How to stay safe in the world today

1. Avoid riding in automobiles because they are responsible for 20% of all fatal accidents. 2. Do not stay home because 17% of all accidents occur in the home. 3. Avoid walking on streets or sidewalks because 14% of all accidents occur to pedestrians. 4. Avoid traveling by air, rail, or water because 16% of all accidents involve these forms of transportation. 5. Of the remaining 33%, 32% of all deaths occur in Hospitals. So, above all else, avoid hospitals. But, You will be pleased to learn that only .001% of all deaths occur in worship services in church, and these are usually related to previous physical disorders. Therefore, logic tells us that the safest place for you to be at any given point in time is at church! And.Bible study is safe too. The percentage of deaths during Bible study is even less. So, for safety’s sake, attend church, and read your Bible. It could save your life!

Marriage - Billy Graham

Lifted up the needy out of misery and made the families numerous like flocks. (Psalm 107:41)

One of the primary reasons for the breakdown in the home is that we have forgotten God's commands about marriage. God gave marriage to us, and His standards have not changed. Jesus said, "A man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife ... Therefore what God has joined together, let no man separate." (Matthew 19:5-6)
Divorce was not part of God's original design - nor is it now. The Bible declares, "The Lord God of Israel says that He hates divorce." (Mal. 2:16) Marriage is a symbol of the unity between Christ and His Church, a unity that should never be torn.
No marriage is beyond repair with God's help. But we must humble ourselves and put aside our pride and self-will. We must put others ahead of ourselves. If divorce has happened to you, God can forgive the past, heal the present, and give hope for the future. But if you are married, treasure your spouse as a gift from God, and yield your marriage to Christ. (Billy Graham)

LOVE

"The happiest people don't have the best of everything.
They just make the best of everything."
Live simply. Love generously. Care deeply. Speak kindly. Leave the rest to God.

Watch your thoughts

Several years ago, a new preacher moved to Houston, Texas. Some weeks after he arrived, he had occasion to ride the bus from his home to the downtown area. When he sat down, he discovered that the driver had accidentally given him a quarter too much change. As he considered what to do, he thought to himself, "You'd better give the quarter back. It would be wrong to keep it." Then he thought, "Oh, forget it, it's only a quarter. Who would worry about this little amount? Anyway, the bus company gets too much fare; they will never miss it. Accept it as a 'gift from God' and keep quiet." When his stop came, he paused momentarily at the door, then he handed the quarter to the driver and said, "Here, you gave me too much change." The driver with a smile replied, "Aren't you the new preacher in town? I have been thinking lately about going to worship somewhere. I just wanted to see what you would do if I gave you too much change. I'll see you at church on Sunday" When the preacher stepped off of the bus, he literally grabbed the nearest light pole, held on, and said, "Oh God, I almost sold your Son for a quarter." Our lives are the only Bible some people will ever read. This is a really scary example of how much people watch us as Christians and will put us to the test! Always be on guard and remember (as I try to remember) that you carry the name of Christ on your shoulders when you call yourself "Christian." I'm glad I got this forwarded to me as a reminder.

Watch your thoughts; they become words.
Watch your words; they become actions.
Watch your actions; they become habits.
Watch your habits; they become character.
Watch your character; it becomes your destiny.

My sheep hear my voice

My sheep hear my voice; I know them, and they follow me.(John 10:27)
Breaking away from his mother, the two-year-old stepped off the sidewalk into the street. There were frantic yells, the screeching of brakes and then a child's loud wail. "It's all right; you are not hurt," said the mother as she scooped up her son and held him close. And the child, reassured by his mother's voice, quietly snuggled against her.
In times of crisis, a voice we trust can calm us down, providing comfort and safety. It is not the words that matter; rather, it is the quality of presence reflected in that voice which is so crucial. Through that special voice, we experience love, acceptance and understanding. This voice connects us to our own inner strength, giving us the resources to cope. We may be drowning in chaos but that voice comes as a lifeline, reminding us that we are not alone. And so it is with Jesus' voice; He speaks into the whirlwind and we find peace, not necessarily because our situation has changed, but because we know He is with us, in every circumstance. (Elizabeth-Anne Stewart) Prayer: Dear Lord Jesus, teach me the sound of your voice, that I may respond to your call. Amen.

A blameless Life

I will be careful to lead a blameless life. (Psalm 101:2)
As he watched his young son sleep peacefully, Tom thought to himself: I really am a father. Since his son was nearly nine years old, the idea of his being a father was nothing new. What was new was his comprehension of all that it means to be a father. The revelation came slowly but once Tom was conscious of it, he could not get it out of his mind, and in thinking of what a father really is, he could not help but think of his own childhood. He remembered his father leaning over the old 1957 Chevy pickup truck working far into the night to rebuild the engine. Dad had already put in a full day of work; yet the truck engine needed to be rebuilt and there was no one else to do it. A second scene played across Tom's mind, and he saw his father sitting at the table eating a late dinner alone. It was close to 10 p.m., and he had finally arrived home from his 14-hour workday. He recalled seeing his father at a church workday mowing the grass, trimming the hedges, and cleaning out the flower beds. More than anything else, his father epitomized the word responsible and, for Tom, the knowledge that his own children are now looking to him to be an example just as he looked to his father was quite humbling. As Tom gently closed the bedroom door, the words of Thomas Morell came to mind. "The first great gift we can bestow on others is a good example." Like Tom and his father, we can give the gift of a good example to our children each and every day. (Day Break with God)

Meditation

It may be hard to imagine that we can actually tie God's hands, but we do seem to have a terrible power to hinder God's work. Without faith, we cannot be open to receive what God wants to give. This principle is clear in our relationships with those we love: to receive their love, we must trust them enough to open our hearts to them.
Trusting God is difficult for us because we don't always see why God acts as he does. For example, God does help us with our difficulties without always taking them away. We may wonder why. God's way of working must remain mysterious because we can never completely fathom the depths of God's love.
Nor is trusting God a virtue we can develop on our own. My own help comes in part from noticing the serenity of friends who have entrusted their lives to God. But above all, God's own power gradually enables me to let go of the fear that destroys trust. (Fr. Kenneth E. Grabner, C.S.C.)
Prayer: Dear Lord, help me to trust in you more deeply. Amen.