Maintaining a spiritual focus has allowed my strength to endure and overcome trails and tribulations. I invite you to meditate on the thought of the month provided by:

Rev. Wayne and Andrea Purcell
The Word Made Truth Ministry
76 Livingston Street
Asheville, North Carolina 28801

(828) 279-8562

Rev. Wayne and Andrea Purcell also have a prison ministry. Please feel free to ask questions pertaining to the thought of the month.

^{NOVEMBER 2006}

^{AWAY BUT NOT FORGOTTEN!}

^{Have you ever gotten that distant feeling in your relationship with God, like God is far from you? Please know that God never changes his position for God is the same yesterday, today, and forever more. But we are the ones who have moved away from God. God’s eyes are always upon us, for God has not forgotten us. We are much too precious for God to ever forget us because he loves us and sent HIS only son (Jesus) to shed his blood and die for our sins. So, today decide to come back home to Almighty God!}

^{Luke 15: 11}And he said, A certain man had two sons: ¹²And the younger of them said to his father, Father, give me the portion of goods that falleth to me. And he divided unto them his living. ¹³And not many days after the younger son gathered all together, and took his journey into a far country, and there wasted his substance with riotous living. ¹⁴And when he had spent all, there arose a mighty famine in that land; and he began to be in want. ¹⁵And he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country; and he sent him into his fields to feed swine. ¹⁶And he would fain have filled his belly with the husks that the swine did eat: and no man gave unto him. ¹⁷And when he came to himself, he said, How many hired servants of my father's have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger! ¹⁸I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee, ¹⁹And am no more worthy to be called thy son: make me as one of thy hired servants. ²⁰And he arose, and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him. ²¹And the son said unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in thy sight, and am no more worthy to be called thy son. ²²But the father said to his servants, Bring forth the best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet: ²³And bring hither the fatted calf, and kill it; and let us eat, and be merry: ²⁴For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found. And they began to be merry.

Steps that lead to a right relationship with God:

1. Admit your mistakes/sins and ask for forgiveness

2. Move forward by faith

3. Face the truth humbly

Mediate on Psalms 139

Prayer

Thank you Lord for not forgetting me and for forgiving me of my sins. Help me to make my life a living sacrifice holy and acceptable to you, which is my reasonable service. I am tired of living in the pig pens of life with the swine and have mind made up my mind that home with you is a better place to serve you and bless my family and the community. So from this day forward with the help of the Almighty God, I will walk in the power of your grace and mercy. I will forgive and ask for forgiveness. I will be more than a conqueror through Christ who lives inside of me. AMEN

Psalm 139

¹O lord, thou hast searched me, and known me.

²Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising, thou understandest my thought afar off.

³Thou compassest my path and my lying down, and art acquainted with all my ways.

⁴For there is not a word in my tongue, but, lo, O LORD, thou knowest it altogether.

⁵Thou hast beset me behind and before, and laid thine hand upon me.

⁶Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high, I cannot attain unto it.

⁷Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence?

⁸If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there.

⁹If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea;

¹⁰Even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me.

¹¹If I say, Surely the darkness shall cover me; even the night shall be light about me.

¹²Yea, the darkness hideth not from thee; but the night shineth as the day: the darkness and the light are both alike to thee.

¹³For thou hast possessed my reins: thou hast covered me in my mother's womb.

¹⁴I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well.

¹⁵My substance was not hid from thee, when I was made in secret, and curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth.

¹⁶Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect; and in thy book all my members were written, which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them.

¹⁷How precious also are thy thoughts unto me, O God! how great is the sum of them!

¹⁸If I should count them, they are more in number than the sand: when I awake, I am still with thee.

¹⁹Surely thou wilt slay the wicked, O God: depart from me therefore, ye bloody men.

²⁰For they speak against thee wickedly, and thine enemies take thy name in vain.

²¹Do not I hate them, O LORD, that hate thee? and am not I grieved with those that rise up against thee?

²²I hate them with perfect hatred: I count them mine enemies. ²³Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: ²⁴And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.

It's Time! This is what came to my mind the other morning as I listened to Dr. James Dobson on 106.9 FM radio (can also find him on family.org).

Dr. Dobson's topic, Bringing Up Boys, really touched home for me because I have two sons. Mr. Dobson talked of how parents and teachers feel children have to learn to cope on their own. He disagreed and pretty much said we have to step in and help the children, especially those who can't defend themself! Those children would include (and I probably have added some to the list) ones with wounded spirits, of single parented families, taller ones, overweight ones, ones with disabililites, ones who have been belittled, self-esteem asaulted, and the list could go on.

He described a story of a bunch of balloons being let go. Some ascended straight to the sky and others didn't! "That's the way children are. Some are tough. Some are born to excel. Some are born with feelings on sleeves. Hopefully parents will realize how important it is to teach the skills. Give them something to help deal with those moments (assault on confidence) that occurs in adolescent years," Dr. Dobson said.

Dr. Dobson talked of how parents and teachers can tone down a lot of situations, where there are talks of revenge, signs of depression, high emotional situations, and etc. He encouraged one to always treat eachother with dignity and respect.
As I listened, I thanked God for the message. Sometimes I think we adults feel youth should respect us but forget we should respect the youth, as well. We have created a generational barrier between adults and youth by the way we treat them and by the way we judge them. Some of us have forgotten that we used to be a child.

But God looks at all of us and will judge all of us, accordingly. As I listen to and watch the news today, I often see where God is allowing the covers to be pulled off and exposing the wrong and inappropriate actions adults are doing behind close doors and in the dark. What is interesting is that more and more of the adults appear to be in leadership and in authoritative positions.

I say this because society appears to be so hard on judging the youth and their actions; but personally, I don't see a lot of intervention to help them. Maybe a select few are being helped and there are some whose inappropriate actions are just covered up. So guess what? And I have said this before......the ones that are covered up and the others who don't receive the help they need grow up to be the adults we are seeing in the news today. So why is all of this happening now, I have asked myself. My answer.....God is trying to tell us something......we are not doing right by our youth! This includes ALL of our youth. God is showing us that He knows our every actions and even our every thoughts. God wants us to be more
loving, kind, and generous in our thoughts.....to have thoughts that build up rather than to tare down. Then our thoughts will generate better actions.

After hearing Dr. James Dobson's message and reading Dr. Maya Angelou's writing, I'm even more convinced that we should be doing more to help our youth. I thank God for people such as Dr. James Dobson, Dr. Maya Angelou, and others who realize there is a problem and are speaking out. Just maybe more and more people will start collaborating to help our youth!

Dr. Angelou has recently released A Pledge to Rescue Our Youth (http://www.mayaangelou.com/ShortBio.html). Now I know.............

IT'S TIME!

It's time for ALL good men and women to come to to the aide of the youth! It's time to take a long serious look at yourself and ask.......Am I doing all I can to help a youth? Am I part of the problem? How can I be part of the solution?