Photo: Lindsay Baronoskie

I was on my way home late one afternoon when out of the corner of my eye I saw a man ride past me on his motorcycle. My husband and I are members of the Christian Motorcycle Association (CMA), so I took more than a glance when I saw that he was riding an antique Harley Davidson. Wow, what a nice bike!

A few moments later I pulled up to an accident scene. The biker was sprawled on the sidewalk in front of Dunkin' Donuts, and the twisted metal of his Harley was crumpled on the sidewalk. My heart was pounding! I pulled into the Dunkin' Donuts parking lot. Bikers take care of their own, and here was one of my biker brothers, critically wounded. He wasn't moving.

Soon the police, paramedics, and fireman arrived. I watched helplessly as they cared for him. A friend of mine who saw the accident told me that the biker had flown over his handlebars like a rag doll, doing a triple somersault! His helmet was split in half, and the medics were cutting off his clothes.

The elderly gentleman who hit him said that he had been temporarily blinded by the sun. My heart went out to him too. He must feel awful, I thought.

I knew I had to do something and silently began praying for the biker: God, have compassion on this man! Don't let him die! Save him!

There was blood on the sidewalk where the biker had landed, and he had a huge lump on his temple. My heart pounded as I waited to for the ambulance to leave.

Pray

I handed my CMA card with my name and address to one of the police officers. I told him I was a Christian from the CMA and asked if I could have the injured man's name and phone number, promising that our chapter would pray for him. I was surprised that he obliged. I thanked him and left.

When I got home I noticed that I was shaking. I got on my computer and e-mailed an urgent request asking my other CMA members to join me in prayer. I asked God for a miracle of healing for this man.

I called the number I'd been given and left a message on the answering machine that the members of the CMA were praying for him. Two days later, I got a phone call from the injured biker's mother. She was crying as she thanked me for praying for her eldest son. She told me that with his injuries he shouldn't even be alive, but because of our prayers, the protrusion on his temple was totally gone the very next day and he was already home from the hospital. He has a slight fracture in his leg and a concussion, but God had indeed answered our prayers and had spared his life.

Three days later, a couple of our friends, my husband, and I rode our motorcycles over to meet the injured biker face to face. I could hardly believe he was the same man I had seen sprawled on the sidewalk. We had an opportunity to share our faith with him. We told him that God had spared his life and had a plan for his life.

My husband and I have also stayed in touch with the older gentleman who hit the biker. We invited him and his lady friend over for dinner and shared our faith with them. His lady friend began attending prayer meetings with me and invited Jesus into her life. God puts us in divine appointments. All He expects of us is to be obedient to His call to share the love of Jesus with those who are waiting to hear.

"Pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective" (James 5:16).

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By Barbara Joy Hansen. Reprinted with permission from Signs of the Times, May 2008. Copyright © 2008 by GraceNotes. All rights reserved. Use of this material is subject to usage guidelines. Scripture take from the NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION ®.

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He confidently made the oath and the waiting crowd was amazed by the unexpected outcome! A Chinese man named Xu, who swore he didn't owe money that he had borrowed from a neighbor, was hit by lightning 60 seconds later. Southeast Express reports that Xu made the oath in front of a crowd of neighbors in the city of Fuqing. He vowed that he had never borrowed money from Mr. Huang, who claimed Xu had borrowed 500 yuan (about $70 U.S.) three years earlier.

"He borrowed 500 yuan three years ago from me for a friend's marriage gift, but he has denied it ever since then," said Huang, who went to Xu's home to demand payment.

"I told him that if he dared to swear to God that he didn't owe me the money, then I would waive his debt," said Huang.¹ Xu was taken to the hospital after being struck by lightning immediately after swearing that he never borrowed the money. He is expected to make a full recovery.

Mere Coincidence?

Is this incredible occurence a mere coincidence, or divine retribution from an angry God toward a lying cheat? Mr. Huang definitely believes the latter, and no one seems to be able to convince him otherwise.

It's difficult for any of us to conclusively comment on such a strange spectacle of nature. Most of us don't know Xu (or Mr. Huang for that matter). I wouldn't attempt to speculate on Xu's guiltiness, and it probably wouldn't matter much if I did. I can't possibly know the validity of Mr. Huang's claim that Xu owed money, but the story did make me stop and think about a verse of scripture that illuminates honest interaction.

"Don't say anything you don't mean" (Matthew 5:33).

When we express something to someone else, the Bible exhorts us to do that honestly and with integrity. If we claim to be Christians and yet choose not to keep an upstanding profile for the rest of the world to see, our actions speak louder than our words ever can. The fear of divine retribution shouldn't be the motivation for our unshakable integrity. It ought to come by us naturally!

¹ Annanova News Story

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By Michael Temple. Copyright © 2008 by GraceNotes. All rights reserved. Use of this material is subject to usage guidelines. Scripture taken from THE MESSAGE / REMIX ®.
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Photo: Erick Nguyen

The news on Wall Street these days is not very encouraging. I doubt financial investors are sleeping well, and neither are many average citizens. Uncertainty and confusion are common companions.

As I ponder the currently bleak economic outlook, I'm reminded of Joshua in the Old Testament. I love the book of Joshua because it is so encouraging. Over and over God says to this young man, "Be strong! Be courageous! Don't be discouraged or afraid."

Joshua had plenty of reasons to be both discouraged and afraid. He was responsible for dealing with the concerns of approximately one million people who were prone to compulsive, reactive, complaining behaviors. As a group, they did not have the greatest track record! Yet Joshua had been commissioned to lead this undisciplined mass of humanity into a land of giants and walled cities to conquer it and take possession.

Why shouldn't Joshua be afraid? Verses 5 and 9 of Joshua chapter 1 give the answer very clearly: God was with him. God promised never to leave Joshua or forsake him.

Cleared the Path

Yes, there were huge challenges. Obstacles abounded. Seeming impossibilities loomed. But the promise "The Lord your God will be with you" took precedence. It cleared the path. It subdued Joshua's fear and buoyed up his courage.

Life in today's society has created massive loads of fear. People fear they will lose their health, their families, their homes and their money. Fear of the unknown and fear of failure plague large numbers of people, essentially immobilizing them.

On the other hand, courage is not necessarily the total absence of fear. Sometimes courage is simply fear in action. It is facing your fears and naming them. It is choosing to believe that the Power beside you is greater than the problem in front of you.

Is courage still available in a world which seems to be spiraling out of control? For those who choose to believe God is with them always no matter what happens, it is.

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By Brenda Dickerson. Copyright © 2008 by GraceNotes. All rights reserved. Use of this material is subject to usage guidelines. Scripture take from the NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION ®.
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Photo: Ken Hurst

Okay, I'm finally convinced! I need glasses. Rather, I need to wear glasses.

I remember when I got my first glasses a couple of years ago. I became quickly frustrated. I didn't like wearing them. I hadn't worn glasses my whole life and they were a nuisance to me. I also lacked patience adjusting to the hide-and-seek bi-focal portion of the lenses. So, I gave up on them.

"I can see okay without them," I told my friend Sherrill. "I don't need them enough to put up with them."

"You will," she said simply.

"No, I won't," I thought to myself.

But Sherrill was right— not immediately, mind you. I remained stubborn for some time, squinting during night driving and blinking deeply while reading small print. Finally, however, I had to admit it was time.

The turning point came when I was calling tech support for my computer and ended up hearing a sultry voice on the other end offering to assist me in a very non-tech support style! Disgusted, I hung up and redialed. Again, the sensual voice.

One Little Number

I don't believe it! I ranted to the recording, positive that the mix-up in numbers had to be the fault of tech support. I decided to go online to the tech support website and contact them that way. Boy, was I going to fill them in! How could they not be aware that the number they were giving to people was leading them to the disgusting recording that was still lingering in my ears. I found the number on the website and, lo and behold, it was the same as the one I had been using. The only problem was I had mistaken an 8 for a 6! Oops! What a monumental difference one little number can make in actually connecting with the person you are intending to reach. What a completely different picture can be presented when one isn't seeing clearly!

So now, I admit that I need glasses in order to clearly see what I'm doing. I also realize that I need God's Word to help me see clearly as I make decisions in my life and in my daily walk with Jesus. What a difference one decision can make if my spiritual sight is blurred. A lack of God's Word in my life can end up leading me to a very unexpected destination. The Bible provides spiritual eyesight for a clear vision of what my path should be.

"Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path" (Psalms 119:105).

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By Gwen Scott Simmons. Copyright © 2008 by GraceNotes. All rights reserved. Use of this material is subject to usage guidelines. Scripture taken from the NEW KING JAMES VERSION © 1982.
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Photo: Stephen Vanhorn

I am one of those kind of people who would rather be doing something than nothing. This attitude usually works well in our society. We live in a culture of fast food, same day delivery, one hour processing, and we want it done by yesterday. Commitments, demands, and busyness run our lives and keep us running. But where does all this busyness get us? Where is it taking us? Are we still in the driver seat of our lives, or are we driven by distraction? I found my answer by looking at the sky.

We were experiencing a hot, dry summer. In the evenings, I would go out to water the flowers and shrubs. I would look to the sky hoping for gathering clouds.

One evening the sky was empty except for two small, fluffy clouds that dotted summer's blanched blue canopy. I glanced at the two, lone clouds occasionally to check what direction they were going, but they never seemed to move.

When I finished watering the plants, I stopped and stared at the pair of clouds again. They just hung there in the sky, apparently motionless. Intrigued, I chose a large pear tree in our front yard as a reference point to gauge the movement of this puzzling duo. My mind and eyes wandered as I fidgeted and chastised myself for wasting time on this curiosity.

Notice Things

As I impatiently waited, I began to notice things. I felt the stillness and heaviness of the air. I became aware that the crickets were in full chorus, but the frogs were absent from this evening's serenade. For the first time, I noticed the amazing, lovely symmetry of our pear tree.

Then I saw it. The clouds had drifted slightly east of the pear tree. I had my curiosity satisfied and turned to go in the house, when a thought hit me like a lightening bolt. Those clouds are like our lives. Day after day it is the same old thing, and it doesn't feel or look like we are getting anywhere. We have to stop and get perspective to see what direction our lives are drifting. Every step, every decision, every day moves us closer to or farther from our heavenly Father.

We need to stop more often to evaluate the direction of our lives. During the pausing process, we may even notice the beauty and blessings in our lives.

This realization caused me to wonder why I'm living for lists instead of the Creator of all this. We are told in Psalm 46:10, "Be still, and know that I am God..." I plan to take this text not only as a personal challenge, but also as a promise. Ultimately, it is up to each of us to decide what is the most important. Do we care more about what we get done, or where we are going and who we become?

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By Donice Palmer. Copyright © 2008 by GraceNotes. All rights reserved. Use of this material is subject to usage guidelines. Scripture taken from the NEW KING JAMES VERSION © 1982.
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The first prayer most of us prayed was the blessing, "God is great, God is good, Let us thank Him for our food," or the classic bedtime prayer, "Now I lay me down to sleep."

When children are very young, getting them into the habit of prayer is more important than what they're saying. As they grow, though, their prayers should deepen, just as ours do. The goal is to get your children to move from simply parroting a phrase to realizing that they are communicating with the Creator of the Universe.

Teaching children to pray is an awesome responsibility, because we know it is the basis through which they will eventually maintain a personal relationship with God. Many parents feel awkward, though, about teaching children to pray from the heart. It is really much simpler than it seems.

Begin by letting children see you pray.
Children want nothing more than to be like their parents. If they see that prayer is important to you, it will be important to them.

Teach children that prayer is just a conversation with God.
Encourage children to pray in ways that are natural for them, instead of trying to formalize prayer or force children to conform to our adult standards.

Make prayer a part of your daily routine.
We remember those prayers from our childhood because we prayed them every day. Incorporating prayer into their daily lives allows children to personalize the rituals and traditions of their faith, which brings them comfort.

Make it real.
Ritual is important, but prayer needs to grow as we grow. The words should deepen as we learn more about God, but being honest in prayer can sometimes feel embarrassing. If we're shy about praying in front of others, then children will learn to be ashamed of their prayers. Be brave enough to let your children see you pray from the heart.

Be flexible about prayer time.
We all live extremely busy lives. Don't let lack of time keep you from praying. A short prayer on the way to school is better than no prayer at all. If you make prayer a priority, even when there's no time, children will learn to recognize the importance of talking to God on a regular basis.

Find the best time to make time.
If mornings are particularly hectic in your family, set your prayer time before bed. Keeping a regular prayer time will strengthen your family bonds as children learn to strengthen their relationship with God.

"Therefore, confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective" (James 5:16).

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By Diana Hardin. Copyright © 2008 by GraceNotes. All rights reserved. Use of this material is subject to usage guidelines. Scripture take from the NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION ®.

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Most people with Alzheimer's disease have a strong desire to live in their homes as long as possible. Families share this desire. Paradoxically, the home is often the best place and the worst place for Alzheimer's care.

The major benefit of home care is that the care is provided in a familiar place by familiar people. Routines can be maintained, your family member can still enjoy his favorite chair, wear all her favorite clothes, play with the cat or dog, and feel safe and secure. The person who is able to live at home can still be part of the neighborhood and larger community and is more likely to see old friends and relatives.

The major drawback is that the care that's most often provided is by the spouse, which is demanding and emotionally stressful. While the difficulties are many, including asking for help and coping with changing roles and relationships, there are some ways families can embrace having a loved one at home. Caregivers who isolate themselves are bound to have more difficult experiences.

Common emotions and feelings of persons with Alzheimer's include loss, isolation and loneliness, sadness, confusion, worry and anxiety, frustration, fear, paranoia, anger and embarrassment. Considering the needs of these important people and their caregivers, here are some ideas for caregivers to consider:

Be open with others about your family situation. Sometimes because we are ambivalent about our own feelings, we don't want to "bother" others with our concerns, or it's difficult to say we need help, so we quietly go about our days without sharing clear and direct information about our circumstances. We don't know what support we are missing, and we isolate ourselves rather than letting others in.

Make an honest assessment. It's important to have realistic expectations about the person and oneself and to review these expectations often.

Continue to be a part of the community. It's important to let a loved one enjoy routines as long as possible. Going out for breakfast, enjoying a concert, taking a daily drive, going to church and doing things outside the house are important. Creativity is a key here. If the restaurant is too crowded, the church service too long, consider altering the time and length of stay. It's also helpful to let the restaurant staff and fellow worshipers know of the diagnosis so they can extend extra support.

Recognize that some patterns and rituals may change. Many hold on to the standards of how a household should be run. It's not possible with the onset of dementia. One caregiver shared that she began to think of her husband as a "welcomed house guest" and determined to treat him as she would a visitor, with patience and kindness rather than with sharp words and admonitions.

Simplify the environment. Part of the knack of good Alzheimer's care in the home is to simplify the household. If the person struggles with decisions about what to wear, clear out the closet, and offer just a few choices. If the person has poor judgment, put valuable and breakable collectibles away.

Value and focus on the present. Try to let go of past differences. As a result of this disease your loved one has forgotten these bad times.

Turn busy work into real work whenever possible. If your loved one can still sweep the floor, rake leaves or fold the laundry, incorporate tasks into the day's routine.

Enjoy quiet moments and simple pleasures. A morning cup of hot tea, listening to music, sitting out in the warm sunlight can be enjoyed by both the person and the caregiver.

Don't wait too long to take advantage of community resources and services. Families often wait and wait to use needed services. Finally, when the family member has deteriorated beyond the family's ability to provide her with good care, they seek help.

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By Susan E. Murray. Reprinted with permission from the Lake Union Herald, July 2008. Copyright © 2008 by GraceNotes. All rights reserved. Use of this material is subject to usage guidelines.

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Photo: Edgard Rodriguez

One of the hardest things about moving to a new town is finding new friends. Trying to find where you belong; a place to call your own. When my husband, son and I moved a little over a year ago, I felt blessed to be moving to a place where my husband's family lived. Among these family members, was my sister-in-law, who was also my best friend. I couldn't believe we were actually going to be living in the same town. Our toddler sons could grow to know and love each other.

My sister-in-law had asked me to join her at a weekly girls Bible study. I was excited to go and felt I had made an instant circle of friends. I really learned just how much I appreciated and loved them when I went through some hard times. They would wrote notes, called or emailed their thoughts, prayers and love to me. It was so nice to have this kind of girl-to-girl support.

As the months passed, I found that certain circumstances started keeping me from going to the weekly studies. At first it was easy because I still felt so close and still a part of these girls lives. But as the days turned into weeks and the weeks into months, the emptiness that comes when you don't even know what is going on in your friends' lives anymore, crept in.

One day while talking with a friend, I decided to make going to the weekly studies a priority again. What a blessing that decision was! There were more wonderful girls that had joined the group and everyone was just as loving and accepting as I had remembered them being.

Prayer Partner

God blessed me further when my prayer partner happened to be someone I really wanted to get to know better, and really was one of the reasons I started going back to the study. We discovered that we were struggling with some of the same issues. We were thrilled to be paired up! What a God-send she has been!

Friendships are so important, so valuable, and so hard to replace. To know that someone is praying for you is an awesome part of my courage and strength to get through each day. The girls in this study represent a picture of God: loving, accepting, open, caring and always there for me. I realize now that God called me back to this group of girls, because He knew my needs. I am so glad that He did!

"Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends" (John 15:13).

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By Erika Gladden. Copyright © 2008 by GraceNotes. All rights reserved. Use of this material is subject to usage guidelines. Scripture take from the NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION ®.
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She was terrified. Of her locker. Her combination locker. The one she had to open on her first day of seventh grade.

It's all I heard about for weeks before. Not the new teachers, or new students or all the homework. But the locker.

Her first day of school finally arrived and off she went. I waited here at home, hoping and praying that things would go well. That kids would be nice, that teachers would welcome her, that she would fit in—and that her locker would cooperate.

She came home floating on air and buoyed up by clouds of bliss. It had gone great. One girl walked her to the cafeteria, a nice guy helped her find the last class, and the locker? The locker opened. She showed me the combination she'd written on her hand and I didn't even say anything about ink poisoning or whatever. She was thrilled—with school, with the kids she'd met and most importantly with herself.

She said that she couldn't wait for the next day, just so she could open her locker again.

Fear Conquered

I think there should be a word for that feeling. The joy and elation that comes after a fear is conquered. It's more than success, more than relief, more than triumph or pride. But it's a wonderful mix of all of those.

It's a feeling I'm familiar with in my spiritual life as well. Knowing that God wants me to do something—ask forgiveness of a friend, share something about my faith with a co-worker, volunteer for a position at church, confront a problem in my marriage, break a bad habit—and being down-right terrified to do it.

But then I arm myself with the belt of truth, the tank top of righteousness, shoes of peace, my purse of faith, a hat of salvation, the word of God in my heart and prayer, prayer, prayer—and I give it a shot (my version of Ephesians 6:14-18). Nine times out of 10, it goes pretty well. I may not always float on air, but knowing that I'm doing the will of God always comes with its own pillows of joy.

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By Joelle Yamada. Copyright © 2008 by GraceNotes. All rights reserved. Use of this material is subject to usage guidelines.

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On this particular day I began imagining what my husband and I might do if we suddenly came into money one of our deceased parents forgot to tell us about. It was a generic advertisement I'd read many times before but never acted upon. The ad was promoting the need for citizens to check a website to see if any unclaimed money might be theirs. Because I have moved more than once during my marriage, I reasoned that there was even a chance we over-paid someone who didn't have our forwarding address.

I logged onto my computer and entered The National Association of Unclaimed Property Administrator's web address, www.missingmoney.com to follow their instructions. Surely some of the $32.8 billion dollars worth of stocks, dividends, life insurance proceeds, bank accounts or other types of unclaimed money would be mine!

First, I entered the name of our deceased parents for which my husband or I would be a legal heir. It was exciting to see both my maiden and married last name come up on the list. The fact is that not one of the first names or places of last known residence matched my relatives' criteria.

Next, I decided to put my husband's name and then my name in the appropriate blanks. The result was more of the same—no match.

Several months later my husband received a notice in the mail stating that he needed to call a bank in the State of California to claim a Certificate of Deposit (CD) that was in his and my deceased father-in-law's name. The letter noted that if there was no response the unclaimed money would be turned over to the office of the Comptroller of the State of California.

Inheritance?

Immediately we began to speculate just how much we might unexpectedly be inheriting. It made sense that I would not have found this money during my web search because the CD had not yet been turned over to the State. We thanked the Lord for this wonderful surprise.

A call to the bank stunned us. It was a surprise all right. The amount that would mature in one month was five cents. The bank employee thought it odd, too. He double checked the data. Bank records showed that five cents was the amount of accrued interest that had not been credited to the account at the time the CD had been cashed.

Had I become greedy? Had I been over-taken by the world's ambition to strike it rich?

I am so glad that my heavenly Father has promised to give me everything I need. He has given every child of His a trust fund that pays eternal dividends.

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By Carole Kilcher. Copyright © 2008 by GraceNotes. All rights reserved. Use of this material is subject to usage guidelines.
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