Take my Son.....

A wealthy man and his son loved to collect rare works of art. They had everything in their collection, from Picasso to Raphael. They would often sit together and admire the great works of art.. 

When the Vietnam conflict broke out, the son went to war. He was very courageous and died in battle while rescuing another soldier. The father was notified and grieved deeply for his only son.  About a month later, just before Christmas, there was a knock at the door. A young man stood at the door with a large package in his hands..

He said, 'Sir, you don't know me, but I am the soldier for whom your son gave his life. He saved many lives that day, and he was carrying me to safety when a bullet struck him in the heart and he died instantly... He often talked about you, and your love for art.' The young man held out this package. 'I know this isn't much. I'm not really a great artist, but I think your son would have wanted you to have this.'

The father opened the package. It was a portrait of his son, painted by the young man. He stared in awe at the way the soldier had captured the personality of his son in the painting. The father was so drawn to the eyes that his own eyes welled up with tears.. He thanked the young man and offered to pay him for the picture.. 'Oh, no sir, I could never repay what your son did for me. It's a gift.'

The father hung the portrait over his mantle. Every time visitors came to his home he took them to see the portrait of his son before he showed them any of the other great works he had collected.

The man died a few months later. There was to be a great auction of his paintings. Many influential people gathered, excited over seeing the great paintings and having an opportunity to purchase one for their collection. On the platform sat the painting of the son. The auctioneer pounded his gavel. 'We will start the bidding with this picture of the son. Who will bid for this picture?'  There was silence...


Then a voice in the back of the room shouted, 'We want to see the famous paintings. Skip this one.'

But the auctioneer persisted. 'Will somebody bid for this painting? Who will start the bidding? $100, $200?'

Another voice angrily. 'We didn't come to see this painting. We came to see the Van Gogh's, the Rembrandts. Get on with the Real bids!'

But still the auctioneer continued. 'The son! The son! Who'll take the son?'

Finally, a voice came from the very back of the room. It was the longtime gardener of the man and his son. 'I'll give $10 for the painting...' Being a poor man, it was all he could afford.

'We have $10, who will bid $20?'

'Give it to him for $10. Let's see the masters.'

The crowd was becoming angry. They didn't want the picture of the son.

They wanted the more worthy investments for their collections.

The auctioneer pounded the gavel.. 'Going once, twice, SOLD for $10!'

A man sitting on the second row shouted, 'Now let's get on with the collection!'

The auctioneer laid down his gavel. 'I'm sorry, the auction is over.'

'What about the paintings?'

'I am sorry. When I was called to conduct this auction, I was told of a secret stipulation in the will... I was not allowed to reveal that stipulation until this time. Only the painting of the son would be auctioned. Whoever bought that painting would inherit the entire estate, including the paintings. The man who took the son gets everything!'

God gave His son 2,000 years ago to die on the cross. Much like the auctioneer, His message today is: 'The son, the son, who'll take the son?' Because, you see, whoever takes the Son gets everything.

FOR GOD SO LOVED THE WORLD HE GAVE HIS ONLY BEGOTTEN SON, WHO SO EVER BELIEVETH, SHALL HAVE ETERNAL LIFE...

THAT'S LOVE 

Daily Smile:

During a visit to the retirement home, I asked the director, "How do you determine whether or not a person should be institutionalized?" 

"Well," said the Director, "We fill up a bathtub, and then we offer a teaspoon, a teacup and a bucket to the patient and ask him or her to empty the bathtub." 

"Oh, I understand," I said. "A normal person would use the bucket because it's bigger than the spoon or the teacup." 

The Director responded “No, a normal person would pull the plug. Would you like a room with a window?”

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Sudden Storms

"He alone is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will never be shaken." Psalm 62:2, NIV

Here in Scotland we’re famous for many things. One is the amazingly dramatic weather changes we can experience in a short space of time. There have been many times when I’ve set off from home in t-shirt and sunglasses for a quick shopping trip, only to have the heavens open and rain thunder down on me, soaking me right through. But if I take my water-proof jacket with me, when the weather turns, I’m ready and prepared. Walking in the rain still isn’t necessarily pleasant, but it isn’t so terrible either.

And that’s how life is. Life can throw things at us so suddenly that it shakes us up. It may be a traumatic event, a harsh word, a shocking discovery, an accident or any number of things that you just can’t see coming. It shakes your security. It changes the direction of your life in a day, (or even a single moment).

Just as I need to have my protective coat with me at all times (even when I think I don’t need to), we need to be in the protection of God at all times. We need to know that whatever turmoil may come our way, He is there to give us protection, security and peace. As the rain washes over my protective jacket, so can the turmoil that rages around us, when we’re steady on our Rock.

This doesn’t make us immune to bad things happening to us; just as wearing a coat doesn’t make the rain stop falling. It may not be an enjoyable experience, but we can work through the turmoil knowing that God will keep us safe to the end.

So let’s set our foot on the Rock of our Salvation and enjoy the security and protection of knowing, whatever happens, He will always protect us - as long as we allow Him to.

Prayer: Father God, You’re the rock of my salvation and my protection in times of trial and trouble. I ask You to help me live my life under Your protection, (even when I think I am safe). In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Today's Writer : Lindsey Hanekom 

Daily Smile:

At New York's Kennedy airport today an individual was arrested, and later determined to be a public school teacher, trying to board a flight while in possession of a ruler, a protractor, a slide rule, and a calculator.

Home Land Security believes the man is a member of the notorious Al-gebra movement. The man was being charged with carrying weapons of math instruction. "Al-gebra is a very fearsome movement, indeed", the Home Land Security reported. "They desire average solutions by means and extremes, and sometimes go off on a tangents in a search of absolute value.

"They consist of shadowy figures, with names like "x" and "y", and, although they are frequently referred to as "unknowns", we know they really belong to a common denominator and are part of the axis of medieval with coordinates in every country. "As the great Greek philanderer Isosceles used to say, there are three sides to every triangle."

The Office of Homeland Security commented, "If God had wanted us to have better weapons of math instruction, he would have given us more fingers and toes."


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The Ultimate Sacrifice

For God loved the world in this way: He gave His One and Only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16, HCSB

On a trip to South Asia I visited an area where the gospel was spreading rapidly. People would come to the missionary and say, “We heard you are telling about a religion that provides the forgiveness of sins.” When the missionary told them of God’s love and His Son’s sacrifice for their sins, they readily responded.

I asked, “Before you heard of Jesus Christ dying for you, what would you do about your sins?” They explained they knew their wrong actions had something to do with what happened to them when they died. They recalled how they would make sacrifices to the spirits, but went on to say, “We never had assurance our sins were forgiven until we heard of a God who loved us and sacrificed His Son for our sins.”

People all over the world make sacrifices to gods they don’t know. They diligently carry out religious devotion in hopes of getting to heaven. But the sacrifice of the sinless Son of God is the only means by which we can be saved.

The wonderful thing is His payment for sin is for everyone everywhere who Father, thank You that “whosoever” includes me.

Daily Smile:

Over breakfast one morning, a woman said to her husband, "I bet you don't know what day this is."

"Of course I do," he indignantly answered, going out the door on his way the office.

At 10 AM, the doorbell rang, and when the woman opens the door, she was handed a box containing a dozen long-stemmed red roses. At 1 PM, a foil-wrapped, two pound box of her favorite chocolates arrive. Later, a  boutique delivered a designer dress. The woman shouldn’t wait for her husband to come home. "First the flowers, then the candy, and then the dress!" she exclaimed. "I've never spent a more wonderful Groundhog Day in my whole life!'

Editor's Note:

     Which, by the way, is one of my favorite movies to watch... Imagine getting to live a day over and over again until you got it right... 
     Unfortunately, life does not follow movies, either you are saved or not... Please be sure...

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Alone, No One Cares

As apostles of Christ we could have been a burden to you, but we were gentle among you, like a mother caring for her little children. We loved you so much that we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well, because you had become so dear to us. --1 Thessalonians 2:6-8

From 1986 to 1990, Frank Reed was held hostage in a Lebanon cell. For months at a time, he was blindfolded, living in complete darkness, and chained to a wall, kept in absolute silence.

Reed was beaten, made ill, and tormented, but he felt the most hopeless because it seemed that no one cared. He said in an interview with Time magazine, "Nothing I did mattered to anyone. I began to realize how withering it is to exist with not a single expression of caring around [me]....I learned one overriding fact: caring is a powerful force. If no one cares, you are truly alone."

Christians are never truly alone because we are fortunate to have God's gracious watch care over our lives, as well as that of the Church. This type of caring can provide the strength needed for a believer to endure anything.

Do you know someone who feels as though no one cares for them? Can you think of a few people right now who are living in loneliness? We have been called as believers to minister to those who are lonely. And in turn, we never have to be lonely because there are other believers who will care for us.

Remember the promise of Jesus: "I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me" (Matthew 25:40).

PRAYER CHALLENGE: 
Ask the Lord to open the doors of opportunity for you to pour out love, care, and concern for someone who needs it, just as Jesus did.

Daily Smile:

His father sends a small boy to bed. Five minutes later....

"Da-ad...." 

"What?" "I'm thirsty. Can you bring drink of water?" "No. You had your chance. Lights out."

Five minutes later: "Da-aaaad....."

"WHAT?"

"I'm THIRSTY. Can I have a drink of water??"

"I told you NO!" If you ask again, I'll have to spank you!!"

Five minutes later......"Daaaa-aaaad....."

"WHAT!"

"When you come in to spank me, can you bring a drink of water?"

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The Training Ground of God

"Praise be to the Lord my Rock, who trains my hands for war, my fingers for battle." - Psalm 144:1 

David was a man skilled in war. From his days as a shepherd boy to the days of serving in Saul's army to leading his own army, David learned to be a skillful warrior. How does one become a skillful warrior? 

The only way one can become a skillful warrior is to be trained and placed in the middle of the battle. It is only when we are placed in the furnace of battle that we truly learn to fight the real battles. Practice doesn't make you battle ready. War games won't prepare you for facing your real enemy in the battlefield. The stark reality of being in  the midst of the battle makes us effective warriors. 

Simply reading your Bible will not make you a warrior for the Kingdom. Knowledge without experience is mere folly. Only when you are placed in situations where there is nothing or no one who can save you but God will you learn the lessons of warrior faith. This is the training ground of God, which will make you into a soldier for Christ in the workplace. Consider it to be suicidal faith - faith that says I want to be dead to anything that keeps me from fulfilling God's purposes for my life. It is when your efforts can do nothing to change your circumstance and you are at the mercy of God. These are the real training grounds of God. Do not shrink back from the battle that God may be leading you to today. It may be a training ground that is necessary for the calling He has on your life.

If you can trust Him in these times, you'll know that you have gained a faith that will move mountains and will sustain you in the most difficult of circumstances. "Praise be to the Lord my Rock, who trains my hands for war, my fingers for battle." 

Daily Smile:
That’s Politics
    During a terrible storm, all the highway signs were covered with snow. The following spring, the state decided to raise all the signs twelve inches at a cost of six million dollars. “That’s an outrageous price!” said a local farmer, “but I guess we’re lucky the state handled it instead of the federal government.” “Why’s that?”

    “Because knowing the federal government, they’d decided to lower the highways.”

Foodie Friday:

Sweet And Sour Chicken Egg Rolls by Jen

Just when you thought chicken egg rolls couldn’t get any better – enter sweet and sour chicken egg rolls!   These homemade egg rolls are the most delicious appetizer or meal and the best way to eat sweet and sour chicken!  These chicken egg rolls can be baked or fried, are freezer friendly and the filling is made extra fast with your food processor – no hand veggie chopping! 

Chicken egg rolls we kind of have a thing for egg rolls at our house.  From sesame chicken to egg rolls,  to southwest egg rolls, to Philly cheese steak egg rolls – hands down everything tastes better cocooned in a crispy, crunchy shell – and these sweet and sour chicken egg rolls are no exception!

Because these aren’t just chicken egg rolls but sweet and sour chicken egg rolls.  They remind me of fried crispy Chinese wontons with sweet and sour sauce but with the added bonus of sweet and sour chicken filling.

They consist of stir fried chicken and vegetables that get enveloped in outrageously delicious sweet and sour sauce – so the filling is crazy delicious all on its own but becomes exponentially delicious as we wrap it in an egg roll wrapper and dunk it in more sweet and sour sauce.

In other words, the best chicken egg rolls ever!

What Goes In Egg Rolls?

The filling for these Chinese chicken egg rolls is a combination of:

• Chicken

• Onions

• Garlic

• Snow peas

• Carrots

• Broccoli

• Bean sprouts

• Red bell pepper

• Canned pineapple chunks

To make this chicken egg roll filling extra easy, I use a pre-assembled package of stir fried vegetables with snow peas, carrots, broccoli, and bean sprouts.  This adds variety to the chicken egg rolls but you can also hand pick your favorite vegetables if you prefer, just be sure they equal 12 oz.

Can you use pork instead of chicken?

Yes!  You may substitute the chicken for an equal amount of lean pork.  Be sure to drain your pork of excess grease so the filling doesn’t become soggy which will cause your egg roll wrappers to tear.

How Do You Make Vegetarian Egg Rolls?

You can transform this chicken egg rolls into vegetarian egg rolls by substituting the chicken for extra firm tofu or your favorite plant-based protein, or add mushrooms or increase the volume of vegetables.

How To Make Egg Rolls

Step 1 –  sweet and sour sauce:  to make these easy yet tantalizing chicken egg rolls, start by making the sweet and sour sauce by whisking the the ingredients together and simmering until slightly thickened.  I used my sweet and sour sauce recipe from my baked sweet and sour chicken which has a gazillion positive reviews because it is way better than takeout which means so are these chicken egg rolls!

Step 2 – stir fry:  next, stir fry chicken, onions, pineapple and a medley of stir fry vegetables until crisp tender then stir in some of the sweet and sour sauce to infuse it with outrageously delicious flavor.

Step 3 – chop chicken and vegetables: next, add chicken and vegetables to your food processor and pulse until finely chopped (about 12 pulses).  This is my secret shortcut method i use in all my egg roll recipes, my potstickers and wonton soup recipe because it creates the perfect consistency without any hand chopping in seconds!  If you don’t have a food processor, you can certainly chop by hand.

For Additional Info:

http://carlsbadcravings.com/sweet-and-sour-chicken-egg-rolls-recipe/?fbclid=IwAR2TycK3QC6WupYft8ryPkf0u2d6AtjWaXpphppa74-i30SDKBUEcTL4Mxs

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