The Scripture Tree (Click on the flowers)

House For Sale

Simple Joy

P-----pray
U----until
S----something
H----happens
 

"The Mysterious Hereafter"

While visiting an elderly parishioner, the minister asked, "Patty, do you ever think about the hereafter"?
"Oh Pastor", she replied, "I think about the hereafter almost every day.  I go into the bedroom, stand there and say, Now what am I here after?  Then I go into the kitchen and say, what am I here after"?

THE BRICK
 A young and successful executive was traveling down a neighborhood street, going a bit too fast in his new Jaguar. He was watching for kids darting out from  between parked cars and slowed down when he thought he saw something.
 
 As his car passed,  no children appeared. Instead, a brick smashed into  the Jag's side door! He slammed on the brakes and  backed the Jag back to the spot where the brick had  been thrown. The angry driver then jumped out of the car,  grabbed the nearest kid and pushed him up against  a parked car shouting, "What was that all about and  who are you? Just what the heck are you doing? That's  a new car and that brick you threw is going to cost a  lot of money. Why did you do it?" The young boy was  apologetic. "Please, mister...please, I'm sorry but I  didn't know what else to do," He pleaded. "I threw the  brick because no one else would stop..." With tears  dripping down his face and off his chin, the youth > pointed to a spot just around a parked car. "It's my > brother, "he said. "He rolled off the curb and fell > out of his wheelchair and I can't lift him up." 
 
 Now sobbing, the boy asked the stunned executive,  "Would you please help me get him back into his  wheelchair? He's hurt and he's too heavy for me."  Moved beyond words, the driver tried to swallow the> rapidly swelling lump in his throat. He hurriedly  lifted the handicapped boy back into the wheelchair,  then took out a linen handkerchief and dabbed at the  fresh scrapes and cuts. A quick look told him  everything was going to be okay. "Thank you and may  God bless you," the grateful child told the stranger.  Too shook up for words, the man simply watched the  boy! push his wheelchair-bound brother down the > sidewalk toward their home. 
 
 It was a long, slow walk back to the Jaguar. The  damage was very noticeable, but the driver never  bothered to repair the dented side door. He kept the dent there to remind him of this message: "Don't go  through life so fast that someone has to throw a brick  at you to get your attention!" God whispers in our > souls and speaks to our hearts. Sometimes when we  don't have time to listen, He has to throw a brick at  us. It's our choice to listen or not.

Sometimes We Wonder...
Sometimes we wonder, "What did I do to deserve this?" or "Why did God have to do this to me?" Here is a wonderful explanation! A daughter is telling her Mother how everything is going wrong, she's failing algebra, her boyfriend broke up with her and her best friend is moving away.

  Meanwhile, her Mother is baking a cake and asks her daughter if she would like a snack, and the daughter says, "Absolutely Mom, I love your cake"
  "Here, have some cooking oil," her Mother offers. "Yuck" says her daughter.

  "How about a couple raw eggs?" "Gross, Mom!"
  "Would you like some flour then? Or maybe baking soda?" "Mom, those are all yucky!"

  To which the mother replies: "Yes, all those things seem bad all by themselves. But when they are put together in the right way , they make a wonderfully delicious cake!

  God works the same way. Many times we wonder why He would let us go through such bad and difficult times. But God knows that when He puts these things all in His order, they always work for good! We just have to trust Him and, eventually, they will all make something wonderful!
 
God is crazy about you. He sends you flowers every spring and a sunrise every morning.
 
Whenever you want to talk, He'll listen. He can live anywhere in the universe, and He chose your heart. 
  
Life may not be the party we hoped for, but while we are here we might as well dance.

STORY OF ELIJAH

The Sunday school teacher was carefully explaining the story of Elijah the Prophet and the false prophets of Baal. She explained how Elijah built the altar, put wood upon it, cut a steer in pieces, and laid it upon the altar.  And then, Elijah commanded the people of God to fill four barrels of water and pour it over the altar. He had them do this four times "Now, asked the teacher, "Can anyone in the class tell me why the Lord would have Elijah pour water over the steer on the altar?"
A little girl in the back of the room started waving her hand, "I know! I know!" she said, "To make the gravy!"

LOT'S WIFE

The Sunday School teacher was describing how Lot's wife looked back and turned into a pillar of salt, when little Jason interrupted, "My Mummy looked back once, while she was driving," he announced triumphantly, "and she turned into a telephone pole!"
 

GOOD SAMARITAN

A Sunday school teacher was telling her class the story of the Good Samaritan, in which a man was beaten, robbed and left for dead. She described the situation in vivid detail so her students would catch the drama. Then, she asked the class, "If you saw a person lying on the roadside, all wounded and bleeding, what would you do?"  A thoughtful little girl broke the hushed silence, "I think I'd throw up."

DID NOAH FISH?

A Sunday school teacher asked, "Johnny, do you think Noah did a lot of fishing when he was on the Ark?"  "No," replied David. "How could he, with just two worms?"

HIGHER POWER

A Sunday school teacher said to her children, " We have been learning how powerful kings and queens were in Bible times. But, there is a higher power.  Can anybody tell me what it is?"

One child blurted out, "Aces!"

MOSES AND THE RED SEA

Nine-year-old Joey, was asked by his mother what he had learned in Sunday school. "Well, Mom, our teacher told us how God sent Moses behind enemy lines on a rescue mission to lead the Israelites out of Egypt. When he got to the Red Sea, he had his army build a pontoon bridge and all the people walked across safely. Then, he radioed headquarters for reinforcements. They sent bombers to blow up the bridge and all the Israelites were saved."  "Now, Joey, is that really what your teacher taught you?" his mother asked. "Well, no, Mom. But, if I told it the way the teacher did, you'd never believe it!"

THE LORD IS MY SHEPHERD

A Sunday School teacher decided to have her young class memorize one of the most quoted passages in the Bible; Psalm 23. She gave the youngsters a month to learn the verse. Little Rick was excited about the task -- but, he just couldn't remember the Psalm. After much practice, he could barely get past the first line.

On the day that the kids were scheduled to recite Psalm 23 in front of the congregation, Ricky was so nervous. When it was his turn, he stepped up to the microphone and said proudly, "The Lord is my Shepherd, and that's all I need to know."

Church Smiles

There was a very gracious lady who was mailing an old family Bible to her brother in another part of the country. "Is there anything breakable in here?" asked the postal clerk. "Only the Ten Commandments," answered the lady.

While driving in Pennsylvania, a family caught up to an Amish carriage. The owner of the carriage obviously had a sense of humor, because attached to the back of the carriage was a hand printed sign ... "Energy efficient vehicle: Runs on oats and grass. Caution: Do not step in exhaust.

Sunday after church, a Mom asked her very young daughter what the lesson was about.  The daughter answered, "Don't be scared, you'll get your quilt." Needless to say, the Mom was perplexed.  Later in the day, the pastor stopped by for tea and the Mom asked him what that morning's Sunday school lesson was about.  He said "Be not afraid, thy comforter is coming."

Give me a sense of humor, Lord,
The grace to see a joke,
To get some humor out of life,
And pass it on to other folk.

WAYS TO REDUCE STRESS  

 1. Pray
 2. Go to bed on time.
 3. Get up on time so you can start the day unrushed.
 4. Say No to projects that won't fit into your time schedule, or that will compromise your mental health.
 5. Delegate tasks to capable others.
 6. Simplify and unclutter your life.
 7. Less is more. (Although one is often not enough, two are often too many.)
 8. Allow extra time to do things and to get to places.
 9. Pace yourself. Spread out big changes and difficult projects over time; don't lump the hard things all together.
 10. Take one day at a time.
 11. Separate worries from concerns. If a situation is a concern, find out what God would have you do and let go of the anxiety. If you can't do anything about a situation, forget it.
 12. Live within your budget; don't use credit cards for ordinary purchases.
 13. Have backups; an extra car key in your wallet, an extra house key buried in the garden, extra stamps, etc.
 14. K.M.S. (Keep Mouth Shut). This single piece of advice can prevent an enormous amount of trouble.
 15. Do something for the Kid in You everyday.
 16. Carry a Bible with you to read while waiting in line.
17. Get enough rest.
18. Eat right.
19. Get organized so everything has its place.
 20. Listen to a tape while driving that can help improve your quality of life.
 21. Write down thoughts and inspirations.
 22. Every day, find time to be alone.
 23. Having problems? Talk to God on the spot. Try to nip small problems in the bud. Don't wait until it's time to go to bed to try and pray.
 24. Make friends with Godly people.
 25. Keep a folder of favorite scriptures on hand.
 26. Remember that the shortest bridge between despair and hope is often a good "Thank you Jesus."
 27. Laugh.
 28. Laugh some more!
 29. Take your work seriously, but not yourself at all.
 30. Develop a forgiving attitude (most people are doing the best they can).
 31. Be kind to unkind people (they probably need it the most).
 32. Sit on your ego.
 33. Talk less; listen more.
 34. Slow down.
 35. Remind yourself that you are not the general manager of the universe.
 36 . Every night before bed, think of one thing you're grateful for that you've never been grateful for before. GOD HAS A WAY OF TURNING THINGS AROUND FOR YOU. "If God is for us, who can be against us?" (Romans 8:31)

God's Yellow Pages- - Let your fingers do the walking thru the Bible

 

How To Plant Your Garden
First, you come to the garden alone, while the dew is still on the roses....

 FOR THE GARDEN OF YOUR DAILY LIVING:
  PLANT THREE ROWS OF PEAS:
             1. Peace of mind
             2. Peace of heart
             3. Peace of soul
 PLANT FOUR ROWS OF SQUASH:
             1. Squash gossip
             2. Squash indifference
             3. Squash grumbling
             4. Squash selfishness
 PLANT FOUR ROWS OF LETTUCE:
             1. Lettuce be faithful
             2. Lettuce be kind
             3. Lettuce be patient
             4. Lettuce really love one another
 NO GARDEN IS WITHOUT TURNIPS:
             1. Turnip for meetings
             2. Turnip for service
             3. Turnip to help one another
 TO CONCLUDE OUR GARDEN WE MUST HAVE THYME:
             1. Thyme for each other
             2. Thyme for family
             3. Thyme for friends
WATER FREELY WITH PATIENCE AND CULTIVATE WITH LOVE.
THERE IS MUCH FRUIT IN YOUR GARDEN BECAUSE YOU REAP WHAT YOU SOW.

God Exists 

This is one of the best explanations of why God allows pain and suffering that I have seen.  It's an explanation other people will understand.

A man went to a barbershop to have his hair cut and his beard trimmed. As the barber began to work, they began to have a good conversation.
They talked about so many things and various subjects.

When they eventually touched on the subject of God, the barber said: "I don't believe that God exists."

"Why do you say that?" asked the customer.

"Well, you just have to go out in the street to realize that God doesn't exist.  Tell me, if God exists, would there be so many sick people?  Would there be abandoned children?  If God existed, there would be neither suffering nor pain.  I can't imagine a loving a God who would allow all of these things."

The customer thought for a moment, but didn't respond because he didn't want to start an argument. The barber finished his job and the customer left the shop. Just after he left the barbershop, he saw a man in the street with long, stringy, dirty hair and an untrimmed beard.  He looked dirty and un-kept.

The customer turned back and entered the barber shop again and he said to the barber:  "You know what? Barbers do not exist."

"How can you say that?" asked the surprised barber.  "I am here, and I am a barber.  And I just worked on you!"

"No!" the customer exclaimed.  "Barbers don't exist because if they did, there would be no people with dirty long hair and untrimmed beards, like that man outside."

"Ah, but barbers DO exist!  What happens is, people do not come to me."

"Exactly!"- affirmed the customer.  "That's the point! God, too, DOES exist!  What happens, is, people don't go to Him and do not look for Him.
That's why there's so much pain and suffering in the world."
 

I'm A Christian, by Maya Angelou

When I say .. "I am a Christian," I'm not shouting "I'm clean livin'. I'm whispering "I was lost, Now I'm found and forgiven."

 When I say ..."I am a Christian," I don't speak of this with pride. I'm confessing that I stumble, And need CHRIST to be my guide.

 When I say ... "I am a Christian," I'm not trying to be strong. I'm professing that I'm weak, And need HIS strength to carry on.

When I say ... "I am a Christian," I'm not bragging of success. I'm admitting I have failed, And need God to clean my mess.

 When I say . "I am a Christian," I'm not claiming to be perfect. My flaws are far too visible, But God believes I am worth it.

 When I say ... "I am a Christian," I still feel the sting of pain. I have my share of heartaches, So I call upon His name.

 When I say ... "I am a Christian," I'm not holier than thou. I'm just a simple sinner
Who received God's good grace somehow.

 

Click to see the Interview With God
http://www.theinterviewwithgod.com/popup-frame.html

 

You never know when God is going to bless you!!
Good things Happen when you least expect them to!!!!!!!! 

Dear Lord, I thank You for this day. I thank You for my being able to
see and to hear this morning. I'm blessed because You are a forgiving
God and an understanding God. You have done so much for me and You keep on blessing me. Forgive me this day for everything I have done, said or
thought that was not pleasing to you.

I ask now for Your forgiveness.  Please keep me safe from all danger and
harm. Help me to start this day with a new attitude and plenty of
gratitude. Let me make the best of each and every day to clear my mind
so that I can hear from You. Please broaden my mind that I can accept
all things. Let me not whine and whimper over things I have no control
over.  And it's the best response when I'm pushed beyond my limits.

I know that when I can't pray; You listen to my heart. Continue to use
me to do Your will. Continue to bless me that I may be a blessing to
others. Keep me strong that I may  help the weak... Keep me uplifted
that I may have words of encouragement for others. I pray for those that
are lost and can't find their way. I pray for those that are misjudged
and misunderstood. I pray for those  who don't know You intimately. I
pray for those that will delete this without sharing it with others. I
pray for those that don't believe.

But I thank you that I believe. I believe that God changes people and
God changes things. I pray for all my family and every family member in
their households. I pray for peace, love and joy in their homes that
they are out of debt and all their needs are met. I pray that every eye
that reads this knows there is no problem, circumstance, or situation
greater than God.  Every battle is in Your hands for You to fight.  I
pray that these words be received into the hearts of every eye that sees it. 
 

The Mayonnaise Jar and 2 Cups of Coffee

When things in your life seem almost too much to handle, when 24 hours in a day are not enough, remember the mayonnaise jar and the 2 cups of coffee.

A professor stood before his philosophy class and had some items in front of him. When the class began, he wordlessly picked up a very large and empty mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with golf balls. He then asked the students if the jar was full. They agreed that it was.

The professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into the jar. He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles rolled into the open areas between the golf balls. He then asked the students again if the jar was full. They agreed it was.
The professor next picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. Of course, the sand filled up everything else. He asked once more if the jar was full. The students responded with an unanimous "yes."

The professor then produced two cups of coffee from under the table and poured the entire contents into the jar effectively filling the empty space between the sand. The students laughed.

"Now," said the professor as the laughter subsided, "I want you to recognize that this jar represents your life. The golf balls are the important things--God, your family, your children, your health, your friends and your favorite passions--and if everything else was lost and only they remained, your life would still be full.

The pebbles are the other things that matter like your job, your house and your car.

The sand is everything else--the small stuff. "If you put the sand into the jar first," he continued, "there is no room for the pebbles or the golf balls. The same goes for life. If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff, you will never have room for the things that are important to you.

"Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness. Play with your children. Spend time with your parents. Visit with grandparents. Take time to get medical checkups. Take your spouse out to dinner. Play another 18. There will always be time to clean the house and fix the disposal. Take care of the golf balls first--the things that really matter. Set your priorities. The rest is just sand."

One of the students raised her hand and inquired what the coffee represented. The professor smiled. "I'm glad you asked.

It just goes to show you that no matter how full your life may seem, there's always room for a couple of cups of coffee with a friend."
 

May God hold you in the palm of His hand, an d Angels watch over you.

Waking Up for Church
One Sunday morning, a mother went in to wake her son and tell him it was time to get ready for church, to which he replied, "I'm not going."
"Why not?" she asked.
I'll give you two good reasons," he said. "One, they don't like me, and two, I don't like them."
His mother replied, "I'll give YOU two good reasons why YOU SHOULD go to church. (1) You're 59 years old, .
and (2) you're the pastor!"
  
The Picnic
A Jewish Rabbi and a Catholic Priest met at the town's annual 4th of July picnic. Old friends, they began their usual banter. "This baked ham is really delicious," the priest teased the rabbi.  You really ought to try it. I know it's against your religion, but I can't understand why such a wonderful food should be forbidden! You don't know what you're missing. You just haven't lived until you've tried Mrs.! Hall's prized Virginia Baked Ham. Tell me, Rabbi, when are you going to break down and try it?"
 
The rabbi looked at the priest with a big grin, and said, "At your wedding."
 
The USHER
An elderly woman walked into the local country church. The friendly usher greeted her at the door and helped her up the flight of steps. "Where would you like to sit?" he asked politely.  "The front row please," she answered. "You really don't want to do that," the usher said. "The pastor is really boring." "Do you happen to know who I am?" the woman inquired.
"No." he said. "I'm the pastor's mother," she replied indignantly. "Do you know who I am?" he asked. "No." she said. "Good," he answered.
 
Show and Tell
A kindergarten teacher gave her class a "show and tell" assignment.  Each student was instructed to bring in an object to share with the class that represented their religion. The first student got up in front of the class and said, "My name is Benjamin and I am Jewish and this is a Star of David."  The second student got up in front of the class and said, "My name is Mary. I'm a Catholic and this is a Rosary." The third student got in up front of the class and said, "My name is Tommy. I am Methodist, and this is a casserole."
 
The Best Way To Pray
A priest, a minister and a guru sat discussing the best positions for prayer, while a telephone repairman worked nearby. "Kneeling is definitely the best way to pray," the priest said. "No," said the minister. "I get the best results standing with my hands outstretched to Heaven." "You're both wrong," the guru said. "The most effective prayer position is lying down on the floor."
 
The repairman could contain himself no longer.  "Hey, fellas," he interrupted, "The best prayin' I ever did was when I was hangin' upside down from a telephone pole."

The Twenty and the One
A well-worn one-dollar bill and a similarly distressed twenty-dollar bill arrived at a Federal Reserve Bank to be retired. As they moved along the conveyor belt to be burned, they struck up a conversation.  The twenty-dollar bill reminisced about its travels all over the country.  "I've had a pretty good life," the twenty proclaimed.  Why I've been to Las Vegas and Atlantic City, the finest restaurants in New York, performances on Broadway, and even a cruise to the Caribbean."
"Wow!" said the one-dollar bill. "You've really had an exciting life!"  "So tell me," says the twenty, "where have you been throughout your lifetime?"  The one dollar bill replies, "Oh! , I've been to the Methodist Church, the Baptist Church, the Lutheran Church..." The twenty-dollar bill interrupts, "What's a church?"
 
Goat for Dinner
The young couple invited their elderly pastor for Sunday dinner. While they were in the kitchen preparing the meal, the minister asked their son, "What they were having?" "Goat," the little boy replied. "Goat?" replied the startled man of the cloth, "Are you sure about that?"  "Yep," said the youngster. "I heard Dad say to Mom, . . . 'Today is just as good as any to have the old goat for dinner.'"