Tuesday, January 22, 2013


ARC - ACT OF RANDOM KINDNESS
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Did you know the people that are the strongest are usually the most sensitive?
Did you know the people who exhibit the most kindness are the first to get mistreated? 
Did you know the one who takes care of others all the time are usually the ones who need it the most? 
Did you know the 3 hardest things to say are I love you, I'm sorry, and Help me. 
Sometimes just because a person looks happy, you have to look past their smile and see how much pain they may be in. 
To all my friends who are going through some issues right now--Let's start an intention avalanche. We all need positive intentions right now. If I don't see your name, I'll understand. 
May I ask my friends wherever you might be, to kindly copy and paste - share this status to give a moment of support to all those who have family problems, health struggles, job issues, worries of any kind and just need to know that someone cares. 
Do it for all of us, for nobody is immune. I hope to see this on the walls of all my friends just for moral support. I know some will!! I did it for a friend and you can too. 

Please PASS IT FORWARD  and ask those you share with to keep PASSING IT FORWARD!  Just one ACT of RANDOM KINDNESS can be the beginning of change where needed.
Happy Day,
Barb

Monday, January 14, 2013

HAPPY MONDAY!!!


FINDING ONE PENNY 
MAKES A LOT OF SENSE!

You always hear the usual stories of pennies on the sidewalk being good luck, gifts from angels, etc. This is the first time I've ever heard this twist on the story. Gives you something to think about.

Several years ago, a friend of mine and her husband were invited to spend the weekend at the home of her husband's employer.  My friend, Arlene, was nervous about the weekend. The boss was very wealthy, with a fine home on the waterway, and cars costing more than her house.

The first day and evening went well, and Arlene was delighted to have this rare glimpse into how the very wealthy live. Her husband's employer was quite generous as a host, and took them to the finest restaurants. Arlene knew she would never have the opportunity to indulge in this kind of extravagance again, so was enjoying herself immensely.

As the three of them were about to enter an exclusive restaurant one evening, the boss was walking slightly ahead of Arlene and her husband.  He stopped suddenly, looking down on the pavement for a long, silent moment.  Arlene wondered if she was supposed to pass him. There was nothing on the ground except a single darkened penny that someone had dropped, and a few cigarette butts. Still silent, the man reached down and picked up the penny.  He held it up and smiled, then put it in his pocket as if he had found a great treasure.  How absurd! What need did this man have for a single penny? Why would he even take the time to stop and pick it up?

Throughout dinner, the entire scene nagged at her. Finally, she could stand it no longer. She casually mentioned that her daughter once had a coin collection, and asked if the penny he had found had been of some value.  A smile crept across the man's face as he reached into his pocket for the penny and held it out for her to see. She had seen many pennies before! What was the point of this?  "Look at it," he said. "Read what it says."   She read the words, "United States of America."

"No, not that.” “

Read further." 
"One cent?" 
"No, keep reading."
"In God we Trust?"
"Yes!"
"And?. . ."

"And if I trust in God, the name of God is holy, even on a coin. Whenever I find a coin, I see that inscription. It is written on every single United States coin, but we never seem to notice it! God drops a message right in front of me telling me to trust Him. Who am I to pass it by? When I see a coin, I pray. I stop to see if my trust IS in God at that moment. I pick the coin up as a response to God; that I do trust in Him. For a short time, at least, I cherish it as if it were gold. I think it is God's way of starting a conversation with me. Lucky for me, God is patient and pennies are plentiful!"

When I was out shopping today, I found a penny on the sidewalk. I stopped and picked it up, and realized that I had been worrying and fretting in my mind about things I cannot change. I read the words, "In God We Trust," and had to laugh. "Yes, God, I get the message!"

It seems that I have been finding an inordinate number of pennies in the last few months, but then, pennies are plentiful! And, God is patient.  



Monday again, and I just wanted to lighten the mood a bit.  This story has probably been around a long time and I felt like sharing this little tid bit with you.  It makes sense to me that gathering found pennies makes a lot of cents.  More importantly - it's another reminder that "In God We Trust" can be found in bowing our heads in prayer and being grateful.  Happy Monday!!

Hugs,
Barb

P.S.  Excuse my puns!!  LOL

Tuesday, January 8, 2013

RE: DOWNTON ABBEY


A bit of followup on prior post about downton abbey - very ethical review from christian standpoint.  AGREED, HOWEVER, my opinion offers THAT MATURE CHRISTIANS CAN BE DISCERNING OF THESE FACTS WHILE BEING ENTERTAINED BY THE STORY QUALITY AND DISTINGUISHED ACTORS.

FAITH ON TELEVISION

Spiritual Lessons from Downton Abbey

By Candy Arrington
Contributing Writer

CBN.com - The third season of the popular and critically acclaimed PBS Masterpiece Classic series, Downton Abbey, began this past Sunday. Through this series, we gain a window into the intricate lives and relationships of the Crawley family, pre- and post-WWI British nobility, and their household. On the surface, this series may appear to be just another saga of upstairs, downstairs, the haves and the have-nots, but on a deeper level, spiritual lessons emerge.
Consider Edith (Laura Carmichael), the middle sister, who is always in the shadow of her older, lovelier sister Mary (Michelle Dockery), the daughter her parents prefer. Edith longs to be noticed by men and affirmed by her family. She clamors for the limelight and is willing to do just about anything to get the attention she craves. Edith is not above betraying Mary, "outing" her sin as revenge for Mary ruining her chances with the suitor Edith considers her only hope of marriage. Edith is so intent on destroying Mary she fails to realize her actions are also sinful.
Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye. (Matthew 7:3)
Certainly the rivalry between Edith and Mary highlights the prevalence of betrayal among those who claim to love each other and is reminiscent of Judas betraying Jesus for 30 pieces of silver. Like Edith, Judas' decision was likely an impulsive one, with no forethought to the chain of events betrayal sets in motion. For this type of decision, there are always consequences—broken relationships, remorse and guilt. But betrayers rarely think beyond the moment, and often lives are altered or destroyed by a few words.
The Dowager Countess of Grantham and Lady Mary Crawley in Downton Abbey
Then there is Violet, Dowager Countess of Grantham (Maggie Smith), the epitome of pride and arrogance. She lives by a set of unwritten rules, ones that anyone who is anyone would know by heart. Like the Pharisees, the Dowager Countess adheres to the letter of these unwritten rules with little or no room for deviation. While she sometimes shows a softer side, she is always aware of her status in society and expects others to acknowledge her position and cater to her.
But Jesus' parable in Luke 14:7-11 stresses the idea of letting others elevate us rather than taking a position of honor and then being asked to give it up.
Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you. (Romans 12:3)
Jesus provided the ultimate picture of humility and servanthood.
Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. (Philippians 2:6-7)
The servants in Downton Abbey
Below-stairs, footman Thomas Barrow (Rob James-Collier) and lady’s maid Sarah O'Brien (Siobhan Finneran) are constantly scheming, plotting ways to elevate their own status and control the dynamics of the servants’ hierarchy. Like James and John, vying for places of honor (Mark 10:37), Thomas and O'Brien seek places of honor, frequently engineering circumstances to make the others appear incapable.
When John Bates (Brendan Coyle) arrives to take the position of valet, O'Brien and Barrow scheme to prove Bates is incapable of handling the job for which he was hired, the job Thomas wants. Many of us have a Barrow or O'Brien in our lives, someone intent on elevating themselves by pointing out our weaknesses. But scripture highlights a different aspect of weakness. The apostle Paul understood physical infirmity coupled with captivity, but for every aspect of his life that rendered him weak, he found strength through the power of the Holy Spirit.
My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness. (II Cor. 12:19)
While Downton Abbey is dramatic fiction, on a broader canvas, the series highlights many of the issues we struggle with as Christians. It is ripe with "the human condition" and reminds us that no matter what our socio-economic position, we are all stumbling along without direction, searching for purpose and meaning, and tackling life issues in our own strength unless we know the Savior.
Candy Arrington's publishing credits include The Lookout, Encounter, Focus on the Family, Clubhouse, The Upper Room, The Writer andWriter's Digest. She is co-author of Aftershock: Help, Hope, and Healing in the Wake of Suicide (B & H Publishing Group) and When Your Aging Parent Needs Care: Practical Help for This Season of Life (Harvest House Publishers). Candy lives in Spartanburg, South Carolina, and is lover of historical fiction and vintage photographs. For more information about Candy, 
visit www.candyarrington.com.

Friends, your comments and opinions are welcome. please share and keep passing it forward!

In Christian Joy,
Barb



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