FAITH:
Deuteronomy 31:30--32:52
Moses' death was near. He gave the last sermon in the form of a song. He reminded the people of their history and warned them not to repeat their mistakes but instead to trust the Lord. He prophesied their future disloyalty and punishment, as well as God's forgiveness and mercy.
We have no excuse of abandoning God. He protects, provides and leads us like a shepherd. We must always put our faith and trust in Him.
To know the will of God is the highest of all wisdom. Living in the center of God's will rules out all falsemess of religion and puts the stamp of true sincerity upon service to God. You can be miserable with much, if you are out of His will; but you can have peace in your heart with little, if you are in the will of God. You can be wretched with wealth and fame, out of His will; but you can have joy in obscurity, if you are in the will of god. You can have agony in good health, out of His will; but you can be happy in the midst of suffering, if you are in God's will. You can be miserable and defeated in the midst of acclaim, if you are out of His will; but you can be calm and at peace in the midst of persecution, as long as you are in the will of God. The Bible reveals that God has a plan for every life, and that if we live in constant fellowship with Him, He will direct and lead us in the fulfillment of His plan. by Billy Graham
Applying it: Plans rarely turn out as intended. Accidents happen. People move, die, or grow cold toward us. What is your anchor in a changing world? Thank God today for the immense security He provides. Take comfort in God's promises to you.
Exploring it: Trust--Proverbs 3:5-6; Psalms 62:5-8; Romans 3:21-29; Hebrews 3:15--4:3
FRIENDS:
Father, we know you love those of us who need you most and trust you in everything. Please help us not to put our hope into things that change. We want to keep our sights on the one that can never change, and that is you our Heavenly Father. Give us the courage as we face the challenges of each new day. In Jesus' name, amen.
BIBLE CHALLENGE
January 13
Matthew 5:33-48; Acts 8:1-25; Psalms 13; Genesis 31
January 14
Matthew 6:1-15; Acts 8:26-40; Psalms 14; Genesis 32-33
10 THINGS I AM THANKFUL FOR
1. Preachers with a message that inspires you
2. Ladies who dress up for church (not me)
3. A hug from a very senior Saint
4. Spur of the moment "field trips" with a friend
5. How God made our bodies to recover from illness with proper treatment
6. Having just enough
7. Finding another "little gift" hanging from my front door
8. Answered intercessory prayer.
9. Joy for another person.
10. Knowing we have a God to go to with our heart aches.
FOOD:
7 Up Cake with Orange Glaze
1 package white or yellow cake mix
1 small package lemon Jello
4 large eggs
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 cup 7 Up soda
1 cup chopped pecans, optional
Add pecans to the bottom of a greased and floured bundt cake pan.
In the bowl of a stand mixer, or another large bowl, add the contents
of one yellow boxed cake mix, lemon Jello, eggs, vegetable oil and
7 Up soda. Beat for three minutes on medium speed
(or let the kids whirl it up like crazy until they are
done).
Bake in a 350 degree oven for 45 to 60 minutes, until cake tests done
with a toothpick and barely begins to pull away from sides of pan.
Cool in pan 10 minutes and flip onto a wire rack to cool completely.
Orange Glaze
2 cups confectioner's sugar
4 Tablespoons orange juice
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Mix together and drizzle over cooled cake.
FUN:
In case there is someone out there that hasn't read one of my favorite jokes, here it is AGAIN.
AN ATHEIST IN THE WOODS
An atheist was walking through the woods.
'What majestic trees!
'What powerful rivers!
'What beautiful animals!
He said to himself.
As he was walking alongside the river, he heard a rustling in the
bushes behind him.
He turned to look and saw a 7-foot grizzly bear charging towards him.
He ran as fast as he could up the path. He looked over his shoulder &
saw that the bear was closing in on him.
He looked over his shoulder again, & the bear was even closer.
He tripped & fell on the ground.
He rolled over to pick himself up but saw that the bear was right on
top of him, reaching for him with his left paw & raising his right paw
to strike him.
At that instant the Atheist cried out, 'Oh my God!'
Time Stopped.
The bear froze.
The forest was silent.
As a bright light shone upon the man, a voice came out of the sky.
'You deny my existence for all these years, teach others I don't exist
and even credit Creation to cosmic accident.' 'Do you expect me to help you out of
this predicament? Am I to count you as a believer'?
The atheist looked directly into the light, 'It would be hypocritical
of me to suddenly ask you to treat me as a Christian now, but perhaps
you could make the BEAR a Christian'?
'Very Well,' said the voice.
The light went out. The sounds of the forest resumed. And the bear
dropped his right paw, brought both paws together, bowed his head &
spoke:
'Lord bless this food, which I am about to receive from thy bounty
through Christ our Lord, Amen
Monday, January 12, 2009
Saturday, January 10, 2009
Seasons
FAITH:
1 Kings 2:1-46
David gave final instructions to Solomon that would ensure success. At David's death, Solomon consolidated his power and administration.
At his death, the great King David exhorted his son: obey God, follow Him, and be kind to others.
Successful people are at the right place at the right time to a great extent because they have leaned how to take certain action steps in proper sequence. They have learned that scriptural truth, "To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven."
They know that everything they desire has an appropriate place and time for accomplishment, and toward that end, they set their priorities in certain orders, prepare them selves in certain ways, and refuse to give in to discouragement or failures along the way.
What about those who are unsuccessful?
Some fail because they lack dreams or they don't believe in the possibility of their dreams becoming reality. Some fail to reach their full potential of a rewarding harvest in life because they have not turned their dreams into specific goals and plans of action for reaching those goals. Many others fail, however, because they are out of sync with time and place.
- They planted or fertilized their goals in the wrong season.
- They planted before they fully planned.
- They attempted to harvest a goal before it was fully developed.
Such failures arise not from a lack of determination or willingness to keep trying but from efforts that are out of proper sequence. The result is that those who fail because of their improper alignment of time and place soon become frustrated, begin to believe that it's impossible for them to achieve anything significant, or allow their disappointments to develop into a failure-anticipating mind-set.
The opportunity for success is yours. Believe it. Regardless of what you experienced in your past, the future can hold success for you. by Denis Waitley
Applying it: If you want success in life, then all your activities must reflect God's will. Today make God the center of your life. Ask God to show you what successful living means for you. Then, rest easy in God's peace and His plans.
Exploring it: Success-Joshua 1:6-8; 2 Samuel 5:12; 1 Chronicles 18:13; Proverbs 3:6; 16:3 Matthew 6:33-34.
FRIENDS:
Father, we invite your assistance and guidance into every area of our lives. We want to be successful as you deem success and not by the world's standards. We do not have the strength to be transformed into your likeness and not be conformed to this world except by the power of your Spirit. May we understand more of what it says, "to everything there is a season" to make plans and goals and not run when we should walk. In Jesus' name, Amen
BIBLE CHALLENGE
January 11
Matthew 5:13-20; Acts 7:1-38; Psalms 11; Genesis 27-28
January 12
Matthew 5:21-32; Acts 7:39-60; Psalms 12; Genesis 29-30
10 THINGS I AM THANKFUL FOR
1. People who have the gift of hospitality
2. Winter sun beating down on aching shoulders
3. Hot soup on a cold day
4. Sisters who love obviously adore each other
5. Friends who love each other like sisters
6. Hearing a good report on someone's troubled family situation
7. A peaceful night's sleep
8. Planning ahead and meeting the goals
9. A good sale on something you have wanted
10. Someone asking for prayer and knowing that the hearers hearts are touched by the request
FOOD:
Baked Fish in Packets
Source: I Can't Believe It's Not Butter Spread
Each packet becomes a one-dish meal
1 cup each - julienned carrots, celery, red pepper
1/2 cup julienned scallions
4 (6 oz) fish steaks (salmon, halibut)
4 teaspoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon dried dill weed
1/4 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons I Can't Believe It's Not Butter Spread
Heat oven to 350°F. Cut four pieces of aluminum foil about 14 inches
long. Divide vegetables equally on each piece. Arrange fish over
vegetables; sprinkle with lemon juice, dill weed and salt; dot with
spread. Seal foil tightly around fish and vegetables. Arrange packets
on baking sheet. Bake 30 minutes or until done.
Serves 4
I used to do this with foil but now I do it with parchment paper.
FUN:
Heavenly Poem
I was shocked, confused, bewildered
As I entered Heaven's door,
Not by the beauty of it all,
Nor the lights or its decor.
But it was the folks in Heaven
Who made me sputter and gasp--
The thieves, the liars, the sinners,
The alcoholics and the trash.
There stood the kid from seventh grade
Who swiped my lunch money twice.
Next to him was my old neighbor
Who never said anything nice.
Herb, who I always thought
Was rotting away in hell,
Was sitting pretty on cloud nine,
Looking incredibly well.
I nudged Jesus, 'What's the deal?
I would love to hear your take.
How'd all these sinners get up here?
God must have made a mistake.
'And why's everyone so quiet,
So somber - give me a clue.'
'Hush, child,' He said, 'they're all in shock.
No one expected you.'
1 Kings 2:1-46
David gave final instructions to Solomon that would ensure success. At David's death, Solomon consolidated his power and administration.
At his death, the great King David exhorted his son: obey God, follow Him, and be kind to others.
Successful people are at the right place at the right time to a great extent because they have leaned how to take certain action steps in proper sequence. They have learned that scriptural truth, "To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven."
They know that everything they desire has an appropriate place and time for accomplishment, and toward that end, they set their priorities in certain orders, prepare them selves in certain ways, and refuse to give in to discouragement or failures along the way.
What about those who are unsuccessful?
Some fail because they lack dreams or they don't believe in the possibility of their dreams becoming reality. Some fail to reach their full potential of a rewarding harvest in life because they have not turned their dreams into specific goals and plans of action for reaching those goals. Many others fail, however, because they are out of sync with time and place.
- They planted or fertilized their goals in the wrong season.
- They planted before they fully planned.
- They attempted to harvest a goal before it was fully developed.
Such failures arise not from a lack of determination or willingness to keep trying but from efforts that are out of proper sequence. The result is that those who fail because of their improper alignment of time and place soon become frustrated, begin to believe that it's impossible for them to achieve anything significant, or allow their disappointments to develop into a failure-anticipating mind-set.
The opportunity for success is yours. Believe it. Regardless of what you experienced in your past, the future can hold success for you. by Denis Waitley
Applying it: If you want success in life, then all your activities must reflect God's will. Today make God the center of your life. Ask God to show you what successful living means for you. Then, rest easy in God's peace and His plans.
Exploring it: Success-Joshua 1:6-8; 2 Samuel 5:12; 1 Chronicles 18:13; Proverbs 3:6; 16:3 Matthew 6:33-34.
FRIENDS:
Father, we invite your assistance and guidance into every area of our lives. We want to be successful as you deem success and not by the world's standards. We do not have the strength to be transformed into your likeness and not be conformed to this world except by the power of your Spirit. May we understand more of what it says, "to everything there is a season" to make plans and goals and not run when we should walk. In Jesus' name, Amen
BIBLE CHALLENGE
January 11
Matthew 5:13-20; Acts 7:1-38; Psalms 11; Genesis 27-28
January 12
Matthew 5:21-32; Acts 7:39-60; Psalms 12; Genesis 29-30
10 THINGS I AM THANKFUL FOR
1. People who have the gift of hospitality
2. Winter sun beating down on aching shoulders
3. Hot soup on a cold day
4. Sisters who love obviously adore each other
5. Friends who love each other like sisters
6. Hearing a good report on someone's troubled family situation
7. A peaceful night's sleep
8. Planning ahead and meeting the goals
9. A good sale on something you have wanted
10. Someone asking for prayer and knowing that the hearers hearts are touched by the request
FOOD:
Baked Fish in Packets
Source: I Can't Believe It's Not Butter Spread
Each packet becomes a one-dish meal
1 cup each - julienned carrots, celery, red pepper
1/2 cup julienned scallions
4 (6 oz) fish steaks (salmon, halibut)
4 teaspoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon dried dill weed
1/4 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons I Can't Believe It's Not Butter Spread
Heat oven to 350°F. Cut four pieces of aluminum foil about 14 inches
long. Divide vegetables equally on each piece. Arrange fish over
vegetables; sprinkle with lemon juice, dill weed and salt; dot with
spread. Seal foil tightly around fish and vegetables. Arrange packets
on baking sheet. Bake 30 minutes or until done.
Serves 4
I used to do this with foil but now I do it with parchment paper.
FUN:
Heavenly Poem
I was shocked, confused, bewildered
As I entered Heaven's door,
Not by the beauty of it all,
Nor the lights or its decor.
But it was the folks in Heaven
Who made me sputter and gasp--
The thieves, the liars, the sinners,
The alcoholics and the trash.
There stood the kid from seventh grade
Who swiped my lunch money twice.
Next to him was my old neighbor
Who never said anything nice.
Herb, who I always thought
Was rotting away in hell,
Was sitting pretty on cloud nine,
Looking incredibly well.
I nudged Jesus, 'What's the deal?
I would love to hear your take.
How'd all these sinners get up here?
God must have made a mistake.
'And why's everyone so quiet,
So somber - give me a clue.'
'Hush, child,' He said, 'they're all in shock.
No one expected you.'
Thursday, January 8, 2009
Do you make a difference?
FAITH:
1 Chronicles 9:2-44
The families of Israel who lived in Jerusalem after the captivity were recorded.
God holds his people accountable for the stewardship of their belongings. Each person must contribute to God's work and to the upkeep of his house.
You have a responsibility to build up your church and help it to be and do what Jesus created it to be and do. You could do so much for your church if you wold just give yourself and your church a chance. For instance, if your church has a weekly prayer meeting, you could get your whole youth group together and show up. It would be wild if you didn't tell your pastor in advance. You would blow his mind. Have you ever thought of doing something like that? Or have you thought of going to a church business meeting to share your beliefs and convictions about how the church can minister to the world? Your church needs your input. If you come in a loving and humble manner, the faithful workers in the church will be thrilled to see you taking an active part in the life of the church. You will be a source of encouragement to everyone.
You need the church and the church desperately needs you. If you are not affiliated with a church you have denied yourself one of the major means through which God wants to keep you faithful to Him. by Tony Compolo
Applying it: Do you participate in church? Use your God-given gifts, and temperament to help build the church. Help out in the nursery, with Sunday school, in a fellowship group.......
Exploring it: The Spiritual House of God--Matthew 16:18; Ephesians 1:22; Hebrews 3:6; 1 Peter 2:5
FRIENDS:
Father, Please help up to remember that our act of worship is not just what we do on Sunday morning, but our act of worship is a lifelong, seven day a week process of living the principles of Christ in everything we do. Help us to see the world as you do and to respond to the hurts around us. In Jesus' name, Amen.
BIBLE CHALLENGE
Psalms
Worship. In two thousand years we haven't worked out the kinks. We still struggle for the right words in prayer. We still fumble over Scripture. We don't know when to kneel. We don't know when to stand. We don't know how to pray.
Worship is a daunting task.
For that reason, God gave us the Psalms--a praisebook for God's people. The Psalms could be titled God's Book of Common Prayer. This collection of hymns and petitions are strung together by one thread--a heart hungry for God.
Some are defiant. Others are reverent. Some are to be sung. Others are to be prayed. Some are intenselly personal. Others are written as if the whole world would use them. Some were penned in caves, others in temples.
But all have one purpose--to give us the words to say when we stand before God.
The very variety should remind us that worship is personal. No secret formula exists. What moves you may stymy another. Each worships differently. But each should worship.
This book will help you do just that.
Here is a hint. Don't just read the prayers of these saints, pray them. Experience their energy. Imitate their honesty. Enjoy their creativity. Let these souls lead you in worship.
And let's remember. The language of worship is not polished, perfect, or advanced. It's just honest.
January 9
Matthew 4:18-25; Acts 5:17-22; Psalms 9; Genesis 24
January 10
Matthew 5:1-12; Acts 6; Psalms 10; Genesis 25-26
10 THINGS I AM THANKFUL FOR
1. No frost on the car windows this morning
2. The anonymous neighbor that hung a little bag with 2 cookies in it on my front door knob
3. A little girls unbridled laughter
4. Hot tea on a cold morning
5. The cooks that prepare the Wednesday night dinner
6. Leftovers
7. A generous brother
8. A hug (we don't get many when we're old and single)
9. Funny birthday cards
10. A text message from some one saying they love you
FOOD:
I joined an online group that shares recipes of restaurants or the copycat version. Here are some good ones.
Outback Steakhouse Style Dipping Sauce
1/2 c. mayo
2 t. ketchup
2 T. horseradish (little less)
1/4 t. paprika
1/4 t. salt
1/8 t. dried oregano
dash ground pepper
dash cayenne pepper
Mix well.
Outback Steakhouse Style Dipping Sauce
1 pint Mayonnaise
1 pint Sour cream
1/2 C. Tomato chili sauce
1/2 tsp. Cayenne pepper
Mix well
Outback Steakhouse Tiger Dill Sauce
2/3 C. Sour Cream
1/4 C. Mayonnaise
3 tsp. Prepared Horseradish
3/4 tsp. Sugar
1/4 tsp Dill Weed
Blend all together and serve with any beef dish. This is better if let
to set overnight.
FUN:
You know you own a BIG dog when...
* the sound of running water makes you jump up and yell,"OUTSIDE!"
* you tell your dog to sit, and he backs up until he finds a chair
* it takes 3 people to get your dog on the scale at the vets
* you walk your dog and everyone knows him by name, but you have
no idea who these people are
* you can carry on a conversation with a dog's muzzle firmly in your
crotch
* your dog can hide an entire tennis ball (among other things)
fully inside his lips and give you that innocent look that says,
"What? I'm not eating anything!"
* you carry a tape measure with you when shopping for a new vehicle
* you keep at least one color-coded "drool towel" in every room of
your house
* after banishing your husband, the snoring in your bedroom still
keeps you awake
* you are hiking with a friend who later suggests that you ought
to have an environmental impact statement done on your dog
* visitors enter the house holding their privates protectively
* you toss your dog a ball and cringe when he almost hits his head
* you take your dog for a ride and he rests his head on your arm,
causing you to make random right turns
* you have given up on water dishes and you just use the bathtub
* you show a picture of your dogs and kids together, and the first
person you point out is your dog
* while stopped at a stop light, everyone stares as your car rocks
back and forth because the dog is panting out the window
* you go to vacuum your car and most of the fur is up there on the
ceiling
* you've learned to force a smile when asked "do you have a saddle
for that thing?"
* the monthly dog budget exceeds your home mortgage payment
* your veterinarian has been able to put in a swimming pool, build
a large home, buy jet skis and a personal investment plan
* you have had to train your dog not to lick dishes, and the
dishes are in the sink
* the donuts you put on top of the refrigerator are gone when you
get home and your dog has powdered sugar on his nose
* your dog can see what you're cooking, and he tries to assist you
in the preparation
* you're holding him straddled between your legs when the doorbell
rings, and you find yourself quickly transported straight to the front
door
* the pizza delivery people tell you to meet them at the end of the
driveway
* your dog stands in your lap and reaches over you to stick his
head in the drive-through window at MacDonald's and nearly gives the
cashier a heart attack when she turns around to give you your change
* you purchase a large screen TV and you still can't see the
program when he stands in front of the television
1 Chronicles 9:2-44
The families of Israel who lived in Jerusalem after the captivity were recorded.
God holds his people accountable for the stewardship of their belongings. Each person must contribute to God's work and to the upkeep of his house.
You have a responsibility to build up your church and help it to be and do what Jesus created it to be and do. You could do so much for your church if you wold just give yourself and your church a chance. For instance, if your church has a weekly prayer meeting, you could get your whole youth group together and show up. It would be wild if you didn't tell your pastor in advance. You would blow his mind. Have you ever thought of doing something like that? Or have you thought of going to a church business meeting to share your beliefs and convictions about how the church can minister to the world? Your church needs your input. If you come in a loving and humble manner, the faithful workers in the church will be thrilled to see you taking an active part in the life of the church. You will be a source of encouragement to everyone.
You need the church and the church desperately needs you. If you are not affiliated with a church you have denied yourself one of the major means through which God wants to keep you faithful to Him. by Tony Compolo
Applying it: Do you participate in church? Use your God-given gifts, and temperament to help build the church. Help out in the nursery, with Sunday school, in a fellowship group.......
Exploring it: The Spiritual House of God--Matthew 16:18; Ephesians 1:22; Hebrews 3:6; 1 Peter 2:5
FRIENDS:
Father, Please help up to remember that our act of worship is not just what we do on Sunday morning, but our act of worship is a lifelong, seven day a week process of living the principles of Christ in everything we do. Help us to see the world as you do and to respond to the hurts around us. In Jesus' name, Amen.
BIBLE CHALLENGE
Psalms
Worship. In two thousand years we haven't worked out the kinks. We still struggle for the right words in prayer. We still fumble over Scripture. We don't know when to kneel. We don't know when to stand. We don't know how to pray.
Worship is a daunting task.
For that reason, God gave us the Psalms--a praisebook for God's people. The Psalms could be titled God's Book of Common Prayer. This collection of hymns and petitions are strung together by one thread--a heart hungry for God.
Some are defiant. Others are reverent. Some are to be sung. Others are to be prayed. Some are intenselly personal. Others are written as if the whole world would use them. Some were penned in caves, others in temples.
But all have one purpose--to give us the words to say when we stand before God.
The very variety should remind us that worship is personal. No secret formula exists. What moves you may stymy another. Each worships differently. But each should worship.
This book will help you do just that.
Here is a hint. Don't just read the prayers of these saints, pray them. Experience their energy. Imitate their honesty. Enjoy their creativity. Let these souls lead you in worship.
And let's remember. The language of worship is not polished, perfect, or advanced. It's just honest.
January 9
Matthew 4:18-25; Acts 5:17-22; Psalms 9; Genesis 24
January 10
Matthew 5:1-12; Acts 6; Psalms 10; Genesis 25-26
10 THINGS I AM THANKFUL FOR
1. No frost on the car windows this morning
2. The anonymous neighbor that hung a little bag with 2 cookies in it on my front door knob
3. A little girls unbridled laughter
4. Hot tea on a cold morning
5. The cooks that prepare the Wednesday night dinner
6. Leftovers
7. A generous brother
8. A hug (we don't get many when we're old and single)
9. Funny birthday cards
10. A text message from some one saying they love you
FOOD:
I joined an online group that shares recipes of restaurants or the copycat version. Here are some good ones.
Outback Steakhouse Style Dipping Sauce
1/2 c. mayo
2 t. ketchup
2 T. horseradish (little less)
1/4 t. paprika
1/4 t. salt
1/8 t. dried oregano
dash ground pepper
dash cayenne pepper
Mix well.
Outback Steakhouse Style Dipping Sauce
1 pint Mayonnaise
1 pint Sour cream
1/2 C. Tomato chili sauce
1/2 tsp. Cayenne pepper
Mix well
Outback Steakhouse Tiger Dill Sauce
2/3 C. Sour Cream
1/4 C. Mayonnaise
3 tsp. Prepared Horseradish
3/4 tsp. Sugar
1/4 tsp Dill Weed
Blend all together and serve with any beef dish. This is better if let
to set overnight.
FUN:
You know you own a BIG dog when...
* the sound of running water makes you jump up and yell,"OUTSIDE!"
* you tell your dog to sit, and he backs up until he finds a chair
* it takes 3 people to get your dog on the scale at the vets
* you walk your dog and everyone knows him by name, but you have
no idea who these people are
* you can carry on a conversation with a dog's muzzle firmly in your
crotch
* your dog can hide an entire tennis ball (among other things)
fully inside his lips and give you that innocent look that says,
"What? I'm not eating anything!"
* you carry a tape measure with you when shopping for a new vehicle
* you keep at least one color-coded "drool towel" in every room of
your house
* after banishing your husband, the snoring in your bedroom still
keeps you awake
* you are hiking with a friend who later suggests that you ought
to have an environmental impact statement done on your dog
* visitors enter the house holding their privates protectively
* you toss your dog a ball and cringe when he almost hits his head
* you take your dog for a ride and he rests his head on your arm,
causing you to make random right turns
* you have given up on water dishes and you just use the bathtub
* you show a picture of your dogs and kids together, and the first
person you point out is your dog
* while stopped at a stop light, everyone stares as your car rocks
back and forth because the dog is panting out the window
* you go to vacuum your car and most of the fur is up there on the
ceiling
* you've learned to force a smile when asked "do you have a saddle
for that thing?"
* the monthly dog budget exceeds your home mortgage payment
* your veterinarian has been able to put in a swimming pool, build
a large home, buy jet skis and a personal investment plan
* you have had to train your dog not to lick dishes, and the
dishes are in the sink
* the donuts you put on top of the refrigerator are gone when you
get home and your dog has powdered sugar on his nose
* your dog can see what you're cooking, and he tries to assist you
in the preparation
* you're holding him straddled between your legs when the doorbell
rings, and you find yourself quickly transported straight to the front
door
* the pizza delivery people tell you to meet them at the end of the
driveway
* your dog stands in your lap and reaches over you to stick his
head in the drive-through window at MacDonald's and nearly gives the
cashier a heart attack when she turns around to give you your change
* you purchase a large screen TV and you still can't see the
program when he stands in front of the television
Tuesday, January 6, 2009
CROP DUSTER OR CONCORDE
FAITH:
Mark 9:1-50
Jesus explained what God's Kingdom was about. The disciples could not fathom God's eternal plan. Jesus brought Peter, James and John up on a mountain top. There Jesus' true glory was revealed, and Elijah and Moses appeared to the disciples as God spoke to them.
Even the majestic son of God sympathizes with our most desperate cries.
Some of you pray like a Concorde jet--smooth, sleek, high, and mighty. Your words reverberate in the clouds, and send sonic booms throughout the heavens. If you pray like a Concorde, I salute you. If you don't, I understand.
Maybe you are like me, more a crop duster than a Concorde. You aren't flashy, you fly low, you seem to cover the same ground a lot, and some mornings it's tough to get the old engine cranked up.
Most of us are like that. Most of our prayer lives could use a tune-up.
Some prayer lives lack consistency. They are either a desert or an oasis. We go days or weeks without consistent prayer, but then something happens---we hear a sermon, read a book, experience a tragedy ---something leads us to pray, so we dive in. We submerge our selves in prayer and leave refreshed and renewed. But as the journey resumes, our prayers don't.
Others of us need sincerity. Our prayers are a bit hollow, memorized, and rigid. More liturgy than life. And though they are daily they are dull.
Still others lace well, honesty. We honestly wonder if prayer makes a difference. Why on earth would God in heaven want to talk to me?
If you struggle with prayer, I've got just the guy for you. Don't worry, he's not a monastic saint. He's not a calloused-kneed apostle. Nor is he a prophet whose middle name is meditation. He's not a too-holy-to-be-you reminder of how far you need to go in prayer. He's just the opposite. A fellow crop duster. A parent with a sick son in need of a miracle. The father's prayer isn't much, but the answer is and the result reminds us: The power is not in the prayer, it's in the one who hears it.
He prayed out of desperation. His Son was demon-possessed. Not only was he a deaf mute and an epileptic, he was also possessed by an evil spirit. Ever since the boy was young, the demon had thrown him into fires and water.
Imagine the pain of the father. Other dads could watch their children grow and mature: he could only watch his suffer. While others were teaching their sons an occupation, he was just trying to keep his son alive.
He was desperate and tired, and his prayer reflects both.
"If you can do anything for him, please have pity on us and help us."
Listen to that prayer. Does it sound courageous? Confident? Strong? Hardly.
One word would have made a lot of difference, Instead of if, what if he'd said since? "Since you can do anything for him, please have pity on us and help us."
But that's not what he said. He said if. The Greek is even more emphatic. The tense implies doubt. It's as if the man were saying, "This one's probably our of your league, but if you can...."
A classic crop-duster appeal. More meek than might. More timid than towering. More like a crippled lamb coming to a shepherd than a proud lion roaring in the jungle. If his prayer sounds like yours, then don't be discouraged, for that's where prayer begins.
It begins as a yearning. An honest appeal. Ordinary peole staring at Mount Everest. No pretense. No boasting. No posturing. Just prayer. Feeble prayer, but prayer nonetheless. by Max Lucado
Applying it: What is your most desperate prayer? Does a rebellious child cause you much grief? Is a parent dying without Christ? Are you frantic about tomorrow's bills? Tell God about your grief and anxiety.
Exploring it: Accepting Christ--Luke 2:9-10; 9:7-8; John 3:3.
FRIENDS:
Father, Today you reminded me of the 100th Psalm that the whole earth should "shout for joy to the Lord". This day Lord, I am shouting praises for an answered prayer. I should be shouting every day and praising your goodness to us for giving us life, health, friends, freedom, our possessions and I need to make sure I always share my gratitude to you. But today I am overjoyed with family and I want you to know I am blessed beyond measure and I praise you. In Jesus' name, Amen
BIBLE CHALLENGE
Acts.....
They aren't the same men.
Oh, I know they look like it.They have the same names. The same faces. The same mannerisms. They look the same. But they aren't. On the surface they appear no different. Peter is still brazen. Nathanael is still reflective. Phillip is still calculating.
They look the same. But they aren't. They aren't the same men you read about in the last four books. The fellows you got to know in the gospels? These are the ones, but they are different.
You'll see it. As you read you'll see itl In their eyes. You hear it in their voices. You feel it in their passion.These men have changed.
As you read you'll wonder---are these the same guys? The ones who doubted in Galilee? The ones who argued in Capernaum? The ones who ran for their lives in Gethsemane? You'll wonder, "Are these the same men?"
The answer is no. They are different. They have stood face to face with God. They have sat at the feet of the resurrected King. They are different.
Within them dwells a fire not found on earth. Christ has taught them. the Father has forgiven them. the Spirit indwells them. They are not the same.
And because they are different, so is the world.
Read their adventures and be encouraged. Read their adventures and be listening. What God did to them, He longs to do for you.
January 7
Matthew 4:1-11; Acts 4:23-37; Psalms 7; Genesis 18-20
January 8
Matthew 4:12-17; Acts 5:1-16; Psalms 8; Genesis 21-23
10 THINGS I AM THANKFUL FOR:
1. The power of prayer
2. The way the Spirit moves as directed by the Father
3. Answered prayer
4. God's miraculous ability to direct and solve things in a way we can't imagine
5. The unbelievable amount of love a Mother has for her child
6. Unexpected phone calls with good news
7.God's encouragement to us to never give up hope
8. The fact there are no coincidences
9. God's ability to soften an angry heart
10. The words, "Mom, I love you."
FOOD:
Love Risotto but hate to stand at the stove and cook it forever? Here is a great alternative.
Oven Made Shrimp Risotto
2 Tb butter or margarine
1/2 cup finely chopped shallots or onions
1/2 tsp. dried tarragon leaves, crushed
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 1/2 cups uncooked aborio rice
1/2 cup dry white wine (or chicken broth)
4 cups Knorr Chicken Broth
1 package Knorr Spring Vegetable recipe (soup) mix
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 pound uncooked large peeled and deveined shrimp
1 cup frozen baby green peas thawed.
Preheat oven to 400. Grease a 2 quart baking dish and set aside.
Melt butter in a large pan and cook shallots, tarragon and pepper,
stirring occasionally until tender about 2 minutes.
Combine wine, chicken broth and Knorr soup mix and gradually stir
into rice mixture.
Bring to boil stirring.
Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes.
Spoon into prepared baking dish, stir in cheese and bake for 20
minutes.
Stir in shrimp and bake till shrimp turn pinkand rice si creamy
about another 10 minutes.
Stir in peas and let stand until peas are warm.
4 servings. Prep time:10 minutes Cook time 40 minutes.
Some options to consider; about a 1/4 cup each of chopped mushrooms and chopped poblano pepper in with the shallots.
FUN:
This was sent to me by a gorgeous, natural blonde.......
Two blonde girls were working for the city public works department. One would dig a hole and the other would follow behind her and fill the hole in. They worked up one side of the street, then down the other, then moved on to the next street, working furiously all day without rest, one girl digging a hole, the other girl filling it in again.
An onlooker was amazed at their hard work, but couldn't understand what they were doing. So he asked the hole digger, 'I'm impressed by the effort you two are putting into your work, but I don't get it -- why do you dig a hole, only to have your partner follow behind and fill it up again?'
The hole digger wiped her brow and sighed, 'Well, I suppose it probably looks odd because we're normally a three-person team. But today the girl who plants the trees called in sick.'
Mark 9:1-50
Jesus explained what God's Kingdom was about. The disciples could not fathom God's eternal plan. Jesus brought Peter, James and John up on a mountain top. There Jesus' true glory was revealed, and Elijah and Moses appeared to the disciples as God spoke to them.
Even the majestic son of God sympathizes with our most desperate cries.
Some of you pray like a Concorde jet--smooth, sleek, high, and mighty. Your words reverberate in the clouds, and send sonic booms throughout the heavens. If you pray like a Concorde, I salute you. If you don't, I understand.
Maybe you are like me, more a crop duster than a Concorde. You aren't flashy, you fly low, you seem to cover the same ground a lot, and some mornings it's tough to get the old engine cranked up.
Most of us are like that. Most of our prayer lives could use a tune-up.
Some prayer lives lack consistency. They are either a desert or an oasis. We go days or weeks without consistent prayer, but then something happens---we hear a sermon, read a book, experience a tragedy ---something leads us to pray, so we dive in. We submerge our selves in prayer and leave refreshed and renewed. But as the journey resumes, our prayers don't.
Others of us need sincerity. Our prayers are a bit hollow, memorized, and rigid. More liturgy than life. And though they are daily they are dull.
Still others lace well, honesty. We honestly wonder if prayer makes a difference. Why on earth would God in heaven want to talk to me?
If you struggle with prayer, I've got just the guy for you. Don't worry, he's not a monastic saint. He's not a calloused-kneed apostle. Nor is he a prophet whose middle name is meditation. He's not a too-holy-to-be-you reminder of how far you need to go in prayer. He's just the opposite. A fellow crop duster. A parent with a sick son in need of a miracle. The father's prayer isn't much, but the answer is and the result reminds us: The power is not in the prayer, it's in the one who hears it.
He prayed out of desperation. His Son was demon-possessed. Not only was he a deaf mute and an epileptic, he was also possessed by an evil spirit. Ever since the boy was young, the demon had thrown him into fires and water.
Imagine the pain of the father. Other dads could watch their children grow and mature: he could only watch his suffer. While others were teaching their sons an occupation, he was just trying to keep his son alive.
He was desperate and tired, and his prayer reflects both.
"If you can do anything for him, please have pity on us and help us."
Listen to that prayer. Does it sound courageous? Confident? Strong? Hardly.
One word would have made a lot of difference, Instead of if, what if he'd said since? "Since you can do anything for him, please have pity on us and help us."
But that's not what he said. He said if. The Greek is even more emphatic. The tense implies doubt. It's as if the man were saying, "This one's probably our of your league, but if you can...."
A classic crop-duster appeal. More meek than might. More timid than towering. More like a crippled lamb coming to a shepherd than a proud lion roaring in the jungle. If his prayer sounds like yours, then don't be discouraged, for that's where prayer begins.
It begins as a yearning. An honest appeal. Ordinary peole staring at Mount Everest. No pretense. No boasting. No posturing. Just prayer. Feeble prayer, but prayer nonetheless. by Max Lucado
Applying it: What is your most desperate prayer? Does a rebellious child cause you much grief? Is a parent dying without Christ? Are you frantic about tomorrow's bills? Tell God about your grief and anxiety.
Exploring it: Accepting Christ--Luke 2:9-10; 9:7-8; John 3:3.
FRIENDS:
Father, Today you reminded me of the 100th Psalm that the whole earth should "shout for joy to the Lord". This day Lord, I am shouting praises for an answered prayer. I should be shouting every day and praising your goodness to us for giving us life, health, friends, freedom, our possessions and I need to make sure I always share my gratitude to you. But today I am overjoyed with family and I want you to know I am blessed beyond measure and I praise you. In Jesus' name, Amen
BIBLE CHALLENGE
Acts.....
They aren't the same men.
Oh, I know they look like it.They have the same names. The same faces. The same mannerisms. They look the same. But they aren't. On the surface they appear no different. Peter is still brazen. Nathanael is still reflective. Phillip is still calculating.
They look the same. But they aren't. They aren't the same men you read about in the last four books. The fellows you got to know in the gospels? These are the ones, but they are different.
You'll see it. As you read you'll see itl In their eyes. You hear it in their voices. You feel it in their passion.These men have changed.
As you read you'll wonder---are these the same guys? The ones who doubted in Galilee? The ones who argued in Capernaum? The ones who ran for their lives in Gethsemane? You'll wonder, "Are these the same men?"
The answer is no. They are different. They have stood face to face with God. They have sat at the feet of the resurrected King. They are different.
Within them dwells a fire not found on earth. Christ has taught them. the Father has forgiven them. the Spirit indwells them. They are not the same.
And because they are different, so is the world.
Read their adventures and be encouraged. Read their adventures and be listening. What God did to them, He longs to do for you.
January 7
Matthew 4:1-11; Acts 4:23-37; Psalms 7; Genesis 18-20
January 8
Matthew 4:12-17; Acts 5:1-16; Psalms 8; Genesis 21-23
10 THINGS I AM THANKFUL FOR:
1. The power of prayer
2. The way the Spirit moves as directed by the Father
3. Answered prayer
4. God's miraculous ability to direct and solve things in a way we can't imagine
5. The unbelievable amount of love a Mother has for her child
6. Unexpected phone calls with good news
7.God's encouragement to us to never give up hope
8. The fact there are no coincidences
9. God's ability to soften an angry heart
10. The words, "Mom, I love you."
FOOD:
Love Risotto but hate to stand at the stove and cook it forever? Here is a great alternative.
Oven Made Shrimp Risotto
2 Tb butter or margarine
1/2 cup finely chopped shallots or onions
1/2 tsp. dried tarragon leaves, crushed
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 1/2 cups uncooked aborio rice
1/2 cup dry white wine (or chicken broth)
4 cups Knorr Chicken Broth
1 package Knorr Spring Vegetable recipe (soup) mix
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 pound uncooked large peeled and deveined shrimp
1 cup frozen baby green peas thawed.
Preheat oven to 400. Grease a 2 quart baking dish and set aside.
Melt butter in a large pan and cook shallots, tarragon and pepper,
stirring occasionally until tender about 2 minutes.
Combine wine, chicken broth and Knorr soup mix and gradually stir
into rice mixture.
Bring to boil stirring.
Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes.
Spoon into prepared baking dish, stir in cheese and bake for 20
minutes.
Stir in shrimp and bake till shrimp turn pinkand rice si creamy
about another 10 minutes.
Stir in peas and let stand until peas are warm.
4 servings. Prep time:10 minutes Cook time 40 minutes.
Some options to consider; about a 1/4 cup each of chopped mushrooms and chopped poblano pepper in with the shallots.
FUN:
This was sent to me by a gorgeous, natural blonde.......
Two blonde girls were working for the city public works department. One would dig a hole and the other would follow behind her and fill the hole in. They worked up one side of the street, then down the other, then moved on to the next street, working furiously all day without rest, one girl digging a hole, the other girl filling it in again.
An onlooker was amazed at their hard work, but couldn't understand what they were doing. So he asked the hole digger, 'I'm impressed by the effort you two are putting into your work, but I don't get it -- why do you dig a hole, only to have your partner follow behind and fill it up again?'
The hole digger wiped her brow and sighed, 'Well, I suppose it probably looks odd because we're normally a three-person team. But today the girl who plants the trees called in sick.'
Sunday, January 4, 2009
Older People ~ Part 2
FAITH:
3. "Is it hard to win older people to Christ?"
It is a proven fact that very few older people ever accept the Lord, You would think the nearer a person draws to eternity the easier it would be to touch him for Christ. But such is not usually the case, People become set in their ways and bound to their ideas. People get tired mentally and emotionally as well as physically. This often accounts for the difficulty in reaching them. How we should rejoice when we see an older person turn to the Lord, and occasionally some do.
4. "What advice is there for dealing with an older person?"
1 Tim. 5:1 says, "Rebuke not an elder, but intreat him as a father." A study of the first two verses of this chapter will show that it is talking about an older man and not the office of elder. It says not to deal with an elderly man in a rebuking way but in an entreating way, Experience has proven the rightness of this divine psychology, which it is. One will seldom get very far with an older person administering an outright rebuke, but to sit down and entreat him will often go very far toward the desired results. Married children keeping an elderly father in the home need to keep this in mind. And preachers and other personal workers need to keep this in mind also.
5. "What about the all-too-common tendency of children to neglect the needs of their aged parents?"
Nothing too stern can be said about it. It is a practice contrary to the teachings of Christianity. Often there comes that time in life when the older must look to the younger generation for care. When aged parents need financial assistance, one is actually a denier of the faith who will not provide for his own. This is the very setting of I Tim. 5:8. Children are to "requite" (pay back) their parents and thereby show "piety" (religion) at home (I Tim. 5:4).
Children ought to do everything in their power to make their parents' last years easy and happy. Children will borrow money to buy a new car or to go on a vacation but may not borrow the money to add an extra room on to their house to make room for an aged mother or father. This is not right. The Pharisees fell under a severe condemnation of Jesus because they would not take care of their parents (Matt. 15:4-7). If parents prefer going to a rest home or a nursing home for their last years, that is all right, but some of them prefer making their home with their children when they can no longer take care of themselves, and there are too many cases where children just don't want to be bothered with older people, so they ship them off against their wishes.
But even before parents get to such an age, children often neglect them by not writing to them regularly and by not going to see them. They go other places, but they do not go see their aged parents. They keep books on their business, but they don't write a letter home. Such is heartless and inconsiderate, and we can but say that the time may came when they too will be old and will be treated the same way by their own children. Then they will realize what injustice their thoughtlessness did to their own parents years before, by Donald Hunt
FRIENDS:
Father, I know you are listening when I bring my worries about life and it's decisions to you. Please keep me from letting my prayer life become an after thought and mot an integral part of my day. Help me, Lord, to never face the day without talking it over with you first. In Jesus' name, Amen
BIBLE CHALLENGE
January 5
Matthew 3:1-2; Acts 3; Psalm 5; Genesis 12-14
January 6
Matthew 3:13-17; Acts 4:1-22; Psalm 6; Genesis 15-17
THE BOOK OF MATTHEW
You gotta wonder what Jesus saw in Matthew.
He was a tax collector. The profession hasn't been too popular in any era, but especially not in the days of Christ. Tax collectors were the quislings of Palestine. They took from their own people and gave to Rome. As long as they met their quota, they could tax what ever they wanted and as much as they wanted.
People ducked when they saw these guys coming.
Not only was Matthew a tax collector, he was a public tax collector. Some collectors did their business underground. They hired runners to do their dirty work. Matthew did his own. He was the leech at the bottom of the pit. He pulled his stretch limo right into the greasiest parts of town and set up his table and held out his hand.
That's where he was when Jesus called him .
You gotta wonder what Jesus saw in Matthew. At the same time, you gotta wonder what Matthew saw in Jesus. I mean, look at him. Dirt under his nails, Calloused hands. Holes in his sandals. No headquarters. No office. No committee. No clout with the local church.
The clergy won't give him the time of day. His followers look more like dockhands or pool sharks than seminarians.
This guy claims to be the Messiah?
Quite a pair, these two. You gotta wonder what they saw in each other. What ever it was, it must've been something. Matthew heard the call and never went back. He spent the rest of his life convincing folks that the carpenter was the King. Jesus gave the call and never took it back. He spent his life dying for people like Matthew, convincing a lot of us that if he had a place for Matthew, he just might have a place for us. by Max Lucado
10 THINGS I AM THANKFUL FOR:
1. Having medical now
2. Getting my Kaiser card on my birthday (great present)
3. My youngest son's families' decision to change to a healthier lifestyle
4. Nothing awful happened to my friends in the NW during the last snow
5. People that stay in your life against all odds
6. Having another birthday
7. Friends who call in the middle of the night so I can help settle a discussion
8. Being able to sleep in the next day
9. My returning health
10. The 8 pounds I lost from being sick
FOOD:
Onion Soup in the Slow Cooker
5 small onions, thinly sliced (I suggest carmelizing them for richer flavor but not necessary)
2 cans (14 ounces) low sodium beef broth (recommended: Swanson's)
2 cans (10 ounces) beef consomme (recommended: Campbell's)
1 packet onion soup mix (recommended: Lipton's)
8 slices French bread, about 1 inch thick
1 cup shredded Gruyere
Combine onions, broth, consommé, and soup mix in a slow cooker.
Cook on HIGH setting for 4 hours, or LOW setting for 8 hours. Ladle soup into serving bowls. Top with a slice of French bread. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons cheese over each bread slice. Put soup bowls under broiler until cheese is melted.
Alternatively, place the bread on a baking sheet and top with cheese; broil until cheese has melted, about 30 to 40 seconds, and set on top just before serving.
FUN:
You might not have known this, but a lot of non-living objects are actually either male or female. Here are some examples:
FREEZER BAGS: They are male, because they hold everything in, but you can see right through them.
PHOTOCOPIERS: These are female, because once turned off; it takes a while to warm them up again. They are an effective reproductive device if the right buttons are pushed, but can also wreak havoc if you push the wrong Buttons.
TIRES: Tires are male, because they go bald easily and are often over inflated.
HOT AIR BALLOONS: Also a male object, because to get them to go anywhere, you have to light a fire under their back side.
SPONGES: These are female, because they are soft, squeezable and retain water.
WEB PAGES: Female, because they're constantly being looked at and frequently getting hit on.
TRAINS: Definitely male, because they always use the same old lines for picking up people.
EGG TIMERS: Egg timers are female because, over time, all the weight shifts to the bottom.
HAMMERS: Male, because in the last 5000 years, they've hardly changed at all, and are occasionally handy to have around.
THE REMOTE CONTROL: Female. Ha! You probably thought it would be male, but consider this: It easily gives a man pleasure, he'd be lost without it, and while he doesn't always know which buttons to push, he just keeps trying.
3. "Is it hard to win older people to Christ?"
It is a proven fact that very few older people ever accept the Lord, You would think the nearer a person draws to eternity the easier it would be to touch him for Christ. But such is not usually the case, People become set in their ways and bound to their ideas. People get tired mentally and emotionally as well as physically. This often accounts for the difficulty in reaching them. How we should rejoice when we see an older person turn to the Lord, and occasionally some do.
4. "What advice is there for dealing with an older person?"
1 Tim. 5:1 says, "Rebuke not an elder, but intreat him as a father." A study of the first two verses of this chapter will show that it is talking about an older man and not the office of elder. It says not to deal with an elderly man in a rebuking way but in an entreating way, Experience has proven the rightness of this divine psychology, which it is. One will seldom get very far with an older person administering an outright rebuke, but to sit down and entreat him will often go very far toward the desired results. Married children keeping an elderly father in the home need to keep this in mind. And preachers and other personal workers need to keep this in mind also.
5. "What about the all-too-common tendency of children to neglect the needs of their aged parents?"
Nothing too stern can be said about it. It is a practice contrary to the teachings of Christianity. Often there comes that time in life when the older must look to the younger generation for care. When aged parents need financial assistance, one is actually a denier of the faith who will not provide for his own. This is the very setting of I Tim. 5:8. Children are to "requite" (pay back) their parents and thereby show "piety" (religion) at home (I Tim. 5:4).
Children ought to do everything in their power to make their parents' last years easy and happy. Children will borrow money to buy a new car or to go on a vacation but may not borrow the money to add an extra room on to their house to make room for an aged mother or father. This is not right. The Pharisees fell under a severe condemnation of Jesus because they would not take care of their parents (Matt. 15:4-7). If parents prefer going to a rest home or a nursing home for their last years, that is all right, but some of them prefer making their home with their children when they can no longer take care of themselves, and there are too many cases where children just don't want to be bothered with older people, so they ship them off against their wishes.
But even before parents get to such an age, children often neglect them by not writing to them regularly and by not going to see them. They go other places, but they do not go see their aged parents. They keep books on their business, but they don't write a letter home. Such is heartless and inconsiderate, and we can but say that the time may came when they too will be old and will be treated the same way by their own children. Then they will realize what injustice their thoughtlessness did to their own parents years before, by Donald Hunt
FRIENDS:
Father, I know you are listening when I bring my worries about life and it's decisions to you. Please keep me from letting my prayer life become an after thought and mot an integral part of my day. Help me, Lord, to never face the day without talking it over with you first. In Jesus' name, Amen
BIBLE CHALLENGE
January 5
Matthew 3:1-2; Acts 3; Psalm 5; Genesis 12-14
January 6
Matthew 3:13-17; Acts 4:1-22; Psalm 6; Genesis 15-17
THE BOOK OF MATTHEW
You gotta wonder what Jesus saw in Matthew.
He was a tax collector. The profession hasn't been too popular in any era, but especially not in the days of Christ. Tax collectors were the quislings of Palestine. They took from their own people and gave to Rome. As long as they met their quota, they could tax what ever they wanted and as much as they wanted.
People ducked when they saw these guys coming.
Not only was Matthew a tax collector, he was a public tax collector. Some collectors did their business underground. They hired runners to do their dirty work. Matthew did his own. He was the leech at the bottom of the pit. He pulled his stretch limo right into the greasiest parts of town and set up his table and held out his hand.
That's where he was when Jesus called him .
You gotta wonder what Jesus saw in Matthew. At the same time, you gotta wonder what Matthew saw in Jesus. I mean, look at him. Dirt under his nails, Calloused hands. Holes in his sandals. No headquarters. No office. No committee. No clout with the local church.
The clergy won't give him the time of day. His followers look more like dockhands or pool sharks than seminarians.
This guy claims to be the Messiah?
Quite a pair, these two. You gotta wonder what they saw in each other. What ever it was, it must've been something. Matthew heard the call and never went back. He spent the rest of his life convincing folks that the carpenter was the King. Jesus gave the call and never took it back. He spent his life dying for people like Matthew, convincing a lot of us that if he had a place for Matthew, he just might have a place for us. by Max Lucado
10 THINGS I AM THANKFUL FOR:
1. Having medical now
2. Getting my Kaiser card on my birthday (great present)
3. My youngest son's families' decision to change to a healthier lifestyle
4. Nothing awful happened to my friends in the NW during the last snow
5. People that stay in your life against all odds
6. Having another birthday
7. Friends who call in the middle of the night so I can help settle a discussion
8. Being able to sleep in the next day
9. My returning health
10. The 8 pounds I lost from being sick
FOOD:
Onion Soup in the Slow Cooker
5 small onions, thinly sliced (I suggest carmelizing them for richer flavor but not necessary)
2 cans (14 ounces) low sodium beef broth (recommended: Swanson's)
2 cans (10 ounces) beef consomme (recommended: Campbell's)
1 packet onion soup mix (recommended: Lipton's)
8 slices French bread, about 1 inch thick
1 cup shredded Gruyere
Combine onions, broth, consommé, and soup mix in a slow cooker.
Cook on HIGH setting for 4 hours, or LOW setting for 8 hours. Ladle soup into serving bowls. Top with a slice of French bread. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons cheese over each bread slice. Put soup bowls under broiler until cheese is melted.
Alternatively, place the bread on a baking sheet and top with cheese; broil until cheese has melted, about 30 to 40 seconds, and set on top just before serving.
FUN:
You might not have known this, but a lot of non-living objects are actually either male or female. Here are some examples:
FREEZER BAGS: They are male, because they hold everything in, but you can see right through them.
PHOTOCOPIERS: These are female, because once turned off; it takes a while to warm them up again. They are an effective reproductive device if the right buttons are pushed, but can also wreak havoc if you push the wrong Buttons.
TIRES: Tires are male, because they go bald easily and are often over inflated.
HOT AIR BALLOONS: Also a male object, because to get them to go anywhere, you have to light a fire under their back side.
SPONGES: These are female, because they are soft, squeezable and retain water.
WEB PAGES: Female, because they're constantly being looked at and frequently getting hit on.
TRAINS: Definitely male, because they always use the same old lines for picking up people.
EGG TIMERS: Egg timers are female because, over time, all the weight shifts to the bottom.
HAMMERS: Male, because in the last 5000 years, they've hardly changed at all, and are occasionally handy to have around.
THE REMOTE CONTROL: Female. Ha! You probably thought it would be male, but consider this: It easily gives a man pleasure, he'd be lost without it, and while he doesn't always know which buttons to push, he just keeps trying.
Thursday, January 1, 2009
This aging thing....are you prepared for it?
FAITH:
PART 1
1. "Is it a tragedy to get old?"
A. This is the view of the world, and we can see why. The unsaved are walking by sight and not by faith, and from all appearances there is very little left for them. All they can say is, "The evil days have come, and I have no pleasure in them" (compare Eccl. 12:1). And they have no hope for eternity.
B. But old age is not a tragedy to the Christian, for he looks at everything differently, walking by faith and not by sight (2 Cor. 5:7). Paul did not fear death but realized that to die was to depart and be with the Lord which he knew to be far better than remaining in this life (see Phil. 1:21,23). Especially in view of this, "the path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day" (Prov. 4:18).
2. "Does old age have any compensations?"
A. The compensation of honor and respect. Prov. 16:31 says, "The hoary head (white hair) is a crown of glory, if it be found in the way of righteousness.'' Old age is not something to fear unless one is not right with God. Older age brings a certain community-respect because of having dwelt honorably in it for so long. Good people seem to get better with the advancement of age. It is a great honor to be a righteous older person.
On the other hand there is nothing more disgusting than a wicked older person: hard-hearted, foul language, tobacco-chewer, etc. Nobody has respect for such a person, and but few tears are shed when he dies.
B. The compensation of grandchildren and great grandchildren. Prov. 17:6 says, "Children's children (grandchildren) are the crown of old men." Jacob, so aged in Egypt, rejoiced that God had permitted him to live to see Joseph's children (Gen. 48:11) Children dearly love to go to their grandparents, and grandparents are usually as fond of them unless they are too undisciplined, noisy, and destructive,
C. The compensation of recollection. Their memory can reach clear back to childhood, and they enjoy talking of olden times. Younger people need to be more patient with the reminiscing of older people. Youth will do well to listen to the experiences and advice of older people. You will remember that older men gave Rehoboam sound advice that he did not accept, and the kingdom divided immediately (I Kings 12:6-8). by Donald Hunt
FRIENDS:
Father, You know my heart and my heartaches. You have showered me with blessings and carried me all my life even when I wasn't aware of you.You have gotten me through the pain and sadnesses I have experienced. Thank you for all the special people that You have placed in my life. Thank you for those who pray for and encourage me. I even thank you for the hard times and trials I have been through, for they have strengthened my faith. I praise you for giving me a spirit of peace, love, and, rather than allowing me to become angry, bitter, and downcast. I honor you Father and I pray I can be a blessing to you. In Jesus' name, Amen
The Bible Challenge
How did your first day of the Bible reading challenge go? Was it a little slow going or did you find you just zipped right through it? I labored a little because a lot of the words I have read again and again so I just kind of skimmed it and then I caught myself. "Hmmm, this isn't going to help me grow now is it?" So I went back and re-read it. I am using the Bible Gateway provided on the blog and I am using the New Century translation. It is very accurate and it reads very easily. While I was re-reading I went to the bottom of the page and there are a series of little boxes and the one on the far right that looks a little like the box that holds cartoon text, if you click on it you will find a commentary. Now that really helped me to slow down and take in what I was reading. AND I already have some new insights.
I am going to present some good material by Max Lucado that will give an insight into the attitude of each book we are reading. This one is on:
Genesis;
So there you are, a teenager at your grandparent's home. You don't really want to be there, but it's one of those family things and so you're there.
You sit politely and act like you are listening as your folks and grandparents talk. Then your grandmother says something that catches your attention. She refers to your great grandfather and the trip he make to America from the "old country".
"What?" you ask.
Grandma smiles, knowing that at some point we all wonder about our origin and here you are wondering about yours.
She unravels a tale of your family escaping persecution and settling in eastern Virginia. Next she invites you into her room, where she opens a large chest that has sat at the foot of her bed for as long as you can remember. A rush of cedar and mothballs fills the room.i
"Thought you might like to see this," she explains, handing you a black and white photo in a large walnut frame. "It's your great grandpa." The only thing stiffer than his collar is his expression. "Here is his father," she hands you another photo, one of a cowboy wearing a wide-brimmed hat, riding a horse.
Piece by piece, the chest tells its family tales. Soon you find yourself lost in a floor covered with old wedding gowns, photo albums, diplomas and bronzed baby shoes. And before you leave, you find yourself the owner of something precious---a heritage. An ancestry. A beginning. An Origin.
You know that you are part of a family tree. You aren't an isolated pond, but rather a part of a river winding through a great canyon.
You leave a richer person. Knowing where you came from says much about where you are going.
Perhaps that's why the first book of the Bible is a book of beginnings. God wants us to know from where we came. Learning that will teach us much about the place we are going.
January 3
Matthew 2:1-12; Acts 2:1-21; Psalms 3; Genesis 5-8
January 4
Matthew 2:13-23; Acts 2:22-47; Psalms 4; Genesis 9-11
65 THINGS I HAVE LEARNED {part 3-last but not least}
41-If you can, grow your own vegetables as it is definitely worth the work.
42-Older people really are often wiser, but once in a great while you meet a very wise young person.
43-Its good to have one friend that is smarter than you are. It keeps you on your toes.
44-It's easier to stay organized than to deal with the consequences of not being organized.
45- Falling in love is a lot easier than staying in love.
46-Repairs and remodeling almost always costs twice as much as you've planned, and takes twice as long.
47-If you have the money for good quality clothes, buy them as they will last longer. If not, shop second hand.
48-People who make you laugh are important to have around.
49-Kindred hearts are much more important than age when it comes to choosing friends.
50-There is a very fine line between "hobby" and "mental illness."
51-Women were much happier with their looks in the "old days"
52-Having a huge house isn't that great if you have to clean it all by yourself
53-Not having car payments is definitely worth driving an older car.
54-Most kids will behave well if you can figure out the right incentive.
55-Understanding exactly how someone else feels is pretty much impossible.
56-Butter makes almost anything taste better.
57-You should not confuse your career with your life.
58-Nobody cares if you can't dance well. Just get up and dance.
59-In strange cities when you aren't sure where you are, a taxi is never too expensive.
60-Nothing improves a child's hearing better than calling them by their full name.
61-Even very intelligent people sometimes do things that are really, really stupid.
62-Nobody knows everything, and the longer you live, the more you realize how many things you know nothing about.
63-Learn to long for heaven
64-The more we complain the longer God makes us live.
65- and most important. If someone shares the plan of salvation with you, really listen to what they are saying and take them up on it. You will never regret it.
FOOD:
This recipe has been around for years but it is really good.
BUTTERSCOTCH ROLLS
* 16 to 18 unbaked frozen dinner rolls (like Rhodes)
* 1 (3-ounce) package regular butterscotch pudding mix, (can use vanilla)
* 1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
* 1/2 cup pecans, chopped
* 1 stick (1/2 cup) butter, melted
Directions
The night before place frozen rolls in well greased Bundt pan.*
Sprinkle dry pudding mix over rolls. Sprinkle brown sugar over pudding
mix. Sprinkle chopped pecans over brown sugar. Pour melted butter over
all. To prevent the dough from forming a hard crust while its rising
overnight, cover with a damp towel or tightly wrap with plastic wrap.
Let rise overnight at room temperature, about 8 to 10 hours.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Bake in oven for 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool
for 5 minutes. Turn pan over onto a serving platter to remove. Serve by pulling apart chunks with forks.
*I use a 9 x 13 pan but you really have to watch it closely.
FUN:
When using a public campground, a tuba placed on your picnic table will keep the campsites on either side vacant.
"The trouble with bucket seats is that not everybody has the same size bucket."
"Do you realize that in about 40 years, we'll have millions of old ladies running around with tattoos and pierced things? (Now that's scary!) "
"Money can't buy happiness--but somehow it's more comfortable to cry in a Porsche than a Kia."
PART 1
1. "Is it a tragedy to get old?"
A. This is the view of the world, and we can see why. The unsaved are walking by sight and not by faith, and from all appearances there is very little left for them. All they can say is, "The evil days have come, and I have no pleasure in them" (compare Eccl. 12:1). And they have no hope for eternity.
B. But old age is not a tragedy to the Christian, for he looks at everything differently, walking by faith and not by sight (2 Cor. 5:7). Paul did not fear death but realized that to die was to depart and be with the Lord which he knew to be far better than remaining in this life (see Phil. 1:21,23). Especially in view of this, "the path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day" (Prov. 4:18).
2. "Does old age have any compensations?"
A. The compensation of honor and respect. Prov. 16:31 says, "The hoary head (white hair) is a crown of glory, if it be found in the way of righteousness.'' Old age is not something to fear unless one is not right with God. Older age brings a certain community-respect because of having dwelt honorably in it for so long. Good people seem to get better with the advancement of age. It is a great honor to be a righteous older person.
On the other hand there is nothing more disgusting than a wicked older person: hard-hearted, foul language, tobacco-chewer, etc. Nobody has respect for such a person, and but few tears are shed when he dies.
B. The compensation of grandchildren and great grandchildren. Prov. 17:6 says, "Children's children (grandchildren) are the crown of old men." Jacob, so aged in Egypt, rejoiced that God had permitted him to live to see Joseph's children (Gen. 48:11) Children dearly love to go to their grandparents, and grandparents are usually as fond of them unless they are too undisciplined, noisy, and destructive,
C. The compensation of recollection. Their memory can reach clear back to childhood, and they enjoy talking of olden times. Younger people need to be more patient with the reminiscing of older people. Youth will do well to listen to the experiences and advice of older people. You will remember that older men gave Rehoboam sound advice that he did not accept, and the kingdom divided immediately (I Kings 12:6-8). by Donald Hunt
FRIENDS:
Father, You know my heart and my heartaches. You have showered me with blessings and carried me all my life even when I wasn't aware of you.You have gotten me through the pain and sadnesses I have experienced. Thank you for all the special people that You have placed in my life. Thank you for those who pray for and encourage me. I even thank you for the hard times and trials I have been through, for they have strengthened my faith. I praise you for giving me a spirit of peace, love, and, rather than allowing me to become angry, bitter, and downcast. I honor you Father and I pray I can be a blessing to you. In Jesus' name, Amen
The Bible Challenge
How did your first day of the Bible reading challenge go? Was it a little slow going or did you find you just zipped right through it? I labored a little because a lot of the words I have read again and again so I just kind of skimmed it and then I caught myself. "Hmmm, this isn't going to help me grow now is it?" So I went back and re-read it. I am using the Bible Gateway provided on the blog and I am using the New Century translation. It is very accurate and it reads very easily. While I was re-reading I went to the bottom of the page and there are a series of little boxes and the one on the far right that looks a little like the box that holds cartoon text, if you click on it you will find a commentary. Now that really helped me to slow down and take in what I was reading. AND I already have some new insights.
I am going to present some good material by Max Lucado that will give an insight into the attitude of each book we are reading. This one is on:
Genesis;
So there you are, a teenager at your grandparent's home. You don't really want to be there, but it's one of those family things and so you're there.
You sit politely and act like you are listening as your folks and grandparents talk. Then your grandmother says something that catches your attention. She refers to your great grandfather and the trip he make to America from the "old country".
"What?" you ask.
Grandma smiles, knowing that at some point we all wonder about our origin and here you are wondering about yours.
She unravels a tale of your family escaping persecution and settling in eastern Virginia. Next she invites you into her room, where she opens a large chest that has sat at the foot of her bed for as long as you can remember. A rush of cedar and mothballs fills the room.i
"Thought you might like to see this," she explains, handing you a black and white photo in a large walnut frame. "It's your great grandpa." The only thing stiffer than his collar is his expression. "Here is his father," she hands you another photo, one of a cowboy wearing a wide-brimmed hat, riding a horse.
Piece by piece, the chest tells its family tales. Soon you find yourself lost in a floor covered with old wedding gowns, photo albums, diplomas and bronzed baby shoes. And before you leave, you find yourself the owner of something precious---a heritage. An ancestry. A beginning. An Origin.
You know that you are part of a family tree. You aren't an isolated pond, but rather a part of a river winding through a great canyon.
You leave a richer person. Knowing where you came from says much about where you are going.
Perhaps that's why the first book of the Bible is a book of beginnings. God wants us to know from where we came. Learning that will teach us much about the place we are going.
January 3
Matthew 2:1-12; Acts 2:1-21; Psalms 3; Genesis 5-8
January 4
Matthew 2:13-23; Acts 2:22-47; Psalms 4; Genesis 9-11
65 THINGS I HAVE LEARNED {part 3-last but not least}
41-If you can, grow your own vegetables as it is definitely worth the work.
42-Older people really are often wiser, but once in a great while you meet a very wise young person.
43-Its good to have one friend that is smarter than you are. It keeps you on your toes.
44-It's easier to stay organized than to deal with the consequences of not being organized.
45- Falling in love is a lot easier than staying in love.
46-Repairs and remodeling almost always costs twice as much as you've planned, and takes twice as long.
47-If you have the money for good quality clothes, buy them as they will last longer. If not, shop second hand.
48-People who make you laugh are important to have around.
49-Kindred hearts are much more important than age when it comes to choosing friends.
50-There is a very fine line between "hobby" and "mental illness."
51-Women were much happier with their looks in the "old days"
52-Having a huge house isn't that great if you have to clean it all by yourself
53-Not having car payments is definitely worth driving an older car.
54-Most kids will behave well if you can figure out the right incentive.
55-Understanding exactly how someone else feels is pretty much impossible.
56-Butter makes almost anything taste better.
57-You should not confuse your career with your life.
58-Nobody cares if you can't dance well. Just get up and dance.
59-In strange cities when you aren't sure where you are, a taxi is never too expensive.
60-Nothing improves a child's hearing better than calling them by their full name.
61-Even very intelligent people sometimes do things that are really, really stupid.
62-Nobody knows everything, and the longer you live, the more you realize how many things you know nothing about.
63-Learn to long for heaven
64-The more we complain the longer God makes us live.
65- and most important. If someone shares the plan of salvation with you, really listen to what they are saying and take them up on it. You will never regret it.
FOOD:
This recipe has been around for years but it is really good.
BUTTERSCOTCH ROLLS
* 16 to 18 unbaked frozen dinner rolls (like Rhodes)
* 1 (3-ounce) package regular butterscotch pudding mix, (can use vanilla)
* 1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
* 1/2 cup pecans, chopped
* 1 stick (1/2 cup) butter, melted
Directions
The night before place frozen rolls in well greased Bundt pan.*
Sprinkle dry pudding mix over rolls. Sprinkle brown sugar over pudding
mix. Sprinkle chopped pecans over brown sugar. Pour melted butter over
all. To prevent the dough from forming a hard crust while its rising
overnight, cover with a damp towel or tightly wrap with plastic wrap.
Let rise overnight at room temperature, about 8 to 10 hours.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Bake in oven for 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool
for 5 minutes. Turn pan over onto a serving platter to remove. Serve by pulling apart chunks with forks.
*I use a 9 x 13 pan but you really have to watch it closely.
FUN:
When using a public campground, a tuba placed on your picnic table will keep the campsites on either side vacant.
"The trouble with bucket seats is that not everybody has the same size bucket."
"Do you realize that in about 40 years, we'll have millions of old ladies running around with tattoos and pierced things? (Now that's scary!) "
"Money can't buy happiness--but somehow it's more comfortable to cry in a Porsche than a Kia."
HAVE A HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE !!!!!
BIBLE READING PLANJanuary 1:
Matthew 1:1-17; Acts 1:1-11; Psalm 1; Genesis 1-2
January 2:
Matthew 1:18-25; Acts 1:12-26; Psalm 2; Genesis 3-4
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