I Cannot Say
Submitted by: Vickie
I CANNOT SAY
OUR ; if my religion has no room for others and their needs.
I CANNOT SAY
FATHER ; if I do not demonstate this relationship in my life.
I CANNOT SAY
WHO ART IN HEAVEN ; if all my interests and pursuits are in earthly things.
I CANNOT SAY
HALLOWED BE THY NAME ; if I, who am called by his name am not holy.
I CANNOT SAY
THY KINGDOM COME ; if I am unwilling to give up my own sovereignty and accept the righteous
reign of God.
I CANNOT SAY
THY WILL BE DONE ; if I am unwilling or resenful of having it in my life.
I CANNOT SAY
ON EARTH AS IT IS IN HEAVEN ; if I am not truly ready to give myself to his service here
now.
I CANNOT SAY
GIVE US THIS DAY OUR DAILY BREAD ; if I am not expending an honest effort for it or by
ignoring the genuine needs of my fellow man.
I CANNOT SAY
FORGIVE US OUR TRESPASSES AS WE FORGIVE THOSE WHO TRESPASS AGAINST US ; if I continue
to harbor a grude against anyone.
I CANNOT SAY
LEAD US NOT INTO TEMPTAION ; if I deliberately choose to remain in a situation where
I am likely to be tempted.
I CANNOT SAY
DELIVER US FROM EVIL ; if I am not prepared to fight in the spiritual realm with the
weapon of prayer.
I CANNOT SAY
THINE IS THE KINGDOM ; if I do not give the King the disciplined obedience of a loyal
subject.
I CANNOT SAY
THINE IS THE POWER ; if I fear what my neighbors do or say to me.
I CANNOT SAY
THINE IS THE GLORY ; if I am seeking my own glory first.
I CANNOT SAY
FOREVER ; if I am anxious about each days's events.
I CANNOT SAY
AMEN ; if I don't honestly say "cost what it may, this is my prayer."
________________________________________________________________
Dear God...
By Teresa Piercey
I called tonight to talk a little while,
I need a friend who'll listen to my anxiety and trial...
You see, I can't quite make it
through a day just on my own.
I need your love to guide me,
so I'll never feel alone.
I want to ask you please to keep,
my family safe and sound.
Come and fill their lives with confidence
for whatever fate they are bound.
Give me faith, dear God, to face
each hour throughout the day,
and not to worry over things
I can't change in any way.
I thank you God, for being home
and listening to my call.
For giving me such good advice
When I stumble and fall.
Your number, God, is the only one
that answers every time.
I never get a busy signal,
never had to pay a dime.
So thank you, God, for listening to my troubles and
my sorrow!
Good night God, I love You too, and I'll call again
tomorrow!
_____________________________________________________
Remember
Author Unknown
Remember that your presence is a present to the world.
Remember that you are a unique and unrepeatable creation.
Remember that your life can be what you want it to be.
Remember to take the days just one at a time.
Remember to count your blessings, not your troubles.
Remember that you'll make it through whatever comes along.
Remember that most of the answers you need are within you.
Remember those dreams waiting to be realized.
Remember that decision are too important to leave to chance.
Remember to always reach for the best that is within you.
Remember that nothing wastes more energy than worry.
Remember that not getting what you want is sometimes a
wonderful stroke of luck.
Remember that the longer you carry a grudge,
the heavier it gets.
Remember not to take things too seriously.
Remember to laugh.
Remember that a little love goes a long way.
Remember that a lot goes forever.
Remember that happiness is more ofter found in giving than
getting.
Remember that life's treasures are people, not things.
____________________________________________________
Remind Me, God
Author Unknown
When I am lonely and
Perhaps I feel despair,
Let not my ailing heart forget
That YOU hear every prayer...
Remind me that no matter what
I do or fail to do,
There still is hope for as long
as I have FAITH in YOU...
Let not my eyes be blinded by
Some folly I commit,
But help me to regret my wrong
And make amends for it.
Inspire me to put my fears
Upon a hidden shelf,
And in the future try not to
Feel sorry for myself.
Give me the restful sleep I need
Before another dawn.
And bless in the morning with
THE COURAGE TO GO ON.
____________________________________________________
Our Alphabet
Author Unknown
Although things are not perfect
Because of trial or pain
Continue in thanksgiving
Do not begin to blame
Even when the times are hard
Fierce winds are bound to blow
God is forever able
Hold on to what you know
Imagine life without His love
Joy would cease to be
Keep thanking Him for all the things
Love imparts to thee
Move out of "Camp Complaining"
No weapon that is known
On earth can yield the power
Praise can do alone
Quit looking at the future
Redeem the time at hand
Start every day with worship
To "thank" is a command
Until we see Him coming
Victorious in the sky
We'll run the race with gratitude
Xalting God most high
Yea, there'll be good times and yes
some will be bad, but...
Zion waits in glory...where none are
ever sad!
__________________________________________________
Important List
Author Unknow
The most destructive habit...........Worry
The greatest Joy.........................Giving
The greatest loss........................Loss of self-repect
The most satisfying work............Helping other
The ugliest personality trait..........Selfishess
The most endangered species.......Dedicated leaders
Our greatest natural resource..........Our youth
The greatest "shot in the arm"..........Encouragement
The greatest problem to overcome.............Fear
The most effective sleeping pill..........Peace of mind
The most crippiling failure disease.........Excuses
The most powerful force in life.........Love
The most dangerous pariah.............A gossiper
The world's most incredible computer............The brain
The worst thing to be without..........Hope
The deadliest weapon...............The tongue
The two most power-filled words..........."I Can"
The greastest asset........................Faith
The most wothless emotion.....................Self-pity
The most beautiful attire.......................SMILE
The most pized possession................Integrity
The most powerful channel of communication..........Prayer
The most contagious spirit..................Enthusiasm
The most important thing in life.........GOD
Everyone needs this list to live by.
___________________________________________________
The Will of God
Author Unknow
The will of God will never take you,
Where the grace of God cannot keep you,
Where the arms of God cannot support you,
Where the riches of God cannot supply your needs,
Where the power of God cannot endow you.
*
The will of God will never take you,
Where the Spirit of God cannot work through you,
Where the wisdom of God cannot teach you,
Where the army of God cannot protect you,
Where the hands of God cannot mold you.
*
The will of God will never take you,
Where the love of God cannot enfold you,
Where the mercies of God cannot sustain you,
Where the peace of God cannot calm your fears,
Where the authority of God cannot over rule for you.
*
The will of God will never take you,
Where the comfort of God cannot dry your tears,
Where the Word of God cannot feed you,
Where the miracles of God cannot be done for you,
Where the omnipresence of God cannot find you.
*
"Everything happens for a purpse. We may not see the
wisdom of it all now, but trust and believe in
the Lord that everything is for the best."
*
The way to be anxious about nothing is
to be prayerful about everything.
____________________________________________________
The Blessing Of Thorns
Author Unknow
Sandra felt as low as the heels of her shoes as she pushed
against a November gust and the florist shop door. Her life had
been esay, like a spring breeze. Then in the fourth month of
her second pregnancy, a minor automobile accident stole her
ease.
During this Thanksgiving week she would have delivered a son.
She grieved over her loss. As if that weren't enough, her
husband's company threatened a transfer. Then her sister, whose
annual holiday visit she coveted, called saying she could not
come.
What's worse, Sandra's friend infuriated her by suggesting her
grief was a God-given path to maturity that would allow her to
empathize with other who suffer. "She has no idea what I'm
feeling," thought Sandra with a shudder.
"Thanksgiving? Thankful for what?" She wondered aloud. For a
careless driver whose truck was hardly scatched when he rear-
ended her? For an airbag that saved her life but took that of
her child?
"Good afternoon, can I help you?"
The shop clerk's approach startled her.
"I.....I need an arrangement," stammered Sandra. "For
Thanksgiving?"
"Do you want beautiful but ordinary, or would you like to
challenge the day with a customer favorite I call the
Thanksgiving Special?" asked the shop clerk.
"I'm convinced that flowers tell stories," she continued.
"Are you looking for something that conveys 'gratitude' this
Thanksgiving?"
"Not exactly!" Sandra blurted out. "In the last five months,
everything that could go wrong has gone wrong." Sandra
regretted her outburst, and was surprised when the shop clerk
said, "I have the perfect arrangement for you."
Then the door's small bell rang, and the shop clerk said, "Hi
Barbara....let me get your order." She politely excused herself
and walked toward a small workroom, then quickly reappeaeed,
carrying an arrangement of greenery, bows, and long-stemmed
thorny roses.
Except the ends of the rose stems were neatly snipped...there
were no flowers.
"Want this in a box?" asked the clerk.
Sandra watched for the customer's response. Was this a joke?
Who would want rose stems with no flowers!?! She waited for
laughter, but neither woman laughed. "Yes, please," Barbara
replied with an appreciative smile.
"You'd think after three years of getting the special, I
wouldn't be so moved by its significance, but I can feel it
right here, all over again," she said as she gently tapped her
chest.
"Uhh." stammered Sanda, "that lady just with, uhh....she
just left with no flowers!"
"Right...I cut off the flowers. That's the Special... I call
it the Thanksgiving Thorns Bouquet.
"Oh, come on, you can't tell me someone is willing to pay for
that?" exclaimed Sanda.
"Barbara came into the shop three years ago feeling very much
like you feel today," explained the clerk. "She thought she had
very little to be thankful for. She had lost her father to
cancer, the family business was failing, her son was into drugs,
and she was facing major surgery."
"That same year I had lost my husband," continued the clerk,
"and for the first time in my life, I had to spend the holidays
alone. I had no children, no husband, no family nearby, and too
grest a debt to allow any travil.
"So what did you do?' asked Sandra.
"I learned to be thankful for the thorns," answered the clerk quietly.
"I've always thanked God for good things in life and never thought
to ask Him why those good things happened to me, but when bad
stuff hit, did I ever ask! It took time for me to learn that dark times
are important.
I always enjoyed the 'flowers' of life, but it took
thorns to show me the beauty of God's comfort. Yon know, the
Bible says that God comforts us when we're afflicted, and from
His consolation we learn to comfort others.
"Sandra sucked in her breath as she thought about the very thing
her friend had tried to tell her. "I guess the truth is I don't
want comfort.
I've lost a baby and I'm angry with God."
Just then someone else walked in the shop.
"Hey, Phil!" shouted the clerk to the balding, rotund man.
"My wife sent me in to get our usual Thanksgiving arrngement
......twelve thorny, long-stemmed stems!" laughed Phil as the
clerk handed him a tissue-wrapped arrangement from the refrigerator.
"Those are for your wife?" asked Sandra incredulously. "Do you
mind me asking why she wants something that looks like that?"
"No....I'm glad you asked," Phil replied. "Four years ago my
wife and I nearly divorced. After forty years, we were in a
real mess, but with the Lord's grace and guidance, we slogged
through problem after problem.
He rescued our marriage. Jenny here (the clerk) told me she
kept a vase of rose stems to remind her of what she learned from
'thorny' times, and that was good enough for me. I took home
some of those stems. My wife and I decided to label each one
for a specific 'problem' and give thanks to Him for what that
problem taught us."
As Phil paid the clerk, he said to Sandra, "I hightly recommend
the Special!"
"I don't know if I can be thankful for the thorns in my life."
Sandra said to the clerk. "It's all too...fresh."
"Well," the clerk replied carefully, "my experience has shown me
that thorns make roses more precious. We treasure God's
providential care more during trouble then at any other time.
Remember, it was a crown of thorns that Jesus wore so we might
know His love. Don't resent the thorns."
Tears rolled down Sandra's cheeks. For the first time since the
accident, she loosened her grip on resentment. "I'll take those
twelve long-stemmed thorns, please," She managed to choke out.
"I hoped you would," said the clerk gently. "I'll have them
ready in a minute."
"Thank you. What do I owe you?" asked Sandra.
"Nothing but a promise to allow God to heal your heart. The
first year's arrangement is always on me." The clerk smiled and
handed a card to Sandra.
"I'll attach this card to your arrangement, but maybe you'd like
to read it first."
It read:
"Dear God, I have never thanked you for my thorns. I have
thanked you a thousand times for my roses, but never once for my
thorns. Teach me the glory of the cross I bear; teach me the
value of my thorns. Show me that I have climbed closer to you
along the path of pain.
Show me that, through my tears, the colors of your rainbow look
much more brilliant."
__________________________________________________________
FOUR WORDS
A king called all of his wise men and counselors
together for a meeting. He addressed them and
said, "I want you to go and think, read, and
research. Consult the wisest and most learned
men in the land. Spare no expense."
"I want you to find the ONE statement that will
get me through all situations in life. Whether I
am on top of the world or in the pits, find that
statement."
"Find me a MountainWings Moment statement."
"I don't want to learn long and complicated
philosophies. I want one simple statement.
Find it or write it; I don't care, just bring me
the statement."
The men left and consulted for months. They
finally returned and handed the King a scroll.
The King unrolled the scroll. On it was written
four words -
"THIS TOO SHALL PASS"
That was it.
The wise men explained.
When you are on top of the world, that is but a
fleeting moment, things change, always remember,
this too shall pass.
When you are in the pits, all nights are followed by
day, at your lowest moments remember also, this
too shall pass.
All external circumstances and material things
change.
No matter what your circumstance, remember,
THIS TOO SHALL PASS!
The wise men reminded the great King that this
would get him through his earthly things but the
truly wise knew there were things beyond this
earth and life....
Things that are eternal.
True wisdom they reminded the King was in the
ability to recognize the fleeting temporal things
of the material world from the truly eternal things.
O Great King they said, "Most of the things that
you worry or gloat about are temporary and our
four words apply."
For most of your situations...
THIS TOO SHALL PASS!
STOP WAITING....
...until your car or home is paid off
...until you get a new car or home
...until your kids leave the house
...until you go back to school
...until you get a better job
...until you finish school
...until you get married
...until you lose 20 lbs
...until you have kids
...until you retire
...until summer
...until spring
...until winter
...until fall
There is no better time than right now
to be happy. Happiness is a journey
between you and God. Ask Him now
to escort you during the adventure.
And smile!!!
by Pastor Bill
