Sorrow looks back, worry looks around, faith looks up.

Ralph Waldo Emerson

Character cannot be developed in ease and quiet. Only through experience of trial and suffering can the soul be strengthened, vision cleared, ambition inspired, and success achieved.

Helen Keller

Associate yourself with men of good quality if you esteem your own reputation. It is better to be alone than in bad company.

George Washington

heheh) I get this mental picture of Bilbo Baggins and his trolls who turned into stone...

Oklahoma Howdy to Willowbirch,

Here's a troll in a pretty moment:  

In Christ,
Tom

And here's another warm, fuzzy welcome coming your way, fresh from the oven!

Oklahoma Howdy to Willowbirch,

Welcome back to you, WE MISSED YOU.

In Christ,
Tom

Hoekstra Devotion - October 15

Even More on the Source of Faith:

Jesus Christ, the faithful witness . . . the Faithful and True Witness . . . And He . . . was called Faithful and True.  (Rev_1:5; Rev_3:14; and Rev_19:11)

Faith comes into our lives through the work of Jesus Christ: "Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith" (Heb_12:2). When the name of the Lord is revealed to us (that is, an understanding of who Jesus is and what He is able to do), faith develops in our hearts. "And His name, through faith in His name, has made this man strong . . . Yes, the faith which comes through Him has given him this perfect soundness" (Act_3:16). We grasp to some degree how great He is, so we trust Him to do great things. Thereby, faith comes into our spiritual experience through Him. Our present verses are related to this development of faith, for they depict Jesus as faithful and true.

He is the reliable witness, who tells us the truth: "Jesus Christ, the faithful witness . . . the Faithful and True Witness . . . And He . . . was called Faithful and True." A witness gives a first-hand report of what he has observed, heard, or experienced. Jesus is the reliable witness of things that He is truly informed about, things that we are fully in need of knowing. He tells us about the kingdom of heaven. "Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven" (Mat_18:3). He warns us about the judgment of hell. "So it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come forth, separate the wicked from among the just, and cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth" (Mat_13:49-50).

He also tells us about the heavenly Father. "If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!" (Mat_7:11). He warns us about the "father of lies." "You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it" (John 8:44). He tells us what true living is all about. "And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent" (Joh_17:3). We have faith in Him and all that He bears witness to, because He is "the Faithful and True Witness."

Dear Lord Jesus, I thank You for being a fully reliable witness. I trust in You because You are faithful and true. Your trustworthy witness has rescued me from hell and headed me toward heaven, protected me from the father of lies and made me a child of the heavenly Father. Your witness has brought me to life everlasting. I praise You with unending gratitude!

Oklahoma Howdy to Brother Love,

   I had this same type of drug problem when I was young. I never got a spanking that I didn't richly deserve.

Some school teachers refer to this as "applying the board of education to the seat of knowledge."

The cost of no discipline is many times a price higher than anyone can dream of.

In Christ,
Tom

Oklahoma Howdy to Whitehorse,

Good job, THANKS!

Could we have a recount on the *Award for Users Named
Sapphire W34P0N?   Just kidding.

I think we have an interesting bunch of sweet Christian folks here. I give thanks to God for the fellowship here and thanks to ADMIN for providing a place for us. THANKS ADMIN!

Love In Christ,
Tom

We change bills so fast I'm starting to collect them.

Oklahoma Howdy to Whitehorse,

Good, I'm glad you are collecting them. I don't have any of the old twenties or the new twenties. Would you mind sending me 5 or 6 of each?  I would also be interested in any larger bills you might want to send. Thanks!

In Christ,
Tom

Scary:

Q. How many women with PMS does it take to screw in a light bulb?

A. One. ONE!!!!!! And do you know WHY it only takes ONE? Because no one else in this house knows HOW to change a light bulb. They don't even know the bulb is BURNED OUT. They would sit in this house in the dark for THREE DAYS before they figured it OUT. And once they figured it out they wouldn't be able to find the light bulbs despite the fact that they've been in the SAME CUPBOARD for the past SEVENTEEN YEARS. But if they did, by some miracle, find the light bulbs, TWO DAYS LATER the chair that they dragged from two rooms over to stand on to change the STUPID light bulb would STILL BE IN THE SAME SPOT!!!!!!! AND UNDERNEATH IT WOULD BE THE CRUMPLED WRAPPER THE STUPID LIGHT BULBS CAME IN. WHY??? BECAUSE NO ONE IN THIS HOUSE EVER CARRIES OUT THE GARBAGE!!!! IT'S A WONDER WE HAVEN'T ALL SUFFOCATED FROM THE PILES OF GARBAGE THAT ARE 12 FEET DEEP THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE HOUSE. THE HOUSE!! THE HOUSE!!! IT WOULD TAKE AN ARMY TO CLEAN THIS........

 

UM??:

A guy goes to visit his grandmother and he brings his friends
with him.
 
While he's talking to his grandmother, his friend starts eating
the peanuts on the coffee table, and finishes them off.
 
As they're leaving, his friend says to his grandmother, "Thanks
for the peanuts."
 
She says, "Yeah, since I lost my dentures I can only suck the
chocolate off 'em."

 

Oklahoma Howdy to JesusLives,

Welcome to Christians Unite. I sincerely hope you enjoy the fellowship here. Jump in and have some fun.

In Christ,
Tom

Hoekstra Devotion - October 14

More on the Source of Faith:

And His name, through faith in His name, has made this man strong, whom you see and know. Yes, the faith which comes through Him has given him this perfect soundness in the presence of you all.  (Act_3:16)

The path of discipleship can only be traveled by faith (by trusting in our unseen Lord). Progress can never be made by sight (by relying upon that which our human senses can gather and process). "We walk by faith, not by sight" (2Co_5:7). Therefore, it is vital that we understand where we must go for the source of our faith: "Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith" (Heb_12:2). Jesus is the source of faith. The scriptures often expound upon this fundamental truth.

When the lame man was healed at the temple gate, this truth was again declared. This miracle occurred when two of the Lord's disciples were going to the temple in Jerusalem to pray. "Now Peter and John went up together to the temple at the hour of prayer" (Act_3:1). A man who was crippled all of his life requested a gift. "And a certain man lame from his mother's womb was carried, whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple which is called Beautiful . . . asked for alms" (Act_3:2-3). Peter and John had no money to give, but they offered far more than the man had sought. "Then Peter said, 'Silver and gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk' " (Acts 3:6). They offered this man healing in the name of Jesus Christ. "And he took him by the right hand and lifted him up, and immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength. So he, leaping up, stood and walked and entered the temple with them — walking, leaping, and praising God" (Act_3:7-8). The miracle was extensive. The lame man was not only strengthened to walk, he was also enabled to leap and stirred to give exuberant praise unto the Lord.

When the astonished crowd gathered, Peter explained how the miracle was related to the name of Jesus. "And His name, through faith in His name, has made this man strong, whom you see and know." The name of Jesus referred to His person and His power (that is, all that Jesus was and all that He was able to do). This demonstration of Jesus' power was experienced through faith in His name (that is, reliance upon who He was and what He could do). Then, Peter explained the source of such faith. "Yes, the faith which comes through Him has given him this perfect soundness in the presence of you all." Jesus is the source of faith. Those who know Jesus to be a wonder-working Lord will trust Him to do extraordinary things.

O glorious Lord, I see many matters that only You can handle — problems in the world, needs in the churches, difficulties threatening loved ones, burdens in my life. I trust in Your name. Please show again who You are and what You alone can do, Amen.

Oklahoma Howdy to Brother Love,

     

Abbott and Costello's "Who's On First" Meets the 21st Century - for the computer literate !

       - ROFL - It was great! Thanks!

Oklahoma Howdy to Symphony,

   

Now that I know that, there will be a delay in issuing the new twenty dollar bills. I think that I'll pay off a few debts and make sure that I have hamburger with my hamburger helper first.  Who knows, I may even eliminate road kill and possum gravy from our menu.....bep