Do You Agree?

“Animals are such agreeable friends - they ask no questions, they pass no criticisms.”
George Eliot

One of the biggest obstacles you can face at times is getting people to agree. This is something that all of us can identify with. You may have faced it in
your family, neighborhood, church, school, or at work.

Yes, all of us have a right to different views and opinions. My concern today is do we really give one another a chance to openly share before we immediately oppose? You don’t have to agree with everything I say.

Before I run out of time, here is what I want you to consider:

Today I speak life over…You.
In addition to that I speak strength to… You.
I also believe that there is hope for… You.
It doesn’t matter how you feel I pray health upon… You.
What happened yesterday leave it behind… You.
It will be better for the long life God intended for… You.
May you always have peace with… You.
No need to worry because God always surrounds… You.
May that help to keep alive the joy within… You.
I pray that your walk be right so that blessings will overtake… You.
Keep moving forward because favor is following…You.
Be careful what you do because somebody is watching…You.
Be careful what you say, your words will help… You .
Don’t give up, keep trying because success awaits… You.
Always keep your head up because Jesus will come again for… You.
Why am I doing this because God loves… You.

And my question to you, “Do You Agree?”




Take care until…......and God Bless ya
http://jamesedgecombe2.blogspot.com/
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Are you ready to face eternity? If you have not accepted Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour of your life and desire to make that commitment now please repeat the following prayer:

Lord Jesus be merciful to me a sinner. I realize that I have sinned against you and come short of your glory. I confess that Jesus Christ is Lord and I believe in my heart that God has raised him from the dead. I pray for your forgiveness and ask that you save me now and accept me into your kingdom. Give me eternal life today.
In Jesus Name, Amen. Read more!

Issue #48 - Two Couples, Two Ways of Handling Money

I thought you might enjoy this page I found at Crosswalk.com. Check it out:
Cheryl Gochnauer
Author
Danny and Tricia's combined income places them firmly in the upper middle class, so most of us would assume their financial problems are over. Not so. Though they bring in a substantial amount each week, Danny and Tricia have never learned to effectively handle their resources.

Like many couples, Danny and Tricia don't keep close track of where their money is going. They have separate accounts, since each respects the other's right to "their own money." Tricia likes not having to answer to Danny for every penny she spends. Unfortunately, she doesn't answer to herself for every penny she spends, either. Dollars flow into their three checking accounts - hers, his and theirs -- then flow right out again without hanging around long enough to draw interest.

With all the activity in their accounts, Danny and Tricia figure they are doing okay. Bills are usually paid on time, and when the checking account balances disappear, they always have their good credit to draw on. When they receive their charge card statements each month, a fleeting discomfort sets in while reading the multiplying totals. But they've never had a problem making the minimum payments. After all, two more checks are coming in next week.

At least, they assume so.

Tim and Rhonda make half of what Danny and Tricia bring home, and yet are in better financial shape. That's because they regularly do the math to see exactly where they stand, money-wise, using a loose budget that guides their spending decisions without hog-tying them emotionally.

Early in their marriage, Rhonda and Tim pledged to openly discuss all money issues. Together, they planned and identified mutual goals. They use credit sparingly, and postpone big purchases until they can pay cash or at least make significant down payments. That doesn't mean they don't enjoy the occasional financial fling. It's just that those sprees are planned for, not regretted in a resulting 21 percent APR after-glow.

Because they know where the funds are flowing, this couple knew exactly where they could cut when Rhonda decided to become a stay-at-home mom. Budget modifications were minor, since they had never delved into serious debt. Freedom from monetary strangleholds enabled them to make family, not finance, focused choices.

Tim and Rhonda understand the fundamental difference between "wants" and "needs". You can bet this young couple can visualize themselves in the same luxury car their friends drive, and would savor the same 5-star meals and costly vacations that launch Danny and Tricia's account balances into the stratosphere.

Sure, Tim would look great in that car. But the paid-off one he already drives is dependable and economical. Yes, Rhonda needs a new outfit. But is she really getting twice as much quality by spending $100 on that dress, instead of $50? And though a special meal is nice every once in a while, how often should they spend $40 for dinners they could fix at home for $7?

Free-spiritedly riding the financial wave from week to week is both risky and restrictive. The most glaring potential peril is losing everything due to an unforeseen layoff or illness. But it isn't a prospective catastrophe that poses the most danger to a couple's emotional bottom line. Instead, it's the strain accompanying financial uncertainty and consistently living beyond their means.

To positively approach marital money management:

* Review finances together.
* Agree on spending priorities.
* Identify mutual goals.
* Make a budget.
* Regularly review the budget, tweaking it to reflect your current situation.
* Stay in tune financially with your partner.

It'll nurture the kind of money-handling relationship you each want and need.

Cheryl is the COO of the Gochnauer family, the captain of a cottage-writing industry and the author of So You Want to Be a Stay-at-Home Mom (IVP). Copyright 2000 Cheryl Gochnauer
http://www.crosswalk.com/finances/635888/

Take care until…......and God Bless ya
http://jamesedgecombe2.blogspot.com/

Are you ready to face eternity? If you have not accepted Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour of your life and desire to make that commitment now please repeat the following prayer:

Lord Jesus be merciful to me a sinner. I realize that I have sinned against you and come short of your glory. I confess that Jesus Christ is Lord and I believe in my heart that God has raised him from the dead. I pray for your forgiveness and ask that you save me now and accept me into your kingdom. Give me eternal life today.
In Jesus Name, Amen. Read more!

Issue # 31 - Are ‘U’ ready for this ?

Can you believe it, we are almost into another New Year? Ready or not it’s coming and it’s.. increasing in speed each hour. Hope you are still living with great expectations.

It’s another week and time for another letter. Hope you’re still with me on this journey, if you are just joining me welcome. Our series from A- Z takes us into the letter 'U' and all he wants to talk about is 'unity'. Boy oh boy how we do need this in our homes, workplaces, communities, governments, nations and the world.

Unity:
1.The state or quality of being one; singleness.
2.The state or quality of being in accord; harmony.

"Unity is strength... when there is teamwork and collaboration, wonderful things can be achieved".
Mattie Stepanek

If this is our goal for mankind we must look where it all starts. The foundation of unity starts with God. God the Father and Son were united from the foundation of the world and you better believe they are still united up to this day.

So God does not want us just to unite for special events and meetings but it should be continuous. The key to being united as a people in God is first to unite with God.

In order to unite with God, you must walk with him. "Can two people walk together
without agreeing on the direction?" Amos 3:3 ( New Living Translation ) If you are walking with Him then you are traveling with Him. This means you are following Him, if you are following Him then what happens ? He must be leading you. God will always lead you to a place that promotes and results in unity.

Our unity with God and Jesus Christ is in jeopardy when we put up a resistance and rebel against the way they are walking. "Anyone who isn’t with me opposes me, and anyone who isn’t working with me is actually working against me". Matthew 12:30 ( NLT ). When we decide to walk with God we must be in for the long haul, good, bad, sunshine rain, in plenty, and even in recession. If we believe that God has good intentions for us then we must trust all of His guidelines, even when it looks crazy, impossible, dark etc.

How much impact is there in walking(uniting) with God? Just because you choose to walk with God it can cause others to do the same. Why? Cause they see it being done by you. The decision you make, will have an influence on someone, be very careful of your next decision, it can cause someone to live or die.

How do you know when you are in unity with God?

1. Unity begins with Salvation- Romans 10:9
You must accept his representative Jesus Christ. When God dwells in you and you in Him then unity begins and you now have the opportunity to walk with God.

2. You must Love - I John 4:16
To walk (unite) and continue to walk with God love must be a part of your life. How’s your love life?

3. Pray- Matthew 6:6
It is your source of communication and contact with God. You cannot be in unity with someone and don’t spend time to speak with them. That’s a sign of division and broken down relationship. How’s your prayer life?

4. Walk in Truth - III John : 3,4
God is full of truth and he expects us to take on truth if you expect to walk and unite with Him. When you step out of truth God knows. Even though He may not say something all the time He is giving you the opportunity to get it right.

Anytime you see there is division, separation, confusion among a people then someone is out of unity with God. When we strive to do these things and the many others that are lined out in God’s word, then we will have an upright walk with God and see true unity. When you unite with God as an individual, then we can know unity as a people.

You must allow God to be in YOUR picture, before He can be in our picture.

"Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!" Psalm 133:1 (KJV)

Products
http://tinyurl.com/9zxpdv

Music
http://tinyurl.com/7ek9c2

Bible readings:
Amos 3:3
Psalm 133:1


Coming next …………….. letter 'V'

Are you ready to face eternity? If you have not accepted Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour of your life and desire to make that commitment now please repeat the following prayer:

Lord Jesus be merciful to me a sinner. I realize that I have sinned against you and come
short of your glory. I confess that Jesus Christ is Lord and I believe in my heart that God has raised him from the dead. I pray for your forgiveness and ask that you save me now and accept me into your kingdom. Give me eternal life today.
In Jesus Name, Amen.

Read more!

What’s Your Way To Finding Unity & Agreement in Your Marriage ?

“A marriage is not when the ‘perfect couple’ comes together. It is when an imperfect couple learns to enjoy their differences”.
Dave Meurer

Yesterday morning I was in position to view a telecast on The Word Network. Well let me just say that this came about through my obligation to serve on the prayer line for my local churches TV broadcast. Following the program...
me and one of the ministers at the church stayed in position for a while to receive any incoming calls for special prayer.

Now listen to this, another program came on immediately with a husband and wife that was sharing their early marriage life experience with the church. Their names Michael and Connie Smith from The Church Group. Casually dressed, and both sitting one on each side at a large oak desk. The husband began by talking about the experiences he had in trying to surprise his wife. Well you know that ladies love surprises. Sad to say it seemed like everything he tried she found out about it.

She would find out what he did through credit card records, or persons would end up calling his wife to confirm things when it was suppose to be a surprise. Imagine this someone calling the recipient of your gift after your already stressed to the company that it was a surprise. Bear in mind, it was stated by the pastor but the person making the call notices AFTER being in conversation with the wife that it was suppose to be a surprise. What do you do with people who let your work go down the drain? Hmmmm ! Let me see…..Heyyyyyyyyyyyyy stop right there before you go to far. Now let’s get back to this story.

Well she was the one who ran all the financial records so she had to question certain things. For him to work around this he had to go to other people and borrow, make purchases through them and reimburse.

Well you know why the wife was operating that way? She saw it happening in her house between her mother and father. Which goes to show you that some people only carry out what they see someone else do. At Christmas she would set the budget and the husband was not consulted for his input. Even though he wanted to go out and enjoy the shopping experience to.

He stressed the importance of husbands and wives working together to hear one another’s input before coming to final decisions. All this happens through the skill of communication. Knowing when to hold the breaks and make peace is important in communicating with one another. It is far better to make peace than to end up in a place of sorrow and repentance for hurting your spouse. The fight for peace may not be easy but “Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God” Matt. 5:9 (King James Version)

And so husbands and wives, even though you may not see eye to eye on everything- you have to make up your mind you are going to keep peace on your side. One of the main reasons you have to make it is, people are depending on you. Your children, your family, friends, church folks, and even the single people that are looking up to you.

On that note, my prayers go up for you today whatever state your marriage is in right now. I pray for the spirit of unity and agreement to abide in your life, your marriage and at your house. May you have good success in every area of your life.

Jesus Christ is still coming again and I’m sure when he returns he wants to met you and your spouse together.

What about your marriage life ?What do you do to keep peace, unity and agreement ? Come on now, if you know you have a good recipe to share on this then let everyone in on it. Remember there are others coming after you.


Do you know how to tell ladies from men now that they both wear pants? The one listening is the man.

Take care until.....and God bless ya

http://jamesedgecombe2.blogspot.com/

Are you ready to face eternity? If you have not you accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour and desire to make that commitment now please repeat the following prayer:

Lord Jesus be merciful to me a sinner. I realize that I have sinned against you and come short of your glory. I confess that Jesus Christ is Lord and I believe in my heart that God has raised him from the dead. I pray for your forgiveness and ask that you save me now and accept me into your kingdom. Give me eternal life today.

In Jesus Name, Amen.

Read more!