Take 5 - A Moment of Reflection II

[Dailybread]

Re: Take 5 - A Moment of Reflection II

Originally posted by CEW:
[qb] If it’s hurtful and untrue, don’t say it.
If it’s helpful and untrue, don’t say it.
It it’s hurtful and true, don’t say it.
If it’s helpful and true, find the right time.

--- Author Unknown [/qb]

WOW!

[Diplomat]

Re: Take 5 - A Moment of Reflection II

"I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me." (Philippians 4:13)

The road to success is not straight.
There is a curve called Failure
A loop called confusion,
Speed bumps called Friends,
Red lights called Enemies,
Caution lights called Family.
You will have flats called Jobs.
But, if you have a spare called
Determination, an engine
called Perseverance,
Insurance called Faith,
A driver called Jesus, you will
make it to a place called Success.

[Guest]

Re: Take 5 - A Moment of Reflection II

Fruit of the Spirit - The Nine Biblical Attributes

The fruit of the Spirit is a physical manifestation of a Christian's transformed life. In order to mature as believers, we should study and understand the attributes of the ninefold fruit:

Love - "And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him" (1 John 4:16). Through Jesus Christ, our greatest goal is to do all things in love. "Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails" (1 Corinthians 13:4-8).

Joy - "The joy of the Lord is your strength" (Nehemiah 8:10). "Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God" (Hebrews 12:2).

Peace - "Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ" (Romans 5:1). "May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit" (Romans 15:13).

Longsuffering (patience) -- We are "strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power, unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness" (Colossians 1:11). "With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love" (Ephesians 4:2).

Gentleness (kindness) -- We should live "in purity, understanding, patience and kindness; in the Holy Spirit and in sincere love; in truthful speech and in the power of God; with weapons of righteousness in the right hand and in the left" (2 Corinthians 6:6-7).

Goodness - "Wherefore also we pray always for you, that our God would count you worthy of this calling, and fulfill all the good pleasure of his goodness, and the work of faith with power" (1 Thessalonians 1:11). "For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth"
(Ephesians 5:9).

Faith (faithfulness) - "O Lord, thou art my God; I will exalt thee, I will praise thy name; for thou hast done wonderful things; thy counsels of old are faithfulness and truth" (Isaiah 25:1). "I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith" (Ephesians 3:16-17).

Meekness - "Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted" (Galatians 6:1). "With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love" (Ephesians 4:2).

Temperance (self-control) - "But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love" (2 Peter 1:5-7).

[Guest]

Re: Take 5 - A Moment of Reflection II

COMING BACK AFTER DEFEAT

Even saints have their low times! A great Scottish pastor, Peter Marshall, once said, "There are times when my prayers never go above the top of my head."
There are seasons of the soul, you know.
There is the wintertime when all the trees appear to be dead. I remember one winter when my father cut down a dead tree only to see new sprouts grow from the stump in the springtime. "Never cut a tree down in the winter," he said to me. Then he added, "I shouldn’t have cut it down. It had more life in it than I thought."
The principle?
Never make an irreversible negative decision in the dark time. Never set your goals when your are at a low ebb. Believe that the springtime will come.
This depressing season will pass.
Positive new feelings will return to you.
You will come back again.
Yes, your faith will pluck you from the ashes, and you will be resurrected once more. Youthful enthusiasm will return.
Burned out?
Then refuel.
Take a break.
Seek a retreat.
Find renewal and replenishment - you can go on again!
Never make a move from weakness. Always move from strength. And the spring will turn to summer and the summer to harvest time! You will reap successfully simply because you didn’t give up!

Author - Dr. Schuller

[Vonnie]

Re: Take 5 - A Moment of Reflection II

Heart Gifts

It's not the things that can be bought that are life's richest treasure.

It's just the little "heart gifts" that money cannot measure.

A cheerful smile, a friendly word, a sympathetic nod; are priceless little treasures from the storehouse of our God.

They are the things that can't be brought with silver or with gold.

For thoughtfulness and kindness and love are never sold. They are the priceless things in life for which no none can pay.

An the giver finds rich recompense in giving them away.

[Vonnie]

Re: Take 5 - A Moment of Reflection II

God Sends Us Hope for Tomorrow

On the wings of death and sorrow
God sends us hope for tomorrow
And in His mercy and His grace,
He gives us strength to bravely face,
The Lonely days that stretch ahead
And know our loved one is not dead,
But only sleeping and out of sight
In that land where there is no night.

HSR

[Dailybread]

Re: Take 5 - A Moment of Reflection II

Practise Random Act's Of Kindness & Senseless Acts' Of Beauty.
Happy moments, praise God.
Difficult moments, seek God.
Quiet moments, worship God.
Painful moments, trust God.
Every moment, thank God.
Have you ever been just sitting there and all of a sudden you feel like
doing something nice for someone you care for... THAT'S GOD...
He talks to you through the Holy Spirit.
Have you ever been down and out and nobody seems to be around for you
to
talk to... THAT'S GOD...
He wants you to talk to Him.
Have you ever been thinking about somebody that you haven't seen in a
long
time and then next thing you know you see them or receive a phone call
from
them... THAT'S GOD... there is no such thing as "coincidence."
Have you ever received something wonderful that you didn't even ask
for,
like money in the mail, a debt that had mysteriously been cleared, or a
coupon to a department store where you had just seen something you
wanted,
but couldn't afford...
THAT'S GOD... He knows the desires of your heart...
Have you ever been in a situation and you had no clue how it is going to get better, but now you look back on it... THAT'S GOD...

He passes us through tribulation to see a brighter day...
In all that we do, we should totally give HIM thanks and our
blessings will continue to multiply.


Author Unknown

[churchgirl]

Re: Take 5 - A Moment of Reflection II

Heavenly Father, Help us remember that the jerk who cut us off in traffic last night is a single mother who worked nine hours that day and is rushing home to cook dinner, help with homework, do the laundry and spend a few precious moments with her children.

Help us to remember that the pierced, tattooed, disinterested young man who can't make change correctly is a worried 19-year-old college student, balancing his apprehension over final exams with his fear of not getting his student loans for next semester.

Remind us, Lord, that the scary looking bum, begging for money in the same spot every day (who really ought to get a job!) is a slave to addictions that we can only imagine in our worst nightmares.

Help us to remember that the old couple walking annoyingly slow through the store aisles and blocking our shopping progress are savoring this
moment, knowing that, based on the biopsy report she got back lastweek, this will be the last year that they go shopping together.

Heavenly Father, remind us each day that, of all
the gifts you give us, the greatest gift is love. It is not enough to share that love with those we hold dear. Open our hearts not to just those who are close to us, but to all humanity. Let us be slow to judge and quick to forgive, show patience, empathy and love. Amen!!

-author unknown-

[Diplomat]

Re: Take 5 - A Moment of Reflection II

The Will of God

The will of God will never take you,
Where the grace of God cannot keep you,
Where the arms of God cannot support you,
Where the riches of God cannot supply your needs,
Where the power of God cannot endow you.

The will of God will never take you,
Where the Spirit of God cannot work through you,
Where the wisdom of God cannot teach you,
Where the army of God cannot protect you,
Where the hands of God cannot mold you.

The will of God will never take you,
Where the love of God cannot enfold you,
Where the mercies of God cannot sustain you,
Where the peace of God cannot calm your fears,
Where the authority of God cannot overrule for you.

The will of God will never take you,
Where the comfort of God cannot dry your tears,
Where the Word of God cannot feed you,
Where the miracles of God cannot be done for you,
Where the omnipresence of God cannot find you.

--- Anon.

[Guest]

Re: Take 5 - A Moment of Reflection II

The paradox of our time in history is that we have taller buildings but shorter tempers, wider freeways, but narrower viewpoints. We spend more, but have less, we buy more, but enjoy less. We have bigger houses and smaller families, more conveniences, but less time. We have more degrees but less sense, more knowledge, but less judgment, more experts, yet more problems, more medicine, but less wellness.
We drink too much, smoke too much, spend too
recklessly, laugh too little, drive too fast, get too angry, stay up too late, get up too tired, read too little, watch TV too much, and pray too seldom. We have multiplied our possessions, but reduced our values. We
talk too much, love too seldom, and hate too often.
We've learned how to make a living, but not a life.
We've added years to life not life to years. We've been all the way to the moon and back, but have trouble crossing the street to meet a new neighbor. We conquered outer space but not inner space. We've done larger things, but not better things. We've cleaned up the air, but polluted the soul.
We've conquered the atom, but not our prejudice. We write more, but learn less. We plan more, but
accomplish less. We've learned to rush, but not to wait. We build more computers to hold more
information, to produce more copies than ever, but we communicate less and less.
These are the times of fast foods and slow digestion, big men and small character, steep profits and shallow relationships. These are the days of two incomes but more divorce, fancier houses, but broken homes. These
are days of quick trips, disposable diapers, throwaway morality, one night stands, overweight bodies, and pills that do everything from cheer, to quiet, to kill. It is a time when there is much in the showroom window and nothing in the stockroom.
Remember to hold hands and cherish. Give time to love, give time to speak, and give time to share the precious thoughts in your mind.

Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take,
but by the moments that take our breath away. [img]/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

[DC]

Re: Take 5 - A Moment of Reflection II

**The task ahead of you is never as great as the power behind you.**

Is there anything too hard for the Lord?

[Vonnie]

Re: Take 5 - A Moment of Reflection II

He Cares

What more can we ask of the Savior than to know we are never alone. That his mercy and love are unfailing and He makes all our problems His own.

HSR

[churchgirl]

Re: Take 5 - A Moment of Reflection II

WHERE GOD WANTS ME

One day I happened to call a man on business whom I didn't know, have not nor will probably ever talk to again. But this day, he felt like talking.

He was head of security at a company that had invited the remaining members of a company who had been decimated by the attack on the Twin Towers to share their office space.

With his voice full of awe, he told me stories of why these people were alive and their counterparts were dead. All the stories were just little things.

You might know about the head of the company who got in late that day because his son started kindergarten. Another fellow was alive because it was his turn to bring donuts. There were other stories that I hope and pray will someday be gathered and put in a book.

The one that struck me was the man who put on a new pair of shoes that morning. He took the various means to get to work, but before he got there, he developed a blister on his foot. He stopped at a drugstore to buy a Band-Aid. That is why he is alive.

Now when I am stuck in traffic, miss an elevator, turn back to answer a ringing telephone ... all the little things that annoy me ... I think to myself, this is exactly where God wants me to be at this very moment. May God continue to bless you with all those annoying little things.

-author unknown-

[churchgirl]

Re: Take 5 - A Moment of Reflection II

Duplicate

[Diplomat]

Re: Take 5 - A Moment of Reflection II

We have actually convinced ourselves that slogans will save us. Shoot up if you must, but use a clean needle. Enjoy sex whenever and with whomever you wish, but wear a condom. NO! The answer is NO. Not because it isn't cool or smart or because you might end up in jail or dying in an AIDS ward, but NO BECAUSE IT'S WRONG, because we have spent 5,000 years as a race of rational human beings, trying to drag ourselves out of the primeval slime by searching for truth and moral absolutes. In its purest form, truth is not a polite tap on the shoulder. It is a howling reproach. What Moses brought down from Mount Sinai were not the Ten Suggestions.

ABC Nightline Moderator, Ted Koppel, at Duke University, giving the 1987 commencement address

The overwhelming majority of Americans say they believe there is no absolute truth. But as Koppel strongly asserts, there is absolute truth. Again, back to our basic examples: seven plus seven is 14; women, not men, give birth to newborn babies; and the sun rises in the east and sets in the west. These things have always been true and always will be true, whether we think they are true or not. For someone to not believe in absolute truth is to live in the reality of one's own making. This is insanity.

--- Tim Finley, Good News For The Religiously Tired