Installing LOVE

Tech Support: Yes, Ma'am.... how can I help you?

Customer: Well, after much consideration, I've decided to install Love.
Can you guide me though the process?

Tech Support: Yes. I can help you. Are you ready to proceed?

Customer: Well, I'm not very technical, but I think I'm ready. What do I
do first?

Tech Support: The first step is to open your Heart. Have you located
your Heart, ma'am?

Customer: Yes, but there are several other programs running now. Is it
okay to install Love while they are running?

Tech Support: What programs are running, ma'am?

Customer: Let's see, I have Past Hurt, Low Self-Esteem, Grudge and
Resentment running right now.

Tech Support: No problem, Love will gradually erase Past Hurt from your
current operating system. It may remain in your permanent memory, but it
will no longer disrupt other programs. Love will eventually override Low
Self-Esteem with a module of its own called High Self-Esteem. However, you
have to completely turn off Grudge and Resentment. Those programs prevent
Love from being properly installed. Can you turn those off, ma'am?

Customer: I don't know how to turn them off. Can you tell me how?

Tech Support : With pleasure. Go to your start menu and invoke Forgiveness.
Do this as many times as necessary until Grudge and Resentment have been
completely erased.

Customer: Okay, done! Love has started installing itself. Is that normal?

Tech Support: Yes, but remember that you have only the base program. You
need to begin connecting to other Hearts in order to get the upgrades.

Customer: Oops! I have an error message already. It says, "Error - Program
not run on external components ." What should I do?

Tech Support: Don't worry, ma'am. It means that the Love program is set
up to run on Internal Hearts, but has not yet been run on your Heart. In
non- technical terms, it simply means you have to Love yourself before you
can Love others.

Customer: So, what should I do?

Tech Support: Pull down Self-Acceptance; then click on the following
files: Forgive-Self; Realize Your Worth; and Acknowledge your Limitations.

Customer: Okay, done.

Tech Support: Now, copy them to the "My Heart" directory. The system will
overwrite any conflicting files and begin patching faulty programming.
Also, you need to delete Verbose Self-Criticism from all directories and
empty your Recycle Bin to make sure it is completely gone and never comes
back.

Customer: Got it. Hey! My heart is filling up with new files. Smile is
playing on my monitor and Peace and Contentment are copying themselves all
over My Heart. Is this normal?

Tech Support: Sometimes. For others it takes awhile, but eventually
everything gets it at the proper time. So Love is installed and running.
One more thing before we hang up. Love is Freeware. Be sure to give it and
its various modules to everyone you meet. They will in turn share it with
others and return some cool modules back to you.

Customer: Thank you, God.

-- Author Unknown

CHRISTIAN WAYS TO REDUCE STRESS


An Angel says, "Never borrow from the future. If you worry about what may happen tomorrow and it doesn't happen, you have worried in vain. Even if it does happen, you have to worry twice."

1. Pray

2. Go to bed on time.

3. Get up on time so you can start the day unrushed.

4. Say No to projects that won't fit into your time schedule, or that will compromise your mental health.

5. Delegate tasks to capable others.

6. Simplify and unclutter your life.

7. Less is more. (Although one is often not enough, two are often too many.)

8. Allow extra time to do things and to get to places.

9. Pace yourself. Spread out big changes and difficult projects over time; don't lump the hard things all together.

10. Take one day at a time.

11. Separate worries from concerns. If a situation is a concern, find out what God would have you do and let go of the anxiety. If you can't do anything about a situation, forget it.

12. Live within your budget; don't use credit cards for ordinary purchases.

13. Have backups; an extra car key in your wallet, an extra house key buried in the garden, extra stamps, etc.

14. K.M.S. (Keep Mouth Shut). This single piece of advice can prevent an enormous amount of trouble.

15. Do something for the Kid in You everyday.

16. Carry a Bible with you to read while waiting in line.

17. Get enough rest.

18. Eat right.

19. Get organized so everything has its place.

20. Listen to a tape while driving that can help improve your quality of life.

21. Write down thoughts and inspirations.

22. Every day, find time to be alone.

23. Having problems? Talk to God on the spot. Try to nip small problems in the bud. Don't wait until it's time to go to bed to try and pray.

24. Make friends with Godly people.

25. Keep a folder of favorite scriptures on hand.

26. Remember that the shortest bridge between despair and hope is often a good "Thank you Jesus."

27. Laugh.

28. Laugh some more!

29. Take your work seriously, but not yourself at all.

30. Develop a forgiving attitude (most people are doing the best they can).

31. Be kind to unkind people (they probably need it the most).

32. Sit on your ego.

33. Talk less; listen more.

34. Slow down.

35. Remind yourself that you are not the general manager of the universe.

36 . Every night before bed, think of one thing you're grateful for that you've never been grateful for before.
GOD HAS A WAY OF TURNING THINGS AROUND FOR YOU. "If God is for us, who can be against us?" (Romans 8:31)

Giving our 101%

Now, take a look at this...

101%


From a strictly mathematical viewpoint:

What Equals 100%? What does it mean to give MORE
than 100%?

Ever wonder about those people who say they are
giving more than 100%?

We have all been in situations where someone wants
you to GIVE OVER
100%.

How about ACHIEVING 101%?


What equals 100% in life?


Here's a little mathematical formula that might help
answer these questions:


If:

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z


Is represented as:

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20
21 22 23 24 25 26.



If:


H-A-R-D-W-O-R- K

8+1+18+4+23+15+18+11 = 98%


And:

K-N-O-W-L-E-D-G-E

11+14+15+23+12+5+4+7+5 = 96%



But:

A-T-T-I-T-U-D-E

1+20+20+9+20+21+4+5 = 100%


THEN, look how far the love of God will take you:


L-O-V-E O-F-G-O-D

12+15+22+5+15+6+7+15+4 = 101%

Therefore, one can conclude with mathematical certainty that:
While Hard Work and Knowledge will get you close, and Attitude will
get you there, It's the Love of God that will put you over the top!

What Goes Around Comes Around.

What goes around comes around. - An inspiring story on giving..


One day a man saw a old lady, stranded on the side of the road, but even
in the dim light of day, he could see she needed help. So he pulled up in
front of her Mercedes and got out. His Pontiac was still sputtering when
he approached her.
Even with the smile on his face, she was worried.. No one had stopped to
help for the last hour or so. Was he going to hurt her? He didn't look
safe; he looked poor and hungry. He could see that she was frightened,
standing out there in the cold. He knew how she felt. It was that chill
which only fear can put in you.

He said, "I'm here to help you, ma'am. Why don't you wait in the car
where it's warm? By the way, my name is Bryan Anderson."
Well, all she had was a flat tire, but for an old lady, that was bad
enough. Bryan crawled under the car looking for a place to put the jack,
skinning his knuckles a time or two. Soon he was able to change the tire.
But he had to get dirty and his hands hurt.
As he was tightening up the lug nuts, she rolled down the window and
began to talk to him. She told him that she was from St. Louis and was
only just passing through. She couldn't thank him enough for coming to
her aid.
Bryan just smiled as he closed her trunk. The lady asked how much she
owed him. Any amount would have been all right with her. She already
imagined all the awful things that could have happened had he not
stopped. Bryan never thought twice about being paid. This was not a job
to him. This was helping someone in need, and God knows there were
plenty, who had given him a hand in the past. He had lived his whole life
that way, and it never occurred to him to act any other way.
He told her that if she really wanted to pay him back, the next time she
saw someone who needed help, she could give that person the assistance
they needed, and Bryan added, "And think of me."
He waited until she started her car and drove off. It had been a cold and
depressing day, but he felt good as he headed for home, disappearing into
the twilight.

A few miles down the road the lady saw a small cafe. She went in to grab
a bite to eat, and take the chill off before she made the last leg of her
trip home. It was a dingy looking restaurant. Outside were two old gas
pumps. The whole scene was unfamiliar to her. The waitress came over and
brought a clean towel to wipe her wet hair. She had a sweet smile, one
that even being on her feet for the whole day couldn't erase. The lady
noticed the waitress was nearly eight months pregnant, but she never let
the strain and aches change her attitude. The old lady wondered how
someone who had so little could be so giving to a stranger. Then she
remembered Bryan ..
After the lady finished her meal, she paid with a hundred dollar bill.
The waitress quickly went to get change for her hundred dollar bill, but
the old lady had slipped right out the door. She was gone by the time the
waitress came back. The waitress wondered where the lady could be. Then
she noticed something written on the napkin. There were tears in her eyes
when she read what the lady wrote:

"You don't owe me anything. I have been there too. Somebody once helped
me out, the way I'm helping you. If you really want to pay me back, here
is what you do: Do not let this chain of love end with you."
Under the napkin were four more $100 bills.
Well, there were tables to clear, sugar bowls to fill, and people to
serve, but the waitress made it through another day. That night when she
got home from work and climbed into bed, she was thinking about the money
and what the lady had written. How could the lady have known how much she
and her husband needed it? With the baby due next month, it was going to
be hard....
She knew how worried her husband was, and as he lay sleeping next to her,
she gave him a soft kiss and whispered soft and low, "Everything's going
to be all right. I love you, Bryan Anderson."
There is an old saying "What goes around comes around." Today I sent you
this story, and I'm asking you to pass it on. Let this light shine.
Don't delete it, don't return it. Simply, pass this on to a friend.
Good friends are like stars....You don't always see them, but you know
they are always there.

~GOD BLESS!~

THE BIG FISH STORY OF YOM KIPPUR

an article by RBC MINISTRIES President Mart De Haan


On Yom Kippur, the most solemn day of the Jewish calendar, a big fish story is read in synagogues. As worshipers fast, confess their sins, and reflect on the words of Moses and Isaiah, they listen once again to the account of a catch and release that is so amazing no one would believe it if it wasn’t in the Bible.

Of all the readings that could have been chosen for the highest holy day of the year, someone started the tradition of reading Jonah. But why? Why do Jewish people read about the reluctant prophet who ran from God, was caught by a big fish, and then was miraculously released to complete a dangerous mission in what is now the nation of Iraq?

Rabbis have different explanations for reading Jonah on the holiday commonly called the Day of Atonement. One teacher of Israel says the story of Jonah is more about repentance than it is about the fish. Some explain that Jonah is evidence that no one can escape the presence of God, even while trying to run from the Almighty. Others believe Jonah is read on Yom Kippur with the hope that listeners would learn from Jonah’s mistakes. One rabbi says, “God cares for everyone. Jonah cares only for himself. God wins.”

Each of these explanations makes a good point. But the last one intrigues me the most. The story of Jonah is, after all, about a stubbornly self-centered man who was glad to receive God’s mercy when he thought he was dying in the stomach of a great fish (2:9). But he wanted nothing to do with a God who could be “gracious and merciful” to the enemies of Israel (4:2).

Before we are too hard on Jonah, though, let’s think about Nineveh.

In the days of Jonah, Nineveh was the thriving capital of the great Assyrian Empire. Her soldiers had a reputation for torturing their prisoners of war. Rumors of Assyrian atrocities were so alarming that victims often surrendered without a fight.

These are the people to whom God sent Jonah, saying, “Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry out against it; for their wickedness has come up before Me” (1:2).

One of the surprises of Jonah’s story is that when he finally shouts the message of God in the streets of Nineveh, the whole city repents. Even the animals wear sackcloth after the king of the Assyrians declares like a prophet, “Let man and beast be covered with sackcloth, and cry mightily to God; yes, let every one turn from his evil way and from the violence that is in his hands. Who can tell if God will turn and relent, and turn away from His fierce anger, so that we may not perish?” (3:8-9).

To Jonah’s dismay, his worst fears come to pass. God shows mercy to Israel’s enemies when He sees their change of heart. Jonah is furious. As if he and his people alone deserve something that no one can earn, he complains, “Ah, Lord, was not this what I said when I was still in my country? Therefore I fled previously to Tarshish; for I know that You are a gracious and merciful God, slow to anger and abundant in lovingkindness, One who relents from doing harm. Therefore now, O Lord, please take my life from me, for it is better for me to die than to live!” (4:2-3).

Then the story gets even more amazing. As Jonah sits outside the city waiting to see what will happen, God grows a plant to give him shade. Jonah is grateful. Then God sends a worm to kill the plant. The plant shrivels, leaving Jonah not only to overheat under the Middle East sun, but also furious with God. Jonah’s last words show no change of heart. He is so beside himself with anger that the Lord asks, “Is it right for you to be angry about the plant?” And Jonah says, “It is right for me to be angry, even to death!” (v.9).

As Jonah’s story ends, God is left prodding the conscience of a man who is more concerned about the plant that gave him shade than about the people of Nineveh who needed mercy.

That’s where Jonah’s story would end if it were not for the possibility that, ever since, others have been learning from his mistake. What about us? Could the brooding prophet help us make this our own day of repentance by reminding us that God cares for everyone? We’re inclined to care only for ourselves. But with or without us, God will have His way in the end.

From the beginning, God’s intent was nobler than to let one extended family enjoy a land of milk and honey. He poured out His love on His “chosen people” for a purpose much greater than themselves. Embraced by His love, they were called to bring the whole world the news of God’s mercy, patience, and compassion for repentant hearts.

By the time Jesus appeared on the scene, some prominent religious leaders seem to have forgotten God’s mission for Israel. Like echoes of Jonah, they considered non-Jewish people unclean and untouchable and unworthy of God’s mercy.

Quite unintentionally, these religious moralists did a pretty good Jonah imitation. Although they didn’t know it at the time, they were angry with the God who wanted to show mercy to their enemies.

And what about us? Do we ever catch ourselves doing the Jonah routine? Could it be happening again to us right now? If so, will it take a “big fish” to turn us around? Or are we willing to make this our own personal moment and day of repentance?

Father in heaven, I see Jesus and Jonah in me. One cares for all; and the other cares only for himself. One died for me; the other has killed me over and over. Please renew in me now a true heart of repentance and a willingness to let You love the “Assyrians” that Your Son died for. –Mart De Haan

Holy Ghost Power!

This one is definitely between you and God. Don't disappoint. Read to the end



GOD: Angels, do you know what I was just thinking about?


ANGELS: What were you thinking about?


GOD: Christians seem to have forgotten what kind of power they have available and the devil keeps on deceiving them!


ANGELS: God, exactly what are you driving at?


GOD: I have made my children in such a way that when the people of the world are sitting, they would be standing, when the world is standing, they will stand out, when the world stands out, my children must be outstanding and when the devil dares the world to be outstanding, my people will be the standards to be used!


JESUS CHRIST: They (Christians) are also forgetting the words in Ephesians 1:3.


GOD: Please read it out!



ANGEL: PRAISE BE TO THE GOD AND FATHER OF OUR LORD JES US CHRIST , WHO HAS BLESSED US IN THE HEAVENLY PLACES WITH EVERY SPIRITUAL BLESSING IN CHRIST .


ANGEL: So what do we do now since the end is almost near ?


HOLY SPIRIT: My Presence is still among men and I will teach and remind the Christians of all that we have discussed. I will also make sure that they pass this message on!



JESUS CHRIST: I will also keep on interceding for them & stand in for them even in their weaknesses.



GOD: I will also make sure that I give to all those who ask of me, seek me and try to find me The blessings I have promised them through My Son, Jesus Christ will be delivered to all those who discover that I, Jehovah, am ready to bless them! Not because of any special things that they have done, but just because I LOVE
THEM !


JESUS CHRIST: I will also give all My followers who are willing to pass this conversation on, enough strength to carry on!


ANGELS: We are all backing THE TRINITY and even the devil cannot stop us! How funny! Christians are finally taking over and ......


DEVIL (eavesdropping behind the gates): I hope you all heard! I will deploy more troops (demons) and make sure the Christians pray less, read their Bibles less, preach less and make sure this mail does not move anywhere! Also.....


YOU SURE HEARD THAT! THE DEVIL WILL MAKE SURE YOU DO NOT PASS THIS ON BUT PROVE HIM WRONG AND SHOW HIM THE POWER YOU HAVE IN CHRIST JESUS AS A CHRISTIAN. PRAY MORE, STUDY THE WORD MORE AND PREACH THE WORD! DO NOT DISAPPOINT GOD ! PASS IT ON!


You're braver than you believe,
Stronger than you seem, and
Smarter than you think

Amusing - not to be taken seriously!

This is simply amusing, do not take it seriously.

Someone out there either has too much spare time or is deadly at Scrabble.
(Wait till you see the last one)! - note: no offense to mother-in-laws

DORMITORY:
When you rearrange the letters:
DIRTY ROOM

PRESBYTERIAN:
When you rearrange the letters:
BEST IN PRAYER

ASTRONOMER:
When you rearrange the letters:
MOON STARER

DESPERATION:
When you rearrange the letters:
A ROPE ENDS IT

THE EYES:
When you rearrange the letters:
THEY SEE

GEORGE BUSH:
When you rearrange the letters:
HE BUGS GORE

THE MORSE CODE:
When you rearrange the letters:
HERE COME DOTS

SLOT MACHINES:
When you rearrange the letters:
CASH LOST IN ME

ANIMOSITY:
When you rearrange the letters:
IS NO AMITY

ELECTION RESULTS:
When you r earrange the letters:
LIES - LET'S RECOUNT

SNOOZE ALARMS:
When you rearrange the letters:
ALAS! NO MORE Z 'S

A DECIMAL POINT:
When you rearrange the letters:
IM A DOT IN PLACE

ELEVEN PLUS TWO:
When you rearrange the letters:
TWELVE PLUS ONE


AND FOR THE GRAND FINALE:

MOTHER-IN-LAW:
When you rearrange the letters:
WOMAN HITLER

Yep! Someone with waaaaaaaaaaay
too much time on their hands!
Bet your friends haven't seen this one!!!

Three Things

THREE THINGS


Three things in life that, once gone, never come back

Time

Words

Opportunity


Three things in life that may never be lost

Peace

Hope

Honesty


Three things in life that are most valuable

Love

Self - Confidence

Friends


Three things in life that are never certain

Dreams

Success

Fortune


Three things that make a man/woman

Hardwork

Sincerity

Commitment


Three things in life that can destroy a man/woman

Alcohol

Pride

Anger


Three things in life that, once lost, hard to build-up

Respect

Trust

Friends


Three things in life that never fail

True Love

Determination

Belief

Overwhelming

God Helps!!!





Always look at the big picture.

Short Interview with Rick Warren, (PURPOSE DRIVEN LIFE)

You will enjoy the new insights that Rick Warren has, with his wife now having cancer and him having "wealth" from the book sales. This is an absolutely incredible short interview with Rick Warren,

"Purpose Driven Life " author and pastor of Saddleback Church in California .

In the interview by Paul Bradshaw with Rick Warren, Rick said:
People ask me, What is the purpose of life? And I respond: In a nutshell, life is preparation for eternity. We were made to last forever, and God wants us to be with Him in Heaven.

One day my heart is going to stop, and that will be the end of my body-- but not the end of me.

I may live 60 to 100 years on earth, but I am going to spend trillions of years in eternity. This is the warm-up act - the dress rehearsal. God wants us to practice on earth what we will do forever in eternity.

We were made by God and for God, and until you figure that out, life isn't going to make sense.

Life is a series of problems: Either you are in one now, you're just coming out of one, or you're getting ready to go into another one.

The reason for this is that God is more interested in your character than your comfort.

God is more interested in making your life holy than He is in making your life happy.

We can be reasonably happy here on earth, but that's not the goal of life. The goal is to grow in character, in Christ likeness.

This past year has been the greatest year of my life but also the toughest, with my wife, Kay, getting cancer.

I used to think that life was hills and valleys - you go through a dark time, then you go to the mountaintop, back and forth. I don't believe that anymore.

Rather than life being hills and valleys, I believe that it's kind of like two rails on a railroad track, and at all times you have something good and something bad in your life.

No matter how good things are in your life, there is always something bad that needs to be worked on.

And no matter how bad things are in your life, there is always something good you can thank God for.

You can focus on your purposes, or you can focus on your problems.

If you focus on your problems, you're going into self-centeredness, "which is my problem, my issues, my pain." But one of the easiest ways to get rid of pain is to get your focus off yourself and onto God and others.

We discovered quickly that in spite of the prayers of hundreds of thousands of people, God was not going to heal Kay or make it easy for her.

It has been very difficult for her, and yet God has strengthened her character, given her a ministry of helping other people, given her a testimony, drawn her closer to Him and to people.

You have to learn to deal with both the good and the bad of life.

Actually, sometimes learning to deal with the good is harder. For instance, this past year, all of a sudden, when the book sold 15 million copies, it made me instantly very wealthy.

It also brought a lot of notoriety that I had never had to deal with before. I don't think God gives you money or notoriety for your own ego or for you to live a life of ease.

So I began to ask God what He wanted me to do with this money, notoriety and influence. He gave me two different passages that helped me decide what to do, II Corinthians 9 and Psalm 72

First, in spite of all the money coming in, we would not change our lifestyle one bit. We made no major purchases.

Second, about midway through last year, I stopped taking a salary from the church.

Third, we set up foundations to fund an initiative we call The Peace Plan to plant churches, equip leaders, assist the poor , care for the sick, and educate the next generation.

Fourth, I added up all that the church had paid me in the 24 years since I started the church, and I gave it all back. It was liberating to be able to serve God for free.

We need to ask ourselves: Am I going to live for possessions? Popularity?

Am I going to be driven by pressures? Guilt? Bitterness? Materialism? Or am I going to be driven by God's purposes (for my life)?

When I get up in the morning, I sit on the side of my bed and say, God, if I don't get anything else done today, I want to know You more and love You better. God didn't put me on earth just to fulfill a to-do list. He's more interested in what I am than what I do.
That's why we're called human beings, not human doings.

Happy moments, PRAISE GOD.
Difficult moments, SEEK GOD.
Quiet moments, WORSHIP GOD.
Painful moments, TRUST GOD.
Every moment, THANK GOD.

Don't Give Up...

Don't give up.....

One day I decided to quit...
I quit my job, my relationship, my spirituality... I wanted to quit my life.
I went to the woods to have one last talk with God.
"God", I asked, "Can you give me one good reason not to quit?"
His answer surprised me...
"Look around", He said. "Do you see the fern and the bamboo?"
"Yes", I replied.
"When I planted the fern and the bamboo seeds, I took very good care of them.
I gave them light.
I gave them water.
The fern quickly grew from the earth.
Its brilliant green covered the floor.
Yet nothing came from the bamboo seed. But I did not quit on the bamboo.
In the second year the Fern grew more vibrant and plentiful.
And again, nothing came from the bamboo seed. But I did not quit on the bamboo. He said.
"In year three there was still nothing from the bamboo seed.
But I would not quit.
In year four, again, there was nothing from the bamboo seed. I would
not quit." He said.
"Then in the fifth year a tiny sprout emerged from the earth. Compared
to the fern it was seemingly small and insignificant...But just 6
months later the bamboo rose to over 100 feet tall.
It had spent the five years growing roots. Those roots made it strong and gave it what it needed to survive.
I would not give any of my creations a challenge it could not handle."
He asked me. "Did you know, my child, that all this time you have been struggling, you have actually been growing roots".
"I would not quit on the bamboo.
I will never quit on you."
"Don't compare yourself to others."
He said.
"The bamboo had adifferent Purpose than the fern.
Yet they both make the forest beautiful."
"Your time will come", God said to me.
"You will rise high"
"How high should I rise?"
I asked.
"How high will the bamboo rise?" He asked in return.
"As high as it can?" I questioned.
"Yes." He said, "Give me glory by rising as high as you can."
I left the forest and brought back this story.
I hope these words can help you see that God will never give up on you.
Never, Never, Never Give up.
For the Christian Prayer is not an option but an opportunity.
Don't tell the Lord how big the problem is,
tell the problem how Great the Lord is!

Heavens door open this morning, God asked me... My CHILD...
what can I do for you?" and I said "Daddy please protect and bless the one reading this message.
God smiled and answered ... "request granted ............


This message is now in your hands.
What will YOU do with it?


send this to at least 10 people so they too will have their

lives in God's hands
You never know when GOD is going to bless you!! Good things happen when you least expect them to !!!!!!!!

Why?

The life of an ordinary Filipino is full of frustrations specially at this trying times. I can enumerate a tall list of reasons why living in the Philippines is so disappointing. But I decided not to wallow on the negative and instead put more effort into the positive side of life.

And one of this efforts is to blog about inspirational stories that can uplift the spirits. Most of the content in this blog will be spiritual in direction but will also have something on general topics and the lighter side of life.

This blog will also contain collected stories and write-ups from the internet, authors will be duly noted except for those that have no indicated origin like forwarded e-mails.

A True Story Worth Reading. . .

Received this story as a forwared email and found it inspiring. God is good!

Isaiah 65:24 "Before they call, I will answer"

This story was written by a doctor who worked in South Africa ...
One night I had worked hard to help a mother in the labor ward; but in
Spite of all we could do, she died leaving us with a tiny premature baby
And a crying two-year-old daughter. We would have difficulty keeping the
Baby alive, as we had no incubator (we had no electricity to run an
Incubator).


We also had no special feeding facilities. Although we lived on the
Equator, nights were often chilly with treacherous drafts. One student
Midwife went for the box we had for such babies and the cotton wool that
The baby would be wrapped in.


Another went to stoke up the fire and fill a hot water bottle. She came
Back shortly in distress to tell me that in filling the bottle, it had
Burst (rubber perishes easily in tropical climates). "And it is our last
Hot water bottle!" she exclaimed. As in the West, it is no good crying over
Spilled milk so in Central Africa it might be considered no good crying
Over burst water bottles They do not grow on trees, and there are no
Drugstores down forest pathways.


"All right," I said, "put the baby as near the fire as you safely can, and
Sleep between the baby and the door to keep it free from drafts. Your job
Is to keep the baby warm."
The following noon, as I did most days, I went to have prayers with any of
The orphanage children who chose to gather with me. I gave the youngsters
Various suggestions of things to pray about and told them about the tiny
Baby. I explained our problem about keeping the baby warm enough,
Mentioning the hot water bottle, and that the baby could so easily die if
It got chills. I also told them of the two-year-old sister, crying because
Her mother had died.


During prayer time, one ten-year old girl, Ruth, prayed with the usual
Blunt conciseness of our African children. "Please, God" she prayed, "send
Us a water bottle. It'll be no good tomorrow, God, as the baby will be
Dead, so please send it this afternoon."
While I gasped inwardly at the audacity of the prayer, she added, "And
While You are about it, would You please send a dolly for the little girl
So she'll know You really love her?"


As often with children's prayers, I was put on the spot. Could I honestly
Say,"Amen". I just did not believe that God could do this. Oh, yes, I know
That He can do everything, the Bible says so. But there are limits, aren't
There? The only way God could answer this particular prayer would be by
Sending me a parcel from homeland. I had been in Africa for almost four
Years at that time, and I had never, ever received a parcel from home.
Anyway, if anyone did send me a parcel, who would put in a hot water
Bottle? I lived on the equator! Halfway through the afternoon, while I
Was teaching in the nurses' training school, a message was sent that there
Was a car at my front door.


By the time I reached home, the car had gone, but there, on the veranda,
Was a large twenty-two pound parcel. I felt tears pricking my eyes. I could
Not open the parcel alone, so I sent for the orphanage children.
Together we pulled off the string, carefully undoing each knot. We folded
The paper, taking care not to tear it unduly. Excitement was mounting.
Some thirty or forty pairs of eyes were focused on the large cardboard box.

From the top, I lifted out brightly colored, knitted jerseys. Eyes
Sparkled as I gave them out. Then there were the knitted bandages for the
Leprosy patients, and the children looked a little bored. Then came a box
Of mixed raisins and sultanas - that would make a batch of buns for the
Weekend Then, as I put my hand in again, I felt the.....could it really be?

I grasped it and pulled it out - yes, a brand-new, rubber hot water bottle.

I cried. I had not asked God to send it; I had not truly believed that He
Could. Ruth was in the front row of the children. She rushed forward,
Crying out, "If God has sent the bottle, He must have sent the dolly too!"
Rummaging down to the bottom of the box, she pulled out the small,
Beautifully dressed dolly. Her eyes shone! She had never doubted!
Looking up at me, she asked: "Can I go over with you and give this dolly to
that little girl, so she'll know that Jesus really loves her?"


That parcel had been on the way for five whole months. Packed up by my
former Sunday school class, whose leader had heard and obeyed God's
prompting to send a hot water bottle, even to the equator. And one of the
girls had put in a dolly for an African child - five month s before, in
answer to the believing prayer of a ten-year-old to bring it "that
afternoon."


"Before they call, I will answer" (Isaiah 65:24) This awesome prayer takes
less than a minute. When you receive this, say the prayer, that's all you
have to do. No strings attached. Just send it on to whomever you want - but
do send it on. Prayer is one of the best free gifts we receive. There is no
cost but a lot of rewards.

Let's continue praying for one another Father, I ask you to bless my
friends reading this right now. I am asking You to minister to their spirit
at this very moment. Where there is pain, give them Your peace and mercy.
Where there is self doubting, release a renewed confidence to work through
them. Where there is spiritual stagnation, I ask You to renew them by
revealing Your nearness, and by drawing them into greater intimacy with
You. Where there is fear, reveal Your love, and release to them Your
courage. Bless their finances, give them greater vision, and raise up
leaders and friends to support and encourage them. Give each of them
discernment to recognize the evil forces around them, and reveal to them
the power they have in You to defeat it. I ask you to do these things in
Jesus' name.


P.S. Passing this on to anyone you consider a friend will bless you both.
Passing this on to one not considered a friend is something Christ would
do.
"Do not ask the Lord to guide your footsteps if you're not willing to move
Your feet.