Last summer I kept my three granddaughters, ages 6, 8 and 8. After a very hard day of heavy work, I fell into my chair and told the girls they could eat cereal for supper. They said: "Grandma, we will fix a meal for you." I told them I would like that. But I was not to go into the kitchen because it would be a surprise. After an hour of preparation they blindfolded me and led me into the dining room. I was very surprised!

A very odd assortment of food was in the depression glass dishes I had inherited from my grandmother and a hand-blown cobalt set of dishes from the Governor's mansion. Each of us had a bowl for cream corn (heated in the bowl in the microwave), a plate for an ear of corn, a plate for bread, another plate for a fresh tomato with Vienna sausage, a stem glass for milk, a wine glass for water, a cup for tea, and a bowl for fresh-picked cherries and apricots covered with half-melted ice cream. We enjoyed our meal. Then they said they would wash the dishes. I saved the dishes from the dishwasher by saying how much better I felt and I wanted to wash the dishes.

The low value they placed on my dishes is so similar to the value we unknowingly place on our salvation. God gave His most valuable gift to redeem us from sin. It was free to us, but, oh, so costly to Him! How often do Christians go about life "living my life as I choose", making life comfortable, crowding our schedules with pleasures and leaving Bible study and prayer out of our lives? Or "when I find time, I read the Bible and pray". We will not find time, we must take time. What little appreciation we show for the value of God's precious gift to save our souls and be with Him for eternity!

Prayer: Heavenly Father, we thank you for your gift of salvation that we may have everlasting life. Give us understanding of the price You paid for our transgressions. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.

Several years ago I installed a large, vertical 24 inch by 48 inch fluorescent light at the head of Jessica's bed. The light has been serviceable and used frequently. During spring cleaning this year, I moved her bed to the other side of the room, leaving more room beneath the light for play on the floor. Bedrolls were spread in this area frequently during the summer. While Jessica visited a cousin in Maryland, I papered and painted her bathroom and bedroom and cleaned closets and dresser drawers. Alone and quiet for a week, I prayed for everyone on my prayer list and enjoyed the extra prayer time. I picked up the mail today and was very concerned about bills. God has graciously supplied us with all we need, along with some luxuries and extras. But my selfish mind was on getting everything paid. I asked God to provide enough that I would not owe one cent. That prayer seemed to be of more concern than any other thing today.

As I was getting ready to paper her room, my hand touched the light. It fell, and it was all I could do to hold it, as I caught it. The 40 pound light had been perfectly balanced for all those months with the grandchildren playing underneath it! When I had moved the bed, the brass headboard was no longer there to prevent the light from falling, and it had nothing to secure it. As I held the heavy light, I said, "Thank you, Heavenly Father, for your protection from this light the past months." It really hit me as I remembered the children sleeping there during the summer. I began to cry and fell to my knees thanking God for His protection from my carelessness. I was shaking so badly I could not finish the task. We will never know how close or how often we are to death. My protective angel is overworked!

Proverbs 3:1-3 will be our next passage to memorize: "My son, forget not my law; but let thine heart keep my commandments; for length of days, and long life, and peace, shall they add to thee. Let not mercy and truth forsake thee: bind them about thy neck; write them upon the table of thine heart." (KJV)

Prayer: Our heavenly Father, thank you for your protection as we go about our daily routines. We ask that You love and correct us as you fill our hearts with wisdom to do your will. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.

For over four years, my granddaughter, Jessica, now age 8, has been living with me. This summer I have dismissed my pottery and painting classes to care for her and two other granddaughters near her age. It is to be a summer to be remembered! They have begun learning verses of scripture beginning with each letter of the alphabet. We will learn to can and dehydrate fruit and vegetables from the garden, sew using the sewing machine to make shorts and tops, even a quilt top and quilt it, and as always, paint and make pottery.

The day before yesterday they were given a dog. They were so proud of Honey Jean, a beautiful registered miniature Collie. After many hours of play, she slept with the girls. Yesterday morning I let her out. As she walked down the fence I called her name. She ignored me and continued until she found an open gate. Quickly, I got the girls in the truck and we hunted for Honey Jean for two hours, came back, made flyers and took them to all neighbours within half a mile of our country home. Then we drove another two hours, looking for her. She was gone.

This morning, the girls suggested that we have a special prayer for Honey Jean to come home, because, they said, "'I' is for 'If you ask anything in My name, I will do it.'" They crawled into my lap and with bowed heads began praying. Teeth had not been brushed, and their breath was so bad I raised my head above them! But it was at that moment they felt a necessity to pray for Honey Jean to return home. Each simple prayer ended in "In Jesus' name, we pray."

This afternoon, 18 hours after I had lost the dog by not having a leash on her, we were threading needles to try some embroidery, when we heard the answering machine come on: "Jessica, this is Pam. I think I have found your dog." All three girls ran down the road and jumped the fence to see if it was Honey Jean. I got there in the truck, just in time to see the three girls hovering over Honey Jean lapping a bowl of water. We all cried with happiness. In unison, they said: "If you ask anything in my name, I will do it." Then Jessica said: "Grandma, do you remember 'J'?" "Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, today and forever."

From his mother and grandmother, Timothy learned to apply the word of God as a child and was commended for his faith because of their teaching. My girls learned and applied what they had learned in this very simple situation. God granted their desire. Their faith in God is growing by leaps and bounds. What tremendous value there is in hiding His word in our hearts to be used when needed, beginning as a child! When we have God's word hidden in our hearts, God uses it to solve life's problems. Such experiences are not easy, pleasant or desirable. But what a marvellous God we serve, who begins to build faith through such problems, as we remember His promises.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, we thank You for Your protection and love for us, Your children. Guide us in Your will through Your Word. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.

Imagine there is a bank that credits your account each morning with $86,400. It carries over no balance from day to day. Every evening it deletes whatever part of the balance you failed to use during the day. What would you do? Draw out every cent, of course!

Each of us has such a bank. Its name is time. Every morning, it credits you with 86,400 seconds. Every night it writes off, as lost, whatever of this you have failed to invest to good purpose. It carries over no balance. It allows no overdraft. Each day it opens a new account for you. Each night it burns the remains of the day. If you fail to use the day's deposits, the loss is yours. There is no going back. There is no drawing against tomorrow. You must live in the present on today's deposits. The clock is running. Make the most of today.

To realize the value of one YEAR, ask a student who failed a grade. To realize the value of one MONTH, ask a mother who gave birth to a pre-mature baby. To realize the value of one WEEK, ask the editor of a weekly newspaper. To realize the value of one HOUR, ask the lovers who are waiting to meet. To realize the value of one MINUTE, ask a person who missed the train. To realize the value of one SECOND, ask a person who just avoided an accident. To realize the value of one MILLISECOND, ask the person who won a silver medal in the Olympics.

Treasure every moment that you have! And treasure it more because you shared it with someone special, special enough to spend your time. And remember that time waits for no one.

Yesterday is history. Tomorrow is a mystery. Today is a gift from God. That's why it's called the present!

Anonymous

Prayer: Our Heavenly Father, guide me today to spend wisely the valuable asset You have given me – TIME. Only You know the length of my days on earth. You have planned my life to be in this time frame and You will judge me for the use of this valuable asset. May I wisely use time to glorify Jesus Christ. Amen.

The Word of God ends with a beautiful promise to His children. Revelation 21 and 22 describe our home in heaven, very vividly. Precious materials here are ordinary in heaven. There they use gold like we use asphalt here.

There are no churches or temples in Heaven, for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb, Jesus Christ, are the temple of it. The gates are never closed, as all sin is bound in hell. Nothing shall enter that will defile. There will be no tears, no hurt, no pain, and no death. Only those who will accept Jesus Christ and submit their life to Him will enter. Our time will not be spent strumming harps and floating around. God is preparing us in this life for a position above the angels. Work will be a blessing and there will be something for us to accomplish without the curse causing us to be non-productive. We will be singing and praising our Heavenly Father constantly.

And all our questions will be answered. I am a potter. My clumsy fingers make thick forms. God was the first potter. He could have made His Masterpiece from pure gold, silver and platinum; studded the eyes with diamonds and deep blue sapphires. Instead He chose clay, the most available and cheapest material, to make human beings. Every part works, after He breathed His breath of life into it. When I get to heaven I am going to ask God, "How did you do it?" And He will tell me.

Christ has promised us the mansions; but, He has also promised that He will come back to take us to be with Him. He has described the manner of His return as a thief in the night. One day, or one night, life will be continuing as usual, and those who are Christians will disappear. I hope this will happen before I die. But, either way, I will be happy to be home in Heaven. Will you?

Prayer: Dear God, the Most High, how marvellous are Your blessings to us! More than the mind can fathom. Daily we are blessed and never realize it is a gift from God. Give us thanksgiving in our hearts for health, life, family, friends, work and most of all, Your Son Jesus Christ who gave His life that we might inherit life everlasting. Amen.

The best place to rest and relax is home. We enjoy family and good meals at home. We spend a large portion of our income making it comfortable and pleasant. It is the largest purchase most people make in a lifetime. Yet, I am eagerly waiting to go to a new home I have not seen. Along with salvation, Jesus says I was given a mansion. I presume that each person who accepts Jesus Christ as Saviour and Lord will have his or her own mansion.

The vivid description of this new home comes from Revelation, chapters 21 and 22, in the Bible. The pure, crystal river will be the first thing we see. Trees growing on both sides bearing fruit for the fun of eating, not sustaining life. The throne of God will be there and we shall see His face. There will be no night as the Lord God gives light. There will be no sun or moon or other light. The city and streets are pure transparent gold. There are 12 gates and each is of one pearl. The foundations of the mansions are of precious stones, jasper, opaque green quartz; sapphire of deep blue; chalcedony, opaque white; emerald, the green sapphire; sardonyx, white onyx with red; jacinth, a solid yellow stone; sardius, a deep blood red stone; chrysolite, transparent light green; beryl, light green; topaz, the yellow sapphire; chrysoprasis, apple green stone; and amethyst, the violet sapphire. In this life we strive to own stones to hang on delicate chains and rings for our fingers, but the very foundations of our mansions will have huge stones of precious rating.

And we only have to accept Jesus Christ to have such a perfect life forever.

Prayer: Our heavenly Father, thank you for life that we can prepare for another life with You. Give us understanding of Your Word as we read it. Guide our daily activities that it may glorify Jesus Christ. Amen.