THE PINE TREE CROSSES

I received this in an email and wanted to share it. I don't know if it is true, or not.

Last April on a Sunday we took one of our “nowhere” drives, my husband quietly driving a back road. I was occupied in the front passenger seat watching the scenery.

I noticed out of the corner of my eye that my husband was straining to look out my window. This startled me, since his eyes should be on the road in front of him. I asked him what he was looking at out the window, and he quietly replied, “Nothing.” His eyes went back to the road in front of him.

After a few minutes, I looked over at my husband and noticed a tear running down his cheek. I asked him what was wrong. This time he told me, “I was just thinking about Pop and a story he had once told me.” Of course, because it had to do with his Pop, I wanted to know the story, so I asked him to share it with me.

He said, “When I was about 8 years old, Pop and I were out fishing, and that’s when he told me that the pine trees know when it’s Easter.”

I had no idea what he meant by that, so I pressed him for more information.

He continued on . . . “the pine trees start their new growth in the weeks before Easter – if you look at the tips of the pine trees two weeks before, you will see the yellow shoots. As it draws closer to Easter Sunday, the tallest shoot will branch off and form a cross. By the time Easter Sunday comes around, you will see that most of the pine trees have small yellow crosses all over the tallest shoots.”

I turned to look out the window, and I couldn’t believe my eyes. It was a week before Easter, and you could see all of the trees with the tall yellow shoots stretching to heaven.

The tallest ones shone in the sunlight like rows of golden crosses.

Author unknown.

Preacher's Kid

SPIRITUAL CARBON COPIES

It's so easy to copy, or imitate the actions of those we admire. I remember how, in Bible College, the young men studying to be preachers would imitate the actions of their favorite minister, imitate their gestures, imitate their expressions, even imitate their favorite words and phrases.

What was really cute, though, was when a little cousin I used to babysit for imitated Mother, who had difficulty getting out of a chair because of her stiffness from arthritis. She'd often lament, as she tried to rise, "I'm so-o-o-o stiff." It wasn't long until little Naomi, just barely walking and talking, would slowly get up from her little rocker in a bent position saying, "I'se so-o-o-o stiff."

As Christians, who do we mimic? Who do we imitate? Not only in our words and/or actions, but in our thoughts and beliefs? Do we believe this or that creed, this or that doctrine just because our church teaches it? Or just because a favorite preacher or evangelist promotes a certain idea? And when someone questions us about our beliefs we respond with, "My church teaches thus-and-so." For shame, if we do.

As mature Christians, we should be able to say, "I believe thus-and-so because Scripture says . . ."

Speaking of Scripture, Ephesians 5:1, Living Bible paraphrase, says: "Follow God's example in everything you do just as a much loved child imitates his father."

I guess we're all "Spiritual Carbon Copies," spiritual imitators. The question is, who are we carbon copies of -- another human being? Or Christ?

Preacher's Kid

SPIRITUAL DOWNS SYNDROME

Billy Sunday, one of America's most famous and influential evangelists of the early 20th century said, "You may be down, but you're never out."

Have you ever asked someone how they were and they answered, "I'm fine, under the circumstances."

I don't recall who it was that said, "What are you doing UNDER the circumstances? As a Christian you should be on TOP of your circumstances!"

If you stop and really think that through, I believe you'll come to the conclusion that's a sermon in itself!

Of course, I'm sure you've never been guilty of saying anything like that, now, have you?

My husband and I have been reading several of Merlin Carothers books. Ever heard of him? He was an Army chaplain and believed in and practiced the art of praising God in every circumstance -- good and bad. Scripture does tell us that God inhabits the praises of His people. And it also tells us to give thanks in everything -- not just good things, but EVERYTHING.

The next time you feel discouraged and your circumstances drag you down spiritually, try praising God for your situation. It's all right to tell Him you don't understand what's happening, but you thank Him anyway because you know He's in charge and that according to Romans 8:28 he's promised to make all things work for your good.

Don't let yourself suffer from "Spiritual downs" syndrome. My challenge to you is: Stop living UNDER your circumstances! Be victorious OVER them through the medium of praise. Try it -- you might like it!

Preacher's Kid

PROP ME ON MY LEANING SIDE

I've run across the title phrase numerous times, but never heard the following story connected with the saying. I just received it today in an email. I don't know who the author is; the article simply said "Anon."

Every time I'm asked to pray, I think of the old fellow who always prayed, "Lord, prop us up on our leanin' side." After hearing him pray that prayer many times, someone asked him why he prayed that prayer so fervently.

He answered, "Well, sir, you see, it's like this....I got an old barn out back. It's been there a long time; it's withstood a lot of weather; it's gone through a lot of storms, and it's stood for many years. It's still standing...but one day I noticed it was leaning to one side a bit. So I went and got some pine poles and propped it up on its leaning side so it wouldn't fall.

"Then I got to thinking about that and how much I was like that old barn. I've been around a long time...I've withstood a lot of life's storms. I've withstood a lot of bad weather in life; I've withstood a lot of hard times, and I'm still standing, too. But I find myself leaning to one side from time to time, so I like to ask the Lord to prop us up on our leanin' side, 'cause I figure a lot of us get to leaning at times.

"Sometimes we get to leaning toward anger, leaning toward bitterness, leaning toward hatred, leaning toward cussing, leaning toward a lot of things that we shouldn't. So we need to pray, 'Lord, prop us up on our leanin' side, so we will stand straight and tall again, to glorify the Lord'."

Preacher's Kid

SPIRITUAL CRABS

I once saw a little desk sign that said, "Lord, help me not to be so crabby, and help me put up with the crabs around me." I thought it was hilarious, bought it and placed it on my office desk. But my co-workers didn't see the humor in it. So I soon disposed of my new-found treasure. Where and how, I don't recall!

In speaking of crabs, I'm not referring to head lice which are also known as crabs -- I'm thinking along the line of Spiritual Crabs! Let me list some of the characteristics of the crabs that are related to lobsters and shrimp and you can spot Spiritual Crabs for yourself!

Did you know that if you put a lot of crabs in a bucket, they'll never get out? Why? When one crab is about to get out, another crab reaches up and pulls the first one back down!

Crabs are invertebrates, that is, animals without a backbone. Know any Spiritual Crabs? Crabs also tend to be aggressive toward one another. Know any more Spiritual Crabs? Their senses of smell and taste are highly advanced and that, in turn, helps them to find food. Some crabs feed on both plants and animals. Others feed on algae. Still others feast on mollusks, worms, crustaceans, fungi, bacteria and even organic non-living material. Spiritual Crabs, too, like to feed on anything and everything, it matters not what! Crabs have pincers that they use for fighting among other things. Spiritual Crabs, fighting???

They tell me there are about 6,793 species of crabs found all around the world, some in oceans, some in fresh water, and some that live entirely on land. Seems one can find crabs, including Spiritual Crabs, living anywhere and everywhere! Crabs vary in size, from the small pea crab to the Japanese crab which can have a leg span of about 13 feet. Spiritual Crabs come in all sizes, too!

Well, maybe you shouldn't focus too much on Spiritual Crabs, other Spiritual Crabs, that is. Just make sure you're not a Spiritual Crab!

'Nuf said?

Preacher's Kid

BABY BUGGY DEVOTIONS

I don't know whether you've caught that several of my devotionals this month started with the word "Spiritual" -- Spiritual Cockroaches, Spiritual Gossip, Spiritual TV Dinners, Spiritual Starvation, and Spiritual Sunscreen! And I can guarantee you there are more to come. No doubt you're wondering what this is all about anyway. Well, I'll tell you.

Umpteen million years ago when I was still a preschooler, I heard an evangelistic message that made an indelible impression on my young mind. More accurately, I should say I heard an evangelistic "illustration" I've never forgotten. The message itself has long been forgotten except for what I've "imagined" it to be!

The evangelist was describing an adult church member who had never developed and was still in infancy. Those were the days when baby buggies were made of rattan I guess you could call it. The curved top could be lowered to cover the baby's face from wind, rain, cold, sun and whatever. When my sister and I outgrew our baby buggy, I inherited it for playing. I spent many hours pushing my dolls up and down the street. Strollers, car seats, etc. were unknown in those days!

The evangelist I mentioned painted a graphic picture of the church pastor spending his time pushing a baby carriage up and down the street with a great, big over-grown baby inside, its long arms flailing out over the sides almost dragging the sidewalk. The evanglist keep moving back and forth across the platform as he spoke, pretending he was pushing a baby buggy, as he told how the baby's large feet were hanging awkwardly over the front end of the carriage. Every so often he would stop pushing his imaginary baby carriage and pick up the over-sized baby bottle the "baby" had thrown on the ground and stick it back in the baby's mouth! The baby, it seemed, had never mastered eating adult food.

I've never forgotten that poignant illustration, and through the years often wondered what the message was really about. I can only assume the evangelist was trying to hammer home the point that there were people in the church who never matured spiritually but remained spiritual babies all their lives!

And that gave me the idea of a devotional book on spiritual babies, a book I refer to as the "Baby Buggy" book! For years I have had scads of ideas already written down, at least the skeletons of ideas. As mentioned above, you've already sampled a few of them. There will be more to come.

Knowing the story behind these devotionals, I trust you will enjoy them even more.

Preacher's Kid

SPIRITUAL COCKROACHES

I recall vividly my first encounter with an honest-to-goodness live cockroach. I was visiting my sister in Florida and opened a cupboard door to see this monstrous, ugly critter crawl behind a stack of dishes. My scream of terror brought Ruth running to the kitchen in a mad dash. When I could talk enough to describe what I had seen, she nonchalantly said, "Oh, I see it's time to spray again." It was a routine household chore they performed every ninety days, she said!

My second encounter with the filthy little pests was in the courtroom one day when the judge asked the defendant why he continually refused to pay his rent. "I'll tell you why," he adamantly stated. "Because of this," he angrily exclaimed, slamming a jar of cockroaches on the counter. "When the landlord gets rid them, I'll pay my rent."

"Get those things out of here," demanded the judge in no uncertain terms. We knew the prisoner well from his many appearances in court, and I often wondered if he turned the obnoxious critters loose inside the city hall as he left! I wouldn't have put it past him!

But spiritual cockroaches? Cockroaches can cause more trouble and alarm than anything else in the average household. In fact, I read that cockroaches are the second most common invaders of the average household next to dust! Scary, isn't it?

To me cockroaches -- spiritual or insects -- are digusting, troublesome and vile, always sticking their noses where they're neither needed nor wanted. They nose around and pry until they know everyone's business. Nor do they hesitate to spread around what they know. Not only that, whatever tidbit they're passing along increases with each telling, just as cockroaches, left unchecked, continue to increase. Do I need elaborate any further on spiritual cockroaches? I'm sure you get my drift! They're disgusting, filthy critters to say the least! The less I have to do with them, the better.

In other words, don't gossip -- oops, I meant to say, don't become a member of the cockroach clan!

Preacher's Kid

SHE HAD LEARNED HER ABC'S

I received this in the mail today, and it's just too good not to share.

She was old, she was miserably poor, this widowed mother of a worthless son. The house she lived in was badly in need of repair. The thatch of the roof was full of holes, and the crossbeam, dovetailed in the middle, had become loosened and hung precariously; but to the shiftless son it was no concern.

One day he came running into the house announcing the coming of a great storm. "Mother, get out your incense and burn to the idols," he shouted, "a big windstorm is coming."

But the old mother was a Christian, and had learned to trust her heavenly Father. "No," she replied, "my Father knows I do not have any money to pay a carpenter to fix the crossbeam, and He knows I am too poor to have a new thatch put on the roof. I will trust Him." Whereupon she fell upon her knees and committed herself and her house to her Father's care. She had learned the ABC's of prevailing prayer. She "Asked," she fearlessly "Believed," and "Cast" all her care upon Him.

The threatening windstorm burst in fury upon the village. It proved to be a whirlwind, which in its first impact gave the little old house a violent wrench and drove the two dangling ends of the crossbeam snugly together again, and so tightly that a carpenter could not have improved upon it. Fuerthermore, a straw stack, standing in an adjoining yard, was picked up by the whirlwind and scattered over the leaky roof, with the result that in the drenching rain that followed not a drop came through.

"I knew," she said in triumph, "my Father would not fail me." Anon

Preacher's Kid

SPIRITUAL GOSSIP

Maybe I should entitle this "religious" gossip, for in all honesty, I wonder if there's such a thing as legitimate spiritual gossip. If something is spiritual, it isn't gossip; and if it's gossip, I question if it's spiritual! There you have it in a nut shell.

How many Christians have learned the "secret" or the "art" of passing along gossip under the guise of spirituality!

For example, someone says, "I'm just telling you this so you can pray." Oh, yeah?

Or, "I'm interested in so-and-so, but--." Are you really interested in them, or are you more interested in passing that juicy tidbit of gossip along? If you were really, truly interested in them, wouldn't you be spending your time in praying for them instead of talking about them?

Another excuse for passing along religious gossip is, "I know this won't go any further." Hey, if you can't keep your big mouth shut, how do you expect someone else to?

I read a statement by Morris Bender in the Reader's Digest for March, 1991. He said, "A gossip is someone who's the knife of the party." Ouch!

Proverbs 11:13 – “A gossip betrays a confidence, but a trustworthy man keeps a secret.” (NIV)

There are others Scriptures, too, that speak about slander, deceit, etc., all of which are part of the gossip syndrome.

So I leave you with this question. Could others say that you are "the knife of the party?"

Just asking.

Preacher's Kid

FAULTLESS

Would you believe it if I told you that you have no faults?

Now don't be too quick to send the little men in white coats to put me in a straight-jacket and carry me to the safety of a secure institution with barred windows and locked doors and then throw the key away! Just calm down and read your Bible as proof of my wild, but true statement!

Ephesians 1:4, to be exact, confirms what I said about you. I like the Living Bible Paraphrase although the King James Version says the same thing. "Long ago, even before he made the world, God chose us to be his very own, through what Christ would do for us; he decided then to make us holy in his eyes, without a single fault -- we who stand before him covered with his love." King James says, "without blame." Same difference!

In God's eyes you're holy. Ever think of yourself as being holy? God says you are, in His eyes, anyhow. And in His eyes you're without a single fault, not even one teensy, weensy, itty, bitty fault!

You may think you have faults and bemoan your weaknesses, but remember what Paul said? "When I am weak, then am I strong." Others may look at you and decide you are one big bundle of faults. But I ask you this. Which is more important -- what others think of you, or what God thinks of you? What matters most -- what you think of yourself, or what God thinks of you?

That revelation ought to put a spring in your feet and a praise on your lips and send you dancing all through the rest of your life!

Be encouraged -- In God's eyes you have no faults! I didn't say it -- God did!!!

Preacher's Kid
P.S. And don't forget -- as an added blessing, you're covered with His love, snuggled in the warm, cozy blanket of His love!

BEAUTIFUL FUNERAL

I don't know as "beautiful" is an acceptable adjective to describe a funeral or not. But that's exactly what my dear hubby said when he phoned me tonight to share some of the details.

Rex's brother had been a fireman, so they had him dressed in his fireman's uniform with his fireman's hat lying at the side. As the casket was wheeled to the front of the church, the firemen's bagpipe unit preceded the casket playing a haunting melody. Several fire trucks were parked in front of the church, and after the service, on the way out, the firemen all stood at attention. The pall bearers, of course, were firemen. The casket was carried to the cemetery atop a fire truck with firemen on both sides to make sure it was steady on the ten-mile trip. Quite a sight -- I would have loved to have seen it, but Rex is trying to get copies of pictures that some people were taking.

The service itself lasted about an hour and was very joyful and uplifting, not what you usually experience for a funeral. A male quartet, all nephews of the deceased, sang both before and during the service, at least 12 songs, Rex said. The minister spoke at length of Lynn's outstanding salvation experience, even though his brothers never thought he'd turn to the Lord as he'd become so bitter some years ago against spiritual things. His co-workers in the Fire Deptment were there to hear it all.

Rex said the service made him tingle with joy all over. He also said he would share details with me when he returns next week. But I already feel his excitement and enthusiasm just from talking to him.

As I said in my blog day before yesterday (Questions About Heaven), truly the day of the Christian's death is better than the day of his birth.

Some of you who follow my blog know and are related to Lynn. I trust the rest of you aren't too bored with this brief description.

Preacher's Kid

NEW INSIGHT

I started reading through the book of Psalms again today. As I opened my Bible, I breathed a simple prayer that God would speak to me. He did -- but in a way I'd never considered before.

The first verse of the first Psalm "jumped out" at me in a completely different way. You're familiar with the verse, I know; could probably recite it by heart.

"Blessed is the man who walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful."

That middle phrase, "nor standeth in the way of sinners," refers to the fact that we are not to engage in sinful practices, that we are not to join unbelievers in their devious ways.

Then it hit me -- we're to live in such a way that we don't hinder sinners from becoming Christians. We're not to stand in the way of their receiving Christ as Savior. We're not to become a stumbling block to them because of the way we live.

"How do we ever do that?" you may be wondering. By our lives; by our actions. By cutting corners here and there. By being a little shady in our business deals. By spreading gossip, dissension, etc. By not being completely honest. Unbelievers may be as crooked as can be. But they have a high standard that they expect Christians to live by.

Believers are not perfect by any means. We're only human, and we make mistakes. But we need to be careful that we walk as uprightly as we can and show love to all men so that we do not hinder others, both believers and unbelievers, in their spiritual journey.

My challenge today is, let's not stand in the way of sinners by becoming stumbling blocks in their paths.

Preacher's Kid

QUESTIONS ABOUT HEAVEN

Less than two hours after I wrote yesterday's blog -- really I wrote that around 1:15 AM this morning when I couldn't sleep -- we got the call at 3:00 AM that Rex's brother passed away peacefully. We lay in bed and had an interesting conversation for a while. Rather we let our imaginations run wild as we asked questions -- questions I must admit I'd never thought of before, and questions for which we had no answers.

Has Lynn been reunited with his parents yet? With my husband's first wife? Did he see his Savior first? Did he have a choice whom he would see, and when, on arrival? It boggled my mind to think that an hour, maybe even a half hour before we got the phone call, Lynn was on earth. Now, a few minutes later, he's in Heaven. How long does it take for a person to make the trip from earth to Heaven, anyway? Has he gotten over the wonder of being in Heaven? Was he surprised to discover where he was? If he could communicate with us, what would he say? How long until he meets Peter, Paul, John, Abraham?

While we had no answers to our questions, one thing we agreed on was: Lynn is far better off than we are! No wonder Ecclesiastes 7:1 (LB) says, "The day one dies is better than the day he is born!" You know, we humans are all mixed up in our practices. We have gala showers and parties when a little one is born into this sin-cursed world to face trouble and sorrow, pain and disappointment, etc., all through life. And when a person dies, we shed tears and mourn and grieve. Stop and think about it. It should be the other way around! Yes, we miss our departed loved ones; that's just human nature. And our tears are really tears of self-pity. We weep and cry for ourselves because we miss our loved ones, not because we want them back to face more suffering, heartache and disappointments! We're the ones still left to face all these things. Our loved ones will never even have so much as a headache anymore! I could go on and on along this line. But I think you get what I'm trying to say. So I'll let you add your own ideas along this line.

Amazing, and interesting, how our thoughts about Heaven are so different these days. Must be the aging process and knowing we're getting closer to finding answers for ourselves firsthand!

Preacher's Kid

WHERE, OH WHERE?

My father used to sing a little ditty to us girls when we were kids that just came back to my mind. I don't know if he made it up or not. But it said, "Where, oh where has my little dog gone? Where, oh where can he be? With his ears cut long and his tail cut short, Where, oh where can he be?"

And that's probably what you're wondering about me, too! Where, oh where can she be? I didn't realize it had been so long since I've blogged.

Right now we're expecting a call momentarily that my husband's youngest brother has passed away. He's had myloma for years which has been in remission until the last week or two when it returned with a vengeance. They've taken him off life support and all the family are with him. They even have the funeral pretty well planned. My husband plans to attend of course, and that means flying from Seattle, Washington (we live about 60 miles north) to Denver, Colorado. There's so much to do, including some shopping before he goes -- he doesn't have a winter coat, for one thing. We don't need such things here in Mt. Vernon, WA. But Denver, CO is a different story! He's got some nice pants, but they're not dressy enough for a funeral. All his hats are old, too, so he wants a new hat! I will stay here and he wants to be sure there's gas in the car and groceries in the house -- not that I'm completely helpless. I can still drive; it's getting in and out of the driver's side of the car that's difficult. And walking isn't easy. We're on needles and pins, waiting for the final call -- at least I am -- and then getting flights to coordinate with his three sons (in Idaho and California) so he's not traveling alone all the time. I need to make sure he takes everything he needs with him. All that's on my mind and I just can't seem to settle down to do anything!

So be patient a few more days. I'll be back once all of this is over and things settle down! Just wanted you to know I haven't forgotten you!

Preacher's Kid

SPIRITUAL TV DINNERS

At our house, whenever my husband and I are unusually tired or in a hurry, we'll go to our trusty freezer and dig out a couple TV dinners. We do the same thing, too, when I forget to get out some meat to thaw for dinner.

Did I say our "trusty" freezer? Maybe that was an over statement. Sometimes when our freezer in the house is jammed full of one thing and another, and TV dinners, especially Marie Calender's, are on sale, we'll load up on them and store them in the freezer in our motor home which we park right behind our house. While Rex checks on the freezer now and then, he wasn't quite fast enough the other day. The refrigerator had conked out, died on us, dead as the proverbial doornail. We had rotten, spoiled TV dinners all over the place. What a mess.

But what about spiritual TV dinners? I'm thinking of televised worship services and radio sermonettes instead of attending a real, live church where we can interact with our brothers and sisters in the Lord. It's so easy not to bother to dress up and go to church -- just lounge around in our PJ's on Sunday mornings and try to get a little bit of spiritual food via the air waves. About as appetizing as a cheap frozen TV dinner!

Hebrews 10:25 tells us not to forsaake the assembling of ourselves together. I like the Living Bible paraphrase of that Scripture: "Let us not neglect our church meetings, as some people do, but encourage and warn each other, especially now that the day of his coming back is drawing near."

Are you trying to exist on spiritual TV dinners?

Just wondering.

Preacher's Kid
P.S. Oh, yes, we have a spanking brand new refrigerator in our RV now -- plus a hefty bill to prove it!!!!

SPIRITUAL STARVATION

We live in a country where, for the most part, food is abundant and people are well-fed. Consequently, few of us are familiar with the symptoms of starvation.

At the outset of starvation, victims have an insatiable craving for nourishment. As time passes, however, the body weakens, the mind is dulled, and the desire for something to eat wanes. Eventually starving people actually reach a point where they don't even want food that is placed before them.

Spiritual starvation follows much the same course. If we have been feeding daily on God's Word, it's natural to feel "hungry" when we skip our quiet time. But if we continue to neglect it, we soon lose all desire to read the Word. We starve ourselves spiritually.

How much time do you spend reading the Bible? Meditating on the Word? Do you miss the Bible and its precious truths when you neglect it?

Thomas Guthrie wrote, "If you find yourself loving any pleasure better than your prayers, any book better than the Bible, any person better than Christ, or any indulgence better than the hope of heaven -- take alarm."

If you've lost your spiritual hunger, I challenge you to ask God to revive your appetite for His Word.

Avoid spiritual starvation at any cost!

Preacher's Kid

SPIRITUAL SUNSCREEN

If I'm out in the bright sun for very long, I have to be sure to wear sunscreen; otherwise I look like a lobster in a short time. I suppose I can blame that on my fair complexion and red hair -- at least it WAS a reddish shade before it turned gray!

Anyone who has experienced sunburn can attest to the pain and discomfort that accompanies it. Of course one can always wear large-brimmed hats which I don't particularly care for. I'd rather cover my neck, arms and legs with clothing. I also try to stay in the shade as much as possible. But nothing beats using the strongest possible sunscreen.

Did you ever stop to think about spiritual sunscreen? Christians, you know, need spiritual protection. Satan, the ruler of the world, bombards us continuously with temptations in one form or another. John 10:10a (Living Bible praraphrase) warns us that Satan's purpose, or "(T)he thief's purpose is to steal, kill and destroy."

Our protection in the spiritual realm is in the Lord, in the Word. We need to apply our spiritual protection just like we apply sunscreen. While we apply sunscreen to exposed parts of our physical body, we apply spiritual sunscreen to our spirits through prayer, Bible reading, faith, meditation, the Holy Spirit, fellowship with the saints and the Blood.

Unless you live in a part of the country with sun and hot weather the year around, better stock up on spiritual sunscreen for the coming summer weather. Year around, for that matter -- Satan doesn't wait for sun and hot weather!

Preacher's Kid

GREAT NEWS

Below is a portion of an email I received today. These thoughts are better than any devotional I could come up with, so I'm going to let these three comments serve as my devotional for today!

1. 'To get something you never had, you have to do something you never did...'

2. When God takes something from your grasp, He's not punishing you, but merely opening your hands to receive something better.

3. Concentrate on this sentence... 'The will of God will never take you where the Grace of God will not protect you.'

Blessings on you, one and all!

Preacher's Kid

SATAN'S BEST-KEPT SECRETS

Just how would you define a secret? Generally speaking a secret is something that is hush-hush. Don't tell anybody. Keep it quiet. Keep it under cover, hidden from other people.

Did you know that Satan has secrets? Secrets that he wants to keep hush-hush. Secrets that he wants to keep quiet, under cover, hidden from everyone he can, especially from Christians.

What are some of those secrets?

First of all, he wants people, even Christians, to believe that he doesn't exist, that he's just a myth. But looking at the sin, wickedness and violence that surrounds us, not only on foreign soil, but also here in our homeland, explodes that myth in a hurry.

Another secret that Satan would like to keep hidden is that he's alive and well. And so he tells people there is no such thing as a personal devil. You'd be surprised how many people fall for this lie and carry on their lives as though there is no such creature to be reckoned with.

Along that same line, Satan tells believers he is not active in today's world. Oh, yes, he worked upon Eve in the Garden of Eden. He tempted Jesus just before our Lord began His earthly ministry. He tried to defeat Christ on the cross. But when the tables were turned and Christ arose from the grave, Satan tries to tell folks they have nothing to worry about -- he's been defeated and can no longer harm them.

Two of Satan's best-kept secrets are his weapons of doubts and questions, along with discouragement. How slyly he implants doubts, fears, and discouragement in the hearts of God's children and causes questions to rise in our minds. And he does it in such a way we're not even aware that such thoughts come from the devil. We think it's our circumstances that cause the discouragement and depression for yes, depression is another of his hidden secrets.

Stop and think a minute. Would God cause you to doubt His Word? Would our Heavenly Father plant fear in our hearts and lives? Would He drop a cloud of discouragement and/or depression on our lives?

The next time you are discouraged or depressed, ask yourself, "Did the Lord send this discouragement, this depression?" The next time you are tempted to doubt if God really means what He says, ask yourself, "Did this doubt come from God?" The next time you are fearful, ask yourself, "Where did this fear come from?" The next time you question whether God knows what He's doing and why, remember it is the enemy of your souls whispering those suggestions to your mind.

Yes, Satan is alive and well. But his secrets are exposed, so let's not be entrapped by them any longer. They're not as well-kept as he would like!

Preacher's Kid

RECEIVING, NOT GIVING

Many misguided people are under the mistaken idea that Christianity is a matter of giving. Give up your sins. Give up your will. Give up your rights. Give up your identity. Give up your bad habits, etc., etc.

Would you be shocked to learn that God does not ask an unbeliever to give up anything -- not even his sins? Instead God not only forgives a person his/her sins but also gives him the ability to live a life victorious over sin, bad habits, etc. All the unbeliever has to do is accept, or receive God's love, God's power, God's blessings, God's eternal life. The song writer says, "Eternal life, begun below, now fills my heart and soul."

Salvation is not subtraction; it is addition. It is not taking from; it is adding to. God is the Giver. We are the receivers. He never asked humanity to give up anything.

God knows the poverty of mankind. I'm talking about spiritual poverty, not material and financial poverty. And He sees that the only things we could give would be things for which He has no use -- our pride, our selfwill, our stubbornness, and the like.

No, God does not ask us to give up anything. But He does ask us to receive something -- receive His love, His forgiveness, His strength, His plenty, His peace, His joy, His presence, and His redemption, His friendship, His protection, His care, His riches, His fullness, His abundance, His life. The list goes on and on.

Such truth is so far beyond us that we cannot fully grasp our privileges in Christ Jesus as sons and daughters of the Almighty God.

John 1:16 points out, "Of his fulness have we all received and grace upon grace."

Stop trying to "give up" this and that, and start receiving His boundless, unlimited blessings! It will change your outlook on life.

Preacher's Kid

THE BEAUTY OF FORGETFULNESS

Forgetfulness and old age go hand in hand. There's no denying that!

But forgetfulness has its share of beauty, too.

Those of you who are mothers can attest to forgetting the pain of birth in the joy of holding your own flesh and blood in your arms for the first time. Perhaps you don't quite forget, but the joy of that new-born babe far outweighs the accompanying pain. So much so that you plan for another bundle of joy!

It is said that the flute complained of the pain it suffered while being made. But when beautiful music was produced upon its finished product, the pain was forgotten.

Wish I could recall the story (speaking about forgetfulness!) of a lady bemoaning the waywardness of her past life even though she had accepted the Lord's forgiveness. "You don't know the half of what I've done," she confessed to someone who was trying to encourage her. "God doesn't either," replied her friend, "for when He forgives, He forgets."

Isaiah 43:25 says, "I, even I, am he who blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake, and will not remember thy sins."

Doug Oldham sings a song (again, I FORGET the title!) about God forgiving our sins and casting them into the sea of His forgetfulness. But what I like, is how the song goes on to say He puts up a sign saying, "No Fishin'!"

If God doesn't remember our sins, why should we continue to dig them up and grieve over them? They've been forgiven! They've been forgotten!

Oh, the beauty of forgetfulness!

Preacher's Kid

BE CAREFUL HOW YOU PRAY

God's got a great sense of humor. He has to! Through His humor I learned to be careful how I pray!

"Give me a congenial roommate, Lord," I prayed on the last lap of my journey before boarding my Alaska-bound ship. "Lead me to someone who needs me, someone whom I can help," I finished, unaware that I didn't really mean what I said.

As the bus stopped to pick up passengers in Seattle, WA, I quickly spread my personal belongings all over the empty seat beside me when I saw an elderly woman who had difficulty walking board the bus. "How can she even think of taking a voyage?" I asked myself in disgust. Little did I dream she was the answer to my prayer! What was my dismay, upon embarking the ship, to learn she was to be my roommate!

Yep! The answer to my insincere prayer was a 75-year-old roommate who could hear out of one ear only. A roommate who had been burned out of her home, losing all her worldly possessions. A roommate who loved to complain nonstop (both day and night -- literally) about herself, her hardships in life, and her children. A roommate who couldn't find her way around shipboard. A roommate who refused to read printed instructions. A roommate who had extreme difficulty taking stairs yet refused to take the elevator. A roommate who had to be careful not to fall as she had broken fourteen bones in the past.

I did my best to be patient, to show her kindness and to help her when I could. I'm not sure I passed the Lord's test with flying colors, although I hope so. But I sure did an inordinate amount of a different kind of praying throughout the voyage! And I learned the hard way to be careful in the future how I pray!

Believe it or not, twenty-five years later I can still hear the Lord chuckling!

Preacher's Kid