Happy Tuesday

Guard My Life
Guard my life, for I am devoted to you. You are my God; save your servant who trusts in you. Psalm 86:2

A group of botanists went on an expedition into a remote area in the Alps. They were searching for new species of flowers. As one of the scientists looked through his binoculars, he saw a rare, beautiful species growing at the bottom of a deep ravine.

To reach it, someone small would have to be lowered into the gorge. The scientist noticed a local young boy standing nearby and asked him if he would help them retrieve the flower. He told the boy a rope would be tied around his waist and the men would then lower him to the floor of the canyon.

The boy was excited about the new adventure and quickly agreed. But as he peered into the chasm while the rope was being tied to his waist, he shouted, “Wait! I'll be right back.” He ran off and returned shortly with another man.

The boy said to the head botanist, “I'll go over the cliff now and get the flower for you. But this man must hold on to the rope that will lower me down. He's my dad!”

The Bible says, “It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in man” (Psalm 118:8). You are never to put your complete faith in mankind— including your pastor, Bible study teacher, or closest loved ones. Put your trust only in the Lord for He'll never fail you.

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding” (Proverbs 3:5). When you face scary situations in life, remember that your Father in Heaven is there to hold on to you. Put your faith in Him to protect you from harm.

PRAYER CHALLENGE: Ask the Lord to hold on to the rope tied to your waist. Trust that your Father above will keep you safe no matter what.



Daily Smile:
The driving instructor was giving lessons to an extremely nervous student who panicked whenever another car approached on a particular two-lane road. One day, however, they got to the same stretch of road; and the student remained completely calm.

“This time you’re doing fine!” exclaimed the instructor. “Yes,” the novice driver agreed.

“Now when I see another car coming, I shut my eyes.”

In The News:
Obama Administration May Ask Supreme Court to Overturn Prop 8
The Obama administration is considering asking the Supreme Court to overturn California's Proposition 8, the voter approved-measure that defined marriage in the state as only between a man and a woman, CBN News reports. President Obama raised expectations for gay marriage supporters last month when he declared during his inaugural address that gays and lesbians must be treated like anyone else under the law. The administration has one week to file a "friend of the court" brief, and while an administration brief alone is unlikely to sway the Supreme Court, the government's opinion does carry weight with the justices.

8th-Grader Told to Cover Abstinence-Promoting T-Shirt
A Florida eighth-grader says she was told by school staff to change her abstinence-promoting T-shirt because it was "inappropriate," Fox 35 Orlando reports. Summer Schreiner, 15, had gotten the T-shirt with the words "Don't drink and park... accidents cause kids" the night before from a Christian conference called The Silver Ring Thing, a gathering held in cities around the country during which teenagers pledge to remain abstinent until marriage. Summer said she was asked by the assistant principal during school to remove her shirt. "I was pretty upset," she said. "I thought it was silly. It's not like I was wearing a curse word or something that was promoting violence. IT's the shirt I got at a conference that is something that is very important to me." Summer's mother, Angela Hogan, said: "They actually had her take off the shirt and put on a T-shirt the school issues for inappropriate dress. And the shirt they had her put on says 'Tomorrow I will dress for success.' This is what upsets her more. It was really humiliating for her, because she came dressed for success." Hogan spoke with school administrators, but they are standing by their decision. "This is not a situation of whether or not the district agrees or disagrees with sexual abstinence among teenagers," said Michele Irwin, director of communications for the school district. "It's about the fact there is sexual innuendo on the shirt, and so we believe it violated our dress code policy."