Friday, July 30, 2004
jralphengland@yahoo.com
Thought for the day: “Good timber does not grow with ease; the stronger the wind, the stronger the trees.” Unknown
“The foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.” 1 Corinthians 1:25
This morning I read the first chapter of first Corinthians. My, how it spoke to me as if it was the first time I had ever come across the words. It’s like sitting down to a feast and in the first chapter are some really good appetizers. They prepare your taste buds for the rest of the meal. One of the first things that spoke to my heart was when Paul said that, “he was called to preach the gospel, not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of no effect” (vs 17).
Paul was writing to a group of people who possibly were educated in the Greek system of learning, which in that day was the tops in math, music, logic, philosophy, and architecture. When they heard of Jesus and the finished work of the Cross, I believe that they, as many today do, could not see the forest because of the trees. They looked beyond the Cross expecting some great and deep meaning. For me the Cross is simple, one word works for me, forgiveness. When I reached a point where I could not live with myself, the Cross was there to offer me a starting point and a new way of living and thinking. God did for me what I could not do for myself…………………….JRE
This week I came across this quote. Joni is a quadriplegic. Share this with me:
“When life is rosy, we may slide by with knowing about Jesus, with imitating him and quoting him and speaking of him. But only in suffering will we know Jesus.” JONI EARECKSON TADA
*************************
God is always ready to pour His blessings into our hearts in generous measure. But like the seed-sowing, the ground must be prepared before the seed is dropped in. It is our task to prepare the soil. It is God’s o drop the seed. This preparation of the soil means many days of right living, choosing the right and avoiding the wrong. As you go along, each day you are better prepared for God’s planting, until you reach the time of harvest. Then you share the harvest with god, the harvest of a useful and more abundant life.
HAZELDEN…………Twenty-Four Hours A day
************************
“As we realize our need to be forgiven, we tend to be more forgiving.” Narcotics Anonymous, basic text page 38
The forest and the trees
Thought for the day: “Good timber does not grow with ease; the stronger the wind, the stronger the trees.” Unknown
“The foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.” 1 Corinthians 1:25
This morning I read the first chapter of first Corinthians. My, how it spoke to me as if it was the first time I had ever come across the words. It’s like sitting down to a feast and in the first chapter are some really good appetizers. They prepare your taste buds for the rest of the meal. One of the first things that spoke to my heart was when Paul said that, “he was called to preach the gospel, not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of no effect” (vs 17).
Paul was writing to a group of people who possibly were educated in the Greek system of learning, which in that day was the tops in math, music, logic, philosophy, and architecture. When they heard of Jesus and the finished work of the Cross, I believe that they, as many today do, could not see the forest because of the trees. They looked beyond the Cross expecting some great and deep meaning. For me the Cross is simple, one word works for me, forgiveness. When I reached a point where I could not live with myself, the Cross was there to offer me a starting point and a new way of living and thinking. God did for me what I could not do for myself…………………….JRE
This week I came across this quote. Joni is a quadriplegic. Share this with me:
“When life is rosy, we may slide by with knowing about Jesus, with imitating him and quoting him and speaking of him. But only in suffering will we know Jesus.” JONI EARECKSON TADA
*************************
God is always ready to pour His blessings into our hearts in generous measure. But like the seed-sowing, the ground must be prepared before the seed is dropped in. It is our task to prepare the soil. It is God’s o drop the seed. This preparation of the soil means many days of right living, choosing the right and avoiding the wrong. As you go along, each day you are better prepared for God’s planting, until you reach the time of harvest. Then you share the harvest with god, the harvest of a useful and more abundant life.
HAZELDEN…………Twenty-Four Hours A day
************************
“As we realize our need to be forgiven, we tend to be more forgiving.” Narcotics Anonymous, basic text page 38
Thursday, July 29, 2004
jralphengland@yahoo.com
Thought for the day: “You’ll never know that God is all you need until God is all you’ve got.” Rick Warren
“Let no debt remain outstanding except the continuing debt to love one another, for he who loves his fellow has fulfilled the law………..Love does no harm to its neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.”
Romans 13 chapter, verses 8 and 10
When I look at this Scripture I think to myself, in street language, “Love will keep you out of jail.” Paul wrote this to the church at Rome, he actually was referring to the many laws, that Moses gave the Israelites. Today many of these same laws have been incorporated into our civil and criminal laws that we have today. How many people sit in prison today because they acted when they should have maybe had a little more compassion, understanding, and simple loving kindness for their neighbors? I am not proud of my arrest record, and today at fifty-eight years of age it still follows me around like a new puppy dog. If I could go back and change my past, the only thing that would work, would be to apply love in the place of self-centered desires. This would have kept me out of jail every time. Not just a few times but every time. If I would have had love for my neighbors that drive, I would have not drank and drove. If I would have had love for my neighbors that lived around me, I would of not blown up at the smallest disagreement and stirred it up. Love is an action that requires right thinking and a heart that is open to the situations and feelings of your neighbors. Love would have kept me out of jail! I can’t go back and change what I’ve done, all I can do is share my experience, strength and hope with my neighbors. My strength comes from being forgiven by a loving God. My hope is in knowing that today, love works better than any law. Thanks for letting me share again, this is sure speaking to me as I go out to be with my neighbors and to be neighborly. God is doing for me what I could not do for myself……………….JRE
Who are our neighbors? The way look at it, it is anyone who is standing next to you, down the street, in the same town, county, state, nation, continent, or planet. We all share this existence at this time……….JRE
*************************
GOD’S WAY IS RIGHT
“Trust in the LORD forever, for in GOD the LORD, we have an everlasting Rock.” ISAIAH 26:4
God’s way is always right. It doesn’t always make sense, in fact….it is often mysterious. It can seldom be explained. It isn’t always pleasurable and fun. But I have lived long enough to realize that His way is always right……
I believe that not until we embrace God’s sovereignty will we have the ability to reason our way through life. Until then we will be too important in the plan. Man’s opinion will be too significant to us. And we will churn and wrestle and struggle our way through this Christian life, trying too hard to please people rather than living it relieved and relaxed in His plan.
CHARLES SWINDOLL………The Mystery of God’s Will
*************************
“It is not where we were that counts, but where we are going.” Narcotics Anonymous, basic text page 22
Love will keep you out of jail
Thought for the day: “You’ll never know that God is all you need until God is all you’ve got.” Rick Warren
“Let no debt remain outstanding except the continuing debt to love one another, for he who loves his fellow has fulfilled the law………..Love does no harm to its neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.”
Romans 13 chapter, verses 8 and 10
When I look at this Scripture I think to myself, in street language, “Love will keep you out of jail.” Paul wrote this to the church at Rome, he actually was referring to the many laws, that Moses gave the Israelites. Today many of these same laws have been incorporated into our civil and criminal laws that we have today. How many people sit in prison today because they acted when they should have maybe had a little more compassion, understanding, and simple loving kindness for their neighbors? I am not proud of my arrest record, and today at fifty-eight years of age it still follows me around like a new puppy dog. If I could go back and change my past, the only thing that would work, would be to apply love in the place of self-centered desires. This would have kept me out of jail every time. Not just a few times but every time. If I would have had love for my neighbors that drive, I would have not drank and drove. If I would have had love for my neighbors that lived around me, I would of not blown up at the smallest disagreement and stirred it up. Love is an action that requires right thinking and a heart that is open to the situations and feelings of your neighbors. Love would have kept me out of jail! I can’t go back and change what I’ve done, all I can do is share my experience, strength and hope with my neighbors. My strength comes from being forgiven by a loving God. My hope is in knowing that today, love works better than any law. Thanks for letting me share again, this is sure speaking to me as I go out to be with my neighbors and to be neighborly. God is doing for me what I could not do for myself……………….JRE
Who are our neighbors? The way look at it, it is anyone who is standing next to you, down the street, in the same town, county, state, nation, continent, or planet. We all share this existence at this time……….JRE
*************************
GOD’S WAY IS RIGHT
“Trust in the LORD forever, for in GOD the LORD, we have an everlasting Rock.” ISAIAH 26:4
God’s way is always right. It doesn’t always make sense, in fact….it is often mysterious. It can seldom be explained. It isn’t always pleasurable and fun. But I have lived long enough to realize that His way is always right……
I believe that not until we embrace God’s sovereignty will we have the ability to reason our way through life. Until then we will be too important in the plan. Man’s opinion will be too significant to us. And we will churn and wrestle and struggle our way through this Christian life, trying too hard to please people rather than living it relieved and relaxed in His plan.
CHARLES SWINDOLL………The Mystery of God’s Will
*************************
“It is not where we were that counts, but where we are going.” Narcotics Anonymous, basic text page 22
Wednesday, July 28, 2004
jralphengland@yahoo.com
Thought for the day: “Our hearts often know quickly what our minds find out eventually.” Anonymous
“For He will deliver the needy when he cries, the poor also, and him who has no helper. He will spare the poor and the needy, and will save the souls of the needy.”
Psalm 72:12-13 NKJV a Psalm of Solomon
Sitting around the tables of AA and NA, I hear many time of a common prayer that many of us have prayed. Three simple words, “God help me!” Never have I heard someone say that they prayed this prayer and nothing happened. Why is it that at times, the simple things in life work the best? I reached a point in my drug and alcohol use where everything stopped working, I couldn’t get any higher no matter how much I used, and I couldn’t stop. My life was miserable. I didn’t want to die physically, and I knew that spiritually I was already dead, or so I thought. I remember it was around the first week in September of 1998, when I realized I couldn’t make it anymore the way I was living. I was all alone, and needed help. I probably said this simple prayer, if not with words, I know I said it in my spirit. Within days I was in a treatment program and hope was growing. I started living one day at a time, and kept in the foremost of my mind, “just don’t take that first drink or drug.” Days have added up to weeks and weeks to months and months to years. Today I am able to look back and see that it all stared with a simple spiritual plea for help. What an awesome God who looked beyond my puke and saw something worth saving. I am grateful. God still does for me what I could not do for myself……………………………JRE
********************
STEP ONE: We admitted we were powerless over our addictions and our lives had become unmanageable.
Pretending or assuming that we are strong and able and in control prevents our taking the first step toward physical, emotional, and spiritual healing. Wise King Solomon wrote that God was ready to save any one who would humble themselves to cry out to Him for help.
Deliverance will come only for those who acknowledge their lives are unmanageable. As long as we are too proud to admit our failures and powerlessness, we will not begin to see God work in our lives.
Even when we begin to acknowledge the unmanageability of our condition, we may find ourselves looking to friends and relatives to rescue us. It is only as we come o grips with the fact that God alone is our ultimate source of healing that we are ready for true liberation.
NELSON SERENITY BIBLE page 439
********************
Thanks for letting me share today. I have learned from experience that I must remind myself daily that I am powerless over my addictions, and that with God in my life I can overcome any problem. “Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit, says the LORD of hosts.” Zech. 4:6
Not by might nor by power
Thought for the day: “Our hearts often know quickly what our minds find out eventually.” Anonymous
“For He will deliver the needy when he cries, the poor also, and him who has no helper. He will spare the poor and the needy, and will save the souls of the needy.”
Psalm 72:12-13 NKJV a Psalm of Solomon
Sitting around the tables of AA and NA, I hear many time of a common prayer that many of us have prayed. Three simple words, “God help me!” Never have I heard someone say that they prayed this prayer and nothing happened. Why is it that at times, the simple things in life work the best? I reached a point in my drug and alcohol use where everything stopped working, I couldn’t get any higher no matter how much I used, and I couldn’t stop. My life was miserable. I didn’t want to die physically, and I knew that spiritually I was already dead, or so I thought. I remember it was around the first week in September of 1998, when I realized I couldn’t make it anymore the way I was living. I was all alone, and needed help. I probably said this simple prayer, if not with words, I know I said it in my spirit. Within days I was in a treatment program and hope was growing. I started living one day at a time, and kept in the foremost of my mind, “just don’t take that first drink or drug.” Days have added up to weeks and weeks to months and months to years. Today I am able to look back and see that it all stared with a simple spiritual plea for help. What an awesome God who looked beyond my puke and saw something worth saving. I am grateful. God still does for me what I could not do for myself……………………………JRE
********************
STEP ONE: We admitted we were powerless over our addictions and our lives had become unmanageable.
Pretending or assuming that we are strong and able and in control prevents our taking the first step toward physical, emotional, and spiritual healing. Wise King Solomon wrote that God was ready to save any one who would humble themselves to cry out to Him for help.
Deliverance will come only for those who acknowledge their lives are unmanageable. As long as we are too proud to admit our failures and powerlessness, we will not begin to see God work in our lives.
Even when we begin to acknowledge the unmanageability of our condition, we may find ourselves looking to friends and relatives to rescue us. It is only as we come o grips with the fact that God alone is our ultimate source of healing that we are ready for true liberation.
NELSON SERENITY BIBLE page 439
********************
Thanks for letting me share today. I have learned from experience that I must remind myself daily that I am powerless over my addictions, and that with God in my life I can overcome any problem. “Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit, says the LORD of hosts.” Zech. 4:6
Tuesday, July 27, 2004
jralphengland@yahoo.com
Thought for the day: “You give but little when you give of your possessions. It is when you give of yourself that you truly give.” Kahlil Gibran
Hear my cry, O God; listen to my prayer.
From the ends of the earth I call to you, I call as my heart grows faint; lead me to the rock that is higher than I. For you have been my refuge, a strong tower against the foe.
I long to dwell in your tent forever and take refuge in the shelter of your wings.
Psalm 61:1-4 NIV
As I read the line “take refuge in the shelter of your wings,” I am reminded of a story that I heard Chuck Swindoll tell in one of his sermons. Share this with me. There was a brush fire and as the wind blew it, it covered much ground. It consumed certain areas of this one farm, and after they had put out the fire they went through seeing just what damage had occurred. As they walked along they saw this one clump of ashes, and somebody kicked it. When they did, out from under it scrambled a bunch of baby chicks. The clump of ashes turned out to be the charred remains of a mama hen. When trouble came, she summoned her brood of chicks to the shelter of her wings. She sacrificed all that they might live. I have raised chickens and there is no mother any more devoted to her offspring than a mama hen. They stay with the eggs in the nest tell they have all hatched. They find food and teach the young to eat. And they protect them with the shelter of their wings when any trouble comes near. When David wrote this Psalm I think he understood what it was like to be completely secure in the presence of a loving God. To know that as trouble passed by there was a great canopy of protection. I myself can gain strength and assurance in reading this Scripture. Alone I have no shelter. Today I give praise for the Word of God, and Scripture that I have read many times but still today speaks to me as if it is brand new. God does for me what I could not do for myself. Thanks for letting me share……………….JRE
********************
“If God is for us, who can be against us?” Romans 8:31
The chairman of the history department of one our great universities once stated his opinion to me, “We have become a nation of cowards.” I challenged his statement, but he argued that many people have become reluctant to follow a course if it isn’t popular. I had to admit he was right.
Even if deep inside we know it to be right, we draw back because we are afraid of the consequences. If the odds are in our favor, we will take a stand; but if there is any risk involved in standing up for what we know to be right, we will play it safe.
How different from the early Christians! From one end of the Roman Empire to the other they boldly proclaimed the Gospel in the face of hostility, persecution, scorn, and even death. The apostle Paul knew the key: “for God has not given us the spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind” (2 Tim. 1:7).
You may never face some of the dangers those early Christians did, but don’t take the road of cowardice; don’t give in to fear. Remember: “If God is for us, who can be against us?” (‘Rom. 831)
BILLY GRAHAM
********************
“The essence of all growth is a willingness to change for the better and then an unremitting willingness to shoulder whatever responsibility this entails.” BILL W. Grapevine, July 1965
The shelter of Your wings
Thought for the day: “You give but little when you give of your possessions. It is when you give of yourself that you truly give.” Kahlil Gibran
Hear my cry, O God; listen to my prayer.
From the ends of the earth I call to you, I call as my heart grows faint; lead me to the rock that is higher than I. For you have been my refuge, a strong tower against the foe.
I long to dwell in your tent forever and take refuge in the shelter of your wings.
Psalm 61:1-4 NIV
As I read the line “take refuge in the shelter of your wings,” I am reminded of a story that I heard Chuck Swindoll tell in one of his sermons. Share this with me. There was a brush fire and as the wind blew it, it covered much ground. It consumed certain areas of this one farm, and after they had put out the fire they went through seeing just what damage had occurred. As they walked along they saw this one clump of ashes, and somebody kicked it. When they did, out from under it scrambled a bunch of baby chicks. The clump of ashes turned out to be the charred remains of a mama hen. When trouble came, she summoned her brood of chicks to the shelter of her wings. She sacrificed all that they might live. I have raised chickens and there is no mother any more devoted to her offspring than a mama hen. They stay with the eggs in the nest tell they have all hatched. They find food and teach the young to eat. And they protect them with the shelter of their wings when any trouble comes near. When David wrote this Psalm I think he understood what it was like to be completely secure in the presence of a loving God. To know that as trouble passed by there was a great canopy of protection. I myself can gain strength and assurance in reading this Scripture. Alone I have no shelter. Today I give praise for the Word of God, and Scripture that I have read many times but still today speaks to me as if it is brand new. God does for me what I could not do for myself. Thanks for letting me share……………….JRE
********************
“If God is for us, who can be against us?” Romans 8:31
The chairman of the history department of one our great universities once stated his opinion to me, “We have become a nation of cowards.” I challenged his statement, but he argued that many people have become reluctant to follow a course if it isn’t popular. I had to admit he was right.
Even if deep inside we know it to be right, we draw back because we are afraid of the consequences. If the odds are in our favor, we will take a stand; but if there is any risk involved in standing up for what we know to be right, we will play it safe.
How different from the early Christians! From one end of the Roman Empire to the other they boldly proclaimed the Gospel in the face of hostility, persecution, scorn, and even death. The apostle Paul knew the key: “for God has not given us the spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind” (2 Tim. 1:7).
You may never face some of the dangers those early Christians did, but don’t take the road of cowardice; don’t give in to fear. Remember: “If God is for us, who can be against us?” (‘Rom. 831)
BILLY GRAHAM
********************
“The essence of all growth is a willingness to change for the better and then an unremitting willingness to shoulder whatever responsibility this entails.” BILL W. Grapevine, July 1965
Monday, July 26, 2004
jralphengland@yahoo.com
Thought for the day: “One’s own self is well hidden from one’s own self; of all mines of treasure, one’s own is the last to be dug up.” NIETZSCHE
“Do not be deceived: God can not be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from the nature will reap destruction. The one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.”
GALATIANS 6:7-9 NIV
Saturday I spent seven hours in a canoe, and floated the Northfork River. I was with a friend whose daughter was celebrating her sixteenth birthday. There were fourteen kids and four adults. We had a great time, what a great bunch of young people. There were many other groups of people floating the river as well. As we traveled down with the current, we would stop from time to time on the gravel bars, or near a large bluff, or at a spot where the swimming was good, and all would enjoy the water. All the essentials for having fun were there. We did not need to add anything to it to make it enjoyable and worthwhile. As we traveled the many miles down the river, I saw many people who had to have something to enhance their fun. Many were drinking and I saw some foolish behavior. Seven years ago when I last floated the Northfork, I was just like them. By the grace of God, this time the trip was enjoyable by itself. We laughed and cut up from the time we put in until the time we stepped out. Just good “clean” fun. For many years I thought the only way I could have any fun was through the use of alcohol and drugs. Surely the only way to really have fun was to use something. Today God has opened my eyes a little, and continues to open them each day as I try and walk with Him. The fun was always there, all I needed to do was rise above my self-centered outlook and give praise for all the wonderful things God has provided for us. The beauty of God’s creation cannot be improved on by looking at it through the bottom of a beer bottle, the smoke of a joint, or the sting of the needle.
For me, it's all about how I look at it. When I look at life with God in my heart, the two of us looking together, God points out many things that I normally miss. When I look at life from just myself, my vision is narrow and my sight is affected by how I feel about myself. Today I choose not to look out from my heart alone, God helps me see, and does for me what I can not do for myself…………………JRE
********************
“Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If any man hear my voice and open the door, I will come in to him and will remain with him and him with Me.” The knocking of God’s Spirit, asking to come into your life, is due to no merit of yours, through it is in response to the longing of your heart. Keep a listening ear, an ear bent to catch the sound of the gentle knocking at the door of your heart by the Spirit of God. Then open the door of your heart and let God’s Spirit come in.”
HAZELDEN……………Twenty-Four Hours A Day
********************
“All spiritual awakenings have some things in common. Common elements include an end to loneliness and a sense of direction in our lives.”
Narcotics Anonymous, basic text page 48
Just good "clean" fun
Thought for the day: “One’s own self is well hidden from one’s own self; of all mines of treasure, one’s own is the last to be dug up.” NIETZSCHE
“Do not be deceived: God can not be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from the nature will reap destruction. The one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.”
GALATIANS 6:7-9 NIV
Saturday I spent seven hours in a canoe, and floated the Northfork River. I was with a friend whose daughter was celebrating her sixteenth birthday. There were fourteen kids and four adults. We had a great time, what a great bunch of young people. There were many other groups of people floating the river as well. As we traveled down with the current, we would stop from time to time on the gravel bars, or near a large bluff, or at a spot where the swimming was good, and all would enjoy the water. All the essentials for having fun were there. We did not need to add anything to it to make it enjoyable and worthwhile. As we traveled the many miles down the river, I saw many people who had to have something to enhance their fun. Many were drinking and I saw some foolish behavior. Seven years ago when I last floated the Northfork, I was just like them. By the grace of God, this time the trip was enjoyable by itself. We laughed and cut up from the time we put in until the time we stepped out. Just good “clean” fun. For many years I thought the only way I could have any fun was through the use of alcohol and drugs. Surely the only way to really have fun was to use something. Today God has opened my eyes a little, and continues to open them each day as I try and walk with Him. The fun was always there, all I needed to do was rise above my self-centered outlook and give praise for all the wonderful things God has provided for us. The beauty of God’s creation cannot be improved on by looking at it through the bottom of a beer bottle, the smoke of a joint, or the sting of the needle.
For me, it's all about how I look at it. When I look at life with God in my heart, the two of us looking together, God points out many things that I normally miss. When I look at life from just myself, my vision is narrow and my sight is affected by how I feel about myself. Today I choose not to look out from my heart alone, God helps me see, and does for me what I can not do for myself…………………JRE
********************
“Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If any man hear my voice and open the door, I will come in to him and will remain with him and him with Me.” The knocking of God’s Spirit, asking to come into your life, is due to no merit of yours, through it is in response to the longing of your heart. Keep a listening ear, an ear bent to catch the sound of the gentle knocking at the door of your heart by the Spirit of God. Then open the door of your heart and let God’s Spirit come in.”
HAZELDEN……………Twenty-Four Hours A Day
********************
“All spiritual awakenings have some things in common. Common elements include an end to loneliness and a sense of direction in our lives.”
Narcotics Anonymous, basic text page 48
Friday, July 23, 2004
jralphengland@yahoo.com
Thought for the day: “Preach the gospel at all times, if necessary use words.”
St. Francis of Assisi
“What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him? Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to him, ‘Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed,’ but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.” JAMES 2:14-17 NIV
Something has been on my mind this morning, please share this with me: I first married at the age of thirty-nine. I married a woman who already had three children, one lived with his grandfather, another with his father, and one daughter was at home. Evelynn died of an overdose in 1995, one son committed suicide in 1991, and my step-daughter has been missing since 1995. I had no children of my own. This gives you some background on my married and family life. Actually this story starts in 1969, I came home from Vietnam the year before, went to Indiana State the fall of 1968 and the spring of 1969, and then moved back home to Kansas City in the winter of 1969. I met a beautiful young woman named Kathy, and we started living together in December of 1969. We lived together for nine months and I called the relationship off. She was six months pregnant. What a selfish act that was, I knew it was wrong, but I was thinking only of myself. My self-centered nature was manifesting itself. It later became the prime motivator for my life of alcoholism and addiction. Kathy went to live with friends and after the baby was born she moved to San Francisco. Word got back to me that the baby had been born dead, that it had too much fluid on its lungs. I felt responsible for the death because of the emotional pain and stress that I had put on Kathy by leaving her in such a time of great need. I never had any children of my own, and felt I that God realized that I allowed one child to die, so therefore I could not be trusted with anymore. For twenty-nine years I carried this burden, which was the result of a decision I had made to leave Kathy, when she was pregnant.
Now for the rest of the story, in 1998 after many years of drug and alcohol abuse, I surrendered to a loving God who welcomed me with open arms. In AA part of our program involves a 5th Step which says, we “admitted to God, to ourselves, and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs.” In the year 2000 with a year and nine months clean and sober, I met with my sponsor to do a fifth step. For the first time in my life I confessed for my part in the death of the child. I truly repented and God forgave me.
Three weeks later I am in Kansas City and I call home to Mountain Grove to get my phone messages. I have one message from my uncles niece that says that My daughter is looking for me. Thinking that it was my step-daughter, I call the niece and she says that it is the girl that they told me was born dead. I almost fell over, it was Sunday June 18th 2000, Fathers Day. I had a number to call and it was a Kansas City number, I called. I talked to Cheri my daughter for the first time. Within three hours we met for the first time and shared of each others life. She had been trying to locate me for over a year. I also had a grandson Brett who was six. Since then Cheri has given birth to two more grandsons, Jacob and Joshua. I got to hold both of them the day they were born. What a wonderful experience. We have grown close over the last four years. She or my grandsons have never seen me drink or use. Today I don’t want to go back to my old way of living. I believe in my heart that when I truly repented of leaving Kathy when she was six months pregnant, God worked a miracle in my life. Today I am a father, and grandfather, life has a new meaning. I am so grateful that I was sober. God is doing for me what I could not do for myself…………………….JRE
“Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.” JAMES 5:16
*******************************
“The real tests of the situation are your own willingness to confide and your full confidence in the one with whom your share your first accurate self-survey.
……..Provided you hold back nothing, your sense of relief will mount from minute to minute. The dammed-up emotions of years break out of their confinement, and miraculously vanish as soon as they are exposed. As the pain subsides, a healing tranquility takes its place.”
BILL W. …………………From the 5th Step, A.A.’s 12X12 pages 61-62
********************************* Thanks for letting me share today, God continues to work miracles in my life……..JRE
Cheri
Thought for the day: “Preach the gospel at all times, if necessary use words.”
St. Francis of Assisi
“What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him? Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to him, ‘Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed,’ but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.” JAMES 2:14-17 NIV
Something has been on my mind this morning, please share this with me: I first married at the age of thirty-nine. I married a woman who already had three children, one lived with his grandfather, another with his father, and one daughter was at home. Evelynn died of an overdose in 1995, one son committed suicide in 1991, and my step-daughter has been missing since 1995. I had no children of my own. This gives you some background on my married and family life. Actually this story starts in 1969, I came home from Vietnam the year before, went to Indiana State the fall of 1968 and the spring of 1969, and then moved back home to Kansas City in the winter of 1969. I met a beautiful young woman named Kathy, and we started living together in December of 1969. We lived together for nine months and I called the relationship off. She was six months pregnant. What a selfish act that was, I knew it was wrong, but I was thinking only of myself. My self-centered nature was manifesting itself. It later became the prime motivator for my life of alcoholism and addiction. Kathy went to live with friends and after the baby was born she moved to San Francisco. Word got back to me that the baby had been born dead, that it had too much fluid on its lungs. I felt responsible for the death because of the emotional pain and stress that I had put on Kathy by leaving her in such a time of great need. I never had any children of my own, and felt I that God realized that I allowed one child to die, so therefore I could not be trusted with anymore. For twenty-nine years I carried this burden, which was the result of a decision I had made to leave Kathy, when she was pregnant.
Now for the rest of the story, in 1998 after many years of drug and alcohol abuse, I surrendered to a loving God who welcomed me with open arms. In AA part of our program involves a 5th Step which says, we “admitted to God, to ourselves, and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs.” In the year 2000 with a year and nine months clean and sober, I met with my sponsor to do a fifth step. For the first time in my life I confessed for my part in the death of the child. I truly repented and God forgave me.
Three weeks later I am in Kansas City and I call home to Mountain Grove to get my phone messages. I have one message from my uncles niece that says that My daughter is looking for me. Thinking that it was my step-daughter, I call the niece and she says that it is the girl that they told me was born dead. I almost fell over, it was Sunday June 18th 2000, Fathers Day. I had a number to call and it was a Kansas City number, I called. I talked to Cheri my daughter for the first time. Within three hours we met for the first time and shared of each others life. She had been trying to locate me for over a year. I also had a grandson Brett who was six. Since then Cheri has given birth to two more grandsons, Jacob and Joshua. I got to hold both of them the day they were born. What a wonderful experience. We have grown close over the last four years. She or my grandsons have never seen me drink or use. Today I don’t want to go back to my old way of living. I believe in my heart that when I truly repented of leaving Kathy when she was six months pregnant, God worked a miracle in my life. Today I am a father, and grandfather, life has a new meaning. I am so grateful that I was sober. God is doing for me what I could not do for myself…………………….JRE
“Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.” JAMES 5:16
*******************************
“The real tests of the situation are your own willingness to confide and your full confidence in the one with whom your share your first accurate self-survey.
……..Provided you hold back nothing, your sense of relief will mount from minute to minute. The dammed-up emotions of years break out of their confinement, and miraculously vanish as soon as they are exposed. As the pain subsides, a healing tranquility takes its place.”
BILL W. …………………From the 5th Step, A.A.’s 12X12 pages 61-62
********************************* Thanks for letting me share today, God continues to work miracles in my life……..JRE
Thursday, July 22, 2004
jralphengland@yahoo.com
Thought for the day: “If you forget where you come from, then how can you show someone how to get to where you’ve gotten.” JESSE MILLER
Moses had stood up to Pharaoh and led his people out of Egypt, to the promise land, from slavery to freedom. Because of some unbelief that the people had, not all were allowed to enter the new land. Moses himself was not allowed to enter. After forty years of wanderings, it was time to “enter in,” to the land promised to them. Before they crossed over Moses gathered them together and refreshed their memory of the many things they had learned in their wanderings in the desert. He spoke of the blessings they would receive for obedience. These blessings are a promise from God and you can receive and stand on them today just as they did 3,410 years ago. Share this Scripture with me:
“If you fully obey the LORD your God and carefully follow all his commandments I give you today, the LORD your God will set you high above all the nations on earth. All these blessings will come upon you and accompany you if you obey the LORD your God.
You will be blessed in the city and blessed in the country.
The fruit of your womb will be blessed, and the crops of your land and the young of your livestock, the claves of your herds and the lambs of your flocks.
Your basket and your kneading trough will be blessed.
You will be blessed when you come in and blessed when you go out.
The LORD will grant that the enemies who rise up against you will be defeated before you. They will come at you in one direction, but flee from you in seven.
The LORD will send a blessing on your barns and on everything you put your hand to. The LORD your God will bless you in the land he is giving you.”
DEUTERONOMY 28:1-8 NIV
These blessings were there for those who “fully obeyed.” Today to fully obey is very difficult to say the least. I am so grateful for the Blood of Jesus that forgives, and for the grace of God that was extended to me when I did not obey. By faith in the finished work of the Cross, these promises are there for us today. We must only believe. Thanks for letting me share, I truly got blessed by typing out this Scripture. God is doing for me what I could not do for myself…………………JRE
***********************
GOD MAKE US RIGHT AGAIN
“Create in me a pure heart, God, and make my spirit right again.”
Psalm 51:10
We are thirsty.
Not thirsty for fame, possessions, passion, or romance. We’ve drunk from those pools. They are salt water in the desert. They don’t quench, they kill.
“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness…..”
Righteousness. That’s it. That’s what we are thirsty for. We’re thirsty for a clean conscience. We crave a clean slate. We yearn for a fresh start. We pray for a hand that will enter the dark cavern of our world and do for us the one thing we can’t do for ourselves, make us right again.
MAX LUCADO………….The Applause of Heaven
***********************
“By giving unconditional love…we become more loving, and by sharing spiritual growth we become more spiritual.” Narcotics Anonymous, basic text page 99
"Enter in" to the promises
Thought for the day: “If you forget where you come from, then how can you show someone how to get to where you’ve gotten.” JESSE MILLER
Moses had stood up to Pharaoh and led his people out of Egypt, to the promise land, from slavery to freedom. Because of some unbelief that the people had, not all were allowed to enter the new land. Moses himself was not allowed to enter. After forty years of wanderings, it was time to “enter in,” to the land promised to them. Before they crossed over Moses gathered them together and refreshed their memory of the many things they had learned in their wanderings in the desert. He spoke of the blessings they would receive for obedience. These blessings are a promise from God and you can receive and stand on them today just as they did 3,410 years ago. Share this Scripture with me:
“If you fully obey the LORD your God and carefully follow all his commandments I give you today, the LORD your God will set you high above all the nations on earth. All these blessings will come upon you and accompany you if you obey the LORD your God.
You will be blessed in the city and blessed in the country.
The fruit of your womb will be blessed, and the crops of your land and the young of your livestock, the claves of your herds and the lambs of your flocks.
Your basket and your kneading trough will be blessed.
You will be blessed when you come in and blessed when you go out.
The LORD will grant that the enemies who rise up against you will be defeated before you. They will come at you in one direction, but flee from you in seven.
The LORD will send a blessing on your barns and on everything you put your hand to. The LORD your God will bless you in the land he is giving you.”
DEUTERONOMY 28:1-8 NIV
These blessings were there for those who “fully obeyed.” Today to fully obey is very difficult to say the least. I am so grateful for the Blood of Jesus that forgives, and for the grace of God that was extended to me when I did not obey. By faith in the finished work of the Cross, these promises are there for us today. We must only believe. Thanks for letting me share, I truly got blessed by typing out this Scripture. God is doing for me what I could not do for myself…………………JRE
***********************
GOD MAKE US RIGHT AGAIN
“Create in me a pure heart, God, and make my spirit right again.”
Psalm 51:10
We are thirsty.
Not thirsty for fame, possessions, passion, or romance. We’ve drunk from those pools. They are salt water in the desert. They don’t quench, they kill.
“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness…..”
Righteousness. That’s it. That’s what we are thirsty for. We’re thirsty for a clean conscience. We crave a clean slate. We yearn for a fresh start. We pray for a hand that will enter the dark cavern of our world and do for us the one thing we can’t do for ourselves, make us right again.
MAX LUCADO………….The Applause of Heaven
***********************
“By giving unconditional love…we become more loving, and by sharing spiritual growth we become more spiritual.” Narcotics Anonymous, basic text page 99
Wednesday, July 21, 2004
jralphengland@yahoo.com
Thought for the day: “Peace is when time doesn’t matter when it passes by.”
MARIA SCHELL
“Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen. But on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.”
2 Corinthians 4:16-18 NIV
Time used to be so important to me, and it worked against me at times. There also used to be so much of it, but today as I round the curve of age and approach sixty years of age, time looks totally different. When I was younger time was all ahead of me. I could sort of see a plan to my life of education, career, family, success, and on and on. I was free to choose what I wanted to do and what I wanted to be. The freedom to make my own decisions in my youth was fun and I didn’t really take it seriously until it was too late. I woke up one morning and the party was over, I was in my forties and there was not much education, no career, no family, and no success. And most of all there wasn’t as much time left as when I was younger. I bumped down the road of indecision for another ten years until I had no place left to look except up, and there I found a loving God who had been there all along, and had sent many people my way with the good news of a better life. Today if I trust God, clean house, and help others, it doesn’t matter how much time is left. All that matter is how I live today. By living today right, I look to the future and see eternity. God is doing for me what I could not do for myself………..JRE
********************
TAKE LIFE AS IT COMES
“Sow your seed in the morning, and do not be idle in the evening, for you do not know whether morning or evening sowing will succeed.” ECCLESIASTES 11:6
The only way we can come to terms with reality, is by trusting God, regardless. No ifs, ands, or buts. If I am a farmer and God allows a flood to come and wash away my crops or God chooses to give me the beautiful season rains and a bumper crop, I trust Him and give Him praise. If I am industry or some profession and someone throws me a curve and God allows my whole world to be reversed, I trust Him and I give Him praise, I take life as it occurs. I don’t waste time in the pit of doubt. Nor do I worry over crop failures and strikeouts.
We can’t wait for conditions to be perfect. Nor can we wait for things to be free of all risks, absolutely free, absolutely safe. Instead of protecting ourselves, we have to release ourselves. Instead of hoarding, we are to give and invest. Instead of drifting, we are to pursue life, Instead of doubting, we are to courageously trust.
CHARLES SWINDOLL…………Living on the Ragged Edge
******************** “Showing others who suffer how we were given help is the very thing which makes life seem so worth while to us now….the dark past is…..the key to life and happiness for others.” Alcoholics Anonymous, page 124
Trust God, clean house, help others
Thought for the day: “Peace is when time doesn’t matter when it passes by.”
MARIA SCHELL
“Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen. But on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.”
2 Corinthians 4:16-18 NIV
Time used to be so important to me, and it worked against me at times. There also used to be so much of it, but today as I round the curve of age and approach sixty years of age, time looks totally different. When I was younger time was all ahead of me. I could sort of see a plan to my life of education, career, family, success, and on and on. I was free to choose what I wanted to do and what I wanted to be. The freedom to make my own decisions in my youth was fun and I didn’t really take it seriously until it was too late. I woke up one morning and the party was over, I was in my forties and there was not much education, no career, no family, and no success. And most of all there wasn’t as much time left as when I was younger. I bumped down the road of indecision for another ten years until I had no place left to look except up, and there I found a loving God who had been there all along, and had sent many people my way with the good news of a better life. Today if I trust God, clean house, and help others, it doesn’t matter how much time is left. All that matter is how I live today. By living today right, I look to the future and see eternity. God is doing for me what I could not do for myself………..JRE
********************
TAKE LIFE AS IT COMES
“Sow your seed in the morning, and do not be idle in the evening, for you do not know whether morning or evening sowing will succeed.” ECCLESIASTES 11:6
The only way we can come to terms with reality, is by trusting God, regardless. No ifs, ands, or buts. If I am a farmer and God allows a flood to come and wash away my crops or God chooses to give me the beautiful season rains and a bumper crop, I trust Him and give Him praise. If I am industry or some profession and someone throws me a curve and God allows my whole world to be reversed, I trust Him and I give Him praise, I take life as it occurs. I don’t waste time in the pit of doubt. Nor do I worry over crop failures and strikeouts.
We can’t wait for conditions to be perfect. Nor can we wait for things to be free of all risks, absolutely free, absolutely safe. Instead of protecting ourselves, we have to release ourselves. Instead of hoarding, we are to give and invest. Instead of drifting, we are to pursue life, Instead of doubting, we are to courageously trust.
CHARLES SWINDOLL…………Living on the Ragged Edge
******************** “Showing others who suffer how we were given help is the very thing which makes life seem so worth while to us now….the dark past is…..the key to life and happiness for others.” Alcoholics Anonymous, page 124
Tuesday, July 20, 2004
jralphengland@yahoo.com
Thought for the day: “"Any concern too small to be turned into a prayer is to small to be made into a burden!" Corrie ten Boom (1892-1983)
“I will hear what God the LORD will speak, for He will speak peace to His people and to His saints; But let them not turn back to folly, surely His salvation is near to those who fear Him, that glory may dwell in our land.” Psalm 85:8-9
“Let them not turn back to folly.” I don’t want to go back to my folly. I first heard it said at an AA meeting, and many times since, “if I would have made a list of what I expected out of recovery and being clean and sober, I would have sold myself short from what I have really received.” This is so true, sobriety has brought material blessings (don’t have to spend money on booze and drugs), physical blessings (absence of the many chemicals that cause the body to be destroyed), and spiritual blessings (a peace of mind that I never knew existed). Of the many blessings from being in recovery, the last, the spiritual, is by far the greatest. I had never really placed a value on peace of mind. Most of my life because of stress from the life style of my parents and later myself, peace of mind was something I didn’t know too much about. I remember as a child experiencing it when I went fishing alone. And believe me I loved to fish. I know why now that I looked forward so much to any fishing trips. Today I still fish, but not as much. I have learned that I can experience peace of mind right where I sit. I am learning that my peace of mind is directly related to my expectations of others, and my acceptance of what life hands me on a daily basis. I am grateful for this lesson that has been taught me by others in the fellowship of AA. I now can fish in peace of mind from my desk each morning. Thanks for letting me share, God is still doing for me what I could not do for myself…………………….JRE
*************************
AA Step 10 “Continued to take personal inventory and when we were wrong promptly admitted it.”
Without continued self-evaluation, we may fall prey to the old nemesis of denial. We may deny the severity of our addictions and dependencies. We may deny the futility of willpower and intellect alone as tools to combat our dependencies. We may deny the destructive patterns of past codependent relationships. We may question the reality of the spiritual realm and even question God’s sovereignty and ability to heal us from our dependencies. We may lapse into old patterns of negative thinking and feelings, including envy, fear, resentment, and self-pity.
Only the rigorous honesty that we bring to the practice of personal inventory and a willingness to “hear what the LORD will speak” provide the antidotes against self-delusion. NELSON SERENITY BIBLE page 452
Fish in peace
Thought for the day: “"Any concern too small to be turned into a prayer is to small to be made into a burden!" Corrie ten Boom (1892-1983)
“I will hear what God the LORD will speak, for He will speak peace to His people and to His saints; But let them not turn back to folly, surely His salvation is near to those who fear Him, that glory may dwell in our land.” Psalm 85:8-9
“Let them not turn back to folly.” I don’t want to go back to my folly. I first heard it said at an AA meeting, and many times since, “if I would have made a list of what I expected out of recovery and being clean and sober, I would have sold myself short from what I have really received.” This is so true, sobriety has brought material blessings (don’t have to spend money on booze and drugs), physical blessings (absence of the many chemicals that cause the body to be destroyed), and spiritual blessings (a peace of mind that I never knew existed). Of the many blessings from being in recovery, the last, the spiritual, is by far the greatest. I had never really placed a value on peace of mind. Most of my life because of stress from the life style of my parents and later myself, peace of mind was something I didn’t know too much about. I remember as a child experiencing it when I went fishing alone. And believe me I loved to fish. I know why now that I looked forward so much to any fishing trips. Today I still fish, but not as much. I have learned that I can experience peace of mind right where I sit. I am learning that my peace of mind is directly related to my expectations of others, and my acceptance of what life hands me on a daily basis. I am grateful for this lesson that has been taught me by others in the fellowship of AA. I now can fish in peace of mind from my desk each morning. Thanks for letting me share, God is still doing for me what I could not do for myself…………………….JRE
*************************
AA Step 10 “Continued to take personal inventory and when we were wrong promptly admitted it.”
Without continued self-evaluation, we may fall prey to the old nemesis of denial. We may deny the severity of our addictions and dependencies. We may deny the futility of willpower and intellect alone as tools to combat our dependencies. We may deny the destructive patterns of past codependent relationships. We may question the reality of the spiritual realm and even question God’s sovereignty and ability to heal us from our dependencies. We may lapse into old patterns of negative thinking and feelings, including envy, fear, resentment, and self-pity.
Only the rigorous honesty that we bring to the practice of personal inventory and a willingness to “hear what the LORD will speak” provide the antidotes against self-delusion. NELSON SERENITY BIBLE page 452
Monday, July 19, 2004
jralphengland@yahoo.com
Thought for the day: “To think is easy. To act is difficult. To act as one thinks is the most difficult of all.” GOETHE
Words of Jesus found in Matthew 6:22-23 NIV:
“The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are good, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eyes are bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness! No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money.”
I heard this Scripture yesterday morning in a sermon. It deals with our priorities and what we look at. An hour and a half earlier I read a Scripture at home before I left for church that was from Luke and dealt with what we hear and how what we hear goes to our heart (Luke 6:45). What we see, what we hear, what we think, what we say, and what we do, pretty well sums up the day for most of us. Information coming in, and information going out. I am learning that I have to be careful what I allow to come into my heart through my eyes and ears. Without knowing it my mouth will express what’s been coming in, and many times when I have to back up and make amends it’s because of something I’ve seen or heard that is not in the best interest of others and myself. The Word of God is a “Lamp unto my feet,” if I stay within the light that is given to me I usually don’t have to do much back-pedaling. When my eyes peer beyond the light that is given to me and see the glitter, the show-lights, and the noise of the world, I stumble. This small glance, which leads to a longer look, pulls me away from the Word. It may only take a few seconds to step out of the Light, and months or years to come back. Today I choose not to stray to the dark and cold, but to stay in the Light and warmth of the Word. Thanks for letting me share, God is doing for me what I could not do for myself……………………..JRE
***********************
I CHOOSE SELF-CONTROL
I am a spiritual being………..
After this body is dead, my spirit will soar.
I refuse to let what will rot, rule the eternal.
I choose self-control. I will be drunk only by joy.
I will be impassioned only by faith.
I will be taught only by Christ.
I choose self-control.
Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness,
Faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.
To these I commit my day.
If I succeed, I will give thanks.
If I fail, I will seek his grace.
And then, when this day is done,
I will place my head on my pillow
And rest.
MAX LUCADO…………When God Whispers Your Name
See, hear, think, say, and do
Thought for the day: “To think is easy. To act is difficult. To act as one thinks is the most difficult of all.” GOETHE
Words of Jesus found in Matthew 6:22-23 NIV:
“The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are good, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eyes are bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness! No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money.”
I heard this Scripture yesterday morning in a sermon. It deals with our priorities and what we look at. An hour and a half earlier I read a Scripture at home before I left for church that was from Luke and dealt with what we hear and how what we hear goes to our heart (Luke 6:45). What we see, what we hear, what we think, what we say, and what we do, pretty well sums up the day for most of us. Information coming in, and information going out. I am learning that I have to be careful what I allow to come into my heart through my eyes and ears. Without knowing it my mouth will express what’s been coming in, and many times when I have to back up and make amends it’s because of something I’ve seen or heard that is not in the best interest of others and myself. The Word of God is a “Lamp unto my feet,” if I stay within the light that is given to me I usually don’t have to do much back-pedaling. When my eyes peer beyond the light that is given to me and see the glitter, the show-lights, and the noise of the world, I stumble. This small glance, which leads to a longer look, pulls me away from the Word. It may only take a few seconds to step out of the Light, and months or years to come back. Today I choose not to stray to the dark and cold, but to stay in the Light and warmth of the Word. Thanks for letting me share, God is doing for me what I could not do for myself……………………..JRE
***********************
I CHOOSE SELF-CONTROL
I am a spiritual being………..
After this body is dead, my spirit will soar.
I refuse to let what will rot, rule the eternal.
I choose self-control. I will be drunk only by joy.
I will be impassioned only by faith.
I will be taught only by Christ.
I choose self-control.
Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness,
Faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.
To these I commit my day.
If I succeed, I will give thanks.
If I fail, I will seek his grace.
And then, when this day is done,
I will place my head on my pillow
And rest.
MAX LUCADO…………When God Whispers Your Name
Friday, July 16, 2004
jralphengland@yahoo.com
Thought for the day: “Friendship is not a big thing, it is a million little things.”
(unknown)
“Finally, all of you, live in harmony with one another; be sympathetic, love as brothers, be compassionate and humble. Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult, but with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing.”
For, “whoever would love life and see good days must keep his tongue from evil and his lips from deceitful speech.”
1 PETER 3:8-19 NIV
These words came from a man who had trouble holding his tongue in the first few years of his ministry. Peter loved the Lord Jesus from the first time he saw Him. At that time Jesus used his boat to pull out a way from the shore to talk to the people. After the talk Jesus told peter to cast out into the deep in the middle of the day to catch fish. This went against the way they were catching fish. I think they usually fished at night and probably didn’t always go to the deep. After hearing Jesus’ sermon, Peter agreed to go ahead and give it a try. The result was two boat loads of fish. At this point Peter became scared and let his big tongue do a little flapping. He told Jesus to depart from him, to leave him alone because he was a sinful man. Jesus told Peter and James and John who were his partners to “not be afraid, that from now on you will catch men.” (Luke 5:1-11) From that point on the three of them followed Jesus, and I feel they were closer to Jesus than any of the other disciples. Peter’s tongue got him in trouble other times also. He told Jesus that he would not let Him go to the Cross, this was self-centered and Peter was only thinking of himself. On the way to the Cross, Peter followed, but denied knowing Jesus, even to the point of cussing. “Finally, all of you, live in harmony with one another,” these words came from a man who was not afraid to pull his sword and cut someone. I see a change in Peter’s life from the time he first met Jesus to when he wrote his letter. This change did not just happen over night, it took thirty-four years. Today God is still working on me, and I draw inspiration from Peter’s spiritual growth. I realize that some changes do not happen overnight, and are a process of learning again and again, until it gets down deep in my spiritual being. Thanks for letting me share today, God does for me what I could not do for myself……………..JRE
***********************
“But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.”
2 PETER 3:18 NIV
Growth is the goal of the Christian, Maturity is mandatory. If a child ceased to develop, the parent would be concerned, right?
When a Christian stops growing, help is needed. If you are the same Christian you were a few months ago, be careful. You might be wiser to get a checkup. Not on your body, but on your heart. Not a physical, but a spiritual.
May I suggest one?……..
Why don’t you check your habits?….Make these four habits regular activities and see what happens.
First, the habit of prayer…..Second, the habit of study…….third, the habit of giving……..and last of all, the habit of fellowship.
MAX LUCADO………..When God Whispers Your Name
***********************
“Believe more deeply. Hold your face up to the Light, even through for the moment you not see.” BILL W. a letter dated 1950
Growing, learning, living, and growing again
Thought for the day: “Friendship is not a big thing, it is a million little things.”
(unknown)
“Finally, all of you, live in harmony with one another; be sympathetic, love as brothers, be compassionate and humble. Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult, but with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing.”
For, “whoever would love life and see good days must keep his tongue from evil and his lips from deceitful speech.”
1 PETER 3:8-19 NIV
These words came from a man who had trouble holding his tongue in the first few years of his ministry. Peter loved the Lord Jesus from the first time he saw Him. At that time Jesus used his boat to pull out a way from the shore to talk to the people. After the talk Jesus told peter to cast out into the deep in the middle of the day to catch fish. This went against the way they were catching fish. I think they usually fished at night and probably didn’t always go to the deep. After hearing Jesus’ sermon, Peter agreed to go ahead and give it a try. The result was two boat loads of fish. At this point Peter became scared and let his big tongue do a little flapping. He told Jesus to depart from him, to leave him alone because he was a sinful man. Jesus told Peter and James and John who were his partners to “not be afraid, that from now on you will catch men.” (Luke 5:1-11) From that point on the three of them followed Jesus, and I feel they were closer to Jesus than any of the other disciples. Peter’s tongue got him in trouble other times also. He told Jesus that he would not let Him go to the Cross, this was self-centered and Peter was only thinking of himself. On the way to the Cross, Peter followed, but denied knowing Jesus, even to the point of cussing. “Finally, all of you, live in harmony with one another,” these words came from a man who was not afraid to pull his sword and cut someone. I see a change in Peter’s life from the time he first met Jesus to when he wrote his letter. This change did not just happen over night, it took thirty-four years. Today God is still working on me, and I draw inspiration from Peter’s spiritual growth. I realize that some changes do not happen overnight, and are a process of learning again and again, until it gets down deep in my spiritual being. Thanks for letting me share today, God does for me what I could not do for myself……………..JRE
***********************
“But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.”
2 PETER 3:18 NIV
Growth is the goal of the Christian, Maturity is mandatory. If a child ceased to develop, the parent would be concerned, right?
When a Christian stops growing, help is needed. If you are the same Christian you were a few months ago, be careful. You might be wiser to get a checkup. Not on your body, but on your heart. Not a physical, but a spiritual.
May I suggest one?……..
Why don’t you check your habits?….Make these four habits regular activities and see what happens.
First, the habit of prayer…..Second, the habit of study…….third, the habit of giving……..and last of all, the habit of fellowship.
MAX LUCADO………..When God Whispers Your Name
***********************
“Believe more deeply. Hold your face up to the Light, even through for the moment you not see.” BILL W. a letter dated 1950
Thursday, July 15, 2004
jralphengland@yahoo.com
Thought for the day: “By all means sometimes be alone; salute thyself; see what thy soul doth wear; dare to look in thy chest, and tumble up and down what thou findest there.” WILLIAM WORDSWORTH
“Now in the morning, having risen a long while before daylight, He went out and departed to a solitary place; and there he prayed.” MARK 1:35 NKJV
Mark having either observed this of Jesus himself, or having been told of this, felt it was important enough to record it in his account of Jesus. I also must find at times a solitary place to be alone with the Father. In this busy world with the media giving us all kinds of images to think upon; the war in Iraq and Afghanistan, the presidential election and all the backbiting, the wildfires in the west, and the storms in the east. With all this stuff going on, how wonderful it is to spend time in the peace and presence of my heavenly Father. It has become a priority in my life, part of my program that I work on a daily basis to stay clean and sober. I try and find a little time each morning to be alone with God, and there look inside and “tumble up and down” what I find there. With the help of the Holy Spirit I am able to see areas in my life that need to be cleaned up, areas that I need to turn over to the will of God, and areas where I need to step out on faith and trust God. I don’t always act on what tumbles to the surface, but with continued daily excursions to my place of solitude, I become more conscious of my shortcomings and my assets, and at some time hopefully will be able to surrender them to the will of God. In each new morning there is opportunity for all of us to find a quiet place to meet with God, even if it is only the bathroom. Thanks for letting me share, God is doing for me what I could not do for myself…………..JRE
***********************
KEEP ON ASKING
“Everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds.” MATTHEW 7:8
God’s will is that we seek Him. “Ask, and keep on asking,” Jesus tell His disciples. The hearing heart and all-wise mind of Father God are not components in some heavenly computer that might blow a fuse if we ask too much or too often. Heaven’s storehouse is never in short supply, and God isn’t rationing answers to prayer. Let’s settle it: He’s the Creator.
When you’re dealing with the source of all things, nothing is a problem.
JACK HAYFORD………Prayer Is Invading the Impossible
***********************
“PERFECT” HUMILITY by Bill W. from the June 1961 Grapevine
For myself, I try to seek out the truest definition of humility that I can. This will not be the perfect definition, because I shall always be imperfect.
At this writing, I would choose one like this: “Absolute humility would consist of a state of complete freedom from myself, freedom from all claims that my defects of character now lay so heavily upon me. Perfect humility would be a full willingness, in all times and places, to find to do the will of God.”
When I meditate upon such a vision, I need not be dismayed because I shall never attain it, nor need I swell with presumption that one of these days its virtues shall all be mine.
I only need to dwell on the vision itself, letting it grow and ever more fill my heart. This done, I can compare it with my last-taken personal inventory. Then I get a sane and healthy idea off where I stand on the highway to humility. I see that my journey toward God has scarce begun.
As I thus get down to my right size and stature, my self-concern and importance become amusing.
Tumble up and down
Thought for the day: “By all means sometimes be alone; salute thyself; see what thy soul doth wear; dare to look in thy chest, and tumble up and down what thou findest there.” WILLIAM WORDSWORTH
“Now in the morning, having risen a long while before daylight, He went out and departed to a solitary place; and there he prayed.” MARK 1:35 NKJV
Mark having either observed this of Jesus himself, or having been told of this, felt it was important enough to record it in his account of Jesus. I also must find at times a solitary place to be alone with the Father. In this busy world with the media giving us all kinds of images to think upon; the war in Iraq and Afghanistan, the presidential election and all the backbiting, the wildfires in the west, and the storms in the east. With all this stuff going on, how wonderful it is to spend time in the peace and presence of my heavenly Father. It has become a priority in my life, part of my program that I work on a daily basis to stay clean and sober. I try and find a little time each morning to be alone with God, and there look inside and “tumble up and down” what I find there. With the help of the Holy Spirit I am able to see areas in my life that need to be cleaned up, areas that I need to turn over to the will of God, and areas where I need to step out on faith and trust God. I don’t always act on what tumbles to the surface, but with continued daily excursions to my place of solitude, I become more conscious of my shortcomings and my assets, and at some time hopefully will be able to surrender them to the will of God. In each new morning there is opportunity for all of us to find a quiet place to meet with God, even if it is only the bathroom. Thanks for letting me share, God is doing for me what I could not do for myself…………..JRE
***********************
KEEP ON ASKING
“Everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds.” MATTHEW 7:8
God’s will is that we seek Him. “Ask, and keep on asking,” Jesus tell His disciples. The hearing heart and all-wise mind of Father God are not components in some heavenly computer that might blow a fuse if we ask too much or too often. Heaven’s storehouse is never in short supply, and God isn’t rationing answers to prayer. Let’s settle it: He’s the Creator.
When you’re dealing with the source of all things, nothing is a problem.
JACK HAYFORD………Prayer Is Invading the Impossible
***********************
“PERFECT” HUMILITY by Bill W. from the June 1961 Grapevine
For myself, I try to seek out the truest definition of humility that I can. This will not be the perfect definition, because I shall always be imperfect.
At this writing, I would choose one like this: “Absolute humility would consist of a state of complete freedom from myself, freedom from all claims that my defects of character now lay so heavily upon me. Perfect humility would be a full willingness, in all times and places, to find to do the will of God.”
When I meditate upon such a vision, I need not be dismayed because I shall never attain it, nor need I swell with presumption that one of these days its virtues shall all be mine.
I only need to dwell on the vision itself, letting it grow and ever more fill my heart. This done, I can compare it with my last-taken personal inventory. Then I get a sane and healthy idea off where I stand on the highway to humility. I see that my journey toward God has scarce begun.
As I thus get down to my right size and stature, my self-concern and importance become amusing.
Wednesday, July 14, 2004
jralphengland@yahoo.com
Thought for the day: “God grades on the Cross, not the curve.”
“Praise be to the LORD, for he has heard my cry for mercy. The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him and I am helped. My heart leaps for joy and I will give thanks to him in song.” PSALM 28:6-7 NIV
When I read the words of David I gain strength and assurance that God is close and hears my heart. This morning I am having a little difficulty in getting my thoughts to flow from my heart, to my mind, to the keyboard, to the page. At times like this I can always go the Psalms of David and find a starting place. David like all of us had many problems to deal with through out his life, but one problem he did not have was staying in touch with God. No matter what happened, David always turned to God for strength and protection, and in turn gave praise for what he had received. David was not ashamed to come right out and let you know that he could not make it on his own, but only by the power and strength of God Almighty. So in times when I am having a little trouble putting my first foot forward, and I am feeling a little overwhelmed, I can always go to the Psalmist David and find comfort in the words of a man who had it all, but needed God most. God does for me also what I cannot do for myself…………………..JRE
***********************
LONGING FOR GOD
“My heart and flesh cry out for the living God.” Psalm 84:2
Have you ever been under water for a period of time that is longer than you had expected? You know, as the time ticks away, how desperate you become to reach the surface and breathe the air. The greater the time you are under the water, the more you long for a breath of air until that desire overwhelms you, and you rush to get to the surface as rapidly as possible. You have no other thoughts but quenching your need for air.
That is what it means to “long for God,” to feel unfulfilled without Him. It means we know we desperately need Him, even more than we need air, and we yearn to be filled with His presence. “My heart and my flesh cry out for the living God.”
God wants us to be satisfied with nothing less than Himself. And we are never more fulfilled than when we know Him, ask god to give you a new hunger for Him, so you may become filled with “the fullness of Christ” (Eph. 4:13). BILLY GRAHAM
***********************
Spiritual development is achieved by daily persistence in living the way you believe God wants you to live. Like the wearing away of a stone by steady drops of water, so will your daily persistence wear away all the difficulties and gain spiritual success for you. Never falter in this daily, steady persistence. Go forward boldly and unafraid. God will help and strengthen you, as long as you are trying to do His will.
HAZELDEN……..Twenty-Four Hours A Day
A starting place
Thought for the day: “God grades on the Cross, not the curve.”
“Praise be to the LORD, for he has heard my cry for mercy. The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him and I am helped. My heart leaps for joy and I will give thanks to him in song.” PSALM 28:6-7 NIV
When I read the words of David I gain strength and assurance that God is close and hears my heart. This morning I am having a little difficulty in getting my thoughts to flow from my heart, to my mind, to the keyboard, to the page. At times like this I can always go the Psalms of David and find a starting place. David like all of us had many problems to deal with through out his life, but one problem he did not have was staying in touch with God. No matter what happened, David always turned to God for strength and protection, and in turn gave praise for what he had received. David was not ashamed to come right out and let you know that he could not make it on his own, but only by the power and strength of God Almighty. So in times when I am having a little trouble putting my first foot forward, and I am feeling a little overwhelmed, I can always go to the Psalmist David and find comfort in the words of a man who had it all, but needed God most. God does for me also what I cannot do for myself…………………..JRE
***********************
LONGING FOR GOD
“My heart and flesh cry out for the living God.” Psalm 84:2
Have you ever been under water for a period of time that is longer than you had expected? You know, as the time ticks away, how desperate you become to reach the surface and breathe the air. The greater the time you are under the water, the more you long for a breath of air until that desire overwhelms you, and you rush to get to the surface as rapidly as possible. You have no other thoughts but quenching your need for air.
That is what it means to “long for God,” to feel unfulfilled without Him. It means we know we desperately need Him, even more than we need air, and we yearn to be filled with His presence. “My heart and my flesh cry out for the living God.”
God wants us to be satisfied with nothing less than Himself. And we are never more fulfilled than when we know Him, ask god to give you a new hunger for Him, so you may become filled with “the fullness of Christ” (Eph. 4:13). BILLY GRAHAM
***********************
Spiritual development is achieved by daily persistence in living the way you believe God wants you to live. Like the wearing away of a stone by steady drops of water, so will your daily persistence wear away all the difficulties and gain spiritual success for you. Never falter in this daily, steady persistence. Go forward boldly and unafraid. God will help and strengthen you, as long as you are trying to do His will.
HAZELDEN……..Twenty-Four Hours A Day
Tuesday, July 13, 2004
jralphengland@yahoo.com
Thought for the day: “Words are windows to the heart.”
The day that John the Baptist was born, his father, the priest Zacharias, stood up and spoke for the first time in nine months. Being filled with the Holy Spirit he prophesied concerning his son John and his ministry with the Lord Jesus. Share this with me:
“And you, child, will be called the prophet of the highest; For you will go before the face of the Lord to prepare His ways, to give knowledge of salvation to His people by the remission of their sins. Through the tender mercy of our God, with which the Dayspring from on high has visited us, to give light to those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.” (Luke 1:76-79 NKJV)
As I read this Scripture this morning I reflected on how Luke referred to Jesus as the “Dayspring from on high.” The dawn of something new in God’s plan. A burst of new Light, which brings deliverance from the chains of my prison. This Dayspring from on high is somewhere where I can take my dirty self and be washed. It is the light that lights my path in my dark hours. If I look to the Light, I have vision. If I look to myself, the Light grows dimmer. I am so grateful for a loving God that extends new mercy each day to those who seek Him. If I could be perfect I would, but since I can’t, I will follow Jesus who has made a way. Thanks for letting me share. God is doing for me what I could not do for myself……………………JRE
“Through the LORD’S mercies we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning: Great is Your faithfulness.” Lamentations 3:22-23 NKJV
***********************
OUTRAGEOUS JOY
“In your presence is fullness of joy, in your right hand there are pleasures forever.” Psalm 16:11
I know of no greater need today than the need for joy. Unexplainable joy. Outrageous joy.
When that kind of joy comes aboard our ship of life, it brings things with it, like enthusiasm for life, determination to hang in there, and a strong desire to be of encouragement to others. Such qualities make our voyage bearable when we hit the open seas and encounter high waves of hardship that tend to demoralize and paralyze. There is nothing better than a joyful attitude when we face the challenges life throws at us.
Someone once asked Mother Teresa what the job description was for anyone who might wish to work alongside her in the grimy streets and narrow alleys of Calcutta. Without hesitation she mentioned only two things: the desire to work hard and a joyful attitude.
CHARLES SWINDOLL………….Laugh Again
***********************
“Our Higher Power is accessible to us at all times. We receive guidance when we ask for knowledge of God’s will for us.”
Narcotics Anonymous basic text, page 92
Dayspring from on high
Thought for the day: “Words are windows to the heart.”
The day that John the Baptist was born, his father, the priest Zacharias, stood up and spoke for the first time in nine months. Being filled with the Holy Spirit he prophesied concerning his son John and his ministry with the Lord Jesus. Share this with me:
“And you, child, will be called the prophet of the highest; For you will go before the face of the Lord to prepare His ways, to give knowledge of salvation to His people by the remission of their sins. Through the tender mercy of our God, with which the Dayspring from on high has visited us, to give light to those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.” (Luke 1:76-79 NKJV)
As I read this Scripture this morning I reflected on how Luke referred to Jesus as the “Dayspring from on high.” The dawn of something new in God’s plan. A burst of new Light, which brings deliverance from the chains of my prison. This Dayspring from on high is somewhere where I can take my dirty self and be washed. It is the light that lights my path in my dark hours. If I look to the Light, I have vision. If I look to myself, the Light grows dimmer. I am so grateful for a loving God that extends new mercy each day to those who seek Him. If I could be perfect I would, but since I can’t, I will follow Jesus who has made a way. Thanks for letting me share. God is doing for me what I could not do for myself……………………JRE
“Through the LORD’S mercies we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning: Great is Your faithfulness.” Lamentations 3:22-23 NKJV
***********************
OUTRAGEOUS JOY
“In your presence is fullness of joy, in your right hand there are pleasures forever.” Psalm 16:11
I know of no greater need today than the need for joy. Unexplainable joy. Outrageous joy.
When that kind of joy comes aboard our ship of life, it brings things with it, like enthusiasm for life, determination to hang in there, and a strong desire to be of encouragement to others. Such qualities make our voyage bearable when we hit the open seas and encounter high waves of hardship that tend to demoralize and paralyze. There is nothing better than a joyful attitude when we face the challenges life throws at us.
Someone once asked Mother Teresa what the job description was for anyone who might wish to work alongside her in the grimy streets and narrow alleys of Calcutta. Without hesitation she mentioned only two things: the desire to work hard and a joyful attitude.
CHARLES SWINDOLL………….Laugh Again
***********************
“Our Higher Power is accessible to us at all times. We receive guidance when we ask for knowledge of God’s will for us.”
Narcotics Anonymous basic text, page 92
Monday, July 12, 2004
jralphengland@yahoo.com
Thought for the day: “Reflect on your present blessings, of which every man has many, not on your past misfortunes of which all men have some.”
CHARLES DICKENS
“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” Genesis 1:1
Having returned last Friday from my trip to the western coast, I stand in awe at the beauty and vastness of this great nation. I traveled from the hills of southern Missouri to the fertile fields of northern Missouri and Nebraska, from the plains of Colorado to the Rocky Mountains. We went up to Wyoming and over to Utah. Across Nevada to California, up and over the Sierra Nevada mountains, and then north to Oregon. The mountains, lakes, and forests that I traveled by and through are forever etched in my memory. I often thought of the pioneers and how their trek across this country must have been very difficult. Surely they could not have looked at the vastness and the beauty without seeing the living God. Surely they could not of had the inner strength to continue on without the renewing of their spirit from God Almighty. At times the trip on the train was difficult also. I cannot even begin to think of how it might have been by foot and wagon. I am so grateful for having made this trip, I am also grateful for having made this trip sober. A loving God gave me strength every inch of the way. The purpose of my trip was to visit with some men that I had served in combat with. We spent many days talking of our experiences, for myself I could feel the healing taking place. I have returned a better person because of this. My brothers from Phantom Force not once offered me a drink, I repeat “NOT ONCE.” Once again they demonstrated true brotherly love toward one another. I am proud to call them my friends. Thanks for letting me share, God is doing for me what I could not do for myself………………..JRE
***********************
The power of God’s Spirit is the greatest power in the universe. Our conquest of each other, the great kings and conquerors, the conquest of wealth, the leaders of the money society, all amount to very little in the end. But he who conquers himself is greater than he who conquers a city. Material things have no permanence. But God’s Spirit is eternal. Everything really worthwhile in the world is the result of the power of God’s Spirit.
HAZELDEN………..Twenty-Four Hours A Day
***********************
“As faith grows, so does inner security. The vast underlying fear of nothingness commences to subside. We of A.A. find that our basic antidote for fear is a spiritual awakening.”
BILL W. ………….Grapevine, January 1962
Mountains, lakes, rivers, and forests
Thought for the day: “Reflect on your present blessings, of which every man has many, not on your past misfortunes of which all men have some.”
CHARLES DICKENS
“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” Genesis 1:1
Having returned last Friday from my trip to the western coast, I stand in awe at the beauty and vastness of this great nation. I traveled from the hills of southern Missouri to the fertile fields of northern Missouri and Nebraska, from the plains of Colorado to the Rocky Mountains. We went up to Wyoming and over to Utah. Across Nevada to California, up and over the Sierra Nevada mountains, and then north to Oregon. The mountains, lakes, and forests that I traveled by and through are forever etched in my memory. I often thought of the pioneers and how their trek across this country must have been very difficult. Surely they could not have looked at the vastness and the beauty without seeing the living God. Surely they could not of had the inner strength to continue on without the renewing of their spirit from God Almighty. At times the trip on the train was difficult also. I cannot even begin to think of how it might have been by foot and wagon. I am so grateful for having made this trip, I am also grateful for having made this trip sober. A loving God gave me strength every inch of the way. The purpose of my trip was to visit with some men that I had served in combat with. We spent many days talking of our experiences, for myself I could feel the healing taking place. I have returned a better person because of this. My brothers from Phantom Force not once offered me a drink, I repeat “NOT ONCE.” Once again they demonstrated true brotherly love toward one another. I am proud to call them my friends. Thanks for letting me share, God is doing for me what I could not do for myself………………..JRE
***********************
The power of God’s Spirit is the greatest power in the universe. Our conquest of each other, the great kings and conquerors, the conquest of wealth, the leaders of the money society, all amount to very little in the end. But he who conquers himself is greater than he who conquers a city. Material things have no permanence. But God’s Spirit is eternal. Everything really worthwhile in the world is the result of the power of God’s Spirit.
HAZELDEN………..Twenty-Four Hours A Day
***********************
“As faith grows, so does inner security. The vast underlying fear of nothingness commences to subside. We of A.A. find that our basic antidote for fear is a spiritual awakening.”
BILL W. ………….Grapevine, January 1962
