The Deck of Cards"
    This is a story about a soldier in the North Africa Campaign in World
War II.  After heavy fighting the men returned to camp. The next day being
Sunday, the Chaplain had set up church service. The men were asked to take
out their Bibles or prayer book.    The Chaplain noticed one soldier looking
at a deck of cards.  After the service he was taken by the Chaplain to see
the Major.    The Chaplain explained to the Major of what he had seen. The
Major told the young soldier how he would have to be punished if he could
not explain himself.  The young soldier told the Major that during the
battle he had
neither a Bible or prayer book so he would use his deck of cards and
explained...........
*  "You see Sir, when I look at the Ace, it tells me that there is one God
and no other.
*   When I see the 2 , it reminds me there is two parts of the Bible, the
Old and New Testaments.
   *   The 3 tells me of the Trinity, of God the Father, God the Son and God
the Holy Spirit.
*   The 4 reminds me of the four Gospels, There was Matthew, Mark, Luke and
John.
*   When I see the 5, it tells me of the five unwise virgins who were lost
and five were saved.
*   The 6 makes me mindful that God created the earth in just six days, and
God said that it was good so He rested on the 7th day.
*   As I look at the 8, God destroyed all life by water except eight people.
There was Noah and his wife, their three sons and their wives.
*   When I see the 9, I think of the nine lepers that God healed.
*   There were ten in all but only one stopped to Thank Him.
*   The 10 tells me of the "Ten Commandments" carved in stone by the hand of
God.
*   The Jack makes me remember the prince of darkness. Like a roaring lion
that devours those he can.
*   When I look at the Queen, I see blessed Mary, Mother of Jesus.
*   As I look at the last card I see the KING, this reminds me Jesus is the
Lord of Lords and King of Kings!
*   There are 365 spots on the cards, the number of days in a year.
*   There are 52 cards to a deck, the number of weeks in a year.
*   There are 12 picture cards, the number of months in a year.
*   There are 4 cards to a suit, the number of months in a quarter.
*   There are 13 suits, the number of weeks in a quarter."
........And so the young soldier then said to the Major,  "You see Sir that
my intentions were honorable. My deck of cards serves as my Bible, Prayer
book and Almanac."
             ---------------------------------

      "REASONS WHY YOU ARE BLESSED"
 
 1. If you own a Bible, you are abundantly blessed-about 1/3 of the
world does not have access to one.
 
 2. If you wake up each morning with more health than illness, you are 
blessed to rise and shine, to live and to serve in a new day.
 
 3. If you have anyone on the planet, just one person that loves you
and listens to you; count this a blessing.
 
 4. If you can freely attend a church meeting without fear, then you
are more blessed than over 1/3 of the world.
 
 5. If you have a yearning in your heart to parent a child, you are
blessed because you still desire what you cannot see.
 
 6. If you pray today or any day, you are blessed because you believe
in God's willingness to hear your prayer.
 
 7. If you pray for someone else, you are blessed because you want to
help others also.
 
 8. If you have food in your refrigerator, clothes on your back, a
roof over your head, and a place to sleep; all at the same time; 
you are rich in this world;
 
 9. If you have a brother or sister in Christ that will pray with
you and for you, then you benefit from a spiritual unity, bond, and
agreement, which the gates of hell cannot stand against.
 
 10. If you have any earthly family that even halfway loves you and
support you, are blessed beyond measure.
 
 11. If you attend a church with a church family that offers you one
word of encouragement, you are blessed with some form of
fellowship.
 
 12. If you have money in the bank, in your wallet, or some spare
change in a dish someplace you are among the world's wealthy.
 
 13. If you can go to bed each night, knowing that God loves you, you
are blessed beyond measure.
 
 14. If you try each day to imitate our Lord Jesus Christ for even a
minute, you are blessed because you show a willingness to grow up
in Him.
 
 15. If you can read this message, you are more blessed than about 2/3 
of the world.
 
 16. If you have never had to endure the hardship and agony of battle, 
imprisonment, or torture, you are blessed in indescribable measure.
 
 17. If you have a voice to sing His praises, a voice to witness God's 
love, and a voice to share the gospel, you are blessed. 
About 1/3 of the world does not even know who the one true God is.
 
 18. If you can hold someone's hand, hug another person, touch someone 
on the shoulder, you are blessed because you can offer 
God's healing touch.
 
 19. If you can share a word of encouragement with someone else, and
do it with His love in your heart, you are blessed because you have
learned how to give.
 
 20. If you have the conviction to stand fast upon His Word and His
promises, no matter what, you are blessed because you are learning
patience, endurance, and tenacity.
 
 21. If you hold up your head with a smile on your face and are truly
thankful, you are blessed because most people can, but won't.
 
Go Now... And... May You Have a blessed day.
             --------------------------------

     "A Visit From The Pastor"

 A member of a certain church, who previously had been
attending services regularly, suddenly stopped coming to church.
After a few weeks, the Pastor decided to visit.  The Pastor
found the man at home alone, sitting before a blazing fire.
 
 Guessing the reason for his Pastor's visit, the man welcomed
him, led him to a comfortable chair near the fireplace and waited.
The pastor made himself at home but said nothing.  In the grave silence,
he contemplated the dance of the flames around the 
burning logs.
 
 After some minutes, the Pastor took the fire tongs, carefully 
picked up a brightly burning ember and placed it to one side of 
the hearth all alone.  Then he sat back in his chair, still silent. 
The host watched all this in quiet contemplation. As the one lone 
ember's flame flickered and diminished, there was a momentary 
glow and then its fire was no more. Soon it was cold and lifeless.
 
 The Pastor glanced at his watch and realized it was time to leave,
he slowly stood up, picked up the cold, dead ember and placed
it back in the middle of the fire. Immediately it began to glow,
once more with the light and warmth of the burning coals around it.
 
 As the Pastor reached the door to leave, his host said with a tear
running down his cheek, "Thank you so much for your visit and
especially for the fiery sermon.  I shall be back in church next 
Sunday."
 
 We live in a world today which tries to say too much with too 
little. Consequently, few listen.
 
 Sometimes the best sermons are the ones left unspoken.  What
silent message would God have you share with someone today?
"Let your light shine before  men in such a way that they may see
your good  works and glorify your Father which is in heaven." 
--  Matthew 5:16

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


              Why are things the way they are?

  During my junior year in high school, Mr. Reynolds, my English teacher, 
handed each student a list of thoughts or statements written by other 
students, then gave us a creative writing assignment based on one of those
thoughts. At 17, I was beginning to wonder about many things, so I chose 
the statement, "I wonder why things are the way they are?" That night, I 
wrote down in the form of a story all the questions that puzzled me about 
life. I realized that many of them were hard to answer, and perhaps others 
could not be answered at all.
  When I turned in my paper, I was afraid that I might fail the assignment
because I had not answered the question, "I wonder why things are the way 
they are?" I had no answers. I had only written questions. The next day Mr. 
Reynolds called me to the front of the class and asked me to read my story 
for the other students. He handed me my paper and sat down in the back of 
the room. The class became quiet as I began to read my story:

Mommie, Daddy........Why?
 Mommie, why are the roses red?
 Mommie, why is the grass green and the sky blue?
 Why does a spider have a web and not a house?
 Daddy, why can't I play in your toolbox?
 Teacher, why do I have to read?
 Mother, why can't I wear lipstick to the dance?
 Daddy, why can't I stay out until 12:00? The
 other kids are.
 Mother, why do you hate me?
 Daddy, why don't the boys like me?
 Why do I have to be so skinny?
 Why do I have braces and wear glasses?
 Why do I have to be 16?
 Mom, why do I have to graduate?
 Dad, why do I have to grow up?
 Mom, Dad, why do I have to leave?
 Mom, why don't you write more often?
 Dad, why do I miss my old friends?
 Dad, why do you love me so much?
 Dad, why do you spoil me?
 Your little girl is growing up.
 Mom, why don't you visit?
 Mom, why is it hard to make new friends?
 Dad, why do I miss being at home?
 Dad, why does my heart skip a beat when he looks
 in my eyes?
 Mom, why do my legs tremble when I hear his
 voice?
 Mother, why is being "in love" the greatest
 feeling in the world?
 Daddy, why don't you like to be called "Gramps"?
 Mother, why do my baby's tiny fingers cling so
 tightly to mine?
 Mother, why do they have to grow up?
 Daddy, why do they have to leave?
 Why do I have to be called "Grannie"?
 Mommie, Daddy, why did you have to leave me? I
 need you.
 Why did my youth slip past me?
 Why does my face show every smile that I have
 ever given to a friend or a stranger?
 Why does my hair glisten a shiny silver?
 Why do my hands quiver when I bend to pick a
 flower?
 Why, God, are the roses red?
 
 At the conclusion of my story, my eyes locked with Mr. Reynold's eyes, 
and I saw a tear slowly sliding down his cheek. It was then that I realized 
that life is not always based on the answers we receive, but also on the 
questions that we ask.
                                        

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