ABC's of Friendship

(A)ccepts you as you are
(B)elieves in "you"
(C)alls you just to say "HI"
(D)oesn't give up on you
(E)nvisions the whole of you (even the unfinished parts)
(F)orgives your mistakes
(G)ives unconditionally
(H)elps you
(I)nvites you over
(J)ust "be" with you
(K)eeps you close at heart
(L)oves you for who you are
(M)akes a difference in your life
(N)ever Judges
(O)ffers support
(P)icks you up
(Q)uiets your fears
(R)aises your spirits
(S)ays nice things about you
(T)ells you the truth when you need to hear it
(U)nderstands you
(V)alues you
(W)alks beside you
(X)-plains things you don't understand
(Y)ells when you won't listen and
(Z)aps you back to reality

Memorial Day

On this day set aside to honor those who have served the United States, oh God, I thank you for those patriotic citizens and a country that chooses to remember them. Also I thank you for those who have served the church by preserving your gospel. I remember the blessings you gave to them and through them. Amen.

Angels, Explained by Children

Sarah, 7
" I only know the names of two angels. Hark and Harold."

Gregory, 5
"Everybody's got it all wrong. Angels don't wear halos anymore.
I forget why, but scientists are working on it."

Olive, 9
"It's not easy to become an angel! First, you die. Then you go to
heaven, then there's still the flight training to go through. And then
you got to agree to wear those angel clothes."

Matthew, 9
"Angels work for God and watch over kids when God has to go do something
else."

Mitchell, 7
"My guardian angel helps me with math, but he's not much good for
science."

Henry, 8
"Angels don't eat, but they drink milk from Holy Cows!!!."

Jack, 6
"Angels talk all the way while they're flying you up to heaven. The main
subject is where you went wrong before you got dead."

Daniel, 9
"When an angel gets mad, he takes a deep breath and counts to ten.
And when he lets out his breath, somewhere there's a tornado."

Reagan, 10
"Angels have a lot to do and they keep very busy. If you lose a tooth,
an angel comes in through your window and leaves money under your
pillow. Then when it gets cold, angels go north for the Winter."

Sara, 6
"Angels live in cloud houses made by God and his son, who's a very good
carpenter."

Jared , 8
"All angels are girls because they gotta wear dresses and boys didn't go
for it."

Antonio, 9
"My angel is my grandma who died last year. She got a big head start on
helping me while she was still down here on earth."

Katelynn, 9
"Some of the angels are in charge of helping heal sick animals and
pets. And if they don't make the animals get better, they help the
child get over it."

Vicki, 8
"What I don't get about angels is why, when someone is in
love, they shoot arrows at them."

Sifted Through The Hands Of The Lord

As a child of the King, you will sometimes face trials far bigger than you think you can bear. At times, they may shock you when you don't see them coming or you think life is simply not fair.

But there is no situation, circumstance or crisis that wasn't first seen by God on His throne. For it was sifted through His hands... previewed by His eyes before the details on earth could be known.

God allows the situations that come into our lives but holds back what He knows we can't take. We are left with a problem... but we're never left alone through any battles or decisions we make.

While it's true at the onset, we may not feel equipped for the difficult, new chapter at hand. If we reach in faith for the Father... He'll equip us daily for all the things that we don't understand.

And we have to realize and truly believe that the crisis was never meant to destroy.

But rather, God allows it, to deepen our dependence and show us truths that will then bring us joy.

The same hands that sift out, to allow what we're facing will give courage & strength to go on.

For God will bless us daily with His sovereignty and grace and in Him we're victorious and strong.

"Kept" Woman

I am a "Kept" Woman

You see, there were a few times when I thought I would lose my mind, but GOD kept me sane. (Isa. 26:3)
The LORD gives perfect peace to those whose faith is firm.

There were times when I thought I could go no longer, but the LORD kept me moving. (Gen 28:15)
Wherever you go, I will watch over you, then later I will bring you back to this land. I won't leave you--I will do all I have promised.

At times, I've wanted to lash out at those whom I felt had done me wrong, but the LORD kept my mouth shut. (Psa. 13)
I trust your love, and I feel like celebrating because you rescued me. You have been good to me, LORD, and I will sing about you.

Sometimes, I think the money just isn't enough, but GOD has helped me to keep the lights on, the water on, the car paid, the house paid, etc.., (Matt. 6:30-33)
Why do you have such little faith? Don't worry and ask yourselves, "Will we have anything to eat? Will we have anything to drink? Will we have any clothes to wear?" Only people who don't know God are always worrying about such things. Your Father in heaven knows that you need all of these. But more than anything else, put God's work first and do what he wants. Then the other things will be yours as well.

When I thought I would fall, HE kept me up. When I thought I was weak, he kept me strong! (I Pet. 5:7, Matt. 11:28-30)
God cares for you, so turn all your worries over to him.
If you are tired from carrying heavy burdens, come to me and I will give you rest. Take the yoke I give you. Put it on your shoulders and learn from me. I am gentle and humble, and you will find rest. This yoke is easy to bear, and this burden is light.

I could go on and on and on, but I'm sure you hear me! Praise the Lord --I'm blessed to be "KEPT."

Are you...or do you know a "kept" woman?

If so pass it on to her to let her know she is "Kept".

USA Puzzle

A friend shared this with me and I just had to pass it on:

A father wanted to read a magazine but was being bothered by his little girl, Shelby. She wanted to know what the United States looked like. Finally, he tore a sheet out of his new magazine on which was printed the map of the country. Tearing it into small pieces, he gave it to Shelby and said, "Go into the other room and see if you can put this together. This will show you our whole country today."

After a few minutes, Shelby returned and handed him the map, correctly fitted and taped together. The father was surprised and asked how she had finished so quickly.

"Oh," she said, "on the other side of the paper is a picture of Jesus. When I got all of Jesus back where He belonged, then our country just came together."

Please pray for. . .

my 16 yo daughter, Becca, who has been going through some frustrating medical problems for the past 7 months... We've gotten the run around by quite a few specialists who can't seem to figure out what is causing her pain.

Becca needs to live a normal life of a 16 year old, not being shuttled from doctor to doctor, from hospital to hospital. Please pray for understanding and healing... thanks.

The Old Barn

Please take a moment to read this beautiful story about an Old Barn.
The Old Barn

GodSpeaks

You’ve seen the billboards along the side of the road, heard about them on the news, or perhaps a friend mention them? GodSpeaks is a billboard campaign started several years ago that had messages signed "God." The sayings were short and to the point.

The campaign was run again recently with new sayings, and the billboards can be seen at GodSpeaks. Well worth a visit!

Here are the new ones:

New Campaigns

As my apprentice, you’re never fired.

One nation under me.

All I know. . . is everything.

If you must curse, use your own name!

Need a marriage counselor? I’m available.

Life is Short, Eternity isn’t.

The real Supreme Court meets up here.

Feeling lost? My Book is your map.

And the originals:

Old Campaigns

Let’s meet at My house Sunday, before the game.

C’mon over and bring the kids.

What part of “Thou shalt not. . .” didn’t you understand?

We need to talk.

Keep using my name in vain, I’ll make rush hour longer.

Loved the wedding, invite me to the marriage.

That “Love Thy Neighbor” thing. . . I meant that.

I love you. . . I love you. . . I love you.

Will the road you’re on get you to My place?

Follow me.

Need directions?

You think it’s hot here?

Tell the kids I love them.

Have you read my #1 best seller? (There will be a test.)

Do you have any idea where you’re going?

Big Bang Theory, you’ve got to be kidding.

My way is the highway.

Mary Listens, Martha Labors

I am a Lay Speaker at our church and last Sunday, I was asked to give the message. This is a modified version of my sermon on Mary and Martha. I know it's long, but I couldn't find a place to cut it down any more without losing the meaning I was trying to present!

Mary Listens, Martha Labors

Luke 10:38-42

[38] As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. [39] She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord's feet listening to what he said. [40] But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, "Lord, don't you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!"

[41] "Martha, Martha," the Lord answered, "you are worried and upset about many things, [42] but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her."

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Every one of gospel writers, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, had to pick and choose from many incidents and sayings in Jesus' life, and he had to decide just what to include and what not to include. Luke was no exception. So when Luke decided to include six or seven sentences about a couple of sisters named Mary and Martha, we need to ask: Why? What point was Luke trying to pass on to his readers? As I looked at this passage, I couldn’t help but ask myself: What are we supposed to learn from this?

"As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him." (10:38)

Luke doesn't tell us the name of the village, since it isn't important to his point, though from John's Gospel we know it is Bethany, just east of Jerusalem. It was the village where Jesus' friend Lazarus, who is the brother of Mary and Martha, lived, and toward the end of His ministry, Jesus stayed there during the Passover that ended in his crucifixion. Luke simply tells us, "Martha opened her home to him" meaning that she welcomed him, she planned to entertain him as a guest. Jesus' ministry had a person-to-person structure. His pattern was to find a person who would receive him, and then stay with that person while preaching in the village (9:4-5; 10:5-7). If he didn't find a home open to him -- a person hungry enough for spiritual food that he would offer hospitality -- Jesus would go on. He didn't fund a block of hotel rooms for his crusade team in each town on the itinerary. Rather he taught - and waited for an invitation.

Sometimes we get the impression that Mary is the spiritual one, while Martha is not. But Martha's invitation indicates her openness to spiritual things. She, too, longs to be a disciple, and she wants to honor Jesus by inviting him to her home.

"She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord's feet listening to what he said."

Now we meet Mary. While Martha is bustling about the house getting ready for dinner, Mary is sitting at Jesus' feet listening. That Jesus would encourage her to listen to him as he taught in the house was, in itself, radical. Women were openly despised by the Judaism of the time. Women were exempt from the study of the Torah. Many rabbis actively discouraged women from learning.

But Jesus encourages Mary to sit and listen. I imagine the scene with Jesus seated in a place of honor, perhaps in the house's courtyard, surrounded by eager listeners -- his disciples, prominent members of the community, probably Lazarus, and Mary. Jesus speaks, he answers questions, he tells parables, and he teaches. All the time Mary sits and takes it all in. She can't imagine anything better than this!

"But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made."

Inside, Martha is fuming. All these guests, a great deal of cooking, setting the low table where her guest will be seated. So much to do! Dinner will be late unless she can get help. But where is her lazy sister Mary? Sitting outside with the men rather than inside doing the work that needs to get done. How irresponsible!

You probably know exactly the kind of resentment Martha is feeling. Her distraction has been going on for some time. You have to wonder if Martha didn’t wish to hear Jesus too but was prevented from doing so by the pressure of providing hospitality.

"She came to him and asked, 'Lord, don't you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!’”

Finally, Martha can stand it no longer. She comes to where Jesus is, and seems to interrupt the conversation he is having. She doesn't rebuke her sister in front of Jesus; she almost seems to be rebuking Jesus himself for not caring, for not having ordered Mary to go and help her sister an hour before. She doesn't ask Mary to help her. She commands Jesus, "Tell her to help me!" Her anger and frustration have taken over. Martha is out of line. She is rude to her honored guest.

" 'Martha, Martha,' the Lord answered, 'you are worried and upset about many things....' "

Immediately, Jesus seems to soothe Martha's anger. The repeated name suggests as much. He also identifies accurately how she is feeling: "worried and upset about many things." Martha is feeling like she has more to do than she can do herself.

"... but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her."

What did Jesus mean by "one thing"? Is he referring to the one spiritual goal, or to a single dish rather than multiple dishes that Martha may have been preparing in order to show special honor to her guest? We're not sure.

Personally, I think “the one thing that is needed” was Mary’s choice to listen to the Lord’s teaching. In the final scheme of things, the things Jesus said that day were of much more importance than what He ate. Today, if we are too busy to commune with the Lord; to pray and to study His word; to meditate on life's purpose and to enjoy a peaceful, private time with Him, then there is something horribly wrong with our practice. If our walk of faith consists mainly of going to church and then on with life's busy day then we are not receiving of the goodness that the Lord has planned for us. And if we are so hassled by the routines of daily existence that we find ourselves lashing out at those we love as Martha did on that occasion, then isn't that a good indication that something needs fixed?

Since deciding that this passage was what I would talk about today, I’ve done a lot of thinking about Mary and Martha. I’ve realized that I spend more time with the things of this world than with the treasures that God has placed in the world. (THINGS) The dishes need to be done, the carpet vacuumed, the meals prepared, the windows washed, the rooms tidied up, the floors swept. What is there that does not need to be done? I even make lists of what I still need to do when I know that company is coming. (TREASURES) The most important treasure we have is God's Word. Are we spending enough time in it? Are we filling ourselves up with enough of Christ that we have plenty to give away and share with others? Our God-given treasures need to be cared for too. Children need to be played with and taught, husbands need to be loved by their wives, while many people around us need to be ministered to. If our spirits are running on empty all of the time (from not spending enough time in the Word) - then we will not be able to spend time with and minister to our treasures that God has given us.

"Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her."

Even though it cuts across the grain of social expectations, even though it means neglecting her regular duties, Mary has correctly realized that listening to Jesus and learning his ways is more important than anything -- anything else she can choose. And no one can rip this precious spiritual food away from her.

I don't want to be too hard on Martha, Jesus certainly wasn't. But he tried very gently to explain how Mary's choice was better, and that she shouldn't be deprived of it by having to be marched off to the kitchen by her older sister.

What is it that you are trying to offer Jesus? Your talents and abilities? The open doors and opportunities afforded by your position in the community? Faithful service as a Sunday school teacher even though you might prefer to do something else? All these can be good. And I am sure that Jesus wants each of these from you in their own time.

But the one thing that Jesus seeks above all else is time that you spend time listening to him, "sitting at his feet," as it were. That needs to come first, before all these other things. That is where peace is found. That is the only place of spiritual rest.

While reading about Mary and Martha, I long to be like both ladies. Mary sat at the feet of Jesus, and was made full of the things of God. We can’t share God to others if we have no knowledge of him. Mary was indulging her spirit while Martha was busy working and serving. Can you imagine being busy with housework and serving while the God of the universe was sitting in your house, on your couch? If in the same situation as Martha, would we neglect the Lord, to take care of our things? Unfortunately, many of us are guilty of this very thing - I know I am! The God of the universe is still here with us today, and reveals himself to us through His Word. Are we neglecting Him (our Bibles), leaving him alone on the couch, or on a nightstand, or on a bookshelf. Or are we sitting at the feet of our Master? While reading this story - I realized that I am too much like Martha, and not enough like Mary. The Lord wants us to have a balance of these two ladies.

The good news is that Jesus the host grants permission for all distracted, frantic people to sit down and eat their fill of word and promise. When we join them and nourish ourselves at the table, we’ll be ready to put hands and feet, hearts and minds to work.

"Martha, why don't you take off your apron and sit down for a few minutes. Dinner can wait. There's something very dear to my heart that I'd like to share with you -- you personally. Do you have some time right now?"

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