Sharing From My Inbox

THE BIRD CAGE

There once was a man named George Thomas, a pastor in a small New England town. One Easter Sunday morning he came to the Church carrying a rusty, bent, old bird cage, and set it by the pulpit. Several eyebrows were raised and, as if in response, Pastor Thomas began to speak.

"I was walking through town yesterday when I saw a young boy coming toward me, swinging this bird cage. On the bottom of the cage were three little wild birds, shivering with cold and fright. I stopped the lad and asked, "What you got there son?"

"Just some old birds," came the reply.

"What are you gonna do with them?" I asked.

"Take 'em home and have fun with 'em. I'm gonna tease 'em and pull out their feathers to make 'em fight. I'm gonna have a real good time."

"But you'll get tired of those birds sooner or later. What will you do then?"

"Oh, I got some cats. They like birds. I'll take 'em to them."

The pastor was silent for a moment. "How much do you want for those birds, son?"

"Huh??!!! Why, you don't want them birds, mister. They're just plain old field birds. They don't sing - they ain't even pretty!"

"How much?"

The boy sized up the pastor as if he were crazy and said, "$10?".

The pastor reached in his pocket and took out a ten dollar bill. He placed it in the boy's hand. In a flash, the boy was gone.

The pastor picked up the cage and gently carried it to the end of the alley where there was a tree and a grassy spot. Setting the cage down, he opened the door, and by softly tapping the bars persuaded the birds out, setting them free.

Well, that explained the empty bird cage on the pulpit, and then the pastor began to tell this story.

One day Satan and Jesus were having a conversation. Satan had just come from the Garden of Eden, and he was gloating and boasting.

"Yes, sir, I just caught the world full of people down there. Set me a trap, used bait I knew they couldn't resist. Got 'em all!"

"What are you going to do with them?" Jesus asked.

"Oh, I'm gonna have fun! I'm gonna teach them how to marry and divorce each other. How to hate and abuse each other. How to drink and smoke and curse. How to invent guns and bombs and kill each other. I'm really gonna have fun!"

"And what will you do when you get done with them?", Jesus asked.

"Oh, I'll kill 'em."

"How much do you want for them?"

"Oh, you don't want those people. They ain't no good. Why, you take them and they'll just hate you. They'll spit on you, curse you and kill you!! You don't want those people!!"

"How much?"

Satan looked at Jesus and sneered, "All your tears, and all your blood." Jesus paid the price.

The pastor picked up the cage he opened the door and he walked from the pulpit.

-- Author Unknown

Sharing From My Inbox

This came in my inbox this week and I just wanted to share.

Have a blessed day!

Because of Love

A brother and sister had made their usual hurried, obligatory pre-Christmas visit to the little farm where dwelt their elderly parents with their small herd of horses. The farm was where they had grown up and had been named Lone Pine Farm because of the huge pine, which topped the hill behind the farm. Through the years the tree had become a talisman to the old man and his wife, and a landmark in the countryside. The young siblings had fond memories of their childhood here, but the city hustle and bustle added more excitement to their lives, and called them away to a different life.

The old folks no longer showed their horses, for the years had taken their toll, and getting out to the barn on those frosty mornings was getting harder, but it gave them a reason to get up in
the mornings and a reason to live. They sold a few foals each year, and the horses were their reason for joy in the morning and contentment at day's end.

Angry, as they prepared to leave, the young couple confronted the old folks "Why do you not at least dispose of The Old One." She is no longer of use to you. It's been years since you've had foals from her. You should cut corners and save so you can have more for yourselves. How can this old worn out horse bring you anything but expense and work? Why do you keep her anyway?"

The old man looked down at his worn boots, holes in the toes, scuffed at the barn floor and replied, " Yes, I could use a pair of new boots. His arm slid defensively about the Old One's neck as he drew her near with gentle caressing he rubbed her softly behind her ears. He replied softly, "We keep her because of love. Nothing else, just love."

Baffled and irritated, the young folks wished the old man and his wife a Merry Christmas and headed back toward the city as darkness stole through the valley. The old couple shook their heads in sorrow that it had not been a happy visit. A tear fell upon their cheeks.. How is it that these young folks do not understand the peace of the love that filled their hearts?

So it was, that because of the unhappy leave-taking, no one noticed the insulation smoldering on the frayed wires in the old barn. None saw the first spark fall. None but the "Old One".

In a matter of minutes, the whole barn was ablaze and the hungry flames were licking at the loft full of hay. With a cry of horror and despair, the old man shouted to his wife to call for help as he
raced to the barn to save their beloved horses. But the flames were roaring now, and the blazing heat drove him back. He sank sobbing to the ground, helpless before the fire's fury. His wife back from calling for help cradled him in her arms, clinging to each other, they wept at their loss.

By the time the fire department arrived, only smoking, glowing ruins were left, and the old man and his wife, exhausted from their grief, huddled together before the barn. They were speechless as they rose from the cold snow covered ground. They nodded thanks to the firemen as there was nothing anyone could do now. The old man turned to his wife, resting her white head upon his shoulders as his shaking old hands clumsily dried her tears with a frayed red
bandana. Brokenly he whispered, "We have lost much, but God has spared our home on this eve of Christmas. Let us gather strength and climb the hill to the old pine where we have sought comfort in times of despair. We will look down upon our home and give thanks to God that it has been spared and pray for our beloved most precious gifts that have been taken from us.

And so, he took her by the hand and slowly helped her up the snowy hill as he brushed aside his own tears with the back of his old and withered hand.

The journey up the hill was hard for their old bodies in the steep snow. As they stepped over the little knoll at the crest of the hill, they paused to rest, looking up to the top of the hill the old couple gasped and fell to their knees in amazement at the incredible beauty before them.

Seemingly, every glorious, brilliant star in the heavens was caught up in the glittering, snow-frosted branches of their beloved pine, and it was aglow with heavenly candles. And poised on its top most bough, a crystal crescent moon glistened like spun glass. Never had a mere mortal created a Christmas tree such as this. They were breathless as the old man held his wife tighter in his arms.

Suddenly, the old man gave a cry of wonder and incredible joy. Amazed and mystified, he took his wife by the hand and pulled her forward. There, beneath the tree, in resplendent glory, a mist hovering over and glowing in the darkness was their Christmas gift. Shadows glistening in the night light.

Bedded down about the "Old One" close to the trunk of the tree, was the entire herd, safe.

At the first hint of smoke, she had pushed the door ajar with her muzzle and had led the horses through it. Slowly and with great dignity, never looking back, she had led them up the hill, stepping cautiously through the snow. The foals were frightened and dashed about. The skittish yearlings looked back at the crackling, hungry flames, and tucked their tails under them as they licked their lips and hopped like rabbits. The mares that were in foal with a new years crop of babies, pressed uneasily against the "Old One" as she moved calmly up the hill and to safety beneath the pine. And now, she lay among them and gazed at the faces of the old man and his
wife. Those she loved she had not disappointed. Her body was brittle with years, tired from the climb, but the golden eyes were filled with devotion as she offered her gift---

Because of love. Only Because of love.

Tears flowed as the old couple shouted their praise and joy... And again the peace of love filled their hearts.

I Choose.....

I received this in an e-mail some time back. I loved it so much and truly desire to live this way. May it speak to your heart as well......

It’s quiet. It’s early. My coffee is hot. The sky is still black. The world is still asleep. The day is coming. In a few moments the day will arrive. It will roar down the track with the rising of the sun. The stillness of the dawn will be exchanged for the noise of the day. The calm of solitude will be invaded by decisions to be made and deadlines to be met. For the next twelve hours I will be exposed to the day’s demands. It is now that I must make a choice. Because of Calvary, I’m free to choose. And so I choose......

I CHOOSE LOVE...No occasion justifies hatred; no injustice warrants bitterness. I choose love. Today I will love God and what God loves.

I CHOOSE JOY...I will invite my God to be the God of circumstances. I will refuse the temptation to be cynical...the tool of the lazy thinker. I will refuse to see people as anything less than human beings created by God. I will refuse to see any problem as anything less than an opportunity to see God.

I CHOOSE PEACE...I will live forgiven. I will forgive so that I may live.

I CHOOSE PATIENCE .....I will overlook the inconveniences of the world. Instead of cursing the one who takes my place, I’ll invite him to do so. Rather than complain that the wait is too long, I will thank God for a moment to pray. Instead of clenching my fist at new assignments, I will face them with joy and courage.

I CHOOSE KINDNESS...I will be kind to the poor, for they are alone. Kind to the rich, for they are afraid. And kind to the unkind, for such is how God has treated me.

I CHOOSE GOODNESS...I will go without a dollar before I take a dishonest one. I will be overlooked before I will boast. I will confess before I will accuse.

I CHOOSE FAITHFULNESS...Today I will keep my promises. My debtors will not regret their trust. My associates will not question my word. My wife will not question my love. And my children will never fear that their father will not come home.

I CHOOSE GENTLENESS...Nothing is won by force. I choose to be gentle. If I raise my voice may it be only in praise. If I clench my fist, may it be only in prayer. If I make a demand, may it be only of myself.

I CHOOSE SELF-CONTROL...I am a spiritual being. After this body is dead, my spirit will soar. I refuse to let what will not, rule the eternal. I will be drunk only by joy. I will be impassioned only by my faith. I will be influenced only by God. I will be taught only by Christ.

LOVE, JOY, PEACE, PATIENCE, KINDNESS, GOODNESS, FAITHFULNESS, GENTLENESS AND SELF CONTROL Gal.5:22,23

To these I commit my day. If I succeed, I will give thanks. If I fail, I will seek His grace. And then, when this day is done, I will place my head on my pillow and rest with the peace that passes all understanding.

-- Author Unknown

Studying...Created to be His Help Meet

We are studying the book by Debi Pearl, Created to be His Help Meet. Through our study of this book, we are going to learn what it means to be a help meet and actually living the role that God created us as women to fill. I've read this book once before and applied many of the things that Mrs. Pearl spoke of, and it has transformed an already good marriage into nothing short of awesome!! I encourage you to purchase this book and follow along or at the very least, check out the Pearl's website at http://www.nogreaterjoy.org/ Any text taken directly from Mrs. Pearl's book will be highlighted in blue.

I realize that in studying Created to be His Help Meet at the rate of one chapter per week, we will be doing this study for approximately 24 weeks. We could go at this at a much faster rate, but I believe that if we truly want to change and fill our God given rolls as help meet to our husbands, then we need to take things slower and put into practice what we are learning. I hope you agree and stay the course with me as we become better help meets together.

Part 2: Titus 2

Chapter 15: To Be Sober

This week begins Part 2 of our study, Created to be His Help Meet. We will begin studying Titus 2, which, in my opinion, is the model for us women as wives.

This chapter is titled, To Be Sober. What does it mean to be sober? Webster's gives a couple of definitions. The most obvious is to not be drunk. However, taking into context what we are talking about, this is the definition Webster's gives: 1)Quiet in demeanor 2)Free from excess 3) Showing self control 4) Rational.

Wow.

That alone give us cause to stop and reflect on ourselves while thinking about Titus 2:4a, "That they may teach the young women to be sober." KJV

So, according to the definition of sober, a sober wife ceases to be loud and boisterous, extravagant, indulgent and irrational. No longer single, a sober wife will consider the needs of her husband.

Instead of spending wildly (which I've been guilty of in the past) she will show self control by some rational thinking and spend the income wisely buying what's needed and respecting her husband's decisions concerning that.

I love the way Mrs. Pearl words the wife's job, "She becomes the acting CEO of a great enterprise of which her husband is the owner." (page 147)

Mrs. Pearl shares a letter from a woman whose husband came home from work one day and instead of asking his wife how she was or how her day went (she'd been sick and many household chores didn't get done) he began asking why this wasn't done or when supper would be ready. He was selfish and insensitive to his wife. She asked Mrs. Pearl what was she suppose to do, reward this insensitive man??

Well, I have to agree that in my flesh, it would have been on. Mrs. Pearl pointed out though that we, as wives, are still required to do what God has called us to do...honor our husbands. Two wrongs don't make a right and an argument can't survive unless it is being fed.

It is very important for wives to plan. We truly need to simplify and plan out our days so that when those unexpected things come up, we are prepared. We are reminded on page 148 that if our husbands failed to plan on their jobs, they would soon be unemployed.

We are encouraged to use our crock pots. This, to me, is one of the greatest inventions ever. Get that meal going in the morning and supper is one less worry in the evening. Most men don't need 7 course meals. They are happy with some homemade chicken soup and fresh bread. Life doesn't have to be extravagant to be wonderful, but less stress..that's a must.

On page 155 is a list of things titled:

How to be a Good Wife Today

* Have dinner ready--I can't think of any man that isn't grateful for that meal waiting on him when he walks in the door

* Prepare yourself--Taking just a few minutes to touch up your makeup and comb your hair will make you feel better..and believe me, your man will notice!!!

* Clear away the clutter--Right before your hubby gets home, go through the main part of the house and pick up those things that are laying around. Again, less stress.

* Prepare the children and minimize the noise--When it was time for my hubby to get home, the kids were allowed to greet Daddy with hugs and kisses, but then they were to go to their room for 30 minutes and play quietly while Daddy rested and unwound and I finished our meal. Dad was then more than ready to enjoy those babies!!!

I try very hard to work my schedule around my husband's. I am home when he is home and run any errands or do deep cleaning when he's at work. If he wants to go out, he brings it up....even if I'm dying to try the new restaurant in town..he works hard to support our family and my schedule is flexible to his needs.

Mrs. Pearl encourages us to think of a time that our husband hurt our feelings or made us angry and we responded wrongly. She asks us to write the story down the way it happened and then to rewrite it with the alternate ending with the way we should have responded to our man. Hopefully in seeing it on paper, this will encourage us to think before we react in the future.

Next week: To Love Their Husbands

Silence Can Be Golden

I spent the entire day yesterday catching up from the weekend. I don't know about your home, but mine tends to take on a life of it's own on Saturday and Sunday. I try to keep it straightened so that come Monday morning I'm not wondering when the bomb went off and why I'm still around to take in the aftermath, but it just seems that I cannot get ahead of the fallout.

All day long I found this thought going around and around in my head, "You need to post something on your blog. You haven't posted anything since Friday. You didn't even post a Worship Him for Sunday!!!" How I prayed and prayed, asking God was there something that He wanted me to do and the answer I got...silence.

In times past, I thought that silence from God meant one of a few things: He was upset with me, I had sin in my life or I was so far gone I couldn't even hear God anymore. Can you believe the bondage satan had me in????

Thankfully, though, I'm learning that silence from God isn't necessarily a bad thing.

Have you ever noticed that when you are really trying to focus in on something you need total silence? When there is an important weather report interrupting our favorite program I want it silent so I don't miss a word the weatherman says. When we are traveling and we enter a busy city that we've never been in before, DH wants total silence in the car so he can clearly hear the directions I'm giving him.

If we get a phone call from someone we haven't talked to in a long time, we want it silent so we can clearly hear the other person because it's important we don't miss a word.

I could go on and on, but you get the idea.

Still reflecting on 2009, I see that in many areas, satan kept me so busy that hearing God was an impossibility. Slowing down to enjoy the blessings He gave could not happen. I've seen my busy, crazy lifestyle has had a negative effect on my teens and this bothers me.

When I think back to the time I was 17 and 19 (the ages they are now) I don't remember my life being so nuts!! Seems they are always stressed about something, there is always drama about something and they don't have a minute to spare at all!! I've been a stay at home mom who homeschooled her kids and somehow I failed to show them that running at full speed 24/7 will eventually take a toll.

So....I'm having little chats with them as God allows. Sharing what I'm learning about slowing down and saying "no" when people ask me to do things that I haven't had the time to run by God first to get His approval. I'm pointing out, in love, that their phones are always attached to them and they can't even go to the bathroom without them! (seriously...they take their phones to the bathroom). I'm trying to show them, by example, that it's not healthy to fill up every moment of their lives with something to do.

I didn't stress because I ran out of homemade laundry soap. Instead I pulled the store bought stuff out that I have in reserve for just such an emergency.

Even Jesus got away to pray and rest.

So......I never did do a post for yesterday. God never gave me anything specific He wanted me to share. I ended up making a loaf of fresh bread, helping DS with some Economics and cooking lunch with him, mopping the bathroom and catching up on laundry.

Yes, sometimes silence is golden...even when it's from God.

Just Lettin' Go...

Here we are just two days before Christmas and I find myself in a strange spot. I don't need to make any emergency runs for last minute gifts or ingredients to finish that 'perfect' recipe.

I'm not wishing I'd mailed 'one more' Christmas card or decorated that room a little better.

Am I saying that I was able to cross everything off my "want to have done" list? No.

What I am saying is that I've decided not to stress about it.

There are many gifts under the tree. Proof that we are blessed to still have jobs and incomes and the ability to give...abundantly.

The pantry shelves are stocked as is the frig and the freezer. Rolls will be baked, ham will be glazed and potatoes and gravy will be plentiful.

On the kitchen island sits two different types of cookies and two different types of candy. Not to mention the apple pie and pecan pie that will be baked on Christmas Eve.

Maybe I'm just getting older and wiser, or maybe just older and more tired, or maybe I'm just standing around watching all the people around me angry and stressed looking like they hate everything about life. But I'm just choosing to not live that way.

Nothing can make me believe that what God wants for His children is stress, chaos, anger, confusion, depression...so why would I willingly choose to continually put myself in situations that would cause me to have those feelings and emotions?

In my quest to find balance and to be totally in tune with God wants me to do, I'm finding that He wants me to simplify, stress less and enjoy the blessings He's given me.

He's encouraging me not to worry about what the Jones' have and to appreciate what He's given me.

He's showing me that what I have is more than enough, what I write is what He's leading me to write and what I do truly needs to line up with His will.

And I'm finding that maybe that is the best Christmas gift of all......

Making a Difference

I came across this most wonderful idea in a magazine I was looking through just the other day.

Technology has brought us to a place where the written note is becoming obsolete. We, myself included, find it easier to zap and e-mail or dial a number rather than to write a letter or send a card. With that revelation, I have determined to make a conscious effort to actually, physically write to folks...be it a letter or a card or a small note.

Now, that doesn't mean that I'm signing off from tech world, just want to make things a bit more personal.

Anyway...back to this great idea!!....

Seems like you can recycle your old Christmas, birthday, thank-you...any-kind-of cards and make a huge difference in the lives of abused, abandoned and neglected children.

These kids remove the front of the donated cards and make new ones sold in packets of 10.
You have until February 28, 2010 to send in your old cards.

Click on the link below to go to the site that will give you all the information you need.


http://www.stjudesranch.org/help_card.php


What a wonderful way to recycle and make a difference in someone's life!!!!

Tips & Quips

I don't know about your refrigerator, but mine tends to hide things. I put leftovers in and they disappear! I wish I could tell you that some wonderful family member had eaten them, but no...our fridge is enjoying a wonderful game of hide-n-seek with them.

Now, it's really sweet that our fridge just wants to be included in our family fun times, but quite frankly, Fridge's little game is costing this family some precious dollars, not to mention the fact that we are wasting enough that could literally feed one or two adults.

This isn't being a good steward of our finances or the food that God has blessed us with. In our home, if a leftover hasn't been eaten within a day or two, chances are it's not going to be eaten.
Yesterday I decided to clean out the fridge and what I found made me totally ashamed. I threw out an ice cream bucket full of food.

God was dealing with me with each swipe of the spatula around yet another bowl of wastefulness when He finally got through this thick skull and said, "What is good, freeze." I said, "But it's just a bite here or a bite there." He reminded me, "It's enough for one."

Then ding!!! That little light bulb turned on and the result was this:



4 bags of leftovers. Some stroganoff, a pork chop, some bbq and some polish sausage/sauce mix (family favorite from my growing up days!).

Looking at this food separated into these bags made me realize that even more than I thought was being thrown out and I was very disappointed in myself.

So, my tip....if you haven't eaten those leftovers, freeze them. Do them in single serving sizes for those times when it's just one or two eating, or when you don't want to cook and take out would strain that budget.

We are BLESSED!!!!!!! It's time we began taking care of all of our blessings including leftovers..

Psalm Saturday

Time to join my friend Collette again over at Jesus Loves Mums for Psalm Saturday.
Join us this week as we share how something in the Psalms spoke to us.....

Isn't it odd how we tend to beat ourselves up because this 'Christian life' doesn't come easy to us? I mean, we accepted Jesus as our Savior and then spend so much time stressing because we fell back into a sin that we thought we'd defeated.

We get upset when we miss that opportunity, that is now hindsight, to speak to someone about Jesus.

Yet in Psalm 119:30 we read,

"I have chosen to be faithful; I have determined to live by Your regulations." NLT

Yes, salvation is immediate, but all this other stuff.....it's a choice. Sometimes daily, sometimes second by second. "I have chosen to be faithful...." It doesn't read, 'I am faithful'.

"I have determined to live by Your regulations"...not, 'Living by Your regulations is so easy'.

When I determine in my mind to do something, I am focused, not looking to the right or the left, nose to the grindstone till I see it to the end. For me, if I have to get determined to do something, it's probably something that is difficult and needs 100% of my attention.

But isn't that what being a Christian is all about?

If we don't stay focused on Christ, then we are going to fall back into the sin that so easily tempts us. If our vision strays to the right or the left, then we begin to not see sin for what it truly is...we lose our concentration.

Our walk with Christ is a daily effort, a daily choice and it is through that choice to be faithful and determination that will draw us into that closer walk that we all desire. It won't necessarily make it easier, but it sure will make the journey more enjoyable!

Burnt Biscuits

It's not hard to look around and see people everywhere who are sad, frustrated, depressed..hopeless. We find ourselves trying to live up to a standard that can never be achieved, for when we make it to the next rung of the ladder, there is another rung yet to be climbed.

We, as women, put so much unnecessary stress on ourselves. We have the media telling us we must be a certain size, wear our make-up and hair a certain way.

We must wear a certain brand of clothing, drive a certain car and keep a spotless house.

We look at neighbor So&So's children and think that if only our children can achieve that kind of scholastic recognition or if our husbands can land that kind of job.

Likewise our precious husbands and children busy themselves trying to live up to the very same lines we've been fed.

It's no wonder that families all around us are falling apart at the seams.

We have reality tv shows that take out of control teenagers and send them to a strict family for a week to whip them into shape.

Need a mate? How about starting out with 10 or 15 men or women..depending..and narrowing it down to that 'perfect' life mate. Now, in order to pick the right person, you must drink and have sex with many of them. Wouldn't want to end up with a dud now would you??

It's obvious that people are looking for the perfect life and what they cannot grasp is that here on this earth, it will never exist. Perfection is only found in Christ Himself and our job is to live our lives by the guidelines He has set forth in His Word.

We major on so many things that just don't matter..and never will.

I want to share an e-mail that I got a few weeks ago. It gives a very perfect lesson and if we could all just wrap our hearts and minds around it, just imagine how wonderful life could be..........

Burnt Biscuits

When I was a little boy, my Mom liked to make breakfast food for dinner every now and then. And I remember one night in particular when she had made breakfast after a long, hard day at work. On that evening so long ago, my Mom placed a plate of eggs, sausage and extremely burned biscuits in front of my Dad. I remember waiting to see if anyone noticed! Yet all my Dad did was reach for his biscuit, smile at my Mom and ask me how my day was at school. I don't remember what I told him that night, but I do remember watching him smear butter and jelly on that biscuit and eat every bite!

When I got up from the table that evening, I remember hearing my Mom apologize to my dad for burning the biscuits. And I'll never forget what he said: "Baby, I love burned biscuits."
Later that night, I went to kiss Daddy good night and I asked him if he really liked his biscuits burned. He wrapped me in his arms and said, "Your Momma put in a hard day at work today and she's real tired. And besides - a little burnt biscuit never hurt anyone!"

You know, life is full of imperfect things.....and imperfect people. I'm not the best mechanic..husband or dad. What I've learned over the years is that learning to accept each other's faults - and choosing to celebrate each other's differences – is one of the most important keys to creating a healthy, growing, and lasting relationship.

And that's my prayer for you today. That you will learn to take the good, the bad, and the ugly parts of your life and lay them at the feet of God. Because in the end, He's the only One who will be able to give you a relationship where a burnt biscuit isn't a deal-breaker!

In allowing God to love others through us, we might just see His Kingdom and our happiness grow.....