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NUGGETS FROM HEAVEN
with love from Yeshua

If Jesus Came to Your House
 

One evening I invited Jesus Christ into my heart. What an entrance He made! It was not a spectacular, emotional thing, but very real. Something happened at the center of my life. He came into the darkness of my heart and turned on the light. He built a fire on the hearth and banished the chill. He started music where there had been stillness, and He filled the emptiness with His own loving, wonderful fellowship. I have never regretted opening the door to Christ and I never will.
In the joy of this new relationship I said to Jesus Christ, "Lord, I want this heart of mine to be Yours. I want to have you settle down here and be perfectly at home. Everything I have belongs to you. Let me show You around."
The Study
The first room was the study--the library. In my home this room of the mind is a very small room with very thick walls. But it is a very important room. In a sense, it is the control room of the house. He entered with me and looked around at the books in the bookcase, the magazines upon the table, the pictures on the walls. As I followed His gaze I became uncomfortable.
Strangely, I had not felt self-conscious about this before, but now that He was there looking at these things I was embarrassed.Some books were there that His eyes were too pure to behold. On the table were a few magazines that a Christian had no business reading. As for the pictures on the walls -- the imaginations and thoughts of the mind -- some of those were shameful.Red-faced, I turned to Him and said, "Master, I know that this room needs to be cleaned up and made over. Will You help me make it what it ought to be?"
"Certainly!" He said. "I'm glad to help you. First of all, take all the things that you are reading and looking at which are not helpful, pure, good and true, and throw them out! Now put on the empty shelves the books of the Bible. Fill the library with Scripture and meditate on it day and night. As for the pictures on the walls, you will have difficulty controlling these images, but I have something that will help." He gave me a full-size portrait of Himself. "Hang this centrally," He said, "on the wall of the mind."
I did, and I have discovered through the years that when my thoughts are centered upon Christ Himself, His purity and power cause impure thoughts to back away. So He helped me to bring my thoughts under His control.
The Dining Room
From the study we went into the dining room, the room of appetites and desires. I spend a lot of time and hard work here trying to satisfy my wants. I said to Him, "This is a favorite room. I am quite sure You will be pleased with what we serve."
He seated Himself at the table with me and asked, "What is on the menu for dinner?" "Well," I said, "my favorite dishes: money,academic degrees and stocks, with newspaper articles of fame and fortune as side dishes." These were the things I liked -secular fare. When the food was placed before Him, He said nothing, but I observed that He did not eat it. I said to Him,"Master, don't You care for this food? What is the trouble?"
He answered, "I have food to eat that you do not know of. If you want food that really satisfies you, do the will of the Father.Stop seeking your own pleasures, desires, and satisfaction. Seek to please Him. That food will satisfy you."
There at the table He gave me a taste of the joy of doing God's will. What flavor! There is no food like it in all the world. It alone satisfies.
The Living Room
From the dining room we walked into the living room. This room was intimate and comfortable. I liked it. It had a fireplace,overstuffed chairs, a sofa, and a quiet atmosphere.
He said, "This is indeed a delightful room. Let us come here often. It is secluded and quiet, and we can fellowship together."
Well, as a young Christian I was thrilled. I couldn't think of anything I would rather do than have a few minutes with Christ in close companionship.
He promised, "I will be here early every morning. Meet me here, and we will start the day together."
So morning after morning, I would come downstairs to the living room. He would take a book of the Bible from the case. We would open it and read together.
He would unfold to me the wonder of God's saving truths. My heart sang as He shared the love and the grace He had toward me. These were wonderful times.
However, little by little, under the pressure of many responsibilities, this time began to be shortened. Why, I'm not sure. I thought I was too busy to spend regular time with Christ. This was not intentional, you understand. It just happened that way.
Finally, not only was the time shortened, but I began to miss days now and then. Urgent matters would crowd out the quiet times of conversation with Jesus.
I remember one morning rushing downstairs, eager to be on my way. I passed the living room and noticed that the door was open. Looking in, I saw a fire in the fireplace and Jesus was sitting there. Suddenly in dismay I thought to myself, "He is my guest. I invited Him into my heart!
He has come as my Savior and Friend, and yet I am neglecting Him." I stopped, turned and hesitantly went in. With a downcast glance, I said, "Master, forgive me. Have You been here all these mornings?" "Yes," He said, "I told you I would be here every morning to meet with you. Remember, I love you. I have redeemed you at great cost. I value your fellowship. Even if you cannot keep the quiet time for your own sake, do it for mine."
The truth that Christ desires my companionship, that He wants me to be with Him and waits for me, has done more to transform my quiet time with God than any other single fact. Don't let Christ wait alone in the living room of your heart, but every day find time when, with your Bible and in prayer, you may be together with Him.
The Workroom

Before long, He asked, "Do you have a workroom in your home?" Out in the garage of the home of my heart I had a
workbench and some equipment, but I was not doing much with it. Once in a while I would play around with a few little
gadgets, but I wasn't producing anything substantial. I led Him out there. He looked over the workbench and said, "Well, this is
quite well furnished. What are you producing with your life for the Kingdom of God?" He looked at one or two little toys that I
had thrown together on the bench and held one up to me. "Is this the sort of thing you are doing for others in your Christian
Life?"

"Well," I said, "Lord, I know it isn't much, and I really want to do more, but after all, I don't seem to have strength of skill to do
more." "Would you like to do better?" He asked. "Certainly," I replied. "All right. Let me have your hands. Now relax in me
and let my Spirit work through you. I know that you are unskilled, clumsy and awkward, but the Holy Spirit is the Master
Workman, and if He controls your hands and your heart, He will work through you." Stepping around behind me and putting
His great, strong hands under mine, He held the tools in His skilled fingers and began working through me. The more I relaxed
and trusted Him, the more He was able to do with my life.

The Rec Room

He asked me if I had a Rec Room where I went for fun and fellowship. I was hoping He would not ask about that. There were
certain associations and activities that I wanted to keep for myself.

One evening when I was on my way out with some of my buddies, He stopped me with a glance and asked, "Are you going
out?" I replied, "Yes." "Good," He said, "I would like to go with you." "Oh," I answered rather awkwardly, "I don't think Lord
Jesus, that You would really enjoy where we are going. Let's go out together tomorrow night. Tomorrow night we will go to a
Bible Class at church, but tonight I have another appointment."

"I'm sorry," He said. "I thought that when I came into your home, we were going to do everything together, to be close
companions. I just want you to know that I am willing to go with you." "Well," I mumbled, slipping out the door, "we will go
someplace together tomorrow night."

That evening I spent some miserable hours. I felt rotten. What kind of friend was I to Jesus, deliberately leaving Him out of my
life, doing things and going places that I knew very well He would not enjoy? When I returned that evening, there was a light in
His room, and I went up to talk it over with Him. I said, "Lord, I have learned my lesson. I know now that I can't have a good
time without You. From now on, we will do everything together."

Then we went down into the Rec Room of the house. He transformed it. He brought new friends, new excitement, new joys.
Laughter and music have been ringing through the house ever since.

The Hall Closet

One day I found Him waiting for me at the door. An arresting look was in His eye. As I entered, He said to me, "There is a
peculiar odor in the house. Something must be dead around here. It's upstairs. I think it is in the hall closet."

As soon as He said this, I knew what He was talking about. There was a small closet up there on the hall landing, just a few
feet square. In that closet, behind lock and key, I had one or two little personal things that I did not want anyone to know
about. Certainly, I did not want Christ to see them. I knew they were dead and rotten things left over from the old life. I wanted
them so for myself that I was afraid to admit they were there.

Reluctantly, I went up with Him, and as we mounted the stairs the odor became stronger and stronger. He pointed to the door.
I was angry. That's the only way I can put it. I had given Him access to the library, the dining room, the living room, the
workroom, the rec room, and now He was asking me about a little two-by-four closet. I said to myself, "This is too much. I am
not going to give Him the key."

"Well," He said, reading my thoughts, "if you think I'm going to stay up here on the second floor with this smell, you are
mistaken. I will go out on the porch." Then I saw him start down the stairs.

When one comes to know and love Christ, the worst thing that can happen is to sense Him withdrawing His fellowship. I had to
give in. "I'll give You the key," I said sadly, "but You will have to open the closet and clean it out. I haven't the strength to do it."
"Just give me the key," He said. "Authorize me to take care of the closet and I will."

With trembling fingers I passed the key to Him. He took it, walked over to the door, opened it, entered, took out all the
putrefying stuff that was rotting there, and threw it away. Then He cleaned the closet and painted it. It was done in a moment's
time. Oh, what victory and release to have that dead thing out of my life!

Transferring the Title

A thought came to me. "Lord, is there any chance that You would take over the management of the whole house and operate it
for me as You did that closet? Would You take the responsibility to keep my life what it ought to be?"

His face lit up and He replied, "I'd love to! That is what I want to do. You cannot be a victorious Christian in your own
strength. Let me do it through you and for you. That is the way. But," He added slowly, "I am just a guest. I have no authority
to proceed, since the property is not mine."

Dropping to my knees, I said, "Lord, You have been a guest and I have been the host. From now on I am going to be the
servant. You are going to be the owner and Master."

Running as fast as I could to the strongbox, I took out the title deed to the house describing its assets and liabilities, location and
situation. I eagerly signed the house over to Him alone for time and eternity. "Here," I said. "Here it is, all that I am and have,
forever. Now You run the house. I'll just remain with You as a servant and friend."

Things are different since Jesus Christ has settled down and has made His home in my heart.

Y2K

CHRISTMAS
CHRISTMAS 10 COMMANDMENTS
SIMEON
Gift of the Magi

FRIENDLY VISITOR

A CHRISTMAS MESSAGE BY DAN BETZER

TWAS THE NIGHT BE FORE

BRIAN TRACY

YOU KNOW YOU OVERDID IT

SNOWFLAKES

FRIENDS AND FAMILY

PIANO

YOU MAY BE

A HEARTWARMING MESSAGE

KURT WARNER
AS GOES AMERICA
WHERE IS GOD?
Checking In
MILK
AIR FORCE ONE
SECOND CHANCES
BULLET FOR JESUS
THE THINGS WE DO
A LONG LITTLE DOGGIE

Y2K BACKUP

QUESTION
A LETTER FROM FLORIDA
GOD IS LIKE
2 THINGS NOT TO WORRY ABOUT

A PREACHER'S FIRST
ALL ABOUT CHOCOLATE
HOW COME???
THE ROOM
12 THINGS TO LEARN

WANTA KITTEN?
GOD'S WINGS
STRENGTH
LORD'S ARMY

EURO ENGLISH

SON'S BLOOD

YOU CAN NOT EARN YOUR WAY TO HEAVEN

CATS
 AMERICA THE MISSION FIELD
 Emergency Phone Numbers
 FOOD FOR THOUGHT
 Billy Sunday's Tribute to the Bible
CANADIAN
FAITH ANSWERED

 A PRAYER FOR TRAVELLING MERCY
Why Do I Need To Go To Church?
 Preach or play golf?
ONE FOR YOU ONE FOR ME
 FRIENDS
 VISION
THE BIBLE IN 50 WORDS
 My One Good Deed in Life!
GOD IS!
OVERWORKED
MY DAD WRITES
THEY MISSED HIM
 I MAY NEVER PASS THIS WAY AGAIN
THE PRESENT
THE LUNCH BAG
 WHAT CAN WASH OUR SINS AWAY?
THE KIND OF CHRISTIAN I AM
 A Touch of Love
 TASTE AND SEE
I LOVE THE TASTE
SPIRITUAL WARFARE

THE STORY OF TOMMY
WHO IS THE TEACHER?
 SPEAK TO ME!
TWO ROBINS
BLOOPERS
SPURGEON
TWENTY WAYS TO TELL YOUR CHILD YOU LOVE THEM
PSALM 63
SMELL THE RAIN
COLLEGE DAYS
HOW TO KEEP YOUR CHURCH SMALL
WE ARE NEVER ALONE
TOOLS4SALE
REFUSE TO BE DISCOURAGED
MOST IMPORTANT LESSON
GREAT DEALS!
LEND ME YOUR HOPE

WHATEVERHAPPENED?
to quality education?? Many seniors graduating from
High School cannot even read their diplomas. Most can't do basic math
without a calculator. They have no concept concerning the proper use of
grammar, spelling, or vocabulary. And the sad part is -- this includes
many of the teachers!!

Perfect Love was when God so Loved the World that He gave His only
begotten Son and Jesus Christ was the personifcation on perfect Love in
the Flesh! Great Love has no man then this then he lay down his life for
a friend. I lay down my life Jesus said and I have the power to lay it
down and the power to take it up. But He laid it down because of His love
for us that we might be saved. Praise God for His Perfect Love.
There is only one way to heaven and that is by repentence and faith in
Jesus Christ our Lord. I believe people will be judged on the bases of
what they know for God's judgement is always just. Will they be saved I
do not believe the Bible says that they will.

AFA ACTION ALERT  - 11/09/99

American Family Association <><
Dr. Donald E. Wildmon, President
Tim Wildmon, Vice President
P.O. Drawer 2440
Tupelo, Mississippi 38803
Telephone 601/844-5036
URL's http://www.afa.net
http://www.afr.net
http://www.afo.net

+++++++++++++++++++++++++

TOY MAKER OFFERS 'ONE-FINGER' SALUTE TO CHILDREN

Today, the American Family Association criticized Flambeau Corporation,
parent company of Duncan Toy Company, the largest maker and distributor of
yo-yos in the U.S., for it's newest sales pitch...'The Finger.'In a pre-Christmas advertising blitz designed to introduce its new "Hard-core Series" of yo-yos, Duncan began airing a television commercial that bounces from one rebellious personality to the next, each floating the crude gesture of social disrespect into the camera in slow motion. After 17"one finger salutes", the announcer tags the 30-second spot, "Give us the
finger, we'll give you the power."ACTION URGED: Contact Flambeau Corporation, parent of the Duncan ToyCompany, and politely express your outrage over their attack on America'schildren.Flambeau Products Corporation Duncan Toys DivisionPresident Jason Sauey 15981 Valplast Road P.O. Box 97 Middlefield, MI 44062Ph 800-356-8396 (Flambeau Corp.) Ph 800-232-3474 (Duncan Toys)Fax 440-632-1581 E-mail: info@yo-yo.com mailto:info@yo-yo.com

Tim Wildmon, Vice-president of the American Family Association, called it
"negligent" and "irresponsibility of the lowest form. Duncan Toys should be
ashamed of themselves for legitimizing the most antagonistic and obscene
symbol of our society in exchange for a few dollars profit."Wildmon
continued, "For decades, the Duncan yo-yo has been as much of an American
icon as baseball and blue jeans. Today they have deserted their long
established character as a children's toy maker for a new status - social
renegade. Parents will be outraged to learn that Duncan Toys is subverting
the core moral values they want their children to exercise. By promoting
such behavior, Duncan is defying the trust of those who kept them in
business a generation ago, the parents of today's customers."

AFA has called on Duncan Toy Company President Jason Sauey to immediately
recall the offensive commercial before more children learn to associate
anti-social behavior with their product. AFA believes the gesture has long
been associated with provoking violence and that Duncan should realize their
corporate responsibility to children by pulling the spot. "Parents don't
want their children using the Duncan yo-yo as an excuse for exhibiting an
obscene gesture," said Wildmon.

The commercial began airing last week on the partially Disney-owned cable
network E! Entertainment channel.
:-)
Four expectant fathers
 Four expectant fathers were in Minneapolis hospital waiting room,
while Their wives were in labor.
 The nurse arrived and announced to the first man, 'Congratulations
sir, You're the father of twins."  "What a coincidence" the man said with
some obvious pride. "I work for the Minnesota Twins baseball team."

 The nurse returned in a little while and turned to the second man,
"You sir, are the father of triplets."  "Wow, That's really an incredible
 coincidence" he answered. "I work for the 3M Corporation.  My buddies
at work will never let me live this one down."

An hour later, while the other two men were passing cigars around, the
 nurse came back, this time she turn to the 3rd man - who had been
quiet in  the corner. She announced that his wife had just given birth to
 quadruplets.
  Stunned, he barely could reply. "Don't tell me!    Another
coincidence?"   asked the nurse. After finally regaining his composure,
he said "I don't  believe it, I work for the Four Seasons Hotel."

After hearing this, everybody's attention turned to the 4th guy, who
had  just fainted, flat out on the floor. The nurse rushed to his side
and
after some time, he slowly gained back his consciousness. When he was
finally able to speak, you could hear him whispering repeatedly the same
phrase over and over again.
"I should have never taken that job at 7-Eleven...
"I should have never taken that job at 7-Eleven...
"I should have never taken that job at 7-Eleven
:-)

      Two new additions to the periodic table of elements:

     Element Name: WOMAN
      Symbol: WO
      Atomic Weight: (don't even go there)
      Physical properties: Generally round in form. Boils at
nothing and may   freeze at any time. Melts whenever treated properly.
Very bitter if mishandled.       Chemical properties: Very
active. Highly unstable. Possesses strong   affinity with gold,
silver, platinum, and precious stones. Volatile   when left alone.
Able to absorb great amounts of exotic food. Turns slightly green when
placed next to a shinier specimen.       Usage: Highly
ornamental. An extremely good catalyst for dispersion of wealth.
Probably the most powerful income reducing agent known.
     Caution: Highly explosive in inexperienced hands.
      _______________________________
      Element Name: MAN
      Symbol: XY     Atomic Weight: (180+/-50)
      Physical properties: Solid at room temperature, but
gets bent out of   shape easily. Fairly dense and sometimes flaky.
Difficult to find a pure sample. Due to rust, aging samples are unable
to conduct electricity as easily as young samples.
      Chemical properties: Attempts to bond with WO any
chance it can get.   Also tends to form strong bonds with itself.
Becomes explosive when mixed with KD (Element: Child) for prolonged
period of time. Neutralize by saturating with alcohol.
      Usage: None known. Possibly good methane source. Good
specimens are able to produce large quantities on command. Caution: In
the absence of WO, this element rapidly decomposes and begins to smell.
:-)
FOR THOSE WHO TAKE LIFE TOO SERIOUSLY
1. Save the whales. Collect the whole set.2. A day without sunshine is like, night.3. On the other hand... you have different fingers. 4. I just got lost in thought. It was unfamiliar territory. 5. 42.7 percent of all statistics are made up on the spot. 6. 99 percent of lawyers give the rest a bad name.7. I feel like I'm diagonally parked in a parallel universe. 8. You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say will be misquoted, and used against you. 9. I wonder how much deeper the ocean would be without sponges. 10. Honk if you love peace and quiet. 11. Remember half the people you know are below average. 12. Despite the cost of living, have you noticed how popular it remains? 13. Nothing is foolproof to a talented fool. 14. Atheism is a non-prophet organization. 15. He who laughs last thinks slowest. 16. Depression is merely anger without enthusiasm. 17. Eagles may soar, but weasels don't get sucked into jet engines. 18. The early bird may get the worm, but the second mouse gets the cheese.19. I drive way too fast to worry about cholesterol.20. I intend to live forever - so far so good.21. Borrow money from a pessimist - they don't expect it back.22. If Barbie is so popular, why do you have to buy her friends?24. Quantum mechanics: The dreams stuff is made of.25. The only substitute for good manners is fast reflexes. 26. Support bacteria - they're the only culture some people have.27. When everything's coming your way, you're in the wrong lane and going the wrong way. 28. If at first you don't succeed, destroy all evidence that you tried. 29. A conclusion is the place where you got tired of thinking. 30. Experience is something you don't get until just after you need it.31. For every action there is an equal and opposite criticism. 32. Bills travel through the mail at twice the speed of checks. 33. Never do card tricks for the group you play poker with. 34. No one is listening until you make a mistake.35. Success always occurs in private and failure in full view. 37. The hardness of butter is directly proportional to the softness of the bread. 38. The severity of the itch is inversely proportional to the ability toreach it. 39. To steal ideas from one person is plagiarism; to steal from many isresearch.40. To succeed in politics, it is often necessary to rise above yourprinciples.41. Monday is an awful way to spend 1/7 of your life.42. You never really learn to swear until you learn to drive. 43. Two wrongs are only the beginning.44. The problem with the gene pool is that there is no lifeguard. 45. The sooner you fall behind the more time you'll have to catch up.  46. A clear conscience is usually the sign of a bad memory.
 47. Change is inevitable except from vending machines.
 48. Get a new car for your spouse - it'll be a great trade!
 49. Plan to be spontaneous - tomorrow.
 50. Always try to be modest and be proud of it!
 51. If you think nobody cares, try missing a couple of payments.
 52. How many of you believe in telekinesis? Raise my hand...
 53. Love may be blind but marriage is a real eye-opener.
 54. If at first you don't succeed, then skydiving isn't for you. Clones are people, two

:-)
186,000 miles/sec: Not just a good idea, it's the LAW!

A mouse is just an elephant built by the Japanese

A waist is a terrible thing to mind

Anything free is worth what you pay for it

I don't have anything but I'll give you half

One good turn ..... Gets most of the blankets

COLE'S LAW: Thinly sliced cabbage

Does the name Pavlov ring a bell?

Editing is a rewording activity

I used to think I was indecisive, but now I'm not sure

My reality check just bounced

Rap is to music what Etch-a-Sketch is to art

What if there were no hypothetical questions?

No sense being pessimistic, it probably wouldn't work anyway

A Cowboy's Guide to Life:

Don't interfere with something that ain't botherin' you none.

The easiest way to eat crow is while it's still warm. The colder it
gets, the harder it is to swaller.

If you find yourself in a hole, the first thing to do is stop diggin'.

If it don't seem like it's worth the effort, it probably ain't.

The biggest troublemaker you'll probably ever have to deal with watches
you shave his face in the  mirror every morning.

Never ask a barber if you need a haircut.

If you get to thinkin' you're a person of some influence, try orderin'
somebody else's dog around.

Don't worry about bitin' off more'n you can chew; your mouth is probably
a whole lot bigger'n you think.

Generally, you ain't learnin' nothing when your mouth's a-jawin'.

If you're ridin' ahead of the herd, take a look back every now and then
to make sure it's still there with ya.

Good judgment comes from experience, and a lotta that comes from bad
judgment .

Lettin' the cat outta the bag is a whole lot easier than puttin' it
back.

The quickest way to double your money is to fold it over and put it back
into your pocket.

Never miss a good chance to shut up.
:-)

FISHING TALE

Two men were fishing on a Sunday, when across the lake came the sound of church bells chiming. On man said to the other, "Don't the sound of those bells make you feel bad, with us fishing instead of being in church." The other said "No, I couldn't have gone anyway, my wife is sick".
 

If you do not believe our country in trouble, the following should help you to pray for our country. Isa. 41:10

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ -

THE BEST CONGRESS MONEY CAN BUY....

Based on records prior to the summer break, 29 members of Congress have been accused of spousal abuse, 7 have been arrested for fraud, 19 have been accused of writing bad checks, 117 have bankrupted at least two businesses, 3 have been arrested for assault, 71 have credit reports so bad they can't qualify for a credit card, 14 have been arrested on drug-related charges, 8 have been arrested for shoplifting, 21 are current defendants in lawsuits, and in 1998 alone, 84 were stopped for drunk driving, but released after they claimed Congressional immunity.

:-)
The minister was preoccupied with thoughts of how he was going to ask the congregation to come up with more money than they were expecting for repairs to the church building.
Therefore, he was annoyed to find that the regular organist was sick and a substitute had been brought in at the last minute.  The substitute wanted to know what to play."Here's a copy of the service," he said impatiently. "But you'll have to think of something to play after I make the announcement about the finances."During the service, the minister paused and said, "Brothers and Sisters, we are in great difficulty;  the roof repairs cost twice as much as we expected, and we need $4,000 more. Any of you who can pledge $100 or more, please stand up."At that moment, the substitute organist played "The Star-Spangled Banner."And that is how the substitute organist became the permanent organist.

This church had a horse for sale. A prospective buyer came by to look at it and the minister took him out back of the church where the horse was stalled. The buyer liked how the horse looked and asked the minister if he could ride him, kinda like driving a car before you buy it to make sure you are comfortable in it. Anyway, the minster said, "That is fine only this horse is a Christain horse. He doesn't respond to the regular commands people give horses. For instance, if you want him to go you must say 'Praise The Lord', not 'giddyap'. And if you want him to stop, don't say 'whoa'. Rather say 'Amen'". The buyer nodded assent and climbed aboard the horse. He said "Praise the Lord" and the horse started a slow trot. The man felt very good and decided to go a little faster so he said, "Praise the Lord" again. The horse entered into a fairly fast gallop. He man was ecstatic. He felt very good on this horse. All of a sudden he saw a sheer cliff right in front of them and yelled, "Amen!". The horse stopped immediately right at the edge of the cliff. The man was so relieved he wiped his brow and said "PRAISE the LORD!!"
:-)
Thoughts for the Day

Funny how.

 THREE TREES

Once there were three trees on a hill in the woods. They were discussing their hopes and dreams when the first tree said, "Someday I hope to be a treasure chest. I could be filled with gold, silver and precious gems. I could be decorated with intricate carving and everyone would see the beauty." Then the second tree said, "Someday I will be a mighty ship. I will take kings and queens across the waters and sail to the corners of the world. Everyone will feel safe in me because of the strength of my hull."Finally the third tree said, "I want to grow to be the tallest and straightest tree in the forest. People will see me on top of the hill and look up to my branches, and think of the heavens and God and how close to them I am reaching. I will be the greatest tree of all time and people will always remember me." After a few years of praying that their dreams would come true, a group of woodsmen came upon the trees. When one came to the first tree he said, "This looks like a strong tree, I think I should be able to sell the wood to a carpenter" ... and he began cutting it down. The tree was happy, because he knew that the carpenter would make him into a treasure chest. At the second tree a woodsman said, "This looks like a strong tree, I should be able to sell it to the shipyard." The second tree was happy because he knew he was on his way to becoming a mighty ship. When the woodsmen came upon the third tree, the tree was frightened because he knew that if they cut him down his dreams would not come true. One of the woodsmen said, "I don't need anything special from my tree so I'll take this one", and he cut it down. When the first tree arrived at the carpenters, he was made into a feed box for animals. He was then placed in a barn and filled with hay. This was not at all what he had prayed for. The second tree was cut and made into a small fishing boat. His dreams of being a mighty ship and carrying kings had come to an end. The third tree was cut into large pieces and left alone in the dark. The years went by, and the trees forgot about their dreams. Then one day, a man and woman came to the barn. She gave birth and they placed the baby in the hay in the feed box that was made from the first tree. The man wished that he could have made a crib for the baby, but this manger would have to do. The tree could feel the importance of this event and knew that it had held the greatest treasure of all time. Years later, a group of men got in the fishing boat made from the second tree. One of them was tired and went to sleep. While they were out on the water, a great storm arose and the tree didn't think it was strong enough to keep the men safe. The men woke the sleeping man, and he stood and said "Peace" and the storm stopped. At this time, the tree knew that it had carried the King of Kings in its boat. Finally, someone came and got the third tree. It was carried through the streets as the people mocked the man who was carrying it. When they came to a stop, the man was nailed to the tree and raised in the air to die at the top of a hill. When Sunday came, the tree came to realize that it was strong enough to stand at the top of the hill and be as close to God as was possible, because Jesus had been crucified upon it.The moral of this story is that when things don't seem to be going your way, always know that God has a plan for you. If you place your trust in Him, He will give you great gifts. Each of the trees got what they wanted, just not in the way they had imagined. We don't always know what God's plans are for us. We just know that His ways are not our ways, but His ways are always best.
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ALWAYS CHECK THE ORIGINAL SOURCE!!

In an ancient monastery, a new monk arrived to dedicate his life and to join the others copying ancient records. The first thing he noticed was that they were copying by hand, books that had already been copied by hand. He had to speak up. "Forgive me, Father Justinian, but copying other copies by hand allows many chances for error. How do we know we aren't copying someone else's mistakes? Are they ever checked against the originals?" Father Justinian was startled! No one had ever suggested that before. "Well, that is a good point, my son. I will take one of these latest books down to the vault and study it against its original document." He went deep into the vault where no one else was allowed to enter, and started to study. The day passed, and it was getting late in the evening. The monks were getting worried about Father Justinian. Finally one monk started making his way through the old vault, and as he began to think he might get lost, he heard sobbing. "Father Justinian?" He called. The sobbing was louder as he came near. He finally found the old priest sitting at a table with both the new copy and the original ancient book in front of him. It was obvious that Father Justinian had been crying for a long time. "Oh, my Lord," sobbed Father Justinian, "the word is 'celebrate'!!" -- "If you race merely for the tributes from other, you will be at the mercy of their expectations." Holyman's Web Page
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  A frail old man went to live with his son, daughter-in-law, and four-year-old grandson. The old man's hands trembled, his eyesight was blurred, and his step faltered. The family ate together at the table. But the elderly grandfather's shaky hands and failing sight made eating difficult. Peas rolled off his spoon onto the floor. When he grasped the glass, milk spilled on the tablecloth. The son and daughter-in-law became irritated with the mess. "We must do something about Grandfather," said the son. "I've had enough of his spilled milk, noisy eating, and food on the floor. So the husband and wife set a small table in the corner. There Grandfather ate alone while the rest of the family enjoyed dinner. Since Grandfather had broken a dish or two, his food was served in a wooden bowl. When the family glanced in Grandfather's direction, sometimes he had a tear in his eye as he sat alone. Still, the only words the couple had for him were sharp admonitions when he dropped a fork or spilled food. The four-year-old watched it all in silence. One evening before supper, the father noticed his son playing with wood scraps on the floor. he asked the child sweetly, "What are you making?" Just as sweetly, the boy responded, "Oh, I am making a little bowl for you and Mama to eat your food in when I grow up." The four-year-old smiled and went back to work. The words so struck the parents that they were speechless. Then tears started to stream down their cheeks. Though no word was spoken, both knew what must be done. That evening the husband took Grandfather's hand and gently led him back to the family table. For the remainder of his days he ate every meal with the family. And for some reason, neither husband nor wife seemed to care any longer when a fork was dropped, milk spilled, or the tablecloth soiled. Children are remarkably perceptive. Their eyes ever observe, their ears ever listen, and their minds ever process the messages they absorb. If they see us patiently provide a happy atmosphere for family members, they will imitate that attitude for the rest of their lives. The wise parent realizes that every day the building blocks are being laid for the child's future. Let's be wise builders. What a powerful story THIS is. I was caught up by the selfishness of the parents who only changed their behavior when they saw what would happen to THEM.
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Kids' letters to God

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Dear God, Did you mean for the giraffe to look like that or was it an accident? ~Ruth

Dear God, Instead of letting people die and having to make new ones, why don't you just keep the ones you have now? ~Jane

Dear God, Who draws the lines around the countries? ~Nan

Dear God, I went to this wedding and they kissed right in church. Is that okay? ~Neil

Dear God, Thank you for my baby brother, but what I prayed for was a puppy. ~Joyce

Dear God, It rained for our whole vacation and is my father mad! He said some things about you that people are not supposed to say, but I hope you will not hurt him anyway. ~Your friend (but I am not going to tell you who I am)

Dear God, Please send me a pony. I never asked for anything before. You can look it up. ~Bruce

Dear God, If we come back as something, please don't let me be Jennifer Horton, because I hate her. ~Denise

Dear God, I want to be just like my daddy when I get big, but not with so much hair all over. ~Sam

Dear God, I think about you sometimes, even when I'm not praying. ~Elliott

Dear God, I bet it is very hard for you to love all the people in the world. There are only four people in our family and I can never do it. ~Jenny

Dear God, Of all the people who worked for you, I like Noah and David the best. ~Rob

Dear God, My brothers told me about being born, but it doesn't sound right. They are just kidding, aren't they? ~Lisa

Dear God, If you watch me in church Sunday, I'll show you my new shoes. ~Rick

Dear God, We read Thomas Edison made light. But in Sunday school, we learned that you did it. So I bet he stole your idea. Sincerely, ~Donna

Dear God, I do not think anybody could be a better God. Well, I just want you to know that I am not just saying this because you are God already. ~Charles

Dear God, I didn't think orange went with purple until I saw the sunset you made on Tuesday. That was cool! ~Eugene

Dear God, Maybe Cain and Abel would not kill each other so much if they had their own rooms. It works with my brother. ~Larry
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***THE LETTER IN THE NIGHT***

One day a woman named Louise fell asleep in her bed, and dreamed a very fearful dream. She dreamed that someone in Hell wrote a letter to her, and it was to be delivered to her by a messenger. The messenger passed between the lakes of burning fire and brimstone that occupies Hell,and found his way to the door that would lead him to the outside world.

Louise dreamed that the messenger walked to her house, came inside, and gently but firmly woke Louise up. He gave her the message, saying only that a friend had wrote it to her from Hell. Louise, in her dream, with hands took the letter and read: My Friend, I stand in Judgment now, And feel that you're to blame somehow. On earth, I walked with you day by day, And never did you point the way. You knew the Lord in truth and glory, But never did you tell the story. My knowledge then was very dim; You could have led me safe to Him. Though we lived together on the earth, you never told me of the second birth, and now I stand this day condemned, Because you failed to mention Him. You taught me many things, that's true, I called you "friend" and trusted you, But I learn now that it's too late, You could have kept me from this fate. We walked by day and talked by night, And yet you showed me not the Light. You let me live, and love, and die, You knew I'd never live on high. Yes, I called you a "friend" in life, And trusted you through joy and strife. And yet on coming to the end, I cannot, now, call you "My Friend." Marsha

After reading the letter, Louise awoke. The dream was still so real in her mind and sweat dropped from her body in pools. She swore she could still smell the acrid smell of brimstone and smoke from her room. As she contemplated the meaning of her dream, she realized that as a Christian,she had failed in her duty to "go out to all the world and preach the gospel." As she thought of that, she promised herself that the next day,she would call Marsha and invite her to church with her. The next morning she called Marsha and this was the conversation: Yes, Bill, Is Marsha there? Louise, you don't know? No, Bill, know what? Marsha WAS KILLED LAST NIGHT IN A CAR ACCIDENT. I thought you had known. Fellow Christian, is this your testimony? Are you witnessing to your friends that you are with everyday? Or will there be a friend of yours who will not be saved. (Romans 10:9 - 10) If you have not done so, just pray this prayer: "Dear God, I confess with my mouth and believe in my heart that Jesus is your son and that he died on the cross for my sins. Jesus, forgive me of my sins and come into my heart and become my personal Lord and Savior. In Jesus' name, amen."P.S. If you are a believer - new or old, send this to others and let them know you are a true friend.
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If we live Christ and are one with Him, we should be able to say, "Lord Jesus, I love You, and I take You as my life and as my person. Lord, I want to be with You in Your glory and see You face to face. I want to enjoy Your presence, even Your physical presence, in a practical way. Lord, I'm waiting for this and I'm expecting this." If you contact the Lord in this way day by day, you will be very happy at His coming. Suppose, however, that you do not care for the Lord or contact Him. You may not sin or go into the world, but you continually live by the self. You respect the Lord Jesus as the Savior and as the Lord. But although you honor Him, He is not dear or precious to you, and you do not have intimate fellowship with Him. You neither live Him nor take Him as your person. Do you think that, if this is your daily living with respect to the Lord Jesus, you will be excited and shout praises at His coming? Certainly not! Rather, you will withdraw from Him in shame. Whether or not Christ's coming back will be glory to you depends on how much hope you have laid up in the heavens by living Christ today. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ A Prayer ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Lord Jesus, I love You, and I take You as my life and as my person. Lord, I want to be with You in Your glory and see You face to face. I want to enjoy Your presence in a practical way. Hallelujah, Lord, I'm expecting Your appearing. Amen.

The Great "I AM" God said to Moses"I AM WHO I AM" This is what you are to say to the Israelites: I AM has sent me to you (Exodus 3:14) One of the most comforting things in life is the surety that God is with us through all circumstances and that there is nothing that is too hard for HIM. Everyday is a new adventure. We are conquerors because HE is in control. In our daughters room hangs a poster that reminds us of this marvelous truth. I was regretting the past and fearing the future. Suddenly my Lord was speaking. "My name is I AM." He paused ......I waited. He continued, When you live in the past ,with mistakes and regrets, it is hard I AM not there. My name is not I WAS. When you live in the future, with its problems and fears,it hard. I AM is not there. My name is not I WILL BE. When you live in the moment, it is not hard.I am there. My name is I AM. Let us be of good cheer. We walk not alone. Our Devine companion understands and cares; He is not a "HAS BEEN." He is not a "MAYBE" He is the great I AM. Author Unknown Ex 3:14a And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: Joh 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
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"I don't care what color you paint the kitchen." Really means.... "As long as it's not blue, green, pink, red, yellow, lavender, gray, mauve, black, turquoise or any other color besides white." "It's a guy thing." Really means.... There is no rational thought pattern connected with it, and you have no chance at all of making it logical." "Can I help with dinner?" Really means.... "Why isn't it already on the table?" "Uh huh," "Sure, honey," or "Yes, dear." Really mean.... Absolutely nothing. It's a conditioned response like Pavlov's dog drooling. "Good idea." Really means.... "It'll never work. And I'll spend the rest of the day gloating." "Have you lost weight?" Really means.... "I've just spent our last $30 on a cordless drill." "My wife doesn't understand me." Really means.... "She's heard all my stories before, and is tired of them." "It would take too long to explain." Really means.... "I have no idea how it works." "I'm getting more exercise lately." Really means.... "The batteries in the remote are dead." "I got a lot done." Really means.... "I found 'Waldo' in almost every picture." "We're going to be late." Really means.... "Now I have a legitimate excuse to drive like a maniac." "You cook just like my mother used to." Really means.... "She used the smoke detector as a meal timer, too." "Take a break, honey, you're working too hard." Really means.... "I can't hear the game over the vacuum cleaner." "That's interesting, dear." Really means.... "Are you still talking?" "Honey, we don't need material things to prove our love." Really means.... "I forgot our anniversary again." "You expect too much of me." Really means.... "You want me to stay awake." "It's a really good movie." Really means.... "It's got guns, knives, fast cars.” "That's women's work." Really means.... "It's difficult, dirty, and thankless." "Will you marry me?" Really means.... "Both my roommates have moved out, I can't find the washer, and there is no more peanut butter." "Go ask your mother." Really means.... "I am incapable of making a decision." Football is a man's game." Really means.... "Women are generally too smart to play it." "I do help around the house." Really means.... "I once put a dirty towel in the laundry basket." "Hey, I've got my reasons for what I'm doing." Really means.... "And I sure hope I think of some pretty soon." "I can't find it." Really means.... "It didn't fall into my outstretched hands, so I'm completely clueless." "What did I do this time?" Really means.... "What did you catch me at?" "What do you mean, you need new clothes?" Really means.... "You just bought new clothes 3 years ago." "She's one of those rabid feminists." Really means.... "She refused to make my coffee." "No, I left plenty of gas in the car." Really means.... "You may actually get it to start." "I heard you." Really means.... "I haven't the foggiest clue what you just said, and am hoping desperately that I can fake it well enough so that you don't spend the next 3 days yelling at me." "You know I could never love anyone else." Really means.... "I am used to the way you yell at me, and realize it could be worse." "You look terrific." Really means.... "Oh, God, please don't try on one more outfit. I'm starving." "I brought you a present." Really means.... "It was free ice scraper night at the ball game." "I missed you." Really means.... "I can't find my sock drawer, the kids are hungry and we are out of toilet paper." "I'm not lost. I know exactly where we are." Really means.... "No one will ever see us alive again." "We share the housework." Really means.... "I make the messes, she cleans them up." "Of course I like it, honey, you look beautiful." Really means.... "Oh, man, what have you done to yourself?" "It sure snowed last night." Really means... "I suppose you're going to nag me about shoveling the walk now." "I don't need to read the instructions." Really means.... “I am perfectly capable of screwing it up without printed help." "I'll fix the garbage disposal later." Really means.... "If I wait long enough you'll get frustrated and buy a new one." "I'll take you to a fancy restaurant." Really means.... "Someplace that doesn't have a drive-thru window."
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Listen To God, It Is Important

author unknown The story starts out where she, Beth, is sitting at an airport terminal, waiting to board a plane. She was sitting there with several other people who were also waiting, whom she did not know. As she waited, she pulled out her Bible and started reading. All of a sudden she felt as if the people sitting there around her, were looking at her. She looked up, but realized that they were looking just over her head, in the direction right behind her. She turned around to see what everyone was looking at, and when she did, she saw a stewardess pushing a wheelchair, with the ugliest old man sitting in it, that she had ever seen before. She said he had this long white hair that was all tangled and such a mess. His face was really, really wrinkled, and he didn't look friendly at all. She said she didn't know why, but she felt drawn to the man, and thought at first that God wanted her to witness to him. In her mind she said she was thinking, "Oh, God, please, not now, not here." No matter what she did, she couldn't get the man off of her mind, and all of a sudden she knew what God wanted her to do. She was supposed to brush this old man's hair. She went and knelt down in front of the old man, and said "Sir may I have the honor of brushing your hair for you?" He said "What?" She thought, "Oh great, he's hard of hearing." Again, a little louder, she said, "Sir, may I have the honor of brushing your hair for you?" He answered, "If you are going to talk to me, you are going to have to speak up, I am practically deaf." So this time, she was almost yelling, "Sir may I please have the honor of brushing your hair for you?" Everyone was watching to see what his response would be. The old man just looked at her confused, and said "Well, I guess if you really want to." She said, "I don't even have a brush, but I thought I would ask anyway." He said, "look in the bag hanging on the back of my chair, there is a brush in there." So she got the brush out and started brushing his hair. (She has a little girl with long hair, so she has had lots of practice getting tangles out, and knew how to be gentle with him.) She worked for a long time, until every last tangle was out. Just as she was finishing up, she heard the old man crying, and she went and put her hands on his knees, kneeling in front of him again looking directly into his eyes, and said "Sir, do you know Jesus?" He answered, "Yes, of course I know Jesus. You see, my bride told me she couldn't > marry me unless I knew Jesus, so I learned all about Jesus, and asked Him to come into my heart many years ago, before I married my bride." He continued, "You know, I am on my way home to go and see my bride. I have been in the hospital for a long time, and had to have a special surgery in this town far from my home. My bride couldn't come with me, because she is so frail herself." He said, "I was so worried about how terrible my hair looked, and I didn't want her to see me looking so awful, but I couldn't brush my hair, all by myself." Tears were rolling down his cheeks, as he thanked Beth for brushing his hair. He thanked her over and over again. She was crying, people all around witnessing this were crying, and as they were all boarding the plane, the stewardess, who was also crying, stopped her, and asked, "Why did you do that?" And right there was the opportunity, the door that had been opened to share with someone else, the love of God. We don't always understand God's ways, but be ready, He may use us to meet the need of someone else, like he met the need of this old man, and in that moment, also calling out to a lost soul who needed to know about His love.

Walking by faith....

One day a 6 year old girl was sitting in the classroom. The teacher was going to explain evolution to the children. The teacher asked a little boy: Teacher: Tommy do you see the tree outside? Tommy: Yes. Teacher: Tommy, do you see the grass outside? Tommy: Yes. Teacher: Go outside and look up and see if you can see the sky. Tommy: OK. (He returned a few minutes later) Yes, I saw the sky. Teacher: Did you see God? Tommy: No. Teacher: That's my point. We can't see God because he isn't there. He doesn't exist. A little girl spoke up and wanted to ask the boy some questions. The teacher agreed: Little girl: Tommy, do you see the tree outside? Tommy: Yes. Little girl: Tommy do you see the grass outside? Tommy: Yessssss (getting tired of the questions by this time). Little girl: Did you see the sky? Tommy: Yessssss Little Girl: Tommy, do you see the teacher? Tommy: Yes Little Girl: Do you see her brain? Tommy: No Little Girl: Does that mean she doesn't have one? FOR WE WALK BY FAITH, NOT BY SIGHT 2 CORINTHIANS 4:7
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THE DAY I MET DANIEL

  It was an unusually cold day for the month of May. Spring had arrived and everything was alive with color. But a cold front from the North had brought winter's chill back to Indiana.
  I sat with two friends in the picture window of a quaint restaurant just off the corner of the town square. The food and the company were both especially good that day. As we talked, my attention was drawn outside, across the street.
  There, walking into town, was a man who appeared to be carrying all his worldly goods on his back. He was carrying a well-worn sign that read, "I will work for food." My heart sank. I brought him to the attention of my friends and noticed that others around us had stopped eating to focus on him.
  Heads moved in a mixture of sadness and disbelief. We continued with our meal, but his image lingered in my mind.We finished our meal and went our separate ways. I had errands to do and quickly set out to accomplish them. I glanced toward the town square,looking somewhat halfheartedly for the strange visitor. I was fearful,knowing that seeing him again would call some response.
  I drove through town and saw nothing of him. I made some purchases at a store and got back in my car.Deep within me, the Spirit of God kept speaking to me: "Don't go back to the office until you've at least driven once more around the square." And so, with some hesitancy, I headed back into town. As I turned the square's third corner, I saw him. He was standing on the steps of the storefront church, going through his sack. I stopped and looked, feeling both compelled to speak to him, yet wanting to drive on. The empty parking space on the corner seemed to be a sign from God: an invitation to park.I pulled in, got out and approached the town's newest visitor.
  "Looking for the pastor?" I asked. "Not really," he replied, "just resting.""Have you eaten today?""Oh, I ate something early this morning.""Would you like to have lunch with me?""Do you have some work I could do for you?""No work," I replied.
  "I commute here to work from the city, but I would take to take you to lunch.""Sure," he replied with a smile.As he began to gather his things. I asked some surface questions. "Where you headed?"St. Louis.""Where you from?""Oh, all over; mostly Florida."
  "How long you been walking?""Fourteen years," came the reply.I knew I had met someone unusual. We sat across from each other in the same restaurant I had left earlier. His face was weathered slightly beyond
his 38 years. His eyes were dark yet clear, and he spoke with an eloquence and articulation that was startling. He removed his jacket to reveal a bright red T-shirt that said, "Jesus is The Never Ending Story."
  Then Daniel's story began to unfold. He had seen rough times early in life.He'd made some wrong choices and reaped the consequences. Fourteen years earlier, while backpacking across the country, he had stopped on the beach in Daytona. He tried to hire on with some men who were putting up a large tent and some equipment. A concert, he thought. He was hired, but the tent would not house a concert but revival services, and in those services he saw life more clearly. He gave his life over to God.
  "Nothing's been the same since," he said, "I felt the Lord telling me to keep walking, and so I did, some 14 years now.""Ever think of stopping?" I asked."Oh, once in a while, when it seems to get the best of me. But God has given me this calling. I give out Bibles. That's what's in my sack. I work to buy food and Bibles, and I give them out when His Spirit leads."I sat amazed.
  My homeless friend was not homeless. He was on a mission and lived this way by choice. The question burned inside for a moment and then I asked:"What's it like?"
  "What?"
  "To walk into a town carrying all your things on your back and to show your sign?"
  "Oh, it was humiliating at first. People would stare and make comments.Once someone tossed a piece of half-eaten bread and made a gesture that certainly didn't make me feel welcome. But then it became humbling to realize that God was using me to touch lives and change people's concepts of other folks like
me."
  My concept was changing, too. We finished our dessert and gathered his things. Just outside the door, he paused. He turned to me and said,"Come ye blessed of my Father and inherit the kingdom I've prepared for you. For when I was hungry you gave me food, when I was thirsty you gave me drink, a stranger and you took me in."
  I felt as if we were on holy ground. "Could you use another Bible?" I asked.
  He said he preferred a certain translation. It traveled well and was not too heavy. It was also his personal favorite. "I've read through it 14 times,"he said.
 "I'm not sure we've got one of those, but let's stop by our church and see."I was able to find my new friend a Bible that would do well, and he seemed very grateful.
 "Where you headed from here?"
  "Well, I found this little map on the back of this amusement park coupon."
"Are you hoping to hire on there for a while?"
 "No, I just figure I should go there. I figure someone under that star right there needs a Bible, so that's where I'm going next."  He smiled, and the warmth of his spirit radiated the sincerity of his mission. I drove him back to the town square where we'd met two hours earlier, and as we drove, it started raining. We parked and unloaded his things.
  "Would you sign my autograph book?" he asked. "I like to keep messages from folks I meet."
  I wrote in his little book that his commitment to his calling had touched my life. I encouraged him to stay strong. And I left him with a verse of scripture, in Jeremiah, "I know the plans I have for you," declared the
Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you. Plans to give you a future and a hope."
  "Thanks, man," he said. "I know we just met and we're really just strangers,but I love you."
  "I know," I said, "I love you, too."
  "The Lord is good."
  "Yes, He is. How long has it been since someone hugged you?" I asked.
  "A long time," he replied.And so on the busy street corner in the drizzling rain, my new friend and I
embraced, and I felt deep inside that I had been changed.
  He put his things on his back, smiled his winning smile and said, "See you in the New Jerusalem."
  "I'll be there!" was my reply.
  He began his journey again. He headed away with his sign dangling from his bedroll and pack of Bibles. He stopped, turned and said, "When you see something that makes you think of me, will you pray for me?"
  "You bet," I shouted back, "God bless."
  "God bless."And that was the last I saw of him. Late that evening as I left my office,the wind blew strong. The cold front had settled hard upon the town. I bundled up and hurried to my car. As I sat back and reached for the emergency brake, I saw them....a pair of well-worn brown work gloves neatly laid over the length of the handle. I picked them up and thought of my friend and wondered if his hands would stay warm that night without them. I remembered his words:  "If you see something that makes you think of me, will you pray for me?"
  Today his gloves lie on my desk in my office. They help me to see the world and its people in a new way, and they help me remember those two hours with my unique friend and to pray for his ministry.
  "See you in the New Jerusalem," he said.
Yes, Daniel, I know I will...

Were You Colder Than This?

   It was a cold winter's night in Korea. An expectant mother trudged her way through the freezing snow to the home of a missionary friend where  she knew she would find help. A short way down the road from the mission house was a deep gully spanned by a bridge.
  As the young woman stumbled along, birth pains overcame her. She realized she could go no farther and crawled beneath the bridge. There alone between the trestles she gave birth to a baby boy. She had nothing with her except the heavy padded clothes she was wearing. One by one she removed the pieces of her clothing and wrapped them around her infant son - around and around, like a cumbersome cocoon. Then, finding a discarded piece of burlap, she pulled it over herself, and lay exhausted and shivering beside the baby.
 The next morning the missionary drove her Jeep across the bridge to take a food basket to a Korean Family. On the way back, as she neared the bridge, the vehicle sputtered and died, out of gas. Getting out of the Jeep she started to walk across the bridge toward the mission, but stopped when she heard a faint cry beneath her. She crawled under the bridge to investigate. There she found the tiny baby, warm but hungry, and the young mother frozen to death at his side.
  The missionary took the baby home and cared for him. As the boy grew, he often asked his adopted mother to tell him the story of how she had found him.
  On the 12th anniversary of his mother's death, the lad asked the missionary to take him to her grave. Once there he asked her to wait a  distance away while he went to pray. The boy stood beside the grave with  bowed head, weeping. Then he began to disrobe. As the astonished missionary watched, the boy took off his warm clothing, piece by piece, and laid them on his mother's grave.
  Surely he won't take off all his clothing, the missionary thought. He'll freeze!
  But the boy stripped himself of everything, putting all  his warm clothing on the grave. He knelt naked and shivering in the  freezing snow. As the missionary went to him to help him dress, she heard him cry out to the mother he never knew: "Were you colder than this for me, my mother?" And he wept bitterly.
  Then Christ came, He stripped himself of every royal garment and entered  into a world of hatred and cold indifference. Why did He do it? Because He saw that centuries of broken lives needed a Savior. And then He died of a broken heart. What broke it? The sin of mankind. The long history of men worshipping false gods in temples made with hands. War, bloodshed, crime, cruelty, sexual deviation, and greed - these things broke the heart of Christ.
   But so did we. Our coldness broke His heart and now it freezes Him out.
  We complacent Christians who are outwardly satisfied, yet inwardly suffering from apathy! We who pray, "Give us compassion for a lost  world," and then "sacrifice" a dollar for missions. We with our comfortable homes and apartments and brimming garbage cans. We who have the money, knowledge, and manpower to take the gospel to every creature, and yet we don't. We who say we love the lost, and neglect to tell a lost neighbor about a loving Savior. Jesus' love lies frozen between lips that ought to be warm to speak for Him.
  Lord, we take off our garments of pride and self-righteousness, glittering but transparent filthy rags that they are, and lay them at Your feet. In our naked need we cry, "Were you colder than this because of us, Lord?" And we weep bitterly, because we know You were. Author unknown James L. Hoefer--Living Christ Fellowship "All things are yours, whether Paul or Apollos or the world or life or death or the present or the future--all are yours, and you are Christ's, and Christ is of God."  Paul, I Cor. 3

The functioning of the Body is realized specifically through the meeting. The mutual help, mutual influence, and mutual care of the members (e.g., the eyes helping the legs, the ears helping the hands, the hands helping the mouth) are more clearly manifested in the meetings. Through the meeting, we receive many answers to prayer. We often receive no light individually. But when we come to the meeting, we find light. What we see individually through our own pursuit can never match what we see in the meetings.
  It is a spontaneous thing for God's children to function in mutuality when they come together. We do not know how this mutuality in the Body works in the meeting, but we know that this mutuality is a fact. When one brother stands up, others see the light. When another brother stands up, others feel the Lord's Presence. One brother opens his mouth to pray and others touch God. Another brother speaks a few words and others feel the supply of life. This phenomenon cannot be explained by human words; it surpasses human explanation.Only when the Lord comes back will we really know how the Body of Christ functions in mutuality. Today we merely obey the Lord's ordination.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ A Prayer ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Lord Jesus, thank You for the marvelous mutuality that we
experience in the Body when we meet together. Mere human
friendship can never provide the care, help, and
enlightening which come from the functioning of Your
members. Amen.

THE 'WHAT IFS'

Either you carry the burden or you let the Lord carry it.
The choice is yours!
How does He sustain us?
One day at a time.
Remember the Israelites in the wilderness?
God supernaturally fed them each day by sending manna from heaven.
But like us, some of them wanted to make sure they had enough for tomorrow. (Just in case God forgot or changed His mind.)
But God would allow them to collect only enough for each day.
If they tried to collect more -- the excess rotted. (Ex 16)
Think about it; when you worry over the future, you're trying to store up manna for tomorrow and, before you know it, you feel rotten (no pun intended).
Your heavenly Father wants you to give tomorrow to Him because it's too big for you!
Are you being tormented by the 'What Ifs'?
What if the money doesn't come?
What if I get hurt or seriously ill or lose my job?
What if I'm lonely all my life?
What if I'm not hearing from God and make a big mistake?
The Bible calls this "imaginations," (2 Cor 10:5)
You are literally 'imagining the worst.'
Paul says to "cast it down," for if you don't, you'll live in dread concerning things that haven't even Happened and probably never will --unless you create them through fear. (Job 3:25)
The Word for you today is -- relax!
What if you reason and reason and figure it all out then God surprises you and does something different?
All that time would be wasted.
Haven't you already wasted enough time worrying?
Here's an idea: what if you just relax and let God be God?
"Cast Thy burden upon the Lord, and He shall sustain thee . . . "Psalms 55:22Rev. Jerry Belton Home Bound Ministries Acts 5:42

  A guy is driving through the countryside and suddenly develops car trouble.The highway is rather deserted, and having no other choice, he pulls his car over. Fortunately, he spies a farmhouse a little
ways up and walks there in hope of using a phone to call for help.
  At the house, a farmer answers the door, and hearing the man's plight, welcomes him in to use the phone.
  While the man is on the phone calling a towing service, he notices something odd in the farmer's backyard: a pig with a wooden leg. Waiting for the tow truck, the two strike up a conversation.
  The man can't help his curiosity and asks the farmer, "Was that a pig with a wooden leg I saw in your yard?"
"Sure was,"the farmer replies.  The man says, "I have to know, why does the pig have a wooden leg?"
  "Well, that's a very special pig," the farmer says.  "One day,I tripped and sprained my ankle near the highway. That pig pulled me from harm's way and went to the house, got my wife,and let her know I was in trouble."
  "Wow," the man said.  "I don't know of many dogs that could do that. That is a special pig. But, please tell me, why does the pig have a wooden leg?!"
  "Well, as I was saying," the farmer replied, "that's a very special pig. One day me and the Mrs. were asleep in bed when the house caught on fire. That pig ran upstairs, jumped on the bed, woke the both of us up, and sure as I'm talking to you today, saved our lives."
  "I understand that pig is very special," the man says, getting a little frustrated, "But, please tell me.  Why does the pig have a wooden leg!?"
 "Well," the farmer replies, "a pig as special as that, you wouldn't want to eat him all at once now, would you?"

Q: How many internet mail list subscribers does it take to change a light bulb?
A: 1,331:
1 to change the light bulb and to post to the mail list that the light bulb has been changed
109 to post that this list is not about light bulbs and to please take this email exchange to  alt.lite.bulb
14 to share similar experiences of changing light bulbs and how the light bulb could have been changed
differently
7 to caution about the dangers of changing light bulbs
27 to point out spelling/grammar errors in posts about changing light bulbs
53 to flame the spell checkers
156 to write to the list administrator complaining about the light bulb discussion and its inappropriateness
to this mail list
41 to correct spelling in the spelling/grammar flames
203 to demand that cross posting to alt.grammar,alt.spelling and alt.punctuation about changing light
bulbs be stopped
111 to defend the posting to this list saying that we all use light bulbs and therefore the posts **are**
relevant to this mail list
306 to debate which method of changing light bulbs is superior, where to buy the best light bulbs, what
brand of light bulbs work best for this technique, and what brands are faulty
27 to post URLs where one can see examples of different light bulbs
14 to post that the URLs were posted incorrectly, and to post corrected URLs
3 to post about links they found from the URLs that are relevant to this list which makes light bulbs
relevant to this list
33 to concatenate all posts to date, then quote them including all headers and footers, and then add "Me
Too."
12 to post to the list that they are unsubscribing because they cannot handle the light bulb controversy
19 to quote the "Me Too's" to say, "Me Three."
4 to suggest that posters request the light bulb FAQ
1 to propose new alt.change.lite.bulb newsgroup
47 to say this is just what alt.physic.cold_fusion was meant for, leave it here
143 votes for alt.lite.bulb
:-)

THE ANSWER
  A son and his father were walking on the mountains.
  Suddenly, the son  falls, hurts himself and screams: "AAAhhhhhhhhhhh!!!"
  To his surprise, he  hears the voice repeating, somewhere in the mountain: AAAhhhhhhhhhhh!!!"
  Curious, he yells: "Who are you?" He receives the answer: "Who are you?"
  Angered at the response, he screams: "Coward!" He receives the answer: "Coward!" He looks to his father and asks: "What's going on?"
  The father smiles and says: "My son, pay attention." And then he screams to the mountain: "I admire you!" The voice answers: "I admire you!"
  Again the man yells: "You are a champion!" The voice answers: "You are a champion!"
  The boy is surprised, but does not understand.
  Then the father explains: "People call this ECHO, but really this is LIFE. It gives you back everything you say or do."
  Our life is simply a reflection of our actions. If you want more love in the world, create more love in your heart.  If you want more competence in your team, improve your competence. This relationship applies to everything, in all aspects of life; Life will give you back everything you have given to it.
 YOUR LIFE IS NOT A COINCIDENCE. IT'S A REFLECTION OF YOU!
> --
> ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
 We are inclined to think that everything that happens is to be turned  into useful teaching. In actual fact, it is to be turned into something even better than teaching, namely, character.  ~ Oswald Chambers
:-)

We had the meanest mother in the whole world!
  While other kids ate candy for breakfast, we had to have cereal, eggs,and toast.  When others had a Pepsi and a Twinkie for lunch, we had to eat sandwiches. And you can guess our mother fixed us a dinner that
was different from what other kids had, too.
  Mother insisted on knowing where we were at all times. You'd think we were convicts in a prison. She had to know who our friends were, and what we were doing with them. She insisted that if we said we would be gone for an hour, we would be gone for an hour or less.
  We were ashamed to admit it, but she had the nerve to break the Child Labor Laws by making us work.   We had to wash the dishes, make the beds, learn to cook, vacuum the floor, do laundry, and all sorts of
cruel jobs. I think she would lie awake at night thinking of more things for us to do.
  She always insisted on us telling the truth the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. By the time we were teenagers, she could read our minds.
  Then, life was really tough! Mother wouldn't let our friends just honk the horn when they drove up. They had to come up to the door so she could meet them.
  While everyone else could date when they were 12 or 13, we had to wait until we were 16.
  Because of our mother we missed out on lots of things other kids experienced.  None of us have ever been caught shoplifting,vandalizing other's property, or ever arrested for any crime. It was all her fault.
  Now that we have left home, we are all God-fearing, educated, honest adults. We are doing our best to be mean parents just like Mom was. I think that's what's wrong with the world today. It just doesn't have
enough mean moms anymore.
:-)
Lord, Thank You

Thank You for this sink of dirty dishes; we have plenty of food to eat.
Thank You for this pile of dirty laundry, stinky laundry; we have plenty of nice clothes to wear.
And I would like to thank You, Lord, for those unmade beds; they were so warm and comfortable last night. I know that many have no bed.
My thanks to You, Lord, for this bathroom, complete with all the splattered mirrors, soggy, grimy towels and dirty lavatory; they are so convenient.
Thank You for this finger-smudged refrigerator that needs cleaning. It has served us faithfully for many years. It is full of cold drinks and enough leftovers for two or three meals.
Thank You, Lord, for this oven that absolutely must be cleaned today; It has baked so many things over the years.
The whole family is grateful for that tall grass that we all enjoy in the yard. My kids are healthy and able to run and play.
Lord, the presence of all these chores awaiting me says You have richly blessed my family. I shall do them cheerfully and I shall do them gratefully.

Even though I clutch my blanket and growl when the alarm rings, Thank You, Lord, that I can hear. There are many who are deaf.
Even though I keep my eyes closed against the morning light as long as possible, Thank You, Lord, that I can see. Many are blind.
Even though I huddle in my bed and put off rising, Thank You, Lord, that I have the strength to rise. There are many who are bedridden.
Even though the first hour of my day is hectic, when socks are lost,toast is burned and tempers are short, my children are so loud;
Thank You, Lord, for my family. There are many who are lonely.
Even though our breakfast table never looks like those in the magazines and the menu is at times not balanced, Thank You, Lord, there are many who are hungry.
Even though the routine of my job is often monotonous, Thank You, Lord,for the opportunity to work. There are many who have no job.
Even though I grumble and bemoan my fate from day to day and wish my  circumstances were better. Thank You, Lord, for life.
Anyone can count the number of seeds in an apple, but only God knows the number of apples in a seed.
Pass this on to others. You'll never know the number of people who will live a life of thanksgiving thereafter with this message.
**Work like you don't need the money.....Love like you've never been hurt.....And Dance like no one is watching!**
:-)
 BEWARE POKEMAN
 

:-)
Pet Names

Bernie was invited to his friend's home for dinner.  Morris, the host, preceded every request to his wife by endearing terms,calling her Honey, My Love, Darling, Sweetheart, Pumpkin, etc.
Bernie looked at Morris and remarked, "That is really nice, that after all these years that you have been married, you keep calling your wife those pet names."
Morris hung his head and whispered," To tell the truth, I forgot her name three years ago."
:-)
  Noting the pirate's peg-leg, hook, and eye patch the seaman asks, "So, how did you end up with the peg-leg?"
  The pirate replies, "We was caught in a monster storm off the cape and a giant wave swept me overboard. Just as they were pullin' me out, a school of sharks appeared and one of 'em bit me leg off."
  "Blimey!" said the seaman. "What about the hook?"
  "Ahhhh...," mused the pirate, "we were boardin' a trader ship,pistols blastin' and swords swingin' this way and that. In the fracas me hand got chopped off."
  "Zounds!" remarked the seaman. "And how came ye by the eye patch?"
  "A seagull droppin' fell into me eye," answered the pirate.
  "You lost your eye to a seagull dropping?" the sailor asked incredulously.
  "Well," said the pirate, "it was me first day with the hook..."
:-)
In the wake of the EXXON/Mobil deal, the MCI/Sprint deal and the
AOL/Netscape deal, here are the latest mergers and others we can expect
to see shortly:
Hale Business Systems, Mary Kay Cosmetics, Fuller Brush, and W.R.Grace
Company merge to  become: Hale Mary Fuller Grace.
Polygram Records, Warner Brothers, and Keebler Crackers merge to become: Polly-Warner-Cracker.
Zippo Manufacturing, Audi Motors, Dofasco, and Dakota Mining merge to become: Zip Audi Do Da.
Fairchild Electronics and Honeywell Computers will merge and become:Fairwell Honeychild.
:-)
Anyway

People are often unreasonable, illogical, and self-centered;
Forgive them anyway.
If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives;
Be kind anyway.
If you are successful, you will win some false friends and some true
enemies;
Succeed anyway.
If you are honest and frank, people may cheat you;
Be honest and frank anyway.
What you spend years building, someone could destroy overnight;
Build anyway.
If you find serenity and happiness, they may be jealous;
Be happy anyway.
The good you do today, people will often forget tomorrow;
Do good anyway.
Give the world the best you have, and it may never be enough;
Give the world your best anyway.
You see, in the final analysis, it is between you and God;
It was never between you and them anyway.
 - Mother Teresa
(Isaiah 41:10)
:-)
Fear not.
As I was in prayer this morning about what God would have me say to you today, He brought this powerful verse from the book of Isaiah into my mind and told me that many of you today needed to be encouraged and reassured that God had not left you.  The Bible promises us that He will never leave us
nor forsake us.  Let me say it this way, God has NEVER left you, although you may have left Him.  How can you fear anything...any person, any situation,any circumstance, when God is there with you?  But the promise of this verse just doesn't end with His presence.
To me, the power in the verse is His promise to help us.  Every morning,when I look into the mirror in my bathroom, the first thing I see is a Bible verse from John that simply says, "Without me you can do nothing."  I never want to start the day trusting in my own strength or wisdom, but trying to rely on
what God provides.  It is such a comfort to know that God is with me, and that He is helping me.  That is why I have such confidence, even in the face of what appears to be overwhelming odds. God is with me, He is helping me,and the Bible says that if He is with me, who can be against me!  That promise also applies to you!!!!
I want you to put this truth in your heart and mind, and start living a confident, victorious life..NOW!!!   There is no better time than now to put God to the test.  If he said it, believe it, and live it.  When you are
driving down the freeway at 60 MPH and there are cars all around you going just as fast or even faster, you are trusting those other drivers literally with your life.  When you get on an airplane, you are trusting the pilot to get you up and down safely.  There are so many times each day that you are putting your faith in trust in people you don't even know.  If you are willing to blindly trust total strangers every day, why not put your trust in the God of the universe.  The God who loved you so much He sent His son to die for your sins.  The God that not only promises to never leave you, but help you.
I love you and care for you deeply.  I want to see you rise above whatever the situations in your life may be, live that victorious life.  Not only do you then become a living testimony of God's power, but you are then free to serve Him without being so distracted by the events in your life.Overcoming the hurdles in your life, gives you the freedom to help others overcome their hurdles.  Keep praying for this ministry, those who come to us each day for help, and those God will lead to us in the future.  Your prayers and support
make it possible for us to be here for people in their hour of need to share with them the hope we have in Christ Jesus.
:-)
 The CEO of Tyson Foods manages to arrange a meeting with the Pope  at the Vatican.  After receiving the papal blessing, he whispers, "Your eminence, we have an offer for you.  Tyson Foods is prepared to donate $100 million dollars to the church if you  change the Lord's Prayer from 'give us this day our daily bread' to 'give us this day our daily chicken.'
The Pope responds, "That is impossible.  The Prayer is the word  of the Lord - it must not be changed." "Well," says the Tyson man, "we anticipated your reluctance.  For this reason, we will increase our offer to $300 million dollars.
 All we require is that you change the Lord's Prayer from 'give us  this day our daily bread' to 'give us this day our daily chicken.'
Again, the Pope replies, "That, my son, is impossible. For the prayer is the word of the Lord and it must not be changed."
 Finally, the Tyson guy says, "Your Holiness, we at Tyson Foods respect your adherence to your faith, but we do have one final offer.  We will donate $500 million dollars - that's half a billion dollars - to the great Catholic Church if you would only change the Lord's Prayer from 'give us this day our daily bread' to 'give us this day our daily chicken.'  Please consider it."
And he leaves.
The next day the Pope convenes the College of Cardinals.  "There is some good news," he announces, "and some bad news." "The good news is that the Church has come into $500 million dollars."
"And the bad news, your eminence?" asks a Cardinal.
"We're losing the Wonderbread account."
:-)

"The Reformation Polka"
by Richard  Gebel

(sung to the tune of "Supercalifragilistic-expialidocious")
When I was just ein junger Mann I studied canon law;
While Erfurt was a challenge, it was just to please my Pa.
Then came the storm, the lightning struck, I called upon Saint Anne,
I shaved my head, I took my vows, an Augustinian!  Oh,
-Chorus:
Papal bulls, indulgences, and transubstantiation
Speak your mind against them and face excommunication!
Nail your theses to the door, let's start a Reformation!
Papal bulls, indulgences, and transubstantiation!

When Tetzel came near Wittenberg, St. Peter's  profits soared,
I wrote a little notice for the All Saints' Bull'tin  board:
"You cannot purchase merits, for we're justified by grace!
Here's 95 more reasons, Brother Tetzel, in your face!" Oh-
[CHORUS]

They loved my  tracts, adored my wit, all were exempleror;
The Pope, however, hauled me up before the Emperor.
"Are these your books?  Do you recant?" King Charles did demand,
"I will not change my Diet, Sir, God help me here I stand!" Oh-
[CHORUS]

Duke Frederick took the Wise approach, responding to my words,
By knighting "George" as hostage in the Kingdom of the Birds.
Use Brother Martin's model if the languages you seek,
Stay locked inside  a castle with your Hebrew and your Greek!  Oh-
[CHORUS]

Let's raise our steins and Concord Books while gathered in this place,
And spread the word that 'catholic' is spelled with lower case;
The Word remains unfettered when the Spirit gets his chance,
So come on, Katy, drop your lute, and join us in our dance!  Oh-
[CHORUS]
:-)
Do you know Art?
Art who?
Artesian.
Yes, I know Artesian well.

My Mom ws the most patriotic woman in America. She layed on the stripes
and I saw the stars.

Aren't you rather warm doing your painting all bundled up like that?
Well, it says right here on the pain can to be sure and put on three
coats.....

Many a child who watches television for hours will go down in history.
Not to mention arithmetic, English, and geography.

:-)

In case you have a cat or plan to get  one, this might be useful.For catlovers everywhere who, like  myself (Yeah, right), are very concerned about kitty hygiene. Washing the Cat 1. Thoroughly clean the toilet.
2. Add the required amount of shampoo to the toilet water, and have both lids lifted. 3. Obtain the cat and soothe him while you carry him to the bathroom 4. In one smooth movement, put the cat  in the toilet and close the lid. (You may need to stand on the lid so he  cannot escape.)  CAUTION: Do not get any part of your body too close to the edge, as his paws will be reaching for anything they can find.5. Flush the toilet three or four times. This provides a "power wash and rinse" which I have found to be quite effective.
6. Have someone open the door to the outside and ensure that there are no people between the toilet and the outside door.7. Stand behind the toilet as much as you can and quickly lift both lids.8. The now-clean cat will rocket out of the toilet and run outside, where he will dry himself.Sincerely,The  Dog

For Noah's Flood, a New Wave Of Evidence

                  By Guy Gugliotta
                  Washington Post Staff Writer
                  Thursday, November 18, 1999; Page A01

                  Scientists have discovered an ancient coastline 550 feet below the surface of the Black Sea, providing dramatic new evidence of a sudden, catastrophic flood around 7,500 years ago--the possible source of the Old Testament story of Noah.
  A team of deep-sea explorers this summer captured the first sonar images of a gentle berm and a sandbar submerged undisturbed for thousands of years on the sea floor.
 Now, using radiocarbon dating techniques, analysts have shown that the remains of freshwater mollusks subsequently dredged from the ancient beach date back 7,500 years and saltwater species begin showing up 6,900 years ago.
  Explorer Robert D. Ballard, who led the team that collected the shells, said findings indicate a flood occurred sometime during the 600-year gap.
  "What we wanted to do is prove to ourselves that it was the biblical flood,"                 Ballard said in an interview this week.
  The findings offer independent verification of a theory advanced by Columbia            University geologists William Ryan and Walter Pitman that the Black Sea                   was created when melting glaciers raised the sea level until the sea breached a natural dam at what is now the Bosporus, the strait that separates the Mediterranean Sea from the Black Sea.
  An apocalyptic deluge followed, inundating the freshwater lake below the            dam, submerging thousands of square miles of dry land,flipping the                ecosystem from fresh water to salt practically overnight, and probably                   killing thousands of people and billions of land and sea creatures, according                 to Ryan and Pitman.
  The two scientists described the catastrophe in their book "Noah's Flood,"                  based on 30 years of research that began with coring samples showing the                  same abrupt transition from lake to sea that Ballard confirmed with his                   dredge. No one had ever actually seen the old shoreline, however, until                   Ballard's team captured sonar images of it in August.
  Ryan and Pitman also suggested that the flood may have triggered massive                migrations to destinations as diverse as Egypt, western Europe and central                  Asia, an idea that has provoked some academic controversy. Scholars also                  question whether any natural disaster could be conclusively identified as the                inspiration for the story of Noah's flood.
  "All modern critical Bible scholars regard the tale of Noah as legendary,"                  said Hershel Shanks, editor of the Biblical Archaeology Review. "There are                   other flood stories, but if you want to say the Black Sea flood is Noah's                  flood, who's to say no?"
  Shanks pointed out that biblical scholars date the writing of the Book of               Genesis, from which the story of Noah is taken, sometime between
2,900 and 2,400 years ago, and a similar event is described in the                  Mesopotamian Gilgamesh legend, written about 3,600
years ago.
  But while Ryan and Pitman do not prove that the Black Sea flood directly                  inspired Gilgamesh or Noah, their theory arguespersuasively that the event
                  was probably horrific enough for scribes and minstrels
to remember it for
                  thousands of years.

                  And regardless of the historical context, the science
of the Black Sea flood
                  stands undisputed. Ryan and Pitman dated the event at
7,600 years ago,
                  and they fixed the likely depth of the ancient
coastline almost exactly where
                  Ballard found it.

                  "It feels good," Pitman said of Ballard's findings,
analyzed by the Woods Hole
                  Oceanographic Institution in Massachusetts. Pitman
noted that the new
                  research took place on the Black Sea's southern shore
near the Turkish
                  port of Synope--far from the northern waters where he
and Ryan had
                  worked.

                  The flood, the underwater coastline and the likelihood
that ancient
                  settlements lie on the submerged plain have added a
new dimension to an
                  already ambitious project.

                  The region's main archaeological attraction has always
been the Black Sea
                  itself, composed mostly of dense Mediterranean salt
water that
                 immediately plunged to the bottom of the freshwater
lake when the
                  Bosporus gave way 7,500 years ago.

                  Ever since, the less dense water on top has acted as a
500-foot-deep lid on
                  a 7,000-foot-deep oxygen-free abyss--a watery
wilderness where scientists
                  suspect there may be 7,500 years of shipwrecks
preserved in almost
                  pristine condition.

                  The tantalizing prospect of exploring this environment
piqued Ballard's
                  interest several years ago. Beginning with the Titanic
in 1985, Ballard has
                  found several historic wrecks in deep water using
manned submersibles
                  and robotic vehicles.

                  The Black Sea project, funded by the National
Geographic Society and the
                  University of Pennsylvania, began in 1995, when teams
of archaeologists on
                  land and in shallow water began mapping Synope and its
environs.

                  Synope is about 200 miles directly south across the
Black Sea's abyssal
                  waters from the Crimea--a natural terminus for an
ancient trade route.
                  Ballard said he intends to use a deep-sea robot next
summer to look for a
                  sea lane.

                  "The first thing you find is trash; you didn't have
Adopt-a-Highway then," he
                  said. And where there is trash, there are sure to be
wrecks. "My biggest
                  problem is going to be trees," he added. If wooden
ships can survive in the
                  Black Sea's depths, then so can trees. The bottom
could look like a forest.

                  These difficulties, Ballard said, are different from
those inherent in the
                  search for flood-plain settlements. Many of these were
probably buried--and
                  lost forever--when a thick layer of sediment swept
into the old lake with the
                  flood waters. And Ballard suspects many others have
been destroyed by the
                  trawlers that have been scouring the sea bottom for
thousands of years.

                  Still, he said, there are plenty of "relic surfaces"
near Synope, where the
                  water simply rose quickly to submerge intact whatever
lay below. Ballard's
                  sonar sweeps this summer found a gentle coastline
"frozen in time," he
                  said.

                  "In a perfect world you'll see a fence," Ballard said,
or maybe a stockade or
                  even a house. And there will likely be plenty of
artifacts, because "when the
                  flood came, people just had to run."

Colossians 1:11  Being empowered with all power, according
to the might of His glory, unto all endurance and
long-suffering with joy.

2 Cor. 7:4  ...I am filled with comfort, I overflow with joy
in all our affliction.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Words of Ministry ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This power [Col. 1:11] is not only the power of Christ's
resurrection (Phil. 3:10), but Christ Himself. Within us we
have Christ as a dynamo that continually empowers us
"according to the might of His glory." This is the might
that expresses God's glory; it glorifies God in His might.
With this might we are empowered. By Christ we are empowered
"unto all endurance and longsuffering with joy." Because of
this marvelous power, we can be joyful even in sufferings.
By means of this power we can take with joy whatever may
happen to us.

We have reason to be joyful because we have the resurrected
Christ as the power within us. If we are joyful during times
of affliction, we shall not age so quickly. Instead, we
shall look younger than our years. The Apostle Paul did not
pray that the Colossians would have the best husbands or
wives, the best houses, and the best jobs. Furthermore, he
did not pray that the Colossians would be kept from
suffering. To the contrary, he prayed that they would be
empowered to all endurance and longsuffering with joy; that
is, he prayed that they would have the capacity to suffer
long with joy. To suffer long in joy is to endure suffering
in Christ. Suffering may actually help us to have an
increased enjoyment of Christ. Christ is the joy, the
endurance, and the longsuffering. Therefore, Paul's prayer
is altogether a prayer for the experience of Christ.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ A Prayer ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Lord Jesus, thank You for showing me that You are all that I
need.  I want to experience You as the mighty glory and the
enabling joy within me.  Help me to see that the goal is not
to be kept from sufferings but to enjoy and experience You.
Amen.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Bible verses are taken from the Recovery Version of the
Bible (RcV) and Words of Ministry, from Witness Lee,
Life-study of Colossians, pp.22-23.

FREEWARE.COM
CS Rep: May I help you?
Customer: I have this new program.  I'm not very technical,but I think I am ready to install it now.  What do I do first?CS Rep: The first step is to open your HEART.  Have you located your HEART?
Customer:  Yes I have, but there are several programs running right now.  Is it okay to install while they are running?
CS Rep: What programs are running?Customer: Let me see...  I have PASTHURT.EXE,LOWESTEEM.EXE, GRUDGE.EXE, and RESENTMENT.COM running right now.
CS Rep: No problem.  LOVE will automatically erase PASTHURT.EXE from your current operating system.
It may remain in your permanent memory, but it will no longer disrupt other programs.  LOVE will eventually
overwrite LOWESTEEM.EXE with a module of its own
called HIGHESTEEM.EXE.  However, you have to
completely turn off GRUDGE.EXE and RESENTMENT.COM.
Those programs prevent LOVE from being properly installed.
Can you turn those off?
Customer: I don't know how to turn them off.  Can you tell me how?
CS Rep: My pleasure.  Go to your Start menu and invoke FORGIVENESS.EXE.  Do this as many times as necessary until GRUDGE.EXE and RESENTMENT.COM have been
completely erased.
Customer: Okay, I'm done.  LOVE has started installing itself
automatically.  Is that normal?
CS Rep: Yes it is.  You should receive a message that says it
will reinstall for the life of your HEART.  Do you see that message?

Customer: Yes I do.  Is it completely installed?

CS Rep: Yes, but remember that you have only the base program.
You need to begin connecting to other HEART's in order to get the
upgrades.
Customer: Oops.  I have an error message already.  What should  I do?
CS Rep: What does the message say?
Customer: It says "ERROR 412 PROGRAM NOT RUN ON INTERNAL COMPONENTS."  What does that mean?
CS Rep: Don't worry, that's a common problem.  It means that the LOVE program is set up to run on external HEARTS but has not yet been run on your HEART.  It is one of those complicated programming things, but in non-technical terms it means you have to "LOVE" your own machine before it can " LOVE" others.
Customer: So what should I do?
CS Rep: Can you find the directory called "SELF-ACCEPTANCE"?
Customer: Yes, I have it.
CS Rep: Excellent, you are getting good at this.
Customer: Thank you.
CS Rep: You're welcome.  Click on the following files and then copy them to the "MYHEART' directory: FORGIVESELF.DOC,SELFESTEEM.TXT, REALIZEWORTH.TXT, and GOODNESS.DOC. The system will overwrite any conflicting files and begin patching any  faulty programming.  Also, you need to delete SELFCRITIC.EXE from
all directories, and then empty your recycle bin afterwards to make sure it is completely gone and never comes back.
Customer: Got it.  Hey!  My HEART is filling up with really neat files.  SMILE.MPG is playing on my monitor right now, and it shows that WARMTH.COM, PEACE.EXE, and CONTENTMENT.COM are copying themselves all over my HEART!
CS Rep: Then LOVE is installed and running.  You should be able to handle it from here.  One more thing before I go.
Customer: Yes?
CS Rep: LOVE is freeware.  Be sure to give it and its various modules to everybody you meet.  They will in turn share it with other people and they will return some really neat modules back to you.
Customer: I will.  Thank you for your help.
Unknown

Gross bi-monthly pay: $1,222.02
Income Tax: $244.40
State Tax: $61.10
Interstate Tax: $5.89
County Tax: $6.11
Rural Tax: $4.44
Back Tax: $1.11
Front Tax: $1.16
Side Tax: $1.61
Up Tax: $2.22
Down Tax: $1.11
Tic-Tacs: $1.98
Thumbtacks: $3.93
Carpet Tacks: $.98
Flat Tax: $8.32
Surtax: $3.46
Ma'am Tax: $2.60
Parking Fee: $5.00
No Parking Fee: $10.00
F.I.C.A.: $81.88
T.G.I.F.: $9.95
Life Insurance: $5.85
Health Insurance: $16.23
Disability: $2.50
Ability: $.25
Liability: $3.41
Dental Insurance: $4.50
Mental Insurance: $4.33
Reassurance: $.11
Coffee: $6.85
Coffee Cups: $66.51
Calendar: $3.06
Floor Rental: $16.85
Chair Rental: $.32
Desk Rental: $4.32
Union Dues: $5.85
Union Don'ts: $3.77
Cash Advances: $.69
Cash Retreats: $121.35
Overtime: $1.26
Undertime: $54.83
Eastern Time: $9.00
Central Time: $8.00
Mountain Time: $7.00
Pacific Time: $6.00
GMT: $24.00
Bath Time: $4.44
Time Out: $12.21
Oxygen: $10.02
Water: $16.54
Electricity: $38.23
Heat: $51.42
Air: $46.83
Miscellaneous: $150.01
Take Home Pay: $0000.02

Now THIS is interesting trivia
 Wednesday was November 17th, 1999.
The numerical format for that was 11-17-1999. All of the digits are odd. The next Odd day was 11-19-1999. (last Friday)
The next Odd day after that will be 1-1-3111 - which is well over a thousand years away, which we will never see.
Days such as 4-13-89 have both even and odd digits, thus, it is neither odd nor even. The next even day will be 2-2-2000 - the first one since 8-28-888.
So, now you have a reason to celebrate because last Friday was your last odd day on Earth!!!!!!
 Hope you had a nice odd day!

 Air Force One crashed in the middle of rural America.
 Panic stricken the Secret Service mobilized and descended on the farm in force. When they got there, the devastation was incredible. The aircraft was totally destroyed with only a burned hulk left smoldering in a tree line that bordered a farm.
 Secret Service inspected the smoking hulk but could find no  remains of the crew or the President's staff. To their amazement, a lone farmer was plowing a field not too far away as if nothing at all happened. They hurried over and surrounded the man's tractor.
  "Sir," the senior Secret Service agent asked, panting and out of breath.
  "Did you see this terrible accident happen?"
  "Yep. Sure did." the man muttered unconcernedly.
  "Do you realize that is the President of the United States airplane?"
  "Yep."
  "Were there any survivors?" the agent gasped.
  "Nope. They was all kilt straight out." the farmer sighed cutting off his tractor motor. "I done buried them all myself. Took most of the morning."
  "The President of the United States is DEAD?" The agent gulped in disbelief.
  "Well," the farmer sighed, obviously wanting to get back to his work.  "He kept a-saying he wasn't ... but you know what a liar he is."

Heard a similar joke many years ago.

A Mother was pushing her child in a stroller on a train.  Quite upset she
quipped at the Conductor "I have never been so insulted.  Your fellow
employees and riders said this is the ugliest baby  that they have ever seen!
Certainly I will never ride this train again."

The Conductor trying to comfort the Mother told her to sit down here in the
Dining Car and have dinner on the house.  He ended his remark with the
following " And while your ordering go on and get a banana for your little
Monkey"
THE PRICE OF WISDOM
ANYONE INTERESTED IN THIS ANTHOLOGY
THERMOMETER OR THERMOSTAT
A LAWYER
CHOOSE
MAX LUCADO
TRUST ME
DICK VAN DYKE
THE SON
THE FIVE POINTS OF CALVINISM