A Cowboy's Christmas Prayer

I ain't much good at prayin',

and You may not know me, Lord --

For I ain't much seen in churches,

where they preach Thy Holy Word.

But you may have observed me 

out here on the lonely plains,

A-lookin' after cattle, 

feelin' thankful when it rains.

Admirin' Thy great handiwork.

the miracle of the grass,

Aware of Thy kind Spirit,

in the way it comes to pass 

That hired men on horseback

and the livestock that we tend 

Can look up at the stars at night,

and know we've got a Friend.

So here's ol' Christmas comin' on,

remindin' us again

Of Him whose coming brought good will

into the hearts of men.

A cowboy ain't a preacher, Lord,

but if You'll hear my prayer,

I'll ask as good as we have got 

for all men everywhere.

Don't let no hearts be bitter, Lord.

Don't let no child be cold.

Make easy the beds for them that's sick

and them that's weak and old.

Let kindness bless the trail we ride,

no matter what we're after,

And sorter keep us on Your side,

in tears as well as laughter.

I've seen ol' cows a-starvin' -

and it ain't no happy sight;

Please don't leave no one hungry, Lord,

on Thy Good Christmas Night --

No man, no child, no woman,

and no critter on four feet

I'll do my doggone best 

to help you find 'em chuck to eat.

I'm just a sinful cowpoke, Lord --

ain't got no business prayin'

But still I hope you'll ketch a word

or two, of what I'm sayin':

We speak of Merry Christmas, Lord--

I reckon You'll agree --

There ain't no Merry Christmas

for nobody that ain't free!

So one thing more I ask You, 

Lord: just help us what You can

To save some seeds of freedom 

for the future Sons of Man!

S. Omar Barker

The Gold and Ivory Tablecloth

It happened to a young pastor. His church was very old. Once, long ago, it had flourished. Famous men had preached from its pulpit, prayed before its altar. Rich & poor alike had worshiped there & built it beautifully. Now the good days had passed from the section of town where it stood. But the pastor & his young wife believed in their run-down church. They felt that with paint, hammer, and faith, they could get it in shape. Together they went to work. But late in December, a severe storm whipped through the river valley, & the worst blow fell on the little church—a huge chunk of rain-soaked plaster fell out of the inside wall just behind the altar. Sorrowfully the pastor & his wife swept away the mess, but they couldn’t hide the ragged hole. The pastor looked at it & had to remind himself quickly, “Thy will be done!” The joyful purpose of the storm that had knocked a hole in the wall of the church was now quite clear. But his wife wept, “Christmas is only two days away!”

That afternoon the dispirited couple attended an auction held for the benefit of a youth group. The auctioneer opened a box and shook out of its folds a handsome gold-and-ivory lace tablecloth. It was a magnificent item, nearly 15 feet long. But it, too, dated from a long-vanished era. Who, today, had any use for such a thing? There were a few halfhearted bids. Then the pastor had a great idea. He bid six dollars and fifty cents. He carried the cloth back to the church & tacked it up on the wall behind the altar. It completely hid the hole! The extraordinary beauty of its shimmering handwork cast a fine, holiday glow over the chancel. It was a great triumph. Happily he went back to preparing his Christmas sermon. Just before noon on the day of Christmas Eve, as the pastor was opening the church, he noticed a woman standing in the cold at the bus stop. "The bus won’t be here for 40 minutes!” he called, & he invited her into the church to get warm. She told him that she had come from the city that morning to be interviewed for a job as governess to the children of one of the wealthy families in town but she had been turned down. A war refugee, she had imperfect English.

The woman sat down in a pew and chafed her hands and rested. After a while, she dropped her head & prayed. She looked up as the pastor began to adjust the great gold-and-ivory lace cloth across the hole. She rose suddenly and walked up the steps of the chancel to look at the tablecloth. The pastor smiled & started to tell her about the storm damage, but she didn’t seem to listen. She took up a fold of the cloth and rubbed it between her fingers. “It is mine!” she said. “It is my banquet cloth!” She lifted up a corner and showed the surprised pastor that there were initials monogrammed on it. “My husband had the cloth made especially for me in Brussels! There could not be another like it!” For the next few minutes, the woman & the pastor talked excitedly together. She explained that she was Viennese, that she & her husband had opposed the Nazis & decided to leave the country. They were advised to go separately. Her husband put her on a train for Switzerland. They planned that he would join her as soon as he could arrange to ship their household goods across the border. She never saw him again. Later she heard that he had died in a concentration camp. “I have always felt that it was my fault—to leave without him,” she said. “Perhaps these years of wandering have been my punishment!” The pastor tried to comfort her, urged her to take the cloth with her. She refused. Then she went away. As the church began to fill on Christmas Eve, it was clear that the cloth was going to be a great success. It had been skillfully designed to look its best by candlelight. After the service, the pastor stood at the doorway; many people told him that the church looked beautiful. One gentle-faced, middle-aged man—he was the local clock-and-watch repairman—looked rather puzzled. “It is strange,” he said in his soft accent. “Many years ago, my wife—God rest her—and I owned such a cloth. In our home in Vienna, my wife put it on the table”—and here he smiled—“only when the bishop came to dinner!” The pastor suddenly became very excited. He told the jeweler about the woman who had been in church earlier in the day. The startled jeweler clutched the pastor’s arm. “Can it be? Does she live?” Together the two got in touch with the family who had interviewed her. Then, in the pastor’s car, they started for the city. And as Christmas Day was born, this man and his wife—who had been separated through so many saddened Yuletides—were reunited.

To all who heard this story, the joyful purpose of the storm that had knocked a hole in the wall of the church was now quite clear. Of course, people said it was a miracle, but I think you will agree it was the season for it!

The True Spirit of Christmas

Christmas 1940 makes me misty-eyed every time I think about it. I was a high school student in California’s San Joaquin Valley. In the hard times of the era, people depended on one another. We collected food, clothing, bedding and household items and gave them to the needy.

We saved the toys we collected for Christmas. The home economics classes made new dresses for the dolls, while the shop classes turned lumber into trucks, games and other toys.

That Christmas we students found ourselves wrapping toys and loading packages for delivery. As we presented the gifts, we saw joy in many faces, especially those of the children.

We had a few more visits to make on Christmas morning. The air was heavy and chilled us to the bone. A rancher offered us his truck for deliveries, and we gratefully accepted. For several hours, we knocked on doors. But as the cold hours passed, our enthusiasm gradually waned.

When we finally headed home, someone pointed to a small house down a canal bank. Although there were no electric or telephone lines running to the structure, smoke curled from the chimney. The house stood bleak in the forlorn terrain that surrounded it.

None of us knew who lived there, and we wondered if there were children. We still had a doll, two trucks, assorted small toys, chocolate Santas and a box of groceries. We decided to make one last visit. Three of us climbed down from the truck bed and gathered the gifts.

Mud sucked at our boots, slowing our progress. When we knocked on the door, a young woman whose dark hair was tied back with a red ribbon answered it. Three small children peeked from behind her skirt—a little girl of about 2, and boys perhaps 4 and 5 years old. The mother put an arm around the toddler and looked at us questioningly.

“Merry Christmas,” we chorused as we bent down and handed the gift-wrapped packages to the children and the box of groceries to the mother, whose eyes widened with amazement. She slowly smiled, then quickly said, “Come in.” The catch in her voice was sufficient for us to accept her invitation. We removed our boots and stepped inside.

I knelt to reach the little girl, and it was then that I looked around the room. The linoleum floor was worn but spotless. Bleached flour-sack curtains hung at the windows. Neatly made beds occupied one corner of the room and the kitchen another. A small stove furnished heat.

As I turned back to the children, dressed in clean, neatly patched clothes, I noticed several green tree branches standing upright in a dirt-filled pot. A red cloth circled the base. Can lids and paper angels hung on strings, and a tiny paper star graced the treetop. Streamers of popcorn completed the decorations.

The room was silent as the children looked at their mother, wondering if the gifts were really for them. The little girl hugged her doll, and the boys grasped the trucks as they sought an answer. She put her arms around them and said in a choked voice, “I told you Santa Claus would come.”

Story by Beverly Roberts Jostad, Salem, Oregon

If you give, you will receive. Your gift will return to you in full measure, pressed down, shaken together to make room for more, and running over. Whatever measure you use in giving -- large or small -- it will be used to measure what is given back to you." Luke 6:38

Why Jesus is Better Than Santa Claus

Santa lives at the North Pole...
     JESUS is everywhere.
Santa rides in a sleigh...
     JESUS rides on the wind and walks on the water.
Santa comes but once a year...
     JESUS is an ever present help.
Santa fills your stockings with goodies...
     JESUS supplies all your needs.
Santa comes down your chimney uninvited...
     JESUS stands at your door and knocks, and then enters your heart when invited.
You have to wait in line to see Santa...
     JESUS is as close as the mention of His name.
Santa lets you sit on his lap...
     JESUS lets you rest in His arms.
Santa doesn't know your name, all he can say is "Hi little boy or girl, what's your name?"...
     JESUS knew our name before we were born.  Not only does He know our name, He knows our address too. He knows our history and future and He even knows how many hairs are on our heads.
Santa has a belly like a bowl full of jelly...
     JESUS has a heart full of love
All Santa can offer is HO HO HO...
    JESUS offers health, help and hope.
Santa says "You better not cry"...
     JESUS says "Cast all your cares on me for I care for you."
Santa's little helpers make toys...
    JESUS makes new life, mends wounded hearts, repairs broken homes and builds mansions.
Santa may make you chuckle but...
    JESUS gives you joy that is your strength.
While Santa puts gifts under your tree...
     JESUS became our gift and died on a tree...the cross.
We need to put Christ back in CHRISTmas, Jesus is still the reason for the season.

"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life" (John 3:16). 

If

“If you own just one Bible, you are abundantly blessed one-third of the world does not have access to even one. If you woke up this morning with more health than illness, you are more blessed than a million who will not survive the week. 
If you have never experienced the danger of battle, the loneliness of imprisonment, the agony of torture or the pangs of starvation, you are ahead of five million people around the world. 
If you attend a church meeting without fear of harassment, arrest or torture of death, you are more blessed that almost three billion people in the world. 
If you have food in your refrigerator, clothes on your back, roof over your head and a place to sleep, you are richer than 75% of this world.
If you have money in the bank, in your wallet and spare change in a dish someplace, you are among the top 8% of the world’s wealthy. 
If your parents are still married and alive, you are very rare. If you hold up your head with a smile on your face and are truly thankful, you are blessed because the majority can, but most do not. 
If you can hold someone’s hand, hug them or even touch them on the shoulder, you are blessed because you can offer God’s healing touch. 
If you prayed yesterday and today, you are in the minority because you believe in God’s willingness to hear and answer prayer. 
If you believe in Jesus as the Son of God, you are part of a very small minority in the world. 
If you can read this message, you are more blessed than over two billion people in the world that cannot read anything at all.”

Be Thankful

Be thankful that you don't already have everything you desire ... if you did, what would there be to look forward to? 

Be thankful when you don't know something ... for it gives you the opportunity to learn.

Be thankful for the difficult times ... during those times you grow.

Be thankful for your limitations ... they give you opportunities for improvement.

Be thankful for each new challenge... which will build your strength and character.

Be thankful for your mistakes ... they will teach you valuable lessons.

Be thankful when you're tired and weary ... because it means you've given your all.

It's easy to be thankful for the 'good' things ... yet, a life of rich fulfillment comes to those who are thankful for the setbacks.

Gratitude can turn a negative into a positive ... find a way to be thankful for your troubles and they can become your blessings.

In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. 1 Thessalonians 5:18

Happiness

Everybody, everywhere

seeks happiness, it’s true,

But finding it and keeping it

seem difficult to do.

Difficult because we think

that happiness is found

Only in the places where

wealth and fame abound.

And so we go on searching

in palaces of pleasure

Seeking recognition

and monetary treasure,

Unaware that happiness

is just a state of mind

Within the reach of everyone

who takes time to be kind.

For in making others happy

we will be happy, too.

For the happiness you give away

returns to shine on you.

Broken Wings: Don't Judge a Book by Its Cover

Some people are just doomed to be failures. That's the way some adults look at troubled kids. Maybe you've heard the saying, "A bird with a broken wing will never fly as high." I'm sure that T. J. Ware was made to feel this way almost every day in school. By high school, T. J. was the most celebrated troublemaker in his town. Teachers literally cringed when they saw his name posted on their classroom lists for the next semester. He wasn't very talkative, didn't answer questions and got into lots of fights. He had flunked almost every class by the time he entered his senior year, yet was being passed on each year to a higher grade level. Teachers didn't want to have him again the following year. T. J. was moving on, but definitely not moving up. I met T. J. for the first time at a weekend leadership retreat. All the students at school had been invited to sign up for ACE training, a program designed to have students become more involved in their communities. T. J. was one of 405 students who signed up.mWhen I showed up to lead their first retreat, the community leaders gave me this overview of the attending students: "We have a total spectrum represented today, from the student body president to T. J. Ware, the boy with the longest arrest record in the history of town." Somehow, I knew that I wasn't the first to hear about T. J.'s darker side as the first words of introduction. At the start of the retreat, T. J. was literally standing outside the circle of students, against the back wall, with that "go ahead, impress me" look on his face. He didn't readily join the discussion groups, didn't seem to have much to say. But slowly, the interactive games drew him in. The ice really melted when the groups started building a list of positive and negative things that had occurred at school that year. T. J. had some definite thoughts on those situations. The other students in T. J.'s group welcomed his comments. All of a sudden T. J. felt like a part of the group, and before long he was being treated like a leader. He was saying things that made a lot of sense, and everyone was listening. T. J. was a smart guy, and he had some great ideas. The next day, T. J. was very active in all the sessions. By the end of the retreat, he had joined the Homeless Project team. He knew something about poverty, hunger and hopelessness. The other students on the team were impressed with his passionate concern and ideas. They elected T. J. co-chairman of the team. The student council president would be taking his instruction from T. J. Ware. When T. J. showed up at school on Monday morning, he arrived to a firestorm. A group of teachers were protesting to the school principal about his being elected co-chairman. The very first community wide service project was to be a giant food drive, organized by the Homeless Project team. These teachers couldn't believe that the principal would allow this crucial beginning to a prestigious, three-year action plan to stay in the incapable hands of T. J. Ware. They reminded the principal, "He has an arrest record as long as your arm. He'll probably steal half the food." Mr. Coggshall reminded them that the purpose of the ACE program was to uncover any positive passion that a student had and reinforce its practice until true change can take place. The teachers left the meeting shaking their heads in disgust, firmly convinced that failure was imminent.
Two weeks later, T. J. and his friends led a group of 70 students in a drive to collect food. They collected a school record: 2,854 cans of food in just two hours. It was enough to fill the empty shelves in two neighborhood centers, and the food took care of needy families in the area for 75 days.
The local newspaper covered the event with a full-page article the next day. That newspaper story was posted on the main bulletin board at school, where everyone could see it. T. J.'s picture was up there for doing something great, for leading a record-setting food drive. Every day he was reminded about what he did. He was being acknowledged as leadership material. T. J. started showing up at school every day and answered questions from teachers for the first time. He led a second project, collecting 300 blankets and 1,000 pairs of shoes for the homeless shelter. The event he started now yields 9,000 cans of food in one day, taking care of 70 percent of the need for food for one year.
T. J. reminds us that a bird with a broken wing only needs mending. But once it has healed, it can fly higher than the rest. T. J. got a job. He became productive. He is flying quite nicely these days.

By Jim Hullihan

Welcome Home Soldier

The other day I was walking into the local Wal-Mart store when I noticed an older man walking beside a younger man. The younger man was wearing army fatigues. I was curious so I stopped and asked, "Excuse me young man, but I was just wondering if you were in the service or are you just wearing fatigues?"

The young man stated that he was really in the army and then his Dad added in a strong voice that was filled with pride, "This is my son and he has just returned from his second tour in Iraq."

I told him how glad I was that he had returned home safely and then I said, "Young man, I would like to do something for you that no one outside of my family did for me when I returned home from serving in Viet Nam."

"What is that?" he asked.

"I'd be proud to welcome you home by shaking your hand if I might and say thank you for your service to our country," I said as I held out my hand. The young soldier and his Dad both stood a little taller as the young man stuck out his hand which I readily grasped and we just stood there, the three of us, with our right hands joined. We were three strangers drawn together by a common bond, we all understood, not needing to say anything more.

After nodding to each other, I started to break the grasp and walk away but the young soldier seemed to have something on his mind as he hesitated, and then he stopped me before I could move. He was quiet for a moment and then he looked me straight in the eye and then he ever so clearly uttered the words, "Thank you. . . and . . . Welcome Home". We then parted company as we went our separate ways. I finished buying the supplies I needed, walked on home, and oh yeah - I cried.

(Anonymous Viet Nam Veteran)

We often forget to be thankful to those who serve our country, protect us from terrorism, and preserve our freedom. We have veterans living today that have served us in WWII, Korea, Viet Nam, and The Persian Gulf. We have those on active duty who are serving our country right now in Iraq as well as other places around the world.

Today the average age of a WWII Veteran is 81; we are quickly losing them from the battlefield of life. They are now leaving us at the rate of 1500 per day. I see many of them carrying our flag in parades and participating in military funerals. They tell me the veteran's organizations need more veterans to help them with these duties now. This is due to the failing health and the deaths of most of the WWII veterans who have kept these organizations alive with their unswerving dedication and patriotism. Perhaps it's time we expressed appreciation with a card or a phone call to someone we know personally while there's still time. It shouldn't have to be Memorial Day or Veteran's Day for us to be appreciative toward all of our veterans no matter where they served. The point is that they served and gave of themselves that we might live in freedom.

We can also show our appreciation to those serving us right now by writing letters, sending e-mails, or sending packages to our soldiers. *Today is a good day to be grateful, there's no time like the present and it's the only time that we have for certain. When we see or hear of a soldier coming home from war, most important of all, let's remember to give them a heartfelt, "Thank you . . . and . . . Welcome Home!"

~ Pamela Perry Blaine ~

What's Your Attitude?

Attitude affects everything

Someone once told me, "You need to make me happy." After thinking about this for a while I decided it was not my job to make anyone happy except myself. I truly believe that happiness is a choice we must make for ourselves, and not just once, but every single day. When my father was ill with cancer he was placed on 24-hour hospice care. The nurses commented to me about how wonderful he was and that he was always so cheerful.

     Choose thankfulness

I asked him about this one night, and he said to me, "Every morning when I wake up I have a choice to make. I can be a crotchety old man and dwell on my pain and misfortune, making everyone around me miserable, or I can accept my life as it is and be glad that I woke up at all.

"I would rather be around happy people, so I choose the latter, but it is a choice I have to make every day, some days more than once." My father's words have stuck with me all these years. A good attitude is so much a part of success. Anything can be accomplished if you believe in yourself and have the courage to try.

     Take positive steps

But how do you get and maintain a good attitude? As fast-paced and stress-filled as our lives are, it can be difficult to find your "happy place." Following are some ideas to increase your happiness and present a good attitude to those around you.

• Make a choice: First, you have to make the choice to be happy. When you wake up do you leap out of bed or do you lie there desperately trying to find the snooze button on the alarm clock? While you don't actually have to leap out of bed, you should try to resolve to get up and get moving the first time the alarm goes off. Be thankful that you have the privilege of enjoying this brand new day. To have 365 new beginnings every single year is actually a pretty amazing thing.
• Find a reason to smile: Smiling, and all facial expressions, are actually physiological responses to emotions. Smiling not only makes you look happy, it can also relieve stress, boost your immune system, lower your blood pressure, and release endorphins (those wonderful little natural pain-killers and stress-reducers). Besides, smiling is contagious.
• Take care of yourself: Do this the same way you take care of others. We all know that working in sales is largely about customer service. Think of yourself as one of your own customers. Make sure to exercise, eat right and carve out some down time in each of your days. In other words, stop to smell the flowers.
• Have some fun. Too often we postpone fun activities for when we have more time. If you keep doing this, you may never get around to it. Even just a short walk in the park can be fun. Find something you love to do and set aside a little bit of time every day to do it.
• Act like a winner. Three other things that will help improve your attitude are: 1) Being optimistic - the glass really is half full. 2) Associating with happy people - their positivity will rub off on you. 3) Having faith in yourself - you really can do anything.

     Spread good news

Then decide, in your own way, to become a good news network for your own circle of family, friends, colleagues and customers. And watch your relationships transform. These are just a few tips to help you maintain a good attitude. The first step is yours. You have to make the choice. So what will it be?
                                                    The a Green Shert Online Edition

Pulling Weeds

This afternoon the sun shone for a few hours, so I took the opportunity to do some weeding in the garden. It had rained a lot over the past few weeks and the weeds had thrived. Some of the weeds came out easily as they had little roots, but others that I pulled out were well established and it took a lot of effort to remove them. At the end of the afternoon, it was satisfying to see the garden looking good and without weeds for now!

As I was thinking about this it got me to thinking about the Christian life. Our lives are like a garden and the weeds are the worldly influences and sins that take root in our lives. The weeds spring up, sometimes without us even realizing. For example, one bad word spoken against a person can lead to another and before we know it we have a problem with speaking unkindly about others. Just as the weeds have grown gradually in the garden, so sins can develop in our lives and before we know it they have become deep rooted.

The good news though is there is hope. Just as I took the time to remove the weeds from the garden we can remove the sins from our lives. It just takes time. Time spent examining our hearts (2 Corinthians 13:5), asking God to show us areas in our lives that we need to change and asking for His help to change. By seeking God daily and reading his word we can stop the weeds from growing and stop our lives from becoming entangled by sin.

"Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting." Psalm 139:23-24
By Lucy.x

Give Your a Troubles To God

Life is not perfect, far from it. Somethings we can manage and figure out on our own and other things need DIVINE INTERVENTION. Simply put, God needs to get involved!

God is always here for you, willing to help you in any situation. Good, bad, difficult...but we must at some point turn our attention to HIM. Why? It is not some much because God needs you to assist HIM, but rather, it is really important for you, to unload your heavy heart and mind to HIM.

Everyone has some sort of pressure and stress and that is "normal". However, there is a fine line between feeling down, overwhelmed and a sense of helplessness. YOU NEED GOD AND DON'T BE AFRAID TO GO TO HIM AND UNLOAD ALL YOUR PROBLEMS. God does not want, nor expect, you to figure out your whole life yourself. HE IS YOUR FAMILY AND TEACHER. The last thing that God wants, is for you to be upset and not turn to HIM.

Problems we face are sometimes "hidden lessons" to help us mature and grow. However, God never said, that you must go it alone! Quite the opposite!

When you discuss and hand over your problems to God, you are placing your TRUST IN HIM. You are showing HIM love, respect and demonstrating FAITH. This is a great part of your relationship with HIM. You are HIS CHILDREN and HE wants nothing but the best for you. It breaks HIS heart when HE SEES YOU SUFFER and you do not turn to HIM.

GOD has many answers and solutions to our problems. With God's love and help, our problems disappear and we move forward with peace. Please do not carry around undue stress, but rather turn to God, anyway you feel comfortable. HE knows what's in your heart and wishes to Bless you... God can handle anything!

BY KATHLEEN FRANGESKO


Anxiety in the heart of man causes depression, But a good word makes it glad. Proverbs 12:25

The Destructiveness of Anger

When a person becomes a Christian, his conduct and personality should undergo certain changes. One of these changes has to do with temper. A Christian should react in a Christian way. He should not lose his temper. This lesson will deal with the problem of anger and temper. We will see the root cause of temper and learn how we can be delivered from the sin of temper.

The first man to discover the destructive power of anger was Cain. Cain and his brother, Abel, were the first two sons of Adam. When these sons grew up, Cain became a farmer and Abel became a shepherd.

Cain and Abel had been taught the right way to worship God. They knew that God required an offering of innocent animals as a sacrifice for their sins. But, when they came to worship God, only one brother was obedient to God. Abel brought a lamb as his offering, but Cain brought fruit from his crops as his offering. God accepted Abel and his offering, but He rejected Cain and his offering. As a result of this, Cain became very angry. He was angry at God and jealous of his brother. God warned Cain of the consequences of his anger. God's message to Cain was this: "Look out! Your anger is like a lion lying in wait outside your door. You must master your anger or it will master you." But Cain did not respond to God's warning. His jealousy of Abel turned into hatred.

One day, as Cain and Abel were in the field together, Cain rose up against his brother and murdered him. Thus the first man born into this world became a murderer because he did not control his anger.
Like Cain, we have the "lion" of anger within us. We must master it or it will master us. God has not said that we are never to be angry, but He has warned us of the danger of uncontrolled anger. The Bible says, "'Be angry, and do not sin': do not let the sun go down on your wrath." Ephesians 4:26

Anger is the most violent of human emotions. Because it involves such strong feelings, anger borders closely on sin. The Bible does not say, "Be kind, but sin not," or "Love, but do not sin,"because kindness and love are far removed from sin. But when we are angry, we are in danger of sinning. Someone has said, "If we are to be angry and sin not, we must be angry at nothing but sin."

There are three things we can do with our anger:

1. We can express it. When anger is out of control, it does great damage. When we become so angry that we want to lash out at someone and hurt them, we are sinning deeply. We call this "losing our temper." Sometimes we think that we show how strong we are when we lose our temper, but losing our temper is a sign of weakness, not strength. The Bible says, "Do not hasten in your spirit to be angry, for anger rests in the bosom of fools." Ecclesiastes 7:9

2. We can suppress it. To suppress anger is to keep it inside. Some people lose their temper and express their anger openly. Others have the same angry feelings but manage to keep them bottled up inside. Anger that is bottled up or kept inside of us hurts and keeps on hurting. It turns to resentment and bitterness, and it can bring on depression as well as many kinds of physical illnesses.

3. We can confess it. The best way to handle angry feelings is to tell God about them. This is a way to "let off steam" without sinning. God knows us better than we know ourselves, and we will always find Him to be understanding.

Just being in God's presence helps to calm us. It also helps us to see things in their proper perspective. Many times we discover that the thing we were disturbed about was not really so important after all.

Read more at http://ubdavid.org/advanced/practical/practical-christian_16.html

Through Me

Through Me

Let there be kind words, a warm smile, and a caring heart.

Through Me

Let there be a willingness to listen and a readiness to understand.

Through Me

Let there be dependability, steadfastness, trust and loyalty.

Through Me

Let there be compassion, forgiveness, mercy and love.

Through Me

Let there be every quality I find, O Lord, in Thee.

-Unknown

For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him. Philippians 2:13

Overflowing With Life!

“The water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water” (John 4:14)

For seventeen years of our married life (the years of raising our children and farming) a deep ravine ran on two sides of our property.

Our first house was small, but the ravine was huge. Our children had no end of fun exploring. Our fresh water supply came from an ever-flowing spring that ran out of the ravine. Not only did the ravine supply our family with fresh water, but also the 70,000 chickens we raised. We never ran out of water.

Later we built a new house across the street - again surrounded with deep ravines and underground springs. The Salmon River began in this ravine. It started with a small stream flowing out of the ravine, but grew into a river as other underground streams flowed into this one and eventually, many miles later, joined the huge Fraser River which flowed into the Pacific Ocean. These springs never ran dry.

Jesus, through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, promises He will be the river of living water in our lives. He will be the fountain of life bubbling from within.

A river or stream is persistent. It will go around obstacles; it will make a new pathway if need be. It does not stop when it meets an obstacle; it merely finds a way around it. Jesus is persistent.

Sometimes in late autumn, when all the leaves had fallen from the trees, the stream and the source of the stream would become clogged. Although it was still flowing, it would find a new path. When we would clear away the leaves, the water would flow freely again - where we directed it.

Most times, we would just take the ever-flowing stream for granted. It kept flowing, supplying us with fresh, clean water. We can take God’s life-giving Spirit for granted. He is always there. His Life will not dry up.

Let’s make sure we keep our hearts clean (no build up), so He is free to flow out of us. When adverse circumstances come into your life, be assured that He is still there - just keep your eyes on the Source, not on the circumstances.

Like the growing Salmon River, the river of living water flowing from you keeps enlarging as your life touches other lives. Be encouraged!

Father, thank You for Your Spirit whose life flows in and out of us, touching everyone we meet every day. Thank You for using our bodies to reflect Your glory! Amen.

by Katherine Kehler

I've got a river of life flowing out of me!

Makes the lame to walk, and the blind to see.

Opens prison doors, sets the captives free!

I've got a river of life flowing out of me!

Spring up, O well, within my soul!

Spring up, O well, and make me whole!

Spring up, O well, and give to me

That life abundantly. 

Forgiveness

Read Matthew 6:14-15, Matthew 11:28, John 14:6, 1John 1:9, Psalm 55:22, Revelation 3

Are you someone who has suffered emotionally, and perhaps physically at the hands of others? Have emotions such as anger, resentment, hate, hostility, bitterness and revenge entered your heart and mind? Have you become filled with an unforgiving spirit?

Unforgiveness can be a hidden culprit. It can make you a prisoner within yourself.

When an unforgiving spirit LIVES inside you, it isn’t bothering those who have wronged you. They’ve gone on their way. But you are still holding onto something that has taken control of your thoughts, actions and words. It eats away at you like a poisonous cancer, and you find yourself bound, with no peace. In reality, you are punishing yourself.

But to forgive in your own power becomes futile, because your heart must first be cleansed of all that the things that unforgiveness creates. Only Jesus can make that happen. He laid down His life and shed His blood to give us the gift of salvation and clean up our hearts. Through Him, there is freedom and victory.

God says “Come unto Me, all you that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28, KJV) Isn’t rest what we long for when filled with the torture of an unforgiving spirit?

According to 1 John 1:9, if we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to . forgive our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness (KJV). So why not dare to invite Christ into your heart? Cast your care upon Him. Let Him do the cleansing. Let Him to take that unforgiving spirit out of your heart and give you a new heart with a forgiving spirit. You could pray a prayer like this – “Lord Jesus, forgive me for bearing a grudge toward the person who has wronged me. Come into my heart, take control of my life. Cleanse me of this unforgiving spirit, and fill me with a forgiving spirit.”

One man who prayed a similar prayer said, “I’ve got peace in my heart, and I’ve got love in my heart for those who have wronged me. One of the greatest possessions I own now is a forgiving heart.” His burden had been surrendered, and freedom was his.

The Bible says “If you forgive men their trespasses, your Heavenly Father will forgive you. If you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Heavenly Father forgive your trespasses” (Matthew 6:14,15, KJV).

That may seem harsh. But why shouldn’t God expect you to forgive those who have offended you, when He has forgiven you of so much more?

Choosing to forgive, is a choice of your will. When you make that choice your heart is then open and ready for the Lord’s cleansing.

Choosing not to forgive, is also a choice of your will. But the door of your heart is then shut and God will not do His cleansing work.

THINK ABOUT IT. . .
Are you harboring an unforgiving spirit? What’s preventing you from letting it go? Remember, it is harming you far more than the person who has made you angry. Give it to God and ask Him to cleanse your heart and free you to experience His love and freedom.

This is from Dr. Henry Brandt’s message, The Power of Forgiveness.

Jealousy

When we use the word “jealous,” we use it in a sense of being envious of someone who has something we do not have. This kind of jealousy is a sin and is not characteristic of a Christian; rather, it shows that we are still being controlled by our own desires  1 Corinthians 3:3. Galatians 5:26 says “Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.”

The Bible tells us that we are to have the perfect kind of love that God has for us. “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.” 1 Corinthians 13:4-5. The more we focus on ourselves and our own desires, the less we are able to focus on God. When we harden our hearts to the truth, we cannot turn to Jesus and allow Him to heal us  Matthew 13:15. But when we allow the Holy Spirit to control us, He will produce in us the fruit of our salvation, which is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control Galatians 5:22-23.

Being jealous indicates that we are not satisfied with what God has given us. The Bible tells us to be content with what we have, for God will never fail or forsake us  Hebrews 13:5. In order to combat jealousy, we need to become more like Jesus and less like ourselves. We can get to know Him through Bible study, prayer, and fellowship with mature believers. As we learn how to serve others instead of ourselves, our hearts will begin to change. “Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will".

They Will Remember

"It is the same with my word. I send it out, and it always produces fruit. It will accomplish all I want it to, and it will prosper everywhere I send it” (Isaiah 55:11).

Have you ever been discouraged after witnessing to someone and they didn’t seem interested? This story may encourage you:

We were at a wedding reception. A man about my age came up to me and asked if I remembered him. Not only did I not know him, he didn’t even look familiar. After playing the guessing game for a while, he told me he had been my neighbor when I was a young girl. Now there were two things I remembered about that family. One, his foster mother was my piano teacher and two; they had a vicious dog that scared the life out of me every time I went for my piano lesson.

He (Ted) told me that I had witnessed to him and his buddy at a bus stop. To my surprise, he repeated exactly what I had told them years ago that early morning while waiting for the bus. He remembered everything I had said about Jesus! I was amazed.

They didn’t receive Christ that day, but later in life they both did become Christians.

What truly amazed me about that conversation at the wedding reception was the fact that he still remembered the words of witness God had spoken through me. A miracle. But now that I think back, I can clearly recall the summer, on a Saturday afternoon, when my Sunday school teacher gave our class the opportunity to ask Jesus into our lives. I remember what he told us.

People won’t forget when you talk with them about your faith. Someone once told me,

“Success in witnessing is simply sharing Christ in the power of the Holy Spirit and leaving the results to God.”

We are just His messengers. Bringing Good News.

So be encouraged! His Word never returns void.

Father God, we are Your witnesses by our lives and by our testimony. Speak through us. Fill us with boldness and with love. Amen.

By Katherine Kehler

Are You Using Your Talent?

Whether you are aware of it or not, God has blessed everyone with a special and unique talent. Perhaps you already know what it is, or maybe you are not quite sure. If you dig deep enough and pray and listen, it will be revealed to you.

Think of the things you are passionate about. It could be something that is constantly nagging you in the inside. What is it that you have always wanted to do? Is there something that you do that truly brings out the best in you? Something that brings you happiness and joy. Follow your heart. Ask God to let it be known to you. Reach for it, yearn for it, and then live it. We are not here by accident. When God created each of us, he made us with something unique and special in which his intentions were to share it with the rest of the world.

Whatever seed God planted in you, it's up to you to recognize it, nourish it, and be part of the growth process. To actively participate in it and share it, would be pleasing to God. Do you love to sing, write, or paint? Perhaps it brings you great joy to care for other people. Are you good with numbers, or building things? Is there a sport you love to play, or perhaps teach? Maybe selling or marketing is your cup of tea. Do you feel rewarded by talking and listening to others? Do you love being outside? Do you enjoy gardening, or flower arranging? Maybe you enjoy taking care of children, teaching them or playing with them.

In these times of economic hardships, perhaps it would do some people good, by taking a good hard look at what it is they are doing right now and concentrate, reflect, and pray about what it is about their lives that they feel is missing. It's hard to make changes, yet sometimes that is exactly what we may need. God might be trying to tell you something. He may be leading you to an open door, a new opportunity. Something only you can do. He may be inviting you into a new chapter in your life. A new beginning in which your creativity can come alive, be rewarding to you, and inspiring to others. Something that will make a difference in your life and the lives of many others.

Often times, it takes a tragedy to come upon us, in which we realize that God has other plans for us. It is sometimes in our weakest moments, in which we find the strength by Gods grace to rise above it all and think about what direction he wants us to go. Embrace the changes, follow His guide, and He will take you places you never dreamed of.

We are all children of God. He made us unique and special in His own likeness. He has an assignment for each and everyone of us. He has instilled the gifts and talents we need to complete our job and make a difference, and leave our mark in this world for generations that follow. It is our job to pray and ask Him to reveal to us what it is He wants us to do, to honor and serve Him. It is in recognizing our special and unique talents, using them and sharing them in which we will truly be blessed and God will be pleased.

By Letty Lozano

Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone. 1 Corinthians 12:4-6

The Mystery of the Boots

Despite the three feet of snow surrounding us, and more falling, we plodded our way down our now unfamiliar looking street to the sledding hill. The snow had changed the appearance of everything around us, creating the feeling that although we had walked it a thousand times, it was our first trip.

I discovered a few things during that short three block walk. First, It isn’t easy to blaze a trail through snow a yard deep. You have to have strong leg muscles, good lungs and patience. My husband, Marty was faring alright, although I did hear his breath getting heavier and heavier as we progressed. Our son, Douglas had no problem at all. Although the snow was taller than he in places, he plunged on, laughing and joking the whole way. I followed more slowly, trying to pick my way in the footprints of those who went before me. Soon after our walk began, I discovered my snow boots had a small leak. Nothing huge, but big enough to allow snow to creep in and hide amidst my warm socks, melting and creating a soggy, cold wet feeling. We finally arrived at the sledding hill. Marty and Douglas were off, constructing the "perfect jump" to plummet the sled over. I found a comfortable looking snow mound to settle in and watch. It was beautiful. Not many people had ventured out of their homes yet, and the subdivision was unusually silent. Snowflakes drifted down and settled on my coat. I looked at each separate flake, perfect in its formation, truly different from every other. At that moment in time, despite my sodden socks, the world felt right.

Then my eyes settled on a strange sight. There, in the snow, sat a pair of boots. No person in sight, just boots. They sat on top of the snow, so they were left after the blizzard, not before. It had taken us at least 30 minutes to hike through the unplowed streets and parking lots to get here. So, where, I pondered, was the owner of the boots? And how, (asked the mom in me) did he get home? As my imagination took over, I envisioned a child, eight or nine years old, sledding probably just a few short hours ago. He was having a great time, laughing and joking like my boys were doing right now - running up and down the hill, trying to catch the perfect air. And then, like me, he discovered his boots had a leak in them. Trudging up the hill wasn’t so much fun anymore. Each step further drenched his socks and lowered his mood. It got so bad, he couldn’t stand it anymore. He had to make a change.

Now, if I asked any one of your reading this today what you would do at this point in the story, I’m sure you would say you would make your way home and THEN remove your boots. But not this child! Instead, he went straight to the root of his problem, the leaky boots, and removed them immediately. And, while this may have seemed like the right thing to do at the time, I’m sure he learned a valuable lesson during his journey home in socks even soggier than they were before. As I stared at the abandoned boots, something became clear to me. In my struggle to achieve all that I plan to accomplish, I have often acted just like the boy with the leaky boots. Behaving on impulse. Sure that, at ALL times, action is better than no action. But, I realized that although action is a critical element to achieving any goal in life, at times, there is wisdom in NOT acting, in keeping my boots on. In fact, it is possible that a rash action can result in a situation even worse than I had in the first place.

As Marty and Douglas made their way back to me for our voyage home, I glanced one last time at the boots. The snow was increasing, burying them and their story before my eyes. I may never discover the answer to the mystery of the boots. But I will remember them often. And maybe, because of them, I’ll more often curb my tendency to act with no thought to the consequences. Instead, before pulling off those boots, I’ll think first of the long walk ahead of me. And make my decision from there.

By: Sue Dickinson

The Power of Encouragement

Dante Gabriel Rossetti, the famous 19th-century poet and artist, was once approached by an elderly man. The old fellow had some sketches and drawings that he wanted Rossetti to look at and tell him if they were any good, or if they at least showed potential talent.

Rossetti looked them over carefully. After the first few, he knew that they were worthless, showing not the least sign of artistic talent. But Rossetti was a kind man, and he told the elderly man as gently as possible that the pictures were without much value and showed little talent. He was sorry, but he could not lie to the man. The visitor was disappointed, but seemed to expect Rossetti’s judgment.

He then apologized for taking up Rossetti’s time, but would he just look at a few more drawings – these done by a young art student? Rossetti looked over the second batch of sketches and immediately became enthusiastic over the talent they revealed. “These,” he said, “oh, these are good. This young student has great talent. He should be given every help and encouragement in his career as an artist. He has a great future if he will work hard and stick to it.”

Rossetti could see that the old fellow was deeply moved. “Who is this fine young artist?” he asked. “Your son?” “No,” said the old man sadly. “It is me – 40 years ago. If only I had heard your praise then! For you see, I got discouraged and gave up – too soon.”

- Author Unknown

Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. Ephesians 4:29

How Strong Is Your Faith?

Do you have faith? You may not think you do, or you may feel like your faith is weak and puny. But consider this: Have you ever flown on an airplane without meeting the pilot? Have you ever eaten a meal without knowing who cooked it?

The Faith You Already Have
As Christians, we all have faith to some degree. The Bible says in Romans 12 that each of us is given "a measure of faith." We operate in faith all the time and don't even think about it.For example, some of you reading this article have teenagers you send off to school every day. That requires some faith. And we all need a little faith every time we drive in traffic.Even if you don't feel like a spiritual giant of faith, you can take hope in God's Word that says that as a believer, you have a measure of faith planted inside you.

Is Your Faith All Talk?

Some of you might say, "Well, I have faith. I believe in Jesus." Frankly, it's one thing to say you have faith, but it's an entirely different matter to apply your faith to life's challenges. When the storms of life come (and they do for all of us), do you stay calm, cool and collected? Or do you allow fear to overpower your faith? Do you give the situation completely over to God, or do you try to figure everything out?

Stuff Happens
It's easy for us to feel like we've got great faith when things go well or play out like we want them to. And it's easy for us to have faith when something new comes along and life is exciting. But stuff happens. And when stuff happens, how does your faith respond? I'm not just referring to big dramatic events that take place...I'm also referring to the little things that pop up and can easily sidetrack you. For example, recently I was at a conference, and I had a Starbucks coffee waiting for me after one of the sessions. I absolutely love Starbucks coffee. And the coffee was inside one of these big, double-walled Starbucks mugs that keep your coffee warm for a long time. The mug is a copper color, and I really love to use it when I drink coffee. Anyhow, after the session I went back to drink the coffee, and somebody had stolen it! The mug, even the creamer...everything was gone. You see, stuff is going to happen. And years ago I would have thrown a fit if that had happened. I would have cried, "Oh God, why does this stuff happen to me? The devil is always picking on me! It's not fair!"But I kept the faith and decided that the whole incident was actually quite hilarious. And then I started thinking, Well, somebody might have been cleaning up and thought they were doing something good. You see, I practiced something else the Bible tells us to do: to think the best of people. That also requires faith.

How to Release Faith
Faith is something that must be released. You can possess faith, but you must put it to use. A muscle that is not used gets weak and shrivels up. If you don't use your faith, then it's no different than not having any. When you sit down in a chair, you have faith that it's not going to collapse. You don't start sweating and trembling with fear saying, "Oh, I'm afraid to sit in this chair. I don't know if I should be doing this!" It's a silly illustration to make the point: You just go plop down in the chair because you do have a measure of faith. But what about when you have a problem? Do you go plop down in the arms of Jesus and say, "I'm asking You to take care of this and I believe You will." Do you release your faith through prayer, line up what you speak with God's promises, and do whatever He asks you to do without trying to figure things out? Now that's the way to release your faith!

Give your circumstance over to Jesus and be confident that He's got it all under control. Your life will change dramatically once you unleash your faith. Don't just have it in your heart—let it out, put it to the test and be amazed at what God does through your life!
This article is taken from Joyce's three-part series Unleashing the Power of Your Faith.

The Only Way Out is Through

Friday morning when i logged into my facebook I noticed a new blog had been posted by my friend Michele Longabaugh. Now I must be honest, I had not read her previous blog before this one and decided it was time to get caught up on her journey against anal cancer! I have previously shared part of her story on this blog and thought you would enjoy another glimpse into a survivors heart and soul!  This is the earlier of the two blogs I am sharing with you today and encourage you to go to her website and read the newest one!  She is truly amazing and inspires me to look at life in a different way! Enjoy! ~ Tracy

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It’s 5 AM. Being awake this early has nothing to do with insomnia and everything to do with needing to write. I have been, not suppressing really, but more ignoring my feelings since my last treatment. Not wanting to put the truth in black in white. Not because the truth is so terrible or frightening but because the truth is not so “pretty” I guess, for lack of a better term. So this morning I am awake and the words are pressing on me for escape. The truth is aching for release so I can liberate my mind as I step into my virtual ring for my last round of chemotherapy. Things have been generally predictable this last go round. The first three days being manageable. My sister cleverly figured out how to keep my “pipes” clean despite the unbearable constipation that is a key side effect of the drug given. I am not talking about the average “I can’t go” scenario here. I am talking about a magnitude that I had never experienced before in my life! There is nothing more compounding to the misery of queasiness, dizziness and general malaise than plugged pipes. We finally got that figured out and prevented it entirely this last round and will approach it the same manner this time as well. I am not writing this to talk about my bowels however. Discussing toilet habits, to me, is humorous, and something mothers of newborns and those of advanced age place high on their hierarchy of basic needs and even writing about it here makes me want to laugh at myself. The woes of constipation are not what awakened me this morning. This truth does not lie in the physical. I have been experiencing a feeling of dread as I approach this last treatment. I am not afraid. After all I have been through little frightens me with the exception of great pain. I have had great pain and these treatments are nowhere close to that. I am not unhappy. I firmly believe that happiness is a choice. Some days it’s easy to choose happy, others not so much but I embrace my happiness everyday, even on the ones that seem most difficult. I don’t think I have a bad attitude. My fatigue can be interpreted as a bad attitude I suppose or perhaps even depression but it’s just a side effect and I was already chronically tired to begin with. There has been no uncontrollable weeping or excessive sleeping here just some predictable grumpiness from time to time which I usually state openly with an “I’m grumpy.” No, this dread is more like the feeling one gets during flu season only if one has truly had the flu in the past. Those folks do anything and everything to avoid the flu because they don’t ever want to feel that way again. It’s seems like no matter how fearless, happy and positive I am this “shard” of dread is annoying me. Lest I sound like like a whiner or ungrateful for the opportunity to defeat the beast I have pressed this feeling down and it feels like an anchor. Not really dragging me down with it but more holding me in place. So there it is. Today I release my dread. It’s time to rise off the stool in my corner of the ring. My team is with me making sure my gloves are laced tight but the mental game is up to me. I need to get my head in the fight and not dread stepping back to the center of the ring but welcome it. I am about to deliver the knock out punch to the beast! Yes, I am tired of this fight and wish it was already over, but one more round is required and I am up for it. I have to do this! I can do this! I will do this! The battle is almost over and the only way out is through. ~ Michele Longabaugh
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We are all fighting our own battles! Some of them bigger than others but to us they can seem overwhelming just the same! Always remember that we are armed with the best weapon and that is our faith and with that we can find our way out and that is through!

Why the Men Quit Singing

It happened again yesterday. I was attending one of those hip, contemporary churches — and almost no one sang. Worshippers stood obediently as the band rocked out, the smoke machine belched and lights flashed. Lyrics were projected on the screen, but almost no one sang them. A few women were trying, but I saw only one male (other than the worship leader) making the attempt. A few months ago I blogged, “Have Christians Stopped Singing?” I did some research, and learned that congregational singing has ebbed and flowed over the centuries. It reached a high tide when I was a young man – but that tide may be going out again. And that could be bad news for men. First, a very quick history of congregational singing.Before the Reformation, laypersons were not allowed to sing in church. They were expected to stand mute as sacred music was performed by professionals (priests and cantors), played on complex instruments (pipe organs), and sung in an obscure language (Latin). Reformers gave worship back to the people in the form of congregational singing. They composed simple tunes that were easy to sing, and mated them with theologically rich lyrics. Since most people were illiterate in the 16th century, singing became an effective form of catechism. Congregants learned about God as they sang about God. A technological advance – the printing press – led to an explosion of congregational singing. The first hymnal was printed in 1532, and soon a few dozen hymns became standards across Christendom. Hymnals slowly grew over the next four centuries. By the mid 20th century every Protestant church had a hymnal of about 1000 songs, 250 of which were regularly sung. In the church of my youth, everyone picked up a hymnal and sang every verse of every song. About 20 years ago a new technological advance – the computer controlled projection screen – entered America’s sanctuaries. Suddenly churches could project song lyrics for all to see. Hymnals became obsolete. No longer were Christians limited to 1,000 songs handed down by our elders. At first, churches simply projected the songs everyone knew – hymns and a few simple praise songs that had come out of the Jesus Movement. People sang robustly. But that began to change about ten years ago. Worship leaders realized they could project anything on that screen. So they brought in new songs each week. They drew from the radio, the Internet, and Worship conferences. Some began composing their own songs, performing them during worship, and selling them on CD after church. In short order we went from 250 songs everyone knows to 250,000+ songs nobody knows. Years ago, worship leaders used to prepare their flocks when introducing a new song. “We’re going to do a new song for you now,” they would say. “We’ll go through it twice, and then we invite you to join in.” That kind of coaching is rare today. Songs get switched out so frequently that it’s impossible to learn them. People can’t sing songs they’ve never heard. And with no musical notes to follow, how is a person supposed to pick up the tune? And so the church has returned to the 14th century. Worshippers stand mute as professional-caliber musicians play complex instruments, sung in an obscure language. Martin Luther is turning over in his grave. What does this mean for men? On the positive side, men no longer feel pressure to sing in church. Men who are poor readers or poor singers no longer have to fumble through hymnals, sing archaic lyrics or read a musical staff. But the negatives are huge. Men are doers, and singing was one of the things we used to do together in church. It was a chance to participate. Now, with congregational singing going away, and communion no longer a weekly ordinance, there’s only one avenue left for men to participate in the service – the offering. Is this really the message we want to send to men? Sit there, be quiet, and enjoy the show. And don’t forget to give us money. There’s nothing wrong with professionalism and quality in church music. The problem isn’t the rock band, or the lights, or the smoke machine. The key is familiarity. People enjoy singing songs they know. How do I know? When that super-hip band performed a hymn, the crowd responded with gusto. People sang. Even the men.

May 8, 2013

by: David Murrow

Oh come, let us sing to the Lord; let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation! Psalm 95:1

When You thought I Wasn't Looking

When you thought I wasn't looking I saw you hang my first painting on the refrigerator, and I immediately wanted to paint another one.

When you thought I wasn't looking I saw you feed a stray cat, and I learned that it was good to be kind to animals.

When you thought I wasn't looking I saw you make my favorite cake for me, and I learned that the little things can be the special things in life.

When you thought I wasn't looking I heard you say a prayer, and I knew that there is a God I could always talk to, and I learned to trust in Him.

When you thought I wasn't looking I saw you make a meal and take it to a friend who was sick, and I learned that we all have to help take care of each other.

When you thought I wasn't looking I saw you take care of our house and everyone in it, and I learned we have to take care of what we are given.

When you thought I wasn't looking I saw how you handled your responsibilities, even when you didn't feel good, and I learned that I would have to be responsible when I grow up.

When you thought I wasn't looking I saw tears come from your eyes, and I learned that sometimes things hurt, but it's all right to cry.

When you thought I wasn't looking I saw that you cared, and I wanted to be everything that I could be.

When you thought I wasn't looking I learned most of life's lessons that I need to know to be a good and productive person when I grow up.

When you thought I wasn't looking I looked at you and wanted to say,' Thanks for all the things I saw when you thought I wasn't looking.

Lean On Me

I was sitting on our tour bus one afternoon watching a video of the 1998 Australian Eco-challenge. Every year, four-person teams from around the world compete in this international adventure. The teams are given a compass and several days to conquer unbelievable obstacles as they rappel down cliffs, hike, climb and canoe. It is absolutely critical that competitors rely on their teammates.

In the 1998 contest, a woman on the Japanese team injured her foot quite badly. The doctors said her team would have to quit because she was unable to walk. This was a shattering blow for them, particularly because the Japanese had never before finished an Eco-challenge. After some discussion, the team decided that rather than give up, they would carry her the rest of the way. My brothers and I watched in amazement as her teammates carried her across mountains and rough terrain for miles. They had a goal of finishing and were not about to give up.

As I watched this unfold, it brought tears to my eyes to realize how powerfully it relates to the Christian life. The body of Christ functions best when we rely on each other. It takes humility to rely on people, admit that we need help, and allow others to share our load. It also takes trust in them that they're not going to let us fall! I'm sure that the Japanese competitor would have preferred to walk on her own. Our natural human tendency is to be independent and try to handle everything alone. But that's not what life is all about—especially the Christian life.

We also need to be willing to carry one another's burdens. The Apostle Paul challenges us: "Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ" (Galatians 6:2). Have you ever had a friend who was dealing with something difficult, but was afraid to tell you all about it? I have. In those situations, I have come to see that my biggest responsibility is to love my friends unconditionally and pray for them. I've realized that even though I can't carry all of their burdens, I can help shoulder the load.

I want to encourage you to commit your relationships to God, asking him to help you carry the load for your friends. Even if someone doesn't tell you what he or she is going through, be a faithful friend, express unconditional love, and most of all, pray! Who knows, there could come a time when you'll be in that same situation, when you might need to allow someone else to carry you. And, above all else, as we carry one another's burdens, we can be assured that our God is carrying us.

By Rebecca

Dead Ducks Don't Flutter

Many years ago, a wealthy man went duck hunting with a hired hand named Sam.They took a horse and carriage, and along the way a rim came off one of the wheels. As Sam hammered it back on, he accidentally hit his finger. Instantly he let go with some bad words. He quickly fell to his knees, asking God’s forgiveness. “Lord, it’s difficult at times to live the Christian life”, he prayed. “Sam” said the man, “I know you’re a Christian, but tell me why you struggle so, I’m an atheist, and I don’t have problems like that.”

Sam didn’t know what to say. Just then two ducks flew overhead. The man raised his gun and two shots rang out. “Leave the dead one and go after that wounded bird!” he shouted. Sam pointed at the duck that was fluttering desperately to escape and said, “I’ve got an answer for you now, Boss. You said my Christianity isn’t any good because I have to struggle so. Well, I’m the wounded duck, and struggle to get away from the devil. But you Boss, you’re the dead duck!”

That insight fits Paul’s description of his Christian experience in Romans 7: 14-25. Struggle is one evidence of God’s work in our lives Forgiveness of sin is available, so don’t despair. Remember, dead ducks don’t flutter.


–Dennis De Hann

Struggle, yes, it’s part of living
Nothing’s gained on beds of ease;
But when our heart is set on Jesus,
Struggle drives us to our knees.

–D. De Hann

If Jesus lives within us,
Sin need not overwhelm us.

Do You Have Faith? The Charles Blondin Story

The amazing story of Charles Blondin, a famous French tightrope walker, is a wonderful illustration of what true faith is.

Blondin's greatest fame came on September 14, 1860, when he became the first person to cross a tightrope stretched 11,000 feet (over a quarter of a mile) across the mighty Niagara Falls. People from both Canada and America came from miles away to see this great feat.

He walked across, 160 feet above the falls, several times... each time with a different daring feat - once in a sack, on stilts, on a bicycle, in the dark, and blindfolded. One time he even carried a stove and cooked an omelet in the middle of the rope!

A large crowd gathered and the buzz of excitement ran along both sides of the river bank. The crowd “Oohed and Aahed!” as Blondin carefully walked across - one dangerous step after another - pushing a wheelbarrow holding a sack of potatoes.

Then a one point, he asked for the participation of a volunteer. Upon reaching the other side, the crowd's applause was louder than the roar of the falls!

Blondin suddenly stopped and addressed his audience: "Do you believe I can carry a person across in this wheelbarrow?"

The crowd enthusiastically yelled, "Yes! You are the greatest tightrope walker in the world. We believe!"

"Okay," said Blondin, "Who wants to get into the wheelbarrow."

As far as the Blondin story goes, no one did at the time!

This unique story illustrates a real life picture of what faith actually is. The crowd watched these daring feats. They said they believed. But... their actions proved they truly did not believe.

Similarly, it is one thing for us to say we believe in God. However, it's true faith when we believe God and put our faith and trust in His Son, Jesus Christ.

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Note: In August of 1859, Blondin's manager, Harry Colcord, did ride on Blondin's back across the Falls.

Testimony of a Believer: imprisoned without God

We all are imprisoned without God in our lives; we live as though there will be no tomorrow. We do things everyday that is wrong without regret, that is the way of the world. We need to be set free of the world, the Bible says to be set apart from the world and that comes from God, he holds the key to freedom.  We have all done things that were wrong; sometimes we got away with it or thought we did, other times we were caught. When caught we have to suffer the consequents for what we did it might even be serving time in such a place as a jail. Well let me enlighten you on what I now know to be the truth, it make no difference if you are caught by your parents, or the law of the land or not at all. God has already caught you and you will have to serve a sentence for what you did for all eternity without any parole or pardon. However there is a way to change the out come of Gods sentence, it is not hard and there is no pain other than being humbled. It takes a real commitment on your part and it is one that must last a lifetime.  I am talking about living a Christian life with Jesus as your Lord and Savior. If you will give in to what you know is right and ask God to forgive you let Jesus come into your heart and be born again by the spirit of Christ, then God will not sentence you on what you did before you meet Christ. You will have a clean slate and a chance to do great things in your life. You will be blessed by God in everything you do. Maybe you feel that you are not good enough or maybe you were once living a Christian life and failed God in some way and think that you cannot get it back. You are wrong, maybe the reason you are having trouble in your life is because God wants you in his care, to be an obedient child serving him. After all God is to be the center of your life, he will not be second the Bible tells us this. If you are a Christian that has fallen down, get up go to God admit your sin and ask forgiveness, it is the only way you will ever find freedom and peace. I know this to be true because I to was a fallen Christian that had to get up and ask God to forgive me in order to have peace. Now I serve God in all ways that are possible for me. I never turn down an opportunity to serve My GOD. My life belongs to Jesus, he was willing to die for you and I, what are you willing to do for him. John 8:36 so if the son sets you free, you will be free indeed. Won't you let him set you free today so you will have a tomorrow worth living for?