Just Be A Tree

Good Morning Everyone,

I guess most of us feel like complaining about our
problems from time to time. We tell anyone who will
listen, and then we expect sympathy.

Something I have noticed in the last few years, is
such a dramatic change in the way people react
to each other's problems. To be honest, most
people have their plate so full, and feel so overwhelmed,
they have little sympathy left for others, that last more
than the few minutes to say "oh I am sorry to hear that".

They might give a polite response, oh I will be praying
for you.. and then walk away and say whew.. glad
that is over.. and then go back into their own
mentality of how in the world am I going to deal
with my own situation.

It is important to remember, we are a body of
Christ, we are to strengthen one another, pray for
one another. And if we are "really" lifting our
needs to God in prayer, and "really" trusting him
our minds and hearts should be burden free, as
we leave it in our hands and go about our business,
being a witness and testimony for Him.

How do I know? I had to learn to do this.. I still
do daily. Just Let Go, and trust God. You are either
taking Him at his word.. or you are allowing doubt
and fear to rule your spirit!

Wow... novel thinking huh?

Why have churches and people changed so very much?
Because they are weary, divided, lonely, overwhelmed
and too busy.

The strongest people I know are ones who not only
have gone through some terrible times, they have
learned from them, become wiser, more prayerful,
more resiliant, stronger~ Those are people we should
be around, so we learn from them.. so we may
be stronger people.

Problems shouldn't defeat us.. they should make us
stronger.

Let us see what the Psalms say about it.

Instructions for the day:

Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel
of the ungodly ( don't take advice from ungodly advisors)
Nor stands in the path of sinners
(corrupt company corrupts)
But his delight is in the law of the Lord and in his
Law (word) he meditates day and night
(the word imparts strength, hope and wisdom to our spirit)
He shall be like a tree (strong, resiliant)
planted by the rivers of water
(soaking up the healthy living water)
that brings forth its fruit in season
(wisdom and strength from the trials of life
which produce in us fruits of the spirit, love,
kindness, compassion)
Whose leaf shall not wither
(he shall not become weak and weary)
And whatever He does will prosper
(because his heart is turned toward God
and God's strength, releasing burdens to Him)

Psalm 1:1-3

My friends, this is the meat.. the things we must
know. Stay in the word, meditate upon it.. let its
strength infuse your spirit. For the word of God is alive,
powerful, it goes down to the bones and marrow
(the deepest part of our spirit) strengthening boldly
that which is tired and drained. God is on the throne,
he is not weak, his gifts not ceased, his power not
drained, his hope and mercies new each morning.

If you are not dwelling in His provision, changes
are ... you have become weak and weary.

God says, come home my child.. I have all
you need. I am the great I Am. I Am all you will ever
need if you "truly" rely on me, "truly" trust in Me,
"truly" cling to Me. Believe me, and don't let go of it.
I am God, and no man can come against me. I shall
prevail, my word shall not come back void, it shall
go forth and accomplish my will and nothing or no man
can stop it.

Hallelujah.. receive that.

Not only can you release those burdens, and be free,
you can find joy in sorrow, strength in pain,
and wisdom in trials. It is called growing in Christ
and in the wisdom of life. It should be making you stronger
my friends. Strong like a pine tree in a storm.

love
millie

My son in law Emmett has a mom who is in a wheel
chair from Polio. She is a very strong, wise woman
who has courage for the life she has had to face.
Even at 75 she is still working, and strong in her spirit,
even though her body is getting weaker. A testimony
to the resilience of the human spirit of someone
who does not give up, but faces life with courage.

When Emmett was smaller and she needed help
getting out of her chair.. she would have him stand
by the chair, and hold his arm out so she could lean
on it.. and she would say Emmett, be a tree.

I never forgot that.. and as life goes on.. now I see
even more clearly.. why we should be strong.. every
minute, in the power of God's might. Rely on Him utterly.

Just be a Tree


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"The Pine"

The pine is nearly always placed in disordered and desolate places and it brings all possible elements of order and precision. Lowland trees may lean to this side and that with only a meadow breeze to bend them or a bank of cowslips to make their trunks lean sideways. But let storm and avalanche do their worst, and let the pine find only a ledge of vertical precipice to cling to, the tree will nevertheless grow straight. Thrust a rod from its last shoot down the stem, it shall point to the center of the earth as long as the tree lives.

The most upright Christians are usually reared amid the sternest trials. The divine life within them so triumphs over every difficulty as to render the men, above all others, true and exact. What a noble spectacle is a man whom nothing can warp, a firm decided servant of God, defying hurricanes of temptation!

Charles Haddon Spurgeon


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Is There Really A Right And A Wrong?

copyright Millie Plastaras 8/21/2003

Is there a Right and wrong?

There is a way that seems right unto a man,
But the end, thereof, is death.
Proverbs 14:12
Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad
is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who
go by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way
which leads to life, and there are few who find it.
Matthew 7:13-14

Everyone likes to make plans. We plan goals, we plan
meals, we plan for families, we plan for a job, we plan
on tomorrow. We all want security. We all want our life
to be successful and happy.

Yet the very thing that brings security, most people walk
away from, and cannot seem to clearly find their way back.
Everyone justifies themselves in their own eyes, but God
sees the heart. (For the Lord does not see as a man sees,
for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord
looks at the heart. 1 Samuel 16:7b)

People like to justify their sin by blaming someone else,
it is always someone who hurt us in the past, or someone
who is hurting us now. It is my life, I can do what I want.

There are a million excuses. But God is the final judge of that.
Yet, broad is the way to destruction, and easy it is to follow.
Yet narrow is the path to Gods heart, and difficult, and few
there are that follow it. People do not cause us to sin,
we make that choice, all by ourselves.

People also try to change God's word so their sin will not be
revealed. They want to deny the writings of Paul, who taught
about personal righteousness before God and our accountability.
They love their sin more than they seek to love God, and want
to continue in that sin no matter what the eternal consequences are.

There is a law higher than the law of this land or any other, it is
the Law of God, there is no escaping the final judgment, unless
you have made Jesus Christ your Lord and Savior, and taken it
seriously. Non Christians will be judged because they rejected
God and continued in their sin, and Christians will be
judged according to their works, and rewarded or lose rewards for
what they have done for Christ.

There is a right and wrong. There is a black and white.
It doesn't matter what our opinions are, it matters what
God requires. Because someday, when we walk before
His throne, and account for every word, and every deed,
all the whitewashed lies, and all the flimsy excuses will
lose their grip on us, and the truth will be so crystal clear.
We were disobedient.

The world would deceive us, and have us believe anything
is OK, if we want to do it ... it is our "right".

As we become caught up in the cares of this life, the sins
of the flesh, the lust of the eye, we find our conscience
becoming seared. We no longer has a clear picture of right
and wrong. But the Word of God says .. we must be born
again. This means.. That when we accept Jesus as our
Savior, and ask forgiveness for our sins, that we walk away
from those sins.. we become new in Christ.
(If anyone belongs to Christ, there is a new creation. The
old things have gone; everything is made new.
2 Corinthians 5:17)

All of the events in our lives, all of the people in our lives,
all of our relationships, all of our jobs, all of our possessions
will pass away. They will be as the chaff of the wheat,
blown away in the wind. The seasons of life pass,
and when all the chaff is cleared away, one things remains
true.

Only one life, will soon be past
Only what is done, For Christ will last.

The wicked should stop doing wrong, and they should stop
their evil thoughts. They should return to the Lord so He may
have mercy upon them. They should come to our God,
because He will freely forgive them.
Isaiah 35:7

Am I then wicked? Search your heart, for the Bible tells
us that there is none righteous.. we all have sinned and
fall short of the Glory of God. We all have wicked thoughts,
and we all sin.. and we all must come to repentance.
(Romans 3:23, Romans 6:23)

The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately
wicked, who can know it? I, the Lord, search the heart,
I test the mind, even to give every man according to His ways.
According to the fruit of His doings.
Jeremiah 17:9-10

We have to seek Him, we have to obey Him, we have to leave
our sins behind, confess the new ones we do. And we
have to PURSUE righteousness. No compromise.

Good works without faith is dead. So is faith without good works.
WE must have both. Together they compose the symphony
of our Christian walk. WE have faith in Christ, and because
of our love for Him, and our desire to please Him,
we produce good works. It is not just enough to give up
a couple of areas of our lives, we must give Him our ALL.

What pleases the Lord more, burnt offerings and sacrifices
or obedience to His voice?
It is better to obey than to sacrifice. It is better to listen to God
than to offer the fat of sheep.
Disobedience is as bad as the sin of witchcraft!!!
Pride is as bad as the sin of worshipping idols!!
You have rejected the Lord's commands, and now
He rejects you as king.
1 Samuel 15:22-23

There is one truth above all.
NO one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one
and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one
and despise the other. You cannot serve God and man.
Matthew 6:24

Who is your master today? Are you really sold out to God,
or are you walking a wide berth around the narrow path
of righteousness?

Is God... really your God?

If He isn't ... guess who is!

This is the most important question you will ever ask yourself.
And it is life... or death.

remember
Only one life,
will soon be past
Only what is done, For Christ will last

The Seeds We Plant

Good Morning Everyone,

Life is what is happening around us while we are making plans for it.

While we are busy thinking, and worrying and feeling sorry,
or stuck in a rut, life keeps moving on. Precious moments passing,
forever gone, and irretrievable.

Often I think we need a reality check that reminds us we should
be living life rather than letting it pass us by. We will not come
this way again.

Our daily life is a investment. Make each day count for something.
Plant seeds of love, kindness, hope, and forgiveness. They will
take root in the lives of those around you and be a blessing and
a Godly example.

What do you want to be remembered for? Are you making it happen?
What goals have you set to make it happen? Are you frittering your
time away on things that do not profit, but leave you depressed and
feeling hopeless?
Pick yourself up, dust yourself off, close in with God, leave your
burdens at his feet, they will be taken care of. Go out and live life
and be successful, be happy and make a difference. You will not
pass this way again. No worry, no problem should be capable of
robbing you of years of your life, and memories you could be
building with others, and investments you could be making in the
lives of others or to improve yourself, physically, spiritually, and
mentally.

God bless you my friends.. this is a new day, seize it,
be filled with thanks for the precious gift of a new day.
Make it shine with hope and strength and forgiveness.
Go out and smell the roses, savor your relationships,
and give yourself a day off from your trials and troubles.

love always
millie


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Be careful for nothing, but in every thing by prayer and supplication
with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.
And the peace of God which passes all understanding shall keep your
hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Finally brethren, whatsoever
things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just,
whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever
things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any
praise, think (dwell, on receive, and find strength and joy in) these things.
Philippians 4:6-8


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THE ACORN PLANTER

In the 1930s, a young traveler was exploring the French Alps. He came upon
a vast stretch of barren land. It was desolate. It was forbidding. It was
ugly. It was the kind of place you hurry away from.

Then, suddenly, the young traveler stopped dead in his tracks. In the
middle of this vast wasteland was a bent-over old man. On his back was a
sack of acorns. In his hand was a four-foot length of iron pipe.

The man was using the iron pipe to punch holes in the ground. Then from the
sack he was carrying, he would grab an acorn and put it in the hole. Later
the old man talked with the traveler and told him, I've planted over
100,000 acorns. Perhaps only a tenth of them will grow. The old man's wife
and son had died, and this was how he chose to spend his final years. I
want to do something useful, he said.

Twenty-five years later the now-not-as-young traveler returned to the same
desolate area. What he saw amazed him. He could not believe his own eyes.
The land was covered with a beautiful forest two miles wide and five miles
long. Birds were singing, animals were playing, and wild flowers perfumed
the air.

The traveler stood there recalling the desolation that once was; a
beautiful oak forest stood there now - all because someone cared.

By Brian Cavanaugh

In Search Of Happiness

copyright Millie Plastaras 6/6/2008

I rejoice greatly in the Lord that at last you have renewed your
concern for me. Indeed you have been concerned but you
had no opportunity to show it. I am not saying this because
I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever
my circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and
I know what it is to have plenty.
I have learned the secret of being content in any and
every situation.
Philippians 4:11-12

If we really search our hearts today, most of us can say
to a good measure we are not very happy. We can
present an outward appearance of it. We can pretend
to all of our Christian friends. But when we are alone in
our quiet times, the secret pain and hurts and longings
in our heart come out, and we recognize and acknowledge it.
It is there, and it hurts! We are lonely, and bruised.

I think we could learn some lessons from Paul about this.
Paul wrote this letter from prison. (the book of Philippians)
Certainly a challenging place to keep your spirits up. Yet this letter was full
of the words joy and rejoice. Paul discovered a secret.
Happiness does not come from our circumstances
or from other people. Happiness comes from
allowing God's peace to fill us regardless of our circumstances.

I also think we need to do some mental homework.
Because of the media blitz of all the things that
are supposed to make us happy:
possessions, money, power, a great body, sex,
fun vacations, perfect health. That can be
depressing for people that have none of the above.
And most people don't have most of the above.
The point is.. we are trying to live up to the world's
expectations of what should make us happy. And we
look at all that, and say, well I don't have that, and
so I cannot be happy.

Yet, I have read book after book about people in
unbelievably sad circumstances finding total peace
within themselves. Because they learned to surrender
every bit of the worry to God. They did not allow
their circumstances to drag them down, they mentally
and spiritually rose above their circumstances.

I remember so many books By Corrie Ten Boom, whom I
personally admire greatly. She survived a death camp
in Germany where she had been interred from helping
Jews escape to freedom. She lost her father and sister there,
and went through terrible, ungodly hardships. Yet
she unwaveringly had a good attitude, and talked
about God and witnessed. I recount one story of
years after she got out of the camp, she was going
around the world telling her story, and telling
of the grace of God. And as she entered a church
a man came up to shake hands with her, and
she recognized him as one of the guards from the Nazi
death camp. And I am sure her heart stopped within her,
and She wanted to be so angry at him, and God told
her she must forgive Him. And it was so hard
for her to reach out and take his hand. But the moment
she did, she forgave him, and felt such a release within
her heart. God had done a miracle for Her and this
man that so many years ago had tortured people, and
now was humbled and had found the Lord as his savior.
Corrie often said, there is no pit so deep that God's love
is not deeper still.

My friends, if you on a daily basis are expecting others
to rescue you or fix things for you or make you happy,
you will never be happy.

If you are expecting money, power, physical things
or the things of this world to bring you happiness
you will be disappointed. They are worthless in
the long scheme of things. They do not bring inner
satisfaction. Their pleasure is brief.

If you think there is one perfect love in this world
who will make everything OK, you will be sad.
For each person, although a gift to us, and each
person brings some special joy to our lives, cannot
fill all of our needs. So each person we enjoy,
and savor what we do receive from them, and we
find peace in that. Don't have unreasonable
expectations. Just love them. And let them
love you. And if at times they cannot be what you
need, just remember all the times that they were
there for you.

Instead of spending your days, remembering
all you have lost, focusing on your pain and hurt,
and thinking sad things.

Why not take a fresh look around you,
and appreciate what you do have!

Because if you do not, life is going to pass you by,
and you are not going to be happy one day of that life.

Because all you spent your time on was your sadness.

Life is not just about being happy,
it is about learning to be content with what we
have, learning to minister to others, and learning
to make peace with whatever circumstances we find ourselves
in. If Paul can be persecuted and in prison, and find
something to be joyful about. Why can you and I not
find something to be joyful about each day?

Recognize that happiness does not depend on
your circumstances, it depends on your focus.
If you continually feast on sad thoughts,
your dinner will be sad thoughts.
If you fill your life, with being thankful for
what you do have, and loving people,
your dinner will be peace.

It is simply that easy. It is a mental choice.
You are given that fresh choice each morning,
to savor the day, or to fill it with sadness.
Choose to rise above your circumstances
and find happiness in the gift of a new day
and the blessings that you DO have.

Remember
Only one life, will soon be past
Only what is done for Christ will last.

An Absence of Darkness

Good Morning Everyone

Have you ever had the electrical power go out
in your area? It is not only inconvenient, it can
cause some serious issues. Such as heating, or
cooling in adverse weather. But the light, that
is what we miss the most. When darkness starts
to come, that light is something we really want
in our home and around it.

Have you used a flashlight on such occasions?
You see how it spreads light out before you to a
certain distance so you can see to walk where you
are going?

This is what God's word does for us. It brings light
into our situation. It lights the path, and makes our
way clearer to go. What a gift!

A Christian should be drawn towards light everyday.
We shouldn't want to walk in the despair of night,
or the darkness of the soul. WE should be drawn
to the light so we have peace. So we find our way.
So we can be a light to others.

What if no one was a light in this world? What if
Christians were suddenly taken out? What kind of
light would be left?

So while you are here on this earth, fill yourself with
the light of Christ, and let it shine upon all men so they
may see your good works and glorify your Father who is
in heaven.

The word of God says we are called from
darkness into light.

Think about this... you can not be in both.
When you are in the light.. there is no darkness
and when you are in the darkness there is no light.

We either walk with God and let his light shine through us.
Or we trudge along without him, with no light, and seemingly
no hope.

We really do make a choice everyday whether to walk
in His light (word, prayer, strength, hope) or to reject it
and try to make it on our own.

We go about our duties, our habits, with our friends, and
falter along the way, blindly because we cannot see two
minutes ahead, much less a day or two. But God can.

He has the light.

Do you?


love
millie

For you were once in darkness, but now you are the
light in the Lord. Walk as children of light.
Ephesians 5:8

And this is the condemnation that the light has come into
the world, and men loved darkness rather than light,
because their deeds were evil.
For everyone practising evil hates the light and does not
come into the light lest his deeds should be exposed.
But he who does the TRUTH comes into the light that his
deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God.
John 3:19-21

And so we have the prophetic word confirmed which you do well to heed as a
LIGHT that shines in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning
star rises in your heart.
2 Peter 1:19

Father God, make me a light to those that come around me.
Help me to change my mindset from my self, to my duty to
others and the kingdom of God. Help me to stop worrying
and start living. Help me to be kind to those in need, rather
than avoid them. Help me to be constantly in prayer,
focused on your word, so that I might not sin against you.
And give me joy, that my Christianity will not be a burden
to others, but a light. Help me not to nag or pressure,
but teach the word in love to those around me that
they will be drawn to your light, through me.

In Jesus precious name,
amen

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In the Alps in Switzerland nestles an obscure village, with a
castle and a church of rough, hewn stone, reached by worn
steps up the mountainside. The peculiar thing about this
church is that it has no lighting system nor has ever had one.

A traveler there heard a church bell ringing and saw folks
coming out of the narrow streets, each bearing a quaint little
bronze lamp filled with oil and having a wick. She approached
a worshiper and said, "Please, I am a stranger here, will you tell
me why you carry a lamp to church?"

The woman replied, "Why, yes, I would be happy to. Years
ago a duke lived in that castle. He built the church, endowed it
and asked that each worshiper bring his own lamp." The
traveler replied, " I should think that would keep folks from
attending the evening services."

"Oh, no, it works just the other way. It is called the Church of
Lighted Lamps. Everybody that goes makes it a little brighter
and when anybody is tempted to stay at home or go
somewhere else, he just remembers the dear old church needs
every body's lamp, and if your lamp isn't there, there is so much
less light."