Sometimes we need a diversion. Mine was simple today. Instead of sitting at the kitchen table, I took breakfast into the den, using the coffee table for set up. After a brief prayer, I turned on the t.v., practically inhaling coffee, eggs and toast during the Christian program.

Then, glancing at the time, I jumped. The memorial service for a friend would begin in just over an hour and I still needed to bathe, dress and pick up another friend who would ride with me.

About to dump the scraps into the trash can, my eye caught something more precious than food. Somehow, I had managed to accidentally snag the Bible bookmark up with my breakfast plate. Now this is no ordinary bookmark. Crocheted by my grandmother, this is one of a few items I have from her: a gift she gave me when I was around six years old. Grandmother Belle died when I was only eight.

I immediately thought of her favorite hymn: Rock of Ages. Sometime during those years before her death I had learned to play the piano. Knowing this was grandmother's special hymn, I had struggled to learn it and fondly remember calling her on the phone to play it for her. After the brief recital, I recall grandmother saying something like this: "Honey, this is the best gift you could give me."

Today, I have little skill for sewing and don't crochet so am truly thankful I didn't carelessly toss the bookmark away. After all, one line in Rock of Ages reads, "Let me hide myself in Thee." Now, as the marker rests in my Bible, I am also reminded of the admonition: "I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you" (Ps. 119:11 NIV). Today I can say with her: "This is the best gift you could give me."

Not my problems, but His power,
Not my stress, but His strength,
Not my worries, but His wisdom,
Not my failures, but his faithfulness,
Not my loss, but His love,
Not my pressure, but His peace,
Not me, but Him, in everything:
"For of Him and through Him and to
Him are all things, to whom be glory
forever! Amen." Romans 11:36).

Our feathered friends are fearless
Their food God will supply, and
 Should a branch not hold them
With wings, of course, they fly.

So if the birds have beauty
And God gives them a song
Should not His sons and daughters
Praise Him all day long!

An excerpt from:
Be Anxious For Nothing

My friend Allie asked her young grandson this question: "Paul what does God do when He saves a person?"

"Oh, that easy Grandma. God just takes the baddest out and puts the goodest in."

I believe if Paul had understood the meaning of peace and contentment at this young age he would have also said it comes when "God takes the baddest out and puts the goodest in."

Read more @ www.amazon.com/author/saradubose.

A friend is a smile on a dreary day. A friend is a hand when you've lost your way.
A friend is an eye to help you plan. A friend is a heart to understand.
A friend is an arm when the day is long. A friend is a voice through your stifled song.
A friend is an ear to hear what you say. A friend is a soul to help you pray.

1. Will this work honor my Savior or this writer?

2. Have I prayed and asked God for direction?

3. Have I given it my best?

4. How will it benefit the reader?

When Jesus came down
How only crown
Was the jeweled-filled
Stars in the sky.
His throne was small
In the cattle stall;
His praise a lullaby.
And those who came
To give acclaim
Were men who
Smelled like sheep,
Yet shepherds heard
The angel's word
And now we all repeat:
"Glory to God in the highest,
and on earth peace, good will
toward men"
(Luke 2:14).

Not my problems, but His power,
Not my stress, but His strength,
Not my worries, but His wisdom,
Not my failures, but His faithfulness,
Not my loss, but His love,
Not my pressure, but His peace,
Not me, but Him, in everything;
"For of Him and through Him and to Him
are all things, to whom be glory
forever! Amen. " 
(Romans 11:36 NKJV)
To read more see: Be Anxious For Nothing
www.amazon.com/author/saradubose

Where do fears comes from? Do they arise from the present moment or do they lurk somewhere inside a convoluted corridor of the mind?

At some point in our lives we all experience fear. Sometimes it may border on terror. Somehow we cope, overcome and carry on. As you escape into Uncharted Waters I trust you will also find helpful information and become more aware, not only of the dangers, but of the precautions we can all take to live a safe and satisfying life. If trouble should ever stalk you, this book will offer the advice and resources to counter your fears. Most of all, it will point you to the Author of the abundant life. I make no apologies for the introduction. Link: www.amazon.com/author/saradubose.

Some years ago I heard the story of a four-year-old boy facing major surgery. For weeks Barret's parents tried to prepare him for the ordeal. Convinced Scripture could help, they taught him this simple verse: "When I am afraid, I will trust in you" (Ps. 56:3 NIV). The day for surgery arrived and Barret kept repeating his special verse. Later, the doctors and staff said they witnessed an unusual peace for a child so young.

Barret, however, will display a degree of hostility when he is withdrawn from the drugs following his operation," the surgeon warned. "Don't be alarmed. It's perfectly normal."

Steeled for this time, Barret's parents seldom left his bedside. One afternoon he began to stir and it wasn't long before they observed him slowly moving is lips. His first silent words were "I love you," and the next was a complete sentence: "When I am afraid,I will trust in you."