Daily Jewel

by Pastor Carnell, McAlester, )K

“Knowing What to Trust” “For Wisdom is better than all the trappings of wealth; nothing you could wish for holds a candle to her.” - Proverbs 8:11 (MSG)

Something that I have been pondering for some time yet have not mentioned it because I want to be cautious and not sound overly cynical – but do these words seem just a bit “empty” considering they come from a man who had everything?
Think about it. Did Solomon lack for anything? Did he work six days a week just to pay his bills? Did he have to sit down each night and mull over his checkbook wondering what bills he should pay and which ones to “think about?” Listen to these words from the book of Ecclesiastes, another one of Solomon’s writings:

“I undertook great projects: I built houses for myself and planted vineyards. I made gardens and parks and planted all kinds of fruit trees in them. I made reservoirs to water groves of flourishing trees. I bought male and female slaves and had other slaves who were born in my house. I also owned more herds and flocks than anyone in Jerusalem before me. I amassed silver and gold for myself, and the treasure of kings and provinces. I acquired male and female singers, and a harem as well—the delights of a man’s heart. I became greater by far than anyone in Jerusalem before me. In all this my wisdom stayed with me.

I denied myself nothing my eyes desired; I refused my heart no pleasure. My heart took delight in all my labor, and this was the reward for all my toil. Yet when I surveyed all that my hands had done and what I had toiled to achieve, everything was meaningless, a chasing after the wind; nothing was gained under the sun.” – Ecclesiastes 2:4-11 (NIV)

Not many of us—if any of us would ever find ourselves in this kind of circumstance. Most of us work hard, (maybe overtime?) just to eek out an existence…make ends meet and any other cliché you can come up with. So for us to look at these words: “…wisdom is better than the trappings of wealth…” well, let’s just say it may not bother us to find ourselves “trapped” from time to time, if for no other reason than to just get our heads above water long enough to see what is going on.
So how should we take this? How can we let these words take hold and be of benefit to us? Isn’t that the purpose of Scripture? Isn’t that what we are told?
“All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” – 2nd Timothy 3:16, 17

Paul (a very learned man) says all Scripture is from God! Not just the parts that we approve of or the passages that we are comfortable with but all of it. That tells me that regardless of how I feel about whether or not Solomon understands the common man—God understands life and knows how easily we can get “trapped” by it. Which is why wisdom is to be preferred—to prevent those trappings from taking place.
Solomon never knew me or my situation—but God does. Solomon could not possibly understand the financial crisis either I or any of us may face. God does. Which is why I choose to let Scripture be my guide even when it often does not seem to fit just right at the time.
Regardless of who penned the words—it is the mind and heart of God that directed those words and He knows what we need the most. That is where I need to place my trust!
Pastor J. T. Carnell

Good Things

by Everett Christian, McAlester, OK

GOD SPEAKS TO US THROUGH HIS HOLY WORD

29 Then Jesus told him (Thomas), “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” - John 20:29(New International Version).

GOD'S PROMISE TO US FROM HIS HOLY WORD
(Job said) 10 "But he (God) knows the way that I take; when he has tested me, I will come forth as gold." - Job 23:10(New International Version).

A QUOTE
Following the path of least resistance is what makes men and rivers crooked. - Larry Bielat -

THOUGHTS TO REMEMBER
One of life's mysteries is how a 2-pound box of candy can make a person gain 5 pounds. - From Reminisce Magazine - Your struggle may be lasting, but it is not everlasting. - From Don't Wait for Your Ship to Come In -

NOTES
Today has been a cloudy day with rain from early morning until early afternoon. The high temperature today was 70 degrees and that happened just after midnight at 1:05 a.m. The temperature has fallen throughout the day and it is now 39 degrees. I attended Church this morning. We had a wonderful service. I had lunch at home. When I lay down for my nap I don't think there was a cat with me but when I got up from my nap there were three or four cats with me. It was damp outside this evening but some of the cats expected me to take treats out for them. They went outside and ate their treats and came back in the house. Spoiled or not? Since last night's Good Things I haven't had an e-mail concerning the Good Things so I thought tonight that perhaps I wouldn't do a Good Things. Then the thought came to me that I need to send out some Scripture Verses so I decided to go ahead and do the Good Things.
The cats are fine. Most of them are staying inside due to the wet and cool weather. Rascal is asleep in the recliner.

I hope everyone has a nice Monday!
I will see you next time, In Christian Love, Everett.

Good Things

by Everett Christian, McAlester, OK

GOD SPEAKS TO US FROM HIS HOLY WORD
18 No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son (Jesus), who is himself God and is in closest relationship with the Father, has made him known. - John 1:18(New International Version).

GOD'S PROMISE TO US FROM HIS HOLY WORD
14 The faithless will be fully repaid for their ways, and the good rewarded for theirs. - Proverbs 14:14(New International Version).
A QUOTE
Don't be content to be the chip off the old block - be the old block itself. - Winston Churchill -
THOUGHTS TO REMEMBER
Criticizing another's garden doesn't keep the weeds out of your own. - From Don't Wait for Your Ship to Come In - The tongue of slander slays three: the speaker, the spoken to, and the spoken of. - From Proverbs for Daily Living -

NOTES
Today has been a partly cloudy day with a high temperature of 76 degrees and a low of 62 degrees. My housecleaning lady cleaned my house while I had lunch with Charley. I then went to the post office and Memory Gardens cemetery before I came home. I took my nap without a cat this afternoon. I went to Walmart around 4:00 p.m. and filled my van with gasoline at $3.14 per gallon. I put treats out for the cats at 4:45 p.m. but it was too windy to sit outside. Since the last Good Things I have heard from Burlene, Geneva, Tiyan (my second cousin-in-law), Michelle and Alice. I appreciate your e-mails.
The cats are fine. They have all been around this evening.
Have a Wonderful Sunday and Veteran's Day!
I will see you next time, In Christian Love, Everett.

Good Things

by Everett Christian, McAlester, OK

GOD SPEAKS TO US THROUGH HIS HOLY WORD
14 Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord. - Psalm 27:14(New International Version).

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. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him." - John 3:16-17(New International Version).

A QUOTE
No man was ever honored for what he received. Honor has been the reward for what he gave. - Calvin Coolidge - - 29th President of the United States -

THOUGHTS TO REMEMBER
All the flowers of tomorrow are in the seeds of today. - From Reminisce Magazine - The secret of success is to start from scratch and keep on scratching. - From Don't Wait for Your Ship to Come in

- NOTES
Today has been a partly cloudy day with a high temperature of 82 degrees and a low temperature this morning of 60 degrees. I saw Charley and Bill at noon time. I went to the post office to pick up my mail and then to Walgreen's to pick up a prescription. I sat outside with the cats a few minutes before I took my afternoon nap. I took a nap without a cat this afternoon. I took cat treats outside for the cats at around 5:00 p.m. Since last night's Good Things, I have heard from Michelle, Gina (my second cousin), Margaret and Geneva. I am always glad to receive e-mails. Just a word about my notes. I could leave the notes off except for the fact that some want to know how I am getting along. If I ever offend anyone with my notes, I want you to get in touch with me immediately so we can work things out. I will apologize if I have offended anyone. As far as I know on my part I do not have an enemy with anyone that I know or correspond with and if I do I will do all I can to work things out the way Jesus would have us do it. I guess that I worry too much that I will write or say the wrong thing.
The cats are fine. Rascal has been asleep on the desk near my computer most of the time I have been typing the Good Things. I have seen all of the cats this evening.
I hope everyone has a nice Saturday!
I will see you next time, In Christian Love, Everett.

Good Things

by Everett Christian, McAlester, OK

GOD SPEAKS TO US THROUGH HIS HOLY WORD
6 Come, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the Lord our Maker; 7 for he is our God and we are the people of his pasture, the flock under his care. - Psalm 95:6-7(New International Version).

GOD'S PROMISE TO US FROM HIS HOLY WORD

5 But you know that he (Jesus) appeared so that he might take away our sins. And in him is no sin. - 1 John 3:5(New International Version).

A QUOTE
The past should be a springboard, not a hammock. - Edmond Burke ->br />
THOUGHTS TO REMEMBER
If you think twice before you speak once, you will speak twice the better for it. - From Proverbs for Daily Living - Most people are willing to change, not because they see the light, but because they feel the heat. - From Don't Wait for Your Ship to Come In -

NOTES
Today has been a sunny day with a high temperature of 73 degrees and a low temperature this morning of 46 degrees. I saw Charley and Bill at noon. I went by the post office to pick up my mail. I sat outside with the cats for a few minutes before I took my nap. I took my nap with Smokey and Tony napping with me today. At 4;30 p.m. I took cat treats out for the kitties and sat with them a few minutes and read. I then went to the room that I use for an office and worked for almost an hour, paying a bill, posting expenditures to my check book, filing a little and throwing away junk papers that I don't need. I need to do a lot more work in my office but somehow I just don't have the energy anymore to get started on anything. Could it be my age? I also have to do all the house work since my dear Flonnie left me. I do have a lady come in once a week and work for about an hour cleaning the house and bathroom, changing my bed sheets, washing a few dishes and other things. She does an excellent job but keeping the house spotless like my Flonnie did is a thing of the past. Flonnie was a part of me and the dearest friend that I ever had. I may not live to see another presidential election but that will be fine with me if that is the Lord's Will. I ask the Lord almost every night to keep me well enough to take care of my cats as long as I live on this earth. Maybe that is why He is keeping me here, to take care of my cats and also to send out Scripture Verses via the Good Things. It is also very lonesome living by yourself as you who live by yourself can agree to. Some have lost a mate as I have and you don't know how that is until you experience it. But I will make it. As Johnny Cash used to sing "I am just an old chunk of coal but I'll be a diamond some day."
Since the last Good Things I have heard from Burlene, Michelle, Geneva and Alice. One of my e-mail friends that lost their vote as I did sent me something that I will leave at the end of the Good Things that perhaps will help others who lost their vote. I don't have anything against anyone who voted different than me. I love you just the same as always.
The cats are fine. Rascal was just here with me and left out. Tony just now came in for a bite of dry food and when he left Emmy came in for a bite of food. I have a little bowl of dry cat food sitting on the desk near my computer and that is where the cats head for when they come in. Life would be dull around here without my cats. ha ha
I hope everyone has a nice Friday!
I will see you next time, In Christian Love, Everett.

Here's part of something written by Peter Heck, a young man:
"So how do I feel? And how do I think Christians should feel today? I state this unequivocally: I am disappointed. Disappointed in my country. But I am not discouraged. If my sense of purpose and my sense of meaning were drawn from winning elections or gaining political power I would be. But it's not - never has been, never will be. In the heat of an election that means so much, that truth can be lost on many people. It's not that I don't care about the outcome of elections - I obviously do. It's not that I don't see them as important or critical to the survival of our civilization and way of life - I obviously do.

But as a Christian believer, my calling is something far greater. God has commanded me to be His ambassador in this crooked and depraved generation. He's called me to stand for truth even when it feels like I'm standing alone. He's called me to be a light in a dark world even when it seems the darkness overshadows and envelops me. He's called me to be righteous and faithful, and let Him handle everything else."