Thursday, March 31, 2011

WHY DO CHRISTIANS SUFFER?

Sorry,it's been so long since I posted anything. We've been on the road alot lately. It seems more than a coincedence that I've had several different people asking me about suffering just in the past couple of weeks. One felt that God was making them suffer and was very angry. Another was wondering if God uses suffering to bring someone to Christ. Others just pondered the question of why God allows Christians to suffer and several of these had been doing some pretty strong suffering. I regret to say, I do not have the answer. I think this is one of those mysteries of God that we as humans may not be able to totally comprehend. However, I have been doing some reading and seeking some answers. One article I read was by Bill Bright, the founder of Campus Crusade for Christ. Here is a brief synopsis of his article.
1) SUFFERING PRODUCES TRAINING IN OBEDIENCE.
2) SUFFERING PRODUCES REFINEMENT OF YOUR CHARACTER.
3) SUFFERING PRODUCES INTIMACY WITH YOUR COMPASSIONATE GOD & SAVIOR.
4) SUFFERING PRODUCES UNDERSTANDING OF THE HURTS OF OTHERS.
5) SUFFERING PRODUCES MATURITY FOR MINISTERING TO OTHERS.
6) SUFFERING PRODUCES PERSEVERANCE IN DIFFICULT TIMES.
7) GOD TURNS HARDSHIPS INTO BLESSINGS.
8) GOD GIVES PEACE IN THE MIDST OF ADVERSITY.
9) SUFFERING RESULTS IN FUTURE GLORY.
10 YOU ARE MORE THAN A CONQUEROR.
11)GOD WILL HELP YOU TO TRIUMPH.
12)JESUS UNDERSTANDS YOUR SUFFERING.
13)GOD IS ALWAYS WITH YOU.
You can read the entire article at www.greatcom.org/resources/why_do_christians_suffer. I would love to hear your thoughts on this subject. I pray that if you are going through a time of difficulty and suffering that you will receive comfort and encouragement from this article. As I study more on this subject, I will share what I learn with you. Peace be with you!

Friday, March 18, 2011

MAKE THE MOST OF EACH DAY

I READ THIS IN MY HUSBAND'S "QUICK-BITS" NEWSLETTER THE OTHER DAY AND IT REALLY MADE ME STOP AND THINK. "Hoping to get a glimpse into history, an interviewer asked an 87 year old lady, 'What was the world like back in your day?'
HUMPPH! she responded. THIS is my day!. I love her attitude. Instead of being wistful for the years behind her, the elderly lady's mind was on making the most of the day infront of her."-John Maxwell. WHAT A GREAT ATTITUDE TO HAVE AT 87! IT SHOULD ALSO BE THE ATTITUDE WE ALL HAVE AT ANY AGE. I'M OLD ENOUGH THAT I HAVE ALREADY STARTED THINKING BACK TO DAYS WHEN I WAS YOUNGER AND HEALTHIER AND HAD MORE ENERGY AND COULD DO THINGS I CAN'T DO NOW. SOME OF YOU AREN'T TO THAT STAGE YET.
EVEN SO, AT ANY AGE, IT IS EASY TO FIND REASONS FOR NOT MAKING THE MOST OF EACH DAY.
THERE MAY BE DAYS WHEN YOU DON'T FEEL GOOD OR YOU'RE REALLY TIRED, BUT EVEN ON THOSE DAYS YOU CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE. YOU CAN PRAY OR CALL A LONELY WIDOW. YOU CAN WRITE A NOTE OR SEND A CARD OR E-MAIL JUST TO CHEER SOMEONE UP OR LET THEM KNOW YOU'RE THINKING ABOUT THEM. SENDING FUNNY E-CARDS TO A FRIEND WHO IS GOING THROUGH A TOUGH TIME ONLY TAKES A MINUTE AND LITTLE ENERGY BUT CAN MEAN ALL THE WORLD TO THE ONE WHO RECEIVES IT. YOU CAN SPEND TIME READING GOD'S WORD OR LISTENING TO CHRISTIAN MUSIC OR READING A DEVOTIONAL ONLINE. HELPING TO GROW IN YOUR PERSONAL SPIRITUAL WALK IS A GOOD USE OF TIME AT ANY AGE. OF COURSE, THERE ARE SO MANY WAYS YOU CAN MAKE THE MOST OF EACH DAY WHEN YOU DO FEEL GOOD AND HAVE ENERGY AND I DON'T THINK I HAVE TO TELL YOU ALL OF THOSE, YOU KNOW WAYS TO DO THIS. SO, LADIES-REGARDLESS OF OUR AGE OR CIRCUMSTANCES, LET'S MAKE THE MOST OF TODAY!

Thursday, March 17, 2011

WILL THE REAL ST. PATRICK,PLEASE STAND UP!

The Historical Saint Patrick
Or: Would the Real Saint Patrick Please Stand Up?
By Bernd Biege, About.com Guide

"For all the hundreds of words written by and millions of words written about Ireland's patron saint, we have to admit to not knowing a lot about Patrick. Sure we know a lot of stories connected to Saint Patrick, from his single-handed conversion of the Irish to his forty days and nights fasting on Croagh Patrick, from the paschal fire he lit in defiance of the royal Tara fire ... to him driving the snakes out of Ireland. But most of these stories are either unproven, slightly dubious or simply tall tales made up by Saint Patrick's followers.


Just the Facts ... on and by Saint Patrick

The only undisputed record of Saint Patrick's life are his scarce biographical sketches in the Confessio and the letter to Coroticus' soldiers (whoever they were). Both documents were written by Patrick himself and contain fairly unspectacular details:


•Patrick was born in Britain into a wealthy Christian family with strong church connections;
•Patrick was abducted by raiders as a young man or boy, taken to Ireland and kept as a servant or slave to herd sheep;
•Following divine inspiration Patrick fled from Ireland, wandered the desert and finally arrived back in Britain;
•Rising within the church, Patrick was chosen to convert the Irish and sent back to the island;
•His rise and mission were not universally welcome, he hints at a "dark secret" rivals knew about;
•Patrick had a definitely apocalyptic vision of his mission in Ireland.


Saint Patrick's Time and Place

While Patrick himself never provided definite dates or places, the common assumption is that his mission in Ireland started in 432. This particular year seems to have been chosen for numerological reasons by later chroniclers and should not be seen as definite. In fact the mission may well have started a few years later, 456 is often mentioned by experts. We simply have way to connect Saint Patrick to any definite date.

Also bear in mind that Saint Patrick's was not the first mission to Ireland - chroniclers relate that a certain Palladius already was sent there in 431. While we know even less about Palladius than we do about Patrick, the latter's biographers seem to agree that the earlier mission was a failure. Again this might just have been a PR-exercise on behalf of Saint Patrick.


Saint Patrick - Harbinger of the Apocalypse

One point that may need a bit more explanation is Patrick's "apocalyptic vision". In his confessio he repeatedly refers to Ireland as the furthest extreme of the world that he will bring into the arms of the church. This ties in with the popular believe that the Final Judgement would come once all nations accepted Christ - thus implying that the completion of Patrick's mission would bring the End of Days.

Obviously Patrick's geographical knowledge even of the world as it was known in his times was very patchy. He seems to have been totally and genuinely convinced, however, that he was chosen to convert the Irish and thus ring in the end of the world as he knew it.

This, in a nutshell, is the sum total knowledge of Patrick as related by himself. With some additional "facts" supplied by his earliest biographers.


Saint Patrick's Legend Lives

Though Saint Patrick obviously did not bring about the apocalypse, he became a cult figure in Early-Christian Ireland and was soon proclaimed a saint. Note that this was a simple process of acclamation in the early middle ages, not the complicated and long-winded papal process it is today. A saint was somebody who led an exemplary Christian life. But Patrick, at least according to his later biographers, also managed to work some truly stunning miracles.

His main feat seems to have been driving the snakes out of Ireland. The slithering ones had been connected to sin since the Garden of Eden. Zoologists will, however, tell you that there never were any snakes in Ireland anyway. Modern interpretation thus sometimes simply equates "snake" with "sin" and sees Saint Patrick driving sin out of Ireland by bringing Christianity into it.

Patrick's other recorded deeds my be as allegorical as the snake episode. His famous forty days and nights of fasting on Croagh Patrick for instance would not be totally impossible physically. It might, however, be lifted straight from Biblical references. We'll never know for sure. Did Saint Patrick really light a a paschal fire to defy the High King of Tara and his druids? Why not - it would have been easy to do and certainly have helped to raise the missionary's profile. Separating the facts from the fictions in Patrick's biographies is next to impossible.


Saint Patrick and the Shamrock

Finally - why just is Saint Patrick nearly always shown with a shamrock? Apparently he tried to explain the concept of the Holy Trinity to some Irish pagans. Who simply could not get their heads around the conflicting messages that there is but one God, but that He is a Trinity at the same time.

So Patrick plucked a shamrock and used this to exemplify the Holy Trinity. "Look, it is made up of three identical yet separate pieces - and those three pieces do not exist in isolation but are one." The Irish got the message and the shamrock became a national symbol.


Just Patrick? Or Saint Patrick?

What's in a name after all? A lot - if you see it from a historical perspective.

These days we are used to speak about Saint Patrick, but in his lifetime things would have been different. Patrick himself never claimed any special place, let alone sainthood. The opposite is true - he called himself unworthy, a sinner and uneducated. Just Patrick. Whether this was "fishing for compliments" or true humility we will simply never know, maybe a mixture of both. Surely Patrick perceived his mission as important, bringing on the Final Judgement after all, but then he saw himself only as an important tool in the hand of God. At the same time there would have been many people in Ireland going "Yer man Patrick, he's a real saint, y'know?" But only later was Patrick elevated to the status of a fully fledged saint, recognized by his followers and Rome ...

To be absolutely correct the historical Patrick should be just Patrick, Saint Patrick being reserved for the man and the legend. But even some aspects of the historical Patrick as related by the man himself might be just legend."

OF COURSE WE KNOW THAT ALL OF CHRIST'S BELIEVERS ARE HIS SAINTS. WE DON'T HAVE TO CONVERT A COUNTRY OR PERFORM MIRACLES OR HAVE A SPECIAL HOLIDAY NAMED AFTER US. WE DON'T EVEN HAVE TO BE PERFECT!(even though some church members may try to make you think since you are a minister's wife you & your kids have to be perfect-remember: God does not expect perfection from you.) WE ARE ALL SINNERS SAVED BY GRACE AND WE ARE GOD'S SAINTS! HAPPY SAINTS DAY TO ALL YOU MW'S OUT THERE WHO GIVE SO MUCH OF YOURSELVES TO BUILDING UP HIS KINGDOM! JANIE

Monday, March 14, 2011

PRIORITIES


March Madness is upon us! If you're a big basketball fan like I am, then you're happy. If you're not a fan, you're probably alrady sick of all the games being on T.V. If you fall in this latter category, just hang in there and it will all be over before you know it! Growing up right outside of Lexington, Kentucky, University of Kentucky basketball was a way of life. It's called the Big Blue Nation and I remember my family sitting around the stereo listening to the games on the radio as far back as I can remember. (Sadly, I am that old!) In KY you have to either inherit tickets to go see a game or have celebrity status, like Ashley Judd, to get to actually get into Rupp Arena and see a game. I was fortunate enough to have had a few relatives who had tickets so I got to actually feel the excitement of watching a game inside that huge arena with thousands of other CAT fans, surrounded by a sea of folks all clad in Kentucky Blue, all standing and cheering on their beloved WILDCATS. It's one of those experiences words cannnot adequately describe. Today, my CATS won the SEC tournament, which really made my day! As much as I love cheering my team on in ballgames, it is not the center of my world. My life is not ruined if my team loses. I do not send hate letters to coaches or players when my team plays poorly. I don't call in radio shows and complain about what went wrong and demand the coaches all be fired. Sadly, there are people out there that this IS the center of their world. They have their priorities out of whack. In the big scheme of things, who cares or remembers the score of a game a year from now? What difference will it make in the life of someone who is hurting? Will if help feed a hungry baby? Can it provide homes for single mothers down on their luck? Will it help thousands of Japanese rebuild their lives after the destruction there this week? And most importantly-will it provide them a Savior who loves them enough to die for their sins? Do they know a Lord who will never abandon them? Let's enjoy March Madness but keep our priorities in line.
Let's KEEP THE MAIN THING-THE MAIN THING! Have a great Monday!

Saturday, March 12, 2011

SPECIAL EVENT

The Leadership Gathering (which used to be the Pastor/Deacon/Leader Retreat) is adding a special feature, just for us Ministers' Wives this year! We will have our own break-out sessions (just for us!). There will be one on Friday -May 6 from 2-4:30 and another one on Sat. morning (May 7) from 8:15-10:30 a.m.

Rachel Lovingood is coming to lead these sessions. She is a Minister's Wife from Tennessee. She is co-author of a MW Bible Study titled "In Our Shoes". She's also one of the speakers for BETWEEN-US, a conference for MW's by MW's. I know this is Mother's Day week-end, but, that just gives you another reason to have your husband "treat" you to this week-end Retreat. It will be a special time to get away, enjoy the beauty and serenity of Eagle Eyrie and fellowship with other MW's.
On top of that, there will be two great worship experiences with Jon Gordon leading us. Below is all the information you need to register. Oh yeah, bring your husband along - there are alot of great break-out sessions for him,too! IF YOU REGISTER BY THE END OF MARCH THE COST IS $54.00/PERSON (after March 31st, the cost is
$69.00/person)...so sign up now and you'll save more than enough money for your husband to buy you some flowers or take you out to eat on Mother's Day!!!


Registration for "The Leadership Gathering" is underway! Save the dates May 6-7th so you won't miss out on this exciting, high-energy event! Jon Gordon is our guest speaker(author of The Energy Bus, Soup, No Complaining Rule & Training Camp). It was truly "A God Thing" that enabled Jon to share with us at The Gathering. BE SURE AND REGISTER TODAY AT: www.eagleeyrie.org!!!

For more information on our speaker, Jon Gordon-check out his web page.
Jon Gordon | Positive Strategies for Your Life and Career
www.jongordon.com
Home Page of Jon Gordon | Positive Strategies for Life and Work..

Thursday, March 10, 2011

Family Christian Stores Daily Devotionals

Family Christian Stores Daily Devotionals

I apologize for not writing something original for a few days. I've got a viral infection and a super sore throat. Please lift me up in your prayers and may this devotional be a blessing to someone today. (Click on the Blue Title: FAMILY CHRISTIAN STORES DAILY DEVOTIONALS, then just scroll down past the part where you can forward or e-mail it to someone, then you will find the devotional).

Thursday, March 3, 2011

HOPE


I was so excited to see the daffodils blooming infront of our front porch! It gave me hope that Spring is just around the corner and warmer days are ahead! I can't wait for the trees to bud and my spring bulbs to start blooming.
I know that winter really isn't totally over yet, but I have the hope of Spring to look forward to. Life can be like the seasons. Sometimes, if you are going through bad times, it feels like the cold, dark and dreary days of winter have set in and will never leave. But, just like those daffodil buds, feel the warmth of the sun and burst forth into beautiful blooms you can bloom,too. Even better than the hope of Spring (which only lasts a few months), you will always have Jesus to help you weather the hard times. He will never leave you or forsake you. He is your rock and your fortress. He tells you if you are burdened and heavy ladened to come to Him and He will give you rest. He comforts you when you mourn and strengthens you when you're feeling weak and weary. He will help you to soar like an Eagle. One day, all his children who know him as Lord and Savior will bask in his heavenly sunshine and will bloom more beautiful than any earthly flower. I have the hope of Spring but much better than that, I have hope because The Son loves me and died for me. May we all bloom for Jesus and spread our seeds of Hope to others. Wishing you sunshine today!

Wednesday, March 2, 2011

THE WISDOM OF DR. SEUSS


Today,many schools are celebrating Read Across America Day. Today is Dr. Seuss' Birthday. Reading to a child or helping a child to read a book is one of the greatest investments of our time. Did you know that each of us will influence at least 3 generations? Encourage a child today by reading to them or with them. If your church doesn't have a library, this might be a good time to start one. Dr. Seuss had a lot of wisdom to share in his books. Here are some of my favorite quotes: "Today you are you, that is truer than true. There is no one alive who is youer than you." "From there to here, and here to there, funny things are everywhere." "Don't cry because it's over. Smile because it happened." "Today
is your day! Your mountain is waiting. So...get on your way." "If you never did, you should. These things are fun,and fun is good." "I meant what I said and I said what I meant. An elephant is faithful, one hundred percent." "And will you succeed? Yes indeed, yes indeed! Ninety-eight and three-quarters percent guaranteed." "Sometimes the questions are complicated and the answers are simple."
"So the writer who breeds more words than he needs, is making a chore for the reader who reads." And with that one, I'll close!

Tuesday, March 1, 2011

TURNING POINTS ONLINE CONFERENCE

From: "Leadership Network"
To:
Subject: Turning Points is tomorrow!
Date: Tuesday, March 01, 2011 11:04 AM


Hello!Turning Points is just a day away, and we're really excited. It's going to be a great day!We wanted to let you know a few details about tomorrow! Please read this information very carefully:1. We will start at 11:00 a. m. Eastern, 8:00 a. m. Pacific time on Wednesday, March 2. Come a little early so you're all set for the kickoff right at the top of the hour.2. Simply go to this URL to watch: http://turningpoints.leadnet.org3. You'll want to make sure you have a good, solid internet connection, and Flash 9.5 or higher installed on your computer for the best viewing experience.4.  We do have a downloadable program book for Leaders & Readers that will help you give you additional information throughout the day.  It is available as an immediate download for just $29.95 and is available here:http://sites.fastspring.com/leadnet/product/turningpointsconferencecompanionbook5. We also know that not everyone will be able to watch all of Turning Points tomorrow. So... if you'd like to watch all of the videos AFTER the fact, you can order or gold package that includes unlimited on-demand streaming after the conference. The $49.95 one time price also include a copy of the program book listed in #4 above; and it's a great way to share with your staff and church family even after Turning Points is over. You can order your gold package here:http://sites.fastspring.com/leadnet/product/turningpointconferencecompanionbookvideoaccessPlease know that when you purchase either the conference book or the gold video package that you are helping support the tremendous cost and effort it takes to produce Turning Points.We're looking forward to our day together on Wednesday!Todd RhoadesLeadership Network

Ladies,
Sign up today and you can listen to this online conference for women for free!
Hope you have sunshine today like we do. Have a great Tuesday!