A woman was asked by a coworker,
"What is it like to be a Christian?"
The coworker replied, "It is like being a pumpkin." God picks you from the patch, brings you in, and washes all the dirt off of you. Then He cuts off the top and scoops out all the yucky stuff.
He removes the seeds of doubt, hate, and greed. Then He carves you a new smiling face and puts His light inside of you to shine for all the world to see."
The Great Physician
The next time you feel like God can't use you,
just remember:
(PowerPoint Viewer Required)
We All Need A Tree!
Click the Tree!
Keep The Fork
There was a young woman who had been diagnosed with a terminal illness and had been given three months to live. So as she was getting her things 'in order', she contacted her Pastor and had him come to her house to discuss certain aspects of her final wishes.
She told him which songs she wanted sung at the service, what scriptures she would like read, and what outfit she wanted to be buried in.
Everything was in order and the Pastor was preparing to leave when the young woman suddenly remembered something very important to her.
"There's one more thing," she said excitedly.
"What's that?" came the Pastor's reply.
"This is very important," the young woman continued. "I want to be buried with a fork in my right hand."
The Pastor stood looking at the young woman, not knowing quite what to say.
"That surprises you, doesn't it?" the young woman asked.
"Well, to be honest, I'm puzzled by the request," said the Pastor.
The young woman explained. "My grandmother once told me this story, and from that time on I have always tried to pass along it's message to those I love and those who are in need of encouragement. In all my years of attending socials and dinners, I always remember that when the dishes of the main course were being cleared, someone would inevitably lean over and say, 'Keep your fork.' It was my favorite part because I knew that something better was coming...like velvety chocolate cake or deep-dish apple pie. Something wonderful, and with substance!"
"So, I just want people to see me there in that casket with a fork in my hand and I want them to wonder 'What's with the fork?' Then I want you to tell them: 'Keep your fork, the best is yet to come.'"
The Pastor's eyes welled up with tears of joy as he hugged the young woman good-bye. He knew this would be one of the last times he would see her before her death. But he also knew that the young woman had a better grasp of heaven than he did. She had a better grasp of what heaven would be like than many people twice her age, with twice as much experience and knowledge. She KNEW that something better was coming.
At the funeral people were walking by the young woman's casket and they saw the cloak she was wearing and the fork placed in her right hand. Over and over, the Pastor heard the question, "What's with the fork?" And over and over he smiled.
During his message, the Pastor told the people of the conversation he had with the young woman shortly before she died. He also told them about the fork and about what it symbolized to her. He told the people how he could not stop thinking about the fork and told them that they probably would
not be able to stop thinking about it either.
He was right. So the next time you reach down for your fork, let it remind you, ever so gently, that the best is yet to come. Friends are a very rare jewel, indeed. They make you smile and encourage you to succeed. They lend an ear, they share a word of praise, and they always want to open their hearts to us.
Show your friends how much you care. Remember to always be there for them, even when you need them more. For you never know when it may be their time to "Keep your fork."
CATHOLIC HORSES IN IRELAND
One day while he was at the track playing the ponies and all but losing his shirt, Mitch noticed a priest who stepped out onto the track and blessed the forehead of one of the horses lining up for the 4th race.
Lo and behold, that horse - a very long shot - won the race!
Before the next race, as the horses began lining up, Mitch watched with interest as the old priest stepped onto the track. Sure enough, as the 5th race horses came to the starting gate, the riest made a blessing on the forehead of one of the horses.
Mitch made a beeline for a betting window and placed a small bet on the horse. Again, even though it was another long shot, the horse the priest had blessed won the race.
Mitch collected his winnings, and anxiously waited to see which horse the priest would belss for the 6th race. The priest again blessed a horse.
Mitch bet big on it, and it won. Mitch was elated! As the races continued, the priest kept blessing long shot horses, and each one ended up coming in first.
Bye and bye, Mitch was pulling in some serious money. By the last race, he knew his wildest dreams were going to come true.
He made a quick dash to the ATM, withdrew all his savings, and awaited the priest's blessing that would tell him which horse to bet on.
True to his pattern, the priest stepped onto the track for the last race and blessed the forehead of an old nag that was the longest shot of the day. Mitch also observed the priest blessing the eyes, ears, and hooves of the old nag.
Mitch knew he had a winner and bet every cent he owned on the old nag.
He then watched dumbfounded as the old nag came in dead last. Mitch, in a state of shock, made his way down to the track area where the priest was.
Confronting the old priest, he demanded, "Father! What happened?"
"All day long you blessed horses and they all won. Then in the last race, the horse you blessed lost by a Kentucky mile. Now, thanks to you, I've lost every cent of my savings - all of it!"
The priest nodded wisely and with sympathy. "Son,", he said, "that's the problem with you Lutherans - you can't tell the difference betwen a simple blessing and last rites."
Listen to Logan Henderson's Telephone Call
Logan Henderson was 13 years old when he made a telephone call to KSBJ 89.3 FM, a contemporary christian radio station located in Houston, Texas. On October 26, 2007, Logan, who is home schooled and lives on the family ranch near Hyannis, Nebraska called Mike, a morning DJ at the station, and recounted an extremely profound conversation that he'd had with God. Various news reports of this call indicate that Logan frequently listens to KSBJ via the Sky Angels satellite radio network. This clip has touched the hearts of thousands, and will touch yours too.
Posted with permission of KSBJ 89.3 FM
Permission granted 25 June 2008
Click the heart below to listen!
(Please allow time for the clip to load)
How About a Little Music!
Did you know that "us Lutherans" have a song just for us?
"The Lutherans Song", written and performed by Michael Bridges and George Baum, known as Lost and Found, was commissioned by the ELCA for it's 2003 National Youth Gathering in Atlanta, GA.
Click below for the You Tube page!
Watch and listen to the inspirational story
of 8-year old Adam Bender!
Adam Bender is an 8-year old from Lexington, KY who loves
baseball. What makes Adam so special is that he lost a leg
to cancer at the age of one - but still plays the game he loves.
Click the photo to watch him play play baseball and then
listen to his mother describe Adam in a photo slide show.
What an inspiration!
Photo by Charles Bertram
Lexington Herald-Leader
Ask The Geese!
God has given the animals of this earth
instincts beyond what we can sometimes
comprehend or we may even miss the lessons all together.
Watch the following PowerPoint presentation to
see what we can all learn from the geese.
Microsoft PowerPoint may be required
Need a free viewer?
Check out Lewis & Lewis!
Lewis & Lewis travel the United States coast to coast bringing
their own message to thousands! They have been described as
"Southern Gospel with a touch of classy Country flavor".
Lutheran Roots in America
Watch this 30-minute video on You Tube, as produced by
the ELCA, to learn of the Lutheran roots in America!
How About an Online Bible?
Check out Bible.com where you can search for
key words, specific verses, and phrases from a
dozen different versions. Would you rather
read The Bible online? Here, you can choose
from 19 different English versions to satisfy
every preference and age.
