Speaking in Tongues

My friend Robin's church was planning a missions trip to Central America, I don't recall which country.   Robin thought about it often, played it over in her mind but would say to herself, no way, that is not for me.  Others would ask her to join and she would say, sorry, not for me!

A few days before the group was to leave, someone fell ill and could not go.  The group's leader asked Robin again, and said he wouldn't take no for an answer.  She tried---she really, really tried. But for every excuse she gave, he had a remedy.   Finally Robin gave up, realizing this was where God wanted her to go.

The first night at the mission site the church group gathered for prayer and worship.  The pastor of the hosting church spoke at length in Spanish---Robin could not  understand a single word.  While the pastor continued, Robin prayed to God:  "Since you have brought me to this place to do Your work, and I gladly submit to be Your servant, I ask you to grant me this one thing.  Give me the gift of tongues.  Let me be able to understand what this pastor says and let me be able to speak to him in his native tongue."

As she finished the prayer, the host pastor began making rounds to personally greet everyone and he was approaching Robin.  She began to get nervous, hoping God would grant her this blessing of tongues.......the pastor reached her, put out his hand to shake hers and said in perfect English, with an American accent "Welcome, I am Pastor Michael, and what is your name?"

Robin thought she would faint!   For a split second thought she was understanding Spanish!   Then she realized that in a way, God did answer her prayer---she was able to understand the pastor and was able to speak to him so that he could understand her---it just wasn't in Spanish, but in his native tongue:  English.

God has such a wonderful sense of humor, doesn't he??

My Overly Simplistic View on Heaven

Simple thoughts from my Simple Mind!

I often wonder what Heaven is like.  

There really are not that many details in Heaven, 

But by all indications it is a wonderful place.   

No sickness, no death, no war.  

Surrounded by warmth, beauty and love.  

And some people have gone to Heaven 

And come back to describe what it was like. 

And the one theme I see in common with these folks 

is that there are no words to describe what they saw and felt!  

It is beyond description! 

There may be a few details here and there, 

But the "overall-ness" of it can't be described.

So that really makes me wonder and fantasize.  

 Can the animals talk? 

 And if I won't have allergies and all animals are "nice" 

Then can I go hang out with the tigers?  

Can I fly?  

Can I time travel?

  Can I meet anyone I want to meet? 

  Will I understand things better,

Such as the evil that has taken place on Earth?

And then, the other night, I figured out 

What Heaven is really, really like.

Based on all the "data" from the Bible and those who've been there:    

Imagine you live in a very isolated place 

And someone offers to take you to Disney.

  You have heard wonderful things about this place,

But you have never seen pictures or videos 

Or read any books on it. 

 You really know nothing, 

No details about this place called Disney,

Except everyone who's been there loves it 

And doesn't want to ever leave.    

So you think to yourself, excitedly----

Oh boy!  

I hope there's a roller coaster!

No matter how we think Heaven will be like

It will exceed all our expectations.

Because we are limited with our Simple Human Minds

And God's ways are 

Always 

Greater than we can Comprehend

Just for Fun

Just wanted to share this email:

KIDS IN CHURCH 

3-year-old Reese :
'Our Father, Who does art in heaven,
Harold is His name..
Amen.' 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A little boy was overheard praying:
'Lord, if you can't make me a better
boy, don't worry about it.
I'm having a real good time like I am.'

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

After the christening of his baby brother in church,
Jason sobbed all the way home in the back seat of the car.
His father asked him three times what was wrong.
Finally, the boy replied,
'That preacher said he wanted us brought up in a Christian home, and I wanted to stay with you guys.'

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

One particular four-year-old prayed,
'And forgive us our trash baskets
as we forgive those who put trash in our baskets.'

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A Sunday school teacher asked her children as they
were on the way to church service,
'And why is it necessary to be quiet in church?'
One bright little girl replied,
'Because people are sleeping.'

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A mother was preparing pancakes for her sons, Kevin 5, and Ryan 3.
The boys began to argue over who would get the first pancake.
Their mother saw the opportunity for a moral lesson..
'If Jesus were sitting here, He would say,
'Let my brother have the first pancake, I can wait.'
Kevin turned to his younger brother and said,
' Ryan, you be Jesus !'

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A father was at the beach with his children
when the four-year-old son ran up to him,
grabbed his hand, and led him to the shore
where a seagull lay dead in the sand.
'Daddy, what happened to him?' The son asked.
'He died and went to Heaven,' the Dad replied.
The boy thought a moment and then said,
'Did God throw him back down?' 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A wife invited some people to dinner.
At the table, she turned to their six-year-old daughter and said,
'Would you like to say the blessing?'
'I wouldn't know what to say,' the girl replied.
'Just say what you hear Mommy say,' the wife answered.
The daughter bowed her head and said,

'Lord, why on earth did I invite all these people to dinner?'