After a warm welcome, introduction of this speaker, and as the applause quieted down, he rose from his high back chair and walked slowly, with great effort and a sliding gait to the podium. Without a note or written paper of any kind he placed both hands on the pulpit to steady himself and then quietly and slowly he began to speak…

“When I was asked to come here today and talk to you, your pastor asked me to tell you what was the greatest lesson ever lear ned in my 50-odd years of preaching. I thought about it for a few days and boiled it down to just one thing that made the most difference in my life and sustained me through all my trials. The one thing that I could always rely on when tears and heartbreak and pain and fear and sorrow paralyzed me.. the only thing that would comfort was this verse…….. …

“Jesus loves me this I know,
For the Bible tells me so.
Little ones to Him belong,
we are weak but He is strong…
Yes, Jesus loves me…
The Bible tells me so.”

 When he finished, the church was quiet. You actually could hear his footsteps as he shuffled back to his chair. I don’t believe I will ever forget it.

A pastor once stated, “I always noticed that it was the adults who chose the children’s hymn “Jesus Loves Me” (for the children of course) during a hymn sing, and it was the adults who sang the loudest because I could see they knew it the best.”

“Senior version of Jesus Loves Me”

Here is a new version just for us who have white hair or no hair at all. For us over middle age (or even those almost there) and all you others check out this newest version of Jesus Loves Me.

JESUS LOVES ME

Jesus loves me, this I know,
Though my hair is white as snow, 
Though my sight is growing dim,
Still He bids me trust in Him.
(CHORUS)
YES, JESUS LOVES ME.. YES, JESUS LOVES ME.
YES, JESUS LOVES ME, FOR THE BIBLE TELLS ME SO.

Though my steps are oh, so slow,
With my hand in His I’ll go,
On through life, let come what may,
He’ll be there to lead the way.
(CHORUS)

When the nights are dark and long,
In my heart He puts a song,
Telling me in words so clear,
“Have no fear, for I am near.”
(CHORUS)

When my work on earth is done,
And life’s victories have been won.
He will take me home above,
Then I’ll understand His love.
(CHORUS)

I love Jesus, does He know?
Have I ever told Him so?
Jesus loves to hear me say,
That I love Him every day.
(CHORUS)

If you think this is neat, please pass it on to your friends. God Bless Us All!!!

Did you know that during WWII there was an adviser to Churchill who organized a group of people who dropped what they were doing every day at a prescribed hour for one minute to collectively pray for the safety of England, for its people and for peace?

There is now a group of people organizing the same thing here in America.

If you would like to participate: Every evening at 9:00 PM Eastern Time (8:00 PM Central) (7:00 PM Mountain) (6:00 PM Pacific), stop whatever you are doing and spend one minute praying for the safety of the United States, our troops, our citizens, and for a return to a Godly nation. If you know others who would like to participate, please pass this along. Our prayers are the most powerful assetswe have.

Please forward this to your praying friends.
You don’t have to sign on, or sign up – just pray, and ask your friends to join you in prayer.

Thank you… let’s bring meaning back to “God Bless America.”

 Ten Commandments 
Some people have trouble with all those ‘shall’s’ and ‘shall not’s’ in the Ten Commandments. Southern Country Folks just aren’t used to talking in those terms. So, in middle Tennessee they translated the ‘King James’ into ‘ Jackson County ‘ language…No Joke (posted on the wall at Cross Trails Church in Gainesboro, TN ).

(1) Just one God. 
(2) Put nothin’ before God
(3) Watch yer mouth
(4) Git yourself to Sunday meetin’
(5) Honor yer Ma & Pa 
(6) No killin’
(7) No foolin’ around with another fellow’s gal
(8) Don’t take what ain’t yers
(9) No tellin’ tales or gossipin’ 
(10) Don’t be hankerin’ for yer buddy’s stuff 

Now that’s plain an’ simple.
Y’all have a nice day now, ya hear!
And bless your little heart….

Make sure you read all the way down to the last sentence.  (Most importantly the last sentence)

There once was a little boy who had a bad temper…  His Father gave him a bag of nails and told him that every time he lost his temper, he must hammer a nail into the back of the fence.

The first day the boy had driven 37 nails into the fence…  Over the next few weeks, as he learned to control his anger, the number of nails hammered daily gradually dwindled down.  He discovered it was easier to hold his temper than to drive those nails into the fence.  Finally the day came when the boy didn’t lose his temper at all.

He told his father about it and the father suggested that the boy now pull out one nail for each day that he was able to hold his temper.

The days passed and the young boy was finally able to tell his father that all the nails were gone.

The father took his son by the hand and led him to the fence.  He said, ‘You have done well, my son, but look at the holes in the fence.  The fence will never be the same.  When you say things in anger, they leave a scar just like this one.  You can put a knife in a man and draw it out.  But it won’t matter how many times you say I’m sorry, the wound will still be there.  A verbal wound is as bad as a physical one.

Remember that friends are very rare jewels indeed.  They make you smile and encourage you to succeed; they lend an ear, they share words of praise and they always want to open their hearts to us.

It’s National Friendship Week.  Show your friends how much you care….  Send this to everyone you consider a FRIEND, even if it means sending it back to the person who sent it to you!  If it comes back to you, you will then know you have a circle of friends.

YOU ARE MY FRIEND AND I AM HONORED!

Now send this to every friend you have!!  And to your family (they need to know that you love them too) …  Please forgive me if I have ever left a ‘hole’ in your fence.

I find it interesting that a high school principal can see the problem, but our society cannot. 

This is a statement that was read over the PA System at the football game at Roane County High School, Kingston, Tennessee   by school Principal Jody McLeod.  “It has always been the custom at Roane County High School football games, to say a prayer and play the National Anthem, to honor God and Country.”   Due to a recent ruling by the Supreme Court, I am told that saying a Prayer is a violation of Federal Case Law.

As I understand the law at this time, I can use this public facility to approve of sexual perversion and call it “an alternate life style,” and if someone is offended, that’s OK.

I can use it to condone sexual promiscuity, by dispensing condoms and calling it, “safe sex.” If someone is offended, that’s OK.

I can even use this public facility to present the merits of killing an unborn baby as a “viable! Means of birth control.” If someone is offended, no problem…

I can designate a school day as “Earth Day” and involve students in activities to worship religiously and praise the goddess “Mother Earth” and call it “ecology”.

I can use literature, videos and presentations in the classroom that depicts people with strong, traditional Christian convictions as “simple minded” and “ignorant” and call it “enlightenment”

However, if anyone uses this facility to honor GOD and to ask HIM to bless this event with safety and good sportsmanship, then Federal Case Law is violated.

This appears to be inconsistent at best, and at worst, diabolical.  Apparently, we are to be tolerant of everything and anyone, except GOD and HIS Commandments.

Nevertheless, as a school principal, I frequently ask staff and students to abide by rules with which they do not necessarily agree. For me to do otherwise would be inconsistent at best, and at worst, hypocritical. I suffer from that affliction enough unintentionally. I certainly do not need to add an intentional transgression. For this reason, I shall “Render unto Caesar that which is Caesar’s,” and refrain from praying at this time.  ” However, if you feel inspired to honor, praise and thank GOD and ask HIM, in the name of JESUS, to Bless this event, please feel free to do so. As far as I know, that’s not against the law—-yet.”

One by one, the people in the stands bowed their heads, held hands with one another and began to pray.   They prayed in the stands. They prayed in the team huddles. They prayed at the concession stand and they prayed in the Announcer’s Box!

The only place they didn’t pray was in the Supreme Court of the United States of America- the Seat of “Justice” in the “one nation, under GOD.”   Somehow, Kingston, Tennessee remembered what so many have forgotten. We are given the Freedom OF Religion, not the Freedom FROM Religion.  Praise GOD that HIS remnant remains! 

JESUS said, “If you are ashamed of ME before men, then I will be ashamed of you before MY FATHER”.  If you are not ashamed, pass this on.  I’m not one bit ashamed to pass this on, are you?

This week, please pray for Christian teachers, coaches, and Sunday School teachers, who are often on the front lines in discovering the desperate needs of prisoners’ children. Pray that they and believers everywhere will open their hearts to love and help little ones like Caitlin and Dakota.

Please support the efforts to improve the lives of the children and their caregivers as we try to break the chains that these children are surrounded with.

If you worry about what may happen tomorrow and it doesn’t happen, you have worried in vain. Even if it does happen, you have to worry twice.’

1. Pray

2. Go to bed on time.

3. Get up on time so you can start the day unrushed.

4. Say No to projects that won’t fit into your time schedule, or that will compromise your mental health.

5. Delegate tasks to capable others.

6. Simplify and unclutter your life.

7. Less is more. (Although one is often not enough, two are often too many.)

8. Allow extra time to do things and to get to places.

9. Pace yourself. Spread out big changes and difficult projects over time; don’t lump the hard things all together.

10. Take one day at a time.

11. Separate worries from concerns.  If a situation is a concern, find out what God would have you do and let go of the anxiety.   If you can’t do anything about a situation, forget it.

12. Live within your budget; don’t use credit cards for ordinary purchases.

13. Have backups; an extra car key in your wallet, an extra house key buried in the garden, extra stamps, etc.

14. K.M.S. (Keep Mouth Shut).  This single piece of advice can prevent an enormous amount of trouble.

15. Do something for the Kid in You everyday.

16. Carry a spiritually enlightening book with you to read while waiting in line.

17. Get enough rest.

18. Eat right.

19. Get organized so everything has its place.

20. Listen to a tape while driving that can help improve your quality of life..

21. Write down thoughts and inspirations.

22. Every day, find time to be alone.

23. Having problems?  Talk to God on the spot. Try to nip small problems in the bud. Don’t wait until it’s time to go to bed to try and pray.

24. Make friends with Godly people.

25. Keep a folder of favorite scriptures on hand.

26. Remember that the shortest bridge between despair and hope is often a good ‘Thank you Jesus.’

27. Laugh.

28. Laugh some more!

29. Take your work seriously, but not yourself at all.

30. Develop a forgiving attitude (most people are doing the best they can).

31. Be kind to unkind people (they probably need it the most).

32. Sit on your ego.

33. Talk less; listen more.

34. Slow down.

35. Remind yourself that you are not the general manager of the universe.

36. Every night before bed, think of one thing you’re grateful for that you’ve never been grateful for before.

GOD HAS A WAY OF TURNING THINGS AROUND FOR YOU.

‘If God is for us, who can be against us?’

(Romans  8:31)

Taken from an email that was sent to me this week that I wanted to share.

Submitted by Dean Sisk, Senior Pastor, Belle Aire Baptist Church, Murfreesboro, TN.

If you would like additional information about the Prison Fellowship Ministries Angel Tree program, prison ministries, or helping minister to the children of inmates in your local area, please contact me at childrenatthecrossroads@yahoo.com.  I look forward to your email.