Salvation Bracelet Craft Kits

Vacation Bible School is only a week or two away and I think Salvation Bracelet Craft kits may be something that the girls in my class' age group might enjoy making. It's hard to find a craft with meaning that doesn't require advanced artistic skills.

I found kits that have hemp cords and synthetic leather ones that come with laminated inspirational message cards that are written in both English and Spanish. The girls in my class will love making these and I believe that giving them to their friends who may not actually attend Bible School will help to spread the Word.

The Salvation bracelet craft kits with the inspirational message card that I was considering are advertised at .39 each which is very reasonable, in fact it's very cheap! But I'm on a very tight budget and have even been entering to win free stuff to use as supplies. If you know of a less expensive resource for the bracelet kits, would you please leave a comment telling me where to find them online? I would appreciate the help

BRINGING SOULS TO CHRIST

I often wonder if there is a better way of bringing souls to Christ than to visit, leave pamphlets and invite people to join me at church. I know that many are hungry...no starved...for what our Savior has to give and are just waiting for an invitation.

Many times these lost souls stand silently in the background or worse yet, act in the most sinful ways imaginable in order to either be noticed or in a futile attempt to fill the emptiness in their lives with something even if it's the wrong thing.
However, as miserable and sad as these people can be they often take offense or are insulted and downright rebellious if a Christian shows up at their door bringing them an invitation to join your religious family.

We are told many times in the Bible that witnessing is important but we should be aware that the inspirational message can be delivered in many ways.

Here is one Bible verse about witnessing and bringing souls to Christ that I would like to share:

ACTS 1:8

"But when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, you will receive power to testify about me with great effect to the people in Jerusalem throughout Judea, and in Sumaria, and to the ends of the earth."

HOW TO WITNESS

Perhaps one of the most effective ways for us to witness would be how we live our own lives. Do we live the way Jesus would want us to live? Would He approve of our actions on any given day? Do we make it a practice to only go to places where He would go?

The way that we go about our day to day workaday lives can be a witness bringing souls to Christ. Our very lives can be a witness to the lost and then when we do have the opportunity to witness the lost person will be more receptive to our invitation.

The love of Jesus Christ is a beautiful gift that we can offer every lost person that is waiting for an invitation to receive the gift of salvation. We can be the motivation for the lost to seek salvation. We can show them the joy that comes from being a member of the family of God. Showing them rather than telling them that God's love can take away the pain is perhaps a better way.

Here is a poem that is an invitation to unsaved individuals.

To the tired and thirsty person
Plagued by sin and woe
Christ offers a place of comfort
Where the saved can go

He offers us cool water
And food enough to share
With those who would trade light for darkness
And tormented thoughts for prayer

His gift is wrapped in beauty
And eternal life too
A present of peace and joy so sweet
Waiting for you at Jesus' feet

Bringing lost souls to Christ's love can be a personal blessing, so let's dedicate ourselves to living the live the Jesus intended for us to receive it to the very fullest.

Will God Take Care of Me

During these difficult times, many are asking "Will God Take Care of Me?" because they are facing situations that they never in their wildest dreams thought they would encounter. Virtually every family I know is suffering financial setbacks and worries and the root of this is the outcome of confusing what we WANT with our actual needs. The greed and dishonesty of a few have certainly brought us to a difficult time.

Will God provide for me in the manner to which I've become accustomed? That all depends! God promised to provide for our needs, not our wants. And He is the only one who knows exactly what we need and when we need it and I ask you do you really think that luxury has made people happy?

My faith and many inspirational Bible verses tell me that God will stand by me and supply what I need so long as I'm patient and willing to wait. Waiting on God can be difficult because he doesn't work according to our calendar. However, we can comfort in the knowledge that as we are struggling with a need that He in His wisdom already knows the need as He knows all things.

Knowing the answer to the question, will God take care of me provides comfort to my anxious soul. I know this because scripture assures me that if I wait on God, in faith, that He will provide.

Why would He let us reach the point of desperation? Perhaps this is to lead us to renew our dependence on Him and bring us back to the point of child like faith depending on him for all things.

JOYS OF BEING A CHRISTIAN

I recently had a moment to reflect on the joys of being a Christian and I would like to share my experience with you. On a recent lengthy car trip with my daughter, we had a chance for some mother-daughter conversations as well as moments of comfortable silence. During one of the quiet moments, I found myself having to manuever through a construction zone with uneven pavement that required some effort to keep the car on the road.


The jerking, weaving and pulling of the car was a bit scary and I started to get frustrated with trying to both keep us safe and find a smooth spot on the road. While I was feeling the stress and strain I happened to glance over at my little girl and saw that she was aware of the situation and the expression on her face was so horrified and yet funny that in spite of myself I got tickled!

At first she didn't appreciate the humor of the situation and seemed irritated that I was taking things so lightly. But the more I laughed the more she caught my mood, joined in and started to let go and laugh.

After making it through the rough patch just fine I started thinking of how the lighthearted moment made things better. There are so many moments every day that bring us to the brink of frustration, fear, worry and sometimes anger but what would the outcome be if we stopped, took a breath and reflected on the joys of being a Christian and to draw on those teachings?

Proverbs 17:22 tells us, "A merry heart does good like a medicine."

What if when sadness and heartache comes our way we respond to it with thinking of Luke 6:21 that states, "Blessed are you who weep now, For you shall laugh."?

When financial problems arise, the Bible has an answer for that in Psalms 126:5 telling us, "But he that is of a merry heart has a continual feast."

And perhaps tensions on your job or in the office could be alleviated by referral to Proverbs 15:13 that says, "A merry heart makes a cheerful countenance."

Perhaps if we put these uplifting Bible verses to work every day we will find that the joys of being a Christian are contagious and we would be hard pressed to find better motivational quotes than the ones we find in above scripture.

Dedication to Christ

I learned about dedication to Christ and standing by one's Christian beliefs early in life. You see, my mother and father had very different upbringings. My mom was raised on a country farm and my dad could scarcely claim any one location as his roots because his father was in the military and moved the family frequently. But where they lived early in life was not the most profound of their differences. Mother came from a long line of missionaries who dedicated their lives to spreading the word about Jesus.

It's true that opposites attract and according to both, from the moment they met they couldn't imagine spending life with anyone else. Mother set out to make a Christian home which was fine with my dad although it didn't seem as important to him as it did to her. Kids notice these things and I'm very fortunate that mother's dedication to Christ was as steadfast as it was or I may well have followed a different path.

An example of her devotion took place on a cold Sunday in winter day when we were all getting ready for church. The roads were in danger of becoming slick by afternoon so mother asked dad would he chauffer us to church and he refused saying that we could miss one day of preaching with no harm done.

Mother quietly turned and bundled me and my sister up just a little warmer and tugged on our rain boots and out the door we went, walking several miles to Sunday services. Where did this tiny lady find the strength to carry both of us in the freezing cold on icy roads? You can find the answer in Isaiah 40 that says:

"He gives power to the faint; and to them who have no might He increases strength....But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.

A long time later I expressed how amazed I was that she had (what seemed to me) defied my dad and she directed me to read the inspirational Bible verse Romans 8:38-39 which says:

"For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord."

Her dedication to Christ as shown on that cold day had not only an effect on all of us kids but on my dad as he not only accepted Jesus as his Saviour but went on to become a minister of the gospel himself! To her credit, her devotion and spiritual leadership brought all of my brothers and sisters to serve in some capacity within the church.

Recognizing the Need for Charity

Recognizing the need for charity is perhaps the springboard for giving. I know very few people who would knowingly be stingy if they knew that a person of their acquaintance was in need. However, many fail to stop and think about whether another is doing without because even in difficult times most are truly are blessed and have more than enough.

This is one of the quotes about charity that best illustrates my point:

Nothing is so hard for those who are surrounded by riches than to conceive how others can be in need.



The problem is that many proud families or individuals are not going to wave flags announcing their needs to the world. How do we identify who is in need? First of all, there are many charitable organizations run by fine people that make recognizing the need for charity their life's work. You can take your pick from a list of charities that would appreciate anything you have to offer including financial assistance in your area. Or if you would prefer a more personal approach to giving, you might take a moment and think of the friends or family members in your own neighborhood that have lost jobs and fallen on hard times that might appreciate a carefully offered helping hand.

Return to Motivational Inspirational Posters Poems and Quotes to find more ways that we can offer comfort and kindness after recognizing the need for charity.

KEEPING KINDNESS in CHRISTMAS

It's always important to focus on keeping kindness in Christmas, but in these difficult times it's crucial that we take time to see and help with the needs of others less fortunate. And yes, no matter how tight our budgets are pinched or how lean our cupboards the search for someone who could use some assistance will sadly not end far from our door.

Even if money is tight it would be helpful to go through your closet and find some warm clothes to take to a shelter. A coat or a jacket would mean everything to a person who may have none.

Another way of keeping kindness in Christmas is to offer your services at no charge. The elderly would appreciate a little help with yard work or a lift to an appointment would be a luxury compared to public transportation.

Young parents with children often lack trustworthy babysitters. Volunteer to keep the little ones for a few hours while they do a little last minute shopping or just to enjoy each other's company.

Try it, you might be amazed at how these simple acts of kindness may enrich your own holiday season. Please come back to Motivational Inspirational Posters Poems and Quotes and share with us how you found ways of helping others and keeping kindness in Christmas.