Solomon's first and last words...

Reading the Bible through at least once a year takes a lot of discipline...it's more than reading a chapter or 2 or 3. It's about "sticking with the programme" and ensuring that it is not a "tick the box" exercise because it can start feeling like that especially when you get to Leviticus. God helped me and opened my eyes to so many things - I'd known before and now I was seeing them in another light. I was intrigued when I noticed what I've called:

 "Solomon's first and last words"

Ready for change?

Like the saying goes, “The only thing constant in life is change.”* This year, I attended a course where the speaker talked about how many of us just keep doing the same old things in the same old ways without realizing that we're doing more than we need to and that we can do things better if we just accept and adapt to the change.

One example that comes to mind is how some older people just refuse to become computer literate. Well, we need to realise that things are changing so much. I got an email that puts this in perspective... it said:

"This is how our children/grandchildren may end up learning the alphabets..."

Wise (wo)men still seek Him...

The star of Bethlehem was a star of hope that led the wise men to the fulfillment of their expectations, the success of their expedition. Nothing in this world is more fundamental for success in life than hope, and this star pointed to our only source for true hope: Jesus Christ.

~D. James Kennedy

Never forget the reason for the season - JESUS.

Doing that is as simple as ABC. Acknowledge Him - without Him there would be no Christmas. Be wise. Continue to seek Him and all your expectations will be fulfilled in 2011 and for the rest of your life.

Merry Christmas and God bless.

Think on these...

I found these 2 quotes...which I keep encouraging others to live by:

Ask your child what he wants for dinner only if he's buying.

~Fran Lebowitz, Social Studies

As a child my family's menu consisted of two choices: take it, or leave it.

~Buddy Hackett

I smiled when I stumbled on these quotes. When we visit others, my children are sometimes at a loss when they are asked: "what do you want?" - it's not a question they have to answer often. It always amazes me when parents reel off options for their children and then when the children turn down all the options they start scrambling to generate something else...

The till will tell...

A few months ago, I ran into lady shopping with her children. I noticed that everyone had at least one item in their hand. I casually commented - "I see everyone is shopping." She responded: "The till will tell." That short sentence stuck with me. As I continued to ruminate on it, I kept asking myself if I'd let the till tell or just tell it as it is.

Divine visitor

A lot of christians are so desirous of a "Divine visitation" - well, so am I. Divine visitation was our church's theme for the month of August. When thinking and praying about how to provoke and attract a Divine visitation all through that month and beyond, my eyes were literally opened to a new dimension of divine visitation. Let's start at the very beginning...

12 lessons from 12 angry men

12 angry man is about a 12-man jury that has the responsibility of deciding whether or not a young boy is guilty of murdering his father. If they decide that he is guilty, he will not have opportunity to appeal that decision.

During a recent ladies' Night with the King (vigil), we watched the 1957 edition of this film. The film is old - it's even in black and white and yet rich in content.

We discussed and prayed about what we learned from it.

Here are 12 of the things we learned from it (and not in any order):

Quess what?

If you don't make mistakes, you're not working on hard enough problems.

And that's a big mistake.

~F. Wikzek

Last week, we had a parent teacher conference and my son's teacher was encouraging him - they had the following conversation:

Teacher: "What are schools for?"

Student: "To learn."

Teacher: "And?"

Student: "to make mistakes."

His teacher concluded by saying:

"if you don't make mistakes then you're not trying hard enough" 

- that phrase stuck with me and has been going through my mind since last week so I decided to release it by sharing it. I also felt it would be a good idea to look up other quotes to supplement his comment and what did I find? The quote above and the ones to follow. Life is a school and we must be courageous enough to try and learn from any mistakes we make. While we do not set out to make mistakes, we must all realize and accept that:

The greatest mistake you can make in life is to be continually fearing you will make one.

~Elbert Hubbard, The Note Book, 1927

The only real mistake is the one from which we learn nothing. ~John Powell

The man who makes no mistakes does not usually make anything. ~Edward Phelps

Anyone who has never made a mistake has never tried anything new. ~ Albert Einstein

If a mistake is not a stepping stone, it is a mistake. ~Eli Siegel
 
All men make mistakes, but only wise men learn from their mistakes. ~ Winston Churchill
 
Success seems to be connected with action. successful people keep moving. They make mistakes, but they don't quit. ~ Conrad Hilton (American Hotelier, 1887-1979)
 
Most importantly (and please never forget this one):
Just because you make mistakes doesn't mean you are one. ~Author Unknown

As the year winds down - 21 days to go - I encourage you to look back at (all) the mistakes you (or others) have made in this year and ask yourself, "what did I learn from that?" I believe that we learn one of 2 things from every situation - what to do or what not to do. Then, take one step forward and purpose in your heart how to apply the lessons learned in your life - as you continue to "live life to the fullest."* (thanks Anya B for that phrase).


Reference:
* Attributed to Ernest Hemingway

The Word and words on Faith...

James 2:17-18: So also faith, if it does not have works (deeds and actions of obedience to back it up), by itself is destitute of power (inoperative, dead). But someone will say [to you then], You [say you] have faith, and I have [good] works. Now you show me your [alleged] faith apart from any [good] works [if you can], and I by [good] works [of obedience] will show you my faith. (Amplified)

Faith can move mountains, but don't be surprised if God hands you a shovel.

~Author Unknown

Mark 9:23 - Jesus replied, "Why do you say `if you can'? Anything is possible for someone who has faith!" (Contemporary English Version)

Faith makes things possible, not easy. ~Author Unknown

Without faith a man can do nothing; with it all things are possible. ~ Sir William Osler

Heb 11:1 - Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about things we cannot see. (NLT)

Faith is believing in things when common sense tells you not to. ~George Seaton

Faith is taking the first step even when you don't see the whole staircase.

~Martin Luther King Jr.

Faith is daring the soul to go beyond what the eyes can see. ~ William Newton Clark

The Teacup

I got this by email...I searched the internet for the author of this piece and the result was "Author unknown".

This is a great story that we could all benefit from. It is a simple reminder of how "GOD" is the potter of our life and we are the clay. "GOD" is the shaper of each of our lives and when struggles seem overwhelming, we need to remind ourselves that these struggles serve a purpose in making us stronger, wiser, and in the perfect image that "GOD" has for each of His creations.