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The Old Paths
I wish the old paths were before us instead of behind us.
THE OLD PATHS
I liked the old paths, when
Moms were at home.
Dads were at work.
Brothers went into the army.
And sisters got married BEFORE having children!
Crime did not pay;
Hard work did;
And people knew the difference.
Moms could cook;
Dads would work;
Children would behave.
Husbands were loving;
Wives were supportive;
And children were polite.
Women wore the jewelry;
And Men wore the pants.
Women looked like ladies;
Men looked like gentlemen;
And children looked decent.
People loved the truth,
And hated a lie;
They came to church to get IN,
Not to get OUT!
Hymns sounded Godly;
Sermons sounded helpful;
Rejoicing sounded normal;
And crying sounded sincere.
Cursing was wicked;
Drugs were for illness;
And divorce was unthinkable.
The flag was honored;
America was beautiful;
And God was welcome!
We read the Bible in public;
Prayed in school;
And preached from house to house
To be called an American was worth dying for; To be called a Christian
was worth living for; To be called a traitor was a shame!
Preachers preached because they had a message; And Christians rejoiced
because they had the VICTORY!
Preachers preached from the Bible;
Singers sang from the heart;
And sinners turned to the Lord to be SAVED!
A new birth meant a new life;
Salvation meant a changed life;
Following Christ led to eternal life.
Being a preacher meant you proclaimed the word of God; Being an officer
meant you would serve the Lord; Being a Christian meant you would live
for Jesus; And being a sinner meant someone was praying for you!
Laws were based on the Bible;
Homes read the Bible;
And churches taught the Bible.
God was worshiped;
Christ was exalted;
And the Holy Spirit was respected..
Church was where you found Christians
On the Lord's day, rather than in the garden, On the creek bank, on the
golf course, Or at work.
Sunday was the day to worship the Lord. You could not find a store open
anywhere to purchase anything, because Sunday was a day of rest.
I still like the old paths the best!
'The Old Paths' was written by a retired minister who lives In Tennessee.
Sometimes we just need to be reminded!
A well-known speaker started off his seminar by: holding up a $20.00
bill. In the room of 200, he asked, 'Who would like this $20 bill?'
Hands started going up.
He said, 'I am going to give this $20 to one of you but first, let me do
this. He proceeded to crumple up the $20 dollar bill. He then asked,
'Who still wants it?'
Still the hands were up in the air.
Well, he replied, 'What if I do this?' And he dropped it on the ground
and started to grind it into the floor with his shoe. He picked it up,
now crumpled and dirty. 'Now, who still wants it?'
Still the hands went into the air.
My friends, we have all learned a very valuable lesson. No matter what I
did to the ........twenty dollar bill you still wanted iit because it
did not decrease in value. It was .........still worth $20. Many times
in our lives, we are dropped, crumpled, and ground into the dirt
........by the decisions we make and the circumstances that come our
way. We feel as though we are worthless. But no matter what has happened
or what will happen, you will never lose your value. Dirty or clean,
crumpled or finely creased, you are still priceless to those who LOVE
you.
The worth of our lives comes not in what we do or who we know, but by
WHO WE ARE and WHOSE WE ARE. You are special Don't EVER forget it.'
The Way With Gossip
"I hear you made a million dollars in oil in Texas," said one man to
another. Replied the second, "Well, that report is substantially
correct, except it wasn't in Texas, it was Oklahoma; and its wasn't in
oil, it was gas; and it wasn't me, it was my brother-in-law; and it
wasn't a million, it was a hundred thousand; and he didn't make it, he
lost it." While we might chuckle at the above story, it well illustrates
the uncontrollable nature of gossip. Once a story has been launched,
like a ship without a rudder upon the merciless sea, it is tossed to and
fro by the wild imaginations of men who would twist, change, or out
right lie about what they have heard. Common sense tells us to be
careful in communication. Facts are often ignored by those who would
seek to impress others with either good news, or bad. We are admonished
by God's word to "lie not one to another," and to always let our speech
be seasoned with salt. Gossip is unhealthy communication. Before passing
along any information let us ask, (1) Is it true? (2) Is it beneficial
to my hearer? and (3) Is it really all that important that I tell this
to others? And keep in mind that our Lord told us, "Take heed what ye
hear: with what measure ye mete it shall be measured unto you; and more
shall be given unto you" (Mark 4:24).
One thing for sure. You can not go wrong
spreading the story, "God loves you and sent the Lord Jesus to
suffer and die for your sins, paid your debt in full, rose again and was
seen by hundreds." It would change the world for good for your kids,
your friends and yourself. Let's do it shall we?
The Brick
A young and successful executive was traveling down a neighborhood
street, going a bit too fast in his new Jaguar. He was watching for kids
darting out from between parked cars and slowed down when he thought he
saw something. As his car passed, no children appeared . Instead, a
brick smashed into the Jag's side door! He slammed on the brakes and
backed the Jag back to the spot where the brick had been thrown. The
angry driver then jumped out of the car, grabbed the nearest kid and
pushed him up against a parked car shouting, 'What was that all about
and who are you? Just what the heck are you doing? That's a new car and
that brick you threw is going to cost a lot of money. Why did you do
it?' The young boy was apologetic. 'Please, mister...please, I'm sorry
but I didn't know what else to do,' He pleaded. 'I threw the brick
because no one else would stop...' With tears dripping down his face and
off his chin, the youth pointed to a spot just around a parked car.
'It's my brother, 'he said. 'He rolled off the curb and fell out of his
wheelchair and I can't lift him up.'
Now sobbing, the boy asked the stunned executive, 'Would you please help
me get him back into his wheelchair? He's hurt and he's too heavy for
me.'
Moved beyond words, the driver tried to swallow the rapidly swelling
lump in his throat. He hurriedly lifted the handicapped boy back into
the wheelchair, then took out a linen handkerchief and dabbed at the
fresh scrapes and cuts. A quick look told him everything was going to be
okay. 'Thank you and may God bless you,' the grateful child told the
stranger. Too shook up for words, the man simply watched the boy push
his wheelchair-bound brother down the sidewalk toward their home.
It was a long, slow walk back to the Jaguar. The damage was very
noticeable, but the driver never bothered to repair the dented side
door. He kept the dent there to remind him of this message: 'Don't go
through life so fast that someone has to throw a brick at you to get
your attention!' God whispers in our souls and speaks to our hearts.
Sometimes when we don't have time to listen, He has to throw a brick at
us. It's our choice to listen or not.
We All Need a
'Trouble Tree'
I hired a plumber to help me restore an old farmhouse, and after he
had just finished a rough first day on the job: a flat tire makes him
lose an hour of work, his electric drill quit and his ancient one ton
truck refused to start.
While I drove him home, he sat in stony silence. On arriving, he invited
me in to meet his family. As we walked toward the front door, he paused
briefly at a small tree, touching the tips of the branches with both
hands.
When opening the door he underwent an amazing transformation.. His face
was wreathed in smiles and he hugged his two small children and gave his
wife a kiss.
Afterward he walked me to the car. We passed the tree and my curiosity
got the better of me. I asked him about what I had seen him do earlier.
'Oh, that's my trouble tree,' he replied 'I know I can't help having
troubles on the job, but one thing's for sure, those troubles don't
belong in the house with my wife and the children.. So I just hang them
up on the tree every night when I come home and ask God to take care of
them. Then in the morning I pick them up again.' 'Funny thing is,' he
smiled,' when I come out in the morning to pick 'em up, there aren't
nearly as many as I remember hanging up the night before.'
Refining Like Silver
Malachi 3:3 says: "He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver."
This verse puzzled some women in a Bible study and they wondered what
this statement meant about the character and nature of God.
One of the women offered to find out the process of refining silver and
get back to the group at the next Bible Study.
That week, the woman called a silversmith and made an appointment to
watch him at work. She didn't mention anything about the reason for her
interest beyond her curiosity about the process of refining silver.
As she watched the silversmith, he held a piece of silver over the fire
and let it heat up. He explained that in refining silver, one needed to
hold the silver in the middle of the fire where the flames were hottest
as to burn away all the impurities.
The woman thought about God holding us in such a hot spot then she
thought again about the verse that says: "He sits as a refiner and
purifier of silver."
She asked the silversmith if it was true that he had to sit there in
front of the fire the whole time the silver was being refined. The man
answered that yes, he not only had to sit there holding the silver, but
he had to keep his eyes on the silver the entire time it was in the
fire.
If the silver was left a moment too long in the flames, it would be
destroyed.
The woman was silent for a moment. Then she asked the silversmith, "How
do you know when the silver is fully refined?" He smiled at her and
answered, "Oh, that's easy -- when I see my image in it."
If today you are feeling the heat of the fire, remember that God has His
eye on you and will keep watching you until He sees His image in you.
Right now, this very moment, someone needs to know that God is watching
over them. And, whatever they're going through, they'll be a better
person in the end.
What Is Left Behind?
Are you aware that if we die tomorrow, the company that we are
working for could easily replace us in a matter of days. But the family
we left behind will feel the loss for the rest of their lives. Come to
think of it, we pour ourselves more into work than into our own family,
an unwise investment indeed, don't you think? What is behind the story?
Do you know what the word FAMILY means?
Father
And
Mother
I
Love
You
Do something for your family every day: Say, "I love you."
Do something to your family every day: Give each one a big hug.
Do something with your family every day: Pray and play.
Do something in your family every day: have fun together.
How to give more than 100% for the Lord
If:
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
Is represented as:
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26.
So:
H-A-R-D-W-O-R- K
8+1+18+4+23+15+18+11 = 98%
And:
K-N-O-W-L-E-D-G-E
11+14+15+23+12+5+4+7+5 = 96%
But:
A-T-T-I-T-U-D-E
1+20+20+9+20+21+4+5 = 100%
THEN, look how far the love of God will take you...
L-O-V-E-O-F-G-O-D
12+15+22+5+15+6+7+15+4 = 101%
Therefore, one can conclude with mathematical certainty that: While Hard
Work and Knowledge will get you close, and Attitude will get you there,
it's the Love of God that will put you over
the top! Have a nice day and God bless!
The
Farmer's Donkey
One day a farmer's donkey fell down into a well. The
animal cried piteously for hours as the farmer tried to figure out what
to do. Finally he decided the animal was old and the well needed to be
covered up anyway, it just wasn't worth it to retrieve the donkey. He
invited all his neighbors to come over and help him. They all grabbed a
shovel and began to shovel dirt into the well.
At first, the donkey realized what was happening and cried horribly.
Then, to everyone's amazement, he quieted
down. A few shovel loads later, the farmer finally looked down the well
and was astonished at what he saw. With every shovel of dirt that hit
his back, the donkey was doing something amazing. He would shake it off
and take a step up. ! As the farmer's neighbors continued to shovel dirt
on top of the animal, he would shake it off and take a step up. Pretty
soon, everyone was amazed as the donkey stepped up over the edge of the
well and trotted off!
Life is going to shovel dirt on you, all kinds of dirt. The trick to
getting out of the well is to shake it off and take a step up. Each of
our troubles is a stepping stone. We can get out of the deepest wells
just by not stopping, never giving up! Shake it off and take a step up!
Remember these five simple rules of happiness: 1. Free your heart from
hatred. 2. Free your mind from worries. 3. Live simply. 4. Give more. 5.
Expect less.
Who Makes a
Difference in Your Life?
The following is the philosophy of Charles Schultz, the creator of
the 'Peanuts' comic strip. You don't have to actually answer the
questions. Just read the e-mail straight through, and you'll get the
point.
1. Name the five wealthiest people in the world.
2. Name the last five Heisman trophy winners.
3. Name the last five winners of the Miss America Contest.
4. Name ten people who have won the Nobel or Pulitzer Prize.
5. Name the last half dozen Academy Award winners for best actor and
actress.
6. Name the last decade's worth of World Series winners.
How did you do?
The point is, none of us remember the headliners of yesterday. They are
not second-rate achievers. They are the best in their fields. But the
applause dies. Awards tarnish. Achievements are forgotten. Accolades and
certificates are buried with their owners.
Here's another quiz. See how you do on this one:
1. List a few teachers who aided your journey through school.
2. Name three friends who have helped you through a difficult time.
3. Name five people who have taught you something worthwhile.
4. Think of a few people who have made you feel appreciated and special.
5. Think of five people you enjoy spending time with.
Easier?
The lesson: The people who make a difference in your life are NOT the
ones with the most credentials, the most money, or the most awards. They
are the ones who care.
Share this with those who have made a difference in your life.
I just did!
'Don't worry about the world coming to an end today.
It's already tomorrow in? Australia
Twinkies and Root Beer
A little boy wanted to meet God. He knew it was a long trip to where
God lived, so he packed his suitcase with Twinkies and a six-pack of
Root Beer and he started his journey
When he had gone about three blocks, he met an elderly man. The man was
sitting in the park just feeding some pigeons.
The boy sat down next to him and opened his suitcase. He was about to
take a drink from his root beer when he noticed that the man looked
hungry, so he offered him a Twinkie.
The man gratefully accepted it and smiled at boy. His smile was so
pleasant that the boy wanted to see it again, so he offered him a root
beer.
Again, the man smiled at him. The boy was delighted! They sat there all
afternoon eating and smiling, but they never said a word.
As it grew dark, the boy realized how tired he was and he got up to
leave, but before he had gone more than a few steps, he turned around,
ran back to the man, and gave him a hug. The man gave him his biggest
smile ever.
When the boy opened the door to his own house a short time later, his
mother was surprised by the look of joy on his face. She asked him,
"What did you do today that made you so happy?
"He replied, "I had lunch with God." But before his mother could
respond, he added, "You know what? God's got the most beautiful smile
I've ever seen!"
Meanwhile, the elderly man, also radiant with joy, returned to his home.
His son was stunned by the look of peace on his face and he asked," Dad,
what did you do today that made you so happy?"
He replied, "I ate Twinkies in the park with God." However, before his
son responded, he added, "You know, he's much
younger than I expected."
Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a
listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all
of which have the potential to turn a life around. People come into our
lives for a reason, a season, or a lifetime. Embrace all equally!
~author unknown~ |