Hello my friends! Beautiful weather here today and yesterday, seems all over - what a great blessing from God Who makes all things! Are you all having nice days too? Another blessing is that my dear husband is doing the dishes tonight, and I never asked him to! I don't want to talk about me so much - tell me about you! Little blessings from God to talk about is all good!
God sends us His message, but we must be willing to receive it and then live it.
Lord, when I yield to You, I become free and full of the richness of life.
S C R I P TURE F O R T H E D A Y
"By the tender mercy of our God, the dawn from on high will break upon
us, to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of
death, to guide our feet into the way of peace." ~Luke 1:78
M E D I T A T I O N F O R T H E D A Y
God can be our shield. Then no problems of the world can harm us.
Between us and all scorn and indignity from others is our trust in God,
like a shining shield. Nothing can then have the power to spoil our
inward peace. With this shield, we can attain this inward peace quickly,
in our surroundings as well as in our hearts. With this inward peace,
we do not need to resent the person who troubles us. Instead, we can
overcome the resentment in our own mind which may have been aroused by
that person.
P R A Y E R F O R T H E D A Y
I pray that I may strive for inward peace. I pray that I may not be
seriously upset, no matter what happens around me.
The Promise
This story tells of the man who set out to adopt a troubled teenage girl. One would question his logic. She was destructive, disobedient, and dishonest.
One day she came home from school and ransacked the house looking for money. By the time he arrived, she was gone and the house was in shambles.
Upon hearing of her actions, a friend urged him not to finalize the adoption. "You haven't completed the paperwork. You haven't signed any documents. Let her go."
His response was simply, "But I've already promised her that she would be my daughter."
God, too, has made a covenant to adopt his people. His covenant is not invalidated by our rebellion. It's one thing to love us when we are strong, obedient, and willing. But when we ransack his house and steal what is his? This is the test of love. And God passes the test; Despite our sin, in the face of our rebellion, He chose to adopt us.
- - -
Romans 5:8 - But God has shown us how much he loves us - it was while we were still sinners that Christ died for us!
Matthew 9:12-13 - (Jesus said) "People who are well do not need a doctor, but only those who are sick... I have not come to call respectable people, but outcasts."
Ephesians 1:5 - God had already decided that through Jesus Christ he would make us his sons...
A Great Calm
Bible reading: mark 4:35-41
Peace be still (verse 39)
Some years ago in a summer Bible conference in Ontario, Canada, a dreadful
storm arose. The thunder drowned out the program in progress. A howling wind
tore at the tent. Torrential rain made rivers of the aisles.
Amid understandable confusion, while the audience took refuge by standing on
the benches, a voice rang out. A tall, stately figure rose on the platform.
In her
organ like contralto, Madame Lillian Jones, famed Negro soloist, her voice
transcending the storm, sang; And there was a great calm.
And there was. Somehow the singing had a calming effect on young and old
alike
in that great tent.
This is what the Lord does for us in the storms of life: those sudden
squalls of sickness,
financial, strain, frayed nerves, personal relationships that go awry.
Like the disciples we might be fearful that our little boats will sink; that
the Lord has
somehow forgotten to be mindful of our needs. He is not asleep. He does
know. He
does care. He will say. "Peace, be still" when the storm is at its height.
Our voyage lies beyond the brink of many a threatening wave; The world looks
on
to see us sink, but Jesus lives to save. By James McFarlane
If I Had My Life To Live Over
by Erma Bombeck
(written after she found out she was dying from cancer).
I would have talked less and listened more.
I would have invited friends over to dinner even if the carpet was stained and the sofa faded.
I would have eaten the popcorn in the 'good' living room and worried much less about the dirt when someone wanted to light a fire in the fireplace.
I would have taken the time to listen to my grandfather ramble about his youth.
I would never have insisted the car windows be rolled up on a summer day because my hair had just been teased and sprayed.
I would have burned the pink candle sculpted like a rose before it melted in storage.
I would have sat on the lawn with my children and not worried about grass stains.
I would have cried and laughed less while watching television and more while watching life.
I would have shared more of the responsibility carried by my husband.
I would have gone to bed when I was sick instead of pretending the earth would go into a holding pattern if I weren't there for the day.
I would never have bought anything just because it was practical, wouldn't show soil or was guaranteed to last a lifetime.
Instead of wishing away nine months of pregnancy,I'd have cherished every moment and realized that the wonderment growing inside me was the only chance in life to assist God in a miracle.
When my kids kissed me impetuously, I would never have said, "Later. Now go get washed up for dinner."
There would have been more "I love you's".. more "I'm sorry's"
But mostly, given another shot at life, I would seize every minute...look at it and really see it... live it...and never give it back.
THE PERFECT MISTAKE
Author Unknown
My Mother's father worked as a carpenter. On this particular day, he
was building some crates for the clothes his church was sending to
orphanages in China. On his way home, he reached into his shirt pocket
to find his glasses, but they were gone. When he mentally replayed his
earlier actions, he realized what had happened; the glasses had
slipped out of his pocket unnoticed and fallen into one of the crates,
which he had nailed shut. His brand new glasses were heading for
China!
The Great Depression was at it's height and Grandpa had six children.
He had spent $20 for those glasses that very morning. He was upset by
the thought of having to buy another pair. "It's not fair," he told
God as he drove home in frustration. "I've been very faithful in
giving of my time and money to your work, and now this."
Months later, the director of the orphanage was on furlough in the
United States. He wanted to visit all the churches that supported him
in China, so he came to speak one Sunday at my grandfather' s small
church in Chicago. The missionary began by thanking the people for
their faithfulness in supporting the orphanage. "But most of all," he
said, "I must thank you for the glasses you sent last year. You see,
the Communists had just swept through the orphanage, destroying
everything, including my glasses. I was desperate. Even if I had the
money, there was simply no way of replacing those glasses. Along with
not being able to see well, I experienced headaches every day, so my
coworkers and I were much in prayer about this. Then your crates
arrived. When my staff removed the covers, they found a pair of
glasses lying on top.
The missionary paused long enough to let his words sink in. Then,
still gripped with the wonder of it all, he continued: "Folks, when I
tried on the glasses, it was as though they had been custom made just
for me! I want to thank you for being a part of that."
The people listened, happy for the miraculous glasses. But the
missionary surely must have confused their church with another, they
thought. There were no glasses on their list of items to be sent
overseas. But sitting quietly in the back, with tears streaming down
his face, an ordinary
carpenter realized the Master Carpenter had used him in an
extraordinary way.
There are times we want to blame God instead of thanking him! Perhaps
it is something we ought to try more often, "Thank you God for not
allowing my car to start this morning." He may have been saving your
life from a car accident. "Lord Jesus, thank you for letting me lose
my glasses; I'm sure they'll be put to good use or there is a lesson
to be learned."
Special Thoughts
Things turn out best for people who make the best of
the way things turn out.
A Good Heart Cannot Lie!
Honesty Is The Best Policy!
Knowledge Has Bitter Roots But Sweet Fruits!
One can't help many, but many can help one!
One Day Of Pleasure Is Worth Two Of Sorrow!
Time Cures All Things!
A smile is a curved line that sets things straight.
November 3 - Jesus Calling
Every time something thwarts your plans or desires, use that as a reminder to communicate with Me. This practice has several benefits. The first is obvious: Talking with Me blesses you and strengthens our relationship. Another benefit is that disappointments, instead of dragging you down, are transformed into opportunities for good. This transformation removes the sting from difficult circumstances, making it possible to be joyful in the midst of adversity.
Begin by practicing this discipline in all the little disappointments of daily life. It is often these minor setbacks that draw you away from My Presence.When you reframe setbacks as opportunities, you find that you gain much more than you have lost. It is only after much training that you can accept major losses in this positive way. But it is possible to attain the perspective of the apostle Paul, who wrote: Compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus, I consider everything I once treasured to be as insignificant as rubbish.
Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. —Colossians 4:2
But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ. —Philippians 3:7–8
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