Daily Jewel

“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!

Nan's Calendar

by     Nan Forehand,  Statesville, NC   

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

Daily Jewel

by  Pastor J.T. Carnell,  McAlester, OK

 

“Becoming Idiot-Proof!” 

“Listen, you idiots—learn good sense!  You blockheads—shape up!” – Proverbs 8:5 (MSG)

If I could choose the one word that would best describe the individual that simply, “just doesn’t get it” when it comes to knowing the right thing to do—it would be this one:  IDIOT!! 

According to definition, an idiot can describe two types of people:  First, it defines one who because of mental limitation they cannot learn beyond or above a certain level.  I almost hesitate even mentioning this as a definition because I would never consider these individuals as anything less than courageous. 

The second person, the one for which I think the word best applies describes the individual who is more than mentally capable of learning and growing in both cognitive  and rational thought but does nothing to enhance their learning and chooses to live their life in a very self-destructive manner.  In fact, the word could stand for: I Deliberately Ignore Obvious Truths!

People do Dumb things!!  In fact, I have come to the point that I am no longer amazed at how dumb and idiotic people can be!!  Here are a couple of examples:

  The first takes us to my hometown of Colorado Springs!  A guy walked into a little corner store with a shot gun and demanded all the cash from the cash drawer.  After the cashier put the cash in a bag, the robber saw a bottle of scotch that he wanted behind the counter on the shelf.  He told the cashier to put it in the bag as well, but he refused and said "Because I don't believe you are over 21." The robber said he was, but the clerk still refused to give it to him because he didn't believe him.  At this point the robber took his driver's license out of his wallet and gave it to the clerk.  The clerk looked it over, and agreed that the man was in fact over 21 and he put the scotch in the bag.  The robber then ran from the store with his loot.  The cashier promptly called the police and gave the name and address of the robber that he got off the license.  They arrested the robber two hours later.

Second, a motorist was unknowingly caught in an automated speed trap that measured his speed using radar and photographed his car.  He later received in the mail a ticket for $40 and a photo of his car.  Instead of payment, he sent the police department a photograph of $40.  Several days later, he received a letter from the police that contained another picture... of handcuffs.  The motorist promptly sent the money for the fine.

And then this one:  In Virginia, a janitor went to great lengths to avoid I.D. in a 7-Eleven robbery, using a ski mask and rental car for the occasion.  But he also wore his work uniform, which said "Cedar Woods Apartments" and had his 

Nan's Calendar

by  Nan Forehand,  Statesville, NC

Perhaps if words are mind to mind, music is soul to soul.
Sheila Walsh

I love the music I hear in church.  It isn't only the lyrics I love.  It is truly the music itself.  I have attended a lot of churches over the years and I know when my spirit leaps in my chest from experiencing soul stirring music.  One thing I treasure about the location of my Sunday School class is its proximity to the choir room.  It's a big church and I've never been in the choir room, but as we have our class, we can hear the choir rehearsing and sometimes, as we are involved in a very profound part of the lesson, we hear what sounds like a choir of angels singing above our heads and the music is breathtaking.  So, before we even enter the sanctuary to prepare for the sermon, we have had the pleasure of a "preview" of the wonderful music we will hear for a second time in the sanctuary. 
Music prepares our soul for God to speak to us and music releases whatever is inside of us, whether we are full of grief or joy.  I thank God for the gift of music.  If you haven't listened to some beautiful music lately, do yourself a favor and allow yourself the quiet time to experience God through soothing, relaxing, music.  As well, music can be invigorating and very stimulating, prompting us to become motivated and activated.    There are so many amazing types of music that I can't recommend one over the other.  Some prefer classical while others prefer jazz.  As nimble fingers float across the keys of a piano, peace and joy float through the spirit, lifting it.  When the spirit is lifted higher than the ego, amazing things happen!

Let us come before Him (God) with thanksgiving and extol Him with music and song.  Psalm 95:2

Good Things

 
GOOD THINGS
Sunday, May 8, 2011
 
 
GOD SPEAKS TO US THROUGH HIS HOLY WORD
 
5 O Lord, you alone are my hope.
      I’ve trusted you, O Lord, from childhood.
- Psalm 71:5(New Living Translation).
 
 
 
GOD'S PROMISE TO US FROM HIS HOLY WORD
 
13 Three things will last forever—faith, hope, and love—and the greatest of these is love.
- 1 Corinthians 13:13(New Living Translation).
 
 
 
A QUOTE
 
Every action done in company ought to be with some sign of respect to those that are present.
- George Washington, 1st President of The United States -
 
 
 
THOUGHTS TO REMEMBER
 
When your temper gets the best of you, it reveals the worst of you.
- From Reminisce Magazine -
 
Nothing can be accomplished until we take the first step.
- From Reminisce Magazine -
 
 
 
NOTES
 
Today has been a sunny day until late in the afternoon when it became partly cloudy. High temperature today was 82 degrees. Low temperature this morning was 70 degrees. I attended worship service this morning for our Mother's Day Service. After church I drove to the cemetery and placed some red roses on Flonnie's grave. She was a wonderful mother, cook, housekeeper and wife. I have fond memories of my own mother who was born in 1887 and died in 1956 at age 69. She lost two husbands, the last one in 1929 when she was 42 years of age and never married again. She looked after 7 children during the Great Depression. She was a wonderful mother.
 
I had lunch at home and then rested with Rascal this afternoon. There was no church service tonight so people could visit during Mother's Day. I sat outside a lot today with the cats. I had to get the garbage ready tonight for pick up in the morning so I got started late on the Good Things. Since the last Good Things I have had e-mails from Geneva, Gail, Alice and Cathy Perks. Some even say that I don't ramble in my writings but I think I do. Thanks so much for your e-mails.
 
The cat picture tonight is Rascal. Had I sent that picture before? The cats are fine. Rascal and Little Girl just went outside but I will get them back in before I go to bed.
 
At 10:50 p.m. skies are fair with a temperature of 78 degrees. I will see you next time.
 
In Christian Love, Everett.