A seminary professor was vacationing with his wife i n Gatlinburg , TN. One morning, they were eating breakfast at a little restaurant, hoping to enjoy a quiet, family meal. While they were waiting for their food, they noticed a distinguished looking, white-haired man moving from table to table, visiting with the guests. The professor leaned over and whispered to his wife, ‘I hope he doesn’t come over here.’ But sure enough, the man did come over to their table.

‘Where are you folks from?’ he asked in a friendly voice.

‘Oklahoma ,’ they answered.

‘Great to have you here in T ennessee ,’ the stranger said.. ‘What do you do for a living?’

‘I teach at a seminary,’ he replied.

‘Oh, so you teach preachers how to preach, do you? Well, I’ve got a really great story for you.’  And with that, the gentleman pulled up a chair and sat down at the table with the couple.

The professor groaned and thought to himself, ‘Great .. Just what I need ….another preacher story!’

The man started, ‘See that mountain over there? (pointing out the restaurant window). Not far from the base of that mountain, there was a boy born to an unwed mother. He had a hard time growing up, because every place he went, he was always asked the same question, ‘Hey boy, Who’s your daddy?’ Whether he was at school, in the grocery store or drug store, people would ask the same question, ‘Who’s your daddy?’

He would hide at recess and lunch time from other students. He would avoid going into stores because that question hurt him so badly. ‘When he was about 12 years old, a new preache r came to his church. He would always go in late and slip out early to avoid hearing the question, ‘Who’s your daddy?’

But one day, the new preacher said the  benediction so fast that he got caught and had to walk out with the crowd.

Just about the time he got to the back door, the new preacher, not knowing anything about him, put his hand on his shoulder and asked him, ‘Son, who’s your daddy?’

The whole church got deathly q uiet. He could feel every eye in the church looking at him. Now everyone would finally know the answer to the question, ‘Who’s your daddy?’

‘This new preacher, though, sensed the situation around him and using discernment that only the Holy Spirit could give, said the following to that scared little boy.. ‘Wait a minute! I know who you are! I see the family resemblance now. You are a child of God.’

With that he patted the boy on his shoulder and said, ‘Boy, you’ve got a great inheritance. Go and claim it.’

‘With that, the boy smiled for the first time in a long time and walked out the door a changed person. He was never the same again. Whenever anybody asked  him, ‘Who’s your Daddy?’ he’d just tell them , ‘I’m a Child of God..”

The distinguished gentleman got up from the table and said, ‘Isn’t that a great story?’

The professor responded that it really was a great story!

As the man turned to leave, he said, ‘You know, if that new preacher hadn’t told me that I was one of God’s children, I probably never would have amounted to anything!’ And he walked away..

The seminary professor and his wife were stunned. He called the waitress over & asked her, ‘Do you know who that man was — the one who just left that was sitting at our table?’

The waitress grinned and said, ‘Of course. Everybody here knows him. That’s Ben Hooper. He’s governor of Tennessee!

‘ Someone in your life today needs a reminder that they’re one of God’s children!

‘The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of God stands forever.’ ~~Isaiah

YOU’RE ONE OF GOD’S CHILDREN!!!

HAVE A GREAT DAY

I installed the “app” Bible on my smartphone – and it’s been great!  It’s available on the iphone and the Droid X – perhaps others.  If you have a smart phone, be sure to check this out.  Just search for “Bible” – it’s a tan icon with Bible on the front.

One of the features is the Plans aspect – including through the Bible in one year.  I’ve tried to get through the Bible in one year many times in the past, and for one reason or another, haven’t been able to get all the way through.  This app has made it easy for me to do it – you can read, listen or both.  You can bookmark passages.  You can also read various devotionals.  The Bible includes a variety of versions.  There’s much more – check it out!

Just want to report that the experience we’re having with homeschooling is very positive.  Steven is doing well with a combination online curriculum (Christian-based), and is involved with team sports for a positive interaction with his peers.  It’s a fairly easy and consistent method – since I work at home, he does his schoolwork while I do my work, and when he needs help or when we need a “real-life” teaching time, that’s easily worked into the schedule.  I highly encourage any who can, to homeschool – there are so many positives!!

What is our job as Christians?  Such wisdom comes from the Bible: Ephesians 6 offers great insight, especially in the times we live in:

¹Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right.

²Honour thy father and mother; which is the first commandment with promise;

³That it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth.

⁴And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.

⁵Servants, be obedient to them that are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in singleness of your heart, as unto Christ;

⁶Not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but as the servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart;

⁷With good will doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men:

⁸Knowing that whatsoever good thing any man doeth, the same shall he receive of the Lord, whether he be bond or free.

⁹And, ye masters, do the same things unto them, forbearing threatening: knowing that your Master also is in heaven; neither is there respect of persons with him.

¹⁰Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.

¹¹Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.

¹²For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

¹³Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

¹⁴Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;

¹⁵And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;

¹⁶Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.

¹⁷And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:

¹⁸Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;

¹⁹And for me, that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly, to make known the mystery of the gospel,

²⁰For which I am an ambassador in bonds: that therein I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.

²¹But that ye also may know my affairs, and how I do, Tychicus, a beloved brother and faithful minister in the Lord, shall make known to you all things:

²²Whom I have sent unto you for the same purpose, that ye might know our affairs, and that he might comfort your hearts.

²³Peace be to the brethren, and love with faith, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

²⁴Grace be with all them that love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity. Amen.

Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
	Eph 6:12		For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high [places].
	Eph 6:13		Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
	Eph 6:14		Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;
	Eph 6:15		And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;
	Eph 6:16		Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.
	Eph 6:17		And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:
	Eph 6:18		Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;
	Eph 6:19		And for me, that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly, to make known the mystery of the gospel,

How many times have you gone to do something, only to be distracted by something else? Whether it is something as simple as the phone ringing and going to answer it, while you were getting ready to do the dishes or take out the trash?

Life happens so quickly, that we forget to take care of things. We often forget to pray. After all, praying takes so much time from our busy lives and those few minutes we can be doing so much more. No matter what the situation is in our lives though, we may forget to talk to the Lord, but God never forgets us.

When I first became a Christian, I remember hearing about how great God’s love for us is. The when we confess our sins, that He is faithful and just to forgive our sins. (1 John 1:9). I imagine Him tossing them into the ocean and them falling so far down that they are gone. As far as the east is from the west (Ps 103:12) – that is how much He cares for us! And if He cares that much, how can He possibly forget us?

Sure with our minds, that are limited by what we know we can see and do physically, we also want to limit God. If we can’t do it, then how can He? If we can’t do it, why should He? Its simple, because he loves us.  He loves us so deeply, that even when we turn our backs on Him (and we do) he waits patiently for us to remember Him. He waits for us to call on Him. He waits for us to seek Him. And when we do (this is the really exciting part) HE IS THERE! Waiting with open arms!

I realize that this line of thinking can open up the questions that people love to ask; If God cares, then why is there disease? Why is their sickness? Why? Why? Why?

If God loves me and never forgets me, why doesn’t He answer my prayers? I firmly believe that God ALWAYS answers my prayers. Sometimes the answer is “yes”. Sometimes the answer is “no”. And sometimes the answer is “wait”.  The only answer we WANT to hear or are willing to hear is yes. Anything else, we don’t want to hear. Since we are unwilling to hear anything but yes, then it must be that God doesn’t hear us.

Lord,
Open our hearts and minds to your will. Help us to hear you, even when you tell us something we don’t want to hear. Help us to understand your ways. Your word says that if we seek understanding, you will give it to us. Help us to not only be willing to seek understand, but to accept the questions and answer that come with understanding.

Help us to know our limitations, our frailties, so that in our weakness you can make us strong. Help us to remember that you never forget us, even we we have turned away and forgotten you. Let us be a light set to shine upon a hill for others to know and love you.

We thank you for your grace and mercy in all things,

In Jesus Name we pray.

Amen.

The only commandment with a promise is “Honor your father and your mother” – so that your days will be long upon the earth.  We have the opportunity to honor our parents in so many ways – from the time of our childhood all the way through our adult years.  One guide to “honoring our parents” was written by Gayle Jackson – it shares stories of relationships, encouragement and suggestions for helping aging parents.  If you sometimes wonder about the best way to help your parents who have loved each of us for so many years as I have, this may be the book for you!

Most folks today believe that George Washington did not believe in God – or at best, was a “deist”.  Nothing could be further from the truth!

“George Washington’s Sacred Fire” is a book that tells the truth about Washington’s life and how his beliefs framed his destiny that was to change the world.

What sets “George Washington’s Sacred Fire” apart from all previous works on this man for the ages, is the exhaustive fifteen years of Dr. Peter Lillback’s research, revealing a unique icon driven by the highest of ideals.

Only do George Washington’s own writings, journals, letters, manuscripts, and those of his closest family and confidants reveal the truth of this awe-inspiring role model for all generations.

Dr. Lillback paints a picture of a man, who, faced with unprecedented challenges and circumstances, ultimately drew upon his persistent qualities of character – honesty, justice, equity, perseverence, piety, forgiveness, humility, and servant leadership, to become one of the most revered figures in world history.

George Washington set the cornerstone for what would become one of the most prosperous, free nations in the history of civilization. Through this book, Dr. Lillback, assisted by Jerry Newcombe, will reveal to the reader a newly inspirational image of General and President George Washington.

Whether you’re homeschooling, or want to know history for yourself – this book is a “must-read”!.

Sometimes, no matter how hard you try or how hard you may pray, you may find yourself sick; whether its with the flu or just a cold. These times in our lives, we feel physically miserable. When you mention you aren’t feeling well, most people will respond with drink plenty of tea and/or liquids and get some rest.

When we are physically down, and we need something to help lift our spirits, this is a good time to take advantage of catching up on our reading, listening to music or simply relaxing.

So here are a few options: Have you ever heard of ‘scripture tea’. It is a tea bag with a scripture on it. I recommend the Green Tea, but there are different types to choose from. You can pour yourself a warm cup and meditate on God’s word.

If you have never read any of Jack Canfield’s Chicken Soup for the Soul. (There are several subject matters out there.) These are books filled with small, uplifting stories of everyday people. They are very inspiring and I have enjoyed several of them. Whether you just need a ‘bite’ to uplift you by reading one random story or you want the whole ‘bowl’; these stories are sure to lift your spirit.

As a final recommendation when you are allowing your body to heal from a physical sickness is praise and worship music. I love Praise and Worship; Ron Kenoly, Hillsongs, Matt Redman, Jeremy Camp. I could go on as there is a lot of really good praise and worship music out there. It is very uplifting to the soul.

So no matter what you do while you are sick, there are always ways to praise Him, to meditate on His Word and to Glorify Him through your actions.

Father God,

We come before you thanking and praising you for giving us another day. We ask a special blessing upon those who are sick today. No matter the degree of their pain, Lord, we ask that you wrap your arms of love around them, heal them. Lord we thank you that you have given us an opportunity to minister and pray for those who are sick and lonely. For those who are not feeling well, who are struggling with physical or mental pain or both Lord.

You know the needs of your people. We thank you for your healing power. We ask that you bless each and every person today. Let them know your light, your love and your power.

Thank you Father for all of these things and more.

In Jesus Name we pray,

Amen.

Father God,

We thank you for your mercy and grace that you have shown our nation. We thank you that you continually watch out and keep us. Help us Lord to know your will. To know what you would have for your people. Help us to accept your healing hand in our lives and in our nation. Let us rejoice in the knowledge that you are a supreme God. You are Jehovah-Tsidkenu. The Lord our Righteousness. (Jer. 23:5, 6, 33:16)

Thank you Lord for your tenderness toward our nation. For helping us to see you through the turmoil that appears on the horizon. Thank you for bringing the rain, Lord. To our nation, to your people, through your people. We thank you for being a Holy God. Worthy of our praise.

We pray for the peace and prosperity of our nation. Thank you Lord for allowing us to humble ourselves and come before you in prayer and supplication and thanksgiving.

In Jesus Name,

Amen