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Morning Devotional...





"If you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will
also forgive you.  But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father
will not forgive your sins" (Jesus, Matthew 6:14-15, NIV). 

It is interesting that this exhortation from our Lord comes immediately
after what we call "the Lord's prayer" in Matthew 6, just following the
words "deliver us from the evil one."  Unforgiveness is an evil that can
invite other evil into our lives.

Since God our Father has forgiven us, we must also forgive others. When
we pray the Lord's prayer we actually condemn ourselves if we pray the
prayer without forgiving those who may have offended us. 

Whenever we hold a grudge, we are asking for trouble.  One friend who
was very dear to me had a grudge that was just consuming him.  I pleaded
with him about his problem, because I knew it was affecting his health.
He was sick constantly.  He went through all kinds of difficult
operations. 

With great compassion for my friend, I spoke to him with love but
honesty, "Your problem is that you are filled with hate, and unless you
get rid of this hatred in your heart, you'll kill yourself." 

I really believe that.  Fortunately, as far as I know when he died he
had cleared up all accounts and had made the profession of his faith in
Christ, which is very encouraging.

Experts say that bitterness and unforgiveness can, indeed, make us sick
and kill us.  Some believe that unforgiveness can even cause cancer.  I
do not doubt that. It can eat on us spiritually like a cancer.  I have
no trouble believing that it can affect our cells because our spirit,
soul and body are so interrelated. 

Unforgiveness can also hinder our faith and prayers.  It is no accident
that following His powerful prayer and faith exhortation, our Lord ended
it with another reminder about forgiveness: "Therefore I tell you,
whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and
it will be yours.  And when you stand praying, if you hold anything
against anyone, forgive him, so that your Father in heaven may forgive
you your sins" (Mark 11:24-25, NIV).

It helps us to forgive when we remember that God forgave us even when we
do not deserve it.  We must look upon others with the same compassion
with which God looks upon us.

Yep, my baby will be 44.  I was my parents baby.  My mother was her parents baby.  My grandfather was his parents baby.  All of us the youngest sibling.  Kind of grows in the family....

One of the ladies on my church's email list said her husband went to vote this morning at 6:30 a.m. and had to wait 1 hour and 10 minutes before getting to the voting booth.  That sounds sooooo good.  I am hoping and praying that the voters out do themselves this year.  Of course, I am voting for the best president but no matter who wins, we certainly know who is in charge and, sorry to say, He isn't on the ballot.  I do believe this coming president will make or break America and the world. 

Rainy, cloudy, cold,......a great day to go out and VOTE!!!!!

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"Impatience:  Waiting in a hurry."
(Don't do this at the polls!)

HAHAHA!  Great little quote at the bottom, Etta Sue!

"Impatience:  Waiting in a hurry."

Janet thank you for the devotional on forgiveness.  It is a wonderful devotional.

I have already voted a month ago when I got my absentee ballot in the mail. I am praying that the man that God has chosen to lead these United States of America with be the one who  the people vote for.

I got bonked onthe head Pat when you locked the door. It didn't hurt though thankyou for being gentle.

TTYL

THIS IS A TEST!!!  Since the devotional is on forgiveness, how many of you forgive me for forgetting to lock the door and open the new one before I went to bed last night?   (Remember.......this is a test!!!) 

I was awake for most of the night, but since the computer is in our bedroom, I don't usually turn it on, as I don't want to disturb Darrel.  If I had, I surely would have remembered to get the NEM up and lock the door for yesterday.  What can I say?  Good help is hard to find, Pat!

I am feeling a bit better today, so bit by bit, I will soon be well again.  We are going out to vote soon, praying and praying that God's man will be the winner.  I agree with Etta Sue that the outcome of this election will have eternal implications for this country and the world.

Darrel heard this on TV a little while ago:  "If you go vote, you gain the privilege of griping about the result!"

All traces of our snow are gone this morning, but it sounds as if they got a lot more 100 miles south of here, where Sarah lives.  That area was in the grip of a horrible drought, so even a snowstorm will bring welcome moisture, if it doesn't all wind up in drifts.

Nita, I will pray for your grandson, too.  Does he like dogs?  Sometimes just loving a puppy can help with depression.  Great idea to pray in his room, taking authority over those spirits that are tormenting his mind.

I need to get ready to go vote!  I shall return!

Good morning, good morning! 

What a beautiful day outside.  It is supposed to get up to 50 today.  Woohooo... <soni breaks out her swimsuit> 

Be back later.
Soni

Hi all - its chris here - afraid mum made a mistake and started posting her message from my user id.
So while im here let me say a big HELLO to everyone. Not sure how many of you even remember me as its been such a long time since i last came on. Im not too bad at the moment - still getting over a flu or cold!!! cough cough
and throat still slowly getting better.                                                                                                              I guess you will all be voting over there in America today - its all over our papers and tv here too.
Im going out into the rain and wind!!! in a while but as someone? has just brought me a lovely cup of tea  il say goodbye for now.
Love and prayers to everyone
chris

Well, hello, Chris!  Good to see you again.  Will that sweet someone bring me a cup of tea, too? 

Yes, voting day in America, and the world is watching.  I pray that the one who is in God's plan is the winner.  And from some of the things I have heard on TV from other countries, I am VERY glad they cannot vote in our election!

We just got home from voting, and once again, I am thanking God for the privilege of living in a small town.  We walked right up to our precinct polling tables, they said "Hello, Janet!  Hello, Darrel!", flipped open the book to the page with our names, had us sign, stuck a little sticker next to our names, handed us our ballots, we went to the little cubicles and voted and were finished in less than five minutes! 

.......oooh "Sweet someone" signing in... ;D  Thanks Janet! Especially thank-you for the Devotional.  very meaningful.

Well here you are, I thought you'd forgotten us C.P. Powers that be. I posted this morning on yesterdays and so did our Ria.

It is pouring with rain and very cold this evening.Soni you can put your swimsuit on here if you like  ;)  It has been raining all day.  Miserable!!!.......Jane, get that tea on please, your little kitchen and stove sound very welcoming and it seems we shall have quite a party now as I see our Carol (wife to Don) and Janet are coming too.

Marilyn. I do a postal vote too when elections occur, both for local and national Government.

Etta Sue, Hello.

Chris is out tonight so I shall curl up with some needlework and read a bit.....

My thoughts and prayers.
luv u all.
Jenny

Jenny, I alone am responsible for not getting the new NEM opened last night, but I assure you, I have read all the posts that were put on yesterday's thread, and think most of us do the same.  I always read the last ones before going to the new one.

It is still cold here, but not nearly as cold as yesterday.  That little tea party is sounding better and better! 

The milk shake machine at the fast-food restaurant I manage was broken, so I had an assistant post a sign to that effect on the drive-through speaker. A short time later, a customer pulled up to the speaker. "May I take your order?" I asked.  Crash, boom, bang! came the response. I asked the customer to pull around. "Were you pounding on the speaker?" I asked the driver. "Yes, I was," she admitted. "Why would you do that?" "Because the sign on the speaker said 'Shake Machine Broken.' " 

Afternoon everyone! 

Not sure when I plan to vote today.  I don't like to stand around and do nothing while waiting.  Maybe I should bring a book or something.  Don't think the camera would be allowed. hmmm...   

For those who are sick:

Quote from: Janet on November 02, 2004, 02:09:59 PM

The milk shake machine at the fast-food restaurant I manage was broken, so I had an assistant post a sign to that effect on the drive-through speaker. A short time later, a customer pulled up to the speaker. "May I take your order?" I asked. Crash, boom, bang! came the response. I asked the customer to pull around. "Were you pounding on the speaker?" I asked the driver. "Yes, I was," she admitted. "Why would you do that?" "Because the sign on the speaker said 'Shake Machine Broken.' "

Good one, Janet!

November 2   

Spiritual Warfare and Sin: Irreconcilable Hostility

For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against
principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the
darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the
heavenly places. 
--Ephesians 6:12

In the early days, when Christianity exercised a dominant
influence over American thinking, men and women conceived the
world to be a battleground. Our fathers believed in sin and the
devil and hell as constituting one force, and they believed in
God and righteousness and heaven as the other. By their very
nature, these forces were opposed to each other forever in deep,
grave, irreconcilable hostility. Humans, our fathers held, had to
choose sides-they could not be neutral. For them it must be life
or death, heaven or hell, and if they chose to come out on God's
side they could expect open war with God's enemies. The fight
would be real and deadly and would last as long as life continued
here below. People looked forward to heaven as a return from the
wars, a laying down of the sword to enjoy in peace the home
prepared for them....

How different today. The fact remains the same, but the
interpretation has changed completely. People think of the world,
not as a battleground, but as a playground. We are not here to
fight; we are here to frolic. We are not in a foreign land; we
are at home. We are not getting ready to live, but we are already
living, and the best we can do is rid ourselves of our
inhibitions and our frustrations and live this life to the full. 
This World: Playground or Battleground?, 4-5.

"Lord, we've lost too much by becoming friendly with the enemy.
Help me to be willing to take a stand for righteousness, to
choose clearly to be on Your side against the enemy, to pay any
price--and then to look forward to laying down my sword later in
heaven. Amen."

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What a lovely card, Soni!

I think I'm sick!     LOL

Good to see each one today.  Well it is the big election day here.  I hope you all, from the U.S., got out to vote.  We voted early last week so didn’t have to go to the polls today.

We have a group of friends from church who are meeting at our house tonight from 6:30 to 8:00. This is the third meeting of six on a discussion of “Faith in the Face of Terrorism.” There are about 15 of us participating in this. I told them there will be no politics or TV. When they leave at 8:00 I will be able to tune in to see how things are going.

Proverbs  14:31-34
31   He who oppresses the poor shows contempt for their Maker, but whoever is kind to the needy honors God.
32   When calamity comes, the wicked are brought down, but even in death the righteous have a refuge.
33   Wisdom reposes in the heart of the discerning and even among fools she lets herself be known.
34   Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a disgrace to any people.
(NIV)

--- Papa John          <)))><<   
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Hi, Papa John! It's good to see you.

I've had such a nice day today - am on vacation and did little things that needed doing - bought my muffler and gloves for cold weather, purchased some food, a few Christmas gifts, got a Christian CD to send to my son in the UK, talked with my neighbor for a good long time.

So, it has been very, very satisfying. Now, I think my son feels well enough to go with me for one more item at Wal-Mart (or Sam's). It will be good to get him out of the house for a little while. Since it's dark, his headache may not start. Even so, though, he has to wear his sunglasses because auto headlights also can start a headache for him.

I do so much appreciate the prayers of the faithful on his behalf.

Y'all have a good evening.

Ruth Ann

Ruth Ann, I'm so happy to hear you've had a good day!  Blessings to you!

Hi everyone.  We had a long voting morning as it took us 1 hour and 40 minutes.  It wasn't organized very well.   There had been about 700 people voting before us and am sure they continued to have long lines all afternoon and especially this evening as people stop after work to vote. 

I got home just in time to eat a quick bite and then headed to the church for Calvin Cove.  This is the last Tuesday I am going there as will be going on Thursday for the foreseeable future.  Another of the volunteers, who plays piano and sings hymns with the group is having to change from Wednesday to Tuesday so I suggested I go to Thursday.

Janet, thanks for the devotional and you are certainly forgiven for not locking up yesterday.  Certainly no damage done.    Glad you are feeling better.

It is dinner time so will be brief tonight.

Hello y-all.  have had my g-kids her today. forest this morning and Savannah after school. Forest left at noon. I went to thye gym after Forest left. He and I took the dogs for walks, each one seperately. I let Bebe of the leash and she did real good. She got  a little way in front of us and I was afraid she would get too far away, so I ran after her. She came when I fell in the soft dirt. Not hury, but she was right there art my side.

TTYL

Ursula, I certainly enjoy your good posts. Hope your birthday has been marvelous and that this will be a good year for you.

Does anyone know where the link to the site is for the Christian tee shirts? I followed the link a day or so ago and loved them, then forgot to note the address and now don't know how to find them again.

Boo hoo.

I want to purchase some of them for Christmas presents.

Ruth Ann

Ruth Ann...  I don't know about what ad you saw but here are some...

http://shopping.christiansunite.com/Christian_Apparel/T-Shirts.shtml


Did you check your history?  You might find it there.

got down to the school to vote and i had to have id even though they know me..... they said hey sarah u have any id i was like well in my car they said go get it.... oh well better for them to make sure its me then someone else even though they knew me....we had our senior supper tonight... still had a bit of snow on the ground where it drifted.... actually janet this year has been a very wet year lots of rain..... but the past like 10 have been drought....got basketball practice tomorrw and i'm tired so i'm going to go watch some tv i think ttyl
sarah

HAPPY BIRTHDAY CHRIS

HAPPY BIRTHDAY URSULA[/glow]

Time to lock the door.

Please join us in tomorrow's New Every Morning