Editor: Richard (Dick) Innes
Published by: ACTS International
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Vol. 11 â€" No. 2209 May 30, 2009
Thought for the week: "Until you love yourself (in a healthy sense) you are not free to love anotherâ€"only to need them." â€" Dick Innes
"We cannot do everything at once, but we can do something at once." â€" Calvin Coolidge
"A word to the wise is sufficient. A word to the unwise is resented." â€" Anonymous
"A man convinced against his will is of the same opinion still." â€" Unknown
"Out of clutter, find Simplicity. From discord, find Harmony. In the middle of difficulty lies Opportunity." â€" Albert Einstein
"I write when I'm inspired, and I see to it that I'm inspired at nine o'clock every morning." â€" Peter de Vries
"A musician must make music, an artist must paint, a poet must write, if he [or she] is to be ultimately at peace with himself. What one can be, one must be." â€" Abraham Maslow
"Jesus' message is not to be good boys and girls so that when you die you can go to heaven. The message of Jesus is 'I love you. I love you so deeply it kills me.'" â€" Rich Mullins, Singer and Song-writer.
It's one thing for Muhammad Ali to float like a butterfly in a boxing ring, but on airplanes, seat belts are required.
Regarding one particular flight he took, Ali says in his new book, The Soul of a Butterfly (Simon & Schuster), "When the flight attendant asked me to put [a seat belt] on, I told her that Superman didn't need a seat belt.
"She smiled at me and said, 'Superman don't need no plane, either.'"
3. Teaching Creationism and Evolution in Public Schools
"In the New York Times in an excellent article religion writer Laurie Goodstein described the results of a new poll by the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life: Nearly two-thirds of Americans want creationism taught alongside evolution in public schools. Surprisingly, it's not just Christians who want this: So do majorities of non-Christians."
â€" Chuck Colson in BreakPoint, September 20, 2005
Drop a pebble in the water, just a splash, and it is gone,
But there's half a hundred ripples circling on and on and on;
Spreading, spreading from the center, flowing out into the sea,
But there isn't any way of telling where the end is going to be.
Drop a pebble in the water; in a minute you forget,
But there's little waves a-flowing, and there's ripples circling yet,
And there's little ripples flowing, to a great big wave have grown.
And you've disturbed a mighty river just by dropping in a stone.
Drop an unkind word or gesture; in a minute it is gone,
But there's half a hundred ripples circling on and on and on;
They keep spreading, spreading, spreading from the center as they go,
And there isn't any way to stop them once you start them on to flow.
Drop an unkind word or gesture, in a minute you forget,
But there's little waves a-flowing, and there's ripples circling yet,
And perhaps in some sad heart a mighty wave of tears you've stirred,
And disturbed a life that's happy when you dropped that unkind word.
Drop a word of cheer and kindness; just a flash and it is gone,
But there's half a hundred ripples, circling on and on and on,
Bearing hope and joy and comfort on each splashing, dashing wave,
'Til you wouldn't believe the volume of the one kind word you gave.
Drop a word of cheer and kindness; in a minute you forget,
But there's gladness still a-swelling and there's joy a-circling yet,
And you've rolled a wave of comfort, whose sweet music can be heard
Over miles and miles of water, just by dropping a kind word.
A woman once wrote me to say she thought Christianity was fine but, personally, she was "into Zen."
She liked to listen to Christian radio while she was driving because the music "smoothed out her karma." Occasionally, however, she would tune in one of the Bible-teaching ministries. In her opinion, all the preachers she heard were too narrow-minded toward other religions, so she was writing several radio ministers to encourage them to be more broad-minded.
"God doesn't care what you believe, as long as you're sincere," she wrote, echoing an opinion I have heard many times. "All religions lead ultimately to the same reality. It doesn't matter which road you take to get there, as long as you follow your chosen road faithfully. Don't be critical of the alternative roads other people choose."
To those who accept the Bible as God's Word, the folly of that thinking should be immediately evident. What does the Bible say about following your chosen road faithfully?1
"There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death" (Proverbs 143:12, NIV).
"Jesus answered, 'I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me'" (John 14:6, NIV).
Ed. Note: For God's way of salvation according to God's Word, the Bible, see "How to Be Sure You're a Real Christian at: http://tinyurl.com/8glq9
A poem called "Mud Puddles and Dandelions" points out that when an adult sees a patch of dandelions he often thinks of weeds that can take over his yard, while kids are more likely to see flowers for mom or a white fluffy ball to wish on. The adult sees a mud puddle as a hazard to avoid; the child sees a pool to play in.
Though many people seem to be born pessimists or optimistsâ€"and indeed our disposition to look at the world through a gray or a rose-colored lens is formed early in lifeâ€"we must know that we can change our perspective and the way we emotionally characterize events by an act of conscious will.
And the simple truth is: We'll all be a lot happier with our lives if we can train ourselves to see the beauty in dandelions and the fun in mud puddles.
This is Michael Josephson reminding you that character counts.
"Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions. Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin."1
Before Ansel Adams became famous as a landscape photographer, he studied piano and showed some talent. At one of his first recitals he played Chopin's "Nocturne in F Major." "In some strange way," he said, "my right hand started off in F-sharp major while my left hand behaved well in F major. I could not bring them together. I went through the entire nocturne with the hands separated by a half-step. The next day, someone walked up to him and jokingly commented, "You never missed a wrong note."2
I can identify with Adams in that in much younger days I used to play trumpet on a gospel team and one of the first times I played a solo, I was so nervous I was thinking one song and playing another! You can imagine the effect. It was very embarrassing to say the least.
Such mistakes are easily overcome. But some mistakes we make in life can have long-lasting serious consequences. With these mistakes, however, the good news is that God's mercy is always available to all who confess their sins and failures and ask for his forgiveness.
Have you experienced God's forgiveness? If not, why not do that today. For further help be sure to read the article: "How to Know God and Be Sure You're a Real Christian." It's in the "Know God" link in No.10 below.
Suggested prayer: "Dear God, thank you that 'You are a God of forgiveness, Gracious and compassionate, Slow to anger and abounding in lovingkindness,'3 and that you forgive all my sins and trespasses when I genuinely confess them to you. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus' name, amen."
1. Psalm 51:1-2 (NIV).
2. David Roper. Cited in KneEmail. To subscribe send a blank message to: kneemail-subscribe@welovegod.org
3. Nehemiah 9:17, (NIV).
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Books:
Books by Dick Innes, Editor of Weekend Encounter You Can't Fly With a Broken Wing How to Mend a Broken Heart I Hate Witnessingâ€"A Handbook for Effective Christian
Communications
Books by Bestseller and Popular Authors: The Miracle of Kindness His Needs, Her Needs by Willard F. Harley, Jr.
has topped the charts as the best marriage
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On Sale at: http://www.actscom.com/store
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Healing, Wholeness & Happiness by Dick Innes
Loving & Understanding People by Dick Innes
I Hate Witnessing by Dick Innes
God's Formula for Success by Dick Innes
Damaged Emotions by David Seamands Healing of the Memories by David Seamands...
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Because the world would die without,
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