Heartening Nuggets

*** Nugget 1  Humor Time
The Sunday School teacher was just finishing a lesson on honesty. “Do you know where children go if they don’t put their money in the collection plate?” the teacher asked.

“Yes ma’am,” a boy blurted out. “They go to the movies.”

 Aging with Humor – An elderly woman decided to prepare her will and told her preacher she had two final requests. First, she wanted to be cremated, and second, she wanted her ashes  scattered over Wal-Mart. Wal-Mart?” the preacher exclaimed. “Why Wal-Mart?” Then I’ll be sure my daughters visit me twice a week.”

What is the funniest experience you have ever had in church?
Our pianist got locked in the bathroom right before the service was to start!!

During prayer one Sunday at worship service, someone’s phone rang – ring tone was “Great Balls of Fire” Everyone started laughing.

The pastor was going through the bible and listing out book by book and things that happened, after getting about 2/3 of the way through, in the same tone he had been preaching in, he said he forgot where he was going with this.

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*** Nugget 2  Sprouts
I’m on a new adventure: sprouting. I have purchased sprouts previously in grocery stores but now a desire has come over me to sprout at home. Sprouts are young plants on their way to full growth. They are harvested a few days after they germinate. Although they are miniature in size, they are big in nutrition. The health benefits of sprouts may include lower blood sugar levels, improved heart health, improved digestion of carbohydrates and proteins. They are loaded with vitamins and minerals.

Keep in mind that there is a risk of contamination when adding sprouts to your meals. Most sprout seeds are grown in warm, humid conditions which may cause bacterial growth. There are some things you can do to avoid the risk of food poisoning.

• Never buy or eat slimy or smelly sprouts.
• Keep sprouts chilled below 48 degrees at all times.
• Take extreme caution with sanitization if attempting to make sprouts at home.
• Rinse sprouts before consumption.
• Always wash your hands before handling sprouts.

I encourage you to conduct your own research & to consult with your health care provider about any changes you plan to make.

The picture below shows some sprouts that I’m growing: radish, broccoli, salad mix, & mung beans. I am enjoying watching them grow. I will take the precautions, I will pray before I consume them. I can get food poisoning eating anything, anywhere (at a restaurant, at a church gathering, even at home). Thank God for His protection. Thank God for sprouts!

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*** Nugget 3  Don’t Lose Hope
Psalm 88
¹ O Lord, God of my salvation, at night, when I cry out before you, ² let my prayer come before you; incline your ear to my cry. ³ For my soul is full of troubles, and my life draws near to Sheol.
⁴ I am counted among those who go down to the Pit; I am like those who have no help, ⁵ like those forsaken among the dead, like the slain that lie in the grave, like those whom you remember no more, for they are cut off from your hand.
⁶ You have put me in the depths of the Pit, in the regions dark and deep.
⁷ Your wrath lies heavy upon me, and you overwhelm me with all your waves. Selah ⁸ You have caused my companions to shun me; you have made me a thing of horror to them. I am shut in so that I cannot escape; ⁹ my eye grows dim through sorrow. Every day I call on you, O Lord; I spread out my hands to you.
¹⁰ Do you work wonders for the dead? Do the shades rise up to praise you? Selah
¹¹ Is your steadfast love declared in the grave or your faithfulness in Abaddon?
¹² Are your wonders known in the darkness or your saving help in the land of forgetfulness?

¹³ But I, O Lord, cry out to you; in the morning my prayer comes before you.
¹⁴ O Lord, why do you cast me off? Why do you hide your face from me?
¹⁵ Wretched and close to death from my youth up, I suffer your terrors; I am desperate.
¹⁶ Your wrath has swept over me; your dread assaults destroy me.
¹⁷ They surround me like a flood all day long; from all sides they close in on me.
¹⁸ You have caused friend and neighbor to shun me; my companions are in darkness.

Psalm 88 is not a happy psalm. It is a psalm of grief, pain and sorrow. It has no resolution at the end. Heman (the author), was as miserable at the beginning as he was at the end.  His heart was broken. Everything that could go wrong had gone wrong. He saw himself as a dying man without hope.

I had a conversation with a person the other day. They are in a negative situation that has been going on for a very long time. They told me that they feel hopeless. I’ve been where they are – in a seemingly hopeless situation. I know what it’s like to cry out to God and it seems like He’s nowhere to be found. I know what it’s like to feel like God has forgotten about me. Even now, there are some things that I’m crying out to God about. I feel like He’s ignoring me, but I know that He loves me and He hears me.

Heman had faith and hope in God; otherwise he would not have continued to cry out to Him. He continued to pray in spite of everything. He knew that God was his Savior (v. 1). He knew about God’s steadfast love and faithfulness (v. 11). He knew that God was the only one who could help him.

When you find yourself in a seemingly hopeless situation, don’t be afraid to cry out to God. Take your hurt, your disappointment, your shame, your fears, your struggles – everything to Him. Keep believing. Keep trusting. Keep hoping. Keep being thankful. That’s what I’m going to do.

“This too shall pass. It may pass like a kidney stone, but it will pass.” ~Unknown

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The information that I have shared with you is intended for informational purposes only.

Have you accepted Jesus Christ as your personal Savior?  If you wait, it could be too late. For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting live (John 3:16).

If you have already accepted Him, He wants you to get to know Him even better.

Bye for now. Thanks for visiting. Don’t forget to click the Follow button.

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Sources
Tiny sprouts provide big nutrition | American Heart Association
Sprouts: Are They Good for You? Pros and Cons, Nutrition Information, and More (webmd.com)
Health Benefits of Eating Raw Sprouts – Cleveland Clinic
269 Hope In The Darkness (Psalm 88) [Jon Dunning] by Manhattan Pres PCA (soundcloud.com)

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