Hello my friends!! Angie left this morning - I made waffles and Linus made sausage on the grill and after a little while she left - saying she had a great time here with us, as we always do with her. She plans on coming again next July! She comes when the raspberries ripen and we can enjoy them. Lori came over tonight and we went through pictures and she picked out some that she wants to use that day. It was kind of fun! Praying for all of you, especially for Bobbiesue, Felicia and shorelady - and all who need our prayers.
They are wise who depend on God. Lord, Your perfect law revives my soul.
Keeping Your law makes me rich.
S C R I P T U R E F O R T H E D A Y
"No one after lighting a lamp hides it under a jar, or puts it under a
bed, but puts it on a lamp stand, so that those who enter may see the
light." ~Luke 8:16
M E D I T A T I O N F O R T H E D A Y
"No one after lighting a lamp hides it under a jar, or puts it under a
bed, but puts it on a lamp stand, so that those who enter may see the
light." The glory of the Lord shines in the beauty of our character. It
is risen in us, even though we can realize it only in part. "Now you
see as in a glass darkly, but later we will see face to face." The
glory of the Lord is too dazzling for mortals to see fully on earth.
But some of God's glory is risen in us when we try to reflect that light
in our lives.
P R A Y E R F O R T H E D A Y
I pray that I may try to be a reflection of God's light. I pray that
some of its rays may shine in my life.
Food for Thought
GOD KNOWS
Author Unknown
* When you are tired and discouraged from fruitless efforts...
* God knows how hard you have tried.
* When you've cried so long and your heart is in anguish...
* God has counted your tears.
* If you feel that your life is on hold and time has passed you by...
* God is waiting with you.
* When you're lonely and your friends are too busy even for a phone
call...
* God is by your side.
* When you think you've tried everything and don't know where to
turn...
* God has a solution.
* When nothing makes sense and you are confused or frustrated.. .
* God has the answer.
* If suddenly your outlook is brighter and you find traces of hope...
* God has whispered to you.
* When things are going well and you have much to be thankful for...
* God has blessed you.
* When something joyful happens and you are filled with awe...
* God has smiled upon you.
* When you have a purpose to fulfill and a dream to follow...
* God has opened your eyes and called you by name.
* Remember that wherever you are or whatever you are facing...
* GOD KNOWS!!!
Words of Encouragement
The Potter´s Hands!
Isaiah 64:8
Yet, O LORD, thou art our Father; we are the clay, and thou art our potter;
we are all the work of thy hand.
Jane Studdock, the heroine of C.S. Lewis’ That Hideous Strength has a
ghastly moment where she realizes (much as Lewis had once done) that life
wasn’t a case of “finding the spirituality that suits our taste” or “man’s
search for God”. Rather, she discovers with a start that it is a case of
hands thrust down toward us, skillfully sculpting us, and rather heedlessly
interfering with our lives as they please. This does not mean, as so many
people have mistakenly taken it to mean, that God is a Cosmic Puppetmaster,
making and destroying people on a whim. But it does mean that the bottom
line of our lives is that God is God and we are not. This simple fact is
highly distasteful to a society obsessed with consumerism, pride and
autonomy. Nonetheless it is so. And this, despite our protests, is a good
thing since God intends more for us (including our own freedom) than we
could ever intend ourselves. Today, thank God that he loves us and wills
our good.
Just a Word of Encouragement
from Mark Shea and Jeff Cavins.
JONAH AND PAUL
By Marion Smith
Jonah 1:6
In the Old Testament there is a ship story concerning
Jonah. He was a runaway. He ran from God’s instructions. He didn’t
want to preach to the people of Ninevah because they were so evil. He
felt that they were unworthy of God’s mercy and love, so he disobeyed
God’s instructions. As he ran from God’s plan, he jumped from the
frying pan into the fire, as the ship he was on was rocked terribly by
a terrible storm. The crew discovered Jonah was the cause of the
disturbance, and threw him overboard. The storm stopped! All worked
out well in the end, for Jonah and the crew members. (read the book of
Jonah to discover details!)
In the New Testament, there is a ship story about Paul. As
a prisoner, he was sailing the Mediterranean Sea - destination: Rome.
The ocean became very rough, and the entire crew was very scared.
They tried variety of methods to rescue the ship and themselves, but
the terrible storm raged on unabated for many days. One night an angel
of God came to Paul and said, “Do not be afraid, Paul - for you and
the lives of all those sailing with you will be saved.” The ship will
go down, but the crew and prisoners(276 in all) would be shipwrecked
on an island. This is exactly what transpired. None of them drowned.
Jonah was disobedient to God, and had to leave the
ship.Then
the storm calmed. Because of this, the men on the ship stood in awe
before Jehovah, and vowed to serve Him. (Jonah 1: 16) But in Paul's
case, God sent an angel with a calming message that none on board
would die.
Isn’t it amazing how God used two men, two different
destinations, two ships, many years apart to touch the lives of
others?
It is wonderful to have the opportunity to read both the Old and New
Testament and see how God works. Why don’t you try it today?
THE LETTER
Author Unknown
Ruth went to her mail box and there was only one letter. She picked it
up and looked at it before opening, but then she looked at the
envelope again. There was no stamp, no postmark, only her name and
address.
She read the letter:
Dear Ruth,
I'm going to be in your neighborhood Saturday afternoon and I'd like
to stop by for a visit.
Love Always,
Jesus
Her hands were shaking as she placed the letter on the table. "Why
would the Lord want to visit me? I'm nobody special. I don't have
anything to offer." With that thought, Ruth remembered her empty
kitchen cabinets.
"Oh my goodness, I really don't have anything to offer. I'll have to
run down to the store and buy something for dinner." She reached for
her purse and counted out its contents. Five dollars and forty cents.
"Well, I can get some bread and cold cuts, at least." She threw on her
coat and hurried out the door. A loaf of french bread, a half-pound of
sliced turkey, and a carton of milk...leaving Ruth with grand total of
twelve cents to last her until Monday. Nonetheless, she felt good as
she headed home, her meager offerings tucked under her arm.
"Hey lady, can you help us, lady?" Ruth had been so absorbed in her
dinner plans, she hadn't even noticed two figures huddled in the
alleyway. A man and a woman, both of them dressed in little more than
rags.
"Look lady, I ain't got a job, ya know, and my wife and I have been
living out here on the street, and, well, now it's getting cold and
we're getting kinda hungry and, well, if you could help us, lady, we'd
really appreciate it."
Ruth looked at them both. They were dirty, they smelled bad and,
frankly, she was certain that they could get some kind of work if they
really wanted to.
"Sir, I'd like to help you, but I'm a poor woman myself. All I have is
a few cold cuts and some bread, and I'm having an important guest for
dinner tonight and I was planning on serving that to Him."
"Yeah, well, okay lady, I understand. Thanks anyway." The man put his
arm around the woman's shoulders, turned and headed back into the
alley. As she watched them leave, Ruth felt a familiar twinge in her
heart.
"Sir, wait!" The couple stopped and turned as she ran down the alley
after them. "Look, why don't you take this food. I'll figure out
something else to serve my guest." She handed the man her grocery
bag.
"Thank you lady. Thank you very much!"
"Yes, thank you!" It was the man's wife, and Ruth could see now that
she was
shivering.
"You know, I've got another coat at home. Here, why don't you take
this one." Ruth unbuttoned her jacket and slipped it over the woman's
shoulders.
Then smiling, she turned and walked back to the street...without her
coat and with nothing to serve her guest. "Thank you lady! Thank you
very much!"
Ruth was chilled by the time she reached her front door, and worried
too. The Lord was coming to visit and she didn't have anything to
offer Him. She fumbled through her purse for the door key. But as she
did, she noticed another envelope in her mailbox.
"That's odd. The mailman doesn't usually come twice in one day." She
took the envelope out of the box and opened it.
Dear Ruth,
It was so good to see you again. Thank you for the lovely meal. And
thank you, too, for the beautiful coat.
Love Always,
Jesus
The air was still cold, but even without her coat, Ruth no longer
noticed.
NOT HOME YET
An old missionary couple had been working in Africa for years and was
returning to New York to retire. They had no pension; their health was
broken; they were defeated, discouraged, and afraid. They discovered they
were booked on the same ship as President Teddy Roosevelt, who was returning
from one of his big-game hunting expeditions.
No one paid any attention to them. They watched the fanfare that accompanied
the President's entourage, with passengers trying to catch a glimpse of the
great man. As the ship moved across the ocean, the old missionary said to
his wife, "Something is wrong.
Why should we have given our lives in faithful service for God in Africa all
these many years and have no one care a thing about us? Here this man comes
back from a hunting trip and everybody makes much over him, but nobody gives
two hoots about us."
"Dear, you shouldn't feel that way," his wife said. "I can't help it; it
doesn't seem right." When the ship docked in New York, a band was waiting to
greet the President. The mayor and other dignitaries were there. The papers
were full of the President's arrival.
No one noticed this missionary couple. They slipped off the ship and found a
cheap flat on the East Side, hoping the next day to see what they could do
to make a living in the city.
That night the man's spirit broke. He said to his wife, "I can't take this;
God is not treating us fairly." His wife replied, "Why don't you go in the
bedroom and tell that to the Lord?"
A short time later he came out from the bedroom, but now his face was
completely different. His wife asked, "Dear, what happened?"
"The Lord settled it with me," he said. "I told him how bitter I was that
the President should receive this tremendous homecoming, when no one met us
as we returned home. And when I finished, it seemed as though the Lord put
his hand on my shoulder and simply said, 'But you're not home yet!"
-- Author Unknown
THEN WHY DON'T WE PRAY?
Author Unknown
The highest privilege ever afforded to man is the power of prayer.
...then why don't we pray?
The right to talk to the highest potentate in all the universe...
...then why don't we pray?
The most powerful force accessible to man is the potential of prayer...
...then why don't we pray?
The greatest longing in the heart of God is to talk to His children...
...then why don't we pray?
Nothing is impossible to those who pray...
...then why don't we pray?
No man ever fainted or faltered who gave himself to prayer...
...then why don't we pray?
Every sin is forgiven, every stain is washed clean, all guilt diminished to
the man who prays...
...then why don't we pray?
H ell moves farther away, satan flees from the man who prays...
...then why don't we pray?
Anointing will come, mountains will be moved, valleys made smooth, rivers
made crossable, the inaccessible made accessible, the impossible made
possible, dreams come through to the man who prays...
...then why don't we pray?
Jesus said that men ought always to pray...
...then why don't we pray?
Paul encouraged prayer without ceasing...
...then why don't we pray?
The riches of heaven are open to those who pray in His name...
...then why don't we pray?
Everyone can pray, the young, the old, the rich, the poor, the strong, the
weak, the child, the aged, the sinner, the prisoner, in any nation, in any
language, all can pray...
...then why don't we pray?
Meditations by Padre Pio
Remember Jesus, meek and humble of heart. Fear and don't sin is of the
saints. I have never regretted being gentle, but I have had qualms of
conscience and had to confess when I was a bit severe. But when I say
gentleness I do not mean permissiveness. That no! I mean the gentleness that
makes discipline pleasant and which should never be neglected (GB 34).
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