Peace, and all that it offers

Peace,

and all that it offers

reflects hopefully in the rushing springs

that form the headwaters,

reflects brilliantly as the sunset

in the desert water hole,

reflects placidly in the cool

deep waters of an alpine lake,

reflects gently in the undulating ripples of

the pebble lined river,

reflects triumphantly in the ocean as

the rivers return to the ultimate source,

reflects poignantly in the eyes of

those who understand it,

reflects perfectly in the lives of

those who embody it.

by Steve Brown

The Pit

A man fell into a pit and couldn't get himself out.
* A subjective person came along and said, "I feel for you down there."
* An objective person walked by and said, "It's logical that someone would fall down there."
* A Pharisee said, "Only bad people fall into pits."
* A mathematician calculated how he fell into the pit.
* A news reporter wanted the exclusive story on the pit.
* An IRS agent asked if he was paying taxes on the pit.
* A self-pitying person said, "You haven't seen anything until you've seen my pit!"
* A holier-than-thou person said, "You deserve your pit."
* A Christian Scientist said, "The pit is just in your mind."
* A psychologist noted, "Your mother and father are to blame for your being in that pit."
* A self-esteem therapist said, "Believe in yourself and you can get out of that pit."
* An optimist said, "Things could get worse."
* A pessimist claimed, "Things WILL get worse."
* Jesus, seeing the man, took him by the hand and lifted him out of the pit.

Freed From Ego

A woman said to a guest at dinner, "We say grace at dinner each day to remind us around here that there is something bigger than our egos." Prayer can free us from the gravitational pull of our egos and remind us of the goodness and might of God. Prayer can move us from self-centered preoccupation to wonder and awe.

Maxie Dunnam in Living the Psalms

The Wars We Make

The following poem was written by Nicholas Peters just after the outbreak of World War II in 1939. Peters, who lived for some years at Grande Pointe, Manitoba, Canada, had emigrated from Russia in 1925 as a boy of 10 and had seen firsthand the horrors of revolution and war in his native country. He joined the Royal Canadian Air Force in 1942 and trained as a flying officer. He died on the night of March 7-8, 1945, after his aircraft was hit by enemy fire. The poem is from a collection of Peters' work titled "Another Morn."
THE WARS WE MAKE
I gaze into the world with sorrowing eyes
And see the wide-abounding fruits of hate.
We fight, we say, for peace, and find
The wars we make
To be a spring of hate and source of future wars.

Is there no peace for man?
No hope that this accursed flow
Of blood may cease?
Is this our destiny: to kill and maim
For peace?
Or is this 'peace' we strive to gain
A thin unholy masquerade
Which, when our pride, our greed, our gain is
touched too far,
Is shed, and stands uncovered what we are?

Show me your light, O God
That I may fight for peace with peace
And not with war;
To prove my love with love,
And hate no more!

Stopping to Hear God Whisper His Love

I travel a lot, and I came to San Francisco one night and missed my connection back home. I was angry and upset, and I called my son on the phone. I wanted him to encourage me. I said, "Man, I'm stuck in the airport; it's been a horrible day. I've been traveling too much."
My son said, "You know, Dad, if you didn't travel so much, you wouldn't have things like this happen." Well, I didn't appreciate that. I was ticked off. I said, "Let me talk to your son [my two-year-old grandson]." Well, I forgot that when you're two you can't talk, and when you're 60 you can't hear. This is not a good combination. He's mumbling on the phone. I'm hoping that this is going to make me feel better. It's making me feel worse. Finally, I've had it. I hear the phone drop onto the floor. Now, I hear the kids playing. I'm stuck in the airport. I have this miserable experience. I'm furious and angry, when all of a sudden I hear crystal clear over the phone, "I love you, Grampa."
You know what? All my anxiety, everything went out the window.
There are people who are so busy they're at their wits' end. If they'd only stop for a minute, they could hear the God of the universe whisper to them, "I love you."

- Mike Yaconelli

Christmas Present

It was the day after Christmas at a church in San Francisco. Pastor Mike was looking at the nativity scene outside when he noticed the baby Jesus was missing from the figures.
Immediately, Pastor Mike turned towards the church to call the police. But as he was about to do so, he saw little Jimmy with a red wagon, and in the wagon was the figure of the little infant, Jesus.
Pastor Mike walked up to Jimmy and said, "Well, Jimmy, where did you get the little infant?"Jimmy replied, "I got him from the church."
"And why did you take him?"
With a sheepish smile, Jimmy said, "Well, about a week before Christmas I prayed to little Lord Jesus. I told him if he would bring me a red wagon for Christmas, I would give him a ride around the block in it."

And is it true, and is it true?

And is it true, and is it true?
This most tremendous tale of all.
Seen in a stained glass window's hue
A baby, in an ox's stall.
The maker of the stars and sea,
Became a child on earth, for me?

And is it true?
For if it is, no loving fingers tying strings
Around those tissued fripperies, the sweet and silly Christmas things
Bath salts, and inexpensive scent
And hideous tie, so kindly meant.

No love that in a family dwells
No carolling in frosty air
Nor all the steeple-shaking bells
Can with this simple truth compare:
That God was man in Palestine
And lives today, in bread and wine."

- Betjemann

The Miracle Dreams

That night when in Judean skies
the mystic star dispensed its light,
a blind man moved in his sleep
and dreamed that He had sight.

That night when shepherds heard the song
of hosts angelic choiring near,
a deaf man stirred in slumber's spell
and dreamed that he could hear.

That night when in the cattle stall
slept child and mother cheek by jowl,
a cripple turned his twisted limbs
and dreamed that he was whole.

That night when o'er the newborn babe
the tender Mary rose to lean,
a loathsome leper smiled in sleep
and dreamed that he was clean.

That night when to a mother's breast
the little King was held secure,
a harlot slept in happy sleep
and dreamed that she was pure.

That night when in the manger lay
the sanctified who came to save
a man moved in the sleep of death
and dreamed there was no grave.

by Susie M. Best

The Strength of a Man

The strength of a man isn't seen in the width of his shoulders.
It's seen in the width of his arms that circle you.

The strength of a man isn't in the deep tone of his voice.
It's in the gentle words he whispers.

The strength of a father isn't how many buddies he has.
It's how good a buddy he is with his kids.

The strength of a man isn't in how respected he is at work.
It's in how respected he is at home.

The strength of a man isn't in how hard he hits.
It's in how tender he touches.

The strength of a man isn't in the hair on his chest.
It's in the emotional "heart" that lies within his chest.

The strength of a man isn't how many women he's loved.
It's in his life-long fidelity to one woman.

The strength of a man isn't in the weight he can lift.
It's in the burdens he can carry.

Sleeping Through Life

How much of the day are you awake? You think, I gotta get the dry cleaning, I gotta get going, and this and this. All of a sudden it's dinnertime. And then there is a moment of connection with your spouse or your friends. Then you read and go to bed. Wake up, and it's the same all over. You're not awake, you're not living, you're not experiencing. We start early medicating ourselves. We start kids early on TV and video games and so on. It's daunting how many possibilities there are in life for every one of us. But rather than face that I may be a failure or a success - I think both of them are terrifying - people find diversions.

by Tim Allen

Shakespeare and Surfing

Believe it or not, William Shakespeare has some important insights on surfing. In his play Julius Caesar, he has Brutus address Cassius after the slaying of Caesar, attempting to refocus the political life of that community: “there is a tide in the affairs of men which taken at the flood leads on to fortune; amid it all the voyage of their life is bound in the shallows and in miseries. On such a full sea we are now afloat, and we must take the current when it serves us or lose our ventures.
I am persuaded that Shakespeare’s counsel is spot on. In a world changing as rapidly as ours we must either learn to surf with Shakespeare or experience repeated rides on the wet side. Wayne Burkan, a corporate futurist, puts it in slightly different terms: “To survive in an ever changing world, it is vital to anticipate the future”.
One has only to look back on the waves of change that have battered the Church in the last four decades and see the waves we have missed to realise there must be a better way. For example, we failed to anticipate the impact of MTV and video games on the young in the eighties and nineties. And the Church has been decades late in waking up to the growing need for racial reconciliation in America. Belatedly, Promise Keepers, ‘a group which encourages men to live truly Christian lives’, discovered that this is a serious issue that Evangelical Christians need to address.
Too often in the past the Church has either been jolted by waves of change or allowed them to pass us by altogether – because we have made virtually no effort to anticipate them. Too many of us in leadership have been operating as if we are frozen in a time warp. As a consequence we have missed repeated opportunities to make a difference. In the third millennium the Church needs leaders who can lead with foresight.

by Tom Sine

Interesting Twist on a Prayer

This interesting prayer was offered in Kansas at the opening session of their Senate. It seems prayer still upsets some people.
When Minister Joe Wright was asked to open the new session Of the Kansas Senate, everyone was expecting the usual generalities, but this is what they heard.
"Heavenly Father, we come before you today to ask your forgiveness and to seek your direction and guidance. We know Your Word says, "Woe to those who call evil good," but that is exactly what we have done. We have lost our spiritual equilibrium and reversed our values. We confess that.
We have ridiculed the absolute truth of Your Word and called it Pluralism.
We have exploited the poor and called it the lottery,
We have rewarded laziness and called it welfare,
We have killed our unborn and called it choice,
We have shot abortionists and called it justifiable,
We have neglected to discipline our children and called it building self-esteem,
We have abused power and called it politics,
We have coveted our neighbour's possessions and called it ambition,
We have polluted the air with profanity and pornography and called it freedom of expression,
We have ridiculed the time-honoured values of our forefathers and called it enlightenment.
Search us, Oh, God, and know our hearts today; cleanse us from every sin and set us free. Guide and bless these men and women who have been sent: to direct us to the centre of Your will and to openly ask these things in the name of Your Son, the living Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen!"
The response was immediate. A number of legislators walked out during the prayer in protest. In 6 short weeks, Central City Church, where Rev. Wright is pastor, logged more than 5,000 phone calls with only 47 of those calls responding negatively. The church is now receiving international requests for copies of this prayer from India, Africa, and Korea. Commentator Paul Harvey aired this prayer on his radio program," The Rest of the Story," and received a larger response to this program than any other he has ever aired.
With the Lord's help, may this prayer sweep over our nation and wholeheartedly become our desire so that we again can be called "one nation under God."

Australian Statistics

If Australia were a village of 100 people, there would be 49 males and 51 females…

who were born in

Australia....................... 77

Asia/Middle East........... 7

Britain/Ireland............... 6

Europe.......................... 6

New Zealand................ 2

Elsewhere..................... 2

Who are

Married........................ 51

Unmarried..................... 32

Separated/Divorced...... 11

Widowed...................... 6

And Speak

English.......................... 84

Italian............................ 2

Greek........................... 1

Cantonese..................... 1

Arabic.......................... 1

Vietnamese................... 1

Other............................ 10

Whose religion is

Christian....................... 68

Atheistic/Agnostic......... 15

Buddhist....................... 2

Muslim.......................... 1.5

Hindu/Jewish/Other....... 0.5

Unknown...................... 13

Who earn weekly

No income.................... 6

Less than $200............. 21

$200-$400................... 21

$401-$600................... 16

$601-$800................... 11

$801-$1000................. 7

$1001-$1500............... 7

More than $1501.......... 4

Unknown...................... 7

And live with

A family........................ 81

Friends......................... 10

No one......................... 9

And live in a

House........................... 81

Flat/Unit........................ 9

Terrace House.............. 7

Caravan........................ 1

In a home that is

Fully Owned................. 42

Mortgaged.................... 28

Rented.......................... 28

Other............................ 2

A Scorpion Moment

There was a man in India who saw a scorpion floundering around in the water. He decided to save it by stretching out his finger, but the scorpion stung him. The man still tried to get the scorpion out of the water, but the scorpion stung him again.
A man nearby told him to stop saving the scorpion that kept stinging him.
But the other man said: "It is the nature of the scorpion to sting. It is my nature to love. Why should I give up my nature to love just because it is the nature of the scorpion to sting?"

Following in His Steps

Lee Strobel tells about a mother from Costa Mesa, California who told about the day her three-year old son was on her heels wherever she went. She was having trouble doing her routine chores.
"Whenever I stopped to do something and turned back around I would trip over him," she said. "Several times I suggested fun activities to keep him occupied, but he would just smile and say, 'That's alright Mummy I'd rather be in here with you.' He continued to follow me and after the fifth trip, my patience wore thin and I asked him why he was following me constantly."
He said, "My Sunday school teacher told me to walk in Jesus' footsteps but I can't see him so I'm walking in yours."
The greatest way we can teach our children about and show our loved ones the love of Jesus is through the example of how we live, and how we model his love in our everyday life.
As another has said, "We raise not the children we want but the children that we the parents are."
"Dear God, please help me to so live that people, especially my children (and loved ones), will see Jesus in me and will want to follow in my footsteps and have Jesus in their life too. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully in Jesus' name, amen."

Lunch with God

A little boy wanted to meet God. He knew it was a long trip to where God lived, so he packed his suitcase with Twinkies and a six-pack of Root Beer and he started his journey.
When he had gone about three blocks, he met an old man. He was sitting in the park just staring at some pigeons. The boy sat down next to him and opened his suitcase. He was about to take a drink from his root beer when he noticed that the old man looked hungry, so he offered him a Twinkie.
He gratefully accepted it and smiled at him. His smile was so pleasant that the boy wanted to see it again, so he offered him a root beer. Again, he smiled at him. The boy was delighted! They sat there all afternoon eating and smiling, but they never said a word.
As it grew dark, the boy realized how tired he was and he got up to leave, but before he had gone more than a few steps, he turned around, ran back to the old man, and gave him a hug. He gave him his biggest smile ever.
When the boy opened the door to his own house a short time later, his mother was surprised by the look of joy on his face. She asked him, "What did you do today that made you so happy? "He replied, "I had lunch with God." But before his mother could respond, he added, "You know what? He's got the most beautiful smile I've ever seen!"
Meanwhile, the old man, also radiant with joy, returned to his home. His son was stunned by the look of peace on his face and he asked, "Dad, what did you do today that made you so happy?" He replied, "I ate Twinkies in the park with God." However, before his son responded, he added, "You know, he's much younger than I expected."
Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around.

Statistics

The statistics are mind-numbing, yet, like the script of a cheap horror film, they continue to lurch like a nightmare through the pages of every major urban newspaper. Life in America is beginning to unravel. Author Robert Rector paints a grim, graphic portrait of the impoverished life.
In Queens, a heroin-addicted mother with AIDS murders her four-year-old daughter, stuffs the body in a laundry bag, and with the help of her current boyfriend - also a drug addict - tosses the bag from a bridge into the East River.
In Philadelphia, two commercially successful "gangsta rap" artists realize their fantasies, gunning down a female police officer during a hold-up.
In Chicago, police raid the apartment of five sisters on welfare. The apartment swarms with cockroaches and is chilled by a winter wind pouring in through broken windows. In four rooms are 19 children, the youngest 12 months old. Feces and garbage cover the floor; hungry children share food in a dog bowl with several dogs. Dazed, one of the kids asks a policewoman, "Can you be my mommy?"
In Detroit, a five-year-old is thrown from a 14th floor window of a public-housing complex because "he refused to steal."
In Washington, D.C., a gunman empties his semi-automatic into a swimming pool crowded with children.
Rector tells us there is hope.
Boys who regularly attend church are 50% less likely to commit crime.
They are 54% less likely to use drugs and 47% less likely to drop out of school.
Boys and girls who attend church regularly are 2/3 less likely to engage in sexual activity.
Church attendance halves the probability of having an illegitimate child.
Children who attend religious schools are 2/3 less likely to drop out of school.
Children aged 10 to 18 who do not attend church are 1/3 to 1/2 more likely to exhibit anti-social and dysfunctional behavior.

Real Support

A rabbit being chased by a dog through the countryside was observed by a crowd enjoying a family picnic. They cheered for the rabbit as he swiftly hopped from side to side, masterfully eluding his attacker. Then the rabbit pulled away from the dog a great distance, looked at the crowd and said. "I appreciate your encouragement, but shoot the dog!"

What's Left

Legendary movie moguls Jack Warner and Sam Goldwyn were instrumental in advancing the motion picture business. They both died wealthy men, with the Warner estate ($26,267,457) only slight less than the Goldwyn estate ($27,550,901). According to the old saw, "money isn't everything; it's just a way of keeping score," these men finished almost even.
But Sam bested Jack in several respects. While the marital deduction of both were around $11 million, Sam left $13.8 million to charity while Jack left none. Well, it was his money after all. But the Warner estate shrunk by 30% due to costs and taxes while the Goldwyn estate shrunk by only 5%. And here's the kicker: The Samuel Goldwyn Foundation (1994 Assets: $22 million) has given out millions of dollars over the years to the types of charities they favored.
So if you're keeping score by the net worth method, you might consider making the final tally after the estate has been settled.
Even though we aren't in the same financial league as these men, we have a duty to accomplish the most we can with our assets and an obligation to plan carefully for the future. After all, Jesus told us to store up treasure in heaven when neither moth nor rust can destroy!

The 23rd Psalm Explained!

The Lord is my Shepherd - That's Relationship!
I shall not want - That's Supply!
He maketh me to lie down in green pastures - That's Rest!
He leadeth me beside the still waters - That's Refreshment!
He restoreth my soul - That's Healing!
He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness - That's Guidance!
For His name sake - That's Purpose!
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death - That's Testing!
I will fear no evil - That's Protection!
For Thou art with me - That's Faithfulness!
Thy rod and Thy staff they comfort me - That's Discipline!
Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies - That's Hope!
Thou anointest my head with oil - That's Consecration!
My cup runneth over - That's Abundance!
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life - That's Blessing!
And I will dwell in the house of the Lord - That's Security!
Forever - That's Eternity!

Personal Anecdotes

In his book "Night," Elie Wiesel tells of one night when several prisoners decided to put God on trial. They wanted to try God for the horrors of the Holocaust. These were men of faith, but it seemed to them their faith had failed them. They asked young Wiesel to witness the proceedings.
The "prosecuting attorney" brought charges. God's people had been torn from their homes, separated from their families, beaten, abused, and burned alive in the incinerators. The defense attorney made his case. But in the end, they found God guilty of failing and abandoning his people, maybe even guilty of not existing.
The trial was over. The mood in the room was sombre, dark, depressing. The men prepared for bed. A few minutes later, however, when the time came for the Jewish evening prayer, these same men who had just found God guilty of abandoning them got on their knees and prayed their evening prayer.
This scene brought Habakkuk once again to mind: "Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my savior. The Sovereign Lord is my strength" (3:17-19).

Submission Versus Subjugation

Submission is not subjugation. Subjugation turns a person into a thing, destroys individuality, and removes all liberty.
Submission makes a person become more of what God wants him to be; it brings out individuality; it gives him the freedom to accomplish all that God has for his life and ministry.
Subjugation is weakness; it is the refuge of those who are afraid of maturity. Submission is strength; it is the first step toward true maturity and ministry.

Warren Wiersbe

You Can't Earn Sacrifice

As a former Army Ranger, Seattle pastor Tom Allen described a special connection he felt to the characters in the World War II movie Saving Private Ryan:
I was extremely proud - until the last minute of the movie. I was proud watching the Rangers take Omaha Beach. Then they receive a mission to go deep into enemy territory to save Private Ryan. They hit skirmish after skirmish, and some of them are killed along the way. They finally get to where Private Ryan is holed up, and they say, "Come with us. We've come to save you."
He says, "I'm not going. I have to stay here because there's a big battle coming up, and if I leave my men they're all going to die."
What do the Rangers say? "We'll stay here and fight with you."
They stay and fight, and it's gory and hard, and almost everyone dies except Private Ryan. At the end, one of the main characters - played by Tom Hanks - is sitting on the ground. He's been shot and he's dying. The battle has been won.
Private Ryan leans over to him, and Hanks whispers something to him. Everyone in the theater is crying because Tom Hanks was shot; I was crying because of what he said - it was so terrible. Ryan bent down and Hanks said, "Earn this."
The reason that made me angry is no Ranger would ever say, "Earn this." Why? Because the Ranger motto for the past 200 years has not been "earn this." The Ranger motto for the past 200 years has been Sua sponte, "I chose this." I volunteered for this.
If Hanks was really a Ranger he would have said, "Sua sponte." In other words, "This is free. You don't pay anything for this. I give up my life for you. That's my job."
And so when you look at the cross and see Jesus hanging there and hear him say, "I thirst," you do not hear "earn this." You never hear Jesus say, "Earn this." He doesn't say, "I've given up everything for you. Now you need to gut it out for me."
What he says is "I thirst." He says, "Sua sponte. I volunteered for this. You don't have to pay anything for it."

Character in the Workplace

Doing the right work with the right attitude and the right spirit is immensely important. Because the most important thing you bring home from work is not your paycheck. The most important thing you bring home from work is you.

John Ortberg and Ruth Haley Barton, An Ordinary Day with Jesus (Zondervan, 2001)

Meditation

Meditation is the activity of calling to mind, thinking over, dwelling on, and applying to oneself the various things one knows about the works and ways and purpose and promises of God.
It is an activity of holy thought, consciously performed in the presence of God, under the eye of God, by the help of God, as a means of communication with God.
Its purpose is to clear one's mental and spiritual vision of God, and to let his truth make its full and proper impact on one's mind and heart.
It is a matter of talking to oneself about God and oneself.
It is, indeed, often a matter of arguing with oneself, reasoning oneself out of moods of doubt and unbelief into a clear apprehension of God's power and grace.

J. I. Packer, Knowing God (InterVarsity Press, 1973), pp18-19

Advent Prayer

In this Advent season we await the coming of Christ
Child of promise come,
Revealer of God come,
Bringer of life come,
Come to the beaten and the battered,
Come to the despised and rejected
Come to all in whom the divine image is still distorted
We wait in joyful expectation.
Come not as an distant emperor but as a helpless babe
Come not as a prince in a gold palace, but as a displaced and frightened refugee
Come not as a man of power, but in love and compassion
Come to those outcast like shepherds in the field
Come to foreigners like Magi watching from afar
Come to rich and poor, young and old, male and female,
We wait in hopeful anticipation
Come to bless all creation with your love
Come to bring salvation on the earth
Come to rule with justice and in peace
Come Child of promise, open the windows of our hearts
Come Christ of compassion, open the doors of our homes
Come Prince of Peace, open the pathways to our lives
We wait with all the peoples of the earth
Child of hope we welcome your coming
Christ of life we welcome your coming
King of glory we welcome your coming

No Excuse is Good Enough

The next time you think you have an excuse why God can't use you, remember the following people:
Noah was drunk,
Abraham was too old,
Isaac was a daydreamer,
Jacob was a liar,
Leah was ugly,
Joseph was abused,
Moses was a murderer (like David and Paul),
Deborah was a female judge,
Gideon was afraid,
Samson had long hair,
Rahab was a prostitute,
Jeremiah and Timothy were too young,
David pretended to be mad, had an affair
and ran away from his own son,
Elijah was suicidal,
Isaiah preached naked,
Jonah ran away from God,
Naomi was a widow,
Job lost everything,
John the Baptist ate locusts,
Peter was hot-tempered,
John was self-righteous,
the disciples fell asleep while praying,
Martha was worried about everything,
Mary was too lazy,
Mary Magdalene was demon-possessed,
the boy with the fish and five rolls of bread was too unknown (and still is),
the Samaritan woman slept with many men,
Zacchaeus was too small,
Peter was too impulsive,
Mark had given up,
Timothy had a stomach ulcer,
and Lazarus - he was dead."

- Peter Reid

Centre of the Bible

This is pretty strange or odd how it worked out this way. Even if you are not religious you should read this.
What is the shortest chapter in the Bible? Answer - Psalms 117
What is the longest chapter in the Bible? Answer - Psalms 119
Which chapter is in the centre of the Bible? Answer - Psalms 118
Fact: There are 594 chapters before Psalms 118
Fact: There are 594 chapters after Psalms 118
Add these numbers up and you get 1188
What is the centre verse in the Bible?
Answer - Psalms 118:8
Does this verse say something significant about God's perfect will for our lives?
The next time someone says they would like to find God's perfect will for their lives and that they want to be in the centre of His will, just send them to the centre of His Word! Psalms 118:8 (NKJV) "It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in man."
Now isn't that odd how this worked out (or was God in the centre of it)?
...and in the interests of complete transparency, check here.

God's Delays are not Denials

God's delays are not denials;
He has heard your prayers;
He knows all about your trials,
Knows your every care.
God's delays are not denials,
Help is on the way;
He is watching over life's deals,
Bringing forth the day.
God's delays are not denials,
You will find Him true;
Working through life's darkest trials,
What is best for you.

St Patrick’s Breastplate

"St. Patrick's Breast-Plate", is supposed to have been composed by him in preparation for this victory over Paganism. The following is a literal translation from the old Irish text:
I bind to myself today
The strong virtue of the Invocation of the Trinity:
I believe the Trinity in the Unity
The Creator of the Universe.

I bind to myself today
The virtue of the Incarnation of Christ with His Baptism,
The virtue of His crucifixion with His burial,
The virtue of His Resurrection with His Ascension,
The virtue of His coming on the Judgement Day.

I bind to myself today
The virtue of the love of seraphim,
In the obedience of angels,
In the hope of resurrection unto reward,
In prayers of Patriarchs,
In predictions of Prophets,
In preaching of Apostles,
In faith of Confessors,
In purity of holy Virgins,
In deeds of righteous men.

I bind to myself today
The power of Heaven,
The light of the sun,
The brightness of the moon,
The splendour of fire,
The flashing of lightning,
The swiftness of wind,
The depth of sea,
The stability of earth,
The compactness of rocks.

I bind to myself today
God's Power to guide me,
God's Might to uphold me,
God's Wisdom to teach me,
God's Eye to watch over me,
God's Ear to hear me,
God's Word to give me speech,
God's Hand to guide me,
God's Way to lie before me,
God's Shield to shelter me,
God's Host to secure me,
Against the snares of demons,
Against the seductions of vices,
Against the lusts of nature,
Against everyone who meditates injury to me,
Whether far or near,
Whether few or with many.

I invoke today all these virtues
Against every hostile merciless power
Which may assail my body and my soul,
Against the incantations of false prophets,
Against the black laws of heathenism,
Against the false laws of heresy,
Against the deceits of idolatry,
Against the spells of women, and smiths, and druids,
Against every knowledge that binds the soul of man.

Christ, protect me today
Against every poison, against burning,
Against drowning, against death-wound,
That I may receive abundant reward.

Christ with me, Christ before me,
Christ behind me, Christ within me,
Christ beneath me, Christ above me,
Christ at my right, Christ at my left,
Christ in the fort,
Christ in the chariot seat,
Christ in the poop,
Christ in the heart of everyone who thinks of me,
Christ in the mouth of everyone who speaks to me,
Christ in every eye that sees me,
Christ in every ear that hears me.

I bind to myself today
The strong virtue of an invocation of the Trinity,
I believe the Trinity in the Unity
The Creator of the Universe.

People

People come into your life for a reason, a season or a lifetime. When you figure out which one it is, you will know what to do for each person.
When someone is in your life for a REASON. . . It is usually to meet a need you have expressed. They have come to assist you through a difficulty, to provide you with guidance and support, to aid you physically, emotionally, or spiritually. They may seem like a godsend, and they are! They are there for the reason you need them to be. Then, without any wrongdoing on your part, or at an inconvenient time, this person will say or do something to bring the relationship to an end. Sometimes they die. Sometimes they walk away. Sometimes they act up and force you to take a stand. What we must realize is that our need has been met, our desire fulfilled, their work is done. The prayer you sent up has been answered. And now it is time to move on.
Then people come into your life for a SEASON. Because your turn has come to share, grow, or learn. They bring you an experience of peace, or make you laugh. They may teach you something you have never done. They usually give you an unbelievable amount of joy. Believe it! It is real! But, only for a season.
LIFETIME relationships teach you lifetime lessons: things you must build upon in order to have a solid emotional foundation. Your job is to accept the lesson, love the person, and put what you have learned to use in all other relationships and areas of your life. It is said that love is blind but friendship is clairvoyant.