Life is hard, but getting better

The truth of the matter is that everyone has problems. You're not the only one: 

-To lose sleep worrying about a friend.  

-To have trouble picking yourself up after someone lets you down.  

-To feel like less than normal because someone didn’t love you enough to stay with you.  

-To be afraid to try something new for fear you’ll fail and face ridicule.  

None of this means you’re dysfunctional, crazy or mentally unstable.  It just means you’re human and that you need a little time to get things together.  You are not alone.  No matter how embarrassed or pathetic you feel about your own situation, there are others out there experiencing the same emotions.  When you hear yourself say, “I am all alone,” it is your mind trying to sell you a lie.

Remember, you still have a lot to be thankful for. Although the world is full of suffering, it is also full of brave people like you who are overcoming it.  Sometimes you have to forget what’s happened yesterday, appreciate what still remains, and look forward to what’s coming next. Good or bad truthfully it's better than what most people experience around the world.

Someone said, “Wealth is the ability to fully experience life.” Even when times are tough, it’s always important to keep things in perspective. It's that perspective that helps you to realize:

-You didn’t go to sleep hungry last night. 

-You didn’t go to sleep outside. 

-You had a choice of what clothes to wear this morning. 

-You didn’t spend a minute in fear. 

-You have access to clean drinking water. 

-You have access to medical care. 

-You have access to the Internet. 

-You can read. 

To many people around the world you are incredibly wealthy with just what you posess, so remember to be grateful for all the things you do have. Yes life is hard, but by faith it will get better.

7 things I've learned in the last 5 years

Seven Things I've Learned in the Last 5 Years

Nobody gets through life without losing someone they love, someone they need, or something they thought was meant to be.  But it is these losses that make us stronger and eventually move us toward future opportunities for growth and happiness.

Over the past five years Becky and I have dealt with several hardships, including loss of monthly income, great church members to illness, betrayal from people we loved and served, and several unexplained situations.  These experiences have been brutal.  Each of them, naturally, knocked us down and off course for a period of time.  

Yet in each individual circumstance, we pressed forward, stronger, and with a stronger understanding and desire for life.

Here are some lessons we’ve learned along the way:

1. You are not what happened to you in the past. – No matter how chaotic the past has been, the future is a clean, fresh, wide open slate. You are not your past habits. You are not your past failures. You are not how others have at one time treated you. You are only who you think you are right now in this moment. You are only what you do right now in this moment.
2. Focus on what you have, not on what you haven’t. You are who you are and you have what you have, right now.  And it can’t be that bad, because otherwise you wouldn’t be able to read this.  The important thing is simply to find one POSITIVE thought that inspires and helps you move forward.  Hold on to it strongly, and focus on it.  You may feel like you don’t have much, or anything at all, but you have your mind to inspire you.  And that’s really all you need to start moving forward again.  
3. Struggling with problems is a natural part of living. Part of living and growing up is experiencing unexpected troubles in life.  People lose jobs, get sick, and sometimes die unexplained.  When you are younger, and things are going pretty well, this harsh reality can be hard to visualize.  The smartest, and oftentimes hardest, thing we can do in these kinds of situations is to be tempered in our reactions.  You may want to scream obscenities, but be wiser and more disciplined than that.  Holding on to your emotional rage only makes matters worse. Remember that setbacks are rarely as bad as they seem, and even when they are, they give us an opportunity to grow stronger, wiser, and greater in The Lord.
4. It’s okay to fall apart for a little while. You don’t always have to pretend to be strong, and there is no need to constantly prove that everything is going well.  You shouldn’t be concerned with what other people are thinking either. Cry if you need to because it’s healthy to shed your tears.  The sooner you do, the sooner you will be able to smile again.  And a smile doesn’t always mean a person is happy.  Sometimes it simply means they are strong enough to face their problems.
5. Life is fragile, sudden, and shorter than it often seems. There may not be a tomorrow for everyone.  Right now, someone on Earth is planning something for tomorrow without realizing they’re going to die today.  This is sad but true.  So spend your time wisely today and pause long enough to appreciate it.  Every moment you get is a gift.  Don’t waste time by dwelling on unhappy things.  Spend it on things that move you in the direction you want to go.
6. You will fail sometimes. The faster you accept this, the faster you can get on with being brilliant. You’ll never be 100% sure it will work, but you can always be 100% sure doing nothing won’t work.  Doing something and getting it wrong is at least ten times more productive than doing nothing.  So get out there and try!  Either you succeed or you learn a vital lesson.  Win – Win.
7. You have the capacity to create your own happiness. Feelings change, people change, and time keeps rolling.  You can hold onto past mistakes or you can creat your own happiness.  A smile is a choice, not a miracle.  Don’t make the mistake of waiting on someone or something to come along and make you happy.  True happiness comes from within.

He Ain't Finished Yet

Apparently, I am not the only one who struggled because of unanswered prayer.

Some of my struggle emerges because I was taught to believe that God is all powerful and that He not only wants me to come to Him like a little child, but also encourages me to ask Him for everything. Hence the struggle when He doesn’t always give us what we want.

This paradox reminds me of a little child at Christmas. They start compiling their gift list in September, and for the next four months, they revise, add to and constantly share it. Yet when Christmas day rolls around, they are filled with dread because experience has shown them that they don’t always get precisely what they requested. Many have said to their parents afterward, “Why bother asking me if you aren’t going to buy me exactly what I want?”

Isn’t this how we feel about our heavenly Father? We tend to have one of two responses when what we asked for is not given in a timely fashion: trying harder or angry blaming.

Let me tell you that trying harder will only get you 4 heart attacks in 4 years. I succeeded only in wearing myself out and spiraling deeper into doubt. None of us can make ourselves worthy of blessings or answers. They can only comes from Jesus.

 

Angry blaming also leads us into a dead-end. Powerlessness is its own form of suffering. When we’ve run out of other options, anger and blame give us the illusion of control. But it really is only an illusion. It didn’t help my faith, and it certainly didn’t help me find the  answers I needed.

What if, rather than interpreting God’s “no” or “not yet” as punishment or indifference, we view it as an invitation to be transformed? For us to avoid these and other unhelpful responses when our prayers aren’t answered the way we’d hoped, we need to zoom out and glimpse the larger story.

Every day, there is warfare being waged for our hearts. The enemy of our soul has an entire arsenal at his disposal, but his most powerful weapon is doubt. Adam and Eve didn’t disobey because they desired the fruit of the tree, but because they fell for the serpent’s lie that God was withholding good things from them. If you ever find yourself doubting God’s love or questioning His character, take a step back and hold to what you know to be true. Expressing gratitude also helps to detour our despair and suffering. Turning our hearts to God in gratitude has the capacity to flip our disappointment upside-down.

Lastly, we must be willing to explore any attachment to entitlement that might contribute to our resentment at how God has answered our prayer. We live in a consumer society and have become accustomed to getting what we want when we want it. Jesus does not promise to give us everything that we want but rather asks us to sacrifice everything—including our own desires for a specific outcome or result. This changes everything when it comes to how we pray.

What if, rather than interpreting God’s “no” or “not yet” as punishment or indifference, we view it as an invitation to be transformed? The possibility that waiting and suffering have the capacity to transform us offers us comfort while crushing our fear of God being fickle. Rather than needing God to answer my accusatory questions of “Why?” I am free to ask, “How can I find You in the midst of this?” This inquiry provides us with the grip and grit we need to move beyond our pain and into the transformation that God has for us.

Traveling Light

One thought brings me comfort. It is the knowledge that when I make my final journey from this world I won’t be taking any thing with me that weighs me down. The only things I will take with me will be what I have packed in the suitcase of my soul. I will be carrying with me every kind thing I ever did, every loving thought I ever shared, and every bit of laughter I ever brought into this world. I will be carrying all the joy I created, all the goodness I gave to others, and all the love I was able to choose and share. These things won’t be weighing me down either. They instead will be lifting me up. In fact, I will be traveling lighter than ever before on the wings of God’s glorious love. 

As you get ready for your own final trip then make sure that you are traveling light. Make sure that the stuff in your home always takes second place to the love in your heart. Make sure that your greatest possession is your own soul. And make sure that when you unpack it in Heaven God and all His angels will smile.

You Can Change The World

You can change the world one person at a time.

-You can fill your life with acts of kindness and God’s love everyday and make significant strides in changing the atmosphere of you existence. 

-You may not be able to end world hunger, but you can donate 50 pounds of food and keep a family from starving for a month. 

-You may not be able to bring peace to the world, but you can bring your peaceful spirit to the people nearest you and let see what Christ can do in their lives.

-You may not be able to drive the hate and darkness from every human heart, but you can forever share the love and light in yours and help someone trapped in darkness.

Yes, you can change the world one person at a time. Will you be brave enough to try?

Just Do It

I don't think it was never put better by anyone than by eighteenth century church reformer John Wesley 

"Do all the good you can, by all the means you can, in all the ways you can, in all the places you can, at all the times you can,to all the people you can, as long as ever you can."

What if we tried to live by the motto:  DO all the good you can?  Now, THAT would be nice.

Speaking Life Over Your Day

John 12:50 "And I know that his commandment is life everlasting: whatsoever I speak therefore, even as the Father said unto me, so I speak."

This is a list of things you need to speak over your life:

-Nothing is going to happen today that God and I can’t handle.

-I will not walk in fear, but I will walk in faith.

-I am healthy in body, soul and spirit.

-I am debt free in Jesus name and blessings are flowing to me.

-I am not easily offended, but I am mature in Christ.

-I do not harbor offenses, but I practice forgiveness.

-I declare Isaiah 54:13, All of my children will be taught by the Lord.

-I declare that I will experience God’s favor and God’s faithfulness.

-I am smart, I am capable, I am an over comer.

John 12:50 "And I know that his commandment is life everlasting: whatsoever I speak therefore, even as the Father said unto me, so I speak."

Forgiveness Lesson

Holding a grudge harms no one
Except he who continues the feud,
Though the other party in question
May have been thoughtless or even just rude.
The hours spent hating another
Are a terrible waste of time,
Bitterness destroys your connections
To others, with no reason or rhyme.
All religions teach their followers
To be peaceful and not purvey hate,
So set aside your negative thoughts,
Learn to love before it's too late.
Life is short and passes too quickly
To waste it on hatred and contempt
For another's supposed shortcomings,
At least try to make the attempt
To accept what you view as flaws
And realize God made us all;
However imperfect in your eyes,
Judging others is only God's call.
Mary Eileen Butera ~ Copyright © 2014 All Rights Reserved

Procrastination

You are ready to make the final move - to get into gear, to rev up the mental engines and take on all comers. Sounds like a car race doesn't it? How many people rev up to get going but then something comes up and gets in the way. Oh well, there is always tomorrow. 

Okay, now is the time to consider getting that special course material out of the way before the weekend arrives, but wait. My favorite program is coming on TV, and then I forgot that I promised to meet the rest of the group at the restaurant tomorrow night just after class. Oh well, I can always catch up on the material later. 

I have met hundreds of people who have made putting off today what can be done tomorrow a science. They have turned the word procrastination into a favorite destination spot and they are marvelously adept at making sure they keep practicing their art. 

The art of procrastination does take practice though so do not despair if you do not fully succeed all at once. After all, anything worth doing is going to take hard work and it is best to have a plan to follow so that you do not get derailed at any point. Sure, there are going to be setbacks in your life as you strive to master the art of procrastination; they are going to be times when you find that your action betrays you because you gave in to accomplishing something that couldn't be denied like having to go to work so you had enough money to pay for food. You need food, I realize this but you can't keep working if you truly want to procrastinate. The best you can do if you just have to eat, is to get up as late as possible by continually hitting the snooze button, and then you will have no time at all to have a coffee or make a lunch to take with you to work. 

The art of procrastination takes effort, work, dedication and perseverance so just realize this isn't going to be a smooth road to mastery. I have faith in all of you who are on your way in developing a future full of putting things off and let me tell you why I am so supportive. 

I salute all you procrastinators out there and hope you keep growing in vast numbers. The reason I do hope so is for one main reason. The more of you there are, the easiest it will be for the rest of us to get ahead, to move quickly and with perseverance to capture those dreams and make them all a reality. So procrastinators, I hope you wave hello to the rest of us as we pass you by - it was fun

It's not your job

An important thing to remember is that no one, no matter how persuasive, can force anyone to believe anything he doesn’t want to believe. 

No matter what the evidence, no matter what the argument, people will believe what they want to believe. Conviction is not a Christian’s job. The Holy Spirit convicts people  and they choose whether or not to believe. What we can do is present ourselves in a way that is as Christ-like as possible. It is sad that there are many atheists who have read the entire Bible looking for ammunition against Christians, and that there are many Christians who have hardly read the Bible at all.

It’s hard for the angry crowd to accuse a Christian of being a hateful, cruel bigot when that person demonstrates a life of kindness, humility, and compassion. When a Christian can discuss, debate or debunk secular arguments accurately, the label of “ignorant” no longer fits. A Christian who has read the secular arguments and can politely expose their flaws helps to deflate the stereotypes advanced by atheists. Knowledge is the weapon, and it is invincible when we let Christ direct us in how to use it.

Has God's Word Changed?

The world has certainly changed because the church world has changed.

Many denominations have decided:

-God's Word needs to be changed, so they just vote and it is changed.

-That man can ignore the call of a bishop to be the husband of one (female) wife and marry whosoever and still fill that office in the church.

-That unmarried people can live together without tying the knot and as long as they sta faithful to one another it's okay.

-That it's okay to do your own thing because God understands you're just human.

-That church really doesn't matter as long as you have a relationship with God.

2 Timothy 3:1-7 "This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away. For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts, Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth."

The world may have changed and even the church, but God's Word hasn't. When will we awaken and see that?

Praying Hands

Back in the fifteenth century, in a tiny village near Nuremberg, lived a family with eighteen children. Eighteen! In order merely to keep food on the table for this mob, the father and head of the household, a goldsmith by profession, worked almost eighteen hours a day at his trade and any other paying chore he could find in the neighborhood. Despite their seemingly hopeless condition, two of Albrecht Durer the Elder's children had a dream. They both wanted to pursue their talent for art, but they knew full well that their father would never be financially able to send either of them to Nuremberg to study at the Academy.

After many long discussions at night in their crowded bed, the two boys finally worked out a pact. They would toss a coin. The loser would go down into the nearby mines and, with his earnings, support his brother while he attended the academy. Then, when that brother who won the toss completed his studies, in four years, he would support the other brother at the academy, either with sales of his artwork or, if necessary, also by laboring in the mines. They tossed a coin on a Sunday morning after church. Albrecht Durer won the toss and went off to Nuremberg.

Albert went down into the dangerous mines and, for the next four years, financed his brother, whose work at the academy was almost an immediate sensation. Albrecht's etchings, his woodcuts, and his oils were far better than those of most of his professors, and by the time he graduated, he was beginning to earn considerable fees for his commissioned works.

When the young artist returned to his village, the Durer family held a festive dinner on their lawn to celebrate Albrecht's triumphant homecoming. After a long and memorable meal, punctuated with music and laughter, Albrecht rose from his honored position at the head of the table to drink a toast to his beloved brother for the years of sacrifice that had enabled Albrecht to fulfill his ambition. His closing words were, "And now, Albert, blessed brother of mine, now it is your turn. Now you can go to Nuremberg to pursue your dream, and I will support you."

All heads turned in eager expectation to the far end of the table where Albert sat, tears streaming down his pale face, shaking his lowered head from side to side while he sobbed and repeated over and over, "No ... no ... no ... no."

Finally, Albert rose and wiped the tears from his cheeks. He glanced down the long table at the faces he loved, and then, holding his hands close to his right cheek, he said softly, "No, brother. I cannot go to Nuremberg. It is too late for me. Look ... look what four years in the mines have done to my hands! The bones in every finger have been smashed at least once, and lately I have been suffering from arthritis so badly in my right hand that I cannot even hold a glass to return your toast, much less make delicate lines on parchment or canvas with a pen or a brush. No, brother ... for me it is too late."

More than 450 years have passed. By now, Albrecht Durer's hundreds of masterful portraits, pen and silver-point sketches, watercolors, charcoals, woodcuts, and copper engravings hang in every great museum in the world, but the odds are great that you, like most people, are familiar with only one of Albrecht Durer's works. More than merely being familiar with it, you very well may have a reproduction hanging in your home or office.

One day, long ago, to pay homage to Albert for all that he had sacrificed, Albrecht Durer painstakingly drew his brother's abused hands with palms together and thin fingers stretched skyward. He called his powerful drawing simply "Hands," but the entire world almost immediately opened their hearts to his great masterpiece and renamed his tribute of love "The Praying Hands."

Real Life

Wonder if any of you ever had the feeling that life is bad, real bad… and you wish you were in another situation? Do you find that life seems to make things difficult for you, work sucks, life sucks, everything seems to go wrong?

It was not until yesterday that I totally changed my views about life; after a conversation with one of my friends.

He told me despite taking 2 jobs, and bringing back barely above $1000 per month, he is happy as he is. I wonder how he can be as happy as he is now, considering that he has to skimp his life with the low pay to support a pair of old-age parents, in-laws, wife, 2 daughters and the many bills of a household.

He explained that it was through one incident that he saw in India.

That happened a few years ago when he was really feeling low and was touring India after a major setback. He said that right in front of his very eyes, he saw an Indian mother chopped off her child’s right hand with a chopper. The helplessness in the mother’s eyes, the scream of the pain from the innocent 4 years old child haunted him until today. You may ask why did the mother do so, has the child been naughty, was the child’s hand infected??

No, it was done for two simple words — to beg. The desperate mother deliberately caused the child to be handicapped so that the child can go out to the streets to beg. I cannot accept how this could happen, but it really did, just in another part of the world which I don’t see.
Taken aback by the scene, he dropped a small piece of bread he was eating half-way. And almost instantly, flock of 5 or 6 children swamp towards this small piece of bread which was then covered with sand, robbing of bits from one another. The natural reaction of hunger.

Stricken by the happenings, he instructed his guide to drive him to the nearest bakery. He arrived at two bakeries and bought every single loaf of bread he found in the bakeries.
The owner is dumb-folded, but willing, sold everything. He spent less than $100 to obtain about 400 loaf of bread (this is less than $0.25/per loaf) and spend another $100 to get daily necessities. Off he went in the truck full of bread into the streets. As he distributed the bread and necessities to the children (mostly handicapped) and a few adults, he received cheers and bows from these unfortunate. For the first time in life he wonder how people can give up their dignity for a loaf of bread which cost less than $0.25. He began to ask himself how fortunate he is as a Singaporean. How fortunate he to be able to have a complete body, have a job, have a family, have the chance to complain what food is nice what isn’t, have the chance to be clothed, have the many things that these people in front of him are deprived of…

Now I begin to think and feel it, too. Was my life really that bad?

Perhaps….no… it should not be bad at all….

What about you? Maybe the next time you think you are, think about the child who lost one hand to beg on the streets.

Wonderful Moments

Twenty years ago, a cab driver had this experience. One time he arrived in the middle of the night for a pick up at a building that was dark except for a single light in a ground floor window.

Under these circumstances, many drivers would just honk once or twice, wait a minute, then drive away. But he had seen too many impoverished people who depended on taxis as their only means of transportation. Unless a situation smelled of danger, he always went to the door. This passenger might be someone who needs my assistance, he reasoned to myself. So he walked to the door and knocked.

“Just a minute,” answered a frail, elderly voice.

He could hear something being dragged across the floor. After a long pause, the door opened. A small woman in her 80′s stood before me. She was wearing a print dress and a pillbox hat with a veil pinned on it, like somebody out of a 1940s movie. By her side was a small nylon suitcase.
The apartment looked as if no one had lived in it for years. All the furniture was covered with sheets. There were no clocks on the walls, no knickknacks or utensils on the counters. In the corner was a cardboard box filled with photos and glassware.

“Would you carry my bag out to the car?” she said. He took the suitcase to the cab, then returned to assist the woman. She took his arm and we walked slowly toward the curb. She kept thanking his for my kindness.

“It’s nothing,” he told her. “I just try to treat my passengers the way I would want my mother treated.”

“Oh, you’re such a good boy,” she said. When we got in the cab, she gave me an address, then asked, “Could you drive through downtown?”

“It’s not the shortest way,” he answered quickly.
“Oh, I don’t mind,” she said. “I’m in no hurry. I’m on my way to a hospice.”

He looked in the rear view mirror. Her eyes were glistening.

“I don’t have any family left,” she continued. “The doctor says I don’t have very long.”
He quietly reached over and shut off the meter. “What route would you like me to take?” He asked.

For the next two hours, we drove through the city. She showed him the building where she had once worked as an elevator operator. We drove through the neighborhood where she and her husband had lived when they were newlyweds. She had me pull up in front of a furniture warehouse that had once been a ballroom where she had gone dancing as a girl.
Sometimes she’d ask me to slow in front of a particular building or corner and would sit staring into the darkness, saying nothing.

As the first hint of sun was creasing the horizon, she suddenly said, “I’m tired. Let’s go now.”
We drove in silence to the address she had given me.

It was a low building, like a small convalescent home, with a driveway that passed under a portico. Two orderlies came out to the cab as soon as we pulled up. They were solicitous and intent, watching her every move. They must have been expecting her. H opened the trunk and took the small suitcase to the door. The woman was already seated in a wheelchair.


“How much do I owe you?” she asked, reaching into her purse.
“Nothing,” he said.
“You have to make a living,” she answered.

“There are other passengers.”

Almost without thinking, he bent and gave her a hug. She held onto me tightly.

“You gave an old woman a little moment of joy,” she said. “Thank you.”

He squeezed her hand, then walked into the dim morning light. Behind him, a door shut. It was the sound of the closing of a life.

He didn’t pick up any more passengers that shift. He drove aimlessly, lost in thought. For the rest of that day, he could hardly talk. What if that woman had gotten an angry driver, or one who was impatient to end his shift? What if he had refused to take the run, or had honked once, then driven away? On a quick review, he said, "I don’t think that I have done anything more important in my life. We’re conditioned to think that our lives revolve around great moments. But great moments often catch us unaware—beautifully wrapped in what others may consider a small one."

I Believe

I believe that we don't have to change friends if we understand that friends change.

I believe that no matter how good a friend is, they're going to hurt you every once in awhile and, you must forgive them if you want to remain friends.

I believe That true friendship continues to grow, even over the longest distance. 
Same goes for true love.

I believe That you can do something in an instant that will give you heartache for life.

I believe That it's taking me a long time to become the person I want to be.

I believe That you should always leave loved ones with loving words. It may be the last time you see them. 

I believe That you can keep going long after you can't.

I believe That we are responsible for what we do, no matter how we feel.

I believe That either you control your attitude or it controls you.

I believe That regardless of how hot and steamy a relationship is at first, the passion fades and there had better be something else to take its place.

I believe That heroes are the people who do what has to be done when it needs to be done regardless of the cost.

I believe That money is a lousy way of keeping score.

I believe That my best friend and I can do anything or nothing and have the best time! 

I believe That sometimes the people you expect to kick you when you're down, will be the ones to help you get back up.

I believe That sometimes when I'm angry I have the right to be angry, but that doesn't give me the right to be cruel.

I believe That just because someone doesn't love you the way you want them to doesn't mean they don't love you with all they have.

I believe That maturity has more to do with what types of experiences you've had and what you've learned from them and less to do with how many birthdays you've experienced.

 

I believe That it isn't always enough to be forgiven by others. Sometimes you have to learn to forgive yourself.

I believe That no matter how bad your heart is broken the world doesn't stop for your grief.

I believe That our background and circumstances may have influenced who we are, but we are responsible for who we become.

I believe That just because two people argue, it doesn't mean they don't love each other,  And just because they don't argue, it doesn't mean they do.

I believe That you shouldn't be so eager to find out a secret. It could change your life forever.

I believe That two people can look at the exact same thing and see something totally

different. 

I believe That your life can be changed in a matter of hours by people who don't even know you.

I believe That even when you think you have no more to give, when a  
friend cries out to you - you will find the strength to help.

I believe That credentials on the wall do not make you a decent human being.

I believe That the people you care about most in life are the essence of life.
Tell them today how much you love them and what they mean to you.

Hey Dad

Hey Pop,

Happy Father's Day. This group would not exist if it had not been for you. You will always be remembered, always honored, and always talked about fondly on this day.

You were my example, my friend, my mentor, my teacher, but best of all, my dad.

Love always,

Your Rocks ( Al, Dennis, David) and your pebbles ( grand and great-grand children).

Dad

I love you Dad with all my heart
And hate that we should be apart
Our love is a bond that can't be broken
You may be gone, but never forgotten

I remember the day you went away
The pain in my heart is every beat
But I know that eventually, one day
We will, once again meet

The loss is something I can't describe
I'm really going to miss you
One day I'll be back by your side
So I can hug and kiss you

There are no words to tell you,
Just what I'm feeling inside
The day God called you home to Him

Has left a void in my heart and mind.

Things will never again be the same
And though I'm hurting quite bad
I will smile whenever I hear your name
And be so proud to remember my Dad

Rejoice Dad, forever in my heart and mind, in heaven's reward. You deserve it because of your faithful service to God.

Hey Dad!

Without claiming any unique expertise as a father, I would like to make six practical suggestions to my fellow dads. 

First: Give time. Not money, not possessions, but your time. It means something to our children and grands to spend time with time and creates memories never forgotten.

Second: Heal what needs to be healed. Whether it's a skinned knee, a bully at school, lost love, failure at work or confusion about decisions, we must heal the deeper wound, namely, that awful aloneness which only love can heal.

Third: Love each child. Not all children are equally easy to love. But fathers must try. For the scar of being lesser in the eyes of one whose approval is everything cuts deep throughout life.

Fourth: Recognize what is important to each child and show interest in it.

Fifth: Live with integrity. A man's power, wealth, political leanings and religious opinions mean little to children. They study Dad's character. 

Sixth: Live freely. Don't be an emotionally distant fathers.

Dads, I doubt that we will be remembered for how much money we earned, how far we rose in our careers, how fervent we were in our opinions, or how dashing in appearance. Children need more from us. While we have the chance, we must give them time, healing, love, recognition, integrity and freedom.

One more thing: Many children are separated from their fathers by war, estrangement, incarceration, accident, illness or death. Those children still need what a father can give. Let's step up to help.

You never know until the deed is done

One night, at 11:30 PM, an older African American woman was standing on the side of an Alabama highway trying to endure a lashing rain storm. Her car had broken down and she desperately needed a ride. Soaking wet, she decided to flag down the next car. 

A young white man stopped to help her, generally unheard of in those conflict-filled 1960s. The man took her to safety, helped her get assistance and put her into a taxi cab. She seemed to be in a big hurry, but wrote down his address and thanked him. 

Seven days went by and a knock came on the man's door. To his surprise, a giant console color TV was delivered to his home. 

A special note was attached. It read: "Thank you so much for assisting me on the highway the other night. The rain drenched not only my clothes, but also my spirits. Then you came along. Because of you, I was able to make it to my dying husband's bedside just before he passed away. God bless you for helping me and unselfishly serving others. 
Sincerely, 
Mrs. Nat King Cole

Mountain-moving Faith

A small congregation in the foothills of the Great Smokies built a new sanctuary on a piece of land willed to them by a church member. Ten days before the new church was to open, the local building inspector informed the pastor that the parking lot was inadequate for the size of the building. Until the church doubled the size of the parking lot, they would not be able to use the new sanctuary. 

Unfortunately, the church with its undersized parking lot had used every inch of their land except for the mountain against which it had been built. In order to build more parking spaces, they would have to move the mountain out of the back yard. 

Undaunted, the pastor announced the next Sunday morning that he would meet that evening with all members who had "mountain-moving faith". They would hold a prayer session asking God to remove the mountain from the back yard and to somehow provide enough money to have it paved and painted before the scheduled opening dedication service the following week. 

At the appointed time, 24 of the congregation's 300 members assembled for prayer. They prayed for nearly three hours. At ten o'clock the pastor said the final "Amen". "We'll open next Sunday as scheduled," he assured everyone. "God has never let us down before, and I believe He will be faithful this time too." 

The next morning as he was working in his study there came a loud knock at his door. When he called "come in", a rough looking construction foreman appeared, removing his hard hat as he entered. 

"Excuse me, Reverend. I'm from Acme Construction Company over in the next county. We're building a huge new shopping mall over there and we need some fill dirt. Would you be willing to sell us a chunk of that mountain behind the church? We'll pay you for the dirt we remove and pave all the exposed area free of charge, if we can have it right away. We can't do anything else until we get the dirt in and allow it to settle properly." 

Look out devil I'm coming through

In Isaiah 43:15-19, God declares how He opened a way through the red sea for the children of Israel.  Though we get excited about the parting of the red sea I encourage you to look at it from the children of Israel prospective.

Here you are at this sea.  You look ahead; all you see is a body of water.  You look behind; all you see is Pharaoh and his chariot coming after you.  You cry out to God as it appears as if He’s brought you here to die.  Your back is against the wall and you have nowhere to go.
For some of you, this passage explains your situation.  However, I encourage you today! God has not brought you this far just to leave you stranded.  He hasn’t brought you here just to abandon you.  God will make a way out of no way!

It wasn’t until Moses moved forward and used what he had (a staff) until God added his super to Moses natural and parted the sea.  I encourage you to use what God has given you and watch God add His super to your natural.  What has God given you?  His word that shall never fail; your mouth that shall declare the word of the Lord over your life; promises; visions; and a faith that shall move mountains!

So I say to you as God said to Moses, “why do you cry? Move forward”.  Move forward in your walk with God…move forward in your faith!

What God has in store for you doesn’t even compare to what we read God doing for the children of Israel here in Exodus 15.  For God says, “Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall you not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert.”

God will do a new thing in your life now! Not next week, next month or next year, but now! Now God will do a new thing!  The Lord will make a way in hard times, in the wilderness and in what appears to be the impossible!

Be encouraged and trust God!  If God brought you to it, then He’ll bring you through it just as He did with the children of Israel!  He hasn’t brought you this far just to leave you.  God will make a way out of no way now if you will believe!

What about this prayer?

A few years ago this interesting prayer was given in Kansas at the opening session of their Senate. It's amazing how prayer still upsets some people. When Minister Joe Wright was asked to open the new session of the Kansas Senate, everyone was expecting the usual generalities, but this is what they heard:

"Heavenly Father, we come before you today to ask your forgiveness and to seek your direction and guidance. We know Your Word says, 'Woe to those who call evil good,' but that is exactly what we have done. We have lost our spiritual equilibrium and reversed our values. We confess that we have ridiculed the absolute truth of Your Word and called it Pluralism.

We have exploited the poor and called it the lottery. We have rewarded laziness and called it welfare.

We have killed our unborn and called it choice. We have shot abortionists and called it justifiable.

We have neglected to discipline our children and called it building self-esteem.

We have abused power and called it politics.

We have coveted our neighbor's possessions and called it ambition.

We have polluted the air with profanity and pornography and called it freedom of expression.

We have ridiculed the time-honored values of our forefathers and called it enlightenment.

Search us, Oh, God, and know our hearts today; cleanse us from every sin and set us free. Guide and bless these men and women who have been sent to direct us to the center of Your will and to openly ask these things in the name of Your Son, the living Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen!"

The response was immediate. A number of legislators walked out during the prayer in protest.

In 6 short weeks, Central Christian Church, where Rev. Wright is pastor, logged more than 5,000 phone calls with only 47 of those calls responding negatively.

The church is now receiving international requests for copies of this prayer from India, Africa, and Korea.

Even commentator Paul Harvey aired this prayer on his radio program, "The Rest of the Story," and received a larger response to this program than any other he has ever aired.

May this prayer sweep over our nation and wholeheartedly become our desire so that we again can be called "One Nation Under God."

Your Value

A well known speaker started off his seminar by holding up a $20 bill. In the room of 200, he asked, “Who would like this $20 bill?”

Hands started going up.

He said, “I am going to give this $20 to one of you but first, let me do this.” He proceeded to crumple the dollar bill up.

He then asked, “Who still wants it?”

Still the hands were up in the air.

“Well,” he replied, “What if I do this?” And he dropped it on the ground and started to grind it into the floor with his shoe.

He picked it up, now all crumpled and dirty. “Now who still wants it?” Still the hands went into the air.

“My friends, you have all learned a very valuable lesson. No matter what I did to the money, you still wanted it because it did not decrease in value. It was still worth $20.

Many times in our lives, we are dropped, crumpled, and ground into the dirt by the decisions we make and the circumstances that come our way.

We feel as though we are worthless. But no matter what has happened or what will happen, you will never lose your value. You are special – Don’t ever forget it!

Build Wisely

An elderly carpenter was ready to retire. He told his employer-contractor of his plans to leave the house-building business to live a more leisurely life with his wife and enjoy his extended family. He would miss the paycheck each week, but he wanted to retire. They could get by.

The contractor was sorry to see his good worker go & asked if he could build just one more house as a personal favor. The carpenter said yes, but over time it was easy to see that his heart was not in his work. He resorted to shoddy workmanship and used inferior materials. It was an unfortunate way to end a dedicated career.

When the carpenter finished his work, his employer came to inspect the house. Then he handed the front-door key to the carpenter and said, “This is your house… my gift to you.”

The carpenter was shocked!

What a shame! If he had only known he was building his own house, he would have done it all so differently.

So it is with us. We build our lives, a day at a time, often putting less than our best into the building. Then, with a shock, we realize we have to live in the house we have built. If we could do it over, we would do it much differently.

But, you cannot go back. You are the carpenter, and every day you hammer a nail, place a board, or erect a wall. Someone once said, “Life is a do-it-yourself project.” Your attitude, and the choices you make today, help build the “house” you will live in tomorrow. Therefore, Build wisely!

Don't judge life by one season

There was a man who had four sons. He wanted his sons to learn to not judge things too quickly. So he sent them each on a quest, in turn, to go and look at a pear tree that was a great distance away.

The first son went in the winter, the second in the spring, the third in summer, and the youngest son in the fall.

When they had all gone and come back, he called them together to describe what they had seen.

The first son said that the tree was ugly, bent, and twisted.

The second son said no – it was covered with green buds and full of promise.

The third son disagreed, he said it was laden with blossoms that smelled so sweet and looked so beautiful, it was the most graceful thing he had ever seen.

The last son disagreed with all of them; he said it was ripe and drooping with fruit, full of life and fulfilment.

The man then explained to his sons that they were all right, because they had each seen but one season in the tree’s life.

He told them that you cannot judge a tree, or a person, by only one season, and that the essence of who they are – and the pleasure, joy, and love that come from that life – can only be measured at the end, when all the seasons are up.

If you give up when it’s winter, you will miss the promise of your spring, the beauty of your summer, fulfilment of your fall.

Don’t judge a life by one difficult season. Don’t let the pain of one season destroy the joy of all the rest.

Purpose

Romans 8:26-28

Sometimes people come into your life and you know right away that they were meant to be there, to serve some sort of purpose, teach you a lesson, or to help you figure out who you are or who you want to become. You never know who these people may be (possibly your roommate, neighbor, coworker, longlost friend, lover, or even a complete stranger) but when you lock eyes with them, you know at that very moment that they will affect your life in some profound way.

And sometimes things happen to you that may seem horrible, painful, and unfair at first, but in reflection you find that without overcoming those obstacles you would have never realized your potential, strength, willpower, or heart.

Everything happens for a reason. Nothing happens by chance or by means of luck. Illness, injury, love, lost moments of true greatness, and sheer stupidity all occur to test the limits of your soul. Without these small tests, whatever they may be, life would be like a smoothly paved, straight, flat road to nowhere. It would be safe and comfortable, but dull and utterly pointless.

The people you meet who affect your life, and the success and downfalls you experience help to create who you become. Even the bad experiences can be learned from. In fact, they are probably the most poignant and important ones. If someone hurts you, betrays you, or breaks your heart, forgive them, for they have helped you learn about trust and the importance of being cautious when you open your heart. If someone loves you, love them back unconditionally, not only because they love you, but because in a way, they are teaching you to love and how to open your heart and eyes to things.

Make every day count! Appreciate every moment and take from those moments everything that you possibly can for you may never be able to experience it again. Talk to people that you have never talked to before, and actually listen. Let yourself fall in love, break free, and set your sights high. Hold your head up because you have every right to. Tell yourself you are a great individual and believe in yourself, for if you don’t believe in yourself, it will be hard for others to believe in you. You can make of your life anything you wish. Create your own life then go out and live it with absolutely no regrets.

What to do when your heart is heavy

Do you feel stuck in a pattern that isn't quite working for you at the moment? Maybe you've been pegged by loved ones or co-workers in a way that doesn't feel fair or true (you've been blamed or labeled). Perhaps you've had a conflict with someone and your heart hurts so much you can't get a deep breath. You may have suffered a loss that makes you sadder than you would have expected. Whatever it is, it has flattened you and put you on the sidelines for the time being. If we were to be honest with one another, we could all tell of the many times we have felt like this in our lives.

Within the last 16 months I had suffered two bad heart episodes, had several good church members called home to be with Jesus, and faced numerous projects and repairs on our church property that I did not have the means to handle. It got to a point after the last heart attack 13 weeks ago that I was so depressed I could barely hold my head up. I had never faced anything like this before in my life. I had always been able to bounce back, but my mortality was beginning to show. I wasn't Superman anymore and I begin to realize that in spite of my best efforts, because of after effects from the accident that affected my body, things might never change. The things that made me feel better I did not have the energy to do, nor did I want to do. I still did my job and tried to do my best, but I was exhausted, angry with myself for feeling this way, and trying to figure out what to do.

I tried everything to break this spirit that seemed to loom over me like a rain cloud, but no matter what I tried nothing seemed to break it apart. We sometimes get into holding patterns that create pain, fear or anger, but most of us also have ways of working through tough, hardened states of mind so we can get un-paralyzed and get back to whatever is normal and healthy in our lives, but I was at my wits end. 

It was in my greatest trial that God spoke this word into my spirit just two weeks ago.

It was the key I needed to break the chains that had caused so much heaviness in my heart.

"Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me." (Psalms 23:4)

Walking and praying for me has always been the key to loosening up my spirit and helping me deal with my situations in life. I rediscovered during this recent time that there was a paradox to this course of action. Doing what I know is good for me is was an act of will that took a firm decision and an internal alarm that woke me up at 5 a.m. to hit the gym. Walking regularly helped me deal with the depression and stress my physical condition had put me in, but it was the power of prayer that broke the back of the enemy who had me so mentally stressed out about living or dying. 

For several weeks my walking time and my prayer life had been affected by this state of depression, but the key that unlocked the door was the realization anew and afresh that even when I don't feel him He is there. It's in the valley He restores my soul, not on the mountain top. Once I took this key I was able to unlock those heavy chains placed around my heart. Walking 4 miles a day, praying more than ever, and feeling better than I have in weeks.

The "key" to your well-being may not be walking and praying;  instead, it could well be escaping into a good book or cranking up the volume of your music and dancing behind closed doors, but whatever it is, you know that when you do it, your heavy state of mind will begin to lift and whatever you're wrestling with will start to untangle itself and loosen its tendrils ever-so-slightly. You also know what I mean when I say it takes an act of will and faith to engage in the activity that will give you relief. Energy you don't exactly have in the dark, heavy moments is exactly what is required to produce relief.

So if your heavy hearted today, I've been there recently. Yet in that time there was a comforting Savoir that brought me through. Remember, He will do the same for you.

Five Things To Live by

(1) Remember the three R's:
-Respect for self;
-Respect for others;
-Responsibility for all your actions.
(2) Don't let a dispute injure a great friendship.
(3) When you realize you've made a mistake, take immediate steps to correct it.
(4) Smile when picking up the phone. The caller will hear it in your voice.
(5) Be sure to spend some time alone.

Witness

Jesus answered, "My teaching is not my own. It comes from him who sent me.   (John 7:16)

You are approached by a friend who says, "I've been noticing that you seem to be content and at peace all the time. I wish I could be like that. I've got a lot of crazy things happening in my life and I worry about them all the time. I'd like to be like you. What's your secret?"

Obviously, this is a person ready to hear the Good News. But you hesitate, wondering what words to say that will turn him on to Christ, not turn him off. You need not worry.

All things come from God, even those words that come from our mouths. You do not have to be a good speaker to spread the Good News. If you trust in God and ask for his guidance, the Holy Spirit will say the right words for you.

"When you are brought before synagogues, rulers and authorities, do not worry about how you will defend yourselves or what you will say, for the Holy Spirit will teach you at that time what you should say."   (Luke 12:11, 12)

If someone comes to you and asks about your faith, ask God to give you the right words to say. Then say them without hesitation.

"But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."   (Acts 1:8)

Ask God right now to give you the power of effective witnessing so that you will be able to bring the Gospel of Jesus Christ to others.

Senior Citizen Discount

"$5.37." That's what the kid behind the counter at Taco Bell said to me. 

I dug into my pocket and pulled out some lint and two dimes and something that used to be a Jolly Rancher. Having already handed the kid a five-spot, I started to head back out to the truck to grab some change when the kid with the Elmo hairdo said the hardest thing anyone has ever said to me. He said, "It's OK. I'll just give you the senior citizen discount." 

I turned to see who he was talking to and then heard the sound of change hitting the counter in front of me. "Only $4.68," he said cheerfully. 

I stood there stupefied. I am 56, not even 60 yet. A mere child! Senior citizen? 

I took my burrito and walked out to the truck, wondering what was wrong with Elmo. Was he blind? As I sat in the truck, my blood began to boil. Old? Me? 

I'll show him, I thought. I opened the door and headed back inside. I strode to the counter, and there he was waiting with a smile. 

Before I could say a word, he held up something and jingled it in front of me, like I could be that easily distracted! What am I now? A toddler? 

"Dude! Can't get too far without your car keys, eh?" 

I stared with utter disdain at the keys. I began to rationalize in my mind. "Leaving keys behind hardly makes a man elderly! It could happen to anyone!" 

I turned and headed back to the truck. I slipped the key into the ignition, but it wouldn't turn. What now? I checked my keys and tried another. Still nothing. 

That's when I noticed the purple beads hanging from my rear view mirror. I had no purple beads hanging from my rear view mirror. 

Then, a few other objects came into focus. The car seat in the back seat. Happy Meal toys spread all over the floorboard. A partially eaten doughnut on the dashboard. 

Faster than you can say ginkgo biloba, I flew out of the alien vehicle. 

Moments later I was speeding out of the parking lot, relieved to finally be leaving this nightmarish stop in my life. That is when I felt it, deep in the bowels of my stomach: hunger! My stomach growled and churned, and I reached to grab my burrito, only it was nowhere to be found. 

I swung the truck around, gathered my courage, and strode back into the restaurant one final time. There Elmo stood, draped in youth and black nail polish. All I could think was, "What is the world coming to?" 

All I could say was, "Did I leave my food and drink in here"? At this point I was ready to ask a Boy Scout to help me back to my vehicle and then go straight home and apply for Social Security benefits. 

Elmo had no clue. I walked back out to the truck, and suddenly a young lad came up and tugged on my jeans to get my attention. He was holding up a drink and a bag. His mother explained, "I think you left this in my truck by mistake." 

I took the food and drink from the little boy and sheepishly apologized. 

She offered these kind words: "It's OK. My grandfather does stuff like this all the time." 

All of this is to explain how I got a ticket doing 85 in a 40. Yes, I was racing some punk kid in a Toyota Prius. And no, I told the officer, I'm not too old to be driving this fast. 

As I walked in the front door, my wife met me halfway down the hall. I handed her a bag of cold food and a $300 speeding ticket. I promptly sat in my rocking chair and covered up my legs with a blankey. 

The good news was I had successfully found my way home.