Good morning again from Tulsa, Oklahoma.
LaVon and I drove to Tulsa Monday to spend some time with daughter, Stephanie and family. We have had a great visit and taken in some ball games as well. I can't help but think when we go to these games and activities that we are encouragers to our grand kids. Just as we are encourageing them we can and need to be encouragers for others as well. We want to thank each of you that encourage us on a regular basis by calling us, praying, emailing,visits and supporting our ministry. When we see how much we are missing of our grandchildrens' lives, we want to be there, but God has something for us to do, so we go and make disciples.
Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever. —Psalm 118:1
Encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing. --1 Thessalonians 5:11
Mark Twain once said, "I can live two months on one good compliment." People need your praise and affirmation. Be liberal with your gift of encouragement and always be on the lookout for opportunities to lift someone’s spirits.
A woman in a church has a ministry of affirmation. She must have stock in the local stationery store, because she is always writing affirming notes. Her willingness to praise someone for a job well done or encourage a person who needs a moment of inspiration has given her a profound ministry. She'll probably never give a sermon, write a book, or be famous, but I guarantee you that in God's eyes her notes of encouragement are more powerful than almost any sermon you've ever heard.
Is there someone in your life who needs a little affirmation and praise? What better gift to give them than the gift of encouragement!
Have a great day, love you, pass it on.
Don
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
Sunday's Coming
Good morning once again,
We are in stormy Oklahoma. There are storms in the state again today so please keep us in your prayers.
Just as storms from the weather come, so do storms in our life. It may be from family, friends or work and even in the church, so what do we do when someone gets mad at you or you have a grievence with someone? I read a story this week that deals with this issue.
"Once, there were two brothers who lived on adjoining farms who fell into conflict. It was the first serious rift they'd had in 40 years of farming side-by-side. They used to share machinery and trade labor and goods as each of them needed, without a hitch. But the collaboration fell apart.
"It began with a small misunderstanding and eventually grew into a major difference until finally it exploded into an ugly exchange of words, followed by weeks of silence. One morning there was a knock on John's door. He opened it to find a man with a carpenter's toolbox.
'I'm looking for a few days work, he said. Would you have anything around here that I help you with?'
"Yes, said the older brother. 'I do have a job for you. Look across the creek at that farm. That's my neighbor. It's my younger brother's place! Last week there was a meadow between us. He took his bulldozer to the river levee and now there's a creek between us. He may have done this to spite me, but I'm going to do him one better. See that pile of lumber over there by the barn? I want you to build an 8-foot high fence so I won't have to see my brother's farm or his face anymore.'
"The carpenter said, 'I think I understand the situation. Show me where you have some nails and a post-hole digger and I'll be able to do a job that will please you.'
"The older brother had to go to town, so he helped the carpenter get the materials ready and then he was off for the day. The carpenter worked hard all that day--measuring, sawing and nailing.
About sunset when the farmer returned, the carpenter had just finished his job. The farmer's eyes opened wide, and his jaw dropped at what he saw. There wasn't a fence there at all. It was a bridge--a bridge that stretched from one side of the creek to the other! It was beautifully built with handrails and all! He then saw his neighbor--his younger brother, coming toward them, with his hand outstretched.
'You're really remarkable--to build this bridge after all I've said and done.'
"The two brothers stood at each end of the bridge, and then walked toward each other in the middle, taking each others hand. They then turned to see the carpenter hoist his toolbox on his shoulder. The older brother yelled out, 'No, wait! Stay for a few days. I have a lot of other projects for you to do.'
'I'd love to stay,' the carpenter said, 'but I have a lot more bridges to build.'"
And so do we whenever we have grievances against one another.
When someone attacks, our natural reaction is to fight back."
We need to keep in mind that "We're Christ's representatives. God uses us to persuade men and women to drop their differences and enter into God's work of making things right between them." (2 Corinthians 5:19 - The Message)
I pray you are a bridge builder today.
Have a great day, love you, pass it on.
Don
We are in stormy Oklahoma. There are storms in the state again today so please keep us in your prayers.
Just as storms from the weather come, so do storms in our life. It may be from family, friends or work and even in the church, so what do we do when someone gets mad at you or you have a grievence with someone? I read a story this week that deals with this issue.
"Once, there were two brothers who lived on adjoining farms who fell into conflict. It was the first serious rift they'd had in 40 years of farming side-by-side. They used to share machinery and trade labor and goods as each of them needed, without a hitch. But the collaboration fell apart.
"It began with a small misunderstanding and eventually grew into a major difference until finally it exploded into an ugly exchange of words, followed by weeks of silence. One morning there was a knock on John's door. He opened it to find a man with a carpenter's toolbox.
'I'm looking for a few days work, he said. Would you have anything around here that I help you with?'
"Yes, said the older brother. 'I do have a job for you. Look across the creek at that farm. That's my neighbor. It's my younger brother's place! Last week there was a meadow between us. He took his bulldozer to the river levee and now there's a creek between us. He may have done this to spite me, but I'm going to do him one better. See that pile of lumber over there by the barn? I want you to build an 8-foot high fence so I won't have to see my brother's farm or his face anymore.'
"The carpenter said, 'I think I understand the situation. Show me where you have some nails and a post-hole digger and I'll be able to do a job that will please you.'
"The older brother had to go to town, so he helped the carpenter get the materials ready and then he was off for the day. The carpenter worked hard all that day--measuring, sawing and nailing.
About sunset when the farmer returned, the carpenter had just finished his job. The farmer's eyes opened wide, and his jaw dropped at what he saw. There wasn't a fence there at all. It was a bridge--a bridge that stretched from one side of the creek to the other! It was beautifully built with handrails and all! He then saw his neighbor--his younger brother, coming toward them, with his hand outstretched.
'You're really remarkable--to build this bridge after all I've said and done.'
"The two brothers stood at each end of the bridge, and then walked toward each other in the middle, taking each others hand. They then turned to see the carpenter hoist his toolbox on his shoulder. The older brother yelled out, 'No, wait! Stay for a few days. I have a lot of other projects for you to do.'
'I'd love to stay,' the carpenter said, 'but I have a lot more bridges to build.'"
And so do we whenever we have grievances against one another.
When someone attacks, our natural reaction is to fight back."
We need to keep in mind that "We're Christ's representatives. God uses us to persuade men and women to drop their differences and enter into God's work of making things right between them." (2 Corinthians 5:19 - The Message)
I pray you are a bridge builder today.
Have a great day, love you, pass it on.
Don
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
Sunday's Coming
Good morning,
It's that time again and my prayer this morning is for those that went through those terrible storms Monday in Oklahoma and Kansas. I was watching interviews with people who had just lost everything and time and time again they would say they were blessed. That God had spared them and their families. Things can be replaced, family can't.
I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. - 2 Timothy 4:7
Not many people would disagree that professional football is a rough, sometimes violent sport. Years ago, during a Monday-night football game between the Chicago Bears and the New York Giants, one of the announcers observed that Walter Payton, the Bears’ hall-of-fame running back, had accumulated over nine miles in yardage by running with the football. Another announcer remarked, “Yeah, and that’s with someone knocking him down every 4.6 yards!”
Walter Payton was one of the most successful running backs to ever play professional football. He knew that everyone–even the best–gets knocked down. The key to his success was getting back up and running again just as hard the next time he took the football.
In the race that is the Christian life, keep your eyes on the finish line and run hard! No matter who tries to cause you to stumble or whatever circumstances knock you off balance, when you fall down along the way, get back up, dust yourself off and get back in the game! Don’t become discouraged and quit! In life, being knocked down is inevitable. But, if you keep your eyes on the Lord and keep running hard, you will be assured of finishing well in the end!
Thanks for praying with us for those in these areas and thank you for continuing to pray for us as we travel to Oklahoma tomorrow, if the park is still there and has power.
Have a great day, love you, pass it on.
Don
PS. Park is still there and they never lost power. Praise the Lord. LaVon is very happy that the park has a storm shelter.
It's that time again and my prayer this morning is for those that went through those terrible storms Monday in Oklahoma and Kansas. I was watching interviews with people who had just lost everything and time and time again they would say they were blessed. That God had spared them and their families. Things can be replaced, family can't.
I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. - 2 Timothy 4:7
Not many people would disagree that professional football is a rough, sometimes violent sport. Years ago, during a Monday-night football game between the Chicago Bears and the New York Giants, one of the announcers observed that Walter Payton, the Bears’ hall-of-fame running back, had accumulated over nine miles in yardage by running with the football. Another announcer remarked, “Yeah, and that’s with someone knocking him down every 4.6 yards!”
Walter Payton was one of the most successful running backs to ever play professional football. He knew that everyone–even the best–gets knocked down. The key to his success was getting back up and running again just as hard the next time he took the football.
In the race that is the Christian life, keep your eyes on the finish line and run hard! No matter who tries to cause you to stumble or whatever circumstances knock you off balance, when you fall down along the way, get back up, dust yourself off and get back in the game! Don’t become discouraged and quit! In life, being knocked down is inevitable. But, if you keep your eyes on the Lord and keep running hard, you will be assured of finishing well in the end!
Thanks for praying with us for those in these areas and thank you for continuing to pray for us as we travel to Oklahoma tomorrow, if the park is still there and has power.
Have a great day, love you, pass it on.
Don
PS. Park is still there and they never lost power. Praise the Lord. LaVon is very happy that the park has a storm shelter.
Thursday, May 6, 2010
Sunday's Coming
Good morning,
Sorry I am late but, we took the day yesterday and celebrated our anniversary. We took a drive to Marble Falls, Texas in the Hill Country. We had a great day, so today back to Round Rock and tire issues. We have to put new tires on our trailer, just two years old and are splitting... don't think that's right but, oh well.
I want to thank each of you for praying for us and our ministry, for your emails and phone calls of words of encouragement, and for your financial gifts which make it all possible. We thank God each day for all of you, that God chose to put you into our lives. We are truly blessed.
I read a story about a business owner who constantly complained about the dirty windows of his competitor’s store, directly across the street from his own. Perhaps it was just his pet peeve, but the storeowner complained continually to other business owners in the community about how his competitor’s dirty windows were a disgrace to the community, and how it could reflect poorly on his own business.
Another local shopkeeper, tired of hearing the owner’s ongoing complaints, suggested that he set a good example and wash his own store windows. The storeowner took the shopkeeper’s advice and washed his own windows. The following day, the two met for coffee and the storeowner, remarked, “You were right. It worked! As soon as I washed my windows, my competitor must have washed their store windows also! This morning I noticed from my store that they were clean and shining!”
The storeowner had simply suffered from blurred vision. He judged his competitor wrongly! When he cleaned the windows of his own store, he was able to see that his competitor’s windows were also clean!
Sometimes, we look at others with blurred vision. We see things in other people’s lives that we don’t think are right or acceptable and find fault with them. We judge them. Sometimes, like the storeowner, we complain to others about the faults we think we see. But, too often when we find fault in others it is simply because our own vision is blurry. I know, for example, when I find fault in others it is often regarding issues I have in my own life. I find that I have a tendency to project real faults in myself – onto others – who most likely don’t have those faults at all. Jesus warns us not to judge others (Matthew 7:1) and addressed the issue saying, “...first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye” (Matthew 7:5).
Today, when you are tempted to judge or complain about someone, take a moment first to see if it is only your own vision that is blurred.
Have a great day, love you, pass it on.
Don
Sorry I am late but, we took the day yesterday and celebrated our anniversary. We took a drive to Marble Falls, Texas in the Hill Country. We had a great day, so today back to Round Rock and tire issues. We have to put new tires on our trailer, just two years old and are splitting... don't think that's right but, oh well.
I want to thank each of you for praying for us and our ministry, for your emails and phone calls of words of encouragement, and for your financial gifts which make it all possible. We thank God each day for all of you, that God chose to put you into our lives. We are truly blessed.
I read a story about a business owner who constantly complained about the dirty windows of his competitor’s store, directly across the street from his own. Perhaps it was just his pet peeve, but the storeowner complained continually to other business owners in the community about how his competitor’s dirty windows were a disgrace to the community, and how it could reflect poorly on his own business.
Another local shopkeeper, tired of hearing the owner’s ongoing complaints, suggested that he set a good example and wash his own store windows. The storeowner took the shopkeeper’s advice and washed his own windows. The following day, the two met for coffee and the storeowner, remarked, “You were right. It worked! As soon as I washed my windows, my competitor must have washed their store windows also! This morning I noticed from my store that they were clean and shining!”
The storeowner had simply suffered from blurred vision. He judged his competitor wrongly! When he cleaned the windows of his own store, he was able to see that his competitor’s windows were also clean!
Sometimes, we look at others with blurred vision. We see things in other people’s lives that we don’t think are right or acceptable and find fault with them. We judge them. Sometimes, like the storeowner, we complain to others about the faults we think we see. But, too often when we find fault in others it is simply because our own vision is blurry. I know, for example, when I find fault in others it is often regarding issues I have in my own life. I find that I have a tendency to project real faults in myself – onto others – who most likely don’t have those faults at all. Jesus warns us not to judge others (Matthew 7:1) and addressed the issue saying, “...first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye” (Matthew 7:5).
Today, when you are tempted to judge or complain about someone, take a moment first to see if it is only your own vision that is blurred.
Have a great day, love you, pass it on.
Don
Monday, May 3, 2010
Humbly Grateful, Not Grumbly Hateful
Devotional thought from the messages of Adrian Rogers
BIBLE MEDITATION:
James 1:2 - “My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations.”
DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:
Sometimes we have to admit that it’s hard to “count it all joy.” Sometimes we complain. Rather than being humbly grateful, we get grumbly hateful. Oh, how I wish that, beginning today, we would emulate the faith of the saints that have gone before us — saints like Fannie Crosby, the great hymn writer. For most of her life Fannie Crosby was blind, and yet at the tender age of eight, Fannie wrote:
“Oh! What a happy soul am I. Although I cannot see,
I am resolved that in this world, contented I will be.
How many blessings I enjoy that other people don’t.
To weep and sigh because I’m blind, I cannot and I won’t.”
And do you know what? She didn’t.
ACTION POINT:
How can you apply this truth to your life today? How can you share this truth with someone else?
BIBLE MEDITATION:
James 1:2 - “My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations.”
DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:
Sometimes we have to admit that it’s hard to “count it all joy.” Sometimes we complain. Rather than being humbly grateful, we get grumbly hateful. Oh, how I wish that, beginning today, we would emulate the faith of the saints that have gone before us — saints like Fannie Crosby, the great hymn writer. For most of her life Fannie Crosby was blind, and yet at the tender age of eight, Fannie wrote:
“Oh! What a happy soul am I. Although I cannot see,
I am resolved that in this world, contented I will be.
How many blessings I enjoy that other people don’t.
To weep and sigh because I’m blind, I cannot and I won’t.”
And do you know what? She didn’t.
ACTION POINT:
How can you apply this truth to your life today? How can you share this truth with someone else?
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