Here are some life lessons I've learned from jigsaw puzzles....
* Don't force a fit. If something is meant to be, it will come together naturally.
* When things aren't going so well, take a break. Everything will look different when you return.
* Be sure to look at the big picture. Getting hung up on the little pieces only leads to frustration.
* Perseverance pays off. Every important puzzle went together bit by bit, piece by piece.
* When one spot stops working, move to another. But be sure to come back later.
* Variety is the spice of life. It's the different colors and patterns that make the puzzle interesting.
* Establish the border first. Boundaries give a sense of security and order.
* Don't be afraid to try different combinations. Some matches are surprising.
* Take time to celebrate your successes (even little ones).
* Anything worth doing takes time and effort. A great puzzle can't be rushed
* The creator of the puzzle gave you the picture as a guidebook.
--author unknown
Friday, February 25, 2011
Friday, February 18, 2011
good one
We have enjoyed the redneck jokes for years. It's time to
take a reflective look at the core beliefs of a culture that
values home, family, country and God. If I had to stand
before a dozen terrorists who threaten my life, I'd
choose a half dozen or so rednecks to back me up.
Tire irons, squirrel guns and grit -- that's what rednecks are
made of. I hope I am one of those. If you feel the
same, pass this on to your redneck friends.
Y'all know who ya are
You might be a redneck if: It never occurred to you to
be offended by the phrase, 'One nation, under God..'
You might be a redneck if: You've never protested about seeing
the 10 Commandments posted in public places.
You might be a redneck if: You still say ' Christmas'
instead of 'Winter Festival.'
You might be a redneck if: You bow your head when
someone prays.
You might be a redneck if: You stand and place your
hand over your heart when they play the National Anthem
You might be a redneck if: You treat our armed forces
veterans with great respect, and always have.
You might be a redneck if: You've never burned an
American flag, nor intend to.
You might be a redneck if: You know what you believe
and you aren't afraid to say so, no matter who is listening.
You might be a redneck if: You respect your elders and
raised your kids to do the same.
You might be a redneck if: You'd give your last dollar to
a friend.
If you got this email from me, it is because I believe that
you, like me, have just enough Red Neck in you to have the
same beliefs as those talked about in this email.
God Bless the USA !
Keep the fire burning, redneck friend.
IF YOU DON'T STAND BEHIND OUR TROOPS FEEL
FREE TO STAND IN FRONT OF THEM.
IN GOD WE TRUST!
take a reflective look at the core beliefs of a culture that
values home, family, country and God. If I had to stand
before a dozen terrorists who threaten my life, I'd
choose a half dozen or so rednecks to back me up.
Tire irons, squirrel guns and grit -- that's what rednecks are
made of. I hope I am one of those. If you feel the
same, pass this on to your redneck friends.
Y'all know who ya are
You might be a redneck if: It never occurred to you to
be offended by the phrase, 'One nation, under God..'
You might be a redneck if: You've never protested about seeing
the 10 Commandments posted in public places.
You might be a redneck if: You still say ' Christmas'
instead of 'Winter Festival.'
You might be a redneck if: You bow your head when
someone prays.
You might be a redneck if: You stand and place your
hand over your heart when they play the National Anthem
You might be a redneck if: You treat our armed forces
veterans with great respect, and always have.
You might be a redneck if: You've never burned an
American flag, nor intend to.
You might be a redneck if: You know what you believe
and you aren't afraid to say so, no matter who is listening.
You might be a redneck if: You respect your elders and
raised your kids to do the same.
You might be a redneck if: You'd give your last dollar to
a friend.
If you got this email from me, it is because I believe that
you, like me, have just enough Red Neck in you to have the
same beliefs as those talked about in this email.
God Bless the USA !
Keep the fire burning, redneck friend.
IF YOU DON'T STAND BEHIND OUR TROOPS FEEL
FREE TO STAND IN FRONT OF THEM.
IN GOD WE TRUST!
Monday, February 14, 2011
God’s Valentine Gift
God’s Valentine Gift
God’s Valentine gift of love to us
Was not a bunch of flowers;
It wasn’t candy, or a book
To while away the hours.
His gift was to become a man,
So He could freely give
His sacrificial love for us,
So you and I could live.
He gave us sweet salvation, and
Instruction, good and true--
To love our friends and enemies
And love our Savior, too.
So as we give our Valentines,
Let’s thank our Lord and King;
The reason we have love to give
Is that He gave everything.
By Joanna Fuchs
Friday, February 11, 2011
Why go to Church?
If you're spiritually alive, you're going to love this! If you're spiritually dead, you won't want to read it. If you're spiritually curious, there is still hope!
Why Go To Church?
A Church goer wrote a letter to the editor of a newspaper and complained that it made no sense to go to church every Sunday... "I've gone for 30 years now," he wrote, "and in that time I have heard something like 203,000 sermons. But for the life of me, I can't remember a single one of them. So, I think I'm wasting my time and the pastors are wasting theirs by giving sermons at all."
This started a real controversy in the "Letters to the Editor" column, much to the delight of the editor. It went on for weeks until someone wrote this clincher:
"I've been married for 30 years now. In that time my wife has cooked some 32,000 meals. But, for the life of me, I cannot recall the entire menu for a single one of those meals. But I do know this.. They all nourished me and gave me the strength I needed to do my work. If my wife had not given me these meals, I would be physically dead today. Likewise, if I had not gone to church for nourishment, I would be spiritually dead today!" When you are DOWN to nothing... God is UP to something! Faith sees the invisible, believes the incredible and receives the impossible! Thank God for our physical AND our spiritual nourishment!
All right, now that you're done reading, send it on! I think everyone should read this! "When Satan is knocking at your door, simply say, "Jesus, could you get that for me?"
Amen!!
Why Go To Church?
A Church goer wrote a letter to the editor of a newspaper and complained that it made no sense to go to church every Sunday... "I've gone for 30 years now," he wrote, "and in that time I have heard something like 203,000 sermons. But for the life of me, I can't remember a single one of them. So, I think I'm wasting my time and the pastors are wasting theirs by giving sermons at all."
This started a real controversy in the "Letters to the Editor" column, much to the delight of the editor. It went on for weeks until someone wrote this clincher:
"I've been married for 30 years now. In that time my wife has cooked some 32,000 meals. But, for the life of me, I cannot recall the entire menu for a single one of those meals. But I do know this.. They all nourished me and gave me the strength I needed to do my work. If my wife had not given me these meals, I would be physically dead today. Likewise, if I had not gone to church for nourishment, I would be spiritually dead today!" When you are DOWN to nothing... God is UP to something! Faith sees the invisible, believes the incredible and receives the impossible! Thank God for our physical AND our spiritual nourishment!
All right, now that you're done reading, send it on! I think everyone should read this! "When Satan is knocking at your door, simply say, "Jesus, could you get that for me?"
Amen!!
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
Twinkies and Root Beer
Twinkies and Root Beer
A little boy wanted to meet God. He knew it was a long trip to where God lived, so he packed his suitcase with Twinkies and a six-pack of Root Beer and he started his journey.
When he had gone about three blocks, he met an elderly man. The man was sitting in the park just feeding some pigeons.
The boy sat down next to him and opened his suitcase. He was about to take a drink from his root beer when he noticed that the man looked hungry, so he offered him a Twinkie.
The man gratefully accepted it and smiled at boy. His smile was so pleasant that the boy wanted to see it again, so he offered him a root beer.
Again, the man smiled at him. The boy was delighted! They sat there all afternoon eating and smiling, but they never said a word.
As it grew dark, the boy realized how tired he was and he got up to leave, but before he had gone more than a few steps, he turned around, ran back to the man, and gave him a hug. The man gave him his biggest smile ever.
When the boy opened the door to his own house a short time later, his mother was surprised by the look of joy on his face. She asked him, "What did you do today that made you so happy?
"He replied, "I had lunch with God." But before his mother could respond, he added, "You know what? God's got the most beautiful smile I've ever seen!"
Meanwhile, the elderly man, also radiant with joy, returned to his home. His son was stunned by the look of peace on his face and he asked," Dad, what did you do today that made you so happy?"
He replied, "I ate Twinkies in the park with God." However, before his son responded, he added," You know, he's much younger than I expected."
Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around. People come into our lives for a reason, a season, or a lifetime. Embrace all equally!
~author unknown~
Send this to people who have touched your life in a special way. Let them know how important they are. Have lunch with God!
And .......Thanks for touching my life!
A little boy wanted to meet God. He knew it was a long trip to where God lived, so he packed his suitcase with Twinkies and a six-pack of Root Beer and he started his journey.
When he had gone about three blocks, he met an elderly man. The man was sitting in the park just feeding some pigeons.
The boy sat down next to him and opened his suitcase. He was about to take a drink from his root beer when he noticed that the man looked hungry, so he offered him a Twinkie.
The man gratefully accepted it and smiled at boy. His smile was so pleasant that the boy wanted to see it again, so he offered him a root beer.
Again, the man smiled at him. The boy was delighted! They sat there all afternoon eating and smiling, but they never said a word.
As it grew dark, the boy realized how tired he was and he got up to leave, but before he had gone more than a few steps, he turned around, ran back to the man, and gave him a hug. The man gave him his biggest smile ever.
When the boy opened the door to his own house a short time later, his mother was surprised by the look of joy on his face. She asked him, "What did you do today that made you so happy?
"He replied, "I had lunch with God." But before his mother could respond, he added, "You know what? God's got the most beautiful smile I've ever seen!"
Meanwhile, the elderly man, also radiant with joy, returned to his home. His son was stunned by the look of peace on his face and he asked," Dad, what did you do today that made you so happy?"
He replied, "I ate Twinkies in the park with God." However, before his son responded, he added," You know, he's much younger than I expected."
Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around. People come into our lives for a reason, a season, or a lifetime. Embrace all equally!
~author unknown~
Send this to people who have touched your life in a special way. Let them know how important they are. Have lunch with God!
And .......Thanks for touching my life!
Friday, February 4, 2011
Malachi 3:3
Malachi 3:3says: 'He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver.'
This verse puzzled some women in a Bible study and they wondered what this
statement meant about the character and nature of God ..
One of the women offered to find out the process of refining silver and get back
to the group at their next Bible Study.
That week, the woman called a silversmith and made an appointment to watch him
at work. She didn't mention anything about the reason for her interest beyond
her curiosity about the process of refining Silver.
As she watched the silversmith, he held a piece of silver over the fire and let
it heat up. He explained that in refining silver, one needed to hold the silver
in the middle of the fire where the flames were hottest as to burn away all the
impurities.
The woman thought about God holding us in such a hot spot; then she thought
again about the verse that says: ' He sits as a refiner and purifier of
silver.'
She asked the silversmith if it was true that he had to sit there in front of
the fire the whole time.
The man answered that yes, he not only had to sit there holding the silver, but
he had to keep his eyes on the silver the entire time it was in the fire. If the
silver was left a moment too long in the flames, it would be destroyed.
The woman was silent for a moment. Then she asked the silversmith, 'How do you
know when the silver is fully refined?'
He smiled at her and answered, ' Oh, that's easy -- when I see my image in it.'
If today you are feeling the heat of the fire , remember that God has his eye on
you and will keep watching you until He sees His image in you.
Pass this on right now. This very moment, someone needs to know that God is
watching over them.
And, whatever they're going through, they'll be a better person in the end.
' Life is a coin. You can spend it anyway you wish, but you can only spend it
once.'
Thank you God, for teaching me to laugh again......
but please Lord, don't ever let me forget that I cried.
This verse puzzled some women in a Bible study and they wondered what this
statement meant about the character and nature of God ..
One of the women offered to find out the process of refining silver and get back
to the group at their next Bible Study.
That week, the woman called a silversmith and made an appointment to watch him
at work. She didn't mention anything about the reason for her interest beyond
her curiosity about the process of refining Silver.
As she watched the silversmith, he held a piece of silver over the fire and let
it heat up. He explained that in refining silver, one needed to hold the silver
in the middle of the fire where the flames were hottest as to burn away all the
impurities.
The woman thought about God holding us in such a hot spot; then she thought
again about the verse that says: ' He sits as a refiner and purifier of
silver.'
She asked the silversmith if it was true that he had to sit there in front of
the fire the whole time.
The man answered that yes, he not only had to sit there holding the silver, but
he had to keep his eyes on the silver the entire time it was in the fire. If the
silver was left a moment too long in the flames, it would be destroyed.
The woman was silent for a moment. Then she asked the silversmith, 'How do you
know when the silver is fully refined?'
He smiled at her and answered, ' Oh, that's easy -- when I see my image in it.'
If today you are feeling the heat of the fire , remember that God has his eye on
you and will keep watching you until He sees His image in you.
Pass this on right now. This very moment, someone needs to know that God is
watching over them.
And, whatever they're going through, they'll be a better person in the end.
' Life is a coin. You can spend it anyway you wish, but you can only spend it
once.'
Thank you God, for teaching me to laugh again......
but please Lord, don't ever let me forget that I cried.
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