Strength

There is strength and there is strength.

A young strong man at the construction site was bragging that he could outdo anyone in a feat of strength. He kept making fun of one of the older workers. After several minutes, the older worker had had enough.

"Why don't you put your money where your mouth is," he said. "I will bet a week's wages that I can haul something in a wheelbarrow over to that outbuilding that you won't be able to wheel back." "You're on, old man," the braggart replied. "Let's see what you got."

The old man reached out and grabbed the wheelbarrow by the handles. Then, nodding to the young man, he said, "all right, get in." There is strength of body and strength of mind. And strength of spirit...excerpt from Stephen Shepard

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Mother Teresa: "Be faithful in small things because it is in them that your strength lies." Perhaps in small acts of service.

Strength comes through serving others

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Galatians 5:13 "You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature ; rather, serve one another in love."

 

2 Corinthians 12:9-11 "But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong."

 

Just a Closer Walk with Thee
 

 

I am weak, but Thou art strong;

Jesus, keep me from all wrong;
I’ll be satisfied as long
As I walk, let me walk close to Thee

Just a closer walk with Thee,
Grant it, Jesus, is my plea,
Daily walking close to Thee,
Let it be, dear Lord, let it be.

Through this world of toil and snares,
If I falter, Lord, who cares
Who with me my burden shares?
None but Thee, dear Lord, none but Thee.

When my feeble life is o’er,
Time for me will be no more;
Guide me gently, safely o’er
To Thy kingdom shore, to Thy shore

The Power of Comfort

 

.......There is something about comfort that cannot be fully realized until it is shared with someone else. It is that final step in the healing process of grief, disapointment, hurt, and loss. Until we share the comfort we have received, until we pass it on to another, our comfort is weak and shallow and limited. Comfort, pass it on!  excert from Phil Ware message.

The comfort God provides through Christ is not just for our
         private consumption
"God does not comfort us to make us comfortable, but to make
         us comforters." - John Henry Jowett (1817-1893)
      -- Yes, our comfort is designed to be shared!



Here is a simple, rule-of-thumb guide for behavior: ask yourself what you want people to do for you, then grab the initiative and do it for them.  Add up God's Law and prophets and this is what you get.....Matthew 7 verse 12 MSG
 
 Therefore if there is any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and mercy, fulfill my joy by being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind. Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others....Phillipians 2:1-4
 

Now may the God of patience and comfort grant you to be like-minded toward one another, according to Christ Jesus... Romans 15:5 (NKJV)

Be First

Let us be the first to give a friendly sign; to nod first, smile first, speak first, and- if such a thing is necessary- forgive first.

 

Cast your bread upon the waters, for after many days you will find it again

Ecclesiasties 11:1
 

 Cast Your Bread Upon The Water from the Gaither Vocal band

 

“Enjoy the little things, for one day you make look back and realize they were the big things.” ~Robert Brault

I believe life is in the details. Ongoing small gestures can mean so much more than one grand display of love. When you connect the dots between all these little joys, life seems fuller and more satisfying. Hold the door for someone or thank them for something most people wouldn’t notice.  Give a smile today and you may get one back. Smiles make you feel good and say much more than words can.

 

 

Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another. (KJV) — Romans 12:10

 

 

 By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another. John 13:35

 

Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.  Psalms 19:14

 

A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in a setting of silver. Proverbs 25:11



The Choice is Mine

A New Year. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . William Arthur Ward

Another fresh new year is here …
Another year to live!
To banish worry, doubt, and fear,
To love and laugh and give!

This bright new year is given me
To live each day with zest …
To daily grow and try to be
My highest and my best!

I have the opportunity
Once more to right some wrongs,
To pray for peace, to plant a tree,
And sing more joyful songs!




 



Or do the opposite and spread doom and gloom to everyone
The choice is mine...

I can have a good year by choosing not according to my circumstances...but rather....according to my gratefulness for all that I have....regardless of circumstance.

1 Thessalonians 5:18

Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you who belong to Christ Jesus
 

A life lived that matters is not of circumstance but of choice.

Life is full of ups and downs. So much of what we hold dear can be touched by death, disaster, and decay. What do we have that is certain? To whom can we turn for assurance? Where do we find the power to live victoriously in good times and bad? In the Lord who gives us strength!

O LORD God, Father of all creation, I confess that my life and the circumstances in which I try to live it are beyond my ability to control. I thank you for being present to comfort, protect, guide, and empower me to face each situation with confidence and assurance. Because you are with me, O loving Shepherd, I know I will have all I need to live victoriously for you until the day I go to share with you in your glory. In Jesus' name. Amen

The Perfect Gift

When we recall Christmas past, we usually find that the simplest things, not the great occasions, give off the greatest glow of happiness.

 

Bob Hope's words are so true.  Sending little gifts to someone out of the blue, for no reason can make perhaps a blah day into a special one.  I used to do this for my Mom and Dad all the time.  Many times the postage was more expensive than what was in the package. To hear their happiness in a thank you phone call or a note told me that receiving that $2.99 item wasn't about the gift, but my time and thought that mattered the most to them.

 

The happiness of life is made up of minute fractions -- the little soon forgotten charities of a kiss or smile, a kind look, a heartfelt compliment, and the countless infinitesimal of pleasurable and genial feeling. Coleridge, Samuel Taylor

 

"The Gift of the Magi" is a heartfelt story by O. Henry about a young married couple and how they deal with the challenge of buying secret Christmas gifts for each other with very little money.

Their perfect gift for each other, came with a sacrifice to themselves.

 

Stop your search, wander aimlessly no more for Jesus is the one Gift which we need. When that Gift becomes ours through Spirit-given faith, our sins are forgiven, and we are granted a new home in heaven. There we shall live forever, giving thanks for God's perfect Gift -- the Gift better than gold.

 

 

 

Dear Lord, as we go searching for the perfect gift or plan the grandest of occasions for friends and family members, may we remember that -- by Your grace -- we have received the perfect Gift of a Savior and blood-bought salvation. May we share that Gift with others. In His Name. Amen

 

 

 

 

Give Thanks

Give Thanks with a Grateful Heart

 1 Thessalonians 5:18
Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus

I am grateful for all the insightful writers out there in cyberland, and the ability and resources to find their wonderful words and pass them collectively along to you. thank you
jmcee

think happy
heaven knows i'm not the best at balancing my responsiblities,

but i think it's important that i remember that i'm grateful for them....
all my chores mean that i have a home, a warm bed, utilities, a sweet little family to take care of,
and a life full of purpose...read more at http://angiedunn.blogspot.com/

The "Secret" is Gratitude

I have been very blessed in my life. I recognize that these blessings come from sharing what I have with others and giving gratitude for what I have been given....read more at http://thesecretisgratitude.blogspot.com/

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I'm utterly convinced that the key to lifelong success is the regular exercise of a single emotional muscle: gratitude.
People who approach life with a sense of gratitude are constantly aware of what's wonderful in their life. Because they enjoy the fruits of their successes, they seek out more success. And when things don't go as planned, people who are grateful can put failure into perspective.......read more, you'll be glad you did http://www.inc.com/geoffrey-james/gratitude-true-secret-to-success.html

 

Faith Unlocks the Door

Faith shouldn't die if the answers come slowly, for the delay may be God's way of working his will in our lives. Our persistence is an expression of our faith that God answers our prayers

When you feel tired of praying, know that God is present, always listening, always answering--maybe not in ways you had hoped, but in ways that he knows are best.

 

"Devote yourselves to prayer with an alert mind and a thankful heart." Colossians 4:2, NLT

Prayer is the key to heaven but faith unlocks the door

Words are so easily spoken

Prayer without faith is like a boat without an oar

Have faith when you speak to the Master
That's all he asks you for

Prayer is the key to heaven but faith unlocks the door

great lyrics by Don Gibson