Some of Our July 2009 Articles (Download July Issue PDF)

SOMEONE ELSES PRAYERS

A voyaging ship was wrecked during a storm at sea and only two of the men on it were able to swim to a small, desert like island. The two
survivors, not knowing what else to do, agree that they had no other
recourse but to pray to God. However, to find out whose prayer was more powerful, they agreed to divide the territory between them and stay on
opposite sides of the island.
The first thing the first man prayed for was food. The next morning, the first man saw a fruit-bearing tree on his side of the land, and he was able to eat its fruit. The other man's parcel of land remained barren. After a week, the first man was lonely and he decided to pray for a wife...
The next day, another ship was wrecked, and the only survivor was a woman who swam to his side of the land. On the other side of the island, there was nothing.
Soon the first man prayed for a house, clothes, more food. The next day, like magic, all of these were given to him. However, the second man still had nothing.
Finally, the first man prayed for a ship, so that his wife and he could leave the island. In the morning, he found a ship docked at his side of the island. The first man boarded the ship with his wife and decided to leave the second man on the island. He considered the other man unworthy to receive God's blessings, since none of his prayers had been answered.
As the ship was about to leave, the first man heard a voice from Heaven booming, 'Why are you leaving your companion on the island?'
'My blessings are mine alone, since I was the one who prayed for them,' the first man answered. 'His prayers were all unanswered, and so he does not deserve anything'
'You are mistaken!' the voice rebuked him. 'He had only one prayer, which I answered. If not for that, you would not have received any of my blessings..'
'Tell me,' the first man asked the voice, 'what did he pray for that I should owe him anything?'
'He prayed that all your prayers be answered..'
For all we know, our blessings are not the fruits of our prayers alone, but those of another praying for us. When Jesus died on the cross he was thinking of you!



The Seed

A successful business man was growing old and knew it was time to choose a successor to take over the business. Instead of choosing one of his Directors or his children, he decided to do something different. He called all the young executives in his company together. He said, "It is time for me to step down and choose the next CEO.I have decided to choose one of you.. "The young executives were shocked, but the boss continued. "I am going to give each one of you a SEED today - one very special SEED... I want you to plant the seed, water it, and come back here one year from today with what you have grown from the seed I have given you. I will then judge the plants that you bring, and the one I choose will be
the next CEO."
One man, named Jim, was there that day and he, like the others, received a seed. He went home and excitedly, told his wife the story. She helped him get a pot, soil and compost and he planted
the seed. Everyday, he would water it and watch to see if it had grown. After about three weeks, some of the other executives began to talk about their seeds and the plants that were beginning to grow. Jim kept checking his seed, but nothing ever grew. Three weeks, four weeks, five weeks went by, still nothing.
By now, others were talking about their plants, but Jim didn't have a plant and he felt like a
failure. Six months went by -- still nothing in Jim's pot. He just knew he had killed his seed.
Everyone else had trees and tall plants, but he had nothing. Jim didn't say anything to his
colleagues, however. He just kept watering and fertilizing the soil - He so wanted the
seed to grow.
A year finally went by and all the young executives of the company brought their plants to the CEO for inspection. Jim told his wife that he wasn't going to take an empty pot. But she asked him to be honest about what happened. Jim felt sick to his stomach, it was going to be the most embarrassing moment of his life, but he knew his wife was right. He took his empty pot to the board room. When Jim arrived, he was amazed at the variety of plants grown by the other
executives. They were beautiful -- in all shapes and sizes. Jim put his empty pot on the floor and
many of his colleagues laughed, a few felt sorry for him!
When the CEO arrived, he surveyed the room and greeted his young executives.
Jim just tried to hide in the back. "My, what great plants, trees, and flowers you have grown," said the CEO. "Today one of you will be appointed the next CEO!" All of a sudden, the CEO spotted Jim at the back of the room with his empty pot. He ordered the Financial Director to bring him to
the front. Jim was terrified. He thought, "The CEO knows I'm a failure! Maybe he will have me fired!"
When Jim got to the front, the CEO asked him what had happened to his seed - Jim told him the story.
The CEO asked everyone to sit down except Jim. He looked at Jim, and then announced to the young executives, "Behold your next Chief Executive Officer! His name is Jim!" Jim couldn't believe it. Jim couldn't even grow his seed.
"How could he be the new CEO?" the others said.
Then the CEO said, "One year ago today, I gave everyone in this room a seed. I told you to take the seed, plant it, water it, and bring it back to me today. But I gave you all boiled seeds; they were dead - it was not possible for them to grow. All of you, except Jim, have brought me trees and plants and flowers. When you found that the seed would not grow, you substituted another seed for the one I gave you. Jim was the only one with the courage and honesty to bring me a pot with my seed in it. Therefore, he is the one who will be the new Chief Executive Officer!"

* If you plant honesty, you will reap trust
* If you plant goodness, you will reap friends
* If you plant humility, you will reap greatness
* If you plant perseverance, you will reap contentment
* If you plant consideration, you will reap perspective
* If you plant hard work, you will reap success
* If you plant forgiveness, you will reap reconciliation
* If you plant faith in God , you will reap a harvest
So, be careful what you plant now; it will determine what you will reap later.

"Whatever You Give To Life, Life Gives You Back"



SATAN'S MEETING: (Read even if you're busy)

Satan called a worldwide convention of demons. In his opening address he said, "We can't keep Christians from going to church"
"We can't keep them from reading their Bibles and knowing the truth...."
"We can't even keep them from forming an intimate relationship with their savior." "Once they gain that connection with Jesus, our power over them is broken." "So let them go to their churches; let them have their covered dish dinners, BUT steal their time, so they don't have time to develop a relationship with Jesus Christ.." "This is what I want you to do," said the devil: "Distract them from gaining hold of their Savior and maintaining that vital connection throughout their day!"
"How shall we do this?" his demons shouted.
"Keep them busy in the non-essentials of life and invent innumerable schemes to occupy their minds," he answered... "Tempt them to spend, spend, spend, and borrow, borrow, borrow." "Persuade the wives to go to work for long hours and the husbands to work 6-7 days each week, 10-12 hours a day, so they can afford their empty lifestyles."
"Keep them from spending time with their children." "As their families
fragment, soon, their homes will offer no escape from the pressures of work!" "Over-stimulate their minds so that they cannot hear that still, small voice." "Entice them to play the radio or I-Pod whenever they drive." To keep the TV, DVDs, CDs and their PCs going constantly in their home and see to it that every store and restaurant in the world plays non-biblical music constantly." "This will jam their minds and break that union with Christ." "Fill the coffee tables with magazines and newspapers." "Pound their minds with the news 24 hours a day." "Invade their driving moments with billboards." "Flood their mailboxes with junk mail, mail order
catalogs, sweepstakes, and every kind of newsletter and promotional
offering free products, services and false hopes." "Keep skinny, beautiful models on the magazines and TV so their husbands will believe that outward beauty is what's important, and they'll become dissatisfied with their wives. " "Keep the wives too tired to love their husbands at night." "Give them headaches too! " "If they don't give their husbands the love they need, they will begin to look elsewhere." "That will fragment their families quickly!" "Give them Santa Claus to distract them from teaching their children the real meaning of Christmas." "Give them an Easter bunny so they won't talk about his resurrection and power over sin and death..." "Even in their recreation, let them be excessive." "Have them return from their recreation exhausted." "Keep them too busy to go out in nature and reflect onGod's creation. Send them to amusement parks, sporting events, plays, concerts, and movies instead." "Keep them busy, busy, busy!" "And when they meet for spiritual fellowship, involve them in gossip and small talk so that they leave with troubled consciences." "Crowd their lives with so many good causes they have no time to seek power from Jesus." "Soon they will be working in their own strength, sacrificing their health and family for the good of the cause." "It will work!" "It will work!" It was quite a plan!
The demons went eagerly to their assignments causing Christians everywhere to get busier and more rushed, going here and there. Having little time for their God or their families. Having no time to tell others about the power of Jesus to change lives. I guess the question is, has the devil been successful in his schemes? You be the judge!!!!!
Does "BUSY" mean: B-eing U-nder S-atan's Y-oke?
Please pass this on, if you aren't too BUSY! Do You Love Him?
IF YOU LOVE JESUS FIGHT THE DEVIL ASK JESUS TO COME INTO YOUR LIFE AND HE WILL AND THE DEVIL WILL HAVE TO FLEE.




Two Horses
Author Unknown

Just up the road from my home is a field, with two horses in it. From a distance, each horse looks like any other horse. But if you stop your car, or are walking by you will notice something quite amazing
Looking into the eyes of one horse will disclose that he is blind. His owner has chosen not to have him put down, but has made a good home for him. This alone is amazing.
If you stand nearby and listen, you will hear the sound of a bell. Looking around for the source of the sound, you will see that it comes from the smaller horse in the field.
Attached to the horse's halter is a small bell. It lets the blind friend know where the other horse is, so he can follow. As you stand and watch these two friends, You'll see that the horse with the bell is always checking on the blind horse. And that the blind horse will listen for the bell and then slowly walk to where the other horse is, trusting that he will not be led astray.
When the horse with the bell returns to the shelter of the barn each evening, it stops
occasionally and looks back, making sure that the blind friend isn't too far behind to hear the bell.
Like the owners of these two horses, God does not throw us away just because we are not perfect or because we have problems or challenges. He watches over us and even brings others into our lives to help us when we are in need. Sometimes we are the blind horse
being guided by the little ringing bell of those who God places in our lives.
Other times we are the guide horse, helping others to find their way....
Good friends are like that... You may not always see them, but you know they are always there.
Please listen for my bell and I'll listen for yours. and remember...
Be kinder than necessary- everyone you meet is fighting some kind of battle.
Live simply,
Love generously,
Care deeply,
Speak kindly....
Leave the rest to God

"But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint. Isaiah 40:31




Kindness Counts
Loving ways to raise a compassionate child in a me-first world

One of the most common questions parents ask me is, "How, in this materialistic,
competitive world can I raise kind children?" My answer is to begin by being a kind adult. When your child sees you going the extra mile to help a friend, carrying someone's groceries, making a meal for a new family that just moved in, or inviting people into your life who aren't exactly like you, he will naturally see this as the right way to live. We are mirrors for our kids: When children observe your examples of kindness, they'll know where to begin. One day, I mentioned that I had a tummy ache, and my 8-year-old dashed up the stairs to run a bath, turn down my bed, and lay out my favorite nightie. You know who had treated her tummy aches in just such a way.
Discover true joy when you experience a sunset.
Kindness is a quality that isn't often rewarded in our schools, so we must make a strong effort to acknowledge it at home. Kids are naturally empathetic from an early age: As newborns, they cry when they hear another baby crying; they offer their favorite doll to the friend who has scraped his knee. We tend to expect our young children to grow out of this compassion and become self-absorbed. "Oh it's the terrible twos," we say. "Kids just can't share at this age." What if we shifted our expectations and saw our kids as truly caring beings? Boys in particular are often rewarded for being clever or assertive, but not often for showing compassion.
A busy mother I know is making an effort to acknowledge her young son's kindness. She recalls, "I went with the second grade on the bus to the zoo last fall, and Michael sat next to a classmate who uses a wheelchair and is mentally impaired. I was amazed at how helpful and considerate he was, and I was quick to compliment him when we got home."
Kindness, empathy, compassion, and love grow from appreciation and respect, and in turn create more of both. Instead of comparing kids and fostering competition--"You have the best voice in the choir"--it would help to applaud their thoughtfulness. For example, you could say, "I liked the way you complimented Amy's painting."
In an achievement-oriented culture, we may focus more on grades and sports victories than on values of the heart. Take the time to acknowledge kind actions as having true worth. We can weave kindness into our everyday lives, for example, by creating a "kindness board" and posting it on the fridge. Each time a family member does something kind, he or she can write it on the board when it's acknowledged.
Try These Random Acts of Kindness. Ask your kids to come up with their own list of everyday opportunities to show kindness. Some ideas to get them started:
-Smile at the bus driver.
-Compliment at least one person a day.
-Hold the door for the person behind you when you come in from recess.
-Pass on to someone else a book you loved.
-Offer to walk a neighbor's dog.
-Help someone find something he or she has lost.
-Recycle magazines to the local library.
-Help a younger sibling with homework.
-Sit with the kid who usually sits alone on the bus.
-If kids are speaking unkindly about someone, take a stand against it.
-Bake an extra batch of cookies and leave them on a neighbor's doorstep.
-Hug somebody who needs it.
Remind your children they can make a difference each day. They can touch other people's lives through simple efforts: a smile, a nod, a shared laugh, a kind word, a whispered prayer.

Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.
1 John 4: 7 - 8



The Cross In My Pocket

I carry a Cross in my pocket
A simple reminder to me
Of the fact that I am a Christian
No matter where I may be.

This little Cross is not magic
Nor is it a good luck charm
It isn't meant to protect me
From every physical harm.

It's not for identification
For all the world to see
It simply is an understanding
Between my Savior and me.

When I put my hand in my pocket
To bring out a coin or key
The Cross is there to remind me
Of the price he paid for me.

It reminds me too, to be thankful
For the blessings day by day
And to strive to serve Him better
In all that I do and say.

It's also a daily reminder
Of the peace and comfort I share
With all who know my Master
And give themselves to His care.

So I carry a Cross in my pocket
Reminding me, no one but me
That Jesus Christ is Lord of my life
If only I let Him be.



The Day God Called You Home

God looked around his Garden
and found a empty place
He then looked down upon this earth
and saw your loving face.
He put his arms around you
and lifted you to rest.
His Garden must be beautiful.
he always takes the best.
He knew that you were suffering,
he knew you were in pain.
And he knew that you would never
get well on earth again.
He saw your path was difficult,
he closed your tired eyes,
He whispered to you "Peace Be Thine"
and gave you wings to fly.
When he saw you sleeping
so calm and so free of pain,
We could not wish you back to earth
to suffer once again.
You've left us precious memories,
your love will be our guide,
You live on through your children,
your always by our side.
It broke our hearts to lose you,
but you did not go alone.
For part of us went with you,
on that day God called you home.
Unknown Author
This is for my mother Ruth Hall the Lord
took her home July 20th 2004.
We miss her so much but one day
we will see her again and she
won’t be suffering with pain.
We love you Mother



ANGEL OF AMERICA

I am only one of many,
With just a simple plea,
Dear Angel of America,
Please look after me.

I've packed my gear, I'm heading out,
I've said my sad good-byes,
I've told my loved ones not to worry,
That you'd not let me die.

Please go with me into battle,
Upon that foreign shore,
And from time to time, remind me,
Of what I'm fighting for.

For the safety of my country,
And for other countries, too,
For the freedom of all persons
To do as they wish to do.

For tyranny and hate to go,
To be replaced by care and hope.
To give men back their self-respect,
And help them learn to cope.

Liberation from oppression,
And equality for all,
Food for every hungry child,
And a chance to grow up tall.

Far fetched ideals and more, I s'pose,
But they've been fulfilled before.
When many, many years ago.
Small ships arrived upon our shore.

So, Angel of America,
Go with me on this quest,
Help me not to be afraid,
And to do my very best.

I count on you to get me through,
And to help us, everyone,
To keep us and our loved ones safe,
Until this war is done.

by hscripts.com