Nan's Calendar

by      Nan Forehand,  Statesville, NC   

While it is true that a car windshield is large compared to rear view mirrors, there is just one windshield, while there are three rear view mirrors, placed for good safety reason.  Accidents happen when people foolishly ignore using those rear view mirrors.  (a quote from an interested and highly respected reader)

The quote refers to the message published here on the blog yesterday entitled Keep Your Windshield Clean.  It took me 45 minutes to write yesterday's message and my focus, as you know if you read it, was not about the rear view mirrors.  By the time I finished writing the message, I had 15 minutes left to get ready and leave the house for work.  I want you to know I invest a great deal of time and effort in writing devotionals because you are worth it.   Sometimes my housework is left undone and my dishes remain in the sink.  Those things can wait.  It's not the end of the world if my house is a bit messy and the dishes sit in the sink.  It would be a tragedy, however, if I am remiss in my responsibility to God to do my best to listen to His will and act accordingly, including taking time and effort to write something to you that may help you in your own relationship with Christ.  My own relationship with Christ is strengthened each and every time I sit down and am still long enough to meditate on God's Holy Word and His direction for my life.  Writing all this down makes it all the more meaningful than simply thinking about it.
My dear friend felt it important enough to write me his thoughts as you see above and I respect him enough to share with you his perspective.  In his few words, he spoke words of wisdom.  "Accidents happen when people foolishly ignore using those rear view mirrors."
We can also surmise that should a person look too long in the rear view mirror, he or she could hit the car directly in front or worse yet, cross the center line and cause a head on collision.  I'm sure we can all think of other scenarios which can be just as deadly.  I think two very important points to all of this is maintaining proper balance in looking ahead and reflecting upon what is behind and keeping a safe distance from potential harm.
Yes, we need to reflect on what is behind us, because of the importance of reflection.  We can only reflect upon something that is behind us.  We see a reflection through the mirror, but we see through the glass.  However, there are times we look through the glass, but we don't see what is in front of us.

Dear Lord,
Be with us today as we leave our homes and go out into the world.  Thank you for giving us common sense to make wise decisions.  Thank you for the gift of Your protection (the windshield between us and the world).  Thank you also, for the gift of reflection in the rear view mirror that You placed there for good safety reason.  Lord, help us to see clearly through the windshield of life so that we don't miss a thing.  Help us, also to remember to look in the rear view mirrors of life and keep everything in the proper perspective so that we are safe from harm.  Help us be ever mindful of the potential for harm and keep us safe on our journey so that we may be of greater service to You and others.  In Your precious name I pray.  Amen

Ten Percent

Ten Percent

March 29, 2011

^{10  “}Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this way,” says the Lord Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it.”

Malachi 3:10 NIV

The following quotes are from www.quotegarden.com

God's promises are like the stars; the darker the night the brighter they shine.  ~David Nicholas

Are you wrinkled with burden?  Come to God for a faith lift.  ~Author Unknown

In this blog, please understand I’m not asking for any advice. I wanted to write about this issue, since it’s been on my mind. This is a matter between God and me. And, I have to work it out and pray for guidance from God to achieve the trust I need to follow this commandment from Him. For several days, Charles Stanley has been talking about finances in relation to the Lord in his magazine In Touch. This has always been a matter in which I’ve never done well in my faith. One of my Christian friends told me that she thinks I have financial problems because I don’t tithe. When I think about it, as I’ve grown in my faith, I know she could be right. The fact that I only have to take 10% from my SSDI or paycheck will not leave me totally out of money. I think I waste more money than this on things I don’t need, like junk food, so why can’t I take out 10%. It’s all a matter of trusting God and being willing to do as He asks so that He will return blessings in exchange for trust and obedience. Ok, that’s great when I’m earning money, but right now I’m unemployed, so no money is coming in. And yes, I have the standard qualm about, well, how am I going to pay the bills? Needless to say, I’ve lived pretty much below the poverty line much of my life – yes, the old paycheck-to-paycheck lifestyle. So, tonight I sold something for $5.00. Well, 10% is only fifty cents. Wouldn’t now be a good time to start tithing? In the coming days I will spend more time in prayer about tithing, asking God to help me trust Him more. Maybe the Lord put this issue on my mind because He wants me to move beyond it.

One thing I just realized in the above Bible quote (and I've read this over many times) - God isn't even asking for immediate trust - He says to "...test Him." It's like the Lord is saying, "Ok, if you don't think I'm good for my word; do what I ask and I'll prove it to you." WOW! That's some awesome God.

 Michelle Rose 

Daily Jewel

by        Pastor J.T. Carnell,  McAlester, OK   

“B.U.S.Y….A New Four-Letter Word”  

“Come, let’s drink deeply of love till morning; let’s enjoy ourselves with love!” – Proverbs 7:18

            A sign on a Church marquee reads:  “God wants all of us; not just weekend visitation rights.”  That means that an intimacy with Him takes time.  With that said it is easy to see that if the evil one wants us he begins with the attempt to steal our time,  knowing full well the more time he can steal from us, the easier it could be to rob us of our Intimacy with Christ as well.  Consider the following for it may very well put a whole new spin on the word "BUSY" - very interesting! 

Satan called a worldwide convention. In his opening address to his evil empire he told the audience of the frustration in dealing with Christians because, “…we can't keep them from reading their Bibles and knowing the truth.   We can't even keep them from forming an intimate, abiding relationship experience in Christ. Once they gain that connection with Jesus, our power over them is broken.  So let them go to their churches; let them have their conservative lifestyles, but steal their time, so they can't gain that relationship with Jesus Christ. This is what I want you to do, angels of destruction; distract them from gaining hold of their Savior and maintaining that vital connection throughout their day!" 

"How shall we do this?" shouted his angels.

"Keep them busy in the non-essentials of life and invent innumerable schemes to occupy their minds," he answered. "Tempt them to spend, spend, spend, and borrow, borrow, borrow. Persuade the wives to go to work for long hours and the husbands to work 6-7 days each week, 10-12 hours a day, so they can afford their empty lifestyles. Keep them from spending time with their children. As their family fragments, soon, their home will offer no escape from the pressures of work! Over-stimulate their minds so that they cannot hear that still, small voice. Entice them to play the radio or cassette player whenever they drive. To keep the TV, DVDs, CDs and their PCs going constantly in their home and see to it that every store and restaurant in the world plays non-biblical music constantly. This will jam their minds and break that union with Christ. Fill the coffee tables with magazines and newspapers. Pound their minds with the negative news 24 hours a day. Invade their driving moments with billboards. Flood their mailboxes with junk mail, mail order catalogs, sweepstakes, and every kind of newsletter and promotional offering free products, services and false hopes.

Keep skinny, beautiful models on the magazines so husbands will believe that external beauty is what's important, and they'll become dissatisfied with their wives. That will fragment those families quickly! Even in their recreation, let them be excessive.  Have them return from their recreation exhausted, disquieted and unprepared for the coming week. Don't let them go out in nature to reflect on God's wonders.  Send them to amusement parks, sporting events, concerts and movies instead.  Keep them busy, busy, busy! And when they meet for spiritual fellowship, involve them in gossip and small talk so that they leave with troubled consciences and unsettled emotions. Go ahead, let them be involved in soul winning; but crowd their lives with so many good causes they have no time to seek power from Jesus. Soon they will be working in their own strength, sacrificing their health and family for the good of the cause.

It will work! It will work!" The demons shouted with glee!  It was quite a convention. The evil angels went eagerly to their assignments causing Christians everywhere to get more busy and more rushed, going here and there.

I guess the question is: Has the devil been successful at his scheme? You be the judge! 

Does "busy" mean: B-eing U-nder S-atan's Y-oke?  A few hours here…a few hours there, an occasional overnight stay (as from the story from Proverbs) and soon your focus has changed.  Be alert—watch your time carefully, or better said, what you do with it.

Nan's Calendar

by      Nan Forehand,  Statesville, NC    

"The car you drive has a large windshield, but only a relatively small rearview mirror. The implication is obvious: What happened in your past is not nearly as important as what is in your future. Where you are going is much more important than where you've been. "

~ Joel Osteen, Become a Better You

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.
Hebrews 13:8

Put yesterday in its proper place.  Learn from it and let it go.  As you move forward,  many of your memories of yesterday will diminish in importance.  Hold onto the good memories and make a plan to forget the unpleasant memories as quickly as you can. 
For many people, today consists of looking through a window at the world, seemingly protected by the small pane of glass between them and the unknown the world has to offer.  Whether they realize it or not, fear consumes them to the point of becoming withdrawn and staying inside their homes.  They may be people who have faith in God and they may also be people who don't know the Lord.  We are to be gentle with them as they take those first small steps beyond the door and greet them with warmth and compassion.  What great joy is theirs when they step out into the world, knowing God is with them and they realize they have nothing to fear.  To let go of fear is liberating.  I know this from first-hand experience myself.
Recently, I rejoiced with a person who shared a similar scenario with me.  I was elated upon hearing this person speak and I witnessed a glowing of the spirit within.  It was a glorious experience for both of us!  The person was seemingly "so-so" at first, and by the end of the conversation, had been lifted to the mountaintop!
Even though our windshield to the world may seem large to us, it is tiny in comparison to what God sees before Him.  In order to drive safely, we must keep the windshield clean.  The windshield on my car has several nicks in it from rocks.  They are small nicks now, but there may come a time when one of those nicks becomes larger to the point of major damage.  It may become necessary to replace the windshield when a crack worsens to the point of warranting total replacement rather than a minor repair. 
In order to see clearly, we must keep our windshield clean and provide the necessary maintenance required.  There are also times when a bird drops a prize on my windshield and  wiper fluid and a vigorous attempt at using the blades isn't strong enough to remove the remnants.
It takes a conscious effort to maintain a spiritual windshield and keep it clean and keep it in proper order.  Before we can see around the next bend, we must be able to see what is in front of us now.  The quicker we can see clearly what is right before our eyes, the quicker we can progress toward the future with confidence and surety of purpose.
Take care and be sure to keep your windshield clean!  Love, Nan

Good Things

by       Everett  Christian,  McAlester, OK   

 
 
GOD SPEAKS TO US THROUGH HIS HOLY WORD
 
 (Jesus said) 15 “If you love me, obey my commandments. 16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, (Comforter) who will never leave you."  - John 14:15-16(New Living Translation).
 
 
 
GOD'S PROMISE TO US FROM HIS HOLY WORD
 
(Jesus said) 31 "Heaven and earth will disappear, but my words will never disappear."
- Mark 13:31(New Living Translation).
 
 
 
A QUOTE
 
His saving love will be eternal reality for those who believe in Him.
- W. E. McCumber -
 
 
 
THOUGHTS TO REMEMBER
 
First keep the peace within yourself, and then you can bring peace to others.
- From Reminisce Magazine -
 
Sometimes trying to remember things is like trying to catch an echo.
- From Reminisce Magazine -
 
 
 
NOTES
 
Today was cloudy most of the day but became partly cloudy late this afternoon. High temperature today was 57 degrees. Low temperature this morning was 41 degrees. I had lunch with Charley and Bill. I went to the post office. I took a nap this afternoon. I put food outside for the outside animals at about 5:30 p.m. I then did a little work in the back yard getting some limbs ready to be disposed of. Nothing much happened today so there is nothing much to report.
 
The cats are fine. Rascal was just here but has now gone elsewhere. Little Girl is on her blanket. Itty Bitty just got on the desk for a little attention but then left out again.
 
At 9:55 p.m. skies are cloudy with a temperature of 54 degrees. I will see you next time.
 
In Christian Love, Everett.