Tag: John 3:16

Inspirational Nuggets

** “When I wake up, I smile because I’m alive and ready to succeed” – Raul Perez
** Eating habits develop at an early age. It’s better to build strong children than to repair adults.
** Earthly treasures will pass away. Heavenly treasures are a far better investment. They’re eternal and imperishable.

*** Nugget 1  Humor Time

Favorite Hymns for……..
Hikers: “Go Tell It on the Mountain”
HD TV watchers: “All Things Bright and Beautiful”
Golfers: “There Is a Green Hill Far Away”
Beachgoers: “I Saw Three Ships”

The Marriage of Miss Bad Breath and Mr. Smelly Feet

A young couple, madly in love, decided to get married. But as the wedding day neared, both grew increasingly nervous over secret problems they had never shared with anyone. Privately, the groom-to-be approached his minister. “I’m really concerned about this marriage,” the young man said. “Don’t you love her?” the pastor asked in surprise. “Of course,” the groom said. “But I have unbelievably smelly feet—and I’m afraid my fiancée won’t be able to stand them.” “Oh, is that all?” the pastor replied. “Look, all you need to do is wash your feet twice a day and wear socks all the time.” The groom thought it over and decided it just might work.

Meanwhile, the nervous bride had privately approached the minister’s wife. “I’m so worried,” she sobbed. “I have really bad breath when I wake up each day!” “Oh, dear,” the pastor’s wife replied,” everyone has bad breath in the morning. Don’t worry about it.” “No, you don’t understand,” the bride implored. “My morning breath is so awful; my fiancé won’t even want to be near me!” “Well, I have an idea,” the pastor’s wife said soothingly.

 “Set your alarm just a few minutes before your husband wakes up. Run to the bathroom, brush your teeth, and gargle with mouthwash before he gets out of bed. The key is not to say anything until you’ve taken care of your breath.” The bride thought it over and decided it just might work. In time, a beautiful wedding was held, and the bride and groom enjoyed the day without once worrying about their secret problems.

For several months they managed to keep their issues to themselves. Then one morning, the husband awoke before dawn to find that one of his socks had come off in the night. Frantic, he searched the bed, afraid of what might happen if he didn’t find his sock soon.

His bride woke with a start, and, without thinking, blurted out, “What in the world are you doing?” “Oh, dear!” the young man wailed. “You swallowed my sock!” 

*** Nugget 2 What about the Children?

Do you try to live a healthy lifestyle without including your children?  You can help your children lower their risk of future heart attacks, strokes, weight gain, diabetes, etc. by instilling healthy living habits in them while they are young. Proverbs 22:26 tells us to, “Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old, he will not turn from it.” This is not related to Christian teachings alone; it’s also applicable for living a healthy lifestyle.

Eating habits develop at an early age. It’s better to build strong children than to repair adults. If children grow up in a family where lots of fried food, candy, fast food, junk food is eaten, no physical activity is encouraged, they could have a hard time changing later in life.  Begin teaching your children and grandchildren now so that they will have the information in them. If they turn from it when they grow older, at least you will have done your part.

It may involve extra work for you as a parent to help your child develop healthy living habits, but it will be well worth it. Here are some tips:

  • Be the example. Children learn by example more than anything else. Children, especially young ones want to try what mom and dad are trying.  
  • Make exercise a family event.
  • Experiment with many different fruits and veggies. Each season brings great varieties.
  • Be consistent and don’t complain. Make everything as fun & as interesting as possible.
  • Don’t buy and cook special food for your children. The whole family should eat the same well-balanced meal. Cook with them.
  • Provide educational material (books, videos) on their level. Let this be a family project.

Future generations can be greatly impacted if we commit to teaching our children healthy living principles.  Parents have a responsibility to supply their children whatever will best ensure their health and vitality. Even if you have teenagers or young adults in your house, it’s never too late to begin. There is no time like the presence. 

*** Nugget 3  Treasures Reveal the Heart’s Desire    

Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust consume and where thieves break in and steal, 20 but store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust consumes and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.  –Matthew 6:19-21

We invest a lot of time and energy on earthly things. Years ago, I wanted a very expensive piece of jewelry. Every time I saw it in a commercial or in a magazine, I just knew I had to have it. I did some planning and eventually purchased one, as a Christmas gift to myself. I also had it insured. Of course, there have been other things that I felt I just had to have. I didn’t stop until I got them. As long as I live, I’m sure there will be other things that I will just have to have.

Earthly treasures will pass away. They can be eaten by moths, corroded by rust, or stolen by a burglar.  Jesus is asking us to concentrate on heavenly treasures (spiritual things). He’s not condemning wealth. He wants to bless us with things while we’re on earth, but He doesn’t want us to lust after them and make them our gods.

Heavenly treasures are a far better investment. They’re eternal and imperishable. Our love for Jesus should motivate us to invest in these treasures. There are many ways Christians can invest including:

  • Loving our enemies
  • Sharing the gospel
  • Serving the lord and his people
  • Giving (your time, money, attention, encouragement, a smile, a true compliment, etc.)
  • Faithfully enduring persecution

We can shift our focus from earthly things to spiritual things by simply making a decision. Let us decide to store our treasures where we want our hearts to be. Our hearts will follow our treasures. These treasures will never pass away.

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.

Sources
Mitchell, P. (2013). Hey! Christians Have a Sense of Humor, Too! Colorado Springs, CO: Product Concept Mfg., Inc.
The Marriage of Miss Bad Breath and Mr. Smelly Feet – Beliefnet
Free Laugh Cliparts, Download Free Laugh Cliparts png images, Free ClipArts on Clipart Library (clipart-library.com)
http://clipart-library.com/clipart/p6Tyb6cnG.htm
http://clipart-library.com/clipart/free-treasure-chest-clipart_14.htm

December Tidbits

** That smile looks so good on you!
** Goodbye 2022! What bad habit(s) are you leaving behind in 2022?
**Hello 2023, let’s get it started!
** A Royal Beauty Contest – Esther 2:1-4 (Winning)

*** Tidbit 1 

 “A smile is a friend maker.”
~Bangambiki Habyarimana

 “I’m trying to gain 10 pounds before midnight so I can keep my resolution to lose 10 pounds next year.”  ~author unknown

An iPhone and a firework were arrested on New Year’s Eve. One was charged and the other was let off.

Why should you stand on just your left foot during the New Year’s Eve countdown? So, you start the New Year on the right foot.

What happened to the man who stole a calendar? He got 12 months!

*** Tidbit 2 
Dear 2022, Thanks for all the lessons.
Dear 2023, I’m ready………………..

Now is the time to prepare your mind to say goodbye to some 2022 bad habits. We all have them, and it is possible to say goodbye to them forever. Change isn’t always fast nor is it always easy, but it can be done with time and effort. If you fail to plan, you plan to fail. The secret to your success is found in your daily routine. Motivation is what gets you started. Habit keeps you going.

  • Choose the habit(s) you’re leaving behind and start planning.
  • Focus on one or two goals at a time.
  • Set a specific start day.
  • Your goal has to be measureable: what, when, how often, how much.
  • Give yourself 30 days to break the habit.
  • Keep a journal and/or use a chart to monitor your progress.
  • Reward yourself: get a massage, buy a new book, a pair of socks, and/or go see a movie.
  • Get a support system. We tend to do better when we have to be accountable to someone. It’s always good to have someone to check on your progress and encourage you.

What bad habit(s) do you want to leave behind in 2022?
– eating late at night
– eating too much
– not drinking enough water
– not getting enough sleep
– not spending enough time with the Lord
– not reading your Bible
– not going to church
The list goes on and on. If you fall or jump off the wagon, get up, dust yourself off and get back on. Don’t beat yourself up. See what you can learn from the setback. Remember that God is there to help you. He wants to help you.

*Tidbit 3 A Royal Beauty Contest     


Esther 2:1-4, NRSV
 After these things, when the anger of King Ahasuerus had abated, he remembered Vashti and what she had done and what had been decreed against her. 2 Then the king’s servants who attended him said, “Let beautiful young virgins be sought out for the king. 3 And let the king appoint commissioners in all the provinces of his kingdom to gather all the beautiful young virgins to the harem in the citadel of Susa under custody of Hegai, the king’s eunuch, who is in charge of the women; let their cosmetic treatments be given them. 4 And let the young woman who pleases the king be queen instead of Vashti.” This pleased the king, and he did so.

On the final day of a banquet that King Ahasuerus held, he decided to show off his beautiful queen, Vashti. He sent for her. She refused to come. As a result, she was forever banished from the king’s presence. Chapter 2 opens with the king remembering Vashti. His anger had subsided, and he probably wanted to restore the relationship, but the law of the Persians and the Medes could not be revoked. His attendants suggested a royal beauty contest. Esther won the contest and became the new queen.

None of these events appeared to have anything to do with the people of God, but He was behind the scenes working. He effectively orchestrated the salvation of the Jews by placing Esther (a Jew), in that position. She was in His plans and she didn’t even know it at that time. She was given favor. We see in the other chapters how He gave her the wisdom and boldness that she needed to carry out God’s plan.

God may sometimes feel absent in your life. It may seem like He has forgotten about you.  You may even wonder if He still cares about what you’re going through. Good news! He is always at work in your life, just like He was at work in the book of Esther.

Stir up your faith and trust Him. He has a plan and a purpose for you. He’ll orchestrate events in your life. He’ll give you favor. He’ll cause you to be happy in a time of sorrow. He’ll give you peace in the midst of strife. He loves you so much that if He has to, He’ll stage a royal beauty contest and cause you to be the winner.

Oh, how wonderful, oh how marvelous is the Savior’s love for us! 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.

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

Sources:
50 Funny New Year’s Jokes – Parade: Entertainment, Recipes, Health, Life, Holidays
contest clipart – Clip Art Library (clipart-library.com)

Sunny Tidbits

**Have you smiled or laughed today? Humor does a body good!
** Ever felt like turning back, giving up, throwing in the towel? You can’t turn back now!
** Got garlic? Here are 7 amazing ways that you may benefit from adding garlic to your diet.

*** Tidbit 1   Humor Time

A woman goes to the Doctor, worried about her husband’s temper.

The Doctor asks: “What’s the problem?”

The woman says: “Doctor, I don’t know what to do. Every day my husband seems to lose his temper for no reason. It scares me.”

The Doctor says: “I have a cure for that. When it seems that your husband is getting angry, just take a glass of water and start swishing it in your mouth. Just swish and swish but don’t swallow it until he either leaves the room or calms down.”

Two weeks later the woman comes back to the doctor looking fresh and reborn.

The woman says: “Doctor that was a brilliant idea! Every time my husband started losing it, I swished with water. I swished and swished, and he calmed right down! How does a glass of water do that?” The Doctor says: “The water itself does nothing. It’s keeping your mouth shut that does the trick.”

PEARLS OF WISDOM

  1. Eat well, stay fit, die anyway.
  2. A balanced diet is a biscuit in each hand.
  3. Thou shalt not weigh more than thy refrigerator.

What would you like them say?

Three buddies die in a car crash, and they go to heaven to an
orientation.

They are all asked, “When you are in your casket and friends and
family are mourning upon you, what would you like to hear them say about you? The first guy says, “I would like to hear them say that I was a great doctor of my time, and a great family man.”

The second guy says, “I would like to hear that I was a wonderful
husband and school teacher which made a huge difference in our children of tomorrow.”

The last guy replies, “I would like to hear them say, “Look! He’s
moving!”

*** Tidbit  2   Can’t Turn Back

Ever felt like turning back, giving up, throwing in the towel? We all have at some point in our lives. Life can be difficult. We experience hurts, disappointments, setbacks, problems, negative situations, etc. We may become tired, lazy, and/or impatient.

We may ask the question, “Why me?”  We may get to the point where we feel we just cannot take another step forward and turning back seems easier. Turning back may seem to be the only option. It’s during these times that we can’t turn back. It’s during these times that we must run to God, not from Him.

We may even begin to wonder where God is during these times. If you’re a born-again believer, you don’t have to wonder where He is. He’s in you: (John 14:23). He’s with you: Emmanuel (God is with us.). He sees you: El Roi (The God who sees me). He loves you so much. He will never leave you nor forsake you.

Don’t turn back. Don’t turn back on your dreams, your goals, your walk with God. Don’t turn back on your healthy living quest. Keep going. Keep trying. Keep believing. Keep trusting God. Know that everything is working out for your good (Romans 8:28).

The next time you are tempted to turn back, I encourage you to click on this link
Charles Jenkins, Fellowship Chicago – Can’t Turn Back (Live …
If the link doesn’t work go on YouTube and in the search box, type: Can’t Turn Back, Charles Jenkins.
Get your praise on and your dance on and don’t turn back.

I rose this morning in my right mind.
Brand new mercy came right on time.
Claiming right now “victory is mine.”
Hand me a stick so I can draw the line.
I can’t let it bring me down.
I can’t let you turn me around.
‘Cos I’ve got God on my side
… And I can’t turn back.
Lyrics by Charles Jenkins

*** Tidbit  3   Benefits of Garlic

Garlic is often used to flavor numerous meals. It is also used as a home remedy. Here are 7 amazing ways that you may benefit from adding garlic to your diet.

Garlic may:

  • Reduce the risk of diseases such as cancer.
  • Improve digestive health.
  • Help fight a broad spectrum of viruses, bacteria, and fungi due to its antibiotic properties.
  • Help prevent diabetes by reducing the blood glucose levels of the body.
  • Help prevent or treat coughs and colds.
  • Help reduce several risk factors for cardiovascular disease.
  • Help improve eye health due to its anti-microbial properties.

Garlic is available in several forms including, garlic powder, garlic capsules, minced garlic, & fresh garlic. Have you tried garlic water? It’s easy to make.

When preparing it, remember to:
—  Use raw, fresh garlic.
—  Peel the skin of the clove before you add it to the water. Only peel the cloves that you are using. Store the rest for later.
—  Boil until the clove soften and is easy to pierce using a fork.

Here is a garlic water recipe.

1.   Add two or three fresh cloves to your cup of water.
2.   Bring the mixture to a boil.
3.   Turn off the heat when it boils.
4.   Let it cool and serve it in a glass container.

You can add some lemon juice, parsley, or honey for more flavor. The servings will vary depending on the number of cups you are using.

My garlic water recipe.
I like to take a few peeled, raw, garlic cloves and put them in a mason jar. I let them marinate in the fridge and drink a cup for 3 to 4 days. I don’t add anything else to it.

You may experience bad breath because the bulb causes a strong stench. Be aware that your sweat and pee may also smell of garlic. Citrus fruits like oranges or milk may help. Drink garlic water in moderation; don’t overdo it with the cloves. If you’re in doubt, maybe stick with 1 clove per day.

The information that I share is for information only. Conduct your own research. Consult your doctor or healthcare provider about every change you make in your diet, especially if you are on medication or have an underlying health condition.

Have you accepted Jesus Christ as your personal Savior?  If not, what are you waiting on? In crazy times like these, we need a Savior. “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.”   ~John 3:16

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

Thanks for stopping by.  Hope you were blessed.

Resources

http://www.sunnyskyz.com/funny-jokes/146/A-Woman-Goes-To-The-Doctor-Worried-About-Her-Husband-s-Temper#l5iRs5DdM0om7zmr.99
http://www.inspire21.com/stories/humorstories/25PearlsOfWisdom
http://www.christian-jokes.net/Jokes/Heaven-and-Hell-Jokes/31-What-would-you-like-them-say.aspx