Monday: Blessings 1

"Go forth and share your Blessings."

Once in a while I write letters to the newspaper, today one was printed in the Patriot-News. It's copied below.

Good Morning, my dear brothers and sisters. And this week we are not just going to list prayer requests; we are also going to be praising God for our many, many blessings that He gives us daily. And folks, I want to hear from you about your blessings. How have you been blessed and how are you being blessed today, and what might you expect tomorrow? Today is Monday and the day we pray for our leaders, all of them, folks, even if we do not like them, we need to love them and pray for them And also for all those who work so hard to keep us safe (police, firefighters, etc.) and free (military, and of course our Lord Jesus). Also, please pray for Anna Troutman, for Lillian Martin, for Vicki and for the Saylor family.

ALSO REMEMBER Schools are opening, watch out for those big yellow buses and kids running near them. When you see a school bus, pray for it's cargo and operator.

Blessings 1: Genesis 12: 1 - The Lord had said to Abram, "Leave your country, your people, and your father's household and go to the land I will show you." 2 "I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. 3 I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you." (NIV)

Folks, when you look over this scripture what does it really say? What is it telling us? Yes, it is history, but what is it really telling you today? While we could look at the history of this today, I want to look at what God is telling us through this.

Here we find God talking to Abram, and folks, let's start right here. God talks to us today, He really does, but do we listen? God speaks to our heart, but is our heart open and ready to hear? Your ears are not the only place that is made to hear, we hear with our brain and our heart. In fact our ears just pick up the sounds. Our brain and our heart sorts them out. So the first thing this passage is pointing out to me today is that God speaks to us. And what is God telling Abram? Gosh, to leave your home, your family, your people, even your country. Listen folks, God still speaks to people today and tells them the same things. Think about it... I can tell you now that it has happened to many followers of God over the years. I want to talk to you about a few men who did just this, and folks, they are still doing it and it has been over 50 years of doing it...

Leave your family? They did that! Leave your homes? They did that! Leave your people? Yes, they did that! Leave your country? Many times over the ones I am talking about have done just that! Where God sent them, they went! I know them, they are called The Couriers, and the group is still doing that, and so are the guys who got it started... And some along the way who were with them are still going where God sends them. Yes, Duane, Neil, Dave, Phil, Tim, Larry have left their homes, not just when they were youth, but even today they leave their homes and hit the road for God. They leave their people, those in their home churches, to go out and seek others for the Lord, they even leave their country for this work. It must have been a big step for Abram to leave all this and go with God. And I am sure it was the same for a couple of teens or guys in their very early twenties when God called them into the ministry and said to go to Central Pennsylvania. It took trust and faith in God to do this, and it still does today And folks, these guys have been blessed over and over again and if you do not believe this just go to a concert and hear them and then ask them... Would you do it all over again? I know their answer...

My question for you. Would you be willing today to pack it up and start out with just your Bible and God? Now God does not ask all of His people to leave home, but folks He is asking each and every one of us to "follow Him". Are you ready to do that? Today as we start talking about blessings we will all count the air we breath, the clothes we wear, the food we eat... But our best blessing, the one we should count first is Jesus. This week we are going to look at more blessings and we are going to bring back the "Fish"; yes we are. Count your blessings, name them one by one.... Count those many blessings and see what God has done. And share them and watch them grow. Tomorrow we talk about growing your blessings.

Dear Father in Heaven, we are so, so blessed... Thanks for our many blessings. We just want to give You praise today. While we pray for those on our lists, we want to give glory for You having all of these folks in our lives. Bless them Lord. In Jesus name, in Jesus name, help us share our blessings... for we know that true blessings come from You. Thanks again... and I give thanks in Your name Jesus, Amen.

Do I need to say it this week.... yes of course... SHARE YOUR BLESSINGS. love ya, dan.
PS - let me hear about your blessings and what you think of my letter to the editor.

Instill teachers' dress code

With regards to dress codes in our public schools, I think the dress code must start at the top.

School administrators and schoolteachers should be required to dress as follows: Men should be required to wear suits, white shirts and ties. No sport coats, no just slacks and only white shirts.

When a male teacher or staff person would be in their classroom or office their suit jacket could be hung up, but when out of the office, in the halls, etc., the coat is on, no exceptions.

Ladies should be required to wear either dresses or skirts with a blouse or sweater and no low necklines.

Office staff also should follow the same dress code. Cooks and food helpers should be dressed alike. And hear me on this, no dress-down day.

Yes, many problems in schools start at home, but we must give our kids in schools people to look up to.

This dress code for teachers is nothing new, it is how my parents went to work, and it is how the teachers I had dressed when I went to the Harrisburg City Schools (John Harris, class of 1959).

If our teachers of today want respect, they must earn it, and they must set an example for the students to follow and to look up to.

DANIEL W. LEHMAN, Mechanicsburg