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Holy Bible. New Living Translation copyright © 1996, 2004 by Tyndale Charitable Trust. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers.
[NLT at Tyndale] [Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.]
Psalm 27
A psalm of David.
1 The Lord is my light and my salvation—
so why should I be afraid?
The Lord is my fortress, protecting me from danger,
so why should I tremble?
2 When evil people come to devour me,
when my enemies and foes attack me,
they will stumble and fall.
3 Though a mighty army surrounds me,
my heart will not be afraid.
Even if I am attacked,
I will remain confident.
4 The one thing I ask of the Lord—
the thing I seek most—
is to live in the house of the Lord all the days of my life,
delighting in the Lord’s perfections
and meditating in his Temple.
5 For he will conceal me there when troubles come;
he will hide me in his sanctuary.
He will place me out of reach on a high rock.
6 Then I will hold my head high
above my enemies who surround me.
At his sanctuary I will offer sacrifices with shouts of joy,
singing and praising the Lord with music.
7 Hear me as I pray, O Lord.
Be merciful and answer me!
8 My heart has heard you say, “Come and talk with me.”
And my heart responds, “Lord, I am coming.”
9 Do not turn your back on me.
Do not reject your servant in anger.
You have always been my helper.
Don’t leave me now; don’t abandon me,
O God of my salvation!
10 Even if my father and mother abandon me,
the Lord will hold me close.
11 Teach me how to live, O Lord.
Lead me along the right path,
for my enemies are waiting for me.
12 Do not let me fall into their hands.
For they accuse me of things I’ve never done;
with every breath they threaten me with violence.
13 Yet I am confident I will see the Lord’s goodness
while I am here in the land of the living.
14 Wait patiently for the Lord.
Be brave and courageous.
Yes, wait patiently for the Lord.
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Patty, My Love!
Keep your eyes on the prize!
My hangout
I've got my eye on you!
New Stamp
Thursday, October 18, 2007
Monday, October 15, 2007
A carrot, an egg, and a cup of coffee
You will never look at a cup of coffee the same way again.
A young woman went to her mother and told her about her life and how
things were so hard for her. She did not know how she was going to make it and
wanted to give up She was tired of fighting and struggling. It seemed as one
problem was solved, a new one arose.
Her mother took her to the kitchen. She filled three pots with water
and placed each on a high fire Soon the pots came to boil. In the first she
placed carrots, in the second she placed eggs, and in the last she placed ground
coffee beans. She let them sit and boil; without saying a word.
In about twenty minutes she turned off the burners. She fished the
carrots out and placed them in a bowl. She pulled the eggs out and placed them
in a bowl.
Then she ladled the coffee out and placed it in a bowl. Turning to her
daughter, she asked, "Tell me what you see."
"Carrots, eggs, and coffee," she replied.
Her mother brought her closer and asked her to feel the carrots. She
did and noted that they were soft. The mother then asked the daughter to take an
egg and break it. After pulling off the shell, she observed the hard boiled egg.
Finally, the mother asked the daughter to sip the coffee. The daughter
smiled as she tasted its rich aroma The daughter then asked, "What does it mean,
mother?"
Her mother explained that each of these objects had faced the same
adversity: boiling water. Each reacted differently. The carrot went in strong,
hard, and unrelenting. However, after being subjected to the boiling water, it
softened and became weak. The egg had been fragile. Its thin outer shell had
protected its liquid interior, but after sitting through boiling water, its
inside became hardened The ground coffee beans were unique, however. After they
were in the boiling water, they had changed the water.
"Which are you?" she asked her daughter. "When adversity knocks on your
door, how do you respond? Are you a carrot, an egg or a coffee bean?
Think of this: Which am I? Am I the carrot that seems strong, but with
pain and adversity do I wilt and become soft and lose my strength?
Am I the egg that starts with a malleable heart, but changes with the
heat? Did I have a fluid spirit, but after a death, a breakup, a financial
hardship or some other trial, have I become hardened and stiff? Does my shell
look the same, but on the inside am I bitter and tough with a stiff spirit and
hardened heart?
Or am I like the coffee bean? The bean actually changes the hot water,
the very circumstance that brings the pain. When the water gets hot, it releases
the fragrance and flavor. If you are like the bean, when things are at their
worst, you get better and change the situation around you. When the hour is the
darkest and trials are their greatest, do you elevate yourself to another level?
How do you handle adversity? Are you a carrot, an egg or a coffee bean?
May you have enough happiness to make you sweet, enough trials to make
you strong, enough, sorrow to keep you human, and enough hope to make you
happy.
The happiest of people don't necessarily have the best of everything;
they just make the most of everything that comes along their way. The brightest
future will always be based on a forgotten past; you can't go forward in life
until you let go of your past failures and heartaches.
When you were born, you were crying and everyone around you was
smiling.
Live your life so at the end, you're the one who is smiling and
everyone around you is crying.
You might want to send this message to those people who mean something
to you (I JUST DID); to those who have touched your life in one way or another;
to those who make you smile when you really need it; to those who make you see
the brighter side of things when you are really down; to those whose friendship
you appreciate; to those who are so meaningful in your life
If you don't send it, you will just miss out on the opportunity to
brighten someone's day with this message!
It's easier to build a child than repair an adult. This is so true.
May we all be COFFEE.
Sunday, October 14, 2007
Sunday, October 7, 2007
Saturday, October 6, 2007
Wake up and smell the Truth!
Do you ever feel like you are on a long journey and the path you are on leads you down into the pits in a deep valley, and at other times it leads you to the exhillerating highs at the top of a mountainpeak? Ever have one of those inspiring moments when reading something that inspires you and stirs your soul? Well, I have just had such a moment while enjoying my favorite morning brew at one of my favorite places. What and where else? Starbucks, of course! Easy, Easy! Calm Down! If big coffee corporations make you uneasy and you prefer to support small business, I have no quarrel with you! I just like the coffee and atmosphere here.
But back to my question, I was reading my daily study in Our Daily Bread, and the scripture that went along with it, (Nehemiah 4:1-14). This takes place at a time when the Israelites were in captivity in Babylon. Nehemiah was sent to Jerusalem to lead the people there to rebuild and fortify the city and it's fortress walls. When all their enemies in the surrounding areas heard about it, they were very angry and banded together in an attempt to stop the rebuilding! However, Nehemiah was wise to their schemes, and he organized the people not only for the work, but armed them and set them on guard to stop the enemy. Then, they have their own people coming against them from within! Whining and complaining in fear and only seeing all the negatives! But that didn't stop Nehemiah, he bathed the whole situation in prayers, submitting it to God, then trusting Him for protection, dealt with the situations as they arose and completed the work. But the closer the work was to completion, the angrier the enemy got, and the more they came against them!
If you are a Christian, you know that there are real enemies to our soul attacking from a spiritual dimension! If you are not a Christian, you may not be aware of it, but alot of the things in life that are just vexing and downright evil are coming from a real enemy, Satan, and his demons! And I'm not talking about a little guy with a pointed tail and a pitchfork! The Bible tells us all about these spiritual entities. I believe we need to help each other, like Nehemiah, to keep our guard up and commit to help each other stand strong in the face of an enemy that we cannot see, but just as sure as we can feel the wind in our face, we can feel the effects of his attacks on our emotions and our physical being! Let us not bow down to the nay sayers and people who want to drag us down! We need to pray for them and ask God to encourage them to see things more positively, keeping ourselves on course to finish our journey and bring as many along as we possibly can!
I think as we read through this scripture section, we can see parallels to Sanballat and the devil with all his schemes to tear down any spiritual growth and building of strength in our walk and lives, but he is no match for God and His might on our behalf! I think we all have times when we are so weak in our own humanity that we just want to give up! So much easier to grab an innertube and float on down the lazy river with the rest of the world around us. Sound arrogant! I don't mean it to be. Jesus himself said wide is the road that leads to destruction and there are many on that road, and narrow is the gate that leads to life and there are few that will enter through the gate! Please join us on the road to Eternal life with God if you haven't already! You won't be sorry!
I'd better post this before I give in to one of those weak moments and decide against it!
As always,
in Christ,
cdcwilly, aka, Bill
Thursday, October 4, 2007
Wednesday, October 3, 2007
The Weekly Walk from James MacDonald
Eliminate the Drain
You then, my child, be strengthened by the grace that is in Christ Jesus, and what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men who will be able to teach others also. 2 Timothy 2:1-2
If you had a hole in your gas tank, it wouldn’t be long until you investigated why your tank is always empty. I just filled up, you think. Why am I on empty again? The same thing happens in the Christian life. We get filled up with great Bible studies and sermons, and we think we’re good for the long haul. But not far into the trip, we’re out of gas. Completely drained. What happened?
I believe one reason our spiritual strength drains quickly from our lives is because we hoard it. Sounds like the opposite would be true, but it’s not. If we keep everything we gain in the Christian life to ourselves, we end up running out of gas. Paul tells Timothy: “What you have heard from me . . . entrust to faithful men who will be able to teach others also” (2 Timothy 2:2).
The way to grow spiritually is not to pack every study, every sermon, every lesson you can into your skull. You might think you are a great Bible scholar but really you’re just a big Bible fathead. Some of the most spiritually weak people I know have more Bible information in their cranium than anyone around. But they can’t face temptations or weather even the smallest storm because they haven’t been growing in what they’ve learned. You’ve got to transfer truth to others in order for it to make a difference in your own life.
Do you take sermon notes when your pastor preaches each week? What do you do with them afterward-stuff them in a drawer? Carry them around in your Bible until you purge them all? Find someone this week to share something new you learned from the sermon or from a message you’ve read in a book or heard on the radio. In Paul’s words, entrust to others what you have learned. You will experience a fresh infusion of the grace that is in Christ Jesus. Merely reading the words will do nothing for you. But if you do what they say, you will fill up on God’s strength.
How about it?
Sunday, September 30, 2007
Saturday, September 29, 2007
Oceans From The Rain by Seventh Day Slumber
[via FoxyTunes / Seventh Day Slumber]
----------
via FoxyTunes
Resurrection Band
Resurrection Band, also known as Rez Band or REZ, is one of the most well-known and respected Christian rock bands in the history of Contemporary Christian music. They were based out of the Jesus People USA Christian community in Chicago, Illinois, and most of its members continue to be part of that community to this day. more...
[via FoxyTunes / Resurrection Band]
Glenn Kaiser
Glenn Kaiser (born January 21, 1953) is a Chicago-based Christian blues musician, singer-songwriter, and pastor. He was the leader of Resurrection Band and Glenn Kaiser Band. more...
[via FoxyTunes / Glenn Kaiser]
Thursday, September 27, 2007
English Radio Program
27 September 2007
WONDERING IF YOUR PRAYER GOT ANSWERED
Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. Mark 11:24
Have you ever had the experience of praying for someone or something, and you never really knew whether or not your prayer was answered? If dead people could come back from the grave to tell what happened in their lives in those last few hours, or possibly those last few minutes, we might rest better at night; yet at times God remarkably allows us to discover how He answered a prayer in ways that have to be beyond the natural.
In his book, Surprise Endings, Pastor Ron Mehl tells about such a situation. It all began when Roger Simms left the military and, to save some money, took his heavy duffel bag and began hitchhiking home. When a large, expensive car approached, though Roger waved his thumb in the direction he wanted to go, he thought, "Not a ghost of a chance with that car!"
To his surprise, though, the car quietly glided to a stop, and a distinguished older man with gray hair and a bronzed tan, invited him to get in.
The businessman was going near Roger's home, and agreed to drop him off. As they chatted about Roger's service time and world events, Roger felt a strong compulsion to talk to his friend and benefactor about the Lord. But he kept thinking of reasons why not to talk to his host. "Religion is a private matter," he thought, but, nonetheless, as he got closer to his destination, he realized, "It's now or never."
"Mr. Hanover," began Roger, "I would like to talk to you about something very important." He then gave Hanover the simple plan of salvation, telling him how he could be born again, right then. To his surprise, Hanover pulled the car to the side of the road and began to sob. He prayed with Roger, and as they drove on, Hanover said, "This is the greatest thing that ever happened to me."
When Mr. Hanover dropped Roger off, he gave him his business card which Roger kept, thinking that someday he would stop by and visit his newly found brother in Christ.
Meanwhile, five years went by. Roger Simms married, had a child, and got into business. "One day," says Ron Mehl, "while packing for a business trip to Chicago, he came across a small, gold-embossed business card which Mr. Hanover had given him years earlier."
Roger tucked it into his brief case and decided to visit the man he had led to the Lord five years before. When he looked up the address of Hanover Enterprises, somewhat to his surprise, he found the offices housed in an expensive high-rise building.
When he presented the card and explained he was an old friend, the receptionist said that he couldn't see Mr. Hanover, but he could see Mrs. Hanover. Somewhat disappointed, Roger was escorted into a beautiful office where a woman in her 50s was seated at a huge oak desk.
"You knew my husband?" she said. Roger explained how her husband had given him a ride. "Can you tell me what date that was?" "Sure," said Roger. "It was May 7th, five years ago, the day I was discharged from the army." "Did anything special happen on your ride, anything unusual?" she asked. Roger hesitated, and then told her the whole story. Then she burst into tears. Moments after Hanover had dropped Roger off, he was killed in a head-on collision. Roger was the last person who had ever talked to him alive. For years she had prayed for his salvation, but only then--five years later--did she learn that God had indeed answered her fervent prayers.
Resource reading Mark 11:20-26
Tuesday, September 25, 2007
Buddy Miller
Buddy Miller is a country singer, songwriter, recording artist and producer, currently living in Nashville, Tennessee. more...
[via FoxyTunes / Buddy Miller]
