Calvin & Hobbes - Week of Aug 25th

http://www.gocomics.com/calvinandhobbes/2008/08/25/

Use 'Next page' from Monday's comic to read the whole week.

Daily Devotional by Max Lucado, August 30th

Daily Devotional by Max Lucado

"the One who came still comes and the One who spoke still speaks"

 

August 30

 

Godliness with contentment is great gain.

1 Timothy 6:6 (NKJV)

 

When we surrender to God the cumbersome sack of discontent, we

don't just give up something; we gain something. God replaces it with a

lightweight, tailor-made, sorrow-resistant attaché of gratitude.

 

What will you gain with contentment?

 

You may gain your marriage.

You may gain precious hours with your children.

You may gain joy.

 

 

From: Everyday Blessings

Copyright (J. Countryman, 2004)
Max Lucado

 

 
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Tell the Next President to Make Alzheimer's a Priority

Care2 subscriber since Feb 8, 2008 Unsubscribe  |  Forward to a Friend  |  Take Action


Hi Paul,

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Tell our next president to make Alzheimer's a thing of the past.

Our next president needs a comprehensive plan for attacking Alzheimer's, including funding for research, better healthcare for Alzheimer's patients, a better Medicare program and caregiving services.

Speak up today to tell the next president to make Alzheimer's a priority the moment he is in office.

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Care2 and ThePetitionSite Team




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Wisdom from Rick Warren

Rick Warren (REMEMBER, HE WROTE 'PURPOSE DRIVEN LIFE')

You will enjoy the new insights that Rick Warren has, with his wife now

having cancer and him having 'wealth' from the book sales. This is an

absolutely incredible short interview with Rick Warren,

'Purpose Driven Life' author and pastor of Saddleback Church in

California

In the interview by Paul Bradshaw with Rick Warren, Rick said:

People ask me, what is the purpose of life? And I respond: In a

nutshell, life is preparation for eternity. We were not made to last

forever, and God wants us to be with Him in Heaven.

One day my heart is going to stop, and that will be the end of my body--

but not the end of me.

I may live 60 to 100 years on earth, but I am going to spend trillions

of years in eternity. This is the warm-up act - the dress rehearsal. God

wants us to practice on earth what we will do forever in eternity.

We were made by God and for God, a nd until you figure that out, life

isn't going to make sense.

Life is a series of problems: Either you are in one now, you're just

coming out of one, or you're getting ready to go into another one.

The reason for this is that God is more interested in your character

than your comfort.

God is more interested in making your life holy than He is in making

your life happy.

We can be reasonably happy here on earth, but that's not the goal of

life. The goal is to grow in character, in Christ's likeness.

This past year has been the greatest year of my life but also the

toughest, with my wife, Kay, getting cancer.

I used to think that life was hills and valleys - you go through a dark

time, then you go to the mountaintop, back and forth. I don't believe

that anymore.

Rather than life being hills and valleys, I believe that it's kind of

like two rails on a railroad track, and at all times you have something

good and something bad in your life.

No matter how good things are in your life, there is always something

bad that needs to be worked on.

And no matter how bad things are in your life, there is always something

good you can thank God for.

You can focus on your purposes, or you can focus on your problems.

If you focus on your problems, you're going into self-centeredness,'

which is my problem, my issues, my pain.' But one of the easiest ways to

get rid of pain is to get your focus off yourself and onto God and

others.

We discovered quickly that in spite of the prayers of hundreds of

thousands of people, God was not going to heal Kay or make it easy for

her.

It has been very difficult for her, and yet God has strengthened her

character, given her a ministry of helping other people, given her a

testimony, drawn her closer to Him and to people.

You have to learn to deal with both the good and the bad of life.

Actually, sometimes learning to deal with the good is harder. For

instance, this past year, all of a sudden, when the book sold 15 million

copies, it made me instantly very wealthy.

It also brought a lot of notoriety that I had never had to deal with

before. I don't think God gives you money or notoriety for your own ego

or for you to live a life of ease.

So I began to ask God what He wanted me to do with this money, notoriety

and influence. He gave me two different passages that helped me decide

what to do, II Corinthians 9 and Psalm 72.

First, in spite of all the money coming in, we would not change our

lifestyle one bit. We made no major purchases.

Second, about midway through last year, I stopped taking a salary from

the church.

Third, we set up foundations to fund an initiative we call The Peace

Plan to plant churches, equip leaders, assist the poor, care for the

sick, and educate the next generation.

Fo urth, I added up all that the church had paid me in the 24 years since

I started the church, and I gave it all back. It was liberating to be

able to serve God for free.

We need to ask ourselves: Am I going to live for possessions?

Popularity?

Am I going to be driven by pressures? Guilt? Bitterness? Materialism? Or

am I going to be driven by God's purposes (for my life)?

When I get up in the morning, I sit on the side of my bed and say, God,

if I don't get anything else done today, I want to know You more and

love You better. God didn't put me on earth just to fulfill a to-do

list. He's more interested in what I am than what I do.

That's why we're called human beings, not human doings.

Happy moments, PRAISE GOD.

Difficult moments, SEEK GOD.

Quiet moments, WORSHIP GOD.

Painful moments, TRUST GOD.

Every moment, THANK GOD.

Daily Devotional by Max Lucado, August 22nd

�the One who came still comes and the One who spoke still speaks�

 

August 22

Prayers Are Precious Jewels

 

The Lord sees the good people and listens to their prayers.

1 Peter 3:12 (NCV)

 

You and I live in a loud world. To get someone's attention is no easy task. He must be willing to set everything aside to listen: turn down the radio, turn away from the monitor, turn the corner of the page and set down the book. When someone is willing to silence everything else so he can hear us clearly, it is a privilege. A rare privilege, indeed.

[Your] prayers are honored [in heaven] as precious jewels. Purified and empowered, the words rise in a delightful fragrance to our Lord.... Your words do not stop until they reach the very throne of God....

Your prayer on earth activates God's power in heaven, and "God's will is done on earth as it is in heaven."...

Your prayers move God to change the world. You may not understand the mystery of prayer. You don't need to. But this much is clear: Actions in heaven begin when someone prays on earth.

 

 

From: The Great House of God

Copyright (Word Publishing, 1997)
Max Lucado

 

 
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Daily Devotional by Max Lucado, August 20th

�the One who came still comes and the One who spoke still speaks�

 

August 20

From the Inside Out

 

I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper to be with you forever--the Spirit of truth.
John 14:16-17 (NCV)

 

Do-it-yourself Christianity is not much encouragement to the done-in and worn-out.

Self-sanctification holds little hope for the addict. . . .

At some point we need more than good advice; we need help. Somewhere on this journey home we realize that a fifty-fifty proposition is too little. We need more. . . .

We need help. Help from the inside out. . . . Not near us. Not above us. Not around us. But in us. In the part of us we don't even know. In the heart no one else has seen. In the hidden recesses of our being dwells, not an angel, not a philosophy, not a genie, but God.

 

 

From: When God Whispers Your Name

Copyright (Word Publishing, 1994)
Max Lucado

 

 
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What I Want In a Man -- As Years Go By...

1.       Handsome
2.    Charming
3.    Financially successful
4.      A caring listener
5.    Witty
6.    In good shape
7.      Dresses with style
8.    Appreciates finer things
9.    Full of thoughtful surprises
10.  An imaginative, romantic lover


What I Want in a Man, Revised List (age  32)
 
1.   Nice looking
2.   Opens car doors, holds  chairs
3.   Has enough money for a nice  dinner
4.   Listens more than talks
5.   Laughs at my jokes
6.   Carries bags of groceries with  ease
7.   Owns at least one tie
8.   Appreciates a good home-cooked  meal
9.   Remembers birthdays and  anniversaries
10.  Seeks romance at least once a  week
 
 
 
What I Want in a Man, Revised List (age  42)
 
1.   Not too ugly
2.   Doesn't drive off until I'm in the  car
3.   Works steady - splurges on dinner out  occasionally
4.  Nods head when I'm  talking
5.  Usually remembers punch lines of  jokes
6.  Is in good enough shape to rearrange the  furniture
7.  Wears a shirt that covers his  stomach
8.  Knows not to buy champagne with  screw-top lids
9.  Remembers to put the toilet  seat down
10. Shaves most  weekends

 
 
What  I Want in a Man, Revised List (age  52)
 
1.   Keeps hair in nose and ears trimmed
2.  Doesn't belch or  scratch in public
3.  Doesn't borrow money too  often
4.  Doesn't nod off to sleep when I'm  venting
5.  Doesn't re-tell the same joke too many  times
6.  Is in good enough shape to get off couch on  weekends
7.  Usually wears matching socks and  fresh underwear
8.  Appreciates a good TV  dinner
9.  Remembers your name on  occasion
10. Shaves some  weekends
 


What  I Want in a Man, Revised List (age  62)
 
1.   Doesn't scare small children
2.  Remembers where  bathroom is
3.  Doesn't require much money for  upkeep
4.  Only snores lightly when  asleep
5.  Remembers why he's laughing
6.   Is in good enough shape to stand up by  himself
7.  Usually wears some  clothes
8.  Likes soft foods
9.   Remembers where he left his teeth
10. Remembers  that it's the weekend


What  I Want in a Man, Revised  List (age  72)
 
1  Breathing.
2  Doesn't miss the toilet...

Calvin & Hobbes - Week of Aug 18th

http://www.gocomics.com/calvinandhobbes/2008/08/18/

Use 'Next page' from Monday's comic to read the whole week.

Proofreading Laughs

(Proofreading is a dying art, would you say?)
 
Man Kills Self Before Shooting Wife and Daughter
 
This one I caught in the SGV Tribune the other day and called the Editorial Room and asked who wrote this.  It took two or three readings before the editor realized that what he was reading was impossible!!!  They put in a correction the next day. 
 



I just couldn't help but sending this along. Too funny. 
 
Something Went Wrong in Jet Crash, Expert Says
 
     No, really? Ya think?
 
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
Police Begin Campaign to Run Down Jaywalkers
 
       Now that's taking things a bit far!
 
  -----------------------------------------------------------
 
Panda Mating Fails; Veterinarian Takes Over
 
       What a guy! 
 
---------------------------------------------------------------
 
Miners Refuse to Work after Death
 
No-good-for-nothing' lazy so-and-so's!
 
------------------------------------------------------
 Ju venile Court to Try Shooting Defendant
 
See if that works any better than a fair trial!
 
  ----------------------------------------------------------
 
War Dims Hope for Peace
 
 I can see where it might have that effect!
 ----------------------------------------------------------------
 
 If Strike Isn't Settled Quickly, It May Last Awhile
 
   Ya think?!
 
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
 
Cold Wave Linked to Temperatures
 
     Who would have thought!
 
----------------------------------------------------------------
 
Enfield (  London  ) Couple Slain; Police Suspect Homicide 
 
They may be on to something!
 
------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
Red Tape Holds Up New Bridges
 
      You mean there's something stronger than duct tape? Oklahoma's new construction program!
 
  ----------------------------------------------------------
 
Man Struck By Lightning: Faces Battery Charge
 
     He probably IS the battery charge!
 
----------------------------------------------
 
New Study of Obesity Looks for Larger Test Group
 
Weren't they fat enough?!
 
----------------------------------------------- 
 
Astronaut Takes Blame for Gas in Spacecraft
 
That's what he gets for eating those beans!
 
 
Kids Make Nutritious Snacks
 
       Do they taste like chicken?****************************************
 
  Local  High School Dropouts Cut in Half;
 
       Chainsaw Massacre all over again!
 
 ******* ****** **************************************
 
Hospitals are Sued by 7 Foot Doctors
 
  Boy, are they tall!
 
  *******************************************
And the winner is....
 
Typhoon Rips Through Cemetery; Hundreds Dead
 
     Did I read that right?
 
***************************************************
 
 
 
Now that you've smiled at least once, it's your turn to spread the stupidity and send this to someone you want to bring a smile to (maybe even a chuckle). We all need a good laugh, at least once a day!

Daily Devotional by Max Lucado, August 18th

�the One who came still comes and the One who spoke still speaks�

 

August 18

A Little Light Please

 

Jesus went to them, walking on the sea. . . . And they cried out in fear.

Matthew 14:25-26 (NKJV)

 

Every so often a storm will come, and I'll look up into the blackening sky and say, "God, a little light please?"

The light came for the disciples. A figure came to them walking on the water. It wasn't what they expected. Perhaps they were looking for angels to descend or heaven to open....We don't know what they were looking for. But one thing is for sure, they weren't looking for Jesus to come walking on the water....

And since Jesus came in a way they didn't expect, they almost missed seeing the answer to their prayers.

 

And unless we look and listen closely, we risk making the same mistake. God's lights in our dark nights are as numerous as the stars, if only we'll look for them.

 

 

From: In the Eye of the Storm

Copyright (Word Publishing, 1991)
Max Lucado

 

 
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DFW Fun News Video

http://www.star-telegram.com/dafowo/

Is this your church?

This is from a church friend and Sunday School teacher from First Baptist, Plano.
---------------------------------------------------------------------
I want to share these thoughts with you:

- In reference to Matthew 5:13-16, we dare not let our church become a "salt-shaker", where all the "salt" just sits on the table and is not spread out all over our neighborhood and world, and we dare not keep all our "light" inside the walls of the church.

- Here is an actual church "purpose statement" that I really like. My prayer is that it will describe our church.

Imagine a group of surrendered and transformed people - who love God and others. They understand that life is not about them, but all about Jesus.

They want their heart for their city to be Jesus's heart for their city.

They are seed throwers, fire starters, hope peddlers, grace givers, risk takers, dreamers.

They empower the poor, strengthen the weak, embrace the outcast, seek the lost.

They serve together, play together, worship together, live life together.

They believe that small things done with great love will change their city and the world.

They are us.

LB, March 2008

Daily Devotional by Max Lucado, August 15th

Daily Devotional by Max Lucado

�the One who came still comes and the One who spoke still speaks�

 

August 15

Help from the Holy Spirit

 

The Spirit comes to the aid of our weakness.

Romans 8:26 (NEB)

 

The Spirit comes to the aid of our weakness.  What a sentence worthy of a highlighter.

 

Who does not need this reminder? Weak bodies.  Weak wills.  Weakened resolves.  We�ve known them all.  The word weakness can refer to physical infirmities, as with the invalid who had been unable to walk for thirty-eight years (John 5:5), or spiritual impotence, as with the spiritually �helpless� of Romans 5:6.

 

Whether we are feeble of soul or body or both, how good to know it�s not up to us.  The Spirit himself is pleading for us.

 

 

From: Come Thirsty

Copyright (W Publishing Group, 2004)
Max Lucado

 

 
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Judge Not

BEST POEM IN THE WORLD!

I was shocked, confused, bewildered As I entered Heaven's door, Not
by the beauty of it all, Nor the lights or its decor.

But it was the folks in Heaven Who made me sputter and gasp-- The
thieves, the liars, the sinners, The alcoholics and the trash.

There stood the kid from seventh grade Who swiped my lunch money
twice. Next to him was my old neighbor Who never said anything nice.

Herb, who I always thought Was rotting away in hell, Was sitting
pretty on cloud nine, Looking incredibly well.

I nudged Jesus, 'What's the deal? I would love to hear Your take.
How'd all these sinners get up here? God must've made a mistake.

'And why's everyone so quiet, So somber - give me a clue.'

'Hush, child,' He said, 'they're all in shock. No one thought they'd
be seeing you.' JUDGE NOT.

Remember...Just going to church doesn't make you a Christian no more
than standing in your garage makes you a car!

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Two Little Boys

After a hardy rainstorm filled all the potholes in the streets and alleys, a  young mother watched her two little boys playing in the puddle  through her kitchen window. The  older of the two, a five year old lad, grabbed his sibling by the back of his head and shoved his face into the water hole.
 
As the boy recovered and stood laughing and dripping, the mother  runs to the yard in a panic.  Why on earth did you do that to your little brother she asks as she shook the older boy in anger.

We  were just playing 'church,' Mommy, he said.  I was just baptizing him.....'in the name of the Father, the Son and in the hole-he-goes.'

Daily Devotional by Max Lucado, August 13th

Daily Devotional by Max Lucado

�the One who came still comes and the One who spoke still speaks�

 

August 13

A Daily Development

 

God is working in you to help you want to do and be able to do what pleases him.

Philippians 2:13 (NCV)

 

Wouldn�t a bride and groom have to be more married on their fiftieth anniversary than on their wedding day?

 

Yet, on the other hand, how could they be?  The marriage certificate hasn�t matured.  Ah, but the relationship has, and there is the difference.  Technically, they are no more united than they were when they left the altar.  But relationally, they are completely different.


The same is true of our walk with God.  Can you be more saved than you were the first day of your salvation?  No.  But can a person grow in salvation?  Absolutely.  It, like marriage, is a done deal and a daily development.

 

 

From: He Chose the Nails

Copyright (W Publishing Group, 2000)
Max Lucado

 

 
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Judas Asparagus

A child was asked to write a book report on the entire Bible. This is amazing and brought tears of laughter to my eyes. I wonder how often we take for granted that children understand what we are teaching???

Through the eyes of a child:
The Children's Bible in a Nutshell

In the beginning, which occurred near the start, there was nothing but God, darkness, and some gas. The Bible says, 'The Lord thy God is one, but I think He must be a lot older than that.

Anyway, God said, 'Give me a light!' and someone did. Then God made the world.

He split the Adam and made Eve. Adam and Eve were naked, but they weren't embarrassed because mirrors hadn't been invented yet.

Adam and Eve disobeyed God by eating one bad apple, so they were driven from the Garden of Eden. Not sure what they were driven in though, because they didn't have cars.

Adam and Eve had a son, Cain, who hated his brother as long as he was Abel.
Pretty soon all of the early people died off, except for Methuselah, who lived to be like a million or something.

One of the next important people was Noah, who was a good guy, but one of his kids was kind of a Ham. Noah built a large boat and put his family and some animals on it. He asked some other people to join him, but they said they would have to take a rain check.

After Noah came Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Jacob was more famous than his brother, Esau, because Esau sold Jacob his birthmark in exchange for some pot roast. Jacob had a son named Joseph who wore a really loud sports coat.

Another important Bible guy is Moses, whose real name was Charlton Heston. Moses led the Israel Lights out of Egypt and away from the evil Pharaoh after God sent ten plagues on Pharaoh's people. These plagues included frogs, mice, lice, bowels, and no cable.

God fed the Israel Lights every day with manicotti. Then he gave them His Top Ten Commandments. These include: don't lie, cheat, smoke, dance, or covet your neighbor's stuff.

Oh, yeah, I just thought of one more:
Humor thy father and thy mother.

One of Moses' best helpers was Joshua who was the first Bible guy to use spies. Joshua fought the battle of Geritol and the fence fell over on the town.

After Joshua came David. He got to be king by killing a giant with a slingshot. He had a son named Solomon who had about 300 wives and 500 porcupines. My teacher says he was wise, but that doesn't sound very wise to me.

After Solomon there were a bunch of major league prophets. One of these was Jonah, who was swallowed by a big whale and then barfed up on the shore. There were also some minor league prophets, but I guess we don't have to worry about them.

After the Old Testament came the New Testament. Jesus is the star of The New. He was born in Bethlehem in a barn.

(I wish I had been born in a barn too, because my mom is always saying to me, 'Close the door! Were you born in a barn?' It would be nice to say, 'As a matter of fact, I was.')

During His life, Jesus had many arguments with sinners like the Pharisees and the Republicans.

Jesus also had twelve opossums. The worst one was Judas Asparagus. Judas was so evil that they named a terrible vegetable after him.

Jesus was a great man. He healed many leopards and even preached to some Germans on the Mount.

But the Republicans and all those guys put Jesus on trial before Pontius the Pilot. Pilot didn't stick up for Jesus. He just washed his hands instead.

Anyways, Jesus died for our sins, then came back to life again. He went up to Heaven but will be back at the end of the Aluminum. His return is foretold in the book of Revolution.

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Calvin & Hobbes - Week of Aug 11th

http://www.gocomics.com/calvinandhobbes/2008/08/11/

Use 'Next page' from Monday's comic to read the whole week.

Daily Devotional by Max Lucado, Aug 11th

Daily Devotional by Max Lucado

"the One who came still comes and the One who spoke still speaks"

 

August 11

A Cloak of Love

 

Love…always protects.

1 Corinthians 13:4-7 (NIV)

 

When Paul said, "Love always protects," he might have been thinking of a coat.  One scholar thinks he was.  The Theological Dictionary of the New Testament is known for its word study, not its poetry.  But the scholar sounds poetic as he explains the meaning of protect as used in 1 Corinthians 13:7.  The word conveys, he says, "the idea of covering with a cloak of love."

 

Remember receiving one?  You were nervous about the test, but the teacher stayed late to help you.  You were far from home and afraid, but your mother phoned to comfort you.  You were innocent and accused, so your friend stood to defend you.  Covered with encouragement.  Covered with tender-hearted care.  Covered with protection.  Covered with a cloak of love.

 

 

From: A Love Worth Giving

Copyright (W Publishing Group, 2002)
Max Lucado

 

 
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Daily Devotional by Max Lucado, Aug 10th

Daily Devotional by Max Lucado

�the One who came still comes and the One who spoke still speaks�

 

August 10

 

Let us love one another, for love is of God.

1 John 4:7 (NKJV)

 

Long to be more loving? Begin by accepting your place as a dearly loved child.

"Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children" (Eph. 5:1, NIV)

 

Want to learn to forgive? Then consider how you've been forgiven.

"Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in

Christ God forgave you" (Eph. 4:32, NIV)

 

 

From: Everyday Blessings

Copyright (J. Countryman, 2004)
Max Lucado

 

 
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A Beautiful Concert Story

When the house lights dimmed and the concert was about to begin, the mother returned to her seat and discovered that her child was missing. Suddenly, the curtains parted and spotlights focused on the impressive Steinway on stage. To her horror, the mother saw her little boy sitting at the keyboard, innocently picking out 'Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star.'

At that moment, the great piano master made his entrance, quickly moved to the piano, and whispered in the boy's ear, 'Don't quit . . keep playing.' Then, leaning over, Paderewski reached down with his left hand and began filling In a bass part. Soon his right arm reached around to the other side of the child, And he added a running obbligato. Together, the old master and the young novice transformed what could have been a frightening situation into a wonderfully creative experience.
The audience was so mesmerized that they couldn't recall what else the great master played. Only the classic, ' Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star.'

Perhaps that's the way it is with God. What we can accomplish on our own is hardly noteworthy. We try our best, but the results aren't always graceful, flowing music. However, with the Hand of the Master, our life's work can truly be beautiful.

The next time you set out to accomplish great feats, listen carefully. You may hear the voice of the Master, whispering in your Ear, 'Don't quit . . . keep playing.' May you feel His arms around you and know that His hands are there, helping you turn your feeble attempts into true masterpieces. Remember, God doesn't seem to call the equipped, rather, He equips the 'called.'

Life is more accurately measured by the lives you touch than by the things you acquire. So touch someone by passing this little message along. May God bless you and be with you always! And remember , 'Don't quit . . keep playing.'

Cliff May

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Daily Devotional by Max Lucado, August 9th

Daily Devotional by Max Lucado

"the One who came still comes and the One who spoke still speaks"

 

August 9

 

The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hidden in a field.

Matthew 13:44 (NCV)

 

When you list the places Christ lived, draw a circle around the town named Nazareth—a single-camel map dot on the edge of boredom.  For thirty of his thirty-three years, Jesus lived a common life….

 

And the town may have been common, but his attention to it was not….He saw how a seed on the path took no root (Luke 8:5) and how a mustard seed produced a great tree (Matt. 13:31-32).  Jesus listened to his common life.

 

Are you listening to yours?

 

 

From: Everyday Blessings

Copyright (J. Countryman, 2004)
Max Lucado

 

 
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Daily Devotional by Max Lucado, August 8th

Daily Devotional by Max Lucado

�the One who came still comes and the One who spoke still speaks�

 

August 8

God Is Your Home

 

God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.
John 4:24 (NCV)

 

Don't think you are separated from God, he at the top end of a great ladder, you at the other. Dismiss any thought that God is on Venus while you are on earth. Since God is Spirit (John 4:23), he is next to you: God himself is our roof. God himself is our wall. And God himself is our foundation.

Moses knew this. "LORD," he prayed, "you have been our home since the beginning" (Ps.90:1). What a powerful thought: God as your home. Your home is the place where you can kick off your shoes and eat pickles and crackers and not worry about what people think when they see you in your bathrobe.

Your home is familiar to you. No one has to tell you how to locate your bedroom. . . . God can be equally familiar to you. With time you can learn where to go for nourishment, where to hide for protection, where to turn for guidance. Just as your earthly house is a place of refuge, so God's house is a place of peace. God's house has never been plundered, his walls have never been breached.

 

 

From: The Great House of God

Copyright (Word Publishing, 1997)
Max Lucado

 

 
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Petersburg Day 2008

From Christi Young Lucksinger

If you can't see the pictures in this email, click here to see it in a web browser:
http://www.kodakgallery.com/I.jsp?c=jk6s4qf.7ff4m1tf&x=1&y=-lfx2j2&localeid=en_US
Christi has shared photos with you.
 
 

Petersburg Day 2008

(1 album)
 
The album is now finished. It includes our class reunion and the State football team pictures. I've already sent it to members of the Class of '68. Feel free to distribute to anyone else you think will enjoy seeing it.

Hail to the Old Gold, Hail to the Black!

- Christi

View photos

Quote of the Day

"I don't know what your destiny will be but one thing I know, the only ones among you who will be truly happy are those who have sought and found how to serve." Albert Schweitzer

Paris Hilton Strikes Back!

http://www.funnyordie.com/videos/64ad536a6d

Daily Devotional by Max Lucado, August 7, 2008

Daily Devotional by Max Lucado
"The One who came still comes and the One who spoke still speaks"
 

August 7
Travel Light
 
Give all your worries to him, because he cares about you.
1 Peter 5:7 (NCV)
 
God has a great race for you to run. Under his care you will go where you've never been and serve in ways you've never dreamed.  But you have to drop some stuff.  How can you share grace if you are full of guilt?  How can you offer comfort if you are disheartened?  How can you lift someone else's load if your arms are full with your own?
 
For the sake of those you love, travel light.
For the sake of the God you serve, travel light.
For the sake of your own joy, travel light.
 
There are certain weights in you life you simply cannot carry.  Your Lord is asking you to set them down and trust him.
 
 
From: Traveling Light
Copyright (W Publishing Group, 2000)
Max Lucado

This is How it Feels to be Free!

By the Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir. Enjoy!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f9xBV1_iTcg

Daily Bible Verse - August 06, 2008

When God gives any man wealth and possessions, and enables him to enjoy them, to accept his lot and be happy in his work -- this is a gift of God.
Ecclesiastes 5:19

My Life Story - 'til Now!

This is mainly for my Petersburg Elementary school friends, most of whom I have not seen since 1959.

But, it does give more background to my other friends.

This was written in July, 2008.
------------------------------------------------------
This is a blast from the past. I attended Petersburg schools from 1955-1959 and was your classmate. I'm retired now, so I am trying to catch up with all of you, and others from the class. My cousin, Tom Gregory, still farms the Gregory and Hegi land in Petersburg. I have very fond memories of my days in Petersburg, and of a simpler and kinder time and way of life.

I now live in Little Elm, Texas, between Denton and Frisco, but lived in Plano for 32 years. I graduated from Pilot Point High School, the University of Texas in Arlington, and went to grad school at A&M. In high school, I was in the band and played baseball and basketball. I was an IT professional for 33 years and worked for Mobil Oil (met Janet in Dallas 1 time!), Texas Instruments, and Computer Science Corporation. At CSC, my last stop, I was a travelling SAP consultant for 8 years.

My parents, Paul and Rose Elaine (Gregory/Hegi), are still living and are 85 and 80. Mom was just admitted to an Alzheimer's care facility, and Dad lives on a small farm outside Collinsville, Texas near Sherman. My sister, Linda Ellen, was a member of the Class of '67, and now is retired and living in Austin. My wife, Linda Carol Lintner, is from Dallas, and graduated from Kimball High School and SMU. I have 2 daughters, Tracie (sound familiar?), almost 30, a Worship and Music minister at Willow Meadows Baptist Church in southwest Houston, and Jeni, 28, a Placement director of a firm placing and mentoring handicapped people in jobs in North Texas. She lives in Providence Village on US 380 south of Aubrey, Texas and is married to Ryan Fobart, formerly of Snellville, Georgia. Both daughters attended Baylor, and my money also went there! Ryan and Jeni met at Baylor. Go Bears!

After I retired, Linda Carol and I built a new house on Lake Lewisville in Lakewood Village. I have a summer job this year and am an usher for the Frisco RoughRiders minor league baseball farm team of the Texas Rangers. I also sing in the First Baptist Church, Plano choir, go on mission trips, and am a Gideon. Plus I have lunch with my friends in Plano and other places, attend high school football and basketball games (Plano East!), and attend the boys state basketball tournamet each year in Austin.

Recent family pictures are on the web at: http://picasaweb.google.com/paulw.gray and you can check my blog (address below) for humor and other items. I'm also interested in politics, but you'll have to ask to find out about that!!!

Please drop me a line; I'm interested to see what path you guys took to where you are today.

Vicki told me that Petersburg Day is the first Saturday in August. Is anyone planning to go this year? I'd sure like to meet up, either there or in the Dallas area!

Best wishes,
Paul

Do You Need Washing?

A little girl had been shopping with her Mom in Target. She must have been 6 years old, this beautiful red haired, freckle faced image of innocence. It was pouring outside. The kind of rain that gushes over the top of rain gutters, so much in a hurry to hit the earth it has no time to flow down the spout. We all stood there under the awning and just inside the door of the Target.

We waited, some patiently, others irritated because nature messed up their hurried day. I am always mesmerized by rainfall. I got lost in the sound and sight of the heavens washing away the dirt and dust of the world. Memories of running, splashing so carefree as a child came pouring in as a welcome reprieve from the worries of my day.

The little voice was so sweet as it broke the hypnotic trance we were all caught in 'Mom let's run through the rain,' she said.'What?' Mom asked.

'Lets run through the rain!' She repeated

'No, honey. We'll wait until it slows down a bit, ' Mom replied.

This young child waited about another minute and repeated: '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. I swear you couldn't hear anything but the rain. 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 this was a moment of affirmation in a young child's life. A time when innocent trust can be nurtured so that it will bloom into faith.

'Honey, you are absolutely right. Let's run through the rain. If GOD let's us get wet, well maybe we just needed washing.' Mom said.

Then off they ran. We all stood watching, smiling and laughing as they darted past the cars and yes, through the puddles. They held their shopping bags over their heads just in case. They got soaked. But they were followed by a few who screamed and laughed like children all the way to their cars.

And yes, I did. I ran. I got wet. I needed washing.

Circumstances or people can take away your material possessions, they can take away your money, and they can take away your health. But no one can ever take away your precious memories...So, don't forget to make time and take the opportunities to make memories everyday. To everything there is a season and a time to every purpose under heaven.


I HOPE YOU STILL TAKE THE TIME TO RUN THROUGH THE RAIN.

They say it takes a minute to find a special person, an hour to appreciate them, a day to love them, but then an entire life to forget them. Send this to the people you'll never forget and remember to also send it to the person who sent it to you. It's a short message to let them know that you'll never forget them.

If you don't send it to anyone, it means you're in a hurry.

Take the time to live!!!

Keep in touch with your friends, you never know when you'll need each other -- and don't forget to run in the rain!

This email was cleaned by emailStripper, available for free from http://www.papercut.biz/emailStripper.htm

Calvin & Hobbes - Week of Aug 4th

http://www.gocomics.com/calvinandhobbes/2008/08/04/

Use 'Next page' from Monday's comic to read the whole week.

Marriage Boot Camp Pictures and Videos

These are pictures and videos from the celebration on Saturday.

The videos play with Apple Quicktime software.

I have video of the "Dance Off," but it is huge and needs to be edited.

Pictures
http://picasaweb.google.com/paulw.gray/MarriageBootCamp2008

David and Ivan


Love Butts

Gas Prices Hurt Athletics Budgets

http://www.star-telegram.com/804/story/804078.html

Bob Hope

  Bob Hope!

For those of you too young to remember Bob, ask your parents or grandparents!!! And thanks for the memories............ WHAT A WONDERFUL E-MAIL


I HOPE THIS WILL PUT A SMILE ON YOUR FACE AND IN YOUR HEART.


Tribute to a man who DID make a difference:



May 29, 1903 - July 27, 2003

ON TURNING 70 'You still chase women, but only downhill'.

ON TURNING 80 'That's the time of your life when even your birthday suit needs pressing..'

ON TURNING 90 'You know you're getting old when the candles cost more than the cake.'

ON TURNING 100 ' I don't feel old. In fact I don't feel anything until noon Then it's time for my nap.'

ON GIVING UP HIS EARLY CAREER, BOXING 'I ruined my hands in the ring ... the referee kept stepping on them.'

ON NEVER WINNING AN OSCAR 'Welcome to the Academy Awards or, as it's called at my home, 'Passover'.'

ON GOLF 'Golf is my profession. Show business is just to pay the green fees'

ON PRESIDENTS ' I have performed for 12 presidents and entertained only six'

ON WHY HE CHOSE SHOWBIZ FOR HIS CAREER ' When I was born, the doctor said to my mother, 'Congratulations You have an eight-pound ham'.'

ON RECEIVING THE CONGRESSIONAL GOLD MEDAL 'I feel very humble, but I think I have the strength of character to fight it . '

ON HIS FAMILY'S EARLY POVERTY 'Four of us slept in the one bed. When it got cold, mother threw on another brother.'

ON HIS SIX BROTHERS 'That's how I learned to dance. Waiting for the bathroom.'

ON HIS EARLY FAILURES 'I would not have had anything to eat if it wasn't for the stuff the audience threw at me.'

ON GOING TO HEAVEN 'I've done benefits for ALL religions. I'd hate to blow the hereafter on a technicality.'

Give me a sense of humor. Lord, Give me the grace to see a joke, to get some humor out of life, and pass it on to other folks.

Jokes that can be told in church

Attending a wedding for the first time, a little girl whispered to her mother, 'Why is the bride dressed in white?''
The mother replied, 'Because white is the color of happiness, and today is the happiest day of her life.'
The child thought about this for a moment then said, 'So why is the groom wearing black?'
~~~~~~~~~~~~
A little girl, dressed in her Sunday best, was running as fast as she could, trying not to be late for Bible class. As she ran she prayed, 'Dear Lord, please don't let me be late! Dear Lord,
please don't let me be late!'
While she was running and praying, she tripped on a curb and fell, getting her clothes dirty and tearing her dress. She got up, brushed herself off, and started running again! As she ran she once again began to pray, 'Dear Lord, please don't let me be late...But please don't shove me either!'
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Three boys are in the school yard bragging about their fathers. The first boy says, 'My Dad scribbles a few words on a piece of paper, he calls it a poem, they give him $50.'
The second boy says, 'That's nothing. My Dad s cribbles a few words on piece of paper, he calls it a song, they give him $100.'
The third boy says, 'I got you both beat. My Dad scribbles a few words on a piece of paper, he calls it a sermon, and it takes eight people to collect all the money!'
~~~~~~~~~~~~
An elderly woman died last month. Having never married, she requested no male pallbearers. In her handwritten instructions for her memorial service, she wrote, 'They wouldn't take me out while I was alive, I don't want them to take me out when I'm dead.'
~~~~~~~~~~~~
A police recruit was asked during the exam, 'What would you do if you had to arrest your own mother?' He answered, 'Call for backup.'
~~~~~~~~~~~~
A Sunday School teacher asked her class why Joseph and Mary took Jesus with them to Jerusalem . A small child replied, 'They couldn't get a baby-sitter.'
~~~~~~~~~~~~
A Sunday school teacher was discussing the Ten Commandments with her five and six year olds. After explaining the commandment to 'Honor thy father and thy mother,' she asked, 'Is there a commandment that teaches us how to treat our brothers and sisters?'
Without missing a beat, one little boy answered, 'Thou shall not kill.'
~~~~~~~~~~~~
At Sunday School they were teaching how God created everything, including human beings. Little Johnny seemed especially intent when they told him how Eve was created out of one of Adam's ribs.
Later in the week his mother noticed him lying down as though he were ill, and she said, 'Johnny, what is the matter?' Little Johnny responded, 'I have pain in my side. I think I'm going to have a wife.'
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Two boys were walking home from Sunday school after hearing a strong preaching on the devil. One said to the other, 'What do you think about all this Satan stuff?'
The other boy replied, 'Well, you know how Santa Claus turned out. It's probably just your Dad.'
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

You don't stop laughing because you grow old. You grow old because you stop laughing! Take heed and pass these along to people who need a laugh.

Pfizer Announcement

Pfizer Corp. announced today that Viagra will soon  be available in  liquid form, and will be marketed by Pepsi Cola as a  power beverage  suitable for use as a mixer.  It will now be possible  for a man to  literally pour himself a stiff one.  Obviously we can no longer call this  a soft drink, and it gives new meaning to the names  of 'cocktails',  'highballs' and just a good old-fashioned 'stiff  drink'.  Pepsi will market the new concoction by the name of:  MOUNT & DO.
 
Thought for the day: There is more money being spent  on breast implants  and Viagra today than on Alzheimer's research. This  means that by 2040, there should be a large elderly population with  perky boobs and huge erections and absolutely no recollection of what to do with them.

Marriage Help

I give my highest recommendation to this Marriage Seminar. Linda and I have been twice, and it has almost totally healed our broken relationship.

http://www.marriagebootcamp.com/