New Life Ministries: 1-800-NEW-LIFE

New Life Ministries: 1-800-NEW-LIFE: "Strong Enough To Encourage Others

by Steve Arterburn

Let’s see how inventive we can be in encouraging love and helping out, not avoiding worshipping together as some do but spurring each other on. Hebrews 10:24-25 MSG

Want to build character and, at the same time, build a better life? Then find thoughtful, honorable, God- fearing people who will offer you a steady stream of encouragement.

Life is a team sport, and all of us need occasional pats on the back from our teammates. As Christians, we are called upon to spread the Good News of Christ, and we are also called to spread a message of encouragement and hope to the world.

In the book of Ephesians, Paul writes, “Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen” (4:29 NIV). Paul reminds us that when we choose our words carefully, we can have a powerful impact on those around us.

Whether you realize it or not, many people with whom you come in contact every day are in desperate need of a smile or an encouraging word. The world can be a difficult place, and countless friends and family members may be troubled by the challenges of everyday life. Since we don’t always know who needs our help, the best strategy is to encourage all the people who cross our paths. So today, be a world-class source of encouragement to everyone you meet. Never has the need been greater.

The secret of success is to find a need and fill it, to find a hurt and heal it, to find somebody with a problem and offer to help solve it. Robert Schuller

Do you wonder where you can go for encouragement and motivation? Run to Jesus. Max Lucado

I want their hearts to be encouraged and joined together in love, so that they may have all the riches of assured understanding, and have the knowledge of God’s mystery—Christ. Colossians 2:2 HCSB
Character builder
Do you want to be successful? Encourage others to do the same. You can’t lift other people up without lifting yourself up, too. And remember the words of Oswald Chambers: “God grant that we may not hinder those who are battling their way slowly into the light."

PrayKingDan says "...having a band of brothers and a quality circle of friends is so critical to Walking with God."

The Ransomed Heart - Releasing the Heart Is No Easy Project

"Releasing the Heart Is No Easy Project
04/25/2008

'Remember, the purpose of this thing called the Christian life is that our hearts might be restored and set free. That’s the deal. That’s what Jesus came to do, by his own announcement. Jesus wants Life for us, Life with a capital L, and that Life comes to us through our hearts. But restoring and releasing the heart is no easy project. God doesn’t just throw a switch and poof—it’s done. He sends his Counselor to walk with us instead. That tells us it’s going to be a process. All sorts of damage has been done to your heart over the years, all sorts of terrible things taken in—by sin, by those who should have known better, and by our Enemy, who seeks to steal and kill and destroy the image bearers of God. At best, “hope deferred makes the heart sick” (Prov. 13:12). Certainly there’s been a bit of that in your life. “Even in laughter the heart may ache” (Prov. 14:13), which is to say, things may look fine on the outside, but inside it’s another story.

We’re told to “trust in the LORD” with all our hearts (Prov. 3:5), but frankly, we find it hard to do. Does trust come easily for you? I would love to trust God wholeheartedly. Why is it almost second nature to worry about things? We’re told to love one another deeply, “from the heart” (1 Peter 1:22), but that’s even more rare. Why is it so easy to get angry at, or to resent, or simply to grow indifferent toward the very people we once loved? The answers lie down in the heart. “For it is with your heart that you believe,” Paul says (Rom. 10:10). And in Proverbs we read, “The heart of a man is like deep water, but a man of understanding draws it out” (20:5 NASB). Our deepest convictions—the ones that really shape our lives—they are down there somewhere in the depths of our hearts.

(Waking the Dead , 113) "

BibleGateway.com - Passage Lookup: Ps 84

BibleGateway.com - Passage Lookup: Ps 84: v.5 "Blessed is the man whose strength is in You,
Whose heart is set on pilgrimage."

How to Think Before Speaking - wikiHow

How to Think Before Speaking - wikiHow:
How to Think Before Speaking

'Even a fool, when he holds his peace, is counted wise: and he that shuts his lips is esteemed a man of understanding.'
Proverbs 17:28 American King James Bible


Abraham Lincoln: "It is better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak and remove all doubt."

National Day of Prayer

BibleGateway.com - Passage Lookup: Ps 73

BibleGateway.com - Passage Lookup: Ps 73: "25 Whom have I in heaven but You?
And there is none upon earth that I desire besides You.
26 My flesh and my heart fail;
But God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever"

Strength and Honor, my brothers!!

Not All Who Wander Are Lost

Not All Who Wander Are Lost: "That said, there are times when it may be best to stop going to church altogether, albeit only for a time. When church becomes a joyless burden — something we think God demands of us, lest we be struck down by lightning — it may be time to take a break. After burning out in a church where he didn’t sense a real connection with God’s presence, author John Eldredge stopped going to church for a year. “It was one of the most refreshing years of my life,” he says. “I hadn’t abandoned God, and I very much sought out the company of my spiritual companions. What I gave up was the performance of having to show up every Sunday with my happy face on.” After a year of recovery and discernment, Eldredge was better equipped to find a true church home."

New Life Ministries: 1-800-NEW-LIFE

New Life Ministries: 1-800-NEW-LIFE: "Rest for the Weary Soul

by Steve Arterburn

My guilt has overwhelmed me like a burden too heavy to bear. Psalm 38:4

There are plenty of roads in life that promise joy, health, peace, or transformation. Most of them, however, don't lead in that direction. You can literally exhaust yourself seeking spiritual refreshment. And that doesn't make any sense.

We work hard at building a good life, but instead of joy on the journey, we often feel weighed down by life. Have you grown weary going down one wrong road after another?

Proverbs tells us, 'There is a path before each person that seems right, but it ends in death.' (Proverbs 14:12) The fact that a way looks right at first glance doesn't mean it's leading toward spiritual renewal . . . it could be leading to a dead end. If you're someone who has taken many paths but still finds yourself weary, turn to Jesus. He said these words for you: 'Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke fits perfectly, and the burden I give you is light.' (Matthew 11:28-30)

Any spiritual path that doesn't lead to Jesus Christ won't lead to true spiritual renewal . . . no matter how right it seems at first. In fact, Jesus Christ himself is our way. Remember, the burden he calls you to bear on your journey is light, and the yoke of his expectation fits you perfectly. When you do this, he promises rest for your soul.

"The time to relax is when you don't have time for it." - Sidney J. Harris (1917-1986))
"

FOXNews.com - Bush Says Prayer Helps Him Cope With Stress of Leading Nation - Politics | Republican Party | Democratic Party | Political Spectrum

FOXNews.com - Bush Says Prayer Helps Him Cope With Stress of Leading Nation - Politics | Republican Party | Democratic Party | Political Spectrum: "WASHINGTON — Prayer has helped President Bush cope with the stresses of leading the nation, he said Thursday at a breakfast joined by Republican presidential hopeful Sen. John McCain and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

'I believe in the power of prayer, because I have felt it in my own life,' Bush said at the annual National Prayer Breakfast. 'It has helped me meet the challenges of the presidency. I understand now clearly the story of the calm in the rough seas.'"

Fwd: JERSEY AIN'T ALL BAD

The're many t'ings that I miss about Jersey and many I don't

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: David Merideth Date: Jan 30, 2008 12:04 AM
Subject: JERSEY AIN'T ALL BAD
To:

If you've ever lived in Jersey...you'll appreciate this!!!

New Jersey is a peninsula.

Highlands, New Jersey has the highest elevation along the entire eastern seaboard, from Maine to Florida.

New Jersey is the only state where all of its counties are classified as metropolitan areas.

New Jersey has more race horses than Kentucky.

New Jersey has more Cubans in Union City (1 sq mi.) than Havana, Cuba.

New Jersey has the densest system of highways and railroads in the US.

New Jersey has the highest cost of living.

New Jersey has the highest cost of auto insurance.

New Jersey has the highest property taxes in the nation.

New Jersey has the most diners in the world and is sometimes referred to

as the "Diner Capital of the World."

New Jersey is home to the original Mystery Pork Parts Club

(no, not Spam): Taylor Ham or Pork Roll.

Home to the less mysterious but the best Italian hot dogs and Italian sausage w/peppers and onions.

North Jersey has the most shopping malls in one area in the world, with seven major shopping malls in a 25 square mile radius.

New Jersey is home to the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island.

The Passaic River was the site of the first submarine ride

by inventor John P. Holland .

New Jersey has 50+ resort cities & towns; some of the nation's most famous:

Asbury Park , Wildwood, Atlantic City, Seaside Heights, Long Branch, Cape May .

New Jersey has the most stringent testing along its coastline for water quality control than any other seaboard state in the entire country.

New Jersey is a leading technology & industrial state and is the largest chemical producing state in the nation when you include pharmaceuticals.

Jersey tomatoes are known the world over as being the best you can buy.

New Jersey is the world leader in blueberry and cranberry production

(and here you thought Massachusetts?)

Here's to New Jersey - the toast of the country! In 1642, the first

brewery in America, opened in Hoboken.

New Jersey rocks! The famous Les Paul invented the first solid body electric guitar in Mahwah, in 1940.

New Jersey is a major seaport state with the largest seaport in the US, located in Elizabeth. Nearly 80 percent of what our na tion imports comes through Elizabeth Seaport first.

New Jersey is home to one of the nation's busiest airports

(in Newark), Liberty International .

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George Washington slept there.

Several important Revolutionary War battles were fought on New Jersey soil, led by General George Washington.

The light bulb, phonograph (record player), and motion picture

projector, were invented by Thomas Edison in his Menlo Park, NJ, laboratory

New Jersey also boasts the first town ever lit by incandescent bulbs.

The first seaplane was built in Keyport , NJ.

The first airmail (to Chicago) was started from Keyport, NJ.

The first phonograph records were made in Camden, NJ .

New Jersey was home to the Miss America Pageant held in

Atlantic City .

The game Monopoly, played all over the world, named the streets on its playing board after the actual streets in

Atlantic City .

And, Atlantic City has the longest boardwalk in the world,

not to mention the best salt water taffy.

New Jersey has the largest petroleum containment area outside of the Middle East countries.

The first Indian reservation was in New Jersey, in the

Watchung Mountains.

New Jersey has the tallest water-tower in the world. (Union, NJ!!!)

New Jersey had the first medical center, in Jersey City.

The Pulaski SkyWay, from Jersey City to Newark, was the first skyway highway.

New Jersey built the first tunnel under a river, the Hudson

(Holland Tunnel).

The first baseball game was played in Hoboken, NJ, which is also the birthplace of Frank Sinatra.

The first intercollegiate football game was played in New Brunswick in 1889 (Rutgers College played Princeton).

The first drive-in movie theater was opened in Camden, NJ,

(but they're all gone now!).

New Jersey is home to both of "NEW YORK'S" pro football teams!

The first radio station and broadcast was in Paterson, NJ.

The first FM radio broadcast was made from Alpine, NJ, by Maj. Thomas Armstrong.

All New Jersey natives:

Sal Martorano, Jack Nicholson, Bruce

Springsteen, Bon Jovi, Jason Alexander,

Queen Latifah, Susan Sarandon, Connie Francis

Shaq, Judy Blume, Aaron Burr, Joan Robertson, Ken Kross,

Dionne Warwick, Sarah Vaughn, Budd Abbott, Lou Costello,

Alan Ginsberg, Norman Mailer, Marilynn McCoo, Flip Wilson,

Alexander Hamilton, Zack Braff Whitney Houston, Eddie Money,

Linda McElroy, Eileen Donnelly,

Grover Cleveland, Woodrow Wilson,

Walt Whitman, Jerry Lewis, Tom Cruise,

Joyce Kilmer, Bruce Willis, Caesar Romero, Lauryn Hill, Ice-T,

Nick Adams, Nathan Lane, Sandra Dee, Danny DeVito, Richard Conti,

Joe Pesci, Joe Piscopo, Joe DePasquale, Robert Blake, John Forsythe,

Meryl Streep, Loretta Swit, Norman Lloyd, Paul Simon, Jerry Herman,

Gorden McCrae, Kevin Spacey, John Travolta, Phyllis Newman, Anne Morrow Lindbergh, Eva Marie Saint, Elisabeth Shue, Zebulon Pike, James Fennimore Cooper, Admiral Wm.Halsey,Jr.,Norman Schwarzkopf, Dave Thomas (Wendy's), William Carlos Williams, Ray Liotta, Robert Wuhl, Bob Reyers, Paul Robeson, Ernie Kovacs, Joseph Macchia, Kelly Ripa,

Francis Albert Sinatra, "Uncle Floyd" Vivino

and don't forget Bob Gaudio and

Frankie Valli.

The Great Falls in Paterson, on the Passaic River, is the 2nd highest waterfall on the East Coast of the US.

You know you're from Jersey when . .

You don't think of fruit when people mention "The Oranges";

You know that it's called Great Adventure, not Six Flags;

A good, quick breakfast is a hard roll with butter;

You've known the way to Seaside Heights since you were seven;

You've eaten at a diner, when you were stoned or drunk,

at 3 A.M.;

You know that the state isn't one big oil refinery;

At least three people in your family still love Bruce Springsteen, and

you know the town Jon Bon Jovi is from;

You know what a "jug handle" is;

You know that WaWa is a convenience store;

You know that the state isn't all farmland;

You know that there are no "beaches" in New Jersey--there's the shore--and you don't go "to the shore," you go "down the shore." And when you are there, you're not "at the shore"; you are "down the shore";

You know how to properly negotiate a circle;

You knew that the last sentence had to do with driving;

You know that this is the only "New" state that doesn't require "New" to identify it (try . . Mexico . . . York ..! . . Hampshire-- doesn't work, does it?);

You know that a "White Castle" is the name of BOTH a fast food chain AND a fast food sandwich;

You consider putting mayo on a corned beef sandwich a sacrilege;

You don't think "What exit?" is very funny;

You know that people from the 609 area code are "a little different", yes they are;

You know that no respectable New Jerseyan goes to Princeton--that's for out-of-staters;

The Jets-Giants game has started fights at your school or local bars;

You live within 20 minutes of at least three different malls;

You refer to all highways and interstates by their numbers;

Every year you have at least one kid in your class named Tony;

You know the location of every clip shown in the

Sopranos opening credits;

You've gotten on the wrong highway trying to get out of the mall;

You know that people from

North Jersey go to Seaside Heights,

people from Central Jersey go to Belmar, and people from

South Jersey go to Wildwood -

It can be no other way;

You weren't raised in New Jersey--you were raised in either North

Jersey, Central Jersey or South Jersey;

You don't consider Newark or Camden to actually be part of the state;

You remember the stores Korvette's, Two Guys, Rickel's, Channel, Bamberger's and Orbach's;

You also remember Palisades Amusement Park;

You've had a boardwalk cheese steak and vinegar fries;

You start planning for Memorial Day weekend in February;

And finally . .

You've NEVER, NEVER, NEVER, EVER

pump your own gas!

Know Where the Presidential Candidates Stand on Important Issues

From my friend at my old church in South Jersey

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: ANTHONY A HESS
Date: Jan 28, 2008 8:47 AM
Subject: Know Where the Presidential Candidates Stand on Important Issues
To:


Here's a snapshot of where the Candidates stand on hot button issues (thanks
KJeffV).  Check it out.  Vote responsibly.

http://www.2decide.com/table.htm

Tony Hess

Youth Pastor - Calvary Chapel of Hammonton

Physical Therapist (PT, MPT, MHS)

------
Kind Regards,
Daniel K. "Dan" King
Counter Intelligence Agent (CIA)
Geek Squad (in FedEx/Kinko's store)

Boundaries for Leaders Video

Video on Boundaries for Leaders:
http://www.cloudtownsend.com/channels/leadership.php
7 minutes long

Proverbs 25:28 Whoever has no rule over his own spirit
      Is like a city broken down, without walls.

The Ransomed Heart - Reviewing What We Have Encountered

Gmail - The Ransomed Heart - Reviewing What We Have Encountered: "Reviewing What We Have Encountered
12/21/2007

Allow me, then, to review what we have encountered. First, our lives are not a random series of events; they tell a Story that has meaning. We aren’t in a movie we’ve arrived at twenty minutes late; we are in a Sacred Romance. There really is something wonderful that draws our heart; we are being wooed. But there is also something fearful. We face an enemy with vile intentions. Is anyone in charge? Someone strong and kind who notices us? At some point we have all answered that question “no” and gone on to live in a smaller story. But the answer is “yes”—there is someone strong and kind who notices us. Our Story is written by God, who is more than author, he is the romantic lead in our personal dramas. He created us for himself, and now he is moving heaven and earth to restore us to his side. His wooing seems wild because he seeks to free our heart from the attachments and addictions we’ve chosen, thanks to the Arrows we’ve known.

And we—who are we, really? We are not pond scum, nor are we the lead in the story. We are the Beloved; our hearts are the most important thing about us, and our desire is wild because it is made for a wild God. We are the Beloved, and we are addicted. We’ve either given our heart to other lovers and can’t get out of the relationships, or we’ve tried our best to kill desire (often with the help of others) and live lives of safe, orderly control. Either way, we play into the hands of the one who hates us. Satan is the mortal enemy of God and therefore ours as well, who comes with offers of less-wild lovers, hoping to deceive us in order to destroy our heart and thus prevent our salvation or cripple our sanctification. These are the stage, the characters, and the plot in the broadest possible terms. Where do we go from here?

(The Sacred Romance , 147–48)

From The Ransomed Heart, by John Eldredge, reading 355
Ransomed Heart Ministries www.ransomedheart.com"

Merry Christmas

To All My Democrat Friends (few that there are):
Please accept with no obligation, implied or explicit, my best wishes for an environmentally conscious, socially responsible, low-stress, non-addictive, gender-neutral celebration of the winter solstice holiday, practiced within the most enjoyable traditions of the religious persuasion of your choice, or secular practices of your choice, with respect for the religious/secular persuasion and/or traditions of others, or their choice not to practice religious or secular traditions at all. I also wish you a fiscally successful, personally fulfilling and medically uncomplicated recognition of the onset of the generally accepted calendar year 2008, but not without due respect for the calendars of choice of other cultures whose contributions to society have helped make America great. Not to imply that America is necessarily greater than any other country nor the only America in the Western Hemisphere. Also, this wish is made without regard to the race, creed, color, age, physical ability, religious faith or sexual preference of the wishes.


To All My Republican Friends:
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Gadgets, Necessary or Evil?

New Life Ministries: 1-800-NEW-LIFE: "Gadgets, Necessary or Evil?

by Steve Arterburn

Always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Ephesians 5:20

Do you sometimes wonder how you ever got along without some new invention or service that comes along?

Until recently, Floraine Alba, a grandmother in New Jersey, used to write 50 checks a month to pay her household bills. It would take hours. Now she has cut three or four hours off that time by paying her bills on-line, electronically. 'Spending all day writing checks and stuffing envelopes was bad enough,' Alba said, 'then I had to go stand in line at the post office.'

Each day more devices fill our lives . . . cellular phones, fax machines, personal computers, lap tops, PDA's, IPods, and answering machines. Sometimes, we wonder how we ever got along without a particular thing or item. Then it breaks, and we remember what it was like to lift our garage door each day or to wait until we found a phone booth to make a call.

The subtle danger of a new device is it can make us desire things over our relationships with people. Don't get caught up in wanting the next device or service but think about what these desires are doing to us and our relationships with others.

I challenge you today, to pause for a moment before"

Gunman Wounds 4 in Missionary Center

News-Talk 1110 WBT | News Story: Gunman Wounds 4 in Missionary Center: "Gunman Wounds 4 in Missionary Center DENVER, 12.09.2007 The Associated Press, A gunman walked into a training center for young Christian missionaries in a Denver suburb early Sunday and opened fire, wounding at least four people. The shooting happened at about 12:30 a.m. on Sunday at the Youth With a Mission center, Arvada Police spokeswoman Susan Medina said. The extent of the injuries was not clear, and the gunman was still at large Sunday morning. According to its Web site, Youth With a Mission has about 1,000 locations worldwide and trains people to become missionaries. About 50 people were inside the Arvada site when the gunman opened fire."

Devotion for all Knuckleheads like me

New Life Ministries: "Stubborn Resistance by Steve Arterburn Listen to advice and accept instruction, and in the end you will be wise. Proverbs 19:20 Some of my best childhood memories were generated in the lake house built by my grandfather and his five sons. When we outgrew the cabin, a new addition was built. It, however, had one major flaw. My grandfather hadn't calculated into the ceiling height the fact that the new addition had a foundation that was about twelve inches higher than the original cabin. So the ceiling in the new area was a foot shorter than it was supposed to be. You felt like you needed to hunch over. And if you weren't looking, you'd walk right into the ceiling fan and injure yourself for life. All this because my stubborn grandfather wouldn't listen to his boys who told him from the beginning that something was very wrong with the plans. Is stubbornness affecting your relationships? Do you get angry when someone challenges you, shares a thought contrary to your belief, or when you're required to do something you weren't planning to do? If so, stubborn resistance might be the diagnosis. The prescription? Surrender. Surrender your will and your ways to God, and often that means to that of others. 'If you surrender completely to the moments as they pass, you live more richly those moments."

Sad story...

CHARLOTTE (AP) - A seven-year-old North Carolina boy was at the center of a Charlotte courtroom drama yesterday when he challenged a court ruling over who sh ould have custody of him. The boy has a history of being beaten by his parents and the judge initially awarded custody to his aunt, in keeping with child custody law and regulations requiring that family unity be maintained to the degree possible. The boy surprised the court when he proclaimed that his aunt beat him more than his parents and he adamantly refused to live with her. When the judge then suggested that he live with his grandparents, the boy cried out that they also beat him. After considering the remainder of the immediate family and learning that domestic violence was apparently a way of life among them, the judge took the unprecedented step of allowing the boy to propose who should have custody of him. After two recesses to check legal references and confer with child welfare officials, the judge granted temporary custody to the Carolina Panthers, whom the boy firmly believes are not capable of beating anyone.

Cabin where my brother's family is spending the Holidays

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A Thanksgiving message by KingDan

The Bible says in the last days men will become unthankful and brutal. (2 Timothy 3:1-9) As you look around the world have you seen this? Perhaps, today you may see some of this even in your own heart. If so, please allow me to exhort you with a simple message. Thankfulness is a way of life.

We all suffer in this world. In fact, I guarantee with 100% certainty that some day somehow someone is going throw us all into hole. Perhaps, you are in a hole right now. If so, please listen to this, with an attitude of gratitude we can find joy. Be thankful today as if it is your last day on this brutal world.

Why should we be thankful in this brutal world? Well, in rare times there are brothers like me whom are willing get into the Hole with us. I say it is "rare" because let me be brutal honest with you; sometimes I am unwilling to get into your hole with you. But, are you willing to get dirty for the Lord? So here's how it go. I jump down in the hole with you and yell, "Dude, put down that shovel! Let me show you the way out of here. Stop looking down and look up!"

Have you ever crawled out a hole? Did someone show you the way out? I suggest to you the best to show gratitude is to be willing jump into someone else's hole and get a little dirty. All the Lord requires of us is a willing heart. He will give us the strength to endure in this brutal world.

How thankful are you today? My brutality is I am forced to confess I am not grateful enough.

Genesis 37:22-24 (NKJV)
"22 And Reuben said to them, "Shed no blood, but cast him into this pit which is in the wilderness, and do not lay a hand on him"—that he might deliver him out of their hands, and bring him back to his father.

23 So it came to pass, when Joseph had come to his brothers, that they stripped Joseph of his tunic, the tunic of many colors that was on him. 24 Then they took him and cast him into a pit. And the pit was empty; there was no water in it."

I think Joseph in spite his brutal brothers that he had joy in that hole. I think Reuben had a little thankfulness in his heart. Joseph had the Living water because of one willing brother.

Blessings,