The Truth

One my devotionals today got me to reflecting on the Truth!

 

In the author’s words, summarized, “Do I believe it, do it, stand for it, spread it. The truth is something we practice, apply, live and obey.” 

 

To help me further, I put it into questions for myself with my answers? 

 

Have I discovered the Truth?   Yes

Have I accepted the Truth?      Yes

Do I believe in the Truth?        Yes

Do I apply the Truth?               I try

Do I practice the Truth?          I try

Do I obey the Truth?               I try

Do I live the Truth?                 I try

Do I stand for the Truth?        I try 

Do I spread the Truth?            Sometimes

Do I love the Truth?                Yes

Do I understand the Truth?      No- because of my wicked ways, how can the Truth love me so that He can die for me? 

 

John 14:6, “Jesus answered, I am the way and the truth and the life, No one comes to the Father except through me.”

A Little Twist

 In Touch gave a verse, "As each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another as good stewardship of the manifold grace of God." (In other words-Use your gift to serve) In my  Daily Hope the verse was Luke 6:38, "Give, and you will receive...The way you give to others is the way God will give to you." ( In other words, to reap a great harvest, you must plant generously.)
     Putting these two devotionals together, I am to use my gift to plant and to serve. To twist the meaning just a tad, I have gotten my garden planted between the rains and the cool weather. I planted it generously, and I do plant to share (serve others with its product). Now, I am waiting to see the harvest.  
     I suppose I can twist God's word into anything I please, but, I am sure, God desires that I  really seek to delve into His Word to find the true meaning of Scripture.  He wants me to find the true gift He has bestowed upon me and to use it to serve and love others. 

     Maybe planting a small garden is one of my gifts, but I know there are others I need to use in order to serve and to serve generously.

Daily Thought

 The following is an excerpt from a book I am in the process of finalizing.  Title to come...

September 22

Humor: The teenage girl was frantic as she called home to explain she would be late that night because of a flat tire. She said, "Please don't be mad Mom, it's not my fault."  Since the lady didn't have a daughter, she replied, “I'm sorry, but you've reached the wrong number.  I don't have a daughter."  The girl replied, "Gosh, Mom, I didn't think you'd be that mad.”

Daily Thought: It is so easy to get mad, but getting mad and staying that way only takes away our joy; whereas, laughter lightens the burden and uplifts the heart.  The next time we are tempted to become angry over a situation, stop and remember that we are the ones who we will be hurting if we allow the anger to remain and continue harbor those feelings.  Staying calm, on the other hand, will prevent the situation from become explosive.  It will provide time to ponder  the problem so we will be able to handle it gracefully, deal with it, and then ''let it go.''

Scripture: “Strength and honour are her clothing; and she shall rejoice in time to come.”

Proverbs 31:25

 

School is Back

     School is now in full force!  Teachers are busy. Really, really busy!  They are trying to get their classrooms in order, attending meetings, preparing schedules, calling parents, and working more hours than the majority of people realize, all for the sake of teaching other people's children.
     Since my daughter is a dedicated teacher, I see what goes into the school year, and I do not take their careers lightly; however, you will find below a few comical excerpts from two books I co-authored which can be found as an ebook on the Amazon Kindle site.  Just click the link provided:

Book- A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Morgue  (true humorous short stories)
 https://www.amazon.com/Funny-Thing-Happened-Way-Morgue-ebook/dp/B01D6PIZNY/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1458506556&sr=1-1&keywords=A+Funny+Thing+Happened+on+the+way+to+the+Morgue#nav-subnav

    In the days when many of the rural school board members did not even have a high school education, a particular board member, who did not have any appreciation for the finer aspects of the teaching of grammar and punctuation, came to school one day and wrote upon the chalk board, "The board member thinks the teacher is a fool."  As he completed his writing, the teacher took the piece of chalk, stepped to the board, and corrected the sentence with a couple of commas, resulting in the following: "The board member, thinks the teacher, is a fool."
    
Here's another:

     In the mountains of northern Arkansas or Southern Missouri sometime around the turn of the last century a man applied for a teaching position in the rural school.  The school board asked, "How do you teach geography?  Do you teach that the earth is round or flat?"  The teacher responded, "I am prepared to teach it either way."  He got the job. 

    Then here is another from my So? Whatever! 365 Laughs and Devotionals with Foreword by Mike Huckabee:
https://www.amazon.com/So-Whatever-365-Laughs-Devotionals-ebook/dp/B01D45OL1Q/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1458313481&sr=1-1&keywords=So%3F+Whatever%21#nav-subnav

     A third grader was giving a demonstration speech at school using items from home. Realizing they had left the items needed for the speech at home, the mom rushed back to get the stuff.  The apple, the orange, and the raisins were gone.  "Oh," said the dad, "I had that stuff for breakfast."  Reporting back with an explanation and apology, the teacher said, "Gee, that's first. 'My dad ate my
homework.' "

     Family members are full of surprises, but it is good to establish a pattern that can be recognized in daily life.  Parents should want their children to expect prayer at meal times, recognize when the alarm goes off in the morning that time will be spent in Bible study and prayer time with God.  Getting up on Sunday and going to church should not be a question.  When the Christmas tree is put out, the family will talk about the birth of Jesus, and when Easter comes, they will talk about the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.  Children should be given family traditions revolving around their love for Jesus; knowing the Holy Spirit leads, intercedes for them, and guides them throughout their lives.  There is a saying that is good, "A family that prays together stays together."

1 Timothy 3:4  "He must manage his own family well and see that his children obey him with proper respect."

So? Whatever!

     I have a 365 day devotional Book on Amazon as an ebook.  It contains humor for the day along with a brief devotional thought and scripture verse.  Below is the March 18th devotional thought from the book.  If you like it, please take a moment to clip on the Book, So? Whatever! on the left side.  It will link you to the Amazon site for a review.

March 18

A couple had been married for 45 years and had been blessed with 11 children and 22 grandchildren.  When asked to what they contributed the length of their marriage, he said, “We made a pact that whichever one left had to take the kids.”

Attitude – a good one is what it takes to make a relationship. It is never good to become angry and hold grudges.  Those kinds of grudges only end up hurting ourselves.  We cannot change another’s attitude, but we can be responsible for our own.  If you cannot find it in your heart to go the person you have a grudge against, at least ask God to remove it from your heart and forgive it anyway.  The Bible says, “Be kind to each other and forgive one another even as God in Christ forgave you.”

Psalm 4:4   In your anger do not sin; when you are on your beds, search your hearts and be silent.        

Beatitudes

     For my retirement days I made a bucket list, not only of places I would like to see and do, but also a daily list of goals.   They are:

1.      Spend time with my Savior

2.      Do something for myself

3.      Do something for someone else

4.      Accomplish at least one thing. 

    Sounds simple, but as most of us know, it is often hard to reflect back on the day and see what we really accomplished or if there was a purpose for the day.   

     When I was reading my “In Touch” devotional this morning I found some examples the writer gave which I thought would be helpful.  The devotional for the day was actually applying these in terms of the One who never changes and teaching about God’s nature with five examples:

     1.  Jesus forgave others.  He showed mercy, not judgment.  The example was the woman at the well.

     2. Jesus comforted the hurting as shown by his visit with Mary and Martha when they were mourning the loss of their brother.

     3. Jesus provided for needs.  We all remember how he fed the 4000 followers instead of sending them away hungry.

     4.  Jesus interceded for His disciples.  The example was how He asked the Father to protect and sanctify His followers just before He was crucified.  

     5.  Jesus strenthened believers and gave them power to do God's work. 

 

     So how can I use these to help me with my daily goals?  Maybe, the good deed for someone else could simply be to forgive someone or pray for someone.  I could offer comfort by just taking time to visit them, call them on the phone, or even attend a funeral.  I could provide for needs by baking a cake or use the example of my neighbor who fries extra fish to take a meal to another neighbor or friend. 

     What about bestowing power to do God’s work?   I am not supernatural, but I can pray to the One who is All Power.  I can pray for God to strengthen a friend or family member in need.  I can pray for a blessing where a blessing is needed.  I can strengthen my children and grandchildren by teaching them God’s love and by showing them an example of Christian living.   

     As far as accomplishing a project or talking with God, it may be as simple as turning off the television set, the computer, or smart phone and getting off that couch or out of the recliner long enough to have extra time to get the job done.   
     Probable the easiest goal would be doing something good for myself.  I believe nothing does a soul better than enjoyment and a good laugh, even if it is at myself.   

Proverbs 15:13  A merry heart maketh a cheerful countenance…

Proverbs 15:15  … but he that is of a merry heart hath a continual feast.

Proverbs 17:22  A merry heart doeth good like a medicine: … 

     In ending, let me just say that I thank God for the career I have just completed, and I thank Him for the opportunity for a new vision that will be pleasing to Him.   I pray I catch His vision for my life, and I believe it just may just stem from what I call the Beatitudes or as another author, Robert H. Schuller, called them, "The Be-Happy Attitudes" found in Matthew 5:  

² And he opened his mouth, and taught them, saying,
³ Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
⁴ Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.
⁵ Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.
⁶ Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.
⁷ Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.
⁸ Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.
⁹ Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.
¹⁰ Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
¹¹ Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.
¹² Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.
¹³ Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men.
¹⁴ Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.
¹⁵ Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house.
¹⁶ Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven. 

Fireworks Display

     Fireworks have been used down through the ages to celebrate festivals and special events.  Their bursts of explosions are anticipated wonders during the  Fourth of July holidays as they make their announcements, whether with a loud sonic boom, a shrill whistling noise, or a just a small sizzling sound.  After that, comes a spectacular display of lights in various shapes, rotating circles, or a blast of stars in all colors illuminating across the sky turning the darkness into a brief blast of light.

     They say the first fireworks started in the 10^th century in China, but I am not so sure about that.  You see when God decided to divide the day from the night, He said, “Let there be lights in the firmaments of the heaven.”  I was not there that day, but I can just imagine the loud explosion of activity as the stars and the moon were set into place.  The sky must have lit up with a blast of sunbeams and a glow of stars that did not just immediately fill up the sky and then fall away and disappear like the fireworks we think of today.  The stars, the moon, and the sun are there, in place, for us to celebrate and enjoy every night and day throughout the year.

     There are all kinds of fireworks God has provided that radiates across the sky and the treetops.  He set the rainbow in the sky.  As the last raindrops cease and the sky turns to blue there silently appears an array of colors just as beautiful as any fireworks display we host today.  I do not believe anyone ever ignores the rainbow when they see it span across the sky.  We always shout and point, "Look, there, over there.  It's a rainbow!"   And it is placed there to celebrate a promise God gave us many, many generations ago.  

     Then there was a special pillar of cloud that God formed, just for the Israelites, to lead them by day, and a pillar of fire, he formed, to lead them by night.  Can you imagine the expectation of seeing that fluffy, pillory white cloud and then to have it change into a fiery furnace of color as darkness dropped across the land?   

     Yet another wonder happened when the heavens opened and the Spirit of the Lord descended like a dove.  That could not have been a silent moment when Jesus was baptized.  The heavens opened and there was a voice booming out.  The sound must have been louder than the announcements of a bottle rocket in a fireworks celebration.  I can hear it now, “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”

     Louder still and much more impressive was the day there was darkness over all the land.  It was the ninth hour when Jesus, himself, cried out in a loud voice, “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?”  This was when Jesus was taking all of our sins upon Himself and God saw, heard, and felt the despair.  The answer came with a loud sound.  It had to have been much louder than a fireworks show.  “The veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent. And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose,”  

     This Fourth of July let us not forget the celebration of lights that God has given us throughout the ages.  There will be yet another much more beautiful celebration to come.  It will come with a loud explosion, as well.  It will come in the twinkling of an eye.  “For the Lord, himself, shall descend from the heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air:”

     I can only imagine what a fireworks display this will be as those who have rejected God watch as God’s children blast into the air to join Him in the sky!  It will be a time of despair for some but a celebration, indeed, for the believer. 

      

Significance of A Friendly Shade

     Thinking of the significance of a friendly shade, I am reminded of a large, beautiful oak tree that grew in the midst of a forty acre field.  That oak tree did not appeal to me in the least during January or February when daddy had me cutting persimmon sprouts out of the field.  It really did not mean much to me when we planted cotton or the early plowing of the cotton.  But when the sun began to heat up the air and burn the skin, then I developed an entirely different perspective of the tree.  It became a refuge in which I found comfort from the broiling sun.

     In the frozen wastelands of northern Alaska or Canada you won't be hearing conversations about the need for a friendly shade.  Those conversations only come about when the situation arises that would cause the desire or need for the friendly shade.

     A person's path may take him/her into a variety of situations in which there is no need nor thought about a friendly shade.  But the statement about the possibility of rain falling into your life is true for, "Into each life some rain must fall."  So you can be sure that into each life there will come the time for the need of a friendly shade in which one can escape the problems of life.  Jesus Christ wants to be the friendly shade for each of us.  Perhaps, today, He does not look as if He is beckoning to you, yet he still says, "come unto me all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest".  Just be aware there is a shade to be found, and you will find it to be "a friendly shade".

Inspirational Devotional for Mother's Day

Mothers are special people and must truly be the most patient people on the face of this earth.  Only God could be more patient with His children.  God never abandons His children through all of their rebellious ways.   Just like mothers, God wants His children to have a harvest of plenty, but He also wants His children to seek Him.  The following is an except from the book SO? Whatever!

A mother had lost all patience in dealing with her son and his constantly getting into mischief.  She asked, “How are you ever going to get into heaven?” she asked.  The son said, “I will run in and out slamming the door until St. Peter finally says, ‘Billy, come in or stay out.’”

Billy got the idea of persistence down pretty good.  He knew how to turn a “no” or a “do not” into acceptance.  That is exactly what we need to do in life.  It is easy to get frustrated when our season of hope is not realized.  The key is not to go backward.  Keep hoping, keep planting, and keep pursuing your dreams and goals.  There is a season for everything.  God will find favor and show increase if you keep your eyes on Him. 

Leviticus 26:4 I will send you rain in its season, and the ground will yield its crops and the trees of the field their fruit.

Humorous Joke and Devotional for the Day

The following is a humorous joke followed by a devotional thought and Bible verse.  It is taken from the book, So? Whatever!  

    The man’s weight was out of control so he goes to his family doctor who says, “You are going to have to lose a hundred pounds.”  The man argued, “There’s no way I can lose that much weight.”  The doctor told him there was a diet guaranteed to work.  The man then asked, “What type of diet is that?”  The doctor responded, “Put it in your mouth, if it tastes good, spit it out.”

    The man reached that weight over a period of time.  It began as a small gain and gradually got out of control.  That is the way sin works.  It begins as something small.  When left un-confessed and encouraged by others, it will progress to something larger.  One single drug usage could ultimately make a person into a drug addict.  Don’t try to solve your small problems and allow them to grow into large ones which you cannot handle.  Take your small problems to Jesus every day.
    Romans 6:12  Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires.

Bearing The Cross

CRUCIFIED

I kneel and weep before the cross

The tears are not for my loss

I had it all to gain

Because of my Lord who was slain.

I weep for the horrible crucifixion;

The pain, mockery, and affliction

Even Pilate asked, “Why? What evil hath He done?”

The centurion said, “Truly this Man was God’s own Son!”

Jesus healed and raised the dead

Yet had no place to lay His head.

He was mocked, spit upon, and beaten

Was denied and, by many, forgotten

Jesus, my Lord, was crucified

Taken to court and tried

Nails were driven through His wrists and feet

It was all for my sin and deceit

I weep for the torture He endured

He gave His life so mine would be secured.

I weep for the Lamb who was rejected and scorned

He bled as they placed upon his head, a braided crown of thorns

My Jesus -He suffered the cruelest pain

And yet, I constantly complain

He suffered and bled - for that I cry

As I continue to kneel and ask, “Why?”

The answer comes quickly through the peace and the quiet

“I love you my child with all my might

Do not cry and despair

For you, I gladly carried the cross I was born to bear.”

I have no further need to ask, “Why? What evil had He done?”

I believe He died for me and is God’s own  Son.

                                                                                          By  Mary Nell Jameson

                         “But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.       1 Corinthians 2:9

Humor and Devotional for Today

It is important to begin the day with a devotional thought and a little humor to make the day go better.  The following is an excerpt from our book, So? Whatever!

Crawling around under a house is not a fun job.  But this particular day a worker found a cute brass box.  He emptied the dirt and ashes, intending to take it home at the end of the day.  At lunch the lady of the house asked if they had seen the box.  It was her deceased husband’s ashes.  The worker quickly dusted the imagined ashes off, crawled back under the house, refilled the little box with some dirt and placed it back on the sill.

This presents a very important concept.  Listen carefully. Man is not a body that has a soul—he is the soul and has a body.  When God breathed into Adam the breath of life, he became a living soul. The real you is your soul, and it has a body; not the other way around.  When a loved one passes away, it is only the cessation of the body with the soul living on into eternity.  A Christian’s consolation is in knowing this great truth. 

 Psalm 116:8  For you, O Lord, have delivered my soul from death, my eyes from tears, and my feet from stumbling,