December Newsletter

Twas the Beginning of Advent
'Twas the beginning of Advent and all through the Church
Our hope was all dying-- we'd given up on the search.
It wasn't so much that Christ wasn't invited,
But after 2,000 plus years we were no longer excited.

Oh, we knew what was coming-- no doubt about that.
And that was the trouble-- it was all "old hat."
November brought the first of an unending series of pains
With carefully orchestrated advertising campaigns.

There were gadgets and dolls and all sorts of toys.
Enough to seduce even the most devout girls and boys.
Unfortunately, it seemed, no one was completely exempt
From this seasonal virus that did all of us tempt.

The priests and prophets and certainly the kings
Were all so consumed with the desire for "things!"
It was rare, if at all, that you'd hear of the reason
For the origin of this whole holy-day season.

A baby, it seems, once had been born
In the mid-east somewhere on that first holy-day morn.
But what does that mean for folks like us,
Who've lost ourselves in the hoopla and fuss?

Can we re-learn the art of wondering and waiting,
Of hoping and praying, and anticipating?
Can we let go of all the things and the stuff?
Can we open our hands and our hearts long enough?

Can we open our eyes and open our ears?
Can we find him again after all of these years?
Will this year be different from all the rest?
Will we be able to offer him all of our best?

So many questions, unanswered thus far,
As wise men seeking the home of the star.
Where do we begin-- how do we start
To make for the child a place in our heart?

Perhaps we begin by letting go
Of our limits on hope, and of the stuff that we know.
Let go of the shopping, of the chaos and fuss,
Let go of the searching, let Christmas find us.

We open our hearts, our hands and our eyes,
To see the king coming in our own neighbours' cries.
We look without seeking what we think we've earned,
But rather we're looking for relationships spurned.

With him he brings wholeness and newness of life
For brother and sister, for husband and wife.
The Christ-child comes not by our skill,
But rather he comes by his own Father's will.

We can't make him come with parties and bright trees,
But only by getting down on our knees.
He'll come if we wait amidst our affliction,
Coming in spite of, not by our restriction.

His coming will happen-- of this there's no doubt.
The question is whether we'll be in or out.
"Behold, I stand at the door and knock."
Do you have the courage to peer through the lock?

A basket on your porch, a child in your reach.
A baby to love, to feed and to teach.
He'll grow in wisdom as God's only Son.
How far will we follow this radical one?

He'll lead us to challenge the way that things are.
He'll lead us to follow a single bright star.
But that will come later if we're still around.
The question for now: Is the child to be found?

Can we block out commercials, the hype and the malls?
Can we find solitude in our holy halls?
Can we keep alert, keep hope, stay awake?
Can we receive the child for ours and God's sake?

From on high with the carolling host as he sees us,
He yearns to read on our lips the prayer: Come Lord Jesus!
As Advent begins all these questions make plea.
The only true answer: We will see, we will see.
Todd Jenkins

The virus that most of us catch during this season of the year is the shopping virus. Michael Kearl, in Seeds, says: "Shopping malls are our modern cathedrals of consumption. It used to be the church where you saw fellow community members. Now it's the mall. The parking lots are filled. There's an almost sacred quality given to the act of consuming. There's a certain standardized feeling in the malls, just like the old cathedrals of yore."

Competition for Sleep

Adequate sleep is the foundation for wellness. But, as we know, Americans are not getting enough of it, and are paying the price. Studies have told us for some time what should be obvious, that we are more likely to fall asleep and have good quality sleep when we let the brain relax before trying to fall asleep. One study we reported on earlier showed good results from listening to quieting music for 45 minutes before going to bed. Instead, however, too many of us spend late night time stimulating the brain instead of quieting it.

A study of teen sleep reveals that those with four or more electronic devices in their rooms (e.g., cell phones, televisions, computers and video game) were twice as likely to fall asleep at school. Over 25% of high school students fall asleep at school at least once per week. When I discuss sleep problems with adults, I also hear them stimulating their brains late at night instead of quieting them. Attractions include TV, computer games, games of chance that can trigger dopamine (such as solitaire) and pornography. Often, we realize we are choosing short term gratification over adequate sleep, and, as we know, stress promotes short term thinking. But behavior based on such short term thinking actually undermines our ability to tolerate stress tomorrow, as the case of sleep exemplifies.

Teens are also choosing cell phone availability over sleep, keeping their cell phones on so they can talk to friends who call to chat at any time of night. More parents are confiscating cell phones when they go to bed to restrict such unnecessary disruption of their teens sleep.


LETTERS TO SANTA
I need a new skateboard for Christmas. The one I got now crashes too much. Band-Aids would be OK too. David
Dear Santa, Would you rather I leave you cookies and milk or pizza? Dad says you'd probably like the pizza. Write back right away to let me know. Love, Lisa
Dear Santa, Please give me a tank, a jet fighter, 20 green soldiers, and a bazooka gun. I'm planning a surprise attack on my brother. So don't tell anyone. Thanks, Danny
Dear Santa, How will you get into our house this year? We don't have a chimney and my father just installed a very expensive security system. Julie

Seven Things to Be Thankful For
* for automatic dishwashers. They make it possible to get out of the kitchen before the family come in for their after-dinner snacks.
* for husbands who attack small repair jobs around the house. They usually make them big enough to call in professionals.
* for the bathtub -- the one place the family allows Mom some time to herself.
* for children who put away their things and clean up after themselves. They're such a joy you hate to see them go home to their own parents.
* for gardening. It's a relief to deal with dirt outside the house for a change.
* for teenagers. They give parents an opportunity to learn a second language.
* for smoke alarms. They let you know when the turkey's done.

The attitude of gratitude is important for several reasons:
Thankfulness acknowledges that God is our provider.
Thankfulness prevents a complaining spirit.
Thankfulness creates a positive outlook on life
Thankfulness invites joy to dwell in our hearts.


PUTTING IT IN PERSPECTIVE
Barry Ritholtz, a financial blogger, has run the numbers on the bailout, and he cites a guy named Jim Bianco of Bianco Research who crunched inflation-adjusted numbers and compared some previous federal government expenditures to the current total of the bailout. The total bailout money to date is either $6 trillion or $7.4 trillion. They just ran it up to $4.6 trillion. The current national debt is $7 trillion. This current bailout, calculated only up to $4.6 trillion, has cost more than all of the following government expenditures combined. - The Marshall Plan. The Louisiana Purchase. The race to the moon. The S&L crisis. The Korean War. The New Deal. The invasion of Iraq. The Vietnam War. And NASA.
All of those combined, in inflation-adjusted dollars, equal $3.92 trillion in today's dollars. This bailout is more than all of those combined. The inflation-adjusted dollar amounts for each of these line items ---- The Marshall Plan, back when we did it, cost $12.7 billion -- and it rebuilt Europe after World War II. If we did the Marshall Plan today, it would cost $115.3 billion. We rebuilt European for $115.3 billion in today's dollars; and we have just spent $4.6 trillion on bailouts of the US financial industry. The Louisiana Purchase, in today's dollars, would cost $217 billion. The Louisiana Purchase was Thomas Jefferson. That's how we got New Orleans and much of the territory all the way to the Left Coast, and it gave us the Lewis and Clark expedition, which Jefferson ordered to go find out what we just bought.
The race to the moon, in today's dollars, would have cost $237 billion. That's more than the Marshall Plan and Louisiana Purchase in today's dollars. The S&L crisis. We bailed out the S&Ls and fixed that. In today's dollars, it would cost $256 billion. Back then it was $153 billion. The Korean War, $54 billion back in the fifties. Today's cost would be $454 billion. The New Deal. Today's dollars, estimated to be $500 billion, if we did the New Deal today. That's half a trillion. We have spent $4.6 trillion. The New Deal was half a trillion in today's dollars. We have spent $4.6 trillion, and probably more than that, at least six or seven. The invasion of Iraq, $597 billion in today's dollars. The Vietnam War. Back in the era of the Vietnam War, it cost $111 billion. To do it today would cost $698 billion. And NASA. This is not the race to moon. This is the whole NASA budget. Over the years, $416.7 billion. In today's dollars, it's $851.2 billion.
So, all of these add up to $3.92 trillion: Marshall Plan, New Deal, Louisiana Purchase, race to the moon, S&L crisis, and we have spent $4.6 trillion. The only thing that comes close is World War II, and even that cost less than what we have spent. But at least in World War II, we were producing something, and everybody was working, and there was a tangible result, and that is we were able to stop Hitler. We did a great thing in World War II. This is using a figure of $4.6 trillion as the bailout today. It is far more than that.

November 30

The test of thankfulness is not what you have to be thankful for, but whether anyone else has reason to be thankful that you are here. Author unknown

THANKSGIVING WEATHER
Turkeys will thaw in the morning, then warm in the oven to an
afternoon high near 190F. The kitchen will turn hot and humid, and
if you bother the cook, be ready for a severe squall or cold shoulder.
During the late afternoon and evening, the cold front of a knife
will slice through the turkey, causing an accumulation of one to two
inches on plates. Mashed potatoes will drift across one side while
cranberry sauce creates slippery spots on the other. Please pass the
gravy.
A weight watch and indigestion warning have been issued for
the entire area, with increased stuffiness around the beltway.
During the evening, the turkey will diminish and taper off to
leftovers, dropping to a low of 34F in the refrigerator.
Looking ahead to Friday and Saturday, high pressure to eat
sandwiches will be established. Flurries of leftovers can be
expected both days with a 50 percent chance of scattered soup
late in the day. We expect a warming trend where soup develops.
By early next week, eating pressure will be low as the only wish left
will be the bone.

The feast of Christmas touches our hearts and makes us dreams because first of all, it's a celebration of God's homecoming. This is the wild wonderful message for Christmas: God abandons heaven and comes to us to be at home with us where life is never perfect where people are often hurting and fearful, where even the most cherished rituals become empty at times. God comes to us in the most unexpected ways, in the most unexpected people, in the most unexpected places… Robert Rimbo

God Is like DIAL SOAP Aren't you glad you have Him? Don't you wish everybody did?

"Red meat is NOT bad for you. Now blue-green meat... THAT'S bad for you!" - Tommy Smothers

"Pain is often the pathway to maturity. Unfortunately we want the product without the process." - Rick Warren


"Mankind will never see an end of trouble until... lovers of wisdom come to hold political power, or the holders of power... become lovers of wisdom." - Plato, The Republic

Compulsive Christmas Shopping
We can do the alcoholics in our circles a favor by not serving alcoholic beverages at holiday parties. They can't control themselves. We do compulsive gamblers a favor by not having office wagers. What do we do for family, friends and coworkers who are compulsive shoppers relative to Christmas gift-giving?
Gift giving traditions provide both a huge temptation and a cover for compulsive shopping. Perhaps the worst is media treatment of "shop till you drop" as a harmless sport instead of the malady that it is. Another cover for compulsive shopping can be elaborate office gift exchanges, which may have a compulsive shopper as the motivator behind them. Compulsive shopping means, in part, purchasing sprees that are out of control and cause problems financially and emotionally. Women who are compulsive shoppers tend to want things like new Christmas decorations every year, beauty products, clothes, make-up and cosmetics for themselves, in addition to what they buy for others. Men tend to prefer to buy electronic devices, sports items and care accessories. They also "collect" things. We may unwittingly reinforce problem shopping by voicing admiration for the items when we visit their homes, or when we effusively thank them for the excessive generosity of their gifts. Considerate abstinence from alcohol is not that difficult in many social groups, but putting the brakes on excessive gift giving is awkward. Even when price limits are made, what do you do when someone exceeds the limit? Sometimes eliminating gift-giving entirely in favor of a group contribution to a charity, or a similar gesture, may be a helpful alternative.

"Don't go around saying the world owes you a living; the world owes you nothing; it was here first." -- Mark Twain

God's plan doesn't require a drum roll or crashing cymbals. He doesn't use neon signs blinking, "Get ready! Get ready! Today's the day I do something big in your life!" That's not His style. God works by simply stepping into an ordinary day and saying what He wants to say.
--Charles Swindoll

BE THANKFUL...
Be thankful that you don't already have everything you desire.
If you did, what would there be to look forward to?

Be thankful when you don't know something,
for it gives you the opportunity to learn.

Be thankful for the difficult times.
During those times you grow.

Be thankful for your limitations,
because they give you opportunities for improvement.

Be thankful for each new challenge,
because it will build your strength and character.

Be thankful for your mistakes.
They will teach you valuable lessons.

Be thankful when you're tired and weary,
because it means you've made a difference.

It's easy to be thankful for the good things. A life of rich fulfillment comes to those who are also thankful for the setbacks.

Gratitude can turn a negative into a positive. Find a way to be thankful for your troubles, and they can become your blessings.

With only two tellers working at the bank, the line I was standing in was moving very slowly. As I waited, I began to fill in my withdrawal slip. Not sure of the date, I turned and asked the woman behind me.
"It's the fifth," she replied.
A man from the back of the line advised, "Don't write it in yet!"

When people have nothing to try them, they are in great danger of deceiving themselves. Has injustice been done you--has someone refused you honest wages or refused to pay a just debt? Did you find the Spirit of Christ in you? Perhaps you have been misunderstood and misrepresented; well, how have you borne it? Perhaps you have been treated disrespectfully by those who are under particular obligations to you; well, how did you bear it? Did your indignation rise--did you manifest an un-Christlike spirit? Or did you find the Spirit of Christ was in you? ... Though all this was very wrong and very provoking, what has been the effect on you? What has it taught you?... These things never occur by accident; God designs that every one should demonstrate our characters--that they should try us and show what there is in us and reveal to us the springs of action in us.
--Charles G. Finney

"If you're proactive, you don't have to wait for circumstances or other people to create perspective expanding experiences. You can consciously create your own." -- Stephen R. Covey



"99% of the failures come from people who have the habit of making excuses." -- George Washington Carver

You can clutch the past so tightly to your chest that it leaves your arms too full to embrace the present. Jan Glidewell Columnist

"The deeper one penetrates into nature's secrets, the greater becomes one's respect for God." -- Albert Einstein

"We simply assume that the way we see things is the way they really are or the way they should be. And our attitudes and behaviors grow out of these [often false] assumptions." – Stephen Covey

"No man can tell whether he is rich or poor by turning to his ledger. It is the heart that makes a man rich. He is rich according to what he is, not according to what he has." – Henry Ward Beecher

"Have you ever noticed that if you spend time around people who have strong personalities, you will automatically be affected by them? You'll find yourself doing the things they do. Their mannerisms will rub off on you. You can't help it. They just influence you, especially if they are people you respect and admire." – Gloria Copeland

"My interest is in the future because I am going to spend the rest of my life there." – Charles Kettering

"Courage is what it takes to stand up and speak; courage is also what it takes to sit down and listen." – Winston Churchill


The older we get, the fewer things seem worth waiting in line for.


A psychiatrist's secretary walks into his study and says, "There's a gentleman in the waiting room asking to see you. Claims he's invisible."
The psychiatrist responds, "Tell him I can't see him."

November 23

The true calling of a Christian is not to do extraordinary things but to do ordinary things in an extraordinary way. - Dean Stanley

Joy — I delight in giving and receiving the joy of God's Spirit.
My joy is not dependent on the events, material things, or even the people around me. True gladness flows from the Spirit of God within me.
A joyful spirit from the Spirit is strengthening, for it encourages me to find good in any situation. Joy keeps me focused and positive, even when those around me are not. There is a joy in watching the flight of a butterfly or hearing a baby's laughter. There is an overflowing joy of spirit in spending time in prayer.
Joy is not something I keep to myself. The more I share it, the more I receive in return. As I let the light of joy shine in my eyes and through my voice and actions, I find that the people I meet respond in positive, cheerful ways. I delight in giving and receiving the joy of the Holy Spirit. Author Unknown.

Christ the King Sunday is such a wonderful celebration! After some sobering messages of heaven and hell, we get to rejoice in His coming. Of course, we still cannot forget the underlying message that many people will bow to Him, but have not accepted Him in their hearts--we’ve got to stay busy in living for the King so more and more will know Him as Savior and Lord. We have great imagery again in these lessons. The comfort of a King Shepherd who tenderly gathers his flock to his side, and the serving King--who feeds the hungry, clothes the naked, and visits those in captivity. We are to imitate this King--how? The same power which raised Christ from the dead is working in us to live as a child of the King. With this kind of King, this kind of Kingdom, and this kind of Kingly power, why would we want to turn to anything else?

When God is about to work out any great purpose, He usually lays it as a burden of prayer on the heart of some of His saints whom He can fully trust. --A. B. Simpson
The reason you don't like the Bible, you old sinner, is because it knows all about you.
--Billy Sunday

Success is not measured by what you do compared to what others do, it is measured by what you do with the ability God gave you. Zig Ziglar

Too many people expect God to work through them when they don't even let Him work in them.

Lord, do in me what You need to do so You can do through me what You have to do.

There is no greater freedom than being a bond servant to Christ.

A Christian without commitment is like a promise made with your fingers crossed.

It is hard to be distracted by the world when we are attracted by Christ.

Chesterton quote on the wall: “A dead thing goes with the stream, but only a living thing can go against it.” great Christian thinker and writer G. K. Chesterton


A Time to Pursue Truth By Chuck Colson 11/14/2008
It’s getting to the point where I hesitate to turn on the TV. From the financial crisis, to hurricanes, to Iran, to fuel prices, you name it. And it’s not just the news, it’s the media’s—and the public’s—voyeuristic preoccupation with chaos that troubles me. The news is grim.
But don’t just hide in bed and pull the blanket over you. We need to understand what’s happening in the world, not as mere spectators, but in order to engage the world in a winsome way, ourselves to be light in the darkness.
I can’t help but be reminded of a lesson taught by a certain Oxford don named C.S. Lewis. Yes, these are frightening times today. But 60 years ago the entire world was at war. It was then that he preached his famous sermon The Weight of Glory. This is what he had to say: “Human culture has always had to exist under the shadow of something infinitely more important than itself. If men had postponed the search for knowledge and beauty until they were secure, the search would never have begun.”
Lewis’ words could not be more appropriate for us today. It’s precisely during times of crisis that we must persevere all the more in our quest for beauty and truth.

Sometimes God will deny you many things, to see if you will be satisfied with his provision. Do you bear poverty well, or are you envious at the rich? Are you, in your poverty, what Christ would have been in your circumstances? Thus riches and poverty, sickness and health, and a thousand other things are sent to try us and prove to us, and to those around us, what our real state is. --Charles G. Finney

Letter to a bank...
Dear Sirs:
In view of what seems to be happening internationally with banks at the moment I was wondering if you could advise me correctly... This letter you sent stating "insufficient funds," is that you or me? Sincerely yours,

Pray not for easy lives; Pray to be stronger people!
Pray not for tasks equal to your powers; pray for power equal to your tasks. Phillip Brooks
Pray not for easy lives; Pray to be stronger people!
Pray not for tasks equal to your powers; pray for power equal to your tasks. Phillip Brooks


Compulsive Christmas Shopping
We can do the alcoholics in our circles a favor by not serving alcoholic beverages at holiday parties. They can't control themselves. We do compulsive gamblers a favor by not having office wagers. What do we do for family, friends and coworkers who are compulsive shoppers relative to Christmas gift-giving?

Gift giving traditions provide both a huge temptation and a cover for compulsive shopping. Perhaps the worst is media treatment of "shop till you drop" as a harmless sport instead of the malady that it is. Another cover for compulsive shopping can be elaborate office gift exchanges, which may have a compulsive shopper as the motivator behind them. Compulsive shopping means, in part, purchasing sprees that are out of control and cause problems financially and emotionally. Women who are compulsive shoppers tend to want things like new Christmas decorations every year, beauty products, clothes, make-up and cosmetics for themselves, in addition to what they buy for others. Men tend to prefer to buy electronic devices, sports items and care accessories. They also "collect" things. We may unwittingly reinforce problem shopping by voicing admiration for the items when we visit their homes, or when we effusively thank them for the excessive generosity of their gifts. Considerate abstinence from alcohol is not that difficult in many social groups, but putting the brakes on excessive gift giving is awkward. Even when price limits are made, what do you do when someone exceeds the limit? Sometimes eliminating gift-giving entirely in favor of a group contribution to a charity, or a similar gesture, may be a helpful alternative.

November 16

If you have the Spirit without the Word, you blow up. If you have the Word without the Spirit, you dry up. If you have both the Word and the Spirit, you grow up.


"The major themes of the Christian faith - caring, giving, witnessing, trusting, loving, hoping - cannot be understood or lived without risk."

"The greatest thing anyone can do for God and man is pray. It is not the only thing, but it is the chief thing. The great people of the earth today are the people who pray. I do not mean those who talk about prayer, nor those who say they believe in prayer, nor yet those who can explain about prayer; but I mean those people who take time to pray. --Samuel D. Gordon


"When we pray, it is far more important to pray with a sense of the greatness of God than with a sense of the greatness of the problem." - Evangeline Blood

"You may forget with whom you laughed, but you will never forget with whom you wept." -- Unknown

"Men acquire a particular quality by constantly acting a particular way. You become just by performing just actions, temperate by performing temperate actions, brave by performing brave actions." -- Aristotle, Philosopher


"Popularity has killed more prophets than persecution." -- Vance Havner


"When I get to heaven, I shall see three wonders there. The first wonder will be to see many there whom I did not expect to see; the second wonder will be to miss many people whom I did expect to see; and the third and greatest of all will be to find myself there." -- John Newton


"The best portion of a good man's life is his little, nameless, unremembered acts of kindness and of love." -- William Wordsworth


"When I was young, I admired clever people. Now that I am old, I admire kind people." -- Abraham Joshua Heschel



"A positive attitude is perhaps more important at home than anywhere else.

As spouses and parents, one of our most vital roles is to help those we love

feel good about themselves." -- Keith Harrell


Who was Jesus?

He began His ministry by being hungry, yet He is the Bread of Life.

Jesus ended His earthly ministry by being thirsty, yet He is the Living Water.

Jesus was weary, yet He is our rest.

Jesus paid tribute, yet He is the King.

Jesus was accused of having a demon, yet He cast out demons.

Jesus wept, yet He wipes away our tears.

Jesus was sold for thirty pieces of silver, yet He redeemed the world.

Jesus was brought as a lamb to the slaughter, yet He is the Good Shepherd.

Jesus died, yet by His death He destroyed the power of death.

By Gregory of Nazianzus, A.D. 381


"What am I doing as I wait for Jesus to return?"


Timely thoughts from Thomas á Kempis From "The Imitation of Christ"

"Whoever wishes to understand fully the words of Christ must try to pattern his whole life on that of Christ."

"Indeed it is not learning that makes a man holy and just, but a virtuous life makes him pleasing to God. I would rather feel contrition than know how to define it."

"It is vanity to wish for long life and to care little about a well-spent life."

"On the Day of Judgment, surely we shall not be asked what we have read but what we have done; not how well we have spoken but how well we have lived."

From Chuck Colson: "So while God may not ask you on Judgment Day if you read 'The Imitation of Christ,' He will examine how Christ-like a lifestyle you have lived."



A True/False Election Test (Original Author Unknown)
A "True/False" Election test. I'd like for all of us to take it.
True/False: The day after the election, regardless of who has won, Jesus will still be King.
True/False: The day after the election, regardless of who has won, our responsibilities as Christians will not have changed one iota.
True/False: The day after the election, regardless of who has won, the greatest agent for social change in America will still be winning the hearts and minds of men and women through the gospel, not legislation.
True/False: The day after the election, regardless of who has won, my primary citizenship will still be in this order - (1) the Kingdom of God , (2) America , not vice-versa.
True/False: The day after the election, regardless of who has won, the tomb will still be empty.
True/False: The day after the election, regardless of who has won, the cross, not the government, will still be our salvation.
True/False: The day after the election, regardless of who has won, our children will still be more concerned with whether or not we spend time with them than with who is President.
True/False: The day after the election, regardless of who has won, my neighbor will still be my neighbor, and loving him/her will still be the second greatest commandment. (Do you know the first?)
True/False: The day after the election, regardless of who has won, my retirement will still not match my treasure in Heaven.
True/False: The day after the election, regardless of who has won, "Jesus Is Lord" will still be the greatest truth in the Universe.
True/False: The day after the election, regardless of who has won, we will still know that God is in control.
Just remember who you are and who He is.


Who is your real best friend? This really works...! If you don't believe it, just try this
experiment: Put your dog and your spouse in the trunk of the car for an hour. When you open the trunk, who is really happy to see you??

November 9

"I don’t know what the future holds, but I know who holds the future."

Faith is permitting ourselves to be seized by the things we do not see. Martin Luther

"Jesus Christ's outward life was densely immersed in the things of the world, yet he was inwardly disconnected. The one irresistible purpose of his life was to do the will of his Father." - Oswald Chambers

The mother of three notoriously unruly youngsters was asked whether or not she'd have children if she had it to do over again. "Sure," she replied, "but not the same ones."

I have found that the most extravagant dreams of boyhood have not surpassed the great experience of being in the will of God, and I believe that nothing could be better. --Jim Elliot

Did you hear about the Christmas parade in central North Carolina? Many elaborate floats passed by when suddenly a simple hay wagon pulled by a tractor starts by. On the wagon are several fraternity boys from the university. They are madly sawing boards and nailing things together. The puzzled expressions of the onlooker's faces changed to laughter when they read the sign on the back of the wagon. It read: "We thought the parade was next week!" Isn't that just how it is? There is a time to prepare, and there is a deadline after which nothing will do. Either you're ready or you're not!

What's Your Purpose in Life?
Josh McDowell tells about an executive "headhunter" who recruits corporate executives for large firms. This headhunter once told McDowell that when he interviews an executive, he likes to disarm him. "I offer him a drink," said the headhunter, "take off my coat, undo my tie, throw up my feet and talk about baseball, football, family, whatever, until he s all relaxed. Then, when I think I ve got him relaxed, I lean over, look him square in the eye and say, What s your purpose in life? It s amazing how top executives fall apart at that question."
Then he told about interviewing one fellow recently. He had him all disarmed, had his feet up on his desk, talking about football. Then the headhunter leaned over and said, "What s your purpose in life, Bob?" And the executive said, without blinking an eye, "To go to heaven and take as many people with me as I can."
"For the first time in my career," said the headhunter, "I was speechless." No wonder. He had encountered someone who was prepared. He was ready. His purpose, "To go to heaven and take as many people with me as I can." You and I might not express it that way, but do you doubt that this is one man who has extra oil for his lamp?

"Life is short stay awake!" Advertisement for Starbucks Coffee

"Taxation WITH representation ain't much fun either."

Some folks in Iowa read in the weather forecast column of their local newspaper sometime back that "there is a 90% chance of tomorrow." I personally hope that the chances are better than that. But who knows? Let's not be foolish. Let's be prepared.

The top ten most irritating phrases:
1 - At the end of the day
2 - Fairly unique
3 - I personally
4 - At this moment in time
5 - With all due respect
6 - Absolutely
7 - It's a nightmare
8 - Shouldn't of
9 - 24/7
10 - It's not rocket science

Now that the metric system is in wide use all over the world, we can see why Americans have not adopted it:
Try these for horrible examples: A miss is as good as 1.6 kilometers. Put your best .3 of a meter forward. Spare the 5.03 meters and spoil the child. Twenty-eight grams of prevention is worth 453 grams of cure. Give a man 2.5 centimeters and he'll take 1.6 kilometers. Peter Piper picked 8.8 liters of pickled peppers.

'I believe that banking institutions are more dangerous to our liberties than standing armies. If the American people ever allow private banks to control the issue of their currency, first by inflation, then by deflation, the banks and corporations that will grow up around the banks will deprive the people of all property until their children wake-up homeless on the continent their fathers conquered.' Thomas Jefferson 1802

"The budget should be balanced, the Treasury should be refilled, public debt
should be reduced, the arrogance of officialdom should be tempered and controlled, and the assistance to foreign lands should be curtailed lest Rome become bankrupt. People must again learn to work, instead of living on public assistance." -- Cicero , 55 BC

"The reason congressmen try so hard to get re-elected is that they would hate to have to make a living under the laws they've passed."

A half-truth is a dangerous thing, especially if you have got hold of the wrong half. --Myron F. Boyd

"Feeling better has become more important to us than finding God." - Larry Crabb

Going to church does not make you a Christian anymore than going to MacDonald's makes you a hamburger.

November 2

"Politics is the gentle art of getting votes from the poor and campaign funds from the rich, by promising to protect each from the other." - Oscar Ameringer

Did you hear about the two guys who get shipwrecked? They end up on a deserted island with no food or fresh water.
One guy is in despair, "We're going to die!!" The other replies, "Don't worry. I make $100,000 each week." His companion says, "What difference does money make? We're going to starve!"
The other answers, "You don't understand. I earn $100,000 each week and I tithe. My pastor will find us."

"Pray For Me" One Sunday in church, a young child was "acting up" during the morning worship hour. The parents did their best to maintain some sense of order in the pew but were losing the battle. Finally, the father picked the little fellow up and walked sternly up the aisle on his way out. Just before reaching the safety of the foyer, the little one called loudly to the congregation, "Pray for me! Pray for me!"

It doesn't do much good to put your best foot forward if you are dragging the other one.

"Leaders must be close enough to relate to others, but far enough ahead to motivate them." - John Maxwell


OVERCOMING OBSTACLES
"People who consider themselves victims of their circumstances will always remain victims unless they develop a greater vision for their lives." -- Stedman Graham

"Don't be disquieted in time of adversity. Be firm with dignity and self-reliant with vigor." -- Chiang Kai-Shek

"The one resolution, which was in my mind long before it took the form of a resolution, is the key-note of my life. It is this, always to regard as mere impertinences of fate the handicaps which were placed upon my life almost at the beginning. I resolved that they should not crush or dwarf my soul, but rather be made to blossom, like Aaron's rod, with flowers." -- Helen Keller

"The beauty of the soul shines out when a man bears with composure one heavy mischance after another, not because he does not feel them, but because he is a man of high and heroic temper." -- Aristotle

We judge ourselves by what we feel capable of doing, while others judge us by what we have already done. Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1807–1882) Poet

Distrust your judgment the moment you can discern the shadow of a personal motive in it. Marie von Ebner-Eschenbach (1830–1916) Novelist

In prayer the church has received power to rule the world. The church is always the little flock. But if it would stand together on its knees, it would dominate world politics--from the prayer room. O. Hallesby


Quotes from Luther:
* Every man must do two things alone; he must do his own believing and his own dying.
* If we are correct and right in our Christian life at every point, but refuse to stand for the truth at a particular point where the battle rages -- then we are traitors to Christ.
* Some of us... think to ourselves, "If I had only been there! How quick I would have been to help the baby. I would have washed his linen. How happy I would have been to go with the shepherds to see the Lord lying in the manger!" Yes, we would! We say that because we know how great Christ is. But if we had been there at that time, we would have done no better than the people of Bethlehem. Why don't we do it now? We have Christ in our neighbor.
* When I preach, I regard neither doctors nor magistrates, of whom I have above forty in the congregation. I have all my eyes on the servant maids and on the children. And if the learned men are not well pleased with what they hear, well, the door is open.
* When I consider my crosses, tribulations, and temptations, I shame myself almost to death, thinking what are they in comparison to the sufferings of my blessed Savior, Christ Jesus.
* Next to faith this is the highest art -- to be content with the calling in which God has placed you. I have not learned it yet.
* No man should be alone when he opposes Satan. The church and the ministry of the Word were instituted for this purpose that hands may be joined together and one may help another. If the prayer of one doesn't help, the prayer of another will.
* "Listen to the angel's song, all you who have a troubled heart! 'I bring you good tidings of great joy!"' Jesus did not come to condemn you. If you want to define Christ rightly, then pay heed to how the angel defines Him, namely, 'a great joy!'"

And lest we think the only wise one in Luther's house was the Reformer....
* I will stick to Christ as a burr to a topcoat!" (Those were the last words of Katherine Von Bora, Luther's wife.)


What Good Is Integrity? By Michael Josephson of Character Counts (560.2)
After a workshop, Paul (not his real name) told me he still has a 10-year-old scar from the time he quit a good job rather than lie.
When his boss asked him to issue a press release containing patently false statements, he refused, putting his employee badge on the table. His boss calmly handed the badge back, saying, "Think this over. Why throw away a good job and a promising career?"
Paul walked out so frustrated and frightened, he had to find a private place to cry. What's worse, he said his act of moral courage was a meaningless waste.
Someone else issued the press release, and his boss's career flourished. "It took me years to find a job as good as that one, and my family suffered," he added. "So what good did my integrity do for anyone?"
Paul was looking for validation of his principled stance in the wrong place. We exercise integrity not to get what we want, but to be what we want. Integrity isn't about winning. It's about staying whole and being worthy of self-respect and the esteem of loved ones. It's about being honorable, not as a success strategy but as a life choice.
Although Paul suffered because of his moral courage, he would have suffered far worse had he betrayed his values. While he didn't appreciate it at the time, he preserved for himself and his family something far more valuable than his job—his honor.
It's no accident that he now has a better job and a better boss with no pressures to cheat or lie. This is Michael Josephson reminding you that character counts.

"True friendship is like sound health; the value of it is seldom known until it be lost." – Charles Caleb Colton

"To all the late bloomers--of which I was certainly one--we have learned that life is a long distance run and not just the short sprint of our high school years." -- Ray Lammie

"The best way to succeed in life is to act on the advice we give to others." -- Unknown

"Fix your eyes forward on what you can do, not back on what you cannot change." -- Tom Clancy

"The man who chases two rabbits catches neither." -- Confucius

"Faith goes up the stairs that love has built and looks out the window which hope has opened." -- Charles Spurgeon

Wouldn't the world be different if we treated the Bible the way we treat our cell phones:
. What if we carried it around in our purses or pockets?
. What if we turned back to go get it if we forgot it?
. What if we flipped through it several times a day?
. What if we used it to receive messages?
. What if we treated it like we couldn't live without it?
. What if we gave it to kids as gifts?
. What if we used it as we traveled?
. What if we used it in case of an emergency?
. What if we upgraded it to get the latest version?
This is something to make you go...hmmm...where is my Bible?
Oh, and one more thing. Unlike our cell phones, we don't ever have to worry about our bible being disconnected because Jesus already paid the bill!

How Much Do You Own in That Direction?
George Washington Truett was a preacher in Dallas for 47 years. He once visited a wealthy West Texas rancher and had dinner in his huge ranch home. After dinner, the rancher took Dr. Truett up to a veranda on top of his house, and lit up a big cigar. The sun was setting, and if you've ever been to West Texas, you know you can see a long way out there.
The man pointed to the south toward some oil rigs and said, "I own everything in that direction as far as you can see." He pointed east toward some cotton fields and said, "And I own everything in that direction, too." He pointed north toward a huge herd of cattle and bragged, "And, preacher, I own everything as far as you can see in that direction." He turned to the west, and said, "And I own everything you can see in that direction, except the sun, of course."
Dr. Truett turned to the man and pointed straight up the sky and said, "And how much do you own in that direction?"

Watch your thoughts; they become words.
Watch your words; they become actions.
Watch your actions; they become habits.
Watch your habits; they become character.
Watch your character; it becomes your destiny.

"I believe that if there is one thing which pierces the Master's heart with unutterable grief it is not the world's iniquity but the church's indifference." -- F.B. Meyer

"Nothing will ever be attempted, if all possible objections must first be overcome." -- Samuel Johnson

"Vision is the art of seeing the invisible." -- Jonathan Swift

"It's better to look ahead and prepare than to look back and regret." -- Jacki Joyner-Kersee

"If you think that education is expensive, try ignorance." -- Derek Bok

It Is Not the Critic Who Counts
"It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly; who errs and comes short again and again; because there is not effort without error and shortcomings; but who does actually strive to do the deed; who knows the great enthusiasm, the great devotion, who spends himself in a worthy cause, who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement and who at the worst, if he fails, at least he fails while daring greatly. So that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat." -- Theodore Roosevelt

You can step out of His will and miss His blessings, but God will go on and bring about His end. God may have great blessings for you, a high calling for you, great possibilities for you, but be careful lest you forfeit and throw them away by refusing to walk in His highest will. Remember that you have within your heart something that came to you from God and is like God--the power to choose, the power to refuse, the throne of your will. --A. B. Simpson


This weekend is the final round of campaigning for the presidential candidates. I know you will all vote as God leads you, but maybe we could breathe a collective prayer of thanksgiving to God for a nation where ideas are freely expressed and people can freely select their next leader. In so many countries in the world right now, entire populations are suffering under brutal dictatorships and failed political systems resulting in unimaginable levels of suffering. As challenged as we feel right now in the US, who among us would want to live anywhere else?


How To Find Financial Stability In Unstable Times: Live a Life of T.H.A.N.K.S.G.I.V.I.N.G.
Transfer ownership back to God
Humbly adjust your lifestyle to live below your means
Avoid growing indebtedness & surety
Navigate away from financial temptations
Know your financial status and goals
Share with people in need
Give to God first as your highest financial priority
Invest for eternity
View every need and desire as a chance to trust God
Insert time in your schedule to manage your Money
Never be financially dishonest
Gain Biblical understanding

"Never let the fear of striking out get in your way." – George Herman "Babe" Ruth

"When men believe God, they speak boldly. When they doubt, they confer." -- A.W. Tozer

A saint is one who is faithful in all circumstances, one whose identity is not shaken by the daily circumstances, the ups and downs of life.