Do the best we can!

A Christian man was walking to church one night when he encountered four boys loitering on the street corner. He invited them to go to the service with him. They did, and each of the boys also agreed to return to church with him the next Sunday. They became the nucleus of a Sunday school class the man began to teach.

Years later, a group of the man's friends decided to try to contact the four boys to see what had happened in their lives and to invite them to write a special birthday letter to their teacher to be read at a surprise party. Their letters revealed that one of them had become a missionary to China, one was the president of the Federal Reserve Bank, one was the private secretary to President Herbert Hoover, and the fourth was President Hoover himself!

If you were to hold a handful of pine nuts in your hand today, you could not begin to predict which of the seeds might actually sprout and produce a giant tree. It is amazing that such a large tree might grow from such a small seed. The only was to tell which nuts have trees inside them is to plant them!

When you plant acts of kindness and generosity to others, you never know what mighty tree may grow from that small seed. That is why when we do the best that we can, we never know what miracle is wrought in our life, or in the life of another. The Bible says in Colossians 3:23 "And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men".

I want to share with you the lyrics from a beautiful called "Thank you" by Ray Boltz.

Be Blessed.

Thank You by Ray Boltz

I dreamed I went to heaven
And you were there with me;
We walked upon the streets of gold
Beside the crystal sea.
We heard the angels singing
Then someone called your name.
We turned and saw a young man running
And he was smiling as he came.

And he said, "Friend you may not know me now."
And then he said, "But wait,
You used to teach my Sunday School
When I was only eight.
And every week you would say a prayer
Before the class would start.
And one day when you said that prayer,
I asked Jesus in my heart."

(Chorus)

Then another man stood before you
And said, "Remember the time
A missionary came to your church
And his pictures made you cry.
You didn't have much money,
But you gave it anyway.
Jesus took the gift you gave
And that's why I'm here today."

(Chorus)

One by one they came
Far as the eye could see.
Each life somehow touched
By your generosity.
Little things that you had done,
Sacrifices made,
Unnoticed on the earth
In heaven, now proclaimed.

And I know up in heaven
You're not supposed to cry
But I am almost sure
There were tears in your eyes.
As Jesus took your hand
And you stood before the Lord.
He said, "My child, look around you.
Great is your reward."

Chorus:
Thank you for giving to the Lord.
I am a life that was changed.
Thank you for giving to the Lord.
I am so glad you gave.

You're A W.I.P

Now we are children of God, and we have not yet been shown what we will be in the future. - 1 John 3:2 NCV

The surest way to get discouraged is to compare yourself with others. The Bible says, "Don't compare yourself" (Galatians 6:4 CEV), because some people will look like they're doing a better job and you'll get disheartened, while others won't be as effective and you'll become proud. "Concentrate on doing your best… (2 Timothy 2:15 TM). That way, "You will get the satisfaction of a job well done, and… won't need to compare yourself… (Galatians 6:4 NLT). All the apples on a tree don't ripen at the same time. Paul says, 'knowledge and understanding' take time (Philippians 1:9-10).

One successful author says, "When I began writing, I found myself fumbling with that part of myself. 'I want to be a writer,' I'd think, 'but I have to get this number of books published and this number of good reviews first.' It can take years and many successes in any new area… before we can confidently say to ourselves and others, 'I am'… what has God called you to do? Don't wait until you're successful… Start now by saying you are what you want to become… Yes, you've much to learn… and you may not be an expert… but you don't have to be, to say those two little words I am."

John writes: "Now we are children of God, and we have not yet been shown what we will be in the future" (1 John 3:2 NCV). God uses crooked sticks to draw straight lines and imperfect people to do His perfect will. So, push ahead, cut yourself some slack, and remember you're a W.I.P. - a work-in-progress!


Note: The article above is taken from daily devotion email from The Word for Today brought by TheVine in association with The Rhema Broadcasting Group Inc, New Zealand and UCB International Ltd

All our dream can come true -- if we have the courage to pursue them.

Glenn Cunningham was born on a Kansas farm and educated in a one-room schoolhouse. He and his brother were responsible for keeping the school's fire going. One morning as the boys poured kerosene on the live coals to get the fire started before school, the stove blew sky high.

Glenn rushed toward the door, but then realized his brother had fallen and wasn't moving. He rushed back to help, suffering terrible burns in the process. In the end, his brother died, and Glenn was hospitalized with severe burns on his legs.

The tragedy seemed to mark an end to Glenn's dream of running track. Still, he was determined to walk again - which the doctors had said wouldn't happen - but he did! Then, he began to run. Through many periods of discouragement and disappointment Glenn kept running, even faster.

He mastered the mile. Eventually, he set his sights on the international record for his distance, and he broke it! He finally held the world record of his dreams.

What kept Glenn running? He dedicated his races to the memory of his brother, as he was determined to transform the greatest tragedy of his life into a blessing. He may have had scarred leg, but he had a whole heart.

The bible says in 1 Chronicles 28:20 "....Be strong and courageous, and act; do not fear nor be dismayed, for the Lord God, my God, is with you..."

Be Blessed.

Resilient People

We are hard pressed...2 Corinthians 4:8 NIV

When a back injury paralysed Angela Madsen from the waist down, she vowed to do whatever it took to get back up. As a result she started training to be the first woman with a disability to row across the Atlantic. Journalist Denise Foley writes: "Madsen is what researchers call 'resilient' - able to rebound from whatever life brings. She's one of those people who make us wonder how we'd fare if our mettle were tested. Would we bounce back?" Paul writes, "We are hard pressed… but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed" (2 Corinthians 4:8-9 NIV).

Resilient people:

1) Take control of their lives:

Drs. Steven & Sybil Wolin write, "It's easy to blame others for your problems and wait till they fix them. But then you never get to rise to the occasion… When you see yourself as a problem-solver life goes very differently. Identify your strengths. Recall those moments when you triumphed over adversity. Focus on what you can influence instead of what you can't."

2) Surround themselves with the right people:

The Psalmist said, 'They… treated me badly all my life, but they have not defeated me' (Psalm 129:2 NCV). Ned Hallowell grew up with a bipolar father, an abusive stepfather, an alcoholic mother, and two learning disabilities - a history that's often a precursor to jail or a mental institution. Today he's a prominent psychiatrist, a happily-married father and a successful author. It happened largely because at boarding school he attached himself to teachers who cared about him and took him under their wing. So in tough times, lean on God, take control of your life, and surround yourself with the right people.

3) They allow pain to spur growth:

At the peak of her career when photographer Linda Joy Montgomery learned she was going blind, an inner voice said, "This isn't the end; it's the beginning." She began writing poetry, discovered her calling as a motivational speaker and created the True Vision Institute, teaching kids to tap into their inner resources. The Bible says: "Though good people may be bothered by trouble… they are never defeated… (Proverbs 24:16 NCV).

Finding purpose in your pain isn't a new idea. Survivors of life-threatening illnesses, natural disasters and the Holocaust, and parents of chronically ill children continually demonstrate how over-comers find the proverbial silver lining by reinventing themselves. Paul talks about being "battered by troubles, but… not demoralised… thrown down, but [not] broken" (2 Corinthians 4:8 TM). Meeting challenges helps develop confidence and a can-do attitude that says: '"I've been there, done that, and I'll survive." Michael Jordan once said, "I've missed over 9,000 shots in my career… lost over 300 games… 26 times I've been trusted to make the game-winning shot, and missed. I've tried and failed over and over again. That's why I succeed."

4) They insist on changing what they can:

Paul says: "Whatever good anyone does, he will receive the same from the Lord… (Ephesians 6:8 NKJV). Workers digging through the rubble to help rescue survivors of the Oklahoma City bombing, though understandably distressed, showed fewer symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder later on. In concentration camps POW's who routinely gave away their last morsel, proved that you can choose your attitude in any given set of circumstances. How? By drawing strength from God and learning to control the one thing you can control - yourself.

Be Blessed

Note: The article above is taken from daily devotion email from The Word for Today brought by TheVine in association with The Rhema Broadcasting Group Inc, New Zealand and UCB International Ltd

Smart but not so bright!

Intelligence can only bring us halfway to success. It is only one of the two sides of our ability. Strong character needs to be combined with it. The person without a good character will fail in achieving stature in his career, community and friendships.

In the spring of 1995, scandals were rocking the Ivy League universities. A Yale student, a month away from getting his diploma, was discovered to have forged his admittance transcripts. The college planned to not only to expel him but also to press larceny charges. Meanwhile at Harvard, the administration was rescinding an offer of admittance to a young woman who was discovered to have bludgeoned her mother to death with a candlestick five years previously. She had lied about this incident during her interview.

There is no doubt that both of these students were brilliant. The girl had an IQ of 150. The guy had been a mediocre student at his community college yet maintained a B average at Yale. Neither problem was a question of intelligence but of a character.

Similar character issues haunt the reputations of some of the most brilliant people who ever lived. Character related matters come to light about public figures on a regular basis - sex scandals, suicide, greed and the like.

We cannot allow ourselves to be deceived in a similar manner. You can have the IQ of a genius. You can be a straight "A" student and high achiever at work. But that's just half of the challenge. If you don't also strive to be a person with an impeccable reputation and a reputable character, then you're just plain wasting your superior intelligence.

Begin to act boldly!!!

Early in the 20th century, Sir Ernest Shackleford made a voyage to Antarctica. He had a dream of crossing the 2100 miles of the icy continent by dog sled. Shackleford's ship, however, ran into an ice pack nearly 200 miles from land, and sank.

He and his men trudged across drifting ice floes to reach land, and then continued on to the nearest outpost, nearly 1,200 miles away. They pulled the only supplies they were able to salvage from their sinking ship in a lifeboat - a ton of weight - behind them as they made their way on foot.

When they reached waters clear enough to navigate, they faced waves as high as 90 feet!! They finally reached South Georgia Island and were told later that the expanse of water they crossed had never been crossed before.

Seven months after they set sail, the group finally reached their destination, the chosen point for beginning their trek across Antarctica. They were so bedraggled that their friends didn't even recognize them.

When asked about their experience, each man said that he had felt the presence of One unseen, who had guided them. Each man had a sense that he was not alone and that he would survive.

Hebrews 4:16 says "Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need." Today, if you feel lonely, be rest assured that you are never alone. Begin to act boldly. The moment one definitely commits oneself, heaven moves in his behalf. You will make it.!!! Take a bold step of faith, and watch what God will do.

Be Blessed.

Doing God's Work God's Way

Good works... God prepared in advance for us...Ephesians 2:10 NIV

Any time you ask, "What on earth am I here for?" the Bible answers "to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do" (Ephesians 2:10 NIV). God created you for a prearranged mission. You're a conscript, not a volunteer. You don't get to decide your calling. And it's a mistake to try and duplicate somebody else's calling.

Remember Moses? God calls him to deliver Israel from Egypt but he tries doing it his own way. Killing an enemy to save an ally's life, he winds up a forty year fugitive. After living in the wilderness and learning his lesson he returns to do God's will - God's way. All of us, not just ordained ministers, are called to do God's work God's way. "But how do I know what my calling is?" you ask.

1) Work with your spiritual gifts. We all receive gifts from God, who "gives them to each one, just as he determines" (1 Corinthians 12:11 NIV). Let God show you through your deepest desires and core competencies where you're best suited to serve.

2) Submit to godly leadership. Your pastor can help equip and guide you. God "gave… pastors… to prepare God's people for works of service… (Ephesians 4:11-12 NIV). We all need help; we can't get there by ourselves.

3) Commit your abilities and resources to building up your local church. God designed our gifts and callings "so that the body of Christ may be built up" (Ephesians 4:12 NIV).

4) Develop a servant spirit. "Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others… (1 Peter 4:10 NIV). Don't know your gifts? Start serving, and God will reveal them to you.


Note: The article above is taken from daily devotion email from The Word for Today brought by TheVine in association with The Rhema Broadcasting Group Inc, New Zealand and UCB International Ltd