Christians

Christians
By Maya Angelou

When I say... "I am a Christian"
I'm not shouting "I'm clean livin'."
I'm whispering "I was lost,
Now I'm found and forgiven."

When I say... "I am a Christian"
I don't speak of this with pride.
I'm confessing that I stumble
And need Christ to be my guide.

When I say... "I am a Christian"
I'm not trying to be strong.
I'm professing that I'm weak
And need His strength to carry on.

When I say... "I am a Christian"
I'm not bragging of success.
I'm admitting I have failed
And need God to clean my mess.

When I say... "I am a Christian"
I'm not claiming to be perfect,
My flaws are far too visible
But, God believes I am worth it.

When I say... "I am a Christian"
I still feel the sting of pain.
I have my share of heartaches
So I call upon His name.

When I say... "I am a Christian"
I'm not holier than thou,
I'm just a simple sinner
Who received God's good grace, somehow!

Impact Your Future

Franklin Delano Roosevelt was the american president during World War 2 and was a Liberal. At this time Hilter was raising up in power and becoming a powerful leader in Germany. Before Hilter became full of power and before the war started many people urged President Roosevelt to step in and shut down Hilter and Germany before it was too late but he offered to be a mediator instead. He also did not want to build up the U.S. army in case war did brake out. He wanted to stay out of the war but also wanted to help the British. Finally President Roosevelt stepped in and helped shut down Hilter. Many have wondered though if President Roosevelt had stepped in sooner would there have been constration camps with lots of inncent jewish lives being killed, would there have ever been a war in Europe, Who knows? I know this much we will never know and can't change what has happened so why focus on what if and if we did this. We can't change what has happened and make the outcome different. When i studied this the other day in one of my classes it dawned on me, this is alot like our chirstian walk. There are times in our live, man i wish i could go back and change this area in my life and then my life would better now then what it is or if i didnt do that then my life wouldnt be the way it is now. A close mentor of mine once told me, "YOU CAN'T CHANGE THE PAST, BUT YOU CAN MAKE A IMPACT ON THE FUTURE." I love what the Apostle Paul writes in Philippians 3:13-14, "13 No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it,* but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead,14 I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.
We have to put the past behind us, forgetting it and press on to what lies ahead. You can't change the past or the decisions you made in the past, but you can make a impact on your future, so start making that impact today and be exicted for what God has instore for your future.

Character (1871)

"Character is one of the greatest motive powers in the world. In its noblest embodiments, it exemplifies human nature in its highest forms, for it exhibits man at his best."

Samuel Smiles

Acres of Diamonds

Conwell begins his lecture by telling the story of an ancient Perisan, Ali Hafed, a wealthy farmer who owned a large, prosperous farm. One day, a visitor tells Ali Hafed about diamonds and the immense wealth that they bring to their owners. Hafed becomes restless and discontented, sells his farm, leaves his family, and goes in search of diamonds. In all his travels, he never finds any diamonds, and he dies poor and unhappy. In the meantime, the man who bought Ali Hafed's farm finds a fabulous lode of diamonds in his own garden. Opportunity for success can be found in your own "backyard."

"Acres of Diamonds" Lecture (1870) by Russell Conwell

Choices

"We do choose how we will live, courageously or in cowardice, honorably or dishonorably, with purpose or adrift. We decide what is important and what is trivial in life, we decide what makes us significant and is either what we do or what we refuse to do, we decide - we choose, as we decide and choose, so are our lives formed, we make our choices and then our choices make us, our choices produce acts which produce character and character eventually becomes permanent."

Joseph Epstein

Team 180

Team 180 had their first youth service this past sunday morining and let me tell you it was awesome and the presence of God was very powerful in the service. I want to take this time to say i'm very proud of the group, and the fire that is in them for God, they did a oustanding job with the service. I can't wait for next month's service, because its only going to get better!!!

Rain of Blessings

I came across a very powerful scripture the other day, one i've never read before in the bible and don't recall hearing a preacher preach on it. "IF THERE IS NO WORSHIP IN YOUR LIFE, THERE WILL BE NO RAIN," ZECHARIAH 14:17. In other words, No Worship-No Rain. Alot of times we go to church but we forget why we worship God, i grow concern sometimes they we may lose our true spirit of worship and take God for granted.

When we worship, we are submitting our intellect and our future to God. If you are in a dry season, then began to worship. Do you need it to rain in your bank account, worship, rain into your spirit, worship, rain in your family, worship. In Zechariah we find one of the most empowering principles of the Bible, the key to ending a personal dry spell and releasing a downpour of heaven's blessings, by worshiping God.

So how you get out of the desert, through worship. Where there is worship, rain will come. Every time you raise your hands and praise, drops are forming in the clouds. The more you send up, the thicker the clouds. Sooner or later there will be a cloudburst. So when you get in a dry spell, praise your way through and you will see the rain!