Happy Monday

1st John 3:6 

Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not: whosoever sinneth hath not seen him, neither known him.

 

Our verse today teaches about sin and sinners. This is a topic many of our churches avoid. The modern churches stress “do good and feel good”, and, sometimes they will throw in something about social issues they don’t like.

 

There are two types of sinners. First, there are those that sin willfully. Then there are those that sin through ignorance. The newly saved and the young Christians can sin because they didn’t know better. It is their responsibility to study their Bible to learn about how live. It is our, the older ones is Christ, to live and teach Christian living as an example before this younger generation.

 

The first group, those that say they are saved but continue to willfully sin, cast doubt upon their salvation. They doubt it, and, so does others.

 

 Christian friends, don’t doubt your salvation, rather, trust in it. 

 

God Bless;

Walter D. Hill D. Min.
P.O. Box 235
LaGrange, Ga. 30241
e-mail= hill.walter19@yahoo.com

 

Daily Smile:

A guy walking down a street one afternoon passes an old man sitting on the side of the road with a large sack.

The younger guy says to the old man, "Watcha got in the sack?"

The old man responds, "I got some monkeys in that there sack."

The younger man asks, "If I guess how many monkeys you got in the sack, can I keep one?"

The old man replies, "Son, if you guess how many monkeys I got in this sack, I'll give you both of 'em!"

 

O How I Love JESUS

1. There is a name I love to hear, 
 I love to sing its worth; 
 it sounds like music in my ear, 
 the sweetest name on earth.  
Refrain:
 O how I love Jesus, 
 O how I love Jesus, 
 O how I love Jesus, 
 because he first loved me!

2. It tells me of a Savior's love, 
 who died to set me free; 
 it tells me of his precious blood, 
 the sinner's perfect plea.
 (Refrain)

3. It tells of one whose loving heart 
 can feel my deepest woe; 
 who in each sorrow bears a part 
 that none can bear below.
 (Refrain)

Happy Sunday

Becoming
(by Alan Smith)

The famous actor Gregory Peck was once standing in line with a friend, waiting for a table in a crowded Los Angeles restaurant. They had been waiting for some time, the diners seemed to be taking their time eating and new tables weren't opening up very fast. They weren't even that close to the front of the line. Peck's friend became impatient, and he said to Gregory Peck, "Why don't you tell the maitre d' who you are?"

Gregory Peck responded, "No, if you have to tell them who you are, then you aren't."

There's a great deal of wisdom in that statement. There's a big difference in who we think we are, who others think we are, and who we really are. Someone has well said that, "Reputation is who others think we are. Character is who we really are." As Christians, we ought to be more concerned with character than with reputation. Christianity is more than just knowing the right facts. It's more than going through the right motions. It begins in the heart; it's who we are.

There is a continual process of growing and adding Christ-like virtues to our lives. Peter wrote, "Add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love." (2 Peter 1:5-8). We never stop "becoming"; it's an ongoing process. There's always something positive to add to our lives, always something negative to try to get rid of.

We have different ways of measuring growth. When Sueanne and I would take our children to see the pediatrician, the nurse would always check their height and weight. Then that information was written onto a chart that gave us a picture of how they were growing. When we get to be adults, we measure our growth by whether or not we can fit into last year's pants.

But how does a person measure his growth in Christianity? In Ephesians 4:15-16, Paul says, "...but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into him who is the head -- Christ -- from whom the whole body...causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love." Paul says that it's time for us to grow up, it's time for us to mature. But what is the goal of our growth? Jesus Christ is!

My favorite picture of the growth of Christianity is found in 2 Corinthians 3:18: "But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord." Paul says it's as if we're holding a mirror in our left hand, and a picture of Christ in our right hand. Now when we look in the mirror and see our reflection, and we then we look at Christ, they don't look much alike. But every day as we mature, we grow up, we become more like Christ, striving for the day when we look in the mirror and see the reflection of Jesus Christ.

Knowledge, conduct, and character must always go together. We learn God's will so that we might obey it; and in obeying it, we serve him and grow in Christian character. While none of us is perfectly balanced in these three areas, we ought to strive for that balance.

May God bless you as you seek to "know" His will better, "do" more in service to Him, and "become" more like Jesus Christ!

Happy Saturday

Be Thankful

Be thankful that you don't already have everything you desire.

If you did, what would there be to look forward to?

 

Be thankful when you don't know something,

for it gives you the opportunity to learn.

 

Be thankful for the difficult times.

During those times you grow.

 

Be thankful for your limitations,

because they give you opportunities for improvement.

 

Be thankful for each new challenge,

because it will build your strength and character.

 

Be thankful for your mistakes.

They will teach you valuable lessons.

 

Be thankful when you're tired and weary,

because it means you've made a difference.

 

It's easy to be thankful for the good things.

A life of rich fulfillment comes to those who are also thankful for the setbacks.

 

Gratitude can turn a negative into a positive.

Find a way to be thankful for your troubles, and they can become your blessings.

 

~ Helen Dowd

Happy Friday

“A day has been well spent,

when you include God in all you did”

Too often in Christianity, that’s about all that God gets. Weekend Visitations. So often we treat God as our divorced father, one who has weekend custody. Yet, with weekend custody we only wish to give our father a couple of hours on Sunday, because we have other things to do. Once a week is all some think about Him. Many Christians only visit, or call on God when there is trouble, hard times, barriers, or when they are seeking answers. Simply put, God is asking for full custody not temporary visitation to fit our needs.  Typically children from broken families, foster homes, or divorce yearn for a relationship, love, comfort and affection from parents not just an occasional timed scheduled event. This is the same guardianship God longs to have with His children. More often than not the root cause for people shunning from relationships with God is lack of desire, time or the belief of solving one’s own problems. Believing that an occasional prayer and thanksgiving is all that is needed to have a relationship is far from the truth. These warped thoughts drive a wedge deeper between God and His children.  The question we ask our selves can’t be; “What would I like to do, but heavenly Father what would you have me to do?” The dying words of Paul reflect a Christian who had given full custody of himself to Jesus. Sadly enough, we are in a spiritual custody battle between satan and our heavenly Father. The Good thing is, we have the right to choose who we want to live with eternally. It’s our call do we want just weekend visitations or can we let go and allow God full custody of our life?

Daily Smile:
A family of skunks was trapped in a thicket, surrounded by a pack of hungry wolves that were edging even closer. The Mother skunk calmly instructed her young: "Quickly children, let's put our heads together!" After they obeyed, forming a circle, she continued, "Now—Let us spray!"

In The News:
Bullied Kids More Likely to Commit Crimes as Adults

People who were bullied throughout childhood and adolescence are more likely than others to engage in delinquent or criminal behavior later in life, a new study finds.

In the new research, scientists found that about 14 percent of those who reported suffering repeated bullying through their childhood and teenage years — up to 18 years of age — wound up serving time in prison as adults. In comparison, 6 percent of people who did not experience bullying ended up in prison.

"Most studies focus on a relatively narrow period of the life course, but I looked at victimization from birth to age 18 and then associated that with legal outcomes — whether they got involved with substance abuse, got arrested, convicted or were sent to incarceration," said Michael Turner, an associate professor in the department of criminal justice and criminology at the University of North Carolina, Charlotte.

In his analysis, Turner found that compared with nonbullied individuals, victims of bullying had higher rates of criminal conviction. More than 20 percent of those who were bullied throughout childhood and adolescence were convicted of crimes, compared with 11 percent of nonvictims. Sixteen percent of individuals who experienced childhood bullying, up to age 12, were convicted of crimes, with 13 percent of victims who were bullied during adolescence (from age 12 to 18) experiencing similar legal outcomes later in life. "But chronic victims — those who were bullied in childhood and adolescence — had the highest odds of adverse legal outcomes."

Turner presented the findings at the American Psychological Association's 121st Annual Convention.

Source: LiveScience

Happy Thursday

When You're a Run-Away Bride

Samantha Evilsizer

"I will fulfill my vows to the LORD in the presence of all his people." Psalm 116:14 (NIV)

As soon as the opening prayer ended, I knew I had to leave my wedding. Whispering a quick apology, I turned and ran.

My patent leather shoes burned rubber, leaving my soon-to-be groom in a cloud of confusion at the altar. Fast down the aisle where my father and I had just walked. Past the curious wedding guests. Straight to the powder room where my purse and coat were waiting.

I breathed a sigh of relief. There they were, my written vows, forgotten in the excitement of preparations.

I hurried back to Joshua waiting patiently for me at the altar. Facing the man I loved, we exchanged our vows.

It's not every day that a girl makes a lifelong commitment like that. But it is every day I get to carry one out. Not just to my husband, but to my God.

Sadly, although I made a vow to follow God years ago, there've been times when I've left my vows behind. I've been a run-away bride, leaving Jesus and my commitment to Him in the dust as I took off for what I thought were greener pastures.

The whole time, He waited patiently. Waited for me to return and say, "I will fulfill my vows to the LORD in the presence of all his people" (Psalm 116:14).

We can run all our lives, but we're never truly settled until we make and keep a lifelong pledge to the One to whom our heart truly belongs. In Him, we have all good things, including the gift of love—God's love.

As I read my marriage vows out loud at my wedding, I realized they were vows my heart needed to make to Christ as well. So I took the promises I made to my earthly husband, and re-addressed them to Jesus, as a covenant with my Savior, to record my heart's vows to Him:

There really is no place like home. I've come to know this with great certainty as my love for You, Jesus, has grown. You're my favorite place to be. That's because You are where I am most at home ... You are where my heart is settled, comforted and loved.

I vow to always keep You as my home base. To never stray emotionally, physically, or in my thoughts.

I vow to keep You as the center of my home. To seek You every day with all my heart, mind and soul, and to serve You with all that's within me.

I vow to keep my home clean from doubt, strife and unnecessary cares, and will fill it with believing the best about You, humility, and prayerfulness.

I vow to willingly submit to You as head of my life, to lean on You, and not be stubborn. And to allow You to serve me.

I vow to stay healthy and keep active, inviting You into my everyday activities.

I vow to dream and plan and pray for my future with You.

I vow to love mercy, act justly, and to walk humbly with You.

I vow to let You know every day just how very much I love and honor You. And to thank You for all the wonderful things about You that make You ... YOU!

If home is where the heart is, then my heart will always be with You.

I don't know where you stand with God right now ... how near or far you are. But I know from experience, the further away you are, the more lost you will feel. Today, let's run to Christ—and make or renew our vows to Him.

Lord, You alone are worthy of all my heart, soul, mind. Please help me keep my vows to You. In Jesus' Name, Amen
Daily Smile:
Doctor: What’s wrong with your bother?

Boy: He thinks he is a chicken.

Doctor: really? How long has this been going on?

Boy: Five years.

Doctor: Five years!

Boy: We would have brought him in earlier, but we needed the eggs.

In The News:
India: Five Women Missionaries Beaten Publicly for Sharing Gospel

Five women were beaten by a man in the Andhra Pradesh region of India while sharing about the love of Jesus in a public marketplace, Charisma News reports. Amazingly spared, they retreated to safety, thanking God for the honor of suffering for His sake. The women, all leaders in the Gospel for Asia-sponsored Women's Fellowship ministry, had been sharing with store owners and shoppers when one man demanded to know what they were doing. The assault began with a powerful slap to the face of one woman and continued to the others, one of whom was isolated and surrounded by five men. The women -- Bansari, Jaladhi, Kuyil, Sunita and Viveka -- were beaten on their faces, ears and heads. All reported that no bystanders came to their defense during the ordeal but they miraculously escaped from their multiple attackers and were delivered from further harm. "Jesus promised persecuting and hardships," said Daniel Punnose, vice president of GFA. "These young ladies see it worth facing the beatings in order to share the love of Christ. ... When we see young women publicly beaten for the faith, it tells us what the future holds in regards to persecution. Things will get worse, but the Lord is faithful in all things."

Happy Wednesday

Junk Closet Heart

Karen Ehman

"Who perceives his unintentional sins? Cleanse me from my hidden faults." Psalm 19:12 (HCSB)

Our basement furnace room is not a pretty sight right now. This out-of-the-way space is a catch-all place for off-season items and assorted memorabilia. To combat clutter and keep objects organized, we've purchased shelves and large plastic totes over the years to neatly house our family's stuff.

In my perfect plan, bins are labeled, shelves are stocked tidily with homemade canned goods, and holiday decorations nestle themselves neatly in our oh-so-organized furnace storage room. And truthfully, this is how it usually goes. Well, 82% percent of the time.

However, when we are not intentional to actually walk into the room and place items in the proper bin or situate them on their assigned shelf, we tend to revert to the open, drop, and shut method of organization: open the door, drop the item just inside the room, and shut the door tightly so that the accumulating pile of clutter is not visible from the adjacent family rec room.

The result is an unattractive pile of stuff that slowly grows and messes with my plan of an orderly storage room. When this occurs, I have to stop what I'm doing and carve out time to sort and situate the items back to their proper place.

At times my heart can become a catch-all for clutter and junk too. It is not my intent to have a messed-up heart that harbors incorrect attitudes or contaminated thoughts that eventually might lead to wrong actions or even unconfessed sin. However, when I am not intentional to put those thoughts and feelings in their proper place—under the authority of Christ—they can soon breed a bunch of unwanted and sinful "stuff" in my spirit that messes with God's plan for me to behave like His Son. And although the outside world may not see it, behind the door of my heart I know the junk pile is there.

For believers to keep this spiritual clutter at bay, we must make a regular habit of asking God to show us if we are collecting such unwanted attitudes, thoughts and issues.

Are we harboring anger, bitterness, envy or ill-will? Have we accumulated spiritual laziness or a love for something that is greater than our love for God?

Without putting these away soon by confessing them to God, we might end up with an unintentional pile of spiritual junk that often can lead to sins we never set out to commit. Hidden anger in our heart toward another becomes harshly hurled words. Secret envy morphs into gossip. Behind-the-scenes bitterness begets public bad behavior.

Let's make today's key verse our heart-cleaning plea, "Who perceives his unintentional sins? Cleanse me from my hidden faults." God is the Master de-clutterer who alone can help us deal with the messes we might make.

Let's allow Him to clean out the clutter of our hearts and make our spirits whole again. This is spiritual pile-busting at its very best.

Dear Lord, teach me to bring any unconfessed sins to You early so they do not pile up making a mess of my heart. I want to daily be more like Your Son. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Have Thy On Way LORD

Have Thine own way, Lord! Have Thine own way!
Thou art the Potter, I am the clay.
Mold me and make me after Thy will,
While I am waiting, yielded and still.

Have Thine own way, Lord! Have Thine own way!
Search me and try me, Master, today!
Whiter than snow, Lord, wash me just now,
As in Thy presence humbly I bow.

Have Thine own way, Lord! Have Thine own way!
Wounded and weary, help me, I pray!
Power, all power, surely is Thine!
Touch me and heal me, Savior divine.

Have Thine own way, Lord! Have Thine own way!
Hold o’er my being absolute sway!
Fill with Thy Spirit ’till all shall see
Christ only, always, living in me.

Daily Smile for everyone except the parents:

I needed this sign in my frame shop years ago... 

Have A Blessed Day,

Richard

Happy Tuesday

The Boomerang of Blessing 

Karen Ehman

"The generous will prosper; those who refresh others will themselves be refreshed." Proverbs11:25 (NLT)

I tried my best to smile for the camera in the grocery store. Tears welled up in my eyes and cascaded down my cheeks, dragging my mascara along for the ride. I had one toddler on my hip and a baby on the way, a pressing concern when our only income was from my husband who was paid straight commission. Some weeks he earned money; others brought no paycheck at all.

That day in the store, my budget was so tight my dollars squeaked! As a result, I had to remove a few items from the conveyer belt as I watched the total mount. As I paid for my order, the cashier handed me a scratch-off card from the store's current promotion. Customers could get money off of their order by matching dollar amounts revealed on the card.

I used a dime to rub away the shiny silver coating, revealing a $10 match! Smiling, I handed the clerk the card and asked for the "can't afford them" items back. "Sure!" she replied. "Now, do you want to use the remainder of your prize today or on another trip?"

My puzzled look must have clued her in. "What?" I questioned. She then showed me I'd actually won $100! A manager quickly snapped my picture to display alongside the other smiling winners on the store's wall. Only in my photo, my smile was saturated with grateful mascara-smudged tears.

During those lean days God always took care of us, often through generous people in our lives: groceries left anonymously on our porch, cash in an envelope tucked under our windshield after church, and hand-me-down clothes from an acquaintance who wanted to share her children's outgrown clothes.

We learned to live frugally during that time, and yet God also challenged us to give. As we did, we found ourselves blessed. Sometimes monetarily. Always spiritually.

Nowadays, although at times our family experiences layoffs due to the nature of my husband's employment, we are in a place where we can more consistently be the "bless-er" and not just the ones being blessed. What a thrill it is to treat, secretly pay, or stealthily provide as we ourselves become spiritually blessed and ultimately God—the giver of all things—is glorified. As Proverbs 11:25 states, "The generous will prosper; those who refresh others will themselves be refreshed" (NLT).

Will you willingly contribute to God's work and also to others, refreshing them as God also refreshes you? What we have—both our money and possessions—all belongs to God. When we give, we receive. The boomerang of blessing comes right back around.

How might you seek to display generosity toward someone today? You just might make their day. Or perhaps, even make their mascara run.

Dear Lord, teach me to treat all I have as Yours. May I give willingly and cheerfully as I seek to be a blessing to those in my life who might need a helping hand. In Jesus' Name, Amen

Take The Name Of JESUS With You 

Take the Name of Jesus with you,
Child of sorrow and of woe,
It will joy and comfort give you;
Take it then, where’er you go.

   Refrain

     Precious Name, O how sweet!
     Hope of earth and joy of Heav’n.
     Precious Name, O how sweet!
     Hope of earth and joy of Heav’n.

Take the Name of Jesus ever,
As a shield from every snare;
If temptations round you gather,
Breathe that holy Name in prayer.

   Refrain

O the precious Name of Jesus!
How it thrills our souls with joy,
When His loving arms receive us,
And His songs our tongues employ!

   Refrain

At the Name of Jesus bowing,
Falling prostrate at His feet,
King of kings in Heav’n we’ll crown Him,
When our journey is complete.

   Refrain

Daily Smile:

 I'm smiling because I didn't take the picture... :)

Have a Blessed Day,

Richard

Happy Monday

Religion That God Accepts
Psalm 146:9
The LORD watches over the alien and sustains the fatherless and the widow, but he frustrates the ways of the wicked.     NIV


     One of the things that the Bible consistently emphasizes is this – that the Lord cares for the alien, the stranger, the outcast and the unprotected, particularly the fatherless and the widow. And God challenges us to share that concern.

     In the New Testament, in the epistle of James, pure religion and undefiled before God the Father is defined as this: “To visit the widows and the fatherless.” You know, a lot of things that we think are religious don’t mean much in the sight of God, and some things we neglect are very important in the sight of God. God cares for the alien. He cares for the widow. He cares for the fatherless. And if God has imparted His nature and His compassion to you and me, we are going to have the same kind of care, the same kind of concern, that God has. And that’s going to be the kind of religion that’s acceptable with God.

     It’s not just a question of religious activities. It’s not just going to church or singing hymns, but it’s sharing God’s concern with Him. He cares, and we need to care. Today there are countless opportunities for us in this blessed land of America to show our care and our concern for those in this or other lands who are less privileged than we are. God cares, we need to care.

—Derek Prince

 

Daily Smile:

 

Happy Sunday

Take time to discover new things about yourself

   by Annettee Budzban

"For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb" (Psalms 139:13 NIV).

 

What is it that makes us the unique persons that we are? ...It's our personalilty!

God created each of us with unique mix of personality traits. These qualities make us distinct from anyone else. We may notice our personalities are similar to someone else we know, or even our parents or siblings. However, there is still something a little bit remarkable about us.

 

I found that by understanding my personality a little bit better, I could embrace my unique qualities and comprehend why I enjoy doing the things I do. I could also recognize my strengths and weaknesses. ( By weaknessess I do not mean sins. Rather these are areas in our personality where we are not as strong. An example being some people are naturally more outgoing, where others tend to be more reserved and take more time to get to know people.) Knowing our strengths and weaknesses can help us find a suitable job.
 

There are many good Christian books that offer personality tests and provide details regarding the characteristics of our unique personality types. From what I have studied, I noticed there are specific characteristics we can possess.

 

        One personality trait is portrayed in a strong ability to lead. That type of person takes charge of a situation. Another personality type may be more stable and not quite as up and down with their emotions as the others. Someone else may possess a personality that tends to be low-key, easy going, and have a calming effect on the people around them. Where others tend to be naturally more bubbly and vivacious and excited about life; some are deep thinkers and take things more seriously and think them through.

Although it's fun to know what characteristics we tend to possess, when we take a personality test, we usually find we have a blend of the different traits in each type. We also have to remember that there are many variables that cause us to be unique individuals. God also uses our varied life's experiences and level of spiritual maturity to knit the way we evaluate and handle situations.

 

Taking time to discover new things about ourselves can be fun and improve the way we relate to others. It can also help us understand why people relate to us the way they do. Jesus explained, "...the truth will set you free" (John 8:32). Some of those truths are truths we learn about ourselves. Taking time to learn new truths regarding our behaviors through Bible study, sets us free from trying to be one of the crowd, and sets us apart for God's intended purpose in our lives.   

Annettee Budzban can be contacted at ahrtwrites2u@aol.com

 

 

Happy Saturday

Being Born Again - No Certificate Required

Devotional thought from the messages of Adrian Rogers 

BIBLE MEDITATION:
1 Peter 1:23 - “Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the Word of God, which live and abides for ever.”
DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:
A little girl was supposed to take her birth certificate to school. Her mother had solemnly warned her not to lose it because of its tremendous importance, but lose it she did. Later she was sitting on the steps of the school, crying. The janitor asked her what was wrong. She replied, “I lost my excuse for being born.” Now, that’s a funny story, but it has a sobering analogy. You don’t need an excuse for being born again. You have a Savior, and He’s calling your name.
ACTION POINT:
Have you been born again? Have you experienced the cleansing power of Jesus’ blood that washes all your sin away? If not, I invite you to come to Him in repentance and faith. Discover Jesus today.

In The News:
India: Five Women Missionaries Beaten Publicly for Sharing Gospel

Five women were beaten by a man in the Andhra Pradesh region of India while sharing about the love of Jesus in a public marketplace, Charisma News reports. Amazingly spared, they retreated to safety, thanking God for the honor of suffering for His sake. The women, all leaders in the Gospel for Asia-sponsored Women's Fellowship ministry, had been sharing with store owners and shoppers when one man demanded to know what they were doing. The assault began with a powerful slap to the face of one woman and continued to the others, one of whom was isolated and surrounded by five men. The women -- Bansari, Jaladhi, Kuyil, Sunita and Viveka -- were beaten on their faces, ears and heads. All reported that no bystanders came to their defense during the ordeal but they miraculously escaped from their multiple attackers and were delivered from further harm. "Jesus promised persecuting and hardships," said Daniel Punnose, vice president of GFA. "These young ladies see it worth facing the beatings in order to share the love of Christ. ... When we see young women publicly beaten for the faith, it tells us what the future holds in regards to persecution. Things will get worse, but the Lord is faithful in all things."

Church in Syria Threatened for Relief Distribution

One of the churches in war-torn Syria that partners with Open Doors USA to distribute relief items to needy and displaced people has been threatened by extremists because of its "missionary" activities. The church distributes food and other supplies to Christians, Muslims and others in need, as well as telling the people about the love of Jesus and offering them a New Testament if they ask. Many Muslims are interested in listening and some even ask for a New Testament. This hasn't gone unnoticed with the extremists, who threatened to attack the church. Open Doors writes: "Pray that the Lord will protect the church and its members so relief supplies and the Gospel can go out to people in the area. Also pray for peace in a country where an estimated 100,000 people have been killed and millions displaced in continuing civil war violence."

Minnesota, Rhode Island Celebrate Gay Marriage

At 12 a.m. Thursday, Minnesota and Rhode Island officially became the latest among 13 states -- plus the District of Columbia -- to allow same-sex marriage, CNN reports. Both states passed applicable laws in May. At midnight, Minneapolis mayor R.T. Rybak presided over the unions of 42 same-sex couples at city hall. The couples were scheduled to be at the altar early, so Rybak could move the ceremony along in time for the first wedding vows to be over right when the clock struck 12. In Rhode Island, the first marriages were planned for Thursday morning. The sponsor of the state's same-sex marriage law, Sen. Donna Nesselbush, planned to be at Pawtucket City Hall to greet them, she said. "As the only openly gay senator and as the prime sponsor of the bill in the Senate, [Thursday] is a day that I wish to remember both professionally and personally," she said.

Vietnam: Recent Convert Tortured and Imprisoned

A new Christian, "Bao," is being pressured by village authorities to recant his faith, according to Voice of the Martyrs. After Bao and his family converted to Christianity four months ago, authorities told Bao he could not live in the village and could not use or purchase any products like food, clothing or candles from the village as long as he continued in his beliefs. They repeated their threat three times. After Bao was baptized on July 16, his brother beat him and had him arrested. Bao was jailed for two days and was beaten and shocked in his eye with electric wires. Police fined Bao $250, which had to be paid before he could be released. His wife was unable to go and find someone to loan them the money because she is blind. Instead, Bao was released on the condition that he return in two days with the full payment. VOM is providing Bao with money to pay the fine.

Happy Friday

Spiritual direction can help you handle times of stress

 

 “Come to Me,all you who labor and are heavy-laden and overburdened, and I will cause you to rest. ( I will ease and relieve and refresh your souls.)”— Matthew 11:28 (AMP)

 

          I recently replaced my oak kitchen chairs. Over time, the glue in the joints dried up and the chairs started to weaken. They just didn’t do the job of bearing a persons weight as they should. When someone would sit on them, they would creak and wobble. I was afraid they’d fail to support the person as they should, and collapse under the stress.

 

             Stress—it’s a word we hear often in our culture. I heard the word was originally developed as an engineering term to describe the amount of strain a physical structure could take without collapsing under pressure— like my kitchen chairs.

 

             As a nurse, I used the word “stress” when assessing factors that may have attributed to a persons illness. Stress is a major cause, or aggravating factor in 70 percent of disease. It not only relates to the physical aspect of a person’s burden, but includes the emotional and mental factors as well.

 

            God has designed us to tolerate a certain amount of stress. It’s what motivates us to get things done. But when we accumulate an unreasonable amount, it starts to show up in our physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being.

 

             Almost anything can become a stressor.  Health-care professionals have a list and score stress. A few factors on the list include a marriage or a move, the loss of a spouse through death or divorce, worry and anxiety over a “to do” list that never ends, unresolved relationship issues, financial distress, or other concerns that continue on for a prolonged period of time.

 

             Health experts may advise rest, counseling or medication; but we must seek spiritual direction as well. Jesus tells us to come to Him with our burdens. How do we do that? Prayer is a key. God knows us better than anyone. Verbalizing our concerns to Him and listening for any advice is important.

 

            Advice may come through a creative idea or an insight, an article or a book with a topic of interest might catch our attention. God may show us how to change our schedule, or handle a relationship. Acting in obedience to whatever insight we receive is an important aspect of the remedy. While we wait for results, praying for strength and counting our blessings—instead of stressing— can help us cope with the pressure in our daily lives.     

 

Annettee Budzban can be contacted at ahrtwrites2u@aol.com          

Daily Smile:

STRANGER IN MY HOUSE

A very weird thing has happened.  A strange old lady has moved into my house.  I have no idea who she is, where she came from, or how she got in.  I certainly did not invite her.  All I know is that one day she wasn't there, and the next day she was.

She is a clever old lady, and manages to keep out of sight for the most part, but whenever I pass a mirror, I catch a glimpse of her.  And whenever I look in the mirror to check my appearance, there she is, hogging the whole thing, completely obliterating my gorgeous face and body.  This is very rude.  I have tried screaming at her, but she just screams back.
If she insists on  hanging around, the least she could do is offer to pay part of the rent, but no.  Every once in a while, I find a dollar bill stuck in a coat pocket, or some loose change under a sofa cushion, but it is not nearly enough.

I don't want to jump to conclusions, but I think she is stealing money from me.  I go to the ATM and withdraw $100, and a few days later, it's all gone.  I certainly don't spend money THAT fast, so I can only conclude the old lady is pilfering from me.

You'd think she would spend some of that money to buy wrinkle cream.  Lord knows she needs it.  And money isn't the only thing I think she is stealing.  Food seems to disappear at an alarming rate -- especially the good stuff like ice cream, cookies and candy.  I can't seem to keep that stuff in the house anymore.  She must have a real sweet tooth, but she'd better watch it because she is really packing on the pounds.  I suspect she realizes this, and to make herself feel better, she is tampering with my scale to make me think I am putting on weight too.

For an old lady, she is quite childish.  She likes to play nasty games, like going into my closets when I'm not home and altering my clothes so they don't fit.  And she messes with my files and papers so I can't find anything.  This is particularly annoying since I am extremely neat and organized.  She also fiddles with my VCR so it does not record what I have carefully and correctly programmed.

She has found other imaginative ways to annoy me.  She gets into my mail, newspapers and magazines before I do, and blurs the print so I can't read it.  And she has done something really sinister to the volume controls on my TV, radio and telephone.  Now all I hear are mumbles and whispers.

She has done other things -- like make my stairs steeper, my vacuum cleaner heavier and all my knobs and faucets harder to turn.  She even made my bed higher so that getting into and out of it is a real challenge.  Lately, she has been fooling with my groceries before I put them away, applying glue to the lids, making it almost impossible for me to open the jars.  Is this any way to repay my hospitality?

She has taken the fun out of shopping for clothes.  When I try something on, she stands in front of the dressing room mirror and monopolizes it.  She looks totally ridiculous in some of those outfits, plus she keeps me from seeing how great they look on me.
Just when I thought she couldn't get any meaner, she proved me wrong.  She came along when I went to get my picture taken for my driver's license, and just as the camera shutter clicked, she jumped in front of me!  No one is going to believe that the picture of that old lady is me.
- Author unknown