Thought for the Day - Friday - Sept 29

At the foot of an apple tree, a snail started up the root to climb the tree, a worm came by and said it ain't no use, there's no apples up there.

The snail said there will be by the time I get there… We work everyday toward the heavenly prize that awaits us.

Adrian Rogers

The Red Ribbon

The Red Ribbon Everyone wants a blue ribbon. Blue. First place. The best. Even kindergarteners want that blue ribbon. In sports, I was never a blue-ribbon person. In a race I was always last. In baseball I was as likely to get hit on the head as to drop the ball. In basketball I was fine as long as there weren't nine other players on the court with me. Where I got my horrible sports ability, I don't know, but I got it. And I got it early.

During the spring of my kindergarten year, our class had a fieldtrip to a park in a town about 20 miles away. Making that drive now is no big deal, but when you're six and you've lived in a town of 300 all your life, going to a town of a couple thousand is a very big deal. Nonetheless, looking back now, I don't remember much of that day. I'm sure we ate our little sack lunches, played on the swings, slid down the slide, typical six- year-old stuff. Then it was time for the races.

However, these were no ordinary races. Some parent had come up with the idea to have the picnic kind of races, like pass the potato under your neck and hold an egg on a spoon while you run to the other side. I don't remember too much about these, but there was one race that will forever be lodged in my memory, the three-legged race. The parents decided not to use potato sacks for this particular race. Instead, they tied our feet together.

One lucky little boy got me for a partner. Now what you have to know about this little boy is that he was the second most athletic boy in our class. I'm sure he knew he was in trouble the second they laced his foot to mine. As for me, I was mortified. This guy was a winner. He almost always won, and I knew that, with me, he didn't have a chance.

Apparently he didn't realize that as deeply as I did at the time. He laced his arm with mine, the gun sounded, and we were off to the other side. Couples were falling and stumbling all around us, but we stayed on our feet and made it to the other side.

Unbelievably when we turned around and headed back for home, we were in the lead! Only one other couple even had a chance, and they were a good several yards behind us.
Then only feet from the finish line, disaster struck. I tripped and fell.

We were close enough that my partner could have easily dragged me across the finish line and won. He could have, but he didn't. Instead, he stopped, reached down, and helped me up, just as the other couple crossed the finish line. I still remember that moment, and I still have that little red ribbon.

When we graduated 13 years later, I stood on that stage and gave the Valedictory address to that same group of students, none of whom even remembered that moment anymore. So, I told them about that little boy who had made a split-second decision that helping a friend up was more important than winning a blue ribbon.

In my speech I told them that I wouldn't tell which of the guys sitting there on that stage was the little boy although he was up there with me. I wouldn't tell because in truth at one time or another all of them had been that little boy, helping me up when I fell, taking time out from their pursuit of their own goals to help a fellow person in need.

I told them why I've kept that ribbon. You see to me, that ribbon is a reminder that you don't have to be a winner in the eyes of the world to be a winner to those closest to you. The world may judge you a failure or a success, but those closest to you will know the truth. That's important to remember as we travel through this life.

You may not have a red ribbon to prove it, but I sincerely hope you have at least a few friends who remember you for taking time out from your pursuit of that blue ribbon to help them. I'm thinking those will be the ones that really count. I know it's the one that counted the most to me.

The author is Staci Stallings ©2003. Looking for continuous doses of inspiration? Come to the Staci Stallings' blog http://stacistallings.blogspot.com Staci shares her thoughts on God and life twice a week! Come check it out. You'll feel better for the experience! ~

Faith is the Victory

One of the books that changed my life is called "Faith is the Victory" by Buell Kazee. Our only copy of the book was burned up in the church fire we had at Park North Baptist 10 or so years ago. I have been looking for this book - it is very old and out of print - and finally found a copy of it at Abebooks - but the cost is prohibitive! It is a classic and probably worth every penny, if I had enough pennies.

But, I did find this chapter in a document online and thought I'd at least share this with you. As you can see, the depth of this man's desire for a relationship with God that is unique is very obvious. He writes with his heart and it speaks to my heart. I hope you find this as awe-inspiring as I did and that it turns your heart's desire towards God.


Others May, You Cannot

By Buell H. Kazee

If God has called you to be really like Christ in all your spirit, He will draw you into a life of crucifixion and humility and put on you such demands of obedience, that He will not allow you to follow other Christians, and in many ways He will seem to let other good people do things which He will not let you do.

Others can brag on themselves, and their work, on their success, on their writings, but the Holy Spirit will not allow you to do any such thing, and if you begin it, He will lead you into some deep mortification that will make you despise yourself and all your good works.

The Lord will let others be honored and put forward, and keep you hid away in obscurity because He wants to produce some choice fragrant fruit for His glory, which can be produced only in the shade.

Others will be allowed to succeed in making money, but it is likely God will keep you poor because he wants you to have something far better than gold and that is a helpless dependence on Him; that He may have the privilege of supplying your needs day by day - out of an unseen treasury.

God will let others be great, but He will keep you small. He will let others do a great work for Him and get credit for it, but He will make you work and toil on without knowing how much you are doing; and then to make your work still more precious, He will let others get the credit for the work you have done, and this will make your reward ten times greater when He comes.
The Holy Spirit will put strict watch over you, with a jealous love, and will rebuke you for little words and feelings, or for wasting your time, which other Christians never seem distressed over.

So make up your mind that God is an infinite Sovereign, and has a right to do what He pleases with His own, and He will not explain to you a thousand things which may puzzle you, reason in His dealing with you. He will wrap you up in a jealous love, and let other people say and do many things that you cannot do or say.

Settle it forever, that you are to deal directly with the Holy Spirit, and that He is to have the privilege of tying your tongue, or chaining your hand, or closing your eyes, in ways that others are not dealt with.

Now, when you are so possessed with the Living God that you are, in your secret heart, pleased and delighted over this particular personal, private, jealous guardianship and management of the Holy Spirit over your life, you will have found the vestibule of heaven.

-From Faith is the Victory

Thoughts for today

It's Monday. It has rained today and I've been so busy at work I've hardly looked up. I did go to the potty once without clocking out on "Break". But I'm taking a smoke break right now. (The employees who smoke get to go outside periodically to smoke, so I just yell "smoke break" and sit at my desk and rest!) Thought I'd ramble.

Sunday was a refreshing day for me. I just enjoyed being there at church. I enjoyed the music, the Sunday School class, the message Raymond preached, hearing his Dad and even the business meeting (?!) When I got home Sunday evening, I felt like I had had a weekend. That doesn't always happen - especially when I have three of my babies on Saturday night. (But I think we've found a creative solution for lack of sleep on Sat. nights.) I enjoyed the afternoon with Rick and Angie and six teenagers in my living room. How I've missed that. We used to have kids come in all the time, raiding our refrigerator, drink up all the soda, take showers, hang out. Since Lindsay and Landra are grown and gone, right now we just have babies. I'm not complaining, mind you, just stating facts.

I enjoyed the Scripture memory class on Sunday evening. My first one back since end of school last year. I enjoy the camaderie and accountability. And I especially enjoy Gale's challenges.

So I guess I was ready for today. First we got news that Ron's broken-down car was fixed and would cost us all but $57 of our emergency fund. Thank you Dave Ramsey, at least we had it. Then I was late getting to work - only an hour - but with our new "timeclock" every minute is recorded. Then I got chosen to do the "not that attorney" work without having a vote, but before I could get more than three pages into it, I got the "oh, no, really not that attorney" work and now here it is 10:05 at night and I'm still working on that one. Guess I'll be late getting home.

But I'm off for two days and get to sleep in to 8:00 and play all day with my babies.

Goodnight from Granny

Awana and Edward

This is Edward. Isn't he a doll?

He passed his Start Zone this week in Awana. AFTER TWO YEARS... he now has his uniform and handbook.

He was so excited to tell me about it when I went into the council time room. I hugged and kissed him and embarrassed him to death -- (but I think secretly he was glad I did.)

When I get tired and think it's just too much work, I think about Edward - that sweet boy - and all the others just like him - and get a renewal of heart - and keep on going.

Another forward

Sorry - two forwards in two days is just too much. But I think this is worth taking a look. Let me know what you think after you've listened to it.

http://www.youtube.com/v/SmLhyPjHVes

The Dash

I received this as a forward -- and it touched my heart. I wanted to share it with you as well.



Let the page load then allow the film to load.... not long.

http://www.TheDashMovie.com

My Greatest Challenge

Thanks for sharing your challenges - we all have them - and mostly new ones come by all the time. Sometimes we conquer them and sometimes they just move over and make way for another. (Those that move over always come back though!)

My greatest right now is spending time with Ron. Since he started working we have conflicting schedules. He used to be home all the time and when I'd come home, there he'd be. We'd have time together until I went off somewhere else.

For those who don't know, I've worked like this - three days a week in Houston - staying overnight at least once - sometimes more -- for about 15 years. So me not being home is not new. What's new is that he's not there all the time when I get there. We meet in passing sometimes - like this morning - I got home from Curves just as he was leaving for work - We kissed as he got in his car and drove off.

When I'm not working there's Awana, there's church, there's babies, there's shopping, there's my Mom, there's something else..... I've had to stop and really think about what's happening to our relationship. We tried the Homebuilders class this summer - I think we actually made about two or three of them - but it didn't accomplish what I wanted it to for us. Those of you who actually pray for prayer requests, will you pray for us? We need to get back in tune with each other.

So that's my challenge!

New Awana Website for Parents

http://www.awana.org/kidmatters/default.aspx

This is a website Awana has created for parents called "Kid Matters" - there are parenting tips and other info.

Awana is branching out into some new areas right now that I think are going to be more beneficial for families than just about anything I've seen in a long time. All of it is in bite-size pieces and pressure-free - just information parents can take or leave. I hope that all of you will at least look at it, read it and let Awana know what you think about it.

While I was at the conference there this summer, I really gained a respect for the Awana staff and their mission that I haven't had toward an organization in a long time. Their goal truly is to lead children and youth to know, love and serve the Lord Jesus Christ and everything they do is geared toward that. They have been working with George Barna and some of his research has been valuable in changing Awana's mindset of reaching kids and expanded into really reaching families - and equipping parents to do the job God gave them.

Take a look at it and let me know what you think.