Monday, January 28, 2008

Foozle Life


When you are working hard, living a good life cuz you are a good person and you are independently standing on your own two feet, making your own decisions, living off your own power, intelligence, wisdom and personal moral standard. That is the Foozle Life. Many of us try that society trained Foozle Life and many come to know that without God our own perceived goodness gets beaten down, loses meaning, direction and power. We were created by God to be in relationship with Him.

For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. Colossians 1:16 (New King James Version)

Found a little mathematical formula to demonstrate what equals 100% in life.

If: A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

Is represented as: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26.

If: H-A-R-D-W-O- R- K 8+1+18+4+23+ 15+18+11 = 98%
And: K-N-O-W-L-E- D-G-E 11+14+15+23+ 12+5+4+7+ 5 = 96%

But: A-T-T-I-T-U- D-E 1+20+20+9+20+ 21+4+5 = 100%

THEN, look how far the love of God will take you:

L-O-V-E-O-F- G-O-D 12+15+22+5+15+ 6+7+15+4 = 101%

Therefore, one can conclude with mathematical certainty that: While Hard Work and Knowledge will get you close, and Attitude will get you to 100%, which is man’s world, the Foozle Life. It's the Love of God that will put you over the top and that’s where God lives!

A pearl to string: It’s not about how well you do or how hard you work. Have you ever noticed when you are in the picture your view of the whole picture is limited? If you step away from the picture and view the whole picture you gain a clear perspective. Go ahead and look at your favorite family photo. Got it in front of you? Look at yourself! Remember when that shot was snapped? You were smiling at the camera, what kind of perspective is that? But as you gaze at the photo now – it’s all before you, wow, there is so much to see. Look at all those beautiful people in your family. We need our creator to fulfill the purpose of our creation.

God has made everything beautiful for its own time. He has planted eternity in the human heart, but even so, people cannot see the whole scope of God's work from beginning to end. (Ecclesiastes 3:11 NLT)

Running into the arms of Jesus,
Lyndi

Monday, January 21, 2008

In Honor of Martin Luther King Jr.

Paper written by

Derek McCartney 07

Martin Luther King, Jr., (January 15, 1929-April 4, 1968) was born Michael Luther King, Jr., but later had his name changed to Martin. His grandfather began the family's long tenure as pastors of the Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta, serving from 1914 to 1931; his father has served from then until the present, and from 1960 until his death Martin Luther acted as co-pastor. Martin Luther attended segregated public schools in Georgia, graduating from high school at the age of fifteen; he received the B. A. degree in 1948 from Morehouse College, a distinguished Negro institution of Atlanta from which both his father and grandfather had been graduated. After three years of theological study at Crozer Theological Seminary in Pennsylvania where he was elected president of a predominantly white senior class, he was awarded the B.D. in 1951. With a fellowship won at Crozer, he enrolled in graduate studies at Boston University, completing his residence for the doctorate in 1953 and receiving the degree in 1955. In Boston he met and married Coretta Scott, a young woman of uncommon intellectual and artistic attainments. Two sons and two daughters were born into the family.

In 1954, Martin Luther King accepted the pastoral of the Dexter Avenue Baptist Church in Montgomery, Alabama. Always a strong worker for civil rights for members of his race, King was, by this time, a member of the executive committee of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, the leading organization of its kind in the nation. He was ready, then, early in December, 1955, to accept the leadership of the first great Negro nonviolent demonstration of contemporary times in the United States, the bus boycott described by Gunnar Jahn in his presentation speech in honor of the laureate. The boycott lasted 382 days. On December 21, 1956, after the Supreme Court of the United States had declared unconstitutional the laws requiring segregation on buses, Negroes and whites rode the buses as equals. During these days of boycott, King was arrested, his home was bombed, he was subjected to personal abuse, but at the same time he emerged as a Negro leader of the first rank.

In 1957 he was elected president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, an organization formed to provide new leadership for the now burgeoning civil rights movement. The ideals for this organization he took from Christianity; its operational techniques from Gandhi. In the eleven-year period between 1957 and 1968, King traveled over six million miles and spoke over twenty-five hundred times, appearing wherever there was injustice, protest, and action; and meanwhile he wrote five books as well as numerous articles. In these years, he led a massive protest in Birmingham, Alabama, that caught the attention of the entire world, providing what he called a coalition of conscience. and inspiring his "Letter from a Birmingham Jail", a manifesto of the Negro revolution; he planned the drives in Alabama for the registration of Negroes as voters; he directed the peaceful march on Washington, D.C., of 250,000 people to whom he delivered his address, "l Have a Dream", he conferred with President John F. Kennedy and campaigned for President Lyndon B. Johnson; he was arrested upwards of twenty times and assaulted at least four times; he was awarded five honorary degrees; was named Man of the Year by Time magazine in 1963; and became not only the symbolic leader of American blacks but also a world figure.

At the age of thirty-five, Martin Luther King, Jr., was the youngest man to have received the Nobel Peace Prize. When notified of his selection, he announced that he would turn over the prize money of $54,123 to the furtherance of the civil rights movement.

On the evening of April 4, 1968, while standing on the balcony of his motel room in Memphis, Tennessee, where he was to lead a protest march in sympathy with striking garbage workers of that city, he was assassinated.



Devotional from Our Daily Bread
http://www.rbc.org/odb/odb.shtml

In late January 1956, during the tense days of the Montgomery Boycott, civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. could not sleep. A threatening phone call had terrified him. So he prayed, “I am here taking a stand for what I believe is right. But Lord, I must confess that I’m weak now, I’m faltering. I’m losing my courage. Now, I am afraid. . . . The people are looking to me for leadership, and if I stand before them without strength and courage, they too will falter. I am at the end of my powers. . . . I can’t face it alone.”
Dr. King later wrote, “At that moment I experienced the presence of the Divine as I never experienced Him before. It seemed as though I could hear the quiet assurance of an inner voice saying, ‘Stand up for righteousness, stand up for truth; and God will be at your side forever.’ Almost at once my fears began to go. My uncertainty disappeared. I was ready to face anything.”
The rest is history. Dr. King wanted to see people of all colors free of the damage done by racism and prejudice.
If we face opposition when we’re trying to do what’s right, we too must cry out to the Lord. He alone is our “rock of refuge, a fortress of defense” (Ps. 31:2). He is our reliable source of strength and protection. —David C. Egner

Friday, January 18, 2008

What's in a Name?

A treasure hunt reveals a gem. This is the coolest thing. In the depths of God's Word tucked away in the names of a man and his six sons a long time friend uncovers a pip of a find. Enjoy!

Guest Author
By James Ryle
http://jamesryle.blogspot.com/
(Pastor and friend from days of yore)

"And of the sons of Elam; Mattaniah, Zechariah, and Jehiel, and Abdi, and Jeremoth, and Eliah." (Ezra 10:26 KJV)

This verse is buried twenty-six lines deep in the midst of a long list of laborious names. Very few people would even bother reading it. I guess I'm one of those few. You can see that seven names are listed; a father and his six sons. However, nothing is said about them -- who they were, what they did, how their lives mattered. Nothing. Just their names. But names are important. A name defines you, and a good name is to be desired above great riches.

So I did a curious thing with this verse of scripture. Using the Strong’s Hebrew Dictionary, the Easton Bible Dictionary, and the Hitchcock Bible Names Dictionary, I looked up the meaning of each of these names and what I uncovered is worthy of your consideration.

Elam --a secret hidden by distance in the highlands
Mattaniah -- the gift of hope from the Lord; the hope laid up in heaven
Zechariah -- The renowned Lord has remembered
Jehiel -- God's life will be seen in me
Abdi -- serviceable, servant of the Lord
Jeremoth -- elevations; uplifted beyond the fear of death
Eliah -- The Mighty God, the Lord who works in wonder and power

Putting the meaning of these several names together in one continuous thought produced the following treasure:

"There was a secret hidden in the heavens, far away from the sight of man. It was a gift of hope, laid up in heaven for us by the Lord. At the perfect moment, in the fullness of time, the Lord remembered the gift and brought it forth for us to have and to behold. Because of this His name is now renowned throughout the whole earth. His life has now been made manifest in and through us, making us useful unto every good word and work, and lifting us far above the power of sin and death. He is the mighty God, who works wonders of love by His great power."

Next time your whizzing through the Bible on your way to a place called Hurry Up and Get Here, take a break. Slow down and read with an inquisitive mind, a curious soul, and an investigative hunger. You might just stumble upon a buried treasure or two.

Tuesday, January 15, 2008

FOLLOW?

We’re off to see the wizard, the wonderful wizard of Oz….. Because, because, because, because, becaaaaaaaaause! Because of the wonderful things he does. Yikes! Don’t follow him!

A teenage girl got lost in her car in a snow storm. She remembered what her dad had once told her: "If you ever get stuck in a snow storm, wait for a snow plow and follow it."

Lo and behold, a snow plow came by, so she started to follow it. She followed the plow for about forty five minutes. Finally the driver of the truck got out and asked her what she was doing. She explained that her dad had told her if she ever got stuck in the snow, to follow a plow. The driver nodded and said, "Well, I'm done with the Wal-Mart parking lot, now you can follow me over to K-Mart."

Do listen to your Dad. There's nothing wrong with following others as long as you know that they are headed in the right direction. Even the apostle Paul was careful to limit those who sought to follow him: Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ.
(I Corinthians 11:1, NIV).

String a pearl: Movies & TV shows are entertainment not intended as a life map. Emulating performer’s rogue lifestyle would be craziness. Following a snow plow blindly may have minor consequences, but following someone blindly in the realm of religion can have serious (and eternal) consequences. Be careful who you follow! When my brothers and sister and I were growing up our Dad use to tell us, “Do what I say, not what I do”. We people are fallible, even those who love the Lord. Don’t follow those who love the Lord….. Follow who they follow.



In His footsteps,
Lyndi

Wednesday, January 9, 2008

Wounded in the midst of joy


Our grandson #17 left hand corner

Have you ever been caught up in an exciting moment when out of the blue comes a blow that downs your spirit? Of course you have. It’s a rather common human experience. “Even though Jesus was God’s Son, he learned obedience from the things he suffered”. (Hebrews 5:8, NLT) It’s also a common human experience to get lost in happy. Lost in the sense there are no thoughts of God or His love for you in what you are experiencing.

We’ve just returned home from a trip to New Orleans to be with our grandson TC. His team, the LSU Tiger’s, played victoriously to become college football’s 2007 National Champions. Wow! It was a tremendously electrifying and joy provoking fun time. Simultaneously it was a humbling experience knowing so many others had worked long and hard for the same title. How can any of us not thank God for these exciting moments in our lives? The ugly truth is many in that stadium having as much fun as we did forgot about God completely. Players, coaches, fans alike lost in happy! I’m sure that grieved the heart of God. Like so much of life there is always the flip side and there were also players, coaches and fans whose joy and thankful hearts gave praises to God.

About 20 years ago I saw a pattern developing in my life that made me very unhappy. In times of trouble I would run to the Lord for comfort and help. Yep, I did that real good but in the good times I didn’t see me being very thankful for all the rich blessings. The ugly truth is I was lost in happy. If you see it in your life it’s a great invitation from the Lord to DP. Drop and pray that the Holy Spirit will guide you into a grateful heart for who Jesus is to you in good times and in those tough times. I prayed that and it changed my spiritual life.

Along with four other players our grandson started off his first bowl experience quarantined to his hotel room for a mystery illness. Many of you prayed and all the sick ones got well rapidly. Thank you for your healing prayers. Then came the “wound in the midst of joy” for a group of players. The “what” isn’t as important as the “how” one responds. What a blessing it was for our family to be able to speak into the hurt with our grandson. The goal of our heavenly Father is to develop us; it would be naïve and unscriptural to think this would be done without suffering. The prayer I prayed so many years ago has kept me watchful for the pearls God gives us through our suffering, just as He did in the life of His Son. The good news is that we don’t have to be nailed to a cross; Jesus did that for us.

A pearl to string: You cannot control what other people say or do. So when you are wounded in the midst of joy you only have the power, with the grace of God, to choose your action. Do not allow satan to steal your joy. "Humans can reproduce only human life, but the Holy Spirit gives birth to spiritual life." (John 3:6, NLT)

Giving great thanks to the Lord,
Geaux Tigers, by the grace of God in your hard work and dedication
You are the Champions!
'Waaahhh-hoooooo!!!!',
Lyndi

Wednesday, January 2, 2008

Hurt?

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A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones. Proverbs 17:22

Were you hurt in 2007? Or did you carry hurt into 2007? Still got it? Doesn’t that hurt feel heavy? Do not underestimate the insidious, destructive effect that unresolved hurt and anger can have on every aspect of your life. It’s like poison that swallows you. It doesn’t do anything good to your face either. Hurt shows no matter how big that smile might be.

Everyone has been wronged, offended, and sinned against at some point in life. How are we to respond when such offenses occur? Reading in The Word of God we understand that we are to forgive. Of course that can be easier said than done. (My personal little prayer, “Lord, please forgive them while I grow to”) Ephesians 4:32 declares, “Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.” Similarly, Colossians 3:13 proclaims, “Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.”

Is it possible to truly forgive all transgressions?
How do you forgive someone who physically abused you when you were a child?
How do you forgive someone who raped you or a family member?
How do you forgive someone who spread vicious and humiliating lies about you?
How do you forgive parents who put their own needs and egos way ahead of your basic emotional needs as a child?
How do you forgive a parent who left you when you were young?
How do you forgive someone who has sucked the joy out of your life through his or her negative, hypocritical, phony, lazy, selfish, and ill-tempered behavior over 20 years of marriage?
How do you forgive attacks on your children?
How do you forgive the unforgivable?

Maybe, sometimes, the hurt is so bad that the quality of your health and life will suffer for the rest of your life because you will always harbor some anger for the people who hurt you.

“When you haven't forgiven those who've hurt you, you turn your back against your future. When you do forgive, you start walking forward”. Tyler Perry

String a pearl: Why do we forgive? Because we have been forgiven! It was revelation for me years ago in the midst of a tumultuous struggle when God made a clear impression on my heart. Jesus not only died for my sins but for those who have sinned against me.
Wait a minute! Stop the music! It doesn’t get any bigger than that. Jesus died for that person that sinned against me! There’s nothing more I can do…………….. but forgive.

Forgiveness is the perfume that the trampled flower
Casts back upon the foot that crushed it

God makes everything but unbreakable hearts.
Lord let me be the fragrance of Your love
Create in me a clean heart, O God;
and renew a right spirit within me.

Psalms 51:10

Happy New Year
Lyndi

Tuesday, January 1, 2008

TWO THOUSAND EIGHT



Dear God, It is a new year on this earth. I want to begin the year with praise and thankfulness to you. I want to recommit myself to you; to do your good will; to follow your word and the guidance of your Holy Spirit. I want to draw closer to you in word, thought, and deed. I want to have an attitude of gratitude, a smile on my face and in my voice, and energy to do whatever task or ministry you want me to do. Please continue to provide my every need, as only you can do. Please bless me that I may be a blessing to others. Please give me wisdom, knowledge, desire, and power to go forth and live for you to make a difference in the lives of those around me and to glorify you. Please bless my coming and my going and open my mouth to speak words of truth and love. Thank you, God. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen and amen.