The Sacrifices of Stewardship July 24, 2006
Posted by jwilliams2 in Christian Life, Devotions.add a comment
And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.
Galatians 6:9
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The pastor of a small Baptist church in Texas wrote to an oil millionaire, requesting a donation for his congregation’s building fund campaign. The tycoon declined, and added this to his letter of refusal: “And as for this Christianity thing, it seems to me to be nothing but give, give, give.” The pastor wrote the oilman back and thanked him for articulating the best definition of Christianity he had ever heard.Often, when we hear the word stewardship, our minds race immediately to thoughts of money. Stewardship includes a return to the Lord of a portion of the financial blessings He has given us, but that doesn’t exhaust its true meaning. Genuine stewardship involves the deliberate and faithful caretaking of the Master’s resources for the furtherance of His kingdom and His ultimate glory.
It also entails risk: the risk of loss, the risk of vulnerability, and the risk of possible criticism by others. But the rewards for being a faithful steward far outweigh any risk involved. Besides the joy we experience from the giving of ourselves in this life, we are promised the recompense of our Lord in the next life when He will say to every devoted steward, “Well done, thou good and faithful servant.”
For it is in giving that we receive.
Francis of Assisi
Friends Who Identify July 21, 2006
Posted by jwilliams2 in Christian Life.add a comment
Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep.
Romans 12:15
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The most famous group of friends in the world (or at least the oldest and most famous) is not those six who appeared in a TV sitcom for ten years. It is the group of three who came to visit Job after he suffered several disasters in a row. They’ve been accused of judging Job unmercifully – for saying that the disasters he experienced were due to some sin in his life. But wait – let’s give these fellows a little credit. Before they launched into lecturing Job, the Bible says they identified with him in his misery. Job was weeping, so they wept. Job was sitting on an ash heap, so they tore their clothes and covered themselves with dust. Job was stunned into silence by all that had happened, so they sat with job for seven days without saying a word, “for they saw that his grief was very great” (Job 2:13). For that, they deserve credit. Sometimes the best thing we can do for people is to identify with their grief. Not talk, not advise, not question, not even pray – just be where they are. The next time someone needs you, start by giving them the gift of yourself. When you identify with them, they will be grateful for you.
Sympathy says, “Poor thing!” Empathy says, “I am in this with you.”
Is any pleasure on earth as great as a circle of Christian friends by a fire?
C. S. Lewis
Not quite Baptism, but still funny! July 11, 2006
Posted by jwilliams2 in Humor.add a comment
A client brought a litter of golden retriever puppies to my
veterinary clinic for inoculations and worming. As the
look-alike pups squirmed over and under one another in
their box, I realized it would be difficult to tell the treated
ones from the rest. I turned on the water faucet, wet my
fingers, and moistened each dog’s head when I had finished.
After the fourth puppy, I noticed my hitherto talkative client
had grown silent. As I sprinkled the last pup’s head, the
woman leaned forward and whispered, “I didn’t know they
had to be baptized.”
(I’ll bet she was a blond.)
Many thanks to Susan Cheek for this!!
Since 59 is the new 65 (according to USA TODAY), here’s a Where To Live After Retirement guide: July 10, 2006
Posted by jwilliams2 in Secular.2 comments
You can live in Phoenix where …
1. You are willing to park three blocks away because you found shade.
2. You’ve experienced condensation on your butt from the hot water in the toilet bowl.
3. You can drive for four hours in one direction and never leave town.
4. You have more than 100 recipes for Mexican food.
5. You know that “dry heat” is comparable to what hits you in the face when you open your oven door.
6. The four seasons are: tolerable, hot, really hot, and ARE YOU KIDDING ME??!!
You can Live in California where …
1. You make more than $250,000 and you still can’t afford to buy a house.
2. The fastest part of your commute is going down your driveway.
3. You know how to eat an artichoke.
4. You drive your rented Mercedes to your neighborhood block party.
5. When someone asks you how far something is, you tell them how long it will take to get there rather than how many miles away it is.
You can Live in New York where …
1. You say “the city” and expect everyone to know you mean Manhattan.
2. You can get into a four-hour argument about how to get from Columbus Circle to Battery Park, but can’t find Wisconsin on a map.
3. You think Central Park is “nature.”
4. You believe that being able to speak at people in their own language makes you multi-lingual.
5. You’ve worn out a car horn.
6. You think eye contact is an act of aggression.
You can Live in Maine where …
1. You only have four spices: salt, pepper, ketchup and Tabasco.
2. Halloween costumes fit over parkas.
3. You have more than one recipe for moose.
4. Sexy lingerie is anything flannel with less than eight buttons.
5. The four seasons are: winter, still winter, almost winter and construction.
You can Live in the Deep South where …
1. You can rent a movie and buy bait in the same store.
2. “Y’all” is singular and “all y’all” is plural.
3. “He needed killin’ ” is a valid defense.
5. Everyone has two first names: Billy Bob, Jimmy Bob, Mary Sue, Betty Jean, Mary Beth, etc.
You can live in Colorado where…
1. You carry your $3,000 mountain bike atop your $500 car.
2. You tell your husband to pick up Granola on his way home and he stops at the day-care center.
3. A pass does not involve a football or dating.
4. The top of your head is bald, but you still have a pony tail.
You can live in the Midwest where…
1. You’ve never met any celebrities, but the mayor knows your name.
2. Your idea of a traffic jam is 10 cars waiting to pass a tractor.
3. You have had to switch from “heat” to “A/C” on the same day.
4. You end sentences with a preposition: “Where’s my coat at?”
5. When asked how your trip was to any exotic place, you say, “It was different!”
And you can live in Florida where …
1. You eat dinner at 3:15 in the afternoon.
2. All purchases include a coupon of some kind.
3. Everyone can recommend an excellent dermatologist.
4. Road construction never ends anywhere in the state.
5. Cars in front of you often are driven by headless people.
6. The four seasons are: tolerable, hot, really hot and snowbirds.
