A thought for the Day

[Hemi-mom]

"Most of us follow our conscience as we follow a wheelbarrow--we push it in front of us in the direction we want to go." --Billy Graham

"As a part of our fallen nature, the conscience is subject to change as determined by our desires. Place your confidence in the unchanging Word of God; under its direction, the conscience can be become a useful tool of the Holy Spirit." ---In Touch Magazine , April 2002

 

[Dan Murphy]

I do enjoy these very much. So many good thoughts here. Thanks, guys.

 

[Hemi-mom]

Originally "Quoted" by Dan Murphy
There are persons who have some parts like me, but no one adds up exactly like me. --Virginia Satir

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I'm so wonderfully made
You're so wonderfully made
God has made us in a special way
and we're so wonderfully made

I'm so wonderfully, you're so wonderfully, we're so wonderfully made!

Even when you could not see me, before the day that I was born
I was so wonderfully, you were so wonderfully, we were so wonderfully made!

I'm so wonderfully made
You're so wonderfully made
God has made us in a special way
and we're so wonderfully made---Robert Evans, THE DONUT MAN

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"You created my inmost being; You knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise You because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from You when I was made in the secret place, when I was woven together in the depths of the earth, Your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in Your book before one of them came to be." Psalm 139:13-16

 

[Dan Murphy]

Sometimes we need to be empty.

Sometimes it's good to be quiet and alone. How else do we
become acquainted with the inner self? If we're constantly
bombarded by external stimuli - noise, people, activities, demands
- we risk losing our center, or never finding it.

Our impulse often is to try to fill ourselves up - with food,
possessions, thoughts, plans, worries, accomplishments. We fear
being empty, as though if we were empty we might very well cease
to exist. We fear the void within.

Meditation teaches us that being empty is not a dreadful
experience. On the contrary, when we empty ourselves of our
busyness, we are refreshed and recreated. We are able to receive
insights and hear what our deeper self has to tell us. Spending
some time each day being quiet and alone puts us in touch with our
center and enables us to listen to the inner voice.

---Inner Harvest by Elisabeth L.

 

[helenabear]

Life Creed by Adonea ©1990

To be alone, but not lonely.
To desire, instead of crave.
To do with or without, with no effect/reaction.
To give freely, and expect nothing in return.
To do, for the sake of doing.
To stop searching, only listen to our small quiet voice.
To not question everything, just to feel and Know.
To be Now, not in past or future.
To live life with Joy and Love.
To trust and love the self, and show your Truth and Love to all the world.

 

[Dan Murphy]

The other day I passed by a homeless person sleeping in the street.
I studied his face-rough, tired, defeated. As I experienced
compassion for his situation, I went back in time and imagined
what he looked like as an infant-full of hope and expectation. I
also realized that despite outward circumstances, this inner child
was still alive within him. For the next few days I perceived the
inner child behind the masks of all whom I encountered.

What does this inner child want? It wants to be held, touched, and
loved. It wants to belong. It wants to have fun, laugh, and play.
What does this inner child provide? It gives us aliveness, energy,
joy, and vitality. It gives us curiosity and a sense of wonder. It
gives us life.

Most of us have paid too little attention to the child within. In a
culture where striving for success makes life a "serious" business,
we suffer from a common malady-a lack of connection with our
childlike nature and the joy it brings.

It is said, "Unless you become as a little child, you cannot enter the
kingdom of God." Resolve each day to ask your child what he or
she needs or wants. Spend time getting to know him or her. Then
note the increased vitality that comes from connecting with that
central part of yourself.

---Listening to Your Inner Voice by Douglas Bloch

 

[helenabear]

Very nice... thank you Dan

 

[Dan Murphy]

The harried hen scurried about her house, trying to put it in order.
Some friends she hadn't seen for years were due to arrive later that
day, and she wanted everything perfect for them. In a flurry, she
made the bed, put away the dishes, and scrubbed the floor. Oh
dear, she thought in dismay, I meant to wash the sheets today.
Frantically, she flew back to the bedroom and tore the sheets from
the made bed.

Just then, a neighbor arrived and stood at hen's door, watching her
anxiously rush about. "Dear Hen," he said in a patient, loving
tone, for he was quite fond of her, "You will never enjoy your visit
if you continue to race about. Come. Sit and rest and tell me of
these friends. Have you any snapshots?" The hen did as her
neighbor suggested, and soon her friends arrived to find her
relaxed, refreshed, and warm with the memories of them.

What is my real work for the day?

---Today's Gift by Anonymous

 

[Hemi-mom]

Yes, Dan! Thank you for the post above. The Scripture in Doug Bloch's quote is from Mark 10:14-15... "Jesus said, 'Let the little children come to me for such is the kingdom of God. Assuredly I say to you, whoever does not recieve the kingdom of God as a little child will by no means enter it.'"

Not only must we find our inner child, but also approach life from that perspective, realizing that God wants us to come to Him as children. Simple faith and trust is what He desires most, like any parent. God wants so much to be our "daddy," our provider, our source of joy and our protector. When we connect with our inner child we see more and more our need to become reliant on our Heavenly Father, no matter our age! Amazingly enough, becoming a parent myself has enabled me to more fully understand God's desire to love me so sacrificially and MY need to trust him as a His child.

We must then recognize that people (like the homeless on the street) are hurting so badly. Often, they need others to show them the love of God, by touching them and loving them sacrificially (as God does) so that they can come to trust Him as a child.


Your post also reminded me of a song written by one of my FAVORITE artists, Bryan Duncan:

A Child's Love
by Bryan Duncan

I see the pages fall from the calendar
Like the leaves falling from the trees
Feel a chill in the fear of the future
As I weather this autumn breeze

I watch my red-haired inspiration
Playing games out on the lawn
Such an innocent joy of living
He's his father's only son

Don't let me live without a child's love
Like the love in this child of mine
Teach me, dear Lord, to have a love for you
A child's love

I let the changes in my season
Steal the passion from my heart
Like the roses fade in the winter
All the petals fall apart

Until a young voice gives my withered soul
A rejuvenating smile
And those small hands clasped around me
Erase the hardship for awhile

Don't let me live without a child's love
Like the love in this child of mine
Teach me again about a child's love
And sharing the best of my time,
Oh, and don't let me live without a child's love
Like the love in this child of mine
Teach me, dear Lord, to have a love for you
A child's love

 

[Hemi-mom]

Harried Hen turned Cheerful Chicken...sign me up!

 

[Tiggerlover91]

ALL OF THESE POSTS ARE AMAZING!! I don't know why I'm so surprised to see them here on the community board. I have to say that's is so nice to see GOD talked about in such a wonderful way and reading all these wonderful thoughts for the day. Here lately, I've been having a really hard time with my belief and faith in GOD. DH and I are still having trouble paying rent and I know that the eviction is coming soon. Even with the second job, it's just too hard to catch up when I'm a month and a half past due. I asked DH a few days ago, if GOD was blessing us then why are we so in debt to our landlord. Charles said if GOD WASN'T blessing us....why is there a roof still over our head since rent hasn't been paid this month?? I had to really run that one through my mind. My account was overdrawn by $140.00 and that very same day I found out, I made $70 at the Pizza parlor, and had two paychecks which totalled $77. Does everyone see that adds up to $147??!! No accident I had just enough money to get my account back to zero was it?
I do believe in GOD and I know that he will do what he's promised to do.....HE WILL NEVER YOU NOR FORSAKE YOU. (Forgive me, I'm not sure what book that comes from in the bible, I just know that my DH has to constantly remind me of that) I don't have cool stories to share, but I do have three verses that I'd like to share. They are bumper stickers on my car and I've gotten a lot of compliments from them.

WITH GOD ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE
NO JESUS NO PEACE.....KNOW JESUS KNOW PEACE
Real men read THE INSTRUCTIONS. (The last one is very cool because behind the words are bible verses. A lot of people don't understand it, unless they get closer to it and can see it. I also enjoy this too...

GOD GRANT ME THE SERENITY TO ACCEPT THE THINGS I CANNOT CHANGE THE COURAGE TO CHANGE THE THINGS I CAN AND THE WISDOM TO KNOW THE DIFFERENCE.
---THE SERENITY PRAYER



All these posts were wonderful, thanks everyone, they have helped quite a bit. Wish DH and I luck with the apartment thing...no don't wish us luck...pray for us...it works so much better.

~~~Denise

 

[Dan Murphy]

Excellent thoughts and advise, Denise. We must not give up on the Lord.

I have never let me schooling
Interfere with my education.
--Mark Twain

Education doesn't only happen within the four walls of a
classroom or school. We can learn in almost every situation, at
almost every moment of the day. Our teachers don't need a wall
covered with framed degrees from schools or universities. In some
cases, our teachers are those who have been through what we have
been through. They can light the way for us. Often, they have
something we don't-like serenity-that they are willing to share
with us. They may teach us by being an example for us, or they
may share with us how they found peace in recovery.

As learners, our main task is to keep an open mind, to be willing to
listen, and to ask questions. Most important is our willingness to
learn. The teacher usually appears when the student is ready.

---Body, Mind, and Spirit by Anonymous

 

[Tiggerlover91]

Thank you Papa Dan, I appreciate the kind words. If anyone has any words for me, I would love to hear them. I can use all the kind words I can get right now.

 

[stamper]

Hi everyone! JC...you always come up w/ great threads!!

Denise, your post really touched me! You will be in my prayers...let us know how God works it all out. You may look at these troubles as a bad thing, but try looking at them as an adventure that you are on with God. How exciting it is to know He is in control and that He has promised to provide ALL your NEEDS. DH and I had a rough year financially...or we thought it was going to be. We left it all in God's very capable hands and He has been faithful in it all! We have been amazed watching how He chose to provide for each need and we will continue to stand in awe as He continues to provide. You see, my DS starts Kindergarten in the fall. Both he and DD will be in a Christian school, so this means double the tuition this year. I don't have a clue how we will pay it each month, but we believe God wants them there and therefore He will provide in His way and in His time. While it is a bit scary, it is exciting to watch God work. My best to you {{{{HUGS}}}} and prayers!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Prayer of Jabez
from I Chronicles 4:10

Oh, that You would bless me indeed,
and enlarge my territory
That Your hand would be with me
and that You would keep me from evil,
that I may not cause pain.


If you haven't read "The Prayer of Jabez" by Bruce Wilkenson, I encourage to do so. It is small book that packs a big punch!

 

[Dan Murphy]

We often crave to know every detail of every moment of the rest of
our lives, but we don't need them. We couldn't handle them,
really. We are given all the information we need as the moments
tick by. The Holy Spirit knows far better than what we need to
know, and when. And we'll always find it out when the time is
right.

When we grow in our acceptance of this principle, our lives will
grow simpler. Our task is to turn to the Holy Spirit, not the ego,
for direction. Our minds contain them both, of course.
Recognizing their separate voices comes with practice and the
willingness to be peaceful rather than "right."

Our lives don't become less exciting when we let the Holy Spirit be
in charge. In fact, some might say that going along for the ride,
rather than steering the car, offers us unexpected adventure and
surprise.

Letting someone else decide the route leaves me free to enjoy the
many stops on the way.


---Timeless Wisdom by Karen Casey

 

[helenabear]

Denise, you are so very right... never give up on God. I will keep you and Charles in my prayers. Stamper, I pray that you too will find the means to keep your DS & DD in private schooling. It is amazing to watch God at work. {{HUGS}} for you both!!

Never Let Go

I want to let go, but I won't let go,
There are battles to fight,
By day and by night,
By the galant and right,
And I'll never let go.

I want to let go, but I won't let go,
I'm sick tis true,
Worried and blue,
Worn through and through,
But I wont let go.

I want to let go, but I won't let go,
I will never yield,
What, lie down on the field,
And surrender my shield?
NO! I'll NEVER let go.

I want to let go, but I won't let go,
May this be my song
'Mid legions of wrong,
O, God, Keep me strong;
That I may never let go.

Written By: Unknown

 

[Buckalew]

Stamper,
We have had a rough year financially also. AND we have a DD in Christian school. Only one child but I will say a prayer for you dealing with double tuition. I had a friend say to me today,"Maybe you should rethink sending hunter to a Christian school so you wouldn't have tuition." After paying the regular bills that allow us to live, sending her to that school is top priority. I kid about buying things and the fact that they have to pass my Disney test (do I want to buy this or have $$ for WDW trip) but in reality, school is my priority.

The decision to do private school came easy at first but then as it drew closer I worried about having the $$. God spoke to me about this in a way I'll never forget. One of the greatest moments in my life. No loud voices (sorry to disappoint some folks LOL) but nevertheless He was loud and clear. I will keep it short & to the point and let you know that He led me to the story of the loaves and fishes. He let me know that if I would give Him what little I have that He would make sure it was enough and our needs would be met. She will start 3rd grade next year. I know He will help us find a way.

Then a friend at school told me that it was easy to have faith that God would provide if the $$ was in the bank at the time the check needed to be written but much harder to have that faith if the $ was not there. That spoke volumes to me as I wanted the $$ to be there so I could then easily say, "Yes, we'll do Christian school." Once I read a book titled something like this: You can't walk on water if you won't get out of the boat. That is usually me. Afraid to get out of the boat. Afraid to actually exercise my faith. I'm learning the hard way and God is providing our needs and I will continue to look to Him.

Love this thread. It is always an upper for me.
Tiggerlover91, hold tight to God. He is with you when no one else is. I'm praying for you. {{{hugs}}}

 

[Tiggerlover91]

These last few posts have been outstanding.....thank you all!! I appreciate being kept in your prayers. Buckalew and Stamper...I REALLY enjoyed your posts!

FAITH IS LIVING WITH AN INVISIBLE MEANS OF SUPPORT

 

[stamper]

Buck, thanks for that post. It is always nice to know "you're not the only one"! I know what you mean about school being the top prority...if it wasn't for tuition there are lots of "things" we could have, but we choose instead to have children who are educated in an environment that includes God rather than exclude Him...and it is worth every penny!! Even when the pennies are hard to find! I sure am glad God knows exactly where to find them and how to get them into my piggy bank!


Faith makes things possible, not easy!

 

[EROS]

As history has progressed, the role of Gods has decreased as understanding has replaced supernatural explanations for natural events. If there is no God, then one would think it likely that in our stage of development, the hypothetical God would only be responsible for those things which we do not currently understand. In other words, the remaining God or Gods in our modern society will only be necessary for the "possibly" supernatural parts of existence. However because 500 years ago Gods were necessary to explain the perfection of the heavens, where as now we know it's to do with the 4 forces of nature and the 3 families of matter. I see this trend continuing, as it has for thousands of years now, until understanding will eventually replace all of the hypothetical God's reasons for existence.