Two New Boys in our Home

Next week we will have two boys moving in with us. One is from Bryan and one from Houston, neither want to go home, both want to change their lives. Having done this several times, we don't expect too much. You don't change eighteen years of dysfunction in a year. The thing that keeps us going is knowing that Jesus said, "If you do it to the least of these, you have done it unto me." So we don't look at the who or what, we just look to Jesus, His word does not come back void and He sends it out to accomplish the thing he sent it to accomplish.

Jeremy is eighteen, he has no idea who his father is, he has never had a room of his own, he was his brother in law's problem solver. In other words, his brother in law used him to take care of his business. Jeremy got a call from him about two months ago and the call was basically, "when you come home, you have to go take care of this person, because this is what they did." Jeremy's mother is an alcoholic and is dying of cancer.

Thankfully, Jeremy went to his caseworker after he received the phone call from his brother in law. He told him, "I don't want to take care of it, I don't want to live that life anymore, I can't do it anymore." He then comes to us after church one day and asks if there is any way he can come to our home to live. So we prayed about it, spoke with many counselors, caseworkers, staff and decided it was a go.

The first time he was in our home, he was so excited to see he had his own room. He kept saying on the way back to the Ranch that he tried to take eye pictures so he could remember every detail. He then talked about how he was going to try very hard to live a good life, he was going to go to AA meetings and he wanted to know when he could go apply for a job.

Then we have Junior, he is also eighteen and wants to travel the world. Both of his parents are incarcerated, he has a little brother and two older sisters. I tried many times to dissuade him from coming to our home, because knowing the holidays will be here and he won't be able to see his family, would be a very trying time for him. But he wouldn't hear of it, he kept telling me for the past six months that he wanted to change his life, so he will be here also.

We have had both boys in a program called Defining a Man, it is teaching them first to be Men of God, then How to be a Husband and lastly How to be a Father. We also have them in an intense discipleship program to learn the Word and also to learn how to disciple others. Junior has memorized over a hundred scriptures and knows them well. Jeremy has memorized about twenty. They are both growing and doing well. If you think of it will you pray for them. I will post pictures tomorrow. God Bless you all.

Incredible God

Ephesians 3:18 - And may you have the power to understand, as all God's people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love really is. (NLT)

I was thinking about the Father's love and just how He views things. I mean He is a Big God and the things that concern us are little crises, small problems. No matter how enormous we think it is, to him....Big God, Little Problem.

If we could focus on Him, and not on the situation, think how much less stress we would have in life. So...as I pondered, I decided to research and see how deep the ocean is and how high the sky is. Wow, His love is incredible, it extends to even greater heights and depths than these........

How deep is the ocean; how high is the sky?

At its deepest, in the Mariana Trench, located in the Pacific, the ocean reaches 6.856 miles.

The troposphere, which includes the layer of air we breathe, is about 10 miles high, but the atmosphere extends upward more than 600 miles.

Rest in Him, He loves YOU!!

WHAT WE CAN LEARN FROM A DOG

Never pass up the opportunity to go for a joyride.

Allow the experience of fresh air and the wind in your face to be pure ecstasy.

When loved ones come home, always run to greet them.

When it’s in your best interest, practice obedience.

Let others know when they’ve invaded your territory.

Take naps and stretch before rising.

Run, romp, and play daily.

Eat with gusto and enthusiasm.

Be loyal.

Never pretend to be something you’re not.

If what you need lies buried, dig until you find it.

When someone is having a bad day, be silent, sit close by, and nuzzle them gently.

Thrive on attention and let people touch you.

Avoid biting when a simple growl will do.

On hot days, drink lots of water and lie under a shady tree.

When you’re happy, dance around and wag your entire body.

No matter how often you’re scolded, don’t buy into the guilt thing and pout . . .run right back and make friends.

Delight in the simple joy of a long walk.

A FATHER'S INFLUENCE

We don't always take into consideration how our influence affects our children, family, co- workers and friends, but one person can start change in the world either for good or for worse. It is important for us to realize how we impact the world around us. Ghandi said we must be the change we want to see in the world. Let us live a life of Godly faith. Here is a story about a father whose influence on his son's life caused some tragic consequences for seventy years.....

A father's influence to the world

Many years ago a small Jewish boy asked his father, "Why must we surrender our Jewish faith and start to attend Lutheran services here in Germany?

The father replied, "Son, we must abandon our faith so that people will accept us and support our business adventures!"

The young lad never got over his disappointment and bitterness. His faith in his father and in his religion were crushed. When the lad left Germany he went to England to study at the British Museum where he formed his philosophies for life. From those intensive investigations he wrote a book that changed the world called, "The Communist Manifesto.

From that book one-third of the world fell under the spell of Marxist-Lenist ideology. The name of that little boy was Karl Marx. He influenced billions into a stream that for 70 years ruined, imprisoned and confused many lives.

Today, that system of thinking is crumbling, but only after people got a good look at its tragic consequences. The influence of this father's hypocrisy multiplied in infamy. Without godly faith, all of us are subject to distortions in our perspectives.

Quotation by Karl Marx...The philosophers have only interpreted the world in various ways; the point is to change it.

We as christians should be bringing about change in our world, with our children, our families, our workplace, our town, city and the world!! I pray I impact my world, I also pray I see the areas of my own life that need to change and I make it a point to change.

Courage

I have noticed in my journey through life there are many who discourage me, but few to cheer me on. I already have to fight my flesh, which tries to tell me at times, it is not possible, I don't need anyone else to add to the fight. I only need to be encouraged as I decide to take the road less traveled, which I have traveled quite often. So for those of you who endeavor to do something which goes against the mainstream and requires a little courage, here is a quote for you from Ralph Waldo Emerson.

Whatever you do, you need courage. Whatever course you decide upon, there is always someone to tell you that you are wrong. There are always difficulties arising that tempt you to believe your critics are right.

To map out a course of action and follow it to an end requires some of the same courage that a soldier needs. Peace has its victories, but it takes brave men and women to win them.

—Ralph Waldo Emerson

Muhammed Ali's Daughter

Isn't it a shame that we don't see more parents teaching their children as Muhammed Ali taught his daughter. Our children are so precious and God has entrusted them to us. Here is an excerpt from Muhammed Ali's daughter from a book written about her father....

YOU'RE FAR MORE PRECIOUS THAN DIAMONDS AND PEARLS
"If memory serves me correctly, I was wearing a little white tank top and a short black skirt. I had been raised Orthodox Muslim, so I had never before worn such revealing clothing while in my father's presence. When we finally arrived, the chauffer escorted my younger sister, Laila, and me up to my father's suite.

As usual, he was hiding behind the door waiting to scare us. We exchanged many hugs and kisses as we could possibly give in one day. My father took a good look at us. Then he sat me down on his lap and said something that I will never forget.

He looked me straight in the eyes and said, "Hana, everything that God made valuable in the world is covered and hard to get to. Where do you find diamonds? Deep down in the ground covered and protected. Where do you find pearls? Deep down at the bottom of the ocean covered up and protected in a beautiful shell. Where do you find gold? Way down in the mine, covered over with layers and layers of rock. You've got to work hard to get to them."
He looked at me with serious eyes. "Your body is sacred. You're far more precious than diamonds and pearls, and you should be covered too."

Source: "More Than A Hero: Muhammad Ali's Life Lessons Through His Daughter's Eyes."

We Are Poor

TRUE WEALTH
One day a father of a very wealthy family took his son on a trip to the country with the purpose of showing his son how the poor people live so he could be thankful for his wealth. They spent a couple of days and nights on the farm of what would be considered a very poor family.

On their return from their trip, the father asked his son, "How was the trip?" "It was great, Dad." "Did you see how poor people can be?" the father asked. "Oh yeah" said the son. "So what did you learn from the trip?" asked the father.

The son answered, "I saw that we have one dog and they had four. We have a pool that reaches to the middle of our garden and they have a creek that has no end." "We have imported lanterns in our garden and they have the stars at night." "Our patio reaches to the front yard and they have the whole horizon." "We have a small piece of land to live on and they have fields that go beyond our sight." "We have servants who serve us, but they serve others." "We buy our food, but they grow theirs." "We have walls around our property to protect us, they have friends to protect them."

With this the boy's father was speechless. Then his son added, "Thanks dad for showing me how poor we are."

First Credit Card

Credit was first used in Assyria, Babylon and Egypt 3000 years ago. The bill of exchange - the forerunner of banknotes - was established in the 14th century. Debts were settled by one-third cash and two-thirds bill of exchange. Paper money followed only in the 17th century.

The first advertisement for credit was placed in 1730 by Christopher Thornton, who offered furniture that could be paid off weekly.

From the 18th century until the early part of the 20th, tallymen sold clothes in return for small weekly payments. They were called "tallymen" because they kept a record or tally of what people had bought on a wooden stick. One side of the stick was marked with notches to represent the amount of debt and the other side was a record of payments.

In the 1920s, a shopper's plate - a "buy now, pay later" system - was introduced in the USA. It could only be used in the shops which issued it.

In 1950, Diners Club and American Express launched their charge cards in the USA, the first "plastic money". In 1951, Diners Club issued the first credit card to 200 customers who could use it at 27 restaurants in New York. But it was only until the establishment of standards for the magnetic strip in 1970 that the credit card became part of the information age.

The first use of magnetic stripes on cards was in the early 1960’s, when the London Transit Authority installed a magnetic stripe system.

Interesting!

The first submarine was designed in 1578
William Bourne, a British mathematician, drew plans for a submarine in 1578. But it was only in 1620 that Cornelius van Drebbel, a Dutch inventor, managed to build a submarine. He wrapped a wooden rowboat tightly in waterproofed leather and had air tubes with floats to the surface to provide oxygen. Of course, there were no engines yet, so the oars went through the hull at leather gaskets. He took the first trip with 12 oarsmen in the Thames River - staying submerged for 3 hours.

The first submarine used for military purposes was built in 1776 by David Bushnell (1742-1824) of the US. His "Turtle" was a one-man, wooden submarine powered by hand-turned propellers. It was used during the American Revolution against British warships. The Turtle would approach enemy ships partially submerged to attach explosives to the ships's hull. The Turtle worked well but the explosives did not.

Two rival inventors from the US developed the first true submarines in the 1890s. The US Navy purchased submarines built by John P Holland, while Russia and Japan opted for the designs of Simon Lake. Their submarines used petrol or steam engines for surface cruising and electric motors for underwater travel. They also invented torpedoes which were propelled by small electric motors, thereby introducing one of the most dangerous weapons in the world.

Can You Believe This????

It once was law to say "God bless you" to one who sneezed. During the 6th Century, it was customary to congratulate people who sneezed because it was thought that they were expelling evil from their bodies. During the great plague of Europe, the Pope passed a law to say "God bless you" to one who sneezed.

There still are some weird laws on the books. In Washington state, it is against the law to boast that one's parents are rich. In Maryland, it's illegal to play Randy Newman's "Short People" on the radio. In Alabama it is illegal to play Dominoes on Sunday. And in Minneapolis, double-parkers can be put on a chain gang.

An old statute in Kentucky states that men who push their wives out of bed for inflicting their cold toes on them can be fined or jailed for a week. A 100-year-old law in Willowdale, Oregon makes it illegal to swear during sex. An odd law in Minnesota makes it illegal to hang male and female underwear on the same washing line. In Melbourne, Australia it is illegal for men to parade in strapless dresses - but they are allowed to cross-dress in anything with sleeves.

An old law in Russia allows a police officer to "beat a peeping tom soundly." In Texas, two categories of men are exempt from peeping tom charges: men over 50 and men with only one eye.

In Normal, Oklahoma you could be sent to prison for "making an ugly face at a dog."
And if you're in Hawaii and laughing at these odd laws, stop! In Hawaii it is forbidden to laugh after 10pm.

Mahatma Gandhi

You must be the change you wish to see in the world. Mahatma Ghandi

I have always thought Ghandi was a very interesting person of history. I never knew he had once considered converting to Christianity. I am saddened that he was turned away. I too remember someone in a church I went to long ago that was turned away because of the clothes they wore. 1 Samuel 16:7 Man looks on the outward appearance, but God looks on the Heart.

In his autobiography, Mahatma Gandhi wrote that during his student days he read the Gospels seriously and considered converting to Christianity. He believed that in the teachings of Jesus he could find the solution to the caste system that was dividing the people of India.

So one Sunday he decided to attend services at a nearby church and talk to the minister about becoming a Christian. When he entered the sanctuary, however, the usher refused to give him a seat and suggested that he go worship with his own people.

Gandhi left the church and never returned. “If Christians have caste differences also,” he said, “I might as well remain a Hindu.” That usher’s prejudice not only betrayed Jesus but also turned a person away from trusting Him as Savior.

Don't Give Up!

Wow this story ministered to me. Have you ever tried to reach someone and you felt as if you were slamming your head against a brick wall and you just wanted to give up? If so, this story is for you!!

One (Last) Try Did It

A discouraged minister once dreamed that he was standing on the top of a great granite rock, trying to break it with a pickaxe. Hour after hour he worked on with no result. At last he said; “It is useless; I will stop.”

Suddenly a man stood by him and asked, “Were you not allotted this task? and if so, why are you going to abandon it?”

“My work is in vain; I can make no impression on the granite,” was the minister’s reply.
Then the stranger solemnly replied, “That is nothing to you; your duty is to pick, whether the rock yields or no. The work is yours, the results are in other hands; work on.”

In his dream the minister saw himself setting out anew his labor, and at his first blow the rock flew into hundreds of pieces.

We All Need Encouragement!

I read this story and it made me think of the boys we minister to in the Correctional Facility. I have found love and encouragement is the thing that keeps them going. We all love to hear we can do it and we all need to encourage others and let them know they can do it!!

Eric "The Swimmer" Moussambani of Equatorial Guinea was an unlikely hero of the Sydney Olympic Games. The 22-year-old African had just learned to swim. He had only practiced in a 20 meter pool without lane markers, and had never raced more than 50 meters.

By special invitation of the International Olympic Committee, under a special program that permits poorer countries to participate even though their athletes don't meet customary standards, he had been entered in the 100 meter men's freestyle.

When the other two swimmers in his heat were disqualified because of false starts, Moussambani was forced to swim alone.

Eric Moussambani was, to use the words of an Associated Press story about his race, "charmingly inept." He never put his head under the water's surface and flailed wildly to stay afloat. With ten meters left to the wall, he virtually came to a stop. Some spectators thought he might drown! Even though his time was over a minute slower than what qualified for the next level of competition, the capacity crowd at the Olympic Aquatic Center stood to their feet and cheered the swimmer on.

After what seemed like an eternity, the African reached the wall and hung on for dear life. When he had caught his breath and regained his composure, the French-speaking Moussambani said through an interpreter, "I want to send hugs and kisses to the crowd. It was their cheering that kept me going.

How Terrible!!

There is a haunting photo by Alain Keler in the October 1993 issue of Life magazine. It is of a boy playing a flute. The boy, named Jensen, is only ten years old, but he probably can play some very sad songs. For when you took at his eyes-or where his eyes should be beneath his long, dark bangs-you see only redness, empty sockets. Jensen lives in a charitable institution in Bogotd, Colombia.

Blindness is always tragic, but the cause of blindness in this case only multiplies the sorrow. In the caption next to the photo, Robert Sullivan explains that the boy was likely the victim of "organ nappers." Eye thieves.

When Jensen was ten months old, reports his mother, she took him to the hospital with acute diarrhea. The next day when she returned, bandages covered Jensen's eyes. Dried blood was spattered on his body. Horrified, she asked the doctor what had happened.

He answered harshly, "Can't you see your child is dying?" and dismissed her.

She rushed Jensen to another hospital in Bogotd. After examining him, the doctor gave chilling news: "They've stolen his eyes."

Jensen is somewhat fortunate. He is alive. The organ traffickers usually kill their victims, excise body parts, and broker them to those willing to pay for healthy kidney or cornea transplants.

Organ thieves in Bogotd, Colombia, are not the only ones stealing eyes. There is someone who steals a person's ability to see in an even more tragic way: Satan.