What's The Agenda?

"I have been driven to my knees many times, because I had no other place to go," Abe Lincoln. Not a bad place to go, if you need some type of guidance in your life. I don't think anyone in America would disagree, with the fact that our country is going through difficult times. We see daily, where countries are fighting in the streets, looking for some kind of stability in their lives. We could ask the question, "How long can we live and keep electing our leaders on false promises?" We have been hanging over the cliff for sometime. Their pay should be cut, maybe every month until the bad decisions on their part have been corrected. We are slowly being led "out" of the promised land. Could we be headed for agonizing pain, as a country, because of our disobedience?

Some friends and I were discussing our life back in the forties and fifties. We had no health insurance, no medicare, no social security, no tax deductions, no checking and saving accounts, no indoor plumbing, and in many family homes, no electricity. We were not blessed with one-a-day vitamins, fish oil, and we have more over-the-counter supplements than Carter's liver pills. Oh! We did not even have "stool softeners," We had "Grover's chill tonic", which I think was made out of the ashes from the fireplace, and Castor oil. Keep those pipes clean, and everything runs better.

The great thing is; the seven types of taxes we have in the complicated tax code. There is the "Income Taxes", "Property Taxes", "Consumptive Taxes", "Corporate Taxes", "Payroll Taxes", "Capital Gains Taxes", "Inheritance or Estate Taxes". Of course, these taxes are broken down into other taxes, such as county, city, gas and so on and so on. Benjamin Franklin once said, "Nothing is certain but death and taxes." While few people relish paying taxes, everyone enjoys having good schools, roads and services. The elected leaders of this country cannot handle the taxes we pay into the different funds. The highest elected leaders, including the President and his administration has abused personal spending for years. Our country is not headed towards Socialism, in many ways, we are there already. When people are hurting, it's very easy to accept promises, which can't always be kept. The promises buy votes, and that is what counts to many of our leaders. Why would any American citizen wish to move out of this great country into any other country, and give up their citizenship because of taxes? What if! We could just work together, listen together and join our agendas together by priority, and solve the problems we face in this country together! Big Government could be part of the problem! President Obama, pick the best from both sides and give them "the" Agenda.

"Deciding on Discipline"

The Sunday school 'lesson plan' for Dec. 16, 2012 was so strong, I just wanted to pass on a few of the writer's lesson points to everyone.
We must be open to God's evaluation of our hearts and actions as He reveals the true status of our relationship with Him. We should recognize and be grateful th...at God disciplines people in appropriate ways. We need to take seriously the messages of those who call us to renewed faithfulness to God. And we should thank God for using loving discipline to restore us to faithful living.
We need to Live it! Don't avoid God's discipline. Let it strengthen our relationship with Him. Thank God that He loves us enough to discipline us.
1. Check Your Relationship---with God.
2. You Reap What You Sow---in your daily walk with God.
3. Heed His Warning---we must believe God's word of warning.
4. Realize What Time It Is---it's time we realized that our relationship with God is far more important to Him than any planning we can do. Our biggest problem with planning is that we plan and carry out things in our own wisdom that only God has a right to determine. We cannot know the when, or where, or how of God's will until He tells us.

 Devotion Team
 by Jake Cannon

My Mother

My Mother, was written by Jess Cannon Jr. and gave this as a Mother's Day devotion at his Church.  Jess wrote this article at their farm in Georgia.  Sunday in Jakin, GA. This is For Mother's Day (Etta Benita Reese Cannon - August 5, 1900 - November 29, 1942)

The last time I was here, I asked "What Is Today?" No one gave me an answer. Today I again will ask a question. "What Is Today?" All of us has a mother, right? So what is a Mother? Let me tell you about my Mother and as I do think about your Mother, my Mother's name was Etta. I thought that was a pretty name, even those of us that our Mother has gone on to meet the Lord, we still have our memory. I know that I do. We should be mindful and grateful to love and respect them always and appreciate the joys of life that their memory brings us that we hold dear. I can remember my Mother rocking me when I was a very small boy and singing songs that I still can hear in my quiet time. Words are hard to find at times what a good Mother I had. I missed the sacrificing, sharing, selflessness and the loving heart that was so tender, sweet and kind that strengthened our home. Her greatest joy was to give happiness and service to her family. She sacrificed her life to enrich ours. I am so happy for the legacy of my Mother who taught her family how to live and how to die; live in the Lord and die with dignity. My Mother taught me to pray on her lap and I have a poem I was asked to share with you this morning. So just let me do just that right now. It's called Gingham Alter.

Many years ago I knelt and bowed my head in prayer. Upon a checkered apron as my mother stroked my hair. I have knelt at many alters of wood, of gold, and stone. But that gingham covered alter is the sweetest I have known.

Let us pray,
Our father we thank you for your son this morning who gave us all he had to give, his message for eternal life on a cruel cross. We thank you this morning for all the Mothers that give the very best they have to give and on this day our father teach us to love as you have loved us. Be with us today, our father, as we bring our tithes and our offerings unto your storehouse, give us the wisdom to use it according to your will. In Christ name we pray. Amen.