57Cents - True Story Of Hattie May Wiatt

A sobbing little girl stood near a small church from which she had been turned away because it "was too crowded."

 "I can't go to Sunday School," she sobbed to the pastor as he walked by.
Seeing her shabby, unkempt appearance, the pastor guessed the reason and, taking her by the hand, took her inside and found a place for her in the Sunday school class.

 

The child was so touched that she went to bed that night thinking of the children who have no place to worship Jesus.
Some two years later, this child lay dead in one of the poor tenement buildings and the parents called for the kind-hearted pastor, who had befriended their daughter, to handle the final arrangements.

As her poor little body was being moved, a worn and crumpled purse was found which seemed to have been rummaged from some trash dump. Inside was found 57 cents and a note scribbled in childish handwriting which read, "This is to help build the little church bigger so more children can go to Sunday School." For two years she had saved for this offering of love. When the pastor tearfully read that note, he knew instantly what he would do. 

 

Carrying this note and the cracked, red pocketbook to the pulpit, he told the story of her unselfish love and devotion. He challenged his deacons to get busy and raise enough money for the larger building. But the story does not end there!

A newspaper learned of the story and published it. It was read by a Realtor who offered them a parcel of land worth many thousands. When told that the church could not pay so much, he offered it for 57 cents. Church members made large donations. Checks came from far and wide. Within five years the little girl's gift had increased to $250,000.00--a huge sum for that time (near the turn of the century). Her unselfish love had paid large dividend.

 

When you are in the city of Philadelphia, look up Temple Baptist Church, with a seating capacity of 3,300 and Temple University, where hundreds of students are trained. Have a look, too, at the Good Samaritan Hospital and at a Sunday School building which houses hundreds of Sunday Schoolers, so that no child in the area will ever need to be left outside during Sunday school time.

In one of the rooms of this building may be seen the picture of the sweet face of the little girl whose 57 cents, so sacrificially saved, made such remarkable history. Alongside of it is a portrait of her kind pastor, Dr. Russell H. Conwell, author of the book, "Acres of Diamonds"

Amazing what God can do with 57 cents. Based on a true story by Dr. Russell H. Conwell

Success

"No, dear brothers and sisters, I am still not all I should be, but I am focusing all my energies on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I strain to reach the end of the race and receive the prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us up to heaven." - Philippians 3:13–14 (NLT).

It has been said that "success is the ability to embrace a worthwhile goal and employ all of your powers to achieve that goal." An even better way to say this might be: "Success is the ability to discover God's goal and purpose for your life and then, with God's help, employ all of your powers to achieve that goal." I'm sure that this is the way the Apostle Paul lived his life after he committed it to Jesus Christ and became one of the most effective early Christian leaders.

For you and I to succeed in God's eyes we don't have to be an Apostle Paul or anybody else. We only need to discover God's goal and purpose for our life and stay committed to that through thick and thin. Fulfilling this purpose may not be easy. Even with God's help it will take commitment, endurance, faith, and hard work. However, it gives us something to live for that is bigger than ourselves—and in the life to come the rewards will be eternal!

I like the words of the poet who wrote:

I would rather stumble a thousand times

attempting to reach a goal,

Than to sit in a crowd

In my weather-proof shroud,

A shriveled and self-satisfied soul.

I would rather be doing and daring

All of my error-filled days,

Than watching, and waiting, and dying,

Smug in my perfect ways.

I would rather wonder and blunder,

Stumbling blindly ahead,

Than for safety's sake

Lest I make a mistake,

Be sure, be safe, be dead. – Author Unknown

My Hiding Place

"It will be a shelter and shade from the heat of the day, and a refuge and hiding place from the storm and rain." - Isaiah 4:6 .(NIV).

I had just finished planting the last flowers that I had planned to put into my garden. When I had finished, I proceeded to look it over, and I thought, "My! how God must have marveled over Eden." Everything was to my liking, and now, all I had to do was water, weed, and feed. I took time to sit and look upon the garden with a certain sense of accomplishment and a sense of quietness from within.

Then, as I gazed up into the depth of the bright blue sky, I watched the puffy white clouds, some so small that they simply disappeared from view like the vapor they are. Other clouds were dark and heavy, hiding the sun from view. Then, suddenly, the sun poked a hole through the clouds, the clouds broke away, and the sun etched the rounded edges with a glitter that was like gold, a glow that dazzled my eyes.

These two moments together seemed to me to be a heaven-sent opportunity to feel, to touch, to smell, to observe, to be still, and not to speak, but just to be in the presence of God.

It might be referred to as my hiding place, a place, though in the world, yet away from the world, and a place of escape. We all need to have a hiding place, to be alone with God in prayer, to take time to listen, to look up far into the sky, to take time away in silence, to meditate, and to appreciate God's gifts and the awesome greatness that is beyond and, at the same time, within.

God help us to make time, to mark time, like putting a bookmark where we left off, so that we might return to this place again.

The Beauty and Meaning of Life

"When I surveyed all that my hands had done and what I had toiled to achieve, everything was meaningless, a chasing after the wind." - Ecclesiastes 2:11 (NIV).

In speaking about the meaning and purpose of life, one insightful writer said, "It is not about writing great books, amassing great wealth, achieving great power. It is about loving and being loved. It is about savoring the beauty of moments that don't last, the sunsets, the leaves turning color, the rare moments of true human communication."

King Solomon, one of the wisest and richest men of antiquity said about his life: "I undertook great projects: I built houses for myself and planted vineyards. I made gardens and parks. reservoirs to water groves of flourishing trees. I bought male and female slaves I also owned more herds and flocks than anyone in Jerusalem before me. I amassed silver and gold for myself, and the treasure of kings and provinces. In all this my wisdom stayed with me. I denied myself nothing my eyes desired; I refused my heart no pleasure. My heart took delight in all my work, and this was the reward for all my labor. Yet when I surveyed all that my hands had done and what I had toiled to achieve, everything was meaningless, a chasing after the wind; nothing was gained under the sun."

- Ecclesiastes 2:4-8,10-11 (NIV).

When we realize that the essence of life is not in power, performance, or possessions but in loving relationships—both with our fellow man and with God—and in appreciating the beauty of his creation, and fulfilling his purpose for our lives, we will have discovered what Solomon took a lifetime to learn.

Learning from Eagles

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"He [God] spreads his wings over them. Even as an eagle overspreads her young.  She carries them upon her wings—as does the Lord his people [Israel]." - Deuteronomy 32:11 

According to Mike Johnson, one interesting thing about eagles is how they build their nests.

Those who have studied such things tell us that the building of the nest begins with all kinds of prickly and sharp things. Briars, jagged sticks, and other sharp things are laid down first.

The mother eagle then fills this foreboding place with the softest things she can find. Wool, feathers, and fur from her kills change the nest into a place that is not only desirable, but also inviting. Here the babies grow in a very comfortable environment.

At the proper time, the mother reverses the process. She begins to stir up the nest exposing the sharp items with which the nest began. She throws the wool, feathers and fur to the wind, thereby making the nest not so friendly a place to be. After a short period of time, the babies, now mature enough to leave, cannot stand the discomfort of the nest any longer—wanting to be anywhere else.

This is the mother's way of forcing her babies to maturity. She knows that if they do not get out on their own, experiencing life, and learn to feed and care for themselves, they will have no future.

While today's scripture lesson was directed to the young nation of Israel, its message applies to all of God's children. God will stir up our nest (our comfortable places of ease) to motivate us to grow, to mature, to depend on the Lord so that we, too, will renew our strength and mount up with wings like eagles, run and not be weary, and walk and not faint. - See Isaiah 40:31 (NKJV).

Pair Of Shoes - Author Unknown, Retold By Artin Tellalian

A young man, a student in one of our universities, was one day taking a walk with a professor, who was commonly called the students' friend, from his kindness to those who waited on his instructions. 


As they went along, they saw lying in the path a pair of old shoes, which they supposed to belong to a poor man who was employed in a field close by, and who had nearly finished his day's work.
The student turned to the professor, saying: "Let us play the man a trick: we will hide his shoes, and conceal ourselves behind those bushes, and wait to see his perplexity when he cannot find them."


"My young friend," answered the professor, "we should never amuse ourselves at the expense of the poor. But you are rich, and may give yourself a much greater pleasure by means of the poor man. Put a coin into each shoe, and then we will hide ourselves and watch how the discovery affects him."


The student did so, and they both placed themselves behind the bushes close by. The poor man soon finished his work, and came across the field to the path where he had left his coat and shoes. While putting on his coat he slipped his foot into one of his shoes; but feeling something hard, he stooped down to feel what it was, and found the coin. Astonishment and wonder were seen upon his countenance. He gazed upon the coin, turned it round, and looked at it again and again. He then looked around him on all sides, but no person was to be seen. He now put the money into his pocket, and proceeded to put on the other shoe; but his surprise was doubled on finding the other coin. His feelings overcame him; he fell upon his knees, looked up to heaven and uttered aloud a fervent thanksgiving, in which he spoke of his wife, sick and helpless, and his children without bread, whom the timely bounty, from some unknown hand, would save from perishing.


The student stood there deeply affected, and his eyes filled with tears. "Now," said the professor, "are you not much better pleased than if you had played your intended trick?"


The youth replied, "You have taught me a lesson which I will never forget. I feel now the truth of those words, which I never understood before: 'It is more blessed to give than to receive.'"

Failure Turned Inside Out

David, the psalmist, prayed: "Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me." - Psalm 51:10. 


You sit with your head in your hands thinking you're a total failure. "I've blown it again," you mutter to yourself in despair.


Hold it right there! Did you know that Walt Disney went broke seven times and had a nervous breakdown before he became successful?


And that Enrico Caruso failed so many times with his singing that his teacher advised him to quit. He didn't. His mother saw to that. And he became one of the world's greatest tenors.


And Thomas Edison was called a dunce at school. Later, he failed more than six thousand times before perfecting the first electric light bulb.


And remember Paul the apostle, he was so opposed to Christianity he was running around having Christians killed when God got a hold of him and turned his life around and used him in an incredible way.


God wants to turn our lives around too when we fail. So, if you feel like giving up, don't. Remember failure is an event not a person. Now's the time to give God a chance. It starts with being honest with yourself, with a trusted friend, and with God—admitting how and where you've failed and asking God to forgive you and to help you.


For real encouragement, read all of Psalm 51. And listen to these words also written by David: "There was a time when I wouldn't admit what a sinner I was. But my dishonesty made me miserable and filled my days with frustration. All day and all night your hand was heavy on me. My strength evaporated like water on a sunny day until I finally admitted all my sins to you and stopped trying to hide them.


I said to myself, 'I will confess them to the Lord.' and you forgave me! All my guilt is gone." - Psalm 32:3-5, (TLB).


What a gracious, loving, forgiving God we have.

Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop -- a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown. He who has ears, let him hear. - Matthew 13:8-9 (NIV). 

As we study Jesus' words in the Parable of the Sower, and reflect on their meaning, we usually focus on our particular fertility. We recognize when we are like the path or rocky ground, or when we are choked out by the thorns. Occasionally we are fertile soil, and we produce an abundant harvest.

But why did this particular parable have to be explained to the

disciples? Weren't they fertile ground being prepared to carry on Jesus' ministry to the nations? The message to the disciples, and to us, is to focus on the sower.

Does the parable say, "Oh, you foolish sower, why did you waste good seed by casting it along the path, on the rocks, and among the thorns? Why didn't you save that seed for the good soil?" No, nowhere does it admonish the sower for sowing good seed on poor soil.

The same is true for our Christian witness. We are not to prejudge where or in whom we plant God's seeds. We are to spread God's message of love to all his people. We are not to withhold it from the unlovable. Some of our seeds will land along the path, on the rocks, and among the thorns, and not yield a harvest. But some will find their way to the good soil, and an abundant harvest will be in the making. We should not be discouraged. We are just to spread God's message of love to all people and let him take care of the harvest.

Communicating Christ

"He [Jesus] looked around at them in anger and, deeply distressed at their stubborn hearts, said to the man with the withered hand], 'Stretch out your hand.' He stretched it out, and his hand was completely restored. Then the Pharisees went out and began to plot with the Herodians how they might kill Jesus."
- Mark 3:5-6 (NIV).


Because Jesus healed this man on the Sabbath (the
formal religious day of the religious leaders),
they were furious with him and planned to kill him.


A major fault of these religious leaders was that they
loved their man-made rules and doctrines more than they loved people! Furthermore, they used these rules to control people. Instead of communicating God's love and mercy, they communicated their rigid religiosity and drove people from God rather than draw them to him.


While correct teaching is important, "Christianity is
much more than a creed. It is experiencing divine love, divine acceptance, and divine forgiveness and
communicating these to every life we touch."


Everyday let us all confess to Lord God Almighty like this:


Lord, make me an instrument of your peace.
Where there is hatred, let me sow love;
Where there is injury, pardon;
Where there is doubt, faith;
Where there is despair, hope;
Where there is darkness, light, and
Where there is sadness, joy.


O Divine Master,
Grant that I may not so much
Seek to be consoled as to console;
To be understood as to understand;
To be loved as to love;
For it is in giving that we receive;
It is in pardoning that we are pardoned;
And it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.

Choosing Our Priorities

"I am jealous for you with a godly jealousy. I promised you to one husband, to Christ, so I might present you as a pure virgin to him." - 2 Corinthians 11:2 (NIV). 


Time is an item that I find to be in short supply. I don't seem to have enough time to get everything done. I have moved through life procrastinating -- tomorrow, I'll do it -- but tomorrow never comes, and life has its limits.


I am beginning to realize that my life on earth will someday come to an end, and there are still many things I want to do. I am beginning to be faced with limits. I am realizing that there is not going to be enough time to do everything, so I have to begin setting priorities. The harsh reality is dawning that I must make painful  choices. I must choose to spend more time on some things, and leave others out.


Because this is true, life demands that we begin to put some things first. We must decide which is most important. We must get our priorities straight. In doing this, we are likely to get things prioritized, and some things will be left out. You shall have no other gods before me. - Exodus 20:3 (NIV).


If we put God first, we find all other things fall into their proper places. This doesn't mean we never do anything but pray, go to church, and study the Bible. It means that we take our direction from God. Sometimes it may mean we have to put some things aside. It may mean saying "No" to people and "Yes" to God.

The Power of Prayer

"And now. Lord God, keep forever the promise you have made concerning your servant and his house. Do as you promised, so that your name will be great forever." - 2 Samuel 7:25, (NIV). 




King David believed in prayer as did every man and woman of God in the Bible. Jesus himself practiced prayer and reminded us of its importance. Paul also preached the importance of prayer as does every true follower of Jesus.


God wants us to pray without ceasing. Why? Because he wants us to stay connected to him and in so doing have ongoing fellowship with him. He encourages us to seek the wisdom and direction he has promised to those who commit their way and put their trust in him.


To get prayer answered we need to pray with right motives, a thankful heart, in faith believing God answers prayer, and with persistence.


We also need to pray with the knowledge of God's promises-what he will and won't do. He always wants what is best for us so it is very important to pray in harmony with his will as found in his Word, the Bible.


One of the many promises of God that I particularly appreciate is also from David: "The Lord is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth. He fulfills the desires of those who revere him; he hears their cry and saves them. The Lord watches over all who love him." - Psalm 145:18-20.

Toons to Take You Over

Wandering Mind

Scare Crow

One way

Checkmate

Anxiety

Give thanks at all times....

Rooted in Christ

Humble Attitude is what God looks at..

Putting Courage Into...

"But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin's deceitfulness". -  (Hebrews 3:13, NIV).


"Dr. Alfred Adler, the great psychologist, had an experience when he was a young boy. He got off to a bad start learning arithmetic, so his teacher became convinced that Adler was stupid when it came to mathematics. The teacher told his parents that the boy was dumb, and also told them not to expect much from him. His parents were convinced that the teacher's evaluation was correct.

"Therefore, Adler passively accepted the assessment that they had made of his abilities. And his grades in math proved that they were  correct. However, one day he had a sudden flash of insight and thought he saw how to work a problem the teacher had put on the board that none of the other pupils could solve. He raised his hand and announced that he would like to do the problem. The students, and even the teacher, laughed at this. He became indignant. He strode to the blackboard and solved the problem perfectly much to everyone's amazement. And at that moment he realized that he could understand mathematics. He had been handed an unreal, negative self-evaluation, and he had believed it and performed on the basis of that assessment.

"Many of us have done the very same thing. Someone has told us that our abilities are limited, or that our dreams are unreachable. We have accepted that without question, and we go through life unhappy and unfulfilled. We become estranged from ourselves simply because we believe what others people have told us about ourselves."


Every one of us—young and old alike—needs to be encouraged. To encourage someone is to put courage into them. To discourage is to take courage out of them. It costs nothing to put courage into another … to speak a kind word … to let them know you appreciate them … to tell them you believe in them … that you admire them … to thank them and so on.


So, today, make a point of putting courage into your spouse … your children … your boss … your employees … and the clerk at the local store. Go out of your way to do it.   And in blessing others you will be blessed yourself.

Just up the road from my home is a field, with two horses in it.

From a distance, each looks like every other horse.

But if you stop your car, or are walking by,

you will notice something quite amazing.

Looking into the eyes of one horse will

disclose that he is blind.

His owner has chosen not to have him put down,

 but has made a good home for him.

This alone is amazing.

If nearby and listening,

you will hear the sound of a bell.

Looking around for the source of the sound,

you will see that it comes from the

smaller horse in the field.

Attached to her halter is a small bell.

It lets her blind friend know where she is,

so he can follow her. 

As you stand and watch these two friends,

you'll see how she is always checking on him,

and that he will listen for her bell and then

slowly walk to where she is, trusting that she

will not lead him astray. When she returns to the

shelter of the barn each evening, she stops

occasionally and looks back, making sure her

friend isn't too far behind to hear the bell. 

             

Like the owners of these two horses,

God does not throw us away just because

we are not perfect or because we have problems

or challenges. He watches over us and even brings

 others into our lives to help us when we are in need.

Sometimes we are the blind horse being guided by

the little ringing bell of those who God places in our lives.

Other times we are the guide horse, helping others see.

Good friends are like this ..........

You don't always see them,

but you know they are always there.

Please listen for my bell and I'll listen for yours. 

            

Words of Wisdom

"A wise man (Person) will hear, and will increase learning;" - Proverbs 1:5 (KJV).

One of the best pieces of advice I received as a young man was from a minister who said to me,"Every young man should read a chapter of Proverbs in the Bible every day." I did this for many years and learned many truths as a result. I still appreciate proverbs both in and outside of the Bible. A proverb is a proverbial saying, or as Webster defines it, "A short popular saying that expresses an obvious truth." We call them one-liners today.  The following are some which convey valuable nuggets of truth.

Winston Churchill: "The farther backwards you can look the farther forward you are likely to see."

Arnold Toynbee: "An autopsy of history is that all great nations commit suicide."

Henry David Thoreau: "If a man does not keep pace with his companions, perhaps it is because he hears a different drummer. Let him step to the music which he hears, however measured or far away."

Larry McMurty: "It is impossible to impress a people with truths that they aren't ready to hear, much less accept."

Isaac Newton: "What we know is a drop. What we don't know is an ocean."

Richard Lamm: "Our moral compass gyrates wildly."

Rabbi Mervin Romsky: "He is a failure as a human being, no matter what his other achievements, whose heart does not hurt for his fellow man. And he is a successful human being, no matter where else he may be lacking, who is rich in
compassion."

Faithfulness

"He [God] who calls you is faithful, who also will do it." - 1 Thessalonians 5:24 (NKJV).

"When Robert Moffat, Scottish missionary to Africa,

came back to recruit helpers in his homeland, he was

greeted by the fury of a very cold British winter.

Arriving at the church where he was to speak, he

noted that only a small group had braved the elements

to hear his appeal.

"Although no one responded to Moffat's call for

volunteers for mission service in Africa, the challenge

thrilled a young boy who had come to work the bellows

of the organ. Deciding that he would follow in the

footsteps of this pioneer missionary, he went on to

school, obtained a degree in medicine, married

Moffat's daughter, Mary, and spent the rest of his

life ministering to the unreached tribes of Africa.

His name: David Livingstone!"

Whatever and whenever we do "simple acts of kindness and obedience" in Jesus' name, we may never know until we get to heaven who and how many people will have been reached and affected for all eternity.

The Good Ol' Days Or The God Days

"Say not, "Why were the former days better than these?" For it is not from wisdom that you ask this. In the day of prosperity be joyful,and in the day of adversity consider; God has made the one as well as the other, so that man may not find out anything that will be after him." - Ecclesiastes 7:10,14- RSV. 

I often find myself longing for and desiring to live again in times
that have already passed me by. What is often referred to as "the good ol' days" is sometimes quite an alluring thought for me. Sometimes I find myself saying or wishing that things in my life could just be the way they were a few months ago, or maybe even a few years ago. It seems that "the good ol' days" are in fact quite dynamic and changing; rarely do we find that they remain the same.


Personally, I look back in my life to a time when I had no health
problems, no worries, and no stress, and then I begin to wonder why things had to change, why can't I go back to those days in my life and cast aside the pains and worries of today. For many, "the good ol' days" are the days when the stock market was at an all-time high, or when jobs and careers had reached a new pinnacle (but before the added responsibility began to add up). For others, they might be the true days of old when life was "simpler" and computers and technology did not run rampant like a pack of wolves. Some recall fondly a time when the value of a dollar was known and appreciated by all.


Solomon tells us in his wisdom, that, regardless of when those "good ol' days" might be, we should not let ourselves long for those days or compare our current place in life to those bygone days. He tells us that it is not from wisdom that we ask why the former days were better than these. Longing for those days cannot bring back the joy or contentment that we had, but, on the contrary, will bring only bitterness and sadness, as we find ourselves sulking in our current situation.


Solomon explains it best in verse 14 when he instructs us to remember that "God has made the one as well as the other." As children of God, our ultimate desire and happiness should be found in living within God's will. That, unfortunately, requires us to accept the bad with the good. God promised us a more abundant life if we would ask Him into our lives, but that abundance refers to joy, contentment, and peace -- not money, health, and fame. That contentment and joy comes only by accepting God's will for our lives and trusting that the things He places in our paths are there for a reason. Things in this life will not remain constant, and we cannot always live in "the good ol' days", but God is constant and we always live in the God days.

Songs in the Night

Job asked, "Where is God my Maker, who gives songs
in the night?" - Job 35:10 (NIV).





I have read how Ludwig von Beethoven, one of the
world's greatest musicians, was born into a musical
family in Germany.


By the age of eleven he was already composing his
own music and conducting an orchestra. In his late
teens he went to Vienna for further study. There he
reached fame, though not fortune.


According to the story, one evening when Beethoven
visited in a cobbler's house, he noticed that the
young lady at the piano was blind, so he offered
to play the piece for her. He did so for her for
more than an hour and while he did, darkness fell
and the lone candle in the room had gone out.


Outside in the night sky the moon shone brightly
and sent its radiant beams glistening into the room
where Beethoven sat playing beautiful music. He was
so inspired by the appreciation of his music by the
young lady and the beauty of the atmosphere in the
room that he composed his famous "Moonlight Sonata."


Do you ever feel that your dreams have been
shattered and you feel all alone in the darkness
of despair? I certainly have. However, when our
life is committed to Christ, it's in these "dark
nights of the soul" that God is working in us to
give us more understanding of life and compassion
for others and, in time, will bring back
"beautiful music" into our life.