anybody....

A small boy once approached his slightly older sister with a question about God. "Susie, can anybody ever really see God?" he asked.

Busy with other things, Susie curtly replied: "No, of course not silly. God is so far up in heaven that nobody can see him." Time passed, but his question still lingered so he approached his mom: "Mom, can anybody ever really see God?" "No, not really," she gently said. "God is a spirit and he dwells in our hearts, but we can never really see Him."

Somewhat satisfied but still wondering, the youngster went on his way. Not long afterwards, his saintly old grandfather took the little boy on a fishing trip. They were having a great time together - it had been an ideal day. The sun was beginning to set with unusual splendor as the day ended. The old man stopped fishing and turned his full attention to the exquisite beauty unfolding before him.

On seeing the face of his grandfather reflecting such deep peace and contentment as he gazed into the magnificent ever-changing sunset, the little boy thought for a moment and finally spoke hesitatingly: "Granddad, I - I - wasn't going to ask anybody else, but I wonder if you can tell me the answer to something I've been wondering about a long time - can anybody - can anybody ever really see God?".

The old man did not even turn his head. A long moment slipped by before he finally answered. "Son," he quietly said. "It's getting so I can't see anything else." 

? love

wonderful thoughts from our children:

CONCERNING WHY LOVE HAPPENS BETWEEN TWO PARTICULAR PEOPLE

"I think you're supposed to get shot with an arrow or something, but the rest of it isn't supposed to be so painful." --Manuel, age 8

ON WHAT FALLING IN LOVE IS LIKE

"Like an avalanche where you have to run for your life."

--John, age 9

"If falling in love is anything like learning how to spell, I don't want

to do it. It takes too long." --Glenn, age 7

ON THE ROLE OF BEAUTY AND HANDSOMENESS IN LOVE

"If you want to be loved by somebody who isn't already in your family, it doesn't hurt to be beautiful." --Anita, age 8

"It isn't always just how you look. Look at me. I'm handsome like anything and I haven't got anybody to marry me yet."

--Brian, age 7

CONCERNING WHY LOVERS OFTEN HOLD HANDS

"They want to make sure their rings don't fall off because they paid good money for them." --Gavin, age 8

CONFIDENTIAL OPINIONS ABOUT LOVE

"I'm in favor of love as long as it doesn't happen when 'Dinosaurs' is on television." --Jill, age 6

"Love is foolish ... but I still might try it sometime."

--Floyd, age 9

"Love will find you, even if you are trying to hide from it. I been trying to hide from it since I was five, but the girls keep finding me." --Dave, age 8

"I'm not rushing into being in love. I'm finding fourth grade hard

enough." --Regina, age 10

SOME SUREFIRE WAYS TO MAKE A PERSON FALL IN LOVE WITH YOU

"Tell them that you own a whole bunch of candy stores."

--Del, age 6

"Don't do things like have smelly, green sneakers. You might get attention, but attention ain't the same thing as love."

--Alonzo, age 9

Those of us who are older smile because we know that children have such a limited understanding of what love is (although Alonzo has learned something that many adults haven't yet learned!). And yet, our own view of love is limited as well. And certainly our expression of love is limited and faulty.

"Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. He who does not love does not know God, for God is love." (I John 4:7-8)

May you look to God for the ultimate example of love as you seek to be more loving toward others today.

impression

The story is told of a newly promoted colonel who moved into a makeshift office during the Gulf War. He was just getting unpacked when out of the corner of his eye, he noticed a private with a toolbox coming his way.

Wanting to seem important, he grabbed the phone: "Yes, General Schwarzkopf. Of course, I think that's an excellent plan." He

continued: "You've got my support on it. Thanks for checking with me. Let's touch base again soon, Norm. Goodbye."

"And what can I do for you?" he asked the private.

"Uhhh, I'm just here to hook up your phone."

For some reason (pride?), we feel it necessary to impress others, to have others think we are somebody special or that we have special connections. And so we play games, putting on a show and dropping names, sometimes appearing very foolish in the process.

"Therefore when you do a charitable deed, do not sound a trumpet before you as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory from men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward." (Matthew 6:2)

Who are you trying to impress? The people you work with? Your boss? Your friends? Or God?

Don't play games, trying to elevate yourself in the eyes of people. Just live for God seeking his favor.

uninterrupted

"Their delight is in the law of the Lord, and on His law they meditate day and night". Psalm 1:2 (NRSV)

A real Christian stands out in the crowd!
Their character is deeper,
their ideas fresher,
their spirit softer,
their courage greater,
their leadership better,
their concerns wider,
their compassion more genuine,
their convictions more concrete.

They're joyful in spite of difficult circumstances and show wisdom far beyond their years. And they're full of surprises... You think you have them boxed in, but they turn out to be unpredictable. When you're around them, you feel slightly off balance because you don't know what to expect next. Over time, you know that their unexpected ideas and actions can be trusted.

Why? Because these people have a strong relationship with the Lord - one that's renewed day by day. David said: "Their delight is in the law of the Lord, and on His law they meditate both day and night."

They have a spiritual root system that reaches down to streams of living water. Consequently, what they put their hand to prospers. Too few of us ever reach this level. How come?  Because we're just too busy!   The arch-enemy of spiritual growth is business, which is closely tied to something the Bible calls "worldliness" - getting caught up with society's agenda, to the neglect of walking with God.

Anyway you cut it, a key ingredient in real Christianity is  -  T I M E.
Not leftover time, not throw-away time, but quality time.
   Time for contemplation.
   Time for meditation.
   Time for reflection.
   Time for prayer
   Time for listening to God's Voice
   Time for reading God's Word

Unhurried, uninterrupted time with God.

talk

The story is told of a woman who bought a parrot to keep her company, but she returned it the next day. "This bird doesn't talk," she told the owner.

"Does he have a mirror in his cage?" he asked. "Parrots love mirrors. They see their reflection and start a conversation." The woman bought a mirror and left.

The next day she returned; the bird still wasn't talking. "How about a ladder? Parrots love ladders. A happy parrot is a talkative parrot." The woman bought a ladder and left.

But the next day, she was back. "Does your parrot have a swing? No? Well, that's the problem. Once he starts swinging, he'll talk up a storm." The woman reluctantly bought a swing and left.

When she walked into the store the next day, her countenance had changed. "The parrot died," she said. The pet store owner was shocked.

"I'm so sorry. Tell me, did he ever say anything?" he asked.

"Yes, right before he died," the woman replied. "In a weak voice, he asked me, 'Don't they sell any food at that pet store?' "

Sometimes we forget what's really important in life. We get so caught up in things that are good while neglecting the things that are truly necessary. We've got to provide the family with a nice house. And of course, we've got to have at least two cars. And to make everybody truly happy, we need the latest computer. But, if we're not careful, we'll make the mistake of thinking those (and many other such "things") are the things that bring us satisfaction and meaning.

Jesus said, "The thing you should want most is God's kingdom and doing what God wants. Then all these other things you need will be given to you." (Matthew 6:33, NCV)

Jesus didn't say you shouldn't want those other things, but this is what you should want "most".

Take a moment to do a "priority check", and strive for what is *most* important today. Don't wait for the parrot to die!

trust

Someone has prepared the following list of things that you don't want to hear during surgery:

~ Better save that. We'll need it for the autopsy.

~ Bo! Bo! Come back with that! Bad dog!

~ Wait a minute, if this is his spleen, then what's that?

~ Hand me that, uh, that uh, thingie.

~ Ya know, there's big money in kidneys. Hey, this guy's got two of

'em!

~ Everybody stand back! I lost my contact lens!

~ Could you stop that thing from beating? It's throwing my

concentration off.

~ That's cool! Can you make his leg twitch again?

~ I wish I hadn't forgotten my glasses.

~ Well folks, this will be an experiment for us all.

~ Sterile, shcmerile. The floor's clean, right?

~ Nurse, did this patient sign the organ donation card?

~ Don't worry. I think it's sharp enough.

~ Oh, no! Page 47 of the manual is missing!

When you think about it, going in for any kind of surgery and allowing a doctor (whom you hardly know) to cut you open with a knife is a great act of faith. Having been there myself, I know that it's not an option that anyone chooses without a lot of thought and prayer. But sometimes we find ourselves in a situation where we must be willing to allow a doctor to take our lives in his (or her) hands, trusting in their ability to bring life and health.

Jesus desires that we reach the same point spiritually. If we feel we have no real problems (at least, nothing we can't handle ourselves), we're tempted to take the spiritual equivalent of two aspirin and go on with our lives. But it is only when we realize the seriousness of our condition that we are forced to turn to the Great Physician, allowing him to take our lives in his hand, trusting in his ability to bring life and health.

"Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick....For I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance." (Matthew 9:12-13)

responsibility

I read recently that a Charlotte, North Carolina man purchased a case of rare, very expensive cigars and insured them against.... get this.... fire! Within a month, having smoked his entire stockpile of cigars, and having yet to make a single premium payment on the policy, the man filed a claim against the insurance company. In his claim, the man stated that he had lost the cigars in "a series of small fires." The insurance company refused to pay, citing the obvious reason that the man had consumed the cigars in a normal fashion. The man sued, though, and won!

In delivering his ruling, the judge stated that since the man held a policy from the company in which it had warranted that the cigars were insurable, and also guaranteed that it would insure the cigars against fire without defining what it considered to be "unacceptable fire," it was obligated to compensate the insured for his loss. Rather than endure a lengthy and costly appeal process, the insurance company accepted the judge's ruling and paid the man $15,000 for the rare cigars he lost in "the fires."

After the man cashed his check, however, the insurance company had him arrested....on 24 counts of arson! With his own insurance claim and testimony from the previous case being used as evidence against him, the man was convicted of intentionally burning the rare cigars and sentenced to 24 consecutive one year terms!

Turns out the story wasn't true, but we are amazed at the audacity of so many others like this man who try to have their cake and eat it too (so to speak), attempting to take no responsibility for their behavior.

How slow we all are to accept responsibility. We're quick to point fingers, to assign blame, to expect others to pay damages. But, for just a moment, allow the "man after God's own heart" to give us a glimpse into what gave him that title.

"For I acknowledge my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me. Against You, You only, have I sinned, and done this evil in Your sight..." (Psalm 51:3-4a)

May humility, honesty and acceptance of responsibility lead you to be a man (or woman) after God's own heart today.

sit

You may have heard the story of Larry Waters of Los Angeles. Larry's boyhood dream was to fly. When he graduated from high school, he joined the Air Force in hopes of becoming a pilot. Unfortunately, poor eyesight disqualified him. When he was finally discharged, he had to satisfy himself with watching jets fly over his backyard.

One day, Larry, had a bright idea. He decided to fly. He went to the local Army-Navy surplus store and purchased 45 weather balloons and several tanks of helium. The weather balloons, when fully inflated, would measure more than four feet across.

Back home, Larry securely strapped the balloons to his sturdy lawn chair. He anchored the chair to the bumper of his jeep and inflated the balloons with the helium. He climbed on for a test while it was still only a few feet above the ground.

Satisfied it would work, Larry packed several sandwiches and loaded his pellet gun -- figuring he could pop a few balloons when it was time to descend -- and went back to the floating lawn chair.

He tied himself in along with his pellet gun and provisions. Larry's plan was to lazily float up to a height of about 30 feet above his back yard after severing the anchor and in a few hours come back down.

Things didn't quite work out that way. When he cut the cord anchoring the lawn chair to his jeep, he didn't float lazily up to 30 or so feet. Instead he streaked into the LA sky as if shot from a cannon. He didn't level off at 30 feet, nor did he level off at 100 feet. After climbing and climbing, he leveled off at 11,000 feet.

At that height he couldn't risk shooting any of the balloons, lest he unbalance the load and really find himself in trouble. So he stayed there, drifting, cold and frightened, for more than 14 hours.

Then he really got in trouble. He found himself drifting into the primary approach corridor of Los Angeles International Airport. A United pilot first spotted Larry. He radioed the tower and described passing a guy in a lawn chair with a gun. Radar confirmed the existence of an object floating 11,000 feet above the airport. LAX emergency procedures swung into full alert and a helicopter was dispatched to investigate. LAX is right on the ocean. Night was falling and the offshore breeze began to flow. It carried Larry out to sea with the helicopter in hot pursuit. Several miles out, the helicopter caught up with Larry. Once the crew determined that Larry was not dangerous, they attempted to close in for a rescue but the draft from the blades would push Larry away whenever they neared.

Finally, the helicopter ascended to a position several hundred feet above Larry and lowered a rescue line. Larry snagged the line and was hauled back to shore. The difficult maneuver was flawlessly executed by the helicopter crew. As soon as Larry was hauled to earth, he was arrested by waiting members of the LAPD for violating LAX airspace. As he was led away in handcuffs, a reporter dispatched to cover the daring rescue asked why he had done it. Larry stopped, turned and replied nonchalantly, "A man can't just sit around."

While there are certainly more productive (and less dangerous) things that a man can do with his time, Larry was right. God doesn't want us to just sit around doing nothing. Far too often, we are content with our spiritual lives because "I haven't done this" and "I haven't done that." Of course, the truth of the matter is, we haven't done much of anything. God is not content just to know what sins we stayed away from. He wants to know what positive things we have done as well.

"Then they also will answer Him, saying, 'Lord, when did we see You hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to You?' Then He will answer them, saying, 'Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.'" (Matthew 25:44-45)

"If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them." (John 13:17)

A man can't just sit around -- go do something! (but stay away from the balloons!)

clone

Several years ago, several news agencies reported the efforts of a group to clone Jesus Christ. The goal of this group was best stated in their own words:

"The Second Coming Project is a not-for-profit organization devoted to bringing about the Second Coming of Our Lord, Jesus Christ, as prophesied in the Bible, in time for the 2,000th anniversary of his birth. Our intention is to clone Jesus....by taking an incorrupt cell from one of the many Holy Relics of Jesus' blood and body that are preserved in churches throughout the world, extracting its DNA, and inserting into an unfertilized human egg....The fertilized egg, now the zygote of Jesus Christ, will be implanted into the womb of a young virginal woman (who has volunteered of her own accord), who will then bring the baby Jesus to term in a second Virgin Birth.

"If all goes according to plan, the birth will take place on December 25, 2001, thus making Anno Domini 2001 into Anno Domini Novi 1, and all calendrical calculations will begin anew......

"No longer can we rely on hope and prayer, waiting around futilely for Jesus to return. We have the technology to bring him back right now: there is no reason, moral, legal or Biblical, not to take advantage of it." (source: the now defunct http://www.clonejesus.com/)

This group in California claimed to be soliciting contributions to fund their effort. When I first heard of this, I thought it was a joke. It HAD to be a joke. And, fortunately, it turned out to be just that.

There are a lot of things which disturbed me about the thought of taking it seriously. Setting aside for a moment the morality of human cloning and the questionable authenticity of the "holy relics", there seems to be an even greater issue at the heart of all this.

Do we really believe that the uniqueness of Jesus Christ was bound up in his DNA? That what made him special was found in his chromosomes? That we can "create" God if we just have the right genetic code? I can think of few things more foolish.

Jesus was indeed human -- every bit as human as we are. But what made him special, what made him unique, was his Godhood, and that is something which will never be created in a test tube.

"He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist." (Col. 1:15-17)

Oh, and by the way, our wait for the return of Jesus Christ is not in the least bit futile. He is quite capable of returning just as he promised he would, without our assistance. When I look around at a world which refuses to acknowledge Christ for who he really was, I pray that it will be soon.

love

The following story has been around for quite a while, but continues to touch hearts. The author is unknown to me:

The little church building's aisles swelled with the unusually large gathering until there were no more pews to squeeze into. A few more latecomers shuffled down the aisle and leaned against the wall.

Then I noticed Andy's entrance. His smile beamed with a special joy until he saw that "his" spot on the back row was filled. Regular attendees usually left the seat empty, knowing that Andy would arrive late from the home for the mentally handicapped. Confusion masked his face as the opening song ended and he had found no place to sit. With characteristic simplicity Andy made his way up the center aisle to the large clearing just below the podium. He lowered his huge body to the floor, crossing his legs Indian style.

As the rest of us sat down, another man, a leader in the church for many years, left his place in the pew and started up the center aisle toward Andy. It took a long time for Marvin to reach the front. Respect for this eighty-year-old servant, much loved by all of us, or perhaps sheer curiosity, brought a hush over the whole church. Even the minister gripped the sides of the podium and watched. Slowly Marvin shifted his lean frame onto his cane and lowered his aged body to the floor beside Andy.

With tears in his eyes, the minister closed his Bible over his sermon notes. "Our sermon has just been preached," he said.

"Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me." (Matthew 25:40)

Know someone with a special need -- someone mentally handicapped, someone sick, someone who seems to have no friend? Why not make a special effort this weekend to touch their life in a special way? You won't regret it!

purity

John invited his mother over for dinner. During the course of the meal, his mother couldn't help but notice how attractive John's roommate was. She had long been suspicious of a relationship between John and his roommate, and this only made her more curious.

Over the course of the evening, while watching the two interact, she started to wonder if there was more between John and his roommate than met the eye. Reading his mom's thoughts, John volunteered, "I know what you must be thinking, but I assure you Julie and I are just roommates."

About a week later, Julie came to John saying, "Ever since your mother came to dinner I've been unable to locate the gravy ladle. You don't suppose she took it, do you?"

John said, "Well, I doubt it, but I'll write her an email just to be sure."

So he sat and wrote: "Dear Mother: I'm not saying that you 'did' take the gravy ladle from my house, I'm not saying that you 'did not' take gravy ladle. But the fact remains that one has been missing ever since you were here for dinner."

Several hours later, John received the following email from his mother: "Dear Son: I'm not saying that you 'do' sleep with Julie, and I'm not saying that you 'do not' sleep with Julie. But the fact remains that if she was sleeping in her own bed, she would have found the gravy ladle by now! Love Mom!"

Though it is not a very popular stance in our society, God's Word still calls us to a life of sexual purity. The apostle Paul has some strong words in I Corinthians regarding sexual sin. He offers the following as one of our motivations for a pure life:

"Flee sexual immorality. Every sin that a man does is outside the body, but he who commits sexual immorality sins against his own body. Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God's." (I Cor. 6:18-20)

May you live this day mindful of the "temple" God intends for you to be.

words

The Smiths were proud of their family tradition. Their ancestors had come to America on the Mayflower. Their relatives included senators and Wall Street wizards.

They decided to compile a family history, a legacy for their children and grandchildren, and hired a fine author. Only one problem arose -- how to handle the two black sheep of the family -- George, who was executed in the electric chair for murder and Sam, who was hanged for rustling cattle.

The author assured them he could handle the story tactfully.

When the book appeared, it said that great-grandfather Sam died, "taking part in a public function when the platform gave way.'"

As for great-uncle George, he "occupied a chair of applied electronics at an important government institution, was attached to his position by the strongest of ties, and his death came as a great shock."

I wish I could blame it all on "political correctness", but it's a problem that goes back hundreds (and thousands) of years. We want people to think well of us (or our relatives), so we paint a pretty picture of words, or we hide behind a beautiful hand-crafted mask. But when you get behind the pretty words and the image we have erected, there's only one thing that God wants to know -- what's in the heart? There's the reality.

"Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs which indeed appear beautiful outwardly, but inside are full of dead men's bones and all uncleanness. Even so you also outwardly appear righteous to men, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness." (Matthew 23:27-28)

May your focus this day not be on creating an image so that others will think well of you, but on cleansing your heart so that God will think well of you.

honesty

I love this story which reportedly came from Sports Illustrated (I do not know which issue):

The game was played in Wellington, Florida. In it, a seven-year-old first baseman, Tanner Munsey, fielded a ground ball and tried to tag a runner going from first to second base.

The umpire, Laura Benson, called the runner out, but young Tanner immediately ran to her side and said, "Ma'am, I didn't tag the runner." Umpire Benson reversed herself, sent the runner to second base, and Tanner's coach gave him the game ball for his honesty.

Two weeks later, Laura Benson was again the umpire and Tanner was playing shortstop when a similar play occurred. This time Benson ruled that Tanner had missed the tag on a runner going to third base, and she called the runner safe. Tanner looked at Benson and without saying a word, tossed the ball to the catcher and returned to his position.

Benson sensed something was wrong. "Did you tag the runner?" She asked Tanner.

His reply: "Yes."

Benson then called the runner out. The opposing coaches protested until she explained what had happened two weeks earlier. "If a kid is that honest," she said, "I have to give it to him."

It may be that no Christian characteristic has suffered more in our society than honesty. It's lacking in the workplace, it's lacking in many of our marriages, it's lacking in our government, and sometimes it's even lacking in our churches. Like Diogenes of ancient Greece, we sometimes feel the urge to take our lantern and begin our search for an honest man.

There is something about Christians that should stand out like a neon sign on a dark night. Jesus wants his people to be known as a people of truth. We should establish a reputation, like Tanner, for speaking the truth even when it would benefit us to do otherwise. Then, and only then, will those around us trust what we say without hesitation, without wondering whether we really mean what we say or not.

"Therefore, putting away lying, each one speak truth with his neighbor, for we are members of one another." (Ephesians 4:25)

May God help you to be that person of truth that Diogenes was looking for (and God still is, too).

mate

Someone has compiled the following list of observations about married life:

* A successful man is one who makes more money than his wife can spend. A successful woman is one who can find such a man.

* Men wake up as good-looking as they went to bed. Women somehow deteriorate during the night.

* A man is a person who will pay two dollars for a one-dollar item he wants. A woman will pay one dollar for a two-dollar item that she doesn't want.

* To be happy with a man you must understand him a lot and love him a little. To be happy with a woman you must love her a lot and not try to understand her at all.

* When women are depressed, they either eat or go shopping. Men invade another country.

* A woman marries a man expecting he will change, but he doesn't. A man marries a woman expecting that she won't change and she does.

* A woman worries about the future until she gets a husband. A man never worries about the future until he gets a wife.

* There are two times when a man doesn't understand a woman - before marriage and after marriage.

* Only two things are necessary to keep one's wife happy. One is to let her think she is having her own way. The other is to let her have it.

* Any married man should forget his mistakes - there's no use in two people remembering the same thing.

* A man has six items in his bathroom - a toothbrush, shaving cream, razor, a bar of soap, deodorant and a towel. The average number of items in the typical woman's bathroom is 437. A man would not be able to identify most of these items.

* A woman always has the last word in any argument. Anything a man says after that is the beginning of a new argument.

Although I am sometimes accused of being personally responsible for the deterioration of relations between men and women in this country, my wife and I can joke about such things because, deep down, we realize how much we mean to each other.

Allow me to share some personal thoughts with you. God has truly blessed me with the most wonderful woman on the face of this earth. We have shared our lives together for over 26 years. We thought when we first got married that it couldn't get any better, but it has (and it continues to do so!).

I hold my wife personally responsibility for anything I may achieve in this life. She is my source of strength and my encouragement when things are rough. She is the one who knows me best, with all my shortcomings and failures, and yet still loves me. She always sees the best in me, and always manages to bring out the best in me. She is one I most enjoy talking to and spending time with. She is my best friend. How blessed I am!

"He who finds a wife finds a good thing, and obtains favor from the LORD." (Prov. 18:22)

"Let your fountain be blessed, and rejoice with the wife of your youth." (Prov. 5:18)

Those of you who are married, I encourage you to give thanks to God for the blessing He has given you. Those who are not married (but hope to be), I pray that God will someday bless you with a mate as wonderful as mine.

fisherman

One day a fisherman was lying on a beautiful beach, with his fishing pole propped up in the sand and his solitary line cast out into the sparkling blue surf. He was enjoying the warmth of the afternoon sun and the prospect of catching a fish.

About that time, a businessman came walking down the beach, trying to relieve some of the stress of his workday. He noticed the fisherman sitting on the beach and decided to find out why this fisherman was fishing instead of working harder to make a living for himself and his family.

"You aren't going to catch many fish that way," said the businessman to the fisherman, "you should be working rather than lying on the beach!"

The fisherman looked up at the businessman, smiled and replied, "And what will my reward be?" "Well, you can get bigger nets and catch more fish!" was the businessman's answer.

"And then what will my reward be?" asked the fisherman, still smiling. The businessman replied, "You will make money and you'll be able to buy a boat, which will then result in larger catches of fish!"

"And then what will my reward be?" asked the fisherman again. The businessman was beginning to get a little irritated with the fisherman's questions. "You can buy a bigger boat, and hire some people to work for you!" he said.

"And then what will my reward be?" repeated the fisherman. The businessman was getting angry. "Don't you understand? You can build up a fleet of fishing boats, sail all over the world, and let all your employees catch fish for you!"

Once again the fisherman asked, "And then what will my reward be?" The businessman was red with rage and shouted at the fisherman, "Don't you understand that you can become so rich that you will never have to work for your living again! You can spend all the rest of your days sitting on this beach, looking at the sunset. You won't have a care in the world!"

The fisherman, still smiling, looked up and said, "And what do you think I'm doing right now?"

Contentment is a difficult attitude to learn, but so important. It's easy to get caught in the world's trap of working harder and harder to earn more and more, when we may well already have what can provide us with the greatest possible happiness.

"Now godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain that we can carry nothing out. And having food and clothing, with these we shall be content." (I Timothy 6:6-8)

May you know true contentment today.

-alan smith

beatitudes

This has been circulated widely, but perhaps it is new to some of you:

"And seeing the multitudes, He went up on a mountain, and when He was seated His disciples came to Him. Then He opened His mouth and taught them, saying: `Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.  

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they

shall be filled.

Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy.

Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.

Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.

Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for

theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds

of evil against you falsely for My sake.'" (Matthew 5:1-11)

Then Simon Peter said, "Do we have to write this down?"

And Andrew said, "Are we supposed to know this?"

And Philip said, "What if we don't know it?"

And Bartholomew said, "Do we have to turn this in?"

And John said, "The other disciples didn't have to learn this."

And Matthew said, "When do we get out of here?"

And Judas said,' "What does this have to do with real life?"

Then one of the Pharisees present asked to see Jesus' lesson

plans and inquired of Jesus his annual goals and short term

objectives in the cognitive, affective and psychomotor domains.

And Jesus wept.

Those of you who are teachers can relate to this (all too well, I'm sure you would say). And all of us who have been students can recall having the same attitude in school: "If this isn't going to be on the test, then I'm not going to write it down, I'm not going to learn it, I'm not going to remember it, and you can't make me!"

Perhaps some of that same attitude carries over into the workplace. "If doing this doesn't contribute to my chances for a promotion down the road (translation: 'it's not on the test'), then I'm not about to put forth the extra effort it would require."

Or how about at church? Ever heard someone say, "I don't attend on Sunday nights and Wednesday nights because I don't think you have to do that to go to heaven"? (translation: "I don't think it's on the

test")

At what point in our Christian lives did we turn from wanting to learn, wanting to grow, wanting to do everything we can possibly do for God, to doing the least amount necessary to just barely "pass the test"?

"This is my prayer for you: that your love will grow more and more; that you will have knowledge and understanding with your love; that you will see the difference between good and bad and will choose the good; that you will be pure and without wrong for the coming of Christ; that you will do many good things with the help of Christ to bring glory and praise to God." (Philippians 1:9-11, NCV)

That truly is my prayer for each of you. Have a great day!

last

Consider these quotes from the past:

"This 'telephone' has too many shortcomings to be seriously considered as a means of communication. The device is inherently of no value to us." --Western Union internal memo, 1876.

"Everything that can be invented has been invented." --Charles H. Duell, Commissioner, U.S. Office of Patents, 1899.

"The wireless music box has no imaginable commercial value. Who would pay for a message sent to nobody in particular?" --David Sarnoff's associates in response to his urgings for investment in the radio in the 1920s.

"I think there is a world market for maybe five computers." --Thomas Watson, chairman of IBM, 1943

"Computers in the future may weigh no more than 1.5 tons." --Popular Mechanics, forecasting the relentless march of science, 1949

"I have traveled the length and breadth of this country and talked with the best people, and I can assure you that data processing is a fad that won't last out the year." --The editor in charge of business books for Prentice Hall, 1957

"But what ... is it good for?" --Engineer at the Advanced Computing Systems Division of IBM, 1968, commenting on the microchip.

"There is no reason anyone would want a computer in their home." --Ken Olson, president, chairman and founder of Digital Equipment Corp., 1977

"640K ought to be enough for anybody." -- Bill Gates, 1981

It's amazing that we've accomplished so much technologically in this country considering the pessimistic views held by many (even more amazing when you consider that some of the achievements eventually came from people who at one time held the pessimistic views themselves).

What is your vision for the future? What would you like to accomplish? More to the point, what would you like to see God accomplish through you? There will likely be someone around you ready to tell you that "it can't be done", or "we've tried that before with no success", or "it's too much trouble".

And they may be right. Or they may have a "grasshopper complex" like the ten spies in Numbers 13 who were unable to see what God could accomplish because they were looking so intently at the obstacles in their way.

"Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen." (Ephesians 3:20-21)

May the God who can do more than we can even imagine (and I can imagine a lot!) be with you this day.

worry

A ninety-five year old woman at the nursing home received a visit from one of her fellow church members.

"How are you feeling?" the visitor asked.

"Oh," said the lady, "I'm just worried sick!"

"What are you worried about, dear?" her friend asked. "You look like you're in good health. They are taking care of you, aren't they?"

"Yes, they are taking very good care of me."

"Well, what are you worried about?" her friend asked again.

The lady leaned back in her rocking chair and slowly explained her major worry. "Every close friend I ever had has already died, wonder for how long will I be around'. 

The fear this woman experienced was just the opposite of the Thessalonian Christians' fear.  The Thessalonians were worrying about their Christian friends who had died. Specifically, they were worried that they would miss out on the opportunity to be with Jesus.

There was one important truth they had overlooked, though -- the assurance that the resurrection of Jesus Christ gives us.

"But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus." (I Thessalonians 4:13-14)

What a difference that empty tomb makes in our lives! It is our very source of hope. Praise God that because of that great manifestation of His power, we are not counted among that number of people who "have no hope"!

direction

There was a time when Albert Einstein was going on a train to an out-of-town engagement. The conductor stopped by to punch his ticket. The great scientist, preoccupied with his work, with great embarrassment rummaged through his coat pockets and briefcase to no avail. He could not find his ticket. The conductor said, "We all know who you are, Dr. Einstein. I'm sure you bought a ticket. Don't worry about it. Everything is okay." 

The conductor walked on down the aisle punching other tickets. Before he moved to the next car, he looked back and saw Dr. Einstein down on his hands and knees looking under his seat trying to find his ticket. He came back and gently said, "Dr. Einstein, please don't worry about it. I know who you are." 

Einstein looked up and said, "I too know who I am. What I don't know is where I'm going!"

Like Einstein, we often don't know where we are going. That's why we are often compared in the Scriptures to sheep -- animals which have a very poor sense of direction. They have no idea where they came from or where they're going. That's one of the reasons they are in such dire need of a shepherd.

Like sheep, we have all "gone astray." (Isa. 53:6). We need someone to show us the way. And Jesus not only shows us the way -- he IS the way!

"Thomas said to Him, 'Lord, we do not know where You are going, and how can we know the way?' Jesus said to him, 'I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.'" (John 14:5-6)

Thanks be to our God, who provides us with direction.

wrong

One night, just before the shopkeeper closed for the day, a dog came into the shop.

There was a bag in its mouth. The bag had a list of items to be bought and money. The shopkeeper took the money and kept the items in the bag.

Immediately, The dog picked up the bag of items and left. The shopkeeper was surprised and went behind the dog to see who the owner was.

The dog waited at the bus stop. After sometime, a bus came and the dog got into the bus. As soon as the conductor came, it moved forward to show his neck belt which had money and the address as well. The conductor took the money and put the ticket in his neck belt again.

When it reached the destination, the dog went to the front and wagged his tail indicating that he wanted to get down. The moment the bus stopped, it got down. The shopkeeper was still following it.

The dog knocked on the door of a house with its legs. Its owner came from inside and beat it with a stick.

The shocked shopkeeper asked him "why are you beating the dog?", to which the owner replied, "he disturbed my sleep. It could have taken the keys with it."

This is the truth of life. There is no end to the expectations people have from you. The moment you go wrong, they start pointing at our mistakes. 

All the good done in the past are quickly forgotten. Any small mistake committed then gets magnified. 

This is the nature of this material world!.

-Ben Carson

scars

A little boy invited his mother to attend his elementary school's first teacher-parent conference. To the little boy's dismay, she said she would go. This would be the first time that his classmates and teacher met his mother and he was embarrassed by her appearance. Although she was a beautiful woman, there was a severe scar that covered nearly the entire right side of her face. The boy never wanted to talk about why or how she got the scar.

At the conference, the people were impressed by the kindness and natural beauty of his mother despite the scar, but the little boy was still embarrassed and hid himself from everyone. He did, however, get within earshot of a conversation between his mother and his teacher, and heard them speaking.

"How did you get the scar on your face?" the teacher asked.

The mother replied, "When my son was a baby, he was in a room that caught on fire. Everyone was too afraid to go in because the fire was out of control, so I went in. As I was running toward his crib, I saw a beam coming down and I placed myself over him trying to shield him. I was knocked unconscious but fortunately, a fireman came in and saved both of us." She touched the burned side of her face. "This scar will be permanent, but to this day, I have never regretted doing what I did."

At this point, the little boy came out running towards his mother with tears in his eyes. He hugged her and felt an overwhelming sense of the sacrifice that his mother had made for him. He held her hand tightly for the rest of the day.

In a similar manner, Jesus Christ bears a scar -- many scars, in fact. There are those who find that somewhat embarrassing ("You mean to tell me you worship a man who was crucified?"). However, realizing that his ugly scars are the result of his efforts to save me, they suddenly take on a special beauty.

Those scars led Thomas to say, "My Lord and my God!" (John 20:28). They lead me to say the same thing. I'm so thankful that something so ugly and horrible has taken on such beauty, because of the great love that Jesus Christ had for me.

"He was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon him, and by his stripes we are healed." (Isa. 53:5)