Twas battered and scarred, and the auctioneer thought it scarcely worth his while to waste much time on the old violin, but held it up with a smile;

"What am I bidden, good folks," he cried, "Who'll start the bidding for me?"

"A dollar, a dollar"; then two!" "Only two? Two dollars, and who'll make it three? Three dollars, once; three dollars twice; going for three.."

But no, from the room, far back, a gray-haired man came forward and picked up the bow;

Then, wiping the dust from the old violin, and tightening the loose strings, he played a melody pure and sweet as a caroling angel sings.

The music ceased, and the auctioneer, with a voice that was quiet and low,
said; "What am I bid for the old violin?"

And he held it up with the bow.  A thousand dollars, and who'll make it two?

Two thousand! And who'll make it three? Three thousand, once, three thousand, twice, and going and gone," said he.

The people cheered, but some of them cried, "We do not quite understand what changed its worth."

Swift came the reply: "The touch of a master's hand."

And many a man with life out of tune, and battered and scarred with sin,

Is auctioned cheap to the thoughtless crowd, much like the old violin,

A "mess of pottage," a glass of wine; a game - and he travels on. "He is
going" once, and "going twice, He's going and almost gone."

But the Master comes, and the foolish crowd never can quite understand the worth of a soul and the change that's wrought by the touch of the Master's hand.

Author: Myra 'Brooks' Welch

Let us Journey On...

"No weapon formed against me shall prosper, no it won't work."

My name is Tammy. This is my life. I will get saved when "I've Got Time".  I was born Jan. 1, 1964. As I grew up, the LORD kept his hands on me.

He healed my polio. Now I walk like you. "Thank you Jesus." He showed  me right from wrong. I think I'll get saved when I turn 30. "I've Got Time!'

I got on drugs, He brought me through. Thank you, Jesus!

I got pregnant, and cried to the Lord. He gave me a husband. I said to myself, "When I turn 30, I'll get saved, I've Got Time!

" I've been shot in the back. The doctor said I would not walk again. I cried again to Jesus for two years. Now I run and jump. I should Get saved now!  No, I'll wait until I'm 30. "I've Got Time."

I have no food in my house. My children are h ungry. I asked the Lord to make  a way. Right then my doorbell rings. The UPS man is Ringing my bell. He has  a letter for me. I sing as I return in my house. I open the letter. It is a check
for $50. "Thank you Jesus."Again I promise, "When I turn 30, I'll get saved,  "I've Got Time."

"I read my Bible. I know of the Lord. He and I go a long way back. "I've Got  Time." "It's Saturday, night. I am going out. I am going to have myself some fun. I put the kids to bed. When I step out, I see my sister running towards
me. She told me one of my children was playing with matches, and was burnt. Again, I Cried to the Lord. "LORD, LORD, Hear my prayer. Help me LORD."  And, he did. He did not take my child. I did not lose my children to the state.

I'm really going to get saved when I turn 30. My cancer went into remission.  My body is healed. Praise the LORD! "I've Got Time." I'm 30 now.

Tonight is my last night to live my unsaved life. Guess Wha t ? My birthday falls  on Saturday. Therefore, Sunday, I will be at church praising the Lord. However,  for now it's still Saturday..I am having so much fun at my party in my back yard. They threw me in the pool. I felt a timer in my head.

SOMETHING IS HAPPENING TO ME. WHAT'S WRONG! I DON'T KNOW. I SEE LIGHT. THERE ARE PEOPLE ALL AROUND ME, BUT I CANNOT TALK. I CRY TO THE LORD. I  SAID, LORD WHAT TIME IS IT? IT'S 11:55 "BUT I DON'T KNOW YOUR VOICE. WHO  ARE YOU? MY NAME IS LUCIFER. "I DON'T LOVE, I DON'T LIKE," I JUST WANT YOUR SOUL. EVERY TIME I CAME FOR YOU THE LORD SAID NO. SOMEONE WAS PRAYING  FOR YOU SO I PLANTED A SEED TO MAKE YOU THINK YOU HAD TIME. YOU SEE, I'M  SMART, I'M D I RT Y, AND I'M THE BEST LIAR.

Tammy died December 31, 1993. Five minutes before she turned 30 years old.

Now tell me, DO YOU HAVE TIME?

THE WILL OF GOD
The will of God will never take you,
Where the grace of God cannot keep you.
Where the arms of God cannot support you,
Where the riches of God cannot supply your needs,
Where the power of God cannot endow you.
The will of God will never take you,
Where the spirit of God cannot work through you,
Where the wisdom of God cannot teach you,
Where the army of God cannot protect you,
Where the hands of God cannot mold you.

The will of God will never take you,
Where the love of God cannot enfold you,
Where the mercies of God cannot sustain you,
Where the peace of God cannot calm your fears,
Where the authority of God cannot overrule for you.

The will of God will never take you,
Where the comfort of God cannot dry your tears,
Where the Word of God cannot feed you,
Where the miracles of God cannot be done for you,
Where the omnipresence of God cannot find you.

Author Unknown... but greatly appreciated

Let us journey on...

Many of us spend our whole lives running from feeling with the mistaken belief that you cannot bear the pain. But you have already borne the pain. What you have not done is feel all you are beyond the pain.

Bartholomew

THE HOT WATER BOTTLE - A True Story By Helen Roseveare, Missionary to Africa 

One night, in Central Africa, I had worked hard to help a mother in the labor ward; but in spite of all that we could do, she died leaving us with a tiny, premature baby and a crying, two-year-old daughter. 

We would have difficulty keeping the baby alive. We had no incubator. We had no electricity to run an incubator, and no special feeding facilities. Although we lived on the equator, nights were often chilly with treacherous drafts. 

A student-midwife went for the box we had for such babies and for the cotton wool that the baby would be wrapped in. Another went to stoke up the fire and fill a hot water bottle. She came back shortly, in distress, to tell me that in filling the bottle, it had burst. Rubber perishes easily in tropical climates. "...and it is our last hot water bottle!" she exclaimed. As in the West, it is no good crying over spilled milk; so, in Central Africa it might be considered no good crying over a burst water bottle. They do not grow on trees, and there are no drugstores down forest pathways. All right," I said, "Put the baby as near the fire as you safely can; sleep between the baby and the door to keep it free from drafts. Your job is to keep the baby warm." 

The following noon, as I did most days, I went to have prayers with many of the orphanage children who chose to gather with me. I gave the youngsters various suggestions of things to pray about and told them about the tiny baby. I explained our problem about keeping the baby warm enough, mentioning the hot water bottle. The baby could so easily die if it got chilled. I also told them about the two-year-old sister, crying because her mother had died. During the prayer time, one ten-year-old girl, Ruth, prayed with the usual blunt consciousness of our African children. "Please, God," she prayed, "send us a water bottle. It'll be no good tomorrow, God, the baby'll be dead; so, please send it this afternoon." While I gasped inwardly at the audacity of the prayer, she added by way of corollary, " ...And while You are about it, would You please send a dolly for the little girl so she'll know You really love her?" As often with children's prayers, I was put on the spot. Could I honestly say, "Amen?" I just did not believe that God could do this. Oh, yes, I know that He can do everything: The Bible says so, but there are limits, aren't there? The only way God could answer this particular prayer would be by sending a parcel from the homeland. I had been in Africa for almost four years at that time, and I had never, ever received a parcel from home. Anyway, if anyone did send a parcel, who would put in a hot water bottle? I lived on the equator! 

Halfway through the afternoon, while I was teaching in the nurses' training school, a message was sent that there was a car at my front door. By the time that I reached home, the car had gone, but there, on the veranda, was a large twenty-two pound parcel! I felt tears pricking my eyes. I could not open the parcel alone; so, I sent for the orphanage children. Together we pulled off the string, carefully undoing each knot. We folded the paper, taking care not to tear it unduly. Excitement was mounting. Some thirty or forty pairs of eyes were focused on the large cardboard box. From the top, I lifted out brightly colored, knitted jerseys. Eyes sparkled as I gave them out. Then, there were the knitted bandages for the leprosy patients, and the children began to look a little bored. Next, came a box of mixed raisins and sultanas - - that would make a nice batch of buns for the weekend. As I put my hand in again, I felt the...could it really be? I grasped it, and pulled it out. Yes, "A brand-new rubber, hot water bottle!" I cried. I had not asked God to send it; I had not truly believed that He could. Ruth was in the front row of the children. She rushed forward, crying out, "If God has sent the bottle, He must have sent the dolly, too!" Rummaging down to the bottom of the box, she pulled out the small, beautifully dressed dolly. Her eyes shone: She had never doubted! Looking up at me, she asked, "Can I go over with you, Mummy, and give this dolly to that little girl, so she'll know that Jesus really loves her?" 

That parcel had been on the way for five whole months, packed up by my former Sunday School class, whose leader had heard and obeyed God's prompting to send a hot water bottle, even to the equator. One of the girls had put in a dolly for an African child -- five months earlier in answer to the believing prayer of a ten-year-old to bring it "That afternoon!" "And it shall come to pass, that before they call, I will answer; and while they are yet speaking, I will hear." Isaiah 65:24 

Helen Roseveare a doctor missionary from England to Zaire, Africa, told this as it had happened to her in Africa. She shared it in her testimony on a Wednesday night at Thomas Road Baptist Church.

This story originates from Helen Roseveare, a missionary from Northern Ireland.  TruthOrFiction.com tracked her down and she told us this story is true and that she included it in her book "Living Faith."  She has written about the revival that took place in the 1950's in what was then the Belgian Congo.  She has been associated with WEC (World Evangelization for Christ at http://www.wec-int.org/index.html). 

Some of her writings can be ordered from (http://www.wec-int.org/ministries.htm#books)

Let us journey on...

Well it's been a long time since I've blogged in.  Hey troutdude and SilverWind... sorry it's been so long.  Hope you both are well.  I will attempt to allot time for blogging and get back on track.  My life has become very busy... I am now attending Seminary and the kids don't stop growing and eating, however God has put a burden back in my heart to minister through blogging.  Hope to blog you all soon... Paul.

Let us journey on...

Three Old Men....



A woman came out of her house and saw 3 old  men with long  white beards
sitting in her front yard. She did  not recognize them. She said "I
don't think I know you, but you  must be hungry. Please come in and have
something to eat."

"Is  the man of the house home?", they asked.

"No", she  replied. "He's out." "Then we cannot come in", they  replied.

In the evening when her husband came home, she  told him what had
happened.

"Go tell them I am home and  invite them in!"

The woman went out and invited the men  in"

"We do not go into a House together," they replied.

"Why is that?" she asked.

One of the old  men explained: "His name is Wealth," he said pointing to
one  of  his friends, and said pointing to another one, "He is Success,
and  I am  Love." Then he added, "Now go in and discuss with your husband 
which one of us  you want in your home."

The woman  went in and told her husband what was said. Her husband was
overjoyed.

"How nice!!", he said. "Since that is the case, let us invite Wealth.
Let him come and fill our home with wealth!"
His  wife disagreed. "My dear, why don't we invite Success?"

Their  daughter-in-law was listening from the other corner of the house.

She  jumped in with her own suggestion: "Would it not be better  to
invite Love? Our  home will then be filled with love!"

"Let  us heed our daughter-in-law's advice," said the husband to his
wife.

"Go out and invite Love to be our guest."

The  woman went out and asked the 3 old men, "Which one of you is Love?
Please  come in and be our guest."

Love got up and  started walking toward the house. The other 2 also got
up and  followed  him. Surprised, the lady asked Wealth and Success: "I
only invited  Love, Why are you coming in?"

The old men replied  together: "If you had invited Wealth or Success, the other two  of us would've stayed out, but since you invited Love, wherever  He  goes, we go with him. Wherever there is Love, there is also

  Wealth and Success!!!!!!"

Let us journey on...

Psalm 23 

This is an eye opener... Some probably never thought nor looked at this 

Psalm in this way... even though they say it over and over again. 

The Lord is my Shepherd 

That's Relationship! 

I shall not want 

That's Supply! 

He maketh me to lie down in green pastures. 

That's Rest! 

He leadeth me beside the still waters. 

That's Refreshment! 

He restoreth my soul 

That's Healing! 

He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness. 

That's Guidance! 

For His name sake 

That's Purpose! 

Yea, though I walk through the valley of
the shadow of death. 

That's Testing! 

I will fear no evil. 

That's Protection! 

For Thou art with me 

That's Faithfulness! 

Thy rod and Thy staff they comfort me, 

That's Discipline! 

Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of my enemies. 

That's Hope! 

Thou anointest my head with oil, 

That's Consecration! 

My cup runneth over. 

That's Abundance! 

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life.
 

That's Blessing! 

And I will dwell in the house of the Lord 

That's Security! 

Forever. 

That's Eternity!

Let us journey on...