Godplace/Mission238 forums

A FRIEND OF MINE

He is sometimes too quick
This friend of mine
Too quick to do things for others
To cook for fundraisers, church dinners or family reunions
To drive an elder to the doctor
To visit someone in a hospital or nursing home
He gives up his time and what he wants to do
And does for others

I have learned a lot about the heart of a servant
Because of this friend of mine

He is sometimes too slow
This friend of mine
When we cook church dinners a job of one hour takes two
Because we stand around and talk
And enjoy each other's company
And he sets the pace
When we went to the supermarket to pick up something
A quick trip took twice the time
Because everyone in town knows him
And he stopped to talk to them

I have learned a lot about priorities
And how to slow down and listen to people
Because of this friend of mine

He is often too quiet
This friend of mine
When he knows something about someone
Something negative, that should not be told
Where most, almost all others would take pleasure in telling
He has seen the pain gossip can cause
And he cares enough about the person to not say anything

I have learned a lot about discretion
And how to keep my big mouth shut
Because of this friend of mine

He is often too loud
This friend of mine
When he preaches about something we should do
And I have let that something slide
When he preaches against something I have let slip into my life
And I sit and say "Amen!" aloud
But inside I'm squirming
He steps on my toes sometimes, this friend of mine
Though he probably does not know who he is preaching to
The arrows God gave him find their mark

I walk a straighter path
Because of this friend of mine

He is always helping someone
Always at church prayer meetings, always cooking at dinners
Always working for God and people
Always with a willing and cheerful heart
He is my pastor
And I thank God I have been able to enjoy his presence

I am a much better man
Because of this friend of mine

MY PLACE
A psalm

Sometimes I look at my life
And I wonder at the waste
I have so many talents (or so I have been told)
So many abilities, so many things I could have made of my life
But I have not
I work at a factory
I have no college degree
I have no career to build
And no desire to have one

People ask me why I haven't made anything of my life
"You are so intelligent (they say)
Why have you not gone to college?
Why do you not make something of your life?"
They say this so often that I begin to ask it too.

And so I bring my worries and questions
And come to You once more
(As I have before
A hundred times or more)
My life seems so much lower than it could be
Have I missed something?
Have I not heard You correctly?
Have I just been lazy?

Then You reassure me once more
(As You have before
A hundred times or more)
You remind me of all the things I have achieved
Things that have nothing to do with jobs and degrees
You remind me of all the things I do for You
The kids I have influenced
The people I have helped
The songs I have sung
Even the mountains of CDs I have burned and songs edited
For Your service

You encourage me once more
(As You have before
A hundred times or more)
That I am what You want me to be
No less, no more
You reassure me that I am where I should be
In Your love
In Your will
In Your plan
In Your hand

I have learned...

I have learned I don't know everything.  And the more I learn, the more I realize how little I know.  Only those who know nothing think they know everything.  Those who know more realize they don't really know much at all.

I have learned to listen more to those who talk less.  They only talk when they have something to say.

I have learned to keep my mouth shut more when I am offended.  Chances are they didn't mean to say that the way it sounded...... and if they did mean it that way, they are probably too rude to apologize if I confront them about it.

I have learned not to worry so much.  Most of the things people worry a lot about won't matter the next day, much less in ten years.  I will do my best - things I can not control won't be helped by my high blood pressure.  :P

I have learned a person who is telling me something negative about someone, will be gossiping to someone else about me.  Count on it.  I've learned to avoid people who take delight in telling about the shortcomings of others, because their talk brings me down.

I have learned "What she said he said about me" is not important.  As long as I'm in God's will, God will take care of me.  Me stressing about rumors is only a product of my pride.

I have learned that on my own I'm not so hot.  Only when I'm doing God's work, and leaning on Him instead of taking pride in my own ability, only then do I have any trace of talent.

I have learned when God says go left, not to go right.  I could choose to go my own way, but I have learned (from experience) that is an astoundingly bad idea.

Multiple people have told me recently that one thing they like about me is that I never change.  Looking back on all I've learned, I sure HOPE I've changed.  There's so much room for me to improve.....

:like:

PRICELESS

Waking up after a good night's sleep, before the alarm clock goes off.

A good leisurely time to get ready for work.

Stopping to enjoy every second of a dark chocolate/mint truffle.

Moving quickly, smoothly, fluidly, precisely, without the pain many of my peers feel.  (Thank you Mom for every single time you said, "Lift with your knees, not your back.")

Getting busy at work, knowing what needs to be done and doing it fast, almost in a dance.

Having joy in my heart when the hectic pace is beginning to get to others.

Having mutts that look up and wag their tails when I come home - not because they are hungry or want something, just because they're happy to see me.

Sitting still and listening to my body rest and recharge.

Talking with Grandma about anything and everything.

Having a family dinner on the spur of the moment, for no particular reason, just because we enjoy each other's company.

An uncle who lives right next door, who calls me up if he's frying fish or grilling burgers, who will come and pick me up if my car breaks down. 

Loading and playing a piano in my computer that I found for free, that sounds much better than some expensive ones.

Going to bed in a peaceful home, in a quiet neighborhood, on a very comfortable bed.

Going to sleep in peace, knowing I am right where I should be in God's will and I have nothing to fear.

And this is just stuff that happens in normal, everyday life.  Special event days are even better! :D

Well those old commercials were right about one thing - there are some things money really can't buy. 

 I REALLY was afraid to open this thread, considering the title.  :laughhard: But, I must say I was pleasantly surprised. The first "thought"- describes my wonderful pastor to a "T". I couldn't have written it any better.  :thumbsup2:

Thoughts, not schemes.  I know better than to post my schemes here, you would be duty-bound to report me.   :hypocrite: Most of these simmer in the back of my brain for months before they coalesce enough to put into words.

And a good church will probably have a pastor like this, a pastor of whom his congregation says "My pastor is the best pastor in the world."

aww, I miss grandma.

   
AWWWW, I MISSED IT!


Once upon a time, I found an old Lewis Family album in my aunt Lucy's record collection.  I tried it and didn't like it.  Later, a friend of mine dropped off some records, and there were a lot of Lewis Family albums in there.  Well I sure didn't like the Lewis Family so I didn't bother listening to them - just ran them off on automatic and burnt them to CD.  Later (after said records were taken back to their home in another state) I found out I had a couple of Lewis Family songs in these collection albums I have, and I had always liked those songs.  When I found some Lewis Family albums in another friend's collection, come to find out I really liked some of them too.  But all those albums I passed up were off in Texas, and I had missed my chance.


Once upon a time, I tried bottled tea.  You know, that stuff in a can or glass bottle, already brewed.  I tried more than one brand, and found they were nasty tasting.  (For the record, Lipton brisk holds place as the worst of the lot.)  Then one day I saw a friend of mine come out of Wal-Mart holding... yup... a bottle of tea.  Black Diamond, for the record.  I was mildly shocked because I had always held a high opinion of  this particular friend's good taste before, but now I wondered about it.  However, on the endorsement of my friend, I tried this particular brand and found it tasted just like fresh brewed tea.  They even sell it by the gallon at my local grocery store.  And all this time I had passed it up, because I "knew" bottled tea was nasty.


It's odd how we can form ideas about whole categories of things based on a small sample.  It's a survival trait of course.  If you burn your fingers in a fire, you will be less likely to try to touch the fire again, even a flame made by rubbing alcohol (which is not very hot at all.)  If (as in my case) you find a bad album by a singing group, or a nasty tasting bottled tea, you will tend to avoid them later because you found them unpleasant.


Now I wonder how much other stuff I've been missing out on because of a wrong opinion...

didnt i send you those tracks back?

I believe at the time I was on a very slow internet connection.  Sending them back would have been frustrating, if possible at all... You would probably have had to set up a torrent for me to download in bits, and left it up for more than a month.

no, didnt I send you a DVD of them?

No, you sent Anabaptist a DVD of them.  This was long before I realized Lewis Family could be good.

And you were right, Black Diamond tea is good.  I even asked Uncle Fred if he had ever tried it.  His response:  "As much tea as I drink, if I bought it already brewed I'd go broke."  :P

THANK YOU MOM

Thank you for all the times you said "I am not running a restaurant."  Thank you for telling me to eat what you cooked or go to bed hungry.  Thank you for your interest in health food.  I can still eat almost anything and I still eat more vegetables than most people - not because I know they are healthy and I force myself to eat them, but because I like them.  Thank you for making me drink before meals instead of with them.  I can honestly say I eat what I want, when I want and as much as I want (and some of it is cheese, ice cream, etc.) but I have not gained ten pounds in the last fifteen years.

Thank you for every single time you said, "Lift with your knees, not your back."  Many of my peers have complained about back pain but, although I do a lot of heavy lifting putting the truck order up every week at work, I don't know how back pain feels.

Thank you for caring enough to start homeschooling me.  I know it cost money and your time, and it was certainly not as easy for you as it would have been to throw me on the bus every morning, but those were the best years of my life.  Also when I took the test to reenter the public school system, being told I had tested at college sophomore level in reading comprehension was priceless. ;) Thank you for taking me to the Memphis Children's Hands-On Museum, the best field trip ever.  I remember a lot about that place and part of me still wishes I was young enough and small enough to get away with going again.

Thank you for trying to get me to brush my teeth.  That one never worked out too well (and I have the dental bill to prove it) but it wasn't for lack of you trying.  My stubbornness kept me from smoking, drinking and "hard" drugs, but in this it worked against me.  Oh well, thanks for trying anyway.

Thank you for every spanking you gave me.  I didn't like them at the time, I didn't like you much at the time and sometimes I even hated you in the wholehearted, unreasoning way that a child can, but I don't recall a single one I didn't deserve.  When I see people who were not disciplined when they were children I am very grateful.  Thank you for not letting me grow up to be a brat.

Thank you for being more than just a woman who had a kid and must put up with the child's presence until he turns eighteen.  Thank you for being a real mother.

Your son

Isaac

Working with children in church is:
Being told repeatedly that you are not their father.
Scrubbing gum out of the carpet.  again.
Having your ears blown out for no reason other than because a kid felt like squealing... for no reason.
Hearing "That's not fair!" or variations thereof 7,000 times per hour.
Breaking up silly fights over Silly Bands. (tm)
Trying to explain why insisting Santa Claus does/does not exist won't change anyone's opinion.
Trying to teach a lesson when the kids don't seem to be listening.
(From the other end) trying to quell uprisings while the teacher is teaching.
Sometimes wondering if you're really doing any good at all.

Working with children in church is:
Driving a bus for 40 minutes, before and after church, every service.
Rounding up kids who would rather be running around the church, and do so.
Driving a kid home early and missing most of church because the child has lice.  Again.
Being kicked 4,000 times per minute in the seat back.
Telling a child to sit down for the 120,452nd time.
Having to slam on the brakes (DEER!) and a kid being mad at you because he flew forward... because he wasn't sitting down.
Waiting for a kid to find his coat before you can leave.  Helping the kid find his coat.  Trying to round up all the other kids who got bored and decided to leave the bus.
Being seen by some parents as basically a free baby-sitter.

Working with children in church is:
A little girl saying, "Thanks for the ride Brother Isaac!"
A boy earnestly requesting prayer for his dad in "big church" prayer request time.
A group of girls coming up to the altar, making a circle and praying with each other, praying hard, without any adults prompting.  (Whataya know, they WERE listening!  Who'da thunk?)
A boy getting excited because he said, "God would you stop this rain so we can go eat?" and 30 seconds later not a drop was falling.


Totally worth it.  :)

This one I didn't write, but I wish I had:


YOU JUST WON'T UNDERSTAND

Often people say to me "You just won't understand."
"You're way too old," or "Way too young," or "YOU are NOT a man."

I don't know why some people feel they suffer unique pain.
As if they are the only ones who've lost or ceased to gain.
I don't know why they hide their pain and clutch it ever tighter.
It seems to me that all should know - a burden shared gets lighter.

Why some folks even deign to think the pain that's in their heart,
Is all their own, to keep and hoard, they set themselves apart.
They keep their eyes from meeting mine lest I should see their hurt.
And even if we stop and speak their words are often curt.

The Bible says: 'Two' can withstand what overcomes just 'one'.
And also that - a 'Cord of Three' can scarcely be undone.
Besides, I know the ways of hurt - my heart's been crushed before.
Friends have betrayed - I've lost at love, Despair's knocked at my door.

And I Remember - thoughts gone wild - and crying late at night.
Not having strength to care at all - much less the strength to fight.
But, someone special came to me - and when my trials were told.
I realized that with their tears - they'd eased my heavy load.

And so, I learned - that Pain - like Love - is bearable if shared.
I don't know what I would have done without that friend who cared.

My trials did not vanish fast - in fact the time was long.
But sharing gave me breathing space until I could grow strong
Enough to laugh again and even start to smile -
And though it seemed it could not help - It eased my pain awhile.

So, if you think that you can't share cause I won't understand.
At least just give me half a chance to lend a helping hand.
For I know that you're hurting and I know a place to start.
Perhaps if you could realize - your pain burns in my heart.

I know I cannot make your trials and troubles go away.
But maybe I can help a bit to get you through today.
And maybe by tomorrow you won't need help anymore.
But if you should - Don't be ashamed - for that's what friends are for.

And after all is said and done - the trials ceased - you're whole.
Perhaps you'll know just what to do to help another soul -
Who's being crushed by hurt and pain - be it woman or a man.
And you won't have to hear them say, "You just won't understand."
-Author Unknown

i couldnt read all that... half way through I needed a nerve pill! lol jk

http://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/3354/pg3354.html

Recommended reading for anyone.

WHO ARE YOU?


When I walk in
You greet me with a smile
You speak friendly to me
But then the conversation always changes
Somehow, I don't know how
You always talk about others
How they have failed
How they have done you wrong
When I first came in I thought I knew you
But now I wonder
Who are you?
Who will you be tomorrow?

I hear you tearing down
A friend I really like
One who is not perfect
(But then we all, even you, are also not)
But one I am proud to call a friend
You talk about all his mistakes
But never once say anything good about him
And I wonder
Who are you?
Who will you be in five minutes?

I see the person come in
The one you were tearing down
I see you greet him with a smile
Just like you greeted me
You speak friendly to him
Just as you spoke to me
And then...
You begin to tear other people down
Just as you did when you talked to me
And I wonder
Who are you?
Who were you before I came in?

I need a friend
I need someone I can count on
Someone who will be the same today as tomorrow
I used to think you were that friend
But I don't know you
I watch you change your mask
And put a new one on
For every friend you wear a different one
Your masks all look the same, but they are different
For just a moment I get a glimpse of you
The real you, that doesn't change
But then it is gone, behind another mask
And I don't know you anymore

Who are you?
Do I want to know?

FREEDOM

Before I became a christian I worried a lot.  My whole life depended on me, on my ability to provide for my own needs.  That is a scary thought - what if I got sick for a long time and could not work?  What if I got laid off and could not find another job?  What if I got injured and could no longer work?  What if someone stole my money?  I am glad that I can work to supply my needs but my life was literally in my own hands, and I can not see the future to know what choices to make.  When my future well-being depends on me, what if I mess up?

Now of course I am free.  God promised He would provide for me, whatever happens.  His promises in this matter are many, expressed in many different ways, and I have seen God do just what He promised.  Because I trust God, I am free from worry about what I have and what I don't have.

But if I am free from this worry it frees me to do other things, for freedom is useless if it is not used.  I understand the value of saving, but I will not let it stop me from giving my tithes, offering, or helping out a brother who is truly in need.  As I am free of my own worries, I am free to help others.

Before I became a christian I worried about being alone.  What if my family died?  What if I could not find a lady to be my wife?  What if I had to move to another city where I knew nobody?  What if I lived and died... alone?

Now of course I am free of this worry.  With Jesus I am never alone.  He is a friend that will never leave, never lie to me, never mislead me, never take advantage of or cheat me.  He will always be here for me.

So as I am free of the worry of loneliness, I am free to love others without expecting love in return.  I am free to love them truly as Christ loves them, whether they love me or not.  I am free to love the people who hate me - not to say I love them while I secretly hate them for their spite, but really love them.  As I am free of my worries about being alone, I am free to show Christ's love to others.

Before I became a christian I worried about my own social status.  I worried about what my family, my friends, my boss thought of me, what rumors people might spread about me, whether I was cool, if people might lie about me.  I wanted to make sure people knew I was capable, intelligent, witty.

Now of course I am free of this worry as well.  All I need is God's good opinion.  People will talk about me no matter what I do, and if I still cared about what they thought this would drive me nuts.  But if they will talk about me no matter what, I am free to do what I know is good and right, what I know I should.  I am free of the worry of other people's opinions.

So as I am free of this worry, I am free to encourage others.  I do not have to do as some do, insensibly tearing other people down in an effort to build themselves up.  I am free to build other people up, confident that I am where I should be in God's will, and God will take care of what little reputation I might have. 

The world does not understand this freedom because all they know is being bound.  You cannot explain a color to a blind man, nor a bird song to one who is deaf, neither can you explain how it feels to be free to one who has never been free.  To those who are bound by worries of their own life, giving to others is crazy.  If you give of yourself to others it takes away from you, and if you are depending only on yourself you want to keep all you have for you.  The only reason a person in the world would give to someone else is if he was a friend, if the person felt sorry for him or if the person expected something in return.  The commandments in the Bible to love others as yourself, to treat others as yourself, are not possible to follow with a whole heart because it seems to a person bound by worries to be sheer lunacy.

But I am free to give to others.  Not because God commanded it (although He did,) not because I should do so (although I should,) not because it would make me look good, because someone asked me to, because I expect to be repaid, but because I am free to give.  It is a simple exercise in logic, and logically there is no other choice.

I am free.  And as I am free of my own worries, I will give to others.  Not because I can, because I am asked or required to or because I am forced to, but because it is the only way that makes sense.

:lurk:

I've been thinking about reviews lately.

I depend on other people's reviews a lot.  I buy a lot of stuff online and most of it I have never seen or used before.  One well known online store is particularly good for finding reviews on products from food to electronics to car parts.  If other people have tried something and posted a review, I feel better about buying something and knowing I'll get a good product - or conversly, not buying it because I am fairly certain it is better left alone. 

But not all reviews are helpful.  Some reviews are misleading, deliberately or unintentionally.  Some have no information at all about the product I want.  Sometimes it takes some experience to filter through reviews and find the ones that will help me decide whether or not to put this item in my "shopping cart." 

And I stop and wonder:  What review are we giving God?

Some reviews are simply "This is great!" or "This thing stinks!" with no information.  The reviewer may fill up half a page going on about how awesome or terrible a product is, without ever really telling anything about the product, why it is so good or bad.  This effect is particularly noticeable with books certain political figures write.  Their fans will log many good reviews, sometimes without even reading the book, while their detractors will post a lot of bad reviews, and I can guarantee most of them have never read the book.

If all we can say is "God is great!" that tells the world nothing.  If we have no personal experience that we can (or are willing) to share, there is nothing to convince anyone to try God.  I, personally, have many things God has done for me.  But if all I say is "You need to come to church" that is too easy to brush off as just another obligation.  If we don't share what God has done for us... not stories from the Bible, not miracles in California or Africa but what God has done for us personally, great things we have seen happen... then all our talk about how great God is might as well be saved.

Some reviews are not so much good reviews about a product as bad reviews about its competitor.  "This is much better than brand X because..." and they go on at great length about how bad brand X is.  Well yay, I'm glad you found something better than brand X, it sounds like junk - but dude, that doesn't tell me anything about the product I'm looking at.  All you told me is how bad the other brand was.

If all we can say is "You should come to our church because we're better than the church down the road" that is doubly damaging.  First we don't give any real reason to come to our church or try our God, and second we put the other church down.  Unfortunately I hear many christians - not christians from other churches, these are pentecostals, people who are supposed to have God's sprit within them - putting down other churches all the time.  Every time I hear it it makes me cringe, because one of satan's pet tricks is to make sure damaging gossip gets back to the ones being talked about.  "Don't go to that church.  They think we're going to hell because our women cut their hair." 

Some reviews you read don't even have to do with the product at all.  "I really liked this product but shipping took forever, they forgot to send the USB cable and when I called about it I got some guy with a chinese accent" doesn't tell me anything about the product, just that particular seller among many that sell that product. 

Unfortunately I know a LOT of christians like this.  Instead of telling people anything about God, all they seem able to speak about is their problems.  Health problems, family problems, church problems, political problems, financial problems, problems problems problems!  I have had to make an excuse to get away from some people because I was getting seriously depressed.  For a people who are supposed to have victory, a litany of problems is not a good review of a life lived with God. 

When I think of a good review I think of Bro. Pete in our church.  You give him half a chance, mention anything about God, church, religion or etc, and he'll start talking about how good God has been to him.  His diction isn't too clear - he seems to have some kind of very mild speech impediment - and his words are simple but his enthusiasm is contagious.  I always look forward to hearing him testify. 

About half a year ago Bro. Pete was in the hospital with heart problems.  I met the pastor one night when I had something to do at the church.  The pastor mentioned he was picking up some reading material from his office for Bro. Pete.  I said "I bet he wasn't complaining about his problems when you talked to him."  The pastor said, "No, he was still rejoicing."

Experts tell us the best salesman is not the one who spends a lot of time studying how to make a sale.  It is not the one who knows all about human nature and how to convince people.  It is the salesman who uses the product he is selling, likes it, and thinks you should try it too.  If I'm selling something I personally don't like, all my sales pitch will be just a show and people can tell it.  If I'm trying to sell you something I like - a really good chocolate bar, a certain pair of shoes (no comments here please... *ahem* ) a certain brand of computer I have found to be really good - then I have already tried it, found it to be great and I think your life would be better if you tried it too. 

I'm reminded of my uncle Stanley.  He's a pro fisherman, got sponsors, goes to tournaments, the whole bit.  He says flat-out, "I'll use what the sponsor gives me but if it doesn't work I'll hand it back and tell them gimme some worms."  But if you mention fishing to him, be prepared to spend at least an hour listening to him talk about a certain brand of punch bait.  He will tell you how to use it, where to buy it, where he has used it, what he has caught, how many he has caught, and by the time he is through you will be convinced it is a magic potion that draws fish from thirty miles away... upstream.  He's one of the best salesmen his sponsor ever had because he honestly thinks this product is good and he thinks if he can get you to try it you'll love it too.

That's the kind of salesman I want to be.  I know my God is great, I know if I can just get people to try Him they'll love Him, I know the peace, the joy, the love that I feel from Him, I know all the things He has done in my life.

But it's up to me to leave a good review.  And I'd sure better because whatever review I leave, people around me will read it.

 To borrow a sunlight phrase- *like*

:like:
:grin:

WEEPING ALONE

Luke 22:31-34
31And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat:
32But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren.
33And he said unto him, Lord, I am ready to go with thee, both into prison, and to death.
34And he said, I tell thee, Peter, the cock shall not crow this day, before that thou shalt thrice deny that thou knowest me.

Luke 22:60-62
60And Peter said, Man, I know not what thou sayest. And immediately, while he yet spake, the cock crew.
61And the Lord turned, and looked upon Peter. And Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how he had said unto him, Before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice.
62And Peter went out, and wept bitterly.


I like Peter.  He wasn't perfect, but he had enthusiasm.  He was like a Labrador puppy, full of energy, ready to go go GO and as often as not doing the wrong thing.  But every time he messed up, he backed up, got going straight again and kept on going. 

This chapter in Luke marks the lowest point where we ever see Peter.  He has told Jesus he will follow Jesus anywhere, even if it brings him death - a brave statement.  Jesus responds that before the next new day is well advanced Peter will deny him three times.  In other books of the Bible we find Peter and the other disciples all denying this, affirming they will indeed follow Jesus anywhere.

Then Jesus is taken by the mob and the disciples all scatter.  Peter follows from a distance, people recognize him as one of Jesus' disciples and Peter winds up denying any connection with Jesus three times.  Then he realizes what he has done and, heartbroken at his own weakness, that he would deny Jesus for fear of his own safety, he goes out and weeps bitterly.

The important thing was, he didn't stay there.

Oh Peter didn't become perfect after that failure.  He never was a spiritual superman.  Although he got out of the boat and walked on water, his faith wavered and he started sinking.  He didn't believe Mary when she said Jesus had risen.  God had to get it through Peter's head that God could make unclean things clean before Peter was in any shape to preach salvation to the Gentile Cornelius.And after Gentiles were added to the church, when some Jews came to visit Peter tried so hard to keep up appearances that Paul had to reprimand him for shunning the Gentiles. 

But Peter kept getting up one more time.  Peter did walk on the water, something nobody else except Jesus has ever done to this day.  Peter was the one who was given the keys to the kingdom of Heaven, to unlock the door for salvation to the Samaritans and Gentiles.  Peter saw so many miracles that we don't have a count of how many happened around him.  Peter was so close to God, so full of God's spirit that if his shadow passed over a person that person would be healed.  Peter had an awesome ministry and a very exciting life.

Maybe you're like Peter.  Maybe you have been so confident that you will follow Jesus everywhere, only to have your nose rubbed in your own weakness as soon as you turn around.  Maybe you have failed in such a spectacular way that you just have to be impressed that you found a way to mess things up so thoroughly. 

Maybe you just feel like going off by yourself and crying.  And that's okay.  It's natural to feel bad when you fail.  I have fallen a few times myself and nobody knew but me and God, but I have felt like curling up in a ball and crying for a while.  You're human, you're not perfect, it is possible to mess up and when you do it hurts.  A lot.

Just don't stay there. 

I've seen many people fail God in many ways.  The difference is that some people fall and give up, while some get up and keep going.  Some dwell on their mistakes until they convince themselves it's better to stay down.  After all, if you're down you can't fall any further, right? 

But if you stay down you'll never be able to reach for the things you could have.

Go ahead and cry for a while.  Then get up, dust yourself off and start talking to God again.  You have a great future and the power behind it is God's power.  You can be a mighty influence, you can change many people's lives, you can bring joy and light to countless people who are alone in their darkness.  It may be hard to believe it right now, so soon after you have tripped over your own feet, but you can do anything through God. 

Everybody gets down sometimes.  The people you look up to have been down sometimes.  Believe it or not, they aren't any stronger than you.  They just didn't stay down.

:like:

I am having a ball!  My life, through no fault of my own, is awesome.  I know a lot of great people, I have a great family and a great church, and I'm having a great time. 

I feel I should say this to counteract all the christians who advertise how down-trodden they are.  I'm not talking about people who tell you about their problems, and I'm not talking about anybody here - indeed, we would like to know what we should pray for you about - I'm speaking of those who believe (and advertise their belief) that the world is against them because they are christians.

It's easy to spot these people.  They have made a career out of being put down by people.  They have become professional punching bags, at least in their own eyes.  They are always complaining about all the things that have gone wrong, and every time it's always the devil's fault.  If the car breaks down it's the devil working against them.  If they get a call from the bank that their account is overdrawn, well, the devil is in that place anyway, he always is attracted to banks because they're greedy.  If anyone does anything they don't like, of course it is because people in the world hate christians.  Of course these people themselves are never at fault when anyone dislikes them.  It's always because they are christians that disagreements and strife occur, because as we all know, if you are a christian the whole world is against you.

On my first day at a job I met a man who asked me if I was a christian.  When I said I was, he said he was a christian too, then warned me in a doleful voice that "this company hates christians."  I didn't say it but I was thinking it... "Yeah, I can tell they already did a number on you."   :smirk2:

Another guy I knew was always asking people about what they did as christians, and always comparing it to (or rather, contrasting it with) what he thought a christian SHOULD be doing.  One day he was debating me on something when the boss came by and admonished us to work, not talk.  She was right - though I had been deliberately keeping pace with work, the debater's work had slowed down as he concentrated more on his current argument.  When the boss went on her way, the debater looked at me sorrowfully, shook his head and said, "Some people just can't stand hearing folks talk about God."

These people will use the Bible to support their viewpoint, usually taking verses out of context.  They will quote the verses that talk about a christian having trials to face, the places where Jesus said the world will hate us for His sake and how "it is impossible that offenses not come."  When they have made themselves feel really low in this manner they will usually sigh and say, "Well, that's just my cross to bear," ignoring the fact that the cross Jesus mentioned we are to bear has nothing to do with trials. 

Curiously enough I have a Bible as well, and (assuming they have the same kind of Bible I have) it talks about victory.  It talks about having joy that can not be described, peace that can't even be comprehended and blessings in abundance.  It talks about putting people in the church in positions of authority only if they have a good reputation in the community, which can't happen if all those non-christians are automatically against christians.  Most of all, it talks (a LOT) about reaching out to others in love, not building a wall between yourself and the world so they can't get you.

So yeah... My name is Isaac, I'm a christian and I'd like to state for the record that I am having the time of my life over here.  I'm busier than a midget mountain climber, happy as a pig in mud and my life is altogether great.  I have had a few trials but they have always been transitory and moderate.  I've met a few really rude people but I've noticed they are rude to everyone, equal-opportunity jerks, and they are far, far outnumbered by the many great people I have met.  I have a reason to look forward to getting up every day and I'm thoroughly enjoying the life God has given me.

And if you want to tell me how bad people have treated you because you are a christian, there will be a $5 surcharge for whining.  I take cash, money orders, Visa, Mastercard and most checks.

Isaac- I TOTALLY like this....except for where you brought midgets AND pigs into it...... feeling like I just got hit a bit... :laughhard:

COMPARISONS

When you look at me
And I seem so strong
Don't compare yourself to what I seem to be
You can't see the real me
Though I've been your pastor
Since you were a child
Your teacher, your friend
Your mother or father
Or just a person in the church that you look up to
There's a part of me you'll never see

You don't see the temptations I face
Or the times I may have failed
You don't see the times I've been angry
And had to bite back a hurtful word
Or the times I have been hurt myself
But I hid the pain behind a smile
Until I could be alone to cry

What you see
Is not all of me
And when you think I'm strong
I'm really not
Don't compare yourself to me
And feel that you are weak
There is a part of me that I hide
Just as you hide a part of you

And for all you hide your faults
Your failures and your pain
You just never know
I might think I'll never be
As strong as you

THE HARD WAY

You are the person who disagreed with me
The driver who's fender I bent
The customer who's order I got wrong at that restaurant
The one who got offended at what I said
The person who took the other side in a sunday school debate
You were so convinced that you were right and I was wrong
That whenever I tried to argue my case, you shouted it down

You took the easy way
You yelled

I could yell too
It is much easier to raise the volume
Organize my arguments and shout them one by one
For I'm certain I am right and you are wrong
(Just as you are certain you are right and I am wrong)

It's so much easier to yell
But it never gets us anywhere

It's much harder to listen to you
Really LISTEN to your statements and admit you might be right
Nobody likes to be told he is wrong
To accept that he is wrong is even harder
It's hard to let you think that you have won
For winning seems so important to you
And my human nature wants you to be defeated
It's hard to wait while you are yelling
Hard to be patient and not try to shout louder

It's much harder to not yell

But I will take the hard way
Because it's the only way to get anything done
If we both take the easy way, we never will listen
We will shout our arguments and eventually leave
And we will each think what an idiot the other person is
And though you still take the easy way
Though I have to let you sometimes think you have won
I know that nothing will be accomplished
Until we both take the hard way
Until we both learn to listen
Until we both refuse to yell

So I will take the hard way
And I will wait patiently while you think you have won
I will try to ignore my wounded pride
Ignore the voice that screams for more volume
And tries to make me force you to see my side
Because someday I hope that maybe
You will take the hard way too
Someday, if I can keep from yelling long enough
You might learn that you don't have to yell

Man, I'm about to the point I could write a book on temptation! Here lately it has been very strong.

Mind you, the things I have felt tempted to do are all patently ludicrous.  Even if I didn't know some of them were wrong, simple logic would be enough to tell me to avoid them.  Also I'm a great believer in learning from the mistakes of others, and I have plenty of examples of what happens when a person goes down those roads.  I don't want y'all worrying about me, I'm not about to do anything stupid.

But for some reason the temptations have been much stronger of late.

Applying a little old fashioned logic to the situation however:  If I am so inordinately tempted to do something that is contrary to logic, common sense, my own nature and what I know is right, it must be something from an external source, something from outside that is attempting to influence me.  I don't even need a christian's normal spiritual radar to figure that out. 

But it seems recently I've had more than my fair share of it to deal with. 

I was thinking about this at work.  Meanwhile my music player was playing different songs, as it will do whether I am listening to it or to my own thoughts.  Suddenly a song broke through my thoughts that struck a chord.

"It always gets the darkest just before daylight
And old satan fights his hardest in the middle of the night
The dawning of a brand new day is drawing near
Thank God the sun will soon appear"

I know that's true.  The most bizarre week I ever had in my life was right after I finally hashed it out with God about me being a minister.  From out of nowhere it seemed the forces of hell had all charged into battle.  First a guy at work ripped my pants pocket for no apparent reason, refused to pay for it, then quit the next day because he "can't stand working with a nerd."  Then a girl at work (very much the wrong kind of girl) asked me out on a date, first time that had ever happened to me before. 

Not that I feel I'm in the middle of the night the song talks about, mind you.  I have a good life, I am well aware of it and I take full opportunity to thoroughly enjoy it.  But I can't help wondering what is about to happen.  If it is something that causes this kind of battle to try to derail it, it must be big.  I just wish I knew what it was - it would help if I knew what to look forward to.  And how much longer I would have to wait.  And why I have to wait so long.

Sorry.  This thread is "Psalm_97's thoughts."  Right now my thoughts aren't quite as upbeat as normal.

For a good many years now I have had something happen every winter.  The backs of my hands get dry.  Not all at once, and not catastrophically - just a little bit drier every day.  I don't know why it's only the back of my hands, neither do I know why they get so dry when the rest of my skin seems to have no problem.  But if I don't do anything they just keep getting drier and drier, little by little every day. 

Of course there's an obvious solution:  Skin moisturizer.  One little dab would keep it from happening at all.  And every time I notice my skin is drying out I think, "Man, I really need to get some moisturizer on them."  But I never do; I'm on the road, I'm busy cooking something, I'm reading a book, I'm typing something on the internet... and by the time I'm done with whatever, I have forgotten all about my hands.  The bottle of skin lotion is on top of my dresser, which I walk past at least ten times a day, but I will go for weeks without using it, while my hands keep drying out.

One fine day at work I glanced down at my hands and saw a thin red line.  Odd, I don't recall getting anything on my hands... Wait, that's blood!  My hands had become so dry they had started cracking and bleeding.  It didn't really hurt much, but it was alarming enough that I immediately got some moisturizer from a friend who always carried some in her purse.  When I got home I started applying moisturizer from that bottle I had walked past for weeks.  My skin kept absorbing, absorbing, absorbing... For about five hours I kept adding lotion a bit at a time, and it kept vanishing into my skin. 

But something was still wrong.  Although my skin was no longer dry, it still felt rough.  It had long since gone past merely dry, and had actually been damaged by the lack of moisture.  No amount of moisturizer could return them to normal right now.  I would have to keep lotion on them until the skin healed. 

If that were the end of the story, it would have been fine.  But there are other things that I let go, things that might not be a problem at the start, but are at the end.

Video games for example; those of you who know me well remember the trouble I used to have with video games.  Not that they are evil, and I'm not saying anyone is going to hell for playing pac-man... but for me they were a problem.  Especially video games with a good story line. 

I knew there was a problem.  I knew I spent a bit too much time with a game controller in hand.  But hey, it was something to take up free time, right?  That's what these things are made for, to take up free time so you won't get bored.  And I really did enjoy them, and I have to say I was quite good at them. 

But over time the problem grew.   Video games became quite literally all I thought about when I was at work, church or anywhere else.  The family could go to our favorite restaurant without me, I had a level to beat - and I knew just how I was going to beat it because I had figured it out during Sunday School.  Bible reading, any church activity besides normal services, everything that could be skipped was skipped so I could get back to the game.  What was supposed to take up free time was taking up time that should have gone to more important things.

But it was no problem.  I could put down the controller any time I wanted, and I did sometimes.  Multiple times I went a whole week without even turning the console on, and I didn't really miss it.  See?  No problem!  Then I'd start playing again and be right back in the groove, spending all my time playing. 

It finally ended as a result of an argument with God.  He pointed out some inconvenient truths one day while I was driving to work, and the argument lasted all the way down the road.  When I got to work I called my grandmother and told her I was going to sell my console and all my games, because I knew if I didn't do something to block myself, by the time the work day was over I would have found some way to rationalize myself out of it.  To use the skin analogy, my hands had finally gotten so dry they had started cracking, and I had to fix the problem.

And just as my hands were not back to normal immediately, the video game problem didn't disappear overnight.  It took some time to become sociable again, to learn how to enjoy the company of my family and church family.  And I had to find something to talk about besides how great the current game I was playing was.  But, just as my hands would never have come to such a state if I had applied some lotion when I first noticed they were drying out, this problem with video games would have been a lot easier if I had killed it when I first noticed it was a problem.

There have been other problems mind you:  This was just the most notable.  There was a website of satirical humor that I found quite funny, but after a few days of reading it I noticed my attitude was becoming more snarky.  I wouldn't say hurtful jokes, smart remarks, but I sure was thinking them a lot.  I had to stop going to that site.  Then there was a chatroom made for music makers (that's me, that's me!) which I found quite useful.  I learned a lot there.  But they were not christians in that chatroom:  They talked about many things christians have no business talking about, and though most of them spoke civilly to me in particular, they routinely ridiculed christians in general.  When I was praying about a certain temptation I was enduring, God turned my attention to that chatroom - I've learned enough there and it was affecting me, time to leave. 

Of course if I had not applied lotion even when my hands started cracking, I probably would have still survived.  A few cracks in the skin is not exactly lethal.  But if I had let it continue unchecked my skin would have sustained permanent damage.  It would not be ruined exactly, but it would never have been the same.  And if I had not sold my game console, if I were still reading that hilarious satire, if I were still hanging out in music chat, it probably wouldn't make me backslide... but it would be a drain on my spirit.  I don't think I would leave church, but I wouldn't get as much out of it.  And the longer I continued doing the things that weighed down my spirit, the more it would affect me.

So here we are in winter again.  Finally, FINALLY it is getting cold enough to really call it winter.  And my hands are drying out again.  But don't worry about me, I put some lotion on them right before I sat down to type this.

I just pray I can be as prompt to realize and deal with the other kind of problems now as well.  It's so much easier to handle these things if you don't wait until the skin starts cracking.

Awesome thought! :great:

 :great:
:like:

Okay about temptation... now it's just getting silly!  For some reason I have a strong temptation to get drunk?  I'm starting to really question satan's intelligence.

That even looked stupid when I typed it just now.  I don't even like drinking.  I tried it, many a moon ago, just to see what it was like (I wasn't always a christian.)  Not to the falling-down-drunk point, just enough to see what it felt like.  I knew a lot of people who drank, and some of them were quite intelligent otherwise, so maybe there was something to it, right?  I lived alone at the time and I planned it carefully.  I picked a day when I had nothing to do, nobody would come by, and I would have the whole day to recover. 

And I hated it.  I felt tired, my perception of reality was dimmer in all ways, all senses fogged a bit, coordination impaired... it felt exactly like being sick, except to a much lesser degree, and no muscle pain or throwing up (although I hear if I had drunk about four or five times as much I could have experienced that last part as well.)  I couldn't wait for it to wear off. 

I have decided people who enjoy life have no reason to get drunk.  The only people who could possibly want to get drunk are those who find life intolerable and want to take a break from the experience for a while. 

This only increases how ludicrous this temptation is (the ludicrity?  ludicrousness?  ludicrocity?)  If satan knew anything about me he wouldn't even have tried this one.

I now have a new concept of satan.  He is like a noob (newbie, n00blet, total amateur, rank novice) in a multiplayer first-person-shooter video game.  He doesn't study his target, doesn't look for weak points, doesn't change to a more effective ammo type for the situation, doesn't even check his weapon to make sure it's appropriate for the target.  He may waste a rocket on an unarmored soldier or try to use a handgun to take out a tank.  He doesn't even aim very well, just sprays shotgun rounds and hopes to hit something. 

If anyone else can think of a better explanation, by all means please let me know.  The feeling of temptation is strong, but I'm not so much tempted as puzzled.  Why in the world would anybody or anything think a temptation to go through THAT again would be effective?  All I have to do is call up memories of the last time to dispel any urge to try it again.  If I were in charge of trying to tempt me (another me) to do something wrong, I'd go for something closer to home. 

Seriously, if you have any better idea what it's all about, feel free to explain it to me.

ANNOUNCER:  Hello, and welcome to What Have You Learned, the show that allows guests to relate some of their past experiences and share what they have learned about them.  This show has nothing to do with Michael Feldman's "What do you know?" show.  I understand Mr. Feldman himself has requested we make that very clear.  I hear that... um... there was also something about a cease-and-desist order and some time in court.  Anyway, let's get right to the show.  Our first guest is Mr. Isaac.  Hello Isaac, welcome to the show.

ISAAC:  Thanks, glad to be here.

ANNOUNCER:  I uh... notice you seem to be rather interested in the audio equipment.

ISAAC:  Yeah, this is a wild setup.  Hey, is that a Trilogy board?

ANNOUNCER:  Wait, don't mess with that!

ISAAC:  It's cool man, I wasn't going to change anything.  I just wanted to touch it one time.  Wow, a real Trilogy!

ANNOUNCER:  Er... yes, well let's get on to your experience you came to relate.

ISAAC:  Sure man.  Well, we had a party last night in Children's Church.  We don't have the standard parties - Christmas party, Halloween party, stuff like that - we have Random Party Nights, spaced in between the parties everyone else has through the year.  In this case I thought it would be a good idea to have one at the tail end of January.  Christmas was long past, the kids' Spring Break was a long way off yet (long time for a kid anyway) and it is generally a long, grey, cold time of year.  A party right about here would be just the thing, ya know?

ANNOUNCER:  Great idea actually.  We might have a party tomorrow, now that you mention it. 

ISAAC:  Yeah, so what we did was, we had snacks first.  Then we had a Hangman tournament, with one point per letter, ten points for solving the phrase, five points minus for if a kid was talking a lot or running around.  The winner got a grand prize, a box of assorted candy and snacks... and down at the bottom, a multi-tool knife.  The Hangman phrases were taken from lessons I had taught between now and the last party we had back in mid-November.  Of course the kids who had been paying attention to the lessons would naturally do better.

ANNOUNCER:  Oh of course.  Sounds great so far.  So what went wrong?  I assume something did go wrong, otherwise you would not be here to share what you learned.

ISAAC:  Well the problem centered around the snacks.  You've heard of a chocolate fountain, right?

ANNOUNCER:  Uh oh, I see where this is going... But yeah, I've heard of them.

ISAAC:  But those things are a pain to clean up.  Too many tubes, pools and stuff.  Plus, let one kid drop a strawberry or something in there and the tube is clogged up but good.  No more fountain.  So instead I did a chocolate pot and they dipped stuff in it.  Strawberries, marshmallows, slices of some kind of strawberry snack cake and some assorted Milano (tm) cookies.  They loved it.

ANNOUNCER:  But with all that chocolate, I bet I know what went wrong.  The kids were wild all the rest of the night and drove you nuts, right?

ISAAC:  No, the kids were cool.  They had to take turns because obviously you can't have more than two at a time around a chocolate dip pot.  But they were okay with that and everything went rather well.  No trouble with the Hangman tournament either, everything went smoothly.  Sis. Alexis won the prize.  She gave the knife to her brother Gavin though, because, "He's more into that stuff." 

ANNOUNCER:  Wow, I bet you were surprised?

ISAAC:  Actually I was.  I was expecting a lot more trouble from them, with caffeine in their systems.

ANNOUNCER:  Well I've got the jumping to conclusions out of my system now.  So what did go wrong?

ISAAC:  I found out you really need to clean out that chocolate dip pot right quickly.  People will want to take some leftovers home, sure, but get them to move along so you can take care of it.  That stuff gets harder than a tire iron if you let it get cold. 

ANNOUNCER:  Oh.  I hadn't thought of that.

ISAAC:  Yeah, neither did I until I tried to clean it out the next day.  And with the consistency you need in a chocolate dip pot, it doesn't scrub right off either.  It kind of smears and takes forever, not to mention a lot of rinsing the washrag out and starting again, to get the stuff off.  And all the time you're trying to get it clean you're smelling chocolate, which makes you hungry, but you can't eat any of it because it's all covered with soap water. 

ANNOUNCER:  Yikes, that would be torment!

ISAAC:  Yeah, you're telling me...

ANNOUNCER:  So to summarize, clean out that chocolate pot right away.  Well thanks for coming by Isaac.

ISAAC:  No problem.  Hey, could I have that ribbon mic?

ANNOUNCER:  No, I'm afraid our sponsors would get a bit touchy if we started giving sound equipment away and buying more to replace it.

ISAAC:  Well, had to try.  Catch ya later.

ANNOUNCER:  And that's all the time we have today folks.  Join us next time when a Mr. Seth will tell us all about raising birds, and why you don't want to get involved in it.  See you then.

Computers can be infuriating.  Just saying.

Some of the guys at work have been having a lot of fun with me lately.  They keep trying to argue me into doing things they know I would never do, and discussing said things loudly when they are in my vicinity.  Getting drunk, strip clubs, drugs, you name it, they have mentioned it.   :roll:  They seem to take a perverse delight in teasing me about them, specifically because they know I'm a christian.  Superficially it might be seen as just a bunch of guys having fun, but there's something deeper.  Their attitude says very plainly, "Look at all the fun you're missing.  Look what this religion stuff is costing you."  They seem to think their fun would be fun for me too, but I "can't" because I'm a christian. 

But their fun has a cost too, and it is not one I am willing to pay.  I do not choose not to join their fun because I can't.  As the old song says, I could chew and dip, I could snort and cuss, I could party all night...  There are many sins that are not illegal, and in a free country I could do any of them I choose.  But I choose not to because I do not want to pay the price.

I'm not talking about money either, although certainly there is a financial cost.  All these things they call fun do cost a bit.  A pack of cigarettes is expensive these days, and getting more so.  But the chocolate I prefer is a bit expensive as well.  If money were the only cost it would be no problem.  I never have minded paying a bit to get what I want, what I know I will enjoy.

A friend of mine who is a financial advisor said the true cost of something is not in dollars and cents, because that value changes with inflation.  The true cost is the things you could have done with that money, that you are giving up when you spend it.  In this light, the things the guys at work keep nagging me about assume a much larger cost.  There is a good reason God said not to do certain things.  Things that are "sin" are not just arbitrary, they were designated thus because God knew we would be better off to avoid them.  Drunkards have all number of health problems.  Thieves get caught and have to give up their freedom.  There are obvious social and health dangers in having an affair or using a prostitute.  Frequent profanity is proven to decrease a person's vocabulary and intelligence (and besides, I could cut someone down much more effectively with some well chosen insults than with common cussing... not that I would, but I'm just saying.)  Drugs, that's a whole list of costs in itself.  My father and mother both did marijuana when they were in college.  My father used to have an eidetic memory, until he smoked some pot.  My mother's ability to discern how far away objects are was impaired.  I have little enough brain as it is - you think I want to roll the dice and see what it'll knock out for me?  All the things people are afraid they would have to give up if they came to God, they are all detrimental.  The cost of doing these things is much higher than money could ever cover. 

But even then, there is a greater cost.  If I did things I knew were sinful, there is a terrible cost, one that I could never bring myself to pay.  It would cost me God's presence, His guidance, the communication and communion I enjoy with Him.  God would not withdraw from me to hurt me, as punishment for what I had done.  He wouldn't leave me in anger because I was going against what He said.  He would leave for the same reason there was a veil in the temple, the same reason the Holy Ghost was not given until Jesus had paid the price for sin on the cross - because a holy, pure God cannot tolerate unholy sin.  A heart that is deliberately soiling itself with things it knows are sin is a heart God cannot stay in.  God would have to leave.  And that is a price I cannot bear to pay.

I will not do the things "the boys" do, that they keep trying to argue me into doing, that they seem to enjoy so much.  Not because I can't, for I could do anything I want.  Not because I am better than they are, for I must admit I am not.  I will not because the price is far too great.  For what the cost would buy I can not, will not, and will never pay it.

Sorry, I just can't afford that.

I just realized I have been sadly negligent in not posting this on the forum yet.  My apologies, and enjoy the following lunacy. 

To set the stage:  someone mentioned something about being normal.  My chatroom stats are  "Age: 9045  Gender: Neutral  Location: Antria, a planet in the Xyphos Nebula" because I don't like to give out my real stats....... so I have fun with fake ones.

What follows is what was spawned from a random comment, my off-beat stats and a very bored and inventive mind.



[01:00am] * Isaac is normal
[01:01am] <Isaac>  I am just like everyone else here on Xyphos. We all share the same brain and run our bodies by telepathy.
[01:01am] <BoredGirl> wow
[01:01am] * Quits: CAguy (java@~-794C4525.sd.sd.cox.net) (Quit: Jesus loves me, this I know...)
[01:01am] <Isaac>  When I can catch a targizh and get its brain, I can download my personality unit to that brain.
[01:01am] <BoredGirl> no wonder you cant move fast
[01:01am] <Isaac>  Then I won't have to share the community brain with everyone else.
[01:01am] <BoredGirl> your brain is to slow to move that fast
[01:01am] <BoredGirl> lol
[01:02am] <BoredGirl> you have to share
[01:02am] <BoredGirl> yours is not going to work down her on earth
[01:02am] <BoredGirl> here*
[01:03am] <BoredGirl> we work in a fast pace enviroment
[01:03am] * Joins: CAguy (java@~-794C4525.sd.sd.cox.net)
[01:03am] <Isaac>  Oh we think fast. The community brain is very large.
[01:03am] <BoredGirl> wb
[01:03am] <BoredGirl> you sure
[01:03am] <Isaac>  But there's always someone hogging the Xathan lobe, that controls telepathic control of our bodies.
[01:03am] <Isaac>  :(
[01:04am] <BoredGirl> oh
[01:04am] <BoredGirl> i see
[01:04am] <BoredGirl> why do you do that
[01:04am] <BoredGirl> you need to share
[01:04am] <Isaac>  I do share
[01:04am] <Isaac>  But not everyone does
[01:05am] <BoredGirl> sure whatever
[01:05am] <BoredGirl> lol
[01:05am] <Isaac>  Some people try to eat up more telepathic bandwidth than others so they can have better fine muscle control.
[01:05am] <BoredGirl> oh
[01:05am] <Isaac>  As if being able to wiggle your ears will help you catch a targizh
[01:06am] <BoredGirl> oh
[01:06am] <BoredGirl> must have some big ears then
[01:06am] <Isaac>  No, it's just that our bodies are born with no brains, so we have to control the bodies from the central brain
[01:07am] <Isaac>  Until we can catch a targizh and use its brain
[01:07am] <BoredGirl> so you havent caught one yet
[01:07am] <BoredGirl> thats explans alot
[01:07am] <Isaac>  You could use anything really, from a voldir on up, but a targizh has the biggest and fastest brain you can get
[01:07am] <BoredGirl> oh
[01:07am] <BoredGirl> i see
[01:08am] <BoredGirl> so you have to have a bog head to hold it
[01:08am] <BoredGirl> big*
[01:08am] <Isaac>  No, just a normal size head. Even a targizh brain won't stretch the cranial capacity of a normal Xyphosian body.
[01:09am] <BoredGirl> i see
[01:09am] <BoredGirl> whats normal there
[01:09am] <BoredGirl> since you have no bodies like us
[01:10am] <Isaac>  It would be impossible to explain in your english language
[01:10am] <BoredGirl> i see
[01:10am] <Isaac>  You have no words for the parts of our bodies.
[01:11am] <Isaac>  The closest you have for our manipulative appendages is "tentacles"
[01:12am] <Isaac>  But that's not really accurate
[01:12am] <Isaac>  It's more like tentacles with millions of little hands
[01:12am] <Isaac>  But they're not really hands
[01:12am] <ChRiSsY> wow, what did i miss?!
[01:12am] <BoredGirl> i see
[01:12am] <Isaac>  They are more like microscopic hooks
[01:13am] <BoredGirl> i see
[01:13am] <Isaac>  Scroll up Chrissy
[01:13am] <Isaac>  BoredGirl is so bored she got curious about what we Xyphosians look like



The saga continues............



[01:57pm] <browneyes> bored isaac?
[01:57pm] <Isaac>  No, I'm running some music files
[01:57pm] <browneyes> i take it u like music
[01:57pm] <Isaac>  I only WISH I were bored
[01:58pm] <Isaac>  Nah, can't stand music. Why? :P
[01:58pm] <browneyes> lol
[01:58pm] <browneyes> seems to be all you talk about
[01:58pm] <browneyes> at least, it is when i'm in here
[01:58pm] <browneyes>  :D
[01:58pm] <Isaac>  No, I talk about my planet too.
[01:58pm] <browneyes> oh yes
[01:58pm] <browneyes> how are the fellow aliens on your home world?
[01:58pm] <Isaac>  To me they are not aliens. To us YOU are the aliens
[01:59pm] <browneyes> so exactly what galaxy is your planet in?
[01:59pm] <Isaac>  Didn't you read my stats?
[01:59pm] <Isaac>  MyStats ===>>   Age: 9045  Gender: Neutral  Location: Antria, a planet in the Xyphos Nebula   <<=== MyStats
[01:59pm] <browneyes> wow
[02:00pm] <browneyes> ur old
[02:00pm] <browneyes> lol
[02:00pm] <Isaac>  No, we just have really short years
[02:00pm] <browneyes> so one year to us is how many years to ya'll?
[02:00pm] <Isaac>  Our planet goes around the sun so fast you could get a headache from the g forces if you stand up too quickly.
[02:01pm] <browneyes> I see
[02:01pm] <Isaac>  Makes gravity interesting though. You're a lot heavier at night than you are in the daytime.
[02:01pm] <Isaac>  So you want to do your shopping in the daytime.
[02:01pm] <browneyes> why is that?
[02:01pm] <Isaac>  Because then packages will be lighter.
[02:02pm] <browneyes> so do u have flying cars?
[02:03pm] <Isaac>  No
[02:03pm] <Isaac>  We have mass transport.
[02:03pm] <browneyes> ahhh
[02:03pm] <Isaac>  It's a little thing we wear usually on the third uulongh (those things like tentacles, but not)
[02:04pm] <Isaac>  Looks a bit like one of your smaller wristwatches
[02:04pm] <Isaac>  It's the controller for the mass transport grid.
[02:04pm] <browneyes> then why does it matter what time you shop if you travel by mass transport?
[02:04pm] <Isaac>  Well you still have to carry packages
[02:04pm] <Isaac>  I didn't say TELEport
[02:04pm] <browneyes> lol
[02:04pm] * Quits: lightbulb (cda52928@B779F135.CBC34631.8297EAB9.IP) (Quit: CGI:IRC (EOF))
[02:04pm] <browneyes> i know
[02:04pm] <Isaac>  The grid just picks you up and puts you down somewhere else.
[02:05pm] <browneyes> you ran lightbulb off to
[02:05pm] <Isaac>  Wer're still working on teleport
[02:05pm] <browneyes> want a tic tac?
[02:05pm] <Isaac>  It's like flying, but you have to control where you go with the wristwatch-like device.
[02:05pm] <Isaac>  And the grid keeps track of everyone to make sure we don't run into each other mid-air
[02:06pm] <browneyes> what happens if the grid breaks?
[02:06pm] <Isaac>  Are you kidding? Something that important, we have TONS of redundancies and backups.
[02:07pm] <Isaac>  Wouldn't be good for everyone in mid-transport to suddenly fall out of the sky.
[02:07pm] <browneyes> mmmm....
[02:07pm] <Isaac>  Could get a broken tharynx, especially if it is nighttime with higher gravity.
[02:07pm] <browneyes> so is your skin green
[02:07pm] <browneyes> do u glow in the dark?
[02:07pm] <Isaac>  Why would my skin be green?
[02:07pm] <Isaac>  Why would I glow in the dark?
[02:08pm] <Isaac>  My skin is a quite normal iridescent purple
[02:08pm] <browneyes> purple was my next guess
[02:08pm] <browneyes> lol
[02:08pm] <browneyes> purple with green spots
[02:09pm] <Isaac>  What purpose would glowing in the dark serve? We can see in the bands you call infrared and ultraviolet, so we have (by your standards) great night vision.
[02:09pm] <browneyes> do you have chocolate on your planet?
[02:09pm] <Isaac>  No :(
[02:09pm] <Isaac>  We have to get it shipped in
[02:09pm] <Isaac>  And the shipping is unbelievable.
[02:10pm] <browneyes> i don't care what color you are or even if you can fly
[02:10pm] <Isaac>  We have to send a robot that looks like a human to buy it.
[02:10pm] <browneyes> NOTHING compares with chocolate
[02:10pm] <Isaac>  I never said we could fly
[02:10pm] <browneyes> i said not even if you COULD fly
[02:10pm] <Isaac>  Last shipment the robot found some Lindt chocolate. That's the only brand we are going to order it to get next trip.
[02:10pm] <Isaac>  :D
[02:11pm] <browneyes> no knid of advanced technologe can compare with chocolate
[02:11pm] <Isaac>  Yeah, I know. We tried to replicate it, but the replicated chocolate stunk.
[02:11pm] <browneyes> you can't replicate something that good
[02:12pm] <browneyes> don't you think since chocolate is made out of beans it should be considered a vegetable and therefore be in the food pyramid?
[02:13pm] <Isaac>  Um............ it already is, in my science. It is recognized as the most important of the five major food groups.
[02:13pm] <browneyes> i tried that with my mom when i was little
[02:14pm] <browneyes> it didn't work
[02:14pm] <browneyes> lol
[02:14pm] <Isaac>  Your mom is not as scientifically advanced as we are.
[02:14pm] <browneyes> no she's not :D

I'm curious, If you are using a central brain and sharing it, then the space you have to function is limited? But if you catch a Targizh and download your unit, then does the space you get expand, or does the central Xyphosian's all share the new brain? If you all connect to the new Targizh brain then it would seem like you have not really expanded your space. But if you indeed get to have that area all to your unit then at some point, some one on your planet should have been able to come up with a color besides purple to describe you, with all the knowledge and advancements I'm sure you could come up with something a bit more definitively appropriate? ;)

I said iridescent purple.  Not near the same as regular purple.  And yes, now that I have a targizh brain I have it all to myself.  I still keep in contact with the Central Brain, but I no longer have to share the Xathan lobe to control my body - I'm on-site, I can control my body the way you control yours, from the inside now.  :)

DISCLAIMER:  The following is a rant.  I tried to phrase it more nicely but it still came out as a full-blown rant.  If you feel strongly about, or rather against, certain styles of music, you will probably find this offensive.  You have been warned. 



There is one thing that has been bugging me for a long time.  This is people who go around bad-mouthing certain styles of christian music they don't like.  I'm not talking about people who just don't like certain styles or singers, and if there are some styles you don't like, let me make it clear I'm not talking about you.  Please don't take offense.  I'm talking about people who dislike certain styles of music so much that they actively disparage the whole style to anyone who will listen, and even louder to anyone who doesn't want to listen.  If you're the kind to talk bad about a style of christian music, by all means help yourself to all the offense you want.  You've earned it.  :P

People who put down certain styles of music can be from all ages, and there are people to put down every style.  Generally elders disparage more modern music and younger people look down their noses at older styles, but the attitude they all seem to have - and the reason it gets on my nerves so much - is that because they don't like that style, it's "not real christian music."  I have seen some people with this attitude evident in their diatribe against whatever style they didn't like.  Regrettably I have actually heard some elders say that, in those exact words, about some modern music.  "That's not real christian music." (Insert sneer here.)

I'm going to share a secret with you.  To an extent I actually agree.  There are some singers who put out music that is allegedly christian, but they are not doing it as a ministry.  They are doing it to make a buck, or to gain fame, or for whatever personal reason they have, but there is nothing of God's spirit in their music.  There are also some who have a real message, but it's not from God - I vividly remember one album I found that was full of nothing but songs that complained about how hard life was for christians.  I could cite many examples, but there might be someone who likes a group I would list, actually gets a blessing out of it, and I don't want to ruin it for him.  There are some who sing in a particular style and you get the impression they are only using that style of music because they think it will sell better.  There are some who sing songs that have words praising God, but they sing it in a very showy manner.  This is regrettable, but a fact of christian music - there are, have been and will always be imitators, just along for the ride, with no true ministry in their music.

But here's another secret that you might not like so much... I can find examples of the very same thing in your favorite style.  Just because you can find some empty music in a certain style doesn't mean it's all bad.  This is the reason this chaps me so much.  If you want to put down a certain singer, that's between you, God and that singer.  But if you put down a whole style, you're putting down some singers you've never even heard, some who have some real anointing, some who have a real ministry in their music. 

The problem is, it's so easy to broad-brush a whole style with your opinion that you formed while hearing one or two half-hearted singers.  Younger people claim older gospel music is slow, boring, old fashioned... well, some of it is.  And elders sometimes complain that modern music depends on a driving beat instead of the Spirit... and in fact, I have to admit some of it does.  Some say southern gospel is just a contest to see who can hold a note the longest... unfortunately some is.  And what some people say about bluegrass is true, some of it really is just showing off how well the musician can play the banjo.  But you can't judge all the music in a style by one or two bad examples. 

Unfortunately far too many people do just that.  I have to be amazed at your audacity.  How can you judge singers you have never heard, in a style you admittedly don't care much for, as not really having God's power and anointing behind them?  How can you claim every singer in a certain style has no ministry?  Do you really think every singer in that style is vain, venal and only in it for himself?  No, surely not - in your heart you probably don't believe that.  But when you put down a whole music style, you are in fact saying just that.  You may not realize it, you may just be venting on that style because you personally don't like it, but you need to listen to what you are actually saying.

By the way, young people:  I hope you remember every word you say when you put down the music elders like.  Someday you will be old and you will have to eat those words, and all the salt in the world won't make them taste better.  Someday your music will be considered old fashioned by the new generation.  You elders know exactly what I mean.  Remember when you were young and you got so frustrated with your parents because they couldn't understand why you liked that awful music?  Mm-hmm, now you see where they're coming from.  Keep that memory firmly in mind when you think about the current batch of young people and their awful music. 

Right here I'd like to say something to the young people alone.  A lot of churches are singing only modern songs.  You feel good about that.  I can understand that.  But please stop rubbing it in the elders' faces.  A lot of young people seem to have the attitude that "We're going to sing our music whether you old people like it or not."  Hate to break it to you, but we didn't go with modern music because it's necessarily better.  We chose it because it's modern, and our church has a vested interest in remaining relevant to the world we're trying to reach.  And yes, I know it's easy to get an attitude about it when elders complain about that modern music.  People don't like change, and you will find when you get old that the older you get, the less you like change.  You have your modern music in church.  Be happy with it, but be happy a bit more quietly, please.  And may you be given the same grace when you are older and it's your turn to see the music you like traded in for something new. 

Look, I know we can't get everyone to like the same style of music.  Some will find modern music too noisy and fast, some will be irritated to no end by country christian, and there will always be many who simply cannot stand bluegrass gospel.  I'm not asking you to like all styles of christian music.  I just wish you wouldn't be so noisy in your dislike.  Believe it or not, for all the modern music that depends on a driving beat, there is some with a driving beat and a good, God inspired message.  There is some southern gospel that is not just "showboating."  There is even some bluegrass that has some anointing, not just fancy picking.  And when you dismiss that whole style as "not real christian music" you are making a very dangerous judgement.  And getting on my last nerve in the process. 

END OF RANT

When God does something for you, then you know God's providence.

When God does something for others through you, then you know God's love.

When you can get more excited over what God has done for others through you than about what God has done for you... then you are a little bit closer to knowing God.

Something I would like to say to certain people at work:

"Thank you for being a grump.  In every group there is one person who is always grumpy, always talking about people, always gloomily predicting the worst.  I think it's a cosmic, universal law.  But with you doing the complaining, I am free to be upbeat, cheerful and get the job done, confident that the job of complaining is being taken care of by someone else.  Keep up the good work."   :cool:

Of course saying that would only make the grump more grumpy, so I wouldn't say it to him.  But that's what ran through my head tonight.   :biglaugh:

Being a Christian is like riding a bicycle.  The faster you go, the easier it is to maintain your balance.  The slower you go, the more you wobble, and the more effort you have to put into just staying upright.  And if you stop you fall off.

"Living for God easy is hard.  Living for God hard is easy."

Ecclesiastes 10:10  If the iron be blunt, and he do not whet the edge, then must he put to more strength: but wisdom is profitable to direct.

It has been a long, hectic day.  I've been running flat-out since I got up, and as the day went on it only got worse.  Everything had to be done today, I was constantly watching the clock and I still don't know how I got it all done in time but I did.  At work it was even worse - problems on the line slowed things down and we worked like mad to catch back up, while dealing with a boss who was not in the best mood.  From the time I got up until I got home I was going in several different directions at once, with no time to rest.  Good thing I had dark chocolate.   :smirk2:

When I finally get home I can relax, catch up on the forum, see what's going on in christian chat - unwind a bit.  And after I've been sitting a while the day catches up with me and suddenly I'm almost too tired to turn the computer off and make it to bed.  So another day is spent, getting many things accomplished, and I lie down to get a good night's sleep, to prepare for the next day.  And in all the things I got done, I never made time to talk to God.  There just never was time.  Oh well, I'll pray tomorrow.  I hope.

But then I think of the relationship God had with His people in Eden.  The Bible says God came personally to talk to them in the evening.  In the beginning everything God made was perfect, and He was free to be with the humans He had made.  But after the humans had sinned, God could no longer have that relationship with them.  The wages of sin is death, and unholy people cannot survive in the presence of a holy God.  If God had tried to resume the relationship He had with them, they would have been destroyed.  So for the sake of His people, God had to give up that relationship for a while.

There was limited contact of course, because man also cannot survive entirely without God.  But it was tedious, messy and not very effective.  Man had to make sacrifices for his sin, to atone for it.  Even then it did not wipe out his sin, only pushed it ahead of him by a year.  And it still did not restore the relationship God had in the beginning.  God could be among His people, but there had to be a veil in the temple separating Him from them.  The veil was not for God's protection, as if God needed to keep Himself separated from the people's sins.  It was for the people's protection, so they in their unholiness would not be destroyed in the direct presence of a holy God.  Only the high priest could come in God's presence, and then only once a year, and then only after various rituals and cleansings... and even then he shouldn't have been able to survive in God's presence, but it was absolutely necessary to apply the blood of the sacrifice so it was allowed.  So God provided a way for His people to survive for the time being, but He still didn't have the relationship He had lost.

But finally, FINALLY the time came to wipe out His people's sins.  At last the backlog of sins that had been rolled ahead could be taken care of, and God's people could once again survive in His presence.  When Jesus finally died on the cross, the veil in the temple was torn down the middle because humans no longer had to be protected from God's presence.   God could finally have the relationship He had always wanted, the one He had been without for so long.  He could finally be with His people again.

But I just didn't have time today to talk to Him.

Jesus died on the cross to save my soul, to pay for my sins.  But there was something in it for Him too.  And when I pray, I receive guidance, I thank God for my salvation, I ask God to take care of some things.  But sometimes it is good to just talk to God, to be with God, in His presence for a while.  If God never did anything else for me, never took care of any need I had, how could I not have time to talk to Him?  It's all He ever wanted for Himself.


I didn't come here to ask You for anything
I just came to talk with You Lord
You've answered a million prayers or more
That I forgot to thank You for
I just came to talk with You Lord

Maybe tomorrow there'll be trouble and sorrow
And a thousand teardrops may fall
But until I face tomorrow's task, I have no special thing to ask
I just came to talk with You Lord

                             TOUCH HER LORD
There are so many things in life.....that I can't understand.
It wouldn't be that hard for You.....to touch her with Your hand.
She lived her life daily.....to please You in every way.
"Trust Jesus always" are words.....I remember, she would say.
Now Lord, I know You're with her.....her side You could never leave.
She has so much faith in You.....to her Bible she would cleave.
Now Lord, I am asking You.....to please help her understand.
Reach down from Heaven.....and guide her with Your hand.
She needs Your touch now.....more than ever before,
This battle she's fighting.....seems more like a war.
Her mind just isn't there.....the way it used to be,
But I know her heart is pure.....this I'm sure you see.
So Jesus, give her strength.....and understanding, if You will.
Keep her safe and close to You.....Your power, please don't conceal.
Just one little touch.....from Your hand above
Would heal her, I know.....and make her free as a dove.
There are reasons, they say.....why You do the things You do,
Our minds can't comprehend.....but our trust is in You.


         I wrote this poem for my mama.  She has Alzhiemer's and it just seemed to fit.                 

Wow... I think Alzheimer's is one of the hardest things to deal with....

Quote from: Kim on March 19, 2013, 11:36:14 PM
                             TOUCH HER LORD
There are so many things in life.....that I can't understand.
It wouldn't be that hard for You.....to touch her with Your hand.
She lived her life daily.....to please You in every way.
"Trust Jesus always" are words.....I remember, she would say.
Now Lord, I know You're with her.....her side You could never leave.
She has so much faith in You.....to her Bible she would cleave.
Now Lord, I am asking You.....to please help her understand.
Reach down from Heaven.....and guide her with Your hand.
She needs Your touch now.....more than ever before,
This battle she's fighting.....seems more like a war.
Her mind just isn't there.....the way it used to be,
But I know her heart is pure.....this I'm sure you see.
So Jesus, give her strength.....and understanding, if You will.
Keep her safe and close to You.....Your power, please don't conceal.
Just one little touch.....from Your hand above
Would heal her, I know.....and make her free as a dove.
There are reasons, they say.....why You do the things You do,
Our minds can't comprehend.....but our trust is in You.


         I wrote this poem for my mama.  She has Alzhiemer's and it just seemed to fit.                 

You made me cry when I first read this, and then again finding it here....I still think this is one of the most beautiful verses ever. And yes, I'm lucky to have such a talented loving sister... :P

TREASURE
(rough draft)

There is a story of a rich man who was also a devout christian.  One day God spoke to him, as God had spoken to Solomon, and asked what the man would like.  The man asked to be allowed to bring one suitcase to Heaven with him when he died.  (Please ignore the obvious biblical objections to such a thing.  It is just a story.)

The next day the man filled the largest suitcase he could find with gold bars and left it by his bed.  When he prayed that night he mentioned to God that this was the suitcase he would like to take with him when he died.

Eventually the man did in fact die, and found himself at the gates of Heaven with his suitcase.  As he was dragging it up to the gate, an angel asked him what he was doing.  He told the angel God had said he could bring one suitcase, and this was it.  The angel said he would have to inspect the contents, so the man opened the suitcase.

The angel pulled out a gold bar, stared at it, put it back, pulled out another, all with an air of disbelief.  Then he called another angel over to consult with in low tones.  Finally he came back to the man and said, "Well if God Himself said it's okay I guess it's okay.  But why would you want to bring road paving bricks?"

The story is amusing, or maybe not, but it started me thinking - even if we could take it with us, what could we take from this life that would do any good?  Jewels?  The foundations of Heaven are made of the stuff.  Money?  There's nothing to buy there.  Computers will be obsolete, we will have better music there than even the best songs in my CD collection, the food will be better than I could ever whip up in my kitchen, a lion beats any dog or cat any day for a pet... Even if it were possible to take something from this life to Heaven with us, there is nothing I can think of that would have the slightest value there.

Yet Jesus Himself said to lay up treasures in Heaven.

To lay up treasures means the more we work for these treasures, the more we will have.  But what kind of treasures could we store?  It can't be God's presence, because everyone will have that equally - nobody will get more face-time with God than someone else based on what he has done on earth.  Streets of gold, river of life, everyone will have equal access to.  But Jesus specifically said to leave off storing riches here on earth and "lay up" treasures in Heaven.

While I was thinking about this, I began thinking about our pastor.  He has had a long and varied life, and a very interesting one.  He is now 82 years old and his health is starting to fail, and we have to face the fact that we will not much longer benefit from his presence.  But if he ever does die, we surely will have to rent the local school's basketball court to hold the funeral - our church will not be able to hold all the people who know him.  Everyone in town knows and likes him.  I don't think he has an enemy in the world.  You can't just make a quick trip to the store for one thing when you go with him... Everyone he meets is a friend he has known for years, and they all have to stop and talk.

This is because he has spent years working for God, doing God's will, helping anyone he could.  His life's work was not just to build a church in our town, but to reach out to those who need help, to reach them in God's name, with God's love.  Small wonder everyone knows him.  And if he ever does die, he will have a long life behind him that he can truly say was well spent. 

This is the only thing I can think of that I can take with me, that will matter in Heaven - the people I have helped along the way.

It will not be a matter of pride, of "look at all the things *I* did!"  There will be many others who have done more than I.  I seriously doubt I could ever do more than my own pastor has done, for one. There will be no place for bragging.  But it will matter to me.  I will be able to know that I took that one to church, encouraged this one when he was down, gave that one something he needed more than I.  I will know that, instead of spending the life God has given me in piling up things that will not matter in Heaven, I used it to help others.  Each person I have helped will be a treasure to me - not a treasure to flaunt in front of others, but a treasure to ME personally. I will know that I have made a difference, that my life was not spent in useless things.

There is a story of a king long ago, in a faraway kingdom, who decided to build a great highway that would span his entire kingdom.  The project took many years and a lot of effort, but it would make travel across the land much easier.  A few months before it was completed, the king sent messengers all throughout the land advertising a contest.  The messengers declared the day the road would be finished, and announced the king would give a great prize to the person who traveled a marked-off section of his new highway the best. 

On the appointed day many people showed up to travel the road.  Some athletes were ready to race, some came in luxurious coaches, some traveled with a lot of friends and told stories along the way.  Each traveler had decided he knew what "best" meant and each spared no effort to enact what he considered the best way of traveling the road.

As the king stood at the end of the designated section of road, person after person, group after group crossed the finish line.  The King asked them all how they liked his new road.  They said it was great, but all of them complained about a big pile of rubble the road builders had left in the middle of the road at one point. Frequently a person would ask the king if he had traveled the road best, but the king would only say, "Wait and see.  I'll tell who has traveled it best after everyone has arrived."

Finally, as the sun was setting, one last man crossed the finish line.  He was tired, somewhat dirty and carried a leather bag in his hand.  He approached the king and said, "My lord, there was a big pile of rubble left in the middle of the road.  I cleared it away, and I found this bag under it.  Could you please find out who it belongs to?  It is filled with gold coins."

The king said, "That bag belongs to you, for you have won the prize.  The person who travels my new highway best is the one who makes it smoother for others."

As christians, we are to put on the mind of Christ.  What did Christ do when He was on earth?  He helped people.  He healed blind eyes, lame legs, sickness, He couldn't pass a funeral without totally ruining it (when the dead man gets up, the funeral's over... wonder if the mourners ever got paid?) He was always reaching out to those who needed Him. 

Matthew 6:21  "For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also."
Christ's heart was with the things He treasured.  He spent His time helping others, then turned to His disciples and told them to lay up their own treasures. 

I wonder how many treasures I have stored. It won't matter if I have more than someone or less than someone else.  Comparisons with other people will be about as useless as a wad of money in Heaven.  What will matter to me is, do I have as many as I could have?  It will be far more important than a gold chunk of street pavement.  A person I have helped will be a treasure indeed.

The Minimum

As I went to work today
I saw a man along the way
His car was broken down
And he was looking for some help
I wish that I could help him...
I had some time to spare today
Before I had to go to work
But I knew just how much it takes
To get to where I need to go
So I just wasted it away
And now I don't have any time to spare

I'm sorry
I wish that I could help you
If only I had known you would be here
I could have left some time to spare
Might have spent less time online
Or skipped that show I don't like much anyway
I'm sorry
But I'm running on the minimum, you see
I don't have time to help you now
I only have just enough for me

As I was going home today
I saw a man along the way
With a cardboard sign that said
Anything that I can give would help
I wish that I could help him...
I had plenty of money before
Last payday wasn't so far
But there was so much I could buy
That video game I've been wanting to play
Restaurants I've never tried
I knew how much I needed for bills
And the rest I spent on what I wanted most

I'm sorry
I'd really like to help you
If only I had known you would be here
I might have skipped that movie last night
Maybe ordered a pizza less this week
Tried to set aside some to help you out
I'm sorry
But I'm running on the minimum, you see
I don't have anything to give you
There's barely enough left for me

While I was at work today
I heard a coworker say
Life is getting too much for him
His world is caving in around his head
I wish that I could help him...
When I was young in Christ I could
I had the strength and fire inside
But lately I haven't had the time to pray
I went to church the other day
God's power was flowing through so strong
But I had enough of God to do
Until the next service came along
So I just sat and watched the show
And fasting, I can't remember the last time

I'm sorry
I'd really like to help you
If only I had known you would be here
I might have prayed a little more
Might have been a part of church
Instead of just coasting through
But I'm kind of weak myself right now
I'm sorry
But I'm running on the minimum, you see
I don't have any power to help you
I only have just enough for me

COOKIES

Recently I was listening to a comedian talking about how his mother was "mean" to him when he was a kid.  "Not only would she not let me have a cookie before supper - with the pathetic excuse that it would ruin my dinner - she put the cookies on top of the refrigerator.  Now how cruel is that?  You know, I have read the top, bottom and all sides of that cookie package, and not one place on there does it say 'Keep out of reach of children.'"

"Where was the bleach stored?  Under the kitchen sink with the rest of the poisons."

I was thinking about this one day and I started remembering some of the times I've asked God for a cookie, and God told me no.

The thing about cookies is, they are not obvious poisons.  We know the things that are poisonous to a christian life - drinking, lies, idols, lust, etc, we know they are toxic and we should avoid them.  The Bible warns us about them repeatedly, and even if we didn't have the Bible we could observe the effects of these poisons in many people we know.  God doesn't have to put them out of our reach and we don't have to ask if we can have these things.  Everyone knows they are poisons.

Cookies, though, are not obviously harmful.  In fact, other christians have some of the cookies I would like to have, and they do just fine.  A new job, new career, new hobby, maybe I would like God to heal a friend - nothing wrong with these things.  But God sometimes says no, for the same reason a mother says no.  Because if God gave me what I asked for it would get in the way of what I need. 

When I was a kid I couldn't understand why my mother would be so callous as to not let me have a cookie.  I mean really, what a tightwad!  They're not that expensive, she could have spared one.  But my mother knew if I had a cookie AT THAT TIME it would interfere with the supper that was actually beneficial to me. It wasn't that a cookie was bad, but that it would get in the way of something better.

Have you ever asked for something and had God tell you no?  Maybe you would like to move to a better location.  Maybe you would like to find that special someone for you, maybe you're tired of waiting for a partner in your life.  Maybe you would like to advance your ministry in some area.  Maybe you would like something that you can't see any harm in, something you think would improve your life - and maybe it would.  But maybe it's a cookie.  Maybe it's something you can have later, or maybe it's something you won't be able to have at all, but it's something that would get in the way of God's plans for you right now. 

Problem is, like kids we can get so focused on the cookies we want...

WISDOM OF A DOG

By Dan, an Australian Shepherd mix
(coauthored by my human, because I don't have fingers)

1. Always assume people you meet are friends unless they do something to prove they are not.  You might get hurt once in a while but you meet a lot more friends that way.

2. Wag more, bark less.

3. There will be some grumpy people in life.  Just avoid them.  There are a lot more nice people than grumpy people anyway.  And above all, don't let the grumps make YOU grumpy. 

4. Be glad to be here, wherever here happens to be.  It's a big, wide, wonderful world and you only have one life to explore it.  There's no time to waste growling about life.

5. If you're stuck in a boring situation, the best thing to do is take a nap.  You'll need your energy when the boring part is over. 

6. If Master says "NO" stop doing whatever you were doing and look innocent.  If Master says "NO" every time you do something, don't do it anymore.  I think we dogs are better at this one than humans...

7. Don't waste time worrying about basic stuff like food and shelter.  Master will take care of that.  He's the one who brought you to his home, he wanted you here, he'll supply what you need.  Worrying about stuff like that takes time away from the good stuff in life.

8. Sometimes Master will do some strange things that you don't understand.  Don't worry about it, Master knows what He's doing.  Trying to figure it out can make your head hurt.

9. Although you can't always figure out what Master is doing, you should be there when Master is doing something.  You never know what will happen, and you probably don't want to miss it.

10. Spend less time inside and more time outside.  Outside is where the interesting stuff is. 

11. Be thankful for everything, even if it's the same old food every day.  It's FOOD!