Favorite Bible Verse

My favorite Bible verse is: “This is the day which the Lord hath made, we will rejoice and be glad in it.” Ps. 118:24

When we consider the mighty works of the Creator, the wonder of them, the splendor of them, how can we ever be unmindful of the miracle of each day fresh from God’s hands?

Who could ignore the sudden startling beauty of the sun bursting above the rim, or the sun setting in the evening, the pink and rose, spreading like a great opening flower, changing to gold and crimson, to purple and mauve, until the whole world is lit with a strange glory.

Another thing we can be deeply thankful for is the gift of life. We have the opportunity to enjoy all nature, and the freedom to worship our God. The blessings of being a Christian just keep on coming. They’ll never run out. What a generous, thoughtful God we serve. The countless blessings in our lives continue to overflow.

Sunset
The Sky’s a burst with beauty,
The horizon is all aglow,
Making geometrical patterns
In purple, red & gold.
The performance is breathtaking
With it’s changing scene,
Just as you turn a kaleidoscope
It’s over unforeseen.

Father's Image

4 years: My Daddy can do anything!
7 years: My Dad knows a lot…a whole lot.
8 years: My father does not know quite everything.
12 years: Oh well, naturally Father does not know that either.
14 years: Oh, Father? He is hopelessly old-fashioned
21 years: Oh, that man--he is out of date!
25 years: He knows a little bit about it, but not much.
30 years: I must find out what Dad thinks about it.
35 years: Before we decide, we will get Dad’s idea first.
50 years: What would Dad have thought about that?
60 years: My Dad knew literally everything?
65 Years: I wish I could talk it over with Dad once more.

History of Fathers Day

In the United States, the first modern Father’s Day celebration was held on July 5, 1908, in Fairmont, West Virginia. It was celebrated as a church service at Williams Memorial Methodist Episcopal Church South, now known as Central United Methodist Church. Grace Golden Clayton, who is believed to have suggested the service to the pastor, is believed to have been inspired to celebrate fathers after the deadly mine explosion in nearby Monongah the prior December. This explosion killed 361 men, many of them fathers and recent immigrants to the United States from Italy.

Another driving force behind the establishment of the integration of Father’s Day was Mrs. Sonora Smart Dodd, born in Creston, Washington. Her father, the Civil War veteran William Jackson Smart, as a single parent raised his six children in Spokane, Washington. She was inspired by Anna Jarvis’s efforts to establish Mother’s Day. The first June Father’s Day was celebrated on June 19, 1910, in Spokane.

Unofficial support from such figures as William Jennings Bryan was immediate and widespread, President Woodrow Wilson was personally feted by his family in 1916. President Calvin Coolidge recommended it as a national holiday in 1924. In 1966, President Lyndon Johnson made Father’s Day a holiday to be celebrated on the third Sunday of June. The holiday was not officially recognized until 1972, during the presidency of Richard Nixon.

(Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia)

DRY SPELLS

Do I give the false impression that my life is always sunny-- that my view of God is always clear.?

Several of my good friends died recently and I questioned , “Why couldn’t they be saved?”
When my mother died, she was in a nursing home. I was distraught , for I had sent her to live with my sister in Florida , not knowing she would be put in a nursing home. I could not be comforted.

Does it ever seem as if you can’t get through to God in prayer? When it seems God isn’t listening, that He's 'forgotten to be gracious.' What should we do?

Do we need to invest in a 20 -volume set of commentaries, bury ourselves under a mound of theology books, or enroll in a Bible college or seminary. No, that isn’t necessary. Your experience isn’t unique and it doesn’t mean you are an outcast from God’s redeemed family.

In the passion-filled poetry of Psalm 13, David also admitted that he couldn’t see God, and didn’t understand what He was doing (v1). But by the end of his prayer, he was certain that what he couldn’t see was nevertheless there because he had seen it before in God’s bountiful care(5-6).

1 Thessalonians (5:25) tells us to seek out a fellow believer with whom we can share our feelings and ask them for prayer. IT WORKED FOR ME!

We can also express our confidence that the Lord is still there by recalling times we’ve witnessed His goodness. So keep on praying in faith to your great God, no matter how silent heaven may seem.

Whenever you are worried
And feel lost or astray,
Remember that an angel
Is never far away.
Have faith in God’s hearing
And let angels guide the way,
So that love, hope and faith
Are the start of each new day.

Memorial Day History

Memorial Day, originally called Decoration Day, is a day of remembrance for those who have died n our nation’s service. It was officially proclaimed “Memorial Day” on May 5,1869 by General John Logan, national commander of the Grand Army of the Republic, in his General Order No. 11, and was first observed on 30 May 1868, when flowers were placed on the graves of union and Confederate soldiers at Arlington National Cemetery.

Traditional observance of Memorial Day has diminished over the years. Many Americans nowadays have forgotten the meaning and traditions of Memorial Day. At many cemeteries, the graves of the fallen are increasingly ignored, neglected. Most people no longer remember the proper flag etiquette for the day. Some people think the day is for honoring any and all dead, and not just those fallen in service to our country.

Many feel that when Congress made the day into a three-day weekend in with the National Holiday Act of 1971, it made it all the easier for people to be distracted from the spirit and meaning of the day.

To help re-educate and remind Americans of the true meaning of Memorial Day, the “National Moment of Remembrance” resolution was passed on Dec. 2000 which asks that a 3 p.m. local time for all Americans “To voluntarily and informally observe in their own way a Moment of remembrance and respect, pausing from whatever they are dong for a moment of silence or listening to “Taps.”

The Moment of Remembrance is a step in the right direction to returning the meaning back to the day. What is needed is a full return to the original day of observance. Set aside one day out of the year for the nation to get together to remember, reflect and honor those who have given their all in service to their country.

Ordinary People

Two sayings attributed to Mohammad Ali: “It’s hard to be humble when you are as great as I am,” and “It ain’t bragging if you can back it up.”

The first quote I’ve seen numerous times on the desk of business people. Also, my Aunt Ethel was fond of making this quote her own. The second quote I’ve seen in many commercials on TV.

I recently heard a book reviewer who after his allotted time was up kept the floor by asking the audience for questions. In a meeting I conducted, the opening singer asked the audience if they wanted to hear more songs after her time was up .

Do some people think about themselves, talk about themselves using “I” as often as possible. Expect to be appreciated. Trust nobody but themselves. Insist on consideration and respect. Demand agreement with their own views on everything.

The question was asked Marilyn vos Savant: “Why do some people think they’re better than others?” Her answer was “ I believe some people are better than other people-so, in those cases, they’re right. But the rest of the time , it’s just plain wishful thinking. A person is never so empty as when he is full of self.

Have you ever been in the presence of greatness? Perhaps you shook the hand of a world leader. Maybe you got close to a famous athlete. Or you may have had a book signed by a bestselling author.

To be near such icons of popularity and prestige can almost take your breath away. In reality, though, it shouldn’t. They may have done something great, but at the heart of it all they are just like you and me. They are all ordinary people lifted to incredible heights by an extraordinary God.

I have no voice for singing
I cannot make a speech,
I have no gift for music,
I know I cannot teach.
I am no good at leading,
I cannot organize,
And anything I write
Would never win a prize.
It seems my only talent
Is neither big nor rare
Just to listen & encourage
And to fill a vacant chair.
But all the gifted people
Could not so brightly shine
Were it not for those
Who use a talent such as mine.
R. R. Belter

For Mothers Everywhere

Mother wise, you're bliss itself
You win, you touch all bases
If you were packaged on a shelf
I’d buy a dozen cases.
Your rating is quadruple A,
In Momsville, you’re a giant
Affectionate, wise, I’ve got to say
You are my favorite.
Written by David Mitchell as a young boy