From the Inbox

[ILG]

Originally Posted by Tina

Taken from my devotional reading today... It ministered to me, and I hope it will do the same for someone else.

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Psalm 40:2 - He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings.~ KJV

~~
One way you realize you are out of a pit is that you're feet are finally planted on a rock and you've got a firm place to stand.

Winds may blow, and waters rise- but you will not lose ground.

God is not just a firm place to stand. He's a firm place to stay.

It's not just about getting out of the pit for a while, it's about getting out of the pit for good. If that's what we want, we have to make up our minds.

The ground beneath our feet is only as firm as our resolve. As long as we're wishy-washy, what's under us will be wishy-washy too.

God gives us a firm place to stand. We just have to decide if we want to take it.

We take the firm place God gives when we make up our minds, and plant both our feet.

~ Excerpt taken from "Looking UP, When Life is Looking Down" by Beth Moore.

Thanks for sharing, Tina. That was good..

[Tina]

Just a little more to share--

Another excerpt from "Looking UP When Life Is Looking Down" by Beth Moore-

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God offers you a firm place to stand, but your feet are not planted until you make up your mind that's where you want to be. He will not force you to stand. He most assuredly will not force you to stay. Until you make up your mind-- your feet are set upon a banana peel.

You may stand while the wind is calm, but when the storm hits and the floodwaters rise-- the undertow will leave you gasping for air.

Circumstances will offer unceasing invitations back into the pit. If your victory depends on circumstances-- you might as well wave the white flag and surrender to defeat.

OR you could make up your mind that you're in with God, standing on the rock for the rest of your days.

Having a firm place to stand doesn't mean life isn't hard and temptations don't come...

but once you decide where you're putting your feet--- it's a mighty firm place to stand.

[Tina]

I am just getting around to checking email today, and wanted to share this...

~~~~~~
It's nice to know that sometimes God confirms to us exactly what we need to hear-- exactly when we need to hear it.

I'd been doing devotional and prayer this morning-- and was feeling rather stressed over how we are going to make it over the next month since the factory is closing for a week of forced vacation-- and our budget will still have the same bills-- on a week less income for the month. I had the list of bills laying in front of me while I was praying-- and just left it in God's hands in prayer-- then put it back away in my bill folder.

I knew deep within in my heart that God will provide. He's never failed to do so---but you know how our human nature is.

I opened my email just a few minutes ago, and this was waiting on me.


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God Provides

By Jim Burns

Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the doors will be opened. Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him.

Matthew 7:7-11

God cares for you. He wants the best for you. He always has your best interest in mind. Because He is your loving heavenly Father you must tell Him your needs constantly. He wants to provide abundant life and abundant blessings for you.

George Muller was a man of great faith in our God as a provider for the children in his orphanage in England. One day, things looked bleak for the children in his orphanage at Ashley Downs. It was time for breakfast, and there was no food. A small girl whose father was a close friend of Muller was visiting in the home. Muller took her hand and said, "Come and see what our Father will do." In the dining room, long tables were set with empty plates and empty mugs. Not only was there no food in the kitchen, but there was no money in the home's account. Muller prayed, "Dear Father, we thank Thee for what Thou art going to give us to eat." Immediately, they heard a knock at the door. When they opened it, there stood the local baker. "Mr. Muller," he said, "I couldn't sleep last night. Somehow I felt you had no bread for breakfast, so I got up at two o'clock and baked fresh bread. Here it is." Muller thanked him and gave praise to God. Soon, a second knock was heard. It was the milkman. His cart had broken down in the front of the orphanage. He said he would like to give the children the milk so he could empty the cart and repair it.

There's a word that comes to my mind after reading that incredible story. It's not necessarily a spiritual word—but it's the word I bet was also on the mind of the hungry children that day. WOW. What else can you do but take a moment to thank God for all his provisions?



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
How's that for the Word speaking directly to me?

He knows our every need-- and he WILL provide.

[Tina]

Reinstalled

By Kelly McFadden

Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death. For what the law was powerless to do in that it was weakened by the sinful nature, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful man to be a sin offering…

Romans 8:1-3


With no warning, my computer suddenly shut off. My insides screamed, “No, no, no, no!” while on the outside I somehow maintained a relatively calm composure.

Silently, I begged for a favor from God to bring my computer back to life. I hit the power button and held my breath. Nothing. I turned my laptop upside down, made sure all the screws were tight, shook it around a bit and tried again.

The glorious sound of the computer turning on chimed through the speakers. “It’s alive!” I screamed in triumph. Quickly, I backed up all of data. But, it didn’t last long. Within a few days, my computer died once again.

To fix the computer, I had to delete everything on the computer and then reinstall from scratch back onto the hard drive. After reloading the original software, I added the personal files I had saved.

As I did, I couldn’t help but think about the way God reinstalls us when we crash.

God molds us, and designs us. He gives us each some similar components, making us in His image. Then, He goes beyond creating carbon copies. He gives each of us a little of this, a bit of that—those things that make us unique—something like the personal drivers and varieties of software and files we add to make each of our computers unique.

In a way that also reminds me of computers, people often get overloaded with information, worry, struggles and, of course, we all get infected with that nasty virus we call sin.

These problems cause trouble in our lives and without the right remedy, we crash. Fortunately, our remedy, Jesus Christ, is always there for us with open arms, ready to help troubleshoot our problem areas.

God is always available to repair and restore our souls. When we seek Him, He comes to put the pieces back together.

Each of us has our own set of struggles, sins and failures. Isn’t it great to know that Jesus has already paid the price to have us cleaned up? He has paid the full price. He is waiting for each of us to ask Him to repair our souls.

[Tina]

GOOD ADVICE TO LIVE BY

If you want your dreams to come true, don't oversleep.

The smallest good deed is better than the grandest intention.

Of all the things you wear, your expression is the most important.

The best vitamin for making friends....B1.

The 10 commandments are not multiple choice.

The happiness of your life depends on the quality of your thoughts.

Minds are like parachutes...they function only when open.

Ideas won't work unless YOU do.

One thing you can't recycle is wasted time.

One who lacks the courage to start has already finished.

The heaviest thing to carry is a grudge.

Don't learn safety rules by accident.

We lie the loudest when we lie to ourselves.

Jumping to conclusions can be bad exercise.

A turtle makes progress when it sticks it's head out.

One thing you can give and still keep...is your word.

A friend walks in when everyone else walks out.

AND FINALLY...

The pursuit of happiness is the chase of a lifetime!!!

-- Author Unknown

[Tina]

PARABLE OF THE PENCIL

The Pencil Maker took the pencil aside, just before putting him into the box. There are 5 things you need to know, he told the pencil, before I send you out into the world. Always remember them and never forget, and you will become the best pencil you can be.

One: You will be able to do many great things, but only if you allow yourself to be held in Someone's hand.

Two: You will experience a painful sharpening from time to time, but you'll need it to become a better pencil.

Three: You will be able to correct mistakes you will make.

Four: The most important part of you will always be what's inside.

And Five: On every surface you are used on, you must leave your mark. No matter what the condition, you must continue to write.

The pencil understood and promised to remember, and went into the box with purpose in its heart.

Now replacing the place of the pencil with you; always remember them and never forget, and you will become the best person you can be.

One: You will be able to do many great things, but only if you allow yourself to be held in God's hand. And allow other human beings to access you for the many gifts you possess.

Two: You will experience a painful sharpening from time to time, by going through various problems, but you'll need it to become a stronger person.

Three: You will be able to correct mistakes you might make or grow through them.

Four: The most important part of you will always be what's on the inside.

And Five: On every surface you walk, you must leave your mark. No matter what the situation, you must continue to serve God in everything.

By understanding and remembering, let us proceed with our life on this earth having a meaningful purpose in our heart and a relationship with God daily.

-- Author Unknown

[Tina]

Uncommon Courtesy

By Leslie Snyder

And whoever gives one of these little ones even a cup of cold water because he is a disciple, truly, I say to you, he will by no means lose his reward.

Matthew 10:42 (ESV)


Nothing quenches the thirst like water. Sports drinks, fruit juices, sodas and coffee provide the body with flavorful refreshment, but when the body thirsts, true satisfaction comes only from water.

In the poignant reflection, A Severe Mercy, author Sheldon Vanauken candidly shares the story of the deep, bittersweet love he shared with his wife, Davy. In the beginning of their relationship, they defined a symbol of courtesy toward each other—a cup of water in the night—a courtesy that represented the selfless love one had for the other.

Giving a cup of cold water to another is both simple and inconvenient.

If you are like me, you love the comfort of a warm bed. You likely have a favorite pillow, blanket or certain type of sheets that once wrapped around you are equal to a warm embrace.

When I am this comfortable, I don’t like to get out of bed for a cup of water for myself, let alone for someone else. Yet the simple act of leaving your personal comforts to care for the needs of another demonstrates the love Jesus shared with us when He left the ultimate comfort and joy of heaven to live life here on earth.

In the above passage, Jesus explains that no act of kindness, no matter how small, goes unnoticed or unrewarded when it is done in His name.

In the book of Matthew, Jesus shares the story of the sheep and the goats, illustrating the difference between those who care for the simple needs of others and those who choose to look away.

In Eugene Peterson’s Bible paraphrase, The Message, he conveys Matthew 25:40 in this way, “Whenever you did one of these things to someone overlooked or ignored, that was me—you did it to me.”

Serving another person is often inconvenient. It takes time, energy, personal resources, and sometimes, personal discomfort. It is so much easier to look away and to assume someone else will do it. However, Jesus invites us to serve Him by caring for the needs of others. Today and everyday the invitation remains. How will you respond?

[Tina]

How I learned to mind my own business :

I was walking past the mental hospital the other day,
And all the patients were shouting, '13....13....13.'

The fence was too high to see over, but I saw a
Little gap in the planks, so I looked through to see
What was going on.....

Some idiot poked me in the eye with a stick!

Then they all started shouting '14....14....14'...

[Tina]

Statements of Deep Thought

- I wish Google Maps had an "Avoid Ghetto" routing option.


- More often than not, when someone is telling me a story all I can think about is that I can't wait for them to finish so that I can tell my own story that's not only better, but also more directly involves me.


- Nothing sucks more than that moment during an argument when you realize you're wrong.

( now that ever happens to me .... )


- I totally take back all those times I didn't want to nap when I was younger.



- Is it just me, or are 80% of the people in the "people you may know" feature on Facebook people that I do know, but I deliberately choose not to be friends with ?



- There is a great need for sarcasm font.



- I think everyone has a movie that they love so much, it actually becomes stressful to watch it with other people. I'll end up wasting 90 minutes shiftily glancing around to confirm that everyone's laughing at the right parts, then making sure I laugh just a little bit harder (and a millisecond earlier) to prove that I'm still the only one who really, really gets it.



- How are you supposed to fold a fitted sheet?



- I would rather try to carry 10 plastic grocery bags in each hand than take
2 trips to bring my groceries in.


- I think part of a best friend's job should be to immediately clear your computer history if you die.



- The only time I look forward to a red light is when I'm trying to finish a text.


- Was learning cursive really necessary?



- Lol has gone from meaning, "laugh out loud" to "I have nothing else to say".



- I have a hard time deciphering the fine line between boredom and hunger.


- Answering the same letter three times or more in a row on a Scantron test
is absolutely petrifying.



- Whenever someone says "I'm not book smart, but I'm street smart", all I hear is "I'm not real smart, but I'm imaginary smart".



- How many times is it appropriate to say "What?" before you just nod and
smile because you still didn't hear what they said?




- Every time I have to spell a word over the phone using 'as in' examples, I
will undoubtedly draw a blank and sound like a complete idiot. Today I had
to spell my boss's last name to an attorney and said "Yes that's G as in...(10 second lapse)..ummm...Goonies"


- What would happen if I hired two private investigators to follow each other?




- While driving yesterday I saw a banana peel in the road and instinctively swerved to avoid it...thanks Mario Kart.



- MapQuest really needs to start their directions on #5. Pretty sure I know how to get out of my neighborhood.



- Obituaries would be a lot more interesting if they told you how the person
died.



- I find it hard to believe there are actually people who get in the shower first and THEN turn on the water.



- I can't remember the last time I wasn't at least kind of tired.



- Bad decisions make good stories



- Whenever I'm Facebook stalking someone and I find out that their profile is public I feel like a kid on Christmas morning who just got the Red Ryder BB gun that I always wanted. 546 pictures? Don't mind if I do!


- If Carmen San Diego and Waldo ever got together, their offspring would probably just be completely invisible.



- Why is it that during an ice-breaker, when the whole room has to go around and say their name and where they are from, I get so incredibly nervous? Like I know my name, I know where I'm from, this shouldn't be a problem...



- You never know when it will strike, but there comes a moment at work when you've made up your mind that you just aren't doing anything productive for the rest of the day.


- Can we all just agree to ignore whatever comes after DVDs? I don't want to have to restart my collection.



- There's no worse feeling than that millisecond you're sure you are going to die after leaning your chair back a little too far.


- I'm always slightly terrified when I exit out of Word and it asks me if I want to save any changes to my ten page research paper that I swear I did not make any changes to.


- "Do not machine wash or tumble dry" means I will never wash this ever.


- I hate being the one with the remote in a room full of people watching TV. There's so much pressure. 'I love this show, but will they judge me if I keep it on? I bet everyone is wishing we weren't watching this. It's only a matter of time before they all get up and leave the room. Will we still be friends after this?'



- I hate when I just miss a call by the last ring (Hello? Hello?!), but when I immediately call back, it rings nine times and goes to voicemail. What'd you do after I didn't answer? Drop the phone and run away?



- I hate leaving my house confident and looking good and then not seeing anyone of importance the entire day. What a waste.


- I like all of the music in my iTunes, except when it's on shuffle, then I like about one in every fifteen songs in my iTunes.


- Why is a school zone 20 mph? That seems like the optimal cruising speed for pedophiles...


- As a driver I hate pedestrians, and as a pedestrian I hate drivers, but no matter what the mode of transportation, I always hate cyclists.



- Sometimes I'll look down at my watch 3 consecutive times and still not know what time it is.


- It should probably be called Unplanned Parenthood.



- Even under ideal conditions people have trouble locating their car keys in a pocket and Pinning the Tail on the Donkey - but I'd bet everyone
can find and push the Snooze button from 3 feet away, in about 1.7 seconds, eyes closed, first time every time...



- I wonder if cops ever get ticked off at the fact that everyone they drive behind obeys the speed limit?


- I think the freezer deserves a light as well.

[Tina]

THE SIMPLE WHITE ENVELOPE

It's just a small white envelope stuck among the branches of our
Christmas tree. No name, no identification, no inscription. It has
peeked through the branches of our tree for the past 10 years or so.

It all began because my husband Mike hated Christmas --oh, not the true
meaning of Christmas, but the commercial aspects of it – the overspending, the frantic running around at the last minute to get a tie for Uncle Harry and the dusting powder for Grandma --the gifts given in desperation
because you couldn't think of anything else.

Knowing he felt this way, I decided one year to bypass the usual shirts,
sweaters, ties, and so forth. I reached for something special just for
Mike. The inspiration came in an unusual way. Our son Kevin, who was 12 that year, was wrestling at the junior level at the school he attended.

Shortly before Christmas, there was a non-league match against another
team sponsored by an inner-city church.

These youngsters, dressed in sneakers so ragged that shoestrings seemed
to be the only thing holding them together, presented a sharp contrast
to our boys in their spiffy blue and gold uniforms and sparkling new wrestling shoes.

As the match began, I was alarmed to see that the other team was wrestling without headgear, a kind of light helmet designed to protect a wrestler's ears.
It was a luxury the ragtag team obviously could not afford.

Well, we ended up walloping them. We took every weight class. And as
each of their boys got up from the mat, he swaggered around in his
tatters with false bravado, a kind of street pride that couldn't
acknowledge defeat.

Mike, seated beside me, shook his head sadly, "I wish just one of them
could have won," he said. "They have a lot of potential, but losing like
this could take the heart right out of them." Mike loved kids -- all
kids -- and he knew them, having coached little league football,
baseball, and lacrosse.

That's when the idea for his present came. That afternoon, I went to a
local sporting goods store and bought an assortment of wrestling
headgear and shoes and sent them anonymously to the inner-city church.
On Christmas Eve, I placed the envelope on the tree,the note inside
telling Mike what I had done and that this was his gift from me. His
smile was the brightest thing about Christmas that year and in
succeeding years.

For each Christmas, I followed the tradition
--one year sending a group of mentally handicapped youngsters to a
hockey game, another year a check to a pair of elderly brothers whose
home had burned to the ground the week before Christmas, and on and on.
The envelope became the highlight of our Christmas . It was always the
last thing opened on Christmas morning, and our children, ignoring their
new toys, would stand with wide-eyed anticipation as their dad lifted the
envelope from the tree to reveal its contents.

As the children grew, the toys gave way to more practical presents, but
the envelope never lost its allure. The story doesn't end there. You
see, we lost Mike last year due to cancer. When Christmas rolled around,

I was still so wrapped in grief that I barely got the tree up. But Christmas Eve
found me placing an envelope on the tree, and in the morning it was
joined by three more. Each of our children, unbeknownst to the others,
had placed an envelope on the tree for their dad. The tradition has grown and
someday will expand even further with our grandchildren standing
around the tree with wide-eyed anticipation watching as their fathers
take down the envelope.

Mike's spirit, like the Christmas spirit, will always be with us.

May we all remember Christ, who is the reason for the season, and the
true Christmas spirit this year and always.

God Bless!