S-l-o-w D-o-w-n

FAITH:

Jonah 1:11-13
Then said they unto him, What shall we do unto thee, that the sea may be calm unto us? for the sea wrought, and was tempestuous. And he said unto them, Take me up, and cast me forth into the sea; so shall the sea be calm unto you: for I know that for my sake this great tempest is upon you. Nevertheless the men rowed hard to bring it to the land; but they could not: for the sea wrought, and was tempestuous against them.

I woke up at 6am morning with that nagging sense of being overwhelmed by stress. Stress from the demands upon my time. Stress from all the obligations and responsibilities. You know the feeling.... a tight vice grip around your stomach.

I went into my study to have my quiet time with God, read some and pray. I could not do it. Not a good sign. I went into the kitchen and starring in my face is our calendar. My wife puts her things in blue, mine are in red, the kids activities are in green and all others are in black ink. The calendar looks like a Christmas Tree all lit up! I felt the pressure of the vice grip tighten more.

I then go to my computer and attempt to sign on America Online to read the morning mail. Modem not responding! Argh! Vice grip is getting tighter and tighter.

So I do the next sensible thing... go to the office. Printer is jammed with printing I started when I went home yesterday. Fax machine is screaming for more paper. Voice mail light on my phone is blinking and begging my attention. Argh.. finally I think the day is just not starting out good! : )

The more I tried to do... the worse things got. Just like the men in the boat in the above verse.. the more they rowed the more the storm raged. Finally I slowed down enough to hear that soft voice of the Holy Spirit say... hey David... open your Bible.. spend some time with Me. Slow down my child. Be calm. Listen to me. I finally became still. And you know what happened, God drained away my stress.

Psalm 28:7 The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusted in him, and I am helped: therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth; and with my song will I praise him. (KJV)

When "I" finally got out of the way. God restored me back to peace. When "I" quit rowing against the tide and listened to God, He then could overcome my stresses. When I started trusting HIM again, He helped me. What an awesome God we serve. by David Massey

FRIENDS:

Dear Lord, Forgive me for trying to do it all. Forgive me for not trusting you. Forgive me rowing against your will and your desires for me. Lord help me take things one at a time and not become overwhelmed by the total picture. Father you are an Awesome God. I love you and praise you. Thank you for giving us a peace that only YOU can give. In Jesus' precious name, Amen.

DAILY BIBLE CHALLENGE

24. LUKE 20:9-19; PHILEMON 1-11; PROVERBS 17:1-14 ESTHER 7-8
25. LUKE 20: 20-26; PHILEMON 12-25; PROVERBS 17:15-28; ESTHER 9-10
These are the last ones for August. When we start in September we will add Isaiah and Hebrews. Use this time to catch up on any you missed or to reflect on things you have noticed as you were reading.

~ISAIAH~
Isaiah was a blueblood among the prophets. His Hebrew was classic. His style was noble. His circles were influential. But his message was bare-knuckled.

Through the reigns of four kings he proclaimed one message: God will not forever wink at wrong.

He spoke with a grit in his gut and a fire in his eyes like one who had stood in hell and seen heaven, for that is exactly what had happened. Isaiah saw God.

Whether what he saw was in the sky or in his head matters little compared to the truth that it was in his heart. The lights danced and the angels chanted back and forth, "Holy, Holy, Holy," as if they had nothing else to say, and they didn't---for that is all you can say before him who is holy.

There are those who boast about having a vision of God like they boast about seeing the president. Not so with Isaiah. When he saw God he didn't update his resume, he begged for mercy.

"Oh, no! I will be destroyed. I am not pure, and I live among people who are not pure, but I have seen the King, the Lord All-Powerful" (6:5).

No sooner is the mercy requested than it is received. An angel purges his mouth with a hot coal, teaching us that the only mouth worthy of speaking for God is the one cleansed by God.

Isaiah was never the same after that. Send me! he volunteered. And so God sent. And so Isaiah preached. He preached with the passion and fury of a man who'd seen his life pass before his eyes.

For he had. He preached with the passion and fury of a man sent by God. For he was.

And he preached with the passion and fury of a man who longed to join the angels and spend eternity singing, "Holy, Holy, Holy" at the top of his lungs.

Something tells me that's what he is doing right now.

FOOD:

Homemade Laundry Detergent: Cheaper and Better

Why on earth would anyone want to make laundry detergent? Several reasons come to mind, such as allergies to fragrance and perfumes, environmental issues associated with phosphates and the need for some of you to buy special, high-efficiency, low-sudsing detergent for the new front-loading washers. But perhaps the most compelling reason is the cost: You can make your own laundry detergent for as little as $.02 a load. Two pennies!

Today I have recipes for both liquid and powdered laundry detergent. The liquid will be cheapest to make; the powdered version is quicker to make and a bit easier to store and dispense. In both cases you will need these ingredients (resources to follow):

1. Fels Naptha Laundry Bar soap
2. Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda (do not use baking soda)
3. 20 Mule Team Borax

Liquid Laundry Detergent

3 pints water
1/3 bar Fels Naptha soap, grated
1/2 cup Super Washing Soda
1/2 cup 20 Mule Team Borax
2-gallon bucket
1 quart hot water

Mix grated Fels Naptha Laundry Bar Soap in a large saucepan with 3 pints hot water and heat on the stove over Low heat until dissolved. Do not allow to boil. Stir in Super Washing Soda and Borax. Stir until thickened. Remove from heat. Add 1 quart hot water to 2-gallon bucket. Add soap mixture, and mix well. Fill up bucket with some additional hot water, leaving a few inches at the top, and mix well. Set aside for 24 hours, or until mixture thickens. Use 1/2 cup of mixture per load. Note: This recipe multiplies well, but you’ll need a 5-gallon bucket.

Powdered Laundry Detergent

1 cup grated Fels Naptha Laundry Bar Soap
1/2 cup Super Washing Soda
1/2 cup 20 Mule Team Borax

Mix and store in airtight container or bag. For light loads, use 2 tablespoons. For heavy loads, use 3 tablespoons.

Note: To make a large batch grate 6 bars of Fels Naptha Soap and then add 3 cups of Super Washing Soda and 3 cups 20 Mule Team Borax. Mix well and store in a covered container.

Tip: These recipes will NOT make suds in your washer so don't be alarmed. Fels Naptha is a pure soap, which makes it perfect for use in the new high-efficiency (HE) washers as well as traditional washers. The only proof you’ll need of how well this laundry product works is to take a look at the dirty wash water. You may also notice the need to either reduce your laundry softener or even eliminate the use of softener completely.

Resources: Some supermarkets still carry these products in the laundry aisle. But they are quickly disappearing for lack of interest. But do not despair. You can order all of them at www.soapsgonebuy.com, or call 1-888-858-SOAP (1-888-858-7627).

FUN:


IDIOT SIGHTING:

When my husband and I arrived at an automobile dealership to pick up
our car, we were told the keys had been locked in it. We went to the
service department and found a mechanic working feverishly to unlock
the driver side door. As I watched from the passenger side, I
instinctively tried the door handle and discovered that it was unlocked. 'Hey,' I announced to the technician, 'Its open!' His
reply, 'I know. I already got that side..'

This was at the Ford dealership in Canton, MS.

I have one!!

When I left Hawaii and was transferred to FL I still had the Hawaiian
plates on my car, as my car was shipped from Hawaii . I was parking
somewhere (I can't remember) and a guy asked me "Wow, you drove from Hawaii to here?" I looked at him and quickly said "Yep. I took the
Hawaii/San Francisco Bridge". He nodded his head and said "Cool!"