Monday, May 17, 2010
His Mysterious Ways
Jobs were hard to find in New York City in 1930. Just 19, I was fresh off the boat from Sweden and didnt speak any English.
When I'd boarded the train in my hometown of Karlskrona, Sweden, a woman next to me had asked, Where are you going?
America, I said. To make a new start.
My cousin Lars works in New York City, she informed me. At the Steinway piano factory. Look him up when you get there. She wrote on a piece of paper, handed it to me and said, God be with you.
It was a sweltering New York day when I set out in search of the factory. I had no idea where it was. I wandered the city for hours, showing people that scrap of paper, which bore four words: Lars Olsen-Steinway Piano. Nobody was able to help me.
I was disappointed, and so tired. When I saw a parked car I opened the door and slid into the front seat. Where I was from anyone could rest in someone elses wagon or cart. I hoped the same was true here.
I soon fell asleep, but was jolted awake by the blast of a whistle. Workmen streamed out of a nearby building. One of the yelled at me, in English. What is he so upset about? I answered instinctively in Swedish that I was sorry. Amazingly, he responded in Swedish, What are you doing in my car? I explained, then showed him that piece of paper. The man smiled. He said the whistle I had heard announced the end of the workday at Steinway & Sons. Then he walked me around the corner and introduced me to someone who got me a job as a painter.
By now youve probably guessed. The man who owned the car was Lars Olsen.
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
If One Day..
if one day my tears are running
because i’m so hurt inside
i know you will be there
and i wouldn’t have to hide.
if one day i see beauty
that no one cares to see
i know you will be there
to cherish it with me.
if one day i grow old
and nothing seems worth while
i know you will be there
to share with me your smile
if one day my eyes give up
and i couldn’t see the stars at night
i know you will be there
to share with me your sight.
because God loves me so much
he sent someone true
he knows deeply of friendship
and he saw it in you.
The Difference Between Strength and Courage
It takes courage to have doubts.
It takes strength to fit in,
It takes courage to stand out.
It takes strength to feel a friend’s pain,
It takes courage to feel your own pain.
It takes strength to hide your own pains,
It takes courage to show them.
It takes strength to stand guard,
It takes courage to let down your guard.
It takes strength to conquer,
It takes courage to surrender.
It takes strength to endure abuses,
It takes courage to stop them.
It takes strength to stand alone,
It takes courage to lean on a friend.
It takes strength to love,
It takes courage to be loved.
It takes strength to survive,
It takes courage to live.
by David L. Griffith
What Is...
What is within …
What is within the depths of my soul …
What is …
What created what is.
What lies without …
What lies in the serenity of a morning
hike through the forest, along side a
mountain stream, slowly and steadily
cascading a bed of mountain stone.
What is mighty and majestic as
the roar and tumble of the ocean’s
tide at storm.
What is as gentle as the touch of the gardener,
tending the rose.
What is …
Gentle, Calm, Mighty,
and Majestic from the depths of my soul
to the world around me…
God is All-Surrounding.
Magnificent, Unfathomable, Astonishing…
His vastness is beyond comprehension…
His mercy unceasing …
His love…undying.
Robin M. Ferguson
5 min
There won't be proper cf tomorrow, but there'll be 5 min prayers @ laman maluri as usual :)
see you guys tomorrow!
Sunday, May 9, 2010
Happy Mother's Day!!
- Happy Mother's Day!
(this happens to be our cf blog's 100th post ~ imagine how special mom's are :)
Saturday, May 8, 2010
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
Take Down Goliath!
Focus on giants—you stumble.
Let your tallest finger remind you of your highest priority: God's reputation. David jealously guarded it. No one was going to defame his Lord. David fought so that "all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel. Then all this assembly shall know that the Lord does not save with sword and spear; for the battle is the Lord's" (1 Sam. 17:46-47).
One more stone, and finger, remains:
Imitate him. Never give up. One prayer might not be enough. One apology might not do it. One day or month of resolve might not suffice. You may get knocked down a time or two ... but don't quit. Keep loading the rocks. Keep swinging the sling. David took five stones. He made five decisions. Do likewise. Past. Prayer. Priority. Passion. And persistence.
From Facing Your Giants, by Max Lucado.
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
Announcement
Same place and time.
Bring scissors and coloured pen.
Meet u there....
Saturday, May 1, 2010
Self Control (by Cindie York)
And we are instructed to turn from godless living and sinful pleasures. We should live in this evil world with self-control, right conduct, and devotion to God.
Knowing God leads to self-control. Self-control leads to patient endurance and patient endurance leads to godliness. (II Peter 1:6) Self-control is also a fruit of the Spirit and those who are Christ's have crucified the flesh and its passions and desires. The Bible tells us to walk in the Spirit and to live in the Spirit.
Every temptation is an opportunity to do good. We are all given two choices: to resist temptation or give in to temptation. Our bodies are the temple of God. Christ dwells in the body of every believer who accepts Him as Lord and Savior and asks for the pardon of sins. God gives us the power to overcome temptation. As we grow in wisdom and knowledge of God's word, we can better recognize the tricks of the devil. Red flags go up. As we mature in Christ, the deeper we grow in the Lord, the easier those flags are to recognize and the easier it gets to walk away from tempting situations.
We need to embrace holiness and sanctification once again. Today's society has become so immoral and more and more Christians are being deceived. It seems that self-control is becoming a thought of the past. The church world has just become so compromising when it comes to sinful living and behavior. Many people are turning a blind eye or deaf ear to condemnation. We must learn once again that it is essential in our Christian walk to be bigger than the tempter. We must again show the lost and dying world that there are still Christians who have self-control.
Remember to resist the devil and he will flee from you. We do not have to submit to the tricky devises of the enemy. Again, one word RESIST!!
7 Minutes With God (CF 28/4)
SEVEN MINUTES WITH GOD
How to Plan a Daily Quiet Time by Robert D. Foster
It was in 1882 on the campus of
"Remember the morning watch."
Students like Hopper and Thornton found their days "loaded" with studies, lectures, games and bull sessions. Enthusiasm and activity were the order of the day. These dedicated men soon discovered a flaw in their spiritual armor -- a small crack which if not soon closed, would bring disaster.
They sought an answer and came up with a scheme they called the morning watch -- a plan to spend the first minutes of a new day alone with God, praying and reading the Bible.
The morning watch sealed the crack. It enshrined a truth so often obscured by the pressure of ceaseless activity that it needs daily rediscovery: To know God, it is necessary to spend consistent time with Him.
The idea caught fire. "A remarkable period of religious blessing" followed, and culminated in the departure of the Cambridge Seven, a band of prominent athletes and men of wealth and education, for missionary service. They gave up everything to go out to
But these men found that getting out of bed in time for the morning watch was as difficult as it was vital.
The intimacy of communion with Christ must be recaptured in the morning quiet time. Call it what you want -- the quiet time, personal devotions, the morning watch, or individual worship -- these holy minutes at the start of each day explain the inner secret of Christianity. It's the golden thread that ties every great man of God together -- from Moses to David Livingstone, the prophet Amos to Billy Graham -- rich and poor, businessmen and military personnel. Every man who ever became somebody for God has this at the core of his priorities: time alone with God!
David says in Psalm 57:7, "My heart is fixed, O God, my heart is fixed." A fixed and established heart produces stability in life. Few men in the Christian community have his heart and life. One of the missing links has been a workable plan on how to begin and maintain a morning watch.
I want to suggest that in order to get under way, you start with seven minutes. Perhaps you could call it a daily "Seven-Up". Five minutes may be too short, and ten minutes for some is a little too long at first.
Are you willing to take seven minutes every morning? Not five mornings out of seven, not six days out of seven -- but seven days out of seven! Ask God to help you: "Lord, I want to meet You the first thing in the morning for at least seven minutes. Tomorrow when the alarm clock goes off at
How do you spend these even minutes? After getting out of bed and taking care of your personal needs, you will want to find a quiet place and there with your Bible enjoy the solitude of seven minutes with God.
Invest the first 30 seconds preparing your heart. Thank Him for the good night of sleep and the opportunities of this new day. "Lord, cleanse my heart so You can speak to me through the Scriptures. Open my heart. Fill my heart. Make my mind alert, my soul active, and my heart responsive. Lord, surround me with Your presence during this time. Amen."
Now take four minutes to read the Bible. Your greatest need is to hear some word from God. Allow the Word to strike fire in your heart. Meet the Author! One of the Gospels is a good place to begin reading. Start with the Book of Mark. Read consecutively -- verse after verse, chapter after chapter. Don't race, but avoid stopping to do a Bible study on some word, thought, or theological problem which presents itself. Read for the pure joy of reading and allowing God to speak -- perhaps just 20 verses, or maybe a complete chapter. When you have finished Mark, start the Gospel of John. Soon you'll want to go ahead and read the entire New Testament.
After God has spoken through His Book, then speak to Him -- in prayer. You now have two and a half minutes left for fellowship with Him in four areas of prayer that you can remember by the word ACTS.
A -- Adoration. This is the purest kind of prayer because it's all for God -- there's nothing in it for you. You don't barge into the presence of royalty. You begin with the proper salutation. So worship Him. Tell the Lord that you love Him. Reflect on His greatness, His power, His majesty, and sovereignty!
C -- Confession follows. Having seen Him you now want to be sure every sin is cleansed and forsaken. Confession comes form a root word meaning "to agree together with". Apply this to prayer. It means to agree with God. Something happened yesterday you called a slight exaggeration -- God calls it a lie! You call it strong language -- God calls it swearing. You call it telling the truth about somebody in church -- God calls it gossip. "If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me" (Psalm 66:18)
T -- Thanksgiving. Express your gratitude to God. Think of several specific things to thank Him for: your family, your business, your church and ministry responsibilities -- even thank Him for hardships. "In everything give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you" (I Thessalonians
S -- Supplication. This means to "ask for, earnestly and humbly." This is part of your prayer life where you make your petitions know ton Him. Ask for others, then for yourself. Why not include other people around the world such as missionaries, students studying abroad, friends in distant places, and above all the people of many lands who have yet to hear about Jesus Christ.
Let's put these seven minutes together:
1/2 Prayer for guidance (Psalm 143:8)
4 Reading the Bible (Psalm 119:18)
2 and a 1/2 Prayer:
a) Adoration (I Chronicles 29:11)
b) Confession (I John 1:9)
c) Thanksgiving (Ephesians
d) Supplication (Matthew 7:7)
_________________________________________________
This is simply a guide. Very soon you'll discover that it is impossible to spend only seven minutes with the Lord. An amazing thing happens -- seven minutes become 20, and it is not long before you're spending 30 precious minutes with Him. Do not become devoted to the habit, but to the Savior.
Do it not because other men are doing it -- not as a spiritless duty every morning, nor merely as an end in itself, but because God has granted the priceless privilege of fellowship with Himself. Covenant with Him now to guard, nourish, and maintain your morning watch of seven minutes.