The Lord is my Shepherd = That's Relationship!
I shall not want = That's Supply!
He maketh me to lie down in green pastures = That's Rest!
He leadeth me beside the still waters = That's Refreshment!
He restoreth my soul = That's Healing!
He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness = That's Guidance!
For His name sake = That's Purpose!
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death = That's Testing!
I will fear no evil = That's Protection!
For Thou art with me = That's faithfulness!
Thy rod and Thy staff they comfort me = That's Discipline!
Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies = That's Hope!
Thou annointest my head with oil = That's consecration!
My cup runneth over = That's Abundance!
Surely goodness an mercy shall follow me all the days of my life = That's Blessing! And I will dwell in the house of the Lord = That's Security!
Forever = That's Eternity!
Sunday, May 29, 2011
Saturday, May 7, 2011
Happy Mother's Day
Quotes by Erma Bombeck on mothers:
"When your mother asks, "Do you want a piece of advice?" it's a mere formality. It doesn't matter if you answer yes or no. You're going to get it anyway."
"When my kids become wild and unruly, I use a nice, safe playpen. When they're finished, I climb out."
"I love my mother for all the times she said absolutely nothing.... Thinking back on it all, it must have been the most difficult part of mothering she ever had to do: knowing the outcome, yet feeling she had no right to keep me from charting my own path. I thank her for all her virtues, but mostly for never once having said, "I told you so."
"Just think of all those women on the Titanic who said, 'No thank you' to desert that night. And for what?!"
"There's something wrong with a mother who washes out a measuring cup with soap and water after she's only measured water in it."
"Insanity is hereditary. You can catch it from your kids."
“Spend at least one Mother's Day with your respective mothers before you decide on marriage. If a man gives his mother a gift certificate for a flu shot, dump him.”
“When mothers talk about the depression of the empty nest, they're not mourning the passing of all those wet towels on the floor, or the music that numbs your teeth, or even the bottle of capless shampoo dribbling down the shower drain. They're upset because they've gone from supervisor of a child's life to a spectator. It's like being the vice president of the United States.”
“It is not until you become a mother that your judgment slowly turns to compassion and understanding.”
"Giving birth is little more than a set of muscular contractions granting passage of a child. Then the mother is born."
"When your mother asks, "Do you want a piece of advice?" it's a mere formality. It doesn't matter if you answer yes or no. You're going to get it anyway."
"When my kids become wild and unruly, I use a nice, safe playpen. When they're finished, I climb out."
"I love my mother for all the times she said absolutely nothing.... Thinking back on it all, it must have been the most difficult part of mothering she ever had to do: knowing the outcome, yet feeling she had no right to keep me from charting my own path. I thank her for all her virtues, but mostly for never once having said, "I told you so."
"Just think of all those women on the Titanic who said, 'No thank you' to desert that night. And for what?!"
"There's something wrong with a mother who washes out a measuring cup with soap and water after she's only measured water in it."
"Insanity is hereditary. You can catch it from your kids."
“Spend at least one Mother's Day with your respective mothers before you decide on marriage. If a man gives his mother a gift certificate for a flu shot, dump him.”
“When mothers talk about the depression of the empty nest, they're not mourning the passing of all those wet towels on the floor, or the music that numbs your teeth, or even the bottle of capless shampoo dribbling down the shower drain. They're upset because they've gone from supervisor of a child's life to a spectator. It's like being the vice president of the United States.”
“It is not until you become a mother that your judgment slowly turns to compassion and understanding.”
"Giving birth is little more than a set of muscular contractions granting passage of a child. Then the mother is born."
Thursday, May 5, 2011
Blessed Money and Cursed Money
I am continually amazed with Corrie ten Boom. She was in her 80’s when she penned her autobiography, In My Father’s House, about the events that God used that would forever shape her. She tells a story about her father, Casper ten Boom.
She recollects a time when the ten Boom family was facing a real financial crisis. A large bill arrived in the mail but there wasn’t enough money to pay it off. During that time, a very well-dressed man came into the ten Boom shop to purchase a watch (Corrie’s father was a watchmaker).
As the man looked at the watches, Corrie stayed in the background and prayed that the man would purchase one of the expensive watches so they would have the money for the bill.
Of course the man picked out an expensive watch and pulled out a stack of large bills to give to Casper. Corrie writes, “Praise the Lord- cash! (I saw myself paying the overdue bill, and being relieved of the burden I had been carrying for the past few weeks.)”
As the customer handed the money to Casper, the customer mentioned that he used to purchase his watches from another watchmaker in the town (who Casper knew) but the watch was a lemon and he said he would never buy a watch from that watchmaker again. Casper asked for the watch and repaired it right there.
As Casper handed the watch back to the customer, he told the man to encourage the other watchmaker by buying a new watch from him. And if there were any problems with the watches, Casper would repair them free of charge. Corrie writes, “I was horrified. I saw Father take back the watch and give the money to the customer… My heart was where was my feet should be as I emerged from the shelter of the workshop. ‘Papa, how could you?’”
Casper replied, “Corrie, you know that I brought the Gospel to that watchmaker’s family…What do you think that watchmaker would have said when he heard that one of his good customers had gone to Mr. ten Boom? Do you think that the name of the Lord would be honored? There is blessed money and cursed money. Trust the Lord. He owns the cattle on a thousand hills and He will take care of us” (114-17).
Will people remember your words and your actions? Will they remember how you trusted the Lord more than anything else? What are you doing to shape and mold those in your life? Let’s leave a legacy of trusting God!
She recollects a time when the ten Boom family was facing a real financial crisis. A large bill arrived in the mail but there wasn’t enough money to pay it off. During that time, a very well-dressed man came into the ten Boom shop to purchase a watch (Corrie’s father was a watchmaker).
As the man looked at the watches, Corrie stayed in the background and prayed that the man would purchase one of the expensive watches so they would have the money for the bill.
Of course the man picked out an expensive watch and pulled out a stack of large bills to give to Casper. Corrie writes, “Praise the Lord- cash! (I saw myself paying the overdue bill, and being relieved of the burden I had been carrying for the past few weeks.)”
As the customer handed the money to Casper, the customer mentioned that he used to purchase his watches from another watchmaker in the town (who Casper knew) but the watch was a lemon and he said he would never buy a watch from that watchmaker again. Casper asked for the watch and repaired it right there.
As Casper handed the watch back to the customer, he told the man to encourage the other watchmaker by buying a new watch from him. And if there were any problems with the watches, Casper would repair them free of charge. Corrie writes, “I was horrified. I saw Father take back the watch and give the money to the customer… My heart was where was my feet should be as I emerged from the shelter of the workshop. ‘Papa, how could you?’”
Casper replied, “Corrie, you know that I brought the Gospel to that watchmaker’s family…What do you think that watchmaker would have said when he heard that one of his good customers had gone to Mr. ten Boom? Do you think that the name of the Lord would be honored? There is blessed money and cursed money. Trust the Lord. He owns the cattle on a thousand hills and He will take care of us” (114-17).
Will people remember your words and your actions? Will they remember how you trusted the Lord more than anything else? What are you doing to shape and mold those in your life? Let’s leave a legacy of trusting God!
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
Easter Celebration
Joseph Bayly in "Psalms of My Life," which appeared in Christianity Today magazine, shares this excellent perspective on Easter (www.christianitytoday.com; accessed on 04/18/2011):
Let's celebrate Easter with the rite of laughter. Christ died and rose and lives.
Laugh like a woman who holds her first baby. Our enemy death will soon be destroyed.
Laugh like a man who finds he doesn't have cancer, or he does but now there's a cure. Christ opened wide the door to heaven.
Laugh like children at Disneyland's gates. This world is owned by God, and he'll return to rule.
Laugh like a man who walks away uninjured from a wreck in which his car was totaled.
Laugh as if all the people in the whole world were invited to a picnic and then invite them.
Take time today to think about what Christ accomplished on the cross and how He as defeated death. We have nothing to fear because our Lord has conquered our greatest foe!
When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: “Death has been swallowed up in victory.” “Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?” The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
- 1 Corinthians 15:54-57
Let's celebrate Easter with the rite of laughter. Christ died and rose and lives.
Laugh like a woman who holds her first baby. Our enemy death will soon be destroyed.
Laugh like a man who finds he doesn't have cancer, or he does but now there's a cure. Christ opened wide the door to heaven.
Laugh like children at Disneyland's gates. This world is owned by God, and he'll return to rule.
Laugh like a man who walks away uninjured from a wreck in which his car was totaled.
Laugh as if all the people in the whole world were invited to a picnic and then invite them.
Take time today to think about what Christ accomplished on the cross and how He as defeated death. We have nothing to fear because our Lord has conquered our greatest foe!
When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: “Death has been swallowed up in victory.” “Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?” The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
- 1 Corinthians 15:54-57
Sunday, April 10, 2011
Knowing Your DNA
Once upon a time, the animals decided they should do something meaningful to meet the problems of the new world. So they organized a school.
They adopted an activity curriculum on running, climbing, swimming, and flying. To make it easier to administer the curriculum, all the animals took all the subjects.
The duck was excellent in swimming; in fact, better than his instructor. But he made only passing grades in flying, and was very poor in running. Since he was slow in running, he had to drop swimming and stay after school to practice running. This caused his web feet to be badly worn, so that he was only average in swimming. But average was quite acceptable, so nobody worried about that – except the duck.
The rabbit started at the top of his class in running, but developed a nervous twitch in his leg muscles because of so much make-up work in swimming.
The squirrel was excellent in climbing, but he encountered constant frustration in flying class because his teacher made him start from the ground up instead of from the treetop down. He developed “charlie horses” from overexertion, and so only got a C in climbing and a D in running.
The eagle was a problem student from the beginning and was severely disciplined for being a non-conformist. In climbing class he beat all the others to the top of the tree but he insisted on using his own way to get there. The running coach accused him of not even trying. After swimming practice, his feathers were so wet, he couldn't fly for hours, so the duck got better grades for flying than the eagle did.
A duck is a duck – and only a duck. It is built to swim, not to run or climb. A squirrel is a squirrel – and only that. To move it out of its forte, climbing, and then expect it to swim or fly will drive a squirrel mad. Eagles are beautiful creatures in the air but not in a foot race.
The moral of the story is simple. Each creature has its own abilities at which it will naturally excel, unless of course, it is expected to do something for which it wasn't designed. When that happens, frustration, discouragement, and guilt bring overall mediocrity or sometimes even complete defeat.
What is true of creatures in the forest is true of Christians in the family. God has not made us all the same. He never intended to. He planned and designed the differences, unique capabilities, and variations in the Body. God has placed you in His family and given you a set of gifts that makes you unique. Nobody else is like you and when you operate in your giftedness, you will excel, the whole church will benefit, and you will experience incredible satisfaction.
- Source Unknown
They adopted an activity curriculum on running, climbing, swimming, and flying. To make it easier to administer the curriculum, all the animals took all the subjects.
The duck was excellent in swimming; in fact, better than his instructor. But he made only passing grades in flying, and was very poor in running. Since he was slow in running, he had to drop swimming and stay after school to practice running. This caused his web feet to be badly worn, so that he was only average in swimming. But average was quite acceptable, so nobody worried about that – except the duck.
The rabbit started at the top of his class in running, but developed a nervous twitch in his leg muscles because of so much make-up work in swimming.
The squirrel was excellent in climbing, but he encountered constant frustration in flying class because his teacher made him start from the ground up instead of from the treetop down. He developed “charlie horses” from overexertion, and so only got a C in climbing and a D in running.
The eagle was a problem student from the beginning and was severely disciplined for being a non-conformist. In climbing class he beat all the others to the top of the tree but he insisted on using his own way to get there. The running coach accused him of not even trying. After swimming practice, his feathers were so wet, he couldn't fly for hours, so the duck got better grades for flying than the eagle did.
A duck is a duck – and only a duck. It is built to swim, not to run or climb. A squirrel is a squirrel – and only that. To move it out of its forte, climbing, and then expect it to swim or fly will drive a squirrel mad. Eagles are beautiful creatures in the air but not in a foot race.
The moral of the story is simple. Each creature has its own abilities at which it will naturally excel, unless of course, it is expected to do something for which it wasn't designed. When that happens, frustration, discouragement, and guilt bring overall mediocrity or sometimes even complete defeat.
What is true of creatures in the forest is true of Christians in the family. God has not made us all the same. He never intended to. He planned and designed the differences, unique capabilities, and variations in the Body. God has placed you in His family and given you a set of gifts that makes you unique. Nobody else is like you and when you operate in your giftedness, you will excel, the whole church will benefit, and you will experience incredible satisfaction.
- Source Unknown
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
My Life is but a Weaving
Life can be compared to an embroidered tapestry. At first glance there is no discernible pattern. One only sees a jumble of colors, threads, and stitches. We see our lives in the same way at times. Confusion! Doubt! Pain! Suffering! There seems to be no apparent reason why we face the seasons of our lives. However, when the weaver completes his needlepoint, he turns the tapestry over and reveals a beautiful pattern. When we see life from God’s perspective (“above the sun”) we will understand that God is the Weaver who is threading all the seasons of your life together to form a beautiful tapestry of his handiwork which will bring Him glory and praise. Corrie ten Boom writes, "This is how God views your life and someday we will have the privilege of seeing it from His point of view."
My life is but a weaving Betwixt my God and me, I do not choose the colors He worketh steadily. Ofttimes He weaveth sorrow, And I in foolish pride Forget He sees the upper And I, the underside. Not till the loom is silent And the shuttles cease to fly Will God unfold the pattern And explain the reason why. For the dark threads are as needful In the Weaver's skillful hand As the threads of gold and silver In a pattern He has planned Grant Colfax Tullar or Benjamin Malachi Franklin (poem attributed to either author)
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
His Perfect Plan!
Corrie ten Boom intrigues me. I am drawn to individuals who have faced enormous difficulties in life, yet come out of these experiences with an inspiring testimony.
She reminds me of the verse in James 1:12: “Blessed is a man [or woman] who perseveres under trial; for once he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him.”
Much like the Apostle Paul who possessed a mysterious disposition in the midst of his circumstances, Corrie Ten Boom rose from the ashes of the holocaust with a quiet and godly demeanor. How did she maintain a clear perspective of God in the midst of such hatred and cruelty? It is truly unexplainable unless you know something or should I say Someone that most people do not.
Corrie was a holocaust survivor during World War Two. Her first 50 years was spent with her family in Holland until the Nazis invaded the European continent with their strategy to rid the world of all Jews. In the midst of Hitler’s anti-Semitic plan, the ten Boom family provided “hiding places” for persecuted Jews. Because of their underground activities, Corrie spent many months in a concentration camp.
In Corrie ten Boom's book In My Father’s House, Carole Carlson writes the following in the foreword (which originally was written in Corrie ten Boom’s book The Hiding Place):
She reminds me of the verse in James 1:12: “Blessed is a man [or woman] who perseveres under trial; for once he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him.”
Much like the Apostle Paul who possessed a mysterious disposition in the midst of his circumstances, Corrie Ten Boom rose from the ashes of the holocaust with a quiet and godly demeanor. How did she maintain a clear perspective of God in the midst of such hatred and cruelty? It is truly unexplainable unless you know something or should I say Someone that most people do not.
Corrie was a holocaust survivor during World War Two. Her first 50 years was spent with her family in Holland until the Nazis invaded the European continent with their strategy to rid the world of all Jews. In the midst of Hitler’s anti-Semitic plan, the ten Boom family provided “hiding places” for persecuted Jews. Because of their underground activities, Corrie spent many months in a concentration camp.
In Corrie ten Boom's book In My Father’s House, Carole Carlson writes the following in the foreword (which originally was written in Corrie ten Boom’s book The Hiding Place):
Today I know that memories are the key not the past, but to the future. I know that the experiences of our lives, when we let God use them, become the mysterious and perfect preparation for the work He will give us to do.
Corrie’s comments provide an apt introduction to our passage in Ecclesiastes. Solomon has been on a journey to find meaning in life. He has tried it all only to come full circle and realize that all is still vanity. The name God is mentioned only once from Ecclesiastes 1:1—2:23. Why? Solomon has been living life under the sun. God has not been a part of Solomon’s equation, that is until Ecclesiastes 2:24.
Solomon will soon discover that God uses every event that occurs under the sun for the purpose of bringing about the “mysterious and perfect preparation for the work He will have us to do.” We would do well to listen to Solomon as he teaches about our God.
Corrie’s comments provide an apt introduction to our passage in Ecclesiastes. Solomon has been on a journey to find meaning in life. He has tried it all only to come full circle and realize that all is still vanity. The name God is mentioned only once from Ecclesiastes 1:1—2:23. Why? Solomon has been living life under the sun. God has not been a part of Solomon’s equation, that is until Ecclesiastes 2:24.
Solomon will soon discover that God uses every event that occurs under the sun for the purpose of bringing about the “mysterious and perfect preparation for the work He will have us to do.” We would do well to listen to Solomon as he teaches about our God.
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