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The Swan Pond by John Stuart
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Wise comments today John.
Thank you for this great reminder.
Amen John - and I'm a preacher haha. Wonderful insight.
Good morning, John: Amen is all I can say.
Thank you for today's Devotional.
Blessings.
Perhaps John, Eccl. 11:1 was another way of expressing the eternal truth, that no one can outgive our Heavenly Father?
My wife and I also have many fond memories of raising our children in Scotland.
John, thank you. This is very true and the way that I think about giving also. I love the story you shared. May God continue to guide and direc you in your life. Thank you.
Hello John,
I just received your devotional from a cousin in Michigan. What a joy to remember your little girls casting their gifts on the water.
The Lord bless you and yours.
Thank you for this devotional, John. Having a strong Scottish background I enjoy your notes about the land of Robbie Burns. Although I've never been east of the Atlantic, Scotland is home in my mind.
Regarding Ecclesiastes 11:1, the Easy Reading Version says, "Do good wherever you go. After a while, the good you do will come back to you." I think that says it best.
Good morning John Stuart!! Just your name brings inspiration. Culzean Castle brightened my morning.
Giving like you said, Help us to give what we can of our time, talents, and money to those needful opportunities that will come our way this week.
Thank you for your devotionals and thank you for your dedication, your insight and your wisdom.
God Bless.
Hello John,
I agree!
Here in Ontario, Canada, there is a Heart & Stroke charity but in order to raise money they have a lottery with houses, boats, and cars being the prizes (“Millions of dollars worth of prizes to be won.”) How sad that people have to be coaxed into giving with the promise of a chance to win a prize.
It bothers me that the money raised research is being sidelined on expensive prizes. What ever happened to giving for the sake of giving, without expecting anything in return?
I’m glad churches don’t use lottery gimmicks to increase their offering givings.
John,
I enjoyed your daily devotional; a good reminder to give without the expectation of receiving anything in return because, as you point out, we already have all we need in the love of our Lord Jesus Christ and the forgiveness of our sins and salvation. But, it also brought back memories of my childhood when mom and dad would take me to a park to feed bread to the ducks. We would save bread crusts and the ends of the loaves so we would have plenty to feed the ducks. I hadn't thought about that in years, so thanks for bringing the memory forward!
Blessings,
(Illinois)
Hello,
I found your article based upon Ecclesiastes 11:1 very interesting.
I've always interpreted this verse to merely be a reminder or affirmation that we ought to do good works. Whenever we do something, even unknowingly that lifts another person, as the verse says "in many days" the result of what was done will return to us. The writer of Ecclesiastes, however, does not say precisely when ... only that it will happen at some time in the future, so that "reward" may occur during our time on Earth, or, may be a Heavenly reward. In either case, it will occur unexpectedly for it is when we look for a reward, we don't see it. We become like the story of the man who kept asking God for a sign yet missed a butterfly, the breeze, etc.
So, I think the writer of Ecclesiastes 11:1 is reminding the reader to keep on doing good to others & since we humans often feel the need for a reason to do things (which is why when we're little we voice our "why?" questions!), we need to just have Faith, that something will indeed result -- whether it's now or later.
Keep writing!
Re: Downsizing by June Heale, Friday, January 27, 2012
This is so true as I recently moved and couldn't believe the amount of stuff that I have.
Thank you for this reminder to always trust in God for all we need.
Enjoyed this to an extent!
As I was reading this, I kept saying, "this is me...this is me"!!! There are so MANY ways we are so alike!!
I just cannot bring myself to do anything with my husband's belongings. Oh! and would not dare try to touch ALL the stuff in his workshop! I cry my eyes out when I just go up there.
Do long for the day when I can be with him forever and eternity!
I do enjoy each one of your Devotionals!
God Bless.
Re: My Blinking Coffee Maker by Patricia Day, Thursday, January 26, 2012
Dear Pat,
I loved the way you wrote about how the Holy Spirit works as He convicts us of sin, taking
control over us by the "powerful spirit of love that wrapped itself around me."
Isn't that just like God, wrapping us with His love as we are convicted? Beautiful!
Thank you for this thoughtful devotional. God bless you.
(California, USA)
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