Inspiration and Encouragement - April Lorier

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A Brainless Fish
2008-01-06 18:44:00
I am thinking this morning about an experiment that was done on fish. Scientists were trying to find out why fish swam in schools (as opposed to swimming alone). They took one fish and did a lobotomy on it. They completely removed the fish's brain, therefore any instinct in it to swim with all of the other fish. Sure enough, without a brain, the fish swam off in another direction. But the amazing
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Please Pray for Herb
2008-01-06 05:11:00
Tonight my heart is breaking for my friend, Herb . He's a tough guy in every part of his life except for his wife who passed away December 27th. She came into his life when he did not have any interest in having another woman in his life. He had already been through a bad marriage, and he wasn't going to make himself vulnerable to another one! But this woman with red hair and a warm smile just
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Jesus Is Only As Far Away As Your Need
2008-01-05 19:28:00
The man slowly looked up. This was a woman clearly accustomed to the finer things of life. Her coat was new. She looked like that she had never missed a meal in her life. His first thought was that she wanted to make fun of him, like so many others had done before. "Leave me alone," he growled. To his amazement, the woman continued standing. She was smiling -- her even white teeth
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Just Go With The Flow and Hang On Tight!
2008-01-05 05:04:00
Well, most of you know about the last "season" in California. If you haven't read what I and millions of others went through, read it here. Everyone watches the Rose Parade out of Pasadena, and they think, "Why am I living here in this cold place? Look at California! It's paradise!" NOT! As a Californian, I do not know about Summer, Winter, Spring, or Fall. I know about Fire Season, Torrential
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How Do You Measure Yourself?
2008-01-03 18:09:00
Today I've been thinking about all the lies I believed about who I was. When I was a child of school age, I believed I was the fat, unattractive girl in the classroom. I believed I was inferior because my father "didn't have a real job." (He was a pastor and the kids thought he worked only one day a week.) Since I lived in a small mining town where most men went to work every day, I felt ashamed

Who Will You Be This Year?
2008-01-03 02:26:00
So, the New Year is here. What's all the fuss about a new year, anyway? All cultures and countries celebrate a "new year". I ask myself, Who do I want to be this year?" I see a new year as just another chance to be better -- a sort of "do over" in several areas. One of my favorite parts of being a follower of Jesus Christ is that He is all about second, third, fourth chances and new things!

New Year, New Attitude From a Princess!
2008-01-01 00:09:00
So today ends the old year and tomorrow begins the New Year . How was this year for you? Full of stress? Yeah, mine, too. But tonight at midnight I will be acting in accordance with my "new attitude"! I am a Christian who has allowed herself to become discouraged this year. I've cried, been downhearted, defeated and discouraged. I'm ashamed to admit I have not always trusted God to provide,
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Too Crazy Not To Share
2007-12-31 00:21:00
I received this from my New York friend who's a little crazy, and it made me laugh. So if you need a laugh today, read on... Ways to Maintain a Healthy Level of Insanity 1. At lunch time, sit in your parked car with sunglasses on and point a hair dryer at passing cars. See if they slow down. 2. Page yourself over the office intercom. Don't disguise your voice. 3. In the memo field of all your
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Mandisa, Living Out Her Faith On American Idol
2007-12-28 21:21:00
As part of my morning devotional I was watching Mandisa sing "It's Only The World". You remember Mandisa. Even if you are not an American Idol watcher, clips of her response to Simon Cowell were played on almost every station during the fifth season of Idol. Cowell, known for his sharp tongue had insulted her on national television, asking if they had a bigger stage this year to accommodate
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Brian Wilson and The Power Of Words
2007-12-28 04:58:00
Every year I watch The Kennedy Center Honors. This was the thirtieth year, and the most profound for me. I enjoyed the eclectic mixture of honorees once again. This year those honored were Diana Ross, Steve Martin, Martin Scorsese, Brian Wilson and pianist Leon Fleisher. It was, once again, a wonderful way to end the year. But it was also very sad for me. Art Garfunkel gave an inspiring, poetic
More About: Power , Words , Brian Wilson

Tragedy on Christmas Eve Day
2007-12-25 19:32:00
It was Christmas Eve yesterday, and I was busy writing when I heard a frantic knock at my door. I looked out the window and saw my neighbor, Rachael. She was hysterical and incoherent, but I figured out a strange man had just appeared in her front room, sat in her easy chair and refused to leave. Rachael lives alone and she’s in her late seventies, but she was demanding that this man leave
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Hurry Up And Grow!
2007-12-24 20:38:00
Would you expect a four-month-old baby to be able to play hide’n’seek, or to carry on an articulate conversation? No? Why not? That’s what some of us Christians expect from four-month-old Christians! We expect that “new nature” to kick right into high gear and immediately mature into perfection! I’ve been thinking about the growing process for born-again Children of God. What provoked my
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What Is The Best Gift For All Kids?
2007-12-23 00:37:00
The short answer is for the man to set the example of love for them to emulate. To love their Mamas in an obvious way! And for their Mamas to make it clear that she respects their Daddy as the head of the house. Why? Paul said it so plainly: The wife sets the example of submission. The husband sets the example of loving. Each makes it easier for the other by taking the lead in his or her
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Denzel Washington and My Self-Esteem Bucket
2007-12-20 19:20:00
I watched an interview with two-time Academy Award Winner Denzel Washington today. His new movie (he directed and acted) , coming to theaters on Christmas Day, is called The Great Debaters. The story follows a black southern debate team during the Great Depression as they pursue the challenges of debating the white teams. Denzel knows exactly who he is!He told how he starts and ends his day with prayer, asking for guidance, protection, and even more "thank You's". He talked about how everyone has his little bucket of self-esteem and all day long people are tipping his bucket, trying to empty it out. He said he has to refill that bucket, sometimes several times a day, and the only way to refill it is to maintain his inner peace. How does he refill it? Denzel runs to the Lord for His refills. His mother always told him, "Man gives the AWARD, God gives the REWARD."He struck me as a very humble man in spite of his huge accomplishments and awards. His comments also brought up a questio...
More About: People , Denzel Washington , Self Esteem , Esteem

A Blessing by Email Today!
2007-12-18 23:11:00
Some time ago, I wrote a post called Clapping Though My Tears for Barbara Johnson. Barbara had requested that we clap, not cry, when she "moved on" to her place of Glory. The post was written out of love for a lady who had helped so many hurting people with her wisdom wit and humor. I mentioned she had formed Spatula Ministries to continue the help long after she left this earth. Today , I received an email from her son, David. I'm reprinting it here, with his permission, and hope it blesses you as it blessed me.Dear April,I want to thank you for your recent article concerning my mother,Barbara Johnson. I've asked our webmaster to link it to our website,if that is OK with you! And thank you for your kind words concerning my mother's passing. There have been many people that have told me of my mother's encouragement and how she had saved so many lives.I know my mother would want you have the DVD of the Tribute we held forher at the Crystal Cathedral this last September. So I...
More About: Humor , People , Email , Blessing

I Ask For Blindness, Lord
2007-12-17 23:20:00
I ask for blindness, Lord , as I come before You in worship. You, more than I, know my frame. I am a writer, so You know I love words! It would be so easy for me to be caught up in the eloquence of my pastor's words. I am a person with valuable personal experiences to share, so it would be easy for me to deify my own experiences. I'm a musician, so it would be natural for me to be swept away by the musical ecstasy offered to You this morning. Today, as I sit in this pew, save me from the worship of eloquent words, the deification of my own experiences, and the distraction of even the most sacred musical ecstasy. I am grateful for each friend's greeting this morning. But let me see only You, worship only at Your feet, and be entirely dependent upon You and Your Grace. Until You touch me, Lord, let me be blind to all else but You. "None but Thee, LORD, None but Thee."(c) 2007 April Lorier
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Oprah: Can We Trust Her Judgment?
2007-12-15 23:07:00
Is there a human in our country that does not know Oprah is out stumping for Obama? Maybe, but very few. I have been wondering: Just how much can we trust her judgment? Let?s recap. First, there was her infamous statement in 1996, while in Cattle Country, Texas: "It has just stopped me cold from eating another burger!" Naturally, the cattlemen sued her and Howard Lyman ("Mad Cow Disease" Guest). Ok, so that?s how she met Dr. Phil McGraw, so that mistake turned out well after her long trial with the cattlemen of Texas. Next, there was the major guffaw of James Frey and his supposedly true story,A Million Little Pieces. In an October 26 show entitled "The Man Who Kept Oprah Awake At Night," Winfrey hailed Frey's graphic and coarse book as "like nothing you've ever read before. Everybody at Harpo is reading it." She chose it as her book club featured book. After a six-week investigation by The Smoking Gun, it turned out James had pulled the wool over her eyes. Then after...
More About: People , April , View , Trust

Song of Praise To My Husbandman
2007-12-15 00:58:00
For years as a Prodigal Daughter, I searched for meaning in a variety of philosophies from Transcendental Meditation to Eastern Religions of all kinds. Not finding anything that filled my soul as Jesus had once done, I came back to The Savior of the World, Jesus Christ.One day I was reading in the bible where God was the "husbandman". I looked up the word and it meant, in essence, the caretaker of plants. Since I was an experienced horticulturist, it sent me off on a road that lead to the knowledge that I was a seedling planted long ago -- when I was a young child and asked Jesus to come live in my heart -- and God had been a very patient husbandman with me as I searched in all the wrong places.. The result was this poem: "Seedling Song of Praise to My Husbandman". I share it with you in the hopes it will stir whatever The Holy Spirit deems important inside your spirit.Seedling Song of Praise to My Husbandmanby April Lorier What knows more freedom than the young seed piercing rock...
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Oprah, Dr Phil, Rachael Ray Give-Away "Blessing"?
2007-12-14 04:03:00
This is the season for Harpo "Christmas Give Away" Shows. Today is was Dr Phil and his family giving away oodles of gifts to an audience filled with disenfranchised California Fire families. I always watch these shows thinking the same thing: Are these shows really blessing these poor people? If I had lost my home to Katrina or California fires, or any other catastrophe, what would be my biggest need? Would it be a huge LCD HD TV, or the latest camcorder? If I don't have a house to live in, what am I going to do with this huge television? I was on a television show once and was "blessed" with a wonderful Conn organ. It was three layers of push a button and get a trumpet section; push another button and get a harpsichord sound. Since I am a musician, it was a wonderful gift ? until April 15th! I knew nothing about "gift tax" so was totally unprepared for the additional money I was told I owed IRS. It didn't take any time at all for that organ to turn into my worst nightmare!...
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An Eleanor Ribgy Christmas
2007-12-13 21:51:00
Anyone over the age of 35 remembers Paul McCartney?s lyrics in ?Eleanor Rigby?. He asks who is she putting on the face cream for? And poor Father McKenzie who?s writing a sermon that no one will hear. Both very lonely people described by Paul, and he asks where all these lonely people come from and where they belong. I think about this song during this Christmas Season. I think about the widow who devoted her life to her husband for fifty years and now he?s gone. She?s left with memories that just make her lonelier during this ?festive? season. Who cares about her? Who makes time to make sure she is invited to Christmas Dinner, or who pays for her to have her hair done so she can feel pretty again? Then my mind wanders to the 37 year-old single mother of three small boys. Her husband decided he didn?t want to be a father anymore and he just left. Who cares if she has enough food for breakfast, much less for a Christmas Dinner? Who cares if her children have a tree, much less a...
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How Old Is Jesus, Gramma?
2007-12-13 00:18:00
?Whatchya doin? Gramma?? Jacob?s chubby little face with those inquisitive brown eyes was too cute to not kiss. He wriggled in embarrassment as I planted a Gramma kiss on his cheek. ?Ooo, yuck! I not a baby. I a big boy, Gramma!? ?Oh, Gramma knows what a big boy you are, Jacob. You talk like you?re six years old! But you?re still four, right?? He nodded in ascension. ?I?m wrapping a Birthday Gift. Wanna help me? You can give me the tape there.? ?You going to a birthday party?? His eyes twinkled at the thought of a party. ?Yep, Gramma and Jacob and Mommy and Daddy and your uncles are coming here for a big old birthday party next week! We?re gonna have tacos and fried beans and Spanish rice with our birthday cake and ice cream! Sound good?? ?Uh huh! Who the birthday boy? Jacob?? He was looking more and more hopeful by the minute now. ?No, honey, your birthday is in April, remember? You had that big birthday party and all your friends came. Remember? You were in the...
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Angel - Want to Be One for Christmas?
2007-12-10 20:51:00
Want to do something altruistic for Christmas ? Want to be a blessing to those who will never be able to reciprocate? "Now why would I want to do that?" you ask. Because the Spirit of Christmas is about giving, just as Christ gave His life for you! Have you heard about the Angel Tree® Ministry?Prison Fellowship’s Angel Tree® is the only nationwide, year-round effort that specifically reaches out to the estimated 2.3 million children in the United States whose parent or parents are incarcerated. Angel Tree® provides Christmas care as well as activities throughout the year — such as summer camping and mentoring relationships -- through its network of thousands of local churches across the country, to help break the intergenerational cycle of crime and reconcile prisoners and their children.Angel Tree® is about parent-child reconciliation and families helping families. Thousands of families from churches across the country "adopt" an Angel Tree child each Christmas and prov...

The Teacher Who Changed My Life
2007-12-10 04:21:00
She was the turning point in my life. She told me what a great story-teller I was instead of what an exaggerator or liar I was. When she looked at me with those soft gray eyes I felt she was seeing inside me and loving me. When she smiled at me, I thought I was the most special person God ever created. Even after decades, she is still one of my most memorable heroes. Not a day goes by that I don't remember something she taught me, or the look of delight on her face as she talked to me. I remember how she motivated me to rise beyond my environment, to see myself -- for the very first time -- as a uniquely special human being with endless possibilities within my reach. I remember that I would have done anything to please her because, at a time when I didn't care about myself, there was no doubt in my mind that this woman truly cared about me. She was never too busy (or too self-absorbed) to linger after class and give students a boost of confidence, a warm smile, and even ...
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Love is a Verb and Actions Speak Louder Than Words
2007-12-08 21:53:00
I have always believed love was a verb - an active word - a word that required action, not just quotes. What good does it do to say, "I love you" if there are no actions involved? Do you mean, "I love you but I don't have time for you"? Has the phrase become meaningless like,"Let's do lunch sometime"?I have tried to teach all of my children that actions speak louder than words. So a recent conversation with one of my grown children was extremely upsetting to me. This child said, "Just because I don't call you doesn't mean I don't love you." Really? Given what this child knows about me and my recent circumstances, it seems odd not to get a quick phone call to say, "How are you, Mom?" I know it's not due to a generation gap because I have other children who understand actions speak louder than empty words.For decades I have had the following poem hanging on my wall. The author is unknown, but during the '80s and '90s when I had it posted on my MusicAndWords website, I must hav...
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A Christmas Letter From Jesus
2007-12-06 22:50:00
Have you ever considered the possibility of receiving a Christmas Letter from Jesus ? It's intriguing, isn't it? I received this in an email from a friend, and I do not know the original source. But I wanted to share it with my readers.Dear Children,It has come to my attention that many of you are upset that folks are taking My name out of the season. Maybe you've forgotten that I wasn't actually born during this time of the year and that it was some of your predecessors who decided to celebrate My birthday on what was actually a time of pagan festival. I do appreciate being remembered any time.How I personally feel about this celebration can probably be most easily understood by those of you who have been blessed with children of your own. I don't care what you call the day.If you want to celebrate My birth, just try loving one another.Now, having said that let Me go on. If it bothers you that the town in which you live doesn't allow a scene depicting My birth, then just get r...

Prison Fellowship Ministries Being Sued?
2007-12-05 02:12:00
I am appalled to hear that Prison Fellowship is now being sued. This ministry was founded by Chuck Colson, former Counsel for President Nixon, after Colson served seven months in prison for obstructing justice in the Watergate scandal. As a "new creature in Christ" Colson recognized the need for a Christian ministry inside prisons all across America, and he put feet to his dream, and the result is the most successful program on the planet! The recidivism rate (prisoners returning to prison after their release) is so much lower than any other program that there's not even a comparison!So why are they being sued, you ask?Americans United for Separation of Church and State, an organization that should be ashamed of itself, is suing them! In the U.S. District Court in Des Moines, Iowa the trial has begun. Americans United for Separation of Church and State is challenging the use of taxpayer funds to support Prison Fellowship Ministries' "InnerChange" Christian rehabilitation program i...
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No Redeeming Value, This Just Tickled Me!
2007-12-04 00:55:00
(Best when read out loud!)"Spelling Checker" Eye Halve a Spelling Chequer!Eye halve a spelling chequerIt came with my pea seaIt plainly marques four my revueMiss steaks eye kin knot sea.Eye strike a key and type a wordAnd weight four it two sayWeather eye am wrong oar writeIt shows me strait a weigh.As soon as a mist ache is maidIt nose bee fore two longAnd eye can put the error riteIts rarely ever wrong.Eye have run this poem threw itI am shore your pleased two noIts letter perfect in it's weighMy chequer tolled me sew.-- Sauce unknownThank you, AHaJokes.com
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The Other Sin of Sodom - Wow!
2007-12-03 03:53:00
All week long, I've been thinking about why You destroyed Sodom , Father. For years I sat in my father's congregation and heard it was because of what those people did.But in Ezekiel 16:49-50, I see an additional reason! Speaking to Jerusalem, You said:49 "'Now this was the sin of your sister Sodom : She and her daughters were arrogant, overfed and unconcerned; they did not help the poor and needy. [emphasis mine]50 They were haughty and did detestable things before me. Therefore I did away with them as you have seen." NIV So You destroyed Sodom for what they did not do, too -- for failing to be concerned about those who were worse off than they! And it's not that they didn't have anything to give. They had abundance and prosperity all around them! They were selfish, self-centered, and self-obsessed! People in pain also become selfish, Father. You know my present circumstances, and you know my painful struggle to remember that You, alone , are in control of this situation. I...

Abandonment and The Dancing Bride
2007-12-03 03:40:00
Abandonment and The Dancing Bride (c) 1994-2007 April LorierI eat ripe melons and peaches by my sink, let the juicetickle my arms and splat on my toes. Like a child,I giggle as the juice dries to sticky.I plant fewer beans and more flowers in my garden, now.Cheerful bouquets grace my table to celebrate each day,even when visitors are not expected. I sneak out before the Mr. Sun rises to watch him rub hissleepy eyes, the sky progressing from tangerineto aquamarine. I welcome the fresh clean day, celebratingwith blueberry pancakes and steamingchocolate-raspberry coffee.My senses drink in the luxuriant balanceof my Creator's perfect handiwork. I wiggle my bright red toenails and squish early-morningdew-covered grass between them. Unconcernedwith neighbors' reactions, the birds and I bathe in the rainwithout cover. I squeal in delight as my featheredfriends sing! I can sneeze, cry, laugh from my belly--all without apologizing for myself. I have a tambourine and I play it as I dance...
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Ernie and Bird Brain Wisdom
2007-12-03 02:59:00
I tried my best to avoid Dave at every church function. Most people did. His inordinate need for attention and his obvious emotional and spiritual immaturity embarrassed me. I went out of my way to not be associated with him.Intellectually, I understood people are often needy because they had been damaged in some way, so I would have moments of guilt for acting as I did. Then he would say something totally inappropriate and I’d be right back where I began-- embarrassed for him. At the same time I was hand feeding baby cockatiels every two hours, and one of them who I affectionately called “Little Dirty Ernie ," just couldn’t eat enough to make him grow. I tried everything, but to no avail.One night, still bleary-eyed from little sleep, I prayed, “God, please help me! Ernie isn’t going to make it if You don’t help us out. He's just too weak."And into my spirit, clear as a bell, came the thought, “Ernie is the weakest of your birds, and yet you love him the most. Why doe...
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