EVERYTHING THAT HAS BREATH By Sally I. Kennedy

Let everything that has breath praise the LORD. Praise the LORD. Psalm 150:6

The first Sunday of December we had driven up to a small town in the northern part of the state. As we pulled in, the little church came into view. Some paint was needed, but its tall steeple still pointed heavenward. Musty garlands and wreaths, that had been packed away for a year, were now lovingly hanging over doorways, on window sills, and around the altar.

The worship service opened and the choir sang a medley of traditional Christmas hymns. Simple. No choir robes. No live music; they sang to a track. They had a big sound, for a small group!

Up in the choir loft were persons of all ages. A young woman in a trendy outfit, chewing gum and singing her heart out at the same time, caught my eye. Then a middle aged, graying gentleman, wearing a bright red tie, smiling while he sang.

I was worshipping, as they "made a joyful noise to the Lord". Then it was that I noticed the woman at the end of front row. Snowy hair, shorter than the rest, she stood tall with purpose. Wow. How cool to watch this dear soul, probably well into her late eighties, singing and praising the Lord.

The verse from the Bible came to mind, "Let everything that has breath, praise the Lord." It was good to be reminded. There's a saying, "There's no retirement for a Christian." This is true. And as long as we live, as long as we have breath, it is good to praise the Lord.

Praise the Lord!

36 STRESS REDUCERS Author Unknown

1. Pray
2. Go to bed on time.
3. Get up on time so you can start the day unrushed.
4. Say No to projects that won't fit into your time schedule or that will compromise your mental health.
5. Delegate tasks to capable others.
6. Simplify and unclutter your life.
7. Less is more. (Although one is often not enough, two are often too many.)
8. Allow extra time to do things and to get to places.
9. Pace yourself. Spread out big changes and difficult projects over time; don't lump the hard things all together.
10. Take one day at a time.
11. Separate worries from concerns. If a situation is a concern, find out what God would have you to do and let go of the anxiety. If you can't do anything about a situation, forget it.
12. Live within your budget; don't use credit cards for ordinary purchases.
13. Have backups; an extra car key in your wallet, an extra house key buried in the garden, extra stamps, etc.,
14. K.M.S. (Keep Mouth Shut.) This single piece of advice can prevent an enormous amount of trouble.
15. Do something for the Kid in You everyday.
16. Carry a Bible with you to read while waiting in line.
17. Get enough exercise.
18. Eat right.
19. Get organized so everything has its place.
20. Listen to a tape while driving that can help improve your quality of life.
21. Write thoughts and inspirations down.
22. Everyday, find time to be alone.
23. Having problems? Talk to God on the spot. Try to nip small problems in the bud. Don't wait until its time to go to bed to try and pray.
24. Make friends with Godly people.
25. Keep a folder of favorite scriptures on hand.
26. Remember that the shortest bridge between despair and hope is often a good "Thank you, Jesus!"
27. Laugh.
28. Laugh some more!
29. Take your work seriously, but yourself, not at all.
30. Develop a forgiving attitude (most people are doing the best they can).
31. Be kind to unkind people (they probably need it the most).
32. Sit on your ego.
33. Talk less; listen more.
34. Slow down.
35. Remind yourself that you are not the general manager of the universe.
36. Every night before bed, think of one thing you're grateful for that you've never been grateful for before.

** GOD HAS A WAY OF TURNING THINGS AROUND FOR YOU**

GREAT GOLF SHOT By Marion Smith

Every once in a while I hit a great golf shot. I feel so good as the ball flies down the fairway, arching beautifully before landing in the perfect spot. Or perhaps I sink that long putt that no one would have thought possible .”Yes, I would say to myself…those shots are in me, but they only seem to come out once in awhile!”

There is something else within me, and He is the Holy Spirit. God gave Him to live within my heart when I accepted Jesus as my Lord and Savior. He produced fruit in my life- love, joy, peace, patience, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness and self control. I am now wondering if this beautiful fruit of the Spirit only comes out of me once in awhile—just like that good golf shot! I hope not! I pray this fruit would constantly be evident in my life, showing others (and reminding myself) there IS something special about a person when she (or he) is indwelled by the Holy Spirit.

If you are a Christian, you too have the fruit of the Spirit. Is it ripe and ready to be shared with others?

GOING FOR IT By Sally I. Kennedy

"Take charge! Take heart! Don't be anxious or get discouraged. God, my God, is with you in this 1 Chronicles 28:20

Shoot the Falls! The cry of the brave ones, up at the top of the waterfall. Kayaks were poised in position, with college kids were queing up to ride down the rapids.

I thought of how cool this was, and then thought of how it really is like anything we take on.

Maybe you would

1. Prepare. - ahead of time. Not last minute. It took noah awhile fo build the ark, wouldn't have worked to start building it when it started raining

2. Wait for the right conditions - GOD opens the door, his timing is the perfect timing.

3. Have support - prayer support, and scripture that lines up in agreement with our actions.

Then you could

4. Be confident: - know that God has gone before you. It is He who actually puts the desire in you, as well as helps you perform it and He will have gone ahead of you: (Phil. 2:13 it is God who works in you, (both) to will and to act according to his good purpose. )

And then

5. Go for it - after all, God will have gone ahead of you (Deut. 31:6) So be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid and do not panic before them. For the Lord your God will personally go ahead of you. He will neither fail you nor abandon you."

So, whatever "it" is.... prepare, wait on God's timing, get support, be confident, and GO FOR IT!

MAJOR AND MINOR By Sally I. Kennedy

The Lord made you; He formed you in the womb and he will help you. Isaiah 44:2

Look at the birds. They don't plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren't you far more valuable to him than they are? If God cares so wonderfully for (these).... he will certainly care for you. Matthew 6:26.30


By late morning I had finally gotten outdoors. Armed with a pair of trusty clippers, I was ready to tackle the overgrown bushes in the back yard. I was getting into it and having fun chopping and trimming. All of a sudden I realized I was hot as a firecracker and about to have a heat stroke. I threw all the branches in a pile and jumped in the water to cool off.

That was when I noticed the bracelet my husband had given me was no longer on my wrist. I was angry with myself for wearing it to do yard work.

Carefully I moved the cuttings, one by one, watching for the bracelet to fall. All the while, I was looking at where I'd been working. It would be nearly impossible to spot it in the high grass or the flower bed rocks.

I said to God, "Lord, you know everything. So you know where EVERYTHING is. Therefore, you know where my bracelet is. It is not the biggest thing in the world, but it is sentimental to me. I should have taken it off, but I didn't. Now, I'm asking you to show me where it is, and - to please let it be in plain view."

I finished moving the whole trash pile, sighed, and looked up. There, on the decking, was the lost bracelet. It was perfectly curled on a narrow piece of wood between two wide cracks.

I thought, God is SO nice! He not only loves me, but He likes me! He shows me in the most real ways. Maybe He dispatched an angel to lay it there for me to find.

In the big picture, it's a pretty minor thing to lose a bracelet. It's major, though, when God so clearly reveals his caring in the ordinary things and our everyday lives. And if God takes care of minor things like this, how much more then will He take care of us, and the important, major issues in our lives?!