Birds, Lilies, And Me

Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life. —Luke 12:22

In the episodes of an old television show, the veteran police lieutenant always said this to the young officers on their way out to the street for their day’s assignments: “Be careful out there!” It was both good advice and a word of compassion because he knew what could happen to them in the line of duty.

Jesus gave His followers a similar warning, but in even stronger terms. Luke 11 ends ominously with these words: “The scribes and the Pharisees began to assail Him vehemently, and to cross-examine Him about many things” (v.53). In the continuation of this account, Luke says that Jesus compassionately instructed His disciples to “beware” (12:1) but not to worry or be afraid (vv.4-7,22).

Jesus was promising to guard, protect, and care for them as they went out into the world. He assured them that because He cared for simple things like birds and lilies, they could be certain that He would take care of His “little flock” of believers (vv.24-32).

We cannot know the future. But we can know this: No matter what comes, we are under the loving, caring, watchful eye of our great Shepherd, who also happens to be the Son of God!

( by David C. Egner)

I walked life’s path with worry,

Disturbed and quite unblest,

Until I trusted Jesus;

Now faith has given rest. —Bosch

If Jesus is concerned about flowers and birds,

He certainly cares about you and me.

Expect A Miracle…

No matter how softly you whisper a prayer,

God listens & knows the hopes & fears you keep in your heart.

For when you trust in His love MIRACLES happen.

Read: John 1:50

Whisper a PRAYER today!

Expect A Miracle…

Wherever I go, I carry a small gray stone. It’s in my purse all day, tucked under my pillow each night. And on it are painted three simple words: Expect a miracle. I did expect one, and against all odds, that’s exactly what I was given.

A year ago, when I first had bloating and pains in my pelvis and lower abdomen, I passed it off as side effects from the estrogen I was taking for menopause. But driving home one day, the pains got so wrenching I nearly crashed my car. This can’t be normal! I thought in fear. I’m a nurse, so I raced to my medical books as soon a I got home. Almost as if I were directed, I picked one from the shelf and opened straight to the page on ovarian cancer. A chill raced down my spine as I read the symptoms, bloating, pain, frequent urination…I had every one.

“We’ll have to run some tests,” my doctor said after examining me. “But it could be ovarian cancer.” Driving home, I felt so scared I could barely breathe. And when I walked in the door, my husband, Rich, took one look at me, and hugged me close. “We just need to pray,” he told me.

But my test results were terrifying: I had a large tumor, and a blood test that indicated the possible presence of ovarian cancer read 462, normal is 30. I’m going to die! I wept.

That night, I forced myself to stay calm as I told our two teenage daughters that I had cancer. But when I saw the fear in their eyes, my heart nearly broke in two. So I wouldn’t burden them with my fear, I said I had to run to the store and slipped out to my car, tears coursing down my cheeks.

In my mind, I pictured all the faces I loved: Rich, the girls, our five other children through previous marriages, parents, friends…

Oh, God, please don’t take my life, I pleaded. I still have so much to live for.

“Don’t do this alone,” my priest told me when I cried to him. “Let others help you.” And the next day, all those faces I pictured the night before were in my home, surrounding me with their love.

Their love carried me through my surgery to remove the tumor, along with my fallopian tubes and ovaries. But I was far from out of danger. “You still have only a 15 percent chance of making it,” once doctor told me. “Your only hope is chemotherapy.”

Half crazed with fear, I began making frantic bargains: if you heal me, God, I’ll be a better wife, a better mom, a better person. Just give me a second chance.

I had six chemo treatments, one every three weeks. Sometimes I thought I wouldn’t make it through them, they made me so weak and sick. But when I most needed a boost, a friend would show up with dinner or drop by to take the girls out.

Folks even organized fund-raisers to help us pay my medical bills!

Buoyed by so much love, I knew I owed it to others, and to myself, to stay optimistic. So I read books on healing and listened to tapes that helped me visualize getting well. I’m not giving in, I’d think. Rich was my strength whenever I felt afraid, praying with me and holding me. My daughters stayed positive, too. Lindsay, 14, and Sarah, 16, refused to believe I would die. “You’re going to be all right, Mom,” they’d say.

But after my last treatment, I faced a terrifying moment of truth. Doctors were going to take 100 biopsies, one in ever place they feared the cancer might have spread.

“To be honest, we don’t expect to find you’re cancer-free,” they warned. And if the chemo hadn’t destroyed the cancer cells, my chances for survival were slim.

I could feel terror creeping into every fiber of my being. I can’t give up hope now, I thought fiercely. So before leaving for the hospital, I opened the drawer where I kept a good-luck symbol a friend had given me, a small, hand-painted rock.

Expect a miracle, I read, then slipped the stone in my purse. The stone was still in my purse the next day, when I opened my eyes after surgery to find a pretty woman with dark hair and a white dress leaning over my hospital bed.

She must be a nurse, I thought. But she had no pills in her hand, no blood pressure monitor to hook up. Instead, she looked at me kindly and asked, “Are you the one who’s looking for a miracle?”

Confused, I stammered, “Yes.” But how did she know? I wondered. Then, before the question left my lips, she’d vanished.

The next morning, the woman in white was beside me once again. In her hand was a plaque that read: Miracles Happen Every Day. “Is this what you’re looking for?” she asked gently.

Tears sprang to my eyes, but before I could say a word, once again she was gone. As I gazed at the plaque she’d given me, I felt a funny tingly sensation throughout my body…

“Dawn,” Rich said as I groggily opened my eyes, “the results of the biopsies are in. They were negative, each and every one!” I’ll never know whether the woman was a nurse, or an angel. but it doesn’t matter. She came to let me know that hopes are never foolish, prayers never wasted.

Today I’m 49 and cancer-free. And each time I hug my daughters, share a quiet moment with Rich or just watch autumn leaves scuttle across the sidewalk, I remember again that every new day is a blessing, a new chance to expect a miracle.

( by Dawn Stobbe)

The Touch of the Master's Hand

‘Twas battered and scarred and the auctioneer
Thought it scarcely worth his while
To waste much time on the old violin,
But he held it up with a smile.
“What am I bid, good folk?” he cried.
“Who’ll start the bidding for me?
A dollar, a dollar … now two … only two …
Two dollars, and who’ll make it three?
“Three dollars once, three dollars twice,
Going for three” … but no!
From the room far back a gray-haired man
Came forward and picked up the bow.
Then wiping the dust from the old violin
And tightening up the strings,
He played a melody pure and sweet,
As sweet as an angel sings.
The music ceased, and the auctioneer,
With a voice that was quiet and low,
Said, “What am I bid for the old violin?”
As he held it up with the bow.
“A thousand dollars … and who’ll make it two?
Two…two thousand, and who’ll make it three?
Three thousand once and three thousand twice …
Three thousand and gone!” said he.
The people cheered, but some exclaimed
“We do not quite understand …
What changed it’s worth?” and the answer came:
” ‘Twas the touch of the master’s hand.”
And many a man with soul out of tune
And battered and scarred by sin
Is auctioned cheap by the thoughtless crowd
Just like the old violin.
But the Master comes, and the foolish crowd
Never can quite understand
The worth of a soul, and the change that is wrought
By the touch of the master’s hand.
O Master! I am the tuneless one
Lay, lay Thy hand on me,
Transform me now, put a song in my heart
Of melody, Lord, to Thee!

( by Myra Brooks Welch, taken from turnbacktogod.com)

Comforting Arms

Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. -Matthew 5:4

There is a vivid memory etched in my mind—a day when one of my sons hugged a tree in our back yard. The tree had a "ladder" of nails driven into it, and he used them for climbing. I was about fifty yards away, watching and admiring the athletic prowess of my son, as he hung from the first branch eight feet from the ground. But his foot slipped off the nail and I saw his body swivel around to the other side of the tree.

As he held on to the trunk with one arm and wrapped a leg around the tree, he yelled for help. I began walking toward the tree, but in his moment of distress, he didn't wait for me to arrive. Typical of the very young, he hadn't yet discovered that sometimes it hurts more to let go than to hang on, so—he released his hold on the branch. He slid down the trunk and skinned himself on every nail protruding from the tree. A long bloody gash stretched from his waist to his chest.

He hit the ground, immediately bounded up, and came running. His feet were moving so fast that he even fell once as he ran. When he reached me, he leapt into my arms and began to wail. I just held him and hugged him, because I knew he was experiencing more pain than he had ever felt before. Although I am not a great father—in fact, sometimes, I'm not even a good father—I did what comes naturally to any parent witnessing his child in pain . . . I comforted him.

Why is it that we think God will do any less for His children? Why is it that we think God groans when He sees us coming to Him in pain? We assume He is thinking, "Oh, no . . . you're hurt again?" If we, as fallen, sinful, earthly parents can comfort our children in times of distress, whatever the cause, how much more will our perfect heavenly Father comfort us in our distress—whatever the cause?

The word for comfort in Matthew 5:4 is not sympathy, which means to feel with, or empathy, which means to have experienced the same thing and feel with, but a combination of two Latin words which mean to put strength in; to infuse with power.

This means that God doesn't just pat us on the back when we are in mourning; He gives us what we need to endure the pain of sadness. It's as David said in Psalm 138:3, "On the day I called, You answered me; You made me bold with strength in my soul."

Have you fallen from any trees lately? God will lift you up—blood, tears and all. So go ahead . . . wail to Him in your sorrow; cry to Him in your distress; jump into His arms of healing.

Your Father is waiting to hold you close to Him. Then you will learn what Christ meant when He said, "Blessed are those who mourn . . . for they shall be comforted."

Prayer Point: Perhaps you are bleeding today from some emotional gash, and are in need of a giant "bear-hug" from God. Be encouraged, friend! God says in Scripture that you can cast your cares upon Him because He cares for you. No matter how great or small your concern, God will give you the strength to deal with it.

Extra Refreshment: Read 1 Peter 5.

( by Jesus Youth Chennai)

When no one will.... GOD WILL!

This is a very meaningful song sung by Nat Stuckey and Connie Smith...

Lyrics

God will walk with me

Down the streets where no one else will walk

God will talk with me

'bout things of which no one else will talk

When no one else will walk and no one else will talk

When no one will God will

God will share with me

The little worries no one knows are there

God will care for me

Whenever there is no one else to care

When no one will share and no one else will care

When no one will God will

God will think of me

When friends forget and fail to understand

God will strenghten me

When I am weak and need a helping hand

When no one understands or lends a helping hand

When no one will God will

When no one will God will

A Miraculous Intervention

A friend of mine attended his engineering counselling last Friday, and a miracle had happened on that day...

This is how it happened...

Dhinu completed his board exams this March. His parents never studied beyond standard VIII, and his sister was supporting the family with a job, so she could only study a course by correspondence.

His parents wanted him to do his engineering...

The results came out a month back and Dhinu had scored only 60% marks. We were disappointed. Our faith was staggering. But we believed that God had a plan for Dhinu, through this also.

Trusting God with the results, we did our part. We prayed fervently, we also inquired about different colleges and the courses they offered. We also applied to various colleges. (We din't simply trust god and do nothing. We did what could to get into a good college. We did our best and trusted God for the rest).

We wanted Dhinu to join my college. It's a nice place to study with good campus placements. When we thought about it, we felt it was convenient in every way. I asked him to apply and he did.

Meanwhile, another college was willing to admit him into a course he didn't want to do. It was a good course, and we wondered what to do. If he joined that course, he would not be able to attend counselling and do engineering.

His mom, in faith, asked him to wait for the counselling.

I had shortlisted some 30-40 good colleges for the counselling.

Dhinu's counselling happened last Friday, and when we tracked the seats on the preceding Wednesday, we felt dejected because not only there were no seats available in my college, but also no seats were available in the 30+ colleges I had suggested him.

We had set our hearts upon it, and our faith was shaking...

I was pained to tell him that seats were not available in those colleges. Dhinu took it very calmly (which in itself is a gift from God). I asked him to come home the next day so we could check again.

Normally, students join a good college, or a sister institution of that college(Normally the sister institutions of the top colleges are also very good, and usually have the same name as the top college). Even the sister institutions of the colleges I had suggested were all taken up.

He came home the next day, and we said a short prayer and went over the list again.

Same results - all seats were taken up. I couldn't even bring myself to say some word of comfort. What hope could I offer him when we were seeing all the facts on the screen?

Then a friend of his called up and asked us to check a new college. We checked. It had the same name as one of the top 5 colleges. Some colleges have the same name as a top college to just try to fool students into joining them, but they aren't good colleges.

So I thought, this was another of those colleges, trying to fool us.

We checked again. It not only had the same name, but also the same address as the top college.(Usually the colleges and their sister institutions are located within the same campus)..

This was no doubt,a sister institution!!!

We checked the seat availability. 10 seats were available in the course Dhinu wanted.

We couldn't believe what was happening.

Again, we did our part. We did what every student should do before attending counselling. We considered all the options, made a list of the colleges and courses we wanted, ordered our preferences this way and that, and came up with our preference list at 11 in the night.

Trusting God, Dhinu left for the counselling the next day.

As he sat waiting outside, he saw the 10 seats decrease in number, and finally stop at 2 before he went inside.

He told the man his preference and waited.

Yes!!! Seats were available, and Dhinu got admitted into a very good college, that too, in the course he desired.

He came home that evening and gave me the allotment letter. I was looking at no ordinary sheet of paper, but at the miracle God had done for us.

We had different plans. I wouldn't have even believed in my wildest imaginations that Dhinu would get into a good college for the marks he got. But God in His faithfulness, surprised us by blessing us beyond our expectations, beyond our comprehension...

I believe God chose his marks to work in Dhinu's life. I see a different boy now. Someone who's tasted God's faithfulness and knows it, someone who trusts God to intervene on His behalf... Someone who knows that NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE FOR GOD!!!

My faith has also strengthened after seeing God intervene in Dhinu's life, and I believe yours too will...

God bless you!

Joy in the Morning

Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning. —Psalm 30:5

Angie could not see through the fogged-up windows in her car. Inadvertently, she pulled out in front of a truck. The accident caused such damage to her brain that she could no longer speak or take care of herself.

Over the years, I have been amazed at the resiliency of Angie’s parents. Recently I asked them, “How have you managed to get through this experience?” Her father thoughtfully responded, “In all honesty, the only way we have been able to do this is by drawing close to God. He gives us the strength we need to help us through.”

Angie’s mother agreed and added that around the time of the accident their grieving was so deep that they wondered if they would ever have joy again. As they both leaned upon God, they experienced countless unexpected provisions for the physical and spiritual care of Angie and their entire family. Although Angie may never regain her ability to speak, she now responds to them with wide smiles and this gives them joy. Her parents’ favorite verse continues to be: “Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning” (Ps. 30:5).

Have you experienced extreme sorrow? There is the promise of future joy amid your tears as you lean upon our loving Lord.

( by Dennis Fisher)

New mercies every morning,

Grace for every day,

New hope for every trial,

And courage all the way. —McVeigh

Leave your sorrows with Jesus, the “Man of Sorrows.”

Then I'll Be Happy

With God everyday matters

Every person counts

And that includes YOU!

I hope this message encourages and challenges your heart to not wait for the future to be happy. Be happy with where you are now in life and know that happiness never lies in the future, but is available for you right now.

Then I’ll Be Happy…

For a good part of my life I suffered from a disease. This disease dampened my spirits, drained me of my energy, and robbed me of my vitality. Sometimes it even made it hard to get out of bed in the morning. It made every part of my life more difficult and demanding. For a while too it looked like this disease would be a weight I would have to carry for the rest of my life. This disease was called, “And then I’ll be happy.”

I think I first caught it in middle school. During my younger years I seemed to always enjoy the moment and relish each day of my life. At some point during those middle school years, however, I remember starting to look to the future more and more and enjoying today less and less. At first I thought getting into high school and being a teenager would make me happy. Then the dream switched to being the high school football star. That was followed by being on my own in college.

Next came having a great career and a high paying job. Getting rich and having that big house followed it. After that was the dream of raising a family. Then there was retiring and finally enjoying my life. Each dream postponed my happiness a little further down the road. Finally I realized hat if I kept going this way, I would be dead before I was happy.

That is when I came to see that it would be a lot better to be happy now than to live with this disease. Life I knew would always have fresh problems and frustrations, but I thought it would be a lot better to meet them with a happy heart and loving soul rather than waiting for life to be perfect. These days I am in remission. I still have occasional flare ups of “And then I’ll be happy,” but I heal them by knowing that I can choose love and joy every second of my life.

God loves us all so much and wants us to be happy today, tomorrow, and forever. Let’s not let Him down. Let’s choose love, share joy, and spread happiness with every moment we have.

( by Joseph Mazzella)

”Trust in the LORD, and do good;

So shall you dwell in the land, and be fed.

Delight yourself in the LORD;

And He shall give you the desires of your heart.

Commit your way to the LORD;

Trust in Him; and He shall bring it to pass.” - Psalm 37:3-5

This is what Love is all about...

Faith isn't the ability to believe long and far into the misty future.

It's simply taking God at His Word and taking the next step.

Have a FAITH-filled day!

This Is What Love Is All About…

It was a busy morning, approximately 8:30 am, when an elderly gentleman in his 80's, arrived to have stitches removed from his thumb. He stated that he was in a hurry as he had an appointment at 9:00 am. I took his vital signs and had him take a seat, knowing it would be over an hour before someone would be able to see him. I saw him looking at his watch and decided, since I was not busy with another patient, I would evaluate his wound. On exam it was well healed, so I talked to one of the Doctors, got the needed supplies to remove his sutures and redress his wound.

While taking care of his wound, we began to engage in conversation. I asked him if he had a doctor's appointment this morning, as he was in such a hurry. The gentleman told me no, that he needed to go to the Nursing home to eat breakfast with his wife. I then inquired as to her Health. He told me that she had been there for a while and that she was a Victim of Alzheimer Disease. As we talked, and I finished dressing his wound, I asked if she would be worried if he was a bit late?

He replied that she no longer knew who he was, that she had not recognized him in five years now. I was surprised, and asked him. "And you still go every morning, even though she doesn't know who you are?"

He patted my hand and said, "She doesn't know me, but I still know who she is."

I had to hold back tears as he left, I had goose bumps on my arm, and thought, "That is the kind of love I want in my life." True Love is neither physical, nor romantic. True love is an acceptance of all that is, has been, will be, and will not be.

Peace is seeing a sunset and knowing who to thank. "The happiest of people don't necessarily have the best of everything; they just make the best of everything that comes along their way."

Share this with someone you care about.

( by Irma Raymond)