ROSE AND LINDA’S BLOG SECOND CHANCES

Many times when we go to write something, it takes a path of it’s own.  Two days ago we included a quote from a poem written by Estelle Carter, which ended up also being a song.  The Lord laid it on our heart to post the entire poem as it first came to her.  We pray that it is a blessing to those that read it.

SECOND CHANCES

I asked my Father for a second chance.

He looked at me with love that was unseen,

You have no more second chances He said.

You have all the chances you need,

Did I promise you I would never leave you nor

forsake you, My child.  How many chances do you need?

Do you know, My child, He asked?

No, My Lord I said, I know that I will make mistakes.

Then how, He asked can I put a limit on how many

chances you get?

Did I not create you, did I not form you before you were even born?

do I not know the number on hairs on your head?

I know how many chances you need, said My Lord.

And as you need then I shall give them to you,

as many as you need, as many as it takes,

until you come home to me, my child.

What a gracious God we serve.  He gives us unmerited favor, love unending.   Thank You Father for second chances, and third and so-on.

recj/LJG

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FAITH’S CHECKBOOK

Maintain the Difference “And I will put a division between My people and thy people: tomorrow shall this sign be” (Exodus 8:23).

Pharaoh has a people, and the LORD has a people. These may dwell together and seem to fare alike, but there is a division between them, and the LORD will make it apparent. Not forever shall one event happen alike to all, but there shall be great difference between the men of the world and the people of Jehovah’s choice. This may happen in the time of judgments, when the LORD becomes the sanctuary of His saints. It is very conspicuous in the conversion of believers when their sin is put away, while unbelievers remain under condemnation. From that moment they become a distinct race, come under a new discipline, and enjoy new blessings. Their homes, henceforth, are free from the grievous swarms of evils which defile and torment the Egyptians. They are kept from the pollution of lust, the bite of care, the corruption of falsehood, and the cruel torment of hatred, which devour many families. Rest assured, tried believer, that though you have your troubles you are saved from swarms of worse ones, which infest the homes and hearts of the servants of the world’s prince. The LORD has put a division; see to it that you keep up the division in Spirit, aim, character, and company.

C. H. SPURGEON

http://www.christianity.com/devotionals/faiths-checkbook-ch-spurgeon/

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A BIT OF HUMOR

A distraught senior citizen phoned her doctor’s office.

“Is it true,” she wanted to know, “that the medication you prescribed has to be
taken for the rest of my life?”

“Yes, I’m afraid so,” the doctor told her.

There was a moment of silence before the senior lady replied, “I’m wondering,
then, just how serious is my condition because this prescription is marked ‘NO
REFILLS’!”

[forwarded by John Cumby]

MIKEYSFUNNIES.COM

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ENCOURAGEMENT FOR THE DAY

Bird Nest

Joshua 1:9 do not be dismayed, for the Lord  thy God is with you anywhere you go

Recently I discovered a Blue Jay nest in a tree in our front yard. I  enjoyed watching the mother glide into the tree with food in beak, ready to  nourish her little ones. Two days ago I heard a faint peeping from another tree  out front. I walked close to the tree, peered up into the branches, and sure  enough – another nest with baby birds. These fledglings were Cardinals;  undistinguishable by themselves, but unmistakable as the brilliant red feathered  father and the less glamorous mother swooped in and out of the tree .Each of  these sets of bird parents had to build a nest and then nurture their  young.
God has called us to build our relationship with Him and nurture  it to maturity. Just as the birds intertwined twigs, leaves, grasses and roots  to weave their nest, so Christians must build a personal relationship with God  through Jesus Christ. We must nurture this relationship, feeding it with God’s  Word, developing it through prayer, and promoting it with Christian fellowship,  church attendance and, if possible, Bible studies.
I am thankful for the  beauty of nature that has unfolded before my very eyes here in my own front  yard. I am thankful, also, for the privilege to build and nurture my own  personal relationship with God. I pray, that as you are nourished and grow in  the faith, you can leave the nest and soar to great spiritual heights – serving  God on your entire journey.

…..Marion Smith (noles65@aol.com) by  way“Christian Voices” (www.ChristianVoicesWorldwide.net)

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HEBREWS 4:12 BIBLE VERSE OF THE DAY

Hebrews 4:12

The word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.

Thoughts on today’s verse

How often do you let God do major surgery on your spirit as his Spirit uses the Word to encourage, judge, motivate, convict, instruct, and inspire? With such a great tool so readily at hand for most of us, let’s not let a day go by that we don’t let God use his word on hearts.

Prayer:

Almighty God, your will is my heart’s desire. But I realize that I need to be fed more consistently by your Word revealed in Scripture. Give me strength and consistency in my walk with you through your Word. Through your Spirit, inspire me to change what needs to be changed and to be blessed and encouraged in the areas that I need it most. I turn to you and trust in your Word to point me in the way of life. Through Jesus I pray. Amen.’

heartlight.org

http://www.christianity.com/devotionals/heartlight-daily-verse-phil-ware/heartlight-daily-verse-10-or-27-558234.html

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AND THEN ALONG COMES SANDY

In the midst of a nation divided about this upcoming election

ALONG COMES SANDY

Ponder on this for a bit……

Again and again in our nations history we have seen Americans come together.  During war, assassinations, floods, terrorists attacks and yes hurricanes.  People begin to reach out to help others.   We are willing to make sacrifices and go beyond the call of duty.  We join together in prayer with family, friends, and even total strangers to cry out to God for help and comfort.

It is sad that we don’t experience such bonding until tragedy strikes.

Could it be that God is allowing things to happen that will bring us together, just a thought to ponder on?

Heavenly Father we ask that you bless those in the midst of this hurricane and in the surrounding areas that will be affected by it.  We ask that Your blessing our President and other National leaders that are working together to bring aid to these areas and its people.  We ask that you Bless those that are leaving home and families to go to these areas to support and help in the clean up and work that has to be done.  Lord we ask for protection on all Your children as we do what we can during our Country’s trying time right now.  Lord bring this Nation together to stand strong, as You would have us be,  In Jesus Mighty Name, Amen So-Be-It.

recj/LJG

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PAYING ATTENTION TO HOW WE LIVE

Luke 12:16-21

One day we’ll give an account of ourselves to the Lord (Rom. 14:12). We must, then, pay attention to how we live.

The rich man in Luke 16:19-31 made the tragic choice of living for himself without regard for the Lord. He also made two other mistakes.

First, he invested everything for himself and nothing for the life to come. When we are blinded by our own desires and personal satisfaction, it is easy to become lukewarm about spiritual matters. We forget that this life is not all there is. Scripture tells us to store up treasures in heaven, not on earth. Where our treasure is reflects where our heart is (Matt. 6:19-21).

The rich man’s other mistake was to prepare everything for himself and nothing for others. Crumbs falling from his table (v. 21) were the only form of assistance he gave a poor man named Lazarus. The one who had much wealth did not share it with the one who had little. Jesus explained what our priorities should be to love the Lord wholeheartedly and to love our neighbor as ourselves (Luke 10:27).

We see the rich man’s mistakes repeated in another parable. This time a wealthy man builds bigger barns to store crops so he will have plenty for the future. God calls him a fool for such shortsightedness (Luke 12:20).

The Bible repeatedly warns us to pay attention to spiritual matters—the Lord is to have first place in our lives and be the center of our affections. He urges us to store up heavenly treasure by caring for the lost and hurting people around us. On whom is your attention focused?

 Dr. Charles Stanley

www.intouch.org

http://www.christianity.com/devotionals/in-touch-charles-stanley/in-touch-oct-27-2011.html

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A BIT OF HUMOR

A married couple had been out shopping at the mall for most of the afternoon, suddenly, the wife realized that her husband had disappeared.

The somewhat irate spouse called her mate’s cell phone and demanded: “Where did you go???”

The husband calmly replied, “Darling, you remember that jewelry shop where you saw the diamond necklace and totally fell in love with it and I didn’t have money that time and I said, ‘Baby, it’ll be yours one day’?”

Wife, with a smile blushing, said, “Yes, I remember that, my love.”

“Well, I’m at the Honda Dealer next to that shop.”

I’m thinking at that point the wife would ask the husband for directions to a gun shop.

MIKEY’SFUNNIES.COM

http://frylake.com/news/mikeys-funnies-was-good-today/

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ENCOURAGEMENT FOR THE DAY

Everything You Need

A number of years ago, I heard a sermon on the topic of wants versus  needs. The woman in the minister’s opening story did not get one thing that she  had always planned on having, but she had everything she needed.
She had  planned on marrying a young man in her career area, but she married an older man  who was wise, good, and kind to her in marriage. She wanted a girl but had a  boy, who grew to be a fine young man. She wanted a large plantation-style home,  but enjoyed her comfortable bungalow home. And so it went.
Even though  the Bible promises that God will give us the desires of our heart if we believe in Him, the Bible also makes it clear that God meets our needs, our true and  genuine needs, not our unrealistic or picky desires that lack wisdom and  insight. Often, He knows better than we do what we really need and can use to  our benefit.
As the autumn season brings on a meditative state of mind,  it might be wise to look back over the course of life and smile as we see God’s  loving guidance in the shaping of our life and choices. The unrealistic dreams  and desires give place to the solid needs and the wise choices. Where we have  erred and suffered, God has been with us giving us hope for better days and  better situations. He has supported us through the difficult days and rejoiced  with our joy and success.
As we watch our children and their children  dream and grow, we can smile as we see their desires turn to genuine delight as  the Lord guides their way. We see the hardship that produces character and  growth. We can nod in agreement as we see God’s wisdom guide them in the ways  they should go. We can trust in the love and goodness of God, always and  ever.

…..Mary-Ellen  Grisham (meginrose@gmail.com) (eternal_ink@associate.com) by way  “Christian Voices” (www.ChristianVoicesWorldwide.net)

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1 PETER 1:24-25 BIBLE VERSE OF THE DAY

1 Peter 1:24-25

All men are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field; the grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of the Lord stands forever.

Thoughts on today’s verse

As the seasons change, the leaves fall, and the grass dies, we are reminded once again of how short our lives are. Despite the rapid advancements of technology, our deepest needs are addressed only by the eternal and proven will of God in Scripture. Whether you get your Scripture off the Bible on disk or from an old family Bible, access it today. Don’t you need a dose of the eternal today?

Prayer:

As I age, I am constantly reminded, O God, of my transitory stay on earth and your eternal reign in heaven. Give me a sense of my place before you as I seek your will in your Word. In Jesus name I pray. Amen.’

Visit heartlight.org

http://www.christianity.com/devotionals/heartlight-daily-verse-phil-ware/

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