Grac*e-mail for 04/26/10 got grace?

Grac*e-mail for 04/26/10
got grace?

Been preaching on peace lately… do you have the kind of peace that lasts from the morning until the night?

Phil 4:4-7
 Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice!
 Let your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand.
 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
NKJV

John()_:-) Every time you see this angel, remember that God loves you!
johnlynnbright@gmail.com

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God's Promise to You

It's amazing what you can find on the internet!  The average watch has approximately 115 parts.  The average car - 14,000 parts.  A Boeing 747 jet - over 6 million parts.

Now compare that with a new born baby - about 2 trillion cells.  It starts with only 2 and goes to 2 trillion in nine months.  Only God can do that!

Ps 139:13-16

13 For You formed my inward parts;
You covered me in my mother's womb.
14 I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
Marvelous are Your works,
And that my soul knows very well.
15 My frame was not hidden from You,
When I was made in secret,
And skillfully wrought in the lowest parts of the earth.
16 Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed.
And in Your book they all were written,
The days fashioned for me,
When as yet there were none of them.
NKJV

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Grac*e-mail now has a page on Facebook… so send your friends an invitation to enjoy!

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It has been a while since I sent out any puns.  If you were on this list for years, you know how much I loved "The Punny Corner"…

The circus had to renew their insurance policy. They were in a hurry, so the insurance company issued a three ring binder.

I can't recall the last time I did any running, but I've been jogging my memory.

Surprisingly, Julius Caesar preferred ranch.

 The golfer guessed that his ball landed 20 feet off the fairway. Of course, that was just a rough estimate.

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Got this link from Ray Murphy… (btw - the beginning was so good I had to include it!)

This was sent to me - I listened - now I'm sending it to you - hope you listen and send it on to others. If you don't listen or send it to others, nothing will happen - you won't grow warts on your nose nor will anything bad happen because you didn't. It your choice - send  or delete.

http://www.greatdanepro.com/Pray%20For%20America/index.htm

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Got this from Mark Gibson…
GOING HOME
Years ago, I was enthralled as I listened to a pastor who for several years had faithfully served the church. His executive responsibilities had taken him all over this country. As he concluded his message, he told of one of the most frightening yet thought-provoking experiences of his life.
He had been on a long flight. The first warning of the approaching problems came when the sign on the airplane flashed on: "Fasten your seat belts." Then, after a while, a calm voice said, "We shall not be serving the beverages at this time as we are expecting a little turbulence. Please be sure your seat belt is fastened."
As he looked around the aircraft, it became obvious that many of the passengers were becoming apprehensive. Later, the voice of the announcer said, "We are so sorry that we are unable to serve the meal at this time. The turbulence is still ahead of us."
And then the storm broke. The ominous cracks of thunder could be heard even above the roar of the engines. Lightening lit up the darkening skies, and within moments that great plane was like a cork tossed around on a celestial ocean. One moment the airplane was lifted on terrific currents of air; the next, it dropped as if it were about to crash.
The pastor confessed that he shared the discomfort and fear of those around him. He said, "As I looked around the plane, I could see that nearly all the passengers were upset and alarmed. Some were praying. The future seemed ominous and many were wondering if they would make it through the storm.
And then, I suddenly saw a girl to whom the storm meant nothing. She had tucked her feet beneath her as she sat on her seat and was reading a book. Everything within her small world was calm and orderly. Sometimes she closed her eyes, then she would read again; then she would straighten her legs, but worry and fear were not in her world. When the plane was being buffeted by the terrible storm, when it lurched this way and that, as it rose and fell with frightening severity, when all the adults were scared half to death, that marvelous child was completely composed and unafraid."
The minister could hardly believe his eyes.
It was not surprising therefore, that when the plane finally reached its destination and all the passengers were hurrying to disembark, he lingered to speak to the girl whom he had watched for such a long time.
Having commented about the storm and behavior of the plane, he asked why she had not been afraid. The sweet child replied, "Sir, my Dad is the pilot, and he is taking me home."
Author Unknown
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That story reminds me of part of John Wesley's life…
In late 1735, a ship made its way to the New World from England. On board was a young Anglican minister, John Wesley, who had been invited to serve as a pastor to British colonists in Savannah, Georgia. When the weather went sour, the ship found itself in serious trouble. Wesley, also chaplain of the vessel, feared for his life.
But he noticed that the group of German Moravians, who were on their way to preach to American Indians, were not afraid at all. In fact, throughout the storm, they sang calmly. When the trip ended, he asked the Moravian leader about his serenity, and the Moravian responded with a question: Did he, Wesley, have faith in Christ? Wesley said he did, but later reflected, "I fear they were vain words."
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Got this from the "Pearls" mailing list.  To receive, just sent Larry Burrows a request at larryb1939@sbcglobal.net

Breathed longings of wonder and adoration seem always underneath and in the background of everything -- a little like a tune that we suddenly realize we have been humming all day long.          --Richard J. Foster

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Some funnies…

Toddler's Creed

If I want it, it's mine.
If I give it to you and change my mind later, it's mine.
If I can take it away from you, it's mine.
If I had it a little while ago, it's mine.
If it's mine, it will never belong to anyone else, no matter what.
If we are building something together; all the pieces are mine.
If it looks just like mine, it is mine.

AND

Computer Technology for Countryfolk

Log On -- make'n the stove hotter
Log Off -- Coolin' 'er down
Monitor -- Keepin' an eye on 'er
Download -- Gitten the farwood off'n the truck
Mega hertz -- When yer not keerfull gitten the farwood
Floppy Disk -- Whutcha git from tryin ta tote too much farwood
Ram -- that thar thang what splits farwood
Hard Drive -- Gitten home in the winter time
Windows -- Whut ta shut when it's cold outside
Screen -- Whut ta shut when it's blackfly season
Byte ~ Whut dem flys do
Chip -- Munchies fer the TV
Microchip -- Whut's in the bottom of the munchie bag
Modem -- Whutcha do ta the hayfields
Laptop -- whar the kitty naps
Keyboard -- where ya hang the truck keys
Software -- them thar plastic forks n' knives
Mouse -- Whut eats the grain in the barn
Mousepad -- Thats jes hippie talk fer where the mouse lives
Mainframe -- holds up the barn roof
Click -- Whut ya hear when ya cock yer gun
Double-Click -- whut ya hear when ya REALLY mean business
Reboot -- Whut ya have ta do right before bedtime when ya have ta go ta
the outhouse

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Send good stories and clean funnies to: johnlynnbright@gmail.com

NOTE - All material contained in this mailing is shared as received and is believed, by me, to be anonymous... unless credit is given. Please contact me at the address above if you know the author of any material so that I may give credit where credit is due. Thanks!

Grace & peace -
John A. Bright
Pastor, Walmsley Boulevard UMC in Richmond, Virginia
johnlynnbright@gmail.com
"God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change..."

Grac*e-mail for 04/19/10 got grace?

Grac*e-mail for 04/19/10
got grace?

Can all of you help me grow this list?  I know it’s not about the
numbers, but I received so many e-mails last week that it got me
thinking about when so a lot more folks got this mailing every week.
Please consider encouraging one of your e-mail buddies to join the
list.  It’s that easy!

John()_:-) Every time you see this angel, remember that God loves you!
johnlynnbright@gmail.com

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Got this link from my dad, John R. Bright, who served during the
Korean War…

http://media.causes.com/576542?p_id=92681239

An average group of Americans gathered to publicly thank their United
Stated Military for the freedom they provide.

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You can find me on Facebook – search “Pastor John Bright”  If you send
a friend request, please include a message the you receive Grac*e-
mail.  Hey – does anybody out there know how to set up a page for
Grac*e-mail?  Next I guess it will be Twitter!

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Alma Larsen sent this one for the ladies…

Remember...a layer of dust protects the wood beneath it.

‘A house becomes a home when you can write 'I love you' on the
furniture.'

I used to spend at least 8 hours every weekend making sure things were
just perfect 'in case someone came over' Finally I realized one day,
that no-one came over;  they were all  out living life and having fun!
NOW,  when people visit, I  don't have to explain  the 'condition'  of
my home They  are more interested in hearing about the things I've
been doing  while I was away living life and having fun.

Life is short. Enjoy it! Dust if you must........ but  wouldn't it be
better to paint a picture or write a letter, bake cookies or a cake
and lick the spoon or plant a seed,

Dust if you must, but there’s not all THAT much time – there are
rivers to swim and mountains to climb, music to hear and books to
read, friends to cherish and life to lead.

Dust if you must, but the world is out there with the sun in your
eyes, the wind in your hair...a flutter of snow, a shower of rain.
This day will not come around, again.

Dust if you must, but bear in mind, old age will come and it won't be
kind.
And when you go - and go you must - you, yourself will make more
dust!

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Got this from Lester AND Alma Larsen…

Ever wonder what would happen if we treated our Bible like we treat
our cell phone?

What if we carried it around in our purses or pockets?

What if we flipped through it several times a day?

What if we turned back to go get it if we forgot it?

What if we used it to receive messages from the text?

What if we treated it like we couldn't live without it?

What if we gave it to Kids as gifts?

What if we used it when we traveled?

What if we used it in case of emergency?

This is something to make you go....hmm...where is my Bible?

Oh, and one more thing.

Unlike our cell phone, we don't have to worry about our Bible being
disconnected because Jesus already paid the bill.

Makes you stop and think 'where are my priorities? And no dropped
calls!

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Another link – got this one from Don Collins…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WUQYJ77qa50
This is the shortest sermon I ever heard!
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If you received this from a friend and would like to join…

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Got this from the “Pearls” mailing list.  To receive, just sent Larry
Burrows a request at larryb1939@sbcglobal.net

God is there to meet you in the center of all your trials, and to
whisper His secrets, which will make you come forth with a shining
face and an indomitable faith that all the demons of hell shall never
afterwards cause to waver. --E. A. Kilbourne

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Here is a classic funny from Darlene Gillespie…

There was a Scottish painter named Smokey MacGregor who was very
interested in making a penny where he could, so he often thinned down
his paint to make it go a wee bit further.

As it happened, he got away with this for some time, but eventually
the Baptist Church decided to do a big restoration job on the outside
of one of their biggest buildings.

Smokey put in a bid, and, because his price was so low, he got the
job.

So he set about erecting the scaffolding and setting up the planks,
and buying the paint and, yes, I am sorry to say, thinning it down
with turpentine.

Well, Smokey was up on the scaffolding, painting away, the job nearly
completed, when suddenly there was a horrendous clap of thunder, the
sky opened, and the rain poured down washing the thinned paint from
all over the church and knocking Smokey clear off the scaffold to land
on the lawn among the gravestones, surrounded by telltale puddles of
the thinned and useless paint.

Smokey was no fool.  He knew this was a judgment from the Almighty, so
he got down on his knees and cried: "Oh God, Oh God, forgive me; what
should I do?"

And from the thunder, a mighty voice spoke, "Repaint! And thin no
more!"

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Got this “Lesley”…

As a public service, here are some common phrases used in the church,
along with their English-language equivalents:

Christianese: "If it be God's will."   Translation: "I really don't
think God is going to answer this one.

Christianese: "Let's have a word of prayer."   Translation: "I am
going to pray for a long, long, long time."

Christianese: "That's not my spiritual gift."   Translation: "Find
someone else."

Christianese: "Fellowship"   Translation: "Organized gluttony."

Christianese: "The Lord works in mysterious ways."   Translation: "I'm
totally clueless."

Christianese: "Lord willing . . ."    Translation: "You may think I'll
be there, but I won't."

Christianese: "I don't feel led."   Translation: "Can't make me."

Christianese: "God led me to do something else."   Translation: “I
slept in instead of going to church.”

Christianese: "God really helped me with this test."   Translation: "I
didn't study but I guessed good, so I'm giving God credit in the hope
that He helps me again."

Christianese: "She has such a sweet spirit!"   Translation: "What an
airhead!"

Christianese: "I have a 'check' in my spirit about him."
Translation: "I can't stand that jerk!"

Christianese: "I'll be praying for you."   Translation: "There's an
outside chance I'll remember this conversation later today."

Christianese: "Prayer concerns"   Translation: "Gossip"

Christianese: "In conclusion . . . "   Translation: "I'll be done in
another hour or so."

Christianese: "Let us pray"   Translation: "I'm going to pretend to
talk to God now, but I'm really preaching at you."

Christianese: "You just have to put it in God's hands."   Translation:
"Don't expect me to help you."

Christianese: "God wants to prosper you!"   Translation: "Give me all
your money."

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Send good stories and clean funnies to: johnlynnbright@gmail.com

NOTE - All material contained in this mailing is shared as received
and is believed, by me, to be anonymous... unless credit is given.
Please contact me at the address above if you know the author of any
material so that I may give credit where credit is due. Thanks!

Grace & peace –
John A. Bright
Pastor, Walmsley Boulevard UMC in Richmond, Virginia
johnlynnbright@gmail.com
"God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change..."

Grac*e-mail for 04/12/10 got grace?

Grac*e-mail for 04/12/10
got grace?

Thanks to "faithful few" who have sent words of encouragement lately for me start sending out mailings… again.  You never how much a few words sent by e-mail can mean.  I recently went back and looked over some of the e-mails I received over the years of folks who were touched by Grac*e-mail… always better to feed those who want to be fed and leave the others to God!

John()_:-) Every time you see this angel, remember that God loves you!
johnlynnbright@gmail.com

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You can find me on Facebook - search "Pastor John Bright"  If you send a friend request, please include a message the you receive Grac*e-mail.  Hey - does anybody out there know how to set up a page for Grac*e-mail?  Next I guess it will be Twitter!

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Haha…

A herring that for many years swam along with a friendly whale appeared one day without its companion.

Asked where the whale was, the herring replied: "How would I know? Am I my blubber's kipper?"

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Dancing With God


When I meditated on the word  Guidance,

I kept seeing "dance" at the end of the word.

I remember reading that doing God's will is a lot like dancing.

When two people try to lead, nothing feels right.

The movement doesn't flow with the music,

and everything is quite uncomfortable and jerky.

When one person realizes that, and lets the other lead,

both bodies begin to flow with the music.

One gives gentle cues, perhaps with a nudge to the back

or by pressing lightly in one direction or another.

It's as if two become one body, moving beautifully.

The dance takes surrender, willingness,

and attentiveness from one person

and gentle guidance and skill from the other.

My eyes drew back to the word  Guidance.

When I saw "G": I thought of God, followed by "u" and "i".

"God, "u" and "i" dance."

God, you, and I dance.

As I lowered my head, I became willing to trust

that I would get  guidance about my life..

Once again, I became willing to let God lead...

My prayer for you today is that God's blessings

and mercies are upon you on this day and everyday.

May you abide in God, as God   abides in you.

Dance together with God, trusting God to lead

and to guide you through each season of your life.

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A joke my Dad sent to me…
A teacher was arrested at John F. Kennedy International Airport as he attempted to board a flight while in possession of a ruler, a protractor, a compass, a slide-rule and a calculator.
At a morning press conference, the Attorney General said he believes the man is a member of the notorious Al-Gebra movement. He did not identify the man, who has been charged by the FBI with carrying weapons of math instruction.
'"Al-Gebra is a problem for us," the Attorney General said. "They derive solutions by means and extremes, and sometimes go off on tangents in search of absolute values." They use secret code names like 'X' and 'Y' and refer to themselves as "unknowns", but we have determined that they belong to a common denominator of the axis of medieval with coordinates in every country.
As the Greek philanderer Isosceles used to say, 'There are 3 sides to every triangle'.
When asked to comment on the arrest, President Obama said, "If God had wanted us to have better weapons of math instruction, he would have given us more fingers and toes." White House aides told reporters they could not recall a more intelligent or profound statement by the President. It is believed that the Nobel Prize for Physics will follow.
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If you received this from a friend and would like to join…

To subscribe to this group, send email to
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Got this from the "Pearls" mailing list.  To receive, just sent Larry Burrows a request at larryb1939@sbcglobal.net

Sometimes God says, "Wait."  When He does, His intent is always that He would become more precious to you than during the waiting than if he had said "Yes" immediately.    

--Unknown

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This is the beginning of an blog I read recently…

Last week Gayle Haggard's new book hit bookstores. While the story and aftermath of Ted Haggard's scandal involving a male escort has been adequately covered, her perspective has not been heard . . . until now.

Her book, "Why I Stayed: The Choices I Made in My Darkest Hour", gives a gut-wrenchingly honest account of how she discovered her husband's infidelity. "My heart skipped a beat when I heard the serious tone in his voice," she writes. "I felt the life begin to drain from my body. I sat down across from Ted at the attorney's conference table, and as I looked at him, I saw that his expression had changed. This was not the confident man who had entered the building with me only a few moments before. This man's face had contorted with anguish. I sat stunned in my chair as Ted looked at me with the saddest eyes I have ever seen on his face." He responded, "It's true - not all of it, but part of it, enough of it."

Here is a link for the whole article…
http://www.charismamag.com/index.php/blogs/counter-culture/26071-the-wounded-unseen

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Got this Reid Broce…

I asked God to take away my habit. God said, No. It is not for me to take away, but for you to give it up.


I asked God to make my handicapped child whole. God said, No. His spirit is whole, his body is only temporary.

I asked God to grant me patience. God said, No. Patience is a byproduct of tribulations; it isn't granted, it is learned.

I asked God  to give me happiness. God  said, No. I  give you blessings; Happiness is up to you.

I  asked God to spare me pain. God  said, No. Suffering draws you apart from worldly cares and brings you closer to me.

I asked God to make my spirit grow. God said, No. You must grow on your own, but I will prune you to make you fruitful.

I asked God for all things that I might enjoy life. God said, No. I will give you life, so that you may enjoy all things.

I asked God to help me LOVE others, as much as He loves me. God  said.... Ahhhh, finally you have the idea.

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One more "haha"…

Top Ten Ways You Know You're In a Bad Church


10.The church bus has gun racks.

9. The church staff consists of Senior Pastor, Associate Pastor and Socio-pastor.

8. The Bible they use is the "Dr. Seuss Version."

7. There's an ATM in the lobby.

6. Choir wears leather robes.

5. Worship services are B.Y.O.S. -- "Bring Your Own Snake."

4. No cover charge, but communion is a two-drink minimum.

3. Karaoke Worship Time.

2. Ushers ask, "Smoking or Non-smoking?"

1. The only song the organist knows is "In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida."

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Send good stories and clean funnies to: johnlynnbright@gmail.com

NOTE - All material contained in this mailing is shared as received and is believed, by me, to be anonymous... unless credit is given. Please contact me at the address above if you know the author of any material so that I may give credit where credit is due. Thanks!

Grace & peace -
John A. Bright
Pastor, Walmsley Boulevard UMC in Richmond, Virginia
johnlynnbright@gmail.com
"God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change..."