Why Did They Fight?

Let tyrants shake their iron rod, 

And Slav’ry clank her galling chains, 

We fear them not, we trust in God, 

New England’s God forever reigns.

Howe and Burgoyne and Clinton too, 

With Prescot and Cornwallis join’d, 

Together plot our Overthrow, 

In one Infernal league combin’d.

When God inspir’d us for the fight, 

Their ranks were broke, their lines were forc’d, 

Their ships were Shatter’d in our sight, 

Or swiftly driven from our Coast.

The Foe comes on with haughty Stride; 

Our troops advance with martial noise, 

Their Vet’rans flee before our Youth, 

And Gen’rals yield to beardless Boys.

What grateful Off’ring shall we bring? 

What shall we render to the Lord?

Loud Halleluiahs let us sing, 

And praise His name on ev’ry Chord.

by William Billings 

If the choice was yours, would you sign away your life? 

Are you a Minister?

" I am a minister. I minister to the largest mission field in the world. I minister to children.

My calling is sure. My challenge is big. My vision is clear. My desire is strong. My influence is eternal. My impact is critical. My values are solid. My faith is tough. My mission is urgent. My purpose is unmistakable. My direction is forward. My heart is genuine. My strength is supernatural. My reward is promised. And my God is real.

In a world of cynicism, I offer hope. In a world of confusion, I offer truth. In a world of immorality, I offer values. In a world of neglect, I offer attention. In a world of abuse, I offer safety. In a world of ridicule, I offer affirmation. In a world of division, I offer reconciliation. In a world of bitterness, I offer forgiveness. In a world of sin, I offer salvation. In a world of hate, I offer God's Love.

I refuse to be dismayed, disengaged, disgruntled, discouraged, or distracted. Neither will I look back, stand back, fall back, go back, or sit back. I do not need applause, flattery adulation, prestige, stature or veneration. I do not have time for business as usual, mediocre standards, small thinking, outdated methods, normal expectations, average results, ordinary ideas, petty disputes, or low vision. I will not give up, give in, bail out, lie down, turn over, quit or surrender.

I will pray when things look bad. I will pray when things look good. I will move forward when others stand still. I will trust God when obstacles arise. I will work when the task is overwhelming. I will get up when I fall down.

My calling is to reach boys and girls for God. It is too serious to be taken lightly, too urgent to be postponed, to vital to be ignored, too relevant to be overlooked, too significant to be trivialized, too eternal to be fleeting, and too passionate to be quenched.

I know my mission. I know my challenge. I also know my limitations, my weaknesses, my fears, and my problems. And I know my God. Let others get the praise. Let the church get the blessing. Let God get the glory!

I am a minister. I minister to children. This is who I am. This is what I do."


And this could be YOU-

Last week my father, 3 of my siblings, and myself, spent 8 days at a training camp in Riverside, CA, called Christian Youth In Action. During orientation the quote above was read as a challenge to the 50 CYIA students present. Together we took that challenge, and with God's help we were able to share the Good News of the gospel with 275 children during those 8 days, 89 of which believed on Jesus Christ as their Savior.

Now I pose the same challenge to you. If the Lord Jesus is your Savior, will you consecrate yourself to Him right now? Will you let Him have compete control of your life? Will you give your whole life to God to be used in any way He may choose? Will you present your body as a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service? Will you dare to be different from the world? Will you dare to be transformed by the renewing of your mind? Will you?

Last week I rededicated my life to God, and gave all of my aspirations in the medical field, my dream of being a mother some day, my love of books, my rights, and my future, to God. He is my Lord, the Boss of my time, talents, and treasure.

Will you be a minister? The opportunities are many. They are to serious to be taken lightly, too urgent to be postponed, to vital to be ignored, too relevant to be overlooked, too significant to be trivialized, and too eternal to be fleeting. If you would like information on CYIA or its affiliate Child Evangelism Fellowship, I would love to help you get connected. These programs span State borders and Continents alike. It doesn't matter where you live- as long as you are willing!

Who Is Your Hero?

Books do more than expand your vocabulary and spelling. Books change your life. Forever.

There's Only One!

Who is the handsomest man on earth?
Who is the one my love is worth?

Who is the one at the head of the table?

Who is the one beside my cradle?

Who is the one who puts me on his knee?

Who is the one who cares for me?

Wh is the one one who guides me in His ways?

Who is the one who merits praise?

Who is the one who protects and provides?

Who is the one who lovingly chastises?

Who is the one with that helping hand?

Who is the one who always understands?

There’s only one-

and thats my Daddy!

What a wonderfully inexpressible gift is a father who is patterning his life after Christ. I thank God that he has given me such a father. He is not perfect, nor is he flawless, but every day I see him open his Bible and every day I see him striving to walk like Christ walked, talk like Christ talked, and live like Christ lived.
I pray that each of my brothers become the same type of men, and that some day, if the Lord wills, I marry a man- just like my Daddy.

Wait

Desperately, helplessly, longingly, I cried:

Quietly patiently, lovingly, God replied.

I plead and I wept for a clue to my fate

And the Master so gently said,

“Child, you must wait.”

“Wait? You say, wait!” my indignant reply,

“Lord I need answers, I need to know why!

Is your hand shortened? Or have you not heart?

By faith, I have asked, and I’m claiming Your Word.”

My future and all to which I can relate

Hangs in the balance, and YOU tell me WAIT?

I need a “Yes” or a go-ahead sign,

Or even a “No” to which I can resign.

And Lord, You promises that if we believe

We need but to ask, and we shall receive.

And Lord, I’ve been asking, and this is my cry:

“I’m weary of asking! I need a reply!”

Then quietly, softly, I learned of my fate,

As my Master replied once again, “You must wait.”

So I slumped in my chair defeated and taught

And grumbled to God, “So, I’m waiting …for what?”

He seemed, then, to kneel,

And His eyes wept with mine,

And tenderly said, “I could give you a sign.

I could shake the heavens, and darken the sun.

I could raise the dead, and cause mountains to run.

All you seek, I could give, and pleased you would be.

You would have what you want-

But you wouldn’t know Me.

You’d not know the depth of My love for each saint;

You’d not know the power I give to the faint

You’d not learn to see though the clouds of despair;

You’d not learn to trust just by knowing I’m there;

You’d not know the joy of resting in Me;

When darkness and silence were all you could see.

You’d never experience that fullness of love

As the peace of My Spirit descends like a dove;

You’d know that I give and I save, for a start,

But you’d not know the depth of the beat of My heart.

The glow of My comfort late into the night,

The faith that I give when you walk without sight,

The depth that’s beyond getting just what you asked

Of an infinite God, who makes what you have last.

You’d never know, should your pain quickly flee,

What it means that, “My grace is sufficient for thee.”

Yes, your dreams for your loved one

Overnight would come true,

But, Oh, the Loss! If I lost what I’m doing in you!

So, be silent, My child, and in time you will see

That the greatest of gifts is to get to know Me.

And though oft’ may My answers seem terribly late,

My most precious answer of all is still, “wait.”

Author Unknown

Which one are You?

"Abby!" Abby kept on reading. "Abby, Abby, Abby!" The little hand on her knee became more insistent.
 "What do you want?" She mumbled, still looking at her book.
"I...I got a poblem." Abby finally unglued herself from her book and looked at the youngster. He was standing there with his legs together holding on to the top of his very full shorts.
Diapers... ugh! Abby thought as she settled back down into her book.
"Abby!"The little hand thumped her knee again.
"Go see Mommy, she's in the kitchen." The toddler turned to go, waddling in his uncomfortably droopy drawers. Abby, already back in the wonderful world of books, didn't care. In the kitchen, Hannah took the dish cloth from her mother. Moving quickly and methodically she wiped the dishes dry, stacked and put them away, and whisked her cloth across the counter; being sure to scrub the sticky spots. Ryan came in, his problem very evident. "Nanna, I got a poblem! Where's Mommy?" "She's feeding the baby..." Hannah looked at the mess of pans on the stove and the broom in the corner. "Go find Ginnie, she'll fix it." Hannah turned away. It was Ginnie's problem, Ginnie was Ryan's partner after all, besides she was just too busy.
     Ryan turned to go. "Ryan! Ry!.. Oh, theres my partner. I need your help! Ginnie came flying around the corner into the kitchen. Quickly, but carefully she scooped up the little man in her arms so he wouldn't have to waddle and headed for the bathroom. As Ginnie walked past and disappeared around another corner, Abby heard Ryan giggle and squeal. Ginnies' soft voice could be heard as they excitedly planned all the fun they would have pulling the covers up on their beds and washing the mirrors in the bathroom. "Why don't they ever like to be with me?" Abby wondered. But not for too long for she was lost in the last chapter of her book. Which one are you?







All to many times I am "Abby." I ignore obvious needs, just because I know one of my capable sisters or my wonderful mother will take care of them if I don't, but is this the attitude that Jesus demonstrated while He was here on earth?

"So when He had washed their feet, taken His garments, and sat down again, He said to them, 'Do you know what I have done to you? You call Me Teacher and Lord, and you say well, for so I am. If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have given you an example, that you should do as I have done to you. Most assuredly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master; nor is he who is sent greater than he who sent him. If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them.'" John 13:12-17 NKJV


Thank you BethMarie,

Dear Jesus

You died on the cross

For my sin

You loved me before 

The world did begin

You see me

Everywhere that I go

Everything I do,

You know

In heaven You're preparing

A home for me

A place with You

Eternally.

How come?

Yeilding

Lord, all my little well laid plans
have turned to vapor dust,
I need to give them all to You,
And, in fact, I must!
But I want what I want, 
and I want it my way!

I want to try just one last thing,
To have just one more say,
I want to do my own planning!
I'm never defeated, ok?
So.... I'll have what I want!
And I'll have it my way!

Ugh! Help me give all to You on this day
And practice submission to Your will,
I say that I listen and do things Your way,
But it seems that I fight You still!
Help me want what You want, 
and want it Your way!

Do You Pray?

     "I have a question to offer you. It is contained in three words.

 Do you pray?"

This morning as I was having my quiet time, I was struck with this question. It was from a pamphlet that Daddy had read aloud to us by J C Ryle, but that I had not thought about for a long time. 

"To be prayerless is to be without God, without Christ, without grace, without hope, and without heaven. It is to be on the road to hell. Now can you wonder that I ask the question, Do you pray?"

Do I pray? Yes, but what am I praying about? 

"a man may pray without heart and without sincerity. I do not for a moment pretend to say that the mere fact of a person's praying proves is everything about his soul. As in every other part of religion, so also in this, there may be deception and hypocrisy."

 What do I pray about on a regular basis? Do I pray about the right things?
" I commend to you the importance of reverence and humility in your prayers. Pray without form or ritual. Pray with perseverance and earnestness. Pray with faith, believing that God has heard your cry and will requite it. Come boldly before the throne of grace. Confess much. Ask for much. Thank for much. be particular. bear in your prayers the world, the body of believers around the world, the heathen, your country, your congregation to which you belong, your household, your relations, your friends."
 What about you? I know that I had to ask forgiveness this morning and start over. Do you pray?


 The complete pamphlet by J C Ryle 

Tongues o' Fire

The Bible has a lot to say

About my little tongue

It's a fire that want's it's way

And hurts friends one by one.

Lord, Help me to remember
You're looking straight at me
And help me guard my mouth-gate
Very thoroughly.