March 28, 2010
Just a few “short” notes. First of all, thanks very much to those of you who have sent contributions to “Christian Voices”. They are so needed and very much appreciated! Secondly, thanks to all of you who are sending us email addresses to which we can send an “Invitation”! That also is much needed and truly appreciated. Many of you also have written notes thanking “Christian Voices” for returning. The love and support you are giving to “Christian Voices” is totally awesome and we are definitely blessed! Thank you – thank you – thank you!!!
HUMOR
Court Case
Several women appeared in court, each accusing the others of causing the trouble they were having in the apartment building where they lived.
The women were arguing noisily even in the court.
The judge, banging his gavel to quiet them, said, “We are going to do this in an orderly manner. I can’t listen to all of you at once. I’ll hear the oldest first.”
The case was dismissed for lack of testimony.
…..Doc’s Daily Chuckle (pkaine@woh.rr.com) by way of “Christian Voices” (www.ChristianVoicesWorldwide.net)
<>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <><
THOUGHT PROVOKING – INSPIRATIONAL
Easter Lilies and Dogwood Trees
The only indication the day was not Easter was the date on the calendar. I sat almost breathless as we traveled along admiring the lovely Zephyranthes atamasco lily blooms beside the highway, regal in height ranging from eight to fifteen inches tall. The Colonial Era settlers of the south from Virginia to Florida and west to Texas called them the ‘wild Easter lily’. Highway 98 runs through a part of the Red Hills Region as it enters Wakulla County near Tallahassee, Florida’s capital. The roadsides are white with clusters of these beautiful native flowers.
The pure white blossom of the Easter lily has always stood as a symbol of purity, virtue, innocence, hope and life---the spiritual essence of our Easter season and the Resurrection. Not just the church, but the world of history, mythology, literature, poetry and art are fascinated with stories and images of the beauty and majesty of elegant white lilies, regardless of the name or location, domesticated or wild.
Enhancing the feeling of Easter even more were the dogwood trees in bloom in the area. Dogwood trees line the city streets of many southern towns; however, here in the forest were large acres. The prominence of the white blooms was breathtakingly awesome.
I recalled the Legend of the Dogwood. It says the tree once grew to massive proportions. According to the legend, a dogwood tree was cut to build the cross on which Jesus was crucified. After his crucifixion, the tree was changed to its current form. It no longer grew into a tree, but remained a twisted shrub. The bloom was modified to represent the crucifixion with four white bracts, cross-shaped, representing the four corners of the cross, each with a rusty indentation of a nail. The stamens of the flower represent his crown of thorns and the clustered red fruit represent his blood.
North Florida, USA is a long ways from Jerusalem where Jesus was crucified. The area where these lovely blooms are found is thought to be an area where dinosaurs roamed many, many years ago and early Native Americans lived.
I like to think as I ride along this road on a beautiful day in 2010, comfortable in a modern car; the earlier people were inspired by the beauty of the lily and the dogwood just as I am today. Then I like to visualize the world of the future, when others will visit this area on a beautiful spring day that the beautiful “Atamasco lilies” and the white dogwood blossoms will inspire and lift them to higher plains of thought.
Whatever we choose to believe, the following lines from the poem of Louise Lewis Matthews still ring true today:
Easter lilies bending low - In the golden afterglow, Bear a message from the sod - To the heavenly towers of God.
Whatever we choose to believe about the Easter lily and the Dogwood tree; the fact remains: the beauty they add to an early spring day can lift us up, give us joy, and hope for a new life with the coming of a new season. Its symbol of purity lifts one’s thoughts of a Creator God, who created man, the world and the lily and is still in charge of His world today. He still inspires us to look beyond ourselves to something greater and nearer perfection.
…..Ivie Bozeman (Ivie@rose.net) by way of "Christian Voices" (www.ChristianVoicesWorldwide.net)
Bottom of Form
<>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <><
Holy Spirit, Living Water
After Resurrection Sunday, I changed the computer desktop from a picture of Jesus emerging from the tomb to one of springs of living water. The picture is vibrant in blues and greens. Three tiers of waterfalls spill over rock cliffs and rock covered with thick green foliage and the water glows blue and white, misting and frothing with the vigor of its fall.
It reminds me of Jesus' promise that whoever believes in Him will have "streams of living water" flowing from within. This is the same living water that Jesus explains to the Samaritan Woman at the Well, water welling up into eternal life because of the power of the Holy Spirit dwelling within each believer (John 4). It is the same living water that Jesus promises at the Feast of Tabernacles on the last and greatest day of the feast:
"On the last and greatest day of the Feast, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, 'If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him.' By this, he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive." John 7: 37-39a NIV
In Numbers 20, when the Israelites were doubting God and the leadership of Moses and Aaron because of the lack of water, God provides living water by having Moses strike the rock to bring water gushing forth for the people and their livestock.
In the same way, God shows His continuing love for mankind by sending Jesus to provide the way to eternal life. Jesus becomes the Rock providing living water for the salvation of all who believe in Him.
In John 14 and 16, Jesus comforts His disciples with the promise of the presence of the Holy Spirit in their lives. He even explains that His going away is for their own good because then the Counselor or Holy Spirit will come to them. (John 16: 6-7) In this way, the love and guidance of God will be with them always.
The power of the Holy Spirit brings such blessed privileges--enabling each believer
to have access to God,
to be aware of sin,
to experience guidance with all aspects of living and knowing,
to have the hope of continuous fellowship with Jesus,
and to experience the great and lasting joy of eternal life in the place that Jesus has prepared for each of us.
Beyond the brilliant triumph of Resurrection Sunday, comes the steady presence and power of God's Holy Spirit and the continuing love of the Lord in the lives of all who believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God. Praise the Lord!
…..Mary-Ellen Grisham (meginrose@charter.net) (meginrose@gmail.com) by way of "Christian Voices" (www.ChristianVoicesWorldwide.net)
<>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <><
We continue to reach out to as many people as we possibly can and wherever we can, but we need your help to do that.
Please, please send us email addresses of people we can contact and "Invite" to try "Christian Voices".
We make sure that each individual email address is contacted only once.
We do not keep any record of who sends us what addresses so your confidentiality is always maintained.
Help us contact as many others as we possibly can – keep sending us all the email addresses that you can throughout the whole year.
It is a tremendous help!!!
Please send them to ChristianVoices@att.net
<>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <><
Notes, cards, and contributions are always welcome – please send them to “Christian Voices”; P.O. Box 1002; La Vergne, TN 37086.
<>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <><
The official web site for "Christian Voices" is
www.ChristianVoicesWorldwide.net
Please don't be confused by others who have web sites of similar names.
<>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <><
TO SUBSCRIBE
(Click-on the appropriate link or type that entire web address in your browser.)
For Yahoo addresses: http://mail.family-safe-mail.com/SubscribePages/CV-subscribe-yahoo.html
For All Other Addresses: http://mail.family-safe-mail.com/SubscribePages/CV-subscribe.htmlTO VISIT THE "CHRISTIAN VOICES" WEB SITE
www.ChristianVoicesWorldwide.net
You are subscribes from %%emailaddress%%
To leave Christian voices Cl;ick Unsubscribe me from this list