A group of professional people posed this question to a group of 4 to 8 year-olds, "What does love mean?"
The answers they got were broader and deeper than anyone could have imagined. See what you think:
"When my grandmother got arthritis, she couldn't bend over and paint her toenails anymore.
So my grandfather does it for her all the time, even when his hands got arthritis too. That's love."
Rebecca - age 8
"When someone loves you, the way they say your name is different.
You just know that your name is safe in their mouth."
Billy - age 4
"Love is when a girl puts on perfume and a boy puts on shaving cologne and they go out and smell each other."
Karl - age 5
"Love is when you go out to eat and give somebody most of your French fries without making them give you any of theirs."
Chrissy - age 6
"Love is what makes you smile when you're tired."
Terri - age 4
"Love is when my mommy makes coffee for my daddy and she takes a sip before giving it to him, to make sure the taste is OK."
Danny - age 7
"Love is when you kiss all the time. Then when you get tired of kissing, you still want to be together and you talk more.
My Mommy and Daddy are like that. They look gross when they kiss"
Emily - age 8
"Love is what's in the room with you at Christmas if you stop opening presents and listen."
Bobby - age 7 (Wow!)
"If you want to learn to love better, you should start with a friend who you hate,"
Nikka - age 6 (we need a few million more Nikka's on this planet)
"Love is when you tell a guy you like his shirt, then he wears it everyday."
Noelle - age 7
"Love is like a little old woman and a little old man who are still friends even after they know each other so well."
Tommy - age 6
"During my piano recital, I was on a stage and I was scared. I looked at all the people watching me and saw my daddy waving and smiling.
He was the only one doing that. I wasn't scared anymore."
Cindy - age 8
"My mommy loves me more than any body.
You don't see anyone else kissing me to sleep at night."
Clare - age 6
"Love is when Mommy gives Daddy the best piece of chicken."
Elaine-age 5
"Love is when Mommy sees Daddy smelly and sweaty and still says he is handsomer than Brad Pitt."
Chris - age 7
"Love is when your puppy licks your face even after you left him alone all day."
Mary Ann - age 4
"I know my older sister loves me because she gives me all her old clothes and has to go out and buy new ones."
(Maybe she just teasing her sis)
Lauren - age 4
"When you love somebody, your eyelashes go up and down and little stars come out of you." (what an image)
Karen - age 7
"You really shouldn't say 'I love you' unless you mean it. But if you mean it, you should say it a lot. People forget."
Jessica - age 8
And the final one -- Author and lecturer Leo Buscaglia once talked about a contest he was asked to judge.
The purpose of the contest was to find the most caring child.
The winner was a four year old child whose next door neighbor was an elderly gentleman who had recently lost his wife.
Upon seeing the man cry, the little boy went into the old gentleman's yard, climbed onto his lap, and just sat there.
When his Mother asked what he had said to the neighbor, the little boy said,
"Nothing, I just helped him cry"
What does love mean?
How could you?
When I was a puppy, I entertained you with my antics and made you laugh. You called me your child and despite a number of chewed shoes and a couple of murdered throw pillows, I became your best friend. Whenever I was bad, you would shake your finger at me and say
"How could you?" but then you would relent and roll me over for a belly rub.
My housebreaking took a little longer than expected because you were terrible busy but we worked on it together. I remember those nights of nuzzling you in bed and listening to your confidences and secret dreams and I believed that life could not be more perfect. We went for long walks and runs in the park, car rides and stopped for ice cream. I got the cone because you said ice cream is bad for dogs. I took naps in the sun waiting for you to come home at the end of each day.
Gradually you began to spend more time at work and more time searching for a human mate. I waited for you patiently comforted you through heartbreaks and disappointments and never chided you about bad decisions. I romped with glee at your homecomings and when you fell in love. She, now your wife, is not a "dog person"- still I welcomed her into our home and tried to show her affection and obeyed her. I was happy because you were happy.
Then the human babies came and I shared your excitement. I was fascinated by their pinkness, how they smelled and I wanted to mother them too. Only she and you were worried I would hurt them and I spent most of my time banished to another room. Oh how I wanted to love them but I became a prisoner of love instead.
As they began to grow, I became their friend. They clung to my fur and pulled themselves up on wobbly legs, poked fingers into my eyes, investigated my ears and gave me kisses on my nose. I loved everything about them and their touch, because your touch was so infrequent now. I would have defended them with my life it need be. I would sneak into their beds at night and listen to their worries and dreams and together we waited for the sound of your car coming home.
There was a time when other asked if you had a dog, you would produce a photo of me from your wallet. These past few years you just answered, "Yes I have a dog". I went from being your dog to a dog and you resented every expenditure on my behalf.
Now you have a new career opportunity in another city where you and they will be moving to an apartment that does not allow pets. You have made the right choice for you and your family but there was a time I was your family. I was excited about the car ride until we arrived at the animal shelter. It smelled of fear and hopelessness.
You filled out the paper work and said " I know you will find a good home for her." They just shrugged and gave you a pained look. They understood the realities facing a middle aged dog, even one with "papers". You had to pry your son's fingers from my collar as he screamed. And I worried for him and what lessons you had just taught him about friendship and loyalty and love and responsibility and respect for life, all life. You gave me a goodbye pat on the head and refused to meet my eyes. You had a deadline to meet and now I have one too.
After you left, the two nice ladies said you probably made no attempt to find me a new home. They shook their heads and said, "How could you?"
They are as attentive to us as their busy schedules allow. They feed us but I stopped eating days ago. At first when anyone passed my pen, I rushed to the front hoping you had changed your mind. Or that it was someone who may save me.
When I realized I could not compete with the frolicking puppies, oblivious to their fate, I retreated to the back corner and waited.
I heard her footsteps as she came for me one day. I padded along the aisle with her to a quiet room.
She placed me on the table and rubbed my ears and told me not to worry. My hear pounded but there was also relief. The prisoner of love had run out of days.
As is my nature, I was more concerned about her. The burden she bears weighs heavily on her, I know that the same as I knew your every mood. She gently placed the tourniquet on my foreleg as a tear ran down her cheek. I licked her hand in the same way I used to comfort you. She expertly slid the needle into my vein. As I felt the sting and the cool liquid coursing though me, slowing my heart, I lay down sleepily, looked into her eyes and murmured, "How could you?"
Perhaps because she understood my dog speak, she said, " I am so sorry." She hugged me and hurriedly explained that it was her job to make sure I would not be ignored, abused or abandoned and that I went to a better place, one filled with light and love so different from this earthly place.
With my last bit of energy, I tried to convey with a thump of my tail my "How could you" was not directed at her. It was you Beloved Master I was thinking of. I will think of you and wait for you forever. May everyone in your life show you so much loyalty.
Please consider where you are at in your life before bring ANY pup home. I get many e-mails from young people just starting a life of their own. Please consider where you are going before deciding to share your life with a pup. If you not certain you WILL keep a pup for the rest of its life, wait until you are certain.
Successful Prayer
By Eddie Smith
There is no magical prayer, or magical form of prayer that God always answers
affirmatively. What about the prayer of Jabez?some might ask.
Well, think about it. If Jabez prayer were a prayer with a guaranteed answer, Jesus
would have instructed his disciples saying, Pray the prayer that Jabez prayed.
Instead, he taught them to pray, Our Father, who art in heaven
Further, if God had to answer our prayers, he would cease to be God. We would be
gods, and he would be reduced to focusing on us, receiving our instructions, and
serving up what we order.
Sadly, if you listen to some people pray, that seems to be what they expect! Let me
be the first to confess
One day I was praying one of those oft repeated parental prayers for one of our
sons. I don't remember my exact words, but they were something like, Oh God, fix
my son. He's into this, and into that. He needs this, and he needs that. God, how
long must I pray before you move in his life?
With that the Holy Spirit abruptly interrupted me. He said, Eddie, that's not prayer.
You're slandering me.
Shocked and befuddled, I said, Slandering you, Lord? What do you mean, I'm
slandering you? You know I'd never do that.
God continued, Alright, allow me to interpret what you just prayed. First, you
obviously think that you know your son's needs, and although I created him, I don't.
Secondly, it sounds as if you feel that you love your son, but I don't.
Finally, you seem to be suggesting that if you were me, you'd already have done
something, and I haven't. Doesn't that about cover it?
I had to admit that he was right. After all, he's God! But I was at a loss as to what I
should pray. So, I waited.
After an uncomfortable moment or two I heard prayer coming from my heart to his.
It was unlike any I'd ever prayed before. It sounded like this.
Father, I thank you for loving me and for hearing my prayers. I praise you for the
plan and purpose you have for my son for you wrote the days of his life in your
book before he was even born.
I'm grateful to know that your plans are perfect, and your purposes never change. Thank you for assuring me in Philippians 1:6 that what you have begun in his life you will finish.
Thank you for changing his schedule, and bringing people into his life that he never
expected to meet. Thank you for reminding him of things Alice and I have taught
him since he was a small child
From that moment Alice and I began praying a new way for our children.
Six months later our son called Alice and said, Mother, I know you and Dad have prayed for me all my life. But you've changed the way you pray for me haven't you?
She said, Yes, Son, we have.
He continued, It's been about six months hasn't it?
She acknowledged that it had been exactly six months. But how do you know that?
she asked.
Mother until six months ago, I've felt confused in my mind and condemned in my
heart. But for the past six months I've felt clear minded and drawn to God.
Since then, we've watched God at work in our son's life, drawing him ever so slowly
to himself.
Thank God, I'm not the only one who God's ever interrupted while they were
praying. God interrupted Joshua when he was praying for Israel, after their defeat at
Ai.
Joshua was face down on the ground, covered in sack cloth and ashes. At least I
hadn't gone that far!
God said to Joshua, It's not time to pray. It's time for you to get up and clean
house. You folks have hidden forbidden things among your stuff. Your army will
never win another battle until you find and rid yourselves of those defiled things.
(See Joshua 7.)
God also interrupted Moses and the Children of Israel at the Red Sea where they
were trapped by Pharaoh and the world's greatest army. You might say they were
caught between the devil and the deep blue sea; or as we say in Texas, between a
rock and a hard place.
They cried out (actually whined) to God about their circumstance. God's response?
He said, Folks, This is no time to pray. Moses, raise the rod and split the sea. And
he did! Since he interrupted Joshua and Moses, I didn't feel too badly when he
interrupted me. (See Genesis 14.)
In my new book, How to Be Heard in Heaven: Moving from Needs Centered to God
Centered Praying, I don't promise to teach you how to get what you want from God.
But I do hope that by the time you finish reading the book you will know how to be
heard in heaven. Why?
Because prayers that are never heard will never be answered!
Breaking Free from Victimization
By Alice Smith
Whether it's battery, betrayal, accident prone, dishonor, injustice, poverty,
abandonment; or one of the various forms of sexual abuse; abuse is abuse. And it's
a sin against the victim. But first and foremost it is a sin against God. Why? For two
reasons
First, because God has created each of us in His own image. The victimized person
bears the image of God and has been created to share the love of God and fulfill the
purposes of God.
Second, because God uniquely identifies with us (His creation). Jesus is acquainted with our grief. He hurts when we hurt. And Jesus said, "if you do it to the least of these, you've done it to me" (Matt. 25:40).
Since Satan victimized Adam and Eve in the garden, and where God had given them
dominion over the earth, (see Gen. 1:28) sinful people have sought to dominate
others. As they have, Satan and his demons have enabled and empowered their
lawless abuse.
Man's basic nature is to tear down, dominate, and exploit. Man left to his lower
nature leans toward manipulation and control. God never intended for man to rule
man. God would rule man. The kingdom authority He authorized man to exercise
was for the purpose of restoring, building up, and planting.
We were to live as godly influences on the earth, as kings and priests. "The kingdom
of God is within you" (Luke 17:21) so "go ye therefore into all nations, baptizing
them in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost. Teaching
them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and lo, I will be with
you always" (Matt. 28:1920).
A believer's kingdom authority is the antithesis of victimization. In victimization, evil
people and demons try to damage others to keep them trapped in a cycle of despair
so they will never step into their destiny.
God's design is to make you dangerous against the kingdom of darkness. God's way
is to use us to buildup, restore and speak life into situations through acts of righteousness. We are to be lifechangers so God's kingdom authority can come on earth as it is in heaven. That's His plan for you. No reason to be discouraged.
There have been many influential men and women who've suffered through traumatic situations, and have risen above them. If you press forward, you too can defy the hindrances that affect your destiny.
Time management expert and author Ted Engstrom says, "Cripple him, and you
have a Sir Walter Scott. Lock him in a prison cell, and you have a John Bunyan.
Bury him in the snows of Valley Forge, and you have a George Washington. Raise him in abject poverty, and you have an Abraham Lincoln.
Strike him down in infantile paralysis, and he becomes Franklin Roosevelt. Deafen him, and you have a Ludwig van Beethoven.
Have him or her born black in a society filled with racial discrimination, and you have a Booker T. Washington, a Marian Anderson, a George Washington Carver...
Call him a slow learner; "retarded,"and write him off an uneducable, and you have an Albert Einstein.
Look for God in others
One day, when I was a freshman in high school, I saw a kid from my class was walking home from school.
His name was Kyle.
It looked like he was carrying all of his books.
I thought to myself, "Why would anyone bring home all his books on a Friday?, He must really be a nerd."
I had quite a weekend planned (parties and a football game with my
friends tomorrow afternoon), so I shrugged my shoulders and went on.
As I was walking, I saw a bunch of kids running toward him.
They ran at him, knocking all his books out of his arms and tripping him so he landed in the dirt.
His glasses went flying, and I saw them land in the grass about ten feet from him.
He looked up and I saw this terrible sadness in his eyes
My heart went out to him. So, I jogged over to him and as he crawled around looking for his glasses, and I saw a tear in his eye.
As I handed him his glasses, I said, “Those guys are jerks. They really should get lives.”
" He looked at me and said, "Hey thanks!"
There was a big smile on his face. It was one of those smiles that showed real gratitude.
I helped him pick up his books, and asked him where he lived.
As it turned out, he lived near me, so I asked him why I had never seen him before.
He said he had gone to private school before now.
I would have never hung out with a private school kid before.
We talked all the way home, and I carried some of his books.
He turned out to be a pretty cool kid.
I asked him if he wanted to play a little football with my friends
He said yes.
We hung out all weekend and the more I got to know Kyle, the more I liked him, and my friends thought the same of him.
Monday morning came, and there was Kyle with the huge stack of books again.
I stopped him and said, "Boy, you are gonna really build some serious muscles with this pile of books everyday!" He just laughed and handed me half the books.
Over the next four years, ! Kyle and I became best friends.
When we were seniors, we began to think about college.
Kyle decided on Georgetown, and I was going to Duke.
I knew that we would always be friends, that the miles would never be a problem.
He was going to be a doctor, and I was going for business on a football scholarship.
Kyle was valedictorian of our class.
I teased him all the time about being a nerd.
He had to prepare a speech for graduation.
I was so glad it wasn't me having to get up there and speak
Graduation day, I saw Kyle.
He looked great.
He was one of those guys that really found himself during high school.
He filled out and actually looked good in glasses.
He had more dates than I had and all the girls loved him.
Boy, sometimes I was jealous.!
Today was one of those days.
I could see that he was nervous about his speech.
So, I smacked him on the back and said, "Hey, big guy, you'll be great!"
He looked at me with one of those looks (the really grateful one) and smiled.
"! Thanks," he said.
As he started his speech, he cleared his throat, and began
"Graduation is a time to thank those who helped you make it through those tough years.
Your parents, your teachers, your siblings, maybe a coach...but mostly your friends...
I am here to tell all of you that being a
friend to someone is the best gift you can give them.
I am going to tell you a story."
I just looked at my friend with disbelief as he told the story of the
first day we met.
He had planned to kill himself over the weekend.
He talked of how he had cleaned out his locker so his Mom wouldn't have to do it later and was carrying his stuff home.
He looked hard at me and gave me a little smile.
"Thankfully, I was saved. My friend saved me from doing the unspeakable. "
I heard the gasp go through the crowd as this handsome, popular boy told us all about his weakest moment
I saw his Mom and dad looking at me and smiling that same grateful smile.
Not until that moment did I realize it's depth.
Never underestimate the power of your actions.
With one small gesture you can change a person's life.
For better or for worse.
God puts us all in each other's lives to impact one another in some way.
Look for God in others.
You now have two choices, you can:
1) Pass this on to your friends or
2) Delete it and act like it didn't touch your heart.
As you can see, I took choice number 1.
"Friends are angels who lift us to our feet when our wings have trouble remembering how to fly."
There is no beginning or end.. Yesterday is history.
Tomorrow is mystery.
Today is a gift.
A Quarter Too Much!
*Several years ago, a new preacher moved to Houston, Texas. Some weeks
after he arrived, he had occasion to ride the bus from his home to the
downtown area. When he sat down, he discovered that the driver had
accidentally given him a quarter too much change.
As he considered what to do, he thought to himself, "You'd better give the
quarter back. It would be wrong to keep it." Then he thought, "Oh, forget
it, it's only a quarter. Who would worry about this little amount? Anyway,
the bus company gets too much fare; they will never miss it. Accept it as
a 'gift from God' and keep quiet."
When his stop came, he paused momentarily at the door, then he handed the
quarter to the driver and said, "Here, you gave me too much change." The
driver with a smile replied, "Aren't you the new preacher in town? I have
been thinking lately about going to worship somewhere. I just wanted to
see what you would do if I gave you too much change. I'll see you at
church on Sunday."
When the preacher stepped off of the bus, he literally grabbed the nearest
light pole, held on, and said, "Oh God, I almost sold Your Son for a
quarter."
Our lives are the only Bible some people will ever read. This is a really
scary example of how much people watch us as Christians and will put us to
the test! Always be on guard and remember (as I try to remember) that you
carry the name of Christ on your shoulders when you call yourself
"Christian." I'm glad I got this forwarded to me as a reminder. I hope you
all have a great day!!! GBU...
Watch your thoughts; they become words.
Watch your words; they become actions.
Watch your actions; they become habits.
Watch your habits; they become character.
Watch your character; it becomes your destiny. **
*Your life as a Christian is an opened-book that people can read it.***
God bless U and love U
Be strong and never weaken yourself
Soeryo Winoto, Contributor, Jakarta
"Lead yourself whenever your boss' leadership deteriorates. When your
boss doesn't praise what you do, praise yourself. When your boss doesn't
make you big, make yourself big. Remember, if you have done your best,
failure does not count."
This piece of advice comes from independent consultant Mario Teguh, who
hosts a TV program called Business Art with Mario Teguh on the O Channel.
The 51-year-old' s style is quite different to that of other consultants
as he is straight and frank in a polite manner that does not make viewers
feel like they are in a classroom.
In one TV talk, for example, he said that bosses or leaders must try
their best to be objective when making a decision. "Never make a decision
when you are upset, sad, jealous or in love."
One thing that is worth noting from Mario's advice is that he always
encourages everybody to become a respected person, strong and honest.
"Don't ever weaken and disrespect yourself in any way."
Mario may be little known to some, but for radio listeners he is a
familiar guy who has been on the air for various private radios for the
last 14 years.
Every Tuesday he can be heard on Mercury FM Radio for East Java
listeners. On Wednesday Mario is on Radio Pelita Kasih FM, which is
streamed internationally and on Friday, he is busy with Pro2 FM, while on
Thursday at 9 p.m. he hosts Business Art with Mario Teguh on the O
Channel.
Although it is called Business Art, the program really deals with life in
general. There are times when he responds to viewers' questions or
complaints about their dominating bosses or dominating wives.
"Yes, the program should be called Life Art, instead of Business Art," he
said with a broad smile.
His open and straight forward advice is always conveyed in a very polite
way, setting him apart from other consultants hosting similar programs on
TV.
Another difference is Mario calls himself a motivator, instead of a
consultant.
His three-month old TV appearance has apparently boosted his popularity.
And he acknowledges this. "This means an extension of my service. I am a
person who always tries to not to be easily influenced by position or
achievement. I thank God for the fact that I can share more kindness and
a good quality of life through the popularity. Not for the popularity
itself."
Hailing from Malang, East Java, Mario has a subtle understanding of
Javanese philosophy. His advice to clients, TV viewers and radio
listeners always contains the promotion of harmony and peace.
"Only sinful or guilty persons don't have a peace of mind," he said,
referring to a national leader who was to upset to respond to fierce
criticism of him.
"You don't have to be busy to explain everything to react to sour
criticism or an attack against you when you really believe that you have
done nothing wrong," he said.
"I always tell my clients to be tough, to be strong. Never weaken
yourself. I believe God favors only strong persons."
His educational background obviously backs his career as a consultant.
Mario said things began with his ordinary family. His father was a
retired Army captain, who raised the family in a humble way.
His life changed when he was in senior high school in Malang, East Java.
He was elected to join an American Field Services student exchange
program and sent to Chicago in 1970. He said his horizons in life would
probably not have changed if he had not been educated in Chicago.
"The education there was very different as it allowed me to see many
choices, especially practical things in social life," he said.
Back home in 1976, he wanted to study mechanical engineering at the
Bandung Institute of Technology. He said he was also interested in
studying architecture at Trisakti University in Jakarta.
"All my dreams were wrecked due to my family's inability to afford higher
education at the two universities. Finally, I went to the English
department at the Teachers' Institute (IKIP) in Malang."
On graduating from IKIP, Mario applied for a scholarship to Japan in
1980. He took a one-semester program on international business at the
Sophia University in Tokyo. In 1980, he applied for another scholarship
at Indiana University for his master's in operating systems, which he
completed in 1983.
Mario has vividly funny and unforgettable memories from living overseas.
Like any other migrant student, he made money by working in a restaurant
in Indiana, but as the money from the restaurant was not enough he tried
to find other sources of cash.
"I became a house painter and lawn-mower for hire. It was a very tight
schedule for me as the priority was my studies." He made money by
painting and sold his works to nearby galleries to get money.
At the same time, he kept up a "lucrative" fishing program. "I bought
worms for bait for US$2. I always distributed the fish I got to
Indonesian families living in Indiana. In return they invited me for
dinner. So I did not spend money on dinner, did I?"
His career bloomed when he was recruited by a big private bank at home in
1990. He got a very prestigious position as the vice president of
marketing and organization development. He enjoyed his aggressiveness in
his heyday. He also became a consultant for Garuda and the
Kompas-Gramedia group. "Garuda hired me for service excellence systems,
while Kompas-Gramedia for leadership systems."
The turning point came when he decided to resign from the private bank in
1994, giving up all the facilities -- a good house in Kebayoran Baru, a
European car and of course a huge monthly salary.
"I could not stand seeing improper practices happening around me. I had
warned my fellow bankers, but things went on until I decided to quit.
But, frankly, it was also my strong wish to become a self-made and
independent entrepreneur. "
"I was just married then. I just thought and believed that I did no
wrong. So I must be strong."
He kept his word despite the fact that his idealism threw him into
financial problems. He rented an unused garage measuring about 2.5 x 10
M2 with his wife. He encouraged his wife to be strong and said: "We will
start living in the very place with what we have here."
Now Mario seems to be reaping the harvest of his struggles. He is proof
of his words that through being an independent entrepreneur, one can
become an independent person. More importantly, he says he will continue
motivating people to be strong.
We Cannot Direct the Wind but We Can Adjust Our Sails
*By Gayle LaSalle
I first saw this quote at a friend's house several years ago. I don't
know
who said it but it's one of those things that you don't think much
about, at
the time, but it keeps coming back to you. For me it was reoccurring as
I've
had to adjust to events that were beyond my control. Some were serious
challenges, such as losing a loved one. Others were less so. I know
that I'm
not alone. Life is like that. We lose jobs. We lose some we love. We
end a
marriage or a friendship.
Here's what I've learned. Adjusting our sails means making choices.
Often
these choices are not easy, but ultimately it's easier than trying to
change
the direction of the wind.
We make choices every day! Sometimes we make them consciously and with
good
thought but too often we make them without solid thought. AND,
sometimes we
make choices by making no conscious choice at all.
To take no action is in and of itself is making a choice. By making no
choice, we leave the outcome to fate or worse; to the whims of others.
And,
it is this that leads us to feel like victims and powerless. Eventually
it
leads to martyrdom.
To make life choices, there are some clear things we can do. We need to
know
ourselves. What are our priorities? What is important to you? Are you
staying a job because it is working for you or because you don't know
what
else to do? Are you choosing or are you just stuck? What would you have
to
give up to make a different choice? What would you gain? Yes, that is
reality! Choices do not come without a price. Only after you look at
life in
this way can you really see it as a choice
So, you might say "How do we make choices when life intervenes and
things we
didn't plan happen?" Well, first, we don't have to wait to have a
catastrophic event to pay attention to making choices. After all,
practice
makes perfect. If you become aware of the choices you make in everyday
life
and how they impact you, you will become more aware of your ability to
make
choices in the rough times.
We can only make choices when we realize that we have them and we can
only
do that when we are ready to deal with reality.
And yes, that is sometimes unpleasant, even painful. Having choices
does not
mean that things are easy or that we will always be happy with them.
Life is
give and take and so are our choices. Sometimes our first choice is not
even
on the list. We may not even like most of the choices available. So, we
too
often tend to think we have no choice at all
But, we always have choices! If nothing else, we can choose how to
respond
to the life events over which we had no choice. If you lose a job, you
can
choose to see this as a defeat or as an opportunity. You can feel sorry
for
yourself or you can choose to be challenged. Who knows what else is out
there until you take the time to look. And, many of us don't do that
unless
life pushes us.
Possibly one of the most challenging times in life is losing a loved
one. We
can feel hopeless and powerless. We can really believe we have no
choices
and just live in our grief. But, we can choose how to look at life. Are
you
cursed or were you blessed to have wonderful and strong memories? What
do
you want to do with those memories? Do you want to see only that there
will
be no more memories or do you want to keep those great memories alive?
We can even choose our attitude. Just about every event in life has
both
negative and positive. Where do we put our focus?
This may seem like so much common sense. But we all know someone who
makes
few choices and feels victimized by life. Most of us have spent some
time
there ourselves. It is not a pretty place.
So, each day, we need to check the direction of the wind, decide where
we
want to go and then set our sails to get there – as opposed to
cursing the
wind for not making it easy.
A Letter To You From Satan
I saw you yesterday as you began your daily chores. You awoke without
kneeling to pray. As a matter of fact, you didn't even bless your meals, or
pray before going to bed last night.
You are so unthankful, I like that about you. I cannot tell you how glad I
am that you have not changed your way of living, Fool, you are mine.
Remember, you and I have been going steady for years, and I still don't love
you yet.
As a matter of fact, I hate you, because I hate God. I am only using you to
get even with God. He kicked me out of heaven, and I'm going to use you as
long as possible to pay him back.
You see, Fool, GOD LOVES YOU and HE has great plans in store for you. But
you have yielded your life to me and I'm going to make your life a living
hell. That way we'll be together twice this will really hurt God. Thanks to
you. I'm really showing Him who's boss in your life. With all of the good
times we've had..We have been watching dirty movies, cursing people out,
partying, stealing, lying, hypocriting, fornicating, overeating, telling
dirty jokes, gossiping, back stabbing people, disrespecting adults and those
in leadership position, NO respect for the church, bad attitudes. SURELY you
don't want to give all this up.
Come on, Fool, let's burn together forever. I've got some hot plans for us.
This is just a letter of appreciation from me to you. I'd like to say
"THANKS" for letting me use you for most of your foolish life. You are so
gullible, I laugh at you.
When you are tempted to sin, you give in.. HA HA HA, you make me sick. Sin
is beginning to take its toll on your life. You look 20 years older, I need
new blood. So go ahead and teach some children how to sin.
All you have to do is smoke, drink alcoholic beverages, cheat, gamble,
gossip, fornicate, and listen to and dance to the top 10 jams. Do all of
this in the presence of children and they will do it too. Kids are like
that.
Well, Fool, I have to let you go for now. I'll be back in a couple of
seconds to tempt you again. If you were smart, you would run somewhere,
confess your sins, live for God with what little bit of life that you have
left. It's not my nature to warn anyone, but to be your age and still
sinning, it's becoming a bit ridiculous.
Don't get me wrong, I still hate you.. IT'S JUST THAT YOU'D MAKE A BETTER
FOOL FOR CHRIST.
P.S. - And if you really love me, you won't share this letter with anyone
Handy Little Chart
God has a positive answer:*
*YOU SAY*
*GOD SAYS*
*BIBLE VERSES*
You say: "It's impossible"
God says: All things are possible
(Luke 18:27)
You say: "I'm too tired"
God says: I will give you rest
(Matthew 11:28-30)
You say: "Nobody really loves me"
God says: I love you
(John 3:1 6 & John 3:34 )
You say: "I can't go on"
God says: My grace is sufficient
(II Corinthians 12:9 & Psalm 91:15)
You say: "I can't figure things out"
God says: I will direct your steps
(Proverbs 3:5- 6)
You say: "I can't do it"
God says: You can do all things
(Philippians 4:13)
You say: "I'm not able"
God says: I am able
(II Corinthians 9:8)
You say: "It's not worth it"
God says: It will be worth it
(Roman 8:28 )
You say: "I can't forgive myself"
God says: I Forgive you
(I John 1:9 & Romans 8:1)
You say: "I can't manage"
God says: I will supply all your needs
(Philippians 4:19)
You say: "I'm afraid"
God says: I have not given you a spirit of fear
(II Timothy 1:7)
You say: "I'm always worried and frustrated"
God says: Cast all your cares on ME
(I Peter 5:7)
You say: "I'm not smart enough"
God says: I give you wisdom
(I Corinthians 1:30)
You say: "I feel all alone"
God says: I will never leave you or forsake you
(Hebrews 13:5)
*PASS THIS ON.** **YOU NEVER KNOW WHO MAY BE IN NEED*
The first sentence is pretty powerful!
God determines who walks into your life....it's up to you to decide who you
let walk away, who you let stay, and who you refuse to let go."
I need this back. If you'll do this for me, I'll do it for you....
Father, God bless all my friends in whatever it is that you know they may
need this day! And may their life be full of your peace, prosperity and
power as they seek to have a closer relationship with you. Amen.
Now send it on to five other people, including the one who sent it to you.
Within hours you caused a multitude of people to pray for other people. Then
sit back and watch the power of God work in your life.
P. S. Five is good, but more is better, who else do you know that needs
prayer.
Make it a Wonderful Day
Examen Of Consciousness
By Ignatius of Loyola
There are five steps to this Examen of Consciousness.
1st Step: Give Thanks
We must begin this period of prayer with the
awareness that all we are and have is God's gift to us. We owe him
everything. So naturally, we will thank him for them. Such awareness will
deepen our faith in God. We will realize how utterly poor we are, how
dependent on God, how good God has been to us and thank him. This sense of
gratitude when evoked, often will become an attitude that will remain with
us constantly throughout the day. Gradually we will experience that all is a
gift. This awareness alone could change our lives into a thanks living, not
just thanksgiving. Thank God for everything, especially for his gifts in the
part of the day just completed. As we look over the events of the day, we
may discover gifts from God that we did not realize had been given.
2nd Step: Pray for light
It is not possible for us to look clearly into spiritual matters with our human eyes or mind alone. We depend on God's grace for everything but especially when it comes to our relationship with God himself. Pray that we may learn to become more and more open to all the ways in which the Spirit speaks to us, so that we let our lives be directed more and more by the Spirit. Ask the Spirit to enlighten us as to how he has been directing us since the morning, in events and in people. Pray that we may be sensitive to his gifts of peace, love, kindness, joy, patience, fidelity, gentleness and self-control. Pray that we may become more and more aware of our negative attitudes like anxiety, restlessness, anger, jealousy and resentment which are clear signs of our lack of response to God's will and love.
3rd Step: Examine our experiences and actions
Look back slowly over the events, persons and circumstances of the day. Listen to the Lord and allow him to show us where he was meeting, encountering, challenging and being present to us. Do not force ourselves to remember things but let them surface in their own way. In what way was God present in them?
Did we always behave in a Christ-like manner? Were our attitudes and
feelings and actions in keeping with gospel values? Were there opportunities
for service, for doing something for the glory of God that we let pass?
We could ask ourselves further questions like: Did I feel drawn by the Lord
anytime today through a companion, an event, a good book, nature, etc.? What have I learned today about God and his ways? How did I meet God in my fears, joys, misunderstandings, work and suffering? How did God's word come alive in me today during my prayer time, in scripture, other readings? In what
ways have I encountered Christ through the members of my family, my
community? How have I brought Christ to them? In what ways have I been the
sign of God's presence and love to my companions, my friends, the people
with whom I work, to the people I have met today? Have I been moved to go
out of my way in concern for the lonely, sad, discouraged, the needy? In
what area of my life is Jesus not yet Lord?
4th Step: Express Sorrow
The awareness of our failure to respond to God's love, whether in events or people, will arouse in us mixed sentiments like sorrow for our sins and yet wonder at how God constantly brings us to newness; Or a growing mistrust of self and a firm trust in God; or a humble awareness of our weaknesses and a sense of deep joy and gratitude that we have been saved by Christ. There will always be some selfish attitude, action or inaction by which we showed our lack of adequate response to God's love. Express our sorrows over these.
5th Step: Resolve to become and do better
We must determine to keep our spirit filled with gratitude and to take steps to get rid of mind-sets that stand between us and God. We must be open to accept the challenges that God places before us. Pray for grace to recognize the ways in which the Lord is calling us in each situation of the future, and to respond to his call with deeper faith, humility, courage, especially if he is calling us to a painful conversion in some areas of our heart. Ask to be filled with hope and optimism, knowing that Christ has been victorious over evil and death.
Here are the five steps again:
Give thanks;
Pray for light;
Examine our experiences and actions;
Express sorrow;
Resolve to become and do better.
We could end these fifteen minutes of prayer with the prayer that Jesus
himself has taught us or with St. Ignatius' own prayer for generosity which
runs as follows: Lord, teach me to be generous. Teach me to serve you as you
deserve; to give and not to count the cost, to fight and not to heed the
wounds, to toil and not to seek for rest, to labor and not to ask for
reward, except that of knowing that I do your will.
If we are faithful to this method of prayer of St. Ignatius, we will feel
the presence of God leading us forward in our spiritual lives.
Oprah's advice to woman about man and relationship
by Oprah
Ø If a man wants you, nothing can keep him away.
If he doesn't want you, nothing can make him stay.
Ø Stop making excuses for a man and his behavior.
Ø Allow your intuition (or spirit) to save you from heartache.
Ø Stop trying to change yourself for a relationship that's not meant to be.
Ø Slower is better.
Ø Never live your life for a man before you find what makes you truly happy.
If a relationship ends because the man was not treating you as you deserve
then heck no, you can't "be friends".
Ø A friend wouldn't mistreat a friend.
Don't stay because you think "it will get better."
Ø You'll be mad at yourself a year later for staying when things are not better.
The only person you can control in a relationship is you.
Always have your own set of friends separate from his.
Ø If something bothers you, speak up.
Ø Never let a man know everything. He will use it against you later.
Ø You cannot change a man's behavior. Change comes from within.
Ø Don't EVER make him feel he is more important than you are…even if he has more education or in a better job. Do not make him into a quasi-god. He is a man, nothing more nothing less.
Never let a man define who you are.
Ø If he cheated with you, he'll cheat on you.
A man will only treat you the way you ALLOW him to treat you.
Ø You should not be the one doing all the bending…compromise is a two way street.
Ø Deal with your issues before pursuing a new relationship.
Ø Look for someone complimentary… not supplementary.
Ø Dating is fun…even if he doesn't turn out to be Mr. Right.
Make him miss you sometimes…
when a man always know where you are, and you're always readily available to him
he takes it for granted.
Ø Never move into his mother's house.
Ø Never co-sign for a man.
Ø Don't fully commit to a man who doesn't give you everything that you need.
Ø Keep him in your radar but get to know others.
Share this with other women and men (just so they know)…
You'll make someone smile , another rethink her choices , and another woman prepare.
Worry - The Real Enemy
Author: Steve Goodier
What does it mean to worry? The Latin concept of worry describes a turbulent
force within a person. Worry is a heart and mind in turmoil.
The ancient Greeks thought of worry as something that tears a person in two
and drags that person in opposite directions. It is like opposing forces in
deadly conflict within the very being of the individual.
The word "worry" itself comes from an old Anglo-Saxon term meaning to choke,
or strangle, and that is exactly what it does - it chokes the joy of living
wage right out of its victim. And it chokes off the energy to improve one's
condition.
There is a place for healthy concern, but too often our concern turns into
fearful worry. And worry, more than the problem, becomes our real enemy.
Some people have worried for so long that they have become good at it. Just
as we can become good at any attitude or behavior if we practice it enough,
we can also become good at worrying. Worry is habit - a habitual response to
life's problems.
I rather like the attitude of the late United Methodist Bishop Welch. When
he reached the age of 101, he was asked if he didn't think a lot about
dying. With a twinkle in his eye, he replied, "Not at all! When was the last
time you heard of a Methodist bishop dying at 101?" Maybe one reason for his
longevity is that he never developed the habit of worry.
Next time you feel yourself worrying, be like the frogs - they eat what bugs
them.
Decide to no longer practice needless worry and instead practice peace.
Replace your habit of fearful worry with the habit of courageous action. As
Harvey Mackey has said, "Good habits are as addictive as bad habits and a
lot more rewarding."
Practice joy. Practice faith. And practice courage. Soon your life will be
too rich and full for worry.
God Will Meet You Where You Are
By: Bo Sanchez
I'm taking post graduate courses in Theology to remind me of how ignorant I
really am.
You see, I love listening to my brilliant professors speak high-tech
"theologese. "
But I guess it's not just for me. I can't write straight with big,
heavy-duty words, quoting stuff from super-duper theologians. That work to
me is just a little bit less difficult than doing advanced Trigonometry. But
I recall one time when I took a shot at it.
I started pounding on the keyboard, "Some temporary approaches to
spirituality convey paradigmatic alterations from traditional soteriology,
rooted in modern Biblical hermeneutics. ."
Ugh...It was pure torture. (I offered my sufferings for the conversion of
the world. And I bet you'd do that, too, if I wrote that way,hmm?) But in
all this, I have learned something quite glorious:
GOD is flexible.
HE's made of rubber.
HE can stoop down to hollow, lazy brains like mine.
And HE can also meet the best and sharpest minds of big-time theologians.
And still win.
HE can be wise to the wise.
And simple to the simple.
I've realized that GOD will meet us where we are.
HE can be very tender to you if you need an embrace.
HE can be firm to you if you need some spanking.
HE can be terribly awesome when you need a miracle.
HE can be painfully quiet when HE wants you trust HIM.
HE will be what you need HIM to be.
(Note: Not "want" HIM to be. I said, "need" HIM to be.)
Question: What do you really need right now?
Believe me.
HE knows about it more than you do.
So let HIM meet you where you are.
And let HIM love you right there.
You Can Make Your Life Beautiful
GOD Bless Us
Seeking God's Guidance
By Helen Steiner Rice
As the threatening "Clouds of Chaos"
Gather in man's muddled mind;
While he searches for an answer
He alone can never find;
May God turn our vision skyward
So that we can see above ...
The gathering clouds of darkness,
And behold God's brightening love.
For today we're facing problems
Man alone can never solve,
For it takes much more than genius
To determine and resolve,
The conditions that confront us
All around on every side,
Daily mounting in intensity
Like the restless, rising tide.
But we'll find new Strength and Wisdom
If instead of proud resistance ...
We humbly call upon the Lord
And seek Divine Assistance;
For the spirit can unravel
Many tangled, knotted threads
That defy the skill and power
Of the world's best hands and heads.
For the plans of growth and progress
Of which we all have dreamed,
Cannot survive materially
Unless the spirit is redeemed.
So as another New Year dawns,
Let us seek the Lord in prayer
And place our future hopes and plans
Securely in God's care.
God Loves You, Boy
By Todd Faller
In my junior high days, I remember asking my father what was so special about the Bible. I'd found it confusing, "What's the point?" I asked.
He then gave me the best summary of the Bible I ever heard. "The Bible says God loves you, boy," he said, "and you can take that to the bank."
I thought of my dad again, and his one-sentence summary of Scripture, when as an adult I read the excerpt from Romans: "How deep are the riches and the wisdom and the knowledge of God." My father always used his own wisdom to bolster our faith, to model good behavior, and to whet ourappetite for the riches of Scripture. "It's a today book," he would say. "If you think it's just a history book, you might as well stick it back on the shelf and wait for the movie."
I remember, too, the time I was caught throwing water balloons through the screen door of the little church down the street. A police officer provided me with a ride home, where my father greeted us at the door. Fully expecting the worst, I went to my room and waited.
A short time later, Dad entered the room and pulled the desk chair over to where I was sitting on the bed. "Didn't you hear the voice?" he asked.
Dad was a great one for planting mental seeds to make us think, but this question caught me by surprise. "You know," he continued, "the voice inside you."
I stared at him, still not comprehending.
"Surely you heard yourself say, 'This is stupid. This is wrong. Don't do it.' Do you remember hearing that voice now?"
"Yeah," I answered, "I guess so."
"Well, that's God, living inside you. God loves you, boy, and God is always trying to help you do the right thing. Listen to that voice."
Then Dad smiled and held up the Bible on the desk. "It's in the book," he said. With that, he rose and walked to the door. "God loves you, boy," he told me, "and so do I." Then he left. But his lesson in understanding, forgiveness, and awareness remains with me to this day.
Do You Void Your Prayers?
If we behave in a manner that is inconsistent with our praying, we are doubleminded.
And a doubleminded person should not think he or she will receive anything from the Lord (see Jas 1:58).
Mary has prayed for her husband's salvation for twenty four years. Ben has no time
for God and shows virtually no interest in coming to know Him. The problem is that
although Mary prays faithfully for Ben's salvation, she treats him like her "spiritual
junior."
Her behavior belies her praying. She's incongruent, doubleminded, and with her behavior she's writing "void" across the prayers she prays.
When they were first married, Ben was "the man of her dreams. But she has long since elevated herself and her relationship with God above Ben, and believe me, he feels it. Mary would never believe how hurtful this can be to a man who knows almost nothing about Christ.
For a man to share his wife's affection with another man is difficult. But how does
one compete for the affection of his wife with a man he cannot see?! Trust Christ?
Love God? How can he do that? Christ (in Ben's mind) has come between him and
his wife.
Actually, I know of many examples of wives of lost husbands whose relationship with
Christ has made them so adoring of and affectionate toward their husbands that
their husbands are actually grateful for their wives' commitment to Christ.
In Mary's case, she must begin to treat Ben like the man she wants him to be,
instead of the man he currently is, if she's going to convince Ben, God, and others
that she already sees him (with the eyes of faith) saved!
When she puts her faith into action, and by faith begins to show Ben the respect and
honor due a spiritual man, God will move according to her expectation.
Handling Crisis
"And the LORD spake unto Moses face to face, as a man speaketh unto his friend" (Exodus 33:11).
Have you ever been in a crisis when you knew the Lord was ready and waiting to give you victory but you blew it? You could have trusted and praised Him for the situation but instead you complained. Has that ever happened to you? It has to me.
When we don't handle a crisis well, often the Father engineers the crisis again to give us another opportunity to pass the test. But when we replay this life lesson again to get it right, we often are not as committed to learn the lesson as the first time. Often we will have less discernment of what God is doing in us and more humiliation from having not obeyed the first time. If we continue to grieve the Holy Spirit or resist God's tests, there will come a time when we become numb to the crisis--choosing to simply blame the devil.
The Lord sometimes has to shake areas in our lives for our own good. Afterall, the Lord is more interested in our holiness than our happiness. Now this isn't to suggest that our heavenly Father looks for ways to cause us to suffer. But He is committed to achieve His maximum glory in us. And crisis releases a brokenness we otherwise don't have. If we continue to resist the Lord, the result will be emotional turmoil and spiritual emptiness in us.
Now the good news! If we face the crisis with humility, all the while praising God for the opportunity to become more like Him, then the testimony of our lives will reflect Christ's likeness to others. Gloriously, we are promoted to new levels of victory, for in our hearts we know that we have stood strong in faith regardless of the crisis.
Can you imagine the tension Moses must have felt when he asked for God's presence to go with him as he led the children of Israel into the Promised Land? Here is Moses' prayer and God's response: "Now therefore, I pray thee, if I have found grace in thy sight, shew me now thy way, that I may know thee, that I may find grace in Thy sight: and consider that this nation [is] Thy people. And HE said, "My presence shall go [with thee], and I will give thee rest. And he said unto HIM, If Thy presence go not [with me], carry us not up hence" (Exodus 33:13-15).
Moses' crisis was that he had to lead millions of people from slavery and through a wilderness before bringing them to a place of promise. He handled the crisis well, because he would not go forward without the presence of the Lord. You too may be afraid to move forward when facing a crisis. Questions invade your mind:
Did God really tell me to do this? What happens if I fail?
During a crisis, many times I have felt painfully disturbed, distracted and unsure. It's as if the waves and billows of God's providential timing are sweeping over me, yet I am not prepared for them. Moses didn't feel prepared to face his crisis either. Yet God told him, "And it shall come to pass, while my glory passeth by, that I will put thee in a cleft of the rock, and will cover thee with my hand while I pass by: And I will take away mine hand, and thou shalt see my back parts: but my face shall not be seen" (Exodus 33:22-23).
Perhaps you have an unconscious fear that if you pursue the Lord and begin to receive His friendship in a deeper way that it might cost you more than you are willing to pay. We long for more of His presence, yet we know that to whom much is given, much is required. Are you thinking that maybe the responsibility could be so great that if you disobeyed or did something stupid during the crunch time that you would be disqualified for future ministry opportunities?
To learn God's ways can be costly; yet to live without knowing His ways will always cost you more! Exodus 33:11 records that God called Moses His friend. Imagine the joy of hearing the Father call you His friend too! Don't you want to hear that? I sure do.
Work Can Be Worship
By Max Lucado
Jesus’ word for frustrated workers can be found in the fifth chapter of Luke’s gospel. Peter, Andrew, James, and John made their living catching and selling fish. Like other fishermen, they worked the night shift, when cool water brought the game to the surface. And, like other fishermen, they knew the drudgery of a fishless night.
While Jesus preaches, they clean nets. And as the crowd grows, Christ has an idea. He noticed two boats tied up. The fishermen had just left them and were out scrubbing their nets. He climbed into the boat that was [Peter’s] and asked him to put out a little from the shore. Sitting there, using the boat for a pulpit, he taught the crowd.
Jesus claims Peter’s boat. He doesn’t request the use of it. Christ doesn’t fill out an application or ask permission; he simply boards the boat and begins to preach.
He can do that, you know. All boats belong to Christ. Your boat is where you spend your day, make your living, and to a large degree live your life. The taxi you drive, the horse stable you clean, the dental office you manage, the family you feed and transport—this is your boat.
Christ shoulder-taps us and reminds:
“You drive my truck.”
“You preside in my courtroom.”
“You work on my job site.”
“You serve my hospital wing.”
To us all, Jesus says, “Your work is my work.”
Our Wednesdays matter to him as much as our Sundays. He blurs the secular and sacred. One stay-at-home mom keeps this sign over her kitchen sink: Divine tasks performed here, daily. An executive hung this plaque in her office: My desk is my altar. Both are correct.
With God, our work matters as much as our worship. Indeed, work can be worship.
Peter, the boat owner, later wrote: “You are a chosen people. You are a kingdom of priests, God’s holy nation, his very own possession. This is so you can show others the goodness of God” (1 Pet. 2:9 nlt).
A priest represents God, and you, my friend, represent God. So “let every detail in your lives—words, actions, whatever—be done in the name of the Master, Jesus” (Col. 3:17 msg). You don’t drive to an office; you drive to a sanctuary. You don’t attend a school; you attend a temple. You may not wear a clerical collar, but you could. Your boat is God’s pulpit.
Are You Willing?
By Alice Smith
When I was a teenager living in Lake Jackson, Texas, I would sit night after night and talk on the telephone, with my legs propped up on my parent’s door seal. From the angle where I sat, I could easily read the wall plague hanging in their room. I guess I had memorized it after reading it over and over after so many hours of phone conversations.
The wall hanging read:
"A wise ole owl lived in an oak;
The more he saw, the less he spoke,
The less he spoke, the more he heard,
Why can't we be like that ole bird?"
Do you agree with me that in our Western churches we have seminars, conferences, and training classes on prayer? We are good talking about prayer.
Most of us have 10 steps to pray, 12 books on prayer, and prayer charts on what to pray... But often there is too much talking in prayer, when in fact we need to be like this ole' bird, speaking less and listening more from our heavenly Father.
As a result, the church has a lot of "talky, talky, but little walkie, walkie." It reminds me of a quote I understand D.L. Moody once said. He said, "Many Christians talk CREAM and live SKIM MILK." So what is the answer?
Repentance from dead works
Having more information is not going to give us a passion for Jesus Christ. To have "good teaching" but never having the encounter with Jesus as our partner in intercession would be a tragedy. We need to repent from dead works.
Pray this: "Jesus, I want you, the fullness of you, not just quicker answers, not just new techniques on how to get fast answers, but I want the awesome privilege of your presence."
Did you know that prayer isn’t a system of ideas or a checklist of do's and don’ts? It is a relationship with the living God. Remove from your mind that prayer is a set of methods. God loves us and He’s a faithful father, a friend, a comforter, and deliverer.
Secret strongholds
A stronghold has been defined "a mindset that is contrary to the Word of God that you have believed cannot be changed by the power of God." The way to break strongholds is:
1. Bring the stronghold into the light. Admit before God and a close confidant the stronghold that grips you. It could be fear or a hidden sin. It could be unbelief or rage. The Bible says, "But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God" (John 3:21).
2. Acknowledge the stronghold and repent. "Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective" (James 5:16).
3. Break and Renounce. Out loud, renounce any allegiance or contract that you made with the enemy. Tell the power of darkness that his commission is over. Break off all ties with the past bondage. This may include throwing away objects or burning things that dishonor the Lord. You may need to write letters or make phone calls to get your breakthrough. Matthew 3:8 says, "Produce fruit in keeping with repentance."
4. Walk in accountability before others. Christians should learn to be open and transparent with each other in order to help one another with problems. "Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins." -- 1 Peter 4:8
Time for obedience
Be sure your obedience is up to date in every area. Getting still before God is almost an un-American activity, so the serious Christian has to go against the norm in order to take time out with God. "If you extract the precious from the worthless in your life, you will be my spokesman (which is to say, you will be as my mouth)" (Jer. 15:19).
But the Lord will only speak through holy lips that overflow from a pure heart. Are there areas of your life you refuse to obey? Can we expect God to hear our prayers when we have resistant hearts?
Warfare training
When we walk in the light with God and with each other, the enemy cannot hold us captive to the darkness. We then have power to march forward without intimidation or fear. Too long the church has hunkered down in a defensive posture, but Jesus clearly said the gates of hell will not prevail against his church. We are charged with possessing the gates of our enemies. "...Your descendants will take possession of the cities of their enemies" (Genesis 22:17).
There are many ways we can win the battle in prayer.
Praise
Declaration
Praying the Scripture
Breaking curses
Standing in the gap until a breakthrough
Announcing the release
Brokenness for lost souls
Reminding God of his Promises
Prayer is not a formula. It is primarily a love relationship expressed between you and your loving heavenly Father. He is a loving, wise, forgiving, powerful God who is able to hear and answer. We are called to permeate our society with the life of Jesus through our prayers.
We are not defeated foes. We have been given all authority. "I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you" (Luke 10:19). We are called to be the salt of the earth. Prayer will lead us to "salt" the earth.
Prayer that touches the Father's heart will lead to answered prayer. Intercession is not an end in itself, but rather the marching orders as soldiers of the cross. The Lord is looking for our availability, not our ability. He is waiting for those who will be willing to pray, willing to repent, willing to listen to his voice, willing to
stand in the gap.
Are you willing?
The Pastor and his son
A good reminder of God's Love.
Every Sunday afternoon, after the morning service at the church, the
Pastor and his eleven year old son would go out into their town and
hand out Gospel Tracts.
This particular Sunday afternoon, as it came time for the Pastor
and his son to go to the streets with their tracts, it was very cold
outside,
as well as pouring down rain.
The boy bundled up in his warmest and driest clothes and said,
"OK, dad, I'm ready."
His Pastor dad asked, "Ready for what?"
"Dad, it's time we gather our tracts together and go out."
Dad responds, "Son, it's very cold outside and it's pouring down rain."
The boy gives his dad a surprised look, asking,
"But Dad, aren't people still going to Hell, even though it's raining?"
Dad answers, "Son, I am not going out in this weather."
Despondently, the boy asks, "Dad, can I go? Please?"
His father hesitated for a moment then said,
"Son, you can go. Here are the tracts, be careful son."
"Thanks Dad!"
And with that, he was off and out into the rain.
This eleven year old boy walked the streets of the town going door to
door
and handing everybody he met in the street a Gospel Tract.
After two hours of walking in the rain, he was soaking, bone-chilled wet
and down to his VERY LAST TRACT.
He stopped on a corner and looked for someone to hand a tract to,
but the streets were totally deserted.
Then he turned toward the first home he saw and started up the sidewalk
to the front door and rang the door bell.
He rang the bell, but nobody answered.
He rang it again and again, but still no one answered.
He waited but still no answer.
Finally, this eleven year old trooper turned to leave, but something
stopped him.
Again, he turned to the door and rang the bell and knocked loudly on
the door with his fist.
He waited, something holding him there on the front porch!
He rang again and this time the door slowly opened.
Standing in the doorway was a very sad-looking elderly lady.
She softly asked, "What can I do for you, son?"
With radiant eyes and a smile that lit up her world, this little boy
said,
"Ma'am, I'm sorry if I disturbed you, but I just want to tell you that
*JESUS REALLY DOES LOVE YOU* and I came to give you my very
last Gospel Tract which will tell you all about JESUS and His great
LOVE."
With that, he handed her his last tract and turned to leave.
She called to him as he departed.
"Thank you, son! And God Bless You!"
Well, the following Sunday morning in church Pastor Dad was in the
pulpit.
As the service began, he asked,
"Does anybody have any testimony or want to say anything?"
Slowly, in the back row of the church, an elderly lady stood to her
feet.
As she began to speak, a look of glorious radiance came from her face,
"No one in this church knows me. I've never been here before. You see,
before
last Sunday I was not a Christian. My husband passed on some time ago,
leaving
me totally alone in this world. Last Sunday, being a particularly cold
and
rainy day, it was even more so in my heart that I came to the end of the
line where I no longer had any hope or will to live.
So I took a rope and a chair and ascended the stairway into the attic of
my home.
I fastened the rope securely to a rafter in the roof, then stood on the
chair
and fastened the other end of the rope around my neck.
Standing on that chair, so lonely and brokenhearted I was about to leap
off,
when suddenly the loud ringing of my doorbell downstairs startled me.
I thought, "I'll wait a minute, and whoever it is will go away."
I waited and waited, but the ringing doorbell seemed to get louder and
more insistent, and then the person ringing also started knocking
loudly.
I thought to myself again, "Who on earth could this be? Nobody ever
rings
my bell or comes to see me."
I loosened the rope from my neck and started for the front door,
all the while the bell rang louder and louder.
When I opened the door and looked I could hardly believe my eyes, for
there on my front porch was the most radiant and angelic little boy I
had ever
seen in my life.
His SMILE, oh, I could never describe it to you!
The words that came from his mouth caused my heart that had long been
dead,
TO LEAP TO LIFE as he exclaimed with a cherub-like voice,
"Ma'am, I just came to tell you that JESUS REALLY DOES LOVE YOU."
Then he gave me this Gospel Tract that I now hold in my hand.
As the little angel disappeared back out into the cold and rain, I
closed
my door and read slowly every word of this Gospel Tract.
Then I went up to my attic to get my rope and chair.
I wouldn't be needing them any more.
You see---I am now a Happy Child of the KING.
Since the address of your church was on the back of this Gospel Tract,
I have come here to personally say THANK YOU to God's little angel
who came just in the nick of time and by so doing, spared my soul
from an eternity in hell."
There was not a dry eye in the church.
And as shouts of praise and honor to THE KING resounded off
the very rafters of the building, Pastor Dad descended from the pulpit
to the front pew where the little angel was seated.
He took his son in his arms and sobbed uncontrollably.
Probably no church has had a more glorious moment, and probably
this universe has never seen a Papa that was more filled with love
& honor for his son... Except for One.
Our Father also allowed His Son to go out into a cold and dark world.
He received His Son back with joy unspeakable, and as all of heaven
shouted praises and honor to The King, the Father sat His beloved Son
on a throne far above all principality and power and every name that is
named.
Blessed are your eyes for reading this message.
Don't let this message die, read it again and pass it to others.
Heaven is for His people!
Remember,
God's message CAN make the difference in the life of someone close to
you.
Please share this wonderful message...
"Faith is the affirmation and the act that bids eternal truth be present
fact."
Coleridge
Just 3 Words
Three things in life that, once gone, never come back -
1. Time
2. Words
3. Opportunity
Three things in life that can destroy a person -
1. Anger
2. Pride
3. Unforgiveness
Three things in life that you should never lose -
1. Hope
2. Peace
3. Honesty
Three things in life that are most valuable -
1. Love
2. Family & Friends
3. Kindness
Three things in life that are never certain -
1. Fortune
2. Success
3. Dreams
Three things that make a person -
1. Commitment
2. Sincerity
3. Hard work
Three things that are truly constant -
Father - Son - Holy Spirit
I ask the Lord to bless you, as I pray for you today;
to guide you and protect you, as you go along your way.
God's love is always with you, God's promises are true.
And when you give God all your cares,
you know God will see you through.
Pass this along to People you want God to Bless - I just did!
~~~***My God Reigns***~~~
NO one falls in love by choice, it is by CHANCE.
No one stays in love by chance, it is by WORK.
And no one falls out of love by chance, it is by CHOICE
--
"Though you cannot go back and make a brand new start, my friend.
Anyone can start from now and make a brand new end"
~Dr. John C. Maxwell~
Forcing The Flower
By Sally I Kennedy
He has made everything beautiful in its time. Ecclesiastes 3:11
Forcing the Flower
Several days had passed since I bought the beautiful big, plump rose. I cut
the stem at an angle, under water (as the directions suggested). Then I
placed it in a special bud vase, and set it on my husband's washstand. Ben
loves roses, and although this flower didn't have much fragrance, it was
lovely to look at.
The flower just wasn't opening like I thought it should.
"I'll help it," I thought. So carefully, I pried the blush color petals
open.
Perhaps you have tried to force a flower to open before it is ready. It
didn't work for me, that's for sure, to which the photo (attached) will
testify.
So often I am impatient with how things are going, and I just have to get
involved and try to "help" speed up the process. I am an action person, so
have always prided myself on not procrastinating; rather taking the bull by
the horns and jumping in.
Forcing this flower to open clearly brought home the message to me that,
even though it is ok to be an action person, it is also wise to be patient.
There is a rhythm, and a time, for everything. My impatience helps nothing!
Thank you , Lord, You make everything beautiful, in Your time.
That is Good News.
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