GodTheFather

photo-1433208406127-d9e1a0a1f1aa2

ENCOURAGEMENT

Faith is not believing that God can. It is knowing that He will!

##########################################################

I'm a Christian

When I say... "I am a Christian"

I'm not shouting "I'm clean livin'."

I'm whispering "I was lost,

Now I'm found and forgiven."

When I say.. "I am a Christian"

I don't speak of this with pride.

I'm confessing that I stumble

And need Christ to be my guide.

When I say... "I am a Christian"

I'm not trying to be strong.

I'm professing that I'm weak

And need His strength to carry on.

When I say... "I am a Christian"

I'm not bragging of success.

I'm admitting I have failed

And need God to clean up my mess.

When I say... "I am a Christian"

I'm not claiming to be perfect,

My flaws are far too visible

But, God believes I am worth it.

When I say... "I am a Christian"

I still feel the sting of pain.

I have my share of heartaches

So I call upon His name.

When I say... "I am a Christian"

I'm not holier than thou,

I'm just a simple sinner

Who received God's good grace, somehow!

Contributed by Carol Conklin

________________________________________________________

FOR THE GARDEN OF YOUR DAILY LIVING--

PLANT THREE ROWS OF PEAS:

1. Peace of mind

2. Peace of heart

3. Peace of soul

PLANT FOUR ROWS OF SQUASH:

1. Squash gossip

2. Squash indifference

3. Squash grumbling

4. Squash selfishness

PLANT FOUR ROWS OF LETTUCE:

1. Lettuce be faithful

2. Lettuce be kind

3. Lettuce be patient

4. Lettuce really love one another

NO GARDEN IS COMPLETE WITHOUT TURNIPS:

1. Turnip for meetings

2. Turnip for service

3. Turnip to help one another

TO CONCLUDE OUR GARDEN WE MUST HAVE THYME:

1. Thyme for each other

2. Thyme for family

3. Thyme for friends

WATER FREELY WITH PATIENCE AND CULTIVATE WITH LOVE.

THERE IS MUCH FRUIT IN YOUR GARDEN BECAUSE YOU REAP WHAT YOU SOW.

Contributed by Marvin L. Cory

________________________________________________________

CAN YOU SLEEP WHEN THE WIND BLOWS?

Years ago a farmer owned land along the Atlantic seacoast. He constantly advertised for hired hands. Most people were reluctant to work on farms along the Atlantic. They dreaded the awful storms that raged across the Atlantic, wreaking havoc on the buildings and crops. As the farmer interviewed applicants for the job, he received a steady stream of refusals. Finally, a short, thin man, well past middle age, approached the farmer.

"Are you a good farm hand?" the farmer asked him.

"Well, I can sleep when the wind blows," answered the little man.

Although puzzled by this answer, the farmer, desperate for help, hired him. The little man worked well around the farm, busy from dawn to dusk, and the farmer felt satisfied with the man's work. Then one night the wind howled loudly in from offshore. Jumping out of bed, the farmer grabbed a lantern and rushed next door to the hired hand's sleeping quarters. He shook the little man and yelled, "Get up! A storm is coming! Tie things down before they blow away!"

The little man rolled over in bed and said firmly, "No sir. I told you, I can sleep when the wind blows."

Enraged by the response, the farmer was tempted to fire him on the spot. Instead, he hurried outside to prepare for the storm. To his amazement, he discovered that all of the haystacks had been covered with tarpaulins. The cows were in the barn, the chickens were in the coops, and the doors were barred. The shutters were tightly secured. Everything was tied down. Nothing could blow away. The farmer then understood what his hired hand meant, so he returned to his bed to also sleep while the wind blew.

MORAL: When you're prepared, spiritually, mentally, and physically, you have nothing to fear. Can you sleep when the wind blows through your life? The hired hand in the story was able to sleep because he had secured the farm against the storm. We, as believers in Christ, secure ourselves against the storms of life by grounding ourselves in the Word of God. We don't need to understand, we just need to hold His hand to have peace in the midst of the storms. I hope you sleep well!

Contributed by Alice Williams

******************************************************************************

Job 12:13

With Him are wisdom and

strength,

He has counsel and

understanding.

Psalm 27:1

The LORD is my light and my

salvation;

Whom shall I fear?

The LORD is the strength of my

life;

Of whom shall I be afraid?

Psalm 29:11

The LORD will give strength to

His people;

The LORD will bless His people

with peace.

Psalm 46:1

GOD is our refuge and strength,

A very present help in trouble,

Therefore we will not fear,

Even though the earth be removed,

And though the mountains be

carried into the midst of the sea;

Philippians 4:13

I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

James 1:2, 3

My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience.

Seeing and Believing

John 20:24-29

Now Thomas, one of the twelve disciples, was not with them when Jesus came (rose from the dead).

The other disciples therefore said to him (Thomas), ¡§We have seen the Lord.¡¨ So Thomas said to them, ¡§Unless I see in His hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe.¡¨

And after eight days Jesus¡¦ disciples were again inside, and Thomas with them. Jesus came, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said ¡§Peace to you!¡¨

Then He said to Thomas, ¡§Reach your finger here, and look at My hands; and reach your hand here, and put it into My side. Do not be unbelieving, but believing.¡¨

And Thomas answered and said to Him, ¡§My Lord and my God!¡¨

Jesus said to him, ¡§Thomas, because you have seen Me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.¡¨

Hebrews 11:6

But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.

Isaiah 40:28-31

Have you not known?

Have you not heard?

The everlasting God, the LORD,

The Creator of the ends of the earth,

Neither faints nor is weary.

His understanding is unsearchable.

He gives power to the weak,

And to those who have no

might He increases strength.

Even the youths shall faint and be weary,

And the young men shall utterly fall,

But those who wait on the LORD

Shall renew their strength;

They shall mount up with wings like eagles,

They shall run and not be weary,

They shall walk and not faint.

Teach me Lord, to wait.

Commentary: (comes from New King James version)

God is entirely free from all that is defective and imperfect in man.

If He were to grow weary, all nature and every man would fail and drop into nothingness. There is no denial that God can be known. However, man must trust God for deliverance because His ways are incomprehensible and beyond the understanding of man. God is also able to supply man with strength and energy, even man¡¦s very existence, because out of His divine abundance He can supply strength to even the most weary of men. The ¡§eagle¡¨ is a common metaphor for strength. God¡¦s strength is available for all who wait in patience for God¡¦s purposes to be carried out.

All scripture is taken from the New King James Version and may be revised for easier reading.

ACKNOWLEDGE HIM

(Prov. 3:6)

In all thy ways

acknowledge Him.

Acknowledge His goodness

Acknowledge His love

Acknowledge His guidance

When sent from above.

Acknowledge His comfort

In your time of fears

Acknowledge His purpose

Through all of your tears.

Acknowledge always His

Cleansing from sin

In all thy ways

Acknowledge Him.

-Mary Coffman Long

***********************************************************

LORD, make me an instrument of your peace.

Where there is hatred...let me sow love.

Where there is injury...pardon.

Where there is doubt...faith.

Where there is despair...hope.

Where there is darkness...light.

Where there is sadness...joy.

O Divine Master, grant that I may not

so much seek to be consoled as to console.

To be understood...as to understand.

To be loved...as to love;

For it is in giving...that we receive.

It is in pardoning...that we are pardoned

And it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.

-St. Francis Assisi

***********************************************************

To walk with the Lord is like

taking a path He's cleared out

to meet all your needs........

If you stray from this path

but still think that you follow,

How can you go where God leads?

Instead of a walk down a clearly

marked trail....

You'll find yourself

OUT IN THE WEEDS!

--K. Zorowski

***********************************************************

GOD HAS WORKED HIS MIRACLES ACROSS THE COURSE OF TIME...

A burning bush,

A parting sea,

Turning water in to wine...

But if I had to rate them all,

The most AMAZING one would be...

That He could wash away the dirt

from a SINNER such as ME!

--K. Zorowski

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

1st man: "God is like a potter, and we are like the clay in His hands. God works the clay to mold us into what He wants us to be."

2nd man: "So, are you saying that when bad things happen to me, maybe It's just God RE-MOLDING ME?"

1st man: "EXACTLY!"

2nd man: "I just wish the potter didn't have to SQUEEZE so hard..."

1st man: "He HAS to when the CLAY gets hard!"

--K. Zorowski

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

It's great to do good things for God

It can fill our hearts with pride...

We feel as if we're standing tall

With the Lord right by our side.

If pride is why we do things,

Then our motivation's wrong...

There'll be no joy in heaven...

No triumphant angel's song.

If we want to stand beside the Lord,

If it's God we aim to please...

He'll never see us stand so tall...

As when we're on our knees!

--K. Zorowski

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

WHEN YOU THOUGHT I WASN'T LOOKING

-- Written by a former child

A message every adult should read, because children are watching you and doing as you do, not as you say....

When you thought I wasn't looking, I saw you hang my first painting on the re-frigerator, and I immediately wanted to paint another one.

When you thought I wasn't looking, I saw you feed a stray cat, and I learned that it was good to be kind to animals.

When you thought I wasn't looking, I saw you make my favorite cake for me and I learned that the little things can be the special things in life.

When you thought I wasn't looking, I heard you say a prayer, and I knew there is a God I could always talk to and I learned to trust in God.

When you thought I wasn't looking, I saw you make a meal and take it to a friend who was sick, and I learned that we all have to help take care of each other.

When you thought I wasn't looking, I saw you give of your time and money to help people who had nothing and I learned that those who have something should give to those who don't.

When you thought I wasn't looking, I saw you take care of our house and every-one in it and I learned we have to take care of what we are given.

When you thought I wasn't looking, I saw how you handled your responsibilities, even when you didn't feel good and I learned that I would have to be respons-ible when I grow up.

When you thought I wasn't looking, I saw tears come from your eyes and I learned that sometimes things hurt , but it's all right to cry.

When you thought I wasn't looking, I saw that you cared and I wanted to be everything that I could be.

When you thought I wasn't looking, I learned most of life's lessons that I need to know to be a good and productive per-son when I grow up.

When you thought I wasn't looking, I looked at you and wanted to say, "Thanks for all the things I saw when you thought I wasn't looking."

LITTLE EYES SEE A LOT! Each of us (parent, grandparent, aunt, uncle, teacher or friend) influence the life of a child. How will you touch the life of someone today?

Contributed by Norma Carter

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

TO GOD BE THE GLORY!

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

THE BELL

I KNOW WHO I AM

I am God's child (John 1:12)

I am Christ's friend (John 15:15 )

I am united with the Lord(1 Cor. 6:17 )

I am bought with a price(1 Cor. 6:19-20)

I am a saint (set apart for God). (Eph. 1:1)

I am a personal witness of Christ. (Acts 1:8)

I am the salt & light of the earth ( Matt.5:13-14)

I am a member of the body of Christ(1 Cor 12:27)

I am free forever from condemnation ( Rom. 8: 1-2)

I am a citizen of Heaven. I am significant ( Phil.3:20)

I am free from any charge against me (Rom. 8:31 -34)

I am a minister of reconciliation for God(2 Cor.5:17-21)

I have access to God through the Holy Spirit (Eph. 2:18)

I am seated with Christ in the heavenly realms (Eph. 2:6)

I cannot be separated from the love of God( Rom.8:35-39)

I am established, anointed, sealed by God (2 Cor.1:21-22)

I am assured all things work together for good (Rom. 8: 28)

I have been chosen and appointed to bear fruit (John 15:16 )

I may approach God with freedom and confidence (Eph. 3: 12 )

I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me (Phil. 4:13)

I am the branch of the true vine, a channel of His life (John 15: 1-5)

I am God's temple (1 Cor. 3: 16 ). I am complete in Christ (Col. 2: 10)

I am hidden with Christ in God (Col. 3:3). I have been justified (Romans 5:1)

I am God's co-worker (1 Cor.. 3:9; 2 Cor 6:1). I am God's workmanship(Eph. 2:10 )

I am confident that the good works God has begun in me will be perfected. (Phil 1: 5)

I have been redeemed and forgiven (Col. 1:14). I have been adopted as God's child(Eph

1:5)

I belong to God

Do you know

who you are!?

Keep this bell ringing...pass it on

"The LORD bless you and keep you;

the LORD make His face shine upon you

and be gracious to you; the LORD turn His face toward you

and give you peace.."

Numbers 6:24-26

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding.

In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your path." (Proverbs

3:5,6)