Daily Devotional; formerly Chaplains Corner

[Airdale]

Thanks Terry,

Great start for this Sunday.

[Woodnut]

AMEN,

Another great story Terry, Thanks.

I hope you don't mind my AMEN each morning. I was raised to say AMEN after reading Gods Word, or hearing it read. I just can't get away from it and don't think I need too. You do such beautiful work, I believe it deserves a big AMEN each and every morning.

I am a little late this morning. I too had a hard day of physical work yesterday and slept until after 6:30, which is very unusual for me. Normally I am wide awake at around 5 AM or a little sooner.
Hope every one has a Blessed Day.

[ampaterry]

Thank you, guys!

Carl, I appreciate the "Amen", because I have always felt the same way.
I have visited churches where it was not appreciated -
But mine is NOT one such!

Have a seat right over there in the 'Amen corner'.

[ampaterry]

Have you heard of the Cargo Cults? They sprang up on several primitive islands after WWII. The islanders had received many marvelous things from the soldiers who came to their islands on airplanes. There were strange and wonderful foods, and many marvels of technology that seemed magic to them. When the war ended, the soldiers quit coming to their islands. The natives considered these visitors to be gods, and they worked to entice them back once again by building airstrips in the jungles, and even making passable models of their airplanes out of jungle materials, which they placed on these airstrips. Their work was in vain; the soldiers did not return, but the Cargo Cults continued for many years afterward.
Superstition!
But those who realize that their lives are missing something can certainly restore their relationship with God by following Jesus Christ, and patterning their lives after him.
On the first of May in the olden times, according to annual custom, many inhabitants of London would go out into the fields to wash their faces with the early dew upon the grass. They believed that it would make them beautiful.
More superstition!
But those that bathe their face every morning in the dew of heaven by prayer and communion, are sure to obtain true beauty of life and character.
There is superstition, and there is Christianity – and the two are very different! Superstition seeks some formula to improve ones life. Christianity seeks to walk more closely with God, who has ALREADY given his life out of love for us, that we may live eternally with Him in paradise!
The Word of God tells us:
Psalms 5:3 (KJV);
"My voice shalt thou hear in the morning, O LORD; in the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee, and will look up."
Psalms 90:14 (KJV);
" O satisfy us early with thy mercy; that we may rejoice and be glad all our days."

God Bless each one of you here -

[jack404]

Thank You and Bless You Terry

[Woodnut]

AMEN !

Terry thanks for the words of God.

God Bless each and every one.

[Juker]

Amen, brother, I truly appreciate what you're doing as Chaplain.

[BullShoot]

Thank you, Terry.

[ampaterry]

Thank you all for your support, guys! I appreciate it!

The first full week in May is designated Teacher Appreciation Week, and Tuesday of that week – today – is National Teachers Day. Everyone has memories of certain teachers. Some remember the teacher as the ugly woman with a ruler that cracked their knuckles for no good reason. Some remember the beautiful lady they had a secret crush on, who helped them understand all things. Some remember the guy who thought all boys should learn how to fight, so staged fights in the back of the room. Some remember the one who, when caught in an error, would fly into a rage over it. Personally, I remember one of each of these.
But think about it. The Teacher stands in the gap between the parents who want one thing and the government that often demands the opposite. They are faced with a classroom in which the majority of students have never had any discipline whatsoever, and do not understand the meaning of “No!” They are pushed by one faction to crack on the kids and keep them in line and by another faction to allow them to express themselves in any way they choose. They stand between those who demand they never mention reproduction and those who expect them to teach the kids how to use a condum. And they do all of this for below average pay.
Arnold Toynbee, in A Study of History said that we are “never more than one generation from barbarism". That is because every child is born a barbarian, and must be educated into becoming a civilized person. We depend on the teachers to perform this miraculous transformation.
Remember that teacher that had such a positive effect on your life? Think about them today. If you can, give them a call or send them a card or e-mail, and say “Thank you!” for what they did for you.
Remember that teacher who treated you completely unfairly? It is your duty as a Christian to forgive them.
Scripture speaks often of the importance of education:

Proverbs 19:20 (KJV);
Hear counsel, and receive instruction, that thou mayest be wise in thy latter end.

Thank you, Miss Serino, for lifting me out of Barbarism. And I forgive you for becoming Mrs. Oer.

May God bless each one here today -

[Woodnut]

AMEN !

Thanks Mr Evans for taking me off of the wrong road of life, and straighting me out. Thinking of you.

Thanks Terry.

[jack404]

Richard R Hattersley

got me into language studies and science , especially old sciences and lost sciences

Thank You Sir ! i never met the guy , he was a teacher on School of the Air here in Australia

[todd51]

Thank you Lord for all the blessing I have received.

Thank you Miss. Bonham and Miss Lemly. And special thank you to that elementary teacher to thousands but a special teacher and great mother to me.

Todd

[Woodnut]

Well Terry I guess I will be the first to ask for your prayers, seeing that you are the new Forum Chaplain.

Tomorrow AM, I am going to have an Arthroscopy on my right knee, and need all the prayers that are out there. It has always made me a little nervous to go under for something like this. I really don't see why they can't use a local. But !!!!!!!!!!!!! Oh Well, it is what it is.

Thanks in advance for your service.

[ampaterry]

Originally Posted by Woodnut

Well Terry I guess I will be the first to ask for your prayers, seeing that you are the new Forum Chaplain.

Tomorrow AM, I am going to have an Arthroscopy on my right knee, and need all the prayers that are out there. It has always made me a little nervous to go under for something like this. I really don't see why they can't use a local. But !!!!!!!!!!!!! Oh Well, it is what it is.

Thanks in advance for your service.

Heavenly Father, we come before you this morning upholding Carl. He has been suffering knee problems, Lord, and is going to have surgery tomorrow to correct this. Lord, we know that all healing comes from you, regardless of what tools you may choose to use to bring it to us. We ask that you would be with each of those tools tomorrow. We ask that the surgeon and every medical person working on this would have your sure guidance, that everything they do would be exactly correct.
We ask that the surgery would go perfectly.
We ask that the recovery would be quick.
We ask that there would be no complications, side effects, or set-backs.
We ask that Carl's healing would be complete and without complications, and that he would be pain free following this.
And we ask all of these things in the name of Jesus the Christ, the Great Physician.
Amen -

[ampaterry]

You MIGHT be glad they put you under, Carl.

I had a couple of melanoma's removed from my nose a couple years ago, and they did it using a local and a 'twilight' anasthetic which kept me awake and happy.
I was listening to the chatter in the operating room as the surgery progressed when, after some period of silence, the Dr. leaned back from working on me and said "Oh, Crap!"
I said "Doc, of all the things I don't want to hear you say right now, 'Oh Crap' is somewhere near the top of the list!"
Everyone in the room started laughing.
The Dr. said "I have been working with my head in the same position for some time now, and my neck just twinged. What I said was 'Ow, CRAMP' not 'Oh Crap!'"

Yes indeedy -
I will take being knocked OUT for surgery every time!

[ampaterry]

And the devotional thought for today involve a story I read about a hospital.
It was a teaching hospital that had discovered that one of its young resident students had a marvelous effect on children. They responded to him with delight. They would do things for him and yield to his ministrations in a way that they wouldn't do for any other person on the staff. The hospital administration wanted to know how he attained this rapport with his patients so they could incorporate it into their teachings, so they assigned a nurse to discover what the secret of this young resident was. It wasn't until the second week when she was on night turn that she found out the secret. It was simply this: Every night on his last round he would kiss, and hug, and tuck in every one of the children. It was in that act of compassion, you see, in that act of sympathy, that he made his contact.
As Christians, we should be able to relate to this on two levels:
First, on a physical level, we should be adopting this in our dealings with people. We should openly show our compassion, our sympathy, and our love for our fellow man.
And on a spiritual level, we should recognize that it is this sympathy, this compassion that we see in Jesus Christ towards us that reaches out to us. It's this about him that brings us to him to accept him more than anything else.
We see this compassion and love throughout scripture. In the story of the death and resurrection of Lazarus, we find the shortest verse in the Bible. It describes Jesus' reaction to the death of Lazarus:
John 11:35 (KJV); "Jesus wept."
The Lord’s compassion is shown in the Old Testament as well:
Isaiah 63:9 (KJV); "In all their affliction he was afflicted, and the angel of his presence saved them: in his love and in his pity he redeemed them; and he bare them, and carried them all the days of old."
And in the New Testament:
Hebrews 4:15 (KJV); "For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin."
Demonstrate love and compassion for other people today. The world will be improved by this. Accept love and compassion from God today. You will be improved by this.

May God Bless each and everyone here -

[Juker]

Thanks, Terry, and amen.

Somehow I missed yesterday's post, so I'd like to thank Mr. West, my high school government teacher. He was one of the last of the old school teachers, well-humored but no-nonsense, well over six feet, crewcut, always wearing a necktie.

One day he stood before us at his lectern and asked if anyone knew what a "square" was. One of the backrow thugs replied, "Queer!" with a snicker. Mr. West said, "I'm going to read you a piece titled 'Will All Squares Please Stand Up?' by Paul Harvey." Then he peered over his glasses at the punk and said softly, "I'm a square. And if you said what I think you said, I'll take you outside and beat the hell out of you, because this job doesn't mean that much to me."

It was a fine moment. After class the kid was almost in tears trying to apologize to Mr. West.

I've tried to find that piece online and failed - I'm going to root through some papers as I believe I have a copy of it somewhere...

[ampaterry]

Originally Posted by Juker

Thanks, Terry, and amen.

Somehow I missed yesterday's post, so I'd like to thank Mr. West, my high school government teacher. He was one of the last of the old school teachers, well-humored but no-nonsense, well over six feet, crewcut, always wearing a necktie.

One day he stood before us at his lectern and asked if anyone knew what a "square" was. One of the backrow thugs replied, "Queer!" with a snicker. Mr. West said, "I'm going to read you a piece titled 'Will All Squares Please Stand Up?' by Paul Harvey." Then he peered over his glasses at the punk and said softly, "I'm a square. And if you said what I think you said, I'll take you outside and beat the hell out of you, because this job doesn't mean that much to me."

It was a fine moment. After class the kid was almost in tears trying to apologize to Mr. West.

I've tried to find that piece online and failed - I'm going to root through some papers as I believe I have a copy of it somewhere...

Is this it HERE?

[Juker]

YES!!!!!!!

I've been tearing through my footlocker and files trying to find it!

[ampaterry]

Great piece!!

[Woodnut]

AMEN !

Terry thanks for the prayer. I read it this morning before I left, but was running short of time and did not answer the post. I thank you so much for that. It really made my day go better. I know that the Lord was guiding the surgon's hands today.


Thanks to all the others for their prayers also.
I got home from the hospital this afternoon about 5. Have not really felt like computer until now. So thought I would give ya'll an update. I made the surgery fine and without incident, so I feel like the prayers helped. I start PT on Friday, and have to do that for no more than 4 weeks. I am going to work at it very hard, so maybe it won't take so long. I am doing fine now, I'm setting in a recliner with leg up and ice on it with my laptop on my lap. I should be able to sit at the PC tomorrow or next day. I don't want to push it.
Wonderful prayer this morning Terry, looking to tomorrows start of the day.

[Juker]

Very glad to hear this news, my brother. Be well and here's to a quick recovery!

[ampaterry]

We give you the credit for Carl's successful surgery, Lord!

[ampaterry]

Today is the National Day of Prayer. A day set aside for prayer as a nation was first called for by the Continental Congress in 1775. John Adams called for one on May 9th, 1798. Lincoln called for one on April 30th, 1863, at which time he said "...it is the duty of nations as well as of men, to own their dependence upon the overruling power of God, to confess their sins and transgressions, in humble sorrow, yet with assured hope that genuine repentance will lead to mercy and pardon; and to recognize the sublime truth, announced in the Holy Scriptures and proven by all history, that those nations only are blessed whose God is the Lord." On April 17, 1952, President Harry S. Truman signed a bill proclaiming a National Day of Prayer must be declared by each following president at an appropriate date of his choice. In his 1983 declaration, Ronald Reagan said, "From General Washington's struggle at Valley Forge to the present, this Nation has fervently sought and received divine guidance as it pursued the course of history. This occasion provides our Nation with an opportunity to further recognize the source of our blessings, and to seek His help for the challenges we face today and in the future." In 1988, the law was amended so that the National Day of Prayer would be held on the first Thursday of May.

Presidents Reagan, George H. W. Bush and George W. Bush all hosted special events at the white house on the national day of prayer. President Clinton did not held any such events, and thus far neither has President Obama. Both presidents did, however, issue the annual procalamation of this day, as required by the law which was passed in 1952.

We should pray often:

1 Chronicles 16:11 (KJV); Seek the LORD and his strength, seek his face continually.
But it is good for us, as a nation, to have one special day on which we can all join together and seek the blessings of God on our nation, and the influence and directing of God for our leaders.

2 Chronicles 7:14 (KJV); If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.

May God bless each one of us here, and continue to bless this great nation.

[Juker]

Amen, amen.