Jeremy Camp - Beautiful one

Hillsong Kids - Open the eyes of my heart

A MEASURE OF THE HEART

One young man went to apply for a managerial position in a big

company. He passed the initial interview, and now would meet the

director for the final interview.

The director discovered from his CV that the youth's academic

achievements were excellent. He asked, "Did you obtain any

scholarships in school?" the youth answered "no".

"Was it your father who paid for your school fees?"

"My father passed away when I was one year old, it was my

mother who paid for my school fees." he replied.

"Where did your mother work?"

"My mother worked as clothes cleaner."

The director requested the youth to show his hands. The youth

showed a pair of hands that were smooth and perfect.

" Have you ever helped your mother wash the clothes before?"

"Never, my mother always wanted me to study and read more

books. Besides, my mother can wash clothes faster than me.

The director said, "I have a request. When you go home today, go

and clean your mother's hands, and then see me tomorrow

morning.

The youth felt that his chance of landing the job was high. When

he went back home, he asked his mother to let him clean her

hands. His mother felt strange, happy but with mixed feelings, she

showed her hands to her son.

The youth cleaned his mother's hands slowly. His tear fell as he did

that. It was the first time he noticed that his mother's hands were so

wrinkled, and there were so many bruises in her hands. Some

bruises were so painful that his mother winced when he touched it.

This was the first time the youth realized that it was this pair of

hands that washed the clothes everyday to enable him to pay the

school fees. The bruises in the mother's hands were the price that

the mother had to pay for his education, his school activities and

his future.

After cleaning his mother hands, the youth quietly washed all the

remaining clothes for his mother.

That night, mother and son talked for a very long time.

Next morning, the youth went to the director's office.

The Director noticed the tears in the youth's eyes, when he asked:

"Can you tell me what have you done and learned yesterday in

your house?"

The youth answered," I cleaned my mother's hands, and also

finished cleaning all the remaining clothes'

"I know now what appreciation is. Without my mother, I would not

be who I am today. By helping my mother, only now do I realize

how difficult and tough it is to get something done on your own.

And I have come to appreciate the importance and value of helping

one's family.

The director said, "This is what I am looking for in a manager.

I want to recruit a person who can appreciate the help of others, a

person who knows the sufferings of others to get things done, and

a person who would not put money as his only goal in life."

"You are hired."

This young person worked very hard, and received the respect of

his subordinates. Every employee worked diligently and worked as

a team. The company's performance improved tremendously.

A child, who has been protected and habitually given whatever he

wanted, would develop an "entitlement mentality" and would

always put himself first. He would be ignorant of his parent's

efforts. When he starts work, he assumes that every person must

listen to him, and when he becomes a manager, he would never

know the sufferings of his employees and would always blame

others. For this kind of people, who may be good academically,

they may be successful for a while, but eventually they would not

feel a sense of achievement. They will grumble and be full of

hatred and fight for more. If we are this kind of protective parents,

are we really showing love or are we destroying our children

instead?

You can let your child live in a big house, eat a good meal, learn

piano, watch on a big screen TV. But when you are cutting grass,

please let them experience it. After a meal, let them wash their

plates and bowls together with their brothers and sisters. It is not

because you do not have money to hire a maid, but it is because

you want to love them in a right way. You want them to under-

stand, no matter how rich their parents are, one day their hair will

grow gray, same as the mother of that young person. The most

important thing is your child learns how to appreciate the effort

and experience the difficulty and learns the ability to work with

others to get things done.

Do you believe GOD still answers prayers? Listen as the proof unfolds before your very eyes in Moore, Oklahoma. 

 I Love My Attorney –

After living what I felt was a 'decent' life, my time on earth came to the end. The first thing I remember is sitting on a bench in the waiting room of what I thought to be a court house. The doors opened and I was instructed to come in and have a seat by the defense table. As I looked around I saw the 'prosecutor'. He was a villainous looking gent who snarled as he stared at me. He definitely was the most evil person I have ever seen. I sat down and looked to my left and there sat My Attorney, a kind and gentle looking man whose appearance seemed so familiar to me, I felt I knew Him. The corner door opened and there appeared the Judge in full flowing robes. He commanded an awesome presence as He moved across the room. I couldn't take my eyes off of Him. As He took His seat behind the bench, He said, 'Let us begin.' The prosecutor rose and said, 'My name is Satan and I am here to show you why this man belongs in hell.' He proceeded to tell of lies that I told, things that I stole, and In the past when I cheated others. Satan told of other horrible perversions that were once in my life, and the more he spoke, the further down in my seat I sank. I was so embarrassed that I couldn't look at anyone, even my own Attorney, as the Devil told of sins that even I had completely forgotten about. As upset as I was at Satan for telling all these things about me, I was equally upset at My Attorney who sat there silently not offering any form of defense at all. I know I had been guilty of those things, but I had done some good in my life - couldn't that at least equal out part of the harm I'd done? Satan finished with a fury and said, 'This man belongs in hell, he is guilty of all that I have charged and there is not a person who can prove otherwise.' When it was His turn, My Attorney first asked if He might approach the bench. The Judge allowed this over the strong objection of Satan, and beckoned Him to come forward. As He got up and started walking, I was able to see Him in His full splendor and majesty. I realized why He seemed so familiar; this was Jesus representing me, my Lord and my Savior. He stopped at the bench and softly said to the Judge, 'HI, DAD,' and then He turned to address the court. 'Satan was correct in saying that this man had sinned, I won't deny any of these allegations. And, yes, the wage of sin is death, and this man deserves to be punished.' Jesus took a deep breath and turned to His Father with outstretched arms and proclaimed, 'However, I died on the cross so that this person might have eternal life and he has accepted Me as his Savior, so he is Mine.' My Lord continued with, 'His name is written in the Book of Life, and no one can snatch him from Me. Satan still does not understand yet. This man is not to be given justice, but rather mercy.' As Jesus sat down, He quietly paused, looked at His Father and said, 'There is nothing else that needs to be done. I've done it all..' The Judge lifted His mighty hand and slammed the gavel down. The following words bellowed from His lips..... 'This man is free. The penalty for him has already been paid in full. Case dismissed.'   I asked Jesus as He gave me my instructions where to go next, 'Have you ever lost a case?' Christ lovingly smiled and said, 'Everyone that has come to Me and asked Me to represent them has received the same verdict as you, ~Paid In Full.'

Ten Ways to Treat Your Wife Like a Queen on Mother’s Day

By Arlene Pellicane

You’ve seen her pick up toys and dirty socks, make meals in a hurry, and drive around town like a personal chauffeur. She’s bandaged up boo-boos and dispensed sage advice along the way. Now with Mother’s Day in sight, you want to do something to honor your wife for all her hard work.

Flowers and dinner at her favorite restaurant are certainly welcome. But here are ten more ideas to treat your wife like a queen this Mother’s Day:

1. Offer a half day where you will do acts of service. Whether she asks you to plant flowers, clean your tool bench, go shopping with her or whatever, you'll do it gladly! She'll love having you complete some items on the "honey do" list.

2. Instead of avoiding a chick flick like the plague, go ahead and rent one you think your wife would enjoy. Send your wife an invitation to a movie night. Light candles, make popcorn, and snuggle up under a blanket while you watch.

3.  If your wife works outside the home, send a love note to her office on Friday before Mother's Day. Tell her how much you appreciate her hard work in caring for you and the children. Praise her for specific ways she mothers your children with patience, wisdom, a sense of humor, etc.

4. See all that laundry piled up in the basket? Surprise your spouse by doing the laundry and putting it away. Remember to separate the darks and maybe even set the washer's setting to gentle to avoid ruining her favorite shirt.

5.  Wash her car and vacuum the inside. Whether you have this done at a car wash or do it yourself, she'll appreciate driving a clean vehicle.

6. Have an unhurried time of prayer for your wife. Ask her to share her needs with you. Hold hands as you pray for her. Look up Scriptures together to encourage you both. Make time during the week to continue to pray for your wife. Share anything the Lord may say to you during those prayer times.

7. Take care of the kids for an afternoon and tell your wife she’s got free time! She can get caught up on scrapbooking, read a book, go to the store alone, watch a movie, have coffee with her girlfriend, whatever would re-charge her battery!

8. Turn your bedroom into a day spa. Draw a hot bath for your wife, complete with mountain high bubbles, candles and relaxing music. Then give her a Mother's Day massage. While you're rubbing her shoulders and back, tell her how much you appreciate all the things she does for your family.

9. If your children are grown and out of the house, plan something special with them. Maybe this is the Mother's Day for all the children to travel home to surprise mom. Or everyone can plan to call at a certain time, or send letters of appreciation that you can put in a folder for your wife.

10. Hire a housekeeper to clean the house so the house will be sparkling for Mother's Day without your wife lifting a finger.

As you can see, some of these ideas cost money but many of them are free. The key is to find something that would communicate love and appreciation to your wife. Proverbs 11:25 says that “a generous person will prosper; whoever refreshes others will be refreshed.” Mother’s Day is a wonderful opportunity to refresh your wife, reduce her stress level, and strengthen her spirit with encouragement.  

When you make a special effort to honor your wife and give her a few surprises for Mother’s Day, she is sure to feel like a queen!  

Arlene Pellicane is a speaker and author of 31 Days to a Happy Husband and 31 Days to a Younger You. She has been a guest on Family Life Today, The 700 Club, Turning Point with David Jeremiah, and The Hour of Power. Arlene and her husband James live in San Diego with their three children. Visit Arlene’s website at www.TheHappyHusband.com.

Publication date: May 8, 2013

How to Fight the Good Fight

By Joyce Meyer: Promises for Your Everyday Life


We are to "fight the good fight of faith" against the enemy - but what does that look like practically? Here are six key strategies:

1. Think aggressively. Plan and calculate, like a general preparing for battle, how to engage and defeat the enemy.

2. Pray fervently. Hebrews 4:16 instructs us to approach God's throne confidently. Step forward with confidence and tell Him what you need.

3. Speak fearlessly. First Peter 4:11 (AMP) says, "Whoever speaks, [let him do it as one who utters] oracles of God." You and I are to have a spiritually commanding voice against the forces of evil.

4. Give abundantly. The way we give is the way we receive (see Luke 6:38). Live a life of generosity.

5. Work intently. Whatever we put our hand to, we need to do it aggressively (see Eccl. 9:10). Stir yourself up in the Holy Spirit and get the job done.

6. Love unconditionally. As children of God, we must love others as God loves us, unconditionally and sacrificially.

Take these steps, and when the enemy comes, you'll be filled with God's power and unbeatable.

Pray this Prayer: Lord, I don't want to sit back and miss the fight You've called me to. As I move forward, show me how to apply these six strategies in my fight against the enemy.