The Gift of Friendship

A Priceless Gift

Friendship is a priceless gift
that cannot be bought or sold,
But its value is far greater
than a mountain made of gold.

For gold is cold and lifeless,
it can neither see nor hear
And in the time of trouble
it is powerless to cheer.

It has no ears to listen
nor heart to understand,
It cannot bring you comfort
or reach out a helping hand.

So when you ask God for a gift
Be thankful if He sends
Not diamonds, pearls, or riches
But the love of real, true friends.

Helen Steiner Rice

God's Coffee

A group of alumni, highly established in their careers, got together to visit their old university professor. Conversation soon turned into complaints about stress in work and life.

Offering his guests coffee, the professor went to the kitchen and returned with a large pot of coffee and an assortment of cups porcelain, plastic, glass, crystal, some plain looking, some expensive, some exquisite telling them to help themselves to the coffee. When the students had a cup of coffee in hand, the professor said:

If you noticed, all the nice looking expensive cups were taken up, leaving behind the plain and cheap ones. While it is normal for you to want only the best for yourselves, that is the source of your problems and stress. Be assured that the cup itself adds no quality to the coffee. In most cases it is just more expensive and in some cases even hides what we drink.

What all of you really wanted was coffee, not the cup, but you consciously went for the best cups...And, then you began eyeing each others cups.

Now consider this: Life is the coffee; the jobs, money and position in society are the cups. They are just tools to hold and contain Life, and the type of cup we have does not define, nor change the quality of Life we live. Sometimes, by concentrating only on the cup, we fail to enjoy the coffee God has provided us. God brews the coffee, not the cups...So, Enjoy your coffee!

The happiest people don't have the best of everything,
They just make the best of everything.

Live simply.
Love generously.
Care deeply.
Speak kindly.
Leave the rest to God.

Author: unknown

Love Gone Cold is Love Too Old.

Have you ever noticed how a young man and woman who are dating always seem to have smiles pasted on their faces when they're with one another? They're caught up in the moment more than life going on around them; they are solely in-tune with each other. You could kind of say their love is young and unseasoned. But after marriage, "real life"  occurs, and smiles and laughter get replaced with solemn minds and firmly set lips. The trials of life grab hold of their focus and difficulties dull their love. How many couples do you know this to be true of? My point is this: isn't this very much the case with us as Christians? As new Christians we're on fire for the Lord and filled with zeal, but when reality hits cold and hard we lose focus of our love and joy in Christ. As with marriage, we think should a major testing come that we'll remain true, but we fail everyday with little self-indulgences. I am definitely guilty of this. Here are some some places I know I fail in. 

Commitments that last
are where more is given than
what was asked.

Gratitude-I recently compared my "asking" to my "thanking" in my prayer life. To be honest, I wasn't pleased with the results--talk about ingratitude! I brought to mind several petitions of mine that were met with clear and sweet answers from the Lord, and I realized I hadn't even stopped long enough with life to thank Him.

Attentiveness-We fail to give God our whole focus. Where is my walk with the Lord? I love this verse  Psalm 141:8, "But mine eyes are unto Thee, O God the Lord: in Thee is my trust; leave not my soul destitute." "The Lord redeemeth the soul of his servants: and none of them that trust in him shall be desolate."

Meditation-I enjoy journaling and it has helped me keep a better mental record of all the things the Lord has done for me. I have a page in the back designated "notable events" where I list such things. "I remember the days of old; I meditate on all Thy works; I muse on the work of Thy hands." Psalm 143:5.  "When I remember Thee upon my bed, and meditate on Thee in the night watches." Psalm 63:6.

Praise-If you're feeling down or sad, there's nothing like singing a hymn or quoting Scripture to pull your spirit up. Psalm 147:1 "Praise ye the Lord: for it is good to sing praises unto our God; for it is pleasant; and praise is comely." 

 "Cause me to hear Thy lovingkindness in the morning; for in Thee do I trust: cause me to know the way wherein I should walk; for I lift up my soul unto Thee." Psalm 143:8

Character Quality: Gratitude

"When gratitude dies on the altar of a man's heart, that man is well-nigh hopeless." ~Bob Jones, Sr.

A truly grateful person is someone who focuses on what they possess with thankfulness as opposed to what they don't have and want. When you focus on what you DO have and thank the Lord for it,  your life will become richer because your focus will turn from things to the Lord.

As I work in the world, I marvel at the lack of gratitude that children have for what their parents give them (not talking about needs here but something as small as a sucker), for the help adults are given by an employee, for the ability to be out and about. We, as humans, tend so often to gripe about being tired, too much rain, not enough rain, the weather in general, having to deal with other humans, and the list goes on. I am included in this list unfortunately. Stop and consider that if you are reading this post now, you should be thankful for the ability to read, eyes to read with, an education, enough time to "pleasure read," the internet, access to a computer or phone, life, and this list to could go on and on. 

An example of this in my life is my work: I don't mind my job and I really don't mind working hard, but I am often tempted to wish the time at work away as soon as it starts because I don't feel like standing for X amount of hours, I have other things I want to be doing, or some other reason. When I am tempted to think this way, and it's often, I must remind myself that I am blessed to have a job close to home, that has a good environment to work in, friendly and helpful coworkers, good management overall, air conditioning in the summer, and heating in the winter. I have so much to be grateful for, but so often I yield to the temptation of complaining and ingratitude. This certainly does not please or glorify my Lord. Maybe there is a similar situation in your life. 

Philippians 2:14 Do all things without murmurings and disputings:
1 Thessalonians 5:18 In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.
Ephesians 4:29 Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.

Wow. I know I fail daily. What about you? Are you living a life without murmuring and complaining? A life where all your speech honors God?

“It is only with gratitude that life becomes rich!”  –Dietrich Bonhoeffer

Psalm 119:164 Seven times a day do I praise Thee because of Thy righteous judgments.

Lets strive to make this true for us: praising and thanking the Lord when we are tempted to complain.

“Gratitude is an offering precious in the sight of God, and it is one that the poorest of us can make and be not poorer but richer for having made it.” –A.W. Tozer

Mother's Day Poem

Happy Mother's Day to our amazing mom and all the other moms out there!

The Legacy

She could not give her children gold,
So she gave them faith to have and hold.

She could not give them royal birth...
A name renowned throughout the earth.
But she gave them seeds and garden spot
And shade trees when the sun was hot.

She could not give a silver spoon
Or servants waiting night and noon.
She gave them love and a listening ear
And told them God was always near.

She could not give them ocean trips
Aboard majestic sailing ships.
But she gave them books and quiet time,
Adventures found in prose and rhyme.

She could not give them worldly things
But what she gave was fit for kings.
For with her faith and books and sod,
She made each child aware of God.

—Attributed to Alice Leedy Mason

Promised Strength

Another of my favorite poems

PROMISED STRENGTH

By Grace Noll Crowell

One day when my burden seemed greater

Than my body and spirit could bear,

Weighed down by the load, I faltered.

Beneath my sorrow and care;

And I cried to the heedless silence

As I walked where I could not see:

“Where is the strength that is promised?

Where is the strength for me?”

And suddenly out of the stillness

A voice came clear and true:

“My child, you are striving to carry

A burden not meant for you.

And the thought of the years outstretching

Before you has darkened the way,

While the only strength I have promised

Is the sure strength day by day.”

I took one step – and I found it

Quite easy, indeed, to take

And the burden slid from my shoulders

And my heart that was ready to break

Gave thanks that my eyes were opened

And my shoulders were eased of their load,

As I saw, step by step I was strengthened

To walk on the roughest road!