Cause to Pause, Ponder, Reflect, Consider, Apply

Sometimes a word, a quote, or a picture will cause me to pause, ponder, and reflect in order to consider changes to be made or affirm qualities already in practice. 

The tongue has no bones, but it is strong enough to break a heart.  So be careful with your words. ~ Unknown

Don’t ask God to guide your footsteps if you are not willing to move your feet. ~ Sean Patrick Flanery

What we worry about the most reveals where we trust God the least. ~ Craig Groeschel

To make a difference in someone’s life, you do not have to be brilliant, rich, beautiful, or perfect.  You just have to care. ~ Mandy Hale

Don’t let your ice cream melt while you are counting someone else’s sprinkles. ~ Akilah Hughes

“I’m convinced that when we help our children find healthy ways of dealing with their feelings, ways that don’t hurt them or anyone else, we’re helping to make our world a safer, better place.” ~ Fred Rogers

“Modern religion focuses upon filling churches with people.  The true gospel emphasizes filling people with God.” ~ AW Tozer

“All that is required for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing.” ~ Edmund Burke

Lord, empty me of me, so I can be filled with you. ~ Chris Sligh

Grace isn’t a little prayer you say before receiving a meal.  It’s a way to live. ~ Unknown

Be teachable.  You’re not always right. ~ Unknown

God still uses broken vessels. ~ Unknown

“Don’t treat people the way they treat you.  Treat people the way God treats you.” ~ Dave Willis

You are free to choose, but you are not free from the consequence of your choice. ~ Unknown

“There is no limit to the amount of good you can do if you don’t care who gets the credit.” ~ Ronald Reagan

God is still writing your story.

Quit trying to steal the pen.

Trust the author.

~ Unknown

Let your love for God change the world, but never let the world change your love for God. ~ Unknown

Grow through what you go through. ~ Unknown

In a world where you can be anything, be kind. ~ Unknown

Search me, O God, and know my heart;

Try me and know my anxious thoughts;

And see if there be any hurtful way in me;

And lead me in the everlasting way.

Psalm 139:23-24

The soothing tongue is a tree of life,

     but a perverse tongue crushes the spirit.

Proverbs 15:4

Whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked.

1 John 2:6

Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable – if anything  is excellent or praiseworthy – think about such things.

Philippians 4:8

At the Right Time

Larry Yockey is a fourth-generation farmer who owns a 1,200-acre farm in Ritzville, Washington.  Yockey, 63, can no longer work his wheat fields due to stage 4 skin cancer.  When the neighboring farmers in Adams County found out about the situation, they rallied together and showed up to harvest the wheat crop.  To the surprise of Yockey’s wife and three daughters, the farmers were able to complete three weeks worth of work in around 6 hours.

In late June, Patrick Riordan and Susan Cook went to a Payless shoe store to look for a pair of shoes for Susan and possibly some for the grandchildren.  The store in Hamilton, New Jersey, was soon to be closed, along with others across the country.  While they were shopping, the price of shoes went from $3 to $2 a pair.  The couple talked with the employees and found out that they were hoping to close the store as soon as possible.  At that point Patrick and Susan talked about buying all the remaining shoes and donating them to charity.  After approaching the manager with the idea, they offered to buy the remaining shoes for $1 a pair.  The couple bought about $5,000 worth of shoes for $247.  At the suggestion of Susan’s daughter, Racheal, the shoes were donated to WomenSpace, an organization in Lawrenceville, New Jersey that provides emergency shelter and legal services for women and children who find themselves in unfortunate circumstances.

Granbury ISD held their Back to School Convocation for employees on Tuesday.  After the first part of the meeting, a representative from the Granbury Board of Trustees welcomed the personnel and expressed how it is a known fact that teachers spend money out of their own pockets for their students.  Instead of spending money on a motivational speaker, the trustees announced that they had made arrangements with Wal-Mart to purchase $100 gift cards to give to each teacher, front office staff, and bus driver.  After mentioning a few more items on the agenda, the personnel were dismissed to do some back-to-school shopping.  From the looks of the employees on the video, the teachers and personnel are starting the school year feeling well motivated, respected, and appreciated.

And at just the right time, God knew that we would also need help, encouragement, redemption, hope, and a future so he sent his son Jesus to be our Savior.

You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him! For if, while we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life! Not only is this so, but we also boast in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.

Romans 5:6-11

Working Together/Blessing Others

Remember, whenever

you’re in a position

to help someone,

just do it and be glad,

because God is

answering someone’s

prayers through you.

There is just something about new pencils, crayons, folders, and other school supplies that adds an element of excitement and anticipation to the beginning of a new school year.  Calendars have been set; teachers and administrators have been hired and trained and are ready to welcome their students to new discoveries and challenges.

For the second year, the members of six local churches in Grapeland, Texas, have been a blessing to the students and families in their community.  When looking at the school supply list for Pre-K 3 through Fifth Grade students, the parents discover, by way of a note at the bottom of the official school supply list, that their child’s supplies have been bought and provided for by members of either Cedar Creek Missionary Baptist Church, Dogwood Hills Baptist Church, First Baptist Church of Grapeland, First United Methodist Church of Grapeland, Light on a Hill Church, Oak Grove Baptist Church, or Rising Star Baptist Church as a way to encourage their students and help out the families.

For the past several years, the Covenant Bible Study Department at Tallowood Baptist Church has purchased school supplies for the children in the Burmese congregation.  A lady and her sons donate backpacks each year.  The members sign up for certain supplies,  purchase them, and then bring them to church  This next week, 85 bags will be assembled, packed and given to the students.

Along with other churches and organizations in the community, our church has the opportunity to participate in the nationally known program “Blessings in a Backpack.”  The goal of this organization is to send every child, who qualifies for free or reduced lunch, home with six meals to eat over the weekend.  Food items are collected which do not need to be refrigerated or cooked.  Then the food choices are bagged up, delivered to the school, and the teachers add them to the child’s backpack on Friday.

What might be overwhelming, difficult, expensive, or too time consuming for an individual to accomplish alone, groups of people can achieve by giving and working together.   Every little bit helps make our world a better place.

Not to us, LORD, not to us but to your name be the glory, because of your love and faithfulness.

Psalm 115:1

And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.

Matthew 13:16

Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.

Colossians 3:23-24