₦airaland Forum

Author Unknown

Lord, thank you for this sink of dirty dishes; we have plenty of food to eat.

Thank you for this pile of dirty, stinky laundry; we have plenty of nice clothes to wear.

And I would like to thank you, Lord, for those unmade beds; they were so warm and comfortable last night. I know that many have no bed.

My thanks to you, Lord, for this bathroom, complete with all the splattered mirrors, soggy, grimy towels and dirty lavatory; they are so convenient.

Thank you for this finger-smudged refrigerator that needs defrosting so badly; it has served us faithfully for many years. It is full of cold drinks and enough leftovers for two or three meals.

Thank you, Lord, for this oven that absolutely must be cleaned today. It has baked so many things over the years.

The whole family is grateful for that tall grass that needs mowing, the lawn that needs raking; we all enjoy the yard.

Thank you, Lord, even for that slamming screen door. My kids are healthy and able to run and play.

Lord, the presence of all these chores awaiting me says You have richly blessed my family. I shall do them cheerfully and I shall do them gratefully.

Meditation: in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. – 1 Thessalonians 5:18

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.

Author Unknown

Do you like my dress?" she asked of a passing stranger. "My mommy made it just for me." She said with a tear in her eye.

"Well, I think it's very pretty, so tell me little one, why are you crying?"

With a quiver in her voice the little girl answered. "After Mommy made me this dress, she had to go away."

"Well, now," said the lady, with a little girl like you waiting for her, I'm sure she'll be right back."

"No ma'am, you don't understand," said the child through her tears, "my Daddy said that she's up in heaven now with Grandfather."

Finally the woman realized what the child meant, and why she was crying. Kneeling down she gently cradled the child in her arms and together they cried for the mommy that was gone.

Then suddenly the little girl did something that the woman thought was a bit strange. She stopped crying, stepped back from the woman and began to sing. She sang so softly that it was almost a whisper. It was the sweetest sound the woman had ever heard, almost like the song of a very small bird.

After the child stopped singing she explained to the lady, "My Mommy used to sing that song to me before she went away, and she made me promise to sing it whenever I started crying and it would make me stop."

"See," she exclaimed, "it did, and now my eyes are dry!"

As the woman turned to go, the little girl grabbed her sleeve, Lady, can you stay just a minute? I want to show you something."

"Of course," she answered, "what do you want me to see?"

Pointing to a spot on her dress, she said, "Right here is where my Mommy kissed my dress, and here," pointing to another spot, "and here is another kiss, and here, and here."

"Mommy said that she put all those kisses on my dress so that I would have her kisses for every boo-boo that made me cry."

Then the lady realized that she wasn't just looking at a dress, no, she was looking at a Mother who knew that she was going away and would not be there to kiss away the hurts that she knew her daughter would get. So she took all the love she had for her beautiful little girl and put them into this dress, that her child now so proudly wore. She no longer saw a little girl in a simple dress, she saw a child wrapped in her Mother's love.

Meditation: Therefore I say to you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much. But to whom little is forgiven, the same loves little. – Luke 7:47

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

It was a morning in early March, 1945, a clear and sunny day. I was 24 years old and a member of the U.S. Army's 35th Infantry Division, 137th Infantry Company I.

Along with several other companies of American troops, we were making our way through dense woods, towards the Rhine River in the German Rhineland. Our objective was to reach and take the town of Ossenberg, where a factory was producing gunpowder and other products for use in the war.

For hours we had pressed through an unrelenting thicket. Shortly after midday word was passed that there was a clearing ahead. At last, we thought, the going would be easier. But then we approached a large stone house, behind which huddled a handful of wounded, bleeding soldiers who had tried to cross the clearing and failed.

Before us stretched at least 200 yards of open ground, bordered on the far side by more thick woods. As the first of us appeared on the edge of the clearing there was an angry rat-tat-tat and a ferocious volley of bullets sent soil spinning as far as we could see. Three nests of German machine guns, spaced 50 yards apart and protected by the crest of a small hill to the left, were firing across the field.

As we got our bearings it was determined that the machine guns were so well placed that our weapons couldn't reach them.

To cross that field meant suicide. Yet, we had no choice. The Germans had blockaded every other route into the town. In order to move on and secure a victory, we had to move forward.

I slumped against a tree, appalled at the grim situation. I thought of home, of my wife and my 5-month old son. I had kissed him good-bye just after he was born. I thought that I might never see my family again, and the possibility was overwhelming.

I dropped to my knees. "God," I pleaded desperately, "You've got to do something. Please do something."

Moments later the order was given to advance. Grasping my M-1 rifle, I go to my feet and started forward. After reaching the edge of the clearing I took a deep breath. But just before I stepped out from cover, I glanced to the left.

I stopped and stared in amazement. A white cloud -- a long fluffy white cloud -- had appeared out of nowhere. It dropped from over the trees and covered the area. The Germans' line of fire was obscured by the thick foggy mist.

All of us bolted into the clearing and raced for our lives. The only sounds were of combat boots thudding against the soft earth as men dashed into the clearing, scrambling to reach the safety of the other side before the mist lifted. With each step the woods opposite came closer and closer. I was almost across! My pulse pounding in my ears, I lunged into the thicket and threw myself behind a tree.

I turned and watched as other soldiers following me dove frantically into the woods, some carrying and dragging the wounded. This has to be God's doing, I thought. The instant the last man reached safety, the cloud vanished! The day was again bright and clear.

The enemy, apparently thinking we were still pinned down behind the stone house on the other side, must have radioed their artillery.

Minutes later the building was blown to bits but our company was safe and we quickly moved on.

We reached Ossenberg and went on to secure more areas for the Allies.

But the image of that cloud was never far from my mind. I had seen the sort of smoke screens that were sometimes set off to obscure troop activity in such situations. That cloud had been different. It had appeared out of nowhere and saved our lives.

Two weeks later, as we bivouacked in eastern Germany, a letter arrived from my mother back in Dallas. I tore open the envelope eagerly. The letter contained words that sent a shiver down my spine. "You remember Mrs. Tankersly from our church?" my mother wrote.

Who could forget her? I smiled. Everybody called Mrs. Tankersly the prayer warrior.

"Well," continued Mom, "Mrs. Tankersly telephoned me one morning from the defence plant where she works. She said the Lord had awakened her the night before at one o' clock and told her, 'Spencer January is in terrible trouble. Get up now and pray for him!"

My mother went on to explain that Mrs. Tankersly had interceded for me in prayer until six o' clock the next morning, when she had to go to her job. "She told me the last thing she prayed before getting off her knees was this" -- "Lord, whatever danger Spencer is in, just cover him with a Cloud!"

I sat there for a long time holding the letter in my trembling hand.

My mind raced, quickly calculating. Yes, the hours Mrs. Tankersly was praying would indeed have corresponded to the time we were approaching the clearing. With a seven-hour time difference, her prayer for a cloud would have been uttered at one o'clock, the exact time we were getting ready to cross the clearing.

From that moment on, I intensified my prayer life. For the past 52 years I have gotten up early every morning to pray for others. I am convinced there is no substitute for the power of prayer and its ability to comfort and sustain others, even those facing the valley of the shadow of death.

PRAYER
"Lord, begin a new work of love within me. Instil in me a greater love for your commandments. Give me a burning desire to live a life of righteousness and holiness. Purify and transform me that I may be fully conformed into the likeness of Christ."

Meditation: So I sought for a man among them who would make a wall, and stand in the gap before Me on behalf of the land, that I should not destroy it; but I found no one. – Ezekiel 22:30

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.

Author Unknown

To a Friend, Loyalty

To an Enemy, Forgiveness

To your Boss, Service

To your Child, A good example

To your Father, Honor

To your Mother, Gratitude and Devotion

To your Spouse, Love and Faithfulness

To Yourself, Respect

To All Men, Charity

To God, Your Life!

Meditation: Jesus answered him, “The first of all the commandments is: ‘Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ This is the first commandment. And the second, like it, is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.” – Mark 12:29-31

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 Rev. Jim Harnish

Dave Barry noted that "the school dropped religion altogether and started singing about the weather...non-memorable songs such as 'Winter Wonderland', 'Frosty The Snowman,' and -- this is a real song -- 'Suzy Snowflake,' all of which is pretty funny because we live in Miami. A visitor from another planet would assume that the children belonged to the Church of Meteorology."

We stick with the carols because the carols stick with us. Year after year, the words come back from some deep place in our memory...at least through my generation. The culture around us helped us learn to sing them.

That's not the case today. Kids aren't learning the carols in school. Outside the church, the next generation does not have a memory of singing the story of the birth of Christ.

The Biblical irony, of course, is that it was never supposed to be the culture's responsibility to tell the Christmas story. The New Testament Christians always assumed that it was the church's responsibility to take the story to a secular, unbelieving world; a world where the gospel has to compete with belief in The Church of Meteorology; just the kind of world in which we live today.

This is to encourage you to sing the carols, play them on your CD, hum them in the shower, teach them to your children. Listen to the words and let them soak into your soul.

Meditation: Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.” – Luke 2:10-11

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

* A--Accept *
Accept others for who they are and for the choices they've made even if you have difficulty understanding their beliefs, motives, or actions.

*B--Break Away *
Break away from everything that stands in the way of what you hope to accomplish with your life.

*C--Create *
Create a family of friends whom you can share your hopes, dreams, sorrows, and happiness with.

*D--Decide *
Decide that you'll be successful and happy come what may, and good things will find you. The roadblocks are only minor obstacles along the way.

*E--Explore *
Explore and experiment. The world has much to offer, and you have much to give. And every time you try something new, you'll learn more about yourself.

*F--Forgive *
Forgive and forget. Grudges only weigh you down and inspire unhappiness and grief. Soar above it, and remember that everyone makes mistakes.

*G--Grow *
Leave the childhood monsters behind. They can no longer hurt you or stand in your way.

*H--Hope *
Hope for the best and never forget that anything is possible as long as you remain dedicated to the task.

*I--Ignore *
Ignore the negative voice inside your head. Focus instead on your goals and remember your accomplishments. Your past success is only a small inkling of what the future holds.

*J--Journey*
Journey to new worlds, new possibilities, by remaining open-minded. Try to learn something new every day, and you'll grow.

*K--Know *
Know that no matter how bad things seem, they'll always get better. The warmth of spring always follows the harshest winter.

*L--Love *
Let love fill your heart instead of hate. When hate is in your heart, there's room for nothing else, but when love is in your heart, there's room for endless happiness.

*M--Manage *
Manage your time and your expenses wisely, and you'll suffer less stress and worry. Then you'll be able to focus on the important things in life.

*N--Notice *
Never ignore the poor, infirm, helpless, weak, or suffering. Offer your assistance when possible, and always your kindness and understanding.

*O--Open *
Open your eyes and take in all the beauty around you. Even during the worst of times, there's still much to be thankful for.

*P--Play *
Never forget to have fun along the way. Success means nothing without happiness.

*Q--Question *
Ask many questions, because you're here to learn.

*R--Relax *
Refuse to let worry and stress rule your life, and remember that things always have a way of working out in the end.

*S--Share *
Share your talent, skills, knowledge, and time with others. Everything that you invest in others will return to you many times over.

*T--Try *
Even when your dreams seem impossible to reach, try anyway. You'll be amazed by what you can accomplish.

*U--Use *
Use your gifts to your best ability. Talent that's wasted has no value. Talent that's used will bring unexpected rewards.

*V--Value *
Value the friends and family members who've supported and encouraged you, and be there for them as well.

*W--Work *
Work hard every day to be the best person you can be, but never feel guilty if you fall short of your goals. Every sunrise offers a second chance.

*X--X-Ray *
Look deep inside the hearts of those around you and you'll see the goodness and beauty within.

*Y--Yield *
Yield to commitment. If you stay on track and remain dedicated, you'll find success at the end of the road.

*Z--Zoom *
Zoom to a happy place when bad memories or sorrow rear an ugly head.

Meditation: “These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full.” – John 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.

You're welcome.

theunusualmoon:
Thanks.

Author Unknown

A wise man says, "Never borrow from the future. If you worry about what may happen tomorrow and it doesn't happen, you have worried in vain. Even if it does happen, you have to worry twice."

1. Pray

2. Go to bed on time.

3. Get up on time so you can start the day unrushed.

4. Say No to projects that won't fit into your time schedule, or that will compromise your mental health.

5. Delegate tasks to capable others.

6. Simplify and unclutter your life.

7. Less is more... (Although one is often not enough, two may also be too many.)

8. Allow extra time to do things and to get to places.

9. Pace yourself. Spread out big changes and difficult projects over time; don't lump the hard things all together.

10. Take one day at a time.

11. Separate worries from concerns. If a situation is a concern, find out what God would have you do and let go of the anxiety. If you can't do anything about a situation, forget it.

12. Live within your budget; don't use credit cards for ordinary purchases.

13. Have backups; an extra car key in your wallet, an extra house key buried in the garden, extra stamps, etc.

14. K.M.S. (Keep Mouth Shut). This single piece of advice can prevent an enormous amount of trouble.

15. Do something for the Kid in You every day.

16. Carry a Bible with you to read while waiting in line.

17. Get enough rest.

18. Eat right.

19. Get organized so everything has its place.

20. Listen to a tape while driving that can help improve your quality of life.

21. Write down thoughts and inspirations.

22. Every day, find time to be alone.

23. Having problems? Talk to God on the spot... Try to nip small problems in the bud. Don't wait until it's time to go to bed to try and pray.

24. Make friends with Godly people.

25. Keep a folder of favourite scriptures on hand.

26. Remember that the shortest bridge between despair and hope is often a good "Thank you Jesus."

27. Laugh.

28. Laugh some more!

29. Take your work seriously, but not yourself at all.

30. Develop a forgiving attitude (most people are doing the best they can).

31. Be kind to unkind people (they probably need it the most).

32. Sit on your ego.

33. Talk less; listen more.

34. Slow down.

35. Remind yourself that you are not the general manager of the universe.

36. Every night before bed, think of one thing you're grateful for that you've never been grateful for before. God has a way of turning things around for you.

Meditation: Therefore let us pursue the things which make for peace and the things by which one may edify another. – Romans 14:19

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

1. Faith is the ability to not panic.

2. If you worry, you didn't pray. If you pray, don't worry.

3. As a child of God, prayer is kind of like calling home every day.

4. Blessed are the flexible, for they shall not be bent out of shape.

5. When we get tangled up in our problems, be still. God wants us to be still so He can untangle the knot.

6. Do the math. Count your blessings.

7. God wants spiritual fruit, not religious nuts.

8. Dear God: I have a problem. It's me.

9. Silence is often misinterpreted, but never misquoted.

10. Laugh every day, it's like inner jogging.

11. The most important things in your home are the people.

12. Growing old is inevitable, growing up is optional.

13. There is no key to happiness. The door is always open.

14. A grudge is a heavy thing to carry.

15. He who dies with the most toys is still dead.

16. We do not remember days, but moments. Life moves too fast, so enjoy your precious moments.

17. Nothing is real to you until you experience it, otherwise it's just hearsay.

18. It's all right to sit on your pity pot every now and again. Just be sure to flush when you are done.

19. Surviving and living your life successfully requires courage. The goals and dreams you're seeking require courage and risk-taking. Learn from the turtle -- it only makes progress when it sticks out its neck.

20. Be more concerned with your character than your reputation. Your character is what you really are while your reputation is merely what others think you are.

Meditation: for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. For he who serves Christ in these things is acceptable to God and approved by men. – Romans 14:17-18

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.

By Bod Perks

"Everything you have done" is a reflection of all that you are.

Every step you have taken was necessary to get you to this point in time.

Even the times you felt lost and alone helped to build your integrity and bolster your self-image.

If these times are a challenge and you're feeling down, remember the journey that took you to this place.

"Everything you have done" on this long and twisted road through life, had to have happened in order for you to be all you are today.

Do I believe in destiny, fate or choice?

Choice.

It is by far the greatest gift, next to the ability to love and be loved, that God has given us.

Yes, He has plans for you. Greater plans than you could ever imagine, but He also has expectations. Thus the gift of choice.

"Everything you have done" or will do, either adds to your potential or delays the fulfilment of His desire for you.

If you could make a map of the journey of your life, it may appear to you that you have travelled a long distance and yet, not gotten very far.

Stop comparing the world's standards to your accomplishments and see what God sees.

"Everything you have done" has brought you here. It is, my friend, a good place to be. For if you are at the lowest point in your life, thus far, you can celebrate.

From here, this very day, you can do anything you believe you can do. Finish school, start a business, become an artist, become a doctor, a lawyer, a farmer, a teacher, first by understanding that believing is half the journey to becoming all you were created to be and thoughtful planning and action is the vehicle to get you there.

Excuses are the signs on a dead end road.

Finally accepting yourself, sometimes takes a lifetime. But know that, by doing so, you honor the God who created you.

Go now, with "everything you have done," and finish the work that was started at the moment you were conceived.

Please know, my friend..."I believe in you!"

Bob

Meditation: And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. – Romans 8:28

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

1. Thou shalt give thy heart to Christ. Let Him be at the top of thy Christmas list

2. Thou shalt prepare thy soul for Christmas. Spend not so much on gifts that thy soul is forgotten.

3. Thou shalt not let Santa Claus replace Christ, thus robbing the day of its spiritual reality.

4. Thou shalt not burden the shop girl, the mailman, and the merchant with complaints and demands.

5. Thou shalt give thyself with thy gift. This will increase its value a hundred fold, and he who receiveth it shall treasure it forever.

6. Thou shalt not value gifts received by their cost. Even the least expensive may signify love, and that is more priceless than silver and gold.

7. Thou shalt not neglect the needy. Share thy blessings with many who will go hungry and cold unless thou are generous.

8. Thou shalt not neglect thy church. Its services highlight the true meaning of the season.

9. Thou shalt be as a little child. Not until thou has become in spirit as a little one art thou ready to enter into the kingdom of Heaven.

10. Thou shall not forget to share your joy, peace and faith with those around you.

Meditation: And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying: “Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!” – Luke 2:13-14

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.

Sons of Issachar Launches Resources for Men and Women

The process of self-actualisation and personal development received a boost recently with the launch of two online publications – Valour Digest and Virtue Digest.

Valour Digest is an online resource published biweekly. It aims to celebrate men as well as inspire, empower and equip them to become all they were created to be. It also sets out to partner with men by providing tested information and resources that will help them to live a maximised life as well as take their place at home, at work, in the community and the world at large.

The publication, which is accessible at www.valourdigest.com, seeks to be the go-to resource for optimised manhood while raising a new generation of men who are committed to maximised living.

Running with a similar vision, Virtue Digest (accessible at www.virtuedigest.com) is an online resource that seeks to furnish women with materials relating to their purpose, relationships and passions. A forum specifically created to encourage and motivate all women to gain confidence in their abilities and aspire to greatness, Virtue Digest is a springboard to uplift women and cheer them on as they are released into their places of purpose and fulfilment.

The two publications, which made their debut in the first and second week of December 2014, cover a wide spectrum of issues including career development, relationships and family life, business and finance, self-mastery, potential development, job opportunities as well as expert tips with a potpourri of inspirational materials.

Valour Digest and Virtue Digest are published by Sons of Issachar Concepts, with technical support from The Ready Writers Consult, a leading contents and digital service providers in Nigeria.

Sons of Issachar Concepts is a transformational firm that offers strategy, publishing, process improvement and life-enhancement services to an elite crop of individuals and corporate establishments. Inspired by the biblical sons of Issachar who had understanding of the times and knew what to do, Sons of Issachar Concepts provides timely and/or critical intervention through publications, strategy consulting, process improvement services, as well as coaching and mentoring sessions.

Name Withheld

We were grandmothers together to two of the nicest grandkids anybody ever had. It makes great comedy on television for the two grandmothers to engage in rivalry, but that never happened with us. We both babysat—sometimes on the same day—passing those wonderful children between us with her sometimes coming to get them from me and I sometimes going to her home to pick them up. I liked her a lot and never doubted that she gave my grandchildren the best of love and care. Even after our children divorced, our relationship remained the same.

Can you imagine how sad I was for my grandchildren when I recently learned that her cancer was terminal and she did not have much longer to live? It was heart-breaking for me because of those grandchildren. They were facing one of the most difficult losses of life at a time when it would be most devastating.

When I saw my four-year-old granddaughter a couple of days later, I said to her, “Honey, I’m sorry your nana is so sick.” Perhaps she didn’t want to talk about it; perhaps she was busy playing with cousins; or perhaps she didn’t really hear me. All she replied was, “That’s okay.”

The next day, when I was with her again, after a few minutes, she nearly jumped in my face and yelled at me, “Aren’t you sorry about my nana?”

“Of course I am, Honey; remember, I told you I was sorry yesterday.”

“You didn’t.”

“I guess you didn’t hear me but I am sorry, Sweetheart. I even wrote a prayer for your nana.”

“Where is it?” she demanded. “Read it to me.”

“I don’t have it with me. I left it at home, but we could say a prayer for Nana right now.”

“No, write it.”

She brought a small piece of paper and thrust it at me. As I struggled (out loud for her benefit) to find words, she scribbled on another piece of paper, first seeming to write what I said and later saying aloud words of her own. When I had finished, she said she was going to mail the prayers to her Nana in the city where she was in the hospital. She said, “I know how to mail things.” Then she folded up both papers (rather messily) and asked me to write on them. At her instruction, I wrote, “To Nana at Indianapolis. She then immediately ran out of the house to place the “letters” in the rural mail box.

I made a mental note to tell her father to retrieve them later but I forgot to tell him.

Two days more passed and I saw my little granddaughter again. She was not in a very good mood and I asked her why she was so “saucy” with me. Her answer, “I want to be saucy because I’m mad and I’m sad.” Of course I asked her why and her answer was heart-breaking. “Because I don’t want my nana to go and I know she has to. She has to next month.”

“How do you know that?” I asked.

“Because I know things; she tells me things.” And then she added in a tone of despair, “And the mail doesn’t even go to Indianapolis.”

There was nothing I could do at that point but tell her I loved her. I later learned that she was the one who got the mail every day for her daddy and she had been complaining about her letters not being taken until her dad finally looked at the box and discovered the “letters”.

The very next day after this dear precocious child told me she knew her nana had to go, her mother called and asked that the child be brought to Nana’s bedside to say goodbye. Her dad took those precious prayers along so she could give them to Nana personally.

I wept.

Please Note: This is an entirely true and very recent story which is the reason why I request that my name be withheld if you use this article.

Meditation: [i]“Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven.” [/i]Matthew 18:3

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.

Author Unknown

When a young child dies, we are advised not to tell the parents we know how they feel because the depth of their anguish is something we can’t really imagine. I do know how they feel, if not for the months and years to come, at least for that crushing moment when they realize their child is gone.

I have always had a hard time talking about the day thirty-five years ago when my sister’s home, next door to mine, was consumed by fire. My sister was gone somewhere, as was my father who lived on the other side of me. In my own home, there was a lot of confusion because relatives were there with a new baby and my father-in-law had also shown up unannounced.

In the midst of all that confusion, my sister returned to her home and found it in flames. At that point, we immediately began to search for our six-year-old son. We could not locate him. My sister never locked her door and our little boy habitually ran in and out of all three houses lined up on our street as if they were all his own. We immediately feared he was in the burning house.

My husband and my sister’s husband risked their lives trying to get inside but could not.

By the time the fire departments of several communities and around a hundred spectators surrounded the burning home, we knew our son was inside; because if he was not, he surely would have been drawn to all that commotion.

I stood there with icy heart slowly giving my beloved child over to God. I kept my other son near me as people kept trying to get me to leave the scene so I would not see my baby when they brought him out. I was assured that he would not have suffered, that he would have been overcome by smoke before feeling any pain.

In my mind I asked my Mother, who had passed away several years earlier, to take care of him in heaven.

Finally the fire was out, having burned at least an hour. It had completely destroyed the inside of the brick two-story house.

The men of our local fire department entered the structure to search for our little boy’s body as the assisting fire departments began to pack up their gear. I remained adamant that I would not leave until they brought my child out of the house.

And then the puzzled firemen came out of the house. They had found no sign of our son in the house.

My heart surged. But then, I thought, “They must have missed him. He is so small.” I did not believe he could truly be alive, but finally I went back into my house.

A few minutes later, one of the firemen came to the door holding my little boy by the collar of his jacket. He had been found at a nearby construction site, in the ditch dug for the footer, his head on his knees and the little plaid jacket I had sewn for him drawn over his head. He had been in the house when it was burning and, frightened, had run away to hide.

I did not let him out of my sight for the next three days, even bringing him into my bed to sleep. I could not put him in his own bed because I awakened countless times needing to reassure myself he was alive. I knew I was the recipient of a miracle.

Had God not saved that little boy from the fire, there are three beautiful, smart children that would never have been born. I thank God for my son’s life and for the grandchildren he fathered. I know I am the most fortunate and blessed of all mothers.

Meditation: God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. – Psalm 46:1

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 Debbi Smoot

Carol’s husband was killed in an accident last year. Jim, only fifty-two years old, was driving home from work, the other driver was a teenager with a very high blood alcohol level. Jim died instantly. The teenager was in the emergency room for less than two hours.

There were other ironic twists: It was Carol’s fiftieth birthday, and Jim had two plane tickets to Hawaii in his pocket. He was going to surprise her. Instead, he was killed by a drunk driver.

“How have you survived this?” I finally asked Carol, a year later.

Her eyes welled up with tears. I thought I had said the wrong thing, but she gently took my hand and said, “It’s all right; I want to tell you. The day I married Jim, I promised I would never let him leave the house in the morning without telling him I loved him. He made the same promise. It got to be a joke between us, and as babies came along, it got to be a hard promise to keep. I remember running down the driveway, saying ‘I love you’ through clenched teeth when I was mad, or driving to the office to put a note in his car. It was a funny challenge.

“We made a lot of memories trying to say “I love you” before noon every day of our married life.

“The morning Jim died, he left a birthday card in the kitchen and slipped out to the car. I heard the engine starting. Oh, no, you don’t, buster, I thought. I raced out and banged on the car window until he rolled it down.

“Here on my fiftieth birthday, Mr. James E. Garret, I Carol Garret, want to go on record as saying I love you!”

“That’s how I’ve survived. Knowing that the last words I said to Jim were ‘I love you!’

Meditation: Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. – 1 John 4:7

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

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

I hurried into the local department store to grab some last minute Christmas gifts. I looked at all the people and grumbled to myself. I would be in here forever and I just had so much to do. Christmas was beginning to become such a drag. I kinda wished that I could just sleep through Christmas.

But I hurried the best I could through all the people to the toy department. Once again, I kind of mumbled to myself at the prices of all these toys. And wondered if the grandkids would even play with them. I found myself in the doll aisle.

Out of the corner of my eye I saw a little boy, about 5, holding a lovely doll. He kept touching her hair and he held her so gently. I could not seem to help myself. I just kept looking over at the little boy and wondered who the doll was for. I watched him turn to a woman, and he called his aunt by name and said, “Are you sure I don’t have enough money?”

She replied a bit impatiently, “You know that you don’t have enough money for it.” The aunt told the little boy not to go anywhere, that she had to go get some other things and would be back in a few minutes. And then she left the aisle.

The boy continued to hold the doll. After a bit I asked the boy who the doll was for. He said, “It is the doll my sister wanted so badly for Christmas. She just knew that Santa would bring it.” I told him that maybe Santa was going to bring it. He said, “No, Santa can’t go where my sister is…I have to give the doll to my Mamma to take to her.”

I asked him where his sister was. He looked at me with the saddest eyes and said, “She has gone to be with Jesus. My Daddy says that Mama is going to have to go be with her.”

My heart nearly stopped beating. Then the boy looked at me again and said, “I told my Daddy to tell Mama not to go yet. I told him to tell her to wait till I got back from the store”. Then he asked me if I wanted to see his picture. I told him I would love to.

He pulled out some pictures he had taken at the front of the store. He said “I want my Mamma to take this with her so she don’t ever forget me. I love my Mama so very much and I wish she did not have to leave me. But Daddy says she will need to be with my sister.”

I saw that the little boy had lowered his head and had grown so very quiet. While he was not looking, I reached into my purse and pulled out a handful of bills. I asked the little boy, “Shall we count that money one more time?”

He grew excited and said “Yes, I just know it has to be enough”.

So I slipped my money in with his, and we began to count it. Of course it was plenty for the doll.

He softly said, “Thank you, Jesus, for giving me enough money.” Then the boy said “I just asked Jesus to give me enough money to buy this doll, so Mama can take it with her, to give to my sister. And He heard my prayer. I wanted to ask Him for enough to buy my Mama a white rose, but I didn’t ask Him, but He gave me enough to buy the doll and a rose for my Mama. She loves white roses so very, very much”.

In a few minutes the aunt came back, and I wheeled my cart away. I could not keep from thinking about the little boy as I finished my shopping in a totally different spirit than when I had started. And I kept remembering a story I had seen in the newspaper several days earlier, about a drunk driver hitting a car and killing a little girl and leaving the Mother in serious condition. The family was deciding on whether to remove the life support. Now surely this little boy did not belong with that story.

Two days later, I read in the paper where the family had disconnected the life support and the young woman had died. I could not forget the little boy, and just kept wondering if the two were somehow connected. Later that day, I could not help myself and I went out and bought some white roses and took them to the funeral home, where the young woman was.

And there she was, holding a lovely white rose, the beautiful doll, and the picture of the little boy in the store.

I left there in tears, my life changed forever. The love that little boy had for his little sister and his mother was overwhelming. And in a split second a drunk driver had ripped the life of that little boy to pieces.

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.

HFOG:
Beautiful.

Thank you.

Author Unknown

Some 14 years ago, I stood watching my university students file into the classroom for our opening session in the theology of faith.

That was the day I first saw Tommy. He was combing his hair, which hung six inches below his shoulders. My quick judgment wrote him off as strange – very strange.

Tommy turned out to be my biggest challenge. He constantly objected to or smirked at the possibility of an unconditionally loving God. When he turned in his final exam at the end of the course, he asked in a slightly cynical tone, “Do you think I’ll ever find God?”

“No,” I said emphatically.

“Oh,” he responded. “I thought that was the product you were pushing.”

I let him get five steps from the door and then called out. “I don’t think you’ll ever find Him, but I am certain He will find you.” Tommy shrugged and left. I felt slightly disappointed that he had missed my clever line.

Later I heard that Tommy had graduated, and I was grateful for that. Then came a sad report: Tommy had terminal cancer. Before I could search him out, he came to me. When he walked into my office, his body was badly wasted, and his long hair had fallen out because of chemotherapy. But his eyes were bright and his voice, for the first time, was firm.

“Tommy! I’ve thought about you so often. I heard you were very sick,” I blurted out.

“Oh, yes, very sick. I have cancer. It’s a matter of weeks.”

“Can you talk about it?”

“Sure. What would you like to know?”

“What’s it like to be only 24 and know that you’re dying?”

“It could be worse,” he told me, “like being 50 and thinking that drinking booze, seducing women and making money are the real ‘biggies’ in life.”

Then he told me why he had come.

“It was something you said to me on the last day of class. I asked if you thought I would ever find God, and you said no, which surprised me. Then you said, ‘But He will find you.’ I thought about that a lot, even though my search for God was hardly intense at that time. But when the doctors removed a lump from my groin and told me that it was malignant, I got serious about locating God. And when the malignancy spread into my vital organs, I really began banging against the bronze doors of heaven. But nothing happened. Well, one day I woke up, and instead of my desperate attempts to get some kind of message, I just quit. I decided I didn’t really care about God, an afterlife, or anything like that. I decided to spend what time I had left doing something more important. I thought about you and something else you had said: ‘The essential sadness is to go through life without loving. But it would be almost equally sad to leave this world without ever telling those you loved that you loved them.’ So I began with the hardest one: my dad.”

Tommy’s father had been reading the newspaper when his son approached him.

“Dad, I would like to talk with you.”

“Well, talk.”

“I mean, it’s really important.”

The newspaper came down three slow inches.

“What is it?”

“Dad, I love you. I just wanted you to know that.”

Tommy smiled at me as he recounted the moment. “The newspaper fluttered to the floor. Then my father did two things I couldn’t remember him doing before. He cried and he hugged me. And we talked all night, even though he had to go to work the next morning.

“It was easier with my mother and little brother,” Tommy continued. “They cried with me, and we hugged one another, and shared the things we had been keeping secret for so long. Here I was, in the shadow of death, and I was just beginning to open up to all the people I had actually been close to.

“Then one day I turned around and God was there. He didn’t come to me when I pleaded with Him. Apparently He does things in His own way and at His own hour. The important thing is that you were right. He found me even after I stopped looking for Him.”

“Tommy,” I added, “could I ask you a favor? Would you come to my theology-of-faith course and tell my students what you told me?”

Though we scheduled a date, he never made it. Of course, his life was not really ended by his death, only changed. He made the great step from faith into vision. He found a life far more beautiful than the eye of humanity has ever seen or the mind ever imagined.

Before he died, we talked one last time. “I’m not going to make it to your class,” he said.

“I know, Tommy.”

“Will you tell them for me? Will you . . . tell the whole world for me?”

“I will, Tommy. I’ll tell them.”

Meditation: How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach unless they are sent? – Romans 10:14-15

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.

By Jean Hendrichson

We were a very motley crowd of people who took the bus every day that summer 33 years ago. During the early morning ride from the suburb, we sat drowsily with our collars up to our ears, a cheerless and taciturn bunch.

One of the passengers was a small gray man who took the bus to the center for senior citizens every morning. He walked with a stoop and a sad look on his face when he, with some difficulty, boarded the bus and sat down alone behind the driver. No one ever paid very much attention to him.

Then one July morning he said good morning to the driver and smiled short-sightedly down through the bus before he sat down. The driver nodded guardedly. The rest of us were silent.

The next day, the old man boarded the bus energetically, smiled and said in a loud voice: “And a very good morning to you all!” Some of us looked up, amazed, and murmured “Good morning,” in reply.

The following weeks we were more alert. Our friend was now dressed in a nice old suit and a wide out-of-date tie. The thin hair had been carefully combed. He said good morning to us every day and we gradually began to nod and talk to each other.

One morning he had a bunch of wild flowers in his hand. They were already dangling a little because of the heat. The driver turned around smilingly and asked: “Have you got yourself a girlfriend, Charlie?” We never got to know if his name really was “Charlie”, but he nodded shyly and said yes.

The other passengers whistled and clapped at him. Charlie bowed and waved the flowers before he sat down on his seat.

Every morning after that Charlie always brought a flower. Some of the regular passengers began bringing him flowers for his bouquet, gently nudged him and said shyly: “Here.” Everyone smiled. The men started to jest about it, talk to each other, and share the newspaper.

The summer went by, and autumn was closing in, when one morning Charlie wasn’t waiting at his usual stop. When he wasn’t there the next day and the day after that, we started wondering if he was sick or — hopefully — on holiday somewhere.

When we came nearer to the center for senior citizens, one of the passengers asked the driver to wait. We all held our breaths when she went to the door.

Yes, the staff said, they knew who we were talking about. The elderly gentleman was fine, but he hadn’t been coming to the center that week. One of his very close friends had died at the weekend. They expected him back on Monday. How silent we were the rest of the way to work.

The next Monday Charlie was waiting at the stop, stooping a bit more, a little bit more gray, and without a tie. He seemed to have shrinked again. Inside the bus was a silence akin to that in a church. Even though no one had talked about it, all those of us, who he had made such an impression on that summer, sat with our eyes filled with tears and a bunch of wild flowers in our hands.

Meditation: As iron sharpens iron, so a man sharpens the countenance of his friend. – Proverbs 27:17

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

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

A blind boy sat on the steps of a building with a hat by his feet. He held up a sign which said: "I am blind, please help." There were only a few coins in the hat.

A man was walking by. He took a few coins from his pocket and dropped them into the hat. He then took the sign, turned it around, and wrote some words. He put the sign back so that everyone who walked by would see the new words.

Soon the hat began to fill up. A lot more people were giving money to the blind boy. That afternoon the man who had changed the sign came to see how things were.

The boy recognised his footsteps and asked, "Were you the one who changed my sign this morning? What did you write?"

The man said, "I only wrote the truth. I said what you said but in a different way. "I wrote: 'Today is a beautiful day; but I cannot see it.'"

Both signs told people that the boy was blind. But the first sign simply said the boy was blind. The second sign reminded people how fortunate they were to have their sight.

Should we be surprised that the second sign was more effective?

Moral of the Story: Be thankful for what you have. Be creative. Be innovative. Think differently and positively.

When life gives you a 100 reasons to cry, show life that you have 1000 reasons to smile.

Face your past without regret.

Handle your present with confidence.

Prepare for the future without fear.

Keep the faith and drop the fear.

It's a beautiful thing to see a person smiling. But even more beautiful is knowing that you are the reason for the smile!

Faith is not about everything turning out OK. Faith is about being OK no matter how things turn out.

Meditation: And when the Sabbath had come, He began to teach in the synagogue. And many hearing Him were astonished, saying, “Where did this Man get these things? And what wisdom is this which is given to Him, that such mighty works are performed by His hands! – Mark 6:2

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.

- Author Unknown

There was a poor old man who has a young boy and a beautiful white horse. Everybody in the town admire the horse. The king offered him a big amount of money to buy the horse but he said to him; “STOP! This horse is neither just an animal nor a product for sale but a person and A GREAT FRIEND to me!”

One day, one morning, the horse disappeared from the stable into thin air. The villagers gathered and jeered at him saying; oh foolish old man, you refused to sell the horse at a bigger price but now tell us, of what benefit is it to you now? But he said, “STOP! Do not say that the horse was stolen but is not in the stable. You don't know if it is my misfortune or a blessing to me!”

After 15 days, the horse came back with nine beautiful wild horses. The villagers again came and said; “Wow! You are right! It was a blessing indeed to you.” But the old man said; “STOP! You do not know if the home coming with wild horses are plague or blessing to me!”

The old man's boy started to raise the 10 horses but one very bad day, the son fall from one of the horses and broke his two legs. The villagers came again saying; “Oh no! It’s indeed a plague that the horse brought to you. Your only son is crippled and you are now old. He replied, “STOP for crying out loud! You don't know if his cripple is of great benefit to me or a bad luck!”

Ten days later, war broke out and all the young men in the village got conscripted into the army except the crippled old man's boy. The villagers said; “Hmmm Old man! Why is it that you’re always right! Looking at the situation at hand, we are going to lose the war and our children will not come back but yours is here with you.” But he replied; “STOOOOOOP! Do not say that your sons got conscripted but were drafted to war. Fear not, for you do not know if the war will be a great honour to us or a disgrace.”

The villagers once again went home wondering the kind of man he is. They said; “Oh God! Since we became intelligent enough, we have not come across such an intelligent, wise and courageous man!”

The old man later became so rich and wealthy, and the villagers had reasons to admire him more as his 10 horses gave birth to more and more beautiful horses such that he had a very large stable of horses and other animals.

Meditation: In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. – 1 Thessalonians 5:18

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.

- Author Unknown

God made
Adam bit
Noah ‘arked’
Abraham split
Joseph ruled
Jacob fooled
Bush talked
Moses balked
Pharaoh plagued
People walked
Sea divided
Tablets guided
Promise landed
Saul freaked
David peeked
Prophets warned
Jesus born
God walked
Love talked
Anger crucified
Hope died
Love rose
Spirit flamed
Word spread
God remained.

Meditation: Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. – Hebrews 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

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

They lie on the Table side by side
The Holy Bible and the TV guide
One is well worn and cherished with pride
No not the Bible, but the TV guide.

As the pages are turned, what shall they see.
Oh, What does it matter turn on the TV
So they open the book in which they confide
No not the Bible the TV guide.

The word of God is seldom read.
Maybe a verse before they fall into bed.
Exhausted and slept and tired as can be.
Not from reading the Bible, from watching T.V.

So then back to the table side by side,
Lie the Holy Bible and the T.V. guide.

No time for prayer, no time for the word.
The plan of salvation is seldom heard.
But forgiveness of sin, so full and free,
Is found in the Bible, not on the T.V.

Meditation: If anyone hears my words but does not keep them, I do not judge that person. For I did not come to judge the world, but to save the world. There is a judge for the one who rejects me and does not accept my words; the very words I have spoken will condemn them at the last day. – John 12:47-48

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.

A man came home from work late again, tired and irritated, to find his 5 year old son waiting for him at the door. “Daddy, may I ask you a question?”

“Yeah, sure, what is it?” replied the man.

“Daddy, how much money do you make an hour?

“That’s none of your business! What makes you ask such a thing?” the man said angrily.

“I just want to know. Please tell me, how much do you make an hour?” pleaded the little boy.

“If you must know, I make $20.00 an hour.”

“Oh,” the little boy replied, head bowed. Looking up, he said, “Daddy, may I borrow $10.00 please?”

The father was furious. “If the only reason you wanted to know how much money I make is just so you can borrow some to buy a silly toy or some other nonsense, then you march yourself straight to your room and go to bed. Think about why you’re being so selfish. I work long, hard hours every day and don’t have time for such childish games.”

The little boy quietly went to his room and shut the door. The man sat down and started to get even madder about the little boy’s questioning. How dare he ask such questions only to get some money?

After an hour or so, the man had calmed down, and started to think he may have been a little hard on his son. Maybe there was something he really needed to buy with that $10.00, and he really didn’t ask for money very often. The man went to the door of the little boy’s room and opened the door. “Are you asleep son?” he asked.

“No daddy, I’m awake,” replied the boy.

“I’ve been thinking, maybe I was too hard on you earlier,” said the man. “It’s been a long day and I took my aggravation out on you. Here’s that $10.00 you asked for.”

The little boy sat straight up, beaming. “Oh, thank you daddy!” he yelled. Then, reaching under his pillow, he pulled out some more crumpled up bills. The man, seeing that the boy already had money, started to get angry again. The little boy slowly counted out his money, then looked up at the man.

“Why did you want more money if you already had some?” the father grumbled.

“Because I didn’t have enough, but now I do,” the little boy replied.

“Daddy, I have $20.00 now. Can I buy an hour of your time?”

Share some time with those who need you. They need our time more then we will ever know.

Meditation: Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end. – John 13:1

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.

Elizabeth Ruth

If there is anguish in a heart
And you don’t care,
Someday you’ll have to answer
Over There.

You may think you’re in the right,
But ask the Lord before you fight
For compassion also matters
Over There

In the Bible there is scripture
That reminds us to forgive;
And if you want to go to heaven,
That’s the way that you should live.

So if you turn vindictive
And your methods then are cruel,
It’s best that you remember
This one important rule:

In earth’s venue, what you say
and do along the way
Is written in your record
Over There.

Meditation: For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad. Knowing, therefore, the terror of the Lord, we persuade men; - 2 Corinthians 5:10-11

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

A story tells that two friends were walking through the desert. During some point of the journey they had an argument, and one friend slapped the other one in the face.

The one who got slapped was hurt, but without saying anything, wrote in the sand:

TODAY MY BEST FRIEND SLAPPED ME IN THE FACE.

They kept on walking until they found an oasis, where they decided to take a bath. The one who had been slapped got stuck in the mire and started drowning, but the friend saved him.

After he recovered from the near drowning, he wrote on a stone:

TODAY MY BEST FRIEND SAVED MY LIFE.

The friend who had slapped and saved his best friend asked him, “After I hurt you, you wrote in the sand and now, you write on a stone, why?”

The other friend replied “When someone hurts us we should write it down in sand where winds of forgiveness can erase it away. But, when someone does something good for us, we must engrave it in stone where no wind can ever erase it.”

Learn to write your hurts in the sand and to carve your benefits in stone.

They say it takes a minute to find a special person, an hour to appreciate them, a day to love them, but then an entire life to forget them.

Do not value the things you have in your life. But value who you have in your life!

Meditation: And above all things have fervent love for one another, for “love will cover a multitude of sins.” – 1 Peter 4:8

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.

Be a blessing; share this with your loved ones.

Author Unknown

We were the only family with children in the restaurant. I sat Erik in a high chair and noticed everyone was quietly eating and talking. Suddenly, Erik squealed with glee and said, “Hi there.” He pounded his fat baby hands on the high-chair tray. His eyes were wide with excitement and his mouth was bared in a toothless grin. He then, wriggled and giggled with merriment.

I looked around and saw the source of his merriment. It was a man with a tattered rag of a coat; dirty, greasy and worn. His pants were baggy with a zipper at half-mast and his toes poked out of would-be shoes. His shirt was dirty and his hair was uncombed and unwashed. His whiskers were too short to be called a beard and his nose was so varicose it looked like a road map.

We were too far from him to smell, but I was sure he smelled. His hands waved and flapped on loose wrists. “Hi there, baby; hi there, big boy. I see ya, buster,” the man said to Erik. My husband and I exchanged looks, “What do we do?”

Erik continued to laugh and answer, “Hi, hi there.” Everyone in the restaurant noticed and looked at us and then at the man. The old geezer was creating a nuisance with my beautiful baby.

Our meal came and the man began shouting from across the room, “Do ya know patty cake? Do you know peek-a-boo? Hey, look, he knows peek-a-boo.” Nobody thought the old man was cute. He was obviously drunk. My husband and I were embarrassed. We ate in silence; all except for Erik, who was running through his repertoire for the admiring skid-row bum, who in turn, reciprocated with his cute comments.

We finally got through the meal and headed for the door. My husband went to pay the check and told me to meet him in the parking lot. The old man sat poised between me and the door. “Lord, just let me out of here before he speaks to me or Erik,” I prayed.
As I drew closer to the man, I turned my back trying to side-step him and avoid any air he might be breathing. As I did, Erik leaned over my arm, reaching with both arms in a baby’s “pick-me-up” position.

Before I could stop him, Erik had propelled himself from my arms to the man’s.

Suddenly a very old smelly man and a very young baby consummated their love relationship. Erik in an act of total trust, love, and submission laid his tiny head upon the man’s ragged shoulder. The man’s eyes closed, and I saw tears hover beneath his lashes. His aged hands full of grime, pain, and hard labor — gently, so gently, cradled my baby’s bottom and stroked his back.

No two beings have ever loved so deeply for so short a time.

I stood awestruck. The old man rocked and cradled Erik in his arms for a moment, and then his eyes opened and set squarely on mine. He said in a firm commanding voice, “You take care of this baby.”

Somehow I managed, “I will,” from a throat that contained a stone.

He pried Erik from his chest — unwillingly, longingly, as though he were in pain. I received my baby, and the man said, “God bless you, ma’am, you’ve given me my Christmas gift.”

I said nothing more than a muttered thanks. With Erik in my arms, I ran for the car. My husband was wondering why I was crying and holding Erik so tightly, and why I was saying, “My God, my God, forgive me.”

I had just witnessed Christ’s love shown through the innocence of a tiny child who saw no sin, who made no judgment; a child who saw a soul, and a mother who saw a suit of clothes. I was a Christian who was blind, holding a child who was not. I felt it was God asking — “Are you willing to share your son for a moment?” — when He shared His for all eternity.

The ragged old man, unwittingly, had reminded me, “To enter the Kingdom of God, we must become as little children.”

Meditation: Therefore, from now on, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we have known Christ according to the flesh, yet now we know Him thus no longer. – 2 Corinthians 5:16

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

His name was Fleming, and he was a poor Scottish farmer. One day, while trying to eke out a living for his family, he heard a cry for help coming from a nearby boy. He dropped his tools and ran to the boy. There, mired to his waist in black muck, was a terrified boy, screaming and struggling to free himself. Farmer Fleming saved the lad from what could have been a slow and terrifying death.

The next day, a carriage pulled up to the Scotsman’s sparse surroundings. An elegantly dressed nobleman stepped out and introduced himself as the father of the boy Farmer Fleming had saved. “I want to repay you,” said the nobleman. “You saved my son’s life.” “No, I can’t accept payment for what I did,” the Scottish farmer replied, waving off the offer.

At that moment, the farmer’s own son came to the door of the family’s cottage. “Is that your son?” the nobleman asked. “Yes,” the farmer replied proudly. “I’ll make you a deal. Let me take him and give him a good education. If the lad is anything like his father, he’ll grow to a man you can be proud of.” And that he did.

In time, Farmer Fleming’s son graduated from St. Mary’s Hospital Medical School in London, and went on to become known throughout the world as the noted Sir Alexander Fleming, the discoverer of penicillin.

Years afterward, the nobleman’s son was stricken with pneumonia. What saved him? Penicillin.

The name of the nobleman? Lord Randolph Churchill. His son’s name? Sir Winston Churchill.
Someone once said, “What goes around comes around.”

Meditation: And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart. – Galatians 6:9

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

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

A letter written to a man on death row by the Father of the man whom the man on death row had killed:

You are probably surprised that I, of all people, am writing a letter to you. But I ask you to read it in its entirety and consider its request seriously. As the Father of the man whom you took part in murdering, I have something very important to say to you.

I forgive you. With all my heart, I forgive you. I realize it may be hard for you to believe, but I really do. At your trial, when you confessed to your part in the events that cost my Son his life and asked for my forgiveness, I immediately granted you that forgiving love from my heart. I can only hope you believe me and will accept my forgiveness.

But this is not all I have to say to you. I want to make you an offer — I want you to become my adopted child. You see, my Son who died was my only child, and I now want to share my life with you and leave my riches to you. This may not make sense to you or anyone else, but I believe you are worth the offer. I have arranged matters so that if you will receive my offer of forgiveness, not only will you be pardoned for your crime, but you also will be set free from your imprisonment, and your sentence of death will be dismissed. At that point, you will become my adopted child and heir to all my riches.

I realize this is a risky offer for me to make to you — you might be tempted to reject my offer completely — but I make it to you without reservation.

Also, I realize it may seem foolish to make such an offer to one who cost my Son his life, but I now have a great love and an unchangeable forgiveness in my heart for you.

Finally, you may be concerned that once you accept my offer you may do something to cause you to be denied your rights as an heir to my wealth. Nothing could be further from the truth. If I can forgive you for your part in my Son’s death, I can forgive you for anything. I know you never will be perfect, but you do not have to be perfect to receive my offer. Besides, I believe that once you have accepted my offer and begin to experience the riches that will come to you from me, that your primary (though not always) response will be gratitude and loyalty.

Some would call me foolish for my offer to you, but I wish for you to call me your Father.

Sincerely,

The Father of Jesus

Meditation: Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them... – 2 Corinthians 5:18-19

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.

Rabbi Allen S. Maller

Adam was all alone. He didn't have parents and he didn't have children. He did not even have a brother or a sister to talk to. Adam was all alone. He didn't even have a friend to play games with. Adam was lonely, and he was unhappy.

God said to Adam, “It is not good for you to be alone. [Genesis 2:18] But now you are free to do whatever you want to do. When you are alone you don't have to share things with others. You don't have to stop talking and just listen when someone else needs to talk to you. You don't have to help when others need help. You don't have to care about how someone else feels. If you had a sister or a brother or a good friend, you would have to do all these things and many more.”

“I don't like being lonely” said Adam, “I have lots of things for fun and games but I get bored with them after a while. I have several pet animals, but even having animals is not good enough for me. I still feel lonely and all alone. I need someone who is like me but at the same time is different. I need a partner. Someone to stand by my side and be my best friend. I need someone I can take care of, and who will care for me.”

“I know just what you need.” said God, “What you need is a help mate. A person with a different personality, who can grow together with you in love, and help you become a responsible, kind and loving human being. I am going to form her right out of your side, so she will stand side by side with you as your equal partner, your help mate [Genesis 2:21-23].

The two of you will be like one pair of hands. You know, one hand cannot wash itself. But two hands can always wash each other. You will have to be responsible for and to each other. You will no longer be independent. You will not be free to do whatever you want anymore. You will have to think about another person's feelings. You will have to listen to what she tells you. You will have to think less about yourself and more about another. I will give you a blessing to help you become a couple.”

God looked down and saw that Adam had fallen into a deep sleep. God hoped that when Adam awoke he would remember all that God had told him. Even if Adam and all his descendants didn't always become the loving responsible help mates that God wanted them to be, God thought they would become better by trying. And those who were fully responsible partners and help mates would become God's blessing for each other. Then the sons of Adam would realize that the daughters of Eve were gifts from God.

Rabbi Maller's web site is: rabbimaller.com

Meditation: Two are better than one, Because they have a good reward for their labor. – Ecclesiastes 4:9

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

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.

Betty Killebrew

I wanted to be a writer but found myself working at a newspaper office as the bookkeeper. A couple of times I handed little articles to the newspaper owner that he accepted to run in the editorial column.

At that time, the newspaper office had a staff of three reporters. The boss kept asking them to write feature stories, which he felt were good fodder for entertaining our small town readers.

In a throwback to the past, about that time a small boy started showing up in town with a little wooden shoe shine box. With tennis shoes and sandals the primary footwear of most people, he didn’t have many customers; but he made a colorful sight. The boss thought he would make a great story. Several times, I heard him, suggest, ask, and finally almost demand that one of the reporters write that feature.

Finally, I went to his office and asked if he would mind if I took a stab at writing the story. Once I had his permission, I set up an interview with the little boy and his family. Armed with a stenographer’s pad for taking notes, I went out that evening to do my interview.

The house where the family lived was exceedingly poor. There was hardly any furniture. The bare wood floors had no varnish or rugs. There was dirt on that floor that was less like a dirty house and more like walking on the earth. Almost immediately, I realized that the family, mired in poverty, was very excited about a newspaper article being done about them.
I was humbled. This meant a lot to these people and I barely knew what I was doing. Had I, in my vain attempt to prove myself, done something that was unfair to them?

That evening I sat in the bathtub and prayed. I asked the Lord to help me write a decent article…but not for me. I asked him to help me write an article that would justify the hopes of that little shoe shine boy and his family.

After I emerged from the tub, I wrote the article. I did the best I could, going over it and over it, wanting it to read well and be free of errors. The next morning I handed it in to my boss. He was pleased and told me to get the boy to the office for a picture.

It was nearly a week before the editor ran the story. The picture and the beginning were on the front page.

A couple of days later, I received a phone call from a national news service. They wanted to use my story as a state-wide feature. A few days later I received another call from someone who identified himself as a philanthropist who wanted to do something for the boy in the story. Eventually, I received a check in the mail from the news service.

It was all very gratifying but the most gratifying part was the knowledge that I had allowed myself to be an instrument of God. I had gone on the interview because of vanity and a desire to promote myself, but I had written the story with God at my side.

I still work at the paper and I am still the bookkeeper. I am also a writer, but I never write alone.

Meditation: I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. – Philippians 4:13

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.

Be a blessing; share this with your loved ones.

Author Unknown

Our house was directly across the street from the clinic entrance of John Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore. We lived downstairs and rented the upstairs rooms to out patients at the clinic.

One summer evening as I was fixing supper, there was a knock at the door. I opened it to see a truly awful looking man. Why, he’s hardly taller than my eight-year-old, I thought as I stared at the stooped, shrivelled body. But the appalling thing was his face–lopsided from swelling, red and raw.

Yet his voice was pleasant as he said, “Good evening. I’ve come to see if you’ve a room for just one night. I came for a treatment this morning from the eastern shore, and there’s no bus ’til morning.” He told me he’d been hunting for a room since noon but with no success, no one seemed to have a room. “I guess it’s my face…I know it looks terrible, but my doctor says with a few more treatments…”

For a moment I hesitated, but his next words convinced me: “I could sleep in this rocking chair on the porch. My bus leaves early in the morning.”

I told him we would find him a bed, but to rest on the porch. I went inside and finished getting supper. When we were ready, I asked the old man if he would join us.

“No thank you. I have plenty.” And he held up a brown paper bag.

When I had finished the dishes, I went out on the porch to talk with him a few minutes. It didn’t take a long time to see that this old man had an oversized heart crowded into that tiny body. He told me he fished for a living to support his daughter, her five children, and her husband, who was hopelessly crippled from a back injury. He didn’t tell it by way of complaint; in fact, every other sentence was preface with a thanks to God for a blessing. He was grateful that no pain accompanied his disease, which was apparently a form of skin cancer. He thanked God for giving him the strength to keep going.

At bedtime, we put a camp cot in the children’s room for him.

When I got up in the morning, the bed linens were neatly folded and the little man was out on the porch. He refused breakfast, but just before he left for his bus, haltingly, as if asking a great favour, he said, “Could I please come back and stay the next time I have a treatment? I won’t put you out a bit. I can sleep fine in a chair.” He paused a moment and then added, “Your children made me feel at home. Grownups are bothered by my face, but children don’t seem to mind.”

I told him he was welcome to come again.

On his next trip he arrived a little after seven in the morning. As a gift, he brought a big fish and a quart of the largest oysters I had ever seen. He said he had shucked them that morning before he left so that they’d be nice and fresh. I knew his bus left at 4:00 a.m. and I wondered what time he had to get up in order to do this for us.

In the years he came to stay overnight with us there was never a time that he did not bring us fish or oysters or vegetables from his garden. Other times we received packages in the mail, always by special delivery; fish and oysters packed in a box of fresh young spinach or kale, every leaf carefully washed. Knowing that he must walk three miles to mail these, and knowing how little money he had made the gifts doubly precious. When I received these little remembrances, I often thought of a comment our next-door neighbour made after he left that first morning.

“Did you keep that awful looking man last night? I turned him away! You can lose roomers by putting up such people!”

Maybe we did lose roomers once or twice. But oh! If only they could have known him, perhaps their illnesses would have been easier to bear. I know our family always will be grateful to have known him; from him we learned what it was to accept the bad without complaint and the good with gratitude to God.

Recently I was visiting a friend who has a greenhouse. As she showed me her flowers, we came to the most beautiful one of all, a golden chrysanthemum, bursting with blooms. But to my great surprise, it was growing in an old dented, rusty bucket. I thought to myself, If this were my plant, I’d put it in the loveliest container I had! My friend changed my mind.

“I ran short of pots,” she explained, “and knowing how beautiful this one would be, I thought it wouldn’t mind starting out in this old pail. It’s just for a little while, till I can put it out in the garden.”

She must have wondered why I laughed so delightedly, but I was imagining just such a scene in heaven.

“Here’s an especially beautiful one,” God might have said when he came to the soul of the sweet old fisherman. “He won’t mind starting in this small body.”

All this happened long ago — and now, in God’s garden, how tall this lovely soul must stand.

Meditation: The LORD does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart. – 1 Samuel 16:7

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

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.