"If the mountain was smooth then you couldn't climb it." ~Credited by another to "A late and unknown ol' Southern Black Woman who had more sense by accident than most of us have on purpose."

"People are unreasonable, illogical, and self-centered. Love them anyway. If you do good, people may accuse you of selfish motives. Do good anyway. If you are successful, you may win false friends and true enemies. Succeed anyway. The good you do today may be forgotten tomorrow. Do good anyway. Honesty and transparency make you vulnerable. Be honest and transparent anyway. What you spend years building may be destroyed overnight. Build anyway. People who really want help may attack you if you help them. Help them anyway. Give the world the best you have and you may get hurt. Give the world your best anyway."  ~attributed to Mother Teresa

"Keep your gaze on God and glance only at your problems." ~Robert Anderson

"The basic goal-reaching principle is to understand that you go as far as you can see, and when you get there you will always be able to see farther." ~Zig Ziglar

"Worship is all that I am responding to all that God is." ~Wade Hobbs

"And the thing about The Master Teacher is this, God always gives the test first and then the lesson. You see, when God gives us a test He never flunks us, He just re-enrolls us." ~Adrian Rogers

"When you're discouraged, down and a little blue, take a look at the mighty oak tree and see what a little nut can do!" ~Unknown

"I still believe in Romans 8:28, 'And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose.'" ~The Apostle Paul and Countless Christians, but given to me as a reminder by Dr. David Poe

"Go ahead and 'Shout on credit!'" ~Darrell Hayes

"I am personally at a place in my journey where I strive to let nothing cause me to doubt the goodness of God. Some days that is not easy but it is a life filled with potential and joy." ~John D. Fowler

"Always keep your chin up and your knees down." ~Doug Allen

"Your friends don't need an explanation and your eniemies wouldn't believe it anyway." ~Tommy Fountain

"Once it was the blessing, now it is the LORD / Once it was the feeling, now it is His Word / Once the gift I longed for, now the Giver own / Once I sought for healing, now Himself alone." ~A. B. Simpson

"If you don't bear the cross you'll never wear the crown." ~Adrian Rogers

Got A Problem? Find A Problem! Many years ago, Dr. Karl Meninger of the world-famed Meninger Clinic in Topeka, Kansas, was asked the question: "What would you do if you feared that a nervous breakdown was coming on?" Without hesitation Dr. Meninger said, "I would find somebody with a bigger problem and get involved with helping him solve his problem; in the process I would forget about my own." ~Zig Ziglar

THE BENEFIT OF LIFE'S STORMS 

Dr. Mike Minix shares the following concerning why God may allow the "storms of life to toss us about."

The occasional need for "bad weather" to stimulate spiritual development can be illustrated from nature. Scientists tell us that the seeds of certain types of desert bushes must be damaged by a storm before they will germinate. They are equipped with hard shells that keep out water. This makes it possible for them to lie dormant on the sand for several seasons before conditions are right for growth.

When heavy rains finally come, the little seeds are often carried away in a flash flood. They are banged against sand, gravel and rocks as they rush down the slopes. Eventually they settle in a depression where the soil has become damp to a depth of several feet. Only then do they begin to grow, for moisture is absorbed through the nicks and scratches they picked up on their down hill plunge.

When we learn to trust God through thick and thin, we will grow to know Him better, serve Him for faithfully and enjoy Him more completely!

Troubles began piling up for a Midwest couple. First, they lost their jobs. Then the septic tank in their backyard caved in. This new problem reflected the way things were going for them-- right down the drain.

When the husband began digging around the tank, though, the story changed. His shovel uncovered a gold coin. Eagerly, he started digging with his hands, and to his astonishment he found 75 gold pieces. Suddenly the couples misfortune had become a fortune, for they now owned a coin collection worth from $200,000 to $1.5 million.

Apparently they had unearthed the cache of some rich prospectors of the 1849 gold rush era.

So, when troubles surround you as a child of God, start digging. Down there somewhere is a promise and a provision. He never leaves His own. Stay close to Him, talk to Him and continue to serve Him. He will not fail you!

"I CAN DO ALL THINGS THROUGH CHRIST WHO STRENTHENS ME"

~ Philippians 4:13

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"FOR I KNOW WHOM I HAVE BELIEVED, AND AM PERSUADED THAT HE IS ABLE TO KEEP THAT WHICH I HAVE COMMITTED UNTO HIM AGAINST THAT DAY"

~ 2nd Timothy 1:12

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"BEING CONFIDENT OF THIS VERY THING, THAT HE WHICH HATH BEGUN A GOOD WORK IN YOU WILL PERFORM IT UNTIL THE DAY OF JESUS CHRIST"

~ Philippians 1:6