Ghandi was that kind of man...

One day while Gandhi was boarding a train, one of his sandals fell from his foot and landed near the railroad track. But there was no time to retrieve the sandal as the train began to pull out of the station.

Just then, Gandhi took off the other sandal and cast it out so that it landed near the first sandal. When a stunned fellow passenger asked why he would do such a thing, Gandhi replied, “Now the poor man who finds it will have a pair he can use.”

"I Am a Soldier"

"I Am a Soldier"

I am a soldier in the Lord's Army.

The King of kings and Lord of lords, the Chief Shepherd Jesus Christ is my Commander-in-Chief.

I am an “Intel” soldier -relying my information on the ones provided by the Holy Spirit and fellow intel soldiers.

I am also a “Communication” soldier who listens to the radio message of the Bible and talks to the Chief via direct communication called prayer.

The Word is my code of conduct.

I wear the Armor of God.

The belt of truth...

The body armor of God's righteousness.

The boots of peace...

The shield of faith...

The helmet of salvation...

The sword of the Spirit aka the Word of God... 

Faith, Prayer, Praise, Giving thanks and the Word are my weapons of Warfare.

I am being taught by the Holy Spirit and the Invisible Church,

    ...trained by experience,

    ...tried by adversity,

    ...and tested by fire.

I am a volunteer in this Army, and I am enlisted for eternity.

I will never retire in this Army for true soldiers never die;

But, I will not get out,

    ...sell out

    ...be talked out

    ...or pushed out

By the evil one.

I am faithful, reliable, capable, and dependable.

If my God needs me, I am there. ( loving God )

If my fellow brother or sister needs me, I am there. ( loving my family )

If my neighbors / allies needs me, I am there ( loving neighbor) . I am a medic soldier infusing the true blood of the lamb that gives life in them so they live eternally with our King.

If my enemies are thirsty or hungry, I am a “cook” -soldier trying to feed them the Truth with the True Bread of life and the Living Water.

My MRE "Meal Ready to Eat" consists of the fruit of the Spirit:
- Love
- Joy
- Peace
- Patience
- Kindness
- Goodness
-  Faithfulness
- Gentleness 
- Self Control

I am also a Ranger.

I am not a baby. I do not need to be pampered,

    ...petted,

    ...primed up,

    ...pumped up,

    ...picked up,

    ...or pepped up,

By mere mortal men, but do need my King’s faithful support, unconditional love for me and intermittent prayer for me.

 

I am also a singing paratrooper and a color guard soldier. I am not a wimp. I am in place,

    ...saluting my King,

    ...obeying His orders,

    ...praising His name,

   …raising His Banner,

   …blowing the Shofar,

   ...and building His Kingdom!

No one has to send me flowers, gifts, food, cards, candy, or give me handouts.

I do not need to be cuddled, cradled, cared for, or catered to.

I am committed. I cannot have my feelings hurt bad enough to turn me around.

I cannot be discouraged enough to turn me aside.

I cannot lose enough to cause me to quit.

When Jesus called me into His Army alongside His angels, 

I had nothing, 

I was dead, 

I was His enemy on the side of the father of lies.

If I end up with nothing, I will still come out even.

I will win.

My God will supply all my needs.

I am more than a conqueror.

I will always triumph.

I can do all things through Christ, the Prince of Peace who helped me make peace with the Father.

Devils cannot defeat me.

People cannot disillusion me.

Weather cannot weary me.

Sickness cannot stop me.

Battles cannot beat me.

Money cannot buy me.

Governments cannot silence me, and

Hell cannot handle me!

In fact, I would smell the perfect fragrance of Christ that Hell would have to throw me up…

I am a spy soldier like Joshua and Caleb.
Even death cannot destroy me.
For when my Commander calls me from this battlefield or from behind enemy lines,
He will refresh me with the best R and R.

I am a “sapper” soldier, in God’s Army,
I'm marching to make way for the Lord, claiming victory like a "Special Force" soldier.
I will not give up.
I will not turn around.
I am also a psychological warfare soldier, marching, Heaven bound trying to instill LIFE psychologically and spiritually.
Here I stand! Will you stand with me?

Eighties boy

Enjoy!

A Special Love Story

Her family had come to America from Sweden. She had a typical Scandinavian look... Long blond hair; blue eyes; long slender legs; soft, blemish-free skin. She was gorgeous - she was beautiful. In fact, a professional international photographer in her hometown thought she was so pretty that he used a photograph of her to advertise his business.

But that was not her real beauty.

She was raised by some wonderful Christian parents and had become a Christian at an early age. Integrity, honesty and sweetness were just a few of her characteristics. In fact, at her engagement party, her sister, who knew her better than anyone, said that she had never heard her tell a lie. All of her friends said the same thing about her: She was the sweetest girl they knew. She would never speak a harsh word about anyone. Everyone loved to be around her.

A young man she met in her freshman year started dating her and fell in love with her - both her exterior photographic beauty and the wonderful godly character of her inward beauty. She fell in love with him and they spent every free moment they could with each other over the next four years. They were committed to each other and they believed in waiting long before the "True Love Waits" Campaign ever existed.

One week after they graduated from college, they were married. They loved each other's company. They would walk together, exercise together, go on bike rides together, chaperone youth trips together - go to movies, watch TV, eat pizza, travel - all the things any normal couple would love to do together. They were so much in love.
 

She taught school for a year and then became a bookkeeper for a surgical supply company. One day, while she was working, for no apparent reason, she lost her balance and fell on the floor. She was later able to get up and went to see a doctor that night. He set her up to see a Neurologist.
 

The following day, it happened again. For no apparent reason, she lost her balance and fell. This time, though, she couldn't get up. She had lost all feeling in her legs. They wouldn't move. Her husband, had to come to the office and pick her up in his arms and carry her to the hospital. After six days in the hospital, the doctor gave this beautiful, active young lady the dreadful news... She had Multiple Sclerosis and she would continue to deteriorate.
 

This young couple, who had now been married only 18 months - who loved to go everywhere together and do everything together - would now face some new challenges. All their future plans would change, everyday life would change. They would change.

For the next 30 years, this young lady did deteriorate. She had to take steroids (not the kind athletes use, but anti-inflammatory steroids). Her bones became brittle, breaking easily. Her face became puffy and bloated and she could not even put on make-up. Her body was a mess. She went from a walker, to an electric scooter, to a wheelchair. She could no longer feed herself, write her name, or control her own bodily functions. She now had to have someone stay with her 24 hours a day.
 

If that couple had not had the kind of committed love that's based first on a personal relationship and a commitment to Jesus Christ and second, on a love that's based on a commitment to each other, the marriage never would have lasted. In fact, a large percentage of the marriages where a spouse has MS, the other spouse leaves them. The other spouse won't stay committed to the constant care and the continual physical, psychological and mental changes that continue to occur.

Please hear me carefully - those two people are not heroes. They are not super-saints or super-Christians. They will be the first to tell you that they are not super Christians. Those two people are normal, ordinary people, empowered by the Love of God and a love for each other, to do what the world considers beyond normal and extraordinary.

I know this for a fact - because that woman, that beautiful young lady who will never walk again, who can't even feed herself, is Lynda Langerfeld - my wife. She's not a hero. I'm not a hero. We're children of God, doing what the children of God are supposed to do. Doing what His children are called to do. Doing what God expects of every man and every woman who make a vow before God on their wedding day.

Quite often, Hollywood will portray a "hero" sacrificing his life for his "heroine" in a film. In the world's eyes, he's a hero. In God's eyes, he's an ordinary man making an extraordinary sacrifice that every Christian who's committed to his spouse ought to make. Sacrificial, Committed Love is the rule, not the exception. We're not super-saints, we're not heroes when we're being faithful and committed to our mates. We're doing what God has called every husband and wife to do since the beginning of time.


Note: Even though Lynda passed away two years ago after her courageous battle with MS, the challenge to be committed to our spouses, to our families and to our loved-ones is the best Valentines' gift I can give to you!


(c) 2002 David Langerfeld
dlangerfeld@Harrisburgonline.org

www.harrisburgonline.org

Permission to distribute this article via email or individual copies is automatically granted on the condition it will be used for non-commercial purposes and will not be sold.

Carrots, eggs and coffee

Carrots, Eggs and Coffee

A young woman went to her mother and told her about her life and how things were so hard for her. She did not know how she was going to make it and wanted to give up. She was tired of fighting and struggling. It seemed as when one problem was solved, a new one arose.

Her mother took her to the kitchen. She filled three pots with water and placed each on a high fire. Soon the pots came to boil. In the first she placed carrots, in the second she placed eggs, and in the last she placed ground coffee beans.

She let them sit and boil; without saying a word. In about twenty minutes she turned off the burners. She fished the carrots out and placed them in a bowl. She pulled the eggs out and placed them in a bowl. Then she ladled the coffee out and placed it in a bowl. Turning to her daughter, she asked, "Tell me what you see."

"Carrots, eggs, and coffee," she replied.

Her mother brought her closer and asked her to feel the carrots. She did and noted that they were soft. The mother then asked the daughter to take an egg and break it. After pulling off the shell, she observed the hard boiled egg. Finally, the mother asked the daughter to sip the coffee. The daughter smiled as she tasted its rich aroma. The daughter then asked, 

"What does it mean, mother?"

Her mother explained that each of these objects had faced the same adversity: boiling water. Each reacted differently. The carrot went in strong, hard, and unrelenting. However, after being subjected to the boiling water, it softened and became weak.

The egg had been fragile. Its thin outer shell had protected its liquid interior, but after sitting through the boiling water, its inside became hardened.

However, the ground coffee beans were unique. After they were in the boiling water, they had changed the water. "Which are you?" she asked her daughter.

When adversity knocks on your door, how do you respond? Are you a carrot, an egg, or a coffee bean?

Think of this: Which am I?

Am I the carrot that seems strong, but with pain and adversity do I wilt and become soft and lose my strength?

Am I the egg that starts with a malleable heart, but changes with the heat? Did I have a fluid spirit, but after a death, a breakup, a financial hardship or some other trial, have I become hardened and stiff? Does my shell look the same, but on the inside am I bitter and tough with a stiff spirit and hardened heart?

Or am I like the coffee bean? The bean actually changes the hot water, the very circumstance that brings the pain. When the water gets hot, it releases the fragrance and flavor.

If you are like the bean, when things are at their worst, you get better and change the situation around you. When the hour is the darkest and trials are their greatest do you elevate yourself to another level?

How do you handle adversity?
 
Are you a carrot, an egg or a coffee bean?

+++++++++++++++++++++++

My prayer is that we all become like coffee in the mist of attacks by the evil one...Let us not harden our hearts toward God. God is love. God is jealous. He doesn't want us to be in the hands of the evil one.

Hospital Bill

 A man was brought to Mercy Hospital, and taken quickly in for coronary surgery. The operation went well and, as the groggy man regained consciousness, he was reassured by a Sister of Mercy, who was waiting by his bed.

"Mr. Smith, you're going to be just fine," said the nun, gently patting his hand. "We do need to know, however, how you intend to pay for your stay here. Are you covered by insurance?" "No, I'm not," the man whispered hoarsely. "Can you pay in cash?" persisted the nun. "I'm afraid I cannot, Sister." "Well, do you have any close relatives?" the nun essayed. "Just my sister in New Mexico," he volunteered. "But she's a humble spinster nun."

"Oh, I must correct you, Mr. Smith. Nuns are not 'spinsters;' they are married to God."

"Wonderful," said Smith. "In that case, please send the bill to my brother-in-law.

Anon.

The Story of 4 Boyfriends

The Wife I want if I am supposed to get married ;)

The Story of 4 Boyfriends

Once upon a time there was a girl who had four boyfriends.

She loved the fourth boyfriend the most and adorned him with rich robes and treated him to the finest of delicacies. She gave him nothing but the best.

She also loved the third boyfriend very much and was always showing him off to neighboring kingdoms. However, she feared that one day he would leave her for another.

She also loved her second boyfriend. He was her confidant and was always kind, considerate and patient with her. Whenever this girl faced a problem, she could confide in him, and he would help her get through the difficult times.

The girl’s first boyfriend was a very loyal partner and had made great contributions in maintaining her wealth and kingdom. However, she did not love the first boyfriend. Although he loved her deeply, she hardly took notice of him!

One day, the girl fell ill and she knew her time was short. She thought of her luxurious life and wondered, ‘I now have four boyfriends with me, but when I die, I’ll be all alone.’

Thus, she asked the fourth boyfriend, ‘I loved you the most, endowed you with the finest clothing and showered great care over you. Now that I’m dying, will you follow me and keep me company?’

‘No way!’, replied the fourth boyfriend, and he walked away without another word.

His answer cut like a sharp knife right into her heart.

The sad girl then asked the third boyfriend, ‘I loved you all my life. Now that I’m dying, will you follow me and keep me company?’

‘No!’, replied the third boyfriend. ‘Life is too good! When you die, I’m going to marry someone else!’

Her heart sank and turned cold.

She then asked the second boyfriend, ‘I have always turned to you for help and you’ve always been there for me.  When I die, will you follow me and keep me company?’

‘I’m sorry, I can’t help you out this time!’, replied the second boyfriend. ‘At the very most, I can only walk with you to your grave.’

His answer struck her like a bolt of lightning, and the girl was devastated.

Then a voice called out: ‘I’ll go with you. I’ll follow you no matter where you go.’

The girl looked up, and there was her first boyfriend. He was very skinny as he suffered from malnutrition and neglect.

Greatly grieved, the girl said, ‘I should have taken much better care of you when I had the chance!’

In truth, you have four boyfriends in your life:

Your fourth boyfriend is your body. No matter how much time and effort you lavish in making 
it look good, it will leave you when you die.

Your third boyfriend is your possessions, status and wealth. When you die, it will all go to others.

Your second boyfriend is your family and friends. No matter how much they have been there for you, the furthest they can stay by you is up to the grave.

And your first boyfriend is your spirit. Often neglected in pursuit of wealth, power and pleasures of the world.

However, your spirit is the only thing that will follow you where ever you go. Cultivate, strengthen and cherish it now, for it is the only part of you that will follow you to the throne of God and continue with you throughout Eternity.

By Mangesh

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

The word “Christian” is both a noun and an adjective. We need more “adjective Christians,” more Christian Christians, Christians who are more Christian in thought and spirit and deed as well as in name.
--Vance Havner