Today’s Daily Bread is . . . . .

No More Mowing
One thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part. – Luke10:42

The mayor of a small town in Kentucky stopped mowing his lawn in 2005. He has put up a sign on his property that reads: ‘There are more important things in life than tall grass.’

He said that he has several reasons for not cutting the grass, one of which is his wife’s death from cancer. That loss caused him to reflect on the priorities of life. He enjoys just sitting in the evenings and observing the wild flowers, squirrels and birds that are now coming to his yard. A member of the city council remarked, ‘If he likes it like that, it’s fine. I kind of feel like maybe he is right. Maybe there are more important things than mowing grass.’

The mayor gives us some food for thought about priorities. What we do with our time shows what we feel is important. In our Bible reading for today, Martha was ‘distracted with much serving’ (Luke10:40). Mary, however, took the time to sit ‘at Jesus’ feet’ and listen to His teaching (v.39). Perhaps she realized that she wouldn’t have many more opportunities to learn from Jesus.

Sometimes responsibilities like washing dishes, mowing the lawn or working extra hours on a project need to wait so that we can spend time with the Lord or family or friends. That may be what’s more important. – Anne Cetas

Important as your task may be – The work you must fulfill –
Be sure you keep that human touch, If you would do God’s will. – D. DeHaan

Helping someone in Jesus’ name is your most important work for the day.

(Also read: Luke10:38-42, Job30-31, Acts13:26-52

Here is another great story that will touch your hearts. Enjoy reading, people!

A young woman went to her mother and told her about her life and how things were so hard for her. She did not know how she was going to make it and wanted to give up. She was tired of fighting and struggling. It seemed as one problem was solved, a new one arose.

Her mother took her to the kitchen. She filled three pots with water. In the first, she placed carrots, in the second, she placed eggs, and the last she placed ground coffee beans.

She let them sit and boil without saying a word. In about twenty minutes, she turned off the burners.

She fished the carrots out and placed them in a bowl. She pulled the eggs out and placed them in a bowl. Then, she ladled the coffee out and placed it in a bowl.

Turning to her daughter, she asked, “Tell me, what do you see?”

“Carrots, eggs, and coffee,” she replied.

She brought her closer and asked her to feel the carrots. She did and noted that they soft. She then asked her to take an egg and break it. After pulling off the shell, she observed the hardboiled egg. Finally, she asked her to sip the coffee. The daughter smiled, as she tasted its rich aroma.

The daughter then asked, “What’s the point, mother?”

Her mother explained that each of these objects had faced the same adversity — boiling water — but each reacted differently. The carrot went in strong, hard and unrelenting. However, after being subjected to the boiling water, it softened and became weak.

The egg had been fragile. Its thin outer shell had protected its liquid interior. But, after sitting through the boiling water, its inside became hardened.

The ground coffee beans were unique, however. After they were in the boiling water, they had changed the water.

“Which one are you?” she asked her daughter.

When adversity knocks on your door, how do you respond? Are you a carrot, an egg, or a coffee bean?

–Author Unknown

Moms are so smart! What a great lesson for all of us to remember . . . . .

Another great story for you, people!

My husband is a Bank Examiner by profession. I love him for his steady nature, and I love the warm feeling when I lean against his broad shoulders.

Three years of courtship and now, two years into marriage, I would have to admit that I am getting tired of it.

My reason for loving him before has now transformed into the cause of all my restlessness. I am sentimental and extremely sensitive when it comes to relationships and feelings. I yearn for the romantic moments, like a little girl yearning for candy.

My husband is my complete opposite. His lack of sensitivity and the inability of bringing romantic moments into our marriage have disheartened me about love.

One day, I finally decided to tell him my decision, that I wanted a divorce. “Why?” he asked, shocked. “I am tired; there are no reasons for everything in the world!” I answered.

He kept silent the whole night. He seemed to be in deep thought with a lighted cigarette at all times. My feeling of disappointment only increased - here was a man who can’t even express his predicament. What else can I hope from him?

And finally he asked me, “What can I do to change your mind?”

Somebody said it right; it’s hard to change a person’s personality, and I guess, I have started losing faith in him.

Looking deep into his eyes I slowly answered, “Here is the question. If you can answer and convince my heart, I will change my mind. Let’s say, I want a flower located on the face of a mountain cliff, and we both are sure that picking the flower will cause your death. Will you do it for me?”

He said, “I will give you my answer tomorrow . . . . .” My hopes just sank by listening to his response . . . . .

I woke up the next morning to find him gone, and saw a piece of paper with his scratchy handwriting, underneath a milk glass, on the dining table near the front door, that goes . . . . .

“My dear, I would not pick that flower for you, but please allow me to explain the reasons further . . . . .”

This first line was already breaking my heart. I continued reading . . . . .

“When you use the computer you always mess up the software programs, and you cry in front of the screen. I have to save my fingers so that I can help to restore the programs.

“You always leave the house keys behind, thus, I have to save my legs to rush home to open the door for you.

“You love traveling but always lose your way in a new city; I have to save my eyes to show you the way.

“You always have the cramps whenever your “good friend” approaches every month; I have to save my palms so that I can calm the cramps in your tummy.

“You like to stay indoors, and I worry that you will be infected by infantile autism. I have to save my mouth to tell you jokes and stories to cure your boredom.

“You always stare at the computer, and that will do nothing good for your eyes. I have to save my eyes so that when we grow old, I can help to clip your nails, and help to remove those annoying white hairs so I can also hold your hand while strolling down the beach, as you enjoy the sunshine and the beautiful sand… and tell you the color of flowers, just like the color of the glow on your young face . . . . .”

“Thus, my dear, unless I am sure that there is someone who loves you more than I do… I could not pick that flower yet, and die . . . . .”

My tears fell on the letter, and blurred the ink of his handwriting . . . . .
and as I continue on reading . . . . .

“Now, that you have finished reading my answer, if you are satisfied, please open the front door for I am standing outside bringing your favorite bread and fresh milk . . . . .”

I rush to pull open the door, and saw his anxious face, clutching tightly with his hands, the milk bottle and loaf of bread . . . . .

Now I am very sure that no one will ever love me as much as he does, and I have decided to leave the flower alone . . . . .

That’s my husband, Dario, showing off one of his ‘macho’ poses.

And this is me giving him a ‘come hither’ smile

January05 is our anniversary date. And as if God was trying to send me a message, the Daily Bread story for that day was entitled The Waiting. All my readers know that I share some good reads here from my Our Daily Bread 2008 diary which was given to me by a friend. The reason why I was not able to post this on the day of our anniversary itself was that this blog started on February – a month later. Anyway, if you have read this post, you will understand what this is all about.

The Waiting
(Abraham) believed in the Lord, and He accounted it to him for righteousness. – Genesis15:6

Any mother can tell you that waiting to give birth is an experience that builds patience. But pity the poor mother elephant. It takes about 22 months for an unborn elephant to mature to birth! The shark known as the spiny dogfish has a pregnancy duration of 22-24 months. And at elevations above 4,600 feet, the Alpine salamander endures a gestational period of up to 38 months!

Abraham could have identified with these examples from nature. In his old age, the Lord made a promise to him: ‘I will make you a great nation’ (Gen12:2). But as the years passed, Abraham questioned how the fulfillment of the promise was possible without even the basic bulding block of a son (15:2). So God assured him, ‘One who will come from your own body shall be your heir’ (v.4).

Despite his advanced age, Abraham believed God and was called righteous (v.6). Yet he waited 25 years from the time of the initial promise for Isaac to be born (17:1,17).

Waiting for God’s promise to be fulfilled is part of trusting Him. No matter how long the delay, we must wait for Him. As the writer of Hebrews reminds us, ‘Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful’ (Heb10:23). – Marvin Williams

Not so in haste, my heart! Have faith in God, and wait;
Although He seems to linger long, He never comes too late. – Torrey

God always performs what He promises.

(Also read: Genesis15:1-6, Genesis13-15, Matthew5:1-26)

Our Daily Bread for today is about the environment . . . . .

Use it Wisely
The earth is the Lord’s, and all its fullness. – Psalm24:1

God gave us an incredible gift – the beautiful world in which we live. Naturally, though, as we share this planet with so many others, we run the risk of seeing its beauty diminished and its resources depleted.

While we have every right to use the resources God placed in and on earth, we also need to recognize our responsibility to respect the earth as His and to preserve its resources for future generations.

In Genesis, the Lord told Adam (and, by extension, all of us) to ‘tend and keep’ the earth (2:15). Because we don’t know when Jesus will return, it would not be responsible stewardship to leave our children and grandchildren without the resources that God provided for them as well.

We might think our individual efforts to preserve God’s world aren’t valuable. But we can all work together to do our part. Buying and consuming less, simplifying, repairing instead of replacing, reusing, and recycling are all good stewardship practices.

One way we can testify of our love for God and to express our gratitude for what He has done is by tending and keeping the earth and all that it offers. Until the Lord returns, let’s use our world wisely. – Dave Branon

The natural world that God has made, Is given to us and must be shared;
May generations yet to come, Be thankful that we cared. – D. DeHaan

God created the world and placed it in our care.

(Also read: Genesis1:27-31, Nehemiah10-11, Acts4:1-22)

This is a nice story.  Enjoy reading . . . . .

I walked into the grocery store not particularly interested in buying groceries. I wasn’t hungry. The pain of losing my husband of 57 years was still too raw. And this grocery store held so many sweet memories.

He often came with me and almost every time he’d pretend to go off and look for something special. I knew what he was up to. I’d always spot him walking down the aisle with the three yellow roses in his hands.

He knew I loved yellow roses. With a heart filled with grief, I only wanted to buy my few items and leave, but even grocery shopping was different since he had passed on.

Shopping for one took time, a little more thought than it had for two.

Standing by the meat, I searched for the perfect small steak and remembered how he had loved his steak.

Suddenly a woman came beside me. She was blonde, slim and lovely in a soft green pantsuit. I watched as she picked up a large package of T-bones, dropped them in her basket, hesitated, and then put them back. She turned to go and once again reached for the pack of steaks.

She saw me watching her and she smiled. ‘My husband loves T-bones, but honestly, at these prices, I don’t know.’

I swallowed the emotion down my throat and met her pale blue eyes.

‘My husband passed away eight days ago,’ I told her. Glancing at the package in her hands, I fought to control the tremble in my voice. ‘Buy him the steaks. And cherish every moment you have together.’

She shook her head and I saw the emotion on in her eyes as she placed the package in her basket and wheeled away.

I turned and pushed my cart across the length of the store to the dairy products. There I stood, trying to decide which size milk I should buy. A Quart, I finally decided and moved on to the ice cream. If nothing else, I could always fix myself an ice cream cone.

I placed the ice cream in my cart and looked down the aisle toward the front. I saw first the green suit, then recognized the pretty lady coming towards me. In her arms she carried a package. On her face was the brightest smile! I had ever seen. I would swear a soft halo encircled her blonde hair as she kept walking toward me, her eyes holding mine.

As she came closer, I saw what she held and tears began misting in my eyes. ‘These are for you,’ she said and placed three beautiful long stemmed yellow roses in my arms. ‘When you go through the line, they will know these are paid for.’ She leaned over and placed a gentle kiss on my cheek, then smiled again. I wanted to tell her what she’d done, what the roses meant, but still unable to speak, I watched as she walked away as tears clouded my vision.

I looked down at the beautiful roses nestled in the green tissue wrapping and found it almost unreal. How did she know? Suddenly the answer seemed so clear. I wasn’t alone.

Oh, you haven’t forgotten me, have you? I whispered, with tears in my eyes. He was still with me, and she was his angel.

Every day, be thankful for what you have and who you are.

Even though I clutch my blanket and growl when the alarm rings,
Thank you, Lord, that I can hear. There are many who are deaf.

Even though I keep my eyes closed against the morning light as long as possible,
Thank you, Lord, that I can see. Many are blind.

Even though I huddle in my bed and put off rising,
Thank you, Lord, that I have the strength to rise. There are many who are bedridden.

Even though the first hour of my day is hectic, when socks are lost, toast is burned, tempers are short, and my children are so loud,
Thank you, Lord, for my family. There are many who are lonely.

Even though our breakfast table never looks like the picture in magazines and the menu is at times unbalanced,
Thank you, Lord, for the food we have. There are many who are hungry.

Even though the routine of my job often is monotonous,
Thank you, Lord, for the opportunity to work. There are many who have no job.

Even though I grumble and bemoan my fate from day to day and wish my circumstances were not so modest,
Thank you, Lord, for life.

Here’s a little something for our husbands this Father’s Day . . . . .

by Melanie T. Lim

Where do you find good ones? I’ve been asked so many times. Well, how would I know? I never found one for myself.

What’s a good husband, anyway? Someone who runs at your bidding? That would be your dog. Someone who lets you shop till you drop? That would be your father. Someone who listens to your never-ending woes? That would be your best friend. Someone who loves you no matter what? That would be your mother. Someone who knows exactly how to bring you pleasure? That would be you.

I think men who make good husbands abound. But what is good for one woman is not necessarily good for all. One man can make one woman, a good husband. The same man can make another, a lousy one. We grow up in different homes. We come from different backgrounds. And so we bring different expectations to a marriage.

One woman expects love and fidelity. Another expects financial security. Some women marry for love. Others marry for tradition. Some women expect bliss after the wedding. Some women expect sacrifice. Some women are forgiving. Some women are not open to compromise.

Different expectations conjure up different images of good husbands. Who doesn’t want a man who can cook, who can write poetry and who can move your furniture around when you want to? Well, I don’t. I want a man who can do what I can’t do. But that, my mother would say, is my biggest problem. But I don’t have a problem with a man not knowing how to do the things I can do. It’s he who usually has a problem with that.

There is no perfect man. But there is a perfect match for every woman. Most people think that like minds make a perfect match. But how much passion and excitement can you bring into a relationship when you both love pasta, salsa and Salvador Dali? If we thought, ate and dressed completely alike, how far could we really grow beyond ourselves and our common interests?

I think that a good husband is someone who does not necessarily love and like everything that you think, say or do but someone who endeavors to accept your eccentricities and experiences because his love for you is larger than his priorities and preferences. A good husband is a man who loves you for who you are and all that you hope to be in an imperfect world.

At different times in my life, I vacillated on the best reason for getting married. When I was young and starry-eyed, it was love. When I grew older and bitter, it became convenience. Now that I am yet much older but unexpectedly happier, I believe with all my heart that it should never be for anything but love.

So, where do you find good husbands? Well, every woman should know. Looking for a good husband is much like going shopping. When you know what you want, it’s fast and easy. But when you walk aimlessly through the mall, you mostly end up with impulse goods or nothing at all. If you want to find the man you want, you need to find yourself first. After all, it’s pretty easy to find what you want when you know what it is, even in the crowd.

Today’s Daily Bread . . . . .

The Giving Kind
Blessed be he of the Lord, who has not forsaken His kindness to the living and the dead! – Ruth2:20

At one end of the truck terminal where H.H. Lee worked years ago was a coal company. Nearby was a railroad, and each day several freight trains passed by. Lee often noticed that the owner f the company, who was a Christian, threw chunks of coal over the fence at various places along the track. One day he asked the man why he did this.

The man replied, “An elderly woman lives across the street, and I know that her pension is inadequate to buy enough coal. After the trains go by, she walks along and picks up the pieces she thinks have fallen from the coal car behind the engine. She doesn’t realize that diesels have replaced steam locomotives. I don’t want to disappoint her, so I just throw some pieces over the fence.”

That’s Christianity in action! The book of Ruth vividly portrays this principle of giving. When Boaz saw Ruth gathering grain behind the reapers in his field, he commanded them to leave some handfuls of grain for her. To her, this was a blessing from the Lord.

In the same way, the people whose lives we touch need to experience God’s love through our compassion and generosity. That’s why we should ask God to make us aware of opportunities to show kindness. – Henry Bosch

Do a deed of simple kindness, Though it’s end you may not see;
It will reach like widening ripples, Down a long eternity. – Anon.

Kindness is the oil that takes friction out of life.

(Also read: Ruth2, 2Samuel16-18, Luke17:20-37)

Here’s Our Daily Bread for today. It’s so beautiful. Enjoy reading.

Stagecoach Prayer
Whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. - John14:13

Five year-old Randy wanted a toy stagecoach for Christmas. While shopping with Mom, he found just the one he wanted. It was about 6” long and had cool wheels and dark brown plastic horses pulling it. “Mommy, I want this one. Pleeeeease!” he begged. As young children sometimes do, he threw a tantrum, insisting that he get that stagecoach for Christmas. Mom said, “We’ll see,” and took him home.

Randy was sure he’d get what he asked for. Christmas morning came, and he opened the package confidently. Sure enough, it was the stagecoach he had begged for. He was so pleased. But then his older brother said, “You really did a dumb thing to insist on getting that coach. Mom bought you a much bigger one, but when you begged for that little one, she exchanged it!” Suddenly, the small stagecoach didn’t seem so appealing.

Sometimes we’re like that with God. We pray about a specific need and tell Him how He ought to answer. We beg and plead – and God may even give us exactly what we ask for. But He may have had something better in mind.

Phillips Brooks once said, “Pray the largest prayers. You cannot think a prayer so large that God, in answering it, will not wish you had made it larger.” - Anne Cetas

Do not presume to know what’s best when you begin to pray;
But say to God, “Your will be done,” then trust His perfect way. – Sper

Large asking results in large receiving.

(Also read: John15:7-14, Ruth1-4, Luke8:1-25)