Role Models of America

Clean Sheets

Each Tuesday I change my bed sheets. Nothing feels as good as crisp, clean, high thread count sheets. They are soft to the touch and when you finally get in them at the end of the day, they feel so good and comfortable. Nothing beats the smell of fresh laundered sheets either. I heard Oprah say once that she has her sheets changed daily because she wants that feel at the end of the day. Well, I wish I had the time or the person to do that for me but alas, once a week will have to suffice.

I also love clean sheets of paper. Something about a new page when you are writing is just makes you feel like anything is possible. Sheets, clean ones gives you opportunity to do just about anything with them. I can draw a picture, I can write a novel, I can fold it into a paper airplane if I want to. The point is, it becomes whatever I want it to be. Open up a fresh ream of paper and it has a smell that nothing else has.

Cleansing your soul feels like those fresh sheets on your bed or that fresh sheet of paper. This is something I do daily. Nothing feels as good to the touch as a fresh wash from the Lord of my life. Just like my sheets, the smell of His presence is just that good to me. Plus, it’s so much easier to come before him and just confess those things that you messed up on that day and be clean and new once again.

Each day is like waking up in fresh sheets, ready to start your day off right after having had a restful night of sleep. There is nothing that burdens your heart, there is nothing that is staining your life. Then, in that state your life is like a fresh clean sheet of paper, nothing is impossible and anything can be written on it.

What story will unfold on your page today?

Role Model  Susan Young

The Value of a Daddy

                                      It was my birthday and the empty card arrived.  I was instantly angry.  I knew that on my sisters birthday she had received a big whopper of a check and so did her children.  And once again nothing for me. I wonder what makes a man decide not to love his daughter.  Am I a disappointment?  Not successful, smart, or pretty enough. Was there something at birth that made me unworthy of his love somehow?  I turned forty this year, you would think I was over this, but each new rejection brings the same old question.  What did I do to warrant such treatment from my own dad?  What could sever the parental connection so completely?  It makes me wonder, if my own parent can't love me -who can??

                                      Then I think of my husband.  He is also an imperfect father, however he stayed through the good times and the really bad times.  Our children never had to earn his love, because it was given freely.  My children have a daddy that always has a kind word and good advice.  Someone who will listen to a teenage girl ramble on about the boy of the day.  He inspires them to reach for more in their lives, and is patient if they can't reach it yet.  He is a firm disciplinarian, but will protect with his own life.  I think about our lives and know my children are blessed.  A father has the power to bless or curse with long ranging effects, but a daddy helps you grow into who you will become.   I guess its time to finally put this hurt little girl away and grow into the woman my Daddy created me to be. My father may choose not to love me, but my Daddy chose me long before I knew him. 

                                       What about the next generation of children?  Divorce is commonplace.  Parents leave never looking back on the carnage left behind.  This is the new rule, not the exception anymore.  How many kids are growing up feeling unworthy, unloved, rejected, forgotten or invisible?  Or how about those replaced by the "new " family.  America its time to rise up!!  These little people are our responsibility.  Not just our children -ALL children. I want to challenge you today to reach out and touch a child's life.  We as Christians are supposed to imitate Jesus Christ right?  I can't imagine that he is happy with the state of our affairs.  A small kindness can go a long way to a love starved child. If you carry that hole in your heart, I would like to introduce you to my Daddy.  His love is pure.  He will fill that empty place with joy, and purpose.  The best part for me is he doesn't change his mind.

       Psalm 68:5,6a   Father of the fatherless, defender of widows this is God whose dwelling is Holy.  God places the lonely in families He sets the prisoners free and gives them joy

The Beauty of Pearls

By: Deborah R.

Interesting thing about pearls is that they are oldest known gem, and for many centuries it was considered the most valuable. Unlike all gems, the pearl is organic matter derived from a living creature - oysters and mollusks.

There is much folklore and tradition about the pearl. It was said in some early cultures that the pearl was born when a single drop of rain fell from the heavens and became the heart of the oyster. Pearls have been called the 'teardrops of the moon'. Some believe that pearls were formed by the passage of angels through the clouds of heaven.  Whether true or not, thinking about angels passing through the clouds of heaven is a comforting thought to the soul.

Recently, I have received two gifts that are made up of pearls.  I’m really not a jewelry person but I do like pearls.  There is something about them that draws me.  For our two year anniversary, my husband gave me a pearl ring that has small diamonds around it.  I love it!  To me it is the classic beautiful representation of simplistic eloquence.  Not too showy just right for me.

Within the same week, a friend gave me a gift that was very special and unique.  It was a two-stranded pearl necklace.  These are not your usual pearls.  These are pearls that have not been touched by the tools of man.  They are in their natural state; all different sizes, colors and shapes.  They are called baroque pearls.  This is the note that came with them.

“God wanted me to tell you to look at each pearl-different sizes, colors and shapes all with deep and different scars.  These pearls are 100% real and trash by jewelers standards.  They’ve been broken, then fixed by a pair of hands that love you very much.  Remember a group of trash unified in one true purpose creates a new beauty never before seen.  God wants you to remember he sees your beauty inside and out…through and through.”

The process of forming these pearls….you can see the lines that run through them.  Each one distinctly unique and has it’s own story of how it was formed all due to an irritation; created from a living creature.  Think about a microscopic particle being lodge in the lining of a shell.  Although the mollusk becomes irritated, it takes that irritation and in the process of protecting it’s delicate interior it produces a rare and valuable gem.

Our lives are the same way, unfortunately, many of us we don’t produce gems out of the irritations of life.  Why should we?  Maybe to us it’s just a rock or a stone but someone else, it becomes a priceless gem. 

What has been or is an irritation in your life?  Are you dealing with it the way the world tells you to or are you applying the Word of God to it?  Not just pulling it out and discarding with no value but wrapping that irritation with the gentleness of the Holy Spirit and soothing it with scripture.  If we keep doing this over and over every time it irritates us, maybe, just maybe we’ll be able to gain from it. 

What gems do you have from life to put in your crown?  What gems have you cultivated?  What gems have you left behind because to them was too hard?  Or maybe you thought it would cost you too much?  Matthew 7:6, "Do not give dogs what is sacred; do not throw your pearls to pigs. If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and then turn and tear you to pieces.”  Pearls are very rare precious gems.

We all have been given different gems to cultivate…take up your tools and begin to work!  1 John 4:4, You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.

Lying LIps

If we throw out the 10 Commandments and say, we as a nation don't need to publicize or promote these laws, we as a nation will crumble. Why?  Let's talk about it. Just take one single Law such as the Law that says,  'Thou Shalt Not Lie'.  Let's throw it out.  Who needs this right?

If it's okay to now lie, how will it affect women?

Lying lips bring trouble in a marriage. Lies erode trust. If you can't trust what your husband/boyfriend says because he lies..... then his actions will ultimately destroy.  He could be hiding things from you. He might be using money unwisely costing the family down the road. He possibly could be working someplace other than where you think he is. He could be making more money or less than what you think. Or worse - is it possible that he is cheating on you. Is it okay to lie?

Lying lips bring trouble in a family. Children that lie cannot be trusted to grow up properly.  They will play games and manipulate to get their own way. They could be in trouble at school and you would not know it. Lying about it, does not remove the trouble. They could be running into drug use and bring destruction upon their own heads and you would not know it. Lying about drugs does not remove the terrible reactions it causes. Lying kids start living in two worlds - the one they create and the real one. It brings certain trouble. What if your daughter is lying about sleeping with a boy, then you find out in the end she is pregnant.  Is it okay to lie?

Lying lips bring trouble on the job. Employees that lie cause turmoil on the workplace. Deadlines get missed and then hidden. Quotas aren't met and then blame happens. Lies between co-workers cause great problems down the road.  Sometimes the words 'it was a misunderstanding'  are used to cover up a lie. But eventually the truth comes out and someone's reputation is lost because of lies.  Still think 'Thou Shalt Not Lie' does not apply?

Suppose it 's okay for our government to lie to us. Will the truth not come out in the end and we find out as a people that our economy is in the tank. Retirements are lost, jobs are lost, the economy breaks down into personal lives and bank accounts causing huge amounts of sorrow.  Lying happened in the housing markets - look where it have taken thousands of families in their homes in the end!

What about your banker? What if it's okay for him to lie to you about your deposits?  How about your savings - would it be okay for your bank to lie to you about your hard earned savings?

How about the Doctor? Sure go ahead and lie to me about my kids health. What woman believes that would be a good thing!  Go ahead lie to me about a broken bone, the lie won't remove the pain of reality of a truly broken bone.

People lie all the time and think they are getting by with it. But a mechanic shop that lies to it's customers will eventually be found out as people compare notes on their repairs at that shop. And slowly the reputation of the company erodes and the business will be avoided like the plague and they will go out of business for the lack of business, or rather for the lack of a trustworthy service.

Who loves lying politicians?

Who in their right mind would not mind being lied to about their insurance coverage.  And then only to find out after a bad storm all the payments they had made through the years now give nothing back to help them recover.

'Thou Shalt Not Lie' CERTAINLY DOES apply to everybody, and those who want God's Law about lying to be taken out of public areas - should be watched carefully.  Do they really think it's ok to lie?

If so..... what are they themselves lying about? Hmmmmmmm.

Watch your lips today and obey God's Laws. When you tell the truth you don't have to remember what you said!   

What To Remember When Stressed Out

                     Go slowly in your spirit and you will not miss Me.

 

Stop and remember when under duress  to keep the stability and stableness of my own personal character.  What is my reputation (or what I want to be) in the eyes of others – my children, and the eyes of my husband,  and also the eyes of others.

 

Am I losing my own reputation by my behavior?  When the stress of  my life  is over, what do I want them to remember about me?

 

When the stress of this present hour is over what do I want them to think about me?

 

Still myself – and get at peace.  This takes time, so until you are calm about it – take the necessary time to get calm.  This is a walk – a bike ride – some physical activity that causes you to release all of the pressure that has built up.

Just Push!

JUST PUSH

A woman was sleeping  one night in her house when suddenly her room filled with light, and God appeared. The Lord told the  woman that  he had work for her to do, and showed her a large rock in front of her house. The Lord explained that the woman was to Push against the rock with all her might...

So, this the woman did, day after day. For many years she toiled from sunup to sundown, her shoulders set squarely against the cold, massive surface of the unmoving rock, pushing with all her might!

Each night the woman returned to her home  sore and worn out, Feeling that her whole day had been spent in vain. Since the woman was showing
discouragement, the Adversary (Satan) decided to enter the picture by
placing thoughts into the weary mind: (He will do it every time)!

You have been pushing against that rock for a long time and it hasn't
moved." Thus, he gave her  the impression that the task was
impossible and that she was a failure. These thoughts discouraged and
disheartened the woman.

Satan said, "Why kill yourself over this? Just put in your time, giving
just the minimum effort; and that will be good enough."

That's what the weary woman  planned to do, but decided to make it a matter of Prayer and to take her troubled thoughts to The Lord.

"Lord," she said, "I have labored long and hard in Your Service, putting
all my strength to do that which you have asked. Yet, after all this
time, I have not even budged that rock by half a millimeter. What is
wrong? Why am I failing?"

The Lord responded compassionately, "My friend, when I asked you to
serve Me and you accepted, I told you that your task was to push against
the rock with all of your strength, which you have done.

Never once did I mention to you that I expected you to move it. Your
task was to push. And now you come to Me with your strength spent,
thinking that you have failed.

But, is that really so? Look at yourself. Your arms are strong and
muscled, your back well built; your hands are solid from
constant pressure, your legs have become firm and hard.

Through opposition you have grown much, and your abilities now surpass
that which you used to have. True, you haven't moved the rock. But your
calling was to be Obedient and to push and to exercise your Faith and
trust in My Wisdom. That you have done. Now I, my friend, will move the
rock."

At times, when we hear a word from God, we tend to use our own intellect
to decipher what He Wants, when actually what God wants is just simple
obedience and faith in Him.

By all means, exercise the Faith that moves mountains, but know that it
is still God Who moves The Mountains.

When everything seems to go wrong..........................Just P.U.S.H.


When the job gets you down............................,,,,,,,,,,,,,,Just
P.U.S.H.

When people don't do as you think they should...............Just
P.U.S.H.

When your money is "gone" and the bills are due...............Just
P.U.S.H.

When people just don't understand you.........................Just
P.U.S.H.

P = Pray
U = Until
S = Something
H = Happens

 "Though no one can go back and make a brand new
start, anyone can start from now and make a brand new ending."

Friends are quiet angels who lift us to our feet when our wings have
trouble remembering how to fly. May God Bless You.