THE STRUGGLE

Trials in life can be tragedies or triumphs, depending on how we handle them. Triumphs don't come without effort.

A biology teacher was teaching his students how a caterpillar turns into a butterfly. He told the students that in the next couple of hours, the butterfly would struggle to come out of the cocoon. But no one should help the butterfly. Then he left.

The students were waiting and it happened. The butterfly struggled to get out of the cocoon, and one of the students took pity on it and decided to help the butterfly out of the cocoon against the advice of his teacher. He broke the cocoon to help the butterfly so it didn't have to struggle anymore. But shortly afterwards the butterfly died.

When the teacher returned, he was told what happened. He explained to this student that by helping the butterfly, he had actually killed it because it is a law of nature that the struggle to come out of the cocoon actually helps develop and strengthen its wings. The boy had deprived the butterfly of its struggle and the butterfly died.

Apply this same principle to our lives. Nothing worthwhile in life comes without a struggle. As parents we tend to hurt the ones we love most because we don't allow them to struggle to gain strength.

The magic in you

I would like to tell you a story if you are willing to read on, I think it can change your thinking and could change your life.

A bear is silently strolling around in the woods looking for food.

Out of the corner of her eye she spots a mountain lion, silently creeping toward her.  The bear slowly turns her head in the other direction and spots another mountain lion.  Her worst fears are being realized.  She is being ambushed, if there are two, there will be more.

She quickly turns here head and spots another two lions.  As her head turns she feels a hot searing pain in her back as one of the lions has pounced on her and dug his claws deep into her back.  The bear struggles but can't find her roar to shout for help and to scare the lions away. 

Another lion sinks his teeth into her leg.  And the other two lions pounces on her back and front.

For a few moments the bear gives up and thinks she is good as dead.  The a picture of her cubs jumps into her mind.  She sees the cubs looking for their mother, looking for food and at that moment she knows the cubs will die if she does not go back to the large hole under the oak tree, where they are dwelling.

Another claw just misses her eye as she sees the lion about to bite into her neck.  The three cubs keep coming back into her mind and suddenly she rises.....  

She rises to shake off two of the lions and lets out an almighty roar.....she sahkes another lion from her leg and swats another as he pounces again, she looks at the lion face on and roars another massive, bellowing roar.

The lions stops in its tracks....another roar confirms his suspicion that this bear wants to live, and will do anything to survive.  He turns and walks awya and the other lions join him.

The bear, limps slowly back to her cubs and cradles them in her fur as she feeds them.

The magic in you.

We all have magic in us, we all have that spark that says I am not going to settle for a mundane life, I want to live, I want to dance, I want to do something, I want to live and feel totally alive.

The trick to life is finding your magic, finding the meaning that will drive you forward every single day of your life. So many of us have given up.

I've heard countless stories  of men and women who have retired after working for 45 years, only to die a few years after retirement, their fight had left them, they hadn't found the magic inside of them.

You goal in life should be to find the magic inside of you, find it quick and keep driving toward it every single day of your life, you truly are magical, you might not realize it but the magic is there.

When you have found the magic, there's only one thing you need to do with it................ Share it with others.

Never Judge anyone

A doctor entered the hospital in hurry after being called in for an urgent surgery. He answered the call asap, changed his clothes & went directly to the surgery block. He found the boy's father pacing in the hall waiting for the doctor. On seeing him, the dad yelled:

"Why did U take all this time to come? Don't U know that my son's life is in danger? Don't U have any sense of responsibility?"

The doctor smiled & said:

"I am sorry, I wasn't in the hospital & I came as fast as I could after receiving the call...... And now, I wish you'd calm down so that I can do my work"

"Calm down?! What if your son was in this room right now, would U calm down? If your own son dies now what will U do??" said the father angrily

The doctor smiled again & replied: "I will say what Job said in the Holy Book "From dust we came & to dust we return, blessed be the name of God". Doctors cannot prolong lives. Go & intercede for your son, we will do our best by God's grace"

"Giving advises when we're not concerned is so easy" Murmured the father.

The surgery took some hours after which the doctor went out happy,

"Thank goodness!, your son is saved!" And without waiting for the father's reply he carried on his way running. "If U have any question, ask the nurse!!"

"Why is he so arrogant? He couldn't wait some minutes so that I ask about my son's state" Commented the father when seeing the nurse minutes after the doctor left.

The nurse answered, tears coming down her face: "His son died yesterday in a road accident, he was in the burial when we called him for your son's surgery. And now that he saved your son's life, he left running to finish his son's burial."

Moral-Never judge anyone..... because U never know how their life is & what they're going through"

What Jesus Felt on the Cross

Some years ago "The King's Business" told of a Christian fisherman who lay in his boat one night when he heard a loud splash not far away.

Knowing that the owner of another craft nearby was a heavy drinker, he hurriedly jumped into the cold water and with a great effort succeeded in pulling the half-drowned man out of the bay.

He carried him to his berth and applied first aid until the alcoholic regained consciousness. Having done everything to make him comfortable, he swam back to his own boat.

The next morning he returned to inquire how he felt. "That's none of your business," said the man defensively.

The fisherman reminded him that he had risked his life to save him; but instead of showing gratitude, the man only cursed him.

As the Christian rowed away, tears filled his eyes.

Looking up to Heaven, he said, "When I think of how men have treated You, dear Lord, I'm filled with sorrow.

Now I can begin to understand how YOU must feel."

Where will you spend eternity?

Another faith building story for you:

 

The young man was at the end of his training, soon he would go on to be a teacher.

Like all good pupils, he needed to challenge his teacher and to develop his own way of thinking.

He caught a bird, placed it in one hand and went to see his teacher.

'Teacher, is this bird alive or dead?'

His plan was the following: if his teacher said 'dead', he would open his hand and the bird would fly away.

If the answer was 'alive', he would crush the bird between his fingers; that way the teacher would be wrong whichever answer he gave.

'Teacher, is the bird alive or dead?' he asked again.

'My dear student, that depends on you,' was the teacher's reply.

The fate of that little bird rested in the hands of that young man just as the destiny of your soul rest in your own hands.

God does not determine where you will spend eternity, that choice is made by you.

To accept Christ as Savior or to reject Him is totally up to you.

Word of God

A beautiful and touching story is told of a young French girl who had been born blind. After she learned to read by touch, a friend gave her a Braille copy of Mark’s gospel. She read it so much that her fingers became calloused and insensitive. In an effort to regain her feeling, she cut the skin from the ends of her fingers. Tragically, however, her calluses were replaced by permanent and even more insensitive scars. She sobbingly gave the book a goodbye kiss, saying,

“FAREWELL, FAREWELL, SWEET WORD OF MY HEAVENLY FATHER.”

In doing so, she discovered that her lips were even more sensitive than her fingers had been, and she spent the rest of her life reading her great treasure with her lips. Would that every Christian had such an appetite for the Word of God!

The Pilgrim

The story is told of a man who made it his goal in life to find peace and to satisfy all his desires. He thought that if he wandered the world, he would be sure to find a place where he could live a life of peace and rest without having to work or worry or suffer pain. Having made careful preparations, he set out on his journey. For months he wandered from place to place but could not find what he was seeking. One day he saw an old man sitting by the edge of a new grave. The traveler came closer and asked the old man whose grave it was. The man told him a remarkable story:

Two woodcutters from my village went out into the nearby jungle to cut wood. By chance, I was also walking that way. I saw them and greeted them from a distance. They were seated near a bush in conversation and did not notice me. So I approached them, and as I came closer, one of them saw me and quickly covered something with a cloth. I asked him what was under the cloth. At first, the men tried to evade my question and keep their secret hidden. So I asked again. Finally, they told me their story, saying that I was to be the judge of what had happened, and I was to give them my advice.

One of the men told me that as they were walking through the forest, they noticed something glittering under the bush. Coming closer, they found two gold ingots. When I arrived, they were debating what to do with this treasure. I told them that these bars were death traps in the guise of gold and they should be left under the bush and forgotten. I explained to them that I had heard about a banker in a nearby town who had been killed by burglars in his house. If the thieves were somewhere about and discovered the woodcutters with their treasure, they would not hesitate to kill them. Moreover, if the woodcutters kept the gold and were discovered, they would surely be accused of the theft and the banker’s murder. They nodded in agreement and said they would do as I suggested. Then I went on my way.

However, they continued to argue over the gold, ignoring my advice. The first woodcutter demanded two-thirds share, because according to him, it was he who had discovered the gold; the other insisted that they should divide it equally. Finally, the first agreed. To celebrate, one of them went into the village to buy something to eat.

Once separated, however, both men burned with such greed that each plotted to kill the other. When the woodcutter who had gone into the village returned, the one who had remained to watch over the gold attacked him and killed him. But the murderer did not live to enjoy the gold, because – not knowing that his companion had poisoned the food he had bought – he ate of it and fell dead. Now both of them lie in this grave.

Looking over to another grave with a marble headstone, the traveler asked the old man, “Whose grave is that there?” The old man shook his head thoughtfully and said:

That man was exceedingly rich. But now he is dead, and what use is his fancy monument? And look over there. Do you see that mound? That was a man who was proud and cruel, using violence and smooth words to take over a kingdom. Once he was in power, he demanded that all the citizens should satisfy his desires and worship him as a god. Then he was stricken with a fatal disease, and worms fed on him till he died. A few days after his burial, wild animals dug his body from the grave and feasted on it, scattering his bones over the graveyard. The head that had borne a crown was now a bare skull on the ground.

As the traveler was pondering the meaning of what was being said, the old man continued:

These stories illustrate human depravity, but there is also a solution. There is a stream of love in this world that gives health, joy, and peace. Those who live in this current of love (which is God) always try to do good to others and never return evil for evil.

There was once a widow who, after mourning the death of her husband, had a dispute with her sister over the distribution of the property. Finally, the widow’s sister became so angry that she took the widow’s son and abandoned him in a basket in the river. A fisherman who found the child took him home and brought him up as his own son. The boy grew into manhood. One day, while selling fish in the marketplace, he unwittingly met his mother. Though she did not recognize the young man as her son, she felt pity for him, and invited him and the old fisherman to come and live with her.

Not long afterwards the widow noticed among the fisherman’s possessions a basket she recognized as her own. She also noticed, on the boy’s elbow, a familiar scar that identified him as her son.

Confronting her sister later, the widow, however, wrung a confession from her. Her anger knew no bounds. Thankfully, she was kept from taking revenge, for the boy held his mother back and prevented her from retaliating. Serving both his mother and his aunt for the rest of his days, he showed, by his acts of kindness and mercy, how evil is overcome only with good.

The traveler thanked the old man for his stories and set off down the road. On the way he met an athlete and a leper talking together. “How did you get leprosy?” the athlete asked. “I have been told that it is because I lived in evil and immorality,”  the leper replied. “You have kept yourself in good health and your body is strong. But in the end, your body and mine shall be the same – dust in the earth.”

The traveler continued on his way, thinking. He saw now that his longing for a life of comfort and ease was mere selfishness, and that only a life lived for others and for God would bring him true freedom. To live selfishly, he saw, is to flap like a bird that has escaped its cage, only to realize it is still tethered. The harder it struggles, the more entangled it becomes.

It has been well observed that though nations may differ from nations, communities from communities, and people from people, human nature is the same everywhere. As there is but one sun that warms and gives light to the earth, there is but one God who teaches us to love one another and care for each other.

It is not just the widows, orphans, the poor, and the needy that are unhappy. Kings in their kingdoms, the wealthy in the midst of their luxury, and the learned with their wisdom are also restless and unfulfilled. As with Noah’s dove, which found no place to rest in the world, so it is with us. As strangers and pilgrims on the earth, we can find no rest without the Master who said, “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”

Extacted from the book "Wisdom of the Sadhu,  TEACHINGS OF SUNDAR SINGH" compiled and edited by Kim Comer

“Copyright 2011 by The Plough Publishing House. Used with permission.”

Where to hide the diamond?

There is a very beautiful story connected with the “Sancy” or “De Sancy” diamond, which is said to be worth about eighty thousand pounds. It is a comparatively small stone; and if I were stupid enough to wear such ornaments, I could wear it on my finger, if set in a ring. This stone was sent on one occasion by the Baron de Sancy, to whom it belonged, to his king, who was in ‘want of cash, and had proposed getting a loan of 40,000 pounds. The diamond was to be the security; in fact, to put it plainly, it was “to be left at the pawnbroker’s.” The Baron gave the stone to a trusty servant to take to the king. The servant disappeared, and people suspected that he had gone off with the diamond; but his master declared that he knew his servant too well to believe such a thing possible.

After some time the servant’s body was found, a little way from the road: he had been murdered and robbed. The Baron commanded that his clothes should be carefully searched for the missing diamond; but it could not be. found. He then ordered that he should be cut open, and the diamond was found in his body. He had swallowed the gem, which he had been unable in any other way to conceal from the robbers.

We should carry the truth of God within ourselves, in our hearts; so that if we were dissected, there would be found the truth of God in our innermost being. You remember that the Psalmist said, “Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against Thee.”

How to tap into God's power

In a seminary mission class, Herbert Jackson told how, as a new missionary, he was assigned a car that would not start without a push.

After pondering his problem, he devised a plan.

He went to the school near his home, got permission to take some children out of class, and had them push his car off.

As he made his rounds, he would either park on a hill or leave the engine running. He used this ingenious procedure for two years.

Ill health forced the Jackson family to leave, and a new missionary came to that station.

When Jackson proudly began to explain his arrangement for getting the car started, the new man began looking under the hood.

Before the explanation was complete, the new missionary interrupted, "Why, Dr. Jackson, I believe the only trouble is this loose cable."

He gave the cable a twist, stepped into the car, pushed the switch, and to Jackson's astonishment, the engine roared to life.

For two years needless trouble had become routine. The power was there all the time. Only a loose connection kept Jackson from putting that power to work.

J.B. Phillips paraphrases Ephesians l:19-20, "How tremendous is the power available to us who believe in God." When we make firm our connection with God, his life and power flow through us.

The best gift

There is a story of a man who visited an infirmed old lady who used to work for a very wealthy man.

As the visitor sat next to the lady's bed, a frame hanging on her wall caught his attention.

Looking closer, he exclaimed, "Do you know that this is actually the last will and testament of your employer? It names you as the sole beneficiary of all that he has!"

For 50 years--since the day her employer passed on--that poor lady had worked day and night eking out an existence for herself, when all of her previous employer's estate had been given to her to enjoy.

The story is a great reminder that you received the greatest gift of all - the Lord Jesus Christ.

So quit focusing on your failures, regrets, and fear of aging.
Focus on God by memorizing and meditating His words.

Life is short and might as well enjoy it.

Here's one of my favorite verse that you can memorize.

"Lord, remind me how brief my time on earth will be.
Remind me that my days are numbered--how fleeting my life is." - Psalm 39:4

This memory verse will help you to focus on what really matters in life.

Discovering the real fear

A Sultan decided to make a voyage with some of his best courtiers. They embarked at the port of Dubai and set out across the open seas.

As the ship sailed away from the land, one of his subjects, who had never seen the sea and had spent much of his life in the mountains, had a panic attack.

Everyone tried to calm him down, saying that the journey really wasn’t all that dangerous, but although their words reached his ears, they did not touch his heart.

The Sultan was ready to turn the ship around and head back to port, when one of his ministers, known for his wisdom, came over to him:
“Your Highness, with your permission, I will try to calm him down.”

The wise man ordered that the man be thrown into the sea. A group of crew members, pleased that the nightmare was about to end, dragged the struggling man up from the hold and hurled him into the ocean.

The courtier began to thrash about, he went under, swallowed salt water, came back up, shouted louder still, went down again, and again struggled to the surface.
At this point, the minister ordered that he be brought back on board the ship.

From that moment on, no one heard the slightest word of complaint from the man, who spent the rest of the voyage in silence.

Shortly before returning to port, the Sultan asked the minister:
“How did you know that you could calm the poor man down by throwing him into the sea?”

“Because of my own marriage,” replied the minister. “I was terrified of losing my wife, and I was so jealous that, like this man, I spent all my time weeping and wailing. One day, unable to stand it any longer, she left me, and I realized how awful life would be without her.

“She only came back when I promised that I would never again torture her with my fears. In the same way, this man had never tasted salt water and had never understood the agony of a man about to drown. Once he had known that experience, he understood perfectly how marvelous it is to feel the deck of a ship beneath one’s feet.”

“It is written in a book sacred to the Christians, the Bible: ‘Everything I most feared came to pass.’ Some people are only capable of valuing what they have once they have experienced its loss.”

Fake Coins

An old man was selling toys at the market in Bagdad. His buyers, knowing he had weak sight, would sometimes pay him with fake coins.

The old man noticed the trick but didn’t say anything.

In his prayers he asked God to forgive those who had tricked him.

‘Perhaps they don’t have much money and want to buy gifts for their children,’ he would say to himself.

Time passed by and the man died.

Standing before the portal of Paradise, he prayed once again.

‘Lord,’ he said, ‘I am a sinner.

‘I did many things wrong, I am no better than the fake coins I was given. Forgive me!’

On that moment the gate opened and a Voice said:

‘What should I forgive? How can I judge someone who has never judged anyone throughout his life?

The Best Dad

Years ago I heard a story of a dad named Paul who gave his young son a small chalkboard to practice writing on. One evening his son called out from the bedroom, "Dad, how do you spell best?"

Paul answered him. Moments later, the boy hollered, "How do you spell kid?"

Finally he asked, "How do you spell ever?"

When the boy showed him what he'd written on the chalkboard, Paul expected to see "I'm the best kid ever." Instead, the boy beamed as Paul read the message: "You're the best dad a kid can ever have."

Paul recalled that it was one of the best days of his life. In fact, he had to buy his son another chalkboard because he wanted to save this message forever and hang it on his wall. It's still there.

Feeling appreciated is enormously important to adults as well as children. So much so that we often don't think enough about what we'd most like to be appreciated for.
Being appreciated at work is a big deal. Who doesn't want approval and respect from one's boss and coworkers? Beyond the economic value of raises, promotions, and commendations, praise can be gratifying and motivating. That's why good employers look for opportunities to acknowledge and thank employees for their contributions.
Yet as meaningful as work recognition is, if you could choose between winning your child's "Best Mom/Dad A Kid Can Ever Have" award and being named "Best Employee," which would you choose?

The point is not to belittle the pursuit of approval in your business life but to remind you how much more meaningful it is to know you're important to and appreciated by the people who love and need you the most. Your most important job in life is to be worthy of that appreciation.
Being the "best ever" mom or dad, husband or wife, or friend - it doesn't get any better than that.

Michael Josephson
www.charactercounts.org

Scared to try

Many years ago a young lady who was attending a seminar shared an interesting story with Bob Proctor. Apparently she and two or three of her girlfriends went and tried out for a place in a stage play. She got the starring role while her girlfriends were not even picked for the supporting cast. Opening night she said she was really excited but afterwards became very disappointed when her girlfriends never came out and supported her. She was explaining the situation to an elderly friend of her fathers named Hap. He wrote her a letter and she gave me a copy with her permission to share it with others. Read it carefully and think.

Dear Ann,

Once upon a time there was a fellow by the name of Al Capp who wrote a comic strip called "L'll Abner." Many years ago he had some characters in his strip who lived in a town near Dogpatch. They were the town bums, the n'er do wells, the failures whose whole aim in life was to pass judgement on others. Their criticism and ridicule became so vehement that in time the rest of the people in the town became acutely conscious of it. "The boys down at the stable," as they were called because that's where they spent most of their time, soon set the social standards of the town. Nobody could do anything without their sanction.

Because they lived within the structure of their crummy little world, they would laugh and point their fingers at anyone and everyone who tried to be better than they were. As a result the people feared the ridicule of the boys down at the stable so much that they stopped trying. Soon everybody became bums and the town died.

In every social structure, Ann, whether it be family, town, county or state, there are "The boys down at the stable." They are the jealous ones. They are too scared to try something different. They show their ignorance by laughing at those who do. Learn to recognize them Ann, for what they are. Don't let them hurt you. It takes a certain amount of toughness to succeed. One has to rise above those who would tear you down so that they can laugh and say, "I told you so!"

There are too many of us who love you and want you to make it. I could put myself at the top of the list. You aren't going to fall flat on your face as they would have you. You are going to do a superb job. Remember this show is only a small step in the direction of greater things you will do, many of which are beyond your wildest dreams. All you have to do is want to. One of the things I like about you best is that you always give it hell for try.

The show will be a success because of you and others like you who try. There are only winners in the cast. The losers are gathered down at the stable laughing and hoping for your failure. If we could dig down deep inside them, I'm sure we'd find they want to win also, but are too scared to try, and they attempt to cover up their own failures as human beings by laughing at others. In a sense I'm sorry for them. Their guilt must make them very unhappy people.

Much love,

Hap

A Lesson Learnt From My Six Year Old

On Saturday mornings, my family and I stay in bed just a little bit longer. My two boys crawl into bed with my husband and I and we usually watch music videos all together cuddled up in bed.

A song came on called "If this was your last day" which I found intriguing and thought it posed an interesting question too, so I turned to my husband and asked him what he would do if it was his last day.

He thought for a while and then said that he would probably lie in bed all day just as we were doing right now, surrounded by all his favorite people, just savoring the time together.

I turned to my eight year old and asked him what he would do and he said that he would go to Canada's Wonderland and go on all the rides.
I then focused my attention on my six year old and posed the same question. He looked at me intently and asked "Is this my last day to live?", I said "yup".

He then answered the question quite matter of factly and said "I would go to the hospital".

Of course my husband and I thought his answer was genuinely funny, smart and pure (we are biased of course). However, I have been thinking about it for a few days now and I realize that my six year old has it all figured out.

He naturally thinks outside of the box, he does not accept a situation and assume a scenario just because it is posed to him.

In his mind, there was no reason why it should be his last day and he was going to find a way to ensure that it was not.

In a flash of a second, he realized that he has the capacity to ensure that it wouldn't be his last day and not only that, but he was going to take the requisite responsibility and the necessary action to ensure that it wasn't.

My son taught me that if you want to live then find a way to do it, don't give up, don't settle and don't just accept things for what they seem to be.

Don't assume and accept a situation just because it is presented to you as such. Rather make that situation your own, take responsibility for it and then decide to change it, my six year old did.

Now I know that I am his mother, but is this not the smartest six year old kid in the entire world?

Nicolle Kopping-Pavars

Nicolle Kopping-Pavars is a collaborative lawyer dedicated to using inspiration and motivation while guiding families through difficult transitions. You can view her website at: www.nkplaw.ca

How To Have A True Spiritual Revival

Once a man asked an evangelist "how can we have revival?"
The evangelist answered by asking "Do you have a place where you can pray?"

Yes the man replied.

Tell you what to do, go to that place and take a piece of chalk along.

Kneel down there, and with the chalk draw a complete circle around you and pray for God to send revival on everything inside that circle.

Stay there until He answers, and you will have your revival.
You see, God is ready for revival...always!

But the question is are you ready for revival?

Are you sincerely and consistently seeking His face? Do you discipline yourself to read, memorize, and meditate God's Word?

Revival in your finances, health, relationships, and spiritual life won't happen until you completely immerse your heart and mind to scriptures.

How to claim your inheritances?

A Michigan factory worker, earning less than ten thousand dollars a year, was an unknowing heir to a half-million dollars.

When located by an investigator some years after his benefactor's death, the worker explained that he had neither returned home nor kept in touch with his family for 24 years.

The investigator who located him estimates there is about 40 billion dollars in inheritances lying unclaimed in this country alone.

Are you as a Christian unaware of your status as "an heir of God through Christ"?

Like the prodigal factory worker, do you live in ignorance of your inheritance and at a spiritual poverty level because you have moved away and fail to keep in touch with our Father or his family?

If so, now is the time to rekindle your love and passion for God.

Make a commitment today to memorize a single Bible verse and meditate it throughout the day.

It's A FACT: Scripture memorization will help you grow stronger spiritually as you reflect on God's promises wherever and whenever you want, at any time... Without even needing to have your Bible in hand.

ACTS 2:38

An elderly lady was asleep in her bed one night, when she was awakened by a strange noise from the living room.

Cautiously, she walked in and discovered a burglar in the process of stealing the stereo. Overcome with fear, she whispered a desperate prayer, "Help me Jesus!" The burglar heard her and started towards her.

Without a thought she put up her hand and shouted a favorite scripture reference: ACTS 2:38! The burglar immediately froze.

The lady dialed 911, and within minutes, police were on the scene, and took the burglar to the police station.

As the police were questioning him, one of the detectives said,
"I'm curious, you could have ran and got away, why did you stay frozen in that one spot?"

The burglar answered, "Man, if you knew that old lady was packing an axe and two .38 revolvers, you would not have moved either!"

On a serious note, there's a tremendous power of having God's Word in your heart and mind.

So don't let age or your memory capacity stop you from memorizing and meditating God's Word.

Billy Graham Tells An Inspiring Story

Billy Graham tells the story about a little child was playing with a very valuable vase. He put his hand into it and could not withdraw it.

His father too, tried his best to get it out, to no avail.

They were thinking of breaking the vase when the father said, "Now my son, make one more try. Open your hand and hold your fingers out straight as you see me doing, and then pull."

To their astonishment the little fellow said, "O no, dad, I couldn't put my fingers out like that because if I did I would drop my dime."

Smile, if you will,  but thousands of us are like that little boy, so busy holding on to the world's worthless dimes that we cannot accept liberation.

Drop the trifles in your life. Surrender! Let go, and let God have His way in your life.

How To React To Those Who Hate Christians

I remember the old story of a young soldier boy who was a Christian. After the lights were out in the barracks he would slip down on his knees by his bunk in order to pray.

One night the sergeant, who had little use for anything religious or Christian, threw his very muddy boots at the boy, striking him on the side of the head.

The next morning the sergeant found his boots beside his bed all clean and polished to perfection.

He was so impressed by the actions of the young man that he was eventually reached for the Lord. "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God."

Here's the moral of the story...

In life we sometimes experience unpleasant things we do not deserve. Events that we cannot control but what we can control is our reaction.

You can be bitter or better. You can hate or love.

Regardless of the situation, keep your faith in God and remain at peace with Him. Meditating your memory verse throughout the day is a good habit to keep your eyes and heart focused on God.

A Message to All Sinners

Imagine a sponge that has been used to wash the dishes. It's all full of dirt and food and old water. It needs to be filled with clean water!

But how can you do that? Easy.

You wring it out, rinse it off, and wring it out again. Only when you have done this can you fill it with clean water.

It's the same with the Spirit. Here we are, all full of sin and grime and filth. There is no room for Him. But once all the filth has been removed, and we have been emptied, the Spirit can come and fill us anew.

Empty yourself to God and allow the Holy Spirit to move in your life.

In your daily schedule, give room to God by starting your day with scripture memorization and meditation.

Fact is, only you can choose how intimate your relationship with God is.

How God answers prayer...

John Maxwell writes in his book, Partners in Prayer;

"In the summer of 1876, grasshoppers nearly destroyed the crops in Minnesota. So in the spring of 1877, farmers were worried. They believed that the dreadful plague would once again visit them and again destroy the rich wheat crop, bringing ruin to thousands of people.

The situation was so serious that Governor John S. Pillsbury proclaimed April 26 as a day of prayer and fasting He urged every man, woman and child to ask God to prevent the terrible scourge.

On that April day all schools, shops, stores and offices were closed. There was a reverent, quite hush over all the state.

The next day dawned bright and clear.

Temperature soared to what they ordinary were in midsummer, which was very unusual for April.

Minnesotans were devastated as they discovered billions of grasshopper larvae wiggling to life.

For 3 days the unusual heat persisted, and the larvae hatched. It appeared that it wouldn't be long before they started feeding and destroying the wheat crop.

On the fourth day, however the temperature suddenly dropped, and that night frost, covered the entire state.

Result - it killed every one of those creeping, crawling pests as surely as if poison or fire had been used, It went down in the history of Minnesota as the day God answered the prayers of the people."

That is an awesome story!

God surely answer prayers but unfortunately some Christians are not praying enough.

Ever wonder why?

That's because their minds and hearts are not completely in tune with God.

The BIG truth about fear...

Shohoiya Yokowai spent 28 years of his life in prison. It was not a prison of bars & locks & wardens, but a self-imposed prison of fear.

He was a Japanese soldier on the island of Guam during WW2.

And when the American forces landed, he fled into the jungle & found a cave in which he hid for 28 years because he was afraid of being captured by the Americans.

He learned that the war was over by reading one of the thousands of pamphlets dropped into the jungle. But he was afraid.

So for 28 years he lived in the cave, coming out only at night to look for roaches & rats & frogs & mangoes on which he survived.

Finally some natives found him & convinced him that it would be all right for him to come out of his jungle prison.

We think, "What a waste! Imagine, spending 28 years living as a prisoner of fear."

Yet, there are a lot of people who are prisoners of fear.

Fears like...

fear of failing
fear of succeeding
fear of disappointing people
fear of losing our child
fear of the unknown
fear of dying

Frankly, I can have a long list of different fears that people have.

They're not aware of it simply because they call "fear" with a different name.

How about you?

Do you have fear that's preventing God to fully bless your life?
Are you trying to control your life instead of letting God have His way?

Listen, the best way to overcome your fear is to have a strong faith in God and you do this by regularly meditating scripture.
In Romans 10:17 says, "Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God."

No doubt, in developing your faith there's no better substitute to scripture memorization and meditation.

So I encourage you to take action, be bold, and make a decision now to start memorizing scriptures.

How to know if you're really saved...

"Let's say you have an appointment in another city, and you need to fly there. You purchase your ticket on the internet, you get your confirmation with times and flight and gate numbers.

But you are delayed enroute to the airport, and when you finally arrive, running through the airport you come to your gate only to be told that the plane you see rolling away outside the window is the one you were supposed to be on, and you've missed your flight.

You were very, very close.

But there's no such thing as being half on and half off a commercial flight.

You're either all the way on the plane and heading for your destination, or you're standing in the airport with your hands dangling at your side because you're helpless to change your circumstances.

This is the difference between children of light and children of darkness. There is no in between. You are light, or you are dark. You are heaven bound, or you are destined to an eternity without God. You are saved or you are lost.

The only way you're going to get on that plane; the only way you can ever hope to be made a child of light, is to go to Light Himself and on His terms."

That's why it's critical that you have a regular communication with God. Every time you read, memorize, and meditate scriptures, you're keeping yourself with the Light Himself.

With scripture memorization, you're deciding to stay with God, embrace Him, and love Him.

He read the Bible with his tongue...

A man in Kansas City was severely injured in an explosion.
Evangelist Robert L. Sumner tells about him in his book The Wonders of the Word of God.

The victim's face was badly disfigured, and he lost his eyesight as well as both hands.

He was just a new Christian, and one of his greatest disappointments was that he could no longer read the Bible.

Then he heard about a lady in England who read Braille with her lips. Hoping to do the same, he sent for some books of the Bible in Braille.

Much to his dismay, however, he discovered that the nerve endings in his lips had been destroyed by the explosion.

One day, as he brought one of the Braille pages to his lips, his tongue happened to touch a few of the raised characters and he could feel them.

Like a flash he thought, I can read the Bible using my tongue. At the time Robert Sumner wrote his book, the man had "read" through the entire Bible four times.

How many of you can say you've read through the Bible four times--with two good eyes? This man had a craving--and even losing his eyesight wouldn't prevent him from reading God's Word.

So don't let laziness or procrastination prevent you from reading and memorizing God's Word.

Be a "no-excuse" Christian and start memorizing scriptures starting today.

How does God measure success...

In Washington D.C. there is a building called the "National Institute of Standards & Technology." This facility is responsible for storing perfect samples of weights and measurements.

They have what are called "prototypes" of pound weights and kilograms. Measuring rods for feet, yards & metric measurements like meters.

For example, they have a "Meter Standard" a reinforced bar of platinum alloyed with exactly 10% iridium. When they want to know the exact measurement of a "meter" they cool this bar down to 0 degrees Celsius at a sea level of 45 degrees latitude then they know they will have the exact tip to tip measurement of a meter.

That bar is known as prototype #27, because the original is kept in a suburb of Paris at the International Bureau of Weights & Measures.

We Christians also have a measuring rod that never changes. 2 Timothy 3:16-17 tells us:

"All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, 17 so that the servant of God[a] may be thoroughly equipped for every good work."

Remember, there's no substitute having scripture in your heart and mind. Do not allow this world to dictate who you are and what to believe in.

Memorize scripture and let it be your life's standard.

It's your protection from devil's lies and deceptions.

The recipe to a victorious life...Biblically.

Roger Staubach who led the Dallas Cowboys to the World Championship in '71 admitted that his position as a quarterback who didn't call his own signals was a source of trial for him.

Coach Landry sent in every play. He told Roger when to pass, when to run and only in emergency situations could he change the play (and he had better be right!).

Even though Roger considered coach Landry to have a "genius mind" when it came to football strategy, pride said that he should be able to run his own team.

Roger later said, "I faced up to the issue of obedience. Once I learned to obey there was harmony, fulfillment, and victory."

The point of the story is simple.

And that is in our relationship with God it requires full submission and obedience.

If God is convicting you to do something or to get rid of sins or habits...just do it.

Like in our story, once you learned to obey that's the only time you'll experience harmony, fulfillment, and victory in your life.

When God doesn't make sense...

A little boy wanted $100 very badly. He prayed for weeks, but nothing happened. So, he decided to write a letter to God requesting $100.

When the postal authorities received the letter to "God, USA", they decided to send it to the President.

The President was so amused that he instructed his secretary to send the little boy a $5 bill. The President thought this would appear to be a lot of money to a little boy.

The little boy was delighted with the $5 bill, and sat down to write a thank-you note to God. The postal authorities forwarded this letter on to the President, too.
It read:

"Dear God, Thank you very much for sending the money. However, I noticed that for some reason you sent it through Washington, D.C., and those guys deducted $95 in taxes!"

It's a funny story but what we can learn from this is...
...sometimes when God answers your prayer it will not be exactly as you wanted it to be.

But you just have to trust. Trust that God's answer to your prayer is the best for you.

Yes, sometimes it seems that God doesn't make sense but remember in Isaiah 55:8-9 it says...His thoughts are higher than our thoughts. His ways are higher than our ways.

That's why it's important to keep His Word to your heart and mind through scripture memorization. Because through regular reading, memorization, and meditation of God's Word you develop your faith.

Keep doing this and blessings will overtake you...

There was a story back in the 1800s about a group of explorers who got lost in the middle of a desert.

After using up their water supply, then began to dig under the sand in hopes of finding water.

But unfortunately none of them were able to find any, and none survived the ordeal.

Several years later, it was found out that there was indeed water just a few feet below the spot where they were digging. If they hadn't given up, they would've been able to drink fresh water to their heart's content.

The same can be said about doing good, particularly in relation to today's Scripture.

Whenever you are struggling with life, or having a bad break at your career, or having a difficult time with a relationship, you are simply experiencing a dry spell.

Don't quit. Dig. Rake in the soil and dig like there's no tomorrow because you never know when the Lord shall shower you with His favor and blessings, whose arrival into your life is only a matter of time.

Keep digging until you tap in to the well of the Lord's goodness!

Are you guilty of this...

A pastor friend recently told the true story of one of his church members, an attorney, who after meditating on several scriptures, decided to cancel the debts of all his clients that had owed him money for more than 6 months.

He drafted a letter explaining his decision and its Biblical basis and sent 17 debt canceling letters via certified mail.

One by one, the letters began to return, unsigned and undelivered.

Perhaps a couple people had moved away though not likely.

16 of the 17 letters came back to him because the clients refused to sign for and open the envelopes fearing that this attorney was suing them for their debts.

How profound! We owe a debt for our sin and God is willing to cancel it but too many people will not even open the letter that explains that.

Are you guilty of not opening your Bible and reading enough of God's Word?

You know that memorizing and meditating scriptures is important, yet, you're still not doing it?

Listen, I know what you feel because I've been there for many years before I made a serious commitment to start memorizing His Words for me to grow spiritually.

This led me to start Memory Delight and start inspiring and teaching believers to start memorizing.

Thousands of lives were changed since then simply by memorizing one Bible verse at a time.

Let me help you and teach you how.

Click here to begin your journey in scripture memorization.

In Him,
Don and Dawn
P.S. One last thing; Thousands of people will receive this email but I know only a fraction of them will take action on their faith and start memorizing Bible verses.

So I'm challenging you to become one of those few who will take action and become a spirit-filled Christian.

What God wanted for you and me...

One time a friend of mine told me a story about how he was walking in the woods situated behind his house.

You see, he lived in the country. He said everywhere he looked he could see trees and dead, dried-up leaves that had covered the forest floor.

He went farther in than he's ever been into these woods before.

He kept walking until he came into a clearing. In the clearing, he saw something that attracted his eyes - a single beautiful, wild flower in the middle of the field.

That's when I realized what God wanted for us, God wants us to be a young blooming flower wherever He had chosen to plant us.

It doesn't mean you will be in one place forever, nor does it mean to always be the same and to never aspire change.

It simply means that God wants you to be the best that you can be in preparation for whatever is in store for you in the near future.

He wishes for you, as a Christian, to be always in full bloom. So do just that, bloom and thrive in whatever situation you find yourself in, and God will find a way to work His blessings into your life.

Inspiring father and son story...

Here's one inspiring story:

A father told the story of his son's first serious conflict at school.
His boy was being picked on by three bullies. They would punch him, push his bike over, and generally made his life miserable.

They told him that they'd meet him the next morning before school and beat him up.

That evening the dad really worked hard to show his son some moves on how to defend himself, passed on a few helpful techniques, and even gave him some tips on how he might win them over as friends.

The next morning, the boy choked back the tears knowing that the inevitable was going to happen. With a reassuring hug, the father smiled confidently and said, "you can do it, son. I know you'll make out all right."

The boy got on his bike and began the lonely, long ride to school.

What the boy didn't know was that every block he rode was under the watchful eye of his dad...who drove his car a safe distance behind, out of sight but ever ready to speed up and assist if the scene became too threatening.

The boy thought he was alone, but he wasn't alone at all. The father was there all the time.

End of story.

It's so reassuring to know that our heavenly Father is always watching us and He knows what's going through in our lives.

But the busyness in this world is trying to take our attention away from God.

That's why we CONSTANTLY need to read, memorize, and meditate His Words.

So take some time now to stop and memorize His Words.

How to Remain Faithful in God While Facing Life Challenges

A certain king needed a faithful servant and had to choose between two candidates for the office.

He hired both at fixed wages and told them to fill a basket with water from a nearby well, saying that he would come in the evening to inspect their work.

After dumping one or two buckets of water into the basket, one of the men said, "What is the good of doing this useless work? As soon as we pour the water in, it runs out the sides."

The other answered, "But we have our wages, haven't we? The purpose is the master's business, not ours. He is a wise King, and must have his own purpose that we do not understand."

"I'm not going to do such fool's work," replied the complainer. Throwing down his bucket, he went away.

The other man continued until he had drained the well. Looking down into it, he saw something shining at the bottom - it was a diamond ring.

"Now I see the use of pouring water into the basket!" he exclaimed. "If the bucket had brought up the ring before the well was dry, it would have been filtered out in the basket. The King was looking for his diamond. Our work was not useless."

The King found his most faithful servant!

The point is, in our lives there undesirable events that happened or will happen and only God knows why.

Regardless, we just need to do what we need to do and remain faithful.

Continue to read your Bible, memorize scriptures, and meditate it.

With scripture memorization, you're disciplining your eyes to focus on God no matter what's happening around you.

So take the time now to memorize at least one Bible verse and develop your faith better.

How to invite miracles to happen

A traveling man came into a hotel to secure a room for the night.

Upon being informed that every room in the building had been taken, he was naturally quite perturbed, until a portly gentleman standing nearby kindly offered to share his room with him.

The offer was thankfully accepted.

Upon retiring, the portly man knelt and prayed, tenderly mentioning his guest for the night in his petition.

In the morning his host informed him that it was his custom to read a portion of the Word of God and pray before taking up the responsibilities of the day.

The effect upon the man was moving; a strange feeling came over him; something had been working in his heart all the night.

When gently pressed by this stranger to accept the Lord Jesus as his personal Savior, his resistance went down in a heap. A soul had been won for Christ!

But who is this humble ambassador of Christ, who so strikingly resembles a member of President Wilson's cabinet?

When business cards were exchanged before parting, to the guest's amazement he read, "William Jennings Bryan, Secretary of State."

You see, by starting your day with God's Word through memorization and meditation, you're inviting amazing and miraculous things to happen around you.

With scripture memorization and meditation, you're basically saying to God..."Oh Lord, please take control of my day today!"

Most Critical Rescue Mission

I once heard a story by Gene Appel.

A family was out vacationing at the lake one summer. Dad had been puttering out by the boat house.

Two of his sons, a 12-year old and a 3-year old were down playing along the dock. The 12 year old was supposed to be watching his little brother, but he got distracted.

The 3 year old, little Billy, thought that would be a good time to check out the shiny aluminum fishing boat tied up at the end of the dock.

So he went to the dock and put one foot on the boat, and one foot on the dock. He lost his balance and fell into the water, which was about 5 or 6 ft deep.

The splash alerted the 12-yr old who let out a piercing scream. Dad came running from the boat house, jumped into the water, swam down, but unable to see anything, came up for air.

Sick with panic, he went right back down into this murky water, and began to feel everywhere around the bottom. He couldn't feel anything.

Finally, on his way up, he felt little Billy's arms locked in a death grip on one of the posts of the dock, about 4 ft under water.

Prying the boy's fingers loose, they burst up together thru the surface to fill their lungs with life giving air.

Finally when the adrenaline had stopped surging, and nerves had calmed down a little bit, the Father asked his son, "What on earth were you doing down there hanging onto the post so far under the water?"

And little Billy's answer was a classic, laced with the wisdom only a toddler could give. He said, "I was just waiting for you dad. Just waiting for you."

My friend, 2000 yrs ago, the God of the universe left the glory and the splendor of heaven, a place where there was no pain and no sickness, no accidents, no hurt, and no death.

And he plunged into this dark, murky world on a rescue mission, a rescue mission for...

...All of us who are drowning.
...All of us who are barely hanging on.
...All of us who are lost in the darkness.

Don't let the busyness of this world overwhelm you that you've forgotten how much God loves you.

Take scripture memorization and meditation seriously.
This is one way to remind yourself daily that He gave His Son to rescue you.

So get in a habit of memorizing and meditating scriptures and never again forget God's most critical rescue mission.

How to brake spiritual poverty?

Dr. Bill Bright of Campus Crusade for Christ tells this story of a famous oil field called Yates Pool:

During the depression this field was a sheep ranch owned by a man named Yates. Mr. Yates wasn't able to make enough on his ranching operation to pay the principal and interest on the mortgage, so he was in danger of losing his ranch.

With little money for clothes or food, his family (like many others) had to live on government subsidy.

Day after day, as he grazed his sheep over those rolling West Texas hills, he was no doubt greatly troubled about how he would pay his bills.

Then a seismographic crew from an oil company came into the area and told him there might be oil on his land. They asked permission to drill a wildcat well, and he signed a lease contract.

At 1,115 feet they struck a huge oil reserve. The first well came in at 80,000 barrels a day. Many subsequent wells were more than twice as large.

In fact, 30 years after the discovery, a government test of one of the wells showed it still had the potential flow of 125,000 barrels of oil a day.

And Mr. Yates owned it all.

The day he purchased the land he had received the oil and mineral rights. Yet, he'd been living on relief.

A multimillionaire living in poverty.

The problem? He didn't know the oil was there even though he owned it.

Many Christians live in spiritual poverty.

Simply because they don't take the time to read, memorize, and meditate scriptures.

They are entitled to the gifts of the Holy Spirit and his energizing power, but they are not aware of their birthright.

Today is the day that you break spiritual poverty though scripture memorization.

With just one verse at a time begin to memorize and meditate scriptures throughout the day.

If you've tried to memorize before and failed, there's no harm in trying it again.

The secret of your future

A lot of people in our society spend a lot of time blaming others for their own lack of initiative, insight, ambition, and effort. 


The Southern Baptists one year had a slogan for church growth that would fit us individually: "If it is to be, it is up to me." 

Zig Ziglar said, "If you're looking for helping hand, there's one at the end of your sleeve."
 

Dr. Kenneth McFarland, the dean of American speakers, said, "The person you need to see about self-improvement is always available."

Mike Murdock is an Assemblies of God preacher and a motivational speaker. Some of my favorites of his statements are these: The Secret Of Your Future Is Hidden In Your Daily Routine.

That's true in health, wealth, relationships, and most importantly in your spiritual life.

Let me ask you this... 


What's your future of your spirituality look like with your daily routine today?

Are you moving towards to your ideal spirit-filled Christian or moving away from it?


What are you doing routinely to develop a deeper relationship with God?

You see, you should be more proactive to develop your faith in God. 


Surely, sitting in a couch and watching 3 hours of television won't help you.

Instead, consistently read, memorize, and meditate scriptures. Make it part of your daily routine. This seemingly small activity will make you a stronger Christian overtime.

How can I get the air out of this glass?

Speaking to a large audience, D.L. Moody held up a glass and asked, "How  can I get the air out of this glass?"

One man shouted, "Suck it out with a pump!" Moody replied, "That would create a vacuum and shatter the glass."

After numerous other suggestions Moody smiled, picked up a pitcher of water, and filled the glass. "There," he said, "all the air is now removed."

He then went on to explain that victory in the Christian life is not accomplished by "sucking out a sin here and there," but by being filled with the Holy Spirit.

The point is, unless you're filled with the Holy Spirit, you'll continue to struggle with sins.

Florida State Building Code

A TV camera crew was on assignment in Southern Florida filming the widespread destruction of Hurricane Andrew.

In one scene, amid the devastation and debris stood one house on its foundation. The owner was cleaning up the yard when the reporter approached.

"Sir, why is your house the only one standing?" asked the reporter. "How did you manage to escape the severe damage of the hurricane?"

"I built the house myself," the man replied. "I also built it according to Florida State building code. When the code called for 2x6 trusses, I used 2x6 trusses. I was told that a house built according to code could withstand a hurricane. I did, and it did."

How about you?

Are you living according to God's code or God's word?

Or are you playing the worlds' standard and make it your our own standard way of living?

We're now seeing the signs of the times. Today...

...Pornography is everywhere.
...Premarital sex is a normal for a relationship.
...Lying is just part of day to day conversation.
...Homosexuality is becoming a new gender.
...Any sinful act has become a norm in our society.

That's why you need to be vigilant in memorizing and meditating God's word.

God would like you to live base on a solid commitment to His words and His ways.

But here's the thing...if you don't know and don't meditate His words, how can you be sure if you're still in God's perfect will?

So today, make a commitment to live fully according to God's code by memorizing and meditating scriptures.

And teach your kids and grand kids to do the same.

It's the greatest inheritance you can give your love ones.

You Gonna Talk, or You Gonna Fish?

There was a man in a community that had the reputation for always being able to catch fish.

Regardless of the time of the year it was, or whether anybody else was catching fish, this man was always managed to come back with a boat load of fish.

His brother-in-law, who happened to be a Game Warden had always been amazed at the man's success.

So, one morning the man agreed to take his brother in law fishing with him. They went to a lake that was known for its poor fishing.

The Game Warden watched his brother-in-law take the boat out to the middle of the lake and cut the motor off.

The Game Warden was confused as he noticed that his brother-in-law didn't worry about finding a ledge or brush-pile, or anything like that.

Then instead of getting his rod and reel out, the Game Warden's brother-in-law pulled a stick of dynamite out of a sack, lit it, and threw it overboard.

A few seconds later, there was a big BOOM, and almost immediately the surface of the lake was covered with stunned fish.

The Game Warden couldn't believe what he had just witnessed.

He immediately began reciting the fishing laws and regulations to his brother-in-law.

But this didn't seem to bother his brother in law in the least. He simply reached into the bag for another stick of dynamite, lit it, and tossed it to the game warden and said...

..."You gonna talk, or you gonna fish?" The game warden noticed the fuse was almost to the end and He quickly decided to fish.

Now that story probably isn't true, but it's still a good story.

Unfortunately, I think God would like to throw some of us a stick of dynamite this morning and say, "Are you gonna talk, or are you going to fish?"

Don't let this day pass without talking to God. You can't afford to.

In addition, take at least one scripture and start memorizing it.

Land of the dying and the land of living

Professional golfer Paul Azinger was diagnosed with cancer at age 33.

He had just won a PGA championship and had ten tournament victories to his credit.

He wrote, "A genuine feeling of fear came over me. I could die from cancer. Then another reality hit me even harder. I'm going to die eventually anyway, whether from cancer or something else. It's just a question of when.

Everything I had accomplished in golf became meaningless to me. All I wanted to do was live."

Then he remembered something that Larry Moody, who teaches a Bible study on the tour, had said to him...

"Zinger, we're not in the land of the living going to the land of the dying. We're in the land of the dying trying to get to the land of the living."

Golfer Paul Azinger recovered from chemotherapy and returned to the PGA tour.

He's done pretty well.

But that bout with cancer deepened his perspective. He wrote, "I've made a lot of money since I've been on the tour, and I've won a lot of tournaments, but that happiness is always temporary.

The only way you will ever have true contentment is in a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.

I'm not saying that nothing ever bothers me and I don't have problems, but I feel like I've found the answer to the six-foot hole."

Paul's message was a great reminder for us that our life here on earth is just a dress rehearsal for eternity.

We should always aim to please God and let Him be the center of our lives.

Today, if you feel overwhelmed, stressed, and tired take a short break. Breathe, utter a prayer, and meditate your memory verse.

Life can be much easier if we marinate our minds with scriptures throughout the day.