Comforting Embrace

It is probably difficult for you to read the copy underneath the picture, so I have reproduced it here.

Photo Courtesy of David W. Gilmore Jr./U.S. Air Force

Underneath the Title "Comforting Embrace" it reads as follows:

Air Force Chief Master Sgt. John Gebhardt, of the 332nd Expeditionary Medical Group at Balad, Iraq, cradles a young girl as they both sleep in the hospital. The girl's entire family was executed by insurgents; the killers shot her in the head as well. The girl received treatment at the U.S. military hospital in Balad, but cries and moans often. According to nurses at the facility, Gebhardt is the only one who can calm down the girl, so he has spent the last several nights holding her while they both sleep in a chair.

I think it is amazing what our troops are doing over there. Why are these pictures and stories on the news? If you are looking for a soldier to adopt over the holidays, check out the website www.anysoldier.com. It lists soldiers and what they are in need of. Please continue to keep the soldiers and their families in your prayers as we head into this holiday season. Also, continue to pray Psalm 91 over the soldiers and their families. Pray and believe for their safe return home!

Finally, remember to thank a veteran. Tomorrow, November 11th is Veteran's Day. This federal holiday was created to honor military veterans. Why don't you pick up some small American flags and head over to the local VA Hospital to personally tell some veterans thank you?

Lets show our soldiers and our veterans how much we appreciate the sacrifices they have made and the fighting that they have and continue to do to protect us and our freedoms!

Let freedom ring!

Words to Live By

My friend passed these along to me this morning. It is a paraphrase of all the things Romans 12:1-2 and 9-21 in the New Living Translation says that we need to do and not to do to set ourselves apart for the Lord and make a difference in this world. Determine to make a difference today and shine your light for Jesus!

• Give your bodies to God to be a living sacrifice.
• Love others.
• Hate what is wrong.
• Honor each other delightfully.
• Serve the Lord enthusiastically.
• Rejoice in hope confidently.
• Be patient in troubles.
• Keep on praying.
• Help God’s people in need.
• Practice hospitality eagerly.
• Bless those who persecute you.
• Be happy with those who are happy and weep with those who weep.
• Live in harmony with others.
• Enjoy the company of ordinary people.
• Don’t be too proud.
• Don’t think you know it all.
• Remain honorable.
• Don’t pay back evil with evil.
• Live in peace with everyone.
• Never take revenge.
• Don’t let evil conquer you, but conquer evil by doing good.

What is Fresh Manna?

I received the following from a class I took at church taught by Pastor Daniel.

What is Manna and what is it not?

• Manna is scripture. It is the Word of God found in the Bible. Old Testament or New Testament, it is all profitable.
• Manna is not a nicely written devotional, poem, or prophecy.

What does Manna look like?

• Manna is a verse, part of a verse, or a few verses long. It is a promise or thought that can sum up your time in the Word. You should be able to commit it somewhat to memory and share it with someone in a few minutes.
• Manna is not a chapter or two of scripture.
• Manna typically focuses on a promise. What has He done for you? What is He saying He will do for you? Who are you in Him? What can you expect in faith from what you've read?

How do I find Manna?

• Reading the Word. You condense what you've read down to a verse or two. Sometimes Manna just jumps right off the page!
• You may spend hours in the Word or you may only have time to spend a few minutes. In either case, take a verse as your manna.

What do I do with my Manna?

• Meditate on it. To do this, you must remember it --- so you may want to write it down and carry it with you.
• Confess it. Say it.
• Pray it --- over yourself, your family, your situation.
• Share it. Your manna is meant to be a word in season for someone who is weary.
• Journal it. (optional)

Fresh Manna is a concept that one of the pastors at our church came up with. It is based on the story of the Israelites where God gave them manna from heaven to eat. He told them to only collect what they would need for that day. If they collected more than they needed, it became rotten. Just as the Israelites needed manna from heaven each day to sustain them physically, we need manna from heaven each day to sustain us spiritually. We MUST feed our spirit man. For more information, please visit www.freshmanna.org.