December 17, 2007

"My grace is all that you need, for my strength is made perfect in weakness."

II Corinthians 12:9

Christmas is a-coming!! Don't believe me? Ask a kid. With all the work demands and the holiday season barreling down on us we may feel haggard, tired and aggravated. I am convinced that God knows in advance when these stressful times are coming. We may feel dazed from the pressure, but our Father knows our limits. Actually there is some good that can come from these times. Our faith gets stretched and our eyes look to the Father. We are far to precious to Him to allow us to be totally overwhelmed. For a Christian there is no such thing as a "last straw." When life has beaten you down and circumstances have worn you out, the Father is watching you and waiting for you to pause in all the hustle and talk to him. He knows the exact time to ease the pressure. He has promised to give you strength to continue. Re-read the verse above. Claim it this day.

Thought for the week: "In looking for people to hire, you look for three qualities: integrity, intelligence, and energy. And if they don't have the first, the other two will kill you." Warren Buffet

Funny for the week:

Dear Darling Son and That Person You Married,

Merry Christmas to you, and please don't worry. I'm just fine considering I can't breathe or eat. The important thing is that you have a nice holiday, thousands of miles away from your ailing mother. I've sent along my last ten dollars in this card, which I hope you'll spend on my grandchildren. God knows their mother never buys them anything nice. They look so thin in their pictures, poor babies.

Thank you so much for the Christmas flowers, dear boy. I put them in the freezer so they'll stay fresh for my grave. Which reminds me -- we buried Grandma last week. I know she died years ago, but I got to yearning for a good funeral so Aunt Viola and I dug her up and had the services all over again. I would have invited you, but I know that woman you live with would have never let you come. I bet she's never even watched that videotape of my hemorrhoid surgery, has she?

Well son, it's time for me to crawl off to bed now. I lost my cane beating off muggers last week, but don't you worry about me. I'm also getting used to the cold since they turned my heat off and am grateful because the frost on my bed numbs the constant pain. Now don't you even think about sending any more money, because I know you need it for those expensive family vacations you take every year. Give my love to my darling grand babies and my regards to whatever-her- name-is -- the one with the black roots who stole you screaming from my bosom.

Merry Christmas.
Love, Mom

Ah, mom, I didn’t know you cared so much ……………. Chaplain Barnes

Last week’s answer: Who was ruler of Rome when Jesus was born? Caesar Augustus (Luke 2:1)

This week’s question: When Samuel first heard God calling him, whose voice did he think it was?

December 10, 2007

"So then, you are no longer strangers, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God." Ephesians 2"19

"Tis the Season to be jolly..." But did you know that to be happy, a person must know two things. First is that someone cares about you. To know that someone thinks you are the greatest! Love is a two-way street and love can only blossom when it is mutually shared. God thinks you are the greatest. When you allow God's love in your heart, you have reached first base in achieving a fulfilling life. The second thing you need to know is a person must feel that their life is important, that it means something. If a person doesn’t believe this, life becomes a tedious monotony. A dull routine done out of financial necessity. God tells us that when we do His will, follow His vocation in life, He is pleased and we will know contentment. We can know that we are here on earth accomplishing what we were sent here to do. There is no hierarchy among God's children. I am no more important than you. Whether a minimum wage earner or a famous brain surgeon, if you are doing God's will, He is smiling. :)

Thought for the week: A celebrity is a person who works hard all his life to become well known, then wears dark glasses to avoid being recognized. Fred Allen

Funny for the week: "Drum Problem"

There was once a small boy who banged a drum all day and loved every moment of it. He would not be quiet, no matter what anyone else said or did. Various attempts were made to do something about the child.

One person told the boy that he would, if he continued to make so much noise, perforate his eardrums. This reasoning was too advanced for the child, who was neither a scientist nor a scholar.

A second person told him that drum beating was a sacred activity and should be carried out only on special occasions. The third person offered the neighbors plugs for their ears; a fourth gave the boy a book; a fifth gave the neighbors books that described a method of controlling anger through biofeedback; a sixth person gave the boy meditation exercises to make him placid and docile. None of these attempts worked.

Eventually, a wise person came along with an effective motivation. He looked at the situation, handed the child a hammer and chisel, and asked, "I wonder what's inside the drum?"

Chaplain Barnes

Last week’s answer: Who ordered that James, brother of John, be killed with a sword? Herod (Acts 12:3)

This week’s question: Who was ruler of Rome when Jesus was born?

December 3, 2007

"The mind of the wise makes his speech judicious, and adds persuasiveness to his lips." Proverbs 16:23

My wife is always telling me, "It's not what you're saying honey, it is how you're saying it." All of us need to constantly add two ingredients to our speech; gentleness and tact. These two qualities allow our message to get through. Soften your tone, lower your voice, take away any accusation tone in your voice, speak gently. Think about HOW to say something, the best way to phrase it. Speak tactfully. Practicing these rules will benefit us at home, work and anywhere we interact with people. Many time a person's true message has been rejected because it was packaged in immature, incendiary tones. Even the words "I love you" can be spoken so as to cause the receiver to react negatively to us. Practice saying things how you want them to feel, and allow someone the freedom to give you feed back, in love, on how you sound.

Thought for the week: "Today is the first day of the rest of your life but so was yesterday and look how you messed that up."

Funny for the week: "Biker Problem"

A little guy is sitting at the bar just staring at his drink for half an hour when this big trouble-making biker steps next to him, grabs his drink and gulps it down in one swig. The poor little guy starts crying.

"Come on man. I was just giving you a hard time," the biker says. "I can't stand to see a man crying."

"This is the worst day of my life," says the little guy between sobs. "I can't do anything right. I overslept and was late to an important meeting, so my boss fired me. When I went to the parking lot, I found my car was stolen and I don't have any insurance. I grabbed a cab home but, after the cab left, I discovered my wallet was still in the cab. At home I found my wife in bed with the gardener and my dog bit me. So I came to this bar trying to work up the courage to put an end to my life, and then you show up and drink the poison!"

I wonder why his dog bit him?..................... Chaplain Barnes

Last week’s answer: What book comes after Job in the OT? Psalms

This week’s question: Who ordered that James, brother of John, be killed with a sword?