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Need an inspirational thought...a chuckle or two... something to inspire you and get you through the day?  Well, you've come to the right place.  Check here REGULARLY for new bits of inspiration. 
(POSTED DAILY...WELL...ALMOST) 

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(Sunday, September 28)

(Saturday, September 27)

DIFFERENT, BUT THE SAME

At the height of the segregation storm in the United States, a six-year-old girl headed out for her first day of school.  Her elementary school was one that had been integrated recently, and the community was still full of tension.  After school her mother met her anxiously at the door, eager to hear how the day had gone.  "Did everything go all right, honey?" she asked.

"Oh, Mother!  You know what?" the little girl said eagerly, "A little black girl sat next to me."

With growing apprehension the mother asked, "And what happened?"

The little girl replied, "We were both so scared about our first day at school that we held hands all day."

Often, jealousy and hate are born out of a lack of information--we simply don't know a person or an individual member of a group.  Once we discover the many things that we share in common with another person--including our fears, our hopes, our concerns, our desires--our differences simply enhance our relationships.

When we allow one another our unique differences, jealousy fades and love grows.

from God's Little Lesson On Life for Women

(Friday, September 26)

Bumper Sticker for the Day:

Surprise your parents--point out something they're doing right.

from If the Pasta Wiggles, Don't Eat It...And Other Good Advice
by Martha Bolton

...and a chuckle.  Inspirational????  Nope!   Fun????   I think so. <S>

A man and his wife were having an argument about who should brew the coffee each morning.

The wife said, "You should do it, because you get up first, and then we don't have to wait as long to get our coffee."

The husband said, "You are in charge of the cooking around here and you should do it, because that is your job, and I can just wait for my coffee."

Wife replies, "No you should do it, and besides it is in the Bible that the man should do the coffee."

Husband replies, "I can't believe that , show me."

So she fetched the Bible, and opened the New Testament and shows him at the top of several pages, that it indeed says.........

" HEBREWS "

(Thursday, September 25)
(really think about this one!!!)

There was a little girl who, on the way home from church, turned to her mother and said, "Mommy, the Preacher's sermon this morning confused me."

The mother said, "Oh?  Why is that?"

The girl replied, "Well, he said that God is bigger than we are.  Is that true?"

"Yes, that's true," the mother replied.

"He also said that God lives within us.  Is that true, too?"

Again the mother replied, "Yes."

"Well," said the girl.  "If God is bigger than us and He lives in us, wouldn't He show through?"

Imagine yourself as the director of a movie.  You dedicate yourself to it and pour your undivided attention into it for months, maybe even years.  You stay awake nights just thinking about every aspect of it.  You're so proud of your "baby" you could bust!

Now, imagine watching the credits roll at the premiere screening, and noticing that under the words "Directed by ..." it's blank!  Your name isn't listed!  Or worse yet, what if an actor's name was listed as the director?  How would that make you feel?  Not very good, would it?

Sometimes, when we have the opportunity to give credit where credit is due, we make no mention of the Lord and his direction in our lives.  Perhaps we even fool ourselves into thinking that it was our own talents and skills, or even our own wisdom, that brought us whatever success we enjoy. We either leave the "Directed by ..." line blank, or we place our own names there and selfishly accept all the praise rightfully due him.

But that's not how it's supposed to be.  When God leads and guides our lives, he deserves the director's credit.  We need to make sure he gets it.

"In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven." --Matthew 5:16

from Never Ask Delilah for a Trim...And Other Good Advice 
by Martha Bolton

(Sunday, September 21)
If we were royal heirs to an earthly monarch, we might have grand, attention-getting duties such as leading military campaigns or reigning over lavish ceremonial affairs.  Instead, we are heirs to a servant King, whom we honor by serving others in humility and in love.  Our duty here may be something simple...and even more important:

 He poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples' feet, and to wipe them with the towel with which He was girded. -- John 13:5

from Daily Splashes of Joy by Barbara Johnson

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(Friday, September 19)
The Chinese tell a story based on three or four thousand years of wisdom.  Two merchants were arguing heatedly in the midst of a crowd.  A stranger, noting the depth of their anger, expressed surprise that no blows were being struck.  His friend explained, "The man who strikes first admits that his ideas have given out."

from More of ... The Best of Bits & Pieces

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(Wednesday, September 17)
Being thankful is like an analogy I once read that talks of being given a dish of sand and being told there were particles of iron in it.  We could look for the iron by sifting our clumsy fingers through the sand, but we wouldn't find much.  If we took a magnet, however, and pulled it through the sand, it would draw to itself the almost invisible iron particles.  The unthankful heart, like the clumsy fingers, discovers no mercies, but let the thankful heart sweep through the day, and as the magnet finds the iron, so will the thankful heart find heavenly blessings every time!

from Daily Splashes of Joy by Barbara Johnson

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(Tuesday, September 16)

DOWN IN FRONT!

In high school, my sister and I used to sell popcorn at football games.  We'd walk through the stands with a tray of popcorn boxes strapped around our necks and yell, "Popcorn!  Fifty cents!  Get your popcorn here!"  It was great.  We could make a little money and enjoy the game at the same time.

There was only one problem.  No matter how hard we tried not to, we couldn't help but block the view of the game for some very unhappy fans.  "Down in front!" they'd yell.  "Move it!"  "Take a hike!"

I can't really say that I blame them.  The crowd was there to watch the quarterback throw a winning pass or run for a sixty-yard touchdown.  They weren't there to see two teenage girls selling popcorn.  What we were doing was distracting them, blocking their view, and drawing their focus away from the game.  So, naturally, they didn't hesitate to tell us to get out of their way.

If we're not careful, people can get in our way and block our view of Jesus, too.  They move right into our line of vision, drawing out attention to them and their distracting behavior, and away from the awesome things that God is doing.  We need to recognize such interferences and maintain our focus on the important matters.  No matter what disturbances are going on around us, we need to say "Down in front!" and keep our eyes fixed on Jesus.

from Never Ask Delilah for a Trim...And Other Good Advice
by Martha Bolton

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(Monday, September 15)
A woman lived with her husband and two children in a very small hut.  Then her husband's parents lost their home and she had to take them into hers.

The coughing of the old folks and the crowding were unbearable.  In desperation, she went to the village wise man, whom she knew had solved many, many problems.  "What should I do?" she begged.

"Do you have a cow?" asked the wise man.

"Yes," she replied.

"Then bring her into the hut too.  And come back and see me in a week," said the wise man.

A week later she was back.  "This is unbearable," she said.

"Do you have any chickens?" asked the wise man.

"Yes," she replied.  "What about them?"

"Bring them in the hut too," he said. "Then come back and see me in another week."

"You're utterly out of your mind," she said.  Nevertheless, still awed by his reputation, she did as he asked.

A week later she returned.  "This is absolutely impossible," she said.  "Our home is a mess of chicken feathers, cow dung, and people."

"All right," said the wise man, "take out the chickens."

The next week she reported that without the chickens it was definitely better but still a miserable situation.  "All right," said the wise man, "now take out the cow.  That will settle your problem."

And it did.  Without the chickens and cow to contend with, the woman, her husband, the children, and his two parents got along quite peacefully.  Everything, you see, is relative.  Sometimes we don't know how well off we really are.

from The Best of Bits & Pieces
published by The Economics Press, Inc.

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(Sunday, September 14)

YOU'RE SOMETHING SPECIAL

Nothing...in the whole world will ever be able to separate us from the love of God.  --Romans 8:39

We want to know how long God's love will endure.... Not just on Easter Sunday when our shoes are shined and our hair is fixed.... Not when I'm peppy and positive and ready to tackle world hunger.  Not then, I know how he feels about me then.  Even I like me then.

I want to know how he feels about me when I snap at anything that moves, when my thoughts are gutter-level, when my tongue is sharp enough to slice a rock.  How does he feel about me then?...

Can anything separate us from the love Christ has for us?

God answered our question before we asked it.  So we'd see his answer, he lit the sky with a star.  So we'd hear it, he filled the night with a choir; and so we'd believe it, he did what no man had ever dreamed.  He became flesh and dwelt among us.

He placed his hand on the shoulder of humanity and said, "You're something special."

from In The Grip of Grace by Max Lucado

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(Friday, September 12)
How long has it been since you let God have you?

I mean really have you.  How long since you gave him a portion of undiluted, uninterrupted time listening for his voice?  Apparently, Jesus did.  He made a deliberate effort to spend time with God.

Spend much time reading about the listening life of Jesus and a distinct pattern emerges.  He spent regular time with God, praying and listening.  Mark says, "Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed." (Mark 1:35)....

Let me ask the obvious.  If Jesus, the Son of God, the sinless Savior of humankind, thought it worthwhile to clear his calendar to pray, wouldn't we be wise to do the same?

from Just Like Jesus by Max Lucado

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(Thursday, September 11)

IN LOVING MEMORY 
of the victims of September 11, 2001

"The Ones Left Standing"
by Wayne Watson
a musical and visual tribute
(click on the title of the song to view the tribute)

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(Wednesday, September 10)
Keep away from people who try to belittle your ambitions.  Small people always do that, but the really great make you feel that you, too, can become great.
--Mark Twain

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(Tuesday, September 9)

GOING UNDER

When I was a teenager I almost drowned on a youth retreat with my church.  Drowning wasn't on the list of approved activities, but it wasn't my fault.... Well, on second thought, maybe it was

You see, I was joking around with our youth pastor.  We were in the swimming pool and every time he'd go under the water, I'd swim over to where he was and stand on his back.  He played along for a while, until he decided he needed to breathe (go figure) and knocked me off.

Our little game was fun as long as we were in the shallow end.  But when he swam to the deep end, with me on his back, standing on him quickly became a necessity.  I couldn't swim.

When he knocked me off this time, I went down ... and down ... and down.  Under the water, I could hear the rest of the youth group laughing and having a great time.  I was only a few feet away from them, yet not one person noticed I was drowning.

After swallowing most of the recommended daily intake of eight glasses of water, I finally heard someone yell, "Hey, I think she's drowning!"  Within seconds the youth pastor pulled me to safety.

Thankfully for me, the story has a happy ending.  But I wonder how many people are within earshot of our laughter and conversation, people we see day in and day out, who are drowning in a pool of loneliness and despair, heartache and pain, and no one's noticing.

from Never Ask Delilah for a Trim...And Other Good Advice
by Martha Bolton

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(Sunday, September 7)

QUESTIONS

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(Saturday, September 6)
(Knowing what to say to someone who is grieving has always been difficult for me.  Sadly, it is difficult for most people and the tendency is to just stay away to avoid saying the wrong thing.  I was talking to my sister-in-law last week about this very subject.  She has been both a social worker and a Hospice Chaplain, and she sent me this list.  I found it to be very helpful...thought you might also find it helpful.)

HOW TO BE HELPFUL TO THOSE WHO GRIEVE

1.  Acknowledge what has happened.  Call, write, go by, etc.  If you can, go to the visitation or to the funeral.

2.  Listen, listen, listen.  Say as little as possible.

3.  Touch--hand on the shoulder, hug, whatever feels comfortable.

4.  Hear and accept all feelings--feelings are neither right nor wrong; they just are.

5.  If a loved one has died, don't hesitate to use the name of the loved one.  Allow the grieving person to talk about her loved one.  Ask particulars about him or her.  Cite particular memories of your own of the loved one.

6.  Avoid clichés such as
               "I know how you feel."  You don't know, even if you've experienced a similar loss. 
               "Be strong."  Remember there's a time for everything, and when someone dies, emotions are in order.  That's how we heal.
               "God won't put more on you than you can bear."  At the time of death, it sometimes feels like more than we can bear.  this is a way of discounting feelings.
               "This is God's will."

7.  Be slow to offer advice unless you're asked for it.

8.  Remember that silence sometimes conveys meaning in a way sound cannot.  A touch or a hug may be all that is needed to sum up what you feel.

9.  Offer to help and make your offers specific.

10.  There isn't anything to say except "I'm sorry."  Mostly, all we can do when another is grieving is to be with them.  Realize that if you really want to help another, and if your heart is in the right place, then it's true that you are enough.

11.  Do not tell your own or someone else's story, even if it is related.  A person who is grieving will not be interested.  It meets your need but not his.  At the most, it is appropriate to say, "I remember when my mother died.  It sure was a hard time."  Keep the ball in the griever's court.  This is his time, not yours.

12.  Visit again a month or so after the death.  At first the grieving person may be in a state of shock, but after a few weeks the numbness wears off, and the pain becomes more acute.

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(Friday, September 5)

The God Who Comforts Us

Comfort is a rare and wonderful gift.  Do you remember a time when you were a kid and you badly needed some comfort?  Perhaps it was something as simple as a skinned knee, but your mother took it seriously and gave you comfort by kissing and then bandaging the hurt and telling you everything would be all right.  Or maybe as you got older and someone you cared about hurt you deeply, a friend comforted you with words of encouragement.

Such memories are warm and wonderful.  Yet sometimes the comfort of a loved one isn't enough.  Sometimes the hurt is so deep that no human words can help  relieve the pain.  No mere bandage can cover the damage.

That's when you need to look beyond human comfort to something much more effective--the comfort of God.  This isn't some mystical, faraway concept.  God really does provide comfort to those who call upon Him in times of need.  The trouble is that many people are so busy blaming God for their troubles that they don't even realize how close He is and how much He wants to comfort them.  Unlike human comfort, which feels good for a moment, God's comfort supplies strength for a lifetime.

The meaning of comfort takes on significance when it describes God's actions towards us.  When the Bible talks about God's comfort, it describes a comfort of strength and refreshment.  At the root of God's comfort is the idea of nearness.  Indeed, when He comforts us, God calls us near.

Is God calling you near in your time of trouble?  Go to Him in prayer and through His Word.  There you'll find strength, safety, and solace.  Are you hurting?  Do you struggle with loneliness?  God wants you to draw near to Him so you can feel His overwhelming love.  Go ahead.  Ask God for His comfort in every detail of your life.

from God Is In The Small Stuff and it all matters
by Bruce & Stan

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(Thursday, September 4)

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(Wednesday, September 3)

So often, folks that no one really knows or rarely ever sees do the most crucial jobs in everyday events. These folks are rarely given the credit they deserve. Their jobs are called "support roles" because they are not the star, featured personality, or out-of-town "expert" brought in to wow the crowd, company, or church. Yet without their help, the lights wouldn't come on, the place wouldn't be clean, the sound levels would never be set, the equipment would remain in unloaded trucks, and the myriad of details necessary for a great experience would be left un-addressed.

Jesus repeatedly taught his disciples that his Kingdom wasn't about status, power, or position, but about service. In fact, Jesus taught that the greatest in his Kingdom is a servant -- notice that he didn't say that someday God would recognize them as the greatest, but that they are the greatest NOW! That perspective changes everything.  

While all of us like to be affirmed in our work, many of us will never be appreciated to the full extent of our efforts and sacrifices. That is just life in the competitive and self-serving world  in which we live. Yet as we offer our services to others -- whether at work, in the community, at home, or with our church -- we need to know that we are offering them first to God. We work for him. He is the one we are trying to please and bless. Jesus reminds us that he sees each of those efforts -- especially those done behind the scenes -- and will reward them. Jesus is adamant that those acts of kindness and service that no one seems to notice or to appreciate are the very ones that God will most joyously reward. Until then, let me stop and say thanks to you for your service to the Kingdom. Your Lord wants you to know that you're the greatest! Don't let the missing applause or the overlooked notoriety discourage you. Your Father sees. Your Father is blessed. Your Father has a message for you: Well done, my good and faithful servant. ... Let's celebrate together!" (Matthew 25:21)  
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(c) 2003 Phil Ware, Heartlight, Inc.

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(Tuesday, September 2)

"I want to live my life in such a way that when I die and God asks me what I have to offer, I can say... Nothing. I used everything that You gave me."

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(Monday, September 1) 

TIGHTROPE TRUST

In the mid-nineteenth century, tightrope walker Blondin was going to perform his most daring feat yet.  He stretched a two-inch steel cable across Niagara Falls.  As he did, a large crowd gathered to watch.  He asked the onlookers, "How many of you believe that I can carry the weight of a human on my shoulders across this gorge?"

The growing crowd shouted and cheered, believing that he could perform this difficult feat.  Blondin picked up a sack of sand that weighed about 180 pounds and carried it across the Falls.  They both arrived on the other side safely.

Then Blondin asked, "How many of you believe that I can actually carry a person across the gorge?"  Again, the crowd cheered him on.

"Which one of you will climb on my shoulders and let me carry you across the Falls?"  Silence fell across the crowd.  Everyone wanted to see him carry a person across the gorge, but nobody wanted to put his or her life into Blondin's hands.

Finally a volunteer came forward willing to participate in this death-defying stunt.  Who was this person?  It was Blondin's manager, who had known the tightrope walker personally for many years.

As they prepared to cross the Falls, Blondin instructed his manager, "You must not trust your own feelings, but mine.  You will feel like turning when we don't need to turn.  And if you trust your feelings, we will both fall.  You must become part of me."  The two made it across to the other side safely.

Jesus gives us the same instruction when we are asked to trust Him in difficult circumstances:  "Don't trust your own feelings; trust Me to carry you through"

printed in Quiet Moments with God
a devotional book by Honor Books--Tulsa, OK

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