Sun, Sep 30th - 5:27PM

Stained Glass Ministry

God loves variety!  Just take a look around!.  He created each of us with a unique combination of personality traits --- There is no 'right' or 'wrong' way to minister.  We need all kinds of personalities to balance the church and give it flavor.  Like stained glass, our different personalities reflect God's light in many colors and patterns.  This blesses the family of God with depth and variety.  It also blesses us personally.  It feels good to do what God made you to do.  When you minister in a manner consistent with the personality God gave you, you experience fulfillment, satisfaction and fruitfulness.

Painful experiences are what God uses the most to prepare you for ministry.  God never wastes a hurt!  In fact, your greatest ministry will most likely come out of your greatest hurt ... The Bible says, "He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others.  When others are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us" (2 Corinthians 1:4) For God to use your painful experiences, you must be willing to share them.  You have to stop covering them up, and you must honestly admit your faults, failures and fears.  Doing this will probably be your most effective ministry.  People are always more encouraged when we share how God's grace helped us in weakness than when we brag about our strengths.

TalkerCat

Sat, Sep 22nd - 6:05PM

THE BETTER LIFE

The greatest things in life are not 'things'.  Meaning is far more important than money. 
The richest man in the world once said,
"A simple life in the fear-of-God is better than a rich life with a ton of headaches" ... Aim ... for 'the better life' ~
Serving God in a way that expresses your heart. 
Figure out what you love to do - what God gave your heart to do - then do it for His Glory. 

Only you can be you, God designed each of us so there would be no duplication in the world - that means no one else on earth will ever be able to play the role God planned for you. 
If you don't make your unique contribution to the Body of Christ, it won't be made. 

All of our abilities come from God.  Even abilities used to sin are God-given;
they are just being misused or abused. 
The Bible says, "God has given each of us the ability to do certain things well" (Romans 12:6).  Since our natural abilities are from God, they are just as important and as 'spiritual' as our spiritual gifts.... the only difference is that we were given them at birth.

What I'm able to do, God wants me to do ~
I am equipped with all I need for doing His will (Hebrews 13:20)

TalkerCat

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Fri, Sep 21st - 1:23PM

I LOVE YOU TRULY

The Bible says," As a face is reflected in water, so the heart reflects the person" (Proverbs 27:19).  Your heart reveals the real you - what you truly are, not what others think you are or what circumstances force you to do,  why you feel the way you do, and why you act the way you do...

Another word for 'heart' is passion.  There are certain subjects you feel passionate about... Some experiences turn you on and capture your attention; while others turn you off or bore you to tears.  These reveal the nature of your heart.  When you were growing up, you may have discovered that you were intensely interested in some subjects.... Where did those interests come from? They came from God.  God had a purpose in giving you these inborn interests...

Repeatedly the Bible says to "serve the Lord with all your heart"  God wants you to serve Him passionately, not dutifully.  Peope rarely excel at tasks they don't enjoy doing or feel passionate about.  God wants you to use your natural interest to serve Him and others.  Listening for inner promptings can point to the ministery God intends for you to have.

Comment (3)

Tue, Sep 18th - 9:03PM

THE COLD WITHIN

This has been around for 'God knows' how long ~ it's worth repeating:

THE COLD WITHIN

Six humans trapped by happenstance, in bleak and bitter cold,
Each one possessed a stick of wood, or so the story's told.

Their dying fire in need of logs, the first man held his back,
For of the faces 'round the fire, he noticed one was black.

The next man looking 'cross the way, saw not one of his church,
And couldn't bring himself to give the fire his stick of birch.

The third one sat in tattered clothes, he gave his coat a hitch,
Why should his log be put to use to arm the idle rich?

The rich man sat back and thought of the wealth he had in store,
And how to keep what he had earned from the lazy, shiftless poor.

The black man's face bespoke revenge as the fire passed from his sight,
For all he saw in his stick of wood was a chance to spite the white.

The last man of the forlorn group did not, except for gain,
Giving only to those who gave, was how he played the game.

Their logs held tight in death's still grip, was proof of human sin,
They didn't die from the cold without ~ they died from the cold within.

Author Unknown

Tue, Sep 18th - 10:16AM

QUESTION? FOR CHRISTIAN SOLDIERS

It crossed my mind last night that there are a number of  "psychics" making a great deal of money from telling the living what the dead is thinking......

Now, my question:  If  "to be absent from the body is to be present in the Lord", is true, (as I believe it is); just who are these dead?  If our spirits go to heaven why would they be hanging out here to "talk" to a psychic?  When I go home, I want to stay there! Not come back to this forsaken place!

Help me ponder this one dear Christian Soldiers!

Yours in Christ,

TalkerCat

Sat, Sep 15th - 12:58PM

I Believe I Can Fly!

God formed every creature on this planet with a special area of expertise.  Some animals run, some hop, some swim, some burrow and some fly.  Each has a particular role to play, based on the way they were shaped by God.  The same is true with us.  Each of us was uniquely designed or "shaped" to do certain things - We were shaped to serve God!  God never wastes anything.  He would not give us abilities, interests, talents, gifts, personality and life experiences unless He intended to use them for His glory.  God has a will for every life!

Tue, Sep 11th - 2:04PM

NEW NAME ~ SAME BLOG

Hello Loved Ones,

Now called "Talker's Chatter", this blog is linked to a website with the same name.  I've been an avid blogger here for two years and the archives date back to Nov., 2005.  Now, in retrospect, I see how much I've grown as a Christian.  And I understand why the path to heaven is narrow .... it's a difficult one to follow.  All of us at some time step off the edge but isn't it good to know that all we have to do is reach up and be pulled back up by nail-pierced hands?  AWESOME.

Jesus said, "If you insist on saving your life, you will lose it.  Only those who throw away their lives for my sake and for the sake of the Good News will ever know what it means to really live" (Mark 8:35)

Welcome to Talker's Chatter!  New Name, Same Good News!

"TalkerCat"

Comment (3)

Wed, Sep 5th - 1:47PM

What God told Jeremiah is true for us too ... "Before I made you in your mother's womb, I chose you.  Before you were born, I set you apart for special work"  (Jeremiah 1:5).  We were placed on this planet for a special assignment.  We were saved to serve God ... God redeemed us so we could do his "holy work".  We're not saved by service, we are saved for service. 

In God's kingdom, we have a place, a purpose, a role, a function to fulfill.  This gives our life great significance and value.  It cost Jesus his own life to purchase our salvation.  The Bible reminds us ... "God paid a great price for you.  So use your body to honor God (1 Corinthians 6:20).  We don't serve God out of guilt or fear or even duty, but out of joy and deep gratitude for what He's done for us.  We owe Him our lives.  Through salvation our past has been forgiven, our present is given meaning; and our future is secure. 

"TalkerCat"