THANK GOD
If God brings you to it,
He will bring you through it.
Happy moments, praise God.
Difficult moments, seek God.
Quiet moments, worship God.
Painful moments, trust God.
Every moment, thank God.

THREE KINDS OF GIVING

     There are three kinds of giving, grudge giving, duty giving, and thanksgiving.

     The first comes from constraint; the second from a sense of obligation; the third from a full heart.

     Nothing much is conveyed in grudge giving since the gift without the giver is bare. Something more happens in duty giving, but there is no song in it. Thanksgiving is an open gate to the love of God. It is the “Amen” of giving.

AS YOU FEEL GRATEFUL, you become attractive, not only in your beauty and radiance, but in your relationships with people. More important, you release a vital energy that draws to you opportunities, employment, and a secure flow of substance. Everything begins to work in your life in an orderly and creative way. . . . Keep centered in a feeling of thanksgiving. -- Eric Butterworth, Spiritual Economics
HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO ALL!

THANKSGIVING PROCLAMATION  - From A Moment to Consider (John Yates, "An Attitude of Gratitude") 
     When Abraham Lincoln was seven years of age, his family was forced out of their home, and he went to work.  When he was nine, his mother died.  He lost his job as a store clerk when he was twenty.  He wanted to go to law school, but he didn't have the education.  At age twenty-three he went into debt to be a partner in a small store.  Three years later his business partner died, and the resulting debt took years to repay.
     When he was twenty-eight, after courting a girl for four years, he asked her to marry him, and she turned him down.  On his third try he was elected to Congress, at age thirty-seven, but then failed to be re-elected.  His son died at four years of age. At the age of forty-five, he ran for the Senate and lost.  At age forty-seven he ran for the vice-presidency and lost.  But at age fifty-one he was elected President of the United States .
     Abraham Lincoln, in the midst of the Civil War in 1863, established the annual celebration of Thanksgiving.  Lincoln had learned how important it is to stop and thank God in the midst of great difficulties.
    Lincoln wrote,  "We have been the recipients of the choicest bounties of heaven; we have been preserved these many years in peace and prosperity; we have grown in numbers, wealth and power as no other nation has ever grown.  But we have forgotten God. We have forgotten the gracious hand which preserved us in peace and multiplied and enriched and strengthened us, and we have vainly imagined, in the deceitfulness of our hearts, that all these blessings were produced by some superior wisdom and virtue of our own.  Intoxicated with unbroken success, we have become too self-sufficient to feel the necessity of redeeming and preserving grace, too proud to pray to the God that made us.  It has seemed to me fit and proper that [the gifts of God] should be solemnly, reverently, and gratefully acknowledged with one heart and one voice by the whole American people.  I do, therefore, invite my fellow citizens .  .  .  to set apart and observe the last Thursday of November next as a day of thanksgiving and praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the heavens." – monday-fodder.com 

  "If a fellow isn't thankful for what he's got, he isn't likely to be thankful for what he's going to get."  - Frank A. Clark

BLESSINGS AND AFFLICTIONS

  There was a father and mother of a young man killed in the military in a little church.  One day they came to the pastor and told him the wanted to give a monetary gift as a memory to our son who died in battle.  The pastor said, "That's a wonderful gesture on your part. 

He asked if it was OK to tell the congregation and they said that it was.  So the next Sunday he told the congregation of the gift given in memory of the dead son.

   On the way home from church, another couple were driving down the highway when the father said to his wife, "Why don't we give a gift because of our son?"  And his wife said, "But our son didn't die in any conflict!  Our son is still alive!"  Her husband replied, "That's exactly my point!  That's all the more reason we ought to give in thanks to God."

   Isn't it interesting that we most often give gifts to God in memorial rather than in appreciation!  It ought to be the exact opposite!  But it's the same way in our prayer lives.  We pray the best and the most when troubles come our way, not when we are being blessed.
- Mike Minix

GOD GIVES US STRENGTH FOR EVERY HILL WE HAVE TO CLIMB.

BE THANKFUL FOR . . .

Author Unknown – www.creativeyouthideas.com

"The worship most acceptable to God comes from a thankful and cheerful heart." --Plutarch

HARVEST OF THOUGHTS     "Dig a hole in your garden of thoughts. Into it put all your disillusions, disappointments, regrets, worries, troubles, doubts and fears and–forget.  Cover well with the earth of fruitfulness, water it from the well of contentment.     Sow on top again the seeds of hope, courage, strength, patience and love. Then, when the time of gathering comes, may your harvest be a rich and plentiful one." – Anonymous

Spend your time counting your blessings, not airing your complaints.

“WHY ME, LORD?”     "I CRIED unto the LORD with my voice; with my voice unto the LORD did I make my supplication.  I poured out my complaint before him;I showed before him my trouble." Psalm 142:1, 2
     Many people are confronted with difficulties or cresses in life.  Some of them are apt to say, "Why me, Lord?  I go to church every Sunday.  I tithe my ten percent. I've been as good as most people. Why are you allowing this to happen to me?"
     When we find ourselves starting to think like this, it sometimes helps for us to ask the same questions about other aspects of our life.
     "Lord, what have I done that's so grand that You should have blessed me with a home to live in, a car to drive, a television to watch, a meal on my table three times a day?  Why have You given me all these things?  Why me, Lord?"
     "Lord, why did You permit me to be born in America with all its plenty?  I could have been born in Pakistan or some other far off poverty-stricken country.  Why me, Lord?"
     "Lord, why did You give me the opportunity to have a job when so many, who are as deserving as I, are without work?  Why me, Lord?"
     "Lord, why have you given me good health? Others have died at my age of heart attacks or are crippled with arthritis.  Why should I escape ill health when other Christians do not?  Why me, Lord?"
     "Lord, why have You spared me from the sorrows that strike so many families?  So many lose loved ones, yet I haven't.  Why me, Lord?"
     When we think of all the ways the Lord has blessed us, though we don't deserve it, how can we possibly complain about the relatively insignificant things like a broken down car, a TV on the blitz, the dryer not working, and all the other things that go wrong from time to time in our lives?
     If we could only learn to count our blessings, instead of questioning God, we would be thanking Him instead, and saying, "Why, Lord, have You blessed me in such a loving way?" – jcshrimp1.com/insp

CHRIST’S BANQUET TABLE

     Imagine that you have been invited to Thanksgiving dinner at the home of the richest man in the world. You pull up a chair at a table two football fields long that's piled high with so much turkey, dressing, potatoes, bread, carrot cake, pumpkin pie, mixed vegetables, milk, and anything else you can think of that the table is about to break under the load. Your host tells you to take your fill of anything you see.

     Thank you very much,' you say. 'Might I please have half a cranberry?'

     Your astonished friend nearly chokes on a candied yam and replies, 'Please have all you would like. That's why I invited you! You're hungry, and here is everything you need to get full.'

     'Thank you so very much,' you say. 'Perhaps I will have a sip of water.'

     Ridiculous, we say. Who would ever act like that? If it were us, we'd gobble up so much food they'd have to use a bulldozer to move us out.

     Why is it, then, that when it comes to getting full spiritually, we settle for a half a cranberry?

     Paul doesn't want that for us, and in this passage (Colossians 2:9-10 “For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily. And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power.”) he reminds us that in Christ we have all we need to be all that God wants us to be.

     Not infrequently you'll come across people who say either in word or deed that their lives are impoverished. Sometimes, remarkably, you'll find a believer who for some reason is looking for something else.
     He is not satisfied. She is not filled full.

     Remember: The extent to which you need something else to fill you full is the extent to which you find Christ deficient. If you find Christ deficient, then you have found something in contradiction of Scripture, which says that in Christ all the fullness of Deity resides in bodily form.

     We've got to decide, Is it true that in Christ we have all that we need?

     You'll find in the church today many people propagating all kinds of things that believers 'need.' Not infrequently these things that Christians 'need' have exceedingly tenuous connections to Christ, 'in whom all fullness dwells.' As soon as someone tells you that you need this, that, and the other thing, ask yourself, “Is this in any way diverting my attention from Christ? Is there any sense in which this is perverting the gospel of Christ, which tells me all fullness is in him? If I get into this particular thing, will it in any way subvert the authority of Christ in my life?”

     Beware! Scripture declares that in Christ is all fullness, and if you are related to him, you have been given all fullness. We don't need something super-added, extra-plus to Christ. What we need is to daily discover all that we already have in him.

     How much have you eaten off of Christ's banquet table? How full are you?" - Source: Stuart Briscoe- "Secrets of Spiritual Stamina"

- www.creativeyouthideas.com

IN GOD ALL THE TIME     When H. B. MaCartney, an Australian pastor, visited Hudson Taylor in China , he was amazed at the missionary's serenity in spite of his many burdens and his busy schedule. MaCartney finally mustered up the courage to say, "You are occupied with millions, I with tens. Your letters are pressingly important, mine of comparatively little value. Yet I am worried and distressed while you are always calm. Tell me, what makes the difference?" Taylor replied, "I could not possibly get through the work I have to do without the peace of God which passes all understanding keeping my heart and mind."

     MaCartney later wrote, "He was in God all the time, and God was in him. It was the true abiding spoken of in John 15." – www.creativeyouthideas.com

IN HIM WE LIVE AND MOVE AND HAVE OUR BEING!

EAGLES     The eagle is a symbol used many times in Scripture. In fact, it is mentioned 38 times throughout the Bible. We can learn some important lessons from this majestic creation of God. Eagles have a wing span of 2 meters and are around 90 cm. tall. The eagle mates for life and use the same nest for life. This nest is built in a safe place, often on the ledge of a sharp cliff. It is built to last and the largest nest reported is 9 ½ feet wide and 20 feet deep.

     When the babies are born, both parents assume responsibility for their care. They are gentle parents, sitting on the eggs for one month. The parents bring food up to the nest and feed them small pieces of meat. Within 45 days they can weigh nearly 40 times their birth weight.

     At three months they get special feathers for flying and a new learning experience begins. The mother eagle flies into the nest and begins to thrash around causing a great commotion. Eventually one of the babies will fall out of the nest and begin heading for the earth below. Never having used his wings before, he's not really sure what to do, but does do lots of flapping while heading straight down! Just before the baby hits the ground, the mother eagle flies underneath in order to 'catch' the baby on her powerful wings and she flies him safely back to the nest. This continues on day after day until all the babies learn to fly.

     There are two verses in scripture that actually mention this routine of the eagle. Moses reminds the children of Israel how God cared for them and guarded them.  Deuteronomy 32:10-11 “He found him in a desert land, and in the waste howling wilderness; he led him about, he instructed him, he kept him as the apple of his eye.  As an eagle stirreth up her nest, fluttereth over her young, spreadeth abroad her wings, taketh them, beareth them on her wings.”  Exodus 19:4 “Ye have seen what I did unto the Egyptians, and how I bare you on eagles' wings, and brought you unto myself.”  We can get very comfortable in our 'nest'. Perhaps that could be our way of doing things, our way of thinking, our opinions, our way of living life. Then when God comes and 'stirs up our nest' we get upset. We don't always identify this as a growing experience. Sometimes if we were really honest, we really don't want to grow. We get very complacent and satisfied with where we are and any interruptions are viewed as negative. But God wants us to fly - to become all that He intends us to become. He never stirs up our nest without good reason.
     The eagle can see a rabbit two miles away. It can soar up to two miles above the ground and can fly at speeds of up to 100 miles per hour. They have a separate eyelid which slides across the eye sideways in order to keep the eye clean and free from dust as they fly. Their bones are hollow and therefore light of frame. Their frame has cross ribs like steel bars in sky scrapers. The eagle has 7000 feathers. The back feathers are as long as the head feathers. Their beak is black until age of 3 years and then turns golden.

     When eagles are about 30 years old they go through a renewal process. They find a secret place high in the mountains and begin to claw at their face and tear out the feathers that have been damaged over the years. As a result, it bleeds badly. But this is necessary for the eagle in order to renew its strength. If it did not do this it would not be able to live to its normal 60 years of age.

      Psalms 103:5 says, “Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle's.” A time of renewal is necessary for every child of God. A time when we get rid of what is weighing us down, holding us back, aging us spiritually. A time to give up the sinful habits, to give in to the Holy Spirit in whatever way He is convicting us. We need to do this even to the point of renewal with pain! Some things we hold on to so tightly that to let go, actually causes us pain. But in order to have the long, powerful, useful spiritual life that God plans for us, we need to do that. It will renew our spiritual youthfulness.

     When the eagle is free to soar in God's creation, they are the cleanest of birds. They were created to be free and to soar to great heights. They were not meant to remain close to the earth in the lowlands. They were created to soar. When eagles are held in captivity, they become one of the dirtiest birds.
     God has created us to remain pure and holy and conformed to his image. Don't allow the freedom we are to experience in Him, to be compromised by spending too much time in worldly thinking, activities, mindsets. Remain clean!

     Eagles do not fly like other birds, they don't flap their wings but rather soar. Flapping their wings would use incredible amounts of their own strength and endurance and they would require so much more food as fuel if they didn't soar. Instead they sit on a high ledge and wait for the right wind currents to come. When the time is right, they take off and soar upward. Effortlessly, because they have waited for the right time. There is a special 'up going' wind, that they ride as it circles higher and higher toward the sky.

     What a lesson for God's children to learn. How often do we waste strength by jumping out too soon and 'flapping our wings', instead of waiting for God's timing. Waiting is not a popular concept in these days of instant everything! But when we wait on the Lord - wait for His timing - wait for His answers - wait for His direction, then we can soar to new heights and fly to new places.

     Isaiah 40:31 “But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.” …Linda Ozirney (Jul 17, 2007) (www.bgc.Zca) by way of The Daily Encourager (dlangerfeld@HarrisburgBaptist.org) and “Christian Voices” (www.ChristianVoicesWorldwide.com)

IN THE HANDS OF OTHER PEOPLE     "All of us at times find ourselves and our futures seemingly in the hands of other people. Their decisions or their actions determine whether we get a good grade or a poor one, whether we are promoted or fired, whether our careers blossom or fold. I am not overlooking our own responsibility in these situations, but all of us know that even when we have, so to speak, done our best, we are still dependent upon the favor or frown of that teacher or boss or commanding officer. We are, from a human point of view, often at the mercy of other people and their decisions or actions...
     Can we trust God that He can and will work in the heart of that individual to bring about His plan for us? Or consider the instance when someone is out to harm us, to ruin our reputation, or jeopardize our career: Can we trust God to intervene in the heart of that person so that he does not carry out his evil intent? According to the Bible, the answer in both instances is yes. We can trust God." - Source: Jerry Bridges - "Trusting God" – www.creativeyouthideas.com

GOD’S CREDIT CARDS     It sure is nice that so many people want to give me money. The first time I received a letter saying I could access thousands of dollars, I was quite impressed. And tempted. Until I realized there was a catch. There was a hefty interest rate attached to the little plastic card they wanted to send me. Oh well, it was a nice thought while it lasted.

     But then I had another thought. God has offered us a "credit card" of sorts. He tells us so in His word - Philippians 4:19 – “But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.”  He has not only promised us this, He has proven it over and over again in the lives of His people around the world.

     I am in the middle of teaching at our annual Vacation Bible School. Yesterday's lesson had to do with God's provision for the Israelites as they wandered in the desert after being freed from slavery. After telling that story I asked the kids what God provided for them. Some immediately began to list things like their parents, food, clothing, shelter, family. But there were two who were silent. One of them spoke out boldly. "I don't believe it!" he shouted. The others shouted him down but at the end of the story time I decided to address his doubts. I told them another story - a personal story.

     After three years in Bible College my husband and I had used up all of our resources. The money was gone. The cupboards were almost bare. And we had two small children to feed. I was getting worried, not only about having enough food to eat, but about having to move at the end of the year, having to rent a house, and furnish it. Where would the money come from? We started to pray.

     Then one day I went to the post office and there was a registered letter waiting. I was a little annoyed when I saw it was from the Yukon Territorial Government. I thought they were sending my husband another piece of junk mail about a job he had held years before. But when we opened the letter and discovered there was a check in it for $250.00 I wasn't so annoyed. We were able to buy groceries. Then another check arrived, then another, and a few weeks later, another.

     When all was said and done, the retroactive pay my husband received from a union settlement on a job he'd had four years earlier paid for our groceries, the move to a new community, rent when we arrived there and furniture for the house. God's timing and provision were astonishing.  And there was no interest to be paid. Just praise and thanksgiving to a God who does provide. A God who loves us deeply and will never abandon us.

     That little boy was wide-eyed when I finished telling that story. And then I could tell him there was more, because the spiritual riches God gives us are even better. As those kids left I prayed this prayer - Ephesians 1:18  - “The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints, I pray that for all of us.”

…..Marcia Lee Laycock - The Spur (Marcia@vinemarc.com) by way of "Christian Voices" (www.ChristianVoicesWorldwide.com)

THOSE WHO CAN’T PRAY THE LORD’S PRAYER     

If you don’t know Christ...you can’t pray, "Our Father."
If you glorify yourself...you can’t pray, "Hallowed be thy name."
If you reject His rules…you can’t pray, "Thy kingdom come."
If you won’t submit...you can’t pray, "Thy will be done."
If your life is only for here and now...you can’t pray, "On earth as it
is in heaven."
If you are self-sufficient...you can’t pray, "Give us our daily bread."
If you won’t forgive...you can’t pray, "Forgive us our debts."
If you seek sin...you can’t pray, "Lead us not into temptation."
If you are a friend of evil...you can’t pray, "Deliver us from evil."
If you build your own kingdom...you can’t pray, "Thine is the kingdom.
If you want power...you can’t pray, "Thine is the power."
If you always take credit...you can’t pray, "Thine is the glory."
- Elmer Towns – Sent by Mary Sutherland – Monday Fodder

"The greatest of all miracles is the salvation of a soul."

When you find time on your hands, put them together in prayer.

TIME FOR PRAYER         "Pray without ceasing." - 1 Thessalonians 5:17
   Today's scripture verse is but three little words ~ with powerful impact!
     Maintaining a prayerful life is most important for the children of God.  However, various difficulties make a full prayer life almost impossible.  But thank God the things which are impossible with us
are possible with Him!
     God's call to prayer need not be a burden nor a cause of guilt.
He means for it to be a joy. Through prayer, He can give us strength
for all we do, and bring down His power to work through us in the lives of others.
    There are earnest Christians who have just enough prayer to maintain their spiritual position, but not enough to grow spiritually.  Seeking to fight off temptation is a defensive attitude rather than an assertive one which reaches for higher attainment.
    The scriptural teaching to cry out day and night in prayer must, to some degree, become our experience if we are to be intercessors.
    Let us confess the sin that besets us and then confront it in the name of our Redeemer.  The same light that shows us our sin and condemns us for it will show us the way out of it.
    Now, as we lift ourselves and others up to our Heavenly Father in prayer, may we always be mindful, in our communication with heaven, we only get as we give! - jcshrimp1.com/insp

GOD’S TEN MOST WANTED MEN

1. The man who puts God’s business above any other business.   2. The man who brings his children to church rather than sends them.   3. The man who is willing to be the right example to every person he meets.         4. The man who thinks more of Sunday School than of Sunday sleep.    5. The man who gives what he should to the church and lives on what is left.     6. The man who goes to church for Christ’s sake rather than for himself or someone else.     7. The man who has a passion to help others rather than to be helped himself.      8. The man who has a willing mind rather than a brilliant one.     9. The man who can see his own faults before he sees the faults of others.     10. The man who is more concerned about winning persons to Christ than about winning worldly honors. – “Church Bulletin Bits”

PRAY WITHOUT CEASING!

REMEMBER THE DUCK!     There was a little boy visiting his grandparents on their farm. He was given a slingshot to play with out in the woods. He practiced in the woods, but he could never hit the target. Getting a little discouraged, he headed back for dinner.

     As he was walking back he saw Grandma's pet duck. Just out of impulse, he let the slingshot fly, hit the duck square in the head and killed it. He was shocked and grieved! In a panic, he hid the dead duck in the wood pile, only to see his sister watching!  Sally had seen it all, but she said nothing.

     After lunch the next day Grandma said, 'Sally, let's wash the dishes.' But Sally said, 'Grandma, Johnny told me he wanted to help in the kitchen.' Then she whispered to him, 'Remember the duck?'

So Johnny did the dishes.

     Later that day, Grandpa asked if the children wanted to go fishing and Grandma said, 'I'm sorry but I need Sally to help make supper.' Sally just smiled and said, 'Well, that's all right because Johnny told me he wanted to help.' She whispered again, 'Remember the duck?'  So Sally went fishing and Johnny stayed to help.

     After several days of Johnny doing both his chores and Sally's, he finally couldn't stand it any longer. He came to Grandma and confessed that he had killed the duck. Grandma knelt down, gave him a hug and said, 'Sweetheart, I know. You see, I was standing at the window and I saw the whole thing, but because I love you, I forgave you. I was just wondering how long you would let Sally make a slave of you.'

     Thought for the day and every day thereafter? Whatever is in your past, whatever you have done... and the devil keeps throwing it up in your face (lying, cheating, debt, fear, bad habits, hatred, anger , bitterness, etc.)...whatever it is...You need to know that God was standing at the window and He saw the whole thing. He has seen your whole life. He wants you to know that He loves you and that you are forgiven. He's just wondering how long you will let the devil make

a slave of you. The great thing about God is that when you ask for forgiveness, He not only forgives you, but He forgets.

     It is by God's grace and mercy that we are saved. Go ahead and make a difference in someone's life today. Share this with a friend and always remember: God is at the window!  - Author Unknown

HELPING OTHERS WIN     At the Seattle Special Olympics, nine contestants, all physically or mentally disabled, assembled at the starting line for the 100-yard dash.

     At the gun, they all started out, not exactly in a dash, but with a relish to run the race to the finish and win.

     All, that is, except one little boy who stumbled on the asphalt, tumbled over a couple of times, and began to cry. The other eight heard the boy cry.

     They slowed down and looked back. Then they all turned around and went back......every one of them. One girl with Down's Syndrome bent down and kissed him and said, "This will make it better." Then all nine linked arms and walked together to the finish line.

     Everyone in the stadium stood, the cheering went on for several minutes.

     People who were there are still telling the story... Why? Because deep down we know this one thing: What matters in this life is more than winning for ourselves. What matters in this life is helping others win, even if it means slowing down and changing our course. - www.creativeyouthideas.com

The treasures of truth in God's Word are best mined with the spade of meditation.

WE WILL BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE!     "For it is written, AS I LIVE, SAITH THE LORD, EVERY KNEE SHALL BOW TO ME, AND EVERY TONGUE SHALL CONFESS TO GOD.  So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God." - Romans 14:11,12
     All of us, whoever we are and whatever our position in life, will have to give an account of ourselves to God.  This means that we will have to answer to God for our conduct and use of our time He has given us.

    This applies to every one!  Not just the rich or those with special talents.  All of us have been given some possession, gift, or ability that we can use in His service.  God is concerned with how we do this.  He requires us to give an account to Him of how we are using what we have.
    He has given us eyes to see!  Do we use them to behold things that are good and beautiful; to read His Word?
    He has given us ears to hear!  Do we use them to listen to Him, and respond to the cries of the needy?
    He has given us a mouth to speak!  Are we using it to encourage others with words of kindness, to pray, to witness, to praise Him?
    Are we using our hands to help the needy?  Our feet to rescue the troubled?  Are we sharing our blessings with others less fortunate than ourselves?
   Last, but not least, are we following God's commandments?  One day we will all be judged.  We will be held accountable for God's gift of life, and how well we have done with it.  "For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels; and then he shall reward every man according to his works." - Matthew 16:27 - jcshrimp1.com/insp

A DAY WELL SPENT

If we sit down at set of sun

And count the things that we have done,

And counting, find

One self-denying act, one word

That eased the heart of one who heard;

One glance most kind

That fell like sunshine where it went –

Then we may count the day well spent – “Church Bulletin Bits”

LASTING IMPRESSIONS     "And I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Write, blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth: Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labors;and their works do follow them." Revelation 14:13
     Many years ago a beautiful fern grew in a deep vale, molding in the breeze.  One day it fell and sank away.
     Years later a geologist went out with his hammer in the interest of his science.  He struck a rock, and there in the seam lay the form of a fern~every leaf, every fiber, the most delicate traceries of the leaves imprinted in the sides of the cleft.  It was the fern that long before grew and dropped into the indistinguishable mass of vegetation.  It perished, but its memorial was preserved, and today we have its legacy.
     So it is with the stories of all beautiful lives that have served God
and humankind and have vanished from the earth. Only a few names of the good and the useful in every age are preserved. The great multitude are forgotten.
     Earth keeps scant record of its benefactors.  But there is a place where every kindness, be it ever so small, done in the name of Christ,is recorded and remembered.  Nothing is lost ~ nothing is forgotten.The memorials are preserved in other lives, and some day every touch and trace and influence and impression will be revealed.  The acts of worthy lives are cut deep in the eternal rock, where they shall be visible forever.
     Our every act will in some shape or form affect the life and manner of others.  Be it ever so insignificant, it nevertheless makes a lasting impression. - jcshrimp1.com/insp

UP, UP, AND UP!     There is one little two-letter word in the English language that is all of an adverb, adjective, preposition, noun and a verb. I'm talking about the word "UP." For just two letters, this word carries an awful lot of meanings.
     You wake UP. Then you sit UP.
     At a meeting, a topic comes UP. You speak UP. Officers in an organization are often UP for election. It is UP to the secretary to write UP a report.
     We call UP our friends, we brighten UP a room, polish UP the silver, warm UP the leftovers, and clean UP the kitchen. Then we lock UP the house so we can take the car somewhere to get it fixed UP. By the time we get to the game, the score is all tied UP.
     People stir UP trouble, line UP for tickets, work UP an appetite, and think UP excuses. You can buy things for $10 and UP.
     Being dressed is ordinary, but being dressed UP is something special.
     And how is it we have to open UP a drain when it is stopped UP? The owners of a store open it UP in the morning but then close it UP at night. First it is clouding UP but then it is clearing UP. In a flood, I have water UP to my knees but in a drought, everything dries UP.
     Well, my time is UP so I'll wrap it UP by shutting UP.
     This all seems pretty mixed UP. - Mark’s Musings - use this link to subscribe - http://mrhumor.net/ - Monday Fodder

      Note:  When the Lord returns, we’d all better be ready to go UP!

     “The Lord works from the inside out.   The world works from the outside in.   The world would take people out of the slums.   Christ takes the slums out of people, and then they take themselves out of the slums.   The world would mold men by changing their environment.   Christ changes men, who then change their environment.   The world would shape human behavior, but Christ can change human nature.”   - - Ezra Taft Benson

We are saved by God's mercy--not by our merit--
by Christ's dying, not by our doing.

UNSPEAKABLE LOVE!      "The LORD hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love therefore with loving-kindness have I drawn thee." - Jeremiah 31:3

     "I have loved thee with an everlasting love" means that God loved us and planned our salvation even before the world was created, when we were but thoughts in the creative mind of God.  Amazing condescension!  Unspeakable Love!

      "With loving-kindness have I drawn thee" tells us that His love was first expressed in the kindness of our creation and continued care.
But it is most beautifully expressed in the kindness of our salvation.

     What loving-kindness this is: John 3:16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” Wonderful love, indeed!

     Looking beyond the cross to His throne, Jesus also promised, John 12:32 “And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me.”  He drew us through Baptism and by His Word.  He continues to draw us through the preaching and teaching of His gospel message.
    And at last, He will draw us to Himself to be with Him in heaven and give us a crown of life. Undying Love indeed!

    God is the absolute center of all that exists.  All nature and all created things revolve around Him.  He is the center of all His people,
who form a wide circle around Him.  His purpose is to draw them to Himself, their center, in eternal life.  May you be drawn to the cross of  Unspeakable Love! – jschrimp1.com/insp/

     Note:  What a mighty God we serve!  He has done all He promised He would do!  When the Holy Ghost was given on the Day of Pentecost, the Church Age was ushered in and Peter used the Keys to the Kingdom to tell them what they must do:  Acts 2:38-39 “Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.   For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call.”

     Before you can flare up at anyone’s faults, take time to count ten – ten of your own. <> 
When men speak ill of you, so live that no one will believe them.

WHICH WAS HER NEIGHBOR?     A certain woman went down from Washington to Richmond and ran over a spike which punctured her tire and left her stranded by the side of the road. After raising the hood of her car and tying a scarf to her radio antenna, she locked the door handles and sat in the car, praying for the Lord to send help!

     By chance, there came a limousine that way with a bumper sticker that read, "Smile, God Loves You!" When the occupants saw the stranded woman, they passed by in the far lane-without smiling.

     And likewise, there came a sports car with a CB radio and a bumper sticker saying, "Honk If You Love Jesus!" The man who was driving passed by in the far lane without honking and without using his CB to tell the Highway Patrol about the woman's dilemma.

     But a certain working man, as he traveled to his job, came to the spot where the woman was and, when he saw her raised hood, white scarf, and flat tire, he had compassion on her. He stopped his old beat-up pickup-which had no bumper sticker-and crossed the four-lane highway, and offered to change the tire. The woman opened the door and gave him the key to the trunk. The man took out the spare tire, jacked up the car, removed the flat tire, and replaced it with the spare.

     When he had finished, the woman tried to pay him. He refused the money, saying, "If my wife were stranded on the highway with a flat tire, I'd want some Good Samaritan to stop and help her out."

He returned to his bumper-stickerless truck, smiled, honked at her, and went his way.

     Which of these three was neighbor unto her who had a flat tire?

MUSIC IN TIME OF HARDSHIPS     Psalm 90:14-15 "Satisfy us in the morning with your unfailing love, that we may sing for joy and be glad all of our days. Make us glad for as many days as you have afflicted us, for as many years as we have seen trouble."

     Floods of sorrow and hardship that would have drowned a lesser soul, released a song of hope and Christian Joy in the heart of reverend Luther Burgess Bridgers. During the early years if his ministry God richly blessed him and his wife and three precious boys were born into the family. In 1910, his popularity was growing and he received and accepted an invitation to conduct a two-week series of evangelistic services in another state. Leaving his family to the safe-keeping of his wife's immediate relatives, he kissed them goodbye and left.

     Two glorious weeks later, the services closed and many a sinner was converted and many a saint was strengthened. He was wonderfully used by God and was at the peak of popularity,,, then that very night, he received a phone call. A disastrous fire had completely consumed the house of his father in law and taken the lives of his wife and his three sons. It was at this time that he wrote the words and tune to a song very familiar to us today...

There's within my heart a melody
Jesus whispers sweet and low
Fear not I am with thee, peace be still
In all of life's ebb and flow.

Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Sweetest name I know,
Fills my every longing, keeps me singing as I go.

     The third stanza pointed to the momentary times of hardship, but he last looked to an eternal future.

Though sometimes he leads through waters deep,
Trials fall across the way,
Though sometimes the paths seem rough and steep
See his footprints all the way.

Soon he's coming back to welcome me
Far beyond the starry sky
I shall wing my flight to worlds unknown
I shall reign with him on high!

Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Sweetest name I know,
Fills my every longing, keeps me singing as I go. - www.creativeyouthideas.com

JUST USE ME!     "And as they were going down to the end of the city, Samuel said to Saul, Bid the servant pass on before us, (and he passed on,) but stand thou still a while, that I may show thee the word of God." – 1 Samuel 9:27
     Most of us resent being "used," but here is something which could change the world, and it is crying out to be used:
     Just use me ~ I am the Bible.
     I am God's wonderful library.
     I am always ~ and above all ~ the Truth.
     To the weary pilgrim, I am a good strong staff.
     To the one who sits in gloom, I am a glorious light.
     To those who stoop beneath heavy burden,
     I am sweet rest.
     To him who has lost his way, I am a safe guide.
     To those who have been hurt by sin,
     I am healing balm.
     To the discouraged, I whisper glad messages of hope.
     To those who are distressed by the storms of life, I am an anchor.

     To those who suffer in lonely solitude,
     I am a cool, soft hand resting on a fevered brow.
     O, child of man, to best defend me, just use me!
                    (Author Known to God)
     The Bible must always be at the heart of our preaching, teaching, and way of living.  If the Scriptures do not guide our lives, we have no guide better than ourselves. No human document can compare in the least with the Word of God.
     There is no comparison:  The Bible is the best guide, and the believer's life is the best guided. Don't be deprived of the Bible's rich
blessings. Read it daily. Study it often.
     And if you have not yet discovered that wonderful Book we call the Bible, it's time you did.  In the words of Samuel to Saul, "Stand thou still a while, that I may show thee the word of God." - jcshrimp1.com/insp

GOOD???

There is so much good in the worst of us,

And so much bad in the best of us,

That it ill becomes any of us

To find fault with the rest of us
.

10 LITTLE CHRISTIANS
10 little Christians standing in line.
1 disliked the preacher, then there were 9.

9 little Christians stayed up very late.
1 overslept Sunday, then there were 8.

8 little Christians on their way to Heaven.
1 took the low road and then there were 7.

7 little Christians chirping like chicks.
1 disliked music, then there were 6.

6 little Christians seemed very much alive,
but one lost his interest then there was 5.

5 little Christians pulling for Heaven's Shore,
but one stopped to rest, then there were 4

4 little Christians each busy as a bee.
1 got his feelings hurt, then there were 3

3 little Christians knew not what to do.
1 joined the sporty crowd, then there were 2

2 little Christians, our rhyme is nearly done,
differed with each other, then there was 1

1 little Christian can't do much 'tis true,
brought his friend to bible study, then there were 2

2 earnest Christians, each won one more.
That doubled the number, then there were 4

4 sincere Christians worked early and late.
Each won another then there were 8

8 splendid Christians if they doubled as before.
In just so many Sundays, we'd have 1,024

In this little jingle, there is a lesson true,
you belong either to the building or to the wrecking crew!

- www.creativeyouthideas.com

BOTTLE IT UP     Our vacation in Pebble Beach was wonderful. The weather was delightful, food superb and we had perfect conditions for golf. The views of the ocean pounding against the sides of cliffs took my breath away. The happy antics of the sea otters frolicking in the ocean lifted my spirits, and the seals amused me as I watched them dive for food and sun on the rocks. The resonance of their barking to each other was a sound that was pleasing to me, as was the crashing of the waves as they rolled into shore. I experienced marvelous visual sights and sound, and when it was time to return home to reality, I wasn’t ready to leave.

     Sights and sounds so wonderful…. I wanted to bottle them up and take them home with me to keep the joy I experienced alive. I could just let a little of it out each time I faced a trial at home… I could recapture the way I felt – joy, peace and thrill of beauty unsurpassed…. I could allow the happy memories help me face the setbacks of the real world.

     But of course, this was impossible, for we cannot “bottle up” joyful experiences and then just pour them out when we want a dab of them, like we would perfume.

HELP TO MAKE A BETTER DAY     "This is the day which the LORD hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it." - Psalm 118:24

    Little things make a better day!

     *Being grateful for another morning by being cheerful on the outside, even though you might be in physical pain on the inside.

     *Writing a note of encouragement, congratulations, appreciation,

sympathy or condolence to someone needing a little lift.

     *A short visit to a sick friend.

     *A telephone call to someone who lives alone who may be lonely.

     *A little gift to someone to brighten their day.

     *Have a kind and warm greeting to those you pass by.

     *Stop and smell the flowers and enjoy their beauty.

     *Show kindness to animals ~ feed the birds.

     *Explore the satisfaction of being courteous.

   By administering just a few of these suggestions today, they will add to the sweetness and smoothness of life.  They will bring pleasant communion with others, nurture friendships, and prevent the interference of those petty sophistications that keep us apart from others.

   Though small, they create a beneficent radiation which enriches us and contributes to our own ennoblement.  They will enhance a tender inclination for pleasantness that comes with the satisfaction of having done good.  They strengthen the soul.  They make a good day because they make us better people.

   And then, when you lay down to go to sleep at the end of this day, you will be left with a satisfied feeling that you have been a more considerate person today than you were yesterday.

  Then, by all means . . . try it again tomorrow! Smile! Jesus loves you! So do I! - jcscrimp1.com/insp

WE CANNOT

Sow bad habits and reap a good character;

Sow jealousy and hatred and reap love and friendship;

Sow dissipation and reap a healthy body;

Sow deception and reap confidence;

Sow cowardice and reap courage;

Sow neglect of the Bible and reap a well-guided life.

–        Author Unknown

PRAY WITHOUT CEASING!

JESUS---WHO IS HE???
He is the First and Last,
The Beginning and the End!
He is the keeper of Creation and the Creator of all!
He is the Architect of the universe and the Manager of all times.
He always was, He always is, and He always will be ...
Unmoved, Unchanged, Undefeated, and never Undone!

He was bruised and brought healing!
He was pierced and eased pain!
He was persecuted and brought freedom!
He was dead and brought life!
He is risen and brings power!
He reigns and brings Peace!

The world can't understand him,
The armies can't defeat Him,
The schools can't explain Him,
The leaders can't ignore Him.
Herod couldn't kill Him,
The Pharisees couldn't confuse Him,
The grave couldn't hold Him!
Nero couldn't crush Him,
Hitler couldn't silence Him,
The New Age can't replace Him,
and "Oprah" can't explain Him away!

He is light, love, longevity, and Lord.
He is goodness, Kindness, Gentleness, and God.
He is Holy, Righteous, mighty, powerful, and pure.
His ways are right,
His word is eternal,
His will is unchanging, and His mind is on me.
He is my Savior,
He is my guide, and He is my peace!
He is my Joy,
He is my comfort,
He is my Lord, and He rules my life!

I serve Him because His bond is love,
His burden is light, and His goal for me is abundant life. I follow Him because He is the wisdom of the wise, the power of the powerful, the ancient of days, the ruler of rulers, the leader of leaders, the overseer of the overcomers, and is to come.

And if that seems impressive to you, try this for size.
His goal is a relationship with you and ME!
He will never leave me, never forsake me, never mislead me, never forget me, never overlook me and never cancel my appointment in His appointment book!

When I fall, He lifts me up!
When I fail, He forgives!
When I am weak, He is strong!
When I am lost, He is the way!
When I am afraid, He is my courage!
When I stumble, He steadies me!
When I am hurt, He heals me!
When I am broken, He mends me!
When I am blind, He leads me!
When I am hungry, He feeds me!
When I face trials, He is with me!
When I face persecution, He shields me!
When I face problems, He comforts me!
When I face loss, He provides for me!
When I face Death, He carries me Home!

He is everything for everybody everywhere, every time, and every way.
He is God, He is faithful. I am His, and He is mine!
My Father in heaven can whip the father of this world.
So, if you're wondering why I feel so secure, understand this...
He said it, I believe it, and that settles it.
God is in control, I am on His side, and that means all is well with my soul.
Everyday is a blessing, for GOD Is! – This beautiful message was forwarded to me by email from Pastor Walter George.  Thanks!

The most powerful testimony is a godly life.

THE SOUND OF SILENCE     "The LORD is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him.  It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the LORD.   It is good for a man that he bear the yoke in his youth. He sitteth alone and keepeth silence, because he hath borne it upon him. He putteth his mouth in the dust; if so be there may be hope." - Lamentations 3:25-29

     Sometimes no answer is an answer!  When Herod asked Jesus question after question, Jesus said nothing.  When Pilate asked Jesus where He was from, Jesus gave no answer.  To some, Jesus gave absolutely no response.

     In Matthew Chapter 11 when John the Baptist was in prison, he sent his disciples to ask Jesus if He was the Messiah, and Jesus told them, "Go and show John again those things which ye do hear and see:  The blind receive their sight, and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the poor have the gospel preached to them.  And blessed is he, whosoever shall not be offended in me."

     Others received a response also, but not the one they were after:

Zechariah said to the angel:  "Whereby shall I know this? for I am an old man, and my wife well stricken in years.  And the angel answering said unto him, I am Gabriel, that stand in the presence of God; and am sent to speak unto thee and to show thee these glad tidings.  And, behold, thou shalt be dumb, and not able to speak, until the day that these things shall be performed, because thou believest not my words, which shall be fulfilled in their season."

     Just because God seems silent at times doesn't mean He isn't working.  Sometimes silence is "golden".  And the silence of God might just be speaking volumes!

     "And therefore will the LORD wait, that he may be gracious unto you, and therefore will he be exalted, that he may have mercy upon you: for the LORD is a God of judgment: blessed are all they that wait for him." - Isaiah 30:18 - jcshrimp1.com/insp

When we go to heaven,
we will go heart-first, not head-first.

It is our main business in this world
to secure an interest in the next.

RESPECTING GOD’S WORD     When James wrote James 1:19 “Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath” he wasn’t just talking about our willingness to speak and not listen to others. He was talking about our willingness to speak and not listen to God. You can’t miss it from the context. (read vv. 19-21) The only “Word planted in you, which can save you” is the Word of God. Don’t miss his point. We need to be more interested in hearing what God has to say to us than telling Him what we think! We need to hear the Word of God. I am convinced that people are much more interested in talking to God than listening to Him. Statistics bear that out. According to George Barna, a Christian pollster, in a given week about 37% of Americans will read their Bible, but 85% will pray. (source: barna.org) It sounds to me that we are quick to speak, but slow to listen to what God has to say. Can I share a pet peeve on this issue with you? I get to do that because I am the preacher. I have noticed that people are very respectful not to interrupt when someone is praying. If you are chatting and someone begins to pray aloud, if you are like most people you will stop talking until they say “amen.” I have noticed that people are nowhere near as respectful when the Word of God is being read. People will continue to chat just like someone was reading from the newspaper. So what is more important for us to respect, when people talk to God or when God speaks to us. – Tim Bond

THIS DAY     "I was given a most precious gift this morning when I woke up. It's a gift I never received before. It's one I can't keep, can't return, can't save, and don't know how well it will really work. I do know it's a most wonderful and beautiful gift. I hope I value and appreciate it enough to use it wisely. That gift is 'this day!' Enjoy yours and make it a very special one." - By Ray Lammie, a four-time cancer survivor in "Random Thoughts on Life." – Cited in Weekend Encounter

THE ANCHOR OF FAITH     The mighty Niagara River plummets some 180 feet at the American and Horseshoe Falls . Before the falls, there are violent, turbulent rapids. Farther upstream, however, where the river’s current flows more gently, boats are able to navigate. Just before the Welland River empties into the Niagara , a pedestrian walkway spans the river. Posted on this bridge’s pylons is a warning sign for all boaters: “Do you have an anchor?” followed by, “Do you know how to use it?” Faith, like an anchor, is something we need to have and use to avoid spiritual cataclysm. —Paul Adams in Fresh Illustrations for Preaching & Teaching (Baker), from the editors of Leadership. - http://e-inspirational.blogspot.com

If children are to find their way to God, we must point the way.

<> The more we serve Christ, the less we will serve self. <> Spiritual inactivity corrodes the soul.

DO NOT LET HURTS HURT YOU     "NOW faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." - Hebrews 11:1
     Rejections, defeats, and failures that all of us experience can create enough negative feelings to destroy us if we allow it. Be careful! Often the most painful wounds are not the scars that are outwardly seen, but the hidden wounds deep in the heart.  And, being hidden, they are often the most dangerous.
     Setbacks in our lives can take the joy out of living. Our faith is weakened and if we collect enough hurts it will stop us from wanting to "press on."
     Look at Job . . . A man of the land of Uz , blameless, upright, one who feared God, yet one who turned from evil. Job had seven sons and three daughters ~ a beautiful family. He was considered the greatest of all men of the East.
     But . . . He lost everything in the twinkling of an eye. He lost his health, wealth, and family. He hurt. His wife hurt. His friends hurt. He was knocked down BUT NOT OUT! Sure, he lost some of the passionate power to grow and some of his enthusiasm had diminished but he checked his negative thinking and stated, "If I say, I will forget my complaint, I will leave off my heaviness, and comfort myself." In other words, He put on a SMILE!
     You might ask yourself, "How could he do that after undergoing so much hurt?" How did Job do it? The same way we can do it ~ through faith. Faith is the only thing that can heal the hurts. Job scraped himself off. It was painful! It hurt! And the scars would remain, but his life was put back together. Strong belief in God was his medicine.  His wife, his friends could not help him ~ only God could!
    And God can help us too. Allow Him to cast off those personal hurts that cling to you like parasites, sapping the life out of you. HAVE FAITH. TRUST GOD! Faith is a daily necessity in our life. Let us take a good look at our heart and the faith that lies within it.     Job did. We can too.  And Remember . . . Apart from God we can do nothing . . . without Christ, we are useless!  May God Smile Down On You While You're Smiling Up At Him! – jcshrimp1.com/insp/

Humility is such a frail and delicate thing that he who dares to think that he has it, proves by that single thought that he has it not. – Ivan O. Miller

MAKING BEAUTIFUL MUSIC     Romans 5:3-4 “And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; And patience, experience; and experience, hope.”

      "A piece of black ebony wood was being cut and broken by a woodmaker. The wood complained but the woodmaker desisted from bowing to the complaints. He was carving a flute. The woodmaker seemed to be saying, 'Little piece of wood. You think that I am hurting and abusing you, but without these holes and cutting, you would not be able to bring others beautiful music to soothe their souls and calm their hurts and fears for a time.'"

     Pain is the great motivator. It can be and often is God's wake-up call to help us change and grow. So who wants to change and grow when everything is going great? Not me. I only grow when I am uncomfortable with the way things are or the way I am. And that's the way it's meant to be. God wants to make "beautiful music" out of your life and mine. It's up to us to allow him to do so. The process at times can be painful, but the end result can be something beautiful. – Dick Innes – Daily Encounter

A SEVENTY-YEAR LIFE     Suppose God granted you a life of seventy years?  The average person would spend:  three years getting an education, eight years recreating and relaxing, six years eating, five years riding in a car, four years talking, fourteen years working, three years reading, and twenty-four years sleeping. How much time do you give to God?   If you went to church every week and prayed for five minutes every morning and evening, you would give five months to God  -- five months out of 70 years. – Baker Books, Church Bulletin Bits, 1976

THINK ON THESE THINGS      "Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things." Philippians 4:8
     We are all born with certain hereditary characteristics and a sinful nature. Yet our minds are also quite impressionable to the influences of our environment, ready to keep a record of every thing we encounter along life's way. Stored there, many of our past experiences affect our present thoughts and actions. We must marvel at God's design in providing us with this gray matter between our ears. Our minds and those of our children are our greatest stewardship responsibilities. We must be careful about what our minds receive.
     So much is available to us that poisons our minds. That was true in Paul's day too. He exhorts the Christians at Philippi to watch what they feed their minds. He encourages whatever is true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, or deserving praise, saying, "Think on these things."
     "And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:7
     The best nourishment for our minds is worship in the body of Christ with fellow Christians and a regular study of the Scriptures. Through them the Holy Spirit, having brought us to faith in Christ, works all good within us. And the promise holds true: "the peace of God, which passeth all understanding," will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
     "Only let your conversation be as it becometh the gospel of Christ: that whether I come and see you, or else be absent, I may hear of your affairs, that ye stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel." Philippians 1:27
    Not only our speech but our entire way of life should be a credit to the gospel of Christ. "Stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel" ~ Oh, how God's people need to stand together for the furtherance of the gospel!
     "Fulfil ye my joy, that ye be like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind." Philippians 2:2
     To be of one mind is to let the mind of Christ be in you. That permits differences of expressions, differences in gifts, differences in methods of service. We won't be beating each other on the head because we disagree on these things. If we have the mind of Christ, we will agree on the major tenets of the faith.
     "Unto the pure all things are pure: but unto them that are defiled and unbelieving is nothing pure; but even their mind and conscience is defiled." Titus 1:15
     This verse is used by people who say that if we are saved by grace, it doesn't matter how we live. That is, if we are saved, we are pure and can live any way we like. Certain cults have developed this teaching, saying they can live in sin because "unto the pure all things are pure." What Paul is talking about here has nothing to do with moral issues at all. He is speaking to this issue of legalism and the eating of meats. Whether you eat meats or not makes no difference at all. All food is clean. If you are an unbeliever, any special diet you might concoct will make no difference in your relationship to God ~ it will not save you. You can eat all the vegetables you want, but if you are not right with God, they will not make you pure. The Lord Jesus said that it is not the thing that goes into a man that defiles him, but what comes out of him.
     By permitting the Spirit of God to renew the mind, the believer will be able to test the will of God and find it good. The minute that we assume a pose and pretend to be something we are not, it is impossible for us to determine the will of God for our lives. By yielding, the will of God for the life of the believer becomes good and fits the believer's will exactly.
     "And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God." Romans 12:2    God Bless You All as you renew your minds with God's life-nourishing Word. - jcshrimp1.com/insp/

LIVE FOR THE LAST PAGE     "And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be.  I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last." - Revelation 22:12,13
     God will set all things right in His good time. If we look far enough ahead, everything clears up, when we've read the LAST PAGE!
     There may be some distressing chapters between here and there, but somewhere sickness and sorrow and grief and tears will disappear along with the devil!  I don't know about you, but I'm living for the LAST PAGE!
     What a dreary journey this would be if we did not have that LAST PAGE in the Bible!  There is so much now that defiles explanation.  But one day, everything will be fixed and final.
     Things may not add up now, but one day the facts will all be in, the accounts settled without appeal.  Everything and everybody will be where they belong.
     So, please don't live for today...............Live for that LAST PAGE!  "He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus." - Revelation 22:20
     "The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen." (LAST PAGE~LAST VERSE) - jcshrimp1.com/insp

LET IT GO!!!!     A word that we often hear and use is “stress”. There are several” truths” about stress that people don’t know or realize. (1) Not all stress is bad! (2) People or situations do not place stress on us – stress is self-induced, and as such (3) we control the level of stress we have. If you don’t believe any of those “truths”, ask your physician!

     In most scenarios, the stress we allow ourselves to experience is because of what we think about other people. We try to control others and when they do not do or say the things we want them to say or be, we become stressed.

     The following article is one that I find so incredible on the mark that I reprint it twice each year. This article has brought the most positive response from readers than any other article or story ever printed. It is so pertinent and real for so many of us that it is worth reprinting. For those who have never read it before, let it be enlightening. For those who have read it before, let it be a refresher.

     There are people who can walk away from you.

     And hear me when I tell you this! When people can walk away from you: let them walk. I don't want you to try to talk another person into staying with you, loving you, calling you, caring about you, coming to see you, staying attached to you. I mean hang up the phone.

     When people can walk away from you let them walk. Your destiny is never tied to anybody that left.

     The Bible said that, they came out from us that it might be made manifest that they were not for us. For had they been of us, no doubt they would have continued with us. [1 John 2:19]

     People leave you because they are not joined to you. And if they are not joined to you, you can't make them stay.Let them go!

     And it doesn't mean that they are a bad person, it just means that their part in the story is over and you've got to know when people's part in your story is over so that you don't keep trying to raise the dead. You've got to know when it's dead.

     You've got to know when it's over. Let me tell you something. I've got the gift of good-bye. It's the tenth spiritual gift - I believe in good-bye. It's not that I'm hateful, it's that I'm faithful, and I know whatever God means for me to have He'll give it to me. And if it takes too much sweat I don't need it. Stop begging people to stay. Let them go!!

     If you are holding on to something that doesn't belong to you and was never intended for your life, then you need to......LET IT GO!!!

     If you are holding on to past hurts and pains.....LET IT GO!!!

     If someone can't treat you right, love you back, and see your worth.....LET IT GO!!!

     If someone has angered you........LET IT GO!!!

     If you are holding on to some thoughts of evil and revenge......LET IT GO!!!

     If you are involved in a wrong relationship or addiction.....LET IT GO!!!

     If you are holding on to a job that no longer meets your needs or talents…...LET IT GO!!!

     If you have a bad attitude.......LET IT GO!!!

     If you keep judging others to make yourself feel better......LET IT GO!!!

     If you're stuck in the past and God is trying to take you to a new level in Him......LET IT GO!!!

     If you are struggling with the healing of a broken relationship....... LET IT GO!!!

     If you keep trying to help someone who won't even try to help themselves.....LET IT GO!!!

     If you're feeling depressed and stressed.........LET IT GO!!!

     If there is a particular situation that you are so used to handling yourself and God is saying "take your hands off of it," then you need to......LET IT GO!!!

     Let the past be the past. Forget the former things. GOD is doing a new thing for 2008!!!  LET IT GO!!!

Get Right or Get Left... think about it, and then. LET IT GO!!!

     "The Battle is the Lord's!" - ..By T. D. Jakes by way of “Christian Voices” (www.ChristianVoicesWorldwide.com)

DEAD WEIGHT IN THE CHURCH  

I’ve been a dead weight many years around the church’s neck;

I’ve let the others carry me and always pay the check.

I’ve had my name upon the rolls for years and years gone by;

I’ve criticized and grumbled, too; nothing could satisfy.

I’ve been a dead weight long enough upon the church’s back;

Beginning now, I’m going to take a wholly different track.

I’m going to pray and pay and work and carry loads instead;

And not have others carry me as people do the dead.

– Baker Book House: Grand Rapids , Michigan – Church Bulletin Bits, 1976

THE PRUNING PROCESS     "Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away:  and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit." - John 15:2     There is a time for planting and a time for pruning.  Perhaps God is at work in your life today taking away branches that do not belong, and pruning ones that do.
      What kind of things does God take away?  Things that have served their purpose.  Things that refuse to change.  Things that will give you trouble later on.  Things that are standing in the way of greater fruitfulness.  Things that are holding you back.  Things He has not chosen for you.
     Have you ever seen a newly pruned tree?  Doesn't look too good, does it?  And when God starts to cut back certain things in your life in order to re-direct your energies, you will not look too good either.
     Sometimes this means:  having fewer things for a while; letting go of things you thought would always be there; being unable to explain to others why you are even going through the pruning process.
     God knows what needs to be cut back in your life; He also knows what needs to be cut off.  Trust Him.  Even though you cannot understand what He's doing, just pray,
     'Lord, if I needed it You would let me keep it, so I open my hand to You today.  Send whoever You will and take away what ever you will.  I'll praise You when they come and I'll praise You when they go, because Your approval is my reward, and Your purpose is my reason to live.  In Jesus' Name, Amen.'
     Jesus says:  "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." - jcscrimp1.com/insp

THE BURDEN BEARER     Bob Weber, past president of Kiwanis International, told this story. He had spoken to a club in a small town and was spending the night with a farmer on the outskirts of the community. He had just relaxed on the front porch when a newsboy delivered the evening paper. The boy noted the sign Puppies for Sale . The boy got off his bike and said to the farmer, "How much do you want for the pups, mister?" "Twenty-five dollars, son." The boy's face dropped. "Well, sir, could I at least see them anyway?" The farmer whistled, and in a moment the mother dog came bounding around the corner of the house tagged by four of the cute puppies, wagging their tails and yipping happily. At last, another pup came straggling around the house, dragging one hind leg. "What's the matter with that puppy, mister?" the boy asked. "Well, Son, that puppy is crippled. We took her to the vet and the doctor took an X ray. The pup doesn't have a hip joint and that leg will never be right." To the amazement of both men, the boy dropped the bike, reached for his collection bag and took out a fifty-cent piece. "Please, mister," the boy pleaded, "I want to buy that pup. I'll pay you fifty cents every week until the twenty-five dollars is paid. Honest I will, mister." The farmer replied, "But, Son, you don't seem to understand. That pup will never, never be able to run or jump. That pup is going to be a cripple forever. Why in the world would you want such a useless pup as that?"
     The boy paused for a moment, then reached down and pulled up his pant leg, exposing that all too familiar iron brace and leather knee-strap holding a poor twisted leg. The boy answered, "Mister, that pup is going to need someone who understands him to help him in life!"
     Crippled and disfigured by sin, the risen, living Christ has given us hope. He understands us--our temptations, our discouragements, and even our thoughts concerning death. By His resurrection we have help in this life and hope for the life to come. --James S. Hewett, Illustrations Unlimited (Wheaton: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc, 1988) p. 75. - http://e-inspirational.blogspot.com

CHECKUP FOR CHURCH MEMBERS     How many morning services would we have if everyone would stay home when I do?

     How often would the evening service be canceled if no one would go except when I do?

     How often would the Sunday School meet if others would attend only when I do?

     How much Christian instruction would the children of my community receive if other parents would pay only as much attention to it as I do?

     How many neighbors would be invited to services and welcomed if others would invite and welcome only as many people as I do?

     How many prayers would be offered for my pastor, my neighbors, and my church if others would pray only as much as I do?

     How many words of testimony would be given for Christ if others would speak out for Christ only as much as I do?

WISDOM OR FOOLISHNESS      "And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry.  But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee:  then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided?  So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God." - Luke 12:19-21
     In the parable of the rich fool, who found comfort in his accumulation of worldly goods, many among us today, would look at this farmer as "wise".   But God called him a "fool!"
     How does God see us?
     Many people, seen as wise in the eyes of the world, are fools in the eyes of God.  The atheist who audaciously affirms, "I know there is no God," is elevated upon the pedestal of intellectualism and wisdom by the world of science, yet God calls him a fool.
     "The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none that doeth good" (Psalm 14:1).
     Humans, who deny the existence of sin, and contend that their conduct should best be determined by the circumstances in which they find themselves, are applauded and lauded as the wise men of our age.
     God, in no uncertain terms, has said, "Fools make a mock at sin: but among the righteous there is favor" (Proverbs 14:9).
     The world yells out, "Do what makes you feel good ~ do your own thing!" God has decreed, "He that trusteth in his own heart is a fool: but whoso walketh wisely, he shall be delivered" (Proverbs 28:26).
     Our nation seems to be floating with the tide of moral and spiritual corruption.     
     Are we drifting with the tide, or are we willing to stem the tide? I, personally, would rather be a fool in the eyes of a foolish world, than a fool in the eyes of my all-wise Creator. For "If a wise man contendeth with a foolish man, whether he rage or laugh, there is no rest" (Proverbs 29:9). - jcscrimp1.com/insp

POUR IT ON, PREACHER!     The preacher had just concluded a hot and scathing sermon on the sin of swearing. He had stated several times that he knew that one of his hearers was guilty.
     The service ended. The worshippers one by one filed out the door.  The first to go was a woman never suspected of using foul language. With a red and angry face she exclaimed, "I will never darken this door again." Before the astonished preacher could recover from this blast, another said, "Well, brother, if I had known you were near last week, I would have been more careful of my language."
     A third said, "I think that you might at least have come to me privately about it, rather than telling it to the whole church." A fourth remarked angrily, "I was never so embarrassed in all of my life."
     Then came the real culprit - the one at whom the preacher had aimed all his remarks.  With a bland and innocent smile he grasped the hand of the preacher and said, "Brother, that was what I call a real sermon. You certainly did pour it on them today!" @The Timothy Report, http://www.timothyreport.com – Monday-fodder.com

HOW TO BUILD UP THE CAUSE OF CHRIST  Christians need to:  Wake up,  sing up, preach up, pray up, stay up, pay up, but never give up, let up, back up, or shut up…until the cause of Christ and the church is built up.

Like a compass,

the Bible always points you in the right direction.

SEED OF HOPE     A successful Christian business man was growing old and knew it was time to choose a successor to take over the business. Instead of choosing one of his directors or his children, he decided to do something different.
     He called all the young executives in his company together. He said, "It is time for me to step down and choose the next CEO. I have decided to choose one of you."
     The young executives were shocked, but the boss continued, "I am going to give each one of you a SEED today -- one very special SEED. I want you to plant the seed, water it and come back here one year from today with what you have grown from the seed I have given you. I will then judge the plants that you bring, and the one I choose will be the next CEO."
     One man, named Jim, was there that day and he, like the others, received a seed. He went home and, excitedly, told his wife the story. She helped him get a pot, soil and compost and he planted the seed. Every day, he would water it and watch to see if it had grown. After about three weeks, some of the other executives began to talk about their seeds and the plants that were beginning to grow. Jim kept checking his seed, but nothing ever grew.
     Three weeks, four weeks, five weeks went by, still nothing. By now, others were bragging about their plants, but Jim didn't have a plant and he felt like a failure.
     Six months went by -- still nothing in Jim's pot. He just knew he had killed his seed. Everyone else had trees and tall plants, but he had nothing. Jim didn't say anything to his colleagues, however. He just kept watering and fertilizing the soil. He so wanted the seed to grow.
     A year finally went by and all the young executives of the company brought their plants to the CEO for inspection. Jim told his wife that he wasn't going to take an empty pot. But she asked him to be honest about what happened. Jim felt sick at his stomach. It was going to be the most embarrassing moment of his life, but he knew his wife was right. He took his empty pot to the board room. When Jim arrived, he was amazed at the variety of plants grown by the other executives. They were beautiful -- in all shapes and sizes. Jim put his empty pot on the floor and many of his colleagues laughed. A few felt sorry for him!
     When the CEO arrived, he surveyed the room and greeted his young executives. Jim just tried to hide in the back. 
     "My, what great plants, trees and flowers you have grown," said the CEO. "Today one of you will be appointed the next CEO!" All of a sudden, the CEO spotted Jim at the back of the room with his empty pot. He ordered the financial director to bring him to the front. Jim was terrified. He thought, "The CEO knows I'm a failure! Maybe he will have me fired!"
     When Jim got to the front, the CEO asked him what had happened to his seed. Jim told him the story. The CEO asked everyone to sit down except Jim. He looked at Jim, and then announced to the young executives, "Behold your next Chief Executive! His name is Jim!" Jim couldn't believe it. Jim couldn't even grow his seed. How could he be the new CEO, the others said. Then the CEO said, "One year ago today, I gave everyone in this room a seed. I told you to take the seed, plant it, water it and bring it back to me today. "But I gave you all boiled seeds; they were dead -- it was not possible for them to grow. All of you, except Jim, have brought me trees and plants and flowers.
     "When you found that the seed would not grow, you substituted another seed for the one I gave you. Jim was the only one with the courage and honesty to bring me a pot with my seed in it. Therefore, he is the one who will be the new Chief Executive!"
     If you plant honesty, you will reap trust.
     If you plant goodness, you will reap friends.
     If you plant humility, you will reap greatness.
     If you plant perseverance, you will reap contentment.
     If you plant consideration, you will reap perspective.
     If you plant hard work, you will reap success.
     If you plant forgiveness, you will reap reconciliation.
     If you plant faith in Christ, you will reap a harvest.
So, be careful what you plant now; it will determine what you will reap later. – Sent in an email by Donna Kerstetter

DECEPTIVE PACKAGING    "LORD, who shall abide in thy tabernacle?  Who shall dwell in thy holy hill?  He that walketh uprightly, and worketh righteouness, and speaketh the truth in his heart." - Psalm 15:1-2
     Through its laws, our country declares it a crime to lie about the ingredient contents in a boxed or canned product.  These laws demand that the outside of the package tell the truth about what is on the inside.  Deceptive packaging is illegal!
     "Truth in advertising" regulations are another way to protect the public. A good example of this is the warning on a pack of cigarettes:  "Smoking causes lung cancer, heart disease, emphysema, and may complicate pregnancy."
     Unfortunately though, there are no such laws about people.  We require no one to tell what really lies behind the packaging: the clothes, facial expressions, mannerisms, speech patterns, behavior, truthfulness.  No one is forced to tell you what he or she is really feeling, thinking, or planning to do.
     Our deceptive packaging ~ the way we appear to others, is an accepted, even expected part of our way of life.  Many have become experts in this type of trickery.
     God reveals to us, qualifications for us to meet in order to dwell in His tabernacle.  Deception is not a qualifying factor here!  But to walk in righteousness and in truth is!
     If our "packaging" isn't "wrapped" the way it should be, perhaps we need to confess this sin of hypocrisy, so we can move on the path of discovering and knowing our real selves, and that which God reveals to us through His Word. - jcscrimp1.com/insp

THE LAW OF THE GARBAGE TRUCK     One day I hopped in a taxi and we took off for the airport . We were driving in the right lane when suddenly a black car jumped out of a parking space right in front of us. My taxi driver slammed on his breaks, skidded, and missed the other car by just inches! The driver of the other car whipped his head around and started yelling at us. My taxi driver just smiled and waved at the guy. And I mean, he was really friendly.
     So I asked, "Why did you just do that? This guy almost ruined your car and sent us to the hospital!" This is when my taxi driver taught me what I now call, "The Law of the Garbage Truck." He explained that many people are like garbage trucks. They run around full of garbage (frustration, anger, and disappointment, etc.). As their garbage piles up, they need a place to dump it and sometimes they'll dump it on you. Don't take it personally. Just smile, wave, wish them well, and move on. Don't take their garbage and spread it to other people at work, at home, or on the streets.
     The bottom line is that successful people do not let garbage trucks take over their day. Life's too short to wake up in the morning with regrets, so... "Love the people who treat you right. Pray for the ones who don't."  Life is ten percent what you make it and ninety percent how you take it!  @Sent by Jared Drew

All sunshine and no rain make a desert.

GOD’S WORD     "Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls. But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves." James 1:21-22
     We should put away all filthiness of our flesh and implant the Word of God on our hearts and in our minds! Sin will either keep us from the Word of God or the Word of God will keep us from sin! If you are a child of God, you have received the implanted Word ~ it has been planted in your hearts. God's Word has already brought salvation to you, but you have to live as a Christian. The child of God can never get away from the Word of God. Every child wishes to hear the voice of his Father, especially if it is a voice of comfort, as well as a voice of correction. Anyone who isn't interested in the Word of God or doesn't stay near it, and claims to be a child of God, is going to get into trouble.
     You and I live in a day when we have many translations of the Bible. They seem to be multiplying every year ~ a couple new translations are published. I, personally, prefer the Authorized King James version for my reading text. However, any of us could make a new translation ~ we might call it a "Doer's Translation." The world today is not reading the Bible as they should. But, they are reading you and me!
     Paul wrote, "Ye are our epistle written in our hearts, known and read of all men: Forasmuch as ye are manifestly declared to be the epistle of Christ ministered by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tables of stone, but in fleshly tables of heart" (2Corinthians 3:2-3).
     Someone has expressed this poetically:
The Gospel is written a chapter a day
By deeds that you do and by words that you say.
Men read what you say, whether faithless or true;
Say, what is the Gospel according to you?
     "Be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only" ~ this requires attention and action!
     The Lord Jesus said, "If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself" (John 7:17).  The Word of God demands action!
     You can read history, but it asks nothing of you. You can read literature, but there are no imperatives, no declarations, and no explanations. You can read science, but it makes no demands on you whatsoever. You can read a cookbook and it will give you a recipe, but it doesn't mean you have to cook! There is no demand there that tells you to make a batch of cookies or whip up some biscuits. However, the Word of God is a command! It is a trumpet ~ an appeal for action!
     The message of the Lord Jesus is to "repent", "come unto me," and "believe." The Word of God demands belief. Hearing and reading the Word of God will lead to doing for God that which is motivated by the inner desire. The intent of God's Word is to produce creative action and to make for productive performance, exciting living, and an altogether thrilling experience!
     God's Word is wonderful! We do not trust in a god who requires journeys to holy mountains or magical incantations. We trust in a God who comes to us in the common, the small, the ordinary. In words. In THE WORD!  The Word of God is always near us. In our hearts.  On our lips.  Or it should be.  Do you hear it?  Do you trust it?  But most importantly, do you share it?   (Inspired of God) - jcscrimp1.com/insp

NOTHING TO GIVE BUT…     Sometime ago there was a teacher who celebrated her eightieth birthday. It proved to be a marvelous occasion, highlighted by the presence of a great number of her former students.
     It seemed that she taught school in one of the worst sections of Baltimore . Before she came to that school to teach there had been repeated instances of juvenile crime and delinquency.
     When she began her work there came a change. The change in time became noticeable with so many of her students turning out to be good citizens, men and women of good character. Some became doctors, others lawyers, educators, ministers, honorable craftsmen, and skilled technicians.
     It was no accident, therefore, that on important anniversaries like her eightieth birthday she was remembered with gratitude and love from a great number of her students.
     A newspaper got wind of this celebration and sent a reporter to
interview her. He asked, among other things, what was her secret that made her teaching so rewarding? She said, "Oh, I don't know.  When I look at the young teachers in our schools today, so well-equipped with training and learning, I realize that I was ill-prepared to teach. I had nothing to give but love." --James S. Hewett, Illustrations Unlimited (Wheaton: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc, 1988), p. 316. – Norman Lawrence, A Dose of Inspiration

THERE’S FORGIVENESS      "Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near:  Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts:  and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon." - Isaiah 55:6-7

There's Forgiveness
Don't struggle alone, in fear and distress  As if there's no hope, just your ugliness.
Our Lord offers grace, not judgment deserving,  He longs for your love and your soon returning.
There's Forgiveness
It's tough cutting through the darkness of sin  Striving for answers, His favor to win.
He stands with His arms outstretched and extended  To hold and restore you, just mercy intended.
There's Forgiveness
Why search other places your answers to find  To fill the vast void and touch the divine.
Lay down your excuses and learn to confess  Your sins and your shame to His holiness.
There's Forgiveness  
There's healing and fellowship waiting for you  The moment you turn, His face to pursue.
You are the temple, His place for abiding,  The only thing missing is your mind deciding.
There's Forgiveness
Don't wait for a feeling or mystical lark,  Just bow down in quietness, open your heart.
Be honest, and tell Him no secret to keep  From there He restores you to fellowship sweet.
There's Forgiveness
His promise is certain, "I will forgive,"  Cleansing and freedom, it's yours to live.
From no other source full joy will you find.  He is your victory, your peace so sublime.
There's Forgiveness
To humble yourself, before Him in prayer,  It's your first step, in unloading your care.
There look Him squarely, straight in the face  And tell Him all of the ways you disgrace.
There's Forgiveness
Refreshment and fullness He will restore  The moment you sincerely open the door.
He is the life you thought you could win,  By going your way and living in sin.
There's Forgiveness
There's no one beyond the reach of His arm  To pick up and pardon, to rescue from harm.
Return to the Master of your faith's beginning;  Give Him your all, and you'll find yourself winning.
There's Forgiveness
What wonderful love eternity holds,  For those who are willing to be in the fold.  
The Savior is waiting, Oh come to Him now,  At His nail-scarred feet, in humility bow.
There's Forgiveness - (Inspired of God) - jcscrimp1.com/insp

WORK IN PROGRESS     Have you ever watched an artist at work? When he puts the pencil to the canvas you see only the beginnings of a certain shape or form.
      Seeing only what is visible for the time being, "What is it going to be?" one might ask.
     "Just wait, I am still working." The artist would probably reply. "Let me alone until I'm finished, and then I will gladly show it to you."
     Every artist loves to display his work when it is finished. But when they are working it is a work in progress and not to be seen by curious eyes. When he is done then he is more than happy to show it to others.
     We also are a work in progress. God is doing a work in our inner life if we will allow. This canvas of life involves His recreation of our hearts, mind and motives. And when He is done, He will show the finished canvas off in all of His reflective glory. At the moment our canvas is still a work in progress, be patient with the bumps and tears in life. God sees the end from the beginning. We can't see our finished canvas, but God can. As God told the exiled nation of Israel , "I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you an expected end." (Jeremiah 29:11).
     For Israel , it meant they would be in Babylon for a while longer, but ultimately, God would get them out. For us, what it means specifically on a day-to-day basis, time will tell. Whatever it is, God is still in control and will walk us through whatever may come. - By Fodder reader Arthur Joseph – Monday Fodder

CELEBRATE JESUS - He is worthy. Amen! 

The Greatest Man in History,
Jesus had no servants, yet they called Him Master.
He had no degree, yet they called Him Teacher.
He had no medicines, yet they called Him Healer.
He had no army, yet kings feared Him.
He won no military battles, yet He conquered the world.
He committed no crime, yet they crucified Him.
He was buried in a tomb, yet He lives today.
I feel honored to serve such a Leader who loves us! @Sent by Mary Sutherland – www.monday-fodder.com

THE LAST WORD     The simplest meaning of Easter is that we are living in a world in which God has the last word. On Friday night it appeared as if evil were the master of life. The holiest and most lovable One who had ever lived was dead and in His tomb, crucified by the order of a tyrant without either scruples or regrets. He who had raised the highest hopes among men had died by the most shameful means.
     A cross, two nails, a jeering mob of debauched souls, and a quick
thrust of a spear had ended it all. Those hours when His voice was stilled and His hands were quiet were the blackest through which the
race has ever lived. If Caesar could put an end to Jesus, then no man could ever dare aspire or hope again. Hope, in such a world, could be nothing better than a mockery. Then came Easter morning and the glorious word: "He is risen!" And evil's triumph was at an end.  Since that hour when Mary in the garden first discovered the staggering fact of victory, no man whose heart was pure and whose labors were honest has ever had reason to fear or despair if he believed in the Resurrection. - Paul Hovey --James S. Hewett, Illustrations Unlimited (Wheaton: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc, 1988) p. 166. – Norman Lawrence, A Dose of Inspiration

THE KING OF GLORY      THE earth is the LORD'S, and the fullness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein.  2 For he hath founded it upon the seas, and established it upon the floods.  3 Who shall ascend into the hill of the LORD? Or who shall stand in his holy place?  4 He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart; who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully.   5 He shall receive the blessing from the LORD, and righteousness from the God of his salvation.  6 This is the generation of them that seek him, that seek thy face, O Jacob. Selah. 7 Lift up your heads, O ye gates; and be ye lifted up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in.  8 Who is this King of glory? The LORD strong and mighty, the LORD mighty in battle. 9 Lift up your heads, O ye gates; even lift them up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in.  10 Who is this King of glory? The LORD of hosts, he is the King of glory. Selah. Psalm 24:1-10

     Jesus Christ forgave voluntarily; he died vicariously; he arose
visibly; and he lives victoriously. – Croft Pentz

I’M COMING BACK!     Why did Jesus fold the linen burial cloth after His resurrection?  The Gospel of John tells us that the napkin, which was placed over the face of Jesus, was not just thrown aside like the grave clothes. The Bible takes an entire verse to tell us that the napkin was neatly folded, and was placed at the head of that stony coffin.     Why did Jesus fold the linen burial cloth after His resurrection?  The Gospel of John tells us that the napkin, which was placed over the face of Jesus, was not just thrown aside like the grave clothes. The Bible takes an entire verse to tell us that the napkin was neatly folded, and was placed at the head of that stony coffin.

     John 20:6-7  “Then cometh Simon Peter following him, and went into the sepulchre, and seeth the linen clothes lie, ⁷ And the napkin, that was about his head, not lying with the linen clothes, but wrapped together in a place by itself.”
      In order to understand the significance of the folded napkin, you have to understand a little bit about Hebrew tradition of that day.The folded napkin had to do with the Master and Servant, and every Jewish boy knew this tradition. When the servant set the dinner table for the master, he made sure that it was exactly the way the master wanted it. The table was furnished perfectly, and then the servant would wait, just out of sight, until the master had finished eating, and the servant would not dare touch that table, until the master was finished. Now if the master was done eating he would rise from the table, wipe his fingers, his mouth, and clean his beard, and would wad up that napkin and toss it onto the table.

     The servant would then know to clear the table. For in those days, the wadded napkin meant, "I'm done". But if the master got up from the table, and folded his napkin, and laid it beside his plate, the servant would not dare touch the table, because.......... The folded napkin meant, "I'm coming back!"

     Jesus is Coming Back! The gospels repeatedly speak of His second coming. John 14:1-3 “Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. ² In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. ³ And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.” - Sent by Arthur Joseph – Sermon Fodder

     John 15:11-13  “These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full.  This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you. Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.”

MY CROWN     Crowns have always been the sign of authority and Kingship.  Charlemagne, whom historians say should deserve to be called "great" above all others, wore an octagonal crown. Each of the eight sides was a plaque of gold, and each plaque was studded with emeralds, sapphires, and pearls. The cost was the price of a king's ransom. Richard the Lion Heart had a crown so heavy that two earls had to stand, one on either side, to hold his head. The crown that Queen Elizabeth wears is worth over $20 million.  Edward II once owned nine crowns, something of a record. Put them all together, from all of Europe and from the archives of the East, all of them are but trinkets compared to Christ's crown.
     Revelation 19 says he had many diadems. He wears a crown of righteousness. He wears a crown of glory. He wears a crown of life. He wears a crown of peace and power. Among those crowns, one outshines the rest. It was not formed by the skilled fingers of a silversmith, nor created by the genius of a craftsman. It was put together hurriedly by the rough hands of Roman soldiers.  It was not placed upon its wearer's head in pomp and ceremony, but in the hollow mockery of ridicule and blasphemy. It is a crown of thorns.
     The amazing thing is that it belonged to me. I deserved to wear that crown. I deserved to feel the thrust of the thorns. I deserved to feel the warm trickle of blood upon my brow. I deserved the pain. He took my crown of thorns--but without compensation. He offers to me instead His crown of life, the crown that fadeth not away. --James S. Hewett, Illustrations Unlimited (Wheaton: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc, 1988) pp. 162-163. – Norman Lawrence, A Dose of Inspiration

MIRROR OF GRACE     My wife is ... a mirror. When I have sinned against her, my sin appears in the suffering of her face. Her tears reflect with terrible accuracy my selfishness. ... But I hate the sight, and the same selfishness I see now makes me look away. ...
     The passion of Christ ... is such a mirror. Are the tears of my dear wife hard to look at? Well, the pain in the face of Jesus is harder. It is my self in my extremest truth. ... The death he died reflects a selfishness so extreme that by it I was divorced from God and life and light complete. ...
     Nevertheless, I will not avoid this mirror! No, I will carefully rehearse, again this year, the passion of my Jesus--with courage, with clarity and faith; for this is the mirror of dangerous grace, purging more purely than any other. -- Walter Wangerin, Jr., in Reliving the Passion. Christianity Today, Vol. 38, no. 4. – Norman Lawrence, A Dose of Inspiration

TAKE IT TO GOD     "There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it." 1 Corinthians 10:13

     Christian believers are wrongly taught if they believe that the Christian life is a guarantee against human trials and problems.
     God makes His sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and He sends His rain on the just, as well as the unjust.  It is strange that we rarely notice the other side of this truth ~ God also visits His children with the usual problems common to all the children of men.
     If we cannot remove our problems, our heartaches, our pain, we must pray for grace to endure them without murmuring.  We will learn, also, that problems patiently endured will work for our spiritual perfecting.
     Take a minute and think of our Lord Jesus.  He was surrounded by enemies from the day of His birth.  They constituted a real and lasting problem which He simply had to endure His entire time here on this earth.
     Are our problems any more complicated than those our precious Savior endured?  This is something we all need to think about when we face difficult situations in our lives.
     When we are facing temptations and problems in life, let us take it to God.  He will always show us the way back to Him and peace will once again overcome us.  Through it all, trust in God! (Inspired of God) - jcscrimp1.com/insp

THE LESSON OF THE KITE     I love to make and fly kites. When my kite is grabbed by the wind and soars into the sky, my heart goes with it. But flying a kite teaches lessons, too. It takes two things to make a kite fly.

First, it must have wind. The kite has to stay oriented toward the wind catching the full force on the face. I am like that. I have to face life with its challenges and demands head on. If I avoid responsibility or refuse to fulfill commitments, I get all tangled up and crash.

     Second, the kite must have a secure connection to the one in control through the string. If the string breaks, the kite falls to the ground completely out of control. The kite line maintains the orientation to the wind. In my life I must keep my connection to God strong.

     There are results to learning the lesson of the kite that we don't always anticipate. First, when you fly a kite, you have to look up. When life is difficult, looking up reminds us we were made to seek God.

     Second, the stronger the wind blows, the higher the kite flies. I am like the kite. When life's pressures are the strongest, I soar to unexpected heights through my connection with God. The message of the kite is, "Come fly with me."…..Gayle Haynes (ghaynes64@dctexas.net) by way of Daily Wisdom (dw-owner@lists.gospelcom.net) (dw@lists.gospelcom.net ) and “Christian Voices) (www.ChristianVoicesWorldwide.com) Gayle has been married for 50 years. She is the mother of six. For ten years she was a psychologist in the Texas prison system. Now she spends her time writing and caring for her husband and one of her daughters who are both invalids.

"WORRY IS A RAT!"     Years ago, in the pioneer days of aviation, a pilot was making a flight around the world.
     After he had been gone for some two hours from his last landing field, he heard a noise in his plane, which he recognized as the gnawing of a rat. He realized that while his plane had been on the ground a rat had gotten in. For all he knew the rat could be gnawing through a vital cable or control of the plane.
     It was a very serious situation. He was both concerned and anxious. At first he did not know what to do. It was two hours back to the landing field from which he had taken off and more than two hours to the next field ahead. Then he remembered that the rat is a rodent. It is not made for the heights; it is made to live on the ground and under the ground. Therefore the pilot began to climb. He went up a thousand feet, then another thousand and another until he was more than twenty thousand feet up. The gnawing ceased. The rat was dead. He could not survive in the atmosphere of those heights.
     More than two hours later the pilot brought the plane safely to the next landing field and found the dead rat.
     Worry is a rodent. It cannot live in the secret place of the Most High. It cannot breathe in the atmosphere made vital by prayer and familiarity with the Scripture. Worry dies when we ascend to the Lord through prayer and His Word. - Clovis Chappell, Questions Jesus Asked --James S. Hewett, Illustrations Unlimited (Wheaton: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc, 1988), p. 496. – Norman Lawrence, A Dose of Inspiration

PRAYING FOR RAIN     The minister's little six-year-old girl had been so naughty during the week, that her mother decided to give her the worst kind of punishment.  She told her she couldn't go to the Sunday School Picnic on Saturday.
     When the day came, her mother felt she had been too harsh and changed her mind.  When she told the little girl she could go to the picnic, the child's reaction was one of gloom and unhappiness.
     "What's the matter?  I thought you'd be glad to go to the picnic." her mother said.
     "It's too late!" the little girl said.  "I've already prayed for rain!" @Sermon Fodder - To subscribe mailto:Sermon_Fodder-subscribe@onelist.com

DELIVERANCE     A saying arose during World War II that is most often attributed to the war journalist Ernie Pyle: "There are no atheists in foxholes." It meant that in times of war, even those who professed no previous belief in God would likely be found calling out to Him for deliverance.  The statement is a generalization: probably true of some but certainly not true of all.
      That saying illustrates another general truth about crises in life: Crises don't make us who we are, they reveal who we are.  That was true of Joseph during the great famine in the Middle East and Egypt .  Pharaoh had put Joseph in charge of creating a plan to save Egypt , and Joseph did not disappoint.
     But Joseph's rising to that occasion was nothing new.  He had done this on occasions before.  The worst of circumstances around Joseph seemed to bring out the best of character in Joseph.  And that's what crises do-they reveal what is on the inside.  Think back about the last crisis you experienced and see if you can identify what it revealed.
      Your response to accidentally hitting your thumb with a hammer is a pretty good indication of what has just been waiting to come out. @Wit & Wisdom - to subscribe <mailto:subscribe-wit-wisdom @xc.org> - www.monday-fodder.com

THE CRUCIAL WORD       Dwight Moody's father died when Dwight was only four. A month later Mrs. Moody gave birth to twins; she now had nine mouths to feed and no income. Merciless creditors dogged the widow, claiming everything they could get their hands on.
     As if Mrs. Moody didn't have enough troubles, her eldest boy later ran away from home. Certain that her son would return, Mrs. Moody placed a light for him in the window each night. Young Dwight was inspired by her faith and prayers. He wrote: "I can remember how eagerly she used to look for tidings of that boy; how she used to send us to the post office to see if there was a letter from him--some night when the wind was very high, and the house would tremble at every gust, the voice of my mother was raised in prayer for that wanderer."
      Her prayers were answered. Her prodigal son did eventually return. Dwight remembered: "While my mother was sitting at the door, a stranger was seen coming toward the house, and when he came to the door he stopped. My mother didn't know her boy. He stood there with folded arms and a great beard flowing down his breast, his tears trickling down his face. When my mother saw those tears she cried, 'Oh, it's my lost son!' and entreated him
to come in. But he stood still! 'No mother,' he answered, 'I will not come in until I hear first that you have forgiven me.'"
     Mrs. Moody was only too willing to forgive. She rushed to the door, threw her arms around him, and there the prodigal found forgiveness.  --James S. Hewett, Illustrations Unlimited (Wheaton: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc, 1988) pp. 215-216 – Cited on A Dose of Inspiration, by Norman Lawrence

SILVER MAKES THE DIFFERENCE      One day a wealthy old miser visited a rabbi who took him by the hand and led him to a window. "Look out there," he said, pointing to the street. "What do you see?" "I see men and women and little children," answered the rich man. Again the rabbi took him by the hand and led him to the mirror and said, "What do you see now?" "Now I see myself," the rich man replied. Then the rabbi said, "Behold, in the window there is glass, but the glass of the mirror is covered with silver, and no sooner is the silver added then you fail to see others but see only yourself." If you see self and all the respect and honor others ought to give you, you are on dangerous ground. You won't be able to see others if self is in the image you hold in front of you. - e-inspirational.blogspot.com, by Norman Lawrence

I TOOK HIM IN     A pastor was known to have a Bible verse for everything that happened. One Sunday as he was preaching a bug flew into his mouth. He gulped and said, “He was a stranger and I took him in.”  - Croft Pentz, A Book of Zingers

LIVING GOD’S WAY     "And it came to pass at the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, that Elijah the prophet came near, and said,LORD God of Abraham, Isaac, and of Israel, let it be known this day that thou art God in Israel, and that I am thy servant, and that I have done all these things at thy word." - 1Kings 18:36
     It would be great if everyone would recognize the fact that if God doesn't do it, it's not going to be done.  Elijah's prayer here is one of the great prayers of Scripture ~ not long, but great!  He said, "LORD God of Abraham, Isaac, and of Israel . . .  "  Notice that Elijah used the term Israel , not Jacob.  Well, Israel is the name given not to just twelve tribes, but to one nation. We are one nation under God!
     Also in his prayer, Elijah said, "Let it be known this day that thou art God in Israel , and I am thy servant, and that I have done all these things at thy word."  We need to remember, in all things we venture out to do, we need God to be included, allowing Him to lead us according to His will.
     When we do something on our own and then ask God to bless it, we end up disappointed in the results of our own plans.  God doesn't work that way. He wants us to come to Him first!  We must go His route if we want to receive His blessing.  We have no right to demand anything of Him.  He is not our servant ~ we are His!  May we always first seek God's will in every thing we do. – jcscrimp1.com/insp

KEEPING A CLEAN DESK     The superintendent of a large Christian school was concerned about the disarray he found in so many of the classrooms he visited. Papers were often strewn on the floor, and the students’ desks were surrounded by clutter.

     Feeling strongly that learning could not take place in such an untidy environment, he decided to take action.

     He chose one classroom for an experiment, introduced himself to the students and with a smile made this proposition:

     “Your teacher, principal and I provide a well-equipped classroom for you to enjoy but we need your help in keeping your desks and the classroom orderly. Many of you have crumpled papers inside your desks with books left open and the pages bent. Often there are pencils on the floor under your desks along with other debris.

     "I would like each of you to clean out your desk today and begin this school year resolving to keep it clean. One day I will return and inspect your desks and the person with the neatest desk will be given this $100 bill. I won’t tell you which day it will be. It will be a surprise. Not even your teacher or the principal will know the day."

     The children squealed with excitement and began immediately pulling things from their desks, filling the trash baskets with crumpled papers, stacking their books neatly inside their desks, and neatly lining up their pencils and pens.

     Every morning for the first week, every student checked his or her desk to make sure it was in perfect condition, confident that today would be the day the superintendent returned.

     The next week, a few boys grew weary of the exercise and returned to their former habits.

     By the third week, several students remarked, “I doubt if he’ll come back at all. He just said that to make us keep our desks clean.”

     After two months, no one in the classrooms bothered to inspect their desks and in fact, forgot the superintendent’s promise.

     Except for one girl.

     Dutifully, she inspected her desk every morning and several times a day, making sure things were in proper order.

     For months, she was teased by the other students. “He’s not coming back! Why do you keep looking for him? You look stupid believing that promise, anyway.”

     Still, she remained quiet, kept her desk in perfect condition and waited.

     Near the end of the school year, there was a knock on the door and the superintendent entered.

     Quickly, the students flung open their desks and began frantically to clean them. But the superintendent held up his hand for them to stop. All the students were asked to stand beside their desk at attention while the superintendent inspected each desk.

     One after another, he rejected them for being unkempt. One boy tried giving excuses but to no avail. Another blamed the teacher for not reminding them. Still another blamed the superintendent for making them wait so long.

     Finally, the superintendent arrived at the desk of the little girl who confidently displayed her well-kept desk while beaming at the superintendent.

     After inspecting her desk, he took her by the hand to the front of the classroom and awarded her the $100 bill.

     “Boys and girls,” he said kindly, “this girl never stopped believing I would return so she kept her desk in perfect order. She didn’t need to worry about what day or even what time of day I would arrive because she was always ready. Always.

     “And that is how it will be when Jesus returns for His own. We don’t know the day or the hour but if our hearts are always kept free from sin, we will always be ready for Him. Let your hearts be like the well-kept desk of this faithful little girl who never stopped looking, never tired of waiting and made sure she was always ready.”

     Even so come, Lord Jesus.     …..Mariane Holbrook (Mariane777@bellsouth.net) (www.marianholbrook.com) by way of "Christian Voices" (www.ChristianVoicesWorldwide.com) Mariane Holbrook is a retired teacher, an author of two books, a musician and artist. She lives with her husband on coastal North Carolina .

RESCUE THE PERISHING     The Times-Reporter of New Philadelphia , Ohio , reported in September 1985 a celebration at a New Orleans municipal pool.  The party around the pool was held to celebrate the first summer in memory without a drowning at any New Orleans city pool.  In honor of the occasion, two hundred people gathered, including one hundred certified lifeguards.  As the party was breaking up and the four lifeguards on duty began to clear the pool, they found a fully dressed body in the deep end.  They tried to revive Jerome Moody, thirty-one, but it was too late.  He had drowned surrounded by lifeguards celebrating their successful season.  I wonder how many visitors and strangers are among us drowning in loneliness, hurt and doubt, while we who could help them, don't realize it.  We Christians have reason to celebrate, but our mission, as the old hymn says, is to "rescue the perishing."  And often they are right next to us.

      "The more we pray, the more we shall want to pray. The more we pray, the more we can pray. The more we pray, the more we shall pray. He who prays little will pray less, but he who prays much will pray more. And he who prays more, will desire to pray more abundantly." - Spurgeon

THE PRIDE OF RICHES     The moth looks like such a harmless creature. In its pearly white color it hovers about without sound at twilight, or in our dark rooms and especially in our closets where our woolen clothes are kept. It is not impertinent like the robust flies of the summer. It does not have the sting of a mosquito. It does not sound in our ears the shrill notes of the cricket. It does not nibble and gnaw like the mouse and rat, nor, as roaches do, indecently overrun our food. It is most fair, silent, and apparently harmless. Yet every housewife springs after it with electric haste. It is a dreaded pest, not for what it is but for what it does. Once a garment is moth-eaten, it is almost impossible to repair it.
     How true this is in the case of the proud rich.
     Once one begins to suffer the sickness of pride of riches, the cure is very difficult. Let us beware, for, once the moths have done their work upon us, there is hardly any hope. Let us remember, also, that the moth does its work secretly, without our realizing it; so does the pride of riches. We may be proud of the things we wear and possess without ever realizing it. How stealthily the moths work; pride of the soul even more so. - http://e-inspirational.blogspot.com/2007/10/pride-of-riches.html

IT’S IN THE VALLEYS     "Doth not he see my ways, and count all my steps?  If I have walked with vanity, or if my foot hath hasted to deceit; Let me be weighed in an even balance, that God may know mine integrity." - Job 31:4-6

     Job speaks of his integrity in Chapter 31. I thought perhaps we could take a look at our own this morning.  I remember quite a few years back when I would go on camping trips, hiking through the woods or the mountains, up and down hills in and out valleys along the way.  Sometimes my footing would somewhat falter, yet I somehow always managed to keep my balance and kept moving forward along the path.

      These particular valleys in my "camping & hiking days" once again enter my thoughts as I search my heart and ask myself, "Am I still moving forward in pleasing God?"

     I know that with God in my life, I have nothing to fear.  For He is the same on the mountain tops as He is in the valleys.  He will point the way for us, if we allow Him, and turn any crisis into calm. We need to just simply trust in Him regardless of the shape we're in.

    He will guide us and comfort us, but most importantly, deliver us as we repent of all our sin.  He is a Mighty God who is never-changing.  He's the same yesterday, today and for ever more.

     But do we really know where to find wisdom and understanding?  It is hidden from the eyes of all humanity.  Even the sharp-eyed birds cannot discover it.  But Destruction and Death say, "We have heard a rumor where it can be found."  God surely knows where it can be found, for He looks throughout the whole earth, under all the heavens.

    He made the winds blow and determined how much rain should fall.  He made the laws of the rain and prepared a path for the lightening.  Then, when He had done all this, He saw wisdom and measured it!  He established it and examined it thoroughly.  And this is what He says to all humanity:  "The fear of the Lord is true wisdom.  To forsake evil is real understanding."  (Job 28:20-28 “Whence then cometh wisdom? and where is the place of understanding?  Seeing it is hid from the eyes of all living, and kept close from the fowls of the air.  Destruction and death say, We have heard the fame thereof with our ears.  God understandeth the way thereof, and he knoweth the place thereof.  For he looketh to the ends of the earth, and seeth under the whole heaven; To make the weight for the winds; and he weigheth the waters by measure.  When he made a decree for the rain, and a way for the lightning of the thunder:  Then did he see it, and declare it; he prepared it, yea, and searched it out.  And unto man he said, Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; and to depart from evil is understanding.”)

     In conclusion, when we are "down in the valley" and out of sorts with our self, let us look to the Lord for strength, wisdom, and understanding.  He is the Almighty One!  He will sustain us!  He is our Comforter and Counselor.  If we will just look to Him and seek His wonderful grace, we will soon discover that it's in the valley where we all once started to grow. (Inspired of God)

WHAT SHALL WE SING?     A young pastor was quite long-winded one night talking to the young people.  After nearly an hour he suddenly stopped, smiled, and asked, “What hymn shall we sing?”

     One boy called out, appropriately, “Revive Us Again.”

Place your needs up against God’s riches and they will soon disappear.

THE BERRY SPOON     "Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamor, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice:  And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you." - Ephesians 4:31,32

     I'll never forgive him. I told him I would never forgive him."  The attractive elderly lady spoke softly, but with resolve, to the night nurse.  Her expression was troubled as she turned away, focusing her eyes on the drape closing in her nursing home bed. The conversation had traveled from the temporal to the eternal and now a deep hurt had surfaced.

      She told of how her brother had approached her hospital bed, accusing her of taking more than her share of family heirlooms following their mother's death. He spoke of various items, ending with the "berry spoon."  He said, "I want the berry spoon."  For forty years since the parent's death he had hidden his feelings, and now they erupted.  She was both hurt and angered by his accusation and vowed never to forgive him.  "It's my spoon. It was given to me," she defended herself.  "He's wrong and I won't forgive him."

     A BERRY SPOON!  In the bed lay a woman given two months to live ~ sixty days~ and she would face eternity and never see her brother again in this life.  Her mind and spirit were in anguish, and her only remaining family tie was broken over a spoon!  When her days here end, she won't even be taking it with her!  (Author unknown to me)

     How many berry spoons are there in our lives?  How many things, as insignificant as a spoon, in light of eternity, separate us from full communion with God?  How much lack of forgiveness keeps us from fellowship with others?  Some good points to ponder!

WHAT DOES LOVE MEAN? (THROUGH THE EYES OF CHILDREN)     Slow down for three minutes to read this.  A group of professional people posed this question to a group of 4 to 8 year-olds, "What does love mean?"   The answers they got were broader and deeper than anyone could have imagined. See what you think:  

     "When my grandmother got arthritis, she couldn't bend over and paint her toenails anymore. So my grandfather does it for her all the time, even when his hands got arthritis too. That's love."  Rebecca - age 8 

     "When someone loves you, the way they say your name is different. You just know that your name is safe in their mouth."   Billy - age 4 

     "Love is when a girl puts on perfume and a boy puts on shaving cologne and they go out and smell each other."  Karl - age 5 

     "Love is when you go out to eat and give somebody most of your French fries without making them give you any of theirs."  Chrissy - age 6

     "Love is what makes you smile when you're tired."

Terri - age 4 

     "Love is when my mommy makes coffee for my daddy and she takes a sip before giving it to him, to make sure the taste is OK."  Danny - age 7 

     "Love is when you kiss all the time. Then when you get tired of kissing, you still want to be together and you talk more. My  Mommy and Daddy are like that. They look gross when they kiss"  Emily - age 8 

     "Love is what's in the room with you at Christmas if you stop opening presents and listen."     Bobby - age 7 (Wow!) 

     "If you want to learn to love better, you should start with a friend who you hate,"   Nikka - age 6  (we need a few million more Nikka's on this planet)

      "Love is when you tell a guy you like his shirt, then he wears it everyday."     Noelle - age 7 

     "Love is like a little old woman and a little old man who are still friends even after they know each  other so well."  Tommy - age 6 

     "During my piano recital, I was on a stage and I was scared. I looked at all the people watching me and saw my daddy waving and smiling. He was the only one doing that. I wasn't scared anymore."  Cindy - age 8 

    "My mommy loves me more than anybody . You don't see anyone else kissing me to sleep at night." Clare - age 6  

     "Love is when Mommy gives Daddy the best piece of chicken." Elaine-age 5 

     "I know my older sister loves me because she gives me all her old clothes and has to go out and  buy new ones."   Lauren - age 4 

     "You really shouldn't say 'I love you' unless you mean it. But if you mean it, you should say it a lot. People forget."    Jessica - age 8 

FOOTBALL GAMES ARE NOT FOR ME     I’ve made up my mind never to attend another football game.   I’ve been an avid football fan for many years, but now I’ve had it.  Let me list the reasons why:

1. I was taken to too many games by my parents when I was growing up.
2. The games are always played when I want to do something else.
3. Every time I go to a game, somebody asks for money.
4. Although I go to games quite often, few people are friendly enough to speak to me.
5. The seats are too hard and uncomfortable.  Besides, I often have to sit down front on the fifty yard line.
6. I suspect there are hypocrites sitting nearby.  They come to see their friends and to look at what others are wearing rather than to see the game.
7. The field judge says things I don’t agree with.
8. The band usually plays some numbers I’ve never heard before.
9. Some games last too long, making me get home late.
10. I have a good book on football.  I can stay home and read that.

     Well, there they are – ten reasons why I will never attend another football game.  Kind of foolish, isn’t it, to miss the joy of football for reasons like these?  I wonder how many of us are missing the joys of worship, Bible study, training, and prayer for reasons just as foolish. – Baker Book House: Grand Rapids , Michigan – Church Bulletin Bits, 1976

Live, Laugh, and Love    As we grow up, we learn that even the one person that wasn't supposed to ever let you down probably will.  You will have your heart broken probably more than once and it's harder every time. You'll break hearts too, so remember how it felt when yours was broken.  You'll fight with your best friend. You'll blame a new love for things an old one did. You'll cry because time is passing too fast, and you'll eventually lose someone you love. So take too many pictures, laugh too much, and love like you've never been hurt because every sixty seconds you spend upset is a minute of happiness you'll never get back. - Author Unknown. Source: "Pulpit Pieces Weekly," Copyright 1999-2007 Compiled and Produced by Net 153 Publications http://net153.com - Cited on Weekend Encounter

LISTEN…..SPEAK IN LOVE!     "Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath:  For the wrath of man worketh not righteousness of God." - James 1:19

      If we ever fancied that we could get along without God's Spirit, even for a moment, we probably did not make this mistake in connection with the way we listen and talk with others.

     Who has not said on any number of occasions, "If I had only listened!?" or "Why can't I keep my big mouth shut?!" I believe we all would have no problem at all if James had said, "Let everyone be quick to speak and slow to listen."  There is none excluded from "offering lip service" instead of listening with our hearts.

     Quick to listen . . . to what?  Perhaps the events in the days of our loved ones, some helpful counsel, both sides of a story, a plea for help, and a request for forgiveness, to name a few.  But as we listen carefully, we also hear utterances of disappointment, pleas for love, and sighs of sorrow, that we alone can answer with God's help.  These are special messages from our Father, who cries in the pain of the world, "I am hungry . . . thirsty . . . in prison . . . sick."

     Slow to speak . . . about what?  A friend's shortcomings, gossip at work, disagreements with church matters, school and community, to name a select few.  But here in this Scripture verse, James is counseling us to "count to ten" so to speak, before talking and putting our "two cents" in.

     Our Savior had these words written of Him:  1 Peter 2:22-23 “Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth:  Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously.”    This, Jesus' example and power, are ours that we may follow in His steps, in the way of peace.  Do we?

     "In the multitude of words there wanteth not sin:  but he that refraineth his lips is wise.  The tongue of the just is as choice silver: the heart of the wicked is little worth." – Proverbs 10:19, 20

     "He that hath knowledge spareth his words:  and a man of understanding is of an excellent spirit." Proverbs 17:27

     May we listen first . . . then speak in love! - jcshrimp1.com/insp

When believers influence each other for good,
the body of Christ remains healthy.

"MAKE A DIFFERENCE"     If I can throw a single ray of light across the darkened pathway of another; if I can aid some soul to clearer sight of life and duty, and thus bless my brother; if I can wipe from any human cheek a tear, I shall not have lived my life in vain while here.
     If I can guide some erring one to truth, inspire within his heart a sense of duty; if I can plant within my soul of rosy youth a sense of right, a love of truth and beauty; if I can teach one man that God and heaven are near, I shall not then have lived in vain while here.
     If from my mind I banish doubt and fear, and keep my life attuned to love and kindness; if I can scatter light and hope and cheer, and help remove the curse of mental blindness; if I can make more joy, more hope, less pain, I shall not have lived and loved in vain.
     If by life's roadside I can plant a tree, beneath whose shade some wearied head may rest, though I may never share its beauty, I shall yet be truly blest--though no one knows my name, nor drops a flower upon my grave, I shall not have lived in vain while here. - Author Unknown --James S. Hewett, Illustrations Unlimited (Wheaton: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc, 1988) pp. 59-60 – Cited on A Dose of Inspiration

"YOUR CROSS"     The young man was at the end of his rope. Seeing no way out, he dropped to his knees in prayer.
     "Lord, I can't go on," he said. "I have too heavy a cross to bear."
     The Lord replied, "My son, if you can't bear its weight, just place your cross inside this room. Then, open that other door and pick out any cross you wish."
     The man was filled with relief. "Thank you, Lord," he sighed, and he did as he was told.
     Upon entering the other door, he saw many crosses; some so large the tops were not visible. Then, he spotted a tiny cross leaning against a far wall. "I'd like that one, Lord," he whispered.
     And the Lord replied, "My son, that is the cross you just brought in."
     When life's problems seem overwhelming, it helps to look around and see what other people are coping with. You may consider yourself far more fortunate than you imagined.
     Whatever your cross, whatever your pain, there will always besunshine after the rain. Perhaps you may stumble, perhaps even fall, but God's always there to help you through it all. – Norman Lawrence, A Dose of Inspiration

BRAIN TEASER          Brain Stuff . . . reported to be from Cambridge University .

     I cdnuolt blveiee taht I cluod aulaclty uesdnatnrd waht I was rdanieg. The phaonmneal pweor of the human mnid, aoccdrnig to a rscheearch at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it deosn't mttaer in waht oredr the ltteers in a wrod are, the olny iprmoatnt tihng is taht the frist and lsat ltteer be in the rghit pclae. The rset can be a taotl mses and you can sitll raed it wouthit a porbelm.

     Tihs is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe. Amzanig huh? Yaeh and I awlyas tghuhot slpeling was ipmorantt! - Submitted by Chuck Herpick – Cited in Weekend Encounter

CHURCH PEW HOSTAGES      "But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.  For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass:  For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was." - James 1:22-24
     Satan is not warring over those who are in the world, for he already has them in his grasp.  His war is to conquer those who are sitting in the pews!  Those who have been reconciled, he longs to take hostage once again.  His strategy is deceptive, because he uses them to hinder the work of the church.
     Satan deludes people with other goals in life which soon take priority over the work of the church and personal involvement.
They become members of the body which become dysfunctional. Hands will not work; feet will not travel; mouth, ears and brain stop functioning.  Lame, blind and deaf, the church struggles to fulfill its purpose.
     Satan also lures people into complacency.  Having become satisfied with less than God's desire for their lives, they settle for adolescence, rather than maturing to adulthood, while at the same time believing they are adults!
     Satan tantalizes people's sense with false teachings with the purpose of taking others off course.  Then, deluded themselves, they delude others to a false sense of security.  Then on to another, yet another, the delusions continue to spread.
     Satan will also stalemate the church's vision with past accomplishments!  He enjoys the boasting in the glory of a successful past program, because they fail to launch a new one, with possibly more productive, fruitful efforts!  He's lingering at church . . . he's working throughout the pews!
     If the church and we as individual members are ever going to be what God desires, the hostages sitting within the pews must be freed.  And the only thing that can set them free is the truth.  And only the Bible can reveal if we are being held hostage.  Only the Bible can set and keep us free.  Read it, study it, and make it yours, that you might heed the warnings and not be taken hostage. - jcshrimp1.com/insp

"THE WORLD NEEDS LEADERS" 

The world needs leaders...
who cannot be bought;
whose word is their promise;
who put character above wealth;
who possess opinions and a will;
who are larger than their vocations;
who do not hesitate to take chances;
who will not lose their individuality in a crowd;
who will be honest in small things as well as in great things;
who will make no compromise with wrong;
whose ambitions are not confined to their own selfish desires;
who will not say they do it "because everybody else does it";
who are true to their friends through good report and
evil report, in adversity as well as in prosperity;
who do not believe that shrewdness, cunning, and
hardheadedness are the best qualities for winning success;
who are not ashamed or afraid to stand for the truth when it is unpopular, 
who can say no with emphasis,although the rest of the world says yes. 
- Paul Borthwick, Leading the Way, Navpress, 1989, pp. 19-20. – Norman Lawrence, A Dose of Inspiration

THE ABC’S OF A TRUE CHILD OF GOD

Although things are not perfect

Because of trial or pain

Continue in thanksgiving

Do not begin to blame

Even when th e times are hard

Fierce winds are bound to blow

God is forever able

Hold on to what you know

Imagine life without His love

Joy would cease to be

Keep thanking Him for all the things

Love imparts to thee

Move out of " Camp Complaining "

No weapon that is known

On earth can yield the power

Praise can do alone

Quit looking at the future

Redeem the time at hand

Start every day with worship

To "thank" is a command

Until we see Him coming

Victorious in the sky

We'll run the race with gratitude

eXalting God most high

Yes, there'll be good times and yes some will be bad, but...

Zion waits in glory...where none are ever sad! – Sent by email.

"The world measures greatness by money, or eloquence, or intellectual skill, or even by prowess on the field of battle. But here is the Lord's standard: 'Whosoever shall humble himself as this little child, the same is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven ' (Matthew 18:4)." - J.H. Jowett

The WHAT of our future is determined by the WHO of eternity.

A REASON FOR EVERYTHING     "Blessed is the people that know the joyful sound: they shall walk, O LORD, in the light of thy countenance.  In thy name shall they rejoice all the day: and in thyrighteousness shall they be exalted." - Psalm 89:15-16
     Sometimes people come into your life and you know right away that they were meant to be there . . . to serve some sort of purpose, teach you a lesson, or help figure out who you are or who you want to become. You never know who these people may be, but when you lock eyes with them, you know that very instant that they will affect your life in some profound way.
     And sometimes things happen to you, at which time may seem horrible, painful and unfair, but in reflection, you realize that without overcoming those obstacles, you would never realize your potential, strength, will power, or heart.
     Everything happens for a reason. Nothing happens by chance or by means of luck. Illness, love, lost moments of true greatness, and sheer stupidity, all occur to test limits of our soul.
     Without these small tests, life would be like a smoothly paved, straight, flat road to nowhere safe or comfortable,  but rather dull and utterly pointless.
     People you meet affect your life. The successes and downfalls that you experience can create whom you are, and the bad experiences can be learned from. In fact, they are probably the most poignant and important ones.
     If someone hurts you, betrays you, or breaks your heart, forgive them, because they have helped you learn about trust and the importance of being cautious to whom you open your heart.
     If someone loves you, love them back unconditionally, not because they love you, but also because they are teaching you to love and open your heart and eyes to little things. Make every day count. Appreciate everything that you possibly can, for you may never experience it again.
     Talk to people and actually listen when they talk to you.  Believe in yourself, as God entrusts care to you, and go out and live a life which would be pleasing to Him.
     Whatever it is you do, don't take your eyes off Jesus, or all you will see is obstacles before you. – jcshrimp1.com/insp/

When troubles call on you, call on God.

"WHICH WAY IS UP?" - By Mark Rader     Some years ago, I read about a speedboat driver who had recently survived a racing accident. He said that he had been at near-top speeds when his boat veered slightly and hit a wave at a dangerous angle. The combined force of his speed and the size and angle of the wave sent the boat spinning crazily into the air. He was thrown from his seat and propelled deeply into the water - so deep, in fact, that he had no idea which direction the surface was. He had to remain calm and wait for the buoyancy of his life vest to begin pulling him up. Once he discovered which way was up, he could swim for the surface.
     Sometimes we find ourselves surrounded by confusing options, too deeply immersed in our problems to know "which way is up." When this happens, we too can remain calm, waiting for God's gentle tug to pull us in the proper direction. Our "life vest" may be other Christians, Scripture, or some other leading from the Holy Spirit,but the key is recognizing our dependency upon God and trusting him. – Norman Lawrence, A Dose of Inspiration

LITTLE KNOWN FACTS ABOUT THE BIBLE      The Bible has been translated into over 1,200 languages.

     The Bible was the first book ever printed. In 1454, Johannes Gutenberg invented the "type mold" printing press and began to print the Bible. Life magazine called this the single most important event of the second millennium.

     Stephen Langton first divided the Bible into chapters in 1228.

     The Old Testament was first divided by verses in 1448 and the New Testament in 1551.

     The first English Bible translation was initiated by John Wycliffe in 1382 and completed by John Purvey in 1388.

     It takes about 70 hours to read the entire Bible.

     About 170,000 Bibles are distributed each day in the United States .

     The Bible is the best selling best-selling book of all time. - Source: Sermon Illustrations and Outlines - http://net153.com/net/  - Cited in Weekend Encounter

 CONSEQUENCES OF SIN     Psalms 139:11-12  “If I say, Surely the darkness shall cover me; even the night shall be light about me.  Yea, the darkness hideth not from thee; but the night shineth as the day: the darkness and the light are both alike to thee.”

     I have read how "two fellows were driving a delivery truck down a road when they came to a tunnel. The sign above said: 'Warning: Maximum Height 10 feet zero inches,' so they got out and measured their truck.  Unfortunately, the truck was just over 12 feet high.

     "They didn't know what to do, when finally one of them looked in both directions and said, 'I don't see any police, let's go for it!'"

     The result was obvious.

     I guess far too many of us knew very well we shouldn't do a certain thing or commit a certain sin, but we did it anyhow because we thought no one was watching.

     We may not have seen the immediate effects, but we always reap what we sow--even if it is eventually.  Furthermore, acting wrong too often because no one is watching can easily become a habit.

     As George Dana Boardman wisely said, "Sow an act ... reap a habit; sow a habit ... reap a character; sow a character ... reap a destiny."

     The reality is that we can never hide from God. He sees all. He knows all. And he judges all unless we confess our sins and receive his forgiveness. As God's Word also says, Numbers 32:23 “But if ye will not do so, behold, ye have sinned against the LORD: and be sure your sin will find you out.” – Cited in Daily Encounter

HELP TO MAKE A BETTER DAY     "This is the day which the LORD hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it." - Psalm 118:24

     Little things make a better day!

*Being grateful for another morning by being cheerful on the outside,

even though you might be in physical pain on the inside.

*Writing a note of encouragement, congratulations, appreciation,

sympathy or condolence to someone needing a little lift.

*A short visit to a sick friend.

*A telephone call to someone who lives alone who may be lonely.

*A little gift to someone to brighten their day.

*Have a kind and warm greeting to those you pass by.

*Stop and smell the flowers and enjoy their beauty.

*Show kindness to animals ~ feed the birds.

*Explore the satisfaction of being courteous.

     By administering just a few of these suggestions today, they will add to the sweetness and smoothness of life.  They will bring pleasant communion with others, nurture friendships, and prevent the interference of those petty sophistications that keep us apart from others.

     Though small, they create a beneficent radiation which enriches us and contributes to our own ennoblement.  They will enhance a tender inclination for pleasantness that comes with the satisfaction of having done good.  They strengthen the soul.  They make a good day because they make us better people.

     And then, when you lay down to go to sleep at the end of this day, you will be left with a satisfied feeling that you have been a more considerate person today than you were yesterday.

    Then, by all means . . . try it again tomorrow!  Smile! Jesus loves you! So do I! – jcshrimp1.com/insp/

     The shortest distance between a problem and a solution is the distance between your knees and the floor. <> The one who kneels to the Lord can stand up to anything.

CELL PHONE VS. BIBLE

  I wonder what would happen if we treated our Bible like we treat our cell phone.

  What if we carried it around in our purses or pockets?

  What if we flipped through it several times a day?

  What if we turned back to go get it if we forgot it?

  What if we used it to receive messages from the text?

  What if we treated it like we couldn't live without it?

  What if we gave it to our kids as gifts?

  What if we used it when we traveled?

  What if we used it in case of emergency?

  This is something to make you go... hmm...where IS my Bible?

  Oh, and one more thing. Unlike our cell phone, we don't have to worry about our Bible being disconnected because Jesus already paid the Bill.   And no dropped calls!

  P.S. DO WHAT YOU THINK GOD WOULD WANT YOU TO DO WITH THIS E-MAIL

  P.S.S. The battery never runs down either, it is ALWAYS ON FULL CHARGE, YOU NEVERUSE UP ALL YOUR MINUTES AND THE SIGNAL IS STRONG NO MATTER WHERE YOU GO! - Sent to me by email from Ava Bowley

FOLLOW YOUR BUBBLES      Psalms 119:11 Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.
     Vern Treat tells about a scuba diver who said that when you're in deep water, you're encircled by light, so there's no way you can tell which way is up because the water diffuses the light. You're also totally weightless, so you have no sense of gravity. The only way you can tell which way to get out of the water is to go the direction the bubbles are going.
     Surrounded in an aura of light and weightless, it's very easy to lose all sense of direction and get disoriented. You may sense that this way is up and that your air bubbles are going sideways. You may be so convinced that your perception is true that you decide to ignore your bubbles and go the way you think is up.
     One of the first things we were told when learning to scuba-dive, Trent said, was to always trust your bubbles—to always follow your bubbles. No matter how you feel, no matter what you think, your bubbles are always right.
     Life can be like that at times too. If we base the rules of life on our feelings, perception or what we think, we can be very easily led astray. The philosophy, "If it feels good it must be right," is a dangerous guide to follow because our feelings can play all sorts of tricks on us. If something is wrong, it is wrong regardless of how we feel or what we think. True, it's important that we don't deny or repress our feelings, because we can learn to trust them; but what we can't always trust is our interpretation of them.
     The only safe guide to follow when it comes to the rules of life is to trust God and his Word, the Bible. Therein lie the "bubbles of life" to follow. These "bubbles" are always right. Always! – Dick Innes, Daily Encounter, actsweb.org

GOD’S STRONG HANDS by David McCasland  READ: Genesis 32:22-30     “Jacob was left alone; and a Man wrestled with him until the breaking of day.” —Genesis 32:24
     In Genesis, it seems that almost every person and family mentioned is dysfunctional. The text is filled with accounts of jealousy, anger, violence, and deception that leave a trail of damaged relationships. Even Noah, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob—lauded as heroes of faith in Hebrews 11—display flawed character and spiritual lapses. But God never leaves them that way.
     Jacob defrauded his older twin Esau, who swore to kill him (Gen. 27:41). Then, before the estranged brothers would face each other after 20 years, Jacob wrestled with God. When asked his name, the conniving younger brother finally admitted who he was: Jacob—the deceiver (Gen. 32:24-27). That marked a spiritual turning point.
     Noted preacher Carlyle Marney said that because God doesn’t give up on us, we should not give up on ourselves. “The last person on earth you will forgive a weakness is yourself,” Dr. Marney wrote. “Only in the gospel can men go on loving themselves. Wait on God! See what His strong hands will fashion out of your defection.”
     When we have turned back, God can turn us around. When we have destroyed, God can rebuild. “Christ is the strong hands of God conquering my defection. This is the gospel." - @Sent by Terry Voorhies – Monday-fodder.com

JUST DRIFTING     "THEREFORE we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard,lest any time we should let them slip." - Hebrews 2:1
    Another way of translating the final phrase of this verse is, "lest we drift away."
      Nothing in the world is easier than drifting.  No person drifts upstream ~ only downstream!  It is so easy. All you do is sit back and relax and let the boat go. You are soon lulled into a lazy stupor, not caring where you end up, unaware you are drifting until it is too late and you end up on the rocks.
     Satan is very wise! He seldom urges a Christian to leave the church or to give up their faith in the Lord.  Instead, he causes us to relax, rest on the oars, and drift along in life.
     All around us are Christians who have drifted into a state of coldness and indifference. They stop caring about others who love and need them. They stop caring about sharing the message of God's all sufficient, saving grace. They are relaxed and content in their state of "drifting."
     If you are drifting along today, won't you wake up now?!
Grab the oars and pull!!!
     Your active concern is needed as we seek to lead others to find Christ and His will for their lives. And your loved ones need you to share His love with them too.
  Don't lay back and drift along
  Until you bottom out;
  Take ahold of both those oars,
  To pull yourself about.
  There's others out there floating,
  Just needing to be saved;
  So won't you stop your drifting now
  And go the way that's paved? – jcshrimp1.com/insp/

WHERE’S THE SCENT?     Hebrews 12:6, 10, 11  “For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth… For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure; but he for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness…Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby.”
       Earl Nightingale told how on one National Secretaries Day he gave his secretary flowers and she remarked how beautiful they were. She also said that she couldn't understand why they didn't have any scent.  He informed her that the flowers came from a hothouse and explained that because flowers raised in this type of environment have everything done for them, they don't have to attract insects to pollinate them. As a result, they lose their scent. In the same way fruit raised in a hothouse, because it doesn't need to attract insects to scatter its seeds, doesn't taste as good as fruit grown in its natural environment.
     It's similar to the child who wanted to help a butterfly out of its cocoon by putting a slit in it and, in so doing caused it to die. He didn't realize that the struggle to get out of the cocoon is needed to strengthen the butterfly's wings, which enables it to fly.
     When people do too much for us or overprotect us, especially in our early developmental years, they can do serious harm to us. And even in adulthood the problems and difficulties we have are what strengthen us, build out character, and teach us wisdom, understanding, and compassion—if we let them. This is why God disciplines those whom he loves by allowing us to go through difficult times. – Cited from Daily Encounter, by Dick Innes

THE NAIL     "For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ." 
- 1 Corinthians 12:12
     As the story goes, they built a new church building and the people came from far and wide to see it.  They admired its beauty!
     Up on the roof, a little nail heard the people praising everything about the lovely structure ~ except the nail itself!  No one even knew he was there, and he became angry and jealous.  "If I am that insignificant, nobody will miss me if I quit!"  So, the nail then released its hold, slid down the roof, and fell to the ground.
     That night it rained and rained.  Soon, the shingle that had no nail, blew away, and the roof began to leak.  The water streaked the walls and the beautiful murals.  The plaster began to fall, the carpet was stained, and the pulpit Bible was ruined by water.  All because a little nail decided to quit.
     But what of the nail?  While holding the shingle, it was obscure but it was also useful.  Buried now in the mud, it was just as obscure, but now it was useless and would soon be eaten up by rust!
     However large or small your service unto the Lord is, it makes a difference in someone's life.  Just because you can't see the difference does not mean that it was not made. – jcshrimp1.com/insp/

THE WORLD DEPENDS ON FAITH      Howard Hendricks writes...     I didn’t observe any of you come into this room and examine your chair before you sat in it. You just automatically committed yourself by faith to the chair, assuming it would hold you. Most of you got here by car; you slid in the car and turned on the ignition and away you go. You don’t have a clue as to what goes on behind the scene. You can’t explain the process. You just trust it.
The last time you went to a doctor, he wrote out a little prescription. You couldn’t read it. In fact, you wondered if anybody could read the thing! Then you took it to your pharmacist, and you gave it to him. Have you ever discovered when you give a pharmacist a prescription, he always disappears behind the screen? That shakes me up. I often wonder what in the world the guy is doing back there. I wonder if he slept through his course in pharmacy school. But he gives you the little bottle and says, “Take it three times a day,” and by faith you do exactly what he tells you to do. Faith is woven into the system. —Howard Hendricks, “Faith in Tough Times,” Preaching Today, Tape No. 140. - http://e-inspirational.blogspot.com

RECOGNIZING AND CHANGING    Several years ago the Peanuts comic strip had Lucy and Charlie Brown practicing football.  Lucy would hold the ball for Charlie's placekicking and then Charlie would kick the ball.  But every time Lucy had ever held the ball for Charlie, he would approach the ball and kick with all his might.
     At the precise moment of the point of no return, Lucy would pick up the ball and Charlie would kick and his momentum unchecked by the ball, which was not there to kick, would cause him to fall flat on his back.
    This strip opened with Lucy holding the ball, but Charlie Brown would not kick the ball.  Lucy begged him to kick the ball.  But Charlie Brown said, "Every time I try to kick the ball you remove it and I fall on my back."
   They went back and forth for the longest time and finally Lucy broke down in tears and admitted, "Charlie Brown I have been so terrible to you over the years, picking up the football like I have.  I have played so many cruel tricks on you, but I've seen the error of my ways!  I've seen the hurt look in your eyes when I've deceived you.  I've been wrong, so wrong.  Won't you give a poor penitent girl another chance?"
   Charlie Brown was moved by her display of grief and responded to her, "Of course, I'll give you another chance."
     He stepped back as she held the ball, and he ran.  At the last moment, Lucy picked up the ball and Charlie Brown fell flat on his back.  Lucy's last words were, "Recognizing your faults and actually changing your ways are two different things, Charlie Brown!" @The Timothy Report, http://www.timothyreport.com, August 21, 2006

PRAYER is so simple.  It is like quietly opening the door and slipping into the very presence of God;  There in the stillness to listen to His voice; Perhaps to petition, or only to listen.  It matters not; Just to be there in His presence is PRAYER. – Baker Book House: “Church Bulletin Bits”  Note:  What a privilege to enter into the presence of the Lord in prayer.  I think of the words of Dottie Rambo: “I didn’t come here to ask you for anything, I just came to talk with you, Lord.  You’ve answered a million prayers or more that I forgot to thank you for, I just came to talk with you, Lord.”

ON BARKING DOGS AND SLEEPING LIONS     1 Corinthians 1:26-29  “For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called: But 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; And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are:  That no flesh should glory in his presence.”
     Irving is credited with having made the remark that "a barking dog is often more useful than a sleeping lion." Another way of saying the same thing is that "the race is not always to the swift but to those who keep on running."
     One of the encouraging aspects about God is that you don't have to be an expert or anything out of the ordinary for Him to use you. God uses people just like you and me. Consider, for example, the men Jesus chose to be his disciples: a couple of fishermen, a despised tax gatherer, a thief, and so on.
     Jesus Himself didn't attend college or seminary (or the equivalent in his day) but chose as His profession to be a carpenter as was His father, Joseph.
     For God to use us, we just need to be available and faithful to His calling, and get adequately trained so we can do the best we can in our service to the Lord. While the disciples weren't qualified to be disciples when Jesus called them, they spent the next three years being trained by the Master Teacher Par Excellence—the Lord Himself.
     Remember, it's better to be a barking dog than a sleeping lion.
What a difference we Christians would make in our family and all our relationships, in our church, and in the world in which we live if we would all pray the following prayer at the beginning of every day: "Dear God, I'm available. Please make me usable and use me today to be as Christ to my family, to someone in need, and in some way to every life I touch. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus' Name, Amen." – Dick Innes, Daily Encounter

TRUE RICHES     A tax assessor came one day to a poor minister of the gospel to determine the amount of taxes he would have to pay. “What do you possess?” he questioned.
     “Oh, I am very wealthy,” replied the minister. “List your possessions, please,” the assessor instructed.
     The man of God replied, “First, I have everlasting life—John 3:16. Second, I have a mansion in Heaven—John 14:2. Thirdly, I have peace that passeth understanding—Philippians 4:7. Fourth, I have joy unspeakable—1 Peter 1:8. Fifth, I have divine love that never faileth—1 Corinthians 13:8. Sixth, I have a faithful, pious wife—Proverbs 31:10. Seventh, I have healthy, happy, obedient children—Exodus 20:12. Eighth, I have true, loyal friends—Proverbs 18:24. Ninth, I have songs in the night—Psalm 42:8. Tenth, I have a crown of life awaiting—James 1:12.”
     The tax collector closed his book and said, “Truly, you are a very rich man, but your property is not subject to taxation.” – e-inspirational.blogspot.com

OFF KEY AND OUT OF TUNE     Today I turned on my computer and began to type. I had finished about two lines before I looked at the screen and saw a confusing jumble of letters. I had unknowingly placed my hands one key to the left of proper starting position. Therefore, each word I wrote made absolutely no sense.
     The same could happen if I played the piano and put my hands in the incorrect position. The mistake would be audible and detected quickly, but the short musical interlude would be miserable sounding.
     The same is true of my Christian walk. I may be off the "beaten path" a little; perhaps putting self first and exemplifying other characteristics which are not Christian. I would sound and look unappealing and make no sense as a Christian, even by being one step to the right or left of where I should be.
     I am thankful God wants to place me back where I need to be, in the proper position in His beautiful plan. I need to remember to "look" where I am and "listen" to how I sound. Am I glorifying God in my actions and words? This is my desire, and I am thankful God taps me lovingly on the hand when I am out of place. How about you?
…..Marion Smith (noles65@aol.com) by way of “Christian Voices” (www.ChristianVoicesWorldwide.com)

GOD ALWAYS HAS CONTROL     "But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive." - Genesis 50:20

     Joseph's jealous brothers sold their young brother into slavery.  Despite this evil deed, Joseph was, in time, led by the Lord to become prime minister of Egypt .  When his brothers came to Egypt to buy food for their families, Joseph revealed his identity to them and forgave them.  "You intended to harm me," he said to them, "but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives."

    Our God has laid out His plans, and we cannot alter them.  He foresees the schemes of evil people and He plans around them, turning evil into good.

    Peter proclaimed on Pentecost that Jesus, crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men, was delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God.  But God raised Him up, freeing Him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on Him!  (Read Acts 2:24) 

     Knowing the power God had then, and still has today, we can be certain that He is turning apparent evil into good also in our lives.  We can fully trust that God is in control ~ of this world and of our lives. 

     God has a plan for each of us!  May we seek His guidance in the unfolding of it, trusting in Him and following Him always. - jcshrimp1.com/insp/

I AM ONE

I am only one, But I am one;

I cannot do everything, But I can do something.

What I can do, I ought to do;

HE LIVES TODAY!      I remember the witness of Bishop Lajos Ordass of the Lutheran Church in Hungary to a small group gathered at the Lutheran World Federation assembly in Minneapolis in 1957. As bishop, he protested the Communist regime's confiscation of church schools and was imprisoned for twenty months. Later he was under arrest for six years. He was a tall stately man, and I can still see his ashen face as he quietly told his story.
     "They placed me in solitary confinement. It was a tiny cell, perhaps six feet by eight feet, with no windows, and soundproofed. They hoped to break down my resistance by isolating me from all sensory perceptions. They thought I was alone. They were wrong. The risen Christ was present in that room, and in communion with him I was able to prevail." – Andre Wyermann --James S. Hewett, Illustrations Unlimited (Wheaton: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc, 1988) p. 165. - http://e-inspirational.blogspot.com

GOD’S MORNIN’ IS COME     Pastor Cameron S. Smith tells a wonderful story. It is about the only white person in the state of Georgia buried in a cemetery reserved exclusively for African-Americans.

     This man had lost his mother when he was just a baby. His father, who never married again, hired a black woman named Mandy to help raise his son. She was a Christian woman who took her task seriously. Seldom has a motherless boy received such warmhearted attention. One of his earliest memories was of Mandy bending tenderly over him in his upstairs bedroom at the beginning of each day and softly saying, "Wake up--God's mornin' is come."

     As the years passed this devoted woman continued to serve as his surrogate mother. The young man went away to college, but when he would come home on holidays and in the summer, she would still climb the stairs and call him in the same loving way. "Wake up-God's mornin' is come."

     One day, after he had become a successful statesman, the sad message came: "Mandy is dead. Can you attend her funeral?" As he stood by her grave in the cemetery, he turned to his friends and said, "If I die before Jesus comes, I want to be buried right here beside Mandy. I like to think that on Resurrection Day she'll speak to me again and say, 'Wake up, my boy, God's mornin' is come!'"        …..By Rev. Guss Shelly, via Wit and Wisdom by way of Chaplains Notes (ChapnotesMail@aol.com) and “Christian Voices” (www.ChristianVoicesWorldwide.com)

THE BEAUTY OF CREATION     "In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth." - Genesis 1:1

     God made this world and filled it with all its riches.  He created us to live in this world and to discover, enjoy, and use its resources.

      "Bless the LORD, O my soul. O LORD my God, thou art very great; thou art clothed with honour and majesty.  Who coverest thyself with light as a garment;who stretchest out the heavens like a curtain." - Psalm 104:1, 2

      The beauty of the Lord is reflected in the skies.  The softness of a sunset hosts a gorgeous harmony of colors and the mighty architecture of clouds.  The enchanting hues of the sunset are given us by God for our enjoyment.

      "And God made two great lights; the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night: he made the stars also."

 - Colossians 1:16

      The beauty of the Lord is reflected in the skies.  He asks that His light also be reflected in our lives.  We are to shine daily before others in abundant deeds of love so that they, seeing our good works, will glorify our Father who is in heaven.

      "The same was in the beginning with God.  All things were made by him; and without him was not anything made that was made.  In him was life; and the life was the light of men." - John 1:2-4

      Every thing God does, He does for a purpose. It will endure forever.  All around us are things God, in His good pleasure, has given us.  We all just need to "Stop, and take time to smell the roses" He has given us to enjoy.  We should be standing in awe of God, and His power, beauty and wisdom.  He has placed such beauty here on this earth for us, out of an act of love.

     But His greatest act of love is not found in the stars or in a beautiful sunset, or in the lilies of the fields . . . but in the cross of Christ ~where salvation and eternal life awaits sinners on earth.

While the beauty of His creative world is awesome, one day it will pass away.  But His gift of Jesus and His forgiveness of sins will endure forever.

      May we all look around us today and absorb the beauty of God's wonderful creation. With a joyful heart, may we stand before Him in prayer, giving thanks for every thing ~ especially for our gift of salvation.

      "I asked God for all things that I might enjoy life.  He gave me life that I might enjoy all things."

   AND THIS IS LOVE…     "And this is love, that ye walk after his commandments.  This is the commandment, That, as ye have heard from the beginning, ye should walk in it." - 2 John 6
     The Bible, God's Word, is the most beautifully written love story you will ever read.  With sixty-six Books, beginning with Genesis and God's creation of the world, through Revelation and the rapture of His church, God shows His endless love for His children.  In First John alone, the word "love" appears 33 times!  This Book only contains five chapters ~ five wonderful chapters of God's unconditional love.
"For this message that ye heard from the beginning, that we should love one another."
     "And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might." - Deuteronomy 6:5  God is the absolute center of all that exists.  All nature and all created things revolve around Him.  He is also the center of all His people, who form a huge circle around Him.  His purpose is to draw them to Himself, their center, in eternal life.
"The Lord hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love; therefore with loving kindness have I drawn thee." - Jeremiah 31:3  "With loving kindness have I drawn thee" tells us that His love was first expressed in the kindness of our creation and continued care.  But it is most beautifully expressed in the kindness of our salvation.
     "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son,
that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." - John 3:16  So great is God's love for us that Jesus gave up His life for us on the cross.  What loving kindness was displayed ~ wonderful love indeed!  That love connection, by faith, brings response and change.  Those who have been touched by God's love in Christ are so moved that they no longer live for themselves,
but for Him!
     "Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us, and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.  Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another. No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us." – 1 John 4:10-13 - jcshrimp1.com/insp
     May we always walk in the Light of God's Love!

Psalms 33:12      Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD; and the people whom he hath chosen for his own inheritance.

In a world of mystery, it's a comfort to know
the God Who knows all things.

FRUITS OF COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT     For his first pastorate, Burkett Smith came to the Evangelical United Brethren church of Bear Lake . He discovered that the members had little concern for their neighbors in this dwindling western Pennsylvania town. Invited to serve as an honorary member of the Bear Lake Volunteer Fire Department, the new pastor accepted—and learned that not one of his church men was in the fire company.
     At the next church men’s meeting, Smith told the fellows they should be active in community affairs. For instance, why weren’t any of them members of the volunteer fire department? The young pastor’s words made sense to at least five men. Next time the fire company met, they were present for their first meeting.
     The following Sunday morning at Bear Lake E.U.B., as the service was about to begin, five men from the fire department who’d never before attended walked in. They filed straight down to the front row.
     That Sunday Burkett Smith preached on the Christian responsibility of parents. Next Sunday the five were back at church—this time with their families. And within the next few months, all five of the firemen became Christians, together with their wives.      —Joe Bayly, in Eternity (10-61); quoted in Men of Integrity, Vol. 4, no. 2, (March/April 2001). – e-inspirational.blogspot.com

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     You are a walking advertisement of your church and the Christ whom it proclaims.  You take the church of its four walls and make it live in the everyday affairs of life.  In fact what people think of your church, they think of you.

      Some have the idea that the pastor is the church.  It is true that the pastor often speaks for the church, declares what it stands for, and invites people into its fellowship.  It is his job to know the church’s business and to act in its behalf.  He is your representative, but he certainly is not your substitute.

     The preaching in the pulpit is fruitless unless it is reflected in the lives of members of the congregation.  Classroom teaching is ineffective unless it comes to life in the attitudes and behavior of the people.  Your church is measured not so much by what its leaders say as by what you do.  It is easy to make speeches and claims, but claims must be validated by the product.  You are your church’s product and the validation of its claims.  You are the means by which the good life advocated by the church is communicated to people.

     Your church professes a concern for people; you express that concern in the way you act toward others.  Your church tries to build up a Christian world; you validate these attempts by your conduct on the job or in your community.  Your church claims to have a gospel that will make people new, opening to them a more satisfying life; you are the demonstration of that claim.

     Your daily acts as a Christian preach more sermons, teach more people, and save more lives than the words that are spoken inside the four walls of your church building.  You are a cell of the living church.  Without you, the church has no life. – Baker Book House: Grand Rapids , Michigan – Church Bulletin Bits, 1976

THE MESSAGE OF MY MONEY     My money is really another pair of feet to walk today where Christ would walk if He were still on earth.

     My money is another pair of hands to heal and feed and bless the desperate families of the earth.

     My money is a prayer of intercession suddenly crossing time and space to help answer itself in one swift, unselfish gesture.

AMAZING GRACE         John Newton 's devout mother dedicated him to be a pastor at an early age. Sadly, she died when he was seven. At the age of eleven, after several years of schooling away from home, he went to sea with his captain father. He served in the British Navy but later deserted.

     John abandoned the faith taught by his mother and embarked on such a life of extreme debauchery that his friends questioned his sanity. He signed onto a slave ship and was soon the master of his own ship, dealing in the evil of bringing slaves from Africa to America . With a whip in one hand and a gun in the other, Newton --often given to drunkenness and lust –sank into the depths of sin. In 1748, at age twenty-three, he ran into a savage storm that threatened to sink his ship.

     Newton thought of himself, like Jonah, as the cause of the mountainous waves and raging wind. His close brush with death set him thinking about the true meaning of life. The Holy Spirit used the storm to convict him of his need for Christ. Sick of his pitiable condition and the filthy slave trade, he was led to leave it and ultimately go into the ministry.

     All through his life John Newton never ceased to marvel at the grace of God that transformed him so completely. While the pastor of a church, he wrote his spiritual autobiography in a song that God gave him from the dark night of his soul: "Amazing Grace." - Author unknown. Cited in Encounter Magazine.  Published by ACTS International ( Australia )  http://www.actsweb.org/au

UNKNOWN HEROES     Ilion Jones writes that "On the great biographer Ida M. Tarbell's 80th birthday, someone asked her to name the greatest persons she had ever met. She responded, 'The greatest persons I have ever met are those nobody knows anything about.'
     "Once the New York Times was asked to help a group of club women decide on the twelve greatest women in the United States . After due consideration, the editors replied, 'The twelve greatest women in the United States are women who have never been heard of outside of their own homes.'"
     Jones concludes, "I ask you, who was greater, Thomas A. Edison or his mother? When he was a young lad his teacher sent him home with a note which said, 'Your child is dumb. We can't do anything for him.' Mrs. Edison wrote back, 'You do not understand my boy. I will teach him myself'. And she did, with results that are well known. - Morning Glory, January 8, 1994 – A Dose of Inspiration

THE LOVE OF A MOTHER     Years ago, a young mother was making her way across the hills of South Wales , carrying her tiny baby in her arms, when she was overtaken by a blinding blizzard. She never reached her destination and when the blizzard had subsided her body was found by searchers beneath a mound of snow. But they discovered that before her death, she had taken off all her outer clothing and wrapped it about her baby. When they unwrapped the child, to their great surprise and joy, they found he was alive and well. She had mounded her body over his and given her life for her child, proving the depths of her mother love. Years later that child, David Lloyd George, grown to manhood, became prime minister of Great Britain , and, without doubt, one of England 's greatest statesman. - James S. Hewett, Illustrations Unlimited, Tyndale, 1972, p. 375 – A Dose of Inspiration

TAKE TIME:     To think.  It is the source of power.

To play.  It is the secret of perpetual youth.

To read.  It is the fountain of wisdom.

To pray.  It is the greatest power on earth.

To love and be loved.  It is a God-given privilege.

To be friendly.  It is the road to happiness. - Baker Book House: Grand Rapids , Michigan – Church Bulletin Bits, 1976

A MOTHER'S LAMENT
When my kids were small I often wished, I could find a magic key;
That would lock the whole world outside, I'd keep them all with me;
The old home they would never leave, I would shield them from all sin; 
Would be a joy to know, that all the kids were in.

It was when they were tiny tots, I knew that a day would dawn;
So I cherished every moment, of the years `til they were gone;
Of all the happy memories, there is one that makes me grin;
It's how I used to fuss and fret, `til all the kids were in.

I nursed them through mumps and measles, they caught everything from A to Z;
I patched up their bumps and bruises, just as calm as I could be;
Stayed by the bed the whole night through, refreshed the feverish skin; 
Someway it was a joy to know, that all the kids were in.

If they should be a little late, when they'd been out with a friend;
Why! I just knew they'd had a wreck, and life for them would end;
Then I would pace about the house, stub my toe and bump my shin;
Why! I just couldn't sleep a wink, `til all the kids were in.

Sometimes when they were home at night, each safe in their beds upstairs;
From jokes and laughs they'd settled down, and all had said their prayers;
Though my heart just filled with gladness, `twas the strangest thing that's been;
For then I couldn't sleep at all, cause all the kids were in.

When I get up to heaven, and behold that glorious place;
The home of my blessed Master, and meet Him face to face;
I will ask of Him a favor, "Please! Lord, I'll be lookin' fer my kin;
I'd like to wait down by the gate, `til all the kids are in."
- Martha Dean - Mother's Day 1959 – A Dose of Inspiration