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We have gone through many trials but never to our detriment, always to our advantage; and the conclusion from our past experience is that He who has been with us in six troubles will not forget us in the seventh.  --Charles Spurgeon

We can bear fruit for God at any age or stage in life.

We belong to God. We have a family on earth, but ultimately we are God’s children. God loves us and wants the best for us. And we honor God by living up to our family identity as people who love and follow Christ.

People can know that we are followers of Christ by our attitudes and actions.

God knows what we need.

We are engraved on the palms of God’s hands, and there is no better place to be.

When we acknowledge and confess our sin to God, we will know the cleansing and forgiveness that are available through Jesus’ name and be able to enjoy fellowship with God and others.

God wants us to share with others the good gifts we receive. God will replenish our supply.

If we plant ourselves next to the living water and send down our roots by praying and meditating on God’s word, we will be nourished. Trouble will come, but if we trust in the Lord, we do not have to live in fear. We can thrive.  Sometimes our struggles may be long, yet worry does not have to consume us. In fact, we can bear fruit even in times of prolonged challenge. If we turn to God and “trust in the Lord” in times of trouble, we not only endure but thrive, like a tree that has all it needs.

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THAT'S GRATITUDE FOR YOU
A grandmother was watching her grandchild playing on the beach when a huge wave comes and takes him out to sea. She pleads, "Please God, save my only grandson. I beg of you, bring him back." And a big wave comes and washes the boy back onto the beach, good as new. She looks up to heaven and says: "He had a hat!"
That's gratitude for you, isn't it? Have you noticed that some people just can't be satisfied? Some people -- and I'm talking about you and me, not someone else -- have a hard time expressing gratitude. Or even feeling it.
In 2001 Stephen Post, a medical school professor of bioethics, created a research group called the Institute for Research on Unlimited Love, dedicated to testing and measuring the effects of love, gratitude, and other positive caring emotions in human life.
Dr. Post's research has discovered that spending 15 minutes a day focused on things you're grateful for can have the following effects on our physical health:
1. It increases your body's natural antibodies.
2. It increases mental capacity and reduces vulnerability to depression.
3. It creates a physiological state of "resonance", improving your blood pressure and heart rate.
That's gratitude for you, really. It not only lifts up the recipient, it also gives life to the one expressing it. This is why we're told time and time again in scripture to give thanks: A thankful heart puts us in right alignment with God and one another.
Paul wrote, "And always be thankful. Let the message about Christ, in all its richness, fill your lives. Teach and counsel each other with all the wisdom he gives. Sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs to God with thankful hearts. And whatever you do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through him to God the Father." (Colossians 3:15-17)
Today, I encourage you to look for something ... and someone ... to be thankful for. Take a moment to feel it, and another moment to express it.  Courtesy of Steve May's Monday Memo

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Overwhelmed by Sally I. Kennedy
The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.  Deuteronomy 31:8
This year the Christmas and holiday decorations got packed up a little later than usual. I heard somewhere that if you feel like there’s a lot going on, it’s probably because there’s a lot going on. And that’s how it felt this year after Christmas. Good stuff, just a lot.
Found myself dragging my feet, and prayed and literally asked the Lord for an energy boost to get up and get going! The ‘overwhelmed’ feeling was weighing me down, spirit, soul, mind and body.
While flipping thoughts around in my head about this, it occurred to me that I might be ‘stepping into the future.’ Not in a weird way, just in anticiipation and looking ahead on my calendar.
For sure, too much thinking and planning can absolutely get me feeling overwhelmed. One day at a time is the ticket. The bible says to not worry about the future, because each day has enough “troubles” of its own. (Matthew 6:34) So true.
Prayer for today: Lord, when I feel overwhelmed please help me to remember that You came to save us, restore us, AND carry our cares and concerns of all kinds. Thank you that You are always with me, go ahead of me, and will never leave me. In Jesus’ name, amen.

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BEGINNING NOW by Steve May
Some of our best ideas are still waiting for the right moment. We call it preparation. It's really procrastination. Eventually the due diligence phase yields to the do-nothing phase. And another good idea gets covered in cobwebs.
Keep in mind what William Feather said: "Conditions are never just right. People who delay action until all factors are favorable do nothing."
There’s something to be said for beginning now and filling in the details as you go. Not that details aren't important or that preparation isn't necessary, but at some point you’ve got to quit compiling data and start pursuing results.
Do you know what the problem is? There’s no failure to face in the preparation stage. There’s no disappointment to deal with in the dream-casting stage. It’s only after the plan has been put into practice that you confront results that maybe don’t meet expectations. It’s easy to get nervous. It’s easier to plan just a little longer.
When Abraham was older than just about everyone who will be reading these words, God told him, "Leave your country, your people, and your father's household and go to the land I will show you." (Genesis 12:1) Abraham went, not having a plan in place, not knowing exactly what lay ahead, only that he was following the voice of God.
There are times when it’s time to do just what Abraham did: take the first few steps, even if all the questions haven’t been answered and all the problems aren’t solved in advance. There's something to be said for beginning now.

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God's Provision: Contentment by Rick Warren
But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. 1 Timothy 6:6-7 (NIV)
God promises to meet all your financial needs, if you (1) ask him for help and (2) learn to be content --
If you've ever seen a baby born, you know they don't come into the world with a whole lot. They're not holding onto cigars, cars and a stock portfolio. They don't come into the world with anything but a little umbilical cord and that quickly gets cut.
And then, at your funeral, you don't take anything with you. The Bible teaches that we should learn to be content.
What is contentment? Contentment means my happiness is not dependent upon circumstances. Most people get caught into "when" thinking: "When I get a certain job ... When I can retire ... When I get the house paid off ... When I get the bills paid off ... then I'll be happy!"
God says, "No, once you get there, you'll always want something else." If you don't learn contentment, you'll never be happy. You'll always want more.
"Yet true godliness with contentment is itself great wealth. After all, we brought nothing with us when we came into the world, and we can't take anything with us when we leave it. So if we have enough food and clothing, let us be content." (1 Timothy 6:6-8, NLT) 
 
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Pursue the Virtue of Contentment by Max Lucado
A businessman bought popcorn from an old street vendor each day after lunch. He once arrived to find the peddler closing up his stand at noon. “Is something wrong?” he asked.
A smile wrinkled the seller’s leathery face. “By no means. All is well.”
“Then why are you closing your popcorn stand?”
“So I can go to my house, sit on my porch, and sip tea with my wife.”
The man of commerce objected. “But the day is still young. You can still sell.”
“No need to,” the stand owner replied. “I’ve made enough money for today.”
“Enough? Absurd. You should keep working.”
The spry old man stopped and stared at his well-dressed visitor. “And why should I keep working?”
“To sell more popcorn.”
“And why sell more popcorn?”
“Because the more popcorn you sell, the more money you make. The more money you make, the richer you are. The richer you are, the more popcorn stands you can buy. The more popcorn stands you buy, the more peddlers sell your product, and the richer you become. And when you have enough, you can stop working, sell your popcorn stands, stay home, and sit on the porch with your wife and drink tea.”
The popcorn man smiled. “I can do that today. I guess I have enough.”
Wise was the one who wrote, “Whoever loves money never has money enough; whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with his income” (Eccles. 5:10 NIV).
Don’t heed greed.
Greed makes a poor job counselor.
Greed has a growling stomach. Feed it, and you risk more than budget-busting debt. You risk losing purpose. Greed can seduce you out of your sweet spot.
Before you change your job title, examine your perspective toward life. Success is not defined by position or pay scale but by this: doing the most what you do the best.
Parents, give that counsel to your kids. Tell them to do what they love to do so well that someone pays them to do it.
Spouses, urge your mate to choose satisfaction over salary. Better to be married to a happy person who has a thin wallet than a miserable person with a thick one. Besides, “a pretentious, showy life is an empty life; a plain and simple life is a full life” (Prov. 13:7 MSG).
Pursue the virtue of contentment. “Godliness with contentment is great gain” (1 Tim. 6:6 NIV). When choosing or changing jobs, be careful. Consult your design. Consult your Designer. But never consult your greed.

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Looking for the Messiah by Max Lucado
Some missed him.
Some miss him still.
We expect God to speak through peace, but sometimes he speaks through pain.
We think God talks through the church, but he also talks through the lost.
We look for the answer among the Protestants, but he’s been known to speak through the Catholics.
We listen for him among the Catholics but find him among the Quakers.
We think we hear him in the sunrise, but he is also heard in the darkness.
We listen for him in triumph, but he speaks even more distinctly through tragedy.
We must let God define himself.
When we do, when we let God define himself, a whole new world opens before us. How, you ask? Let me explain with a story.
Once there was a man whose life was one of misery. The days were cloudy, and the nights were long. Henry didn’t want to be unhappy, but he was. With the passing of the years, his life had changed. His children were grown. The neighborhood was different. The city seemed harsher.
He was unhappy. He decided to ask his minister what was wrong.
“Am I unhappy for some sin I have committed?”
“Yes,” the wise pastor replied. “You have sinned.”
“And what might that sin be?”
“Ignorance,” came the reply. “The sin of ignorance. One of your neighbors is the Messiah in disguise, and you have not seen him.”
The old man left the office stunned. “The Messiah is one of my neighbors?” He began to think who it might be.
Tom the butcher? No, he’s too lazy. Mary, my cousin down the street? No, too much pride. Aaron the paperboy? No, too indulgent. The man was confounded. Every person he knew had defects. But one was the Messiah. He began to look for Him.
He began to notice things he hadn’t seen. The grocer often carried sacks to the cars of older ladies. Maybe he is the Messiah. The officer at the corner always had a smile for the kids. Could it be? And the young couple who’d moved next door. How kind they are to their cat. Maybe one of them …
With time he saw things in people he’d never seen. And with time his outlook began to change. The bounce returned to his step. His eyes took on a friendly sparkle. When others spoke he listened. After all, he might be listening to the Messiah. When anyone asked for help, he responded; after all this might be the Messiah needing assistance.
The change of attitude was so significant that someone asked him why he was so happy. “I don’t know,” he answered. “All I know is that things changed when I started looking for God.”
Now, that’s curious. The old man saw Jesus because he didn’t know what he looked like. The people in Jesus’ day missed him because they thought they did.
How are things looking in your neighborhood?

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Small Straws In A Soft Wind by Marsha Burns
Watch for and take advantage of opportunities to defeat a haughty spirit.  These opportunities will come suddenly in various situations and circumstances, but you can quite easily gain the victory by clothing yourself with humility.  For indeed, I give grace to the humble, says the Lord.  I will empower you to defuse explosive situations by manifesting the fruit of the Spirit.  The haughty spirit is a weapon and even a stronghold formed against you, but the weapons I have given you are more subtle and powerful.  2 Corinthians 10:4  For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds.

As the prophesied shifts take place in the spirit realm, they will manifest in the natural realm as greater awareness and power over circumstances.  You can exercise your ability to overcome the conditions that currently exist, but you must do so through a strong and abiding faith.  The biggest deterrent to victory is repressed emotions that will suddenly emerge, but their appearance will show you exactly what has not been dealt with.  It is time to triumph over all that has kept you from complete liberty, says the Lord.  Galatians 5:1 Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage.

It is My desire, says the Lord, that My children stop beating themselves up over perceived shortcomings and failures.  More important than the outcome of any situation is that you do the best you can with what you have; that you turn to Me for wisdom, guidance and direction; that your heart belongs to Me.  I would have you put your trust completely in Me to fix the things you can't.  Remember that everything ultimately works together for good.   You are precious to Me!  Romans 8:28 And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.
 
If you are sensitive to the spiritual environment, you will detect a shift that will bring breakthrough on various fronts.  Things that have seemed impossible to conquer will now become possible.  You, My people, are overcomers.  I have given you the ability to be creative and to find new solutions to old problems.  Let Me lead you into the realm of opportunity where you can develop in an exciting and interesting way, says the Lord.  Be bold and strong in faith.  Isaiah 42:9 Behold, the former things have come to pass, and new things I declare; before they spring forth I tell you of them."

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The Trumpet by Bill Burns
"Set the trumpet to your mouth!" Hosea 8:1
It is time for you to become new wine skins, for the old wine skins have become dry and hardened and will not be able to expand with the revelation of that which I am doing in this season. So, let your wine skin be renewed by the oil of this moment and the oil that I am providing for you. Let the oil of My touch and My glory soften and refresh you, anoint you, and hold you. Let the oil of My glory come upon you. Be renewed. Be made into a new skin so that you may hold the glory of this season and so you may not only have a taste of it but that you shall become full of it; that you shall contain all that I am doing. Let My glory come upon you and change you, says the Lord God. 

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Come To My Window by Glenna M. Baugh 1-23-08
Come to my window and watch with me
Life holds so much beauty that we can see
God can transform the most commonplace
Into one of splendor and grace.
Through my window summer moves out slow
Fall takes over with colors that glow
Winter fills the air with falling snow
Spring brings lovely flowers that grow.
Outside my window are priceless things
Watching the world go by my heart sings
Bright sunbeams flowing into the room
At night we see a big full moon.
Rain falling softly from on high
Ending with a rainbow in the sky
Come to my window and watch today
God will send something special our way.
"Come to my window, enjoy with me
God's beauty on this earth"

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A Candle by Glenna M. Baugh 2008
Sit down and light a candle
Watch the flame, a story it will tell
Bringing back the secrets
Of memories you know so well
The flame will waver up and down
Reaching high and drifting low
Its movement will vary slowly
As the air begins gently to flow
When the flame moves upward
It depicts the highs in our life
Then flickering low once again
Tells of occasional strife
A lighted candle brings back memories
Of yesterday's peace and joy we felt
Priceless memories live once again
As we watch the candle melt
Light a candle and watch it burn
And reminisce as old memories return
Give thanks to God in heaven above
For all sweet memories of love

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Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.  Luke 6:38

9 But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; 10 who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy.  1 Peter 2:9-10

Character of the New Man
12 Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; 13 bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do. 14 But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection. 15 And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful. 16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. 17 And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.  Colossians 3:12-17

Do Not Worry
25 “Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? 26 Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? 27 Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature? 28 “So why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; 29 and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 30 Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? 31 “Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.  Matthew 6:25-34

Jesus Teaches the Fear of God
27 “Whatever I tell you in the dark, speak in the light; and what you hear in the ear, preach on the housetops. 28 And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. 29 Are not two sparrows sold for a copper coin? And not one of them falls to the ground apart from your Father’s will. 30 But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. 31 Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.  Matthew 10:27-31

9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.  1 John 1:9

7 “Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, And whose hope is the Lord. 8 For he shall be like a tree planted by the waters, Which spreads out its roots by the river, And will not fear when heat comes; But its leaf will be green, And will not be anxious in the year of drought, Nor will cease from yielding fruit.  Jeremiah 17:7-8

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First by Sally I. Kennedy
1 Corinthians 13:8   Love never fails.
Jesus replied: " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments."  Matthew 22:37-40 
Strains of an old rhyme that we used to jump rope to came drifing up from the back of the car, where the kids were teasing with each other…. first comes love, then comes marriage, then comes  _ with the baby carriage.
First comes love. This morning the scripture verse on my calendar read: “The fruit of the spirit is love, joy, and peace”.  LOVE, joy, and peace. First is love. Love is most important. Without it, can we have the others? 
Thinkin' this over, "surely all of these; indeed everything, flows from the fountain of Love. Love is the prerequisite to the others. There is no joy without love, no peace without love...." 
The 13th chapter of Corinthians is the great ‘Love chapter’ quoted often at weddings (“And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.”). And 1st John, chapter 4, is loaded with ‘Love’, especially 7-12 and 16-18.  
Yes, the evidence in believers’ lives is “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.” (Galatians 5:22)   And first comes Love.
We love because He first loved us.  1 John 4:19

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A Prayer For My Friend Author Unknown
Lord, I ask You to bless my friend who is reading this right now. Where there is pain, may they find peace and mercy. Where there is self-doubt, may they gain a renewed confidence. Where there is weariness or exhaustion, give them understanding, patience, and strength. Where there is fear, reveal your love, and offer to them your courage. Give them greater vision, bless their finances, and raise up leaders and friends to support and encourage them. May their spirit always be joyous and their days rich and full with love and happiness, And may they always know that they have a friend.

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Read Through The Bible
2 Samuel 9
David’s Kindness to Mephibosheth
1 Now David said, “Is there still anyone who is left of the house of Saul, that I may show him kindness for Jonathan’s sake?” 2 And there was a servant of the house of Saul whose name was Ziba. So when they had called him to David, the king said to him, “Are you Ziba?” He said, “At your service!” 3 Then the king said, “Is there not still someone of the house of Saul, to whom I may show the kindness of God?” And Ziba said to the king, “There is still a son of Jonathan who is lame in his feet.” 4 So the king said to him, “Where is he?” And Ziba said to the king, “Indeed he is in the house of Machir the son of Ammiel, in Lo Debar.” 5 Then King David sent and brought him out of the house of Machir the son of Ammiel, from Lo Debar. 6 Now when Mephibosheth the son of Jonathan, the son of Saul, had come to David, he fell on his face and prostrated himself. Then David said, “Mephibosheth?” And he answered, “Here is your servant!” 7 So David said to him, “Do not fear, for I will surely show you kindness for Jonathan your father’s sake, and will restore to you all the land of Saul your grandfather; and you shall eat bread at my table continually.” 8 Then he bowed himself, and said, “What is your servant, that you should look upon such a dead dog as I?” 9 And the king called to Ziba, Saul’s servant, and said to him, “I have given to your master’s son all that belonged to Saul and to all his house. 10 You therefore, and your sons and your servants, shall work the land for him, and you shall bring in the harvest, that your master’s son may have food to eat. But Mephibosheth your master’s son shall eat bread at my table always.” Now Ziba had fifteen sons and twenty servants. 11 Then Ziba said to the king, “According to all that my lord the king has commanded his servant, so will your servant do.” “As for Mephibosheth,” said the king, “he shall eat at my table like one of the king’s sons.” 12 Mephibosheth had a young son whose name was Micha. And all who dwelt in the house of Ziba were servants of Mephibosheth. 13 So Mephibosheth dwelt in Jerusalem, for he ate continually at the king’s table. And he was lame in both his feet.

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A prayer for guidance by Thomas Merton, 1915-1968
My Lord God, I have no idea where I am going. I do not sense the road ahead of me. Nor do I really know myself, And the fact that I think I am following your will Does not mean that I am actually doing so. But I believe that the desire to please you Does in fact please you. And I hope that I will never do anything apart from that desire. And I know that if I do this, You will lead me by the right road Though I may know nothing about it. Therefore will I trust you always, Though I may seem to be lost and in the shadow of death. I will not fear, for you are ever with me, And you will never leave me to face my struggles alone. 

Wherever you are in life, whatever you've done, you can begin again. If you do not have Jesus in your life and wish to ask Jesus into your life please go to this link now to do so:  http://www.bluidkiti.com/forums/showthread.php?t=866  .  
Jesus is calling you to live a life that matters.