dangerous




	WRITE 2 THE HEART Stories that are aimed "Write 2 the Heart" November 16, 2004 Cheryl Speir, Editor, moderator@write2theheart.com Welcome to your latest issue of "Write 2 the Heart." All new subscribers will receive a free downloadable copy of the e- cookbook, "Write 2 the Heart of the Chocolate Lover." Take a moment to browse our new bookstore at: http://www.write2theheart.com/html/book_store.html You will find books written by, or that include stories by many of our talented writers. You will also find books that aide the budding writer. I highly recommend “Sally Stuart’s Christian Writers’ Guide,” It is a must have for all serious Christian writers. It’s a great tool to find that perfect market for your writing, or would make a great gift for the writer in your life. Are you living dangerously? Do you forget that you should be living by a higher standard? Dr. Harrison reminds us to be ever vigilant of the daily temptations we encounter. Dangerous Games By: Dr. Tommy Harrison, DMin. A squirrel with an attitude has taken up residence in my backyard. Everyday he comes to eat the corn, find shade in the trees, and enjoy the company of my two dogs, Duke and Daisy. He will run out on a lower limb, give a daring squawk at the dogs and scamper away with a "catch-me-if-you-can" swish of its tail as Duke bounds toward it. Then the little rascal will run along the top of the fence, back and forth, keeping just inches away from the ferocious teeth of a frustrated half-Doberman, half-Pit Bull, black, 90 lb. animal. It's a dangerous game that squirrel is playing! One day he's going to miss a limb and the fur is going to fly! Some Christians play a similar game by flirting with temptation, standing close enough to the edge to see what it's like "over there," then stepping deftly out of harm's way just before falling into the pit. Maybe that's what happened at Enron and WorldCom. The players saw the millions of dollars that could be made by shady deals and their values became less important than money. In the end, greed pushed them over the precipice. On a daily basis we are faced with the dilemma of which choice we will make in business, relationships, and personal issues. Let's not fool ourselves. Since Christians are bound by a higher standard than the world, there really should be no dilemma of choice. God's Word is quite clear about "doing the right thing." Beloved, guard yourself well, and know that temptation is stronger than willpower. But for the strong hand of God, you are just one wrong decision away from losing your good name, destroying your family, or being fired from your job. Overcoming the world is not possible in your own strength, it must come from One greater than ourselves. Walking with God on a daily basis will prepare you for those times when temptation comes. Don't wait until crisis comes before developing a strong relationship with your Father. GospeLines Prayer: Father, if You see me being taunted by the world, jerk me away from the pit's edge and remind me that the best things in life are spiritual, not material. Hold me to a higher standard than the world. Let me be satisfied with holiness above power, replace lust with love and greed with grace. Amen and amen! Dr.Tommy Harrison, DMin. GospeLines @ aol.com Dr. Tommy Harrison was a Southern Baptist pastor for 25 years, and has been an instructor of New Testament, Old Testament, Life of Christ and Business Ethics at LeTourneau University since 1997. He is founding editor of GospeLines, a global Christian e- zine published daily. Visit his site for instructions on subscribing. www.geocities.com/gospelines @ sbcglobal.net/gospelines.html You are encouraged to write to the authors to let them know what you think of their story. Have a comment on today's story? Send it to: moderator@write2theheart.com Write 2 the Heart now has an affiliate program with Cognigen. They have several long distance plans to chose from. I personally use the PowerNet Global 4.5¢ Per Minute Plan. I love having my own toll free number without the monthly fee; I only pay for actual calls. My family can call home whenever they are out of town. I have used it more times than I care to remember over the last three years in emergency situations. Cognigen has more than just great long distance rates; they have calling cards, internet access, web hosting services and much more. You can check out all of their telecommunication products and services at http://ld.net/?cbspeir. Looking for an affiliate program? You will be surprised at all the products and services you will have access to. Military Prayer Reminder As you read over this list of names, please take a moment to pray for these young people and their families: Chris Speir Tim Speir Alan Todd Holland Graham William Julie Sagel Jessie Marshal Thompson Jason Eric Hernandez Kristin Danielson Ryan Larry Miele Daniel Amy John Joanne Gary Boardwine Josh Hadassah Chanz Wackerly Robert Henderson David Habighurst Tonia Melissa Bair Matthew Nutter Please continue to pray for our country, our leaders, and our troops at this time. If you have loved ones in the military, or who are being called to go overseas, send their names (first and last or first only) to be included in our prayer reminder. Cheryl’s Corner Daughter-in-law-to-be Kristen and I went shopping at a local salvage store. We found a killer dress, literally. This dress got a hold of Kristen and wouldn’t let go. I had asked her to try it on so we cold tell daughter-in-law-to-be Heather about it. The zipper was broke and stuck but she slipped it over her head, wriggled, and twisted until she pulled it on. We discussed the pros and cons of it and decided if the tulle was ripped off, it would be a great dress. Back she went into the dressing room to take it off. I heard her rustling around in there and thought all was well. After a few moments, she called, “Miss Cheryl, your going to have to help me get this off. I can’t get it over my head.” I went in and tried to pull up. It wouldn’t budge. I tried to pull down. It wouldn’t even move a fraction of an inch. I tried to force the broken zipper to move up or down. Nothing doing, it was frozen. I tugged from the top, I tugged from the bottom, I tugged the bottom toward the top. It couldn’t have been firmer on her if we had glued it on her! Then we both got the giggles. We hated to buy a very badly damaged dress just so we could leave the store! There were only two things left to try, place my feet on her shoulders and pull the dress over her head with all my might or take both sides of the zipper and pull apart until it either moves down or tears. I opted to pull the zipper. I pulled as hard as I could. At first I didn’t think it was going to work, then finally it separated from the fabric. Whew! She was so relieved to get that dress off. I felt like I had just returned from the gym. Thank goodness her arms weren’t caught in the dress or it would have been a straight jacket. God bless, Cheryl Copyright © 2004, Write 2 the Heart Nothing may be reproduced or published without the written permission of the individual author or copyright owner. All rights belong to the authors.