The Miracle of a Song

Her parents and doctors were ready to give up, but her brother wanted to sing a song…

Like any good mother, when Kate found out that another baby was on the way, she did what she could to help her three-year-old son, Victor, prepare for a new sibling.

They found out that the new baby was going to be a girl, and day after day, night after night, Victor sang to his little sister in Mommy’s tummy. He was building a bond of love with his little sister before he even met her. The pregnancy progressed normally for Kate.

In time, the labour pains came. Soon it was every five minutes, every three, every minute. But serious complications arose during delivery and Kate found herself in hours of labour.

Would a C-section be required? Finally, after a long struggle, Victor’s little sister was born. But she was in a very serious condition.

She might not make it alive!

With a siren howling in the night, the ambulance rushed the infant to the neonatal intensive care unit at St. Mary’s Hospital, Knoxville, Tennessee.

The days inched by. The little girl got worse. The paediatric specialist regretfully had to tell the parents, “There is very little hope. Be prepared for the worst.”

Kate and her husband contacted a local cemetery about a burial plot. They had fixed up a special room in their home for the new baby, but now they found themselves having to plan for a funeral.

Victor, however, kept begging his parents to let him see his sister. “I want to sing to her,” he kept saying.

Week two in intensive care looked as if a funeral would come before the week was over. Victor kept nagging about singing to his sister, but kids are never allowed in the Intensive Care Unit.

Kate made up her mind, though. She would take Victor whether they liked it or not! If he didn’t see his sister right then, he may never see her alive.

She dressed him in an oversized scrub suit and marched him into ICU. He looked like a walking laundry basket, but the head nurse recognised him as a child and bellowed, “Get that kid our of here, now! NO children are allowed.”

The mother rose up strong in Kate, and the usually mild-mannered lady glared steel-eyed right into the head nurse’s face, her lips a firm line. “Victor is not leaving until he sings to his sister.”

The head nurse obliged Kate.

Karen towed Victor to his sister’s bedside. He gazed at the tiny infant losing the battle to live. After a moment, he began to sing. In the pure hearted voice of a three-year-old, Victor sang:

“You are my sunshine,

My only sunshine

You make me happy when skies are gray…”

Instantly the baby girl seemed to respond. Her pulse rate began to calm down and become steady. “Keep on singing Victor,” Kate encouraged with tears in her eyes.

Victor continued singing:

“You’ll never know, dear,

How much I love you.

Please don’t take my sunshine away.”

As Victor sang to his sister, the baby’s ragged, strained breathing became as smooth as a kitten’s purr.

“Keep on singing, sweetheart!” Kate cried.

“The other night, dear,

As I lay sleeping,

I dreamed I held you in my hands…”

Victor’s little sister began to relax and rest. A healing rest seemed to sweep over her.

“Keep on singing, Victor”

Tears had now conquered the face of the bossy head nurse.

Kate glowed.

“You are my sunshine

My only sunshine

You make me happy when skies are grey

You’ll never know, dear,

How much I love you.

Please don’t take my sunshine away…”

The next day, the little girl was well enough to go home!

It was a miracle, God used Victor.

Meditation: I will praise the name of God with a song, And will magnify Him with thanksgiving. – Psalm 69:30

You will succeed in Jesus Name!

The Power of Gratitude

Author Unknown

There was a bird that lived in the desert; very sick, no feathers, nothing to eat and drink, no shelter to live and kept it on cursing its life day and night.

One day, an Angel was crossing that desert, the bird stopped the Angel and inquired “Where are you going?” Angel replied “I am going to meet God.”

So bird asked angel, “Please ask God when my suffering will come to an end.” Angel said “Sure, I will” and bid goodbye to bird.

Angel reached God’s place and shared the message of bird to Him. Angel told Him how pathetic the condition of bird was and asked to know when the suffering of the bird would end. God replied, “For the next seven lifetimes, the bird has to suffer like this, no happiness till then.”

Angel said when bird hears this, it will get disheartened. “Could you suggest any solution for this?”

God replied: Tell bird to recite this, “Thank you God for everything.” Angel met the bird again and delivered the message of God to it.

After seven days, the Angel passed the same path again and saw that bird was so happy; feathers had grown on its body, a small plant grew up in the desert area, a small pond of water was also there, the bird was singing and dancing cheerfully. Angel was astonished as to how this happened, “God said for seven lifetimes, there is no happiness for the bird…” With this question in mind, he went to visit God.

Angel asked his question, then God replied: “Yes, it was written there will be no happiness for the bird for seven lifetimes, but because the bird was reciting the mantra, “Thank you God for everything” in every situation. When bird fell down on the hot sand, it said, “Thank you God for everything”, when it could not fly it said, “Thank you God for everything”, so whatever the situation, the bird kept on repeating, “Thank you God for everything” and, therefore, the seven lifetimes’ karma got dissolved in seven days!”

When I heard this story, it landed me in a different energy zone. I felt a tremendous shift in my way of feeling, thinking, accepting and viewing life. I adopted this watchword in my life. Whatever the situation, I faced, I started saying, “THANK YOU GOD FOR EVERYTHING’. It helped me to shift my view from what I did not have to what I have in my life.

Similarly, I started using this in my relationship, finance, love life, social life, business, with friends, maids, colleagues and everything with which I can relate. I shared this story with my spouse and children too, and it brought a great shift in their behaviour.

This really had a deep impact in my life, I started feeling how blessed I am, how happy I am, how good life is. The purpose of sharing this message is to make all of us aware how powerful is the power of gratitude is. It can reshape our lives.

A simple word, a simple thought, which teaches us to be grateful for everything we have in our lives has the power to dissolve the baggage we are carrying. Be grateful, and see the change in your attitude. Be humble, and you will never stumble.

Meditation: In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. – 1 Thessalonians 5:18

You will succeed in Jesus Name!

Focus on the Most Important Part of You

Therefore lay aside all filthiness and overflow of wickedness, and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.

– James 1:21

The soul is, perhaps, the most important part of humans. It is what scholars usually call ‘the real man,’ ‘the hidden man,’ or ‘the inner man.’

The body is essentially a cover for the soul. The soul is to the body, what the CPU is to a computer; it is the part of man that conditions behaviour, ideals, attitudes, performance, spirituality, etc. The physical demonstrations of these are only seen through the carriage of the body or other parts of it. That is why, after death, the body will decompose away, whereas the soul will move on to face divine judgement, which will land it either in heaven or the lake of fire; hence, the ageless questions, 

“For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?”

(Matthew 16:26)

It is a popular saying that regaining the souls of men is the heartbeat of God. God so much craves for fellowship with our souls every time, every day. The primary assignment of Jesus on earth was to reconcile the souls of humans to God. Most church teachings are geared towards refining the souls of the faithful, so that they can be amenable for connection with God.

Recent breakthroughs in surgery have shown that human parts can be transplanted. But not the soul, it can neither be seen nor transferred. But it is what defines each individual.

Therefore, considering the transcending importance of the soul, we are charged in the scripture above to be receptive to the word of God because, more than anything else, it is able to save our souls from undesirable consequences.

You will succeed in Jesus Name!

Christian Ways To Reduce Stress

An Angel says, “Never borrow from the future. If you worry about what may happen tomorrow and it doesn’t happen, you have worried in vain. Even if it does happen, you have to worry twice.”

1. Pray

2. Go to bed on time.

3. Get up on time so you can start the day unrushed.

4. Say No to projects that won’t fit into your time schedule or that will compromise your mental health.

5. Delegate tasks to capable others.

6. Simplify and unclutter your life.

7. Less is more. (Although one is often not enough, two are often too many.)

8. Allow extra time to do things and to get to places.

9. Pace yourself. Spread out big changes and difficult projects over time; don’t lump the hard things all together.

10. Take one day at a time.

11. Separate worries from concerns. If a situation is a concern, find out what God would have you do and let go of the anxiety. If you can’t do anything about a situation, forget it.

12. Live within your budget; don’t use credit cards for ordinary purchases.

13. Have backups; an extra car key in your wallet, an extra house key buried in the garden, extra stamps, etc.

14. K.M.S. (Keep Mouth Shut). This single piece of advice can prevent an enormous amount of trouble.

15. Do something for the Kid in You every day.

16. Carry a Bible with you to read while waiting in line.

17. Get enough rest.

18. Eat right.

19 Get organized so everything has its place.

20. Listen to a tape while driving that can help improve your quality of life.

21. Write down thoughts and inspirations.

22. Every day, find time to be alone.

23. Having problems? Talk to God on the spot. Try to nip small problems in the bud. Don’t wait until it’s time to go to bed to try and pray.

24. Make friends with Godly people.

25. Keep a folder of favourite scriptures on hand.

26. Remember that the shortest bridge between despair and hope is often a good “Thank you Jesus.”

27. Laugh.

28. Laugh some more!

29. Take your work seriously, but not yourself at all.

30. Develop a forgiving attitude (most people are doing the best they can).

31. Be kind to unkind people (they probably need it the most).

32. Sit on your ego.

33 Talk less; listen more.

34. Slow down.

35. Remind yourself that you are not the general manager of the universe.

36. Every night before bed, think of one thing you’re grateful for that you’ve never been grateful for before. God has a way of turning things around for you.

Meditation: Therefore, brethren, be even more diligent to make your call and election sure, for if you do these things you will never stumble. – 2 Peter 1:10

You will succeed in Jesus Name!

Top 12 Offenses Christians Commit in Church

Author Unknown

Below are some offensive things some people do in church. Perhaps, you would find one or more you are guilty of and adjust as appropriate.

1. Constantly looking at your wristwatch to check the time: Most people are guilty of this. Once the sermon is getting too long, they begin to take glances at the wristwatch, praying the service would come to an end quickly.
2. Chewing gums: Have you ever sat near someone in church who is chewing gum like a cow chewing cud? You know how annoying that can be. Some even go as far as making silly sounds and blowing bubbles.
3. Receiving calls, pinging and texting: This is pure disrespect for God! As if it’s not bad enough that your phone rings out during service, you will now go ahead to pick the call. You see some people pinging and texting away during service. This is just so wrong. Would you be pinging if your boss was talking to you? God deserves more respect.
4. Wearing party clothes to church: There are clothes meant for church. You shouldn’t wear your skimpy and revealing clothes to church. Just because the church allows you the freedom to be comfortable doesn’t mean you have to take it for granted.
5. Taking selfie during service: This applies mostly to the ladies. They are the ones who like to take photos of peoples outfit and hairstyles for fun or because they also want to make that style.
6. Sleeping and snoring during sermons: It’s funny when you spot people sleeping, snoring and falling over their neighbours. You might be tired and all, but try and keep your eyes open. It’s just for a little while and you will be in your bed.
7. Coming late: Some people are in the habit of coming to church when the sermon is about to start or halfway into the service. Some give the excuse of not being able to get their children ready on time. During school days, how do you manage to get them to school before 8a.m.? If you can get them to school early and if you can get to your place of work early, you can also get to church early.
8. Gisting during service: Most people engage in silly chit-chat while the service is going on, not paying attention to to the pastor and they end up missing out.
9. Keeping your eyes open during prayers to watch how others are praying: Close your eyes and pray your own so that your miracle doesn’t pass you by. Stop watching others.
10. Public display of affection: We understand you love your spouse a lot, but can you keep the petting till you are out of the church? It could be distracting to those around you.
11. Reading newspapers and magazines. Some men do this during sermons and prayers. Why come to church if that can’t wait till you get home!
12. Jotting the pastor or speaker’s grammatical errors: Some people do this to keep themselves busy. Instead of listening to get the message, they pay attention to get all the errors the pastor will make.

Men and brethren would you blow bubbles or make noise with your gum if you were standing in a court of law, and in front of a judge? Would you pick your calls when your boss is talking to you? If your answer is no, then you shouldn’t do it in God’s presence. God deserves RESPECT and HONOUR.

Spit out your gum, turn off your cell phone, check that you’re appropriately dressed and make the most of the precious little time you have to spend in the presence of God.

Meditation: God is greatly to be feared in the assembly of the saints, and to be held in reverence by all those around Him. – Psalm 89:7

You will succeed in Jesus Name!

The Prodigal Couple

Author Unknown

A wife joined her husband in the bedroom. Their children were asleep. He was busy reading the newspaper.

She looked at him. “My love, there’s something I need to confess” she began to speak.

“What is it?” he asked without looking at her, his face still glued to the newspaper.

“I have been unfaithful” she said.

He looked at her with fiery eyes. He slapped her. For the first time in their marriage, he slapped her.

“How could you woman?! Seventeen years of marriage, four children and this is what you do to me? You cheat on me? How can you stoop so low?” he shouted.

He got up from the bed. He started pacing as he continued shouting, “You are the one who always tells me to keep off women. Out of respect, I keep females at a distance and you on the other hand do this?”

He was about to pounce on her and beat her. The sting of unfaithfulness enraged him. A knock was heard on the door. Their first born, Maria, a fourteen year old girl walked in their bedroom.

“Mom, dad; is everything OK?” Maria asked.

“Get out! Get out!” he shouted as his daughter.

“It’s OK Maria, dad and I will sort this out. Go to sleep.” She told their daughter.

Maria walked out of the bedroom.

“Who is it? Who have you been unfaithful with? Give me his phone number. He will know today who I am.” he shouted, trying to grab his wife’s phone. She gently took her phone.

“Show me his number. Show me his face. Filthy animal who is snatching my wife,” he shouted some more.

“This is the man I have been unfaithful with, ” she said, handing her husband the phone. He looked at the screen of her phone and saw his own face and phone number.

“Me?!” he asked, puzzled.

“Yes, I have been unfaithful with you. I have been unfaithful to God because I have been so busy loving you. In my effort to be a good wife, I have forgotten God” she said.

He sat down on the bed, confused.

“When you met me, I was so devoted to God. In fact, you used to tell me that the most important reason you chose me as your wife was because of my devotion to God. I loved the godly man you used to be. We would pray and plan on having a godly family together. I remember the days I would fast and pray and tell God that if He blesses me with a good job, I will dedicate my career to Him. God did bless me, God blessed you, God blessed us. We did so well professionally, we got good money, we could afford a good wedding. We got married,” she explained.

He looked at her intently.

She continued, “The first few months of our marriage, we would pray as a family, go to Church, have fellowships, worship and do Bible study. But slowly, we stopped living by that Scripture that says ‘as for me and my household we will serve the Lord.’ We started having children whom we failed to raise in a godly way. With success, we changed our friends. We found the born again friends boring. We started worshiping money, success and materials. Look at us now, we live in a big house but God is absent. You started taking me to ungodly places to have fun, we started drinking too much, our children are ashamed by our drinking.”

He looked away from her.

“In order to please you, I changed too; thinking that being a good wife means tagging along with everything you do. I didn’t confront you when you started going astray, I didn’t pull you back to God, I got lost with you. So lost, that I started becoming proud, shallow, self-centred; all along thinking I am being a good wife. But this is not me. I have changed so much from the woman you found. We both have changed much.”

He looked at her.

“All these; the good house, the good meals we eat, the money we have, the comfortable life; they have made us forget the God who gave them to us. I am nothing without God and I feel ashamed that I have abandoned the God responsible for all I am and have. We have started having troubles in our marriage, because the Lord is no longer building our love, we are doing it on our own and we will fail if we keep on like this.” She reached out and touched his hand.

“I want to go back to the woman I used to be. A woman after God’s own heart. I miss the peace that God gives. I miss worship. I miss reading the Word. I miss going to Church and fellowship. I miss meditating. I miss praying with you. What does it profit me to gain a good marriage yet lose my soul, my God? I am going back to God. Only as a wife submitted to God will I be the best wife to you and the best mother to our children. He who finds a wife finds a good thing and obtains favour from God, but I cannot bring favour to you if I continue being disconnected from God. I want my spiritual life back. I want God back in our home, our marriage, our family.”

He started breaking down in tears. His spirit was convicted. He held her tightly in his arms.

“I am sorry. I am sorry for going astray and taking you with me. You chose to marry me because you thought you are marrying a godly man. I miss being that godly man. Marriage shouldn’t be a stumbling block in our walk with God. The thought of you cheating on me ripped my heart apart; I cannot even begin to imagine how God feels when we are unfaithful to Him. God having blessed us this much and we turn our backs on Him. At the thought of you cheating on me I was filled with rage, yet God patiently looks at us in our unfaithfulness desiring us to go back to Him. I want to go back too. I want more in my life than these earthly things, I want God. I want the God of my youth. I am so sorry for slapping you.”

That night, they knelt, repented and rededicated their lives and marriage to God. The prodigal couple came back to God. The next morning, they prayed together with their children. God returned back to that home, because that couple returned back to God.

Meditation: if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land. – 2 Chronicles 7:14

You will succeed because Jesus loves You!

The Wings of Burdens

Author Unknown

An old legend relates that long ago God had a great many burdens which He wished to have carried from one place to another on earth, so He asked the animals to lend a hand. But all of them began to make excuses for not helping: the elephant was too dignified; the lion, too proud; and so on. Finally the birds came to God and said, “If you will tie the burdens into small bundles, we’ll be glad to carry them for you. We are small but we would like to help.”

So God fastened upon the back of each one a small bundle, and they all set out walking across the plain to their destination. They sang as they went, and did not seem to feel the weight of their burdens at all. Every day the burdens seemed lighter and lighter, until the loads seems to be lifting the birds, instead of the birds carrying the burdens.

When they arrived at their destination, they discovered that when they removed their loads, there were wings in their place, wings which enabled them to fly to the sky and the tree tops.

They had learned how to carry their burdens, and their loads had become wings to carry them nearer to God. The burdens we carry for others may become wings of the spirit, to lift us into happiness such as we have never known.

Meditation: My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. – James 1:2-4

You will succeed because Jesus loves You!