Daily Jewel

by Pastor Carnell, McAlestor, OK
Jan. 31, 2012

“Real Neighbors!”
“Do not plot against your neighbors, for they trust you...’" – Proverbs 3:29 (NLT)

I need to begin today’s message with a bit of a disclaimer. I may have used this illustration before so if I have then guess what? You are going to see it again!! But it truly fits today’s message.
Bob and Lynne weren't what they would consider good neighbors, but when they saw a moving van in front of the house across the street, they decided to change their ways. Lynn made some homemade bread and together they approached the house.
When someone answered the front door, Lynn said, "Hi. We wanted to welcome you to our neighborhood. Here's some bread for you." The woman who answered the door said, "Thank you very much for your kindness. But...this is a bit embarrassing. You see, we're not moving in. We're moving out. We've lived here 8 years!”
We discovered a couple of days ago what it means to be “a neighbor.” That in truth we are all neighbors—one to another. The fact that we are all human flesh links us together in a way that we are unable to escape. It would be easy to ignore this link if it were not for the fact that Jesus calls our attention that we truly belong to each other and have a responsibility to help those in need.
Pam was a mother of three children, ages 12, 9, and 7. Her husband of 14 years had recently been killed in an automobile accident leaving Pam to raise their children by herself. He had a life insurance policy that would at least help with some of the bills along with a small pension—but she knew the money would be tight. Her Christian faith was strong and her belief in God’s promise, “I will never leave you or forsake you,” sustained her during some very difficult times.
Charlie was a recent widower. He and his wife, Marie, had been married for over 50 years but never had any children. When Marie died of cancer Charlie was left all alone…literally. When Charlie and Marie first married they decided they would travel each weekend so they never established a church home nor did they have a foundation of friends to surround them. The house they were living in was rather large so Charlie decided to sell that home and move into something a little smaller and found what he believed to be the perfect house…right next door to Pam.
The day after Charlie moved in Pam and the kids went next door to great their new neighbor. After a brief introduction Pam presented him with a pie along with other food items. Charlie was at first taken back—no one had ever done anything like this before—but then gathered his composure long enough to say “thanks” and, “make sure your children don’t break any of my windows.” With that, the visit abruptly ended.
Pam was not quite sure what she should do. She wanted to be a good neighbor but yet was careful not to intrude upon this man’s privacy. She decided that despite this rather brief and awkward first encounter she would do some small, friendly acts of kindness and show Charlie that she would be a good neighbor.
At his bidding she made certain that the children were careful to not get on his property. If she was outside and saw him she made certain to greet him with a smile and a hello—neither of which were returned. The oldest child volunteered to mow his lawn—he refused the offer. After receiving a generous food gift from her church Pam thought she would share some of it with Charlie. His growl when he opened the door was returned with a smile from Pam—albeit a reluctant one. She was almost surprised when he accepted the food and when she turned to go back home he asked, “Why are you doing this?” She turned her head and said, “Because I want to. Because I need to. And because I believe that one day you might do the same for me.”
“Don’t count on it missy!” was all he said. He turned and closed the door with a thud. But instead of feeling defeated, Pam felt that perhaps she had actually made some progress.
One day Charlie was sitting in a rocking chair on his front porch. Pam’s youngest child, Marcie, saw Charlie rocking all alone and decided to go and visit. Strangely, there was a second chair on the porch. Without a word Marcie sat in the empty chair and began to rock. After several moments of silence, Marcie asked, “Why are there two chairs on your porch?”
Softly, Charlie answered, “It was my wife’s chair.” And that was all that was said. After ten minutes of complete silence, Marcie got out of the chair and sat on Charlie’s lap. The old man never said a word. He just continued to rock with Marcie right there.
One night as Charlie was getting ready for bed he heard sirens and they seemed to be on his street. He looked out his bedroom window only to see Pam and her children standing on their front yard as fire trucks converged at her house. The unthinkable had happened; Pam’s house was on fire. Charlie quickly went outside to make sure everyone was okay. Fortunately no one was hurt and the fire was confined to the kitchen area and was quickly contained—but the house would be unlivable for several weeks for repairs. Charlie said to Pam, “Get a few of your belongings together and if you would like, you can stay with me. You and the girls can have my bedroom and I have an extra room for your boy. My house is small but at least you can be near yours to make certain things are alright.”
With tears in her eyes Pam gratefully accepted Charlie’s offer. When given the okay Pam and the kids went into their home to get a few things for the evening and the next day. Charlie waited patiently on his front porch and when they crossed Charlie’s lawn he looked at this tired young woman and said, “You were right. A time has come that you need someone’s help and it is about time that I became a real neighbor to you.”
With that, a real bond was formed that would eventually lead Charlie to learn more about the God that gave Pam the strength to be a real neighbor! There is truly a difference between being a “nosy” neighbor and being a friendly one. The latter can help make a difference in lives!
Pastor J. T. Carnell

Good Things

by Everett Christian, McAlester, OK
Monday, January 30, 2012

GOD'S SPEAKS TO US THROUGH HIS HOLY WORD
18 For in that He (Jesus) Himself has suffered, being tempted, He is able to aid those who are tempted. - Hebrews 2:18(New King James Version).
GOD'S PROMISE TO US FROM HIS HOLY WORD
(Jesus said) 14 "And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man (Jesus) be lifted up, 15 that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life." - John 3:14-15(New King James Version).

A QUOTE
A loving family teaches respect for each other. - Dolores Curran -
THOUGHTS TO REMEMBER
Some folks are so busy being good they forget they should be busy doing good. - From Reminisce Magazine -
What greater gift to give the people in a church's community than the loving gift of Christ in their lives! - From Reflecting God -

NOTES
Today has been mostly sunny and warm with a high temperature of 66 degrees and a low of 45 degrees. I had lunch with Charley. I went to the post office and then to Walgreens to pick up prescriptions. I rested for about an hour with Beau and at 2:15 p.m. I took him to the vet. The vet could find nothing wrong with him but she took blood samples and will have them tested by tomorrow and call me the results. Please, please pray with me that Beau's blood tests with be all right. They did get him to eat a tiny bit at the vets office and he ate a tiny bit after he came home. He has just been lying around the past 3 days. Since last night's Good Things I have had e-mails from Mary Jo, Debra, Annette, Quentin, Burlene and Paula. Thanks for your e-mails and thanks for your concern for Beau. I know many of you are praying that did not send an e-mail and I do thank every one for your prayers for Beau. God Bless each of you!!
With the exception of Beau, the other cats are fine. Little Girl is on the back of the couch sound asleep. Smokey, Emmy and Rascal have all been by for a love in the last few minutes. Emmy talks to me until I give her some attention. Rascal just now came back and is on the desk near me.
I hope everyone has a nice Tuesday! I will see you next time.
In Christian Love, Everett.

Daily Jewel

by Pastor Carnell, McAlester, OK
Jan. 30, 2012

“How Responsive are You?”
“Don’t tell your neighbor, ‘Maybe some other time,’ or ‘Try me tomorrow when the money’s right there in your pocket...’" – Proverbs 3:28 (The Message)

I’m truly torn here with what this verse is saying to me and probably to a number of others who are reading this message—how much do we give and how much do we hold back? Is there truly a limit to our giving?
I mentioned a couple of days ago that I have been, more than once, the recipient of other’s kindness during time of dire need. On one occasion, our oldest daughter was sick and we needed to get her some medical attention. It was after hours and there was a 24-hour clinic just down the street from our apartment. After providing all of the information we were told that there was a $50 fee for the visit. Dianne was pregnant with our son and I had just started a new job so the $50 fee would literally deplete all of our available funds and I would not receive another paycheck for about 10 days. For the health of our child we had little choice in the matter and we gave the clinic our last $50. We had just enough food to probably last us until the middle of the week.,br /> That was on a Friday. That Sunday at Church we were approached by a couple who engaged us in a casual conversation—then out of the blue the man reached into his pocket and proceeded to hand me a piece of paper. He said to us, “The Lord impressed upon us this morning that we needed to give this you.” When I opened it up it was check for…are you ready for this…fifty dollars!! What makes this even more incredible is the fact we had not told a single person about our need. We did not even let my wife’s parents know for we truly wanted to get through this on our own. There is no doubt in my mind or heart that God spoke to that couple in ways that go beyond our understanding.
What do you do when you know there is someone in need? Pray for them? That is good and helpful—but is it meeting their need? Do you calculate what it will cost you to give? That is not necessarily a bad thing—you certainly do not want to place your own family in a position where you become the one in need. When I think back to that gift from our friends they did what they could and it was such a blessing—not only for us but I believe for them as well!
If God has placed it upon our heart to help someone in need what choice do we truly have but to say “yes!” to Him and do what we can. You never know—those who are the recipients of our generosity may have the opportunity to be givers in the future. I know we have! I am reminded of another passage of Scripture from Solomon: “Cast your bread upon the waters for after many days it will return to you.” (Ecclesiastes 11:1)
Pastor J. T. Carnell

Pennies from Heaven

Author: Unknown
Jan. 30, 2012

You always hear the usual stories of pennies on the sidewalk being good luck, gifts from angels, etc. This is the first time I've ever heard this twist on the story. Gives you something to think about..... Several years ago, a friend of mine and her husband were invited to spend the weekend at the husband's employer's home. My friend, Arlene, was nervous about the weekend. The boss was very wealthy, with a fine home on the waterway, and cars costing more than her house. The first day and evening went well, and Arlene was delighted to have this rare glimpse into how the very wealthy live. The husband's employer was quite generous as a host, and took them to the finest restaurants. Arlene knew she would never have the opportunity to indulge in this kind of extravagance again so was enjoying herself immensely. As the three of them were about to enter an exclusive restaurant that evening, the boss was walking slightly ahead of Arlene and her husband. He stopped suddenly, looking down on the pavement for a long, silent moment. Arlene wondered if she was supposed to pass him. There was nothing on the ground except a single darkened penny that someone had dropped, and a few cigarette butts. Still silent, the man reached down and picked up the penny. He held it up and smiled, then put it in his pocket as if he had found a great treasure. How absurd! What need did this man have for a single penny? Why would he even take the time to stop and pick it up? Throughout dinner, the entire scene nagged at her. Finally, she could stand it no longer. She casually mentioned that her daughter once had a coin collection, and asked if the penny he had found had been of some value. A smile crept across the man's face as he reached into his pocket for the penny and held it out for her to see.. She had seen many pennies before! What was the point of this? 'Look at it,' he said. 'Read what it says.' She read the words ' United States of America.' 'No, not that; read further.' 'One cent?' 'No, keep reading.' 'In God we Trust?' 'Yes!' 'And...?' He explained, 'And if I trust in God, the name of God is holy, even on a coin. Whenever I find a coin I see that inscription. It is written on every single United States coin, but we never seem to notice it! God drops a message right in front of me telling me to trust Him. Who am I to pass it by? When I see a coin, I pray, I stop to see if my trust IS in God at that moment. I pick the coin up as my response to God; that I do trust in Him. For a short time, at least, I cherish it as if it were gold. I think it is God's way of starting a conversation with me. Lucky for me, God is patient and pennies are plentiful! ' When I was out shopping today, I found a penny on the sidewalk. I stopped and picked it up, and realized that I had been worrying and fretting in my mind about things I cannot change. I read the words, 'In God We Trust,' and had to laugh. Yes, God, I get the message. It seems that I have been finding an inordinate number of pennies in the last few months, but then, pennies are plentiful! And, God is patient. Thought for the Day: If God had a refrigerator, your picture would be on it. If He had a wallet, your photo would be in it. He sends you flowers every spring. He sends you a sunrise every morning Face it, friend - He is crazy about you! Send this to every 'beautiful person' you wish to bless. God didn't promise days without pain, laughter without sorrow,sun without rain, but He did promise strength for the day, comfort for the tears, and light for the way. Read this line very slowly and let it sink in... If God brings you to it, He will bring you through it.

From: In email sent by sister-in-law, Betty Hall

Nan's Calendar

by Nan Forehand, Statesville, NC
Jan. 30, 2012

A mind dominated by positive emotions, becomes a favorable abode for the state of mind known as faith. Napoleon Hill

Only the Goodness

Beauty abounds in this world of mine
a heaven on earth, life is divine
radient waves of warmth envelope my being
oh, to experience the glow I am feeling
in mind, body and soul
utterly and completely whole
in my world, no evil, only good

could be the same for others, if only they would
see no evil, hear no evil, speak of none
only the goodness of God, Holy Spirit and Son
chills dance happily across my skin

I pray for all women, children and men
hold onto the good thoughts, let go of the bad
rather to be happy, cheerful and glad

glory to God, for service to mankind
I am here. I've made up my mind.