Daily Jewel

by Pastor Carnell, McAlester, OK
June 6, 2012

“The Difference between Dreaming for God and Day-Dreaming”
“How long will you lie there, you sluggard? When will you get up from your sleep?” – Proverbs 6:9

“At Gibeon the Lord appeared to Solomon during the night in a dream, and God said, ‘Ask for whatever you want me to give you.’ Solomon answered… ‘So give your servant a discerning heart to govern your people and to distinguish between right and wrong.” (1st Kings 3:5-9)

"Nothing ever built arose to touch the skies unless some man dreamed that it should, some man believed that it could, and some man willed that it must." – Charles Francis Kettering
In a dream Solomon was given an incredible gift—a choice that to this day has benefited billions. What made that dream and the ensuing decision so important is how Solomon acted upon it…every day. That is the difference between dreaming with and for God as opposed to just “day-dreaming” or wishing.
In his Proverb, the sluggard represents the “day-dreamer;” one who sees what is needed but does little to act upon it. Not so with the “God” dreamer!
Inventor/Researcher/Engineer, Charles Francis Kettering was one of America’s most creative inventors and automotive engineers. He was a “screwdriver and pliers” inventor who, even 50 years after his death, continues to impact our lives on a daily basis. Take for example this sampling of his inventions: electric cash register, electric ignition system for American cars (first appeared on the 1912 Cadillac), spark plugs, Freon, leaded gasoline, safety glass, four-wheel brakes, and the automatic transmission. He acquired 140 patents in his name.
He is remembered for his
"Ketteringisms"—sayings that have made it into our vocabulary without even knowing the background of who said it. The above quote is one of them. In 1945 Kettering and Alfred Sloan founded Sloan-Kettering Institute for Cancer Research in New York City, considered one of the world's leading cancer institute’s today.
The world is full of people whose best days are behind them. And I am not talking about the elderly!! You know the kind. Some of them are in our churches today. They are the ones about whom it has been said, “There goes a man who is so heavenly-minded that he is of no earthly good.” That’s not the kind of “dreamers” we want to follow.
Instead, today’s Church needs dreamers who dream God’s dreams after Him. The Church needs people who can visualize things that should be, who believe in things that could be, and who have the will to do whatever it takes to see the dream through. I think that's the way God designed us! Which one are you today? Do you feel you have given all you are going to? Do you believe you are no longer vital to the Kingdom? Think again!! Everyone has a part to play if we would just believe in a God that is much stronger and bigger than often our small dreams.
God will give each of us a discerning heart and mind if we would but ask and then act! Solomon asked and was granted his desire—but it did not end there. He used that gift many times over. That is the difference between God-dreaming and day-dreaming.
Pastor J. T. Carnell

Good Things

by E. Christian, McAlester, OK
Tuesday, June 5, 2012

GOD SPEAKS TO US THROUGH HIS HOLY WORD
(God says) 10 "If you extend your soul to the hungry And satisfy the afflicted soul, Then your light shall dawn in the darkness, And your darkness shall be as the noonday." - Isaiah 58:10(New King James Version).

GOD'S PROMISE TO US FROM HIS HOLY WORD
5 For the Lord is good; His mercy is everlasting, And His truth endures to all generations. - Psalm 100:5(New King James Version).

A QUOTE
Grace is made personal by the gift of the empowering presence of the Holy Spirit. - George Lyons -

A THOUGHT TO REMEMBER
The best thing parents can spend on their children is time, not money. - From Home is Where the Heart Is

FOR CAT LOVERS AND CAT LOVERS TO BE
There are only two classes of cats: extraordinary and remarkable. - From Cats Rule! -
No cat can leave well enough alone. - From Cats Rule! -

NOTES
Today has been a sunny day. High temperature was 93 degrees and low temperature was 66 degrees. June and I had lunch with Charley. June and I went to the post office, then to the Petsense store and then to Walmart. Later I took my nap while June went out shopping. She is buying a few small things she can't find in Hawaii. She and Keith like living in Hawaii. I will show more pictures from there as time goes by. This afternoon Smokey slept on a small night stand by my bed as I took my nap. June and I had hamburgers and tater tots for supper from Sonic Drive In. Remember hamburgers are half price at Sonic on Tuesday evenings? We fed the cats their treats and sat outside with them for over an hour. If you enjoyed tonight's Good Things and they have helped you in any way I am always happy to hear from you and that will keep them coming to you. For some reason I can't forward pictures tonight. It is getting late so I will quit trying and leave off the pictures tonight.
The cats are fine. Rascal is on the desk by my computer. The other cats are outside. We have seen all the cats today including Lucy and Tony.
I will see you next time,
In Christian Love, Everett.

Daily Jewel

by Pastor Carnell, McAlester, OK
June 5, 2012

“Prepare before You have to Repair”
“Go to the ant, you sluggard; consider its ways and be wise! It has no commander, no overseer or ruler, yet it stores its provisions in summer and gathers its food at harvest. – Proverbs 6:6-8

An insurance salesman was asked to make a presentation to a group of teachers. He was in a rush to get the presentation together and much to his dismay, he discovered a couple of misspelled words in the handout he had prepared. To his credit, he was a fast thinker as well as a fast talker.
"We know how well teachers love to grade papers," he said. "so we placed some misspelled words on this page. The first teacher to find them wins a prize!"
Life itself is known to throw many unexpected things our way. How prepared are we spiritually to handle them?
No doubt we often have unexpected elements thrown at us—but how unexpected are they really? I think we too often fool ourselves when problems arise and we say, “I wasn’t ready for that.” Ready or not—life is about preparation and to be ready in any and every situation is the real truth of the matter.
I have always liked this particular verse for this very reason—the ant leaves very little to chance and does everything necessary to be prepared for what is to come.
I think it also brings home another idea—there is nothing wrong in preparing for the future but there is also something to be said about what it means to give each day its priority! To live in the moment and be ready for each moment really matters.
I have probably used this illustration before but I think it truly applies here: Charles Plumb was a US Navy jet pilot in Vietnam. After 75 combat missions, his plane was destroyed by a surface-to-air missile. Plumb ejected and parachuted into enemy hands. He was captured and spent 6 years in a communist Vietnamese prison.
He survived the ordeal and now lectures on lessons learned from that experience. One day, when Plumb and his wife were sitting in a restaurant, a man at another table came up and said, "You're Plumb! You flew jet fighters in Vietnam from the aircraft carrier Kitty Hawk. You were shot down!" "How in the world did you know that?" asked Plumb. "I packed your parachute," the man replied. Plumb gasped in surprise and gratitude. The man pumped his hand and said, "I guess it worked!"
Plumb assured him, "It sure did. If your chute hadn't worked, I wouldn't be here today."
Plumb couldn't sleep that night, thinking about that man. Plumb says, "I kept wondering what he might have looked like in a Navy uniform: a white hat, a bib in the back, and bell-bottom trousers. I wonder how many times I might have seen him and not even said Good morning, how are you?' or anything because, you see, I was a fighter pilot and he was just a sailor." Plumb thought of the man hours the sailor had spent on a long wooden table in the bowels of the ship, carefully weaving the shrouds and folding the silks of each chute, holding in his hands each time the fate of someone he didn't know.
Now, Plumb asks his audience, "Who's packing your parachute?" Everyone has someone who provides what they need to make it through the day. Plumb also points out that he needed many kinds of parachutes when his plane was shot down over enemy territory-he needed his physical parachute, his mental parachute, his emotional parachute, and his spiritual parachute. He called on all these supports before reaching safety.
Sometimes in the daily challenges that life gives us, we miss what is really important. We may fail to say hello, please, or thank you, congratulate someone on something wonderful that has happened to them, give a compliment, or just do something nice for no reason. A day may come when you need those words of comfort and consolation. I like the words from Solomon from the book of Ecclesiastes here which I believe fits well into this message:
“Cast your bread upon the waters, for after many days you will find it again.” – Ecclesiastes 11:1

And in conclusion, consider these words from our Lord and Savior:

“And if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones because he is my disciple,
I tell you the truth, he will certainly not lose his reward." – Matthew 10:42
Pastor J. T. Carnell

Good Things

by E. Christian, McAlester, OK
Monday, June 4, 2012
,br /> GOD SPEAKS TO US THROUGH HIS HOLY WORD
1 Do not envy wicked men, do not desire their company; 2 for their hearts plot violence, and their lips talk about making trouble. - Proverbs 24:1-2(New International Version).

GOD'S PROMISE TO US FROM HIS HOLY WORD
(Jesus said) 24 "God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.” - John 4:24(New King James Version).

A QUOTE
A gentle word, a kind look, a good-natured smile can work wonders and accomplish miracles. - William Hazlitt -

A THOUGHT TO REMEMBER
Children are natural mimics who act like their parents in spite of every attempt to teach them good manners. - From Home is Where the Heart Is -

NOTES
We had rain beginning sometime after midnight and continuing until around 9:00 a.m this morning. Skies cleared by the middle of the afternoon. High temperature today was 89 degrees with a low temperature of 66 degrees. June and I had lunch with Charley and Bill today. June and I came by the post office. We sat outside a little while before I took my nap. I took my nap this afternoon without a cat. While I napped June went to Walgreens. At 3:45 p.m. we took Friendly and Smokey to the Vet for their annual examinations and vaccinations. I was able to take two cats to the Vet since I had June to help me. Friendly and Smokey were both doing fine when we fed the cats their treats at 6:00 p.m. They didn't seem angry with us at all even though they hate being in a cat carrier. We sat outside with the cats for over an hour this evening. I will try to send you a couple of cat pictures tonight. These are not new ones so you may have seen them before. The first is Rascal, 0775. The second is Smokey, 0777.
All the cats are fine. They are all outside at present. Smokey just came through the den. We have seen all the cats today,br />. I will see you next time,
In Christian Love, Everett.

Daily Jewel

by Pastor Carnell, McAlester, OK
June 4, 2012

“Work for More than Just Rewards—But out of Love”
“Go to the ant, you sluggard; consider its ways and be wise! It has no commander, no overseer or ruler…” – Proverbs 6:6, 7

“Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put into practice.” – Philippians 4:9

When I think of Solomon, one of the things that stand out to me is the quality he placed into whatever he did. When he built God’s Temple—it was at that time the most magnificent building of its kind anywhere. He did not settle for okay or adequate, but chose to create something to reflect how he felt about His God—and it was elaborate…fabulous…and worthy to be called, God’s House! The passage of Scripture reminds me of just this thought—the ant works and gives his best and it is certainly not for his own rewards but for the betterment of others. It is, in my opinion, the call to excellence!,br /> Here is another call to excellence. Paul had just said (verse 8), “…Whatever is noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.” This was not a call to mediocrity. It was not a call to be average. This was a call to excellence. Paul was not addressing the “what” of our calling, but the “how.” He was saying, “Whatever you choose to do, do it right!
When you read the Old Testament, you don’t get the sense that God really needed a temple. He was doing just fine with tents. In fact, there was a time when God just traveled with the people in full view as a pillar of fire. That was cool! No matter how incredible a temple is, people might look at it and say, “Maybe God is in there.” But when you see a pillar of fire, whoa! If I had a pillar of fire behind me and said, “Believe in God,” you’d probably say, “Okay, that’s cool.” But the people wanted to build a temple. So God said, “Okay, but if you’re going to build it, you’re going to use the best materials in the world—you’re going to make sure it’s the most awe-inspiring building anywhere. And it’s going to cost you!” It was not because God needed a temple. But he made them do something that was extraordinary.
Striving for excellence is not always easy, and in fact it can be downright frustrating! Often a frustrating part of any job is dealing with complications and unforeseen circumstances. For example, a policeman in Dallas was working undercover at a high school, trying to bust a drug-ring. In the process of doing his job, he showed up late for class one day. The teacher sent him to the assistant principle's office, who gave him a choice: detention or licks with a paddle. Since the detention hall would interfere with a scheduled drug buy, the policeman had no choice but to take the whipping.
Some things just cannot be written into a job description. If you were to describe the "ideal" Christian life, what would it look like? Would it include times of pain, heartache and hindrances? God always drives us towards excellence. He created us to be free and creative. But he does have a built-in standard. He wants us to do “whatever” with excellence! If you are working making coffee at Starbucks, God wants you to be the best coffee-maker there. If your job is saying, “Welcome to Wal-Mart,” he expects you to be personable and sincere. If you are a cabinet maker, home maker, teacher, volunteer, retiree—whatever occupies your time and energy—God wants you to do it right. He wants you to be the best that you can be.
Pastor J. T. Carnell