Thursday, January 31, 2013

Joke of the Day: During Maria’s brother's wedding, her mother managed to keep from crying until she glanced at her grandparents. Maria’s grandmother had reached over to her grandfather's wheelchair and gently touched his hand. That was all it took to start her mother's tears flowing. After the wedding, her mother went over to her grandmother and told her how that tender gesture triggered her outburst. "Well, I'm sorry to ruin your moment," Grandmother replied, "but I was just checking to see if he was still alive."

Useless Fact: In 1952, Queen Elizabeth was named Time magazine's "Man Of The Year."

Drive Time Devotion: When Jacob wrestled with the angel at Peniel, the angel tried to overpower him. He knew that unless he could break Jacob’s stubborn and deceptive will, Jacob would never attain greatness in God. 
Jesus told His disciples in Matthew 11:29, “Take my yoke upon you,” an obvious statement of learning the “rest” of submission. You will not go very far with God until you allow Him to subdue your drive, energies, ambitions, and passions. When He wins that battle over you, the “rest” of God will follow. 
Later in Jacob’s struggle, he held on to the angel of the Lord, forcefully pressing in for a blessing from the One who had subdued him. Jesus told His disciples that “the Kingdom of Heaven has been forcefully advancing, and violent people attack it” (Matthew 11:12). 
God wants you to rest in your flesh and be forceful in your spirit! That balance changed Jacob from a trickster to a prince with God. 
--By Larry Stockstill

Wednesday, January 30, 2013

Joke of the Day: A couple had been married for 45 years and had raised a brood of 11 children and were blessed with 22 grandchildren. When asked the secret for staying together all that time, the wife replies, "Many years ago we made a promise to each other: the first one to pack up and leave has to take all the kids."

Useless Fact: Whether you tend to sit or stand may make a difference of up to 350 calories a day, researchers at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, report. Overweight people in the study spend about two and a half extra hours daily chair bound than did their lean counterparts. Give up your seat on the bus or rise when you answer the phone; it may mean a more fit you.

Drive Time Devotion: Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness, where for forty days he was tempted by the devil. – Luke 4:1-2
Part of our human experience involves temptation. Many have said that in order for Jesus to truly be our savior, he had to experience all of our human emotions and feelings. Temptation is one of those human experiences Jesus had to experience. 
The problem is that there are simply too many temptations in life. Here are a few of them: Mae West says that whenever she had to choose between two evils, she picked the one she hadn't tried yet. 
"If you're going to do something tonight that you'll be sorry for tomorrow morning," said one, "sleep late." 
A lawyer and his client are sitting in the law office and the client says to the lawyer, "The question of right and wrong is very clear. I want you to cloud it up for me." 
Yes, there is temptation all around us, but we don't have to give in to it.
Forgiving God, help me to not be led into temptation, but help me to live a holy life for you. Amen.
--Author Unknown