The pickle jar as far back as I can remember sat on the floor beside the
dresser in my parents' bedroom. When he got ready for bed, Dad would
empty his pockets and toss his coins into the jar.

As a small boy I was always fascinated at the sounds the coins made as
they were dropped into the jar . They landed with a merry jingle when
the jar was almost empty. Then the tones gradually muted to a dull
thud as the jar was filled.
I used to squat on the floor in front of the jar and admire the copper
and silver circles that glinted like a pirate's treasure when the sun
poured through the bedroom window. When the jar was filled, Dad would
sit at the kitchen table and roll the coins before taking them to the
bank.

Taking the coins to the bank was always a big production . Stacked
neatly in a small cardboard box, the coins were placed between Dad and
me on the seat of his old truck.

Each and every time, as we drove to the bank, Dad would look at me
hopefully.

'Those coins are going to keep you out of the textile mill, son.
You're going to do better than me. This old mill town's not going to
hold you back.'

Also, each and every time, as he slid the box of rolled coins across the
counter at the bank toward the cashier, he would grin proudly 'These are
for my son's college fund. He'll never work at the mill all his life
like me.'

We would always celebrate each deposit by stopping for an ice cream
cone. I always got chocolate. Dad always got vanilla. When
the clerk at the ice cream parlor handed Dad his change, he would show
me the few coins nestled in his palm. 'When we get home, we'll start
filling the jar again.' He always let me drop the first coins into
the empty jar. As they rattled around with a brief, happy jingle, we
grinned at each other. 'You'll get to college on pennies, nickels,
dimes and quarters,' he said. 'But you'll get there; I'll see to
that.'

No matter how rough things got at home, Dad continued to doggedly drop
his coins into the jar. Even the summer when Dad got laid off from
the mill, and Mama had to serve dried beans several times a week, not a
single dime was taken from the jar.

To the contrary, as Dad looked across the table at me, pouring catsup
over my beans to make them more palatable, he became more determined
than ever to make a way out for me. 'When you finish college, Son,'
he told me, his eyes glistening, 'You'll never have to eat beans again -
unless you want to.'

The years passed, and I finished college and took a job in another town.
Once, while visiting my parents, I used the phone in their bedroom, and
noticed that the pickle jar was gone. It had served its purpose and
had been removed.
A lump rose in my throat as I stared at the spot beside the dresser
where the jar had always stood. My dad was a man of few words, and
never lectured me on the values of determination, perseverance, and
faith. The pickle jar had taught me all these virtues far more
eloquently than the most flowery of words could have done.

When I married, I told my wife Susan about the significant part the
lowly pickle jar had played in my life as a boy. In my mind, it
defined, more than anything else, how much my dad had loved me.

The first Christmas after our daughter Jessica was born, we spent the
holiday with my parents. After dinner, Mom and Dad sat next to each
other on the sofa, taking turns cuddling their first grandchild. Jessica
began to whimper softly, and Susan took her from Dad's arms. 'She
probably needs to be changed,' she said, carrying the baby into my
parents' bedroom to diaper her. When Susan came back into the living
room, there was a strange mist in her eyes.

She handed Jessica back to Dad before taking my hand and leading me into
the room. 'Look,' she said softly, her eyes directing me to a spot on
the floor beside the dresser. To my amazement, there, as if it had never
been removed, stood the old pickle jar, the bottom already covered with
coins. I walked over to the pickle jar, dug down into my pocket, and
pulled out a fistful of coins. With a gamut of emotions choking me, I
dropped the coins into the jar. I looked up and saw that Dad,
carrying Jessica, had slipped quietly into the room. Our eyes locked,
and I knew he was feeling the same emotions I felt. Neither one of us
could speak. This truly touched my heart. I know it has yours as
well. Sometimes we are so busy adding up our troubles that we forget to
count our blessings.

Never underestimate the power of your actions. With one small gesture
you can change a person's life, for better or for worse.

God puts us all in each other's lives to impact one another in some way.
Look for Good in others.
The best and most beautiful things cannot be seen or touched - they must
be felt with the heart ~ Helen Keller

- Happy moments, praise God.
- Difficult moments, seek God.
- Quiet moments, worship God.
- Painful moments, trust God.
- Every moment, thank God.

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A psalm of David.
 

1 O LORD, our Lord,
       how majestic is your name in all the earth!
       You have set your glory
       above the heavens.

 2 From the lips of children and infants
       you have ordained praise [b]
       because of your enemies,
       to silence the foe and the avenger.

 3 When I consider your heavens,
       the work of your fingers,
       the moon and the stars,
       which you have set in place,

 4 what is man that you are mindful of him,
       the son of man that you care for him?

 5 You made him a little lower than the heavenly beings [c]
       and crowned him with glory and honor.

 6 You made him ruler over the works of your hands;
       you put everything under his feet:

 7 all flocks and herds,
       and the beasts of the field,

 8 the birds of the air,
       and the fish of the sea,
       all that swim the paths of the seas.

 9 O LORD, our Lord,
       how majestic is your name in all the earth!

Scripture:  (Genesis 32: 22-32)

Reflection:

Here we see Jacob wrestling with God and in the
process is crippled.  Now that must have been
quite an experience, fighting with God.  Now wait
just a minute, I think its about time to ask myself
a question.  Do I fight with God?  You know I really
don't think I'm going to like the answer here.  An
even more important question is, do you fight with
God?  Will you like your answer?  I must admit
here I have found myself limping a bit because of some of
my past decisions and attitudes towards God.  I
sometimes struggle with God in making decisions.  But
finally I discovered something, if I call off the match and
declare God as the winner and join my Lord and Savior in
His work, my life is much better off.  How about you are
you willing to call off the fight and join God in His work
for your life.  I sure hope so, because if you have you
have discovered the one true gift from God "belief".

Prayer:

Thank You God for always being willing to fight for
me.  Thank You God for always being willing to fight
against me to make me stronger.  Thank You God
for my belief in that struggle. THANK YOU GOD FOR
BEING GOD! IN JESUS NAME.  AMEN

Quote:

To accomplish great things, we must not only act, but also
dream; not only plan, but also believe

Scripture:
"Lord, my heart is not proud; my eyes are not haughty.
I don't concern myself with matters too great or awesome
for me. But I have stilled and quieted myself, just as a
small child is quiet with its mother. Yes, like a small
child is my soul within me. O Israel, put your hope in
the Lord, now and always." (Psalm 131) NLT

Reflection:

I have to admit, I find myself being concerned about matters
that are to great or awesome for me. Sometimes I
worry about everything. About my children, their children,
my friends and neighbors, my marriage, my work, the
world, evil, you name it and I worry about. Thats why
Psalm 131 becomes so important to me. I have to still
and quiet myself, I have to slow down, I need to pray
and meditate with my God. My soul is like a small
child within me, and just like a child my soul can be
disrupted. When my soul is in turmoil I find relief
in putting all my hope in the Lord, now and always.
Without my hope in the Lord, without my faith and
love of Jesus Christ, my life is a life of turmoil, suffering,
and unhappiness. What is your life like, where is your
hope!
Prayer:
Thank You God that my hope is build upon nothing
less than Jesus Christ and His righteousness.
Father God keep me stilled and quieted, and keep
my soul like a small child within me. Thank you
God that you give me hope. Thank you GOD FOR
BEING GOD! In the name of Jesus Christ Amen.
Quote:
All great things are simple, and many can be expressed
in single words: freedom, justice, honor, duty, mercy, hope
Sir Winston Churchill

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Scripture:

"Joshua spared Rahab the prostitutes and her relatives
who were with her in the house, because she had hidden
the spies Joshua sent to Jerico.  And she lives among
the Israelites this day.  (Joshua 6:25)  (Read Joshua
chapter 6)

Reflection:

Isn't forgiveness wonderful.  Forgiveness is truly a miracle.
Here we have a known prostitute, a woman who was
considered the lowest of lows, named Rahab.  God looked
within Rahab's heart and gave her a second chance.
A beautiful act of forgiveness.  At the risk of her own life, she
helped the Israelites and in so doing, received a new
life, and a new people, and a new savior.  This "lowly"
prostitute, this lowest of lows, because of God's
forgiveness, became one of the ancestors of Jesus Christ.
This of course is the same savior who died on the cross
and forgave all mankind of their sins.
I guess the question here is are you in need of forgiveness?
God can forgive you now, no matter what you've done.
All you have to do is admit you need help, receive God's
forgiveness, and change your life, not only do you feel
better, you are better.
Remember this God of second chances wants to help you
today.  He is here for you.

Prayer:

Quote:

Were it illegal to say
"I'm sorry, please forgive me,"
Gladly an outlaw I would be,
To apologize anyway.
-- FH, Cordula's Web.

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Heal my wounded heart.
Grant me the courage to change my heart.
Let Peace live in my heart.

Fill me with compassion for those suffering in war.
Help me care for those in war.
Help me bring Peace to those in war.

Help me stop wars.
Help soldiers stop wars.
Help leaders stop wars.

Fill me with Peace and Justice.
Help me to work for Peace with Justice.
Let there be Peace with Justice among all peoples.
source: World Conference of Religions for Peace

Scripture:

"All honor to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
for it is by His boundless mercy that God has given  us the
privilege of being born again.  Now we live with a wonderful
expectation because Jesus Christ rose again from the dead.
For God has reserved a priceless inheritance for His
children.  It is kept in heaven for you, pure and undefiled,
beyond the reach of change and decay.  And God, in His
mighty power, will protect you until you receive this salvation,
because you are trusting him.  It will be revealed on the last
day for all to see.  So be truly glad!   There is wonderful
joy ahead, even though it is necessary for you to endure many
trials for a while."   NLT   (I Peter 1:3-6)

Reflection:

You know whenever I'm feeling really down, when I let so many
things get to me, whenever things seem to be closing in on me,
I think about these three versus from Peter.  When I gave my
life to Jesus Christ, I began to realize that I have a joyful future.
I've been Saved! You see I don't have to live a life of depression,
or die in deep despair.  I don't need to go through life thinking
that all the problems, the trials, and the evilness that I have
seen and experienced is going to be the sum total of my life.
First of all there is joy in life now, I have discovered by helping
and serving others because of the teachings and love that I
experience through my savior Jesus Christ brings me real
joy yes real joy.  And to absolutely know there is real joy
ahead being reserved as a priceless inheritance for me
through my savior Jesus Christ that I am going to live
forever with my savior not only brings me joy if gives me
a future.  I have an eternal future because I love Jesus Christ
You know you can have the same kind of future and you
can have the same kind of joy.  Really it's simple "Just
Believe", look to God and tell Him I want to have a future,
I want to know real joy in my life, I'm tired of all the mess in
and around my life, I want to know there is an answer. And
let that answer be Jesus Christ. LET CHRIST IN.

Prayer:
Oh God thank You for Your Grace, I love you, Thank
You for being there for me always. I do believe and will
always believe. THANK YOU GOD FOR BEING GOD!

Quote

St. Claire of Assisi
Spiritual Teacher and Guide, Political and Religious Peacemaker
(1193-1223)
"Go forth in peace, for you have followed the good road.
Go forth without fear, for He that created you has sanctified
you, has always protected you, and loves you as a mother."
 

Scripture:

"Remember, it is sin to know what you ought to do
and then not do it." James 5: 17 (NLT)

Reflection:

Boy that verse sure makes you think. Doesn't it.
This definition of sin is one we seem to forget.
We sometimes find ourselves walking around
making all kinds of judgment about what sin is.
You see our definition of sin is usually centered
around knowing when something is wrong and doing it.
But it is also a sin to know when something is right
and not do it. For example Jesus teaches to love
our neighbors, to love our enemies.  We know that
is what we ought to do, do we do it?  As a country
do we love our neighbors, do we love our enemies?
As a person do I love the people at work?  Do I treat
them with respect and kindness, no matter how they
treat me?  You see we know what we ought to do,
we just don't do it!  How can we look at people who
are suffering, who are hurting, who feel real pain, people
who are angry, who are depressed, people who are in
desperate need of love, knowing what we ought to do
and not do it.  THAT IS SIN!
Brothers and sisters, this is our sin, why don't we see
it, others do.  People look at us, who call ourselves
Christian, and all they see is so called righteous people,
who sit in judgment.  You know we are righteous people,
in other words we know what is right we just don't do anything
about it.  Remember the opposite of love is not hate, it's
apathy.  How do you make Christians care, how do you make
Christians get off their butts and do something. I don't know!
I do know I love Jesus Christ with all my heart, with all my soul,
with all my mine.  Jesus taught me not to judge others but to
serve others. Jesus taught me to turn the other cheek not swing
the other fist. Jesus taught me a faith of action, not of apathy.
Jesus taught me what needed to be done and to do it.  When,
as Christians, are we going to understand, that knowing what
ought to be done and sitting back on our butts and not doing it,
is a sin.  AMEN!

Quote:

Emily Greene Balch
Leader of The Women's International League for Peace
and Freedom, Recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize (1867-1961)

"We have a long way to go. So let us hasten along the road,
the road of human tenderness and generosity. Groping,
we may find one another's hands in the dark."

Prayer:

Lord, make me an instrument of thy peace.
Where there is hatred . . . let me sow love
Where there is injury . . . pardon
Where there is doubt . . . faith
Where there is despair . . . hope
Where there is darkness . . . light
Where there is sadness . . . joy
O, Divine Master,
Grant that I may not so much seek
To be consoled . . . as to console
To be understood . . . as to understand,
To be loved . . . as to love
For it is in giving . . . that we receive,
It is in pardoning, that we are pardoned,
It is in dying . . . that we are born to eternal life.

Scripture:
   Be submissive to those who are older. All of you, cloth
yourselves with humility toward one another, because, "God opposes
the proud but gives grace to the humble."
    -- 1 Peter 5:5

Reflection:

In my ministry I discovered that I loved to do one very
special thing.  I loved to work with our senior citizens.
What an honor and privilage it was for me to be able
not only to give but to receive so much.  These folks
were what I called my warm fuzzies of my ministry.
They were amazing people.  They were my source
of wisdom.  Whenever I had a problem or a need within
the church I always consulted the older and wiser
members of my congregation. If I ever needed a friend
I could always count on the older members to be there
for me.  There is no way I could ever give as much as
I received from them.  There is a reason that in todays
verse there is a discussion of submission to the older
and grace to the humble.  You see that is where I learned
real humility, I learned to be humble from my senior friends,
and family. 

Thought:
   The word "submissive" is often positive or negative based on its
relationship to us personally. It's nice having someone serve us
submissively, but serving someone else submissively is hard work.
Unfortunately, we are selfish way too much of the time. But God is
at work in direct opposition