May 2000 Newsletter
~TABLE OF CONTENTS~
~Message from Traci
~Bible Study
~Prayer Requests/Praise Reports
~Website of the Month
~Inspirational Story
~May's Occasions
~Memory Verse
~~Message From Traci~~
With deepest apologies, I'm sending this out late. First, if you're a colleg student, you can understand (and even if you're not! :-) ) This month we saw the close of another sememster that has come and gone, and with that, FINALS! :-( I don't know about you, but a couple of my finals were horrific, even with studying an unknown number of hours for them. Then, my computer was giving me troubles. Come to find out, the new hard drive that I got only 2 months prior was defective, and I couldn't get onto certian sites, including hotmail, so I couldn't write the newsletter. After I thought everything was fixed, I was still having trouble with my computer, and still couldn't get online. Here, the new hard drive and the CD-ROM drive were incompatable. After that, I got so busy with my summer classes that I competely forgot about writing the newsletter. *Shame on me!* So, that's why I'm sending this out late. Please forgive me. It's just been one of those months, and starting in August, (towards the end) it may not get any better. Only God knows.
Anyway, I hope you've all had a wonderful month and a wonderful Mother's Day!
God Bless!
Traci
~~Bible Study~~
In honor of Mother's Day this month, we will be looking at what the Bible says about mothers.
Exodus 20:12 - Honor your father and mother
Luke 11:27-28 - As Jesus was saying these things, a woman in the crowd called out, "Blessed is the mother who gave you birth and nursed you."
He replied, "Blessed rather are those who hear the work of God and obey it."
John 19:25-27 - Near the cross of Jesus stood his mother, his mother's sister, Mary the wife of Clopas and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus saw his mother there and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to his mother, "Dear woman, here is your son," and to the disciple, "Here is your mother." From that time on, the disciple took her into his home.
Happy Mother's Day to all the mothers out there, as well as the mothers to be! God Bless!
~~Prayer Requests/Praise Reports~~
-Please pray for the people affected by the Los Alamos fires.
-Please pray for me. I've been having trouble with my menstrual cycle. I've been bleeding between my periods, and when I have my regular period, they have been lasting two weeks, plus with heavy bleeding. Thank you.
~~Website of the Month~~
This month's Website of the month goes to Elizabeth's site called, "P.S.A.L.M. (Please Sing A Lively Melody)" The address is http://www.btinternet.com/~skitol/index.htm She has a very lovely site, and we believe you will enjoy it!
~~Inspirational Poem~
This month, I have decided to include two poems. The first one, I believ, is one that everyone knows. It's the Footprints poem. The second one is called, "Our Walk Continues." This one is a continuation of the Footprints poem. I pray that this will be a blessing to you. By the Way, Footprints was written by margaret Fishback Powers. The author of "Our Walk Continues" is unknown.
~Footprints~
One night a man had a dream.
He dreamed he was walking along the beach with the LORD.
Across the sky flashed scenes from his life.
For each scene, he noticed two sets of footprints in the sand:
one belonged to him, and the other to the LORD.
When the lst scene of his life flashed before him,
he noticed back at the footprints in the sand.
He noticed that many times along the path of his life
there was only one set of footprints.
He also noticed that it happened at the very lowest
and saddest times in his life.
This really bothered him and he questioned the LORD about it.
"LORD, you said that once I decided to follow you,
you'd walk with me all the way.
But I have noticied that during the most
troublesome times in my life,
there is only one set of footprints.
I don't understand why when I need you the most you would leave me."
The LORD replied, "My precious, precious child,
I love you and I would never leave you.
During your times of trial and suffering,
when you see only one set of footprints,
it was then that I carried you.
~Our Walk Continues~
Now imagine you and the Lord Jesus are walking along the beach together. For much of the way the Lord's footprints go along steadily, consistently, rarely varying in the pace. But your prints are in a disorganize stream of zig zags, starts, stops, turnarounds, circles, departures, and returns. For much of the way it seems to go like this. But, gradually, your footprints come in line with the Lord's, soon paralleling His consistenly. You and Jesus are walking as true friends. This seems perfect, but then an interesting thing happens; your footprints that once etched the sand next to the master's are now walking precisely in His steps. Inside His large footprints is the smaller "sandprint," safely enclosed. You and Jesus are becoiming on; this goes on for many miles. But gradually you notice another change. the footprints inside the large footprints seem to grow larger. Eventually it disappears altogether. There is only one set of footprints. They have become one! again this goes on for a long time. But then something awful happens. The second set of footprints is back. This time it seems even worse than before. Zig zags all over the place. Stop...start. Deep gashes in the sand. A veritable mess of prints. You're amazed and shocked. But this is the end of your dream. Now you speak: "Lord, I understand the first scene with the zigzags, fits, starts, and so on. I was a new Christian, just learning. But You walked on through the storm and helped me learn to walk with You." "That is correct," replied the Lord. "Then, when the smaller footprints were inside of Yours, I was actually learning to walk in Your steps. I followed You very closely." "Very good. You have understood everything so far." "Then the smaller footprints grew and eventually filled in with Yours. I suppose that I was actually growing so much that I was becoming more like You in every way." " Precisely." "But! this is my question, Lord. Was there a regression or something? The footprints went back to two, and this time it was worse than the first." The Lord smiles, then laughs. "You didn't know?" He says. "That was when we danced."
FOR HE WILL TURN YOUR MOURNING INTO DANCING...
~~May's Occasions~~
May 14 - Mother's Day! Happy Mother's Day to all of you wo are mothers or mothers to be! God Bless!
May 13 - Birthday - Katy http://www.angelfire.com/il2/katyk18/hi.html
~~Memory Verse~~
Romans 10:3-4
Since they did not know the righteousness that comes from God and sought to establish their own, they did not submit to God's righteousness. Christ is the end of the law so that there may be righteousness for everyone who believes.
Until next month,
May God bless you greatly!
The staff of Internet Christians United.