BEST YEARS

The following was written by Bill Mathes. Who is Bill Mathes? I don't have a clue, but I like this so when my cousin sent me an e-mail with this in it, I thought I would like to share it here on my blog. I can relate to so much of it. So here goes.

Born 1930 - 1979 

You definitely need to read the statement by Jay Leno. Oh so true.

Those of you born

1930 - 1979

At the end of this email is a quote of the month by Jay Leno. If you don't read anything else, please read what he said.

Very well stated, Mr. Leno.

TO ALL THE KIDS WHO SURVIVED THE

1930's, 40's, 50's, 60's and 70's!

First, we survived being born to mothers

who smoked and/or drank while they were pregnant.

They took aspirin, ate blue cheese dressing, Tuna from a can and didn't get tested for diabetes.

Then after that trauma, we were put to sleep on our tummies in baby cribs covered with bright colored lead-base paints.

We had no childproof lids on medicine bottles, locks on doors or cabinets and when we rode our bikes, we had baseball caps not helmets on our heads.

As infants and children we would ride in cars with no car seats, no booster seats, no seat belts, no air bags, bald tires and sometimes no brakes.

Riding in the back of a pick-up truck on a warm day was always a special treat.

We drank water from the garden hose and not from a bottle.

We shared one soft drink with four friends, from one bottle and no one actually died from this.

We ate cupcakes, white bread, real butter and bacon.

We drank Kool-Aid made with real white sugar.

And, we weren't overweight.

WHY?

Because we were always outside playing...that's why!

We would leave home in the morning and play all day, as long as we were back when the streetlights came on.

No one was able to reach us all day. And, we were O.K.

 We would spend hours building our go-carts out of scraps. And then ride them down the hill, only to find out we forgot the brakes. After running into the bushes a few times, we learned to solve the problem.

We did not have Playstations, Nintendo's and X-boxes.

There were no video games, no 150 channels on cable,

No video movies or DVD's, no surround-sound or CD's,

no cell phones, no personal computers, no Internet and no chat rooms. WE HAD FRIENDS and we went outside and found them!

We fell out of trees, got cut, broke bones and teeth and there were no lawsuits from these accidents.

We ate worms and mud pies made from dirt, and the worms did not live in us forever.

We were given BB guns for our 10th birthdays, made up games with sticks and tennis balls and, although we were told it would happen, we did not put out very many eyes.

We rode bikes or walked to a friend's house and knocked on the door or rang the bell, or just walked in and talked to them.

Little League had tryouts and not everyone made the team. Those who didn't had to learn to deal with disappointment.

Imagine that!!

The idea of a parent bailing us out if we broke the law was unheard of.

They actually sided with the law!

These generations have produced some of the best risk-takers, problem solvers and inventors ever.

The past 50 years have been an explosion of innovation and new ideas. We had freedom, failure, success and responsibility, and we learned how to deal with it all.

If YOU are one of them?

CONGRATULATIONS!

You might want to share this with others

who have had the luck to grow up as kids, before the lawyers and the government regulated so much of our lives for our own good.

While you are at it, forward it to your kids so they will know how brave and lucky their parents were.

Kind of makes you want to run through the house

with scissors, doesn't it?

The quote of the month is by Jay Leno:

"With hurricanes, tornados, fires out of control, mud slides, flooding, severe thunderstorms tearing up the country from one end to another, and with the threat of swine flu and terrorist attacks.

Are we sure this is a good time to take God out of the Pledge of Allegiance?'

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.

Father God, bless my friend 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 he/she seeks to have a closer relationship with you.

Amen. 

Thank you, Bill Mathes. This is right on. And thank you, Suzie, for e-mailing it to me.  Thank you everyone who took the time to read all the way through to this ending. 

MY ROCK AND COMFORTER

I opened the Kindle app on my iPad this morning. I had not looked at it in awhile. It opened to this:

DAY 7 - 40 DAYS WITH JESUS: CELEBRATING HIS PRESENCE.

WOW, this was just what I needed to read today. I wanted to share it with you.

DAY 7

I AM IMMANUEL―GOD WITH YOU―an ever-present Help in trouble. No matter what may happen, I am sufficient to provide whatever you need. Instead of imagining how you might respond to terrible things that could happen, draw your mind back to the present and take refuge in My Presence, I am much like a mother hen, eager to cover you with my protective pinions. As you snuggle under My wings, you will not only find refuge; you will also discover a growing ability to trust Me. It is in closeness to Me that you realize how trustworthy I am.

Remember that I am both your Rock and your Redeemer. Though I am impregnable in My vast strength, I became a vulnerable Man so I could redeem you from your sins. The more you take refuge in Me, the more aware you become of My overflowing Love. In Me you are utterly safe, for I am your Rock of everlasting Love!

FOR REFLECTION: PSALM 46:1-2;

MATTHEW 23:37 (NKJV0; PSALM 91:4 (AMP)

I have been lamenting the outcome of our election ever since Tuesday night. The above thoughts helped to cheer me up. I am still terribly worried about my country but I do take refuge in these words of Jesus. It is a good reminder that people will make mistakes, terrible mistakes, let you down, in general just make you miserable but God is ever faithful and I need to look even more than I have in the past to His promises that He will be with me no matter how bad things get ― and they will continue to get a while lot worse. What He has in store for those who love Him and trust Him will totally outweigh any problems we have now. I see so many of the prophecies of the Bible being fulfilled that I am really convinced that we are living in the last days. If you have been "bummed out" over the election as I have been perhaps these thoughts will uplift you as well. I hope so. So many of you have made encouraging comments to me on the latest Spiritual Sundays post. Thank you for that.

New Heaven and New Earth

When I posted the info about Charles Spurgeon, I promised to share some more from the book We Shall See God by Randy Alcorn. What a great little book this is. I know I said it before, but I'll say it again. I like the chapter called Homesick for Eden. Here are some excerpts from Spurgeon's sermons delivered in 1860.

People are not the only ones who suffer under the Curse; the Earth itself experiences the devastation of the Fall in the form of thorns, blights, and disasters of every kind. But one day Christ will come to restore the Earth to its rightful state. Then it will no longer groan in the pains of childbirth but will live in joyful celebration of its new life, which will never again be taken from it.

After the first humans sinned, God cursed the Earth.

When Christ came into the world, evil people twisted a crown made of the cursed thorn and put in our his head and made him king of the Curse, and in that day he purchased the redemption of the world from its curse. I believe, and I think it is warranted by Scripture, that when Christ shall come a second time, this world will become everywhere as fertile as the Garden of Paradise used to be. 

 "The whole creation," says Paul, has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth" (Romans 8:22). Groaning for what? Groaning and waiting for the redemption, when this world shall be washed of all her sin. Her curse shall be removed, her stains taken away, and this world shall be as fair as when God first formed her from his mind, as when, like a glowing spark, forged from the anvil by the eternal hammer she first flashed in her orbit. This Christ has redeemed, this Christ shall most assuredly redeem.

And then Alcorn gives his thoughts on the subject.

We are homesick for Eden. We're nostalgic for what is implanted in our hearts. It's built into us, perhaps at a genetic level. We long for what the first man and woman once enjoyed―a perfect and beautiful Earth and free and unstained relationship with God, one another, animals, and the environment. Every attempt at human progress has been an attempt to overcome what was lost in the Fall. If God's plan were merely to take mankind to the present Heaven or to a heaven that is the dwelling place of spirit beings, there would be no need for new heaven s and a New Earth. 

Upon creating the heavens and the Earth, God called them "very good" (Genesis 1:31). Never once has he renounced his claim on what he made. He isn't going to abandon his creation; he's going to restore it. We won't go to heaven and leave earth behind. Rather, God will bring Heaven and Earth together into the same dimension, with no wall of separation, no armed angels to guard Heaven's perfection from sinful mankind (Genesis 3:24). God's perfect plan is "to bring unity to all things in heaven and oin earth under Christ" (Ephesians 1:10, NIV).

Wow, I don't know about you, but this really makes me look forward to heaven more than if I were to go there as a disembodied spirit drifting around on clouds as some have envisioned heaven. No wonder so many people have no desire to go there. Compared to a New Heaven and a New Earth, the "cloud" theory does sound a little boring. Although, if this were God's plan, I'm sure there would nothing boring about it. I just agree with Spurgeon and Alcorn. We are promised a new body like Jesus' resurrected body. A new body - a new Heaven and a new Earth - what could be better? I sure can't think of anything.

Now, if you didn't come here from the link on the Spiritual Sundays blog, I hope you will go there and read what others have shared by clicking on the various links. And you might even want to link there too. Click HERE or on the icon at the left to directly there.

SELF IMAGE

Do you have a good self image? For me, my self image has at times been a little "iffy". I think everyone can probably say that. In view of this, I thought I'd share what Joel Osteen says about developing a healthy self-image.

I Corinthians 15:10
     "But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me was not in vain." NKJV

Every person has an image of himself or herself. Psychologists have proven that you will most consistently perform in a manner that is in harmony with the image you have of yourself. If you see yourself as unqualified, unattractive, inferior, or inadequate, you will probably act in accordance with your thoughts. Individuals who view themselves as God sees them are usually happy about who they are. They can honestly say, "Thank You, Father, for creating me the way You did. I'd rather be me than any other person on earth. I know that You have a purpose and a plan for me, and I can't wait to discover it!"

True self-esteem can be based only on what God says about you―not on what you think or feel about yourself. You are who God says you are.

If you didn't come here from Spiritual Sundays blog I hope you will go there and check out all the links to many great posts that others have shared there. You might even want to participate by linking a post on your own blog. Click HERE to go there.

WORK IT OUT

The following was taken from Joel Osteen's little devotional book entitled Your Best Life Begins Each Morning. The title is "Work It Out".

Work out your own salvation. - Philippians 2:12

Certainly, none of us enjoy going through struggles, but you have to understand that your struggle may be an opportunity for advancement and promotion. The very thing you are fighting against so tenaciously may be the springboard that catapults you to a new level of excellence. Your challenges may become your greatest assets.

Without the resistance of air, an eagle can't soar. Without the resistance of water, a ship can't float. Without the resistance of gravity, you and I can't even walk. Without opposition or resistance, there is no potential for progress. There are no shortcuts; there is no easy way to mature physically, emotionally, or spiritually. You must remain determined and work with God. Salvation is more than a onetime prayer. It is constantly cooperating with God, dealing with the issues He brings up, keeping a good attitude, and allowing Him to change you as He sees fit.

My thoughts on this subject: As I am writing this I am reflecting on the past hour or so. We went to the 24 Hour Fitness Center as we do often. Some days I go to the Silver Sneaker exercise class but today I just rode a stationary bike. On those bikes you can turn up the "resistance" so you can hardly make those pedals go around. I seldom turn it up that high, but I do turn it up higher than I did when I first started riding over a year ago, and I can ride it a lot longer and faster. This devotional by Joel Osteen reminded me of my "gym" experience. I'm not in wonderful shape, but I'm in a lot better shape than I would have been if I had not been doing this exercise for the past year. Obviously "resistance" has benefits. I need to stop seeing my struggles as "problems" and see them as growing opportunities. Of course reading and studying the Bible is an even better way to "grow" spiritually. Reading what others have shared on Spiritual Sundays has been extremely helpful to me as well.

If you didn't come here from Spiritual Sundays blog I hope you will go there and check out all the links to many great posts that others have shared there. You might even want to participate by linking a post on your own blog. Click HERE to go there.

SPEAK TO YOUR MOUNTAIN

"Truly I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, "Be taken up and cast into the sea," and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says is going to happen, it will be granted him. Therefore I say to you, all things for which you pray and ask, believe that you have received them, and they will be granted you."

Mark 11:23-24 NASB

In his little devotional book, Your Best Life Begins Each Morning, Joel Osteen shared these thoughts.

WHAT MOUNTAIN IS IN FRONT of you this morning―a sickness, a troubled relationship, a floundering business? Jesus said that whatever your mountain is, you must do more than think or pray about it; you must speak to that obstacle.

The Bible says, "Let the weakling say, 'I am strong'" (Joel 3:10). Start calling yourself healed, happy, whole, blessed, and prosperous. God is a miracle-working God. Stop talking to God about how big your mountains are, and start talking to your mountains about how big your God is!

Charlotte's thoughts: I think this is good. I can remember arguing with my cousin about this scripture when I was about 12 years old. He just laughed at me, but I argued that if the Bible says it, it has to be true. As I got older I realized a literal mountain like the one in the picture was not exactly what was being talked about in this scripture. Although "BELIEVE" is the key word here. I did believe that when I was 12. I still do. God has moved a lot of mountains for me in my lifetime. 

Please visit Spiritual Sundays blog for links to many inspirational posts. 

A REAL LIFE FAIRY TALE

...and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all. (Mark 10-44)

Marion Mill was born in a fairy tale royal palace in Hungary. Her first spoon was solid gold. They sent her to school in Vienna where she became an actress and there she met and fell in love with a young medical student named Otto.

Otto and Marion married and went to live in Hollywood, California. There, as they "set up house," he began to dabble in movies. He became so interested in movies and in directing movies that he gave up his medical practice and went on to become the internationally famous movie director Otto Preminger. Marion's beauty, wit, and irresistible charm brought her everything a woman desires. In Europe, New York and Hollywood, she became a famous international hostess. But Otto's princess could not handle the fast life of Hollywood. She dove into alcohol, drugs and numerous affairs. Her life and life-style became so sordid, even for Hollywood, that Otto Preminger divorced Marion. She tried to take her own life three times, unsuccessfully, and finally moved back to Vienna.

There at a party, she met another doctor ― Albert Schweitzer, the well-known medical doctor, musician, philosopher, theologian  and missionary Schweitzer was home on leave from his hospital in Lamberene, Africa. She was so fascinated by Schweitzer that she asked him if she could talk to him alone. For almost six months she met with Dr. Albert Schweitzer every week. At the end of that time he was going to go back to Africa and she begged him to let her go with him. Schweitzer surprised everyone by agreeing. Marion, the young princess, who was born in a palace, went to a little village in Lambarene, Africa, and spent the rest of her life emptying bed pans and tearing up sheets to make bandages for putrid sores on the poverty stricken nationals.

She wrote her autobiography. I love the title of it - All I Want is Everything. When she died, Time Magazine quoted from her autobiography these words: "Albert Schweitzer says there are two kinds of people. There are the helpers and the non-helpers. I thank God He allowed me to become a helper, and in helping, I found everything." 

This story was shared by Jim Borror of Scottsdale Bible Church in Scottsdale, Arizona, in a devotional book the church had printed as part of the 50th Anniversary celebration of the church. I'm happy to be a member of that great church. It was started 50 years ago when 13 people met in a home. It has grown to about 7000 members now and is active in missions around the world as well as locally. 

Of course I'm sharing this for Spiritual Sundays. 

You may click HERE to go to that blog for many links to inspirational posts others have shared.

Show & Tell

I John 4:11

"Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another."

A Salvation Army worker found a derelict woman alone on the street and invited her to come into the chapel for help, but the woman refused to move. The female worker assured her: "We love you and want to help you. God loves you. Jesus died for you." But the woman did not budge.

As if on divine impulse, the worker leaned over and kissed the woman on the cheek, taking her into her arms. The woman began to sob and, like a child, was led into the chapel, where she ultimately trusted Christ.

"You told me that God loved me" she said later, "but it wasn't until you showed me that God loved me that I wanted to be saved."

Jesus did not simply preach the love of God; He proved it by giving His life on the cross. He expects His followers to do likewise. If we abide in Christ, we will abide in His love. If we abide in His love, we must share this love with others. In other words, as Christians there is no separation between our inner life and our outer life.

This devotional was taken from Warren Wiersbe's book Pause for Power.


There are many ways we can show Christ's love for others. As I was typing this message, one of our Spiritual Sundays people came to my mind. That person calls herself micey. Her name is Michelle. She has linked with us on Spiritual Sundays almost every week since we first started this blog. Right now micey is making preparation to go to Africa on another mission trip. If you are not acquainted with her I hope you will visit her blog and learn all about this trip that is coming up very soon. You can click HERE to go to her blog.

And you can click HERE to go to the Spiritual Sundays blog to find links to lots of inspiring posts. You may want to participate by sharing something of an inspirational nature on your own blog. There are instructions there on how to do it.

LIGHTEN UP

There are so many good devotionals in Warren Wiersbe's little book called Pause for Power. Today I want to share with you the one called "Lighten Up." It's short but the message is good.

Read I John 2:9-11
Whoever loves his brother lives in the light, and there is nothing in him to make him stumble.

A man who was walking down a dark street one night saw a pinpoint of light coming toward him in a faltering way. He thought perhaps the person carrying the light was ill or drunk, but as he drew nearer he could see a man carrying a flashlight and a white cane.

Why would a blind man be carrying a light? the man wondered, and then he decided to ask. 

The blind man smiled. "I carry my light not so I can see, but so that others can see me. I cannot help being blind," he said, "but I can help being a stumbling block."

The best way to help other Christians not to stumble is to love them. Love makes us stepping-stones; hatred (or any of its "cousins," such as envy or malice) makes us stumbling blocks. It is important that we Christians exercise love in a local church or else there will be problems and disunity. If we are falling over each other, instead of lifting each other higher, we will never become a happy spiritual family.

As I was thinking about this devotional, I thought about how so many of you who share on Spiritual Sundays "lift us up" by sharing your hearts with us each week. You can click HERE to go to that blog and click on the different links. You will find a big variety of interesting and inspirational thoughts.

PENNIES FROM HEAVEN?

A Facebook friend shared this story on his fb page. I thought it was good. Gave me something to think about and I thought it would also be of interest to those who read my blog. So here's the story― and I'm sharing it for Spiritual Sundays. 

You always hear the usual stories of pennies on the sidewalk being good luck, gifts from angels, etc. This is the first time I've ever heard this twist on the story. Gives you something to think about..... 
Several years ago, a friend of mine and her husband were invited to spend the weekend at the husband's employer's home. My friend, Arlene, was nervous about the weekend. The boss was very wealthy, with a fine home on the waterway, and cars costing more than her house.

The first day and evening went well, and Arlene was delighted to have this rare glimpse into how the very wealthy live. The husband's employer was quite generous as a host, and took them to the finest restaurants. Arlene knew she would never have the opportunity to indulge in this kind of extravagance again, so was enjoying herself immensely.
As the three of them were about to enter an exclusive restaurant that evening, the boss was walking slightly ahead of Arlene and her husband. He stopped suddenly, looking down on the pavement for a long, silent moment.

Arlene wondered if she was supposed to pass him. There was nothing on the ground except a single darkened penny that someone had dropped, and a few cigarette butts. Still silent, the man reached down and picked up the penny.He held it up and smiled, then put it in his pocket as if he had found a great treasure. How absurd! What need did this man have for a single penny? Why would he even take the time to stop and pick it up?

Throughout dinner, the entire scene nagged at her. Finally, she could stand it no longer. She casually mentioned that her daughter once had a coin collection, and asked if the penny he had found had been of some value. A smile crept across the man's face as he reached into his pocket for the penny and held it out for her to see.. She had seen many pennies before! What was the point of this? 'Look at it,' he said. 'Read what it says.' She read the words ' United States of America .' 'No, not that; read further.' 'One cent?' 'No, keep reading..''In God we Trust?' 'Yes!' 'And... ?' 

He explained, 'And if I trust in God, the name of God is holy, even on a coin. Whenever I find a coin I see that inscription. It is written on every single United States coin, but we never seem to notice it! God drops a message right in front of me telling me to trust Him. Who am I to pass it by? When I see a coin, I pray, I stop to see if my trust IS in God at that moment. I pick the coin up as my response to God; that I do trust in Him. For a short time, at least, I cherish it as if it were gold. I think it is God's way of starting a conversation with me. Lucky for me, God is patient and pennies are plentiful! '

When I was out shopping today, I found a penny on the sidewalk. I stopped and picked it up, and realized that I had been worrying and fretting in my mind about things I cannot change. I read the words, 'In God We Trust,' and had to laugh. Yes, God, I get the message.

It seems that I have been finding an inordinate number of pennies in the last few months, but then, pennies are plentiful! And, God is patient..

Thank you, Dave, for sharing this story. Just a thought from Charlotte:  I wonder if dimes would 'work'. Yes, I think so. Maybe 10 times as much. I think I find more dimes than pennies. I hope I remember this story next time I see a coin and I stop to pick it up.

Now you can click "like" to like this post on Facebook. How about that. 

IN HIS FOOTSTEPS

Following In His Footsteps

When someone does a kindness

it always seems to me

That's the way God up in heaven

would like us all to be.

For when we bring some pleasure

to another human heart

We have followed in His footsteps

and we've had a little part

In serving Him who loves us . . .

for I'm very sure it's true

That in serving those around us

we serve and please Him too.

- Helen Steiner Rice

The best way to cheer yourself up is to try to cheer up somebody else.

- Mark Twain

Matthew 25:40
“The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’ 
Matthew 25:39-41 (in Context) Matthew 25 (Whole Chapter)

Today is the first time I've hosted Spiritual Sundays by myself. I'll have to admit it feels a little lonely. But all the encouraging comments from so many has really helped. I know Ginger appreciates all the encouragement she has received also. You have blessed both of our lives so much.

HEAVEN

I've seen lots of pictures of what some have thought heaven looks like. I know that none of them can adequately depict how wonderful it is.  So, this picture may be a little silly frivolous but it did put a smile on my face.

Here is how the Bible describes heaven:

1Then I saw “a new heaven and a new earth,” for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. 2 I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. 4‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” (Revelation 21:1-4)

This verse indicates that there will be a new heaven and a new earth because the first the first ones have passed away. I have to admit that my finite mind cannot really comprehend all of this. In fact, I think it is beyond our comprehension. I do know one thing. I want to be there.

Children try to understand it and I think it's interesting to note some of the things they come up with. It also puts a smile on my face. Here are some samples taken from Tim LaHaye and Jerry Jenkins' book Are We Living in the End Times.

The best part of heaven is the party Jesus is going to give us. Lots of babies will be in heaven. If we need our dolls in heaven, Jesus will have them there. Micah Leake, age 3

There are roads of gold, gates of pearl, and after you have walked through the gates of pearl, I think you might see a humongous throne. I think the throne is made out of bricks of gold and outlined with pearls, decorated with emeralds―maybe even rubies! I don't know if I'm right, but I do know you will have to have bare feet. Emily Edwards, age 7.

I think heaven would have fences in it with strawberries. David who fighted Goliath would be there too. I think heaven would have blueberries and gold in it. Old people will be there and God's angels. There also will be a big, big feast that keeps everybody full. Andrew Edwards, age 3.

Heaven will be like living in the clouds with Christ and you can roller-blade on streets of gold. Peter will give you fishing lessons. We'll all be able to fly. We'll play tag in the sky. The trees will be made of gold and the leaves of silver. My point is, heaven is going to be wonderful!  Isaac Allen Jones, age 11.

Don't forget the Miracle Makeover Blog party coming up next month. You can read about it on Spiritual Sundays and there are links there to find out more about it. I will be posting more details soon. I have had the privilege of previewing a video telling about the latest makeover. It will be available for everyone to view soon. Be looking forward to that also.

GOD'S PROTECTION

So many times we believe that if we are under God's protection, and we are, that we should be protected from all sorrows, sicknesses and - well - everything harmful to us. Reading Nancy Guthrie's book Hearing Jesus Speak into Your Sorrow, I ran across the following. It was meaningful to me and I believe it will speak to you as well. Nancy says there is something more important to Jesus than our bodily comfort and safety. Here is what she says about this.

Jesus knows we have a hard time grasping this more significant spiritual reality. Limited by these bodies and our earthly perspective, it is hard for us to imagine our eternal future and how the way we live now and what we believe now will impact that eternal reality. And so in our every day requests for safe travel and physical health, and in our more desperate prayers for healing or deliverance amid great difficulties, we try to apply to our bodies God's promises of protection that were intended for our souls. And when we do, we're often left disappointed.

When God doesn't seem to show up and protect us, we can quickly point the finger of blame, accusing him of falling down on the job. Until our value systems line up with his, until we value the eternal life of our souls more than the temporary life of our earthly bodies, we will continue to feel disappointment with God. 

God has not promised wholesale physical deliverance in this life for those who place their faith in him.  But he has promised to protect our souls for eternity. And really that is so much bigger, so much better.

I totally agree with the author about this. Everyone dies eventually. This morning we went to a memorial service for another member of our former church. Mac was 88 years old. His family was sad to see him go, but glad to know that he has joined his beloved wife who preceded him in death by several years. Yes, it is our souls that God protects for eternity, and I'm very glad of that.


We have so many people sharing with us on Spiritual Sundays now that it takes quite a while to visit all the links. I hope you will go there and visit as many as you can. You will be blessed. Here is the link: http://bloggerspirit.blogspot.com/

GOD IS A BIG GOD

Sunday is Father's Day. I was just thinking how children look up to their fathers, at least in most cases. They think their dad can do just about anything. To them he is a "big" man. When they grow up they see him in a more realistic light. Our earthly fathers may not be as "big" as we once thought, but our Heavenly Father never gets smaller. In fact, as we grow older we understand more and more how big and how powerful He is.


Charles Allen in his little book entitled All Things Are Possible Through Prayer, says the trouble with a lot of people is their God is too small. Many times they don't really believe that God can take care of them like He says He will. He tells the story of a man in New York who died at the age of seventy. As a young man he married and opened a little shop on a side street. He and his wife lived in a tiny apartment on the East side. Six mornings a week he would get up, eat his breakfast, walk to the subway station and ride to his work. All day long he spent in his shop. Because he never had another clerk, he carried his lunch from home and ate on the job.


At closing time he would catch the subway back, eat his supper and soon go to bed. He was never a strong man so he rested in bed every Sunday. For fifty years that was his routine and then he died. When that man said "My city," he meant a tiny apartment, a subway train, and a shop on a side street. He never saw the Metropolitan Museum, or rode to the top of the Empire State Building, or mingled with the crowds on Fifth Avenue. "My city" was for him a very limited experience.


Personally I don't want my God to be limited to a small area of my life like New York was limited in the life of that man.


Charles Allen goes on to ask the question: When you say "My God," what do you mean? For St. Paul, "My God" meant one great enough to cover his entire life -- great enough to supply his every need. (Philippians 4:19) 


Now the question is: How big is your God?


Please click HERE to go to our Spiritual Sundays blog for links to many inspirational posts.

Out of Sight

As I'm getting older, more and more of my relatives and friends are dying. I find it a little hard to use that word dying. Passing away comes to my mind before dying. However it is expressed, the fact is, they are leaving this life and we are not seeing them here any more during this lifetime. We miss them. We will be attending a memorial service for a member of our former church on Sunday afternoon. Brad was a friend. He was a computer expert and helped us get our very first computer years ago. We have sought his expertise in this field many times through the years. Now he is gone. We didn't see him very often. At least not lately. But we knew he was there and we knew how to get in touch with him.

Charles Spurgeon was a famous preacher in London who lived and died in the 1800's. I like his description of the Biblical view of death.

I'm standing on the seashore. A ship at my side spreads her white sails to the morning breeze and starts for the blue ocean. She's an object of beauty and strength, and I stand and watch her until, at length, she hangs like a speck of white cloud just where the sea and the sky come down to mingle with each other. And then  I hear someone on my side saying, "There, she's gone."

Gone where? Gone from my sight, that is all. She is just as large in mast and hull and spar as she was when she left my side. And just as able to bear her load of living freight to the place of destination. Her diminished size is me, not in her.
And just at the moment when someone at my side says, "There, she's gone," there are other eyes watching her coming, and there are other voices ready to take up the glad shout, "Here she comes!"

And that is dying.

 I love Spurgeon's description of death. I'm so thankful that Christ came and taught us how to live and how to die. I'm so grateful that He was willing to die and then be resurrected to conquer death. Because of His sacrifice, we have the assurance that we will also be resurrected never to die again. Why would anyone reject this wonderful gift and the one who gave it?

I hope you will visit our Spiritual Sundays blog and share with us there or read what others have shared there and be blessed.

AND YET ~ A TOUCH OF WONDER

We are blessed to have hundreds of books in our home. I always have at least two or three I'm reading at any given time. A Touch of Wonder by Arthur Gordon is one I'm into right now. I was so inspired by the following story in this book that I wanted to share it for Spiritual Sundays.

Last summer in California I met a man who had been a skydiver until, on his nineteenth jump, his parachute failed to open fully and his emergency chute wrapped itself around the partially collapsed main chute. He slammed into a dry lake bed at sixty miles an hour. Doctors thought this broken remnant of a man would never leave his hospital bed. They told him so, and he sank into black despair.

But in the hospital he had frequent visits from another patient, a man whose spinal cord had been severed in an automobile accident. This man would never walk, would never, in fact, move a finger again. But he was always cheerful. "I certainly don't recommend my situation to anyone," he would say. "And yet I can read, I can listen to music, I can talk to people . . . "

And yet: those two words shift the focus from what has been lost to what remains－and to what may still be gained.  They gave such hope and determination to the skydiver that he came through his ordeal and today walks without a limp.

Some people confuse acceptance with apathy, but there's all the difference in the world. Apathy fails to distinguish between what can and what cannot be helped; acceptance makes that distinction. Apathy paralyzes the will-to-action; acceptance frees it by relieving it of impossible burdens. Dwight Eisenhower's mother was a deeply religious woman. When the future president was a boy, she would say to him, "Life deals the cards; the way you play them is up to you. There's acceptance in that philosophy － but no hint of apathy.

To me the "and yet" part is what inspires me. No matter how bad things may be, we can all say "and yet". And it may be that our "and yet" in spite of our circumstances may help someone who is struggling with similar problems.

Click HERE to go to our Spiritual Sunday blog and be inspired by the many links shared there.

TROUBLE

There has always been trouble everywhere but it seems to me there is more trouble more places in the world than there ever has been before. I am sharing a couple of paragraphs from Tim Hansel's little book Keep On Dancin' on this subject.

There is no question that life is difficult. In fact, it has been said that God promises four things: peace, power, purpose, and TROUBLE. For example, in the verse above Jesus reminds us quite boldly that in the world there will be trouble. But we are not merely to endure it. We are to "be of good cheer," for He has overcome the world.

Many of us have only gotten half the message. We recognize the difficulty of life and drearily drag ourselves through each day, mumbling about our burdens. (I've heard it said that "some Christians have just enough Christianity to make them miserable.") It can be different ⎼ but the choice is ours.

You promised both peace and trouble, Jesus. 

But You also promised that I could have them

at the same time. Thank You!

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Spiritual Sundays is a good place to spend some of your time each weekend. Please click HERE to go to that site where you will find many blessings.

SOME INSPIRATIONAL THOUGHTS

Today for Spiritual Sundays I am sharing some quotes on faith. I hope they bless your weekend and the week ahead.  ~ Charlotte

My job is to take care of the possible and trust God with the impossible.
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Above all else, know this: Be prepared at all times for the gifts of God and be ready always for new ones. For God is a thousand times more ready to give than we are to receive. - Meister Eckhart ________________________________________________________

When we let go of fear, only then can we gracefully move from what was into the miracle of what can be. 

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Sorrow looks back, worry looks around, faith looks up. _________________________________________________________

Those who have faith need no explanation, for those who have no faith, no explanation is possible. _________________________________________________________

Faith is daring the soul to go beyond what the eyes can see. - William Newton Clark

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If you have a song of faith in your heart, it will be heard by the look on your face. 

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There are only two ways to live . . . one is as though nothing is a miracle. . . the other is as if everything is. - Albert Einstein 

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Make two homes for thyself, my daughter. One actual home . . . and the other a spiritual home which thou are to carry with thee always. - Catherine of Sienna 

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Anything God asks us to do he supplies us with the energy and grace to do.

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Faith isn't the ability to believe long and far into the misty future. It's simply taking God at His Word and taking the next step. - Joni Erickson Tada 

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God is the light that shows me the way, for there is nothing that God cannot do.

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No matter how steep the mountain - the Lord is going to climb it with you. - Helen Steiner Rice

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All of the above quotes were found at Inspirational Quotes. You may want to go there for more inspiration. - Charlotte

Thank you to all who came here from Spiritual Sundays. Those who share there are such a blessing to me. We hope you will click on as many of the links there as you can. I'm always amazed at the wonderful posts that are shared there each week. 

LEARNING FROM GEESE

There is much to be learned from geese. I love the following devotional in the little book called Keep On Dancin' by Tim Hansel.

Therefore encourage one another and build each other up,

just as in fact you are doing.

I Thessalonians 5:11

There are four things that geese have to teach us.
     One, they rotate their leadership. When the lead goose gets tired, he rotates back in the wing and another goose flies point.
     Second, by flying in a V-formation, the whole flock gets seventy-one percent greater flying range than if each bird flew on its own.
     Third, when a goose gets sick or is wounded, two geese fall out of formation and follow him down to help and protect him.
     Finally, it's the geese in the back who honk, letting the leaders know that they're following and all is well. If people thought we would be constantly honking encouragement to them, our churches would have standing room only.

Oh God, help me to remember to encourage rather than criticize. 

                                                      -Tim Hansel

As I was thinking about encouragement, it occurred to me how each of us who share on Spiritual Sundays encourage each other. So many of you have told Ginger and me how much you appreciate going there each weekend and sharing. OK. We won't be "honking" but we do want to encourage each one of you and thank you for being a part of this ministry. If you didn't come here from Spiritual Sundays, just click HERE and it will take you there. 

 

MY LIFE IS IN HIS HANDS

The weeks fly by soooo fast. It's time for Spiritual Sundays again. Sometimes I post a Spiritual Sundays on this blog and sometimes on my Charlotte's Weblog blog. I hope it doesn't confuse too many people. I hope it doesn't confuse anybody. So why do I keep posting on both of these blogs? I can't decide which one I like the best so every time I think about consolidating them into one blog, I can't make the decision whether to go with Blogger or WordPress. There are things about each that I like better than the other one.

I hope you're familiar with Tim Hansel's little book Keep On Dancin'. It is filled with short devotionals and I decided I'd share one of them here today. Thank you, Tim Hansel, for this inspiring book.

My times are in your hands. Psalm 31:15a

 Avoiding the present moment has almost become a habit in our society. For the major part of our working lives we are taught to sacrifice the present for the future. When the future arrives, it becomes the present, and we must use it to prepare for the future. If this is lived out to its logical conclusion, we avoid enjoyment not only now but forever.

Avoid the temptation of wishing, hoping and regretting−−the most common tactics for avoiding the present. Abstain from the ritual of idealizing the future, which leads only to disappointment.

Invest in the present. The right time is any time. The best time is now. It is not necessary to surrender tomorrow or next year, but abandon yourself to God's presence and His will as it unfolds in your life moment to moment.

This moment is precious, Lord. You have given it to me and, along with myself, I give it back to You. - Tim Hansel 

This reminds me of the saying that yesterday is gone forever, tomorrow may never come, and today is all we have. So, let's live today, and as Tim Hansel says, "Keep on dancin'."

Be sure to visit our Spiritual Sundays blog for lots of inspirational links. Those who share there are "the best". I love us.