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Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

--Philippians 4:4-7

God is peace. That is an old and simple statement that never loses its truth or power.

Peace is a soothing word that makes me think of the ability to remain calm even in the middle of a storm.

In fact, you may have seen the famous picture of a storm raging on the sea with the winds blowing and the waves crashing on a big rock that stands alone in the middle of the ocean. And when you look closer, you see a little bird nestled safely in that rock.

Now that’s a picture of true peace! The kind of peace Paul writes about in today’s verses.

This kind of peace is not an absence of problems or storms, but it is God’s preserving presence in the midst of the storm! That’s why Paul said this peace surpasses all human understanding.

I don’t believe you can fully describe God’s peace. You can sense it, you can own it, but it’s almost impossible to articulate it. But it is that which God gives us just when we need it most. Just when you need a verse, He brings it to mind. Just when you need a friend, He brings one into your life. God will flood your heart with peace if you let Him.

Is your life characterized by peace? As a child of God it should be. God knows you and loves you with an everlasting love. That’s why He gives you His indescribable peace.

There is a wonderful book which contains everything we need to know to live our lives the way our Creator intended (II Timothy 3:16,17). There are countless truths to live by found in this book, God's message to mankind, but if we were to boil everything down to its most basic message, this book, the Bible, makes three things clear...

First, the Bible says that mankind has a problem, and that problem is called sin. Sin is any action or attitude that falls short of God's perfect standard. Every one of us has the problem of sin (Romans 3:23). And the Bible teaches us that there is a consequence to sin - sin separates us from a holy God (Habakkuk 1:13). In fact, the Bible tells us that end result of sin is death (Romans 6:23) and that there is nothing that we ourselves can do to solve the problem of sin.

Second, the Bible says that there is a solution to the problem of sin, and that solution is the person of Jesus Christ (Romans 6:23). The Bible tells us that God loved us so much that he sent Jesus, His only Son, to die in our place (John 3:16). Jesus paid the penalty of your sin so that you would not have to be forever separated from God (I John 4:10). The Bible also tells us that Jesus is the only solution for our sin problem (John 14:6).

Third, the Bible demands a decision. It is not enough to just know about Jesus Christ and His death on the cross for you. You must choose to put your trust in Christ, to receive this free gift of salvation that God offers (John 1:12).

All of us have the problem of sin. There is only one solution to the problem - the person of Jesus Christ and His death on the cross for us. Every one of us must decide...

What will you do with Jesus Christ?

THE DECISION: WHAT WILL YOU DO WITH JESUS CHRIST?

You must make a decision. What are your options? There are only three possible answers to this question:

1. To say yes, to accept God's free gift of salvation by putting your trust in Jesus Christ.

2. To say no, to reject God's offer of salvation. The Bible says that those who make this choice will spend eternity separated from God in a place called Hell.

3. To say maybe, to try to put off the decision to a more convenient time. The Bible does say that God is patient, wanting everyone to come to the point of accepting His gift of salvation (II Peter 3:9). But none of us is promised that we will be here tomorrow, and because of this "x-factor" of death, trying to put off our decision by saying maybe automatically puts us in the "no" category.

So, in reality, there are only two answers to the question, "What will you do with Jesus Christ?" To accept His free gift of salvation or to reject that gift.

Let me ask you, "What have you done with Jesus Christ?" If you have never accepted God's offer of eternal life, I can think of no better time than right now (II Corinthians 6:2). If you would like to say yes to Christ, you can do it right now, wherever you are, whatever you are doing. Join me in our prayer room to talk to Him and invite Him into your life.

The invitation is open - you can accept the gift of salvation and get rid of the sin in your life. It doesn't matter what you're doing or what you've done. The offer is open to everyone.

Please accept it

IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO BEGIN A RELATIONSHIP WITH JESUS CHRIST RIGHT NOW, RIGHT WHERE YOU ARE, YOU NEED ONLY ASK HIM...

If you've come this far, you probably realize you're about to make the most important decision of your life.

Jesus said, "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest." He also said, "whoever comes to me I will never drive away."

So if you ask Him, you will be accepted.

The way believers talk to the Lord is through prayer. Your prayer should be your own, from your own heart to His. If you're not in the habit of praying, though, you may need an example.

An example of such a prayer may go something like this:

Father in Heaven,
I know that I am a sinner
and need forgiveness.
I believe that Your Son Jesus
died in my place,
to pay the penalty for my sin,
and rose again for my salvation.
I want to turn from my sinful ways,
so I now ask you,
Lord Jesus, to come
into my life as my Savior
and my Lord.
In Jesus name I pray, Amen.

The Bible says, "Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved." So if you have asked Him into your life, and believe He died to save you, you are a Christian, bound for Heaven.

The difficulties of living as a Christian in a sinful world are many. Therefore it is essential that you immediately seek other sincere, Bible-believing Christians to help you sustain your resolve. Both individual Christian friends and a solidly Bible-based Christian church are essential.

 

Transformation through Grief

We're striving for acceptance in recovery - acceptance of our past, other
people, our present circumstances, and ourselves. Acceptance brings peace,
healing, and freedom - the freedom to take care of ourselves.

Acceptance is not a one step process. Before we achieve acceptance, we go toward
it in stages of denial, anger, negotiating, and sadness. We call these stages
the grief process. Grief can be frustrating. It can be confusing. We may
vacillate between sadness and denial. Our behaviors may vacillate. Others may
not understand us. We may neither understand our own behavior nor ourselves
while we're grieving our losses. Then one day, things become clear. The fog
lifts, and we see that we have been struggling to face and accept a particular
reality.

Don't worry. If we are taking steps to take care of ourselves, we will move
through this process at exactly the right pace. Be understanding with yourself
and others for the very human way we go through transition.

Today, I will accept the way I go through change. I will accept the grief
process, and its stages, as the way people accept loss and change.

Today's Verse from the New Living Translation
Choose a good reputation over great riches;
being held in high esteem is better than silver or gold.

Proverbs 22:1
view in context

Encouragement for Today
On the surface, it seems that success is viewed in terms of material wealth. Dig deeper, and you see that success actually depends more on a solid reputation. An employee who can't be trusted won't hold a job for long. A businessperson without integrity won't stay in business for long. A good reputation may lead to material success—an honest employee may move up the ranks, a business person with integrity is likely to succeed—but no amount of riches can buy a good reputation back once it's been ruined. Concentrate on the good reputation!

Hi All

just thought i leave you a message that i will be away all week end, starting friday. I am going away on Retreat!! I am so looking forwards to it, as it is my first one.
Have a Blessed , Fun Filled week end all
See ya on Monday .
Gods Love & Blessings
Donna

You always hear the usual stories of pennies on the sidewalk being good luck, gifts from angels, etc. This is the first time I've ever heard this twist on the story. Gives you something to think about.

Several years ago, a friend of mine and her husband were invited to spend the weekend at the husband's employer's home. My friend, Arlene, was nervous about the weekend. The boss was very wealthy, with a fine home on the waterway, and cars costing more than her house.

The first day and evening went well, and Arlene was delighted to have this rare glimpse into how the very wealthy live. The husband's employer was quite generous as a host, and took them to the finest restaurants. Arlene knew she would never have the opportunity to indulge in this kind of extravagance again, so was enjoying herself immensely.

As the three of them were about to enter an exclusive restaurant that evening, the boss was walking slightly ahead of Arlene and her husband. He stopped suddenly, looking down on the pavement for a long, silent moment.

Arlene wondered if she was supposed to pass him. There was nothing on the ground except a single darkened penny that someone had dropped, and a few cigarette butts. Still silent, the man reached down and picked up the penny.

He held it up and smiled, then put it in his pocket as if he had found a great treasure. How absurd! What need did this man have for a single penny? Why would he even take the time to stop and pick it up?

Throughout dinner, the entire scene nagged at her. Finally, she could stand it no longer. She causally mentioned that her daughter once had a coin collection, and asked if the penny he had found had been of some value.

A smile crept across the man's face as he reached into his pocket for the penny and held it out for her to see. She had seen many pennies before! What was the point of this?

"Look at it." He said. "Read what it says." She read the words "United States of America."

"No, not that; read further."

"One cent?" "No, keep reading."

"In God we Trust?" "Yes!" "And?"

"And if I trust in God, the name of God is holy, even on a coin. Whenever I find a coin I see that inscription. It is written on every single United States coin, but we never seem to notice it! God drops a message right in front of me telling me to trust Him? Who am I to pass it by? When I see a coin, I pray, I stop to see if my trust IS in God at that moment. I pick the coin up as a response to God; that I do trust in Him. For a short time, at least, I cherish it as if it were gold. I think it is God's way of starting a conversation with me. Lucky for me, God is patient and pennies are plentiful!

When I was out shopping today, I found a penny on the sidewalk. I stopped and picked it up, and realized that I had been worrying and fretting in my mind about things I cannot change. I read the words, "In God We Trust," and had to laugh. Yes, God, I get the message.

It seems that I have been finding an inordinate number of pennies in the last few months, but then, pennies are plentiful!

And, God is patient...

Have a blessed day!!

The Greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven

 1At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, "Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?"

 2He called a little child and had him stand among them. 3And he said: "I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. 4Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.

 5"And whoever welcomes a little child like this in my name welcomes me. 6But if anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a large millstone hung around his neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea.

 7"Woe to the world because of the things that cause people to sin! Such things must come, but woe to the man through whom they come! 8If your hand or your foot causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life maimed or crippled than to have two hands or two feet and be thrown into eternal fire. 9And if your eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into the fire of hell.

The Parable of the Lost Sheep

 10"See that you do not look down on one of these little ones. For I tell you that their angels in heaven always see the face of my Father in heaven.^[a]

 12"What do you think? If a man owns a hundred sheep, and one of them wanders away, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the hills and go to look for the one that wandered off? 13And if he finds it, I tell you the truth, he is happier about that one sheep than about the ninety-nine that did not wander off. 14In the same way your Father in heaven is not willing that any of these little ones should be lost.

A Brother Who Sins Against You

 15"If your brother sins against you,^[b] go and show him his fault, just between the two of you. If he listens to you, you have won your brother over. 16But if he will not listen, take one or two others along, so that 'every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.'^[c] 17If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, treat him as you would a pagan or a tax collector.

 18"I tell you the truth, whatever you bind on earth will be^[d]bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be^[e] loosed in heaven.

 19"Again, I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything you ask for, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven. 20For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them."

The Parable of the Unmerciful Servant

 21Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, "Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to seven times?"

 22Jesus answered, "I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.^[f]

 23"Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. 24As he began the settlement, a man who owed him ten thousand talents^[g] was brought to him. 25Since he was not able to pay, the master ordered that he and his wife and his children and all that he had be sold to repay the debt.

 26"The servant fell on his knees before him. 'Be patient with me,' he begged, 'and I will pay back everything.' 27The servant's master took pity on him, canceled the debt and let him go.

 28"But when that servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii.^[h] He grabbed him and began to choke him. 'Pay back what you owe me!' he demanded.

 29"His fellow servant fell to his knees and begged him, 'Be patient with me, and I will pay you back.'

 30"But he refused. Instead, he went off and had the man thrown into prison until he could pay the debt. 31When the other servants saw what had happened, they were greatly distressed and went and told their master everything that had happened.

 32"Then the master called the servant in. 'You wicked servant,' he said, 'I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to. 33Shouldn't you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?' 34In anger his master turned him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed.

 35"This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother from your heart."

A Five-Day Spiritual Workout: Day 5

A Five-Day Spiritual Workout: Day 4
Giving compliments can be uplifting-to you!
By Dr. Bernie S. Siegel

Today's exercise will help you extend your loving spirit to others.

Day 4: Say Something Nice

If you want to lift people off the ground - compliment them. Compliments are the helium that fills everyone's balloon; they elevate the person receiving them so he or she can fly over life's troubles and land safely on the other side, to be received with open arms. When you motivate others with words of kindness, you will receive a surge of creative energy, too. I am not talking about giving false compliments to make someone feel better; I am talking about giving people the encouragement to face a challenge rather than submit to their fears. If someone you love is singing or performing in any way, your kind words can inspire the person to share his or her talents with the world. Sometimes it is the small things in life that truly help us to feel empowered. For this exercise, dedicate at least one week to giving out three genuine compliments a day, and watch how this changes the level of enthusiasm you feel toward yourself and others.

I carry pins with me that say "You Make a Difference" and give them to people I see acting in a way that is life-enhancing. Recently at the grocery store, I gave an employee a card I received as a valued customer. The card said she was special, and her smile rewarded me.

Also, remember to say thank you when compliments are sent your way. When we circulate our thanks and our compliments, the world becomes a better place.

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