A farewell gift

This story came across my desk and I thought you might enjoy it. Is there a message? You decide!

My wife and I had just finished the 150-mile trip home from our daughter's college. It was the first time in our lives that she would be gone for any length of time. We wondered how other people had survived it.

Later in bed, I thought of the time I started college. My father had driven me too. We rode in the farm truck. In the back was the trunk I had bought with money earned by pitching hay that summer. My mother had to stay behind to keep the cattle from getting into the crops. I, the fourth in a line of brothers, was the first to go away to college. My mother cried, and I cried; after we were out of sight of the farm, I began to feel jellylike and scared.

The truck was slow, and I was glad. I didn't want to get to the city too soon. I remembered how my father and I stopped by a stream and ate the sandwiches my mother had prepared.

My daughter's day was different, of course. We stopped at a classy roadside place and ordered fried chicken. Then we went to the dormitory, and my wife talked with the housemother. When she came back, she was wiping her eyes. It wasn't until we were passing through the next town that she discovered our daughter had forgotten to take out the portable radio and record player. I told her she should have put it in the trunk with the other things, not in the back seat.

Now I heard a sob beside me. I knew that my wife was thinking about the new kind of loneliness before us.

My father didn't let me stay at the dormitory. A room in a private home was cheaper and better if a student wanted to work his way through. But I didn't have a room. My father told me that we'd leave my trunk at a filling station. I could come for it the next day after I had found a place to stay. We toured the town a bit, but the traffic confused him. I said maybe I'd better go on my own.

I shook hands with my father in the truck. For a long, haunting moment he looked straight ahead, not saying a word, but I knew he was going to make a little speech. "I can't tell you nothing," he finally said. "I never went to college, and none of your brothers went to college. I can't say don't do this and do that, because everything is different and I don't know what is going to come up. I can't help you much with money either, but I think things will work out."

He gave me a brand-new checkbook. "If things get pushing, write a small check. But when you write one, send me a letter and let me know how much. There are some things we can always sell." In four years, the total of all the checks I wrote was less than a thousand dollars. My jobs chauffeuring a rich lady, janitoring at the library, reading to a blind student and baby-sitting professors' kids filled in the financial gaps.

"You know what you want to be, and they'll tell you what to take," my father continued. "When you get a job, be sure it's honest and work hard." I knew that soon I would be alone in the big town, and I would be missing the furrowed ground, cool breezes and a life where your thinking was done for you.

Then my dad reached down beside his seat and brought out the old, dingy Bible that he had read so often, the one he used when he wanted to look something up in a friendly argument with one of the neighbors. I knew he would miss it. I also knew, though, that I must take it.

He didn't tell me to read it every morning. He just said, "This can help you if you will let it."
Did it help? I got through college without being a burden on my family. I have had a good earning capacity ever since.
When I finished school, I took the Bible back to my father, but he said he wanted me to keep it. "You will have a kid in school some day," he told me. "Let the first one take that Bible along."

Now, too late, I remember. It would have been so nice to have given it to my daughter when she got out of the car. But I didn't. Things were different. I was prosperous and my father wasn't. I had gone places. I could give her everything. My father could give me only a battered, old Bible. I'd been able to give my daughter what she needed.

Or had I? I don't really believe now that I gave her half as much as my father gave me. So the next morning I wrapped up the book and sent it to her. I wrote a note. "This can help you," I penned, "if you will let it."

I talked to God today...

Here is what we talked about....

"And God Said No"


I asked God to take away my pride,

And God Said, "No."

He said, "It is not for Me to take away,

But for you to give up."

I asked God to make my handicapped child whole,

And God said, "No."

He said, "Her spirit is whole,

Her body is only temporary."

I asked God to grant me patience,

And God said, "No."

He said, "Patience is a byproduct of tribulation,

It isn't granted, it's earned."

I asked God to give me happiness,

And God said, "No."

He said, "I give blessings,

Happiness is up to you."

I asked God to spare me pain,

And God said, "No."

He said. "Pain tells Me what to heal,

And brings You closer to Me."

I asked God to make my spirit grow.

And God said, "No."

He said, "You must learn how to grow,

And I will prune you to make you fruitful when you ask."

I asked God to help me love others,

As much as He loves me,

And God said,


"Ah finally,

You have the idea."

The Saddest Refusal of All

"How often would I . . . and ye would not!"-Luke 13: 34­

Look once again at the sad words of our text. The saddest of all refusals is a direct refusal of the divine love which came down to this earth in the person of the meek and lowly Jesus.

Love came down at Christmas,
Love all lovely ; Love divine.

Yes, "Love came down at Christmas." Love walked and talked with us, up and down the lanes of Galilee and Judaea. Love grieved and bled and broke its heart in agonising expiation for us, on Calvary! In Jesus, the incarnate Son of God, the divine love has clothed itself in visible sublimity. "The Word became flesh, and dwelt among us; and we beheld His glory . . . full of grace and truth."

In Jesus, God looks on us through human eyes, beckons' to us with human hands, calls to us through human lips, walks toward us with human feet over life's troubled sea, sympathises with us through human susceptibilities, and feels after us with a divine love which now beats through a human heart!

God's thoughts are love, and Jesus is
The loving voice they find.
His life lights up the vast abyss
Of the eternal Mind.

Who can sound the deeps of that fathomless sob, "Ob, Jerusalem, Jerusalem. . . how often would I have gathered thy children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and ye mould not!" Yet even that sad refusal was not as ungrateful as the refusal of many a heart today; for when Jesus wept over Jerusalem He had not yet gone to the crowning expression of divine love on Calvary. As we have said before, to those. of us who live on this side of Calvary, the greatest sin is no longer that of transgressing the commanding law sent down through the venerable Moses, but the refusing of the redeeming love poured out through the crucified Saviour. Through the Cross, not only does salvation from eternal Gehenna come to believers, but there draws near to us in its sublimest, tenderest, most appealing way, the kingdom of heaven, the kingdom of love, the kingdom of Jesus.

How can men refuse? Yet they do! And then. what? They know they cannot be neutral, so they build false little kingdoms of their own-little kingdoms of intellectuality. personal superiority. religion, phllosophy, pleasure, angry resentment. Or they drive conscious refusal of Christ down into the vaults of the sub-conscious. thinking it Will die in the dark; and then, when they gradually become insensitive to Christ, they think it a sign of strength, when all the time it is the weakness of a mind cowering away from reality; a chronic mental state of cowardly refusal brought on by successive acts of refusal.

It is a morbid thickening of the mind's "outer skin", not protecting it, but cut­ting it off from the one true kingdom of light and health. Let us say a big. eager "YES" to Jesus, now and always!

Uncertain times, uncertain way

Walking The Road of Uncertainty...



Who wants to travel down lonely roads,

Or encounter heartaches along the way?

Who wants to be brought to their knees,

Or reach the point of brokeness - and NEED to pray?



Who wants to reflect on past hurts

Or contemplate life's paths they have trod

Who wants to LEARN to walk in Faith,

Completely LEARNING to trust in God?

I do.





Who wants to taste the bitterness,

Or have peace compromised with tears?

Who wants to be part of a continual growth

And constantly have to face their most inner fears?

Who wants temptations to come their way,

And have trials refine them, even at risk of fall?

Who wants to be a broken alabaster jar,

Poured out at the feet of Jesus - SURRENDERING ALL?

I do.



I might walk a road of uncertainty,

When it comes to circumstances that I encounter along the way...

But in learning to walk in faith,

I have Christ' strength everyday!!!

So if you ask Who wants to experience all of this,

I say I do - Because in the road of faith, these things we must meet...

And I want to experience all of Christ teachings,

And pour all of myself out like OFFERING, at JESUS' feet!





Christ, and Christ alone knows my heart -

He knows my desire to earnestly seek his will and obey

He knows the obstacles that I must overcome,

And so He leads me everyday...

Eight Gifts that Do Not Cost A Cent

THE GIFT OF LISTENING...

But you must REALLY listen.
No interrupting, no daydreaming,
no planning your response.
Just listening.

THE GIFT OF AFFECTION...
Be generous with appropriate hugs,
kisses, pats on the back, and handholds.
Let these small actions demonstrate the
love you have for family and friends.

THE GIFT OF LAUGHTER...
Clip cartoons.
Share articles and funny stories.
Your gift will say, "I love to laugh with you."

THE GIFT OF A WRITTEN NOTE...
It can be a simple
"Thanks for the help" note or a full sonnet.
A brief, handwritten note may be remembered
for a lifetime, and may even change a life.

THE GIFT OF A COMPLIMENT...
A simple and sincere,
You look great in red," "You did a super job,"
or "That was a wonderful meal"
can make someone's day.

THE GIFT OF A FAVOR...
Every day, go out of your way
to do something kind.

THE GIFT OF SOLITUDE...
There are times when we want nothing better
than to be left alone.
Be sensitive to those times and give
the gift of solitude to others.

THE GIFT OF A CHEERFUL DISPOSITION...
The easiest way to feel good is
to extend a kind word to someone.
Really, it's not that hard to say,
Hello or Thank You.

A. S. A. P.

Ever wonder about the abbreviation A.S.A.P.?

Generally we think of it in terms of even more hurry and stress in our lives.

Maybe if we think of this abbreviation in a different manner, we will begin to find a new way to deal with those rough days along the way.

There's work to do, deadlines to meet;
You've got no time to spare,
But as you hurry and scurry--
A.S.A.P.--Always Say a Prayer.

In the midst of family chaos,
"Quality time" is rare.
Do your best; let God do the rest--
A.S.A.P.--Always Say a Prayer.

It may seem like your worries
Are more than you can bear.
Slow down and take a breather--
A.S.A.P.--Always Say a Prayer.

God knows how stressful life is;
He wants to ease our cares,
And He'll respond
A.S.A.P.--Always Say a Prayer.

Today I'm saying a little prayer that GOD will smile on you and send you all of the special blessings you deserve.

God is under the bed

God Is Under The Bed


My brother Kevin thinks God lives under his bed. At least that's what I heard him say one night. He was praying out loud in his dark bedroom, and I stopped outside his closed door to listen.

Are you there, God?" he said. "Where are you? Oh, I see, under the bed."

I giggled softly and tiptoed off to my own room. Kevin's unique perspectives are often a Source of amusement. But that night something else lingered long after the humor.

I realized for the first time the very different world Kevin lives in. He was born 30 years ago, mentally disabled as a result of difficulties during labor. Apart from his size (he's 6-foot-2), there are few ways in which he is an adult. He reasons and communicates with the capabilities of a 7-year-old, and he always will. He will probably always believe that God lives under his bed, that Santa Claus is the one who fills the space under our tree every Christmas, and that airplanes stay up in the sky because angels carry them.

I remember wondering if Kevin realizes he is different. Is he ever dissatisfied with his monotonous life? Up before dawn each day, off to work at a workshop for the disabled, home to walk our cocker spaniel, returning to eat his favorite macaroni-and-cheese for dinner, and later to bed. The only variation in the entire scheme is laundry days, when he hovers excitedly over the washing machine like a mother with her newborn child. He does not seem dissatisfied. He lopes out to the bus every morning at 7:05, eager for a day of simple work.

He wrings his hands excitedly while the water boils on the stove before dinner, and he stays up late twice a week to gather our dirty laundry for his next day's laundry chores.

And Saturdays-oh, the bliss of Saturdays! That's the day my dads takes Kevin to the airport to have a soft drink, watch the planes land, and speculate loudly on the destination of each passenger inside. "That one's going to Chi-car-go!" Kevin shouts as he claps his hands. His anticipation is so great he can hardly sleep on Friday nights.

I don't think Kevin knows anything exists outside his world of daily rituals and weekend field trips. He doesn't know what it means to be discontent. His life is simple. He will never know the entanglements of wealth or power, and he does not care what brand of clothing he wears or what kind of food he eats. He recognizes no differences in people, treating each person as an equal and a friend.

His needs have always been met, and he never worries that one-day they may not be. His hands are diligent. Kevin is never so happy as when he is working. When he unloads the dishwasher or vacuums the carpet, his heart is completely in it. He does not shrink from a job when it is begun, and he does not leave a job until it is finished.

But, when his tasks are done, Kevin knows how to relax. He is not obsessed with his work or the work of others. His heart is pure. He still believes everyone tells the truth, promises must be kept, and when you are wrong, you apologize instead of argue. Free from pride and unconcerned with appearances, Kevin is not afraid to cry when he is hurt, angry or sorry. He is always transparent, always sincere. And he trusts God. Not confined by intellectual reasoning, when he comes to Christ, he comes as a child. Kevin seems to know God to really be friends with him in a way that is difficult for an "educated" person to grasp. God seems like his closest companion.

In my moments of doubt and frustrations with my Christianity, I envy the security Kevin has in his simple faith. It is then that I am most willing to admit that he has some divine knowledge that rises above my mortal questions. It is then I realize that perhaps he is not the one with the handicap, I am. My obligations, my fear, my pride, my circumstances they all become disabilities when I do not submit them to Christ. Who knows if Kevin comprehends things I can never learn? After all, he has spent his whole life in that kind of innocence, praying after dark and soaking up the goodness and love of the Lord. And one day, when the mysteries of heaven are opened, and we are all amazed at how close God really is to our hearts, I'll realize that God heard the simple prayers of a boy who believed that God lived under his bed. Kevin won't be surprised

I guess that I'll just give up thinking about someone watching me in the shadows when I have God under my bed!

Tomorrow is Saturday We need to get ready for our worship service. If you want to help you can drop off some thoughts you would like me to discuss

Tomorrow Then ?

It's a date!

Dennis

" For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind."

Symbols of Christmas

The Candy Cane
The candy cane represents one of the oldest symbols of Christmas, the shepherd's crook, for the shepherds were among the first to experience that first Christmas.

The colors of the candy cane have special meaning, too. The wide red stripe represents the sacrifice of Christ, "For by his stripes we are healed." The narrow red stripes represent our own sacrifices (giving). The white stripe is a symbol of purity.

The peppermint plant is a member of the hyssop family, referred to in the Old Testament as a medicinal herb used for cleansing.

As you eat your candy cane, you might want to break it, as Christ's body was broken for you, and share it with a friend, thus sharing in the sweetness of the true meaning of Christmas.

No time for Christmas

Here is a story I thought you might enjoy, Write and let me know - Dennis
Christmas Hardships




"Do you really expect me to go to Bethlehem?" Joseph banged down his chisel on the scarred bench.

Ephraim, his cousin, had just entered the low workshop. "You don't have a choice, Joseph. If you don't go the Romans will confiscate your house and your precious tools. Just try to carve a yoke with your fingernails."

"What are we, cowards?" the carpenter retorted. "Mark my words, Ephraim, this 'Enroll-in-your-ancestral-city' business is nothing more than a way to squeeze more taxes out of us. If we give into those foreign tyrants now they'll just be back for more money."

"What's more," Joseph continued, "you're crazy if you think I'd take Mary on a trip this month. She'd probably have the baby on the way!"

"Couldn't you just leave her with your mother for a couple of weeks? She'd be all right. Nobody says the women have to go. It's the heads of households who have to register."

"Register, hah! Be taxed, you mean."

"So why not leave her at home?"

Joseph brushed the woodchips aside and motioned for his cousin to sit down. The carpenter spoke in a low but earnest voice. "Mary's aunt has made life miserable for her ever since she found out Mary was pregnant. Some people were willing to let it go. Not Tabitha."

"She got my wife all stirred up about it," Ephraim volunteered.

"Not just your wife. Most of the women in this town go out of their way to avoid her. At the village well they whisper, "Little slut!" just loud enough for her to hear. Many's the day she's come running home in tears."

"People sure can be cruel," Ephraim said. "At least you and Mary went ahead and got married."

Joseph bit his lip, but didn't say more.

Ephraim got up. "Well, you are going to Bethlehem, aren't you? You'd be a fool to get the Romans on your back. You know what they did to old Ben."

Joseph stood up slowly. "Yes, I'll go. But Mary'll have to come along. There's no way I'd leave her in Nazareth by herself!"

However, when Joseph talked to Mary about it, she didn't seem nearly as sure as her husband. "How could I walk all that way?" she said. "I waddle now. I just can't make it."

"Mary, we'll bring old Jake. You can ride him when you get tired."

"Have you ever ridden on Jake?"

"Well, no."

"That animal is the most bony, jolting mule in Nazareth. I'd rather walk!"

She did ride, though ... some of the way. Joseph would finally stop for the day when Mary just couldn't take any more. He'd help her down off Jake, then he'd fix a fire while she would unload their heavy blankets and try to find some shelter under a tree or large rock.

Mary would always be the center of attention among the few women traveling that time of year.

"I remember when I was carrying Levi," one would start. "Made my feet swell. I couldn't do anything for months."

"That's nothing," replied another, "my sister got so big everyone thought she was carrying twins. But her time came there was only one baby. Died though."

Joseph glanced over at Mary in the flickering firelight. He could see fear flit across her face. Her hands moved to her swollen belly so she could feel the baby's reassuring kick.

The women didn't notice. The first one went on, "Oh, the pain's so awful! I'm glad I'm too old to have any more babies."

Joseph put his arm around Mary's shoulders and pulled her close. Only one more night on the road before Bethlehem.

They reached the sleepy village of Joseph's ancestors just about dusk the fifth day. Joseph went to the inn and nearby houses trying to find a place to sleep. "God," he whispered as he combed the town, "can't You find us a decent place to have this baby?" Nothing.

All at once he saw Mary's face tighten. She tried to suppress a groan as she fought with the pain. It was a long moment before she relaxed, but he could see worry written all over her.

Joseph went back to the innkeeper again. "Are you sure there isn't any room? My wife's about to have a baby. We've got to find a place out of this wind tonight!"

The innkeeper thought a while. "Did you try the house at the end of the street? They sometimes take people in."

"I tried an hour ago."

"Any relatives in town? Any second cousins?"

"No."

Mary was shivering now, in obvious discomfort. "Joseph," she said weakly, "I've got to lie down somewhere."

"Well, there's the stable in the back," offered the innkeeper at long last. "Of course, it's full of animals from all the visitors in town for that blasted Roman census. But if you can find a place in the corner, I guess that'd be okay." He paused. "Just don't keep the animals awake all night."

It was the other way around. The dozen donkeys in the strange barn never stopped moving. And the smell was overpowering to Mary who had been fighting nausea as her pains got stronger.

In the wee hours of the morning Joseph knocked on the innkeeper's door again.

"What do you want this time of night?" the innkeeper snarled when he finally came to the door.

"Is there a midwife in town?"

"Oh, it's you. A midwife? Yes, old Martha lives in a little house about three blocks from here. You go down the main road, turn left at the two-story house, and go to the alley. You can't miss it. You go down the alley and across the pasture. She lives in a shack just behind the third house after that."

"I ... I really don't think I should leave my wife. Her pains are coming awfully fast now.... Could you go?"

"Jonathan!" the innkeeper yelled into his darkened house. "Get up and fetch old Martha. A lady's having a baby in the barn. Hurry!"

He turned to Joseph as he closed the door. "Have some pity, man. My whole family's awake now."

Pretty soon the door opened again and a young lad ran off in the chilly air. After a while he returned, walking slowly so he wouldn't outdistance the old midwife whose arthritis certainly didn't to take to cold winter nights. The boy was shivering by the time he got to the stable.

"Here's Martha, sir," he muttered quickly, and darted back into the warmth of his house.

The old lady put them at ease right away. She had Joseph fetch water and cloths from the innkeeper. It must have been nearly two in the morning by the time the baby came, and another hour before Joseph dug into his robe for a few coins to give the old woman as she hobbled away.

Then he returned to his wife and took her hand as they looked into the puffy face of their son. Alone at last.

"I'm so tired, Joseph," Mary said, settling back into the blanket-covered straw.

The baby finally stopped crying and drifted off to sleep.

Joseph stirred a few minutes later as some men peered from the darkness into the lamp-lit stable. He nudged Mary awake and reached for his staff.

"What do you want?" Joseph said to the men in a forced whisper. "Don't wake the baby."

"We're shepherds," one called out. The baby started crying.

"We saw angels out on the hills an hour ago." The entire story tumbled out as the shepherds edged into the stable to see the baby. Joseph relaxed his grip on the staff.

The shepherd continued, "And the angel told us, 'To you is born this day in the City of David a Savior which is Messiah the Lord.' The angel even told us about the swaddling cloths and the manger here."

"The angel told you about the manger, too?" Joseph interrupted.

"Oh, yes. That's how we knew where to look."

Joseph glanced over at Mary. Her eyes met his. He squeezed her hand.

"This baby is the Messiah, isn't he?" Joseph said quietly. "After all these hassles I had started to question. But..." He paused. "It's almost like God planned the whole thing: the trip neither of us wanted to take." He chuckled. "He must have seen you on bony old Jake." Joseph laughed out loud. "Even this smelly old barn and it's manger."

He stood up, still chuckling. "What do you know? In spite of the problems--no, in the midst of the problems--God's been at work all along."

by: Dr. Ralph F. Wilson, The Workman Quarterly, Winter 1988

The A B C's

The Christian Alphabet

A lthough things are not perfect
B ecause of trial or pain
C ontinue in thanksgiving
D o not begin to blame.

E ven when the times are hard
F ierce winds are bound to blow
G od is forever able
H old on to what you know.

I magine life without His love
J oy would cease to be
K eep thanking
H im for all the things
L ove imparts to thee.

M ove out of "Camp Complaining"
N o weapon that is known
O n earth can yield the power
P raise can do alone.

Q uit looking at the future
R edeem the time at hand
S tart every day with worship
T o "thank" is a command.

U ntil we see Him coming
V ictorious in the sky
W e'll run the race with gratitude
eX alting God most high.

Y es, there will be good times and yes some will be bad, but
Z ion waits in glory, where none are ever sad!

What does God Remember?

Thus says the Lord: ’I remember . . . the kindness of your youth . . .’
—Jeremiah 2:2



Am I as spontaneously kind to God as I used to be, or am I only expecting God to be kind to me? Does everything in my life fill His heart with gladness, or do I constantly complain because things don’t seem to be going my way? A person who has forgotten what God treasures will not be filled with joy. It is wonderful to remember that Jesus Christ has needs which we can meet— "Give Me a drink" ( John 4:7 ). How much kindness have I shown Him in the past week? Has my life been a good reflection on His reputation?

God is saying to His people, "You are not in love with Me now, but I remember a time when you were." He says, "I remember . . . the love of your betrothal . . ." ( Jeremiah 2:2 ). Am I as filled to overflowing with love for Jesus Christ as I was in the beginning, when I went out of my way to prove my devotion to Him? Does He ever find me pondering the time when I cared only for Him? Is that where I am now, or have I chosen man’s wisdom over true love for Him? Am I so in love with Him that I take no thought for where He might lead me? Or am I watching to see how much respect I get as I measure how much service I should give Him?

As I recall what God remembers about me, I may also begin to realize that He is not what He used to be to me. When this happens, I should allow the shame and humiliation it creates in my life, because it will bring godly sorrow, and "godly sorrow produces repentance . . ." ( 2 Corinthians 7:10 ).

Only with God

God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise;
and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty.
1 Corinthians 1:27

“Only ... with God”
Only a dreamer...
...but Joseph faithfully did what he thought was right, and God made his dreams come true, using a wise and obedient heart to demonstrate His power - Genesis 50:20.


Only a blast of rams' horns and a shout...
...and God made the walls of the proud city of Jerico crumble to their foundations, and the key to all Canaan was in the hand of Israel - Joshua 6:20.


Only a woman...
...but in spite of her gender and cultural perceptions, Deborah inspired courage in the fainting hearts of her nation, and peace endured for many years - Judges 4:14.


Only the least in his father's house...
...but through faith, Gideon and a small band of men were able to cast off the enemies of Israel, and secure peace from constant destruction by their enemies - Judges 6:15.


Only a sling...
...yet the Holy Spirit guided the hand of a shepherd boy, the least in his fathers house, to save the honor of Israel and rout their adversaries - 1 Samuel 17:45.


Only two fish...
...though able to feed thousands of people when broken in the hands of Jesus. The crowds sought after Him for spiritual nourishment, and now their physical needs were met as well - Matthew 14:19.


Only a few ignorant men...
...but dedicated and consecrated through the power of the Holy Spirit to make believers for God in towns and villages, districts and regions - Acts 5:39.
Throughout history, God has consistently used the weak and lowly to demonstrate His power and glory, resisting those who are proud and self-confident. In the selected text, God tells us that He is looking for people who are foolish in the eyes of the world, so that He may confound the strong and mighty in their own ways. The greatest biblical characters, in the eyes of God, were not those who boasted of their abilities, but those who realized their limitations and depended on God to meet their needs. The more self-sufficient and capable a person is, the less room there is for God to manifest Himself. Reflecting on those times when Christ's power was the greatest in his life, Apostle Paul said: Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong - 2 Corinthians 12:10. As he learned to depend more on Christ to meet his needs, Christ became more real to him, and accomplished far greater things through him.

Joseph, Gideon, and David were the least of their families, yet it was they who God would use in the mightiest ways. Even so great a figure as Samuel was confounded that God would pass over the tallest, the brightest, and the best. Surely not questioning the correctness of God's choice, yet he simply could not believe that God would not choose the best. Perhaps this element of 'best' is the very key we need to unlock and better understand a characteristic of God. What is best in the eyes of God? Shouldn't we strive to be the best? Should we accept mediocrity as a standard?

Our modern world constantly drills us with competitive themes: 'We're number one! 'We're number one!! 'We're number one!! The word best equals dominance, strength, and victory. Best means conquering someone or something. This is one reason why fights occur as sporting events, and fans die in wanton acts of violence. Intense emotions build steadily during the game, and yearn to be released. Machoism seeks for victims, in order to demonstrate that someone is the 'best.'

In the Bible, we learn that Christ taught us to be our best through being faithful. In the eyes of God, best means seeking for divine guidance and continually believing that God is loving and trustworthy to provide that guidance. But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you - Matthew 6:33. In this simple statement lies a very profound truth. We are encouraged to divert our energies away from the pursuit of materials and power, and strive to accomplish the work of God's kingdom here on earth. Rather than follow modern voices which crave immediate satisfaction, we need to focus our hearts, minds, and inner soul on righteousness. Christ plainly states that God knows our need of sufficient goods for each day, and will graciously bestow them upon us, as we demonstrate our intention to conduct our lives according to His expectations.

Only too young? Only too small? Only too dumb? Only too poor? We may become our best for God if 'only' we decide to live according to the teachings of Christ as revealed in the New Testament, and trust Him to become our sufficiency each day. We can be our best if we forgive others as we desire them to forgive us. We can become our best for God if we spend quality time with God, and permit Him to fill us with special love for others. A glass that is full of water cannot be filled, only one that is empty. It is difficult for God to fill a person with divine attributes when they are already full of self-sufficiency. But when a person is empty of self inclinations, they may easily receive that which emanates from God. We may become our best for God when we trust 'only' God to determine our course of life and establish our prerogatives.

My Birdcage

I used to have birds that we would keep in cages one day I got brave and let them out to fly around the house, I'm so glad I did! Which reminded my of this offering.

There once was a man named George Thomas, pastor in a small New England town. One Easter Sunday morning he came to the Church carrying a rusty, bent, old bird cage, and set it by the pulpit. Eyebrows were raised and, as if in response, Pastor Thomas began to speak...

"I was walking through town yesterday when I saw a young boy coming toward me swinging this bird cage. On the bottom of the cage were three little wild birds, shivering with cold and fright. I stopped the lad and asked, "What you got there, son?" "Just some old birds," came the reply.
"What are you gonna do with them?" I asked.
"Take 'em home and have fun with 'em," he answered. "I'm gonna tease 'em and pull out their feathers to make 'em fight. I'm gonna have a real good time." "But you'll get tired of those birds sooner or later. What will you do?"
"Oh, I got some cats," said the little boy. "They like birds. I'll take 'em to them."
The pastor was silent for a moment. "How much do you want for those birds, son?"
"Huh?? !!! Why, you don't want them birds, mister. They're just plain old field birds. They don't sing. They ain't even pretty!"
"How much?" the pastor asked again.
The boy sized up the pastor as if he were crazy and said, "$10?"
The pastor reached in his pocket and took out a ten dollar bill. He placed it in the boy's hand In a flash, the boy was gone.
The pastor picked up the cage and gently carried it to the end of the alley where there was a tree and a grassy spot. Setting the cage down, he opened the door, and by softly tapping the bars persuaded the birds out, setting them free.
Well, that explained the empty bird cage on the pulpit, and then the pastor began to tell this story.

One day Satan and Jesus were having a conversation. Satan had just come from the Garden of Eden, and he was gloating and boasting. "Yes, sir, I just caught the world full of people down there. Set me a trap, used bait I knew they couldn't resist. Got 'em all!"
"What are you going to do with them?" Jesus asked.
Satan replied, "Oh, I'm gonna have fun! I'm gonna teach them how to marry and divorce each other, how to hate and abuse each other, how to drink and smoke and curse. I'm gonna teach them how to invent guns and bombs and kill each other. I'm really gonna have fun!"
"And what will you do when you get done with them?" Jesus asked. "Oh, I'll kill 'em," Satan glared proudly. "How much do you want for them?" Jesus asked.
"Oh, you don't want those people. They ain't no good. Why, you'll take them and they'll just hate you. They'll spit on you, curse you and kill you. You don't want those people!!"
"How much?" He asked again.
Satan looked at Jesus and sneered, "All your blood, tears and your life."
Jesus said, "DONE!"
Then He paid the price.
The pastor picked up the cage he opened the door and he walked from the pulpit.

Love, the greatest story

A story is told about a soldier who was finally coming home after having fought in Vietnam. He called his parents from San Francisco. "Mom and Dad, I'm coming home, but I've a favor to ask. I have a friend I'd like to bring home with me." "Sure," they replied, "we'd love to meet him."

"There's something you should know," the son continued, "he was hurt pretty badly in the fighting. He stepped on a land mind and lost an arm and a leg. He has nowhere else to go, and I want him to come live with us." "I'm sorry to hear that, son. Maybe we can help him find somewhere to live." "No, Mom and Dad, I want him to live with us."

"Son," said the father, "you don't know what you're asking. Someone with such a handicap would be a terrible burden on us. We have our own lives to live, and we can't let something like this interferes with our lives. I think you should just come home and forget about this guy. He'll find a way to live on his own." At that point, the son hung up the phone. The parents heard nothing more from him.

A few days later, however, they received a call from the San Francisco police. Their son had died after falling from a building, they were told. The police believed it was suicide. The grief-stricken parents flew to San Francisco and were taken to the city morgue to identify the body of their son. They recognized him, but to their horror they also discovered something they didn't know, their son had only one arm and one leg.

The parents in this story are like many of us. We find it easy to love those who are good-looking or fun to have around, but we don't like people who inconvenience us or make us feel uncomfortable. We would rather stay away from people who aren't as healthy, beautiful, or SMART (ahem) as we are. Thankfully, there's someone who won't treat us that way. Someone who loves us with an unconditional love that welcomes us into the forever family, regardless of how messed up we are. Tonight, before you tuck yourself in for the night, say a little prayer that God will give you the strength you need to accept people as they are, and to help us all be more understanding of those who are different from us!!!

There's a miracle called Friendship That dwells in the heart You don’t know how it happens Or when it gets started But you know the special lift It always brings And you realize that Friendship Is God's most precious gift! Friends are a very rare jewel, indeed. They make you smile =) and encourage you to succeed. They lend an ear, they share a word of praise, and they always want to open their hearts to us.

To Sir with Love

Some times it's the little things that bring home what Love, Life, and living is all about! here is a tale that you might reflect upon.

We were the only family with children in the restaurant. I sat the Baby in a high chair and noticed everyone was quietly eating and talking. Suddenly, Jimmy squealed with glee and said, "Hi there." He pounded his fat baby hands on the high-chair tray. His eyes were wide with excitement and his mouth was bared in a toothless grin. He wriggled and giggled with merriment. I looked around and saw the source of his merriment. It was a man with a tattered rag of a coat; dirty, greasy and worn. His pants were baggy with a zipper at half-mast and his toes poked out of would-be shoes. His shirt was dirty and his hair was uncombed and unwashed. His whiskers were too short to be called a beard and his nose was so varicose it looked like a road map. We were too far from him to smell, but I was sure he smelled. His hands waved and flapped on loose wrists. "Hi there, baby; hi there, big boy I see ya, buster," the man said to Jimmy.

My husband and I exchanged looks, "What do we do?" Jimmy continued to laugh and answer, "Hi, hi there." Everyone in the restaurant noticed and looked at us and then at the man. The old geezer was creating a nuisance with my beautiful baby. Our meal came and the man began shouting from across the room, "Do ya know patty cake? Do you know peek-a-boo? Hey, look, he knows peek-a-boo." Nobody thought the old man was cute. He was obviously drunk. My husband and I were embarrassed. We ate in silence; all except for Jimmy, who was running through his repertoire for the admiring skid-row bum, who in turn, reciprocated with his cute comments. We finally got through the meal and headed for the door. My husband went to pay the check and told me to meet him in the parking lot. The old man sat poised between the door and me. "Lord, just let me out of here before he speaks to me or Jimmy," I prayed.

As I drew closer to the man, I turned my back trying to side step him and avoid any air he might be breathing. As I did, Jimmy leaned over my arm, reaching with both arms in a baby's "pick-me-up" position. Before I could stop him, Jimmy had propelled himself from my arms to the man's. Suddenly a very old smelly man and a very young baby consummated their love relationship.

Jimmy in an act of total trust, love, and submission laid his tiny head upon the man's ragged shoulder. The man's eyes closed, and I saw tears hover beneath his lashes. His aged hands full of grime, pain, and hard labor - gently, so gently, cradled my baby's bottom and stroked his back. No two beings have ever loved so deeply for so short a time. I stood awestruck. The old man rocked and cradled Jimmy in his arms for a moment, and then his eyes opened and set squarely on mine. He said in a firm commanding voice, "You take care of this baby."

Somehow I managed, "I will," from a throat that contained a stone. He pried Jimmy from his chest - unwillingly, longingly, as though he were in pain. I received my baby, and the man said, "God bless you, ma'am, you've given me my Christmas gift."I said nothing more than a muttered thanks. With Jimmy in my arms, I ran for the car. My husband was wondering why I was crying and holding Jimmy so tightly, and why I was saying, "My God, my God, forgive me."

I had just witnessed Christ's love shown through the innocence of a tiny child who saw no sin, who made no judgment, a child who saw a soul, and a mother who saw a suit of clothes. I was a Christian who was blind, holding a child who was not. I felt it was God asking - "Are you willing to share your son for a moment?" -- when He shared His for all eternity.

The ragged old man, unwittingly, had reminded me, "To enter the Kingdom of God, we must become as little children."
Please note:This piece was written by Matt Tullos It was published in the Convention Press book, "Scripts to Reach In and
Out" in the early 1990's

Why would God want me?

I'm not perfect. I have all kinds of problems. I have no ability. I have no gifts. I'm just not worthy. Why would God want me? Well, did you know that....

Moses stuttered.
David's armor didn't fit.
John Mark deserted Paul.
Timothy had ulcers.
Hosea's wife was a prostitute.
Amos' only training was in the school of fig-tree pruning.
Jacob was a liar.
David had an affair.
Solomon was too rich.
Jesus was too poor.
Abraham was too old.
David was too young.
Peter was afraid of death.
Lazarus was dead.
John was self-righteous.
Naomi was a widow.
Paul was a persecutor of the church..
Moses was a murderer.
Jonah ran from God's will.
Miriam was a gossip.
Gideon and Thomas both doubted.
Jeremiah was depressed and suicidal.
Elijah was burned out.
John the Baptist was a loudmouth.
Martha was a worry-wart.
Noah got drunk.
Did I mention that Moses had a short fuse?
So did Peter, Paul - well, lots of folks did.

But God doesn't require a job interview for salvation.
He's our Heavenly Father.
He doesn't look at financial gain or loss. He's not prejudiced or
partial, not judging, grudging, sassy, or brassy, not deaf to our cry,
not blind to our need.
He know who we are and what we are
and loves us in spite of ourselves


SATAN SAYS, "YOU'RE NOT WORTHY."
JESUS SAYS, "SO WHAT? I AM."
SATAN LOOKS BACK AND SEES OUR MISTAKES.
GOD LOOKS BACK AND SEES THE CROSS.
He doesn't calculate how you failed last year. It's not even on the record.

Sure, there are lots of reasons why God shouldn't call us. But if we are in love with Him, if we hunger for Him, He'll use us in spite of who we are, where we've been, what we have done, or the fact that we are not perfect!

The Good Bishop

Jean Valjean was a wood-chopper’s son, who, while very young, was left an orphan. His older sister brought him up, but when he was seventeen years of age, his sister’s husband died, and upon Jean came the labor of supporting her seven little children. Although a man of great strength, he found it very difficult to provide food for them at the poor trade he followed.

One winter day he was without work, and the children were crying for bread. They were nearly starved. And, when he could withstand their entreaties no longer, he went out in the night, and, breaking a baker’s window with his fist, carried home a loaf of bread for the famished children. The next morning he was arrested for stealing, his bleeding hand convicting him.

For this crime he was sent to the galleys with an iron collar riveted around his neck, with a chain attached, which bound him to his galley seat. Here he remained four years, then he tried to escape, but was caught, and three years were added to his sentence. The he made a second attempt, and also failed, the result of which was that he remained nineteen years as a galley slave for stealing a single loaf of bread.

When Jean left the prison, his heart was hardened. He felt like a wolf. His wrongs had embittered him, and he was more like an animal than a man. He came with every man’s hand raised against him to the town where the good bishop lived.

At the inn they would not receive him because they knew him to be an ex-convict and a dangerous man. Wherever he went, the knowledge of him went before, and everyone drove him away. They would not even allow him to sleep in a dog kennel or give him the food they had saved for the dog. Everywhere he went they cried: “Be off! Go away, or you will get a charge of shot.” Finally, he wandered to the house of the good bishop, and a good man he was.

For his duties as a bishop, he received from the state 3,000 francs a year; but he gave away to the poor 2,800 francs of it. He was a simple, loving man, with a great heart, who thought nothing of himself, but loved everybody. And everybody loved him.
Jean, when he entered the bishop’s house, was a most forbidding and dangerous character. He shouted in a harsh loud voice: “Look here, I am a galley slave. Here is my yellow passport. It says: ‘Five years for robbery and fourteen years for trying to escape. The man is very dangerous.’ Now that you know who I am, will you give me a little food, and let me sleep in the stable?”

The good bishop said: “Sit down and warm yourself. You will take supper with me, and after that sleep here.”

Jean could hardly believe his senses. He was dumb with joy. He told the bishop that he had money, and would pay for his supper and lodging.
But the priest said: “You are welcome. This is not my house, but the house of Christ. Your name was known to me before you showed me your passport. You are my brother.”

After supper the bishop took one of the silver candlesticks that he had received as a Christmas present, and, giving Jean the other, led him to his room, where a good bed was provided. In the middle of the night Jean awoke with a hardened heart. He felt that the time had come to get revenge for all his wrongs. He remembered the silver knives and forks that had been used for supper, and made up his mind to steal them, and go away in the night. So he took what he could find, sprang into the garden, and disappeared.

When the bishop awoke, and saw his silver gone, he said: “I have been thinking for a long time that I ought not to keep the silver. I should have given it to the poor, and certainly this man was poor.”

At breakfast time five soldiers brought Jean back to the bishop’s house. When they entered, the bishop, looking at him, said: “Oh, you are back again! I am glad to see you. I gave you the candlesticks, too, which are silver also, and will bring forty francs. Why did you not take them?”

Jean was stunned indeed by these words. So were the soldiers. “This man told us the truth, did he?” they cried. “We thought he had stolen the silver and was running away. So we quickly arrested him.”
But the good bishop only said: “It was a mistake to have him brought back. Let him go. The silver is his. I gave it to him.”

So the officers went away.
“Is it true,” Jean whispered to the bishop, “that I am free? I may go?”
“Yes,” he replied, “but before you go take your candlesticks.”
Jean trembled in every limb, and took the candlesticks like one in a dream.
“Now,” said the bishop, “depart in peace, but do not go through the garden, for the front door is always open to you day and night.”

Jean looked as though he would faint.
Then the bishop took his hand, and said: “Never forget you have promised me you would use the money to become an honest man.”
He did not remember having promised anything, but stood silent while the bishop continued solemnly:

“Jean Valjean, my brother, you no longer belong to evil, but to good. I have bought your soul for you. I withdrew it from black thoughts and the spirit of hate, and gave it to God.”

Thanksgiving

I DO GIVE THANKS ... For Every Hill. . .

For every hill I've had to climb,
For every stone that bruised my feet,
For all the blood and sweat and grime,
For blinding storms and burning heat
My heart sings but a grateful song --
These were the things that made me strong!

For all the heartaches and the tears,
For all the anguish and the pain,
For gloomy days and fruitless years,
And for the hopes that lived in vain,
I do give thanks, for now I know
These were the things that helped me grow!

'Tis not the softer things of life
Which stimulate man's will to strive;
But bleak adversity and strife
Do most to keep man's will alive,
O'er rose-strewn paths the weaklings creep,
But brave hearts dare to climb the steep.

A Prayer of Thanksgiving

We come to give you thanks, Father But how can any words be adequate to
thank you for absolutely everything? All that we are and all that we have
comes from you. Help us to learn the words of praise and thanksgiving every
day, as we strive in gratitude to love you more and more. And help us to
learn and do those things that will lead us and our neighbors to that Great
Thanksgiving Day when all will be fed, and all will understand each other,
and all will have good schools, good jobs, and good health care. Bless this
food and use it to energize us for your work of justice. Amen.

Evil: Just a rumor?

This has a thought provoking message no matter how you believe. Does evil exist?

The university professor challenged his students with this question. Did God create everything that exists?
A student bravely replied yes, he did!"
"God created everything?" The professor asked.
"Yes, sir," the student replied.


The professor answered, "If God created everything, then God created evil since evil exists, and according to the principal that our works define who we are then God is evil."
The student became quiet before such an answer.


The professor was quite pleased with himself and boasted to the students that he had proven once more that the Christian faith was a myth.


Another student raised his hand and said, "Can I ask you a question professor?" "Of course", replied the professor. The student stood up and asked, "Professor, does cold exist?"


"What kind of question is this? Of course it exists. Have you never been cold?" The students snickered at the young man's question.


The young man replied, "In fact sir, cold does not exist. According to the laws of physics, what we consider cold is in reality the absence of heat. Everybody and every object is susceptible to study when it has or transmits energy, and heat is what makes a body or matter have or transmit energy. Absolute zero (- 460 degrees F) is the total absence of heat; all matter becomes inert and incapable of reaction at that temperature. Cold does not exist. We have created this word to describe how we feel if we have too little heat.


The student continued. "Professor, does darkness exist?"


The professor responded, "Of course it does".


The student replied, "Once again you are wrong sir, darkness does not exist either. Darkness is in reality the absence of light. Light we can study, but not darkness. In fact we can use Newton's prism to break white light into many colors and study the various wavelengths of each color. You cannot measure darkness. A simple ray of light can break into a world of darkness and illuminate it. How can you know how dark a certain space is? You measure the amount of light present. Isn't this correct? Darkness is a term used by man to describe what happens when there is no light present."


Finally the young man asked the professor. "Sir, does evil exist?"


Now uncertain, the professor responded, "Of course as I have already said. We see it every day. It is in the daily example of man's inhumanity to man. It is in the multitude of crime and violence everywhere in the world. "These manifestations are nothing else but evil."


To this the student replied, "Evil does not exist sir, or at least it does not exist unto itself. Evil is simply the absence of God. It is just like darkness and cold, a word that man has created to describe the absence of God. God did not create evil. Evil is not like faith, or love, that exist just as does light and heat. Evil is the result of what happens when man does not have God's love present in his heart. It's like the cold that comes when there is no heat or the darkness that comes when there is no light."


The professor sat down.


The young mans name --- Albert Einstein

The "U" in JesUs

Before U were thought of or time had begun,
God even stuck U in the name of His Son.
And each time U pray,
you'll see it's true.
You can't spell out JesUs and not include U.
You're a pretty big part of His wonderful name,
for U, He was born;
that's why He came.
And His great love for U
is the reason He died.
It even takes U
to spell crUcified.
Isn't it thrilling and splendidly grand.
He rose from the dead,
with U in His plan.
The stones split away,
the gold trUmpet blew,
and this word resUrrection is spelled with a U.
When JesUs left earth at His upward ascension,
He felt there was one thing
He just had to mention.
"Go into the world and tell them it's true
That I love them all -
Just like I love U."

Lunch with God

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!

What we should have done

What We Didn't Do


A very special teacher in high school many years ago whose husband unexpectedly died suddenly of a heart attack. About a week after his death, she shared some of her insight with a classroom of students.

As the late afternoon sunlight came streaming in through the classroom windows and the class was nearly over, she moved a few things aside on the edge of her desk and sat down there.

With a gentle look of reflection on her face, she paused and said, "Before class is over, I would like to share with all of you a thought that is unrelated to class, but which I feel is very important.

Each of us is put here on earth to learn, share, love, appreciate and give of ourselves. None of us knows when this fantastic experience will end. It can be taken away at any moment. Perhaps this is God's way of telling us that we must make the most out of every single day."

Her eyes beginning to water, she went on, "So I would like you all to make me a promise. From now on, on your way to school, or on your way home, find something beautiful to notice. It doesn't have to be something you see - it could be a scent-perhaps of freshly baked bread wafting out of someone's house, or it could be the sound of the breeze slightly rustling the leaves in the trees, or the way the morning light catches one autumn leaf as it falls gently to the ground.

Please look for these things, and cherish them. For, although it may sound trite to some, these things are the "stuff" of life. The little things we are put here on earth to enjoy. The things we often take for granted. We must make it important to notice them, for at any time... it can all be taken away."

The class was completely quiet. We all picked up our books and filed out of the room silently. That afternoon, I noticed more things on my way home from school than I had that whole semester. Every once in a while, I think of that teacher and remember what an impression she made on all of us, and I try to appreciate all of those things that sometimes we all overlook.

Take notice of something special you see on your lunch hour today. Go barefoot. Or walk on the beach at sunset. Stop off on the way home tonight to get a double-dip ice cream cone. For as we get older, it is not the things we did that we often regret, but the things we didn't do.

Do you have room?

Room for God?

Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me. Revelation 3:20

Some of the saddest words on earth are: "We don't have room for you.

Jesus knew the sound of those words. He was still in Mary's womb when the innkeeper said, "We don't have room for you. ...

And when he was hung on the cross, wasn't the message one of utter rejection? "We don't have room for you in this world."

Even today Jesus is given the same treatment. He goes from heart to heart, asking if he might enter....

Every so often, he is welcomed. Someone throws open the door of his or her heart and invites him to stay. And to that person Jesus gives this great promise: In my father's house are many rooms.

What a delightful promise he makes us! We make room for him in our hearts and he makes room for us in his house.

Father, as your love has given us great joy and encouragement, help us to refresh the hearts of others by reaching out beyond our "comfort zone." Help us to make room your You.. We thank you for your great gift of love. We thank you for showing us by your life what it means to love. Help us to understand and to love those whom you bring into our lives, in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen and Amen.

Why Jesus is better than Santa

Santa lives at the North Pole ...
JESUS is everywhere.
Santa rides in a sleigh ...
JESUS rides on the wind and walks on the water.

Santa comes but once a year ...
JESUS is an ever present help.

Santa fills your stockings with goodies ...
JESUS supplies all your needs.

Santa comes down your chimney uninvited ...
JESUS stands at your door and knocks,
and then enters your heart when invited.

You have to wait in line to see Santa ...
JESUS is as close as the mention of His name.

Santa lets you sit on his lap ...
JESUS lets you rest in His arms.

Santa doesn't know your name;
All he can say is, "Hi little boy or girl, what's your name?" ...

JESUS knew our name before we did;
Not only does He know our name,
He knows our address too.
He knows our history and future
and He even knows how many hairs are on our heads.

Santa has a belly like a bowl full of jelly ...
JESUS has a heart full of love.

All Santa can offer is HO HO HO ...
JESUS offers Health, Help and Hope.

Santa says "You better not cry" ...
JESUS says "Cast all your cares on me for I care for you."

Santa's little helpers make toys ...
JESUS makes new life, mends wounded hearts,
repairs broken homes and builds mansions.

Santa may make you chuckle but ...
JESUS gives you joy that is your strength.

While Santa puts gifts under your tree ...
JESUS became our gift and died on a tree.

In God we trust

"Thank you for calling My Father's House. Please select one of the following options:
Press 1 for requests.
Press 2 for thanksgiving.
Press 3 for complaints.
Press 4 for all other inquiries."

"All the angels are helping other customers right now. Please stay on the line, and your call will be answered in the order it was received."

"If you'd like to hear King David sing a Psalm while you're on hold, press 4."

"To find out if a loved one has been assigned to heaven, enter his or her social security number."

"For reservations at My Father's House, press the letters J-O-H-N and then 3-1-6."

"For answers to nagging questions about dinosaurs, the age of the earth, and where Noah's ark is, please wait until you arrive here."

And here are some Emergency Numbers:

* When in sorrow, call John 14
* When men fail you, call Psalm 27
* If you want to be fruitful, call John 15
* When you have sinned, call Psalm 51
* When you worry, call Matthew 6:19-34
* When you are in danger, call Psalm 91
* When God seems far away, call Psalm 139
* When your faith needs stirring, call Hebrews 11
* When you are lonely and fearful, call Psalm 23
* When you grow bitter and critical, call 1 Cor. 13
* For Paul's secret to happiness, call Col. 3:12-17
* For idea of Christianity, call 1 Cor. 5:15-19
* When you feel down and out, call Romans 8:31-39
* When you want peace and rest, call Matt. 11:25-30
* When the world seems bigger than God, call Psalm 90
* When you want Christian assurance, call Romans 8:1-30
* When you leave home for labor or travel, call Psalm 121
* When your prayers grow narrow or selfish, call Psalm 67
* For a great opportunity, call Isaiah 55
* When you want courage for a task, call Joshua 1
* How to get along with fellowmen, call Romans 12
* When you think of investments/returns, call Mark 10
* If you are depressed, call Psalm 27
* If your pocketbook is empty, call Psalm 37
* If you're losing confidence in people, call 1 Cor. 13
* If people seem unkind, call John 15
* If discouraged about your work, call Psalm 126
* If you find the world growing small, and yourself great call Psalm 19

Emergency numbers may be dialed direct. No operator assistance is necessary. All lines are open to Heaven 24 hours a day!

The best form of spiritual exercise is to touch the floor regularly with your knees.

No God!

"The fool says in his heart, `There is no God.'" Psalm 14:1.
Just think if there was no God! Divine Providence would not exist at all.

No God!

Then all God said is fiction and we would have no foundation. We would have no hope, no belief, and no expectations. What a terrible world this would be without a God who keeps the heavens in order and the earth replenished.

No God!

Then no prayer, for why pray? Who would we pray to or for, and what reasons would we have, if we haven't a more excellent Person to take our petitions to and know they would be granted?

No God!

There would be no forgiveness of our sins; what a burden to carry around all the time. If we would not be forgiven, then we would not know to forgive others. Can we begin to imagine the chaos and spiritual carnage?

No God!

Then there would be no comfort and oh! how could we survive without nurture from someone who would understand because He has suffered it all first? We would have to carry around broken hearts until we died, and then all hope would be buried.

No God!

There would be no reaching for a higher wisdom than our own; man would be the final arbitrator and administrator of decisions. What a depressing and degrading thought.

No God!

Then there would be no Son who died for us and who intercedes for us. There would be no Sermon on the Mount to give us a standard whereby we love and relate to each other.

No God!

The fool's creed is crude in every possible way.

I believe in God by faith, by what do you disbelieve?

Prayer for Those Searching for God


O Lord my God,
Teach my heart this day where and how to see you,
Where and how to find you.
You have made me and remade me,
And you have bestowed on me
All the good things I possess,
And still I do not know you.
I have not yet done that
For which I was made.
Teach me to seek you,
For I cannot seek you
Unless you teach me,
Or find you
Unless you show yourself to me.
Let me seek you in my desire,
Let me desire you in my seeking.
Let me find you by loving you,
Let me love you when I find you.


- St. Anselm

Thanksgiving

This thanksgiving lets us thank and help someone who cannot do anything for you

"Then the King will say to those on His right hand, 'Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:

Mt 25:35 'for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in;

Mt 25:36 'I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.'

Mt 25:37 "Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, 'Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink?

Mt 25:38 'When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You?

Mt 25:39 'Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?'

Mt 25:40 "And the King will answer and say to them, 'Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.'

Mt 25:41 "Then He will also say to those on the left hand, 'Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels:

Mt 25:42 'for I was hungry and you gave Me no food; I was thirsty and you gave Me no drink;

Mt 25:43 'I was a stranger and you did not take Me in, naked and you did not clothe Me, sick and in prison and you did not visit Me.'

Mt 25:44 "Then they also will answer Him, saying, 'Lord, when did we see You hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to You?'

Mt 25:45 "Then He will answer them, saying, 'Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.'

Take a stand!

"When Peter came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he was in the wrong." - Paul the Apostle (Galatians 2:11, NIV)

On more than one occasion Jesus condemned the Pharisees for their hypocrisy.

Also, the Apostle Paul rebuked Peter when he felt he was in the wrong.

So when is it right for us to speak out and when do we need to keep silent? How do we know we aren't projecting our own unresolved issues onto other people? Or when someone attacks us personally, when do we need to turn the other cheek and when do we need to stand up and confront? Or when we see wrong in society, business, or politics, should we speak out or should we look the other way and say nothing?

When people attacked Jesus and accused him falsely he remained silent and was totally non-defensive because he had nothing to hide. However, when people misused the house of God and used people for their own ends, or tried to hide their hypocrisy behind a facade of religion, or loved their stupid rules more than they loved people, Jesus spoke out against them in no uncertain terms.

The bottom line is our motive. Jesus always did what he did because he loved God and he loved people. He attacked evil head on because it was so destructive of those whom he loved - us! Furthermore, Jesus always spoke with authority but was never authoritarian, rigid, controlling, or manipulative because he had nothing in his own life he needed to hide.

What we need to do if we are going to make a difference in our society is, first of all, to acknowledge our own shortcomings and, with God's help, work at overcoming these. Second, we need to love the things God loves and hate the things he hates and speak out against these as Jesus did. These are the things we need to be angry at too. We simply cannot love righteousness without hating unrighteousness.

Meekness is not weakness and let us not forget the words of Edmund Burke who said, "All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing."

Forget? Me?

I heard a story on the radio of a woman who was out Christmas shopping with her two children. After many hours of looking at row after row of toys and everything else imaginable. And after hours of hearing both her children asking for everything they saw on those many shelves, she finally made it to the elevator with her two kids. She was feeling what so many of us feel during the holiday season time of the year. Overwhelming pressure to go to every party, every housewarming, taste all the holiday food and treats, getting that perfect gift for every single person on our shopping list, making sure we don't forget anyone on our card list, and the pressure of making sure we respond to everyone who sent us a card.
Finally the elevator doors opened and there was already a crowd in the car. She pushed her way into the car and dragged her two kids in with her and all the bags of stuff. When the doors closed she couldn't take it anymore and stated: "Whoever started this whole Christmas thing should be found, strung up and shot."

From the back of the car everyone heard a quiet calm voice respond:
"Don't worry we already crucified him."

For the rest of the trip down the elevator it was so quiet you could have heard a pin drop.

Don't forget this year to keep the One who started this whole Christmas thing in your every thought, deed, purchase, and word. If we all did it, just think of how different this whole world would be.

What's bugging you?

A man was sitting on his porch one autumn day reflecting on life. As he noticed the once beautifully colored leaves laying withered on the grass, he thought about his own mortality and prayed for God to send him an angel to watch over and protect him so he would have a long and fruitful life. Afterwards, he felt an overwhelming sense of peace and knew that God had heard his heartfelt request.

Then one day shortly after, while crossing the street, he was hit by a car and died instantly. When he reached the Gates of Heaven, he was perplexed and asked God, "Father I know that you heard my prayer-- why didn't you send someone to protect me when I needed it the most?"

"My dear child", The Father replied, "I did indeed hear your request and commissioned a tiny guardian angel to watch over and warn you whenever you were approaching danger."

Then the man realized and sadly recalled: "Moments before I was hit, I was walking down the street and a flying creature was following me. Each time I waved it away it returned, frantically fluttering about me. Finally I got so annoyed that I swatted it to the ground and crushed it with my foot, thinking it was some kind of bug."

So, what has been "bugging" you lately? Often we pray to God for blessings but then reject or overlook the form in which they arrive because they seem so insignificant to us. God is not always in the BIG things as we expect. Most times his voice is quiet and still-- which is why if we're not paying attention, we will miss it. When there is a person or situation in your life that bothers you, most likely God is sending a message that there is something inside your heart that needs to be looked at and dealt with in order to receive the blessing you asked for.

Take a look at the people and situations in your life that you have labeled as bothersome, and instead of waving them away from you, ask God what He is trying to say to you in these areas. Then, the next time something "bugs" you, instead of complaining, you can thank God for answering your prayers.

Letting Go of Resentments

A story tells of a merchant in a small town who had identical twin sons. The boys worked for their father in the department store he owned and, when he died, they took over the store.


Everything went well until the day a dollar bill disappeared. One of the brothers had left the bill on the cash register and walked outside with a customer. When he returned, the money was gone.

He asked his brother, "Did you see that dollar bill on the cash register?" His brother replied that he had not. But the young man kept probing and questioning. He would not let it alone. "Dollar bills just don't get up and walk away! Surely you must have seen it!" There was subtle accusation in his voice. Tempers began to rise. Resentment set in. Before long, a deep and bitter chasm divided the young men. They refused to speak. They finally decided they could no longer work together and a dividing wall was built down the center of the store. For twenty years hostility and bitterness grew, spreading to their families and to the community.

Then one day a man in an automobile licensed in another state stopped in front of the store. He walked in and asked the clerk, "How long have you been here?"

The clerk replied that he'd been there all his life. The customer said, "I must share something with you. Twenty years ago I was "riding the rails" and came into this town in a boxcar. I hadn't eaten for three days. I came into this store from the back door and saw a dollar bill on the cash register. I put it in my pocket and walked out. All these years I haven't been able to forget that. I know it wasn't much money, but I had to come back and ask your forgiveness."

The stranger was amazed to see tears well up in the eyes of this middle-aged man. "Would you please go next door and tell that same story to the man in the store?" he said. Then the man was even more amazed to see two middle-aged men, who looked very much alike, embracing each other and weeping together in the front of the store.

After twenty years, the brokenness was mended. The wall of resentment that divided them came down.

It is so often the little things that finally divide people- words spoken in haste; criticisms; accusations; resentments. And once divided, they may never come together again.

The solution, of course, is to let it go. There is really nothing particularly profound about learning to let go of little resentments. But for fulfilling and lasting relationships, letting them go is a must. Refuse to carry around bitterness and you may be surprised at how much energy you have left for building bonds with those you love.

I'm a Christian

When I say, "I am a Christian,"
I'm not shouting, "I am saved!"
I'm whispering, "I get lost;
That is why I chose this way."

When I say, "I am a Christian,"
I don't speak of this with pride.
I'm confessing that I stumble
And need Someone to be my Guide.

When I say, "I am a Christian,"
I'm not trying to be strong.
I'm professing that I'm weak,
And pray for strength to carry on.

When I say, "I am a Christian,"
I'm not bragging of success.
I'm admitting I have failed
And cannot ever pay the debt.

When I say, "I am a Christian,"
I'm not claiming to be perfect.
My flaws are all too visible,
But God believes I'm worth it.

When I say, "I am a Christian,"
I still feel the sting of pain.
I have my share of heartaches,
Which is why I speak His name.

When I say, "I am a Christian,"
I do not wish to judge.
I have no authority;
I only know I'm loved.

Jesus loves the little Children

Do you remember that song?
"Jesus loves the Little children
All the children of the world
Red, Yellow, Black or White
They are precious in His sight
Jesus loves the Little children of the world"

After her family transferred from one military base to another, Jenny was excited to have cousins close by for the first time in her life. She especially liked playing with Beth, an only child, who had every doll and accessory a little girl could possibly want. Naturally, when Beth asked Jenny to spend the weekend with her, Jenny didn't hesitate in saying, "Yes!"

The girls played happily all day Saturday before taking their baths and getting ready for bed. Once they were settled in, Beth told Jenny her Grandmother would be coming by in the morning to take them to Sunday School. At first, Jenny was slightly worried, but Beth assured her everything would be okay. "Our teacher is really nice and if you didn't bring anything to wear, you can borrow a dress from me." She offered. "And after church, Grandma always takes me out to eat and lets me order anything I want. I don't even have to choose something from the kid's menu."

Jenny felt like a princess the next morning in her borrowed dress. Beth showed her how to make her ruffled skirt stick straight out by putting two can-cans under it. The two girls twirled excitedly, watching their skirts spin like pinwheels while waiting for Beth's grandmother to pull into the drive.

The church was close by, and upon their arrival, Beth rushed Jenny to her classroom to introduce her to her friends. Everyone was so friendly. Jenny soon relaxed and began to join in as the class formed a circle and sang Jesus Loves Me. Then the teacher began doing something that made Jenny very uncomfortable. She stepped into the center of the circle and began pointing to each child saying, "Jesus loves YOU.... and Jesus loves YOU..... and Jesus loves YOU... "

Jenny's eyes began to sting as she tried so hard to hold back the salty tears that were forming rapidly. She didn't know what she was going to do. As the teacher approached her side of the circle, the fear was overwhelming and tears began to flow. She just knew the teacher would approach the child on her left and say, "Jesus loves YOU!" and then skip right past her to say, "Jesus loves YOU!" again to the child on her right. As a victim of both physical and emotional child abuse, Jenny felt that she was unlovable. She thought she would be completely passed by.... because no one loved her, she was sure of that.

But you know what?

Jenny was wrong! The teacher didn't pass her by. Instead she looked right into Jenny's moist eyes, smiled, and said "Jesus loves YOU!" in such a way that Jenny actually believed that it was true.

Jesus loved HER!

As the realization of His love began to set in, so did a desire to find out all she could about this Jesus. After class, Jenny asked the teacher to tell her more. The teacher lovingly explained the plan of salvation and Jenny made a decision to ask Jesus into her heart only to be informed that she was too young.

Later, during the worship service, the preacher gave an altar call. Again, Jenny responded with a real desire to start a relationship with this Jesus who loved HER! But again, she was told she was too young. The preacher prayed a "blessing" over her and went on to pray the sinner's prayer with an older gentleman who had also came forward.

After the service, Jenny was still unsatisfied. She was determined not to leave until someone led her to the Lord. She approached several very spiritual looking adults with big Bibles before finally finding a young woman who was willing to pray. This soft spoken young woman joyfully shared her heart with Jenny and led her to the Lord.

As God's plan for her life unfolded, Jenny's love for children began to grow. As an adult, Jenny became very involved in ministering to children

It's all about You!

Understanding is the reward of faith.
Therefore seek not to understand that you may believe,
but believe that you may understand." --Augustine of Hippo

It's times like this that I turn to friends who express in words what
I feel in my spirit
"I"

I prayed because I felt weak

I prayed because I didn’t know where to turn

I prayed because I felt ‘fake’

I prayed because of my desire to learn.

I prayed because I was fighting doubt

I prayed because my faith was small

I prayed because I felt I had fallen short

I prayed because I thought I was about to fall.

I waited because you taught me patience

I listened because you teach in whispers still

I won my battle over doubt

I learned it’s about - more than just ‘how I feel.’

I walked with you through temptation,

I trusted on you to direct my way

I acknowledge that I’m on a journey,

I realize that I’ll have battles every day...

I learned how to claim your WORD

I applied your teaching to my soul,

I chose to put on the armor of God

I know that Christ will make me whole.

I claimed the blood on my life

I accepted the gift of Salvation for me

I know now, that even though I may struggle,

I am in actual fact - FREE.

I thank you Jesus because you never give up

I thank you because you died for all,

I thank you because you pick me up

I thank you because you heard my distress call.

This poem has been written about "I" when really it’s all about "YOU."

All about your mercies, all about your GRACE which brought me through.




Thanks for speaking to our hearts about what is on your heart We also pray the same prayer.
If you enjoyed what you read you can read more at
http://crimson_shine.bravejournal.com/

Serving God

Many folks want to serve God, but only as advisers.

It is easier to preach ten sermons than it is to live one.

When you get to your wit's end, you'll find God lives there.

People are funny, they want the front of the bus, the middle of the road, and the back of the church.

Opportunity may knock once, but temptation bangs on your front door forever.

Don't gripe about your church; if it was perfect, you couldn't be a member.

The phrase that is guaranteed to wake up an audience: "And in conclusion."

If the church wants a better pastor, it only needs to pray for the one it has.

God Himself does not propose to judge a man until he is dead. So why should we?

Peace starts with a smile.

We were called to be witnesses, not lawyers or judges.

Pastor wants position

Pastor wanted

One of the toughest tasks a church faces is choosing a good minister. A member of an official board undergoing this painful process finally lost patience. He'd just witnessed the Pastoral Relations Committee reject applicant after applicant for some minor fault - real or imagined. It
was time for a bit of soul-searching on the part of the committee. So he stood up and read this letter purporting to be from another applicant.Gentlemen:

Understanding your pulpit is vacant, I should like to apply for the position. I have many qualifications. I've been a preacher with much success and also had some success as a writer. Some say I'm a good organizer. I've been a leader most places I've been. I'm over 50 years of age and have never preached in one place for more than three years. In some places, I have left town after my work caused riots and disturbances. I must admit I have been in jail three or four times, but not because of any real wrongdoing. My health is not too good, though I still accomplish a great deal. The churches I have preached in have been small, though located in several large cities.

I've not gotten along well with religious leaders in the towns where I have preached. In fact, some have threatened me, and even attacked me physically. I am not too good at keeping records. I have been known to forget whom I have baptized. However, if you can use me, I promise to do my best for you.

The board member turned to the committee and said, "Well, what do you think? Shall we call him?" The good church folks were appalled! Consider a sickly, trouble-making, absent-minded ex-jailbird? Was the board member crazy? Who signed the application? Who had such colossal nerve?

The board member eyed them all keenly before he replied, "It's signed, 'The Apostle Paul.'"

The shadow of the cross

I came across this while reading an inspirational stories book! The author is unkown but this story is an amazing one of the power and aweomsenss of God!!!

While taking a class in photography at the University of Cincinnati a Christian became acquainted with a young man names Charles Murray who also was a student at the school and training for the summer olympics as a high diver.

Charles was very patient, listening to him for hours about how Jesus had saved him. Charles was not raised in a home that attended any kind of chruch, so all that was told to him was a fascination. He even began to ask questions about the forgiveness of sins.

Finally the day came that the question was put to him, "have you realised your need of a redeemer, and are you ready to trust Christ as you saviour?" His countenance fell and the guilt was in his face. But his reply was a strong "No."

In the days that followed, he was quiet and often avoided the believer until one day Charles decided to call him. He wanted to know where to look in the New Testament for some verses about salvation! He declined to meet but thanked the christian for the Scripture references. he was greatly troubled but was not ready to receive help.

Because he was trainging for the Olympic games, Charles had special priveleges at the University pool facilities. Some time between 10:30 and 11:00 that evening, he decided to go swim and practise a few dives. It was a clear night in OCtober and the moon was big and bright. The university pool was housed under a ceiling of glass panes, so the moon shone bright across the top of the wall in the pool area.

Charles climbed to the highest platform to take his first dive. At that moment the Spirit of God began to convict him of his sins. All the scripture he had read, all the occasions of witnessing to him about Christ flooded his mind.

He stood on the platform backwards to make his dive, spread his arms to gather his balance, looked up to the wall and saw his own shadow, caused by the light of the moon. It was in the shape of a cross. He could bear the burden of his sins no longer, HIs heart broke, and he sat down on the platform. He trusted Jesus Christ some twenty-some feet in the air.

Suddenly the lights in the pool area came on. The attendant had come in to check the pool. As Charles looked down from his platform he saw an empty pool, which had been drained for repairs. He had almost plummeted to his death, but the cross has stopped him from disaster.