ETERNAL INK
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The articles within this publication remain the copyrights of the authors.
Any permission to reproduce any article, in any format, must be granted
by the author.
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Editor-in-Chief of Eternal Ink - Mary-Ellen Grisham - eternallyours8@...
Administrative Editor - David Davis - cyber.angel.wings@...
Devotions Editor - Pat Earl - brian.earl@...
Features Editor - Carl Phillips - CarlPhil10@...
Special Materials Editor - Ivie Bozeman - ivie@...
Poetry Editor - Elizabeth (Betty) Pearson - roybet@...
Eternal Ink Website - http://www.eternal-ink.org
Eternal Ink Google Group - http://groups.google.com/group/eternal-ink
ISSN#: 1528-9605
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Table of Contents
1) Mary-Ellen's Note
2) Devotion
3) Seasonal Poetry
4) Feature
5) A Poem with Special Appeal for Children
6) Humor
7) Seasonal Meditation
8) Closing Words
ISSN#: 1528-9605
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1) Mary-Ellen's Note
As the head of the Missions Ministry Team at my church, I work with
others to find new forms of service to our missionaries in the field.
One of our goals this year is to send lightweight lesson materials to
the missions that need them. We send our used Sunday School materials
to a ministry that sends them overseas, but we would like to send a
special love gift to our missionaries without incurring great expense.
For this reason, we are writing simple one-page lessons for children
that can be put on disk, sent by email, or even printed out and mailed
by regular mail.
The lessons that I am writing are based on the book of John, and I am
entitling them "Brief Encounters with Jesus" (one-page lessons for
elementary school children). Since Elizabeth Pearson recently brought
out a poetry book with children in mind, I thought we could also give
our Eternal Ink readers a gift. During the next several months, we
will be including materials for children that you can use in your
teaching and outreach to youngsters.
Elizabeth's poetry will be included in the body of the Eternal Ink
ezine. My lesson for children will appear at the end of the ezine
after the closing words and acknowledgments of cooperating ministries.
We hope you will find it easy to copy and paste the lessons, and as
far as I am concerned as author, you are welcome to make as many
copies as you need. With Elizabeth's poems, since she is still
selling her book, I would ask you to make only one copy that you could
share orally with kids...and consider buying a book from her.
We hope you can make use of these materials and enjoy our holiday gift to you!
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2) Devotion
Christ, The Head
By Pat Earl
I never cease to be amazed when I consider God's way of teaching. When
He has an important lesson to share, the same message appears frequently.
I get the message in devotionals, in sermons, in conversations, in Christian
talk shows, and in books. Each will have a slightly varying slant on the
subject, but the same basic principle will apply in all.
For example, I was reading Oswald Chambers' book, My Utmost for His
Highest, where Mr. Chambers stressed we are to focus on Christ and His
atoning work. He says, " Launch out in reckless belief that the Redemption
is complete, and then bother no more about yourself, but begin to do as
Jesus Christ said - pray..." We are the forgiven, redeemed children of God,
and He wants us to move onward. As Paul says, "Forgetting what is past, I
press toward the goal of the prize of the upward call of God in Christ
Jesus." (Philippians 3:14)
The following Sunday, our pastor spoke about the body of Christ. He
used our own bodies as an example. The brain sends messages through the
nervous system and different parts of the body move or work as they should.
For the most part, we aren't even aware of these actions. Our hearts beat,
our eyes blink, we breathe, we walk, all without conscious concentration. In
the spiritual realm, Jesus is the head of the body. He sends signals through
the Holy Spirit, so that we, His children will move and do the work God
wants us to do.
Unlike the human body, in spiritual areas we don't automatically move.
We procrastinate. We wonder if we really did hear God's voice. We think
We are not ready or that we don't have a good grip on Scripture. We feel we
must be mistaken, that God wouldn't want to use sinners like us. We don't
trust the Head and consequently, we become self-centered.
Instead of listening to inner doubts, let's remember these important
truths. God loves us. He has adopted us into His family and made us joint
heirs with Jesus.(Romans 8:17) He has called us a royal priesthood.
(1 Peter2:9) He has a ministry for each one of us, and He will always
be there to help us in every situation. So let's rest in Him. Let's allow Him
to work through us, reaching out to those in need. In doing so, we will find
peace and joy.
As the old hymn says: "Put all your trust in Jesus today. You'll find rest
when His will you obey. He will answer whenever you pray, so put all your
trust in Jesus today."
Pat Earl
brian.earl@...
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3) Seasonal Poetry
October Skies
By Maureen E Kowal
Grey and blue
The skies above
Crimson trees stand
straight and tall
Cold the air
And rich the splendour
of the trees in
early fall
Smoky grey, the fire's
dying embers
Red with heat
our campfire is gone
And the voices that sounded so tender
Hymns we sang into the night
Praises to God
Our soul's delight
Now we sleep on through the night
And awake to
October skies.
By Maureen E. Kowal
maureenkowal2g@...
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4) Feature
Connect the Power Line
By Ivie Bozeman
The lightning flashed, the thunder rolled, the limb cracked, falling
on the electric cable connecting power to the home. Snap went power
lines as the mighty limb came down. Darkness and powerlessness
descended.
A unit of civilization, once powerful, vibrant and energetic was now
cut off from its source and must survive on its own.
Darkness was penetrated by a match pressed to a candle, once used in a
family celebration. When the light of day arrived, hunger pains
arose. Stoves, coffeepots and microwaves did not work. Refrigeration
was gone; frozen foods faced spoilage, for there was no source of heat
to cook them.
Clocks were not working. Time seemed to have disappeared. Television
screens were silent; telephones did not ring. Filter systems no
longer extracted the pollutions from the air and breathing problems
developed. The Internet, our silent voice, stripped of its power
connection sat lifeless...
As the sun climbed in the sky, heat rays poured down, raising
temperatures into the nineties. People fanned with whatever source
could be found to stir the air.
For a generation reared without the basic knowledge of survival, no
one knew what to do.
The disconnected unit, cut off from its power source, begins to panic.
The darkness of night was descending again. Power was desperately
needed to deal with the problems of darkness and helplessness.
A friend heard the plea and brought his generator, a temporary help,
but not the solution.
When the darkness of the night was at its greatest, employees of the
utilities department arrived, repaired the damage and the power was
restored.
How like Jesus were the linesmen; working for another, yet risking
their own lives in the darkness to bring mankind to the power source
again.
Jesus came from the Father when the world was in darkness to restore
man's source of light and power. He gave his life to restore mankind.
Many did not accept his power or his light.
As the linesmen in the darkness, restored light and power to the
disconnected unit, Christ restores the same to our lives today, but we
must be connected and remain connected to the source.
If life's storms snap the power line, turn to Christ. He is the
linesman that reconnects the power and restores us to fullness of life
again.
Ivie Bozeman
ivie@...
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5) A Poem with Special Appeal for Children
Guidance
By Elizabeth Pearson
Who should you look to for guidance?
Who will never, ever lead you astray?
Your parents and friends may be of help
But it is to the Lord you should pray!
If you follow in Christ's footsteps
He will lead you to know the truth
And you will never have to question
How you should live your youth.
His Word, the Bible, should be your road map,
If you read it every day
You will find all the help you will need
For in it He shows you His way.
"For thou art my rock and my fortress; therefore for
thy name's sake lead me, and guide me." Psalm 31:3
"I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which
thou shalt go; I will guide thee with mine eye."
Psalm 32:8
Psalm 73:24: Proverbs 23:19, Luke 1:7-9;
John 16:13a; Colossians 2:6
From KIDS CAN! Know God's Rules & Rewards for Right Choices
A Lifetime Guide for Christian Living by Elizabeth Snyder Pearson, p.114.
roybet@...
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6) Humor
Short and Funny
I dialed a number and got the following recording:
"I am not available right now, but
thank you for caring enough to call.
I am making some changes in my life.
Please leave a message after the
beep. If I do not return your call,
you are one of the changes."
Contemporary Proverbs
Aspire to inspire before you expire.
Blessed are those who can give without remembering
And take without forgetting.
The quote of the month is by Jay Leno:
"With hurricanes, tornadoes, fires out of control, mud slides,
flooding, severe thunderstorms tearing up the country from one end to
another, and with the threat of bird flu and terrorist attacks, Are we
sure this is a good time to take God out of the Pledge of Allegiance?"
Emailed by Wilma Richardson to William Roettgers
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7) Seasonal Meditation
Wait for the Harvest
Ivie Bozeman
Matthew 13:29-30: "No," he answered, "because while you are pulling up
the weeds, you may root up the wheat with them. Let both grow
together until the harvest. At that time I will tell the harvester:
First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles to be burned; then
gather the wheat and bring it into my barn." (NIV)
In the mild fall and winters of South Georgia, this is the ideal time
to enjoy working in the yard and garden. There are many lovely plants
that lend themselves beautifully to this season. The colorful pansy
is one of them. Planted in the fall after the hot temperatures have
receded, it will grow until the burning temperatures of late April
chases it away. Unfortunately, there are winter weeds that thrive
during the same season as the pansy. The pansy, a ground hugger, is
planted in beds or borders to give a solid mass of flowers. The weeds
come up among the pansies and removing them does a great deal of
damage to the blooming plant. It works better to let the weeds remain
and blend in with the pansies.
Non-believers are allowed to live and grow in our society along with
Christians. Like the weeds, sometimes it seems as though the
non-believers will crowd out and subdue the Christians. When I look
closely at my pansies, they are distinguishable from the weeds due to
the beautiful bloom they produce.
As Christians, we must find a way to bloom by talking and acting
differently from non-believers, being careful not to judge or condemn,
remembering that at harvest, God will be the judge.
Prayer: Lord, remind us to refrain from judging, criticizing and
condemning others. Help us to remember that is your role, not ours.
Remind us to listen to and obey your word that we may bloom and
produce a harvest for you that will enrich and beautify your world.
Amen
Ivie Bozeman
ivie@...
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8) Closing Words
Every time I help mow the lawn at this time of year, I tell myself
that this will be the last time. The mums are gorgeous; the lingering
blooms of begonia, sedum, impatiens, geraniums and marigolds are
lovely; and the leaves are just barely beginning to turn colors.
Soon the leaves will fall, and the harvest decorations appear on lawns
and porches. Soon the evening chill will be crisp and stimulating.
Walkers will take new enthusiasm for daily jaunts, and leaf rakers
will call greetings to neighbors. In some locales, bonfires will
cheer the nights, and the luscious autumn foods will brighten the
days.
With all this seasonal bounty, we are daily reminded of God's goodness
and creative power. The beauty of the earth is just one manifestation
of His endless love for us. What joy we know in sharing His love with
others! What joy we experience in the love we share with our holiday
celebrations! What great joy we can experience when we remember to
share our bounty with those in need!
If you have found blessing in reading this issue of Eternal Ink, we
hope you will share a copy with a friend or neighbor.
To subscribe to Eternal Ink, send a blank email to
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Until our next issue, may God bless you richly!
Blessings, Mary-Ellen
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WE ARE PLEASED TO BE PARTNERS WITH LIVING2SERVE AND
GRATEFUL TO THE ARKWEBS TEAM OF MINISTRIES FOR ALL THEIR HELP.
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BRIEF ENCOUNTERS WITH JESUS
(One-page Lessons for Elementary School Children)
By Mary-Ellen Grisham
JESUS AND HIS FRIENDS SHARE A SPECIAL SECRET
Scripture: John 2: 1-11 The wedding at Cana in Galilee
Memory Verse: Philippians 4: 4 "Rejoice in the Lord always. I will
say it again: Rejoice!"
Warm-ups: Possible choices
1. Have the children do circle dances singing familiar songs.
2. Have the children sing a familiar song (Rejoice in the Lord,
Always), clapping
3. Give each child a cool drink in a paper cup.
Simple Story based on John 2: 1-11
Just like you, Jesus liked to have fun and celebrate once in awhile.
When He went to the wedding celebration in Cana, he may have done
circle dances or sung with the other guests. He probably joined in
eating the refreshments.
Before long, Jesus' mother noticed that the host was running out of
wine, a drink much like our sparkling grape juice. She mentioned the
shortage of wine to Jesus, but He did not want to do anything to call
attention to himself at this stage of his ministry. His mother knew
his abilities and told the servants to do as Jesus told them.
Jesus had the servants fill six large stone water jars with water.
Then he told them to draw some of the drink and take it to the master
of the banquet. The master of the banquet thought it was the best
wine of the celebration and wondered why the bridegroom had saved the
best for the last part of the party.
Only Jesus, his mother, his disciples, and a few servants knew that
Jesus had turned water into wine. They kept this wonderful secret to
themselves, but his disciples put their faith in Him. They knew that
Jesus was very special.
Special Learning: The six stone jars Jesus used to make the wine were
used by the Jews for ceremonial washing. Before religious rituals and
eating, Jewish families used the water from the jars in a ritual of
hand washing, wiping their hands carefully on a folded towel.
Question: Why was it important for Jesus and His friends to keep the
secret about the water being turned into wine?
Love actions: Play a happy game with a friend, enjoying your time together.
Keep an important secret for a friend without
telling anyone.
Do something kind for your mother (who knows
you're special too).