ll ever find him, but I am absolutely certain that He will find you!" He shrugged a little and left my class and my life.

I felt slightly disappointed at the thought that he had missed my clever line: "He will find you!" At least I thought it was clever. Later I heard that Tommy had graduated and I was duly grateful.

Then a sad report, I heard that Tommy had terminal cancer. Before I could search him out, he came to see me. When he walked into my office, his body was very badly wasted, and the long hair had all fallen out as a result of chemotherapy. But his eyes were bright and his voice was firm, for the first time, I believe. "Tommy, I’ve thought about you so often. I hear you are sick!" I blurted out.

"Oh, yes, very sick. I have cancer in both lungs. It’s a matter of weeks."

"Can you talk about it, Tom?"

"Sure, what would you like to know?"

"What’s it like to be only twenty-four and dying?"

"Well, it could be worse."

"Like what?"

"Well, like being fifty and having no values or ideals, like being fifty and thinking that booze, seducing women, and making money are the real ‘biggies’ in life."

I began to look through my mental file cabinet under "S" where I had filed Tommy as strange. (It seems as though everybody I try to reject by classification God sends back into my life to educate me.)

But what I really came to see you about," Tom said, " is something you said to me on the last day of class." (He remembered!) He continued, "I asked you if you thought I would ever find God and you said, ‘No!’ which surprised me. Then you said, ‘But he will find you.’ I thought about that a lot, even though my search for God was hardly intense at that time. (My "clever" line. He thought about that a lot!) But when the doctors removed a lump from my groin and told me that it was malignant, then I got serious about locating God. And when the malignancy spread into my vital organs, I really began banging bloody fists against the bronze doors of heaven.

But God did not come out. In fact, nothing happened. Did you ever try anything for a long time with great effort and with no success? You get psychologically glutted, fed up with trying. And then you quit.

Well, one day I woke up, and instead of throwing a few more futile appeals over that high brick wall to a God who may be or may not be there, I just quit. I decided that I didn’t really care ... about God, about an afterlife, or anything like that. "I decided to spend what time I had left doing something more profitable. I thought about you and your class and I remembered something else you had said: ‘The essential sadness is to go through life without loving. But it would be almost equally sad to go through life and leave this world without ever telling those you loved that you had loved them.’ "So I began with the hardest one: my Dad. He was reading the newspaper when I approached him."

"Dad". . .

"Yes, what?" he asked without lowering the newspaper.

"Dad, I would like to talk with you."

"Well, talk."

"I mean. .. It’s really important."

The newspaper came down three slow inches. "What is it?"

"Dad, I love you. I just wanted you to know that." Tom smiled at me and said with obvious satisfaction, as though he felt a warm and secret joy flowing inside of him: "The newspaper fluttered to the floor. Then my father did two things I could never remember him ever doing before. He cried and he hugged me.

And we talked all night, even though he had to go to work the next morning. It felt so good to be close to my father, to see his tears, to feel his hug, to hear him say that he loved me. "It was easier with my mother and little brother. They cried with me, too, and we hugged each other, and started saying real nice things to each other. We shared the things we had been keeping secret for so many years. I was only sorry about one thing: that I had waited so long. Here I was just beginning to open up to all the people I had actually been close to.

"Then, one day I turned around and God was there. He didn’t come to me when I pleaded with him. I guess I was like an animal trainer holding out a hoop, ‘C’mon, jump through.’ ‘C’mon, I’ll give you three days .. .three weeks.’ Apparently God does things in his own way and at his own hour. "But the important thing is that he was there. He found me.

You were right. He found me even after I stopped looking for him."

"Tommy," I practically gasped, "I think you are saying something very important and much more universal than you realize. To me, at least, you are saying that the surest way to find God is not to make him a private possession, a problem solver, or an instant consolation in time of need, but rather by opening to love. You know, the Apostle John said that. He said God is love, and anyone who lives in love is living with God and God is living in him.’ Tom, could I ask you a favor? You know, when I had you in class you were a real pain. But (laughingly) you can make it all up to me now. Would you come into my present Theology of Faith course and tell them what you have just told me? If I told them the same thing it wouldn’t be half as effective as if you were to tell them."

"Oooh . . . I was ready for you, but I don’t know if I’m ready for your class."

"Tom, think about it. If and when you are ready, give me a call." In a few days Tommy called, said he was ready for the class, that he wanted to do that for God and for me. So we scheduled a date. However, he never made it.

He had another appointment, far more important than the one with me and my class. Of course, his life was not really ended by his death, only changed.

He made the great step from faith into vision. He found a life far more beautiful than the eye of man has ever seen or the ear of man has ever heard or the mind of man has ever imagined.

Before he died, we talked one last time. "I’m not going to make it to your class," he said.

"I know, Tom."

"Will you tell them for me? Will you . . . tell the whole world for me?"

"I will, Tom. I’ll tell them. I’ll do my best."

So, to all of you who have been kind enough to hear this simple statement about love, thank you for listening. And to you, Tommy, somewhere in the sunlit, verdant hills of heaven: "I told them, Tommy... as best I could."

The Carpenter's House

2005-09-21T05:07:00.000-07:00

The Carpenter's House
Author Unknown

An elderly carpenter was ready to retire. He told his employer-contractor of his plans to leave the house building business and live a more leisurely life with his wife enjoying his extended family.

He would miss the paycheck, but he needed to retire. They could get by. The contractor was sorry to see his good worker go and asked if he could build just one more house as a personal favor. The carpenter said yes, but in time it was easy to see that his heart was not in his work. He resorted to shoddy workmanship and used inferior materials. It was an unfortunate way to end his career.

When the carpenter finished his work and the builder came to inspect the house, the contractor handed the front-door key to the carpenter. "This is your house," he said, "my gift to you."

What a shock! What a shame! If he had only known he was building his own house, he would have done it all so differently. Now he had to live in the home he had built none too well.

So it is with us. We build our lives in a distracted way, reacting rather than acting, willing to put up less than the best. At important points we do not give the job our best effort. Then with a shock we look at the situation we have created and find that we are now living in the house we have built. If we had realized that we would have done it differently.

Think of yourself as the carpenter. Think about your house. Each day you hammer a nail, place a board, or erect a wall. Build wisely. It is the only life you will ever build. Even if you live it for only one day more, that day deserves to be lived graciously and with dignity. The plaque on the wall says, "Life is a do-it-yourself project." Your life tomorrow will be the result of your attitudes and the choices you make today.

Expectancy

2005-09-20T04:39:00.000-07:00

Expectancy
by Pamela McCann

Near our Washington home is a nature preserve, 150 acres of extravagant gardens with nearly every setting you can imagine. My husband and I make it a point to visit the gardens regularly, to walk and talk and see what’s next: the glory of springtime when trees burst into bloom; the golden autumn with leaves drifting in the fall breeze like rain; the winter when the bare branches of the trees and bushes are lightly covered in frost or snow.

What has struck me as we’ve gone on this little journey is that each season has a life of its own. And it’s as if each season is building toward the next. There’s a kind of expectation about what’s coming. There isn’t a “dead” season, as I used to think that winter was. It’s as if each one brings its own hope: that in and of itself there is something to look forward to in each turn of the seasons. We have learned that seeing the garden isn’t a simple stroll once a year at peak bloom. Seeing this garden is a yearlong experience.

My own life might be like that garden. How many times do we feel like we’re going through something awful, only to see later how God put that season in our lives to lead to the next? If we knew what was coming, would we look differently at the season or struggle that we’re facing now? If I stopped thinking of some times as dark “wilderness experiences,” and looked for something positive in each season, what might my life be like? If I stopped looking at the down side of the situation, and started asking God to help me see what good can come of this season, might I be more in tune with what God is doing in my life and through it? It can be hard to see beyond the pain or disappointment we feel, but we know that God has promised us He will not forsake or abandon us in the low places. We can confidently live in the expectancy not only of the next better season in our lives, but of what God will do with this season.

"And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." ~ Romans 8:28

Power of prayer

2005-09-19T08:21:00.000-07:00

Be a person of prayer...

Those of us committed to a lifestyle of loving the world need to learn to pray, to be sensitive to the Lord's nudges, to regularly spend time at the throne.

A missionary on furlough told this true story while visiting his home church in Michigan...

While serving at a small field hospital in Africa, every two weeks I traveled by bicycle through the jungle to a nearby city for supplies. This was a journey of two days and required camping overnight at the halfway point. On one of these journeys, I arrived in the city where I planned to collect money from a bank, purchase medicine and supplies, and then begin my two-day journey back to the field hospital.

Upon arrival In the city, I observed two men fighting, one of whom had been seriously injured. I treated him for his injuries and at the same time witnessed to him of Lord Jesus Christ. I then travel two days, camping overnight, and arrived home without incident.

Two weeks later I repeated my journey. Upon arriving in the city, I was approached by the young man I had treated. He told me that he had known I carried money and medicines. He said, "Some friends and I followed you into the jungle, knowing you would camp overnight. We planned to kill you and take your money and drugs. But just as we were about to move into your camp, we saw that you were surrounded by 26 armed guards."

At this I laughed and said that I was certainly all alone out in that jungle campsite. The young man pressed the point, however, and said "No sir, I was not the only person to see the guards. My five friends also saw them, and we all counted them. It was because of those guards that we were afraid and left you alone."

At this point in the sermon, one of the men in the congregation jumped to his feet and interrupted the missionary and asked if he could tell him the exact day that this happened. The missionary told the congregation the date, and the man who interrupted told him this story:

"On the night of your incident in Africa, it was morning here and I was preparing to go play golf. I was about to putt when I felt the urge to pray for you. In fact, the urging of the Lord was so strong, I called men in this church to meet with me here in the sanctuary to pray for you. Would all of those men who met with me on that day stand up?"

The men who had met together   that day stood up. The missionary wasn't concerned with who they were -- he was to busy counting how many men he saw.

There were 26.

Why Should I?

2005-09-18T04:17:00.000-07:00

Why Should I?
author unknown

Why should I say I can't when the Bible says "I can do all things through Christ who gives me Strength"? ~ Phil 4:13

Why should I lack anything when I know that "God shall supply all my needs according to His riches and glory in Christ Jesus"? ~ Phil 4:19

Why should I fear when the Bible says "God has not given me a spirit of fear, but of power, love and a sound mind"? ~ 2 Tim 1:7

Why should I lack faith to fulfill my calling knowing that "God has allotted to me a measure of faith"? ~ Rom 12:3

Why should I be weak when the Bible says that "the Lord is the strength of my life and that I will display strength and take action because I know God"? ~ Psa 27:1, Dan 11:32?

Why should I allow Satan's supremacy over my life when "He that is in me is greater then he that is in the world"? ~ 1 John 4:4

Why should I lack wisdom when "Christ became wisdom to me from God and God gives wisdom to me generously when I ask Him for it"? ~ 1Cor 1:30, James 1:5

Why should I accept defeat when the Bible says that "God always leads me in triumph"? ~ 2 Cor 2:14

Why should I be depressed when I can recall to mind "God's loving kindness, compassion, and faithfulness" and have hope? ~ Lam 3:21-23

Why should I worry and fret when I can "cast all my anxiety on Christ who cares for me"? ~ 1Pet 5:7

Why should I ever be in bondage knowing that "there is liberty where the Spirit of the Lord is"? ~ Gal 5:1

Why should I feel condemned when the Bible says "I am not condemned because I am in Christ"? ~ Rom 8:1

Why should I feel alone when Jesus said "He is with me always and He will never leave me nor forsake me"? ~ Matt 28:20, Heb 13:5

Why should I feel accursed or that I am the victim of bad luck when the Bible says that "Christ redeemed me from the curse of the law that I might receive the Holy Spirit"? ~ Gal 3:13,14

Why should I be discontented when I, like Paul can "learn to be content in all my circumstances"? ~ Phil 4:11

Why should I feel worthless when "Christ became sin on my behalf that I might become the righteousness of God in Him"? ~ 2 Cor 5:21

Why should I have a persecution complex knowing that "nobody can be against me when God is for me"? ~ Rom 8:31

Why should I be confused when "God is the author of peace and he gives me knowledge through His in dwelling Spirit"? ~ 1 Cor 14:33, 2:12

Why should I feel like a failure when "I am a conqueror in all things through Christ"? ~ Rom 8:37

Why should I let the pressures of life bother me when I can "take courage knowing that Jesus has overcome the world and its tribulations"? ~ John 16:33

Funny, Isn't it?

2005-09-17T03:10:00.000-07:00

Funny, Isn't It?
author unknown

Funny how $10 looks so big when we take it to church and so small when we take it to the store.

Funny how big an hour serving God looks and how small 60 minutes are when spent playing golf, fishing or watching TV.

Funny how laborious it is to read a chapter in the Bible and how easy it is to read 2-300 pages of a best selling novel.

Funny how we believe what newspapers say, but question what the Bible says.

Funny how we can't think of anything to say when we pray and don't have any difficulty thinking of things to talk about to a friend.

Funny how we need 2 or 3 weeks to fit a church event into our schedule, but can adjust it for a social event at the last minute.

Funny isn't it?

Unexpected Reward

2005-09-16T03:11:00.000-07:00

Unexpected Reward
by Marilyn Ford

During the Great Depression a pastor reluctantly told his congregation that they would no longer be able to support a mission station in India because of their own financial difficulties.

A Christian widow pled with the congregation to keep up the support, promising to pay the monthly pledge herself, even though she had a family to care for.

She kept her word, although it was a struggle and a hardship for her.

To add to her difficulties, her two sons left home. Months passed with no word from them. But all the time the widow continued to scrimp and save to pay the pledge to the mission station in India.

Then one day she received a letter from one of her sons. Both had joined the Merchant Marine and in the course of their travels had visited a city in India.

Imagine the joy in that mother's heart as the boys told her they had found a mission in that city and both had been gloriously saved.

Perhaps you have guessed it--it was the very same mission the mother had helped to keep open with her faithful sacrifices month after month.

Truly the Lord rewards our faithfulness in ways of which we would never dream!

The Treasure

2005-09-15T03:10:00.000-07:00

The Treasure
by Alice Gray
from "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?

Time and Love

2005-09-14T06:37:00.000-07:00

Time and Love
author unknown

Once upon a time, there was an island where all the feelings lived: Happiness, Sadness, Knowledge, and all of the others including Love.

One day it was announced to the feelings that the island would sink, so all prepared their boats and left. Love was the only one who stayed.

Love wanted to persevere until the last possible moment. When the island was almost sinking, Love decided to ask for help. Richness was passing by Love in a grand boat. Love said "Richness, can you take me with you?" Richness answered, "No, I can't there is a lot of gold and silver in my boat. There is no place here for you." Love decided to ask Vanity who was also passing by in a beautiful vessel, "Vanity, please help me!" "I can't help you Love. You are all wet and might damage my boat," Vanity answered. Sadness was close by so love asked for help, "Sadness, Let me go with you" "Oh Love, I am so sad that I need to be by myself!" Happiness passed by Love too, but she was so happy that she did not even hear when Love called her!

Suddenly, there was a voice, "Come Love, I will take you." It was an elder. Love felt so blessed and overjoyed that she even forgot to ask the elder his name. When they arrived on dry land, the elder went on his own way. Love realizing how much she owed the elder, asked Knowledge, another elder, "Who helped me?" "It was Time," Knowledge answered. "Time?" asked Love. "But why did Time help me?" Knowledge smiled with deep Wisdom and answered, "Because only Time is capable of understanding how great Love is."

"Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God."
~ I John 4:7

"We'll See..."

2005-09-13T07:00:00.000-07:00

“We'll See...”
Author Unknown

Once upon a time, there was a farmer in the central region of China. He didn't have a lot of money and, instead of a tractor, he used an old horse to plow his field.

One afternoon, while working in the field, the horse dropped dead. Everyone in the village said, "Oh, what a horrible thing to happen." The farmer said simply, "We'll see." He was so at peace and so calm, that everyone in the village got together and, admiring his attitude, gave him a new horse as a gift.

Everyone's reaction now was, "What a lucky man." And the farmer said, "We'll see."

A couple days later, the new horse jumped a fence and ran away. Everyone in the village shook their heads and said, "What a poor fellow!"

The farmer smiled and said, "We'll see."

Eventually, the horse found his way home, and everyone again said, "What a fortunate man."

The farmer said, "We'll see."

Later in the year, the farmer's young boy went out riding on the horse and fell and broke his leg. Everyone in the village said, "What a shame for the poor boy."

The farmer said, "We'll see."

Two days later, the army came into the village to draft new recruits. When they saw that the farmer's son had a broken leg, they decided not to recruit him.

Everyone said, "What a fortunate young man."

The farmer smiled again - and said "We'll see."

Moral of the story: There's no use in overreacting to the events and circumstances of our everyday lives. Many times what looks like a setback, may actually be a gift in disguise. And when our hearts are in the right place, all events and circumstances are gifts that we can learn valuable lessons from.

As Fra Giovanni once said:

"Everything we call a trial, a sorrow, or a duty, believe me... the gift is there and the wonder of an overshadowing presence."

Someone is Watching You

2005-09-12T06:54:00.000-07:00

Someone Is Watching You
by Ron Brown

Do you know that someone is watching the way you live? In 1957 this story began to unfold.

There was a young man of the age of twelve that obeyed the gospel of Christ and became a Christian. Soon afterwards, due to circumstances in his family, he had no transportation to attend worship services of the Lord's church.

This did not stop him from going to church, it only slowed him down some. He chose to walk to church services. (Some will think that this is no big deal, for many people have walked to church.) Even though he lived more than five miles from the church building, he never missed a church service that weather allowed him to attend.

Across the road from the church building lived an elderly gentleman who had no use for religion. Now, as the spring of 1957 wore into summer, this old gent sat out on his front porch each Sunday morning. He could not help but take notice of this young man. Every Sunday, the lad walked down the dusty road and entered the church building across the road.

In almost all rural communities, everyone knows most everyone else. This elderly man had been visited by nearly every member of that church. He had been invited often to visit their services, but to no avail.

Through the weeks of spring and summer, Mr. Doe (not the man's real name) and the young man greeted each other every Sunday. Mr. Doe could almost set his clock by the church's schedule of services and the youth's arrival. This continued throughout the summer of 1957.

One beautiful Sunday morning in September, Mr. Doe was on his front porch wondering where the young man was. It was past time for services and the lad had not walked past his house. The next week, Mr. Doe watched again for the boy, but once again, he did not come.

The following Sunday, after services, Mr. Doe walked across the road and asked one of the men if he knew what he knew about the young man. Did he know what had happened to the youth who had walked past his house each Sunday? He was told that the young man's family had moved and that he would not be attending church services there any more.

The first Sunday in October, Mr. Doe walked out onto his front porch, but did not sit down. Instead, he walked across the road and entered the church building. This was the first time he had attended a church service since he had been a lad himself.

The members were surprised, yet very happy to see Mr. Doe. After all these years, he had finally come. Mr. Doe became a regular guest at the little country church, and that winter he was baptized into Christ.

The preacher was curious, as well as were the others, as to what had finally convinced Mr. Doe to take note of his life and become a Christian. Mr. Doe explained that a young man whom he did not even know had persuaded him that there must be something special about being a Christian.

This man became a Christian because of a young man's example.

The lad never realized that as he walked to church each Sunday, someone was watching him.

Ruth

2005-09-11T04:42:00.000-07:00

Ruth
author unknown

Ruth went to her mail box and there was only one letter. She picked it up and looked at it before opening, but then she looked at the envelope again. There was no stamp, no postmark, only her name and address. She read the letter:

Dear Ruth,
I'm going to be in your neighborhood Saturday afternoon and I'd like to stop by for a visit.
Love Always,
Jesus

Her hands were shaking as she placed the letter on the table. "Why would the Lord want to visit me? I'm nobody special. I don't have anything to offer." With that thought, Ruth remembered her empty kitchen cabinets. "Oh my goodness, I really don't have anything to offer. I'll have to run down to the store and buy something for dinner."

She reached for her purse and counted out its contents. Five dollars and forty cents. "Well, I can get some bread and cold cuts, at least." She threw on her coat and hurried out the door. A loaf of french bread, a half-pound of sliced turkey, and a carton of milk ... leaving Ruth with a grand total of twelve cents to last her until Monday.

Nonetheless, she felt as she headed home, her meager offerings tucked under her arm. "Hey lady, can you help us, lady?" Ruth had been so absorbed in her dinner plans, she hadn't even noticed two figures huddled in the alleyway. A man and a woman, both of them dressed in little more than rags.

Look lady, I ain't got a job, ya know, and my wife and I have been living out here on the street, and, well, now it's getting cold and we're getting kinda hungry and, well, if you could help us, lady, we'd really appreciate it." Ruth looked at them both. They were dirty, they smelled bad and, frankly, she was certain that they could get some kind of work if they really wanted to. "Sir, I'd like to help you, but I'm a poor woman myself. All I have is a few cold cuts and some bread, and I'm having an important guest for dinner tonight and I was planning on serving that to Him." "Yeah, well, OK lady, I understand. Thanks anyway."

The man put his arm around the woman's shoulders, turned and headed back into the alley. As she watched them leave, Ruth felt a familiar twinge in her heart. "Sir, wait!" The couple stopped and turned as she ran down the alley after them. "Look, why don't you take this food. I'll figure out something else to serve my guest." She handed the man her grocery bag. "Thank you lady. Thank you very much!" "Yes, thank you!" It was the man's wife, and Ruth could see now that she was shivering.

"You know, I've got another coat at home. Here, why don't you take this one." Ruth unbuttoned her jacket and slipped it over the woman's shoulders. Then smiling, she turned and walked back to the street...without her coat and with nothing to serve her guest. "Thank you lady! Thank you very much!" Ruth was chilled by the time she reached her front door, and worried too. The Lord was coming to visit and she didn't have anything to offer Him. She fumbled through her purse for the door key. But as she did, she noticed another envelope in her mailbox. "That's odd. The mailman doesn't usually come twice in one day." She took the envelope out of the box and opened it.

Dear Ruth,
It was so good to see you again. Thank you for the lovely meal. And thank you, too, for the beautiful coat.
Love Always,
Jesus

The air was still cold, but even without her coat, Ruth no longer noticed.

"Jesus said, "I was hungry, and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me." Then the righteous will answer him, "Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothing and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?" Jesus repiled, "I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me."
~ Matthew 25:35-40

Never Say, "I Can't"

2005-09-08T03:21:00.000-07:00

Never Say, "I Can't"

There is a fable about two frogs. They were hopping along quite near to each other except one was in the grass on the shoulder of the road while the other was hopping along in a deep rut.

"I wish I were over there in the nice grass with you" complained the frog in the road. "Well, why don't you jump out and come over here?" asked the other frog. "I can't. This rut is too deep. I can't jump over the edge" "Pretty soon the frog in the grass was surprised to see the other frog hopping along beside him. "I thought you couldn't jump out of the rut." "Well", said his companion "a big truck came along, and I had to jump out."

We are much like that at times, not knowing what we can do until we are forced to act. Usually when we say "I can't" we really mean "I've never done it before" Very seldom are we asked to do something which is impossible for us.

"I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me"
~ Philippians 4:13

Twenty Dollars

2005-09-07T04:50:00.000-07:00

“Twenty Dollars”
Author Unknown

A well known speaker started off his seminar by holding up a $20 bill. In the room of 200, he asked. "Who would like this $20 bill?"

Hands started going up. He said, "I am going to give this $20 to one of you - but first, let me do this."

He proceeded to crumple the 20 dollar note up. He then asked. "Who still wants it?" Still the hands were up in the air.

"Well," he replied, "what if I do this?" He dropped it on the ground and started to grind it into the floor with his shoe. He picked it up, now crumpled and dirty. "Now, who still wants it?"

Still the hands went into the air.

"My friends, you have all learned a very valuable lesson. No matter what I did to the money, you still wanted it because it did not decrease in value. It was still worth $20.

Many times in our lives, we are dropped, crumpled, and ground into the dirt by the decisions we make and the circumstances that come our way. We feel as though we are worthless; but no matter what happened or what will happen, you will never lose your value.

Dirty or clean, crumpled or finely creased, you are still priceless to those who love you. You are priceless to God. The worth of our lives comes, not in what we do or who we know, but by ...WHO WE ARE.

"And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from his love. Death can't, and life can't. Our fears for today, our worries about tomorrow, and even the powers of hell can't keep God's love away. Whether we are high above the sky or in the deepest ocean, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord."
~ Romans 8:38-39

Kindness

2005-09-06T05:45:00.000-07:00

Here are some famous quotes on kindess. They remind me of all the wonderful people who are reaching out to the victims of hurricane Katrina.

"Everybody can be great...because anybody can serve. You don't have to have a college degree to serve. You don't have to make your subject and verb agree to serve. You only need a heart full of grace. A soul generated by love."
~ Martin Luther King, Jr.

"You give but little when you give of your possessions. It is when you give of yourself that you truly give."
~ Kahlil Gibran

"No act of kindness, however small, is ever wasted."
~ Aesop

"I am only one, but still I am one. I cannot do everything, but still I can do something; and because I cannot do everything, I will not refuse to do something I can do."
~ Edward Everett Hale

"At the end of life we will not be judged by how many diplomas we have received,
how much money we have made, how many great things we have done.
We will be judged by 'I was hungry and you gave me something to eat,
I was naked and you clothed me, I was homeless and you took me in.'
Hungry not only for bread -- but hungry for love. Naked not only for clothing --
but naked for human dignity and respect.
Homeless not only for want of a room of bricks -- but homeless because of rejection."
~ Mother Teresa

"You cannot do a kindness too soon because you never know how soon it will be too late.”
~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

"It is not only for what we do that we are held responsible, but also for what we do not do."
~ Moliere

"From what we get, we can make a living;
what we give, however, makes a life. "
~ Arthur Ashe

"Wherever there is a human being, there is an opportunity for kindness."
~ Seneca

"Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around. "
~ Leo Buscaglia

Dr. Roseveare

2005-09-05T06:39:00.000-07:00

This story was written by a doctor who worked in South Africa...

One night I had worked hard to help a mother in the labor ward; but in spite of all we could do, she died leaving us with a tiny premature baby and a crying two-year-old daughter. We would have difficulty keeping the baby alive, as we had no incubator (we had no electricity to run an incubator).

We also had no special feeding facilities. Although we lived on the equator, nights were often chilly with treacherous drafts. One student midwife went for the box we had for such babies and the cotton wool that the baby would be wrapped in.

Another went to stoke up the fire and fill a hot water bottle. She came back shortly in distress to tell me that in filling the bottle, it had burst (rubber perishes easily in tropical climates). "And it is our last hot water bottle!" she exclaimed. As in the West, it is no good crying over spilled milk so in Central Africa it might be considered no good crying over burst water bottles. They do not grow on trees, and there are no drugstores down forest pathways.

"All right," I said, "put the baby as near the fire as you safely can, and sleep between the baby and the door to keep it free from drafts. Your job is to keep the baby warm."

The following noon, as I did most days, I went to have prayers with any of the orphanage children who chose to gather with me. I gave the youngsters various suggestions of things to pray about and told them about the tiny baby. I explained our problem about keeping the baby warm enough, mentioning the hot water bottle, and that the baby could so easily die if it got chills. I also told them of the two-year-old sister, crying because her mother had died.

During prayer time, one ten-year old girl, Ruth, prayed with the usual blunt conciseness of our African children. "Please, God" she prayed, "send us a water bottle. It'll be no good tomorrow, God, as the baby will be dead, so please send it this afternoon."

While I gasped inwardly at the audacity of the prayer, she added, "And while You are about it, would You please send a dolly for the little girl so she'll know You really love her?"

As often with children's prayers, I was put on the spot. Could I honestly say, "Amen". I just did not believe that God could do this. Oh, yes, I know that He can do everything, the Bible says so. But there are limits, aren't there? The only way God could answer this particular prayer would be by sending me a parcel from homeland. I had been in Africa for almost four years at that time, and I had never, ever received a parcel from home. Anyway, if anyone did send me a parcel, who would put in a hot water bottle? I lived on the equator! Halfway through the afternoon, while I was teaching in the nurses' training school, a message was sent that there was a car at my front door.

By the time I reached home, the car had gone, but there, on the veranda, was a large twenty-two pound parcel. I felt tears pricking my eyes. I could not open the parcel alone, so I sent for the orphanage children.

Together we pulled off the string, carefully undoing each knot. We folded the paper, taking care not to tear it unduly. Excitement was mounting.

Some thirty or forty pairs of eyes were focused on the large cardboard box. From the top, I lifted out brightly colored, knitted jerseys. Eyes sparkled as I gave them out. Then there were the knitted bandages for the leprosy patients, and the children looked a little bored. Then came a box of mixed raisins and sultanas - that would make a batch of buns for the weekend. Then, as I put my hand in again, I felt the ... could it really be? I grasped it and pulled it out - yes, a brand-new, rubber hot water bottle. I cried. I had not asked God to send it; I had not truly believed that He could. Ruth was in the front row of the children. She rushed forward, crying out, "If God has sent the bottle, He must have sent the! dolly too!"

Rummaging down to the bottom of the box, she pulled out the small, beautifully dressed dolly. Her eyes shone! She had never doubted!

Looking up at me, she asked: "Can I go over with you and give this dolly to that little girl, so she'll know that Jesus really loves her?"

That parcel had been on the way for five whole months. Packed up by my former Sunday school class, whose leader had heard and obeyed God's prompting to send a hot water bottle, even to the equator. And one of the girls had put in a dolly for an African child - five months before, in answer to the believing prayer of a ten-year-old to bring it "that afternoon."

"I will answer them before they even call to me. While they are still talking to me about their needs, I will go ahead and answer their prayers!"
~ Isaiah 65:24

Please take a moment to pray for the victims of hurricane Katrina:
"Dear Lord, Where there is pain, give them Your peace and mercy. Where there is self doubting, release a renewed confidence to work through them. Where there is tiredness or exhaustion, I ask You to give them understanding, guidance, and strength. Where there is spiritual weariness, I ask You to renew them by revealing Your nearness, and by drawing them into greater intimacy with You. Where there is fear, reveal Your love, and release to them Your courage. Raise up leaders and friends to support and encourage them. Give each of them discernment to recognize the evil forces around them, and reveal to them the power they have in You to defeat it. I ask you to do these things in Jesus' name. Amen."

How to Help with Disaster Relief

2005-09-04T05:11:00.000-07:00

How To Help with Disaster Relief
From Mary Fairchild,Your Guide to Christianity - General.

It may be a long time before we can fully assess the impact of the devastation caused by Hurricane Katrina. But we don't have to wait to help. Here are a few practical ways to put compassion in action and provide urgent relief for the Hurricane Katrina survivors.

1.   Pray - This is a no-brainer. One of the easiest and most positive ways you can help is to pray for the survivors of Hurricane Katrina and pray for the disaster relief efforts.

2.   Give - You can contribute with financial gifts or by donating relief supplies. Be sure to give to a reputable, well-established relief organization to ensure that your gift makes the best possible impact toward relief. You may also want to visit the Better Business Bureau Wise Giving Alliance at Give.org. This organization has established charity standards and makes recommendations for responsible giving.

3.   Go - You can help by going as a volunteer to assist with relief efforts. To ensure your skills will be best utilized, it is important to go with an organized agency. The Disaster News Network reports, "It may be compassionate, but it's not helpful to show up without being affiliated with an organization that's already officially approved." If you simply show up to help, your efforts will have a diminished impact, you are likely to get in the way, or worse, put yourself or someone else in danger.

4.   Prepare - If you decide to go, begin to make plans now. Here are some suggested agencies currently accepting volunteers:
• American Red Cross Volunteer Match
• Samaritan's Purse
• Northwest Medical Teams
•United Methodist Committee on Relief

Tips:
Invite people at work or school to pray with you for the relief efforts.
Consider putting together a relief kit for one of the relief charities.
Before you donate, investigate.
Carefully research the best volunteer options before going.
Ask your local church if any relief efforts are being organized.

At times like these, when the need is so great, sometimes we think that our efforts cannot really make a difference. This is not true. God has called each of us to show his love to those who are hurting around us.

"To the world you may be one person, but to one person, you may mean the world."

The Praying Hands

2005-09-03T03:25:00.000-07:00

The Praying Hands
author unknown

Back in the fifteenth century, in a tiny village near Nuremberg, lived a family with eighteen children. Eighteen! In order merely to keep food on the table for this mob, the father and head of the household, a goldsmith by profession, worked almost eighteen hours a day at his trade and any other paying chore he could find in the neighborhood. Despite their seemingly hopeless condition, two of Albrecht Durer the Elder's children had a dream. They both wanted to pursue their talent for art, but they knew full well that their father would never be financially able to send either of them to Nuremberg to study at the Academy.

After many long discussions at night in their crowded bed, the two boys finally worked out a pact. They would toss a coin. The loser would go down into the nearby mines and, with his earnings, support his brother while he attended the academy. Then, when that brother who won the toss completed his studies, in four years, he would support the other brother at the academy, either with sales of his artwork or, if necessary, also by laboring in the mines.

They tossed a coin on a Sunday morning after church. Albrecht Durer won the toss and went off to Nuremberg. Albert went down into the dangerous mines and, for the next four years, financed his brother, whose work at the academy was almost an immediate sensation. Albrecht's etchings, his woodcuts, and his oils were far better than those of most of his professors, and by the time he graduated, he was beginning to earn considerable fees for his commissioned works.

When the young artist returned to his village, the Durer family held a festive dinner on their lawn to celebrate Albrecht's triumphant homecoming. After a long and memorable meal, punctuated with music and laughter, Albrecht rose from his honored position at the head of the table to drink a toast to his beloved brother for the years of sacrifice that had enabled Albrecht to fulfill his ambition. His closing words were, "And now, Albert, blessed brother of mine, now it is your turn. Now you can go to Nuremberg to pursue your dream, and I will take care of you."

All heads turned in eager expectation to the far end of the table where Albert sat, tears streaming down his pale face, shaking his lowered head from side to side while he sobbed and repeated, over and over, "No ...no ...no ...no."

Finally, Albert rose and wiped the tears from his cheeks. He glanced down the long table at the faces he loved, and then, holding his hands close to his right cheek, he said softly, "No, brother. I cannot go to Nuremberg. It is too late for me. Look ... look what four years in the mines have done to my hands! The bones in every finger have been smashed at least once, and lately I have been suffering from arthritis so badly in my right hand that I cannot even hold a glass to return your toast, much less make delicate lines on parchment or canvas with a pen or a brush. No, brother ... for me it is too late."

More than 450 years have passed. By now, Albrecht Durer's hundreds of masterful portraits, pen and silver-point sketches, watercolors, charcoals, woodcuts, and copper engravings hang in every great museum in the world, but the odds are great that you, like most people, are familiar with only one of Albrecht Durer's works. More than merely being familiar with it, you very well may have a reproduction hanging in your home or office.

One day, to pay homage to Albert for all that he had sacrificed, Albrecht Durer painstakingly drew his brother's abused hands with palms together and thin fingers stretched skyward. He called his powerful drawing simply "Hands," but the entire world almost immediately opened their hearts to his great masterpiece and renamed his tribute of love "The Praying Hands."

The next time you see a copy of that touching creation, take a second look. Let it be your reminder, if you still need one, that no one - no one - - ever makes it alone!

The Cleaning Lady

2005-09-02T05:55:00.000-07:00

The Cleaning Lady
by Joanne C. Jones

During my second month of nursing school, our professor gave us a pop quiz. I was a conscientious student and had breezed through the questions, until I read the last one: "What is the first name of the woman who cleans the school?" Surely this was some kind of joke. I had seen the cleaning woman several times. She was tall, dark-haired and in her 50s, but how would I know her name? I handed in my paper, leaving the last question blank. Before class ended, one student asked if the last question would count toward our quiz grade. "Absolutely," said the professor. "In your careers you will meet many people. All are significant. They deserve your attention and care, even if all you do is smile and say 'Hello'."

I've never forgotten that lesson. I also learned her name was Dorothy.

"Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but enjoy the company of ordinary people. Do not be conceited."
~ Romans 12:16

Why Not Her?

2005-09-01T06:47:00.000-07:00

Why Not Her?
by Glynnis Whitwer, Senior Editor, P31 Woman Magazine

Do you ever wish more people were like you? Be honest. Have you ever wondered why no one seems to work as hard as you do, or gives as much to charity, or remembers birthdays like you do? Isn't everyone supposed to do what you do? Actually ... no.

God designed us delightfully different. Scripture tells us that in addition to being uniquely created, we are each given different spiritual "gifts" through the Holy Spirit. These gifts take the form of special abilities, such as healing, prophesying, teaching and administration, to name a few. (See 1 Corinthians 12 and Romans 12 for more examples.)

Normally, when we receive a gift, it is for us to use and enjoy. But spiritual gifts are given to benefit others. First Corinthians 12:7 tells us, "Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good." In essence, we are to give away these gifts from God.

What wonderful things spiritual gifts are - until our sinful nature gets in the way. Two negative things can happen regarding spiritual gifts: 1) We want the gift that others have, or 2) We expect others to have our gifts, and do what we do. When they don't, we get annoyed. Rick Warren, in The Purpose Driven Life, calls this "gift projection." Gift projection can be the source of much unhappiness and division between friends.

For example, let's say your gift is hospitality. You invite a friend to your home for lunch and you go the extra mile to clean your house, make something special for her to eat, and buy fresh flowers. You spend hours preparing for her visit and you have a wonderful time. At the end of the lunch, she reciprocates and invites you to her house.

When you go to her house, you get a store-bought cookie, a can of soda, and she hastily stacks the newspapers on the floor so you can sit on the couch. Not exactly the reception you were expecting after all the work you did. But as you sit down to talk, it's obvious you are her top priority. Her gift of mercy overflows as she listens to your problems and responds with wisdom and compassion.

What's your reaction?

As we consider our spiritual gifts and those of our friends, we should cultivate a heart of appreciation for the differences. God designed those differences so all the needs of His believers would be met. Guard against resentment forming in your heart, and thank God that He gave your friend a different spiritual gift - one designed to benefit YOU.

My Prayer for Today:
Heavenly Father, thank You for giving us spiritual gifts. I thank You that You care for my needs and have gifted someone else to help me. Help me to look at others differently and appreciate their unique spiritual gifts. Please forgive me when I have been envious or resentful about my spiritual gift or others'. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.

"... But God has combined the members of the body and has given greater honor to the parts that lacked it, so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other."
~ I Corinthians 12:24-25

The Mother Bird's Gift

2005-08-31T02:58:00.000-07:00

The Mother Bird's Gift
author unknown

An article in National Geographic several years ago provided a penetrating picture of God's wings. After a forest fire in Yellowstone National Park, forest rangers began their trek up a mountain to assess the inferno's damage.

One ranger found a bird literally petrified in ashes, perched statuesquely on the ground at the base of a tree. Somewhat sickened by the eerie sight, he knocked over the bird with a stick. When he struck it, three tiny chicks scurried from under their dead mother's wings.

The loving mother, keenly aware of impending disaster, had carried her offspring to the base of the tree and had gathered them under her wings, instinctively knowing that the toxic smoke would rise. She could have flown to safety but had refused to abandon her babies. When the blaze had arrived and the heat had singed her small body, the mother had remained steadfast.

Because she had been willing to die, so those under the cover of her wings would live.

"He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge."
~ Psalms 91:4

"Ele o cobrirá com a suas penas, e sob as suas asas você encontrará refúgio."
~ Salmos 91:4

It Takes Guts to Say "Jesus"

2005-08-29T23:41:00.000-07:00

It Takes Guts to Say "Jesus"
author unknown

This is a true story of something that happened just a few years ago at U.S.C.

There was a professor of philosophy there who was a deeply committed atheist. His primary goal for one required class was to spend the entire semester attempting to prove that God couldn't exist. His students were always afraid to argue with him because of his impeccable logic. For twenty years, he had taught this class and no one had ever had the courage to go against him. Sure, some had argued in class at times, but no one had ever really gone against him' (you'll see what I mean later).

Nobody would go against him because he had a reputation. At the end of every semester, on the last day, he would say to his class of 300 students, "If there is anyone here who still believes in Jesus, stand up!" In twenty years, no one had ever stood up.

They knew what he was going to do next. He would say, "because anyone who does believe in God is a fool. If God existed, he could stop this piece of chalk from hitting the ground and breaking. Such a simple task to prove that he is God, and yet he can't do it." And every year, he would drop the chalk onto the tile floor of the classroom and it would shatter into a hundred pieces. All of the students could do nothing but stop and stare. Most of the students were convinced that God couldn't exist. Certainly, a number of Christians had slipped through, but for 20 years, they had been too afraid to stand up.

Well, a few years ago, there was a freshman who happened to get enrolled in the class. He was a Christian, and had heard the stories about this professor. He had to take the class because it was one of the required classes for his major and he was afraid. But for 3 months that semester, he prayed every morning that he would have the courage to stand up no matter what the professor said or what the class thought.

Nothing they said or did could ever shatter his faith, he hoped. Finally the day came. The professor said, "If there is anyone here who still believes in God, stand up!" The professor and the class of 300 people looked at him, shocked, as he stood up at the back of the classroom. The professor shouted, "You FOOL!! If God existed, he could keep this piece of chalk from breaking when it hit the ground!" He proceeded to drop the chalk, but as he did, it slipped out of his fingers, off his shirt cuff, onto the pleats of his pants, down his leg, and off his shoe. As it hit the ground, it simply rolled away, unbroken.

The professor's jaw dropped as he stared at the chalk. He looked up at the young man and then ran out of the lecture hall. The young man who had stood up proceeded to walk to the front of the room and share his faith in Jesus for the next half hour. 300 students stayed and listened as he told of God's love for them and of his power through Jesus.

"Yet to all who received HIM, to those who believed in HIS name, HE gave the right to become children of God-children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God!" But HE knows the way that I take. When HE has tested me, I will come forth as gold."
~ Job 23:10

A Little Boy at at Big Piano

2005-08-29T02:50:00.000-07:00

“A Little Boy At A Big Piano”
Author Unknown

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 in life. What we can accomplish on our own is hardly noteworthy. We try our best, but the results aren't exactly graceful flowing music. But when we put our trust in the hands of God, 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."

"Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and your plans will succeed." ~ Proverbs 16:3

"Consagre ao Senhor tudo o que vocé faz, e os seus planos serão bem-sucedidos." ~ Provérbios 16:3

The Mexican Fisherman

2005-08-28T04:42:00.000-07:00

“The Mexican Fisherman”
Author Unknown

The American investment banker was at the pier of a small coastal Mexican village when a small boat with just one fisherman docked.

Inside the small boat were several large yellow fin tuna. The American complimented the Mexican on the quality of his fish and asked how long it took to catch them.

The Mexican replied, "Only a little while."

The American then asked, "Why didn't you stay out longer and catch more fish?"

The Mexican said, "With this I have more than enough to support my family's needs."

The American then asked, "But what do you do with the rest of your time?"

The Mexican fisherman said, "I sleep late, fish a little, play with my children, take siesta with my wife, Maria, stroll into the village each evening where I sip wine and play guitar with my amigos, I have a full and busy life."

The American scoffed, "I am a Harvard MBA and could help you. You should spend more time fishing; and with the proceeds, buy a bigger boat: With the proceeds from the bigger boat you could buy several boats. Eventually you would have a fleet of fishing boats. Instead of selling your catch to a middleman you would sell directly to the processor; eventually opening your own cannery. You would control the product, processing and distribution. You would need to leave this small coastal fishing village and move to Mexico City, then Los Angeles and eventually New York where you will run your ever-expanding enterprise."

The Mexican fisherman asked, "But, how long will this all take?"

To which the American replied, "15 to 20 years."

"But what then?" asked the Mexican.

The American laughed and said that's the best part. "When the time is right you would announce an IPO and sell your company stock to the public and become very rich, you would make millions."

"Millions?...Then what?"

The American said, "Then you would retire. Move to a small coastal fishing village where you would sleep late, fish a little, play with your kids, take siesta with your wife, stroll to the village in the evenings where you could sip wine and play your guitar with your amigos."

"The Real Meaning of Peace"

2005-08-27T04:58:00.000-07:00

“The Real Meaning Of Peace”
Author Unknown

There once was a king who offered a prize to the artist who would paint the best picture of peace. Many artists tried. The king looked at all the pictures. But there were only two he really liked, and he had to choose between them.

One picture was of a calm lake. The lake was a perfect mirror for peaceful towering mountains all around it. Overhead was a blue sky with fluffy white clouds. All who saw this picture thought that it was a perfect picture of peace.

The other picture had mountains, too. But these were rugged and bare. Above was an angry sky, from which rain fell and in which lightning played. Down the side of the mountain tumbled a foaming waterfall. This did not look peaceful at all.

But when the king looked closely, he saw behind the waterfall a tiny bush growing in a crack in the rock. In the bush a mother bird had built her nest. There, in the midst of the rush of angry water, sat the mother bird on her nest - in perfect peace.

Which picture do you think won the prize? The king chose the second picture. Do you know why?

"Because," explained the king, "peace does not mean to be in a place where there is no noise, trouble, or hard work. Peace means to be in the midst of all those things and still be calm in your heart. That is the real meaning of peace."

"The Lord gives strength to his people; the Lord blesses his people with peace." ~ Psalm 29:11

"Jesus said, "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let yor hearts be troubled and do not be afraid." ~ John 14:27

"Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me – put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you." ~ Philippians 4:9

"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." ~ Philippinas 4:6-7

"Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful." ~ Colossians 3:15

"For Jesus himself is our peace, who has made the two one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility." ~ Ephesians 2:14

"Can you See God?"

2005-08-25T20:14:00.000-07:00

“Can You See God?”
Author Unknown

A small boy once approached his slightly older sister with a question about God. "Susie, can anybody ever really see God?" he asked.

Busy with other things, Susie curtly replied: "No, of course
not silly. God is so far up in heaven that nobody can see him."

Time passed, but his question still lingered so he approached his mom: "Mom, can anybody ever really see God?" "No, not really," she gently said. "God is a spirit and he dwells in our hearts, but we can never really see Him."

Somewhat satisfied but still wondering, the youngster went on his way. Not long afterwards, his saintly old grandfather took the little boy on a fishing trip.

They were having a great time together. The sun was beginning to set with unusual splendor and the grandfather stared silently at the exquisite beauty unfolding before them.

On seeing the face of his grandfather reflecting such deep
peace and contentment, the little boy thought for a moment and finally spoke hesitatingly:

"Granddad, I--I-- wasn't going to ask anybody else, but I wonder if you can tell me the answer to something I've been wondering about a long time. Can anybody--can anybody ever really see God?".

The old man did not even turn his head. A long moment slipped by before he finally answered. "Son," he quietly said. "It's getting so I can't see anything else."

Rocking With Me...

2005-08-25T05:37:00.000-07:00

Rocking With Me...

There was once an elderly, despondent woman in a nursing home. She wouldn't speak to anyone or request anything. She merely existed - rocking in her creaky old rocking chair.

The old woman didn't have many visitors. But every couple mornings, a concerned and wise young nurse would go into her room. She didn't try to speak or ask questions of the old lady. She simply pulled up another rocking chair beside the old woman and rocked with her.

Weeks or months later, the old woman finally spoke.

'Thank you,' she said. 'Thank you for rocking with me.'"

Understanding Love
Matthew 22:39 says, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself." Jesus said this is the second commandment. How are we living out this commandment today?

Love is commonly described as an emotion. However, God did not intend for love to be an emotion. Love was intended to be an action. The word 'love' that we are commanded to pursue is 'agapao', which means to actively care for. We are expected to actively show love to the world.

How can we do this? We can do this by reaching out into our communities with the mission of helping the hurting and needy. Only through our actions can we show the love of God to the world.

PERSPECTIVES

2005-08-24T03:44:00.000-07:00

Perspectives

One day a father and his rich family took his young son on a trip to the country with the firm purpose to show him how poor people can be. They spent a day and a night in the farm of a very poor family. When they got back from their trip the father asked his son, "How was the trip?"

Very good, Dad!"

"Did you see how poor people can be?" the father asked.

"Yeah!" "And what did you learn?"

The son answered, "I saw that we have a dog at home, and they have four. We have a pool that reaches to the middle of the garden, they have a creek that has no end. We have imported lamps in the garden, they have the stars. Our patio reaches to the front yard, they have a whole horizon.

When the little boy was finishing, his father was speechless.

His son added, "Thanks, Dad, for showing me how poor we are!" Isn't it true that it all depends on the way you look at things? If you have love, friends, family, health, good humor and a positive attitude toward life, you've got everything!

You can't buy any of these things. You can have all the material possessions you can imagine, provisions for the future, etc., but if you are poor of spirit, you have nothing!

"But godliness with contentment is great wealth. For we didn't bring anything with us when we came into the world, and we certainly cannot carry anything with us when we die. So if we have enough food and clothing, let us be content."
~ 1 Timothy 6:6-8

I Wonder...

2005-08-23T05:55:00.000-07:00

I WONDER...

Q: So many things try to crowd God out of my life. How much of me does God want?

A: He wants all of you. God does not want to be just another addition to your life – he wants everything you do to revolve around him!

Bike tires are only as strong as the hub of the wheel. If a tire was made up only of rim and spokes, the wheel would soon collapse under the constant pounding and pressure.

The spokes in our life are those things that are important to us: family, friends, job, school, recreation, etc. If our life revolves around any one of these "spokes", eventually the constant pounding and pressures of our world will wear us down and possibly cause us to collapse!

God knows this and has provided the strong center that will hold us together. By ignoring God and trying to run our own life, we will be living as though we believe the spokes are strong enough to carry us.

Jesus Christ should be the hub of our life. This means that we should consult him amd his Word first. When things begin to crowd out your relationship with God, try writing down all of your priorities. Then, spend some time with God.

How Big is One?

2005-08-22T03:52:00.000-07:00

How Big Is One?
author unknown

As a man walked a desolate beach one cold, gray morning he began to see another figure, far in the distance. Slowly the two approached each other, and he could make out a local native who kept leaning down, picking something up and throwing it out into the water. Time and again he hurled things into the ocean.

As the distance between them continued to narrow, the man could see that the native was picking up starfish that had been washed upon the beach and, one at a time, was throwing them back into the water.

Puzzled, the man approached the native and asked what he was doing. "I'm throwing these starfish back into the ocean. You see, it's low tide right now and all of these starfish have been washed up onto the shore. If I don't throw them back into the sea, they'll die up here from lack of oxygen."

"But there must be thousands of starfish on this beach," the man replied. "You can't possibly get to all of them. There are just too many. And this same thing is probably happening on hundreds of beaches all up and down this coast. Can't you see that you can't possibly make a difference?"

The local native smiled, bent down and picked up another starfish, and as he threw it back into the sea he replied, "Made a difference to that one!"

Each of us is but one person: limited, burdened with our own cares and responsibilities. We may feel there is so much to be done, and we have so little to give. We're usually short of everything, especially time and money. When we leave this shore, there will still be millions of starfish stranded on the beach. Maybe we can't change the whole world, but there isn't one of us who can't help change one person's whole world. One at a time. We can make a difference.

The Gift

2005-08-21T04:57:00.000-07:00

The Gift
author unknown

A young man was getting ready to graduate from college. For many months he had admired a beautiful sports car in a dealer's showroom, and knowing his father could well afford it, he told him that was all he wanted. As Graduation Day approached, the young man awaited signs that his father had purchased the car.

Finally, on the morning of his graduation, his father called him into his private study. His father told him how proud he was to have such a fine son, and told him how much he loved him. He handed his son a beautifully wrapped gift box. Curious, and somewhat disappointed, the young man opened the box and found a lovely, leather-bound Bible, with the young man's name embossed in gold. Angry, he rose his voice to his father and said, "with all your money you give me a Bible?" and stormed out of the house.

Many years passed and the young man was very successful in business. He had a beautiful home and wonderful family, but realized his father was very old and thought perhaps he should go to him. He had not seen him since that graduation day. Before he could make arrangements, he received a telegram telling him his father had passed away, and willed all of his possessions to his son. He needed to come home immediately and take care of things.

When he arrived at his father's house, sudden sadness and regret filled his heart. He began to search through his father's important papers and saw the still new Bible, just as he had left it years ago. With tears, he opened the Bible and began to turn the pages. His father had carefully underlined a verse, Matt.7:11, "And if ye, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more shall your Heavenly Father which is in Heaven, give to those who ask Him?"

As he read those words, a car key dropped from the back of the Bible. It had a tag with the dealer's name, the same dealer who had the sports car he had desired. On the tag was the date of his graduation, and the words, PAID IN FULL.

How many times do we miss God's blessings because they are not packaged as we expected?

God and the Spider

2005-08-20T07:18:00.000-07:00

God and the Spider

During World War II, a US marine was separated from his unit on a Pacific island. The fighting had been intense, and in the smoke and the crossfire he had lost touch with his comrades.

Alone in the jungle, he could hear enemy soldiers coming in his direction.
Scrambling for cover, he found his way up a high ridge to several small caves in the rock. Quickly he crawled inside one of the caves. Although safe for the moment, he realized that once the enemy soldiers looking for him swept up the ridge, they would quickly search all the caves and he would be killed.

As he waited, he prayed, "Lord, if it be your will, please protect me.
Whatever your will though, I love you and trust you. Amen."

After praying, he lay quietly listening to the enemy begin to draw close. He thought, "Well, I guess the Lord isn't going to help me out of this one."

Then he saw a spider begin to build a web over the front of his cave.

As he watched, listening to the enemy searching for him all the while, the spider layered strand after strand of web across the opening of the cave.

"Hah, he thought. "What I need is a brick wall and what the Lord has sent me is a spider web. God does have a sense of humor."

As the enemy drew closer he watched from the darkness of his hideout and could see them searching one cave after another. As they came to his, he got ready to make his last stand. To his amazement, however, after glancing in the direction of his cave, they moved on. Suddenly, he realized that with the spider web over the entrance, his cave looked as if no one had entered for quite a while. "Lord, forgive me," prayed the young man. "I had forgotten that in you a spider's web is stronger than a brick wall."

We all face times of great trouble. When we do, it is so easy to forget the victories that God would work in our lives, sometimes in the most surprising ways. As the great leader, Nehemiah, reminded the people of Israel when they faced the task of rebuilding Jerusalem, "In God we will have success!" [Nehemiah 2:20]

Remember: Whatever is happening in your life, with God, a mere spider's web can become a brick wall of protection. Believe He is with you always. Just speak His name through Jesus His son, and you will see His great power and love for you.

GEESE

2005-08-19T05:15:00.000-07:00

Geese

This fall when you see geese heading south for the winter... flying along in V formation...you might consider what science has discovered as to why they fly that way:

As each bird flaps its wings, it creates an uplift for the bird immediately following. By flying in V formation the whole flock adds at least 71% greater flying range, than if each bird flew on its own.

People who share a common direction and sense of community can get where they are going more quickly and easily because they are traveling on the thrust of one another.

When a goose falls out of formation, it suddenly feels the drag and resistance of trying to go it alone... and quickly gets back into formation to take advantage of the lifting power of the bird in front. If we have as much sense as a goose, we will stay in formation with those who are headed the same way we are.

When the head goose gets tired it rotates back in the wing and another goose flies point. It is sensible to take turns doing demanding jobs...with people or with geese flying south.

Geese honk from behind to encourage those up front to keep up their speed. What do we say when we honk from behind?

Finally...and this is important...when a goose gets sick or is wounded by gunshots, and falls out of formation, two other geese fall out with that goose and follow it down to lend help and protection. They stay with the fallen goose until it is able to fly or until it dies, and only then do they launch out on their own, or with another formation to catch up with their group.

If we have the sense of a goose, we will stand by each other like that.

"Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves."
~ Romans 12:10

'Dediquem-se uns aos outros com amor fraternal. Prefiram dar honra aos outros mais do que a si próprios."
~ Romanos 12:10

CHAIN OF LOVE

2005-08-18T05:10:00.000-07:00

Chain Of Love
Author Unknown

Joe was driving home one evening, on a two-lane country road. Work, in this small mid-western community, was almost as slow as his beat-up Pontiac. But he never quit looking. Ever since the factory closed, he'd been unemployed, and with winter raging on, the chill had finally hit home.

It was a lonely road. Not very many people had a reason to be on it, unless they were leaving. Most of his friends had already left. They had families to feed and dreams to fulfill. But he stayed on. After all, this was where he buried his mother and father. He was born here and knew the country.

He could go down this road blindfolded, and tell you what was on either side, and with his headlights not working, that came in handy. It was starting to get dark and light snow flurries were coming down. He'd better get a move on.

You know, he almost didn't see the old lady, stranded on the side of the road. But even in the dim light of day, he could see she needed help. So he pulled up in front of her Mercedes and got out. His Pontiac was still sputtering when he approached her.

Even with the smile on his face, she was worried. No one had stopped to help for the last hour or so. Was he going to hurt her? He didn't look safe, he looked poor and hungry. He could see that she was frightened, standing out there in the cold. He knew how she felt. It was that chill that only fear can put in you. He said, "I'm here to help you ma'am. Why don't you wait in the car where it's warm. By the way, my name is Joe."

Well, all she had was a flat tire, but for an old lady, that was bad enough. Joe crawled under the car looking for a place to put the jack, skinning his knuckles a time or two. Soon he was able to change the tire. But he had to get dirty and his hands hurt. As he was tightening up the lug nuts, she rolled down her window and began to talk to him. She told him that she was from St. Louis and was only just passing through. She couldn't thank him enough for coming to her aid. Joe just smiled as he closed her trunk.

She asked him how much she owed him. Any amount would have been alright with her. She had already imagined all the awful things that could have happened had he not stopped. Joe never thought twice about the money. This was not a job to him. This was helping someone in need, and God knows there were plenty who had given him a hand in the past. He had lived his whole life that way, and it never occurred to him to act any other way. He told her that if she really wanted to pay him back, the next time she saw someone who needed help, she could give that person the assistance that they needed, and Joe added "...and think of me".

He waited until she started her car and drove off. It had been a cold and depressing day, but he felt good as he headed for home, disappearing into the twilight. A few miles down the road the lady saw a small cafe. She went in to grab a bite to eat, and take the chill off before she made the last leg of her trip home. It was a dingy looking restaurant. Outside were two old gas pumps. The whole scene was unfamiliar to her. The cash register was like the telephone of an out of work actor, it didn't ring much.

Her waitress came over and brought a clean towel to wipe her wet hair. She had a sweet smile, one that even being on her feet for the whole day couldn't erase. The lady noticed that the waitress was nearly eight months pregnant, but she never let the strain and aches change her attitude. The old lady wondered how someone who had so little could be so giving to a stranger. Then she remembered Joe.

After the lady finished her meal, and the waitress went to get her change from a hundred dollar bill, the lady slipped right out the door. She was gone by the time the waitress came back. She wondered where the lady could be, then she noticed something written on a napkin. There were tears in her eyes, when she read what the lady wrote. It said, "You don't owe me a thing, I've been there too. Someone once helped me out, the way I'm helping you. If you really want to pay me back, here's what you do. Don't let the chain of love end with you."

Well, there were tables to clear, sugar bowls to fill, and people to serve, but the waitress made it through another day. That night when she got home from work and climbed into bed, she was thinking about the money and what the lady had written. How could she have known how much she and her husband needed it? With the baby due next month, it was going to be hard. She knew how worried her husband was, and as he lay sleeping next to her, she gave him a soft kiss and whispered soft and low, "Everything's gonna be alright, I love you Joe."

"As we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers."
~ Galatians 6:10

"Portanto, enquanto temos oportunidade, façamos o bem a todos, especialmente aos da familia da fe."
~ Galatas 6:10

Bike Ride With God

2005-08-17T04:38:00.000-07:00

Bike Ride with God
author unknown

At first I saw God as my observer, my judge, keeping track of the things I did wrong, so as to know whether I merited heaven or hell when I die. He was out there sort of like the President. I recognized His picture when I saw it, but I didn't really know Him.

But later on when I recognized my Higher Power, it seemed as though life was rather like a bike ride; but it was a tandem bike, and I noticed that God was in the back helping me pedal.

I don't know just when it was that He suggested we change places, but life has not been the same since...life with my God makes life exciting.

When I had control, I knew the way. It was rather boring, but predictable. It was the shortest distance between two points.

But when He took the lead, He knew delightful long cuts, up mountains, and through rocky places and at breakneck speeds. It was all I could do to hang on! Even though it looked like madness, He said "pedal."

I worried and was anxious and asked, "Where are You taking me?" He laughed and didn't answer, and I started to trust.

I forgot my boring life and entered into the adventure; and when I'd say, "I'm scared," He'd lean back and touch my hand.

He took me to people with gifts that I needed, gifts of healing acceptance, and joy. They gave me their gifts to take on my journey; our journey, God's and mine.

And we were off again. He said, "Give the gifts away. They're extra baggage, too much weight." So I did, to the people we met, and I found that in giving I received, and still our burden was light.

I did not trust Him at first, in control of my life. I thought He'd wreck it. But He knew bike secrets, knew how to make it bend to take sharp corners, jump to clear high places filled with rocks, fly to shorten scary passages.

And I'm learning to shut up and pedal in the strangest places, and I'm beginning to enjoy the view and the cool breeze on my face with my delightful constant companion, my God.

And when I'm sure I can't do any more, He just smiles and says, "PEDAL"!

Hospital Windows

2005-08-16T05:54:00.000-07:00

Hospital Windows

Two men, both seriously ill, occupied the same hospital room. One man was allowed to sit up in his bed for an hour each afternoon to help drain the fluid from his lungs. His bed was next to the room's only window.

The other man had to spend all his time flat on his back. The men talked for hours on end. They spoke of their wives and families, their homes, their jobs, their involvement in the military service, where they had been on vacation.

And every afternoon when the man in the bed by the window could sit up, he would pass the time by describing to his roommate all the things he could see outside the window. The man in the other bed began to live for those one-hour periods where his world would be broadened and enlivened by all the activity and color of the world outside.

The window overlooked a park with a lovely lake. Ducks and swans played on the water while children sailed their model boats. Young lovers walked arm in arm amidst flowers of every color of the rainbow. Grand old trees graced the landscape, and a fine view of the city skyline could be seen in the distance.

As the man by the window described all this in exquisite detail, the man on the other side of the room would close his eyes and imagine the picturesque scene.

One warm afternoon the man by the window described a parade passing by. Although the other man couldn't hear the band - he could see it in his mind's eye as the gentleman by the window portrayed it with descriptive words. Days and weeks passed.

One morning, the day nurse arrived to bring water for their baths only to find the lifeless body of the man by the window, who had died peacefully in his sleep. She was saddened and called the hospital attendants to take the body away. As soon as it seemed appropriate, the other man asked if he could be moved next to the window. The nurse was happy to make the switch, and after making sure he was comfortable, she left him alone.

Slowly, painfully, he propped himself up on one elbow to take his first look at the world outside. Finally, he would have the joy of seeing it for himself.

He strained to slowly turn to look out the window beside the bed. It faced a blank wall. The man asked the nurse what could have compelled his deceased roommate who had described such wonderful things outside this window. The nurse responded that the man was blind and could not even see the wall.

She said, "Perhaps he just wanted to encourage you."

"An anxious heart weighs a man down, but a kind word cheers him up."
~ Proverbs 12:25

"O coração ansioso deprime o homem, mas uma palavra bondosa o anima."
~ Provérbios 12:25

Cupcakes and Rootbeer

2005-08-15T04:21:00.000-07:00

“Cupcakes and Root Beer”
By Julie A. Manhan

There once was a little boy who wanted to meet God. He knew it was a long trip to where God lived, so he packed his suitcase with cupcakes, several cans of root beer and started on his journey.

When he had gone about three blocks, he saw an elderly woman. She was sitting on a park bench watching the pigeons. The boy sat down next to her and opened his suitcase. He was about to take a drink from his root beer when he noticed the lady looked hungry so he offered her a cupcake. She gratefully accepted and smiled at him.

Her smile was so wonderful that he wanted to see it again, so he offered a root beer as well. Once again she smiled at him. The boy was delighted!

They sat there all afternoon eating and smiling without saying a word.

As it began to grow dark, the boy realized how tired he was and wanted to go home. He got up to leave but before he had gone no more than a few steps, he turned around and ran back to the old woman, giving her a big hug. She gave him her biggest smile ever.

When the boy arrived home his Mother was surprised by the look of joy on his face. She asked, "What has made you so happy today?" He replied, "I had lunch with God." Before his mother could respond he added, "You know what? She's got the most beautiful smile in the whole world!"

Meanwhile, the old woman, also radiant with joy, returned to her home. Her son was stunned by the look of peace on her face. He asked, "Mother, what has made you so happy today?" She replied, "I ate cupcakes in the park with God." And before her son could reply, she added, "You know, he is much younger than I expected."

Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring; all of which have the potential to turn a life around.

People come into our lives for a reason, a season, or a lifetime.

Take no one for granted and embrace all equally with joy!

"For I was hungry, and you fed me. I was thirsty, and you gave me a drink. I was a stranger, and you invited me into your home. I was naked, and you gave me clothing. I was sick, and you cared for me. i was in prison, and you visited me..... I assure you, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me."
~ Matthew 25:35-36; 40

"Pois eu tive fome, e vocês me deram de comer; tive sede, e vocês me deram de beber; fui estrangeiro, e vocês me acolheram; necessitei de roupas, e vocês me vestiram; estive enfermo, e vocês cuidaram de mim; estive preso, e vocês me visitaram... Digo-lhes a verdade: O que vocês fizeram a algum dos meus menores irmãos, a mim o fizeram."
~ Mateus 25:35-36; 40

The Cracked Pot

2005-08-13T05:40:00.000-07:00

The Cracked Pot
Author Unknown

A water bearer in India had two large pots, each hung on the end of a pole which he carried across his neck. One of the pots was perfectly made and never leaked. The other pot had a crack in it and by the time the water bearer reached his master's house it had leaked much of it's water and was only half full.

For a full two years this went on daily, with the bearer delivering only one and a half pots full of water to his master's house. Of course, the perfect pot was proud of its accomplishments. But the poor cracked pot was ashamed of its own imperfection, and miserable that it was able to accomplish only half of what it had been made to do.

After two years of what it perceived to be a bitter failure, it spoke to the water bearer one day by the stream. "I am ashamed of myself, and I want to apologize to you." "Why?" asked the bearer. "What are you ashamed of?" "I have been able, for these past two years, to deliver only half my load because this crack in my side causes water to leak out all the way back to your master's house. Because of my flaws, you have to do all of this work, and you don't get full value from your efforts," the pot said.

The water bearer felt sorry for the old cracked pot, and in his compassion he said, "As we return to the master's house, I want you to notice the beautiful flowers along the path."

Indeed, as they went up the hill, the old cracked pot took notice of the sun warming the beautiful wild flowers on the side of the path, and this cheered it some. But at the end of the trail, it still felt bad because it had leaked out half its load, and so again the pot apologized to the bearer for its failure.

The bearer said to the pot, "Did you notice that there were flowers only on your side of your path, but not on the other pot's side? That's because I have always known about your flaw, and I took advantage of it. I planted flower seeds on your side of the path, and every day while we walk back from the stream, you've watered them. For two years I have been able to pick these beautiful flowers to decorate my master's table. Without you being just the way you are, he would not have this beauty to grace his house."

Each of us has our own unique flaws. We're all cracked pots. But if we will allow it, God will use our flaws to grace his table. In God's great economy, nothing goes to waste. Don't be afraid of your flaws. Acknowledge them, and you too can be the cause of beauty. Know that in our weakness we find our strength.

PROVERBS 3:5-6

2005-08-12T04:41:00.000-07:00

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will direct your paths."
~ Proverbs 3:5-6

"Confie no Senhor de todo o seu coracão e não se apóie em seu próprio entendimento; reconheça O Senhor em todos os seus caminhos, e ele endireitará as suas veredas."
~ Provérbios 3:5-6

LOVE THE ONES YOUR WITH

2005-08-11T05:14:00.000-07:00

Today is my son's birthday.. he is 11 years old today! As I was reading my morning devotionals, I read this and it really hit home with me. I think I will share it:

LOVE THE ONES YOUR WITH
Renee Swope, Director of Proverbs 31 Speaker Team

"Be imitators, therefore, as dearly loved children and live a life of love." (NIV) Ephesians 5:1

Devotion:
When you're with the ones you love, do you love the ones you're with? I am embarrassed to admit it, but there are times when I'm with my family but my mind is somewhere else, getting something done!

I realized this one night while we were all watching a movie. It looked like we were spending quality time together as a family. I was there physically, but I was returning phone calls and emails mentally. I glanced at the clock to see how many hours before bedtime, when I could get some work done, and noticed the silhouette of my son's face. I was struck by how grown-up he looked. How quickly ten years had passed! It made me think, it won't be long before he's counting down the hours until I go to bed, so he can instant message or get on the phone with his friends. That's when I recognized the gift of being with the ones I love and loving the ones I'm with, while they're still with me.

Jesus knew His time with the ones He loved was limited. He valued the years He had here and was very intentional about loving each and every person He was with. Jesus didn't see people's requests for His attention or time as interruptions, but welcomed them as invitations.

I have needed to bring this struggle to the Lord and ask Him to help me in this area. Through His Word He has challenged me to slow down and spend more time being with my husband and my children. He has helped me see that they are the most important people in my life, yet I can easily allow my time with them to get crowded out by my need to "do" things.

What about you? How often are you just with the ones you love - no agendas, no errands, no planning - just being? How often do you laugh together, watch movies together or go out for ice cream? Do your children really know you? How well do you know them?

One thing I did to train my mind to cherish the time I have with the ones I love is to look into their faces and remember what they used to look like. That helps me grasp how quickly time passes. Then I imagine a day they may not be here; the day they might live in another state with their own families; the day I will long for them to call and tell me what they have been doing since we last talked. Sometime I even think back to what life was like without them. That jolts my memory and makes me so grateful for the gift God has given me in them.

Our tasks and "to do lists" will always be here. We will never have a day with nothing to do, but the ones we love will not always be with us. Our relationships are our most important investments and, like Jesus, we can make deposits that will last for eternity! My prayer is that you will join me in slowing down to be with the ones you love and loving the ones you are with!

My Prayer for Today:

Lord, I thank You for the gifts You have given me to love - even when they are hard to love, even when I feel like I don't have time to enjoy them. Help me to slow down and see them through Your eyes. Help me to treasure the time I have with them as the greatest gift I will ever be given. Remind me that the only thing that will last for eternity is my relationship with You and my relationships with others. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

I Wonder...

2005-08-10T05:00:00.000-07:00

QUESTION:
I'm trying to understand how the Old Testaments and New Testaments relate to each other. Which one is more important?

ANSWER:
It's not that one is more important than the other. Instead, it's a question of timing.

Imagine being six years old and your parents sitting you down and telling you all the rules about driving a car. Not only would you have tuned them out after about two minutes, but ten years later, when it came time to drive, you wouldn't have remembered anything they said.

Timing is everything. Wise parents have figured this out; that's why they didn't give you all their rules as soon as you could talk. They waited until you were ready so that you would listen, the rules would make sense to you, and you would remember what they said.

The Old Testament was given to us for several reasons. After explaining creation, its main purpose was to point the way to God's solution for the problem of mankind's sin. The Old Testament points directly to Chrsit as the Savior that we needed. There are dozens of verses that tell the exact place of Jesus' birth, his sinless life, his death on the cross, his resurrection, and his return. Though the Old Testament was written from about 1450 to 430 B.C., it predicted minute details about the life of Jesus! This also serves to prove the authority of the Scriptures.

Also, the Old Testament is what helps the New Testament make sense. In Matthew 5, Jesus said he came to fulfill the law, not abolish it. The Old Testament helps us to understand why Jesus did what he did. The Old Testament speaks of sacrifices (picturing Jesus as the ultimate sacrifice) and having faith in God's promise. This is how God prepared the way for Christ.

SERMON ON THE MOUNT

2005-08-09T04:37:00.000-07:00

"Jesus traveled throughout Galilee teaching in the synagogues, preaching everywhere the Good News about the Kingdom. And he healed people who had every kind of sickness and disease. News about him spread... Large crowds followed him wherever he went... " (Matthew 4:23-25)

THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT
"One day as the crowds were gathering, Jesus went up on the mountainside with his disciples and sat down to teach them. This is what he taught them:

God blesses those who realize their need for him,
for the Kingdom of Heaven belongs to them.

God blesses those who mourn,
for they will be comforted.

God blesses those who are gentle and lowly,
for the whole earth will belong to them.

God blesses those who are hungry and thirsty for justice,
for they will receive it in full.

God blesses those who are merciful,
for they will be shown mercy.

God blesses those whose hearts are pure,
for they will see God.

God blesses those who work for peace,
for they will be called children of God.

God blesses those who are persecuted becasue they live for God,
for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs."
~ Matthew 5:1-10

Jesus began his sermon with words that seem to contradict each other. But God's way of living usually contradcits the world's. If you want to live for God, you must be ready to say and do what seems strange to the world. You must be willing to give when others take, to love when others hate, to help when others abuse.

PERSISTANCE IN PRAYER

2005-08-08T06:13:00.000-07:00

"Keep on asking, and you will be given what you ask for. Keep on looking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened. For everyone who asks receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. and the door is opened to everyone who knocks."
~ Matthew 7:7

"Peçam, e lhes será dado; busquem, e encontrarão; batam, e a porta lhes será aberta. Poise todo o que pede, recebe; o que busca, encontra; e áquele que bate, a porta será aberta."
~ Mateus 7:7

Some people think that repeating the same words over and over - like a magic incantation – will ensure that God will hear them. It's not wrong to come to God with the same requests – Jesus encourages persistant prayer. But he condems the shallow repetition of words that are not offered with a sincere heart. We can never pray too much if our prayers are honest and sincere.

Daily Verse

2005-08-07T03:50:00.000-07:00

"So I run straight to the goal
with purpose in every step."
~I Corinthians 9:26

We must live our lives with purpose in everything we do. Just like an athlete who trains for a race, who conditions their body daily and trains with the goal of winning a race, we should live with our goal being our relationship with Christ. As we strive to strengthen our relationship with Christ, he reveals our purpose to us.

STORY: God's Embroidery

2005-08-06T05:10:00.000-07:00

GOD'S EMBROIDERY
Author Unknown

When I was a little boy, my mother used to embroider a great deal. I would sit at her knee and look up from the floor and ask what she was doing.

She informed me that she was embroidering. I told her that it looked like a mess from where I was. As from the underside I watched her work within the boundaries of the little round hoop that she held in her hand, I complained to her that it sure looked messy from where I sat.

She would smile at me, look down and gently say, "My son, you go about your playing for awhile, and when I am finished with my embroidering, I will put you on my knee and let you see it from my side."

I would wonder why she was using some dark threads along with the bright ones and why they seemed so jumbled from my view. A few minutes would pass and then I would hear Mother's voice say, "Son, come and sit on my knee." This I did only to be surprised and thrilled to see a beautiful flower or a sunset. I could not believe it, because from underneath it looked so messy. Then Mother would say to me, "My son, from underneath it did look messy and jumbled, but you did not realize that there was a pre-drawn plan on the top. It was a design. I was only following it. Now look at it from my side and you will see what I was doing."

Many times through the years I have looked up to my Heavenly Father and said, "Father, what are You doing?" He has answered, "I am embroidering your life." I say, "But it looks like a mess to me. It seems so jumbled. The threads seem so dark. Why can't they all be bright?" The Father seems to tell me, "'My child, you go about your business of doing My business, and one day I will bring you to Heaven and put you on My knee and you will see the plan from My side."

INSPIRING STORY

2005-08-05T04:53:00.000-07:00

THE BURNING HUT
author unknown

The only survivor of a shipwreck washed up on a small, uninhabited island. He prayed feverishly for God to rescue him, and every day he scanned the horizon for help, but none seemed forthcoming.

Exhausted, he eventually managed to build a little hut out of driftwood to protect him from the elements, and to store his few possessions.

But then one day, after scavenging for food, he arrived home to find his little hut in flames, the smoke rolling up to the sky. The worst had happened; everything was lost. He was stung with grief and anger.

"God, how could you do this to me!" he cried.

Early the next day, however, he was awakened by the sound of a ship that was approaching the island. It had come to rescue him.

"How did you know I was here?" asked the weary man of his rescuers.

"We saw your smoke signal," they replied.

It is easy to get discouraged when things are going bad. But we shouldn't lose heart, because God is at work in our lives, even in the midst of pain and suffering. St. Paul wrote, "...I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want" (Philippians 4:12).

St. Paul had confidence that good would come out of everything (Romans 8:28), so he learned to be thankful, not bitter, even when he was suffering.

Remember the next time your little hut is burning to the ground--it just may be a smoke signal that summons the grace of God.

Daily Verse

2005-08-04T04:43:00.000-07:00

"Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus."
~ I Thessalonians 5:16-18

"Alegrem-se sempre. Orem continuamente. Dêem graças em todos as circunstâncias, pois esta é a vontade de Deus para vocês em Cristo Jesus."
~ I Tessalonicenses 5:16-18

THOUGHTS ABOUT TODAY'S VERSE...
Where does your heart live? That's what these verses are all about. Is there a constant awareness in your life that God is present? Is he the unseen but always present companion in all your ups and downs? Or is God here when it is convenient and gone when things are busy? Joy comes from knowing we are never alone. Prayer is the ongoing conversation we have with God. Thanksgiving is the great reminder that we have been blessed no matter what the circumstances may suggest.

MY PRAYER...
Dear Lord, thank you for being there. Give me a deeper appreciation and a always more profound awareness of your presence today. May my life reflect the joy you have given me by saving me by grace. And may my heart always find its home in you.

Daily Verse

2005-08-03T06:24:00.000-07:00

"...be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age."
~ Matthew 28:20

"...E eu estarei sempre com vocês, até o fim dos tempos."
~ Mateus 28:20

Daily Verse

2005-08-02T06:57:00.000-07:00

"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your request to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."
~ Philippians 4:6-7

"Não andem ansiosos por coisa alguma, mas em tudo, pela oração e súplicas, e com ação de graças, apresentem seus pedidos a Deus. E a paz de Deus, que excede todo o entendimento, guardará o coraç˜åo e a mente de vocês e, Cristo Jesus."
~ Filipenses 4:6-7

THOUGHTS ABOUT TODAY'S VERSE...
God wants to hear our prayers, but to keep them from becoming too self-focused, God wants us always to remember to give thanks. It is so easy for us to turn prayer into a request line. We are the ones who are left bereft when thanksgiving and praise are robbed from our prayers.

MY PRAYER...
Gracious God, I have so many reasons to praise you. In the face of trial and hardship I have your promises to reawaken my hope. In the moment of victory I have you to thank for my abilities. In the boredom of the routine, I have great joys in your surprises. Thank you, God, for being so great and yet so loving to me.

Heartlight Daily devotional and prayer are written by Phil Ware of HEARTLIGHT Magazine, on the web at: www.heartlight.org

Daily Verse

2005-08-01T05:01:00.000-07:00

During the last supper, Jesus was telling his disciples that he would be leaving them soon. They worried, 'How will we know what to do without you here?' Jesus responded with this:

"So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. Your love for each other will prove to the world that you are my disciples."
~ John 13:34-35

"Um novo mandamento lhes dou: Amem-se uns aos outros. Como eu os amei, vocês devem amar-se uns aos outros. Com isso todos saberão que vocês são meus discipulos, se vocês se amarem uns aos outros."
~ João 13:34-35

ACTIVE LOVE
Love is not simply warm feelings; instead it is an attitude that reveals itself in action. How can we love each other as Chrsit loves us? By helping when it is not convenient, by giving when it hurts, by devolting energy to others' welfare rather than our own, by absorbing hurts from others without complaining or fighting back. This kind of loving is hard to do. That is why people will notice when you do it and will know that you are empowered by a supernatural source: God's Holy Spirit.

Daily Verse

2005-07-31T06:38:00.000-07:00

LOVE ONE ANOTHER
"God showed how much he loved us by sending his only Son into the world so that we might have eternal life through him. This is real love. It is not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins. Dear friends, since God loved us that much, we surely ought to love each other."
~ I John 4:9-11

AMAR UNS AOS OUTROS
"Foi assim que Deus manifestou o seu amor entre nós: enviou o seu Filho Unigênito ao mundo, para que pudéssemos viver por meio dele. Nisto consiste o amor: não em que nós tenhamos amado a Deus, mas em que ele nos amou e enviou seu Filho como propiciação pelos nossos pecados. Amados, visto que Deus assim nos amou, nós também devemos amar uns aos outros."
~ I João 4:9-11

Daily Verse

2005-07-30T06:13:00.000-07:00

"And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free."
~John 8:32

"E conhecerão a verdade, e a verdade os libertará."
~João 8:32

Daily Verse

2005-07-29T04:43:00.000-07:00

"But when the Holy Spirit controls our lives, he will produce this kind of fruit in us: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control."
~ Galatians 5:22-23

"Mas o fruto do Espirito é amor, alegria, paz, paciéncia, amabilidade, bondade, fidelidade, mansidão e domínio próprio. Contra essas coisas não há lei."
~ Gálatas 5:22-23

The Holy Spirit produces character traits, not specific actions. We can't go out and do these things, and we can't obtain them by trying to get them. If we want the fruit of the Holy Spirit to develop in our life, we must recognize that all of these characteristics are found in Christ. The way to grow them is to know Christ, love him, remember him, imitate him (see John 15:4-5). The result will be that we will fulfill the intended purpose of the law – loving God and people.

Daily Verse

2005-07-28T05:26:00.000-07:00

"Dear brothers and sisters, whenever trouble comes your way, let it be an opportunity for joy. For when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be strong in character and ready for anything."
~ James 1:2-4

"If you need wisdom – if you want to know what God wants you to do – ask him, and he will gladly tell you."
~ James 1:5

"God blesses the people who patiently endure testing. Afterward they will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him."
~ James 1:12

James is one of my favorite books in the Bible. James was Jesus' brother and a leader in the Jerusalem church. This book was actually a letter written in about A.D. 49 to Christians scattered all over the world. It's purpose is to teach people how to live. It is a short book, broken into 5 main topics:

LIVING FAITH: James wants believers to hear the truth and to do it. Commitment to love and serve is evidence of true faith. Living faith makes a difference. Make sure your faith results in action. Be alert to ways of putting your faith to work. Be certain that you not only "talk" the gospel, but "walk" the gospel as well.

TRIALS: In the Christian life there are trials and temptations. Successfully overcoming these adversities produces maturity and strong character. Don't resent troubles when they come. Pray for wisdom: God will supply you all you need to face persecution or adversity. He will give you patience and keep you strong.

LAW OF LOVE: We are saved by God's gracious mercy, not by keeping the law. But Christ gave us a special command, "Love your neighbor as yourself." (Matthew 19:19) We are to love and serve those around us. Keeping the law of love shows that our faith is vital and real. To show love to others, we must root out our own selfishness. This begins by acting on what we know to be true about God's will in our life.

WISE SPEECH: Wisdom shows itself in speech. We are responsible for the destructive results of our talk. The wisdom of God that helps control the tongue can help control all our actions. Accepting God's wisdom will affect your speech becasue your words will reveal their godly source. Think of God and others before you speak, and allow God to strengthen your self-control.

WEALTH: James teaches Christians not to compromise with worldly attitudes about wealth. Because the glory of wealth fades, Christians should store up God's treasures through sincere service. Christians must not show partiality to the wealthy or be prejudiced against the poor. We are all accountable for how we use what we have. We should be generous toward others. We are to see one another as God sees us – created as equals in his image.

I encourage you to read James...

God has a huge plan for your life...

2005-07-27T05:08:00.000-07:00

"You made my whole being;
you formed me in my mother's body.
I praise you because you made me in an amazing and wonderul way.
What you have done is wonderful.
I know this very well.
You saw my bones being formed
as I took shape in my mother's body.
When I was put together there,
you saw my body as it was formed.
All the days planned for me
were written in your book
before I was one day old."
~ Psalm 139:13-16 (NCV)

God knows everything about you... everything. He made you, He loves you, and He made a great plan for your life. He wants to show you his plan and to use your life in an amazing way and give you his blessings. Have you taken the time to know Him and to listen?

"...may you have the power to understand...how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love really is."
~ Ephesians 3:18

"Jack and Maneesha" photo by Anne Geddes

World Vision: Ethiopia 20 years Later

2005-07-26T06:25:00.000-07:00

Watch this video to see how lives have been transformed by the work that World Vision has done in Ethiopia through the hope that was broguht to these people through the love of Jesus Christ:

www.worldvision.org/about_us.nsf/child/ethiopia_20_years_later

Daily Verse

2005-07-26T06:07:00.000-07:00

"Thy word is a lamp unto my feet
and a light unto my path."
~ Psalm 119:105

FOOTPRINTS

2005-07-25T17:34:00.000-07:00

Footprints
By Mary Stevenson
(Born 11/8/22 Died 1/6/99)

One night a man had a dream. He dreamed he was walking along the beach with the Lord. Across the sky flashed scenes from his life. For each scene, he noticed two sets of footprints in the sand; one belonging to him, and the other to the Lord.

When the last scene of his life flashed before him, he looked back at the footprints in the sand. He noticed that at many times along the path of his life there was only one set of footprints. He also noticed that it happened at the very lowest and saddest times in his life.

This really bothered him and he questioned the Lord about it. " Lord... you said that once I decided to follow You, You'd walk with me all the way. But I have noticed that during the most troublesome times in my life, there is only one set of footprints. I do not understand why You'd leave me when I needed You the most."

The Lord replied, "My precious, precious child, I love and I would never leave you. During your times of trial and suffering, when you see only one set of footprints, it was then that I carried you.

Daily Verse

2005-07-24T04:38:00.000-07:00

"Do not forget to do good and to share with others,
for with such sacrifices God is pleased."
~ Hebrews 13:16

Daily Verse

2005-07-23T09:31:00.000-07:00

"Whoever is kind to the needy,
honors God."
~ Proverbs 14:31

Daily Verse

2005-07-22T06:09:00.000-07:00

"Whatever you do, whether in word or deed,
do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus."
~ Colossians 3:17

DAILY VERSE

2005-07-20T08:57:00.000-07:00

"Those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles, they will run
and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint."
~ Isaiah 40:31

2005-07-19T09:05:00.000-07:00

Daily Verse

2005-07-19T08:34:00.000-07:00

"Let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your father in heaven."
~ Matthew 5:16