The Other Side of The Door

A very sick man, visiting a small-town clinic, 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?" the man said. 

"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 of which came a sound of scratching and whining. 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 my dog? He's never been in this room before. He didn't 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," the doctor continued, "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."

Tigers in the Dark

"In my anguish I cried to the Lord, and He answered by setting me free. The Lord is with me; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me? The Lord is with me; he is my helper. I will look in triumph on my enemies." (Psalm 118:5-7)

I read some time ago how a well-known television circus show developed a Bengal tiger act that was performed live before a large audience. One evening, the tiger trainer went into the cage with several tigers to do a routine performance. The door was locked behind him. The spotlights highlighted the cage, the television cameras moved in close, and the audience watched in suspense as the trainer skillfully put the tigers through their paces.

In the middle of the performance, the worst possible fate befell the act: the power went out! For thirty long seconds the trainer was locked in with the tigers. In the darkness they could see him, but he could not see them. A whip and a small kitchen chair seemed meager protection under the circumstances. But he survived, and when the lights came on, he calmly finished the performance.

In an interview afterward, he was asked how he felt knowing the tigers could see him but that he could not see them. He first admitted the chilling fear of the situation, but pointed out that the tigers did not know that he could not see them. He said, "I just kept cracking my whip and talking to them until the lights came on. And they never knew I couldn't see them as well as they could see me."1

Do you ever feel caught in the dark with the "tigers of your heart" or circumstances that seem to be out of your control? I sure have. Two things I do in these situations. First, I keep quoting today's Scripture, "The Lord is with me; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?" I'm sure David kept saying this when King Saul was out to kill him—and David couldn't know where he was most of the time. Second, I ask God to confront me with the truth and reality of what I might in any way be contributing to the situation I am in.

It's not until I pray for what I am contributing to "my dark nights of despair" that I see the light—and know exactly what I need to do to change my circumstances wherever this is possible, or at least to overcome my tigers of fear.

Suggested prayer: "Dear God, thank You that my life is in Your hands and that You are always with me in my dark days of despair just as You are in my happy days of rejoicing. Thank You, too, for Your promise that You will never leave me nor forsake me. Help me to always remember this, and trust my life to You, and be willing to face what I am contributing to my situation, change what I can change, and learn to accept joyfully what I cannot change. Thank You for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus's name, amen."

Rev Dick Innes

1  Thomas Lane Butts, cited on KneEmail, http://www.oakhillcoc.org.

Keeping A Promise - Tiger Phong and Tiger Woods

Earl Woods, the father of Tiger Woods, with a photo taken with his good friend, Colonel Tiger Phong.

In the latter days of the Vietnam War, an American Colonel named Earl Woods made a promise. Woods believed that his friend, a South Vietnamese colonel named Vuong Phong, had saved his life. In gratitude for that act, Woods promised to name his son after his friend, who was known as “Tiger.” Sports fans will immediately understand that the promise was kept. That son has immortalized his father’s friend, for most everyone has heard of Tiger Woods.

 J. Michael Shannon

-------------------------
Here is the story in detail,

On the last day of 1975, the day after Eldrick Woods was born, Tiger Woods was born when his father gazed into a maternity glass and saw both the future and the past.

"Don't worry, Woody," Colonel Phong told Earl in a hushed voice, "I've never lost an advisor yet."

"'I'm glad to hear it, Tiger," he whispered back, "but I damn sure don't want to be the first one."

Tiger Phong and Earl Woods were deep in Vietcong country, exactly where, only Phong knew. The two-jeep caravan of the two light colonels from Phan Thiet was a familiar convoy throughout Binh Thuan Province, where Phong was the Deputy Province Chief for the Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN) and Woods was more than just his U.S. advisor.

The Americans were pulling out. "I got to go," their commander said. Phong's troops were supposed to take over the fire base, but they were overdue. It was sort of a preview of the coming years.

"That's all right, we can defend it ourselves," Phong asserted.

"What?" Woods said.

"You take this cover, I'll take that. My driver can man the third flank, your driver the fourth."

"Tiger, this is ridiculous."

Phong smiled at his friend. Yes, war is certainly ridiculous.

Before taking his position, Woods retrieved an M-79 grenade-launcher from the jeep and set it down in a row with his M-16 rifle and .45-caliber pistol. For three hours, he sweated.

When the ARVN forces eventually showed up and Colonel Phong finished grinding their captain into a fine dry powder, Woods radioed for a helicopter.

The chopper hadn't flown 50 yards before they were under fire. The VC had been there all along. "Wham, wham, wham, wham, wham!" The rounds shot up through the floor of the helicopter directly between the two colonels. As they twirled out of range, Woods said, "Tiger, you crazy son of a bitch." Colonel Phong just laughed.

Later they had a drink in Earl's quarters, "The Blue Room," their mission central and private retreat. More than one drink. It was Phong who had organized the preposterous paint job -- ceiling included -- that gave the room its identity. It was Woods who nicknamed him "Tiger," an expression of admiration but also irony.

Not all of the South Vietnamese soldiers could be called tigers.

The two were closer than friends, brothers. When they weren't fighting side by side, they were playing tennis or tricks. Woods schooled Phong on the rudiments of jazz; Phong gave Woods philosophy. They laughed a tremendous lot, lest they cry a tremendous lot.

But this was a quiet night. Aretha Franklin was singing on the record player. Phong was retelling his dream of being a schoolteacher someday -- he looked like a schoolteacher already. The thing he wished most for his children was just an absence of helicopters.

Woods was thinking of that afternoon in the artillery field: When the Americans left, the Communists should have stormed. Why didn't they? He should be dead. Why wasn't he? Then, and forever, he told himself over and over, "There has to be a reason." 

(Tom Callahan)

The Rich Man And The Penny

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 she as 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. 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 cannot 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...

Author Unknown

Trusting The Voice

A young pilot had just passed the point of no return when the weather changed for the worse. Visibility dropped to a matter of feet as fog descended to the earth. 

Putting total trust in the cockpit instruments was a new experience to him, for the ink was still wet on the certificate verifying that he was qualified for instrument flying. 

The landing worried him the most. His destination was a crowded metropolitan airport he wasn't familiar with. 

In a few minutes he would be in radio contact with the tower. Until then, he was alone with his thoughts. 

His instructor had practically forced him to memorize the rulebook. He didn't care for it at the time, but now he was thankful. 

Finally he heard the voice of the air traffic controller."I'm going to put you on a holding pattern," the controller radioed. Great! thought the pilot. 

However, he knew that his safe landing was in the hands of this person. He had to draw upon his previous instructions and training, and trust the voice of an air traffic controller he couldn't see. 

Aware that this was no time for pride, he informed the controller, "This is not a seasoned pro up here. I would appreciate any help you could give me." 

"You've got it!" he heard back. 

For the next 45 minutes, the controller gently guided the pilot through the blinding fog. 

As course and altitude corrections came periodically, the young pilot realized the controller was guiding him around obstacles and away from potential collisions. 

With the words of the rulebook firmly placed in his mind, and with the gentle voice of the controller, he landed safely at last. 

The Holy Spirit guides us through the maze of life much like that air traffic controller. 

The controller assumed that the young pilot understood the instructions of the flight manual. His guidance was based on that. 

Such is the case with the Holy Spirit: He can guide us if we have knowledge of God's Word and His will established in our minds. 

Haircut For Two

The price of going to the barber was quite exorbitant in a particular city. Hardly anyone could afford a full treatment but a man came into a barber shop with a little boy and asked for the full treatment - shave, shampoo, manicure, haircut, etc. 

After the barber had finished with him, the man placed Little Johnny on the chair.

"I'm going to buy a green tie to wear for the parade," he said. "I'll be back in a few minutes."

When Little Johnny's haircut was complete and the man still hadn't returned, the barber said, "Looks like your daddy's forgotten all about you."

"That wasn't my daddy," said Little Johnny.

"He just walked up, took me by the hand and said, 'Come on, kid, we're gonna get a free haircut!'"

Surrounded But Undefeated!

As believers in Jesus Christ, we are engaged in spiritual warfare with unseen wicked forces. To overcome our enemy in the power of the Holy Spirit, we must remain resolute in our confidence in God and determine never to accept defeat.

A story from the Korean War illustrates this attitude. As enemy forces advanced, Baker Company was cut off from the rest of their unit. 

For several hours no word was heard, even though headquarters repeatedly tried to communicate with the missing troops. Finally a faint signal was received. Straining to hear, the corpsman asked, "Baker Company, do you read me?" 

"This is Baker Company," came the reply. 

"What is your situation?" asked the corpsman. 

"The enemy is to the east of us, the enemy is to the west of us, the enemy is to the north of us, the enemy is to the south of us." 

Then after a brief pause, the sergeant from Baker Company said with determination, "The enemy is not going to get away from us now!" 

Although surrounded and outnumbered, he was thinking of victory, not defeat. (Our Daily Bread)

What Lies On The Other Side?

A sick man turned to his doctor, as he was preparing to leave the examination room 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, does not know what is on the other side?"

The doctor was holding the handle of the door; on the other side of which 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 my dog? He's never been in this room before. He didn't 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 will pass through it with gladness, but with no fear."

Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen! (Heb. 11:1)

Noah's Ark : You can learn something from good old Noah!

Noah's Ark : You can learn something from good old Noah!

1: Don't miss the boat.
2: If you are in the boat then remember that we are all in the same boat!
3: Plan ahead. It wasn't raining when Noah built the Ark.
4: Stay fit. When you're 60 years old, someone may ask you to do something really big.
5: Don't listen to critics; just get on with the assignment that the Lord has asked you to do.
6: Build your future upon the promises of God and not on the opinions of men.
7: Every pair consisted of a male and female. God's plan and design have always been that way - marry the opposite sex.
8: With God, you can be slow and still catch the boat. Remember the tortoises and snails made it to the Ark.
9: Faith is trusting God's words - You may not be able to see the storms and floods coming but when God says it, you better believe it.
10: Remember, the Ark was designed by God but built by amateurs; the Titanic designed by experts and built by professionals.
11: Don't worry about the storm because you are in the middle of God's will. 

12. After every storm of life, a rainbow arches over your life. This is God's way of saying how much He loves you.

A Valuable Lesson Taught By A Kitten

A little gray kitten taught me a valuable lesson on drawing closer to God.

By Oleeta J. Takao, Birmingham, Alabama

I used to have trouble keeping my mind from wandering and from worrying about my problems during my morning meditations. No matter how hard I tried my quiet time would have stressful moments where I couldn't feel God's comfort.  Then one day when I was feeling restless and cranky I heard our silver kitten crying at my feet.


I tried to pick him up and put him in my lap where I could soothe him, but he would have none of it. He shrieked and scratched, then squirmed from my grasp. 


I was annoyed. Doesn't he see, I thought, that I want to comfort him?


Then a small voice seemed to answer: It's like you and God. He wants to hold you to comfort you, but sometimes you are so frantic that He cannot.


After that, I decided to try a little exercise during my daily prayer time. I began envisioning myself crawling up into God's lap. As I snuggled close to Him, I felt His strong arms enfold me. Then, taking a deep breath, I imagined that the power of God was flowing into my body. If a worry came to mind, I leaned my head against His great heart and listened. Slowly all the distortions in my thinking began to dissolve.


At last, I felt the unity with God that I had been seeking.

This Glass of Water Can Kill You

Once a professor began his class by holding up a glass with some water in it. He held it up for all to see and asked the students, “how much do you think this glass weighs? Maybe it's 50gms,100gms or 125gms?".

The students answered, “I really don’t know unless I weigh it.”

The professor said, "Now, my question is: 'What would happen if I held it up like this for a few minutes?’"

‘Nothing’ the students said.

“Okay, what would happen if I held it up like this for an hour?” the professor asked.

“Your arm would begin to ache” said one of the students.

“You’re right, now what would happen if I held it for a day?”

“Your arm could go numb! 

"You might have severe muscle stress and even paralysis! You'll then have to go to hospital for sure!" Ventured another student. All the students laughed.

“Very good. But during all this, did the weight of the glass of water change?” Asked the professor.

“No” was the reply of all the students.

“Then what caused the arm to ache and the muscle to become stressed?” 

After a pause the professor asked “Before my arm aches, what should I do?”

The students were puzzled.

“Put the glass down!” said one of the students.

“Exactly!” said the professor, “Life’s problems are exactly like this. Hold it for a few minutes in your head; they seem all right. Think of them for a long time and they begin to ache. Hold it even longer and they will begin to paralyze you. You will not be able to do anything.”

It’s important to think of the challenges or problems in your life, but EVEN MORE IMPORTANTLY, you have to learn how to ‘put them down’. At the end of every day before you go to sleep, commit every care and stress of the day to the Lord. You will be surprise that many of the so-called 'problems' may look different after a good night rest.

By the grace of God, you will wake up refreshed, energized and ready to face another day!

Remember to put the glass down at the end of every day!

Trust the Catcher

Trust is the basis of life. Without trust, no human being can live. Trapeze artists offer a beautiful image of this. 

Flyers have to trust their catchers. They can do the most spectacular doubles, triples, or quadruples, but what finally makes their performance spectacular are the catchers who are there for them at the right time in the right place.

Much of our lives is flying. It is wonderful to fly in the air free as a bird, but when God isn't there to catch us, all our flying comes to nothing. Let's trust in the Great Catcher.

Henri Nouwen 

Can You Trust Your Rope?

Can you trust this rope?

You never know how much you really believe anything until its truth or falsehood becomes a matter of life and death. 

It is easy to say you believe a rope to be strong as long as you are merely using it to cord a box. But suppose you had to hang by that rope over a precipice. 

Wouldn’t you then first discover how much you really trusted it?

C. S. Lewis

A Grief Observed

Stand by Me

God may not take the storm away but He promises to stand by me through the storm. As long as He is there with me, I can face all types of storm. Rev Albert Kang.

"Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death [or through the darkest valley], I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me."¹

Kim Sherer writes: "One night while my young son, Ryan, was sleeping, a storm began brewing outside. After a loud clap of thunder, I heard him wake up so I headed toward his room to comfort him. He asked me to stay with him until he fell asleep. As I lay there I realized he hadn't asked me to make the storm go away, but to stay with him. 

How many times, I wondered, have I asked God to take away the storms of life, when instead I need to ask him to stay with me and help me weather them more peacefully?"²

Good point Kim makes. As the hymn writer, Charles A. Tindley, put it so aptly:

   When the storms of life are raging,
   Stand by me (stand by me);
   When the storms of life are raging,
   Stand by me (stand by me);
   When the world is tossing me
   Like a ship upon the sea
   Thou Who rulest wind and water,
   Stand by me (stand by me).

   In the midst of tribulation,
   Stand by me (stand by me);
   In the midst of tribulation,
   Stand by me (stand by me);
   When the hosts of hell assail,
   And my strength begins to fail,
   Thou Who never lost a battle,
   Stand by me (stand by me).³

Suggested prayer: "Dear God, thank you for your promise that no matter how dark the valley I have to walk through, you will always stand by me and never leave me or forsake me. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus' name, amen."

1. Psalm 23:4 (NIV).
2. Kim Sherer. Cited on www.TFTD-online.com
3. Words and music at: http://www.cyberhymnal.org/htm/s/t/standbym.htm

<:))))><
By Dick Innes
http://actscom.com/

Disappointment is His Appointment

Andrew Murray

During a low period in the life of noted author Andrew Murray, he wrote the following words: “He brought me here. He will keep me here. He will make this trial a blessing. He will bring me out again. Therefore, I am here by God’s appointment, in His keeping, under His training, for His time.” 

It is often said that “disappointment is his appointment.” We don’t see that in advance, only in reverse. Be encouraged. God knows what he is doing even when we don’t have a clue.

Extract from Ray Pritchard

Keep Believing Ministries

A prolific author and church pastor, Andrew Murray, was a 19th century missionary. He led many Christians in ministry to the indigenous black populations of South Africa.

Large Windshield

The car you drive has a large windshield, but only a relatively small rear-view mirror. The implication is obvious: What happened in your past is not nearly as important as what is in your future. Where you are going is much more important than where you've been.

~ Joel Osteen, Become a Better You

They Can Fly!

In “Run With The Horses,” Eugene Peterson writes about seeing a family of birds teaching the young to fly: 

Three young swallows were perched on a dead branch that stretched out over a lake.

One adult swallow got alongside the chicks and started shoving them out toward the end of the branch - pushing, pushing, pushing.  The end one fell off.  Somewhere between the branch and the water four feet below, the wings started working, and the fledgling was off on his own.  Then the second one.

The third was not to be bullied.  At the last possible moment his grip on the branch loosened just enough so that he swung downward, then tightened again, bulldog tenacious.  The parent was without sentiment.  He pecked at the desperately clinging talons until it was more painful for the poor chick to hang on than risk the insecurities of flying.  

The grip was released, and the inexperienced wings began pumping.  The mature swallow knew what the chick did not - that it would fly - that there was no danger in making it do what it was perfectly designed to do.

Birds have feet and can walk.  Birds have talons and can grasp a branch securely.  They can walk; they can cling.  But flying is their characteristic action, and not until they fly are they living at their best, gracefully, and beautifully.
Giving is what we do best.  It is the air into which we were born.  It is the action that was designed into us before out birth.

Some of us try desperately to hold on to ourselves, to live for ourselves.  We look so bedraggled and pathetic doing it, hanging on to the dead branch of a bank account for dear life, afraid to risk ourselves on the untried wings of giving.
Eugene Peterson

Police Officer Testifies

If you ever testify in court, you might wish you could have been as sharp as this policeman. He was being cross-examined by a defense attorney during a felony trial. 

The lawyer was trying to undermine the police officer's credibility.

Q: 'Officer --- did you see my client fleeing the scene?'  

A: 'No sir. But I subsequently observed a person matching the description of the offender, running several blocks away.'

Q: 'Officer -- who provided this description?' 

A: 'The officer who responded to the scene.' 

Q: 'A fellow officer provided the description of this so-called offender. Do you trust your fellow officers?'
 
A: 'Yes, sir. With my life.'

Q: 'With your life? Let me ask you this then officer. Do you have a room where you change your clothes in preparation for your daily duties?'

A: 'Yes sir, we do!'

Q: 'And do you have a locker in the room?'  

A: 'Yes, sir, I do.'

Q: 'And do you have a lock on your locker?'

A: 'Yes, sir.'

Q: 'Now, ... why is it, officer, if you trust your fellow officers with your life, you find it necessary to lock your locker in a room you share with these same officers?' 

A: 'You see, sir -- we share the building with the court complex, and sometimes lawyers have been known to walk through that room.'

The courtroom EXPLODED with laughter, and a prompt recess was called.

He who digs a hole and scoops it out falls into the pit he has made. (Psalm 7:15)

The Duck Is Dead!

A woman brought a very limp duck into a veterinary surgeon. As she laid her pet on the table, the vet pulled out his stethoscope and listened to the bird's chest.

After a moment or two, the vet shook his head and sadly said, "I'm sorry, your duck, Cuddles, has passed away." The distressed woman wailed, "Are you sure?"  "Yes, I am sure. Your duck is dead," replied the vet..

"How can you be so sure?" she protested. "I mean you haven't done any testing on him or anything. He might just be in a coma or something."

The vet rolled his eyes, turned around and left the room. He returned a few minutes later with a black Labrador Retriever. As the duck's owner looked on in amazement, the dog stood on his hind legs, put his front paws on the examination table and sniffed the duck from top to bottom. He then looked up at the vet with sad eyes and shook his head. The vet patted the dog on the head and took it out of the room. 

A few minutes later he returned with a cat. The cat jumped on the table and also delicately sniffed the bird from head to foot. The cat sat back on its haunches, shook its head, meowed softly and strolled out of the room.
 
The vet looked at the woman and said, "I'm sorry, but as I said, this is most definitely, 100% certifiably, a dead duck."
The vet turned to his computer terminal, hit a few keys and produced a bill, which he handed to the woman..

The duck's owner, still in shock, took the bill. "$150!" she cried, "$150 just to tell me my duck is dead!"

The vet shrugged, "I'm sorry. If you had just taken my word for it, the bill would have been $20, but with the Lab Report and the Cat Scan, it's now $150."
 

An Obedient Dog

How we admire the obedience a dog shows to its master! 

Archibald Rutledge wrote that one day he met a man whose dog had just been killed in a forest fire. Heartbroken, the man explained to Rutledge how it happened. Because he worked out-of-doors, he often took his dog with him. 

That morning, he left the animal in a clearing and gave him a command to stay and watch his lunch bucket while he went into the forest. His faithful friend understood, for that's exactly what he did. Then a fire started in the woods, and soon the blaze spread to the spot where the dog had been left. But he didn't move. He stayed right where he was, in perfect obedience to his master's word. With tearful eyes, the dog's owner said, "I always had to be careful what I told him to do, because I knew he would do it."

Our Daily Bread