Scripture of the day

Funny Pic of the day

Daily Devotional

“If God is for us, who can be against us?”  Romans 8:32, NKJV

God is for you. Your parents may have forgotten you, your teachers may have neglected you, your siblings may be ashamed of you, but within reach of your prayers is the maker of the oceans. God!

God is for you. Not “may be,” not “has been,” not “was,” not “would be,” but “God is!”

Recipe of the day

Grilled Southwestern Pork Chops

PREP TIME

20 Min

TOTAL TIME

1 Hr 20 Min

SERVINGS

8

INGREDIENTS

1	tablespoon chili powder
1	teaspoon ground cumin
1/4	teaspoon ground red pepper (cayenne)
1/4	teaspoon salt
1	large clove garlic, finely chopped
8	pork loin or rib chops, about 1/2 inch thick (about 2 lb)

1. 1 In small bowl, mix all ingredients except pork; rub evenly on both sides of pork. Cover; refrigerate 1 hour to blend flavors.
2. 2 Heat gas or charcoal grill. Place pork on grill. Cover grill; cook over medium heat 8 to 10 minutes, turning frequently, until no longer pink in center.

What if God Had a Facebook Feed? - Funny Lists Christian Humor

What if God Had a Facebook Feed? - Funny Lists Christian Humor

Joke of the day

  Worship At Home  

      A Scotch Presbyterian clergyman tells the story of a parishioner who formed a secession with a few others unable to accept the doctrines of the church. But when the clergyman asked this man if he and the others worshiped together, the answer was:
      
      "No. The fact is, I found that they accepted certain points to which I could not agree, so I withdrew from communion with them."
      
      "So, then," the clergyman continued, "I suppose you and your wife carry on your devotions together at home."
      
      "No, not exactly," the man admitted. "I found that our views on certain doctrines are not in harmony. So, there has been a division between us. Now, she worships in the northeast corner of the room and I in the southwest."

Recipe of the week

Watermelon Gazpacho:

Ingredients:

• 8 cups finely diced seedless watermelon, (about 6 pounds with the rind) (see Tip)
• 1 medium cucumber, peeled, seeded and finely diced
• 1/2 red bell pepper, finely diced
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
• 1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
• 3 tablespoons red-wine vinegar
• 2 tablespoons minced shallot
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 3/4 teaspoon salt

Preparation:

1. Mix watermelon, cucumber, bell pepper, basil, parsley, vinegar, shallot, oil and salt in a large bowl. Puree 3 cups of the mixture in a blender or food processor to the desired smoothness; transfer to another large bowl. Puree another 3 cups and add to the bowl. Stir in the remaining diced mixture. Serve at room temperature or chilled.

Sermon of the week

Being Partakers of Christ:

Being Partakers of Christ
 
“For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence 
stedfast unto the end” (Hebrews 3:14).
 
To know the mind of the Spirit in our text, we must see the context in which it 
is written. The context teaches the contrast of the unbelief of the children of 
Israel in the wilderness, who began well, but perished in the end.
 
A person can take a text like this anywhere. Unless we keep this scripture in 
the context in which it was spoken, we do not really keep it in the mind of the 
Spirit at the time it was spoken.
 
The chapter begins with: “Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly 
calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus.”
 
Then he compares Christ with Moses. Verse 2 says: “Who was faithful to him that 
appointed him, as also Moses was faithful in all his house.” Moses is being 
distinguished from the children of Israel. 
 
 
Now look at the last two verses of the chapter. We read in verses 18 and 19: 
“And to whom sware he that they should not enter into his rest, but to them that 
believed not? 
So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief.”
 
I want to show you how Moses is an example of faith, and that the children of 
Israel who followed were examples of unbelief, yet they walked together 
throughout the wilderness journey.
 
We read in verses 8 to 10: “Harden not your hearts, as in the provocation, in 
the day of temptation in the wilderness: 
When your fathers tempted me, proved 
me, and saw my works forty years. 
Wherefore I was grieved with that generation, 
and said, They do always err in their heart; and they have not known my ways.”
 
I want you to remember: Moses and the children of Israel went through the Red 
Sea. Moses went through by faith, but the Israelites followed him in unbelief.
 
It is important that we learn to understand the distinction here. This message 
is to help us examine the beginning of our confidence. The children of Israel in 
many instances had great confidence. We must examine where their confidence 
began and where it ended. Where does our confidence begin, and where does it 
end? If we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast to the end, we are 
partakers of Christ.
 
To know the mind of the Spirit we must see the context in which our text is 
written. The context teaches the contrast of the unbelief of the children of 
Israel in the wilderness, who began well but perished in the end.
 
If you follow the history of the Israelites through the wilderness it will seem 
like they really acted by faith many times, so we must distinguish what faith is 
in contrast to unbelief.
 
We must examine where the beginning of our faith is so we can see how it is to 
kept steadfast to the end.
 
FOR OUR FIRST POINT, let us consider the source and beginning of our 
confidence.
 
FOR OUR SECOND POINT, let us consider why our confidence fails.
 
FOR OUR THIRD POINT, let us consider the admonition to hold the beginning of our 
confidence steadfast unto the end if we are to be made partakers in Christ.
 
First, let us consider the source and beginning of our confidence.
 
The children of Israel were in a hopeless predicament. The Red Sea was before 
them. The mountains were on the right and the left, and Pharaoh with his iron 
chariots were closing in from the rear. They were in a dilemma. They were 
cornered with no place to go.
 
God in His providence had led them to where they were helplessly trapped. This 
is how we are by nature. We are trapped by our corrupt nature. We are trapped by 
the world. We are trapped with no place to go outside of Christ.
 
God’s ways are always so much higher than our ways. In His wise counsel God was 
teaching Israel their first real lesson of faith. The Lord was beginning a 40 
year tour for them through the wilderness to humble them, to prove them, to know 
what was in their hearts, whether they would obey His commandments or not.
 
The children of Israel were about to experience their first real deliverance by 
a wonder-working God. We may be able to talk of many deliverances we have 
experienced. Is this the beginning of our confidence? Is this where we are 
learning to walk by faith? 
 
 
See the first effect the trial had in the hearts of God’s people. We read in 
Exodus 14:10: “And when Pharaoh drew nigh, the children of Israel lifted up 
their eyes, and, behold, the Egyptians marched after them; and they were sore 
afraid: and the children of Israel cried out unto the LORD.”
 
The natural reaction of unbelievers is that when human reason fails, there is 
panic in the heart.
 
I want you to see the difference between faith and human reasoning. When we come 
into a crisis, human reasoning will panic, but faith remains steadfast and looks 
to the Lord.
 
As they encountered this first severe trial, the Lord was teaching His church 
that they could trust Him, and that they must live by faith and not by sight.
 
Why did the Lord bring them by the way of the Red Sea instead of taking the 
shortcut to Canaan? If we are going to understand faith, the first good lesson 
we are going to learn is that we can trust the Lord. It is not by walking by 
sight, where we can see all the answers up front, and therefore we have the 
solutions figured out, and we can go forward. The Lord brings us to where we can 
trust Him in total, absolute impossibility, and this is where He brought the 
children of Israel.
 
I want you to see Exodus 14:13-14: “And Moses said unto the people, Fear ye not, 
stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD, which he will shew to you to 
day: for the Egyptians whom ye have seen to day, ye shall see them again no more 
for ever. The LORD shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace.” When they 
cried to the Lord, He answered, and He sent Moses with this message.
 
The second lesson we learn from this trial is that the Lord commands us to go 
forward in the face of human impossibilities. We read in verse 15: “And the LORD 
said unto Moses, Wherefore criest thou unto me? speak unto the children of 
Israel, that they go forward.”
 
It was not until their feet began to step into the water that the water started 
to disappear in front of them. They had to go forward by faith into the water. 
As they began to step forward, the waters divided before them, and they went 
across on dry ground.
 
When they were across they looked back. We read in Exodus 14:31: “And Israel saw 
that great work which the LORD did upon the Egyptians: and the people feared the 
LORD, and believed the LORD, and his servant Moses.” When they had experienced 
deliverance, they believed. Before they entered the water, they cried against 
Moses.
 
Our text says, “For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the 
beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end.”
 
They had no confidence until after they had crossed the water and could look 
back. Moses had confidence before He crossed the water.
 
Now let us see the beginning of their confidence. We see this in Exodus 15:1-3: 
“Then sang Moses and the children of Israel this song unto the LORD, and spake, 
saying, I will sing unto the LORD, for he hath triumphed gloriously: the horse 
and his rider hath he thrown into the sea. The LORD is my strength and song, and 
he is become my salvation: he is my God, and I will prepare him an habitation; 
my father’s God, and I will exalt him. The LORD is a man of war: the LORD is his 
name.”
 
The heart of the message is in Exodus 14:31-15:1: “And Israel saw that great 
work which the LORD did upon the Egyptians.... Then sang Moses and the children 
of Israel this song unto the LORD.”
 
They could not sing the song of deliverance until after they could look by sight 
and see that the Lord had done it. Until then they murmured against Moses. They 
could not believe until it had happened. The old saying is, Seeing is believing. 
That is not faith.
 
Faith is believing then seeing. Their problem was that their beginning was not 
until after they had seen. You and I must believe, and the beginning of our 
confidence we must hold steadfast until we have seen. 
 
 
FOR OUR SECOND POINT, let us consider why our confidence fails.
 
The children of Israel walked by sight, not by faith. It was not until they saw 
that they believed.
 
It was not until after they saw God’s deliverance they could sing as Miriam and 
her maidens danced saying: “The people shall hear, and be afraid: sorrow shall 
take hold on the inhabitants of Palestina. Then the dukes of Edom shall be 
amazed; the mighty men of Moab, trembling shall take hold upon them; all the 
inhabitants of Canaan shall melt away” (Exodus 15:14-15).
 
Look at the confidence they had when they could look back and see the Egyptians 
on the shore. Their confidence seemed so strong in the beginning, but they 
walked by sight, not by faith. They could not believe until they saw.
 
Our text says, “For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of 
our confidence stedfast unto the end.” Our confidence must be before we see and 
before we receive, not when we can look back and walk by sight, and see and then 
believe.
 
Israel did not hold the beginning of their confidence unto the end because they 
had already failed before their victory. Before their victory they murmured 
against Moses and the Lord. In the beginning they had no confidence. 
 
 
I want you to see this in Exodus 14:11-12: “And they said unto Moses, Because 
there were no graves in Egypt, hast thou taken us away to die in the wilderness? 
wherefore hast thou dealt thus with us, to carry us forth out of Egypt? Is not 
this the word that we did tell thee in Egypt, saying, Let us 
 
alone, that we may serve the Egyptians? For it had been better for us to 
serve the Egyptians, than that we should die in the wilderness.”
 
This is the lack of faith they had before they saw. That is the content of their 
faith. Moses, however, believed before he saw. The children of Israel murmured 
against the Lord and against Moses.
 
The evidence of their lack of faith was revealed just three days later at the 
waters of Marah. We read in Exodus 15:24: “And the people murmured against 
Moses, saying, What shall we drink?”
 
Moses acted by faith as we see in the next verse: “And he cried unto the LORD; 
and the LORD shewed him a tree, which when he had cast into the waters, the 
waters were made sweet: there he made for them a statute and an ordinance, and 
there he proved them.”
 
See the difference between what Moses did and what the children of Israel did. 
The Lord brought them through these circumstances. Three days after this great 
deliverance through the Red Sea they murmured against the Lord because the 
circumstances the Lord brought them into again brought forth what was in their 
hearts. Through these circumstances, He again proved them, that they had no 
faith, that they were acting by unbelief.
 
God’s purpose for leading His people into these trials is to try their faith. It 
is to prove them. It is to try their hearts and to see what is in their hearts. 
He found their hearts to be just as they were before they crossed the Red Sea. 
They could not believe until they saw.
 
The Lord tries our faith to prove whether we are walking by sight or by faith, 
that we may “hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end.” In 
other words, are we partakers of Christ? Can we lay hold of Him by faith and 
believe before we see?
 
When we question whether the Lord is among us, we are tempting Him. When we 
question whether we have grace or whether the Lord is with us, we are tempting 
the Lord.
 
We see this in Exodus 17:7: “And he called the name of the place Massah, and 
Meribah, because of the chiding of the children of Israel, and because they 
tempted the LORD, saying, Is the LORD among us, or not?”
 
How could they question whether the Lord was among them, when He had already 
allowed them to cross the Red Sea through unbelief and let them see after the 
fact that He was with them? By this unbelief they tempted the Lord.
 
Living in doubt and fear and what some call holy depression and holiness tempts 
the Lord. The Lord says we are to hold our confidence steadfast unto the end. 
 
 
Do you question whether there ever was a time when the Lord was with you? Could 
the children of Israel question that the Lord was with them when they crossed 
the Red Sea?
 
Our text is in context with the admonition to remember the example of Israel in 
their unbelief.
 
We read in Hebrews 3:13-15: “But exhort one another daily, while it is called To 
day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. For we are 
made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast 
unto the end; While it is said, To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not 
your hearts, as in the provocation.”
 
The Lord is saying not to tempt Him by questioning whether He is among us or 
not. Faith lays hold on the fact that the Lord is with us, and we believe before 
we see. The Lord was grieved that they did not hold the beginning of their 
faith, of their confidence, steadfast to the end. It was grievous to the Lord 
that in the first trial of their faith they again failed. They did not have 
faith. They perished because of unbelief. That is the distinction. They could 
always believe after they saw. They could not believe without seeing first.
 
They had such confidence when they saw His deliverance at the Red Sea. They saw 
the healing of the waters of Marah. They saw the water flow from the rock on 
Mount Horeb. They ate manna that came from heaven, yet they could question 
whether the Lord was among them. They could not remain steadfast. They had no 
confidence to look forward. After seeing all His mighty works, they still 
tempted the Lord asking whether He was among them. This is the distinction we 
must understand between faith and unbelief.
 
Our text says, “For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of 
our confidence steadfast unto the end,” but the children of Israel did not have 
faith to enter the Promised Land. After the Lord had led them through all these 
years in the wilderness, and He had showed them deliverance after deliverance 
and all these mighty works, they still questioned whether the Lord was among 
them. That was their unbelief, and that is what made them perish in the 
wilderness.
 
Ten of the 12 spies brought an evil report saying: “We be not able to go up 
against the people; for they are stronger than we. And they brought up an evil 
report of the land which they had searched unto the children of Israel, saying, 
The land, through which we have gone to search it, is a land that eateth up the 
inhabitants thereof; and all the people that we saw in it are men of a great 
stature. And there we saw the giants, the sons of Anak, which come of the 
giants: and we were in our own sight as grasshoppers, and so we were in their 
sight” (Numbers 13:31-33).
 
After all these years and all these deliverances they would not trust that the 
Lord was with them, and that He would deliver them. They still murmured against 
the Lord.
 
FOR OUR THIRD POINT, let us consider the admonition to hold the beginning of our 
confidence steadfast unto the end.
 
These things are written to admonish us against tempting Christ, saying, Is the 
Lord among us or not?”
 
I want you to see in 1 Corinthians 10:9: “Neither let us tempt Christ, as some 
of them also tempted, and were destroyed of serpents.”
 
He is bringing this into the gospel sense. We must see the distinction between 
faith and unbelief. Are we willing and able to trust that Christ is among us or 
will we give that sigh, as if depression were godliness, and feed on unbelief, 
and the deeper we are in unbelief the deeper we experience the work of grace. 
This is such mockery. This is not scriptural. 
 
 
The Israelites tempted God by asking whether He was among them. They did this by 
feeding unbelief instead of having the faith and the confidence to stretch 
forward and lay hold upon Christ.
 
Continuing in verses 10 to 12 we read: “Neither murmur ye, as some of them also 
murmured, and were destroyed of the destroyer. Now all these things happened 
unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the 
ends of the world are come. Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take 
heed lest he fall.”
 
We are told not to fall into that form of unbelief—that we have to wait until we 
see before we can believe. The confidence we have to be partakers in Christ is 
that we believe before we see.
 
All the trials and deliverances through which the Lord leads His people are to 
build faith and steadfast trust in Him. When the Lord brought the children of 
Israel to the Red Sea, He wanted them to trust Him.
 
The Lord brings us into circumstances to try our faith. Will we have confidence 
in the beginning, before we see, or do we walk by sight?
 
When the people murmured against Moses and the Lord for bringing them out of 
Egypt, after the evil report, we read in Numbers 14:5 and 11: “Then Moses and 
Aaron fell on their faces before all the assembly of the congregation of the 
children of Israel…. And the LORD said unto Moses, How long will this people 
provoke me? and how long will it be ere they believe me, for all the signs which 
I have shewed among them?”
 
How often they had seen, but nothing changed. Their problem was that they were 
still going to believe after they saw, and now the Lord says no. Now if they 
refuse to believe they will not enter the Promised Land. 
 
 
I want you to see where faith and unbelief separate. By faith they should have 
gone forward in obedience. By faith they should have taken up their arms as the 
Lord commanded and gone in and taken possession of the Promised Land. However, 
they murmured and disobeyed. 
 
 
You do not separate faith from unbelief merely by a state of mind. The one is 
action in obedience, and the other is action in disobedience. You cannot 
separate faith from action. Faith is acting upon what you believe. Unbelief is 
acting in the way of disobedience, and that is what the children of Israel did. 
They disobeyed. The Lord said, Up, go forward, but they murmured and rebelled, 
and did not go forward.
 
Moses believed, and he started forward, and as he started forward, they 
followed. Moses had faith.
 
The Lord showed signs and wonders to the children of Israel for 40 years in the 
wilderness. This was through their whole lives. Can you talk of any person in 
Holy Writ who lived to see more experiences than the children of Israel? They 
saw the 10 plagues on Egypt. They saw the Egyptians lying on the shore. They saw 
water flow out of a rock. They saw the Rock that followed them, which was 
Christ. For 40 years they ate manna in the wilderness. 
 
 
They had many experiences, but how much salvation was in these experiences? I am 
not against experiences because, believe me, I have had many rich experiences.
 
We see this in 1 Corinthians 10:1-5: “Moreover, brethren, I would not that ye 
should be ignorant, how that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all 
passed through the sea; 
And were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in 
the sea; 
And did all eat the same spiritual meat; 
And did all drink the same 
spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and 
that Rock was Christ.”
 
However, if experiences become the foundation of our hope, we could be living by 
sight and not by faith, and still not be able to retain our confidence from the 
beginning because we had no confidence in the beginning. This is where the 
children of Israel failed. They had no confidence until after they saw—and they 
disobeyed, in spite of all their experiences. 
 
 
This is where the Lord was grieved. He had given them all these rich 
experiences, and they still refused to believe Him. They refused to go forward 
and stop asking whether God was with them.
 
Faith looks back on past deliverances to “hold the beginning of our confidence 
stedfast unto the end.”
 
I want to show you the other side of this principle. Let us see how faith is 
exercised and how faith works. We will see a man who calls past experiences to 
memory—in faith. I am not against experiences, because they can become the 
foundation of our hope and the faith we need to stand the next trial. The 
difference is that we believe before we see.
 
We read in 1 Samuel 17:37: “David said moreover, The LORD that delivered me out 
of the paw of the lion, and out of the paw of the bear, he will deliver me out 
of the hand of this Philistine. And Saul said unto David, Go, and the LORD be 
with thee.”
 
I want you to see the difference between David and the children of Israel. When 
David took on that bear, he believed beforehand, or he would not have dared to 
take the bear on. When he went to deliver a lamb out of the paw of a lion, he 
believed God was going to deliver him before he did it. He had his confidence 
before he saw that lamb delivered. If he had not, he would not have done it.
 
See how these two instances of deliverance become the foundation of his faith 
for a greater deliverance. He knew that that same God was still with him and 
would deliver him from Goliath. He looked back to these experiences for proof 
that the Lord was still with him. This was evidence that he could fight Goliath. 
Now we start to see where experiences have their proper place.
 
The opposite was true with the children of Israel. They were still concerned 
whether their army could defeat the army of the Canaanites, who were bigger than 
them. Yet, Goliath was bigger than David. Goliath had a coat of armor, a sword 
and an armor bearer. David was a little stripling. All he had was his staff, a 
sling and stones, yet he knew the Lord was with him.
 
We must take on Goliath because he is a type of the old man of sin. We must take 
him on in the name of the Lord. Can we question whether the Lord is with us, and 
then be able to fight Goliath? No. That is why it is so important that we 
understand the difference between faith and unbelief. If we are going to fight 
old Goliath with nothing more than a sling and a stone, and in the name of the 
Lord, then we cannot question whether the Lord is with us. Now we must go 
forward by faith. We must believe before we see, and then watch old Goliath 
fall, and roll and tumble as we go. Now we can see that power of sin broken, 
because we go in the name of the Lord.
 
After David had been anointed to be king, the Lord tried his faith to the end. 
He was made to flee for his life until he sought refuge in the land of the 
Philistines.
 
Faith endures the sharpest trial. Under no circumstances does faith give way to 
not trust the Lord. When Ziklag was burned with fire, we read in 1 Samuel 30:6: 
“And David was greatly distressed; for the people spake of stoning him, because 
the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and for his 
daughters: but David encouraged himself in the LORD his God.”
 
These people who spoke of stoning David were the 600 men who followed him. They 
followed him and lost their families. David did not plead for his life. Though 
his heart was just as vexed as theirs, he encouraged himself in the Lord as he 
remembered past incidences where the Lord delivered him. This was at a time when 
all human reasoning came against him.
 
When we walk by faith, we trust the Lord and can sing His praises before the 
deliverance.
 
Our text says, “For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of 
our confidence stedfast unto the end.”
 
I want to go with you to 1 Samuel 30:6-7 and show you something the Lord used to 
bless my soul. “And David was greatly distressed; for the people spake of 
stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his 
sons and for his daughters: but David encouraged himself in the LORD his God. 

And David said to Abiathar the priest, Ahimelech’s son, I pray thee, bring me 
hither the ephod. And Abiathar brought thither the ephod to David.”
 
David did not move until the Lord told him what to do. We see in verse 8: “And 
David inquired at the LORD, saying, Shall I pursue after this troop? shall I 
overtake them? And he answered him, Pursue: for thou shalt surely overtake them, 
and without fail recover all.”
 
Verses 9 and 10 tell us: “So David went, he and the six hundred men that were 
with him, and came to the brook Besor, where those that were left behind stayed. 
But David pursued, he and four hundred men: for two hundred abode behind, which 
were so faint that they could not go over the brook Besor.”
 
They wept until they had no more power to weep. They were so tired that 200 men 
could not even cross the brook. 
 
 
Continuing in verses11 to 19 we read: “And they found an Egyptian in the field, 
and brought him to David, and gave him bread, and he did eat; and they made him 
drink water; 
And they gave him a piece of a cake of figs, and two clusters of 
raisins: and when he had eaten, his spirit came again to him: for he had eaten 
no bread, nor drunk any water, three days and three nights. And David said unto 
him, To whom belongest thou? and whence art thou? And he said, I am a young man 
of Egypt, servant to an Amalekite; and my master left me, because three days 
agone I fell sick. 
We made an invasion upon the south of the Cherethites, and 
upon the coast which belongeth to Judah, and upon the south of Caleb; and we 
burned Ziklag with fire. 
And David said to him, Canst thou bring me down to 
this company? And he said, Swear unto me by God, that thou wilt neither kill me, 
nor deliver me into the hands of my master, and I will bring thee down to this 
company. 
And when he had brought him down, behold, they were spread abroad upon 
all the earth, eating and drinking, and dancing, because of all the great spoil 
that they had taken out of the land of the Philistines, and out of the land of 
Judah. 
And David smote them from the twilight even unto the evening of the next 
day: and there escaped not a man of them, save four hundred young men, which 
rode upon camels, and fled. 
And David recovered all that the Amalekites had 
carried away: and David rescued his two wives. And there was nothing lacking to 
them, neither small nor great, neither sons nor daughters, neither spoil, nor 
any thing that they had taken to them: David recovered all.” 
 


This was 36 hours of hand to hand combat. Look at the supernatural strength the 
Lord gave David and those 400 men.
 
The Lord gave me such encouragement in these verses, showing me that He would 
give me supernatural strength to be able to bear what He had laid upon me.
 
David encouraged himself in the Lord before he saw the deliverance. When we walk 
by faith we can sing the songs of deliverance before we are delivered.
 
How could the children of Israel lose their confidence just three days after 
they sang: “The people shall hear, and be afraid: sorrow shall take hold on the 
inhabitants of Palestina. Then the dukes of Edom shall be amazed; the mighty men 
of Moab, trembling shall take hold upon them; all the inhabitants of Canaan 
shall melt away”? (Exodus 15:14-15).
 
They walked by sight, not by faith. When they saw they sang, but when a trial 
came they murmured. 
 
 
When unbelief is harbored in your heart, murmuring and complaining is the sad 
result.
 
Have you ever hear people murmur? Have you ever heard people murmur against the 
Lord, complaining, wondering if the Lord is with them? 
 
 
Unbelief must be rooted out. It cannot simply be suppressed. It must be pulled 
out by the roots. Unbelief is disobedience. Faith is obedience. The root of the 
matter is to walk by faith, not by sight. It is as far apart as east is from the 
west. Faith is believing and doing. Unbelief is murmuring and disobeying. You 
cannot suppress unbelief and put faith on top of it.
 
We cannot “hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end” if we had 
no confidence from the beginning, so it is important to examine our beginning.
 
David could believe the Lord because he remembered all the signs the Lord had 
given him. He remembered he had been anointed king, and he knew that what the 
Lord promised He was able to perform. He knew he was going to be delivered, and 
he acted upon it.
 
God’s Word tells us in James 1:6-7: “But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. 
For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. 
For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord.”
 
Do not think that you will receive anything of the Lord when you do not believe 
you are going to receive what you asked for. When you ask in unbelief and are 
only reciting words, it is not going to happen.
 
I want you to turn with me to Hebrews 11, and we will see what faith is. Verse 6 
tells us: “But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh 
to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that 
diligently seek him.”
 
David not only believed, but he turned to the Lord for the reward. 
 
We read in Hebrews 12:2: “Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our 
faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the 
shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.”
 
Jesus endured the cross before He was seated at the right hand of the Father. 
That is faith. He obeyed before receiving the reward.
 
Faith is believing and trusting before we see.
 
After the Apostle Paul had suffered the loss of all things that he might win 
Christ, he said in Galatians 2:20: “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I 
live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the 
flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for 
me.”
 
I am not going to twist that to say “by faith in the Son of God,” as some 
commentators have the gall to do. It is that imputed faith of Christ that makes 
our faith saving faith.
 
Our text says in Hebrews 3:14: “For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold 
the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end.”
 
The beginning of our confidence has to be that we trust the Lord before we see. 
He wants us not only to obey Him, but He wants us to trust Him. That is what He 
will prove by the circumstances He will bring us into, whether or not we are 
willing to trust Him.
 
The grievousness was that after He had given the Israelites so many rich 
experiences, and they had seen evidence so many times that the Lord was among 
them, yet they would not trust Him.
 
I have heard the saying, Unless you have unbelief, you do not have the work of 
grace. Well, I cannot find it in my Bible, and I will tell you something, The 
poor man who is saying this does not understand what unbelief is, because it 
would be hard to believe that anyone would say, Well, unless you disobey the 
Lord you do not have grace.
 
Unbelief is absolute defiant, rebellion against God, and this is why the Lord 
was grieved with the children of Israel. They rebelled when they were told to go 
forward after they had seen all these different proofs that He was among them.
 
When David saw evidence that the Lord was with him, he did not need to see 
before he could believe. David went forward with supernatural determination and 
strength. 
 

Daily Devotional

“His unchanging plan has always been to adopt us into his own family by sending Jesus Christ to die for us.”  Ephesians 1:3, TLB

And you thought God adopted you because you were good-looking. You thought he needed your money or your wisdom. Sorry. God adopted you simply because he wanted to. You were in his good will and pleasure. Knowing full well the trouble you would be and the price he would pay, he signed his name next to yours and changed your name to his and took you home. Your Abba adopted you and became your Father.

The Power of Kindness | Simple Truths

The Power of Kindness | Simple Truths

YouTube - Hold it against me 266 Rein Marines Official Version

YouTube - Hold it against me 266 Rein Marines Official Version

Lake Frederick

Also yesterday, we went to Lake Frederick on the way back from Elizabeth Furnace. It is such a beautiful place as well! One place I could stay outside & enjoy for hours!!

Elizabeth Furnace

Had an awesome day yesterday with my husband & son. We went to Elizabeth Furnace & although I cannot hike, because of my health, my son & husband did & while they were doing that, I took some beautiful pictures. It was an awesome day, enjoying God's creation.!!

NEW BLOG!!!

We have moved!!!
ourlordswill.blogspot.com

Instructions

 1. ON HAIRDRYER INSTRUCTIONS;
      - Do not use while sleeping.

   2. ON A BAG OF FRITOS:
      - You could be a winner! No purchase necessary. Details inside.

   3. ON A BAR OF DIAL SOAP,
      - Directions: Use like regular soap.

   4. ON A FROZEN DINNER:
      - Serving suggestion: Defrost.

   5. ON A HOTEL-PROVIDED SHOWER CAP IN A BOX:
      - Fits one head.

   6. ON TIRIMISU DESERT
      - Do not turn upside down. (Printed on the bottom of the box.)

   7. ON MARKS & SPENCER BREAD PUDDING
      - Product will be hot after heating.

   8. ON PACKAGING FOR A ROWENTA IRON
      - Do not iron clothes on body.

   9. ON CHILDRENS COUGH MEDICINE
      - Do not drive car or operate machinery.

  10. ON NYTOL (A SLEEP AID)
      - Warning: may cause drowsiness.

  11. ON A KOREAN KITCHEN KNIFE
      - Warning: keep out of children.

  12. ON A STRING OF CHINESE MADE CHRISTMAS LIGHTS
      - For indoor or outdoor use only.

  13. ON A JAPANESE FOOD PROCESSOR
      - Not to be used for the other use.

  14. ON SAINSBURY'S PEANUTS
      - Warning: contains nuts.

  15. ON AN AMERICAN AIRLINES PACKET OF NUTS
      - Instructions: open packet, eat nuts.

  16. ON A SWEDISH CHAINSAW
      - Do not attempt to stop chain with your hands.

Quote of the day

“No man is ever more than four steps from God: conviction, repentance, consecration, and faith.”
 Roy L. Smith

Poem of the day

--TO GOD BE THE GLORY--

---

MY CHILD

I watched you from a distance
As you danced under the sun
Each golden ray made just for you
My child, my special one

Then the rain began to fall
And you sat with me to see
We huddled close together
My dear child and me

The wind it blew so strongly
It whipped us fierce and cold
I took you into my arms
My dear child I did hold

When the thunder roared
So bold, so loud, so wild
I held you closer to my heart
My love, my special child

Then lightening broke the darkness
It made you shake with fear
I protected you with all I had
My child, my love, my dear

Then as the sun shone again
It brought a rainbow too
One I painted in the sky
My child, it was for you

When life seems so difficult
When it seems too much to bear
I’ll protect you from the darkness
My child, I’m always there

When you feel scared and lonely
I will keep you near my heart
I am always there for you
My child, we never part

I am the Lord your Father
Like the rainbow I made you too
I made you perfect just for me
My child, I do love you.

~ Natalie Sommerville ~
North Yorkshire, England

---

Word of the day

somniloquy:

Part of Speech: Noun

Meaning: 1. Talking in your sleep, sleep-talking. 2. What you say when you talk in your sleep.

Notes: This half-amusing  Word is a member of a large and warm family, despite the fact that my spell-checker is lighting up this paragraph like a Christmas tree with red lines as I write it. A person who engages in somniloquy is a somniloquist who becomes somniloquent when sleeping. When somniloquists somniloquize, they express themselves in somniloquies in the second meaning of today's word. Although somniloquies usually are soliloquies, be careful not to confuse the two.

In Play: Many people utter words and phrases related to the dreams they have as they sleep. However, a somniloquy can often be even more important than what we say when we are awake. A wife might ask a husband in the morning, "So, who is this 'Eleanor' you mentioned several times in your somniloquy last night?" Don't overlook the other members of this family of words. The same wife might comment, "I'm sleeping much better now that you have become less somniloquent at night."

Word History: Today's  Word is made from the root of Latin somnus "sleep" + the verb loqui "to speak". Somnus is also responsible for the English words somnambulant "sleep-walking, sleep-walker" and somnolent, the grown-up word for "sleepy". The same Proto-Indo-European root that produced somnus turned up in Greek as hypnos "sleep", which we see at the root of our word hypnotism. In Russian it became son "sleep, dream". The root of the Latin verb loqui "to talk or speak" is also present in English loquacious "talkative" and eloquent.

 

Sermon of the Week

Why are so many families over-extended financially?
• Are you in a position where things are really tight financially, or are you about to drown in financial debt?
• Does it seem as though your paycheck is getting dumped into a big bottomless pit?
• You are you are not alone.
• According to Money-zine.com Americans carried approximately $886 billion in credit card debt, and that number is expected to grow to a projected $1,177 billion by the end of 2010. This works out to over $5,100 in credit card debt per cardholder (not household) and that number is expected to increase to over $6,500 by the end of 2010.
• That is only CREDIT CARD DEBT, not cars or other issues.
• Statistics also tell us that the average new car loan is over $27,600,http://www.money-zine.com/Financial-Planning/Debt-Consolidation/Consumer-Debt-Statistics/
• The question gets to be “how much is enough?” How much would does it take to make a person happy?
• Life has become a money pit for many. When you have an insatiable appetite for things, you will NEVER be happy no matter how much or little you have.
• Our life becomes about trying to pay for all the stuff our appetite demands.
• Why do you thing many if not most families up to their eyeballs in debt? They are missing something!
• Let’s get personal for a minute.
• How many of you like being in debt up to your eyeballs?
• What if through God’s Word you can transform life from one of being a worry infested money pit to a life with less stress and more joy filled?
• Would it be nice to have less financial stress and to have the ability to more deeply participate in taking care of the needs of others along with being able to participate in furthering the ministry of God’s Kingdom?
• Today turn in your bibles to Philippians 4:11-15
• SLIDE #2
• Philippians 4:11(ESV) 11Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content.
• If we want life to stop being a money pit we need to:
• SLIDE #3
SERMON
I. Learn how to be content with your life. (11)
• Paul had some very rough times AFTER he became a Christian.
• Before he was a Christian he was a Pharisee with an excellent pedigreed.
• He most likely was doing pretty well from a material standpoint.
• People looked up to him, they envied him, and they wanted to be like him.
• As a Christian, Paul did not always have it easy, shipwrecked, beaten, and let out of town in a basket among other things.
• In the previous passage Paul speaks of being blessed by the fact that Philippian Christians were concerned about him especially since he was in prison at the time.
• Throughout it all Paul learned something very important. He learned how to be content with whatever he has and whatever circumstance he was in.
• The word “content” in original text means “self-sufficient” and independent of others.
• As a matter of fact, this word is only used in the place in the New Testament.
• In the ancient Greek world the word was used to describe the independence that WISDOM brought, however; this is not what Paul had in mind with this word.
• He gives it a new meaning. It now gives the idea of independence of dependence on Jesus.
• In other words being content biblically is knowing your sufficiency comes from being in Christ. Being content is like being Jesus-sufficient instead of self.
• Remember how last week we examined the fact that Jesus will take care of us if we put Him first.
• When we lack contentment, we are never satisfied.
• We see life in the wrong light. The chief end of man is not to have all his needs and desires filled, but rather it is to glorify God.
• Solomon was a man who seemed to have it all, wealth, power prestige. He had the ability and means to do anything he wanted. AND by the WAY HE DID.
• SLIDE #4
• Ecclesiastes 12:13(ESV) 13The end of the matter; all has been heard. Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man.
• Notice that Paul says he LEARNED to be content. Why did he have to learn it? Because contentment is not natural for us.
• If we do not learn to be content with God and what He is blessed us with, we will never be at peace, nothing we do; nothing we buy will fill the void in our heart.
• Does being content mean that we do not desire some things? Not necessarily.
• Just because we may desire things does not mean we are not content. It boils down to; are we joyful and blessed over what we have from God NOW?
• I have had times in my life when I did not know what contentment meant. I would want something to the point that I felt cheated with what I had at the time.
• I would love to have some of the money and resources I threw down the money pit in my life because I was not content with my current blessings.
• Let’s look at verse 12
• SLIDE #5
• Philippians 4:12(ESV) 12I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need.
• SLIDE #6
II. Learn how to live above your life circumstances. (12)
• How many of us are victims of circumstances. We allow circumstances to control our emotions, relationships, faith, and our finances.
• Paul knew how to live with little as well as lot.
• He even experienced living life in hunger.
• It is so easy to feel blessed when all is well, but how easy is it when you just lost your job or just had your house foreclosed on.
• True contentment transcends circumstances. Contentment does not mean you LOVE losing your job and your house, but it means that you know God is still in control, that He is still your Lord.
• There is an art to being able to do this, notice again this word LEARNED is used.
• Who wants to be hungry? Even during lean times we can be content.
• The word “abound” means to overflow.
• Now, as hard as it can be to be content when we have little, have an overflowing abundance can also present challenges. (AS FOR ME, I THINK I WOULD RATHER…) 
• When we do not know how to live with little, all we will be able to think about it getting more, we will be discontent with God and we will spend what we have foolishly on items we cannot afford.
• When we do not know how to live with much, we will not be satisfied until we have more and more and more.
• SLIDE #7
• Luke 12:15(ESV) 15And he said to them, “Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.”
• Are you discontented because you don’t have what you want? Learn to rely on God’s promises and Christ’s power to help you be content.
• If you always want more, ask God to remove that desire and teach you contentment in every circumstance. He will supply all your needs, but in a way that he knows is best for you. (Life Application BIBLE)
• Let me tell you something from personal experience. Until I learned to be content with what I had and where I was, I did not experience peace.
• When I finally started to get a grip on contentment, it really changed how I saw things.
• The desire for more and more was under control, I was no longer willing to put my family at financial risk for stuff.
• Let’s see what we gather from verse 13
• SLIDE #8
• Philippians 4:13(ESV) 13I can do all things through him who strengthens me.
• Slide #9
III. Learn where your strength really comes from. (13)
• Paul’s contentment was not gained through self-discipline. Instead, it was through Christ alone, literally “the one empowering me”
• In context, the all things refers to the list in 4:11-12. In every possible circumstance, Paul could truly be content because he did not let outward circumstances determine his attitude.
• This verse is not about saying I can do ANYTHING I WANT; it is about being able to accomplish all things for Him through Christ and His power.
• Think of the issue of forgiveness. When YOU do not think YOU can do it, you can do it through CHRIST who strengthens you.
• What seems impossible, contentment in all circumstances can be done through Christ who strengthens us!
• This happens when we are in Christ.
• SLIDE #10
• Galatians 2:20(ESV) 20I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.
• When we really get into a relationship with Jesus you will be amazed at what God can do through you, you will be amazed at what can change in your life through Christ.
• Many times we fall short because we rely on our own strength to get through issues we were not meant to deal with on our own.
• Contentment can be achieved through your relationship with Christ!
• Let’s look at our final thought in verses 14-15
• SLIDE #11
• Philippians 4:14-15(ESV) 14Yet it was kind of you to share my trouble. 15And you Philippians yourselves know that in the beginning of the gospel, when I left Macedonia, no church entered into partnership with me in giving and receiving, except you only.
• SLIDE #12
IV. Learn to be a blessing to others. (14-15)
• When we start to be content in life, we will realize that God put us here to also be a blessing to others.
• When we are not throwing our finances down the money pit of discontent, we will have more finances to help others and to be more involved in the advancement of the kingdom.
• The Philippian Christians were a blessing to Paul and his ministry. Then were one of the first to support him.
• Imagine where we might be today if there were not folks who could finance the work Paul did on behalf of Jesus.
• When we are not so focused on self, we will be able to be a blessing to others. When we are content with what we have been blessed with, when we are thankful for what we have been blessed with, we will be more generous with what we have.
CONCLUSION
• Contentment will keep us from throwing our finance and ourselves down the dark, lonely money pit.
• This is one lesson that if we will prayerfully implement into our lives, it will change our lives and how we see life.
• A lot of the stresses we face will disappear over time!

Hulu - Be My Valentine, Charlie Brown - Watch the full feature film now.

Hulu - Be My Valentine, Charlie Brown - Watch the full feature film now.

Scripture of the day

Funny Pic of the Day

Daily Devotional

“When the Spirit of truth comes, he will lead you into all truth.” John 16:13

Envision a father helping his son learn to ride a bicycle, and you will have a partial picture of the Holy Spirit. The father stays at the son’s side. He pushes the bike and steadies it if the boy starts to tumble. The Spirit does that for us; he stays our step and strengthens our stride. Unlike the father, however, he never leaves. He is with us to the end of the age.

Recipe of the day

	Serves: 12

The “secret ingredient” in these coconut-infused blueberry cupcakes - mashed potatoes - gives the cake great texture, almost like pound cake. The fluffy frosting is just fun. Because it’s low in calories and fat, you can spread or pipe a generous amount on top of each cupcake to make them look extra festive. The frosting stiffens as it stands, so be sure to put it on the cupcakes right after you make it.

 

 

 

 

Ingredients:

Cupcakes

• 1 large Yukon Gold potato, peeled and cut into small chunks
• 3/4 cup whole-wheat pastry flour, (see Note)
• 3/4 cup cake flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup canola oil
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 teaspoon coconut extract, or vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup nonfat buttermilk, (see Tip)
• 1 cup blueberries, fresh or frozen (thawed and drained), plus fresh blueberries for garnish

Frosting

• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 3 tablespoons water
• 4 teaspoons dried egg whites, (see Note), reconstituted according to package directions (equivalent to 2 egg whites)
• 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
• Pinch of salt
• 2-3 tablespoons blueberry preserves or jam
• 1/4 teaspoon coconut extract, or vanilla extract

Preparation:

1. To prepare cupcakes: Preheat oven to 350°F. Line 12 (1/2-cup) muffin cups with paper liners.
2. Place potato in a saucepan, add water to cover and bring to a boil. Cook until tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Drain and mash until very smooth. Measure out 3/4 cup and let cool slightly. (You may have some potato left over.)
3. Whisk whole-wheat flour, cake flour, baking powder, baking soda and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a medium bowl.
4. Beat granulated sugar and oil in a large mixing bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed until combined. Beat in egg, 1/2 teaspoon extract and the 3/4 cup mashed potatoes until combined. With the mixer on low, alternately mix in the dry ingredients and buttermilk, starting and ending with dry ingredients and scraping the sides of the bowl as needed, until just combined. Fold in 1 cup blueberries. Divide the batter among the prepared cups (they will be full).
5. Bake the cupcakes until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 22 to 24 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely.
6. To prepare frosting: Once the cupcakes are cool, bring 2 inches of water to a simmer in the bottom of a double boiler (see Tip). Combine 3/4 cup granulated sugar and 3 tablespoons water in the top of the double boiler. Place over the simmering water and heat, stirring, until the sugar is melted, 2 to 3 minutes. Start beating the mixture with an electric mixer on high speed; add reconstituted egg whites, cream of tartar and a pinch of salt. Continue beating until the mixture looks like a glossy, thick frosting, 5 to 7 minutes. Off the heat, beat for 1 minute more to cool. Add 2 tablespoons (or more, depending on desired color) blueberry preserves (or jam) and 1/4 teaspoon extract and beat on low just to combine. Spread or pipe the frosting on the cooled cupcakes and decorate with fresh blueberries on top, if desired.

Joke of The Day

  Tea For Mom  

      A little girl made a cup of tea for her mother.
      
      "I didn't know you could make tea," said mom taking a sip.
      
      "Yes, I boiled some water, added the tea leaves like you do, and then strained it into a cup. But I couldn't find the strainer, so I used the fly swatter."
      
      "What!" exclaimed mom, choking on her tea.
      
      "Oh, don't worry. I didn't use the new fly swatter. I used the old one."

Quote of the day

Christ believed is salvation received.

Poem of the day

Amazing grace--how sweet the sound--

That saved a wretch like me!

I once was lost but now am found,

Was blind but now I see.--Newton

Word of the day

Hallelujah:

Part of Speech: Interjection, Noun


Meaning: 1. An interjection of unexpected joy or relief. 2. An exclamation of "Hallelujah!" or piece of music based on it.

In Play: We all have 'hallelujah' moments; we might hear a student shout: "Hallelujah! Exams are over!" Parents occasionally feel like we do today, "Hallelujah! The kids are off to camp for the rest of the summer!" But, then, so do the kids: "Hallelujah! The 'rents are gone for the weekend!"

Word History: This very good word comes from Hebrew hallalû-yah "praise to God (Yahweh)," based on hallalu, the imperative plural of hillel "he praised". Hallel "song of praise" is a member of the same family. These words share the same ancestor as Arabic halala, the name of a Saudi Arabian coin. The name of the Arabian coin is akin to hilal "crescent" from halla "to appear" (said of the moon). Yah is a shortened form of one of the Hebrew words for God. It is found in many personal names such as Jedidiah (Hebrew yedid-yah "beloved of God"), Matthew (Hebrew mattay-yah "gift of God"), and Isaiah (Hebrew yesha'-yahu "salvation of God"). The origin of this word may be Hebrew haya "to cause to be." Jehovah is the modern English (mis)pronunciation of it.

Recipe of the day

Creamy Turkey Burritos

INGREDIENTS

1 1/2

cups chopped cooked turkey

1

cup nonfat sour cream

2

tablespoons 40% less sodium Old El Paso® taco seasoning mix

2

oz. (1/2 cup) shredded reduced-fat sharp Cheddar cheese

4

(8-inch) fat-free Old El Paso® flour tortillas

DIRECTIONS

• 1MICROWAVE DIRECTIONS: In medium bowl, combine turkey, sour cream, taco seasoning mix and 1/4 cup of the cheese; mix well.
• 2Spread 1/4 of turkey mixture down center of each tortilla; roll up. Place1 burrito on each of 4 microwave-safe plates. Sprinkle each with 1 tablespoon of the remaining cheese. Cover with microwave-safe plastic wrap.
• 3Microwave each burrito on HIGH for 1 to 2 minutes or until thoroughly heated. If desired, serve with salsa and shredded lettuce.

Scripture of the day

Funny Pic of the Day

Daily Devotional

I will meditate on the glorious splendor of Your majesty, and on Your wondrous works.  Psalm 145:5, NKJV

Has it been a while since you stared at the heavens in speechless amazement?  Has it been a while since you realized God’s divinity?

If it has, then you need to know something.  He is still there!  He hasn’t left.  Under all those papers and books and reports and years.  In the midst of all those voices and faces and memories and pictures, He is still there.

Quote of the day

The world will know by our love for God and others that He is great.

Poem of the day

Let us go forth, as called of God,

Redeemed by Jesus' precious blood;

His love to show, His life to live,

His message speak, His mercy give.--Whittle

Joke of The Day

  A Girl or a Boy  

      Two babies were sitting in their cribs when one called over to the other: "Are you a little girl or a little boy?"
      
      "I don't know," replied the other baby giggling.
      
      "What do you mean, you don't know?" asked the first.
      
      "I mean I don't know how to tell the difference."
      
      "Well, I do," said the first baby chuckling. "I'll climb into your crib and find out."
      
      So he carefully manoeuvred himself into the other baby's crib, then quickly disappeared beneath the blanket. After a couple of minutes, he resurfaced with a big grin on his face. "You're a little girl and I'm a little boy," he said proudly.
      
      "You're ever so clever," cooed the baby girl, "But how can you tell?"
      
      "It's easy," replied the baby boy. "You've got pink booties and I've got blue ones."

Word of the day

obviate

Part of Speech: Verb, transitive


Meaning: 1. To make unnecessary. 2. To eliminate or prevent.

Notes: The meaning of this Word is anything but obvious. In fact, it is not semantically related to the word obvious, even though the two words do share a common root (see History below). So beware this curveball of a Word: it does not mean "to make obvious". The noun is obviation and the adjective is obviative. The adjective also does not have an obvious meaning, either: it is used only to refer to an obscure grammatical function found in a few American Indian languages.

In Play: To obviate the obvious, let's first use this word in an ordinary turn of phase like, "Mike Raffone's long introductory remarks obviated most of the visiting lecturer's speech." Unfortunately, a form of obviation in its second sense, "to eliminate", has become a way of doing business recently: "The new plant in India obviated most of the positions in Anita Job's division."

Word History: The  Word today originated as obviatus, the past participle of Latin obviare "to meet, withstand, prevent". This verb contains the preposition ob "to, toward" and viare "go, travel", which comes from via "road, way". Via we see in Via Appia "the Appian Way", Italy's oldest road and in our preposition via "by way of", as in to send via airmail. The original root also emerged in Latin as veh- which underlies English vehicle. In Germanic languages that V became a W, so we see it in German Wagen (as in Volkswagen "the people's car") and English wagon (UK waggon) and way. Now, the adjective obvious comes from the Latin adjective obvius, built from the phrase ob viam "in the way, within reach". I hope this obviates all your questions about today's Good Word.