... father's day" She thought of the idea for Father's Day while listening to a Mother's Day sermon in 1909. Sonora wanted a special day to honor her father, William Smart. Smart, who was a Civil War veteran, was widowed when his wife died while giving birth to their sixth child. Mr. Smart ... Fathers ' Day FATHERS ' DAY HISTORY Sonora Dodd, of Washington, first had the idea of a" father's day" She thought of the idea for Father's Day while listening to a Mother's Day sermon in 1909. Sonora wanted a special day to honor her father, William Smart. Smart, who was a ... War veteran, was widowed when his wife died while giving birth to their sixth child. Mr. Smart was left to raise the newborn and his other five children by himself on a rural farm in eastern Washington state. After Sonora became an adult she realized the selflessness her father had shown in raising his children as ...

... . It's not that fathers don't care. We do. It's just that a father's official worry clock runs on hours rather than minutes. Furthermore, a father has the added worry of what the lateness means in terms of dollars. If a kid is five hours late, the father is frantic, mainly about what ... , my wife starts thinking aliens got them. Worse, she wakes me up to explain her theories. It's a maternal thing, the logic of which fathers can appreciate but never duplicate. When the kids are late, official Mom behavior goes something like this: One minute late-" I'm starting to get worried ... best dealt with tomorrow by a person not crazed from the lack of sleep. It's not that fathers don't care. We do. It's just that a father's official worry clock runs on hours rather than minutes. Furthermore, a father has the added worry of what the lateness means in terms of dollars. If a ...

... . Don't teach them to parallel park. Be consistent. Think quick. Improvise. Sympathize. Remember: It's just a phase." Wait till your father gets home" is a cop-out." Because I said so" is a good reason. Never tell them how much they'll inherit. Teach them four precious ... Mother's Day comes but once a year -milk it. Adjust allowances for cost of living. Cookie dough is better than cookies. Don't let the kids forget Father's Day. Tie their mittens together. When they say they've got to go, stop! An unmade bed is easier to get into. Prove there's no monster ... art of napping. Washable markers aren't. Help build a sandcastle. Let them make a fort out of boxes. Piano lessons aren't for everyone. Tell Dad to share the toy trains. Tell your daughter she CAN be a fire fighter. Host a slumber party. Don't hover. Childhood doesn't go as fast as ...

... . Mom's Tip #036: Sympathize. Mom's Tip #037: Remember: It's just a phase. Mom's Tip #038:" Wait till your father gets home" is a cop-out. Mom's Tip #039:" Because I said so" is a good reason. Mom's Tip #040: Never tell ... Adjust allowances for cost of living. Mom's Tip #109: Cookie dough is better than cookies. Mom's Tip #110: Don't let the kids forget Father's Day. Mom's Tip #111: Tie their mittens together. Mom's Tip #112: When they say they've got to go, stop! Mom's Tip # ... #178: Let them make a fort out of boxes. Mom's Tip #179: Piano lessons aren't for everyone. Mom's Tip #180: Tell Dad to share the toy trains. Mom's Tip #181: Tell your daughter she CAN be a fire fighter. Mom's Tip #182: Host a slumber party ...

... " lots of people -the sick, the grieving, the lonely, the troubled -with compassion, tenderness, and understanding. I have memories of a godly father, a man of prayer and the Word, giving a lifetime of service to the Lord he loved. Perfect? By no means. Loving? By all ... !" Carry me, Daddy ," the little girl begged (or whined !), as her tired, spindly little legs could walk no more. Mom and Dad had no car -their wheels were two-legged ones, and so the young family walked A LOT! And Dad" carried" a lot -I know, because I ... Carry Me!" Carry me, Daddy ," the little girl begged (or whined !), as her tired, spindly little legs could walk no more. Mom and Dad had no car -their wheels were two-legged ones, and so the young family walked A LOT! And Dad" carried" a lot -I know ...

... dock at his family's cabin on an island in the middle of a New Hampshire lake. On the day before the bass season opened, he and his Father were fishing early in the evening, catching some fish and perch with worms. Then he tied on a small silver lure and practiced casting. The lure struck ... Even though no one had seen them, nor could anyone ever know what time he caught the fish, the boy could tell by the clarity of his Father's voice that the decision was not negotiable. He slowly worked the hook out of the lip of the huge bass and lowered it into the black water. The ... the season opened. He looked at the fish, then at the boy." You'll have to put it back, Son ," he said." Dad !" cried the boy." There will be another fish ," said his father." Not as big as this one ," cried the boy. He looked ...

... Creating Fathers When the good Lord was creating fathers, He started with a tall frame. A female angel nearby said," What kind of father is that? If you're going to make children so close to the ground, why have you put fathers up so high? He won't be able to shoot marbles ... Creating Fathers When the good Lord was creating fathers, He started with a tall frame. A female angel nearby said," What kind of father is that? If you're going to make children so close to the ground, why have you put fathers up so high? He won't be able to shoot marbles ... God smiled and said," Yes, but if I make him childsize, who would children have to look up to ?" And when God made a father's hands, they were large and sinewy. The angel shook her head sadly and said," Large hands are clumsy. They can't manage diaper pins, small ...

... the judgment and ask Him why He let me have a Dad who ruined my opportunity of living a life of hell and into accepting Jesus as an eternal father. Because He created, owned, and redeemed me from destruction of my self and of others when He died on the cross in submission to His own Father's ... ! Thanks Dad for teaching me to lose my life so I could find it. [by Gary Usher-from 'Guidewords '] Inspirational Messages SkyWriting.Net All Rights Reserved. ... Dad Ruined My Life The most single solitary man that made an influence on my life was my Dad. He was really an old fashioned man with principals, beliefs, religion, and rules he refused to compromise. He not only lived by the same but saw to it that I did. He put the ...

... could see it was no use; he couldn't stop them. He didn't quit, but he became quietly desperate futility was written all over him. His father changed too. He had been urging his son to try harder-yelling advice and encouragement. But then he changed. He became anxious. He tried to ... they scored a third goal. I soon learned who the goalie's parents were. They were nice, decent-looking people. I could tell that his dad had just come from the office-he still had his suit and tie on. They yelled encouragement to their son. I became totally absorbed, watching the ... say," Scotty, I'm so proud of you. You were great out there. I want everybody to know that you are my son"" Daddy ," the boy sobbed," I couldn't stop them. I tried, Daddy, I tried and tried, and they scored on me"" Scotty, ...

... she could do just to manage to pay the bills each month. The holidays were hitting her especially hard. Weary and alone, she prayed," Father, I need your help. I don't know how I'm ever going to be able to do this by myself. I don't even know how to ask you ... " just the right" gifts with the" Unseen Angel's" gift. Her gift though, was seeing her children smile! Later that morning, their dad arrived to pick the children up. The older of the two children hugged her mom the tightest. She knew that it would be her mother's first holiday without ... somehow, the Christmas spirit just seemed to be absent in her heart this year. What she would miss most of all was their family tradition of having daddy lift their little boy up to the top of the tree to place his handmade Angel on top of the tree. She worried too, about her two children ...

... reported in the newspapers; Arthur denied his involvement, but the boys would not change their story. The worst part for Arthur was worrying about what his father would say and do. He eventually made the dreaded phone call. As he surmised, his father had already learned of the vandalism. His father's tone was ... . He asked Arthur only one question." Arthur Junior ," he asked," all I want to know is .were you mixed up in that mess ?" Arthur answered," No, Daddy, I wasn't" His father never asked about it again. Arthur learned that day why he had always been encouraged to ... the truth. There would come a time when he must be believed, and this was such a time. Because he had already earned his trust and respect, he knew his father believed him. From that day on he was determined, above all else, to live a life of integrity Unfortunately, we find ...

... Daddy's Empty Chair A man's daughter had asked the local minister to come and pray with her father. When the minister arrived, he found the man lying in bed with his head propped up on two pillows. An empty chair sat beside his bed. The minister assumed that the old fellow had been informed of ... he prayed with him, anointed him with oil, and then returned to the church. Two nights later the daughter called to tell the minister that her daddy had died that afternoon. Did he die in peace ?" he asked. Yes, when I left the house about two o'clock, he called me over to ... Daddy's Empty Chair A man's daughter had asked the local minister to come and pray with her father. When the minister arrived, he found the man lying in bed with his head propped up on two pillows. An empty chair sat beside his bed. The minister assumed that the old fellow had been informed of ...

... Why Do You Curse Me? Once there was a young boy who lived with his father in a cottage deep in the forest. His father worked him hard from sunrise to sunset and still almost every evening he would hear his father say the same thing:" Poor me! Poor me! I will die a sad old man because you are a fool and will never amount to anything" But the boy was not a fool He showed a lot of wisdom for ... !" And he kicked the ground as hard as he could which shook loose a stone. He picked it up to throw and just then the wind became very strong and he thought he heard a voice:" Do not discard your father's heart !" He looked at the trees and then at the rock in his hands. The voice called again:" Do not discard your father's heart !"" Who are you ?"" I am the Father of every son and daughter and ...

... my nieces. A nicely-dressed little girl was excitedly looking through the Barbie dolls as well, with a roll of money clamped tightly in her little hand. When she came upon a Barbie she liked, she would turn and ask her father if she had enough money to buy it. He usually said" yes ," but she would keep looking and keep going through their ritual of" do I have enough ?" As she was looking, a little boy wandered in across the ... close behind them. As I walked back to my car, in amazement over what I had just witnessed, I heard the father ask his daughter why she had done that. I'll never forget what she said to him." Daddy, didn't Nana and PawPaw want me to buy something that would make me happy ?" He said," Of course they did, honey" To which the little girl replied," Well, I just did !" With that, she ...

... What Is A Father? A father is a person who is forced to endure childbirth without an anesthetic. He growls when he feels good and laughs very loud when he is scared half-to-death. A father never feels entirely worthy of the worship in a child's eyes. He is never quite the hero his daughter thinks. Never quite the man his son believes him to be. And this worries him sometimes. (So he works too hard to try to smooth the rough ... a person who goes to war sometimes. and would run the other way except that war is part of an important job in his life (which is making the world better for his children than it has been for him). Fathers grow older faster than other people, because they, in other wars, have to stand at the airport and wave goodbye to the uniform that climbs on board the plane. And, while mothers cry where it shows, fathers stand and ...

... overweight businessman? No, not that we've put on some weight, although I can certainly relate to that, but that we approach our prayer life as he did; trying to superimpose*our*will over that of our Heavenly Father. When Jesus taught His disciples to pray, He taught them to ask for God's will (Matt. 6: 10 ), and the New Testament is simply filled with instances and examples of the occasions upon which Christ prayed. More numerous ... ) Father over what He would will. And let us recall Paul's strong teaching to the church at Thessalonica:" Pray continually" (1 Thes. 5: 17) So if even the One True Son of God recognizes the Father's Will as the only right will, who are we to pray or rationalize otherwise? As we attempt to please Father God and follow His will, satan loves to suggest sneaky little detours (the parking places of" our will "), but ...

... to their kids why some movies, music, books, and magazines are not acceptable material for them-to see, listen to, or read. One parent came up with an original idea that is hard to refute. The father listened to all the reasons his children gave for wanting to see a particular PG-13 movie. It had their favorite actors. Everyone else was seeing it. Even church members said it was great. It was only rated PG-13 because of the ... just a little" bit. All the other ingredients were gourmet quality and he had taken great care to bake the brownies at the precise temperature for the exact time. He was sure the brownies would be superb. Even with their father's assurance that the brownies were of almost perfect quality, the teens would not take any. The father acted surprised. After all, it was" just a little" small part that was causing them to reject the brownies. He said ...

... My mom has always been my mom and none of that other stuff. I don't know because I wasn't there, but my guess would be pretty bossy. They say she used to be nice. How did your mom meet your dad? Mom was working in a store and dad was shoplifting. What did mom need to know about dad before she married him? His last name. She had to know his background. Like is he a crook? Does he get ... a goofball. Mom. You can tell by room inspection. She sees the stuff under the bed. I guess Mom is, but only because she has a lot more to do than Dad. What's the difference between moms and dads? Moms work at work and work at home, and dads just work at work. Moms know how to talk to teachers without scaring them. Dads are taller and stronger, but moms have all the real power because that's who you ...

... have done that so easily. I thanked him with all my heart and went to bed amazed at how great my Dad was I still cherish that childhood memory. As I grew into adulthood I learned that I also have a Heavenly Father who is more than willing to help me with all of life ’ s problems and difficulties. Even when things seem overwhelming at times He still comes in and says," Here, let me take a look at it" Then He ... My Dad I can remember the first problem I ever encountered as a boy. I had a loose tooth that just wouldn ’ t come out. I had heard that the tooth fairy paid some serious cash for these things, but no matter what I did I couldn ’ t get mine out of my mouth and under my pillow. I pulled on it. I wiggled it. I jiggled it. I even gave it a firm talking to. Still, it ...

... My Second Father My father died, when I was five. It was hard on us all. With time the wounds healed. My brother, who is eight years older than me, began to watch over my mother and me. Taking on many more responsibilities than was expected of him, I remember he made sure the trash was taken out, and the yard mowed. He did this on his own, without being told to do so. Because of my ... death, my mother was forced to get a full time job. My brother took it upon himself, to get up early every morning. He would get me up for school, and make me breakfast. While I was eating he would lay out my clothes, make my bed, and gather my school books up. Hand in hand we would walk to the bus stop. As we waited, he would play games my father used to play with me. He ...

... John 4: 16 And it is my desire to lavish my love on you. 1 John 3: 1 For every good gift that you receive comes from my hand. James 1: 17 I offer you more than your earthly father ever could. Matt 7: 11 Because I am the perfect Father. Matt 5: 48 And I am the provider who meets all your needs. Matt 6: 11-33 My plan for your future has always been filled with hope. ... Father's Love Letter My Child, You may not know me, but I know everything about you. Psalm 139: 1 Even the very hairs on your head are numbered. Matt 10: 29-31 For you were made in my image. Gen 1: 27 I knew you even before you were conceived. Jer 1: 4 I chose you when I planned creation. Ephesians 1: 11 And I knit you together in your mother's womb. Psalm 139: 13 You ...

... A Father ’ s Forgiveness When I was a boy I always wanted to be a cowboy. I remember my Mom worrying about me getting sick from the heat in the summer, because I wore a thick blue sweater all the time. No respectable cowboy, however, would wear short sleeves so I sweated while I played. I was overjoyed too when one day my parents gave me a bb gun. It looked just like a lever action rifle that all the cowboys ... I was coming into the house one afternoon, though, I tried it one time too many. The gun that I thought was empty let out a soft pop and a bb flew across the room and parted the hair of my Dad who was asleep on the couch. My Dad took one look at the bb hole a half inch above his head, walked over to me, took my gun, walked outside, and calmly broke it in half. I didn ’ ...

... me give you the 30 second version. George Washington, the first President of the United States, was known for his truthfulness, even as a child. The story tells that young George chopped down a cherry tree and when his father asked him about it, he told his father the truth. George was not punished because of his truthfulness. You can figure out the moral of the story. Now, imagine if this happened in today's world..." George ... , did YOU chop down the cherry tree ?"" No, Dad"" I think you are lying"" No, no, no! I swear I did NOT chop down the cherry tree"" Son, I saw you out here with your axe. Your punishment will be much worse for you if you lie. Now, tell me the truth !"" Dad, I answered your question truthfully. Still, I must take complete responsibility for all my actions ...

... Angels Of The Highway Honor Veteran Several years ago my father was killed in a tractor accident in Arkansas. He didn't have much experience on a tractor. He was a military man. He'd seen combat duty in World War II, Korea, and Viet Nam. For twenty-seven years he'd worn the uniform of his country and it was decorated with a silver star, a bronze star, and a purple heart. He was to be buried with full military honors at the ... my older brother to drive to Pine Bluff, Arkansas to pick up the cremated remains of my father and return them to the family home for a memorial service. My brother drove home on Interstate 30 with a plastic box containing my father's remains and an American flag riding on the passenger seat of his pickup. As he drove along, somewhere in east Texas, his emotions started to get the best of him so he pulled on to the shoulder of the road to cry ...

... Getting It Right A young boy was sitting in the back seat of the car eating an apple. He poked his father in the front seat and asked," Daddy, why does my apple turn brown ?" His father answered," When the skin is removed from the apple, air reaches the flesh of the apple and causes oxidation. This changes the apple's molecular structure and results in a brownish color. After a long pause, a small voice from the back ... asked," Daddy, are you talking to me ?" I know how that boy feels. Sometimes I want answers to some of those confusing problems we all run up against. I want someone to explain how to get through difficult times or tell me what to do in a tough situation. I just want to get it right. But I think I identify a bit more with the father whose daughter asked him if he would help her with some homework." I'm ...

... Real Beauty When a first-time father cuddled his newborn son, he immediately noticed the baby's ears conspicuously standing out from his head. He expressed his concern to the nurse that some children might taunt his child, calling him names like" Dumbo" A doctor examined the baby and reassured the new dad that his son was healthy-the ears presented only a minor cosmetic problem. But the nervous father persisted. He wondered if the child might suffer psychological effects of ridicule, ... if they should consider plastic surgery. The nurse assured him that it was really no problem, and he should just wait to see if the boy grows into his ears. The father finally felt more optimistic about his child, but now he worried about his wife's reaction to those large, protruding ears. She had delivered by cesarean section, and had not yet seen the child." She doesn't take things as easily as I do ," he said to the nurse. ...

... too often I can't find enough time to write, I skip my exercise routine, or I neglect uninterrupted time spent solitude and meditation. But it helps to remember a story about a young girl and her bank. The little girl's father had just given her a silver dollar to put into her bank. She excitedly ran off to her room to" deposit" the coin. However, in a few minutes she returned and handed the silver coin back to her father. ... Daddy ," she said sadly," here's your dollar back. I can't get it into my bank"" Why not ?" her concerned father asked." It's too full ," she said, obviously disappointed. Her father accompanied her back to her room and, sure enough, her bank was too full to accept even one more coin. It was stuffed with pennies. Is your life ever like that bank? So full of errands, obligations and activities of no lasting ...

... back into the sandbox. The little boy grunted, struggled, pushed, but his only reward was to have the rock roll back, smashing his chubby fingers. Finally he burst into tears of frustration. All this time the boy's father watched from his living room window as the drama unfolded. At the moment the tears fell, a large shadow fell across the boy and the sandbox. It was the boy's father. Gently but firmly he said," Son, why ... you use all the strength that you had available? Defeated, the boy sobbed back," But I did, Daddy, I did! I used all the strength that I had !"" No, son ," said the father kindly." You didn't use all the strength you had. You didn't ask me" With that the father reached down, picked up the rock, and removed it from the sandbox. Do you have" rocks" in your life that ...

... What do you say we go, Todd ?" Todd pleaded," Just five more minutes, Dad. Please? Just five more minutes" The man nodded and Todd continued to swing to his heart's content. Minutes passed and the father stood and called again to his son." Time to go now ?" Again Todd pleaded," Five more minutes, Dad. Just five more minutes" The man smiled and said," okay"" My, you certainly are ... " That's my son on the swing in the blue sweater" Then, looking at his watch, he called to his son." What do you say we go, Todd ?" Todd pleaded," Just five more minutes, Dad. Please? Just five more minutes" The man nodded and Todd continued to swing to his heart's content. Minutes passed and the father stood and called again to his son." Time to go now ?" Again Todd pleaded," ...

... , he would become her husband and the father's debt would be forgiven. If he picked the white pebble he need not marry her and the father's debt would still be forgiven. But if he refused to pick a pebble, his father would be thrown into jail They were standing on a pebble-strewn path in the farmer's field. As they talked, the moneylender bent over to pick up two pebbles. As she picked them up, the sharp-eyed son noticed that she had picked ... them that she would put a black pebble and a white pebble into an empty moneybag. Then the son would have to pick one pebble from the bag. If he picked the black pebble, he would become her husband and the father's debt would be forgiven. If he picked the white pebble he need not marry her and the father's debt would still be forgiven. But if he refused to pick a pebble, his father would be thrown into jail They were standing on ...

... life. The first thing he did (that is recorded) was to take advantage of his twin brother when he was hungry. He made Esau trade his birthright for a tasty stew! Later, Jacob deceived his aging, blind father into granting him the father's final blessing, which Isaac had meant for Esau. Esau, of course, was furious at his scheming brother, and Jacob fled for his life. During his flight, one night he had a vision. ... angels were descending from heaven on flights of stairs. This was the first time Jacob knew that God had plans for him. He went on his journey to Haran, the land of his ancestors. There he lived with his uncle, Laban, for 20 years. There Jacob met his match in craftiness. (Runs in the family !) Jacob wanted to marry Rachel, Laban's beautiful younger daughter. He promised to work for Laban for 7 years for her. Laban tricked ...

... : 7 D is for David and his ancient throne Promised forever to Jesus alone." He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David" Luke 1: 32 E is for East, where shone the bright star Which Magi on camels followed afar." Behold, there came wise men from the East to Jerusalem, saying, Where is he that is born King ... take the young child and his mother and flee into Egypt. for Herod will seek the young child to destroy him" Matthew 2: 13 I is for Immanuel," God with us ," For Christ brought man back to the Father's house." Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel" Isaiah 7: 14 J is for Joseph so noble and just, Obeying God's word with absolute trust." Then Joseph ...

... miles and miles of countryside pass by. The only problem was, I didn't have any luggage to pack my belongings in. My friend Debbie, heard that I needed a suitcase and offered to lend me one that belonged to her father, who had passed away long ago." I don't know if you'll want to use it ," she said so gently," it's very old, worn out, and such an ugly yellow color" I was so touched by her ... what happened. And how, what she called, old, ugly, and yellow, became the most wonderfully appreciated, antique, golden colored, piece of luggage on the train. She laughed heartily. And when I recall her father's suitcase, I'm reminded, that like the suitcase, we can see ourselves as too old, useless, worn out, and of little value. Or, we can take a closer look and realize that we are one of God's most ...

... at the door. Big crocodile tears welled up in Brandon's eyes. All he'd wanted to do was something good, but he'd made a terrible mess. He was sure a scolding was coming, maybe even a spanking. But his father just watched him. Then, walking through the mess, he picked up his crying son, hugged him and loved him, getting his own pajamas white and sticky in the process. That's how God deals with us. We try to ... and added some sugar, leaving a floury trail on the floor which by now had a few tracks left by his kitten. Brandon was covered with flour and getting frustrated. He wanted this to be something very good for Mom and Dad, but it was getting very bad. He didn't know what to do next, whether to put it all into the oven or on the stove, (and he didn't know how the stove worked !). Suddenly he saw his kitten ...

... existence. God*Tell the kids I love them!. God*Is the road your on taking you to my place?. God USE ONE OF YOUR" LIFE LINES"-I'M WAITING FOR YOUR CALL-GOD THIS FATHER'S DAY, GIVE MY BEST TO YOUR DAD-GOD IT'S GOING TO BE A LONG NIGHT. IF YOU LIKE, I'LL SIT WITH YOU AWHILE, AND WE CAN TALK-GOD A DOZEN ROSES YOU SEE IN THE STORE, OR A ... OF DANDELIONS CLENCHED IN A CHUBBY LITTLE FIST-PICK ONE, AND THEN GIVE DAD A HUG, FROM BOTH OF US-GOD I WOULD NEVER TAKE" YOUR" NAME IN VAIN-GOD" TEENS" SAY, I'LL BE" HAPPY" WHEN MY" LIFE" STARTS !!!. GUESS WHAT?-GOD WHEN YOU DO SOMETHING WRONG-I'M HERE TO TELL YOU.-GOD LOVED YOUR" BUMPER STICKER"-HOWEVER, I'M THE PILOT, NOT THE CO-PILOT ...

... My cat, however, isn ’ t the only one who has made this mistake. I think most of us are prodical children at some point in our lives. Just as in Jesus ’ Parable we wander away from our Heavenly Father and waste our days on wild living and foolish pursuits. Soon we find ourselves miserable, alone, and just struggling to survive. We return home to our Father broken, repentant, and hungry for His love again. Thankfully, God ... return back after realizing just how tough life is out there. I am hoping that this latest outdoor romp is her last and that she finally realizes that struggling to survive in the wild just can ’ t compare to napping on her Dad ’ s lap. My cat, however, isn ’ t the only one who has made this mistake. I think most of us are prodical children at some point in our lives. Just as in Jesus ’ Parable we wander away ...

... Each of our children, unbeknownst to the others, had placed an envelope on the tree for their dad. The tradition has grown and someday will expand even further with our grandchildren standing around the tree with wide-eyed anticipation watching as their fathers take down the envelope. May we all remember the true Christmas spirit this year, and always. [Author Unknown-from Jenifer Burris, via 'Daily Wisdom '] Inspirational Messages SkyWriting.Net All Rights Reserved. ... week before Christmas, and on and on. The envelope became the highlight of our Christmas. It was always the last thing opened on Christmas morning and our children, ignoring their new toys, would stand with wide-eyed anticipation as their dad lifted the envelope from the tree to reveal its contents. As the children grew, the toys gave way to more practical presents, but the envelope never lost its allure. The story doesn't end there. You see, we lost Mike ...

... Biker Chick (Testimony) Hi! My name is Frannie. As a young girl I was abused by a father who did not know the meaning of love. In an attempt to find love I joined a motorcycle club and became a drug-addict, biker chick, and strip dancer. I had two obsessions in life-to find love, and to hate my father. When I learned he was dying, I told my mother that I would spit on his grave ... for me. The next thing I knew I was at the altar crying tears of sorrow and asking Jesus to heal me. That was thirteen years ago and I have never looked back. I am free of panic attacks and my dad and I are reconciled. I am now riding to Heaven on a Harley. Jump on, and ride with me! Frannie." In Thee, O Lord, I have taken refuge; Let me never be ashamed" -Frannie Addendum ...

... we would soon be soaring through the air. We laughed at the thrill of freedom, at the joy of flight, and at the feeling that at any moment we could zoom into the heavens. I remembered later being a young father and pushing my own children on the swings. Watching their happiness was a bit of Heaven itself. I remembered as well one time my five year old daughter saying," You swing too, Daddy !" I was embarrassed at first but ... I saw my feet headed towards the clouds again all those wonderful feelings of childhood came rushing back. I was flying high once more. After that I always swung with my kids no matter who was there to see me. I think that sometimes we forget that we were meant to fly and we need the children to remind us. God didn ’ t put us in this world to sit and suffer with our feet in a mud puddle and our eyes on the ground ...

... person who has come into my life has come either to teach me something, or to learn something from me. Addendum-Matthew 6: 8 (NKJ)" Therefore do not be like them {pagans}. For your Father in Heaven knows the things you have need of before you ask Him" [Author Unknown-from Anonymous] Inspirational Messages SkyWriting.Net All Rights Reserved. ... , and I receive it. A life without challenges would be like going to school without lessons to learn. Challenges come not to depress or get me down, but to master and to grow and to unfold thereby. In the Father's wise and loving plan for me, no burden can fall upon me, no emergency can arise, no grief can overtake me, before I am given the grace and strength to meet them. A rich, full life is not determined ...

... . To give is to love. To withhold is to wither. Care less for your harvest than how it is shared, and your life will have meaning and your heart will have peace" How fortunate for one boy that his father is showing him how to truly live! People who live well are experts at giving. They give their money; they give their time. They share their wisdom and their skills. They quickly say yes when asked to help. For ... the importance and power of giving. And sadly, these wealthier clients are in a position to do something significant, but they choose to do nothing at all. Author Kent Nerburn wrote a book titled LETTERS TO MY SON: A Father's Wisdom on Manhood, Life, and Love. In one letter, he teaches his son the value of generosity:" Remember to be gentle with yourself and others. We are all children of chance, and none can say why some ...

... comfort and joy. In the midst of his captivity, Jeffie no longer felt so alone. What Jeffie's Grandpa did is also a picture of what Jesus Christ did for us when He came to Earth as a baby. God the Father yearned to reach down into our" playpen of captivity" and pull us out. He could not... because of our disobedience... because of our sin. What did God do? God climbed into our" playpen ... down to lift his little buddy from captivity and distress... Just then" Law and Order" walked into the room. Momma said" Jeffie, you stay right there! I'm punishing you because you have been naughty! Dad, leave Jeffie alone !" What is a Grandpa to do? Grandpa backs off and is thinking," I can't just pick up a book and read it with Jeffie here. He would think I was uncaring and distant. I can't ...

... things. But, at least I know, that though the winter has come, and I'm not sure how long it will last .This I know, that when it's over .I will enjoy the Spring in the arms of my loving Father .and wait for my loved ones to come when their winter is over too. So, if your not in your winter yet .let me remind you, that it will be here faster than you think. So, whatever you would like ... that we used to see and never thought we'd be. Each day now, I find that just getting a shower is a real target for the day! And taking a nap is not a treat anymore .it's mandatory! Well for Dad Cause if he doesn't on his own free will .He just fall asleep where he sits! And so, now I enter into this new season of my life unprepared for all the aches and pains and the loss of strength and ability to ...

... own burden and started home with it safely on his shoulders. When he arrived at the palace, his brother met him at the gate, and greeted him with dismay. He said," I don't understand. I told our father the burden was too heavy to carry. However did you do it ?" The future king replied thoughtfully," I suppose when I helped others carry their burdens, I found the strength to carry my own" [Author Unknown-from ... Along the road, from day to day, he found others who also needed help. A blind man took him miles out of his way, and a lame man slowed him to a cripple's walk. Eventually he did reach his father's advisor, where he secured his own burden and started home with it safely on his shoulders. When he arrived at the palace, his brother met him at the gate, and greeted him with dismay. He said," I don't ...

... . I was never one of those women who wanted to be pregnant at age 40. So, even though he was already" Dad" to two teenage boys, he married me knowing that God willing, he would be a father again. We hoped for a nice sentimental story-pregnant on the honeymoon, and our first child within a year. We were living with Stephen's boys at the time anyway, so it wasn't like a child of our own would wreck ... , Stephen, I was age 34 and my biological clock had been ticking loudly for a few years. I was never one of those women who wanted to be pregnant at age 40. So, even though he was already" Dad" to two teenage boys, he married me knowing that God willing, he would be a father again. We hoped for a nice sentimental story-pregnant on the honeymoon, and our first child within a year. We were living ...

... , but with enough impact to change my life forever. In it, she praises my abilities as a writer without qualification. Each sentence is full with love, offering specific examples of what my pursuit has meant to her and my father. The word" but" never appears on the card, however the word" and" is there almost a half dozen times. Every time I read it -which is almost every day -I am reminded to ask myself if I am ... ask them if she was making improvement in controlling her behavior, if her comments contributed to the discussion in progress or encouraged a quieter child to talk. Instead, I would come home and greet her with," Congratulations! Your Dad and I are very proud of your accomplishment, but could you try to tone it down in class ?" The same was true of our younger daughter. Like her sister, she is a lovely, bright, articulate and friendly child. ...

... meant to be shut up in a single day" This habit of family thankfulness can begin 'round our tables this Thanksgiving -the first of many prayers of thanks to be offered, not just by Jennifer, but by her thankful mother and father as well. [by Dr. Ralph F. Wilson-from 'Guidewords '] Inspirational Messages SkyWriting.Net All Rights Reserved. ... Who'll Say Grace? A hot, glistening bird commands the laden table, as grandma calls everyone to dinner. Eight-year-old Jennifer proudly lugs her July-born sister to the table. Grandpa and dad get up slowly with a long backward glance to see the tight end catch a pass and be forced out of bounds at the twenty. The game continues in the background without them." Who'll say grace ?" grandma asks. Grown-ups look awkwardly at each other in strained silence. Finally ...

... Earthly and Heavenly Father Differences When my earthly father says," You are nothing" My Heavenly Father says," You are my beloved child" When my earthly father says," I'll give you the piano, if you learn how to play it" My Heavenly Father says," Use your talents wisely" When my earthly mother says," Just wait until your father gets home" My Heavenly Father says," Just wait until my Son takes you home" When my earthly father says," You will never amount to anything" My Heavenly Father says," You will always be something special to me" When my earthly father says," Go stand in the corner" My Heavenly Father says," Go into every corner of the world and tell about my Son" When my earthly father says," Clean up this mess" My Heavenly Father says," If your life is a mess, I will clean ...

... Father Ed Father Ed, the priest of the church I attended as a child passed away this Summer. He will be missed by many including me. I can still see him so clearly in my heart and mind. Tall, thin, quiet, friendly, and smart with thinning hair and thick glasses, he always looked more like an engineer than a priest. He was a great lover of classical music. One of my most vibrant memories of him was a long trip we took together over curvy, mountainous roads. Father Ed was steering the car with one hand and directing with the other while Beethoven ’ s 9th symphony serenaded us from his cassette deck. Looking back now I can still feel his spirit swaying in his body while the music played. Father Ed ’ s greatest love, however, was the tireless work he did for God. He preached, wrote columns and books, visited prisons, taught in schools, and ...

... The Retreat When I was a teenager, I lived in my own world-as many teens do. I wasn't a 'bad ' kid, but in reflection, I admit I was selfish and took things and people for granted-especially my parents and sisters. They worked so hard to keep a roof over our heads and food in our mouths. I didn't understand or appreciate the fact that my father, who was a musician, worked three jobs most of the time to give us what we needed. We had plenty of love and never were hungry. I was raised a Catholic and my parents were both organists and choir directors in the church of our small town-population 5, 000. Many times, long after dropping out of the choir because I thought I'd grown too 'old ' for it, I'd lie to my parents, saying I'd gone to church when in fact, I'd simply grabbed a bulletin from the back to ...

... less and less concerned with Job's suffering. Many times during his speeches, Job even lashes out at God. But God understood that Job was reacting from his deep pain, and does not count his words against him as sin. Just as God overlooked Job's tirades against Him, so we also should overlook when the afflicted attack us with their words. In the next article ('The Comforter's Key ' ), we will share the spiritual key to genuine comfort. Prayer: Father, I acknowledge my grievous shortcomings as a comforter. I may say nice words, but out of fear I still keep myself separate from others ' sufferings, and refuse to immerse myself in their experience. And I am prone to answer back when others attack me. Lord Jesus, please teach me Your way-how You who wept wordlessly in compassion for the afflicted, how You remained silent when others taunted You. Empower me, Lord, by Your gracious Holy Spirit ...

... Our Own Sauce I have been trying for the last few weeks to reproduce our family ’ s homemade spaghetti sauce. It hasn ’ t been easy. My first attempt used far too much parsley. My second attempt had way too much sugar. After that I put the recipe aside and went over to my Dad ’ s house for some hands on instruction. After watching my Dad put it together I brought the pot home to try again. I didn ’ t slow cook it long enough, though, and it came out watery. I was about to give up after that, but then I remembered something my Dad had told me. He had said that there were a lot of different ways to make the sauce depending on how you wanted it. I remembered too how my Grandma ’ s and Dad ’ s homemade sauce was never exactly the same from one meal to the next. Sometimes it was slow cooked with sausages, ...

... I Can ’ t Thank You Enough Father I can't praise you enough For the blessings you bestow For your wondrous love and mercy For cleansing my heart and soul. Father I can't praise you enough I'm unworthy to speak your name Yet you gave your only Son for me And He willingly took my blame. Father I can't praise you enough For your sweet Spirit living in me And Father I can't thank you enough For your Son who set me free. Father I can't thank you enough That even though I sometimes stray You reach down with rich blessings And you still love me anyway.~Lora Cox~[ by: Lora Cox Copyright 2006 (bell @evansville.net)-submitted by: Lora Cox] Inspirational Messages SkyWriting.Net All Rights Reserved. ...

... Please Don't Wake Him Up A man was giving his testimony at one of those old Salvation Army open air street meetings. As he was testifying, a heckler in the crowd yelled," Why don't you shut up and sit down? You're just dreaming" Immediately that heckler felt a tug on his coat. He looked down to see a little girl, who said." Sir, may I speak to you? That man who is talking up there is my daddy. Daddy used to be a drunkard. He used to spend all of the money he made on whiskey. My mother was very sad and would cry most of the time." Sometimes when my daddy came home, he would hit my mother. I didn't have shoes or a nice dress to wear to school. Now look at my shoes. And see this pretty dress? My daddy bought these for me" But the little girl wasn't through with that heckler yet ...

... . Psalm 139: 14 I knit you together in your mother's womb. Psalm 139: 13 And brought you forth on the day you were born. Psalm 71: 6 I have been misrepresented by those who don't know me. John 8: 41-44 I am not distant and angry, but am the complete expression of love. 1 John 4: 16 And it is my desire to lavish my love on you simply because you are my child and I am your father. 1 John3: 1 I offer you more than your earthly parents ever could. Matthew 7: 11 For I am the perfect Parent. Matthew 5: 48 Every good gift that you receive comes from my hand. James 1: 17 For I am your provider and I meet all your needs. Matthew 6: 31-33 My plan for your future has always been filled with hope. Jeremiah 29: 11 Because I love you with an everlasting love. Jeremiah 31: ...

... Simple Not Easy Shortly after our first home burned down when I was a boy we moved into a small house near the top of a mountain. The entire house was heated by a single, wood stove. My dad, brothers, and I spent days every Spring and Summer cutting and stacking the wood for it. It worked great as long as the wood wasn ’ t wet. A lot of the time, however, this wasn ’ t the case. Snowy and rainy days meant wet wood, a weak fire, and a cool house. It wasn ’ t long then before my Dad decided that we needed to build a wood shed. I can still remember the day we started it. Dad had me and my brother climb into the pick-up truck after school. A local railroad company had pulled up some unused track and was giving away the wooden ties that went with it. Dad wanted to use 4 of these ties ...

... No Room The whole family was excited. It was the Saturday after Thanksgiving. That was the day they always put up their Christmas decorations. Everyone knew what their specific job was. Dad and Tommy put up the outdoor decorations. Mom put up the tree and wrapped all of the presents, and Heather did the rest of the indoor decorating. They all started early because this was a time consuming job. When they stopped for lunch dad had the lights halfway around the house, which was good, but he still had to finish putting the blinking lights on the bushes and put up the yard displays. Also, he had to put Santa and his reindeer up on the roof. Mom was almost finished putting the ornaments on the tree. As far as she was concerned, all she had left was to put the icicles on it and spray it with snow. She could hardly wait until she finished, because she could get all ...

... boy puts on shaving cologne and they go out and smell each other"" Love is when you go out to eat and give somebody most of your French fries without making them give you any of theirs"" Love is when someone hurts you. And you get so mad but you don't yell at them because you know it would hurt their feelings"" Love is what makes you smile when you're tired"" Love is when my mommy makes coffee for my daddy and she takes a sip before giving it to him, to make sure the taste is OK"" Love is what's in the room with you at Christmas if you stop opening presents and listen"" When you tell someone something bad about yourself and you're scared they won't love you anymore. But then you get surprised because not only do they still love you, they love you even more"" Love is when you tell a guy you like his shirt, then ...

... One Glad Dad I am one glad dad these days. I feel so very blessed. Everyday I thank God for these three wonderful souls He sent to be my children. They all have such beautiful spirits. They all bring joy to me and to the world around them every single day. It is always such a pleasure to take walks around town with my oldest son. He has more people say" Hi" to him in a day than I do in a week. This is because his goodness and friendliness touches the hearts of everyone he meets. My youngest son rarely speaks at all, yet his spirit shines in other ways. His spontaneous joy and delight in the simplest things makes me smile and his wonderful laughter sounds as beautiful as an angel ’ s song. Both of my sons do have Autism, but Autism doesn ’ t have them. My boys also remind me that sometimes the brightest souls come to Earth in ...

... Giving Your Life Away Sometimes the greatest lessons in life come at the oddest moments. One of mine came when I was helping to harvest our gardens as a boy. We had four of them and they took a lot of work. In the fall, however, they produced more than enough vegetables for the whole year. Every year my Dad would separate a part of them to share with friends and people in the community. One time while we were loading up a bag full of corn to take to a needy family I asked my Dad why we always gave so many of our vegetables away. He said," Son, not everyone has as much as we do. They can use our help. Besides, if we didn ’ t give these vegetables away they would just go to waste" Now that I have been on this world a lot longer I can see the wisdom in my Dad ’ s words. I can ...

... and with all your mind and with all your strength. The second is this: 'Love your neighbor as yourself ' There is no commandment greater than these" (Mark 12: 30-31 NIV) Forgiveness and mercy go hand in hand with both God and man. The two are inseparable because the prerequisite of forgiveness is mercy. Without mercy on earth, there can be no forgiveness in Heaven." For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins" (Matthew 6: 14-15 NIV) O God, Father of all things, we thank you for the infinite mercy you have shown us, your children. May we love one another as you have loved us. Give us strength so that we may forgive our transgressors as you have forgiven us. We ask this in the name of Jesus Christ. ...

... Thrown From The Bull Speaker Andy Sherman tells about learning to ride bulls in the rodeo. At eighteen, he told his father he wanted to be a professional bull rider. His father said," You want to do what? Why would you want to do that ?" Andy said jokingly," I don't know-I guess I like the hours. You just work eight seconds at a time. That appeals to me" His father, concerned about the inherent danger, responded," I absolutely forbid you to do that !" And, at that moment, young Andy instantly knew his life's calling! The only problem was-he couldn't ride. Always 7 1 / 2 seconds away from making the eight-second buzzer, he decided to enter" Rodeo School" The first day of school he was told to get on a bull. He got on and was immediately thrown off. The instructor said," Get on another one" ...

... A Dream I had a wonderful dream last night. It was one of those powerful dreams that come when you are half-way between waking and sleeping. It was also one of those special dreams that stick in your mind and stay in your heart. In the dream I was just a boy again walking through the woods near my Grandma ’ s home where we all lived together. I came out near one of our big gardens and saw my dad with two, large water buckets watering the plants. I asked him if I could help and he smiled and handed me one of the buckets. It was full of water but light as a feather. The water inside was so crystal clear that it glowed in the sunshine. I immediately started watering the field of wilted plants. The work that I had always hated seemed a joy to me this time. The bucket stayed full too no matter how much I poured. I laughed and smiled ...

... and an old thermos bottle." Here are a few more sandwiches, sir, some cookies, and some hot coffee. You can return the thermos to me whenever you come back through town" As the homeless man walked out of the town, He looked back to see the spire of the big church rising high above the rest of the buildings. He could not see the small church at all. Yet, He knew that it was there and praised His Father for the kind young minister and his generous wife. He would not forget them-ever-and neither would His Father. The thermos bottle was, even then, sitting on the stoop of the little church. But instead of containing coffee, it was now overflowing with God's blessings." Then the King will say to those on his right,` Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation ...

... People To You In West Virginia folklore there is a story of a country doctor who was called out to a holler late one night to assist a woman about to give birth. By the time the doctor arrived at the farmhouse, things had progressed to a point where the doctor asked the husband to help him by holding a gas lantern up high in order to illuminate the makeshift delivery room. Before long, the courageous mother delivered a healthy baby boy. As the father lowered the lantern, the doctor barked an order to keep the lantern aloft:" We're not done yet" Shortly, a second child appeared on the scene, a healthy baby girl. Shaken by the unexpected arrival of twins, the father heard the doctor say once again," We can't stop now. It looks as if it's going to be triplets" To which the stunned father, still holding the lantern high, replied," Do you think it's the light ...

... ever want to be quite that silver. The last thing I want is to find my picture on the front page of The National Informer under" UFO Has Neighborhood Up in the Air" It's one more reminder that life definitely has its ups and downs. Let me bounce this idea off of you: For every" down ," God gives us an opportunity to be someone else's" up" Second Corinthians 1: 3-5 says," Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God. For just as the sufferings of Christ flow over into our lives, so also through Christ our comfort overflows" Isn't it amazing that the Lord can use our own down times to help others in theirs? And according to this passage, for ...

... that the destiny we have ahead of us is going to be one that is rich because of His unfailing love toward us. Somewhere along the line though, we've equated prominence in ministry as being a measure of true success. We may never say that, but it often underlies a lot of our thinking. Yet, how many people are working out their Christian lives quietly but steadily, serving God in the every day little things that come their way? In the Father's eyes, these quiet achievers are precious treasures and they are most definitely, the backbone of the Church. Destiny isn't just for those who are in the public eye, and in the same way, it isn't just for the young. We all live in God's good promises toward us every single day, whether we're the youngest or oldest of the saints. There is never an age where we can say that we're too old to serve the Lord (or too young for ...

... Dear Child Dear Child: I just wanted to remind you today of how beautiful you are. because there is a father of lies who will try to deceive you. He will try to tell you that you are not good enough, not attractive enough, not thin enough, not strong enough, not smart enough, not righteous enough, and that you are aren't important to Me. He will try to tell you that you have broken one too many promises, that you have fallen one too many times, that you have lived one too many lies, and that you've been going in the wrong direction so long that it is pointless to turn back now. But guess what? YOU DO NOT BELONG TO HIM. He is not your father. I AM. You see, you are My creation. My workmanship. You have been borne of My thought, every part of you placed together by My hands. You have My ...

... Success In Spite Of Adversity Nothing in the early life of James Cash Penney indicated that his name would one day become a household word in homes across the United States. Born in 1875, he grew up on a small farm in Kentucky. His father was a minister in the Primitive Baptist Church. Both parents were committed Christians who instilled a deep and abiding faith in their children. While Penney was a teenager his minister father became the victim of church politics and was removed from his position. The ensuing financial hardship for the family meant that Penney had to leave school, taking a job to help support the family. He began to work as a clerk in a local store. Although he didn't realize it at the time, this modest start was providential and would propel him into an illustrious career as a retailer. After working in various stores, Penney was able to purchase a one-third interest in a dry goods store in Kemmerer, Wyoming ...

... To Be Quiet Popular author and speaker Ken Blanchard sometimes tells a powerful story about Red, a corporate president who, as a young man, learned an important and life-changing lesson. Red had just graduated from college and was offered an opportunity to interview for a position with a firm in New York City. As the job involved moving his wife and small child from Texas to New York, he wanted to talk the decision over with someone before accepting it, but his father had died and Red did not feel he had anybody to turn to. On impulse, he telephoned an old friend of the family; someone his father had suggested he turn to if he ever needed good advice. The friend said he would be happy to give Red advice about the job offer under the condition that the young man takes whatever advice he was given." You might want to think about that for a couple of days before hearing my suggestion ," he was ...

... and hunts. During the time of training the young ones to fly, the mother eagle throws the eaglets out of the nest. Because they are scared, they jump into the nest again. Next, she throws them out and then takes off the soft layers of the nest, leaving the thorns bare. When the scared eaglets again jump into the nest, they are pricked by thorns. Shrieking and bleeding they jump out again this time wondering why the mother and father who love them so much are torturing them. Next, mother eagle pushes them off the cliff into the air. As they shriek in fear, father eagle flies out and catches them up on his back before they fall and brings them back to the cliff. This goes on for sometime until they start flapping their wings. They get excited at this newfound knowledge that they can fly. The preparation of the nest teaches us to prepare for changes; The preparation for the ...

... Day approached, she came into the kitchen pondering what makes people fall in love. She started asking questions about how to find the perfect person and how you knew when it was right. I have to admit that I was more amused than anything, knowing these great philosophical musings were coming out of a tiny six-year-old body. Finally, she made the statement that she didn't see how anyone could make up their minds on their own, so maybe she should ask" Daddy" (her stepfather) to help her pick the perfect mate. With a smile on my face and a hint of laughter in my voice, I explained to her that if she relied on Daddy to choose her husband, she would most likely stay single since no one would ever be good enough for his baby. She sat silently for a few moments, and then she said," Mommy, do you think YOU could help me choose when I'm old enough ?" ...

... . This young child waited about another minute and repeated her statement." Mom. Let's run through the rain"" We'll get soaked if we do ," Mom said." No we won't, Mom. That's not what you said this morning ," the young girl said as she tugged at her Mom's arm." This morning? When did I say we could run through the rain and not get wet ?"" Don't you remember? When you were talking to Daddy about his cancer, you said," If God can get us through this, He can get us through anything !" The entire crowd stopped dead silent, the sound of the rain was nearly deafening. We all stood silently. No one came or left in the next few minutes. Mom paused and thought for a moment about what she would say. Now some would laugh it off and scold her for being silly. Some might even ignore what was said. But ...

... camp meeting one of the speakers disguised himself as a beggar and mingled with the camp meeting staff during the course of the week. Because he was painful to see and offensive to smell, the attendants mistreated the beggar and fled from his odor. Revealing himself at the end of the week, the speaker preached a sermon based on Matthew 25: 34, 35:" Then the King will say to those on His right hand, 'Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in" (NKJV). Seeing the old woman as my opportunity to do something for my Lord, I excitedly offered her some of our recent meal. We still had a whole table spread with food, and she had none. Leading her into the ...

... high and holy place, but also with him who is contrite and lowly in spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly and to revive the heart of the contrite" Matthew 18: 20-For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them. Matthew 28: 18-20-All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age. John 14: 20-Whoever has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves me. He who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love him and show myself to him. 2 Timothy 4: 17-18-the Lord stood ...

... God's Table Manners You undoubtedly felt awkward the first time you had to learn which fork to use. But with that knowledge you can enter any dining experience with confidence. The same is true when you dine at God's table. At first it seems difficult. But learning the right manners makes it possible for you to be in any situation and please the Father. Table manners at God's table:*You have to do your own chewing. Too many Christians expect God to take out a spoon and dish up the blessing for them. He is supposed to place it in our mouths, work our jaws to chew it up, and help us swallow it. We want God to do everything. The fact is that you have responsibility in God's sovereign world.*Accept the seating. Take the lowest seat, the seat of humility and service. If God wants you to sit higher up, He will show you that, but err ...

... gracious, Slow to anger, and abounding in mercy. He will not always strive with us, Nor will He keep His anger forever. He has not dealt with us according to our sins, Nor punished us according to our iniquities. For as the heavens are high above the earth, So great is His mercy toward those who fear Him; As far as the east is from the west, So far has He removed our transgressions from us. As a father pities his children, So the Lord pities those who fear Him" 2 Peter 3: 9" The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance" John 6: 37 Jesus says," All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out" [Author Unknown ...

... What Is A Veteran? (Marine Corp chaplain, Father Denis Edward O'Brian) Some veterans bear visible signs of their service: a missing limb, a jagged scar, a certain look in the eye. Others may carry the evidence inside them, a pin holding a bone together, a piece of shrapnel in the leg-or perhaps another sort of inner steel: the soul's ally forged in the refinery of adversity. Except in parades, however, the men and women who have kept America safe wear no badge or emblem. You can't tell a vet just by looking. What is a vet? A vet is the cop on the beat who spent six months in Saudi Arabia sweating two gallons a day making sure the armored personnel carriers didn't run out of fuel. A vet is the barroom loudmouth, dumber than five wooden planks, whose overgrown frat-boy behavior is outweighed a hundred times in the cosmic scales by four hours of exquisite bravery ...

... bright child with a ready laugh. He does his work neatly and has good manners. He is a joy to be around ," His second grade teacher wrote," Teddy is an excellent student, well liked by his classmates, but he is troubled because his mother has a terminal illness and life at home must be a struggle" His third grade teacher wrote," His mother's death had been hard on him. He tries to do his best, but his father doesn't show much interest and his home life will soon affect him if some steps aren't taken" Teddy's fourth grade teacher wrote," Teddy is withdrawn and doesn't show much interest in school. He doesn't have many friends and he sometimes sleeps in class" By now, Mrs. Thompson realized the problem and she was ashamed of herself. She felt even worse when her students brought her Christmas presents, wrapped in beautiful ribbons and bright paper, except for Teddy's. His present ...

... was born. Heather was now a 16 old mother, not in school, living on her own in absolute squalid conditions. Although she was minor, I got very little help from the authorities trying to bring her home. But, God was faithful to answer my prayers. Just as suddenly as Heather became rebellious, she seemed to come to her senses! She had enough living the way she was, and returned to the family. She moved in with her dad, along with Ashley. Soon, she stopped hanging around with the wrong people, quit doing drugs, got a job and went back to school. And, in time, our relationship healed. Heather didn't return to regular high school though. She started attending the CESA 7 Alternative High School. The school the" bad" kids go to-the ones who don't fit the establishment mold. It's amazing what can happen to a child when there are teachers who don't ...

... all. Every one of your religions claims that there's only one of Me, which, by the way, is absolutely true, but in the very next breath each religion claims that it's My favorite one. And each claims its bible was written personally by Me, and that all of the other bibles are man-made. Oh, Me. How do I ever begin to put a stop to such complicated nonsense? All right, listen up now. I am your Father and Mother, and I don't play favorites among My children. Also, I hate to break it to you, but I don't write. My longhand is awful, and I've always been more of a doer anyway. So ALL of your books, including those bibles, were written by men and women. They were inspired men and women, they were remarkable people, but they also made mistakes here and there. And I made sure of that, so that you ...

... of despair. For the Lord has planted them like strong and graceful oaks for His own glory. Isaiah 61: 1-3 Your prayers are heard. You parents-if your children ask you for a loaf of bread, do you give them a stone instead? Or if they ask for a fish, do you give them a snake? Of course not! If you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good gifts to those who ask Him?~Matt. 7: 9, 10 You are not facing this alone. For God has said," I will never fail you. I will never forsake you" That is why we can say with confidence," The Lord is my helper, so I will not be afraid. What can mere mortals do to me ?"~Hebrews 13: 5, 6 Others have made it through-you can too. ...

... Love, My Protection and Support. You are special because you are the extension of Me. Man represents My Image-woman, My Emotions. Together, you represent the Totality of God. So man-treat woman well. Love her, respect her, for she is fragile. In hurting her, you hurt Me. What you do to her, you do to Me. In crushing her, you only damage your own heart, the heart of your Father, and the heart of her Father. Woman, support man. In humility, show him the power of emotion I have given you. In gentle quietness show your strength. In love, show him that you are the rib that protects his inner self. Addendum-1 Corinthians 11: 12 (NKJ)" For as woman came from man, even so man also comes through woman; but all things are from God" [Author Unknown-from Kathryn Barnes ...

... Directions to our Father's House Make a Right onto Believeth Blvd. Keep straight and go through the Green Light, which is Jesus Christ. There, you must turn onto the Bridge of Faith, which is over troubled water. When you get off the bridge, make a Right turn and Keep Straight. You are on the King's Highway-Heaven-bound. Then exit off onto Grace Blvd. From there, make a Right turn on Gospel Lane. Keep Straight and then make another Right on Prayer Road. As you go on your way, Yield Not to the traffic on Temptation Ave. Also, avoid SIN Street because it is a DEAD END. Pass up Envy Drive, and Hate Avenue. Also, pass Hypocrisy Street, Gossiping Lane, and Backbiting Blvd. However, you have to go down Long-suffering Lane, Persecution Blvd. and Trials and Tribulations Ave. But that's all right, because VICTORY Street is straight ahead! AMEN! © By ...

... Fathers and Children A-Always trust them to God's care B-Bring them to church C-Challenge them to high goals D-Delight in their achievements E-Exalt the lord in their presence F-Frown on evil G-Give them love H-Hear their problems I-Ignore not their childish fears J-Joyfully accept their apologies K-Keep their confidence L-Live a good example before them M-Make them your friends N-Never ignore their endless questions O-Open your home to their visits P-Pray for them by name Q-Quicken your interest in their spirituality R-Remember their needs S-Show them the way of salvation T-Teach them to work U-Understand they are still young V-Verify your statements W-Wean them from bad company X-eXpect them to obey Y-Yearn for god's best for them Z-Zealously guide them in biblical truth [Author Unknown- ...

... believe I will one day touch them. My feet have never touched pavement of gold, yet one day I fully expect to walk on such streets. My mind has never understood the mysteries of God, yet there will come a day when it will all make sense. So until then, I will rejoice in what I do not possess because I have something that will carry me in confidence until that moment arrives. What will carry me is the belief that the Father has fully paid my sin debt which gives me the freedom to love and follow where He leads. I don ’ t need to see it or hold it in my hands to believe that it is real. Some say seeing is believing-but for me it ’ s the opposite. Belief comes first, seeing will come soon enough. I am willing to wait. I have been forgiven. I have been loved. I have chosen to love and forgive in return ...

... !" To be there for those 40 days and learn from the resurrected Lord-WOW! I wonder if any of us would travel back to the cross to witness the birth of full and complete forgiveness? I 'kinda figure that not many would. It would be too difficult, too painful. But wouldn't it also be the greatest opportunity a follower of Christ could ever have? To look into those eyes, to see that face, to hear those words," Father, forgive them !" And, unlike the crowd, we would know that the words were meant for us! Imagine! Imagine seeing love in action. Imagine seeing God's Son proclaim, through exhausted tears mixed with royal triumph," It is finished !" Well, we really don't have to imagine about either of these last two events. We can visit them anytime. In fact we must visit them every day! Why? Because we are nothing if we don't visit the ...

... Prov 5: 15-20; Job 31: 1; Jer 5: 8) Thou shalt make every effort to see things from thy wife's point of view. (Gen 21: 12) Thou shalt not fail to kiss thy wife every morning. (Sos 8: 1) Thou shalt not be stingy with thy wife when it comes to money. (Esther 5: 3) Ten Commandments for Wives Expect not thy husband to give thee as many luxuries as thy father hath given thee after many years of hard labor. (Phil 4: 11; Amos 4: 1) Thou shalt work hard to build thy house with the husband that you have, not fantasizing about" the one that could have been". (Prov 14: 1) Thou shalt not nag .hit him with thine frying pan, it is kindlier. (Prov 27: 15; 21: 19) Thou shalt coddle thy husband and be a warm wife. ...

... chocolate cake. Their ability to solve problems simply by throwing a ball around. The glimpse you get, when they wear their baseball cap backward of their inner Little Leaguer. How tender they get when they cry, and how seldom they do it. What they lack in talk, they tend to make up for in action. They make excellent companions when driving through rough neighborhoods or walking past dark alleys. They really love their moms. They remind us of our dads. They don't mind accompanying a woman to a party even though she looks like a movie star and they look like the chauffeur. Their near-endless appetite for discussing the ins and outs of work and money-ours as well as theirs. Their genuine ardor for tinkering with toilets, changing oil and assembling gas grills-jobs any intelligent woman can do but would be nuts to volunteer for. They never care what their horoscope, their mother-in-law, nor the neighbors say. They ...

... eyes met, the man's tears turned to sobbing, and Jesus began to speak. Have you ever told a lie, he asked? The man answered---yes Lord. Have you ever been given to much change and kept it? The man answered yes Lord. And the man sobbed more and more. Have you ever taken something from work that wasn't yours, Jesus asked? And the man answered yes Lord. Have you ever sworn, using my Father's name in vain? The man, crying now, answered yes Lord. As Jesus asked many more times," Have you ever "? The man's crying became uncontrollable, for he could only answer yes Lord. Then Jesus turned His head from one side to the other, and the man felt something fall on his other shoulder. He looked and saw that it was the blood of Jesus. When he looked back up, his eyes met those of Jesus, and there ...

... feelings. yours or someone else's. (Col. 3: 12-14) Pencil-to remind you to list your blessings everyday. (Eph 1: 3) Eraser-to remind you that everyone makes mistakes, and its okay. (Gen. 50: 15-21) Chewing Gum-to remind you to stick with it and you can accomplish anything. (Phil. 4: 13) Mint-to remind you that you are worth a mint to your heavenly father. (John 3: 16-17) Candy Kiss-to remind you that everyone needs a kiss or a hug everyday. (1 John 4: 7) Tea Bag-to remind you to relax daily and to think about God's Blessings. (1 Thess 5: 18)-This is my gift to you. JESUS LOVES YOU-don't ever forget it. To the world, you may just be somebody. but to somebody, you may be the world. ...

... SMILE! Driving down the road recently, I had a flashback to about twenty-five years ago. We were on a family vacation, driving to see family in New York State and then on to Pennsylvania. Mom and Dad, probably looking for ways to keep their two young kids busy, borrowed a sign about fifteen inches long and three inches high. On one side of the sign was painted" Smile" and on the other side," Thanks !". The sign got a lot of use on the trip. One of us would hold up the sign, so acar behind us could read" Smile". If they did, we turned the sign over and they got the reward of" Thanks !" This was in the days before seat belts and we would often be turned around, pressing the sign to the glass, hoping the following vehicle would see the sign and we could elicit a smile. Or we would try to ...

... " Oh, I know. But that old machine would never ask me how my grandchildren are doing" She had a need greater than the need for postage stamps-a need to feel connected to other people. And it was a need that could not be met by a stamp machine. When Harry Truman was thrust into the U.S. presidency at the death of Franklin Roosevelt, a colleague and friend-Congressman Sam Rayburn of Bonham, Texas-gave Truman some fatherly advice. Rayburn said," Harry, from here on out, you're going to have lots of people around you. They'll try to put a wall around you and cut you off from any ideas but theirs. They'll tell you what a great man you are, Harry. But you and I both know you ain't" Friends can say those things to each other. Later, when Sam Rayburn discovered that he was seriously ill, he told his friends in Congress that ...

... I didn ’ t want my little dogs drowning in it, so I reluctantly pulled on my heavy coat and grabbed the snow shovel to make a path. I had only gotten a bit done, however, when the handle of my old snow shovel broke with a" snap" Laughing and shaking my head I decided then and there to wait out the storm for awhile. It was late in the afternoon when the snow finally stopped and I trudged over to my Dad ’ s house to borrow his shovel and try again. By then the 10 inches of snow had turned into a foot and a half. I started out slow setting a steady pace and stopping to rest whenever my back started to ache. After a while, though, the clouds finally broke and the sun peeked out to cheer me on. The work seemed a lot easier then even though it was warmer. I even sang a few Christmas carols and smiled up at ...

... to be considered bad. They seem like a nuisance sometimes but it could be that God has a reason for that distraction to happen. We must be close to Him so we can see His hand in these types of situations. Give God the glory for what you do. In John 7: 14-18 Jesus admonishes us to do just that. There are other passages of Scripture that teach this also. If you notice the ministry of Jesus, He always gave His Father the glory for what He did. We must learn from this so we can be good examples of Christ's love. Further study: Matt. 10: 8: Mark 9: 23: Mark 16: 17-18. These are a challenge for us to use the tools God has given us so we may be instruments of love and caring in His hands. Now let's get going and look for needs as we go about our daily lives to show the Love God has for ...

... belief, usually, is the faith in a supreme being who is all knowing and all powerful. If you are of the opinion that such a being exists, what is your hesitation with praying. out loud. at school .in front of God and everybody? Am I to understand that the secular consequence of school detention, dismissal or arrest on a misdemeanor charge has you more concerned and frightened than the wrath of God? This is a constitutional republic. The Founding Fathers, in their shortsighted way, set it up so that a small group of federal judges, appointed for life, get to determine the religious behavior of a plurality of the people. That is based on what some would say is a misinterpretation of the Constitution's prohibition against a state-mandated religion. Had the founders known that their First Amendment was going to be so used, I have little doubt that we all now would be members of the Church of England. But ...

... it's not enough, here comes the Heavy Stuff of Life .the full-blown storm, the unexpected crisis of health, family, church, life -it happens to us all too. It threatens to devastate and destroy us and we'd be blown away .were it not .were it not. for the EYE of the STORM .a place a refuge to which we can flee .the place where GOD Himself resides in perfect stillness, calmness, security, and peace. You are safe in the Father's arms .if you will run there today. Going through a hurricane of the heart today? Hassles? Hurts? Heavy stuff? No emergency aid of any federal government can help; no person can know your pain -but God does. And HE will be there to hold you and to see you through -flee to the EYE OF THE STORM today and know His peace! Scripture: Psalm 91-The Safety Psalm. Prayer:" Lord, I'm in the middle of a ...

... Working In Joy When I was a boy we had a wood stove that heated the house in the Winter. Keeping that stove full was no small task. My Dad, two brothers, and I would spend days cutting up trees on our land to fill the woodshed. It was hard work splitting up the logs, tossing them into the back of the pickup truck, and stacking them into cords. We never complained however. We spent the time laughing, joking, and teasing each other. We knew that hard work was a part of life and was best done in joy. We knew too that this hard work would keep us warm during the long, cold Winter to come. Putting food on our tables and heat in our homes is only a small part of our real work in this world, though. Our greatest work here is the hearts we touch, the good we do, and the love we share. Our ...

... can always control the songs that we sing. What song is going to come from your spirit today? What lyrics are you going to sing? What notes are you going to play? Are you going to add to the sweet morning music that is so often around you or are you going to lend your voice to the disharmony that often comes your way? The choice is yours. You can start your mornings with prayerful lyrics of love and thanks to your Heavenly Father who made you. You can fill your days with a melody of kind words for family, friends, and strangers alike. You can send a silent chorus of well wishes to every soul you pass on the street. You can share the harmony of help and happiness with your neighbors and the whole world. You can make your entire life such a sweet song of love that every angel in Heaven will want to sing along.~Joseph J. Mazzella~[ by ...

... a Disney movie and your little brother wants to tag along, I hope you'll let him. I hope you have to walk uphill to school with your friends and that you live in a town where you can do it safely. On rainy days when you have to catch a ride I hope your driver doesn't have to drop you two blocks away so you won't be seen riding with someone as uncool as your mom. If you want a slingshot, I hope your dad teaches you how to make one instead of buying one. I hope you learn to dig in the dirt and read books. When you learn to use those newfangled computers, I hope you also learn to add and subtract in your head. I hope you get razzed by your friends when you have your first crush on a girl, and when you talk back to your mother that you learn what Ivory soap tastes like. May you skin your knee climbing a mountain, ...

... Will You Be Ready? Abraham Lincoln once said," I will prepare, and some day my chance will come" When his chance came, he was ready. During his seminary years, one priest-in-training sported a T-shirt that never failed to bring chuckles. Across the front was emblazoned:" Expectant Father" His chance came and he, too, was ready! When your chance comes, will you be ready? Hockey superstar Wayne Gretzky was always ready. He broke almost every record imaginable and is known as the greatest hockey player of all time. Gretzky is not particularly big for his sport-he stands at 5 feet 11 inches tall and weighs in at 170 pounds. He never skated particularly fast, his shot was not high-powered and he often placed dead last on regular strength tests administered to his team. So what made" The Great One" so great? He was ready. Gretzky attributes his stardom to practice and preparation ...

... just left with no flowers!" Right, said the clerk," I cut off the flowers. That's the Special. I call it the Thanksgiving Thorns Bouquet"" Oh, come on, you can't tell me someone is willing to pay for that !" exclaimed Sandra." Barbara came into the shop three years ago feeling much like you feel today ," explained the clerk." She thought she had very little to be thankful for. She had lost her father to cancer, the family business was failing, her son was into drugs, and she was facing major surgery"" That same year I had lost my husband ," continued the clerk," and for the first time in my life, had just spent the holidays alone. I had no children, no husband, no family nearby, and too great a debt to allow any travel"" So what did you do ?" asked Sandra." I learned to be ...

... True Love I'm not sure I can always tell love from passion. One father said of his teenaged son," I don't know if he's in love or in heat !" What teenager would know? Besides, feelings of attraction can change more quickly than a pouty expression. But love, in its truest form, is greater than feelings. It is as much a decision as it is a feeling. Love is what Mr. and Mrs. Strauss shared. Mrs. Isadore Strauss was one of the few first class women passengers to go down with the Titanic in 1912, and she drowned because she could not bear to leave her husband. They remained calm throughout the excitement of the sinking vessel. They both aided frightened women and children to find places aboard lifeboats. Finally, Mr. Strauss, who had repeatedly urged his wife to claim a spot safely aboard a lifeboat, forced her to enter one. She was seated but a ...

... you" Those beautiful words sang in my ears and flew into my heart. It was the sweetest sound I had ever heard. At that moment I fully saw with my eyes, ears, and heart the wonderful, bright, shining soul that lives within my son. May you always bless your life with the sweet sound of" I love you" as well. Fill your home with its beautiful music. Let it float to Heaven on your prayers to our Father. Share its glorious, healing words with the world. Use it to touch the lives and brighten the hearts of all those you love. It truly is the song of the angels and the very voice of God.~Joseph J. Mazzella~[ by: Joseph J. Mazzella Copyright 2008 (joecool @wirefire.com)-submitted by: Joseph Mazzella] Inspirational Messages SkyWriting.Net All Rights Reserved. ...

... created me, that I was and will be no longer the ugly duckling but the beautiful swan. The new spiritual self make me special in God's sight. I can be beautiful because of what the Lord has done for me. Dying, rising again, and He will be coming back for me if I don't go to Him before He comes back. How beautiful the swans were and how beautiful God's Word is. Now I can honestly say," Thank you Father for creating me"" In its place you have clothed yourselves with a brand-new nature that is continually being renewed as you learn more and more about Christ, who created this new nature within you" Colossians 3: 10 (NLT) [by Bonnie House-from 'Themestream '-Ed: Anon] Inspirational Messages SkyWriting.Net All Rights Reserved. ...

... grow up. You get to finger paint, carve pumpkins, play hide-and-seek, catch lightning bugs and never stop believing in Santa Claus. You have an excuse to keep reading the adventures of Piglet and Pooh, watching Saturday morning cartoons, going to Disney movies and wishing on stars. You get to frame rainbows, hearts and flowers under refrigerator magnets and collect spray painted noodle wreaths for Christmas, hand prints set in clay for Mother's Day and cards with backward letters for Father's Day. For $160, 140, there's no greater bang for your buck. You get to be a hero just for retrieving a Frisbee off the garage roof, taking the training wheels off the bike, removing a sliver, filling the wading pool, coaxing a wad of gum out of bangs and coaching a baseball team that never wins but always gets treated to ice cream regardless. You get a front row seat to history to witness the first step, first word ...

... The Power Of A Touch Writer Gordon MacDonald said that each night he reads a story to his little daughter. One day he was preparing to be away from home for a few days and he taped a selection of stories for his daughter to listen to while he was gone When he came back, he was eager to hear his daughter's reaction. She answered," Dad, the stories were fine, but it wasn't the same-I couldn't sit on the tape recorder's lap" Too often we underestimate the power of touch. Negative as well as positive touch has the power to elicit strong emotions. It can hurt and it can heal. Touch people in a negative way and you may get a strong reaction you didn't expect. Touch them in a safe, affirming and affectionate way, and you'll probably get just as strong a response-only this one you will welcome. Touch is powerful for infants. Newborns who are touched will ...

... our balloon-releasing ceremonies. We have released balloons from different states, and at times have been so busy that we were forced to make a special effort in order to even continue the tradition. In 1999, balloon number seven was released in the middle of a hectic week of packing as we were moving from one city to another. Balloon number six was the very first to be released outside of the state of West Virginia, and on February 13th 1996, my wife's father passed away after only one week in the hospital; the next day we tearfully released balloon number four. We have been through quite a bit in the short time we have spent together. After all this time I now realize that I love her more today than I did eleven years ago. I love my wife more than I love myself; as a matter of fact, I would gladly lay down my life for her if necessary. However, the interesting thing to ...

... , how often, and in how many ways God whispers His love for us everyday. His love for us is everywhere, in everything, and flows through all of us as well. His love is what created the universe and His love is what can help us to become who we were meant to be. Open your ears, eyes, mind, and heart. Listen carefully with them all, each day of your life. Hear the gentle voice of our Father telling you just how much He loves you. Then joyously say," I love you too God and I thank you for my life" God ’ s love whispers on the winds of everything in this world. Let it whisper through your voice and your life as well.~Joseph J. Mazzella~[ by: Joseph J. Mazzella Copyright 2008 (joecool @wirefire.com)-submitted by: Joseph Mazzella] Inspirational Messages SkyWriting.Net All Rights Reserved. ...

... Time To Give Thanks-Time To Remember Others DEAR ABBY: A year ago, you printed a beautiful Thanksgiving prayer that I used as the grace before our meal. Unfortunately, I didn't save the clipping. Could you please run it again?-ELEANOR ALARCON, UNION, N.J. DEAR ELEANOR: With pleasure! O heavenly Father: We thank thee for food and remember the hungry. We thank thee for health and remember the sick. We thank thee for friends and remember the friendless. We thank thee for freedom and remember the enslaved. May these remembrances stir us to service, that thy gifts to us may be used for others. Amen. «:*΄`³€³΄`*:»§«:*΄`³€³΄`*:»§«:*΄`³ ³΄`*:»§«:*΄`³€³΄`*:»§«:*΄`³€³΄`*:» «:*΄`³€³΄`*:»§«:*΄`³€³΄`*:» Since today is Thanksgiving, take just a moment to reflect upon all of the things for which you are thankful. How's your health? Not so good? Well, thank God you've lived this long. A lot of people haven't. You're hurting? Thousands- ...

... the other day. It was called" Set for Life" and people in it will compete for a monthly check that will supposedly" set" them for life. For some reason seeing this advertisement reminded me of a moment when my own family was definitely not set for life. It was just after a fire had destroyed our home when I was a boy. We had no insurance and the fire had taken everything we had except our own lives. When my Dad looked through the ashes he could only find one thing: the plastic case that my Mom always kept her wedding and Mother ’ s rings in. It had melted around them and saved them from the flames. I can remember Mom crying when he brought them to her. They were not worth much money, but they symbolized the priceless love and joy that our family shared. I can see now that this love and joy were our true treasures. They were all we ...

... of materialism. Each of us only has one life. Let ’ s not waste it on the watches we wear and the cars we drive. Each of us only has one soul. Let ’ s not lose it trying to gain the whole world. God put us here to love each other, to help each other, and to make this world a better place together. No house or boat will ever bring us joy like living the way that our Heavenly Father meant for us to. No amount of material wealth in this world will ever equal the treasures of Heaven. Live your life in love, joy, and oneness with God then. Help others whenever you can. Make this world a better place now. Life is brief and no watch will buy you an extra second of it.~Joseph J. Mazzella~[ by: Joseph J. Mazzella (joecool @wirefire.com)-{ used with permission}] Inspirational ...

... As their eyes met, the man's tears turned to sobbing, and Jesus began to speak. Have you ever told a lie, he asked? The man answered-yes Lord. Have you ever been given too much change and kept it? The man answered yes Lord. And the man sobbed more and more. Have you ever taken something from work that wasn't yours, Jesus asked? And the man answered yes Lord. Have you ever sworn, using my Father's name in vain? The man, crying now, answered yes Lord. As Jesus asked many more times," Have you ever "? The man's crying became uncontrollable, for he could only answer yes Lord. Then Jesus turned His head from one side to the other, and the man felt something fall on his other shoulder. He looked and saw that it was the blood of Jesus. When he looked back up, his eyes met those of Jesus, and there ...

... not happy because there were so many other people waiting to see the doctor. The nurse checked my son and said he'll be okay-you'll just have to" WAIT" for your turn. Easy for her to say-David wasn't her son. So, I did wait (I had to). My son still looked very, very sick, to me. Finally, I took a deep breath and started looking at the faces of the other moms and dads in the waiting room. I could see a calm, relaxed and peaceful look on their faces. I guess they all knew that they were at the doctor's office and that their turn would come, and they had faith that the doctor could heal their child, or at least make them feel better. When I realized that, I said a little prayer, and I imediately started to feel more at peace too. Just knowing I was in the" waiting room" ...

... ." This was our dream, going to the Olympics ," Esther said." It's so hard! I have cried about it" But Esther discovered something important." I gave her my dream ," she said," but for the first time ever, I feel like a champ" Esther Kim won a victory far greater than one fought on the mats. She won a victory of the spirit, which qualifies her as a true champion. As Kay Poe's father remarked," The champions aren't always the ones who have all the medals" No, sometimes they are cheering from the sidelines. For success and winning is often about victories won in the hidden recesses of the heart. And any of us who will fight and win such a victory will know the meaning of the word" success"~Steve Goodier~[ by: Steve Goodier (LifeSupport @yahoogroups.com)-{ used with permission}] Inspirational Messages SkyWriting.Net All Rights ...

... The Last Time When was the last time you drank in a sunset, the unpretentious smile of a toddler, a father with a child sitting on his shoulders? When was the last time you heard the mournful sound of a cricket, the breeze whispering through dense pine, the sound of new life? When was the last time you felt the warmth of a child's hug, the feel of a tear as it was rubbed gently from the face of one you love, the indescribable joy of holding the hand of one whom God has joined together? When was the last time you tasted Mom's best recipe, salt water on a carefree day at the beach, a snowflake? When was the last time you had a puppy lick your face, a cat purr in total affection, a child that thought dog biscuits were cookies? When was the last time you gave a hug for no reason, said a kind word to a stranger, ...

... them all: life itself. It is big enough for all the dreams in our minds and love in our hearts. It is big enough to invite others in to play, learn, and grow. It is big enough to become anything you want it to be and anything you choose to make it. Enjoy all of your adventures in this big box of life then. Play, dream, laugh, learn, and love. And always remember that your loving Father in Heaven is smiling down on you as well.~Joseph J. Mazzella~[ by: Joseph J. Mazzella Copyright 2008 (joecool @wirefire.com)-submitted by: Joseph Mazzella] Inspirational Messages SkyWriting.Net All Rights Reserved. ...

... ? What in life can we afford to let go of? The answer, if we think about it, is plain: Let go of anything we can't carry with us into eternal life. What about pretense? Are we 'pretenders? Do we pretend to be something, someone we are not? Do outsiders see a different 'us ' than our family sees?" Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven" Matthew 5: 16 Eternity is not for pretenders. What about worry?" Do we worry about things that MAY happen ?" Leave the future to God. We don't know what the future holds, but we know Who holds the future. Are we discontented? We must make the best of what we have, without complaining. Are we always wanting something better? If we look around, we can always find someone worse off than ourselves. ...

... called upon to tie myself to the bell. But I was still called upon to show my love-in little ways, mostly. I was needed to comfort her before we were married when the doctor told her she could never have children; to hold her hand and tell her I wanted her more than I wanted a family. I was called upon to sit by her hospital bed after surgery and encourage her. I was called upon to hold her after her father died and let her cry. I was also called upon to carve out alone time with her as often as possible and to make sure my plans included her as well as me. I was never needed to prove my undying love through a glorious act of self-sacrifice. It was something I was required to do in little ways, through one small act of kindness at a time. And that, I've learned, is love.~Steve Goodier~[ by: Steve ...

... to my kids ’ faces even when my cooking left something to be desired. It is those hugs that I still share freely with my children even now that they are as big as I am. It is those hugs that I hope to share with my future grandchildren too. It is those hugs with their armfuls of joy that can help us all to share our love for each other. It is those hugs that I hope to share one day with my Heavenly Father as well." God is love" and I can think of no more loving way to greet Him when I finally make it" Home". In fact, I think His loving arms await us all. We need only to open our hearts and our arms to Him as well. Join in God ’ s family tradition then. Fill your house with warm hugs, gentle love, and joyous oneness with him. It is, after all, what ’ s ...

... that squeezed the air out of my lungs and warmed my heart at the same time are a gift I will always cherish. The gift of my Mom ’ s loving and joyous smile still lives on in my heart and soul today. I always felt happier when I saw it. Those boyhood touch football games my brothers and I had in the sunshine, rain, and even the snow are a gift of fun that still makes me laugh. The countless repairs my Dad made on my tired, old cars over the years is a gift I can never repay. His help kept me driving and his love kept me going during some of the toughest points in my life. Those phone calls from my Aunt that keep me smiling for half the day are another priceless gift I still enjoy. They always lift my spirits as high as Heaven. The hugs, smiles, laughter and kind words that are shared with my children, my friends and ...

... The Child Within I got that look from my daughter again the other day. It is the look that says:" Dad, will you please just act your age ?" You see, my daughter is growing up fast and is on her way to becoming a beautiful, young woman. Even though she is still a teenager she already has the maturity and wisdom of an adult. I, on the other hand, have been busy enjoying my second childhood ever since my first one ended. It seems strange to my daughter then that sometimes she appears to be the older and more grown up of the two of us. What my daughter doesn ’ t realize, though, is that I used to be a child, teenager, and young adult myself. I can distinctly remember what it was like to be each one of them. In fact, all three of them still live on inside of me. I can still choose to ...

... early Thanksgiving dinner. The table would be full of mashed potatoes, turkey, gravy, corn, yams, sweet potatoes, green beans, rolls, butter, pumpkin pie, and whipped cream. It was a feast of love and we would relish every bite of it. During one of those visits on the day of our big meal, I met a new boy in the neighborhood while playing outside. His mom and he had just moved into town after his dad had left them. Like most young boys we became friends right away and spent the rest of the afternoon playing and talking. After we were pretty worn out from all of our adventures he invited me over to his home. It was older house that had seen better days. He said his mom was renting it and was away at work but that we could get a snack if we wanted. We searched the kitchen but there was nothing but empty shelves. I was ...

... at a time until we are totally obscured. For many of us, self-esteem and self-worth come from what we have accomplished or how much we can buy or who we know. Yet one day we will awaken to a new reality, an endless day in which all our values will be turned upside down. All that we have done, said, created, bought, and built will be brushed away, melted like snow under the gaze of our eternal Father. Deep within each one of us he will seek the one thing, the only thing he truly cares about: the imprint of the cross, the mark of his Son. Nothing else matters to Him. And on that day, nothing else will matter to you. Do you possess the one thing that really matters? You can see Moran's painting of the mountain at: The Mountain of the Holy Cross [Mark Phillips, Copyright (C) 2000 Matrix Development ( ...

... known to such as I. GOD opens this flower so sweetly, When in my hands they fade and die. If I cannot unfold a rosebud, This flower of God's design, Then how can I think I have wisdom To unfold this life of mine? So I'll trust in Him for His leading Each moment of every day. I will look to Him for His guidance Each step of the pilgrim way. The pathway that lies before me, Only my Heavenly Father knows. I'll trust Him to unfold the moments, Just as He unfolds the rose. [Author Unknown-from Chaplain 777 (chaplain777 @hotmail.com)] Inspirational Messages SkyWriting.Net All Rights Reserved. ...

... The Heart Cry Of A Bruised Spirit. Many years ago I came to a turning point in my Christian walk. Up until then I had been very bitter towards God because I was alone and wanted desperately to be married and have someone to share my life with. I was so angry with God. I couldn't understand how He could claim to be a Loving Father and still allow me to go on being alone and miserable especially when it was within his power to change my situation over night. How could He stand by and see me suffer, watch my heart break as I saw my friends one by one all marry and start families of their own. It became more than I could bear. How could He do this to me? Didn't He see how I ached inside, how I hurt? My heart was broken, my spirit crushed, I had no hope for the future. What I did have however was a distorted ...

... The Crooked Smile As we rolled five-year-old Mary into the MRI room, I tried to imagine what she must be feeling. She had suffered a stroke that left half of her body paralyzed, had been hospitalized for treatment of a brain tumor, and had recently lost her father, her mother and her home. We all wondered how Mary would react. She went into the MRI machine without the slightest protest, and we began the exam. At that time, each imaging sequence required the patient to remain perfectly still for about five minutes. This would have been difficult for anyone-and certainly for a five-year-old who had suffered so much. We were taking an image of her head, so any movement of her face, including talking, would result in image distortion. About two minutes into the first sequence, we noticed on the video monitor that Mary's mouth was moving. We even heard a muted voice over the intercom. We halted ...

... a passing acquaintance. Jim Potter may have long since forgotten that moment when he extended his hand to me in sympathy, but I shall never forget it-never in all my life. To me it stands out like the silhouette of a lonely tree against a crimson sunset" As the poet thought back to that unhappy time, one vivid memory of a brief and genuine moment of comfort still lingered years later. It was a moment that meant everything to a grieving father. Those who comfort others bring no less than a piece of heaven to earth.~Steve Goodier~[ by: Steve Goodier-Copyright 2009-from Steve Goodier (LifeSupport @yahoogroups.com)] Inspirational Messages SkyWriting.Net All Rights Reserved. ...

... Lord Almighty"-Haggai 2: 8 (NIV) Isn't it ironic (dontcha think ?) that man works so ardently to own his own a home and a shiny car, when, try as hard as we may, what we so-called" own" is not really ours anyway!" What ?" you say," How can that be ?" Here is the scoop. Everything which God created, from the silver, diamonds, furs and gold, our Heavenly Father owns. For that matter, we owe our very life, not just to our parents, but to the Savior Himself, for without His divine intervention mankind would not even exist. You see, you and I are not on this planet to make a name for ourselves in the business world, or to gather all the material items we can afford, nor even to eat, drink and be merry. Certainly, God wishes our ultimate joy and happiness, but our ...

... over. It is knowing that no matter how painful or scary life gets you need only to call out to God and He will be there for you. It is having the gentle touch of His hand on your spirit and the loving whisper of His voice in your heart. It is even enjoying the delicious, ice cream filled days of happiness that He gives you here. Most of all, though, it is knowing that you are His Child. Your Heavenly Father loves you joyously, powerfully, and perfectly. Have faith in His love then. Rejoice in your birthright. And share your love with the world.~Joseph J. Mazzella~[ by: Joseph J. Mazzella Copyright 2009 (joecool @wirefire.com)-submitted by: Joseph Mazzella] Inspirational Messages SkyWriting.Net All Rights Reserved. ...

... the effect of applying pressure on a liquid in a closed container. Changes in pressure in a confined liquid will be distributed equally throughout the fluid. For example, a thin bottle will break when a cork is pushed down far enough. This principle is used today in hydraulics for presses, elevators, jacks, vacuum pumps and air compressors. Blaise Pascal (1623-1662 ), an amazing French philosopher, is known today for his work in math, chemistry and religion. His father tried to educate him in ancient languages. However, at age 12, Blaise had discovered geometry and at 16 wrote" The Geometry of Conics ," which is now lost. He also invented the calculating machine and the theory of probability, used in card games. In his mid-thirties, Pascal became interested in religion. He wrote ::" Within each one of us there is a God-shaped vacuum that only God can fill" Later, he wrote another book," An Apology ...

... Fearless Living A woman traveled by plane with her infant daughter. When they landed, they were met in the waiting area by her father, who took the baby while she proceeded to the baggage claim area. Standing there alone waiting to claim her luggage, she was absent-mindedly holding the baby's pacifier. She noticed a flight attendant staring at her, then at the pacifier in her hand. The flight attendant finally spoke:" Excuse me, Miss. Is this your first flight ?" Fear of flying has kept many people home. One woman reminds me that her terror of riding in airplanes actually has biblical roots." We should be wary of flying ," she asserts." In the Bible, Jesus says, 'LO .I'll be with you always "! Other common fears have kept countless people from enjoying life fully. Some of the greatest fears we share are a fear of becoming incapacitated, a fear of financial ruin, fear of abandonment and ...

... Echoes Of Kind Words A little boy said to his father," Let's play darts. I'll throw the darts and you say,` Wonderful!" Here is a boy who was not afraid to ask for the encouragement he needs. Maybe we all have something to learn from him! Inspirational author and educator, Fr. Brian Cavanaugh, relates a story about the devastating effects of discouragement. Dante Gabriel Rossetti, the famous 19th Century poet and artist, was once approached by an elderly man who asked him to look at a few of his sketches and drawings. The gentleman wanted to know if the artist thought they were of any value. As gently as possible, Rossetti told the man that the sketches were of no value and showed little talent. He apologized for the harsh assessment but said that he believed he should be honest. The visitor was disappointed but asked the artist if he could take a look at just a few more ...

... Easter lilies because she wanted to go up to see Edith and give her some Easter lilies and wish her a Happy Easter. When she walked into Edith's room, Edith was in bed. That big black Bible was on her lap. Her hands were in that Bible. There was a sweet smile on her face. When Phyllis Cross went to pick up Edith's hand, she realized Edith was dead. Her left hand was on John 14: 2" In my Father's house are many mansions. I go to prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also" Her right hand was on Revelation 21: 4," And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes, there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying; and there shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away" Phyllis Cross took one ...

... before you put on their leashes for a walk. Take a second to smell that baby's hair when you hold her in your arms. Take a moment to sneak a kiss when you bump into your dear one in the kitchen. Take a little while to watch the sun go down and the moon rise up. Take a hour to walk among the trees and flowers and feel God's gentle, loving breezes on your face. Take a minute to call your Mom, Dad, Grandma, Grandpa, Aunt, or Uncle and tell them that you love them. Take the time to write an inspiring letter or say an encouraging word to a friend. Take all of the precious days of your life and use them to bring more joy, love, and oneness with God to this world. Life is short. Don't miss a moment of it.~Joseph J. Mazzella~[ by: Joseph J. Mazzella (joecool @wirefire) ...

... that very high, unrealistic expectation, you'll eventually POP! I've done it, so I know. You've got to let some air out of your balloon. Give the air to God. So, I acknowledge and embrace these parts of myself right now. I allow myself to feel hurt and cry. I turn to God for help and guidance and I ask for more strength. Here are some examples: My heart is ripped apart over the fact that my fiance's Dad has just been diagnosed with cancer. I HATE being in the hospital seeing him suffer. I DETEST the fear that I feel and see and smell. I want to fall apart when I see the pain in my fiance's eyes. I am NOT okay with this. It hurts, and it hurts a lot. I cannot always be the pillar of strength I have expected myself to be. I lose it sometimes and I am finally saying to myself that it's okay to ...

... tears, growth and struggle, learning and difficulty, and love and pain. I said a silent prayer that he would learn quickly to choose the good things and not to dwell on the bad. I also prayed that he would always feel loved in this life. I knew that if he felt loved then he would also choose love and share love with so many others as well. I then said this prayer for the rest of us too. We may be fathers, mothers, and grandparents now, but inside of each of us there is still a child needing love and wanting to be loved. Thankfully, we have a parent who loves us with a love that is both unending and unconditional. We are all Children of God and we are always held in His loving arms as we go through this life. Even if we haven ’ t always felt loved by the people in our lives we can be assured that His love will ...

... was !" It is easy to give thanks-or to show it-when we feel grateful. But gratitude is not a feeling we can manufacture. Nor are we born feeling grateful. Children are not thankful by nature. We teach them to say thanks and, in time, they develop stronger feelings of gratitude. My children could talk before they were weaned from diapers, but one thing they never said was," Thank your for changing my dirty diapers. Dad, I know that is a messy job. I appreciate all you are doing for me" Too bad. Sometimes I deserved a BIG thank you. When they were sick, they never thanked us for sitting up with them at night. And when they became car sick at the beginning of a road trip, they never said thanks for cleaning it up. Even though their mother and I spent almost a half hour scrubbing the carpet in a convenience store parking lot at ...

... . I put my son down then, glued and reset the frames, and set them on the table to dry. Sewing the jacket without my glasses, though, was no easy task. On my thirtieth try at threading the needle my little daughter came in the room. I asked her if she could put the thread through the eye for me. She did on the first try and handed it back to me with a smile." There you go, Daddy !", she said with sparkling eyes before heading back to her room to play. I often wondered back then why I was having to struggle so hard just to get by. I wondered why I didn ’ t have the money to buy the new clothes and glasses that others took for granted. Now thirteen years later I think that maybe God was having my soul spend that time learning what the true riches in life really are. That giggling toddler in my arms was one ...

... Godly Giving" But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you"-Matthew 6: 3-4 How many people do you know who truly give just for the sake of giving because they know it is good and right to do? How many folks do you know who offer their services, time and emotions, simply because they have a real heart to help a fellow man? I wish I could say I knew many such people, but, the reality is, few individuals I know give out of a cheerful and loving heart expecting nothing from man or God in return. Even in my own life, while my heart may be acting in love, a small subtle part of me sometimes hopes that God will offer me something in return, ...

... the garage making sure we had everything. Before long we were ready to meet up with our friends. We met them and through a series of events we won't get into, we all drove together. Her three sons, my three sons, my friend and I all piled into the mini-van and headed to our destination. Although the boys ages varied from 2 to 10 years old, we all had one thing in common-we had never been fishing without the daddies. I didn't expect what was in store for us that day. Upon arrival, we dropped our lines in the lake. Frozen corn served as our bait and from the moment we dropped our lines in the lake, the fish grabbed a hold. Shrieks of excitement announced that we had landed another pint-sized bluefish. My oldest son took responsibility for baiting the hooks and fixing some of the tangled lines. Without hesitation he got the fish off the hooks and released them. ...

... give up? The answer is two puppies playing together. Yes, we have a new puppy in the house named Lemmy. He came about when I mistakenly assumed that our male Saint Bernard was way too big to ever get our little female mixed-breed pregnant. Now at two months old Lemmy is living proof I was wrong. He is already as big as our six month old beagle pup, Snoopy and I am sure he will one day be as big as his dad too. Watching Lemmy and Snoopy charging down the hall always brings a smile to my face. They chase, pant, and chew on each other. They bounce, roll, and run. They go faster and faster until their legs tangle and they end up in a pile of fur at the foot of the couch. I delight so much in the joy they bring. They remind me that the greatest happiness comes from a playful spirit and a loving heart. They ...

... of my love for her. Is that what we are seeking when we ask God to forgive our sins again? In Matthew 7: 9-12, Jesus tells us," Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven good gifts, to those who ask him !" Jesus wastes no words in telling us that even we, with all our failings and sinful nature, love our children and give them good things. God, who is perfect and holy, loves us and gives us the same things. I know that I love my daughter more than life itself. I also know that this love is only the very tiniest tip of the iceberg of the love God has for you ...

... the odd-looking object in the palm of one's hand, who would know that within such a proverbial" ugly ducking" could exist such a brilliant" swan !" Unlike the swan though, the bulb, if not properly nurtured with water, earth, and sunlight, will never begin the metamorphosis it is capable of! Instead, the bulb will just sit in a box or corner of someone's basement awaiting someone to come and plant it. So too, does our Heavenly Father have a gift for us just waiting to be opened and brought forth to life! It is the gift of salvation! Unfortunately, like the untouched tulip bulb that sits on a ledge gathering dust, so too, do many people never come to know and experience the beautiful blooming forth of the spirit of God in their life! As the bulb needs sunlight and water to spring it to full existence, our spirit requires the nourishment of the truth of God and His word ...

... to be able to read Latin" One educator used to say that no society can last long unless it has a quorum of" unpurchasable people" These are people of principle who cannot be bought; people who have learned to say no. I believe that these so-called unpurchasable people are the truly contented and fulfilled souls around us. In Whitney Seymour's book MAKING A DIFFERENCE (New York: William Morrow and Co, Inc, 1984 ), Arthur McArthur, General Douglas McArthur's father, told his son of such an unpurchasable man. This man was a Union general in charge of the occupied territory surrounding New Orleans toward the end of the American Civil War. He was pressed by local plantation owners to permit them to haul their cotton to the wharves in order for it to be sold for shipment to England. The general controlled all the wagons and horses, and his orders from high command in Washington were clear. He was not to let the cotton ...

... for $20 ?" This time the man answered that he would not." How about for a $100 ?"" No !" the man emphasized. The trainer forged ahead." You have a child, right ?"" Yes"" This time, what if I were to hold your child over the edge of the building and tell you that if you do not walk across the beam I will drop your child. Would you walk across ?" Surprisingly, the father hesitated for a beat, then smiled and asked," Which child do you have ?" The trainer, of course, was right in assuming that a parent's devotion to a child is usually greater than almost any amount of fear associated with saving that child. Most parents love their children fiercely and would do anything possible to help them. An eastern newspaper reported that a train in Bangladesh accidentally struck a calf elephant. The mother elephant apparently became upset over the incident, for ...

... Eve:" Do as you please" To the youth I would whisper," The Bible is a myth" I would convince them that man made God instead of the other way around. I would confide that what's bad is good and what's good is" square" In the ears of the young married I would whisper that work is debasing, that cocktail parties are good for you. And to the old I would teach to pray after me:" Our Father, who art in Washington" And then I'd get organized; I'd educate authors in how to make lurid literature exciting, so that everything else would appear dull and uninteresting. I'd threaten television with dirtier movies and vice versa. I'd peddle narcotics to whom I could; I'd sell alcohol to ladies and gentlemen of distinction; I'd tranquilize the rest with pills. If I were the Devil I'd soon have families at war with themselves, churches at war with themselves, and nations ...

... we think we are being strong in holding to our resolution. But stubbornness is a weak imitation of strength. Dostoyevsky said," The cleverest person of all, in my opinion, is the man who calls himself a fool at least once a month" Paul was wise enough finally to call himself a fool about this issue, and he called for Mark to rejoin him. Our opinion about another person never contains the whole truth, or the only truth. My dad once relented on a family rule about no competitive sports on Sundays to let me play in the city championship hockey game. As he drove me to the rink, I asked why he had changed his mind." Sometimes we make up rules just to keep from having to make decisions ," he said. Our resolve not to forgive serves the same purpose. Then we do not need to re-think a decision, re-do a relationship or re-live a hurt. Sometimes we refuse to ...

... A Short Walk When I was a boy my family and I lived in my Grandma ’ s old house by the woods. Along one side of it ran a river that separated us from the main road. The only way over the water was across an old, wooden, swinging bridge. Along the other side of it ran a set of railroad tracks. My Dad had taught me early on to always listen for the sound of the coming trains and to get off the tracks fast when I did. They only ran by the house a few times a day, however, so the rest of the time I could walk along the quiet, deserted tracks as much as I wanted. I was surprised one day then to find another person walking down the tracks as well. He was a tall man dressed in orange coveralls. He had a bright smile and a cheerful way about him. I ran right over and started talking to ...

... publicly. You shall work heartily as unto the Lord and as directed by Him and your husband, not by your own ideas of what should be done. You shall not be so busy working, however, that you neglect to get alone with God everyday. During this quiet time, you shall pray diligently for your husband. You shall also be willing to put aside work in order to 'play ' when your husband asks you. You shall honor your mother and father, but you shall not elevate their position or opinions above your husband's. You shall not resent, revile, or hate your husband, but you shall grant him grace, forgiveness, and mercy. You shall not commit adultery, nor shall you think lustfully toward another man; but you shall thank God for your husband and be pleased with him. You shall not steal from your husband. You shall not steal his marriage by threats of divorce. You shall not steal ...

... the first loving thoughts that was cast into my own heart and the angel who placed it there. I was a young boy and my parents, brothers, and I were spending the afternoon at the home of a family friend. This friend was the hymn leader at our church as well as the music teacher at my grade school. I remember I used to sit and listen to her play songs on her guitar for hours at a time. On this day my dad was outside once again working his mechanic magic or her ailing, old car. My mom was setting up a picnic for everyone and my brothers were in the yard playing. I was inside talking with our friend and listening to her sweet music. I don ’ t remember exactly what we were talking about, but I do remember at one point her saying," Joe, for someone so young you already understand a lot about life" That loving thought made a home ...

... You can choose love. You can choose joy. You can choose oneness with God every single day. You can share it all with everyone you meet. You can help to bring Heaven into the hearts, minds, and souls of others. You can help to make the world around you a better place morning, noon, and night. And even on those exhausting days when you stumble and fall you can rise up, dust yourself off, take your Heavenly Father ’ s hand, and begin again to live as a Child of Heaven even while you are here on Earth.~Joseph J. Mazzella~[ by: Joseph J. Mazzella Copyright 2008 (joecool @wirefire.com)-submitted by: Joseph Mazzella] Inspirational Messages SkyWriting.Net All Rights Reserved. ...

... , my friend ," the man urged," my child is still alive" A moment or two later he pleaded," Hurry, my friend, my child is still breathing" A little later he said," Hurry, my friend, my child is still warm" When they got to the hospital, the young girl was gone." This is a terrible task for me ," the distraught man said to the reporter." I must go tell her father that his child is dead. He will be heartbroken" The reporter was amazed. He looked at the grieving man and said," I thought she was YOUR child" The man replied," No, but aren't they all our children ?" I think that is one of the great questions of our age. Aren't they all our children? It is a question that deserves an answer. Aren't they all our children? Those who live under our roof and those who ...

... I now have a special envelope stuck between the car seats where I keep a small supply of gift certificates to McDonalds, Burger King and a restaurant and grocery. And when I'm driving, I keep an eye out for someone who looks like he might need a meal. It doesn't cost much or take much effort, and I no longer have to look the other way as I pass by. I think of him now and then and remember to pray that the Father of all would touch his life. I wish he could know how he touched mine, and changed me forever. ** WARNING **-Use common sense and caution when passing out meal certificates, or any other type of help for the needy. [Submitted by Jill Burnett (Jill @AtTheWell.com)-from '2THEHEART '] Inspirational Messages SkyWriting.Net All Rights Reserved. ...

... , but cherish it as a dose of wisdom worth re-reading as often as possible. Beatitudes For Parents by Marion E. Kinneman (1895-1985)-( used by permission). Blessed are those parents who make their peace with spilled milk and with mud, for of such is the kingdom of childhood. Blessed is the parent who engages not in the comparison of his child with others, for precious unto each is the rhythm of his own growth. Blessed are the fathers and mothers who have learned laughter, for it is the music of the child's world. Blessed and wise are those parents who understand the goodness of time, for they make it not a sword that kills growth but a shield to protect. Blessed and mature are they who without anger can say" no ," for comforting to the child is the security of firm decisions. Blessed is the gift of consistency, for it is heart's-ease in childhood. Blessed are they who accept ...

... Bonds Of Love My neighbor that lives just down the hill from me has" adopted" the family that lives across the road from her. She joyously calls their children her grandchildren and the mother and father her son and daughter. Watching them together touches my heart and lights up my soul. They share more than just cookies and chores together too. They share closeness, caring, laughter, tears, goodness, and love. They are a true family through both tough times and tender moments. They show me daily that the bonds of love are greater even than the bonds of blood and that we truly are one family in this world. How glorious this Earth would be if only everyone followed their example. Wars would disappear overnight. Not a single child would go unfed. Joyous laughter would replace angry shouts. Hitting would turn into hugging. Smiles would sail from face to face, heart to heart, and soul to soul. ...

... made it out safely. My Mom even found our small dog cowering at her feet and picked him up just as we ran out the front door. Doris Lessing once said that" Coincidences are God ’ s way of remaining anonymous" I fully believe that to be true. Without the coincidence of my Grandma waking up at just the right second that fire would have cost us our lives as well as our home. Without that coincidence my Grandma, Mom, and Dad would never have touched the lives they did over the years that followed. Without it my brother would never have become a teacher and I would never have written a word. Without it my brothers and I would never have raised seven wonderful children. Without it all the love, learning, and joy my family has shared with others would have been lost. The next time a coincidence blesses your life then embrace it for the gift from God that it is. We are ...

... Her parents, Keith and Belinda, decided to take Casey for experimental nonradiation-based treatments in Philadelphia, 300 miles from their home near Pittsburgh. For their first commercial flight, they had to navigate a packed airport, a noisy coach cabin, then baggage claim-trying conditions with any baby, let alone one battling cancer. They spent $750 on plane tickets. And monthly treatment was required. Then they discovered the Corporate Angel Network. Now Casey and her mom and dad sit among Mellon Financial Corp. executives shuttling between offices in Pittsburgh and Philadelphia. Says grateful mother Belinda:" We can concentrate more on getting our daughter better, instead of worrying about how we are going to get to the doctor's office and pay for our transportation" Now 75, Blum still volunteers at Corporate Angel headquarters once a week. For more about the Corporate Angel Network visit: Corporate Angel Network [By: Scott McCormack (Forbes)-Reader's Digest-from ...

... (just let it go). One time, a person had a bank they had been in business with for many years tell them" No !" to a $10, 000 loan. The Lord put in their spirit to call another bank. That bank gave them $40, 000 at a lower interest rate than the first bank was offering. We can sometimes trap ourselves in doubt and discouragement through judging by appearances. Be grateful for the many times our Father has closed doors to us just to open them in the most unexpected places. The Lord won't always say in spoken words:" Go to the left, now to the right" .sometimes He will just close the doors that are wrong for you. God Bless You Always! [Author Unknown-from 'E-Mail Ministry ' (EMailMinistry @yahoogroups.com)] Inspirational Messages SkyWriting.Net All Rights Reserved. ...

... Circles Of Kindness I was pushing my shopping cart loaded with a week ’ s worth of groceries out of the store the other day when I suddenly heard," Wait Dad you forgot !", behind me. My oldest son then ran up, grabbed the separate bag of groceries that we had put into our cart for the local food bank, and hurried over to the collection barrel with a happy smile on his face. As I watched him my mind flashed back to another Autumn afternoon 13 years ago. I was keeping an eye on him and his younger sister as they played in the leaves under a tree outside a local mission. Laid off from work with no money in the bank and little food in the house, I held their sleeping, baby brother in my arms while my wife went in to get enough groceries from the mission ’ s food bank to see us through another few days. I remember smiling at her as she ...

... the financial problems of today's world. How many of these problems were the result of inferior products (dubious mortgages, in this case) sold to unaware buyers? I am convinced that long-range successful businesses, and truly successful lives, are built on values. Two of those values are honesty and integrity. Over a century ago, clothier John Wanamaker, whose retail business grew into one of the world's first department stores, would have agreed. Wanamaker is sometimes called the father of modern advertising. He instilled the attitude of utmost honesty in his employees. The story is told of one of his advertising people who was instructed to make a sign promoting neckties that were reduced in price from one dollar apiece to 25 cents. After personally examining the ties, the marketer asked," Are they any good ?"" No, they're not ," he was told. Wanamaker would have been completely honest, so the ad copy had to reflect the attitude of ...

... Challenging The Lord's Prayer I cannot say OUR if I live only for myself. I Cannot say FATHER if I do not endeavor each day to act like His child. I cannot say WHO ART IN HEAVEN if I am laying up no treasure there. I cannot say HALLOWED BE THY NAME if I am not striving for holiness. I cannot say THY KINGDOM COME if I am not doing all in my power to hasten that wonderful event. I cannot say THY WILL BE DONE if I am disobedient to His word. I cannot say ON EARTH AS IT IS IN HEAVEN if I will not serve Him here and now. I cannot say GIVE US THIS DAY OUR DAILY BREAD if I am dishonest or seeking things by subterfuge. I cannot say FORGIVE US OUR TRESPASSES if I harbor a grudge against anyone. I cannot say LEAD US NOT INTO TEMPTATION if I deliberately place myself in its path. I cannot say DELIVER US FROM EVIL if ...

... is I have had a lot of good neighbors over the years. It was my elderly neighbor who became my Godfather when I was just a boy. It was our neighbors who first came to our aid when my childhood home later burned down in the middle of the night. When I was in high school it was our neighbor who gave me a ride to school every single morning. After moving in here I felt blessed to have first my Grandma and later my Dad as neighbors. It felt so wonderful as well to live in a neighborhood full of such giving and caring people. Over the years we have shared newspapers and helped each other with yard work. In the Winter we have pushed each other ’ s cars out of the snow and shoveled each other ’ s drives. It was my neighbors who helped me fix my wiring when I lost electricity and put in a new waterline when my old one broke. It was the neighborhood ...

... The elderly man staggered from his auto and fell into the trucker's arms. He poured out a story of months of fear and pain that accompanied the illness of his only daughter. Now he was returning from the hospital where it was decided that she would cease any further treatment. In the hospital he remained" strong" and stoic for his daughter, but out on the road he fell apart. The two men talked for the good part of an hour. The father eventually decided to share his pain with his daughter and said he felt good enough to drive home. The men embraced and the trucker followed him for 50 miles. As they drove along, the two talked together on the radio. The older man finally acknowledged that his exit was ahead and thanked his new friend again for the help. The trucker asked if he could make it home all right and, suddenly, a third voice broke in on the conversation:" Breaker ...

... My Old Car Almost 20 years ago when I was still a college student I had an old car that I jokingly named Goliath because of its huge size. This car was older than I was at the time and drank more gas than a dozen pick-up trucks. It had rotted wiring that my dad had to replace more than once. The windshield wipers were broke. The battery died often. The radio didn ’ t work and I only had one, scratchy cassette for the tape player. It often took quite a while to start and would backfire loud enough to be heard in the next county. My friends and teachers would often joke that they noticed buzzards circling my car when I was in class. Still, this was the car I depended on to commute long distances everyday and more often than not it got me there. In a lot of ways too this car was a lot like life. The more you complained about it ...

... He went into their cabin for several minutes then came out with a peaceful and joyous smile on his face. His wife asked him if God had said anything to him as he prayed." Yes ," he replied." He said ‘ You are not Home yet !’" This is something we all should remember as we journey through this life with all of its challenges, pains, and struggles. We are not Home yet. Home is the place where our loving Father awaits us. Home is the place where our true reward lies. Home is the place where the love we learned, the good we did, and the joy we shared will reside in our souls forever. Rejoice in your life here then. Love, help others and be happy. The lights will be on when you get home.~Joseph J. Mazzella~[ by: Joseph J. Mazzella Copyright 2008 (joecool @wirefire.com)-submitted by: Joseph ...

... brother Ron is five years older than me, which makes him pushing 70, but don't tell him; he thinks he's still a teenager. While in his late twenties, Ron was diagnosed with diabetes. A pastor of Baptist churches in central Alabama for four decades, he has given himself two insulin shots a day ever since. Every day. For the rest of his life. Milt Gabrielse was a businessman and lay minister of music in Missouri churches, and the father of Dr. Ken Gabrielse, chairman of the church music department of New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. Milt was one of the happiest, most joyful persons I ever met. Over the last decade of his life, he had serious heart problems which necessitated life-threatening surgeries on several occasions. All the medications he took for his heart finally destroyed his kidneys. During the final year of his life, he lived with a transplanted heart valve and a pacemaker, took lots and lots ...

... and pulling me back when I walk. My kids close their eyes, spread their arms and fly with it, until they fall to the ground laughing. When I pray, I say thee and thou and grant me this, give me that. My kids say," Hi God! Thanks for my toys and my friends. Please keep the bad dreams away tonight. Sorry, I don't want to go to Heaven yet. I would miss my Mommy and Daddy" When I see a mud puddle I step around it. I see muddy shoes and dirty carpets. My kids sit in it. They see dams to build, rivers to cross and worms to play with. I wonder if we are given kids to teach or to learn from? No wonder God loves the little children !!" Enjoy the little things in life, for one day you may look back and realize they were the big things" I wish you mud ...

... so it must be our eyes" She looked at me and told me that I was learning fast but the answer is not correct because there are many people who are blind. Stumped again I continued my quest for knowledge and over the years she asked me a couple more times and always the same answer" No. But you are getting smarter every year my young child" Then last year my Grandpa died. Everybody was hurt. Everybody was crying. Even my father cried. I remember that especially because it is only the second time I saw him cry. My Mom looked at me when it was our turn to say our final good-bye to Grandpa. She asked me" Do you know the most important body part yet my son ?" And I was shocked she asked me this now. I always thought this was a game between her and me. She saw the confusion on my face and told me" This question is very important ...

... sit at a table with these girls in the classroom. She had noticed that they were disruptive because they didn't understand the lessons. Edie became their tutor. Toward the end of the school year, when Edie's parents went to school for a parent teacher conference, the teacher told them," Because of Edie's kindness, those girl's have completely turned around and are productive members of the class" She felt she had witnessed a miracle. And so did Edie's mom and dad. How many people go through life never experiencing kindness? They don't see it in strangers, and some don't even find it in their own families. Without experiencing kindness, it becomes impossible to express kindness toward others. The result of this tragic lack is seen everywhere. What a different society this would be if everyone who has received kindness would be kind to others, especially the unlovely. But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you ...

... and that it is your duty to encourage others. Where ever you are in your walk, know that we are called to soar and are empowered to soar, all for the glory of God." but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint" Isaiah_40: 31_NIV Do not grow tired of the attempt-know that the Father has prepared a ministry for you to excel at; to soar and bring Him glory. May you find that ministry and soar in His presence, as He intended, according to his plan. God bless. [by Kevin Corbin-from 'Themestream '-Ed: anon] Inspirational Messages SkyWriting.Net All Rights Reserved. ...

... Packing I helped my daughter move into her college dorm recently. She took a little teasing from her old Dad about all the boxes and suitcases she brought. I thought she had packed way too much stuff, but then I saw what the girl down the hall had brought. I guess my girl was traveling light, after all. I knew, though, that she had already packed every essential thing for this next great adventure in her life. It was just packed in her heart, soul, and mind. It is what we pack on the inside not the outside that really determines how well we live. If we pack love in our hearts then our days become filled with happiness. If we pack wisdom in our minds then our lives become full of goodness. If we pack joy in our souls then we make the whole world better. The nice thing about this type of packing too is that there is always room for ...

... learned to sing more softly and found that even my less than perfect voice blended in beautifully with the choir of joyous singers that was our church. As I grew up too I found many other ways to sing my soul ’ s song without using my throat ’ s voice. One way was by putting a pen to paper and later my fingers to a keyboard. In this way I was able to share the inspiring thoughts, words, and experiences that my Heavenly Father so often gave me. In this way I was able to encourage others as well to choose love, share joy, and grow in oneness with God even as I learned to do so more and more in my own life. As the years have gone by too I have realized something. I am only one voice in millions out there writing, speaking, and singing out the beautiful truth for all the world to hear. I often see the others online, in ...

... . But Sammy was too excited about catching another fish to give it much thought. At the end of only an hour of fishing, Sammy had caught eight large fish. This was definitely his best fishing day ever. He was so proud of his accomplishment that, even though there was plenty of day left to fish, he threw the heavy stringer of fish over his shoulder and dashed down the dirt road toward home to show off his catch to his mom and dad. The local sheriff happened to drive up alongside Sammy and started to congratulate him on his catch of fish. With a smile and a victory whoop, Sammy held up the stringer. The sheriff gasped, parked his car and strode over to Sammy. His eyes hadn't deceived him-Sammy's arms really were red and swollen to about twice their normal size. Exactly where have you been and what bait did you use to catch all those fish ?" the sheriff asked Sammy, ...

... Send Me A Friend I had just been through great amounts of loss in my life. I lost an old friend, my sister, my father, and my health. I was now housebound due to my illness, I sat alone wondering, what's next? Not long after this, my friend Sue told me that her husband was offered a new job in another state and they would be moving. soon. Sue and I had been friends through thick and thin since the fifth grade, and I would be missing our regular visits together greatly. I had other friends, but I seldom talked with them anymore. As they lived very hectic lives, I really desired a close friend. So a little over a year ago, I set my face like flint to pray and ask God to," Send me a friend" I thought this was an impossible request, since I couldn't get out to meet anyone, but regardless of ...

... the kind of people you are happy to meet anywhere, in a shop or on a street or at home" That quote made me think not only of my friend but also of all the other people over the years who have blessed my life ’ s voyage with their light and gladness. There was my Mom and my Grandma whose shining love guided me over the rough waters of childhood and all the storms that went with it. There was my Aunt and my Dad who kept me sailing on through the heartbreak after my Mom and Grandma died and back towards a joyous horizon once again. There were my two brothers and three children who taught me how to find the joy in life even on the fiercest days when the waves crashed against my ship. There were my teachers, neighbors, and friends who showed me the many ways to steer my boat into the peaceful harbors of love and happiness that life gives us. Each and everyone of ...

... carefully used a secret password if I left them at the library, to do some shopping, or if separated for other reasons. I told them they shouldn't go with anyone even if that person said" Mom" had told them it was okay, unless the person knew the password. The children learned from their audiotape of songs and stories that if anyone grabbed them in a store, it was okay to scream loudly," This isn't my mother" or" father" And that they should tell an adult they love and trust if anyone touches them in a place covered by their underwear, and so on. It is amazing to me how these memorable lines come back to me from the tapes even now as I write, and I know they do for my kids, too. You can help kids practicing dialing 911 for help and teach them that they should never dial it unless it is really an emergency. Today our safety concerns ...

... plays no part in any of the answers. He who goes out of his house in search of happiness runs after a shadow. Good manners sometimes means simply putting up with other people's bad manners. Do you always want to be right, or do you want to be happy? It is my observation that too many of us are spending money we haven't earned, to buy things we don't need, to impress people we don't like. The most important thing a father can do for his children is to love their mother. To be bitter is to waste precious moments of a life that is too short already. There's no limit to what you can achieve if you don't mind who gets the credit. Only GOD is in a position to look down on anyone. No matter how hard you hug your money, it never hugs back. No one is guaranteed happiness. Life just gives each person time and space. It's up to us ...

... again. I still run to the store and get the groceries. I still do the dishes, feed the pets, and clean the house. I still do my work and pay my bills. Only now I do them happily and in a spirit of love and joy. I don't feel rushed or stressed or worried anymore. I don't feel upset or bad if something doesn't get done. I don't feel like a failure because I haven't been the perfect husband or dad. My little reminder has helped me to live a busy life with a peaceful heart. It has kept my thoughts and feelings focused on what is really important in this life. It has allowed me to" relax and choose joy" as I go about doing the one hundred and one things that need done each day. I know now that no matter how busy I may get if I only relax and choose joy and love that things will work out as they should ...

... not to be lazy Learn from a child To trust and be happy Learn from a rose To be beautiful even amidst thorns Learn from the mountain To stand strong against the storms Learn from a caterpillar To become a butterfly after the struggle Learn from the stars To shine, smile and twinkle Learn from the fishes To swim against the stormy water Learn from the clay To yield to the Potter Learn from the trees To give shelter to the weary Learn from Jesus To give the Father all the GLORY !!!~Caroline Naoroji~[ by: Caroline Naoroji, Copyright 2007 (cnaoroji @hotmail.com)-submitted by: Caroline Naoroji] Inspirational Messages SkyWriting.Net All Rights Reserved. ...

... and pulling me back when I walk. My kids close their eyes, spread their arms and fly with it, until they fall to the ground laughing. When I pray, I say thee and thou and grant me this, give me that. My kids say," Hi God !!! Thanks for my toys and my friends. Please keep the bad dreams away tonight. Sorry, I don't want to go to Heaven yet. I would miss my Mommy and Daddy" When I see a mud puddle, I step around it. I see muddy shoes and clothes and dirty carpets. My kids sit in it. They see dams to build, rivers to cross and worms to play with. I wonder if we are given kids to teach or to be taught? No wonder God loves the little children !!! [Author Unknown-from Denial] Inspirational Messages SkyWriting.Net All Rights Reserved. ...

... words to say. Then say them without hesitation." But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth" (Acts 1: 8 NIV) Ask God right now to give you the power of effective witnessing so that you will be able to bring the Gospel of Jesus Christ to others. PRAYER: O Lord and Everlasting Father, bring down your Holy Spirit upon us so that we may be effective witnesses for you. Give us the words to speak to spread the Good News of Salvation throughout the world. We ask this in Jesus name. Amen. [by Charles Edwin Price-from 'Themestream '] Inspirational Messages SkyWriting.Net All Rights Reserved. ...

... low enough, rooms that are dark enough, or places that are hidden enough from Him. We must remember to praise Him while we're waiting and remember three things: 1. The pattern has a purpose. 2. The pattern has a plan. 3. The pattern has a process. So stop struggling and start listening, praying and trusting. He'll keep you right where you are until you can clearly hear Him say," I love you" Prayer: Father, forgive my unbelief. I know You Love me and will turn anything around to benefit me. You have planned nothing for me but victories and I am ready to receive them regardless of how difficult the path. Amen The shortest distance between a problem and a solution is the distance between your knees and the floor. The one who kneels to the Lord can stand up to anything. [Author Unknown-from 'E-Mail Ministry '] Inspirational Messages SkyWriting.Net All Rights Reserved. ...

... love each other" The young man had completed four years at a competitive high school to get into Stanford, plus two years of pre-med courses at the university. He was ripe for this sort of approach. He called his parents from Tokyo and told them he would not be coming home. He was dropping out of school to live in an ashram (a spiritual retreat). Six months later, his parents got this letter from him:" Dear Mom and Dad, I know you weren't happy with the decision I made last summer, but I want to tell you how happy it has made me. For the first time in my life, I am at peace. Here there is no competing, no hustling, no trying to get ahead of anyone else. Here we are all equal, and we all share. This way of life is so much in harmony with the inner essence of my soul that in only six months ...

... sometimes I find myself crawling instead of rising. Happily, though, there is always a hand there ready to help me back to my feet. God ’ s loving hand is always there ready to help us up and get us going again. His back never gives out either. He will walk hand in hand with us all through this life and into the next. If you stumble and fall then don ’ t be afraid. Just reach up and take your Father ’ s hand. He will always help you up. He will always be with you too, step by loving step. He will walk with you hand in hand down life ’ s dark and winding road and into Heaven ’ s shining light.~Joseph J. Mazzella~[ by: Joseph J. Mazzella Copyright 2008 (joecool @wirefire.com)-submitted by: Joseph Mazzella] Inspirational Messages SkyWriting.Net All Rights Reserved. ...

... Great Value in Disaster Thomas Edison's laboratory was virtually destroyed by fire in December, 1914. Although the damage exceeded $2 million, the buildings were only insured for $238, 000 because they were made of concrete and thought to be fireproof. Much of Edison's life's work went up in spectacular flames that December night. At the height of the fire, Edison's 24-year old son, Charles, frantically searched for his father among the smoke and debris. He finally found him, calmly watching the scene, his face glowing in the reflection, his white hair blowing in the wind." My heart ached for him ," said Charles." He was 67-no longer a young man-and everything was going up in flames. When he saw me, he shouted," Charles, where's your mother ?" When I told him I didn't know, he said," Find her. Bring her here. She will never see anything ...

... only 47 of those calls responding negatively. Commentator Paul Harvey aired the prayer on the radio and received a larger response to this program than any other program he has ever aired. Central Christian Church is now receiving international requests for copies of this prayer from India, Africa and Korea. Pastor Joe's prayer is reprinted here as an encouragement and challenge for each of us to stand for the truth of the Gospel when God gives us the opportunity.*PRAYER*" Heavenly Father, we come before You to ask Your forgiveness and seek Your direction and guidance. We know Your Word says, 'Woe on those who call evil good, ' but that's what we have done. We have lost our spiritual equilibrium and inverted our values. We confess that: We have ridiculed the absolute truth of Your Word and called it pluralism. We have worshipped other gods and called it multiculturalism. We have endorsed perversion and called it an alternative lifestyle. We have ...

... There Grandfather ate alone while the rest of the family enjoyed dinner. Since Grandfather had broken a dish or two, his food was served in a wooden bowl. When the family glanced in Grandfather's direction, sometimes he had a tear in his eye as he sat alone. Still, the only words the couple had for him were sharp admonitions when he dropped a fork or spilled food. The four-year-old son watched it all in silence. One evening before supper, the father noticed his son playing with wood scraps on the floor. he asked the child nicely," What are you making ?" Just as nicely, the boy responded," Oh, I am making a little bowl for Papa and Mama to eat their food in when I grow-up" The four-year-old smiled and went back to work. The words so struck the parents that they were speechless. Then tears started to stream down their cheeks. Though no words were spoken, both knew ...

... , that is, or that ever will be, that we may then unite in rendering unto Him our sincere and humble thanks for His kind care and protection of the people" Second President John Adams frequently referred to" an overruling providence" and" devotion to God almighty" in his writings, and recurrently contended that human freedom was founded in the ordinance of the Creator. Washington and Adams were not alone in their beliefs. These were predominately-held convictions of our Founding Fathers. Even Benjamin Franklin, often seen as a secularist member of the group, stated in later-life," the longer I live, the more convincing proof I see of this truth-that God governs in the affairs of men" Our forefathers ' commitment to God would be fiercely shunned by the secularist media and leftist political camps in 1999." Nowhere is the cultural conflict of the modern era more apparent than in dispute about the place of religion in the civic order ," ...

... vulnerable and can easily fall, but together, our lives woven and intertwined and through time strengthen each other and support each other. So together we stand, scars and all, bound by the love of the Savior. I {Jesus} am praying not only for these disciples but also for all who will ever believe in me because of their testimony. My prayer for all of them is that they will be one, just as you and I are one, Father -that just as you are in me and I am in you, so they will be in us, and the world will believe you sent me. (John 17: 20-21 NLT) [Author Unknown-from" The Christian Herald" (Martin4cat @aol.com ), via 'Good Tidings '] Inspirational Messages SkyWriting.Net All Rights Reserved. ...

... bad situation into a pure joy. The next time you are feeling depressed or just irritated, start humming:" Jesus Loves Me" (it worked for David, and it will work for you too; because Jesus is definitely there to take care of us). Addendum-Romans 1: 7 (NLT)". God loves you dearly, and he has called you to be his very own people. May grace and peace be yours from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ" [Submitted by: Caroline Naoroji] Inspirational Messages SkyWriting.Net All Rights Reserved. ...

... are too focused on that piece of hard candy in front of our eyes. The rewards of love, joy, peace, happiness, goodness, and delight that God has waiting for us are far greater than we know. We just have to stop kicking and screaming and see that He is taking us where we need to go. We just have to enjoy our fruits and vegetables and know that even sweeter things are to come. We just have to hold our Father ’ s hand and trust him to lead us through this life and back home again.~Joseph J. Mazzella~[ by: Joseph J. Mazzella (joecool @wirefire.com)-{ used with permission}] Inspirational Messages SkyWriting.Net All Rights Reserved. ...

... said," yes honey mommy is a little afraid" Immediately he took my right hand and placed it on my heart and said," Jesus is with you mommy, He is always with you, don ’ t be afraid, He will take care of you mommy, and I will take care of you too" When I heard him tears of joy just flooded my face. I hugged him, and then I looked upward to Heaven and said," Father forgive me, for I was NOT looking at my blessings, joy, and your security, but instead I was looking at the storm. Thank you Lord for being there for me" Jesus is always with you and He will take care of you. Next time you are afraid, just place your hand on heart and you will immediately know that Jesus is there for you. Remember Isaiah 43: 5, where the Lord says:" Do not be afraid, ...

... . I've learned.... that I can always pray for someone when I don't have the strength to help him in some other way. I've learned.... that no matter how serious your life requires you to be, everyone needs a friend to act goofy with. I've learned.... that sometimes all a person needs is a hand to hold and a heart to understand. I've learned.... that simple walks with my father around the block on summer nights when I was a child did wonders for me as an adult. I've learned.... that life is like a roll of toilet paper. The closer it gets to the end, the faster it goes. I've learned.... that money doesn't buy class. I've learned.... that it's those small daily happenings that make life so spectacular. I've learned.... that once a relationship is over ...

... and then lose their money to restore their health. That by thinking anxiously about the future, they forget the present, such that they live neither for the present nor the future. That they live as if they will never die, and they die as if they had never lived" His hands took mine and we were silent. After a long period, I said," May I ask you another question ?" He replied with a smile." As a Father, what would you ask your children to do for the coming years ?"" To learn that they cannot make anyone love them. What they can do is to let themselves be loved. To learn that it takes years to build trust, and a few seconds to destroy it. To learn that what is most valuable is not what they have in their lives, but who they have in their lives. To learn that it is not good to compare themselves to others ...

... us aside because he has more important things to do. He doesn't make us have to be impressive in our speech so we can be heard by him. He doesn't ask us to get our problems and our world in the right proportions. In fact, when we come into His presence, He drops everything and gives us His undivided attention: the attention from the most important person in our lives. Who could ask anything more of a mother, or from The Father ?!" Charm is deceitful and beauty is passing, But a woman who reveres the Lord will be praised" Proverbs_31: 30... most of us are lured away from the important things. We get distracted by the shiny things, the deceptive and fleeting things. But when a woman fears the Lord and puts His will first in her life and the life of her family, she is to be praised. Why? Well, because He said so. But ...

... leads you"" Then I will tell you what to do ," said Prior Richard." Go back to your throne and serve faithfully in the place where God has put you" When King Henry died, a statement was written:" The King learned to rule by being obedient" When we tire of our roles and responsibilities, it helps to remember God has planted us in a certain place and told us to be a good accountant or teacher or mother or father. Christ expects us to be faithful where he puts us, and when he returns, we'll rule together with Him. [Steve Brown-from 'Aiken Drum '] Inspirational Messages SkyWriting.Net All Rights Reserved. ...