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.

LOST

It happened again last night. I had that dream again. I was so glad when I woke up to realize it was just a dream. Several times I have dreamed that I lost my purse. I was still thinking about the dream when I woke up and the word "lost" kept coming to my mind.

People lose things all the time. Many even lose purses. I actually did lose mine a couple of times, but each time I got it back after panic and much prayer. I'm much more careful now. As bad as losing something in this life can be, how much worse it would be to lose our souls. The Bible says "What does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses his soul."

1. Matthew 16:26
   For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?
   Matthew 16:25-27 (in Context) Matthew 16 (Whole Chapter)
2. Mark 8:36
   For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?
   Mark 8:35-37 (in Context) Mark 8 (Whole Chapter)
3. Luke 9:25
   For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and is himself destroyed or lost?
   Luke 9:24-26 (in Context) Luke 9 (Whole Chapter)

I think lost is one of the saddest words in the English language. We all know people who are lost. We need to help them find their way if we can. 
"The way" in the Bible: John 14:6 
There is exactly one way to God, according to the Bible: Jesus Christ. He is the "way, the truth, and the life." No one will come to the Father except through Jesus.

I hope you will take the time to visit as many links in the Spiritual Sundays blog as you can. There are so many inspiring posts that are shared each week. 

SO FAR ABOVE

When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained; What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him? For thou hast made him a little lower than the angels, and hast crowned him with glory and honour. Thou madest him to have dominion over the works of thy hands; thou hast put all things under his feet: All sheep and oxen, yea, and the beasts of the field; The fowl of the air, and the fish of the sea, and whatsoever passeth through the paths of the seas. O LORD our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth! - Psalm 8:3-9 (KJV)

"O Lord, Our Lord." Do you know that song? The above scripture was the inspiration for the song. I memorized it when I was 12 or 13 years old. The youth choir at our little church memorized all the songs we sang because our leader didn't want us holding a book when we "performed". I loved this song then and I still do.

This video has been around for awhile and I think I have shared it in the past, but I think it goes well with the scripture in Psalms.

Spiritual Sundays is the place to be each weekend for lots of links to inspirational posts. Click HERE to go to that blog. You may want to link there and share a post on your blog.

I hope everyone has a blessed new year. Let's make 2012 a year to remember - in a good way.

Tom and Alura

Anything good? That's the question I always ask Clif when he brings the mail in. Most of the time it is just junk mail but once in a while there is something good. Yesterday when I asked him, he said we got a Christmas card from Tom and Lou. "I always call them Lou and Tom," I replied. It's always been Lou and Tom - not Tom and Lou. He said, "Well, they're more formal. The return address says Tom and Alura." Why was this beautiful Christmas card and a four page hand written letter special to me? Alura (Lou) is my dad's youngest sister. She's 93 years old. Her husband Tom is 95. They still live at home and take care of themselves. They have a lady that comes in once every two weeks and cleans the house. They've been married for 72 years. I think that is remarkable. I remember when I was growing up I was always compared to my Aunt Lou. People said I looked like her. Maybe this is a good "omen" for me. LOL

Some of my most cherished childhood memories are going to their farm in Oklahoma. They sold their farm and moved to town about 15 years ago. Tom bought himself a new pickup for his 90th birthday. And they both played golf regularly until just a few years ago. In her letter she updated us on all their kids and grandkids. She was proud they all had college educations. Lou and Tom lived their entire lives in the same area in Oklahoma. I remember many years ago they visited us when my parents and I lived in Colorado. Lou really fell in love with Colorado and I think for just a short time, she wished she lived there. Her heart was in Oklahoma though and it didn't take her long to "get over it."

I credit at least part of their longevity to all that good fresh food they grew on their farm. Clif added, "and clean air." I think the main thing though was the Lord was blessing them in every way. They have both been faithful Christians all their lives.

Thank you for letting me reminisce a little. I hope you have a Lou and Tom in your lives. Even more importantly, I hope you have their Lord in your lives.

I'm sharing this tribute for Spiritual Sundays.  Again, I want to wish all of you a very Merry Christmas.

Isaiah 9:6-7

AMAZING GRACE - Not Just Soap

Amazing Grace is not just soap? Of course not. We all know about Amazing Grace ― the spiritual kind (at least I hope we do) ― but how many know about Amazing Grace soap? I just found out about it recently. So how did I find out about this amazing soap? It was at an Arts & Crafts Festival in Fountain Hills, AZ. Did I buy some of it? No. But after I got home I wished I had. And why is that, you ask? I did buy a jar of their Body Butter and I love love loved it. When I bought the Body Butter I was given a small sample of their soap. (It is so wise to give samples.) Well, I used that little sample all up and was sold on it. But the Fair was over, so I looked it up online. A little research by my dear hubby and we found out they would be at the Tempe Festival of the Arts. It can also be ordered online, of course, but since they were going to be at the Festival I thought it would be a good excuse to go to it. We always enjoy going there anyway. We were so glad we went because we met the lovely lady who makes these beautiful soaps and her husband also. Amazing Grace is just one of the choices they have. Many different fruity and flower "flavors" are also available. And they are all amazing. The problem I had was deciding which fragrance to choose. Amazing Grace was the one I finally chose, partly because of the pink color. They do have other colors. So this is one of my Christmas presents. It's under the tree now in the lovely bag they provided. Here is their website if you would like to find out more about their products. http://SophisticatedSoap.com/index.htm

As wonderful as this soap is, it pales in comparison to God's Amazing Grace. There is a reason why Amazing Grace is one of the most popular songs in the religious world. That Jesus would leave his heavenly home, come to earth, live here showing us how we should live, and then going to the cross, dying in our place. And of course just as important, his resurrection and promised return to this earth as King of Kings and Lord of Lords. Now, that is truly AMAZING GRACE.

I'm sharing this both for Spiritual Sundays and for Pink Saturday. I hope you will visit both of these links to find many wonderful posts both of the spiritual and pink varieties.

Silent Night

After posting some history behind O Little Town of Bethlehem, I decided to see what I could find out about an even more popular carol — Silent Night. Here is what I found online.

On December 24, 1818 the carol "Stille Nacht! Heilige Nacht" was heard for the first time in a village church in Oberndorf, Austria. The congregation at that Midnight Mass in St. Nicholas Church listened as the voices of the assistant pastor, Fr. Joseph Mohr, and the choir director, Franz Xaver Gruber, rang through the church to the accompaniment of Fr. Mohr's guitar. On each of the six verses, the choir repeated the last two lines in four-part harmony.

On that evening in 1818 Joseph Mohr journeyed to the home of musician-schoolteacher Franz Gruber who lived in an apartment over the schoolhouse in nearby Arnsdorf. He showed his friend a poem he had written and asked him to add a melody and guitar accompaniment so that it could be sung at Midnight Mass. His reason for wanting the new carol is unknown. Some speculate that the organ would not work; others feel that the assistant pastor, who dearly loved guitar music, merely wanted a new carol for Christmas. Later that evening, as the two men, backed by the choir, stood in front of the main altar in St. Nicholas Church and sang "Stille Nacht! Heilige Nacht!" for the first time, they could hardly imagine the impact their composition would have on the world. Now translated into hundreds of languages, it is sung by untold millions every December from small chapels in the Andes to great cathedrals in Antwerp and Rome.

I learned this carol in school way back when Christmas was celebrated in public schools and Christmas plays were the norm. In fact, I think I learned most of the carols that I love today in school. Today's children are denied that blessing. How sad for America's children.


I'm sharing this for Spiritual Sundays. You can go there to find links to many spiritual and inspirational posts on different blogs. You may want to share. There is info there about how to do it.

O Little Town of Bethlehem

This has been a favorite song of mine for many years. I was glad to find out the history.

On Christmas Eve, 1865, Phillips Brooks was in Jerusalem, a trip intended to inspire spiritual rebirth after the horrors of the Civil War. Just a few months earlier he had spoken at the funeral of President Abraham Lincoln. That clear night as he walked the streets of the Holy City, he had a sudden inspiration. Renting a horse, he set out for Bethlehem. After a solitary journey under the clear night sky, Brooks reached the tiny remote village and was surrounded by the spirit of the first Christmas. His impoverished soul was refreshed as he considered what had happened there so many years before. Three years later on Christmas Eve, 1868, as he sat alone in his study preparing his sermon for the next day, he felt inspired to pen the words to this beautiful carol.

O LITTLE TOWN OF BETHLEHEM 

O little town of Bethlehem, how still we see thee lie!

Above thy deep and dreamless sleep the silent stars go by.

Yet in thy dark streets shineth the everlasting Light; 

The hopes and fears of all the years are met in thee tonight.

For Christ is born of Mary and gathered all above.

While mortals sleep the angels keep their watch of wondering love.

O morning stars together, proclaim the holy birth.

And praises sing to God the king, and peace to men on earth.

How silently, how silently the wondrous gift is given;

So God imparts to human hearts the blessings of His heaven.

No ear may hear his coming, but in this world of sin,

Where meek souls will receive him still, the dear Christ enters in.

Where children pure and happy pray to the blessed Child,

Where misery cries out to Thee, Son of the mother mild:

Where charity stands watching and faith holds wide the door,

The dark night wakes, the glory breaks, and Christmas comes once more.

O Holy Child of Bethlehem, descend to us, we pray;

Cast out our sin and enter in, be born in us today.

We hear the Christmas angels the great glad tidings tell;

O come to us, abide with us, our Lord Emmanuel!

As this new Christmas season has arrived and we get caught up in the shopping, the hustle and bustle of the holidays, I hope we will often stop to remember that night in Bethlehem. And then pause to dwell on the reality that He is the reason for the season. 

For links to many inspiring posts, please click HERE to visit Spiritual Sundays. You may want to participate by sharing a link there as well.

Happy Thanksgiving

I found the following poem/prayer online and wanted to share it with you.

A Thanksgiving Day Prayer

Lord, so often times, as any other day

When we sit down to our meal and pray

We hurry along and make fast the blessing 

Thanks, amen. Now please pass the dressing

We're slaves to the olfactory overload
We must rush our prayer before the food gets cold

But Lord, I'd like to take a few minute more
To really give thanks to what I'm thankful for

For my family, my health, a nice soft bed
My friends, my freedom, a roof over my head

I'm thankful right now to be surrounded by those
Whose lives touch me more than they'll ever possibly know

Thankful Lord, that You've blessed me beyond measure
Thankful that in my heart lives life's greatest treasure

That You, dear Jesus, reside in that place
And I'm ever so grateful for Your unending grace

So please, heavenly Father, bless this food You've provided
And bless each and every person invited

Amen!

--Scott Wesemann

I especially like the last part of the prayer. I want to make it my prayer as well. 

Thank you for letting me share with you. Please visit Spiritual Sundays where many inspirational posts are shared each week. Click HERE to go to that blog.

WHO'S TAKING CARE OF THEM?

Since I alluded to the birds and flowers in my Spiritual Sundays introduction this week I decided to say a little more about them.

"I tell you not to worry about everyday life ― whether you have enough. Look at the birds. They don't plan or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren't you far more valuable to him than they are? Can all your worries add a single moment to your life?" (Matt. 6:325-27 NLT)

God not only provides food for the birds, he has given them instincts that people still have not figured out. How do they know where they are going when they start their migration? This has always amazed me. They seem to know where water is also. There is an open field close to our house that is usually dry as a bone but when it does rain (which isn't very often) water collects there and forms a pond. This happened a few days ago and now when we drive by there we see a lot of ducks on that water. I wonder if they were on their way to somewhere and stopped there for a drink and to rest a bit. The water is only there for a few days, then dries up and no ducks are around.

"Your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. Seek the kingdom of heaven above all else and live righteously, and He will give you everything you need." (Matt. 6:32-33) NLT  Did He promise to give everybody everything they need? Did you notice the sentence before the promise to give you everything you need? Seek the kingdom of heaven above all else and live righteously. If we do those two things He has promised to give us everything we need. Too many times we seek everything under the sun except the kingdom of heaven and righteousness and then wonder why God is not providing our needs.

Heavenly Father, please help us to get our priorities straight. Help us to seek first your kingdom and your righteousness and we know you will take care of us. Amen

Be sure to visit Spiritual Sundays if you didn't come here from that blog.

Precious In His Sight

Psalm 116:15

King James Version (KJV)

 ¹⁵Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his saints.

More and more people are living until into their 90s. Last week in my Spiritual Sundays post I told you about Ruth. Two more precious saints have gone on to be with the Lord since Ruth died. Leah and Lahoma are the latest two (both in their 90s).

Lahoma I have known all my life although I have not been in touch with her directly for many years. I just recently became Facebook friends with her daughter. Lahoma was married to one of my dad's first cousins. Although that would make her my cousin I always thought of her as my aunt because she was of my parents' generation. She was a beautiful gracious lady. She was a Christian. I know she is precious in the sight of the Lord. Picture at the left is Lahoma at her 90th birthday celebration. She sure didn't look that old.

Leah, age 93, is the other saint to pass away just a couple of days ago. Leah went to India in the 1940s when she was in her 20s. She and her friend Dolly went together and were planning to stay at least 3 years. They had no idea at the time that they would both spend the rest of their lives in that country. They founded the Kulpahar Kids' Home in the little town of Kulpahar. They raised hundreds of children who did not have parents to take care of them. These children have grown up, married, had families, and now they are spread all over India. What a wonderful influence she has been in the lives of so many. This picture of Leah, Clif and me was taken on Leah's birthday which she celebrated while we were there in October of 1999. My birthday and Leah's are just four days apart so I celebrated my birthday in India that year as well. 

We just received news a couple of days ago that Leah had died. She will be buried in the little cemetery by the church on the mission compound next to Dolly who preceded Leah in death by about 15 years. Leah gave us a tour of the cemetery while we were there and pointed out where she would be buried. Leah came home to the states every few years and traveled around promoting the Kids Home. At one of the Christian Colleges where she was speaking someone asked her how she could go to India and stay for over 50 years. She told them you had to believe with all your heart that was what God wanted you to do. I feel so blessed to have known Leah for the past 20+ years.

The scripture in Psalm that is quoted at the top of this post is especially meaningful to me when I think of all the saints that are precious to me have gone on to be with the one who is the most precious. It is because of Jesus that we all have hope of reuniting with Him after death and spending eternity there. Wow! Can you think of anything in this world that even remotely compares to this? I sure can't.

The website for the Kulpahar Kids' Home is http://kulpaharkidshome-school.org/

Thank you for letting me reminisce about these two wonderful women. You will find links to many inspirational posts by visiting Spiritual Sundays. You can click HERE to go to that blog.