₦airaland Forum

Author Unknown

I am a mother of three (ages 14, 12, 3) and have recently completed my college degree. The last class I had to take was Sociology. The teacher was absolutely inspiring with the qualities that I wish every human being had been graced with. Her last project of the term was called "Smile." The class was asked to go out and smile at three people and document their reactions. I am a very friendly person and always smile at everyone and say hello anyway, so, I thought this would be a piece of cake, literally.

Soon after we were assigned the project, my husband, youngest son, and I went out to McDonald's one crisp March morning. It was just our way of sharing special playtime with our son. We were standing in line, waiting to be served, when all of a sudden, everyone around us began to back away, and then even my husband did. I did not move an inch...an overwhelming feeling of panic welled up inside of me as I turned to see why they had moved.

As I turned around I smelled a horrible "dirty body" smell, and there standing behind me were two poor homeless men. As I looked down at the short gentleman, close to me, he was "smiling." His beautiful sky blue eyes were full of God's Light as he searched for acceptance. He said, "Good day" as he counted the few coins he had been clutching. The second man fumbled with his hands as he stood behind his friend. I realized the second man was mentally deficient and the blue-eyed gentleman was his salvation. I held my tears as I stood there with them.

The young lady at the counter asked him what they wanted. He said, "Coffee is all Miss" because that was all they could afford. (If they wanted to sit in the restaurant and warm up, they had to buy something. He just wanted to be warm). Then I really felt it-the compulsion was so great I almost reached out and embraced the little man with the blue eyes.

That is when I noticed all eyes in the restaurant were set on me, judging my every action. I smiled and asked the young lady behind the counter to give me two more breakfast meals on a separate tray. I then walked around the corner to the table that the men had chosen as a resting spot. I put the tray on the table and laid my hand on the blue-eyed gentleman's cold hand. He looked up at me, with tears in his eyes, and said, "Thank you." I leaned over, began to pat his hand and said, "I did not do this for you. God is here working through me to give you hope." I started to cry as I walked away to join my husband and son.

When I sat down my husband smiled at me and said, "That is why God gave you to me, Honey. To give me hope." We held hands for a moment and at that time, we knew that only because of the Grace that we had been given were we able to give.

That day showed me the pure Light of God's sweet love. I returned to college, on the last evening of class, with this story in hand. I turned in "my project" and the instructor read it. Then she looked up at me and said, "Can I share this?" I slowly nodded as she got the attention of the class. She began to read and that is when I knew that we as human beings and being part of God, share this need to heal people and be healed. In my own way I had touched the people at McDonald's, my husband, son, instructor, and every soul that shared the classroom on the last night I spent as a college student.

I graduated with one of the biggest lessons I would ever learn: unconditional acceptance.

Much love and compassion is to each and every person who may read this and learn how to love people and use things - not love things and use people.

Meditation: For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. – John 3:17

You will succeed in Jesus Name!

Daily Dew is published by Sons of Issachar Projects. To subscribe by email or read previous editions, visit www.daily-dew.com

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Author Unknown

A young woman went to her mother and told her about her life and how things were so hard for her. She did not know how she was going to make it and wanted to give up, She was tired of fighting and struggling. It seemed as one problem was solved, a new one arose.

Her mother took her to the kitchen. She filled three pots with water and placed each on a high fire. Soon the pots came to boil. In the first, she placed carrots, in the second she placed eggs, and in the last, she placed ground coffee beans. She let them sit and boil without saying a word.

In about twenty minutes, she turned off the burners. She fished the carrots out and placed them in a bowl. She pulled the eggs out and placed them in a bowl. Then she ladled the coffee out and placed it in a bowl. Turning to her daughter, she asked, ' Tell me what you see.'

'Carrots, eggs, and coffee,' she replied.

Her mother brought her closer and asked her to feel the carrots. She did and noted that they were soft. The mother then asked the daughter to take an egg and break it. After pulling off the shell, she observed the hardboiled egg.

Finally, the mother asked the daughter to sip the coffee. The daughter smiled as she tasted its rich aroma. The daughter then asked, 'What does it mean, mother?'

Her mother explained that each of these objects had faced the same adversity: boiling water. Each reacted differently. The carrot went in strong, hard, and unrelenting. However, after being subjected to the boiling water, it softened and became weak. The egg had been fragile. Its thin outer shell had protected its liquid interior, but after sitting through the boiling water, its inside became hardened. The ground coffee beans were unique, however. After they were in the boiling water, they had changed the water.

'Which are you?' she asked her daughter. 'When adversity knocks on your door, how do you respond? Are you a carrot, an egg or a coffee bean?

Think of this: Which am I? Am I the carrot that seems strong, but with pain and adversity do I wilt and become soft and lose my strength?

Am I the egg that starts with a malleable heart, but changes with the heat? Did I have a fluid spirit, but after a death, a breakup, a financial hardship or some other trial, have I become hardened and stiff? Does my shell look the same, but on the inside am I bitter and tough with a stiff spirit and hardened heart?

Or am I like the coffee bean? The bean actually changes the hot water, the very circumstance that brings the pain. When the water gets hot, it releases the fragrance and flavour. If you are like the bean, when things are at their worst, you get better and change the situation around you. When the hour is the darkest and trials are their greatest, do you elevate yourself to another level? How do you handle adversity? Are you a carrot, an egg or a coffee bean?

May you have enough happiness to make you sweet, enough trials to make you strong, enough sorrow to keep you human and enough hope to make you happy. The happiest of people don't necessarily have the best of everything; they just make the most of everything that comes along their way. The brightest future will always be based on a forgotten past; you can't go forward in life until you let go of your past failures and heartaches.

When you were born, you were crying and everyone around you was smiling. Live your life in such a way that when you die, you're the one who is smiling and everyone around you is crying.

Meditation: My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. – James 1:2-4

You will succeed in Jesus Name!

Daily Dew is published by Sons of Issachar Projects. To subscribe by email or read previous editions, visit www.daily-dew.com

To download the Daily Dew mobile app on your Android and iPhone devices, please click on http://daily-dew.com/android-iphone, for Blackberry app, click on http://daily-dew.com/blackberry.

Be a blessing; share this with your loved ones.

Author Unknown

Tech Support: Yes, how can I help you?

Customer: Well, after much consideration, I've decided to install Love. Can you guide me though the process?

Tech Support: Yes. I can help you. Are you ready to proceed?

Customer: Well, I'm not very technical, but I think I'm ready. What do I do first?

Tech Support: The first step is to open your Heart. Have you located your Heart?

Customer: Yes, but there are several other programs running now. Is it okay to install Love while they are running?

Tech Support: What programs are running?

Customer: Let's see, I have Past Hurt, Low Self-Esteem, Grudge, and Resentment running right now.

Tech Support: No problem, Love will gradually erase Past Hurt from your current operating system. It may remain in your permanent memory but it will no longer disrupt other programs. Love will eventually override Low Self-Esteem with a module of its own called High Self-Esteem. However, you have to completely turn off Grudge and Resentment. Those programs prevent Love from being properly installed. Can you turn those off?

Customer: I don't know how to turn them off. Can you tell me how?

Tech Support: With pleasure. Go to your start menu and invoke Forgiveness. Do this as many times as necessary until Grudge and Resentment have been completely erased.

Customer: Okay, done! Love has started installing itself. Is that normal?

Tech Support: Yes, but remember that you have only the base program. You need to begin connecting to other Hearts in order to get the upgrades.

Customer: Oops! I have an error message already. It says, "Error - Program not run on external components." What should I do?

Tech Support: Don't worry. It means that the Love program is set up to run on Internal Hearts, but has not yet been run on your Heart. In non-technical terms, it simply means you have to Love yourself before you can Love others.

Customer: So, what should I do?

Tech Support: Pull down Self-Acceptance; then click on the following files: Forgive-Self; Realize Your Worth; and Acknowledge your Limitations.

Customer: Okay, done.

Tech Support: Now, copy them to the "My Heart" directory. The system will overwrite any conflicting files and begin patching faulty programming. Also, you need to delete Verbose Self-Criticism from all directories and empty your Recycle Bin to make sure it is completely gone and never comes back.

Customer: Got it. Hey! My heart is filling up with new files. Smile is playing on my monitor and Peace and Contentment are copying themselves all over My Heart. Is this normal?

Tech Support: Sometimes. For others it takes a while, but eventually everything gets it at the proper time. So Love is installed and running. One more thing before we hang up. Love is Freeware. Be sure to give it and its various modules to everyone you meet. They will in turn share it with others and return some cool modules back to you.

Meditation: Love is the fulfillment of the law. – Romans 13:10

You will succeed in Jesus Name!

Daily Dew is published by Sons of Issachar Projects. To subscribe by email or read previous editions, visit www.daily-dew.com

To download the Daily Dew mobile app on your Android and iPhone devices, please click on http://daily-dew.com/android-iphone, for Blackberry app, click on http://daily-dew.com/blackberry.

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Excerpt from Harvey Mackay about a cab driver.

Harvey was waiting in line for a ride at the Airport. When a cab pulled up, the first thing he noticed was that the taxi was polished to a bright shine. Smartly dressed in a white shirt, black tie, and freshly pressed black slacks, the cab driver jumped out and rounded the car to open the back passenger door for Harvey. He handed him a laminated card and said:

"I'm Wally, your driver. While I'm loading your bags in the trunk, I'd like you to read my mission statement."

Wally's Mission Statement:

“To get my customers to their destination in the quickest, safest and cheapest way possible, in a friendly environment”.

This blew Harvey away. Especially when he noticed that the inside of the cab matched the outside. Spotlessly clean! As he slid behind the wheel, Wally said, "Would you like a cup of coffee? I have a thermos of regular and one of decaf."

Harvey said jokingly, "No, I'd prefer a soft drink."

Wally smiled and said, "No problem. I have a cooler up front with regular and Diet Coke, water and orange juice."

Almost stuttering, Harvey said, "I'll take a Diet Coke."

Handing him his drink, Wally said, "If you'd like something to read, I have The Wall Street Journal, Time, Sports Illustrated and USA Today."

As if that weren't enough, Wally told Harvey that he had the air conditioning on and asked if the temperature was comfortable for him. Then he advised Harvey of the best route to his destination for that time of day.

"Tell me, Wally," Harvey asked the driver, "have you always served customers like this?"

Wally smiled into the rear-view mirror. "No, not always. In fact, it's only been in the last two years. My first five years of driving, I spent most of my time complaining like all the rest of the cabbies do. Then I heard the personal growth guru, Wayne Dyer, on the radio one day. He said, 'Stop complaining! Differentiate yourself from your competitors. “Don't be a duck; Ducks quack and complain. Be an Eagle; Eagles soar above the crowd.”

"That hit me right between the eyes," said Wally. "Dyer was really talking about me. I was always quacking and complaining, so I decided to change my attitude and become an Eagle. The other cabs were dirty, the drivers were unfriendly, and the customers were unhappy. So I decided to make some changes. I put in a few at a time. When my customers responded well, I did more."

I take it that has paid off for you," Harvey said.

"It sure has," Wally replied. "My first year as an Eagle, I doubled my income from the previous year. This year I'll probably quadruple it. You were lucky to get me today. I don't sit at cabstands anymore. My customers call me for appointments on my cell phone or leave a message on my answering machine. If I can't pick them up myself, I get a reliable cabbie friend to do it and I take a piece of the action."

Wally was phenomenal. He was running a limo service out of a Yellow Cab.

Wally the Cab Driver made a different choice. He decided to stop quacking like ducks and start soaring like Eagles.

No one ever attains very eminent success by simply doing what is required of him; it is the amount and excellence of what is over and above the required that determines the greatness of ultimate distinction.

Think about this: "The man who does more than he is paid for will soon be paid for more than he does".

Meditation: But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me was not in vain; but I labored more abundantly than they all, yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me. – 1 Corinthians 15:10

You will succeed in Jesus Name!

Daily Dew is published by Sons of Issachar Projects. To subscribe by email or read previous editions, visit www.daily-dew.com

To download the Daily Dew mobile app on your Android and iPhone devices, please click on http://daily-dew.com/android-iphone, for Blackberry app, click on http://daily-dew.com/blackberry.

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Jaroldeen Asplund Edwards

Several times my daughter had telephoned to say, "Mother, you must come see the daffodils before they are over." I wanted to go, but it was a two-hour drive from Laguna to Lake Arrowhead.

"I will come next Tuesday,” I promised, a little reluctantly, on her third call.

Next Tuesday dawned cold and rainy. Still, I had promised, and so I drove there. When I finally walked into Carolyn's house and hugged and greeted my grandchildren, I said, "Forget the daffodils, Carolyn! The road is invisible in the clouds and fog, and there is nothing in the world except you and these children that I want to see bad enough to drive another inch!"

My daughter smiled calmly and said, "We drive in this all the time, Mother."

"Well, you won't get me back on the road until it clears, and then I'm heading for home!" I assured her.

"I was hoping you'd take me over to the garage to pick up my car."

"How far will we have to drive?"

"Just a few blocks," Carolyn said. "I'll drive. I'm used to this."

After several minutes, I had to ask, "Where are we going? This isn't the way to the garage!"

"We're going to my garage the long way," Carolyn smiled, "by way of the daffodils."

"Carolyn," I said sternly, "please turn around."

"It's all right, Mother, I promise. You will never forgive yourself if you miss this experience."

After about twenty minutes, we turned onto a small gravel road and I saw a small church. On the far side of the church, I saw a hand-lettered sign that said, "Daffodil Garden."

We got out of the car and each took a child's hand, and I followed Carolyn down the path. Then, we turned a corner of the path, and I looked up and gasped. Before me lay the most glorious sight. It looked as though someone had taken a great vat of gold and poured it down over the mountain peak and slopes. The flowers were planted in majestic, swirling patterns-great ribbons and swaths of deep orange, white, lemon yellow, salmon pink, saffron, and butter yellow. Each different-colored variety was planted as a group so that it swirled and flowed like its own river with its own unique hue. There were five acres of flowers.

"But who has done this?" I asked Carolyn.

"It's just one woman," Carolyn answered. "She lives on the property. That's her home."

Carolyn pointed to a well-kept A-frame house that looked small and modest in the midst of all that glory. We walked up to the house. On the patio, we saw a poster. "Answers to the Questions I Know You Are Asking" was the headline.

The first answer was a simple one."50,000 bulbs," it read. The second answer was, "One at a time, by one woman. Two hands, two feet, and very little brain." The third answer was, "Began in 1958."

There it was, The Daffodil Principle. For me, that moment was a life-changing experience. I thought of this woman whom I had never met, who, more than forty years before, had begun ~ one bulb at a time ~ to bring her vision of beauty and joy to an obscure mountain top. Still, just planting one bulb at a time, year after year, had changed the world. This unknown woman had forever changed the world in which she lived. She had created something of ineffable (indescribable) magnificence, beauty, and inspiration.

The principle her daffodil garden taught is one of the greatest principles of celebration. That is, learning to move toward our goals and desires one step at a time ~ often just one baby-step at a time ~ and learning to love the doing, learning to use the accumulation of time. When we multiply tiny pieces of time with small increments of daily effort, we too will find we can accomplish magnificent things. We can change the world.

"It makes me sad in a way," I admitted to Carolyn. "What might I have accomplished if I had thought of a wonderful goal thirty-five or forty years ago and had worked away at it 'one bulb at a time' through all those years. Just think what I might have been able to achieve!"

My daughter summed up the message of the day in her usual direct way. "Start tomorrow," she said.

Meditation: Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might; for there is no work or device or knowledge or wisdom in the grave where you are going. – Ecclesiastes 9:10

You will succeed in Jesus Name!

Daily Dew is published by Sons of Issachar Projects. To subscribe by email or read previous editions, visit www.daily-dew.com

To download the Daily Dew mobile app on your Android and iPhone devices, please click on http://daily-dew.com/android-iphone, for Blackberry app, click on http://daily-dew.com/blackberry.

Be a blessing; share this with your loved ones.

Author Unknown

There are two days in every week about which we should not worry, two days which should be kept free from fear and apprehension.

One of these days is Yesterday with all its mistakes and cares, its faults and blunders, its aches and pains.

Yesterday has passed forever beyond our control. All the money in the world cannot bring back Yesterday.

We cannot undo a single act we performed; we cannot erase a single word we said. Yesterday is gone forever.

The other day we should not worry about is Tomorrow with all its possible adversities, its burdens, its large promise and its poor performance; Tomorrow is also beyond our immediate control.

Tomorrow's sun will rise, either in splendour or behind a mask of clouds, but it will rise. Until it does, we have no stake in Tomorrow, for it is yet to be born.

This leaves only one day, Today. Any person can fight the battle of just one day. It is when you and I add the burdens of those two awful eternities Yesterday and Tomorrow that we break down.

It is not the experience of Today that drives a person mad, it is the remorse or bitterness of something which happened Yesterday and the dread of what Tomorrow may bring.

Let us, therefore, Live but one day at a time.

Meditation: but exhort one another daily, while it is called “Today,” lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. – Hebrews 3:13

You will succeed in Jesus Name!

Daily Dew is published by Sons of Issachar Projects. To subscribe by email or read previous editions, visit www.daily-dew.com

To download the Daily Dew mobile app on your Android and iPhone devices, please click on http://daily-dew.com/android-iphone, for Blackberry app, click on http://daily-dew.com/blackberry.

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(Courtesy of Jimmy Harmon)

A psychologist walked around a room while teaching stress management to an audience. As she raised a glass of water, everyone expected they'd be asked the "half empty or half full" question. Instead, with a smile on her face, she inquired: "How heavy is this glass of water?"

Answers called out ranged from 8 oz. to 20 oz.

She replied, "The absolute weight doesn't matter. It depends on how long I hold it. If I hold it for a minute, it's not a problem. If I hold it for an hour, I'll have an ache in my arm. If I hold it for a day, my arm will feel numb and paralyzed. In each case, the weight of the glass doesn't change, but the longer I hold it, the heavier it becomes."

She continued, "The stresses and worries in life are like that glass of water. Think about them for a while and nothing happens. Think about them a bit longer and they begin to hurt. And if you think about them all day long, you will feel paralyzed – incapable of doing anything."

Remember to put the glass down.

Meditation: And which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature? – Luke 12:25

You will succeed in Jesus Name!

Daily Dew is published by Sons of Issachar Projects. To subscribe by email or read previous editions, visit www.daily-dew.com

To download the Daily Dew mobile app on your Android and iPhone devices, please click on http://daily-dew.com/android-iphone, for Blackberry app, click on http://daily-dew.com/blackberry.

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Bob Eilers

My day started just like all the other days for the past 15 years where I get up, make some coffee, shower, get dressed and leave for the train station at preciously 7:35 A.M. to arrive at work by 8:30. While on the train I would always choose a seat away from the crowd so I can read the newspaper in peace and quiet. At work I am always being bombarded with questions from co-workers, suppliers, telephone and then those dreaded meetings so the last thing I need is some stranger to sit beside me and make small talk.

I don’t know why but for some reason when I got on the train today it was unusually full, something I don’t recall ever happening in the past. With hesitation I sat down in the only seat available beside a middle aged man that had his head down and seemed to be lost in his thoughts. I was glad that he didn’t notice when I sat next to him as he just continued to look down towards the floor.

Shortly after the train left for my 30 minute ride downtown I found myself wondering what this man was thinking about. What could be so important that he didn’t even see me sit next to him? I tried to forget about it and started to read my paper. However, for some strange reason this “inner voice” kept prompting me to talk to this man. I tried to ignore the “voice” as there was no way I was starting a conversation with a complete stranger.

As you probably guessed I eventually broke down and came up with an excuse to ask him a question. When he raised his head and turned his eyes towards me I could see that he must have been really upset as he had red eyes and still had some tears rolling down the side of his face despite his feeble attempt to wipe them away. I can’t describe the sadness I felt seeing someone in so much pain.

We talked for about 20 minutes and in the end he seemed to be doing better. As we were leaving the train he thanked me profusely for being an angel by taking the time to talk. I never did find out what was making his heart so heavy with pain but was glad I listened to the “voice” that day.

Several weeks had passed when I noticed an envelope on my desk after returning from lunch. It was not addressed to anyone and only had the word “Angel” written on it. My receptionist attached a note saying a gentleman dropped it off saying he did not know my name but had described me well enough that the receptionist knew it was for me. When I read the note inside the envelope I was so filled with emotions that I couldn’t contain myself. It was a letter from the man I met on the train thanking me again for talking to him and saving his life that day.

Apparently he had some very hurtful personal problems that were so overwhelming he was planning to take his life that day. In his letter he went on to explain that he was a religious person and in desperation screamed out to God that if God really cared about him he would send someone to prevent him from taking his life. In his eyes I was that someone, that Angel sent by God.

Not being a religious person myself I don’t know what that “voice” was that made me take a chance and talk to a stranger but I do know that it made a difference in someone’s life that day. So the next time you feel prompted for no apparent reason to talk to a friend, relative, neighbor or even a complete stranger please remember my story. You just may make a difference in someone’s life when you listen to your inner voice.

Meditation: For He is our God, and we are the people of His pasture, and the sheep of His hand. Today, if you will hear His voice: “Do not harden your hearts... – Psalm 95:7-8

You will succeed in Jesus Name!

Daily Dew is published by Sons of Issachar Projects. To subscribe by email or read previous editions, visit www.daily-dew.com

To download the Daily Dew mobile app on your Android and iPhone devices, please click on http://daily-dew.com/android-iphone, for Blackberry app, click on http://daily-dew.com/blackberry.

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Rod Russell

During the waning years of the Great Depression in a small south-eastern Kansas community, I used to stop by Mr. Miller’s roadside stand for farm fresh produce as the season made it available. Food and money were still extremely scarce and bartering was used extensively.

One particular day, Mr. Miller was bagging some early potatoes for me. I noticed a small boy, delicate of bone and feature, ragged but clean, hungrily apprising a basket of freshly picked green peas. I paid for my potatoes but was also drawn to the display of fresh green peas. I am a pushover for creamed peas and new potatoes. Pondering the peas, I couldn't help overhearing the conversation between Mr. Miller and the ragged boy next to me.

"Hello Barry, how are you today?"

"H'lo, Mr. Miller. Fine, thank ya. Jus' admirin' them peas...sure look good."

"They are good, Barry. How's your Ma?"

"Fine. Gittin' stronger alla' time."

"Good. Anything I can help you with?"

"No, Sir. Jus' admirin' them peas."

"Would you like to take some home?"

"No, Sir. Got nuthin' to pay for 'em with."

"Well, what have you to trade me for some of those peas?"

"All I got's my prize marble here."

"Is that right? Let me see it."

"Here 'tis. She's a dandy."

"I can see that. Hmmmm, only thing is this one is blue and I sort of go for red. Do you have a red one like this at home?"

"Not 'zackley...but, almost."

"Tell you what. Take this sack of peas home with you and next trip this way let me look at that red marble."

"Sure will. Thanks, Mr. Miller."

Mrs. Miller, who had been standing nearby, came over to help me. With a smile she said, "There are two other boys like him in our community, all three are in very poor circumstances. Jim just loves to bargain with them for peas, apples, tomatoes or whatever. When they come back with their red marbles, and they always do, he decides he doesn't like red after all and he sends them home with a bag of produce for a green marble or an orange one, perhaps."

I left the stand, smiling to myself, impressed with this man. A short time later I moved to Colorado but I never forgot the story of this man, the boys and their bartering. Several years went by, each more rapid than the previous one. Just recently, I had occasion to visit some old friends in that Idaho community and while I was there learned that Mr. Miller had died.

They were having his viewing that evening and knowing my friends wanted to go, I agreed to accompany them. Upon our arrival at the mortuary, we fell into line to meet the relatives of the deceased and to offer whatever words of comfort we could. Ahead of us in line were three young men. One was in an army uniform and the other two wore nice haircuts, dark suits and white shirts - very professional looking. They approached Mrs. Miller, standing smiling and composed, by her husband's casket. Each of the young men hugged her, kissed her on the cheek, spoke briefly with her and moved on to the casket. Her misty light blue eyes followed them as, one by one, each young man stopped briefly and placed his own warm hand over the cold pale hand in the casket. Each left the mortuary, awkwardly, wiping his eyes.

Our turn came to meet Mrs. Miller. I told her who I was and mentioned the story she had told me about the marbles. Eyes glistening, she took my hand and led me to the casket. "Those three young men who just left were the boys I told you about. They just told me how they appreciated the things Jim 'traded' them. Now, at last when Jim could not change his mind about color or size - they came to pay their debt."

"We've never had a great deal of the wealth of this world," she confided, "but right now, Jim would consider himself the richest man in Idaho." With loving gentleness, she lifted her husband's lifeless fingers. Resting underneath were three exquisitely shined, red marbles!

Meditation: For the poor will never cease from the land; therefore I command you, saying, ‘You shall open your hand wide to your brother, to your poor and your needy, in your land.’ – Deuteronomy 15:11

You will succeed in Jesus Name!

Daily Dew is published by Sons of Issachar Projects. To subscribe by email or read previous editions, visit www.daily-dew.com

To download the Daily Dew mobile app on your Android and iPhone devices, please click on http://daily-dew.com/android-iphone, for Blackberry app, click on http://daily-dew.com/blackberry.

Be a blessing; share this with your loved ones.

Author Unknown

There is an old Chinese tale about a woman whose only son died. In her grief, she went to the holy man and asked, "What prayers, what magical incantations do you have to bring my son back to life?"

Instead of sending her away or reasoning with her, he said to her, "Fetch me a mustard seed from a home that has never known sorrow. We will use it to drive the sorrow out of your life." The woman went off at once in search of that magical mustard seed.

She came first to a splendid mansion, knocked at the door, and said, "I am looking for a home that has never known sorrow. Is this such a place? It is very important to me."

They told her, "You've certainly come to the wrong place," and began to describe all the tragic things that recently had befallen them.

The woman said to herself, "Who is better able to help these poor, unfortunate people than I, who have had misfortune of my own?"

She stayed to comfort them, then went on in search of a home that had never known sorrow. But wherever she turned, in hotels and in other places, she found one tale after another of sadness and misfortune.

The woman became so involved in helping others cope with their sorrows that she eventually let go of her own. She would later come to understand that it was the quest to find the magical mustard seed that drove away her suffering.

Meditation: Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. – 2 Corinthians 1:3-4

You will succeed in Jesus Name!

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Be a blessing; share this with your loved ones.

Heino Molls

Many years ago I drove a taxi for extra money. I primarily worked the east end of Toronto. This was back in the days when the Greenwood Racetrack was in operation.

The track was a pretty lively place. Crowds of people were always streaming in and out. I did a lot of business down there dropping off fares and picking them up. When I think of those days, I remember one particular summer about 30 years ago.

Each time a taxi drove up to the front of the track, a group of local kids would run along the sidewalk angling for position by the passenger door. One lucky kid, or to be more accurate the most aggressive kid, would open the passenger door and say “Good luck at the track, Mister!”

The man getting out of the cab would invariably mumble thanks and flip the kid a quarter on his way from the taxi to the entrance of the track.

It was a routine that everybody knew. Sometimes the cops would chase these kids away but they always came back a couple of hours later or the next day.

Throughout the summer, one kid caught my eye. He was bigger than most of them but he was pushed away by even the smallest of all the other kids. He never pushed back. In fact he would even step aside when others pushed forward. He was actually courteous in the midst of all these aggressive kids.

Each time my cab or any other cab drove up it was another chance to be the one to open the door and say, “Good luck Mister!” and maybe get a quarter. This kid never stopped trying. He would watch the cab approach, figure out where it would stop along the sidewalk and then try his best to get to the door. He never made it. He always got pushed aside. But he never gave up.

Then one day his chance arrived.

As I was pulling up to the sidewalk all the kids were scrambling for a cab that had arrived just ahead of mine. They didn’t notice me pulling up.

The boy saw me and walked toward my taxi. As I pulled up I made sure to position the passenger door right beside him. He didn’t miss a beat. He opened the passenger door with a flourish and said to the man getting out, “Good luck at the track, Mister!”

But the man who got out of my cab did not say thanks. He did not flip him a quarter. He said, “Get out of my way kid!” and he pushed him aside so hard that the boy fell on the sidewalk and I knew it hurt him bad.

I was out of the cab in less than 10 seconds, but I knew I would never find the man that pushed this boy down. He was gone in the crowd.

So I looked for the kid. I decided to give him $20 for the effort and gumption that I had watched him go through. By the time I spotted him he was far up ahead, walking away through the crowd, hands in his pockets and his head hanging down. I could not get to him. The other cabs behind mine were honking their horns and drivers were screaming obscenities at me, telling me to move the cab. The traffic cop was waving at me to get back in my taxi and get going.

The kid was walking the opposite way. By the time I got the cab turned around I lost sight of him. All I could do was pound my fist on the steering wheel.

I never saw him again.

Over time I have thought about that kid. I thought I would like to find him one day and tell him that if only he had stuck around a little longer I would have given him a whole $20 instead of the lousy quarter he was after, because I was so struck by his spirit.

After 30 years I realized that maybe I learned an important lesson from this kid. And maybe I am supposed to pass it along.

When things seem so hopeless that you are ready to give up, that is the time when things are most likely to turn around for you. One day we will all be recognized for how we tried. Not necessarily for what we did.

So don’t ever let up or walk away from integrity, because it will be the reason for your reward.

Meditation: Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him. – James 1:12

You will succeed in Jesus Name!

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Be a blessing; share this with your loved ones.

Ann Wells

I'm reading more and dusting less. I'm sitting in the yard and admiring the view without fussing about the weeds in the garden. I'm spending more time with my family and friends and less time working. Whenever possible, life should be a pattern of experiences to savor, not to endure. I'm trying to recognize these moments now and cherish them.

I'm not 'saving' anything; we use our good china and crystal for every special event such as losing a pound, getting the sink unstopped, or the first Amaryllis blossom. I wear my good blazer to the market. My theory is if I look prosperous, I can shell out $28.49 for one small bag of groceries. I'm not saving my good perfume for special parties, but wearing it for clerks in the hardware store and tellers at the bank. 'Someday' and 'one of these days' are losing their grip on my vocabulary. If it's worth seeing or hearing or doing, I want to see and hear and do it now.

I'm not sure what others would've done had they known they wouldn't be here for the tomorrow that we all take for granted. I think they would have called family members and a few close friends. They might have called a few former friends to apologize and mend fences for past squabbles. I like to think they would have gone out for a Chinese dinner or for whatever their favorite food was. I'm guessing; I'll never know.

It's those little things left undone that would make me angry if I knew my hours were limited. Angry because I hadn't written certain letters that I intended to write one of these days. Angry and sorry that I didn't tell my husband and parents often enough how much I truly love them. I'm trying very hard not to put off, hold back, or save anything that would add laughter and luster to our lives.

And every morning when I open my eyes, I tell myself that it is special. Every day, every minute, every breath truly is a gift from God.

Meditation: And do this, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep; for now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed. – Romans 13:11

You will succeed in Jesus Name!

Daily Dew is published by Sons of Issachar Projects. To subscribe by email or read previous editions, visit www.daily-dew.com

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Be a blessing; share this with your loved ones.

Author Unknown

To my beautiful grandchildren...

Our world is changing so fast and there are many things I wish for you...

I'd really like for you to know about hand-me-down clothes and homemade ice cream and leftover meat loaf sandwiches. I really would.

I hope you learn humility by being humiliated, and that you learn honesty by being cheated.

I hope you learn to make your own bed and mow the lawn and wash the car.

And I really hope nobody gives you a brand new car when you are sixteen.

I hope you get a black eye fighting for something you believe in.

I hope you have to share a bedroom with your younger brother or sister.

And it's all right if you have to draw a line down the middle of the room, but when they want to crawl under the covers with you because they're scared, I hope you let them.

When you want to see a movie and your little brother or sister wants to tag along, I hope you'll let them.

I hope you have to walk uphill to school with your friends and that you live in a town where you can do it safely.

On rainy days when you have to catch a ride, I hope you don't ask your driver to drop you two blocks away so you won't be seen riding with someone as uncool as your Mom.

If you want a slingshot, I hope your Dad teaches you how to make one instead of buying one.

I hope you learn to dig in the dirt and read books.

When you learn to use computers, I hope you also learn to add and subtract in your head.

I hope you get teased by your friends when you have your first crush, and when you talk back to your mother that you learn what ivory soap tastes like.

May you skin your knee climbing a mountain, burn your hand on a stove and stick your tongue on a frozen flagpole.

I don't care if you try a beer once, but I hope you don't like it.

And if a friend offers you dope or a joint, I hope you realize he is not your friend.

I sure hope you make time to sit on a porch with your grandparents and go fishing with your uncle.

These are just some of the things that I wish for you - tough times and disappointment, hard work and happiness. To me, it's the only way to appreciate life.

Meditation: I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth. – 3 John 1:4

You will succeed in Jesus Name!

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Be a blessing; share this with your loved ones.

Donna Doyon

I recall as a young child bringing bouquets of brilliant yellow flowers to my mother. It didn't matter that the stems felt sticky or that both my parents cursed the presence of these flowers in the lawn. I thought they were beautiful!

And there were so many of them! We spent hours picking the flowers and then popping the blossoms off with a snap of our fingers. But the supply of dandelions never ran out. My father or brothers would chop off all the heads with the lawn mower at least once a week, but that didn't stop these hardy wonders.

And for those flowers that escaped the honor of being hand-delivered to my mother or the sharp blades of the lawn mower, there was another level of existence.

The soft, round puffs of a dandelion gone to seed caused endless giggles and squeals of delight as we unwittingly spread this flower across the yard.

As I worked in my garden last week, pulling unwanted weeds out of the space that would become a haven for tomatoes, corn, peas and sunflowers, I again marveled at the flower that some call a weed. And I thought, "If only I had the staying power of a dandelion."

If only I could stretch my roots so deep and straight that something tugging on my stem couldn't separate me completely from the source that feeds me life. If only I could come back to face the world with a bright, sunshiny face after someone has run me over with a lawnmower or worse, purposely attacked me in an attempt to destroy me. If only my foliage was a nutritious source of vitamins that help others grow. If only I could spread love and encouragement as freely and fully as this flower spreads seeds of itself.

The lawns at my parents' homes are now beautiful green blankets. The only patches of color come from well-placed, well-controlled flowerbeds. Chemicals have managed to kill what human persistence couldn't.

I hope you and I can be different. I hope that we can stretch our roots deep enough that the strongest poison can't reach our souls. I hope that we can overcome the poisons of anger, fear, hate, criticism and competitiveness. I hope that we can see flowers in a world that sees weeds.

Meditation: Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things. – Philippians 4:8

You will succeed in Jesus Name!

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- Author Unknown

Vital For Your Health and Well-being!

The maker of all human beings is recalling all units manufactured, regardless of make or year, due to the serious defect in the primary and central component or heart. This is due to a malfunction in the original prototype units, resulting in the reproduction of the same defect in all subsequent units. This defect has been technically termed, Subsequential Internal Non-Morality, or more commonly known as S-I-N, as it is primarily symptomized by loss of moral judgment.

Some other symptoms are:

a. Loss of direction

b. Foul vocal emissions

c. Amnesia of origin

d. Lack of peace and joy

e. Selfish, or violent, behavior

f. Depression or confusion in the mental component

The manufacturer, who is neither liable or at fault for this defect, is providing factory authorized repair and service, free of charge, to correct this SIN defect, at numerous locations throughout the world. The number to call for the recall station in your area is: 1-800-THE LORD

WARNING: Continuing to operate the human unit without correction, voids manufacturer's warranty, exposing owner to dangers and problems too numerous to list and will result in the human unit being permanently impounded.

PRAY THIS NOW: Dear God in Heaven, I call on the Name of Jesus Christ. Please fix me by making me new on the inside. I receive, and acknowledge, the Lord Jesus Christ now. Amen.

For free emergency service, call on J-E-S-U-S for prompt assistance at any location worldwide.

Meditation: And it shall come to pass That whoever calls on the name of the Lord Shall be saved. – Joel 2:32

You will succeed in Jesus Name!

Daily Dew is published by Sons of Issachar Projects. To subscribe by email or read previous editions, visit www.daily-dew.com

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Be a blessing; share this with your loved ones.

Author Unknown

Their marriage was good, their dreams focused. Their best friends lived barely a wave away. I can see them now, Dad in trousers, tee shirt and a hat and Mom in a house dress; lawn mower in his hand, and dish-towel in hers. It was the time for fixing things. A curtain rod, the kitchen radio, screen door, the oven door, and the hem in a dress. Things we keep.

It was a way of life, and sometimes it made me crazy. All that 20 re-fixing, eating, renewing, I wanted just once to be wasteful. Waste meant affluence. Throwing things away meant you knew there would always be more.

But then my mother died, and on that clear summer's night, in the warmth of the hospital room, I was struck with the pain of learning that sometimes there isn't any more. Sometimes, what we care about most gets all used up and goes away...never to return. So While we have it, it’s best we love it and care for it and fix it when it's broken and heal it when it's sick.

This is true for marriage and old cars, and children with bad report cards... Dogs and cats with bad hips.... And aging parents and grandparents=20 aunts and uncles and friends. We keep them because they are worth it, because we are worth it.

Some things we keep. Like a best friend who moved away or a classmate we grew up with. There are just some things that make life important, like people we know who are special.... Therefore, we keep them close in heart and mind and spirit.

Meditation: Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their labor. For if they fall, one will lift up his companion. But woe to him who is alone when he falls, for he has no one to help him up. – Ecclesiastes 4:8-9

You will succeed in Jesus Name!

Daily Dew is published by Sons of Issachar Projects. To subscribe by email or read previous editions, visit www.daily-dew.com

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Be a blessing; share this with your loved ones.

Author Unknown

Although things are not perfect

Because of trial or pain

Continue in thanksgiving

Do not begin to blame

Even when the times are hard

Fierce winds are bound to blow

God is forever able

Hold on to what you know

Imagine life without His love

Joy would cease to be

Keep thanking Him for all the things

Love imparts to thee

Move out of Camp Complaining

No weapon that is known

On earth can yield the power

Praise can do alone

Quit looking at the future

Redeem the time at hand

Start every day with worship

To "thank" is a command

Until we see Him coming

Victorious in the sky

We'll run the race with gratitude

‘Xalting God most high

Yes, there'll be good times and yes some will be bad, but...


Zion waits in glory...where none are ever sad!

The shortest distance between a problem and a solution is the distance between your knees and the floor.

The one who kneels to the Lord can stand up to anything.

Meditation: …it is a righteous thing with God to repay with tribulation those who trouble you. – 2 Thessalonians 1:6

You will succeed in Jesus Name!

Daily Dew is published by Sons of Issachar Projects. To subscribe by email or read previous editions, visit www.daily-dew.com

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Be a blessing; share this with your loved ones.

Author Unknown

It was a busy morning, about 8:30, when an elderly man in his 80s arrived to have stitches removed from his thumb. He said he was in a hurry as he had an appointment at 9:00.

I took his vital signs and had him take a seat, knowing it would be over an hour before someone would be able to see him. I saw him looking at his watch and decided since I wasn't busy with another patient, I would evaluate his wound. On examining it, I saw it was well healed, so I talked to one of the doctors and got the needed supplies to remove his sutures and redress his wound.

While taking care of his wound, I asked him if he had another doctor's appointment this morning, as he was in such a hurry. The man told me no, that he needed to go to the nursing home to eat breakfast with his wife.

I inquired as to her health. He told me that she had been there for a while, as she is a victim of Alzheimer's disease.

As we talked, I asked if she would be upset if he was a bit late. He replied that she no longer knew who he was, that she had not recognized him in five years now.

I was surprised and asked him, 'And you still go every morning, even though she doesn't know who you are?'

He smiled as he patted my hand and said, 'She doesn't know me but I still know who she is.'

I had to hold back tears as he left, I had goose bumps on my arm and thought, 'That is the kind of love I want in my life. True love is neither physical nor romantic'.

True love is an acceptance of all that is, has been, will be, and will not be.

Peace is seeing a sunset and knowing who to thank. The happiest people don't necessarily have the best of everything; they just make the best of everything they have.

Meditation: Love never fails. – 1 Corinthians 13:8

You will succeed in Jesus Name!

Daily Dew is published by Sons of Issachar Projects. To subscribe by email or read previous editions, visit www.daily-dew.com

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Be a blessing; share this with your loved ones.

Author Unknown

The 26-year-old mother stared down at her son who was dying of terminal leukemia. Although her heart was filled with sadness, she also had a strong feeling of determination. Like any parent, she wanted her son to grow up and fulfill all his dreams. Now that was no longer possible. The leukemia would see to that. But she still wanted her son's dreams to come true. She took her son's hand and asked, "Billy, did you ever think about what you wanted to be once you grew up? Did you ever dream and wish what you would do with your life?"

"Mommy, I always wanted to be a fireman when I grew up." Mom smiled back and said, "Let's see if we can make your wish come true."

Later that day she went to her local fire department in Phoenix, Arizona, where she met Fireman Bob, who had a heart as big as Phoenix. She explained her son's final wish and asked if it might be possible to give her six-year-old son a ride around the block on a fire engine.

Fireman Bob said, "Look, we can do better than that. If you'll have your son ready at seven 'clock Wednesday morning, we'll make him an honorary fireman for the whole day. He can come down to the fire station, eat with us, go out on all the fire calls, the whole nine yards! "And if you'll give us his sizes, we'll get a real fire uniform for him, with a real fire hat -- not a toy one -- with the emblem of the Phoenix Fire Department on it, a yellow slicker like we wear and rubber boots. They're all manufactured right here in Phoenix, so we can get them fast."

Three days later Fireman Bob picked up Billy, dressed him in his fire uniform and escorted him from his hospital bed to the waiting hook and ladder truck. Billy got to sit on the back of the truck and help steer it back to the fire station. He was in heaven. There were three fire calls in Phoenix that day and Billy got to go out on all three calls. He rode in the different fire engines, the paramedic's van, and even the fire chief's car. He was also videotaped for the local news program.

Having his dream come true, with all the love and attention that was lavished upon him, so deeply touched Billy that he lived three months longer than any doctor thought possible.

One night all of his vital signs began to drop dramatically and the head nurse, who believed in the hospice concept that no one should die alone, began to call the family members to the hospital.

Then she remembered the day Billy had spent as a fireman, so she called the Fire Chief and asked if it would be possible to send a fireman in uniform to the hospital to be with Billy as he made his transition. The chief replied, "We can do better than that. We'll be there in five minutes. Will you please do me a favor? When you hear the sirens screaming and see the lights flashing, will you announce over the PA system that there is not a fire? It's just the fire department coming to see one of its finest members one more time. And will you open the window to his room? About five minutes later a hook and ladder truck arrived at the hospital, extended its ladder up to Billy's third floor open window and 16 firefighters climbed up the ladder into Billy's room. With his mother's permission, they hugged him and held him and told him how much they loved him.

With his dying breath, Billy looked up at the fire chief and said, "Chief, am I really a fireman now?"

"Billy, you are," the chief said.

With those words, Billy smiled and closed his eyes one last time.

Meditation: Precious in the sight of the Lord Is the death of His saints. – Psalm 116:15

You will succeed in Jesus Name!

Daily Dew is published by Sons of Issachar Projects. To subscribe by email or read previous editions, visit www.daily-dew.com

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Be a blessing; share this with your loved ones.

Author Unknown

There was this little girl sitting by herself in the park. Everyone passed by her and never stopped to see why she looked so sad. Dressed in a worn pink dress, barefoot and dirty, the girl just sat and watched the people go by. She never tried to speak. She never said a word. Many people passed by her, but no one would stop.

The next day I decided to go back to the park in curiosity to see if the little girl would still be there. Yes, she was there, right in the very spot where she was yesterday, and still with the same sad look in her eyes.

Today I was to make my own move and walk over to the little girl. For as we all know, a park full of strange people is not a place for young children to play alone. As I got closer I could see the back of the little girl's dress was grotesquely shaped. I figured that was the reason people just passed by and made no effort to speak to her.

As I got closer, the little girl lowered her eyes slightly to avoid my intent stare. As I approached her, I could see the shape of her back more clearly. She was grotesquely shaped in a humped-over form.

I smiled to let her know it was OK; I was there to help, to talk. I sat down beside her and opened with a simple, "Hello." The little girl acted shocked, and stammered a "hi," after a long stare into my eyes. I smiled and she shyly smiled back.

We talked until darkness fell and the park was completely empty. I asked the girl why she was so sad. The little girl looked at me with a sad face said, "Because I'm different." I immediately said, "That you are!" and smiled. The little girl acted even sadder and said, "I know."

"Little girl," I said, "You remind me of an angel, sweet and innocent." She looked at me and smiled, then slowly she got to her feet and said, "Really?"

"Yes, you're like a little Guardian Angel sent to watch over all those people walking by." She nodded her head yes, and smiled. With that she opened the back of her pink dress and allowed her wings to spread, then she said "I am. I'm your Guardian Angel," with a twinkle in her eye. I was speechless -- sure I was seeing things.

She said, "For once you thought of someone other than yourself. My job here is done."

I got to my feet and said, "Wait, why did no one stop to help an angel?" She looked at me, smiled, and said, "You are the only one that could see me," and then she was gone. And with that, my life was changed dramatically. So, when you think you're all you have, remember, your angel is always watching over you.

Meditation: But love your enemies, do good, and lend, hoping for nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High. For He is kind to the unthankful and evil. – Luke 6:35

You will succeed in Jesus Name!

Daily Dew is published by Sons of Issachar Projects. To subscribe by email or read previous editions, visit www.daily-dew.com

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Be a blessing; share this with your loved ones.

Author Unknown

...The hand you pull up may be the hand that saves you! A simple lesson:

A rat looked through a crack in the wall to see the farmer and his wife opening a package. What food might it contain? He was aghast to discover that it was a rattrap. Retreating to the farmyard the rat proclaimed the warning; "There is a rat trap in the house, a rat trap in the house!"

The chicken clucked and scratched, raised her head and said, "Excuse me, Mr. Rat, I can tell this is a grave concern to you, but it is of no consequence to me. I cannot be bothered by it."

The rat turned to the pig and told him, "There is a rat trap in the house, a rat trap in the house!"

"I am so very sorry Mr. Rat," sympathized the pig, "but there is nothing I can do about it but pray. Be assured that you are in my prayers."

The rat turned to the cow. She said, "Like wow, Mr. Rat. A rattrap. I am in grave danger. Duh?"

So the rat returned to the house, head down and dejected, to face the farmer's rat trap alone.

That very night a sound was heard throughout the house, like the sound of a rattrap catching its prey. The farmer's wife rushed to see what was caught. In the darkness, she did not see that it was a venomous snake whose tail the trap had caught. The snake bit the farmer's wife.

The farmer rushed her to the hospital. She returned home with a fever. Now everyone knows you treat a fever with fresh chicken soup, so the farmer took his hatchet to the farmyard for the soup's main ingredient.

His wife's sickness continued so that friends and neighbors came to sit with her around the clock. To feed them the farmer butchered the pig.

The farmer's wife did not get well. She died, and so many people came for her funeral that the farmer had the cow slaughtered to provide meat for all of them to eat.

So the next time you hear that someone is facing a problem and think that it does not concern you, remember that when there is a rat trap in the house, the whole farmyard is at risk.

Meditation: “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.” – John 13:34-35

You will succeed in Jesus Name!

Daily Dew is published by Sons of Issachar Projects. To subscribe by email or read previous editions, visit www.daily-dew.com

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Be a blessing; share this with your loved ones.

Author Unknown

"Why was my burden so heavy?" I slammed the bedroom door and leaned against it. Is there no rest from this life? I wondered. I stumbled to my bed and dropped onto it, pressing my pillow around my ears to shut out the noise of my existence.

"Oh God," I cried, "let me sleep. Let me sleep forever and never wake up!"

With a deep sob, I tried to will myself into oblivion, and then welcomed the blackness that came over me.

Light surrounded me as I regained consciousness. I focused on its source: the figure of a man standing before a cross.

"My child," the person asked, "why did you want to come to Me before I am ready to call you?"

"Lord, I'm sorry. It's just that... I can't go on. You see how hard it is for me. Look at this awful burden on my back. I simply can't carry it anymore."

"But haven't I told you to cast all of your burdens upon Me, because I care for you? My yoke is easy, and My burden is light."

"I knew You would say that. But why does mine have to be so heavy?"

"My child, everyone in the world has a burden. Perhaps you would like to try a different one?"

"I can do that?"

He pointed to several burdens lying at His feet. "You may try any of these."

All of them seemed to be of equal size. But each was labelled with a name.

"Why there's Joan's!" I said. Joan was married to a wealthy businessman. She lived in a sprawling estate and dressed her three daughters in the prettiest designer clothes. Sometimes she drove me to church in her Cadillac when my car was broken.

"Let me try that one." How difficult could her burden be? I thought.

The Lord removed my burden and placed Joan's on my shoulders. I sank to my knees beneath its weight. "Take it off!" I said. "What makes it so heavy?"

"Look inside."

I untied the straps and opened the top. Inside was a figure of her Mother-in-law, and when I lifted it out, it began to speak.

"Joan, you'll never be good enough for my son," it began. "He never should have married you. You're a terrible mother to my grandchildren..."

I quickly placed the figure back in the pack and withdrew another. It was Donna, Joan's youngest daughter. Her head was bandaged from the surgery that had failed to resolve her epilepsy.

A third figure was Joan's brother. Addicted to drugs, he had been convicted of killing a police officer.

"I see why her burden is so heavy, Lord. But she's always smiling and helping others. I didn't realize..."

"Would you like to try another?" He asked quietly.

I tested several. Paula's felt heavy: She was raising four small boys without a father. Debra's did too: a childhood of sexual abuse and a marriage of emotional abuse. When I came to Ruth's burden, I didn't even try. I knew that inside I would find arthritis, old age, a demanding full-time job, and a beloved husband in a nursing home.

"They're all too heavy, Lord." I said. "Give back my own."

As I lifted the familiar load once again, it seemed much lighter than the others.

"Let’s look inside." He said.

I turned away, holding it close. "That's not a good idea," I said.

"Why?"

"There's a lot of junk in there."

"Let Me see."

The gentle thunder of His voice compelled me. I opened my burden.

He pulled out a brick.

"Tell me about this one."

"Lord, You know. It's money. I know we don't suffer like people in some countries or even the homeless here in America. But we have no insurance, and when the kids get sick, we can't always take them to the doctor. They've never been to a dentist and I'm tired of dressing them in hand-me-downs."

"My child, I will supply all of your needs... and your children's. I've given them healthy bodies. I will teach them that expensive clothing doesn't make a person valuable in My sight."

Then He lifted out the figure of a small boy. "And this?" He asked.

"Andrew..." I hung my head, ashamed to call my son a burden. "But, Lord, he's hyperactive. He's not quiet like the other two. He makes me so tired. He's always getting hurt, and someone is bound to think I abuse him. I yell at him all the time. Someday I may really hurt him...."

"My child," He said, "If you trust Me, I will renew your strength. If you allow Me to fill you with My Spirit, I will give you patience."

Then He took some pebbles from my burden.

"Yes, Lord," I said with a sigh. "Those are small. But they're important. I hate my hair. It's thin, and I can't make it look nice. I can't afford to go to the beauty shop. I'm overweight and can't stay on a diet. I hate all my clothes. I hate the way I look!"

"My child, people look at your outward appearance, but I look at your heart. By My Spirit you can gain self-control to lose weight. But your beauty should not come from outward appearance. Instead, it should come from your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in My sight."

My burden now seemed lighter than before.

"I guess I can handle it now." I said.

"There is more." He said. "Hand Me that last brick."

"Oh, You don't have to take that. I can handle it."

"My child, give it to Me." Again His voice compelled me. He reached out His hand, and for the first time I saw the ugly wound.

"But, Lord, this brick is so awful, so nasty, so...Lord! What happened to Your hands? They're so scarred!" No longer focused on my burden, I looked for the first time into His face. In His brow were ragged scars –as though someone had pressed thorns into His flesh.

"Lord," I whispered. "What happened to You?"

His loving eyes reached into my soul.

"My child, you know. Hand Me the brick. It belongs to Me. I bought it."

"How?"

"With My blood."

"But why, Lord?"

"Because I have loved you with an Everlasting Love. Give it to Me."

I placed the filthy brick into His wounded palm. It contained all the dirt and evil of my life: my pride, my selfishness, the depression that constantly tormented me.

He turned to the cross and hurled my brick into the pool of blood at its base. It hardly made a ripple.

"Now, My child, you need to go back. I will be with you always. When you are troubled, call to Me and I will help you and show you things you cannot imagine now."

"Yes, Lord, I will call on You."

I reached to pick up my burden.

"You may leave that here if you wish. You see all these burdens? They are the ones that others have left at My feet. Joan's, Paula's, Debra's, Ruth's... When you leave your burden here, I carry it with you. Remember, My yoke is easy and My burden is light."

As I placed my burden with Him, the light began to fade. Yet I heard Him whisper, "I will never leave you, nor forsake you."

A peace flooded my soul.

Meditation: "Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” – Matthew 11:28-30

You will succeed in Jesus Name!

Daily Dew is published by Sons of Issachar Projects. To subscribe by email or read previous editions, visit www.daily-dew.com

To download the Daily Dew mobile app on your Android and iPhone devices, please click on http://daily-dew.com/android-iphone, for Blackberry app, click on http://daily-dew.com/blackberry.

Be a blessing; share this with your loved ones.

Thanks for sharing.

adeaks:
Had to share this. I was really blessed reading it.

Author Unknown

Not too long ago I had "one of those days." I was feeling pressure from a writing deadline. I had company arriving in a couple days and the toilet was clogged. I went to the bank, and the trainee teller processing my deposit had to start over three times. I swung by the supermarket to pick up a few things and the lines were serpentine. By the time I got home, I was frazzled and sweaty and in a hurry to get something on the table for dinner.

Deciding on Campbell's Cream of Mushroom soup, I grabbed a can opener, cranked open the can, then remembered I had forgotten to buy milk at the store. Nix the soup idea. Setting the can aside, I went to plan B, which was leftover baked beans. I grabbed the Tupperware container from the fridge, popped the seal, took a look and groaned. My husband isn't a picky eater, but even HE won't eat baked beans that look like caterpillars.

Really frustrated now, I decided on a menu that promised to be as foolproof as it is nutrition-free: hot dogs and potato chips. Retrieving a brand new bag of chips from the cupboard, I grabbed the cellophane and gave a hearty pull. The bag didn't open. I tried again. Nothing happened. I took a breath, doubled my muscle, and gave the bag a hearty wrestle. With a loud pop, the cellophane suddenly gave way, ripping wide from top to bottom. Chips flew sky high. I was left holding the bag, and it was empty.

It was the final straw. I let out a blood-curdling scream. "I CAN'T TAKE IT ANYMORE!"

My husband heard my unorthodox cry for help. Within minutes he was standing at the doorway to the kitchen, where he surveyed the damage: an opened can of soup, melting groceries, moldy baked beans, and one quivering wife standing ankle deep in potato chips. My husband did the most helpful thing he could think of at the moment. He took a flying leap, landing flat-footed in the pile of chips. And then he began to stomp and dance and twirl, grinding those chips into my linoleum in the process!

I stared. I fumed. Pretty soon I was working to stifle a smile. Eventually I had to laugh. And finally I decided to join him. I, too, took a leap onto the chips. And then I danced. Now I'll be the first to admit that my husband's response wasn't the one I was looking for. But the truth is, it was exactly what I needed. I didn't need a clean-up crew as much as I needed an attitude adjustment, and the laughter from that rather funky moment provided just that.

So now I have a question for you, and it's simply this: Has God ever stomped on your chips? I know that, in my life, there have been plenty of times when I've gotten myself into frustrating situations and I've cried out for help, all the while hoping God would show up with a celestial broom and clean up the mess.

What often happens instead is that God dances on my chips, answering my prayer in a completely different manner than I had expected, but in the manner that is best for me after all. Sometimes I can see right away that God's response was the best one after all. Sometimes I have to wait weeks or months before I begin to understand how and why God answered a particular prayer the way he did. There are even some situations that, years later, I'm still trying to understand. I figure God will fill me in sooner or later, either this side of Heaven or beyond.

Do I trust Him? Even when He's answering my prayers in a way that is completely different from my expectations? Even when He's dancing and stomping instead of sweeping and mopping. Can I embrace what He's offering?

Can I let His joy adjust my attitude? Am I going to stand on the sidelines and sulk, or am I willing to learn the steps of the dance He's dancin' with my needs in mind? I'll be honest with you: Sometimes I sulk. Sometimes I dance. I'm working on doing more of the latter than the former. I guess the older I get the more I realize that He really does know what He's doing. He loves me and I can trust Him. Even when the chips are down.

Meditation: When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; And through the rivers, they shall not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, Nor shall the flame scorch you. – Isaiah 43:2

You will succeed in Jesus Name!

Daily Dew is published by Sons of Issachar Projects. To subscribe by email or read previous editions, visit www.daily-dew.com

To download the Daily Dew mobile app on your Android and iPhone devices, please click on http://daily-dew.com/android-iphone, for Blackberry app, click on http://daily-dew.com/blackberry.

Be a blessing; share this with your loved ones.

Amen! God bless you too.

dyadeleye:

@op God bless you for sharing this...
#sobs#

Author Unknown

Back in the fifteenth century, in a tiny village near Nuremberg, lived a family with 18 children. Eighteen! In order merely to keep food on the table for this mob, the father and head of the household, a goldsmith by profession, worked almost 18 hours a day at his trade and any other paying chore he could find in the neighborhood. Despite their seemingly hopeless condition, two of Albrecht Durer the Elder's children had a dream. They both wanted to pursue their talent for art, but they knew full well that their father would never be financially able to send either of them to Nuremberg to study at the Academy.

After many long discussions at night in their crowded bed, the two boys finally worked out a pact. They would toss a coin. The loser would go down into the nearby mines and, with his earnings, support his brother while he attended the academy. Then, when that brother who won the toss completed his studies, in four years, he would support the other brother at the academy, either with sales of his artwork or, if necessary, also by laboring in the mines. They tossed a coin on a Sunday morning after church. Albrecht Durer won the toss and went off to Nuremberg.

Albert went down into the dangerous mines and, for the next four years, financed his brother, whose work at the academy was almost an immediate sensation. Albrecht's etchings, his woodcuts, and his oils were far better than those of most of his professors, and by the time he graduated, he was beginning to earn considerable fees for his commissioned works.

When the young artist returned to his village, the Durer family held a festive dinner on their lawn to celebrate Albrecht's triumphant homecoming. After a long and memorable meal, punctuated with music and laughter, Albrecht rose from his honored position at the head of the table to drink a toast to his beloved brother for the years of sacrifice that had enabled Albrecht to fulfill his ambition. His closing words were, "And now, Albert, blessed brother of mine, now it is your turn. Now you can go to Nuremberg to pursue your dream, and I will take care of you." All heads turned in eager expectation to the far end of the table where Albert sat, tears streaming down his pale face, shaking his lowered head from side to side while he sobbed and repeated, over and over, "No...no...no...no."

Finally, Albert rose and wiped the tears from his cheeks. He glanced down the long table at the faces he loved, and then, holding his hands close to his right cheek, he said softly, "No, brother. I cannot go to Nuremberg. It is too late for me. Look ... look what four years in the mines have done to my hands! The bones in every finger have been smashed at least once, and lately I have been suffering from arthritis so badly in my right hand that I cannot even hold a glass to return your toast, much less make delicate lines on parchment or canvas with a pen or a brush. No, brother... for me it is too late."

More than 450 years have passed. By now, Albrecht Durer's hundreds of masterful portraits, pen and silver-point sketches, watercolors, charcoals, woodcuts, and copper engravings hang in every great museum in the world, but the odds are great that you, like most people, are familiar with only one of Albrecht Durer's works. More than merely being familiar with it, you very well may have a reproduction hanging in your home or office.

One day, to pay homage to Albert for all that he had sacrificed, Albrecht Durer painstakingly drew his brother's abused hands with palms together and thin fingers stretched skyward. He called his powerful drawing simply "Hands," but the entire world almost immediately opened their hearts to his great masterpiece and renamed his tribute of love "The Praying Hands."

The next time you see a copy of that touching creation, take a second look. Let it be your reminder, if you still need one, that no one – no one - ever makes it alone!

Meditation: Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. – Philippians 2:3

You will succeed in Jesus Name!

Daily Dew is published by Sons of Issachar Projects. To subscribe by email or read previous editions, visit www.daily-dew.com

To download the Daily Dew mobile app on your Android and iPhone devices, please click on http://daily-dew.com/android-iphone, for Blackberry app, click on http://daily-dew.com/blackberry.

Be a blessing; share this with your loved ones.

By Bob Perks

"What do you remember most about your mom?" I asked.

"The way she did the dishes," she replied. ""She used a wash rag, not a sponge. She took her time doing them like she was giving us a bath."

I was in a card store trying to find a card for my wife. I don't like to just stand there looking. I like to talk to the people who are trying desperately to find just the right words.

I thought it was a great time to ask what they remembered. It also helped them to find the right card.

"What about you? What one thing do you think of when you think of her?" I asked the woman to my right.

"The way she folded her clothes. It was never one, two, three. If she was folding an under shirt it was the same as folding a work shirt. Every crease in every fold meant something to her," she replied.

Another woman nearby joined in.

"My mom ironed the bed linens. The details she insisted on were such that you would think she was giving tours through the house," she said laughing.

Within minutes each of them had selected the "perfect" card.

"Thanks. That helped me find the right one."

"Me, too!"

"I hate buying cards...this was easy, thanks!"

So, what was it that made it so easy?

The little things.

When it comes to love, we don't think about the big accomplishments, we tend to focus on the details. The way they walk, talk, smile, cook, laugh or sing is suddenly more important than anything else.

Think for a moment about someone you love. What comes to mind?

See, we create an image of that love by painting a picture of them. All the little things remembered are like single strokes of a brush.

For me? Cup cakes. My mom made the best cup cakes. Nothing fancy, just chocolate with butter icing. The cake was moist and the icing thick. Always the first ones to go at the school bake sales.

If you are a mom by giving birth, adopting or by marriage. If you have no human children but furry babies. If you are blessed to still have your mom or if she is now blessing heaven with her presence...

I wish for you this weekend, days filled with little things to remember and big love to give.

I have to bake some cupcakes!

Meditation: “Can a woman forget her nursing child, And not have compassion on the son of her womb?” – Isaiah 49:15

You will succeed in Jesus Name!

Daily Dew is published by Sons of Issachar Projects. To subscribe by email or read previous editions, visit www.daily-dew.com

To download the Daily Dew mobile app on your Android and iPhone devices, please click on http://daily-dew.com/android-iphone, for Blackberry app, click on http://daily-dew.com/blackberry.

Be a blessing; share this with your loved ones.

Author Unknown

One day an elderly man entered into a hospital. He was grumpy from being on medication and the nurses thought him to be insane, as he yelled for his wife to get the apple basket. By the time they had checked him into his room the nurses were exhausted from the fight he was putting up.

"Sir you have to calm down. We are doing everything we can for you." They would try to explain.

"I don't need your help!" the grumpy man would yell. "I want my apple basket!"

He finally slept. The nurses sighed with relief and talked among themselves whether they should call the hospital psychologist about the old man and his obsession with the apple basket.

As they talked and laughed about the situation, the wife came in carrying the basket of apples. They looked kind of stunned as she asked if she could see her husband and deliver his basket. Sure, they agreed as they watched her slip past into his room.

Curiosity consumed them over the next few weeks as they tended to the elderly man. He was eaten with cancer and the doctors had given him no hope of survival. He turned out to be a very calm, happy man once he had his basket. His wife, they noticed, would come in with apples and go out with apples, and the curiosity grew even more until one nurse couldn't stand the suspense.

One night, as he was nearing the end, the nurse sat down in a chair by the wife. "May I ask why do you have that apple basket? I just don't understand the significance."

"I am an apple farmer by trade,” he sighed. “From the time I was 20 till the day I do die I will forever have my apples." The nurse nodded thinking she understood. He just likes his work, she thought, assured now he was a little bit crazy.

As she started to leave, the old man asked her to sit down. "At age 20 I was saved, I accepted the Lord as my Savior."

Oh no, the nurse thought. Here comes the lecture on religion. The old man continued. "The day I accepted the Lord as my Savior I got this basket, and each time I had a problem or concern that I could not handle, I put an apple in the basket un-shined."

"Why?" the nurse said shaking her head.

"Because it reminded me to give those problems to the Lord for him to shine. See my basket now," he stated. "As my problems disappear so do the apples. As I get new problems, ones I cannot handle alone, I put an apple in."

The humble nurse looked into the basket...only one apple was there.

With that, he took a big breath and grabbed his wife by the hand and faded into eternal sleep. The wife paused for a moment and got up from her place to take from the basket the last remaining apple. She whispered in his ear that his reward awaits him in heaven.

The nurse stayed still and asked with tears in her eyes, "What do you think his riches will be?"

The wife knew what they were, eternal life with Jesus Christ. But she could see the concern and sadness upon the young nurse’s face and handed her the apple and said "the biggest apple pie you can imagine!"

That was the day the young nurse was saved, and from that day on she always had a basket by her bed.

Meditation: Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you. – 1 Peter 5:6-7

You will succeed in Jesus Name!

Daily Dew is published by Sons of Issachar Projects. To subscribe by email or read previous editions, visit www.daily-dew.com

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Be a blessing; share this with your loved ones.

Author Unknown

When I meditated on the word guidance, I kept seeing "dance" at the end of the word. I remember reading that doing God's will is a lot like dancing. When two people try to lead, nothing feels right. The movement doesn't flow with the music and everything is quite uncomfortable and jerky.

When one person relaxes and lets the other lead, both bodies begin to flow with the music. One gives gentle cues, perhaps with a nudge to the back or by pressing lightly in one direction or another. It's as if two become one body, moving beautifully. The dance takes surrender, willingness, and attentiveness from one person and gentle guidance and skill from the other.

My eyes drew back to the word guidance. When I saw "G," I thought of God, followed by "u" and "i." God, "u" and "I" dance. God, you, and I dance. This statement is what guidance means to me.

As I lowered my head, I became willing to trust that I would get guidance about my life.

Once again, I became willing to let God lead.

Meditation: O Lord, I know the way of man is not in himself; It is not in man who walks to direct his own steps. – Jeremiah 10:23

You will succeed in Jesus Name!

Daily Dew is published by Sons of Issachar Projects. To subscribe by email or read previous editions, visit www.daily-dew.com

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Be a blessing; share this with your loved ones.

Author Unknown

In the city of Chicago, one cold, dark night, a blizzard was setting in. A little boy was selling newspapers on the corner; the people were in and out of the cold. The little boy was so cold that he wasn't trying to sell many papers. He walked up to a police officer and said, "Mister, you wouldn't happen to know where a poor boy could find a warm place to sleep tonight would you? You see, I sleep in a box up around the corner there and down the alley and it's awful cold in there, of a night. Sure would be nice to have a warm place to stay."

The police officer looked down at the little boy and said, "You go down the street to that big white house and you knock on the door. When they come out the door you just say John 3:16 and they will let you in."

So he did, he walked up the steps to the door, and knocked on the door and a lady answered. He looked up and said, "John 3:16."

The lady said "Come on in, Son." She took him in, sat him down in a split bottom rocker in front of a great big old fireplace, and she went off.

He sat there for a while, and thought to himself "John 3:16.... I don't understand it, but it sure makes a cold boy warm."

Later she came back and asked him "Are you hungry?"

He said, "Well, just a little. I haven't eaten in a couple of days and I guess I could stand a little bit of food." The lady took him in the kitchen and sat him down to a table full of wonderful food. He ate and ate until he couldn't eat any more. Then he thought to himself "John 3:16... Boy, I sure don't understand it, but it sure makes a hungry boy full."

She took him upstairs to a bathroom to a huge bathtub filled with warm water and he sat there and soaked for a while. As he soaked, he thought to himself, "John 3:16... I sure don't understand it, but it sure makes a dirty boy clean. You know, I've not had a bath, a real bath, in my whole life. The only bath I ever had was when I stood in front of that big old fire hydrant as they flushed it out."

The lady came in and got him, and took him to a room and tucked him into a big old feather bed and pulled the covers up around his neck and kissed him goodnight and turned out the lights. As he laid in the darkness and looked out the window at the snow coming down on that cold night he thought to himself, "John 3:16... I don't understand it, but it sure makes a tired boy rested."

The next morning she came back up and took him down again to that same big table full of food. After he ate she took him back to that same big old split bottom rocker in front of the fireplace and she took a big old Bible and sat down in front of him and she looked up at and she asked "Do you understand John 3:16?"

He said, "No, Ma'am, I don't. The first time I ever heard it was last night when the policeman told me to use it."

She opened her Bible to John 3:16, and she began to explain to him about Jesus. Right there in front of that big old fireplace he gave his heart and life to Jesus. He sat there and thought, "John 3:16. I don't understand it, but it but it sure makes a lost boy feel safe."

You know, I have to confess I don't understand it either, how God would be willing to send His Son to die for me, and how Jesus would agree to do such a thing. I don't understand it either, but it sure does make life worth living.

Meditation: For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. – John 3:16-18

You will succeed in Jesus Name!

Daily Dew is published by Sons of Issachar Projects. To subscribe by email or read previous editions, visit www.daily-dew.com

To download the Daily Dew mobile app on your Android and iPhone devices, please click on http://daily-dew.com/android-iphone, for Blackberry app, click on http://daily-dew.com/blackberry.

Be a blessing; share this with your loved ones.

What is your motive with these long references?

mujahid1339:
hope you also taught him these; EX 17:13 With the Lord's approval, Joshua mows
down Amalek and his people. EX 21:20-21 With
the Lord's approval, a slave may be beaten to
death with no punishment for the perpetrator as
long as the slave doesn't die too quickly. EX
32:27 "Put every man his sword by his side, and
go in and out from gate to gate throughout the
camp, and slay every man his brother, and every
man his companion, and every man his neighbor.
EX 32:27-29 With the Lord's approval, the
Israelites slay 3000 men. LE 26:7-8 The Lord
promises the Israelites that, if they are obedient,
their enemies will "fall before your sword." LE
26:22 "I will also send wild beasts among you,
which shall rob you of your children." LE 26:29 ,
DT 28:53 , JE 19:9 , EZ 5:8-10 As a punishment,
the Lord will cause people to eat the flesh of their
own sons and daughters and fathers and friends.
LE 27:29 Human sacrifice is condoned. (Note: An
example is given in JG 11:30-39 ) NU 11:33 The
Lord smites the people with a great plague. NU
12:1-10 God makes Miriam a leper for seven days
because she and Aaron had spoken against
Moses. NU 15:32-36 A Sabbath breaker (who had
gathered sticks for a fire) is stoned to death at
the Lord's command. NU 16:27-33 The Lord
causes the earth to open and swallow up the men
and their households (including wives and
children) because the men had been rebellious.
NU 16:35 A fire from the Lord consumes 250
men. NU 16:49 A plague from the Lord kills
14,700 people. NU 21:3 The Israelites utterly
destroy the Canaanites. NU 21:6 Fiery serpents,
sent by the Lord, kill many Israelites. NU 21:35
With the Lord's approval, the Israelites slay Og "...
and his sons and all his people, until there was
not one survivor left ...." NU 25:4 (KJV) "And the
Lord said unto Moses, take all the heads of the
people, and hang them up before the Lord against
the sun ...." NU 25:8 "He went after the man of
Israel into the tent, and thrust both of them
through, the man of Israel, and the woman
through her belly." NU 25:9 24,000 people die in a
plague from the Lord. NU 31:9 The Israelites
capture Midianite women and children. NU
31:17-18 Moses, following the Lord's command,
orders the Israelites to kill all the Midianite male
children and "... every woman who has known
man ...." (Note: How would it be determined
which women had known men? One can only
speculate.) NU 31:31-40 32,000 virgins are taken
by the Israelites as booty. Thirty-two are set
aside (to be sacrificed?) as a tribute for the Lord.
DT 2:33-34 The Israelites utterly destroy the men,
women, and children of Sihon. DT 3:6 The
Israelites utterly destroy the men, women, and
children of Og. DT 7:2 The Lord commands the
Israelites to "utterly destroy" and show "no mercy"
to those whom he gives them for defeat. DT
20:13-14 "When the Lord delivers it into your
hand, put to the sword all the males .... As for
the women, the children, the livestock and
everything else in the city, you may take these as
plunder for yourselves." DT 20:16 "In the cities of
the nations the Lord is giving you as an
inheritance, do not leave alive anything that
breathes." DT 21:10-13 With the Lord's approval,
the Israelites are allowed to take "beautiful
women" from the enemy camp to be their captive
wives. If, after sexual relations, the husband has
"no delight" in his wife, he can simply let her go.
DT 28:53 "You will eat the fruit of the womb, the
flesh of the sons and daughters the Lord your
God has given you." JS 1:1-9 , 18 Joshua receives
the Lord's blessing for all the bloody endeavors to
follow. JS 6:21-27 With the Lord's approval,
Joshua destroys the city of Jericho--men, women,
and children--with the edge of the sword. JS
7:19-26 Achan, his children and his cattle are
stoned to death because Achan had taken a
taboo thing. JS 8:22-25 With the Lord's approval,
Joshua utterly smites the people of Ai, killing
12,000 men and women, so that there were none
who escaped. JS 10:10-27 With the help of the
Lord, Joshua utterly destroys the Gibeonites. JS
10:28 With the Lord's approval, Joshua utterly
destroys the people of Makkedah. JS 10:30 With
the Lord's approval, Joshua utterly destroys the
Libnahites. JS 10:32-33 With the Lord's approval,
Joshua utterly destroys the people of Lachish. JS
10:34-35 With the Lord's approval, Joshua utterly
destroys the Eglonites. JS 10:36-37 With the
Lord's approval, Joshua utterly destroys the
Hebronites. JS 10:38-39 With the Lord's approval,
Joshua utterly destroys the Debirites. JS 10:40 (A
summary statement.) "So Joshua defeated the
whole land ...; he left none remaining, but
destroyed all that breathed, as the Lord God of
Israel commanded." JS 11:6 The Lord orders
horses to be hamstrung. (Exceedingly cruel.) JS
11:8-15 "And the lord gave them into the hand of
Israel, ...utterly destroying them; there was none
left that breathed ...." JS 11:20 "For it was the
Lord's doing to harden their hearts that they
should come against Israel in battle, in order that
they should be utterly destroyed, and should
receive no mercy but be exterminated, as the Lord
commanded Moses." JS 11:21-23 Joshua utterly
destroys the Anakim. JG 1:4 With the Lord's
support, Judah defeats 10,000 Canaanites at
Bezek. JG 1:6 With the Lord's approval, Judah
pursues Adoni-bezek, catches him, and cuts off
his thumbs and big toes. JG 1:8 With the Lord's
approval, Judah smites Jerusalem. JG 1:17 With
the Lord's approval, Judah and Simeon utterly
destroy the Canaanites who inhabited Zephath.
JG 3:29 The Israelites kill about 10,000 Moabites.
JG 3:31 (A restatement.) Shamgar killed 600
Philistines with an oxgoad. JG 4:21 Jael takes a
tent stake and hammers it through the head of
Sisera, fastening it to the ground. JG 7:19-25 The
Gideons defeat the Midianites, slay their princes,
cut off their heads, and bring the heads back to
Gideon. JG 8:15-21 The Gideons slaughter the
men of Penuel. JG 9:5 Abimalech murders his
brothers. JG 9:45 Abimalech and his men kill all
the people in the city. JG 9:53-54 "A woman
dropped a stone on his head and cracked his
skull. Hurriedly he called to his armor-bearer,
'Draw your sword and kill me, so that they can't
say a woman killed me.' So his servant ran him
through, and he died." JG 11:29-39 Jepthah
sacrifices his beloved daughter, his only child,
according to a vow he has made with the Lord.
JG 14:19 The Spirit of the Lord comes upon a
man and causes him to slay thirty men. JG 15:15
Samson slays 1000 men with the jawbone of an
ass. JG 16:21 The Philistines gouge out
Samson's eyes. JG 16:27-30 Samson, with the
help of the Lord, pulls down the pillars of the
Philistine house and causes his own death and
that of 3000 other men and women. JG 18:27
The Danites slay the quiet and unsuspecting
people of Laish. JG 19:22-29 A group of sexual
depraved men beat on the door of an old man's
house demanding that he turn over to them a
male house guest. Instead, the old man offers his
virgin daughter and his guest's concubine (or
wife): "Behold, here are my virgin daughter and
his concubine; let me bring them out now. Ravish
them and do with them what seems good to you;
but against this man do not do so vile a thing."
The man's concubine is ravished and dies. The
man then cuts her body into twelve pieces and
sends one piece to each of the twelve tribes of
Israel. JG 20:43-48 The Israelites smite 25,000+
"men of valor" from amongst the Benjamites,
"men and beasts and all that they found," and set
their towns on fire. JG 21:10-12 "... Go and smite
the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead with the edge of
the sword and; also the women and little ones....
every male and every woman that has lain with a
male you shall utterly destroy." They do so and
find four hundred young virgins whom they bring
back for their own use. 1SA 4:10 The Philistines
slay 30,000 Israelite foot soldiers. 1SA 5:6-9 The
Lord afflicts the Philistines with tumors in their
"secret parts," presumably for having stolen the
Ark. 1SA 6:19 God kills seventy men (or so) for
looking into the Ark (at him?). (Note: The early
Israelites apparently thought the Ark to be God's
abode.) 1SA 7:7-11 Samuel and his men smite
the Philistines. 1SA 11:11 With the Lord's
blessing, Saul and his men cut down the
Ammonites. 1SA 14:31 Jonathan and his men
strike down the Philistines. 1SA 14:48 Saul smites
the Amalekites. 1SA 15:3 , 7-8 "This is what the
Lord says: Now go and smite Amalek, and utterly
destroy all that they have; do not spare them, but
kill both man and woman, infant and suckling, ox
and sheep, camel and ass ....' And Saul ... utterly
destroyed all the people with the edge of the
sword." 1SA 15:33 "Samuel hewed Agag in pieces
before the Lord ...." 1SA 18:7 The women sing as
they make merry: "Saul has slain his thousands
and David his ten thousands." 1SA 27:8-11 "David
left neither man nor woman alive ....". (Note: This
implies that children and infants were included in
the slaughter.) 1SA 30:17 David smites the
Amalekites. 2SA 2:23 Abner kills Asahel. 2SA 3:30
Joab and Abishai kill Abner. 2SA 4:7-8 Rechan
and Baanah kill Ish-bosheth, behead him, and take
his head to David. 2SA 4:12 David has Rechan
and Baanah killed, their hands and feet cut off,
and their bodies hanged by the pool at Hebron.
2SA 5:25 "And David did as the Lord commanded
him, and smote the Philistines ...." 2SA 6:2-23
Because she rebuked him for having exposed
himself, Michal (David's wife) was barren
throughout her life. 2SA 8:1-18 (A listing of some
of David's murderous conquests.) 2SA 8:4 David
hamstrung all but a few of the horses. 2SA 8:5
David slew 22,000 Syrians. 2SA 8:6 , 14 "The Lord
gave victory to David wherever he went." 2SA
8:13 David slew 18,000 Edomites in the valley of
salt and made the rest slaves. 2SA 10:18 David
slew 47,000+ Syrians. 2SA 11:14-27 David has
Uriah killed so that he can marry Uriah's wife,
Bathsheba. 2SA 12:1 , 19 The Lord strikes David's
child dead for the sin that David has committed.
2SA 13:1-15 Amnon loves his sister Tamar, rapes
her, then hates her. 2SA 13:28-29 Absalom has
Amnon murdered. 2SA 18:6 -7 20,000 men are
slaughtered at the battle in the forest of Ephraim.
2SA 18:15 Joab's men murder Absalom. 2SA
20:10-12 Joab's men murder Amasa and leave
him "... wallowing in his own blood in the
highway. And anyone who came by, seeing him,
stopped." 2SA 24:15 The Lord sends a pestilence
on Israel that kills 70,000 men. 1KI 2:24-25
Solomon has Adonijah murdered. 1KI 2:29-34
Solomon has Joab murdered. 1KI 2:46 Solomon
has Shime-i murdered. 1KI 13:15-24 A man is
killed by a lion for eating bread and drinking
water in a place where the Lord had previously
told him not to. This is in spite of the fact that
the man had subsequently been lied to by a
prophet who told the man that an angel of the
Lord said that it would be alright to eat and drink
there. 1KI 20:29-30 The Israelites smite 100,000
Syrian soldiers in one day. A wall falls on 27,000
remaining Syrians. 2KI 1:10-12 Fire from heaven
comes down and consumes fifty men. 2KI
2:23-24 Forty-two children are mauled and killed,
presumably according to the will of God, for
having jeered at a man of God. 2KI 5:27 Elisha
curses Gehazi and his descendants forever with
leprosy. 2KI 6:18-19 The Lord answers Elisha's
prayer and strikes the Syrians with blindness.
Elisha tricks the blind Syrians and leads them to
Samaria. 2KI 6:29 "So we cooked my son and ate
him. The next day I said to her, 'Give up your son
so we may eat him,' but she had hidden him." 2KI
9:24 Jehu tricks and murders Joram. 2KI 9:27
Jehu has Ahaziah killed. 2KI 9:30-37 Jehu has
Jezebel killed. Her body is trampled by horses.
Dogs eat her flesh so that only her skull, feet,
and the palms of her hands remain. 2KI 10:7
Jehu has Ahab's seventy sons beheaded, then
sends the heads to their father. 2KI 10:14 Jehu
has forty-two of Ahab's kin killed. 2KI 10:17 "And
when he came to Samaria, he slew all that
remained to Ahab in Samaria, till he had wiped
them out, according to the word of the Lord ...."
2KI 10:19-27 Jehu uses trickery to massacre the
Baal worshippers. 2KI 11:1 Athaliah destroys all
the royal family. 2KI 14:5 , 7 Amaziah kills his
servants and then 10,000 Edomites. 2KI 15:3-5
Even though he did what was right in the eyes of
the Lord, the Lord smites Azariah with leprosy for
not having removed the "high places." 2KI 15:16
Menahem ripped open all the women who were
pregnant. 2KI 19:35 An angel of the Lord kills
185,000 men. 1CH 20:3 (KJV) "And he brought
out the people that were in it, and cut them with
saws, and with harrows of iron, and with axes."
2CH 13:17 500,000 Israelites are slaughtered.
2CH 21:4 Jehoram slays all his brothers. PS
137:9 Happy will be the man who dashes your
little ones against the stones. PS 144:1 God is
praised as the one who trains hands for war and
fingers for battle. IS 13:15 "Everyone who is
captured will be thrust through; all who are
caught will fall by the sword. Their infants will be
dashed to pieces before their eyes; their ... wives
will be ravished." IS 13:18 "Their bows also shall
dash the young men to pieces; and they shall
have no pity on the fruit of the womb; their eye
shall not spare children." IS 14:21-22 "Prepare
slaughter for his children for the iniquity of their
fathers." IS 49:26 The Lord will cause the
oppressors of the Israelite's to eat their own flesh
and to become drunk on their own blood as with
wine. JE 16:4 "They shall die grievous deaths;
they shall not be lamented; neither shall they be
buried; but they shall be as dung upon the face
of the earth: and they shall be consumed by the
sword, and by famine; and their carcasses shall
be meat for the fowls of heaven, and for the
beasts of the earth." LA 4:9-10 "Those slain by
the sword are better off than those who die of
famine; racked with hunger, they waste away for
lack of food. ... pitiful women have cooked their
own children, who became their food ..." EZ
6:12-13 The Lord says: "... they will fall by the
sword, famine and plague. He that is far away
will die of the plague, and he that is near will fall
by the sword, and he that survives and is spared
will die of famine. So will I spend my wrath upon
them. And they will know I am the Lord, when the
people lie slain among their idols around their
altars, on every high hill and on all the
mountaintops, under every spreading tree and
every leafy oak ...." EZ 9:4-6 The Lord commands:
"... slay old men outright, young men and
maidens, little children and women ...." EZ 20:26
In order that he might horrify them, the Lord
allowed the Israelites to defile themselves
through, amongst other things, the sacrifice of
their first-born children. EZ 21:3-4 The Lord says
that he will cut off both the righteous and the
wicked that his sword shall go against all flesh.
EZ 23:25 , 47 God is going to slay the sons and
daughters of those who were whores. EZ 23:34
"You shall ... pluck out your hair, and tear your
bosoms." HO 13:16 "They shall fall by the sword:
their infants shall be dashed in pieces, and their
women with child shall be ripped up." MI 3:2-3 "...
who pluck off their skin ..., and their flesh from
off their bones; Who also eat the flesh of my
people, and flay their skin from off them; and
they break their bones, and chop them in pieces,
as for the pot, and as flesh within the caldron."
MT 3:12 , 8:12 , 10:21 , 13:30 , 42, 22:13 , 24:51 ,
25:30 , LK 13:28 , JN 5:24 Some will spend
eternity burning in Hell. There will be weeping,
wailing and gnashing of teeth. MT 10:21 "... the
brother shall deliver up his brother to death, and
the father his child, ... children shall rise up
against their parents, and cause them to be put
to death." MT 10:35-36 "For I have come to turn
a man against his father, a daughter against her
mother, a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-
law a man's enemies will be the members of his
own family." MT 11:21-24 Jesus curses [the
inhabitants of] three cities who were not
sufficiently impressed with his great works. AC
13:11 Paul purposefully blinds a man

Author Unknown

If You've Ever Been In Love...

Think back (for some of you this will take longer than others) to when you met that man/woman that you just knew would be the one. Remember when you realized/admitted to yourself that you loved him/her. Now, remember how much you wanted to act like you were in a movie, and yell to everyone in the football stadium "I love (fill in the name)!" You told family and friends how perfect he was. You told your boys how she was just what you were looking for.

Well, I told the LORD I loved Him today. And He said to me, "How much do you love me? You haven't told anyone how good I've been to you. You haven't shared how perfect my love is. You haven't spread the good news that I am always there to listen to your problems. You haven't told your family how I helped you pay your bills when you didn't have a high paying job, or how I got you a better one. You didn't tell your boys how I took away that addiction that would have cost you not only your job, but that woman that was just what you were looking for. So how much do you really love me?”

So, I said I would share with my friends and family (for starters) just how wonderful, perfect, understanding, patient, loving, unselfish, considerate and forgiving God really is. He has blessed me with a family that loves me and friends that I can confide in. But, even more than that, He has saved me from a destruction I couldn't even see coming. He gave to me the peace of knowing Him and He has never broken a promise. Truly, He is the best thing that has ever happened to me. And I stand in my stadium today to yell to you all "I love The LORD!”

Meditation: We love Him because He first loved us. – 1 John 4:19

You will succeed in Jesus Name!

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