Jesus IS King ... :) Shangy! >-->From Christian Educational Services: Hello and God bless you! We wanted to remind you that the Israel & Jordan Tour (June 9 - 22) registration deadline is March 11. There are still a few spaces available. For more information please cut and paste this address into your address bar: http://www.stfonline.org/register/index.html Also, we have posted a new article on TruthOrTradition.com that we think will be a blessing to you. ------------------------------------------------------ >It most definitely is! - So I have it Here in part for us today... King of the Mountain _ .-. / \ _ ^^ / \ /^./\__ _/ \ _ .--'\/\_ \__/. \ / \ ^^ ___ / \_ _/ ^ \/ __ :' /\/\ /\ __/ \ / \ / .' _/ / \ ^ / \/ \/ .`'\_/\ /\/\ /\/ :' __ ^/ ^/ `--./.' ^ `-.\ _ _:\ _ / \/ \ _/ \-' __/.' ^ _ \_ .'\ _/ \ . __/ \ /\ .- `. \/ \ / -. _/ \ -. `_/ \ / `._/ ^ \ / `-.__ ^ / .-'.--' . / `--./ .-' `-. `-. `. - `. @/ `. / / `-. / .-' / . .' \ \ \ .- \% @(88%@)@%% @)&@&(88&@.-_=_-=_-=_-=_-=_.8@% &@&&8(8%@%8)(8@%8 8%@)% @88:::&(&8&&8::JGS:&`.~-_~~-~~_~-~_~-~~=.'@(&%::::%@8&8)::&#@8:::: `::::::8%@@%:::::@%&8:`.=~~-.~~-.~~=..~'8::::::::&@8:::::&8::::::' `::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::' >King of the Mountain by John Lynn [This article is a transcription of our December 2003 Tape/CD of the Month, King of the Mountain by John Lynn.] I hope that this teaching will augment some of the things that you are already convinced of what we consider to be biblical truths on the subject of who Jesus Christ is and what is his relationship with the One True God his loving, heavenly Father. If you are not convinced according to how we think what the Bible says, then I hope that this teaching will be a user-friendly teaching for you and one that will touch your heart, and even make you appreciate more the Lord Jesus Christ and all his wonderful work on our behalf. You may remember the phrase king of the mountain from your childhood days, while you were wrestling with other boys or girls for supremacy on the top of a small hill. The title King of the Mountain is very apropos regarding what Scripture says about Jesus Christ’s up-coming 1000 year reign on the earth—the Millennial Kingdom. That is a preview of coming attractions relative to the New Earth. Please take your Bible and turn to Psalm 24. You may be thinking, “Hey that is right next to Psalm 23, the world’s most famous Psalm.” That is true; it is the world’s most famous Psalm. That brings up a good question. Why is not Psalm 11 or 82 not well known? Why is Psalm 23 so well known? I think that part of the answer is because Psalm 22, 23, and 24 are a trilogy, and a very famous part of Jewish literature. As you may know, Jesus Christ quoted from the cross Psalm 22:1 and the last part of the last verse—it is finished. He did that because he was hoping that it would bring to mind all the verses in between. It certainly did do that for many of the Jewish people standing at Golgotha that day because virtually every Jewish person had memorized Psalm 22, 23, and 24. Now, Psalm 23 has continued to be extremely famous even among Christians, but many people know Psalm 22 and not so many people know 24. If you have a Companion Bible with the notes and edits of E.W. Bullinger, then you can look at his notes on this trilogy. He sees these three Psalms each as prophetic regarding the Messiah in the Old Testament. You know that from Genesis 3:15 forward, the entire Old Testament, the Hebrew Scriptures, point to the coming man who would be the Messiah, and who if he was obedient to God’s blue print for his life including death on the cross, would be highly exalted and be king of the mountain one day. Thus, E.W. Bullinger sees Psalm 22 as the Good Shepherd on earth in his death, Psalm 23 as the Great Shepherd in Heaven by resurrection and his care of his people from that position of exaltation, and Psalm 24 as the Chief Shepherd on earth in glory. You can see the progression there, he was on the earth, and he died, he then was exalted in Heaven, and he will come back to the earth in glory this time, not in death. I think that that is very valid. I want to point out in Psalm 24:3, remember that this is pointing toward Jesus Christ, that a phrase is there that appears seven times in the Old Testament. Psalm 24:3a Who may ascend the hill of the LORD? >Visit here for MORE: http://www.truthortradition.com/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=749 King =========================================================================== >-->"I Said a Prayer for You Today" I said a prayer for you today and know God must have heard. I felt the answer in my heart although He spoke no word. I didn't ask for wealth or fame; I knew you wouldn't mind; I asked Him to send treasures of a more lasting kind. I asked that He'd be near you at the start of each new day; To grant you health and blessings and friends to share your way. I asked for happiness for you in all things great and small; But it was for His loving care, I prayed for most of all. ~Author Unknown~ ==================================================================== >-->From AndyChaps: .-'"`/\ // /' /\`\ ('//.-'/`-.; \ \ / /-. __.__.___..__._.___.\\ \\----,_ .:{@&#,&#@&,@&#&&,#&@#&@&\\` \-. .-'-. .:{@#@,#@&#,@#&&#,@&#&@&,&@#&&\\, -._,"- \ .{#@#&@#@#&#&@&#@#@&#,@#@#&@&&#@#\ \// = \`=\__ `{#@,@#&@&,@&#@,#@&#@#&@#&@,&#@,#/\/ =`-. -_=__ `:{@#&@&#@&#@&#@,#&&#@&,@#/.' / / "/.-', / `:{@#&,#&@#,@&#&@&,@&#/.-// //-'-_= ",/ jgs `~`~~`~~~`~`~`~~`~( / , /__,___.-" \ \\/ `\\\' BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU SOW So be careful what you plant now, it will determine what you will reap tomorrow, The seeds you now scatter, will make life worse or better, your life or the ones who will come after. Yes, someday, you will enjoy the fruits, or you will pay for the choices you plant today. If you plant honesty, You will reap trust If you plant goodness, You will reap friends If you plant humility, You will reap greatness If you plant perseverance, You will reap victory If you plant consideration, You will reap harmony If you plant hard work, You will reap success If you plant forgiveness, You will reap reconciliation If you plant openness, You will reap intimacy If you plant patience, You will reap improvements AND If you plant faith, You will reap miracles. But ... If you plant dishonesty, You will reap distrust. If you plant selfishness, You will reap loneliness If you plant pride, You will reap destruction If you plant envy, You will reap trouble If you plant laziness, You will reap stagnation. If you plant bitterness, You will reap isolation If you plant greed, You will reap loss If you plant gossip, You will reap enemies If you plant worries, You will reap wrinkles AND If you plant sin, You will reap guilt. -- Source Unknown ================================================================== >-->TEACHERS IN DISGUISE By: Joseph J. Mazzella The poet Robert Browning once said, "Take away love and our Earth is a tomb." Thankfully, I have been able to choose love and avoid that tomb so far in my own life. I have been fortunate too that God has given me so many great teachers who have shown me what it really means to love. I haven’t always been the greatest student and I know I have a long way to go. Still, with their help I keep trying to choose love and learn more about love everyday of my life. One of my greatest teachers is very different from the rest. This teacher is my youngest son. He has a severe form of Autism that limits his speech and keeps him trapped in his own world most of the time. Changes in the simplest things disturb him. The smallest difficulties frustrate him. His mood can go from extremely happy to very sad in a heartbeat. Often he cries for no reason I can see and all I can do is hold him and wait for it to stop. Even with all he has to go through, however, my son has still shown me so much about love and about joy. He has shown me that love must be unconditional, patient, kind, and giving. He has shown me that love means sometimes just being there for someone even though you can’t solve their problems or ease their pain. He has shown me that love is its own reward. He has also shown me, though, that a child’s laugh can sound as lovely and joyous as an angel’s song. He has also shown me that the light in a person’s eyes can twinkle as beautifully as the stars. He has also shown me that a single smile can warm a heart and uplift a soul. He has also shown me that a Heavenly spirit can shine through any disability. He has also shown me that God sometimes sends us our greatest teachers and angels in disguise. My son didn’t need words, a PhD, or a brilliant mind to teach me. All he needed was the loving heart and the joyous soul God gave him. May all of you learn as much from your own teachers in disguise. ========================================================================== >-->An Important Tip From Our Friend Budha :) SIGNS OF A STROKE (WITH 1 NEW ADDITION) | \ \ | |/ / | |\ `' ' / | ;'aorta \ / , pulmonary | ; _, | / / , arteries superior | | ( `-.;_,-' '-' , vena cava | `, `-._ _,-'_ |,-`. `.) ,<_,-'_, pulmonary ,' `. / ,' `;-' _, veins ; `./ /`, \-' | right / | ;\ |\ | atrium ;_,._|_, `, ' \ | \ \ ` `, ` __ ` \ left ;, \ ,' ` \, ventricle \_( ;, ;; | \ `;, ;; inferior | |`. `;;, ;' vena cava | | `-. ;;;;,;' FL | | |`-.._ ,;;;;;' | | | | ``';;;' aorta STROKE: Remember The 1st Three Letters...S.T.R. My friend sent this to me and encouraged me to post it and spread the word. I agree. If everyone can remember something this simple, we could save some folks... Seriously... Please read: STROKE IDENTIFICATION: During a BBQ, a friend stumbled and took a little fall - she assured everyone that she was fine (they offered to call paramedics) and that she had just tripped over a brick because of her new shoes. They got her cleaned up and got her a new plate of food. While she appeared a bit shaken up, Ingrid went about enjoying herself the rest of the evening. Ingrid's husband called later telling everyone that his wife had been taken to the hospital - (at 6:00 pm, Ingrid passed away.) She had suffered a stroke at the BBQ. Had they known how to identify the signs of a stroke, perhaps Ingrid would be with us today. Some don't die. They end up in a helpless, hopeless condition instead. It only takes a minute to read this... A neurologist says that if he can get to a stroke victim within 3 hours he can totally reverse the effects of a stroke...totally. He said the trick was getting a stroke recognized, diagnosed, and then getting the patient medically cared for within 3 hours, which is tough. RECOGNIZING A STROKE Thank God for the sense to remember the "3" steps, STR . Read and Learn! Sometimes symptoms of a stroke are difficult to identify. Unfortunately, the lack of awareness spells disaster. The stroke victim may suffer severe brain damage when people nearby fail to recognize the symptoms of a stroke. Now doctors say a bystander can recognize a stroke by asking three simple questions: S * Ask the individual to SMILE. T * Ask the person to TALK to SPEAK A SIMPLE SENTENCE (Coherently) (i.e. . . It is sunny out today) R * Ask him or her to RAISE BOTH ARMS. * NOTE: Another 'sign' of a stroke is this: Ask the person to 'stick' out their tongue If the tongue is 'crooked', if it goes to one side or the other, that is also an indication of a stroke. If he or she has trouble with ANY ONE of these tasks, call 911 immediately !! and describe the symptoms to the dispatcher A cardiologist says if everyone who gets this e-mail sends it to 10 people; you can bet that at least one life will be saved. P A S S T H I S O N!! ...Good Info! Thanks Budha! ======================================================================= >-->I Come To the Garden Alone o $""$o $" $$ $$$$ o "$o o" "$ oo"$$$" oo$"$ooo o$ "$ ooo"$oo $$$"o o o o o oo" o" "o $$o$" o o$"" o$ "$ "oo o o o o "$o ""$$$" $$ $ " o "" o" $ "o$$" o$$ ""o o $ $" $$$$$ o $ ooo o"" "o $$$$o $o o$ $$$$$" $o " $$$$ o" ""o $$$$o oo o o$" $$$$$" "o o o o" "$$$ $ "" "$" """"" ""$" """ """ " "oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo$ "$$$$"$$$$" $$$$$$$"$$$$$$" "$$$$$"$$$$$$" $$$""$$$$ $$$oo$$$$ $$$$$$o$$$$$$o" $$$$$$$$$$$$$$ o$$$$o$$$" $"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""$ $" J E S U S I S K I N G o $"$"$"$"$"$"$"$"$"$"$"$"$"$"$"$"$"$"$"$"$"$"$"$"$$$ "….Out of the mists of the gar­den comes a form, halt­ing, he­si­tat­ing, tear­ful, seek­ing, turn­ing from side to side in be­wil­der­ing amaze­ment. Fal­ter­ing­ly, bear­ing grief in ev­e­ry ac­cent, with tear-dimmed eyes, she whis­pers, “If thou hast borne him hence”… “He speaks, and the sound of His voice is so sweet the birds hush their sing­ing.” Je­sus said to her, “Mary!” Just one word from his lips, and for­got­ten the heart­aches, the long drea­ry hours….all the past blot­ted out in the pre­sence of the Liv­ing Pre­sent and the Eter­nal Fu­ture"... The King >I Come To the Garden Alone I come to the garden alone While the dew is still on the roses And the voice I hear falling on my ear The Son of God discloses. Refrain And He walks with me, and He talks with me, And He tells me I am His own; And the joy we share as we tarry there, None other has ever known. He speaks, and the sound of His voice, Is so sweet the birds hush their singing, And the melody that He gave to me Within my heart is ringing. Refrain I’d stay in the garden with Him Though the night around me be falling, But He bids me go; through the voice of woe His voice to me is calling. Refrain >From http://www.cyberhymnal.org/htm/i/t/g/itgarden.htm ====================================================== >-->From Our Friend Tony in Australia :) In Jesus Name... I was here early this morning as I usually am, praying for Gods forgiveness in all things where I have wronged Him and he spoke to me…Not in words, but in my mind. Years ago, I had this ‘feeling’ that someone was talking to me and I just put it down to imagination, but now? Well…. I do believe I recognise that ‘still small voice’…and today, this morning whilst most would be asleep, I sat outside in the darkness with a cup of coffee in my hand and a prayer on my lips, listening to the sound of ‘peace’ which I only ever feel when I am in the presence of My One and Only. I can hear myself asking the Lord the same question that some of Johns Disciples asked of Jesus, I have asked it many times in my life over and over, but I learned the answer in that little old building in a back street of what was not all that long ago, a sleep little town, but even back then, a hundred years ago, the town had more churches than shops, blacksmiths and Hotels put together. But nowadays, I ‘hear” Gods answer to my questions almost always before I ask….But for those reading this take yourself back to a time when you maybe asked…. “Are you really the One they say you are?” You can see the answer, you can ‘experience’ the answer when you sit in the surgeons clinic and see faces of people you seem to think are ‘familiar’. After all they had their operations about the same time as you, laid in a hospital bed the same time, and left hospital about the same time…. Normal ‘progression’ wouldn’t you say? Well, I carry a small New Testament with me often, and I find those scriptures out that talk about ‘doubt’. Doubt of just “Who” Jesus Christ is, and I remind myself when I look at those people, just like myself, who are walking as though nothing has ever happened. Just a matter of weeks ago, no more than 3 or so months I was laying in a bed wondering how it was going to impossible for me to ever ‘get around’ as I used to, no matter just ‘how good’ the surgeon was. I was ‘doubting’ myself…just “Who” Jesus ‘is’…not ‘was’…. Jesus IS the One who gave sight back to the blind… I noticed that when I went back to see Dr, Handley, the Doctor who ‘fixed’ my eyes, both of them some 5 years ago now, and I remember praying with an elderly lady who told me when she was 60 or so, she would read a novel from the library in a week, but hadn’t been able to read for over 15 years. A week or so after her ‘op’ where we lay along side each other in an operating theatre in a local hospital where Dr Handley ‘restored’ sight, we laughed when she read some of the jokes to me in a Readers Digest! And I remember asking myself “is Jesus who they said He was?” and smiling inside. Not long after that, I was in Hospital again, this time after being told I had Mesothelioma and that I should ‘get my house in order’. Mesothelioma is a form of lung cancer and it had shown as ‘prolifically’ in both lungs on an MRI And then, after being told I was given 3-6 months do just that, about four months later I sat waiting for results of a third MRI and looking at a young woman who spoke to me, saying we had said a short prayer in whispers in that same waiting room many weeks before. At that point, she had a scarf on her head, no colour in her cheeks and looked rather ‘gaunt’. This time she looked rather well! In addition, did not appear at all ‘ill’. Her cancer in her lungs had cleared up unexpectedly and she told me MY result would be the same. I was called in to see Dr Bowden, the Oncologist where he was opening the most recent scans of my chest taken 10 days before and here he was telling me they wouldn’t need to schedule a time for a biopsy, the ‘signs’ of what He said was without doubt, Mesothelioma…had now gone! I wanted to race out of the room and hug that young woman, but she was already gone! “Is this ‘Man” Jesus, “who they said He was?” I really ‘had to start rethinking! In addition, it was then I began to really ‘see’ that Jesus really had been there all along but my own faith had NOT been right, no…not at all. Well, after having a left hand ‘restored’ by a great Doctor, both eyes made so I could read without glasses and see a ball 200 metres down a fairway, and after having an ‘aggressive invader’ ripped out of my lungs without hardly a trace except scarring left as a reminder that the ‘invader’ HAD in fact taken up short term residence…. I am finally acting out what I have been saying to others I meet on Gods Highway…. “ Believe” and you WILL be saved, but lets not leave out what the Bible says… “Believing is just the start of it all. Folks…I watched a lady who was almost blind sit on a bench at the local Hospital watching a small bird feeding its young in a small bush. It was right on a busy walkway but yet the bird had built her nest, and was raising her young without a care in the world…Doesn’t the Bible say something about the ‘little sparrows’? I listened to a young girl telling me she had given up hope of ever raising her own family, telling me not really all that long after our first conversation, how ‘something’ had happened and that she was going to be ‘ok’… Myself and many others in our church hardly ever look at one little boy who is barely two, playing and having a ball as kids too. He is what I would call ‘solid’ in his build and yet, to all of us who know him, there would be a memory of a time not long ago when he looked like a baby would have looked 60 plus years ago in a camp in perhaps Poland or Austria and what a joy that little boy is now! A handful sure! For those parents! But He is ALIVE and well! So well! Its amazing! But he’s not just a credit to his parents who loved him, but also to the GOD Who loves! AND saved him. Praise Jesus! So,….. “ Is this MAN Jesus Who they say He is?.... haha..oh YES! A resounding YES! He certainly is! He is IMMANUEL! GOD……. with US Of course, I have been back to the same surgeries, spoken to people who have had similar surgery as I myself have had and I have also realised that some of those people are ‘better’ people than I have been, in MY past life and here they are, telling me how ‘lucky’ I have been when they themselves haven’t been ‘quite so lucky’.. I heard that from a man about 5 years younger than I who after 6 weeks recovering from one partial knee replacement was in more pain that he had been before the accident. I heard my own Mother say that after having one eye done, she wouldn’t have the other one done. The last day I saw her, she told me she had heard enough about Jesus and she passed away the next morning, ‘peacefully’ so they said. Folks, ‘doubt’ is as much a danger as any cancer….let Jesus ‘cut it out’ if He has not already! The ‘hole’ you feel you have in your heart. Only Jesus can fill that! Doubt is just about the opposite of Faith…. In addition, what does the Bible say about Faith? Hebrews 11.1 KJV 1Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. 2For by it the elders obtained a good report. 3Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things, which are seen, were not made of things, which do appear. Hebrews is a wonderful Chapter for us all to go back to periodically and as often as we can Faith is as necessary to our ‘spiritual’ survival, as Food and Water is to Physicalsurvival and guess what? JESUS is the source of ALL of them…. Lord, Bless us today as we read and hear Your Word. Lighten even the darkest areas of our minds and show us the Light that shines from Your word that we might share it with others with even less knowledge of You. Let us feel Your Spirit all about us Lord as we go about our mundane business and bring us safely into Your arms when You call. Feed us Father, as You feed Your sheep, send us Leaders Lord to teach is to harvest in Your fields, even into far off places. Restore love and peace in families, in businesses, in countries and in nations. Let us learn and adhere to the Greatest Commandment of them all, to Love one another as You love us. In Jesus Name! Amen --------------- ...Amen! Wonderful Tony! Thank you. ================================================================================== >-->From SermondFodder: Bless America: ======;===========;() #######:::::: #######:::::: #######:::::: jgs #######:::::: ############# ############# ############# ############# ############# ############# Firefighters violate 'God' ban Comedian George Carlin used to do a stand-up routine ^bout the "seven words you can't say on television." That was a long time ago. Today there's only one word and it's not a four-letter word - that is practically forbidden in the public square. Firefighters in Murfreesboro, TN, learned this when they erected a memorial to the victims of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. The patriotic display consisted of a model of the World Trade Center and the phrase "God Bless America." God help the firefighters. They violated the first commandment of America's new court-enforced civil religion: Thou shall not display or use the word "God" on public property. Murfreesboro's city manager ordered "God" removed from the memorial, leaving the censored phrase "Bless America." It seems the firefighters in Station No. 6 ran afoul of a higher bureaucratic power when they violated the God ban. The city manager told the local newspaper that "no one from city administration had approved of the original display. When I saw what was there, I asked that the language be modified to be more in keeping with what we would expect on a display like that on public property " Well, of course, city employees can't just take it upon themselves to "God Bless America" on public property. If city officials allowed them to do that, who knows what they might do next. Post the Declaration of Independence, which proclaims all men are 'endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights. "? Surely today's secular fundamentalists see Jefferson's reference to a Creator in the nation's founding document as a violation of Jefferson's own belief in the separation of church and state. The absurdity of the bureaucrat's effort to erase God from public property is underlined by the phrase he approved, "Bless America." Here is the Merriam Webster's Collegiate Dictionary's definition of "bless": "to hallow or consecrate by religious rite or word; to hallow with the sign of the cross; to invoke divine care for." It's obvious that "bless" has to go too. The city can't let its employees invoke divine care on public property. Murfreesboro officials need to settle on a completely secular sanitized phrase for the memorial. What about "Good Luck, America"? Or "Have a Nice Day, New York." In fairness to the city manager, he probably acted out of fear of the legal repercussions of allowing public employees to call on God to bless America. Almost certainly, the memorial would have come to the attention of the American Civil Liberties Union, an organization that once battled for individual rights but that now spends much of its time trying to squelch religious expression in the public square. The ACLU is always busy during the Christmas season seeking injunctions against crèches on courthouse lawns and filing lawsuits to stop other displays of joyous Religious sentiment. In Pittsburgh recently the ACLU complained about signs posted downtown permitting 10-minute parking near a Nativity scene. Bah, humbug! said the ACLU attorneys. The parking waiver amounts to an unconstitutional endorsement by the city of a, particular religion. ' In all likelihood the ACLU would have sued to edit "God" from the firefighters' 9-11 memorial. And there's a good chance the organization would have prevailed in the federal courts. Murfreesboro's city manager undoubtedly remembers the federal appeals court ruling on the West Coast earlier this year that banned the recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance in public schools because the pledge includes the words "under God." Legal intimidation is erasing every trace of God and religion from the public square. It's a bizarre, twisted journey from the Constitution's Establishment Clause: which prohibits a state religion, to the forced removal of "God" from the firefighters' memorial. But that's the state of the nation in 2002. Bless America. >From the Paducah Sun Editorial Page 12-20-02. ©2002 The Paducah Sun, Paducah, KY. www.paducahsun.com ====================================================================== >-->From AndyChaps: THE MOST IMPORTANT TRIP YOU MAY EVER TAKE It is accurately said that it is easy to be an angel when nobody ruffles your feathers. But it seems that feather rufflers will always be around. We're told that 19th Century German statesman Prince Otto von Bismarck once became so incensed at the criticism of a professor (he must have ruffled the prince's feathers), that he challenged him to a duel. Protocol had it that the one challenged was to have the choice of weapons. The professor made his choice...sausages! He sent word to Bismarck, along with a pair of sausages, that one sausage was safe to eat. The other had been poisoned with trichinae, which would cause a slow and lingering death, or at least long invalidism. He informed the prince that he should choose which sausage to eat and said he would eat the other one. Bismarck reasoned that a man might die with some sort of honor on a dueling field, but never by food poisoning. He sent the message back, "His highness has destroyed the sausages and asks that you be his guest at dinner this evening. After due consideration he feels he may have been slightly in error. He believes an agreement can be reached." One of the most important trips a person ever takes is "to meet someone halfway." Bismarck met his adversary halfway and chose to bring something useful from his conflict. When others ruffle our feathers, we always have a choice. We can meet them on the dueling field, where one will clearly win and the other will lose, or we can meet them halfway. Even armed only with words, we can seek to hurt or we can seek a solution. The choice we make will make all the difference. >From PRESCRIPTION FOR PEACE, by Steve Goodier ===================================================================== >-->From InspiredBuffalo: ____________________ /| ... .....''./| Lester - AMC / .''' . ''''_ . ' / | /.' ' ____ ' /_/ . / /.'.''. /'. . \ /. / ' / / ''''' /.' . ' \__/' / . .'/ / /.' ' . . '.. / / |~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~| / |___________________|/ The Sandbox Rock A little boy was spending his Saturday morning playing in his sandbox. He had with him his box of cars and trucks, his plastic pail, and a shiny, red plastic shovel. In the process of creating roads and tunnels in the soft sand, he discovered a large rock in the middle of the sandbox. The lad dug around the rock, managing to dislodge it from the dirt. With no little bit of struggle, he pushed and nudged the rock across the sandbox by using his feet. (He was a very small boy and the rock was very huge.) When the boy got the rock to the edge of the sandbox, however, he found that he couldn't roll it up and over the little wall. Determined, the little boy shoved, pushed, and pried, but every time he thought he had made some progress, the rock tipped and then fell back into the sandbox. The little boy grunted, struggled, pushed, shoved---but his only reward was to have the rock roll back, smashing his chubby fingers. Finally he burst into tears of frustration. All this time the boy's father watched from his living room window as the drama unfolded. At the moment the tears fell, a large shadow fell across the boy and the sandbox. It was the boy's father. Gently but firmly he said, "Son, why didn't you use all the strength that you had available?" Defeated, the boy sobbed back, "But I did, Daddy, I did! I used all the strength that I had!" "No, son," corrected the father kindly. "You didn't use all the strength you had. You didn't ask me." With that the father reached down, picked up the rock, and removed it from the sandbox. Do you have "rocks" in your life that need to be removed? Are you discovering that you don't have what it takes to lift them? There's One who's always available to us and willing to give us the strength we need. When the apostle Paul faced times of a broken spirit and sapped strength, he proclaimed to the Corinthian church, "My grace is enough for you. When you are weak, then my power is made perfect in you" (2 Corinthians 12:9b NCV). When we're broken in spirit and our strength is spent, we can turn to our Savior Jesus. Subscribe send a blank email to: the-inspired-buffalo-subscribe@yahoogroups.com ====================================================================== >An Extended Little Hand Story Editor: by Greg Bland Joyce Schowalter Queensland, Australia My daughter is a single mum bringing up two daughters, 6 and 3 years old. She is on limited money, aware it only stretches so far, so she economises, yet is aware her children need to be trained to be caring. So for a treat, she decided on a trip to the movie theatre to see "Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron". She bundled the little one into the stroller and all three headed out the two kilometres to the shopping mall where the movie theatre is. Of course, when going to the movies lollies and drinks are the order of the day, so she stopped at the store for that purchase. Next, she gave the children balloons each. As they continued on toward the movie theatre, the younger one was loudly singing the song, "Yes, Jesus loves me." My daughter saw a fairly old grey-haired bloke slowly shuffling along toward them. The next thing she knew, the old bloke had turned and was making his way straight to them. My daughter was a little concerned, so she stopped. All the while her 3-year-old, Ellie, was still singing. The old bloke shuffled up to them, bent down and addressed Ellie in a kindly voice saying, "That's a pretty balloon you have there, may I have it?" Ellie looked him straight in the eye and with an accepting smiling voice replied "Yes", and handed the balloon to him. A look of surprise and shock passed over the old bloke's face, as he reached for the balloon offered in an extended little hand. He thanked her gracefully and smiled broadly. Ellie's response surprised my daughter greatly. Three-year-old Ellie began to sing again but changed the lyrics slightly, to "Yes, Jesus loves you." Still smiling, the old bloke handed the balloon back, and said, "Thank you very much for sharing the balloon with me but it is really yours to keep." He looked at my daughter and said that it was unusual these days to experience such a kind and polite child. She explained that she was endeavouring to teach her children the value of sharing and respect of elders. With that, the old bloke turned and continued on his way and my daughter started walking again. Ellie bent forward in the stroller and looked back toward the old bloke as he shuffled away, calling out loudly, "Bye, bye" a number of times and waving. The old bloke stopped, partly turned and waved back. Tears were rolling down his cheeks as he waved, and when he continued on his way he seemed to stand taller and his shuffling seemed less pronounced. =======HeroicStories======= >-->LEARN TO WRITE IN THE SAND | \ ' / __ __ .-. _\ \/ /_ __ -=== ( ) ===- /__oOoo__\/ /__ '-' /_/\__\oOo__/ / . \ || /_/\__\ | || || ~^~~||~^~||^~^^~^~^=^=^~=~=~^=^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^ ~^ ~|| ~~|| ~^~ ~^= =~^=~^~^= ~^~^~ ~^~^ ~^~ ^~ || ^ ||~^ ~^~ ~^==~^==~^~ = ~^=~ ~^ ~^~ .'. ||.'.||.' ..'..''.'.'. '.'..'.' .'''..''.' jgs || || ''. O ~O/ '' '' || /|\/| ' . ' . ' . ' . /| |\ . . ' . / | / | . . ' ' ` ` ` ` ' ' A story tells that two friends were walking through the desert. At a specific point in the journey, they had an argument, and one friend slapped the other one in the face. The one who got slapped was hurt, but without anything to say, he wrote in the sand: "TODAY, MY BEST FRIEND SLAPPED ME IN THE FACE." They kept on walking, until they found an oasis, where they decided to take a bath. The one who got slapped and hurt started drowning, and the other friend saved him. When he recovered from the fright, he wrote on a stone: "TODAY MY BEST FRIEND SAVED MY LIFE." The friend who saved and slapped his best friend, asked him, Why, after I hurt you, you wrote in the sand, and now you write on a stone?" The other friend, smiling, replied: "When a friend hurts us, we should write it down in the sand, where the winds of forgiveness get in charge of erasing it away, and when something great happens, we should engrave it in the stone of the memory of the heart, where no wind can erase it." --Author Unknown ======================================================================== A PARENT'S PRAYER O Heavenly Father, make me a better parent. Teach me to understand my children, to listen patiently to what they have to say, and to answer all their questions kindly. Keep me from interrupting them or criticizing them. Make me as courteous to them as I would have them be to me. Forbid that I should ever laugh at their mistakes or resort to shame or ridicule when they displease me. May I never punish them for my own selfish satisfaction or to show my power. Let me not tempt my child to lie or steal but guide me hour by hour that I might demonstrate in everything that I say or do that honesty produces happiness. May I ever be mindful that my children are children and that I should not expect of them the judgment of adults. Let me not rob them of the opportunity to wait on themselves and to make decisions. Bless me with the bigness to grant them their reasonable requests and the courage to deny them the privileges I know could do them harm. Make me fair, just and kind, and fit me, O Lord, to be loved, respected and imitated by my children, and help me always remember that better parents raise better children. =======HeartWarming======= >-->From PetWarmers: MOVING ON by Chris Jarman I have been a Petwarmer member for the past three years and have enjoyed the heartfelt stories immensely. It is time for me to share one of mine. It was a cold morning on December 14th last year. I awoke at 7:30am, shuffled out of bed, and glanced outside the patio doors to see how much snow had fallen during the night. I noticed two tiny black faces huddled together against the door for warmth. Closer inspection revealed two long-haired male kittens -- one a smoky charcoal color, and the other an all black with several white points. They were probably about 6-8 weeks old. Out in the countryside, where I live, this is sadly an all too common sight. City folks drop off their unwanted animals in the hope that they will "fend for themselves" in the wild. The reality is that either we take them into our homes or they become part of the food chain. Already sharing my home with two cats, I couldn't leave these defenseless guys out in the cold. I opened the door, much to their delight, and was met with the squeaky little heart-melting meows that only kittens can make. Although young, there was an obvious difference in size between "Muscles" and "Skinny Minnie". Fortunately, they were eating well and I started to look for homes for them. After a few days, it became apparent that there was something not quite right with Skinny Minnie. His belly had swelled enormously but he wasn't gaining size anywhere else. A trip to the vet confirmed every cat lovers worst fear -- Feline Infectious Peritonitis or FIP. A corona-virus, FIP turns the immune system against itself, thereby rendering most treatments ineffective. Any boosting of the immune system actually assists the virus on its destructive path. I was informed that there are some heavy-duty steroid treatments available but the prognosis is fatal in more than 95% of kittens under 16 weeks old. The vet wanted to euthanize him on the spot. What should I do? I didn't want the little guy to suffer but neither did I want to give up on him yet. He was so small, hadn't lived yet, was still eating well and appeared comfortable. It just seemed so unfair. I decided to bring him home and give him the best care that I could, praying every day that he would pull through. I also decided it was time to stop calling him Skinny Minnie and find a real name. With the help of my regular veterinarian, who uses holistic as well as conventional medicine, I set about making life for Domino (as I decided to call him) as comfortable as possible. When his appetite waned, I gave him milk thistle extract and baby foods. As his skin became yellowed and jaundiced we spent Christmas day (which is also my birthday) at the vet's office. I mixed a liver support herbal formula with water and syringe-fed this to him. At one point, I was hand-feeding him every 4 hours. Then one morning he stopped eating. I came home that day for lunch to see if he would take any food. He raised his little body up in a welcoming gesture but fell over twice trying to walk towards me. My heart sank. The little guy was suffering now. I wrapped him in his favorite lambswool sweater and we made the dreaded final trip to the vet's office. Making the decision to take the life of something so young is the hardest thing I have ever had to do. He hadn't even known what it was like to chase mice, scratch the furniture and get into the kinds of trouble that all kittens do. I stayed with him throughout, amazingly still purring at every touch, as the last life-breath left his tiny little body. Once outside, the grief overwhelmed me. Wearing my sunglasses so people couldn't see this grown man falling apart, I cried the whole drive home. In fact I cried sporadically for days. The gifts he had brought me were enormous. You see, this was my first Christmas since my mom had died. In all the busyness of arranging her funeral, taking care of her possessions, and everything else that goes along with such a tragic experience, I hadn't had the chance to grieve my loss. In allowing myself to grieve for Domino, I gave vent to all the feelings I had locked away months earlier. I am a firm believer in synchronicity and that everything happens for a reason. As I look back now, I believe that Domino came into my life as a feline angel. In some fateful way, he gave up his own life to help me move on with mine. Truly a Christmas gift. -- Chris Jarman ____________________________________________ Chris says, "I live in rural Wakefield, Quebec, Canada, with Domino's brother Cassius and two other cats -- Djemb and Jasmine. Domino was cremated alone and his ashes are scattered under the bird feeder in my back yard." ====================================================================== >-->Be a Friend BE a friend. You don't need money; Just a disposition sunny; Just the wish to help another Get along some way or other; Just a kindly hand extended Out to one who's unbefriended; Just the will to give or lend, This will make you someone's friend. Be a friend. You don't need glory. Friendship is a simple story. Pass by trifling errors blindly, Gaze on honest effort kindly, Cheer the youth who's bravely trying, Pity him who's sadly sighing; Just a little labor spend On the duties of a friend. Be a friend. The pay is bigger (Though not written by a figure) Than is earned by people clever In what's merely self-endeavor. You'll have friends instead of neighbors For the profits of your labors; You'll be richer in the end Than a prince, if you're a friend. ~ Edgar Guest >Updated FUN STUFF URLS - Oh Yeah :)Shangy! ------------------------------------------------------------------------- http://www.ShangralaFamilyFun.com/urls.html FUN URLS ------------------------------------------------------------------------- -->Bigham's Computer Rescue - PC Sales & Serrvice You can trust us to provide you with quality computer sales and repair. We've been servicing the Van Wert area since 1981 and can help you with all your computer needs. 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