The Measure Of Love

Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Thought of the Day

(Courtesy of Our Daily Bread)
Click link above for devotional:

"The Measure Of Love"

Nothing speaks more clearly of God's love than the cross of Christ.

Bkg. Courtesy Of
Christian Backgrounds

Aalie's Life Stories ~ 5

This is Oosterstraat..or East Street in Witmarsum. I have a lot of wonderful memories of playing with my friends here on this street.. the front part if this street is where I played soccer (voetbal) with my brother Gerrit and his friends. I was the only girl that was asked to play with them..and I loved playing this game..I have played about every position..but loved kicking the ball and and swerving it around so no one could get a hold of it..then kick to make a goal..and of course because our hands could not touch the ball sometimes I would even use my head to make to ball go to one of my team mates.

When I was back in 2000 for the Friesland province reunion I met up with one of my brother's best friends..his name was Tetero..and even though 50 years had passed he still remembered me playing soccer with them. Tetero had a slight disability..one leg was shorter then the other when he was younger..but still enjoyed all the sports that young boys did..and nothing stopped him..he was determined not to let his disability stop him from participating..and he seemed to work harder at them then the other boys.

The Following is a picture of Tetero when he was still working

I happened to find this picture at a Friesland website. It had been placed in a newspaper that talked about his life's work...I just cannot remember exactly what that was..except that as I can see he worked hard..and did a service to a lot of people. We did take some pictures of him and his brother while we were there..but I have not scanned them to by computer..so I could not place them here.

I also played Keatsen (Fries) or Kaatsen (Dutch)..it is a game that Friesland is noted for..in fact it was born in Friesland. Mostly the young men and boys play this handball sport. They will wear leather glove to protect their hand..because the little tiny ball is very hard..I have played the game..but it always hurt my hand..so I prefered to just watch it being played. Here are some young men playing this game in Friesland.... just to give you an idea.

Like I said this game is very popular in Friesland in the summer..and I believe it is catching on in different countries as well. I watched them play some games in 2002 when I went back to Friesland,,with my oldest brother Wietze and my sister-in-law Anna, and younger brother Libbe. I met several of my cousins that I did not get to meet in 2000 when I was there.

Oosterstraat was a street of many games for us kids..we played hide-and seek, tag, jumping ropes, marbles, ball hinkie and block hinkie..which were like hopscotch only we would use a ball or a wooden block with them.

In the winter time we would go ice skating on the canals, or smaller streams..I learned how to ice skate by holding on to a wooden chair for support..and then my wooden shoes (or leather shoes) would be tied to the skates..if you have ever read the book of Hans Brinker you would know what I mean. There would be ice skating races on the canals from vilage to village..and it was a big thing and a great event in Friesland. Too bad for global warming because the canals rarely freeze up any more for these great races. Then of course we had snow ball fights..and building snow houses when we would get enough snow to do so.

In the spring time we would hunt for eggs the ducks would lay on the creek banks and canals..and bring them home to eat..I think there is a law against doing so anymore..but back when I was a kid we could do so..it was fun. Also we did "sletsje springen"..were we had a long pole and jumped accross the small creeks.. when I did it..they had to be extra small cause I did not want to fall in..since I could not swim. This is still a big sport event in Friesland..and many times some people who jump could not make it all the way across the creek and would fall in.

Ok I will have to finish this later and my computer seems to be freezing up in one application at least..so I hope this posts. Come back and read another segment next time..and remember to when you get to this site http://aalie.multiply.com/ click on Aaltje's Stories if you have missed a segment that you really want to read.

God Bless You till next time.

Love, Aalie

Beware Of Jumping To Conclusions

Monday, September 28, 2009
Thought of the Day

(Courtesy of Our Daily Bread)
Click link above for devotional:

"Beware Of Jumping To Conclusions"

To avoid an embarrassing fall, don't jump to a wrong conclusion.

Bkg. Courtesy Of
Christian Backgrounds

Nailed To The Cross

Sunday, September 27, 2009
Thought of the Day

(Courtesy of Our Daily Bread)
Click link above for devotional:

"Nailed To The Cross"

Guilt is a burden God
never intended
His children to bear.







Please do not remove credits
Christian Backgrounds

Aalie's Life Stories ~ 4

I call this group of kids the "Oosterstraat Ploeg" which means the "East Street Gang". These are some of the kids in the neighborhood that we played with. In the back row are Freek, My brother Gerrit, and Wiebe..standing in front of Gerrit with his arm blocking the sun in his eyes is my little brother Libbe. The front row L-R is Me, My sister Trijntje, my best girlfriend Geertje and Fientsje..whom we called for years Fienkje..we never said her name correctly.

Fientsje lived right across the street from our house with her adopted mother. Her adopted dad killed himself when he found a grenade in the field behind their house..during the end of the 2nd World War...he tried to take it apart and apparently and it exploded. This was a sad time for Fientsje and her now widowed mother..and she always had a rough life. But one thing for sure we loved her as one of our very best friends..in fact we used to go to her house a lot and her mom would bake cookies..or would give us an apple...I still remember the very large grandfather clock in their dining room....and also the cuckoo clock which would go cuckoo every half hour..I have no idea how they could sleep at night. She and my sister Trijntje were the best of friends and close to the same age.

Geertje was closer to my age..and was my best friend. We would play over at my house or her house. Her dad was both a mailman..and a shoemaker..so if we needed our wooden shoes or leather shoes repaired he would do it most of the time..unless he was too busy then we would have to go to another shoe repairman in town. I remember going to Geertje house a lot..and they had a piano in their living room..and lots of Christian song books from the Psalms. I will tell more about her in another segment.

Both Fientsje and Geertje and also Freerk all went to the Christian school..about a block from our house. Wiebe and our family went to the public school.. I suppose if my parents had been church goers they would have sent us to this school also..but my parents ..although good people..did not go to church..although my mother when she was of school age did attend this Christian school. This is the reason I would usually go to church with my grandmother...since my own parents did not go.

Freerk also lived across the street from us..he was from a large family..I cannot remember the names of all in his family..except for his parents Ulbe and Trien, and his sisters Elske, Minke, and Afke..he has some older brothers I just cannot remember their names. They moved to Canada not long after we moved to the US..but his parents were homesick and moved back to Friesland with some of the kids. Freerk still lives in Canada..and also his sister Elske..I believe he also has a brother who lives in Michigan. I hear from Freerk and Minke through e-mail every once in a while. Freerk grew up to become a minister.

Wiebe still lives in Witmarsum..we saw him and his wife..in 2000 and visited in their home..and we enjoyed some time together also in 2002..and saw them shortly when I was there in 2007. He is doing well..and has a lovely home and a garden in his back yard that keeps him busy in his retirement days. Wiebe and Freerk were my brother Gerrit's best friends.

Next time I will talk about some of the games we played when we were kids. There were no computers..and no TV's in the house..so as kids we actually went outdoors and played. Which more kids should be doing today..it's a lot healthier than staying indoors all the time. I am closing this for today so come back to the next section next time.

If you have missed any part just click on Aaltje's stories or Aaltje's Verhaaltjes to catch up. God Bless You!!

More to come!

Aalie's Life Stories ~ 3

The above is a picture of our family in front of our house in Witmarsum. From left to right starting with the back is my sister Reintje, and my brother Wietze. Then second row is my sister Trijntje,Me (the cute one ..lol), my mother Hittje, grandmother Reintje, and my dad Berend. The front row is my brother Gerrit (laying in the grass), and my brother Libbe..who is also standing next to my mother with a ball in his hand. The three youngest of us were born in this house during the 2nd World War. Believe it or not I still have a lot of memories living in that house..and some of the things we went through during the war even though I was very young....which I will talk about later.

This house was at the time we lived there in two sections..there was a widow lady living on the other side of the house by herself..her name was Maaike. In the back of the house was a shed for tools and garden equipment that my dad used in his work..right next to the shed on the leftside was our outhouse ..we did not have bathroom facilities inside the house. We entered the house though the backdoor..there was no other door to get inside..and immediately entered the kitchen area...on the left side was the sink and water faucet..there were a few cabinets around it. Farther on the left side was my mother's cook stove..which was heated by burning wood inside, or turfs..many times during the war times and also after the war we were sent out to look for pieces of wood to start the fire with. On the right side of the kitchen was a door that led to the basement..where there was also a food pantry..and a place where my mother kept her jars of canned food. The basement was the only place to keep our food cool...as we did not have a refigerator.

The kitchen was not large enough for us to place table and chairs in..so we had our dining room furniture in the same room as our living room furniture. But the table was the most important and enjoyable place to sit by...here we played many games, drew lots of pictures and colored them too. Besides reading books was mostly done by the dining room table...in the living room. Except for my brother Wietze..he always sat in a comfortable chair and leaned his head up against the wall and read his books. We had one lounge chair in the living room that you could sit on and stretch your legs on ..and sometimes if we were sick..we got to lay there..so our mother could keep an eye on us better. We also had a wood burning stove in the living room to help keep that room and the downstairs warm in the winter time. My mother also kepts many plants in the window sills..both winter and summer..she had a very green tumb..and did well with her plants. Then my parents bedroom was downstairs..straight back on the right side looking through the above picture right window.

The kids bedrooms were upstairs..we had to go back into the kitchen and next to the outside door on the left side facing the back door from the inside. We had to climb the stairs..which were a bit on the steep side..and first entered my oldest two brother's bedroom..and then through a door was the girl's bedroom..but we had a baby bed in that room for my little brother also. Behind the baby bed was a door that led to the attic..were my oldest brother spent many nights..when he was in hiding during the 2nd World War.

More to Come

If you have missed any part..please go to http://aalie.multiply.com/ and click on AaltjesVerhaaltjes or Aalie's Stories to catch up. God Bless You.

Aalie's Life Stories ~ 2

I was born in a small town called Witmarsum. Located in the province of Friesland, of the Netherlands.

This is where I went to church with my grandmother. It is in the center of the town..

It is of the Nederlands Herformed denomination. The church is built on top of graves and beautifil markers make up the floor of the church, they are from the early 1400 to 1600's.

Around the church is also a grave yard. Where my grandparents a baby brother and some uncles and aunts are buried. When I was back in 2000 (for the first time after 50 years), there were beautiful little flowers that were growing in the grass. I picked some of them! I remember them from when I was a child as we used to chain them together and make necklaces and bracelets out of them. They were beautiful.

We also got to go inside and look all over the church.

It is beautiful!!

I had a chance to go to a church service on a Sunday morning while there in 2000.

These are just short segments of my life stories..as it takes to much time to write large segments...and your time also is valuable. So if you miss any part..please check the Aaltje's Verhaaltjes or Aalie's Stories tags to catch up. Hope you will enjoy..if you have any questions..please do not hesitate to ask and I will reply as soon as I can.

http://aalie.multiply.com/

More to Come

Everyone Sings

Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Thought of the Day

(Courtesy of Our Daily Bread)
Click link above for devotional:

"Everyone Sings"

Those who know Christ now
will sing His praise forever.

Bkg. Courtesy of
Christian Backgrounds

Aalie's Life Stories ~

I will be posting from time to time small segments stories of my life..you will be able to find them under the link..Aaltje's Verhaaltjes or Aalie's Stories.

My real name is Aaltje..I was named after my mother's oldest sister. This used to be the custom in the Netherlands for many years. My older two brothers were name after my grandfathers, and my two older sisters were named after my two grandmothers. My youngest brother was named after one of my dad's brothers.

The above picture is of the street where I was born.. in the province of Friesland.

In December of 1950 we left Rotterdam, Holland to board the ship Noordam to immigrate to the USA. I was 9 years old at the time.

It was a first class ship at that time, later was turned into a cruise ship. It was the first time we were ever on that large a ship.The first time I ever drank pop, rootbeer.

There was a movie star on board the ship my mother said it was Bette Davis. But I do not know as I never went to movies, and did not even know what a movie star was.

One time there were sirens and we were told to put on our life jackets and go on the deck of the ship. This scared me , because I thought maybe we were going to sink! I had heard about the Titanic, and this ship was like the Titanic. When we got to the deck, we were told that it had been a drill in case of a probable problem. I was glad about that because I never could get that life jacket on right and everybody was too busy worrying about their own that they thought mine was on OK.

I was sea sick most of the time while on board that ship. I was so thirsty and felt I could drink the ocean dry, but every time I would drink something I would get sick again. A few times though I did get to play on deck. It was fun to get to do some exploring. Everything was so fancy aboard the ship! There were ballrooms, a theater, fancy dining room, even a swimming pool. All around the deck there was lounge chairs placed for all the passengers where you could sit and relax to read a book or just watch the ocean. This I did a few times. But it being in December it was chilly at times at you needed to cover up to stay warm. One time I got to see some whales that followed the ship, I think they threw out garbage at times and the whales fed on this. Usually though all you could see was water and more water!! It was a long trip. We has a severe storm that lasted several days and kept us from going forward.

So it took us about 12 -14 days to get to the USA. When we did get to the USA the first thing we saw was the Statue of Liberty!! My little five year old brother asked if that was our uncle?

We landed at Hoboken, New Jersey. My little brother wore his wooden shoes to the USA. We spent the night in New York City...in a hotel..we were so tired..but loved all the lights and glitter of New York. It was so beautiful in New York at that time of the year as they still had all their Christmas decorations and lights up.

Just click on the tag Aaltje's Verhaaltjes or Aalie's Stories if you happen to miss some...here at http://aalie.multiply.com

The reason I am adding the link is because I am also sending this story to Blogger and Facebook...as I do most of my posts here.

More to Come

Something Good Has Happened-But it might make you cry!!

Read this wonderful heartwarming story of two brothers who were seperated through adoption..or watch the video.

Click Here <----Click

The Others

Sunday, September 20, 2009
Thought of the Day

(Courtesy of Our Daily Bread)
Click link above for devotional:

"The Others"

The way to have joy in
persecution
is to find your joy in Jesus.

Bkg. Courtesy of
Christian Backgrounds

The Practice of Surrender

The Practice of Surrender

by Rick Warren

"If people want to follow me, they must give up the things they want. They must be willing even to give up their lives to follow me." - Matthew 16:24 (NCV)

Paul's moment of surrender occurred on the Damascus road after he was knocked down by blinding light. For others, less drastic methods are needed to get our attention. Regardless, surrendering is never just a one-time event. Paul said, "I die daily" (1 Corinthians 15:31 NASB).

There is a moment of surrender and there is the practice of surrender, which is moment-by-moment and lifelong. The practice of surrender requires perseverance; you may have to re-surrender your life fifty times a day: "If people want to follow me, they must give up the things they want. They must be willing even to give up their lives [daily] to follow me" (Matthew 16:24 NCV).

Let me warn you: When you decide to live a totally surrendered life, that decision will be tested. Sometimes it will mean doing inconvenient, unpopular, costly, or seemingly impossible tasks. It will often mean doing the opposite of what you feel like doing.

"Those who are living by their natural inclinations have their minds on the things human nature desires; those who live in the Spirit have their minds on spiritual things" (Romans 8:5 NJB).

We are, by nature, self-centered. When hurt by someone, your natural inclination is to hurt back. It is natural to hoard money instead of generously sharing it, to defend yourself when criticized, to hide your mistakes instead of confessing them, and to try to impress others. You can usually figure out what will please God by doing the opposite of your natural inclination.

Bill Bright founded Campus Crusade for Christ. Through the worldwide Crusade staff, his tract "The Four Spiritual Laws," and the "JESUS" film (seen by over one billion people), it's estimated that over 150 million people have come to Christ and will spend eternity in heaven.

I once asked Bill, "Why did God use and bless your life so much?" He said, "When I was a young man I made a contract with God. I literally wrote it out and signed my name at the bottom. It said 'From this day forward, I am a slave of Jesus Christ.'"

Have you signed a contract like that with God? Or, are you still arguing and struggling with God over his right to do with your life as he pleases?

It is time to surrender - to God's grace, love, and wisdom.

as seen in the February 23, 2009 issue of Rick Warren's The Purpose Driven Connection Daily Devotional newsletter

His Understudies: Surrender

His Understudies: Surrender

by David Jeremiah

"He went away a second time and prayed, "My Father, if it is not possible for this cup to be taken away unless I drink it, may Your will be done." - Matthew 26:42

It's often been said of some great military leader or another: "He never asked us to do something he wasn't willing to do himself." By comparing Matthew 6 with Matthew 26, we see this is true of Christ. In the earlier passage, He taught us to pray, "Your will be done on earth." In the latter passage, He Himself prayed, "May Your will be done in Me."

Surrendering our "all" to Christ doesn't mean we're dispirited prisoners waving a white flag. It means we've come face to face with the King of Kings, and we are willing to defer every preference to Him. Knowing He is all-powerful, we submit as a servant to a king. Knowing He is all-loving, we yield as a child to a father. Knowing He is all-wise, we gladly choose His will over our own.

The Lord would rather have one person who is 100-percent committed than 100 people who are 90-percent yielded.

Lord, not my will, but Yours be done!

from Dr. David Jeremiah's "Today's Turning Point" daily devotional. www.TurningPointOnline.org

Freeze!

Freeze!

Nineteen-year-old Liu Shih-Kun was an amazing pianist in China until the 1966 Cultural Revolution banned all things of Western influence. Refusing to renounce his beloved music, Liu was branded an enemy of the state and thrown into a tiny jail cell with no friends, no books, and even worse; no piano.

Six years later, for political reasons, he was asked to play in Beijing with the Philadelphia Orchestra. After years without an instrument to practice on, he performed brilliantly. Eighteen months later when he was finally released, he again played flawlessly.

His secret? Stripped of everything musical, for seven and a half years Liu disciplined himself to shut out negative thoughts and practice hour after hour on an imaginary piano.

What if you were in that position; all alone, the things you love taken away, would you find a positive focus or would you freak out and think of the worst thing that could happen?

Police shout 'Freeze!' when they want to stop a suspect and protect themselves. And you can freeze out harmful thinking by capturing every thought and making it "obedient to Christ." (2 Corinthians 10:5) Paul says, "For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against... the spiritual forces." (Ephesians 6:12) Your thoughts have power. To win over them, you must totally surrender to Jesus and control what you allow your mind to dwell on.

firstIMPRESSIONS

What Do I Need To Do?

What Do I Need To Do?



by Pastor Timothy Satryan

Why is it that so many Christians seemingly struggle through their life, not seeing breakthrough, working so hard, and ending up further back than they were when they started? For some, they appear to live out the old saying, "two steps forward, three steps back." I have heard many people angrily ask, "What do I need to do?!"

Quite often, the answer can be summed up in just one word - surrender. Although they are believers in Jesus Christ, they have yet to discover and walk in a life that is fully surrendered to the Lord they profess as their savior.

The dictionary tells us that "surrender" means to yield something to the possession or power of another; to give oneself up; to give up, abandon, or relinquish; or to yield or resign in favor of another. As a believer in Christ, we are called to be a people of total surrender - to God. By surrendering to God, we admit that He is ultimately in control of everything, including our present circumstances. Surrendering to God helps us to let go of whatever has been holding us back from God's best for our lives. By surrendering to God, we let go of whatever has kept us from wanting God's ways first.

What do you need to do? Every one of us needs to make purposeful choices to surrender to God in every area of our life. This often goes against what seems logical to us. I'm sure it seemed completely illogical to Abraham, when God asked him to sacrifice his son, Isaac. But, Abraham's decision to completely surrender to God was absolutely necessary.

How do we surrender everything to God? This Sunday we will look at five key areas in our life that we must surrender, in our message "Ingredients of a Surrendered Life." You won't want to miss this life-changing message!

You can hear this message by Pastor Timothy Satryan by clicking the following link here:

Ingredients of a Surrendered Life <---Click

Investing in the Most Important

Investing in the Most Important

by David Jeremiah

"But God said to him, "Fool! This night your soul will be required of you; then whose will those things be which you have provided?" So is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God." - Luke 12:20-21

In recent years, lots of people have been forced to decide what is most valuable to them. There have been hurricanes Katrina, Rita, Gustav, and Ike that battered the American Gulf Coast states. Then there were the massive 2008 floods in the Midwest, and the unusually severe 2007 Southern California wildfires. In each case, hundreds of thousands of people were forced to abandon their homes, taking their most valuable possessions with them.

What would you take if you were given two hours to evacuate your home and flee an impending disaster? Most people take things they don't use every day: family pictures, personal and family records and legal documents, heirlooms and items of value. Many things that we think we can't live without (TV, music, sports equipment) would be left behind. It behooves us not to decide what's most important just in times of crisis, but every day. And we need to invest God's resources in that which is most important, as well.

Only two things will last for eternity: the souls of people and the Word of God. Investing in both now is the best way to lay up treasures in heaven.

from Dr. David Jeremiah's "Today's Turning Point" daily devotional. www.TurningPointOnline.org

As seen in firstIMPRESSIONS, Volume 9.36.

America and the Day of the Lord

This Week's Guest on the Sid Roth Program

is:

John McTernan
September 14-20, 2009
John McTernan has discovered predictions within the ancient Jewish writings of the prophet Obadiah that point to a major earthshaking war that is about to erupt. Learn how this will impact you and your family and how you can avoid being a victim of God's coming warning judgments.

Click the link below to watch this segment:
http://www.sidroth.org/site/PageServer?pagename=tv_watchonline

Don't Waste Your Life

Tax Assessor

Tax Assessor

A tax assessor came one day to a poor pastor to determine the amount of taxes the pastor would have to pay. The following conversation took place.

"What property do you possess?" asked the assessor.

"I am a very wealthy man," replied the minister.

"List your possessions, please," the assessor instructed.

"First, I have everlasting life (John 3:16). Second, I have a mansion in heaven (John 14:2). Third, I have peace that passeth understanding (Philippians 4:7). Fourth, I have joy unspeakable (1 Peter 1:8). Fifth, I have divine love which never faileth (1 Corinthians 13:8). Sixth, I have a faithful precious wife (Proverbs 31:10). Seventh, I have healthy, happy obedient children (Exodus 20:12). Eighth, I have true, loyal friend (Proverbs 18:24). Ninth, I have songs in the night (Psalms 42:8). Tenth, I have a crown of life (James 1:12)."

The tax assessor closed his book, and said, "Truly you are a very rich man, but your wealth is not subject to taxation.

As seen in firstIMPRESSIONS, Volume 9.36. Live for God, on purpose, never losing heart, never giving up!

"Having It All"

Having It All

If anyone ever 'had it all' Solomon did. Knowledge, power, and the biggest bank account ever! On top of that his house was full of 100's of beautiful women, plus he was a famous writer, a connoisseur of fine wines and his dinner parties resembled "lifestyles of the rich and famous." In his spare time he built magnificent palaces, gardens and parks!

But here's the amazing thing: Solomon never found fulfillment in his unlimited possessions, power or pleasure - and he really did try... read Ecclesiastes and see for yourself! That's why he made this statement near the end of his life - "Here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man." (Ecclesiastes 12:13)

There you have it. Solomon, one of the most powerful and people who ever lived, saying, "Take it from a guy who's tried it all: This world, despite all its glitz and glamour, cannot fill the empty place in your soul. Only a relationship with God will satisfy your deepest longings."

So, what about you? Have you found the ultimate fulfillment that only Jesus Christ can bring? Open your heart to Him. Ask Him to forgive your sins and fill you with His life and love. Then spend your days getting to know Him. That's the smartest move you can ever make. And that's the way to true riches.

As seen in firstIMPRESSIONS, Volume 9.36. Live for God, on purpose, never losing heart, never giving up!

Being a Vessel to Bless Others

Being a Vessel to Bless Others

" One man gives freely, yet gains even more; another withholds unduly, but comes to poverty. A generous man will prosper; he who refreshes others will himself be refreshed." - Proverbs 11:24-25

One of the reasons God entrusts money to us is to bless other Christians by meeting their needs. God uses the transfer of money within the Body of Christ to build unity among Christians. Sometimes we withhold money that God has designated for someone else. He wants to bless through us, but His will cannot be accomplished through us if we are disobedient.

This was the case for a business owner who tells of the time when God told him to forego a company bonus one year. God directed him to share his year-end bonus with an employee to show his appreciation for him. He wrestled with God for three full days before obeying the Lord on the matter. When he finally met with the employee to give him his check, the man said he had been praying about a financial need he had three days earlier. He had decided to borrow the money to meet his need. The amount of money he borrowed was the exact amount the business owner gave him.

God had already planned to provide for the employee through the business owner, but because he was hesitant, he almost missed the opportunity to be an instrument of God in this man's life. Even so, he could have prevented the man from having to borrow money. It was an important lesson for the business owner.

How many people do we let down because we feel the "harvest" God provides is all ours? In America, the pressure is always on to move up the ladder of material accumulation. Jesus warned us about this. If our focus is on accumulation, we will not look for opportunities to be God's vessels of financial blessing to others. Ask the Lord if you have an open hand when it comes to finances.

as seen in Os Hillman's daily email devotional, "TGIF Today God Is First"

From firstIMPRESSIONS, Volume 9.36.

Mell's Smiley Face

Sunday September 13, 2009
Thought of the Day

(Courtesy of Our Daily Bread)
Click link above for devotional:

"Mell's Smiley Face"

God often digs wells of joy
with the spade of sorrow.

Bkg. Courtesy of
Christian Backgrounds

How Honest Are You?

Friday September 11, 2009
Thought of the Day

(Courtesy of Our Daily Bread)
Click link above for devotional:

"How Honest Are You?"

There are no
degrees of honesty.

Bkg. Courtesy of
Christian Backgrounds

How Honest Are You?

Friday September 11, 2009
Thought of the Day

(Courtesy of Our Daily Bread)
Click link above for devotional:

"How Honest Are You?"

There are no
degrees of honesty.

Bkg. Courtesy of
Christian Backgrounds

25 Things About to Become Extinct in America

25 Things About to Become Extinct in America

Think that nothing ever changes? Think again! Here is a list of 25 things that are about to disappear from America -

25. U.S. Post Office
They are pricing themselves out of existence. With e-mail, and online services they are a relic of the past. (refer to #9) Packages are also sent faster and cheaper with UPS.

24. Yellow Pages
This year will be pivotal for the global Yellow Pages industry. Much like newspapers, print Yellow Pages will continue to bleed dollars to their various digital counterparts, from Internet Yellow Pages (Imps), to local search engines and combination search/listing services like Reach Local and Yodel Factors like 20 an acceleration of the print 'fade rate' and the looming recession will contribute to the onslaught. One research firm predicts the falloff in usage of newspapers and print Yellow Pages could even reach 10% this year - much higher than the 2%-3% fade rate seen in past years.

23. Classified Ads
The Internet has made so many things obsolete that newspaper classified ads might sound like just another trivial item on a long list. But this is one of those harbingers of the future that could signal the end of civilization as we know it. The argument is that if newspaper classifieds are replaced by free online listings at sites like Craigslist.org and Google base, then newspapers are not far behind them.

22. Movie Rental Stores
While Netflix is looking up at the moment, Blockbuster keeps closing store locations by the hundreds. It still has about 6,000 left across the world, but those keep dwindling and the stock is down considerably in 2008, especially since the company gave up a quest of Circuit City. Movie Gallery, which owned the Hollywood Video brand, closed up shop earlier this year. Countless small video chains and mom-and-pop stores have given up the ghost already.

21. Dial-up Internet Access
Dial-up connections have fallen from 40% in 2001 to 10% in 2008. The combination of an infrastructure to accommodate affordable high speed Internet connections and the disappearing home phone have all but pounded the final nail in the coffin of dial-up Internet access.

20. Phone Land Lines
According to a survey from the National Center for Health Statistics, at the end of 2007, nearly one in six homes was cell-only and, of those homes that had land lines, one in eight only received calls on their cells.

19. Chesapeake Bay Blue Crabs
Maryland's icon, the blue crab, has been fading away in Chesapeake Bay. Last year Maryland saw the lowest harvest (22 million pounds) since 1945. Just four decades ago the bay produced 96 million pounds. The population is down 70% since 1990, when they first did a formal count. There are only about 120 million crabs in the bay and they think they need 200 million for a sustainable population. Over-fishing, pollution, invasive species and global warming get the blame.

18. VCRs
For the better part of three decades, the VCR was a best-seller and staple in every American household until being completely decimated by the DVD, and now the Digital Video Recorder (DVR). In fact, the only remnants of the VHS age at your local Wal-Mart or Radio Shack are blank VHS tapes these days. Pre-recorded VHS tapes are largely gone and VHS decks are practically nowhere to be found. They served us so well.

17. Ash Trees
In the late 1990's, a pretty, iridescent green species of beetle, now known as the emerald ash borer, hitched a ride to North America with ash wood products imported from eastern Asia. In less than a decade, its larvae have killed millions of trees in the Midwest, and continue to spread. They've killed more than 30 million ash trees in southeastern Michigan alone, with tens of millions more lost in Ohio and Indiana. More than 7.5 billion ash trees are currently at risk.

16. Ham Radio
Amateur radio operators enjoy personal (and often worldwide) wireless communications with each other and are able to support their communities with emergency and disaster communications if necessary, while increasing their personal knowledge of electronics and radio theory. However, proliferation of the Internet and its popularity among youth has caused the decline of amateur radio. In the past five years alone, the number of people holding active ham radio licenses has dropped by 50,000, even though Morse Code is no longer a requirement.

15. The Swimming Hole
Thanks to our litigious society, swimming holes are becoming a thing of the past. '20/20' reports that swimming hole owners, like Robert Every in High Falls, NY, are shutting them down out of worry that if someone gets hurt they'll sue. And that's exactly what happened in Seattle. The city of Bellingham was sued by Katie Hofstetter who was paralyzed in a fall at a popular swimming hole in Whatcom Falls Park. As injuries occur and lawsuits follow, expect more swimming holes to post 'Keep out!' signs.

14. Answering Machines
The increasing disappearance of answering machines is directly tied to No 20 our list - the decline of landlines. According to USA Today, the number of homes that only use cell phones jumped 159% between 2004 and 2007. It has been particularly bad in New York; since 2000, landline usage has dropped 55%. It's logical that as cell phones rise, many of them replacing traditional landlines, that there will be fewer answering machines.

13. Cameras That Use Film
It doesn't require a statistician to prove the rapid disappearance of the film camera in America. Just look to companies like Nikon, the professional' s choice for quality camera equipment. In 2006, it announced that it would stop making film cameras, pointing to the shrinking market - only 3% of its sales in 2005, compared to 75% of sales from digital cameras and equipment.

12. Incandescent Bulbs
Before a few years ago, the standard 60-watt (or, yikes, 100-watt) bulb was the mainstay of every U.S. home. With the green movement and all-things-sustainable-energy crowd, the Compact Fluorescent Light bulb (CFL) is largely replacing the older, Edison-era incandescent bulb. The EPA reports that 2007 sales for Energy Star CFLs nearly doubled from 2006, and these sales accounted for approximately 20 percent of the U.S. light bulb market. And according to USA Today, a new energy bill plans to phase out incandescent bulbs in the next four to 12 years.

11. Stand-Alone Bowling Alleys
Bowling Balls. US claims there are still 60 million Americans who bowl at least once a year, but many are not bowling in stand-alone bowling alleys. Today most new bowling alleys are part of facilities for all types or recreation including laser tag, go-karts, bumper cars, video game arcades, climbing walls and glow miniature golf. Bowling lanes also have been added to many non-traditional venues such as adult communities, hotels and resorts, and gambling casinos.

10. The Milkman
According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, in 1950, over half of the milk delivered was to the home in quart bottles, by 1963, it was about a third and by 2001, it represented only 0.4% percent. Nowadays most milk is sold through supermarkets in gallon jugs. The steady decline in home-delivered milk is blamed, of course, on the rise of the supermarket, better home refrigeration and longer-lasting milk. Although some milkmen still make the rounds in pockets of the U.S., they are certainly a dying breed.

9. Hand-Written Letters
In 2006, the Radicati Group estimated that, worldwide, 183 billion e-mails were sent each day... two million each second. By November of 2007, an estimated 3.3 billion Earthlings owned cell phones, and 80% of the world's population had access to cell phone coverage. In 2004, half-a-trillion text messages were sent, and the number has no doubt increased exponentially since then. So where amongst this gorge of gabble is there room for the elegant, polite hand-written letter?

8. Wild Horses
It is estimated that 100 years ago, as many as two million horses were roaming free within the United States. In 2001, National Geographic News estimated that the wild horse population has decreased to about 50,000 head. Currently, the National Wild Horse and Burro Advisory board states that there are 32,000 free roaming horses in ten Western states, with half of them residing in Nevada. The Bureau of Land Management is seeking to reduce the total number of free range horses to 27,000, possibly by selective euthanasia.

7. Personal Checks
According to an American Bankers Assoc. report, a net 23% of consumers plan to decrease their use of checks over the next two years, while a net 14% plan to increase their use of PIN debit. Bill payment remains the last stronghold of paper-based payments - for the time being. Checks continue to be the most commonly used bill payment method, with 71% of consumers paying at least one recurring bill per month by writing a check. However, a bill-by-bill basis, checks account for only 49% of consumers' recurring bill payments (down from 72% in 2001 and 60% in 2003).

6. Drive-in Theaters
During the peak in 1958, there were more than 4,000 drive-in theaters in this country, but in 2007 only 405 drive-ins were still operating. Exactly zero new drive-ins have been built since 2005. Only one reopened in 2005 and five reopened in 2006, so there isn't much of a movement toward reviving the closed ones.

5. Mumps and Measles
Despite what's been in the news lately, the measles and mumps actually, truly are disappearing from the United States. In 1964, 212,000 cases of mumps were reported in the U.S. By 1983, this figure had dropped to 3,000, thanks to a vigorous vaccination program. Prior to the introduction of the measles vaccine, approximately half a million cases of measles were reported in the U.S. annually, resulting in 450 deaths. In 2005, only 66 cases were recorded.

4. Honey Bees
Perhaps nothing on our list of disappearing America is so dire; plummeting so enormously; and so necessary to the survival of our food supply as the honeybee. Very scary. 'Colony Collapse Disorder,' or CCD, has spread throughout the U.S. and Europe over the past few years, wiping out 50% to 90% of the colonies of many beekeepers - and along with it, their livelihood.

3. News Magazines and TV News
While the TV evening newscasts haven't gone anywhere over the last several decades, their audiences have. In 1984, in a story about the diminishing returns of the evening news, the New York Times reported that all three network evening-news programs combined had only 40.9 million viewers. Fast forward to 2008, and what they have today is half that.

2. Analog TV
According to the Consumer Electronics Association, 85% of homes in the U.S. get their television programming through cable or satellite providers. For the remaining 15% - or 13 million individuals - who are using rabbit ears or a large outdoor antenna to get their local stations, you now need to get a new TV or a converter box in order to get the new stations which are only broadcast in digital.

1. The Family Farm
Since the 1930's, the number of family farms has been declining rapidly. According to the USDA, 5.3 million farms dotted the nation in 1950, but this number had declined to 2.1 million by the 2003 farm census (data from the 2007 census is just now being published). Ninety-one percent of the U.S. FARMS are small family farms.

Both interesting and saddening, isn't it?

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Here is your copy of firstIMPRESSIONS, Volume 9.36. Live for God, on purpose, never losing heart, never giving up!

From Recession to Possession

From Recession to Possession

By Pastor Timothy Satryan

Bailouts. Foreclosures. Cutting back. Downsizing. The news is all around us here in America, and actually around the world. The economy is said to be in the worst condition in many years. The government attempts to stimulate the economy as businesses across the nation struggle to hold on in these difficult times. Families are stressed as they face real concern of how they will be able to make ends meet. Bills go unpaid, creditors make unexpected and unwanted calls, and homeowners face losing their homes. Where will it all end?

The Bible tells us of a family in a situation just like that. They didn't know how they could go on. They had come to the end of their resources, and only had just a day's worth of food left. In their mind - like I'm sure in many people's minds today - they had given up on everything - including life itself.

But, God had different plans for this family. And, He has different plans for you, too! Instead of running out of their food and supply, God intended their supply to be unending!

I want to share with you how you can have great possessions - even through a time of great recession! Be sure to join us this Sunday here at WFA as we look at 1 Kings 17:8-16 in our message "From Recession To Possession!" Don't miss this message - it will change your life!

Here is your copy of firstIMPRESSIONS, Volume 9.36. Live for God, on purpose, never losing heart, never giving up!

You can hear the message Pastor Timothy Satryan preached by clicking the following link: http://www.wfa.org/sermons/index.html