Just sharing.

Did You Know


Did you know….

If you have never experienced the danger of battle, the loneliness of imprisonment, agony of torture, or the pangs of starvation…you are ahead of 500 million people in the world.

If you can attend a church meeting without fear of harassment, arrest, torture or death…you are fortunate, more than three billion people in the world can’t.

If you have food in the refrigerator, clothes on your back, a roof overhead and a place to sleep…you are richer than 75% of this world.

If you can read this you are more blessed than over two billion people in the world that cannot read at all?

A great reminder of how blessed many of us are and how we are to be thankful to our gracious and loving God.

Dime Store Stuff


The cheerful girl with bouncy golden curls was almost five. Waiting with her mother at the checkout stand, she saw them: a circle of glistening white pearls in a pink foil box. "Oh please, Mommy. Can I have them? Please, Mommy, please?"

Quickly the mother checked the back of the little foil box and then looked back into the pleading blue eyes of her little girl's upturned face. "A dollar ninety-five. That's almost $2.00. If you really want them, I'll think of some extra chores for you and in no time you can save enough money to buy them for you. Your birthday's only a week away and you might get another crisp dollar bill from Grandma."

As soon as Jenny got home, she emptied her penny bank and counted out 17 pennies. After dinner, she did more than her share of chores, and she went to the neighbor and asked Mrs. McJames if she could pick dandelions for ten cents.

On her birthday, Grandma did give her another new dollar bill, and at last she had enough money to buy the necklace.

Jenny loved her pearls. They made her feel dressed up and grown up. She wore them everywhere-Sunday school, kindergarten, even to bed. The only time she took them off was when she went swimming or had a bubble bath. Mother said if they got wet, they might turn her neck green.

Jenny had a very loving daddy, and every night when she was ready for bed, he would stop whatever he was doing and come upstairs to read her a story. One night when he finished the story, he asked Jenny, "Do you love me?"

"Oh yes, Daddy. You know that I love you."

"Then give me your pearls."

"Oh, Daddy, not my pearls. But you can have Princess - the white horse from my collection. The one with the pink tail. Remember, Daddy? The one you gave me. She's my favorite."

"That's okay, Honey. Daddy loves you. Good night." And he brushed her cheek with a kiss.

About a week later, after the story time, Jenny's daddy asked again, "Do you love me?"

"Daddy, you know I love you."

"Then give me your pearls."

"Oh Daddy, not my pearls. But you can have my baby doll. The brand new one I got for my birthday. She is so beautiful and you can have the yellow blanket that matches her sleeper."

"That's okay. Sleep well. God bless you, little one. Daddy loves you," And as always, he brushed her cheek with a gentle kiss.

A few nights later when her daddy came in, Jenny was sitting on her bed with her legs crossed Indian-style. As he came close, he noticed her chin was trembling, and one silent tear rolled down her cheek. What is it, Jenny? What's the matter?"

Jenny didn't say anything but lifted her little hand up to her Daddy. And when she opened it, there was her little pearl necklace. With a little quiver, she finally said, "Here, Daddy. It's for you."

With tears gathering in his own eyes, Jenny's kind daddy reached out with one hand to take the dime-store necklace, and with the other hand he reached into his pocket and pulled out a blue velvet case with a strand of genuine pearls and gave them to Jenny. He had them all the time. He was just waiting for her to give up the dime-store stuff so he could give her genuine treasure.

Jenny's father is like our heavenly Father. He also is waiting for us to give up our dime store stuff and seek Him first ... so He can fling open the windows of Heaven and pour us out such a blessing that we will not have room enough to hold it.

What are you hanging on to?

Directions to His House


Follow These Directions To His House. They Couldn't B Better!

Make a right turn onto "Believers Boulevard" keep straight and go on through the light (its always green) that is Jesus Christ.

From there, you must turn onto the "Bridge of Faith," which is over troubled water.

When you get off the bridge make that right turn and keep straight. You are now on the "King's Highway" keep going, you'll pass three markers, one is for the Father, one is for the Son and one is for the Holy Spirit.

Exit off onto "Grace Boulevard" make a right turn onto "Fellowship Lane" keep straight until you get to "Prayer Boulevard," make another right turn, as you go on your way.

Yield not to the traffic on "Temptation Avenue" don't take that shortcut down "Sin Street" because it is a dead end! Bypass "Envy Drive" "Backbiting Boulevard" and "Have Avenue."

You'll only waste precioius time. Don't get lost on "Hypocrisy Street" or "Abuse Avenue" that's a bad neighborhood. But most likely you will have to travel "Long-suffering Lane," "Persecution Plaza" and Trials and Tribulations Road," they are available, but stay on couse, because VICTORY BOULEVARD is straight ahead.

Divine


Starry skies and warm summer nights. I look up and see the divine universe that God has made for us. With out a doubt in my mind, I know that God had a watchful eye on my. I lower my head and fold my hands in prayer and thank him for what he has done for me. I am lucky to have the life I do, and the faith he has given me.

Slowly I open my eyes and behold the world with new light, each time. Clouds move under a light breeze and reveal the face of the moon staring at the world and that's when I know. God. the God is with me. My eyes start to tear, and I once again pray and am thankful for the majestic beauty of the heavens and the earth.

Don't Whine

Today, upon a bus, I saw a lovely girl with golden hair,
Envied her, she seemed so gay, and wished I were so fair.
When suddenly she rose to leave, I saw her hobble down the aisle;
She had one leg, and wore a crutch; and as she passed -- a smile.

Oh God, forgive me when I whine
I have two legs. The world is mine.
And then I stopped to buy some sweets.
The lad who sold them had such charm,
I talked with him -- he seemed so glad -- if I were late 'twould do no harm

And as I left he said to me: "I thank you. You have been so kind.
It's nice to talk with folks like you.
"You see," he said, "I'm blind."
Oh God, forgive me when I whine
I have two eyes. The world is mine.

Later, walking down the street, I saw a child with eyes of blue,
He stood and watched the others play, it seemed he knew not what to do.
I stopped a moment, then I said: "Why don't you
join the others, dear?"
He looked ahead without a word, and then I knew
-- he could not hear.
Oh God, forgive me when I whine
I have two ears. The world is mine.

With legs to take me where I'd go --
With eyes to see the sunset's glow --
With ears to hear what I would know --
Oh God, forgive me when I whine
I'm blessed indeed. The world is mine.
RUBBER CITY PRINTERY, INC.

When you feel down and depressed and think God has given you too many troubles. Why not try to think about the things you do have. Just this one little idea can turn your whole outlook on life for the better.

Each Step Toward Heaven


Each step I take toward Heaven,
seems to be a larger one;
but I know I can make it,
with the help of Christ, God's Son.

The reason He was placed on Earth,
and why He died for me;
now in my heart and in my soul,
His sacrifice I see.

And though sometimes I stumble,
and it hurts when I do fall;
I know if I continue,
at the end, it's worth it all.

For I will then feel no more pain,
not one tear will I cry;
for God has told me in His Word,
that all my tears He'll dry.

And this I am believing,
not one doubt in my mind;
and if you will look closely,
in my heart, it's Christ you'll find.

Yes, sometimes I slip backward,
and Christ seems a mile away;
but He is right beside me,
if I bow my head and pray.

Now are you headed upward?
If not stand on your knees,
bow your head and call Christ's name;
and He will hear your pleas

Elijah


Four hundred fifty prophets
of Ba'al were gathered round
Elijah, that stood for God
Came together in a town

Elijah simply asked them
How long before you decide
Between your two opinions
Which do you choose? None replied

Because you number many
And I, for God, am just one
You supply the bullocks
Their lesson had just begun

They dressed them for the alter
With no fire underneath
Wiped the blood from off the knives
Set them back into their sheath

And now Elijah told them
Pray to your god, and I mine
One who answers by fire
Will be God whom reigns divine

Ba'al's prophets they were first
From sun up until sun down
They prayed and leapt and hollered
But no answer, brought a frown

Elijah with a smile
As he sat and mocked them all
Cry louder he don't hear you
Does he not answer your call?

Elijah fixed the alter
Used a symbol for twelve tribes
With the twelve stones that he used
Israel what it describes

He put all wood in order
Made a trench there round-a-bout
They filled it up with water
Even though there was a drought

Now everything was soaking
Sacrifice and wood and all
Then he called upon the Lord
Fire from Heaven did fall

It consumed even the dust
Sacrifice, water and wood
They all fell to their faces
Not one had misunderstood

That there be only one God
Not another that compares
And HE will always listen
When His will is in our prayers.

1Kings 18:21-40

Emergency Phone Numbers


When in sorrow, call John 14

When men fail you, call Psalm 27

If you want to be fruitful, call John 15

When you have sinned, call Psalm 51

When you are in danger, call Psalm 91

When you worry, call Matthew 6:19-34

When God seems far away, call Psalm 139

When your faith needs stirring, call Hebrews 11

When you are lonely and fearful, call Psalm 23

When you grow bitter and critical, call 1 Cor. 13

For Paul's secret to happiness, call Col. 3:12-17

When you feel down and out, call Romans 8:31-39

When you leave home for labor or travel, call Psalm 121

When your prayers grow narrow or selfish, call Psalm 67

For a great invention/opportunity, call Isaiah 55

When you want courage for a task, call Joshua 1

How to get along with fellowmen, call Romans 12

When you think of investments/returns, call Mark 10

If you are depressed, call Psalm 37

If your pocketbook is empty, call Psalm 37

If you are losing confidence in people, call 1 Cor. 13

If people seem unkind, call John 15

If discouraged about your work, call Psalm 126

If you find the world growing small, and yourself great, call Psalm 19

Emergency numbers maybe dialed direct. No operator assistance is necessary. All lines are open to Heaven 24 Hours a Day!!! Feed Your Faith and Doubt will starve to death!!

"When all else fails, read the bible!"

Even A Sparrow


I may not be the most important bird.
Not a mountain-top dwelling Moses-eagle,
Or a bold, aggressive Joshua-falcon taking cities.

My wings don't dance to music of my own making like the David-hummingbird.

I don't have the Solomon-peacock's wealth or splendid plumage.

No one ever called me a resourceful Ruth-robin.

Nor a Paul-pelican fisher of men.

I can't claim to be the pure, beautiful Mary-swan,
Nor the passionate, devoted Magdeline-nightingale.

I've not attained the perfection of the Jesus-dove,
But God has counted my every feather-hair and knows me by name.

I may not have the glory of other birds,
But He loves me enough to be the wind beneath my wings!

He is a shield to all.

In God's kingdom even a lowly sparrow can fly,
Even a sparrow has worth,
Even a sparrow is precious in his sight

Free


On his way to church, a scholar was surprised to see a man in tattered clothes and barefoot. Nevertheless, as a good Christian, he greeted the poor man: "May God give you a good morning!"

The poor man replied cheerfully, "I have never yet had a bad morning."

"Then may God give you good luck!"

"I have never yet had bad luck."

"Well, may God give you happiness!"

"I have never yet been unhappy.."

The scholar then asked the man, "Could you you please explain yourself to me? I do not understand."

And the poor man replied, "With pleasure! You wish me a good morning, yet I have never had a bad morning. For when I am hungry, I praise God; when I feel cold, or when it is raining or snowing, I praise God; and that is why I have never had a bad morning.

"You wish that God may give me luck. However, I have never had bad luck. This is because I live with God and always feel what he does for me is the best. Whatever God sends me, be it pleasant or unpleasant, I accept with a grateful heart. That is why I have never had bad luck.

"Finally, you wish that God should make me happy. But I have never been unhappy. For all I desire is to follow God's will; I have surrendered my will so totally to God's will that, whatever God wants, that is what I also want.

"That is why I have never been unhappy."



On his way to church, a scholar was surprised to see a man in tattered clothes and barefoot. Nevertheless, as a good Christian, he greeted the poor man: "May God give you a good morning!"

The poor man replied cheerfully, "I have never yet had a bad morning."

"Then may God give you good luck!"

"I have never yet had bad luck."

"Well, may God give you happiness!"

"I have never yet been unhappy.."

The scholar then asked the man, "Could you you please explain yourself to me? I do not understand."

And the poor man replied, "With pleasure! You wish me a good morning, yet I have never had a bad morning. For when I am hungry, I praise God; when I feel cold, or when it is raining or snowing, I praise God; and that is why I have never had a bad morning.

"You wish that God may give me luck. However, I have never had bad luck. This is because I live with God and always feel what he does for me is the best. Whatever God sends me, be it pleasant or unpleasant, I accept with a grateful heart. That is why I have never had bad luck.

"Finally, you wish that God should make me happy. But I have never been unhappy. For all I desire is to follow God's will; I have surrendered my will so totally to God's will that, whatever God wants, that is what I also want.

"That is why I have never been unhappy."



On his way to church, a scholar was surprised to see a man in tattered clothes and barefoot. Nevertheless, as a good Christian, he greeted the poor man: "May God give you a good morning!"

The poor man replied cheerfully, "I have never yet had a bad morning."

"Then may God give you good luck!"

"I have never yet had bad luck."

"Well, may God give you happiness!"

"I have never yet been unhappy.."

The scholar then asked the man, "Could you you please explain yourself to me? I do not understand."

And the poor man replied, "With pleasure! You wish me a good morning, yet I have never had a bad morning. For when I am hungry, I praise God; when I feel cold, or when it is raining or snowing, I praise God; and that is why I have never had a bad morning.

"You wish that God may give me luck. However, I have never had bad luck. This is because I live with God and always feel what he does for me is the best. Whatever God sends me, be it pleasant or unpleasant, I accept with a grateful heart. That is why I have never had bad luck.

"Finally, you wish that God should make me happy. But I have never been unhappy. For all I desire is to follow God's will; I have surrendered my will so totally to God's will that, whatever God wants, that is what I also want.

"That is why I have never been unhappy."

A Gentle Thunder


Once there was a man who dared God to speak.

"Burn the bush like you did for Moses, God and I will follow.
Collapse the walls like you did for Joshua, God and I will fight.
Still the waves like you did on Galilee, God and I will listen."

And so the man went and sat by a bush, near a wall close to the sea and waited for God to speak.

And God heard the man , So God answered.
He sent fire, not for the bush, but for a church.
He brought down a wall, not of brick, but of sin.
He stilled a storm, not of the sea, but of a soul.

And God waited for the man to respond.
And he waited ...
And waited ...
And waited...

But because the man was looking at bushes, not hearts; bricks, not lives; seas and not souls, he decided that God had done nothing.

Finally he looked at God and asked, "Have you lost your power?"
And God looked at him and said, "Have you lost your hearing?"

Transformed!

For reading & meditation - Psalms 32

"Blessed is he whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered." (v. 1)

We come now to speak of all those who have been broken, or are on the verge of being broken, by the memory of some deeply grievous sin.

I am not thinking so much of those who have committed sin and have not come to Christ for forgiveness, but of those who, though they have been forgiven by God, are unable to forgive themselves. A man came to me recently at the end of a meeting at which I had spoken, and told me the details of a particularly horrendous sin in which he had been involved.

He said, "I know God has forgiven me, but the memory of what I have done is constantly with me. It is quietly driving me insane." This brought to mind a story I heard many years ago of a father who taught his son to drive a nail into a board every time he did something wrong, and then to pull out the nail after he had confessed the wrong and had been forgiven.

Every time this happened, the boy would say triumphantly, "Hurray! The nails are gone!" "Yes," his father would say, "but always remember that the marks made by the nails are still in the wood."

The message I want you to get hold of and build into your life is this: the Carpenter of Nazareth can not only pull out the nails, but can also varnish and beautify the wood so that the marks become, not a contradiction, but a contribution.

Prayer:
Lord Jesus Christ, You who once were known as a carpenter's son, take the stains and blemishes of my past and work through them so that they contribute, rather than contradict. For Your own dear Name's sake. Amen.

Surrounded by Gifts

No one listening to Sarah complain would have guessed that every day she was the recipient of more gifts than she could count. When she opened her eyes in the morning, there were always a pile of gifts sitting by her bed. All day long, in fact, she received one gift after another.

Yet strangely enough, Sarah took most of the gifts for granted. The only time she really thought about the gifts was when one didn’t arrive…or when a friend got a gift that seemed better than hers.

On one particular afternoon, Sarah was feeling especially blue. A gift she’d been longing to have for a long time still hadn’t arrived. She was surrounded by all the other gifts that had arrived—yet Sarah wasn’t enjoying them. Instead, she was bemoaning the absence of the one gift she longed for.

Sarah had good reasons to want the gift too. Couldn’t she serve the king—the giver of the gifts—much better if she had that gift? Wasn’t it a good gift she longed for? Indeed, it was! Yet why, then, did it not come?

“Why so downcast, Sarah?” the question came from Sarah’s sister, Mary.

“That gift I’ve been wanting still isn’t here,” Sarah pouted.

Mary paused before replying, weighing her words carefully. “Sarah, do you trust the king?”

The question startled Sarah a little. Of course she trusted the king! Why the king had rescued her from prison. She’d vowed to serve Him with everything within her.

“Of course,” she replied.

“And did you not tell him your life belonged to him?”

Sarah nodded, and Mary continued.

“Then you’ve no cause to complain about the gifts.”

Sarah knew her sister was right. What a fool she’d been! What did it matter if that gift arrived anyway? If she needed this gift to complete the tasks the king had for her, he would send it. If not, then he must have something else for her to do. Either way, though, she’d been missing out on the joy of serving the king and giving thanks for the gifts she had been given.

Sarah gave her sister a hug, and scampered out of the room with a light heart again. She was surrounded by gifts—and it was time to start living like it.

“Thus saith God the Lord, he that created the heavens, and stretched them out; he that spread forth the earth, and that which cometh out of it; he that giveth breath unto the people upon it, and spirit to them that walk therein:” Isaiah 42:5

“And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful.” Colossians 3:15

Get Ready


What a day that will be.
When my Jesus I shall see.
He will take me by the hand
And lead me to the promise land.

When I look upon his face
It shines with his amazing grace.
God is King, who makes our hearts ring!
Please don't wait tomorrow may be too late!

Accept him today
This is my plead..
So please don't stray.
For God said he come back to raptured his saints away..
For this is what the Bible says:

If you believe in your heart and confess with your mouth

that Jesus Christ died and rose from the dead you shall be saved!

Thanks to a Moviefoot review, I went to see “Bridge of Spies”.
It started out slow just as you described.

The intensity mounted in
such small increments that you never saw it coming. It was a mental
movie that had to be chewed, swallowed and digested to appreciate
the different messages.

I saw a few things that greatly impressed
me to the 10th power), which is a superior rating. Although I will
describe what I mean below, I have to say that if an individual is
only into action movies with many moving parts, this is definitely
not the movie for them.

Towards the beginning of the picture, you see the captured spy
talking to Tom Hanks. The spy asks Tom a simple question:
“Are you good at what you do.”

Tom simply says: “Yes, I am.”
Tom was not flamboyant with his response. He did not say you
can check my credentials with every law firm the U.S.
He did not become indignant that a prisoner would dare to pose
the question.

He simply answered from what was in his heart.
I have learned over the course of many years that if you are good
at what you do, a short response will suffice and in time, your
work will definitely speak for itself.

I appreciate the illustration the prisoner used to describe Tom
Hanks as the “Tall Man Standing”. The prisoner said when he was
a child that he saw a man physically knocked down many times
by some security force and each time he stood back up.

They kept knocking him down harder, but he got back up. Finally,
the security force gave up because they knew the man’s spirit
could not be defeated.

Isn’t that what our spiritual walk is about?
It’s the fact that although you do everything to destroy the outer
man, the inner man will continue to stand in the Grace of God.


Finally, I liked the negotiation skills of Tom with the release of
two prisoners for the “price of one”. With all odds against him,
he still tried to make a difference in the lives of as many people
as he could. The Bible says “we have not because we ask not”.
What if Tom had not asked?

What would have been the fate
of the young student… maybe death? The end of the story goes
on to tell us what great things the student went on to do.

It was all because someone (like Tom) stopped to care.
It reminds you of the story in the Bible about the man that was
robbed and 2 people passed him by because they did not want
to get involved.

However, the story does not end there
because God still places people here and there that do care for
the downtrodden.

The downtrodden are not just those without
financial means. They could be the discouraged, the lonely,
even a Christian that feels like giving up.

Giving Thanks


Thank you Lord for the sky that's blue
and the sun so bright.
Thank you Lord for providing for me
a loving home and family.
Thank you Lord for the helping hands
of friends and volunteers throughout the lands.
Thank you Lord for listening ear
and the joy of knowing you are near.
Thank you Lord for giving to us
your words of wisdom, guidance, and the path
leading to happiness.

So as Thanksgiving Day draws near
and we sit at our table with those so dear
PLEASE don't forget to invite our Heavenly
Host for he is the one we give thanks to most.

God Works In The Ordinary


He [God] Himself has said, "I will never desert you, nor will I ever forsake you" (Hebrews 13:5).

A devout Christian heard an urgent news report on his radio that a flash flood was within minutes of entering the peaceful valley where he lived. Immediately he went to his knees and prayed for safety. The words were still on his lips when he became aware that water was gushing under his door. He retreated to the second floor and finally onto the roof of his house.

While he sat on the roof, a helicopter flew by and the pilot asked over the loudspeaker if they could lift him off. "It's not necessary since I have the Lord's protection," he replied.

Moments later the house began to break up and he found himself clinging to a tree. A police boat, braving the waters, approached him for rescue, but he assured them that the Lord would save him.

Finally, the tree gave way and the man went to his death.

Standing before the Lord, he asked, "Lord, I'm glad to be here, but why didn't You answer my prayer for safety?"

The Lord responded, "Son, I told you over the radio to get out of there Then I sent you a helicopter and a motor boat!"

Nowhere in the Bible are we given the idea that God works only in the extraordinary. Much of the time He supernaturally works through His created order. Many people think God is present only when there is a miracle and that He leads only through signs and wonders.

There are people who always look for a sign. They walk by sight, not by faith. To them, God is only present in the miraculous. God was "really" at the church service if something unusual happened. Many desire and look for "visitations" from God.

But how does that square with God's omnipresence and the fact that He will never leave us or forsake us? Isn't God at every church service? Since God created the fixed order of the universe, would you expect Him to work primarily within that fixed order or outside of it? If God gave us a watch, would we be honoring Him more by asking Him what time it is or by simply consulting the watch?

God Is Totally There


Where is He?
Where is He now?
Is He next to you or next to me?
I can't seem to find Him, but I know he's out there.

Why can't I hear Him or why can't I see Him?
Why does He hide?
I feel so alone.
People tell me that God is totally with me.

If that is true does He follow me?
Is He with me everywhere I go?
When I ask those questions people still tell me
God is totally there with me.

I believe them.
I believe God is totally with me.
He does follow me.
He is with me everywhere I go.

When people ask me the questions
I once asked others...
I just say GOD IS TOTALLY THERE.
He's with you and me!

God's Automated Voice Mail System


I have learned to live with modern phone technologies as a necessary part of modernization. But I have often wondered, "What if God decided to install automated voice mail system?"

Imagine praying and hearing this: "Thank you for calling My Father's House. Please select one of the following four options: Press 1 for requests. Press 2 for thanksgiving. Press 3 for complaints. For all other inquiries, press 4."

What if God used the familiar excuse: "All the angels are helping other customers right now. Please stay on the line. Your call will be answered in the order it was received."

Can you imagine getting these kinds of responses as you call on God in prayer?

"If you'd like to speak with Gabriel, press 1. For Michael, press 2. For any other angel, press 3."

"If you'd like King David to sing a psalm for you, press 6."

"To find out if your relative is here, enter his/her date of death and listen for the list that follows."

"For reservations at My Father's House, simply press the letters J-O-H-N, followed by the numbers 3-1-6."

For answers to nagging questions about dinosaurs, the age of the earth, and where Noah's ark is, wait till you get here!"

"Our computers show that you have called once today already. Please hang up immediately."

"This office is closed for the week-end. Please call again Monday,"

Thank God, you can't call Him too often! You only need to ring once, and God the Father hears you. Because of Jesus, you never get a busy signal.

God takes each call and knows each caller personally.

Then you will call and the Lord will answer; you will cry for help, and He will say: "Here am I." (Isaiah 58:9 NIV)

Always give thanks.