Weird Thoughts to Make Your Day

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One
Q. Why is a dentist like a far north adventurer on a polar expedition?
A. One goes on a polar expedition and the other expedites your molar.

Two
The invention of the shovel was ground-breaking, but the invention of the broom swept the nation!

Three
One moment you are twenty in the seventies and the next, you are seventy in the twenties!

Yes these are definitely silly groaners. I fully admit it, but sometimes a little laughing cheers up someone who has the right to be groaning.

My groans are many and my heart is faint.”(Lamentations 1:22 b, NIV)

And in the midst of that, along comes the Holy Spirit who groans on our behalf. Praise God!

In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. (Romans 8:26, NIV)

Rest in the knowledge that no matter what, God’s got this!

Prayer- Lord, whatever our groans today, we thank you that you hear us. Amen.

 

 

 

 

Brenda on Dela’s Voice

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You should be able to find it on the address below or on Dela’s Voice on Facebook.

It’s an hour long and you will find out much more about me than you ever hoped to!!

https://www.facebook.com/delasvoice/videos/2588500427927092/

Let me know what you think! Brenda

I Told You So

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I Told You So

How often have you heard these words…’If I were you… and I told you so?’  How often do we offer unasked advice to friends and family? How often do people do the same for us? We all mean well though, don’t we?

Do we listen to our elders who are full of life experience?  Do any of us pray before offering up our two bits of wisdom? How do we make the right decision when everyone around us offers differing advice?

Rehoboam made the wrong choice and it landed him in no end of trouble.

But Rehoboam rejected the advice the elders gave him and consulted the young men who had grown up with him and were serving him. He asked them, “What is your advice? How should we answer these people who say to me, ‘Lighten the yoke your father put on us’?” (1 Kings 12:8, 9, NIV)

He ignored the advice of seasoned experts and followed the advice of the young men and said, “My father made your yoke heavy; I will make it even heavier. My father scourged you with whips; I will scourge you with scorpions.”(1 Kings 12:14, NIV)

 

This didn’t turn out too well for Rehoboam. You can read the rest of the story for yourself. (Hint: things went down hill from there.)  (1 Kings 18:12)

 

Oh, the consequences and guilt we bear when we make the wrong choice and someone even has the gall to point it out! Remember what happened in Acts 27?

 

But the centurion, instead of listening to what Paul said, followed the advice of the pilot and of the owner of the ship.

After they had gone a long time without food, Paul stood up before them and said: “Men, you should have taken my advice not to sail from Crete; then you would have spared yourselves this damage and loss. (Acts 27:11, 21, NIV)

Common sense told the centurion to take the advice of the pilot and the man who owned the ship, but they happened to be wrong. Were their decisions based on business sense rather than common sense? They owned the ship and they had ‘the right of say.’

What do you do when your leader is telling you one thing and your heart is telling you another?

And do you know who your leader really is? (HINT—it is GOD!)

Whoever walks in integrity walks securely, but whoever takes crooked paths will be found out. (Proverbs 10:9, NIV)

Integrity-The possession of firm principles;  the quality of possessing and steadfastly adhering to high moral principles or professional standards.

We hear different advice everyday and we must learn to discern what is right and true. Then we take courage and follow through on what we know to be right. Saint Paul leads by example in Acts 21.

After we had been there a number of days, a prophet named Agabuscame came down from Judea.  Coming over to us, he took Paul’s belt, tied his own hands and feet with it and said, “The Holy Spirit says, ‘In this way the Jewish leaders in Jerusalem will bind the owner of this belt and will hand him over to the Gentiles.’”

When we heard this, we and the people there pleaded with Paul not to go up to Jerusalem.  Then Paul answered, “Why are you weeping and breaking my heart? I am ready not only to be bound, but also to die in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.” When he would not be dissuaded, we gave up and said, “The Lord’s will be done.” (Acts 21:10-14, NIV)

How did Paul come to this decision? How did he know for sure? He listened to the Holy Spirit.

“And now, compelled by the Spirit, I am going to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there. I only know that in every city the Holy Spirit warns me that prison and hardships are facing me. (Acts 20:22-23, NIV)

Brenda J Wood aims for integrity in her everyday life and rejoices in calling you to do the same.

Are you looking for a daily devotional? Follow Brenda at everydaychristian.com or listen to her radio program, Heartfelt, at hopestreamradio.com

You can also follow Brenda at:

– http://heartfeltdevotionals.com
-http://www.twitter.com/size10hopefil

– https://www.facebook.com/brendawoodspeaker

Keep The Merry! (Guest post by Sarah Keith)

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For a few years, American atheists promoted a “Christmas” message: “Keep the merry, dump the myth.” This jarring promotion showed a picture of a laughing Santa, next to the suffering face of Jesus wearing a crown of thorns. It is quite poignant that they didn’t attack the Christ Child, since that is what the merriment celebrates! No, they went right to the heart of the matter: Christ on the cross. You see for many people — apparently atheists included — it’s easy and okay to celebrate the joy of Christmas with the Jolly ol’ Man, the Elf on the Shelf, or Rudolf the Red-nosed Reindeer; there’s no commitment to God or call for repentance; nothing is required! (But we do spend a lot of money trying to have a merry Christmas!) The atheists’ promotion was revealing — they understood the implication of believing in the Baby in the manger — it’s beautifully stated in the hymn, Hark! the herald angels sing: “Born to raise the sons of earth; born to give them second birth.”

Atheists understand that the Baby grew up and died a terrible, bloody death on the cross. There isn’t anything “merry” about that picture! You see, to truly celebrate the Saviour’s birth, we must be willing to deny ourselves, take up our cross and follow Him. Atheists, of course, are not willing to do this. But are we, who celebrate the Babe in the manger, willing to submit to the crucified and risen One when the trials and suffering of life come our way? Do we trust that God is in control and that nothing happens in our lives apart from the will of the Father? It is during these difficult times that we may be tempted to give up and ask, “Where are You, God?” or even “Is there a God?”

 

2 Corinthians 5:21 – For our sake [God] made [Jesus] to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. (ESV)

In October of 2013, my husband survived a traumatic brain injury. I can’t imagine my family and me walking this path without the hope that God has a greater plan in mind. Admittedly, many days, I wanted to give up. Yet, where would I go? To whom would I turn? There is eternal hope in no one else!

Some of the fruit of our suffering has become evident: our family is closer, and we are grateful for the extra time to love one another. I also thank God for the body of Christ. For years now, we have been on the receiving end of love being poured out to us in a myriad of ways, all to show us Jesus-with-skin-on love! Over and over again, God has faithfully provided for us, teaching us that He is near and can be trusted.

Yes, the Christ Child is the reason for the season! His birth was for His death. His death was for our birth. In Him, we can find true Christmas joy!

Prayer: Dear Jesus, thank You for coming to earth to give us second birth. Help us to have merry hearts today, tomorrow, and in the coming New Year. Amen.”

Sarah Keith <sarah@sundayschoolnetwork.com

https://www.SundaySchoolNetwork.com
West Palm Beach, Florida, USA

Mantel Piece Living

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I expect you have your nativity scene displayed already. If you decorate for Christmas, it is a requirement. After all without the birth of Christ, we wouldn’t be celebrating the holiday at all.

Do be kind enough to give him a bit of room on your mantel at least. Then take the time to investigate why there is a Christ in Christmas

FjdosChristnkought(Christ in it!)

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Is that how your past year looked? Take another gander. No matter what happened there, Christ was in it, just as he is in the title of this devotional.

What will this coming year look like? I don’t know and you don’t either but the one thing sure as sure and forever is this. Christ in us the hope of glory! Colossians 1:27

The Big Red Chair-Nominated!! Please vote!!

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Dear Brenda
I am pleased to inform you that your book, The Big Red Chair, is eligible for our book of the month awards. All winning books go on to be finalists in our book of the year awards.
Voting is now open at https://www.interviewsandreviews.com/november2019.html so make sure to let your readers know!
(Please take the time to vote!! Thank you!! Brenda

Cheese and Onion Pie

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My dad used to call those bits before a meal as hor-dervies. He would have loved this recipe. Onions were his favorite food!

I gave you this recipe before but maybe you were foolish enough not to try it. Better luck this time!

Three ingredient Cheesy Onion Pie

Four cups of chopped onions

Four cups of grated cheese (I like Cheddar

Unbaked pie crust for a deep dish two-crust pie

Stir onions and cheese together. Pack into a deep pie plate lined with pastry. Add top crust, pierce it, and bake at 425 degrees F. for ten minutes, and then 350 degrees for another 30-35 minutes until onions are soft and crust is baked. Serve hot or cold.

For a larger crowd, use a 9×13 pan and a thinner layer of filling. Cut in squares to serve.

Just like my pie, some people find it hard to believe that Jesus, the Son of God, took human form, came to earth, was crucified for our sins and then was raised from the dead.

Are you willing to try my pie…and my Jesus?

But he was pie-rced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed (Isaiah 53:5, NIV).

 

 

 

 

 

Holiday Fear

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We have already eaten a ton of our kids’ Halloween candy. Now the real trouble starts. Parties, teas, restaurant events and office showdowns are on the way.

HELP, God!!!

I’m watching my weight, Lord.I’m careful not to botch it.
My life is a bore for I have to watch it.
Others are chewing and swallowing sugars and fats
But me, I am left with food tasting like hats
Oh when will it end? The season goes on
Valentines till it stops and my fear is all gone!

Run Away Fast

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I’m overwhelmed with sorrow, sunk in a swamp of despair! I’m like someone who goes to the garden to pick cabbages and carrots and corn and returns empty-handed, finding nothing for soup or sandwich or salad.

There’s not a decent person in sight. Right-living humans are extinct. They’re all out for one another’s blood, animals preying on each other. They’ve all become experts in evil. Corrupt leaders demand bribes.

The powerful rich make sure they get what they want. The best and brightest are thistles.

 

I am thinking you have a friend like this too…right? Run I say! RUN AWAY FAST! Folks like this just drag you down, don’t they? God calls us to joy—Where is yours?

“The joy of God is your strength!” (Nehemiah 8:10b, MSG)