The Family That Eats Together…

Did you know that only 43 percent of children in a recent study reported eating dinner with their families every day? (Gilman, et al., 2000).

These families are missing out on many significant benefits, including the development of character, better social and communication skills and improved nutrition.

Others have found family meals to be associated with decreased risk of teen alcohol and drug use, early sexual behavior or suicide.

Why not make the effort to establish family meals as a top priority in your home?

Think of ways to involve everyone.

Families seem to gain the most when each member is not only a consumer, but also a contributor.

So, rather than listening to the news tonight, let’s connect with our families.

by Clyde and Dee Kilough

Ten Guidelines >From God

Effective Immediately,

please be aware that there are changes YOU need
to make in YOUR life. These changes need to be
completed in order that I may fulfill My promises
to you to grant you peace, joy and happiness in
this life. I apologize for any inconvenience,
but after all that I am doing, this seems very
little to ask of you. Please, follow
these 10 guidelines

1. QUIT WORRYING:

Life has dealt you a blow and all you do is sit
and worry. Have you forgotten that I am here
to take all your burdens and carry them for you?
Or do you just enjoy fretting over every little
thing that comes your way?

2. PUT IT ON THE LIST:

Something needs done or taken care of. Put it
on the list. No, not YOUR list. Put it on MY
to-do-list. Let ME be the one to take care
of the problem. I can't help you until you turn
it over to Me. And although My to-do-list
is long, I am after all... God. I can take care
of anything you put into My hands. In fact,
if the truth were ever really known, I take
care of a lot of things for you that you never
even realize.

3. TRUST ME:

Once you've given your burdens to Me,
quit trying to take them back. Trust in
Me. Have the faith that I will take care of
all your needs, your problems and your trials.
Problems with the kids? Put them on My list.
Problem with finances? Put it on My list.
Problems with your emotional roller coaster?
For My sake, put it on My list. I want to
help you. All you have to do is ask.

4. LEAVE IT ALONE:

Don't wake up one morning and say,
"Well, I'm feeling much stronger now, I think
I can handle it from here." Why do you think
you are feeling stronger now? It's simple.
You gave Me your burdens and I'm taking
care of them. I also renew your strength
and cover you in my peace. Don't you
know that if I give you these problems back,
you will be right back where you started?
Leave them with Me and forget about
them. Just let Me do my job.

5. TALK TO ME:

I want you to forget a lot of things.
Forget what was making you crazy.
Forget the worry and the fretting because
you know I'm in control. But there's one
thing I pray you never forget. Please, don't
forget to talk to Me - OFTEN! I love YOU!
I want to hear your voice. I want you to
include Me in on the things going on in your life.
I want to hear you talk about your friends
and family. Prayer is simply you having
a conversation with Me. I want to be your
dearest friend.

6. HAVE FAITH:

I see a lot of things from up here that you
can't see from where you are. Have faith in
Me that I know what I'm doing. Trust Me;
you wouldn't want the view from My eyes.
I will continue to care for you, watch over you,
and meet your needs. You only have to trust Me.
Although I have a much bigger task than you,
it seems as if you have so much trouble just
doing your simple part. How hard can trust be?


7. SHARE:

You were taught to share when you were
only two years old. When did you forget?
That rule still applies. Share with those who are
less fortunate than you. Share your joy with
those who need encouragement. Share your
laughter with those who haven't heard any in
such a long time. Share your tears with those
who have forgotten how to cry. Share your faith
with those who have none.

8. BE PATIENT:

I managed to fix it so in just one lifetime
you could have so many diverse experiences.
You grow from a child to an adult, have children,
change jobs many times, learn many trades,
travel to so many places, meet thousands
of people, and experience so much. How can
you be so impatient then when it takes Me
a little longer than you expect to handle
something on My to-do-list? Trust in My
timing, for My timing is perfect. Just
because I created the entire universe in
only six days, everyone thinks I should
always rush, rush, rush.

9. BE KIND:

Be kind to others, for I love them just
as much as I love you. They may not dress
like you, or talk like you, or live the same way
you do, but I still love you all. Please try
to get along, for My sake. I created each
of you different in some way. It would be
too boring if you were all identical.
Please, know I love each of your differences.

10. LOVE YOURSELF:

As much as I love you, how can you not
love yourself? You were created by me for
one reason only -- to be loved, and to love
in return. I am a God of Love. Love Me.
Love your neighbors. But also love yourself.
It makes My heart ache when I see you
so angry with yourself when things go
wrong. You are very precious to me.
Don't ever forget......

Touch someone with your love.
Rather than focus upon the thorns of life,
smell the roses and count your blessings!

Grace of God

The Will of God will never take you where the Grace of God will not protect you.

P-----pray
U----until
S----something
H----happens

When there is nothing left but God, that is when you find out that God is all you need.

Take 60 seconds and give this a shot!

All you do is simply say the following small prayer

Father, God bless all my friends and loved ones in whatever it is that You know they may be needing this day! And may their life be full of your peace, prosperity and power as he/she seeks to have a closer relationship with you. Amen.

The Four Blessed Looks (Thanks Annerie for this one)

Look back and thank God.
Look forward and trust God.
Look around and serve God.
Look within and find God!"

"I asked God, 'How do I get the best out of life?'

God said, 'Face your past without regrets. Handle your present with
confidence. And prepare for the future without fear!'"

"Without God, our week is: Mournday, Tearsday, Wasteday, Thirstday,
Fightday, Shatterday and Sinday. So, allow Him to be with you every
day!"

Life is short, so forgive quickly. Believe slowly. Love truly.
Laugh uncontrollably. Never regret anything that makes you happy.

The Missing Day

What is interesting my family and myself actually discussed this exact issue on fathers day and what happened - i received this in my email inbox 4 days later - coincidence ?? or God at work - YOU DECIDE

to my family checking the blog this is the answer about our discussion we had on fathers day - THIS IS COOL - enjoy......

For all the scientists out there, and for all the students who have a hard time convincing these people regarding the truth of the Bible, here's something that shows God's awesome creation, and that He is still in control.

Did you know that the space program is busy proving that what has been called 'myth' in the Bible is true?Mr. Harold Hill, President of the Curtis Engine Company in Baltimore, Maryland, and a consultant in the space program, relates the following development.I think one of the most amazing things that God has done for us today happened recently to our astronauts and space scientists at Green Belt, Maryland ..' They were checking out where the positions of the sun, moon, and planets would be 100 years and 1,000 years from now.

We have to know this so we won't send up a satellite and have it bump into something later on in its orbits.We have to lay out the orbits in terms of the life of the satellite and where the planets will be so the whole thing will not bog down. They ran the computer measurement back and forth over the centuries, and it came to a halt. The computer stopped and put up a red signal, which meant that there was something wrong with either the information fed into it or with the results as compared to the standards.

They called in the service department to check it out, and they said, 'What's wrong?' Well, they found there is a day missing in space in elapsed time.

They scratched their heads and tore their hair out. There was no answer.'Finally a Christian man on the team said, 'You know, one time I was in Sunday School, and they talked about the sun standing still.'

While they didn't believe him, they didn't have an answer either, so they said, 'ShowUs, 'He got a Bible and finally went to the book of Joshua where they found a pretty ridiculous statement for any one with 'common sense.' There they found the Lord saying to Joshua, 'Fear them not, I have delivered them into thy hand; there shall not a man of them stand before Thee.'Joshua was concerned because he was surrounded by the enemy!

And if darkness fell, they would overpower them. So Joshua asked the Lord to make the sun stand still! That's right... 'The sun stood still and the moon stayed and lasted not to go down about a whole day!'(Joshua 10:12-13)

The astronauts and scientists said, There is the missing day! They checked the computers going back into the time it was written and found it was close, but not close enough. The elapsed time that was missing back in Joshua's day was 23 hours and 20 minutes. Not a whole day.

They read the Bible, and there it was about [approximately] a day. These little words in the Bible are important, but they were still in trouble because if you cannot account for 40 minutes, you'll still be in trouble 1000 years from now.

Forty minutes had to be found because it can be multiplied many times over in orbits. As the Christian employee thought about it, he remembered somewhere in the Bible where it said the sun went BACKWARDS.

The scientists told him he was out of his mind, but they got out the Book and read these words in 2 Kings that told of the following story:

Hezekiah, on his death bed, was visited by the prophet Isaiah who told him he was not going to die. Hezekiah asked for a sign as proof. Isaiah said 'Do you want the sun to go ahead 10 degrees?'Hezekiah said, 'It is nothing for the sun to go ahead 10 degrees, but let the shadow return backward 10 degrees.'

Isaiah spoke to the Lord, and the Lord brought the shadow ten degrees BACKWARD! Ten degrees is exactly 40 minutes!Twenty-three hours and 20 minutes in Joshua, plus 40 minutes in Second Kings make the missing day in the universe!

Isn't it amazing? References: Joshua 10:8 and 12,13 and 2 Kings 20:9-11.

Listening to God

A young man had been to Wednesday Night Bible Study..The Pastor had shared about listening to God and obeying the Lord's voice The young man couldn't help but wonder, "Does God still speak to people?"

After service, he went out with some friends for coffee and pie and they discussed the message. Several different ones talked about how God had led them in different ways. It was about ten o'clock when the young man started driving home. Sitting in his car, he just began to pray, "God...If you still speak to people, speak to me.

I will listen.

I will do my best to obey."

As he drove down the main street of his town, he had the strangest thought to stop and buy a gallon of milk. He shook his head and said out loud, "God is that you?" He didn't get a reply and started on toward home. But again, the thought, buy a gallon of milk. The young man thought about Samuel and how he didn't recognize the voice of God, and how little Samuel ran to Eli.

"Okay, God, in case that is you, I will buy the milk." It didn't seem like too hard a test of obedience. He could always use the milk. He stopped and purchased the gallon of milk and started off toward home. As he passed Seventh Street, he again felt the urge, "Turn Down that street."

This is crazy he thought, and drove on past the intersection. Again, he felt that he should turn down Seventh Street At the next intersection, he turned back and headed down Seventh. Half jokingly, he said out loud, "Okay, God, I will."

He drove several blocks, when suddenly, he felt like he should stop. He pulled over to the curb and looked around. He was in a semi- commercial area of town. It wasn't the best but it wasn't the worst of neighborhoods either. The businesses were closed and most of the houses looked dark like the people were already in bed. Again, he sensed something! , "Go and give the milk to the people in the house across the street."

The young man looked at the house. It was dark and it looked like the people were either gone or they were already asleep. He started to open the door and then sat back in the car seat.. "Lord, this is insane.

Those people are asleep and if I wake them up, they are going to be mad and I will look stupid." Again, he felt like he should go and give the milk. Finally, he opened the door, "Okay God, if this is you, I will go to the door and I will give them the milk. If you want me to look like a crazy person, okay.

I want to be obedient.

I guess that will count for something, but if they don't answer right away, I am out of here." He walked across the street and rang the bell. He could hear some noise inside. A man's voice! yelled out, "Who is it? What do you want?"

Then the door opened before the young man could get away. The man was standing there in his jeans and T-shirt. He looked like he just got out of bed. He had a strange look on his face and he didn't seem too happy to have some stranger standing on his doorstep. "What is it?" The young man thrust out the gallon of milk, "Here, I brought this to you."

The man took the milk and rushed down a hallway. Then from down the hall came a woman carrying the milk! toward the kitchen. The man was following her holding a baby. The baby was crying. The man had tears streaming down his face. The man began speaking and half crying, "We were just praying.

We had some big bills this month and we ran out of money. We didn't have any milk for our baby. I was just praying and asking God to show me how to get some milk." His wife in the kitchen yelled out, "I asked him to send an Angel with some. Are you an Angel?"

The young man reached into his wallet and pulled out all the money he had on him and put in the man's hand.. He turned and walked back toward his car and the tears were streaming down his face. He knew that God still answers prayers.

Sometimes it's the simplest things that God asks us to do, if we are obedient to what He's asking, we can hear His voice more clear than ever. Please listen, and obey! It will bless you (and the world). Phil 4:13

Stitching Things Together

by Clyde and Dee Kilough

A stitch in time saves nine. If you are familiar with this saying, you will know how true it is. Repairs delayed mean even bigger repairs in the future.

This is also true of human relationships. Marriage is just one example today of failing relationships. Problems are allowed to spiral out of control and divorce seems the only option.

But this is not what our heavenly Father desires for us. Colossians 3:13 talks about “bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do.”

What makes a good Dad

http://maxlucado.com/pdf/good.dad.pdf

The Books of the Bible

The Hebrew Bible (or Old Testament)

The Five Books of Moses

(The Law, Torah or Pentateuch):

Genesis; Exodus;
Leviticus; Numbers
Deuteronomy

The Former Prophets:

Judges;Joshua;1 & 2 Samuel
1 & 2 Kings

The Latter (or Major) Prophets:

Isaiah;Jeremiah
Ezekiel;

The Twelve (Minor) Prophets:

Hosea;Joel;Amos
Obadiah;Jonah;Micah
Nahum;Habakkuk;Zephaniah
Haggai;Zechariah;Malachi

The Writings:

Psalms;Proverbs
Job;Song of Songs (or Song of Solomon)
Ruth;Lamentations
Ecclesiastes
Esther
Daniel
Ezra
Nehemiah
1 & 2 Chronicles

Note: The Old Testament is not

arranged in strict chronological order.

Other factors, such as message content,

also contributed to the order and

arrangement of its books.

The Apostolic Writings (or New Testament)

The Gospels:

Matthew;Mark
Luke
John

The Acts of the Apostles:

Acts

The Epistles of Paul:

Romans;1 & 2 Corinthians
Galatians
Ephesians
Philippians
Colossians
1 & 2 Thessalonians
1 & 2 Timothy
Titus
Philemon
Hebrews

The General Epistles:

James;1 & 2 Peter
1, 2 & 3 John
Jude

The Book of Revelation

Revelation

A town trashed by municipal workers

Today i had to drive to Nigel which is an old town east of Johannesburg (+-60km) and as i came into the town the municipal workers were striking and trashing everything.

The pictures you see above were taken about 10 minutes after they marched down the towns main street.

Whats a Friend

To be a Christian

~ Maya Angelou

'A woman's heart should be so hidden in Christ that people should haveto seek Him first to find her.'

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'mconfessing 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!'

Commuting with God

by Clyde and Dee Kilough

“God is my copilot.” Many people do not care much for this bumper sticker, believing that it infers that I am in control of things and that God has been relegated to a position of aid or helper. Regardless of how one feels about it, it does bring up another thought: Why not include God in your morning commute to work?

Mornings can be the most pleasant time of the day. Instead of instinctively reaching for the radio knobs to listen to music, why not take the time to communicate with God? It is a great time to reflect on recent Bible study or just associate our Creator with a beautiful sunrise or ask Him to help you with a problem you may be having at work.
You may be pleasantly surprised at how it can change your entire day.

Love & Life

* Love with your eyes. How you look at a person expresses your feelings towards them. Remember we are to love even our enemies. The more you love with your eyes the more beautiful you look.
* Love with your lips, sow kindness with your tongue, sow joy, sow life into those you come into contact with, loving your neighbour as you love yourself.
* Love with your hands, have something to give? There is always someone that could do with receiving from you. Remember, give and it shall be given unto you a hundred fold.
* Love with your face, the more you smile the more beautiful you look and feel giving glory to God.

LIVE LIFE AND JUST ENJOY IT FOR IT IS GOD’S WILL FOR OUR LIVES. ANYONE CONDEMNS OR JUDGES YOU, DON’T WORRY FOR IT CAN NEVER BE THEIR PLACE FOR THEM TO JUDGE OR CONDEMN YOU, JUDGEMENT BELONGS TO GOD AND HIM ALONE, SO SAYS HIS WORD. MAY MY BIG GOD JUST BLESS YOU AND KEEP YOU.

Euro 2008

Well i am a big Italian Soccer fan so i will be hoping they do well in this Euro Cup - Go Italy Go

Life - an awesome email i received (Its so true)

Some things are beyond planning.
And Life doesn't always turn out as planned

You don't plan for a broken heart.
You don't plan for a failed business venture.
You don't plan for an adulterous husband or a wife who wants you out of her life.
You don't plan for an autistic child.
You don't plan for spinsterhood.
You don't plan for a lump in your breast.

You plan to be young forever.
You plan to climb the corporate ladder.
You plan to be rich and powerful.
You plan to be acclaimed and successful.
You plan to conquer the universe.
You plan to fall in love and be loved forever.

You don't plan to be sad.
You don't plan to be hurt.
You don't plan to be broke.
You don't plan to be betrayed.
You don't plan to be alone in this world
You plan to be happy.
You don't plan to be shattered.

Sometimes if you work hard enough, you can get what you want.
But MOST times, what you want and what you get are two different things.

We mortals plan. But so does God in the heavens.
Sometimes, it is difficult to understand God's plans especially when
His plans are not in consonance with ours.

Often, when God sends us crisis, we turn to Him in anger.
True, we cannot choose the cross that God wishes us to carry,
but we can carry that cross with courage knowing that God will never
abandon us nor send something we cannot cope with.

Sometimes God breaks our spirit to save our soul.
Sometimes He breaks our heart to make us whole.
Sometimes God allows pain so we can be stronger.
Sometimes God sends us failure so we can be humble.
Sometimes God allows illness so we can take better care of ourselves.

Sometimes God takes everything away from us so we can learn the value of everything He gave us.

Whats Your Birth Verse ?

Philippians 3:8 (my birth verse)

NIV What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ

Check your Birth verse http://www.birthverse.com/mybirthverse.cfm

Dance Partners

Ballroom dance instructors often give the instructions for dance steps as a combination of quick and slow steps. The polka steps are “quick, quick, slow.” The foxtrot is “slow, quick, quick.” This is a way to keep you and your partner in step.

James 1:19 says, “So then, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath”

James tells us to be QUICK to hear, SLOW to speak and SLOW to wrath. These steps—“QUICK, SLOW, SLOW”—help keep us in sync with life’s “dance partners.”

Christian Life

We do not segment our lives, giving some time to God, some to our business or schooling, while keeping parts to ourselves. The idea is to live all of our lives in the presence of God, under the authority of God, and for the honour and glory of God. That is what the Christian life is all about.

Onward...Upward...Always

Interesting Quote

Never look down on anybody unless you're helping him up.

Success

To laugh often and much; to win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children; to earn the appreciation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends; to appreciate beauty, to find the best in others; to leave the world a little better, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch or a redeemed social condition; to know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived.  This is the meaning of success. Ralph Waldo Emerson

Sent via my BlackBerry from Vodacom - let your email find you!

Time

"The Greatest Gift you can give someone is your time
Because when you are giving someone your time,
You are giving them a portion of your life that you will never get back."

Just Because

 NICE PERSON    Hello there nice person   Did anyone ever tell you,   Just how special you are   The light that you emit   Might even light a star   Did anyone ever tell you   How important you make others feel.    Somebody out there is smiling   About love that is so real   Did anyone ever tell you   Many times, when they were sad   Your e-mail made them smile a bit   In fact it made them glad   For the time you spend sending things   And sharing whatever you find    There are no words to thank you   But somebody, thinks you're fine   Did anyone ever tell you   Just how much they love you   Well, my dearest friends   Today I am telling you 

This was an email I received which I thought was really great.
Sent via my BlackBerry from Vodacom - let your email find you!

Hatfield Christian Church

Above are just 3 pics i took of Hatfield Church tonight

Sunday

WOW - to think we in the middle of the year already - time really goes by too quick.

Today i spoke to the new Minister at my Church regarding getting involved again within the ministry but it was not quite what i expected - not sure what i was expecting to hear actually.

Ill have to get started again on ground level through the community and ill have to join a study group to get back into things which would eventually lead to further involvement.

Right now i not sure which group i should join as there so many these days - but ill see where there is a opportunity and will have to take it from there one step at a time.

Hope everyone has a wonderful sunday and i wish all a great week ahead.