10.27.06
Posted in Uncategorized on October 27th, 2006 at 10:35 am by John Dobbs
This is a note of thanks by Bay St. Louis, Mississippi minister Charlie Buckley. Contained within is a beautiful and powerful testimony to the awesome power of prayer. I love Charlie, and I wanted to share this as a tribute to God’s grace. john dobbs
I want to thank you all for the kind and compassionate words of encouragement and prayers concerning my darling wife. Olive was having problems with her heart rhythm, creating a tightness in her chest and making her feel like she was going to pass out. We went to the hospital on Monday afternoon and she was admitted. They ran a heart echo and a stress test on her. We got the results today and they let her come home. They stated that whenever this attack came on she would pass a pvc every two beats {Bigeminy}. They stated that there was no urgent danger as her heart was able to correct on its own. If the attacks come more frequent or last longer, she will have see the doctor again. They said that if it comes to it they feel that she can be treated with medication to keep it under control. We took this very serious as all of her grandparents, parents, a brother and numerous aunts and uncles all died with heart attacks or strokes.
I was talking with her this morning and asked her how does it feel to know that her name was carried before our Father by THOUSANDS OF BROTHERS AND SISTERS IN CHRIST ACROSS THIS GREAT NATION?" With tears it her eyes, she could only say "great" We talked about James’ statement "…The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much." {James 5:16}. If the prayer of one righteous man avails…what about the prayer of so many of God’s precious children.
We are firm believers in prayer and have witnessed so many answered prayers. Our daughter was born when Olive had Toxemia, she had been literally packed in ice because her temperature was so high. The doctors tried to get us to abort Charlie Jr. due to complications; David our youngest was born with spinal meningitis and we were told that he would be a couch potato, never be able to play any sports or go to school. Amy is a successful business woman with a great husband and three children, Charlie excelled in sports in and out of school and has a job with NAVO at Stennis Space Center, David has excelled academically and athletically and is currently going to college with a soccer scholarship, just received a scholarship for Frisbee golf (?) and will try to walk on the baseball team next season. David is focusing his career on forensic science. All three of our children were recipients on many awards from there classmates and teachers and scholarships. I am in remission with an incurable kidney disease after being told I had no hope, and the latest prayers answered were for my loving wife.
It is with the utmost sincerity that I thank you for your going to our heavenly Father with me, my wife, our children and grand children in fervent prayer. Do I believe that it is by chance that we have been so blessed… no one in a million life times could come close to causing us to doubt the gracious, merciful power of prayer.
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10.26.06
Posted in Uncategorized on October 26th, 2006 at 5:38 pm by Bill Williams
by Bill Williams
There they were. Three young people playing basketball. What fun
they were having! Laughing. Jumping. They were hot doggin’ it with
visions of greatness in their minds. WNBA, here we come!
I started counting their shots. One. Two. Three. Finally, a shot
cleared the rim. It rattled around the rim; and, then, fell through the
ragged net. Shouts of joy followed, along with hand slappin’ and high
fives for everyone. Was that a cat I saw fleeing the celebrative scene?
They kept playing. I continued to count. Two shots out of ten
trickled through the net. That’s only twenty percent. No basketball
coach worth his salt would be satisfied with that. Soon the count
reached four out of sixteen. Now, that’s a little better. Then I
stopped counting and started thinking. Those youngsters have a lot to
teach us about reaching goals. Just think about it.
First, they weren’t afraid to miss! In fact, missing the goal was
their specialty. Still, they just kept shooting. I wonder, how many of
us never tackle challenges for fear of failure?
Second, they were having fun! While their statistics were poor, they
were still enjoying the game. In reality, they barely had the strength
to get the ball up to the rim, much less over it and through the net.
They were together, though, having a wonderful time. Isn’t it tragic
how we so often make ourselves miserable over the things we can’t do,
rather than enjoying the game?
Third, they didn’t give up! Even though many of their shots didn’t
hit the rim—didn’t even reach the rim—they kept tossing the ball up
there. No matter how fine tuned their skills are today, every
professional player in every sport at some point played the game just
like these young people, but they kept trying. How many of us have
given up, when we should have just kept shooting?
We must not miss this one! The fourth thing I observed about these
young people at play is they were encouraging one another. They didn’t
laugh at each other. They didn’t, however, take themselves so seriously
they couldn’t laugh with one another. Above all, they were pulling for
one another. How many people do you know, who could have soared to
greater heights, if they had just enjoyed the pleasure of having
someone pulling for them—someone to cheer their efforts, rather than
critique their form. How many Christians would have reached maturity in
the Lord, rather than falling by the wayside, if someone had just
clapped their hands and encouraged them saying, “Come on! You can make
it this time†I wonder: Do we realize the importance of encouragement?
Last, these young people seldom ever took their eyes off the goal.
Just imagine this scene. Visualize those young basketball players in
your mind’s eye. Can you see them? What are they doing? They’re all
looking up, aren’t they? Oh, how we need to learn to keep our eyes on
Jesus—don’t we?
It is so easy to allow our priorities to get out of whack, isn’t it?
We have a tendency to focus on things which—in view of the vastness of
eternity—really don’t matter much. These things may seem to be urgent;
but, if they cause us to take our eyes off of Jesus, they run contrary
to God’s purpose in our lives. After all, growing more like Jesus is
the goal towards which we all strive. Becoming Christ-like is the end
towards which we encourage others. None of us should ever relinquish
this life-objective. We must never give up on this pursuit. We must
never forget, also, this is a journey which each of us can take
joyfully. Most of all, since grace now reigns through faith, none of
need be afraid that we will miss. We just need to keep shooting!
© Bill Williams, October 26, 2006
Originally published at Spiritual Oasis
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10.25.06
Posted in Uncategorized on October 25th, 2006 at 12:50 pm by Bobby Valentine
by Bobby Valentine
When I was growing up, I did not understand what it meant to worship God. And I may not now. Oh, I knew about "going to church" and not singing with an instrument. I knew about taking communion every Sunday too. But I did not know what worship was or really how to do it. In fact I was a fifth year senior in "Bible College" before it dawned on me that I did not know how to worship God.
It happened on a mission trip to Pensacola, Florida in 1992. The Spirit had used me to lead a lady to the Lord. After her baptism she requested something of me that no one had ever asked before. She said, "Bobby can you teach me how to worship Jesus?" I was so stunned I was at a loss for words. I stammered some non-sense about "just attend worship" but it was a hallow answer devoid of any real meaning.
I came home from that trip despondant. Here I was attempting to "win souls for Christ" and discovered I was the one needing to be found. It soon became evident that I was not the only one who did not know how to worship. Sure I could go through some prescribed "acts" but I did not worship, really worship!
Not long after this the preacher where I attended led us in "Break Thou the Bread of Life" by Mary Lathbury. The words of that hymn I had sung before, yet for the first time their meaning hit my heart:
"Break Thou the bread of Life, Dear Lord to Me,
As Thou didst break the loaves beside the sea;
Beyond the sacred page, I see Thee, Lord; my spirit
pants for Thee, O Living Word."
It dawned on my that my spirit did not pant for the Living Word. I had never sought the Lord beyond the sacred page. I didn’t know how to worship because I did not know who the Living Word was. I knew a book, a sacred page, but not the Living Word.
I learned to worship when I learned I don’t have a relationship with a book but with a person, a Savior. I learned to worship when I sought Jesus and not a ritual. I learned I could only encounter the Living Word beyond the sacre page. Seek Jesus. Once you really see him, then we may join Mary Lathbury and say "My spirit pants for Thee, O Living Word."
Bobby Valentine
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10.21.06
Posted in Uncategorized on October 21st, 2006 at 5:21 am by Danny Sims
By Danny Sims
Hall of Fame member.
Dallas Cowboy Ring of Honor.
One of the greatest of all-time.
Rayfield Wright is all of the above. And he is so much more. I’m blessed that he has agreed to come speak for our church in Fort Worth on Wednesday December 13. If you can be in Fort Worth that evening please join us at the Altamesa Church of Christ.
I recently read his book, Wright Up Front and just have to share this story, when as a young boy he lived in Griffin, Georgia and experienced faith and prayer with his grandmother, “Big Mama.â€
You can order Rayfield Wright’s book here.
Big Mama was an early riser and, since I loved being with her, I would always begin my day with her. Our first chore was to start the fire in the fireplaces and stove to heat the house. Then we would get on bended knees and pray. She had an amazing relationship with the lord, and constantly gave Him thanks and praise. I always knelt down beside her as she prayed.
One day, at the age of 10, I knelt down beside the bed to pray our morning prayer. I quietly asked, “Big Mama, may I lead the prayer this morning?†She looked at me with a very powerful message in her eyes (to this day I have never forgotten this look). She simply smiled and said, “Sure son. Go right ahead and pray.†Knowing we were struggling to meet the needs of our family, I simply asked God if He would, “Somehow give me the ability to help my mother and grandmother, to help my brothers and sister, and to help other people.†When I finished this prayer my grandmother asked me one simple question: “Son, do you believe in what you prayed?†I said, “Yes, Ma’am! I believe God will answer my prayer.†She then told me something that will echo in my mind and heart forever. “Keep this prayer in front of you Son, and never let it go.†That was her request.
My heart knew that God would hear my prayers simply because my grandmother constantly reminded us that “God hears our prayer and watches over us.†And I did believe.
Almighty God has answered the prayer I recited that day. And it’s still in front of me today. Praise God.
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10.20.06
Posted in Uncategorized on October 20th, 2006 at 2:13 pm by Bill Williams
by Bill Williams
We were saddened to see the moving van in our backyard
neighbor’s driveway. We had never been close to her, but, since she had been
widowed shortly after we moved into her neighborhood, we’ve tried to keep an
eye on her. She was very independent and really never needed anything. Now
she’s off to North Carolina
to be closer to her children.
There was one occasion in which she was glad we lived in her
neighborhood. It was the Saturday before Easter a few years ago. We had been
receiving soaking rains for a couple of weeks. The ground was completely
saturated, but heavy rains continued to fall. As I stood drinking my morning
coffee and looking across our neighbor’s backyard meadow, I noticed that one of
her towering pine trees was leaning against the side of one of her storage
sheds. If there was any more loosening of its root system, it would come
crashing down on her sheds and likely damage most of the expensive equipment they
housed. At the least, it would be a big mess to clean up.
My wife called her and let her know what we had noticed. We
didn’t learn until later on, that she had already noticed the potential
disaster. More about that in a moment. Upon receiving my wife’s call our
neighbor started asking what we thought she should do. We both told her that
since this was such a potentially dangerous job (the trees are really tall in Delaware), she needed
the service of professionals. While I made a call to a Christian man who owns a
tree service business, my wife met our neighbor in the backyard to survey the
damage.
The tree man was just getting ready to leave town for a
family vacation over the Easter break (our children attend the same Christian
school). After I explained the circumstances, he said he would come right away
and take a look at the situation. He said that he would make some calls en
route to see if he could get some of his workers to come in that afternoon (on
their day off) and get this lady back in business (or something like that).
Well, he was there in the backyard within thirty minutes. He
and our neighbor pointed and gestured for a few minutes and then he was gone.
Within a couple of hours he and his crew showed up with their massive boom
truck. Birds took to flight and saws started buzzing, within a few short hours they
were done.
After we noticed that they were gone my wife called our
neighbor just to make sure that all was well with her. She was so grateful for
the tree-man that showed up to help her. She said that he hardly charged her
anything. The amount that she reported sounded to me like he had charged her
just enough to cover his labor expenses.
Then she shared with my wife that she had noticed the
leaning tree before she had called earlier. In fact, she said that at the very
moment that my wife called she was walking up the stairs from her basement
crying out to God for help. She said that she was literally asking out loud to
God, “How can I possibly find someone to come remove this tree on Easter
weekend?†Then the phone rang. By my way of thinking, that’s a God sighting.
Does anyone else have a
similar story to share?
© Bill Williams, October 18, 2006
(Originally posted at the Spiritual Oasis)
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Posted in Uncategorized on October 20th, 2006 at 11:46 am by Dee O'Neil Andrews
by Dee Andrews
[My submission today is not original with me, but I’ve liked it a lot and think it’s a good Grace Note for us all to consider. I really like the thought of listening for bells in our lives. I’m always listening for the bell, myself, while at the same time trying to let mine ring out for others, how about you? Be a Grace Note today! Dee]
Just
up the road from my home is a field, with two horses in it. From a distance,
each looks like every other horse. But if you stop your car, or are walking by,
you will notice something quite different.
Looking
into the eyes of one horse will disclose that he is blind. His owner has chosen
not to have him put down, but has made a good home for him. This alone is
very unusual.
If nearby and listening, you will hear the sound of a bell.
Looking around for the source of the sound, you will see that it comes from the
smaller horse in the field. Attached to her halter is a small bell. It lets her
blind friend know where she is, so he can follow her.
As you stand and
watch these two friends, you’ll see how she is always checking on him, and that
he will listen for her bell and then slowly walk to where she is, trusting that
she will not lead him astray. When she returns to the shelter of the barn each
evening, she stops occasionally and looks back, making sure her friend isn’t too
far behind to hear the bell.
Like the owners of these two horses, God
does not just throw us away just because we are not perfect or because we have
problems or challenges. He watches over us and even brings others into our lives
to help us when we are in need.
Sometimes we are the blind horse being
guided by the little ringing bell of those who God places in our lives. Other
times we are the guide horse, helping others find the way.
Good friends
are like this. You don’t always see them, but you know they are always
there.
Listen for the bell, someone is always listening for yours. You
could make a difference in someone’s life and yet maybe not even realize what
you’ve done. Don’t pass the opportunity.
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10.16.06
Posted in Uncategorized on October 16th, 2006 at 10:02 am by Greg England
by Greg EnglandI was headed toward Best Buy on Sunday afternoon but first ran by the
Credit Union to deposit a check into my daughter’s account. As I was
walking away from the night deposit, she was walking toward me. Just
the two of us. I first noticed her very pretty and sharp outfit. Shades
of green. Nice skirt. White blouse. Dressy coat. Scarf that pulled
everything together. I don’t know if she’d been "to church" that
morning, but she looked like she had. And she looked like someone who
would "go to church" on a Sunday.
As we crossed paths, she
never even glanced my way but I
noticed her face. Well weathered. Years of wisdom. Grandmother written
all over it. I wanted to say something about how pretty she looked in
her outfit, but she never so much as glanced up. I’m learning as I
approach her age it’s better to watch where your feet are than anything
much further ahead, so I didn’t distract her careful pace. I walked on
to my car and she walked on the ATM machines.
I decided I really
did want to say something to her about her dress, so I timed my exit
from the parking lot (allowing two other cars to go ahead of me) so
that she would cross in front of my car. As she did, I rolled down the
window and said, "Excuse me, Ma’am, but has anyone told you how pretty
you look in that dress today?" She looked up at me, somewhat cautious,
and said, "Why, no, they haven’t." I said, "Well, someone should have,
because you look really pretty today."
Her face exploded into a
smile. I drove on … just wanted to say that to her for some reason.
It sure made my day to see her smile. Next time she dresses in her
"Sunday best," I hope there is someone in her life to tell her just how
pretty she looks.
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10.13.06
Posted in Uncategorized on October 13th, 2006 at 10:54 am by Dee O'Neil Andrews
When I was in the hospital in ICU two weeks ago with the severe altitude sickness, on the second day I also suffered from a totally unexpected case of "Montezuma’s revenge," as it’s known. My stomach and intestines were immensely messed up.
I was bedfast, hooked up to tubes and wires galore, which is bad enough in and of itself, but under those circumstances, pretty awful. As in terribly so to the point that I was completely and totally humiliated by my plight. It was disgusting to be blunt. I had to hold back hot stinging tears.
I needed help and a lot of it. And my nurse that day was a young man - Jim.
I do not know what I would have done in his shoes. I’m not sure I’m as strong or kind a person as he showed himself to be. Even more, he was compassionate and loving without one word or grimace to the contrary.
I tried to make light of it as best I could, figuring crying wouldn’t help me or him, but might make things even worse. He must have thought so, too, because he said, "You know? You make this much easier because you’re laughing about it all . . . when a lot of people would be crying."
I told him, "I certainly feel like crying and nearly did so while ago, but stopped myself." He smiled and said he liked that about me.
A short while afterward, the cardiologist, Doctor M, arrived not knowing I was now enscounced on a bedpan. Jim had gone to see about getting some things from the bed to the laundry. He’d freshly make the bed and put clean pads down. All things we don’t normally think of men doing very well, but he did them quite well and in seemingly good humor, no matter what he may have really thought.
The doctor began questioning me about my medical history and I did not have the chance to tell her my plight. When she found out, she began helping me to get cleaned up once again and Jim rushed in to help, too. A second time. With wet, warm, soft wipes that soothed the chafed skin. It felt heavenly. And was . . .
34"Then the King will say to those on
his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your
inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the
world. 35For I was hungry and you gave me
something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I
was a stranger and you invited me in, 36I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’
37"Then
the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and
feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? 39When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’
40"The King will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.’
Indeed. Nurse Jim & Doctor M were grace notes in my life that day and I’ll never forget either one of them. Neither will our Lord.
P. S. See Finding Direction: The Wind Vane Chronicles for companion story.
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10.10.06
Posted in Uncategorized on October 10th, 2006 at 8:37 am by Dee O'Neil Andrews
by Dee Andrews
Grace Notes is one year old today and we are very proud of our growth and progress over the past year. We just moved to this new website called "Grace Notes Ministrie" and Lord willing we will expand and promote Grace Notes living among all of us in our time to come.
We now have 12 regular contributors who are an ecclectic group of Christian men and women who have all - each and every one - been "grace notes" in my life and I’m sure some of yours.
To you all - our readers, commenters, "lurkers" and would be "grace note" people - we salute you for your loyalty and dedication even when we sometimes get too busy trying to be Grace Note people ourselves to have, or take, the time to share our stories with you along the way.
We all promise to try to fulfill our work here better in the coming days, months and years, in whatever circumstances and whatever time we have remaining on this earth. That is our promise.
Thank you for all you bring to our lives even in dropping by to spend some time with us and to hopefully be encouraged by the true life, everyday stories we share from our own walks and journeys through this world.
Do us a big favor and leave a comment telling us what you have liked best about Grace Notes, what it may have meant to you in your life, if it has affected your life in any way and let us know how we can be of greater service to any of you. Please do. Write to me (my email address is over at Finding Direction) and share any "grace note" stories you may have encountered you would like to share and I’ll give you the forum here to do so.
If any of you would like to be regular contributors, let me know that, too, okay?!
Y’all have a good day today, hear?! Dee
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10.09.06
Posted in Uncategorized on October 9th, 2006 at 11:00 am by Dee O'Neil Andrews
Welcome to the new home for Grace Notes. Enjoy.
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