What I Learned in Life...

That no matter how good a person is, sometimes they can hurt you and because of this we must forgive.

It takes years to build trust and only seconds to destroy it ..

We don't have to change friends if we understand that friends change..

The circumstances and the environment influence on our lives, but we are the one who responsible for ourselves..

That you have to control your acts or they will control you..

That patience requires much practice..

That there are people who love us, but simply don't know how to show it..

That sometimes the person you think will hurt you and make you fall is instead one of the few who will help you to get up..

You should never tell a child that dreams are fake, it would be a tragedy if they knew..

It's not always enough to be forgiven by someone, in most cases you have to forgive yourself first..

That no matter in how many pieces your heart is broken, the world doesn't stop to fix it ..

May be God wants us to meet all the wrong people first before meeting the right one, so when we finally meet the right one we are grateful for that gift ..

When the door of happiness closes, another door opens, but often we look so long at the closed one.. we don't see what was open for us ..

The best kind of a friend is the kind in which you can sit on a porch and walk without saying a word & when you leave it feels it was the best conversation you ever had.

It's true we don't know what we have until we find it, but its also true, we don't know what we've been missing until it arrives..

It only takes a minute to offend someone, an hour to like someone, a day to love someone, but it takes a life time to forget someone.

Don't look for appearances, they can be deceiving, don't go for wealth even that can fade, find someone who makes you smile, because it only takes a smile to make a day better, find what makes your heart smile..

There are moments in life when you miss someone so much, that you wish you can take them out of your dream and hug them for real..

Dream what you want, go wherever you want to go.. because you have only one life, and one change to do the things you want to do ..

The happiest people don't necessarily have the best of everything, they just make the best of everything that comes their way.

The best future is based on the forgotten past.. You can't go on well in life until you let go of your past failures and heartaches.

When you were born, you were crying and everyone around you was smiling...
LIVE YOUR LIFE SO THAT WHEN YOU DIE, YOU'RE THE ONE THAT IS SMILING AND EVERYONE AROUND YOU IS CRYING"

( by Paulo Coelho)

Desires of our Heart

“Thou didst well in that it was in thine heart.” (1 Kings 8:18)

One of the great desires of David’s heart was to build a Temple for Jehovah in Jerusalem. The Lord sent word that he would not be permitted to build the Temple because he was a man of war, but the Lord added these significant words, “Thou didst well in that it was in thine heart.” It seems clear from this that God counts the desire for the act when we are unable to carry out our desires for Him.

This does not apply when our failure to perform is due to our own procrastination or inaction. Here the desire is not enough. As has been said, the streets of hell are paved with good intentions.

But there are many occasions in the Christian life when we want to do something to please the Lord but are prevented by circumstances beyond our control. A young convert, for instance, desires to be baptized but is forbidden by unbelieving parents. In such a case, God counts his unbaptism for baptism until he leaves home and can obey the Lord without being insubordinate to his parents.

A Christian wife desires to attend all the meetings of the local assembly but her drunken husband insists that she stay at home. The Lord rewards both her subjection to her husband and her desire to meet with others in His Name.

An aged sister wept as she watched others serving meals at a Bible Conference. It had been her great joy to do this for many years, but now she was physically unable. As far as God is concerned she receives as rich a reward for her tears as the others do for their labours.

Who knows how many there are who have willingly offered themselves for service on the mission fields, yet they were never able to travel beyond their own home-town? God knows—and all of these holy aspirations will be rewarded at the Judgement Seat of Christ.

The principle also applies in the matter of giving. There are those who are already investing sacrificially in the work of the Lord and just wish they could give more. In a coming day, the divine ledger will show that they did give more.

The ill, the handicapped, the shut-ins, the aged are not cut off from first-place honours, because, “in His mercy, God judges us, not only by our achievements, but by our dreams.”

( by Manorama)

Quote for the day

To give up hope, is to give up on God. 

God isn't done with me, and I'm not done with Him. I guess it just boils down to believing what God says in His word. He promised He won't forsake us, and as long as I still have that hope, I'm not giving up. On life, or anything else.

( by Judith Bronte)

Simple Things...

Have a firm handshake.

Look people in the eye.

Sing in the shower.

Own a great stereo system.

If in a fight, hit first and hit hard.

Keep secrets.

Never give up on anybody. Miracles happen everyday.

Always accept an outstretched hand.

Be brave. Even if you're not, pretend to be. No one can tell the difference.

Whistle.

Avoid sarcastic remarks.

Choose your life's mate carefully and prayerfully.

Make it a habit to do nice things for people who will never find out.

Lend only those books you never care to see again.

Never deprive someone of hope; it might be all that they have.

When playing games with children, let them win.

Give people a second chance.

Be romantic.

Become the most positive and enthusiastic person you know.

Loosen up. Relax. Except for rare life-and-death matters, nothing is as important as it first seems.

Don't allow the phone to interrupt important moments. It's there for your convenience, not the caller's.

Be a good winner.

Be a good loser.

Think twice before burdening a friend with a secret.

When someone hugs you, let them be the first to let go.

Be modest. A lot was accomplished before you were born.

Keep it simple.

Beware of the person who has nothing to lose.

Don't burn bridges. You'll be surprised how many times you have to cross the same river.

Be bold and courageous. When you look back on life, you'll regret the things you didn't do more than the one's you did.

Never waste an opportunity to tell someone you love them.

Remember no one makes it alone. Have a grateful heart and be quick to acknowledge those who helped you.

Take charge of your attitude. Don't let someone else or circumstances choose it for you.

Visit friends and relatives when they are in hospital; stay a few minutes.

Begin each day with some of your favorite music.

Once in a while, take the scenic route.

Send a lot of Valentine cards. Sign them, 'Someone who thinks you're terrific'.

Answer the phone with enthusiasm and energy in your voice.

Show respect for everyone who works for a living, regardless of how trivial their job.

Send your loved ones flowers. Think of a reason later.

Make someone's day by paying the toll for the person in the car behind you.

Become someone's hero.

Marry only for love.

Count your blessings.

Compliment the meal when you're a guest in someone's home.

Wave at the children on a school bus.

Thank good God before sleeping.

Lessons Through the Keyboard

This isn't an article on how to learn to play the keyboard. Rather, its about the lessons God has taught me through my keyboard. Quite a long one, but worth the read.

Ever since 2008, I eagerly waited to buy a good keyboard for myself. A childhood friend of mine had a PSR-2000 (Rs. 65,000). My heart was set on getting that model. I had pictures of it, and kept looking at them regularly. I planned to buy myself one after I joined work. I was pursuing my Bachelor's in Engineering at that time. So after a two year long wait, I hoped to join work and buy it. But God guided me towards my Post Graduation in Management, and I realized that I had to wait for another two years to buy it. 

Thats when my sister surprised me by offering to buy one for me. From then on, I started searching for a good keyboard to buy. PSR-2000 was an old model now, no longer in production. I could get a second hand one or buy some other recent model. I kept my options open. 

First starting with the second hand keyboards, I went through many online shopping sites, looked at various keyboards, contacted people, tried to fix the prices and so on. This went on for about a month and a half. Then I happened to visit my guitar master one day, and he advised me to not get a second hand one. Its more prone to get repaired, he said. 

So I started a fresh search looking at the latest keyboards and their features. There were many to choose from and decision making became very tough. During this time I had this renewed desire to learn to play the keyboard better, and so I wanted one that would help me learn more and improve my playing greatly. I downloaded the pictures and features list of about 6 to 7 keyboards and went through them everyday. I would spend hours reading the features again and again even though I knew them by heart. I would look at all those keyboards longingly. Day after day, I went through all those models, sometime many times a day, and I still wasn't able to decide. 

At first I chose a simple model. It had touch sensitivity ( a feature) that was one of my top priorities. I assumed it would suffice my purpose and almost decided on it. Then I realized that I would need a better model if I had to use it for my church choir. We never had a proper keyboard in my church at that time and Christmas was fast approaching, and I needed one before that. 

So the search started again, this time with new models in my choice list. My budget also had to be looked at, and I finally narrowed down my choice to two models - the PSR-s550b (Rs. 36,000) and the PSR-s710 (Rs. 48,000).

I was accustomed to the s710 model as we had a similar one (s700) in my college, I had played on that before and I knew it was an awesome keyboard. And somehow whenever I looked at this model PSR s550b, I had this feeling I cannot explain. I didn't want that keyboard. I always wanted a silver color keyboard ( probably because PSR-2000 was of that color), and this one was black, jet black! I knew I was being silly, a keyboard should be valued based on its features and not its color. I knew it, but somehow I just didn't want the s550b model.

I knew the s550b had more features than I actually wanted, and it was a good one. But I didn't want that. A month passed, and I still couldn't make up my mind. My parents felt that the s710 model was quite expensive but since it was a one-time investment they didn't object when that was on my choice list. 

One day, a friend of mine felt I would end up buying the s550b. And I got this all too familiar feeling again (the one I cannot explain). I felt peaceful. Later when I saw the s710 again, I was confused again. And I  delayed my decision one more time. Days went by, and I felt drained of my energy whenever I tried to make a decision. There was the s550b which had the features I wanted and the s710 which I wanted to buy. I could not go ahead with either one. I couldn't believe my state. I had waited for more than two years to buy a keyboard, and now when I had the money to buy it, I just couldn't make up my mind.

I wondered which one God wanted me to buy. I didn't know. I told my friend Sagai that. She said I should fast and pray to know God's will. This may sound ridiculous, that I sought God's will to buy a keyboard. But I have always sought His will for even minor, insignificant things in my life and I felt that my keyboard which I loved already should also be in accordance with His will. I had this undeniable faith that His plans are "the best". 

So that day I fasted and prayed asking God to reveal which one I should buy. I prayed for a long time but I still got no answer. Thats when I remembered some preacher saying long back that God has given us good brains to think and we ought to use them when we seek His will. I asked God to guide me to the answer and  I took a sheet of paper and a pen. I wrote down what my needs were, what were the features I wanted. I also wrote down the features of both keyboards and matched my needs with their features. Both had the features I wanted and much more. So I started writing the positives and drawbacks of each. Among them, weight was an important factor. The s710 weighed 10.5 kgs whereas the s550b weighed only 7.5 kgs. I've carried the s700 before in college and I remember how breathless I was after having walked carrying it for hardly two minutes. 

I realized that I would have to carry my keyboard quite often to and from church. Would I be able to carry the s710 to church almost every week? (The church is about a kilometre away from my home). I wasn't sure. I felt I would dislocate my shoulder if I carried it even once to church. I would have to use an antorickshaw to carry it, and I wouldn't be able to afford that every time. 

I looked at the features again. The s550b had more features than I wanted. It was more than enough for my needs. The s710 had more features than the s550b, features I never know to exploit, features I would never use. I was a beginner after all. If I bought the s710, I would actually be buying a heavier keyboard that would leave me breathless when I carry it, a keyboard I would be paying more for for features I would never use, a waste of money and energy. 

I realized that the s550b was the one I had to buy. I once again had this familiar feeling and now, with it a lot of peace. That kind of peace cannot be explained. It leaves no doubts about the decisions you've made, it assures you that everything's gonna be alright, it makes you feel that the best will happen now. 

I had made my decision. I was going to buy the s550b.

We paid for it, and I carried it home on my lap, tightly holding the keyboard I had waited for for years. I was happy. I was peaceful. I wanted to give him a name. This verse from Joshua 24:15 where he says, “But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord” was one of my favourites. I named my keyboard after him. 

The story doesn't end there. The liar doesn't give up, does he?

As the story goes, I played on the s550b at home and the s700 ( similar to s710) in college. The music from  any keyboard will sound very good when its heard on amplified speakers. I've heard the s700 on speakers, but not mine. In my church, the speakers face the other side and I never get to hear my keyboard on the speakers. 

So I had this feeling that my keyboard was not as good as the s710. Also, by this time I got better at carrying the s700 in college ( we use it for the prayer meetings every week). Now, I could carry it without losing my breath for that short distance to the prayer room. I wondered if I had made the wrong decision. With practice I could have carried it. But this decision was from God. How could it be wrong? I remembered the decision making process and I would tell myself that this was the right decision. But confusions came now and then and this thought about the s710 kept eating at me for about 4 months. Nevertheless, I still liked my keyboard. I learnt lots as I played on it everyday and my music improved greatly. 

So it was after 4 months that I actually took my keyboard for using it at a night vigil for the first time. I was close to the speakers this time. As the music kept coming, I couldn't believe what I was hearing! Was this my keyboard? It sounded so beautiful! It was awesome!

I realized that God had given me the best, only I hadn't known it before. 

After the night vigil I had to carry it home. I had to walk for a little more than a kilometre carrying it. I felt it was no great deal as I had carried mine to church often. But I failed to notice that I was exhausted after the night vigil, and had no strength to carry it. I became breathless soon. I developed some pain in my chest as I was trying to catch my breath. I was shocked, it was my keyboard and I was breathless! I struggled to carry it home. And I kept wondering what would have happened if I was carrying the s710 now!

It took me four months to realize that God had given me the best keyboard. God has used my keyboard and me on many occasions. And I'm able to go to those places (the night vigil too) because its my keyboard that I'm carrying on my shoulders. I carry it as I walk, as I travel on the bike, I carry it myself whenever I have to play.

The decision to buy the s550b is one of the best decisions I ever made in my life!

I know that the s710 is still better than my keyboard, but the s550b is the best for me! Whats best by worldly standards isn't always the best for us. By giving me the s550b, God gave me the not what I wanted but what I needed. He gave me the best, He gave me only that which I'm capable of carrying. 


This is an important lesson in life. Many times we go after things we don't really need, they weigh heavily on our shoulders, drain us of our energy and rob us of our happiness. And the alternative from God could be plain, simple, not attractive perhaps and we doubt if it'll be the best one. But what comes from God is what we're capable of carrying. For God says in Matthew 11:30, "For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light." Believe me, they're the best we can have, ever!

P.S.: Here's a picture of Joshu :)

Beating the Single Catholic Blues

Really meaningful and worth pondering for all those who are seeking their better half.....

Why am I still single?

That’s a question a whole lot of us Catholic girls and boys find ourselves asking these days.

The plan, our plan, was always marriage and babies. But God hasn’t gotten the memo yet. Which leaves those of us who still believe we’re called to marriage trying to make sense of our prolonged singleness, not to mention striving to understand how we’re supposed to live in the gap between college and “I do.”

It’s confusing. It’s frustrating. And sometimes it just plain hurts.

So what’s a good Catholic single to do? Give in to the culture? Give up on our heart’s desires?

Buy lots and lots of cats?

No. No. A hundred times no.

Just try these tips instead.

1. Remember, It’s Not You

Okay, maybe it is. Maybe you have some deep-seeded issue preventing you from recognizing or committing to the person God has for you. Chances are,however, you’re still single for the same reason most of us are:

We’re Catholic and the culture is not.

The sexual revolution, divorce, abortion, contraception, pornography, cohabitation, even serial dating have left countless potential mates wounded and in need of healing. Others want and expect things from us that we cannot and must not give. The pool of eligible spouses is small, which leaves many of us single later—maybe much later—than we’d like.

But your unwillingness to widen that pool by turning your back on God and compromising on what you know to be true doesn’t mean something’s wrong with you. It means something’s right.

2. Seize the Day

The single years aren’t always a walk in the park. But they do come with certain perks and opportunities. Don’t let those perks and opportunities pass you by.

At night, read by the fireside. Buy season tickets to the ballet or symphony. Go on that missionary trip to China. Open the brewhouse of your dreams. Finish that masters in theology.

As your married friends will tell you, your time for most of these adventures is limited. Embarking on them now, however, tempers depression in the short-term and enriches life in the long-term. You see more and learn more. You grow more. And who knows? Maybe in some mission church in China, you’ll meet your future spouse.

3. Make a Gift of Yourself

All of us—single or otherwise—are under orders from God to give ourselves away in love. See Matthew 10:39: “He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for my sake will find it.”

So lose your life. Give it away. Volunteer at the local crisis pregnancy center. Sing in the Church choir. Teach CCD. Feed the homeless. Take a meal to new mom. Make a holy hour for the singles you know. Just smile at the crabby clerk in the grocery store.

Whatever you do, do it often and do it gladly. God, after all, loves a cheerful giver. Accordingly, the more cheerfully you give yourself away, the more joy God gives back to you.

4. Count Your Blessings

Literally. Write them down. Tick them off on your fingers. Use an abacus. Enumerate them however you like, just count them…all of them. Your mind, your health, your strength, your friends, your faith, your beauty, your smile, your talents, your job, your lack of job, your great family, your crazy family, blue skies, green grass, hot coffee, strong whiskey, cashmere sweaters, fat babies, broccoli, old doors, new plumbing—whatever it is that floats your boat put it on the list. Then bless God for it. Tell him you see his goodness in all these things, and ask for the grace to see it in your singleness as well. Chances are, by the time you’re done counting, you will.

5. Hang Out With Jesus

Why? Because he loves you and wants only the best for you. He’s not surprised you’re single. He saw this day coming from all eternity. He’s accounted for it. He’s providing for you through it. And as long as your singleness lasts, he will continue to provide. So go to him, daily: in the Eucharist, in Confession, in Adoration, in his Word, and in prayer. Being in his presence reminds you of his love. It also can remind you of how much you love him, and how your deepest desire is not for a spouse, but rather to do his will.

6. Hope Always

There comes a time in almost every single Catholic’s life when we’ve had enough—enough dating, enough disappointment, enough bad endings. No matter how good we’ve been and no matter how hard we’ve prayed, it never seems to work out. So we contemplate giving up.

Bad idea.

If you truly believe you’re called to marriage, you can’t throw in the towel. You have to put yourself out there, and you have to leave yourself open—to getting hurt, yes, but also to being surprised by some totally

unexpected, totally perfect gift from God.

And it’s never too late for him to send you that gift. Never.

( by Emily Stimpson* )

*Emily Stimpson is a contributing editor to Our Sunday Visitor Newsweekly and the author of “The Catholic Girl’s Survival Guide for the Single Years.” (Emmaus Road, 2012). She lives in Steubenville , Ohio, and blogs at CatholicVote.org.

Quote for the day

God had one Son on earth without sin, but never one without suffering.

( by St. Augustine)

Lord of All

“Jesus Christ…is Lord of all “(Acts 10:36)

One of the great themes of the New Testament is the lordship of Jesus Christ. Over and over we are reminded that He is Lord and that we should give Him that place in our lives.

To crown Jesus as Lord means to surrender our lives to Him. It means to have no will of our own, but to want His will supremely. It means the willingness to go anywhere, do anything, and say whatever He desires.

When Joshua asked the captain of the Lord’s army, “Are you for us or against us?” the captain replied, in effect, “I didn’t come either to assist or hinder you. I came to take over” (see Josh. 5:14). So the Lord doesn’t come as sort of a glorified assistant; He comes to take supreme command of our lives.

The importance of lordship can be seen in the fact that whereas the word “Savior” occurs only 24 times in the New Testament, the word “Lord” occurs 522 times. It is also significant that whereas men invariably say “Savior and Lord,” in that order, the Scriptures always say “Lord and Savior.”

To make Jesus our Lord is the most reasonable, logical thing we can do. He died for us; the least we can do is live for Him. He bought us; we are no longer our own. “Love so amazing, so divine, demands our souls, our lives, our all.”

If we can trust Him for our eternal salvation, can we not trust Him for the management of our lives? “There is a lack of sincerity about committing the eternal soul to God and holding back the mortal life—professing to give Him the greater and withholding the lesser” (R. A. Laidlaw).

How then, do we crown Jesus as Lord? There must be a crisis experience when for the first time we turn over the controls to Him, when every area of our life is placed under His sovereign sway. It is a total commitment with “no reserve, no retreat, no regrets.”

From then on it becomes a matter of moment by moment yielding to His guidance, presenting our bodies to Him so that He can live His life through us. The crisis becomes a process.

It makes good sense! With His wisdom, love and power, He can do a far better job of running our lives than we can.

( by Manorama)

The Fruit of the Spirit is...Longsuffering

“The fruit of the Spirit is…longsuffering…” (Gal. 5:22)

Longsuffering is the virtue that bears up patiently and even triumphantly under the aggravations of life. While it may refer to a patient response to adverse circumstances, it usually refers to a merciful endurance of the provocations of people.

God is longsuffering with man. Think for a moment of the gross sinfulness of the human race at the present time—the legalization of prostitution, the popularization of homosexuality, the laws permitting abortions, the breakdown of marriage and the home, the wholesale rejection of moral standards, and, of course, man’s crowning sin—the utter rejection of God’s Son as only Lord and Savior. One could scarcely blame God if He were to wipe out mankind with a stroke. But He doesn’t do it. His goodness is designed to lead men to repentance. He is not willing that any should perish.

And His will is that this longsuffering should be reproduced in the lives of His people as they yield to the Holy Spirit. This means that we should not be quick-tempered. We should not fly off the handle easily. We should not try to get even with people when they have wronged us. Instead we should display what someone has called “a kind of conquering patience.”

When Corrie and Betsie ten Boom were enduring indescribable sufferings in the concentration camp, Betsie would often say that they must help these people after they were released. They simply had to find a way to help them. Corrie thought, of course, that her sister was planning some program to rehabilitate the victims of the Nazis. It wasn’t till later that Corrie realized that Betsie meant her persecutors. She wanted to find some way to teach them to love. Corrie commented, “And I wondered, not for the first time, what sort of a person she was, this sister of mine…what kind of road she followed while I trudged beside her on the all-too-solid earth” (The Hiding Place, p. 175).

The road Betsie followed was the road of longsuffering. And Corrie walked it too, in spite of her humble disclaimer.

( by Manorama)

The Cross in my Pocket

I carry a cross in my pocket,

A simple reminder to me

That I am a Christian,

No matter where I may be.

This little cross isn’t magic,

Nor is it a good luck charm.

It isn’t meant to protect me

From every physical harm.

It’s not for identification

For all the world to see.

It’s simply an understanding

Between my Savior and me.

When I put my hand in my pocket

To bring out a coin or a key,

The cross is there to remind me

Of the price He paid for me.

It reminds me too, to be thankful

For my blessings every day,

And to strive to serve Him better

In all that I do or say.

It’s also a daily reminder

Of the peace and comfort I share

With all who know my Master

And give themselves to His care.

So, I carry a cross in my pocket

Reminding none but me

That Jesus Christ is Lord of my life,

If only I’ll let Him be.

( from turnbacktogod.com)

Bible verse for today

You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you.

( Isaish 26:3)

Quote for the day

Peace does not dwell in outward things, but within the soul; we may preserve it in the midst of bitterest pain, if our will remains firm and submissive. Peace in this life springs from acquiescence to, not in exemption from, suffering.

( by Francois Fenelon) 

The Fruit of the Spirit is...Peace

“The fruit of the Spirit is… peace…” (Gal. 5:22)

As soon as we are justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ (Rom. 5:1). That means that the hostility between ourselves and God has ceased since Christ has effectively dealt with the cause of that hostility—our sins.

We also have peace of conscience knowing that the work is finished, Christ has paid the penalty of our sins, and God has forgotten them.

But then the Holy Spirit also wants us to enjoy the peace of God in our hearts. This is the serenity and tranquility that come from knowing that our times are in the hands of God and that nothing can happen to us apart from His permissive will.

So we can remain calm when we have a tire blowout on the busy freeway. We don’t have to lose our composure when heavy traffic causes us to miss the plane. Peace means remaining cool in a car crash. Or when grease ignites on the kitchen range.

This fruit of the Spirit enables a Peter to sleep soundly in jail, a Stephen to pray for his murderous assailants, a Paul to comfort others in a shipwreck.

When a plane flies into clear air turbulence, and is thrown around like a feather in the gale, when the wing tips flex thirteen feet, when most of the passengers are screaming as the plane lurches, falls, rises and dips, peace enables a believer to bow his head, commit his soul to God, and praise God for whatever may be the outcome.

Or to change the illustration, the Spirit of God can give peace to us when we sit in the doctor’s office and hear him say, “I’m sorry to tell you but it’s malignant.” He can enable us to reply, “I’m ready to go, Doctor. I’m saved by the grace of God, and for me it will be ‘absent from the body, at home with the Lord.’”

And so in the words of Bickerstith’s lovely hymn, we can have

“Peace, perfect peace, in this dark world of sin…by thronging duties pressed…with sorrows surging round…with loved ones far a way…our future all unknown” because “Jesus we know, and He is on the throne.”

( by Manorama)

Bible verse for today

Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice!

( Philippians 4:4)

Quote for the day

Joy is not the absence of suffering. It is the presence of God.

( by Robert Schuller)

Quote for the day

Any one can sing in the sunshine. You and I should sing on when the sun has gone down, or when clouds pour out their rain, for Christ is with us.

The Fruit of the Spirit is...Joy

“The fruit of the spirit is.. .joy.” (Gal. 5:22)

Man never finds real joy till he finds the Lord. Then he enters in to what Peter calls “joy unspeakable and full of glory” (1 Pet. 1:8).

Anyone can rejoice when circumstances are favorable, but the joy which is the fruit of the Spirit is not the result of earthly circumstances. It springs from our relationship to the Lord and from the precious promises He has given to us. Christ would have to be dethroned before the Church could be finally robbed of its joy.

Christian joy can coexist with suffering. Paul weds the two when he speaks of “all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness” (Col. 1:11). The Thessalonian saints had received the word “in much affliction, with joy of the Holy Ghost” (1 Th. 1:6). Suffering saints down through the centuries have testified how the Lord has given them songs in the night.

Joy can coexist with sorrow. The believer can stand by the grave of a loved one, shed tears of sorrow at the loss, yet rejoice at the knowledge that the loved one is in the presence of the Lord.

But joy cannot coexist with sin. Whenever a Christian sins, he loses his song. Not until he confesses and forsakes that sin is the joy of his salvation restored.

The Lord Jesus told His disciples to rejoice when they were reviled, persecuted and falsely accused (Mt. 5:11, 12). And they did! Not many years later we read of them leaving the courtroom, “rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for His name” (Acts 5:41).

Our joy increases as we grow in the knowledge of the Lord. At first, perhaps, we can rejoice in minor irritations, chronic ailments and trivial inconveniences. But the Spirit of God wishes to bring us to the point where we can see God when circumstances are at their worst and rejoice in the knowledge that His way is perfect. We are spiritually mature when we can say with Habakkuk, “Although the fig tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines; the labour of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat; the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls; yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation” (Hab. 3:17, 18).

( by Manorama)

Quote for the day

To love at all is to be vulnerable. Love anything, and your heart will certainly be wrung and possibly broken. If you want to make sure of keeping it intact, you must give your heart to no one, not even to an animal. Wrap it carefully round with hobbies and little luxuries, avoiding all entanglements; lock it up safe in the coffin of your selfishness. But in that casket; safe, dark, motionless, airless- it will change. It will not be broken; it will become unbreakable, impenetrable, irredeemable.

( by C.S. Lewis)

Dingo The Dog

Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also the interests of others. —Philippians 2:4 

Harry Tupper is a fishing legend here in Idaho where I live. There’s a spot on Henry’s Lake over on the east side of the state that’s named for him: “Tupper’s Hole.”

The thing I remember most about Harry, aside from his rare ability to catch those huge Henry’s Lake trout, was his dog, Dingo. Now there was a dog! Dingo used to sit alongside Harry in his boat and watch intently while he fished. When the old fisherman hooked a trout, Dingo would bark furiously until the fish was netted and released.

Dingo’s enthusiasm taught me something: It’s better to get more excited about what others are doing than what we are doing.

So, as I read Philippians 2:4 and think about Dingo, I ask myself: Do I spend time thinking about “the interests of others”? Do I get as excited about what God is doing in and through a friend as I do about what He is doing in and through me? Do I long to see others grow in grace and find success, though it may have been my efforts that made them prosper?

This is the measure of greatness, for we are most like God when our thoughts for ourselves are lost in our thoughts for others. Paul said it best: “Let each esteem others better than himself” (2:3). Is that how we live?

( by David H. Roper)

Love feels the sorrows others feel,

It longs to give support,

And love is quick to take delight

In every good report. —D. De Haan

A life filled with love for the Lord and for others is a fulfilling life.

The Fruit of the Spirit is...Love

“The fruit of the Spirit is love…” (Gal. 5:22)

The phrase “the fruit of the Spirit” teaches us at the outset that the virtues that follow can be produced only by the Holy Spirit. An unconverted man is incapable of manifesting any of these graces. Even a true believer is powerless to reproduce them by his own strength. So when we think of these graces, we must remember that they are supernatural and other-worldly.

The love spoken of here, for instance, is not the eros of passion, or the philia of friendship, or the storge of affection. It is agape love—the kind of love which God has shown to us and which He wants us to show to others.

Let me illustrate! Dr. T. E. McCully was the father of Ed McCully, one of the five young missionaries martyred by the Auca Indians in Ecuador. One night when Dr. McCully and I were on our knees together in Oak Park, Illinois, his thoughts went back to Ecuador and to the Curaray River that holds the secret of the whereabouts of Ed’s body. He prayed, “Lord, let me live long enough to see those fellows saved who killed our boys, that I may throw my arms around them and tell them I love them because they love my Christ.” When we arose I saw rivulets of tears zig-zagging down his cheeks.

God answered that prayer of love. Some of those Auca Indians later professed faith in Christ. Dr. McCully went to Ecuador, met these men who murdered his son, threw his arms around them, and told them he loved them because they loved his Christ.

That is agape love. It is impartial, seeking the highest good of all—the homely as well as the handsome, foes as well as friends. It is unconditional, asking for nothing in return for its constant giving. It is sacrificial, never minding the cost. It is unselfish, more concerned with the needs of others than its own. It is pure, free from any trace of impatience, envy, pride, vindictiveness or spite.

Love is the greatest virtue of the Christian life. Without it our noblest endeavors are worthless.

( by Manorama)

Working for Food and Bibles

It was an unusually cold day for the month of May. Spring had brought everything alive with color, but a northern cold front had brought winter’s chill back to southern Indiana.

I sat with two friends in a quaint restaurant just off the town square. As we talked, my attention was drawn outside, across the street. There, walking into town, was a man who appeared to be carrying all his worldly goods on his back. I could read the well-worn sign attached to his pack: I WILL WORK FOR FOOD.

My heart sank. I noticed other people at the tables around us looking at him, too, shaking their heads in sadness and disbelief. We finished our meal, but I couldn’t get the image of the man out of my mind.

I had a list of errands to do before going back to work. As I passed the town square, I looked halfheartedly for the stranger. If I see him again, I’ll have to do something, I thought with a knot in my stomach.

I drove through town and saw no sign of him. As I finished my errands and got back in the car, I felt the Spirit of God speaking to me: “Don’t go back to the office until you’ve driven once more around the square.”

After a moment’s hesitation, I headed back. At a corner of the town square, I spotted him standing on the steps of the stone-front church, going through his pack. Do I really have to get involved? What should I say to him? Maybe it’s best to just drive on. The vacant parking space on the street seemed to be a sign from God. I pulled in, got out, and approached the town’s newest visitor.

“Looking for the pastor?” I asked.

“Not really,” he replied. “Just resting.”

“Have you eaten today?”

“Oh, I ate something early this morning.”

“Would you like some lunch?” I offered.

“Do you have some work I can do for you?”

“No,” I replied. “I commute here from the city but I would like to take you to dinner.”

“Sure,” he finally agreed with a smile.

As he gathered his things, I asked some innocent questions.

“Where you headed?”

“St. Louis.”

“From…?”

“Oh, all over; mostly Florida.”

“How long you been walking?”

“Fourteen years,” came the unexpected reply.

We sat across from each other in the same restaurant I had left only minutes earlier, and Daniel and I got acquainted. His dark hair was long and straight, and he had a neatly trimmed beard. His face, weathered by the outdoors, seemed slightly older than thirty-eight years. His eyes were dark yet clear. I was startled at how articulate he was. As he removed his denim jacket, I read the words on his bright red T-shirt:JESUS IS THE NEVER ENDING STORY.

Daniel’s Story

Then Daniel’s story began to unfold. He had seen some rough times early in life. He’d made some wrong choices and reaped the consequences. Fourteen years earlier while backpacking across the country, he had stopped in Daytona Beach. He hired on with some men who were putting up a large tent and sound equip-ment. A concert, Daniel thought. Instead, it was a series of revival services, and he gave his life over to Christ.

“Nothing’s been the same since,” he said. “I felt the Lord telling me to keep walking, and so I did.”

“Ever think of stopping?” I asked.

“Oh, once in a while, when it seems to get the best of me. But God has given me this calling. I give out Bibles. That’s what’s in my pack. I work to buy food and Bibles, and I give them out when his Spirit leads.”

It suddenly hit me. This homeless friend is not homeless. He’s on a mission and lives this way by choice. My next question burned inside me before I finally asked: “What’s it like?”

“What?”

“To walk into a town with everything you own on your back. And having to carry that sign?”

“Oh, it was humiliating at first,” Daniel admitted. “People would stare and make comments. Once someone tossed a piece of half-eaten bread at me and made an obscene gesture. That didn’t make me feel welcome. But then I realized God was using me to touch lives and change people’s concepts of other folks like me.”

My concept was changing, too.

Following the Star

We finished our dessert and gathered his things. Just outside the door Daniel paused. He turned to me and said, “Come ye blessed of my Father and inherit the kingdom I’ve prepared for you. For when I was hungry you gave me food, when I was thirsty you gave me drink, a stranger and you took me in.” I felt as if we were on holy ground.

“Could you use another Bible?” I asked. He mentioned a certain translation that traveled well and was also his personal favorite.

“I’ve read through it fourteen times,” he said.

I was able to find Daniel a Bible and he seemed grateful. “Where you headed from here?” I asked.

“Well, I found a little map on the back of this amusement park coupon.”

“Are you hoping to hire on there for a while?”

“No, I just figure I should go there.”

He pointed to the map. “I figure someone under that star right there needs a Bible, so that’s where I’m going next.” Daniel smiled warmly.

I drove him back to the town square where we’d met two hours earlier. It began to rain as we unloaded his things.

“Would you like to sign my autograph book?” he asked. “I like to keep messages from folks I meet.”

I wrote how his commitment to his calling had touched my life. I encouraged him to stay strong. And I left him with the words of Jeremiah 29:11. “I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you. Plans to give you a future and a hope.”

“Thanks,” Daniel said. “I know we just met and we’re really just strangers, but I love you.”

“I know,” I said. “I love you, too.”

“The Lord is good.”

“Yes, he is. How long has it been since someone hugged you?” I asked.

“A long time,” he replied.

And so on the busy street corner in the drizzling rain, my new friend and I embraced. Deep inside, I had been changed.

See you in the new Jerusalem

Daniel adjusted his belongings on his back, smiled his winning smile, and said, “See you in the new Jerusalem.”

“I’ll be there,” was my reply.

He began his journey again, his sign dangling from his bed roll and pack of Bibles. Then he suddenly turned and asked, “If you see something that makes you think of me, will you pray for me?”

“You bet,” I shouted back.

“God bless.”

“God bless.”

It was the last time I ever saw him.

Later that evening as I left the office, the wind blew stronger. I bundled up and hurried to the car. As I reached for the emergency brake, I saw them—a pair of well-worn brown work gloves neatly laid over the handle. I picked them up and wondered if Daniel’s hands would stay warm tonight without them. I remembered his request: “If you see something that makes you think of me, will you pray for me?”

I keep Daniel’s cotton gloves in my office to help me see the world and its people in a new way. His two hours of ministry affected me from that day on. Sometimes I can hear his voice distinctly, “See you in the new Jerusalem.”

Yes, Daniel, I know I will.

NB: “I shall pass this way but once. Therefore, any good that I can do or any kindness that I can show, let me do it now, for I shall not pass this way again.”

( by Richard Ryan, from turnbacktogod.com )

Quote for the day

All that is not eternal is eternally useless. We fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

It Takes Faith to Live on Earth as a Foreigner.

( by Rick Warren,  in his book 'The Purpose Driven Life')

Caricature God

The Lord is longsuffering and abundant in mercy, forgiving iniquity and transgression; but He by no means clears the guilty. —Numbers 14:18

Caricature artists set up their easels in public places and draw pictures of people who are willing to pay a modest price for a humorous image of themselves. Their drawings amuse us because they exaggerate one or more of our physical features in a way that is recognizable but funny.

Caricatures of God, on the other hand, are not funny. Exaggerating one of His attributes presents a distorted view that people easily dismiss. Like a caricature, a distorted view of God is not taken seriously. Those who see God portrayed only as an angry and demanding judge are easily lured away by someone who emphasizes mercy. Those who see God as a kindhearted grandfather will reject that image when they need justice. Those who see God as an intellectual idea rather than a living, loving being eventually find other ideas more appealing. Those who see God as a best friend often leave Him behind when they find human friends who are more to their liking.

God declares Himself to be merciful and gracious, but also just in punishing the guilty (Ex. 34:6-7).

As we put our faith into action, we need to avoid portraying God as having only our favorite attributes. We must worship all of God, not just what we like.

( by Julie Ackerman Link) 

Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—

Oh, Thou blessed Trinity:

One in essence, yet three persons—

Thou, our God, we worship Thee. —D. De Haan

All-powerful, merciful, wise, and just is the God in whom we trust.

Bible verse for today

I have cared for you from the time you were born.
I am your God and will take care of you until you are old and your hair is grey.
I made you and will care for you; I will give you help and rescue you.

( Isaish 46: 3-4)

Quote for the day

Give your life to God, He can do more with it than you can!

Don't Doubt God's Power…

Faith is to believe what you cannot see;

the reward for this faith is to see what you believe

-St. Augustine.

(Read: Luke 11: 29-32)

May you have the GRACE to Believe today!

This is a beautiful real-life testimony that deeply touched my heart. May you too take time to read it and be blessed by it.

Don't Doubt God's Power…

I worked in prison ministry for over 25 years and was truly blessed. But, the blessings I got were no accident! As I read the email tonight, it made me think back to a time when I knew that GOD wanted me to do something and I didn't know what. 

During a revival at church, I asked for prayer about this... and less than a week later, our women's group at church took items to a new half way house for paroled inmates. I became interested and asked the Chaplin there if he could give me some names of people who never got any mail. (I believe that everyone needs to feel someone's love) A short time later, the Chaplin called me with a name of a man who had been in prison for many years and got no mail at all. I began to write him and after a few letters, he wrote to me and my husband that no one cared and GOD didn't care either, to not bother to write back! 

I took the time to pray about this (my ministry wasn't getting off to a good start, at least that is what I thought!) After a lot of prayer that week, I wrote yet another letter to John. In my letter, I told him it was ok, he didn't have to write to me, but there would be letters delivered to him from us anyway, he would know just by getting a letter even if he didn't open them. I also told him that he didn't have to worry about answering them or reading them but there was no way I was going to let him think someone didn't care. I told him that it was up to him. 

Shortly afterward, I received another letter from John and he told me the chaplain had given him the advise to pray when he doubted, whether it was doubts about the love of our LORD or doubts about how we really felt about him. He had prayed with the chaplain and told GOD that if HE really loved him, he needed proof. I know we aren't supposed to tempt, but, I also know that many of us in a time of crisis or doubt ask that GOD give us a sign of something to let us know that HE is still there. 

In my letter, I found a note that brought tears to my eyes and still does sometimes even in thought. John told GOD that if HE really loved him, he would send someone to care. 

That week is when my letter arrived... I was the answer to a prayer... just a little speck on this earth and doing nothing grand... GOD HAD USED ME !! 

We began to write and I learned that John was an orphan, and had no family to write to him. He had not gotten any mail to speak of in the years he had been there. John was an emotional wreck, he was on a ward for people who had mental problems too and he had no one who cared... except me, my husband and GOD. Many years of letters passed, phone calls were a treat once or twice a month, several visits passed as well. My kids learned to love him on those visits and he was thrilled to have them call him uncle. He was able to earn visits with meals brought in by us with his behaviour and we shared only a few... but he knew he was loved. 

On a cold February morning, I got a call from the chaplain and he told me that John had had a heart attack and had passed on before the helicopter could land to transport him to the hospital. I was devastated with the news, but the biggest blessing I had was yet to come. After talking with the chaplain, I told him I wanted to come to the funeral with my family as we were the only family that he had. I was told the chapel was on the yard and we couldn't be protected so we couldn't come. I called the warden and explained that I didn't worry about the protection because GOD was protecting me and I wanted to be there.

Against all odds, I was allowed to go onto the yard with my small children and my husband. I felt absolutely no fear, I went into the chapel and sat in the front row. It was a nice service and there were several of John's friends attending. They all came up to shake our hands and tell us they were sorry for our grief. Nothing out of the way... instead... an honest gesture of concern for us. When the funeral was over, I was asked what to do with John's things. I told him that I wanted the personal things like the kids pictures and letters and to give the rest of it to others who could use it. 

I felt bad that John never left the prison while in this world, but I felt good when I received his belongings. In the items were two things that made it all worthwhile. First, I found a picture of my kids in a home made frame; on the bottom of the picture was written MY REASON FOR LIVING... GOD had used our family to give hope and love to someone who so desperately needed to feel loved in order to understand how GOD could love him. Second, I found proof that John had turned his life over to the LORD!!!! I knew he was indeed free from all of the prisons there were and that one day we would meet again. 

In the 25 years of the ministry we had 3 of the inmates paroled to us, I wrote to about 200-250 people in those years. Many of them bring fond memories because we truly became friends and because I knew they had learned of GOD'S UNENDING LOVE. One asked only for a doll for his two little girls for Christmas... he needed to know he had someone on the outside who cared. (to this day, I hear from him a few times a year as he lives in another state. He has had no further problems with the law, has married and lives with the knowledge that he is loved) these blessings would have escaped me if I had told GOD no, but HE blessed me so much by allowing me to be a blessing to 

others. 

I have been out of the prison ministry now for a little over a year, because of health problems and because the last man I wrote to was released a year go in Sept. He lives nearby with his family and works hard to do the right things the right way. 

YOU NEVER KNOW HOW GOD WILL CHOOSE TO BLESS YOU! NEVER SAY NO AND MISS THE BLESSINGS YOU WILL RECEIVE.

ONLY BELIEVE... with faith the size of a mustard seed.

GOD BLESS YOU!

( by Irma Raymond)

Be Earnest

“I will not eat until I have told my errand.” (Gen. 24:33)

Just as Abraham’s servant had a sense of urgency in connection with his mission, so should we. This does not mean we must race around in all directions at once. It does not mean that we must do everything in nervous haste. But it does mean that we should give ourselves to the task before us as a matter of top priority.

We should adopt the attitude expressed in Robert Frost’s lines:

The woods are lovely, dark and deep,

But I have promises to keep

And miles to go before I sleep.

Amy Carmichael captured the spirit when she wrote: “The vows of God are on me. I may not stay to play with shadows or pluck earthly flowers till I my work have done and rendered up an account.”

In another place, she wrote:

Only twelve short hours—O never

Let the sense of urgency

Die in us, Good Shepherd, ever

Let us search the hills with Thee.

It is said that Charles Simeon kept a picture of Henry Martyn in his study, and that everywhere he went in the room, it seemed that Martyn was looking at him and saying, “Be earnest, be earnest; don’t trifle, don’t trifle.” And Simeon would reply, “Yes, I will be in earnest; I will, I will be in earnest; I will not trifle, for souls are perishing, and Jesus is to be glorified.”

Hear the urgency in the words of the intrepid Apostle Paul: “This one thing I do… I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus” (Phil. 3:13, 14).

And did not our blessed Savior live with a sense of urgency. He said, “I have a baptism to be baptized with; and how am I straitened till it be accomplished” (Luke 12:50).

There is no excuse for Christians to rest on their oars.

( by Manorama)

Bible verse for today

But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.

( Matthew 6:33)

Quote for the day

If you want your life to have impact, focus it! Stop trying to do it all. Do less.
Prune away even good activities and do only that which matters most.
It is impossible to do everything people want you to do.
You have just enough time to do God's will.

( by Rick Warren, in his book 'The Purpose Driven Life')

Judas, The Man Who Never Knew...

If we have God’s word in our mind, He can put the right words in our mouth.Be WISE today!

Judas, The Man Who Never Knew...

I’ve wondered at times what kind of man this Judas was. What he looked like, how he acted, who his friends were.

I guess I’ve stereotyped him. I’ve always pictured him as a wiry, beady-eyed, sly, wormy fellow, pointed beard and all. I’ve pictured him as estranged from the other apostles.

Friendless. Distant. Undoubtedly he was a traitor and a quisling. Probably the result of a broken home. A juvenile delinquent in his youth.

Yet I wonder if that is so true. We have no evidence (save Judas’s silence) that would suggest that he was isolated. At the Last Supper, when Jesus said that his betrayer sat at the table, we don’t find the apostles immediately turning to Judas as the logical traitor.

No, I think we’ve got Judas pegged wrong. Perhaps he was just the opposite. Instead of sly and wiry, maybe he was robust and jovial. Rather than quiet and introverted, he could have been outgoing and well-meaning. I don’t know.

But for all the things we don’t know about Judas, there is one thing we know for sure: He had no relationship with the Master. He had seen Jesus, but he did not know him. He had heard Jesus, but he did not understand him. He had a religion but no relationship.

As Satan worked his way around the table in the upper room, he needed a special kind of man to betray our Lord. He needed a man who had seen Jesus but who did not know him. He needed a man who knew the actions of Jesus but had missed out on the mission of Jesus. Judas was this man. He knew the empire but had never known the Man.

Judas bore the cloak of religion, but he never knew the heart of Christ.

We learn this timeless lesson from the betrayer. Satan’s best tools of destruction are not from outside the church; they are within the church. A church will never die from the immorality in Hollywood or the corruption in Washington. But it will die from corrosion within—from those who bear the name of Jesus but have never met him and from those who have religion but no relationship.

Judas bore the cloak of religion, but he never knew the heart of Christ. Let’s make it our goal to know … deeply.

( by Max Lucado)

Read & Reflect:

“Beloved:
Who among you is wise and understanding?
Let him show his works by a good life
in the humility that comes from wisdom.
But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts,
do not boast and be false to the truth.
Wisdom of this kind does not come down from above
but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic.
For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist,
there is disorder and every foul practice.
But the wisdom from above is first of all pure,
then peaceable, gentle, compliant,
full of mercy and good fruits,
without inconstancy or insincerity.
And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace
for those who cultivate peace.”
- (James 3: 13-18)

Make this your prayer today:

“Let the words of my mouth and the thought of my heart
find favor before you,
O LORD, my rock and my redeemer.”

- Psalm 19:15

Quote for the day

The Bible says 'God Is Love'.
It doesn't say 'God Has Love' but that 'God IS Love'.
Love is the essence of God's character.

( by Rick Warren, in his book 'The Purpose Driven Life')

An Ordinary Guy

John performed no sign, but all the things that John spoke about [Jesus] were true. —John 10:41

Steve was just an ordinary guy. He quietly served in a church I attended years ago. He helped prepare communion, shoveled the church sidewalks in the winter, and mowed the lawn in the summer. He spent time with teenage boys who had no fathers in the home. I often heard him telling people at church in his quiet way how good the Lord was to him. During prayer meeting he didn’t talk much about himself but would ask us to pray for those he was telling about Jesus’ forgiveness and love.

A verse in John 10 about John the Baptist makes me think of Steve. People said of him: “John performed no sign, but all the things that John spoke about this Man [Jesus] were true” (v.41). John didn’t perform miracles as Jesus did. He didn’t talk about himself but came to “bear witness of the Light, that all through him might believe” (1:7). He said of Jesus, “Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” (1:29). My friend Steve bore witness of that Light as well.

Our aim, as followers of Jesus, is to do the same—to “bear witness of the Light.” We’re just ordinary people, serving God in our little corner of the world. With our quiet deeds and words, let’s point others to the Light!

( by Anne Cetas)

Just what do Christians look like?
What sets their lives apart?
They’re ordinary people
Who love God from the heart. —D. De Haan

Christians are ordinary people who are committed to the extraordinary person of Christ.

Quote for the day

A wife who is 85 percent faithful to her husband is not faithful at all. There is no such thing as part-time loyalty to Jesus Christ.

( by Vance Havner)

Can You Love Your Wife and Angelina Jolie Too?

Can You Love Your Husband and Brad Pitt Too?

(If you are single, you're not off the hook here. Keep reading.)

Today's Truth

"Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life" (Proverbs 4:23).

Friend to Friend

Sitting in a waiting room, I rummaged through stacks of magazines to pass the time. A magazine for families, I thought as I picked up a popular title. That ought to be safe.

Thumbing through the pages, I went directly to the "Family Matters" column to see what the culture was teaching these days. The title? "Why You can Love Your Husband and Brad Pitt Too." I turned back to the cover to make sure I had not inadvertently picked up Cosmopolitan or The National Inquirer. Nope it was a magazine for families - targeted at wives and mothers.

This is some of what the author had to say.

Last spring I found myself applying a pretty shade of pink lipstick before heading off to the nursery to buy annuals. Why the fuss? I hoped to run into the handsome gentleman who worked there....According to experts, married crushes are natural and common. As long as you don't let them develop into full blown fantasies or consider acting upon them, these minor attractions can actually help you appreciate your spouse more...Infatuations offer a safe break from the marital routine. Everyday life is a bit humdrum, making it hard to maintain a passionate connection all the time...

Well friends, there is another expert on marriage who was not quoted in this article and his teaching is the antithesis of this one. His name is Jesus. This is what He has to say about infatuation with the smart dressed woman in your Church, flirting with the man at the gym, or cattily toying with a co-worker in the next cubicle.

"You have heard it said, Do not commit adultery. But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart" (Matthew 5:27-28).

Looking at another man or woman with a flirtatious eye is such a serious offense that Jesus went on to say, "If your right eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away," (Matthew 5:29).

Now, don't worry, I'm not going to tell you to pluck out your eye if you do have a crush on the pretty young woman in the grocery store in your vicinity, but I am telling you that you might need to shop elsewhere. I am saying that if you find yourself adding a bit of lip gloss before heading to the spa where the handsome guy with the dreamy eyes always greets you like you've made his day, you need to forget the gloss and go to another spa. And that woman in the next cubicle who always showers you with compliments and makes your heart skip a beat? I think Jesus is saying to pluck it out, change cubicles, or even more drastic, change jobs.

Perhaps you think I've gone just a bit too far. I imagine the folks listening to Jesus' advice about running from temptation thought so too. The truth is, I've never known one man or woman who had an affair which did not begin with a toying glance or flirtatious "innocent" bantering. Every sin begins with a thought and every spiritual battle is won or lost at the threshold of the mind.

Let's face it, women long to feel beautiful. After being married for a few years and having a baby or two, we begin to wonder if we are still pretty or sexually appealing. Then a man comes along who pays us a compliment and our hearts skip a beat. That is natural. However, if that compliment or attention leads to infatuation, returning for more, or a "crush" as the article implied, Jesus tells us to turn and run in the opposite direction...press the delete button...and avoid reply. "Flee sexual immorality," (1 Corinthians 6:18). This is serious...pluck it out.

It is interesting that when satan tempted Eve in the garden, the first step to her downfall was her eyes. "When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye...." (Genesis 3:6). It all began with her eyes...what she looked at. I wonder what would have happened if she had chosen to look away.

The above article had very little to do with Brad Pitt or Angelina Jolie, but more to say about men & women we come in contact with everyday. Honestly, had it been Brad or Angelina, I might have had a chuckle. But this article was encouraging women to play with fire. The author went on to say...

Whether you have a soft spot for Mel Gibson or Mel the mailman, make sure your husband knows that a crush doesn't change the way you feel about him. We all want to know that we are number one in our spouse's life. As for me, I told my husband about the man at the nursery. 'Going to see your boyfriend?' he teased as I headed out the door to buy mulch. Later I assured him that while Garden Guy knew the best cure for aphids; he could never melt my heart.

I read that and tried to imagine my husband, Mike, saying to me...."Honey, I want to tell you that I have a crush on that worship leader at our Church, but I still love you the best." I get a queasy feeling just thinking about such a conversation. And yet, this is what the "family magazine" was suggesting for women of the new millennium. No wonder the divorce rate in this world is 50% and rising.

But what if you are single? Does this apply to you? Absolutely! The enemy would like nothing better than for you, in your singleness, to fantasize about a man or woman that you come in contact with on a regular basis. He would like for your mind to go where it need not go. He knows that singleness can be a lonely place and he is an equal opportunity tempter.

Bottom line? "Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life," (Proverbs 4:23). The heart of the matter is the matter of the heart.

Let's Pray

Dear Heavenly Father, help me to guard my heart today and every day. Help me to recognize temptation and flee - run in the opposite direction. I know that temptation is not a toy to be played with, but an evil weapon used against us. Thank You for giving me the power of the Holy Spirit to resist temptation and the power of the Truth in Scripture to fight the lies that "I would be happy if..."

In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Now It's Your Turn

Is there any area in your life where you are toying with temptation?

If you are single/married, have you been entertaining a relationship that would not be pleasing to God?

Go back and print off today's reflection. Highlight the various verses and commit them to memory. Make them part of your arsenal to resist temptation.

God bless you & be with you!

( Adapted from an article by Sharon Jayne)

Quote for the day

If you have been reduced to God being your only hope, You are in a good place.

( by Jim Laffoon)

Pause A Moment…

You may not know where life's road will lead you.
But keep moving. God is walking with you.

Pause A Moment…

There is no special time for prayer,
One can pray 'most anywhere,
When things aren't going quite your way --
Pause a moment, just to pray...

If everything seems to bother you
And nag at you the whole day through,
To dispel those awful clouds of gray --
Pause a moment, just to pray...

If there is no hope in sight,
You see the tunnel but not the light,
Do not wander, do not stray --
Pause a moment, just to pray...

When all your efforts seem in vain,
You struggle hard but see no gain,
Do one thing without delay --
Pause a moment, just to pray...

When you feel there is no hope,
When with life you cannot cope,
God will help along the way --
Pause a moment, just to pray...

God’s message of Hope for you:
“Be strong & of good courage. Do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you, wherever you go.” – (Joshua 1:9)

( by Irma Raymond)

Bible verse for today

So they are no longer two but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate.

( Matthew 19:6)

Quote for the day

The proof that you love someone is not that you have warm affectionate feelings toward them. The proof is in your actions, your words and your sacrifice, your willingness to give the best of yourself and your willingness to get nothing in return. 

( by Katherine Walden)

Quote for the day

A happy marriage is the union of two good forgivers.

( by Robert Quillen)

Happy 27th Wedding Anniversary!

Marriage is not about two perfect people coming together and living happily ever-after. Its about two Imperfect people, Trying to Accept themselves and each other, and Making an Effort to Do Something Good.

Dearest Amma and Appa...... :) :) :)

When you said your 'I Do's to each other before His altar, on that day, 27 years back, it was the first but never the last time. I see you living it, in every moment of each day!

Happy for and Proud of You Both :)

And when I look at you, I believe, even more deeply, that Marriages are Truly Made in Heaven!

Bible verse for today

So, we who have found safety with Him are greatly encouraged to hold firmly to the hope placed before us. We have this hope as the anchor for our lives. It is safe and sure, and goes through the curtain of the heavenly temple into the inner sanctuary.

( Hebrews 6: 18-19)

One day at a time

One day at a time, with its failures and fears,
With its hurts and mistakes, with its weakness and tears,
With its portion of pain and its burden of care;
One day at a time we must meet and must bear.

One day at a time to be patient and strong;
To be calm under trial and sweet under wrong;
Then its toiling shall pass and its sorrow shall cease;
It shall darken and die, and the night shall bring peace.

One day at a time—but the day is so long,
And the heart is not brave, and the soul is not strong,
O Thou pitiful Christ, be Thou near all the way;
Give courage and patience and strength for the day.

Swift cometh His answer, so clear and so sweet;
“Yea, I will be with thee, thy troubles to meet;
I will not forget thee, nor fail thee, nor grieve;
I will not forsake thee; I never will leave.”

Not yesterday’s load we are called on to bear,
Nor the morrow’s uncertain and shadowy care;
Why should we look forward or back with dismay?
Our needs, as our mercies, are but for the day.

One day at a time, and the day is His day;
He hath numbered its hours, though they haste or delay.
His grace is sufficient; we walk not alone;
As the day, so the strength that He giveth His own.

( by Annie Johnson Flint)