Thought For the Week

Dear Friends, At present I have ventured to 26 different countries. Prior to one of those trips, I was given a Travel Journal by a friend so I could record significant memories. At the top of each page is a quote having to do with travel and opposite that quote is a Bible verse. Yet, many of the quotes don’t really deal with “travel” per se, but rather, our journey through life. That’s how I would ask you to see the following quotes; thoughts to ponder as we travel the paths of this life. I have selected 15 of them for you. Enjoy. “God will not send us out on a journey for which He does not equip us… Each of us may be sure that if He sends us on stony paths, He will provide us with strong shoes.” Alexander Maclaren “Do not follow where the path may lead. Go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.” T. S. Eliot “Two roads diverged in a wood, and I, I took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the diff...

Dear Friends, Today’s “thought” comes from one of America’s favorite Christian authors - Max Lucado (author of too many books to list)! To use the old saying, he simply, “has a way with words.” This particular excerpt is two of his daily devotionals with similar themes combined. They are taken from his 365 day devotional collection, entitled, “God is With You Every Day” (a Christmas gift from my twin sister)! They are about how we sometimes treat people versus how God calls us to treat people. Good stuff! Challenging and maybe a bit convicting, but good stuff. Enjoy. An Entirely Different Approach “God has shown me that he doesn’t think anyone is unclean or unfit." Acts 10:28 (CEV) “As long as we can call people common or unfit, we can go our separate ways. Labels relieve us of responsibility. Pigeonholing permits us to wash our hands and leave. “Oh, I know John. He’s an alcoholic.” (Translation: “Why can’t he contro...

Dear Friends, No matter who we are, money has had, is having, or will have an effect on us. Sometimes it’s not so noticeable and other times it’s very noticeable. Sometimes it affects us for the better, and sometimes it’s for the worse. Money can enhance life, or it can rob us of life – spiritually that is (Luke 16:13-16). It all depends on how we view, value, desire, and choose to use money. So our “thought” for today is entitled “Money and Spiritual Growth.” It was put together by the Youth For Christ editorial staff. I found it insightful. I trust you will as well. Enjoy. Money and Spiritual Growth “How can money – or the lack of it – hinder our spiritual growth? Strangely enough, having too much money, or two little money, results in basically the same problems, and both can hinder our spiritual growth. As Agur, a writer in Proverbs, so aptly put it: Give me neither poverty nor riches, but give me only my daily bread. Otherwise, I may have too much and dis...

Dear Friends, One of the key truths of the Gospel is our “union” with Christ by faith. It’s a union (or joining of the soul to Jesus) which is so real that the Bible can call believers (the Church universal, and all who truly make it up) the “Bride of Christ.” Therefore, I wanted to share an excerpt today from a book entitled, ‘The Soul’s Marriage (Espousal) to Christ.” The author, Edward Pearse (who died at 40 years of age from Tuberculosis) pastored St. Margaret’s Church, Westminster, next to Westminster Abbey, in London. I send this out as a way of helping answer his dying prayer – explained at the end. Enjoy. The Three Acts of Faith by Which We Are Joined to Christ in a Marriage Covenant. 1st) An act of choice or election. In the act or work of believing, the soul is, by the Spirit of God, made solemnly and deliberately to choose Christ as its only Head and Husband, Lord and Savior, as He is offered in the Gospel… We may conceive of this act of ...