Thursday, July 26, 2012

Today in History: 

1952: Argentina's first lady, Eva Peron, aka Evita, died of cancer at age 33.

1979: A team of nine men set a world record in Edinburgh, Scotland, by pushing a hospital bed 3,233 miles in 36 days.

1603: James VI of Scotland becomes James I of England. Among his many acts affecting English religious life (it is he for whom the King James Version is named) was the issuing of the Book of Sports, approving sports on Sunday.

Midday Devotional:

“I will bless the Lord who guides me; even at night my heart instructs me.” Psalm 16:7
At night, when our hearts are still, God speaks to us. To Solomon, God appeared with a fantastic question, one that we could only dream about someone asking us: “What do you want? Ask, and I will give it to you!” (2 Chronicles 1:7). Solomon’s request should forever instruct us in what is truly important. Instead of asking for riches, long life, or the destruction of his enemies, his simple request was for more wisdom to care for the people of God. Anyone who puts the purposes of God and His people ahead of his own personal fortunes and fame will instantly win the favor of the Lord. “And he will give you all you need from day to day if you live for him and make the Kingdom of God your primary concern” (Matthew 6:33). Let us ask God for wisdom—not to make money or to control others, but to be able to administrate His kingdom with precision. When our hearts are separated from the world, God will give us the finances, physical health, and other things we need to help us accomplish our heart’s desire for Him.
--By Larry Stockstill

Wednesday, July 25, 2012

Today in History: 

44: St. James the Greater, the apostle and brother of St. John, was killed at Jerusalem.

1899: Stuart Hine was born in England. While serving as a missionary to Ukraine, he wrote English words to a traditional Swedish hymn, which is sung today as "How Great Thou Art."

Midday Devotional:

In his book Love Is Now, Peter Gilquist mentioned that he and several other friends were invited to speak to a group of UCLA students. After the meeting, a young man expressed a desire to discuss the matter of salvation. So Gilquist arranged to meet with him the next morning.
The student said that he really wanted what he saw in the lives of believers. But he hesitated to make a commitment because he thought he would have to tell others about Jesus. Gilquist, however, assured him that to become a Christian he was not required to do anything but place his trust in Christ. Realizing that salvation is by God’s grace through faith, the student gladly received the Lord Jesus as his Savior. But a strange thing happened as he went back to his fraternity house. He met a friend and told him of his newfound faith in Christ. Before the day was over, he had testified to every one of his fraternity brothers about Jesus.
Our witness for Christ should reflect a grateful heart—a sincere desire to share salvation’s blessings with others. If we shrink from giving a word of testimony, let’s ask God to give us the desire to speak out for Him. Then we’ll witness because we want to. —Richard De Haan

Tuesday, July 24, 2012

Today in History:

1847: At the Great Salt Lake, Brigham Young founded the State of Deseret. The U.S. government later changed the name to Utah.

1941: WRBL in Columbus, Ohio, hired 17-year-old Chet Atkins as a staff guitarist.

1969: The Apollo 11 astronauts, including the first men to set foot on the moon, splashed down safely in the Pacific Ocean.

1725: John Newton, author of "Amazing Grace" and other hymns, is born in London. Converted to Christianity while working on a slave ship, he hoped as a Christian to restrain the worst excesses of the slave trade, "promoting the life of God in the soul" of both his crew and his African cargo. In 1764 he became an Anglican minister and each week wrote a hymn to be sung to a familiar tune. In 1787 Newton wrote Thoughts Upon the African Slave Trade to help William Wilberforce's campaign to end the slave trade.

Midday Devotional:

In 2002, I was in Jakarta, Indonesia, to teach a 2-night Bible conference. The first night, I went early to the host church, and the pastor asked if he could show me around the building. It was impressive in its beauty.
Then the pastor took me to the lower assembly hall. At the front of the hall was a pulpit and a communion table. Behind it was a plain concrete wall on which hung a wooden cross. Below it were some words in the national language of Indonesia. I asked him what the inscription said, and he surprised me by quoting Christ’s words from the cross:
“Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do.”
I asked if it was there for a particular reason, and he said that several years earlier there had been serious rioting in the city, and 21 churches were burned to the ground in one day. That wall was all that remained of their former facility—the first of the churches to be torched.
The wall and the verse formed a reminder of the compassion of Christ which He showed on the cross, and that became the church’s message to their city. Revenge and bitterness will never be healing responses to the hatred and rage of a lost world. But the compassion of Christ is, just as it was 2,000 years ago. — Bill Crowder

Monday, July 23, 2012

Today in History:

1982: The Coca-Cola company introduced Diet Coke.

1742: Susannah Wesley, mother of John and Charles, dies. Born the twenty-fifth child in a clergyman's family, she became one of the most notable mothers in church history.

Midday Devotional:

In 2002, I was in Jakarta, Indonesia, to teach a 2-night Bible conference. The first night, I went early to the host church, and the pastor asked if he could show me around the building. It was impressive in its beauty.
Then the pastor took me to the lower assembly hall. At the front of the hall was a pulpit and a communion table. Behind it was a plain concrete wall on which hung a wooden cross. Below it were some words in the national language of Indonesia. I asked him what the inscription said, and he surprised me by quoting Christ’s words from the cross:
“Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do.”
I asked if it was there for a particular reason, and he said that several years earlier there had been serious rioting in the city, and 21 churches were burned to the ground in one day. That wall was all that remained of their former facility—the first of the churches to be torched.
The wall and the verse formed a reminder of the compassion of Christ which He showed on the cross, and that became the church’s message to their city. Revenge and bitterness will never be healing responses to the hatred and rage of a lost world. But the compassion of Christ is, just as it was 2,000 years ago. (Bill Crowder)

Friday, July 20, 2012

Verse of the day: Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted. (Matthew 5:4)

Midday Tidbit: One of the top psychologists has come out with a study that says to have a happy marriage, men should simply do what their wives want. John Gottman says his studies show that the majority of marriages that work are those where the husband has mastered two words, "Yes, dear."

Midday Devotional: Heavy rain was falling outside as Marcia, the director of the Jamaican Christian School  for the Deaf, spoke to our group. Thirty-four teens and several adults were visiting the school. But one of our students was not distracted by the rain or the children running around the room.
That teen heard Marcia say, "My dream for these kids is to have a playground." She took that sentence, and through the prompting of the Lord turned it into an idea. Later that day she told me, "We should come back and build them a playground." An opportunity for service was born.
A little over 4 months later, on another rainy day in Jamaica, we held a celebration in that same room. We had just assembled a wooden playground - complete with slides, a ladder, climbing bars, swings, and a trapeze.
One student seized an opportunity, and a dream was fulfilled.
How often does God prompt us to take action to meet the needs of others and we let the opportunity go?
How many times does that Spirit nudge us to say to do something in Jesus' name and we shake off the nudging? Let's seize each opportunity God gives us to serve others in His name. (Dave Branon)

Thursday, July 19, 2012

Verse of the day: And now you also have heard the truth, the good news that God saves you. And when you believed in Christ, He identified you as His own by giving you the Holy Spirit, whom He promised long ago. (Ephesians 1:13)

Midday Tidbit: According to a study by Salary.com, if a full-time stay-at-home mom were paid market wages for all her work, she would earn $134,000 a year. To reach that figure, they calculated the earning power of the 10 jobs moms said most closely described what they do: housekeeper, day care teacher, cook, computer operator, facilities manager, van driver, janitor, chief executive, psychologist, and laundry machine operator.

Midday Devotional: An Act of Kindness for a Broken Heart 
This story was shared anonymously by a caller to a Chicago radio show.
"Hi Mommy," said Susie. "What are you doing?"
"I'm making a casserole for Mrs. Smith next door," said her mother.
"Why?" asked Susie, who was only six years old.
"Because Mrs. Smith is very sad; she lost her daughter and she has a broken heart. We need to take care of her for a little while."
Susie thought seriously about how she could do her part in caring for Mrs. Smith. A few minutes later, Susie knocked on her door. After a few moment Mrs. Smith answered the knock and greeted Susie.
"My mommy says that you lost your daughter and you're very, very said with a broken heart." Susie held her hand out shyly. In it was a Band-Aid. "This is for your broken heart." Mrs. Smith gasped, choking back her tears. She knelt down and hugged Susie.
Mrs. Smith accepted Susie's act of kindness and took it one step further. She purchased a small key ring with a plexiglass picture frame and placed Susie's Band-Aid in the frame to remind herself to heal a little every time she sees it. She wisely knows that healing takes time and support. It has become her symbol for healing, while not forgetting the joy and love she experienced with her daughter.

Tuesday, June 12, 2012

Iced Tea Rub


* 1/2 cup powdered iced tea mix (with no artificial sweeteners)
* 2 Tbsp. ground ginger
* 2 tsp ground cinnamon
* 1 tsp ground cloves
* salt and pepper


1. In a small bowl combine all the ingredients.
2. Pat about 2 Tbsp. into whatever you select (meat, seafood or vegetables). Refrigerate a few hours before cooking
3. The rub can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 months.