[Faith-talk] good advice/tuesday morning thoughts

[Amy Ragain]

this is some very good advice from my friend and mentor Steve! It is always good to look back and see where God has brought us from!
when I was in college a proffessor of mine had us all make something he called a "Mana Jar". what you do is find a clear jar that is big enough to fill with small things that remind you of what God has done in your life!  
like for me I put a cane tip in the jar because of how God helped me complete all my drop offs and my graduation walk at Blind inc...
you leave the jar on a table in your living room and when ppl come over and ask you bout it you will always be ready to share what the Lord has done and how He has provided for you in times of need! just ask them to pick an object from the jar and then you tell them the story behind that object...
try it! it's awesome!

> Subject: Morning Thoughts for Tuesday, June 21, 2011
> 
> Psalms 147:1-20 (NASB)
> Praise for Jerusalem's Restoration and Prosperity.
> [147:1] Praise the LORD!
> For it is good to sing praises to our God;
> For *it is pleasant and praise is becoming.
> [2] The LORD builds up Jerusalem;
> He gathers the outcasts of Israel.
> [3] He heals the brokenhearted
> And binds up their *wounds.
> [4] He counts the number of the stars;
> He gives names to all of them.
> [5] Great is our Lord and abundant in strength;
> His understanding is infinite.
> [6] The LORD *supports the afflicted;
> He brings down the wicked to the ground.
> [7] Sing to the LORD with thanksgiving;
> Sing praises to our God on the lyre,
> [8] Who covers the heavens with clouds,
> Who provides rain for the earth,
> Who makes grass to grow on the mountains.
> [9] He gives to the beast its food,
> And to the young ravens which cry.
> [10] He does not delight in the strength of the horse;
> He does not take pleasure in the legs of a man.
> [11] The LORD favors those who fear Him,
> Those who wait for His lovingkindness.
> [12] Praise the LORD, O Jerusalem!
> Praise your God, O Zion!
> [13] For He has strengthened the bars of your gates;
> He has blessed your sons within you.
> [14] He makes peace in your borders;
> He satisfies you with the finest of the wheat.
> [15] He sends forth His command to the earth;
> His word runs very swiftly.
> [16] He gives snow like wool;
> He scatters the frost like ashes.
> [17] He casts forth His ice as fragments;
> Who can stand before His cold?
> [18] He sends forth His word and melts them;
> He causes His wind to blow and the waters to flow.
> [19] He declares His words to Jacob,
> His statutes and His ordinances to Israel.
> [20] He has not dealt thus with any nation;
> And as for His ordinances, they have not known them.
> Praise the LORD!
> 
> Good morning precious and loved family!!  My goodness,I'm stoked today!!!  I am so blessed to know you - some of you well, others simply from what you share on FB or through emails, or in the case of a couple of special people, what you write in your story!!  Sounds crazy I know, but one of my favorite passtimes is to wander through the postings on FB, searching for the occasional post that glorifies God and testifies to His Amazing Love, Power, Wisdom and Grace!!
> 
> As most of you know, in my profession I attempt to provide resources to families who are going through the transition in life of having lost a loved one from this life.  It was God, working through my pastor one day, that brought this profession to my attention.  That was 10 years ago.  Since then God has richly blessed me by picking me up when I fumble and stumble as I learn some very valuable lessons of life and the profession.
> 
> Probably the greatest lesson I've learned so far was to not be afraid of sharing my life's story with others.  It's not a pride thing (I hope), but rather an attempt to encourage others who feel isolated, alone, without hope, depressed, or just numb to life.  When I rededicated my life to Jesus Christ, in Hawaii in 1981, little did I know where the path that God set for me would take me.  The future is still a mystery, but as I look back on the past - AWESOME!!!
> 
> A thought for you today.  Take some time each day or week to write down a memory or two.  Collect them. Over time, there will come a day or a place where those old memories will be useful in ministering to a hurting soul or a loved one.  The Bible teaches that we should be ready in season or out to testify to what God has done and is doing in our lives.  Count on it, someone you run across in the course of your travels needs to hear that message, and they need you to tell it.  When you do, you will be blessed beyond measure!!
> 
> With great love, excitement, hope and faith in Jesus Christ, enjoy a truly blessed day!!!
> 
> <3Steve:-))