Prayer of St. Francis of Assisi

Lord,
make me an instrument of Thy peace.

Where there is hatred, let us sow love;
       where there is despair, hope;
            where there is sadness, joy;
                where there is darkness, light.

O Divine Master,
      grant that we may not so much
          seek to be consoled, as to console;
              not so much to be loved, as to love.

For it is in giving that we receive,
     it is in pardoning that we are pardoned,
         it is in dying that we are born again to eternal life.

                 Source: Stories for the Heart

Recommended Reading

There is so much we can learn from the experiences of others. We can read about life, love, and liberty. We can see how others look at the world. We see the world of politics, religion through the eyes of others. Reading broadens our perspective.

                                       Quotes from Immortal Words

 Isaac Newton said, "The great ocean of truth lay all undiscovered before me."
Walt Disney said, "All our dreams can come true, if we have the courage to
 pursue them."

Evangelista Torricelli (1608-1647) Italian physicist said, after his invention of
the barometer in 1643.
    " Is it a surprise that into the vessel, in which the mercury has no
       inclination and no repugnance, not even the slightest, to being there, it
       should enter and should rise in a column high enough to make
       equilibrium with the weight of the external air which forces it up?"

You might have wondered where some of these sayings came from:
 "One good turn deserves another"   Petronius 66 B.C.
 "See one and you've seen them all"  Robert Burton
 "The best of men cannot suspend their fate: The good die early, and the
      bad die late." Daniel Defoe
 "From the sublime to the ridiculous"    Napoleon Bonaparte
 "This is the beginning of the end"         Maurice De Talleyrand
 "Tis better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all"  
    Samuel Butler
               

                                            Recommended Reading

The Magnificent Obsession      Anne Graham Lotz

     The life of Abraham.

Immortal Words                       Terry Breverton

 History’s most memorable quotations and the stories behind them.

      Aesop and Moses and up modern times. It is over 300 pages, and one person

        per page, so you can imagine how many people are included. 

Fearless                                     Max Lucado

        Imagine a life without fear. 

America by Heart                    Sarah Palin

         Expressions  of  her  family  and  her  faith.

Decision Points                      George W. Bush

        The years of his presidency.

What in the World is going On?   Dr. David Jeremiah

   Prophecy

The Coming Economic Armageddon  Dr. David Jeremiah

   Prophecy

Stories for the Heart                Compiled by Alice Gray

    Over 100 stories to encourage the soul.

  

Broke                                         Glenn Beck

   His plan to restore our trust, truth and treasure.

Sermons of Jonathan Edwards (1703-1758)   Puritan preacher in the

18th century. He entered Yale College at the age of 13. Pastored a Congregational
Church in Massachusetts, and a missionary to Native Americans. President of
Princeton just prior to his untimely death. Instrumental in sparking the flame

that became the Great Awakening of the 18th Century.

Praying God’s Word                 Beth Moore

                Breaking free from spiritual strongholds.

FREEDOM

What a picture of freedom: free to roam, free to run, free to go anywhere, free to run in the sand, free to get your feet wet, free to breathe, free to be different, free to run with friends, free to be part of a team, free to hit the waves, free to see and feel the beauty of the ocean.

These beautiful horses remind me of the kind of freedom that all humans wish for: free to be different, free to see God's beauty, free to breathe fresh air, free to be with friends and family, free to believe, free to run in any and all directions, free from restraints. 

Horses seem to suggest strength and beauty and much more. Before they were tamed and broken in, they ran wild on the plains of the west. Running wild still has limits and boundaries. Sadly, these horses were tamed to do the will of man. Man trained them to move according to the demands of a bridle and bit. Reigns were strapped to their backs. They were pulling heavy loads and plowing fields to prepare the soil to grow crops. They were given food and a roof over their heads.

Where are these beautiful specimens of strength running? Do they have a destination? When we are able to run anywhere, in any direction, it doesn't make any difference if you are going north, south, east or west, as long as there is rest at the end of the day.

What lessons can we learn from these specimens of strength?

Be free, but don't run over others.
Be free, but be kind to one another.
Be free, but choose friends wisely.
Be free, but don't take advantage of the weak
Be free, but  be considerate and love your neighbor.
Be free, but not wild and out of control.
Be free, but not selfish.
Be free, but love God and man.
Be free and find peace and rest at the end of the day.
What freedom!

To Our Beloved Cat - Cassidy

Our beloved Cassidy died in his sleep and will be missed in our home.
He passed from this world and was transferred to a place unknown.
What happens when a cherished pet passes from this earth?
Will he find a haven of rest in his new berth?
Cassidy was our beloved cat for a dozen years.
He died in his sleep and it brought us to tears.
We will miss his cuddling in our arms,
And the unique ways he expressed his feline charm.
When we entered the room he circled our legs and feet.
We could hear his purring and feel his heart-beat.
Cassidy struggled early in his life.
A cast covered a broken leg and gave him a lot of strife.
Because of  the lack of exercise in those early years,
His weight was above average and he was bigger than his peers.
He weighed twenty pounds, and he had a heart of gold.
He loved everyone, but he was a bundle to hold.
He never complained of not having fancy foods,
But was satisfied with his lot and we loved his simple moods.
We will miss his charm, his warmth and cat calls,
And the love and affection he gave to us all.
Cassidy, wherever you are, thank you for sharing your life with us over the years.
We will treasure the loving times we had and we know you are in God's care.

The Hillbilly School Bus

Written by a Tennessee Hillbilly

Our pet sow ware yar school bus en cud ride up ta three.
Weins was jes Tenesee Hillbilly's-Billy Bob, Joey and me.

Billy Bob war the desinated diver, he beed the one wid de hat.
Erry morn weins heerd him say, "Teddy, Joey ware you at?"

Upside Billy Bob wur Teddy wif dem shoes lick a city slicker.
He mared a skinny country curl what dun made hims hart ticker and flicker.

Joey wur the end one on de sow, him dun say over and over dem golden rules.
He wud pull usins back to the straight and narrow by singing dem gospel songs on de way ta school.

When sow pas-way en de yar uf foe-de-seven,
Joey, bein one uf dem precherboys done made up and sung one uf dem songs 'bout heav'n.

After the Quake wur oar, Billy Bob, him done say, "We's agoin to IHOP for some bacon and *kish."
But beins we respect yar sow too much to eat bacon, weins went to da Cracker Barrel and order dem fish.

Weins wus just Tennessee Hillbilly's Billy Bob, Joey and me.
Our pet sow ware yar school bus en cud ride up ta three.

*Kish is hillybilly lingo for quiche.

Deliberate Destruction of Doctrine

         Using Words Beginning With The Letter "D" --- This has alliteration written all over it.

          The decorum of our forefathers' faith has departed.
          Decency has been decelerated into decimal dearth.

          The dawn of DeVinci will dawdle and dazzle some Christians
          and daunt them on the road to Damascus.
          Dastardly, daffy, despicable, demons dangle compromise before us.

          Dare we darken the Divine, and daub our doctrines and definitons of
          faith?
          Let us decelerate the decadence before we debilitate and decline decent
          declarations of doctrines.

          Demons are decoys that are decrepit deductions that clearly
          de-emphasize the Deity.
          Delight in delicious soul food that defies, deflects and diffuses the degree
          of error that demons delegate.

         Let us be delivered from the delirium and delusion of demagogues, and
         from the demonic desires of Satan.
         Demonstrate a strength that will denigrate and desecrate the desire to be
         holy, even though the cost may lead to a flaming furnace or the lion's
         den.

           Look up definitions of the "D" words if you are not sure of the
           meaning.

I Asked

I asked God for strength, that I might achieve,

I was made weak, that I might learn to humbly obey...

I asked for health, that I might do greater things.

I was given infirmity, that I might do better things...

I asked for riches, that I might be happy.

I was given poverty, that I might be wise...

I asked for power, that I might have praise of men,

I was given weakness, that I might feel the need of God...

I asked for all things, that I might enjoy life,

I was given life, that I might enjoy all things...

I got nothing I asked for - but everything that I had hoped for.

Almost despite myself, my unspoken prayers were answered.

I am, among all, most richly blessed!

Anonymous

Copper Pennies

 When Copper Pennies Were Good as Gold

There was a time when one could be proud
   To find a penny on the ground.
A list of goodies in the store
   Could be purchased with a single penny found.

Now it is impossible to find a place to spend
   A single cent---for a penny will not go far at all.
Even a handful of pennies doesn't buy much
   So why pick them up at all.