Something To Ponder from Darren

2010-09-08T09:33:00.001-05:00

September 8, 2010

The main purpose of a parachute is to slow your descent from the air so that you can land safely. I don’t know about you, but I’ve always wanted to Skydive. To see the earth from that far up and actually see what it would be like to fly! But the one thing that stays in my head is….will the parachute open? The more important question might be, will my reserve parachute open? You’d hope you won’t need it, but if you did??

Now in my spiritual walk I have to admit I’m the typical male, being that I like to try to resolve or fix problems myself before I pull the chute! You might say I try to be the main chute and then trust…or maybe more accurately pray that God will be my reserve chute. Today I want you to ponder who’s packing “your chute” and which one are you relying on?

2010-08-25T10:21:00.001-05:00

FOR PARENTS THE FIRST DAY THEIR GIRLS GO TO SCHOOL:

I TRUST YOU’LL TREAT HER WELL

DEAR WORLD,

I BEQUEATH TO YOU TODAY ONE LITTLE GIRL IN A CRISPY DRESS WITH TWO BLUE EYES AND A HAPPY LAUGH THAT RIPPLES ALL DAY LONG AND A FLASH OF LIGHT BLOND HAIR THAT BOUNCES IN THE SUN WHEN SHE RUNS. I TRUST YOU'LL TREAT HER WELL.

SHE'S SLIPPING OUT OF THE BACKYARD OF MY HEART THIS MORNING AND SKIPPING OFF DOWN THE STREET TO HER FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL. AND NEVER AGAIN WILL SHE BE COMPLETELY MINE. PRIM AND PROUD SHE'LL WAVE HER YOUNG AND INDEPENDENT HAND THIS MORNING AND SAY "GOODBYE" AND WALK WITH LITTLE LADY STEPS TO THE SCHOOLHOUSE.

NOW SHE'LL LEARN TO STAND IN LINES AND WAIT BY THE ALPHABET FOR HER NAME TO BE CALLED. SHE'LL LEARN TO TUNE HER EARS FOR THE SOUNDS OF SCHOOL-BELLS AND DEADLINES AND SHE'LL LEARN TO GIGGLE AND GOSSIP AND LOOK AT THE CEILING IN A DISINTERESTED WAY WHEN THE LITTLE BOY 'CROSS THE AISLE STICKS OUT HIS TONGUE AT HER. AND, NOW SHE'LL LEARN TO BE JEALOUS. AND NOW SHE'LL LEARN HOW IT IS TO FEEL HURT INSIDE.

AND NOW SHE'LL LEARN HOW NOT TO CRY.

NO LONGER WILL SHE HAVE TIME TO SIT ON THE FRONT PORCH STEPS ON A SUMMER DAY AND WATCH AN ANT SCURRY ACROSS THE CRACK IN THE SIDEWALK. NOR WILL SHE HAVE TIME TO POP OUT OF BED WITH THE DAWN AND KISS LILAC BLOOMS IN THE MORNING DEW. NO, NOW SHE'LL WORRY ABOUT THOSE IMPORTANT THINGS LIKE GRADES AND WHICH DRESS TO WEAR AND WHOSE BEST FRIEND IS WHOSE. AND THE MAGIC OF BOOKS AND LEARNING WILL REPLACE THE MAGIC OF HER BLOCKS AND DOLLS.

AND NOW SHE'LL FIND NEW HEROES.

FOR FIVE FULL YEARS NOW I'VE BEEN HER SAGE AND SANTA CLAUS AND PAL AND PLAYMATE AND FATHER AND FRIEND. NOW SHE'LL LEARN TO SHARE HER WORSHIP WITH HER TEACHERS WHICH IS ONLY RIGHT.

BUT, NO LONGER WILL I BE THE SMARTEST, GREATEST MAN IN THE WHOLE WORLD. TODAY WHEN THAT SCHOOL BELL RINGS FOR THE FIRST TIME SHE'LL LEARN WHAT IT MEANS TO BE A MEMBER OF THE GROUP WITH ALL ITS PRIVILEGES AND ITS DISADVANTAGES TOO.

SHE'LL LEARN IN TIME THAT PROPER YOUNG LADIES DO NOT LAUGH OUT LOUD OR KISS DOGS OR KEEP FROGS IN PICKLE JARS IN BEDROOMS OR EVEN WATCH ANTS SCURRY ACROSS CRACKS IN SIDEWALKS IN THE SUMMER.

TODAY SHE'LL LEARN FOR THE FIRST TIME THAT ALL WHO SMILE AT HER ARE NOT HER FRIENDS. AND I'LL STAND ON THE FRONT PORCH AND WATCH HER START OUT ON THE LONG, LONELY JOURNEY TO BECOMING A WOMAN.

SO, WORLD, I BEQUEATH TO YOU TODAY ONE LITTLE GIRL IN A CRISPY DRESS WITH TWO BLUE EYES AND A HAPPY LAUGH THAT RIPPLES ALL DAY LONG…AND A FLASH OF LIGHT BLOND HAIR THAT BOUNCES IN THE SUN WHEN SHE RUNS.

I TRUST YOU'LL TREAT HER WELL.

2010-08-02T11:29:00.001-05:00

2010-05-19T07:58:00.003-05:00

for more information of keeping your children safe on Facebook you can attend the workshop coming up this Monday night at The River Church near Arcadia. For more information you can visit www.140ology.com/protect

2010-04-28T08:03:00.002-05:00

What does your sleep position reveal about your personality?

click here

2010-04-15T06:36:00.000-05:00

Tax Day Freebies.... see local stores for participation

April 15, 2010

Boston Market: Individual dinner plates BOGO Free
04/15/2010 through 04/18/2010.
Cinnabon - 2 Free Cupcake Bites on 04/15/2010 between 6pm and 8pm.
HydroMassage - Free massages 04/15/2010 through 04/18/2010.
MaggieMoo's - Free sample of MaggieMia's Ice Cream Pizza on 04/15/2010 between 3pm and 7pm.
McCormick & Schmick's - $10.40 dinner specials & drink specials at the bar.
P.F. Chang's - 15% off food purchases all day
Starbucks - Bring in a reusable travel mug & get free brewed coffee
Taco Del Mar - Free taco per customer
McDonald's - Select restaurants to offer BOGO Free Southern Style Chicken Biscuit
Subway - Free cookie for all customers
Chick-fil-a - Return before April 30th to receive the same order for free
T.G.I. Friday's - Diners receive a $5 gift card w/purchase of $15-$25 or a $10 card w/purchases of $25 or more

Some offers may only be valid at select stores/restaurants. See your local businesses for details.

2010-04-03T08:49:00.001-05:00

Easter Pick of the week

Resurrection Rolls
Ingredients:
• 1 can refrigerated crescent roll dough
• 8 large marshmallows
• Melted butter
• Cinnamon
• Sugar
Directions:
1. Give each child one triangle shaped section of crescent roll. This represents the tomb.
2. Each child takes one marshmallow which represents the body of Christ.
3. Dip the marshmallow in the butter and roll in cinnamon and sugar mixture. This represents the oils and
spices the body was anointed with upon burial.
4. Lay the marshmallow on the dough and carefully wrap it around the marshmallow.
5. Make sure all seams are pinched together well. (Otherwise the marshmallow will "ooze" out of the seams)
6. Bake according to package directions.
7. Cool.
8. Break open the tomb and the body of Christ is no longer there!!
9. Celebrate God's love!

2010-03-01T06:18:00.001-05:00

Monday March 1, 2010

For details on all of the comedians featured on the Bananas Comedy DVD's visit www.BananasComedy.com This week we featured Tim Hawkins.

2010-02-26T11:12:00.002-05:00

February 26, 2010

I read this story this week and thought it would be great for all to read. Hope you enjoy.

The Domino Effect of Sack Lunches

I put my carry-on in the luggage compartment and sat down in my assigned seat. It was going to be a long flight. 'I'm glad I have a good book to read. Perhaps I will get a short nap too,' I thought.

Just before take-off, a line of soldiers came down the aisle and Filled all the vacant seats, totally surrounding me. I decided to start a conversation.

'Where are you headed?' I asked the soldier seated nearest to me. 'Petawawa. We'll be there for two weeks for special training, and then we're being deployed to Afghanistan.'

After flying for about an hour, an announcement was made that sack lunches were available for five dollars. It would be several hours before we reached the east, and I quickly decided a lunch would help pass the time.

As I reached for my wallet, I overheard soldier ask his buddy if he planned to buy lunch. 'No, that seems like a lot of money for just a sack lunch. Probably wouldn't be worth five bucks. I'll wait till we get to base '

His friend agreed.

I looked around at the other soldiers. None were buying lunch. I walked to the back of the plane and handed the flight attendant a fifty dollar bill. 'Take a lunch to all those soldiers.' She grabbed my arms and squeezed tightly. Her eyes wet with tears, she thanked me. 'My son was a soldier in Iraq ; it's almost like you are doing it for him.'

Picking up ten sacks, she headed up the aisle to where the soldiers were seated. She stopped at my seat and asked,'Which do you prefer -- beef or chicken?'

'Chicken,' I replied, wondering why she asked. She turned and went to the front of plane, returning a minute later with a dinner plate from first class. 'This is your thanks.'

After we finished eating, I went again to the back of the plane, heading for the rest room. A man stopped me. 'I saw what you did. I want to be part of it. Here, take this.' He handed me twenty-five dollars.

Soon after I returned to my seat, I saw the Flight Captain coming down the aisle, looking at the aisle numbers as he walked, I hoped he was not looking for me, but noticed he was looking at the numbers only on my side of the plane. When he got to my row he stopped, smiled, held out his hand, and said, 'I want to shake your hand.'

Quickly unfastening my seat belt, I stood and took the Captain's hand. With a booming voice he said, 'I was a soldier and I was a military pilot. Once, someone bought me a lunch. It was an act of kindness I never forgot.' I was embarrassed when applause was heard from all of the passengers.

Later I walked to the front of the plane so I could stretch my legs. A man who was seated about six rows in front of me reached out his hand, wanting to shake mine. He left another twenty-five dollars in my palm.

When we landed I gathered my belongings and started to deplane. Waiting just inside the airplane door was a man who stopped me, put something in my shirt pocket, turned, and walked away without saying a word. Another twenty-five dollars!

Upon entering the terminal, I saw the soldiers gathering for their trip to the base. I walked over to them and handed them seventy-five dollars. 'It will take you some time to reach the base. It will be about time for a sandwich. God Bless You.'

Ten young men left that flight feeling the love and respect of their fellow travelers. As I walked briskly to my car, I whispered a prayer for their safe return. These soldiers were giving their all for our country. I could only give them a couple of meals.

It seemed so little... after all, these were courageous souls who are writing a blank check made payable to their country, for any amount 'up to and including my life'.

2010-01-29T06:01:00.000-05:00

Pick of the week

January 29, 2010

Technologically Challenged Senior
At a certain age, everyone will understand this poor guy . . .

I thought about the 30 year business I ran with 1800 employees, all without a Blackberry that played music, took videos, pictures and communicated with Facebook and Twitter.

I signed up under duress for Twitter and Facebook, so my seven kids, their spouses, 13 grand kids and 2 great grand kids could communicate with me in the modern way. I figured I could handle something as simple as Twitter with only 140 characters of space.

That was before one of my grand kids hooked me up for Tweeter, Tweetree, Twhirl, Twitterfon, Tweetie and Twittererific Tweetdeck, Twitpix and something that sends every message to my cell phone and every other program within the texting world.

My phone was beeping every three minutes with the details of everything except the bowel movements of the entire next generation.

I am not ready to live like this.

I keep my cell phone in the garage in my golf bag.

The kids bought me a GPS for my last birthday because they say I get lost every now and then going over to the grocery store or library.

I keep that in a box under my tool bench with the Blue tooth [it's red] phone I am supposed to use when I drive.

I wore it once and was standing in line at Barnes and Noble talking to my wife as everyone in the nearest 50 yards was glaring at me.

Seems I have to take my hearing aid out to use it and I got a little loud.

I mean the GPS looked pretty smart on my dash board, but the lady inside was the most annoying, rudest person I had run into in a long time..

Every 10 minutes, she would sarcastically say, "Re-calc-ul-ating" You would think that she could be nicer.

It was like she could barely tolerate me.

She would let go with a deep sigh and then tell me to make a U-turn at the next light.

Then when I would make a right turn instead, it was not good.

When I get really lost now, I call my wife and tell her the name of the cross streets and while she is starting to develop the same tone as Gypsy, the GSP lady, at least she loves me.

To be perfectly frank, I am still trying to learn how to use the cordless phones in our house. We have had them for 4 years, but I still haven't figured out how I can lose three phones all at once and have to run around digging under chair cushions and checking bathrooms and the dirty laundry baskets when the phone rings.

The world is just getting too complex for me.

They even mess me up every time I go to the grocery store.

You would think they could settle on something themselves but this sudden "Paper or Plastic?" every time I check out just knocks me for a loop.

I bought some of those cloth reusable bags to avoid looking confused, but I never remember to take them in with me.

Now I toss it back to them. When they ask me, "Paper or Plastic?" I just say, "Doesn't matter to me. I am bi-sacksual.."

Then it's their turn to stare at me with a blank look.

2010-01-15T10:06:00.001-05:00

Bath Note

Don't be alarmed, the world isn't coming to an end. I am simply taking a bath. It will take about thirty minutes and will involve soap and water. Yes, I know how to swim. Even if I didn't, forcing myself to drown in a half-inch of lukewarm water is more work than I've got energy for. (Which reminds me, I'm all for science projects, but the next time you want to see if Play-Doh floats, use cold water.)

Don't panic if I'm not out right on time. I've heard that people don't dissolve in water and I'd like to test the theory. While I'm in the tub, I'd like you to remember a few things. The large slab of wood between us is called a door. Do not bang to hear my voice. I promise that even though you can't see me, I *am* on the other side. I'm not digging an escape tunnel and running for the border,no matter what I said a while ago. I didn't mean it. Honest. There will be plenty of time later to tell me about your day.

"Later" means at a time when I am no longer naked, wet, and contemplating bubble gum in the blow dryer. I know you have important things to tell me. Please let one of them be that you have invented a new way to blow bubbles, not a new way to add gum to your hair.

Believe it or not, shouting, "TELEPHONE!" through the closed bathroom door will *not* make the phone stop ringing. Answer it and take a message. Since Amazing Mind-Reading Mom has the day off, you'll need to write that message down. Use paper and a pencil. Do not use your brother and the laundry marker. We can't send him to school with telephone number tattoos.

Water makes me wet, not deaf. I can still tell the difference between the sound of "nothing" and the sound of a child playing the piano with a basketball. I can also hear you tattling at the top of your lungs. I'm *choosing* NOT to answer you.

Don't call your dad at work and tell him I am unconscious in the bathroom. He didn't appreciate it last time. He won't appreciate it more this time. Trust me.

No matter how much I would like it, water does not make me forgetful. I remember who you are and why you are grounded. No, you can't go to Shelby's house to play. No, you can't go to Shelby's house to use the bathroom. If someone is in our other bathroom, you will just have to think dry thoughts and wait. Unless you have four feet and a tail, do not think of going outside to "water" the lawn. I know the dog does it. The neighbors don't feel the need to call me when the dog does it.

Unless the house catches on fire, stay inside and keep the doors locked. Do not go outside and throw rocks at the bathroom window to get my attention. I know it works in the movies. This is reality, the place where people don't like to sit in a tub while rocks and broken glass rain in on them. Do not set the house on fire. Call me if there is an emergency.

Emergencies ARE:

1. Dad has fallen off the roof.

2. Your brother and/or sister is bleeding.

3. There's a red fire truck in front of our house.

Emergencies are NOT:

1. Dad has fallen asleep.

2. Someone on TV is bleeding.

3. There's a red pickup truck in front of our house.

One other thing: Being forced to use the last roll of toilet paper for a towel does not make me happy. It makes me sticky with little white polka dots. In the future, when the tub overflows, use a mop to clean up the water instead of every towel in the house. For my sanity's sake, let's pretend it was the tub, Okay? No, I don't want to hear the real story. Ever. Especially not while I'm standing in the pool of water you missed.

By the way, all Play-Doh experiments are hereby canceled.

Be good. Entertain yourselves. Yes, you can do both at the same time. Try coloring, playing a game, or paying that stack of bills on the coffee table.

I'll be out soon. Maybe.

Love,
Your Mom

2010-01-13T10:36:00.001-05:00

January 13, 2010

Watching Tami this morning and recalling several times that I have over-done it myself sometimes causing me to feel pain got me to thinking about what it would be like to feel no pain. Believe it or not, it really happens. I’m currently ready “Quiet Strength” by Former NFL Coach Tony Dungy and talks about the first child He and his wife Laura adopted is missing a critical gene which would allow him to feel pain. Since the child cannot feel pain, his parents must watch the child at all times to make sure he is not doing anything which may unknowingly harm him. Think about that for a moment, You wouldn't be able to tell if your bath water was too hot, or the food and drink you put in your mouth. You may not die from the burn, but possibly from an ensuing infection you might remain unaware of. Most of us have never cut ourselves badly enough to bleed to death, but if you did, you might not notice. Likewise if you were to be shot or stabbed. How would you be able to tell?

If you damaged a knee or ankle, you would keep walking on it until you caused permanent damage. God forbid you broke something that was covered by clothing; it could be hours before it came to your attention. Worst of all, you would probably never even learn to avoid accidents. We stop doing things as children because of the negative consequences of pain.

Sometime in the midst of pain, we can question why we do things that causes pain to us, why others do things to cause us pain and why God would allow us to go through times of pain. I’m not saying that we should look forward to pain, but know that not feeling pain could actually be worse.

2010-01-08T10:07:00.000-05:00

What Do You Do All Day?

A man came home from work and found his three Children outside, still In their pajamas, playing in the mud, with empty Food boxes and wrappers Strewn all around the front yard.

The door of his wife's car was open, as was The front door to the house And there was no sign of the dog. Proceeding Into the entry, he found An even bigger mess. A lamp had been knocked Over, and the throw rug was Wadded against one wall.

In the front room the TV was loudly blaring a Cartoon channel, and the family room was strewn with toys And various items of clothing.

In the kitchen, dishes filled the sink, Breakfast food was spilled on the Counter, the fridge door was open wide, dog Food was spilled on the floor, a broken glass lay under the table, and a Small pile of sand was spread By the back door.

He quickly headed up the stairs, stepping over Toys and more piles of Clothes, looking for his wife. He was worried She might be ill, or that Something serious had happened.

He was met with a small trickle of water as it Made its way out the bathroom door.

As he peered inside he found wet towels, Scummy soap and more toys Strewn over the floor. Miles of toilet paper lay in a Heap and toothpaste had been Smeared over the mirror and walls.

As he rushed to the bedroom, he found his wife Still curled up in the bed In her pajamas, reading a novel. She looked up At him, smiled, and asked how his day went. He looked at her bewildered and asked, "What Happened here today?"

She again smiled and answered, "You know every Day when you come home From work and you ask me what in the world I do all Day?"

"Yes," was his incredulous reply.

She answered, "Well, today I didn't do it."

2009-12-28T06:37:00.001-05:00

Christmas Tree Drop off Sites for area residents

In Guilford County, these sites are open until Jan. 15.

Guilford County Prison Farm: 7315 Howerton Road, Gibsonville. Open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. From Highway 61, take County Farm Road then turn right onto Howerton Road. The drop-off point is one-quarter mile on the right. Call 449-4720 for more information.

Piedmont Triad Farmers' Market: off I-40 at Sandy Ridge Road. Open 6 a.m. to 6 p.m., seven days a week. Call 605-9157 for more information.

Tabernacle United Methodist Church: behind the ball field at the corner of Woody Mill Road and Methodist Road. Open 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

In Forsyth County, these sites are open until Jan. 30.

Crawford Park: 4226 Oak Ridge Dr.

Hanes Hosiery Recreation Center: 501 Reynolds Blvd.

Hanes Park: tennis court parking lot, 625 West End Blvd.

Little Creek Recreation Center: 610 Foxcroft Dr.

Old Town Recreation Center: tennis court parking lot, 4550 Shattalon Dr.

Parkland Park: tennis courts, 1660 Brewer Road

Polo Park: swimming pool parking lot, 1850 Polo Road

Salem Lake: at the gate, 1001 Salem Lake Road

Sprague Street Recreation Center: 1350 E. Sprague St.

Winston Lake: swimming pool parking lot, 3535 Winston Lake Road

2009-12-24T10:22:00.001-05:00

December 24, 2009

There is one Christmas Carol that has always baffles us.
What in the world do leaping lords, French hens,
Swimming swans, and especially the partridge who won't come out of the pear tree have to do with Christmas?

From 1558 until 1829, Roman Catholics in England were not permitted to practice their faith openly. Someone during that era wrote this carol as a catechism song for young Catholics.
It has two levels of meaning: the surface meaning plus a hidden meaning known only to members of their church. Each element in the carol has a code word for a religious reality which the children could remember.

-The partridge in a pear tree was Jesus Christ.

-Two turtle doves were the Old and New Testaments.

-Three French hens stood for faith, hope and love.

-The four calling birds were the four gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke & John.

-The five golden rings recalled the Torah or Law, the first five books of the Old Testament.

-The six geese a-laying stood for the six days of creation.

-Seven swans a-swimming represented the sevenfold gifts of the Holy Spirit--Prophesy, Serving, Teaching, Exhortation, Contribution, Leadership and Mercy.

-The eight maids a-milking were the eight beatitudes.

-Nine ladies dancing were the nine fruits of the Holy Spirit--Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness and Self-Control.

-The ten lords a-leaping were the ten commandments.

-The eleven pipers piping stood for the eleven faithful disciples.

-The twelve drummers drumming symbolized the twelve points of belief in the Apostles' Creed.

So there is your history for today. This knowledge was shared with me and I found it interesting and enlightening and now you know how that strange song became a Christmas Carol...

2009-11-25T09:29:00.000-05:00

Wednesday November 25, 2009

What a great morning! Just talked with St Louis Cardinals rookie C.J. Beatty in studio with us about his upcoming Hitting Clinic on Saturday Dec. 5th at High Point Batting Center. for information contact Heather Soles @ 336 240-1303 or email her HeatherSoles15@aol.com C.J also offers one-on-one instruction as well d...etails available at his website www.cjbeatty.com or call 336 655-7729.

2009-11-05T11:26:00.000-05:00

Controlling The Tongue

It was a particularly tough football game, and nerves were on edge. The home team had been the victim of three or four close calls, and they were now trailing the visitors by a touchdown and a field goal. When the official called yet another close one in the visitors' favor, the home quarterback blew his top.

"How many times can you do this to us in a single game?" he screamed. "You were wrong on the out-of-bounds call, you were wrong on that last holding call, and you failed to say anything about a late hit in the first quarter."

The official just stared. The quarterback seethed, but he tried to suppress language that might get him tossed out of the game. "What it comes down to," he bellowed, "is that YOU STINK!"

The official stared a few more seconds. Then he bent down, picked up the ball, paced off 15 yards, and put the ball down. He turned to face the steaming quarterback. "And how do I smell from here?" he asked.

There are so many times when it is hard to "bite the tongue" and say nothing. The urge to say "something" seems so overpowering that the words sometimes erupt before we have a chance to think them through. Unfortunately, those words have consequences. The minor offenses result in 15-yard penalties. The more serious offenses result in years of regret and heartache, or perhaps broken relationships that take years to rebuild. No wonder James had such strong words of praise concerning the person who is always able to control what he says (James 3:2).

"He who has knowledge spares his words, and a man of understanding is of a calm spirit. Even a fool is counted wise when he holds his peace; When he shuts his lips, he is considered perceptive."
(Prov. 17:27-28)

May your words today be few, calm, and carefully thought out.

2009-11-05T07:08:00.001-05:00

October 4th 2009

A Stroke of Luck
by: Michele Starkey, Copyright © 2003

I stopped for my morning coffee at the local donut shop and was pleasantly pleased to find no other cars in the parking lot. My usual routine is to wait in a long line to get my morning dose of caffeine. Opening the door, I noticed only one fellow at the counter.

The gentleman was obviously struggling to explain his order to a seemingly impatient young woman, "S-m-a-l-l c-o-f-f-e-e, b-a-g-e-l w-i-t-h c-r-e-a-m c-h-e-e-s-e." He spoke so slowly, some words slurred together, and I noticed that he held his left arm limply against his chest. It was obvious to me that he had suffered a stroke - so had I just four years earlier. Unlike this fellow, my deficits are few and unnoticeable. The fact that I sometimes can't remember what I had for dinner the night before has never bothered me. I am lucky enough to remember that I did eat, that there was food on the table and I did not go to bed hungry like so many others in this world of ours. No, the fact that I can't recall the menu is a small matter in an otherwise very blessed life.

I quickly stepped to the counter in time to hear the young woman ask again, "What was that you wanted?" I glanced at the man, then the young woman, and then I interrupted, "I believe the gentleman wants a small coffee and a bagel with cream cheese." The young lady nodded at me, glanced at the gentleman, who also nodded and quickly turned to prepare the order. The man turned slowly towards me and smiled.

When the order was placed in front of the man, the young woman took his money and placed the change on the counter. He gingerly tried to pick up the coins with his trembling hand. "Can I help the next person in line?" I couldn't believe that she was oblivious to his struggle and only concerned with getting my order filled.

"The next person, the only OTHER person in this line is me. I will be with you in a minute as soon as I assist this gentleman." I picked up his change and placed it in his hand. Then, as he gingerly tried to lift up his bagel, I reached for his coffee and motioned towards a small table in the corner, "How's this?" I placed the coffee on the table and reached for a few napkins. He sat down slowly, positioning himself with his left arm resting on the table. "T-h-a-n-k y-o-u. G-o-d s-e-n-t m-e a-n a-n-g-e-l t-o-d-a-y."

He smiled as I answered, "No, God sent ME the angel. You see, I suffered a stroke, too. I survived a ruptured brain aneurysm four years ago. It was a stroke of luck that God put you in my path this morning to remind me how blessed I really am. Blessed to be here to help you. Blessed because I can use both of my arms. Blessed because I have been given a gift of compassion which has opened my eyes to others in a world that is blind to suffering."

I returned to the counter to place my coffee order. The young woman was unaware of the conversation that had just transpired between my newfound friend and myself. I wanted to share it with her. I thought perhaps it would open her eyes to his misfortune. "He had a stroke and that's why he is moving and speaking so slowly." She nodded and said, "$1.29. Will that be all today?" I handed her the money, took my coffee and waved goodbye to my new friend who was smiling and enjoying his bagel.

Why is it that we cannot see the suffering around us? Have we become too wrapped up in our daily routine, our chores and our jobs that we do not recognize the need to stop or slow down and help the less fortunate? A simple smile. A kind word. A helping hand for those who may have only one hand. Let us not be so wrapped up in getting through the day that we see clear through the veil of suffering around us. Let us give thanks for the little things like being able to help someone in need.

"Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by this some have entertained angels without knowing it." (Hebrews 13:2)

[ by: Michele Starkey, Copyright © 2003

2009-10-28T09:22:00.000-05:00

Two Horses

There is a field, with two horses in it.

From a distance, each horse looks like any other horse.
But if you stop your car, or are walking by, you will
notice something quite amazing. Looking into the eyes
of one horse will disclose that he is blind. His owner
has chosen not to have him put down, but has made a
good home for him.

This alone is amazing.

If you stand nearby and listen, you will hear the
sound of a bell. Looking around for the source of
the sound, you will see that it comes from the
smaller horse in the field.

Attached to the horse's halter is a small bell.
It lets the blind friend know where the other
horse is, so he can follow.

As you stand and watch these two horses, you'll see
that the horse with the bell is always checking on the
blind horse, and that the blind horse will listen for
the bell and then slowly walk to where the other
horse is, trusting that he will not be led astray.

When the horse with the bell returns to the shelter
of the barn each evening, it stops occasionally and
looks back, making sure that the blind friend isn't
too far behind to hear the bell.

Like the owners of these two horses, God does not
throw us away just because we are not perfect or
because we have problems or challenges.

He watches over us and even brings others into our
lives to help us when we are in need.

Sometimes we are the blind horse being guided by
the little ringing bell of those who God places in
our lives.

Other times we are the guide horse, helping others
to find their way....

Good friends are like that... you may not always
see them, but you know they are always there.

Please listen for my bell and I'll listen for yours.

And remember...be kinder than necessary - everyone
you meet is fighting some kind of battle.

Live simply
Care deeply,
Speak kindly.....
Leave the rest to God...

2009-10-21T09:46:00.000-05:00

Science...As Seen By Kids
Answers from kids to science test questions:
Q: What is one horsepower?
A: One horsepower is the amount of energy it takes to drag a horse 500 feet in one second.

Q: How can one determine how close to them a lightening strike was?
A: You can listen to thunder after lightening and tell how close you came to getting hit. If you don't hear it you got hit, so never mind.

Q: What makes up molecules?
A: When they broke open molecules, they found they were only stuffed with atoms. But when they broke open atoms, they found them stuffed with explosions.

Q: What is an orbit?
A: When people run around and around in circles we say they are crazy. When planets do it we say they are orbiting.

Q: Is the sun a star?
A: Most books now say our sun is a star. But it still knows how to change back into a sun in the daytime.

Q: What is a vibration?
A: A vibration is a motion that cannot make up its mind which way it wants to go.

Q: What is a fossil?
A: Many dead animals of the past changed to fossils, others preferred to be oil.

Q: Define a vacuum.
A: Vacuums are nothings. We only mention them to let them know we know they're there.

Q: What is exaporation?
A: We say the cause of perfume disappearing is evaporation. Evaporation gets blamed for a lot of things people forget to put the top on.

Q: How are clouds formed?
A: I am not sure how clouds get formed. But the clouds know how to do it, and that is the important thing.

Q: What makes it rain?
A: Rain is saved up in cloud banks.

Q: What is the average temperature in the tropics?
A: It is so hot in some parts of the world that the people there have to live other places.

2009-09-18T09:44:00.000-05:00

Why Did God Make Dogs?

An elderly woman was trying to recover from a stroke. Her brain was damaged, and her arm was weak, so her therapist brought, of all things, a dog to help out. Instead of completing monotonous drills, the elderly patient threw a bright red Frisbee across the room, and the dog bounced over, picked it up, and brought it back, his eyes begging, "Throw it again, please!" And she did, over and over and over, forgetting that she was actually working quite hard.

What possessed God to make dogs anyway? Certainly there are exceptions, and certainly people can breed dogs to bring out the worst in them, but in general, there is nothing more selfless, loving or patient than a dog. Mistreat it and it comes back to you anyway. Ignore it and it never gives up hope that you will be its friend again. Make it wait days to go play, and it will still be ready. It offers you friendship and companionship and in return asks only for food, water and an occasional scratch behind the ears. Why would God bother to make such a creature?

I suppose that if dogs were like people they would eventually give up on us ... but they never do. A dog’s love is almost impossible to destroy, because it’s not a love you earn; it’s simply a love you are given. In other words, dogs love unconditionally.

Unconditional love; unending patience; faithfulness to the very end. Do you suppose, just perhaps, that God made dogs to show us a little something about Himself? Do you think maybe "man's best friend" is really pointing us to the One who is truly our very Best Friend?

You could learn a lot about God from a dog.

2009-09-10T08:57:00.000-05:00

Thursday 9/10/09

Tonight is the kickoff for the NFL season....so ponder this...

Are you ready for some football? This is about football - but it's about life too.

Quotes from past gridiron legends

1. 'After you retire, there's only one big event left... and I ain't ready for that.' Bobby Bowden / Florida State

2. 'Motivation is simple. You eliminate those who are not motivated.' Lou Holtz / Arkansas

3. 'I make my practices real hard because if a player is a quitter, I want him to quit in practice, not in a game.' Bear Bryant / Alabama

4. 'Football is not a contact sport - it is a collision sport. Dancing is a contact sport.' Vince Lombardi, Green Bay Packers

5. 'If lessons are learned in defeat, our team is getting a great education.' Murray Warmath / Minnesota

6. 'Always remember... Goliath was a 40 point favorite over David.' Shug Jordan / Auburn

2009-09-10T06:53:00.002-05:00

WOW! What a picture.....so I'm pondering how anyone is going to try and convince us that this happend by some random chance explosion, or 2 stars collided and this just happened? I know how this happened.....it was created by God Almighty for us to appreciate his creativity. And you know what?.....I DO!!!!!

Darren

2009-09-02T07:09:00.004-05:00

Roger Troy is the author of "Let's Do Lunch" get deals when you buy the book for his website at www.letsdolunch.com and he is keeping NONE of the money from the sell of the books. It goes to Heart & Diabetes research.

If you want to order by phone call 239-390-3900.

2009-08-29T11:54:00.000-05:00

August 29, 2009

pick of the week

FOR PARENTS THE FIRST DAY THEIR GIRLS GO TO SCHOOL:
I TRUST YOU’LL TREAT HER WELL

DEAR WORLD,

I BEQUEATH TO YOU TODAY ONE LITTLE GIRL IN A CRISPY DRESS WITH TWO BLUE EYES AND A HAPPY LAUGH THAT RIPPLES ALL DAY LONG AND A FLASH OF LIGHT BLOND HAIR THAT BOUNCES IN THE SUN WHEN SHE RUNS. I TRUST YOU'LL TREAT HER WELL.

SHE'S SLIPPING OUT OF THE BACKYARD OF MY HEART THIS MORNING AND SKIPPING OFF DOWN THE STREET TO HER FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL. AND NEVER AGAIN WILL SHE BE COMPLETELY MINE. PRIM AND PROUD SHE'LL WAVE HER YOUNG AND INDEPENDENT HAND THIS MORNING AND SAY "GOODBYE" AND WALK WITH LITTLE LADY STEPS TO THE SCHOOLHOUSE.

NOW SHE'LL LEARN TO STAND IN LINES AND WAIT BY THE ALPHABET FOR HER NAME TO BE CALLED. SHE'LL LEARN TO TUNE HER EARS FOR THE SOUNDS OF SCHOOL-BELLS AND DEADLINES AND SHE'LL LEARN TO GIGGLE AND GOSSIP AND LOOK AT THE CEILING IN A DISINTERESTED WAY WHEN THE LITTLE BOY 'CROSS THE AISLE STICKS OUT HIS TONGUE AT HER. AND, NOW SHE'LL LEARN TO BE JEALOUS. AND NOW SHE'LL LEARN HOW IT IS TO FEEL HURT INSIDE.

AND NOW SHE'LL LEARN HOW NOT TO CRY.

NO LONGER WILL SHE HAVE TIME TO SIT ON THE FRONT PORCH STEPS ON A SUMMER DAY AND WATCH AN ANT SCURRY ACROSS THE CRACK IN THE SIDEWALK. NOR WILL SHE HAVE TIME TO POP OUT OF BED WITH THE DAWN AND KISS LILAC BLOOMS IN THE MORNING DEW. NO, NOW SHE'LL WORRY ABOUT THOSE IMPORTANT THINGS LIKE GRADES AND WHICH DRESS TO WEAR AND WHOSE BEST FRIEND IS WHOSE. AND THE MAGIC OF BOOKS AND LEARNING WILL REPLACE THE MAGIC OF HER BLOCKS AND DOLLS.

AND NOW SHE'LL FIND NEW HEROES.

FOR FIVE FULL YEARS NOW I'VE BEEN HER SAGE AND SANTA CLAUS AND PAL AND PLAYMATE AND FATHER AND FRIEND. NOW SHE'LL LEARN TO SHARE HER WORSHIP WITH HER TEACHERS WHICH IS ONLY RIGHT.

BUT, NO LONGER WILL I BE THE SMARTEST, GREATEST MAN IN THE WHOLE WORLD. TODAY WHEN THAT SCHOOL BELL RINGS FOR THE FIRST TIME SHE'LL LEARN WHAT IT MEANS TO BE A MEMBER OF THE GROUP WITH ALL ITS PRIVILEGES AND ITS DISADVANTAGES TOO.

SHE'LL LEARN IN TIME THAT PROPER YOUNG LADIES DO NOT LAUGH OUT LOUD OR KISS DOGS OR KEEP FROGS IN PICKLE JARS IN BEDROOMS OR EVEN WATCH ANTS SCURRY ACROSS CRACKS IN SIDEWALKS IN THE SUMMER.

TODAY SHE'LL LEARN FOR THE FIRST TIME THAT ALL WHO SMILE AT HER ARE NOT HER FRIENDS. AND I'LL STAND ON THE FRONT PORCH AND WATCH HER START OUT ON THE LONG, LONELY JOURNEY TO BECOMING A WOMAN.

SO, WORLD, I BEQUEATH TO YOU TODAY ONE LITTLE GIRL IN A CRISPY DRESS WITH TWO BLUE EYES AND A HAPPY LAUGH THAT RIPPLES ALL DAY LONG…AND A FLASH OF LIGHT BLOND HAIR THAT BOUNCES IN THE SUN WHEN SHE RUNS.

I TRUST YOU'LL TREAT HER WELL.

2009-07-24T10:19:00.001-05:00

Friday July 24, 09

Bronze Rat

A tourist walks into a curio shop in San Francisco. Looking around at the exotica, he notices a very lifelike, life-sized bronze statue of a rat. It has no price tag, but is so striking he decides he must have it.

He took it to the owner: "How much for the bronze rat?" "Twelve dollars for the rat, one hundred dollars for the story," said the owner.

The tourist gave the man twelve dollars. "I'll just take the rat, you can keep the story."

As he walked down the street carrying his bronze rat, he noticed that a few real rats had crawled out of the alleys and sewers and began following him down the street. This was disconcerting; he began walking faster. But within a couple blocks, the herd of rats behind him had grown to hundreds, and they began squealing.

He began to trot toward the Bay, looking around to see that the rats now numbered in the MILLIONS, and were squealing and coming toward him faster and faster.

Concerned, even scared, he ran to the edge of the Bay and threw the bronze rat as far out into the Bay as he could. Amazingly, the millions of rats all jumped into the Bay after it, and were all drowned.

The man walked back to the curio shop. "Ah ha," said the owner, "You have come back for the story?"

"No," said the man, "I came back to see if you have a bronze politician?"

2009-07-13T10:09:00.001-05:00

Monday July 13, 2009

What are you Stuffed with?

Last week, my family and saw the new Ice age movie and afterwards went to the Pizza Hut in Asheboro for a late lunch. We got there after the lunch buffet had ended so we had to order the pizzas. My children were very hungry and 2 of them asked if they could get a salad while they waited. When the bill came and it was time to go I noticed the bill didn't match what i thought it would be, and after checking I realized that the waitress didn't add 1 of their salads to the bill. When I said this to my family, one of my children said yeah, they messed up and you don't have to pay for it.

After a brief pause, i said we can't do that. We have to tell her of the mistake and pay for it. I know that we all make mistakes, but what we need to strive for is always doing the right thing, even if there is a cost. I pray that my children saw that Daddy did the right thing and there is never a time to ignore doing the right thing because it was someone elses mistake. I've realized that my children are constantly watching me and I pray that God will help me always set an example that is honorable to him.

So.....What are you stuffed with?

2009-07-07T09:48:00.000-05:00

July 7, 2009

A Glass Of Milk

One day, a poor boy who was selling goods from door to door to pay his way through school, found he had only one thin dime left, and he was hungry. He decided he would ask for a meal at the next house. However, he lost his nerve when a lovely young woman opened the door. Instead of a meal he asked for a drink of water. She thought he looked hungry so brought him a large glass of milk. He drank it slowly, and then asked, "How much do I owe you?"

"You don't owe me anything," she replied. "Mother has taught us never to accept pay for a kindness."

He said, "Then I thank you from my heart."

As Howard Kelly left that house, he not only felt stronger physically, but his faith in God and man was strong also. He had been ready to give up and quit.

Year's later that young woman became critically ill. The local doctors were baffled. They finally sent her to the big city, where they called in specialists to study her rare disease. Dr. Howard Kelly was called in for the consultation.

When he heard the name of the town she came from, a strange light filled his eyes. Immediately he rose and went down the hall of the hospital to her room. Dressed in his doctor's gown he went in to see her. He recognized her at once. He went back to the consultation room determined to do his best to save her life. From that day he gave special attention to the case.

After a long struggle, the battle was won. Dr. Kelly requested the business office to pass the final bill to him for approval. He looked at it, then wrote something on the edge and the bill was sent to her room. She feared to open it, for she was sure it would take the rest of her life to pay for it all. Finally she looked, and something caught her attention on the side of the bill. She read these words:

PAID IN FULL WITH ONE GLASS OF MILK.

(Signed) Dr. Howard Kelly

Tears of joy flooded her eyes as her happy heart prayed: Thank You, God, that Your love is shed abroad through human hearts and hands.

"He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully." (2 Corinthians 9:6)

2009-07-06T09:04:00.003-05:00

Monday July 6, 2009

Creek Jumping
One day a boy came walking home from school. On the way home he saw a creek. He quickly jumped in, clothes and all. When he arrived home completely soaked his dad asked, "Son what happened?"

"I jumped in that creek down the road."

"Why did you do that?"

"I dunno."

His dad was very angry and said, "If you jump in that creek again, just because, I'm gonna tan your hide - just because! Is that clear?"

"Yes dad," the boy replies.

The next day, the boy came home walking from school, and sure enough when he saw that creek, he jumped right on in.

When he went home, his dad knew what had happened and asked, "Didn't I tell you not to jump in that creek again?"

"Yes dad, but Satan told me to do it!"

His dad, being a religious man, decided to give his son the benefit of the doubt and tells him - "Next time Satan tells you to do something like that, say 'Satan get thee behind me in the name of Jesus'."

"Ok dad," replied the son.

Well the next day after school, the boy was walking across the bridge, and... well you know the rest. He came home again soaked.

His dad said, "I thought I told you what to say when you came to that creek!"

"I said what you told me dad, and when I did, Satan pushed me in!"

While this is a cute story and may have made you chuckle.....what is it that you are being convicted to do...or Stop doing, that you continue to make excuses in order to avoid doing it?

2009-07-06T09:01:00.001-05:00

Great summertime recipe by Chef Jeff (Triad Community Kitchens)
Second Harvest Food bank: www.hungernwnc.org

Panzanella
Serving Size : 10 Preparation Time: 30 minutes
Amount Measure Ingredients
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
8 ounces bread cubes -- toasted
1 1/2 pounds fresh tomatoes -- Diced
2 teaspoons Garlic -- minced
3 ounces celery -- hearts diced
8 ounces cucumber -- seeded and diced
6 ounces bell pepper -- diced
6 ounces yellow bell pepper -- diced
2 tablespoons capers -- drained
3 tablespoons fresh basil -- chopped
10 fluid ounces Red Wine Vinaigrette
(see recipe below)

Combine all chopped ingredients. Toss with vinaigrette dressing.

Red Wine Vinaigrette
Amount Measure Ingredient
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
8 ounces red wine vinegar
2 teaspoons dijon mustard -- diagonally sliced
2 each shallot -- minced
24 ounces olive oil
2 teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
3 tablespoons parsley -- minced

Combine vinegar, shallot and mustard in processor. Add oil slowly while spinning. Adjust seasoning with salt sugar and pepper. Add parsley. Makes one quart…

2009-06-26T10:11:00.000-05:00

June 26, 2009 Something to Ponder

As the world tries to take in the loss of 2 big celebrities yesterday, I’m pondering what their life could have been like. One was titled the “Sex Symbol of the 70’s” and the other was “The King of Pop”…..but do you think their life was really that glamorous? While Farrah Fawcett was admired for her beauty, the final days of her life were spent battling the ugliness of cancer……and Michael Jackson spent 41 of his 50 years in the public spotlight as a musical superstar. I think at one time or another we all have wondered what it would be like to be a wealthy celebrity who could do whatever they wanted. But, take a look around you right now….are the photographers and paparazzi waiting to take pictures of you or your children? at your home, business, or the grocery store. Do you enjoy playing with your kids in the backyard? Going to the movies? Having friends who like you for you and aren’t asking for something?

Ponder this…….if you had the opportunity for only 1 day to walk in the shoes of your favorite celebrity and experience EVERYTHING that they would in the course of the day, would you? I don’t think I would. You see, I’ve come to appreciate the life that God has given me, both the good times and the struggles. You see, beauty will fade away, and money can’t buy and fix everything. Whether you’re wealthy, getting by, or struggling, we all have things we have to face. But we don’t have to face them alone. I imagine you could go anywhere in the world and people would know who the King of pop was……but do you know the King of Kings?

2009-06-11T10:26:00.001-05:00

June 11, 2009

Did you hear about the lady in Jerusalem who hid her life savings in her mattress? Her family decided to surprise her with a new mattress to replace her old one and threw out the old one with the trash not knowing the fortune inside. Can you imagine how horrible they felt when they found out?

This morning we spoke with an incredible speaker who will be in town this weekend……David Ring. One of the things he said is incredible. God never says “oops.” While our children may have their accidents around the house, and we may fall short of our expectations or forget something important, or have something terrible happen to us….there is nothing that will ever happen that God isn’t a part of. After all….God never says “oops.”

2009-06-10T09:12:00.000-05:00

Wednesday June 10, 2009

Johnny Strange is a senior in high school in Malibu, Calif., has become the youngest person to scale the tallest peaks on each of the world's seven continents. He completed his final summit climb on June 8 when he scaled Australia's 7,310-foot Mount Kosciuszko. He broke the record of Samantha Larson of Long Beach, Calif., who was 18 when she finished the seven summits challenge in 2007. Johnny has been climbing mountains since he was 12. Here is a 17 year old who has accomplished what to most would be an impossible task not once….but 7 times!

So, what is it that you keep telling yourself is impossible? Going back to school? Getting another job? Losing some weight? Stop smoking? Forgiving someone or even being forgiven yourself???

Matthew 19:26 and Mark 10:27 ...says…

Jesus looked at them and said, "With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God."
When I hear of a 17 year old climbing the tallest mountains on 7 different continents, I believe that with God, all things are possible.

What will you let go of and put in His hands today?

2009-06-08T09:19:00.001-05:00

Monday June 8th, 2009

The Finish Line

Have you ever seen a runner get to the end of a Marathon, and quit? Of course not……no matter how tired, hurting or ready to give up they may feel, once they see that finish line they get that last charge to see them through.

The same can be said for all our Graduates this week, their year may have dragged along for 35 weeks, today they can finally see the finish line and I’d imagine that this will be one of their best weeks of the year!

How about you? What is it that you are getting caught up in the middle of today? What is it that has you ready to give up and say I Quit! Ponder this…..I remember a certain garden…….where Jesus was able to see His finish line and he cried out…”Father, isn’t there some other way? Yet not my will, but Thine be done.” Jesus crossed his finish line and overcame death and the grave….and because he did, we can share in the Celebration!

Keep your head looking up, and keep your eyes on the Finish line…….and may the celebration you enjoy be Awesome!

2009-06-02T06:23:00.000-05:00

FREE Chocolate Fridays!!!!!!

I am very excited about Real Chocolate Relief & Free Chocolate Fridays....What is Real Chocolate Relief? Times are tough and we at Mars want to help. How, you ask? Every Friday through September, Mars will give away FREE* real chocolate to 250,000 people. To sign up visit ..... https://secure.realchocolate.com/default.aspx

2009-06-01T09:40:00.001-05:00

Monday June 1st 2009

Why do we procrastinate? Is it just human nature?

My daughter Hannah is going to be heading to middle school next year and she already knows that there are some shots she’ll have to get before going next year. This weekend I heard her say can I wait and get them right before school starts? I told her she should go ahead and get them over with and enjoy her summer.

Then we went to the pool and she jumped right in even though the water was cold and started having fun…while I slowly waded into the pool trying to not get fully wet as long as possible, when Hannah looked at me and said, why don’t you just go under and get it over with so you can play with us?

Funny isn’t it when our words are thrown back at us……..do you know what I did? I counted down from 5 to 1 and went under and screamed my head off.

Then I had fun with my kids for 4 hours…….

So what are you putting off? A mission trip? Volunteering for VBS this summer, losing weight? To use a line from my favorite artist Steven Curtis Chapman, why don’t you just “Dive” in. Once you get that first step over with, I’m sure you’ll enjoy it.

2009-05-29T09:32:00.001-05:00

All I ever needed to know, I learned in Kindergarten

from "All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten : Uncommon Thoughts on Common Things" by Robert Fulghum

Most of what I really need to know about how to live, and what to do, and how to be, I learned in kindergarten. Wisdom was not at the top the graduate school mountain, but there in the sand box at nursery school.

These are the things I learned. Share everything. Play fair. Don't hit people. Put things back where you found them. Clean up your own mess. Don't take things that aren't yours. Say you are sorry when you hurt somebody. Wash your hands before you eat. Flush. Warm cookies and cold milk are food for you. Live a balanced life. Learn some and think some and draw some and paint and sing and dance and play and work everyday.

Take a nap every afternoon. When you go out in the world, watch for traffic, hold hands, and stick together. Be aware of wonder. Remember the little seed in the plastic cup? The roots go down and the plant goes up and nobody really knows how or why. We are like that.

And then remember that book about Dick and Jane and the first word you learned, the biggest word of all: LOOK! Everything you need to know is there somewhere. The Golden Rule and love and basic sanitation, ecology, and politics and the sane living.

Think of what a better world it would be if we all, the whole world, had cookies and milk about 3 o'clock every afternoon and then lay down with our blankets for a nap. Or we had a basic policy in our nation and other nations to always put thing back where we found them and clean up our own messes. And it is still true, no matter how old you are, when you go out in the world, it is best to hold hands and stick together.

2009-04-23T14:50:00.000-05:00

Pick of the week April 25, 2009

Hooked On Giving
Dr. Mar Aprem of the ancient Chaldean Orthodox Church of the East in India tells a funny story about when a member of the church won a lottery worth 100,000 rupees. His wife went to the bishop and told him that she was afraid to tell this glad news to her husband because he had a heart problem and any sudden excitement could cause a heart attack.

The bishop offered to break the news gently to her husband. He visited the house and asked the man, "Wouldn't it be a good thing if you won 1,000 rupees in the lottery?" The man replied that he still would have to work to support his family.

"What about 10,000 rupees?" the bishop asked. The man still showed no excitement, so the bishop carefully raised the amount to 50,000 and finally to 100,000 rupees.

"If I got 100,000 rupees, I would give half of it to you, your Excellency," the man replied.

The bishop had a heart attack, and the man called an ambulance.

We can get excited about winning and getting. But have you learned how fun it is to give -- and not only money? Engineering and machinery genius R. G. LeTourneau (1888 - 1969) discovered the great joy that can come of generosity. Besides establishing a private school (today's LeTourneau University), that remarkable man reportedly gave 90 percent of his income to worthwhile causes, while living on the remaining 10 percent. He became hooked on giving!

And like I said, money is not the only commodity that is fun to give. We can give time, we can give our expertise, we can give our love or simply give a smile. What does that cost? The point is, none of us can ever run out of something worthwhile to give.

Giving is fun. And addictive.

2009-04-14T09:17:00.001-05:00

RESURRECTION ROLLS

INGREDIENTS..... CRESCENT DINNER ROLLS

MELTED BUTTER / SOFT MARGARINE

CINNAMON / SUGAR MIXTURE

LARGE MARSHMALLOWS

PREHEAT OVEN ACCORDING TO DINNER ROLLS.

TAKE INDIVIDUAL DINNER ROLLS (THEY REPRESENT JESUS’ TOMB)

THEN SPREAD THE MELTED BUTTER / MARGARINE (REPRESENTING THE ANOINTING OIL) ON ROLLS.

NEXT, PLACE MARSHMALLOW (REPRESENTING JESUS) IN THE ROLL.

SPRINKLE WITH THE CINNAMON / SUGAR MIXTURE. (REPRESENTING THE ANOINTING SPICES USED IN BURIAL)

WRAP MARSHMALLOW TIGHTLY IN THE ROLL. (REPRESENTING WRAPPING JESUS IN THE TOMB)

MAKE SURE TO LEAVE NO CRACKS OPEN.....SO HE CAN’T ESCAPE!

BAKE ACCORDING TO CRESCENT ROLL DIRECTIONS.

THE TOMBS WILL BE OPEN AND EMPTY AS THE MARSHMALLOW MELTS, CREATING A DELICIOUS TREAT!

THIS REALLY WORKS! WE MADE THEM AS A FAMILY RECENTLY AND THE CHILDREN ENJOYED MAKING THEM!

GOOD LUCK AND WE HOPE YOU ENJOY THIS WONDERFUL VISUAL STORY AS MUCH AS WE DID.

SINCERELY,

THE STEVENS FAMILY

2009-04-09T09:06:00.000-05:00

April 9, 2009

*Unique Breakfast*

A man observed a sign in the window of a restaurant that read Unique Breakfast, so he walked in and sat down.

The waitress brought him his coffee and asked him what he wanted.

"What's your Unique Breakfast?" he asked.

"Baked tongue of chicken!" she proudly replied.

"Baked tongue of chicken? Baked tongue of chicken! Do you have any idea how disgusting that is? I would never even consider eating anything that came out of a chicken's mouth!" he fumed.

Undaunted, the waitress asked, "What would you like, then?"

"Just bring me a hard boiled egg," the man replied.

2009-04-02T10:21:00.000-05:00

April 2, 2009

Alright, let’s play make the connection. I’ll give you 3 things, and you tell me what they have in common. Here’s an example,Baseball, Credit & Greeting. The answer….they are all “cards.” Now this one’s a little more difficult, A sunrise, a sunset And your children. I told you this one was tougher…….the answer is “the time you have to enjoy them is very short.”

I got to thinking about this when I was watching some home video that was shot on my family’s recent beach trip. I’m an early riser because of my job and even when on vacation, I still get up early. While enjoying some coffee and devotions, I video taped a sunrise and while I was watching it back, I noticed that it took only 2 ½ minutes from the time the top part shown over the horizon, til the bottom part was fully seen. The same can be said about the beauty in a sunset and I’m sure I don’t have to mention how quickly our children grow!

My oldest daughter Hannah just turned 11 and said last weekend, “Dad,in five more years I’ll be driving!” She was excited, and I was nearly heartbroken thinking it seemed like yesterday I was driving her home from the hospital. So, today I challenge you to slow down and take a look at your priorities. Don’t allow yourself to get so busy you don’t notice the artwork that God creates especially for you to start and end the day and all the joy that your children can provide in between. After all, that time is gone in the blink of an eye!

Darren

2009-03-27T09:34:00.000-05:00

March 27, 2009

Real Mothers

Real mothers don't eat quiche; they don't have time to make it.

Real mothers know that their kitchen utensils are probably in the sandbox.

Real mothers often have sticky floors, filthy ovens, and happy kids.

Real mothers know that dried playdough doesn't come out of shag carpet.

Real mothers don't want to know what the vacuum just sucked up.

Real mothers sometimes ask "why me?" and get their answer when a little voice says, "because I love you best."

Real mothers know that a child's growth is not measured by height or years or grade... it is marked by the progression of Mama to Mommy to Mom...

2009-03-23T09:03:00.001-05:00

March 23, 2009

English Is Tough Stuff

Multinational personnel at North Atlantic Treaty Organization headquarters near Paris found English to be an easy language ... until they tried to pronounce it. To help them discard an array of accents, the verses below were devised. After trying them, a Frenchman said he'd prefer six months at hard labor to reading six lines aloud. Try them yourself.

Dearest creature in creation,
Study English pronunciation.
I will teach you in my verse
Sounds like corpse, corps, horse, and worse.

I will keep you, Suzy, busy,
Make your head with heat grow dizzy.
Tear in eye, your dress will tear.
So shall I! Oh hear my prayer.

Just compare heart, beard, and heard,
Dies and diet, lord and word,
Sword and sward, retain and Britain.
(Mind the latter, how it's written.)

Now I surely will not plague you
With such words as plaque and ague.
But be careful how you speak:
Say break and steak, but bleak and streak;

Cloven, oven, how and low,
Script, receipt, show, poem, and toe.
Hear me say, devoid of trickery,
Daughter, laughter, and Terpsichore,

Typhoid, measles, topsails, aisles,
Exiles, similes, and reviles;
Scholar, vicar, and cigar,
Solar, mica, war and far;

One, anemone, Balmoral,
Kitchen, lichen, laundry, laurel;
Gertrude, German, wind and mind,
Scene, Melpomene, mankind.

Billet does not rhyme with ballet,
Bouquet, wallet, mallet, chalet.
Blood and flood are not like food,
Nor is mould like should and would.

Viscous, viscount, load and broad,
Toward, to forward, to reward.
And your pronunciation's OK
When you correctly say croquet,

Rounded, wounded, grieve and sieve,
Friend and fiend, alive and live.
Ivy, privy, famous; clamour
And enamour rhyme with hammer.

River, rival, tomb, bomb, comb,
Doll and roll and some and home.
Stranger does not rhyme with anger,
Neither does devour with clangour.

Souls but foul, haunt but aunt,
Font, front, wont, want, grand, and grant,
Shoes, goes, does. Now first say finger,
And then singer, ginger, linger,

Real, zeal, mauve, gauze, gouge and gauge,
Marriage, foliage, mirage, and age.
Query does not rhyme with very,
Nor does fury sound like bury.

Dost, lost, post and doth, cloth, loth.
Job, nob, bosom, transom, oath.
Though the differences seem little,
We say actual but victual.

Refer does not rhyme with deafer.
Foeffer does, and zephyr, heifer.
Mint, pint, senate and sedate;
Dull, bull, and George ate late.

Scenic, Arabic, Pacific,
Science, conscience, scientific.
Liberty, library, heave and heaven,
Rachel, ache, moustache, eleven.

We say hallowed, but allowed,
People, leopard, towed, but vowed.
Mark the differences, moreover,
Between mover, cover, clover;

Leeches, breeches, wise, precise,
Chalice, but police and lice;
Camel, constable, unstable,
Principle, disciple, label.

Petal, panel, and canal,
Wait, surprise, plait, promise, pal.
Worm and storm, chaise, chaos, chair,
Senator, spectator, mayor.

Tour, but our and succour, four.
Gas, alas, and Arkansas.
Sea, idea, Korea, area,
Psalm, Maria, but malaria.

Youth, south, southern, cleanse and clean.
Doctrine, turpentine, marine.
Compare alien with Italian,
Dandelion and battalion.

Sally with ally, yea, ye,
Eye, I, ay, aye, whey, and key.
Say aver, but ever, fever,
Neither, leisure, skein, deceiver.

Heron, granary, canary.
Crevice and device and aerie.
Face, but preface, not efface.
Phlegm, phlegmatic, ass, glass, bass.

Large, but target, gin, give, verging,
Ought, out, joust and scour, scourging.
Ear, but earn and wear and tear
Do not rhyme with here but ere.

Seven is right, but so is even,
Hyphen, roughen, nephew Stephen,
Monkey, donkey, Turk and jerk,
Ask, grasp, wasp, and cork and work.

Pronunciation -- think of Psyche!
Is a paling stout and spikey?
Won't it make you lose your wits,
Writing groats and saying grits?

It's a dark abyss or tunnel:
Strewn with stones, stowed, solace, gunwale,
Islington and Isle of Wight,
Housewife, verdict and indict.

Finally, which rhymes with enough --
Though, through, plough, or dough, or cough?
Hiccough has the sound of cup.
My advice is to give up!!!

2009-02-24T09:06:00.001-05:00

Tuesday February 24th 2009

Wanna watch the new Toby Mac video for "Lose My Soul"? cut and paste the following link to watch it on amazon.com

http://www.amazon.com/Portable-Sounds-Tobymac/dp/B000MGUZRU/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1234905087&sr=8-1

2009-02-20T11:00:00.000-05:00

Pick of the week
February 20, 2009

Why Did Jesus Fold the Napkin?

This is one I can honestly say I have never seen circulating in the
emails so; if it touches you, you may want to forward it.

Why did Jesus fold the linen burial cloth after His resurrection?
I never noticed this....

The Gospel of John (20:7) tells us that the napkin, which was placed
over the face of Jesus, was not just thrown aside like the grave clothes.
The Bible takes an entire verse to tell us that the napkin was neatly
folded, and was placed separate from the grave clothes.

Early Sunday morning, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene came to
the tomb and found that the stone had been rolled away from the entrance.

She ran and found Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom
Jesus loved. She said, 'They have taken the Lord's body out of the
tomb, and I don't know where they have put him!'

Peter and the other disciple ran to the tomb to see. The other
disciple outran Peter and got there first. He stooped and looked in
and saw the linen cloth lying there, but he didn't go in.

Then Simon Peter arrived and went inside. He also noticed the linen
wrappings lying there, while the cloth that had covered Jesus' head
was folded up and lying to the side.

Was that important? Absolutely!

Is it really significant? Yes!

In order to understand the significance of the folded napkin, you
have to understand a little bit about Hebrew tradition of
that day. The folded napkin had to do with the Master and Servant, and
every Jewish boy knew this tradition.

When the servant set the dinner table for the master, he made sure
that it was exactly the way the master wanted it.

The table was furnished perfectly, and then the servant would wait,
just out of sight, until the master had finished eating, and the
servant would not dare touch that table, until the master was finished.

Now if the master was done eating, he would rise from the table, wipe
his fingers, his mouth, and clean his beard, and would wad up that
napkin and toss it onto the table.

The servant would then know to clear the table. For in those days, the
wadded napkin meant, 'I'm done'.

But if the master got up from the table, and folded his napkin, and
laid it beside his plate, the servant would not dare touch the table,
because............

The folded napkin meant, 'I'm coming back!'

He is Coming Back!

2009-02-12T08:31:00.001-05:00

Thursday February 12, 2009

Everyone has a wish and everyone can be a hero.....Please, check out this website, you might be able to truly Bless someone and it cost you nothing.

www.wishuponahero.com

2009-02-11T10:20:00.001-05:00

February 11, 2009

Quilt Of Holes
As I faced my Maker at the last judgment, I knelt before the Lord along With all the other souls.

Before each of us laid our lives like the squares of a quilt in many piles; An angel sat before each of us sewing our quilt squares together into a Tapestry that is our life.

But as my angel took each piece of cloth off the pile, I noticed how ragged And empty each of my squares was. They were filled with giant holes. Each Square was labeled with a part of my life that had been difficult, the Challenges and temptations I was faced with in every day life. I saw Hardships that I endured, which were the largest holes of all.

I glanced around me. Nobody else had such squares. Other than a tiny hole Here and there, the other tapestries were filled with rich color and the Bright hues of worldly fortune. I gazed upon my own life and was Disheartened.

My angel was sewing the ragged pieces of cloth together, threadbare and Empty, like binding air.

Finally the time came when each life was to be displayed, held up to the Light, the scrutiny of truth. The others rose; each in turn, holding up their tapestries. So filled their lives had been. My angel looked upon me, And nodded for me to rise.

My gaze dropped to the ground in shame. I hadn't had all the earthly Fortunes. I had love in my life, and laughter. But there had also been Trials of illness, and wealth, and false accusations that took from me my World, as I knew it. I had to start over many times. I often struggled with The temptation to quit, only to somehow muster the strength to pick up and Begin again. I spent many nights on my knees in prayer, asking for help and Guidance in my life. I had often been held up to ridicule, which I endured Painfully, each time offering it U p to the Father in hopes that I would Not melt within my skin beneath the judgmental gaze of those who unfairly Judged Me.

And now, I had to face the truth. My life was what it was, and I had to Accept it for what it was.

I rose and slowly lifted the combined squares of my life to the light.

An awe-filled gasp filled the air. I gazed around at the others who Stared at me with wide eyes.

Then, I looked upon the tapestry before me. Light flooded the many holes, Creating an image, the face of Christ. Then our Lord stood before me, with Warmth and love in His eyes. He said, 'Every time you gave over your life To Me, it became My life, My hardships, and My struggles.

Each point of light in your life is when you stepped aside and let Me shine Through, until there was more of Me than there was of you.'

May all our quilts be threadbare and worn, allowing Christ to shine Through!

2009-02-10T11:01:00.000-05:00

Happy Valentine's Day

Valentinus, Gift of Love

This is the fascinating story of the priest, St. Valentine. According to history, Valentinus (the Latin form) was thrown into a dungeon. Although his jailer, Asterius, was not harsh, the priest lived with only the bare necessities. His one comfort while in prison was his friendship with Asterius' blind daughter. She befriended the kindly priest by bringing him food and delivering messages. After a year in jail, Valentinus was summoned to appear before Claudius II. The emperor was so impressed by the young priest's dignity that Claudius attempted to convert him from Christianity to save him from execution.

Valentinus, however, refused and was ordered to be beaten with clubs, stoned and executed. In the last days of his life, Valentinus, through his faith, restored the sight of the jailer's daughter. He also converted Asterius and the girl to his faith.

On the eve of his execution the priest wrote a farewell message to the girl and signed it 'From Your Valentine.' His execution was carried out on Feb 14, 269 A.D in Rome. According to legend, a pink almond tree, a symbol of friendship and affection shared each anniversary of the priest's execution marks Valentine's Day.

Although, thought to be a day for lovers, Valentine's Day is actually a day to profess your love and affection for anyone. It is a time to renew and strengthen the friendship and relationship shared. Happy Valentine's everyone. Have a lovely loving day!

2009-02-06T11:29:00.001-05:00

First Kiss

At the end of their first date, a young man takes his favorite girl home. Emboldened by the night, he decides to try for that important first kiss.

With an air of confidence, he leans with his hand against the wall and smiling, he says to her, "Darling, how 'bout a goodnight kiss?"

Horrified, she replies, "Are you mad? My parents will see us!"

"Oh come on! Who's gonna see us at this hour?"

"No, please. Can you imagine if we get caught?"

"Oh come on, there's nobody around, they're all sleeping!"

"No way. It's just too risky!"

"Oh please, please, I like you so much!!"

"No, no, and no. I like you too, but I just can't!"

"Oh yes you can. Please?"

"NO, no. I just can't."

"Pleeeeease? . . ."

Out of the blue, the porch light goes on, and the girl's sister shows up in her pajamas, hair disheveled. In a sleepy voice the sister says: "Dad says to go ahead and give him a kiss. Or I can do it. Or if need be, he'll come down himself and do it. But for crying out loud tell him to take his hand off the intercom button!"

2009-01-30T10:22:00.001-05:00

January 30, 2008

Recipe For A Miracle

1 cup Tension

2 cups Stress

1 teaspoon of Guilt

2 heaping cups of Limited Time

3/4 tablespoon of Urgency

A dash of "No Other Choice"

3 heaping cups of Faith

Fold ingredients gently into a bowl. Mix vigorously and add a few tears. You'll sweat a little as you knead the dough.

Pack it firmly between your hopes and dreams and form into a perfect little ball.

Sprinkle it with a little faith (I recommend Hebrews 11), rolling the ball in the flour until fully covered.

Place it under a veil of belief and allow it to rise.

Put it in an oven that has been pre-set at the perfect temperature for the heat of trials and tribulations.

Allow it to brown under the warmth of God's love. Remove after due season and allow to cool in the confidence of His promise.

Garnish with your praises. Arrange neatly on a platter of thankfulness and serve to friends, families and, oh yes, strangers . . . invite them too!

Pass on the recipe to all who request it and let them know that with this recipe, they have the makings of a miracle!

2009-01-23T10:21:00.001-05:00

January 23, 2009

Classroom Justice

The rules at a particular university were such that if the professor was not present in the classroom by 15 minutes past the hour, the class was considered a "walk" and the students were free to leave - with no penalties for missing a class.

The class rooms were equipped with the type wall clocks that "jumped" ahead each minute, in a very noticeable fashion. As it turned out, these clocks were also not of the most sophisticated construction. Some enterprising student discovered that if one were to hit the clock with chalkboard erasers, it would cause the clock to "jump" ahead 1 minute.

It became almost daily practice for students to take target practice at the clock - since this particular professor was not the most punctual, and many of the students considered him severely "absent-minded." A few well aimed erasers, and lo and behold, 15 minutes passed on the clock, and class dismissed itself.

Well, when the day for the next exam rolled around, the professor strolled into the room, passed out the exams, and told the students "You have 1 hour on-the-clock to complete the exam."

The professor then proceeded to collect all the erasers from around the room he could find, and then gleefully took aim at the clock. When he had successfully "jumped" the clock forward 1 hour, he closed the exam and collected all the exam papers.

2009-01-23T10:20:00.000-05:00

January 22, 2009

Drug Problem
The other day, someone at a store in our town read that a Meth lab had been found in an old farmhouse in the adjoining county and he asked me a rhetorical question.

'Why didn't we have a drug problem when you and I were growing up?'

I replied, I had a drug problem when I was young: I was drug to church on Sunday morning. I was drug to church for weddings and funerals. I was drug to family reunions and community socials no matter the weather.

I was drug by my ears when I was disrespectful to adults. I was also drug to the woodshed when I disobeyed my parents, told a lie, brought home a bad report card, did not speak with respect, spoke ill of the teacher or the preacher, or if I didn't put forth my best effort in everything that was asked of me.

I was drug to the kitchen sink to have my mouth washed out with soap if I uttered a profanity.

I was drug out to pull weeds in mom's garden and flowerbeds and cocklebur's out of dad's fields.

I was drug to the homes of family, friends and neighbors to help out some poor soul who had no one to mow the yard, repair the clothesline, or chop some firewood; and, if my mother had ever known that I took a single dime as a tip for this kindness, she would have drug me back to the woodshed.

Those drugs are still in my veins and they affect my behavior in everything I do, say, or think. They are stronger than cocaine, crack, or heroin; and, if today's children had this kind of drug problem, America would be a better place.

God bless the parents who drug us to where we should be.

2009-01-21T10:01:00.003-05:00

January 21, 2009

Skiing Tips
So you want to go skiing? Here's a a list of things you can do to help prepare yourself...

Paste a small, wide rubber band around the top half of your head before you go to bed.

If you wear glasses, begin wearing them with glue smeared on the lenses.

Throw away a hundred dollar bill.

Find the nearest ice rink and walk across the ice 20 times in your ski boots, carrying 2 pairs of skis, accessory bag and poles. Sporadically drop things.

Place a small, but angular pebble in your shoes. Line them with crushed ice and tighten a C-clamp around your toes.

Buy a new pair of gloves. Immediately throw one away.

Secure one of your ankles to a bed post and ask a friend to run into you at a high speed.

Go to McDonald's and *insist* on paying $8.50 for a hamburger. Be sure you are in the longest line!

Clip a lift ticket to the zipper of your jacket and ride a motorcycle fast enough to make the ticket lacerate your face.

Drive slowly for 5 hours--anywhere--as long as it's in a snowstorm and you're following an 18 wheeler.

Fill a blender with ice, leave the lid off, hit the pulse button and let the spray blast your face. Leave the ice on your face until it melts. Let it drip into your clothes.

Dress up in as many clothes as you can and then proceed to take them off because you have to go to the bathroom.

Slam your thumb in a car door. Don't go see a doctor.

Repeat all of the above daily until it's time for the REAL thing!

2009-01-16T09:59:00.000-05:00

January 16, 2009

You Know You're A Mom When . . .

You count the sprinkles on each kid's cupcake to make sure they're equal.

You want to take out a contract on the kid who broke your child's favorite toy and made him/her cry.

You have time to shave only one leg at a time.

You hide in the bathroom to be alone.

You child throws up, and you catch it.

Someone else's kid throws up at a party, and you keep eating.

You consider finger paint to be a controlled substance.

You mastered the art of placing large quanitities of pancakes and eggs on a plate without anything touching.

Your child insists that you read Once Upon a Potty out loud in the lobby of the doctor's office, or, better yet, in the lobby of a Grand Central Station... and you do it.

You hire a sitter because you haven't been out with your husband in ages, then spend half the night talking about and checking on the kids.

You hope ketchup is a vegetable because it's the only one your child eats.

You cling to the high moral ground on toy weapons, while your child chews his toast into the shape of a gun.

You can't bear the thought of your son's first girlfriend.

You hate the thought of his wife even more.

You donate to charities in the hope that your child won't get that disease.

You find yourself cutting your husband's sandwiches into unusual shapes.

You fast-forward through the scene when the hunter shoots Bambi's mother.

You use your own saliva to clean your child's face.

You obsess when your child clings to you upon parting during his first month at school, then obsess when he skips in without looking back the second time.

You can't bear to give away baby clothes--it's so final.

You hear your mother's voice coming out of your mouth when you say, "Not in your good clothes!"

You stop criticizing the way your mother raised you.

You read that the average five-year-old asks 437 questions a day and feel proud that your kid is above average.

You say at least once a day, I'm not cut out for this job, but you know you wouldn't trade it for anything in the world.

2009-01-15T10:37:00.001-05:00

January 15, 2009

The Crooked Smile

As we rolled five-year-old Mary into the MRI room, I tried to imagine what she must be feeling. She had suffered a stroke that left half of her body paralyzed, had been hospitalized for treatment of a brain tumor, and had recently lost her father, her mother and her home. We all wondered how Mary would react.

She went into the MRI machine without the slightest protest, and we began the exam. At that time, each imaging sequence required the patient to remain perfectly still for about five minutes. This would have been difficult for anyone - and certainly for a five-year-old who had suffered so much. We were taking an image of her head, so any movement of her face, including talking, would result in image distortion.

About two minutes into the first sequence, we noticed on the video monitor that Mary's mouth was moving. We even heard a muted voice over the intercom. We halted the exam and gently reminded Mary not to talk. She was smiling and promised not to talk.

We reset the machine and started over. Once again we saw her facial movement and heard her voice faintly. What she was saying wasn't clear. Everyone was becoming a little impatient, with a busy schedule that had been put on hold to perform an emergency MRI on Mary.

We went back in and slid Mary out of the machine. Once again, she looked at us with her crooked smile and wasn't upset in the least. The technologist, perhaps a bit gruffly, said, "Mary, you were talking again, and that causes blurry pictures."

Mary's smile remained as she replied, "I wasn't talking. I was singing. You said no talking." We looked at each other, feeling a little silly.

"What were you singing?" someone asked.

"Jesus Loves Me," came the barely perceptible reply. "I always sing `Jesus Loves Me' when I'm happy."

Everyone in the room was speechless. "Happy? How could this little girl be happy?" The technologist and I had to leave the room for a moment to regain our composure as tears began to fall.

Many times since that day, when feeling stresses, unhappy or dissatisfied with some part of my life, I have thought of Mary and felt both humbled and inspired. Her example made me see that happiness is a marvelous gift - free to anyone willing to accept it.

By James C. Brown, M.D.

2009-01-12T10:27:00.001-05:00

January 12, 2009

Little Things
When I was in college, I shared an American Thanksgiving supper with friends. We spent the day cooking together – turkey, potatoes, green beans, yams and, of course, dinner rolls. I was in charge of the rolls. Looking back, that may have been a mistake.

I love to eat raw dough. Most any kind will do – cookie dough, cake batter, biscuit dough, bread dough – you get the idea. So I rolled out the yeast dough, sliced off a corner and ate it, rolled some more, sliced and ate, rolled, sliced, ate…. I don't know how much of the dough I consumed before the rolls hit the oven, but I remember it as a wonderful afternoon. Until about a half-hour later.

Yeast, it seems, likes a dark, moist, warm environment. In me, it found one and did what yeast does best – it grew. And grew. And grew.

After a while my stomach was distended and I felt like the Pillsbury Dough Boy with a burping disorder.

It was soon time for supper and I felt too full to eat anything. All of that scrumptious food and I couldn't eat.

That day I gained a new respect for the power of yeast; it doesn't take much to make a big difference.

2009-01-09T12:12:00.001-05:00

January 10, 2009

A Dream That Will Catch Your Heart
written by Steve Goodier

That all-too-quotable Yogi Berra once said, "If you don't know where you are going, you might wind up someplace else." (I think that happened to me once.)

But even if you know where you want to end up, do you REALLY WANT to be there? I'm not talking about traveling now, but where we're going with our lives. Is the dream you are following really that important to you?

Most people are not lazy. They simply have uninspiring goals. They don't accomplish what they set out to do because they lose interest. The dream they are following is simply not that important to them.

But then I think of Dennis Oehler. He ran the 100-meter dash in 11.73 seconds. Record-holder Maurice Greene ran it in 9.79 seconds, almost two seconds faster. So what's the big deal? Maurice Greene has two legs. Dennis Oehler has one. One leg -- and a huge dream.

The truth is -- we are always highly motivated when something means a great deal to us. If I fell into a deep lake and I didn't know how to swim, I would become highly motivated in an instant. Climbing from the lake would mean more to me than anything else in the world. My effort would be no less than astounding and I would suddenly become one of the most excited and enthusiastic persons imaginable.

And that goes for anything that is truly important to us. If we want something badly enough, we will find necessary energy, excitement and drive to grasp it.

Writer Tim Redmond says this about following worthwhile dreams: "There are many things that will catch my eye, but there are only a few that catch my heart...it is those I consider to pursue."

Is your dream big enough -- important enough -- to catch your heart?

~ Steve Goodier ~

2008-12-23T05:44:00.001-05:00

December 23, 2008

Dear Santa,

I've been a good mom all year. I've fed, cleaned and cuddled my children on demand, visited the doctor's office more than my doctor, sold sixty-two cases of candy bars to raise money to plant a shade tree on the school playground. I was hoping you could spread my list out over several Christmases, since I had to write this letter with my son's red crayon, on the back of a receipt in the laundry room between cycles, and who knows when I'll find any more free time in the next 18 years.

Here are my Christmas wishes:
I'd like a pair of legs that don't ache (in any color, except purple, which I already have) and arms that don't hurt or flap in the breeze; but are strong enough to pull my screaming child out of the candy aisle in the grocery store.

I'd also like a waist, since I lost mine somewhere in the seventh month of my last pregnancy. If you're hauling big ticket items this year I'd like fingerprint resistant windows and a radio that only plays adult music; a television that doesn't broadcast any programs containing talking animals; and a refrigerator with a secret compartment behind the crisper
where I can hide to talk on the phone.

On the practical side, I could use a talking doll that says, "Yes, Mommy" to boost my parental confidence, along with two kids who don't fight and three pairs of jeans that will zip all the way up without the use of power tools. I could also use a recording of Tibetan monks chanting "Don't eat in the living room" and "Take your hands off your brother," because my voice seems to be just out of my children's hearing range and can only be heard by the dog.

If it's too late to find any of these products, I'd settle for enough time to brush my teeth and comb my hair in the same morning, or the luxury of eating food warmer than room temperature without it being served in a Styrofoam container.

If you don't mind, I could also use a few Christmas miracles to brighten the holiday season. Would it be too much trouble to declare ketchup a vegetable? It will clear my conscience immensely. It would be helpful if you could coerce my children to help around the house without demanding payment as if they were the bosses of an organized crime family.

Well, Santa, the buzzer on the dryer is ringing and my son saw my feet under the laundry room door. I think he wants his crayon back. Have a safe trip and remember to leave your wet boots by the door and come in and dry off so you don't catch cold. Help yourself to cookies on the table but don't eat too many or leave crumbs on the carpet.

Yours Always,
MOM

P.S. One more thing...you can cancel all my requests if you can keep my children young enough to believe in Santa for many years to come.

2008-12-23T05:37:00.000-05:00

December 22, 2008

There is one Christmas Carol that has always baffles us.
What in the world do leaping lords, French hens,
Swimming swans, and especially the partridge who won't come out of the pear tree have to do with Christmas?

From 1558 until 1829, Roman Catholics in England were not permitted to practice their faith openly. Someone during that era wrote this carol as a catechism song for young Catholics.
It has two levels of meaning: the surface meaning plus a hidden meaning known only to members of their church. Each element in the carol has a code word for a religious reality which the children could remember.

-The partridge in a pear tree was Jesus Christ.

-Two turtle doves were the Old and New Testaments.

-Three French hens stood for faith, hope and love.

-The four calling birds were the four gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke & John.

-The five golden rings recalled the Torah or Law, the first five books of the Old Testament.

-The six geese a-laying stood for the six days of creation.

-Seven swans a-swimming represented the sevenfold gifts of the Holy Spirit--Prophesy, Serving, Teaching, Exhortation, Contribution, Leadership and Mercy.

-The eight maids a-milking were the eight beatitudes.

-Nine ladies dancing were the nine fruits of the Holy Spirit--Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness and Self-Control.

-The ten lords a-leaping were the ten commandments.

-The eleven pipers piping stood for the eleven faithful disciples.

-The twelve drummers drumming symbolized the twelve points of belief in the Apostles' Creed.

So there is your history for today. This knowledge was shared with me and I found it interesting and enlightening and now you know how that strange song became a Christmas Carol...

2008-12-19T05:45:00.000-05:00

December 19, 2008

Pick of the week

Who Started This Christmas Stuff?

A woman who was out Christmas shopping with her two children. After many hours of looking at row after row of toys and everything else imaginable; and after hours of hearing both her children asking for everything they saw on those many shelves, she finally made it to the elevator with her two kids. She was feeling what so many of us feel during the holiday season time of the year. Overwhelming pressure to go to every party, every housewarming, taste all the holiday food and treats, getting that perfect gift for every single person on our shopping list, making sure we don't forget anyone on our card list, and the pressure of making sure we respond to everyone who sent us a card.

Finally the elevator doors opened and there was already a crowd in the car. She pushed her way into the car and dragged her two kids in with her and all the bags of stuff. When the doors closed she couldn't take it anymore and stated, "Whoever started this whole Christmas thing should be found, strung up and shot."

From the back of the car everyone heard a quiet calm voice respond, "Don't worry we already crucified Him." For the rest of the trip down the elevator it was so quiet you could have heard a pin drop.

Don't forget this year to keep the One who started this whole Christmas thing in your every thought, deed, purchase, and word. If we all did it, just think of how different this whole world would be.

2008-12-10T10:32:00.001-05:00

Christmas Love

Each December, I vowed to make Christmas a calm and peaceful experience. But once again, despite my plans, chaos prevailed. I had cut back on nonessential obligations -- extensive card writing, endless baking, decorating, and yes, even the all American pastime, overspending. Yet, still, I found myself exhausted, unable to appreciate the precious family moments, and, of course, the true meaning of Christmas.

My son, Nicholas, was in kindergarten that year. It was an exciting season for a six year old filled with hopes, dreams and laughter. For weeks, he'd been memorizing songs for his school's "Winter Pageant." I didn't have the heart to tell him I'd be working the night of the production.

Unwilling to miss his shining moment, I spoke with his teacher. She assured me there'd be a dress rehearsal the morning of the presentation. All parents unable to attend that evening were welcome to come then. Fortunately, Nicholas seemed happy with the compromise.

So, just as I promised, on the morning of the dress rehearsal, I filed in 10 minutes early, found a spot on the cafeteria floor and sat down. Around the room, I saw several other parents quietly scampering to their seats. As I waited, the students were led into the room. Each class, accompanied by their teacher, sat cross-legged on the floor. Then, each group, one by one, rose to perform their song.

Because the public school system had long stopped referring to the holiday as "Christmas," I didn't expect anything other than fun, commercial entertainment -- songs of reindeer, Santa Claus, snowflakes and good cheer. The melodies were fun, cute and lighthearted, but nowhere to be found was even the hint of an innocent babe, a manger, or Christ’s sacred gift of hope and joy. So, when my son's class rose to sing, "Christmas Love", I was slightly taken aback by its bold title.

Nicholas was aglow, as were all of his classmates, adorned in fuzzy mittens, red sweaters and bright snowcaps upon their heads. Those in the front row -- center stage -- held up large letters, one by one, to spell out the title of the song. As the class would sing "C is for Christmas," a child would hold up the letter C. Then, "H is for Happy," and on and on, until each child holding up his portion had presented the complete message, "Christmas Love."

The performance was going smoothly, until suddenly, we noticed her -- a small, quiet girl in the front row who was holding the letter "M" upside down. She was entirely unaware, that reversed, her letter "M" appeared as a "W." Fidgeting from side to side, she soon moved entirely away from her mark.

The audience of 1st through 6th graders snickered at the little one's mistake. But in her innocence, she had no idea they were laughing at her as she stood tall, proudly holding her "W".

One can only imagine the difficulty in calming an audience of young, giggling students. Although many teachers tried to shush the children, the laughter continued until the last letter was raised, and we all saw it together. A hush came over the audience and eyes began to widen.

In that instant, we understood -- the reason we were there, why we celebrated the holiday in the first place, why even in the chaos there was a purpose for our festivities. For when the last letter was held high, the message read loud and clear:
CHRIST WAS LOVE

And, I believe, He still is.

~ Candy Chand ~

Christmas Love is a true story written by author Candy Chand. Her new book, Christmas Love, is available at stores nationwide and on Amazon

2008-12-10T10:29:00.002-05:00

Turkey Poem

When I was a young turkey,
new to the coop,
My big brother Tom
took me out on the stoop,
Then he sat me down,
and he spoke real slow,
And he told me there was
something that I just had to know.

His look and his tone
I will always remember,
When he told me of the horrors
of, well...... Black November!
Come about August,
now listen to me,
Each day you'll get six meals
instead of your three.
And soon you'll be thick,
where once you were thin,
and you'll grow a big rubbery
thing under your chin;

And then one morning,
when you're warm in your bed,
In comes the farmer's wife,
to hack off your head;
Then she'll pluck out all your
feathers until you're bald 'n pink,
And scoop out your insides
and leave you in the sink;
And then comes the worst part
he said not bluffing,
She'll spread your hind quarters
and pack your bottom with stuffing!

Well, the rest of his words
were too grim to repeat,
I sat on the stoop like a
winged piece of meat,
And decided on the spot
that to avoid being cooked,
I'd have to lay low to
remain overlooked.
I began a new diet of
nuts and granola,
High-roughage salads,
juice and diet cola;
And as they ate pastries,
chocolates and crepes,
I stayed in my room
doing Jane Fonda tapes.

I maintained my weight
of two pounds and a half,
And tried not to notice when
the bigger birds laughed;
But it was I who was
laughing, under my breath,
As they chomped and they
chewed, ever closer to death.
And sure enough when
Black November rolled around,
I was the last turkey left in
the Turkey compound;

So now I'm a pet in the
farmer's wife's lap;
I haven't a worry,
so I eat and I nap.
She held me today,
while sewing and humming,
And smiled at me and said
"Christmas is coming."

2008-12-05T10:46:00.000-05:00

Pick of the week 12/06/08

A Picture of Grace
by Dr. Charles F. Stanley

One of the more memorable seminary professors I had demonstrated the concept of grace to his students in a practical way. At the end of the semester, he would hand out an exam with the caution to read it all the way through before answering any questions. As we read the exam, it became unquestionably clear to each of us that we had not studied nearly enough. The further we read, the worse it became. About halfway through, audible groans could be heard throughout the lecture hall. By the time we flipped to the last page, we were all ready to turn in the test completely blank. It was impossible to pass.

On the last page, however, there was a note that read: “You have a choice. You can complete the exam as given or sign your name at the bottom and, in so doing, receive an A for this assignment.” We sat there stunned. Wow! Was he serious? Just sign the paper and get an A? Slowly the point dawned on us, and one by one, we handed in our tests and slowly filed out of the room. It took the rest of the afternoon for me to get over it. I had the urge to go back and check with my professor one more time to make sure he was serious.

When I talked with him about the exam afterward, he shared some of the reactions he had received over the years. There were always some students who did not follow instructions and began to take the exam without reading it all the way through. Some of them would sweat it out the entire two hours of class time before reaching the last page. Their ignorance caused them unnecessary anxiety. Then there were those who would read the first two pages, become angry, turn in their paper blank, and storm out of the room. They never realized what was available. As a result, they lost out totally. One fellow, however, topped them all. He read the entire test, including the note at the end, but decided to take the exam anyway. He did not want any gifts—he wanted to earn his grade. And he did. He made a C+, which was amazing considering the difficulty of the test. But he could easily have received an A.

This story vividly illustrates the way many people react to God’s solution to the problem of sin. Many are like the first group. They wonder if the Lord hears their pleas for forgiveness or if they have pushed Him too far. They do all they know to receive His pardon. Many people spend their lives trying to earn what they later realize was freely available the entire time. Many people respond like the second group of students. They look at God’s standard—moral and ethical perfection—and throw their hands up in surrender. Why even try? I could never live up to all that stuff, they tell themselves, while completely abandoning God’s commandments. Such people live the way they please, not expecting anything from the Lord when they die. Often they come to deny God’s existence. What a shock it will be for them when they stand before the Lord and realize what was available to them, had they only asked!

Then there is the guy who took the test anyway. Some people are unwilling to simply receive God’s gift of forgiveness. Striking out to do it on their own, they strive to earn enough points through righteous living to win the Father’s pardon. They constantly work to “even the score” with the Lord through their good works. “Sure, I have my faults,” they say. “But God does not expect anyone to be perfect.” However, when it comes to forgiveness, there is no room for boasting in one’s own ability. The Bible does not teach that we can contribute to the process through self-effort.

Scripture says, “It is appointed for men to die once and after this comes judgment” (Heb. 9:27). Thankfully, the Father provides a solution for the problem of sin through Jesus’ death and resurrection. For His grace to cover all our wrongdoing, we simply have to receive the gift of Christ’s forgiveness. If you have not already accepted God’s mercy, admit that you have rebelled against Him. Surrender your life to His control. He will wipe away the guilt of your sin and give you a fresh start in life.

2008-11-26T11:34:00.000-05:00

Pick of the Week 11/26/08

Lincoln's Thanksgiving Proclamation

~ ~ ~ President Abraham Lincoln, October 3, 1863 . . . .

"It is the duty of nations as well as men to own their dependence upon the overruling power of God: to confess their sins and transgressions in humble sorrow, yet with assured hope that genuine repentance will lead to mercy and pardon; and to recognize the sublime truth, announced in the Holy Scriptures and proven by all history, that those nations are blessed whose God is the Lord.

"We know that by His divine law, nations, like individuals, are subjected to punishments and chastisements in this world. May we not justly fear that the awful calamity of civil war, which now desolates the land, may be a punishment inflicted upon us for our presumptuous sins, to the needful end of our national reformation as a whole people?

"We have been the recipients of the choicest bounties of heaven; we have been preserved these many years in peace prosperity; we have grown in numbers, wealth, and power as no other nation has ever grown.

"But we have forgotten God. We have forgotten the gracious hand which preserved us in peace and multiplied and enriched and strengthened us, and we have vainly imagined, in the deceitfulness of our hearts, that all these blessings were produced by some superior wisdom and virtue of our own. Intoxicated with unbroken success, we have become too self-sufficient to feel the necessity of redeeming and preserving grace, too proud to pray to the God that made us.

"It has seemed to me fit and proper that God should be solemnly, reverently, and gratefully acknowledged, as with one heart and one voice, by the whole American people. I do therefore invite my fellow citizens in every part of the United States, and also those who are at sea and those who are sojourning in foreign lands, to set apart and observe the last Thursday of November as a day of Thanksgiving and praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the heavens."

2008-11-21T10:43:00.000-05:00

Pick of the week November 21, 2008

Born of the Spirit

"Just as you can hear the wind but can't tell where it comes from or where it is going, so you can't explain how people are born of the Spirit.

John 3:8 NLT

"

Who died on November 22, 1963?
"Many will correctly answer, ""President John F. Kennedy."" But also on that day another person died who was mightier in God's kingdom. His name was C. S. Lewis.

His initials stood for Clive Staples, but to his friends he was known as "Jack." Born near Belfast, Ireland, in 1898, he was raised as an Anglican. But at the age of ten his world was shaken when his mother died of cancer. Jack wanted nothing to do with a God so cruel as to take his mother. By his early teenage years he had become an atheist.

Jack's spiritual pilgrimage back to God began in 1926 with a conversation with a cynical friend whose belief in the Trinity challenged Lewis' atheistic presuppositions.

Through the influence of various philosophers he read and conversations with his intellectual colleagues, including J. R. R. Tolkien, he began to realize that an absolute Spirit or God existed and that the events of the Bible had really happened.

By 1931, he had passed from merely believing in God to trusting in him as his Savior.

In 1941, Lewis burst on the literary scene with The Screwtape Letters. Books then began to flow from his pen at an amazing rate.

C. S. Lewis is considered the most influential Christian author of the twentieth century—quite a leap from the atheism of his youth.

2008-11-14T10:35:00.001-05:00

Pick of the week 11/14/08

Judas
by Max Lucado

If God has called you to be a Martha, then serve! Remind the rest of us that there is evangelism in feeding the poor and there is worship in nursing the sick.

If God has called you to be a Mary, then worship! Remind the rest of us that we don't have to be busy to be holy. Urge us with your example to put down our clipboards and megaphones and be quiet in worship.

If God has called you to be a Lazarus, then testify. Remind the rest of us that we, too, have a story to tell. We, too, have neighbors who are lost. We, too, have died and been resurrected.

Each of us has our place at the table.

Except one. There was one at Martha's house who didn't find his place. Though he had been near Jesus longer than any of the others, he was furthest in his faith. His name was Judas. He was a thief. When Mary poured the perfume he feigned spirituality. "The perfume could have been sold and given to the poor," he said. But Jesus knew Judas's heart, and Jesus defended Mary's worship. Years later, John, too, knew Judas's heart, and John explained that Judas was a thief (John 12:6). And all these years he had been dipping his hand in the treasury. The reason he wanted the perfume to be sold and the money put in the treasury was so that he could get his hands on it.

What a sad ending to a beautiful story. But what an appropriate ending. For in every church there are those like Martha who take time to serve. There are those like Mary who take time to worship. There are those like Lazarus who take time to testify.

And there are those like Judas who take, take, take, and never give in return. Are you a Judas? I ask the question carefully, yet honestly. Are you near Christ but far from his heart? Are you at the dinner with a sour soul? Are you always criticizing the gifts of others yet seldom, if ever, giving your own? Are you benefiting from the church while never giving to it? Do others give sacrificially while you give miserly? Are you a Judas?

Do you take, take, take, and never give? If so, you are the Judas in this story.

If you are a Martha, be strengthened. God sees your service.
If you are a Mary, be encouraged. God receives your worship.
If you are a Lazarus, be strong. God honors your conviction.
But if you are a Judas, be warned. God sees your selfishness.

From
Cast of Characters

By Max Lucado

2008-11-06T10:25:00.001-05:00

November 6, 2008

He Can Heal the Hurt

Grudge is one of those words that defines itself. Its very sound betrays its meaning. Say it slowly: “Grr-uuuud-ge.” It starts with a growl. “Grr …” Like a bear with bad breath coming out of hibernation or a mangy mongrel defending his bone in an alley. “Grrr …”

Remove a GR from the word grudge and replace it with SL and you have the junk that grudge bearers trudge through. Sludge. Black, thick, ankle-deep resentment that steals the bounce from the step. No joyful skips through the meadows. No healthy hikes up the mountain. Just day after day of walking into the storm, shoulders bent against the wind, and feet dragging through all the muck life has delivered.

Is this the way you are coping with your hurts? Are you allowing your hurts to turn into hates? If so, ask yourself: Is it working? Has your hatred done you any good? Has your resentment brought you any relief, any peace? Has it granted you any joy?

Let’s say you get even. Let’s say you get him back. Let’s say she gets what she deserves. Let’s say your fantasy of fury runs its ferocious course and you return all your pain with interest. Imagine yourself standing over the corpse of the one you have hated. Will you now be free?

The writer of the following letter thought she would be. She thought her revenge would bring release. But she learned otherwise.

I caught my husband making love to another woman. He swore it would never happen again. He begged me to forgive him, but I could not—would not. I was so bitter and so incapable of swallowing my pride that I could think of nothing but revenge. I was going to make him pay and pay dearly. I’d have my pound of flesh.

I filed for divorce, even though my children begged me not to. Even after the divorce, my husband tried for two years to win me back. I refused to have anything to do with him. He had struck first; now I was striking back. All I wanted was to make him pay.

Finally he gave up and married a lovely young widow with a couple of small children. He began rebuilding his life—without me. I see them occasionally, and he looks so happy. They all do. And here I am—a lonely, old, miserable woman who allowed her selfish pride and foolish stubbornness to ruin her life.

Unfaithfulness is wrong. Revenge is bad. But the worst part of all is that, without forgiveness, bitterness is all that is left. The state of your heart dictates whether you harbor a grudge or give grace, seek self-pity or seek Christ, drink human misery or taste God’s mercy.

No wonder, then, the wise man begs, “Above all else, guard your heart.”
David’s prayer should be ours: “Create in me a pure heart, O God.”

by: Max Lucado --

2008-11-05T10:20:00.001-05:00

November 5, 2008

The Presidential Prayer Team is pleased to commit itself and it’s nearly 500,000 members to pray for the newly elected President of the United States of America, Barack Obama.

Calling in his acceptance speech for a new spirit of patriotism, service and sacrifice from the American people, President-Elect Obama swept to victory over Republican John McCain as the first African-American to hold the nation’s highest political office.

Our faithful prayers for President-Elect Obama and Vice President-Elect Joe Biden are desperately needed. Their new administration faces the challenges of a struggling economy, active wars against terrorism in Iraq and Afghanistan, and energy and environmental concerns - all perhaps unprecedented in a generation. With I Timothy 2:1-2 as our biblical mandate, The Presidential Prayer Team is dedicated to praying for our new president’s wisdom, protection and success as he faces these issues, and many more, over the next four years

Today, we are launching a countdown in prayer from Election to Inauguration for President-Elect Obama! It’s called 77 Days of Prayer for our New President, and I encourage you to please sign up for this prayer initiative now using the link below.

http://www.presidentialprayerteam.org/site/PageServer?pagename=77days_signup&autologin=true&JServSessionIdr001=cgj92emnm4.app26a

2008-11-04T11:50:00.001-05:00

From the daily blog of Dave Burchette

""Confessions of a Bad Christian""

Thoughts On Election Day

This has been a long and contentious process. I have been saddened by the tone of the discourse but not surprised. Today the American public will speak. I try to avoid partisan politics in this space because it polarizes and diverts readers away from the gospel of Jesus Christ.

No matter who wins I am making a commitment today. I am going to pray for the leaders that are chosen. I may not agree with the choice. But I learned a valuable lesson earlier in my journey with Jesus. When President Bill Clinton was elected in 1990 I was extremely unhappy.

I did not pray for Bill Clinton during most of his Presidency. I did not respect him as the authority my sovereign God allowed to be in power. I said ugly things about him. In short, I sinned in my spirit and with my speech. During that time I put my trust in politics and not in God. I will not make that mistake again. I have matured in my faith since then. I am more aware of who I am in Christ and that my trust is in God and not in government. That does not mean I will be apathetic.

For the past eight years I have heard incredibly ugly things said about President Bush. I completely understand that people disagreed with some or even all of his policies. But the hate was mind boggling. I will not be a part of that no matter who wins. Mr.Bush will be judged by history and by God. The winner of this election will be judged by history and by God. I may disagree with the policies of the next president but I will do my best to stick to policy and not engage in personal attack.

I was wrapped up in thought about the election on Sunday morning when a surprise call came with an exciting ministry opportunity. God gently reminded me that nothing changes in what I am called to do on the morning of November 5th.

I want to spend the rest of my days passionately communicating that all truth is in grace and in grace is all truth. That is calling and nothing can keep me from that task.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart;
do not depend on your own understanding.
Seek his will in all you do,
and he will show you which path to take. (Proverbs 3, NLT)

So my trust is in God and my hope is in Jesus.

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. So do not be attracted by strange, new ideas. Your strength comes from God’s grace…(Hebrews 13, NLT)

Amen. Whether you are happy or sad at the end of the day one thing is true. Nothing changes in the policies of God’s Word.

2008-10-31T12:33:00.001-05:00

October 31, 2008
Pick of the week

Last Respects

One day not too long ago the employees of a large company in St. Louis, Missouri returned from their lunch break and were greeted with a sign on the front door. The sign said: "Yesterday the person who has been hindering your growth in this company passed away. We invite you to join the funeral in the room that has been prepared in the gym."

At first everyone was sad to hear that one of their colleagues had died, but after a while they started getting curious about who this person might be.

The excitement grew as the employees arrived at the gym to pay their last respects. Everyone wondered: "Who is this person who was hindering my progress? Well, at least he's no longer here!"

One by one the employees got closer to the coffin and when they looked inside it they suddenly became speechless. They stood over the coffin, shocked and in silence, as if someone had touched the deepest part of their soul.

There was a mirror inside the coffin: everyone who looked inside it could see himself. There was also a sign next to the mirror that said: "There is only one person who is capable to set limits to your growth: it is YOU.

You are the only person who can revolutionize your life. You are the only person who can influence your happiness, your realization and your success. You are the only person who can help yourself.

Your life does not change when your boss changes, when your friends change, when your parents change, when your partner changes, when your company changes. Your life changes when YOU change, when you go beyond your limiting beliefs, when you realize that you are the only one responsible for your life.

2008-10-17T11:05:00.000-05:00

October 17, 2008

Pick of the week

Your Place in God's Band
by Max Lucado

Two of my teenage years were spent carrying a tuba in my high school marching band. My mom wanted me to learn to read music, and the choir was full while the band was a tuba-tooter short, so I signed up. Not necessarily what you would describe as a call from God, but it wasn't a wasted experience either.

I had a date with a twirler.

I learned to paint white shoe polish on school buses.

And I learned some facts about harmony that I'll pass on to you.

I marched next to the bass-drum player. What a great sound. Boom. Boom. Boom. Deep, cavernous, thundering.

And at the end of my flank marched the flute section. Oh, how their music soared. Whispering, lifting, rising into the clouds.

Ahead of me, at the front of my line, was our first-chair trumpet. He could raise the spirit. He could raise the flag. He could have raised the roof on the stadium if we'd had one.

The soft flute
needs
the brash trumpet
needs
the steady drum
needs
the soft flute
needs
the brash trumpet.

Get the idea? The operative word is need. They need each other.

By themselves they make music. But together, they make magic.

Now, what I saw two decades ago in the band, I see today in the church. We need each other. Not all of us play the same instrument. Some believers are lofty, and others are solid. Some keep the pace while others lead the band. Not all of us make the same sound. Some are soft, and others are loud. And not all of us have the same ability. But each of us has a place.

Some play the drums (like Martha).

Some play the flute (like Mary).

And others sound the trumpet (like Lazarus).

Mary, Martha, and Lazarus were like family to Jesus. After the Lord raised Lazarus from the dead, they decided to give a dinner for Jesus. They decided to honor him by having a party on his behalf (see John 12:2).

They didn't argue over the best seat. They didn't resent each other's abilities. They didn't try to outdo each other. All three worked together with one purpose. But each one fulfilled that purpose in his or her unique manner. Martha served; she always kept everyone in step. Mary worshiped; she anointed her Lord with an extravagant gift, and its aroma filled the air. Lazarus had a story to tell, and he was ready to tell it.

Three people, each one with a different skill, a different ability. But each one of equal value.

2008-09-19T09:59:00.000-05:00

Pick of the week 09/20/08

He Wasn't Cured But He Was Healed

Tony Compolo tells a story about being in a church in

Oregon where he was asked to pray for a man who had cancer.

Compolo prayed boldly for the man's healing. That next week

he got a telephone call from the man's wife. She said, "You

prayed for my husband. He had cancer." Compolo thought when

he heard her use the past tense verb that his cancer had been

eradicated! But before he could think much about it she said,

"He died." Compolo felt terrible.

But she continued, "Don't feel bad. When he came into that

church that Sunday he was filled with anger. He knew he was

going to be dead in a short period of time, and he hated God.

He was 58 years old, and he wanted to see his children and

grandchildren grow up. He was angry that this all-powerful

God didn't take away his sickness and heal him. He would

lie in bed and curse God. The more his anger grew towards

God, the more miserable he was to everybody around him.

It was an awful thing to be in his presence.

But the lady told Compolo, "After you prayed for him, a peace

had come over him and a joy had come into him. Tony, the

last three days have been the best days of our lives. We've

sung. We've laughed. We've read Scripture. We prayed. Oh,

they've been wonderful days. And I called to thank you for

laying your hands on him and praying for healing."

And then she said something incredibly profound. She said,

"He wasn't cured, but he was healed."

2008-09-12T11:06:00.003-05:00

September 12, 2008

The Fastest Thing

An office manager was given the task of hiring an individual to fill a job opening. After sorting through a stack of resumes he found four people who were equally qualified. He decided to call the four in and ask them only one question. Their answer would determine which of them would get the job.

The day came and as the four sat around the conference room table the interviewer asked, "What is the fastest thing you know of?"

Acknowledging the first man on his right, the man replied, "A THOUGHT. It just pops into your head. There's no warning that it's on the way; it's just there. A thought is the fastest thing I know of." "That's very good!" replied the interviewer. "And now you sir?" he asked the second man.

"Hmm....let me see. A blink! It comes and goes and you don't know that it ever happened. A BLINK is the fastest thing I know of." "Excellent!" said the interviewer. "The blink of an eye...that's a very popular cliché for speed." He then turned to the third man who was contemplating his reply.

"Well, out at my dad's ranch, you step out of the house and on the wall there's a light switch. When you flip that switch, way out across the pasture the light in the barn comes on in less than an instant. Yep, TURNING ON A LIGHT is the fastest thing I can think of." The interviewer was very impressed with the third answer and thought he had found his man. "It's hard to beat the speed of light" he said.

Turning to the fourth and final man,the interviewer posed the same question.

The last man replied, "After hearing the three previous answers, it's obvious to me that the fastest thing known is DIARRHEA." "WHAT!?" said the interviewer, stunned by the response. "Let me explain," said the fourth man. "You see the other day I wasn't feeling so good and I ran for the bathroom. But, before I could THINK, BLINK, or TURN ON THE LIGHT, I was TO LATE!" HE GOT THE JOB !

2008-09-12T11:06:00.001-05:00

2008-09-05T11:59:00.002-05:00

Pick of the week September 6, 2008

The Top 5 Kitchen Signs seen in my House

#5 I clean house every other day.... Today is the other day!

#4 Ring Bell for Maid Service... If no answer do it yourself!

#3 If we are what we eat, then I'm easy, fast, and cheap.

#2 My next house will have no kitchen -- just vending machines.

AND

#1 If you write in the dust, please don't date it!

2008-08-22T09:41:00.000-05:00

August 22, 2008

Pick of the week

Dear Boss,

I have enjoyed working here these past several years. You have paid me very well, given me benefits beyond belief. I have 3-4 months off per year and a pension plan that will pay my salary till the day I die and a health plan that most people can only dream about.

Despite this I plan to take the next 12-18 months to find a new position.
During this time I will show up for work when it is convenient. In addition I fully expect to draw my full salary and all the other perks associated with my current job.
Oh yeah, if my search for this new job proves fruitless, I will be back with no loss in pay or status. Before you say anything, remember that you have no choice in the matter. I can and will do this.
Sincerely,

~ Every Senator or Congressman running for President
Try that at your job and tell me how it works out.

2008-07-31T14:43:00.001-05:00

Pick of the week 08/02/08

this was written by a gentleman named Bob Perks and is Awesome.

Easy as 1, 2, 3
Easy as one two, three.

I am always drawn to those words.

Whenever I am about to begin a new project in my life, I look for the quickest way to get it done.

If I am fixing the sink, I choose the parts that say, "Easy as one, two, three."

If I am staining the deck, I scan the aisles for the can that says "Easy as 1,2,3."

If I am adding a storm door to my house, I want to find the one that says, "So easy anyone can do it Easy as 1,2,3."

There's something about the number three. If I go to the grocery store and I need to pick up more than three items I have to write them down. I can always remember three, but four or more get lost.

I can remember the first steps my boys took, "one, two, three."

Then there are the memories of teaching them how to ride a bike.

"I'll walk along side of you and when I count to three, I'm going to let go," I told them.

"One...two...three..." and before I knew it they were driving cars.

As easy as one, two, three they were gone.

Most of my life I have always had one dog. I couldn't't even imagine having more. That is until we had Ricky and Lucy. Two of the greatest dogs a guy could have.

"Wouldn't't three be even greater?" I asked my wife.

"Not until we get a bigger house," she replied.

So, I built and addition onto the one we had.

I felt like a child asking, "Now can we get another dog?"

I found out after a few years of talking about it that she never thought I was serious.

Imagine that. Talking about something for years and one wouldn't't be taken seriously.

How many years? You guessed it...three.

There it was again.

Well, this past Father's Day my wife came home with another dog. I call him Phil.

Having three dogs is all I ever imagined it to be and more.

So, it would appear to be obvious that three would have to be my lucky number, my favorite roll of the dice, the number I'd place a bet on or the horse I'd pick in a race.

It was until recently.

It was a normal phone call I thought, from my friend. I hear from him only a few times a year, but for some reason I expected to hear his voice when he called that day.

"Well, it's about time!" I said when I answered the phone. "I looked at the caller ID and thought, I think I know that number. Don't tell me...Oh, yes...Jim."

There was silence.

"Hey, are you there?" I asked.

"Yes, I'm here," he said quietly.

"Do you have a cold? You sound like you're losing your voice or something."

"No. It's not a cold."

I rambled on for a few more minutes and suddenly realized that I was doing all of the talking.

"What's going on? You never let me talk this long."

"Bob, I've got something to tell you."

I waited. He hesitated a bit longer and finally said, "I've been ill. They say I'm dying."

There was a deep silence that felt like my heart stopped and I suddenly went deaf. There was a void in the conversation that no proper words could fill.

Then he said, "They give me three months."

How odd that my first reaction was, "It can't be. Three is my favorite number."

How perfectly selfish and stupid. Why would I think that at this time?

He's dying and I'm upset because they chose to tell him he had three months. Why not four? Five or six are good numbers, too.

I realized afterwards that three was perfection to me. Everything about that number meant happy things in my life. Nobody should make three a bad number.

The truth is it is just a number.

There is power in one. There is friendship and love in two. In the Bible, the number three often times reflects divine perfection.

Okay, he could have it. Divine perfection. The sum of all he was, all I ever knew him to be as a friend, a husband and a father could be described as divinely perfect.

I spoke to Jim two more times before he died. Yes, three in all.

He died on the third of the month just three days shy of his three month prognosis.

The obituary said he was the father of three.

Losing him is difficult. Remembering him...easy as one, two, three.

2008-07-23T09:36:00.000-05:00

July 23, 2008

Moments that take your breath away.

Last night I heard one of my favorite sermons delivered by my friend Michael Thames who is the pastor at Pine Hill Friends Meeting. He shared with everyone that Life is not the amount of breaths you take, it’s the moments that take your breath away. Well, he actually used the quote from the movie “Hitch” that said “drink in the moments that take your breath away.”

It got me to “ponder” all of the many moments I have had in my life….like the moment I proposed to my wife Jennifer, or all 3 times she told me we were going to have a baby, the birth of my children, the stories that are shared during Sharathon on how God has used WBFJ to bless your life, and I could be here for hours listing all the Moments that have taken my breath. How about you? What are some of your moments?

There are 2 important breaths you will take in your life, one is your first breath when the doctor slaps your naked behind……and the other is your very last breath. When that final breath comes, will you be ready to embrace it knowing that you will spend eternity in Heaven? You can if you know Jesus Christ as your personal Savior. I can promise you that when you ask God to forgive you of your sins and come into your heart it will be one of those moments that take your breath away. To use one more quote from the movie Hitch, “Never lie, steal, cheat, or drink. But if you must lie, lie in the arms of the one you love. If you must steal, steal away from bad company. If you must cheat, cheat death. And if you must drink, drink in the moments that take your breath away.”

2008-07-16T09:49:00.001-05:00

July 16, 2008

Four Seasons of a Tree

Don't judge a life by one difficult season.

There was a man who had four sons. He wanted his sons to learn to not judge things too quickly. So he sent them each on a quest, in turn, to go and look at a pear tree that was a great distance away.

The first son went in the winter, the second in the spring, the third in summer, and the youngest son in the fall.

When they had all gone and come back, he called them together to describe what they had seen.

The first son said that the tree was ugly, bent, and twisted. The second son said no - it was covered with green buds and full of promise.

The third son disagreed, he said it was laden with blossoms that smelled so sweet and looked so beautiful, it was the most graceful thing he had ever seen.

The last son disagreed with all of them; he said it was ripe and drooping with fruit, full of life and fulfillment.

The man then explained to his sons that they were all right, because they had each seen but one season in the tree's life.

He told them that you cannot judge a tree, or a person, by only one season, and that the essence of who they are - and the pleasure, joy, and love that come from that life - can only be measured at the end, when all the seasons are up.

If you give up when it's winter, you will miss the promise of your spring, the beauty of your summer, fulfillment of your fall. Don't let the pain of one season destroy the joy of all the rest.

2008-07-03T09:53:00.000-05:00

Pick of the week July 5th, 2008

I want to share an experience I had this past weekend with you.

I attended a church service in the Chapel of Camp Lejeune - Marine Military Base in NC. It touched me deeply and brought me to tears.

To be in a service with our troops in their uniforms praising God with hands held high and voice ringing our to worship the God of the Universe was overwhelming. Then one Marine had a prayer request for his fiancée and then asked prayer for himself and his walk with Christ and desire to go deeper with God. I was more than blessed to be there.

Then I went to lunch with the Chaplain and his family - he had done 2 tours in Iraq - he was one of the first that went in at the beginning of the war and then another time.

He shared with me that the troops are hungry for God and seeking Jesus and when they find Him that become not just saved but solded out for Christ. And he sees them come and go alot on the base but when they return to the states they keep walking with Christ. They are truly changed with a deep desire to follow Jesus.

He said you do not hear this in the media but this is real and this is what is happening with our men and women who live in harms way daily fighting not only for our freedoms and other nations' freedoms but they are also fighting against terrorism.

I want to encourage and challenge each of you - go to a military base in your area or near you(we have 8 bases in NC) and attend a church service. You will be changed and it will change the way you pray for our troops.

Our prayers for them are being answered daily - daily they are finding Jesus and they are being changed.

Tomorrow is the 232nd Birthday of our Beloved America - wear Red, White, and Blue, fly your flag, pray a prayer of thanksgiving for our nation and cover our troops and their families who make the ultimate sacrifice for you and I daily.

God bless you all and may all Americans and our nation bless and honor God for has truly blessed America,

Linda Stone
NC State Coordinator - NDP

2008-06-27T10:21:00.001-05:00

Pick of the week June 28, 2008

Label Instructions

In case you needed further proof that the human race is doomed through stupidity, here are some actual label instructions on consumer goods.

On a Sears hairdryer -- Do not use while sleeping. (That's the only time I have to work on my hair.)

On a bag of Fritos -- You could be a winner! No purchase necessary. Details inside. (the shoplifter special?)

On a bar of Dial soap -- "Directions: Use like regular soap." (and that would be???....)

On some Swanson frozen dinners -- "Serving suggestion: Defrost." (but, it's just a suggestion.)

On Tesco's Tiramisu dessert (printed on bottom) -- "Do not turn upside down." (well...duh, a bit late, huh!)

On Marks & Spencer Bread Pudding -- "Product will be hot after heating." (...and you thought????...)

On packaging for a Rowenta iron -- "Do not iron clothes on body." (but wouldn't this save me time?)

On Boot's Children Cough Medicine -- "Do not drive a car or operate machinery after taking this medication." (We could do a lot to reduce the rate of construction accidents if we could just get those 5 year-olds with head-colds off those bulldozers.)

On Nytol Sleep Aid -- "Warning: May cause drowsiness." (...I'm taking this because???....)

On most brands of Christmas lights -- "For indoor or outdoor use only." (as opposed to what?)

On a Japanese food processor -- "Not to be used for the other use." (now, somebody out there, help me on this. I'm a bit curious.)

On Sainsbury's peanuts -- "Warning: contains nuts." (talk about a news flash)

On an American Airlines packet of nuts -- "Instructions: Open packet, eat nuts."

On a child's Superman costume -- "Wearing of this garment does not enable you to fly." (I don't blame the company. I blame the parents for this one.

On a Swedish chainsaw -- "Do not attempt to stop chain with your hands."

2008-06-20T10:10:00.001-05:00

pick of the week June 20, 08

Blind Bus Passenger

The passengers on the bus watched sympathetically as the attractive young woman with the white cane made her way carefully up the steps. She paid the driver and, using her hands to feel the location of the seats, walked down the aisle and found the seat he'd told her was empty. Then she settled in, placed her briefcase on her lap and rested her cane against her leg. It had been a year since Susan, thirty-four, became blind.

Due to a medical misdiagnosis she had been rendered sightless, and she was suddenly thrown into a world of darkness, anger, frustration and self-pity. Once a fiercely independent woman, Susan now felt condemned by this terrible twist of fate to become a powerless, helpless burden on everyone around her. "How could this have happened to me?" she would plead, her heart knotted with anger. But no matter how much she cried or ranted or prayed, she knew the painful truth that her sight was never going to return. A cloud of depression hung over Susan's once optimistic spirit. Just getting through each day was an exercise in frustration and exhaustion. And all she had to cling to was her husband Mark.

Mark was an Air Force officer and he loved Susan with all of his heart. When she first lost her sight, he watched her sink into despair and was determined to help his wife gain the strength and confidence she needed to become independent again. Mark's military background had trained him well to deal with sensitive situations, and yet he knew this was the most difficult battle he would ever face. Finally, Susan felt ready to return to her job, but how would she get there? She used to take the bus, but was now too frightened to get around the city by herself. Mark volunteered to drive her to work each day, even though they worked at opposite ends of the city.

At first, this comforted Susan and fulfilled Mark's need to protect his sightless wife who was so insecure about performing the slightest task. Soon, however, Mark realized that this arrangement wasn't working - it was hectic and costly. Susan is going to have to start taking the bus again, he admitted to himself. But just the thought of mentioning it to her made him cringe. She was still so fragile, so angry. How would she react?

Just as Mark predicted, Susan was horrified at the idea of taking the bus again. "I'm blind!" she responded bitterly. "How am I supposed to know where I'm going? I feel like you're abandoning me." Mark's heart broke to hear these words, but he knew what had to be done. He promised Susan that each morning and evening he would ride the bus with her, for as long as it took, until she got the hang of it. And that is exactly what happened. For two solid weeks, Mark, military uniform and all, accompanied Susan to and from work each day. He taught her how to rely on her other senses, specifically her hearing, to determine where she was and how to adapt to her new environment. He helped her befriend the bus drivers who could watch out for her, and save her a seat. He made her laugh, even on those not-so-good days when she would trip exiting the bus, or drop her briefcase. Each morning they made the journey together, and Mark would take a cab back to his office. Although this routine was even more costly and exhausting than the previous one, Mark knew it was only a matter of time before Susan would be able to ride the bus on her own. He believed in her, in the Susan he used to know before she'd lost her sight, who wasn't afraid of any challenge and who would never, ever quit.

Finally, Susan decided that she was ready to try the trip on her own. Monday morning arrived, and before she left, she threw her arms around Mark, her temporary bus riding companion, her husband, and her best friend. Her eyes filled with tears of gratitude for his loyalty, his patience, his love. She said good-bye, and for the first time, they went their separate ways.

Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday... Each day on her own went perfectly, and Susan never felt better. She was doing it! She was going to work all by herself! On Friday morning, Susan took the bus to work as usual. As she was paying for her fare to exit the bus, the driver said, "Boy, I sure envy you." Susan wasn't sure if the driver was speaking to her or not. After all, who on earth would ever envy a blind woman who had struggled just to find the courage to live for the past year?

Curious, she asked the driver,"Why do you say that you envy me?"

The driver answered, "You know, every morning for the past week, a fine looking gentleman in a military uniform has been standing across the corner watching you when you get off the bus. He makes sure you cross the street safely and he watches you until you enter your office building. Then he blows you a kiss, gives you a little salute and walks away. You are one lucky lady."

Tears of happiness poured down Susan's cheeks. For, although she couldn't physically see him, she had always felt Mark's presence. She was lucky, so lucky, for he had given her a gift more powerful than sight, a gift she didn't need to see to believe -- the gift of love that can bring light where there had been darkness.

God watches over us in just the same way. We may not know He is present. We may not be able to see His face, but He is there nonetheless. Be blessed in this thought: "God Loves You -- even when you are not looking."

2008-06-13T11:33:00.003-05:00

Pick of the Week

What Makes A Dad

God took the Strength of a Mountain,
The Majesty of a tree,
The Warmth of a summer sun,
The calm of a quiet sea.
The generous soul of nature,
The comforting arm of night,
The wisdom of the ages,
The power of an eagle's filght.
The jou of a morning in spring,
The faith of a mustard seed,
The patience of eternity,
The depth of a family need.
The God combined these qualities,
When there was nothing more to add,
He knew His masterpiece was complete,
And so, He called it....Dad.

Hapy Father's Day!

2008-06-12T09:27:00.003-05:00

June 12, 2008

Since Verne asked me to do this on air this morning, I reluctantly shine the spotlight on someone from Lower Asheboro and keep the friend who sent this picture to me annonymous, cause it might be a relative.........

2008-06-04T10:50:00.000-05:00

June 4, 2008

When God showed up on the softball field
A recent story in the New York Times by George Vecsey caught my attention. The Western Oregon women’s softball team played against Central Washington University in April of this year, and during the course of the game, Western Oregon senior Sara Tucholsky hit the first home run of her college career. She missed first base, though, in all her excitement, as the first base coach yelled for her to come back. When she turned, to everyone’s horror, her right knee buckled. Crying and in intense pain, Tucholsky struggled to crawl back to first base. In the meantime, the umpire warned that if any of her teammates touched her, she would be called out, and if a pinch runner were brought in for her, the home run would be reduced to a single. That’s when the opposing team’s first baseman, Mallory Holtman, did something that shocked everyone. She turned to the umpire and said, "Excuse me, would it be OK if we carried her around the bases, and she touched each one?" The umpires agreed, so Holtman and teammate Liz Wallace picked up Tucholsky and carried her to second base, where they gently lowered her and touched her foot to the bag. All three players started to giggle, Tucholsky through her tears, as they proceeded to third base. When they arrived at home plate, the crowd exploded with a standing ovation. Many in the stands were crying, even though it was a home game for Central Washington. Western Oregon went on to win the game, eliminating Central Washington from the playoffs.
After the game, Holtman said that her good deed was no big deal: "She hit it over the fence," Holtman said. "She deserved it. Anybody would have done it. I just beat them to it." She said her coach, Gary Frederick, teaches the team that "winning is not everything."
Pam Knox, the coach of the Western Oregon team, attributed it to character, saying, "They’re playing for a coach who instills it."
I don’t know about you, but hearing a story like that renews my hope. It reminds me that there are still coaches and teachers and parents out there who recognize a higher calling than just fielding a winning team. It also renews my faith that God is at work across this land. Don’t be confused by the fact that the Lord was not mentioned at all in that story and there is no indication that either the players or the coaches acknowledged faith in God. Perhaps none of them did. But what happened on the field that day was, as George Vecsey called it, "a moment of grace." A player for the losing team helped a player from the winning team increase their margin of victory. One who was in a position to benefit from leaving an opposing player in her place of weakness instead reached out and turned that weakness into strength. That is as clear a picture of God’s grace as he could have possibly painted for us that day.
We also were rounding first base in our attempt to make it home safely. But we stumbled in our sin; we fell and were absolutely unable to continue. The strong arms of God’s grace picked us up and carried us home, at his own expense. These arms belong to the one who was "wounded for our transgressions," the one who "has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows." Thank you, Mallory Holtman and Liz Wallace. You did more than help a fallen opponent. Your example helped us all.

J. Mark Fox is pastor of Antioch Community Church on Power Line Road in Elon. His books, "Real Life Moments: a Dad’s Devotional", and "Family-Integrated Church," are available at Amazon.com. E-mail Mark at markfox@antiochchurch.cc

2008-05-28T10:56:00.001-05:00

Pick of the week 5/28/08

Good Day Wednesday Worders……….

Once again I find that it my time to share the Wednesday word and I don’t have anything in particular to say. So I bring back the CD Tower Shuffle………if you are unaware of how this works, it’s pretty simple. I spin the CD tower at my desk, Papa John Hill says STOP, and whatever CD my fingers lands on is the song in which the word will come from. With my varied taste of music ranging from Jim Brickman and Stryper, to Bryan Duncan and Brian Setzer…..you never know what you are going to get. Well, today, John picked out the song “For All We Know” from David Sanborn’s CD Pearls.

David Sanborn happens to be one of my favorite instrumental Jazz saxophone players. When I listen to the song “For All We Know” there just happen to be lyrics and sung very hauntingly by a lady named Jimmy Scott. She sings the opening line in the song that goes, “ For all we know, we may never meet again. Before you go, make this moment sweet again. We won’t say goodbye, until the last minute. I’ll hold out my hand, my heart will be in it…………..When I heard this line I had to stop the CD. My heart began to ache and tears flowed once again for Steven Curtis Chapman and his family as they grieve the loss of their daughter Maria Sue Chapman last week in a tragic accident in the family driveway.

Scripture tells us that we are not promised tomorrow and we must be ready to account for our life. Is there someone you’ve want to share to love of Jesus with, but for some reason you said…maybe tomorrow. Is there a friendship that drifted apart that you’ve wanted to get back but didn’t want to make the first attempt? Is there a child that you keep promising to spend more time with…..later…….and you really mean too, “For All You Know.” There has been a link setup that if you want to leave a message for the Chapman family or make a contribution to the Shaohannah’s Hope Foundation. I’m including that below. May God Keep, Protect and Bless you and your family, and we’ll do this again next week, for all we know.

Darren

http://chapmanchannel.typepad.com/inmemoryofmaria/

2008-05-23T11:21:00.001-05:00

Pick of the week

Memorial Day 2008

Freedom Is Not Free

I watched the flag pass by one day.
It fluttered in the breeze
A young Marine saluted it, and then
He stood at ease.

I looked at him in uniform
So young, so tall, so proud
With hair cut square and eyes alert
He'd stand out in any crowd.

I thought, how many men like him
Had fallen through the years?
How many died on foreign soil?
How many mothers' tears?

How many Pilots' planes shot down?
How many foxholes were soldiers' graves?
No, Freedom is not free.

I heard the sound of taps one night,
When everything was still.
I listened to the bugler play
And felt a sudden chill.

I wondered just how many times
That taps had meant "Amen"
When a flag had draped a coffin
of a brother or a friend.

I thought of all the children,
Of the mothers and the wives,
Of fathers, sons and husbands
With interrupted lives.

I thought about a graveyard
at the bottom of the sea
Of unmarked graves in Arlington.
No, Freedom isn't free!

2008-04-23T11:39:00.000-05:00

April 23, 2008

What's In Your Sponge?

There are 5 sponges laying on your kitchen counter top. Each member of your family has been cleaning up different areas of your home, but all the sponges look the same. You are curious as to what was cleaned in your home, but you can't tell by looking...they all look the same....so what do you do?

You squeeze each sponge to see what comes out. As you squeeze the first sponge, you see that cola comes out, and so you decide that someone cleaned the kitchen with that one. Upon squeezing the second sponge, you find tub and tile cleaner - that one was used to clean the bathroom.

Next, in the third sponge, you find motor oil -- hubby was cleaning the garage!

In the fourth sponge, baby powder puffs out when it is squeezed -- yep, the baby's nursery was done with that one!

And finally, in the last one, is floor wax -- that was the one you used on the hall floor!

As you lay the last one down, you look again at their similarity - and they all look the same until they're squeezed.

Christians are the same way. As life squeezes us, different things come out - anger from one, a need for revenge from another, tears from one, remorse from yet another - also greed, untruth, lust - and finally, from one saint, pours forth the love of Christ.

Just like the sponge, we can only squeeze out what is put in - stay in the Word daily, and be in continuous prayer, so that when life puts the squeeze on you (and it WILL), Jesus, and Jesus ALONE will shine forth from you!

2008-04-18T11:10:00.001-05:00

Pick of the week

April 18, 2008

Pope and the Lord's Prayer

After watching sales falling off for three straight months at Kentucky Fried Chicken, the Colonel calls up the Pope and asks for a favor.

The Pope says, "What can I do?

"The Colonel says, "I need you to change the Lord's prayer from, 'Give us this day our daily bread' to 'Give us this day our daily chicken'. If you do it, I'll donate 10 Million Dollars to the Vatican."

The Pope replies, "I am sorry. That is the Lord's prayer and I can not change the words." The Colonel hangs up.

After another month of dismal sales the Colonel panics and calls again. "Listen your Excellency. I really need your help. I'll donate $50 million dollars if you change the words of the daily prayer from 'Give us this day our daily bread' to 'Give us this day our daily chicken.'"

This time the Pope responds, "It is very tempting, Colonel Sanders. The church could do a lot of good with that much money. It would help us to support many charities. But again, I must decline. It is the Lord's prayer, and I can't change the words." The Colonel hangs up again.

After two more months of terrible sales the Colonel gets desperate and calls the Pope again. "This is my final offer your Excellency. If you change the words of the daily prayer from, 'Give us this day our daily bread' to 'Give us this day our daily chicken' I will donate $100 million to the Vatican."

The Pope replies, "Let me get back to you."

The next day, the Pope calls together all of his bishops and he says, "I have some good news and I have some bad news. The good news is that KFC is going to donate $100 million to the Vatican."

The bishops rejoice at the news. Then one asks about the bad news.

The Pope replies, "The bad news is that we lost the Wonder Bread account."

2008-04-04T04:55:00.001-05:00

Pick of the Week

Tribute to Ric Flair April 4, 2008 D. Stevens

This past Sunday I watched one of my All Time Favorite Entertainers call it a career. For over 35 years he gave everything he had, every night, to make sure that the people who spent their hard earned money didn’t walk away disappointed. I myself have enjoyed watching this man perfect his craft on numerous occasions, but this past Sunday at Wrestlemania 24 was perhaps the hardest to watch, as it sinks in that neither my son nor I will get to watch Ric Flair wrestle again. Then to top that off, on Monday night’s TV Show, they wait til the very end and bring him out to the center ring and proceed to honor him by saying Thank You for all you gave. Today’s superstar wrestlers came out and hugged him, and even his fellow wrestlers from the past 35 years surprised him.

As I watched the tribute being given and felt a tear run down my face as I thought how great that had to feel at that moment to be Ric Flair. Then I started thinking about what it will be like when I have to walk away from Radio one day…..and wondering if I will have made that same kind of impact on just one person. Truth is, we may not get to have our tribute in the center ring, on primetime TV with millions watching. It may be like the Ray Boltz song where one day we see a long line of people in heaven who are waiting to say thank you for everything you gave, and how God used you to Bless them and you never even knew it!

So, from this day on…….it doesn’t matter what you have to give……entertainment in the squared circle or encouragement on the radio….just give God your very best and let him do the rest. Oh, and every once in a while it’s OK to throw your head back and let out a great big Whoooo Thank You Nature Boy!

2008-03-20T09:03:00.002-05:00

Pick of the week March 20, 2008

RESURRECTION ROLLS

INGREDIENTS..... CRESCENT DINNER ROLLS
MELTED BUTTER / SOFT MARGARINE
CINNAMON / SUGAR MIXTURE
LARGE MARSHMALLOWS

PREHEAT OVEN ACCORDING TO DINNER ROLLS.

TAKE INDIVIDUAL DINNER ROLLS (THEY REPRESENT JESUS’ TOMB)

THEN SPREAD THE MELTED BUTTER / MARGARINE (REPRESENTING THE ANOINTING OIL) ON ROLLS.

NEXT, PLACE MARSHMALLOW (REPRESENTING JESUS) IN THE ROLL.

SPRINKLE WITH THE CINNAMON / SUGAR MIXTURE. (REPRESENTING THE ANOINTING SPICES USED IN BURIAL)

WRAP MARSHMALLOW TIGHTLY IN THE ROLL. (REPRESENTING WRAPPING JESUS IN THE TOMB)
MAKE SURE TO LEAVE NO CRACKS OPEN.....SO HE CAN’T ESCAPE!

BAKE ACCORDING TO CRESCENT ROLL DIRECTIONS.

THE TOMBS WILL BE OPEN AND EMPTY AS THE MARSHMALLOW MELTS, CREATING A DELICIOUS TREAT!

THIS REALLY WORKS! WE MADE THEM AS A FAMILY RECENTLY AND THE CHILDREN ENJOYED MAKING THEM! WE HOPE YOU ENJOY THIS WONDERFUL VISUAL STORY AS MUCH AS WE DID.

SINCERELY,
THE STEVENS FAMILY

2008-03-03T10:04:00.000-05:00

March 3, 2008

Message From A Mom To Her Child....

I gave you life, but cannot live it for you.

I can give you directions, but I cannot be there to lead you.

I can take you to church, but I cannot make you believe.

I can buy you beautiful clothes,but I cannot make you beautiful inside.

I can give you love, but I cannot force it upon you.

I can teach you to share, but I cannot make you unselfish.

I can teach you respect, but I cannot force you to show honor.

I can advise you about friends, but cannot choose them for you.

I can advise you about sex, but I cannot keep you pure.

I can tell you about alcohol & drugs,but I cannot say "no" for you.

I can tell you about lofty goals, but I cannot achieve them for you.

I can teach you about kindness, but I cannot force you to be gracious.

I can pray for you, but I cannot make you walk with God.

I can tell you how to live, but I cannot give you eternal life.

I can love you with unconditional love all of my life.... and I will.

2008-02-27T10:14:00.000-05:00

February 27, 2008

Children's Bible in a Nutshell
A child was told to write a "book report" on the entire Bible. I wonder how often we take for granted that children understand what we are teaching??? Through the eyes of a child . . . .

In the beginning, which occurred near the start, there was nothing but God, darkness, and some gas. The Bible says, 'The Lord thy God is one, but I think He must be a lot older than that. Anyway, God said, 'Give me a light!' and someone did. Then God made the world.

He split the Adam and made Eve. Adam and Eve were naked, but they weren't embarrassed because mirrors hadn't been invented yet. Adam and Eve disobeyed God by eating one bad apple, so they were driven from the Garden of Eden. Not sure what they were driven in though, because they didn't have cars.

Adam and Eve had a son, Cain, who hated his broth er as long as he was Abel. Pretty soon all of the early people died off, except for Methuselah, who lived to be like a million or something.

One of the next important people was Noah, who was a good guy, but one of his kids was kind of a Ham. Noah built a large boat and put his family and some animals on it. He asked some other people to join him, but they said they would have to take a rain check.

After Noah came Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Jacob was more famous than his brother, Esau, because Esau sold Jacob his birthmark in exchange for some pot roast. Jacob had a son named Joseph who wore a really loud sports coat.

Another important Bible guy is Moses, whose real name was Charlton Heston. Moses led the Israel Lights out of Egypt and away from the evil Pharaoh after God sent ten plagues on Pharaoh's people. These plagues included frogs, mice, lice, bowels, and no cable. God fed the Israel Lights every day with manicotti.

Then he gave them His Top Ten Commandments. These include don't lie, cheat, smoke, dance, or covet your neighbor's stuff. Oh, yeah, I just thought of one more: Humor thy father and thy mother. One of Moses' best helpers was Joshua who was the first Bible guy to use spies. Joshua fought the battle of Geritol and the fence fell over on the town.

After Joshua came David He got to be king by killing a giant with a slingshot. He had a son named Solomon who had about 300 wives and 500 porcupines. My teacher says he was wise, but that doesn't sound very wise to me.

After Solomon there were a bunch of major league prophets. One of these was Jonah, who was swallowed by a big whale and then barfed upon the shore. There were also some minor league prophets, but I guess we don't have to worry about them.

After the Old Testament came the New Testament. Jesus is the star of the New Testament. He was born in Bethlehem in a barn. (I wish I had been born in a barn, too, because my mom is always saying to me, 'Close the door! Were you born in a barn?' It would be nice to say, 'As a matter of fact, I was.')

During His life, Jesus had many arguments with sinners like the Pharisees and the Republicans. Jesus also had twelve opossums. The worst one was Judas Asparagus. Judas was so evil that they named a terrible vegetable after him.

Jesus was a great man. He healed many leopards and even preached to some Germans on the Mount. But the Republicans and all those guys put Jesus on trial before Pontius the Pilot. Pilot didn't stick up for Jesus. He just washed his hands instead.

Any way's, Jesus died for our sins, then came back to life again. He went up to Heaven but will be back at the end of the Aluminum. His return is foretold in the book of Revolution.

2008-02-21T10:17:00.000-05:00

pick of the week for February 22, 2008

What is Within Your Clay Pot?

In the ancient world, pots made of clay were used to store

treasures—from documents to precious jewels. But jars of clay

were also used for far less noble purposes. There was no difference

between a pot that was used to hold gold and a pot that was used

for human waste.

The pot itself has no intrinsic value. It’s just a cheap, breakable,

replaceable container. The only worth a clay pot has is the worth of

what is contained inside it. Just as the power is not in the container

but in what it contains, the power is not in who you are but in whose

you are. The power is not in what you can do, but in the One who can

do all things through you.

Written by
Michael Youssef, Ph.D.

2008-02-12T10:41:00.000-05:00

February 12, 2008

The Ben L. Smith High School Gospel Choir is one of 12 high school choirs chosen to perform in the 2008 International Gospel Choir Olympics on Feb. 15 in New York City for a weekend gospel competition.

But those students and their choir director are still $2,000 short of expenses. Their choir director is Deon Clark and is a Smith graduate.

My "Something to ponder" today is what can you do to help make sure these students get the opportunity to Praise God and enjoy this honor that's been given to them.

Checks should be made out to Ben L. Smith High School Gospel Choir and can be dropped off at the school’s office, 2407 S. Holden Road, or picked up by calling 254-6502.

I'm sure each and every one of them would tell you Thank You for your help!

2008-02-08T10:46:00.001-05:00

Pick of the Week

February 8, 2008

The Mommy Test

I was out walking with my 4 year old daughter. She picked up something off the ground and started to put it in her mouth. I took the item away from her and I asked her not to do that. Why?" my daughter asked.

"Because it's been on the ground, you don't know where it's been, it's dirty and probably has germs" I replied. At this point, my daughter looked at me with total admiration and asked, Mommy, how do you know all this stuff?"

"Uh," I was thinking quickly. "All moms know this stuff. It's on the Mommy Test. You have to know it, or they don't let you be a Mommy"

We walked along in silence for 2 or 3 minutes, but she was evidently pondering this new information.

"OH...I get it!" she beamed. "So if you don't pass the test you have to be the daddy."

"EXACTLY," I replied back with a big smile on my face and joy in my heart.

When you're finished laughing, send this to a Mom.

2008-02-05T10:06:00.000-05:00

February 4, 2008

Signs You Have a Cheap HMO Plan

Directions to the doctor's office include, "Take a left when you enter the trailer park."

When you enter the office, you see a dispenser with the sign "PLEASE TAKE A NUMBER."

Tongue depressors taste faintly of Fudgesicles.

The only psychiatrist in the plan is nicknamed "Joe the bartender."

The only item listed under Preventive Care feature of coverage is, "An apple a day."

Your "primary care physician" is wearing pants you gave to Goodwill last month.

"Patient responsible for 200% of out-of-network charges" is not a misprint.

The only expense covered 100% is embalming.

Your pills come in different colors with "M" on them.

And the number one sign you've joined a cheap HMO....

Your prescription for anti-depressant medication: A coupon for a double espresso at Starbucks.

2008-01-31T10:14:00.000-05:00

January 31, 2008

IMAGES OF MOTHER

4 years of age: -My mommy can do anything!

8 years of age: -My mom knows a lot! A whole lot!

12 years of age: -My mother doesn't really know quite everything.

14 years of age: -Naturally, mother doesn't know that, either.

16 years of age: -Mother? She's hopelessly old-fashioned.

18 years of age: -That old woman? She's way out of date!

25 years of age: -Well, she might know a little bit about it.

35 years of age: -Before we decide, let's get mom's opinion.

45 years of age: -Wonder what mom would have thought about it?

65 years of age: -Wish I could talk it over with mom....

2008-01-29T10:42:00.000-05:00

January 29, 2008

I Forgot My Security System

A horrible thing happened to me today. A thief broke into my house. It happened shortly after I awoke this morning. I got up and began rushing about. I had a thousand things on my list and was already running behind. Quickly, I gulped down breakfast, took a shower and got ready for work. In my rush, I forgot to turn the security system on at my house. It was just about a half an hour later that the thief broke in.

Of course, he didn't make a sound. Just kind of snuck inside, not drawing any attention to himself. In fact, none of the neighbors ever saw him. But, I did. You see, I WAS HOME when the thief broke in. He naturally startled me, as I was unprepared for his visit. He, of course, didn't announce that he was coming and I certainly had not invited him over. And yet, I found myself face to face with danger and I felt so powerless. I also felt so very stupid, because this whole incident could have been avoided if I had just taken the time to turn the security system on. You better believe I'll be turning it on tomorrow morning! I thought I'd warn you about this guy, because he's still on the loose.

Chances are, he's in your area. Possibly even headed for your house. His name? Satan.

You see, this morning when I jumped up in my haste to get started on my busy day, I skipped my prayer time ~ opting to "pray later today." In other words, I DIDN'T TURN ON THE SECURITY SYSTEM. My defense wasn't on, my guard was dropped . . . and when the thief came into my home to attack me, I was unprepared to do battle. He tempted me and I felt powerless. Like I said, I also felt so very stupid, because I could have avoided the incident if I had just taken the time to pray.

My friend, the thief has come to "steal, kill and destroy." And, as a Child of God, you are on his "hit list." He'll probably pop over to your house today. He may be lurking outside your door right now, just waiting to catch you off guard. Take time to pray in the morning. Ask God to protect you and empower you to do battle. In short, don't forget to turn your security system on.

2008-01-28T11:28:00.001-05:00

January 28, 2008

Five Balls

Imagine life as a game in which you are juggling some five balls in the air. You name them - Work - Family - Health - Friends - Spirit, and you're keeping all of these in the air.

You will soon understand that work is a rubber ball. If you drop it, it will bounce back. But the other four balls -- family, health, friends and spirit are made of glass. If you drop one of these, they will be irrevocably scuffed, marked, nicked, damaged or even shattered.

They will never be the same. You must understand that and strive for balance in your life. How?

Don't undermine your worth by comparing yourself with others. It is because we are different that each of us is special.

Don't set your goals by what other people deem important. Only you know what is best for you.

Don't take for granted the things closest to your heart. Cling to them as you would your life, for without them, life is meaningless.

Don't let your life slip through your fingers by living in the past or for the future. By living your life one day at a time, you live ALL the days of your life.

Don't give up when you still have something to give. Nothing is really over until the moment you stop trying.

Don't be afraid to admit that you are less than perfect. It is this fragile thread that binds us together.

Don't be afraid to encounter risks It is by taking chances that we learn how to be brave.

Don't shut love out of your life by saying it's impossible to find. The quickest way to receive love is to give; the fastest way to lose love is to hold it too tightly; and the best way to keep love is to give it wings.

Don't run through life so fast that you forget not only where you've been, but also where you are going.

Don't forget that a person's greatest emotional need is to feel appreciated.

Don't be afraid to learn. Knowledge is weightless, a treasure you can always carry easily.

Don't use time or words carelessly. Neither can be retrieved.