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Bulletin Thots |
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Alton Baptist Church |
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November 27, 2011 - Present
Pastor Quincy Collins is on medical leave.
November 20, 2011 Pencils
A pencil maker told the pencil 5 important lessons just before putting it in the box: We all need to be constantly sharpened. May this parable encourage us to know that each of us is a special person, with unique God-given talents and abilities. Only you can fulfill the purpose which you were born to accomplish. Never allow yourself to get discouraged and think that your life is insignificant and cannot be changed and, like the pencil, always remember that the most important part of who you are, is what's inside of you and then allow yourself to be guided by the hand of God.
November 13, 2011 Gadhafi
As Thanksgiving approached in 1986, Graham Lacey, a Christian from England, was in New York City with some friends. They asked themselves who might be the loneliest man in the city and decided it would probably be the Libyan ambassador to the U.N. They invited him to Thanksgiving dinner and were pleased when he came. He said, "If people knew who I am, they would spit in my face. Your country has just bombed mine. Your people don't like Colonel Moammar Gadhafi, my leader." After several weeks of interaction with the ambassador, Mr. Lacey received an invitation from Colonel Gadhafi to visit Libya in August 1987. He went, and during an audience with the leader in his Bedouin tent, he had the opportunity to speak of his faith in Jesus Christ. He was accused of believing a Zionist lie and replied, "Sir, I know Jesus Christ personally. I've experienced Him in my life." A lengthy discussion followed, after which Lacey asked if he could pray. After consulting his advisors the colonel looked him straight in the eye and said, "Sir, you may pray." Lacy says, "I prayed in the name of our Lord and Savior for (Gadhafi's) salvation, for his wife's and his family's and for revival, for an unprecedented outpouring of the Holy Spirit's power in Libya." The Libyan leader embraced him and then had more discussion with his advisors in Arabic. Mr. Lacey was then told, "The distinguished leader would like you to pray again." When he hesitated, Gadhafi told him, "Nobody has ever told me before about Jesus. Nobody but a Muslim has ever prayed with me. I would like you to get down on your knees and pray again. This time Libyan television will televise it." All this happened because a handful of Christ's servants chose to befriend a foreigner who was all alone. That is how it happens, my friends. Whether it is in New York City or Sweet Home, Oregon, that's how it happens. Where's Jesus in the picture? I think you know by now. And I think you know too that where He is, we should be also. http://preacherstudy.com/premium/WJesus.html
November 6, 2011 Enough
Recently I overheard a father and daughter in their last moments together at the airport. They had announced the departure. Standing near the security gate, they hugged and the father said, 'I love you, and I wish you enough.' The daughter replied, 'Dad, our life together has been more than enough. Your love is all I ever needed. I wish you enough, too, Dad.' They kissed and the daughter left. The Father walked over to the window where I was seated. Standing there I could see he wanted and needed to cry. I tried not to intrude on his privacy, but he welcomed me in by asking, 'Did you ever say good-bye to someone knowing it would be forever?' 'Yes, I have,' I replied. 'Forgive me for asking, but why is this a forever good-bye?'. 'I am old, and she lives so far away. I have challenges ahead and the reality is - the next trip back will be for my funeral,' he said. 'When you were saying good-bye, I heard you say, 'I wish you enough..' May I ask what that means?' He began to smile. 'That's a wish that has been handed down from other generations. My parents used to say it to everyone...' He paused a moment and looked up as if trying to remember it in detail, and he smiled even more. 'When we said, 'I wish you enough,' we were wanting the other person to have a life filled with just enough good things to sustain them.' Then turning toward me, he shared the following as if he were reciting it from memory. I wish you enough sun to keep your attitude bright no matter how gray the day may appear. I wish you enough rain to appreciate the sun even more. I wish you enough happiness to keep your spirit alive and everlasting. I wish you enough pain so that even the smallest of joys in life may appear bigger. I wish you enough gain to satisfy your wanting. I wish you enough loss to appreciate all that you possess. I wish you enough hellos to get you through the final good-bye. He then began to cry and walked away. They say it takes a minute to find a special person, an hour to appreciate them, a day to love them; but then an entire life to forget them. To all friends and loved ones, say," I WISH YOU ENOUGH."
October 30, 2011 The Savior's Love
Whatever your cross, whatever your pain, There will always be sunshine, after the rain.... Perhaps you may stumble, perhaps even fall; But God's always ready, to answer your call.... He knows every heartache, sees every tear, A word from His lips, can calm every fear... Your sorrows may linger, throughout the night, But suddenly vanish, by dawn's early light... The Savior is waiting, somewhere above, To give you His grace, and send you His love.
October 23, 2011 Wisdom
Wisdom is seeing life from God’s point of view. - Bill Gothard
October 16, 2011 Does God Exist?
This is one of the best explanations on the nature of God that I have ever seen... A man went to a barbershop to have his hair cut and his beard trimmed. As the barber began to work, they began to have a good conversation. They talked about so many things and various subjects. When they eventually touched on the subject of God, the barber said: 'I don't believe that God exists.' 'Why do you say that?' asked the customer. 'Well, you just have to go out in the street to realize that God doesn't exist. Tell me, if God exists, would there be so many sick people; would there be abandoned children? If God existed, there would be neither suffering nor pain. I can't imagine a loving God who would allow all of these things.' The customer thought for a moment, but didn't respond because he didn't want to start an argument. The barber finished his job and the customer left the shop. Just after he left the barbershop, he saw a man in the street with long, stringy, dirty hair and an untrimmed beard. He looked dirty and unkempt. The customer turned back and entered the barbershop again and he said to the barber: 'You know what? Barbers do not exist.' 'How can you say that?' asked the surprised barber. 'I am here, and I am a barber. And I just worked on you!' 'No!' the customer exclaimed. 'Barbers don't exist, because if they did, there would be no people with dirty long hair and untrimmed beards, like that man outside.' 'Ah, but barbers DO exist! That's what happens when people do not come to me.' 'Exactly!' affirmed the customer. 'That's the point! God, too, DOES exist! That's what happens when people do not go to Him and don't look to Him for help... That's why there's so much pain and suffering in the world.'
October 9, 2011 Why is it Necessary to be Quiet in Church?
A Sunday school teacher asked her children as they were on the way to church service,
October 2, 2011 Tennessee Football
September 25, 2011 Wrestling Prayer: A Passionate Communion with God Here’s how you can help fulfill God’s purposes by wrestling in prayer for them to become realities in this world: Don’t accept defeat. Be aware that evil wants to attack you constantly and pull you into despair that will lead to spiritual defeat. Guard yourself from evil through prayer every day. Rely on the Holy Spirit’s power to stand up and fight against Satan’s intentions for your life. If you remain constantly on guard against evil, you’ll emerge victorious and empowered to become offensive, rather than defensive, in the spiritual realm. Build your faith. Ask God to give you the faith you need to confidently trust that He will keep His promises, no matter what circumstances you face. Believe that God rewards those who diligently seek Him. Surround yourself with Christians who have strong faith - people who believe that God is as big as He says He is, and who have personally experienced His mighty power and faithfulness in their own lives. Keep a prayer journal in which you record specific prayers that you pray for daily until breakthroughs come. Write down the answers to your prayers when they come. Later, read your past journal entries to remind yourself of how God has been faithful to you. Aim to build a faith that is unwavering, stouthearted, persistent, and immovable. Fully expect God to respond to your prayers. Remove roadblocks to prayer. Get rid of habits in your life that appeal to selfishness and give your time and attention fully to the work of God within you. with you giving Eliminate activities that interfere your best focus to prayer every day. Ask God to show you when you typically yield to selfish whims and desires during each day. Then pray for the strength to yield to the Holy Spirit’s urgings at those times and in those situations, so you’ll develop a habit of listening to God rather than just following your own agenda. Make regular appointments with God to pray, and follow through, whether or not you feel like praying at the time. Break free from sin that tries to control you. Pray for the strength you need to overcome whatever sin you repeatedly struggle with, such as lust, pride, fear, greed, doubt, gossip, or bitterness. Ask God to renew your mind and spirit. Get rid of sinful habits that interfere with your prayers, block the intimacy God wants you to have with Him, and gives Satan a vulnerable point through which to attack you. For example, if you regularly read magazines or surf Internet sites that promote materialism, stop consuming those media messages that open the door for selfishness in your life. Repent of the sin or wrong habits that God brings to your attention, and ask Him to cleanse you from them. Rely on God’s strength. You’ll never lose a battle when you fight with God’s strength flowing through you. So don’t rely just on your own limited strength; pray for God to empower you to do battle in every situation through His Spirit working in you. When God anoints you with His power, you’ll be able to look at life from His perspective, courageously fight evil, and share the Gospel message with confidence. Ask properly. When asking God for something in prayer, do so in the ways He prescribes in the Bible. Approach God with pure motives, seeking answers that reflect His will, rather than trying to convince God to follow your own agenda. To identify any faulty patterns in your prayer life, ask yourself: “Am I praying merely for my own comforts and desires?”, “Do I ever pray when things are going well, or only when I’m in dire need?”, “Is my motive in prayer my own happiness, or God’s glory?”, “Do I pray with an attitude of doubt, just going through the motions of prayer because it’s the spiritual thing to do?” Repent of any wrong attitudes and ask God to help you approach prayer differently. Avoid misguided, selfish, and doubting prayers. Instead, aim to pray in alignment with God’s will and remember that He wants the best for you. Don’t just talk - listen. Realize that prayer is more about listening to God than it is talking to Him. Train yourself to focus on God’s messages to you. Learn how to be still and pay attention to Him speaking. Make more time for prayer. Evaluate your sleep schedule, leisure activities, and work schedule to see what change you might make to allow yourself more time to pray regularly. Stop wasting time on trivial activities (like watching too much TV at night) so you’ll have more time available for prayer. Learn more about prayer. Ask God to teach you more about how He wants you to pray. Read respected books about prayer. Study the lives of some great Christian heroes and heroines and see what you can learn about prayer from their examples. Pray with tenacity. Be persistent, praying until God gives you answers. Don’t give up praying about a situation until God’s power comes into it. Pray audacious prayers. Don’t hesitate to pray for big things that only God can do. Invite Him to do something incredibly powerful in each situation that you bring before Him. Expect Him to do much more than you could even ask or think on your own.
September 18, 2011 God's Pharmacy
It's been said that God first separated the salt water from the fresh, made dry land, planted a garden, made animals and fish... All before making a human. He made and provided what we'd need before we were born. These are best & more powerful when eaten raw.. We're such slow learners… God left us a great clue as to what foods help what part of our body! God's Pharmacy! Amazing! - A sliced Carrot looks like the human eye. The pupil, iris and radiating lines look just like the human eye... And YES, science now shows carrots greatly enhance blood flow to and function of the eyes. - A Tomato has four chambers and is red. The heart has four chambers and is red. All of the research shows tomatoes are loaded with lycopine and are indeed pure heart and blood food. - Grapes hang in a cluster that has the shape of the heart. Each grape looks like a blood cell and all of the research today shows grapes are also profound heart and blood vitalizing food. - Walnut looks like a little brain, a left and right hemisphere, upper cerebrums and lower cerebellums. Even the wrinkles or folds on the nut are just like the neo-cortex. We now know walnuts help develop more than three (3) dozen neuron-transmitters for brain function. - Kidney Beans actually heal and help maintain kidney function and yes, they look exactly like the human kidneys. - Celery, Bok Choy, Rhubarb and many more look just like bones. These foods specifically target bone strength. Bones are 23% sodium and these foods are 23% sodium. If you don't have enough sodium in your diet, the body pulls it from the bones, thus making them weak. These foods replenish the skeletal needs of the body. - Avocadoes, Eggplant and Pears target the health and function of the womb and cervix of the female - they look just like these organs. Today's research shows that when a woman eats one avocado a week, it balances hormones, sheds unwanted birth weight, and prevents cervical cancers. And how profound is this? It takes exactly nine (9) months to grow an avocado from blossom to ripened fruit. There are over 14,000 photolytic chemical constituents of nutrition in each one of these foods (modern science has only studied and named about 141 of them). - Figs are full of seeds and hang in twos when they grow. Figs increase the mobility of male sperm and increase the numbers of Sperm as well to overcome male sterility. - Sweet Potatoes look like the pancreas and actually balance the glycemic index of diabetics. - Olives assist the health and function of the ovaries - Oranges, Grapefruits, and other Citrus fruits look just like the mammary glands of the female and actually assist the health of the breasts and the movement of lymph in and out of the breasts. - Onions look like the body's cells. Today's research shows onions help clear waste materials from all of the body cells. They even produce tears which wash the epithelial layers of the eyes. A working companion, Garlic, also helps eliminate waste materials and dangerous free radicals from the body. http: commonsenselogic.blogspot.com/2009/08/god-pharmacy.html
September 11, 2011 The Old Dented Bucket
Our house was directly across the street from the clinic entrance of Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore. We lived downstairs and rented the upstairs rooms to out-patients at the clinic. One summer evening as I was fixing supper, there was a knock at the door. I opened it to see a truly awful looking man. "Why, he's hardly taller than my 8-year-old," I thought as I stared at the stooped, shriveled body. But the appalling thing was his face, lopsided from swelling, red and raw. Yet his voice was pleasant as he said, "Good evening. I've come to see if you've a room for just one night. I came for a treatment this morning from the eastern shore, and there's no bus 'til morning." He told me he'd been hunting for a room since noon but with no success, no one seemed to have a room. "I guess it's my face .... I know it looks terrible, but my doctor says with a few more treatments …" For a moment I hesitated, but his next words convinced me: "I could sleep in this rocking chair on the porch. My bus leaves early in the morning." I told him we would find him a bed, but to rest on the porch. I went inside and finished getting supper. When we were ready, I asked the old man if he would join us. "No, thank you. I have plenty." And he held up a brown paper bag. When I had finished the dishes, I went out on the porch to talk with him a few minutes. It didn't take a long time to see that this old man had an oversized heart crowded into that tiny body. He told me he fished for a living to support his daughter, her 5 children, and her husband, who was hopelessly crippled from a back injury. He didn't tell it by way of complaint; in fact, every other sentence was preface with thanks to God for a blessing. He was grateful that no pain accompanied his disease, which was apparently a form of skin cancer. He thanked God for giving him the strength to keep going. At bedtime, we put a camp cot in the children's room for him. When I got up in the morning, the bed linens were neatly folded and the little man was out on the porch. He refused breakfast, but just before he left for his bus, haltingly, as if asking a great favor, he said, "Could I please come back and stay the next time I have a treatment? I won't put you out a bit. I can sleep fine in a chair." He paused a moment and then added, "Your children made me feel at home. Grownups are bothered by my face, but children don't seem to mind." I told him he was welcome to come again. And, on his next trip, he arrived a little after 7 in the morning. As a gift, he brought a big fish and a quart of the largest oysters I had ever seen! He said he had shucked them that morning before he left so that they'd be nice and fresh. I knew his bus left at 4:00 a.m. And I wondered what time he had to get up in order to do this for us. In the years he came to stay overnight with us, there was never a time that he did not bring us fish or oysters or vegetables from his garden. Other times we received packages in the mail, always by special delivery; fish and oysters packed in a box of fresh young spinach or kale, every leaf carefully washed. Knowing that he must walk 3 miles to mail these, and knowing how little money he had made the gifts doubly precious. When I received these little remembrances, I often thought of a comment our next-door neighbor made after he left that first morning. "Did you keep that awful looking man last night? I turned him away! You can lose roomers by putting up such people!" Maybe we did lose roomers once or twice. But, oh, if only they could have known him, perhaps their illnesses would have been easier to bear. I know our family always will be grateful to have known him; from him we learned what it was to accept the bad without complaint and the good with gratitude to God. Recently I was visiting a friend, who has a greenhouse, as she showed me her flowers; we came to the most beautiful one of all, a golden chrysanthemum, bursting with blooms. But to my great surprise, it was growing in an old dented, rusty bucket. I thought to myself, "If this were my plant, I'd put it in the loveliest container I had!" My friend changed my mind. "I ran short of pots," she explained, "and knowing how beautiful this one would be, I thought it wouldn't mind starting out in this old pail. It's just for a little while, till I can put it out in the garden." She must have wondered why I laughed so delightedly, but I was imagining just such a scene in heaven. "Here's an especially beautiful one," God might have said when he came to the soul of the sweet old fisherman. "He won't mind starting in this small body." All this happened long ago - and now, in God's garden, how tall this lovely soul must stand. The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart." (1 Samuel 16:7b) Friends are very special. They make you smile and encourage you to succeed. They lend an ear and they share a word of praise. Show your friends how much you care.
September 4, 2011 Live by These 4 Rules
I met this guy while I was away on a business trip, and he has a motto he lives by everyday. He said listen carefully and live by these 4 rules: Drink, Steal, Swear, & Lie. I was shaking my head 'no', but he then told me to listen while he explained his four rules. So here they are: 2. "Steal" a moment to help someone that is in worse shape than you are. 3. "Swear" that you will be a better person today than yesterday.
August 28, 2011 My name is I AM
I was regretting the past and fearing the future. Suddenly, my Lord was speaking: "My name is I AM" He paused. I waited. He continued: "When you live in the past, with its mistakes and regrets, it is hard. I am not there. My name is not - I WAS. When you live in the future, with its problems and fears, it is hard. I am not there. My name is not - I WILL BE. When you live in this moment, it is not hard. I am here. My name is I AM."
August 21, 2011 The Ten Commandments in Cajun (Keeps it real simple)
1) God is number one... and das’ all. 2) Don’t pray to nuthin’ or nobody.. jus’ God. 3) Don’t cuss nobody...’specially da Good Lord.’ 4) When it be Sunday .. pass yo’self by God’s House. 5) Yo mama and yo daddy dun dit it all... lissen to dem. 6) Killin’ duck an’ fish, das’ OK ....people-No! 7) God done give you a wife... sleep wit’ jus’ her. 8) Don’t take nobody’s boat... or nuttin’ else. 9) Don’t go wantin’ somebody’s stuff. 10) Stop lyin’... yo’ tongue gonna fall out of yo’ mouf!
August 14, 2011 Cowboy Commandments
Pastor Shannon Moreland says the Ten Commandments posted on the wall of Cross Trails Church, Fairlie, Texas (USA) are delivered with a cowboy twang in the vernacular of his attenders at the recently planted cowboy church: “Just one God. Put nothin’ before God. Watch yer mouth. Git yourself to meeting. Honor yer Ma and Pa. No killin’. No foolin’ around with another fellow’s gal. Don’t take what ain’t yers. No tellin’ tales or gossipin’. Don’t’ be hankerin’ for yer buddy’s stuff.”
August 7, 2011 Giving When it Counts
July 31, 2011 The Obstacle in Our Path
July 24, 2011 Always Remember Those Who Serve
July 17, 2011 Pickup in the Rain
July 10, 2011 The Cleaning Lady
July 3, 2011 IF I HAD MY LIFE TO LIVE OVER - by Erma Bombeck
June 26, 2011 Inner Peace
June 19, 2011 The Farmer’s Son
A young boy was driving a hayrack down the road, and it turned over right in front of a farmer's house. The farmer came out, saw the young boy crying, and said, "Son, don't worry about this, we can fix it. Right now dinner's ready. Why don't you come in and eat with us and then I'll help you put the hay back on the rack." The boy said, "No, I can't. My father is going to be very angry with me." The farmer said, "Now don't worry, just come in and have some lunch and you'll feel better." The boy said, "I'm just afraid my father is going to be very angry with me." The farmer and the young boy went inside and had dinner. Afterwards, as they walked outside to the hayrack, the farmer said, "Son, don't you feel better now?" The boy said, "Yes but I just know that my father will be very angry with me." The farmer said, "Nonsense. Where is your father anyway?" The boy said, "He's under that pile of hay."
June 12, 2011 The Holy Spirit
To be filled with the Holy Spirit is to be filled with Christ. The Holy Spirit came to glorify Christ. Therefore, if I am filled with the Spirit, I am abiding in Christ.... And if I am controlled and empowered by Christ, He will be walking around in my body, living His resurrection life in and through me.” - Bill Bright,” How To Be Filled With The Spirit.” quoted in Robert Morgan’s,” Nelson’s Complete Book of Stories, Illustrations, & Quotes, p. 437.
June 5, 2011 Church Shopping
There was a 100 year old church member who was having his birthday celebration at his church he had faithfully attended since he was a young man. At his birthday celebration, after everyone had cake, ice cream, gave him cards and gifts in the fellowship hall, the entire group of family and friends, numbering over 100 people, were asked to come to the church sanctuary. His great grandson, a young man in his early thirties, had him come to the pulpit. Before most of the church congregation, he was asked the question, in a loud voice, "Great Grandpa, we all know that you can barely hear and you cannot see, so tell us, why do you still go to church every Sunday?" The 100 year old, faithful Christian, answered, "Because I love Jesus with all my heart, He commanded me to be here and I just want to show everybody whose side I'm on." I often visit newcomers in town and find them to be church shopping. They want to know what they can get out of church. Churches are one more consumer commodity. Worship services are not a place for us to serve God and neighbor but a place where people expect to purchase the best: inspiring worship, good music, moving sermons, quality child care. As if we buy God and not vice versa. Arthur Boers in The Other Side, May/June, 1989
May 29, 2011 The Storms of Life
To have God on our side doesn't mean sailing on a boat with no storms, it means having a boat that no storm can sink!"
May 22, 2011 Christian Character
Several years ago, a preacher from out-of-state accepted a call to a church in Houston, Texas. Some weeks after he arrived, he had an occasion to ride the bus from his home to the downtown area. When he sat down, he discovered that the driver had accidentally given him a quarter too much change. As he considered what to do, he thought to himself, 'You'd better give the quarter back. It would be wrong to keep it.' Then he thought, 'Oh, forget it, it's only a quarter. Who would worry about this little amount? Anyway, the bus company gets too much fare; they will never miss it. Accept it as a gift from God and keep quiet.' When his stop came, he paused momentarily at the door, then he handed the quarter to the driver and said, 'Here, you gave me too much change.' The driver, with a smile, replied, 'Aren't you the new preacher in town? I have been thinking a lot lately about going somewhere to worship. I just wanted to see what you would do if I gave you too much change. I'll see you at church on Sunday.' When the preacher stepped off of the bus, he literally grabbed the nearest light pole, held on, and said, 'Oh God, I almost sold your Son for a quarter.' Our lives are the only Bible some people will ever read. This is a really scary example of how much people watch us as Christians and will put us to the test! Always be on guard -- and remember -- You carry the name of Christ on your Shoulders when you call yourself 'Christian.' Watch your thoughts; they become words. Watch your words; they become actions. Watch your actions; they become habits. Watch your habits; they become character. Watch your character; it becomes your destiny.
May 15, 2011 A Smile
"A smile is the light in the window of your face that tells people you're at home."
May 8, 2011 A Happy Surprise
When she turned twenty-one, Tammy Harris from Roanoke, Virginia, began searching for her biological mother. After a year, she had not succeeded. What she didn’t know was that her mother, Joyce Schultz, has been trying to locate her for twenty years. There was one more thing Tammy didn’t know: her mother was one of her coworkers at the convenience store where she worked! One day Joyce overheard Tammy talking with another coworker about trying to find her mother. Soon they were comparing birth certificates. When Tammy realized that the coworker she had known was, in fact, her mother, she fell into her arms. “We held on for the longest time,” Tammy said. “It was the best day of my life.”
May 1, 2011 In Honor of All Teachers
The dinner guests were sitting around the table discussing life. One man, a CEO, decided to explain the problem with education. He argued, "What's a kid going to learn from someone who decided his best option in life was to become a teacher?" To stress his point he said to another guest; "You're a teacher, Bonnie. Be honest. What do you make?" Bonnie, who had a reputation for honesty and frankness replied, "You want to know what I make?" (She paused for a second, then began …) "Well, I make kids work harder than they ever thought they could. "I make kids sit through 40 minutes of class time when their parents can't make them sit for 5 without an I Pod, Game Cube or movie rental. "You want to know what I make?" (She paused again and looked at each and every person at the table) "I make kids wonder. "I make them question. "I make them apologize and mean it. "I make them have respect and take responsibility for their actions. "I teach them to write and then I make them write. Keyboarding isn't everything. "I make them read, read, read. "I make them show all their work in math. They use their God given brain, not the man-made calculator. "I make my students from other countries learn everything they need to know about English while preserving their unique cultural identity. "I make my classroom a place where all my students feel safe. "Finally, I make them understand that if they use the gifts they were given, work hard, and follow their hearts, they can succeed in life." (Bonnie paused one last time and then continued.) "Then, when people try to judge me by what I make, with me knowing money isn't everything, I can hold my head up high and pay no attention because they are ignorant. You want to know what I make? I MAKE A DIFFERENCE. "What do you make Mr. CEO?" His jaw dropped, he went silent. Teaching is... the profession that makes all other professions possible!
April 24, 2011 Maundy Thursday’s Service (April 21, 2011)
Maundy Thursday’s service was based upon Charles Swindoll’s book, “ The Shopkeeper’s Story - Suddenly One Morning” which looked at the events leading up to Easter through the eyes of a shopkeeper during the time of Jesus. Three men from our congregation read from the book, reading clearly with emphasis so that people entered into the events leading up to Easter.
April 17, 2011 Portrait of ChristHassan Saida, resident of Arab village Umm al-Ghanim, owns a cache of booklets with perhaps the earliest rendering of Jesus Christ, UK-based Mail Online reported Sunday. Bible historians claim that the vague portrait of a young man with curly hair bearing the crown of thorns could be the first-ever portrait of Christ. The portrait is contained among a hoard of at least 70 booklets that were found in a cave in the hills overlooking Lake Kinneret, and contain on them ancient Hebrew script. One booklet, reportedly, bears the words "Savior of Israel." - The Jerusalem Post (quoted in K House News, April 5/11)
April 10, 2011 Obituary Printed in the London Times
April 3, 2011 Faith
Faith does not need to push the river precisely because it is able to trust that there is a river. The river is flowing; we are in it. The river is God’s providential love - so do not be afraid. We have been given the Spirit. Jesus presents it as a foregone conclusion: “If you who are evil know how to give your children what is good, how much more will the heavenly Father give you the Holy Spirit” (Luke 11:13). The fears that assault us are mostly simple anxieties about social skills, about intimacy, about likeableness, or about performance. We need not give emotional food or charge to these fears or become attached to them. We don’t even have to shame ourselves for having these fears. Simply ask your fears, “What are you trying to teach me?” Some say that FEAR is merely an acronym for “False Evidence Appearing Real.” From Everything Belongs, page 143, Richard Rohr
March 27, 2011 God Works Through Us
A Canadian Soldier was attending some university courses between deployments. He had completed tours in Bosnia, and just returned from Afghanistan . One of the courses had a professor who was an avowed atheist. One day the professor shocked the class when he came in. He looked to the ceiling and flatly stated, "God, if you are real, then I want you to knock me off this platform. I'll give you exactly 15 minutes." The lecture room fell silent. You could hear a pin drop. Ten minutes went by and the professor proclaimed, "Here I am God. I'm still waiting." It got down to the last couple of minutes when the soldier got out of his chair, went up to the professor, and punched him; knocking him off the platform. The professor was out cold. The soldier went back to his seat and sat there, silently. The other students were shocked and sat there looking on in silence. The professor eventually came to, noticeably shaken, looked at the soldier and asked, "What is the matter with you? Why did you do that?" The soldier calmly replied, "God was too busy today protecting Canadian soldiers who protect your right to say stupid remarks like that, so He sent me."
March 20, 2011 A Carrot, an Egg, and a Cup of Coffee
You will never look at a cup of coffee the same way again. A young woman went to her mother and told her about her life and how things were so hard for her. She did not know how she was going to make it and wanted to give up She was tired of fighting and struggling. It seemed as one problem was solved, a new one arose. Her mother took her to the kitchen. She filled three pots with water and placed each on a high fire. Soon the pots came to boil. In the first she placed carrots, in the second she placed eggs, and in the last she placed ground coffee beans. She let them sit and boil; without saying a word. In about twenty minutes she turned off the burners. She fished the carrots out and placed them in a bowl. She pulled the eggs out and placed them in a bowl. Then she ladled the coffee out and placed it in a bowl. Turning to her daughter, she asked, "Tell me what you see." "Carrots, eggs, and coffee," she replied. Her mother brought her closer and asked her to feel the carrots. She did and noted that they were soft. The mother then asked the daughter to take an egg and break it. After pulling off the shell, she observed the hard-boiled egg. Finally, the mother asked the daughter to sip the coffee. The daughter smiled, as she tasted its rich aroma the daughter then asked, "What does it mean, mother?" Her mother explained that each of these objects had faced the same adversity: boiling water. Each reacted differently. The carrot went in strong, hard, and unrelenting. However, after being subjected to the boiling water, it softened and became weak. The egg had been fragile. Its thin outer shell had protected its liquid interior, but after sitting through the boiling water, its insides became hardened. The ground coffee beans were unique, however. After they were in the boiling water, they had changed the water. "Which are you?" she asked her daughter. "When adversity knocks on your door, how do you respond? Are you a carrot, an egg or a coffee bean? Think of this: Which am I? Am I the carrot that seems strong, but with pain and adversity do I wilt and become soft and lose my strength? Am I the egg that starts with a malleable heart, but changes with the heat? Did I have a fluid spirit, but after a death, a breakup, a financial hardship or some other trial, have I become hardened and stiff? Does my shell look the same, but on the inside am I bitter and tough with a stiff spirit and hardened heart? Or am I like the coffee bean? The bean actually changes the hot water, the very circumstance that brings the pain. When the water gets hot, it releases the fragrance and flavor. If you are like the bean, when things are at their worst, you get better and change the situation around you. When the hour is the darkest and trials are their greatest, do you elevate yourself to another level? How do you handle adversity? Are you a carrot, an egg or a coffee bean? May you have enough happiness to make you sweet, enough trials to make you strong, enough sorrow to keep you human and enough hope to make you happy. The happiest of people don't necessarily have the best of everything; they just make the best of everything that comes along their way. The brightest future will always be based on a forgotten past; you can't go forward in life until you let go of your past failures and heartaches. When you were born, you were crying and everyone around you was smiling. Live your life so at the end, you're the one who is smiling and everyone around you is crying. May we all be COFFEE!
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