Grandma and the Cake

A young boy was visiting his Grandma and was telling her how everything was going wrong in school; his brothers and sisters teased him, his mother and father didn't love him, and how he had a stomach ache the night before.

Grandma was mixing up ingredients for a cake. She asked her Grandson if he would like to have a snack which, of course, he did.

"Here have some cooking oil."

"Yuck," said the little boy.

"How about a couple of raw eggs?"

"Gross, Grandma!"

"Would you like some flour them? Or maybe a little baking soda?"

"Grandma, those are all yucky!"

To which Grandma replied, "Yes, all those things seem bad by themselves, but when they are put together in the right way, they make a wonderful delicious cake.

God works the same way. We wonder why He lets us go through such difficult times. But God knows that when He puts these things all together in His order, they always work for the good. We just have to trust Him to "mix the ingredients and bake the cake." Eventually, they will result in something wonderful.

And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose (Romans 8:28).

A Parent's Prayer

A Parent's Prayer


Dear Heavenly Father, Make me a better parent. Teach me to understand my children, to listen patiently to what they have to say and to answer all their questions kindly.

Keep me from interrupting them, talking back to them and contradicting them. Make me as courteous to them as I would have them be to me.

Give me the courage to confess my sins against my children and to ask them forgiveness when I know that I have done them wrong.

Grant that I may never vainly hurt the feelings of my children. Forbid that I should laugh at their mistakes or resort to shame and ridicule as punishment.

Let me not tempt my child to lie or steal. So guide me hour by hour that I might demonstrate by all I say and do that honestly produces happiness.

Reduce, I pray, the meanness in me. May I cease to nag, and when I am out of sorts, help me O Lord, to hold my tongue. Blind me to the little errors of my children, and help me to see the good things they do.

Give me a ready word to honest praise. Help me to grow up with my children, to treat them as those of their own age, but let me not expect of them the judgments and conventions of adults.

Allow me not to rob them of the opportunity to learn for themselves, to think, to choose and to make decisions. Forbid that I should ever punish them for my selfish satisfaction.

May I grant them all their wishes that are reasonable,

And may I have the courage always to withhold a privilege which I know will do them harm.

Make me fair and just, and considerate and companionable to my children that they will have a genuine esteem for me. Make me fit to be loved and imitated by my children.

Amen.


Author: Garry C. Myers, as quoted by Abigail Van Buren in "Dear Abbey."

And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart: And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up (Deuteronomy 6:6-7).

JESUS

The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world. -John 1:29

To further illustrate that Jesus' earthly mission was to walk as man, we will analyze some of the circumstances surrounding Him.

Fourteen reasons Jesus should have not suceeded.

• He was born in an obscure village - not in a palace.
• He was the child of a peasant woman - He was suspected by some to be illegitimate.
• He grew up in a village other than where He was born - He was a wanderer as a child.
• He worked in a carpenter's shop till He was 30 - not viewed as a job for royalty.
• He traveled three years was an itinerate preacher - He walked most places He went.
• He never wrote a book.
• He never held an earthly office.
• He probably never owned a home.
• He never traveled two hundred miles from the place He was born.
• He had no credentials, but was a self-proclaimed preacher.
• He was shunned by religious leaders.
• He was deserted by His friends.
• He ultimately died a shameful death.
• He was buried in a borrowed grave.

But still, He traveled the land performing miracles, giving sight to the blind, healing the lame and crippled, raising the dead, walking on water, calming the sea and finally giving His life for the salvation of mankind. Noting all the reasons why He should not have been a success, two thousand years later He is still the central figure of the human race.

From Biblical Principles of Prayer, by Dr. Joel Philip Church, iUniverse, 2005.

The Lord Is My Banner

Jehovah-Nissi. The Lord My Banner

By whom was David taught
To aim the deadly blow,
When he Goliath fought,
And laid the Gittite low?
Nor sword nor spear the stripling took,
But chose a pebble from the brook.

'Twas Israel's God and King
Who sent him to the fight;
Who gave him strength to sling,
And skill to aim aright.
Ye feeble saints, your strength endures,
Because young David's God is yours.

Who order'd Gideon forth,
To storm the invaders' camp.
With arms of little worth,
A pitcher and a lamp?
The trumpets made his coming known
And all the host was overthrown.

Oh! I have seen the day,
When with a single word,
God helping me to say,
"My trust is in the Lord,"
My soul hath quell'd a thousand foes
Fearless of all that could oppose.

But unbelief, self-will,
Self-righteousness, and pride,
How often do they steal
My weapon from my side!
Yet David's Lord, and Gideon's friend,
Will help his servant to the end.

William Cowper
(1731-1800/Hertfordshire/England)

Exodus 17:15 (after defeating Amalek with the help of the Lord)
And Moses built an altar, and called the name of it Jehovah-nissi: