July Newsletter

Edward Gibbon, author of The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, has attributed the fall of the Empire to:
1. The rapid increase of divorce; the undermining of the dignity and sanctity of the home, which is the basis of human society.
2. Higher and higher taxes and the spending of public monies for free bread and circuses for the populace.
3. The mad craze for pleasure; sports becoming every year more exciting and more brutal.
4. The building of gigantic armaments when the real enemy was within, the decadence of the people.
5. The decay of religion--faith fading into mere form, losing touch with life and becoming impotent to warn and guide the people. Edward Gibbon.


200 Years?
Ancient democracies wane under the selfishness of human hearts. "The average age of the world's greatest civilizations has been 200 years. These nations have progressed through the following sequence:
From bondage to spiritual faith;
from spiritual faith to great courage;
from courage to liberty;
From liberty to abundance;
from abundance to selfishness;
from selfishness to complacency;
from complacency to apathy;
from apathy to dependency;
from dependency back to bondage.
General Quote. Alexander Fraser Tytler is said to be the author of this quote and lived at the end of the eighteenth century. "The Decline and Fall of the Athenian Republic" is said to be the book he never wrote a book with this title.


THE BIBLE EXPLAINED BY KIDS

In the beginning, which occurred near the start, there was nothing but God, darkness, and some gas. The Bible says, 'The Lord thy God is one,' but I think He must be a lot older than that. Anyway, God said, 'Give me a light!' and someone did.

Then God made the world. He split the Adam and made Eve. Adam and Eve were naked, but they weren't embarrassed because mirrors hadn't been invented yet. Adam and Eve disobeyed God by eating one bad apple, so they were driven from the Garden of Eden. Not sure what they were driven in though, because they didn't have cars

Adam and Eve had a son, Cain, who hated his brother as long as he was Abel. Pretty soon all of the early people died off, except for Methuselah, who lived to be like a million or something.

One of the next important people was Noah, who was a good guy, but one of his kids was kind of a ham. Noah built a large boat and put his family and some animals on it. He asked some other people to join him, but they said they would have to take a rain check.

After Noah came Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Jacob was more famous than his brother, Esau, because Esau sold Jacob his birthmark in exchange for some pot roast. Jacob had a son named Joseph who wore a really loud sports coat.

Another important Bible guy is Moses, whose real name was Charlton Heston. Moses led the Israel Lights out of Egypt and away from the evil Pharaoh after God sent ten plagues on Pharaoh's people. These plagues included frogs, mice, lice, bowels, and no cable. God fed the Israel Lights every day with manicotti. Then He gave them His top ten commandments. These include don't lie, cheat, smoke, dance, or covet your neighbor's bottom (the Bible uses a bad word for bottom that I'm not supposed to say. But my Dad uses it sometimes when he talks about the President). Oh, yeah, I just thought of one more: Humor thy father and thy mother.

One of Moses' best helpers was Joshua, who was the first Bible guy to use spies. Joshua fought the battle of Geritol and the fence fell over on the town.

After Joshua came David. He got to be king by killing a giant with a slingshot. He had a son named Solomon who had about 300 wives and 500 porcupines. My teacher says he was wise, but that doesn't sound very wise to me.

After Solomon there were a bunch of major league prophets One of these was Jonah, who was swallowed by a big whale and then barfed up on the shore. There were also some minor league prophets, but I guess we don't have to worry about them.

After the Old Testament came the New Testament. Jesus is the star of the New Testament. He was born in Bethlehem in a barn.(I wish I had been born in a barn, too, because my mom is always saying to me, Close the door! Were you born in a barn' It would be nice to say, 'As a matter of fact, I was.')

During His life, Jesus had many arguments with sinners like the Pharisees and the Republicans. Jesus also had twelve opossums. The worst one was Judas Asparagus. Judas was so evil that they named a terrible vegetable after him

Jesus was a great man He healed many leopards and even preached to some Germans on the Mount. But the Republicans and all those guys put Jesus on trial before Pontius the Pilot. Pilot didn't stick up for Jesus. He just washed his hands instead.

Anyways, Jesus died for our sins, then came back to life again. He went up to Heaven, but will be back at the end of the Aluminum. His return is foretold in the book of Revolution.

There! Now you understand !


Going Where God's Going (By Ron Hutchcraft)
I was visiting Rome, and I encountered this archway along the Via Appia. It's one of the many such structures that are still there 2,000 years after they were built. But what caught my eye about this one was the three-word Latin question carved in the archway as an inscription. It simply says, "Domine, quo vadis?" At last, those two years of high school Latin were going to be useful! It means, "Lord, where are You going?" It goes back to a legend about the Apostle Peter as he was feeling led by God to go to Rome. Knowing it was going to be dangerous, even life-threatening to go there, Peter needed to be sure that's where God wanted Him. The legend says that he encountered the risen Christ there on the Via Appia, and he wanted to know only one thing from his Lord - "Domine, quo vadis? Lord, where are You going?" Jesus was going to Rome. Then that's where Peter was going!

I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "Going Where God's Going."
The question on that Roman archway is the question that should be governing every day in the life of one who claims to be a follower of Jesus: "Lord, where are You going?" That's the way He meant for us to set our course to make our decisions.
He made that clear in our word for today from the Word of God in John 12:26. He simply said: "Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be." I don't ask Jesus to follow me, to go with me where I want to go. I find out where my Master's going, and that's where I go.
The central action word of the Jesus-life is that word "follow." I got a new understanding of what that means the day I watched my wife follow the driver I was riding with. I had just spoken for a pre-Billy Graham Crusade event in Philadelphia, and they had to rush me to a suburban church immediately afterward to speak for a companion event there. My driver really knew the area. My wife, who was driving our car, didn't. He just said, "Follow me." When he changed lanes, she changed lanes - whether she wanted to or not. When he drove fast, she drove fast, not at the speed she might have liked. When he suddenly made a turn, she made a turn. The only way she was going to get where she was supposed to be was to follow the man who knew the way.
And that's what it means to follow Jesus - the Man who knows the way. A way you don't know. If He moves, you move. If He slows down, you slow down. If He's moving fast, you move fast. If He changes direction, you change direction. I figured out that following carries two requirements. First, you have to be flexible. Rigidity and following don't go together. You have to be willing and ready to change or to move as your leader does, not all rigid and stubborn about doing it your way or the same old way. Secondly, a follower has to be focused - you keep your eyes on the one you're following and you don't allow yourself to be distracted by anyone or anything else.
For me as a follower of Jesus, that means beginning each new day in the presence of my leader, asking, "Lord, where are You going?" You need to know where He's going in your family and join Him in what He's doing, where He wants to go in your church, your ministry, where He's going in your work, your career, your important relationships. Your job is to go with Him where He's going - wherever that is, whatever that means, whatever that costs, wherever it takes you.
So how are you doing at following your Master? Have you been setting your own course and then trying to get Him to follow you? That's a good way to get lost and to get away from Him. Let there be one guiding light, one deciding factor in everything you do - "Domine, quo vadis? Lord, where are You going?" He'll take you where you were born to go, to do the things that you were born to do.


The Buzzard, the Bat and the Bumblebee
THE BUZZARD:
If you put a buzzard in a pen that is 6 feet by 8 feet and is entirely
open at the top, the bird, in spite of its ability to fly, will be an
absolute prisoner. The reason is that a buzzard always begins a flight
from the ground with a run of 10 to 12 feet. Without space to run, as is
its habit, it will not even attempt to fly, but will remain a prisoner
for life in a small jail with no top.

THE BAT:
The ordinary bat that flies around at night, a remarkable nimble creature
in the air, cannot take off from a level place. If it is placed on the
floor or flat ground, all it can do is shuffle about helplessly and, no
doubt, painfully, until it reaches some slight elevation from which it
can throw itself into the air. Then, at once, it takes off like a flash.

THE BUMBLEBEE:
A bumblebee, if dropped into an open tumbler, will be there until it
dies, unless it is taken out. It never sees the means of escape at the
top, but persists in trying to find some way out through the sides near
the bottom. It will seek a way where none exists, until it completely
destroys itself.

PEOPLE: In many ways, we are like the buzzard, the bat, and the
bumblebee. We struggle about with all our problems and frustrations,
never realizing that all we have to do is look up!

Sorrow looks back, Worry looks around, But faith looks up!

Live simply, love generously, care deeply, speak kindly and trust in our
Creator who loves us.


What your baby would tell you if he could talk:
1. I have my blankie, you have your caffeine. Enough said.
2. Don't be jealous, but I think I'm in love with the ceiling fan.
3. I know where the remote control is, but it'll cost you.
4. To you, it's just an empty egg carton; to me it's PlayStation 2.
5. Bang a screwdriver slowly and steadily into your gums. That's what teething feels like.
6. There's no point in teaching me to say "mama" or "dada." My first word is going to be "hat."
7. I've told you five times what cow says. If you can't remember, I'm not telling you again.
10. There is no question that I can cry longer than you can listen.
11. I'm not just wildly throwing my food. I'm exploring the laws of gravity, estimating mass, and testing wind velocity.
12. If you wanted a good sleeper, you should have gotten a cat.
13. Who that baby in the mirror you keep asking me about?
14. If my bottom is so darn cute, why is someone always trying to cover it up?
15. What you secretly believe is true: I am much smarter than other babies.

June 29

Being a Christian is like starting a journey on a complex highway system. We may feel intimidated as we round the first bend in the road; we may want to pull over and not go on. But if we continue our journey, we find that God goes with us, showing us the route to take, the bridges to cross, and where to slow down. He takes us through dark tunnels and perilous mountain passes, and as we go, we become more and more aware that he is going with us and the intimacy we experience is blessing indeed. --Mary Morrison Suggs

Yogi Berra quotations: 'Always go to other people's funerals; otherwise they won't go to yours."

"Men who have pierced ears are better prepared for marriage - they've experienced pain and bought jewelry."

"If you spend more money than you make, you know what happens," Ed McMahon

Children are the living messages we will send to a time we can not see. - John W. Whitehead

"Move out of your comfort zone. You can only grow if you are willing to feel awkward and uncomfortable when you try something new." -- Brian Tracy

"People demand freedom of speech as a compensation for the freedom of thought which they seldom use." -- Soren Kierkegaard

JOY 9
Older adults are the "Oak Tree's" of our society. They have deep roots and can stand the storms of life. They offer shade and comfort to the weary. In time of danger they can offer shelter. In times of desperation and disappointment they offer a place of solace and understanding.- Pauline Voyles

When life caves in, you do not need reasons - you need comfort.
You do not need answers - you need someone.
And Jesus does not come to us with an explanation -
He comes to us with His presence. - Bob Benson

"Desire is the starting point of all achievement, not a hope, not a wish, but a keen pulsating desire which transcends everything." - Napoleon Hill
"Don't just do something, sit there! Sit there long enough each morning to decide what is really important during the day ahead." -- Richard Eyre
"Millions long for immortality who do not know what to do with themselves on a rainy Sunday afternoon." - Susan Ertz

"The child had his mother's eyes, his mother's nose and his mother's mouth. Which left his mother with a pretty blank expression." - Robert Benchley

A colleague was planning a trip to my business office and asked me to find him a hotel with exercise facilities. I called all around town and wasn't having any luck. Finally I thought I had found one. I asked the receptionist if they had a weight room. Her reply?
"No, but we have a lobby. You can wait there."

"Be careful, the environment you choose for it will shape you; be careful, the friends you choose for you will become like them." -- W. Clement Stone

"Every man dies. Not every man lives. The only limits to the possibilities in your life tomorrow are the 'buts' you use today." -- Les Brown

On Walls and Barriers
"Welcome into your life each positive experience. Don't erect a wall to protect you from experiencing life. The same wall that keeps out your disappointment also keeps out the sunlight of enriching experiences. So let life touch you. The next touch could be the one
that turns your life around." - Jim Rohn

God guides us, despite our uncertainties and our vagueness, even through our failing and mistakes. God leads us step by step, from event to event. Only afterward, as we look back over the way we have come and reconsider certain important moments in our lives in the light of all that has followed them, or when we survey the whole progress of our lives, do we experience the feeling of having been led without knowing it, the feeling that God has mysteriously guided us. --Paul Tournier

The Idiot
There is a novel by the writer Dostoevsky titled, The Idiot. There is a central character in this novel, Prince Myshkin, who does not fit in to the society around him. His peers are striving for status and power. They judge each other on the basis of money or appearance or family connections. In their world, there is no real friendship or intimacy.
People use each other to meet their own needs. And into this world walks Prince Myshkin. He just doesn't get it. He treats everyone, whether poor or rich, with respect and kindness. He has no hidden agenda, no need to dominate others. He is pure in thought, word, and deed. This makes him a fool in other's eyes. At the same time, all these empty, cynical, status-seeking people are strangely drawn to him. He attracts others, not through money or power, but through the strength of his character.
The Idiot. If that is what an idiot is, I wish that we could all be idiots for Christ.

Lord Jesus, teach me to be generous,
teach me to serve you as you deserve,
to give and not to count the cost,
to fight and not heed the wounds,
to toil and not to seek for rest,
to labor and not to seek reward,
except that of knowing that I do your will.
St. Ignatius of Loyola


When you and I want direction for our lives, we may not always be clear about it or certain that the direction has been given -- even when we get it. That's not always because of weak faith. That may be just our human inability to know what God knows. God sees our tomorrows; we don't. Years of experience have taught me that God will probably leave me alone if I'm on the right path, but He will give me a good shove in the right direction if I'm not.
--Roger C. Palms

"Long ago when men cursed and beat the ground with sticks, it was called witchcraft - today, it's called golf."

Our five-year-old son went to a church conference with my wife and me. He got restless, so my wife handed him a pad and pencil and suggested he mark down every time the speaker said the word "and." After a while, he grew bored, and I asked, "Would you like to listen for a different word?" "Yes," he whispered. "I'd like to listen for 'Amen'."

New Highs for Life Expectancy
Average U.S. life expectancy has risen to an all-time record of 78.1 years for babies born in 2006, says the Centers for Disease Control. What's more, the death rate for 11 of the top 15 causes of death — including heart disease, cancer and stroke — slowed in 2006. White males and black males have experienced an increased life expectancy to 76 years and 70 years, respectively. Black females enjoy a slightly longer lifespan at 76.9 years, and white females lead at 81 years. [webmd.com]

Have you ever tried to accomplish a task using the wrong tool? It’s like trying to turn a slatted screw with a Phillips’ screwdriver! They don’t fit, the screw doesn’t turn. You need the right tool to match the requirements of the job. Building a household of faith is much the same way. Our Scripture lessons for today tell us God needs willing hearts, attitudes of reconciliation, and “just the right person with the right gifts for the right job.” You may wonder if you possess the right tools/skills for “faith-building” - you do, God has already given them to you. So stop hitting that nail with the handle of the screwdriver!

There's a new religion just for the New Agers. It's called "Jehovah's Bystanders". That's a Witness who doesn't want to get involved.

In the days of America’s infancy, Alexis de Tocquerville wrote: “I sought for the greatness and genius of America in her commodious harbors and ample rivers, and it was not there; in the fertile fields and boundless prairies, and it was not there; in her rich mines and her vast world commerce, and it was not there. Not until I went into the churches of America and heard her pulpits aflame with righteousness, did I understand the secret of her genius and power. America is great because she is good, and if America ever ceases to be good, America will cease to be great.”

PLANT HUMOR
"The best way to garden is to put on a wide-brimmed straw hat and some old clothes. And with a hoe in one hand and a cold drink in the other, tell somebody else where to dig."

"My wife's a water sign. I'm an earth sign. We make mud." (Rodney Dangerfield)

"A weed is a plant that has mastered every survival skill except how to grow in rows." (Doug Larson)

God made rainy days so gardeners could get the housework done.

"Gardening requires lots of water - most of it in the form of perspiration." (Lou Erickson)

"...You know what? God has a calendar too and his is much bigger than ours. And he never gets behind. God has a calendar and he hasn't forgotten about you. He's got a calendar with your name on it and it's exactly on schedule. It's exactly as it should be." - Twila Paris

God does not comfort us to make us comfortable, but to make us comforters. John Henry Jowett

Those who leave everything in God's hand will eventually see God's hand in everything.

"The secret of getting ahead is getting started.
The secret of getting started is breaking your complex overwhelming tasks into small manageable tasks, and then starting on the first one." -- Mark Twain

God Bless You!

June 22

God did not write a book and send it by messenger to be read at a distance by unaided minds. He spoke a Book and lives in His spoken words, constantly speaking His words and causing the power of them to persist across the years. --A.W. Tozer.


Some friends came to visit. We drove them around to see the country side and drove by a country church that had a cemetery adjoining.
This couple had twin boys about the age of 5 and as we passed the cemetery one of the boys said, "Look at all those birth stones."


TEN TOP THINGS NOT TO SAY ON YOUR ANNIVERSARY...
10. I stopped caring about anniversaries when you stopped caring about cooking.
9. Today is our what?
8. Okay, let's celebrate, but do we have to celebrate together?
7. I thought we only celebrated important events?
6. You can celebrate anniversaries with your next husband.
5. You don't like what I pick out, so I thought why bother.
4. I got you a present worth a dollar for every time you were nice to me this year. Here's a $5 gift certificate for McDonald's.
3. If you want me to pretend like I care about our anniversary, I will.
2. You want to go out to dinner? Okay, okay, I'll take you to Pizza Hut if it'll shut ya up.
1. I thought you only had to celebrate anniversaries while you were still in love.

* Affirmation and support. A southern (USA) migrant worker told a sociologist that "home is a place to go back to if things get rough out there." If you cannot receive affirmation at home, where else are you going to get it?

Our trials are not superficial or irrelevant. They are vehicles of grace that God uses to bring us growth. Superficial problems call for superficial solutions. But real life isn't like that; its headaches and stresses go deeper, right down to the bone. They touch the nerve areas of our security. But God says He is a present help in trouble. He is immediately available. Do you realize that wherever you travel, whatever the time of day, you can call and He
will answer? --Charles Swindoll

"It doesn't matter where you are coming from. All that matters is where you are going." – Brian Tracy,

"Obstacles cannot crush me. Every obstacle yields to stern resolve." -- Leonardo da Vinci

"One can choose to go back toward safety or forward toward growth. Growth must be chosen again and again; fear must be overcome again and again." - Abraham Maslow 1908-1970, Psychologist

Advances are made by answering questions. Discoveries are made by questioning answers. -- Bernard Haisch.

- Bitterness is like drinking poison and expecting your enemy to die.” -- Hubert Humphrey

When you are DOWN to nothing.... God is UP to something! Faith sees the invisible, believes the incredible and receives the impossible! Thank God for our physical and our spiritual nourishment!


Every time I am asked to pray, I think of the old deacon who always prayed, 'Lord, prop us up on our leanin' side.' After hearing him pray that prayer many times, someone asked him why he prayed that prayer so fervently.
He answered, 'Well sir, you see, it's like this... I got an old barn out back. It's been there a long time; it's withstood a lot of weather; it's gone through a lot of storms, and it's stood for many years.
It's still standing. But one day I noticed it was leaning to one side a bit.
So I went and got some pine poles and propped it up on its leaning side so it wouldn't fall. Then I got to thinking about that and how much I was like that old barn. I've been around a long time.
I've withstood a lot of life's storms. I've withstood a lot of bad weather in life, I've withstood a lot of hard times, and I'm still standing too. But I find myself leaning to one side from time to time, so I like to ask the Lord to prop us up on our leaning side, 'cause I figure a lot of us get to leaning at times.
Sometimes we get to leaning toward anger, leaning toward bitterness, leaning toward hatred, leaning toward cussing, leaning toward a lot of things that we shouldn’t. So we need to pray, 'Lord, prop us up on our leaning side, so we will stand straight and tall again, to glorify the Lord.''

The minister of a well-attended, strong, and enthusiastic church often showed himself ready and able to deal with any situation that might come up. One Sunday, just as the minister was reaching the climax of his sermon, his own young son entered the church, ran to the center aisle, started making loud beeps and brrrmms like a car without a muffler, then zoomed right toward him.
The minister stopped his sermon, pointed severely at his son, and commanded, "Jimmy, park the car immediately beside your mother on that bench (pointing), turn off the ignition, and hand her the keys."
The sermon continued undisturbed ... after a good laugh by the congregation.

HOW TO SURVIVE WITHOUT THE INTERNET
- Read what's in your mailbox, not your Inbox.
- Go to the drugstore. Apparently they still publish something called magazines.
- Write a letter to the National Bank of Kenya and ask if there are any unclaimed million-dollar accounts owned by people sharing your last name.
- Go to the grocery store and fill your shopping cart with cans of Spam.
- Carry a keyboard with you so instead of having to talk to people face-to-face, you can pretend you're instant messaging them.
- If your Wi-Fi doesn't work, try actually talking to your Wi-Fe.
- Look, just have a pizza. You can order one from the pizza parlor's websi---oh, wait. Well, just call them. You can get their number from Goog--oh, uh, never mind.


"Things don't go wrong and break your heart so you can become bitter and give up. They happen to break you down and build you up so you can be all that you were intended to be." -- Samuel Johnson

Fear can keep you up all night long. But faith makes one fine pillow.

My young son asked what the highest number I had ever counted to was. I didn't know, but I asked about his highest number. It was 5,372.
"Oh," I said. "Why did you stop there?"
"Church was over."

A Sunday school teacher was examining her pupils after a series of lessons on God's omnipotence. She asked: "Is there anything God can't do?"
There was silence. Finally, one lad held up his hand. The teacher, disappointed that the lesson's point had been missed, asked: "Well, just what is it that God can't do?" "Well," replied the boy: "He can't please everybody."

A second grader once asked his teacher how much the earth weighed. The teacher looked up the answer in an Encyclopedia. "Six thousand million, million tons," she answered. The little boy thought for a minute and then asked, "Is that with or without people?" Viewed from one perspective, it might very well seem that people don't really matter very much. After all, we are but microscopic inhabitants of a tiny planet orbiting a relatively obscure star in a small galaxy among the billions and billions of stars and galaxies that make up creation. Yet the God of creation has counted the very hairs of our heads. Wow! What a magnificent picture of God.

After the birth of their child, an Episcopal priest, wearing his clerical collar, visited his wife in the hospital. He greeted her with a hug and a kiss, and gave her another hug and kiss when he left. Later, the wife's roommate commented, "Your pastor is sure friendlier than mine."

June 15 Father's Day

God never intended His Church to be a refrigerator in which to preserve perishable piety. He intended it to be an incubator in which to hatch our converts. -- F. Lincicome


Even a Mosquito does not get a slap on the back until he starts working!

What's the greatest worldwide use of cowhide? Riddle Answer: To hold cows together.

"Why do they call it a drop cloth when the paint usually drops where the cloth ISN'T?"

Two men were talking. One says to the other, "My wife drives like lightning."
His friend asked, "She drives fast?" "No, she hits trees."

"To believers, Jesus says, 'Go!' But to the lost world, Jesus says, 'Come!'"

An obituary often lists a person as an "active member of a church." Should there be any other kind?


I read this article that said the typical symptoms of stress are eating too much, impulse buying, and driving too fast. Are they kidding? That's my idea of a perfect day.

From “A Dangerous Grace” by Chuck Colson:
“Jesus did not come to establish a political kingdom, yet the announcement of the Kingdom had profound consequences for the political order. When Jesus said to Pilate, ‘My kingdom is not of this earth,’ Pilate may have breathed a sigh of relief. He should have reconsidered. Which is more threatening to a ruler – an external foe with mighty but visible armies, or an eternal king who rules the very souls of men and women? The latter can command the will and affections, demand absolute obedience, impart unlimited power to His subjects, and radically change their values and lives; His followers fear no earthly power and His kingdom has no end. In the face of such a potentate, any mere political leader must shudder.”

“This is why the Kingdom of God has had such an astonishing effect upon the most powerful of human empires in every age. It is not a blueprint for some new social order, nor does it merely set the forces of radical cultural change in motion. Rather, God’s kingdom promises radical change in human personalities. This is the crucial point. While human politics is based on the premise that society must be changed in order to change people, in the politics of the Kingdom it is people who must be changed in order to change society.”

"I am responsible. Although I may not be able to prevent the worst from happening, I am responsible for my attitude toward the inevitable misfortunes that darken life. Bad things do happen; how I respond to them defines my character and the quality of my life. I can choose to sit in perpetual sadness, immobilized by the gravity of my loss, or I can choose to rise from the pain and treasure the most precious gift I have-life itself." -- Walter Anderson

The End of the Story:
James the brother of Jesus and James the son of Zebedee preach and are killed by mobs in Jerusalem; Matthew is slain with a sword in Ethiopia; Philip is hanged in Phrygia; Bartholomew flayed alive in Armenia. Andrew is crucified in Achaia, Thomas is run through with a lance in East India, Thaddeus is shot to death with arrows, a cross goes up in Persia for Simon the Zealot , and another in Rome for Peter. Matthias is beheaded; only John escapes a martyr's grace. And there is Judas Iscariot who took his own life in suicide.


"If you want happiness for a day - go fishing
If you want happiness for a month - get married
If you want happiness for a year - inherit a fortune
If you want happiness for a lifetime - help others"

"What we can achieve inwardly will change our outer reality." Plutarch

"What is a home? It is the laughter of a child, the song of a mother, the strength of a father. Home is the first school, and the first church, where they learn about a loving God." - Ernestine Schumann-Heink

From The Quoatable Spurgeon ...
The spider casts her film out to the wind, feeling sure that somewhere or other it will adhere and form the beginning of her web. She commits the slender filament to the breeze believing that there is a place provided for it to fix itself. In this fashion we should believingly cast forth our endeavors in this life, confident that God will find a place for us. He who bids us pray and work will aid our efforts and guide us in his providence in a right way. Do not sit still in despair, but keep casting out the floating thread of hopeful endeavor, and the wind of love will bear it to its resting place. -- Charles Haddon Spurgeon

In some cultures, what I do would be considered normal.
"Fine: A tax for doing wrong. Tax: A fine for doing well."

"Worship is a witness! Unbelievers can observe the joy that we feel. They can see how we value God's Word and how we respond to it. They can hear how the Bible answers the problems and questions of life. They can notice how worship encourages, strengthens, and changes us. They can sense when God is supernaturally moving in a service, although they won't be able to explain it." - Rick Warren


Demographic experts are telling us that there is a general spiritual awakening among people of various faiths. Some are returning to "organized" religions. Others are seeking spiritual answers along other paths. However it is done, people are realizing the importance of a healthy spiritual dimension to their lives.

Q. What's the most dangerous part of a car?
A. The nut that holds the steering wheel.
Q. Why did the woman wear a helmet at the dinner table?
A. She was on a crash diet!

In creation we see God's hand; in redemption we see His heart.

Joining God requires major adjustments. The reality of adjusting to God holds true throughout Scripture. David could not continue herding sheep on the hillsides and become king of Israel. Jonah had to overcome a major prejudice in order to preach to the people of Nineveh. Peter and others had to leave their fishing business in order to follow Jesus. Obeying God will always come at a cost. But few people take into account the cost of not obeying God. It is always much higher.-- Henry Blackaby
COMMUNICATION Like a lot of husbands throughout history, Webster would sit down and try to talk to his wife. But as soon as he would start to say something, his wife said, "And what's that supposed to mean?" Thus, Webster's Dictionary was born.

"Happiness is now seen as a lack of suffering as opposed to accomplishing important societal goals..." -- Thomas Svolos

If a man's "Captain of his ship", his wife's likely the Admiral

God created you so that your life would count, not so that you could count the days of your life.

June 8

"All the adversity I've had in my life, all my troubles and obstacles, have strengthened me ... You may not realize it when it happens, but a kick in the teeth may be the best thing in the world for you." - Walt Disney

Those who love in the Lord never see each other for the last time. - German Proverb

A pipe burst in a doctor's house, and he called a plumber. The plumber arrived, unpacked his tools, did mysterious plumber-type things for a while, and handed the doctor a bill for $600. The doctor exclaimed, "This is ridiculous! Even I don't make that much as a doctor!"
The plumber waited for him to finish and quietly said, "Neither did I when I was a doctor."

Election watch. First they waffled and then they gave syrupy answers.


A View from the Tax-collector’s booth:
*This was not a position you could go back to once you left it. A tax collector was a job sought after by the greedy because they cheated and they made a good living. There would be many standing in line to take Matthew’s place once he left. He gave up a lot to follow Jesus.
*He didn’t have many friends. Everyone hated the tax collector! This “pre-IRS” job left one lonely and despised. The wife and children of these men were not treated well, either.
*No one trusted these men. Not only were they known for cheating, they also had made “strange bedfellows” with the Roman government. A Jew working for Rome did not lend to a “healthy, faith-building, faith-encouraging lifestyle.”
A View from Heaven
When Jesus visited Matthew’s tax collector booth, his reputation took a bad “hit.” Now He “cavorted with sinners and even ate with them.” In verses 10-13, however, we must look closely at what is happening here. The Pharisees are “building it their way” while Matthew and, many tax collectors and “sinners” wanted to eat with this Jesus--that was a show of honor--and find another set of blue-prints for a very lonely and crumbling lifestyle.

A pickpocket was appearing in court for a series of petty crimes. "Mr. Brewster," the judge said, "you are hereby found guilty and fined the sum of $150."
After consulting with his client, Mr. Brewster's lawyer stood up and said, "Your Honor, my client is a little short at this time. He has only $125 in his pocket, but if you would allow him a few minutes in the crowd..."

I had amnesia once -- or twice.

Protons have mass? I didn't even know they were Catholic

All I ask is a chance to prove that money can't make me happy.

A flashlight is a case for holding dead batteries.

I used to be indecisive. Now I'm not sure.

It is alright to be content with what you have but never with what you are.

If you want to master temptation, let the Master master you.

Hindsight is an exact science.

Americans buy everything else, why not the big lie?

I have heard people testify to being any number of sordid or contemptible characters, including murderers and thieves, but I can’t remember anyone ever admitting to being a gossiper.

In keeping with the climate of tolerance, history has decided to do away with Attila the Hun’s moniker and designate him as something more benign and euphemistic: “Attila the Warm and Friendly Subjugator.”

Sometimes it gets so hot in my area of the country, birds have to use potholders to pull a worm from the ground.


Young folks need older adults in their lives. Older adults are the "Oak Tree's" of our society. They have deep roots and can stand the storms of life. They offer shade and comfort to the weary. In time of danger they can offer shelter. In times of desperation and disappointment they offer a place of solace and understanding.- Pauline Voyles

When life caves in, you do not need reasons - you need comfort.
You do not need answers - you need someone.
And Jesus does not come to us with an explanation -
He comes to us with His presence. - Bob Benson

"Desire is the starting point of all achievement, not a hope, not a wish, but a keen pulsating desire which transcends everything." - Napoleon Hill
"Don't just do something, sit there! Sit there long enough each morning to decide what is really important during the day ahead."-- Richard Eyre
"Millions long for immortality who do not know what to do with themselves on a rainy Sunday afternoon." - Susan Ertz


Adam and Eve had an ideal marriage. He didn't have to hear about all the men she could have married and she didn't have to hear about how well his Mother cooked.
SHOUT FOR JOY!
"Like a victorious locker room," says Philip Yancey, "church is a place to exult, to give thanks, to celebrate the good news that all is forgiven, that God is love, that victory is certain." Have you ever noticed how the celebration goes after a World Series, Super Bowl, or Junior Soccer Match? The players who made errors, missed their assignments, and dropped passes are just as excited and happy as the ones who hit home runs or kicked winning goals. If you're on Christ's team, you get to shout for joy over what he has done and to march in the victory parade. But somebody says she doesn't feel like celebrating. Another pipes up to say he is nothing but a loser. "My health is rotten!" protests someone. "I'm on the verge of losing my job, and I don't know how we can keep from losing our house," cries another. "My divorce will be final next week," says a trembling voice, "and I never meant to be alone at this point in my life."
Listen up! You're not a "loser." And despite the distress, sleepless nights, or uncertain markets, you still have reason to cheer - if you know Jesus Christ.
Think about sports memorabilia for a moment. A few days ago, I walked through a collection of bats, balls, jerseys, and other sports items that were too expensive for me even to handle - much less consider buying. A baseball that once cost only a few dollars is worth several thousand because Babe Ruth held it in his hands and wrote his name on it. A football that might sell for $20 is worth hundreds because Troy Aikman has held and signed it. Most baseball cards are worth the paper they're printed on. A signed Ted Williams card my son has in his collection is worth a few hundred because the legendary player once held it in his hands and signed his name on it. Are you following me? Do you get the point? You're not just another sales rep, truck driver, or programmer. Even if you don't make headlines or tons of money, you're valuable. In spite of the fact that you're embarrassed about something in the past or scared of something in your future, you matter. So you can stop selling yourself short. If you have been held in Christ's hands and have the signature mark of the Spirit of God your heart, you are saved. You have a reason for living. And you have a future that is secure. You're no loser, my friend. You are the child of the King!


Two elderly, excited Southern women were sitting together in the front pew of church listening to a fiery preacher.
When this preacher condemned the sin of stealing, these two ladies cried out at the tops of their lungs, "AMEN, BROTHER!"When the preacher condemned the sin of lust, they yelled again, "PREACH IT, REVEREND!"
And when the preacher condemned the sin of lying, they jumped to their feet and screamed, "RIGHT ON, BROTHER! TELL IT LIKE IT IS... AMEN!"
But when the preacher condemned the sin of gossip, the two got very quiet. One turned to the other and said, "He's quit preaching and now he's meddlin'."

I don't know what's wrong with my television set. I was getting C-Span and the Home Shopping Network both on the same channel. . . . . . .I actually bought a congressman!

When our local doctor began attending church services the minister was absolutely delighted, and it wasn't long before they were helping each other in their work; the minister referring people to the doctor, and vice versa.
One referral from the doctor called at the church office with a note prescribing the minister's last four sermons. The minister was most pleased until he discovered that.... the patient's problem was insomnia!

Shelly was complaining about her husband to her friend Kelly again.
"Surely," said Kelly, "there must be SOMETHING the two of you have in common?"
Shelly replies, "Well, come to think of it, yes.... we got married on the same day."

The best way to avoid temptation is to avoid the tempting situation.

Don't ever come to church without coming as though it were the first time, as though it could be the best time, and as though it might be the last time. -- Vance Havner

The astronaut on the moon decided to look for water, so he pulled out a 3 iron.

June 1

"Never underestimate a man that over estimates himself." - Franklin Roosevelt

Panicking when her toddler swallowed a tiny magnet, a mother rushed him to the emergency room.
"He'll be fine," the doctor promised her. "The magnet should pass through his system in a day or two."
"How will I be sure?" she pressed.
"Well," the doctor suggested, "you could stick him on the refrigerator. When he falls off, you'll know."

Immune to Religion
Sir Alexander Fleming, upon introducing his newly discovered drug, penicillin, warned against taking too little of it. An underdose, he said would permit germs to remain in the system thereby allowing one to build up an immunity to the drug. These immune germs could be "passed on to other individuals so that the thoughtless person playing with penicillin treatments may be responsible for the death of another" if not himself as well.
Something similar to this carelessness takes place in the spiritual realm where masses of people seem to be playing with religion - taking in just enough of it to become immune to the real thing. Many people attend just enough religious services to temporarily quiet their conscience; they attend just enough weddings, funerals, and special observances to keep
them from longing for a genuine and thorough encounter with God who is so absent from their commitment. They have just enough religion to make them immune to the real thing.

On a chilly winter evening, my husband and I were snuggled together on the floor watching television. During a commercial break, he reached over and gave my foot a gentle squeeze.
"Mmmmm," I said. "That's so sweet."
"Actually," he admitted sheepishly, "I thought that was the remote."

A young girl of 4 was told she needed an X-ray after an accident. Her mother tried to calm her down, but she was still nervous when the time came for the X-Ray. When she came out of the X-ray room, however, she seemed relaxed and just fine. "They took a picture of my bones." she told her mother.
"Yes, dear," replied the mother. "Did everything go all right?"
"Yeah," said the girl. "It was great! I didn't even have to take my skin off, or anything!"

A millionaire had fallen ill. All the doctors that were consulted did not seem to understand what ailed him. The millionaire let it be known that any doctor who could heal him could have whatever he desired.
A country doctor was able to cure him, and as the doctor was leaving after a week's stay, the rich man said,
"Doc! I am a man of my word. You name it, and if it is humanly possible, I'll get it for you."
"Well," said the doctor, "I love to play golf, so if I could have a matching set of golf clubs, that would be fine."
With that, the doctor left. The doctor didn't hear from the millionaire for some months. Then one day, he got a phone call from him.
"Doc, I bet you thought that I had gone back on my word. I have your matching set of golf clubs. The reason it took so long is that two of them didn't have swimming pools, and I didn't think they were good enough for you. So I had pools installed, and they're all ready for
you now!"


"If you can't feed a hundred people, then feed just one." -- Mother Teresa

"Wise sayings often fall on barren ground, but a kind word is never thrown away." -- Sir Arthur Helps

"We live in the land of the free, only because of the brave." -- Unknown

"Sometimes when we believe we are keeping a secret, that secret is actually keeping us." -- Frank Warren

"Those blessed with the most talent don't necessarily outperform everyone else. It's the people with follow-through who excel." -- Mary Kay Ash

"All adverse and depressing influences can be overcome, not by fighting, but by rising above them." -- Charles Caleb Colton

"I have CDO. It's like Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, only in alphabetical order like it should be." – Spike Donner

Hard Times and Revival
Times are changing. The Christian faith once enjoyed a place of privilege in government and society but that is quickly changing. The Christian faith and ethics that holds our nation together is now being viewed as a curse. The privileges and influence the church once
held is vanishing. Hard times may face the future generation of believers if Jesus does not return.
Is that really bad? I ran across this little tidbit of information that caused me to think about what God can do in hard times.
"The American Civil War sparked revival on both sides of the Mason-Dixon Line. Between 100,000 and 200,000 Union soldiers reportedly converted to Christ, as did approximately 150,000 Confederates. Many soldiers' quarters featured chapels, and it was during this conflict that military chaplains became common. During the fall of 1863 and the winter of 1864 alone, some 7,000 of Robert E. Lee's troops became Christians."
Sometimes God does His greatest works during the hard times. Something to think about.

A New Study of Technology
"Few would argue that mobile devices and online technology have become deeply embedded in society," says the latest report from the Barna Group. "Millions of Americans have become dependent upon the new digital conveniences that provide them with entertainment, information, products and content. The impact of these technologies on interpersonal relationships — a domain often called social networking — has begun to rewire the way people meet, express themselves and stay connected."

Some of the results that Barna found include:
* Four out of five Americans (78%) who access a computer have sent an email in the past week.
* Computer users over the age of 50 are just as likely as younger adults to use email.
* One-third of computer users (33%) have used instant messaging (IM) in the past week.
* Thirty percent of Americans have sent someone a text message via a mobile telephone in the past week.
* One-quarter of computer users (23%) has a personal webpage or home page on a social networking site (such as Facebook or MySpace).
* Ten percent of Americans with regular access to a computer have a personal blog (weblog) where they communicate their ideas and experiences.
* Fourteen percent of computer users have posted a comment on another person's blog in the last week.
* Sixteen million American adults use a blog as a pulpit to broadcast their voices to the world. Blogs are most common among single adults, Northeast residents, homosexuals, those not registered to vote, and atheists and agnostics.
* More than seven out of 10 people who have a blog update their online journal at least once a week.
* Some of the more common uses of the Internet in any given week are searching for information or content (84%), online purchasing (27%), watching online videos (26%), downloading music (13%), downloading movies (2%) and viewing pornography or adult content (4%).
Within the Christian community, Barna found that:
* Thirty-eight percent of evangelicals and 31 percent of born-again Christians listen to a sermon or church teaching via a digital recording available on the Internet (often called a "podcast') in the past week, compared to 17 percent of other adults. In macro-terms, that means that roughly 45 million Americans report going digital to acquire sermons and teaching content.
* In all, one out of every four adults (23%) says they download a church podcast each week.