Good Things

by Everett Christian, McAlester, OK
Wednesday, November 9, 2011

GOD SPEAKS TO US THROUGH HIS HOLY WORD
11 For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. 12 Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. 13 You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart." - Jeremiah 29:11-13(New International Version).

GOD'S PROMISE TO US FROM HIS HOLY WORD
6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. - Philippians 4:6-7(New International Version).

A QUOTE
All the flowers of tomorrow are in the seeds of today. - Nola Bertelson -

THOUGHTS TO REMEMBER
An unusual amount of common sense is sometimes called wisdom. - From Reminisce Magazine -
Charm is the ability to make another person think you're both wonderful. - From Reminisce Magazine -
Christ is the way to heaven - all other ways lead to doom. - From The Cooley Newsletter -

NOTES
The day started cloudy but soon turned out to be a cool sunny day. High temperature was 59 degrees. Low temperature this morning was 42 degrees. I had lunch with Charley and Bill. Bobbi was our waitress today. I went to the post office and then on to Walmart and the Petsense store. I took my nap this afternoon. At 5:30 p.m. I put out treats and food for the kitties in the back yard. My cats like to eat their treats outside in the back yard. They usually come inside for their regular food. Other cats or animals always eat the food that I put outside before morning. At 6:00 p.m. I watched a Billy Graham Crusade service that took place in Denver, Colorado in 1987. Billy Graham was 69 years old that year. For those who don't care for my notes, I tried leaving them out of the Good Things once but I heard from people wanting the notes to stay so that is why you hear about this old man every day. It would be nice if some of you would tell me what you do with your time and then this wouldn't be a one way street.
The cats are fine. As usual, Little Girl is on the back of the couch and Rascal is in the recliner. The others are accounted for.
I will see you next time, In Christian Love, Everett.

Daily Jewel

by Pastor Carnell, McAlester, OK
Nov. 9, 2011

“Spiritual Spam!”
“She (folly) calls out to men going by who are minding their own business.” – Proverbs 9:15 (NLT, emphasis mine)

Don’t you hate those nightly phone calls from tele-marketers that just do not seem to care if you are on the “Do Not Call” list or not? I get about two or three a day at the Church and at least one or two daily at the house and I would love to find a way to prevent this from happening. Somehow or another these companies have found a way around the law and invade my space with their annoying sales-pitch.
And then there are the “spam” messages that invade my computer! Spam, also known as junk email or unsolicited bulk email (UBE), is where third party companies or individuals send nearly identical messages to numerous recipients by email.
Spammers collect email addresses from chatrooms, websites, customer lists, newsgroups, and viruses which harvest users' address books, and are sold to other spammers. They also use a practice known as "email appending" or "epending" in which they use known information about their target (such as a postal address) to search for the target's email address. Much of spam is sent to invalid email addresses. Spam averages 78% of all email sent. According to the Message Anti-Abuse Working Group, the amount of spam email was between 88–92% of email messages sent in the last half of 2010.
Most people I know with computers despise these creatures!! They are useless—unproductive (at least to me) but considering the fact that they continue to go out every day there must be those who choose to open them up! And not only open them but inquire or buy into the products they are selling!
You may have on your computer a “spam-guard.” A setting in which any email that your computer does recognize goes directly into a special folder that either immediately eliminates them or keeps them unless or until you physically go in and permanently erase them. I have an email account that I set up when I went back to school and used it for correspondence to my professors. I had not checked it for some time and when I did I had over 800 messages waiting for me…all of them spam!! GRRRR!!!
Why is this a problem? It is a major distraction! (Like from yesterdays message). It can be time consuming removing these rogue messages from your inbox and should for some reason one of them gets opened up that contains a virus, then you have opened yourself up to a whole host of problems! If you have ever gotten a virus on your computer you know exactly what I mean!
Spiritual spam can be messages that contain temptations that draw our attention away from what the Lord is working to instill into our lives. They can be messages that remind us of our faults—failures—broken relationships. Their intended purpose is to get us to check them out and maybe, just maybe buy into their product.
In an earlier Proverb, Solomon encourages us to “guard our hearts.” (4:23) In that chapter we talked about all the various ways that the devil attempts to get our eyes (and hearts) away from being at the place where we were designed to live—and that is close to the Heart of God. And like what Solomon has been saying over the past several verses, folly (evil), the opposite of wisdom (good), will use every available tool and technique to get us leaning into her direction.
It could be through jealousy (the idea we are not getting what we deserve); fear (that we are going to miss out somewhere, somehow); pride (we don’t need God to get what we want); or busyness (we don’t have time to follow God.) Any of these are spiritual spams that when opened up will shut our system down!!
Just for the record…I love email! Most of you reading this message are reading it via email. It is one of the greatest tools ever invented for communication purposes—but it can also have its flaws. It can be misused which means we must use every tool available to us to guard our computers from harm. The same applies to our Spiritual lives and hearts. Don’t let folly send you her spam messages. Don’t open them up!! Erase them as soon as soon as you get them. You’ll thank me later!
Pastor J. T. Carnell

Good Things

by Everett Christian
Tuesday, November 8, 2011

GOD SPEAKS TO US THROUGH HIS HOLY WORD
8 It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in humans. 9 It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in princes. -Psalm 118:8-9(New International Version).

GOD'S PROMISE TO US FROM HIS HOLY WORD
2 Praise the LORD, my soul, and forget not all his benefits— 3 who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases, 4 who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion, 5 who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s. - Psalm 103:2-5(New International Version).

A QUOTE
Honesty is the best policy. - Aesop - THOUGHTS TO REMEMBER
Every great man was once a nobody prepared for opportunity. - From Reminisce Magazine -
If you lighten the way for others, you'll never be in the dark yourself. - From Reminisce Magazine -,br /> Why is it at class reunions you feel younger than everyone else looks? - From The Cooley Newsletter -

NOTES
It was raining hard when I awoke this morning. It rained hard for an hour or so and then gradually slowed down and was over by noontime. I had an inch of rain at my house. The rain is now over for a few days. High temperature today was 70 degrees. There was another earthquake in Oklahoma last night that registered 4.7. I had lunch today with Charley and Bill. I came by the post office and then home. I took a nap in early afternoon. The paper carrier missed me this afternoon. The paper usually arrives in the middle of the afternoon. I called the paper office at 5:30 p.m. At 6:30 they had not delivered my paper so I drove to a convenience store two blocks away and bought a paper. Just as I arrived back home a lady came with my missed paper. She said she would take it off my bill for the one I bought. I put food and treats outside for the animals at 4:30 p.m. The cats are always waiting for their treats. Two people, Burlene and Michele, said they would like to read the cat story but I just don't know if I would have enough time to type it every night.
The cats are fine. Emmy and Smokey took a nap with me this afternoon. Smokey got up before I did. While I was resting, Itty Bitty came to check on me, then Friendly came to check on me and as I was getting up Beau came to check on me. It is too bad that they can't use the phone because they sure look after me and could phone someone if something happened to me. At present Little Girl is on the arm of the couch and Rascal is in the recliner.
I will see you next time, In Christian Love, Everett

Daily Jewel

by Pastor Carnell, McAlester, OK
Nov. 8, 2011

“She (folly) sits in her doorway on the heights overlooking the city.” – Proverbs 9:14 (NLT, emphasis mine)

We saw from the last message that “folly” likes to make a lot of noise—hoping that someone will listen to her and if she talks loud enough she can convince whoever is listening that what she is saying or selling is worth the price. She is successful far too often!
In this verse Solomon says that not only is she loud but she likes to be visible as well. She likes to find a prominent spot and parade herself with the hope of the same result—that she will catch someone’s eye and convince that poor soul that she has the right stuff!
In ancient times when travelers entered into a city they were often greeted by scores of individuals either selling their wares or looking for handouts. Billboards have replaced the first group in our day while those “panhandling” can be found at practically every intersection in some of the busiest corners of the major cities. Going back to the ancient times, it is said that many would be up before sunrise to find the best spot hoping to catch the right person’s eye. Some would wear the brightest color’s they could find, or create some sort of banner that would lead those in their direction. Their goal was “distraction!” Something that today continues to be one of Satan’s primary weapons against us!
Experts agree that one of the worst things drivers can do when driving is to lose sight of the road ahead. There is no “automatic pilot” on automobiles. About 6 years ago, investigators were stunned to discover the cause of a fatal automobile accident was due to the driver being distracted by a DVD movie he was watching—while driving! Taking your eyes off the road ahead—even for a split second—can be dangerous. The rear-view mirror is a helpful device to keep the driver aware of traffic conditions to the side and rear. But concentrating on what is behind and not paying attention to what is ahead can also lead to major problems. Similarly, focusing our lives on past events to the exclusion of present obligations can be problematic. Here is a poem that was written by Lea Helms Davis, and it addresses the issue of looking back.
I’ll not look back, for that is useless effort, I cannot live one moment of yesterday again. If I have wasted time and talents given, If I have caused someone I love deep pain, I cannot change the words or acts by grieving, But I can make today a shining light. From yesterday’s page with its mistakes I’ll turn away, And find before me a clean one on which to write. I’ll pray for strength to make today’s page spotless, That tomorrow I’ll have no regret. And may God grant that in all my tomorrows, My talents will be used for good, not one misspent.
Some things about the past can bring comfort and security. Achievements, excellent academic grades, business successes, triumphs, honors, awards—memories of these bring warmth to our lives. But memories of failures, bad investments, and relationships turned sour can be devastating. There is something very final about the past. There are no surprises there. Someone has observed that the past is like a cancelled check—something to file away and not re-use. There is little value left in the past—except for lessons learned and joys shared. The more we reflect on the past and dwell on it—to the exclusion of the present the future—the more we realize that past memories do not get any better simply by rehashing them. The Apostle Paul had to come to grips with his past. In the years following his conversion he had to deal with the guilt he carried from his early efforts to persecute Christians. Perhaps this was what he had in mind when he wrote (Philippians 3:13, 14): “Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.”

Do Paul’s words resonate well with you? Have you been plundered by the past? Does the Enemy remind you constantly about your decisions that have not turned out the way you planned? Do your “battle scars” feel like open wounds? Do you long for a place of beginning again, clean and unspotted? Don’t get distracted. Don’t let “folly” get you looking back or away from the prize that is ahead! Look ahead. There is light there—light to brighten your pathway. Believe it. Jesus said it.
Pastor J. T. Carnell

Good Things

by Everett Christian, McAlester, OK
Monday, November 7, 2011

GOD SPEAKS TO US THROUGH HIS HOLY WORD
16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile. 17 For in the gospel the righteousness of God is revealed—a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: “The righteous will live by faith.” - Romans 1:16-17(New International Version).

GOD'S PROMISE TO US FROM HIS HOLY WORD
5 Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.” 6 So we say with confidence, “The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can mere mortals do to me?” - Hebrews 13:5-6(New International Version).

A QUOTE
A Loving family affirms and supports each other. - Dolores Curran -

THOUGHTS TO REMEMBER
How come it takes so little time for a child who is afraid of the dark to become a teenager who wants to stay out all night? - From The Cooley Newsletter -
It's difficult to have rosy thoughts about the future if your mind is full of the blues of the past. - From Reminisce Magazine -
Kind words are easy to speak, but their echos are endless. - From Reminisce Magazine -

NOTES
Today has been a cloudy day in McAlester, Oklahoma, with a high temperature of 70 degrees and a low temperature of 64 degrees. We have had a few sprinkles of rain today. We had a nice shower of rain last night sometime after midnight. I had lunch today with my brother, Charley, and our friend, Bill. I came by the post office and then was home for the rest of the day. I took a nap this afternoon. I put treats and food out for the outside animals at 4:30 p.m. Tonight I would like to welcome Bobbi Jo Taylor to the Good Things. Bobbi is one of the good waitresses at Taco Bob's Fiesta Grill. She was our waitress today. I mentioned this morning when I forwarded Nan's Calendar that I might use a story that I wrote titled "A Cat Named Gracie" in the Good Things, typing a little every night. I have about decided that is not a good idea. It would require too much typing, even typing a little every night. I shouldn't have even mentioned it. We had two earthquakes in Oklahoma on Saturday. The strongest was 5.6 which was the strongest earthquake ever recorded in Oklahoma. Now if you California folks are going to send us earthquakes, we may have to send you some tornados.
The cats are fine, all eight of them. Here are the names of my cats in case you have forgotten their names, Beau, Emmy, Friendly, Itty Bitty, Leo, Little Girl, Rascal and Smokey. I also have a stray cat named Lucy who is around a lot of the time. I mentioned last night that I had not seen Emmy all day yesterday. She came in about 10:30 p.m. last night.
I will see you next time, In Christian Love, Everett.