Spiritual Thoughts

Y ear's end is neither an end nor a beginning, BUT a going on, with all the wisdom that experience can instill in us.  ~ Hal Borland   T he respectful fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One  is understanding. ~ Proverbs 9:10

May your choices reflect your hopes,  not your fears. ~ Nelson Mandela   I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, the blessing and the curse. So choose life in order that you may live, you and your descendants, by loving the LORD your God. ~Deuteronomy 30:19-20

  Friday Tale - A New Car   P aul received a new automobile from his brother as a Christmas present.  On Christmas Eve, when Paul came out of his office, a street urchin was walking around the shiny new car, admiring it. "Is this your car, Mister?" he asked.           Paul nodded, "My brother gave it to me for Christmas."  The boy was astounded.  "You mean your brother gave it to you and it didn't cost you nothing?  Boy, I wish..."  He hesitated.           And Paul knew what he was going to wish.  He was going to wish he had a brother like that.           But what the lad said jarred Paul all the way down to his heels.           "I wish," the boy went on, "that I could be a brother like that."      ...

W e ought to be living as if  Jesus died yesterday, rose this morning, and is coming back this afternoon. ~ Adrian Rogers   N ow to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to make you stand in the presence of His glory blameless with great joy, to the only God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen. ~ Jude 24-25

W hen we speak about wisdom, we are speaking about Christ. W hen we speak about virtue, we are speaking about Christ. W hen we speak about justice, we are speaking about Christ. W hen we speak about peace, we are speaking about Christ. W hen we speak about   truth and life and redemption, we are speaking about Christ.  ~ Ambrose   J esus said, "For I gave you an example that you also should do as I did for you." ~ John 13:15

T hrough Jesus, your past is explained, your present has a purpose, and your future is secure. What more could you really want in life?  ~ Jase Robertson   T herefore, thus says the Lord GOD, "Behold, I am laying in Zion an stone, a tested stone, a costly corner-stone for the secure foundation, firmly placed. He who believes and trusts in it [=Jesus] will not be disturbed. ~ 1 Chronicles 29:12-13 (Amplified)

T hank you, God for this good life and forgive us if we do   not love it enough.  ~ Garrison Keillor   B oth riches and honor come from You, and You rule over all, and in Your hand is power and might; and it lies in Your hand to make great and to strengthen everyone. Now therefore, our God,   we thank You,  and praise Your glorious Name. ~ 1 Chronicles 29:12-13

  Friday Tale - One Solitary Life   H e was born in an obscure village the child of a peasant woman.  He grew up in still another village where He worked in a carpenter shop until He was thirty, and then for three years, He was an itinerant preacher. He never wrote a book. He never held an office. He never had a family. He never owned a house. He never went to college. He never visited a big city.  He never traveled two hundred miles from the place where He was born.  He did none of the things one usually associates with greatness. He had no credentials but Himself.  He was only thirty-three when the tide of public opinion turned against Him. His friends ran away. He was turned over to His enemies and went through the mockery of a trial.  He was nailed to a cross between two thieves. While He was dying His executioners gambled for His clothing, the only property He had on earth.  When He was dead He was laid in a...

S ince you get more joy out of giving joy to others, you should put a good deal of thought into the happiness that you are able to give.  ~ Eleanor Roosevelt   B e glad in the LORD and rejoice, you righteous ones. And should for joy all you who are upright in heart. ~ Psalm 32:11

I n a society that has you counting money, pounds, calories and steps, be a rebel and count your blessings instead.  ~ Lisa Heckman   W hat will I give to the LORD in return for all His benefits toward me? How can I repay Him for His precious blessings? I shall lift up the cup of salvation and call upon the name of the LORD. ~ Psalm 116:12-13 (Amplified)

B e a positive energy trampoline - absorb what you need and rebound more back.  ~ Dave Carolan   B e kind and helpful to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you. ~ Ephesians 4:22

  When you arise in the morning,  think of what a precious privilege it is to be alive - to breathe, to think, to enjoy, to love. ~ Marcus Aurelius   A faithful man will abound with blessings. ~ Proverbs 28:20

  Friday Tale - The Sweeper   I met a man along the way who spoke of many things, He learned his wisdom from the streets, between the sweets and stings...   He pushed his broom along the curb, and talked of men and wealth; And questioned if the chase and chance brought happiness and health;   "I ain't never lived this day before," he laughed as he was queried; "I take each moment as it comes, and that's why I'm not worried."   This man of many wrinkles with a stubble on his chin, Spoke with an easy confidence like nothing bothered him.   Don't take too kindly to the guy who worships your big title, You'll find you're just another face if fate should make you idle.   He had it all together (as I hear the youngsters say); He knew where he was going, with no thought of yesterday.   "I've lived in ivory towers, viewed palaces and kings, And shared some phony images, when days were only flings..."   "The trophies...

L earn from yesterday, live for today, Hope for tomorrow.  ~ Albert Einstein   B e strong and   let your heart take courage, all you who Hope in the LORD. ~ Psalm 31:24

O ne kind word can  warm three winter months.  ~ Unknown   T he Lord's servant must not be quarrelsome, BUT be kind to all, able to teach, patient when wronged. ~ 2 Timothy 2:24

H e who plants a tree, plants a Hope.  ~ Lucy Larcom   F or to him that is joined with all the living there is HOPE: for a living dog is better than a dead lion. ~ Ecclesiastes 9:4

  D o not give up Hope.  No matter how long the winter, spring is sure to follow. Be patient and it will happen!  ~ Unknown   N ow May the God of Hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you will abound in Hope. ~ Romans 15:13

  Friday Tale - Make the Most of....   I had a very special teacher in high school many years ago whose husband unexpectedly and suddenly died of a heart attack. About a week after his death, she returned to teaching and shared some of her insight with a classroom of students.   As the late afternoon sunlight came streaming in through the classroom windows and the class was nearly over, she moved a few things aside on the edge of her desk and sat down there.   With a gentle look of reflection on her face, she paused and said . . . ‘Before class is over, I would like to share with all of you a thought that is unrelated to class, but which I feel is very important. Each of us is put here on earth to learn, share, love, appreciate and give of ourselves. None of us knows when this fantastic experience will end. It can be taken away at any moment. Perhaps this is the powers that be way of telling us that we must make the most out of every single day.’   Her e...

I am learning to trust the journey even when I do not understand it .  ~ Mila   I know, LORD, that your judgments are right, and that you have tested me in faithfulness. ~ Psalm 119:75

I trust that every experience  holds a valuable lesson for   me to learn and grow from .  ~ Unknown   I t is good for me that I was afflicted, so that I might learn Your words. ~ Psalm 119:71

  D o what you can, and do it well. Accept the rest with equanimity, and trust in God. No one can ever do more than that .  ~ Jonathan Lockwood Huie   W hatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord and not for people, knowing that it is from the Lord that you will receive the reward of the inheritance. ~ Colossians 3:23-24

  J ust because you have made mistakes does not mean your mistakes get to make you. Forgive yourself and move on .  ~ Robert Tew   B e not conformed to this world, BUT be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is: that which is good and   acceptable and complete.  ~ Romans 12:2

    Thought for the Day 11/29/2024 Friday Tale - A Life of Giving Sarah, a young woman on a very small, fixed income, stood in line at the supermarket, her cart filled with groceries. The total came to $12 more than she had expected. Anxiously, she began removing items, feeling defeated. Suddenly, a stranger approached her, offering a crumpled twenty-dollar bill. Sarah hesitated, grateful but reluctant to accept the help. The stranger shared his story. His mother, battling cancer, scolded him for spending money on flowers. She wanted him to bring joy to someone else's life. He handed Sarah the money, calling it his mother's flowers. Touched by his story, Sarah accepted the gesture with gratitude. Inspired by his selflessness, she pledged to pay it forward. From that day on, Sarah embraced a life of giving. She performed random acts of kindness, understanding the true power of compassion. Through small gestures, she discovered the resilience of the human spirit and the ability t...

I receive all of life with Thanksgiving. I have gratitude for everything that has ever occurred to me to bring me to this moment. I give thanks for the joys and the sufferings, the moments of peace and the flashes of anger, the compassion and the indifference, the roar of courage and the cold sweat of my heart. I accept gratefully the entirety of my past and my present life. ~ Jonathan Lockwood Huie Do not be anxious about anything, BUT in everything by prayer and pleading with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. ~ Philippians 4:6  

M ake a list of all the things that you are thankful for. You will be surprised by all of the good things that you already have in your life.  ~ Anonymous   L et the peace of Christ to which you were indeed called in one body, rule in your hearts  and be thankful. ~ Colossians 3:15

H e who can give thanks for little  will always find he has enough.  ~ Anonymous   R ejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice! Not that I speak from need, for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am. ~ Colossians 4:4, 11

G ratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow.  ~ Melody Beattie   I will praise the name of God with song and exalt Him with thanksgiving. ~ Psalm 69:30

W e were a group of friends in the midst of an after-dinner conversation. Because Thanksgiving was just around the corner and prosperity wasn't, we fell to talking about what we had to be thankful for.     One of us said, "Well I, for one, am grateful to Mrs. Wendt, an old schoolteacher who, 30 years ago in a little West Virginia town, went out of her way to introduce me to the works of the poet, Tennyson."     Then he launched into a colorful description of Mrs. Wendt, a lovely little old lady who had been his high school teacher and who evidently had made a deep impression on his life. She had gone out of her way to awaken his literary interest and develop his gifts of expression.     "And does this Mrs. Wendt know that she made that contribution to your life?" someone put in. ...

I f you don't think you have anything to be grateful for, keep looking. Because you do not just receive optimism. You cannot wait for things to be great, and THEN be grateful for that.  You have got to behave in a way that promotes that.  ~ Michael J. Fox   W hatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through him to God the Father. ~ Colossians 3:17

  T here can be no joy  without gratitude.  ~ Richard Paul Evans   T hrough him then, let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that give thanks to His Name. ~ Hebrews 13:15

  T he truth is, unless you let go, unless you forgive yourself, unless you forgive the situation, unless you realize that the situation is over, you cannot move forward. When a new day begins, dare to smile gratefully.  When there is darkness, dare to be the first to shine a light.  ~ Steve Maraboli F orgive us our sins, as we ourselves also forgive everyone who has offended or wronged  us and lead us not into temptation. ~ Luke 11:4 (Amplified)

  L et us be grateful to the people who make us happy;  they are the charming gardeners who make our lives blossom.  ~ Marcel Proust   M ay the Lord cause you to increase and over flow in love for one another, and for all people, just as we also do for you. ~ 1 Thessalonians 3:12

  Friday Tale ~ Worthless, or Honorable?  I t was almost as if they didn't believe God existed. Hophni and Phineas were priests of the Living God. Their job was to serve God in the tabernacle, to supervise the offerings of the worshipers and teach the people to love, honor and obey the LORD their God. But instead Hophni and Phineas despised the offerings, blatantly disobeyed God, and encouraged (and even forced) others to do the same. They got fat serving a God they should have honored when they loved themselves more. The Bible describes them as "worthless men," and says that "they did not know the LORD." (1 Samuel 2 v 12 ESV).   We might look on in horror at Hophni and Phineas, but we also need to examine our own lives. Do we act in a similar way? Are there parts of our lives we would rather God didn't see? Are there times when we think he is not watching? Do we honor him in ALL we do, or do we speak or serve for our own glory and fulfillment? Do we ...

E ncouragement is the fuel  on which hope runs.  ~Zig Ziglar   A nd let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, BUT encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near. ~ 1 Thessalonians 5:11