Ephesians 6:13-17 (2/29/2016)...

FROM TODAY'S READING (2/29/2016)...

AM I A SOLDIER OF THE CROSS

Am I a soldier of the cross,


A follow’r of the Lamb?


And shall I fear to own His cause,


Or blush to speak His name?

Must I be carried to the skies


On flow’ry beds of ease,


While others fought to win the prize,


And sailed through bloody seas?

Are there no foes for me to face?


Must I not stem the flood?


Is this vile world a friend to grace,


To help me on to God?

Sure I must fight if I would reign;


Increase my courage, Lord;


I’ll bear the toil, endure the pain,


Supported by Thy Word.

Thy saints in all this glorious war


Shall conquer, though they die;


They see the triumph from afar,


By faith’s discerning eye.

When that illustrious day shall rise,


And all Thy armies shine


In robes of vict’ry through the skies,


The glory shall be Thine.

by Isaac Watts (1721)

Ephesians 6:13-17 (NLT) Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm. Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body armor of God’s righteousness. For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News so that you will be fully prepared. In addition to all of these, hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil. Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

James 1:22-25 (NLT).,,

FROM TODAY'S READING (2/25/2016)...

THE GUY IN THE GLASS

If you get what you want in your struggle for self,

And the world makes you a champion for a day,

Just go to the mirror and look at yourself,

And see what that guy has to say.

For it isn't your father, or mother, or brother,

Who upon you their judgment will pass.

The feller whose verdict counts most in your life

Is the guy staring back from the glass.

He's the feller to please—never mind all the rest!

For he's with you clear up to the end.

And you've passed your most difficult test,

If the guy in the glass is your friend.…

You can fool the whole world down the pathway of years,

And get pats on the back, as you pass,

But your final reward will be headache or tears,

If you've cheated the guy in the glass."

by Peter Wimbrow (1934)

James 1:22-25 (NLT) But don’t just listen to God’s word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves. For if you listen to the word and don’t obey, it is like glancing at your face in a mirror. You see yourself, walk away, and forget what you look like. But if you look carefully into the perfect law that sets you free, and if you do what it says and don’t forget what you heard, then God will bless you for doing it.

Proverbs 27:1 (NLT)...

FROM TODAY'S READING (2/24/2016)...

TOMORROW...

He was going to be all that a mortal could be. . . Tomorrow


None should be kinder or braver than he. . . Tomorrow


A friend who was troubled and weary he knew,


Who’d be glad of a lift and who needed it, too,


On him he would call to see what he could do. . . Tomorrow


Each morning he’d stack up the letters he’d write. . . Tomorrow


And he thought of the friends he would fill with delight. . . Tomorrow


It was too bad indeed; he was busy each day,


And hadn’t a minute to stop on his way;


“More time I’ll give to others,” he’d say. . .” Tomorrow


The greatest of workers this man would have been. . . Tomorrow


The world would have known him, had he ever seen. . . Tomorrow


But the fact is he died, and faded from view,


And all that he left here when living was through

Was a mountain of things he intended to do. . . Tomorrow.

by Edger Guest

Hebrews 13:16 (NLT) And don’t forget to do good and to share with those in need. These are the sacrifices that please God.

Philippians 2:3-4 (NLT) Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too.

Proverbs 27:1 (NLT) Don’t brag about tomorrow, since you don’t know what the day will bring.

Proverbs 28:6 (NKJV)...

FROM TODAY'S READING (2/22/2016)...

NEEDED...MEN AND WOMEN OF CHARACTER...

The world needs men and women. . .

who cannot be bought;

whose word is their bond;

who put character above wealth;

who possess opinions and a strong will;

who are larger than their vocations;

who do not hesitate to take risks;

who will not lose their individuality in a crowd;

who will be as honest in small affairs as in greater;

who will make no compromise with wrong;

whose ambitions are not confined to their own selfish desires;

who will not say they do it "because everybody else does it;"

who are true to their friends through good and bad, in adversity as well as in prosperity;

who do not believe that shrewdness, cunning, and hardheadedness are the best qualities for winning success;

who are not ashamed or afraid to stand for the truth when it is unpopular;

who can say "no" with emphasis, although all the rest of the world says "yes."

- Unknown author

Proverbs 28:6 (NKJV) Better is the poor who walks in his integrity Than one perverse in his ways, though he be rich.

Proverbs 11:3 (NIV) The integrity of the upright guides them, but the unfaithful are destroyed by their duplicity.

Proverbs 3:13-18 (NLT)...

FROM TODAY'S READING (2/19/2016)...

Two old golfing buddies were playing a water hole when one hit his shot into the drink. As the old-timers puttered around the pond to find the sunken ball, one of them ran across a talking frog. 

The female amphibian said, "If you kiss me I will turn into a beautiful princess."

His partner heard the frog's proposition and was completely surprised when his buddy reached down, picked up the frog...then put it in his pocket.

He quickly asked, "Why didn't you kiss her?"

The senior golfer replied, "At my age, I'd rather have a talking frog."

Proverbs 3:13-18 (NLT) Joyful is the person who finds wisdom, the one who gains understanding. For wisdom is more profitable than silver, and her wages are better than gold. Wisdom is more precious than rubies; nothing you desire can compare with her. She offers you long life in her right hand, and riches and honor in her left. She will guide you down delightful paths; all her ways are satisfying. Wisdom is a tree of life to those who embrace her; happy are those who hold her tightly.

Philippians 4:6-7 (NLT)...

FROM TODAY'S READING (2/18/2016)...

The Chinese use two brush strokes to write the word 'crisis.' One brush stroke stands for danger; the other for opportunity. In a crisis, be aware of the danger - but recognize the opportunity.

- John F. Kennedy (1959)

Philippians 4:6-7 (NLT) Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.

Matthew 7:3-5 (NLT)...

FROM TODAY'S READING (2/17/2016)...

There is so much good in the worst of us,

And so much bad in the best of us,

That it I'll be hooves any of us

To find fault with the rest of us.

- Edward Wallis Hoch (1849-1925)

Matthew 7:3-5 (NLT) "And why worry about a speck in your friend’s eye when you have a log in your own? How can you think of saying to your friend, ‘Let me help you get rid of that speck in your eye,’ when you can’t see past the log in your own eye? Hypocrite! First get rid of the log in your own eye; then you will see well enough to deal with the speck in your friend’s eye."

Job 12:12 (NLT)...

FROM TODAY'S READING (2/16/2016)...

WHEN ARE YOU TOO OLD?

When asked how it was that she has lived so long, one 91-year-old woman replied, "I think God is testing the patience of my relatives."

When is "too old"? At what age do we give up? 

At 100, Grandma Moses was still painting, and Titian painted "Battle of Lepants" when he was 98.

At 93, George Bernard Shaw wrote "Farfetched Fables."

At 91, Eamon de Valera served as president of Ireland.

At 90, Pablo Picasso still drew and engraved.

At 89, Arthur Rubinstein gave one of his greatest recitals in New York's Carnegie Hall, and Pablo Casals, at 88, still performed cello concerts.

At 82, Winston Churchill wrote the four-volume work, "A History of the English-Speaking Peoples," Leo Tolstoy completed "I Cannot Be Silent," and Goethe, at the same age, finished "Faust."

At 81, Benjamin Franklin engineered the diplomacy, which led to the adoption of the U.S. Constitution.

When are you "too old"? Only on the day when you truly have nothing left to give. And the good news is this: that day never has to arrive!

by Steve Goodier (lifesupportsystem.com)

Job 12:12 (NLT) Wisdom belongs to the aged, and understanding to the old.

Psalms 92:12-15 (NLT)  "But the godly will flourish like palm trees and grow strong like the cedars of Lebanon. For they are transplanted to the LORD’s own house. They flourish in the courts of our God. Even in old age they will still produce fruit; they will remain vital and green. They will declare, “The LORD is just! He is my rock! There is no evil in him!””

Proverbs 24:16 (NLT)...

FROM TODAY'S READING (2/15/2016)...

Unless we learn how to put failure behind us...

- We will never ask for what we need for fear of rejection.

- We will never ask a boss for a promotion for fear of her saying no.

- We will never go back and take classes for fear of failing.

- We will never change careers for fear of it not working out.

- We will never forgive others who hurt us for fear of being hurt by them again.

- We won't do the things we want to do for fear of letting ourselves and others down.

- Unless we learn how to put failure behind us, we won't take any risk at all! And we'll never fully live, either.

by Steve Goodier

Proverbs 24:16 (NLT) The godly may trip seven times, but they will get up again. But one disaster is enough to overthrow the wicked.

Psalm 92:12-15 (NLT)...

FROM TODAY'S READING (2/5/2016)...

Middle age is when you are impressed not with the fact that the grass is greener on the other side of the fence but rather how difficult the fence looks to get over.

by North Vernon Sun

Middle age is the time of life when the fellow who always acted like a human Dynamo starts showing signs of ignition trouble.

Middle age is when you burn the midnight oil around 9 p.m.

Psalms 92:12-15 (NLT) But the godly will flourish like palm trees and grow strong like the cedars of Lebanon. For they are transplanted to the LORD’s own house. They flourish in the courts of our God. Even in old age they will still produce fruit; they will remain vital and green. They will declare, “The LORD is just! He is my rock! There is no evil in him!”

2 Corinthians 4:16-18 (NLT) That is why we never give up. Though our bodies are dying, our spirits are being renewed every day. For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever! So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever.

Colossians 3:23-24 (NIV)...

FROM TODAY'S READING (2/4/2016)...

“There is no royal road to anything. One thing at a time, all things in succession. That which grows fast, withers as rapidly. That which grows slowly, endures.” 

by Josiah Gilbert Holland

"Good enough" is the enemy of excellence.

Colossians 3:23-24 (NIV) 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.

Philippians 3:12-14 (NLT)...

FROM TODAY'S READING (2/2/2016)...

Do not pray for easy lives. Pray to be stronger men! Do not pray for tasks equal to your powers. Pray for powers equal to your tasks.

by Phillips Brooks

I have learned that success is to be measured not so much by the position that one has reached in life as by the obstacles which he has overcome while trying to succeed.

by Booker T. Washington

Philippians 3:12-14 (NLT) I don’t mean to say that I have already achieved these things or that I have already reached perfection. But I press on to possess that perfection for which Christ Jesus first possessed me. No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.