GOLF LESSON By Marion Smith

Exodus 4:12 I will help you speak, and I will teach you what to say.

My golf game was in bad shape. No doubt about it, I needed a lesson from a professional, and I needed it pronto! I stood on the range, hitting a few balls to warm up as I waited for the golf pro. I could see him emerge from the pro shop with a smile on his face – ready to take the challenge of helping this sorry excuse of a golfer!

First he told me to address the ball – just stand comfortably however I thought I should. He told me that body position was so important in the game of golf – I would need to line up every shot. Next he checked my grip, making sure my fingers were in the correct position on the club. Now he was ready to watch me swing and try to
hit the ball. He watched and analyzed, watched and gave gentle corrections, watched and gave more instructions. He told me to go practice a lot and play a few rounds. Then I was to come back for another lesson to see if I was applying what I had learned.

I don't like to take lessons or practice, but I did as I had been instructed, because I knew this was a plan which would help me in my golf life.

In life, God is my pro. He meets me with a loving smile as I stand waiting for Him. He will ask me about my spiritual posture as I go to Him in prayer- am I ready to get quiet before Him? To be ready for whatever He has to tell me?To kneel, bow my head or lay prostate before Him? He will teach and guide me through life. He will give me tools to study and people to support me. He will then send me out to
practice and play, reminding me to check back in with Him to see if I was applying what I had learned.

Before I met the golf pro or God, I had to make the choice to do so. Neither my golf game nor my spiritual growth would happen unless I took that first step, and asked for help. I am so thankful I did seek God out, for He taught me the intimacy of prayer with Him, the delight derived as I praise Him, the awesomeness as I worship Him, and the unspeakable joy as I come into His holy presence. This is all
available to each of you, too. Just sign up for that first lesson of love…. It is a lesson you will never regret having taken.

UPLIFTING THINGS TO DO TODAY Author Unknown

* Smile at a stranger

* Drop a coin where a child can find it

* Learn something new and teach it to someone

* Tell someone you love them

* Hug someone

* Forgive someone who has wronged you

* Try saying "I'm sorry" when you ought to

* Tell a child how great they are

* Sing a song about Jesus to yourself

* Keep a promise

* Call someone just to say hello

* Try listening more than talking

* Stand up for what you believe in

* Thank God for His beautiful Creation

* Encourage someone who is feeling down

* Cherish today as if it were your last one

* Tell someone about Jesus

RAGS AT THE BANQUET By Sally I. Kennedy

Once upon a time a man lived in the streets, clad only in the dirtiest and worst of rags. One day a person from the Palace saw him, and approached him. There was going to be a banquet at the Palace, and he had instructions to come and invite people from the highways and byways. Would he like to come?

The man was indeed interested. However, he could not attend a banquet dressed in his rags. The Palace representative assured him they would exchange his rags for some suitable finery to wear to the banquet.

All was in order. The two arrived at the Palace where they went directly to the dressing chambers of the King. Servants took the filthy rags, bundled them in a little package, and proceeded to rub, scrub, and clean the man from top to bottom.

He was then allowed to choose his robes from the closets of the King. He was told that whatever he picked he would be able to keep, so he carefully examined all the many garments in the closet. He chose an exquisite inner garment of purest silk, and an outer robe of finest purple satin. He was ready for the banquet!

As they left the dressing quarters, the man grabbed his old rags. The servants told him to just leave them, because he wouldn't need them anymore. However, he insisted on taking the bundle with him. Even though he didn't need the rags now, he felt more secure somehow if he could just hold on to them.

In the Palace banquet hall, the festivities were about to begin. Nearly everyone was there, including the King himself. The man was seated, looking resplendent in his new attire. He hid his bundle of rags on his lap, underneath the tablecloth, so no one would see them.

The banquet was not to be believed! There was music and dancing, and every kind of delicacy imaginable. As the trays were passed, the beggar had difficulty getting the food onto his plate. He was constantly juggling the package of old rags on his lap, balancing it so it wouldn't fall off. It constantly distracted him from what was
going on in the grand hall.

Eventually the evening ended and the great gala event was over. Everyone was stuffed to the gills except for the man clinging to his rag bundle. He was as hungry as when he had come in. He never had eaten even one morsel of the food. He had been too busy fixing and holding on to his old rags.

Today, Jesus invites all of us to God's great banquet, to leave our old ways and old rags, and to say, "Yes!" to Him and to a new and glorious way of living. That is good news!

THINKING OF YOU Author Unknown

Have you ever been just sitting there and all of a sudden you feel like doing something nice for someone you care for? THAT'S GOD talking to you through the Holy Spirit.

Have you ever been down and out and nobody seems to be around for you to talk to?
THAT'S GOD wanting you to talk to Him.

Have you ever been thinking about somebody that you haven't seen in a long time and then next thing you know you see them or receive a phone call from them? THAT'S GOD. There is no such thing as coincidence.

Have you ever received something wonderful that you didn't even ask for, like money in the mail, a debt that had mysteriously been cleared, or a coupon to a department store where you had just seen something you needed, but couldn't afford? THAT'S GOD knowing the desires of your heart.

Have you ever been in a situation and you had no clue how it was going to get better, how the hurting would stop, how the pain would ease, but now you look back on it. THAT'S GOD passing us through tribulation to see a brighter day.

IMPERCEPTIBLY TURNING By Sally I. Kennedy

See, I set before you today life and prosperity, death and destruction. .. life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live. Deuteronomy 30:15-19 .. .as (a man) thinketh in his heart, so is he. Proverbs 23:7

Clearing out clutter, and sprucing up after the holidays, called for something new from the nearby garden shop. I picked a hardy houseplant and placed the pot outside where you could see it from the kitchen. It looked perfect out there.

One day I looked out the window and the plant was all bent over and facing the other way. It had gotten plenty of water, what happened? It looked so pretty before!

Seemed like that plant changed direction overnight. Of course, it didn't happen that fast. It was like time lapse photography. Each day, the little leaves turned their faces towards the sun. Imperceptibly, the plant was turning. Ever so slowly. And over a period of time, the difference was noticeable.

Plants don't have a choice. They just do what they do. We, however, have a choice. We can choose what we look at, what we think about, what we absorb.

In our day-to-day lives, all the seemingly insignificant decisions we make, matter. As we turn in the direction of our focus, little by little, the choices pile up to create a definite, noticeable change.

The Bible says: "Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable--if anything is excellent or praiseworthy- - think about such things." (Phil. 4:8)

Wherever we may be planted, we can bloom and grow, as we continue to decision and purpose to follow in the path our Lord has mapped out for us in His Word. Thank you, Lord, in Jesus'name, amen.