James 1:2-4 (NLT)...

FROM TODAY'S READING (1/31/2017)...

“And once the storm is over, you won’t remember how you made it through, how you managed to survive. You won’t even be sure, whether the storm is really over. But one thing is certain. When you come out of the storm, you won’t be the same person who walked in. That’s what this storm’s all about.”

• Haruki Murakami 

James 1:2-4 (NLT) Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing.

Luke 8:22-25 (NLT) One day Jesus said to his disciples, “Let’s cross to the other side of the lake.” So they got into a boat and started out. As they sailed across, Jesus settled down for a nap. But soon a fierce storm came down on the lake. The boat was filling with water, and they were in real danger. 

The disciples went and woke him up, shouting, “Master, Master, we’re going to drown!” 

When Jesus woke up, he rebuked the wind and the raging waves. Suddenly the storm stopped and all was calm. Then he asked them, “Where is your faith?” 

The disciples were terrified and amazed. “Who is this man?” they asked each other. “When he gives a command, even the wind and waves obey him!" 

 

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Hebrews 10:35-36 (NLT)...

FROM TODAY'S READING (1/30/2017)...

"You’re only defeated when you quit.”

• Anonymous

"A man is not finished when he is defeated. He is finished when he quits.” 

• Richard M. Nixon

Hebrews 10:35-36 (NLT) So do not throw away this confident trust in the Lord. Remember the great reward it brings you! Patient endurance is what you need now, so that you will continue to do God’s will. Then you will receive all that he has promised.

1 Corinthians 16:13-14 (NLT) Be on guard. Stand firm in the faith. Be courageous. Be strong. And do everything with love.

 

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Ecclesiastes 3:9-13 (NLT)...

FROM TODAY'S READING (1/27/2017)...

“Enjoy the little things in life, for one day you’ll look back and realize they were big things."

• Kurt Vonnegut

Ecclesiastes 3:9-13 (NLT) What do people really get for all their hard work? I have seen the burden God has placed on us all. Yet God has made everything beautiful for its own time. He has planted eternity in the human heart, but even so, people cannot see the whole scope of God’s work from beginning to end. So I concluded there is nothing better than to be happy and enjoy ourselves as long as we can. And people should eat and drink and enjoy the fruits of their labor, for these are gifts from God.

1 Timothy 6:6-8 (NLT) Yet true godliness with contentment is itself great wealth. After all, we brought nothing with us when we came into the world, and we can’t take anything with us when we leave it. So if we have enough food and clothing, let us be content.

 

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Joshua 1:8-9 ( NLT)...

FROM TODAY'S READING (1/26/2017)...

"Don’t give up. Normally it is the last key on the ring which opens the door.”

• Unknown

"As I look back on my life, I realize that every time I thought I was being rejected from something good, I was actually being re-directed to something better.”

• Unknown

Joshua 1:8-9 (NLT) Study this Book of Instruction continually. Meditate on it day and night so you will be sure to obey everything written in it. Only then will you prosper and succeed in all you do. This is my command—be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.

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.

 

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Proverbs 30:33 (NLT)...

FROM TODAY'S READING (1/25/2017)...

Arguments drag out because one is too stubborn to forgive and the other is too proud to apologize.

• Unknown

"Conflict cannot survive without your participation.” 

• Wayne Dyer

Proverbs 30:33 (NLT) As the beating of cream yields butter and striking the nose causes bleeding, so stirring up anger causes quarrels.

Proverbs 17:27-28 (NLT) A truly wise person uses few words; a person with understanding is even-tempered. Even fools are thought wise when they keep silent; with their mouths shut, they seem intelligent.

2 Timothy 2:23-26 (NLT) Again I say, don’t get involved in foolish, ignorant arguments that only start fights. A servant of the Lord must not quarrel but must be kind to everyone, be able to teach, and be patient with difficult people. Gently instruct those who oppose the truth. Perhaps God will change those people’s hearts, and they will learn the truth. Then they will come to their senses and escape from the devil’s trap. For they have been held captive by him to do whatever he wants.

 

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Matthew 5:23-24 (NLT)...

FROM TODAY'S READING (1/24/2017)...

“Never ruin an apology with an excuse.” 

• Benjamin Franklin

Matthew 5:23-24 (NLT) So if you are presenting a sacrifice at the altar in the Temple and you suddenly remember that someone has something against you, leave your sacrifice there at the altar. Go and be reconciled to that person. Then come and offer your sacrifice to God.

James 5:16 (NLT) Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results.

1 Corinthians 13:4-7 (NLT) Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.

 

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Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 (NLT)...

FROM TODAY'S READING (1/23/2017)...

In life, we never lose friends, we only learn who the true ones are.

• Unknown

Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 (NLT) Two people are better off than one, for they can help each other succeed. If one person falls, the other can reach out and help. But someone who falls alone is in real trouble. Likewise, two people lying close together can keep each other warm. But how can one be warm alone? A person standing alone can be attacked and defeated, but two can stand back-to-back and conquer. Three are even better, for a triple-braided cord is not easily broken.

 

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1 Peter 2:13-17 (NLT)...

FROM TODAY'S READING (1/19/2017)...

US PRESIDENTIAL INAUGURATION WEEK

"In what sense can [America] be called a Christian nation? Not in the sense that Christianity is the established religion or that the people are in any manner compelled to support it. On the contrary, the Constitution specifically provides that “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.” Neither is it Christian in the sense that all its citizens are either in fact or name Christians. On the contrary, all religions have free scope within our borders. Numbers of our people profess other religions, and many reject all. Nor is it Christian in the sense that a profession of Christianity is a condition of holding office or otherwise engaging in public service, or essential to recognition either politically or socially. In fact, the government as a legal organization is independent of all religions. Nevertheless, we constantly speak of this republic as a Christian nation – in fact, as the leading Christian nation of the world."

• Supreme Court Justice David Brewer (1837-1910)

1 Peter 2:13-17 (NLT) For the Lord’s sake, submit to all human authority—whether the king as head of state, or the officials he has appointed. For the king has sent them to punish those who do wrong and to honor those who do right. It is God’s will that your honorable lives should silence those ignorant people who make foolish accusations against you. For you are free, yet you are God’s slaves, so don’t use your freedom as an excuse to do evil. Respect everyone, and love the family of believers. Fear God, and respect the king.

 

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Joshua 1:7-9 (NLT)...

FROM TODAY'S READING (1/18/2017)...

US PRESIDENTIAL INAUGURATION WEEK

"For many years, my hope for the perpetuity of our institutions has rested upon Bible morality and the general dissemination of Christian principles. This is an element which did not exist in the ancient republics. It is a basis on which free governments may be maintained through all time. . . . Free government is not a self-moving machine. . . . Our mission of freedom is not carried out by brute force, by canon law, or any other law except the moral law and those Christian principles which are found in the Scriptures."  

• Justice John McLean (1785-1861)

Joshua 1:7-9 (NLT) Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the instructions Moses gave you. Do not deviate from them, turning either to the right or to the left. Then you will be successful in everything you do. Study this Book of Instruction continually. Meditate on it day and night so you will be sure to obey everything written in it. Only then will you prosper and succeed in all you do. This is my command—be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.

 

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1 Timothy 2:1-2 (NLT)...

FROM TODAY'S READING (1/17/2017)...

US PRESIDENTIAL INAUGURATION WEEK

"I believe the entire Bill of Rights came into being because of the knowledge our forefathers had of the Bible and their belief in it: freedom of belief, of expression, of assembly, of petition, the dignity of the individual, the sanctity of the home, equal justice under law, and the reservation of powers to the people. . . . I like to believe we are living today in the spirit of the Christian religion. I like also to believe that as long as we do so, no great harm can come to our country."

• Justice Earl Warren (1891-1974)

1 Timothy 2:1-2 (NLT) I urge you, first of all, to pray for all people. Ask God to help them; intercede on their behalf, and give thanks for them. Pray this way for kings and all who are in authority so that we can live peaceful and quiet lives marked by godliness and dignity.

 

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Isaiah 40:28-31 (NIV)...

FROM TODAY'S READING (1/12/2017)...

"We must accept finite disappointment, but never lose infinite hope."

- Martin Luther King, Jr.

Isaiah 40:28-31 (NIV) Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom. He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.

 

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John 6:38 (NLT)...

FROM TODAY'S READING (1/11/2017)...

"I still believe that standing up for the truth of God is the greatest thing in the world. This is the end of life. The end of life is not to be happy. The end of life is not to achieve pleasure and avoid pain. The end of life is to do the will of God, come what may."

- Martin Luther King, Jr.

John 6:38 (NLT) For I have come down from heaven to do the will of God who sent me, not to do my own will.

Matthew 6:9-10 (NIV) This, then, is how you should pray: “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven."

 

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Deuteronomy 34:1-4 (NLT)...

"The higher the climb, the thinner the air, but the greater the view."

• ESPN broadcaster (Clemson/Alabama Championship game)

Deuteronomy 34:1-4 (NLT) Then Moses went up to Mount Nebo from the plains of Moab and climbed Pisgah Peak, which is across from Jericho. And the LORD showed him the whole land, from Gilead as far as Dan; all the land of Naphtali; the land of Ephraim and Manasseh; all the land of Judah, extending to the Mediterranean Sea; the Negev; the Jordan Valley with Jericho—the city of palms—as far as Zoar. Then the LORD said to Moses, “This is the land I promised on oath to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob when I said, ‘I will give it to your descendants.’ I have now allowed you to see it with your own eyes,...”

 

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Joshua 1:9 (NLT)...

FROM TODAY'S READING (1/9/2016)...

5 Things To Quit Right Now...

1. Trying to please everyone.
2. Fearing change.
3. Living in the past.
4. Putting yourself down.
5. Overthinking.

• Pinterest

Joshua 1:9 (NLT) This is my command—be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.

Ephesians 2:10 (NLT) For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.

 

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Philippians 2:1-4 (NLT)...

FROM TODAY'S READING (1/6/2017)...

"I am a life-long learner, computer junkie and reformed family tree climber. My love of puzzles and mysteries is evidenced in my work and hobbies. I have learned a lot about computers by trying to solve other people's problems, which is a major part of my job. As a parent and grandparent, and as a technology educator, my goal is to work myself into obsolescence. I believe I will have done my job when the people who depend upon me recognize their personal power and ability to do it for themselves."

- Bev Locke (quote taken from her Google+ file)

NOTE: Bev recently succumbed to cancer and is now with her/our Lord. She was a beloved, respected, and humble church member and servant for Christ at Family Bible Church. I was recently in the process of cleaning up my Gmail account when I came across Bev's contact file. I could not bring myself to delete her file....not yet anyway. God help me to live up to her quote...and life.

Philippians 2:1-4 (NLT) Is there any encouragement from belonging to Christ? Any comfort from his love? Any fellowship together in the Spirit? Are your hearts tender and compassionate? Then make me truly happy by agreeing wholeheartedly with each other, loving one another, and working together with one mind and purpose. 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.

 

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Joshua 1:9 (NLT)...

FROM TODAY'S READING (1/5/2016)...

"Falling down is an accident, staying down is a choice."

• Inspirational Quotes Gazette

Joshua 1:9 (NLT) This is my command—be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.

 

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Colossians 3:23 (NLT)...

FROM TODAY'S READING (1/4/2016)...

"The common conception is that motivation leads to action, but the reverse is true -- action precedes motivation. You have to ''prime the pump'' and get the juice flowing, which motivates you to work on your goals. Getting momentum going is the most difficult part of the job, and often taking the first step is enough to prompt you to make the best of your day."

• Robert Mckain

Colossians 3:23 (NLT) Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people.

Romans 12:11-12 (NLT) Never be lazy, but work hard and serve the Lord enthusiastically. Rejoice in our confident hope. Be patient in trouble, and keep on praying.

 

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Philippians 4:12-13 (NLT)...

FROM TODAY'S READING (1/3/2016)...

Little men with little minds and little imaginations go through life in little ruts, smugly resisting all the changes which would jar their little worlds.

• Unknown

Philippians 4:12-13 (NLT) I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little. For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.

 

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Proverbs 16:3 (NLT)...

FROM TODAY'S READING (1/2/2016)...

"I hope that in this year to come, you make mistakes. Because if you are making mistakes, then you are making new things, trying new things, learning, living, pushing yourself, changing yourself, changing your world. You're doing things you've never done before, and more importantly, you're doing something." 

• Neil Gaiman

Proverbs 16:3 (NLT) Commit your actions to the LORD, and your plans will succeed.

 Proverbs 16:9 (NLT) We can make our plans, but the LORD determines our steps.

 

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