A teacher in New York decided to honor each of her Seniors in highschool
by
telling them the difference they each made. She called each student to
the
front of the class, one at a time. First she told each of them how they
had
made a difference to her and the class. Then she presented each of them
with
a blue ribbon imprinted with gold letters, which read, "Who I Am Makes a
Difference."

Afterwards the teacher decided to do a class project to see what kind of
impact recognition would have on a community. She gave each of the
students
three more ribbons and instructed them to go out and spread this
acknowledgment ceremony. Then they were to follow up on the results, see
who
honored whom and report back to the class in about a week.

One of the boys in the class went to a junior executive in a nearby
company
and honored him for helping him with his career planning. He gave him a
blue
ribbon and put it on his shirt. Then he gave him two extra ribbons and
said,
"We're doing a class project on recognition, and we'd like you to go out,
find somebody to honor, give them a blue ribbon, then give them the extra
blue ribbon so they can acknowledge a third person to keep this
acknowledgment ceremony going. Then please report back to me and tell me
what happened."

Later that day the junior executive went in to see his boss, who had been
noted, by the way, as being kind of a grouchy fellow. He sat his boss
down
and he told him that he deeply admired him for being a creative genius.
The boss seemed very surprised. The junior executive asked him if he
would
accept the gift of the blue ribbon and would he give him permission to
put
it on him. His surprised boss said, "Well, sure."

The junior executive took the blue ribbon and placed it right on his
boss's
jacket above his heart. As he gave him the last extra ribbon, he said,
"Would you do me a favor? Would you take this extra one and pass it on by
honoring somebody else. The young boy who first gave me the ribbons is
doing
a project in school and we want to keep this recognition ceremony going
and
find out how it affects people."

That night the boss came home to his 14-year-old son and sat him down. He
said, "The most incredible thing happened to me today. I was in my office
and one of the junior executives came in and told me he admired me and
gave
me a blue ribbon for being a creative genius. Imagine. He thinks I'm a
creative genius. Then he put this blue ribbon that says "Who I Am Makes a
Difference" on my jacket above my heart. He gave me an extra ribbon and
asked me to find somebody else to honor. As I was driving home tonight, I
started thinking about whom I would honor with this ribbon and I thought
about you. I want to honor you.

My days are really hectic and when I come home I don't pay a lot of
attention to you. Sometimes I scream at you for not getting good enough
grades in school and for your bedroom being a mess, but somehow tonight,
I
just wanted to sit here and, well, just let you know that you do make a
difference to me. Besides your mother, you are the most important person
in
my life. You're a great kid and I love you!"

The startled boy started to sob and sob, and he wouldn't stop crying. His
whole body shook. He looked up at his father and said through his tears,
"Dad, earlier tonight I sat in my room and wrote a letter to you and Mom
explaining why I had killed myself and asking you to forgive me. I was
going
to commit suicide tonight after you were asleep. I just didn't think that
you cared at all. The letter is upstairs. I don't think I need it after
all."

His father walked upstairs and found a heartfelt letter full of anguish
and pain.
The envelope was addressed, "Mom and Dad." The boss went back to work
a changed man. He was no longer a grouch but made sure to let all his
employees know that they made a difference.

The junior executive helped several other young people with career
planning
and never forgot to let them know that they made a difference in his
life...one being the boss's son. And the young boy and his classmates
learned a valuable lesson. Who you are DOES make a difference.

Hi Everyone,

I want to encourage some of our members to post their stories.

====================================================

Please Post: Moral stories on a good clean subject, motivational and
positive thinking type stories. Don't forget spiritual stories to.

I would like it if you recommended our group to someone else so they
could join us to. Copy the stories and send them to your friends.
----- It's your group so please promote it. -----

Although your posts do not have to be spiritual, just keep it clean.
This is the reasoning behind the moderation and approving post. This
is the only way that I can keep all the junk out of this group.

Please make your posts at -- FavoriteStories@yahoogroups.com
Just as a reminder the F and the S are capital letters.

We would enjoy stories that your Grandma or Grandpa told you. Especially,
if they were trying to teach you about life or morals.

====================================================

Please use our "promote" feature to encourage new members to
join our discussion group. If you have a web site. You can go
to our "promote" area and pick up a button or a box. These are
for people to click on and join us.

It's your group so please promote it. If anyone has a suggestion
or idea please contact me at -- FavoriteStories-owner@yahoogroups.com

====================================================

Use our "Bookmarks" feature to posts links that you like.

====================================================

Use our "files" feature to upload or post a picture, etc.

====================================================

From Your Friendly Moderator,
Jerry

The boy stood with back arched, head cocked back and hands clenched
defiantly. "Go ahead, give it to me."

The principal looked down at the young rebel. "How many times have you
been here?"

The child sneered rebelliously, "Apparently not enough."

The principal gave the boy a strange look. "And you have been punished
each time have you not?"

"Yeah, I been punished, if that's what you want to call it." He threw out
his small chest, "Go ahead I can take whatever you dish out. I always
have."

"And no thought of your punishment enters your head the next time you
decide to break the rules does it?"

"Nope, I do whatever I want to do. Ain't nothin' you people gonna do to
stop me either."

The principal looked over at the teacher who stood nearby. "What did he
do this time?"

"Fighting. He took little Tommy and shoved his face into the sandbox."

The principal turned to look at the boy, "Why? What did little Tommy do
to you?"

"Nothin'. I didn't like the way he was lookin' at me, just like I don't
like the way your lookin' at me! And if I thought I could do it, I'd
shove your face into something." The teacher stiffened and started to
rise but a quick look from the principal stopped him.

He contemplated the child for a moment and then quietly said, "Today, my
young student, is the day you learn about grace."

"Grace? Isn't that what you old people do before you sit down to eat? I
don't need none of your stinkin' grace."

"Oh, but you do." The principal studied the young mans face and
whispered. "Oh yes, you truly do..."

The boy continued to glare as the principal continued, "Grace, in its
short definition, is unmerited favor. You cannot earn it--it is a gift
and is always freely given. It means that you will not be getting what
you so richly deserve."

The boy looked puzzled. "You're not gonna whup me? You just gonna let me
walk?"

The principal looked down at the unyielding child. "Yes, I am going to
let you walk."

The boy studied the face of the principal, "No punishment at all? Even
though I socked Tommy and shoved his face into the sandbox?"

"Oh, there has to be punishment. What you did was wrong and there are
always consequences to our actions. There will be punishment. Grace is
not an excuse for doing wrong."

"I knew it," sneered the boy as he held out his hands. "Lets get on with
it."

The principal nodded toward the teacher. "Bring me the belt." The teacher
presented the belt to the principal.

He carefully folded it in two and then handed it back to the teacher. He
looked at the child and said. "I want you to count the blows." He slid
out from behind his desk and walked over to stand directly in front of
the young man. He gently reached out and folded the child's outstretched,
expectant hands together and then turned to face the teacher with his own
hands outstretched.

One quiet word came forth from his mouth. "Begin." The belt whipped down
on the outstretched hands of the principal.

Crack!

The young man jumped ten feet in the air. Shock registered across his
face, "One" he whispered.

Crack!

"Two." His voice raised an octave.

Crack!

"Three..." He couldn't believe this.

Crack!

"Four." Big tears welled up in the eyes of the rebel. "OK stop! That's
enough. Stop!"

Crack! Came the belt down on the callused hands of the principal.

Crack!

The child flinched with each blow, tears beginning to stream down his
face.

Crack! Crack!

"No please", the former rebel begged, "Stop, I did it, I'm the one who
deserves it. Stop! Please. Stop..."

Still the blows came--Crack! Crack! One after another. Finally it was
over.

The principal stood with sweat glistening across his forehead and beads
trickling down his face. Slowly he knelt down. He studied the young man
for a second and then his swollen hands reached out to cradle the face of
the weeping child.

"Grace..." he simply said.
Author Unknown

Editor's Note: The following edition was originally posted on
September 16, 2001. I'm reposting portions of it and other editions
this week in remembrance of the events of 9-11-01.   God Bless You
All.  God Bless America!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"The Lord is my light and my salvation - whom shall I fear? The Lord
is the stronghold of my life - of whom shall I be afraid? When evil
men advance against me to devour my flesh, when my enemies and my
foes attack me, they will stumble and fall. Though an army besiege
me, my heart will not fear; though war break out against me, even
then will I be confident." Psalm 27: 1-3

So many people have been writing this week to share their feelings
about the terrorist attacks in New York and Washington D. C. I
haven't written much to this point because, like each of you, I've
been struggling to comprehend the enormity of what has occurred. And
I've been struggling to come to grips with some very intense and
painful feelings of my own. Cathy and I have cried rivers of tears as
the stories of the victims and fallen heroes have unfolded. And we
have shed tears of joy and a deep sense of pride as we have watched
Americans throughout the nation come together in an outpouring of
compassion and selfless acts of giving to the survivors and the
suffering. Like most Americans, we have prayed and watched a lot of
television hoping to understand; to make some sense out of the
senseless. The networks have been frantically shifting through every
bit of information they can gather, trying to find those answers for
us. But they've been unsuccessful. Not surprising. They've been
looking in the wrong places. On Friday, our President called this
nation to the only place where those answers can be found.

This week has been America's darkest and finest hour. We have felt
the vile touch of evil squeeze our hearts with fear. We have starred
into his dark, malevolent face and felt the bile of hatred in our
throats. A generation that has grown to adulthood without knowing the
true depths of the evil abroad in this world has now been introduced
to him with undeniable clarity. The Internet is flooded with their
testimonies. Their lives and ours have been forever redefined by that
introduction. Yes, America, despite all the rumors to the contrary,
there is a devil. And he roams this planet seeking those he can
destroy.

And in response to this defining moment, we have seen the emergence
of that spirit God breathed into all of His creation. First like a
small light in a dark cavern and then flaring like a curtain being
thrown back to reveal the sun, the light of God's love has begun to
shine in men's hearts again. Strangers have become brothers and
sisters, supporting and caring for each other as they stagger to
recover from the cowardly and senseless acts of destruction on
September 11th. Some risking their lives in the faint hope of giving
life to others.

Will that spirit prevail? Will we recover? Can we overcome the evil
that seeks to destroy us? I believe the answer is in the verses I've
quoted from the 27th Psalm and in the choices we make in the days
ahead. Do we chose justice or revenge? Do we allow hatred to feed the
bitter fruit of prejudice or do we unite in the brotherhood of God's
family. The scales are precariously balanced and the choices each one
of us makes will determine if they tip towards or away from the Lord
who is our salvation and our strength, our provider and our comforter.

I am reminded of a book Tony Campola wrote some years ago, "It's
Friday, but Sunday's Coming." It's a book that helped me find hope at
one of the darkest times in my life. Although I don't have the book
any longer, and I'm terrible at memorizing things, I still remember
the basic message of the book that blessed me and gave me the faith
to go on. I find comfort in that message now and offer it to any one
who's heart is aching from the losses we all have suffered this week.

On Friday Christ was crucified, died and was buried - but Sunday's
coming.

On Friday the disciples are scattered and hiding in fear - but
Sunday's coming.

On Friday the sky is blackened and the earth shaken by God's anger -
but Sunday's coming.

Sunday when Christ will rise again.

Sunday when God's Son will become the fulfillment of all scripture
and God's love to His children.

It's Friday and our hearts ache. Darkness seems to surround us. Life
seems too hard. The suffering and the losses are too much to bear.
But Sunday is coming! Sunday when Christ will come again and "prince
of this world" will suffer the finality of eternal defeat. Yes, it's
Friday now. The pain and the suffering are very real. But so is the
hope and promise we have in Christ. His arms open wide to receive
you, to comfort and heal your breaking heart. Run to Him now! Run
into the comforting embrace of those loving arms. Those arms that
opened wide upon the cross to receive your punishment so you could
receive your salvation.

Thank you Lord. It may be Friday now. But, we understand - Sunday is
coming!!!!

"He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death
or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed
away." Revelation 21:4

I remain His servant and your loving brother,
Sheltered under His wings and overwhelmed by His love,

Steve Hall



National Day of Prayer and Remembrance
(President George W. Bush, National Cathedral, Washington, D. C.)

We are here in the middle hour of our grief. So many have suffered so
great a loss, and today we express our nation's sorrow. We come
before God to pray for the missing and the dead, and for those who
love them. On Tuesday, our country was attacked with deliberate and
massive cruelty. We have seen the images of fire and ashes, and bent
steel.

Now come the names, the list of casualties we are only beginning to
read. They are the names of men and women who began their day at a
desk or in an airport, busy with life. They are the names of people
who faced death, and in their last moments called home to say, be
brave, and I love you. They are the names of passengers who defied
their murderers, and prevented the murder of others on the ground.
They are the names of men and women who wore the uniform of the
United States, and died at their posts. They are the names of
rescuers, the ones whom death found running up the stairs and into
the fires to help others. We will read all these names. We will
linger over them, and learn their stories, and many Americans will
weep. To the children and parents and spouses and families and
friends of the lost, we offer the deepest sympathy of the
nation . . . you are not alone.

Just three days removed from these events, Americans do not yet have
the distance of history. But our responsibility to history is already
clear: to answer these attacks and rid the world of evil. War has
been waged against us by stealth and deceit and murder. This nation
is peaceful, but fierce when stirred to anger. This conflict was
begun on the timing and terms of others. It will end in a way, and at
an hour, of our choosing.

Our purpose as a nation is firm. Yet our wounds as a people are
recent and unhealed, and lead us to pray. In many of our prayers this
week, there is a searching, and an honesty. At St. Patrick's
Cathedral in New York on Tuesday, a woman said, "I prayed to God to
give us a sign that He is still here." Others have prayed for the
same, searching hospital to hospital, carrying pictures of those
still missing. God's signs are not always the ones we look for. We
learn in tragedy that his purposes are not always our own. Yet the
prayers of private suffering, whether in our homes or in this great
cathedral, are known and heard, and understood. There are prayers
that help us last through the day, or endure the night. There are
prayers of friends and strangers that give us strength for the
journey. And there are prayers that yield our will to a will greater
than our own. This world He created is of moral design. Grief and
tragedy and hatred are only for a time. Goodness, remembrance, and
love have no end. And the Lord of life holds all who die, and all who
mourn.

It is said that adversity introduces us to ourselves. This is true of
a nation as well. In this trial, we have been reminded, and the world
has seen, that our fellow Americans are generous and kind,
resourceful and brave. We see our national character in rescuers
working past exhaustion; in long lines of blood donors; in thousands
of citizens who have asked to work and serve in any way possible. And
we have seen our national character in eloquent acts of sacrifice.
Inside the World Trade Center, one man who could have saved himself
stayed until the end at the side of his quadriplegic friend. A
beloved priest died giving the last rites to a firefighter. Two
office workers, finding a disabled stranger, carried her down sixty-
eight floors to safety. A group of men drove through the night from
Dallas to Washington to bring skin grafts for burn victims. In these
acts, and in many others, Americans showed a deep commitment to one
another, and an abiding love for our country. Today, we feel what
Franklin Roosevelt called the warm courage of national unity. This is
a unity of every faith, and every background. It has joined together
political parties in both houses of Congress. It is evident in
services of prayer and candlelight vigils, and American flags, which
are displayed in pride, and wave in defiance. Our unity is a kinship
of grief, and a steadfast resolve to prevail against our enemies. And
this unity against terror is now extending across the world.

America is a nation full of good fortune, with so much to be grateful
for. But we are not spared from suffering. In every generation, the
world has produced enemies of human freedom. They have attacked
America, because we are freedom's home and defender. And the
commitment of our fathers is now the calling of our time. On this
national day of prayer and remembrance, we ask almighty God to watch
over our nation, and grant us patience and resolve in all that is to
come. We pray that He will comfort and console those who now walk in
sorrow. We thank Him for each life we now must mourn, and the promise
of a life to come.

As we have been assured, neither death nor life, nor angels nor
principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor
height nor depth, can separate us from God's love. May He bless the
souls of the departed. May He comfort our own. And may He always
guide our country. God bless America.




The Greatness of America
(Alexander de Tocqueville)

"I sought for the greatness and genius of America in her commodious
harbors and her ample rivers, and it was not there. I sought for the
greatness and genius of America in her fertile fields and boundless
forests, and it was not there. I sought for the greatness and genius
of America in her rich mines and her vast world commerce, and it was
not there. I sought for the greatness and genius of America in her
public school system and her institutions of learning, and it was not
there. I sought for the greatness and genius of America in her
democratic congress and her matchless constitution, and it was not
there. Not until I went into the churches of America and heard her
pulpits flame with righteousness did I understand the secret of her
genius and power. America is great because America is good, and if
America ever ceases to be good, America will cease to be great."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
NOTES  FROM  THE  VALLEY
September 11, 2001 Revisited - Part 2

"Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of
death, I will fear no evil for you are with me."  Psalm 23.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The following edition was originally posted on September 30, 2001.
I'm reposting portions of it and other editions this week in
remembrance of the events of 9-11-01.


TOPIC:  WHAT NEXT?

This week, it seems like everyone is struggling with the
question, "What should we, the United States of America, do next in
response to the terrorist attacks against us?"  Based upon the many
articles and inputs I've received this week, plus my observations of
various national news sources, it seems fairly clear that there are
two major camps seeking to influence the form of our impending
response to the attacks of September 11th.

One camp is angry.  VERY angry.  Legitimately angry.  So angry that I
don't think any of them would be the least bit upset if President
Bush ordered our military to level any nation that supported the
terrorist attacks and make paved parking lots out of them all.  And
the other camp is scared.  Legitimately scared.  Scared of the
actions threatened by the Taliban if we do attack them.  So scared,
that they distrust any course of action that involves the use of
military force.

One side screams for revenge.  The other pleads for patience and
diplomacy.
Who's right?
Is either side right?
And more importantly, what is it that God would truly want us to do
next?

To those who are angry let me say, I share your anger.  Every time I
contemplate the cold blooded, carefully calculated and brutal acts
taken against our citizens on September 11th, my blood boils.  I
cannot comprehend the kind of human being who could act in such a
heartless manner towards other human beings.  The level of hatred and
bitterness they must nurture towards us as a people goes beyond my
ability to understand.  I can only characterize it as the darkest and
most sinister form of evil I have ever encountered.  To me, they are
the very personification of the devil himself.  And I long for the
identification and punishment of each and every one of them as
quickly and severely as possible.  I long for it as deeply and
earnestly as I long for the day when I can see the devil himself fall
defeated before Christ and then be cast out from our midst into
eternal torment.

But as angry as I am, I also know that our response, if governed by a
desire for revenge rather than justice, will result in the deliberate
massacre of innocent civilians.  And if that happens, we will be as
guilty of wrong doing as the ones we seek to punish.  The harm that
has befallen innocent Americans of Arabic and Indian heritage in this
country over last two weeks, solely because of their physical
appearance or their belief in the Islamic faith, is validation that
anger can be a very heady and easily misdirected emotion.  We cannot
allow ourselves to be dragged into that dark and vile place.  We must
resist the type of angry responses that would take us there.

To the angry, God says,  "Be angry, and do not sin:  do not let the
sun go down on your wrath, nor give place to the devil."
Ephesians 4:26-27

For those of you who are scared let me say, you are not alone.  Truly
honest people everywhere will admit that their hopes and dreams were
forever changed by the events of September 11th.  And with those
changes came uncertainties and fear.  That fear, authored by the
devil, is the counterfeit of faith. It is his primary weapon and he
uses it to freeze us into inaction while he and his cohorts continue
about their sinister business.  We cannot allow ourselves to be
deceived by that fear.  If we do, we will end up in the same dark
destination our unrestrained anger would take us.  But we will have
crawled there voluntarily to hide behind his dark illusion; seeking
safety in a lie.

To the scared comes this reminder, "God has not given us the spirit
of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind."  2 Timothy
1:7

Having said all that, what's the answer to our question, "What
next?"  It's certain the answer won't be found within ourselves.  For
all our energies and achievements, events have brought us face-to-
face with the reality of our own insufficiency to deal with the
challenges that lie ahead.  So, what comes next is a choice: Where
will we seek the answers we can't find within ourselves?  The world
offers us many choices.  God offers us only two.  Himself or all the
rest.

I know everyone has heard the much quoted scripture from 2 Chronicles
7:14 this week: ". . . if My people who are called by My name will
humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their
wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin
and heal their land."  It is my firm belief that we have reached that
point where God will no longer accept a part time relationship with
His children.  It breaks His heart.  And it is destroying us slowly
from within as our spirits grow weak from our lack of communion with
Him.

God did not author the events of September 11th.  I can't not
emphasize that strongly enough.  The evil in men's hearts did that.
But He is using those events as a wake up call to His People.  And
what comes next is our answer to that call.  From that choice will
flow all the events that will prepare and define us for what lies
ahead.

When faced with Goliath, the nation of Israel cowered in fear.  But
David chose to trust in God instead of in Goliath's prowess or his
own meager abilities.  And David defeated Goliath with only a
slingshot and a stone.  The lesson for us is very clear.  It wasn't
the superiority of the warrior or the weapon that mattered.  It was
the one who guided them both.

Later in his life, David would write:  " In my distress I called to
the LORD; I cried to my God for help. From his temple he heard my
voice; my cry came before him, into his ears.  He parted the heavens
and came down; dark clouds were under his feet.  He reached down from
on high and took hold of me; he drew me out of deep waters.  He
rescued me from my powerful enemy, from my foes, who were too strong
for me . . . he rescued me because he delighted in me."  Psalm 18:6,
9, 16-19 (NIV)

God does not expect His people to cower in fear before evil in any
form. But before we dare come against that evil, we had better
prepare ourselves by making the same wise choices that David did.
We'd better put our faith in God.

God bless you all.
God bless America and her allies in the fight against evil that lies
ahead.
May we all remain sheltered under His wings and overwhelmed by His
love,

Steve Hall



Why Does God Allow Evil?
(Author Rick Warren, Senior Pastor of Saddleback Church)

Tuesday's horrific mass murder of innocent Americans leaves all
rational people shocked, angry, grief-stricken, and numb. Our tears
flow freely and our hearts carry a deep ache. How could this happen
in our nation?

This week as mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters, friends, neighbors,
and co-workers begin to share their stories, this tragedy will be
become even more personal. As this tragedy becomes more personal, it
will become more painful. As our pain deepens, so will the questions.
Why does God allow evil to happen? If God is so great, and so good,
why does he allow human beings to hurt each other?

The answer lies in both our greatest blessing and our worst curse:
our capacity to make choices. God has given us a free will. Made in
God's image, he has given us the freedom to decide how we will act
and the ability to make moral choices. This is one asset that sets us
apart from animals, but it also is the source of so much pain in our
world. People, and that includes all of us, often make selfish, self-
centered, and evil choices. Whenever that happens, people get hurt.
Sin is ultimately selfishness. I want to do what I want, not what God
tells me to do. Unfortunately, sin always hurts others, not just
ourselves.
God could have eliminated all evil from our world by simply removing
our ability to choose it. He could have made us puppets, or
marionettes on strings that he pulls. By taking away our ability to
choose it, evil would vanish. But God doesn't want us to be puppets.
He wants to be loved and obeyed by creatures who voluntarily choose
to do so. Love is not genuine if there is no other option.

Yes, God could have kept the terrorists from completing their
suicidal missions by removing their ability to choose their own will
instead of his. But to be fair, God would also have to do that to all
of us. You and I are not terrorists, but we do harm and hurt others
with our own selfish decisions and actions.

You may hear misguided minds say "This must have been God's will."
Nonsense!! In a world of free choices, God's will is rarely done!
Doing our own will is much more common. Don't blame God for this
tragedy. Blame people who ignored what God has told us to do: "Love
your neighbor as yourself."

In heaven, God's will is done perfectly. That's why there is no
sorrow, pain, or evil there. But this is earth, a fallen, imperfect
place. We must choose to do God's will everyday. It isn't automatic.
This is why Jesus told us to pray "Thy will be done on earth, as it
is in heaven."

The Bible tells us the root of evil: "This is the crisis we're in:
God's light streamed into the world, but men and women everywhere ran
for the darkness...because they were not really interested in
pleasing God." (John 3:19 Message Translation) We're far more
interested in pleasing ourselves.

There are many other questions that race through our minds during
dark days. But the answers will not come from pollsters, pundits, or
politicians. We must look to God and his Word. We must humble
ourselves and admit that each of us often choose to ignore what God
wants us to do.

No doubt this weekend houses of worship across America will be
packed. In a crisis we cry out for a connection with our Creator.
This is a deep-seated, universal urge. The first words uttered by
millions on Tuesday were "Oh God!" We were made for a relationship
with God but he waits for us to choose Him. He is ready to comfort,
guide, and direct us through our grief. My prayer is that you will
attend a house of worship this weekend and reconnect with God. But
it's your choice.

________________________________________________

Copyright © 1998 - 2002 by Stephen J. Hall  -   Weekly letters of
encouragement to Christians written by Stephen J. Hall unless
otherwise indicated.  Notes from the Valley and Humor from the Valley
are meant to brighten your day and encourage you along the way.  Most
of "Notes" and "Humor" are a collection of items provided by
subscribers and friends.  Credit is given to both the contributor and
to the true author, where known.  If you are blessed by them, please
feel free to make copies and pass them along to others.  If you have
something you'd like to contribute to a future edition, would like to
ask a question or make a comment, please contact us at:

sossteve@...
________________________________________________


Your love, God, is my song, and I'll sing it!  I'm forever telling
everyone how faithful you are.  I'll never quit telling the story of
your love . . .
(Psalm 89:1-2 The Message)

The LORD is my light and my salvation - whom shall I fear?
The LORD is the stronghold of my life - of whom shall I be afraid?
When evil men advance against me to devour my flesh, when my enemies
and my foes attack me, they will stumble and fall.  Though an army
besiege me, my heart will not fear; though war break out against me,
even then will I be confident.
Psalm 27:1-3 (NIV)

Editor's Note:  The following edition was originally posted on
October 7, 2001.  I'm reposting portions of it and other editions
this week as a three part series in remembrance of the events of 9-11-
01.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

NOTES  FROM  THE  VALLEY

September 11, 2001 Revisited - Part 3

"Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of

death, I will fear no evil for you are with me."  Psalm 23.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

TOPIC:  "DO  WE  FORGIVE  OR  AVENGE  TERRORISM?"

"Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe
yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and
patience.   Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you
may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.  And
over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in
perfect unity."  Colossians 3:12-14

I appreciate all the feedback we received from last week's
edition, "What Next?"  Both camps (the angry and the fearful) weighed
in with their opinions about what they think our President should do
in response to the terrorist attacks on our nation.  I appreciate
what everyone had to say.  And I deeply appreciate the number of
people who signed the pledge to pray for the President and our
national leaders in this time of crisis.  President Bush has
repeatedly commented on how much he appreciates and needs those
prayers and how God has touched his life in response to those prayers.

One response I received to the edition was very troubling.  From the
tone of the response, I'm assuming the writer lives outside the
United States.  By his confession, however, he is a born again
Christian and, therefore, my brother.  I did not agree with my
brother's comments.  In fact, I strongly disagreed with them.  That I
should feel such disunity with a brother in Christ, however, was very
troubling to me.  So this week has been a time of considerable
struggling to come to grips with the significant differences in our
views about how we as Christians should respond to acts of terrorism
that killed so many on September 11th.   Because "Notes" was started
as a ministry for encouraging each other as we struggle "through the
valley" each week, I'm going to share my struggle with you.  I'm
certain I'm not the only one who has been confronted with the subject
of forgiveness in the midst of this nation's preparations to bring
our attackers to justice.  I believe the issue of forgiveness is one
all of us must deal with as part of the healing process that our Lord
is taking us through.

To summarize my brother's comments, he feels we Americans are a
prideful people who consider ourselves better than the rest of the
world for a variety of reasons.  We are also a very vengeful people,
quick to respond in anger when we are treated poorly by others.   My
brother feels that we, as a nation, should seize the opportunity we
now have before us to change the world by responding to our enemies
with forgiveness rather than force.  He strongly believes that such a
demonstration of the Christian virtue of forgiveness, will start a
great movement of conversion to Christianity and an era of true peace
in the world.  He also feels, if we do not respond with forgiveness,
we will be acting contrary to God's will for us and we will suffer
greatly because of it.

On the surface, my brother's comments ring very true.  In the words
of Christ we read:  "For if you forgive men when they sin against
you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.   But if you do not
forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins."
Matthew 6:14-15 (NIV)

But, as I mentioned to my brother in one of my first responses, there
is much more in the Bible on forgiveness than just this passage,
including what I believe to be more clarifying words from Christ.
Jesus speaking to Saul on the road to Damascus said:  "I am sending
you to them to open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light,
and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may receive
forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by
faith in me."  Acts 26:17-18

Clearly, Jesus indicates to Saul (Paul) that forgiveness first comes
from God to those who open their eyes and turn from darkness to
light, who turn from Satan to God.  We can be the messengers of that
grace to unbelievers, but we are NOT the ones doing the forgiving.
Man turns, God forgives, and then the forgiven become our brothers in
Christ.

Paul clarifies this relationship with unbelievers further in one of
his letters to the Church, "Do not be yoked together with
unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common?
Or what fellowship can light have with darkness?"  2 Corinthians 6:14

Our call to forgive men then, it would seem, is conditioned towards
those who have been forgiven by God and have been sanctified by faith
into the family of God.  This distinction becomes clearer in Christ's
words from the Book of Luke, "If your brother sins, rebuke him, and
if he repents, forgive him.  If he sins against you seven times in a
day, and seven times comes back to you and says, `I repent,' forgive
him."  Luke 17:3-4 (NIV)

Charles H. Spurgeon explains it this way in his book "All of Grace":

" According to the infinite goodness of God, we are promised that if
we will forsake our sins, confessing them, and will, by faith, accept
the grace which is provided in Christ Jesus, God is faithful and just
to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
But, so long as God lives, there can be no promise of mercy to those
who continue in their evil ways, and refuse to acknowledge their
wrongdoing. Surely no rebel can expect the King to pardon his treason
while he remains in open revolt. No one can be so foolish as to
imagine that the Judge of all the earth will put away our sins if we
refuse to put them away ourselves."

So, if we are not called to forgive or be in community with
unbelievers, then what is our relationship to be with them?

As Jesus sent Paul to open men's eyes to grace, so we have the great
commission to share the Gospel with all men.  And, according to
Paul's letter to the Romans,  "If it is possible, as far as it
depends on you, live at peace with everyone. Do not take revenge, my
friends, but leave room for God's wrath, for it is written: "It is
mine to avenge; I will repay,"  says the Lord."  Romans 12:18-19 (KJV)

We are NOT called to forgive those who so ruthlessly killed the
defenseless on September 11th.  Neither are we called to take revenge
upon them.  So what is our response to be?  How do we stay  within
the will of God?  How do we let go of our anger and "leave room for
God's wrath?"

Thousands of years ago, Moses led the nation of Israel out of Egypt.
When they were probably at their most vulnerable and defenseless
position, the Amalekites launched a vicious attack against them.  God
later appointed Saul as the King and sent Samuel, His prophet, to
Saul with this message,

" . . . This is what the LORD Almighty says: `I will punish the
Amalekites for what they did to Israel when they waylaid them as they
came up from Egypt. Now go, attack the Amalekites and totally destroy
everything that belongs to them. Do not spare them; put to death men
and women, children and infants, cattle and sheep, camels and
donkeys.'" 1 Samuel 15:1-3 (NIV)

The King of Israel, appointed by God and guided by God, became the
instrument of God's wrath against those who cold-heartedly attacked
and murdered His chosen people.  And as scary as that may be, I
believe it is the only acceptable course of action for us today.  The
President of these United States, appointed by God and guided by God,
will become the instrument of God's wrath against those who have
committed a great evil against God's children. I don't profess to
know what form that wrath will take.  That is in God's hands - not
ours.  But we as Americans and Christians, must take our guidance
from the Book of Romans:  "Everyone must submit himself to the
governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which
God has established. The authorities that exist have been established
by God.  Consequently, he who rebels against the authority is
rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will
bring judgment on themselves . . .  For he is God's servant to do you
good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword
for nothing. He is God's servant, an agent of wrath to bring
punishment on the wrongdoer."  Romans 13:1-4 (NIV)

And that is why I have so fervently asked that all of us be in prayer
for Mr. Bush and ALL the leaders appointed over us.  It is my strong
belief that our only hope for the future, our only chance of being
firmly within God's will for us as a people and a nation, is to have
leaders who will seek Him on every decision and serve Him with their
every action in the days ahead.  It is NOT our revenge that we must
be praying for, but God's hand upon our President.  May he be the
faithful servant of God's judgement upon the doers of this great
evil.  In Jesus Name - Amen.

I remain His servant and your brother in Christ,
sheltered under His wing and
overwhelmed by His love,

Steve Hall



THROUGH  THE  VALLEY
(Author Ernest Gordon, "Through the Valley of the Kwai")

We found ourselves on the same track with several carloads of
Japanese wounded after we were freed from the Kwai prison camp. These
unfortunates were on their own without medical care. No longer fit
for action in Burma, they had been packed into railway cars which
were being returned to Bangkok.

They were in a shocking state. I have never seen men filthier.
Uniforms were encrusted with mud, blood, and excrement. Their wounds,
sorely inflamed and full of pus, crawled with maggots. The maggots,
however, in eating the putrefying flesh, probably prevented
gangrene.  It was apparent why the Japanese were so cruel to their
prisoners. If they didn't care for their own, why should they care
for us?

The wounded looked at us forlornly as they sat with their heads
resting against the carriages, waiting for death. They had been
discarded as expendable, the refuse of war. These were the enemy.
They were more cowed and defeated than we had ever been.

Without a word most of the officers in my section unbuckled their
packs, took out part of their ration and a rag or two, and, with
water canteens in their hands, went over to the Japanese train. Our
guards tried to prevent us, bawling, "No goodka! No goodka!" But we
ignored them and knelt down by the enemy to give water and food, to
clean and bind up their wounds. Grateful cries of "Aragatto!" ("Thank
you") followed us when we left.

I regarded my comrades with wonder. Eighteen months ago they would
have joined readily in the destruction of our captors had they fallen
into their hands. Now these same officers were dressing the enemy's
wounds.  We had experienced a moment of grace, there in those
bloodstained railway cars. God had broken through the barriers of our
prejudice and had given us the will to obey His command, "Thou shalt
love."

Editors Note: Please read Romans 12:20-21


_______________________________________________

Copyright © 1998 - 2002 by Stephen J. Hall  -   Weekly letters of
encouragement to Christians written by Stephen J. Hall unless
otherwise indicated.  Notes from the Valley and Humor from the Valley
are meant to brighten your day and encourage you along the way.  Most
of "Notes" and "Humor" are a collection of items provided by
subscribers and friends.  Credit is given to both the contributor and
to the true author, where known.  If you are blessed by them, please
feel free to make copies and pass them along to others.  If you have
something you'd like to contribute to a future edition, would like to
ask a question or make a comment, please contact us at:

sossteve@...
________________________________________________

Your love, God, is my song, and I'll sing it!  I'm forever telling
everyone how faithful you are.  I'll never quit telling the story of
your love . . . "
(Psalm 89:1-2 The Message)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
NOTES  FROM  THE  VALLEY
September 29, 2002

"Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of
death, I will fear no evil for you are with me."  Psalm 23.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


"Let us approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may
receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need."
Hebrews 4:16

"But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who
doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind.
James 1:6

Cathy is in the painfully slow process of recovering from "release"
surgery on her left hand as the result of severe carpal tunnel
syndrome.  Once that hand heals, they'll be operating on her right
hand and she'll get to repeat the whole recovery process again.  The
school district she works for had to lay her off because it's going
to be months before she can work again.  So we've lost her income and
she's lost one of the things she loves the most, the chance to work
with her children.  She misses them and I know they miss her.

This latest "storm" in our lives has stirred up a lot of problems and
Cathy and I are facing the age old choice of how we are going to deal
with them.  We can either worry or we can have faith.

Worry finds it's root in fear, which is the opposite of faith.  If
not controlled, worry creates doubt and doubt leads to an inability
to receive from God.  All available evidence, in scripture and in
worldly data, shows worry to be both ineffective and destructive.

Faith, on the other hand, is the foundation that God has provided for
us.  It is a source of stability and strength to overcome our
troubles.  It brings comfort in the midst of turmoil - a peace that
goes beyond our understanding.  How very simple the choice seems when
presented in those terms.  But life has a way of making the simplest
of choices not seem so simple after all.

Major life changing events often seem insurmountable and it's a
natural reaction for us to feel some panic.  In some ways it reminds
me of being on a ship in a hurricane (remember that I was in the Navy
for 28 years - so don't think me strange when I relate to things this
way.  James spent some time at sea and shares my view - see James 1:6
at the opening of this edition!).  Anyone who saw the George Clooney
movie about the perfect storm has some sense of what that can be
like.  In our mind's eye, dark clouds gather to block the sun, the
wind howls so loud we can't think, and the waves of doubt and fear
lift skyward and come crashing down on us with thunderous blows.
Again and again and again.  It feels like an endless march of forces
seemingly bent on destroying our hope and our faith.  All is darkness
and confusion around us.  Our senses reel from the impact.  There
seems no direction we can chose to escape, no refuge in which to seek
comfort and rest.

But in the midst of this assault, we need to force ourselves to ask
these critical questions:  Are God's promises any less valid today
than they were yesterday?  Does He love us any less?  Are we any less
valuable to Him?  Has the price He paid for our salvation, for our
adoption into His family as His sons and daughters, become less
precious to Him today than it was when Jesus hung on the cross at
Calvary and He had to turn His eyes away because it hurt so badly to
see His Son's suffering?  The Bible clearly gives us God's answers.
They are "No.  No. No. And NO!!!"

Do I understand everything that is going on in our lives right now?
No I don't.  I freely admit I don't.  But if I trust the Father, our
heavenly Father, I don't need to understand.  I only need to place my
hand in His and hold on with all the strength I have.  He will take
care of the rest. By way of illustration, there is an incident in the
Bible I'd like to share with you.  I pray it encourages you as much
as it did this old sailor in trying to deal with the current "storm"
of troubles.

"Without warning, a furious storm came up on the lake, so that the
waves swept over the boat. But Jesus was sleeping. The disciples went
and woke him, saying, "Lord, save us! We're going to drown!"  He
replied, "You of little faith, why are you so afraid?" Then he got up
and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm."
Matthew 8:24-26 (emphasis added)

As joint heirs with Jesus, we have the same measure of faith as the
one who slept peacefully during the storm and the same measure of
authority as the one who rebuked it and brought calm.  Instead of
bowing to the storm (worry and fear) we can take authority over it -
like Jesus.  We may not have all the answers, but we have the one we
need.  The Father will care for us and bring us safely home.

We remain as always sheltered under His wings
and overwhelmed by His love,

Steve & Cathy Hall



THE  WINGS  OF  FAITH
(Author Clay Harrison)

May the wings of faith uphold you
When your cross is hard to bear,
As temptations surround youAnd no one seems to care.

May the wings of faith surround you
And shield you from the pain
When sorrows overcome you
And teardrops fall like rain.

May you know that God is with you
In times of deep despair.
May the Spirit, who's within you,
Confirm that He is there!

May the valley of the shadow
Provide angels unaware ...
May the wings of faith uphold you
When your cross is hard to bear.



RISING ABOVE THE STORMS
(Received from Kay Broihahn)

Did you know that an eagle knows when the storm is approaching long
before it breaks?  The eagle will fly to some high spot and wait for
the winds to come.  When the storm hits, it sets its wings so that
the wind will pick it up and lift it high above the storm.  While the
storm rages below, the eagle is soaring high above it, gliding with
ease.  The eagle does not escape the storm, it just simply uses the
storm to lift it higher.  It rises on the winds that bring the storm
into its world.

When the storms of life come upon us - and all of us will experience
them - we can rise above them by setting our minds and belief toward
God!!!  The storms do not have to overcome us.  We can allow God to
lift us above them.  God enables us to ride the winds of the storm
that brings sickness, pain, tragedy, failure and disappointments in
our lives, and make something good come from it.  We can soar above
the storm.  Remember, it is not the burdens of life which weigh us
down, but it is how we handle them that counts.

"But they that wait on the Lord shall renew their strength;  they
shall mount up with wings like eagles;  they shall run, and not be
weary; and they shall walk, and not faint."
Isaiah 40:31 (KJV)



THE  ALCHEMY  OF  GOD
(Author - D. James Kennedy)
Have you ever had a rock and wished you could change it into a
diamond?  Years ago, before the advent of chemistry, a science called
alchemy existed, and alchemists had a similar passion: Finding a way
to transform worthless metals into gold. Of course, they never
succeeded.

But God is the master alchemist. He has a passion for taking all
things and working them for good.

Charles Spurgeon tells about one man who had complete faith that God
would work everything for his good:

During the reign of Queen Mary I of England, this man was captured
for preaching the gospel.  He received the sentence of being burned
alive at the stake in London.  When he heard the sentence, he
said, "Well, never mind. God will work all things together for my
good. I don't know how, but He will."

On his way to London, the guards treated the man roughly. In fact,
they even threw him down to the ground, and in doing so, they broke
his leg.  Then they mocked the man, saying, "Well, tell us how this
will work together for your good."

He said, "I don't know, but it will."

Before they could continue their trip, the guards had to take time to
put the man's leg into a splint.  Because of this delay, the group
arrived in London a day later than the guards had planned. But the
night before they arrived, Queen Mary died, and Elizabeth had taken
the throne. Instead of burning the man at the stake, Elizabeth
pardoned him. So, although his broken leg was a bad thing, God used
it for his good, saving his life through the delay it caused..

Do circumstances often seem to work in opposition to your
expectations?

Do you sometimes despair of any good coming from your situation?

Remember that God is in charge. He sees the big picture; He knows the
future. He controls all things, and He loves you more than you can
imagine.  Through your experiences, He'll shape you, transforming you
into the best person you can be.  Trust Him and even thank Him for
situations that seem bad, because He works all things together for
your good.  (Read Romans 8:28)

God, the mighty alchemist, transforms the lead of our lives into gold.
_______________________________________________

Copyright © 1998 - 2002 by Stephen J. Hall  -   Weekly letters of
encouragement to Christians written by Stephen J. Hall unless
otherwise indicated.  Notes from the Valley and Humor from the Valley
are meant to brighten your day and encourage you along the way.  Most
of "Notes" and "Humor" are a collection of items provided by
subscribers and friends.  If you are blessed by them, please feel
free to make copies and pass them along to others.  If you have
something you'd like to contribute to a future edition, would like to
ask a question or make a comment, please contact us at:

sossteve@...
________________________________________________


Your love, God, is my song, and I'll sing it!  I'm forever telling
everyone how faithful you are.  I'll never quit telling the story of
your love . . ."
(Psalm 89:1-2 The Message)

Hi Everyone,

I want to encourage some of our members to post their stories.

====================================================

Please Post: Moral stories on a good clean subject, motivational and
positive thinking type stories. Don't forget spiritual stories to.

I would like it if you recommended our group to someone else so they
could join us to. Copy the stories and send them to your friends.
----- It's your group so please promote it. -----

Although your posts do not have to be spiritual, just keep it clean.
This is the reasoning behind the moderation and approving post. This
is the only way that I can keep all the junk out of this group.

Please make your posts at -- FavoriteStories@yahoogroups.com
Just as a reminder the F and the S are capital letters.

We would enjoy stories that your Grandma or Grandpa told you. Especially,
if they were trying to teach you about life or morals.

====================================================

Please use our "promote" feature to encourage new members to
join our discussion group. If you have a web site. You can go
to our "promote" area and pick up a button or a box. These are
for people to click on and join us.

It's your group so please promote it. If anyone has a suggestion
or idea please contact me at -- FavoriteStories-owner@yahoogroups.com

====================================================

Use our "Bookmarks" feature to posts links that you like.

====================================================

Use our "files" feature to upload or post a picture, etc.

====================================================

From Your Friendly Moderator,
Jerry

(o: (o: (o: (o: (o: (o: (o: | :o) :o) :o) :o) :o) :o) :o) :o)

HUMOR  FROM  THE  VALLEY - October 6, 2002

"A cheerful disposition is good for your health . . ."
   Proverbs 17:22 (Message Translation)

(o: (o: (o: (o: (o: (o: (o: | :o) :o) :o) :o) :o) :o) :o) :o)


"I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have
hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to
little children."

"I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little
children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore,
whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the
kingdom of heaven.  And whoever welcomes a little child like this in
my name welcomes me."

"Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the
kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these."
Matthew 11:25-26/18:3-5/19:14

God has used our children in so many ways to pour out His blessings
upon us.  So often He would use some triumph or mistake we made as
parents  to give us a deeper revelation of our relationship with
Him.   In a moment of parental pride, He would give a vision of some
small act of service we had done and the pride He'd felt at our
first, often feeble attempts to follow Him.  And in some moment of
parental frustration, when we felt like screaming, He gave us an
equally sharp picture of something we had done that made Him feel
much the same frustration toward us.  Not only did He use each event
to show us more about His role as our heavenly Father, but He used
them to show us more about our role as His children.

As a way of celebrating that role and remembering our countless
blessings, we occasionally do an edition of "Humor from the Valley"
that focuses entirely on children.  We call these editions "Kid's
Stuff."  Mainly they're filled with humorous stories, but
occasionally we  also include more serious articles sent in by our
contributors in celebration of "special" kids.  We hope you will
enjoy reading this edition as much as we enjoyed putting it
together.  We pray the articles will remind you of the way you used
to be and the heavenly Father who longs for you to be that way again.

We remain His less than perfect children, sheltered under His wing
and overwhelmed by His love.
Steve & Cathy Hall

Gotta Love These Kids!
(Shared by Poki'i in Hawaii)

An exasperated mother, whose son was always getting into mischief,
finally asked him, "How do you expect to get into Heaven?"

The boy thought it over and said, "Well, I'll run in and out and in
and out and keep slamming the door until St. Peter says, 'For
Heaven's sake, Dylan, come in or stay out!'"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A small boy is sent to bed by his father. Five minutes
later . . . "Da-ad"
"What?"
"I'm thirsty. Can you bring drink of water?"
"No. You had your chance. Lights out."
Five minutes later: "Da-aaaad....."
"WHAT?"
"I'm THIRSTY. Can I have a drink of water??"
"I told you NO! If you ask again, I'll have to spank you!!"
Five minutes later......"Daaaa-aaaad....."
"WHAT!"
"When you come in to spank me, can you bring a drink of water?"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
One day the first grade teacher was reading the story of Chicken
Little to her class. She came to the part of the story where Chicken
Little tried to warn the farmer.  She read, ". . . and so Chicken
Little went up to the farmer and said, "The sky is falling, the sky
is falling!"

The teacher paused then asked the class, "And what do you think that
farmer said?"

One little girl raised her hand and said, "I think he said: 'Holy
Cow! A talking chicken!'"


DOCTOR'S  ORDERS
(Pastor Tim's Cleanlaugh Site)

Because of an ear infection, my young son, Casey, had to go to the
pediatrician.  I was impressed with the way the doctor directed his
comments and questions to my son.  When he asked Casey, "Is there
anything you are allergic to?" Casey nodded and whispered in his ear.

Smiling, the pediatrician wrote out a prescription and handed it to
me.  Without looking at it, I tucked it into my purse.  Later, the
pharmacist filled the order, remarking on the unusual food-drug
interaction my son must have.  When he saw my puzzled expression, he
showed me the label on the bottle.  As per the doctor's instructions,
it read:  "Do not take with broccoli."


THE  WISDOM  OF  THE  YOUNG
(Shared by Joe Sitton)

A new neighbor asked the little girl next door if she had any
brothers or sisters.  She replied, "No, I'm a lonely child."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
When my grandson, Billy, and I entered our vacation cabin, we kept
the lights off until we were inside to keep from attracting pesky
insects.  Still, a few fireflies followed us in.

Noticing them before I did, Billy whispered, "It's no use, Grandpa.
The mosquitoes are coming after us with flashlights."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I didn't know if my granddaughter had learned her colors yet, so I
decided to test her. I would point out something and ask what color
it was. She would tell me, and was always correct. But it was fun for
me, so I continued.

At last she headed for the door, saying sagely, "Grandma, I think you
should try to figure out some of these yourself!"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
When my grandson asked me how old I was, I teasingly replied, "I'm
not sure."

"Look in your underwear, Grandma," he advised. "Mine says I'm four."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
After putting her children to bed, a mother changed into old slacks
and a droopy blouse and proceeded to wash her hair. As she heard the
children getting more and more rambunctious, her patience grew thin.
At last she threw a towel around her head and stormed into their
room, putting them back to bed with stern warnings.

As she left the room, she heard her three-year-old say with a
trembling voice, "Who was THAT?"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A mother was telling her little girl what her own childhood was like:

"We used to skate outside on a pond; I had a swing made from a tire,
it hung from a tree in our front yard; we rode our pony; and we
picked wild raspberries in the woods."

The little girl was wide-eyed, taking this in.

At last she said, "I sure wish I'd gotten to know you sooner!"


THE  WOODEN  BOWL
(Shared by Jan Ross - Based on a story by Tolstoy)

A frail old man went to live with his son, daughter-in-law, and four-
year old grandson. The old man's hands trembled, his eyesight was
blurred, and his step faltered.

The family ate together at the table. But the elderly grandfather's
shaky hands and failing sight made eating difficult. Peas rolled off
his spoon onto the floor. When he grasped the glass, milk spilled on
the tablecloth. The son and daughter-in-law became irritated with the
mess.

"We must do something about Grandfather," said the son. "I've had
enough of his spilled milk, noisy eating, and food on the floor!"  So
the husband and wife set a small table in the corner. There
grandfather ate alone while the rest of the family enjoyed dinner.
Since Grandfather had broken a dish or two, his food was served in a
wooden bowl.

When the family glanced in Grandfather's direction, sometimes they
saw a tear in his eye as he sat alone. Still, the only words the
couple had for him were sharp admonitions when he dropped a fork or
spilled food.  The four-year-old watched it all in silence. . .

Then one evening before supper, the father noticed his son playing
with wood scraps on the floor. He asked the child sweetly, "What are
you making?"

Just as sweetly, the boy responded, "Oh, I am making a little bowl
for you and Mama to eat your food in when I grow up." The four-year-
old smiled and went back to work.

The words so struck the parents that they were speechless. No word
was spoken but tears streamed down their cheeks and both knew what
must be done.

That evening the husband took Grandfather's hand and gently led him
back to the family table. For the remainder of his days he ate every
meal with the family. And for some reason, neither husband nor wife
seemed to care any longer when a fork was dropped, milk spilled, or
the tablecloth soiled.
Children are remarkably perceptive. Their eyes ever observe, their
ears ever listen, and their minds ever process the messages they
absorb.

What messages have you sent yours today?

________________________________________________

Copyright © 1998 - 2002 by Stephen J. Hall  - Letters of
encouragement to Christians written by Stephen J. Hall unless
otherwise indicated.  Notes from the Valley and Humor from the Valley
are  meant to brighten your day and encourage you along the way.
Most of "Notes" and "Humor" are a collection of items provided to me
by subscribers and friends.  Credit is given to both the contributor
and to the true author, where known.  If you are blessed by them,
please feel free to make copies and pass them along to others.  If
you have something you'd like to contribute to a future edition, or
any questions or comments, please contact us at:

sossteve@...
________________________________________________

"Surely God does not reject a blameless man or strengthen the hands
of evildoers.  He will yet fill your mouth with laughter and your
lips with shouts of joy."  Job 8:20-21 (NIV)

The Ultimate Testimony

The church's pastor slowly stood up, walked over to the pulpit and,
before
he gave his sermon for the evening, briefly introduced a guest minister
who
was in the service that evening.

In the introduction, the pastor told the congregation that the guest
minister was one of his dearest childhood friends and that he wanted him
to
have a few moments to greet the church and share whatever he felt would
be
appropriate for the service.

With that, an elderly man stepped up to the pulpit and began to speak.

"A father, his son, and a friend of his son were Sailing off the Pacific
coast," he began, "when a fast approaching storm blocked any attempt to
get
back to the shore. The waves were so high, that even though the father
was
an experienced sailor, he could not keep the boat upright and the three
were
swept into the ocean as the boat capsized."

The old man hesitated for a moment, making eye contact with two teenagers
who were, for the first time since the service began, looking somewhat
interested in his story. The aged minister continued with his story,
"grabbing a rescue line, the father had to make the most excruciating
decision of his life: To which boy he would throw the other end of the
life
line. He only had seconds to make the decision. The father knew that his
son
was a Christian and he also knew that his son's friend was not. The agony
of
his decision could not be matched by the torrent of waves.

"As the father yelled out, 'I love you, son!' he threw out the lifeline
to
his son's friend. By the time the father had pulled the friend back to
the
capsized boat, his son had disappeared beneath the raging swells into the
black of night. His body was never recovered."

By this time, the two teenagers were sitting up straight in the pew,
anxiously waiting for the next words to come out of the old man. He
continued, "the father knew his son would step into eternity with Jesus
and
he could not bear the thought of his son's friend stepping into an
eternity
without Jesus. Therefore, he sacrificed his son to save the son's friend.


How great is the love of god that he should do the same for us. Our
heavenly
father sacrificed his only begotten son that we could be saved. I urge
you
to accept his offer to rescue you and take a hold of the life line he is
throwing out to you in this service."

With that, the old man turned and sat back down in his chair as silence
filled the room. The pastor again walked slowly to the pulpit and
delivered
a brief sermon with an invitation at the end.

However, no one responded to the appeal. Within minutes after the service
ended, the two teenagers were at the old man's side. "That was a nice
story," politely stated one of the boys, "but I don't think it was very
realistic for a father to give up his only son's life in hopes that the
other boy would become a Christian."

"Well, you've got a point there," the old man replied, glancing down at
his
worn bible. A big smile broadened his narrow face as he once again looked
up
at the boys and said, "it sure isn't very realistic, is it?

But I'm standing here today to tell you that story gives me a glimpse
of what it must have been like for God to give up his son for me. You
see--- I was that father and your pastor is my son's friend."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
NOTES  FROM  THE  VALLEY
September 11, 2001 Revisited - Part 4

"Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of
death, I will fear no evil for you are with me."  Psalm 23.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The following edition was originally posted on October 28, 2001.  I'm
reposting portions of it and other editions in remembrance of the
events of 9-11-01.

TOPIC:  WHY  DID  GOD  LET  THIS  HAPPEN ?

The estimated death toll from the attacks of September 11th is now
something over 4,700.  The death toll from acts of terrorism against
America, however, continues to grow.  This week, two postal workers
died from inhaled anthrax.  The television news report on their
deaths included an interview with the wife of one of the workers that
I don't think I'll ever forget.  This dear lady seemed oblivious to
the questions she was being asked by the reporters.  She just kept
repeating, over and over again, all the ways her husband was a "good"
man.  I couldn't help thinking about how senseless was the loss of
this "good" man.  And I couldn't help but hear the unasked questions
in the recital of her husband's virtues, "Why did this have to happen
to such a good man - to MY man?  Why did you let this happen God?"
I'm sure there are thousands of families asking the same kind of
questions right now about the loved ones they have lost.

I think God must find the majority of us to be terribly frustrating
children.  Christians and non-believers alike.  When things are going
well, we're so quick to claim the credit for ourselves.  During the
recent economic prosperity of this nation, did anyone hear God
mentioned as the source of that prosperity?  Not likely.  If
anything, we were a nation intent on pushing Him away; on making sure
God couldn't get into our schools, our courthouses, our legislative
assemblies or anywhere else near the boundary we enforce between
church and state.  But when things go bad, the finger of blame is
immediately extended by so many of us in His direction.   Some
people, I'm sure, blame Him because they're not prepared to admit
their own responsibility for the fatal events.  Others blame Him
because they sincerely believe He's a very stern judge who, when we
do something wrong, loves to jump on us with both feet.  And still
others blame Him because they just don't know who else to blame.
Whatever the logic, we've really missed the mark and I'm sure it's
breaking our Father's heart.

"So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created
him; male and female he created them.  God blessed them and said to
them, "Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue
it. Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over
every living creature that moves on the ground."
Genesis 1:27-28 (NIV)

God said to His children - subdue (conquer, vanquish, control) the
earth.
God said to His children - rule (exercise authority) over every
living thing.
(Parenthetical words from Webster's Dictionary).

God is most certainly the final judge of us all.  He is most
certainly omnipresent, so He sees everything we do.  He judges us
fairly according to the law and our choices.  But He's not the one
doing the jumping.  The devil is.  He's the prosecutor and the
punisher.  God left us in control of this planet with authority over
all living things in it (including the serpent).  If we are foolish
enough to bow before sin, as Adam and Eve did, the devil demands his
due and God must release His covering over us while the devil
inflicts on us the consequences of our choices.  It's not what God
wants.  But He gave us our free will and if we use it to make bad
choices then the consequences are ours as well.

Sickness and suffering entered into this world when those in
authority sinned and let the devil in.  Sickness and suffering came
in with him.  The same sickness and suffering that can drive someone
to fly a commercial jet liner into the World Trade Center or mail a
germ filled letter to an unsuspecting official.  The same sickness
and suffering the devil will use to drive you away from God if you'll
let him.  Sickness and suffering were never God's will.  God's will
was obedient and abundant life in the Garden of Eden.  God - the just
Judge is also God - the loving Father.  Even while we suffer at the
devil's hands for our sins or the consequences of another's sin, God
is moving on our behalf, working within the self imposed limits He
placed on Himself as a condition of our free will and within our
hearts to teach us and recover us back under His protective and
loving care.

Sometimes good people get hurt simply because they're the victim of
another person's poor choices.  We chose to ignore poverty and
oppression in the world and "good" people suffer and die.  Someone,
overcome by those hurts and injustices, chooses to inflict their pain
on others and those "good" people become additions to the growing
list of victims.  We chose to ignore the dangers of pollution in our
environment.  Poisons are ingested and inhaled until loved ones
contract deadly diseases.  More suffering and death.  Not because of
God's will, but because of our failings in exercising the free will
He has given us.

It seems like every day the news is filled with violent crimes where
innocent victims suffer or die.  Or the news of some precious person
who has succumbed to a deadly disease leaving a host of friends or
loved ones mourning their loss.  Roughly 2,000 years ago, the
headlines read "Jesus is Dead!  Nazarene crucified for claiming to be
the Son of God!!" The prophet that had been welcomed with cheers and
Hosannas just days before was gone.  The one who had done so many
miraculous things among the people and taught with such wisdom and
authority was no more.  His disciples were scattered and in hiding,
their hopes and dreams shattered.  Those who followed Christ, who had
heard Him teach and had believed, lifted their eyes towards heaven
and asked the question "Why?"  They did not want Jesus to die.  But
if He hadn't, where would we be today?

And therein lies our lesson for the tragedies that confront us in
life: No matter how dark or senseless things may seem - God is always
in control and will always keep His promise to lead us safely home.
At various times in our lives, all of us will ask the pain-filled
question, "Why God?"  In response, the devil will offer the bitter
fruit of anger and unforgiveness.  The Father offers the sweet,
healing power of His love and grace.  He intends for us to be the
messengers of that offer.

God bless you all.
God bless America and her allies in the fight against evil that lies
ahead.
May we all remain sheltered under His wings and overwhelmed by His
love,

Steve Hall


GOD  -  I  HURT!
(The following was posted on the wall at the Oklahoma City bombing
site)

I said, "God, I hurt."  And God said, "I know."
I said, "God, I cry a lot."  And God said, "That is why I gave you
tears."
I said, "God, I am so depressed."  And God said, "That is why I gave
you Sunshine."
I said, "God, life is so hard."  And God said, "That is why I gave
you loved ones."
I said, "God, my loved one died."  And God said, "So did mine."
I said, "God, it is such a loss."  And God said, "I saw mine nailed
to a cross."
I said, "God, but your loved one lives."  And God said, "So does
yours."
I said, "God, where are they now?"  And God said, "Mine is on My
right.  Yours is in the Light."
I said, "God, it hurts."  And God said, "I know."



WHAT'S  ON  THE  OTHER  SIDE ?
(Received from Alan Smith - Thought for the Day)

A sick man turned to his doctor as he was leaving the room after
paying a visit, and said, "Doctor, I am afraid to die. Tell me what
lies on the other side."

Very quietly the doctor said, "I don't know."

"You don't know?! You, a Christian man, do not know what is on the
other side?"

The doctor was holding the handle of the door. On the other side came
a sound of scratching and whining, and as he opened the door a dog
sprang into the room and leaped on him with an eager show of
gladness.

Turning to the patient, the doctor said, "Did you notice that dog? He
had never been in this room before. He did not know what was inside.
He knew nothing except that his master was here, and when the door
opened he sprang in without fear.  I know little of what is on the
other side of death, but I do know one thing: I know my Master is
there, and that is enough. And when the door opens, I shall pass
through with no fear, but with gladness."



THE  MESSENGER
(Author - Stephen J. Hall)

God reveals Himself to us in ways we seldom see;
Too wrapped up in our daily lives of earthbound reality.
But children are a different lot, that's why He loves them so;
Exploring life's curiosities wherever they may go.

They feel His breathe in a summer breeze,
See His face in a billowing cloud;
And celebrate His sun-filled days,
With a joy expressed out loud.

So when one of these little ones,
A blonde-haired boy of three;
Became perplexed at his Gramma's death,
Just guess where God would be.

Through a brightly colored butterfly,
the child's cheek softly kissed;
From the Gramma up in heaven,
to tell him he was missed.

2 Corinthians 5:17 says
the old is reborn the new;
A promise given in Jesus Christ
and made to me and you.

From a caterpillar to a butterfly,
A symbol of Christ's rebirth;
What better messenger of love
To the child still on the earth.
________________________________________________

Copyright © 1998 - 2002 by Stephen J. Hall  -   Weekly letters of
encouragement to Christians written by Stephen J. Hall unless
otherwise indicated.  Notes from the Valley and Humor from the Valley
are meant to brighten your day and encourage you along the way.  Most
of "Notes" and "Humor" are a collection of items provided by
subscribers and friends.  Credit is given to both the contributor and
to the true author, where known.  If you are blessed by them, please
feel free to make copies and pass them along to others.  If you have
something you'd like to contribute to a future edition, would like to
ask a question or make a comment, please contact us at:

sossteve@...
________________________________________________


Your love, God, is my song, and I'll sing it!  I'm forever telling
everyone how faithful you are.  I'll never quit telling the story of
your love . . .
(Psalm 89:1-2 The Message)

The LORD is my light and my salvation - whom shall I fear?
The LORD is the stronghold of my life - of whom shall I be afraid?
When evil men advance against me to devour my flesh, when my enemies
and my foes attack me, they will stumble and fall.  Though an army
besiege me, my heart will not fear; though war break out against me,
even then will I be confident.
Psalm 27:1-3 (NIV)

The Decalogue for a Spirituality of Nonviolence
By Rosemary Lynch, OSF and Alain Richard, OFM Active nonviolence calls
us:
1. To learn to recognize and respect "the sacred" ("that of God" as the
Quakers say) in every person, including in ourselves, and in every piece
of Creation. The acts of the nonviolent person help to free this Divine
in the opponent from obscurity or captivity.
2. To accept oneself deeply, "who I am" with all my gifts and richness,
with all my limitations, errors, failings and weaknesses, and to realize
that I am accepted by God. To live in the truth of ourselves, without
excessive pride, with fewer delusions and false expectations.
3. To recognize that what I resent, and perhaps even detest, in another,
comes from my difficulty in admitting that this same reality lives also
in me. To recognize and renounce my own violence, which becomes evident
when I begin to monitor my words, gestures, reactions.
4. To renounce dualism, the "we-they" mentality (Manicheism). This
divides us into "good people/bad people" and allows us to demonize the
adversary. It is the root of authoritarian and exclusivist behavior. It
generates racism and makes possible conflicts and wars.
5. To face fear and to deal with it not mainly with courage but with
love.
6. To understand and accept that the New Creation, the building up of the
Beloved Community is always carried forward with others. It is never a
"solo act." This requires patience and the ability to pardon.
7. To see ourselves as a part of the whole creation to which we foster a
relationship of love, not of mastery, remembering that the destruction of
our planet is a profoundly spiritual problem, not simply a scientific or
technological one. We are one.
8. To be ready to suffer, perhaps even with joy, if we believe this will
help liberate the Divine in others. This includes the acceptance of our
place and moment in history with its trauma, with its ambiguities.
9. To be capable of celebration, of joy, when the presence of God has
been accepted, and when it has not been to help discover and recognize
this fact.
10.  To slow down, to be patient, planting the seeds of love and
forgiveness in our own hearts and in the hearts of those around us.
Slowly we will grow in love, compassion and the capacity to forgive.
SEVEN IMPORTANT POINTS TO REMEMBER!
1. WE DON'T HAVE TO BE PERFECTLY NONVIOLENT!  NONVIOLENCE IS SOMETHING WE
GROW INTO.
2.  NONVIOLENCE DOES NOT ASSUME THAT THE WORLD IS NONVIOLENT.
3.  ACTIVE NONVIOLENCE TAKES THE REALITY OF EVIL VERY SERIOUSLY.  BUT IT
TAKES THE REALITY OF GOOD EVEN MORE SERIOUSLY.
4. NONVIOLENCE BEGINS WITH TAKING RESPONSIBILITY FOR OUR OWN STATE OF
MIND, FEELINGS, AND ACTIONS.
5. ACTIVE NONVIOLENCE CAN BE USED TO RESPOND TO EVERY LEVEL OF VIOLENCE.
6. WE NEED SUPPORT TO PUT ACTIVE NONVIOLENCE INTO PRACTICE.
7. ACTIVE NONVIOLENCE IS A SPIRITUAL JOURNEY.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

NOTES  FROM  THE  VALLEY
October 20, 2002

"Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of
death, I will fear no evil for you are with me."  Psalm 23.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I'm sure most of you have noticed the words from the 23rd Psalm in
the header of each edition of Notes from the Valley.  Like the Psalm
says, this life is a great deal like a journey on foot through a
shadowy valley.  Because we are on foot, we are vulnerable. And the
magnitude of the sinfulness around us and within us is so immense,
that it towers over us and casts a giant shadow across the entire
valley.   Alone and on foot, it's easy for us to be overcome by that
darkness; to become confused and lost; to be overwhelmed by fear.
But we were never meant to make this journey alone.

I used to forget that quite often.  Then a friend of ours got into
some serious trouble that turned his life upside down.  He asked for
my help from jail. Mail became our primary means of communications
and Psalm 23 was the primary focus of the notes I sent to him and his
family.  I'm not sure who learned more, them or me, but there was
never any doubt that it was our Father doing the teaching.  Each
year, around this time, I like to go back and revisit the lessons we
learned through those first "Notes" to a hurting friend.

I think most of us like to dream about a better life filled with
bigger, better, nicer things.  That's not a bad thing.  But
sometimes, we become so focused on achieving those dreams that we
fail to appreciate and be thankful for what we already have.  And we
fail to take advantage of or respond to the opportunities that God
places before of us.   Instead of focusing on Him, we get wrapped up
in ourselves, what we want, and what we must do to get it.  We
believe that if we can only possess that bigger house, that nicer
car, that perfect mate, we'll be happy and fulfilled.  But when our
desire is achieved, we find neither.  So we pick a new target and
strike out to possess it.  Like some rebellious child, we become
either too proud or too scared to admit we're lost.  So we refuse to
stop and ask for directions.  We blindly press forward, often
stepping on, over, or going around the people that God places in our
path.  People meant to be a blessing to us or sent to give us the
opportunity to be a blessing to others.  Likewise, we fail to see the
beauty God has created all around us.  Natural wonders ranging from
the microscopic to the majestic. Monuments to His love for us.
Reminders of His closeness to us.  But we're just too busy to see.
We have no time for Him.  We have no time for each other.  We strive,
but we fail.  We journey, but we get nowhere.

The Book of Genesis says that God created us in His image and
likeness.  Ever wonder why?  Well, the Bible also tells us that God
is love.  And it's my belief that the very nature of love requires
that it be shared - given to and accepted by someone within the same
species.  That last point is important.  Loving a pet is one thing.
But loving a family member is something else entirely.  God created
us like Himself so we could share a family love relationship with
Him.  And only in that relationship is there the fulfillment of who
He is - the Father - and who we were created to be - His children. We
see that loving relationship in the Bible's account of the evening
walks God shared with Adam and Eve through the Garden of Eden.  The
garden He so lovingly created for them.  He sent His son Jesus to the
cross so He could share those walks (that kind of relationship) with
us too.  He's been waiting for you in that garden ever since.

So, how do we find our way out of this dark valley and back to the
garden?

We have to take the time to see the wonders of God's handiwork as
evidenced in nature and in each other.  We have to recognize them as
expressions of His love for us and His longing to be with us.  We
need to stop focusing on tomorrow and where we think we need to be
long enough to discover all the joy and fulfillment God has lovingly
provided for us in today.  If you want to find the road back to Eden,
just ask your Father to share a walk with you today.  Talk.  Listen.
Love.  Invite others to join you.  And enjoy your journey with Him
down this valley road headed for home.

I remain His grateful child and your brother in Christ,

Steve Hall


A  SPIDER'S  WEB
(Author Thomas A. Bennett)

A young soldier found himself in a terrible battle during the
Scottish Reformation. The enemy was soundly defeating this young
man's army. He and his comrades found themselves hastily retreating
from the battle field in defeat, running away in fear of their very
lives. The enemy gave chase. This young man ran hard and fast, full
of fear and desperation, soon found himself cut off from his comrades
in arms.

He eventually came upon a rocky ledge containing a cave. Knowing the
enemy was close behind, and that he was exhausted from the chase, he
chose to hide there. After he crawled in, he fell to his face in the
darkness, desperately crying to God to save him and protect him from
his enemies.  He also made a bargain with God, one which I (and
perhaps you too?) have made before. He promised that if God saved
him, he would serve Him for the remainder of his days.

When he looked up from his despairing plea for help, he saw a spider
beginning to weave its web at the entrance to the cave. As he watched
the delicate threads being slowly drawn across the mouth of the cave,
the young soldier pondered its irony. He thought, "I asked God for
protection and deliverance, and he sent me a spider instead. How can
a spider save me?" His heart was hardened, knowing the enemy would
soon discover his hiding place and kill him.

Soon he did hear the sound of his enemies, who were now scouring the
area looking for those in hiding. One soldier with a gun slowly
walked up to the cave's entrance. As the young man crouched in the
darkness, hoping to surprise the enemy in a last-minute desperate
attempt to save his own life, he felt his heart pounding wildly out
of control. As the enemy cautiously moved forward to enter the cave,
he came upon the spider's web, which by now was completely strung
across the opening. He backed away and called out to a
comrade, "There can't be anyone in here.  They would have had to
break this spider's web to enter the cave. Let's move on."

Years later, this young man, who made good his promise by becoming a
preacher and evangelist, wrote about that ordeal. What he observed
has stood by me in times of trouble, especially during those times
when everything seemed impossible.  He wrote: "Where God is, a
spider's web is as a stone wall. Where God is not, a stone wall is as
a spider's web."

Is something going on in your life right now that is really bothering
you?

Perhaps it seems so bad that you are paralyzed by fear. You don't
know what to do.  Do you ever feel you are in the darkness, facing
what seems impossible, wondering (or maybe not) if God even cares?

If you are, I am here to tell you that God does care . . . more than
you can imagine right now. And God is most definitely in control.  He
specializes in the impossible.  Cry out to Him. He hears you and
desires to give you the very best He has to offer.



THE  DREAMER
(Author - William Johnson)

Two men sat in the evening,
by the fireside's cheery glow;
Watching the ghost of shadows,
that flickered too and fro.

Each pulled on his pipe in silence,
their minds were far away;
On a mountain they had climbed together,
to watch the close of the day.Alike were they as two brothers,
in all things excepting the mind;
For one recalled the glorious sunset,
the other - only the climb.

And when they had at last reached the summit,
the heart of the one knew no thrill;
For he saw mountains, just that, nothing more,
the other, a creative will.

When up from the far horizon,
billowing clouds had come;
To the one they cast welcome shadows,
to the other they but hid the sun.

One saw in the storm's wild fury,
part of an infinite plan;
For he had the soul of a dreamer,
while the other was only a man.

To him life is but a treadmill,
with no beauty to lighten the pain;
He sees not the far horizon,
for he n'eer looks up from the plain.

To the other life is like a highway,
and his joy in it knows no end;
Each turn but hides greater beauty,
each person he meets is a friend.

Oh God let me be the dreamer,
with eyes to see deep in the day;
Who can look at a man and see more of the soul,
and less of the common clay.

That I might know joy in sorrow,
and in all things see the work of thy hand;
Yes God let me be the dreamer,
and let someone else be the man.



LIVING  BETWEEN  STEPS
(Barbara Brown Taylor in Fresh Illustrations for Preaching & Teaching)

A university professor tells of being invited to speak at a military
base one December and there meeting an unforgettable soldier named
Ralph.

Ralph had been sent to meet him at the airport. After they had
introduced themselves, they headed toward the baggage claim.  As they
walked down the concourse, Ralph kept disappearing. Once to help an
older woman whose suitcase had fallen open. Once to lift two toddlers
up to where they could see Santa Claus, again to give directions to
someone who was lost.  Each time he came back with a smile on his
face.

"Where did you learn to be like that?" the professor asked.

"Oh," Ralph said, "during the war, I guess."

He then told the professor about his tour of duty in Vietnam, how it
was his job to clear mine fields, how he watched his friends blow up
before his eyes, one after another.   "I learned to live between
steps," he said.  "I never knew whether the next one would be my
last, so I learned to get everything I could out of the moment
between when I picked up my foot and when I put it down again.  Every
step I took was a whole new world, and I guess I've been that way
ever since."

The abundance of our lives is not determined by how long we live, but
by how well we live.

________________________________________________

Copyright © 1998 - 2002 by Stephen J. Hall  -   Weekly letters of
encouragement to Christians written by Stephen J. Hall unless
otherwise indicated.  Notes from the Valley and Humor from the Valley
are meant to brighten your day and encourage you along the way.  Most
of "Notes" and "Humor" are a collection of items provided by
subscribers and friends.  Credit is given to both the contributor and
to the true author, where known.  If you are blessed by them, please
feel free to make copies and pass them along to others.  If you have
something you'd like to contribute to a future edition, would like to
ask a question or make a comment, please contact us at:

sossteve@...
________________________________________________


Your love, God, is my song, and I'll sing it!  I'm forever telling
everyone how faithful you are.  I'll never quit telling the story of
your love . . .
(Psalm 89:1-2 The Message)

Becoming a Christian is like:


     A lady had recently been baptized and one of her co-workers asked her
what it was like to be a Christian. She was caught off guard and didn't know
how to answer, but when she looked up she saw a jack-o-lantern on the desk
and answered, "It's like being a pumpkin."
The worker asked her to explain and she said, "Well, God picks you from the
patch and brings you in and washes off all the dirt on the outside that you
got from being around all the other pumpkins. Then he cuts off the top and
takes all the yucky out from inside. He removes all those seeds of doubt,
hate, greed, etc. Then he carves you a new smiling face and puts his light
inside of you to shine for all to see."
Our choice is to stay outside & rot on the vine -or come inside and be
something new and bright.






_________________________________________________________________
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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

NOTES  FROM  THE  VALLEY

October 27, 2002

"Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of

death, I will fear no evil for you are with me."  Psalm 23.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


Reading the Bible has become more and more like visiting an old
friend for me.  Old lessons come to mind that have helped me in the
past.  New lessons are revealed to help me with some current
difficulty.  As I read the old and familiar text, a particular
passage will really catch my attention.  Certain words will just seem
to jump right off the page at me.   I feel compelled to read them
again . . . and again . . .  and again.  And with each reading the
words make more sense; their application to my current problem
becomes more clear.  The Bible says it's the Holy Spirit, opening
the "eyes" of my understanding.  The image I carry in my heart is of
God, my Father, standing behind me, leaning over my shoulder and
personally guiding me as I read His Book.  God the Almighty, Creator
and Ruler of the universe, taking the time to be personally involved
with me; to teach me; to help me; to demonstrate His love for me.
Helping me with my homework!  The lesson He helped me with this week
comes out of Matthew, Chapter 6 (The Message Translation -
personalized for emphasis):

"What I'm trying to do here is to get you to relax, to not be so
preoccupied with getting, so you can respond to My giving.  People
who don't know Me and the way I work  fuss over these things, but you
know both Me and how I work.  Steep your life in My-reality, My-
initiative, My-provisions.  Don't worry about missing out.  You'll
find all your everyday human concerns will be met."

When things aren't going just the way I think they should be going, I
usually react by talking God's ears off.  Lots of questions about why
He's letting things happen the way they are and my opinions about
what He needs to do about it to make things right.  (Sound like any
kids you know?).  Fortunately when I start acting like that, He just
waits quietly for my stubbornness to run it's course.  If any of you
are familiar with the Garth Brooks song "Unanswered Prayer," I'm one
of those people God has richly blessed through unanswered prayer.
Instead of giving me what I think I need, He waits until I'm ready to
receive what He knows I need.  And I'm so grateful that He does.

My life's richest blessings, after salvation and my relationship with
God, have come because of my relationship with my wife Cathy.  As
many of you have learned from our testimony, it took many long and
lonely years and a move across the country for us to find each
other.  And for each day of those years and each mile of that
journey, I fussed at God.  I can't tell you how many times I reminded
Him of His words in Genesis when He saw Adam alone and said it was
NOT good.  I was living confirmation that for Steve, descendent of
Adam, IT WAS NOT GOOD either!  But He knew we had to wait.  Wait
until the day when He finished His healing work in both our hearts so
we were ready for each other; ready to become vulnerable and trust in
love again.

While I was reading the passage above and remembering the many
blessings I've received through unanswered prayers, God lovingly
whispered in my ear that all the answers I will ever need are waiting
for me in Him.  He loves me.  He knows every need I have.  And He is
ready to meet those needs perfectly.   The world says if I have a
need, I have to work harder to get.  God says if I have a need, I
should relax (trust Him) so He can give.  What a surprise - the world
got it backwards!  What an awesome God.  What a loving Father.

I am as always - your brother and
His work in progress,

Steve Hall



IN  GOD  WE  TRUST
(Author Unknown)

Several years ago, a friend of mine and her husband were invited to
spend the weekend at the husband's employer's home.  My friend,
Arlene, was nervous about the weekend.  The boss was very wealthy,
with a fine home on the waterway, and cars costing more than her
house.  The first day and evening went well, and Arlene was delighted
to have this rare glimpse into how the very wealthy live.  The
husband's employer was quite generous as a host, and took them to the
finest restaurants.  Arlene knew she would never have the opportunity
to indulge in this kind of extravagance again, so was enjoying
herself immensely.

As the three of them were about to enter an exclusive restaurant that
evening, the boss was walking slightly ahead of Arlene and her
husband.  He stopped suddenly, looking down on the pavement for a
long, silent moment.  Arlene wondered if she was supposed to pass
him.  There was nothing on the ground except a single darkened penny
that someone had dropped, and a few cigarette butts.  Still silent,
the man reached down and picked up the penny.  He held it up and
smiled, then put it in his pocket as if he had found a great
treasure. How absurd!

What need did this man have for a single penny?

Why would he even take the time to stop and pick it up?

Throughout dinner, the entire scene nagged at her.  Finally, she
could stand it no longer.  She causally mentioned that her daughter
once had a coin collection, and asked if the penny he had found had
been of some value.

A smile crept across the man's face as he reached into his pocket for
the penny and held it out for her to see. She had seen many pennies
before. What was the point of this?

"Look at it." He said. "Read what it says."

She read the words "United States of America."

"No, not that; read further."

"One cent?"

"No, keep reading."

"In God we Trust?"

"Yes!"

"And?"

"And if I trust in God, the name of God is holy, even on a coin.
Whenever I find a coin I see that inscription.  It is written on
every single United States coin, but we never seem to notice it! God
drops a message right in front of me telling me to trust Him. Who am
I to pass it by?  When I see a coin, I pray, I stop to see if my
trust IS in God at that moment.  I pick the coin up as a response to
God; that I do trust in Him.  For a short time, at least, I cherish
it as if it were gold.  I think it is God's way of starting a
conversation with me.  Lucky for me, God is patient and pennies are
plentiful!"

When I was out shopping today, I found a penny on the sidewalk. I
stopped and picked it up, and realized that I had been worrying and
fretting in my mind about things I can not change. I read the
words, "In God We Trust," and had to laugh. Yes, God, I get the
message.   It seems that I have been finding an inordinate number of
pennies in the last few months, but then, pennies are plentiful! And
God is patient.



BRING  YOUR  UMBRELLA
(From "One Minute Can Change Your Life" by Steve Goodier)

One summer, a drought threatened the crop in a small town. On a hot
and dry Sunday, the village parson told his congregation, "There
isn't anything that will save us except to pray for rain.  Go home,
pray, believe, and come back next Sunday ready to thank  God for
sending rain.

The people did as they were told and returned to church the following
Sunday. But as soon as the parson saw them, he was furious.  "We
can't worship today. You do not yet believe," he said.

"But," they protested, "we prayed, and we do believe."

"Believe?" he responded. "Then where are your umbrellas?"

The story applies to all of us. There are those people who leave
their umbrellas at home. Throughout their lives, they are merely
hoping their wishes and prayers will bear fruit, but they expect
little.  Others expect their dreams and desires to come to pass. It
is as if they journey through life always prepared for something to
happen.

Today, how will you approach that which you are yearning for?

Will you expect your prayers and work to bring about hoped-for
results?

Will you bring your umbrella?



SHOWERS  OF  BLESSINGS
(Author - Helen Steiner Rice)

Each day there are showers of blessings,
Sent from the Father above;
For God is a great, lavish giver,
And there is no end to His love.
And His grace is more than sufficient,
His mercy is boundless an deep;
And His infinite Blessings are countless-
And all this we're given to keep.
If we but seek God and find Him,
And ask for a bounteous measure;
Of this wholly immeasurable offering,
From God's inexhaustible treasure.
For no matter how big a man's dreams are,
God's blessings are infinitely more;
For always God's giving is greater
Than what man is asking for.

_______________________________________________

Copyright © 1998 - 2002 by Stephen J. Hall  -   Weekly letters of
encouragement to Christians written by Stephen J. Hall unless
otherwise indicated.  Notes from the Valley and Humor from the Valley
are meant to brighten your day and encourage you along the way.  Most
of "Notes" and "Humor" are a collection of items provided by
subscribers and friends.  Credit is given to both the contributor and
to the true author, where known.  If you are blessed by them, please
feel free to make copies and pass them along to others.  If you have
something you'd like to contribute to a future edition, would like to
ask a question or make a comment, please contact us at:

sossteve@...
________________________________________________

Your love, God, is my song, and I'll sing it!  I'm forever telling
everyone how faithful you are.  I'll never quit telling the story of
your love . . . "
(Psalm 89:1-2 The Message)

Hi Everyone,

I want to encourage some of our members to post their stories.

====================================================

Please Post: Moral stories on a good clean subject, motivational and
positive thinking type stories. Don't forget spiritual stories to.

I would like it if you recommended our group to someone else so they
could join us to. Copy the stories and send them to your friends.
----- It's your group so please promote it. -----

Although your posts do not have to be spiritual, just keep it clean.
This is the reasoning behind the moderation and approving post. This
is the only way that I can keep all the junk out of this group.

Please make your posts at -- FavoriteStories@yahoogroups.com
Just as a reminder the F and the S are capital letters.

We would enjoy stories that your Grandma or Grandpa told you. Especially,
if they were trying to teach you about life or morals.

====================================================

Please use our "promote" feature to encourage new members to
join our discussion group. If you have a web site. You can go
to our "promote" area and pick up a button or a box. These are
for people to click on and join us.

It's your group so please promote it. If anyone has a suggestion
or idea please contact me at -- FavoriteStories-owner@yahoogroups.com

====================================================

Use our "Bookmarks" feature to posts links that you like.

====================================================

Use our "files" feature to upload or post a picture, etc.

====================================================

From Your Friendly Moderator,
Jerry

(o: (o: (o: (o: (o: (o: (o: | :o) :o) :o) :o) :o) :o) :o) :o)

HUMOR  FROM  THE  VALLEY - November 3, 2002

"A cheerful disposition is good for your health . . ."
   Proverbs 17:22 (Message Translation)

(o: (o: (o: (o: (o: (o: (o: | :o) :o) :o) :o) :o) :o) :o) :o)


A new month and time once again to share a few laughs with our
friends.  For new members to the list, we try to do Humor from the
Valley once a month or so as a break from the heavier topics in Notes
from the Valley.  We collect "clean" jokes from various sources of
humor and assemble our favorites for our readers in the hopes it will
bring a little laughter to somebody's day.  Here's a few of the other
reasons why we believe these editions are important.

"Laughter is God's hand on a troubled world."
Johann Weiss

  "It is the heart that is not yet sure of its God that is afraid to
laugh in his presence."  George Macdonald

"Laughter is the most beautiful and beneficial therapy God ever
granted humanity.  It is often just as sacred to laugh as it is to
pray."
Charles R. Swindoll

"Laughter is one of God's greatest  gifts to the world.  It really is
the answer to most of our problems. We are free to smile.  Our maker
makes room for laughter!"
Emmett  Kelly, Jr.

Humor is mankind's greatest blessing.
Mark Twain

One feels increasingly the height of the faculty in which it (humor)
arises, the nobility of things associated with it, and the greatness
of services it renders.
Oscar W. Firkins

May the pages that follow bring a smile to your face and a lift to
your spirit.

May your heart be filled with the certain knowledge of God's love and
joy every day.

I remain your brother in Christ always,
Sheltered under His wing and
overwhelmed by His love,

Steve Hall



A  SECOND  OPINION
(Received from Pastor Tim's Cleanlaugh)

A man brought a very limp dog into the veterinary clinic. As he lay
the dog on the table, the doctor pulled out his stethoscope, placing
the receptor on the dog's chest. After a moment or two, the vet shook
his head sadly and said, "I'm sorry, but your dog has passed away."

"What?" screamed the man. "How can you tell? You haven't done any
testing on him or anything. I want another opinion!"  With that, the
vet turned and left the room.

In a few moments, he returned with a Labrador Retriever. The
Retriever went right to work, checking the poor dead dog out
thoroughly. After a considerable amount of sniffing, the Retriever
sadly shook his head and said "Bark".

The veterinarian then took the Labrador out and returned in a few
moments with a cat, who also checked out the poor dog on the table.
As had his predecessors, the cat sadly shook his head and
said, "Meow." He then jumped off the table and ran out of the room.

The veterinarian handed the man a bill for $600. The dog's owner went
crazy. "$600! Just to tell me my dog is dead? This is outrageous!"

The vet shook his head sadly and explained. "If you had taken my word
for  it, your bill would have been $50. BUT with the Lab work and the
cat scan it comes to $600.



THAT  DARN  CAT
(Received from Kimberly Cook - HeartStrings)

A couple were going out for the evening. They got ready, all dolled
up, cat put out, etc. The taxi arrives, and as the couple got out,
the cat shoots back in. They don't want the cat shut in the house, so
the wife goes out to the taxi while the husband goes upstairs to
chase the cat out.

The wife, not wanting it known that the house will be empty explains
to the taxi driver "He's just going upstairs to say goodbye to my
mother."

A few minutes later, the husband gets into the cab. "Sorry I took so
long" he says, "Stupid old thing was hiding under the bed and I had
to poke her with a coat hanger to get her to come out!"



WRITE  IT  DOWN !
(Received from Miles Mauldin)

An 80-year-old couple was worried because they kept forgetting things
all the time. The doctor assured them there was nothing seriously
wrong except old age, and suggested they carry a notebook and write
things down so they wouldn't forget.  Several days later the old man
got up to go to the kitchen. His wife said, "Dear, get me a bowl of
ice cream while you're up."

"Okay," he said.

". . . and put some chocolate syrup on it and a few cherries, too,"
she added.  "You'd better write all this down."

"I won't forget!" he said.

Twenty minutes later he came back into the room and handed her a
plate of scrambled eggs and bacon.   She glared at him. "Now, I told
you to write it down! I knew you'd forget."

"What did I forget?" he asked.

She replied, "My toast!"



DON'T  MAKE  THAT  BET !
(Received from Katrina Eaton via Mikey's Funnies)

An archaeologist was digging in the Negev Desert in Israel and came
upon a casket containing a mummy. After examining it, he called the
curator of a prestigious natural-history museum. "I've just
discovered a 3,000 year-old mummy of a man who died of heart
failure!" the excited scientist exclaimed.

To which the curator replied, "Bring him in. We'll check it out."

A week later, the amazed curator called the archaeologist. "You were
exactly right about the mummy's age and cause of death. How in the
world did you know?"

"Easy. There was a piece of paper in his hand that said, '10,000
Shekels on Goliath.'"




CANINE  CUNNING !
(Received from Gina Mattei in SA)

A wealthy man decided to go on a safari in Africa.  He took his
faithful pet dog along for company. One day the dog starts chasing
butterflies and before long he discovers that he is lost.  So,
wandering about he notices a leopard heading rapidly in his direction
with the obvious intention of having lunch.  The dog thinks, "Boyo,
I'm in deep doodoo now."(He was an Irish setter) . . .

Then he noticed some bones on the ground close by, and immediately
settles down to chew on the bones with his back to the approaching
cat.  Just as the leopard is about to leap, the dog exclaims
loudly, "Man, that was one delicious leopard. I wonder if there are
any more around here?"

Hearing this the leopard halts his attack in mid stride, as a look of
terror comes over him, and slinks away into the trees.  "Whew", says
the leopard." That was close. That dog nearly had me."

Meanwhile, a monkey who had been watching the whole scene from a
nearby tree, figures he can put his knowledge to good use and trade
it for protection from the leopard.  So, off he goes.  But the dog
saw him heading after the leopard with great speed, and figured that
something must be up.

The monkey soon catches up with the leopard, spills the beans and
strikes a deal for himself with the leopard. The cat is furious at
being made a fool of and says, "Here monkey, hop on my back and see
what's going to happen to that conniving canine."

Now the dog sees the leopard coming with the monkey on his back, and
thinks," What am I going to do now?" But instead of running, the dog
sits down with his back to his attackers pretending he hasn't seen
them yet.  And just when they get close enough to hear, the dog
says, "Where's that monkey. I just can never trust him. I sent him
off half an hour ago to bring me another leopard, and he's still not
back!!"



A  WORRIED  MIND !
(Received from Net 153 Funnies)

The ninety-five year old woman at the nursing home received a visit
from one of her fellow church members.  "How are you feeling?" the
visitor asked.

"Oh," said the lady, "I'm just worried sick!"

"What are you worried about, dear?" her friend asked. "You look like
you're in good health. They are taking care of you, aren't they?"

"Yes, they are taking very good care of me."
"Well, what are you worried about?" her friend asked again.

The lady leaned back in her rocking chair and slowly explained her
major worry. "Every close friend I ever had has already died and gone
on to heaven. I'm afraid they're all wondering where I went."

________________________________________________

Copyright © 1998 - 2002 by Stephen J. Hall  -   Weekly letters of
encouragement to Christians written by Stephen J. Hall unless
otherwise indicated.  Notes from the Valley and Humor from the Valley
are  meant to brighten your day and encourage you along the way.
Most of "Notes" and "Humor" are a collection of items provided to me
by subscribers and friends.  Credit is given to both the contributor
and to the true author, where known.  If you are blessed by them,
please feel free to make copies and pass them along to others.  If
you have something you'd like to contribute to a future edition, or
any questions or comments, please contact us at:

sossteve@...

________________________________________________

"Surely God does not reject a blameless man or strengthen the hands
of evildoers.  He will yet fill your mouth with laughter and your
lips with shouts of joy."  Job 8:20-21 (NIV)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
NOTES  FROM  THE  VALLEY
November 10, 2002

"Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of
death, I will fear no evil for you are with me."  Psalm 23.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


Veterans Day is coming November 11th .  I've got some really strong
feelings about Veterans.  I am one.  A lucky one.  In the 28 years I
served in the United States Navy, I knew many who weren't as lucky as
me.  Men and women who returned home crippled in their bodies , in
their minds, or in both by the horror that is war. And those who gave
the full measure of their lives because they believed in something
bigger than themselves.  People who believed that "one nation under
God" was more than just words in the Pledge of Allegiance.  People
who believed that the God given " right" of all people to be free was
as worth defending today as it was when this nation struggled for
it's independence.  Even if that defense might cost them their
lives.  And for many, it did.

I've also seen and heard the others.  The ones who self-righteously
turn their noses up at people who serve in the military, questioning
their character and their motivation; belittling them and the
sacrifices they've made.  I salute the former.  I ask God to help me
forgive the later.

Yes, I abhor war.  No one who has experienced the brutality of it
could feel otherwise.  But war is a reality.  It is a consequence of
a sin-filled world.  And until Christ comes again and wins the final
battle that establishes His millennial reign, there are practitioners
of evil, enemies to freedom and to the Body of Christ, who will
destroy both if left to their own devices.  The events of September
11th, 2001 and all the terrorist activities since, leave little doubt
of their intent to destroy us or their tenacity and dedication in
pursuing that end.  So, until Christ does come again, I will surely
pray for peace, but in those prayers, I will also give thanks to God
for raising up men and women who put their lives on the line to
protect us from those enemies.

Tonight, as I kneel in prayer, thousands of men and women will be
paying the very heavy price for my right to do so.  They are far from
home, engaged in a desperate and deadly struggle to bring terrorists
to justice and destroy the infrastructure that supports their hideous
purposes.  They long to be home.  Their hearts are filled with a kind
of agony most of you will never have to experience.  They touch
wrinkled photos carried close to their hearts and dream of loved ones
far away.  They know fear like you cannot imagine unless you've stood
face-to-face with a deadly adversary intent upon your destruction.
And yet each one of them is there of their own volition.  They
volunteered!

Why do they do it?  I've tried to answer that question many times.
Tried to explain to others why people would make such a commitment
with their lives.  It troubles me that so many can't even begin to
understand the motivation behind such a sacrifice.  And the truth is,
what we don't understand, we fear.  That fear has led to the
stereotyping of those who serve in the military as being motivated by
hate.  My experience was quite the contrary.  For 28 years I was
privileged to serve with some of the most intelligent, dedicated, and
caring people I have ever known.  Their motivation for serving was
not hate, but love.  Love that goes far beyond "self" to a higher
calling.  Love of freedom.  Love of family.  Love of friends.  And a
deeply rooted commitment to securing the benefits of that freedom for
all those they love, even at the cost of their lives.

Jesus, who gave up His life to make it possible for all men to be
free, said . . . "My command is this: Love each other as I have loved
you.  Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life
for his friends."  John 15:12-13

So tonight, I will thank God for each of them and for all those who
now answer that call.  And I will ask Him to protect them and to
bring them safely home again.  Whatever your fears or feelings, will
you PLEASE do the same?

I remain a sailor, His servant, and your brother,
Sheltered under His wing and overwhelmed by His love,
Steve Hall


THE  ORIGIN  OF  VETERANS  DAY

When the end came to World War I, November 11, 1919 was set aside to
commemorate the sacrifices made by American soldiers to gain a
lasting peace for the world. Called Armistice Day, soldiers who
survived the war marched in parades through their home towns.
Dignitaries and veterans made speeches and held ceremonies of thanks
for the peace that had been won. Had WWI been the "war to end all
wars," we would probably still observe Armistice Day today. After
WWII, Armistice Day continued to be observed, but Americans realized
that there was a need to recognize those who had made sacrifices in
other conflicts.

In 1954, President Eisenhower signed a bill proclaiming November 11
as Veterans Day, and called upon Americans everywhere to rededicate
themselves to the cause of peace. He issued a Presidential Order
directing the head of the Veterans Administration, now the Department
of Veterans Affairs, to form a Veterans Day National Committee to
organize and oversee the national observance of Veterans Day.
November 11 was designated as Veterans Day to honor veterans of all
U.S. wars.

In 1971 President Nixon declared it a federal holiday on the second
Monday in November, but it became apparent that November 11 was too
historically significant to bypass, so in 1978 Congress formally
returned the observance of Veterans Day to the customary date of
November 11.

This Veterans Day, ceremonies and observances will be held throughout
the country--prayer services, rallies, assembly programs, parades,
patriotic speeches, and graveside flag displays. The Tomb of the
Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery outside Washington
D.C. where thousands of service personnel are buried, is the focus of
the nation's tribute on Veterans Day.

"We must not forget the past. We must not forget those who
sacrificed, but we must also remember the reason for their sacrifice.
They died so tyranny would die. They died to create a better world
for those of us who followed them. Their sacrifice was not in vain."

Secretary of State Colin Powell as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of
Staff, observing the 50th Anniversary of Pearl Harbor, December 7,
1991.



REMEMBER
(Father Denis Edward O'Brien, USMC)

"It is the soldier, not the reporter,
Who has given us freedom of the press.

It is the soldier, not the poet,
Who has given us freedom of speech.

It is the soldier, not the campus organizer,
Who has given us the freedom to demonstrate.

It is the soldier who salutes the flag,
Who serves beneath the flag,
And whose coffin is draped by the flag,
Who allows the protestor to burn the flag."

Remember November 11th is Veterans Day.



TAPS  -  THE  ORIGIN
(Barbara Mikkelson)

"Taps" was composed in July 1862 at Harrison's Landing in Virginia.
If anyone can be said to have composed "Taps," it was Brig. Gen.
Daniel Butterfield, Commander of the 3rd Brigade, 1st Division, V
Army Corps, Army of the Potomac, during the American Civil War.
Dissatisfied with the customary firing of three rifle volleys at the
conclusion of burials during battle and also needing a method of
ceremonially imparting meaning to the end of a soldier's day, he
likely altered an older piece known as "Tattoo," a French bugle call
used to signal "lights out," into the call we now know as "Taps."

Whether he wrote it straight from the cuff or improvised something
new by rearranging an older work, Butterfield brought 'Taps' into
being. With the help of his bugler, Oliver W. Norton of Chicago, the
concept was transformed into its present form. "Taps" was quickly
taken up by both sides of the conflict, and within months was being
sounded by buglers in both Union and Confederate forces.

Then as now, "Taps" serves as a vital component in ceremonies
honoring military dead. It is also understood by American servicemen
as an end-of-day 'lights out' signal.  When "Taps" is played at a
military funeral, it is customary to salute if in uniform, or place
your hand over your heart if not.

These are the words to "Taps".

Day is done,
Gone the sun,
From the lakes,
From the hills,
From the sky,
All is well.
Safely rest.
God is nigh."

Sources:
Deall, Tom. "Taps Stirs Hearts Despite Unsure Origin."
The Times-Picayune. 30 May 1999 (p. F6).
Vogel, Steve. "A Call That Lingers in the Heart."
The Washington Post. 29 January 1999 (p. B1).

_______________________________________________

Copyright © 1998 - 2002 by Stephen J. Hall  -   Weekly letters of
encouragement to Christians written by Stephen J. Hall unless
otherwise indicated.  Notes from the Valley and Humor from the Valley
are meant to brighten your day and encourage you along the way.  Most
of "Notes" and "Humor" are a collection of items provided by
subscribers and friends.  If you are blessed by them, please feel
free to make copies and pass them along to others.  If you have
something you'd like to contribute to a future edition, would like to
ask a question or make a comment, please contact us at:

sossteve@...
________________________________________________


The LORD is my light and my salvation - whom shall I fear?
The LORD is the stronghold of my life - of whom shall I be afraid?
When evil men advance against me to devour my flesh, when my enemies
and my foes attack me, they will stumble and fall.  Though an army
besiege me, my heart will not fear; though war break out against me,
even then will I be confident.  Psalm 27:1-3 (NIV)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

NOTES  FROM  THE  VALLEY
November 17, 2002

"Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of
death, I will fear no evil for you are with me."  Psalm 23.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and
the door will be opened to you.  . . . If you, then, though you are
evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more
will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!"
Matthew 7:7, 11-12 (NIV)


Thanksgiving Day.  An Old Testament feast that was observed by the
pilgrims as they struggled to survive in the New World.  A national
day of observance declared by President Lincoln in the midst of one
of this nation's darkest moments.  A day to count our blessings.  A
day to give thanks.

Thanksgiving Day is November 28th this year.  I know in my life there
have been many Thanksgiving Days that I didn't feel I had very many
blessings to count.  Your experience may be the same.  With last
year's tragedy on September 11th and all the horrific events that
have happened since, you may find yourself wondering, "Just what do I
have to be thankful about?"  I'd like to offer you a little
encouragement from the history of this national holiday.

The roots of Thanksgiving Day are firmly planted in times of
trouble.  The children of Israel, in bondage for 400 years and
wandering in the wilderness for 40 more years, set aside a specific
time each year for a feast to thank God for His blessings.  The
pilgrims, alone in a foreign and hostile land, suffering from
deprivation and disease, and facing the promise of another deadly
winter, set aside a day to "break bread" with their enemies and give
thanks to God.  American citizens, in the midst of a civil war that
pitted brother against brother, family against family, in a brutal
and bloody conflict over the right of all men to be free, observed a
day of thanksgiving to God.

For the children of Israel, the bondage and wilderness journey led to
the Promised Land.  For the pilgrims, the sufferings of those first
terrible years opened the doors to the new Promised Land.  And for
the citizens of America, the bloody conflict led to the unification
of a nation that would be blessed with more prosperity and freedom
than any nation in the modern era.  No matter how dark the situation,
when God's children humbly sought His help, they always found
comfort, peace and promise in the hand's of their Lord.  The same is
true for us today.  What He can do even in the  darkest moments and
with deepest wounds is becoming clearly evident.

I recently listened to a sermon by the well known author,  Max
Lucado.  At one point in the lesson on God's love, he said, "Does a
mother go through the pain of birthing a child and then leave it at
the hospital?  Does a father go through all the work of filing for
adoption and then leave the child at the orphanage?"  After citing
the verses provided at the start of this edition, Max asks the
question, "Will God sacrifice His Son to save you and then not take
care of you?"  The answer is clearly "No."  Even in the darkest of
times, the hardest of situations, God pours out His blessings on each
of us according to the measure of our ability to trust Him and
receive them (our faith).

In preparation for Thanksgiving, please take some time to focus on
and count the blessings that fill each day.  Even if you feel doubts
about God's generosity towards you, please give it a try.  Like the
Israelites, the pilgrims, and early Americans, you'll be amazed at
His faithfulness.  You'll rediscover God's caring heart and your own
ability to trust and follow Him to your promised destination.

Stay strong in spirit, bold in praise, and humble in prayer.
I remain His servant and your brother,

Steve Hall



BLESSINGS  IN  DISGUISE ?

A ship was wrecked and the only survivor washed up on a small
uninhabited island. He was exhausted. He cried out to God to save
him. Every day he scanned the horizon, searching for help. Finally,
he managed to build a rough hut and put his few articles in that
hut.  One day, coming home from hunting for food, he was stung with
grief to see his little hut in flames and a cloud of smoke. The worst
had happened. But early the next day, a ship drew in and rescued
him.  He asked the crew, "How did you know I was here?"

They replied, "We saw your smoke signal."

Maybe the difficulty you have now is a smoke signal that will lead to
a great blessing later.

John Yates, "An Attitude of Gratitude"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Looking back, [my wife] Jan and I have learned that the wilderness
is part of the landscape of faith, and every bit as essential as the
mountaintop.

On the mountaintop we are overwhelmed by God's presence.  In the
wilderness we are overwhelmed by his absence.  Both places should
bring us to our knees; the one, in utter awe; the other, in utter
dependence."

Dave Dravecky in "When You Can't Come Back"


BLESSINGS  IN  THE  DARKNESS
(David A. Seamands, "Instruction for Thanksgiving")

Out of the history of Napoleonic France, Leonard Griffith has given
us a moving story of a political prisoner by the name of Charnet.
Charnet was thrown into prison simply because he had accidentally, by
a remark, offended the emperor Napoleon. Cast into a dungeon cell,
presumably left to die, as the days and weeks and months passed by,
Charnet became embittered at his fate. Slowly but surely he began to
lose his faith in God. And one day, in a moment of rebellious anger,
he scratched on the wall of his cell, "All things come by chance,"
which reflected the injustice that had come his way by chance. He sat
in the darkness of that cell growing more bitter by the day.

There was one spot in the cell where a single ray of sunlight came
every day and remained for a little while. And one morning, to his
absolute amazement, he noticed that in the hard, earthen floor of
that cell a tiny, green blade was breaking through. It was something
living, struggling up toward that shaft of sunlight. It was his only
living companion, and his heart went out in joy toward it. He
nurtured it with his tiny ration of water, cultivated it, and
encouraged its growth. That green blade became his friend. It became
his teacher in a sense, and finally it burst through until one day
there bloomed from the little plant a beautiful, purple and white
flower. Once again Charnet found himself thinking thoughts about God.
He scratched off the thing he had scribbled on the wall of his
dungeon and in its place wrote, "He who made all things is God."

Somehow through the guards and their wives and the gossip of the
community, this little story reached the ears of Josephine,
Napoleon's wife. She was so moved by it and so convinced that a man
who loved a flower that way could not possibly be a dangerous
criminal that she persuaded Napoleon to release him.

So Charnet was set free. You can be sure that he dug out his precious
little prison flower and took it with him and cultivated that plant
in the years to come. He also pondered in his heart a verse that he
put on the little flower pot holding the plant. What would that verse
be?  "If God so clothe the grass of the field, which today is, and
tomorrow is cast into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O
ye of little faith?"



BLESSINGS  IN  LOVE
(Author - Ann Wells from the Los Angeles Times)

My brother-in-law opened the bottom drawer of my sister's bureau and
lifted out a tissue-wrapped package. "This," he said, "is not a
slip.  This is lingerie." He discarded the tissue and handed me the
slip. It was exquisite; silk, handmade and trimmed with a cobweb of
lace. The price tag with an astronomical figure on it was still
attached.  "Jan bought this the first time we went to New York, at
least 8 or 9 years ago.  She never wore it. She was saving it for a
special occasion.  Well, I guess this is the occasion."  He took the
slip from me and put it on the bed with the other clothes we were
taking to the mortician.  His hands lingered on the soft material for
a moment, then he slammed the drawer shut and turned to
me . . . "Don't ever save anything for a special occasion.  Every day
you're alive is a special occasion."

I remembered those words through the funeral and the days that
followed when I helped him and my niece attend to all the sad chores
that follow an unexpected death.  I thought about them on the plane
returning to California from the Midwestern town where my sister's
family lives. I thought about all the things that she hadn't seen or
heard or done.  I thought about the things that she did without
realizing that they were special.  I'm still thinking about his
words, and they've changed my life.

I'm reading more and dusting less.  I'm sitting on the deck and
admiring the view without fussing about the weeds in the garden.  I'm
spending more time with my family and friends and less time in
committee meetings.  Whenever possible, life should be a pattern of
experience to savor, not endure.

I'm trying to recognize these moments now and cherish them.  I'm
not "saving" anything; we use our good china and crystal for every
special event-such as losing a pound, getting the sink unstopped, the
first camellia blossom.  I wear my good blazer to the market if I
like it.  My theory is if I look prosperous, I can shell out $28.49
for one small bag of groceries without wincing.  I'm not saving my
good perfume for special parties; clerks in hardware stores and
tellers in banks have noses that function as well as my party-going
friends.  "Someday" and "one of these days" are losing their grip on
my vocabulary.  If it's worth seeing or hearing or doing, I want to
see and hear and do it now.

I'm not sure what my sister would've done had she known that she
wouldn't be here for the tomorrow we all take for granted.  I think
she would have called family members and a few close friends. She
might have called a few former friends to apologize and mend fences
for past squabbles. I like to think she would have gone out for a
Chinese dinner, her favorite food.  I'm guessing - I'll never know.
It's those little things left undone that would make me angry if I
knew that my hours were limited. Angry because I put off seeing good
friends whom I was going to get in touch with - someday.  Angry
because I hadn't written certain letters that I intended to write -
one of these days.  Angry and sorry that I didn't tell my husband and
daughter often enough how much I truly love them.

I'm trying very hard not to put off, hold back, or save anything that
would add laughter and luster to our lives.  And every morning when I
open my eyes, I tell myself that it is special.  Every day, every
minute, every breath truly is... a gift from God.

May love litter your life with blessings!

________________________________________________

Copyright © 1998 - 2002 by Stephen J. Hall  -   Weekly letters of
encouragement to Christians written by Stephen J. Hall unless
otherwise indicated.  Notes from the Valley and Humor from the Valley
are meant to brighten your day and encourage you along the way.  Most
of "Notes" and "Humor" are a collection of items provided by
subscribers and friends.  Credit is given to both the contributor and
to the true author, where known.  If you are blessed by them, please
feel free to make copies and pass them along to others.  If you have
something you'd like to contribute to a future edition, would like to
ask a question or make a comment, please contact us at:

sossteve@...
________________________________________________


Your love, God, is my song, and I'll sing it!  I'm forever telling
everyone how faithful you are.  I'll never quit telling the story of
your love . . .
(Psalm 89:1-2 The Message)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

NOTES  FROM  THE  VALLEY
November 24, 2002

"Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of
death, I will fear no evil for you are with me."  Psalm 23.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give
thanks to him and praise his name."  Psalm 100:4

Thanksgiving Days have traditionally been very hectic in our family.
Last minute runs to the store, pots and pans on every burner, oven
stuffed with Turkey and side dishes, guests arriving, stories to
tell, pictures to share, football games to cheer, and finally that
wonderfully delicious meal with more food than an army could eat.
But all of us are sure willing to try.  Then leftovers get stuffed
into the refrigerator and into the hands of everyone as they walk out
the door, often with teary eyed good-byes as loved ones head back to
distant homes.  For me, an after meal snooze.  And finally, that
evening, the first raid on the delicious treasures in the
refrigerator - a pleasant and tasty revisiting of the day's feast - a
chance to savor the new memories of time spent with loved ones we see
far less often than we'd like.   Always a day filled with so many
blessings, even in the tough times, as the family comes together.
And sadly, always a day where we are so busy that we find only a few
minutes to pause and thank the one who makes it all possible.

Over the years, as our children have gotten older and moved out on
their own, they have had less and less time for Cathy and I.   A
tough transition for us both, but particularly for Cathy who invests
so much of herself, so much of her heart and time, into each child.
And it isn't because they are spoiled or uncaring children.  They are
just so busy.  And we've lost our priority in their lives.
Understandable, but it still hurts.

A couple of years ago, I took that hurt to God in prayer.  I admit I
was hoping for some comforting response.  Instead He gave me an
object lesson about my own behavior.  How, even on the one day
specifically set aside to give Him thanks, I find it so hard to
squeeze in even a minute or two of quality time for Him because I've
made other things my priority.   He understands our pain as
neglected parents, because we neglect Him too.  Ouch!!!

With that object lesson on parental neglect still strong in my heart,
I pray each of you will have a wonderful Thanksgiving Day.  A day
filled to overflowing with all the heartwarming activities and
delicious foods that make Thanksgiving so special.  And, a day filled
with grateful thoughts and heartfelt prayers to the Father who loves
and provides for us all.

I remain His servant and your thankful brother,
Sheltered under His wings and overwhelmed by His love,
Steve Hall



A  CHILD'S  THANKS  GIVING
(Joel Gregory, The Unlikely Thanker)

One Thanksgiving season a family was seated around their table,
looking at the annual holiday bird. From the oldest to the youngest,
they were to express their praise. When they came to the 5-year-old
in the family, he began by looking at the turkey and expressing his
thanks to the turkey, saying although he had not tasted it he knew it
would be good. After that rather novel expression of thanksgiving, he
began with a more predictable line of credits, thanking his mother
for cooking the turkey and his father for buying the turkey. But then
he went beyond that. He joined together a whole hidden multitude of
benefactors, linking them with cause and effect.   Using his Columbo-
like little mind, he traced the turkey all the way from its origin to
his plate. And then at the end he solemnly said "Did I leave anybody
out?"

His 2-year-older brother, embarrassed by all those proceedings,
said, "God."

Solemnly and without being flustered at all, the 5-year-old said, "I
was about to get to him."

Well, isn't that the question about which we ought to think at
Thanksgiving time? Are we really going to get to him this
Thanksgiving?



THANKFUL  FOR  THE  EXTRAS
(Chris T. Zwingelberg. Elgin, Illinois)

Everyone is familiar with Sherlock Holmes, his faithful companion Dr.
Watson, and Holmes's keen power of observation that solved countless
crimes. Yet few of us know that Holmes thought deduction and
observation were even more necessary to religion. Tucked away in "The
Adventure of the Naval Treaty," Holmes is found studying a rose.
Watson narrates:

"He walked past the couch to an open window and held up the drooping
stalk of a moss rose, looking down at the dainty blend of crimson and
green. It was a new phase of his character to me, for I had never
before seen him show an interest in natural objects.  " 'There is
nothing in which deduction is so necessary as in religion,' said he,
leaning with his back against the shutters. ... 'Our highest
assurance of the goodness of Providence seems to me to rest in the
flowers. All other things, our powers, our desires, our food, are
really necessary for our existence in the first instance. But this
rose is an extra. Its smell and its color are an embellishment of
life, not a condition of it. It is only goodness which gives extras,
and so I say again that we have much to hope from the flowers.'"

What other "extras" should we be observing and thanking God for this
year?



THE  ART  OF  THANKSGIVING
(Author  Wilfred Peterson)

The art of thanksgiving is gratitude in action . . .
It is thanking God for the gift of life by living it triumphantly.
It is thanking God for your talents and abilities by  accepting them
as obligations to be invested for the common good.
It is thanking God for all that men and women have  done for you by
doing things for others.
It is thanking God for opportunities by accepting  them  as a
challenge to achievement.
It is thanking God for happiness by striving to make others happy.
It is thanking God for beauty by helping to make the world more
beautiful.
It is thanking God for inspiration by trying to be  an  inspiration
to others.
It is thanking God for health and strength by the  care  and
reverence you show your body.
It is thanking God for the creative ideas that  enrich  life by
adding your own creative contributions to  human progress.
It is thanking God for each new day by living it to  the fullest.
It is thanking God by giving hands, arms, legs, and  voice to your
thankful spirit.
It is adding to your prayers of thanksgiving acts of  thanksgiving.



THANKSGIVING  PROCLAMATION
   (John Yates, "An Attitude of Gratitude")

When Abraham Lincoln was 7 years of age, his family was forced out of
their home, and he went to work.  When he was 9, his mother died.  He
lost his job as a store clerk when he was 20.  He wanted to go to law
school, but he didn't have the education.  At age 23 he went into
debt to be a partner in a small store.  Three years later the
business partner died, and the resulting debt took years to repay.
When he was 28, after courting a girl for four years, he asked her to
marry him, and she turned him down. On his third try he was elected
to Congress, at age 37, but then failed to be re-elected.  His son
died at 4 years of age.  When this man was 45, he ran for the Senate
and lost.  At age 47 he ran for the vice-presidency and lost.  But at
age 51 he was elected President of the United States.

Did you know that it was Abraham Lincoln who, in the midst of the
Civil War, in 1863, established the annual celebration of
Thanksgiving?  Lincoln had learned how important it is to stop and
thank God in the midst of great difficulties.

"We have been the recipients of the choicest bounties of heaven; we
have been preserved these many years in peace and prosperity; we have
grown in numbers, wealth and power as no other nation has ever
grown.  But we have forgotten God. We have forgotten the gracious
hand which preserved us in peace and multiplied and enriched and
strengthened us, and we have vainly imagined, in the deceitfulness of
our hearts, that all these blessings were produced by some superior
wisdom and virtue of our own.  Intoxicated with unbroken success, we
have become too self-sufficient to feel the necessity of redeeming
and preserving grace, too proud to pray to the God that made us.  It
has seemed to me fit and proper that [the gifts of God] should be
solemnly, reverently, and gratefully acknowledged with one heart and
one voice by the whole American people. I do, therefore, invite my
fellow citizens . . . to set apart and observe the last Thursday of
November next as a day of thanksgiving and praise to our beneficent
Father who dwelleth in the heavens."


THANK  GOD  FOR  THE  LITTLE  THINGS
(Helen Steiner Rice)

Thank You, God, for little things
that often come our way,
The things we take for granted,
but don't mention when we pray.

The unexpected courtesy,
the thoughtful, kindly deed,
A  hand reached out to help us
in a time of sudden need.

Oh make us more aware, dear God,
of little daily graces
That come to us with "sweet surprise"
from never-dreamed-of places.
________________________________________________

Copyright © 1998 - 2002 by Stephen J. Hall  -   Letters of
encouragement to Christians written by Stephen J. Hall unless
otherwise indicated.  Notes from the Valley and Humor from the Valley
are meant to brighten your day and encourage you along the way.
Mostly "Notes" and "Humor" are a collection of items provided by our
subscribers and friends.  If you are blessed by them, please feel
free to make copies and pass them along to others.  If you have
something you'd like to contribute to a future edition, would like to
ask a question or make a comment, please contact us at:
sossteve@...
________________________________________________

Your love, God, is my song, and I'll sing it!  I'm forever telling
everyone how faithful you are.  I'll never quit telling the story of
your love . . .
(Psalm 89:1-2 The Message)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

NOTES  FROM  THE  VALLEY
December 1, 2002

"Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of
death, I will fear no evil for you are with me."  Psalm 23.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Thanksgiving is over and the Christmas shopping season is in full
swing around here.  Last week, Cathy and I picked out the last of our
Christmas gifts and all we have to do now is get the cards filled out
and in the mail.  I'm so grateful I've got a wife who likes to finish
up the shopping early.  I'm grateful for two reasons.  One, it means
we don't get caught up in all the heavy crowds of frantic people
doing their Christmas shopping.  And two, it gives us a chance to get
our attention off of buying gifts and onto the gift that was given to
us on the first Christmas; A chance to stop worrying about mounting
debts and start rejoicing over the debt that was already paid for us
by the one born on that first Christmas Day;  A chance reminisce over
our childhood memories of the Christmas season and rediscover the
Christmas joy that was ours as children.

Do you ever feel like you're losing your joy for Christmas?  I know I
did once about six years ago.  It was a week before Christmas and I
was in a terrible funk.  I think Cathy sensed I was troubled about
something, so she began sharing with me how excited her young
students were about Christmas and how they all were chattering about
the Christmas story and "baby Jesus."  It made me remember all the
wonder I had experienced as a child at the telling of that story.
Glued to the television set, hanging on every word, absorbing every
scene as the story unfolded.  Straining to look down the aisle of the
church to get just a glimpse of the "baby Jesus" during the Christmas
play.  Asking my Dad questions about the things I didn't understand.
Listening intently to his explanations and his retelling of the story
on Christmas Eve as he put us to bed.  Staring at the Nativity set on
our mantle, the figurines almost coming to life as I relived the
story in my mind.  Reaching out to touch the Christ child as if it
was really him.  Each brightly wrapped present under our tree a
reminder of the precious gifts the wise men brought to the baby.

Except for the gold, I really didn't understand what those gifts
were, but I knew they must be really special if kings would travel so
far for so long to give them.  And how very special the "baby Jesus"
must be to have angels and kings worshiping him.  And somehow,
because he was a child and I was a child, we shared a common bond
together and that meant I was special too.  In the midst of reliving
those precious, childhood memories, I rediscovered the joy of
Christmas and was taught a valuable lesson too.

Romans 12:2 says, "And do not be conformed to this world, but be
transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is
that good and acceptable and perfect will of God."    As a child, I
had unknowingly practiced that scripture.  I never tired of hearing
and watching presentations about my Savior's birth.  In so doing, I
had experienced the perfect will of God - joy, wonder and a sense of
intimacy with my Lord.  As an adult, although I sought the renewing
power of scripture in many areas of my life, I'd stopped doing it for
Christmas.  I conformed to the world.  Gifts were purchased,
decorations put up, guests entertained, and bills paid - but the
renewing of my mind, the joy and intimacy that came with it, had
gotten lost in the process.

So now, Cathy and I get the commercial activities out of the way
early and give ourselves the chance to relish the things that blessed
us as children.  In response, God has given us some wonderful
revelations about Christmas that have multiplied our joy many times
over.  One of those revelations came through a book by Max Lucado I
found three years ago, called "Cosmic Christmas."  In that book
(based on the contents of Matthew, Luke, and Revelation) Max takes a
fresh new look at the Christmas story through the fictional words and
deeds of the angel Gabriel as he receives and carries out his orders
from God for the "spiritual" battle which raged around the events
leading up to the birth of Jesus.  There were many scenes in that
book that touched our hearts.  But the one that touched us most
deeply was a fictional confrontation between God and Satan as God is
about to send His greatest gift to Earth.

	 "The two stood facing each other.  God robed in light, each
thread glowing.  Satan canopied in evil, the very fabric of his robe
seeming to crawl.  Satan rose slowly off his haunches.  Like a wary
wolf, he walked a wide circle toward the desk until he stood before
the volume (the Book of Life) and read the word:
Immanuel.  "Immanuel?"  He muttered to himself.  "God with us?"  The
hooded head turned squarely toward the face of the Father.  "No, Not
even you would do that.  Not even you would go so far.  The plan is
bizarre!  You don't know how dark I've made the Earth.  It's putrid.
It's evil.  It's . . ."

	 "It's mine," proclaimed the King.  "And I will reclaim what
is mine."

	 "Why?"  Satan asked.  "Why would you do this?"

	 The Father's voice was deep and soft.  "Because I love them."

He loves us.

Loves us so much that He would leave behind the beauty and light of
heaven and descend into the darkness of an evil infested Earth.

Loves us so much that He would give up the power that spun this
universe into existence and controls everything within it to become a
helpless child, totally dependent upon an earthly father and mother.

Close your eyes and meditate upon the magnitude and purity of that
love for a few moments.  What He gave up for us.  What He became for
us.

Is it any wonder that the angels, on a cold, dark night some 2,000
years ago proclaimed the "good news of great joy."  God loves us.
God with us.  Emmanuel.

I remain His servant and your brother in Christ,
Sheltered under His wing and overwhelmed by His love,

Steve



WILL  THE  CHRIST  CHILD  COME?
(Author - Gaye Willis)

Halfway through December, we were doing the regular evening things
when there was a knock at the door.  We opened it to find a small
package with a beautiful ceramic lamb inside.  We looked at the
calendar and realized that the 12 days of Christmas were beginning!!

We waited excitedly for the next night's surprise and only then, with
the gift of a matching shepherd, did we realized that the lamb was
part of a nativity set.

Each night we grew more excited to see what piece we would receive.
Each was exquisitely beautiful.  The kids kept trying to catch the
givers as we slowly built the scene at the manager and began to focus
on Christ's birth.

On Christmas Eve, all the pieces were in place, but the baby Jesus.
My 12 year-old son really wanted to catch our benefactors and began
to devise all kinds of ways to trap them.  He ate his dinner in the
mini-van watching and waiting, but no one came.

Finally we called him in to go through our family's Christmas Eve
traditions.  But before the kids went to bed we checked the front
step - no Baby Jesus!   We began to worry that my son had scared them
off.  My husband suggested that maybe they dropped the Jesus and
there wouldn't be anything
coming.  Somehow, something was missing that Christmas Eve.

There was a feeling that things weren't complete.  The kids went to
bed and I put out Christmas, but before I went to bed I again checked
to see if the Jesus had come - no, the doorstep was empty.

In our family the kids can open their stockings when they want to,
but they have to wait to open any presents until Dad wakes up.  So
one by one they woke up very early and I also woke up to watch them.
Even before they opened their stockings, each child checked to see if
perhaps during the night the baby Jesus had come.  Missing that piece
of the set seemed to have an odd effect.  At least it changed my
focus.  I knew there were presents under the tree for me and I was
excited to watch the children
open their gifts, but first on my mind was the feeling of waiting for
the ceramic Christ Child.

We had opened just about all of the presents when one of the children
found one more for me buried deep beneath the limbs of the tree.  He
handed me a small package from my former visiting teaching
companion.  This sister was somewhat less active in the church.  I
had learned over time they didn't have much for Christmas, so that
their focus was the children.  It sounded like she didn't get many
gifts to open, so I had always given her a small package - new dish
towels, the next year's lesson manual-not much, but something for her
to open.  I was touched when at Church on the day before
Christmas, she had given me this small package, saying it was just a
token of her love and appreciation.

As I took off the bow, I remembered my friendship with her and was
filled with gratitude for knowing her and for her kindness and
sacrifice in this year giving me a gift.  But as the paper fell away,
I began to tremble and cry.  There in the small brown box was the
baby Jesus.  He had come!

I realized on that Christmas Day that Christ will come into our lives
in ways that we don't expect.  The spirit of Christ comes into our
hearts as we serve one another.  We had waited and watched for him to
come, expecting the dramatic "knock at the door and scurrying of
feet" but he came in a small,
simple package that represented service, friendship, gratitude, and
love.

This experience taught me that the beginning of the true spirit of
Christmas comes as we open our hearts and actively focus on the
Savior.  But we will most likely find him in the small and simple
acts of love, friendship and service that we give to each other.

This Christmas I want to feel again the joy of knowing that Christ is
in our home.   I want to focus on loving and serving.  More than that
I want to open my heart to him all year that I may see him again.

Don't forget the reason for the Season

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Copyright © 1998 - 2002 by Stephen J. Hall  -   Weekly letters of
encouragement to Christians written by Stephen J. Hall unless
otherwise indicated.  Notes from the Valley and Humor from the Valley
are meant to brighten your day and encourage you along the way.  Most
of "Notes" and "Humor" are a collection of items provided by
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Your love, God, is my song, and I'll sing it!  I'm forever telling
everyone how faithful you are.  I'll never quit telling the story of
your love . . .
(Psalm 89:1-2 The Message)