Give Encouragement in a Baker's Dozen

The phrase "a baker's dozen" comes from as early as the 13th century, during the reign of Henry III according to "Wikipedia".  The story is that bakers who were found to have shortchanged customers could be subject to severe punishment including "judicial amputation."  Therefore bakers would often give 13 loaves of bread for the price of 12 as a precaution.

The phrase "a dime a dozen" simply means something is very inexpensive (cheap).  We also have the 12 days of Christmas, which comes by the dozen, and eggs that can be purchased by the dozen.  Oh, how could I ever forget that Krispy Kreme donuts comes a dozen to a box.

There are things mentioned in the bible that came by the dozen.  Twelve tribes of Israel, twelve disciples, and twelve gates of pearl are a few of the twelves' mentioned in the bible.  Fact is that the word twelve is mentioned 187 times in the bible, 22 which are in the book of Revelation.  The number twelve in scripture seems to indicate authority.

I want to challenge you today to find a dozen people that you can make a difference in their life.  It may be the clerk in the "marketplace" or it may be your neighbor that overslept this morning and is late for work.  It may be your spouse or maybe your children.

There are many different ways to encourage others.  Social media, texting, and e-mail are a few ways that broadens our opportunity to be an encourager.  Everyone needs encouragement and you may be the person that God wants to use to make a difference in someone else's life.

I am sure that today there will be at least a dozen people that God will place in your life that you can make a difference.  You can help make their day a day of misery or you can help "make their day" a day of rejoicing.  Criticism comes a dime a dozen (It's cheap) but encouragement needs to come in a "baker's dozen".  In fact you may want to go ahead and encourage 13 people instead of 12 just to make sure you don't short-change anyone with a word of encouragement.

"Give us this day our daily bread."

Matthew 6:11 NKJV

Do my Words reflect my Heart (Part 2)

From time to time, Pastor Lamb allows me to post here.  Today is second of a two part post.   Bill Davis

Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O lord my strength, and my redeemer. (Psalms 19:14) KJV

  

As I mentioned last week, this scripture is often used as part of a closing prayer by Rich Hulsey, our Worship Pastor, and probably by a lot of others, as well.  When I was growing up, the youth group we had, called "Lifeliners," used this verse almost like a pledge.  We recited it every time we came together.

Many ministers use this after the reading of their scripture in their prayer before their sermon, praying that God finds their words, their public words acceptable.  Of course, ministers are not the only ones who do this.  Many of us do this.  The question is what about our private words--- our thoughts? 

My thought today is:

Am I really mindful of my thoughts with any regularity?

“Whether you think you can, or you think you can't--you're right.”—Henry Ford

Someone said “What you think about, you bring about.”  Certainly, what we spend our time thinking about can lead us down a good path or a destructive path.  Some say that we become that which preoccupies us. 

Paul wrote: Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.  Philippians 4:8 (KJV)

Have you ever had something come through your mind that you thought, “Why in the world did I think that?”  Have you had fearful thought or destructive thoughts that just seemed to take over?  (Is that mole cancer?  Is my child safe traveling?  I don’t have a friend in the world.)  It is not easy, but some thoughts you should dwell on and others you should discard like you were cleaning out a drawer of old socks.  Is that really worth dwelling on? Let us get into the practice of discarding thoughts that are unfruitful or not useful, just like we are throwing away old socks. 

For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he: Proverbs 23:7 (KJV)

At some point, we learned the discipline of study.  Why can’t we add some discipline to our thought process, by relying on God to help us cast away thoughts that are not fruitful nor pleasing to God?  

These are the words in my mouth; these are what I chew on and pray.  Accept them when I place them on the morning altar, O God, my Altar-Rock, God, Priest-of-My-Altar. (Psalms 19:14)MSG

Do my Words reflect my Heart (Part 1)

From time to time, Pastor Lamb allows me to post here.  Today is part one of a two part post.   Bill Davis

Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O Lord my strength, and my redeemer. (Psalms 19:14) KJV

This scripture is often used as part of a closing prayer by Rich Hulsey, our Worship Pastor, and probably by a lot of others, as well.  When I was growing up, the youth group we had, called "Lifeliners," used this verse almost like a pledge.  We recited it every time we came together.

Those words were certainly meaningful to me back then; I prayed them with my mouth and my heart.  As I read, or pray or think of them today, it is with a completely different and deeper meaning than they had back then.

Do I really pay attention to what I say in everyday conversation?

I remember the first time I was in a setting where there were several Jewish people.  (I really didn’t think very much about it, other than I had never knowingly been around observant Jews before.)  I vividly remember saying something that I had heard all my life, but had never even thought of it being a slur to Jews……  At that moment I realized that it was. 

Words often are thought to be a small thing when they are said; they are so fleeting but their effect can do harm that you can never undo.  My mother and my wife have said, “you can’t un-ring a bell.”

Although interacting with others is a critical part of our lives, we need to be ever mindful of how we do it.  Paul wrote to the church in Colossae:

Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man. Colossians 4:6 (KJV)

The New Century Version says: When you talk, you should always be kind and pleasant so you will be able to answer everyone in the way you should. Colossians 4:6 (NCV)

When we were children, we learned to speak.  We spend the rest of our lives learning how to choose our words and have power over our tongues, with God’s help.

Part 2 Next week…..