57 Cents (Part 1 of 2)

Good morning everyone. A nice story that I've read in our Church weekly Beacon and I want to share it with you. This is how it goes ...

A sobbing little girl stood near a small church form which she had been turned always because it ‘was too crowded’. “I can’t go to Sunday School,” she sobbed to the pastor as he walked by. Seeing her shabby, unkempt appearance, the pastor guessed the reason and, taking her by the hand, took her inside and found a place for her in the Sunday school class. The child was so touched that she went to bed that night thinking of the children who have no place to worship Jesus.

Some two years later, this child lay dead in one of the poor tenement building and the parents called for the kind-hearted pastor, who had befriended their daughter, to handle the final arrangements. As her poor little body was being moved, a worn and crumpled purse was found which seemed to have been rummage from some trash dump. Inside was found 57 cents and a note scribbled in childish handwriting which read, “This is to help build the little church bigger so more children can go to Sunday school.” For two years she had saved for this offering of love. When the pastor tearfully read that note, he knew instantly what he would do. Carrying story of her unselfish love and devotion. He challenged his deacons to get busy and raise enough money for the larger building.

See you on my second part :) ...

Seek, Work,Win - Quote

God did not make us to be eaten up by anxiety, but to walk straight, free, unafraid in a world where there is work to do, truth to seek, love to give and win.

Inner Peace

Good morning everyone. I read on article from "Our Daily Bread" (June*July*August 2007 issue). There are a lot of good things you will learn in reading articles that we can surely apply to our day to day life. Let me share it with you. This is how it should be ...

How do we react to hostile criticism? If it causes us to strike back angrily at our critics, we need to learn from colonial preacher Jonathan Edwards (1703-1758).

Regarded by scholars as an insightful philosopher, Edwards was vindictively attacked by the ruling body of his church in Northampton, Massachusetts. They felt he was wrong to teach that a person needed to be born again before taking part in the Lord’s Supper.

Although he was dismissed from his church, Edwards still maintained a loving and forgiving attitude. One supportive member wrote of him, “I never saw the least symptoms of displeasure in his countenance …. Bu he appeared like a man of God, whose happiness was out of the reach of his enemies.”

Edwards was simply copying the example of the Lord Jesus. When the Savior was insulted, He did not repay with an insult. When He was falsely denounced, He remained silent,” as a sheep before its shearers is silent” (Isa. 53:7).

Do you have an inner peace even when criticized? As you ask the Holy Spirit for His help, you can, as Edwards did, respond in a Chrislike way to false accusations or gossip. – Vernon Grounds

For Further Study

How do we know when to keep silent and when to defend our beliefs? Read Developing The Art Of Gracious Disagreement at www.discoveryseries.org/q0906.

The Secret of Living

Good morning everyone. Ones again I’m greeting everyone a very Happy New Year. Start of the year 2010. I wish we should all start the year with a positive views in life. J. Carie Sexton gave his thoughts about the secret of living. Let me share you one article I read. This is good one.

The Secret of Living

To appreciate beauty and the gifts nature brings,
To discover the pleasure of life’s simplest things,
To remember the blessings we received every day,
To explore new horizons as we travel our way—
This is the Secret of Living

To find hope in each rainbow that appears in the sky,
To give comfort to strangers who may be passing by,
To keep smiling whenever there’s a task to be done,
To be gracious in losing and give thanks when we’ve won—
This is the Secret of Living.

To build meaningful values in this life that we live,
To be full of compassion and be willing to give,
To regards as a treasure every friendship we’ve made
And to find peace and love even time cannot fade—
This is the Secret of Living.

L O V E

May the Lord make your Love for one
another and for all people grow more and

more and become as great as our Love for
you. In this way he will strengthen you,
and you will be perfect and holy in the
presence of our God and Father when our

Lord Jesus comes with all who belong to him.

1 Thessalonians 3:12

Message of Butterflies' Wings

Good morning friends. I just remember when I’m still young, I just love to see a butterfly specially when she is resting on a flower. I wonder how why she love to rest on it. I ran to the butterfly and try to catch it. The butterfly just flew away. It rested again on another flower. It is sucking the nectar of the flower. When I look at its pretty wings, it folds its wings when it rests. And it opens its wings when it flies. I asked myself why butterflies did that. There are times in our life we experience a situation even we don’t want, but in every situation God is always in our side and He will always care for us as we least expected.

At that point, I was pondering whether there was justice from heaven that allows such tragedies to happen. But, even in my desperation, I knew that i wanted to believe in God and His love. So prayer is the one that ease my feelings. I fervently prayed every day especially before I went to bed.

I asked for a sing with butterflies, although I hadn’t heard of butterflies signifying the soul or spirit. I sometimes even asked for specific colors—blue, yellow and green butterflies.

My agony of being alone without someone on my side just passed. I was very heartbroken, and remained under. I doubted now if I have really lost my faith in God had He not done so, but I am more certain at that point of His love.

I believe now that He loves me more than I do ever love myself. And I also know that He loves me for He answered my prayer in my hour of need. He ended my suffering for being heartbroken. And I’m really grateful for what He did. I praise Him so much. I love you God!

Are you Afraid?

Good evening friends. I was going to sleep, when I spot one book that was on top of the table which was place on the corner of my living room. I thought that I’d tried to look at it first before going to bed. I just opened the page of the book and this article was the first thing I saw…. In our life we sometimes scare with something we don’t know, or with something that were not happening yet. Is it that we are scared of the things which may disappoint ourselves or is it that we are losing faith with our God?...... YOU?…… Are you afraid?

If you have some fear that is interfering with your work or your sleep or making you avoid social gatherings, try confronting that fear now with these five steps.

1. Name it. Write your fear down on a piece of paper. Give specific details. A fear that may seem enormous bottled up in your mind can assume quite normal proportions when put in words before you.

2. Relax. Psychologist report that fear produces tension which can block creativity. You need a relaxed body before you can have a relaxed mind, so sit in a chair and let your body go limp. Breathe deeply, slowly. Thing of peaceful things. Continue this exercise until you’re sure the tension has drained out of you.

3. Search your Bible for passages like: “God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of course, the wonderful 23rd Psalm the Bible verses go on and on, giving free of it. He asks, yes implores, you to give Him your burden.

4. Trust Him. Believe, with all your heart, Proverbs 3:5: “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart: and lean not unto thine own understanding.” Regardless of what goes wrong, you must believe that He loves you and cares what happens to you.

5. Surrender it. Take the sheet of paper with your fear written on it. Offer up a prayer like this: “Lord, I have brought this matter to Your attention. I know now that while I am unable by myself to throw off this fear. You can do it for me. I put my trust in You.” Then tear up the paper and let the piece fall into the waste basket. – N.V.P

Memories and Family Practice

Call it your family tradition, ritual, or practice. Traditions that families do together can act as a thread to weave them closer to each other. When effort is exerted to uphold and continue doing these activities, the more meaningful these tradition can be and the more treasured they become among family members.

Memories are then build of the treasured moments spent together. In some families, it can take the form of going on trips during weekends or holidays, celebrating occasions, cooking or baking together, engaging in sports, telling stories, and the list could go on. In contrast, changes in the family’s routine or usual practices ma possibly indicate changes in family structure and even breakdown in communication or conflict between members.

There is a certain security and warmth that emanates from being with family and doing a specific activity together at a specific time. Strong ties may result from these practices and the same traditions may be handed on from one generation to the next. In families who love cooking and baking, recipes of the older generation are treasured and passed on to the younger ones.

I have a friend whose family books a room at a certain hotel while visiting their extended family for the holidays. They stayed at the same hotel for several years. When my friend one time suggested to try another place, her children were horrified at the thought of breaking their ritual and exclaimed, “But mom, it’s tradition!”

Integrity of Heart

Integrity is based on the word “integer” which means a whole number or a complete unit. Integrity means wholeness and a double standard. A person with integrity is a whole person, and undivided person. This is someone who is the same person at the office and in church; someone who is the same person in private as well as in public. Jesus the Messiah was a Man of integrity. He was not two-faced or uneven while representing both earthy humanity and His Heavenly Father.

I have just thought of something! One other way to view “integrity” is to consider the way a civil engineer would when speaking of a building with “structural integrity”. This kind of integrity keeps the building strong and safe. Faults in structural integrity are revealed under pressure or unusual stress. A few years ago there was a major earthquake in Taiwan. Many people were killed and injured when the quake caused hundreds of reinforced concrete buildings to suddenly collapse. The shattered buildings revealed that some had been built with large, empty metal cans inserted into columns and beams where there should have been solid concrete. Structural integrity had been sacrificed for profit. How many of our lives have empty spaces where there should be something solid and strong? When we speak the Word of God, are we building a house of faith that will stand up under stress?

Believers are people of truth. We should never fear that speaking the truth in love will cause us to fail. The opposite is true. I have found that while we often do need wisdom regarding how and when to speak the truth, God will never forsake the righteous in heart. He is a shield of protection for the one whose life is committed to the Word of God. Integrity, however, is more than simple honesty in business. It is more than “doing the thing right.” Integrity means keeping out commitments, whether it is a matter between us and God (such as tithing) or in relationship with our fellow human beings.

Integrity requires a lifestyle of worship and prayer that under binds all business and ministry activities. Worshiping God draws us into a place of intimacy with Him. In our inward, personal life with the Lord that is carried forward by trusting in Him, we learn to stand before God and man in honesty. He sends us forth from the holy meeting place of prayer ready for whatever kind of works our calling demands. Through prayers and the Word of God, we receive wisdom, grace and moral understanding to deal with tough decisions. Through prayer and the wholeness of integrity, we receive courage from the Spirit to act on what God has shown us to be the right path for our lives.