JUST THINK - NEW E-CARD!

Just Think,
You’re not here by chance,
but by God’s choosing.
His hand formed you
and made you the person you are.
He compares you to no one else
– you are one of a kind.
You lack nothing that His grace can’t give you.
He has allowed you to be here at this time in history
to fulfill His special purpose for this generation.

By Roy Les

Sunday, August 22, 2010 How to overcome discouragement by Rick Warren Then the people of Judah said, "The work crews are worn out, and there is too much rubble. We can't continue to rebuild the wall." Nehemiah 4:10 (GWT) "When you don't reach a goal on time, just set a new goal. Don't give up." Discouragement is curable. Whenever I get discouraged, I head straight to Nehemiah. This great leader of ancient Israel understood there were four reasons for discouragement. First, you get fatigued -- You simply get tired as the laborers did in Nehemiah 4:10. We're human beings and we wear out. You cannot burn the candle at both ends. So if you're discouraged, it may be you don't have to change anything. You just need a vacation! Sometimes the most spiritual thing you can do is go to bed. Second, you get frustrated -- Nehemiah says there was rubble all around, so much that it was getting in the way of rebuilding the wall. Do you have rubble in your life? Have you noticed that anytime you start doing something new, the trash starts piling up? If you don't clean it out periodically, it's going to stop your progress. You can't avoid it, so you need to learn to recognize it and dispose of it quickly so you don't lose focus on your original intention. What is the rubble in your life? I think rubble is the trivial things that waste your time and energy and prevent you from accomplishing what God has called you to do. Third, you think you've failed -- Nehemiah's people were unable to finish their task as quickly as originally planned and, as a result, their confidence collapsed. They were thinking, "We were stupid to think we could ever rebuild this wall." But you know what I do when I don't reach a goal on time? I just set a new goal. I don't give up. Everybody fails. Everybody does foolish things. So the issue is not that you failed - it's how you respond to your failure. Do you give in to self-pity? Do you start blaming other people? Do you start complaining that it's impossible? Or, do you refocus on God's intentions and start moving again? Finally, when you give in to fear, you get discouraged -- Nehemiah 4 suggests the people most affected by fear are those who hang around negative people. If you're going to control the negative thoughts in your life, you've got to get away from negative people as much as you can. Maybe you're discouraged because of fear. You're dealing with fears like, "I can't handle this. It's too much responsibility." Maybe it's the fear that you don't deserve it. It's the fear of criticism. Fear will destroy your life if you let it. But you can choose to resist the discouragement. Say, "God help me get my eyes off the problem - off the circumstance - and keep my eyes on you."

hursday, July 29, 2010

God says you're lovable by Rick Warren

The mountains and hills may crumble, but my love for you will never end, so says the Lord who loves you. Isaiah 54:10 (TEV) "God says, "I will always love you and it is unconditional. You don't earn it."" God says you're lovable. This is so important because you can't fulfill God's commandment to "love your neighbor as yourself" until you believe this. If you don't feel lovable, you can't love anybody else. Our verse today says a couple things about God's love for us. God loves you consistently -- He doesn't love you one day and not the next. He doesn't love you on your good days and not on your bad days. A lot of you grew up with inconsistent love. One lady told me, "Growing up, I didn't know whether I was going to be hugged or slugged. My parents were never consistent." God isn't like that. God is 100% consistent in his love for you. God loves you unconditionally -- He says, "I will always love you and it is unconditional. You don't earn it." He doesn't say, "I love you if you're good, or I love you if you do these things, or I love you because you look this way or you do these things." What if you were unable to fulfill the condition? Then all of a sudden you're not loved anymore. "God is 100% consistent in his love for you." But God says, "I don't love you like that." He says, "I love you consistently and I love you unconditionally." You never have to wake up in the morning and say, "God, are You going to love me today? Did I read my Bible enough? Did I pray enough?" He loves you consistently no matter who you are or what you do. What is the result when you really understand this? Daniel 10:19 says "God loves you, so don't let anything worry you or frighten you." That's a comfort to me. When I don't have to worry or be afraid of anything, then I am free to give love to everyone around me.

Discovering God's Best for You

Blessed be the Lord, who daily loadeth us with benefits, even the God of our salvation. Psalm 68:19 KJV

Today is your best day because you can grow a little more in your faith, a little more in your maturity, and a little more in your intimacy with Jesus. Today you can take another step higher as He takes you from glory to glory.

Corrie Ten Boom once said, "God doesn't have problems; He only has plans." God doesn't make bad days for you and good days for you. God makes each day fit perfectly into His plans for you.

There are two ways that we can walk through a day. One is to walk by sight, and the other it walk by faith. To walk by faith means to walk in the truth of God's word and the presence of the Holy Spirit who lives in you.

Excerpt from Today is Your Best Day by Roy Lessin, DaySpring co-founder and writer.

She lies in her hospital bed, in pain. She sighs......She has been like this since December 2009. When will it all end.How long more. A new wave of pain sweeps over her. Now adays that is all she knows-pain after pain. She is 16 years old. Her mum walks in, she tries to hide her pain and frustration from her daughter but its written all over her face. She wishes she could trade places with her daughter. Its getting harder and harder to be strong for her family. She wants to scream and protest. This is not fair! She is just 16! She should be enjoying her teenage days for soon it will be over. Her father walks in and goes to her and kisses her and holds her. She feels his love and she knows I will get through this.He is tired after the long drive and he looks at her, so thin and sick.But there is no pity in his eyes just love, pouring out and reaching down to her. Her mum stands by her and even she knows Daddy is here and he gives her that sense of peace too. Her face lifts for she feels the love of her husband surrounding her family. They all forget the pain and frustrations and anger and just feel warm and close.His strength and hope flows over them, giving them hope and strength too.
He leaves the hospital room and goes down to his car. He puts his head in his hands and then the tears come. They flow and flow. He feels helpless. There is nothing he can do to make her better. Its out of his hands now and he knows it.He calls out to his heavenly father. His heart is full of despair. Then he feels those warm strong arms creeping around him, holding him close.He knows his father is here with him, crying with him and then he gently lifts him up and carries him and all his burdens, his pain, his fears.

Excerpt from Walk the Talk
By Eric Harvey and Steve Ventura

Courage

QUESTION: What does "courage" have to do with being a person of good character...with someone who stays true to their principles and their values?

ANSWER: EVERYTHING!

You see, being values-driven means two things:

Doing what's right - following our conscience; refusing to compromise our principles, despite pressures and temptations to the contrary, and

Taking a stand against what's wrong - speaking out, whenever we see others do things that are incorrect or inappropriate.

Unquestionably, both of those require guts and fortitude...they require courage.

Courage is...

Following your conscience instead of "following the crowd".
Refusing to take part in hurtful or disrespectful behaviors.
Sacrificing personal gain for the benefit of others.
Speaking your mind even though others don't agree.
Taking complete responsibility for your actions...and your mistakes.
Following the rules - and insisting that others do the same.
Challenging the status quo in search of better ways.
Doing what you know is right- regardless of the risks and potential consequences.

I'd like to share the "Cadet Prayer" that is repeated during chapel services at the U.S. Military Academy:

"Make us to choose the harder right instead of the easier wrong, and never to be content with a half truth when the whole truth can be won. Endow us with the courage that is born of loyalty to all that is noble and worthy, that scorns to compromise with vice and injustice and knows no fear when truth and right are in jeopardy."

That is truly the essence of courage.

Today I am 58 years old. I have so much to be thankful for and I count my blessings everyday.
The gift of my children are my biggest blessing. The love and caring I receive from them makes
me feel so special. To see how they have grown up to be kind and caring people, with integrity and
purpose in their lives makes me so proud of them. They have put God in their lives and they cannot go wrong when they do that. I have made alot of mistakes in my life and I fear some of those mistakes have hurt them but I pray they forgive me and their hurts will heal in time. They are such as joy in my life.
My family-my brothers and sisters are my next best gift. God has bl est me with a wonderful sister, who is my friend, mother and sister all rolled in one. She hurts when I hurt and feels my joys and pain. Thank you sister for being there for me and now for my kids too. My brothers, thank you for being protective and caring, ready to rally around me when I hurt.My strong shoulders to cry on.You, my family surround me
with so much love. I cannot imagine my life without you all. God has also bl est me with wonderful friends.You know when I am down and you constantly lift me up. You spoil me in your caring and shower me with so much love. I am overwhelmed by it all. I am so richly blest by you all.
You all now are my soulmates and I love each one of you. You each have touched my life in a very special way and I am all the better for it. Thank you..........