Good Things

by Everett Christian, McAlester, OK GOD SPEAKS TO US THROUGH HIS HOLY WORD 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). GOD'S PROMISE TO US FROM HIS HOLY WORD (Moses said) 13 “If you carefully obey all the commands I am giving you today, and if you love the Lord your God and serve him with all your heart and soul, 14 then he will send the rains in their proper seasons—the early and late rains—so you can bring in your harvests of grain, new wine, and olive oil. 15 He will give you lush pastureland for your livestock, and you yourselves will have all you want to eat." - Deuteronomy 11:13-15(New Living Translation). A QUOTE While our hearts are being reconciled to God, we are also being reconciled with each other. - Bruce Paul - THOUGHTS TO REMEMBER Overlook something small and you may miss something big. - From Reminisce Magazine - Enough is abundance to the wise. - From Reminisce Magazine - It is only possible to live happily ever after on a day-to-day basis. - From Reminisce Magazine - NOTES Today has been partly cloudy with a light rain shower at my house around 4:30 p.m. I was at Walmart at that time about three miles from my house and it didn't rain there. Low temperature last night was 60 degrees. We had rain last evening from about 5:00 p.m. to about 7:00 p.m. I had lunch today with Charley and Bill. I went to the post office. I took a nap and then went to Walmart about 4:00 p.m. Since the last Good Things I have had e-mails from Margaret, Dale, Debra, Geneva, Annette and Alice. Thanks for the e-mails and thanks to every one who reads the Good Things. Alice sent this note: Praising the Lord for Nancy and the Lord's good works! Your quote and thoughts to remember I copied in color today for each of the ladies at my Ladies Prayer Luncheon. I thought it would be some good food for thought. We meet once a month and I'm "the leader" every other month. Everyone was pleased to receive them! Thank you :) Alice Now wasn't that nice of Alice! The cat picture tonight is another of Leo. I sat out back with the cats this evening. Today is somewhat of an anniversary for me. Sixty-six years ago today on May 12, 1945 I was on the battlefield on Luzon in the Philippine Islands. In the middle of the night a Japanese crawled close enough to throw a hand grenade in our fox hole. I was wounded in both legs, left foot and right buttox. I was in the hospital from that time until the middle of August 1945 and then the war was over. I have no problems now with my legs and foot. Of course I was awarded the Purple Heart. At 10:00 p.m. skies are cloudy with a temperature of 72 degrees. I will see you next time. The cats are fine. Little Girl on the couch. Rascal just came in and the others are around somewhere. In Christian Love, Everett.

Daily Jewel

 

by Pastor J.T. Carnell, McAlester, OK

 

“The Power of Truth!” “Listen, for I have trustworthy things to say; I open my lips to speak what is right.” – Proverbs 8:6 In a book titled, “A Father For All Seasons”, Bob Welch writes: “Last summer, my son Jason was a seventh-grader playing in a seventh/eighth-grade baseball league. A fire-armed pitcher-more than a foot taller than my 4 foot 9 inch son, blazed a fastball right down the pike. Strike one. The second pitch scorched across the plate for a called strike two. The third pitch, unintentionally I'm sure, came right at Jason. He turned to avoid being hit and fell to the ground. His bat went flying. His helmet bounced off. The ball seemed to have skimmed his shoulder.” "Take your base," the umpire yelled. Standing in the third-base coach's box, I was happy just seeing Jason alive, much less getting a free base. "It didn't hit me," Jason said to the ump. "Take your base, son," said the ump. Our fans were most likely thinking the same thing I was thinking: Take your base, son. You've been wounded, soldier; your war's over. You're going home... "But honest, it didn't hit me," Jason pleaded. The umpire looked at Jason and out to the infield ump who just shrugged his shoulders. “Okay," said the ump, "the count is one ball and two strikes." Should I intervene? Make him take his base? Jason was already digging in his cleats in the batter's box. I mentally shrugged and headed back to the coach's box. The towering pitcher rocked and fired. A bullet right down the middle of the plate. The kind of pitch that would send a kid to the dugout. Instead, Jason ripped the ball into left-center for a stand-up double. Our crowd roared. The manager of the team in the field was standing a few feet behind me. He had no idea that the kid on second base was my son. He spit out his sunflower seeds and slowly shook his head. "Man," he said, "you gotta love that!" We have become accustomed to voices coming from about every direction imaginable. Radio…television…computers…cell phones…ipods…and the list goes on. Each of these mediums are all broadcasting their own pitch—vying for our attention and seeking our affection as well. Unfortunately, these voices do not always have our best interest in mind and they are all self-seeking. Even in the illustration above the young batter was probably getting advice from his father, the umpire, his teammates, the people in the stands…telling him what he should do—but when it came down to making his decision he knew the truth and he stood by that. It makes the story far nobler by the fact that he gets a hit—but even if he had struck out—he could not escape the truth. Hold out for the truth in everything you do! Your home—business—even pleasure! Let the truth hold your attention and affection. Let it be your strength and it will guide you through when you need it the most!

Good Things

GOD SPEAKS TO US THROUGH HIS HOLY WORD 27 Whoever gives to the poor will lack nothing, but those who close their eyes to poverty will be cursed. - Proverbs 28:27(New Living Translation). GOD'S PROMISE TO US FROM HIS HOLY WORD (Jesus said) 16 "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." - John 3:16(New International Version). A QUOTE We can trust that God's purposes will be accomplished despite and even, at times, through our sufferings. - Bill Malas Jr. - THOUGHTS TO REMEMBER True tact is rubbing out someone else's mistake instead of rubbing it in. - From Reminisce Magazine - The friends we meet on the highway of life make the trip worthwhile. - From Reminisce Magazine - The road to success is always under construction. - From Reminisce Magazine - NOTES Today has been partly cloudy with a high temperature of 82 degrees. Low temperature this morning was 73 degrees. I had lunch today with Charley and Bill. While at Taco Bob's I saw my good friend Stan McMullen and wife, Sue, along with their neighbor, Mrs. Lalli. I went to the post office. I saw my pastor's wife, Dianne, at the post office. One nice thing about living in this town is that you usually meet up with someone you know every time you go out. I sat outside for a couple of hours with the cats this evening. Since the last Good Things I have heard from Margaret, Mary Jo, June(my daughter), Cathy Perks, Debra, Geneva, Tommy, Alice, Michelle Angelini and Michele Filitti. Thanks to everyone who wrote and thanks to those who read the Good Things. Several again reminded me that they don't think I ramble. Mary Jo (Bless her) said: "I don't think you ramble, but if that is what you do, then keep it up!" If I missed anyone that wrote me since last Good Things, I'm sorry. At the end of the Good Things tonight I will include a letter from Michele Filitti. The cat picture tonight is Leo with his tongue sticking out. The cats are fine. I am letting Rascal go out now and I hope he has learned a lesson and will not stray away again. At 10:20 p.m. skies are fair with a temperature of 78 degrees. I will see you next time. In Christian Love, Everett. Here is Michele's letter: Hi Everett! I just wanted to give you a praise report and thank everyone who has been praying for Nancy the Dr's wife I work for. She was in surgery for eight hours yesterday. The scans showed cancerous lesions on her liver. But the Drs did not find any cancer on her liver, pancreas or kidneys during the surgery!!! They did find cancer in the intestines, but they feel confident that they got it all. She had a bowel resection and she will go through chemotherapy. God is good! I thank everyone who has prayed for Nancy. Michele

God's Blog - Uselessness

Uselessness

May 10, 2011

 

¹¹ My days are past, my purposes are broken off, even the thoughts of my heart. ¹² They change the night into day: the light is short because of darkness. Job 17:11-12 KJV

 

“No one is too messed up to be used by Him: He specializes in taking broken people and making them whole, Nor does anyone reach an age when he or she is no longer useful – if you’re still alive, God isn’t done with you yet.” In Touch, Charles Stanley

 

In these verses, Job is arguing with his friends about all the things that are going wrong with him and how useless he is to life and to God. I’ve done the same thing myself. But this morning when I did my meditation, the above lines kept echoing in my head throughout the day. I keep hearing encouragement and lines like this letting me know that no matter what – I’m still part of God’s arsenal in the world. He’s using me. I’m not too old. He’s brought me through pain, weakness, sorrow, temptation, whatever you can name, because He wants to prove a point not only to me, but possibly to others as well.

 

I have several friends I envy, since their lives appear so much better than mine. In fact, I’ve often wanted to be them or follow what they do. I think one of my friends, who receives this blog knows whom I’m talking about. Yet, when I tried to follow in the footsteps I see created by this person, I’ve not done so well. When I look towards my paths and do what God wants me to do, my usefulness shines like a diamond, and I am so very happy.

 

May God shower you, your family, and your furkids (if any) with His incredible blessings.

 

Michelle Rose

Nan's Calendar

What do spiritual milk and a rose have in common????? Read on and you will know! 1 Corinthians 3:1-2 Brothers, I could not address you as spiritual, but as worldly - mere infants in Christ. I gave you milk, not solid food, for you were not yet ready for it. Indeed, you are still not ready...... (written by the apostle Paul) Hebrews 5:11-14 We have much to say about this, but it is hard to explain because you are slow to learn. In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God's word all over again. You need milk, not solid food! Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil..... (this author did not identify himself in this book, but some believe it was Paul, while others believe it may have been Luke, Apollos or Barnabas) 1 Peter 2:1-3 Therefore, rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind. Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, now that you have tasted that the Lord is good. (written by the apostle Peter) It's easy to discern what these scriptures all have in common, right! It's spiritual milk! We need frequent feedings of God's truths to sustain us each day. Every single one of us is in need of either spiritual milk or in need of God's bread of life, depending on our stage of development. I know a very special lady I will call my Michelle who has continually been fed spiritual milk and now she is partaking of the most wonderful, healthiest food ever prepared! She is being nourished by the bread of life! I am so happy for her and her progress. My Michelle and I have never met in person (yet), but I am bursting at the seams for joy for her and how far she has come since "meeting" a number of years ago. Because she is hungry for frequent feedings of God's truths, she is growing in leaps and bounds! She is very intelligent, caring, loving, funny, and she is beautiful. She is like a magnificent rose that I have "watched" grow from a bare root rose whose root system has stretched and reached for the Living Water for nourishment and has been given all the nutrients to not only survive, but to thrive in any condition. Her beautiful green leaves grew and one day I saw a tiny rosebud and now her true colors are showing. She is blossoming before my eyes and what a sight to behold! Her fragrance is sweet to the senses by the way she lives her life. Right, I'm not with her every day to witness the way she lives her life, but I know her by her words. I feel the presence of the Holy Spirit glowing inside of her as she shares her thoughts with me. She didn't get to where she is overnight nor did I nor will you. We are all a work in progress. God isn't finished with us yet. We still have more growing to do and there are more roses to come! Where are you in your spiritual development? Are you still in need of spiritual milk or have you moved on to solid food? Either way, make sure you have frequent feedings. Take care and remember I love you! Nan