Good Things

by Everett Christian, McAlester, OK: GOD SPEAKS TO US THROUGH HIS HOLY WORD: (Jesus said) 7 "Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy." - Matthew 5:7(New International Version). GOD'S PROMISE TO US FROM HIS HOLY WORD: 35 "For whoever finds me (wisdom) finds life and receives favor from the Lord." - Proverbs 8:35(New Living Translation). A QUOTE We may hear it in different ways and through different people, but God still calls. - Bruce Paul - THOUGHTS TO REMEMBER: Joy is not happiness so much as gladness; it is the ecstasy of eternity in a soul that has made peace with God. - From Reflecting God - The flowers or weeds that spring up tomorrow are in the seeds we sow today. - From Reminisce Magazine - The more you listen to the voice within you, the better you will hear what is sounding outside. - From Reminisce Magazine - NOTES: Yesterday (Sunday) I attended Worship Services in the morning and church (Missionary Service) last night. Yesterday I had lunch at home and rested in the afternoon with Little Girl (a cat) resting with me. Today has been a sunny day with a high temperature of 72 degrees. Low temperature this morning was 47 degrees. I had lunch today with Charley. I went to the post office and then to Save A Lot grocery store for food items. I took a nap by myself this afternoon. I sat outside with the cats this evening and read a while. Since the last Good Things I have had e-mails from Gail, Michelle Angelini, Tom Gilham and Fred & Ruby Renfro. Michelle wanted me to send another picture of Friendly so that is the picture tonight. The cats are fine. Little Girl is on the couch and Rascal was just in to check on me. At 9:45 p.m. skies are fair with a temperature of 56 degrees. I will see you next time. In Christian Love, Everett.

Daily Jewel

by Pastor J.T. Carnell, McAlester, OK A small boy, walking down the street one bright summer day, spotted a copper penny glistening at his feet. He picked it up and clutched it protectively. He felt a glow of pride and excitement. Here was something that was his and it cost him nothing! From that day on, wherever he went, he walked with his head do“Choose my instruction instead of silver, knowledge rather than choice gold…” – Proverb wn, eyes surveying the ground for more treasure. During the next 20 years he found 302 pennies, 24 nickels, 41 dimes, 8 quarters, 3 half dollars, and one worn out dollar bill for a total of...$12.82. The money he had accumulated had cost him nothing—except…that he missed the beauty several thousand sunsets...the colorful splendor of hundreds of rainbows...the brilliance of hundreds of maple leaves that had turned during the coolness of autumn....and most of all, the warmth of the smiles of the faces that had passed him day after day. "I know now," the author of this article states, "that life's real treasures can never be measured with a dollar sign. I just wish I had not spent so many years with my head down!" Is your head “down?” Searching for treasure and truth in small, limited areas? Or are you looking up? Searching the heart and mind of God for what is good and real? Life is a wonderful treasure!! And the people God has placed in our lives are to be cherished as well but if we walk around with our heads down looking for something that has no lasting value we will never recognize it. One of my favorite contemporary Christian musical artists is Steven Curtis Chapman. One of his more obscure songs is called, “The Treasure of You.” In conclusion, here are the lyrics of this song. Excuse me, I couldn't help but notice that heartsick look in your eyes You hide it very well, but I've got the same disguise I know from all you see around you, You feel worth a very small price So plain and ordinary, but there's a pearl inside And if you look in the mirror in the light of the truth You'll see there's really nothing you could say or do To make you worth more to the One who made you You are a treasure! Worth more than anything under the sun or the moon God's greatest treasure is the treasure of you The rich man treasures gold and silver; The wise man, his knowledge of truth Some will hold to memories and some will cling to youth But the one who carved out the oceans; And painted the stars in the sky You are His prized creation, the apple of His eye There's no one else in the world who could take your place Just the thought of you brings a smile to His face God loves you with amazing grace So take a look in the mirror in the light of the truth Oh, yes it's true; See there's nothing more you can say or do God loves the way He created you 8:10 From the T to the R to the E to the A to the S to the U to the R to the E God made everything and everything He made More than anything He treasures you and me Check in the mirror in the light of the truth There is nothing you will ever say and nothing you will do The will ever make God care more than He does for the treasure God's treasure is you

Good Things

by Everett Christian, McAlester, OK GOD SPEAKS TO US THROUGH HIS HOLY WORD (Jesus said) 24 “Very truly I tell you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be judged but has crossed over from death to life." - John 5:24(New International Version). GOD'S PROMISE TO US FROM HIS HOLY WORD 3 And we can be sure that we know him (Jesus) if we obey his commandments. - 1 John 2:3(New Living Translation) A QUOTE The person who does not in some way, active or not, connect themselves with some active, working church misses many opportunities for helping their neighbors, and therefore, incidentally, for helping themselves. - Theodore Roosevelt, Twenty-sixth President of the United States. THOUGHTS TO REMEMBER Everything is easier with practice except getting up in the morning. - From Reminisce Magazine - Advice is like snow - the softer it falls, the deeper it sinks in. - From Reminisce Magazine - The tongue should never be allowed to outrun the mind. - From Reminisce Magazine - NOTES Today has been partly cloudy with a high temperature of 65 degrees. Low temperature this morning was 51 degrees. Yesterday, Charley and I had lunch, drove to Stuart and picked up our brother, Abe, and then drove to the country cemetery at the community of Bohannon. We put flowers on our relatives graves. Our dad, mom, sister, brother, aunt, uncle, cousins as well as other relatives are buried there. Then we took a drive around the country looking at all the old familar places that we knew long ago. Things have changed a lot through the years. Today I had lunch with Charley. I went to the post office, came home and took a nap. At 3:00 p.m. I went to Country Mart and Family Dollar Store. At 5:00 p.m. my cleaning lady came and cleaned my house. The picture tonight is Beau. Since the last Good Things, I have received e-mails from Gail, Mary Ellen, Debra, Geneva, Burlene, Annette and Cathy Perks. Thanks for your e-mails and thanks to everyone who reads the Good Things. Maybe I shouldn't, but I think that I will share a paragraph from each of these e-mails. I hope and pray that I will never betray the trust that my friends have in me. The paragraphs will follow at the end of tonight's Good Things. The cats are fine. Most are outside at present. At 10:00 p.m. skies are fair with a temperature of 55 degrees. Have a Wonderful Sunday! I will see you next time. In Christian Love, Everett. Here are the paragraphs from the e-mails. Forgive me if you think that I should not have shared them. From Gail: Thanks to you Everett for serving in the military. You helped to secure our freedom and keep us safe. My dad was a World War II veteran and a Purple Heart recipient too. His was a chest wound and the scar was in the shape of a tic-tac-doe board. Part of one of the vertical lines missing, but we made do and he and I spent many a rainy day playing the game on his chest. Thank you again for serving your country. Gail From Mary Ellen: Everett, like all the brave men and women that are out there fighting for our country right now I thank them for their service and sacrifice. And tonight on the anniversary of you fighting on that faraway battlefield long ago, I thank you for your service as well! Thank you Everett for being brave and serving America. As you have written tonight 1 Peter 4:9-10, you use your gift of God’s love so wonderfully every time you send out the good things. Thank you for caring about all of us. We all love you. mary ellen From Debra: First, I want to say THANK YOU for your service to our country when in the military and also for your bravery during the war time - Thanking God for his safety to you and his healing as you recovered from the war injuries. Appreciate You, sharing these memories with us! So much of the past is kept "quiet" and we don't hear of days gone by, by many - Thank You for taking the time to share your days of long ago! I so enjoy hearing about what another has gone through in those days. I don't ever think that you "ramble" on, I think that you are blessed to have so much to be able to share with others and the blessings that God has given you all these years. From Burlene: I had not heard that you had received such bad injuries as you served our country. I am glad they did not leave you in pain, though. Must have been some good doctors and a fine hospital. I can say it again and again and not really give you the proper thanks you deserve, but send my gratitude to you for your unselfish service for our country. Blessings, Burlene From Annette: We got 1 inch of rain Wed. night and 2 and 9/10 yesterday afternoon!!!! From Cathy Perks: Dear Everett, thank you for sharing your war time memory. I had no idea you had been hurt!! Thank you brave man for serving so we may have freedom! I am so sorry that happened to you....and so grateful to God you healed the way you did. God Bless your sweet heart. Cathy and Ron Perks From Geneva: 9 Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. 10 Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms. - 1 Peter 4:9-10(New International Version). I don't know exactly what God meant by "hospitality" in that verse. I think people have always thought it to mean having people over and feeding them. That was not my gift, but I did it just the same since my husband took that verse to mean having people over and feeding them. He always thought that we should have more than enough food for that, too. Here's how the Amplified Bible says it: Practice hospilitality to one another - that is, those of the household of faith (Be hospitable, that is, be a lover of strangers, with brotherly affection for the unknown guests, the foreigners, the poor and all others who come your way who are of Christ's body.) And (in each instance) do it ungrudgingly - cordially and graciously without complaining (but as representing Him). 10. As each of you has received a gift (a particular spiritual talent, a gracious divine endowment) employ it for one another as (befits) good trustees of God's many-sided grace faithful stewards of the "extremely diverse (powers and gifts granted to Christians by) unmerited favor. That gives both the meaning and intent of the verses.

Gillena Cox

One of our prolific poets and esteemed Christian, Gillena Cox is both Featured Poet and has the Chime of the Day. You are encouraged to read about her and read some of her poems. An encouraging comment would help as well I am sure. WC is very pleased to have this lovely poet from Trinidad-Tobago as part of this poetry community. WC founder and administrator, Quentin Clingerman

Daily Jewel

by Pastor J.T. Carnell, McAlester, OK “Are you Ready to Really Get Ahead?” "If you have understanding, you will see that my words are just what you need.” – Proverbs 8:9 Have you heard the story of Charles Schwab and Ivy Lee? Schwab was president of Bethlehem Steel. Lee, a consultant, was given the usual challenge: "Show me a way to get more things done and with my time." Schwab agreed to pay him "anything within reason" if Lee's suggestion worked. A week later Lee handed the executive a sheet of paper with the following plan: “Write down the most important tasks you have to do tomorrow. Number them in order of importance. When you arrive in the morning begin at once on Number 1 and stay on it until it is completed. Recheck your priorities, and then begin with Number 2. Once you have completed that task then proceed to Number 3. Make this a habit every working day. Pass it on to those under you. Try it as long as you like, then send me your check for what you think it's worth.” That one idea turned the Bethlehem Steel Corporation into the biggest independent steel producer in the world within five years. How much did Schwab pay his consultant? Schwab admitted that it was the most profitable lesson he had ever learned so several weeks after receiving the note, he sent Lee a check for $25,000!! That may not seem like a large amount of money but this was in early 1900’s!! The equivalent of $150,000 in today’s economy. I find it interesting that this verse begins with the word…”if.” On several occasions I have made the statement that the word if could very well be the most important word in the dictionary. So much depends upon our actions/reactions—our attitudes and/or our decision-making. And it begins here—with this one incredibly important word…if! If we want what God has to give. If we will listen and truly take it to heart. If we will follow through and apply His words step by step, day by day! Today’s message will be rather short and here is why—God’s Word has given us all we need to be successful. He has laid it out in very simple, understandable language. And, as millions have discovered through the years His track record for success through the centuries has been proven. What more do we need to know or say at this point? The question is, how much would it be worth to you?