We Could Learn a Lot From...

The Children's Miracle Network
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One of our local convenience stores recently started selling Children's Miracle Network stickers for donations of $1, $5, or $25. After reading up on the Children's Miracle Network and some of the things that they are doing, I was glad to see the walls of this store being filled up with these stickers of people's donations.

Some info:

*founded in 1983 by the Osmond family and John Schneider (played Bo Duke on the Dukes of Hazzard)

*raises more than $250 Million dollars each year. The funds are then provided to a network of 170 hospitals to help provide for the needs of the children who are patients there.

*Funds are raised mostly through the use of corporate partners, such as Walmart, Dairy Queen, Domino Sugar, Phi Mu, Church's Chicken, Zeta Beta Tau, Sigma Alpha Epsilon, Sigma Chi and Marriott Hotels to name a few.

This excellent organization exemplifies the biblical concept of "when you give you do it unto me" (Matthew 25:40)

We Could Learn a Lot From....

Charles Stanley
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For those of you who may not have heard of Charles Stanley, he is has been a long-time pastor of the First Baptist Church in Atlanta and is the founder of In Touch Ministries. He is not a perfect man, as no one is, but his insights into the Christian faith have helped countless people in their growth and maturity. Several of his quotes include the following:

Only God knows fully what is required for wholeness because only God knows fully what it means to be whole, perfect, and complete. Only God knows what is missing in our lives because only God sees the total picture.

All of our needs are secondary to our need to accept Jesus Christ as our Savior, to be born again spiritually, and to live in right relationship with God our Father.

True contentment lies not in having, but in knowing---of knowing that you are accepted, loved, forgiven, and valued in spite of what you may or may not have in your hands or surrounding you.

God wants a walking-and-talking relationship with you. Your appearance, your status before others, and your performance matter little to God. He is concerned about the state of your heart and your innermost desires for eternal things.

Omarosa headed to Seminary!

Wow...I just read that Omarosa is now heading to study at a United Theological Seminary in Dayton, OH to become a Pastor. Known for her villianous ways and antics on reality T.V. shows, she has more recently been a goodwill ambassador and has done work for the homeless and poor in Haiti. According to Ivan Hicks, the school's associate dean for African-American studies, this reputation she has for both good and bad will help her as a minister because people will be able to relate to her. It's interesting that she has chosen this route as I myself did not even know that she was a Christian. However, we must remember that God has used many imperfect people before and can use the "foolish things of this world to confound the wise." (1Corinthians 1:27) I wish her all the best and my thoughts and prayers go out to her.

We Could Learn a Lot From......

Ted Britain
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Ted Britain is not a world-renowned speaker or pastor, but he is a pastor with a very important message to share: that of the power of forgiveness. He is the head of Ted Britain ministries, and he has written several books that everyone, Christian or non-Christian, should read. In one of his books, entitled "Healing the Wounds of Life" He discusses the importance of forgiveness on our health, spiritual walk, and other areas of our lives. He often uses the example of Jesus in his teachings as well. When Christ was asked how often one should forgive another, He said "not just 7times, but seventy times seven." Now He didn't mean that we should just stop at 490 times, he meant we must continually forgive others, just like we must "love our enemies, and bless those that persecute you." This is the message of hope that Pastor Ted gives to those churches that he visits. For more information on this exceptional Christian leader and his ministry, you can visit http://www.tedbritainministries.com/Ted_Britain_Ministries.html

Quote of the Week #8

He who is devoid of the power to forgive is devoid of the power to love.

---Martin Luther King

This next QotW touches on something that is very hard for a lot of people to be able to do. However, the act of forgiveness, in many aspects, is one of the most important things that you can do for not only other people but for yourself. Forgiveness is not only important, but it is also much healthier than unforgiveness, and it is scientifically proven fact that holding unforgiveness and bitterness in your heart is not healthy for you and can possibly lead to any number of ailments. It is also dangerous. Unforgiveness can lead to bitterness; bitterness to contempt; and contempt to hate; and hate can lead someone to take another's life. So, even though it is hard for someone to do, and it is even hard for myself to do at times, we must forgive others for us to be completely whole individuals.

The Woman at the Denver Bus Terminal

I met an interesting woman when I was at the Denver Bus Terminal taking a bus back to my hometown last April. She was a very excitable elderly woman, namely because she couldn't figure out why her boyfriend hadn't made it to pick her up. She wanted to borrow my cell phone, which I let her do several times. While I was doing this, I couldn't help but look at some of the other customers in the bus terminal. They were looking at her like some would look at someone in a mental health hospital, but I wasn't there to pass judgment on her, I was there to help since I had a five-hour layover anyway. She was there for almost the whole entire time that I was there. Finally, at about 11:00, 3 hours after I had first encountered her, her boyfriend finally came to pick her up. After I helped her with her luggage, I thought she wouldn't even tell me so much as a thank you, but she said in her thick Boston accent, "God bless you, sir! God bless you! I should get you some coffee or something!" I tell you, the feeling I had was like a million dollars! And that, my friends, would be part of the reason why I would go into the ministry. Other than the most important reason, which is to spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ and to help people in their spiritual walk, I also want to model for others how we are to treat other people. For it was Jesus who said, "even if you do unto the least of them, you have done it unto me." (Matthew 25:40)

Christian Appalachian Project

The Christian Appalachian Project is another excellent organization that exists to serve the needs of others. This organization, located deep in the Appalachian area of the United States, they are "committed to serving people in need in Appalachia by providing physical, spiritual and emotional support through a wide variety of programs and services." Among the wonderful good works they provide for people include providing low income parents with clothes, food, and/or school supplies; hosting summer camps; offering transportation, companionship, and socialization to the elderly; and providing respite services for caregivers of elderly and disabled people. For more information on this excellent organization, go to http://www.christianapp.org/index.shtml!

We Could Learn a Lot From......

Edith Auello
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There was an interesting story which appeared in Today's Pentecostal Evangel about a woman named Edith Auello. Ms. Auello, who attends Glad Tidings Assembly of God Church in New Jersey, had a son who had a rare form of cancer in his chest. The cancer progressed rapidly, and unfortunately her son, who was named Michael, did not survive. Edith, like any other mother, was devastated. She gave away most of Michael's possessions except for a coat that she had gotten for him that past Christmas, which she just simply couldn't part with. Oh, how he had loved that coat! However, this is not the end of this story. Ms. Auello's church was planning a missions trip that fall to Belarus and one of her friends recounted a very interesting story to her. A relative of hers who lived in that country had been praying very intently for a coat, and God had even given this individual a dream as to what the coat looked like. This person drew a picture of the coat and gave to her friend who then showed it to Edith. The picture looked exactly look her son's coat! Ms. Auello knew what she needed to do. She gave her son's coat to her friend to give to her relative in Belarus. Later on, during the missions trip to that same country, she had the unlikely encounter of meeting the man that she gave her son's coat to. Although she had struggled with the loss of her son, seeing how someone was being blessed with her generosity and God's provision spoke to her heart and greatly aided her in the healing process!

Minstering to people with AIDS

Joseph "Jody" Grieb is the director of a rich ministry to those who are afflicted with HIV and the AIDS virus. He coordinates this ministry through the Disciples Home Missions, which is in itself a ministry of the Central Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in the Terre Haute, IN and Indianapolis areas. This very useful ministry is very creative, providing AIDS testing and other support from an unassuming ordinary-looking van, called the DEBI van, pictured here:



This ministry often travels to provide their free HIV testing services as well. You can read more about Mr. Grieb's ministry on his blog at http://amndhm.blogspot.com/

We Could Learn a Lot From......

GEORGE WASHINGTON CARVER
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Although Mr. Carver was a very successful inventor and pioneer in the uses of the peanut, he was also very much a class act. The man had to overcome many great and personal obstacles to reach success. Growing up in a one-room at the close of the American Civil War, he along with his mother was originally a slave owned by a man named Moses Carver. Unfortunately, he and his mother were later abducted by the Ku Klux Klan. Although he would eventually be returned to his original owner, his mother was never seen from again. But Mr. Carver was also a man of great prayer, always asking God how he could be used of Him for the greatest good and success. He began work on the uses of the peanut and sweet potato and recommended that farmers plant that instead of cotton. This would also lead to another great trial in his life in that farmers lost a lot of money due to his recommendation that they plant peanuts and sweet potatoes instead of cotton. Did George Washington Carver get bitter? No he didn't...instead he cried out to God to show Him the proper direction and God led him back to his lab and he would go on to discover hundreds of practical uses for the peanut and sweet potato. So, he is a good example of not giving up and staying the course!

Interesting Quote from President Obama

April and I don't always agree with this man's politics, but President Obama gave a very interesting quote during the newly-delivered commencement address at Arizona State tonight that I will share with you all.

"You may have set-backs, and you may have failures, but you're not done - not by a longshot.


Just look to history. Thomas Paine was a failed corset maker, a failed teacher, and a failed tax collector before he made his mark on history with a little book called Common Sense that helped ignite a revolution. Julia Child didn't publish her first cookbook until she was almost fifty, and Colonel Sanders didn't open up his first Kentucky Fried Chicken until he was in his sixties. Winston Churchill was dismissed as little more than a has-been, who enjoyed scotch just a bit too much, before he took over as Prime Minister and saw Great Britain through its finest hour. And no one thought a former football player stocking shelves at the local supermarket would return to the game he loved, become a Super Bowl MVP, and then come here to Arizona and lead your Cardinals to their first Super Bowl.


Each of them, at one point in their life, didn't have any title or much status to speak of. But they had a passion, a commitment to following that passion wherever it would lead, and to working hard every step along the way."



This really spoke to me because just like the jury was still out on those individuals the jury is still out on others, including myself, and if I do become a minister that will be my belief, which is not to ever give up on people. As long as you are breathing, you have a chance! Never give up on people.

Ministering to lepers

*Kelvin McDaniel and his wife Anita are missionaries to those with Hansen's disease (leprosy) and other people groups around the world. This is going to be part of a larger segment in which we talk about missionaries and their work in ministering to certain people groups. Kelvin's brother, Randy, will be the subject of a God Story on this blog in the near future.


This individual to the right of Mr. McDaniel is definitely not very pleasing to the eyes. However, this individual suffers from an anomaly called Hansen's disease, better known as leprosy. This individual comes from a culture that is very deeply rooted in the Hindu religion. Lepers in Hindu communities, much like lepers in Christ's day, are sadly deemed as outcasts and are banished from their families. The reason is that it is thought in Hindu belief that there leprosy is evidence of a wicked and sinful previous life and thus they are then thrown out of their homes after the disease is discovered. But the fantastic thing about the Gospel of Jesus Christ is that He will accept everyone, including those that society has forgot, like this man with leprosy. Once someone comes to Jesus and asks for his forgiveness, they will immediately realize that God is not a respecter of persons and does not discriminate. We are just as important to God as a leper or former child molester is to God and vice versa! If you are a committed Christian and come across this blog, please pray for the work that is being done to help those afflicted with Hansen's disease both spirtually and physically.

Quote of the Week #5

To forgive is to set a prisoner free and discover that the prisoner was you.

-Lewis B. Smedes

The fifth quote is very important because if a person fails to forgive a person, then it can lead to bitterness. Bitterness in turn can lead to hate, and hate can lead to the taking of someone else's life. As Christians, we are called to be people of peace, so forgiveness is one of the most important things we can do. It's not about getting even; it's about forgiving that person and then their power on you is taken away. Although I am definitely getting there, there is still much work to be done. I am still learning this.

The Name of the Game...

The Name of the Game right now (at least for me, after the year that I have had) is encouragement. Encouraging other people and being there for them can not only be a catharsis, but it is also biblical: 1 Thessalonians 5:11 (NIV): Therefore encourage one another and build one another up." So this week, this month, whatever, why don't we all go out of our way to help one another and encourage them? Even just giving someone an ear to listen can be helpful!

Interesting Yahoo Question

I thought that this Yahoo Answers question was quite interesting...my response is below. I've had friends kill themselves over things like this and really hope this woman can accept the situation in a good manner...here's the link: http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20090411141239AAoFxeL&cp=2



Son brought home a BOY from college . . . what should I do?




I'm assuming that your son is GAY. The best thing that you can do is accept the situation for what it is, even if it is not your cup of tea. I am thinking about studying to be a pastor and I am always hearing about it being unnatural, wrong, immoral, sinful, etc., but there are people who kill themselves over homosexuality every day. So, love him, accept him, care for him, and let him worry about the repercussions.
Source(s):
future pastor and counselor

NOTE: I realize that I might have just stepped into a minefield discussing homosexuality. Well, yes I do believe that homosexuality is wrong. It is "not God's best" as Joel Osteen so eloquently put it on Larry King. However, instead of stuffing it down his throat and preaching at him, I believe that a quiet life lived in front of him and private prayer is sufficient to help him realize the error in his ways.

take time to minister...

I am reminded of the movie Patch Adams today, where the only thing that lifted him out of his depression was helping others. With that in mind, just like Jesus' washed his disciples feet (John 13), we also need to take the time to humble ourselves and minister to others. When you deliver a meal to a shut-in, empty a bedpan, give someone a lift to an appointment, etc., you are fulfilling your calling of ministering for the Lord. Here is an idea for you that I have adopted: keep a database or (if you are not computer savvy) a little notebook of all the good things that you have done for others. No, good works do not save you, but they are very cathartic and helpful to people who are weary and disheartened. If you help others, you help yourself.