Spiritual Thoughts

    Friday Tale - Be an Angel   I was driving home from a meeting one evening about 5, stuck in traffic on Colorado Blvd., and the car started to choke and splutter and die - I barely managed to coast, cursing, into a gas station, glad only that I would not be blocking traffic and would have a somewhat warm spot to wait for the tow truck. It wouldn't even turn over. Before I could make the call, I saw a woman walking out of the "quickie mart" building, and it looked like she slipped on some ice and fell into a gas pump, so I got out to see if she was okay.     When I got there, it looked more like she had been overcome by sobs than that she had fallen; she was a young woman who looked really haggard with dark circles under her eyes. She dropped something as I helped her up, a

I f the only prayer you said  in your whole life was, "thank you,"  that would suffice. ~ Meister Eckhart   W hoever offers a sacrifice of thanksgiving glorifies me, and I will reveal the salvation of God to whomever continues in my way. ~ Psalm 50:23

B elief is the thermostat that  regulates what we accomplish in life. ~ David J. Schwartz   W hile you have the Light, believe in the Light, so that you may become sons of Light. ~ John 12:36

G od promises a safe landing,  not a calm passage. ~ Unknown   T hrough faith you are being protected by God's power for a salvation that is ready to be revealed at the last day. ~ 1 Peter 1:5

  K indness is the king pin  of success in life; it is the prime factor in  overcoming friction and making  the human machinery run smoothly. ~ Andrew Chapman   D o not let kindness and truth leave you; bind them around your neck write them on the tablet of your heart. ~ Proverbs 3:3

  Friday Tale - Too Busy To Die   H enry P. Crowell was a powerful industrialist on the eastern seaboard of our nation quite a few years ago. At the age of fifty he was diagnosed with tuberculosis. In those days there was no treatment available. The doctors told him he was facing a long and lingering death. He had read about the West—the plains and mountains. He decided he would gather up all he had and take a slow train westward. If he was to die he would die out there on the western prairie surrounded by the mountains.     But he never made it all the way to the mountains.  As they were passing through one small town the train stopped to take on provisions. Getting out to stretch his legs, he found a town in despair. There was only one industry, a large mill. It had been mismanaged and was going out of business.     The whole town was going to be wiped out. There was no other work to be had. The people had nowhere to go. Henry P. Crowell, the wealthy and successful industria

  R esurrection means that the worst thing  is never the last thing. ~ Frederick Buechner   T he Christ was to suffer, and that by reason of his resurrection from the dead He would be the first to proclaim light both to the Jewish people and the Gentiles. ~ Acts 26:23

  T he entire plan for the future has its key in the resurrection. ~ Unknown   A nd from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the first born of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To Him who loves us and released us from our sins by his blood - and He has made us to be a kingdom, priests to his God and Father - to him be the glory and dominion, forever and every. Amen. ~ Revelation 1:5-6

  J esus will empty the tombs  and melt the winter of death. ~ Max Lucado     D eath is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting? BUT thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. ~ 1 Corinthians 15:55, 57

  O ur Lord has written the promise of  the resurrection, not in books alone, BUT in every leaf in spring time. ~ Martin Luther N ow if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, he cannot die again, death no longer has mastery over him. ~ Romans 6:8-11

  F riday Tale - Death and Resurrection   As Jesus prepared the disciples for the crucifixion and resurrection, He quoted King David from Psalm 41:9-10, referring to the fulfillment of the prophecies (the betrayal by Judas Iscariot).   The lessons taught during the Last Supper would strengthen the eleven followers during the unfolding events.   Like the disciples, we tend to focus on the act of crucifixion during the days prior to that Sunday morning, BUT a close examination of Jesus' message reveals that Jesus reflected more on the glory of the resurrection and the joy to come. This is what Christ’s death and resurrection means: Christ overcoming sin in a fallen world.   Neither death on a cross nor a boulder in front of a tomb could hold back the omnipotent will of God. Christ lives in the light of resurrection, not in the darkness of crucifixion. If each of us would live our daily lives as a Christian resurrection would not our world experience a marvelous change? ~ St

  F orgiveness is the scent that the rose leaves on the heel that crushes it. ~ Unknown   A nd I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her seed; He shall bruise sin on the head, and sin shall bruise him on the heel. God has rescued us through His beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. ~ Genesis 3:15 with Colossians 1:13-14

  T he best thing to give to your enemy  is forgiveness; to an opponent - tolerance; to a friend - your heart; to your child - a good example; to a father - respect; to your mother - love; to your yourself - value; to all men - compassion. ~ Francis Maitland Balfour (amended) I n all things show yourselves to be an example of good deeds, with purity in doctrine, with dignity. ~ Titus 2:7

T he time is always ripe  to do right. ~ Martin Luther King Jr.   T herefore, prepare your minds for action, keep sober in spirit, fix your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the coming of Jesus Christ. ~ 1 Peter 1:13

  I t is one of the greatest gifts  you can give yourself, to forgive. ~ Maya Angelou   W henever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father who is in heaven will also forgive you your transgressions. ~ Mark 11:25

  Friday Tale - People.....   P eople are often unreasonable,  illogical, and self-centered;              Forgive them anyway.   If you are kind, people may accuse  you of selfish, ulterior motives;                                 Be kind anyway.   If you are successful, you will win some  false friends and true enemies;                                 Succeed anyway.   If you are honest and frank, people may cheat you;                                 Be honest and frank anyway.   What you spend years building, someone could destroy overnight;                                 Build anyway.   If you find serenity and happiness, they may be jealous;                                 Be happy anyway.   The good you do today, people will often forget tomorrow;                                 Do good anyway.   Give the world the best you have, and it may never be enough;                                 Give the world the best you’ve got anyway.   You see, in t

  M istakes are never the end of the line  with You, God.  Thank you for your  forgiveness, the ultimate eraser. ~ Unknown   I acknowledged my sin to You, and my iniquity I did not hide; I said, "I will confess my transgression  to the LORD,"  and  You forgave the guilt of my sin. ~ Psalm 32:5

B e thankful to those who have  offered us challenges, rather than easy answers. ~ Jonathan Lockwood Huie   T he Lord God is my strength, my source of courage; He has made my feet steady and sure like deer's feet and makes me walk forward with spiritual confidence on my high places of challenge and responsibility. ~ Habakkuk 3:19 (Amplified) 

  D on't judge each day by the harvest you reap, BUT by the seeds you plant. ~ Robert Louis Stevenson   B ut the seed in the good soil, these are the ones who have heard the word in an honest and good heart and hold it fast, and bear fruit with perseverance. ~ Luke 8:15 

L ife can be very interesting, if you make mistakes. It means you're trying. ~ Unknown   W alk as children of light, trying to learn what is pleasing to the Lord. ~ Ephesians 5:8, 10

  Friday Tale - The Holiday   I n Florida, an atheist became incensed over the preparation for Easter and Passover holidays and decided to contact the local ACLU [American Civil Liberties Union] about the discrimination inflicted on atheists by the constant celebrations afforded to Christians and Jews with all their holidays while the atheists had no holiday to celebrate.   The ACLU jumped on the opportunity to once again pick up the cause of the godless and assigned their sharpest attorneys to the case. The case was brought before a wise judge who after listening to the long, passionate presentation of the ACLU lawyers, promptly banged his gavel and declared, "Case dismissed!"   The lead ACLU lawyer immediately stood and objected to the ruling and said, "Your honor, how can you possibly dismiss this case? Surely the Christians have Christmas, Easter, and many other observances. And the Jews--why in addition to Passover they have Yom Kippur and Hanukkah... and yet