Is it really ok?


In light of the many perversions and jokes we send along to one another
for a laugh, I thought I would send something with a little substance.

Billy Graham's daughter was interviewed on the Early Show and Jane
Clayson asked her "How could God let something like this happen?" (regarding the attacks on Sept. 11).

Anne Graham gave an extremely profound and insightful response. She
said, "I believe God is deeply saddened by this, just as we are, but for years we've been telling God to get out of our schools, to get out of our government and to get out of our lives. And being the gentleman He is, I believe He has calmly backed out.

In the light of recent events ..... terrorists attacks, school shootings, etc., how can we expect God to give us His blessing and His protection if we demand He leave us alone?" I think it started when Madeleine Murray O'Hare (she was murdered, her body found recently) when she complained she didn't want prayer in our schools, and we said OK.

Then someone said you better not read the Bible in school... the Bible
says thou shalt not kill, thou shalt not steal, and love your neighbor
as yourself. And we said OK.

Then Dr. Benjamin Spock said we shouldn't spank our children when they
misbehave because their little personalities would be warped and we
might damage their self-esteem (Dr. Spock's son committed suicide). We said an expert should know what he's talking about.

And we said OK.

Then someone said teachers and principals better not discipline our
children when they misbehave. The school administrators said no faculty
member in this school better touch a student when they misbehave because
we don't want any bad publicity, and we surely don't want to be sued
(there's a big difference between disciplining, touching, beating,
smacking, humiliating, kicking, etc.). And we said OK.

Then someone said, let's let our daughters have abortions if they want,
and they won't even have to tell their parents. And we said OK.

Then some wise school board member said, since boys will be boys and
they're going to do it anyway, let's give our sons all the condoms they
want so they can have all the fun they desire, and we won't have to tell
their parents they got them at school. And we said OK.

Then some of our top elected officials said it doesn't matter what we do
in private as long as we do our jobs. Agreeing with them, we said it
doesn't matter to me what anyone, including the President, does in
private as long as I have a job and the economy is good.

Then someone said let's print magazines with pictures of nude women and
call it wholesome, down-to-earth appreciation for the beauty of the
female body. And we said OK.

And then someone else took that appreciation a step further and
published pictures of nude children and further again by making them available on the Internet. And we said OK; they're entitled to free speech.
Then the entertainment industry said; let's make TV shows and movies
that promote profanity, violence, and illicit sex. Let's record music that encourages rape, drugs, murder, suicide, and satanic themes. And we said it's just entertainment, it has no adverse effect, nobody takes it
seriously anyway, so go right ahead.

Now we're asking ourselves why our children have no conscience, why they
don't know right from wrong, and why it doesn't bother them to kill
their classmates, and themselves.

Probably, if we think about it long and hard enough, we can figure it
out. I think it has a great deal to do with "WE REAP WHAT WE SOW."

Funny how simple it is for people to trash God and then wonder why the world's going to hell! Funny how we believe what the newspapers say, but question what the Bible says.

Funny how you can send 'jokes' through e-mail and they spread like
wildfire, but when you start sending messages regarding God people think
twice about sharing.

Funny how lewd, crude, vulgar and obscene articles pass freely through
cyberspace, but public discussion of God is suppressed in the school and
workplace.

Funny how when you forward this message, you will not send it to many on
your address list because you're not sure what they believe, or what
they WILL think of you for sending it. Funny how we can be more worried about what other people think of us than what God thinks of us.

Are you thinking?

WHAT IT MEANS TO BE POOR???


One day a father of a very wealthy family took his son on a trip to the country with the firm purpose of showing his son how poor people can be. They spent a couple of days and nights on the farm of what would be considered a very poor family.

On their return from their trip, the father asked his son, “How was the trip?” “It was great, Dad.” “Did you see how poor people can be?” the father asked. “Oh Yeah” said the son. “So, what did you learn from the trip?” asked the father.

The son answered, “I saw that we have one dog and they had four. We have a pool that reached to the middle of our garden and they have a creek that has no end. We have imported lanterns in our garden and they have the stars at night. Our patio reaches to the front yard and they have the whole horizon.

We have a small piece of land to live on and they have fields that go beyond our sight. We have servants who serve us, but they serve others. We buy our food, but they grow theirs. We have walls around our property to protect us, they have friends to protect them.”

With this the boy’s father was speechless. Then his son added, “Thanks Dad for showing me how poor we are.”

Too many times we forget what we have and concentrate on what we don’t have. What is one person’s worthless object is another’s prized possession. It is all based on one’s perspective. Makes you wonder what would happen if we all gave thanks for all the bounty we have, instead of worrying about wanting more. Take joy in all you have, especially your friends.

HAVE A GOOD ONE