Holy Spirit

Bill has an ongoing ssssssssssst connection with another resident here at Chambrel. Let me explain. When they greet each other during the day, they aim their pointer finger at each other close enough to connect . I’m not sure what this does for each of them other to say they are on the same wave length and they care about each other.

While serving as pastoral counselor at Baylor Hospital I had similar experiences. After holding hands while praying with a patient, he embraced me., thanked me, and said: “I really felt the spirit connecting us.”

Another occasion ,when after a time of friendly conversation, I said: “Let’s have a word of prayer,” the patient immediately began praying.

Something that connects two people must be the ‘Holy Spirit’. God’s Spirit works in our hearts to make us instruments of blessings to others. He puts an opportunity to do good in our path and says to us, ”Just do what I want you to do, purely out of love for Me.”

The good news is that as believers we possess the Holy Spirit. What Jesus accomplished for us, the Spirit works out in us. Christians need the Holy Spirit for everything.

The Spirit of God enables the people of God to understand the word of God. With the help of the Spirit we can apprehend the truths of the Word of God and appreciate their beauty and significance.

There have been times when visiting a patient , prayer has been refused.

In Zech.4:6 we read that success comes, not by human might or power, but by God’s Spirit. Our responsibility is to speak out faithfully in His name and leave the results to Him.

AS believers in Jesus, we sometimes become frustrated when people, who are not believers refuse to trust in Him. When that happens, we must remember that our role is to obey the command to tell others about Christ; the Holy Spirit’s work is to convict and save them. People need to be born of the Spirit; we can neither believe for them nor redeem them. The Holy Spirit imparts new life from above. We witness faithfully and prayerfully, and God performs the miracle of salvation.

Drop a pebble in the water,
Just a splash and it is gone;
But there’s half a hundred ripples,
Circling, on and on and on…..
Spreading from the center,
Each splashing, dashing wave
Till you wouldn’t believe the volume
The splash from that one pebble gave.

FORGIVEN

The Sermon this past Sunday was on FORGIVEN, PRAYER and GIVE, three things this preacher thought were the most important things in our lives.

As is usual, I critiqued the sermon and ‘Forgiven’ brought to mind so much more than what was said.

We read in the scriptures that we ‘all sin and fall short of the glory of God.’
Accepting yourself , I think, with all the good and the bad that make up your character, comes only after you realize God has accepted you - just as you are. Then and only then can you forgive yourself for all the wrong things that you do because you know that God has already forgiven you.

But, God does want to hear our confession and request for forgiveness. It is hard for us to admit when we are wrong, not only with our relationship with God, but with one another. Yet, if God so freely forgives us, then we surely should forgive each other.

That requires an apology. All of us make mistakes. When we do things that hurt other people, our behavior or our words become a barrier between us. If we don’t apologize, the relationship is fractured.

This is a story about Leonardo da vinci who was a gifted artist. It is said that just before he began his painting of The Last Supper, he had a quarrel with a fellow artist. Leonardo felt so bitter toward his rival that he determined to paint the face of his enemy as the face of Judas. In that way he would take revenge on the man. By picturing him as the betrayer of Jesus, he would make his face the object of scorn to all who viewed the painting.

The face of Judas was one of the first that da Vinci finished, and everyone could easily recognize it as the face of the painter with whom he had quarreled. But when Leonardo began to paint the face of Jesus, he could make no progress. Something seemed to be hindering his best efforts. According to the story, he finally came to the conclusion that the frustration he was experiencing was due to his continuing hatred of his enemy. Leonardo immediately painted out the face of Judas and began again on the face of Christ, this time with the success that the ages have come to acclaim.

As long as we hold on to anger and hatred in our hearts, the Holy Spirit cannot bring Christ into our lives. God wants to forgive us. But he forgives our sins only if we confess. This pattern also applies in human relationships.

We’re not perfect, but we try
We’re doing the best that we can.
We’ll always say that we are sorry,
We know that you’ll understand.

So lets accept ourselves and each other
Without guilt or scolding or fear.
All that is past has been forgiven
When God made it all disappear

WORDS

After expressing thoughts about gossip, it seemed only fitting to explore the meaning of words.

It’s been estimated that a talkative person may speak 30,000 words a day! But the important questions is, how do our words, whether many or few, affect others?

A careless word may kindle strife
A cruel word may wreck a life.
A bitter word may hate instill;
A brutal word may smite and kill.

Many times we have to ‘eat our words’ before we learn to avoid saying things we’d like to retract.

A gracious word may smooth the way;
A joyous word may light the day.
A timely word may lessen stress;
A loving word may heal and bless.

Henry Ford contended that: Thinking is the hardest work there is, which is why so few engage in it. Probably millions of mistakes, tragedies and crimes have resulted from not really thinking things through, before speaking and weighing the alternatives and the possible consequences.

So watch your thoughts, they become words and your words become actions which become habits. Your habits become character which becomes your destiny

GOSSIP

Here at Chambrel we have a group of residents that meet every morning before breakfast to have coffee and fellowship together. They share their own stories and the stories of other residents Herein lies the danger, “.“Sharing the stories of others .

Could retelling the story of another be subtle GOSSIP? Could a raised eyebrow or a questioning tone of voice cast doubt on a person’s reputation or integrity?

One of the most sobering lists in the Bible is God’s itemization of the seven things He hates, beginning with ‘a proud look’ and concluding with ‘one who sows discord among brethren’ (Prov. 6: 16-16).

Between those two are five other acts of betrayal, each represented by parts of the body, tongue, hands, heart, feet and lips.
Rumor is one thing that gets thicker as you spread.

A lying tongue
Hands that shed innocent blood
A heart that devises wicked plans
Feet that make haste to run to evil
False witness that breathes out lies.

Let us be sure we are faithful agents of encouragement and love when meeting together .

JULY FACTS

…..The Ruby is the Gem for July and the Water Lily is the flower for the month of July!

President James Garfield was shot, July 2, 1881

Idaho became the 43rd state, July 3, 1890

Continental congress adopted the Declaration of Independence and John Hancock signed it, July 4, 1717

Amendment 26, which sets the voting age at 18 in the United States was proclaimed, July 5, 1971

The Republican Party held its first state convention at Jackson, Michigan, July 6, 1854

Wyoming became the 44th state, July 10, 1890

Scientists set off the first atomic bomb, Alamogordo, New Mexico, July 16, 1945

U.S. Astronaut, Neil A. Armstrong became the first person to walk on the moon, July 20-1969

George Stephenson first successfully demonstrated a steam locomotive , July 25, 1814

Truce signed, ending Korean War, July 27, 1953

You Bet I'm a Flag Waver! by Mary Lou Kieswetter

I hope you will enjoy this inspiring message that was sent to us from Bill Woods several years ago.

It seems appropriate to reflect on that all-important symbol of our freedom: THE FLAG!
The rat-a-tat-tat of a drummer’s stick, the clash of brass cymbals, the twirling of silver batons and a brilliantly dressed fast-stepping color guard marching down the middle of Any Street, U.S.A., are the appetizers that stimulate my hungry heart for a nourishing feast of patriotism. The chemistry of my anatomy has lacked this ingredient for a near-disastrous length of time and my system is suffering form “patriotic decay.”

I want to feel my heart race, a mist to cloud my eyes, and the tightness of that ‘lump in my throat’ to make speaking impossible for a moment. I crave to know that good old-fashioned spirit of flag-waving. Let me see visions of Betsy Ross, Washington, Jefferson and Nathan Hale as I watch a parade pass by. If I become so stirred that I shout, “Three cheers for the red, white and blue,” don’t jeer me. JOIN me and let the world know you are proud to be an American!
Why can’t Americans let loose emotionally and allow their fervor for flag and country to ripple forth as do the red and white stripes of our beautiful American flag? Because somewhere among the curbside of every parade Americans are brainwashed into believing it “corny” to become wrapped up constitutionally with a 3’ by 5’ red, white and blue piece of cloth. A complacent attitude toward our 50 stars seems the socially-accepted way to respond. God forgive you who have allowed this apathy to destroy our national heritage--a heritage so desired by those who conceive to destroy it that they strive continuously to unravel our red, white and blue braid of unity and endeavor to steal our precious privilege of living free. We modern Americans take so for granted the inheritance we have been given that we have become negligent of the realization that we have been entrusted to preserve the heritage for those yet unborn.

No-one is born patriotic. Patriotism must be instilled through constant introduction to the subject just as we are taught our religion. The Cross and the Flag are the two symbols we as Americans may share regardless of our race, creed, color, financial status or political views. We enter the House of Worship to acknowledge our belief in God. The American flag is displayed to educate those around us that we have love for flag and country and the freedoms it stands for. How do we preserve our heritage for future generations? It would be simple if mason jars could be filled and labeled with “Blood Shed while the Star-Spangled Banner Was Being Written” or “Tears and Sweat from Those Who Fought at Flanders Field, Corregidor and Pearl Harbor.” But the accomplishments of the past cannot be bottled and placed on a shelf for the next generation to open. Our nation heritage must be preserved within the capsule of the human heart with enough dedicated character to subject its overflow into our nation‘s youth. Heritage is preserved through citizenry. We are citizens; it is up to us to set the example for our children to endeavor to be “good citizens.” The demonstration of strong faith in democracy must be made prevalent. The youth of our nation is Uncle Sam’s strongest weapon against defeat. Each generation must rekindle in its youth the allegiance to our flag, reverence for those in our nation’s past and an attitude of cooperation with the present administration if office, regardless of personal political views.

Numerate your blessings on the Fourth of July, our nation’s birthday; for your material accomplishments could not be totaled if your first blessing hadn’t been that of being born an American. You be I’M A FLAG WAVER, and when I place my hand over my heart as that glorious American flag of our passes by, I feel very near to God; and that’s a pretty good place to be in these troubled days