Saturday's Positive Thread

gloriajean — Sat, 01 Dec 2012 06:07:12 GMT

In life it is those that persevere that will succeed. Lord, every day is a
fresh beginning.
With You, I will come closer to my goals each day if only I don't give up
and quit.

Scripture for the day:

"Rid yourselves, therefore, of all malice, and all guile, insincerity, envy,
and all slander. Like newborn infants, long for the pure, spiritual milk,
so that by it you may grow into salvation--if indeed you have tasted that
the Lord is good." ~1 Peter 2:1-3

Meditation for the day:

I can remember that in spiritual matters I am only an instrument. It is not
mine to decide how or when I am to act. God can plan all spiritual matters.
It is up to me to make myself fit to do God's work. All that hinders my
spiritual activity can be eliminated. I can depend on God for all the
strength I need to overcome those faults which are blocks. I can keep myself
fit, so that God can use me as a channel for God's spirit.

Prayer for the day:

I pray that my selfishness may not hinder my progress in spiritual matters.
I pray that I may be a good instrument for God to work with.

Hello my friends! Today I made some chicken soup, and froze most of it.
Linus made another turkey on the grill which turned out wonderfully moist
and delicious without any seasonings at all! We had Father Jerry over for
supper and so we served him a good turkey meal, and I gave him a container
of the chicken soup which he loves. Now I have another turkey carcass to
make more turkey soup - it's in the freezer to use whenever. So we had red
wine and a good turkey dinner with lots of fellowship - and jokes too!!!
He's a lot of fun and a very holy man!
Starting to wean Sammy off the steroids now - one ever other day - even
though he's on the other glucosamine now, he seemed a bit more sore today.
Time will tell. I hope he gets better and better - not worse again like
last time he got off the steroids. We are doing the best we can for him.
Praying for all your needs - thanks for your prayers for us. God bless
you!!!

THE OLD MAN AND THE SEA
Author Unknown
November 30, 2012

After a few of the usual Sunday evening hymns, the church's pastor once
again slowly stood up, walked over to the pulpit, and gave a very brief
introduction of his childhood friend. With that, an elderly man stepped up
to the pulpit to speak, "A father, his son, and a friend of his son were
sailing off the Pacific Coast," he began, "when a fast approaching storm
blocked any attempt to get back to shore. The waves were so high, that even
though the father was an experienced sailor, he could not keep the boat
upright, and the three were swept into the ocean."

The old man hesitated for a moment, making eye contact with two teenagers
who were, for the first time since the service began, looking somewhat
interested in his story. He continued, "Grabbing a rescue line, the father
had to make the most excruciating decision of his life....to which boy he
would throw the other end of the line. He only had seconds to make the
decision.

The father knew that his son was a Christian, and he also knew that his
son's friend was not. The agony of his decision could not be matched by the
torrent of waves. As the father yelled out, 'I love you, son!' he threw
the line to his son's friend. By the time he pulled the friend back to the
capsized boat, his son had disappeared beyond the raging swells into the
black of night. His body was never recovered."

By this time, the two teenagers were sitting straighter in the pew, waiting
for the next words to come out of the old man's mouth. "The father," he
continued, "knew his son would step into eternity with Jesus, and he could
not bear the thought of his son's friend stepping into an eternity without
Jesus. Therefore, he sacrificed his son. How great is the love of God that
He should do the same for us." With that, the old man turned and sat back
down in his chair as silence filled the room.

Within minutes after the service ended, the two teenagers were at the old
man's side. "That was a nice story," politely started one of the boys, "but
I don't think it was very realistic for a father to give up his son's life
in hopes that the other boy would become a Christian."

"Well, you've got a point there," the old man replied, glancing down at his
worn Bible. A big smile broadened his narrow face, and he once again looked
up at the boys and said, "It sure isn't very realistic, is it? But I'm
standing here today to tell you that THAT story gives me a glimpse of what
it must have been like for God to give up His Son for me."

"You see....I was that father, and your pastor was my son's friend."

SIX YEAR OLD'S PRAYER
Author Unknown

Last week I took my children to a restaurant. My six-year-old son had
asked if he could say grace. As we bowed our heads he said, "God is
good. God is great. Thank you for the food, and I would even thank you
more if Mom gets us ice cream for dessert. And Liberty and justice for
all, amen."

Along with the laughter from the other customers nearby, I heard a
woman remark, "That's what's wrong with this country. Kids today don't
even know how to pray. Asking God for ice-cream. Why, I never."

Hearing this, my son burst into tears and asked me, "Did I do it
wrong? Is God mad at me?"

As I held him and assured him that he had done a terrific job and God
was certainly not mad at him.

An elderly gentleman approached the table. He winked at my son and
said, "I happen to know that God thought that was a great prayer."

"Really?", my son asked. Then in a theatrical whisper he added
(indicating the woman whose remark had started this whole thing), "Too
bad she never asks God for ice cream. A little ice cream is good for
the soul sometimes."

Naturally, I bought my kids ice cream at the end of the meal. My son
stared at his for a moment and then did something I will remember the
rest of my life.

He picked up his sundae and without a word walked over and placed it
in front of the woman. With a big smile he told her, "Here, this is
for you. Ice cream is good for the soul sometimes, and my soul is good
already."

Big Rocks

A while back I was reading about an expert on subject of time management.
One day this expert was speaking to a group of business students and, to
drive home a point, used an illustration I'm sure those students will ever
forget. After I share it with you, you'll never forget it either.

As this man stood in front of the group of high-powered overachievers he
said, "Okay, time for a quiz." Then he pulled out a one-gallon, wide-mouthed
mason jar and set it on a table in front of him. Then he produced about a
dozen fist-sized rocks and carefully placed them, one at a time, into the
jar. When the jar was filled to the top and no more rocks would fit inside,
he asked, "Is this jar full?" Everyone in the class said, "Yes." Then he
said, "Really?" He reached under the table and pulled out a bucket of
gravel. Then he dumped some gravel in and shook the jar causing pieces of
gravel to work themselves down into the spaces between the big rocks. Then
he smiled and asked the group once more, "Is the jar full?" By this time the
class was onto him. "Probably not," one of them answered. "Good!" he
replied. And he reached under the table and brought out a bucket of sand. He
started dumping the sand in and it went into all the spaces left between the
rocks and the gravel. Once more he asked the question, "Is this jar full?"
"No!" the class shouted. Once again he said, "Good!" Then he grabbed a
pitcher of water and began to pour it in until the jar was filled to the
brim. Then he looked up at the class and asked, "What is the point of this
illustration?" One eager beaver raised his hand and said, "The point is, no
matter how full your schedule is, if you try really hard, you can always fit
some more things into it!" "No," the speaker replied, "that's not the point.
The truth this illustration teaches us is: If you don't put the big rocks in
first, you'll never get them in at all." The title of this letter is The
"Big Rocks" of Life. What are the big rocks in your life? A project that YOU
want to accomplish? Time with your loved ones? Your faith, your education,
your finances? A cause? Teaching or mentoring others? Remember to put these
BIG ROCKS in first or you'll never get them in at all.

Change Your Life by Fasting

Fast from SELF PITY,
and FEAST ON JOY!!
Fast from RESENTMENT,
and FEAST ON CONTENTMENT!!
Fast from JEALOUSY,
and FEAST ON LOVE!!
Fast from PRIDE,
and FEAST ON HUMILITY!!
Fast from SELFISHNESS,
and FEAST ON SERVICE!!
Fast from FEAR,
and FEAST ON FAITH!!
ISAIAH 58:6-8;
JOEL 2:12-17

REMEMBER WHAT THIS SAYS!

~No man/woman is worth your tears, and the only one who is, will never
make you cry.

~If you love someone, put their name in a circle, instead of a heart,
because hearts can break, but circles go on forever.

~Everyone hears what you say. Friends listen to what you say.
Best friends listen to what you don't say.

~If all my friends were to jump off a bridge, I wouldn't jump with
them, I'd be at the bottom to catch them.

~"Don't frown, because you never know who's falling in love with your
smile!"

~"If you judge people, you have no time to love them" ~Mother Teresa

~"Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a harder battle." ~Plato

~It takes a minute to have a crush on someone, an hour to like someone
and a day to love someone- but it takes a lifetime to forget
someone."

~"Enthusiasm is contagious. You could start an epidemic!"

~"Yesterday is the past, tomorrow is the future.
Today is a gift that is why we call it the present."

FORREST GUMP
Author Unknown

Forrest Gump dies and goes to Heaven. He is met at the Pearly Gate by
St. Peter himself. The gates are closed, however, and Forrest
approaches the gatekeeper. St. Peter says "Well, Forrest, it's
certainly good to see you. We have heard so many good things about
you. I must inform you that the
place is filling up fast, and we've been giving an entrance quiz for
everyone. The tests are short, but you need to pass before you can get
into Heaven.

Forrest responds "It sure is good to be here, St. Peter. I was
looking forward to this. Nobody ever told me about any entrance exam.
Sure hope the test ain't too hard; Life was a big enough test as it
was.

St. Peter goes on, "I know, Forrest, but the test is only three
questions:
1. What days of the week begin with the letter T? --
2. How many seconds are there in a year?
3. What is God's first name?"

Forrest goes away to think the questions over. He returns the next
day and goes up to St.. Peter to try to answer the exam questions.

St. Peter waves him up and says, "Now that you have had a chance to
think the questions over, tell me your answers".

Forrest says, "Well, the first one how many days of the week begin
with the letter "T?" "Shucks, that one's easy. That'd be Today and
Tomorrow."

The Saint's eyes open wide and he exclaims "Forrest! That's not what
I was thinking, but...you do have a point though, and I guess I didn't
specify, so I will give you credit for that answer." "How about the
next one?" "How many seconds in a year?"

"Now that one's harder" says Forrest, "but I thought and thought about
that and I guess the only answer can be twelve." Astounded, St. Peter
says "Twelve! Twelve! Forrest, how in Heaven's name could you come up
with twelve seconds in a year?"

Forest says "Aw, come on, St Peter, there's gotta be twelve, January
second, February second, March second. . "

"Hold it" interrupts St. Peter. "I see where you're going with it. I
guess I see your point, though that wasn't quite what I had in mind,
but I'll give you credit for that one too. Let's go on with the next
and final question. Can you tell me God's first name?"

Forrest replied, "Andy."

When St. Peter asked how in the world he came up with the name Andy.

Forrest replied, "You know, St. Peter, that song we sing in church:
"Andy walks with me, Andy talks with me."

The lesson: THERE IS ALWAYS ANOTHER POINT OF VIEW, and just because
another person doesn't see things the same way or understand the same
way that you do, does not mean that it's wrong.

Don’t Quit

When things go wrong, as they sometimes will,
When the road you're trudging seems all uphill,
When the funds are low and the debts are high,
And you want to smile, but you have to sigh,
When care is pressing you down a bit-
Rest if you must, but don't you quit.

Life is qu eer with its twists and turns,

As every one of us sometimes learns,
And many a fellow turns about
When he might have won had he stuck it out.
Don't give up though the pace seems slow -
You may succeed with another blow.

Often the goal is nearer than
It seems to a faint and faltering man;
Often the struggler has given up
When he might have captured the victor's cup;
And he learned too late when the night came down,
How close he was to the golden crown.

Success is failure turned inside out -
The silver tint in the clouds of doubt,
And you never can tell how close you are,
It might be near when it seems afar;
So stick to the fight when you're hardest hit -
It's when things seem worst that you must not quit.

Author Unknown
Dialogue with Christ: Lord Jesus, you have called me and continue to call me
throughout this day. Help me to respond with love, a love that trumps all my
other loves, likes and desires. I don’t want you to have to wait for me,
Lord. Just show me what you want and give me the courage and generosity to
give it to you, no matter the cost.

Resolution:I will give up something today that diminishes the attention that
I give to my spouse, family or friends.

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Saturday's Positive Thread