LISTEN FOR THE BELL      Just up the road from my home is a field, with two horses in it.

     From a distance, each horse looks like any other horse. But if you stop your car, or are walking by, you will notice some-thing quite amazing. Looking into the eyes of one horse will disclose that he is blind. His owner has chosen not to have him put down, but has made a good home for him.

     This alone is amazing. If you stand nearby and listen, you will hear the sound of a bell. Looking around for the source of the sound, you will see that it comes from the smaller horse in the field. Attached to the horse's halter is a small bell. It lets the blind friend know where the other horse is, so he can follow.

     As you stand and watch these two friends, you'll see that the horse with the bell is always checking on the blind horse, and that the blind horse will listen for the bell and then slowly walk to where the other horse is, trusting that he will not be led astray.

     When the horse with the bell returns to the shelter of the barn each evening it stops occasionally and looks back making sure that the blind friend isn’t too far behind to hear the bell.

     Like the owners of these two horses, God does not throw us away just because we are not perfect or because we have problems or challenges. He watches over us and even brings others into our lives to help us when we are in need.

     Sometimes we are the blind horse being guided by the little ringing bell of those who God places in our lives. Other times we are the guide horse, helping others to find their way.... Good friends are like that... You may not always see them, but you know they are always there. Please listen for my bell and I'll listen for yours.

     And remember... Be kinder than necessary - everyone you meet is fighting some kind of battle.  …..Jack the AZBeeman and DM Xander by way of Chaplains Notes (ChapnotesMail@aol.com) and “Christian Voices” (www.ChristianVoicesWorldwide.com)

A Christian rises against the winds of adversity.

MEASURING OUR WORTH       "Jesus said unto him, If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me.  But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful:  for he had great possessions.  Then said Jesus unto his disciples, Verily I say unto you, That a rich man shall hardly enter into the kingdom of heaven." - Matthew 19:21-23
     Have you ever attended an affair of some kind where the people
surrounding you did nothing but brag about their life accomplishment,
or inform you of their "worth?"
    Attending a High School class reunion some years ago, feeling uncomfortable with the life I had made for myself, I felt worthless in comparison to theirs. Some had become doctors, nurses, lawyers, and many held high positions in large companies. Nearly all of them talked of children attending private schools and big college plans for the future.
     Myself, on the other hand, was (and still am today) quite ordinary. My children attended public schools and I have worked in retail for the better part of my life.
     Back then, I felt worthless. I measured my standards with theirs.  HUGE MISTAKE!!  I was measuring my feeling of worthlessness by the wrong standards!
     I have come to realize that God doesn't think more or less of us based on our job, our financial status, our homes, or even our academic success. Our worth and dignity is rooted in the fact that God created us and that His Son died for us. And what's important to Him is our degree of trust, faith, and service done for His sake, not our own. Keeping up with our neighbors and friends should not be a top priority in our lives!
     Jesus speaks of the rich young ruler in the above Scripture verse. If I may paraphrase here, He tells us that those who follow Him, regardless of their earthly status, will be rewarded for their faith and commitment. And when God gives out rewards, there will be many surprises!
     " . . . many that are first shall be last; and the last shall be first."
This is something to think on.
     Where do you stand within the circle of your family, neighbors, and friends? Or better yet, where will you stand before God one day? It would be wise to make a serious choice today, while still having the chance. We should measure our worth and that of others by God's standards ~ not ours! We will never become failures when we seek to do the will of God. - jcshrimp1.com/insp/

OBEDIENCE AND PEACEFUL ABIDING     "Abide in me, and I in you.   As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me." John 15:4
     While on safari, a missionary family stopped for lunch. The children were playing under a tree a distance away from their parents and the other adults on the team. Suddenly the father of one child jumped up and yelled to his son, "Drop down!" and the son did so instantly. Others in the group were shocked to learn that a poisonous snake was slithering down the tree ready to strike the child. It would have meant certain death if the snake had struck him. Only the father of the child saw it.
     Amazement was expressed over the instant response of the child to his father's command. The father explained the abiding love he and his son enjoyed had developed from the trust they had in each other. The boy did not question when his dad gave the command; he trusted him and responded accordingly. The missionary father also expected his son to obey his command.
     The peaceful rest that both of them were able to enjoy later that day was evidence of the abiding rest that God has for each of us as we learn to trust Him. Are you abiding in Christ? (Author known to God)
     God wants to abide in us and He wants us to abide in Him. Abiding comes more easily for some than others. It is not always easy to know what God has planned for us, but we can be assured that whatever it is, He is ready to equip us with what we need to endure and hold on for as long as He wants us there. Abiding starts with trust and ends with complete rest.  "I am the vine, ye are the branches:  He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing."  John 15:5 – jcshrimp1.com/insp

GOD, OUR FATHER     "And he arose, and came to his father.  But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him.  And the son said unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in thy sight, and am no more worthy to be called thy son.  But the father said to his servants, Bring forth the best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet:  And bring hither the fatted calf, and kill it; and let us eat, and be merry:  For this my son was dead and is alive again; he was lost, and is found.  And they began to be merry."  Luke 15:20-24
    In Luke 15, Jesus relates to the people one of the most poignant stories in all literature:  that of the prodigal son.  Nearly everyone can relate to one of the characters, the prodigal son, the elder brother, or the father.  Each of the characters teaches important lessons for Christians to learn.  In the above Scripture, we learn some things about the father that Christian fathers need to imitate as they are raising their children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.
      He was patient . . .  Although the son had been gone a long time       He was loving . . .  When he saw his son coming, he ran to him! He could not wait for his son to come to him.  He immediately hugged and kissed his son.  And he did not even ask for an explanation of where he had been or what he had been doing.
     He did not give him a lecture on "you should have known better," or "I hope you learned a lesson."  Fathers, how loving are you toward your children when they make mistakes?
     He was forgiving . . .  We know that the father was forgiving because his actions demonstrated it.  So anxious was he to forgive his son that he did not let him finish his plea.  (In verses 18,19 the son plans to ask his father to make him a servant. But the father cuts him off before he gets that far, verses 21, 22).  The father restored his wayward son to his original place and treated him with the highest honor.  Fathers, how forgiving are you of your children when they do wrong?
      His priorities were in the right place . . .  The most important thing was not that his son had sinned, not that he had taken advantage of his father, not that he had caused his father untold grief; the most important thing was that his son was alive and had come home! Fathers, delight in your children! - jcshrimp1.com/insp/

YOUR FATHER KNOWS THE WAY     When I was a small boy growing up in Pennsylvania we would often visit my grandparents who lived nine miles away. One night a thick fog settled over the hilly countryside before we started home. I remember being terrified, and asking if we shouldn't be going even slower than we were. Mother said gently, "Don't worry. Your father knows the way."
     You see, Dad had walked that road when there was no gasoline during the war. He had ridden that blacktop on his bicycle to court Mother.  And for years he had made those weekly trips back to visit his own parents.
     How often when I can't see the road of life, and have felt that familiar panic rising in my heart I have heard the echo of my mother's voice: "Don't worry. Your Father knows the way." --James S. Hewett, IllustrationsUnlimited (Wheaton: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc, 1988) p. 201 – Dose of Inspiration

MY FATHER’S HANDS by Pastor Rick Sams      Once there was a woman who would ask if she could give you her picture to remember her. After recipients got past the initial shock of such an usual, bold request, usually her gift was accepted. It was her picture for sure; a picture of her hands. Not particularly attractive or distinguishing hands, I might add.
  But hands tell us a lot about the person. In a meeting where I should have been paying attention, instead I looked around the group at their hands. I saw a housewife’s hands that were red and chapped, no doubt from too many dishes and diapers. I saw the rough hands of a handyman; large, with deep crevices filled with some dark staining substance. I saw the gnarled hands of a woman with arthritis.
  A few days ago I looked at my father’s hands; hands that sacrificed and served for forty years to put food on our table through his trade of carpentry. I saw fingers that had been mangled by power saws. Hammers had split open those thumbs too many times. Arthritis and Parkinson’s have taken a huge toll to remove the powerful and profound skills that those hands once possessed; hands that held me when I was just born.
  Our Father God’s hands tell us a lot about Him: “…in the shadow of his hand he hid me…and concealed me in his quiver…See, I have engraved you on the palms of my  hands…” (Isaiah 49:2, 16).
  That engraving was done by Roman nails on a cruel cross where God in Christ died in our place for our sins. Have you accepted that sacrifice was for you?
  Those hands held children and healed those who came to him. Our Father’s hands, through the hands of Jesus, show us so much about Him and His love. Can you rest in his hands today? Can you feel his arms around you, holding and hiding you?
  “The eternal God is your refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms” (Deuteronomy 33:27). – Monday-fodder.com

TURN FROM SINFUL WAYS     "AND the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, Speak unto the children of Israel , and say unto them, I am the LORD your God. After the doings of the land of Egypt, wherein ye dwelt, shall ye not do: and after the doings of the land of Canaan, whither I bring you, shall ye not do: neither shall ye walk in their ordinances. Ye shall do my judgments, and keep mine ordinances, to walk therein: I am the LORD your God. Ye shall therefore keep my statutes, and my judgments: which if a man do, he shall live in them: I am the LORD." - Leviticus 18:1-5
     The children of Israel have come out of Egypt where they had done all the things that were forbidden. Disgusting sins were a way of life for the Egyptians and God had to separate His people from the influence of that sinful environment. They were going to the land of Canaan , a land flowing with milk and honey. But that wasn't all that was in Canaan . The Canaanites were there, and they also were immoral. God saw the children of Israel were caught, as we would put it, between a rock and a hard place. The Egyptians were behind them, the Canaanites were ahead of them, and both were grossly immoral.
     We are living in a day when they talk about a sexual revolution. I wonder whether people have read the eighteenth chapter of Leviticus. Because there is nothing new today about sexual perversion than there was back then. It is the same old immorality today that they had in Egypt and in Canaan . But, God said back then, and still says today, "I am the LORD, your God." So, who makes the rules then? God makes the rules! Now, you may not wish to follow them, but breaking any of the Ten Commandments is wrong ~ because God says it's wrong! When you choose not to follow God's rules, you might want to remember Who's world it is you're living in, breathing in, using His sunshine in, drinking His water in, and walking in on His earth. And keep in mind that these privileges are also rent-free! Unless you can create your own universe, I would strongly suggest obeying His commands. He tells us that if we break His Commandments, we will pay for it.
     The things that God said were immoral are still immoral today. Look at the New Testament: "Not in the lust of concupiscence, even as the Gentiles which know not God: That no man go beyond and defraud his brother in any matter: because that the Lord is the avenger of all such, as we also have forewarned you and testified. For God hath not called us unto uncleanness, but unto holiness" (1 Thessalonians 4:5-7). "This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind, Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart:: Who being past feeling have given themselves over unto lasciviousness, to work all uncleanness with greediness" (Ephesians 4:17-19). "But now I have written unto you not to keep company, if any man that is called a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolater, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner: with such an one no not to eat" (1 Corinthians 5:11). "Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust" (2 Peter 1:4).
     These passages from the Epistles of the New Testament are speaking to us. The child of God in any age is called to holy living. "Know ye not that ye are the temple of God , and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? If any man defile the temple of God , him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are" (1 Corinthians 3:16-17).  “Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.” (1 Peter 1:16). God is calling us to holiness! We need to emphasize holiness because God asks us to be holy.
     God created this universe, and despite what you think or believe, He is the One who is running it! And He says, "I am your God!" He is a reconciled God. He knows our frame and yet He loves us. If you are reconciled to God, you will want to please Him. The child of God can be filled with the Holy Spirit so that he will not commit these sins of the flesh, but will produce the fruit of the Spirit. - jcscrimp1.com/insp

"A B C"     My words are not mine most days.  They just appear in my mind, on my computer screen or on paper and I share them.  I sat in a meeting recently listening to others around me speak about all the challenges in life. The group was made up of men and women of various ages.

     One middle aged man wondered out loud why God had not permitted him to be successful.

     I stood up and said, "Success is as easy as A B C." I then walked out of the room.

    Of course this stirred the conversation and caused a number of people to laugh at the simplicity of my statement.

     I waited outside the door and listened.

     "He has no idea what he is talking about!" "Nothing in life is that simple!"

     As I turned to walk away I heard a voice, "Sir!  Pardon me."

     I stopped and turned toward him.

     "You caused quite a discussion in there."

     "I always do," I replied.

     "I couldn't let you go without an explanation," he said.  "You said 'Success is as easy as A B C". How can that be?"

     I then pulled a small scrap of paper out of my jacket, walked over to a nearby table and scribbled something on it.

     "Out of all those people, you were the only one who showed interest in the possibility.  It's a reflection of today's society.  We are made to believe that unless something is complex, multi-layered and expensive, it cannot be of any value.  Something simple is not worth pursuing.  That is except for those who know the truth...like you," I said.

     I then handed him the note, smiled and walked away.

     Before he opened the paper, I left the building, crossed the parking lot and got into my car.

     I waited and watched the nearby window.  He appeared there smiling as he held the note up and waved.

    This is what I wrote,

    "You are "A" child of God.

   You will   "B" successful

   when you "C" what He sees in you."

    "A B C"…..Copyright 2007 Bob Perks "I believe in you!" (2believe@comcast.net) (http://www.BobPerks.com) by way of “Christian Voices” (www.ChristianVoicesWorldwide.com)

Keep your eyes on Jesus and you'll soon lose sight of your fears.

IT’S EASY TO GIVE WHAT WE DON’T WANT ANYMORE

     When a tornado touched down in a small town nearby, many families were left devastated. Afterward, all the local newspapers carried many human-interest stories featuring some of the families who suffered the hardest.
     One Sunday, a particular picture especially touched me. A young woman stood in front of a totally demolished mobile home, an anguished expression twisting her features.
     A young boy, seven or eight years old, stood at her side, eyes downcast. Clutching at her skirt was a tiny girl who stared into the camera, eyes wide with confusion and fear.
     The article that accompanied the picture gave the clothing sizes of each family member. With growing interest, I noticed that their sizes closely matched ours. This would be a good opportunity to teach my children to help those less fortunate than themselves.
     I taped the picture of the young family to our refrigerator, explaining their plight to my seven-year-old twins, Brad and Brett, and to three-year-old Meghan.
     "We have so much, and these poor people now have nothing," I said. "We'll share what we have with them."
     I brought three large boxes down from the attic and placed the on the living room floor. Meghan watched solemnly as the boys and I filled one of the boxes with canned goods and other nonperishable foods, soap and other assorted toiletries.
     While I sorted through our clothes, I encouraged the boys to go through their toys and donate some of their less favorite things. Meghan watched quietly as the boys piled up discarded toys and games.
     "I'll help you find something for the little girl when I'm done with this," I said.
     The boys placed the toys they had chosen to donate into one of the boxes while I filled the third box with clothes.
     Meghan walked up with Lucy, her worn, faded, frazzled, much-loved rag doll hugged tightly to her chest.
     She paused in front of the box that held the toys, pressed her round little face into Lucy's flat, painted-on-face, gave her a final kiss, then laid her gently on top of the other toys.
     "Oh, Honey," I said. "You don't have to give Lucy. You love her
so much."
     Meghan nodded solemnly, eyes glistening with held-back tears. "Lucy makes me happy, Mommy. Maybe she'll make that other little girl happy, too."
     Swallowing hard, I stared at Meghan for a long moment wondering how I could teach the boys the lesson she had just taught me. For I suddenly realized that anyone can give their cast-offs away. True generosity is giving that which you cherish most.
     Honest benevolence is a three-year-old offering a treasured, albeit shabby doll to a little girl she doesn't know with the hope that it will bring this child as much pleasure as it brought her.
     I, who had wanted to teach, had been taught.
     The boys had watched, open-mouthed, as their baby sister placed her favorite doll in the box. Without a word, Brad rose and went to his room. He came back carrying one of his favorite action figures. He hesitated briefly, clutching the toy, then looked over at Meghan and placed it in the box next to Lucy.
     A slow smile spread across Brett's face, then he jumped up, eyes twinkling as he ran to retrieve some of his prized Match boxcars.
     Amazed, I realized that the boys had also recognized what little Meghan's gesture meant. Swallowing back tears, I pulled all three of them into my arms.
     Taking the cue from my little one, I removed my old tan jacket with the frayed cuffs from the box of clothes. I replaced it with the new hunter green jacket that I had found on sale last week. I hoped the young woman in the picture would love it as much as I did.
     It's easy to give that which we don't want anymore but harder to let go of something that we cherish isn't it?
~Author Unknown~ @Sent by Arthur Joseph – Monday Fodder

EQUIPPED TO SERVE      "Come now therefore, and I will send thee unto Pharaoh, that thou mayest bring forth my people the children of Israel out of Egypt . And Moses said unto God, Who am I, that I should go unto Pharaoh, and that I should bring forth the children of Israel out of Egypt ? And he said, Certainly I will be with thee; and this shall be a token unto thee, that I have sent thee: When thou hast brought forth the people out of Egypt , ye shall serve God upon this mountain. And Moses said unto God, Behold, when I come unto the children of Israel , and shall say unto them, The God of your fathers hath sent me unto you; and they shall say to me, What is his name? what shall I say unto them? And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel , I AM hath sent me unto you." - Exodus 3:10-14
     I put the "Ten Commandments" video into my VCR most mornings as I get into bed after a long nights work. There are occasions when I watch it in its entirety and sometimes fall asleep listening to God's call to Moses' to free His people from Pharaoh's bondage. Just the same, I think of what God's people today are doing for Him . . . even now.
     I imagine God must get awfully tired of hearing His children making excuses! As we read through our Bible, we find nothing but reluctant warrior's for the Almighty One, instead of Isaiah's "Here am I. Send me!" The more common reply from His children seems to be "Me, Lord? Not me! Send someone else!" Moses was like that here in this verse of Scripture. Confronted with God's call to service, he offered the human excuse, as most of His children are still doing today.
     As Moses, we find ourselves pleading inadequacy and unpreparedness. But God wanted Moses and had been preparing him for a task for many years. God has been preparing us for tasks in service to Him for many years also. As Moses wanted to hold back, are we still holding back?  
     God still equips those whom He will use. Through the Holy Spirit, operating in Word and Sacraments, God supplies divine power. God equips us and prepares us to do His will ~ telling the story of Christ!
     Moses made excuses because he felt inadequate for the job God asked him to do. It was natural for him to feel that way ~ he was inadequate all by himself. But God wasn't asking Moses to work alone. He offered other resources to help ( Himself and Aaron and the ability to do miracles). Today, God offers us resources too. As we look beyond ourselves to the great resources available, we can allow God to use our unique contributions. God urges us to let our "light shine" ~ When His divine order comes your way, you can be sure that He has already supplied the wick, the oil, and the match! - jcscrimp1.com/insp

MEMORIAL DAY SALUTE     The United States of America was born from the blood and ashes of war--the Revolutionary War of 1776. It was fought to defend the "self-evident" truth "that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, and that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness."  Those who fought and died were committed to the notion that government derives its "just powers from the consent of the governed" and that when a government does not protect the unalienable rights of the people, it is the "Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their safety and happiness."

     Since the war of 1776, nearly two and a quarter centuries ago, thousands of men and women have died for the same cause.  Tyranny does not reign in America --as it does so many places around the globe--because so many have loved their country more than their own lives. - www.thisnation.com

THE POWER OF AN INVITATION     On Monday a friend met me on the street.  “I noticed you were absent from our civic club’s last meeting,” he said.  “Will you be there next Wednesday?”

     “No,” I replied.  “I can’t make it.  Don’t look for me.”

     Two men asked me on Tuesday if I could come.  I said to the first, “I wish I could, but I can’t this week.”  The next one I answered, “My schedule looks impossible, but I’ll try to find the time to come.”

     Wednesday morning in the post office a fourth man asked if I would be at the meeting that day.  “I’ll try to come,” I replied, “but I may not make it.”  Before I got to my car, a fifth man stopped me, and I promised I would be there for sure.

     I don’t know whose official duty it was to contact me, but I couldn’t resist the invitation from five different men.  We all like to go where we are wanted.

     If you want the unsaved, the indifferent, and absentees to attend our church, you must let them know.  They know that if you really want them to come, you will find the opportunity to invite them.  This is a task for ever member of our church. – Baker Book House: Grand Rapids , Michigan – Church Bulletin Bits, 1976

THE SINNER’S FRIEND      One evening a woman was driving home when she noticed a huge truck behind her that was driving uncomfortably close. She stepped on the gas to gain some distance from the truck, but when she sped up the truck did too. The faster she drove, the faster drove the truck.
     Now scared, she exited the freeway. But the truck stayed with her. The woman then turned up a main street, hoping to lose her pursuer in traffic. But the truck ran a red light and continued the chase.
     Reaching the point of panic, the woman whipped her car into a service station and bolted out of her auto screaming for help. The truck driver sprang from his truck and ran toward her car. Yanking the back door open, the driver pulled out a man hidden in the backseat.
     The woman was running from the wrong person. From his high vantage point, the truck driver had spotted a would-be rapist in the woman's car. The chase was not his effort to harm her but to save her even at the cost of his own safety.
     Likewise, many people run from God's provision of atonement on the cross, fearing what He might do to them. But His plans are for good, not evil--to rescue us from the hidden sins that endanger our lives. --James S. Hewett, Illustrations Unlimited (Wheaton: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc, 1988) p. 37. - http://e-inspirational.blogspot.com

     “Tell me,” said a philosopher, “Where is God?”

     “First, tell me,” said the other, “where He is not.” – Anonymous

 OUR GOD IS THE SAME YESTERDAY, TODAY, FOREVER!

OUR SYMPATHETIC SAVIOR     "For we have not a high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need."  Hebrews 4:15-16

     Some years ago, a man in Wales had the misfortune of being involved in a mining accident which necessitated the amputation of his right leg.  After a period in the hospital, he went to a prosthesis maker to be supplied with an artificial leg.

      When the appendage had been strapped to the stump, which was all that remained of the injured leg, the attendant requested that the patient get up and walk across the room.  Awkwardly, the man struggled to his feet and staggered across the room. Then, dragging himself painfully back to his chair, he slumped into it, utterly exhausted and discouraged.

      "That's not how to do it," said the attendant. "Watch this!"

Then he gracefully walked across the floor.

      "Ah," exclaimed the patient, "It's all very easy for you because you don't have any disability."

      "Oh, haven't I?" replied the attendant. "Look!" Pulling up the legs of his trousers, he disclosed that he was not wearing one artificial limb, but TWO!  (Author Unknown)

      So many times we doubt or we get depressed and discouraged and we are inclined to say, "Jesus, it was easy for You. You are God, and could not sin. You never tasted the abundance of daily temptation, toil, and frustration."

     Yet, Hebrews 4:15 tells us, “For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.”

      So, the next time you find yourself doubting you can finish the race, look to Jesus, the Author and Finisher of our faith.  The next time you're depressed about giving up things for God, look to Jesus who gave up even more.  Or the next time you're discouraged, remember the ultimate sacrifice........ Jesus bearing the sins of the world on the Cross as God turned His back to say, "I LOVE YOU" to us.

SOLID PREPARATON     "And Joseph was thirty years old when he stood before Pharaoh king of Egypt . And Joseph went out from the presence of Pharaoh, and went throughout all the land of Egypt . And in the seven plenteous years the earth brought forth by handfuls. And he gathered up all the food of the seven years, which were in the land of Egypt , and laid up the food in the cities: the food of the field, which was round about every city, laid he up in the same."  Genesis 41:46-48
     Joseph's early experiences were exciting, difficult, and at times unpleasant. Then, suddenly he became Egypt 's prime minister. All this didn't happen casually. When Pharaoh designated him to be overseer, Joseph was 30 years of age. He brought considerable experience to his new job. Recall that period when he was in charge of Potiphar's household as well as later when he was supervisor of all the prisoners in jail. No question, Joseph had leadership qualities plus experience that promised success to this new undertaking. Indeed, he was an astute administrator with the public-relations ability to gain the people's confidence and trust so that during the years of plenty it was possible to lay in store much food in the cities throughout Egypt .
     The lesson here for us all, especially for upcoming graduates, is that in our professional life almost no one begins at the top. Success is not the result of chance or of "the breaks," but rather of solid preparation.
     The Christian views their life, including certain abilities and talents, as a gift from God. Life is a challenge to do our very best day by day to the Savior's glory. Through Joseph's life, and especially through Jesus' life, we have been given inspiration to be faithful stewards. -jcscrimp1.com/insp  (Note:  Congratulations to all who will be graduating this year! May God give you much success for the future and help you to accept the difficulties you encounter by letting Him be you help and guide.)

DROP A PEBBLE IN THE WATER

  Drop a pebble in the water, just a splash, and it is gone;

But there is half a hundred ripples circling on and on and on,

Spreading, spreading from the center, flowing on out to sea.

And there is no way of telling where the end is going to be.

  Drop a pebble in the water; in a minute you will forget,

But there are little waves a-flowing and there are ripples circling yet,

And those little waves a-flowing to a great big wave have grown;

You've disturbed a mighty river just by dropping in a stone.

  Drop an unkind word, or careless: in a minute it is gone;

But there are half a hundred ripples circling on and on and on,

They keep spreading, spreading, spreading from the center as they go, 

And there is no way to stop them, once you've started the flow.

  Drop a word of cheer and kindness: just a flash and it is gone;

But there are half a hundred ripples circling on and on and on,

Bearing hope and joy and comfort on each splashing, dashing wave,

Till you wouldn't believe the volume of the one kind word you gave.

  Drop a word of cheer and kindness: in a minute you will forget;

But there's gladness still a swelling, and there's joy circling yet.

And you've rolled a wave of comfort whose sweet music can be heard, 

Over miles and miles of water just by dropping one kind word.  - Author Unknown. Cited on Graphic Humor & Inspiration. Editor, Richard Wimer, http://witandwisdom.org/subscriptions.htm - Dick Innes, Weekend Encounter

PUSH THE BUTTON!     My pastor friend put sanitary hot air hand dryers in the rest rooms at his church and after two weeks took them out. I asked him why and he confessed that they worked fine but when he went in there he saw a sign that read, "For a sample of this week's sermon, push the button." …..Mikey's Funnies (funnies-owner@lists.MikeysFunnies.com) (www.mikeysFunnies.com) by way of "Christian Voices" (www.ChristianVoicesWorldwide.com)

YOUR CHURCH IS YOU