ChristiansUnite Forums

MINI-SERMONS  BETWEEN 3/26/86-01/8/97
Hello my friends,
In the years above I wrote many “Mini-Sermons”  .  I wrote one item faithfully every week until I went into a depression.  This was caused by sleep apnea which I didn’t find out until 2007!  In that time God was teaching me much.

This is the story about how the Mini-Sermons were born.  God has unique ways to show you what He wants you to do.
As I would read the Bible, I began to “see” it in pictures in my mind.  I would jot down what I “saw” by using simple little stick people in different actions.  There was a group called “Learning unlimited” in Pittsburgh.  People dressed like clowns
passed out brochures offering  classes in just about everything you might like to take a stab at.  I took a 4 week course in drawing. It’s amazing because I hated art in school.  I could not draw a straight line!  I had no perception of it.  I could not make things with construction paper---I still can’t.  I was use-less. Amazingly, I didn’t do too badly. 
When God tells you to do something, don’t say “I can’t .  Ask Him to help you!  God is great for asking you to do the impossible!  From there I took a correspondence art course through ICS.  I was taught different media, drawing and painting---animals and people etc.  A little dab will do it.

I happened to mention to a regular customer what I was doing. I was so excited about learning something new.  Then along came Charles.  He was sitting next to her and heard me telling her this.  He asked me what I was doing.   Couple days later he brought me 3 tubes of paint and 2 good brushes. He was an artist and displayed it at the Art Festival and sold some.  When my co-worker saw him talking to me, she was astonished.   She said he had been coming in for about 15 years and not once did he speak to anyone!  Why me?  Well he had to be an angel to get me on the t right track!  He is a great big guy with a baby face and an “other worldly” air about him.  He was also a good listener and soft spoken.  Never said anything out of line and always encouraging. 
He always had something good to say about everyone.  If he was sitting there when I was done working, I went to lunch with him. He didn’t say much about himself and I didn’t ask. 
I began to talk about the Bible.  He said he didn’t understand it.  I won a $25 gift certificate from Kaufmann’s in a safety contest so I bought him a Bible in simple language; through the Bible in a year.  In the meantime he gave me a gift to give to my new grandson. He gave me flowers for my birthday.  I was never treated so well in all my life!
My blood pressure went up.  I couldn’t handle when nice things happened.  I had so many bad things in my life (which now are growing so strangely dim!)  I became immune to it.
Every chance I got I explained some of the stories to him.  One day I told him I would write some of it out. For him so he could understand.  He said “Make it simple”.  It was also what God was telling me to do.  I like to complicate things.  That’s how the Mini-Sermons” got started.
It’s enough for you to digest now.  I will continue another time.

Thanks for listening to my story this far.  God bless you.

p.s.  so timely!   ;D  Haven't thought about Charles for ages until I began wriiting teh sermons again.  Ironically the news man said the Art Festival in Pittsburgh was opening this week.  Charles enters his painting in it!

Hello Livingbyfaith,

It's nice to have you back. I'm sorry to hear about your sleeping problems, and I know how physically draining that can be.

I know that you're an accomplished writer with published works for years, so we're very happy that you're sharing with us. We have many readers from around the world every day, so people are still hungry for Godly materials. You do have a pleasant and easy to understand way of sharing, and many have enjoyed your posts here.

I can only imagine how much work it would be to re-type years of materials. If you go to that much trouble, maybe you might consider putting it in a book form and sharing it with the entire world. Regardless, I'll be praying for you and look forward to your posts.

Love In Christ,
Tom

Psalms 103:11 ASV  11  For as the heavens are high above the earth, So great is his lovingkindness toward them that fear him.

 ???Thank you Tom.  I am glad to be back here.

I was only on oxygen 2 months when I was taken off of it.  It was a good thing to happen because I thought I was just lazy wanting to sleep all the time.  I believe God let that happen to get rid of all the junk I had stored in my mind, thinking I had a terrible life.  Now He is restoring my mind and putting new thoughts in it.


The tough times I did have were what made me grow up.

I don't need a lot of sleep but had to get the REM sleep with dreams.  The past 3 days I've been waking up laughing.  Part of the dreams I remembered were kind of silly!   ::)  But all day I would start laughing.  Felt closer to God than I have for a long time.  Didn't feel worthy of Him.

You will never guess but in a month you have been the 2nd one to tell me I should write a book!  I've thought about it but it seemed such a chore.  I did write on a site where they encouraged you to write for money.  At the time I could care less about writing for money.  It might be time to do it!  I've had different offers to write for other people's books etc . but never took them up on them.


I don't think they would accept my style of writing.  They want precise English and grammar. That's not me.

If it's God's will, He will let me know when and how to go about it.  Gives me something to think about though.  Very unusual things have been happening lately.  He has  been showing me some of the good things in my past that came out of the bad incidents!  I could start jotting down notes of what I want to cover!

Gee I talk a lot.  Used to be backward!   ???

God bless you richly.  Joan

Sister, you just covered the key issue:  God's Will. We do live in difficult times, and determining God's Will for us is always the best thing we can do. Our joy will be more full in every situation where we yield to His Will. I'm also convinced that God does work everything else out for our good in those times when we simply say, "Yes, LORD, your will be done."

Romans 8:28 ASV  And we know that to them that love God all things work together for good, even to them that are called according to his purpose.

I love Romans 8 and it speaks to me every time I read it. I know that He has a purpose for all of us, and I also know that He loves us much more than anyone else in the world. I'm convinced that the best times of our short lives here are the times that we are closest to Him.

Philippians 4:6-7 ASV  In nothing be anxious; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.  7  And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall guard your hearts and your thoughts in Christ Jesus.


This is a peace that's only available in Jesus Christ. The same is true of our joy and happiness as we anxiously await His Glorious Appearing. I think that time is growing near.

Love In Christ,
Tom