Daily Thoughts

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2007-01-03T12:41:00.000+08:00

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Daily Bible Reading

2006-12-31T19:52:00.000+08:00

Double click on the verses to read the verses online. In the new window, click on the speaker icon to listen to the verses.

Old Testament: Nehemiah 13:1-31

New Testament Revelation 22:1-21

Psalms/Proverbs Pslam 150-1:6

Based on NIV Seasons of Reflections

Messages referring to the Bible Reading:

LOOKING FOR A FEW GOOD MEN
THE CITY OF GLORY
The Instruments of Worship

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How to Read the Bible Book by Book
Gordon D. Fee, Douglas Stuart; Price: $11.04(35% off)
Customer Review: This book provides specific guidance for reading each book of the Bible by providing an introduction and summary of each book. This title also tries to tie together the big picture and how each book fits ... [Buy from Amazon]

A FEW THOUGHT ABOUT "RESOLUTIONS"

2006-12-31T17:02:00.000+08:00

"For though a righteous man falls seven times, he rises again" - Proverbs 24:16

If you make a New Year's Resolution chances are the resolution will fall by the wayside in a few weeks. We tend to have the attitude that once we fail at our "resolution" it's all over. One strike, then you're out.

One problem is our definition for resolution. The root word for "resolution" is not resolute (firmly determined in purpose or staunch) but rather the definition is to resolve (the act or process of resolving, or solving by breaking up into small parts to analyze).

I'm not saying never make resolutions, they can be a good thing. Just make them wisely, understanding that your goal is a life change attitude that comes from inside; not seeing how long you can carry out a new activity.

Spend some time in quiet meditation and ask yourself if you are satisfied with where you are in the Lord. Are you comfortable with how often you pray or read The Word? I hope not. I believe every one of us has room to improve and deepen our relationship with our Lord and Savior. The day we quit growing is the day we start dying. The Lord is always ready to show us something new and fresh.

"Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart." - Psalm 37:4

By Cheri Thomas
from www.witandwisdom.org
Used with permission

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Praying with the Psalms
by Eugene H. Peterson; Price: $10.01 (-23%)
Customer Review: If you're familiar with "The Message" by Eugene Peterson, you will enjoy this daily devotional. I love what he says in his introduction, "We are most ourselves when we pray" and "When that deep, deep center of our lives is exposed -- our core humanity, which biblical writers so vigorously designate as "heart" -- [read more]

Categories: daily-thoughts perspective resolution faith

Daily Bible Reading

2006-12-30T19:00:00.000+08:00

Double click on the verses to read the verses online. In the new window, click on the speaker icon to listen to the verses.

Old Testament: Nehemiah 9:38 - 11:21

New Testament Revelation 20:1-15

Psalms/Proverbs Psalm 149:1-9

Based on NIV Seasons of Reflections

Messages referring to the Bible Reading:
THE NEW RESOLVE
THE WAYS GOD WORKS
ONE THOUSAND YEARS OF PEACE
NEW SONGS OF JOY

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Categories: Daily Bible Nehemiah Revelation Psalms sermon

THANK YOU, FATHER

2006-12-30T17:31:00.000+08:00

Thank you, Father, for all You have given me,
much more than I could even count.

For sunlight that streams into my window
and warms my weary heart.
For moonlight on the nights I called out to You
and let You wash away my tears.

For people who love me when I seem most unlovable
but when I need their love the most.
For giving them the grace.
For holding my heart when it is trembling.

For being that guiding Light when I am lost in the
dark, with nowhere to go.
For caring enough to send the very best.
For the peace that my prayers are answered.

For the power you give to such a weak soul as mine
when I reach out and touch you.
When I say "Dear God..." and You flow through me
and suddenly everything makes sense again.

For taking away the confusion when my heart is
aching and when I do not understand.
For soothing the fears that plague me so I can
hardly move.

For putting a smile on my face and laughter in my
heart at the strangest times.
For music which causes my very soul to sing
and soar on the clouds towards You.

For eyes to see the beauty of Your world,
each towering tree and misty sunset, each smiling face.
For voices which communicate love.
To a heart so dry and hungering, they are like water.

For being the foremost of those voices, Lord,
and the One who causes the rest to sing.
For the thrill of a new idea.
For the sweet serenity of a prayer answered, a
sweetness I hold close to me like a treasure, and
I say "My God loves me."
For loving me enough to not answer all my prayers.

For wisdom to know what's best for me,
and the never-ending love to always dispose it.
For miracles, and the joy of knowing You ever deeper.
For loving me in the midst of my sin and bestowing blessings
I could never deserve.

For the peace that enfolds me
with the simple knowledge that
"Jesus cares."
For having the awesome power to move even the most
formidable mountains.
Mountains against which I struggle and rage and
cry, they are too big for me and I stand defeated.

But You who made the stars and the earth and all
the heavens can move them with the snap of a
finger. And leave me awe-struck with nothing to do
but bow down to You majesty
with "Praise the Lord!" on my lips.

And you say,
"I'm not through with you yet, my child.
Show me the next mountain..."
For the great adventure of a life lived with You!

Thank You for being there when my spirit cries
For wiping the tears away from my eyes
For holding my heart close
For loving me when I need it the most

For touching me with moonlight
When I call out to You in the empty night
For the stars and the peace and for my tears
And the feeling of You that surrounds me, soothing my fears

For the times when You have sustained me
And I didn't even know it was You,
too blind to see that over all I do
is the guiding touch of Your hand
Jesus, thank you for allowing me to understand

Author unknown

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Categories: daily-thoughts perspective gratitude faith

Just Pedal ...

2006-12-30T07:17:00.000+08:00

At first I saw God as my observer, my judge, keeping track of the
things I did wrong, so as to know whether I merited heaven or hell when
I die. He was out there sort of like a president. I recognized his
picture when I saw it, but I really didn't know Him.

But later on, when I met God, it seemed as though life were rather like
a bike ride, but it was a tandem bike, and I noticed that God was at
the back, helping me pedal.

I don't know when it was that he suggested that we change places, but
life has not been the same since. When I had control I knew the way. It
was rather boring, but predictable. It was the shortest distance between
two points. But when he took the lead, He knew delightful long cuts, up
mountains, and through rocky places at breakneck speeds. It was all I
could do to hang on!

Even though it looked like madness, He said, "Pedal!" I worried and was
anxious and asked, "Where are you taking me?" He laughed and didn't
answer! and I started to learn to trust. I forgot my boring life and
entered into the adventure. And when I'd say "I'm scared," He'd lean
back and touch my hand.

He took me to people with gifts that I needed; gifts of healing,
acceptance and joy. They gave me gifts to take on my journey. And we
were off again. He said, 'Give the gifts away; they're extra baggage,
too much weight.' So I did, to the people we met, and I found that in
giving I received, and still our burden was light.

I did not trust Him, at first, in control of my life. I thought He'd
wreck it; but he knows bike secrets, knows how to make it bend to take
sharp corners, knows how to jump to clear high rocks, knows how to fly
to shorten scary passages. And I am learning to shut up and pedal in the
strangest places, and I'm beginning to enjoy the view and the cool
breeze on my face with God as my delightful constant companion.

And when I'm sure I just can't do anymore, He just smiles and says,

"Just Pedal!"

Author Unknown

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Categories: daily-thoughts perspective God faith

Daily Bible Reading

2006-12-29T08:04:00.000+08:00

Double click on the verses to read the verses online. In the new window, click on the speaker icon to listen to the verses.

Old Testament: Nehemiah 9:1-37

New Testament Revelation 19:11-21

Psalms/Proverbs Psalm 148:7-14

Based on NIV Seasons of Reflections

Messages referring to the Bible Reading:
LET US BOW BEFORE OUR MAKER
THE RIDER ON THE WHITE HORSE
UNIVERSAL PRAISE

Play Silent Night

Categories: Daily Bible Nehemiah Revelation Psalms sermon

Remember the Duck?

2006-12-29T08:01:00.000+08:00

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

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

After lunch that day Grandma said,
"Sally, let's wash the dishes."
But Sally said, "Grandma, Johnny told me he wanted to help
in the kitchen today didn't you Johnny?"
And then she whispered to him, "Remember the duck?"
So Johnny did the dishes.

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

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 killed the duck.
She knelt down, gave him a hug, and said,
"Sweetheart, I know that. But because I love you, I forgive you.
But I was wondering just how long would you let Sally make a slave of you."

I'll bet Jesus sometimes wonders the same thing!
How often we allow ourselves to be enslaved
by our unwillingness to confess our sins.
We just go on living and sacrifice all
of the peace and forgiveness that God wants to give us.
It leaves us so that we cannot even enjoy the good that is in our lives.

God knows how we have fallen short of His glorious perfection
and has sent His son to die for our sins.
If we confess them and turn to Him,
we will be washed clean and set free from guilt.
But as long as we claim we haven't sinned
there can only be bondage to our past
and our need to cover it up from ourselves.

He is waiting to hear from you..

"If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word has no place in our lives."
1 John 1:8-10.

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Categories: daily-thoughts perspective sin grace faith

Daily Bible Reading

2006-12-28T07:59:00.000+08:00

Double click on the verses to read the verses online. In the new window, click on the speaker icon to listen to the verses.

Old Testament: Nehemiah 7:4 - 8:18

New Testament Revelation 18:17b - 19:10

Psalms/Proverbs Psalm 148:1-6

Based on NIV Seasons of Reflections

Messages referring to the Bible Reading:
THE SHINING LIGHT
THE DRAGON LADY
THE RIDER ON THE WHITE HORSE
UNIVERSAL PRAISE

Play Silent Night

Categories: Daily Bible Nehemiah Revelation Psalms sermon

Food For Thought

2006-12-28T07:50:00.000+08:00

God didn't promise days without pain,
laughter without sorrow, sun without rain,
but He did promise strength for the day,
comfort for the tears, and light for the way.

Disappointments are like road humps,
they slow you down a bit but you enjoy the smooth road afterwards.
Don't stay on the humps too long. Move on!

When you feel down because you didn't get what you want,
just sit tight and be happy,
because God is thinking of something better to give you.

When something happens to you, good or bad, consider what it means.
There's a purpose to life's events,
to teach you how to laugh more or not to cry too hard.

You can't make someone love you,
all you can do is be someone who can be loved,
the rest is up to the person to realize your worth.

What the heart gives away is never gone... It is kept in the hearts of others.
Remember that great love and great achievements involve great risks.

Secure a special place in your heart. A certain place only you can enter.
For there will come a time when you need to find yourself and only
your heart will show you the way.

The measure of love is when you love without measure.
In life there are very rare chances that you'll meet the person you
love and loves you in return.
So once you have it don't ever let go, the chance might never come
your way again.

It's better to lose your pride to the one you love, than to lose the
one you love because of pride.
We spend so much time looking for the right person to love or
finding fault with those we already love,
when instead we should be perfecting the love we give.

When you truly care for someone, you don't look for faults,
you don't look for answers, you don't look for mistakes.
Instead, you fight the mistakes,
you accept the faults, and you overlook excuses.

Never abandon an old friend.
You will never find one who can take his place.
Friendship is like wine, it gets better as it grows older.

Author Unknown

Play How Great Thou Art

Total Forgiveness
by R. T. Kendall; Price: $10.77(23% off)
Customer Review: This book has totally changed my life. RT Kendall offers an amazing piece of work that, as you discover from the book, was born out of his own personal experience. The book is full of practical teaching about what our misconceptions of forgiveness are and what true Godly forgiveness is..... [Buy from Amazon]

Categories: daily-thoughts encouragement perspective attitude living

Daily Bible Reading

2006-12-27T11:14:00.000+08:00

Double click on the verses to read the verses online. In the new window, click on the speaker icon to listen to the verses.

Old Testament: Nehemiah 5:1 - 7:3

New Testament Revelation 18:1-17

Psalms/Proverbs Proverbs 31:10-20

Based on NIV Seasons of Reflections

Based on NIV Seasons of Reflection 365-Day Bible

Messages referring to the Bible Reading:

DON'T BACK DOWN -- BUILD UP
DON'T VACILLATE -- PERPETUATE!
THE DRAGON LADY
THE NOBLE WOMAN

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Categories: Daily Bible Nehemiah Revelation Proverbs sermon

The Auction

2006-12-27T10:59:00.000+08:00

A wealthy man and his son loved to collect rare works of art. They had everything in their collection imaginable, from Picasso to Raphael. They would often sit together and admire the great works of art.

When the Viet Nam conflict broke out, the son went to war. He was very courageous and died in battle while rescuing another soldier.

The father was notified and grieved deeply for his only son.

About a month later, just before Christmas, there was a knock at the door. A young man stood at the door with a large package in his hands. He said, “Sir, you don’t know me, but I am the soldier for whom your son gave his life. He saved many lives that day, and he was carrying me to safety when a bullet struck him in the heart and he died instantly. He often talked about you, and your love for art.” The young man held out his package. “I know this isn’t much. I’m not really a great artist, but I think your son would have wanted you to have this.”

The father opened the package. It was a portrait of his son, painted by the young man. He stared in awe at the way the soldier had captured the personality of his son in the painting. The father was so drawn to the eyes in the portrait that were so like his sons that his own eyes now welled up with tears. He thanked the young man and offered to pay him for the picture. “Oh, no sir, I could never repay what your son did.”

The father hung the portrait over his mantle.

Every time visitors came to his home he took them to see the portrait of his son before he showed them any of the other great works he had collected.

The man died a few months later.

There was to be a great auction of his paintings. Many influential people gathered, excited over seeing the great paintings and having an opportunity to purchase one for their own collection. On the platform sat the painting of the son.

The auctioneer pounded his gavel. “We will start the bidding with this picture of the son. Who will bid for this picture?” There was silence.

Then a voice in the back of the room shouted. “We want to see the famous paintings. Skip this one.” But the auctioneer persisted. “Will someone bid for this painting? Who will start the bidding? $100, $200?” Another voice shouted angrily. “We didn’t come to see this painting ... We came to see the Van Goghs, the Rembrandts. Get on with the real bids!”

But still the auctioneer continued. “The son! The son! Who’ll take the son?” Finally, a voice came from the very back of the room. It was the longtime gardener of the man and his son.

“I’ll give $10 for the painting.” Being a poor man, it was all he could afford.

“We have $10, who will bid $20?”

“Give it to him for $10. Let’s see the masters.”

“$10 is the bid, won’t someone bid $20?”

The crowd was becoming angry. They didn’t want the picture of the son.

They wanted the more worthy investments for their collections.

The auctioneer pounded the gavel. “Going once ..., twice ..., SOLD for $10!”

A man sitting on the second row shouted. “Now let’s get on with the collection!”

The auctioneer laid down his gavel. “My apologies, the auction is over.”

“What about the paintings?”

“I am sorry. When I was called to conduct this auction, I was told of a secret stipulation in the will. I was not allowed to reveal that stipulation until after the auction was concluded. Only the painting of the son would be auctioned. Whoever bought that painting would inherit the entire estate, including the paintings.

The man who took the son gets everything!”

God gave his son 2,000 years ago to die on a cruel cross. Much like the auctioneer, His message today is, “The son, the son, who’ll take the son?”

Because you see, whoever takes the Son gets everything. When there is nothing left but God, that is when you find out God is all you need . . .

Author Unknown

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Precious Memories
by Alan Jackson; Price: $9.76 (49% off)
Customer Review: A few decades ago nearly every country singer had at least one--often more--gospel albums in their catalog. Today, aside from gospel veteran Amy Grant, who balances the sacred and secular, and Randy Travis, that concept has long faded. For Alan Jackson, however, treating the musical past as present has been a way of life, as it is with these 15 tim... [read more]

Categories: daily-thoughts father son God perspective christian

Daily Bible Reading

2006-12-26T09:14:00.000+08:00

Double click on the verses to read the verses online. In the new window, click on the speaker icon to listen to the verses.

Old Testament: Nehemiah 3:1 - 4:23

New Testament Revelation 17:1 - 18

Psalms/Proverbs Psalm 147:12-20

Based on NIV Seasons of Reflection 365-Day Bible

Messages referring to the Bible Reading:

DON'T BE PARALYZED -- GET ORGANIZED!
DON'T BACK DOWN -- BUILD UP
THE DRAGON LADY
THE AFFLICTED WILL BECOME THE AFFLUENT

Play Silent Night

Categories: Daily Bible Nehemiah Revelation Psalms sermon

Sometimes

2006-12-26T09:13:00.000+08:00

Somtimes when all life's lessons have been learned
And sun and stars forever more have set
The things which our weak judgements here have spurned
The things o'er which we grieved with lashes wet
Will flash before us out of life's dark night
As stars shine most in deeper tints of blue,
And we shall see how all God's plans were right
And how what seemed reproof was love most true.

Then be content, poor heart
God's plans, like lilies pure and white unfold
We must not tear the close-shut leaves apart

Time will reveal the chalices of Gold
And if, through patient toil we reach the land
Where tired feet with sandals loose may rest
Where we shall clearly see and understand
I think that we will say "God knew the best"

By May Riley Smith

Wishing you a joyful Christmas celebrating Jesus, our Saviour's birth, and a blessed New Year.

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Categories: daily-thoughts perspective faith attitude

A Franciscan Benediction

2006-12-26T09:09:00.000+08:00

May God bless you with discomfort…
At easy answers, half-truths, and superficial relationships,
So that you may live deep within your heart.

May God bless you with anger…
At injustice, oppression, and exploitation of people,
So that you may work for justice, freedom and peace.

May God bless you with tears…
To shed for those who suffer from pain, rejection,starvation and war,
So that you may reach out your hand to comfort them
And turn their pain into joy.

And may God bless you with enough foolishness…
To believe that you can make a difference in this world.
So that you can do
What others claim cannot be done.

Amen

(A Benediction – origin uncertain, described by
some as Franciscan)

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Categories: daily-thoughts prayer blessing faith

Daily Bible Reading

2006-12-25T10:06:00.000+08:00

Double click on the verses to read the verses online. In the new window, click on the speaker icon to listen to the verses.

Old Testament: Nehemiah 1:1 - 2:20

New Testament Revelation 16:1-21

Psalms/Proverbs Psalm 147:1-11

Based on NIV Seasons of Reflection 365-Day Bible

Messages referring to the Bible Reading:

NEHEMIAH: REBUILDING THE WALLS
DON'T DESPAIR -- BEGIN TO REPAIR
DON'T DESPAIR -- DON'T HESITATE -- INVESTIGATE!
EARTH'S LAST TRIAL
THE AFFLICTED WILL BECOME THE AFFLUENT

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Categories: Daily Bible Nehemiah Revelation Psalms sermon

The Humble Christmas Tree

2006-12-25T10:03:00.000+08:00

When I was five years old we lived in the small town of Rock Springs, Wyoming. My dad worked swing shifts in the coal mine.

He loved the work, but it was very hard on our family financially and with respect to my dad being home for us.

That Christmas we had no money to spare. My sister and I would have never known the amount of financial stress my parents were experiencing, but years later looking through a photo album we saw our little Christmas tree and inquired of my mother why we had "that" tree.

She told my sister and I that real trees were too expensive, so she got a package of green construction paper and a bunch of candy canes.

With some glue, tape, and the ornaments we already had we built the biggest and best Christmas tree I think I have ever seen.

Of all the Christmas trees we have had since, none have meant quite so much. I remember the details of that Christmas and the fact that we made that humble little paper tree with my two faithful parents.

Now, when I look at the picture of that tree I can't help but be grateful for the Spirit I felt at that young age.

We did not "have" in terms of worldly gifts, but we "had" an abundance of gifts from the Lord in terms of Christmas spirit, love, and the Gift of the Holy Ghost. I think I caught a glimpse of what Christmas is really about.

Jeremy Belinski

Wishing you a joyful Christmas celebrating Jesus, our Saviour's birth, and a blessed New Year.

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Categories: daily-thoughts Christmas perspective faith gifts

Christmas - A time to care

2006-12-25T08:45:00.000+08:00

The mall was crowded, Christmas shoppers rushing from store to store.
Nobody paid attention, as she crouched there on the floor
She didn't look in trouble, and she didn't seem afraid.
Apparently she stopped to rest, she did not need my aid

A little girl of 8 or 9, and cute as she could be.
I wondered should I stop and ask if she needed help from me?
I wondered if her mother had just left her there alone.
I thought as i walked by her, in my haste to get back home

As I left the mall, I couldn't get her off my mind
Did that little girl need help? Was I just acting blind?
It bothered me so much,I had to go back to the mall.
I have to get this settled in my mind once-for-all.

The mall was closed, I heard some chain doors coming down.
But as I looked, the little girl was nowhere to be found.
Is it my imagination, that again is running wild?
Thinking I had lost my chance, to help this poor lost child.

I guess she must be fine, or she would be sitting here.
I get way too emotional at this time each year.
I had to leave and get back home, where it was safe and warm.
The weather forecast for that night, a chilling winter storm.

Late that night it happened , as the weather station said.
frigid cold and heavy snow, while I was snug in bed
On Christmas morning, i woke to winter's nasty caper.
The only place I'd go that day, was out to get my paper.

Cozy in my kitchen, with my news and a cup of tea.
But as I saw the front page, it just devastated me
On the front page down below, a little headline read.
"At the local shopping mall, a little girl found dead."

It was 4 A.M. this morning, when police received the call,
The caller said "a little girl had frozen in her sleep.
Many years have passed me now, but it still haunts my dreams,
Was the little girl they found, the same one I had seen.

I can't forget that little girl, no matter how I try.
But now when someone seems in need, I never pass them by.

Author unknown

Play Don't Let Me Walk Alone

Calm My Anxious Heart : A Woman's Guide to Contentment
by Linda Dillow; Price: $10.78(23% off)
Customer Review:Redefines a woman's view of contentment. Written by a person who has struggled with worry. What a different world this would be if every woman read this book. This will be ... [Buy from Amazon.com]

Categories: daily-thoughts Christmas attitude caring

Daily Bible Reading

2006-12-24T23:50:00.000+08:00

Double click on the verses to read the verses online. In the new window, click on the speaker icon to listen to the verses.

Old Testament: Ezra 10:1-44

New Testament Revelation 14:14 - 15:8

Psalms/Proverbs Psalm 146:1:10

Based on NIV Seasons of Reflection 365-Day Bible

Messages referring to the Bible Reading:

Choosing your children’s mother
Review - EZRA: THE WAY BACK
EARTH'S LAST TRIAL
THE LORD CAN DO IT

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Categories: Daily Bible Ezra Revelation Psalms sermon

AN EXCHANGE OF GIFTS

2006-12-24T23:43:00.000+08:00

I grew up believing that Christmas was a time when strange and wonderful things happened; when wise and royal visitors came riding, when at midnight in the barnyard animals talked to one another, and in the light of a fabulous star, God came down to us as a baby. Christmas to me has always been a time of enchantment, and never more so than the year when my son Marty was eight. That was the year that my children and I moved into a cozy trailer home in a forested area just outside of Redmond, Washington.

As the holidays approached, our spirits were light, unhampered even by the winter rains that swept down Puget Sound, dousing our home and making our floors muddy. Throughout that December, Marty had been the most spirited, and busiest of us all. He was my youngest; a cheerful boy, blond-haired and playful, with a quaint habit of looking up at you and cocking his head like a puppy when you talked to him. Actually, the reason for this was that Marty was deaf in his left ear, but it was a condition which he never complained about.

For weeks, I had been watching Marty. I knew that something was going on with him that he was not telling me about. I saw how eagerly he made his bed, took out the trash, carefully set the table and helped Rick and Pam prepare dinner before I got home from work. I saw how he silently collected his tiny allowance and tucked it away, not spending a cent of it.

I had no idea what all this quiet activity was about, but I suspected that somehow it something to do with Kenny. Kenny was Marty's friend, and ever since they found each other in the springtime, they were seldom apart. If you called to one, you got them both. Their world was in a meadow, a pasture broken by a small winding stream, where the boys caught frogs and snakes, where they searched for arrowheads or hidden treasure, or where they would spend an afternoon feeding squirrels peanuts.

Times were hard for our little family, and we had scrimped and saved to get by. With my job as a meat wrapper and with a lot of ingenuity around the house, we were much better off than Kenny's family. They were desperately poor, and his mother struggled to feed and clothe her two children. They were a good, solid family. But Kenny's mom was a proud woman, very proud, and she had strict rules.

How we worked, as we did each year, to make our home festive for the holiday! Ours was a handcrafted Christmas of gifts hidden away and ornaments strung about the place. Marty and Kenny would sometimes sit still at the table long enough to help make cornucopias or weave little baskets for the tree. But then, in a flash, one whispered to the other, and they would be out the door and sliding cautiously under the electric fence into the horse pasture that separated our home from Kenny's.

One night, shortly before Christmas, when my hands were deep in Peppernoder dough, shaping tiny nut-like Danish cookies heavily spiced with cinnamon, Marty came to me and said in a tone mixed with pleasure and pride, "Mom, I've bought Kenny a Christmas present. Want to see it?" So that's what he's been up to, I said to myself. "It's something he's wanted for a long, long time, Mom." After wiping his hands on a dish towel carefully, he pulled from his pocket a small box. Lifting the lid, I gazed at the pocket compass that my son had been saving all those allowances to buy. A little compass to point an eight-year-old adventurer through the woods. "It's a lovely gift, Martin," I said, but even as I spoke, a disturbing thought came to mind: I knew how Kenny's mother felt about their poverty. They could barely afford to exchange gifts among themselves, and giving presents to others was out of the question. I was sure that Kenny's proud mother would not permit her son to receive something that he could not return in kind.

Gently, carefully, I talked over the problem with Marty. He understood what I was saying. "I know, Mom, I know!. . . . But what if it was a secret? What if they never found out who gave it?" I didn't know how to answer him. I just didn't know.

The day before Christmas was rainy and cold and gray. The three kids and I all but fell over one another as we elbowed our way about our little home, putting finishing touches on Christmas secrets and preparing for family and friends who would be dropping by. Night came. The rain continued. I looked out the window over the sink and felt an odd sadness. How mundane the rain seemed for a Christmas Eve! Would wise and royal men come riding on such a night? I doubted it. It seemed to me that strange and wonderful things happened only on clear nights, nights when one could at least see a star in the heavens.

I turned from the window, and as I checked on the ham and bread warming in the oven, I saw Marty slip out the door. He wore his coat over his pajamas, and he clutched a tiny, colorfully wrapped box in his hand. Down through the soggy pasture he went, then a quick slide under the electric fence and across the yard to Kenny's house. Up the steps on tiptoe, shoes squishing, he opened the screen door just a crack; placed the gift on the doorstep, took a deep breath, and reached for the doorbell, and pressed on it hard. Quickly Marty turned, ran down the steps and across the yard in a wild effort to get away unnoticed. Then, suddenly, he banged into the electric fence. The shock sent him reeling. He lay stunned on the wet ground. His body quivered and he gasped for breath. Then slowly, weakly, confused and frightened, he began the grueling trip back home. "Marty," we cried as he stumbled through the door, "what happened?" His lower lip quivered, his eyes brimmed. "I forgot about the fence, and it knocked me down!" I hugged his muddy little body to me. He was still dazed and there was a red mark blistering on his face from his mouth to his ear. Quickly I treated the blister and, with a warm cup of cocoa, Marty's bright spirits returned. I tucked him into bed and just before he fell asleep, he looked up at me and said, "Mom, Kenny didn't see me. I'm sure he didn't see me."

That Christmas Eve I went to bed unhappy and puzzled. It seemed such a cruel thing to happen to a little boy on the purest kind of Christmas mission - doing what the Lord wants us to do - giving to others - and giving in secret at that. I did not sleep well that night. Somewhere deep inside I think I must have been feeling the disappointment that the night of Christmas had come and it had been just an ordinary, problem-filled night, no mysterious enchantment at all. However, I was wrong.

By morning the rain had stopped and the sun shone. The streak on Marty's face was very red, but I could tell that the burn was not serious. We opened our presents, and soon, not unexpectedly, Kenny was knocking on the door, eager to show Marty his new compass and tell about the mystery of its arrival. It was plain that Kenny didn't suspect Marty at all, and while the two of them talked, Marty just smiled and smiled. Then I noticed that while the two boys were comparing their Christmases, nodding, gesturing and chattering away, Marty was not cocking his head. While Kenny was talking, Marty seemed to be listening with his deaf ear. Weeks later, a report came from the school nurse, verifying what Marty and I already knew. "Marty now has complete hearing in both ears." The mystery of how Marty regained his hearing, and still has it, remains just that - a mystery. Doctors suspect, of course, that the shock from the electric fence was somehow responsible. Perhaps so. Whatever the reason, I just remained thankful to God for the good exchange of gifts made that night. So you see, strange and wonderful things still happen on the night of our Lord's birth. And one does not have to have a clear night either, to follow a fabulous star.

by Diane Rayner

"For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the LORD, 'plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart." Jeremiah 29:11-13 (NIV)

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Categories: daily-thoughts Christmas gifts faith

This Christmas ....

2006-12-24T08:21:00.000+08:00

This Christmas,
Mend a quarrel.
Seek out a forgotten friend.
Write a love letter.
Share some treasure.
Give a soft answer.
Encourage youth.
Keep a promise.
Find the time.
Forgive an enemy.
Listen.
Apologize if you were wrong.
Think first of someone else.
Be kind and gentle.
Laugh a little.
Laugh a little more.
Express your gratitude.
Gladden the heart of a child.
Take pleasure in beauty and wonder.
Speak your love.
Speak it again.
Speak it still once again.

Author: unknown

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Categories: daily-thoughts Christmas attitude living

Daily Bible Reading

2006-12-23T09:27:00.000+08:00

Double click on the verses to read the verses online. In the new window, click on the speaker icon to listen to the verses.

Old Testament: Ezra 8:15 - 9:15

New Testament Revelation 14:1-13

Psalms/Proverbs Proverbs 31:1-9

Based on NIV Seasons of Reflection 365-Day Bible

Messages referring to the Bible Reading:

FASTING FOR THE SAFETY OF THE LITTLE ONES
Prayer brings a nation to repentance
THE TIME OF HARVEST
Mother Knows Best

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Categories: Daily Bible Ezra Revelation Proverbs sermon

THE CRIPPLED LAMB

2006-12-23T09:14:00.000+08:00

Once upon a time in a sunny valley, there lived a little lamb, Joshua. He was white with black spots, black feet, and ... sad eyes.

Josh felt sad when he saw the other lambs with snow-white wool and no spots. He felt sad when he saw the other sheep with their mums and dads because he didn't have a Mom or a dad.

But he felt saddest when he saw the other lambs running and jumping, because he couldn't. Josh had been born with one leg that didn't work right. He was crippled. He always limped when he walked. That's why he always watched while the other lambs ran and played.

Josh felt sad and alone, except when Abigail was around. Abigail was Josh's best friend. She didn't look like a friend for a lamb. She was an old cow - she was brown with white blotches that looked like rain puddles on a path. Her belly was as round as a barrel, and her voice was always kind and friendly.

Some of Josh's favourite hours were spent with Abigail. They loved to pretend they were on adventures in distant lands. Josh liked to listen to Abigail tell stories about the stars. They would spend hours on the hill, looking into the valley. They were good friends.

But even with a friend like Abigail, Josh still got sad. It made him sad to be the only lamb who could not run and jump and play in the grass. That's when Abigail would turn to him and say, " Don't be sad, little Joshua. God has a special place for those who feel left out."

Josh wanted to believe her. But it was hard. Some days he just felt alone. He really felt alone the day the shepherds decided to take the lambs to the next valley where there was more grass. The sheep had been in this valley so long, the ground was nearly bare. All the sheep were excited when the shepherd told them they were going to a new meadow!!

As they prepared to leave, Josh hobbled over and took his place on the edge of the group. But the others started laughing at him. "You're too slow to go all the way to the next valley." "Go back, We'll never get there if we have to wait on you!" "Go back, Joshua."

That's when Josh looked up and saw the shepherd standing in front of him. "They are right, my little Joshua. You better go back, this trip is too long for you. Go and spend the night in the stable."

Josh looked at the man for a long time. Then he turned slowly and began limping away. When Josh got to the top of the hill, he looked down and saw all the other sheep headed toward the green grass. Never before had he felt so left out. A big tear slipped out of his eye, rolled down his nose, and fell on a rock.

Just then he heard Abigail behind him. And Abigail said what she always said when Josh felt sad. " Don't be sad, little Joshua. God has a special place for those who feel left out."

Slowly the two friends turned and walked to the stable together. By the time they got to the little barn, the sun was setting like a big orange ball. Josh and Abigail went inside and began to eat some hay out of the feed box. They were very hungry, and the hay tasted good. For a little while, Joshua forgot that he had been left behind.

"Go to sleep, little friend," Abigail said after they finished eating. "You've had a hard day." Josh was tired. So he lay down in the corner on some straw and closed his eyes. He felt Abigail lie down beside him, and he was glad to have Abigail as a friend.

Soon Josh was asleep. At first, he slept soundly, curled up against Abigail's back. In his sleep he dreamed. He dreamed of running and jumping just like the other sheep. He dreamed of long walks with Abigail through the valley. He dreamed of being in a place where he never felt left out.

Suddenly strange noises woke him up.
"Abigail," he whispered, "wake up. I'm scared."

Abigail lifted her big head and looked around. The stable was dark except for a small lamp hanging on the wall. "Somebody is in here." Josh whispered.

They looked across the dimly lighted stable. There, lying on some fresh hay in the feed box was a baby. A young woman was resting on a big pile of hay beside the feed box.

Joshua looked at Abigail, thinking his friend could tell him what was going on. But Abigail was just as surprised as Josh.

Josh looked again at the woman and the child, then limped across the stable. He stopped next to the mother and looked into the baby's face. The baby was crying. He was cold.

The woman picked up the baby and put him on the hay next to her. Josh looked around the stable for something to keep the baby warm. Usually there were blankets. But not tonight. The shepherds had taken them on their trip across the valley.

Then Josh remembered his own soft, warm wool. Timidly, he walked over and curled up close to the baby. "Thank you, little lamb," the baby's mother said softly. Soon the little child stopped crying and went back to sleep.

About that time, a man entered the stable carrying some rags. "I'm sorry, Mary," he explained. "This is all the cover I could find."

"It's okay," she answered. "This little lamb has kept the new king warm." A king? Joshua looked at the baby and wondered who he might be. "His name is Jesus." Mary spoke as if she knew Josh's question. "God's Son. He came from heaven to teach us about God."

Just then there was another noise at the door. It was the shepherds, the ones who had left Joshua behind. Their eyes were big and they were excited. "We saw a bright light and heard the angels ....." they began.

Then they saw Joshua next to the baby. "Joshua! Do you know who this baby is?"

"He does now." It was the young mother who was speaking. She looked at Joshua and smiled. "God has heard your prayers, little lamb. This little baby is the answer."

Joshua looked down at the baby. Somehow he knew this was a special child, and this was a special moment.

He also understood why he had been born with a crippled leg. Had he been like the other sheep, he would have been in the valley. But since he was different, he was in the stable, among the first to welcome Jesus into the world.

He turned and walked back to Abigail and took his place beside his best friend. "You were right," he told her. "God does have a special place for me."

From: The Crippled Lamb
By Max Lucado, published by Tommy Nelson, 1994
ISBN-10: 0849910056, ISBN-13: 978-0849910050
Used with Permission

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Customer Review: THE CRIPPLED LAMB is quickly becoming a new Christmas classic for children. It tells the story of the birth of Christ through the eyes of Joshua, a little lamb. Joshua is disabled and therefore unable to graze in the fields since he cannot keep up with the others. He has to stay behind with his friend, Abigail the cow who tries to cheer him up by telling him "God has a special place for those who feel left out." ....[read more]

Categories: daily-thoughts Christmas perspective Jesus God

God is still speaking

2006-12-23T08:02:00.000+08:00

The man whispered, "God, speak to me"
And a meadowlark sang. But the man did not hear.

So the man yelled "God, speak to me"
And the thunder & lightning rolled across the sky.
But the man did not listen.

The man looked around and said, "God, let me see you."
And a star shined brightly.
But the man did not see.

And, the man shouted, "God, show me a miracle"
And a life was born.
But the man did not notice.

So, the man cried out in despair,
"Touch me, God, and let me know you are here"
Whereupon, God reached down and touched the man.
But the man brushed the butterfly away and walked on.

Don't miss out on a blessing because it isn't packaged the way that you expect.

Author Unknown

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Categories: daily-thoughts encouragement perspective attitude God

Daily Bible Reading

2006-12-22T08:17:00.000+08:00

Double click on the verses to read the verses online. In the new window, click on the speaker icon to listen to the verses.

Old Testament: Ezra 7:11 - 8:14

New Testament Revelation 13:1b - 18

Psalms/Proverbs Psalm 145:13b-21

Based on NIV Seasons of Reflection 365-Day Bible

Messages referring to the Bible Reading:

THE HAND OF THE LORD MY GOD WAS UPON ME
WHEN MEN BECOME BEASTS
How do I know?

Play Silent Night

Categories: Daily Bible Ezra Revelation Psalms sermon

A Gift from the Heart

2006-12-22T08:09:00.000+08:00

December is the busiest time of the year. Everyone's busy preparing for the holidays and continuing family traditions.

Has it ever crossed your mind, as to how many really stop and think what Christmas is all about?

Are we teaching our children the true meaning of Christmas or how many gifts need to be bought? If we have taught our children the true meaning of Christmas, what we've instilled in them will be carried into generations to come.

I like to see families create traditions all year long. After all, the original gift to all of us here on earth, was given from His heart. For through our hearts, one single gift of kindness, can touch an endless amount of hearts forever.

This is a story about a child that saw the importance of giving and never thought about giving up. Some may think a child isn't old enough to carry enough wisdom to teach us all a lesson in living. But I've learned a heart grows from life's many challenges and sometimes a child's challenges can be far greater than some adults.

We met a little girl seven years ago, during one of my daughter's occasional hospital stays. Her name was Beth and she was my daughter's roommate for a week. Beth was a very happy girl despite her medical problems she was facing. Her long blonde curls always seemed to bounce with her smile. The girls got to know each other well and had become good friends. On the paediatric floor of the hospital, we saw many seriously ill children.

It was so sad, even though my daughter had an incurable kidney disease and not a very good chance of living to see old age herself. We always saw many children with all kinds of cancer, and sadly, enough Beth was one of those children.

She was doing two weeks of chemo and radiation. I was amazed at her will and determination to never give up despite how very sick her treatments made her. She was always concerned about my daughter and the other children with cancer she grew to know over her many hospital stays.

My daughter's IV treatments were done after a week and I was happy to finally bring her home. We were awaiting the final discharge orders when Beth appeared from the other side of the curtain that separated their beds.

She said, "I want you to have this. I know you need a new kidney, so keep this angel pin with you till you get better. She will watch over you so you smile all over. My friend, John gave this to me to watch over me, but it's time for this angel to watch over you. When you get your new kidney and smile, you can give this angel to someone that needs her too. I'm done reading my book so here's my bookmark that has a poem on it called, Don't Quit!, I know it by heart anyhow."

My daughter thanked her and the girls exchanged hugs and big smiles. I knew, we may never see Beth again, but we never forgot the gift she gave from her heart that day. During that year, we found out Beth has passed away. It was so sad to know such a beautiful little girl was no longer bouncing smiles to everyone she would meet. Her sincere kindness will stay with us forever.

We kept that angel for six more years. My daughter had gone beyond what medical journals had studied and expected from her disease. Was it the angel watching over her or pure luck? My daughter ended up on kidney dialysis for over a year, and one month after almost losing her, a kidney became available and she received a transplant.

My heart tells me, an angel upstairs was watching with a loving smile. My daughter had kept that angel pin and now she felt it was time to give it to someone who needed watched over till they could smile again. She gave it to an elderly man trying to overcome the damage from heart problems and undergoing extensive therapy. His family has informed us, that when he returns home he wants to give the angel to someone he knows suffering from a brain tumour.

How many families and hearts this angel has touched no one knows for sure.

But all it took was one single gift of kindness, that has and will touch an endless amount of hearts forever.

So this Christmas season, look around and see that gift that can't be bought. Create a tradition with your children or maybe someone you love. Make someone's day and do the unexpected, let a friend know you care, or greet a stranger with a warm smile. Give the gift that keeps on giving. It's open twenty-four hours a day, three hundred and sixty-five days a year, it's a gift from your heart.

After all, isn't that what Christmas is all about?

By Bonnie, A Heartprint Original

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Categories: daily-thoughts Cristmas gifts perspective attitude

Bring Chips

2006-12-22T07:59:00.000+08:00

A little boy wanted to meet God. He knew it was a long trip to where God lived, so he packed his suitcase with a bag of corn chips and a six-pack of root beer and started his journey.

When he had gone about three blocks, he met an old woman. She was sitting in the park, just staring at some pigeons. The boy sat down next to her and opened his suitcase. He was about to take a drink from his root beer when he noticed that the old lady looked hungry, so he offered her some chips. She gratefully accepted it and smiled at him.

Her smile was so pretty that the boy wanted to see it again, so he offered her a root beer. Again, she smiled at him. The boy was delighted! They sat there all afternoon eating and smiling, but they never said a word.

As it grew dark, the boy realized how tired he was and he got up to leave; but before he had gone more than a few steps, he turned around, ran back to the old woman, and gave her a hug. She gave him her biggest smile ever.

When the boy opened the door to his own house a short time later, his mother was surprised by the look of joy on his face. She asked him, "What did you do today that made you so happy?"

He replied, "I had lunch with God." But before his mother could respond, he added, "You know what? She's got the most beautiful smile I've ever seen!"

Meanwhile, the old woman, also radiant with joy, returned to her home. Her son was stunned by the look of peace on her face and he asked, "Mother, what did you do today that made you so happy?"

She replied, "I ate corn chips in the park with God." However, before her son responded, she added, "You know, he's much younger than I expected."

Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around.

People come into our lives for a reason, a season, or a lifetime. Embrace all equally!

Author Unknown

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Categories: daily-thoughts perspective attitude caring encouragement

Daily Bible Reading

2006-12-21T08:17:00.000+08:00

Double click on the verses to read the verses online. In the new window, click on the speaker icon to listen to the verses.

Old Testament: Ezra 6:1 - 7:10

New Testament Revelation 12:1 - 13:1

Psalms/Proverbs Psalm 145:8-13a

Based on NIV Seasons of Reflection 365-Day Bible

Messages referring to the Bible Reading:

They Finished the Temple
MOVING ON TO OUR HIGH CALLING
WOMAN AND THE SERPENT
PRAISING THE NAME OF THE LORD

Play Silent Night

Categories: Daily Bible Ezra Revelation Psalms sermon

The Doll and a White Rose

2006-12-21T08:09:00.000+08:00

I hurried into the local department store to grab some last minute Christmas gifts. I looked at all the people and grumbled to myself. I would be in here forever and I just had so much to do. Christmas was beginning to become such a drag. I kinda wished that I could just sleep through Christmas. But I hurried the best I could through all the people to the toy department. Once again I kind of mumbled to myself at the prices of all these toys. And wondered if the grandkids would even play with them.

I found myself in the doll aisle. Out of the corner of my eye I saw a little boy about 5 holding a lovely doll. He kept touching her hair and he held her so gently. I could not seem to help myself. I just kept looking over at the little boy and wondered who the doll was for. I watched him turn to a woman and he called his aunt by name and said, "Are you sure I don't have enough money?"

She replied a bit impatiently, "You know that you don't have enough money for it." The aunt told the little boy not to go anywhere that she had to go get some other things and would be back in a few minutes. And then she left the aisle. The boy continued to hold the doll.

After a bit I asked the boy who the doll was for. He said, "It is the doll my sister wanted so badly for Christmas. She just knew that Santa would bring it." I told him that maybe Santa was going to bring it. He said "No, Santa can't go where my sister is. I have to give the doll to my Momma to take to her."

I asked him where his sister was. He looked at me with the saddest eyes and said "She has gone to be with Jesus. My Daddy says that Momma is going to have to go be with her." My heart nearly stopped beating.

Then the boy looked at me again and said, "I told my Daddy to tell Momma not to go yet. I told him to tell her to wait till I got back from the store." Then he asked me if I wanted to see his picture. I told him I would love to. He pulled out some pictures he'd had taken at the front of the store. He said "I want my Momma to take this with her so she don't ever forget me. I love my Momma so very much and I wish she did not have to leave me. But Daddy says she will need to be with my sister."

I saw that the little boy had lowered his head and had grown so very quiet. While he was not looking I reached into my purse and pulled out a hand full of bills. I ask the little boy, "Shall we count that money one more time?" He grew excited and said, "Yes, I just know it has to be enough." So I slipped my money in with his and we began to count it. And of course it was plenty for the doll. He softly said, "Thank you Jesus for giving me enough money." Then the boy said, "I just ask Jesus to give me enough money to buy this doll, so Momma can take it with her to give to my sister and he heard my prayer! I wanted to ask him for enough to buy my Momma a white rose, but I didn't ask him, but he gave me enough to buy the doll and a rose for my Momma. She loves white roses so very very much."

In a few minutes the aunt came back and I wheeled my cart away. I could not keep from thinking about the little boy as I finished my shopping in a totally different spirit than when I had started. And I kept remembering a story I had seen in the newspaper several days earlier about a drunk driver hitting a car and killing a little girl and the Mother was in serious condition. The family was deciding on whether to remove the life support. Now surely this little boy did not belong with that story.

Two days later I read in the paper where the family had disconnected the life support and the young woman had died. I could not forget the little boy and just kept wondering if the two were somehow connected. Later that day, I could not help myself and I went out and bought some white roses and took them to the funeral home where the young woman was. And there she was holding a lovely white rose, the beautiful doll, and the picture of the little boy in the store. I left there in tears, my life changed forever. The love that little boy had for his little sister and his mother was overwhelming. And in a split second a drunk driver had ripped the life of that little boy to pieces.

Written by V.A.Bailey

This holiday season and through out the coming year, please, Don't Drink and Drive!

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Categories: daily-thoughts Christmas gifts faith compassion love

A Christmas Parable

2006-12-21T08:06:00.000+08:00

Once upon a time, there was a man who looked on Christmas as a lot of humbug. His name wasn’t Scrooge. Actually he was a generous, kind and caring man. His family, neighbors and business associates held him in high regard. However, at Christmastime, when the churches were proclaiming the message of the Bible about God becoming incarnate in Jesus, he didn’t believe it. He was too honest to pretend that he did. Some of you might feel the same way.

On this particular Christmas Eve, his wife and children went off to church for Christmas Eve services. He again refused to accompany them. After they left, he noticed that the snowflakes had begun falling. He sat there looking out the window. The flurries became quite heavy. In a matter of minutes it looked like a pure white sheet outside. He thought, “Well, if we have to have Christmas, a white one would be nice.” He went back to his chair beside the fireplace and began reading his book. He read for a while until he was startled by a thud, then another and another. It sounded like someone throwing snowballs at his window.

He put down his book and went outside to investigate. He found a flock of birds huddling miserably in the snow. They had been caught in the storm and in a desperate search for shelter they tried to fly through his window. He thought, “I can’t let them stay there in the snow. They’ll freeze to death. What should I do?”

He looked across the yard at the old barn near the house. He decided that it could provide the shelter needed. He went back into the house to get his hat, coat, gloves and boots. By this time the snow was several inches deep. When he reached the barn, he opened the doors and turned on the light, thinking it would be a safe haven for the stranded birds. However those shivering creatures didn’t take his cue and stayed where they were. The man thought again about what he could do to save them. He went to the kitchen and found some bread which he cut into pieces. He then sprinkled the breadcrumbs from where the birds were all the way to the open door of the barn. The birds totally ignored the bread! They continued to flounder helplessly in the snow.

The man tried to figure out another approach. He went behind the birds and flapped his arms and clapped his hands to “shoo” them into the barn. They went in every direction except toward the barn. He was beside himself.

He thought, “They probably think about me as a rather strange and scary creature. I wish that just for a few minutes I could be a bird. Then I could lead them to safety.” At that moment the church bells began ringing the glad tidings of Christmas. He stood there as the snow fell and listened to the bells pealing Joy to the World and other Christmas carols. Then he fell to his knees and said, “Now I understand, O God, now I see why You had to come as Jesus.”

Christmas is understanding what it means to have God with us, and why He chose to be with us. He wants to lead us to eternal safety.

Attributed to Louis Cassells
from http://www.witandwisdom.org
Used with permission.

Ave Maria

Categories: daily-thoughts Christmas parable perspective God

Daily Bible Reading

2006-12-20T08:34:00.001+08:00

Double click on the verses to read the verses online. In the new window, click on the speaker icon to listen to the verses.

Old Testament: Ezra 4:6 - 5:17

New Testament Revelation 11:1-19

Psalms/Proverbs Psalm 145:1-7

Based on NIV Seasons of Reflection 365-Day Bible

Messages referring to the Bible Reading:

How to Stop the Church from Charging
Keep on, keeping on
THE LAST WARNING
PRAISING THE NAME OF THE LORD

Play Silent Night

Categories: Daily Bible Ezra Revelation Psalms sermon

May you always feel loved

2006-12-20T08:11:00.000+08:00

May you find serenity and tranquillity in a world you may not always understand.

May the pain you have known and the conflict you have experienced give you the strength to walk through life facing each new situation with courage and optimism.

Always know that there are those whose love and understanding will always be there, even when you feel most alone.

May you discover enough goodness in others to believe in a world of peace.

May a kind word, a reassuring touch, a warm smile be yours every day of your life, and may you give these gifts as well as receive them.

Remember the sunshine when the storm seems unending.

Teach love to those who know hate, and let that love embrace you as you go into the world.

May the teaching of those you admire become part of you, so that you may call upon them.

Remember, those whose lives you have touched and who have touched yours are always a part of you, even if the encounters were less than you would have wished.

It is the content of the encounter that is more important than its form.

May you not become too concerned with material matters, but instead place immeasurable value on the goodness in your heart.

Find time in each day to see the beauty and love in the world around you.

Realize that each person has limitless abilities, but each of us is different in our own way.

What you may feel you lack in one regard may be more than compensated for in another.

What you feel you lack in the present may become one of your strengths in the future.

May you see your future as one filled with promise and possibility.

Learn to view everything as a worthwhile experience.

May you find enough inner strength to determine your own worth by yourself, and not be dependent on another's judgements of your accomplishments.

May you always feel loved.

Author Unknown

Play Silent Night

Categories: daily-thoughts love wisdom attitude perspective

GOD KNOWS . . .

2006-12-20T07:40:00.000+08:00

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~

Author Unknown

Drummer boy

Categories: daily-thoughts perspective God perspective faith

Daily Bible Reading

2006-12-19T08:58:00.000+08:00

Double click on the verses to read the verses online. In the new window, click on the speaker icon to listen to the verses.

Old Testament: Ezra 2:68 - 4:5

New Testament Revelation 9:13 - 10:11

Psalms/Proverbs Proverbs 30:24-33

Based on NIV Seasons of Reflection 365-Day Bible

Messages referring to the Bible Reading:

Building Up What Was Broken Down
ALL HELL BREAKS LOOSE
THE END OF THE MYSTERY
CALLED TO STRETCH

Play Silent Night

Categories: Daily Bible Ezra Revelation Proverbs sermon

Mrs. Thompson and Teddy

2006-12-19T08:25:00.000+08:00

As she stood in front of her 5th grade class on the very first day of school, Mrs. Thompson told the children a lie. Like most teachers, she looked at her students and said that she loved them all the same.

But that was impossible, because there in the front row, slumped in his seat, was a little boy named Teddy Stoddard.

Mrs. Thompson had watched Teddy the year before and noticed that Teddy didn't play well with the other children. His clothes were messy. He constantly needed a bath. And Teddy could be unpleasant.

It got to the point where Mrs. Thompson actually took delight in marking his papers with a broad red pen, making bold X's and then putting a big "F" at the top of his papers.

At the school where Mrs. Thompson taught, she was required to review each child's past records. She put Teddy's off until the last. However, when she did review his file, she was in for a surprise.

Teddy's first grade teacher wrote, "Teddy is a bright child with a ready laugh. He does his work neatly and has good manners ... he is a joy to be around."

His second grade teacher wrote, "Teddy is an excellent student, well liked by his classmates, but he is troubled because his mother has a terminal illness and life at home must be a struggle."

His third grade teacher wrote, "His mother's death had been hard on him. He tries to do his best, but his father doesn't show much interest and his home life will soon affect him if some steps aren't taken."

Teddy's fourth grade teacher wrote, "Teddy is withdrawn and doesn't show much interest in school. He doesn't have many friends and he sometimes sleeps in class".

By now, Mrs. Thompson realized the problem and she was ashamed of herself. She felt even worse when her students brought her Christmas presents. All were wrapped in beautiful ribbons and bright paper, except for Teddy's. His present was clumsily wrapped in the heavy, brown paper that he got from a grocery bag. Mrs. Thompson took pains to open it in the middle of the other presents.

Some of the children started to laugh when she found a rhinestone bracelet with some of the stones missing, and a bottle that was one quarter full of perfume. But she stifled the children's laughter when she exclaimed how pretty the bracelet was, putting it on, and dabbing some of the perfume on her wrist.

Teddy Stoddard stayed after school that day just long enough to say, "Mrs. Thompson, today you smelled just like my Mom used to." After the children left she cried for at least an hour.

On that very day, she quit teaching reading, and writing, and arithmetic. Instead, she began to teach children.

Mrs. Thompson paid particular attention to Teddy. As she worked with him, his mind seemed to come alive. The more she encouraged him, the faster he responded. By the end of the year, Teddy had become one of the smartest children in the class and, despite her lie that she would love all the children the same, Teddy became her "favorite."

A year later, she found a note under her door, from Teddy, telling her that she was still the best teacher he ever had in his whole life. Six years went by before she got another note from Teddy. He then wrote that he had finished high school, third in his class, and she was still the best teacher he ever had in his whole life.

Four years after that, she got another letter, saying that while things had been tough at times, he'd stayed in school, had stuck with it, and would soon graduate from college with the highest of honors. He assured Mrs. Thompson that she was still the best and favorite teacher he ever had in his whole life.

Then four more years passed and yet another letter came. This time he explained that after he got his bachelor's degree, he decided to go a little further. The letter explained that she was still the best and favorite teacher he ever had. But now his name was a little longer - The letter was signed, Theodore F. Stoddard, MD.

The story didn't end there. There was yet another letter that spring. Teddy said he'd met this girl and was going to be married. He explained that his father had died a couple of years ago and he was wondering if Mrs. Thompson might agree to sit in the place at the wedding that was usually reserved for the mother of the groom. Of course, Mrs. Thompson did.

And guess what? She wore that bracelet, the one with several rhinestones missing. And she made sure she was wearing the perfume that Teddy remembered his mother wearing on their last Christmas together. They hugged each other, and Dr. Stoddard whispered in Mrs. Thompson's ear, "Thank you, Mrs. Thompson, for believing in me. Thank you so much for making me feel important and showing me that I could make a difference."

Mrs. Thompson, with tears in her eyes, whispered back. "Teddy, you have it all wrong. You were the one who taught me that I could make a difference. I didn't know how to teach until I met you."

Please remember that wherever you go, and whatever you do, you will have the opportunity to touch and/or change a person's outlook. And when you do, please try to do it in a positive way.

By Elizabeth Silance Ballard,
Home Life Magazine, 1976
A beautiful video of the above story

Categories: daily-thoughts compassion teacher perspective attitude inspiration

A Christmas Story

2006-12-19T08:02:00.000+08:00

It's just a small, white envelope stuck among the branches of our Christmas tree. No name, no identification, no inscription. It has peeked through the branches of our tree for the past 10 years or so. It all began because my husband Mike hated Christmas---oh, not the true meaning of Christmas, but the commercial aspects of it. Overspending, the frantic running around at the last minute to get a tie for Uncle Harry and the dusting powder for Grandma---the gifts given in desperation because you couldn't think of anything else. Knowing he felt this way, I decided one year to bypass the usual shirts, sweaters, ties and so forth. I reached for something special just for Mike.

The inspiration came in an unusual way. Our son Kevin, who was 12 that year, was wrestling at the junior level at the school he attended; and shortly before Christmas, there was a non-league match against a team sponsored by an inner-city church, mostly black. These youngsters, dressed in sneakers so ragged that shoestrings seemed to be the only thing holding them together, resented a sharp contrast to our boys in their spiffy blue and gold uniforms and sparkling new wrestling shoes. As the match began, I was alarmed to see that the other team was wrestling without headgear, a kind of light helmet designed to protect a wrestler's ears. It was a luxury the ragtag team obviously could not afford. Well, we ended up walloping them. We took every weight class. And as each of their boys got up from the mat, he swaggered around in his tatters with false bravado, a kind of street pride that couldn't acknowledge defeat. Mike, seated beside me, shook his head sadly, "I wish just one of them could have won," he said. "They have a lot of potential, but losing like this could take the heart right out of them." Mike loved kids--all kids--and he knew them, having coached little league football, baseball and lacrosse.

That's when the idea for his present came. That afternoon, I went to a local sporting goods store and bought an assortment of wrestling headgear and shoes and sent them anonymously to the inner-city church. On Christmas Eve, I placed the envelope on the tree, the note inside telling Mike what I had done and that this was his gift from me. His smile was the brightest thing about Christmas that year and in succeeding years. For each Christmas, I followed the tradition---one year sending a group of mentally handicapped youngsters to a hockey game, another year a check to a pair of elderly brothers whose home had burned to the ground the week before Christmas, and on and on. The envelope became the highlight of our Christmas. It was always the last thing opened on Christmas morning and our children, ignoring their new toys, would stand with wide-eyed anticipation as their dad lifted the envelope from the tree to reveal its contents.

As the children grew, the toys gave way to more practical presents, but the envelope never lost its allure. But the story doesn't end there. You see, we lost Mike, last year, due to dreaded cancer. When Christmas rolled around, I was still so wrapped in grief that I barely got the tree up. But Christmas Eve found me placing an envelope on the tree, and in the morning, it was joined by three more. Each of our children, unbeknownst to the others, had placed an envelope on the tree for their dad.

The tradition has grown and someday will expand even further with our grandchildren standing around the tree with wide-eyed anticipation watching as their fathers take down the envelope. Mike's spirit, like the Christmas spirit, will always be with us.

May we all remember Christ, who is the reason for the season, and the true Christmas spirit this year and always.

Author Unknown

Play How Great Thou Art

Categories: daily-thoughts Christmas perspective attitude living

Daily Bible Reading

2006-12-18T09:21:00.000+08:00

Double click on the verses to read the verses online. In the new window, click on the speaker icon to listen to the verses.

Old Testament: Ezra 1:1 - 2:67

New Testament Revelation 8:1 - 9:12

Psalms/Proverbs Psalm 144:9-15

Based on NIV Seasons of Reflection 365-Day Bible

Messages referring to the Bible Reading:

EZRA: THE WAY BACK
ANGELS OF DOOM
ALL HELL BREAKS LOOSE
HOW BLESSED ARE THE PEOPLE WHOSE GOD IS THE LORD

Play Silent Night

Categories: Daily Bible Ezra Revelation Psalms sermon

What The Season Is All About!

2006-12-18T09:14:00.000+08:00

We were the only family with children in the restaurant. I sat Erik in a high chair and noticed everyone was quietly eating and talking. Suddenly Erik squealed with glee and said, "Hi there."

He pounded his fat baby hands on the high-chair tray. His eyes were wide with excitement and his mouth was bared in a toothless grin. He wriggled and giggled with merriment.

I looked around and saw the source of his merriment. It was a man with a tattered rag of a coat; dirty, greasy and worn. His pants were baggy with a zipper at half-mast and his toes poked out of would-be shoes. His shirt was dirty and his hair was uncombed and unwashed. His whiskers were too short to be called a beard and his nose was so varicose it looked like a road map. We were too far from him to smell, but I was sure he smelled.

His hands waved and flapped on loose wrists. "Hi there, baby; hi there, big boy. I see ya, buster," the man said to Erik. My husband and I exchanged looks, "What do we do?"

Erik continued to laugh and answered, "Hi, hi there".

Everyone in the restaurant noticed and looked at us and then at the man. The old geezer was creating a nuisance with my beautiful baby. Our meal came and the man began shouting from across the room, "Do ya know patty cake? Do you know peek-a-boo? Hey, look, he knows peek-a-boo."

Nobody thought the old man was cute. He was obviously drunk. My husband and I were embarrassed. We ate in silence; all except for Erik,who was running through his repertoire for the admiring skid row bum, who in turn, reciprocated with his cute comments. We finally got through the meal and headed for the door. My husband went to pay the check and told me to meet him in the parking lot. The old man sat poised between me and the door. "Lord, just let me out of here before he speaks to me or Erik," I prayed.

As I drew closer to the man, I turned my back trying to side-step him and avoid any air he might be breathing. As I did, Erik leaned over my arm reaching with both arms in a baby's "pick-me-up" position. Before I could stop him, Erik had propelled himself from my arms to the man's. Suddenly a very old smelly man and a very young baby consummated their love relationship.

Erik in an act of total trust, love, and submission laid his tiny head upon the man's ragged shoulder. The man's eyes closed, and I saw tears hover beneath his lashes. His aged hands full of grime, pain, and hard labor --gently,so gently, cradled my baby's bottom and stroked his back. No two beings have ever loved so deeply for so short a time. I stood awestruck.

The old man rocked and cradled Erik in his arms for a moment, and then his eyes opened and set squarely on mine. He said in a firm commanding voice, "You take care of this baby."

Somehow I managed, "I will," from a throat that contained a stone. He pried Erik from his chest -- unwillingly, longingly, as though he were in pain.

I received my baby, and the man said, "God bless you, ma'am, you've given me the best Christmas gift."

I said nothing more than a muttered thanks. With Erik in my arms. I ran for the car.

My husband was wondering why I was crying and holding Erik so tightly, and why I was saying, "My God, my God, forgive me." I had just witnessed Christ's love shown through the innocence of a tiny child who saw no sin, who made no judgment; a child who saw a soul, and a mother who saw a suit of clothes.

I was a Christian who was blind, holding a child who was not.

I felt it was God asking "Are you willing to share your son for a moment?" when He shared His for all eternity.

The ragged old man, unwittingly, had reminded me, "To enter the Kingdom of God, we must become as little children."

Author Unknown

Play Silent Night

Captured by Grace
by David Jeremiah; Price: $14.29(-35%)
Customer Review: By following the dramatic story of the "Amazing Grace" hymn writer John Newton, and the Apostle Paul's own encounter with the God of grace, Dr. David Jeremiah helps readers understand the freeing power of permanent forgiveness and mercy. Here are dramatic stories and biblical insights about the very... [read more]

Categories: daily-thoughts Christmas gift perspective attitude living

First Corinthians 13 - Christmas Version

2006-12-18T07:35:00.000+08:00

If I decorate my house perfectly with plaid bows
Strands of twinkling lights and shiny balls,
But do not show love to my family,
I'm just another decorator.

If I slave away in the kitchen baking dozens of Christmas cookies,
Preparing gourmet meals and arranging a beautifully adorned table at mealtime,
But do not show love to my family,
I'm just another cook.

If I work at the soup kitchen, carol in the nursing homes
And give all that I have to charity,
But do not show love to my family,
It profits me nothing.

If I trim the spruce with shimmering angels and crocheted snowflakes,
Attend a myriad of holiday parties, and sing in the choir's cantata,
But do not focus on Christ,
I have missed the point.

Love stops the cooking to hug the child.
Love sets aside the decorating to kiss the spouse.
Love is kind, though harried and tired.
Love doesn't envy another's house
That has coordinated Christmas china and table linens.

Love doesn't yell at the kids to get out of the way,
But is thankful they are there to be in the way.
Love doesn't give only to those who are able to give in return,
But rejoices in giving to those who can't.

Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
Love never fails.

Video games will break, pearl necklaces will be lost, golf clubs will rust
But the gift of love will endure.

Submitted by Sheri Hanson to http://www.witandwisdom.org
Used by permission.

Play Amazing Grace

Categories: daily-thoughts Christmas perspective 1Corinthians living

Daily Bible Reading

2006-12-17T03:33:00.000+08:00

Double click on the verses to read the verses online. In the new window, click on the speaker icon to listen to the verses.

Old Testament: Malachi 2:17 - 4:6

New Testament Revelation 7:1 - 17

Psalms/Proverbs Psalm 144:1-8

Based on NIV Seasons of Reflection 365-Day Bible

Messages referring to the Bible Reading:

Healing the Land
The Rising of the Son
TO JEW AND GENTILE
HOW BLESSED ARE THE PEOPLE WHOSE GOD IS THE LORD

Play Silent Night

Categories: Daily Bible Malachi Revelation Psalms sermon

Gifts You Can Give Year Round

2006-12-17T03:24:00.000+08:00

These are gifts that you can always give throughtout the year!

~ The Gift of Praise ~
Appropriate mention, right in front of the other fellow,
of superior qualities or of a job or deeds well done.

~ The Gift of Consideration ~
Putting yourself in the other's shoes and thus providing
your genuine understanding of his side of the case.

~ The Gift of Concession ~
Humbly saying at just the right point,
"I am sorry, you are right and I am wrong."

~ The Gift of Gratitude ~
Never forgetting to say "Thank You"
and never failing to mean it.

~ The Gift of Attention ~
When the other fellow speaks, listen attentively.
If his words are directed to you personally,
meet his eye squarely.

~ The Gift of Inspiration ~
Plant seeds of courage and action
in the other person's heart.

~ The Gift of Personal Presence ~
In sickness, in trouble, or in great joy, there is nothing quite
equal to your personal expression of sympathy or congratulations.
Resolve to give these gifts each day. You will be pleasantly
surprised at what you will receive in return.

Author Unknown

Play Silent Night

Categories: daily-thoughts gifts Christmas living

Who Started Christmas?

2006-12-17T03:16:00.000+08:00

A woman was out Christmas shopping with her two children. After many hours of looking at row after row of toys and everything else imaginable, and after hours of hearing both her children asking for everything they saw on those many shelves, she finally made it to the elevator with her two kids.

She was feeling what so many of us feel during the holiday season time of the year. Overwhelming pressure to go to every party, every housewarming, taste all the holiday food and treats, getting that perfect gift for every single person on our shopping list, making sure we don't forget anyone on our card list, and the pressure of making sure we respond to everyone who sent us a card.

Finally the elevator doors opened and there was already a crowd in the car. She pushed her way in and dragged her two kids in with her and all the bags of stuff.

When the doors closed she couldn't take it anymore and stated, "Whoever started this whole Christmas thing should be found, strung up and shot."

From the back of the car everyone heard a quiet calm voice respond, "Don't worry we already crucified him."

For the rest of the trip down the elevator it was so quiet you could have heard a pin drop.

Don't forget this year to keep the One who started this whole Christmas thing in your every thought, deed, purchase, and word. If we all did it, just think of how different this whole world would be.

Author Unknown

Play Silent Night

Categories: daily-thoughts Christmas meaning perspective Jesus living

Daily Bible Reading

2006-12-16T04:25:00.001+08:00

Double click on the verses to read the verses online. In the new window, click on the speaker icon to listen to the verses.

Old Testament: Malachi 1:1 - 2:16

New Testament Revelation 6:1 - 17

Psalms/Proverbs Psalm 143:1-12

Based on NIV Seasons of Reflection 365-Day Bible

Messages referring to the Bible Reading:

MALACHI: THINK UPON HIS NAME
God Loves You
The Cure for Boredom
The Wife of Your Youth
FOUR TERRIBLE HORSEMEN
STAYING UPBEAT WHEN YOU ARE BEING BEAT UP

Play Silent Night

Categories: Daily Bible Malachi Revelation Psalms sermon

Give Thanks

2006-12-16T04:04:00.000+08:00

An old man walks down a Florida beach. The sun sets like an orange ball on the horizon. The waves slap the sand. The smell of saltwater stings the air. The beach is vacant. No sun to entice the sunbathers. Not enough light for the fishermen. So, aside from a few joggers and strollers, the gentleman is alone.

He carries a bucket in his bony hand. A bucket of shrimp. It's not for him. It's not for the fish. It's for the sea gulls.

He walks to an isolated pier cast in gold by the setting sun. He steps out to the end of the pier. The time has come for the weekly ritual.

He stands and waits.

Soon the sky becomes a mass of dancing dots. The evening silence gives way to the screeching of birds. They fill the sky and then cover the moorings. They are on a pilgrimage to meet the old man.

For a half hour or so, the bushy-browed, shoulder-bent gentleman will stand on the pier, surrounded by the birds of the sea, until his bucket is empty.

But even after the food is gone, his feathered friends still linger. They linger as if they're attracted to more than just food. They perch on his hat. They walk on the pier. And they all share a moment together.

The old man on the pier couldn't go a week without saying "thank you."

His name was Eddie Rickenbacker. If you were alive in October 1942, you probably remember the day that he was reported missing at sea.

He had been sent on a mission to deliver a message to Gen. Douglas MacArthur. With a handpicked crew in a B-17 known as the "Flying Fortress," he set off across the South Pacific. Somewhere the crew became lost, the fuel ran out, and the plane went down.

All eight crew members escaped into the life rafts. They battled the weather, the water, the sharks, and the sun. But most of all, they battled the hunger. After eight days, their rations were gone. They ran out of options. It would take a miracle for them to survive.

And a miracle occurred.

After an afternoon devotional service, the men said a prayer and tried to rest. As Rickenbacker was dozing with his hat over his eyes, something landed on his head. He would later say that he knew it was a sea gull. He didn't know how he knew; he just knew. That gull meant food . . . if he could catch it. And he did.

The flesh was eaten. The intestines were used as fish bait. And the crew survived.

What was a sea gull doing hundreds of miles away from land?

Only God knows.

But whatever the reason, Rickenbacker was thankful. As a result, every Friday evening this old captain walked to the pier, his bucket full of shrimp and his heart full of thanks.

We'd be wise to do the same. We've much in common with Rickenbacker. We, too, were saved by a Sacrificial Visitor.

We, too, were rescued by One who journeyed far from only God knows where.

And we, like the captain, have every reason to look into the sky . . . and worship.

From "In the Eye of the Storm"
By Max Lucado,
W Publishing Group, ISBN: 0849943256.
Used with permission

Max Lucado is pastor of Oak Hills Church in San Antonio, Texas, where he lives with his wife and three daughters.

Live by Shekinah Glory Ministry; Price: $12.98(28% off)
Customer Review: This is an awesome compilation of Worship music. The lyrics are reflective and immediately will prepare your heart, mind and spirit for thanksgiving. This CD has blessed my soul and has helped me to practice being quiet, so that I can reflect on God's greatness.[Buy from Amazon]

Categories: daily-thoughts gratitude miracle thanksgiving faith

Where is God's Perfection?

2006-12-16T03:00:00.000+08:00

In Brooklyn, New York, Chush (pronounced "khoosh") is a school that caters to learning-disabled children. Some children remain in Chush for their entire school career, while others can be main-streamed into conventional schools.

At a Chush fund-raising dinner, the father of a Chush child delivered a speech that would never be forgotten by all who attended.

After extolling the school and its dedicated staff, he cried out, "Where is the perfection in my son Shaya? Everything God does is done with perfection. But my child cannot understand things as other children do. My child cannot remember facts and figures as other children do. Where is God's perfection?"

The audience was shocked by the question, pained by the father's anguish and stilled by the piercing query. "I believe," the father answered,"that when God brings a child like this into the world, the perfection that He seeks is in the way people react to this child."

He then told the following story about his son Shaya:

One afternoon Shaya and his father walked past a park where some boys Shaya knew were playing baseball. Shaya asked, "Do you think they will let me play?" Shaya's father knew that his son was not at all athletic and that most boys would not want him on their team. But Shaya's father understood that if his son was chosen to play it would give him a comfortable sense of belonging.

Shaya's father approached one of the boys in the field and asked if Shaya could play. The boy looked around for guidance from his team-mates.

Getting none, he took matters into his own hands and said, "We are losing by six runs and the game is in the eighth inning. I guess he can be on our team and we'll try to put him up to bat in the ninth inning."

Shaya's father was ecstatic as Shaya smiled broadly. Shaya was told to put on a glove and go out to play short center field.

In the bottom of the eighth inning, Shaya's team scored a few runs but was still behind by three. In the bottom of the ninth inning, Shaya's team scored again and now with two outs and the bases loaded with the potential winning run on base, Shaya was scheduled to be up. Would the team actually let Shaya bat at this juncture and give away their chance to win the game?

Surprisingly, Shaya was given the bat. Everyone knew that it was all but impossible because Shaya didn't even know how to hold the bat properly,let alone hit with it. However, as Shaya stepped up to the plate, the pitcher moved a few steps to lob the ball in softly so Shaya should at least be able to make contact. The first pitch came in and Shaya swung clumsily and missed. One of Shaya's team-mates came up to Shaya and together they held the bat and faced the pitcher waiting for the next pitch. The pitcher again took a few steps forward to toss the ball softly toward Shaya.

As the pitch came in, Shaya and his team-mate swung the bat and together they hit a slow ground ball to the pitcher. The pitcher picked up the soft grounder and could easily have thrown the ball to the first baseman. Shaya would have been out and that would have ended the game. Instead, the pitcher took the ball and threw it on a high arc to right field, far beyond reach of the first baseman.

Everyone started yelling, "Shaya, run to first. Run to first!" Never in his life had Shaya run to first. He scampered down the baseline wide eyed and startled. By the time he reached first base, the right fielder had the ball. He could have thrown the ball to the second baseman who would tag out Shaya, who was still running. But the right fielder understood what the pitcher's intentions were, so he threw the ball high and far over the third baseman's head.

Everyone yelled, "Run to second, run to second." Shaya ran towards second base as the runners ahead of him deliriously circled the bases towards home. As Shaya reached second base, the opposing short stop ran to him, turned him in the direction of third base and shouted, "Run to third." As Shaya rounded third, the boys from both teams ran behind him screaming,"Shaya run home!" Shaya ran home, stepped on home plate and all 18 boys lifted him on their shoulders and made him the hero, as he had just hit a "grand slam" and won the game for his team.

That day," said the father softly with tears now rolling down his face, "those 18 boys reached their level of God's perfection."

Author Unknown

Categories: daily-thoughts perfection God encouragement

Daily Bible Reading

2006-12-15T17:20:00.000+08:00

Double click on the verses to read the verses online. In the new window, click on the speaker icon to listen to the verses.

Old Testament: Esther 9:1 - 10:3

New Testament Revelation 5:1 - 14

Psalms/Proverbs Proverbs 30:11-23

Based on NIV Seasons of Reflection 365-Day Bible

Messages referring to the Bible Reading:

THE SWEET TASTE OF VICTORY
A DAY TO REMEMBER
Review - ESTHER: A QUEEN UNDER CONTROL
THE GREAT BREAKTHROUGH
There is a generation

Play Silent Night

Categories: Daily Bible Esther Revelation Proverbs sermon

Ben Stein's Last Column...

2006-12-15T17:16:00.000+08:00

For many years Ben Stein has written a biweekly column for the e-online website called "Monday Night At Morton's (Morton's is a famous chain of Steakhouses known to be frequented by movie stars and famous people from around the globe)". Now, Ben is terminating the column to move on to other things in his life. Reading his final column is worth a few minutes of your time because it is really about what is important in life.

As I begin to write this, I "slug" it, as we writers say, which means I put a heading on top of the document to identify it.

This heading is "FINAL," and it gives me a shiver to write it. I have been doing this column for so long that I cannot even recall when I started. I loved writing this column so much for so long I came to believe it would never end.

It worked well for a long time, but gradually, my changing as a person and the world's change have overtaken it.

On a small scale, Morton's, while better than ever, no longer attracts as many stars as it used to. It still brings in the rich people in droves and definitely some stars. I saw Samuel L. Jackson there a few days ago, and we had a nice visit, and right before that, I saw and had a splendid talk with Warren Beatty in an elevator, in which we agreed that Splendor in the Grass was a super movie. But Morton's is not the star galaxy it once was, though it probably will be again.

Beyond that, a bigger change has happened. I no longer think Hollywood stars are terribly important. They are uniformly pleasant, friendly people, and they treat me better than I deserve to be treated. But a man or woman who makes a huge wage for memorizing lines and reciting them in front of a camera is no longer my idea of a shining star we should all look up to.

How can a man or woman who makes an eight-figure wage and lives in insane luxury really be a star in today's world, if by a "star" we mean someone bright and powerful and attractive as a role model? Real stars are not riding around in the backs of limousines or in Porsches or getting trained in yoga or Pilates and eating only raw fruit while they have Vietnamese girls do their nails. They can be interesting, nice people, but they are not heroes to me any longer.

A real star is the soldier of the 4th Infantry Division who poked his head into a hole on a farm near Tikrit, Iraq. He could have been met by a bomb or a hail of AK-47 bullets. Instead, he faced an abject Saddam Hussein and the gratitude of all of the decent people of the world. A real star is the U.S. soldier who was sent to disarm a bomb next to a road north of Baghdad. He approached it, and the bomb went off and killed him...

A real star, the kind who haunts my memory night and day, is the U.S. soldier in Baghdad who saw a little girl playing with a piece of unexploded ordnance on a street near where he was guarding a station. He pushed her aside and threw himself on it just as it exploded. He left a family desolate in California and a little girl alive in Baghdad.

The stars who deserve media attention are not the ones who have lavish weddings on TV but the ones who patrol the streets of Mosul even after two of their buddies were murdered and their bodies battered and stripped for the sin of trying to protect Iraqis from terrorists.

We put couples with incomes of $100 million a year on the covers of our magazines. The noncoms and officers who barely scrape by on military pay but stand on guard in Afghanistan and Iraq and on ships and in submarines and near the Arctic Circle are anonymous as they live and die.

I am no longer comfortable being a part of the system that has such poor values, and I do not want to perpetuate those values by pretending that who is eating at Morton's is a big subject.

There are plenty of other stars in the American firmament....

The policemen and women who go off on patrol in South Central and have no idea if they will return alive.

The orderlies and paramedics who bring in people who have been in terrible accidents and prepare them for surgery.

The teachers and nurses who throw their whole spirits into caring for autistic children, the kind men and women who work in hospices and in cancer wards.

Think of each and every fireman who was running up the stairs at the World Trade Center as the towers began to collapse.

Now you have my idea of a real hero.

We are not responsible for the operation of the universe, and what happens to us is not terribly important.

God is real, not a fiction, and when we turn over our lives to Him, he takes far better care of us than we could ever do for ourselves. In a word, we make ourselves sane when we fire ourselves as the directors of the movie of our lives and turn the power over to Him.

I came to realize that life lived to help others is the only one that matters. This is my highest and best use as a human.

I can put it another way.

Years ago, I realized I could never be as great an actor as Olivier or as good a comic as Steve Martin--or Martin Mull or Fred Willard-- or as good an economist as Samuelson or Friedman, or as good a writer as Fitzgerald. Or even remotely close to any of them. But I could be a devoted father to my son, husband to my wife and, above all, a good son to the parents who had done so much for me. This came to be my main task in life.

I did it moderately well with my son, pretty well with my wife and well indeed with my parents (with my sister's help). I cared for and paid attention to them in their declining years. I stayed with my father as he got sick, went into extremis, into a coma, and then entered immortality with my sister and me reading him the Psalms.

This was the only point at which my life touched the lives of the soldiers in Iraq or the firefighters in New York.

I came to realize that life lived to help others is the only one that matters and that it is my duty, in return for the lavish life God has devolved upon me, to help others He has placed in my path. This is my highest and best use as a human.

Faith is not so much believing that God can. It is knowing that God will.

By Ben Stein, August 9, 2004

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Categories: daily-thoughts perspective value attitude

Parable of the Pencil

2006-12-15T03:49:00.000+08:00

The Pencil Maker took the pencil aside, just before putting it into the box. There are five things you need to know, he told the pencil, before I send you out into the world. Always remember them and never forget, and you will become the best pencil you can be.

[1] You will be able to do many great things, but only if you allow yourself to be held in Someone's hand.

[2] You will experience a painful sharpening from time to time, but you'll need it to become a better pencil.

[3] You will be able to correct mistakes you will make.

[4] The most important part of you will always be what's inside.

[5] On every surface you are used on, you must leave your mark. No matter what the condition, you must continue to write.

The pencil understood and promised to remember, and went into the box with purpose in its heart.

Now replacing the place of the pencil with you; always remember them and never forget, and you will become the best person you can be.

[1] You will be able to do many great things, but only if you allow yourself to be held in God's hand. And allow other human beings to access you for the many gifts you possess.

[2] You will experience a painful sharpening from time to time, by going through various problems, but you'll need it to become a stronger person.

[3] You will be able to correct mistakes you might make or grow through them.

[4] The most important part of you will always be what's on the inside.

[5] On every surface you walk, you must leave your mark. No matter what the situation, you must continue to serve God in everything.

Author unknown

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Categories: daily-thoughts parable perspective pencil attitude

Daily Bible Reading

2006-12-14T04:17:00.000+08:00

Double click on the verses to read the verses online. In the new window, click on the speaker icon to listen to the verses.

Old Testament: Esther 6:1 - 8:17

New Testament Revelation 4:1 - 11

Psalms/Proverbs Psalm 142:1-7

Based on NIV Seasons of Reflection 365-Day Bible

Messages referring to the Bible Reading:

THE PRICE OF SURVIVAL
HAMAN'S LAST SUPPER
THE LAW OF THE SPIRIT
SUPREME HEADQUARTERS
A CAVE MAN’S COMPLAINT

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Categories: Daily Bible Esther Revelation Psalms sermon

Precious Lord, take my hand.....

2006-12-14T04:10:00.000+08:00

In the 1930s, a jazz musician named Tommy lived in a little apartment in the city of Chicago.

He wasn't making much money at the time, and his wife was pregnant.

He got a telegram from St. Louis and it said, "Tommy, we want to you play in a jazz band down in St. Louis. We'll pay you some money and help you pay the food bills."

His wife was pregnant and about ready to deliver any night.

It was a cold, snowy Chicago night, and she said, "Honey, you had better go. But the baby may come tonight --- I'm not sure, honey, maybe you shouldn't!".....and so they talked about it.....

"But we need the money, honey, you had better go." Tommy got on the train, went down to St. Louis, played in the concert, and that night received his check.

And as he came off the stage, he received a telegram which said, "You are the proud father of a lovely baby son.....but your wife died in child birth."

He got on the train, tears flowing down his face, feeling guilty about leaving her alone that night.

He returned to Chicago and went to the hospital only to learn that his son had died....that precious little baby!

And Tommy went into a terrible depression and in discouragement left his music.

A week went by, two weeks, three weeks went by, four weeks...

Depressed and discouraged, he then sat at the piano and began to play a little bit.

A tune began to come to his mind, so he began to pen some words.....

'Precious Lord, take my hand.....
lead me on.....
let me stand.....
I am tired, I am weak, I am worn.....
through the dark and through the night.....
lead me on..... to the light.
Take my hand, precious Lord.....
Lead me home.'

Tommy Dorsey's "Precious Lord" has been called "the greatest gospel song of all time." People around the world know it, sing it, and love it because of its profound message of hope and faith. To date, the song has been translated into 32 languages.

When we are discouraged - with problems in our life too hard to bear..... with marriage problems..... with financial problems..... or health problems.....or any other problems, the only solution is.....'Precious Lord, take my hand, and lead me on, and help me stand.'

"For I am the LORD, your God, who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you." Isaiah 41:13

Author Unknown
For more info on the Tommy Dorsey and the song see the following websites:
Precious Lord, take my hand
Story Behind the Song
Precious Lord, Take My Hand sung by Elvis Presley
YouTube - Precious Lord Take my Hand

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Categories: daily-thoughts faith death sorrow saviour

The Echo of Life

2006-12-14T03:47:00.000+08:00

A son and his father were walking on the mountains.
Suddenly, the son falls, hurts himself and screams:
"AAAhhhhhhhhhhh!!!"

To his surprise, he hears the voice repeating,
somewhere in the mountain: "AAAhhhhhhhhhhh!!!"

Curious, he yells: "Who are you?"

He receives the answer: "Who are you?"

Angered at the response, he screams: "Coward!"

He receives the answer: "Coward!"

He looks to his father and asks: "What's going on?"

The father smiles and says: "My son, pay attention."
And then he screams to the mountain: "I admire you!"
The voice answers: "I admire you!"

Again the man screams: "You are a champion!"
The voice answers: "You are a champion!"

The boy is surprised, but does not understand.
Then the father explains: "People call this ECHO,
but really this is LIFE.

It gives you back everything you say or do.

Our life is simply a reflection of our actions.
If you want more love in the world, create more love in your heart.
If you want more competence in your team, improve your competence.

This relationship applies to everything, in all aspects of life;
Life will give you back everything you have given to it.

YOUR LIFE IS NOT A COINCIDENCE. IT'S A REFLECTION OF YOU!

Author Unknown

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Categories: daily-thoughts perspective reflection attitude

Daily Bible Reading

2006-12-13T05:34:00.001+08:00

Double click on the verses to read the verses online. In the new window, click on the speaker icon to listen to the verses.

Old Testament: Esther 2:19 - 5:14

New Testament Revelation 3:7 - 22

Psalms/Proverbs Psalm 141:1 - 10

Based on NIV Seasons of Reflection 365-Day Bible

Messages referring to the Bible Reading:

THE STRUGGLE FOR POWER
GOOD GRIEF
SOUL AND SPIRIT
THE LITTLE CHURCH THAT TRIED
THE POOR-RICH CHURCH
SPIRITUAL REVIVAL IS A DANGEROUS PURSUIT

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Categories: Daily Bible Esther Revelation Psalms sermon

TOOTHLESS GRIN

2006-12-13T05:21:00.000+08:00

I was doing some last-minute Christmas shopping in a toy store and decided to look at Barbie dolls for my nieces.

A nicely dressed little girl was excitedly looking through the Barbie dolls as well, with a roll of money clamped tightly in her little hand. When she came upon a Barbie she liked, she would turn and ask her father if she had enough money to buy it. He usually said "yes," but she would keep looking and keep going through their ritual of "do I have enough?"

As she was looking, a little boy wandered in across the aisle and started sorting through the Pokemon toys.

He was dressed neatly, but in clothes that were obviously rather worn, and wearing a jacket that was probably a couple of sizes too small. He too had money in his hand, but it looked to be no more than five dollars or so at the most.

He was with his father as well, and kept picking up the Pokemon video toys. Each time he picked one up and looked at his father, his father shook his head, "No."

The little girl had apparently chosen her Barbie, a beautifully dressed, glamorous doll that would have been the envy of every little girl on the block.

However, she had stopped and was watching the interchange between the little boy and his father. Rather dejectedly, the boy had given up on the video games and had chosen what looked like a book of stickers instead. He and his father then started walking through another aisle of the store.

The little girl put her Barbie back on the shelf, and ran over to the Pokemon games. She excitedly picked up one that was lying on top of the other toys, and raced toward the check-out, after speaking with her father. I picked up my purchases and got in line behind them. Then, much to the little girl's obvious delight, the little boy and his father got in line behind me.

After the toy was paid for and bagged, the little girl handed it back to the cashier and whispered something in her ear. The cashier smiled and put the package under the counter.

I paid for my purchases and was rearranging things in my purse when the little boy came up to the cashier. The cashier rang up his purchases and then said, "Congratulations, you are my hundredth customer today, and you win a prize!"

With that, she handed the little boy the Pokemon game, and he could only stare in disbelief.

It was, he said, exactly what he had wanted!

The little girl and her father had been standing at the doorway during all of this, and I saw the biggest, prettiest, toothless grin on that little girl that I have ever seen in my life. Then they walked out the door, and I followed close behind them.

As I walked back to my car in amazement over what I had just witnessed, I heard the father ask his daughter why she had done that. I'll never forget what she said to him.

"Daddy, didn't Nana and PawPaw want me to buy something that would make me happy?"

He said, "Of course they did, honey."

To which the little girl replied, "Well, I just did!"

With that, she giggled and started skipping toward their car.

Apparently, she had decided on the answer to her own question of, "do I have enough?"

I feel very privileged to have witnessed the true spirit of Christmas in that toy store, in the form of a little girl who understands more about the reason for the season than most adults I know!

May God bless her and her parents, just as she blessed that little boy and me that day!

By Sharon Mason Palmer
beeparoni@yahoo.com

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Categories: daily-thoughts Christmas gifts perspective sharing

Every Moment Is Precious

2006-12-13T04:23:00.000+08:00

To realize the value of ONE YEAR
Ask a student who has failed his exam.

To realize the value of ONE MONTH
Ask a mother who has given birth to a premature baby.

To realize the value of ONE WEEK
Ask an editor of a weekly newspaper.

To realize the value of ONE DAY
Ask a daily wage laborer who has ten kids to feed.

To realize the value of ONE HOUR
Ask the lovers who are waiting to meet or ...

To realize the value of ONE MINUTE
Ask the person who missed the train.

To realize the value of ONE SECOND
Ask a person who has survived an accident.

To realize the value of ONE MILLI-SECOND
Ask the person who won a "silver" medal in the Olympics.

"Treasure every moment that you have,

because you never know when time may run out...

Author Unknown

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Categories: daily-thoughts time perspective living

Daily Bible Reading

2006-12-12T05:42:00.001+08:00

Double click on the verses to read the verses online. In the new window, click on the speaker icon to listen to the verses.

Old Testament: Esther 1:1 - 2:18

New Testament Revelation 2:18 - 3:6

Psalms/Proverbs Psalm 140:6-13

Based on NIV Seasons of Reflection 365-Day Bible

Messages referring to the Bible Reading:

ESTHER: A QUEEN UNDER CONTROL
A PAIR OF QUEENS
THYATIRA: THE WORLDLY CHURCH
THE CHURCH OF THE ZOMBIES
ARE YOU WEARING YOUR HELMET?

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Categories: Daily Bible Esther Revelation Psalms sermon

Will the Christ Child Come?

2006-12-12T05:25:00.000+08:00

One Christmas we had an interesting experience that made me think deeply about the true meaning of Christmas.

Halfway through December we were doing the regular evening things when there was a knock at the door. We opened it to find a small package with a beautiful ceramic lamb inside. We looked at the calendar and realized the 12 day of Christmas were beginning!! We waited excitedly for the next night's surprise and only then realized that the lamb was part of a nativity set.

Each night we grew more excited to see what piece we would receive. Each was exquisitely beautiful. The kids kept trying to catch the givers as we slowly built the scene at the manager and began to focus on Christ's birth.

On Christmas Eve, all the pieces were in place, except the baby Jesus! My twelve year old son really wanted to catch our benefactors and began to devise all kinds of ways to trap them. He ate his dinner in the mini-van watching and waiting, but no one came.

Finally, we called him in to go through our family's Christmas Eve traditions. But before the kids went to bed we checked the front step--No Baby Jesus! We began to worry that Reed had scared them off. My husband teased me that maybe they dropped the Jesus and that there wouldn't be anything coming. Everyone went to bed and I put out Christmas, but before I went to bed I again checked to see if Jesus had come.

In our family, the kids can open their stockings when they want to, but they have to wait to open any presents till Dad wakes up. So one by one they woke up very early and I got up to watch them. Even before the stockings were opened, we had checked to see if perhaps during the night the Baby Jesus had come. Missing that piece of the set seemed to have an odd effect. It changed my focus anyway. I knew there were presents under the tree for me and I was excited to watch the children open their gifts, but first on my mind was the feeling of waiting for the ceramic Christ Child.

We had opened just about all of the presents when one of the children handed me a small package a friend had given me. This sister and I had been partners in visiting church members. I had learned over time that their family didn't have much extra for Christmas so their focus was on their five children. It sounded like she didn't get much to open, so I had always given her a small package--new dish towels, a church book--not much, but something to unwrap on Christmas. This year I was touched when she had given me this small package at church on Christmas Eve day, saying it was just a small token of her love and appreciation.

As I took off the bow, I remembered my friendship with her and was filled with gratitude for knowing her and for her kindness and sacrifice in giving me a gift this year. But as the paper fell away, I began to tremble and cry. There in the small brown box was the baby Jesus. He had come!

I realized that Christmas that Christ will come into our lives in ways that we don't expect. The spirit of Christ comes into our hearts as we serve one other. We had waited and watched for Him to come, expecting the dramatic "knock at the door and scurrying of feet," but He came in a small, simple package that represented service, friendship, and love.

Each year as I put out this creche, I am reminded of the lessons I learned through that wonderful Christmas gift.

The experience taught me that the beginning of the true spirit of Christmas comes as we open our hearts and actively focus on the Savior. I discovered we will most likely find him in the small and simple acts of love, friendship and service that we give to each other. This Christmas I want to feel again the joy of knowing that Christ is in our home. I want to focus on loving and serving. More than that, I want to open my heart to Him all year that I may be with Him one day.

By Gaye Jones Willis, Juneau, Alaska
mailto:Gjwillis@aol.com
From http://www.witandwisdom.org
Used with permission

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Categories: daily-thoughts Christmas gift Jesus friendship

Do You Love Me?

2006-12-12T04:10:00.000+08:00

One day, I woke early in the morning to watch the sunrise.
Ah the beauty of God’s creation is beyond description.
As I watched, I praised God for His beautiful work.
As I sat there, I felt the Lord’s presence with me.
He asked me,
“Do you love me?”

I answered,
“Of course, God! You are my Lord and Saviour!”

Then He asked,
“If you were physically handicapped, would you still love me?”

I was perplexed.
I looked down upon my arms, legs and the rest of my body
and wondered how many things I wouldn’t be able to do,
The things that I took for granted.
And I answered, “It would be tough Lord, but I would still love You.”

Then the Lord said,
“If you were blind, would you still love my creation?”

How could I love something without being able to see it?
Then I thought of all the blind people in the world and
how many of them still loved God and His creation.
So I answered, “Its hard to think of it, but I would still love you.”

The Lord then asked me,
“If you were deaf, would you still listen to my word?”

How could I listen to anything being deaf? then I understood.
Listening to God’s Word is not merely using our ears, but our hearts. I answered,
“It would be tough, but I would still listen to Your word.”

The Lord then asked,
“If you were mute, would you still praise My Name?”
How could I praise without a voice?
Then it occurred to me:
God wants us to sing from our very heart and soul.
It never matters what we sound like.
And praising God is not always with a song,
but when we are persecuted, we give God praise with our words of thanks.
So I answered,
“Though I could not physically sing, I would still praise Your Name.
And the Lord asked,
“Do you really love Me?”
With courage and a strong conviction, I answered boldly,
“Yes Lord! I love You because You are the one and true God!”

I thought I had answered well, but God asked,
“THEN WHY DO YOU SIN?”
I answered, “Because I am only human. I am not perfect.”
“THEN WHY IN TIMES OF PEACE DO YOU STRAY THE FURTHEST?
WHY ONLY IN TIMES OF TROUBLE DO YOU PRAY THE EARNEST?”
No answers. Only tears.
The Lord continued:
“Why only sing at fellowships and retreats?
Why seek Me only in times of worship?
Why ask things so selfishly? Why ask things so unfaithfully?”

The tears continued to roll down my cheeks.

“Why are you ashamed of Me?
Why are you not spreading the good news?
Why in times of persecution, you cry to others when I offer My shoulder to cry on?
Why make excuses when I give you opportunities to serve in My Name?”
I tried to answer, but there was no answer to give.

“You are blessed with life. I made you not to throw this gift away.
I have blessed you with talents to serve Me, but you continue to turn away.
I have revealed My Word to you, but you do not gain in knowledge.
I have spoken to you but your ears were closed.
I have shown My blessings to you, but your eyes were turned away.
I have sent you servants, but you sat idly by as they were pushed away.
I have heard your prayers and I have answered them all.”
“DO YOU TRULY LOVE ME ?”

I could not answer. How could I? I was embarrassed beyond belief.
I had no excuse. What could I say to this?
When the tears had flowed, I said,
“ Please forgive me Lord. I am unworthy to be Your child.”
The Lord answered,
“ That is My Grace, My child.”
I asked, “ Then why do you continue to forgive me? Why do You love me so?”

The Lord answered,
“ Because you are My creation. You are my child. I will never abandon you.
When you cry, I will have compassion and cry with you.
When you shout with joy, I will laugh with you.
When you are down, I will encourage you.
When you fall, I will raise you up.
When you are tired, I will carry you.
I will be with you till the end of days, and I will love you forever.”

Never had I cried so hard before.
How could I have been so cold?
How could I have hurt God as I had done?
I asked God, “How much do You love me?”

The Lord stretched out His arms, and I saw His nail-pierced hands.
I bowed down at the feet of Christ, my Saviour.
And for the first time, I truly prayed.

Author Unknown

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Categories: daily-thoughts God perspective attitude living

Daily Bible Reading

2006-12-11T05:03:00.000+08:00

Double click on the verses to read the verses online. In the new window, click on the speaker icon to listen to the verses.

Old Testament: Zechariah 12:1 - 14:21

New Testament Revelation 2:1 - 2:17

Psalms/Proverbs Proverbs 30:1-10

Based on NIV Seasons of Reflection 365-Day Bible

Messages referring to the Bible Reading:

Zechariah - I Am Zealous For Zion (Part 5)
Review - ZECHARIAH: YOU RETURN TO ME...I'LL RETURN TO YOU!
THE CHURCH THAT LOST ITS LOVE
THE PRESSURED CHURCH AND THE COMPROMISING CHURCH
DIARY OF A WISE OLD MAN

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Categories: Daily Bible Zechariah Revelation Proverbs sermon

Eight Special Gifts

2006-12-11T04:58:00.000+08:00

Not sure what gifts to give this Christmas?

Here are eight gifts that don't cost a cent to give.

~ THE GIFT OF LISTENING ~
But you must REALLY listen.
No interrupting, no daydreaming, no planning your response. Just listening.

~ THE GIFT OF AFFECTION ~
Be generous with appropriate hugs, kisses, pats on the back and handholds.
Let these small actions demonstrate the love you have for family and friends.

~ THE GIFT OF LAUGHTER ~
Clip cartoons. Share articles and funny stories.
Your gift will say, "I love to laugh with you".

~ THE GIFT OF A WRITTEN NOTE ~
It can be a simple "Thanks for the help" note or a full sonnet.
A brief, handwritten note may be remembered for a lifetime,
and may even change a life.

~ THE GIFT OF A COMPLIMENT ~
A simple and sincere, "You look great in red", "You did a super job" or
"That was a wonderful meal" can make someone's day.

~ THE GIFT OF A FAVOR ~
Every day, go out of your way to do something kind.

~ THE GIFT OF SOLITUDE ~
There are times when we want nothing better than to be left alone.
Be sensitive to those times and give the gift of solitude to others.

~ THE GIFT OF A CHEERFUL DISPOSITION ~
The easiest way to feel good is to extend a kind word to someone,
really it's not that hard to say, Hello or Thank You

Author Unknown

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Categories: daily-thoughts gifts Christmas living

The Interview With God

2006-12-11T04:20:00.000+08:00

I dreamed I had an interview with God.

“So you would like to interview me?” God asked.

“If you have the time” I said.

God smiled. “My time is eternity.”
“What questions do you have in mind for me?”

“What surprises you most about humankind?”

God answered...
“That they get bored with childhood,
they rush to grow up, and then
long to be children again.”

“That they lose their health to make money...
and then lose their money to restore their health.”

“That by thinking anxiously about the future,
they forget the present,
such that they live in neither
the present nor the future.”

"That they live as if they will never die,
and die as though they had never lived.”

God’s hand took mine
and we were silent for a while.

And then I asked...
“As a parent, what are some of life’s lessons
you want your children to learn?”

“To learn they cannot make anyone
love them. All they can do
is let themselves be loved.”

“To learn that it is not good
to compare themselves to others.”

“To learn to forgive
by practicing forgiveness.”

“To learn that it only takes a few seconds
to open profound wounds in those they love,
and it can take many years to heal them.”

“To learn that a rich person
is not one who has the most,
but is one who needs the least.”

“To learn that there are people
who love them dearly,
but simply have not yet learned
how to express or show their feelings.”

“To learn that two people can
look at the same thing
and see it differently.”

“To learn that it is not enough that they
forgive one another, but they must also forgive themselves.”

"Thank you for your time," I said humbly.

"Is there anything else
you would like your children to know?"

God smiled and said,
“Just know that I am here... always.”

-Author unknown

See a beautiful powerpoint presentation of the above poem in the following website: http://www.theinterviewwithgod.com/

Play How Great Thou Art

Categories: daily-thoughts God perspective attitude living

Daily Bible Reading

2006-12-10T08:20:00.000+08:00

Double click on the verses to read the verses online. In the new window, click on the speaker icon to listen to the verses.

Old Testament: Zechariah 9:1 - 11:17

New Testament Revelation 1:1 - 20

Psalms/Proverbs Psalm 140:1-5

Based on NIV Seasons of Reflection 365-Day Bible

Messages referring to the Bible Reading:

Zechariah - I Am Zealous For Zion (Part 4)
The Revelation of Jesus Christ
BEHIND THE SCENES OF HISTORY
THE CHURCH THAT LOST ITS LOVE
WHO IS PROTECTING YOUR HEAD?

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Categories: Daily Bible Zechariah Revelation Psalms sermon

YOU WILL NEVER BE SORRY. . .

2006-12-10T08:11:00.000+08:00

. . . for thinking before acting.

. . . for hearing before judging.

. . . for forgiving your enemies.

. . . for being candid and frank.

. . . for helping a fallen brother.

. . . for being honest in business.

. . . for thinking before speaking.

. . . for being loyal to your church.

. . . for standing by your principles.

. . . for closing your ears to gossip.

. . . for bridling a slanderous tongue.

. . . for harboring only pure thoughts.

. . . for sympathizing with the afflicted.

. . . for being courteous and kind to all.

Author Unknown

Play How Great Thou Art

Categories: daily-thoughts encouragement perspective attitude living

Daily Bible Reading

2006-12-09T07:30:00.000+08:00

Double click on the verses to read the verses online. In the new window, click on the speaker icon to listen to the verses.

Old Testament: Zechariah 5:1 - 8:23

New Testament Jude 1:1-25

Psalms/Proverbs Psalm 139:17-24

Based on NIV Seasons of Reflection 365-Day Bible

Messages referring to the Bible Reading:

Zechariah - I Am Zealous For Zion (Part 2)
Zechariah - I Am Zealous For Zion (Part 3)
JUDE: Contending For The Faith
An All-Seeing Eye

Play Silent Night

Categories: Daily Bible Zechariah Jude Psalms sermon

Dying to Self

2006-12-09T07:18:00.000+08:00

When you are forgotten or neglected or purposely set at naught
And you don't sting and hurt with the insult or the oversight
But your heart is happy being counted worthy to suffer for Christ
Then that is dying to self.

When your good is evil spoken of, when your wishes are crossed
And your advice disregarded or your opinions ridiculed
And you refuse to let anger rise in your heart or even defend yourself
But take it in patient endurance and loving silence
That is dying to self.

When you are content with any food, any offering, any raiment, any climate
Any society, even solitude, any interruption, as the will of God
That, my brother, is dying to self.

When you lovingly and patiently bear any disorder, any irregularity
Any unpunctuality, any annoyance; when you can stand face to face
With waste and folly and extravagance and spiritual insensitivity
And endure it as Jesus endured it
That, my sister, is dying to self.

When you no longer care to hear yourself in conversation
To record your own good works or itch after commendation
When you can truly love to be unknown
That is dying to self.

When you can receive correction and reproof from one of less stature than yourself
And can humbly submit inwardly as well as outwardly
Finding no rebellion or resentment rising within your heart
That truly is dying to self.

When you can see your brother prosper and have his needs met
And you can honestly rejoice with him in spirit and feel no envy or question God
While your own needs are far greater and you are in desperate circumstances
That indeed is dying to self.

"Then Jesus said to His disciples, 'If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it." (Matthew 16:24-25).

Author Unknown

Play Amazing Grace

Categories: daily-thoughts faith sacrifice attitude perspective christian

Daily Bible Reading

2006-12-08T04:52:00.000+08:00

Double click on the verses to read the verses online. In the new window, click on the speaker icon to listen to the verses.

Old Testament: Zechariah 1:1 - 4:14

New Testament 3 John 1:1-14

Psalms/Proverbs Psalm 139:11-16

Based on NIV Seasons of Reflection 365-Day Bible

Messages referring to the Bible Reading:

ZECHARIAH: YOU RETURN TO ME...I'LL RETURN TO YOU!
Zechariah - I Am Zealous For Zion (Part 1)
THIRD JOHN: A Tale Of Three Men
How to Be Used By God

Play Silent Night

Categories: Daily Bible Zechariah 3John Psalms sermon

A tiny drop of water

2006-12-08T04:49:00.000+08:00

A tiny drop of water washed away the land and buildings fell, floating away with other people's dreams.

Roadways planned and formed by huge machines and men who sweat and hammer the world into shape, were pushed away with little effort.

People ran and cars clogged highways in an effort to stay ahead of the possible destruction that tiny drop of water could cause.

"Wait!" you say. "It was much more than a tiny drop of water. The streams overflowed and the rivers broke through their banks causing a wall of water to destroy those things."

Yes, but it was made up of tiny drops of water. Raindrops which together wore a path right through my yard with little effort. One drop, then two, then thousands, millions and all together they changed the world, our world.

Can't you see the significance in that?

I want to change the world. I am tired, worn out from weeping at the sight of still another death not just on the field of battle laid out by warriors, but in the streets of every city, in the fields of the impoverished, desolate reaches of the world. They are dying in my country and yours by bullet, by starvation, disease, arrogance, stupidity and pride.

A tiny drop of water gave me hope.

I am but one drop in the sea of humanity, but like the rain I can join together with others and wash away the hatred and pain I anguish over. One drop, then two, then thousands, millions and all together we can change the world - our world.

I want to change my life. I am tired of being in debt. I am worn out from trying to keep pace with the world. I have tried my very best to get ahead and find myself falling behind each step of the way.

A tiny drop of water gave me hope.

It fell upon the hillside just behind my house. One single drop of water joined with others forming a stream.

Like trying one more time. Like doing one more thing. Like pushing one more inch to reach the goal, the dream I long to touch and make reality. All my little efforts make big changes.

The little stream that ran down my driveway, never having been there before, began as one single drop, until one drop after another, trying again and again, washed the soil away and moved the tiny pebble and eventually the rock.

I cannot push away the fear nor change my life overnight, but if I dedicate myself to one single effort each and every day, I will see the power of changing little things to make a big difference.

A tiny drop of water gave me hope.

I am just one drop in the sea of humanity. But I have the power to change my life and the sacred obligation to move the world in the right direction.

How?

One drop, then two, then thousands, millions and all together we change the world, our world.

A tiny drop of water gave me hope.

By Bob Perks (Bob@BobPerks.com)
http://www.bobperks.com

Ave Maria

Categories: daily-thoughts attitude perspective encouragement living

Daily Bible Reading

2006-12-07T04:44:00.000+08:00

Double click on the verses to read the verses online. In the new window, click on the speaker icon to listen to the verses.

Old Testament: Haggai 1:1 - 2:23

New Testament 2 John 1:1-13

Psalms/Proverbs Proverbs 29:19-27

Based on NIV Seasons of Reflection 365-Day Bible

Messages referring to the Bible Reading:

HAGGAI: SOME WORDS TO DISCOURAGED CARPENTERS
SECOND JOHN: The Vital Balance
Replacing Fear of Man with Fear of the Lord

Play Silent Night

Categories: Daily Bible Haggai 2John Proverbs sermon

The Meaning of the 12 Days of Christmas Carol

2006-12-07T04:38:00.000+08:00

There is one Christmas Carol that has always baffled me.

What in the world do leaping lords, French hens, swimming swans, and especially the partridge who won't come out of the pear tree have to do with Christmas?

From 1558 until 1829, Roman Catholics in England were not permitted to practice their faith openly. Someone during that era wrote this carol as a catechism song for young Catholics.

It has two levels of meaning: the surface meaning plus a hidden meaning known only to members of their church.

Each element in the carol has a code word for a religious reality which the children could remember.

The "True Love" one hears in the song refers to God.

The partridge in the pear tree represents Jesus Christ because that bird is willing to sacrifice its life if necessary to protect its young by feigning injury to draw away predators.

Two turtle doves were the Old and New Testaments.

Three French hens stood for faith, hope and love.

The four calling birds were the four gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke & John.

The five golden rings recalled the Torah or Law, the first five books of the Old Testament.

The six geese a-laying stood for the six days of creation.

Seven swans a-swimming represented the sevenfold gifts of the Holy Spirit-Prophesy, Serving, Teaching, Exhortation, Contribution, Leadership, and Mercy.

The eight maids a-milking were the eight beatitudes.

Nine ladies dancing were the nine fruits of the Holy Spirit-Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness Faithfulness,Gentleness, and Self Control.

The ten lords a-leaping were the ten commandments.

The eleven pipers piping stood for the eleven faithful disciples.

The twelve drummers drumming symbolised the twelve points of belief in the Apostles' Creed.

So there is your history for today.

This knowledge was shared with me and I found it interesting and enlightening and now I know how that strange song became a Christmas Carol...so pass it on if you wish."

The Twelve Days of Christmas (The 12 Days of Christmas) start with Christmas Day and finish with the eve of Epiphany on 5th January.

On the first day of Christmas,
my true love sent to me
A partridge in a pear tree.

On the second day of Christmas,
my true love sent to me
Two turtle doves,
And a partridge in a pear tree.

On the third day of Christmas,
my true love sent to me
Three French hens,
Two turtle doves,
And a partridge in a pear tree.

On the fourth day of Christmas,
my true love sent to me
Four calling birds,
Three French hens,
Two turtle doves,
And a partridge in a pear tree.

On the fifth day of Christmas,
my true love sent to me
Five golden rings,
Four calling birds,
Three French hens,
Two turtle doves,
And a partridge in a pear tree.

On the sixth day of Christmas,
my true love sent to me
Six geese a-laying,
Five golden rings,
Four calling birds,
Three French hens,
Two turtle doves,
And a partridge in a pear tree.

On the seventh day of Christmas,
my true love sent to me
Seven swans a-swimming,
Six geese a-laying,
Five golden rings,
Four calling birds,
Three French hens,
Two turtle doves,
And a partridge in a pear tree.

On the eighth day of Christmas,
my true love sent to me
Eight maids a-milking,
Seven swans a-swimming,
Six geese a-laying,
Five golden rings,
Four calling birds,
Three French hens,
Two turtle doves,
And a partridge in a pear tree.

On the ninth day of Christmas,
my true love sent to me
Nine ladies dancing,
Eight maids a-milking,
Seven swans a-swimming,
Six geese a-laying,
Five golden rings,
Four calling birds,
Three French hens,
Two turtle doves,
And a partridge in a pear tree.

On the tenth day of Christmas,
my true love sent to me
Ten lords a-leaping,
Nine ladies dancing,
Eight maids a-milking,
Seven swans a-swimming,
Six geese a-laying,
Five golden rings,
Four calling birds,
Three French hens,
Two turtle doves,
And a partridge in a pear tree.

On the eleventh day of Christmas,
my true love sent to me
Eleven pipers piping,
Ten lords a-leaping,
Nine ladies dancing,
Eight maids a-milking,
Seven swans a-swimming,
Six geese a-laying,
Five golden rings,
Four calling birds,
Three French hens,
Two turtle doves,
And a partridge in a pear tree.

On the twelfth day of Christmas,
my true love sent to me
Twelve drummers drumming,
Eleven pipers piping,
Ten lords a-leaping,
Nine ladies dancing,
Eight maids a-milking,
Seven swans a-swimming,
Six geese a-laying,
Five golden rings,
Four calling birds,
Three French hens,
Two turtle doves,
And a partridge in a pear tree!

May God grant you peace and happiness throughout this Christmas Season.

Author Unknown

Drummer boy

Categories: daily-thoughts perspective christmas carol faith

Daily Bible Reading

2006-12-06T04:33:00.000+08:00

Double click on the verses to read the verses online. In the new window, click on the speaker icon to listen to the verses.

Old Testament: Daniel 11:36 - 12:13

New Testament 1 John 5:1 - 21

Psalms/Proverbs Psalm 139:1-10

Based on NIV Seasons of Reflection 365-Day Bible

Messages referring to the Bible Reading:

THE LAST WORD
Review - DANIEL: ON THE WAY TO THE FUTURE
TAKING A STAND
IF WE ASK, GOD HEARS US
Review - 1 JOHN: The Fruit Of Fellowship With Christ
SEARCH ME, O GOD, AND KNOW MY HEART

Play Silent Night

Categories: Daily Bible Daniel 1John Psalms sermon

WHEN WE SHARE

2006-12-06T04:16:00.000+08:00

When we share laughter,
There's twice the fun;
When we share success,
We surpass what we've done.

When we share problems,
There's half the pain;
When we share tears,
A rainbow follows rain.

When we share dreams,
They become more real;
When we share secrets,
It's our hearts we reveal.

If we share a smile,
Then our love shows;
If we share a hug,
Then our love grows.

If we share with someone
On whom we depend,
That person becomes
Family or friend.

And what draws us closer
And makes us all care,
Is not what we have,
But the things that we share.

Author Unknown

Play Don't Let Me Walk Alone

Categories: daily-thoughts perspective attitude sharing

Daily Bible Reading

2006-12-05T04:15:00.000+08:00

Double click on the verses to read the verses online. In the new window, click on the speaker icon to listen to the verses.

Old Testament: Daniel 11:2 - 11:35

New Testament 1 John 4:7 - 21

Psalms/Proverbs Psalm 138:1-8

Based on NIV Seasons of Reflection 365-Day Bible

Messages referring to the Bible Reading:

WAITING AND WATCHING
THE GLORIES OF LOVE
WE LOVE BECAUSE HE FIRST LOVED US
THE LORD WILL ACCOMPLISH HIS PURPOSES FOR ME

Play Silent Night

Categories: Daily Bible Daniel 1John Psalms sermon

Four Gifts!

2006-12-05T04:05:00.000+08:00

A number of years ago when my youngest child of six children was 10 or 11, I was driving myself crazy trying to buy everything on her very lengthy Christmas list. I wanted to be a good parent and give my child the desires of her heart.

In the midst of all of this, a friend told me that he and his wife buy their children four gifts for Christmas every year.

Yes, FOUR gifts!

They are:

1. Something you want
2. Something you need
3. Something to wear and
4. Something to read.

If they complain, ask them, "Whose birthday are we celebrating?"

Once I started doing this, I thought my children would be awful about it, but the opposite happened. They really appreciated every gift they got, and they made me "label" them.

Since that time, Christmas at our house has been so much more enjoyable because we could focus on the true meaning of the celebration, and I wasn't driving myself crazy trying to find and buy gifts I couldn't afford.

And yes, I still buy and label four gifts for them each year.

By Nola Parton-Jones, Federal Way, WA

Play Ave Maria

Categories: daily-thoughts Christmas gifts children

Daily Bible Reading

2006-12-04T04:33:00.001+08:00

Double click on the verses to read the verses online. In the new window, click on the speaker icon to listen to the verses.

Old Testament: Daniel 9:20 - 11:1

New Testament 1 John 3:11 - 4:6

Psalms/Proverbs Psalm 137:1-9

Based on NIV Seasons of Reflection 365-Day Bible

Messages referring to the Bible Reading:

A PRAYER AND A PROPHECY
COSMIC CONFLICT
NO MORE CONDEMNATION, NO MORE LIES
A BITTER PILL TO SWALLOW

Play Silent Night

Categories: Daily Bible Daniel 1John Psalms sermon

Take the Plunge

2006-12-04T04:18:00.000+08:00

"Watch me dive off the high board, Dad," my ten-year-old son called out.

I looked up to the ten-foot-high diving board and waited as he stood at the edge, stooped over, arms extended.

He had jumped off the high board many times before, but now his nerve seemed to falter as he contemplated streaking through the air headfirst.

The swimming pool was vacated, so he could take his time. "You can do it, Robby," I encouraged. But he couldn't. Not that evening. For 20 minutes he attempted to muster the courage to make the plunge, and he finally gave up when the pool closed for the night.

"I feel disappointed in myself," Robby said on the way home. "I feel terrible. I know I can do it, though. I know I can."

He persuaded me to take him swimming again the next evening. Like the night before, we happened to be the only swimmers. "I’m going to do it this time," he said emphatically. "Watch me!"

He climbed the ladder and walked to the end of the board as I watched. Again I encouraged him. Again he hesitated. As the previous night, his nerve failed. It seemed that he would never conquer his fear and leap.

The lifeguards on duty helped me cheer him on. “You can do it, Robby,” we all exhorted. "Just do it! Don’t think about it. Just do it!"

For 30 minutes we encouraged him. For 30 minutes he started and stopped, he leaned and straightened and fought the fear that held him back.

And then it happened. He extended his arms, bent over the edge and fell headfirst into the water! He emerged to the sounds of laughter and congratulations. He did it! He finally did it! And before he went home, he did it three more times.

Robby learned something about facing his fear that evening. But he learned something else, too. He learned that some things can’t be done with less than full commitment. A chasm cannot be leaped in two small jumps and a dive cannot be made a little at a time. Sometimes you just have to do it.

Some things require no less than full commitment. What is requiring your full commitment? Will you take the plunge?

By Steve Goodier
http://www.lifesupportsystem.com

Play Music

Categories: daily-thoughts attitude fear encouragement commitment

Daily Bible Reading

2006-12-03T08:12:00.000+08:00

Double click on the verses to read the verses online. In the new window, click on the speaker icon to listen to the verses.

Old Testament: Daniel 8:15 - 9:19

New Testament 1 John 2:28 - 3:10

Psalms/Proverbs Proverbs 29:10-18

Based on NIV Seasons of Reflection 365-Day Bible

Messages referring to the Bible Reading:

THE ENEMY OF THE PEOPLE OF GOD
A PRAYER AND A PROPHECY
JEALOUSY AND GENEROSITY
I AM MY FATHER'S CHILD
A Sinful Man, A Foolish Man, and A Wise Man

Play Music

Categories: Daily Bible Daniel 1John Proverbs sermon

Clay Balls

2006-12-03T06:32:00.000+08:00

A man was exploring caves by the seashore.

In one of the caves he found a canvas bag with a bunch of hardened clay balls. It was like someone had rolled clay balls and left them out in the sun to bake.

They didn't look like much, but they intrigued the man, so he took the bag out of the cave with him. As he strolled along the beach, he would throw the clay balls one at a time out into the ocean as far as he could.

He thought little about it, until he dropped one of the clay balls and it cracked open on a rock. Inside was a beautiful, precious stone!

Excited, the man started breaking open the remaining clay balls. Each contained a similar treasure. He found thousands of dollars worth of jewels in the 20 or so clay balls he had left.

Then it struck him. He had been on the beach a long time. He had thrown maybe 50 or 60 of the clay balls with their hidden treasure into the ocean waves.

Instead of thousands of dollars in treasure, he could have taken home tens of thousands, but he had just thrown it away!

It's like that with people.

We look at someone, maybe even ourselves, and we see the external clay vessel. It doesn't look like much from the outside. It isn't always beautiful or sparkling, so we discount it. We see that person as less important than someone more beautiful, or stylish, or well known, or wealthy but we have not taken the time to find the treasure hidden inside that person.

There is a treasure in each and every one of us. If we take the time to get to know that person, and if we ask God to show us that person the way He sees them, then the clay begins to peel away and the brilliant gem begins to shine forth.

May we not come to the end of our lives and find out that we have thrown away a fortune in friendships because the gems were hidden in bits of clay. May we see the people in our world as God sees them.

Author Unknown

Play Music

Categories: daily-thoughts perspective attitude living frienship

Daily Bible Reading

2006-12-02T06:13:00.000+08:00

Double click on the verses to read the verses online. In the new window, click on the speaker icon to listen to the verses.

Old Testament: Daniel 7:1 - 8:14

New Testament 1 John 2:12 - 2:27

Psalms/Proverbs Psalm 136:13:26

Based on NIV Seasons of Reflection 365-Day Bible

Messages referring to the Bible Reading:

FOUR BEASTS FROM THE SEA
THE ENEMY OF THE PEOPLE OF GOD
GROWING IN GRACE
WORLD-WARY
WHO IS THE LIAR?
HIS LOVINGKINDNESS IS EVERLASTING

Play Music

Categories: Daily Bible Daniel 1John Psalms sermon

If I had a Second Chance!

2006-12-02T05:44:00.000+08:00

I'd stop looking and start seeing,
And treat everyone as a human being.
I'd stop taking and start giving,
Stop hiding and start living.

I'd do more listening and a lot less talking, Enjoy
the world and do more walking.
I'd take my eyes off my watch and watch with my eyes,
To notice the trees and the beautiful sky.

I'd stop criticizing and show more love,
Be less forgetful and give thanks up above.
I'd be less angry and swallow my pride,
And share with the world what I have inside.

I'd stop hating and be more kind,
And give a little more of my precious time.
I'd give more encouragement and a lot more praise,
And do a lot less judging, for I too have lost my way.

I'd get my priorities in order and straight,
Better now than never Lord, I'm just a bit too late.
I'd stop hopelessly chasing after the wind,
From this point on a new I begin.

I'd find my way back to the Lord's humble grace,
With a vow never again to lose my place,
I'm changing my life and I've made a stance,
Oh Lord, what I wouldn't give for a second chance.

It's not the destination that counts in life it's the journey.
The journey with the people we love is all that really matters.
Such a simple truth so easily forgotten.

Author Unknown

Play Music

Categories: daily-thoughts perspective attitude living priority

Daily Bible Reading

2006-12-01T03:39:00.000+08:00

Double click on the verses to read the verses online. In the new window, click on the speaker icon to listen to the verses.

Old Testament: Daniel 5:17 - 6:28

New Testament 1 John 1:1 - 2:11

Psalms/Proverbs Psalm 136:1-12

Based on NIV Seasons of Reflection 365-Day Bible

Messages referring to the Bible Reading:

HANDWRITING ON THE WALL
IN A PIT WITH HUNGRY LIONS
1 JOHN: The Fruit Of Fellowship With Christ
TO LIFE!
LET THERE BE LIGHT
BECOMING JESUS PEOPLE
HIS LOVINGKINDNESS IS EVERLASTING

Play Music

Categories: Daily Bible Daniel 1John Psalms sermon

Confidence

2006-12-01T03:37:00.000+08:00

When Henry Ward Beecher was a young boy in school, he learned a lesson in self confidence which he never forgot.

He was called upon to recite in front of the class. He had hardly begun when the teacher interrupted with an emphatic, "No!" He started over and again the teacher thundered, "No!" Humiliated, Henry sat down.

The next boy rose to recite and had just begun when the teacher shouted, "No!" This student, however, kept on with the recitation until he completed it. As he sat down, the teacher replied, "Very good!" Henry was irritated.

"I recited just as he did," he complained to the teacher.

But the instructor replied, "It is not enough to know your lesson; you must be sure. When you allowed me to stop you, it meant that you were uncertain."

If all the world says, 'No!' it is your business to say, 'Yes!' and prove it." The world will say, "No!" in a thousand ways.

"No! You can't do that."
"No! You are wrong."
"No! You are too old."
"No! You are too young."
"No! You are too weak."
"No! It will never work."
"No! You don't have the education."
"No! You don't have the background."
"No! You don't have the money."
"No! It can't be done."

And each "No!" you hear has the potential to erode your confidence bit by bit until you quit all together.

Though the world says, "No!" to you today, you should be determined to say, "Yes!" and prove it!

Steve Goodier

Play Music

Categories: daily-thoughts confidence perspective attitude living

Daily Bible Reading

2006-11-30T03:39:00.000+08:00

Double click on the verses to read the verses online. In the new window, click on the speaker icon to listen to the verses.

Old Testament: Daniel 4:19 - 5:16

New Testament 2 Peter 3:1 - 18

Psalms/Proverbs Psalm 135:13-21

Based on NIV Seasons of Reflection 365-Day Bible

Messages referring to the Bible Reading:

THE END OF ARROGANCE
HANDWRITING ON THE WALL
How Should We Answer The Mockers?
How Can We Deal With Our Own Doubts?
What Should We Do Until Christ's Return?
The Revelation for Worship

Categories: Daily Bible Daniel 2Peter Psalms sermon

THE 23rd PSALM

2006-11-30T03:37:00.000+08:00

The Lord Is My Shepherd ..... ?
THAT'S RELATIONSHIP!

I shall not want ..... ?
THAT'S SUPPLY!

He maketh me to lie down in green pastures ..... ?
THAT'S REST!

He leadeth me beside still waters ..... ?
THAT'S REFRESHMENT!

He restoreth my soul ..... ?
THAT'S HEALING!

He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness ..... ?
THAT'S GUIDANCE!

For His name sake ..... ?
THAT'S PURPOSE!

Yea, though I walk through the valley
of the shadow of death. ..... ?
THAT'S CHALLENGE!

I will fear no evil ..... ?
THAT'S ASSURANCE!

For thou art with me ..... ?
THAT'S FAITHFULNESS!

Thy rod and thy staff they comfort me ..... ?
THAT'S SHELTER!

Thou preparest a table before me
in the presence of mine enemies ..... ?
THAT'S HOPE!

Thou annointest my head with oil ..... ?
THAT'S CONSECRATION!

My cup runneth over ..... ?
THAT'S ABUNDANCE!

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
all of the days of my life ..... ?
THAT'S BLESSING!

And I will dwell in the house of the Lord ..... ?
THAT'S SECURITY!

Forever ..... ?
THAT'S ETERNITY!

Author unknown

Categories: daily-thoughts psalms perspective faith

Daily Bible Reading

2006-11-29T04:01:00.000+08:00

Double click on the verses to read the verses online. In the new window, click on the speaker icon to listen to the verses.

Old Testament: Daniel 3:13 - 4:18

New Testament 2 Peter 2:1 - 22

Psalms/Proverbs Proverbs 29:1-9

Based on NIV Seasons of Reflection 365-Day Bible

Messages referring to the Bible Reading:

THE FURNACE OF BLAZING FIRE
How Should We Handle False Teachers?
How Dangerous Are The False Teachers?
What Are The Wages Of The False Teachers?
What We Believe...About Sin

Categories: Daily Bible Daniel 2Peter Proverbs sermon

Changing Times

2006-11-29T03:57:00.000+08:00

One evening a grandson was talking to his grandmother about current events. The grandson asked his grandmother what she thought about the shootings at schools, the computer age, and just things in general.

The Grandma replied, "Well, let me think a minute, I was born, before television, penicillin, polio shots, frozen foods, Xerox, contact lenses, Frisbees and the pill. There was no radar, credit cards, laser beams or ball-point pens. Man had not invented pantyhose, air conditioners, dishwashers, clothes dryers, and the clothes were hung out to dry in the fresh air and man hadn't yet walked on the moon.

Your Grandfather and I got married first-and then lived together. Every family had a father and a mother. Until I was 25, I called every man older than I, 'Sir'- and after I turned 25, I still called policemen and every man with a title, "Sir.'

We were before gay-rights, computer-dating, dual careers, daycare centers, and group therapy. Our lives were governed by the Ten Commandments, good judgment, and common sense. We were taught to know the difference between right and wrong and to stand up and take responsibility for our actions.

Serving your country was a privilege; living in this country was a bigger privilege. We thought fast food was what people ate during Lent. Having a meaningful relationship meant getting along with your cousins. Draft dodgers were people who closed their front doors when the evening breeze started.

Time-sharing meant time the family spent together in the evenings and weekends-not purchasing condominiums. We never heard of FM radios, tape decks, CDs, electric typewriters, yogurt, or guys wearing earrings. We listened to the Big Bands! Jack Benny, and the President's speeches on our radios. And I don't ever remember any kid blowing his brains out listening to Tommy Dorsey.

If you saw anything with 'Made in Japan' on it, it was junk. The term 'making out' referred to how you did on your school exam. Pizza Hut, McDonald's, and instant coffee were unheard of. We had 5 & 10-cent stores where you could actually buy things for 5 and 10 cents.

Ice-cream cones, phone calls, rides on a streetcar, and a Pepsi were all a nickel. And if you didn't want to splurge, you could spend your nickel on enough stamps to mail 1 letter and 2 postcards.

You could buy a new Chevy Coupe for $600 but who could afford one? Too bad, because gas was 11 cents a gallon. In my day, "grass" was mowed, "coke" was a cold drink, "pot" was something your mother cooked in, and "rock music" was your grandmother's lullaby. "Aids" were helpers in the Principal's office, "chip" meant a piece of wood, "hardware" was found in a hardware store, and "software" wasn't even a word.

And we were the last generation to actually believe that a lady needed a husband to have a baby. No wonder people call us "old and confused" and say there is a generation gap......

Pretty scary if you think about it that in two generations so much could have changed and pretty sad at the same time.

Author Unknown
Adapted from an email entitled: "How old is grandma"

Categories: daily-thoughts perspective grandma age living

Daily Bible Reading

2006-11-28T18:14:00.000+08:00

Double click on the verses to read the verses online. In the new window, click on the speaker icon to listen to the verses.

Old Testament: Daniel 2:24 - 3:12

New Testament 2 Peter 1:1 - 21

Psalms/Proverbs Psalm 135:1-12

Based on NIV Seasons of Reflection 365-Day Bible

Messages referring to the Bible Reading:

THE LAST ACT
2 PETER: In The Face Of Falsehood
How Can We Survive In A Corrupt World?
HOW CAN WE MATURE IN A CORRUPT WORLD?
How Can We Be Certain Jesus Is The Christ?
GREAT IS THE LORD AND GREATLY TO BE PRAISED

Categories: Daily Bible Daniel 2Peter Psalms sermon

Paradoxes Of A Child Of God

2006-11-28T18:13:00.000+08:00

Strong enough to be weak;
Successful enough to fail;
Busy enough to take time;
Wise enough to say, "I don't know."
Serious enough to laugh.

Rich enough to be poor;
Right enough to say "I'm wrong."
Compassionate enough to discipline;
Conservative enough to give freely;
Mature enough to be childlike.

Righteous enough to be a sinner;
Important enough to be last;
Courageous enough to fear God;
Planned enough to be spontaneous;
Controlled enough to be flexible.

Free enough to endure captivity;
Knowledgeable enough to ask questions;
Loving enough to be angry;
Great enough to be anonymous;
Responsible enough to play.

Assured enough to be rejected;
Stable enough to cry;
Victorious enough to lose;
Industrious enough to relax;
Leading enough to serve.

Author Unknown

Categories: daily-thoughts christian perspective attitude faith