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Greetings
********
Christian
greetings dear friends. Hopefully I can administer, in a gentle way, a
reminder to all who are in need of reassurance, that you are not alone.
There isn't any burden too heavy or any sorrow too devastating that cannot
be softened by our Heavenly Father's grace. Just talk to Him in
prayer and let Him help you sail the unpredictable sea of life.
My
Church
**********
I
was baptised into the Lutheran faith when I was a few weeks old. I
confirmed and restated the covenant that God made with me in Baptism,
when I was fourteen. I believe in the teachings of Martin Luther and the
Lutheran Church. These are stated in the Ten Commandments, the Lord's
Prayer and the three creeds - Nicene, Apostles', and Athanasian - and
three short phrases...Grace alone, Faith alone, and Scripture alone. I
couldn't imagine my life without a Christian church to support me. In
spite of human frailties she has brought untold blessings to me, my
children and grand-children. The church has made the community and
country a better place in which to establish a home. I would not want to
live or die in a land where no church spires point it's people heavenward.
I
am a member of Immanuel Lutheran Church, Buderim. Every second Sunday I
join my husband Fred, at the Mooloolaba Uniting Church. This arrangement allows us to
worship together and has worked well for us over the years.
BE
HAPPY!
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This
102 year-old, petite, well-poised and proud man, who is fully
dressed each morning by eight o'clock, with his hair fashionably
coifed and face shaved perfectly, even though he is legally blind,
moved to a nursing home today. His wife of 70 years recently passed
away, making the move necessary. After many hours of waiting
patiently in the lobby of the nursing home, he smiled sweetly when
told his room was ready.
As
he manoeuvred his walker to the elevator, I provided a visual
description of his tiny room, including the eyelet sheets that had
been hung on his window.
"I
love it," he stated with the enthusiasm of an eight-year-old
having just been presented with a new puppy.
"Mr.
Jones, you haven't seen the room; just wait."
"That
doesn't have anything to do with it," he replied.
"Happiness is something you decide on ahead of time. Whether I
like my room or not doesn't depend on how the furniture is
arranged... it's how I arrange my mind. I already decided to love
it. "It's a decision I make every morning when I wake up.
I have a choice; I can spend the day in bed recounting the
difficulty I have with the parts of my body that no longer work, or
get out of bed and be thankful for the ones that do.
Each
day is a gift, and as long as my eyes open I'll focus on the new day
and all the happy memories I've stored away. Just for this
time in my life. Old age is like a bank account. You withdraw
from what you've put in.
So,
my advice to you would be to deposit a lot of happiness in the bank
account of memories. Thank you for your part in filling my memory
bank. I am still depositing.
Remember
the five simple rules to be happy:
1.
Free your heart from hatred.
2.
Free your mind from worries.
3.
Live simply.
4.
Give more.
5.
Expect less. [ Author Unknown] |
would
I go to Heaven?
You
may say I am thinking too highly of myself when I answer...
"YES!"
But the
wonderful news is that God has given me a great gift of love and
forgiveness and with no cost to me. It's available to any of us who will
reach out and receive it.
Just
invite Jesus Christ to be your Lord and Savoir.
God made a way. He loved us enough that He gave His only Son, who
died for us while we were still in our sin, and all we have to do is
acknowledge our need for Him. We need to step down off
the pedestal of decision making in our lives and say, "Jesus, You
take up residence in me. Teach me Your ways. Show me how to
live a life that's significant for you."
Jesus
says in John 10:9...
"I am the door, if anyone enters by me, they will be saved.
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The
Teacup
*********
There
was a couple who used to go to England to shop in the beautiful
stores. They both liked antiques and pottery, especially teacups.
This was their 25th wedding anniversary.
One
day in this beautiful shop they saw a beautiful teacup. They said,
"May we see that? We've never seen one quite so
beautiful."
As
the lady handed it to them, suddenly the teacup spoke. "You
don't understand I have not always been a teacup.
"There was a time when I was red and I was clay. My
Master took me and rolled me and patted me over and over and I
yelled out, "Let me alone, but he only smiled and said,
"Not yet".
Then
I was placed on a spinning wheel, the teacup said, and suddenly I
was spun around and around and around. Stop it! I'm getting dizzy! I
screamed but the Master only nodded and said, "Not yet".
Then
he put me in an oven. I never felt such heat. I wondered why he
wanted to burn me and I yelled and knocked at the door. I could see
him through the opening and I could read his lips, as He shook His
head, "Not yet".
Finally
the door opened, he put me on the shelf and I began to cool.
"There, that's better", I said. And He brushed and painted
me all over. The fumes were horrible. I thought I would gag.
"Stop it, stop it" I cried. He only nodded, "Not
yet."
Then
suddenly put me back in the oven, not like the first one. This was
twice as hot and I knew I would suffocate. I begged. I pleaded, I
screamed. I cried. All the time I could see him through the opening
nodding his head, saying "Not yet".
Then
I knew there wasn't any hope. I would never make it. I was ready to
give up. But the door opened and he took me out and placed me on the
shelf. One hour later he handed me a mirror and said, "Look at yourself",
and I did.
I
said, "That's not me. That couldn't be me. It's beautiful. I'm
beautiful".
I
want you to remember then, he said, "I know it hurts to be
rolled and patted, but if I had left you alone you'd have dried
up".
"I
know it made you dizzy to spin around on the wheel but if I had
stopped you would have crumbled. I knew it hurt and was hot and
disagreeable in the oven, but if I hadn't put there, you would have
cracked.
I
know the fumes were bad when I brushed and pained you all over, but
if I hadn't done that you never would have hardened. You would not
have had any colour in your life.
And
if I hadn't put you back in that second oven, you wouldn't survive
for very long because the hardness would not have held. Now you are
finished product. You are what I had in mind when I first began with
you.
MORAL:
God knows what he is doing (for all of us). He is the Potter and we
are his clay. He will mould us and make us so that we may be made
into a flawless piece of work to fulfil
His good, pleasing and perfect will. [Author Unknown]
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I
am God's melody of life and He sings His song through me.
A
Perfect Grandparent:
Loves them,
Spoils them...
then sends them
HOME.
Lutherans
For Life
*******************
Abortion:
What have we become when a most dangerous place for a child, is in
a mother's womb.
How
sad...when God our Heavenly Father creates so wonderfully and has given us a precious soul.
In
the Bible we read...
"You
created every part of me; You put me
together in my mother’s womb You saw me before I was born. The
days allotted to me had all been recorded in your book, before any of them
had ever began. (Psalm 139:13, 16). "Your hands formed and shaped me . . .
You formed my body with bones and sinews and covered the bones with
muscles and skin. You
gave me life" (Job 10:8–12).
Let's
Be Happy!
**************
I
feel a Christian has been stereotyped, as a rigorous person who walks
around with a bible under their arm. Well... that may be so, but if we are
to be advertisements for God's Children, let's have a spring in our step
and a smile on our face.
God
has given me a sense of humour so I can laugh at myself...and see the
funny side of life. Certainly, there are times when the heart is heavy.
But even then, an optimistic bright personality is of more comfort then a
worried, lost look. Christianity offers Life - Jesus calls it Abundant
Life... Eternal Life. Let's make it an exciting and joyful journey.
Sing
to the Lord, all the world!
Worship
the Lord with joy:
Come
before Him with happy songs! [Psalm 100:1-2]
When
You Worry
***************
When
you worry about money, you're telling Him that He is unable to provide for
His children. That although He has riches beyond belief in Heaven,
He is too stingy to share them with you.
When
you worry that no one understands you, you're telling Him that although He
has been with you since before you were formed in the womb and has carved
you into the palm of His hand, He doesn't know you.
When
you worry that you will not have enough food, you're telling Him that
although He rained down bread from Heaven in the desert to feed His
children, you are the one He's forgotten.
When
you worry that your enemies will have victory over you, you're telling God
that, although He has given you spiritual battle gear to defend yourself,
that despite His track record of being a giant slayer, Red Sea divider,
lion mouth closer and a furnace cooler, He can't handle your co-worker,
your neighbour, or a former friend.
When
you worry that you won't be able to do enough to earn forgiveness, you're
telling Him that's okay Lord, no need for Your Son to die, I can earn my
own forgiveness. Let's just act like Jesus never died, tell Him
never mind He doesn't need to go to the cross.
When
you worry that no one will love you, that you'll be lonely for the rest of
your life, you're telling Him that His love is insufficient. That He
couldn't possibly love you enough to ward away loneliness. You're
saying that although He has promised life more abundantly, He was lying.
That despite the fact that He started off saying that it is not good that
we be alone, He's changed His mind.
When
you worry and refuse to give the problem over to Him, you're telling Him
that, although He could create the world, He can't handle what's going on
in your world, so you will. You are saying that He won't work things
out, that obstacles cannot be overcome, that mountains can't be climbed,
that healing cannot occur, that what is lost will not be found, that joy
does not come in the morning, that He is not the God of a second chance,
that the Promised Land has been swallowed up by the desert, that you have
discovered the height, depth and width of His love and found it to fall
short of your needs.
Think
about all what you're saying to the one who loves you the most and who has
all power, really think about it. Then open your hands and release
what you've been holding onto. Bow down on your knees and ask Him to
forgive you for doubting Him. Walk away with a peaceful heart and
note the footsteps that go before you to make the crooked places straight,
a way in the wilderness and water spring forth in the desert.
"Do
not fear, for I am with you; do not anxiously look about you, for I am
your God. I will strengthen you, surely I will help you, surely I will
uphold you with My righteous right hand."
Isaiah 41:10
[Author
unknown]
Q.
What did Noah say to his family, when they were fishing from the ark?
A.
Go easy on the bait guys, I only have two worms.
"The Meanest
Mother"
**********************
Written by Bobbie Pingaro 1967
I had the meanest mother
in the whole world. While other kids ate candy for breakfast, I had to
have cereal, eggs or toast. When others had cokes and candy for lunch, I
had to eat a sandwich. As you can guess, my supper was different than the
other kids' also.
But at least, I wasn't alone in my sufferings. My sister and two brothers
had the same mean mother as I did.
My mother insisted upon knowing where we were at all times. You'd think we
were on a chain gang. She had to know who our friends were and where we
were going. She insisted if we said we'd be gone an hour, that we be gone
one hour or less--not one hour and one minute. I am nearly ashamed to
admit it, but she actually struck us. Not once, but each time we had a
mind of our own and did as we pleased. That poor belt was used more on our
seats than it was to hold up Daddy's pants. Can you imagine someone actually
hitting a child just because he disobeyed? Now you can begin to
see how mean she really was.
We had to wear clean clothes and take a bath. The other kids always wore
their clothes for days. We reached the height of insults because she made
our clothes herself, just to save money. Why, oh why, did we have to have
a mother who made us feel different from our friends?
The worst is yet to come. We had to be in bed by nine each night and up at
eight the next morning. We couldn't sleep till noon like our friends. So
while they slept-my mother actually had the nerve to break the child-labour
law. She made us work. We had to wash dishes, make beds, learn to cook and
all sorts of cruel things. I believe she laid awake at night thinking up
mean things to do to us.
She always insisted upon us telling the truth, the whole truth and nothing
but the truth, even if it killed us- and it nearly did.
By the time we were teen-agers, she was much wiser, and our life became
even more unbearable. None of this tooting the horn of a car for us to
come running. She embarrassed us to no end by making our dates and friends
come to the door to get us. If I spent the night with a girlfriend, can
you imagine she checked on me to see if I were really there. I never had
the chance to elope to Mexico. That is if I'd had a boyfriend to elope
with. I forgot to mention, while my friends were dating at the mature age
of 12 and 13, my old fashioned mother refused to let me date until the age
of 15 and 16. Fifteen, that is, if you dated only to go to a school
function. And that was maybe twice a year.
Through the years, things didn't improve a bit. We could not lie in bed,
"sick" like our friends did, and miss school. If our friends had
a toe ache, a hang nail or serious ailment, they could stay home from
school. Our marks in school had to be up to par. Our friends' report cards
had beautiful colours on them, black for passing, red for failing. My
mother being as different as she was, would settle for nothing less than
ugly black marks.
As the years rolled by, first one and then the other of us was put to
shame. We were graduated from high school. With our mother behind us,
talking, hitting and demanding respect, none of us was allowed the
pleasure of being a drop-out.
My mother was a complete failure as a mother. Out of four children, a
couple of us attained some higher education. None of us have ever been
arrested, divorced or beaten his mate. Each of my brothers served his time
in the service of this country. And whom do we have to blame for the
terrible way we turned out? You're right, our mean mother. Look at the
things we missed. We never got to march in a protest parade, nor to take
part in a riot, burn draft cards, and a million and one other things that
our friends did.
She forced us to grow up into God-fearing, educated, honest adults. Using
this as a background, I am trying to raise my three children. I stand a
little taller and I am filled with pride when my children call me mean.
Because, you see, I thank God, He gave me the meanest mother in the whole
world.
[This is the original article written
by Bobbie Pingaro in 1967. I want to express my thanks to Bobby, for
allowing me to place it on my website]
***********************************
Best Joke!
A
young woman brings home her fiance to meet her parents. After dinner, her
mother tells her father to find out about the young man.
The father invites the fiance to his study for a chat. "So what are
your plans?" the father asks the young man. "I am a Bible
college student." he replies. "A Bible college student.
Hmmm," the father says. "admirable, but what will you do to
provide a nice house for my daughter to live in, as she's accustomed
to?" "I will study," the young man replies, "and God
will provide for us." "And how will you buy her a beautiful
engagement ring, such as she deserves?" asks the father. "I will
concentrate on my studies," the young man replies, "God will
provide for us." "And children?" asks the father. "How
will you support children?" "Don't worry, sir, God will
provide," replies the fiance. The conversation proceeds like this,
and each time the father questions, the young idealist insists that God
will provide.
Later,
the mother asks, "How did it go, Honey?" The father answers,
"He has no job and no plans, but the good news is he thinks that I'm God.
THE
TROUBLE TREE
*******************
I
hired a plumber to help me restore an old farmhouse, and after he had just
finished a rough first day on the job... [a flat tyre made him loose an
hour of work, and his electric drill quit] his ancient one ton truck
refused to start. While I drove him home, he sat in stony silence. On
arrival he invited me in to meet his family. As we walked towards the
front door, he paused briefly at a small tree, touching the tips of the
branches with both hands. When opening the front door he under an amazing
transformation. His tanned face was wreathed in smiles and he hugged his
two small children and gave his wife a kiss. Afterwards he walked me to
the car. We passed the tree and my curiosity got the better of me. I asked
about what I had seen him do earlier. "Oh, that's my trouble
tree," he replied "I know I can't help having problems on the
job, but one things for sure, those troubles don't belong in the house
with my wife and children. So I just hang them on the tree every night
when I come home and ask God to take care of them. Then in the morning I
pick them up again. Funny thing is," he smiled, "when I come out
in the morning to pick them up, there aren't nearly as many as I remember
hanging up the night before." [Author Unknown]
I
never said it would be easy....I only said it would be worth it.
After
a church service, a little boy told his pastor that when he grew up he
would give his Pastor some money. The Pastor thanked him and then asked
him "But why?". The little boy replied, "Because daddy says
your one of the poorest preachers we've ever heard.
*********
If
you can't sleep, don't count sheep.
Talk
to the Shepherd.
 THE
LOUNGE ROOM CURTAINS
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