Thinking of birthdays raises an important question. Some of our most significant events – birthdays, weddings, anniversaries, funerals – honor particular people. At those times, how do we demonstrate that God is at the heart of every celebration? Can we honor God appropriately while focusing so much attention on people? How do we keep God at the center? We can answer those questions in various ways. Paul said, “In Him we live and move and have our being” (Ac. 17:18); “For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be glory forever. Amen” (Rom. 11:36). Through Him we have birth and life and every thing and every person in our lives. So God is the reason we have anything to celebrate. He is the ultimate source of our celebrations. As we read in James 1:17, “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.” When we realize that the child, spouse, the life, the friends, the family are all gifts from our Father, it makes every celebration a “thanksgiving” day, a time to express our heart of thanks to God. Saint Augustine said something that might help us when we worry that making much of a person might somehow be competition for our love of God. “For he loves Thee too little who loves anything together with Thee, which he loves not for Thy sake.” In other words, as my husband explains, “If created things are seen and handled as gifts of God and as mirrors of His glory, they need not be occasions of idolatry – if our delight in them is always also a delight in their Maker.” Thinking about a few special days might help us see how much this truth can play out.
Noel Piper

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Don't Worry

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#1 · March 1, 2004, 9:31 am

Posted by: bigguyhereagain <bigguyhereagain@...>

Don't Worry
 
A pastor and his family (two children) were invited to attend a
cousin's high school graduation. He thought he'd prepare the kids,
knowing how fidgety they can get.

"Graduations are sometimes long, boring events," he said.  "I want
you guys to behave and not ask constantly when it's going to be
over."

"Don't worry, Dad.  We'll live," the daughter replied.  "We last
through all your sermons, don't we?"

*****************************

The Tate Family

Do you know how many members of the Tate family belong to your church?

There is old man Dic-Tate who wants to run everything, while Uncle Ro-Tate tries to change everything.

There's sister Agi-Tate who stirs up plenty of trouble, with help from her husband, Irri-Tate.

Whenever new projects are suggested, Hesi-Tate and his wife, Vege-Tate, want to wait until next year.

Then there is Aunt Imi-Tate, who wants our church to be like all the others.

Devas-Tate provides the voice of doom, while Poten-Tate wants to be a big shot.

But not all members of the family are bad.

Brother Facili-Tate is quite helpful in church matters. And a delightful, happy member of the family is Miss Felici-Tate. Cousins Cogi-Tate and Medi-Tate always thinks things over and lend helpful, steady hands.

And of course there is the white sheep of the family, Ampu-Tate, who has completely cut himself off from the church.

How about it - do you know anyone in the Tate family?

****************************

We Have a Serious Problem
 

My niece bought her five-year-old daughter Ruthie a hamster.  One day he escaped from his cage. The family turned the house upside-down and finally found him. Several weeks later, while Ruthie was at school, he disappeared again.

My niece searched frantically but never found the critter.  Hoping to make  the loss less painful for Ruthie, my niece took the cage out of her room.

When Ruthie came home from school that afternoon, she climbed into her  mother's lap. "We have a serious problem," she announced. "Not only is my hamster gone again, but this time he took his cage."

*************************

Have a Blessed Day
Dave and Barbara
 

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