Good Things

by E. Christian, McAlester, OK
Thursday, May 10, 2012

GOD SPEAKS TO US THROUGH HIS HOLY WORD
6 Seek the Lord while he may be found; call on him while he is near. 7 Let the wicked forsake their ways and the unrighteous their thoughts. Let them turn to the Lord, and he will have mercy on them, and to our God, for he will freely pardon. - Isaiah 55:6-7(New International Version).

GOD'S PROMISE TO US FROM HIS HOLY WORD
10 And if Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. 11 But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you. - Romans 8:10--11(New King James Version).

A QUOTE
May your life become one of glad and unending praise to the Lord as you journey through this world, and in the world that is to come! - Teresa of Avila -

A THOUGHT TO REMEMBER
Every moment is full of wonder and God is always present. - From It's A Beautiful Life -

NOTES
Today has been a sunny day with a high temperature of 80 degrees and a low of 53 degrees. I had lunch with Charley and Bill. I went by the post office. I came home and sat out in the back yard for a few minutes. I took a nap with Emmy in early afternoon. My cousin, Audie, and daughter, Sherry, from Moore, Oklahoma, came by to visit with me a few minutes around 5:00 p.m. I just had an e-mail from Audie and they had made it back home safe and sound. I sat outside with my babies from 6:00 to 6:45 p.m. I always appreciate your e-mails and everyone who reads the Good Things.
The cats are fine. Not a cat is with me at present but I have seen them all this evening. Emmy, Little Girl and Rascal have all been here since I started the Good Things. I have seen most of them in the last few minutes.
I will see you next time,
In Christian Love, Everett.

Daily Jewel

by Pastor Carnell, McAlester, OK
May 10, 2012

“Protecting Your Water Rights”
“Your spring water is for you and you only, not to be passed around among strangers.” – Proverbs 5:17 (The Message)

Spring water is water that is harvested from a natural spring. Unlike many forms of bottled water that are filtered and treated to remove impurities, natural spring water is considered to contain a beneficial level of minerals and is normally bottled directly at the source. In recent years, spring water has become available in a number of different retail outlets.
Part of the attraction of spring water is that it is often water that has moved to the surface from some type of underground water source. As such, the water is considered to be free of contaminants as well as unspoiled by the use of modern filtration techniques. Many proponents of spring water note that the liquid has a naturally refreshing taste that cannot be replicated by other types of water.
When we lived in Medford, approximately 30 miles to the west, right next to the highway was an artesian well that flowed freely 7 days a week…24 hours a day. The water was pristine, clear and wonderful! The land-owner on which the spring flowed had created a means for anyone who wanted could come and fill water containers free of charge. Once a month I would take at least a dozen gallon containers and fill them. The family at one point wanted to place a barrier around the well and charge for its use—but the owner refused and to this day remains available for anyone, free of charge. How I miss that well! That story may not appear to have anything to do with the verse—unless it has to do with this: When you realize how pure and wholesome that water is, nothing compares. Bottled water does not come anywhere close. The very definition of “spring water” speaks of its purity—its wholesome nature. It is the best and it cannot be duplicated.
God feels that way about us and went to the greatest lengths in order for us to enjoy the life He has given us—and for us to drink from the “spring” of His love at any time because it is always flowing.
In a Reader's Digest article, a contributor told of an Aunt and Uncle who had adopted a baby boy after five years of trying unsuccessfully to conceive one on their own. To their surprise, a short time after the adoption, the aunt discovered that she was pregnant, and she later gave birth to a boy. One day when the two boys were eight and nine years old, the teller of the story was visiting her aunt and a woman in the neighborhood came to visit. Observing the children playing, the woman asked, "Which boy is yours, Ruby?" "Both of them," Aunt Ruby replied. The visitor persisted. "I mean, which one is adopted?" Aunt Ruby did not hesitate. In her finest hour, she looked straight at her guest and replied, "I've forgotten!" When we are adopted as God's children, we quickly come to cherish our heavenly Father's giving nature! He chooses to forget our sins, to forget our wayward past, and to give us the full rights of sons or daughters. He treats us as if we had never sinned and He not only does He call us His own He is unwilling to share us with another. He seeks to protect what is His own. Don’t be tempted to “drink” from anything less that the spring that comes from the heart of God.
Pastor J. T. Carnell

Good Things

by E. Christian, Mcalester, OK
Wednesday, May 9, 2012

GOD SPEAKS TO US THROUGH HIS HOLY WORD
(The Lord says) 7 “But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him. 8 They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.” - Jeremiah 17:7-8(New International Version).

GOD'S PROMISE TO US FROM HIS HOLY WORD
(Jesus said) 22" For there is nothing hidden which will not be revealed, nor has anything been kept secret but that it should come to light." - Mark 4:22(New King James Version).

A QUOTE
This is the miracle that happens every time to those who really love: the more they give, the more they possess. - Rainer Maria Rilke -

A THOUGHT TO REMEMBER
Kindness is a language that the deaf can hear and the blind can see. - From Reminisce Magazine -

NOTES
Today has been mostly sunny in McAlester, Oklahoma, with a high temperature of 80 degrees and a low of 50 degrees. I had lunch with Charley and several of his church friends including his former pastor and wife, Joel and Carol Kircher. I went by the post office. I took my nap in early afternoon with Emmy. I sat outside with the cats from 5:00 to 6:00 p.m. I watched a Billy Graham classic crusade at 6:00 p.m. The one tonight was from Anchorage, Alaska, in 1984. I went back outside at 7:00 for about 15 minutes. My three children will be visiting for a few days in a couple of weeks. There is not much news to report tonight. I do appreciate your e-mails and you reading the Good Things. If you would like to be dropped off let me know.
The cats are fine. Little Girl and Rascal are in their usual places here in the den. Itty Bitty came through a little while ago. When I go outside in the evening with treats for the cats all I have to say is "Come On Kitties" and they all come running.
I will see you next time,
In Christian Love, Everett.

Daily Jewel

by Pastor Carnell, McAlister, OK
May 9, 2012

“Preventative Measures”
“Do you know the saying, ‘Drink from your own rain barrel, draw water from your own spring-fed well?’ It's true. Otherwise, you may one day come home and find your barrel empty and your well polluted. “– Proverbs 5:15, 16 (The Message)

Solomon’s insinuation here is this: If you leave your door unlocked, do not be surprised if you come home and find your possessions gone! The result of one’s self-centeredness and seeking satisfaction in ways and places that is outside of the boundaries.
A good example takes us back to the post civil war days and a notorious outlaw by the name of Jesse James. I have a picture of my father dressed in a Confederate Soldier Uniform which he donned every year to commemorate “Jesse James” Days in the area where we lived. I could never quite understand how or why they dedicated a weekend of festivities to an outlaw, except maybe that at one time James and his gang lived in that area.
Jesse and his brother Frank James were Confederate guerrillas during the Civil War. They were accused of participating in atrocities committed against Union Soldiers. After the war, as members of one gang or another, they robbed banks, stagecoaches, and trains. Despite popular portrayals of James as a kind of Robin Hood, robbing from the rich and giving to the poor, there is no evidence that he and his gang used their robbery gains for anyone but themselves.
The James brothers were most active with their gang from about 1866 until 1876, when their attempted robbery of a bank in Northfield, Minnesota which resulted in the capture or deaths of several members. Jesse continued in crime for several years, recruiting new members, most notably the Ford brothers, Charley and Robert (Bob) but were under increasing pressure from law enforcement. They moved from place to place attempting to stay one step ahead of the law. On April 3, 1882, after eating breakfast, the Fords and James prepared to depart for another robbery. They went in and out of the house to ready the horses. As it was an unusually hot day, James removed his coat, and then declared that he needed to remove his firearms as well, lest he look suspicious. Noticing a dusty picture on the wall, he stood on a chair to clean it. Robert Ford took that opportunity and shot James in the back of the head. His intent was simple, there was a huge reward for the capture or death of Jesse James and Ford decided to claim it. The murder of Jesse James was a national sensation. The Fords made no attempt to hide their role. Indeed, Robert Ford wired the governor to claim his reward. Crowds pressed into the little house in St. Joseph, Missouri to see the dead bandit, even while the Ford brothers surrendered to the authorities but they were dismayed to find that they were charged with first degree murder. In the course of a single day, the Ford brothers were indicted, pleaded guilty, were sentenced to death by hanging, and then two hours later were granted a full pardon by Governor Crittenden. After receiving only a fraction of the reward, the Fords fled Missouri. Suffering from tuberculosis (then incurable) and having a morphine addiction, Charley Ford committed suicide on May 6, 1884, in Richmond, Missouri. Robert Ford operated a tent saloon in Creede, Colorado. On June 8, 1892, a man named Edward O’Kelley went to Creede on a personal vendetta with avenging James. He loaded a double barrel shotgun, entered Ford's saloon and said "Hello Bob" before shooting Ford in the head, killing him instantly. O'Kelley was sentenced to life in prison. O'Kelley's sentence was subsequently commuted because of a 7,000 signature petition in favor of his release. The governor pardoned him on October 3, 1902.
It is often said of “bounty hunters,” individuals who go after outlaws/criminals with one intent, the reward money; “what appears to be a reward in the mind—winds up becoming a remorse for the soul.” The Ford’s thought they had easy-money, only in the end to being just a couple of names attached to the legend that was Jesse James!
The lesson here—take a long, hard look at that which seems to be easy-gain or quick satisfaction. What looks good on the surface may have some very negative and harmful consequences underneath. Don’t side-step your spiritual life either. Do everything that it takes to be the strongest Christian possible!
Pastor J. T. Carnell

Good Things

by E. Christian, McAlester, OK
Tuesday, May 8, 2012

GOD SPEAKS TO US THROUGH HIS HOLY WORD
8 Better a little with righteousness than much gain with injustice. - Proverbs 16:8(New International Version).

GOD'S PROMISE TO US FROM HIS HOLY WORD
(The Apostle Paul wrote to Timothy) 16 "Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers." - 1 Timothy 4:16(New International Version).

A QUOTE
When we learn that the hard way is often the best way, and that the long view is always the right view, we will found our lives upon the teaching of Jesus and no storms will ever shake them. - William Barclay -

A THOUGHT TO REMEMBER
A small house will hold as much happiness as a mansion. - From Home is Where the Heart Is -

NOTES
We had a rain shower in the early morning hours before I awakened. It has been a cloudy day with a high temperature of 72 degrees. I had lunch with Charley and Bill. I went to the post office. I took my nap in early afternoon with Emmy. At 4:20 p.m. I went to Walgreens to pick up a prescription and then on to the Petsense store and Walmart. I sat outside with my babies from 6:00 to 7:00 p.m. They continued to stay outside and play after I came inside. I can't think of anything else to write tonight. Remember that next Sunday is Mother's Day. I appreciate your e-mails and I appreciate everyone who reads the Good Things. I had an e-mail from Debra today and I would like to share just one paragraph where she talks about her mother. I don't think that Debra will mind if I share this paragraph at the end of the Good Things. The cats are fine. Little Girl is asleep on the sofa and Rascal is asleep in the recliner. I have seen all of the cats this evening.
I will see you next time,
In Christian Love, Everett.
************************************** Here is the paragraph from Debra's letter:
I am off today, with having to work on Saturday - so had some appts. in town, then came home to the "household duties" and catching up on some emails. I have several that I write to back home, in Illinois, but through actual letter writing - they don't have a computer and one of them is my Mother. We write each other once a week and then talk on the phone throughout the week, as well. She had always shared letters and cards with others and I know how much that meant to those people, so now I do that with her. I usually start out the letter, with "Hello Dear Mother - get yourself a cup of coffee and let's visit awhile:)" - I share with her what's been going on in Oklahoma and with the family here, sometimes news items, the weather etc. and then I close with, "ending our visit, until next time". She will turn 80 this next April and I appreciate having her in my life - she's my inspiration and my angel on earth. Everyday is my Mother's Day and wish the miles weren't so far between us ~~~ hoping that her health continues well and she's able to remain in her own home - I have already told my kids that if Gramma needs me, I am moving back to Illinois to help keep her in her home - she's always been there for me and I will do the same for her, God willing.