Good Things

by Everett Christian, McAlester, OK

GOD SPEAKS TO US THROUGH HIS HOLY WORD
15 Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. - Romans 12:15(New International Version).
GOD'S PROMISE TO US FROM HIS HOLY WORD
23 Then he (Jesus) said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. 24 For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it. 25 What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit their very self?" - Luke 9:23-25(New International Version).
A QUOTE
The incoming of the Holy Spirit means the outgoing of all sin. - Samuel L. Brengle -
THOUGHTS TO REMEMBER
A talkative person often says things he or she hasn't thought of yet. - From Reminisce Magazine -
Ideals learned by children are more caught than taught. - From Reminisce Magazine - A talent is not a treasure to be hoarded but a gift to be shared. - From Reminisce Magazine -
NOTES
I had lunch with my brother, Charley, then came by the post office to check my mail. Today has been partly cloudy with a high temperature of 104 degrees. Low temperature this morning was 79 degrees. I took a nap in early afternoon with Emmy and Rascal. The lady came at 5:00 p.m. and cleaned my house. I can't stay outside in the heat more than five minutes until the persperation starts rolling off of me, therefore I was only out with the cats for about 5 minutes. Praise the Lord for air conditioning! My daughter, Treva, went to Ithaca, New York, the middle of the month of June to see Ella, her new granddaughter. While there she did a little Nana duty. That is the picture tonight, Treva doing Nana duty! I have an e-mail friend in Hollywood, California, by the name of Michelle Angelina, who lives with her cat named Sasha. She loves animals and volunteers for the Humane Society to help with animals. Michelle is having a difficult time now and I am going to share her letter with you. I hear from her after every Good Things. With all the millionaires in Hollywood, it is a shame that Michelle is having such a difficult time. I am sure Michelle would welcome your prayers for her and even an e-mail if you feel led to write to her. Now let me get on my soap box for a minute or so. With all the millions of dollars being raised for the upcoming presidental campaign it is a downright shame that people are starving to death in different parts of the world. I was just reading a little while ago about people starving in Africa. In the United States people paid $35,000 for a meal just a few nights ago to help raise money for politics. An honorable upright regular citizen can not run for office because it takes too much money. I believe that God is going to hold some people accountable as to how they spend their money. Amen? The cats are fine. Emmy is staying inside most of the time now. Little Girl is outside at present. At 10:00 P.M skies are fair with a temperature of 93 degrees. I will see you next time. In Christian Love, Everett. Here is Michelle's letter: Everett, Thank you for everything you put in Good Things. This quote, especially touched my heart, "Never give up in failure; below the ashes there's a spark in the cinders. - From Reminisce Magazine -" I've had so many cinders in my life lately. This morning I read several verses from Isaiah - 40:28-31, 41:10 and 13; 42:3. They have been in my mind all day, since I'm just so frustrated with not having both a steady income and the absence of pain. I'm tired. These verses helped me through the day and enabled me with God's strength to complete some work searches I've done, plus apply for another job. I will keep applying for jobs as I see ones that interest me and that I'm qualified to do. God isn't tugging me, He's like the wind behind me, pushing me, giving me the strength to keep going. I know I need to stay more in the Word than I've been in the past. I'm more willing to do that than I ever have been before. Also, I have nothing planned for Sunday morning, so I'm going to do my best to get to sleep early on Saturday night and get up early to try a church in my area. I know I've said this many times before, but maybe this is the gap God is waiting for me to close between Him and myself before He fulfills some of the needs/wants I have been praying for. I have some opportunities to do online writing to make money. I have to work hard at it, but at least it will help me not to feel so helpless. I know you keep me in your prayers and I'm thankful for that. If you want to put all or part of this note in Good Things to encourage anyone who's feeling discouraged and frustrated, you may do so.
Michelle

Good Things

by Everett Christian, McAlester, OK

GOD SPEAKS TO US THROUGH HIS HOLY WORD
13 Is anyone among you in trouble? Let them pray. Is anyone happy? Let them sing songs of praise. - James 5:13(New International Version).
GOD'S PROMISE TO US FROM HIS HOLY WORD
(Jesus said) 43 “No good tree bears bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit. 44 Each tree is recognized by its own fruit. People do not pick figs from thornbushes, or grapes from briers. 45 A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of." - Luke 6:43-45(New International Version).
A QUOTE
God is on the lookout for men and women who mean business with Him, who remember Him in all His ways, and He always meets such people in blessing and power. - Vance Havner - THOUGHTS TO REMEMBER
If you're too busy counting your troubles, you'll forget to recount your blessings. - From Reminisce Magazine - Never give up in failure; below the ashes there's a spark in the cinders. - From Reminisce Magazine -
NOTES
I had lunch with my brother, Charley, and friend, Bill, today. Today has been partly cloudy with a high temperature of 103 degrees. Low temperature this morning was 76 degrees. After lunch I came by the post office to pick up my mail. I took a nap in early afternoon with Emmy. Later in the afternoon I went to city hall to pay my water bill. Since I was already out I decided to go on to Walmart for some items and then I want have to go back until next week. This summer is going to be one of the hottest on record here in Oklahoma. Temperatures over 100 are predicted for the next 7 days with no rain in sight although God could change that. This hot weather is rough on the old folks. I don't go out except to eat lunch and run errands. Please pray for rain for our state. The western half of our state is in severe drought conditions with very little rain through the spring and summer. The picture tonight is a banana tree in June and Keith's yard. The cats are doing well in spite of the heat. Yesterday afternoon we had a heavy downpour of rain for 15 or 20 minutes and then the rain moved on. After the rain stopped I looked in the back yard and there was Emmy. She had been gone for almost a week. I opened the door and called her and she came in. I gave her some canned food and she ate it like she was a little bit hungry but I am sure she has been eating food from somewhere. She has been in my cool bedroom most of the today sleeping. She was there when I took my nap and she seems to be unusually friendly to me. I have no idea where she has been but maybe she has learned her lesson and will stay home now. Little Girl is on a tv tray here in the den and Rascal just came by for a bite of food. Thanks to those who sent notes about Emmy. At 10:20 p.m. skies are fair with a temperature of 89 degrees. I will see you next time.
In Christian Love, Everett.

Posted to Religious by Que Clingerman @ 7:33 am EDT

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Musicleed

Father,

Quiet my earth-bound soul,

Silence my solo-soul, so

To listen to the music

Of Jesus' Name. As

His Name

Chants a tearful cry

Of a bleeding death,

A giving death,

A salvific death. As

His Name

Sings the dance

Of a Risen-Life, with

A quick beat,

An alive beat. As

His Name

Drones the War Pipes

Confronting the demon charge

On the hills of c ombat. As

His Name

Rings with the Spirit-Call

To wake and hymn

The ballad of a new life.

Father,

The Harp of Jesus' Name

Is a sound rich in tone,

Gently capturing my  soul.

Thank You.

Good Things

by Everett Christian, McAlester, OK

GOD SPEAKS TO US THROUGH HIS HOLY WORD
18 With me (wisdom) are riches and honor, enduring wealth and prosperity. 19 My fruit is better than fine gold; what I yield surpasses choice silver. 20 I walk in the way of righteousness, along the paths of justice, 21 bestowing a rich inheritance on those who love me and making their treasuries full. - Proverbs 8:18-21(New International Version).
GOD'S PROMISE TO US FROM HIS HOLY WORD
7 Dear children, do not let anyone lead you astray. The one who does what is right is righteous, just as he (Christ) is righteous. 8 The one who does what is sinful is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil’s work. - 1 John 3:7-8(New International Version).
A QUOTE
Faith both recognizes the danger and trusts in the God of grace who accomplishes that He promises. - Robert D. Branson -
THOUGHTS TO REMEMBER
A man never stands so tall as when he stoops to help a boy. - From Reminisce Magazine - You are as young as your faith, as old as your doubts; as young as your hope, as old as your fear. - From Reminisce Magazine -
NOTES
I had lunch today with my brother, Charley, and our friend, Bill. I went by Country Mart for some items and then by the post office. The rest of the time I have been inside. Today has been partly cloudy with a high temperature of 103 degrees. Low temperature this morning was 75 degrees. I had a note today from Libby MacFarland (wife of Jamie MacFarland who attended our church for a few weeks several years ago). They live in Des Moines, Washington. She said their high temperature for this summer had been 81 degrees. I looked on the map to see where Des Moines is located and it appears to be right on the shores of Puget Sound. She said today was cloudy with sprinkles with a temperature around 65 degrees. Some of us might like to move there, huh? This hot weather really hurts we older people. I went outside for a few minutes this evening to put out fresh water and food for the outside animals. I didn't water my trees tonight hoping we would get a shower of rain. It has been showering in Oklahoma today but so far all the showers have gone to the north of McAlester. As I often mention on the Good Things I sure miss my Flonnie. I would give all I owned to have her back again but I wouldn't want her to be here if she was bedfast or in a nursing home. I tell her every day and every night that I will be along to join her soon but I don't know when that soon will be. I tell her that I will take care of the kitty cats until that time comes. The picture tonight is my sweet little great granddaughter, Jaimie, who is 4 years old. She is standing at another of her great greatgrandmother's grave that she never got to see. The cats are fine. Some of them stay inside now most of the day. Rascal goes two houses over and rests under a big storage house during the day. It must be cool under that storage house. Right now he is on the desk close to me snacking a little. Little Girl is out front at present but the door is cracked a little so she can come in when she wants to. At 9:25 p.m. skies are fair with a temperature of 87 degrees. I will see you next time
In Christian Love, Everett.

Daily Jewel

by Pastor J.T. Carnell McAlester, OK


Tree-ology”
“Wisdom is a tree of life to those who embrace her; those who lay hold of her will be blessed." – Proverbs 3:18 (New International Version)
I love trees! I love how they blossom in the spring – a vision of new life, a new beginning. I love them in the fall – a rainbow of colors to adorn the countryside. They are sturdy yet delicate. They are friendly and yet dangerous. (Most of us remember very vividly what happened a couple of years ago during the ice storm!) When we lived in Northwest Oklahoma the thing that I missed the most was the lack of trees in the area. It’s not that there were not trees – they just did not exist in great numbers as what we have in this area. One of my earliest memories of my childhood is of a large Elm tree that was in our yard on the farm I lived on in the Ozarks of Southern Missouri. Not only was it great for shade on a hot summer day but also my father had attached a swing on one of the branches. I spent many days either on that swing or around that tree. One day I returned home from school to discover that my “swing tree” was gone! It had been cut down – a victim of both disease and termites. In their effort to console me my parents tried to explain to me that if a strong enough wind came the tree that brought so much joy could have been a hazard to our home and even to our lives. I’m not sure if it brought any comfort at the time but I look back today and see that it was the right decision at the time. We must not forget that the condition of humanity stems from what Adam and Eve took from a tree – the forbidden fruit. But then the eternal salvation of our souls was provided by a tree – or more specifically from the One who hung on that tree at Calvary. Wisdom tells me that when I embrace Christ, when I cling to Him, embrace His laws and His love – my life will be blessed. I will have life the way it was meant to be lived. And all that is available to me and to all in this world thanks to a couple of pieces of wood. By the way, it was early spring when my father had my “swing tree” cut down. About June something happened that was unexpected. Mushrooms grew where the tree had fallen and my parents feasted on them throughout the summer. From something diseased came something beneficial. We are diseased as well, but Thanks be to God, Jesus took our disease – the sinful nature – and nailed it to a tree!
Pastor J. T. Carnell