ALL TO JESUS

In his latest devotional, author Robert J. Morgan assures readers of God’s purposes, power and grace with  All to Jesus

“Cast all your cares on him.” “Love the Lord with all your heart.” “I can do all things . . . .” Most would be surprised at how often the word “all” appears in the Bible—literally thousands of times. And with each description of God’s comprehensive promises, each reminder of our complete blessing in Christ, each appeal for our full and total surrender, His reputation grows larger before our eyes. We see again what He can do. We see again who we can be.

Based on the Bible’s sizeable emphasis on this tiny yet powerful word “all,” best-selling author and pastor Robert J. Morgan has created a remarkable 365-day spiritual growth experience in his new devotional, All to Jesus: A Year of Devotions (B&H Books, October 2012). A choice sampling of the Bible’s most “all”-encompassing statements, All to Jesus will surround believers each day with inspiring stories, personal reflections and the encouraging assurance that they are cared for in ways they never imagined.
Despite decades of preaching experience, it was just a few years ago that Robert J. Morgan, well-known author of 100 Bible Verses Everyone Should Know by Heart and Then Sings My Soul, began to note the magnitude and frequent use of the word “all” in the Bible. Upon closer inspection, he discovered that it amplifies many of God’s greatest truths, commands and promises nearly six thousand times, proving itself to be one of God’s favorite words.

“Looking up the word in a concordance, I was amazed to find 5,675 “alls” in the Bible,” writes Morgan. “The frequency of this word in Scripture speaks to the all-sufficient grace of our Almighty Savior. It highlights the infinite omniqualities of God, and the complete devotion we should afford Him. He is the Lord of All, our All-in-All, our Almighty God, our All-Sufficient Savior from whom All blessings flow; and He is All we need. “All” is the largest little word in the world, taking already strong statements and broadening their applications to virtual infinity, which, after all, is what one would expect from an omnipotent Father.”

Derived from the pages of real life and a pastor’s heart, each daily reading meets readers in an ever-deeper place, revealing God’s immeasurable power and keen attention to the smallest detail. Truly, He is all we need. All year long.

Format: Hardcover
Number of Pages: 400
Vendor: B&H Books
Publication Date: 2012
Dimensions: 7.13 X 4.25 X 0.10 (inches)
ISBN: 1433677865
ISBN-13: 9781433677861

About the Author: Robert J. Morgan is a best-selling, Gold Medallion Award-winning author whose over twenty-five books include Then Sings My Soul, The Red Sea Rules, 100 Bible Verses Everyone Should Know by Heart and The Children’s Daily Devotional Bible. A staff writer for Dr. David Jeremiah and Turning Points Magazine, he has also served as pastor of The Donelson Fellowship in Nashville, Tennessee, for three decades. Morgan and his wife have three daughters and ten grandchildren.

ACTS OF KINDNESS

This young man was driving home one evening, on a two lane country road. Work in this small mid-western community was almost as slow as his beat-up Pontiac, but he never quit looking. Ever since the factory closed, he'd been unemployed, and with winter coming on, the chill had finally hit home.

It was a lonely road. Not very many people had a reason to be on it, unless they were leaving. Most of his friends had already left. They had families to feed and dreams to fulfill, but he stayed on. After all, this was where he buried his mother and father. He was born here and he knew the country. He could go down this road blind, and tell you what was on either side, and with his headlights not working , this came in handy.

It was starting to get dark and light snow flurries were coming down. He'd better get a move on. You know, he almost didn't see the old lady, stranded on the side of the road. But even in the dim light of day, he could see she needed help. So he pulled up in front of her Mercedes and got out. His Pontiac was still sputtering when he approached her.

Even with the smile on his face, she was worried. No one had stopped to help, for the last hour or so. Was he going to hurt her? He didn't look safe. He looked poor and hungry. He could see that she was frightened, standing out there in the cold. He knew how she felt. It was that chill which only fear can put in you. He said, "I'm here to help you Ma'am. Why don't you wait in the car where it's warm? By the way, my name is Bryan."

Well, all she had was a flat tire, but for an old lady, that was bad enough. Bryan crawled under the car looking for a place to put the jack, skinning his knuckles a time or two. Soon he was able to change the tire. But he had to get dirty and his hands hurt. As he was tightening up the lug nuts, she rolled down the window and began to talk to him. She told him that she was from St. Louis and was only just passing through.

She couldn't thank him enough for coming to her aid. Bryan just smiled as he closed her trunk. She asked him how much she owed him. Any amount would have been all right with her. She had already imagined all the awful things that could have happened had he not stopped.

Bryan never thought twice about the money. This was not a job to him. This was helping someone in need, and God knows there were plenty who had given him a hand in the past. He had lived his whole life that way, and it never occurred to him to act any other way. He told her if she really wanted to pay him back, the next time she saw someone who needed help, she could give that person the assistance that they needed, and Bryan added "...and think of me." He waited until she started her car and drove off.

It had been a cold and depressing day, but he felt good as he headed for home, disappearing into the twilight.

A few miles down the road the lady saw a small cafe. She went in to grab a bite to eat, and take the chill off before she made the last leg of her trip home. It was a dingy looking restaurant. Outside were two old gas pumps. The whole scene was unfamiliar to her. The cash register was like the telephone of an out of work actor--it didn't ring much.

Her waitress came over and brought a clean towel to wipe her wet hair. She had a sweet smile, one that even being on her feet for the whole day couldn't erase.

The lady noticed that the waitress was nearly eight months pregnant, but she never let the strain and aches change her attitude. The old lady wondered how someone who had so little could be so giving to a stranger.

Then she remembered Bryan. . .

After the lady finished her meal, and the waitress went to get change for a hundred dollar bill, the lady slipped right out the door. She was gone by the time the waitress came back. She wondered where the lady could be, then she noticed something written on the napkin under which were 4 one-hundred dollar bills. There were tears in her eyes when she read what the lady wrote. It said: "You don't owe me anything, I have been there too. Somebody once helped me out the way I'm helping you. If you really want to pay me back, here is what you do: Do not let this chain of love end with you."

Well, there were tables to clear, sugar bowls to fill, and people to serve, but the waitress made it through another day. That night when she got home from work and climbed into bed, she was thinking about the money and what the lady had written. How could the lady have known how much she and her husband needed it? With the baby due next month, it was going to be hard.

She knew how worried her husband was, and as he lay sleeping next to her, she gave him a soft kiss and whispered soft and low, "Everything's gonna be all right - I love you, Bryan."

DESPERATE MEASURES

Little Johnny went to his mother demanding a new bicycle. His mother decided that he should take a look at himself and the way he acts. She said, "Well Johnny, it isn't Christmas and we don't have the money to just go out and buy you anything you want. So why don't you write a letter to Jesus and pray for one instead." After his temper tantrum, his mother sent him to his room. He finally sat down to write a letter to Jesus.

Dear Jesus,
I've been a good boy this year and would appreciate a new bicycle.
Your Friend,
Little Johnny

Now, Little Johnny knew that Jesus really knew what kind of boy he was (a brat). So, he ripped up the letter and decided to give it another try.

Dear Jesus,
I've been an OK boy this year and I want a new bicycle.
Yours Truly,
Little Johnny

Well, Little Johnny knew this wasn't totally honest so he tore it up and tried again.

Dear Jesus,
I've thought about being a good boy this year and can I have a new bicycle?
Signed,
Little Johnny

Well, Little Johnny looked deep down in his heart, which by the way was what his mother was really wanting. He crumpled up the letter and threw it in the trash can and went running outside.

He aimlessly wandered about, depressed because of the way he treated his parents and really considering his actions. He finally found himself in front of a Catholic Church.

Little Johnny went inside and knelt down, looking around not knowing what he should really do. Little Johnny finally got up and began to walk out the door and was looking at all the statues. All of a sudden he grabbed a small one and ran out the door. He went home, hid it under his bed and wrote this letter.

Jesus,
I've broken most of the Ten Commandments, shot spit wads in school, tore up my sister's Barbie doll and lots more. I'm desperate. I've got your mama. If you ever want to see her again, give me a bike.
Signed,
You know who

THE LOVE OF GOD

At a camp-meeting in a mid-western state, the preacher concluded his message by quoting what later became the last stanza of the famous song “The Love of God.” The profound depths of the lines moved author and composer Frederick M. Lehman to preserve the words for future generations. Not until he had gone to California did this urge find fulfillment, and that at a time when circumstances forced him to do hard manual labor.

One day in 1917, during short intervals of inattention to his work, he picked up a scrap of paper and, seated upon an empty lemon box pushed against a wall, with a stub pencil in his hand, he added the first two stanzas and chorus of the song.

What became the 3rd stanza had been found penciled on the wall of a patient's room in an insane asylum, and the general opinion was that this inmate had written the epic in moments of sanity. But in reality, the key stanza was written nearly one thousand years earlier by a Jewish songwriter. Here is part of the original Jewish poem as written in Aramaic by Rabbi Mayer of Worms, Germany in the year 1096:

Were the sky of parchment made,

A quill each reed, each twig and blade,

Could we with ink the oceans fill,

Were every man a scribe of skill,

The marvelous story of God's great glory

Would still remain untold;

For He, most high, the earth and sky

Created alone of old.

Of course, we know the song this way:

The love of God is greater far

Than tongue or pen can ever tell;

It goes beyond the highest star,

And reaches to the lowest hell;

The guilty pair, bowed down with care,

God gave His Son to win;

His erring child He reconciled,

And pardoned from his sin.

Could we with ink the ocean fill,

And were the skies of parchment made,

Were every stalk on earth a quill,

And every man a scribe by trade,

To write the love of God above

Would drain the ocean dry.

Nor could the scroll contain the whole,

Though stretched from sky to sky.

O love of God, how rich and pure!

How measureless and strong!

It shall for evermore endure,

The saints' and angels' song.

THE FLAWS IN OUR LIVES

A story is told of a water bearer in China who had two large pots, each hung on the ends of a pole which he carried across his neck. One of the pots had a crack in it, while the other pot was perfect and always delivered a full portion of water. At the end of the long walk from the stream to the house, the cracked pot arrived only half full.

For a full two years this went on daily, with the bearer delivering only one and a half pots of water to his house.

Of course, the perfect pot was proud of its accomplishments, being perfect for which it was made. But the poor cracked pot was ashamed of its own imperfection, and miserable that it was able to accomplish only half of what it had been made to do.

After two years of what it perceived to be a bitter failure, the cracked pot spoke to the water bearer one day by the stream. “I am ashamed of myself, because this crack in my side causes water to leak out all the way back to your house.”

The bearer said to the pot, “Did you notice that there are flowers only on your side of the path, but not on the other pot’s side? That is because I have always known of your flaw, and I planted flower seeds on your side of the path, and every day while we walk back, you have watered them. For the past two years I have been able to pick these beautiful flowers to decorate the table. Without you being just the way you are, there would not be this beauty to grace the house.”

Each of us has our own unique flaws. We are all cracked pots. But it is the cracks and flaws we each have that make our lives together so very interesting and rewarding. You’ve just got to take each person for what they are, and look for the good in them.

God's light shines greater through "cracked pots" than it does through those who have it all together!

IN THE WELL WITH GOD

A young boy, walking through the field one day, preoccupied in thought, fell into a well. He was not hurt; however, his mother, on finding him, but unable to extricate him from the well at the moment, stood at the mouth of the well speaking comforting words to him. Sensing his mother’s anxiety, he said to her, “Mother, do not worry, I was talking to God when He and I fell into this well together.”

How comforting, when in the furnace of affliction, to know that He is there with us, too!

KEYS TO THE HEART: INSPIRING QUOTES

Promise me you’ll always remember: You’re braver than you believe, and stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think || Christopher Robin

Courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the judgment that something else is more important than fear || Ambrose Redmoon

When you come to the end of your rope, tie a knot and hang on || Franklin D. Roosevelt

Don’t get discouraged; it is often the last key in the bunch that opens the lock || Unknown

If you do what you’ve always done, you’ll get what you’ve always gotten || Anthony Robbins

Be willing to take the first step, no matter how small it is. Concentrate on the fact that you are willing to learn. Absolute miracles will happen || Louise Hay

If your dreams do not scare you, they are not big enough || H.E. Ellen Johnson Sirleaf

Logic will get you from A to B. Imagination will take you everywhere || Albert Einstein

The point of power is always in the present moment || Louise Hay

Consult not your fears but your hopes and your dreams. Think not about your frustrations, but about your unfulfilled potential. Concern yourself not with what you tried and failed in, but with what it is still possible for you to do || Pope John Paul XXIII

Nobody can go back and start a new beginning, but anyone can start today and make a new ending || Maria Robinson

Magic is believing in yourself, if you can do that, you can make anything happen || Goethe

Those who bring sunshine to the lives of others cannot keep it from themselves || James Matthew Barrie

No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted || Aesop

There is no way to be a perfect mother, and a million ways to be a good one || Jill Churchill

Let us give something to each person we meet: joy, courage, hope, assurance, or philosophy, wisdom, a vision for the future. Let us always give something || Daisaku Ikeda

When one door of happiness closes, another opens; but often we look so long at the closed door that we do not see the one which has been opened for us || Helen Keller

Things that matter most must never be at the mercy of things that matter least|| Goethe

TEN GUIDELINES FROM GOD

Effective immediately, please be aware that there are changes YOU need to make in YOUR life. These changes need to be completed in order that I may fulfill my promises to you to grant you peace, joy and happiness in this life. I apologize for any inconvenience, but after all that I am doing, this seems very little to ask of you. Please, follow these 10 guidelines

1. QUIT WORRYING:

Life has dealt you a blow and all you do is sit and worry. Have you forgotten that I am here to take all your burdens and carry them for you? Or do you just enjoy fretting over every little thing that comes your way?

2. PUT IT ON THE LIST:

Something needs done or taken care of. Put it on the list. No, not your list. Put it on my to-do-list. Let me be the one to take care of the problem. I can't help you until you turn it over to me. And although my to-do-list is long, I am after all...God! I can take care of anything you put into my hands. In fact,

if the truth were ever really known, I take care of a lot of things for you that you never even realize.

3. TRUST ME:

Once you've given your burdens to me, quit trying to take them back. Trust in Me. Have the faith that I will take care of all your needs, your problems and your trials. Problems with the kids? Put them on my list. Problem with finances? Put it on my list. Problems with your emotional roller-coaster? For my sake, put it on my list. I want to help you. All you have to do is ask.

4. LEAVE IT ALONE:

Don't wake up one morning and say, "Well, I'm feeling much stronger now, I think I can handle it from here." Why do you think you are feeling stronger now? It's simple. You gave me your burdens and I'm taking care of them. I also renew your strength and cover you in my peace. Don't you know that if I give you these problems back, you will be right back where you started? Leave them with me and forget about them. Just let me do my job.

5. TALK TO ME:

I want you to forget a lot of things. Forget what was making you crazy. Forget the worry and the fretting because you know I'm in control. But there's one thing I pray you never forget. Please, don't forget to talk to me - often! I love you! I want to hear your voice. I want you to include me in on the things going on in your life. I want to hear you talk about your friends and family. Prayer is simply you having

a conversation with Me. I want to be your dearest friend.

6. HAVE FAITH:

I see a lot of things from up here that you can't see from where you are. Have faith in me that I know what I'm doing. Trust me; you wouldn't want the view from My eyes. I will continue to care for you, watch over you, and meet your needs. You only have to trust me. Although I have a much bigger task than you, it seems as if you have so much trouble just doing your simple part. How hard can trust be?

7. SHARE:

You were taught to share when you were only two years old. When did you forget? That rule still applies. Share with those who are less fortunate than you. Share your joy with those who need encouragement. Share your laughter with those who haven't heard any in such a long time. Share your tears with those who have forgotten how to cry. Share your faith with those who have none.

8. BE PATIENT:

I managed to fix it so in just one lifetime you could have so many diverse experiences. You grow from a child to an adult, have children, change jobs many times, learn many trades, travel to so many places, meet thousands of people, and experience so much. How can you be so impatient then when it takes me a little longer than you expect to handle something on My to-do-list? Trust in my timing, for my timing is perfect. Just because I created the entire universe in only six days, everyone thinks I should always rush, rush, rush.

9. BE KIND:

Be kind to others, for I love them just as much as I love you. They may not dress like you, or talk like you, or live the same way you do, but I still love you all. Please try to get along, for my sake. I created each one of you different in some way. It would be too boring if you were all identical. Please, know I love each of your differences.

10. LOVE YOURSELF:

As much as I love you, how can you not love yourself? You were created by me for one reason only - to be loved, and to love in return. I am a God of Love. Love Me. Love your neighbors. But also love yourself.

It makes my heart ache when I see you so angry with yourself when things go wrong. You are very precious to me. Don't ever forget...

WHICH DOOR ARE YOU?

A daughter complained to her father about how hard things were for her. "As soon as I solve one problem," she said, "another one comes up. I'm tired of struggling."

Her father, a chef, took her to the kitchen where he filled three pots with water and placed each on a high fire.

Soon the pots came to a boil. In one he placed carrots, in the second, eggs, and in the last, ground coffee beans. He let them sit and boil, without saying a word. The daughter impatiently waited, wondering what he was doing.

After awhile, he went over and turned off the burners. He fished out the carrots and placed them in a bowl. He pulled the eggs out and placed them a bowl. He poured the coffee into a bowl.

Turning to her he asked, "Darling, what do you see?" "Carrots, eggs, and coffee," she replied.

He brought her closer and asked her to feel the carrots. She did and noted that they were soft. He then asked her to take an egg and break it. After pulling off the shell, she observed the hard-boiled egg. Finally, he asked her to sip the coffee.

She smiled, as she tasted its rich flavor. She asked, "What does it mean, Father?"

He explained that each of them had faced the same adversity, boiling water. But each reacted differently.

The carrot went in strong, hard, and unrelenting, but after being subjected to the boiling water, it softened and became weak.

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

The ground coffee beans were unique, however. By being in the boiling water, they changed the water.

He asked his daughter, "When adversity knocks on your door, which are you?"

THE MOST INSPIRING QUOTES

Source: Unknown

If you don’t know your purpose, discover it, now. The core of your life is your purpose. Everything in your life, from your diet to your career, must be aligned with your purpose if you are to act with coherence and integrity in the world. If you know your purpose, your deepest desire, then the secret of success is to discipline your life so that you support your deepest purpose and minimize distractions and detours || David Deida

Most of the important things in the world have been accomplished by people who have kept on trying when there seemed to be no hope at all || Dale Carnegie

Every great dream begins with a dreamer. Always remember, you have within you the strength, the patience, and the passion to reach for the stars to change the world || Harriet Tubman

We are all functioning at a small fraction of our capacity to live fully in its total meaning of loving, caring, creating and adventuring. Consequently, the actualizing of our potential can become the most exciting adventure of our lifetime || Herbert Otto

If you don’t like the way the world is, you change it. You have an obligation to change it. You just do it one step at a time || Marian Wright Edelman

You can never cross the ocean unless you have the courage to lose sight of the shore || Christopher Columbus

Courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the judgement that something else is more important than fear || Ambrose Redmoon

Find yourself and express yourself in your own particular way. Express your love openly. Life is nothing but a dream, and if you create your life with love, your dream becomes a masterpiece of art || Don Miguel Ruiz

Do you want me to tell you something really subversive? Love is everything it’s cracked up to be. That’s why people are so cynical about it… It really is worth fighting for, being brave for, risking everything for. And the trouble is, if you don’t risk anything, you risk even more || Erica Jong

Work like you don’t need money, love like you’ve never been hurt, and dance like no one’s watching || Unknown

Love is always bestowed as a gift – freely, willingly, and without expectation.  We don’t love to be loved; we love to love || Leo Buscaglia

 Don’t ask yourself what the world needs, ask yourself what makes you come alive. And then go and do that. Because what the world needs is people who are alive || Howard Thurman

A journey is best measured in friends and not miles || Tim Cahill

Beginning today, treat everyone you meet as if they were going to be dead by midnight.  Extend to them all the care, kindness, and understanding you can muster, and do it with no thought of any reward.  Your life will never be the same again || Og Mandino

Learn to enjoy every minute of your life. Be happy now. Don’t wait for something outside of yourself to make you happy in the future. Think how really precious is the time you have to spend, whether it’s at work or with your family. Every minute should be enjoyed and savored || Earl Nightingale

Let yourself be open and life will be easier. A spoon of salt in a glass of water makes the water undrinkable. A spoon of salt in a lake is almost unnoticed || Unknown

The most important thing in life is not the triumph but the struggle. The essential thing is not to have conquered but to have fought well || Pierre de Coubertin

The most important of life’s battles is the one we fight daily in the silent chambers of the soul || David O. McKay

Where you end up is not the most important thing. It’s the road you take to get there. The road is what you’ll look back on and call your life || Tim Willey

WHAT IS LIFE?

Source: Unknown

Life is an opportunity, benefit from it.

Life is beauty, admire it.

Life is bliss, taste it.

Life is a dream, realise it.

Life is a challenge, meet it.

Life is a duty, complete it.

Life is a game, play it.

Life is a promise, fulfill it.

Life is sorrow, overcome it.

Life is a song, sing it.

Life is a struggle, accept it.

Life is a tragedy, confront it.

Life is an adventure, dare it.

Life is luck, make it.

Life is too precious, do not destroy it.

Life is life, fight for it.

|| Unknown

THE SOURCE OF WISDOM

A simple man met a very wise man.


“Can you tell me the source of your wisdom?” he asked.


“In two words,” the wise man replied, “good choices.”


“And what is the source of the good choices?”


“In one word, experience.”


“And to what do you attribute your experience?”


“In two words,” the wise man said, “bad choices.”

WALK A LITTLE SLOWER, DADDY

"Walk a Little slower, Daddy," said a little child so small.

I'm following in your footsteps and I don't want to fall.

Sometimes your steps are very fast, sometimes they're hard to see;

So walk a little slower Daddy, for you are leading me.

Someday when I'm all grown up, you're what I want to be.

Then I will have a little child who'll want to follow me.

And I would want to lead just right, and know that I was true;

So, walk a little slower, Daddy, for I must follow you!

- Unknown

YOU'VE BEEN EVERYTHING TO ME

You've been everything to me: a father,

Teacher, playmate, model, conscience, friend.

Sometimes I'm not certain why you bother,

If your feelings on my words depend.

I know I haven't been the child I should:

Far from it, and I really can't say why.

I know exactly what I'd label good,

But in the real world something goes awry.

Underneath my actions there is love,

Gratitude, respect, and admiration.

Sometimes I don't know what I'm thinking of,

But I thank God you're in for the duration.

I'm sorry, sorry for the things I do,

But please believe I cherish Mom and you.

- Unknown

DAD

We may not shower him with praise

Nor mention his name in song,

And sometimes it seems that we forget

The joy he spreads as he goes along,

But it doesn’t mean that we don’t know

The wonderful role that he has had.

And away down deep in every heart

There’s a place that is just for Dad.....

 - Unknown

A FATHER'S WISH

I may fail to be as clever as my neighbor down the street,

I may fail to be as wealthy as some other men I meet,

I may never win the glory which a lot of men have had,

But I've got to be successful as a little fellow's dad.

There are certain dreams I cherish which I'd like to see some true,

There are things I would accomplish when my time of life is through,

But the task my heart is on is to guide a little lad

And to make myself successful as that little fellow's dad.

I may never come to glory, I may never gather gold,

Men may list me with the failures when my business life is told,

But if he who follows after shall be manly, I'll be glad,

For I'll know I've been successful as that little fellow's dad.

It's the one job that I dream of, it's the task I think of most,

If I fail that growing youngster, I'd have nothing else to boast;

For though wealth and fame I'd gathered, all my future would be sad...

If I failed to be successful as that little fellow's dad.

- Unknown

25 INSPIRING FATHER'S DAY QUOTES

Once, God gave me the greatest gift ever. I call that gift: Dad || Kurt Avish

A good father is one of the most unsung, unpraised, unnoticed, and yet one of the most valuable assets in our society || Billy Graham

One night a father overheard his son pray: “Dear God, Make me the kind of man my Daddy is!” Later that night, the Father prayed, “Dear God, Make me the kind of man my son wants me to be” || Unknown

By the time a man realizes that maybe his father was right, he usually has a son who thinks he's wrong || Charles Wadsworth

              

The father who loves his children will not substitute toys for time, replace commendation

with condemnation but will be their teacher not taskmaster || R. Robert Flatt

An effective father devotes himself to become an instrument and model of human experience to his children...accepts and affirms his children for who they are, appreciates them for what they are accomplishing, and covers them with affection because they are his || Gordon MacDonald

To be in your children's memories tomorrow, you have to be in their lives today || Barbara Johnson

 A father is a fellow who has replaced the currency in his wallet with the snapshots of his kids || Unknown

When God measures a man, He puts the tape around the heart instead of the head || Unknown

My father gave me the greatest gift anyone could give another person: He believed in me || Jim Valvano

The test of man's faith is not in what he believes but what manner of man, what manner of husband and what manner of father he becomes as a result || R. Robert Flatt

                                                                              

It is a wise father that knows his own child || William Shakespeare

The footsteps a child follows are most likely to be the ones his parents thought they had covered up || Unknown

A father is a banker provided by nature || Proverb

My father used to play with my brother and me in the yard.

Mother would come out and say, 'You’re tearing up the grass.'

'We’re not raising grass,' Dad would reply. 'We’re raising boys.'

|| Harmon Killebrew

A man knows he is growing old because he begins to look like his father || Gabriel Garcia Marquez

              

My father always wanted to be the corpse at every funeral, the bride at every wedding, and the baby at every christening || Alice Roosevelt Longworth

My Dad is a mender of toys, a leader of boys; changer of fuses,

a healer of bruises; a mover of couches, a healer of ouches;

a hanger of screens, a counselor of teens; a pounder of nails,

a teller of tales; a dryer of dishes, a fulfiller of wishes.

|| JoAnn Heid

              

One father is enough to govern one hundred sons, but not a hundred sons one father || George Herbert

              

A father is always making his baby into a little woman. And when she is a woman he turns her back again || Enid Bagnold

It is a wise child that knows his own father || Homer

                                                                               

There is no principle of parental government more important than that a father should command his own temper when he inflicts punishment. He should punish a child not because he is angry, but because it is right; not because it has become a matter of personal contest, but because God requires that he should do it, and the welfare of the child demands it || Albert Barnes

A father's words are like a thermostat that sets the temperature in the house || Paul Lewis

Honour thy father and thy mother' stands written among the three laws of most revered righteousness || Aeschylus

Every mother generally hopes that her daughter will snag a better husband than she managed to do...but she's certain that her boy will never get as great a wife as his father did || Anonymous

FATHER'S DAY: WITH GRATITUDE

There remaineth...a rest to the people of God || Heb 4:9
Sumzadong Vaiphei
1927 - 4 March 2012

A hundred years from now,

The thoughts would still be,

As fresh and truer still,

And I know this would never do,

But at least it is the beginning, dear father!

You may not have been the richest father,

But your love and concern was overflowing with richness!

You may not have been the wisest father,

But your thoughts and guidance were the best for me!

You may not have been the worldly ideal type,

But you were the ideal father for me!

I remember my tender young days,

When you hold me in your strong hands,

And we went to pick my tooth at the hospital,

Though it was painful,

I knew I would be okay because you were there with me.

When the school bells rang for the first time,

You were there with me,

In the hallowed halls of that big structure,

To assure me that it was okay to be awed and amazed!

Oh, dad! How time flies!

When I was ready to start a new life of my own,

You were there standing beside me,

Welcoming your "daughter" into our home,

With arms wide open and blessings on your lips.

When we were ready to welcome my first angel,

You were never far away.

Always a ready hand out-stretched,

More like a friend than a father!

Whenever life's difficulties and obstacles

Rose to unchain the melody of life,

You were always there, saying,

"Son, it is time to move on!"

And when God called you home,

I knew that the road ahead,

Would be much more difficult

Without you - your wisdom and guidance.

But deep inside me,

In the deepest senses of my being,

I know that you'll be with me, always,

Assuring, leading and guiding me!

Though the paths be difficult,

And the climb steep,

You will be egging me on,

As I take small faltering steps.

Dad, as I look back on the life that you lived,

So abundantly and so fully,

I'm so full of gratitude,

For being my father and making me your son!

Thanks, dad!

I'll forever remain grateful,

For making me, me!

And this song is for us both, dad-

There is a paradise of rest

On yonder tranquil shore,

Beyond the shadow and the gloom of night,

Where toil and tears are o’er.

Meet me there, oh, meet me there,

At the dawning of that morning bright and fair;

Meet me there, oh, meet me there,

In the land beyond the river meet me there.

There is a city crowned with light,

Its joy no tongue can tell;

For they who enter shall behold the King,

And in His presence dwell.

There is a crown laid up on high

That Christ the Lord will give

To those who patiently His coming wait,

And for His glory live.

Oh, then be faithful unto death,

Press on the heavenly way,

That we may enter through the gates of life

To realms of endless day.

------------------------------

Composer: Fanny Crosby || Some hymnals show the author as W.R. Lindsay, one of Fanny's pseudonyms

Music: Ira D. Sankey

FATHER'S DAY - A SHORT HISTORY

The men in our lives - they are always there, in the background – with a shoulder to lean on and a steady love that is too often taken for granted. Once each year, on the third Sunday in June, there is a chance to remind fathers, and the men who step in when fathers are not available, that all of their quiet efforts are appreciated.

You may think that Father's Day is a modern invention, but the truth is that a Babylonian youth named Elmesu carved the first known Father's Day card in clay nearly 4,000 years ago. His special message wished his father good health and a long life. Fortunately, modern cards are a bit easier to fit in the mail box!

Mother's Day and William Jackson Smart of Spokane, Washington were the inspiration for an official day to celebrate Father’s Day in the United States.

Mr. Smart was a widower who raised his six children after his wife died giving birth to the youngest. He was a single parent for 21 years. This may not seem amazing in the 21st century, but in the 1800s it was unheard of for a man to raise children alone...and even today being a single parent of six young children is heroic!

Smart’s daughter, Mrs. Sonora Smart-Dodd (Mrs. John Bruce Dodd), got the idea for Father’s Day in 1909 while listening to a Mother’s Day sermon at her church. She encouraged local churches to institute a Father's Day observance the following year on a Sunday in June, the month of her father’s birthday. Through her efforts, interest in the celebration of Father’s Day grew and spread to other cities, states and countries. She also encouraged wearing roses on Father's Day in honor of fathers. A red rose was worn for fathers who were still living and a white rose honored fathers who had died.

Many congressional resolutions proclaiming a national Father’s Day in the United States were introduced through the years. President Lyndon B. Johnson recognized the 3rd Sunday of June as Father's Day with a presidential proclamation in 1966, but the holiday was not really made permanent until 1972 when President Richard Nixon signed a presidential resolution that made the third Sunday in June officially Father’s Day in the United States.

Most people around the world celebrate Father's Day, but the dates to honor dads are not the same everywhere. In many countries the customs and traditions may be very different than the ones you know.

The earliest record of Father's Day was found in the ruins of Babylon. A young boy named Elmesu carved a Father's Day message on a card made out of clay nearly 4,000 years ago. He wished his Babylonian father good health and a long life.

No one knows what happened to Elmesu or his father, but the tradition of having a special day honoring fathers has continued through the years in countries all around the world.

MOTHER'S LOVE: SELECTED QUOTES

Photo: singlemomfinance.com

A mother's love is instinctual, unconditional, and forever || Unknown

Mother is the bank where we deposit all our hurts and worries || Unknown

For mother's sake the child was dear,

and dearer was the mother for the child.

|| Samuel Taylor Coleridge

My mother's love for me was so great I have worked hard to justify it || Marc Chagall

No influence is so powerful as that of the mother || Sarah Josepha Hale

The strength of motherhood is greater than natural laws || Barbara Kingsolver

Mothers are instinctive philosophers || Harriet Beecher Stowe

To a child's ear, "mother" is magic in any language || Arlene Benedict

Life began with waking up and loving my mother's face || George Eliot

Mother is the name of God in the lips and hearts of children || William Makepeace Thackeray

A mother is she who can take the place of all others || Cardinal Mermillod  

She's my teacher, adviser, and greatest inspiration || Whitney Houston

A good mother is worth hundreds of schoolmasters || George Herbert

A mother loves her children even when they least deserve to be loved || Kate Samperi

There is no substitute for mother || Unknown

Mother is the one we count on for the things that matter most of all || Katherine Butler Hathaway

When it comes to love, Mom's the word.

For all the ways you've helped me grow

I want to say I love you so.

|| Renaissance® Greeting Cards

Who ran to help me when I fell,

Or kissed the place to make it well?

....My mother.

|| Ann Taylor

A mother understands what a child does not say || Jewish Proverb

Mother's love is peace.

It need not be acquired, it need not be deserved.

|| Erich Fromm

All I am I owe to my mother || George Washington

A man loves his sweetheart the most,

his wife the best,

but his mother the longest.

|| Irish Proverb

Children aren't happy with nothing to ignore,

And that's what parents were created for.

|| Ogden Nash

Mother is the home we come from.

She is nature, soil, ocean.

|| Erich Fromm

A mother is not a person to lean on but a person to make leaning unnecessary || Dorothy C. Fisher

She brings the sunshine into the house; it is now a pleasure to be there || Cecil Beaton

Mother love is the fuel that enables a normal human being to do the impossible || Unknown

One of the oldest human needs is having someone to wonder where you are when you don't come home at night || Margaret Mead

The hand that rocks the cradle is the hand that rules the world || W.R. Wallace

God could not be everywhere and therefore He made mothers || Jewish Proverb

Her voice was ever soft,

Gentle and low, an excellent thing in woman.

|| William Shakespeare

The mother's heart is the child's schoolroom || Henry Ward Beecher