My Lines

It takes strength to be firm
It takes courage to be gentle.

It takes strength to stand guard.
It takes courage to let down your guard

It takes strength to conquer.
It takes courage to surrender.

It takes strength to be certain.
It takes courage to have doubt.

It takes strength to fit in.
It takes courage to stand out.

It takes strength to feel a friend's pain.
It takes courage to feel your own pain.

It takes strength to hide your own pains.
It takes courage to show them.

It takes strength to endure abuse.
It takes courage to stop it.

It takes strength to stand alone.
It takes courage to lean on another.

It takes strength to love.
It takes courage to be loved.

It takes strength to survive.
It takes courage to live.

For high school and college graduates, here is a list of 11 things they did not learn in school. In his book, Bill Gates talks about how feel-good, politically correct teachings created a generation of kids with no concept of reality and how this concept set them up for failure in the real world. You may want to share this list with some you know.

RULE 1: Life is not fair; get used to it.

RULE 2: The world won't care about your self-esteem. The world will expect you to accomplish something BEFORE you feel good about yourself.

RULE 3: You will NOT make 40 thousand dollars a year right out of high school. You won't be a vice president with a car phone, until you earn both.

RULE 4: If you think your teacher is tough, wait till you get a boss. He doesn't have tenure.

RULE 5: Flipping burgers is not beneath your dignity. Your grandparents had a different word for burger flipping; they called it opportunity.

RULE 6: If you mess up, it's not your parents' fault, so don't whine about your mistakes, learn from them.

RULE 7: Before you were born, your parents weren't as boring as they are now. They got that way from paying your bills; cleaning your clothes and listening to you talk about how cool you are. So before you save the rain forest from the parasites of your parents' generation, try delousing the closet in your own room.

RULE 8: Your school may have done away with winners and losers, but life has not. In some schools they have abolished failing grades; they'll give you as many times as you want to get the right answer. This doesn't bear the slightest resemblance to ANYTHING in real life.

RULE 9: Life is not divided into semesters. You don't get summers off and very few employers are interested in helping you find yourself. Do that on your own time.

RULE 10: Television is NOT real life. In real life people actually have to leave the coffee shop and go to jobs.

RULE 11: Be nice to nerds. Chances are you'll end up working for one.

If you have food in the refrigerator, clothes on your back, a roof overhead and a place to sleep ... you are richer than 75% of this world.

If you have money in the bank, in your wallet, and spare change in a dish someplace ... you are among the top 8% of the world's wealthy.

If you woke up this morning with more health than illness ... you are more blessed than the million who will not survive this week.

If you have never experienced the danger of battle, the loneliness of imprisonment, the agony of torture, or the pangs of starvation... you are ahead of 500 million people in the world.

If you can attend a church or synagogue meeting without fear of harassment, arrest, torture, or death ... you are more blessed than three billion people in the world.

If your parents are still alive and still married ... you are very rare, even in the United States.

If you hold up your head with a smile on your face and are truly thankful ... you are blessed because the majority can, but most do not.

If you can hold someone's hand, hug them or even touch them on the shoulder ... you are blessed because you can offer a healing touch.

1
If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal.

2
If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.

3
If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing.

4
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.

5
It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.

6
Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.

7
It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

8
Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away.

9
For we know in part and we prophesy in part,

10
but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears.

11
When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me.

12
Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.

13
And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.

People are often unreasonable, illogical, and self-centered - Forgive t hem anyway.
If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives - Be kind anyway.

If you are successful, you will win some false friends and some true enemies - Succeed anyway.

If you are honest and frank, people may cheat you - Be honest and frank anyway.

What you spend years building, someone could destroy overnight - Build anyway.

If you find serenity and happiness, they may be jealous - Be happy anyway.

The good you do today, people will often forget tomorrow - Do good anyway.

Give the world the best you have, and it may never be enough - Give the worl d the best you've got anyway.

You see, in the final analysis, it is between you and God - It never was between you and them anyway.

Kent Keith

I am capable. I am worthwhile.
I am beautiful. I am lovable.
I shall accept both my strengths
and my weaknesses for they are me.

I shall never again believe the "lie"
that if I make a mistake,
I am a mistake.
My mistakes are the learning tools
that I shall encounter on my life journey.

When I learn from my mistakes,
I give them meaning
When I give my mistakes meaning,
I can begin to forgive myself,
I can begin to heal.

I shall not use my mistakes as excuses
to give up on me.....
My mistakes are not me.

I shall seek the wisdom to nurture
my heart, mind, body, and soul
so that I may feel more centered

providing an energy reserve that allows
me to climb the mountains in my own life

providing an energy reserve that allows
me to love and support others
who are climbing a different mountain

providing an energy reserve that allows
time for friends, play
and the celebration of life.

I shall allow myself to feel capable
so that I may seek excellence.

I shall allow myself to feel sadness
so that joy may return.

I shall allow myself to feel joy
so that I may be revitalized.

I shall allow myself to feel afraid
so that I may find courage.

I shall allow myself to feel alone
so that I may know me.

I shall allow myself to feel beautiful
so that I may feel free.

I shall allow myself to feel lovable
so that the loving may seek me.

I shall allow myself to feel pain
so that I may heal.

I shall allow myself to feel worthy
so that I may fulfill my purpose.

When I am centered,
I see the perfection in the world,
myself and others.

When I find the world to be imperfect,
I will take responsibility
for painting it that way.

I will look into the heart of a rose,
or the eyes of a newborn baby
and again know perfection.

I take responsibility
for creating my own life story
through the choices I have made;
to blame others is to give away
my personal power.

Who will I allow to write
the next chapter of my life?

I shall seek the courage to believe
in a God or Higher Power
who will laugh with me in the sunlight
or cry with me in the darkness.

I shall make a small difference on this planet
through the work I do.
When I leave I will have done my share.

I shall live, love, laugh,
and learn on my journey.

So many people walk around with a meaningless life. They seem half-asleep, even when they're busy doing things they think are important. This is because they're chasing the wrong things. The way you get meaning into your life is to devote yourself to loving others, devote yourself to your community around you, and devote yourself to creating something that gives you purpose and meaning.

-Morrie Schwartz

Today's Positive Thought:
When you listen to others you are listening
to yourself.

Today's Positive Affirmation:
I AM a good listener.

Today's Positive Visualization:
In my mind's eye I imagine myself opening my
heart, my mind, and my arms so that I may listen
well to others. In my mind's eye, I see someone
who needs to be heard. As I listen to their story
I see myself giving them my undivided attention.
I imagine myself listening warmly and without
judgment. I see the person I am listening to
being filled with light and love. I combine these
images with joy and let them go, knowing that they
will create the good things I am visualizing and
thinking.

Just for Women
With Osella Clabaugh
"SELF CONTROL"

Scripture: Proverbs 16:23-33
Scripture Text: Proverbs 16:32 "He that is slow to anger is better than the mighty, and he that ruleth his spirit than he that taketh a city.
Listen to today's devotional:
Good morning this is Osella coming to you from In the Garden Ministries. Come and spend a few moments with me at the feet of Jesus.
Last night at work one of the women received a call from a very upset lady. As the worker kept trying to find her name in the computer it would not come up. Thus, the client was getting very upset. The client started yelling at the lady and just kept spelling her name over and over and over. The worker started to get a little upset and started to get loud with the client, (this is not allowed). This went on for maybe a minute or two when the supervisor said Carol (name changed for protection) take a deep breath. The client started swearing and Carol kept getting louder and ready to explode. The supervisor came over and said put the client on hold. Now what's the matter. Carol proceeded to tell him she could not find the client's name in the system. The supervisor sat down and went into the system and was able to find the client. The name was spelled wrong. Carol got back on the phone and told the lady that the supervisor had been able to find her name. That it was spelled wrong in the system. The lady laughed and said oh yell I forgot my caseworker had spelled it wrong when she entered it and must have not gone back and corrected it. After completing the call, the supervisor told Carol to get up and walk around for a couple of minutes to calm down.

I wondered if Carol had just stayed calm and continued to talk quietly to the woman on the phone, if she would have been able to find her in the system or if the woman would have remembered that her case worker had miss-spelled her name.
My text today found in Proverbs 16:32 says "He that is slow to anger is better than the mighty, and he that ruleth his spirit than he that taketh a city. " You know there is an answer to everything in God's Word. When I am having a problem or am upset I go to God's Word. Now I have a wonderful Bible, it is the King James's Thompson Chain Reference Bible, Wayne got it for me around ten years ago, after my previous Thompson Chain was very worn out, I had it for over thirty years. It has a wonderful reference/concordance section. I would
suggest that each of you get a Bible with a good reference. Study God's word. The Bible says that the "Word of God is quick and powerful" Hebrews 4:12.
Today you will face those that will challenge your patience and you will face things that will make you angry. Today Satan will try and to trip you and make you fall. Today Satan will try to ruin your Christian witness. When these things come before you today remember today's scripture, Proverbs 16:32 "He that is slow to anger is better than the mighty, and he that ruleth his spirit than he that taketh a city." Write this verse down on a little piece of paper or card and carry it with you. Repeat it and memorize it. Above all things today exemplify Christ. May those you come in contact with see Jesus in you. God bless you. Let's pray.
Father thank you for your Word. Thank you for giving it to us that we can obtain strength and answers from it as we face each and every days challenges. Lord we love You and we long to be Christ like in every aspect of our lives. Help us Lord. Teach us. We are your servants, use us. Lord give us strength to withstand the Devil. Give us strength to be Christian witness to all we come in contact with today. In Jesus name I pray Amen.
Please Remember to VOTE for In The Garden Today
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Need Prayer? | ITGM Radio
In The Garden MinistriesT

Just for Women
With Osella Clabaugh
"TALK TO GOD, PRAY"

Scripture: I Chronicles 16:8-15
Scripture Text: I Thessalonians 5:17 "Pray without ceasing."

Listen to today's devotional:
I am sure that we all have favorite things that we just love to do. One of the things that I really love to do is pray. I mean I really love to pray. Good morning, this is Osella coming to you from In the Garden, come and join with me at the feet of Jesus. Today I would like to read my scripture to you. It is found in I Chronicles 16:8-15
8: Give thanks unto the LORD, call upon his name, make known his deeds among the people.
9: Sing unto him, sing psalms unto him, talk ye of all his wondrous works.
10: Glory ye in his holy name: let the heart of them rejoice that seek the LORD.
11: Seek the LORD and his strength, seek his face continually.
12: Remember his marvellous works that he hath done, his wonders, and the judgments of his mouth;
13: O ye seed of Israel his servant, ye children of Jacob, his chosen ones.
14: He is the LORD our God; his judgments are in all the earth.
15: Be ye mindful always of his covenant; the word which he commanded to a thousand generations;
There are so many wonderful scriptures in the Bible on prayer. You know why I love to pray? It is my way of communicating with the almighty, the all powerful, creator of Heaven and earth, with my heavenly Father. He promises us in John 16:24 "Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full." In James 5:13 he says "Is any among you afflicted? Let him pray" There is power in prayer, real power. My friend do you not love to have fellowship with your loved ones and with your friends? I am here to tell you that God loves to have fellowship with us. Just as we love to please the ones we love. God loves to please us. It does not matter where we are at or what we need he is always there for us. He tells us in the first book of Thessalonians 5:17 "Pray without ceasing." He longs to be in constant fellowship with us. If we would just learn to pray in faith, we would find that He will send the answer.

My friend if you are hurting bring it to God. If you are in need, let God know. If you are happy share that Joy with Him. I tell God everything. I talk to him about my children, grandchildren, husband, the ministry, my job. I tell Him about things I am upset with and things that I wish would change. I talk to Him about me. You know what? When I come before Him to pray, He listens. There is nothing that He is doing that will interfere with my talking to Him. HE LISTENS TO WHAT I HAVE TO SAY. I challenge you this week to really spend time in prayer, talk to God, He wants to hear from you. God bless you, let's pray.
Thank you Father, for prayer, for giving us a way to communicate with you. Thank you for always being there when we come to you. Father I love you so much and I thank you for the times we spend together. Lord help each of us to spend more time in prayer with you. Lord we praise you and thank you, because we can come to you and you hear our prayers and you answer our prayers. Lord just draw each of us into a closer relationship with you. In Jesus name I pray AMEN
In The Garden MinistriesT