Think Over!

On his way to church, a scholar was surprised to see a man in tattered clothes and barefoot. Nevertheless, as a good Christian, he greeted the poor man: "May God give you a good morning!"

The poor man replied cheerfully, "I have never yet had a bad morning."

"Then may God give you good luck!"

"I have never yet had bad luck."

"Well, may God give you happiness!"

"I have never yet been unhappy."

The scholar then asked the man, "Could you you please explain yourself to me? I do not understand."

And the poor man replied, "With pleasure! You wish me a good morning, yet I have never had a bad morning. For when I am hungry, I praise God; when I feel cold, or when it is raining or snowing, I praise God; and that is why I have never had a bad morning."

"You wish that God may give me luck. However, I have never had bad luck. This is because I live with God and always feel what he does for me is the best. Whatever God sends me, be it pleasant or unpleasant, I accept with a grateful heart. That is why I have never had bad luck."

"Finally, you wish that God should make me happy. But I have never been unhappy. For all I desire is to follow God's will; I have surrendered my will so totally to God's will that, whatever God wants, that is what I also want. That is why I have never been unhappy."   

Faith, Hope, and Love

When I began this journey, I was presented with the most precious gift, three candles. These were the candles of Faith, Hope, and Love. Everywhere on my path of life I went, they were a light to my path. I enjoyed their warmth and basked in the glow of their light.

As I traveled on this path of life, I faced many obstacles. There were mountains to climb: Sometimes I would run to the top of the mountain and rejoice in the glorious view. Then it was back to the valleys. In the valleys, I met many challenges, but I also had companions who walked with me, step by step, through every obstacle. And all along the way the candles — Faith, Hope, and Love — guided me.

Recently on a cool, clear, summer day, I encountered a raging whirlwind. It was upon me before I could react. It tossed me about with its winds of confusion and pain. I spun about in darkness from the whirlwind.

From within the whirlwind a mocking voice spoke — it laughed at my pain and confusion — it told me that there was no hope — it grabbed for my candle of Hope. I screamed in sorrow as the candle blew out. The evil voice raged once again telling me that all was lost. I reached out for the candle of Faith and held on with all my strength. But the whirlwind spun harder and faster and my weak, broken hands could hold on no longer. The candle of Faith blew out too.

The voice from within the whirlwind laughed heartily and said, "Give me the candle of Love!"

I shook with fear. Hopelessness and confusion swirled around in my mind, but at this darkest moment a mighty voice spoke to the whirlwind, "No. The candle of Love is not for you to take. Go away! This child is MINE!

Then He leaned down to this broken vessel and said, "Be calm, My child. Your journey is not over yet." He lifted up the candle of Love, still burning, and lit the candles of Hope and Faith again for me. This is why I now stand and sing to others caught in hopelessness and despair.

Addendum: "I wrote this story while I was recovering from an awful motorcycle accident. As a pastor it was my greatest faith test. I broke 18 bones and did lots of internal damage. God was faithful."
[Author: Tim Manzer]

The Game of Life

A skinny boy loved playing football with all his heart. In every practice he would give his best but being half the size of other boys, he got nowhere. At all the games this hopeful athlete sat on the bench and hardly ever played. The teenager lived alone with his father, and the two of them had a very special relationship. Even though the son was always on the bench, his father was always in the stands cheering. He never missed a game.

This young man was still the smallest of the class when he entered high school, but his father continued to encourage him and also made it very clear that he did not have to play football if he didn’t want to. But the young man loved football and decided to hang in there. He was determined to try his best at every practice and perhaps he’d get to play when he became a senior.

All through high school he never missed a practice or a game but remained a bench warmer all four years. His faithful father was always in the stands, always with the words of encouragement for him. When the young man went to college, he decided to try out for the football team as “walk-on.” Everyone was sure he could never make the cut but he did. The coach admitted that he kept him on the rooster because he always puts his heart and soul to every practice, and at the same time, provided the other members with the spirit and hustle they badly needed.

The news that he had survived the cut thrilled him so much that he rushed to the nearest phone and called his father. His father shared his excitement and was sent season tickets for all the college games. This persistent young athlete never missed practice during his four years at college, but he never got to play in a game. It was the end of his senior football season, and as he trotted onto the practice field shortly before the big playoff game, the coach met him with a telegram.

The young man read the telegram and he became deathly silent. Swallowing hard, he mumbled to the coach, “My father died this morning. Is it all right if I miss practice today?” The coach put his arm gently around his shoulder and said, “Take the rest of the week off, son. And don’t even plan to come back to the game on Saturday.”

Saturday arrived, and the game was not going well. In the third quarter, when the team was ten points behind, a silent young man quietly slipped into the empty locker room and put on his football gear. As he ran onto the sidelines, the coach and his players were astonished to see their faithful teammate back so soon.

“Coach, please let me play. I‘ve got to play today,” said the young man.

The coach pretended not to hear him. There was no way he wanted his worst player in this close playoff game. But the young man persisted, and finally feeling sorry for the kid, the coach gave in.

“All right,” he said. “You can go in.”

Before long, the coach, the players and everyone in the stands could not believe their eyes. This little unknown, who had never played before was doing everything right. The opposing team could not stop him. He ran, he passed, blocked, and tackled like a star. His team began to triumph. The score was soon tied. In the closing seconds of the game, this kid intercepted a pass and ran all the way for the winning touchdown.

The fans broke loose. His teammates hoisted him onto their shoulders. Such cheering you never heard. Finally, after the stands had emptied and the team had showered and left the locker room, the coach noticed that this young man was sitting quietly in the corner all alone. The coach came to him and said, “Kid, I can’t believe it. You were fantastic! Tell me what got into you? How did you do it?”

He looked at the coach, with tears in his eyes, and said, “Well did you know that my dad was blind?” The young man swallowed hard and forced a smile, “Dad came to all my games, but today was the first time he could see me play, and I wanted to show him I could do it!”

Like the athlete’s father, God is always there cheering for us. He’s always reminding us to go on. He’s even offering us His hand for He knows what is best. God has never missed a single game. What a joy to know that life is meaningful if lived for the Highest. Live for HIM for He’s watching us in the game of life.

[Based on a True Incident]

Think Over

There once was a man who had nothing for his family to eat. He had an old rifle and three bullets. So, he decided that he would go out hunting and kill some wild game for dinner. As he went down the road, he saw a rabbit. He shot at the rabbit and missed it. The rabbit ran away. Then he saw a squirrel and fired a shot at the squirrel and missed it. The squirrel disappeared into a hole in a cottonwood tree.

As he went further, he saw a large wild turkey up in a tree, but he had only one bullet remaining. A voice spoke to him and said, "Pray first, aim high and stay focused." However, at the same time, he saw a deer which would provide more meat than the turkey. He brought the gun down and aimed at the deer. But, then he saw a rattlesnake between his legs about to bite him, so he naturally brought the gun down further to shoot the rattlesnake. Still, the voice again said to him, "Pray first, aim high and stay focused."

So, the man decided to listen to God's voice. He prayed, then aimed the gun high up in the tree, and shot the wild turkey. The bullet went into the turkey, deflected off a bone and hit the deer, killing it. When the gun fired, it knocked the man off balance, he stepped on the rattlesnake's head which killed it and fell backwards into a pond. When he stood up to look around, he had fish in all his pockets, a deer and a turkey with which to feed his family. The snake was dead simply because the man listened to God.

Dear friends, pray first before you do anything. Aim high in your goals, and stay focused on God. Never let people or things discourage you concerning your past. Pray for God's will and not a mere fulfillment of your wishes. Be humble in your spirit and never let the enemy make you proud. Keep God first and everything else will follow. Do not look to man for your blessings, but look only to God.  

Think Over!

I wonder what would happen if we treated our Bible like we treat our cell phone.

What if we carried it around in our purses or pockets?

What if we turned back to go and get it if we forgot to take it with us?

What if we flipped through it several times a day?

What if we used to receive messages from the text?

What if we treated it like we couldn’t live without it?

What if we gave it as gifts to kids?

What if we used it as we traveled?

What if we used it in case of emergency?

What if we upgraded it to get the latest version?

The great thing is unlike our cell phone, we don’t ever have to worry about our Bible being disconnected because...

Jesus already paid the bill !!   

Little Girl in the Park

There was this little girl sitting by herself in the park. Everyone passed by her and never stopped to see why she looked so sad. Dressed in a worn pink dress, barefoot and dirty, the girl just sat and watched the people go by. She never tried to speak, she never said a word. Many people passed but no one would stop.

The next day I decided to go back to the park in curiosity to see if the little girl would still be there. Yes, she was there, right in the very spot as she was yesterday, and still with the sad look in her eyes. Today I was to make my own move and walk over to the little girl. For as we all know, a park full of strange people is not a place for young children to play alone.

As I got closer I could see the back of the little girl's dress was obscenely shaped. I figured that was the reason people just passed by and made no effort to help. Deformities are a low blow to our society and, heaven forbid if you make a step toward assisting someone who is different. As I got closer, the little girl lowered her eyes slightly to avoid my intent stare.

As I approached her, I could see the obscene shape of her back more clearly. She was grotesquely shaped in a humped-over form. I smiled to let her know it was OK, I was there to help, to talk. I sat down beside her and opened with a simple Hello.

The little girl acted shocked, and stammered a "hi," after a long stare into my eyes. I smiled and she shyly smiled back. We talked until darkness fell and the park was completely empty. I asked the girl why she was so sad. The little girl looked at me and with a sad face said, "Because I'm different."

I immediately said, "That you are!" and smiled. The little girl acted even sadder and said, "I know."

"Little girl," I said, "you remind me of an angel, sweet and innocent."

She looked at me and smiled. Slowly she got to her feet and said, "Really?"

"Yes, you're like a little Guardian Angel sent to watch over all those people walking by."

She nodded her head yes, and smiled. With that she spread her wings and said, "I am. I'm your Guardian Angel," with a twinkle in her eye. I was speechless, sure I was seeing things. She said, "For once you thought of someone other than yourself. My job here is done."

I got to my feet and said, "Wait. So why did no one stop to help an angel?" She looked at me and smiled, "You're the only one that could see me," and then she was gone. And with that, my life was changed dramatically. So, when you think you're all you have, remember, your angel is always watching over you. 

Twelve Red Roses

Bobby was getting cold sitting out in his backyard in the snow. Bobby didn't wear boots; he didn't like them. And besides he didn't own any. The thin sneakers he wore had a few holes in them. They did a poor job of keeping out the cold. Bobby had been in his backyard for about an hour.

Try as he might, he could not come up with an idea for his mother's Christmas gift. He shook his head as he thought, "This is useless, even if I do come up with an idea, I don't have any money to spend." Ever since his father had passed away three years ago, the family of five had struggled. It wasn't because his mother didn't care, or try. There just never seemed to be enough. She worked nights at the hospital, but the small wage that she was earning could only be stretched so far.

What the family lacked in money and material things, they more than made up for in love and family unity. Bobby had two older sisters and one younger one. They ran the household in their mother's absence. All three of his sisters had already made beautiful gifts for their mother.

Somehow it just wasn't fair. Here it was Christmas Eve already, and he had nothing. Wiping a tear from his eye, Bobby kicked the snow and started to walk down to the street where the shops and stores were.

It wasn't easy being six without a father, especially when he needed a man to talk to. Bobby walked from shop to shop, looking into each decorated window. Everything seemed so beautiful and so out of reach. It was starting to get dark, and Bobby reluctantly turned to walk home.

Then suddenly his eyes caught the glimmer of the setting sun's rays reflecting off of something along the curb. He reached down and discovered a shiny dime. Never has anyone felt so wealthy as did Bobby at that moment. As he held his new found treasure, a warmth spread throughout his entire body, and he walked into the first store he saw.

His excitement quickly turned cold when salesperson after salesperson told him that he couldn't buy anything with only a dime. He went inside a flower shop. When the owner asked if he could help him, Bobby presented the dime and asked if he could buy one flower for his mother's Christmas gift.

The shop owner looked at Bobby and his ten cent offering. Then he put his hand on Bobby's shoulder and said to him, "You just wait here and I'll see what I can do for you." As Bobby waited, he looked around the shop. Even though he was a boy, he could see why mothers and girls liked flowers.

The sound of the door closing as the last customer left, jolted Bobby back to reality. All alone in the shop, Bobby began to feel alone and afraid. The shop owner returned holding an arrangement of twelve long-stem red roses all tied together with a big silver bow. Bobby's heart sank as the owner picked them up and placed them gently into a long white box. "That will be ten cents young man," the shop owner said reaching out his hand for the dime.

Slowly, Bobby moved his hand to give the man his dime. Could this be true? No one else would give him a thing for his dime! Sensing the boy's reluctance, the shop owner added, "I just happened to have some roses on sale for ten cents a dozen. Would you like them?" This time Bobby did not hesitate, and when the man placed the long box into his hands, he knew it was true. Walking out the door that the owner was holding for Bobby, he heard the shop keeper say, "Merry Christmas, son."

As he returned inside, the shop keeper' wife walked out. "Who were you talking to back there, and where are the roses you were fixing?" Staring out the window, and blinking the tears from his own eyes, he replied, A strange thing happened to me this morning. While I was getting ready to open the shop, I thought I heard a voice telling me to set aside a dozen of my best roses for a special gift. I wasn't sure at the time whether I had lost my mind or what, but I set them aside anyway.

Then just a few minutes ago a little boy came into the shop and wanted to buy a flower for his mother with one small dime. When I looked at him, I saw myself, many years ago when I didn't have any money with which to buy my mother a Christmas gift. A bearded man, whom I never knew, stopped me on the street and told me that he wanted to give me ten dollars. When I saw that little boy tonight, I knew who that voice was, and I put together a dozen of my very best roses.

The shop owner and his wife hugged each other tightly, and as they stepped out into the bitter cold air, they somehow didn't feel cold at all.

The Big Brick Church

It was a beautiful Sunday morning. People were filling the church to its full capacity! As they entered, each were given a bulletin filled with announcements, topic of today's sermon, what songs they would sing and who to pray for.

At the end of the line stood an older man. His clothes were filthy and you could tell that he had not bathed in days. His face was covered with whiskers, for he had not shaved for a very long time. When he reached the usher, he removed his tattered old brown hat in respect. His hair was long, dirty, and a tangled mess. He had no shoes on his feet, and wore only soiled black socks to cover the sores upon his feet.

The Usher looked at him turning up his nose at the old man and said, "Uh, I'm sorry sir, but I'm afraid we can't let you in. You will distract the congregation and we don't allow anyone to disrupt our service. I'm afraid you'll have to leave."

The old man looked down at himself and with a puzzled look on his face, he placed his old brown hat back upon his head and turned to leave. He was sad as he loved to hear the choir sing praises to the Lord. He loved to watch the little children get up in front of the church to sing their little songs. He carried in his pocket a small worn out Bible and loved to see if the minister preached a passage from the Bible that he had underlined. But he was respectful, and didn't want to cause any commotion, so he hung down his head and walked back down the steps of the big brick church.

He sat down on the brick wall near the edge of the church yard and strained to listen through closed doors and windows to the singing going on in the church. Oh how he wished he could be inside with all the others.

A few minutes had passed by when all of a sudden a younger man came up behind him and sat down near him. He asked the old man what he was doing? He answered, "I was going to go to church today, but they thought I was to filthy, my clothes too old and worn, and they were afraid I would disrupt their service."

"Sorry, I didn't introduce myself. My name is George." The two men shook hands, and George couldn't help but notice that this man had long hair like his. He wore a piece of cloth draped over his body tied with a royal purple sash. He had sandals on his feet, now covered with dust and dirt.

The stranger touched George's shoulder, and said: "George, don't feel bad because they won't let you in. My name is Jesus, and I've been trying to get into this same church for years -- they won't let me in either."


There is one vice of which no man in the world is free; which every one in the world loathes when he sees it in someone else; and of which hardly any people, except Christians ever imagine that they are guilty themselves....The essential vice, the utmost evil, is Pride. Unchastity, anger, greed, drunkenness, and all that, are mere fleabites in comparison: it was through Pride that the devil became the devil; Pride leads to every other vice: it is the complete anti-God state of mind...As long as you are proud you cannot know God. A proud man is always looking down on things and people; and, of course, as long as you are looking down, you cannot see something that is above you.

A Christian should always remember that the value of his good works is not based on their number and excellence, but on the love of God which prompts him to do these things.  

The Alphabet Prayer

A little shepherd boy was watching his sheep one Sunday morning, and he heard the bells of the church ringing. As he watched the people walk along the pasture where he was, he happened to think to himself, I would like to communicate with God! But, what can I say to God? He had never learned a prayer.

So, on bent knees, he began to recite the alphabet. Repeating this prayer several times, a man passing by, heard the boy’s voice and peeked through the bushes. He saw the young boy kneeling with folded hands, eyes closed, repeating the alphabet.

He interrupted the boy. “What are you doing, my little one?” he asked. The boy replied, “I was praying sir.”

The man seemed surprised and said, “But why are you reciting the alphabet?” The boy explained, “I don’t know any prayers, sir. But I want God to take care of me, and to help me care for my sheep. And so I thought, if I said all I knew, He could put the letters together into words, and He would know all that I want and should say!”

The man smiled and said, “Bless your heart, God will” And he went on to church knowing full well that he had heard the finest sermon he could possibly hear that day.

There are many people in this world who do not make prayer a daily part of their lives because they think they have to be super spiritual or theological in their terms for God to hear them. That is a lie from the devil that many people have naively believed.

The Lord is not impressed by theological speaking or intellect that is deemed high by worldly standards. The Lord sees the heart and spirit of a person who is seeking Him earnestly and will hear their prayer regardless of what they say in fellowship with Him.

Victory is Yours

Victory is Yours

Frederick Smith founded the large multinational company called ‘Federal Express.’ As he was affected by a bone disease, his parents raised him up carefully. He was not allowed to play or do things like any other child would do. His father died when he was 4 years old. Smith had a great fancy for airplanes.

As a student of the Yale University, he did his research in Economics. He drafted a plan for delivering ordered goods in a single night, to all the cities of America. The Professor who evaluated his Research Report gave him low marks, ruling it out as impossible.

Graduating from the Yale University, he entered the commercial world in 1970. He discussed his scheme of over night delivery of goods, which he had prepared in the University with Commerce Experts. They, who believed that everything was possible, encouragingly gave him a ‘Go Ahead’ signal.

In 1972, when he was 28, he boldly launched his venture, with his Head Quarters established at Memphis, located almost in the central region of America. Every night, planes carrying goods from 100 cities in the country would arrive at Memphis and the goods would be assorted there and redistributed to various destinations through trucks.

He had secured quite a good number of investors to meet the expenses regarding the purchase of planes and trucks and the engagement of different types of employees. He had an invincible faith that everything would turn out to be good!

But on the inaugural day, there emerged a suspicion that the University Professor had, perhaps, been right! Smith’s 25 jet planes had brought about 18 parcels only. A piquant situation arose, in which the pilots had to meet the fuel expenses from their own pockets!

In two years, Smith had to incur a loss of 24 million dollars. Commerce Analysis probing various deficiencies of the project concluded that the scheme was a failure. But Fredrick Smith was positive that it would be a success! He mustered more capital for interest and gave an assurance to the commercial empire that goods would be delivered the next day. Thus he turned the tables and his company began to steadily earn a profit.

Today, his company “Federal Express” is delivering 1.5 million packages all over the world and employs 85,000 workers and has assets worth billions of dollars. The secret was Smith’s unflinching faith in the Biblical concept, “Everything is possible” while others said it was impossible.

With the Lord on your side, you will accomplish great and mighty things for Him. Do not be disheartened at failures. The Lord through our failures will guide us and teach us new suggestions toward success. When we follow his guidance and put His counsel into action, success and honour will follow us. We will be exalted to high levels.

The Lord will turn your failures into stepping stones of successes. That is the nature of God’s mind! No failure can be a stumbling block against God’s plan of lifting us up. After defeat, He Himself strengthens our spirit and honours us! 

God's will

Dear friend, do you know it is the heart of God that you should do well and prosper in every area of your life? This is what John the Apostle says in the Bible, “Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers” (3 John 2).

John was a disciple of Jesus Christ who was very close to Him. Among the twelve disciples, John was considered His favourite. It was he who leaned on the bosom of Jesus Christ. Because of the close fellowship he had with Jesus, he knew what was in the Lord’s heart.

Dear friend, the world may despise you or even your parents may forsake you. But Lord Jesus loves you and by no means will He cast you out. He loves you very much and that is why He calls you tenderly, “Dearly beloved.”

Ephesians 1:5 says,“…having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will.”

“Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God" (Ephesians 2:19).

The above cited verses assure us that we are not alone in this world. We have a God, to whom we are the beloved. Every good thing will follow you according to His will. 

Your Valuable Life

Prince was a young teenager. He was very creative and he used to paint very beautiful pictures of people and landscapes. His keen observation skill made him imprint some of the minutest emotions of human behaviour in his paintings. His parents and friends encouraged him in every way possible and gave all assistance for improving his skill. Unfortunately at the age of 15, his kidneys had a major failure and he became a patient living on medicines.

Though Prince was living on medicines, he never showed any kind of regret about his life. Accepting that painful state of life from God’s hands, he treadled the path happily. Always fetching an inspiration from the people and nature around, he continued his beautiful sketches of life. He inspired all those who came to him with his bustling words and humour. He never fell short of confidence and always had this urge to stride through this painful situation with the utmost determination.

But at the age of 17, Prince passed away leaving a great void in the hearts of many a number of persons who loved and prayed for him. But his memories remain vivid in all of their hearts.

Dear friends, this young man had very good reasons to flee from life. Yet he never entertained even a stray thought of anguish to affect his mind. Instead of fretting over the illness, he looked towards the Lord and tried to enjoy and sublimate the goodness and value of his God given life. This is what the Lord expects from each one of us. What really matter is that we have and not what we do not have.

Prince was unhealthy. Yet he used his skills to depict the beauty around to make others happy. Till the last moments of his life he tried to spread love, joy and encouragement to all those who came up to him, ignoring his illness.

“Be joyful always, pray at all times, be thankful in all circumstances.” (1 Thess. 5:16)

Let us take heed to the Word of the Lord and become a source of blessing and joy to all those around us.

Quest for Happiness

Once a philosopher asked the emperor Alexander, “Your Excellency, what will be your next goal after conquering Rome?”

“Cicily is next to Rome. It will be an easy task. So my next aim is to conquer Cicily,” he replied.

“After that…?” the philosopher continued.

“After that I will turn to Africa and defeat Carthage.”

“After Carthage?”

“Greece will be my next target.”

Again the philosopher asked courteously, “Your Excellency, if you don’t mind, please explain me the advantage of all these victories?”

“After conquering the world I will enjoy my life in peace.”

“Then why don’t you enjoy your life now?”

History reveals that his dreams were not fulfilled. He had to bid farewell to this world long before he could sit and enjoy life in peace. His kingdom got divided. He met with the same fate that doomed the lives of many who wished to become the wealthiest and mightiest in the world.

Life cannot be maintained happily with our achievements and gains. We do not need anything new in order to make our life more joyful. The presumption that more wealth and status would give us more happiness is foolishness. We can maintain happiness in life, here and now. For that, we need a serene heart. We can derive it from our faith and dependence in God.

Ambition to become bigger and greater will gradually destroy our serenity of heart. When we travel in a fast-moving vehicle, we would feel the trees and the crowd outside flashing away quickly. On the other hand, if the vehicle runs in a moderate speed the pictures by the wayside can be seen very clearly.

Similarly, we will be able to experience the beauty of a flower, the warmth of moonlight and the tenderness of relationships only if we make our minds calm. Over speed can always cause danger. So we must find out enough time to pray, to love, to be alone in solitude… If we gain everything in life and miss happiness, that will be a big tragedy.

“The Lord your God will lead you on every side” (Isa. 52: 12).

Thank God

The story is told about a pastor of a small congregation. He kept a meticulous register of all his parishioners. So convinced was he of life after death, and of the promises of Jesus about eternal life that whenever a parishioner died, he did not delete the name from the register. He simply wrote after the person’s name, "Changed residence. Gone to live elsewhere!”

Dear friends, don’t dread. God loves you. He will take care of you. Many live in dread of what is coming, why should we?

The unknown puts adventure into life. It gives us something to sharpen our souls on. The unexpected around the corner gives a sense of anticipation and surprise.

Thank god for the unknown future. If we saw all good things which are coming to us, we would sit down and degenerate. If we saw all the evil things, we would be paralyzed. How merciful God is to lift the curtain on, today; and as we get strength today to meet tomorrow, then to lift the curtain on the next day. He is a considerate God.

Divine Guidance

Have you wished there was someone to guide you in life? You do not have to lament anymore. There is a person to guide you and He is Lord Jesus Christ. You can trust Him and He will lead you to success and good health.

The Lord says, “I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will guide you with My eye” (Psalm 32:8).

In the marathon race, the athletes follow the pilot car with the words “Follow Me” written on it. By following the pilot car, the athletes finish the race successfully.

Similarly the Lord says, “My son/ My daughter, I will go ahead of you. I will guide you with my eye on you. I will show you the path you should follow. Follow me!"

Sir Isaac Newton lost his father when he was very young and his mother left him in the care of his grandmother. So his grandmother raised him. With no father or mother to guide him in life, his grandmother taught him a secret for success. She told him, “Son, seek the Lord in prayer. Ask Him to give you success in everything.”

He prayed just as his granny had taught. Days rolled by. The Lord soon answered his prayers. He was inspired to know why apples fell down when he was sitting under an apple tree. God opened his eyes of wisdom and through His guidance Newton discovered the law of gravity. The whole world was astonished at his discovery and he became a world renowned scientist.

The Lord Who gave wisdom and success to Newton in life, will also do the same for you. He will go before you and when you follow Him, He will cause every good thing to follow you.

Ant and the Contact Lens

Brenda was a young woman who was invited to go rock climbing. Although she was scared to death, she went with her group to a tremendous granite cliff. In spite of her fear, she put on the gear, took a hold on the rope, and started up the face of that rock.

Well, she got to a ledge where she could take a breather. As she was hanging on there, the safety rope snapped against Brenda's eye and knocked out her contact lens. Well, here she is on a rock ledge, with hundreds of feet below her and hundreds of feet above her.

Of course, she looked and looked and looked, hoping it had landed on the ledge, but it just wasn't there. Here she was, far from home, her sight now blurry. She was desperate and began to get upset, so she prayed to the Lord to help her to find it.

When she got to the top, a friend examined her eye and her clothing for the lens, but there was no contact lens to be found. She sat down, despondent, with the rest of the party, waiting for the rest of them to make it up the face of the cliff.

She looked out across range after range of mountains, thinking of that Bible verse that says, "The eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth." She thought, "Lord, You can see all these mountains. You know every stone and leaf, and you know exactly where my contact lens is. Please help me."

Finally, they walked down the trail to the bottom. At the bottom there was a new party of climbers just starting up the face of the cliff. One of them shouted out,"Hey, you guys! Anybody lose a contact lens?"

Well, that would be startling enough, but you know why the climber saw it? An ant was moving slowly across the face of the rock, carrying it...!

Brenda's father is a cartoonist. When she told him the incredible story of the ant, the prayer, and the contact lens, he drew a picture of an ant lugging that contact lens with the words, "Lord, I don't know why You want me to carry this thing. I can't eat it, and it's awfully heavy. But if this is what You want me to do, I'll carry it for You."

I think it would probably do some of us good to occasionally say, "God, I don't know why you want me to carry this load. I can see no good in it and it's awfully heavy. But, if you want me to carry it, I will."

Yes I do love GOD. He is my source of existence and my savior. He keeps me functioning each and every day. Without Him, I am nothing, but with Him I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. (Phil 4:13)

[ True story by Josh and Karen Zarandona ]

Be Diffrent

It was early morning. On the beach was an elderly man. He walked with a cane, carefully surveying the beach that the receding tide had left exposed.

Every now and then he bent to pick something up and toss it into the ocean. I watch with fascination as he carefully scanned the beach before him.

It was then that I realized he was looking for starfish. Every time he saw one lying helpless in the sand, unable to get back to the ocean on its own, he would lovingly pick it up and toss it gently back into the sea.

Curious as to why he was doing this, I approached him. He told me, “The starfish are left behind after the tide goes out. If they don’t get back into the ocean they will dry up and die beneath the hot summer sun.”

“But there are endless miles of beach and there must be millions of starfish,” I said. “Surely you don’t think you can save them all. What difference can your efforts possibly make?”

Slowly the old man bent over and picked up another starfish. As he tossed it into the ocean he looked at me and said, “It makes a difference to that one.”  

Who'll take the Son?

A wealthy man and his son loved to collect rare works of art. They had everything in their collection, from Picasso to Raphael. They would often sit together and admire the great works of art.

When the Vietnam conflict broke out, the son went to war. He was very courageous and died in battle while rescuing another soldier. The father was notified and grieved deeply for his only son.

About a month later, just before Christmas, there was a knock at the door. A young man stood at the door with a large package in his hands.

He said, "Sir, you don't know me, but I am the soldier for whom your son gave his life. He saved many lives that day, and he was carrying me to safety when a bullet struck him in the heart and he died instantly. He often talked about you, and your love for art."

The young man held out his package. "I know this isn't much. I'm not really a great artist, but I think your son would have wanted you to have this."

The father opened the package. It was a portrait of his son, painted by the young man. He stared in awe at the way the soldier had captured the personality of his son in the painting. The father was so drawn to the eyes that his own eyes welled up with tears.

He thanked the young man and offered to pay him for the picture. "Oh, no sir, I could never repay what your son did for me. It's a gift."

The father hung the portrait over his mantle. Every time visitors came to his home he took them to see the portrait of his son before he showed them any of the other great works he had collected.

The man died a few months later. There was to be a great auction of his paintings. Many influential people gathered, excited over seeing the great paintings and having an opportunity to purchase one for their collection. On the platform sat the painting of the son.

The auctioneer pounded his gavel. "We will start the bidding with this picture of the son. Who will bid for this picture?" There was silence.

Then a voice in the back of the room shouted. "We want to see the famous paintings. Skip this one." But the auctioneer persisted. "Will someone bid for this painting? Who will start the bidding? $100, $200?" Another voice shouted angrily. "We didn't come to see this painting. We came to see the Van Goghs, the Rembrandts. Get on with the real bids!"

But still the auctioneer continued. "The son! The son! Who'll take the son?" Finally, a voice came from the very back of the room. It was the longtime gardener of the man and his son. "I'll give $10 for the painting."

Being a poor man, it was all he could afford. "We have $10, who will bid $20?"

"Give it to him for $10. Let's see the masters." "$10 is the bid, won't someone bid $20?" The crowd was becoming angry. They didn't want the picture of the son. They wanted the more worthy investments for their collections.

The auctioneer pounded the gavel. "Going once, twice, SOLD for $10!" A man sitting on the second row shouted, "Now get on with the collection!"

The auctioneer laid down his gavel. "I'm sorry, the auction is over."

"What about the paintings?"

"I am sorry. When I was called to conduct this auction, I was told of a secret stipulation in the will. I was not allowed to reveal that stipulation until this time. Only the painting of the son would be auctioned. Whoever bought that painting would inherit the entire estate, including the paintings. The man who took the son gets every thing!"

God gave his son 2,000 years ago to die on a cruel cross. Much like the auctioneer, His message today is, "The son, the son, who'll take the son?" Because you see, whoever takes the Son gets everything.

Tale of the Kite

Once there was a kite that loved to fly high. Nothing made it happier than to be caught in a stiff breeze that would send it soaring upward, far above the grassy meadows below. It loved the feel of the wind and the faraway view.

But gradually the kite became dissatisfied. Wouldn't it be wonderful if it could fly even higher than its string allowed? It could think only of sailing so high that the houses became dots far below, and it brushed against the clouds.

So it tugged and tugged on the string, hoping to break free. Then one day the string snapped! For a moment the kite was ecstatic as it leaped skyward. But then it began to tumble and spin out of control, and soon it crashed to the ground below.

Unfortunately, we are sometimes like that kite. We want to go places and do things that are morally out of bounds. We tug against the lordship of Christ and the truth that we are to live for Him (2 Cor. 5:15). We tell ourselves that if only we could get free, we would be happy. But like that kite, we would crash.

Jesus died and rose from the grave to give us true liberty, freedom to soar safely within the bounds of His law and the constraints of His love. Only when we are grounded in God's Word can we rise to new heights.

Those who live should live no longer for themselves, but for Him who died for them. (2 Cor. 5:15)

Lord, help me to value the freedom Of life that is tied to Your love, A life of obedience and service, Kept safe by Your hand from above.

“For God loved the world so much that he gave his only son, so that everyone who believes in him may not die but have eternal life.” (John:3:16)

It happened in the year 1937 in U.S.A. Hensley was in control of a railroad bridge over the Mississippi. Each day at a certain hour this bridge was raised so that barges pass through. Then it was lowered for the trains to pass over.

One day Hensley took his eight-year-old son with him to work. When it was time for him to close the bridge, he saw that the child, while playing, had fallen into the gears that operated it. Hensley knew that if he pushed the lever, his son would be crushed to death. If he saved the boy, the 400 passengers on the approaching train would die.

The father sacrificed his son. The train passed over as usual. It was filled with good and bad men, with saints and the unholy. Hensley had saved their lives by sacrificing his son.

“For God loved the world so much that he gave his only son, so that everyone who believes in him may not die but have eternal life.” (John:3:16)