~
There's JOY in the Kitchen ~
~When we realize that ~
Faith sees the invisible, believes the
incredible, and receives the impossible. * * *
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
"WHY ME, LORD?"
By Shannon Parish
As we walk out this call of ministry to the
masses, there are times when we will be tempted
to quit, turn back to what was familiar, or to
hurry up and press things through. We hope in
vain that if we could just speed things up and
get through today that somehow tomorrow will be
different. Then when tomorrow comes, we find out
that such is not the case. Tomorrow brings with
it new and greater problems to heap up on
yesterdays concerns.
"This isn't what I bargained for
God!" we cry out in despair, "This is
too painful! You ask me to bear a hard
thing!" We melt into a heap of violent
shaking sobs as we dread the next phone call or
the next member who suddenly feels the need to
speak with us immediately after service. Or
worse, our faces flush with anger and we grit our
teeth as the thought crosses our mind that
perhaps we need to just get a "real"
job.
These are times that take great courage.
Courage to face our own emotions, fears, and
hidden agendas. Times to lay it all on the altar
and count our lives as lost for the sake of Jesus
Christ. This is where we discover whether we can
say along with Paul in Acts 20:24, "But none
of these things move me; nor do I count my life
dear to myself, so that I may finish my race with
joy, and the ministry which I received from the
Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace
of God." or in Phil 3:8 "Yet indeed I
also count all things loss for the excellence of
the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I
have suffered the loss of all things, and count
them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ."
When we enlisted in the service of our Lord
and King, did we "sign up" because we
thought we would get a free ride? That men would
honor us? That wealth would be ours beyond our
wildest dreams? Perhaps it was to see how many
things and programs you could do at once. Well?
Why DID you answer that call?
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
"Be strong and of good courage, do
not fear nor be afraid of them; for the LORD your
God, He is the One who goes with you. He will not
leave you nor forsake you." Then Moses
called Joshua and said to him in the sight of all
Israel, "Be strong and of good courage, for
you must go with this people to the land which
the LORD has sworn to their fathers to give them,
and you shall cause them to inherit it"
Deut. 31:6,7, 1 Chron. 28:20
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
LET GO!!
There was a mountain climber who fell off the
sheer wall of a cliff. As he fell, he managed to
grasp a small tree growing from the side of the
mountain and clung there precariously as he
looked down several thousand feet to the canyon
floor. He looked up to the top of the mountain,
still several hundred feet distant and called,
"Help,is there anyone up there?" To
answer came back, "Yes, " "Who is
it?" " I am Jesus." "Can you
help me?" the voice answered, "Yes, but
you will have to let go of the tree." A
moment of silence, and then, "Is there
anyone else up there?"
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Do not follow where the path may lead -
go instead where there is no path and leave a
trail.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Matt 6:34 "Therefore do not worry
about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its
own things. Sufficient for the day is its own
trouble. (NKJ)
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Josh 1:9 "Have I not commanded you?
Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid,
nor be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with
you wherever you go." (NKJ)
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
TIME SURE CHANGES THINGS
"Time sure changes things," an
airline passenger told his companion. "When
I was a boy I used to sit in a flat bottom
rowboat and fish in the lake down there below us.
Every time a plane flew over, I'd look up and
wish I were in it. Now I look down and wish I
were fishing." Timing sure does change
things.
Being at the right place at the right time
makes all the difference. How important is
timing? Theodore Roosevelt said, "9/10's of
wisdom is being wise in time."
Like most of us, you want to get where you are
going as fast as you can. But, keep in mind that
too swift is as untimely as too slow. The
situation that seems urgent seldom is. Haste
slows every dream and opens the door to failure.
"The more haste, the less speed" (John
Heywood).
It's more important to know where you're
going, than to see how fast you can get there.
"Impatient people always get there too
late" (Jean Dutourd). We undo ourselves by
impatience.
One of the most frequent causes for the
failure of able-bodied men is impatience in
waiting for results. "The haste of a fool is
the slowest thing in the world" (Thomas
Shadwell). Whoever is in a hurry shows that the
thing he is doing is too big for him. Impatience
is one big "get-ahead-ache."
"There is a time to let things happen and
a time to make things happen" (Hugh
Prather). That's what Ecclesiastes 3:1 means when
it says, "To everything there is a season,
and a time to every purpose under heaven."
Life is lived in season, which means we are to do
different things at different times. Do the right
thing at the right time. A Chinese proverb says,
"Never leave your field in spring or your
house in winter." God never sends a winter
without following it with the joy of spring, the
growth of summer and the harvest of fall.
Be a good finisher and never claim a victory
prematurely. The greatest assassin of dreams is
haste, the desire to reach things before the
right time.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
A man is not finished when he is
defeated. He is finished when he quits.
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POT LUCK!
DIRT CAKE
By Oletha Sanders, Earth, Texas
1 (20 oz.) pkg. Oreo Cookies
1 (8 oz.) pkg. cream cheese
1/2 stick oleo, softened
1 cup powdered sugar
2 (6 oz. serving-size) pkgs. instant vanilla
pudding mix
3 1/2 cup milk
1 (12 oz.) carton frozen, whipped topping, thawed
Crush cookies (including icing centers) in
food processor or blender until mixture resembles
dirt. Set aside.
Cream the cream cheese, margarine and powdered
sugar. Mix pudding mixes and milk 1 - 2 minutes
until well blended. Fold in pudding mixture with
a rubber spatula. Fold in whipped topping.
In an 8 - 10 inch flower pot, alternated
layers of cookie crumbs and pudding cream, ending
with cookies (dirt). Chill several hours or
overnight before serving. Decorate with gummy
worms or a plastic flower, or a brand new spray
of clean artificial flowers.
NOTE: If using clay or ceramic pot, line with
foil because they can contain lead. Also a cute
way to serve it is on a cookie sheet or large
platter in a pile and place the shovel in the
side.
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DID JESUS USE A MODEM AT THE SERMON ON
THE MOUNT?
Submitted by Family5TX
Did Jesus use a modem,
At the Sermon on the Mount?
Did He ever try a broadcast fax,
To send His message out?
Did the disciples carry beepers,
As they went about their route?
Did Jesus use a modem,
At the sermon on the Mount?
Did Paul use a Laptop
With lots of RAM and ROM?
Were his letters posted on a BBS,
At Paul.Rom.Com?
Did the man from Macedonia,
Send an E-Mail saying "Come?"
Did Paul use a laptop
With lots of RAM and ROM?
Did Moses use a joystick
At the parting of the Sea?
And a Satellite Guidance Tracking System
To show him where to be?
Did he write the law on tablets,
Or are they really on CD?
Did Moses use a joystick,
At the parting of the Sea?
Did Jesus really die for us,
One day upon a tree?
Or was it just a Hologram,
Or Technical Wizardry?
Can you download the Live Action Video Clip,
To play on you PC?
Did Jesus really die for us,
One day upon a tree?
Have the wonders of this modern age,
Made you question what is true?
How a single man, in a simple time,
Could offer life anew?
How a sinless life, a cruel death,
Then a glorious life again Could offer more to a
desperate world,
Than all the inventions of man?
If in your life, the voice of God
Is sometimes hard to hear,
With other voices calling,
His doesn't touch your ear,
Then set aside your laptop and modem,
And all your fancy gear.
And open your Bible, open your heart,
And let your Father draw near.
~ Author Unknown ~
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