Nan's Calendar

by Nan Forehand, Statesville, NC Our hearts are restless until they rest in Thee, O Lord. Augustine With God all things are possible. Matthew 19:26 Though my mind has not been at rest of late, hence, the absence of Nan's Calendar for the past several days, I continue to rest in the Lord. Does that sound like a contradiction of terms? I feel every word in that first sentence is absolute truth in my mind. I know that the thoughts and concerns I've experienced lately are temporary and I won't always feel as I do right now. Sometimes the mind and the spirit do not move in perfect unison. Why am I sharing this with you, you may wonder. I share this with you because I'm real and I'm not perfect. I don't always have perfect thoughts. Things don't always go as I would rather they go. It's not about me sharing vivid details with you here, but rather keeping in touch even though I don't currently feel hugely inspired to write. I've heard it said, "you can't give what you don't have." I still have love in my heart and I want to share that love even in the midst of thoughts that are cloudy. My purpose in writing Nan's Calendar has always been to uplift, inspire and encourage. I'm stepping beyond myself as I sit here and draw my thoughts to you and away from self. I wonder how you felt when you've visited this site and didn't find a new message awaiting you. I hope you've prayed for me. I think you must have, because I sense an energy that has pulled me here to the computer. This has not been an easy message to write, but I didn't want anyone to think I have abandoned my station. I remain steadfast in faith and continue to thirst for communion with the Lord. I will drink deeply of the Living Water He has provided to quench my thirst. I continue to pray for you and all that concerns you and your loved ones. Take care and enjoy this beautiful day. Love, Nan

Daily Jewel

by Pastor J.T. Carnell, McAlester, OK “Do You Know the Real Thing?” “The Fear-of-God means hating Evil, whose ways I hate with a passion…” — Proverbs 8:13 (MSG) I’m not certain exactly when it was but if memory serves me right it was in the early 1980’s and the “cola” wars were at their peak. The Coca-Cola® Corporation was losing ground to Pepsi. Serious ground! In an attempt win back customers or increase sales they tried to change their product by offering a new Coke. One that was more like their competitor. They even hired Bill Cosby to be their spokesman. They spent millions of dollars on advertising only to discover that instead of winning new converts to their product, they lost those who were deeply loyal to the original product. After the failed attempt their new slogan was simply this: “Coke! It’s the Real Thing.” You might say it was a loyal fan base whose passion for the product saved the company from possible failure. The word “passion” means a great deal to me. It is a word that I have learned to associate with excellence—superiority—greatness…and the list goes on. If you love someone or something with a passion I would think you would do everything within your power to make that relationship the very best. Maybe that is why we have the words: “Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.” – Deuteronomy 6:5 Solomon says to “hate evil” with a passion. That does not mean we should always think about hating evil but instead to love God so much that anything that attempts to compete with Him automatically loses out! When I was living in Denver I worked for a bank in the middle of downtown. I worked in several areas, all of which dealt with working directly with currency. One day the bank brought in a man who worked for FBI, specifically with counterfeit money. He brought in a number of examples of currency that counterfeiter’s had tried to pass through as legitimate. From our perspective each of them were so close to the real thing on initial glance none of us would have known the difference. Near the end of the session one of my co-worker’s asked this man a question that to this day stays with me. She asked, “How is it that you can detect counterfeit money so well? By studying it?” “No,” he said. “It’s because I know the real thing. I know what real money looks like so well that I can spot a counterfeit bill in a second.” There are those who say they cannot tell the difference between coke and pepsi. I can, which is why when coke tried to change I was one of those who balked. I wanted the product that I had learned to love growing up. There are those who have difficulty distinguishing between good and evil because the devil is good at disguising himself. But when people experience God and His love for themselves then they know what is real and what is counterfeit. I have come to hate evil because I have experienced real love! I have experienced real grace…real hope and real peace. I learned to experience the “real thing!”

Good Things

by Everett Christian, McAlsester. OK GOOD THINGS Wednesday, May 18, 2011 GOD SPEAKS TO US THROUGH HIS HOLY WORD 9 Don’t lie to each other, for you have stripped off your old sinful nature and all its wicked deeds. 10 Put on your new nature, and be renewed as you learn to know your Creator and become like him. - Colossians 3:9-10(New Living Translation). GOD'S PROMISE TO US FROM HIS HOLY WORD (Jesus said) 38 "Anyone who believes in me may come and drink! For the Scriptures declare, ‘Rivers of living water will flow from his heart.’” 39 (When he said “living water,” he was speaking of the Spirit, who would be given to everyone believing in him. But the Spirit had not yet been given, because Jesus had not yet entered into his glory.) - John 7:38-39(New Living Translation). A QUOTE The strength for our conquering and our victory is drawn continually from Christ. - Billy Graham - THOUGHTS TO REMEMBER Among mankind's most effective medicines is a sympathetic ear. - From Reminisce Magazine - To be a giving person, you don't need to give in, but there's much you must give up. - From Reminisce Magazine - NOTES Today has been mostly cloudy with a high temperature of 74 degrees. Low temperature last night was 57 degrees. I had lunch today at Taco Bob's with my brother Charley Christian and our friend, Bill Derichsweiler. There has been a violinist playing music the past three days at Bob's. He is from the younger generation for I asked him to play "San Antonio Rose" and he didn't know that tune. However he did play "Amazing Grace" and also "Faded Love" as well as many other beautiful tunes. I went to the post office to pick up my mail. My neighbor and his wife mowed and weed eated my yard this afternoon. I took a nap this afternoon without a cat with me. At 4:00 p.m. I went to Walmart for cat food and other items. At 5:00 p.m. I went to the back yard and sat with the cats and read until 6:10 p.m. The cat picture tonight is Itty Bitty. Tonight I would like to welcome Stephanie Brown to the Good Things. Welcome aboard, Stephanie, but maybe you should let me know that you receive this so I will know I have your e-mail address correct. My 8 cats and 1 stray are fine tonight. I have seen all of them. As usual, Little Girl is resting on the couch but she has been outside today and tonight for short periods of time. At 10:00 p.m. skies are fair with a temperature of 73 degrees. I will see you next time. In Christian Love, Everett.

Daily Jewel

by Pastor J.T. Carnell, McAlester, OK “Do You Know Where You Are?” "I am Lady Wisdom, and I live next to Sanity; Knowledge and Discretion live just down the street.” – Proverbs 8:12 (MSG) Have you ever noticed those huge maps at Visitors’ Centers that are located on most freeways and toll-ways? I like the ones that have a well-marked spot on the map that reads, “You Are Here.” It’s always nice to know where “here” is. You can’t be expected to know where “there” is until you know where you are at that moment. I came across a clever quote by Steven Wright recently. He said, “I have an existential map; it has ‘You Are Here’ written all over it.” Question: Do you know where you are, spiritually speaking? Is it anywhere close to where God is? Do you know what your destination is? I want to share with you several interesting “You are Here” stories. I hope you enjoy them. Laurence and Florence Spungen decided to sell their family business. Located in Waukegan, Illinois, the Peer Bearing Company has been in business since 1941. When the company was sold, Laurence, Florence and their four children decided to cut bonus checks for each one of their 230 employees. The amount they decided to distribute totaled $6.6-million! Dave Tiderman wondered if the decimal point was in the wrong place when he opened the envelope that contained a $35,000 check. Valentin Dima didn’t trust his emotions. He drove home before he opened his envelope: $33,000. The bonus amounts varied according to the length of time the employees worked at Peer. But everyone was surprised. Wouldn’t you like to have been an employee the day the bonuses were distributed? Arthur Mkoyan was a 17-year-old valedictorian at his high school in Fresno, California. He had lost his chance to study chemistry at UC Davis because of immigration problems involving his father. Arthur wasn’t sure if he would be deported or ever be permitted to finish his education. Then a woman named Sherry Heacox saw a story about Arthur’s plight and decided to help him out. She offered to pay for his tuition to attend UC Davis for four years. The Mkoian family had not entered the country illegally. They entered on a tourist visa from Armenia in 1991 and applied for asylum, which was denied. A U.S. Senator has introduced a bill in the Senate to allow the family time to seek lawful permanent residence. A couple of years ago a very anxious woman named Belinda Davis got through to Rush Limbaugh on his syndicated talk radio show. Rush told CNSNews, “She sounded so tired, distraught, and frightened about her and her husband’s business future” that “on a whim” Limbaugh decided to buy the Davises a new car. They selected a 2009 Chevrolet Tahoe. With everything included, the deal added up to $58,000. The radio show host also paid the tax, title, and licensing fees. As it turned out, the gift couldn’t have come at a better time. The Davis’ car needed a new transmission. Regardless of how you feel about the person, how about that for a “You Are Here” story? Awesome. One Sunday morning the pastor of a large urban church preached a sermon on baptism. At the close, he said that he couldn’t remember whether or not he had been baptized as a child. He asked his mother, and she couldn’t remember either. So, he announced that he had decided to be obedient to the scriptural admonition found in the Book of Acts. He had been a believer for years; now he wanted to be baptized. He invited others (in both morning worship services) to join him. The church had purchased sets of under-garments and robes for around 50 people. Spontaneously, responding to the pastor’s invitation, a total of 173 youth and adults stepped forward! Between services the staff hurried off to purchase more under-garments. They used the church dryer to dry the robes between (and later during) the services. What began as an obedient response by a pastor to be baptized resulted in more baptisms that one Sunday than the church had seen in any one year in its hundred-year history. You should have been there to see it yourself. What’s the point? Maybe there is an existential “map” that includes churches like yours. Maybe it has “You Are Here!” written all over it. Maybe what God is waiting for is for one obedient pilgrim to step forward under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit and say to the congregation, “Is there anybody out there who would like to join me?” The results could surprise you. Be sure you have plenty of dry robes handy.

Daily Jewel

by Pastor J.T. Carnell, McAlester, OK “Knowing What to Trust” “For Wisdom is better than all the trappings of wealth; nothing you could wish for holds a candle to her.” - Proverbs 8:11 (MSG) Something that I have been pondering for some time yet have not mentioned it because I want to be cautious and not sound overly cynical – but do these words seem just a bit “empty” considering they come from a man who had everything? Think about it. Did Solomon lack for anything? Did he work six days a week just to pay his bills? Did he have to sit down each night and mull over his checkbook wondering what bills he should pay and which ones to “think about?” Listen to these words from the book of Ecclesiastes, another one of Solomon’s writings: “I undertook great projects: I built houses for myself and planted vineyards. I made gardens and parks and planted all kinds of fruit trees in them. I made reservoirs to water groves of flourishing trees. I bought male and female slaves and had other slaves who were born in my house. I also owned more herds and flocks than anyone in Jerusalem before me. I amassed silver and gold for myself, and the treasure of kings and provinces. I acquired male and female singers, and a harem as well—the delights of a man’s heart. I became greater by far than anyone in Jerusalem before me. In all this my wisdom stayed with me. I denied myself nothing my eyes desired; I refused my heart no pleasure. My heart took delight in all my labor, and this was the reward for all my toil. Yet when I surveyed all that my hands had done and what I had toiled to achieve, everything was meaningless, a chasing after the wind; nothing was gained under the sun.” – Ecclesiastes 2:4-11 (NIV) Not many of us—if any of us would ever find ourselves in this kind of circumstance. Most of us work hard, (maybe overtime?) just to eek out an existence…make ends meet and any other cliché you can come up with. So for us to look at these words: “…wisdom is better than the trappings of wealth…” well, let’s just say it may not bother us to find ourselves “trapped” from time to time, if for no other reason than to just get our heads above water long enough to see what is going on. So how should we take this? How can we let these words take hold and be of benefit to us? Isn’t that the purpose of Scripture? Isn’t that what we are told? “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” – 2nd Timothy 3:16, 17 Paul (a very learned man) says all Scripture is from God! Not just the parts that we approve of or the passages that we are comfortable with but all of it. That tells me that regardless of how I feel about whether or not Solomon understands the common man—God understands life and knows how easily we can get “trapped” by it. Which is why wisdom is to be preferred—to prevent those trappings from taking place. Solomon never knew me or my situation. God does. Solomon could not possibly understand the financial crisis either I or any of us may face. God does. Which is why I choose to let Scripture be my guide even when it often does not seem to fit just right at the time. Regardless of who penned the words—it is the mind and heart of God that directed those words and He knows what we need the most. That is where I need to place my trust!