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A New Look AT The 23rd
Psalm
We probably never thought of nor looked at Psalm
23 in this way, even though we repeat it over and over
again.
Psalm
23
With A
Twist!
The Lord is my
Shepherd
That's Relationship!
I shall not
want
That's Supply!
He maketh me to lie down in green
pastures
That's
Rest!
He leadeth me beside the still
waters
That's Refreshment!
He restoreth my
soul
That's Healing!
He leadeth me in the paths of
righteousness
That's Guidance!
For His name's
sake
That's Purpose!
Yea, though I walk through the
valley
of the shadow of
death
That's Testing!
I will fear no
evil
That's Protection!
For Thou art with
me
That's Faithfulness!
Thy rod and Thy staff they comfort
me
That's Discipline!
Thou preparest a table before
me
in the presence of
mine enemies
That's Hope!
Thou annointest my head with
oil
That's Consecration!
My cup runneth
over
That's Abundance!
Surely goodness and
mercy
shall follow me all the days of my
life
That's Blessing!
And I will dwell in the house of the
Lord
That's Security!
Forever
That's Eternity!
Recapping:
{Psalm-23{
{Relationship!{
{Supply!{ Rest!{
{Refreshment!{Healing!{
{Guidance!{Purpose!{Testing!{
{Protection!{Faithfulness!{Discipline!{
{Hope!{Consecration!{Abundance!{Blessing!{
Security!
Eternity!
FROM THE
LORD
A TREE OF LIFE TO ALL WHO BELIEVE IN
HIM
Face it the Lord is crazy about
you.
Right Now
We all have the habit of
projecting and worrying about things that may or may not happen. If you need a
lift in your spirit. If you are troubled, confused, or just need some immediate
relief from todays' cares, read this 
The Barefoot
Angel
Barefoot and dirty, the little girl just
sat in the park and watched people go by. She never tried to speak, she never
said a word. Many people passed, but not one person glanced her way, no one
stopped, including me.
The next day I decided to go back to the
park, curious if the little girl would still be there. Right in the very spot
she was yesterday, she sat perched on high, with the saddest look in her eyes.
But today I could not just walk away,
concerned only with my affairs. I found myself walking over to the little girl.
For as we all know, a park full of strange people is not a place for young
children to play alone.
As I began walking towards her, I could see
the back of the little girl's dress indicated a deformity. I figured that was
the reason the people just passed by and made no effort to care. As I got
closer, the little girl slightly lowered her eyes to avoid my intent stare. I
could see the shape of her back more clearly. It was grotesquely shaped in a
humped over form.
I smiled to let her know it was okay, I was
there to help, to talk. I sat down beside her and opened with a simple "hello."
The little girl acted shocked and stammered
a "hi" after along stare into my eyes. I smiled and she shyly smiled back.
We talked 'til darkness fell and the park
was completely empty. Everyone was gone and we were alone. I asked the girl why
she was so sad. The little girl looked at me and said, "Because I am different."
I immediately said, "That you are!" and
smiled. The little girl acted even sadder, she said, "I know."
"Little girl," I said, "you remind me of an
angel, sweet and innocent." She looked at me and smiled slowly, she stood to her
feet and said "Really?"
"Yes, dear, you're like a little guardian
angel sent to watch over all those people walking by." She nodded her head,
"yes,"' and smiled, and with that she spread her wings and said, "I am. I'm your
guardian angel," with a twinkle in her eye.
I was speechless, sure I was seeing things.
She said, "And when you began thinking of someone other than yourself, my job
here was done."
Immediately I stood to my feet and said,
"Wait, so why did no one else stop to help an angel?" She looked at me and
smiled, "You're the only one who could see me," and she was gone.
When you think you're all you have;
remember, your angel is always watching over you.
Author Unknown
Interview with God
Maybe some questions you have asked.
Devotionals
This site will bring you
to 5 daily devotionals
The
Dash
I read of a man
who stood to speak
At the funeral of a friend
He referred to the dates
on her tombstone
From the beginning...to the end.
He noted that
first came her date of birth
And spoke the following date with tears,
But he said what mattered most of all
Was the dash between those years.
(1934-1998)
For that dash represents all the time
That she spent
alive on earth...
And now only those who loved her
Know what that little
line is worth.
For it matters not, how much we own;
The cars....the
house...the cash,
What matters is how we live and love
And how we spend
our dash.
So think about this long and hard...
Are there things
you'd like to change?
For you never know how much time is left,
That can
still be rearranged.
If we could just slow down enough
To consider
what's true and real,
And always try to understand
The way other people
feel.
And be less quick to anger,
And show appreciation more
And
love the people in our lives
Like we've never loved before.
If we
treat each other with respect,
and more often wear a smile..
Remembering
that this special dash
May last only a little while.
So, when your
eulogy's being read
With your life's actions to rehash...
Would you be
proud of the things they say
About how you spent your dash?
What is
Love
A
group of professional people posed this question to a group of 4- to 8-
year-olds, "What does love mean?" The answers they got were broader and
deeper than anyone could have imagined. See what you think:
"When
my grandmother got arthritis, she couldn't bend over and paint her
toenails
anymore. So my grandfather does it for her all the time, even when
his
hands got arthritis too. That's love." Rebecca- age 8
"When someone loves
you, the way they say your name is different. You just
know that your name
is safe in their mouth." Billy - age 4
"Love is when a girl puts on
perfume and a boy puts on shaving cologne and
they go out and smell each
other." Karl - age 5
"Love is when you go out to eat and give somebody
most of your French fries
without making them give you any of theirs."
Chrissy - age 6
"Love is what makes you smile when you're tired." Terri -
age 4
"Love is when my mommy makes coffee for my daddy and she takes a
sip before
giving it to him, to make sure the taste is OK." Danny - age
7
"Love is when you kiss all the time. Then when you get tired of
kissing, you
still want to be together and you talk more. My Mommy and Daddy
are like
that. They look gross when they kiss" Emily - age 8
"Love is
what's in the room with you at Christmas if you stop opening
presents and
listen." Bobby - age 7 (Wow!)
"If you want to learn to love better, you
should start with a friend who you
hate," Nikka - age 6 (we need a few
million more Nikka's on this planet)
"Love is when you tell a guy you
like his shirt, then he wears it everyday."
Noelle - age 7
"Love is
like a little old woman and a little old man who are still friends
even
after they know each other so well." Tommy - age 6
"During my piano
recital, I was on a stage and I was scared. I looked at all
the people
watching me and saw my daddy waving and smiling. He was the only
one doing
that. I wasn't scared anymore." Cindy - age 8
"My mommy loves me more
than anybody. You don't see anyone else kissing me
to sleep at night."
Clare - age 6
"Love is when Mommy gives Daddy the best piece of chicken."
Elaine-age 5
"Love is when Mommy sees Daddy smelly and sweaty and still
says he is
handsomer than Robert Redford." Chris - age 7
"Love is
when your puppy licks your face even after you left him alone all
day." Mary
Ann - age 4
"I know my older sister loves me because she gives me all her
old clothes
and has to go out and buy new ones." Lauren - age
4
"When you love somebody, your eyelashes go up and down and little stars
come
out of you." (what an image) Karen - age 7
"Love is when Mommy
sees Daddy on the toilet and she doesn't think it's
gross." Mark - age
6
"You really shouldn't say 'I love you' unless you mean it. But if you
mean
it, you should say it a lot. People forget." Jessica - age
8
And the final one -- Author and lecturer Leo Buscaglia once talked
about a
contest he was asked to judge. The purpose of the contest was to
find the
most caring child.
The winner was a four year old child
whose next door neighbor was an elderly
gentleman who had recently lost his
wife. Upon seeing the man cry, the
little boy went into the old gentleman's
yard, climbed onto his lap, and
just sat there. When his Mother asked what
he had said to the neighbor, the
little boy said, "Nothing, I just helped
him cry"
When there is nothing left but God, that is when you find out
that God is
all you need.
The Story Of Rose
If
you have Bette Midler's CD or album with her song "The Rose" on it, play it
while reading this. This is beautiful.
The first day of
school our professor introduced himself and challenged us to get to know someone
we didn't already know. I stood up to look around when a gentle hand touched my
shoulder.
I turned around to find a
wrinkled, little old lady beaming up at me with a smile that lit up her entire
being.
She said, "Hi
handsome. My name is Rose.
I'm
eighty-seven years old. Can I give you a hug?"
I
laughed and enthusiastically responded, "Of course you may!" and she gave me a
giant squeeze.
"Why are
you in college at such a young, innocent age?" I
asked.
She
jokingly replied, "I'm here to meet a rich husband, get married, and have a
couple of kids..."
"No seriously," I asked. I was curious what may have
motivated her to be taking on this challenge at her age.
"I always
dreamed of having a college education and now I'm getting one!" she told
me.
After class we walked to the student union building and shared a
chocolate milkshake.
We became instant friends. Every day for the next
three months we would leave class together and talk nonstop. I was always
mesmerized listening to this "time machine" as she shared her wisdom and
experience with me.
Over the course of the year, Rose became a campus
icon and she easily made friends wherever she went.
She loved to dress up
and she reveled in the attention bestowed upon her from the other students. She
was living it up.
At the end of the semester we invited Rose to speak at
our football banquet.
I'll never forget what she taught us. She was
introduced and stepped up to the podium. As she began to deliver her prepared
speech, she dropped her three by five cards on the floor.
Frustrated and
a little embarrassed she leaned into the microphone and simply said, "I'm sorry
I'm so jittery. I gave up beer for Lent and this
whiskey is killing me! I'll
never get my speech back in order so let me just tell you what I
know."
As we laughed she cleared her throat and began, "We do not stop
playing because we are old, we grow old because we stop playing.
There
are only four secrets to staying young, being happy, and achieving success. You
have to laugh and find humor every day. You've got to have a dream. When you
lose your dreams, you die.
We have so many people walking around who are
dead and don't even know it!
There is a huge difference between growing
older and growing up.
If you are nineteen years old and lie in bed for
one full year and don't do one productive thing, you will turn twenty years old.
If I am eighty-seven years old and stay in bed for a year and never do anything
I will turn eighty-eight.
Anybody can grow older. That doesn't take any
talent or ability. The idea is to grow up by always finding opportunity in
change. Have no regrets.
The elderly usually don't have regrets for what
we did, but rather for things we did not do. The only people who fear death are
those with regrets."
She concluded her speech by courageously singing
"The Rose."
She challenged each of us to study the lyrics and live them out
in our daily lives.
At the year's end Rose finished the college degree
she had begun all those years ago.
One week after graduation Rose died
peacefully in her sleep.
Over two thousand college students attended her
funeral in tribute to the wonderful woman who taught by example that it's never
too late to be all you can possibly be.
When you finish reading this,
please send this peaceful word of advice to your friends and family, they'll
really enjoy it!
These words have been passed along in loving memory of
ROSE.
REMEMBER, GROWING OLDER IS MANDATORY. GROWING UP IS OPTIONAL.
We
make a Living by what we get, We make a Life by what we give.
God
promises a safe landing, not a calm passage. If God brings you to it, He will
bring you through it.
Pass this message to 7 people except you and me.
You will receive a miracle tomorrow
If you choose not, then you refuse to
bless someone else.
"Good friends are like stars.........You don't always
see them, but you know they are always there."
Cals' Gallery
Plus
Cal is a
Vietnam Veteran whose slide shows are not only beautiful, but very relaxing. He
covers a variety of subjects. I started with the eagles slide show. Take a few
minuets and enjoy the world around you in a very unique way.
Below is a list of information currently available from the National Center
for PTSD about the impact of trauma on spirituality. For more information, click
on the related links and/or search the PILOTS database for a more complete
listing of articles available on this topic.
Fact sheets
Coping with PTSD and Recommended Lifestyle Changes for PTSD Patients
Provides information for PTSD survivors about positive techniques for dealing
with PTSD
Brief Tips about Self-Care and Self-Help Following Disasters
Brief information for survivors of disasters, including self-care activities
and how to seek additional support
Self-Care and Self-Help Following Disasters
Detailed information for survivors of disasters-includes helpful coping
strategies, self-care activities, and information about when to seek additional
support
Published Information by National Center for PTSD staff
Decker, Larry R
Including spirituality
National
Center for PTSD Clinical Quarterly, Winter 1995, vol 5, iss 1, pg 1,
3
Drescher, Kent David; Foy, David W
Spirituality and trauma
treatment: suggestions for including spirituality as a coping resource
National Center for PTSD Clinical Quarterly, Winter 1995, vol 5,
iss 1, pg 4-5
Weaver, Andrew J; Samford, Judith A; Morgan, Virginia J;
Lichton, Alex I; Larson, David B; Garbarino, James
Research on religious
variables in five major adolescent research journals: 1992 to 1996
Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease , January 2000, vol
188, iss 1, pg 36-44
The information on this Web site is presented for
educational purposes only. It is not a substitute for informed medical advice or
training. Do not use this information to diagnose or treat a mental health
problem without consulting a qualified health or mental health care provider.
All information contained on these pages is in the public
domain unless explicit notice is given to the contrary, and may be copied and
distributed without restriction.
For more information call the PTSD Information Line at (802)
296-6300 or send email to ncptsd@ncptsd.org.
Keeping
Thing in Perspective
One day a father of a very
wealthy family took his son on a trip to the
country with the firm purpose of
showing his son how poor people live.
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
live?" the father asked.
"Oh yeah," said the son.
"So, tell me, 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."
The boy's father was
speechless.
Then his son added, "Thanks, Dad, for showing me how poor we
are."
Isn't perspective a wonderful thing? Makes you wonder what would
happen if
we all gave thanks for everything we have, instead of worrying
about what we don't have. Appreciate every single thing you have, especially
your friends!
Please pass this page on to friends and acquaintances .
It could refresh
their perspective and appreciation.
"Life is too short and friends are
too few
The
Endless Tour: VIETNAM, PTSD and the SPIRITUAL VOID By
Rev. Amy L. Snow, M.A...
Great slide show. Enter above.
POWERFUL!!!
This will touch your heart. This film was made by a 15 year old girl. Lizzie Palmer who put this YouTube program together is 15 years old. There have been over 3,000,000 hits as of this morning. In case you missed it, here it is.
Follow the link below and watch all of it.......and, pass it on!!
http://www.youtube.com/v/ervaMPt4Ha0&autoplay=1
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