Winding Down

From Pastor Tim's Daily CleanLaugh What is baseball?

Ah yes, summer baseball season is winding down. Mother's all over the earth are breathing a sign of relief. Not so fast Mom....... cuz football season is gearing up. I got to go to two of our grandsons' baseball games while in Chicago for our annual MacGathering last month. What an honor. Both Nickolas & Justin are blessed athletes. But baseball games? Yikes, I think I’ve attended maybe seven million of them in my life time. I’m really not fond of baseball ….. watching white paint dry on a wall produces the same thrill for me. What is baseball? So you want me to explain it to you with all my vast experience of attending seven millions games?

OK… it’s a game played by two teams, one out the other in. The one that's in, sends players out one at a time, to see if they can get in before they get out. If they get out before they get in, they come in, but it doesn't count. If they get in before they get out it does count.

When the ones out get three outs from the ones in before they get in without being out, the team that's out comes in and the team in goes out to get those going in out before they get in without being out.

When both teams have been in and out nine times the game is over. The team with the most in without being out before coming in wins unless the ones in are equal. In which case, the last ones in go out to get the ones in out before they get in without being out.

The game will end when each team has the same number of ins out but one team has more in without being out before coming in. No wonder I get so much joy out of watching this game!


A pearl to string: My joy comes from watching the ones I love and watching all those who love them watch them. It plumps a grandma’s heart with joy just watching the skills and performances of our grandchildren as they participate in a play or a choir, gymnastics, football, basketball, soccer or baseball. But the bee knees is when I get to watch my children watching their children with such love and pride. Wow! That brings tears of pure joy.

These precious little image bearers (some not so little anymore) are a gift from God, beloved by their parents and the crown of grandparents. The Lord longs to builds beautiful families. As parents walk in integrity their children are blessed after them and parents become the glory of their children. (Psalm 127:3, Proverbs 17: 6, Psalm 127:1, Proverbs 20:7)

‘Watching’ is a gift from God,
May your hearts by thrilled by your ‘watching’ too.
You are loved,
Lyndi

Glorify Thy Name

STONE

TWO FRIENDS WERE WALKING
THROUGH THE DESERT .
DURING SOME POINT OF THE
JOURNEY, THEY HAD AN
ARGUMENT; AND ONE FRIEND
SLAPPED THE OTHER ONE
IN THE FACE

THE ONE WHO GOT SLAPPED
WAS HURT, BUT WITHOUT
SAYING ANYTHING,
WROTE IN THE SAND,

TODAY MY BEST FRIEND
SLAPPED ME IN THE FACE .

THEY KEPT ON WALKING,
UNTIL THEY FOUND AN OASIS,
WHERE THEY DECIDED
TO TAKE A BATH

THE ONE WHO HAD BEEN
SLAPPED GOT STUCK IN THE
MIRE AND STARTED DROWNING,
BUT THE FRIEND SAVED HIM.

AFTER HE RECOVERED FROM
THE NEAR DROWNING,
HE WROTE ON A STONE:

'TODAY MY BEST FRIEND
SAVED MY LIFE'

THE FRIEND WHO HAD SLAPPED
AND SAVED HIS BEST FRIEND
ASKED HIM, 'AFTER I HURT YOU,
YOU WROTE IN THE SAND AND NOW,
YOU WRITE ON A STONE, WHY?'

THE FRIEND REPLIED
'WHEN SOMEONE HURTS US
WE SHOULD WRITE IT DOWN
IN SAND, WHERE WINDS OF
FORGIVENESS CAN ERASE IT AWAY.

BUT, WHEN SOMEONE DOES SOMETHING GOOD FOR US,
WE MUST ENGRAVE IT IN STONE
WHERE NO WIND
CAN EVER ERASE IT'

LEARN TO WRITE
YOUR HURTS IN
THE SAND AND TO
CARVE YOUR
BENEFITS IN STONE.

REMEMBER THE DUCK?

There's an old story about a little boy visiting his grandparents on their farm that illustrates beautifully how much God wants you to be free of your past. The little boy was given a slingshot to play with, out in the woods. He practiced in the woods, but he could never hit the target. Getting discouraged, he headed back to dinner.

As he was walking back, he saw Grandma's pet duck. Just out of impulse, he let fly, hit the duck square in the head and killed it. He was shocked and grieved. In a panic, he hid the dead duck in the woodpile, only to see his sister watching. Sally had seen it all, but she said nothing.

After lunch that day Grandma said, "Sally, let's wash the dishes."

But Sally said, "Grandma, Johnny told me he wanted to help in the kitchen today, didn't you Johnny?" And then she whispered to him, "Remember the duck?" So Johnny did the dishes.

Later Grandpa asked if the children wanted to go fishing, and Grandma said, "I'm sorry, but I need Sally to help me make supper."

But Sally smiled and said, "Well, that's all right because Johnny told me he wanted to help." And she whispered again, "Remember the duck?" Sally went fishing and Johnny stayed.

After several days of Johnny doing both his chores and Sally's, he finally couldn't stand it any longer. He went to his Grandma and confessed that he killed the duck. She knelt down, gave him a hug, and said, "Sweetheart, I know. You see, I was standing at the window and I saw the whole thing. But because I love you, I forgave you. But, I was just wondering how long you would let Sally make a slave of you before you confessed it to me."

A pearl to string: I don't know what's in your past. I don't know what one sin the enemy keeps throwing up in your face. But whatever it is, you need to know Jesus was also standing at the window and He saw the whole thing.... He has seen your whole life. He loves you..... He will forgive you if you will only ask. Perhaps He's wondering how long you will let the enemy make a slave out of you.

"If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." (1 John 1:9)

"Then I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity. I said, "I will confess my transgressions to the Lord"-- and you forgave the guilt of my sin. (Psalms 32:5)

The great thing about Jesus is that He not only forgives, but He forgets.
Remember you are loved,
Lyndi

"A Brokxn Kxy"

Evxn though my typxwritxr is an old modxl, it works quitx wxll xxcxpt for onx of the kxys. I havx many timxs wishxd that it workxd pxrfxctly.

It is trux that thxrx arx forty-onx kxys that function wxll xnough, but just onx kxy not working makxs thx diffxrxncx.

Somxtimxs it sxxms to mx that our church is somxthing likx my typxwritxr -- not all thx kxy pxoplx arx working propxrly.

As onx of thxm, you may say to yoursxlf, "Wxll, I am only onx pxrson, I don't makx or brxak thx church."

But it doxs makx a big diffxrxncx, bxcasx a church, to bx xffxctivx, nxxds thx activx participation of xvxry pxrson.

So, thx nxxt timx you think your xfforts arx not nxxdxd vxry much, rxmxmbxr my typxwritxr and say to yoursxlf, "I am a kxy pxrson in thx congrxgation and I am nxxdxd vxry much."

This is what happxns to thx wholx church, and multiply this by many timxs -- thx whole thing just doxs not makx sxnsx!

So, don't be a broken key - be a useful one.
- Author Unknown

A pearl to string: This little story illustrates how much you matter. The world just isn't right if you are not functioning properly. Some times we don't feel like we matter. Life just swirls around us. If you are feeling that way today may I tell you .... you matter! You matter to all the people in your life. You matter to people who don't even know you. Your unique gifting was designed to bless. Bless your family which make up the church, which blesses one another and reaches into their communities to bless. Churches & communities bless each other and reach far beyond their boarders to bless others.

In God your value is immeasurable
You are loved
So go bless someone
Lyndi

Star Spangled Banner

Have you ever heard all the words to the star spangled banner? All four verses? I had heard a second verse sung when I was young but I didn't know it had 4 verses. If I did know at one time I forgot. I found a sing along Karaoke video. I tried on my own singing the words out but the video kept me in tune.




The Star Spangled Banner Lyrics By Francis Scott Key 1814


Oh, say can you see by the dawn's early light
What so proudly we hailed at the twilight's last gleaming?
Whose broad stripes and bright stars thru the perilous fight,
O'er the ramparts we watched were so gallantly streaming?
And the rocket's red glare, the bombs bursting in air,
Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there.
Oh, say does that star-spangled banner yet wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave?

On the shore, dimly seen through the mists of the deep,
Where the foe's haughty host in dread silence reposes,
What is that which the breeze, o'er the towering steep,
As it fitfully blows, half conceals, half discloses?
Now it catches the gleam of the morning's first beam,
In full glory reflected now shines in the stream:
'Tis the star-spangled banner! Oh long may it wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave!

And where is that band who so vauntingly swore
That the havoc of war and the battle's confusion,
A home and a country should leave us no more!
Their blood has washed out their foul footsteps' pollution.
No refuge could save the hireling and slave
From the terror of flight, or the gloom of the grave:
And the star-spangled banner in triumph doth wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave!

Oh! thus be it ever, when freemen shall stand
Between their loved home and the war's desolation!
Blest with victory and peace, may the heav'n rescued land
Praise the Power that hath made and preserved us a nation.
Then conquer we must, when our cause it is just,
And this be our motto: "In God is our trust."
And the star-spangled banner in triumph shall wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave!

A pearl to string: Tears fill my eyes each time I remember and honor the many lives given for which our country stands. For all that is wrong through out our history I still feel blessed to live in the land of the free and the home of the brave . Happy 4th of July,
You are loved,
Lyndi