Enjoy this guest post from author Greg Miller and contact him to let him know you saw him on the Christian Daily Blog!
Four-year-old Paul did not like being an only child.
“Lord,” prayed Paul, “could I please have a baby brother or a baby sister?”
“Sure,” replied the Lord. “In fact, I can tell you that you will have a baby sister named Priscilla, who will be born on your seventh birthday.”
“Thank you, Lord,” said Paul. “Thank you very much. I’ll try as hard as I can to be a good brother. I’ll help mom and dad take care of her.”
“I know you will,” God said. “And since older brothers sometimes need a helping hand, sometimes Priscilla will help your parents take care of you.”
“So Priscilla and I will pretty much look out for each other, right?,” asked Paul.
“That’s right, Paul,” said the Lord. “And I know that you’re only four years old, but you need to start praying for your mom and dad right away, because they will need all of those prayers, and I will hear all of them.”
Paul began praying for his mom, Paulette, and his dad, Peter, as well as his sister, who would be born in three years. And, just as He had promised, God heard all of Paul’s prayers. “Lord, you are so awesome!,” Paul exclaimed.
“Thanks for noticing, Paul,” said God. “Sometimes my children do not acknowledge my power in their lives.”
On Paul’s seventh birthday, the family went to the hospital where Priscilla was scheduled to be born. “I’ll be the best big brother in the world,” he promised his mom and dad.”
“I know you will, Son,” said Paulette. “The Lord showed your dad and me that you have been praying for a brother or sister. Thank you for praying for your sister and for us.”
At 11:30 p.m., little Priscilla was born. Paulette, Peter and Paul all held their new bundle of joy for a moment.
“Hi, little sister,” said Paul. “I’m so glad you’re here. When you’re a little older, I plan to take you fishing with me. I’ll even bait your hook for you until you learn to do it yourself.”
“Paul,” said Paulette. “Did you stop to think that she may be more interested in playing with dolls than she will be in fishing?”
“Yes, I did, Mom,” said Paul. “And I’ll make a deal with you. I’ll teach her all I know about fishing, if you’ll teach her everything you know about dolls!”
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To contact the writer of this column about speaking engagements and puppet ministry, please e-mail kidcool4jesus@yahoo.com.
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Enjoy this guest post from author Greg Miller and contact him to let him know you saw him on the Christian Daily Blog!
Charlie, the Church Mouse Extraordinare at First Cheese Church, was very happy with his job, which paid him in cheese.
He earned enough cheese each week to feed his entire family, and he had enough cheese left over to give to the homeless mouse shelter.
Charlie’s job was very easy. He kept all the floors, pews, couches and chairs very clean, and he made sure all the visiting rodents enjoyed their time at the church.
Charlie felt his job was so easy, in fact, that he boasted to all his little mouse buddies, “Being a church mouse is fun, easy and fulfilling. I would advise any mouse to consider being a church mouse as a career option. It’s a great way to honor the God who created us.”
Cinnamon, Charlie’s best mouse friend, liked what he heard. “I’m kind of tired of cutting cheese at the Local Mouse Deli,” he told Charlie. “Do you think I could work as a church mouse intern at the church for a couple of weeks? I could gain some experience, and I could learn whether I was cut out for that type of work.”
“No problem,” said Charlie. “Your pay will be one-half pound of cheese per week. Plus, if you do a good job, I’ll give you a letter of recommendation that you can give to prospective employers.”
Like Charlie, Cinnamon thought the church mouse gig was a blast. “This is great,” Cinnamon said. “When can I get my letter of recommendation?”
“I’ll have it for you tomorrow,” Charlie replied.
In the letter, Charlie spoke very highly of Cinnamon’s job performance. “Cinnamon has a very strong work ethic, and he really enjoys his job,” Charlie wrote. “He would be a fine church mouse for any church.”
Christopher, the mouse resources officer at Second Cheese Church, was very impressed with the letter of recommendation, but he wanted to know why Cinnamon quit his job as a cheese cutter after being on the job for only three months. “That’s not a very long time to work at any job,” Christopher observed.
“It just wasn’t challenging enough, Sir,” said Cinnamon. “I became bored, so I decided to look for a job that provided a bit more adventure.”
Christopher remembered that in his younger days he also had dreamed of a job with more adventure. “Now,” he said, “I’m thankful for every slice of cheese I earn, and I just want the Lord to be pleased with my work ethic.”
“Come on, Cinnamon,” said Christopher, “What’s the real reason you wanted to change jobs?”
“There is one other reason,” Cinnamon admitted. “You see, all I did was slice cheese all day, and I got tired of being nothing but a cutup.”
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To contact the writer of this column about speaking engagements and puppet ministry, please e-mail kidcool4jesus@yahoo.com.
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Enjoy this guest post from author E. Umana and contact him to let him know you saw him on the Christian Daily Blog!
We're in the midst of a raging recession with global reach. The economists are speculating on the possibility of a "double dip" recession. People have lost jobs, homes, cars other property and the like, marriages are strained under the weight of mounting debts and other economic problems.
But there is one "industry' that is defying the economic gloom and doom and according to a report I heard about on Fox News, that would be the online matchmaking services. Some of the dating sites are reporting double digit increases in the number of new members. They describe the pace at which people are trying to find a new partner as "frenzied."
It seems that, despite the sometimes high monthly cost, people want to reach out to one another and be together. In other words, they don't want to go through this economic downturn by themselves.
Unfortunately, many of these people are lonely and not seeking a partner from a godly standpoint, as in seeking their lifelong soul-mate, partner, fellow worshiper, lover and co-parent. In fact, I believe many of these people are looking for someone to "hook up with." Some of them will marry after many years of getting to "know" each other, in the biblical sense, prior to marriage.
People are social creatures, they need to interact with other people. Despite the economy, people interviewed state the need to connect and not face all this uncertainty by themselves; but they also mention the advantage of having an almost unlimited number of potential partners to interact with so they can weed out the incompatible (the goldigger, psycho, etc.).
Through an online dating site, they have more information on a potential mate than they otherwise would meeting someone at work or from a chance encounter at the laundromat.
One can sympathize as these are lonely people who want companionship, and to share expenses in these difficult times. But it is better to be alone than to be with the wrong person. No matter how bad the economy is, a relationship started out of loneliness, desperation, or a desire to share expenses will not last in the long run.
Better to live on a corner of the roof than share a house with a quarrelsome wife (or husband). (Proverbs 21:9, NIV)
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E. Umana is an article author and blog owner whose articles on marriage and Internet marketing appear all over the Internet. Visit his Christian blog, Christian Marriage Works and download his ebook 12 Marriage Killers to discover how to spot the behaviors that couples engage in that can create conflict and destroy a marriage.
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Enjoy this guest post from author Greg Miller and contact him to let him know you saw him on the Christian Daily Blog!
Geneva suffered a stroke three weeks before Labor Day, and she was determined to alter her lifestyle.
“I don’t want to have another stroke,” she told her husband, Garth.
Geneva began eating more fruits and vegetables, and she started walking about two miles every day.
Geneva suffered no major long-term effects from the stroke, and she was very grateful to the Lord for this blessing. “I’m still able to drive my car and teach my Sunday school class,” she said.
Geneva also continued shooting hoops with her son, Gabe, a couple of times each week. “You know, Mom, I think you shoot the basketball even better now than you did before,” Gabe said. “And you always were a good shooter.”
“Just be sure you remember this lesson, Son,” said Geneva. “Don’t ever let adverse situations keep you from doing your best for God or from living your life to its fullest.”
“You’re so smart, Mom,” said Gabe.
“Thank you, Son,” said Geneva. “That‘s very kind.”
“Mom, may I please ask you a question?,” asked Gabe.
“Sure, Son,” replied Geneva.
“The company where you work was closed for Labor Day,” said Gabe. “Why did they close?”
“Many companies close on Labor Day,” said Geneva, “to give their employees a well-deserved day of rest. It’s like an extra day of vacation. Some of us work so hard that we really need an extra day off work every once in a while.”
“I know what you mean, Mom,” said Gabe. “As a student, I appreciate it when fall break and spring break arrive every year.”
“I guess it’s kind of the same thing,” agreed Geneva.
Geneva told her son that another great thing about this year’s Labor Day holiday occurred after the holiday break. “When we went back to work on Tuesday, the company treated us to lunch at a great restaurant,” she said. “Then the company wrote a check for the same amount as the cost of the lunch and donated the money to the local orphanage.”
“It’s great to see that the Lord doesn’t take a holiday on Labor Day,” said Gabe.
“God never takes a day off,” said Garth. “He’s always on he job, and He’s always right on time when He answers prayer.”
“Dad, you’re as smart as mom,” said Gabe. “How did I manage to get parents who are so intelligent?”
“All I know is that is one blessing the Lord must have known you could handle,” said Geneva.
“It’s a great blessing,” said Gabe. “And since you had your stroke, I’ve come to a conclusion about something. I hope I never have a stroke. But if I do, I sure hope I maintain my trust in God as well as you have. He is in control of everything, and He deserves all of our praise.”
“Amen to that!,” said Garth.
“Amen!,” echoed Geneva. “Amen!”
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To contact the writer of this column about speaking engagements and puppet ministry, please e-mail kidcool4jesus@yahoo.com.
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