FAITH:
Psalms 137:1-138:8
During the Babylon captivity, the Israelites mourned for their last land.
In times of trouble it is easy to wonder if God hears us.
But God does hear our prayers, and he carries us through the difficulties.
Since God is more moved my our hurt than our eloquence, he responds. That's what fathers do.
That's exactly what Jim Redmond did.
His son Derek, a twenty-six-year-old Briton, was favored to win the four-hundred meter race in the 1992 Barcelona Olympics. Halfway into his semifinal heat. a fiery pain seared through his right leg. He crumpled to the track with a torn hamstring.
As the medical attendants were approaching, Redmond fought to his feet. "It was animal instinct," he would later say. He set out hopping, pushing away the coaches in a crazed attempt to finish the race.
When he reached the stretch, a big man pushed through the crowd. He was wearing a t-shirt that read "Have you hugged your child today?" and a hat that challenged, "Just Do It". The man was Jim Redmond, Derek's father.
"You don't have to do this," he told his weeping son.
"Yes, I do," Derek declared.
"Well then, " said Jim, "we're going to finish this together."
And they did. Jim wrapped Derek's arm around his shoulder and helped him hobble to the finish line. Fighting off security men, the son's head sometimes buried in the father's shoulder, they stayed in Derek's lane to the end.
The crowd clapped, then stood, then cheered, and then wept as the father and the son finished the race.
What make the father do it? What made the father leave the stands to meet his son on the track? Was it the strength of his child? His son was hurt and fighting to complete the race. So the father came to help him finish.
God does the same. Our prayers may be awkward. Our attempts may be feeble. But since the power of prayer is in the one who hears it and not the one who says it, our prayers do make a difference. by Max Lucado
Applying it: God wants us to pray to him without getting bogged down in
proper words and phrases. Forget the fancy words and eloquent phrases. Don't get caught up using the right prayer words. Pour out your joys, fears, concerns, and requests. He hears you and will aid and comfort you.
Exploring it: God hears his people: Exodus 2:23-25; 22:27; Psalm 18:6; 145:18; Isiah 65:24; Jeremiah 33:3; Romans 10:12-13.
FRIENDS:
Heavenly Father, we know we are here on earth to be your people and we need to show others the same God who came to be a friend to the earth by our love and hospitality. Lord, please make us aware of others who have no family or no where to go for Thanksgiving. Please open up our eyes and our hearts to the needs of others. In Jesus' name, Amen.
FOOD:
THE BEST CHOCOLATE ICING IN THE UNIVERSE
1 cube butter
1 box powdered sugar
6 Tb. buttermilk
4 Tb. Hershey's Baking Cocoa powder
1 tsp vanilla
1 C nuts
Boil the butter, buttermilk, and cocoa for 1 minute.
Remove from stove, add vanilla and nuts and beat well then
pour onto a 9 x 13 cake. Let cool and cut.
I am warning you this is a killer. Back in the early 80's my
wasbund paid $25 for a cake with this icing on it at a youth
group food auction for camp scholarship money.
And back then this was a lot of money.
Denise was so excited that her cake fetched that amount of money.
A couple lived near the ocean and used to walk the beach a lot. One summer they noticed a girl who was at the beach almost every day. She wasn't unusual, nor was the travel bag she carried, except for one thing; she would approach people who were sitting on the beach, glance around and then speak to them.
Generally, the people would respond negatively and she would wander off. But occasionally someone would nod and there would be a quick exchange of money and something that she carried in her bag.
The couple assumed that she was selling drugs and debated calling the cops, but since they didn't know
For sure, they decided to just continue watching her.
After a couple of weeks the wife said, 'Honey, have you ever noticed that she only goes up to people with boom boxes and other electronic devices?' He hadn't and said so.
Then she said, 'Tomorrow I want you to get a towel and our big radio and go lie out on the beach. Then we can find out what she's really doing.'
Well, the plan went off without a hitch and the wife was almost hopping up and down with anticipation w h en she saw the girl talk to her husband and then leave .. The man then walked up the beach and met his wife at the road.
'Well, is she selling drugs?' she asked excitedly. 'No, she's not,' he said, enjoying this probably more
Than he should have.
'Well, what is it then? What does she do ?' his wife fairly shrieked.
The man grinned and said, 'She's a battery salesperson.'
'Batteries?' cried the wife..
'Yes!' he replied.
PLEASE SCROLL DOWN
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OOOOH! You're gonna dislike me for this -
But it will make your day!
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'She Sells C Cells by the Seashore!'
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