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Pappy was a pleasant-looking old fellow. He had the whitest hair which he kept neatly cut and combed. His eyes were blue, though faded with age, and they seemed to emit warmth from within. His face was quite drawn, but when he smiled, even his wrinkles seemed to soften and smile with him. He had a talent for whistling and did so happily each day as he dusted and swept his pawnshop; even so, he had a secret sadness, but everyone who knew him respected and adored him.

Most of Pappy’s customers returned for their goods, and he did not do much business, but he did not mind. To him, the shop was not a livelihood as much as a welcome pastime.

There was a room in the back of his shop where he spent time tinkering with a menagerie of his own precious items. He referred to this back room as “memory hall.” In it were pocket watches, clocks, and electric trains. There were miniature steam engines and antique toys made of wood, tin, or cast iron, and there were various other obsolete trinkets as well.

Spending time in memory hall delighted him as he recalled many treasured moments from his past. He handled each item with care, and sometimes he would close his eyes and pause to relive a sweet, simple childhood memory.

One day, Pappy was working to his heart’s content reassembling an old railroad lantern. As he worked, he whistled the melody of a railroad tune and reminisced about his own past as a switchman. It was a typical day at the shop. Outside, the sun illuminated the clear sky, and a slight wind passed through the door. Whenever the weather was this nice, Pappy kept the inner door open. He enjoyed the fresh air, almost as much as the distinctive smell of antiques and old engine oil.

As he was polishing his newly restored lantern, he heard the tinkling of his bell on the shop door. The bell, which produced a uniquely charming resound, had been in Pappy’s family for over a hundred years. He cherished it dearly and enjoyed sharing its song with all who came to his shop. Although the bell hung on the inside of the main door, Pappy had strung a wire to the screen door so that it would ring whether the inner door was open or not. Prompted by the bell, he left memory hall to greet his customer.

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At first, he did not see her. Her shiny, soft curls barely topped the counter.

“And how can I help you, little lady?” Pappy’s voice was jovial.

“Hello, sir.” The little girl spoke almost in a whisper. She was dainty. Bashful. Innocent. She looked at Pappy with her big brown eyes, then slowly scanned the room in search of something special. Shyly she told him, “I’d like to buy a present, sir.”

“Well, let’s see,” Pappy said, “who is this present for?”

“My grandpa. It’s for my grandpa. But I don’t know what to get.”

Pappy began to make suggestions. “How about a pocket watch? It’s in good condition. I fixed it myself,” he said proudly.

The little girl didn’t answer. She had walked to the doorway and put her small hand on the door. She wiggled the door gently to ring the bell. Pappy’s face seemed to glow as he saw her smiling with excitement.

“This is just right,” the little girl bubbled. “Momma says grandpa loves music.”

Just then, Pappy’s expression changed. Fearful of breaking the little girl’s heart, he told her, “I’m sorry, missy. That’s not for sale. Maybe your grandpa would like this little radio.” The little girl looked at the radio, lowered her head, and sadly sighed, “No, I don’t think so.”

In an effort to help her understand, Pappy told her the story of how the bell had been in his family for so many years, and that was why he didn’t want to sell it.

The little girl looked up at him, and with a giant tear in her eye, sweetly said, “I guess I understand. Thank you, anyway.”

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Suddenly, Pappy thought of how the rest of the family was all gone now, except for his estranged daughter whom he had not seen in nearly a decade.

Why not, he thought. Why not pass it on to someone who will share it with a loved one? God only knows where it will end up anyway.

“Wait…little lady.” Pappy spoke just as the little girl was going out the door–just as he was hearing his bell ring for the last time. “I’ve decided to sell the bell. Here’s a hanky. Blow your nose.”

The little girl began to clap her hands. “Oh, thank you, sir. Grandpa will be so happy.”

“Okay, little lady. Okay.” Pappy felt good about helping the child; he knew, however, he would miss the bell. “You must promise to take good care of the bell for your grandpa–and for me, too, okay?” He carefully placed the bell in a brown paper bag.

“Oh, I promise,” said the little girl. Then, she suddenly became very still and quiet. There was something she had forgotten to ask. She looked up at Pappy with great concern, and again almost in a whisper, asked, “How much will it cost?”

“Well, let’s see. How much have you got to spend?” Pappy asked with a grin.

The child pulled a small coin purse from her pocket then reached up and emptied two dollars and forty-seven cents onto the counter.

After briefly questioning his own sanity, Pappy said, “Little lady, this is your lucky day. That bell costs exactly two dollars and forty-seven cents.”

Later that evening as Pappy prepared to close up shop, he found himself thinking about his bell. Already he had decided not to put up another one. He thought about the child and wondered if her grandpa liked his gift. Surely he would cherish anything from such a precious grandchild.

At that moment, just as he was going to turn off the light in memory hall, Pappy thought he heard his bell. Again, he questioned his sanity; he turned toward the door, and there stood the little girl. She was ringing the bell and smiling sweetly.

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Pappy was puzzled as he strolled toward the small child. “What’s this, little lady? Have you changed your mind?”

“No,” she grinned. “Momma says it’s for you.”

Before Pappy had time to say another word, the child’s mother stepped into the doorway, and choking back a tear, she gently said, “Hello, Dad.”

The little girl tugged on her grandpa’s shirttail. “Here, Grandpa. Here’s your hanky. Blow your nose.”

Pappy didn’t know that he was the grandpa in question who was going to be the beneficiary of the little girl’s gift. Imagine, if he had remained adamant and refused to sell the clock to her? What message would he have passed across to her? What impression would he have imprinted on her heart? Imagine how he would have nullified all the good memories the girl had been nurturing about her grandpa? The Bible says, “Whenever you are able, do good to people who need help. If you have what your neighbor asks for, don’t say, “Come back later. I will give it to you tomorrow” (Proverbs 3:27-28, NCV).

Let us not restrain from doing good or withhold good from people, no matter the excuse, because what goes around usually comes around.

– Author Unknown

Meditation: Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due, when it is in the power of your hand to do so. – Proverbs 3:27

You will succeed in Jesus Name!

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The Japanese have always loved fresh fish. But the waters close to Japan have not held many fish for decades. So to feed the Japanese population, fishing boats got bigger and went farther than ever.

The farther the fishermen went, the longer it took to bring in the fish. If the return trip took more than a few days, the fish were not fresh. The Japanese did not like the taste.

To solve this problem, fishing companies installed freezers on their boats. They would catch the fish and freeze them at sea. Freezers allowed the boats to go farther and stay longer.

However, the Japanese could taste the difference between fresh and frozen and they did not like frozen fish. The frozen fish brought a lower price.

So fishing companies installed fish tanks. They would catch the fish and stuff them in the tanks, fin to fin. After a little thrashing around, the fish stopped moving. They were tired and dull, but alive.

Unfortunately, the Japanese could still taste the difference. Because the fish did not move for days, they lost their fresh-fish taste. The Japanese preferred the lively taste of fresh fish, not sluggish fish.

So how did Japanese fishing companies solve this problem? How do they get fresh-tasting fish to Japan? If you were consulting the fish industry, what would you recommend?

To keep the fish tasting fresh, the Japanese fishing companies still put the fish in the tanks. But now they add a small shark to each tank. The shark eats a few fish, but most of the fish arrive in a very lively state. The fish are challenged!

Instead of avoiding challenges, jump into them. Beat the living daylight out of them. Enjoy the game.

If your challenges are too large or too numerous, do not give up. Failing makes you tired. Instead, reorganize. Find more determination, more knowledge, more help.

If you have met your goals, set some bigger goals. Once you meet your personal or family needs, move onto goals for your group, the society, even mankind.

Don't create success and lie in it. You have resources, skills and abilities to make a difference. Put a shark in your tank and see how far you can really go!

- Author Unknown

Meditation: The children of Ephraim, being armed and carrying bows, turned back in the day of battle. - Psalm 78:9

You will succeed in Jesus Name!

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There was a farmer who grew superior quality and award-winning corn. Each year he entered his corn in the state fair, where it won honour and prizes.

One year a newspaper reporter interviewed him and learnt something interesting about how he grew it. The reporter discovered that the farmer shared his seed corn with his neighbours.

"How can you afford to share your best seed corn with your neighbours when they are entering corn in competition with yours each year?" the reporter asked.

"Why sir," said the farmer, "Didn't you know? The wind picks up pollen from the ripening corn and swirls it from field to field. If my neighbours grow inferior, sub-standard and poor quality corn, cross-pollination will steadily degrade the quality of my corn. If I am to grow good corn, I must help my neighbours grow good corn."

The farmer gave a superb insight into the connectedness of life. His corn cannot improve unless his neighbour's corn also improves. So it is in the other dimensions of life! Those who choose to be in harmony must help their neighbours and colleagues to be at peace. Those who choose to live well must help others to live well.

The value of a life is measured by the lives it touches. Success does not happen in isolation. It is very often a participative and collective process. So share the good practices, ideas, new learning with your family, friends, team members and neighbours.

 - Author Unknown

Meditation: There is one who scatters, yet increases more; there is one who withholds more than is right, but it leads to poverty. - Proverbs 11:24

You will succeed in Jesus Name!

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A poorly dressed woman, with a look of defeat on her face, walked into a grocery store. She approached the owner of the store in a most humble manner and asked if he would let her charge a few groceries. She softly explained that her husband was unable to work, they had seven children and they needed food.

John Longhouse, the grocer, scoffed at her and ordered her to leave his store. Visualizing the family needs, she begged: "Please, sir! I will bring you the money just as soon as I can."

John told her he could not give her credit, as she did not have a charge account at his store.

Standing beside the counter was a customer who overheard the conversation between the two. The customer walked forward and told the grocer that he would stand good for whatever she needed for her family.

The grocer asked the woman in a very reluctant voice, "Do you have a grocery list?" Louise replied, "Yes sir."

"O.K.," he said, "put your grocery list on the scales, and whatever your grocery list weighs, I will give you that amount in groceries!"

Louise hesitated a moment with a bowed head. Then she reached into her purse and took out a piece of paper and scribbled something on it. She then laid the piece of paper on the scale carefully with her head still bowed.

The eyes of the grocer and the customer showed amazement when the scales went down and stayed down. The grocer, staring at the scales, turned slowly to the customer and said begrudgingly, "I can't believe it."

The customer smiled and the grocer started putting the groceries on the other side of the scales. The scale did not balance. So he continued to put more and more groceries on them until the scales would hold no more. The grocer stood there in utter disgust. Finally, he grabbed the piece of paper from the scales and looked at it with greater amazement.

It was not a grocery list. It was a prayer which reads: "Dear Lord, you know my needs and I am leaving this in your hands".

The grocer gave her the groceries that he had gathered and stood in stunned silence. Louise thanked him and left the store.

The customer handed a fifty-dollar bill to the grocer and said, "It was worth every penny of it."

Meditation: Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. – Romans 8:26

You will succeed in Jesus Name!

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In life, some may walk, others may run, but remember the Lord gave the tortoise and the horse the same days to reach Noah's ark. Your journey might be rough and tough, but you will definitely get to your destination.

Jacob looked at Joseph and saw a good son! The ten brothers looked at Joseph and saw a useless dreamer! The travellers looked at Joseph and saw a slave! Potiphar looked at Joseph and saw a fine servant! Potiphar's wife looked at Joseph and saw a potential boyfriend! The prison officers saw in Joseph a prisoner! How wrong were them all. God looked at Joseph and saw a Prime Minister of Egypt in waiting! Don't be discouraged by what people see in you! Be encouraged by what God sees in you!

Never underrate the person next to you because you never know what the Lord has deposited in that person. Your maid may be a Chief Executive Officer in waiting for a company that shall employ your child. Your garden boy may be a president in waiting. Remember David got the anointing of becoming a King while he was a simple child herding sheep, and Esther was a simple orphaned girl yet she was a Queen in waiting.

Let's share God's love and make the world a better place to live. It doesn't matter how people see you, it matters how God sees you.

God is God: He doesn't care about age, no wonder He blessed Abraham. He doesn't care about experience, no wonder He chose David. He doesn't care about gender, no wonder He lifted Esther. He doesn't care about your past, no wonder He called Paul. He doesn't care about your physical appearance, no wonder He chose Zacchaeus (the shortest one). He doesn't care about fluency in speech, no wonder He chose Moses. He doesn't care about your career...

Continue reading https://daily-dew.com/the-way-you-walk/

If you want your dreams to come true, don't oversleep.

The smallest good deed is better than the grandest intention.

Of all the things yu wear, your expression is the most important.

The best vitamin for making friends...B1 [be one].

The 10 commandments are not multiple choice.

The happiness of your life depends on the quality of your thoughts.

Minds are like parachutes... they function only when open.

Ideas won't work unless YOU do.

One thing you can't recycle is wasted time.

One who lacks the courage to start has already finished.

The heaviest thing to carry is a grudge.

Don't learn safety rules by accident.

We lie the loudest when we lie to ourselves.

Jumping to conclusions can be bad exercise.

A turtle makes progress when it sticks its head out.

One thing you can give and still keep... is your word.

A friend walks in when everyone else walks out.

The pursuit of happiness is the chase of a lifetime!

- Author Unknown

Meditation: Delight yourself also in the Lord, And He shall give you the desires of your heart. – Psalm 37:4

You will Succeed in Jesus Name!

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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 put up.

"Sir you have to calm down.” They tried to explain. “We are doing everything we can for you."

"I don't need your help!" The grumpy man yelled. "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 any longer.

One night, as he was nearing his end, the nurse sat 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...

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“The greatest thing anyone can do for God or man is pray.” – S. D. Gordon

“Prayer is where the action is.” – John Wesley

“Satan does not care how many people read about prayer if only he can keep them from praying.” – Paul E.Billheimer

“Don’t pray when you feel like it. Have an appointment with the Lord and keep it. A man is powerful on his knees.” – Corrie Ten Boom

“Satan trembles when he sees the weakest Christian on his knees.” – William Cowper

“I would rather teach one man to pray than ten men to preach.” – Charles Spurgeon

“The man who mobilizes the Christian church to pray will make the greatest contribution to world evangelization in history.” – Andrew Murray

“We have to pray with our eyes on God, not on the difficulties.” – Oswald Chambers

“There is no other activity in life so important as that of prayer. Every other activity depends upon prayer for its best efficiency.” – M.E. Andross

“He who runs from God in the morning will scarcely find Him the rest of the day.” – John Bunyan

“I have seen many men work without praying, though I have never seen any good come out of it; but I have never seen a man pray without working.” – James Hudson Taylor

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“Prayer is not learned in a classroom but in the closet.” – E. M. Bounds

“We must begin to believe that God, in the mystery of prayer, has entrusted us with a force that can move the Heavenly world, and can bring its power down to earth.” – Andrew Murray

“Prayer is not asking. Prayer is putting oneself in the hands of God, at His disposition, and listening to His voice in the depth of our hearts.” – Mother Teresa

“Relying on God has to begin all over again every day as if nothing had yet been done.” – C.S. Lewis

“The more you pray, the less you’ll panic. The more you worship, the less you worry. You’ll feel more patient and less pressured.” – Rick Warren

“I have so much to do that I shall spend the first three hours in prayer.” – Martin Luther

“Prayer does not fit us for the greater work; prayer is the greater work.” – Oswald Chambers

“He who kneels the most, stands the best.” – D.L. Moody

“I’ll always say my prayers…and if God doesn’t answer them at once I shall know it’s because He’s planning something better for me.” – Johanna Spyri

— Author Unknown

Meditation: You will make your prayer to Him, He will hear you, And you will pay your vows. – Job 22:27

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You will succeed in Jesus’ Name

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An old black man lived alone in the country. He wanted to dig his yearly collard green garden, but it was always very hard work for him because the ground was hard. His only son, Junebug Jankins III, who used to help him, was in prison. The old man wrote a letter to his son and described his predicament.

Dear Junebugg Jankins the III,

I am feeling pretty bad because it looks like I won't be able to plant my collard green garden this year. I'm just getting too old to be digging up a garden plot. If you were here my troubles would be over. I know you would dig the plot for me. Love. Dad

A few days later he received a letter from his son:

Dear Daddy Jankins,

Whatever you do, don't dig up that garden. That's where I buried the BODIES! Love. Junebugg Jankins III

At 4 a.m. the next morning, FBI agents and local police arrived and dug up the entire area without finding any bodies. They apologized to the old man and left. That same day the old man received another letter from his son:

Dear Daddy Jankins,

You can go ahead and plant the collard greens now. That's the best I could do under the circumstances. Love. Junebugg III

- Author Unknown

The moral of the story is that no matter where you are in the world if you have decided to do something deep from your heart, you can always do it. Distance is not a good enough excuse not to fulfill your purpose, pursue your goals, execute your idea or make a difference in the life of somebody.

Meditation: Calling a bird of prey from the east, the man who executes My counsel, from a far country. - Isaiah 46:11

You will succeed in Jesus Name!

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In the words of Friedrich Nietzsche, “He who has a why to live for can bear almost any how.”

The world has witnessed so many marvelling discoveries. Thanks to our class of relentless scientists. Those discoveries open the planet and its sister galaxies to us in enormous grandeur. But no discovery is ever greater than that of SELF. No other discovery would be made if man did not first find out himself.

Our world is at the mercy of our knowing our purposes, without which it is lost in the wood. Do you know that the greatest treasure land in the whole world is the grave? It is not because some ancient treasures were hidden there, but because so many people died without discovering their purposes. More people are still dying treasure-filled.

It is not wise to take riches as proof of a successful life, like so many of us presently do. Many others in time past have pursued material wealth than the purpose of their lives. It was only on the death bed that the truth stared at them like a mirror when they finally realized that all along what they wanted was not the riches they gunned for but the fulfillment of life, which can only be earned in discovering and living for your purpose.

The difference between your ambition and your purpose are their goals. Your ambition seeks to deliver pleasure to you, but your purpose delivers pleasure to others, others you may have or not have encountered. This is the larger-than-life blessing of purpose to a man of purpose.

So, how can I discover my purpose? I would say, SIMPLE! It is the same way you discover the use of a device by studying the product manual or enquiring from the manufacturer. You would need to ask God, at least if He is your Maker, and study the manual He’s given us all, the Bible.

Meditation: I applied my heart to know, to search and seek out wisdom and the reason for things. – Ecclesiastes 7:25

You will succeed in Jesus Name!

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To take the first step in faith you don’t have to see the whole staircase just take the first step. – Dr. Martin Luther king Jr.

The reason a lot of people do not have success stories is not because they are failures but as a result of their inabilities to translate their ideas and dreams into a realizable entity. This involves doing something about them.

Action is the life substance of faith. The only reason we still recognize faith as an element of creation in our sphere of the universe is because there are men and women who make moves. These people do not just talk about what they want to achieve or what they believe is possible to them, they concretize their beliefs and engineer them to go around. They do the little little actions that talkers consider insignificant and gradually advance towards the vision of what they see. As you remember, the Bible says; Faith without works is dead… (James 2:24, KJV).

Opportunities to give lives to our ideas mostly cross our ways every day in form of trivial actions or occasions. Every opportunity seized is a movement towards realizing your dreams. No one, who waits to view a clear road before a journey, ever embarks on it. Driving teaches us that the way to get to your destination is to take every mile per hour. One of the greatest characteristics a young man or woman must have is the ability to start his or her dream from where he or she is because waiting is a close kin of Godot.

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— Author Unknown

Meditation: Faith without works is dead…– James 2:24

You will succeed in Jesus Name!

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According to Chris Vaughn (Josh Wegel), “Life is a journey. Not so much to a destination but a transformation.” Sometimes our richest times are right in the midst of our hardest. Transformation is tough. We don’t often end up the person we think we will be, but God has filled our lives with two great gifts: purpose and passion. We need to find what these are and use them to drive us through the rocky paths. Life is not about starting and finishing. It is about beginning and ending as a completely transformed man from the one who started it.

No man has ever thought of life as a place to get to and felt fulfilled getting there. A fulfilled life knows the wealth of life lies below the punches that often pretend to make life not worth living. But purpose puts us on a track we are pleased running, except you have not found it. And passion gives us the energy to keep running through the frost until the time is up. By this time, you are already leading other people who were afraid of stepping into their tracks.

A man of God once described the law of transformation as, “Whatever you admire is what you will likely become.” Men of purpose understand life as a journey to a transformation driven by purpose. They understand purpose, admire each of it that God has given them, and are transformed into it. For them, life is not a journey of start and finish. It is one of starting and finishing as the right man. The best part of the journey is that God has left you space to change the world. So you know He really wants you to be a hero.

Meditation: Till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ. - Ephesians 4:13

You will succeed in Jesus Name!

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Pause, reflect on, and consider these thoughts:

- Stay away from Anger, it hurts only you. If you are right then there is no need to get angry, and if you are wrong then you don't have any right to get angry.

- Patience with family is love, patience with others is respect. Patience with self is confidence, and patience with GOD is faith.

- Never think hard about the past, it brings tears. Don't think more about the future, It brings fear. Live this Moment with a smile, it brings cheer.

- Every test in our life makes us bitter or better, every problem comes to make us or break us. The choice is ours whether we become victims or victorious.

- Beautiful things are not always good, but good things are always beautiful.

- Happiness keeps you sweet. But being sweet brings happiness.

-- Author Unknown

Meditation: And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. – Romans 12:2

You will succeed in Jesus Name!

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The Sweet Old Fisherman
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The only survivor of a shipwreck was washed up on a small, uninhabited island. He prayed feverishly for God to rescue him, and every day he scanned the horizon for help, but none seemed forthcoming.

Exhausted, he eventually managed to build a little hut out of driftwood to protect himself from the elements, and to store his few possessions. But then one day, after scavenging for food, he arrived home to find his little hut in flames, the smoke rolling up to the sky. The worst had happened; everything was lost. He was stunned with grief and anger. “God, how could you do this to me!” he cried.

Early the next day, however, he was awakened by the sound of a ship that was approaching the island. It had come to rescue him. “How did you know I was here?” the weary man asked his rescuers.

“We saw your smoke signal,” they replied.

It is easy to get discouraged when things are going bad. But we shouldn’t lose heart, because God is at work in our lives, even in the midst of pain and suffering. Remember, next time your little hut is burning to the ground – it just may be a smoke signal that summons the grace of God. When hope gets intercepted, He is in control over broken hopes.

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What looks as a burning hut to you may be God’s signal to bring help, favour or blessing your way. What you consider a wreck may be God’s work to launch you from where you are to where you ought to be. God is always at work in your life, and though you may not see the physical evidence of His work, you need to trust that He has your best interest at heart in all He is doing. Therefore, your attitude should be appreciative rather than apprehensive, gratitude and not complaining. He’s got your back.

– Author Unknown

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!

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Workplace Version of Psalm 23

There once was a little boy who had a bad temper. His Father gave him a bag of nails and told him that every time he lost his temper, he must hammer a nail into the back of the fence. The first day the boy had driven 37 nails into the fence. Over the next few weeks, as he learned to control his anger, the number of nails hammered daily gradually dwindled down. He discovered it was easier to hold his temper than to drive those nails into the fence.

Finally, the day came when the boy didn't lose his temper at all. He told his father about it and the father suggested that the boy now pull out one nail for each day that he was able to hold his temper.

The days passed and the young boy was finally able to tell his father that all the nails were gone. The father took his son by the hand and led him to the fence He said, "You have done well, my son, but look at the holes in the fence. The fence will never be the same. When you say things in anger, they leave a scar just like this one. You can put a knife in a man and draw it out. It won't matter how many times you say I'm sorry, the wound is still there. A verbal wound is as bad as a physical one.”

That is the reason the Bible admonishes us that we should “be swift to hear, slow to speak, [and] slow to wrath;” because “the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God” (James 1:20).

Author Unknown

Meditation: So then, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath; - James 1:19

You will succeed in Jesus Name!

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Thinking of Divorce? Think Again

As you read this think about what you would do!

A few years ago a group of salesmen went to a regional sales convention in Chicago. They had assured their wives that they would be home in plenty of time for Friday night's dinner. In their rush, with tickets and briefcases, one of the men mistakenly kicked a table which held a display of apples. Apples flew everywhere. Without stopping or bothering to look back, they all managed to reach the plane in time for their nearly missed boarding.

ALL OF THEM, BUT ONE!

He paused, took a deep breath, got in touch with his feelings, and experienced a twinge of compassion for the girl whose apple stand had been overturned. He told his buddies to go on without him and told one of them to help call his wife to inform her that he would be taking a later flight. He waved them goodbye and then returned to the terminal where the apples were all over the terminal floor. He was glad he did.

The owner of the toppled apples was a blind 16-year-old girl! She was crying softly. With hot tears of frustration running down her cheeks, she helplessly groped for her spilled produce as the crowd swirled about her, no one stopping to help her, and no one showed any concern about her plight.

The salesman knelt on the floor with her, gathered up the apples, put them back on the table, and helped organize her display. As he did this, he noticed that many of them had become battered and bruised; these he set aside in another basket.

When he had finished, he pulled out his wallet and said to the girl, "Here, please take this $40 for the damage we did. Are you okay?" She nodded through her tears. He added, "I hope we didn't spoil your day too badly."

As the salesman started to walk away, the bewildered blind girl called out to him, "Mister...."

Continue reading https://daily-dew.com/what-will-you-do/

Here’s Brian's Essay: The Room...

In that place between wakefulness and dreams, I found myself in the room. There were no distinguishing features except for the one wall covered with small index card files. They were like the ones in libraries that list titles by author or subject in alphabetical order. But these files, which stretched from floor to ceiling and seemingly endless in either direction, had very different headings. As I drew near the wall of files, the first to catch my attention was one that read "Girls I have liked." I opened it and began flipping through the cards. I quickly shut it, shocked to realize that I recognized the names written on each one. And then without being told, I knew exactly where I was.

This lifeless room with its small files was a crude catalog system for my life. Here were written the actions of my every moment, big and small, in a detail my memory couldn't match. A sense of wonder and curiosity, coupled with horror, stirred within me as I began randomly opening files and exploring their content. Some brought joy and sweet memories; others a sense of shame and regret so intense that I would look over my shoulder to see if anyone was watching.

A file named "Friends" was next to one marked "Friends I have betrayed." The titles ranged from the mundane to the outright weird "Books I Have Read," "Lies I Have Told," "Comfort I have Given," "Jokes I Have Laughed at." Some were almost hilarious in their exactness: "Things I've yelled at my brothers." Others I couldn't laugh at: "Things I Have Done in My Anger", "Things I Have Muttered under My Breath at My Parents." I never ceased to be surprised by the contents.

Often there were many more cards than I expected. Sometimes fewer than I hoped. I was overwhelmed by the sheer volume of the life I had lived. Could it be possible that I had the time in my years to fill each of these thousands or even millions of cards? But each card confirmed this truth. Each was written in my own handwriting. Each signed with my signature...

Continue reading https://daily-dew.com/the-room-pt-2/

17-year-old Brian Moore had only a short time to write something for a class. The subject was what Heaven was like. "I wowed 'em," he later told his father, Bruce. "It's a killer. It's the bomb. It's the best thing I ever wrote."

It also was his last.

Brian's parents had forgotten about the essay when a cousin found it while cleaning out the teenager's locker at Teary Valley High School. Brian had been dead only hours, but his parents desperately wanted every piece of his life near them - notes from classmates and teachers, his homework.

Only two months before, he had handwritten the essay about encountering Jesus in a file room full of cards detailing every moment of the teen's life. But it was only after Brian's death that Beth and Bruce Moore realized that their son had described his view of heaven. "It makes such an impact that people want to share it. You feel like you are there." Mr. Moore said.

Brian Moore died May 27, 1997, the day after Memorial Day. He was driving home from a friend's house when his car went off Bulen-Pierce Road in Pickaway County and struck a utility pole. He emerged from the wreck unharmed but stepped on a downed power line and was electrocuted.

The Moores framed a copy of Brian's essay and hung it among the family portraits in the living room. "I think God used him to make a point. I think we were meant to find it and make something out of it," Mrs. Moore said of the essay. She and her husband want to share their son's vision of life after death. "I'm happy for Brian. I know he's in heaven. I know I'll see him."

Brian's Essay: The Room...

To continue…

Meditation: Remember now your Creator in the days of your youth, before the difficult days come, and the years draw near when you say, “I have no pleasure in them.”- Ecclesiastes 12:1

You will succeed in Jesus Name!

Also read:

Heaven’s Grocery Store
Difference Between Heaven and Hell
How to Know for Sure You are Going to Heaven

The will of God will never take you,
Where the grace of God cannot keep you.
Where the arms of God cannot support you,
Where the riches of God cannot supply your needs,
Where the power of God cannot endow you.

The will of God will never take you,
Where the spirit of God cannot work through you,
Where the wisdom of God cannot teach you,
Where the army of God cannot protect you,
Where the hands of God cannot mold you.

The will of God will never take you,
Where the love of God cannot enfold you,
Where the mercies of God cannot sustain you,
Where the peace of God cannot calm your fears,
Where the authority of God cannot overrule for you.

The will of God will never take you,
Where the comfort of God cannot dry your tears,
Where the Word of God cannot feed you,
Where the miracles of God cannot be done for you,
Where the omnipresence of God cannot find you.

-- Author Unknown

Meditation: For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you should abstain from sexual immorality; that each of you should know how to possess his own vessel in sanctification and honor, not in passion of lust, like the Gentiles who do not know God. – 1 Thessalonians 4:3-5

You will succeed in Jesus Name!

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PUSH
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A holy man was having a conversation with the Lord one day and said, "Lord, I would like to know what Heaven and Hell are like."

The Lord led the holy man to two doors. He opened one of the doors and the holy man looked in. In the middle of the room was a large round table. In the middle of the table was a large pot of stew which smelled delicious and made the holy man's mouth water. The people sitting around the table were thin and sickly. They appeared to be famished. They were holding spoons with very long handles that were strapped to their arms and each found it possible to reach into the pot of stew and take a spoonful, but because the handle was longer than their arms, they could not get the spoons back into their mouths. The holy man shuddered at the sight of their misery and suffering. The Lord said, "You have seen Hell."

They went to the next room and opened the door. It was exactly the same as the first one. There was the large round table with the large pot of stew which made the Holy man's mouth water. The people were equipped with the same long-handled spoons, but here the people were well nourished and plump, laughing and talking. The Holy man said, "I don't understand."

"It is simple," said the Lord, "it requires but one skill. You see, they have learned to feed each other, while the greedy think only of themselves."

When Jesus died on the cross, He was thinking of you!

-- Author Unknown

Meditation: Nor was there anyone among them who lacked; for all who were possessors of lands or houses sold them, and brought the proceeds of the things that were sold. – Acts 4:34

You will succeed in Jesus Name!

Also read:

Heaven and Hell
How to Know for Sure You are Going to Heaven
How to Get Out of Entrapment and Desperate Situation (2)

A long time ago, Jesus told a story about what it is like to come home. Specifically, what it’s like to come home to our Father in heaven with no more qualifications than that we’ve made a mess of our own lives.

What would God say to us? What would his attitude be?

In one of Jesus’ most familiar parables (Luke 15: 11-32), the younger of two sons demands, “Father, give me my share of the estate.” It’s hard to overstate the edginess of this request. The Middle Eastern audience who first heard Jesus’ story must have been appalled. This Jewish boy has committed the ultimate sin.

In so many words he has said, “Father, drop dead. You’re no good to me alive. All I want from you is your money that will be mine when you’re gone. So, if you don’t mind, let’s pretend you’re gone now.” It’s hard to imagine a more painful or insulting injury to any parent.

With a breaking heart, the father realizes that his son has no desire to be in a relationship with him. So he complies. He divides up the estate. The boy takes off into the wide, wide world. According to the Bible, this describes the relationship that all of us have with God. All of us have said, in one way or another, “Father, I wish you were dead. You crowd me. My life would be so much happier if you weren’t hovering over everything I think and say and do.”

What does God do when we relate to him like that? He says, “Go. Go out and see if life is really happier when you are out of relationship with me.”

Author H.J. Duffy remembers when his teenage son was so excited to try out his new surfboard that he plunged right into the breakers, ignoring the warning flags that had been posted for dangerous surf. Immediately the booming voice of the lifeguard rang out: “You are an inexperienced surfer. Return to shore.”

Humiliated, the boy returned. He asked the lifeguard how he knew he was a beginner. “That’s easy. You’ve got your wetsuit on backward.”

God’s love is such that he doesn’t stand on the seashore of our lives and shout into a megaphone, “You are an inexperienced, completely ill-prepared rebel. Return home at once.” Incredibly, God lets us go.

At first, things go brilliantly for the boy in Jesus’ story. He has the time of his life. But then he runs through all of his assets in “the far country.” As scholar Kenneth Bailey observes, his ATM card is suddenly rejected. His friends disappear. Jesus assigns to him the ultimate nightmare job for a Hebrew boy – feeding pigs.

The boy gradually “comes to his senses,” as Jesus puts it. He wakes up. He realizes how far away he is from where he started. He not only grasps in his head, but he feels in his heart and his gut his separation from his father. He longs to go home. But what will his dad do if he ever shows his pig-feeding face around town again?

That would be a no-brainer in first-century Jewish society. The typical father would beat the living tar out of such a disrespectful son, as a warning to every other boy in the neighborhood. It would be a kind of community service beating.

But this boy wonders, in his heart of hearts: is there a possibility that my dad will take me back? He’s haunted by the last look that he saw on his father’s face.

He begins to formulate a plan. He will play Let’s Make a Deal. Certain that his relationship with his father is broken beyond repair, he rehearses a little speech. “Dad, I don’t even deserve a cot in the barn. I know I can’t be your son anymore. Could I at least be one of your minimum wage workers?”

He leaves the distant country and begins walking in the direction of home, no doubt burdened by the thought of trying to clean his own slate for the rest of his life. The last thing he suspects is that his own father, the one he has wounded, is about to clean that slate for him.

Luke 15:20 tells us, “But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.”

The astonishing detail is that the father runs. Dignified gentlemen at the time of Jesus walked through their paces slowly. To run meant to show your ankles to the neighbors. To do that was to risk ridicule.

This Father could care less.

While we ourselves are still a long way off – even while we remain in our distant countries of doubt and anger and hopelessness – God the Father is waiting.

What is it like to go home?

God the Father will run to meet us.

by Glenn McDonald

Meditation: there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents. – Luke 15:10

You will succeed in Jesus Name!

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In January 2000, leaders in Charlotte, North Carolina, invited their favourite son, Billy Graham, to a luncheon in his honour. Billy initially hesitated to accept the invitation because of his struggles with Parkinson's disease. But the Charlotte leaders said, 'We don't expect a major address. Just come and let us honour you.’ So Billy agreed.

After wonderful things were said about him, Dr Graham stepped to the rostrum, looked at the crowd, and said, “I'm reminded today of Albert Einstein, the great physicist who this month has been honoured by Time magazine as the Man of the Century.

Einstein was once travelling from Princeton on a train when the conductor came down the aisle, punching the tickets of every passenger. When he came to Einstein, Einstein reached in his vest pocket. He couldn't find his ticket, so he reached in his trouser pockets. It wasn't there, so he looked in his briefcase but couldn't find it. Then he looked in the seat beside him. He still couldn't find it.

The conductor said, 'Dr. Einstein, I know who you are. We all know who you are. I'm sure you bought a ticket. Don't worry about it.'

Einstein nodded appreciatively. The conductor then continued down the aisle punching tickets. As he was ready to move to the next car, he turned around and saw the great physicist down on his hands and knees looking under his seat for his ticket. The conductor rushed back and said, 'Dr. Einstein, don't worry, I know who you are. No problem. You don't need a ticket. I'm sure you bought one.'

Einstein looked at him and said, 'Young man, I too know who I am. What I don't know is where I'm going.''

Having said that, Billy Graham continued: 'See the suit I'm wearing? It's a brand new suit. My children and my grandchildren are telling me I've gotten a little slovenly in my old age. I used to be a bit more fastidious. So I went out and bought a new suit for this luncheon and one more occasion. You know what that occasion is? This is the suit in which I'll be buried, but when you hear I'm dead, I don't want you to remember the suit I'm wearing. What I want you to remember is this: I not only know who I am. I also know where I'm going.”

"Life without God is like an unsharpened pencil - it has no point."

- Author Unknown

Meditation: And if our hope in Christ is only for this life, we are more to be pitied than anyone in the world. - 1 Corinthians 15:19 (NLT)

You will succeed in Jesus Name!

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We will Never Serve Your God!
How God Sees Your Mistakes

Once upon a time, a psychology professor walked around on a stage while teaching stress management principles to an auditorium filled with students. As she raised a glass of water, everyone expected they would be asked the typical “glass half empty or glass half full” question. Instead, with a smile on her face, the professor asked, “How heavy is this glass of water I’m holding?”

Students shouted out answers ranging from eight ounces to a couple of pounds.

She replied, “From my perspective, the absolute weight of this glass doesn’t matter. It all depends on how long I hold it. If I hold it for a minute or two, it’s fairly light. If I hold it for an hour straight, its weight might make my arm ache a little. If I hold it for a day straight, my arm will likely cramp up and feel completely numb and paralyzed, forcing me to drop the glass to the floor. In each case, the weight of the glass doesn’t change, but the longer I hold it, the heavier it feels to me.”

As the class shook their heads in agreement, she continued, “Your stresses and worries in life are very much like this glass of water. Think about them for a while and nothing happens. Think about them a bit longer and you begin to ache a little. Think about them all day long, and you will feel completely numb and paralyzed – incapable of doing anything else until you drop them.”

It’s important to remember to let go of your stresses and worries. No matter what happens during the day, as early in the evening as you can, put all your burdens down. Don’t carry them through the night and into the next day with you. If you still feel the weight of yesterday’s stress, it’s a strong sign that it’s time to put the glass down.

 - Author Unknown

Meditation: Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature? - Matthew 6:27

You will succeed in Jesus Name!

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How to de-stress
The Stress of Life
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He then took the bag to a table and emptied it out and began to count the coins. Doing so, he realised that there were 99 coins. He thought that was an odd number, so he counted again, and again, and again only to come to the same conclusion... 99 Gold Coins.

He began to wonder, what could have happened to that last one coin? For no one would leave 99 coins. He began to search his entire house, looked around his backyard for hours, not wanting to lose out on that one coin. Finally, exhausted, he decided that he was going to have to work harder than ever before to make up for that one gold coin so as to make his entire collection an even 100 gold coins.

He got up the following day in an extremely horrible mood, shouting at the children and his wife for his delay. He had spent most of the night thinking how he would work hard so that he would have enough money to buy himself that one gold coin. He went to work as usual - but not in his usual best mood, as he grumpily did in his daily errands.

The King was puzzled to see that the man's attitude had changed so drastically. He promptly summoned his assistant to his chambers and related to him his new observation about the servant. The King could not believe that the servant whom until yesterday had been singing away and was happy and content with his life had taken such a sudden downward slope in attitude when he ought to be happier after receiving the gold coins.

To this, the assistant replied "Ah! But your Majesty, the servant has now officially joined The 99 Club." He explained: "The 99 Club is just a name given to those people who have everything but yet are never contented, therefore they are always working hard and striving for that extra one to round it up to 100!

We have so much to be thankful for and we can live with very little in our lives. But the minute we are given something bigger and better, we want even more! We are not the same happy and contented person we used to be, we want more and more. And by wanting more and more we don't realise the price we pay for it. We lose our sleep, our happiness; we hurt the people around us just as a price to pay for our growing needs and desires. That is what joining The 99 Club is all about."

Hearing this, King decided that from that day onward, he was going to start appreciating the little things in life.

Learning point: Striving for more is always good, but let's not strive so hard and for so much that we lose all those near and dear to our hearts, we shouldn't compromise our happiness for moments of luxuries!

 - Author Unknown

Meditation: Now godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. - 1 Timothy 6:6-7

You will succeed in Jesus Name!

Hearing this, the King dismissed the servant and summoned his Personal Assistant to his chambers.

The King related his personal anguish to him and then told him the story of the servant, hoping that somehow, he would be able to come up with some reasoning that would explain why he, a King who could have anything he wished for at a snap of his fingers, was not contented, whereas his servant, who had so little, was extremely contented with life.

The Personal Assistant listened attentively to the king and then said, "Your Majesty, I believe that the servant has not been made part of The 99 Club."

"The 99 Club? the King inquired curiously, “What is it all about?"

The Assistant replied, "Your Majesty, to truly know what The 99 Club is, you will have to do this; place 99 gold coins in a bag and leave it at this servant's doorstep. Then you will then understand what The 99 Club is."

That very same night, the King arranged for 99 gold coins to be placed in a bag at the servant's doorstep. Although he was somehow hesitant and thought he should have put 100 gold coins into the bag instead. But since his Assistant had advised 99, that was what he did.

The following morning, the servant was stepping out of his house when he saw a bag at his doorstep. Wondering what its contents could be, he took it into the house and opened the bag. When he opened the bag, he let out a great big shout of joy, “Gold Coins!” And so many of them! He could hardly believe it. He called his wife to show her the coins.

He then took the bag to a table and emptied it out and began to count the coins. Doing so, he realised that there were 99 coins. He thought that was an odd number, so he counted again, and again, and again only to come to the same conclusion... 99 Gold Coins.

He began to wonder, what could have happened to that last one coin? For no one would leave 99 coins. He began to search his entire house, looked around his backyard for hours, not wanting to lose out on that one coin. Finally, exhausted, he decided that he was going to have to work harder than ever before to make up for that one gold coin so as to make his entire collection an even 100 gold coins.

- Author Unknown

To continue…

Meditation: Now godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. - 1 Timothy 6:6-7

You will succeed in Jesus Name!

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Some time ago, there lived a King. This King should have been contented with his life, given all the riches and luxuries he had. However, this was not the case! The King always found himself wondering why he just never seemed content with his life.

Sure, he had the attention of everyone wherever he went, attended fancy dinners and parties, but somehow, he still felt something was lacking and he couldn’t put his finger on it.

One day, the King had woken up earlier than usual to stroll around his palace. He entered his huge living room and came to a stop when he heard someone happily singing some distance away. Following the direction where the song wafted from, he saw that it was one of his servants who was singing. The man had such a very contented look on his face.

This fascinated the King and he summoned this man to his chambers. When the man entered the chambers, the king asked him why he was so happy.

To this, the man replied: “Your Majesty, I am nothing but a servant, but I make enough of a living to keep my wife and children happy. We don’t need too much, a roof over our heads and warm food to fill our tummies. My wife and children are my inspiration; they are content with whatever little I bring home. I am happy because my family is happy.”

ALSO READ There is Always Something to Be Thankful for

Hearing this, the King dismissed the servant and summoned his Personal Assistant to his chambers.

The King related his personal anguish to him and then told him the story of the servant, hoping that somehow, he would be able to come up with some reasoning that would explain why he, a King who could have anything he wished for at a snap of his fingers, was not contented, whereas his servant, who had so little, was extremely contented with life.

To continue…

– Author Unknown

Meditation: Now godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. – 1 Timothy 6:6-7

You will succeed in Jesus Name!

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Years ago, a farmer-owned land along the Atlantic seacoast. He constantly advertised for hired hands. Most people were reluctant to work on farms along the Atlantic, as they dreaded the awful storms that raged across the Atlantic, wreaking havoc on buildings and crops. As the farmer interviewed applicants for the job, he received a steady stream of refusals.

Finally, a short, thin man, well past middle age, approached the farmer. 'Are you a good farm hand?' the farmer asked him. 'Well, I can sleep when the wind blows,' answered the little man.

Although puzzled by this answer, the farmer, desperate for help, hired him. The little man worked well around the farm, busy from dawn to dusk, and the farmer felt satisfied with the man's work. Then one night the wind howled loudly in from offshore. Jumping out of bed, the farmer grabbed a lantern and rushed next door to the hired hand's sleeping quarters. He shook the little man and yelled, 'Get up!  A storm is coming! Tie things down before they blow away!'

The little man rolled over in bed and said firmly, 'No sir. I told you, I can sleep when the wind blows.'

Enraged by the response, the farmer was tempted to fire him on the spot. Instead, he hurried outside to prepare for the storm. To his amazement, he discovered that all of the haystacks had been covered with tarpaulins. The cows were in the barn, the chickens were in the coops, and the doors were barred. The shutters were tightly secured. Everything was tied down. Nothing could blow away. The farmer then understood what his hired hand meant, so he returned to his bed to also sleep while the wind blew.

When you are prepared, spiritually, mentally, and physically, you have nothing to fear. Can you sleep when the Wind blows through your life? The hired hand in the story was able to sleep because he had secured the farm against the storm. We secure ourselves against the storms of life by grounding ourselves in the Word of God. We don't need to understand, we just need to hold His hand to have peace in the middle of storms.

- Author Unknown

Meditation: Therefore we will not fear, even though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; though its waters roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with its swelling. - Psalm 46:2-3

You will succeed in Jesus Name!

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When the first tree arrived at the carpenter's, he was made into a feed box for animals. He was then placed in a barn and filled with hay. This was not at all what he had prayed for.

The second tree was cut and made into a small fishing boat. His dreams of being a mighty ship and carrying kings had come to an end.

The third tree was cut into large pieces and left alone in the dark.

The years went by, and the trees forgot about their dreams.

Then one day, a man and woman came to the barn. She gave birth and they placed the baby in the hay in the feed box that was made from the first tree. The man wished that he could have made a crib for the baby, but this manger would have to do. The tree could feel the importance of this event and knew that it had held the greatest treasure of all time.

Years later, a group of men got in the fishing boat made from the second tree..

Continue reading https://daily-dew.com/the-three-trees-part-2/

The story was told about a young man and an old preacher. The young man had lost his job and didn't know which way to turn. So he went to see the old preacher.

Pacing about the preacher's study, the young man ranted about his problem. Finally, he clenched his fist and shouted, "I've begged God to say something to help me, preacher. Why doesn't God answer?"

The old preacher, who sat across the room, spoke something in reply, something so hushed it was indistinguishable. The young man stepped across the room. "What did you say?" he asked. The preacher repeated himself, but again in a tone as soft as a whisper. So the young man moved closer until he was leaning on the preacher's chair.

"Sorry," he said. "I still didn't hear you." With their heads bent together, the old preacher spoke once more. "God sometimes whispers," he said, "So we will move closer to hear him." This time the young man heard and he understood.

We all want God's voice to thunder through the air with the answer to our problem. But God's is the still, small voice; the gentle whisper. Perhaps there is a reason.

Nothing draws human focus quite like a whisper. God's whisper means you must stop your ranting and move close to Him until your head is bent together with His. And then, as you listen, you will find your answer. Better still, you will find yourself closer to God.

In the word of Johannes Tauler, “If you keep watch over your heart, listen for the voice of God and learn of Him; in one short hour you can learn more from Him than you could learn from man in a thousand years.”

- Author Unknown

Meditation:  Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. - James 4:8

You will succeed in Jesus Name!

Once there were three trees on a hill in the woods. They were discussing their hopes and dreams when the first tree said, 'Someday I hope to be a treasure chest. I could be filled with gold, silver and precious gems. I could be decorated with intricate carving and everyone would see the beauty.'

Then the second tree said, 'Someday I will be a mighty ship. I will take Kings and Queens across the waters and sail to the corners of the world. Everyone will feel safe in me because of the strength of my hull.

Finally, the third tree said, 'I want to grow to be the tallest and straightest tree in the forest. People will see me on top of the hill and look up to my branches and think of the heavens and God and how close to them I am reaching. I will be the greatest tree of all time and people will always remember me.’

After a few years of praying that their dreams would come true, a group of woodsmen came upon the trees. When one came to the first tree he said, 'This looks like a strong tree, I think I should be able to sell the wood to a Carpenter' and he began cutting it down. The tree was happy because he knew that the carpenter would make him into a treasure chest.

At the second tree, the woodsman said, 'This looks like a strong tree. I should be able to sell it to the shipyard.' The second tree was happy because he knew he was on his way to becoming a mighty ship.

When the woodsmen came upon the third tree, the tree was frightened because he knew that if they cut him down his dreams would not come true. One of the woodsmen said, 'I don't need anything special from my tree, I'll take this one,' and he cut it down.

(To be continued)

- Author Uknown

Meditation: A man’s heart plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps. -- Proverbs 16:9

You will succeed in Jesus Name!

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A young father was doing grocery shopping with his little boy, who was sitting in the cart. The dad kept whispering things like, “Be patient, Billy. You can handle this, Billy. It’s going to be OK, Billy.”

A woman who was shopping in the same aisle was impressed. She leaned over to the dad and said, “I just want to tell you what a great job you’re doing. You’re so wonderfully patient with your little Billy.”

“Actually,” said the man, “my son’s name is Jason. My name is Billy.”

All day long we hear words that are calculated to encourage us or break us down. Sometimes we speak those words to ourselves. Unfortunately, they may be negative messages that play like digital recordings in our minds:

You’ll never lose weight.

You will never survive this lawsuit.

You can’t beat cancer.

You don’t have the courage to pursue the job you’ve always wanted.

You don’t have the guts to reclaim your sexual integrity.

You’re a loser. And you always will be.

For all too many of us, personal acquaintance with such spiritual darkness is a day-to-day experience. We hear intimidating voices that are calculated to make us lose heart. But God’s Holy Spirit can break into our minds as well. The Spirit reminds us that, in Christ, we are loved. And chosen. And forgiven. And blessed beyond all ability to comprehend.

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God will never leave us. God will never abandon us. God is at work right now in the midst of the most painful things that are happening to us. The outcome of this day will largely be determined by what voices we choose to hear. Not to mention whether we can make it make it down the candy aisle at the grocery store unscathed.

by Glenn McDonald

Meditation: The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God. – Romans 8:16

You will succeed in Jesus Name!

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Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb; and he saw the linen cloths lying there, and the handkerchief that had been around His head, not lying with the linen cloths, but folded together in a place by itself. – John 20:6-7

Why did Jesus fold the linen burial cloth after His resurrection? The passage above tells us that the napkin, which was placed over the face of Jesus, was not just thrown aside like the grave clothes. The Bible devotes an entire verse to tell us that the napkin was neatly folded, and was placed at the head of that stony coffin.

Early Sunday morning, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb and found that the stone had been rolled away from the entrance. She ran and found Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved. She said, “They have taken the Lord’s body out of the tomb, and I don’t know where they have put him!”

Peter and the other disciple ran to the tomb to see. The other disciple outran Peter and got there first. He stooped and looked in and saw the linen cloth lying there, but he didn’t go in. Then Simon Peter arrived and went inside. He also noticed the linen wrappings lying there, while the cloth that had covered Jesus’ head was folded up and lying to the side.

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Was that important? Absolutely! Is it really significant? Yes!

In order to understand the significance of the folded napkin, you have to understand a little about Hebrew tradition of that day. The folded napkin had to do with the Master and Servant relationship, and every Jewish boy knew this tradition.

When the servant set the dinner table for the master, he made sure that it was exactly the way the master wanted it. The table was furnished perfectly, and then the servant would wait, just out of sight, until the master had finished eating. The servant would not dare touch that table until the master was finished.

Now if the master were done eating, he would rise from the table, wipe his fingers, his mouth, and clean his beard, and would wad up that napkin and toss it onto the table. The servant would then know to clear the table. For in those days, the wadded napkin meant, “I’m done.”

But if the master got up from the table, and folded his napkin, and laid it beside his plate, the servant would not dare touch the table, because…

The folded napkin meant, “I am coming back!”

– Author Unknown

You will see Him in Jesus Name!

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