Forget It

If you see a tall fellow ahead of the crowd,
A leader of music, marching fearless and proud,
And you know of a tale whose mere telling aloud
Would cause his proud head to in anguish be bowed,
It’s a pretty good plan to forget it.

If you know of a skeleton hidden away
In a closet, and guarded and kept from the day
In the dark; whose showing, whose sudden display
Would cause grief and sorrow and lifelong dismay,
It’s a pretty good plan to forget it.

If you know of a spot in the life of a friend
(We all have spots concealed, world without end)
Whose touching his heartstrings would sadden or rend,
Till the shame if its showing no grieving could mend,
It’s a pretty good plan to forget it.

If you know of a thing that will darken the joy
Of a man or a woman, a girl or a boy,
That will wipe out a smile or the least way annoy
A fellow, or cause any gladness to cloy,
It’s a pretty good plan to forget it.

Author Unknown

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

At The Foot of The Cross

Fearing the battle was over
And I'd already lost the war,
I was tired of trying and failing.
I just couldn't fight anymore.

So, dragging my battle-scarred body,
I crawled to the foot of the cross.
And I sobbed. "Oh please, Father forgive me.
But I tried...I tried.. and still lost."

Then the air grew silent around me.
I heard his voice just as clear as the dawn:
"Oh, My child, though you are tired and weary,
You can't stop, you have to go on."

At the foot of the Cross , where I met Him,
At the foot of the Cross, where He died,
I felt love, as I knelt in His presence,
I felt hope, as I looked in His eyes.

Then He gathered me lovingly to Him,
As around us God's light clearly shone.
And together we walked though my lifetime,
to heal every wound I had known.

I found bits of my dreams, long forgotten,
And pieces of my life on the floor.
But I watched as He tenderly blessed them,
And my life was worth living once more.

I knew then why I had been losing.
I knew why I had not grown.
At the foot of the Cross came the answer:
I'd been fighting the battle alone.

At the foot of the Cross, where I met Him,
At the foot of the Cross, where He died,
Then I knew I could face any challenge
Together--just my Lord and I.

Marcia Krugh Leaser

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The Man in the Mirror

"I would like to begin by telling you a story. I call it the Man in the Mirror because a man was looking at his reflection in a mirror. Long greasy hair, pale, splotchy skin, sagging flesh, bloodshot, empty eyes. Hair streaked with gray. I suppose you could say he didn't look bad for someone who was 40. The problem was, the man in the mirror was only 24 years old.

Too many years of alcohol, marijuana, cocaine, all night parties and a wild lifestyle had taken their toll in his life. The man in the mirror had actually surprised himself by surviving another drug deal. You see the man in the mirror was a drug smuggler. And lately he expected each deal to be his last. The life expectancy of drug smugglers wasn't very great, and when the smuggler was also one of the biggest users of the illegal drugs it made his chances of living even smaller.

As the man in the mirror looked at his reflection he honestly did not even recognize himself. Part of it was probably because he had not slept in over three days. Having survived another drug deal he celebrated by three straight days and nights of wild parties.

So that was part of the reason he did recognize himself, but the other reason was he also did not recognize the man he had become. The man in the mirror had many names. Some of the people who knew him called him thief, back-stabber, slime, traitor. And when he went walking anywhere -- down the street or through an airport -- and someone called him by name he had to fight the instinct to turn around immediately. He had to wait and figure out if he recognized the voice and try to remember which name he was using this week. His life depended on it.

Now all his 'friends' had left and he was alone. Just he and the mirror. The reason he was looking into the mirror was simple. Drug users frequently use a mirror, or piece of glass, to put down more cocaine and then form it into a long track or line. Then they use a short straw or rolled up dollar bill to snort the cocaine into their nostrils. And that was what he was doing. He was standing over the kitchen sink and already had the cocaine formed, and was just about to take a snort when he noticed -- for the first time in years -- the man in the mirror.

And he suddenly realized, something inside told him, that this would probably be the last time he ever used cocaine. He knew that his next high would be his last. His body was nearing the end of its limits and his heart couldn't take the strain anymore. Too many years of abuse had sapped the energy he once had.

Suddenly he heard a voice. Not the little voice we all sometimes hear when we are about to do something wrong. This voice was different. It was a harsh, angry voice saying 'Do it. End it now. Finish it!'

The man in the mirror had never heard the voice of God. In fact did not even believe in God. But he knew instantly that he was now hearing the voice of Satan. A clear audible voice. He was so startled -- and horrified -- that he dropped the mirror which shattered against the kitchen sink. Hundreds of dollars of cocaine ended up in the drain.

The man in the mirror ran into the bathroom where he threw up again and again. Then he fell asleep on the bathroom floor beside the toilet and slept for over 24 hours straight. That was the last time the man in the mirror ever used drugs. But he hardly became a model citizen overnight.

A few weeks later he had to run for his life because one of his former partners stole the money that was to be used to pay off the drug suppliers, and then told those suppliers that HE had been the one who stole the money. When he found out the drug suppliers were coming after him, he literally had less than 10 minutes to grab everything he could carry and escaped just minutes before the heavily armed suppliers burst through his door.

In 10 minutes he lost everything. He now had nowhere to live, no friends left (the others had died from drug overdoses, suicide or were not quite as fast as he was), and no money.

The man in the mirror had, in his short life, broken every single one of the 10 Commandments. Every single one! Including 'thou shalt not kill!'"

The speaker stopped for a few minutes, took a sip of water from a glass and looked out over the small group of men who were listening to him.

"I was that man in the mirror. The story I have just told you is my story."

The speaker then went on to tell about his life after that momentous day when he was forced to look -- really look -- at what he had become. He met a girl and they began dating. One day she asked him to go to church with her. And he did. He accepted Christ into his life that day but the habits of the past were still with him.

"I did not have a Bible," he explained, and since he was still a thief, "I stole a Bible from the church."

But the speaker began reading from that Bible, began attending church regularly, and soon begin associating with godly men. He married that girl who invited him to church, and today they are leaders in their church. He teaches Sunday School, serves on church boards, has served on mission trips and witnesses boldly to others about what God has done in his life.

But despite all that God has done in this man's life, he was still haunted about something that had happened years and years before.

"I told you that I had broken every single one of the 10 Commandants," he said, then began explaining in detail.

"A couple of years before the day I looked in the mirror, I had a girlfriend. One day she came to me and said those two words that men like me never wanted to hear: 'I'm pregnant' Not only did I not do the right thing, indeed I did not even know what was the right thing to do in those days, but I begin telling her that the child was not mine. I told her I knew she was sleeping with other men, and one of those was the father. The fact was I had no idea if she was seeing anyone else or not. I was just trying to evade responsibility and was trying to humiliate her. I pressured her into having an abortion."

His voice breaking, the speaker continued, "I killed my first child. She didn't want an abortion, but I kept on and on until she finally agreed."

Years later as he began reading the Bible, that choice kept coming back to haunt him. He simply could not forgive himself for what he had done, the part he had played in the abortion.

"One of the really ironic things as I was to read later, was the price I paid for the abortion. The abortion was performed in the college clinic. And I paid 30 dollars. Thirty pieces of silver. The same amount of money that Judas was paid to betray Christ was what the man in the mirror paid to betray his first child."

The speaker went on to describe how he was tormented by the thoughts of having killed his first child. He would constantly pray for forgiveness, but did not feel that forgiveness.

"One night I could not sleep. I had been up half the night, reading the Bible and praying for forgiveness. Finally in the early hours of the morning I fell asleep and had the most vivid, most realistic dream I have ever had. I was standing in a meadow covered with tall grass bending back and forth with a gentle breeze. It was a very bright day, but the brightness did not hurt my eyes. I suddenly realized that there was no sun. Instead the light seemed to come from the incredibly beautiful sky. From horizon to horizon the sky itself seemed to glow with light. In the middle of the meadow was a huge oak tree, and because there was no sun, there were also no shadows.

I could see what was under the tree very easily, very plainly. There was a figure under the tree, and I began walking towards that figure. Suddenly the figure began running towards me. It was a young boy who looked to be about 10 or 12 years old. He had brown hair, and when I saw his eyes . . . I knew. Even before I really noticed the face that looked so much like mine, I knew. This was my child, this was my son. This was the boy I had killed.

I began crying but the boy ran up to me, threw his arms around me and said, 'Don't cry Daddy! Don't cry. It's alright. I love you! And God loves you!'

Then the boy -- MY SON -- took my hand and begin leading me over to the oak tree. When we were under the tree, he handed me something and said, 'Daddy, will you read to me?'

I looked and in my hand was the Bible! Not just any Bible, but the Bible I had stolen from the church. And so father and son sat down side by side under the oak tree, leaning back against the tree with a soft breeze blowing through the leaves. With one arm around his son, and the other hand holding the Bible, the father began to read to his son:
"In the beginning God . . ."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Will of God

The will of God will never take you,
Where the Grace of God cannot keep you,
Where the Arms of God cannot support you,
Where the Riches of God cannot supply your needs,
Where the Power of God cannot endow you.

The will of God will never take you,
Where the Spirit of God cannot work through you,
Where the Wisdom of God cannot teach you,
Where the Army of God cannot protect you,
Where the Hands of God cannot mold you.

The Will of God will never take you,
Where the Love of God cannot enfold you,
Where the Mercies of God cannot sustain you,
Where the Peace of God cannot calm your fears,
Where the Authority of God cannot overrule for you.

The will of God will never take you,
Where the Comfort of God cannot dry your tears,
Where the Word of God cannot feed you,
Where the Miracles of God cannot be done for you,
Where the Omnipresence of God cannot find you.

* Everything happens for a purpose.
* We may not see the wisdom of it all
* now but trust and believe in
* The Lord that everything is for the best.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I wrote the story above after hearing the testimony -- first hand -- from the "Man in the Mirror" this past weekend. I can only pray that I have done justice to the story since I could not take notes at the time. And I can also only pray that the story reaches the person who needs to read it. I don't know who that person is, but have felt compelled to write it.

The speaker did not include the "Will of God" piece at the end but after finishing the story I felt -- very strongly -- that I should incorporate it into the story as well.

Bruce <><

waitman1@juno.com

++++++++++++++++++++

On Feb. 1, 2003

The sky is for clouds and glorious sunsets,
Birds and musical strains,
A place to see nightly a splendorous display;
Fingerprints of God o’er the plains.

Who but the heroes, the gifted and able,
Would reach, examine, and find?
Who but the brave heart, the boisterous, and gallant
Would seek the Heavens to mine?

The sky can catch the wings of an eagle
Or a hummingbird on the wing
And lovers reach for the hands of each other,
Under beautiful sunsets in spring.

But, when things fall apart, even hurled by explosion,
The sky is a pitiful thing
And our tears fall like rain drops when we must surrender
Our heroes to earth’s domain.

There’s an unseen world, more real than the visual.
There’s a Loving Heart, there, in the air!
You may be sure hero souls were ushered
To Heaven with such gentle care.

And, I think, in the hallowed hallways of Heaven,
The answers to questions they asked
Will be given from Jesus to the heart of each one
So that they're satisfied, at last.

© 2003 by Joan Clifton Costner
http://underhiswings0.tripod.com

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DOES PRAYER CHANGE THINGS?

They say that prayer changes things, but does it REALLY change anything?
Oh yes! It really does!

Does prayer change your present situation or sudden circumstances?
No, not always, but it does change the way you look at those events.

Does prayer change your financial future?
No, not always, but it does change who you look to for meeting your daily needs.

Does prayer change shattered hearts or broken bodies?
No, not always, but it will change your source of strength and comfort.

Does prayer change your wants and desires?
No, not always, but it will change your wants into what God desires!

Does prayer change how you view the world?
No, not always, but it will change whose eyes you see the world through.

Does prayer change your regrets from the past?
No, not always, but it will change your hopes for the future!

Does prayer change the people around you?
No, not always, but it will change you - the problem isn't always in others.

Does prayer change your life in ways you can't explain?
Oh, yes, always! And it will change you from the inside out!

So does prayer REALLY change ANYTHING?

Yes! It REALLY does change EVERYTHING!

Author Unknown
Submitted by Sandra

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Picture of Peace

There once was a King who offered a prize to the artist who would paint the best picture of peace. Many artists tried. The King looked at all the pictures, but there were only two he really liked and he had to choose between them.

One picture was of a calm lake. The lake was a perfect mirror for peaceful towering mountains were all around it. Overhead was a blue sky with fluffy white clouds. All who saw this picture thought that it was a perfect picture of peace.

The other picture had mountains too. But these were rugged and bare. Above was an angry sky from which rain fell, and in which lightening played. Down the side of the mountain tumbled a foaming waterfall. This did not look peaceful at all. But when the King looked, he saw behind the waterfall a tiny bush growing in a crack in the rock. In the bush a mother bird had built her nest.

There, in the midst of the rush of angry water, sat the mother bird on her nest ........... perfect peace.

Author Unknown

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Does God Still Speak To People

A young man had been to Wed. night Bible Study. The pastor had shared about listening to God and obeying the Lord's voice. The young man couldn't help but wonder, "Does God still speak to people?"

After service, he went out with some friends for coffee and pie and they discussed the message. Several different ones talked about how God had led them in different ways. It was about ten o'clock when the young man started driving home. Sitting in his car, he just began to pray, God..If you still speak to people speak to me. I will listen. I will do my best to obey."

As he drove down the main street of his town, he had the strangest thought to stop and buy a gallon of milk. He shook his head and said out loud, "God is that you?"

He didn't get a reply and started on toward home. But again, the thought, buy a gallon of milk. The young man thought about Samuel and how he didn't recognize the voice of God, and how little Samuel ran to Eli.

"Okay, God, in case that is you, I will buy the milk."

It didn't seem like too hard a test of obedience. He could always use the milk. He stopped and purchased the gallon of milk and started off toward home. As he passed Seventh Street, he again felt the urge, "Turn down that street."

This is crazy he thought and drove on past the intersection. Again, he felt that he should turn down Seventh Street. At the next intersection, he turned back and headed down Seventh. Half jokingly, he said out loud, "Okay, God, I will."

He drove several blocks, when suddenly, he felt like he should stop. He pulled over to the curb and looked around. He was in a semi-commercial area of town. It wasn't the best but it wasn't the worst of neighborhoods either. The businesses were closed and most of the houses looked dark like the people were already in bed.

Again, he sensed something, "Go and give the milk to the people in the house across the street."

The young man looked at the house. It was dark and it looked like the people were either gone or they were already asleep. He started to open the door and then sat back in the car seat.

"Lord, this is insane. Those people are asleep and if I wake them up, they are going to be mad and I will look stupid."

Again, he felt like he should go and give the milk. Finally, he opened the door.

"Okay God, if this is you, I will go to the door and I will give them the milk. If you want me to look like a crazy person, okay. I want to be obedient. I guess that will count for something, but if they don't answer right away, I am out of here".

He walked across the street and rang the bell. He could hear some noise inside.

A man's voice yelled out, "Who is it? What do you want?"

Then the door opened before the young man could get away. The man was standing there in his jeans and t-shirt. He looked like he just got out of bed. He had a strange look on his face and he didn't seem too happy to have some stranger standing on his doorstep.

"What is it?"

The young man thrust out the gallon of milk. "Here I brought this to you."

The man took the milk and rushed down a hallway, speaking loudly in Spanish. Then from down the hall came a woman carrying the milk toward the kitchen. The man was following her holding a baby. The baby was crying. The man had tears streaming down his face.

The man began speaking and half-crying, "We were just praying. We had some big bills this month and we ran out of money. We didn't have any milk for our baby. I was just praying and asking God to show me how to get some milk."

His wife in the kitchen yelled out, "I ask him to send an Angel with some. Are you an Angel?"

The young man reached into his wallet and pulled out all the money he had on him and put in the man's hand. He turned and walked back toward his car and the tears were streaming down his face. He knew that God still answers prayers.

Author Unknown
Submitted by Loranne

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Everlasting Valentine

I remember when my heart was all a flutter,
With dreams of love on every Valentine’s Day;
All the anxious moments, all the waiting,
To see and go by what the daises say.

I’ve lived awhile and found a few good answers.
And, ‘love’ is truly different for me now.
I know it's not a ‘feeling’ I encounter.
It’s a decision made to keep a vow.

The world would say, when you lose certain feelings,
It’s time to move on; seek some newer thrill.
But, it's easy to prove my conviction,
The Greatest Lover testifies of ‘will’.

My Everlasting Valentine decided
To love and win my heart, and save my soul.
But, I was unaware of His conviction;
Made no attempt to validate His goal.

Still, He persistently continued loving,
Until it led Him up a rugged hill.
‘Feelings’ put aside, He kept His purpose
And died that awful death to pay my bill.

I know that if I asked the Lord, He’d tell me,
"Love’s a thing that you decide to do.
You walk in, with both your eyes wide open,
And give you life. You love them more than you."

That’s what He did, friend, even with tears brimming.
He loved us even more than His own life.
He faced God, all alone, with our sins showing.
He paid our awful debt for sin and strife.

It was an act of daring consequences;
Complete surrender - all His heart He filled!
He saved a world. He published Love’s Sweet Story
By His unselfish act - of His own will!

© 2003 by Joan Clifton Costner
http://underhiswings0.tripod.com

"Who for the joy before Him, endured the cross, despising the shame ..." Hebrews 12:2

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