To My Child…

Author Unknown

Just for this morning, I am going to smile when I see your face and laugh when I feel like crying.

Just for this morning, I will let you choose what you want to wear, and smile and say how perfect it is.

Just for this morning, I am going to step over the laundry, and pick you up and take you to the park to play.

Just for this morning, I will leave the dishes in the sink, and let you teach me how to put that puzzle of yours together.

Just for this afternoon, I will unplug the telephone and keep the computer off, and sit with you in the backyard and blow bubbles.

Just for this afternoon, I will not yell once, not even a tiny grumble when you scream and whine for the ice cream truck, and I will buy you one if he comes by.

Just for this afternoon, I won’t worry about what you are going to be when you grow up, or second-guess every decision I have made where you are concerned.

Just for this afternoon, I will let you help me bake cookies, and I won’t stand over you trying to fix them.

Just for this afternoon, I will take us to McDonald’s and buy us both a Happy Meal so you can have both toys.

Just for this evening, I will hold you in my arms and tell you a story about how you were born and how much I love you.

Just for this evening, I will let you splash in the tub and not get angry.

Just for this evening, I will let you stay up late while we sit on the porch and count all the stars.

Just for this evening, I will snuggle beside you for hours, and miss my favorite TV shows.

Just for this evening when I run my finger through your hair as you pray, I will simply be grateful that God has given me the greatest gift ever given.

I will think about the mothers and fathers who are searching for their missing children; the mothers and fathers who are visiting their children’s graves instead of their bedrooms; and mothers and fathers who are in hospital rooms watching their children suffer senselessly, and screaming inside they can’t handle it anymore.

And when I kiss you goodnight I will hold you a little tighter, a little longer. It is then, that I will thank God for you, and ask him for nothing, except one more day.

Meditation: Happy is the man who has his quiver full of them; they shall not be ashamed, But shall speak with their enemies in the gate. – Psalm 127:5

You will succeed in Jesus Name!

There is Good in You

Author Unknown

A water bearer had two large pots, each hung on each end of a pole, which he carried across his neck. One of the pots had a crack in it. While the other pot was perfect and always delivered a full portion of water at the end of the long walk from the stream to the master’s house, the cracked pot arrived only half full. This happened every day for two years, with the bearer delivering only one and a half pots full of water in his master’s house.

Of course, the perfect pot was proud of its accomplishments, perfect to the end for which it was made. But the poor cracked pot was ashamed of its own imperfection and felt miserable that it was able to accomplish only half of what it had been made to do.

After two years of what it perceived to be a bitter failure, the cracked pot spoke to the water bearer one day by the stream.

“I am ashamed of myself, and I want to apologise to you.”

“Why?” asked the bearer. “What are you ashamed of?”

“I have been able, for these past two years, to deliver only half my load because this crack in my side causes water to leak out all the way back to your master’s house. Because of my flaws, you have to do all of this work, and you don’t get full value from your efforts,” the pot lamented.

The water bearer felt sorry for the old cracked pot, and then said, “As we return to the master’s house, I want you to take note of the beautiful flowers along the path.”

Indeed, as they went up the hill, the old cracked pot took notice of the sun warming the beautiful wild flowers on the side of the path and this cheered it some. But at the end of tile trail, it still felt bad because it had leaked out half its load, and so again it apologized to the bearer for its failure.

The bearer said to the pot, “Did you observe that there were flowers only on YOUR side of the pathway, but not on the other pot’s side? That’s because I have always known about your flaw, and I took advantage of it. I planted flower seeds on your side of the path, and every day while we walk back from the stream, you have watered them.

For two years, I have been able to pick these beautiful flowers to decorate my master’s table. Without you being just the way you are, he would not have this beauty to grace his house.”

Each of us has our own unique flaws. We are all cracked pots. Some of us don’t grow old gracefully, some are not so smart, some are tall, large and big, some bald, some physically challenged, but it’s the cracks and flaws each of us has that make our lives together so very interesting and rewarding.

You just have to take each person for what they are, and look for the good in them. There is a lot of good out there. There is a lot of good in you!

Meditation: And those members of the body which we think to be less honorable, on these we bestow greater honor; – 1 Corinthians 12:23

You will succeed because Jesus loves You!

Situations that Require Silence

Author Unknown

As the adage goes; ‘silence is golden’, the following is a list of 20 situations where it is better to be silent:

1. Be silent – in the heat of anger.

2. Be silent – when you don’t have all the facts.

3. Be silent – when you haven’t verified the story.

4. Be silent – if your words will offend a weaker person.

5. Be silent – when it is time to listen.

6. Be silent – when you are tempted to make light of holy things.

7. Be silent – when you are tempted to joke about sin.

8. Be silent – if you would be ashamed of your words later.

9. Be silent – if your words would convey the wrong impression.

10. Be silent – if the issue is none of your business.

11. Be silent – when you are tempted to tell an outright lie.

12. Be silent – if your words will damage someone else’s reputation.

13. Be silent – if your words will damage a friendship.

14. Be silent – when you are feeling critical.

15. Be silent – if you can’t say it without screaming.

16. Be silent – if your words will be a poor reflection of the Lord or your friends and family.

17. Be silent – if you may have to eat your words later.

18. Be silent – if you have already said it more than one time.

19. Be silent – when you are tempted to flatter a wicked person.

20. Be silent – when you are supposed to be working instead.

Meditation: Whoever guards his mouth and tongue Keeps his soul from troubles. – Proverbs 21:23

You will succeed in Jesus Name!

Purpose: Sent to Save Sinners

Purpose: Sent to Save Sinners

This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief. – 1 Timothy 1:15

We probably have considered this all-important purpose of Jesus in one of the previous editions of our Purpose series. It is one purpose that cannot be overemphasised, as the understanding of it is at the core of our well-being and optimal manifestation. It is true that Jesus came to the world primarily to save all sinners. The apostle affirms that it is not just true, but is a faithful saying that is worthy of acceptance by everyone.

Sin became the second nature of humans after the fall in the Garden of Eden, while subsequent activities and descendants of man were all enmeshed in sin and marked with imperfection. Eventually, God decided it was enough seeing humans operating in the fallen state – deprived, denied and reduced on account of sin. So there was a need to upgrade humans from the level of sin to the heights of glory, where communing with God and functioning on earth would be with ease, as God intended it to be in the beginning.

To achieve that, certain things must be done: there must be a judgement, there must be suffering and there must be death, as representations of what each individual would need to experience in his/her individual capacity as a sinful soul. But, instead of handing over humans to be punished as deserved, God decided to send His Son, Jesus Christ, into the world so He could stand in the gap for humans and take the judgement, the suffering and the death due to everyone; thus nullifying the power of condemnation over us and positioning Himself as the propitiation for our sins.

You will succeed in Jesus Name!

Purpose: Sent to Deliver From Wrath

and to wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, even Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come. – 1 Thessalonians 1:10

This passage highlights another purpose of Jesus Christ – He came to deliver us from the wrath to come, the wrath of the sure judgement of God.

By virtue of our human nature, we tend to fall into sin either consciously or unconsciously in our thoughts, words, actions, attitudes, and other bearings. Meanwhile, God has an uncompromising posture to sin; as He cannot behold it, talk less of having anything to do with it. Yet He craves intimate fellowship with us, even as He has stored up wrath to unleash on sinners at the appointed time.

But Jesus came in as a bridge between the divide of the way we are and the way God wants us to be. He that had no sin became a physical emblem of sin for the whole world, and by so doing exchanging His own sinlessness for our sinfulness. And since sins have grievous consequences, He symbolically bore the consequences of all our sins by the things He suffered before and at the crucifixion. He was flogged with searing whips many times for offences He did not commit; His head was pierced with thorny crowns which they jerked there in mockery; His body was bruised from the fangs of the whips they used on Him; He was made to carry the cross for some distance until His frame could bear the burden no longer.

Indeed, He suffered many things in the course of standing in the gap for us, and these served as the representation of the divine judgement that is awaiting each individual sinner. Jesus took them all upon Himself; thus saving whoever cares to accept Him from the certain wrath of God on the day of reckoning.

You will succeed in Jesus Name!

Purpose: Sent to the Blind

He has sent Me…to proclaim…recovery of sight to the blind
– Luke 4:18

The eye is one of the most important parts of the human body; it is the organ that provides the brain with the most information needed to make informed choices and decisions. Other senses are secondary and complementary to the eyes in evaluative functions. Perhaps, that is the reason Jesus affirms, “The lamp of the body is the eye. If therefore your eye is good, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness” (Matthew 6:22-23).

One of the missions of Jesus was to minister to the blind so that they could see. Now, the blind are not necessarily those who have impaired eyesight alone; a popular saying holds that even those who have no vision for their lives are not better off than the physically blind.

Blindness can also be considered at both literal and metaphorical level. Literally, the blind are people who have sight problems and cannot see. Jesus devoted a great portion of his time to restoring sight to this set of people, as recorded in the Bible. The second category of blindness is metaphorical, the one that is beyond physical blindness and covers such areas as personal vision or ignorance. Indeed, every form of ignorance is blindness until the light of knowledge dawns on it and dispels the fogginess. Jesus likewise spent a great deal of time enlightening people who fell into this second category as well.

Like Jesus, there are people called to restore sight to the blind through medical or spiritual ministrations. In the same vein, there are also people who are dispensers of knowledge and insights that will eliminate ignorance and avail people the needed power to live, to perform or to produce maximally. If any of these sounds like you, we should consider ourselves privileged to have you around. But we are blessed to the extent that you fulfill your calling.

You will succeed in Jesus Name!

The Wonders of Praise

Now when they began to sing and to praise, the Lord set ambushes against the people of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir, who had come against Judah; and they were defeated.
– 2 Chronicles 20:21-22

For many people, the idea of singing when confronted by challenges or other forms of resistance would seem utterly ridiculous, if not outright insane. But that was exactly what the Israelites of old did when enemies came raging their way. Guess what? It worked. They practically sang their way to victory, without lifting a sword or shield. If it worked then, that means it will work for us too. After all, all incidents in the Bible are written as examples for us.

From all indications, the battleground is certainly not a place for singing and praising God. It is a place for warfare, of violent exchange and cries of war. But when the Israelites changed the operation mode of their environment through energetic praise, God had little choice but to make it a place of jubilation for them.

How are you handling your own battle? As you begin to praise God concerning those challenges you are facing, watch Him turn impossible situations around to celebration for you. In the place the devil planned to humiliate you, God will make you a celebrity.

When we praise God, He swings into action on our behalf. The devil will do everything in its power to keep you from praising God, because it knows the power of praise. The more you praise, the more you are raised.

Perhaps, you think you have nothing to praise God about? Take a cue from the Israelites. Take some time right now, forget about that challenge and begin to praise God for who He is and see Him at work on your behalf.

You will succeed in Jesus Name!

Communication Barrier

Author Unknown

A Professor was teaching from Proverbs 15:1. He asked his students, ‘Why do we shout in anger? Why do people shout at each other when they are upset?’

The students thought for a while. One said, ‘because we lose our calm.’

‘But why shout when the other person is just next to you?’ Asked the professor. ‘Isn’t it possible to speak to him or her with a soft voice? Why do you shout at a person when you are angry?’

The students gave various answers, but none satisfied the Professor.

Finally, he explained, ‘When two people are angry at each other, there is a distance in their hearts psychologically. To cover the distance, they must shout to be able to hear each other. The angrier they are, the stronger they will shout to hear each other through that great distance.’

Then the Professor asked, ‘What happens when two people fall in love? They don’t shout at each other but talk softly. Why? Because their hearts are psychologically close. The distance between them is very close.’

The Professor continued, ‘When they love each other even more, what happens? They don’t speak, only whisper and they even get closer to each other in their love. Finally, they even need not whisper, they only look at each other and that’s all.’

So next time you shout on a loved one, know that you are creating distance between your heart and that person’s heart.

Meditation: A soft answer turns away wrath, But a harsh word stirs up anger. – Proverbs 15:1

You will succeed in Jesus Name!

One Good Reason to Hang on (1)

I say this because I know what I am planning for you,” says the Lord. “I have good plans for you, not plans to hurt you. I will give you hope and a good future.
– Jeremiah 29:11 (New Century Version)

The pressures of life can be overwhelming at times that you wonder if you will ever get out of this, or will it ever end. You might even have considered calling it quit on life altogether so as to be relieved of all the stress. It can be that bad; but it does not have to get to that point.

Perhaps the vicissitudes of life have boxed you into such a state that you are discouraged from doing anything or taking any further step for fear of aggravating an already bad situation or being misinterpreted. It can be that tough; but you don’t have to let it get the better of you. You cannot afford to stop praying and trying, taking guided steps and making calculated attempts.

Whatever your own issue may be at the moment, be it finance, marriage, family, business, career, health, or other forms of social pressure, it is always good to adopt a long term perspective and see yourself vis-à-vis the challenge in a couple of years time; will it become bigger than you or you would have outgrown it? You can also borrow a leaf from Robert Schuller’s classic that “tough times don’t last; only tough people do.”

Another perspective that can help you to cope with the storms of life is the fact that challenges are part of living; they are not peculiar to you alone. The fact that you are in the midst of storm does not mean that God does not reckon with you or that He loves you lesser than someone who seems to be enjoying all the fortunes of life. God cares for all His children, even the recalcitrant ones. He is a loving Father. He does not scheme and He is not driven by the thoughts of how He might undo you. He says that the thoughts (note the plural) He has toward you are for peace, not evil; to give you a hope and a future.’ Amplified Bible says His plan is “to give you hope in your final outcome.”

This is God Himself assuring you that of all the thoughts He thinks about you, none is to hurt, undo or afflict you. On the contrary, even with your present issues in mind, His thoughts are to give you hope in your final outcome. Now that is one good reason for you to hang on.

You will succeed in Jesus Name!

Four Lessons

By Charmaine R. Velasco

When I became pregnant with our first child in 2002, my husband and I were inundated with advice and old wives tales. I recall my aunts saying, “You can tell whether you’re having a girl if you’re carrying high.” Or was it “low?” We had a boy. Two of them. One is now six years old and the other is four.

Then I read an article somewhere claiming, “Don’t lift your arms up too high, or you might overstretch the umbilical cord and choke the baby.” I practiced prenatal yoga stretching. The downward facing dog did wonders for my aching sides. Also, I am happy to tell you that both of my boys did not choke from the umbilical cord in vitro. They did have the occasional hiccups, however.

Advice was taken with grace, some with gritted teeth and some with genuine gratitude. What no one shared with us during my time of prenatal bliss were the post-partum events, which I was not prepared for. These occurrences span from the newborn phase through Kindergarten. I’ll just share with you my top four lessons in the school of parenting.

Lesson one, I was clueless as to how much discomfort was involved, down there. Note that this is after giving birth. I naively thought that the birthing process alone was the most painful part. The swelling and soreness after the baby was born were highly unexpected. Let’s just say that ice packs and an inflatable doughnut were my best friends forever, well, at least for a week or so.

Lesson two, the popular nursery rhyme along the lines of, “Snips of snails and puppy dog’s tails, that’s what little boys are made of” is a slanderous lie. Most of the little boys I have come across are sweet and sensitive children, including my own. They actually cry more than my two-year-old niece when injured. My niece just gets right back to playing without so much as a whimper. Meanwhile, our boys are milking the soothing process for as long as possible, just so they can get unlimited hugs from Mama. Also, if you’ve ever seen my sisters and me fighting as kids, the “sugar and spice and all things nice” phrase was not the most accurate description of us.

Lesson three, Cain and Abel suffered sibling rivalry before the birth of Christ. I highly doubt that this biblical archetype of brotherhood dispute will go away anytime in the near future. When my two sons fight, luckily, they don’t hit each other. Instead, they are the tattletale cops for everything that the other one does. The younger one is the Chief of Police in this department. Now I know why my mother would get so upset after walking into one of our childhood war zones. You get protective of each child when one hurts the other. Being a referee in this sport is like being a criminal judge for both parties.

Lesson four, the bittersweetness we experienced when our firstborn sauntered through Kindergarten was met with confidence, yet trepidation. Our son matured from a tender preschooler to an official big boy with big boy buddies who love Star Wars. The connection with father and son changed too. Our Kindergartner went from kisses to high fives at morning drop off. Then the emotional pull from each song recital was enough to make me long for those zombie-like nights of nursing at a fuzzy three o’clock in the morning.

As our boys grow older, I am aware that there will be more lessons to learn from. These four are just the beginning of a series of triumphs and challenges. I am quite sure that there will be more suggestions, solicited or unsolicited. In the meantime, I will continue to cry at school concerts and at each time an entire book is read without too much help from Mama and Papa.

Meditation: Train up a child in the way he should go, And when he is old he will not depart from it. – Proverbs 22:6

You will succeed because Jesus loves You!

Communication Barrier

Author Unknown

A Professor was teaching from Proverbs 15:1. He asked his students, ‘Why do we shout in anger? Why do people shout at each other when they are upset?’

The students thought for a while. One said, ‘because we lose our calm.’

‘But why shout when the other person is just next to you?’ Asked the professor. ‘Isn’t it possible to speak to him or her with a soft voice? Why do you shout at a person when you are angry?’

The students gave various answers, but none satisfied the Professor.

Finally, he explained, ‘When two people are angry at each other, there is a distance in their hearts psychologically. To cover the distance, they must shout to be able to hear each other. The angrier they are, the stronger they will shout to hear each other through that great distance.’

Then the Professor asked, ‘What happens when two people fall in love? They don’t shout at each other but talk softly. Why? Because their hearts are psychologically close. The distance between them is very close.’

The Professor continued, ‘When they love each other even more, what happens? They don’t speak, only whisper and they even get closer to each other in their love. Finally, they even need not whisper, they only look at each other and that’s all.’

So next time you shout on a loved one, know that you are creating distance between your heart and that person’s heart.

Meditation: A soft answer turns away wrath, But a harsh word stirs up anger. – Proverbs 15:1

You will succeed in Jesus Name!

Time to Let Go

– Author Unknown

Once upon a time, a psychology professor walked around on a stage while teaching stress management principles to an auditorium filled with students. As she raised a glass of water, everyone expected they would be asked the typical “glass half empty or glass half full” question. Instead, with a smile on her face, the professor asked, “How heavy is this glass of water I’m holding?”

Students shouted out answers ranging from eight ounces to a couple pounds.

She replied, “From my perspective, the absolute weight of this glass doesn’t matter. It all depends on how long I hold it. If I hold it for a minute or two, it’s fairly light. If I hold it for an hour straight, its weight might make my arm ache a little. If I hold it for a day straight, my arm will likely cramp up and feel completely numb and paralyzed, forcing me to drop the glass to the floor. In each case, the weight of the glass doesn’t change, but the longer I hold it, the heavier it feels to me.”

As the class shook their heads in agreement, she continued, “Your stresses and worries in life are very much like this glass of water. Think about them for a while and nothing happens. Think about them a bit longer and you begin to ache a little. Think about them all day long, and you will feel completely numb and paralyzed – incapable of doing anything else until you drop them.”

It’s important to remember to let go of your stresses and worries. No matter what happens during the day, as early in the evening as you can, put all your burdens down. Don’t carry them through the night and into the next day with you. If you still feel the weight of yesterday’s stress, it’s a strong sign that it’s time to put the glass down.

Meditation: Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature? – Matthew 6:27

You will succeed in Jesus Name!

Letter in the Night

One day a woman named Louise fell asleep and had a very fitful dream. She dreamed that someone in Hell wrote a letter to her, and it was to be delivered to her by a messenger. The messenger passed between the lakes of burning fire and brimstone before he could make it to the door that would lead him to the outside world.

Louise dreamed that the messenger walked to her house, came inside, and gently but firmly woke her. He gave her the message, saying only that a friend had written it to her from Hell.

Louise, in her dream with trembling hands, took the letter and read:

My Friend,

I stand in Judgment now and feel that you’re to blame somehow. Never did you point the way. You knew the Lord in truth and glory, But never did you tell the story. My knowledge then was very dim; You could have led me safely to Him. Though we lived together on the earth, You never told me of the second birth, And now I stand this day condemned because you failed to mention Him.

You taught me many things, that’s true. I called you “friend” and trusted you, But I learn now that it’s too late, You could have kept me from this fate. We walked by day and talked by night, And yet you showed me not the Light. You let me live, and love, and die, You knew I’d never live on high. Yes, I called you “friend” in life, And trusted you through joy and strife. And yet on coming to the end, I cannot, now, call you “My Friend.”

Marsha

After reading the letter, Louise awoke. The dream was so real in her mind and sweat dropped in pools from her body. She swore she could still smell the acrid smell of brimstone and smoke from her room.

As she contemplated the meaning of her dream, she realized that as a Christian, she had failed in her duty to “go out to all the world and preach the gospel.” As she thought of that, she promised herself that the next day, she would call Marsha and invite her to church with her.

The next morning she called Marsha, and this was the conversation:

“Hello Bill, is Marsha there?”

“Louise, you don’t know?”

“No, Bill, know what?”

“Marsha was killed last night in a car accident. I thought you knew.”

Fellow Christian, is this your testimony? Are you witnessing to your relatives and friends who you are with everyday? Or will there be relatives friends of yours in Hell, asking you why you did not tell them about Jesus?

As your friend, if you don’t know Jesus, here’s how to be connected to Him: If you confess with your mouth and believe in your heart that Jesus died on the cross for your sins and God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. (Romans 10:9 – 10)

If you have not done so, simply pray this prayer:

“Dear God, I confess with my mouth and believe in my heart that Jesus is your Son and that He died on the cross for my sins. Jesus, forgive me of all my sins, come into my heart and become my Lord and Savior. And help, from this day onward, to live a life that is pleasing to You. In Jesus’ name, Amen.”

You shouldn’t keep Jesus to yourself, you’ve got to tell somebody about Him and the love of God!

– Author Unknown 

Meditation: “For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him the Son of Man also will be ashamed when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels.” – Mark 8:38

You will succeed in Jesus Name!

How to Fix Your Life

Author Unknown

 A pastor was struggling to prepare his sermon and didn’t want to be disturbed by his five- year-old daughter, so he removed a map of the world from his study, tore it into pieces and gave it to the girl to assemble with the promise that he would answer all her questions and play with her when she was done.

He knew she would never be able to fix it.

To his amazement, in less than five minutes she returned to him in his study with the map in perfect shape, every continent and every country in its place!

The surprised father asked, ”Honey, you don’t know anything about geography, so how did you fix the world so easily and quickly?”

The five-year-old girl smiled sweetly and replied, ”The picture of Jesus was at the back of the map. And I knew that if I have Jesus in the right place, the whole world would be in perfect shape.”

That was just the right inspiration the pastor needed for his sermon.

He thanked his daughter and prepared a powerful sermon on the subject – ‘Fix your world by placing Jesus at the right place’.

Just place Jesus in his rightful place and your life will be in order. Do you really understand this?

Spread it to the world, let them know that their world cannot be fixed without Jesus. We all need Jesus!

You’ve been given this as a gift…pay it forward!

Meditation: “And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all peoples to Myself.” – John 12:32

You will succeed in Jesus Name!