Excerpt from an article in Lifesite News by Donald DeMarco provided by Kelly White

The grandfather has lived long enough to know how shallow and ephemeral fads can be. His role is to impart a higher wisdom. He is concerned about the things that nourish and endure: faith, love, beauty and one’s eternal destiny. He has survived fads and his words come from a life that has not been lived from impulses of the moment. He may have silver in his hair, but he has gold in his heart.

Grandfatherhood is not only an honor, it is also a paradox. When a man begins to feel old, his grandchildren can make him feel young again. An hour with one’s grandchildren can be rejuvenating; but any longer than that, it must be noted, it can be debilitating. It is a paradox tinged with poignancy. As the sands of time flow from the upper region of the hourglass, they fill the lower half. Advancing age is redeemed by emerging life. Thereby, life is not diminished. Time is not wasted. Sacrifices are not in vain.

And so, I will proudly accept the title of grandfather, a title shared by clocks and clauses, those apt and enduring symbols of time and antiquity. I will boast that I have evolved from a lad to a man, a husband to a father, and finally to a grandfather. At the summit of life, the view is certainly grand.

by Patti Snodgrass

Splendor. What a remarkable word! Splendor is not used much in our vocabulary; I wonder why? It’s an impressive word; it’s speaks of greatness, and awesomeness. 

The word splendor got my attention today. Why you ask? Because today is a good day—my heart is full of thanksgiving. I am thankful for what God has done, and for what God is doing, and I am thankful for the lessons of faith and trust that I’ve been learning as I journey through the seasons of my life. As I pondered over my thankfulness this morning I was drawn to read Psalm 145:5 where the word splendor jumped off the page and into my heart, and captured my attention.    

“Your majesty and glorious splendor have captivated me;
I will meditate on Your wonders, sing songs of Your worth.”

Of all the words in that great scripture it was the word splendor that grabbed my attention. As I reflected on this remarkable word, I decided to look it up in the dictionary to discover the synonyms that describe this word.

Splendor: magnificence, grandeur, lavishness, majesty, richness, impressiveness, glory, beauty. 

It truly is a remarkable word isn’t it?

So there you have it, the reason behind my ponderings! It is a good day, whether you are having one or not, to marvel at the splendor, the majesty, the grandeur, the lavishness, the glory, the richness, the beauty, and the impressiveness of God’s love for us! 

May you be captivated by and revel in the splendor of your God today!

Excerpt from the book “What Every Sunday School Teacher Should Know” by Elmer L. Towns provided by Sara White

To be an effective teacher, you must discover and identify your unique spiritual gifts.  Your gifts are the abilities, or talents, God uses to get His work done. Think about the spiritual gifts that tend to be task-oriented and that shape the way you do ministry for God.  These nine task-gifts include:

God’s goal in giving us gifts is not just to help us develop labels for ministry but also to help us find ways to be effective in ministry.  When you know your gift, begin thinking about how you can use that gift as a Sunday School teacher.  If you are gifted in evangelism, find ways to incorporate the gospel into your lessons in order to lead your students to Christ.  If you are gifted in prophecy, God can use you to point others to God’s Word for them and, many times, help them to discover sin in their lives.  If you are gifted in teaching, study hard to accurately communicate the content of Scripture.  If you are gifted in exhortation, motivate your students to apply the lesson in practical ways.  If you are gifted in shepherding, tend the Sunday School flock over which you have been given oversight.  If you are gifted in showing mercy, be alert to ways you can counsel those in your class.  If you are gifted in serving, look for ways to teach the practical implications of Scripture by helping others.  If you are gifted in giving, use the insights you have gained to help others with stewardship.  If you are gifted in administration, manage well the learning experiences in your class.

God has given you a unique combination of spiritual gifts to accomplish a unique purpose that will lead to unique results, but you must be willing to use your gifts to glorify God. 

by Lee Leafgren

How do we often see ourselves?  Is our entire identity and self-worth wrapped up in what we occupy our time with or how we make our living?  What happens if any of these activities, or the way we perform them are altered as we go through life?   It is so easy for me (and perhaps for you) to beat myself up, and feel like such a zero!  I have to keep reminding myself when I frequently fall short, and remember all the failures in my life, that God doesn’t see me like I see myself.  

His word tells us:

I Corinthians 2:16 “For who has the mind of the Lord that he may instruct him?  But we have the mind of Christ.”         

II Corinthians 5:21 “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”

Romans 8:37 “No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.”

Psalm 139:14 “I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made...”

Philippians 4:13 “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”

God’s character goes into the creation of every person.  When you feel worthless or even begin to hate yourself, remember that God’s Spirit is ready and willing to work within you.  We should have as much respect for ourselves as our Maker has for us. 

I’m working on it.