Spiritual Thoughts

  Friday Tale - The Brick   A young and successful executive was traveling down a neighborhood street, going a bit too fast in his new Jaguar.  He was watching for kids darting out from between parked cars and slowed down when he thought he saw something.     As his car passed, no children appeared. Instead, a brick smashed into the Jag's side door!  He slammed on the brakes and backed the Jag back to the spot where the brick had been thrown.      The angry driver then jumped out of the car, grabbed the nearest kid and pushed him up against a parked car shouting, 'What was that all about and who are you? Just what the heck are you doing? That's a new car and that brick you threw is going to cost a lot of money. Why did you do it?'     The young boy was apologetic. 'Please, mister...please, I'm sorry but I didn't know what else to do,' He pleaded. 'I threw the brick because no one else woul...

  I t is not because things are difficult that we do not dare; it is because we do not dare that they are difficult. ~ Lucius Annaeus Seneca   A h Lord GOD! Behold, You have made the heavens  and the earth by Your great power and by Your outstretched arm! Nothing is too difficult for You, who shows loving kindness to thousands. ~ Jeremiah 32:17-18

  B e sure to taste your words before you spit them out. ~ Unknown   T his you know.... BUT everyone must must be quick to hear, slow to speak and slow to anger. ~ James 1:19

D on't wait for people to be friendly, show them how. ~ Unknown D o not neglect to extend hospitality to strangers, especially among the family of believers - - being friendly, cordial, and gracious, sharing the comforts of your home and doing your part generously, for by this some have entertained angels without knowing it. ~ Hebrews 13:2 (Amplified)

  S ometimes the answer to our prayers is to become the answer to someone else's prayers. ~ Robert Breault   A nd He will again rescue us while you join in helping us by your prayers. Then thanks will be given by many persons on our behalf for the gracious gift of deliverance granted to us through the prayers of many believers. ~ 2 Corinthians 1:11 (Amplified)

  Friday Tale - Passion and More         PASSION is an enthusiasm that gives you energy and focus for the present and gives you the power to keep moving forward for the future. BELIEVE while others don’t. PLAN while others are playing. STUDY while others are sleeping. DECIDE while others are delaying. PREPARE while others are daydreaming. BEGIN while others are procrastinating. WORK while others are wishing. SAVE while others are wasting. SMILE while others are frowning. COMMEND while others are criticizing. PERSIST while others are quitting. ~ Eddie Elguera   L et us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds. ~ Hebrews 10:24

  W hen G od permits His children to go through the furnace experiences of our lives, He keeps His eye on the clock - and His hand on the thermostat! ~ Unknown   O ur God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the furnace of blazing fire, and He will deliver us out of your hand, O King. ~ Daniel 3:17

  G od loves so much that He accepts me as I am.... BUT He loves me too much to leave me that way! ~ Unknown   T hat the Father would grant you to be strengthened with power so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith, and that you, being rooted and grounded in love, would know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, so that you may be filled up to the all the fullness of God. ~ Ephesians 3:15-19

  A ttitude is the mind's paintbrush. It can color any situation. ~ Unknown   D evote yourselves to prayer, keeping alert in it with an attitude of thanksgiving. ~ Colossians 4:2

O ur eyes are placed in front because it is more important to look forward than it is to look back. ~ Unknown   K eep yourselves in the love of God, waiting anxiously for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to eternal life. ~ Jude 1:21  

  Friday Tale - Stress Management   A lecturer when explaining stress management to an audience, raised a glass of water and asked; 'How heavy is this glass of water?'     Answers called out ranged from 1 ounce to 15 ounces.     The lecturer replied, 'The absolute weight doesn't matter. It depends on how long you try to hold it.      If I hold it for a minute, that's not a problem.     If I hold it for an hour, I'll have an ache in my right arm.     If I hold it for a day, you'll have to call an ambulance.     In each case, it's the same weight, but the longer I hold it, the heavier it becomes.'     He continued, 'And that's the way it is with stress management. If we carry our burdens all the time, sooner or later, as the burden becomes increasingly heavy, we won't be able to carry on. '     'A...

  W hen you forgive, you in no way change the past - BUT you sure do change the future. ~ Bernard Meltzer A nd whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that  your Father also who is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses. ~ Mark 11:25

  T he secret to living well and longer is: eat half, walk double, laugh triple, and love without measure. ~ Tibetan Proverb   I n this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent His only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. ~ 1 John 4:9, 11

  F aith is not to get you out of a hard place BUT to change your heart in the hard place. ~ David Wilkerson   F or I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Gentile. For in it the right-ness of God is revealed from faith to faith, as it is written, "BUT the righteous shall live by faith.". ~ Romans 1:16-17

  D arkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hat: only love can do that. ~ Martin Luther King, Jr.   F or you are all sons of light and sons of day. We are not of night nor of darkness; BUT since we are of the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet, the hope of salvation. ~ 1 Thessalonians 5:5, 8

  Friday Tale - Sense of Wonder   I hope you never lose your sense of wonder. You get your fill to eat, but always keep that hunger. May you never take one single breath for granted. God forbid love ever leave you empty handed. I hope you still feel small when you stand by the ocean. Whenever one door closes, I hope one more opens. Promise me you'll give faith a fighting chance, And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance, I hope you dance.   I hope you never fear those mountains in the distance, Never settle for the path of least resistance. Living might mean taking chances, but they're worth taking. Lovin' might be a mistake but it's worth making. Don't let some hell bent heart leave you bitter. When you come close to selling out, Reconsider. Give the heavens above more than just a passing glance. And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance, I hope you dance. ~ Lee Ann Womack L ook among the nations! Observe! Be astonished! Wonder! Because I am...

  V ision is the art of seeing what is invisible to others. ~ Jonathan Swift   W hile we look not at the things which are seen, BUT at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal; BUT the things which are not seen are eternal. ~ 2 Corinthians 4:18

  C uriosity, creativity, discovery and wonder; they are not traits of youth, they are traits of learning. If you want to feel younger and you want to replicate the conditions of youth, enable curiosity, creativity, discovery and wonder! ~ Author Unknown   O Lord, our Lord, how many are Your works! In wisdom You have made them al; the earth is full of your possessions. ~ Psalm 104:1

  H e who can no longer pause to wonder and stand rapt in awe, is as good as dead; his eyes are closed. ~ Albert Einstein   O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is Your name in all the earth, who has displayed Your splendor above the heavens! ~ Psalm 8:1

  N ever say there is nothing beautiful in the world anymore. There is always something to make you wonder in the shape of a tree, the trembling of a leaf. ~ Albert Schweitzer   Y ou visit the earth and greatly enrich it; the stream of God is full of water; You prepare their grain, for thus You prepare the earth. You bless its growth. ~ Psalm 65:9-10

  Friday Tale - Geese Flying South T his fall when you see geese heading south for the winter... flying along in V formation...you might consider what science has discovered as to why they fly that way: Fact 1:   As each goose flaps its wings it creates an "uplift" for the birds that follow. By flying in a "V" formation, the whole flock adds 71% greater flying range than if each bird flew alone. Lesson: People who share a common direction and sense of community can get where they are going quicker and easier because they are traveling on the thrust of one another.   Fact 2:   When a goose falls out of formation, it suddenly feels the drag and resistance of flying alone. It quickly moves back into formation to take advantage of the lifting power of the bird immediately in front of it. Lesson: If we have as much sense as a goose we stay in formation with those headed where we want to go. We are willing to accept their help and give our help to others. ...

  G reat works are performed not by strength, BUT by perseverance. ~ Samuel Johnson   W ork out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure . ~ Philippians 2:12-13