"I Wish for you...."

Comfort on difficult days,
Smiles when sadness intrudes,
Rainbows to follow the clouds,
Laughter to kiss your lips,
Sunsets to warm your heart,

Gentle hugs when spirits sag,
Friendships to brighten your being,
Beauty for your eyes to see,
Confidence for when you doubt,

Faith so that you can believe,
Courage to know yourself,
Patience to accept the truth,
And love to complete your life."

"List To Live By"

The most destructive habit...................Worry
The greatest Joy.....................................Giving
The greatest loss.....................................Loss of self-respect

The most satisfying work.......................Helping others
The ugliest personality trait...................Selfishness
The most endangered species................Dedicated Leaders

Our greatest natural resource................Our Youth
The greatest "shot in the arm"...............Encouragement
The greatest problem to overcome........Fear

The most effective sleeping pill...............Peace of mind
The most crippling failure disease..........Excuses
The most powerful force in life................Love

The most dangerous pariah.....................A Gossiper
The world's most incredible computer...The Brain
The worst thing to be without..................Hope

The deadliest weapon.................................The Tongue
The two most power-filled words............."I Can"
The greatest asset.......................................Faith

The most worthless emotion......................Self-pity
The most beautiful attire............................SMILE!
The most prized possession........................Integrity

The most powerful channel of communication.....Prayer
The most contagious spirit......................................Enthusiasm

"Smile Jesus Loves YOU and so do I!"

"I Am..."

1. A Child of God(Romans 8:16)
2. Redeemed from the Hand of the Enemy (Psalm 107:2)
3. Forgiven (Colossians 1:13, 14)
4. Saved by Grace through Faith (Ephesians 2:8)
5. Justified (Romans 5;1)
6. Sanctified (I Corinthians 5:17)
7. A New Creature (II Corinthians 5:17)
8. Partaker of His Divine Nature (II Peter 1:4)
9. Redeemed from the Curse of the Law (Galatians 3:13)
10. Delivered from the Powers of Darkness (Colossians 1:13)
11. Led by the Spirit of God (Romans 8:14)
12. A Son of God (Romans 8:14)
13. Kept in Safety Wherever I Go (Psalm 91:11)
14. Getting All My Needs Met By Jesus (Philippians 4:19)
15. Casting All My Cares On Jesus (I Peter 5:7)
16. Strong in the Lord and in the Power of His Might (Ephesians 6:10)
17. Doing All Things Through Christ Who Strengthens Me (Philippians 4:13)
18. An heir of God and a Joint Heir with Jesus (Romans 8:17)
19. Heir to the Blessings of Abraham ( Galatians 3:13, 14)
20. Observing and Doing the Lord's Commandments (Deuteronomy 28:12)
21. Blessed Coming in And Blessed Going Out ( Deuteronomy 28:6)
22. An Heir of Eternal Life (I John 5:11, 12)
23. Blessed with All Spiritual Blessings ( Ephesians 1:3)
24. Healed by His Stripes (I Peter 2:24)
25. Exercising My Authority over the Enemy (Luke 10:19)
26. Above Only and Not Beneath (Deuteronomy 28:13)
27. More than a Conqueror (Romans 8:37)
28. Establishing God's Word Here on Earth ( Matthew 16:19)
29. An Overcomer by the Blood of the Lamb and the Word of My Testimony (Rev. 12:11)
30. Daily Overcoming the Devil (I John 4:4)
31. Not Moved by What I See ( II Corinthians 4:18)
32. Walking by Faith and Not by Sight (II Corinthians 5:7)
33. Casting Down Vain Imaginations (II Corinthians 10:4, 5)
34. Bringing Every Thought into Captivity (II Corinthians 10:5)
35. Being Transformed by Renewing My Mind (Romans 12: 1, 2)
36. A Laborer Together with God (I Corinthians 5:21)
37. The Righteousness of God in Christ (II Corinthians 5:21)
38. An Imitator of Jesus (Ephesians 5:1)
39. The Light of the World (Matthew 5:14)
40. Blessing the Lord at All Times and Continually Praising the Lord with My Mouth -
(Psalm 34:1)

"Twas the night before Jesus came'

"Twas the night before Jesus came, and all through the house
Not a creature was praying, not one in the house.
Their Bibles were lain on the shelf without care
in hopes that Jesus would not come there.

The children were dressing to crawl into bed,
Not once ever kneeling or bowing a head.
And Mom in her rocker with baby on her lap
Was watching the Late Show while I took a nap.

When out of the East there arose such a clatter,
I sprang to my feet to see what was the matter.
Away to the window I flew like a flash
Tore open the shutters and threw up the sash!

When what to my wondering eyes should appear
But angels proclaiming that Jesus was here,
With a light like the sun sending forth a bright ray
I knew in a moment this must be THE DAY!

The light of His face made me cover my head
It was Jesus! returning just like He had said.
And though I possessed worldly wisdom and wealth,
I cried when I saw Him in spite of myself.

In the Book of Life which He held in His hand
Was written the name of every saved man.
He spoke not a word as He searched for my name;
When He said"It's not here" my head hung in shame.

The people whose names had been written with love
He gathered to take to His Father above,
With those who were ready He rose without a sound
While all the rest were left standing around.

I fell to my knees, but it was too late;
I had waited too long and thus sealed my fate.
I stood and I cried as they rose out of sight;
Oh, if only I had been ready tonight.

In the words of this poem the meaning is clear;
The coming of Jesus is drawing near.
There's only one life and when comes the last call
We'll find that the Bible was true after all!

"The Goodness of God"

"The reason we breathe, to sing of His Glory!" When I think of all the many things that the Lord has done for me, I stand in awe of Him! He gave His Son for me and you!John 3:16, "For God so loved the world , that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life." The Goodness of God!
It is so comforting to know that God has the best plan for each of us! Jeremiah 29:11, "For I know the plans that I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope." His goodness passes before us! In Exodus 33:19, "I Myself will make all My goodness pass before you, and will proclaim the name of the Lord before you; and I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious , and will show compassion on whom I will show compassion." What a gracious and compassionate Lord! Isn't it exciting to expect ongoing opportunities of intimate fellowship with the Lord! In Psalm 23:6, "Surely goodness and lovingkindness will follow me all the days of my life, And I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever!" God is PERFECTLY GOOD! He does good things for us! In Psalm 31:19, "How great is Your goodness, Which you have stored up for those who take refuge in You, Before the sons of men!" One of the fruits of the spirit is goodness! Believers are commanded to exemplify goodness, (Gal. 6:10-"So then, while we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, and especially to those who are of the household of faith" and in 2 Thessalonians 1:11, "To this end also we pray for you always, that our God will count you worthy of your calling, and fulfill every desire for goodness and the work of faith with power." Our every desire should be for goodness! There are many thing in life that you value, but the most important thing of value is your relationship with God! Cherish it, draw near, seek Him, Listen closely ( hear), receive, and apply the "goodness" in your life! I thank God for His Goodness! God is good all the time.....................!!!!!

Caleb Levi Riddle

How precious was your tiny life
Created by God divine
Handed down as a gift of His
to bless this life of mine
So short the time I had with you
here upon this earth
So sad to say tears of grief
were shed upon your birth
What should have been a joyous thing
met with excited smiles
Seemed a journey in the shadows
that lasted many miles
Your spirit had gone to be with God
before I held you, dear
So instead of smiles and joy
I greeted you with tears
I can not know the reason
your time here was so brief
But take comfort in the knowledge
that you will never know such grief
Your days will long be filled
with angel's songs so sweet
And you'll have a chance before I do
with all the saints to meet
I imagine you will dance
in the inner courts of praise
And sing your songs of joy
with tiny hands raised
You are so loved by all of us
that remain still here
We can not wait to meet you
when we finally get there
For now I say good-bye
for but a brief time
And thank you for the blessing
you are to this life of mine.

Hope in the Storms

Lamentations 3:22-26
It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassion's fail not. They are new every morning great is thy faithfulness. The Lord is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him. The Lord is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him. Is is good that a man both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the Lord.

I am ever thankful for the eternal, unconditional love of my Father! In Lamentations we see that because of His mercy we are not destroyed by the things of this life. He is our salvation. Even in the midst of suffering and pain scripture reminds us of this unfailing, everlasting love. It gives the believer hope in the midst of the storms of life.

There is one condition of all of this. It is that we must know our Father, not know of our Father with a heart knowledge, but rather we must have a personal, intimate relationship with our Father. We must invest in this relationship, spend time with God - in His presence. We must desire His word. Lamentations tells us that the "Lord is GOOD to them that WAIT for Him". We must learn to be still and wait for Him to speak, we must seek His presence. The verses conclude that we should hope and wait for the salvation of the Lord. This is our hope: He has said that He is our salvation and strong tower and He can not lie - therefor we will pass through this storm if our focus is on him.

This verse is dear to me. I am learning more to look to Father for everything. I would not have made it through the initial onslaught of my storm had I not hid in my Father's arms and stayed at the foot of the throne. Even now, I find my favorite place is before his throne in prayer or focused on His face as I walk.