Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu

“Lord, shake away my indifference and insensitivity to the plight of the poor. When I meet you hungry, thirsty or as a stranger, show me how I can find you food or quench your thirst or receive you in my home and in my heart. Show me how I can serve you in the least of your brothers.” Quote by Mother Teresa (Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu) 1910-1997

Plans

Write your plans in pencil, then give God the eraser.

Christ Commission

If only everyone could know the joy of investing themselves in others and the eternal rewards that come with that. If the church would spend as much time, effort, and resources building lives instead of building churches and "kingdoms"... how quickly God's kingdom would multiply, for the whole earth to know Jesus.

Sermon on Forgiveness

This morning as other mornings, I went out to pick up my local newspaper. While I viewed the front page, my eyes noted an article down on the right column “Coaches to join in sermon on forgiveness.” Longtime friends who coach rival high school football teams let their emotions get the better of themselves during a game. The coaches exchanged words and the officials came together after order was restored and decided to stop the game. Nearly 30 minutes after officials called the game the two coaches met on the field. They talked and hugged each other before calling their teams together at midfield. Each coach apologized to the opposing team and held a post game prayer. Really about two minutes after what happened, we looked over at each other and in that instant, it was apparent we had already forgiven each other the coaches admitted. The senior pastor at the First United Methodist Church where next Sunday’s sermon will include the two coaches, said, “The most important thing is what the coaches did by admitting they were wrong, communication to their teams and demonstrating the true, and sometime ‘hard-for-some-people,’ concept of forgiveness.” This morning as other mornings, I went out to pick up my local newspaper. While I viewed the front page, my eyes noted an article down on the right column “Coaches to join in sermon on forgiveness.” Longtime friends who coach rival high school football teams let their emotions get the better of themselves during a game. The coaches exchanged words and the officials came together after order was restored and decided to stop the game. Nearly 30 minutes after officials called the game the two coaches met on the field. They talked and hugged each other before calling their teams together at midfield. Each coach apologized to the opposing team and held a post game prayer. Really about two minutes after what happened, we looked over at each other and in that instant, it was apparent we had already forgiven each other the coaches admitted. The senior pastor at the First United Methodist Church where next Sunday’s sermon will include the two coaches, said, “The most important thing is what the coaches did by admitting they were wrong, communication to their teams and demonstrating the true, and sometime ‘hard-for-some-people,’ concept of forgiveness.”

Are dads making something of a comeback?

I look forward to reading Betsy Hart’s column. She has something to say to a society, which has lost it way in parenting.
In her recent article, Fathers are starting to make a comeback she makes this point. “I’ve seen many moms try to get their husbands to be, well, aggressively nurturing and sensitive toward their kids. (It doesn’t work.) These moms take anything less than that as a throwback to ‘cavemandom.’ Such mother may be missing, for starters, the resiliency that dads can help to instill into their children.
Look, I’m all for dads being full of hugs and “I love yous” for their kids, changing diapers and being involved in school and activities in a way pervious generations were not. But mainly, I’m for dads protecting their wives and children, not being a second mom. It’s pretty hard to do both – and the attempt will likely shortchange kids.”

General Booth

Dr. Wilbur Chapman asked General William Booth, “In all these years having all the trials and conflicts and the victories, tell me General Booth what has been the secret of you success all the way through.”
He hesitated a second, and I saw the tears come into his eyes and steal down his cheeks, and then he said, “I will tell you the secret. God has had all there was of me. There have been men with greater opportunities; but from the day I got the poor of London on my heart, and a vision of what Jesus Christ could do with the poor of London, I made up my mind that God would have all of the William Booth there was and if there is anything of power in The Salvation Army today, it is because God has all the adoration of my heart, all the power of my will, and all the influence of my life.”

Fire!

"Unless you walk through the fire you will never catch the fire."

The Wisdom of God

“It is vitally important that we hold the truth of God’s infinite wisdom as a tenet of our creed; but this is not enough. We must by the exercise of faith and by prayer bring it into the practical world of our day-by-day experience. With the goodness of God to desire our highest welfare, the wisdom of God to plan it, and the power of God to achieve it, what do we lack? Surely we are the most favored of all creatures.” ~~ A. W. Tozer (1897-1963)

Real parents

Real parents make tough decisions. The decisions you make today will determine your family’s future and those you are responsible for in the body of Christ. You cannot allow emotions to cause you to make a wrong decision. The necessity of you staying in touch with God is being able to control your emotions and make a right decision.
Father God is extending Grace to you. This grace will strengthen you for the touch times and tough decisions you must make. This grace will also give you the courage to live with your decision – right or wrong. Love is the catalyst that gives you confidence to continue in faith.

Les we forget

Roe verses Wade: When mother and baby would both die – Roe vs. Wade was legislated to take one life so mother could live.
Today when mother and baby will both live we say, with a new spin – misusing this law, take one life so both mother (spiritually) and baby will die.

Supreme Sufferer

Jesus, the supreme sufferer, came to suffer for our sins. As a result of His sufferings, our redemption was secured.
“Jesus suffering was spiritual and physical. We have opportunity to suffer physically but never need to suffer spiritually, Jesus did that for us.” ~~ Dietrich Bonhoeffer (1906-1945)