Happy Thursday

Love Means Listen 
After the reading from the Law and the Prophets, the synagogue rulers sent word to them, saying, "Brothers, if you have a message of encouragement for the people, please speak." Standing up, Paul motioned with his hand and said: "Men of Israel and you Gentiles who worship God, listen to me!" - Acts 13:15-16

How do you feel when you make a phone call, and a recorded voice answers and asks you to leave a message at the sound of the beep? Or when your phone conversation is interrupted by call waiting, and your party asks you to hold while he sees if this call is more important than yours?

What we really want is to have someone listen to us as if they care. You know what I mean. You call long-distance to the Apex Washer, Dryer, and Ironing Board Company. You call and call, and finally get through. An operator says, "Hold, please." After a long wait, the operator comes on the line again and says, "May I help you?" So you tell the person you'd like to speak to Mr. Green. "Who's calling?" You give your name. "Hold, please." Finally you get Mr. Green's office. "May I speak to Mr. Green?"

"I'm sorry, he's away from his desk. May I take a message?"

Sound familiar? Think about that in light of God's remarkable promise in Jeremiah 33:3: "Call to me and I will answer you." No hold buttons. No busy signals. Never an interruption by someone more important than you. You have His attention every day, all day, day and night. Because God loves you, He pays attention to you. He listens when you talk to Him.

Friend, that's the example for us with our families. When your child calls, answer. When your spouse wants to talk after you're home from work, talk. And listen! It takes such little effort, and it pays such big dividends.

Prayer
Lord, thank You for inviting me to talk to You about everything. Give me keen ears to hear Your response. Amen.

God's ear is always open to the person who seeks Him. 

It Is Well With My Soul

1. When peace, like a river, attendeth my way, 
 when sorrows like sea billows roll; 
 whatever my lot, thou hast taught me to say, 
 It is well, it is well with my soul. 
Refrain:
 It is well with my soul, 
 it is well, it is well with my soul. 

2. Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come, 
 let this blest assurance control, 
 that Christ has regarded my helpless estate, 
 and hath shed his own blood for my soul. 
 (Refrain) 

3. My sin, oh, the bliss of this glorious thought! 
 My sin, not in part but the whole, 
 is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more, 
 praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul! 
 (Refrain) 

4. And, Lord, haste the day when my faith shall be sight, 
 the clouds be rolled back as a scroll; 
 the trump shall resound, and the Lord shall descend, 
 even so, it is well with my soul. 
 (Refrain) 

Editor's Note:
Speakers were not working when I pick this song... 
A little loud for me, but some may enjoy... 
Happy Thursday...
Richard

Daily Smile:
When a woman got married she put a shoebox in the closet and told her husband not to open it. After over 50 years of marriage she was dying and told him to open the box. When he opened it there were 2 doilies and $85,000.00 He ask why this was in the box. 

She replied “when I got married my mother told me to crochet a doily every time I got mad at you. 

He smile thinking she was only mad twice and ask what the $85,000.00 was. 

She replied that's the money from selling the doilies.

In The News:

Libya Releases Four Egyptian Christians from Prison
Libya released four Egyptian Christians from prison on Thursday, the ICC reports. The prisoners had spent more than a month in jail, accused of proselytizing. Egypt’s state news agency MENA said the authorities dropped the charges. The release comes after Egypt extradited two members of our Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi’s regime earlier in the month. Last month, Egyptian judicial sources told Reuters Egypt was seeking to swap the Libyans with the Egyptian Copts. Libya’s small Christian community has expressed fears over Islamist extremism as the government struggles to impose its authority over armed groups. Christians there are persecuted by both the government and radical Islamists.

Philadelphia Abortion Clinic: Workers Recount Horrors
Dr. Kermit Gosnell has been charged with killing a female patient and seven babies allegedly born alive at his abortion clinic in inner-city Philadelphia, CBN reports. If convicted, he could face the death penalty. In a case that has gone virtually unreported by major media outlets, eight former employees have already pleaded guilty, some to third-degree murder. They've testified about the bizarre and often chaotic practices at the clinic, including some of the horrific things they witnessed. One employee said she saw aborted babies move at least twice. Another said she snipped the spines of at least 10 babies. Gosnell's former lawyer, Bill Brennan, says the trial will take some time. "Between the death penalty, length of service and the abortion issue -- yeah, and when you factor in that it got international attention when it broke, it's going be a long, difficult process," Brennan said.

In New Budget, Obama Cuts Abstinence Education Funds
In the budget he delivered yesterday to Capitol Hill, President Barack Obama axed funds for sexual risk avoidance (SRA) education, even though research shows these programs can help curb the spread of sexually transmitted diseases, WORLD reports. The president also redirected funds away from avoidance education and towards sex-ed programs that emphasize contraception. In a statement, the National Abstinence Education Association (NAEA) said moving the money violates a 2010 congressional mandate to give states $50 million in Title V grants for SRA education. Currently, the ratio of federal funding for contraceptive-based sex education and abstinence-based programs is 16:1, respectively. Opponents of abstinence education criticize it as unrealistic and ineffective, assuming teens will choose to be sexually active. Consequently, they advocate for “safe sex” education instead.
But SRA programs teach students more than just the wisdom of abstinence. They also learn other practical skills, like how to identify healthy relationships, avoid unwanted sexual advances, avoid STDs, and understand contraception. Since the president delivered his budget more than two months late, it isn’t clear how significantly it will affect the legislative process.