by Barbara Chadwick
Paul quotes Jesus in Acts 20:35, "It is more Blessed to give than to
receive."
Kenneth Ryan and Abigail delivered papers all year long in Sitka. They saved some of every pay check so that when they went to Grandma and Grandpa's house in the summer, they could pay for their four cousins to accompany them to the water park. What a blessing to see this spirit of sharing and giving.
Michael, 16, and Zachary, 15, came from Missouri to Colorado to work with their uncle in building construction for six weeks. It was hard work. They go tired. They missed their friends and family. They
learned a lot. At the end of six weeks they came to stay with Grandma
and Grandpa until their family came out at Christmas. Their parents
had enough money to make the trip but not enough to buy presents. So the boys, using their work money, provided presents for everyone.
What a joy to see them buy, wrap and place those gifts under the
tree - to see the anticipation of the joy of giving.
Sunday, November 30, 2008
Sunday, November 23, 2008
'nough said!
by Audrey Wauson
‘nough said!
Have you ever been a member of a volunteer organization? Some of them are so very well organized. Some of them aren’t organized at all but they have a great time. Others aren’t either one. But the ones I have always enjoyed and wanted to go back to again and again, are the ones where everyone is excited to participate at whatever level and for however long.
Our praise team is one of those that isn’t very organized but we are all having a great time. Mostly because we all want to sing and worship and we’re willing to do it even if it means giving up some control over the outcome. Sometimes that’s hard for me … the giving up control thingy. I kind’a like structure and dependability and knowing what’s going to happen. And most of the time … ok a lot of the time :P … my life isn’t like that.
Proverbs 10:19 When words are many, sin is not absent, but he who holds his tongue is wise.
So sometimes I find myself griping and complaining to God and other people about wanting things to happen a certain way and they didn’t … and wanting people to do certain things and they don’t … and just letting them know all of my complaints. Well recently someone I know began complaining to me the way I’ve been complaining to God … and I didn’t like it! I mean, really, I was doing the best I could given my schedule and level of authority. And I began huffing and puffing inside when all of a sudden God brought to my mind several instances recently and in the past where I had complained to Him and to others in the same manner. (Stab! … Ugh!)
One of the things I’ve learned in college is buy the textbook. Really it helps to read what you’re supposed to be learning. Another thing I’ve learned to do is to underline and highlight the things that you want to learn. God has given us the greatest textbook ever! You don’t have to buy new and improved editions or updates. The cost is considerably less than most college textbooks and it comes in a variety of readable translations. Guess what? God had something to teach me from His book.
Philippians 2:14 NLT - Do everything without complaining or arguing, Why?
2:15 … so that no one can criticize you. Live clean, innocent lives as children of God, shining like bright lights in a world full of crooked and perverse people.
Galations 6:4 NLT - Pay careful attention to your own work, for then you will get the satisfaction of a job well done, and you won't need to compare yourself to anyone else.
5. For we are each responsible for our own conduct.
6. Those who are taught the word of God should provide for their teachers, sharing all good things with them.
7. Don't be misled—you cannot mock the justice of God.
You WILL always harvest what you plant.
8. Those who live only to satisfy their own sinful nature will harvest decay and death from that sinful nature. But those who live to please the Spirit will harvest everlasting life from the Spirit.
9. So let's not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don't give up.
10. Therefore, whenever we have the opportunity, we should do good to everyone—especially to those in the family of faith.
Philippians 4:4 NLT - Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again—rejoice!
5 Let everyone see that you are considerate in all you do. Remember, the Lord is coming soon.
6 Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank Him for all He has done.
7 Then you will experience God's peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.
I pray that God will bless your week and that you will know the thrill of doing whatever, whenever, for whoever, just ‘cuz you get to do it with Him! ‘nough said!
‘nough said!
Have you ever been a member of a volunteer organization? Some of them are so very well organized. Some of them aren’t organized at all but they have a great time. Others aren’t either one. But the ones I have always enjoyed and wanted to go back to again and again, are the ones where everyone is excited to participate at whatever level and for however long.
Our praise team is one of those that isn’t very organized but we are all having a great time. Mostly because we all want to sing and worship and we’re willing to do it even if it means giving up some control over the outcome. Sometimes that’s hard for me … the giving up control thingy. I kind’a like structure and dependability and knowing what’s going to happen. And most of the time … ok a lot of the time :P … my life isn’t like that.
Proverbs 10:19 When words are many, sin is not absent, but he who holds his tongue is wise.
So sometimes I find myself griping and complaining to God and other people about wanting things to happen a certain way and they didn’t … and wanting people to do certain things and they don’t … and just letting them know all of my complaints. Well recently someone I know began complaining to me the way I’ve been complaining to God … and I didn’t like it! I mean, really, I was doing the best I could given my schedule and level of authority. And I began huffing and puffing inside when all of a sudden God brought to my mind several instances recently and in the past where I had complained to Him and to others in the same manner. (Stab! … Ugh!)
One of the things I’ve learned in college is buy the textbook. Really it helps to read what you’re supposed to be learning. Another thing I’ve learned to do is to underline and highlight the things that you want to learn. God has given us the greatest textbook ever! You don’t have to buy new and improved editions or updates. The cost is considerably less than most college textbooks and it comes in a variety of readable translations. Guess what? God had something to teach me from His book.
Philippians 2:14 NLT - Do everything without complaining or arguing, Why?
2:15 … so that no one can criticize you. Live clean, innocent lives as children of God, shining like bright lights in a world full of crooked and perverse people.
Galations 6:4 NLT - Pay careful attention to your own work, for then you will get the satisfaction of a job well done, and you won't need to compare yourself to anyone else.
5. For we are each responsible for our own conduct.
6. Those who are taught the word of God should provide for their teachers, sharing all good things with them.
7. Don't be misled—you cannot mock the justice of God.
You WILL always harvest what you plant.
8. Those who live only to satisfy their own sinful nature will harvest decay and death from that sinful nature. But those who live to please the Spirit will harvest everlasting life from the Spirit.
9. So let's not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don't give up.
10. Therefore, whenever we have the opportunity, we should do good to everyone—especially to those in the family of faith.
Philippians 4:4 NLT - Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again—rejoice!
5 Let everyone see that you are considerate in all you do. Remember, the Lord is coming soon.
6 Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank Him for all He has done.
7 Then you will experience God's peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.
I pray that God will bless your week and that you will know the thrill of doing whatever, whenever, for whoever, just ‘cuz you get to do it with Him! ‘nough said!
Sunday, November 16, 2008
Come Thou Fount
by Barbara Chadwick
Come Thou fount of every blessing. Come gracious Father, the One who bestows every kind of blessing, come into my heart. Come into my life and help me to be pleasing to You.
Tune my heart to sing Thy grace. Praise bands tune their instruments before leading worship. Lord, would you tune my heart so my worship would be pleasing to Your ear? I know that attitude is key to worship. Glorious Lord tune my heart so I can hear Your voice. Tune my heart so I can be gracious to others. Tune my heart so when I speak, words of love and mercy come out of my mouth and not angry words or spiteful, stubborn or sarcastic words.
Streams of mercy, never ceasing, call for songs of loudest praise. Lamentations 3:23 says Your mercies never cease and they are new every morning. I do praise You, Lord and my praise bubbles over into singing.
Teach me some melodious sonnet, sung by flaming tongues above. I would like to learn a song that angels sing so that my praise would be appropriately. I cannot by myself think of words grand or eloquent enough to express such lofty thoughts.
Praise the mount! I’m fixed upon it, mount of Thy redeeming love. Mount Calvary! Lord, how can we merit so great a salvation? I praise You for your grace and mercy to me, one who doesn’t deserve one drop of the blood You spilt for me.
Here I raise mine Ebenezer. Ebenezer – a stone of remembrance. I need something in my home or my life like an Ebenezer. I have my wedding ring to remember my wedding vows; my diploma to remember graduation from college; birth certificates to show the birth of four children. Some people have a picture of their baptism, some wall plaques to indicate to visitors where they have placed their faith. I have my Bible to show my allegiance to You, Lord. Is that enough? Do I carry it with me often enough? Is there something about me that when people see me they say, “There goes that lady who is a Christ follower”?
Hither by Thy help I’m come. So up to this point in my life You have been with me. You have guided, comforted and taught me through Your Word.
And I hope by Thy good pleasure safely to arrive at home. To be at home with You, Lord, what joy, what peace, what security. Glorious!
Jesus sought me when a stranger, wandering from the fold of God. He, to rescue me from danger, interposed His precious blood. It is very humbling, Lord, to think that You wanted me, that You were drawing me with cords of love even when I was far from You.
Oh, to grace how great a debtor daily I’m constrained to be! I owe my very days to You. My possessions, the air I breathe, where I am in this world belong to You.
Let Thy grace, Lord, like a fetter, bind my wandering heart to Thee. Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it. Prone to leave the God I love. Fetter -s a chain or shackle. Would you bind Your grace and love around my heart and mind, Lord, like a shackle so that when I’m prone to wander from You it would pull me back into Your Presence?
Here’s my heart, Lord, take and seal it. Seal it for Thy courts above. Lord, I offer my heart. I want to put my life in Your hands. I ask You to take my self and seal it, bind it to You.
Come Thou fount of every blessing. Come gracious Father, the One who bestows every kind of blessing, come into my heart. Come into my life and help me to be pleasing to You.
Tune my heart to sing Thy grace. Praise bands tune their instruments before leading worship. Lord, would you tune my heart so my worship would be pleasing to Your ear? I know that attitude is key to worship. Glorious Lord tune my heart so I can hear Your voice. Tune my heart so I can be gracious to others. Tune my heart so when I speak, words of love and mercy come out of my mouth and not angry words or spiteful, stubborn or sarcastic words.
Streams of mercy, never ceasing, call for songs of loudest praise. Lamentations 3:23 says Your mercies never cease and they are new every morning. I do praise You, Lord and my praise bubbles over into singing.
Teach me some melodious sonnet, sung by flaming tongues above. I would like to learn a song that angels sing so that my praise would be appropriately. I cannot by myself think of words grand or eloquent enough to express such lofty thoughts.
Praise the mount! I’m fixed upon it, mount of Thy redeeming love. Mount Calvary! Lord, how can we merit so great a salvation? I praise You for your grace and mercy to me, one who doesn’t deserve one drop of the blood You spilt for me.
Here I raise mine Ebenezer. Ebenezer – a stone of remembrance. I need something in my home or my life like an Ebenezer. I have my wedding ring to remember my wedding vows; my diploma to remember graduation from college; birth certificates to show the birth of four children. Some people have a picture of their baptism, some wall plaques to indicate to visitors where they have placed their faith. I have my Bible to show my allegiance to You, Lord. Is that enough? Do I carry it with me often enough? Is there something about me that when people see me they say, “There goes that lady who is a Christ follower”?
Hither by Thy help I’m come. So up to this point in my life You have been with me. You have guided, comforted and taught me through Your Word.
And I hope by Thy good pleasure safely to arrive at home. To be at home with You, Lord, what joy, what peace, what security. Glorious!
Jesus sought me when a stranger, wandering from the fold of God. He, to rescue me from danger, interposed His precious blood. It is very humbling, Lord, to think that You wanted me, that You were drawing me with cords of love even when I was far from You.
Oh, to grace how great a debtor daily I’m constrained to be! I owe my very days to You. My possessions, the air I breathe, where I am in this world belong to You.
Let Thy grace, Lord, like a fetter, bind my wandering heart to Thee. Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it. Prone to leave the God I love. Fetter -s a chain or shackle. Would you bind Your grace and love around my heart and mind, Lord, like a shackle so that when I’m prone to wander from You it would pull me back into Your Presence?
Here’s my heart, Lord, take and seal it. Seal it for Thy courts above. Lord, I offer my heart. I want to put my life in Your hands. I ask You to take my self and seal it, bind it to You.
Sunday, November 9, 2008
Faithful the Promises of Our Dear Lord
by Audrey WausonRecently precious family friends lost their oldest son to an unexpected accident. I guess accidents are always unexpected, but … well there are never words, only incredible, emotions. Emotions I never knew I had …. My husband and I made a flying trip back to Waco. The drive there was full of purpose, of prayer, of a sense of something to do, something that would help the pain. There we visited and grieved with the family and with other close friends. We caught up on things you forget to share in emails. Smiled and cried and hugged.
Then we drove home and the miles seemed longer. Everything reminded us of the loss. The tears were less frequent, but the pain seemed to have settled into a deep deep ache. We were reminded through our reminiscing that our Father also lost His Son. But most incredible to us was the way that our dear friend trusted God, in probably the most painful time of his life.
Steve and Eileen, other friends, were asked to break the news to our friend, Kevin. As they told him what happened, he bowed his head and said, “God is good.” They said that you could just practically see the presence and peace of God descend on him. Oh that we could live so prepared that when the hurricane storms of life come and destroy parts of our lives (sometimes big parts, sometimes small) our eyes are so fixed on heaven that we can truly know and believe that God is good.
Kevin shared that for a few weeks leading up to this, God had been showing him that the outer bands of a hurricane can do much damage, but it warns of a bigger danger coming. He said, at the memorial service for his son, we live in perilous times and it’s important that we realize that the outer bands of destruction are already here and we must pay attention. We must tend to the important things in life. Prepare for a time of great trial by spending time with God seeking to know Him better. During a storm is not the time to build, it’s the time to survive. And those who weather the storm best are those who are prepared. The death of his wife two years ago was probably an outer band and the Lord was preparing him for such a time as this.
I pray that you will make time to sit still and listen to whatever the Lord may want to share with you. We are not living in an easy time. Let’s prepare for the storm by remembering the promises of our Dear Lord. A few days after we returned home, I was trying to process my feelings, my pain, and I wrote this poem.
Faithful the Promises of Our Dear Lord
A man and his wife
Blessed with gifts from above
A girl ‘n a boy ‘n a boy ‘n a girl
Now a mom and a dad
… Then there were six
Memories and moments
Wrapped up as treasures
A blanket against
Life’s painful measures
The blanket pried open
By hands from above
Tenderly took one
The mom … out of love
… Then five clung together
The pain cut like a cold winter wind
HIS hand wrapped the blanket ‘round
Pulled it closer to HIM
Trembling hearts heard HIS voice speak
Comfort ‘n Hope ‘n Promise ‘n Peace
Then without warning another was taken
Snatched from the blanket,
The others cried, shaken
“Dear God, what is happening?
What are YOU doing?
In all of this pain,
Where now is our hope?
Where is the gain?”
Silence the answer …
A father’s head down
A heart bowed in reverence
A voice in the night
“God is good” he whispers
… Then there were four
For I know the plans I have for you," says the LORD.
"They are plans for good and not for disaster,
to give you a future and a hope.
Jeremiah 29:11
A man and his wife
Blessed with gifts from above
A girl ‘n a boy ‘n a boy ‘n a girl
Now a mom and a dad
… Then there were six
Memories and moments
Wrapped up as treasures
A blanket against
Life’s painful measures
The blanket pried open
By hands from above
Tenderly took one
The mom … out of love
… Then five clung together
The pain cut like a cold winter wind
HIS hand wrapped the blanket ‘round
Pulled it closer to HIM
Trembling hearts heard HIS voice speak
Comfort ‘n Hope ‘n Promise ‘n Peace
Then without warning another was taken
Snatched from the blanket,
The others cried, shaken
“Dear God, what is happening?
What are YOU doing?
In all of this pain,
Where now is our hope?
Where is the gain?”
Silence the answer …
A father’s head down
A heart bowed in reverence
A voice in the night
“God is good” he whispers
… Then there were four
For I know the plans I have for you," says the LORD.
"They are plans for good and not for disaster,
to give you a future and a hope.
Jeremiah 29:11
AW
Sunday, November 2, 2008
Thank You
by Barbara Chadwick
In our Sunday School class our teacher asked us to tell who influenced us to become a Christian. As we went around the room we were all impressed by how God had worked in each of our lives.
In my case it was my mother who actually led me to Christ. Although I had been to church every week since I was three and had attended Sunday School faithfully all that time the words had not penetrated my heart until that week. We had a series of evangelistic meetings (used to be called a revival) in our church. The preacher talked about living a Christ like life and the joy of being a Christian. One morning I asked my mother as she was ironing, “So, just how do you become a Christian?” She put down her iron and sat with me. She said, “You must know that God loves you. You must be sorry for the bad things you have done and you must ask Jesus to forgive you. Then ask Him to come into your heart and save you.” I said, “OK” and she prayed with me to accept Christ as Savior.
Others said:
VBS
Sunday School teacher
Wife
Friend
Grandmother/Grandfather
Family
Church
What a blessing that someone was faithful to speak, to love, to care enough. Who was it in your life that influenced you to look to Jesus – “the author and finisher of our faith”? (Heb. 12:2)
The song, “Thank You” states it beautifully. It says, “Thank you for giving to the Lord. I am a life that was changed. Thank you for giving to the Lord. I am so glad you gave.”
Who led you to the Lord? It would bless his/her heart to hear from you, to know that their faithfulness touched someone; to know that their life had meaning; to know that a life was changed and grew in God’s grace and mercy. And that God’s love now shines through those eyes.
And do you know that song, “May all who come behind us find us faithful.” When we get to heaven wouldn’t it be glorious that someone would come up to us and say, “Thank you for being there. Thank you for living so that I could see Christ in you. Thank you for telling me about Jesus.”
In our Sunday School class our teacher asked us to tell who influenced us to become a Christian. As we went around the room we were all impressed by how God had worked in each of our lives.
In my case it was my mother who actually led me to Christ. Although I had been to church every week since I was three and had attended Sunday School faithfully all that time the words had not penetrated my heart until that week. We had a series of evangelistic meetings (used to be called a revival) in our church. The preacher talked about living a Christ like life and the joy of being a Christian. One morning I asked my mother as she was ironing, “So, just how do you become a Christian?” She put down her iron and sat with me. She said, “You must know that God loves you. You must be sorry for the bad things you have done and you must ask Jesus to forgive you. Then ask Him to come into your heart and save you.” I said, “OK” and she prayed with me to accept Christ as Savior.
Others said:
VBS
Sunday School teacher
Wife
Friend
Grandmother/Grandfather
Family
Church
What a blessing that someone was faithful to speak, to love, to care enough. Who was it in your life that influenced you to look to Jesus – “the author and finisher of our faith”? (Heb. 12:2)
The song, “Thank You” states it beautifully. It says, “Thank you for giving to the Lord. I am a life that was changed. Thank you for giving to the Lord. I am so glad you gave.”
Who led you to the Lord? It would bless his/her heart to hear from you, to know that their faithfulness touched someone; to know that their life had meaning; to know that a life was changed and grew in God’s grace and mercy. And that God’s love now shines through those eyes.
And do you know that song, “May all who come behind us find us faithful.” When we get to heaven wouldn’t it be glorious that someone would come up to us and say, “Thank you for being there. Thank you for living so that I could see Christ in you. Thank you for telling me about Jesus.”
Isaiah 52:7 says, “How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim salvation, who say, ‘Your God reigns!’
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