a vanished friend

Around the corner I have a friend,
In this great city that has no end.
Yet the days go by and weeks rush on,
And before I know it, a year is gone.

And I never see my old friends face,
For life is a swift and terrible race,
He knows I like him just as well,
As in the days when I rang his bell.

And he rang mine but we were younger then,
And now we are busy, tired men.
Tired of playing a foolish game,
Tired of trying to make a name.

"Tomorrow" I say! "I will call on Jim
Just to show that I'm thinking of him."
But tomorrow comes and tomorrow goes,
And distance between us grows and grows.

Around the corner, yet miles away,
"Here's a telegram sir," "Jim died today."
And that's what we get and deserve in the end.
Around the corner, a vanished friend.

Remember to always say what you mean. If you love someone, tell them.
Don't be afraid to express yourself. Reach out and tell someone what they
mean to you. Because when you decide that it is the right time, it might
be too late. Seize the day. Never have regrets. And most importantly,
stay close to your friends and family, for they have helped make you the
person that you are today.

From: greaper49@yahoo.com

The gift of second chances

- Excerpted from "Life Lessons from Bible People" The Gift of Mercy
(orig. ttle)


To Abiathar the priest the king said,..."You deserve to die, but I will
not put you to death now." (1 Kings 2:26)

God mercifully allowed Abiathar to avoid certain death twice during
his lifetime. The first time, he escaped with nothing but the ephod on his
back-- a special robe identifying him as a priest. A vengeful King Saul
had all the other priests and their families in the city of Nob killed
for helping David, but David welcomed Abiathar into his protection.

David trusted Abiathar for many years. But instead of a lifetime of
gratefulness to God and loyalty to David, Abiathar eventually conspired
against David and Solomon, God's choice for the next king. But he was
again shown tremendous mercy and lost only his priestly position as
punishment for his disloyalty.

There are many times in our lives when we are given second chances
and experience great mercy. Perhaps you have been given another chance in
a damaged relationship or an important opportunity you thought you'd
blown. Some people would call it good luck. We know it to be a gift from
the merciful hand of God. Like Abiathar, we may be tempted to neglect
our gratefulness to God and to others for their graciousness. Make it a
point this week to remember the many "second chances" you have recently
received, and express your thanks.

Thank God for the many ways you experience His mercy.

From: jgat@mozcom.com

Ten things God won't ask on that day

1...God won't ask what kind of car you drove. He'll ask how many people
you drove who didn't have transportation.

2...God won't ask the square footage of your house, He'll ask how many
people you welcomed into your home.

3...God won't ask about the clothes you had in your closet, He'll ask how
many you helped to clothe.

4...God won't ask what your highest salary was. He'll ask if you
compromised your character to obtain it.

5...God won't ask what your job title was. He'll ask if you performed your
job to the best of our ability.

6...God won't ask how many friends you had. He'll ask how many people to
whom you were a friend.

7...God won't ask in what neighborhood you lived, He'll ask how you
treated your neighbors.

8...God won't ask about the color of your skin, He'll ask about the
content of your character.

9...God won't ask why it took you so long to seek Salvation. He'll
lovingly take you to your mansion in heaven, and not to the gates of
Hell.

10...God won't have to ask how many people you forwarded this to, He
already knows whether or not you are ashamed to share this information
with your friends.


From: noeljaph@yahoo.com

Potato Chips

A little boy wanted to meet God. He knew it was a long trip to where God
lived, so he packed his suitcase with a bag of potato chips and a six-pack
of root beer and started his journey.

When he had gone about three blocks, he met an old woman. She was sitting
in the park, just staring at some pigeons. The boy sat down next to her
and opened his suitcase. He was about to take a drink from his root beer
when he noticed that the old lady looked hungry, so he offered her some
chips. She gratefully accepted it and smiled at him.

Her smile was so pretty that the boy wanted to see it again, so he offered
her a root beer. Again, she smiled at him. The boy was delighted! They sat
there all afternoon eating and smiling, but they never said a word.

As twilight approached, the boy realized how tired he was and he got up to
leave; but before he had gone more than a few steps, he turned around, ran
back to the old woman, and gave her a hug. She gave him her biggest smile
ever.

When the boy opened the door to his own house a short time later, his
mother was surprised by the look of joy on his face. She asked him, "What
did you do today that made you so happy?" He replied, "I had lunch with
God." But before his mother could respond, he added, "You know what? She's
got the most beautiful smile I've ever seen!"

Meanwhile, the old woman, also radiant with joy, returned to her home. Her
son was stunned by the look of peace on her face and he asked, "Mother,
what did you do today that made you so happy?" She replied! "I ! ate
potato chips in the park with God." However, before her son responded, she
added, "You know, he's much younger than I expected."

Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a
listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of
which have the potential to turn a life around. People come into our lives
for a reason, a season, or a lifetime! Embrace all equally!

Have lunch with God.......bring chips.

From: JeanAustria@astec-power.com

Sacrifice

In the time before Christ, the Jewish people offered blood sacrifices. An
unblemished male animal was ceremonially killed and its blood sprinkled
about the altar. The carcass was then placed on the altar and ignited,
becoming consumed by the flames.

Since we no longer make blood sacrifices, what does God want from us?

A proper sacrifice to God is one that creates and restores, not one that
tears down and destroys.

All too often, we think that God wants us to offer up our individuality,
to become something other than who we are, but that's not what God desires
at all. God wants the exact opposite: God wants us to sacrifice those
things that keep us from becoming unique individuals.

God doesn't call us to sacrifice ourselves to an abusive relationship,
for example. God doesn't ask us to sacrifice our talents and abilities in
order to make someone else feel better. God does ask us to sacrifice our
selfish desires and wishes in order to become more loving and giving. God
does desire that we sacrifice our greedy nature so that we can share more
freely.

God still wants sacrifice, but only those that change our hearts - not
those that destroy our spirits.

Source: Catholic Women's Devotional Bible

From: josiecruz@csb.com.ph

In His Own Way...In His Own Time

From: Michelle De Miko, "God Will Never Forsake Thee" (orig.subj.)


Liz Cobos had separated from her husband. She was emotionally devastated, and the reality of keeping her two preschool daughters fed and cared for had all but shattered her spirit. She believed in God, but where was He? She felt so alone. Reluctantly, she decided to file for financial aid, until she could find a job.

However, the paperwork would take some time, and a few days later, Liz realized that she had no money, and no food in the cupboards. She checked her purse and pockets just in case, but there was no money anywhere, no way to buy even a small bag of groceries. "I sent the girls next door because I knew my nice neighbor would feed them," she recalls. "Then I sat on the couch and cried." God, please, just a little help... just enough to buy some groceries for the next week. As Liz wept, five-year-old Crystal came back into the apartment. "Mommy, what's the matter?" she asked.

Liz didn't want Crystal to see her crying. "Nothing, honey. Why don't you go outside and do something?"

"Like what?" Crystal persisted.

"Oh." Liz wiped her eyes. "Why don't you take out the garbage? That would be a big help."

"Okay!" Crystal took the garbage bag and headed out the door and down to the apartment complex dumpsters. A moment later, she was back. "Mommy, can I keep this plastic egg that I found in the dump? I can put my Barbie doll clothes in it."

"No, honey," Liz murmured absently. "You're not supposed to bring things in from the garbage. It might be dirty." "It's not, Mommy. Please? I'll keep the egg and you can keep the money in it."

Liz's heart seemed to stop. "What money?"

"Here," Crystal said, and she pulled four twenty dollar bills out of the egg. Liz stared at the bills. The dumpsters were huge-there was no possibly way she could find the owner of those bills. Did God mean them for her? Hadn't she asked? "I will never leave you nor forsake you." The comforting words from the Bible washed over her, and she understood.

"The money bought us groceries until my aid came through," Liz says. "I found a job, and things are much better today, but I've never forgotten that moment, and the reassurance it brought me." It wasn't so much the money itself, she says, but the certainty that God was near and caring for her, answering her prayer in His own way, in His own time. "Nothing is impossible with Him."

From: jgat@mozcom.com

_______________________________________
EDSAMAIL. Internet the way YOU WANT IT.
www.edsamail.com.ph

Claiming God's Promises When We Hurt

Excerpted from "Healthy Habits for Spiritual Growth," by Luis Palau

Several years ago a submarine sank, with all its crew, off the Atlantic coast of North America. When the vessel was eventually located, divers were sent down to assess the damage and the possibility of salvaging the wreck. As the divers neared the hull of the vessel, they were surprised to hear the pounding of a message in Morse code. It was evident someone actually was alive inside the submarine. The message was a frantic question beat against the walls of the aquatic tomb: "Is there hope? Is there hope?"

You and I ponder that same question when a particular problem or tragedy strikes us. Who, after all, is totally free in this life from the crushing pain of losing a loved one, or the frustration of unemployment, or the anguish of a fragmented home, or any of a hundred other problems?

We feel trapped and submerged by the weight of our circumstances and wonder, "Is there hope? Is there really any hope of overcoming this problem?"

We often remember Romans 8:28 in such times: "We know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." Vance Havner commented, "Paul did not say, 'We understand how all things work together for good'; he said, 'We know that they do.'" That promise is a solid anchor when the storms of life beat heavily against us.

The apostle Paul had claimed that very promise many times before he ever penned his famous letter to the Romans. As one of God's pilgrims passing through this world, he knew what it was to suffer hardship, persecution, indifference, betrayal, loneliness, stonings, beatings, shipwreck, nakedness, destitution, sleeplessness, and immense pressure.

What kept Paul from going under? I believe it was his utter confidence in the God who promises to sustain us no matter what. At the end of his life he could say, "I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him for that day" (2 Timothy 1:12). What had Paul entrusted to God? His very life! In the Old Testament we read, "You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in you" (Isaiah 26:3). That promise applies to us even today, as the New Testament repeatedly affirms.

Are you facing a difficult problem today? Commit yourself anew to the Lord. Then take the words of Philippians 4:6-7 to heart: "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." When the storms of life seem overwhelming, God wants us to experience His perfect peace.

O Father, I praise You that You understand my every sorrow and tear. I acknowledge my insufficiency to handle life's problems in my own strength. I gladly acknowledge my dependence upon You. May Your grace abound to meet my deepest needs. Sustain me as I wait upon You. Fill my heart with Your peace that passes all understanding. Thank You for Your rich provision for me this day. Amen.

From: jgat@mozcom.com

_______________________________________
EDSAMAIL. Internet the way YOU WANT IT.
www.edsamail.com.ph

When God Said No

I asked God to take away my habit.
God said, No.
It is not for me to take away, but for you to give it up.

I asked God to make my handicapped child whole.
God said, No.
His spirit is whole, his body is only temporary

I asked God to grant me patience.
God said, No.
Patience is a byproduct of tribulations;
it isn't granted, it is learned.

I asked God to give me happiness.
God said, No.
I give you blessings; Happiness is up to you.

I asked God to spare me pain.
God said, No.
Suffering draws you apart from worldly cares
and brings you closer to me.

I asked God to make my spirit grow.
God said, No.
You must grow on your own! ,
but I will prune you to make you fruitful.

I asked God for all things that I might enjoy life.
God said, No.
I will give you life, so that you may enjoy all things.

I ask God to help me LOVE others, as much as He loves me.
God said...Ahhhh, finally you have the idea.

From: ajbeuchel@yahoo.com

The Story of the Almonds

by Alan Bane

I woke up shivering the morning of Thanksgiving Day 1969. I'd pulled a
canvas tarp over me while laying on a hay bail in a barn just off the road
I was hitchhiking on, north of Sacramento going north to Oregon. Freeway 5
was closed for repairs so I found myself on some country road in the
middle of no where. I couldn't sleep with all those roosters crowing in my
ear so I quietly sneaked back to the road with my friend Tom. We saw the
sun come up to another clear crisp chilly California sunny day. The road
was completely deserted of cars for a long time until a black man in a
white pick up finally came by and graciously pulled over to pick us up. He
headed north to the freeway and let us off at the first off ramp, again in
the middle of no where.

We stood there on the side of the freeway for a long time watching the sun
slowly rise in the sky and feeling our tongues slowly swell with thirst
and hunger. Why was I doing this?

It must've been noon with the sun high and the air hot and dry. I thought,
"I must be out of God's will. Nobody has come down this road to pick us
up." I said, "Why don't we test God to see what His will is. You stand on
one side of the road and I'll stand on the other. The one who gets the
first ride, that's the way we're suppose to go."

But then my heart smote me. I hadn't come this far to go back. I knew it
was for God that I'd come this far. How could I be so irresolute? I wasn't
anywhere near dead yet. I sure was in pain though, physical, mental,
emotional, and spiritual pain.

Then I said, "Why don't we go over to that almond grove and see if we can
get something to eat?" Tom agreed. So we jumped the fences and started
going from tree to tree. Not one almond! I saw another grove on the other
side of the drainage ditch and said, "Let's try over there." I found one
hanging on a tree and another on the ground, but nothing else. So we gave
up.

We jumped the fences back to the road and stood there quiet, thinking,
praying. No traffic. I thought about all the early settlers, our
forefathers who had walked into this land a hundred years ago. I thought
about the early saints and Israelites who'd persevered though their
wildernesses. Finally it came to me I shouldn't just be dependent on some
driver who might pass by. If God wants me to go to Oregon I could walk
just like all those who've paved this road before me. So I said to Tom,
"Let's walk to a better placeto hitchhike." I could see a long way. I
didn't see a better place to hitchhike. But any place was better than
here.

So we started walking through what felt like the Sahara desert. The sun
baking down on our skin, the dry wind, the thirst, and the breeze of the
cars going by. I didn't even turn to the traffic any more, I just put out
my left arm, thumb up.

I was looking down at the gravel and sand I was walking on just putting
one foot in front of the other. Then I saw a pebble that looked strangely
different than the others and stopped to look at it. Tom caught up and
said, "What are you looking at?" I bent down and picked up an almond just
laying there along the side of the road.

We joked and rejoiced and said grace and very carefully divided it up
savoring every morsel. Then we started stepping down the road again. Again
and again we stopped and stooped to pick up more almonds until we started
putting them in our pockets.

Then a white station wagon pulled over in front of us and we ran up to it.
The couple inside offered us a ride and said to get in the back seat. When
we got in we saw the floor covered with almonds! They were almond growers
who had just harvested. They said, "Help yourself."

They gave us a ride to a perfect place to hitchhike. We'd hardly got out
of the car before someone else stopped and gave us a ride all the way to
the front door of the commune we were going to in central Oregon, 10 miles
off the freeway. We ate Thanksgiving dinner with them and slept under warm
blankets that night.

Just before I woke up the next morning I heard a voice asking me, "Where
were the almonds?" I said, "Lord, not on the trees, but on the road." Then
was opened to me even further the scripture in Matthew 6:31 - 33, "... Do
not be anxious then, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we
drink?' or 'With what shall we clothe ourselves?'. For all these things
the Gentiles eagerly seek; for your heavenly Father knows that you need
all these things. But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness; and
all these things shallbe added to you. Therefore do not be anxious for
tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble
of its own. ..."

Forwarded by John & Helen Whitehead.

From: jgat@mozcom.com

Mere Possessions *

* By Marjorie Holmes, "Hold Me Up A Little Longer, Lord"
** jgat


DEAR LORD,

Help me not to put much stock in possessions, Lord. Mere
possessions.

I want things, sure I want things. Life seems to be a continual
round of wanting things, from the first toys we fight over as children, on
through our thrilled counting of the wedding presents...Not primarily love
and friends and pride in what we can do, but things.

Sometimes I'm ashamed of how much I want things. For my husband and
the house and the children. Yes, and for myself. And this hunger is
enhanced every time I turned on the TV or walk through the shopping mall.
My senses are tormented by the dazzling world of things.

Lord, cool this fires of wanting. Help me to realize how futile is
this passion for possession. Because--and this is what strips my values to
the bone -- one of my best friends died today in the very midst of her
possessions.

The beautiful home she and her husband worked so hard to achieve,
finally finished; furnished the way she wanted it, with the best of
everything...The oriental rugs she was proud of. The formal French sofas.
The paintings. The china and glass and handsome silver service...She has
been snatched away, while silently, almost cruelly, they remain.

Lord, I grieve for my friend. My heart hurts that she had so
little time to enjoy her things. Things she had earned and that meant so
much to her. But let me learn something from this loss:

That possessions are meant to enhance life, not to become the main
focus of living. That we come into the world with nothing, we leave with
nothing.

Help me not to put much stock in mere possessions, Lord.

------------------------------------------
You'll find at the journey's end,
Things don't matter much anymore;
For all things do fade away,
Save all that we offered to the Lord.**
------------------------------------------

From: jgat@mozcom.com

"I Cannot Do Anymore...I Need You, Lord "

By Ben Carson, Think Big


If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all
without finding fault, and it will be given to him." (James 1:5)

Once when I was operating deep inside a brain, an artery broke loose
in an area that I couldn't see. This resulted in vigorous bleeding.
Because we couldn't see where the blood was coming from, it looked as
though we might lose the patient. Without consciously deciding to do so, I
just started praying for God's help. I have learned to act on intuition in
such emergencies.

Just then I did something that, in the telling, seems almost
irrational. I placed the bipolar forceps into the pool of blood where the
bleeding might be coming from. It started sucking away the blood. I
pleaded, "God, you've got to stop this bleeding. Please, God, I cannot
control it."

Strange as it may seem at that instant the bleeding stopped without
my ever being able to locate its cause. Afterward, the patient awakened
and recovered fully.

At another time we had a man from Bermuda who had trigeminal
neuralgia (an extremely painful condition of face caused by irritation of
the fifth cranial nerve). Before we had methods to treat this condition,
many patients committed suicide because of the constant pain.

I had to put the needle into an exceptionally small hole at the base
of his skull and pass it up to the level of the ganglion. This process
requires a skill in which I had to develop a great deal of proficiency
during my days as a medical student. On that particular day, however, no
matter what I did, I could not get the needle into the hole. I had worked
at this for nearly two hours before it occurred to me that perhaps I
should just give up.

Just before quitting, I finally prayed: "Lord I cannot get the needle
in. There is no way I can do it. I am going to take this needle and push
it in one more time. I want You to guide it into the hole, because I
cannot seem to do it."

I took the needle, pushed it, and went right through the hole as if
it had a mind of its own. A feeling of deep gratitude came over me. I feel
that it is a little risky to relate an incident like this because I can
almost hear skeptics say, "Oh, come on, Ben, that is ridiculous. Why would
you even say a thing like that?"

Yet, for me it is not absurd; it is what I expect. In talking with
other Christian surgeons, I have learned that some of them understand
because they have experienced similar feelings of God guiding their
hands.

When we develop a relationship with God and believe that He is
working through us, we still have moments of helplessness---when God has
an opportunity to do something for us. This happens when we give our
best---which, at the particular moment, does not seem good enough. Ready
to give up, we say aloud or silently, "I cannot do anymore, Lord. I need
You."

At such moments we provide God with the opportunity to respond. Truly,
"Man's eternity is God's opportunity."

From: jgat@mozcom.com

Don't Hurt Others

By Neil T. Anderson w/ Joanne Anderson, "Daily in Christ"

An unhealthy way to respond to emotions is to thoughtlessly let
all hang out, to tell anybody and everybody exactly how you feel. The
apostle Peter is a great example of indiscriminate expression. Peter was
the John Wayne of the New Testament -- a real door slammer. He had no
problem telling anyone what was on his mind or how he felt. I like to
refer to him as the one-legged apostle because he always had one foot in
his mouth.

Peter's impulsive nature got him into trouble more than once. In
one setting, he was the spokesperson for God, and Jesus said to him,
"Blessed are you Simon Barjona, because flesh and blood did not reveal
this to you, but My father who is in heaven" (Matthew 16:17). Then
moments later he spoke for Satan, and Jesus had to rebuke him: Get behind
Me Satan!" (verses 22-23).

It was Peter who missed the point on the Mount of Transfiguration by
suggesting that they build three tabernacles to honor Moses, Elijah, and
the Master. It was Peter who impulsively whacked off the ear of
Caiaphas' servant during Jesus arrest in Gethsemane. And it was Peter
who promised to follow Jesus anywhere, even to death, then swearing only
hours later that he never knew Him. The fact that Peter became a leader
in the New Testament church is evidence of the powerful transformation
effected by the Holy Spirit.

Indiscriminate expression of emotions may be somewhat healthy for
you, but it may be unhealthy for others. "There, I'm glad I got that off
my chest," you may say after an outburst. But in the process you just
destroyed your wife, your husband, or children. Paul admonished: "Be
angry, and yet do not sin" (Eph. 4:26). If you wish to be angry and not
sin, then be angry the way Christ was: Be angry at sin. He turned over
the tables, not the money changers.

Let everyone be quick to hear, slow to speak and slow to anger; for
the anger of man does not achieve the righteousness of God (James
1:19,20).

-----------
PRAYER: Dear Lord, cultivate my heart and teach me to be humble. Grant
that I shall express myself in a gracious manner so I don't hurt others
as I seek emotional release. Help me to be quick to apologize and seek
forgiveness for my indiscriminate expression and hurting words. Make me
Your instrument of peace and reconciliation as I acknowledge my
indiscretion and fault.


From: jgat@mozcom.com

A Misleading Impression *

By J.David Branon
*From: Our Daily Bread


He wasn't wearing a shirt, and his car looked like it was a refugee from
a junkyard. Yet the unkempt man who stopped to help them on the Chicago
expressway was, to my friends, angelic.

While traveling the busy highways of Chicago, Ken and Sue's van blew a
tire. As they edged toward the shoulder of the expressway, with cars
flying past, they quickly prayed for help. That's when the man in the
rusty car waved and yelled to them that he would help.

Most of us are reluctant to trust complete strangers, so my friends were
understandably wary of this scraggly man.Yet they soon found out that he
was a mechanic who himself had been stranded just days earlier. He
grabbed his tools, got to work on their car, and quickly had them back on
the road.

We often judge people by the way they look or dress ,or by what kind of
car they drive. Sure, we must be careful whom we trust, but that doesn't
mean we should dismiss everyone who doesn't dress like a television news
anchor.

People come in all sizes, colors, and conditions. Before we set aside
those who don't match our personal standards, we need to remind ourselves
that our Creator doesn't play favorites (Gal. 2:6). Neither should we.


From: jgat@mozcom.com

What Lies Ahead

By Brian Shipman, WWJD Today (excerpts)
* jgat

Jessica knew she wasn't supposed to be at this party. But it wasn't
her fault --- not really. She was on her way to the movies, just like
she told her parents, when she and Kathryn ran into a group of friends
who invited them into the party. "Let's go!" Jessica said to Kathryn.
"I've always wanted to go to one of these parties." Jessica was surprised
at how easily the lie left her lips. At Jessica's insistence, the two
followed their friends to the abandoned warehouse. The party was already
in full swing.

Later, when it already became apparent that Jessica was going to be
late getting home, she found a pay phone and called her parents. "Mom?
Kathryn and I decided to stop for Pizza after the movie and ran into some
friends. I'll be late, OK? Oh, yes, the movie was great. You need to see
it. Yes, I'll see you soon, Bye."

It was just a little white lie. What could it hurt? And what could
it hurt to take her first drink of alcohol? She hated the taste, but the
lie in her smile said she loved it. And what could it hurt to dance with
this great-looking guy? And what could it hurt to take another drink that
he offered her?

When Jessica woke up the next morning, still groggy from the drug
the cute guy had slipped into her drink, she realized that her lies had
hurt more than she could have ever imagined.

Jessica found out the hard way that lies are a stairway that goes
only one way: down. She lied to her friends. She lied to her parents. She
lost the trust of her parents and her best friend, and she lost her
innocence to a guy she never saw again.

...Jesus explained that Satan is the father of lies. His tactics are so
sly. If he can just get you to tell one little white lie today, then
tomorrow he can take you one step further down the stairway with a bigger
lie. Before you know it, you find yourself some place where you never
intended to be, and Satan is laughing all the while.

...Don't hold Satan's hand and start down that stairway. Run to Jesus,
hold His hand, and always speak the truth.

----------------
DEAR LORD, I pray for my child out there amidst the dangers of this
world. Help her to live a holy life. Let her boldly say no to drugs,
premarital sex, and any temptations that would try to keep her from
walking in Your paths. Maker her upright and strong when faced with peer
pressure. Help her to see sin for what it is and grant her the courage
to stand against evil influences. Reveal Your plans and purposes for her
in this life, and make her pursue her God-given destiny.*

From: jgat@mozcom.com

For you Friend

What would you do if every time you wanted someone they would never be
there?

What would you do if for every moment you were truly happy there would be
10 moments of sadness?

What would you do if your best friend died tomorrow and you never got to
tell them how you felt?

So, I just wanted to say, even if I never talk to you again in my life,
you are special to me and you have made a difference in my life.

I look up to you, respect you, and truly cherish you.

=====
Let old friends know you haven't forgotten them, and tell new friends you
never will.

Remember, everyone needs a friend, someday you might feel like you have NO
FRIENDS at all, just remember this e-mail and take comfort in knowing
somebody out there cares about you and always will.

=====
I'll Always Be There
In times of trouble,
In times of need,
If you are feeling SAD,
You can count on me.
I will give you a wink,
Until you smile,
give you a hug,
And stand by your side.
I'll be there for you till the end,
I'll always and forever, be your friend!

From: larrainecriss@email.com

The Burden of Discontent

By Max Lucado, "Experiencing the Heart of Jesus" (excerpt)


Come to me to the most populated prison in the world. The facility has
more inmates than bunks. More prisoners than plates. More residents
than resources.

Come to me to the world's most oppressive prison. Just ask the inmates;
they will tell you. They are overworked and underfed. Their walls are
bare and bunks are hard.

No prison is so populated, no prison so oppressive, and, what's more, no
prison is so permanent. Most inmates never leave. They never escape. They
never get released. They serve a life sentence in this overcrowded,
underprovisioned facility.

The name of the prison? You'll see it over the entrance. Rainbowed over
the gate are four cast-iron letters that spell out its name:

W-A-N-T

The prison of want. You've seen her prisoners. They are "in want."
They want something.They want something bigger. Nicer. Faster. Thinner.
They want.

They don't want much, mind you. They want just one thing. One new
job. One new car. One new house. One new spouse. They don't want much.
They want just one.

And when they have "one," they will be happy. And they are right --
they will be happy. When they have "one," they will leave the prison.
But then it happens. The new car smell passes. The new job gets old.
The neighbors buy a larger television set. The new spouse has bad
habits. The sizzle fizzles, and before you know it, another ex-con
breaks parole and returns to jail.

Are you in prison? You are if you feel better when you have more and
worse when you have less. You are if joy is one delivery away, one
transfer away, one award away, or one make-over away. If your happiness
comes from something you deposit, drive, drink, or digest, then face it
-- you are in prison, the prison of want.

From: jgat@mozcom.com

Money-Smart Kids

"Too many kids only think about the "in" name brand or look when they go
shopping, and put pressure on their parents to have the best."

How do we develop our attitudes about money? Are there certain
personality types that are more inclined to be savers? Spendthrifts?

A woman was telling me about her nephew, who from a very early age,
has always been very close with his money. His mom was a single mom,
and so they had to watch every penny they spent. But one day, when a big
kids' movie came out, they splurged and she took him to see the movie
that everyone wanted to see. She went to buy popcorn, but didn't quite
have enough money. She quickly borrowed some from her son.

Sitting in the darkened theater, waiting for the "must see" movie
to begin, all of a sudden she noticed her son was crying.

"What is the matter?" she inquired sympathetically.

"I want my money back," he whimpered.

While we can understand a three-year-old worrying about getting his
money back and say it is just immaturity, in this case the boy grew up
to be a teen who still knows the value of a dollar.

I've noticed with our own daughters that one has a very casual
attitude toward money, figuring things will work out in the end. Another
has always been thriftier, while the third seems to be a combination.
Just this morning they were discussing their bank accounts: one said she
was getting worried because she only had $400 while the other only had
$70 to her name and wasn't overly stressed.

I was amused when I heard of one teenage boy who was so thrifty
that he was known to break up with his girlfriends right before Christmas
or a birthday, when he'd have to buy them a present. So the family knew
things were serious when he decided one girl was special enough to keep
going together right through Christmas!

But regardless of what kind of attitude toward money seems to come
as "original equipment," one of the most important lessons we parents
teach is how to handle money.

Too many kids only think about the "in" name brand or look when
they go shopping, and put pressure on their parents to have the best.
One way to help cure this urge is to put kids on a clothing allowance
when they reach a certain age, maybe middle school. They get so much
clothing money allotted each spring or fall, and when it is used up,
there will be no more clothes until next season. Our daughters learned
to appreciate this method. They soon learn that the dollars will go
further if they buy from the discount department store instead of the in
shops. They might even decide to sew, or shop second hand.

One book, Money Savvy Kids, by J. Raymond Albrekson (WaterBrook
Press), centers on teaching five faith-based guiding principles to
children in regard to money: the importance of work, giving, saving,
spending carefully, and avoiding debt. "Today's kids are at greater risk
than ever of buying into the instant-wealth culture that dominates our
society," he notes.

William Wood, a professor of economics at James Madison University,
Harrisonburg, Va., has written a forthcoming book, Plain Money, which is
an overall guide to handling money. As a college professor, he says he
has seen too many students who left home without having had to make
spending choices and face the consequences. The result is young adults
who don't know how to handle money. "Young people can become financially
responsible if they face increasing privileges, and increasing
accountability, as they grow up," he says. "Gradually they are given
more and more responsibility, until as young adults they can stand on
their own."

I think this is the key to children learning the value of a dollar,
and the value of their own hard work.

Another Way column by Melodie Davis

From: jgat@mozcom.com

Never Too Late [True Story]*

* From: Hot Illustrations for Youth Talks by Wayne Rice
** adapted


On June 8, 1972, a nine-year-old Vietnamese girl, her clothes
flaming from gasoline bombs, fled the American-led assault on her village
of Trang Bang. With her eyes screwed shut and her mouth spread wide in a
scream of pain, she was captured on film in America's most remembered
Vietnam wartime photo.

In Officer John Plummer's nightmares, this picture flashed huge, in
black and white, to a sound track of children screaming. His order had
directed bombers to shower Kim Phuc's village with the chemical
explosives. For years, guilt over destroying and maiming the villagers
haunted the officer. Women and alcohol were his escape of choice.

Twenty years after the destruction of the village, Officer Plummer
asked Christ to take control of his life , unleashing God's ultimate
power to end guilt. Although free from guilt, he carried inside himself
scars somehow linked to the thick white scars on the neck, arm, and back
of the now-grown Vietnamese girl. Six years later, Plummer knew he
needed to find her. In an effort to meet her face to face, he tracked
her down while she was visiting America.

Unlike the June 1972 event, no photographer captured the moment
when Plummer explained to Kim Phuc who he was. But in the middle of a
busy sidewalk, the soldier, now 49 years old, and the child, now 33 years
old, embraced. "She just opened her arms to me," Plummer later said. "I
fell into her arms sobbing. All I could say is, "I'm sorry. I'm sorry."

"It's all right," she replied as she patted Plummer's back, "I
forgive, I forgive."

-------
** It is our Christian responsibility to seek forgiveness for the wrong
we have done to God and to people we've hurt. With God, repenting of our
sins and asking pardon for them is never too late. "If we acknowledge
our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive our sins and cleanse
us from every wrongdoing. If we say, 'We have not sinned,'...His Word is
not in us" (1 John 1: 9-10). For Jesus' sake let us ask forgiveness
from our family and friends for the wrong we have done and pardon those
who have asked forgiveness from us. Nothing you've ever done is too bad
to ask forgiveness for. Saying sorry to those we have hurt and asking
for forgiveness is never too late.

From: jgat@mozcom.com

Footprints In The Sand...A New Version

Imagine you and the Lord Jesus are walking down the road together.
For much of the way, the Lord's footprints go along steadily,
consistently, rarely varying the pace.
But your footprints are a disorganized stream of zigzags, starts, stops,
turnarounds, circles, departures, and returns.
For much of the way, it seems to go like this, but gradually your
footprints come more in line with the Lord's, soon paralleling His
consistently.
You and Jesus are walking as true friends! This seems perfect, but
then an interesting thing happens: Your footprints that once etched
the sand next to Jesus' are now walking precisely in His steps.
Inside His larger footprints are your smaller ones, you and Jesus are
becoming one.
This goes on for many miles, but gradually you notice another change.
The footprints inside the large footprints seem to grow larger.
Eventually they disappear altogether.
There is only one set of footprints-they have become one.
This goes on for a long time, but suddenly the second set of footprints is
back.
This time it seems even worse! Zigzags all over the place.
Stops.
Starts.
Gashes in the sand.
A variable mess of prints.
You are amazed and shocked.
Your dream ends.
Now you pray: "Lord, I understand the first scene with zigzags and
fits.
I was a new Christian; I was just learning .
But You walked on through the storm and helped me learn to walk with You."

"That is correct." "And when the smaller footprints were inside of
Yours, I was actually learning to walk in Your steps; followed You very
closely." "Very good.
You have understood everything so far." "When the smaller footprints
grew and filled in Yours, I s pose that I was becoming like You in every
way."
"Precisely." "So, Lord, was there a regression or something? The
footprints separated, and this time it was worse than at first." There
is a pause as the Lord answers with a smile in His voice.
"You didn't know? That was when we danced."

To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven: A
time to weep, a time to laugh, A time to mourn, and a time to dance.
Ecclesiastes 3:1,4.

I ASKED GOD I asked for a flower, He gave me a garden.
I asked for a tree, He gave me a forest.
I asked for a river, He gave me an ocean.
I asked for a friend, He gave me "YOU."

From: edignadice@ispbonanza.com.ph

Creative Church Announcements

Under same management for over 2000 years..

Soul food served here.

Tithe if you love Jesus! Anyone can honk!

Beat the Christmas rush, come to church this Sunday!

Don't wait for the hearse to take you to church.

Don't give up. Moses was once a basket case.

Life has many choices. Eternity has two. What's yours?

Worry is interest paid on trouble before it is due.

Preach the gospel at all times. Use words if necessary.

Prevent truth decay. Brush up on your Bible.

It's hard to stumble when you're down on your knees.

What part of 'THOU SHALT NOT' don't you understand?

A clear conscience makes a soft pillow.

The wages of sin is death. Repent before payday.

Never give the devil a ride. He will always want to drive.

Can't sleep? Try counting your blessings.

Forbidden fruit creates many jams.

Christians, keep the faith -- but not from others!

Satan subtracts and divides. God adds and multiplies.

If you don't want to reap the fruits of sin, stay out of the devil's
orchard.

To belittle is to be little.

Don't let the littleness in others bring out the littleness in you.

God answers kneemail.


From: josiecruz@csb.com.ph

That's Success

It's doing your job the best you can
And being just to your fellow man;
It's making money, but holding friends
And true to your aims and ends.
It's figuring how and learning why
And looking forward and thinking high
And dreaming a little and doing much.
It's keeping always in closest touch
With what is finest in word and deed;
It's being thorough, yet making speed;
It's daring blithely the field of chance
While making labor a brave romance;
It's going onward despite defeat
And fighting staunchly, but keeping sweet;
It's being clean and it's playing fair;
It's laughing lightly at Dame Despair;
It's looking up at the stars above
And drinking deeply of life and love.
It's struggling on with the will to win
But taking loss with a cheerful grin;
It's sharing sorrow and work and mirth
And making better this good old earth;
It's serving, striving through strain and stress;
It's doing your noblest - that's Success!

by B. Braley

From: hazelmarie@yahoo.com

Rio Diaz-Cojuangco is 'Safely Home'

MANILA, October 4, 2004 (STAR) FUNFARE by Ricardo F. Lo - "I am now at home in heaven; All's happy, all so bright! There is perfect joy and beauty In this everlasting light. All the pain and grief are over, Every restless tossing past; I am now at peace forever, Safely home in heaven at last. Did you wonder I so calmly Trod the Valley of the Shade? Oh! but Jesus' love illumined Every dark and fearful glade. And He came Himself to meet me In that way so hard to tread; And with Jesus' arm to lean on, Could I have one doubt or dread? They you must not grieve so sorely, For I love you dearly still; Try to look beyond earth's shadows, Pray to trust our Father's Will. There is work still waiting for you, So you must not idle stand; Do your work while life remaineth - You shall rest in Jesus' land. When the work is all completed, He will gently call you home; Oh, the rapture of the meeting! Oh, the joy to see you come! "

That's the poem called Safely Home (I don't know by whom) sent to me not so long ago by Rio Diaz who is now "safely home" after a long-drawn six-year battle with the Big C.

Yes, she lost the battle but she won the war. She was a brave warrior until the very end, with, to quote another poet, "head bloody but unbowed." (See related story on her last moments on Page 1.) I visited Rio at the Stanford University Medical Center in Palo Alto, California, last Aug. 3, two months before she went "safely home" last Sunday, Oct. 3, 7:30 p.m. at the Seton Hospital, also in California, where she was moved a month ago after spending several days at home.

During that one-minute visit, Rio was all smiles even if I knew that she was in pain, covered from the neck down with a white blanket, shedding quiet tears as she expressed regrets that she couldn't show me around the big mall nearby. That was very Rio, eager to entertain even when she was suffering.

She was surrounded by her loved ones - husband Charlie Cojuangco (Negros Occidental Representative), their children Jaime and Claudia who were curled up on the sofa beside their mama's bed, and three of Rio's sisters (Aurora, Georgie and Ruby).

"In 1998," said sister Gloria, who had been paying Rio regular visits, "she was given three months to live. It's a miracle that she lived for six years."

Anyway, I will let Rio herself retell her oft-told story of faith, hope and charity in the testimony (published in this corner last year) she delivered on Aug. 17 last year, three days after her birthday, during the 19th anniversary of the Christ's Commission Fellowship (CCF) at the Old ULTRA. Here it is, in Rio's own words:

"Six months ago, my family was preparing for my funeral, but I stand here before you today by God's grace because He still has a purpose for my life. Let me share with you my story.

In April, 1991, I began to host Eat, Bulaga!, a noontime show that brought me fame beyond my wildest dreams. I earned good money while I made people laugh. What a blessing!

October of 1993, I met Charlie. Single and good-looking, this guy has a terrific sense of humor, a man with a big heart. Kung sa beauty contestant, "beauty and brains." At a certain point in our relationship, we both knew God brought us to be together . . . for life.

In August, 1994, we were married. After four wonderful years of marriage, God blessed us with two children, Claudia and Jaime. Thirteen years earlier, I was blessed with a son, Ali, from a previous relationship. May of 1998, Charlie became Congressman and I became Vice Mayor of Pontevedra (Negros Occidental). November of the same year, during a routine check-up, they discovered some abnormalities in my stomach area which, the doctors said, could be solved by a minor procedure.

A few days later, my supposedly one-hour surgery turned out to be a six-hour-and-a-half surgery. I was diagnosed with Stage 4 cancer. Cancer? No one had cancer in the family. My life flashed before me. My world suddenly caved in. The doctors were quite frank. They told us that I had only a couple of months to live. Stage 4 cancer is like a death sentence.

As my doctor was speaking, I didn't understand a word he said because all I could think of was Charlie, my children, my family, my in-laws. I would whisper, "Lord, help me . . . help them, Lord!" They're all suffering. I don't know how to comfort them.

The day before my first chemotherapy, I said, "Lord, just tell me you're in control. Tell me that no one made a mistake and I'll be fine no matter what, Lord." Somebody gave me a devotional book entitled Streams in the Desert which I read at 3 o'clock in the morning. It said, "This is my doing. Your weakness needs my strength and your safety lies in letting me fight for you. You did not come to this place by accident. You are exactly where I meant you to be. You were so busy that I could not get your attention and I wanted to teach you some of my greatest truths. The pain will leave you as soon as you learn to see me in all things."

These words became the pillow on which I rested my weary head. I surrendered to God all my fears, all my burdens and my family as I began my journey of trials. I focused on His promises as Jesus said, "Surely I am with you always."

By God's gracious mercy and beyond all medical explanations, after six months of chemotherapy I went on remission. Eight months later, the cancer was back. More surgery, more chemo. And then again, God allowed healing for me. The best lesson I am learning from this is how God allows us to enjoy life and His "moment by moment," grace.

My third bout with cancer entailed three different chemotherapies infused at the same time. The Lord allowed me to learn to Never Give Up, Never Give Up . . . Put Your Hope in God. Three times, I was at the threshold of death. Medicines and state-of-the-art treatments were not working anymore. Not all the money in the world nor the best doctors on earth can make us live if God doesn't want us to.

During those times, God comforted my heart with these verses: "Why are you downcast o my soul? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God for I will yet praise Him my Savior and my Lord." But let me tell you about my latest brush with death. After spending Christmas with my family here in Manila, I left for San Francisco in January of 2003 for my check-up. I knew there was something terribly wrong with my body. I had sleepless nights; I was steadily losing weight; I couldn't eat anything.

By the time I had completed all my tests, I was only 96 pounds. My doctor said, "The cancer has spread. You need to be confined in the hospital. Your food passage is completely blocked by the cancer. I don't know how much time you have. Not much. Maybe a month. But I promise you will not feel the pain."

I hugged Dr. Fisher and thanked him. I told him, "Don't be sad. I know God is in full control of my life."

I went home that night to make some arrangements and my daughter was fast asleep. I knelt down by her bedside and I cried, "Mama loves you so much that it hurts. Lord, you know how much I love my Ali, my Claudia and my Jaime. You gave them to Charlie and me and I thank You. I know in my heart that Charlie will love them and watch over them. Lord, take care of my husband because I love him very much. But much more than this, it comforts me to know that I could never love them as much as You love them. I thank You, Father God."

Charlie remained by my bedside day and night, caressing me, talking to me. It pains me to think how much our husbands or wives suffer the fear of losing us.

How blessed I am to know how much my family and friends love me. The Lord allowed me to experience deep, deep, sleep. I have never ever felt that kind of peace, a peace that surpasses all understanding.

Dr. Fisher explained to Charlie that my nourishment would come from a bag of liquid attached to me, which has to be administered on a daily basis for life. I would never be able to eat or drink again. Surgery was ruled out, so was radiation. As a last recourse, it was suggested that I do the mildest chemo but if I so much as cough, he would remove it and just keep me comfortable.

I was in awe when I was told how many people were praying for me.

By God's sovereign mercy, I never coughed. One month later, my cancer level went down by half. I am now only a few points away from being on remission. And as if this weren't enough, God's incredible bonus is that I am back to my full diet. I can eat and drink anything now! Once again, the doctors were amazed. Yes, isn't our God amazing? God spared my life when Stanford doctors had given up on me.

In my heart, I knew why. God allowed this miracle in my life to show us how gracious He is and what a powerful weapon prayer can be. And that God can perform miracles in our lives, if you let Him.

I will never fully understand God's ways but I do know that God has a purpose for each of us. When God calls you to live for Him, He will invite you to be a part of something much bigger than yourself, something that requires the very best of you, something that may outline you. When God calls us to a powerful vision, it may transcend safety and it may transcend common sense because it is all about Jesus Christ. Without Jesus, we will not make it!

Do we know, do you know, what God wants you to do with your life? If you are uncertain of God's will for your life, surrender all your plans to Jesus because God's plans for us are perfect.

The cancer in my body, I did not choose. But in God's sovereignty, He allowed this affliction in my life. But I ask you, what is the cancer in your life?

Is it the cancer of unforgiveness, jealousy, lust, anger or bitterness that you are holding on to? What are the wrong choices you continue to make because they give you temporary pleasure but can permanently destroy your family - your husband or your wife or your children, your circle of influence?

If you are going through a time of terrifying darkness and despair, or are plagued by doubts that are slowly eroding your hope that things can get better, I urge you to surrender it all to God; give Him full control of your life. It is the only way to live.

Lord, forgive me for all my sins. Jesus, come into my heart; be my Lord and my Savior. In Jesus' name, I pray. Amen".

* * * E-mail reactions at: rickylo@philstar.net.ph

The Cycle of Life

Each fall the first tips of leaves at the top of the sugar
maple tree in my backyard catch my breath, always more brilliant than
other trees in the fall. I'm grateful that someone planted it there.
Instantly I'm transported to a feeling of fall and a reminder of the
continuing cycles in nature and in life.

On a brilliant October morning I take a walk through an urban
woods, grateful for the people with foresight who allow this patch of old
forest to stand, though encroached on every side by housing
developments, businesses, highways. Not far from a busy four-lane
highway, a huge old log is allowed to rot, supplying rich refreshment to
the undisturbed ground below: ants carry out the work. A squirrel lets me
get as close as three feet before scampering to the other side of a
tree. The squirrel's cheeks bulge with nuts for winter, I suppose.
Why can we accept the rhythms of life in nature, but have more
trouble with accepting the turning tables of aging? An irony hit me in
reading an article by a woman who was caring for her mother with
Alzheimer's. She wrote how, in the early stages of Alzheimer's, her
mother would frequently keep her up for hours every night, hunting for
something she had misplaced and refusing loudly to go back to bed until
she had found it. I'm sure that daughter kept her mother awake many
nights, too, as an infant. But how difficult for the situation to be
reversed.

My father is diabetic and of course shouldn't eat much candy.
He watches his diet and his weight very well (with Mom constantly looking
over his shoulder), but keeps a stash of M&M's for sweet cravings. This
summer while we were visiting them, he gave me an extra dollar one day
when I was running to the store for him: "Go across the street when
you're in town, to the dollar store where they have three packs of M&M's
for a dollar," he requested.

At the store, the clerk assumed I was getting the candy for my
children and said something about hoping the candies didn't melt in their
hands. "Actually these are for my father," I replied, recognizing again
how the tables had turned. (And I wanted to hug her for thinking I would
have children young enough to still be begging for candy.)
As teens we plead with our parents for the keys to the car, and
then we get to the place where we need to take the keys away from them.
Our parents cleaned up our messes when we had toileting accidents, and
then we get to the place where we have to clean up after our parents.
This should not be shameful: this should be as natural and as expected
as the tree in the forest returning to mulch and then to sod. Our
parents fed us as infants, and wiped our dribbled chins. We will probably
get to the place where we feed our parents, and wipe their chins. Happy
is she/he who can accept these cycles without undue mortification or
depression.

The writer of Ecclesiastes in the Old Testament scriptures many
years ago wrote eloquently: "For everything there is a season, and a
time for every matter under heaven: a time to be born, and a time to die;
a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted" (Ecclesiastes
3: 1-2).

The Creator somehow endowed the squirrel (or did he learn it
from his parents?) with the knowledge that the season of winter is
coming: you better tuck away some nuggets to carry you through the long,
chill days of winter. Later in Ecclesiastes we read the somewhat
foreboding reminder: "Remember your Creator in the days of your youth,
before the days of trouble come, and the years draw near when you will
say, 'I have no pleasure in them'" (Ecclesiastes 12:2). And here again
I'm grateful that someone had the foresight to warn me to treasure these
fleeting days, of October and life in general. My parents have prepared
me well for the later years, both by their example and their bringing me
up with an appreciation for my Creator and my place in the cycle of
life.

-- Another Way column by Melodie Davis.

From: jgat@mozcom.com

My precious friend

I know I have a friend
Who'll stay right by my side,
Never judging my mistakes,
Only filling me up with pride

My friend, my precious friend
There is not one I know
As loyal and good as you

I have a terrific friend
That friend, my friend, is you
You're patient, kind & caring
And honest through and through

My friend, my precious friend
There are but scattered few
As special as you

I have a wonderful friend
Who can uplift my soul
How did I have such luck
To meet one pure & whole?

My friend, my precious friend
I am so lucky To be blessed by you
Thank You for being there.

From: rbabenido@selecta.com.ph

_______________________________________
EDSAMAIL. Internet the way YOU WANT IT.
www.edsamail.com.ph

Always Available

A little boy was spending his Saturday morning playing in his sandbox. He had with him his box of cars and trucks, his plastic pail, and a shiny, red plastic shovel. In the process of creating roads and tunnels in the soft sand, he discovered a large rock in the middle of the sandbox. The lad dug round the rock, managing to dislodge it from the dirt. With no little bit of struggle, he pushed and nudged the rock across the sandbox by using his feet. (He was a very small boy and the rock was huge.)

When the boy got the rock to the edge of the sandbox, however, he found that he couldn't roll it up and over the little wall. Determined, the little boy shoved, pushed, and pried, but every time he thought he had made some progress, the rock tipped and then fell back into the sandbox.
The little boy grunted, struggled, pushed, shoved -- but his only reward was to have the rock roll back, smashing his chubby fingers. Finally he burst into tears of frustration.

All this time the boy's father watched from his living room window as the drama unfolded. At the moment the tears fell, a large shadow fell across the boy and the sandbox. It was the boy's father. Gently but firmly he said, "Son, why didn't you use all the strength that you had available?"

Defeated, the boy sobbed back, "But I did, Daddy, I did! I used all the strength that I had!"
"No, son," corrected the father kindly. "You didn't use all the strength you had. You didn't ask me."

With that the father reached down, picked up the rock, and removed it from the sandbox.
Do you have "rocks" in your life that need to be removed? Are you discovering that you don't have what it takes to lift them? There is One who is always available to us and willing to give us the strength we need. When we are broken in spirit and our strength is spent, we can turn to our Savior Jesus.

"When we are weak and in despair,
Our mighty Lord is near;
He gives us strength and hope,
With Him, all things we can cope."

From: jgat@mozcom.com