Nan's Calendar

by  Nan Forehand,  Statesville, NC

"Today I know that such memories are the key not to 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 Ten Boom (The Hiding Place)

As I meditate on this Holy Week, I sometimes feel at a loss for words regarding Jesus' suffering at the hands of Pilate's soldiers and His crucifixion on the cross.  As I think  about the quote by Corrie Ten Boom, I'm reminded of the time I watched the Mel Gibson movie The Passion of the Christ.  I was so deeply moved by the realistic scenes of the torture of Jesus that I've never been the same since watching the movie.  I'm a visual person by nature and the horror I witnessed unfolding before me on the big screen felt so real that it left a permanent imprint on my soul.  The agony He suffered to fulfill the Law humbles me to the point of something I can't even describe to you now in words.  The Good News is that He arose from the dead and His spirit is still alive today!!!!! 
I truly believe God used that experience of watching the movie to use me for His service to prepare me for writing Nan's Calendar.  Jesus didn't die in vain.  As long as there is breath in my body, I will continue to reach out to others for Christ; to love them; to encourage them; to challenge them; to comfort them; to warn them.  Human rebellion causes people to act against God.  If I have the slightest influence in helping to break down the barrier between a person and Jesus, God knows it.  My influence is presented with gentleness and love.  There is, I believe, more accomplished in a spirit of gentleness and love than with brute force. 
No matter where I go or what I face, the spiritual presence of Jesus is with me.  I am encouraged and strengthened because I know, without a doubt, that Jesus is my Lord and Savior.  Do you know Him as your Lord and Savior?  Are you "on fire" for the Lord?  He's not impressed with lukewarm Christians.  They are more dangerous than one who has never repented.  As it says in Revelation 3:15-16 "I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot.  I wish you were either one or the other!  So, because you are lukewarm - neither hot or cold - I am about to spit you out of my mouth."  I will quote you the side note in my Bible regarding verse 16.  "At least those who are spiritually cold cannot pretend that they are all right.  Their spiritual needs are obvious.  But those who are lukewarm may have just enough pretense of religion to cause them to think they are okay.  God desires wholehearted, sincere responses.  Anything less suggests that other things have a higher priority than a relationship with him.  Those who want the "minimum requirement" - just enough of God to get by - risk missing him altogether." 
I don't want you to miss Him!  If you're not right with Jesus, get right with Him now.  Ask Him to forgive you of your sins and ask Him to be Lord and Savior of your life.  Give your life over to Him.  Go to your pastor/minister/reverend/priest/elder, whomever you need to go to to learn more about accepting Jesus as your Savior.  If you're already a Christian, rededicate your life to Christ.  Ask Jesus to give you a new heart and ask Him to make of you a vessel He can use to help others who desperately need to know about Him and the ultimate sacrifice He made on the cross for all of us.
May God be with you this day and bring you to a new understanding of the suffering of Christ on the cross and to know a special relationship with Jesus that you have never known before. In Jesus name I pray.  Amen

God's Tug - Two Fish, Five Loaves, and a Miracle

Two Fish Five Loaves and a Miracle

April 20, 2011

 ¹⁵ As evening approached, the disciples came to him and said, “This is a remote place, and it’s already getting late. Send the crowds away, so they can go to the villages and buy themselves some food.” ¹⁶ Jesus replied, “They do not need to go away. You give them something to eat.” ¹⁷ “We have here only five loaves of bread and two fish,” they answered. ¹⁸ “Bring them here to me,” he said. ¹⁹ And he directed the people to sit down on the grass. Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves. Then he gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the people. ²⁰ They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over. ²¹ The number of those who ate was about five thousand men, besides women and children. Matthew 14:15-21 (New International Version, ©2011)

We have to pray with our eyes on God, not on the difficulties.  ~Oswald Chambers

Prayer is communication with the Divine.  It can be whispered or chanted or written or expressed in the work you do.  However it is expressed, it is never in vain.  ~Donna Wilk Cardillo

I never liked fish. I thought they were boring to watch swimming around in a tank. Then I changed my mind when I realized how relaxing watching fish are. People use fish in diverse ways – for eating, for pets and for calming their minds. My Saviour used fish to perform a miracle. He used just two fish and five loaves to feed 5,000 people. This is the third animal in this week’s thread.

Now I don’t eat fish, since I’m a vegetarian, but can I can just imagine how the 5,000 people welcomed the fish and bread, since they were hungry after sitting in the sun all day listening to Jesus preach. They never expected a miracle from an animal they used for their living and for their meals. But that’s the splendor of Jesus and the miracles He performs. They are unexpected. And when I pray to God or Jesus, I don’t know what the answer will be. Like a fish follows food, I follow Jesus, since I believe not only is He my Saviour, but He also hears my prayers, no matter whether I pray to Him silently or with my voice. Fish, bread, countless people, and miracles – I know Jesus has no end to what He can do. I know one thing – He died for me and then defeated death. I praise Him because, as the saying goes, “He’s got my back.” He sure does.

Bless all of you, your families, and your furred, feathered and finned kids this High Holy Week.

Michelle Rose

Daily Jewel

by   Pastor J.T.  Carnell,  McAlester,  OK  

Good Things

by   Everett Christian,  McAlester, OK

 
GOOD THINGS
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
 
 
GOD SPEAKS TO US THROUGH HIS HOLY WORD
 
 5 O Lord my God, you have performed many wonders for us.
      Your plans for us are too numerous to list.
      You have no equal.
   If I tried to recite all your wonderful deeds,
      I would never come to the end of them.
- Psalm 40:5(New Living Translation).
 
 
 
GOD'S PROMISE TO US FROM HIS HOLY WORD
 
25 You need not be afraid of sudden disaster
      or the destruction that comes upon the wicked,
 26 for the Lord is your security.
      He will keep your foot from being caught in a trap.
- Proverbs 3:25-26(New Living Translation).
 
 
 
A QUOTE
 
We have been a most favored people. We ought to be a most grateful people.
- Calvin Coolidge, 30th President of the United States -
 
 
 
THOUGHTS TO REMEMBER
 
In order to move toward God and His holiness, you must move away from the world and its folly.
- From Reflecting God -
 
In your life, make the least of the worst and the most of the best.
- From Reminisce Magazine -
 
I've learned that even when I have pains, I don't have to be one.
- Age 82, Wisdom Through The Ages -
 
One good thing about silence is that nobody can run around repeating it.
- From Reminisce Magazine -
 
 
 
NOTES
 
Today has been a partly cloudy day with a high temperature of 86 degrees. Low temperature for today is the current temperature of 68 degrees. A lot has happened the past two days. Yesterday at 10:00 a.m. I attended the funeral of a dear brother in Christ, Preston Hayes. He was 82 years of age. Yesterday I had lunch with Charley and my other living brother, Abe, who lives at Stuart, Oklahoma, 20 miles west of McAlester. Abe is 92 years of age. Today I had lunch with Charley at 11:30 a.m. At 12:15, Charley and I headed for Tulsa. He had an appointment with his dermatoligist in Tulsa, Dr. Yob. We arrived at the doctor's office at 1:45 p.m. We left the doctor's office at 2:30 p.m. and I picked up my van at Taco Bobs and arrived back at my house at 4:30 p.m. At 4:45 p.m. I went to the back yard and sat with the cats for a few minutes. The cat picture tonight is Friendly looking for something.
 
The cats are fine. I have seen all of them since I arrived home at 4:30 p.m. Last evening about dark I went to the back porch and Beau was sitting by a baby chicken. I said "Beau, where in the world did you get that chicken?" I decided that I had better try to find out who the chicken belonged to so I started to go door to door to see who owned chickens. The first house I stopped at was my next door neighbor. He said the chicken belonged to his grandkids (a girl and a boy) who are currently living next door also along with their parents. They had bought two little chickens for Easter for the kids. We looked around for the other little chick but couldn't find it (I found it later being eaten by Beau). They had built a little pen right next to my chain link fence for the little chickens. They had not put a top on the pen so it was no trouble at all for my cats to climb the chain link fence and get the chickens. I felt real bad about it and this morning as the kids mother was getting ready to take the kids to school I went out where they were and tried to give them some money to buy some more chickens. They wouldn't accept any money and said it wasn't my fault that my cats got the chickens. This evening the little girl came in my yard and said it was okay. I tried to give her money again but she wouldn't take it. I told her that I was sorry. She smiled at me and said "That's Okay" so I feel better about it now. The other little chicken has also died. The little girl said they were going to buy some more chickens and keep them in the house. That is my cat story tonight.
 
At 10:45 p.m. skies are fair with a temperature of 68 degrees. I will see you next time.
 
In Christian Love, Everett.

Nan's Calendar

by   Nan Forehand,  Statesville, NC 

The salvation of the righteous comes from the LORD; he is their stronghold in time of trouble.  The LORD helps them and delivers them; he delivers them from the wicked and saves them, because they take refuge in him.
Psalm 37:39-40 NIV

Does the word righteous bother you?  I had a conversation with a person a long time ago who was confusing self-righteous behavior with righteous behavior.  Mr. Webster's definition of righteous is :  1) acting in a just, upright manner; virtuous 2) morally right or justifiable.  It doesn't mean "holier than thou".    Self-righteous means regarding oneself as being morally superior to others; smugly virtuous.

The apostle Paul wrote in Philippians 2:3-5 NIV Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves.  Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.  Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus.......  I encourage you to take time to open your Bible and read verses 1-11 of Philippians 2 as Paul teaches us how to imitate Christ's humility.

  Before we can take refuge in the Lord, we have to be aware of His presence and acknowledge it.  Truly believing what is written in these two verses in Psalms gives us great comfort.  Yes, there will be troubles, but we know that as we live life on purpose for the Lord, He will help us and deliver us.  We can accept temporary inconvenience and trouble, because through it, God is moving us forward to a better place.  We can accept this discomfort because we can trust God and we can trust ourselves, too.  When the troubles of life get our attention, we can face them with dignity, gratitude and peace as we trust God to help us and deliver us.  As God helps us lay the building blocks of our spiritual foundation, we quickly get the upper hand on trouble as it comes.  Taking refuge in God is an awesome place to be!

In case I didn't tell you, my first experience in church was in a small, rural community in a Southern Baptist  church.  After Allen and I married and went to Germany, there was a period of time we didn't go to church, but when we were assigned to a base in Illinois, we joined a Presbyterian church.  Upon our move to Virginia, as we searched for our next church,  again, God led us to a Presbyterian church.  God guided our steps as we moved to Florida.  It would be a United Methodist church where we worshipped for 10 months and then God saw fit for Allen to retire from the Air Force.  We then moved back to North Carolina and joined a United Methodist church.  Since December, God has led us to a Presbyterian church.  We dearly love all the people in these churches.  We've never had conflict with anyone and we truly believe it is through God's guidance we are currently attending the Presbyterian church.

Why am I telling you all of this?  I want you to know that I have complete faith in the Lord to put me where He needs me when He needs me there and for as long as He needs me there.  For me, it's not whether I am labeled as one denomination or another that matters.  We all serve the same God.  I've never felt that I have left one church for another.  When God calls, I obey.  It's that simple.  The thing to remember is that I have a happy heart as I trust in the Lord to lead me, guide me and direct me.  I am always aware of His presence.

You are in my thoughts and prayers.  Love, Nan