Heaven’s Tears

It was one of the hottest days of the dry season. We had not seen rain in almost a month. The crops were dying. Cows had stopped giving milk. The creeks and streams were long gone back into the earth. It was a dry season that would bankrupt several farmers before it was through.

Every day, my husband and his brothers would go about the arduous process of trying to get water to the fields. Lately, this process had involved taking a truck to the local water rendering plant and filling it up with water. But severe rationing had cut everyone off. If we didn’t see some rain soon…we would lose everything. It was on this day that I learned the true lesson of sharing and witnessed the only miracle I have seen with my own eyes.

I was in the kitchen making lunch for my husband and his brothers when I saw my six-year-old son, Billy, walking toward the woods. He wasn’t walking with the usual carefree abandon of a youth but with a serious purpose. I could only see his back. He was obviously walking with a great effort…trying to be as still as possible.

Minutes after he disappeared into the woods, he came running out again, toward the house. I went back to making sandwiches; thinking that whatever task he had been doing was completed. Moments later, however, he was once again walking in that slow purposeful stride toward the woods. This activity went on for an hour: walk carefully to the woods, run back to the house.

Finally, I couldn’t take it any longer and I crept out of the house and followed him on his journey (being very careful not to be seen…as he was obviously doing important work and didn’t need his Mommy checking up on him). He was cupping both hands in front of him as he walked; being very careful not to spill the water he held in them…maybe two or three tablespoons were held in his tiny hands.

I sneaked close as he went into the woods. Branches and thorns slapped his little face but he did not try to avoid them. He had a much higher purpose. As I leaned in to spy on him, I saw the most amazing site. Several large deer loomed in front of him. Billy walked right up to them. I almost screamed for him to get away. A huge buck with elaborate antlers was dangerously close. But the buck did not threaten him…he didn’t even move as Billy knelt down. And I saw a tiny fawn laying on the ground, obviously suffering from dehydration and heat exhaustion, lift its head with great effort to lap up the water cupped in my beautiful boy’s hand.

When the water was gone, Billy jumped up to run back to the house and I hid behind a tree. I followed him back to the house; to a spigot that we had shut off the water to. Billy opened it all the way up and a small trickle began to creep out. He knelt there, letting the drip, drip slowly fill up his makeshift “cup,” as the sun beat down on his little back. And it came clear to me. The trouble he had gotten into for playing with the hose the week before. The lecture he had received about the importance of not wasting water. The reason he didn’t ask me to help him.

It took almost twenty minutes for the drops to fill his hands. When he stood up and began the trek back, I was there in front of him. His little eyes just filled with tears. “I’m not wasting,” was all he said. As he began his walk, I joined him…with a small pot of water from the kitchen. I let him tend to the fawn. I stayed away. It was his job. I stood on the edge of the woods watching the most beautiful heart I have ever known working so hard to save another life.

As the tears that rolled down my face began to hit the ground, they were suddenly joined by other drops…and more drops…and more. I looked up at the sky. It was as if God, himself, was weeping with pride.

Some will probably say that this was all just a huge coincidence. That miracles don’t really exist. That it was bound to rain sometime. And I can’t argue with that…I’m not going to try. All I can say is that the rain that came that day saved our farm…just like that actions of one little boy saved another.

— Author Unknown

Meditation: Love does no harm to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the law. – Romans 13:10

You will succeed in Jesus Name!

Changing The Course For Your Family Line

There is a young lady in our church by the name of Vanessa who is a medical doctor. About fifteen years ago, she began to experience incredible pain in her joints—all through her arms, shoulders, and knees. It got so bad that she finally had to have surgery on her knees.

Of course, she was hoping it would get better, but her pain continued to get worse. She was so crippled that she had to walk with a cane. When Vanessa would come to church at our old facility, it would take her 45 minutes to walk from the parking lot to her seat in the auditorium when it should have only taken three or four minutes. During the week, she would wake up at 3:00 a.m. to start loosening up her joints and getting dressed so she could be at work by 8:00 a.m.

Her father had the same disease in his early 20’s, and sadly, he died from complications at just 43 years old. Even her grandmother had this problem; she was a paraplegic. It looked as if this was Vanessa’s destiny.

Vanessa could have easily sat back and thought, “Too bad for me. I’ll never get well.” But that was not Vanessa’s attitude. She had a different spirit. She dug her heels in and had an attitude like David did in the Bible—“This thing is not going to defeat me. I’m going to become everything God has created me to be. I will live and not die and declare the works of the Lord.”

It didn’t happen overnight, but little by little she began to get better. Today, Vanessa is perfectly normal. She’s as healthy and whole as she can be. What happened? She rose up in faith and broke that curse off her family line once and for all. And now her children and her descendants are all going to be better off because she chose to stand and believe God.

What obstacles are you facing today? Is there something in your health, your finances, or your relationships? Is it something that has been in your family line for a long time? I’m challenging you today; don’t just sit back and accept it just because it’s been in your family line.

No, today is the day for you to rise up and change the course for generations to come. Shake off a defeated mindset. Shake off discouraging comments. Shake off negative thoughts. You have the seed of Almighty God on the inside of you. There is victory in your DNA. The favor of God is surrounding you right now like a shield.

Right past that obstacle is promotion. On the other side of that difficulty is a new level of God’s victory. Keep standing, keep believing because nothing from your past, nothing from your ancestors can keep you from living the life of victory God has in store for you!

— By Joel & Victoria Osteen

Meditation: And Jabez called on the God of Israel saying, “Oh, that You would bless me indeed, and enlarge my territory, that Your hand would be with me, and that You would keep me from evil, that I may not cause pain!” So God granted him what he requested. – 1 Chronicles 4:10

You will succeed in Jesus Name!

Why Helen Keller Succeeded

A number of years ago, in a mental institution just outside Boston, Mass., a young girl known as “Little Annie” was locked in the dungeon. This institution was one of the more enlightened ones for the treatment of the mentally disturbed. However, the doctors felt that a dungeon was the only place for those who were “hopelessly” insane. In Little Annie’s case, they saw no hope for her, so she was confined to a small cage which received little light and even less hope.

About that time, an elderly nurse in the institution was nearing retirement. She felt there was hope for all of God’s creatures, so she started taking her lunch into the dungeon and eating outside Little Annie’s cage. When the nurse started visiting her, Little Annie gave no indication that she was even aware of her presence. One day, the nurse brought some brownies to the dungeon and left them outside the cage. Little Annie gave no hint she knew they were there, but when the nurse returned the next day, the brownies were gone.

From that time on, the nurse would bring brownies when she made her Thursday visit. Soon, the doctors in the institution noticed a change was taking place. After a period of time, they decided to move Little Annie upstairs. Finally, the day came when this “hopeless case” was told she could return home. But Little Annie did not wish to leave. The place had meant so much to her she felt she could make a contribution if she stayed and worked with the other patients. The elderly nurse had seen and brought out so much in her life that Little Annie felt she could see and help develop something in others. In years, she devoted her life to helping a blind and deaf child, named Helen Keller, to develop her full potential.

Many years later, Queen Victoria of England, while pinning England’s highest award on a foreigner, asked Helen Keller, “How do you account for your remarkable accomplishments in life? How do you explain the fact that even though you were both blind and deaf, you were able to accomplish so much?”

Without a moment’s hesitation, Helen Keller said that had it not been for Anne Sullivan (Little Annie), the name of Helen Keller would have remained unknown.

In whom have you invested your life? Someone is waiting to receive the encouragement you have to offer.

— Author Unknown

Meditation: who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. – 2 Corinthians 1:4

You will succeed in Jesus Name!

Making A Difference

Once upon a time, there was a wise man who used to go to the ocean to do his writing. He had a habit of walking on the beach before he began his work.

One day he was walking along the shore. As he looked down the beach, he saw a human figure moving like a dancer. He smiled to himself to think of someone who would dance to the day. So he began to walk faster to catch up. As he got closer, he saw that it was a young man and the young man wasn’t dancing, but instead, he was reaching down to the shore, picking up something and very gently throwing it into the ocean.

As he got closer he called out, “Good morning! What are you doing?”

The young man paused, looked up and replied, “Throwing starfish in the ocean.”

“I guess I should have asked, why are you throwing starfish in the ocean?”

“The sun is up, and the tide is going out, and if I don’t throw them in they’ll die.”

“But, young man, don’t you realize that there are miles and miles of beach and starfish all along it. You can’t possibly make a difference!”

The young man listened politely. Then bent down, picked up another starfish and threw it into the sea, past the breaking waves and said, “It made a difference for that one.”

— This story based on a poem titled “The Difference He Made” by Randy Poole

— Author Unknown

Meditation: But the Lord said to me: “Do not say, ‘I am a youth,’ For you shall go to all to whom I send you, And whatever I command you, you shall speak. – Jeremiah 1:7

You will succeed in Jesus Name!

Love People And Use Things

I am a mother of three (ages 14, 12, 3) and have recently completed my college degree. The last class I had to take was Sociology. The teacher was absolutely inspiring with the qualities that I wish every human being had been graced with.

Her last project of the term was called “Smile.” The class was asked to go out and smile at three people and document their reactions. I am a very friendly person and always smile at everyone and say hello anyway. So, I thought, this would be a piece of cake, literally.

Soon after we were assigned the project, my husband, youngest son, and I went out to McDonald’s one crisp March morning. It was just our way of sharing special playtime with our son. We were standing in line, waiting to be served, when all of a sudden everyone around us began to back away, and then even my husband did. I did not move an inch; an overwhelming feeling of panic welled up inside of me as I turned to see why they had moved.

As I turned around I smelled a horrible “dirty body” smell, and there standing behind me were two poor homeless men. As I looked down at the short gentleman, close to me, he was smiling”. His beautiful sky blue eyes were full of God’s Light as he searched for acceptance.

He said, “Good day” as he counted the few coins he had been clutching. The second man fumbled with his hands as he stood behind his friend. I realized the second man was mentally deficient and the blue-eyed gentleman was his salvation. I held my tears as I stood there with
them.

The young lady at the counter asked him what they wanted. He said, “Coffee is all Miss” because that was all they could afford. (If they wanted to sit in the restaurant and warm up, they had to buy something. He just wanted to be warm).

Then I really felt it – the compulsion was so great I almost reached out and embraced the little man with the blue eyes.

That is when I noticed all eyes in the restaurant were set on me, judging my every action. I smiled and asked the young lady behind the counter to give me two more breakfast meals on a separate tray. I then walked around the corner to the table that the men had chosen as a resting spot. I put the tray on the table and laid my hand on the blue-eyed gentleman’s cold hand.

He looked up at me, with tears in his eyes, and said, “Thank you.” I leaned over, began to pat his hand and said, “I did not do this for you. God is here working through me to give you hope.” I started to cry as I walked away to join my husband and son.

When I sat down my husband smiled at me and said, “That is why God gave you to me, honey. To give me hope.”

We held hands for a moment and at that time we knew that only because of the Grace that we had been given were we able to give. We are not churchgoers, but we are believers. That day showed me the pure Light of God’s sweet love.

I returned to college, on the last evening of class, with this story in hand. I turned in “my project” and the instructor read it. Then she looked up at me and said, “Can I share this?” I slowly nodded as she got the attention of the class. She began to read and that is when I knew that we, as human beings and being part of God, share this need to heal people and be healed.

In my own way, I had touched the people at McDonald’s, my husband, son, instructor, and every soul that shared the classroom on the last night I spent as a college student.

I graduated with one of the biggest lessons I would ever learn:

UNCONDITIONAL ACCEPTANCE. Much love and compassion is sent to each and every person who may read this and learn how to LOVE PEOPLE AND USE THINGS – NOT, LOVE THINGS AND USE PEOPLE.

— Author Unknown

Meditation: For He whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for God does not give the Spirit by measure. – John 3:34

You will succeed in Jesus Name!

Cat’s Tale

Cat was walking along one early evening, heading toward the village.

Cat was a friendly sort. In her lives, she wore many hats. Sometimes she was a companion, listener and even a watch cat. Suddenly, out of the shadows leapt a massive dog. To cat, it seemed as if a chunk of the sky had fallen into her path.

In the shadowy darkness, the animal towered over cat and bared its great, sharp, yellow teeth.

“Run away,” the dog snarled.

Startled nearly out of her wits, cat knew that if she were going to survive she must not panic. She imposed a steely calm on herself and looked up at the beast.

“I beg your pardon,” answered cat, far more calmly than she felt. “I have business here. Let me pass.”

The dog had not expected this reaction. He usually left his victims weak with fear by simply looking at them.

“Run,” he repeated. “I don’t like the way you drift about these parts cozying up to people and making them feel so secure. This is my place. Everyone here does as I tell them to.”

Now cat was nearly paralyzed with fear and running was absolutely out of the question. Cat knew that if she did run away she would never be able to see her friends in these parts again. She also realized that if she did not stand, she would always live in fear of dogs. Perhaps she would spend her life cringing at shadows as so many other cats did.

It wasn’t right. There was nothing wrong with cat helping people. The wrong was in the animal she was facing.

Cat breathed a silent prayer; “Oh help me find my way home safe.” A little spark kindled in cat’s heart. The light in her heart began to fill her and unfreeze her muscles and nerves. Suddenly, cat was no longer pretending – she really wasn’t afraid.

Cat realized at that moment, nothing mattered more to her than shining her light in this dark creature.

“I invite you to come with me and meet my friends,” cat purred. “I hate to think of you out here all alone.”

Slowly, cat managed to put one paw in front of another until she found herself gliding past the menacing creature.

“Stop,” snarled the dog. “Take one more step and I will destroy you. Don’t you dare cross me!”

It was too late. Cat had found her feet and was going at a fast pace toward the village where her friends waited for her.

She rushed into the home of the village’s guard dog and told her story.

“Did I do right?” cat asked.

“You did just fine,” he answered. “You aren’t finished. Now you must go out and tell your tale so that others who find themselves in fear might recall it and find their light.”

And so cat did.

by Lisa Suhay

Meditation: You will not need to fight in this battle. Position yourselves, stand still and see the salvation of the Lord, who is with you, O Judah and Jerusalem!’ Do not fear or be dismayed; – 2 Chronicles 20:17

You will succeed in Jesus Name!

What Is Christianity?

Christianity means having faith in Jesus as our Savior and Lord.
It means to trust in the Bible as God’s Holy Infallible Word.

It is realizing sin separates us from God who is righteous and just;
Knowing we can’t be reconciled on our own, so in Christ we trust.

It is understanding we cannot earn God’s grace by virtues or good behavior.
It is acknowledging we’re sinners who need the atonement of our Savior.

It’s realizing that laws and religion do not have the power to save us.
It’s knowing and loving Jesus and accepting the gift that He gave us.

It is believing that Jesus took our sins at the cross for our debt to be paid.
It is assurance we have eternal salvation because of the sacrifice He made.

It’s asking for God’s forgiveness and to help us make a fresh start;
Asking Him to be with us always, and to fill us in mind and in heart.

It is having faith in God’s sovereignty for He knows what’s best;
Thanking Him for all He has done and for how we’ve been blessed.

This is the message of the Gospel; Good News to those who will hear it.
And when we accept and follow Jesus we receive the help of the Holy Spirit.

Being a Christian transforms us within and in every part of life;
It gives us hope and joy along with comfort in sorrow and strife.

We know we’re not perfect but we want to please God and obey.
We continually ask God to mend us and to show us the way.

We understand this is an ongoing process; not just an event.
We strive to reflect Christ’s love for it is Him we represent.

We believe God loves everyone and has a purpose for us all.
We know He does not want any of us to be lost or to fall.

We seek to know, to serve and to love God more and more;
As we find understanding and meaning we did not know before.

If your faith isn’t evident and doesn’t mean this to you,
Carefully reconsider and assess, is your faith really true?

If you have any doubts, seek His wisdom and pray.
Invite Him into your life; ask Him to show you the way.

Written by Arlene Spanos

Meditation: For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have Eternal Life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him. – John 3:16-17

You will succeed in Jesus Name!

Watch Your Attitude

A long time ago in China, a girl named Li-Li got married and went to live with her husband and mother-in-law. In a very short time, Li-Li found that she couldn’t get along with her mother-in-law at all. Their personalities were very different, and Li-Li was angered by many of her mother-in-law’s habits. In addition, she criticised Li-Li constantly.

Days passed, and weeks passed. Li-Li and her mother-in-law never stopped arguing and fighting. But what made the situation even worse was that, according to ancient Chinese tradition, Li-Li had to bow to her mother-in-law and obey her every wish. All the anger and unhappiness in the house was causing Li-Li’s poor husband great distress.

Finally, Li-Li could not stand her mother-in-law’s bad temper and dictatorship any longer, and she decided to do something about it! Li-Li went to see her father’s good friend, Mr Huang, who sold herbs. She told him the situation and asked if he would give her some poison so that she could solve the problem once and for all.

Mr Huang thought for a while, and finally said, ‘Li-Li, I will help you solve your problem, but you must listen to me and obey what I tell you.’

Li-Li said, ‘Yes, Mr Huang, I will do whatever you tell me to do. ‘Mr. Huang went into the back room and returned in a few minutes with a package of herbs. He told Li-Li, ‘You can’t use a quick-acting poison to get rid of your mother-in-law, because that would cause people to become suspicious. Therefore, I have given you a number of herbs that will slowly build up poison in her body. Every other day prepare some delicious meal and put a little of these herbs in her serving.

Now, in order to make sure that nobody suspects you when she dies, you must be very careful to act very friendly towards her. ‘Don’t argue with her, obey her every wish, and treat her like a queen.’

Li-Li was so happy. She thanked Mr Huang and hurried home to start her plot of murdering her mother-in-law. Weeks and months went by, and every other day, Li-Li served the specially treated food to her mother-in-law. She remembered what Mr Huang had said about avoiding suspicion, so she controlled her temper, obeyed her mother-in-law, and treated her like her own mother.

After six months had passed, the whole household had changed. Li-Li had practised controlling her temper so much that she found that she almost never got mad or upset. She hadn’t had an argument with her mother-in-law in six months because she now seemed much kinder and easier to get along with.

The mother-in-law’s attitude toward Li-Li changed, and she began to love Li-Li like her own daughter. She kept telling friends and relatives that Li-Li was the best daughter-in-law one could ever find. Li-Li and her mother-in-law were now treating each other like a real mother and daughter. Li-Li’s husband was very happy to see what was happening.

One day, Li-Li came to see Mr Huang and asked for his help again She said, ‘Dear Mr Huang, please help me to keep the poison from killing my mother-in-law. She has changed into such a nice woman, and I love her like my own mother. I do not want her to die because of the poison I gave her.’

Mr Huang smiled and nodded his head. ‘Li-Li, there’s nothing to worry about. I never gave you any poison. The herbs I gave you were vitamins to improve her health. The only poison was in your mind and your attitude toward her, but that has been all washed away by the love which you gave to her.’

Have you realized that how you treat others is exactly how they will treat you? There is a wise Chinese saying: ‘The person who loves others will also be loved in return.’ God might be trying to work in another person’s life through you. A candle loses nothing if it is used to light another one.

— Author Unknown

Meditation: Do not let your adornment be merely outward—arranging the hair, wearing gold, or putting on fine apparel— rather let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the incorruptible beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very precious in the sight of God. – 1 Peter 3:3-4

You will succeed in Jesus Name!

Have You Sharpened Your Axe?

A young man approached the foreman of a logging crew and asked for a job.

“That depends,” replied the foreman. “Let’s see you fell this tree.” The young man stepped forward and skillfully felled a great tree. Impressed, the foreman exclaimed, “You can start Monday.”

Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday rolled by. Thursday afternoon the foreman approached the young man and said, “You can pick up your paycheck on the way out today.”

Startled, the young man replied, “I thought you paid on Friday.”

“Normally we do,” said the foreman. “But we’re letting you go today because you’ve fallen behind. Our daily felling charts show that you’ve dropped from first place on Monday to last place today.”

“But I’m a hard worker,” the young man objected. “I arrive first, leave last and even have worked through my coffee breaks!”

The foreman, sensing the young man’s integrity, thought for a minute and then asked, “Have you been sharpening your axe?”

The young man replied, “No sir, I’ve been working too hard to take time for that!”

Our lives are like that. We sometimes get so busy that we don’t take time to “sharpen the axe” In today’s world, it seems that everyone is busier than ever but less happy than ever. Why is that? Could it be that we have forgotten how to stay sharp?

There’s nothing wrong with activity and hard work. But God doesn’t want us to get so busy that we neglect the truly important things in life, like taking time to pray, to read and study scripture or to listen to “the still small voice of God.”

We all need time to relax, to think and meditate, to learn and grow. If we don’t take time to sharpen the axe, we will become dull and lose our effectiveness. Take time today to sharpen your axe!

— Author Unknown

Meditation: If the ax is dull, and one does not sharpen the edge, then he must use more strength; but wisdom brings success. – Ecclesiastes 10:10

You will succeed in Jesus Name!

Sandbox Rock

A little boy was spending his Saturday morning playing in his sandbox. He had with him his box of cars and trucks, his plastic pail, and a shiny, red plastic shovel. In the process of creating roads and tunnels in the soft sand, he discovered a large rock in the middle of the sandbox.

The lad dug around the rock, managing to dislodge it from the dirt. With no little bit of struggle, he pushed and nudged the rock across the sandbox by using his feet. (He was a very small boy and the rock was very huge.) When the boy got the rock to the edge of the sandbox, however, he found that he couldn’t roll it up and over the little wall.

Determined, the little boy shoved, pushed, and pried, but every time he thought he had made some progress, the rock tipped and then fell back into the sandbox. The little boy grunted, struggled, pushed, shoved — but his only reward was to have the rock roll back, smashing his chubby fingers. Finally, he burst into tears of frustration.

All this time the boy’s father watched from his living room window as the drama unfolded. At the moment the tears fell, a large shadow fell across the boy and the sandbox. It was the boy’s father. Gently but firmly he said, “Son, why didn’t you use all the strength that you had available?”

Defeated, the boy sobbed back, “But I did, Daddy, I did! I used all the strength that I had!”

“No, son,” corrected the father kindly. “You didn’t use all the strength you had. You didn’t ask me.”

With that, the father reached down, picked up the rock, and removed it from the sandbox.

Do you have “rocks” in your life that need to be removed? Are you discovering that you don’t have what it takes to lift them? There is One who is always available to us and willing to give us the strength we need. When we are broken in spirit and our strength is spent, we can turn to our Savior Jesus.

— Author Unknown

Meditation: And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. – 2 Corinthians 12:9

You will succeed in Jesus Name!

The Master’s Card

There are some things money can’t buy, for everything else, there’s Master card.

I’m sure you’ve all received their applications in the mail. However, there is a different card.

It’s The Master’s Card.

That’s right, The MASTER’S CARD. Let me tell you about it. There are no finance charges, no payments due. Your bill has already been covered…it’s a prepaid deal… Because you couldn’t afford the price, Jesus stepped in and paid it for you.

It is accessible twenty-four hours a day from anywhere in the world.

The MASTER’S CARD has so many benefits it’s hard to list them all. Let me share some of them with you… You might want to apply for a personal card yourself. And best of ALL—IT’S FREE.

Just for starters, there is UNLIMITED GRACE. That’s right, there is no preset limit to the amount of grace you receive from The MASTER’S CARD.

Have you been looking for love in all the wrong places? Then, look no farther than The MASTER’S CARD. It offers the greatest rate on love that has ever been offered. The MASTER’S CARD gives you access to many “members only” benefits.

Want real joy despite the difficulties of life? Apply for The MASTER’S CARD.

Want a lasting peace? Apply for The MASTER’S CARD.

Looking for something you can always rely on in a jam? The MASTER’S CARD is perfect for you.

Another great thing about The MASTER’S CARD is that it never expires and will never be cancelled. Once you’re a member, you’re a member for life… eternal life, that is. Its membership has wonderful privileges.

So why not apply today if you don’t have yours? It’s only a prayer away.

— Author Unknown

Meditation: For God so loved the world that He gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life. – John 3:16

You will succeed in Jesus Name!

The Choice You Make (2)

The Choice You Make

Continued from yesterday…

Shortly afterwards her Ladyship went down followed by a retinue of servants, in case any harm might come to her. Seeing the beggar, she asked him kindly, “Well, my good man, what do you want?”

He bowed, and then said, “I have come to ask your hand in marriage today.”

Her Ladyship looked at him steadfastly for a moment, then stepping forward, said “Very well. Here it is.”

The beggar approached, bowed low, and taking her hand in his, kissed it, adding “And on what day will you marry me?” To which her Ladyship replied, “This day twelve months hence.” On hearing her reply, the beggar gathered up his crutches and hobbled away, greatly to the relief and delight of the servants standing around, who thought that she had got rid of the beggar very quickly and easily.

During the week of the festivities, many of the young nobles asked her hand in marriage, but all of them got the same reply, “I am betrothed already.” Many began asking who the ‘lucky fellow’ was, but no one could tell.

The servants, overhearing the conversations amongst the guests, began to wonder among themselves if it were really true that she had given away her hand in marriage to the beggar. At last, it came to her father’s ears that she had been asked by many, and all had been given the same refusal and that she had already given her hand in marriage to a beggar, with a promise that it should take place in a year’s time. Her father was heart-broken.

“Is it true, my daughter, that you have given your hand in marriage to a poor beggar man?”

“Yes, father, it is quite true, and it will be alright.”

The week of festivities ended rather abruptly, everyone being greatly disappointed at the news of her betrothal to the beggar. During the year, her father time after time called her to his side, saying “Oh, my daughter! Oh my daughter! Comfort me. Tell me it is all a mistake.” But her answer was always the same, “It is quite true, and it will be alright.”

At length, the year passed by. No preparation was made for the marriage, and on the day appointed, her father sent for her, and said: “You see, my daughter, there is no one coming.”

“Oh, but he will come!” she replied.

One o’clock chimed, yet no appearance of anyone coming. About two o’clock in the afternoon, however, a great noise was heard coming over the hill towards the castle. Everyone in the house rushed to the windows, and what they beheld was a wonderful procession of pipers, drummers and horsemen, in large numbers. Up to the front door of the castle came a guard of prancing horsemen, who lined both sides of the avenue. Wheeling around, they drew up, each horse facing the other and forming a guard of honour. Then, last of all, came a beautiful prancing steed, with a noble rider on its back. On reaching the steps leading to the doorway of the castle, this rider threw himself from the saddle, ran up the steps, and embraced his beloved.

Who was he? The King’s son!

That morning twelve months before he had disguised himself as a poor beggar, and came in that way lest he should be too late. Recognizing his eyes, she knew who he was, and kept his secret. So all were glad at the end.

Who is standing at your heart’s door and knocking? A beggar! One of Whom it was said, “The foxes have holes and the birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man hath not where to lay his head.” A Man whose faced was more marred than that of any man. A beggar knocking at your heart’s door, seeking admission. Open the door, for He is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords!

— Author Unknown

Meditation: “Look! I stand at the door and knock. If you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in, and we will share a meal together as friends.” – Revelation 3:20 (NLT)

You will succeed in Jesus Name!

The Marriage Beatitudes

The Marriage Beatitudes

1. Blessed are the husband and wife who continue to be affectionate, considerate, and loving after the wedding bells have ceased ringing.

2. Blessed are the husband and wife who are as polite and courteous to one another as they are to their friends.

3. Blessed are they who have a sense of humour, this attribute will make their marriage much brighter.

4. Blessed are they who love their mates more than any other person in the world, and who joyfully fulfil their marriage vows with a lifetime of fidelity and mutual helpfulness to each other.

5. Blessed are they who remember to thank God for their food before they partake of it, and who set aside some time each day for reading the Bible and for prayer.

6. Blessed are they who attain parenthood, for children are a heritage of the Lord.

7. Blessed are those mates who never speak loudly to each other and who make their home a place “where seldom is heard a discouraging word.”

8. Blessed are the husband and wife who can work out their problems of adjustment without interference from relatives or friends.

9. Blessed is the couple that has worked out a complete understanding about financial matters and has a perfect partnership.

10. Blessed are the husband and wife who humbly dedicate their lives and their home to Christ, and who practice the teachings of Christ in their home by being unselfish, loyal and loving.

“A successful marriage requires falling in love many times, always with the same person.” – Mignon McLaughlin

Author Unknown

Meditation: And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you. – Ephesians 4:32

You will succeed in Jesus Name!