"In mindfulness one is not only restful and happy, but alert and awake. Meditation is not evasion; it is a serene encounter with reality." ~Thich Nhat Hanh |
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The right words at the right time can change the course of your day, if not your life.
"In mindfulness one is not only restful and happy, but alert and awake. Meditation is not evasion; it is a serene encounter with reality." ~Thich Nhat Hanh |
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Silent Sermon A member of the church, who previously had been attending Services regularly, stopped going. After a few weeks, the pastor decided to visit him. It was a chilly evening. The pastor found the man home alone, sitting before a blazing fire. Guessing the reason for his pastor's visit, the man welcomed him, led him to a comfortable chair near the fireplace and waited. The pastor made himself at home but said nothing. In the grave silence, he contemplated the dance of the flames around the burning logs. After some minutes, the pastor took the fire tongs, carefully picked up a brightly burning ember and placed it to one side of the hearth all alone then he sat back in his chair, still silent. The host watched all this in quiet contemplation. As the one lone ember's flame flickered and diminished, there was a momentary glow and then its fire was no more. Soon it was cold and dead. Not a word had been spoken since the initial greeting. The pastor glanced at his watch and realized it was time to leave. He slowly stood up, picked up the cold, dead ember and placed it back in the middle of the fire. Immediately it began to glow, once more with the light and warmth of the burning coals around it. As the pastor reached the door to leave, his host said with a tear running down his cheek, "Thank you so much for your visit and especially for the fiery sermon. I will be back in church next Sunday." We live in a world today, which tries to say too much with too little. Consequently, few listen. Sometimes the best sermons are the ones left unspoken.
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"Life without God is like an unsharpened pencil - it has no point."
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Look Well to This Day
Anonymous, 50 B.C.
Look well to this day,
For it and it alone is life.
In its brief course
Lie all the essence of your existence:The Glory of Growth
The Satisfaction of Achievement
The Splendor of BeautyFor yesterday is but a dream,
And tomorrow is but a vision.
But today well lived makes every yesterday a dream of happiness,
And every tomorrow a vision of hope.
"Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where He prayed." (Mark 1:35, NIV) TODAY'S WORD from Joel and Victoria Are you facing challenges today or feeling overwhelmed by your circumstances? Perhaps what you see on the outside doesn't match what God has placed on the inside of you. The key is: don't sit around in self-pity, depressed or discouraged. Go out and find someplace you can dream and connect with Almighty God. Go to the park and watch the sunset. Look up at the stars and think about His goodness. Take a break from the environment that seems to be holding you back. Find a place that inspires you, a place where you can meditate on His Word and let your faith be elevated. Stay in a good, Bible-based church where people are going to build you up and not tear you down; a place where people are going to challenge you to rise higher and become all that God has created you to be. I know people who get home from work every night and watch the same depressing TV shows week after week. Don't let that be you! If you're going to enlarge your vision, you've got to get out of a limited environment. Put yourself in an atmosphere of victory and success and move forward in the good things God has prepared for you! A PRAYER FOR TODAY Father, today I choose to separate myself from my circumstances and from my environment so I can set my heart and mind on You. Show me Your ways. Reveal Your love to me. Give me Your vision of victory for my future in Jesus' name. Amen. |
| Just Imagine! |
| TODAY'S SCRIPTURE |
| "...and now nothing they have imagined they can do will be impossible for them." |
| (Genesis 11:6, AMP) |
| TODAY'S WORD from Joel and Victoria |
How often do you stop and think about what you are thinking about? So often, we live with our minds on autopilot, taking in whatever thoughts come our way. But, if we are going to rise up higher the way God intends, we have to determine to make sure our thoughts line up with God's thoughts. Seven times in scripture God asks, "What do you see?" God is interested in our vision. Before your dream comes to pass, you have to see yourself accomplishing that dream. You've got to get a picture of it. Before you lose the weight, before you break the addiction, you have to see it happening in your imagination. Today, instead of thinking about your problems, think about God's promises. Get a vision for what He has in store for your future. Imagine yourself living in victory. Imagine yourself healed. Imagine yourself walking in abundance. Imagine yourself blessing other people. Just imagine what God has in store for you because nothing is impossible with Him! |
| A PRAYER FOR TODAY |
| Father, today I set my heart and mind on You. Give me Your vision for my future. Help me to see myself the way You see me so that I can imagine and live in the blessing You have in store for me in Jesus' name. Amen. |
| — Joel & Victoria Osteen |
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| TODAY'S SCRIPTURE |
| "...It is more blessed to give than to receive." |
| (Acts 20:35, NIV) |
| TODAY'S WORD from Joel and Victoria |
So much of our culture is inward focused. People are conditioned to think, "What's in it for me?" But the most rewarding way to live is not with the attitude, "How can I get blessed today?" No, if we are always self-focused wondering how we can benefit, that's living with a shallow, temporary mentality. Instead of looking out only for your good, turn it around and say, "How can I be a blessing to others? Who can I inspire to rise higher? What seeds of greatness can I call forth out of someone?" Friend, that's living at a higher level. Today, I encourage you to be on the lookout for ways to be a blessing to other people. It's amazing how one word of encouragement can change the direction of a person's life forever. When you reach out and speak faith over others, when you speak vision and cause others to rise higher, something supernatural happens to your own life. It won't be long before you see yourself excelling and rising up higher when you live with an eternal perspective! |
| A PRAYER FOR TODAY |
| Father, help me to live with an eternal perspective. Help me to stay focused on meeting the needs of others. Let me be Your hands and feet, let me be Your mouthpiece and bring You glory in everything I do in Jesus' name. Amen. |
| — Joel & Victoria Osteen |