Where Is your Treasure?

" FOR WHERE YOUR TREASURE IS, THERE WILL YOUR HEART BE ALSO." Matthew 6:21

A friendly Reminder from Christ4Thailand

The activity was held at Nonthaburi Christian Fellowship building with an attendance of more than 20 all in all. The activity was for couples but there were some singles who joined in and it was a refreshing activity wherein all of us have had our share of pouring out on certain marital issues that is greatly affecting marriage couples and the way they take on life itself.

Bro. Bien Anatan was our devotional speaker or gave some sort of a challenge and inspiration to all who attended the said affair.

The topic or the theme of the activity was focused on two main keywords which plays a VITAL AND CRUCIAL role in any relationship. "LOVE and RESPECT".

Man requires or seek their better half or spouse "RESPECT", while the author pointed out that wives requires or seek "LOVE" from men.

It would be better if both will be applied or be extend by both parties, these would result to a lasting and harmonious relationship no matter what kind of environment the couples live in.

Indeed, that night was a blessing and at the same time inspiring not only for each couples but for the singles as well.

More PHOTOS...

36 Suggestions for Stress Relief

Usually, we have a story to share here, but these suggestions for
stress relief really struck home. So we think you will benefit from
them too :)
- Pray
- Go to bed on time.
- Get up on time so you can start the day unrushed.
- Say No to projects that won't fit into your time schedule, or
that will compromise your mental health.
- Delegate tasks to capable others.
- Simplify and un-clutter your life.
- Less is more. (Although one is often not enough, two are often
too many.)
- Allow extra time to do things and to get to places.
- Pace yourself. Spread out big changes and difficult projects
over time; don't lump the hard things all together.
- Take one day at a time.
- Separate worries from concerns. If a situation is a concern,
find out what God would have you do and let go of the anxiety. If
you can't do anything about a situation, forget it!
- Live within your budget; don't use credit cards for ordinary
purchases.
- Have backups; an extra car key in your wallet, an extra house
key buried in the garden, extra stamps, etc.
- K.M.S. (Keep Mouth Shut). This single piece of advice can
prevent an enormous amount of trouble.
- Do something for the Kid in You everyday.
- Get enough rest.
- Eat right.
- Get organized so everything has its place.
- Listen to a tape while driving that can help improve your
quality of life.
- Write down thoughts and inspirations.
- Every day, find time to be alone.
- Having problems? Talk to God on the spot. Try to nip small
problems in the bud. Don't wait until it's time to go to bed to try
and pray.
- Make friends with Godly people.
- Keep a folder of favorite scriptures on hand.
- Remember that the shortest bridge between despair and hope is
often a good "Thank you Jesus."
- Laugh.
- Laugh some more!
- Take your work seriously, but not yourself at all.
- Develop a forgiving attitude (most people are doing the best
they can).
- Be kind to unkind people (they probably need it the most).
- Sit on your ego.
- Talk less; listen more.
- Slow down.
- Remind yourself that you are not the general manager of the
universe.
- Never borrow from the future. If you worry about what may
happen tomorrow and it doesn't happen, you have worried in vain.
Even if it does happen, you have to worry twice.
- Every night before bed, think of one thing you're grateful for
that you've never been grateful for before.

If ONLY's...(REALIZATIONS)

There are many things in life we take for granted. This is a creative write-up that really shows the value of things we often don't even think twice about.

To realizeThe value of a sister

~ Ask someone who doesn't have one.

To realizeThe value of ten years:

~ Ask a newly divorced couple.

To realizeThe value of four years:

~ Ask a graduate.

To realizeThe value of one year:

~ Ask a student who has failed a final exam.

To realizeThe value of nine months:

~ Ask a mother who gave birth to a stillborn.

To realizeThe value of one month:

~ Ask a mother who has given birth to a premature baby.

To realizeThe value of one week:

~ Ask an editor of a weekly newspaper.

To realizeThe value of one hour:

~ Ask two lovers who are waiting to meet.

To realizeThe value of one minute:

~ Ask a person who has missed a train, bus or plane.

To realizeThe value of one-second:

~ Ask a person who has survived an accident.

To realizeThe value of one millisecond:

~ Ask the person who won a silver medal in the Olympics.

To realize the value of a friend:

~ Lose one

Time waits for no one, treasure every moment you have.

Young Man Reaches Conclusions About His Same-Sex Attraction

Wesley Hill writes movingly about growing up in a Christian home and being taught biblical views on sexuality. And yet, Hill writes, "Confusingly, I found myself, just when all my friends were beginning to notice girls and become interested in dating, having longings to be in that kind of relationship with a member of my own sex." After receiving wise and loving guidance from Christian mentors, Hill writes:

As I discovered more about Christianity's historic teaching, I found myself convinced of the position which the church has held with almost total unanimity throughout the ages—that although many people find themselves, through no fault of their own, to have sexual desires for members of their own sex, this is not something to be affirmed and celebrated but is, rather, a sign that we are broken, in need of redemption and re-creation. Gay people are not uniquely broken—that's a position we share with every other human who has ever lived, or will live—but we are, nonetheless, broken. And following Jesus means turning our backs on a life of sexual sin, just as it does for every other Christian.

He offers this advice to others who struggle with same-sex attraction:

If you're someone living with homosexual feelings, Jesus' message to you … is not primarily a no to your deepest hunger. I do believe that discipleship to him entails giving up gay sex and gay relationships. And that may be more painful than you can imagine right now …. But, ultimately, Jesus is offering you the kingdom. He is offering you eternal life. He is offering you himself in the gospel. Sacrificing your sexual freedom … may seem like a high price to pay—and it is a high price to pay!—but he promises you a joy so stunningly great that if you felt the full weight of it now, you would literally come undone.

Simple Thank You Prayer

Dear God,

I want to take a minute, not to ask you for anything, but to simply say Thank You for all I have.

Amen

A thought for you….

What if you only woke up with the things that you thanked God for Yesterday?

Holier Than Thou

“Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, ‘God I thank You that I am not like other men-extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I possess.’ And the tax collector, standing afar off, would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God be merciful to me a sinner!’ I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.” – Luke 18:10-14.

It appears it is human nature to want to be better than average and better than others. Apparently we often think we are doing better than others when we really are not. Researchers at Northwestern, Duke, and Harvard universities conducted a study asking investors how their portfolios performed as compared to the Standard & Poor stock index. One third believed their portfolios performed better than the market by five percent. One out of six believed their portfolios performed better by ten percent. However, when their portfolios were actually examined 88 percent had overestimated the performance. The Pharisee had obviously overestimated his spiritual condition as well. The Pharisee looked at his neighbor, the tax collector, and concluded he was much more righteous than his neighbor. Jesus saw them both in a different light.

Before we consider ourselves to be spiritually better than our neighbors perhaps we should consider how Jesus sees us. It may be that we have overestimated our position.

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Have you every met someone whom you knew was talking the talk, but not walking the walk? I have and even though I knew this I still loved that person. God told us to Love one another as He Loved us. By showing this love for the other person it just might help them realize where they’re wrong and start walking the walk. Make sure your walking with Jesus today and SMILE because God Loves You.

By Ed Wrather

                                                           Submitted by Richard

Gifts That Cost Nothing

These are all gifts that cost you nothing, but can mean EVERYTHING to someone else. Read them and remember them. :)

1) The Gift Of Listening...

But you must REALLY listen. No interrupting, no daydreaming, no planning your response. Just listening.

2) The Gift Of Affection...

Be generous with appropriate hugs, kisses, pats on the back and handholds. Let these small actions demonstrate the love you have for family and friends.

3) The Gift Of Laughter...

Clip cartoons. Share articles and funny stories. Your gift will say, "I love to laugh with you."

4) The Gift Of A Written Note...

It can be a simple "Thanks for the help" note or a full sonnet. A brief, handwritten note may be remembered for a lifetime, and may even change a life.

5) The Gift Of A Compliment...

A simple and sincere, "You look great in red," "You did a super job" or "That was a wonderful meal" can make someone's day.

6) The Gift Of A Favor...

Every day, go out of your way to do something kind.

7) The Gift Of Solitude...

There are times when we want nothing better than to be left alone. Be sensitive to those times and give the gift of solitude to others.

8) The Gift Of A Cheerful Disposition...

The easiest way to feel good is to extend a kind word to someone, really it's not that hard to say, Hello or Thank You

A Smile Epidemic

There's real power in something as simple as a smile =)

Smiling is infectious,

You catch it like the flu.

When someone smiled at me today,

I started smiling too.

I passed around the corner,

and someone saw my grin.

When they smiled I realized,

I'd passed it on to them.

I thought about that smile,

then I realized its worth.

A single smile just like mine,

could travel the earth.

So, if you feel a smile begin,

don't leave it undetected.

Let's start an epidemic quick,

and get the world infected! 

I Don’t Believe A Word Of It

Howard Hendricks

                                           From As Iron Sharpens Iron

By the fifth grade, I was bearing all the fruit of a kid who feels insecure, unloved, and pretty angry at life. In other words, I was tearing the place apart. However, my teacher Miss Simon apparently thought that I was blind to this problem, because she regularly reminded me, “Howard, you are the worst behaved child in this school!”

So tell me something I don’t already know! I thought to myself, as I proceeded to live up (or down) to her opinion of me…

Needless to say, the fifth grade was probably the worst year of my life. Finally I was graduated – for obvious reasons. But I left with Miss Simon’s words ringing in my ears: “Howard, you are the worst behaved child in this school!”

You can imagine what my expectations were upon entering the sixth grade. The first day of class, my teacher, Miss Noe, went down the roll call, and it wasn’t long before she came to my name. “Howard Hendricks,” she called out, glancing from her list to where I was sitting with my arms folded, just waiting to go into action. She looked me over for a moment and then said, “I’ve heard a lot about you.” Then she smiled and added, “But I don’t believe a word of it!”

I tell you, that moment was a fundamental turning point, not only in my education, but in my life. Suddenly, unexpectedly, someone believed in me. For the first time in my life, someone saw potential in me. Miss Noe put me on special assignments. She gave me little jobs to do. She invited me to come in after school to work on my reading and arithmetic. She challenged me with higher standards.

I had a hard time letting her down. In fact, one time I got so involved in one of her homework assignments I stayed up until 1:30 in the morning working on it! Eventually my father came down the hall and said, “What’s the matter son? Are you sick?”

“No, I’m doing homework,” I replied.

He kind of blinked and rubbed his eyes, not quite sure whether he was awake. He’d never heard me say anything like that before…

What made the difference between fifth grade and sixth? The fact that someone was willing to give me a chance. Someone was willing to believe in me while challenging me with higher expectations. That was risky, because there was no guarantee that I would honor Miss Noe’s trust.

Everyone likes the end product of mentoring, especially when it yields a peak performer – the star athlete, the successful businessperson, the brilliant lawyer, the impressive communicator. But how many of us want to deal with the person at the front end of the process?

(How many of us have met this teacher? I know, I for one have and he changed the way I looked at school. My grades went from failing to passing. All because someone believed in me.)

(Is there someone out there that needs you to believe in them today? I’m sure there is and if you’ll take the time to tell them so you might just change their lives forever. I know because it happened to me.)

His Name is John

His name is John. He has wild hair, wears a T-shirt with holes in it, jeans and no shoes. This was literally his wardrobe for his entire four years of college. He is brilliant. Kinda esoteric, and very, very bright. He became a Christian while attending college.

Across the street from the campus is a well-dressed, very conservative church. They want to develop a ministry to the students, but are not sure how to go about it. One day John decides to go there. He walks in with no shoes, jeans, his T-shirt, and wild hair. The service has already started and so John starts down the aisle looking for a seat. The church is completely packed and he can’t find a seat. By now people are looking a bit uncomfortable, but no one says anything.
John gets closer and closer to the pulpit and when he realizes there are no seats, he just squats down right on the carpet. (Although perfectly acceptable behavior at a college fellowship, trust me, this had never happened in this church before!) By now the people are really uptight, and the tension in the air is thick.
About this time, the minister realizes that from way at the back of the church, a deacon is slowly making his way toward John. Now the deacon is in his eighties, has silver-gray hair, a three piece suit, and a pocket watch. A godly man, very elegant, very dignified, very courtly. He walks with a cane and as he starts walking toward this boy, everyone is saying to themselves, “You can’t blame him for what he’s going to do. How can you expect a man of his age and of his background to understand some college kid on the floor?”
It takes a long time for the man to reach the boy. The church is utterly silent except for the clicking of the man’s cane. All eyes are focused on him. You can’t even hear anyone breathing. The people are thinking, “The minister can’t even preach the sermon until the deacon does what he has to do.” And now they see this elderly man drop his cane on the floor. With great difficulty he lowers himself and sits down next to John and worships with him so he won’t be alone.
Everyone chokes up with emotion. When the minister gains control he says, “What I am about to preach, you will never remember. What you have just seen, you will never forget.”

How to Catch a Wild Pig

There was a Chemistry professor in a large college that had some exchange students in the class. One day while the class was in the lab, the Prof noticed one young man (exchange student) who kept rubbing his back, and stretching as if his back hurt.

The professor asked the young man what was the matter. The student told him he had a bullet lodged in his back. He had been shot while fighting communists in his native country who were trying to overthrow his country’s government and install a new communist government.

In the midst of his story, he looked at the professor and asked a strange question. He asked, ‘ Do you know how to catch wild pigs?’

The professor thought it was a joke and asked for the punch line. The young man said this was no joke.

‘You catch wild pigs by finding a suitable place in the woods and putting corn on the ground. The pigs find it, and begin to come every day to eat the free corn. When they are used to coming every day, you put a fence down one side of the place where they are used to coming. When they get used to the fence, they begin to eat the corn again, and you put up another side of the fence. They get used to that, and start to eat again. You continue until you have all four sides of the fence up with a gate in the last side. The pigs, who are used to the free corn, start to come through the gate to eat, and you slam the gate on them and catch the whole herd.

Suddenly, the wild pigs have lost their freedom. They run around and around inside the fence, but they are caught. Soon they go back to eating the free corn. They are so used to it that they have forgotten how to forage in the woods for themselves, so they accept their captivity.

The young man then told the professor that is exactly what he sees happening to America. The government keeps pushing us toward Communism/Socialism and keeps spreading the free corn out in the form of programs such as supplemental income, tax credit for unearned income, tobacco subsidies, dairy subsidies, payments not to plant crops(CRP), welfare, medicine, drugs, free medical, etc., while we continually lose our freedoms – just a little at a time.

One should always remember ‘There is no such thing as a free lunch! Also, a politician will never provide a service for you cheaper than you can do it yourself.

‘A government big enough to give you everything you want, is big enough to
take away everything you have.’ …….. Thomas Jefferson