My Father...

...loves to give me good gifts.

Last evening I was looking around at my life. I saw my sweet wife; my healthy and happy children; the great church that I have the privilege to serve and my heart was filled with thanksgiving.

My God truly has filled my life with good gifts!

All Glory belongs to God!

"Walk A Little Plainer Daddy"

Walk a little plainer daddy Said a little boy so frail,

I'm following your footsteps and I don't want to fail.

Sometimes your steps are plain Sometimes they are hard to see,

So walk a little plainer Daddy. For you are leading me."

I know that once you walked This way many years ago,

What you did along the way I'd really like to know

For sometimes when I'm tempted I don't know what to do

So walk a little plainer, Daddy, For I must follow you.

Someday when I'm grown up. You are like I want to be,

Then I will have a little boy Who will want to follow me

And I want to lead him right. And help him to be true

So walk a little plainer, Daddy For we must follow you.

~ Author Unknown

That I might win some...

These thoughts were inspired by Brother David Martin and the profoundly powerful lesson that he taught Sunday Morning.

1 Cor 9:22-23
22 To the weak became I as weak, that I might gain the weak: I am made all things to all men, that I might by all means save some.
23 And this I do for the gospel's sake, that I might be partaker thereof with you.

Paul wrote these profound words of passion and desire to see souls saved.

Jesus himself lived this example by speaking in parables that were specifically design for his audience.

To fishermen he spoke of fishing...
To Scholars he spoke of the law and prophets...
To shepherds he spoke of sheep...
To farmers he spoke of agriculture...

Let me be wise enough to convey THE MESSAGE by the most effective METHOD for those that I am trying to reach.

LIFTERS AND LEANERS

There are just two kinds of people on earth today,
Just two kinds of people, no more, I say.
Not the rich and the poor, for to count a man’s wealth
You must first know the state of his conscience and health.
Not the humble and proud, for, in life’s little span,
Who puts on airs is not counted a man.
Not the happy and sad, for the swift counting years
Bring each man his laughter and each man his tears.
No, the two kinds of people on earth I mean
Are the people who lift and the people who lean.
Wherever you go you will find the world’s masses
Are always divided in just these two classes.
And oddly enough you will find, too, I ween,
There’s only one lifter to twenty who lean.
In which class are you? Are you easing the load
Of overtaxed lifters who toil down the road?
Or are you a leaner who lets others bear
Your portion of labour and worry and care?
- Ella Wheeler Wilcox –

The Love of God - by Fredrick M. Lehman

Verse 1

The love of God is greater far
Than tongue or pen can ever tell;
It goes beyond the highest star,
And reaches to the lowest hell;
The guilty pair, bowed down with care,
God gave His Son to win;
His erring child He reconciled,
And pardoned from his sin.

Chorus
O love of God, how rich and pure!
How measureless and strong!
It shall forevermore endure
The saints’ and angels’ song.

Verse 2

When years of time shall pass away,
And earthly thrones and kingdoms fall,
When men, who here refuse to pray,
On rocks and hills and mountains call,
God’s love so sure, shall still endure,
All measureless and strong;
Redeeming grace to Adam’s race—
The saints’ and angels’ song.

Verse 3
Could we with ink the ocean fill,
And were the skies of parchment made,
Were every stalk on earth a quill,
And every man a scribe by trade,
To write the love of God above,
Would drain the ocean dry.
Nor could the scroll contain the whole,
Though stretched from sky to sky.