you

I would like to share with you a memorable story that I was once told which demonstrates God's unfailing love for His children.

There was a little girl, very young, who was on a flight back to her home where her father was to meet her. I forget why she had gone away. The stewards were giving out free sweets to all the young children and the girl, for the whole flight home, ate sweet after sweet after sweet.

When they had almost got home the girl was sick all over her seat and her dress. The stewardess who had given her all the sweets was so disgusted she refused to clean up the mess.

As the plane landed the father was waiting patiently for his little princess who he hadn't seen for such a long time. He had just come from work and was wearing his newest, smartest suit. A suit he loved so much to wear.

As the plane door opened the little girl, wanting her daddy, ran out in the terminal. Excited at the sight of her daddy she runs straight for him. The father immediately notices the horrible mess that covers his daughter's dress as she runs straight for him but as she reaches him he snatches her up in his arms and hugs her tightly to his chest, ruining the clothes he wore. He loved his new suit. But the love he had for his daughter was unbeatable, and even though she was a mess, and would ruin his suit, he cared much more about her and just wanted to hold her in his arms.

Jesus Christ, too, wants that relationship with us. Our lives are in a mess. But He does not care. He loves us - every single one of us. And, He waits with open arms for us to run to Him and embrace Him, where He will clean us up and never turn us away. Run into His arms today and, if you are already there, help others reach this wonderful goal!

will

During the late 50's and early 60's, a man by the name of Bobby Richardson played second base for the NY Yankees. Bobby Richardson was nominated as MVP of the American League nine times. He played in seven All-Star Games. He won five Gold Glove Awards. And he was the only man in baseball history to ever win the World Series MVP Award while playing for the losing team.

In the later years of Bobby Richardson's career, he coached the baseball team at Liberty University. The reason such a great player was willing to coach at a Christian university was because Bobby Richardson was himself a committed follower of Jesus Christ.

During a speech at a meeting of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, Bobby Richardson was called upon to pray and here is his prayer:  "Dear God, Your will.  Nothing more, nothing less, nothing else. Amen."

May that be your prayer today.  "Dear God, Your will.  Nothing more, nothing less, nothing else.  Amen."

around

"But Israel will be saved by the LORD with an everlasting salvation; you will never be put to shame or disgraced, to ages everlasting." (Isaiah 45:17)

The Baseball Major League playoffs begin this week.  The World Series is not far away.   

Jackie Robinson was the first African American to play major league baseball.  Breaking baseball’s color barrier, he faced jeering crowds in every stadium. Other players would yell at him, stomp on his feet and kick him.

While playing one day in his home stadium in Brooklyn, he made an error.  The fans began to ridicule him.  He stood at second base, humiliated, while the fans jeered.  Then, shortstop Pee Wee Reese came over and stood next to him.  He put his arm around Jackie Robinson and faced the crowd.  The fans grew quiet.  Robinson later said that arm around his shoulder saved his career.

We are sometimes like Jackie Robinson, full of shame. Sometimes, like Jackie, our shame is from nothing we've done. Sometimes, our shame is from our own sin and guilt - and just like Pee Wee Reese, Jesus comes and slips his arm around us, and bears our shame for us.

"Therefore, there is now no comdemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus." (Romans 8:1)

"My hand will always be with him, and My arm will strengthen him." (Psalm 89:21)

-brett blair

indeed

"Where can I go from your Spirit?  Where can I flee from your presence?  If I go up to the heavens, you are there;  if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.  If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast. (Psalm 139:7-10)

In those times I can't seem to find God,

I rest in the assurance that

He knows how to find me.

-neva coyle

voice

"He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out...He goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice." John 10:3-4

We were sitting around rehashing football games, slumber parties, teachers, and who went steady with whom. Yup, we were getting ready for another class reunion.

The last time we had one, I remember thinking that the guys had definitely changed more than the girls, especially in the hair department! I recall looking at the Yearbook picture name tags; how memories came flooding back.

One thing stands out most in my mind from that reunion. Although most of our appearances were drastically different from high school days, one thing had not changed one iota. That was our voices. I discovered I could identify people when I heard them speak, even if I didn't recognize them from the way they looked.

How interesting. I thought of what Jesus said: the sheep listen to the shepherd's voice, and they follow him because they know his voice. They will never follow a stranger, because they don't recognize his voice.How great to think that as we listen to the voice of our own shepherd, Jesus, and follow him, we won't get mis-led or go off in the wrong direction. He is speaking, and we know His voice. It is Love, and it never changes.

-sally i kennedy