Showing posts with label Encouragement. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Encouragement. Show all posts

Monday, September 6, 2010

My Dearest Friend


My Dearest Friend

He is my very dearest Friend,
One on whom I can depend,
Oh what comfort knowing He
Is always looking after me.

He remains through thick and thin,
Regardless of the shape I'm in,
And rich or poor, and young or old,
His love is mine to have and hold.

There are some who have allowed
That they are lonely in a crowd,
'Tis a needless sorrow, He
Forever keeps us company.

Seasons come and seasons go,
Changed from all I used to know,
But right up until the end,
... I have Jesus for a friend.

Grace E. Easley

Sunday, August 8, 2010

To Have and Have Not


To Have and Have Not

Matt 13:11-13 NIV
11 He replied, "The knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you, but not to them. 12 Whoever has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him. 13 This is why I speak to them in parables:

Matt 21:43 NIV
43 "Therefore I tell you that the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people who will produce its fruit.

Matt 25:14-30 NIV
14 "Again, it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted his property to them. 15 To one he gave five talents of money, to another two talents, and to another one talent, each according to his ability. Then he went on his journey. 16 The man who had received the five talents went at once and put his money to work and gained five more. 17 So also, the one with the two talents gained two more. 18 But the man who had received the one talent went off, dug a hole in the ground and hid his master's money.

19 "After a long time the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them. 20 The man who had received the five talents brought the other five. 'Master,' he said, 'you entrusted me with five talents. See, I have gained five more.'

21 "His master replied, 'Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness!'

22 "The man with the two talents also came. 'Master,' he said, 'you entrusted me with two talents; see, I have gained two more.'

23 "His master replied, 'Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness!'

24 "Then the man who had received the one talent came. 'Master,' he said, 'I knew that you are a hard man, harvesting where you have not sown and gathering where you have not scattered seed. 25 So I was afraid and went out and hid your talent in the ground. See, here is what belongs to you.'

26 "His master replied, 'You wicked, lazy servant! So you knew that I harvest where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered seed? 27 Well then, you should have put my money on deposit with the bankers, so that when I returned I would have received it back with interest.

28 "'Take the talent from him and give it to the one who has the ten talents. 29 For everyone who has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him. 30 And throw that worthless servant outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.'

Mark 4:25 NIV
25 Whoever has will be given more; whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him."

Luke 8:18 NIV
18 Therefore consider carefully how you listen. Whoever has will be given more; whoever does not have, even what he thinks he has will be taken from him."

Luke 10:41-42 NIV
41 "Martha, Martha," the Lord answered, "you are worried and upset about many things, 42 but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her."

Luke 19:26-27 NIV
26 "He replied, 'I tell you that to everyone who has, more will be given, but as for the one who has nothing, even what he has will be taken away.

Tuesday, August 3, 2010

Minds for Christ - Not for Man


Minds for Christ - Not for Man

Phil 4:8-9 NIV

8 Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable — if anything is excellent or praiseworthy — think about such things. 9 Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me — put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.

Rom 12:2 NIV

2 Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is — his good, pleasing and perfect will.

Saturday, July 24, 2010

Give Me Some Living Water, Lord



Give Me Some Living Water, Lord

John 4:13-15 NIV

13 Jesus answered, "Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, 14 but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life."

15 The woman said to him, "Sir, give me this water so that I won't get thirsty and have to keep coming here to draw water."

Monday, July 12, 2010

God Keeps In Touch


God Keeps In Touch

God shows Himself a bit each day
To those who pause along the way
To contemplate a budding rose
Or watch a river as it flows.

He calms our fears and disbelief
By resurrecting every leaf
When spring has come upon the land
And every day is simply grand.

He paints the sunrise day by day
To chase the darkest night away,
Then hangs the stars when day is through
That we might have a wish come true.

Sometimes it rains on our parade
And spoils the plans that we have made,
But soon each storm shall pass us by
And there's His rainbow in the sky!

God keeps in touch with those who seek
His fellowship throughout the week
For all who look shall surely see
His glory and His majesty!

Clay Harrison

Thursday, June 24, 2010

Life Ain't No Picnic


Life Ain't No Picnic

Things are never easy
I think we'd all agree
But sometimes it seems
Even our best laid schemes
Go awry at the worst time
You could almost call it a crime
When I was little I thought I could fly
No sky appeared too high
Doors opened and beckoned
And I darted through them in a second
But as I aged, life dragged me down
And turned my smile into a frown
Every day a new ache beset me
And I found it hard to be depression free
From the animal world I learned much
Not to use my pains as a crutch
Take the industrious ant for example
Proof of its laboriousness is ample
It teaches us the value of determination
Without being defeated by frustration
So why should I let trouble win the day
Let my model, the tiny ant, show the way

Truth Seeker

Wednesday, June 16, 2010

Why Do We Weep?


Why Do We Weep?

Why do we weep and worry so
When things go wrong and troubles grow?
Have we no faith to just believe
When sorrows cause our hearts to grieve?
We may not understand it all
When disappointments come to call,
But God has promised to be there
If we but call His name in prayer.
We know that He is on our side
For in our hearts He shall abide
Until the rivers cease to flow
And autumn winds refuse to blow
For God is great; His word is true,
And there is nothing He can't do...
So rest assured that God is near
And wipe away that bitter tear.

Clay Harrison / T.S.

Monday, June 7, 2010

Little Prayer


Little Prayer

Dear Lord thank You for today,
Walk beside me all the way,
Keep me safe from all that would
Cause me heartache if it could.
Guard my eyes, and ears, and lips,
Give me strength to come to grips
With each problem I must face,
And some courage, just in case.

Never let my footsteps stray,
'Lest perhaps I lose the way,
And whatever may befall,
Keep me humble through it all.
If a cross must be my share,
Make it one that I can bear,
And through shadows of the night,
Hold me close 'til morning light.

Grace E. Easley

Sunday, May 23, 2010

Our Lives At Sea


Our Lives At Sea

God puts us on a lifeboat
Whose purpose is to promote
Our spiritual improvement
Living our lives as He meant

With our family and others
We're all to live as brothers
Learning from our mistakes
To do this... for heaven's sakes

The waters may at times be rough
Proving we're really not so tough
Don't lose sight of God waiting on the shore
Soon you'll see what Providence has in store

At times some may go overboard
In saving them lies a great reward
Our Lord watches over our strife
Reaching out to us to save our life

Rowing toward the same heavenly goal
Is the way to save our eternal soul
If we let faith, hope and love be our beacon
Our resolve will never weaken

Truth Seeker

Monday, May 17, 2010

Rainbows


Rainbows

Some folks I know have narrow views
Of life that close them in.
And they continually await
Misfortune to begin.
They never see the sunshine,
But they always find the rain.
They've frowned so much they can't recall
How laughter sounds again.

Instead of seeing each new day
A bright and shining thing,
They face the dawn and wonder what
New sorrow it will bring.
They squeeze out every ounce of joy,
Within the hearts of those
Who seek to cheer their lonely lives,
Why? Only heaven knows.

They put a price on everything,
And say that "nothing's free",
And end up being miserable
As anyone can be.
They haven't learned the secret
That life is more than just
Accumulating lots of things,
That fall apart with rust.

For life is more than gathering
What someday we must leave.
Each one of us needs principles
In which we can believe.
It's not so much the getting,
If we don't know how to share.
For only love can turn the rain
... To rainbows, everywhere.

Grace E. Easley

Monday, May 10, 2010

The Imitation of Christ - BOOK 1 - 12th Chapter


The Imitation of Christ
Thomas à Kempis
BOOK ONE
THOUGHTS HELPFUL IN THE LIFE OF THE SOUL

The Twelfth Chapter
THE VALUE OF ADVERSITY
IT IS good for us to have trials and troubles at times, for they often remind us that we are on probation and ought not to hope in any worldly thing. It is good for us sometimes to suffer contradiction, to be misjudged by men even though we do well and mean well. These things help us to be humble and shield us from vainglory. When to all outward appearances men give us no credit, when they do not think well of us, then we are more inclined to seek God Who sees our hearts. Therefore, a man ought to root himself so firmly in God that he will not need the consolations of men.

When a man of good will is afflicted, tempted, and tormented by evil thoughts, he realizes clearly that his greatest need is God, without Whom he can do no good. Saddened by his miseries and sufferings, he laments and prays. He wearies of living longer and wishes for death that he might be dissolved and be with Christ. Then he understands fully that perfect security and complete peace cannot be found on earth.

Thursday, May 6, 2010

Nobility


Nobility

True worth is in being, not seeming, ---
In doing, each day that goes by,
Some little good --- not in dreaming
Of great things to do by and by.

For whatever men say in their blindness,
And spite of the fancies of youth,
There's nothing so kingly as kindness,
And nothing so royal as truth.

We get back our mete as we measure ---
We cannot do wrong and feel right,
Nor can we give pain and gain pleasure,
For justice avenges each slight.

We cannot make bargains for blisses,
Nor catch them like fishes in nets;
And sometimes the thing our life misses
Helps more than the thing which it gets.

For good lieth not in pursuing,
Nor gaining of great nor of small,
But just in the doing, and doing
As we would be done by, is all.

Alice Cary

Monday, May 3, 2010

Pack Away Your Troubles


Pack Away Your Troubles

Face your day with a happy heart
And end it with a song - - -
You'll find the hours in between
Can't go far from wrong.

A smile is more contagious
Than a dreary frown,
And nicer to remember
When the sun goes down.

Don't miss out on happiness
By looking toward the ground - - -
But keep looking skyward,
That's where the rainbow's found.

Just pack away your troubles
For some other day
And before you know it,
They'll have slipped away.

Catherine Janssen Irwin

Saturday, May 1, 2010

Don't Quit


Don't Quit

When things go wrong as they sometimes will,
When the road you're trudging seems all up hill,
When the funds are low and the debts are high,
And you want to smile, but you have to sigh,
When care is pressing you down a bit,
Rest if you must, but don't you quit.

Life is queer with its twists and turns,
As everyone of us sometimes learns,
And many a failure turns about
When he might have won had he stuck it out;
Don't give up though the pace seems slow
You may succeed with another blow.

Success is failure turned inside out - - -
The silver tint of the clouds of doubt,
And you never can tell just how close you are,
It may be near when it seems so far;
So stick to the fight when you're hardest hit - - -
It's when things seem worst
that you must not quit.

Unknown Author

Monday, April 26, 2010

The Imitation of Christ - BOOK 1 - 7th Chapter



The Imitation of Christ
Thomas à Kempis
BOOK ONE
THOUGHTS HELPFUL IN THE LIFE OF THE SOUL

The Seventh Chapter
AVOIDING FALSE HOPE AND PRIDE

VAIN is the man who puts his trust in men, in created things.

Do not be ashamed to serve others for the love of Jesus Christ and to seem poor in this world. Do not be self-sufficient but place your trust in God. Do what lies in your power and God will aid your good will. Put no trust in your own learning nor in the cunning of any man, but rather in the grace of God Who helps the humble and humbles the proud.

If you have wealth, do not glory in it, nor in friends because they are powerful, but in God Who gives all things and Who desires above all to give Himself. Do not boast of personal stature or of physical beauty, qualities which are marred and destroyed by a little sickness. Do not take pride in your talent or ability, lest you displease God to Whom belongs all the natural gifts that you have.

Do not think yourself better than others lest, perhaps, you be accounted worse before God Who knows what is in man. Do not take pride in your good deeds, for God's judgments differ from those of men and what pleases them often displeases Him. If there is good in you, see more good in others, so that you may remain humble. It does no harm to esteem yourself less than anyone else, but it is very harmful to think yourself better than even one. The humble live in continuous peace, while in the hearts of the proud are envy and frequent anger.

God's Promise


God's Promise

He never said the way would be
A straight and easy one for me.
He never meant that I should rest,
When work is what I do the best.
He never planned the best there is,
For me without my hand in His,
And never once did he ordain
I'd taste the joy but not the pain.

He never told me I would find
Contentment without peace of mind,
Nor did he issue a decree,
Compelling time to wait for me.
But He has promised life beyond
This fragile earth I walk upon,
And through the darkness of the night,
To be the Way, the Truth, the Light.

Grace E. Easley

Friday, April 23, 2010

Take Time



Take Time














Take time for prayer in the morning
Take time for prayer at night
Take time for God and through the day
He'll see that things go right.

And if you should encounter
A few mishaps along your way
He'll surely give you strength and help
To get you through your day.

And then when evening befalls you
And you come to the end of the day
He'll still be there to hear your prayer
And listen to all you say.

You'll feel His hand of comfort
As you talk with Him once more
And thank Him for His loving care
And blessing by the score.

So take time for God in the morning
Take time for God at night
And talk with God, and walk with God
He'll make your burden light.

Florence Flett

Monday, April 19, 2010

Dieter’s Prayer



Dieter’s Prayer









Dear Lord, watch over me
Whenever I take a bite to eat

Curb my hunger
Reduce my appetite

Keep me from overeating
Don’t let me sin by gluttony

Encourage me to eat healthy foods not junk
Eliminate my craving for unwholesome foods

Inspire me to exercise with enthusiasm this body
which you made the temple of The Holy Spirit.

Assist me in avoiding fad diets and pills
Keep me from comparing my physique to that of others

Forgive me Father, for having treated my body
Disrespectfully when I’ve eaten excessively. Amen

Truth Seeker

======= o ======= ======= o ======= ======= o =======

Ge 1:29 NIV
29 Then God said, "I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food.

Ge 9:3 NIV
3 Everything that lives and moves will be food for you. Just as I gave you the green plants, I now give you everything.

Ex 16:35 NIV
35 The Israelites ate manna forty years, until they came to a land that was settled; they ate manna until they reached the border of Canaan.

Nu 11:4-9 NIV
4 The rabble with them began to crave other food, and again the Israelites started wailing and said, "If only we had meat to eat! 5 We remember the fish we ate in Egypt at no cost — also the cucumbers, melons, leeks, onions and garlic. 6 But now we have lost our appetite; we never see anything but this manna !"
7 The manna was like coriander seed and looked like resin. 8 The people went around gathering it, and then ground it in a handmill or crushed it in a mortar. They cooked it in a pot or made it into cakes. And it tasted like something made with olive oil. 9 When the dew settled on the camp at night, the manna also came down.

Dt 8:3 NIV
3 He humbled you, causing you to hunger and then feeding you with manna , which neither you nor your fathers had known, to teach you that man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord.

Jos 5:11-12 NIV
11 The day after the Passover, that very day, they ate some of the produce of the land: unleavened bread and roasted grain. 12 The manna stopped the day after they ate this food from the land; there was no longer any manna for the Israelites, but that year they ate of the produce of Canaan.

1 Kgs 17:5-6 NIV
5 So he did what the Lord had told him. He went to the Kerith Ravine, east of the Jordan, and stayed there. 6 The ravens brought him bread and meat in the morning and bread and meat in the evening, and he drank from the brook.

Ne 9:20 NIV
20 You gave your good Spirit to instruct them. You did not withhold your manna from their mouths, and you gave them water for their thirst.

Ps 78:24-31 NIV
24 he rained down manna for the people to eat,
he gave them the grain of heaven.
25 Men ate the bread of angels;
he sent them all the food they could eat.
26 He let loose the east wind from the heavens
and led forth the south wind by his power.
27 He rained meat down on them like dust,
flying birds like sand on the seashore.
28 He made them come down inside their camp,
all around their tents.
29 They ate till they had more than enough,
for he had given them what they craved.
30 But before they turned from the food they craved,
even while it was still in their mouths,
31 God's anger rose against them;
he put to death the sturdiest among them,
cutting down the young men of Israel.

Ps 111:5 NIV
5 He provides food for those who fear him;
he remembers his covenant forever.

Ps 132:15 NIV
15 I will bless her with abundant provisions;
her poor will I satisfy with food.

Pr 13:25 NIV
25 The righteous eat to their hearts' content,
but the stomach of the wicked goes hungry.

Pr 23:1-3 NIV
1 When you sit to dine with a ruler,
note well what is before you,
2 and put a knife to your throat
if you are given to gluttony.
3 Do not crave his delicacies,
for that food is deceptive.

Pr 23:20-21 NIV
20 Do not join those who drink too much wine
or gorge themselves on meat,
21 for drunkards and gluttons become poor,
and drowsiness clothes them in rags.

Dan 1:15-16 NIV
15 At the end of the ten days they looked healthier and better nourished than any of the young men who ate the royal food. 16 So the guard took away their choice food and the wine they were to drink and gave them vegetables instead.

Joel 2:26 NIV
26 You will have plenty to eat, until you are full,
and you will praise the name of the Lord your God,
who has worked wonders for you;
never again will my people be shamed.

Mt 4:4 NIV
4 Jesus answered, "It is written: 'Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.'"

Mt 6:26, 31-34 NIV
26 Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?

31 So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' 32 For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

Lk 12:23,29 NIV
23 Life is more than food, and the body more than clothes.
29 And do not set your heart on what you will eat or drink; do not worry about it.

Jn 6:49-51, 53-56 NIV
49 Your forefathers ate the manna in the desert, yet they died. 50 But here is the bread that comes down from heaven, which a man may eat and not die. 51 I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. This bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world."

53 Jesus said to them, "I tell you the truth, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. 54 Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. 55 For my flesh is real food and my blood is real drink. 56 Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in him.

Rom 14:2-3 NIV
2 One man's faith allows him to eat everything, but another man, whose faith is weak, eats only vegetables. 3 The man who eats everything must not look down on him who does not, and the man who does not eat everything must not condemn the man who does, for God has accepted him.

1 Cor 6:19-20 NIV
19 Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; 20 you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body.

Col 2:16 NIV
16 Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day.

1 Tim 4:3-4 NIV
3 They forbid people to marry and order them to abstain from certain foods, which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and who know the truth. 4 For everything God created is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving,

Saturday, April 17, 2010

Judge Ye Not


Judge Ye Not

Judge not thy brother's failings,
Nor ever be the one
To hurl a stone at anything
That he has ever done.
Scorn not his humble efforts,
Nor cast him to the ground,
He may have just discovered
What thou has never found.

Harden not thy heart to tears
That often flow unbidden,
From lonely hearts within whose depths
So much of love is hidden.
Set not thyself as model,
Above thy fellowman,
For charity can open doors,
That pride's key never can.

Be not so self-righteous,
Thy foot can also fall...
No man who lives, is blameless,
For sin has touched us all.
And God alone must judge us,
No man has been assigned.
Because the Lord alone can see
Within your heart... and mine.

Grace E. Easley

Friday, April 16, 2010

I Will Start Anew


I Will Start Anew

I will start anew this morning
with a higher, fairer creed;

I will cease to stand complaining
of my ruthless neighbor's greed;

I will cease to sit repining while
my duty's call is clear;

I will waste no moment whining and
my heart shall know no fear.

I will look sometimes about me
for the things that merit praise;

I will search for hidden beauties
that elude the grumbler's gaze.

I will try to find contentment
in the paths that I must tread;

I will cease to have resentment
when another moves ahead.

I will not be swayed by envy
when my rival's strength is shown;

I will not deny his merit,
but I'll try to prove my own;

I will try to see the beauty
spread before me, rain or shine;

I will cease to preach your duty
and be more concerned with mine.

S.E.Kiser