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Cybersalt News

Oh look, Chicken Thursday!

I think my sermon went well last Sunday (click here to watch), and I am glad my colonoscopy is behind me!

Enjoy the rest of today's digest!

~ Pastor Tim 

I asked my two-year-old to take his dirty clothes and put them into the hamper.

He looked puzzled, and I explained, "You know; it's the place where we put our dirty clothes before they're washed."

My son picked up his things, trotted into my bedroom, and threw his clothes on the floor on his dad's side of the bed.

My kid asked me what I used to play on the iPad as a kid, and I told him I talked into a fan to sound like a robot.

"Be a Billionaire!"

and Help

Refugees and

Persecuted Christians

I ran into a lamppost yesterday. Luckily, I only sustained light injuries.

The longer you stay on the wrong train, the more expensive it is to get home.

- Unknown

It was evening as I climbed aboard the jumbo jet. I was tired.

It had been a hectic, emotionally stormy week. I had endured more than the usual schedule changes, telephone calls, interruptions, children's activities, and arguments.

I settled into my seat, relieved to see the plane was nearly empty.

Maybe I could get some much needed rest. The giant plane took off and climbed up over the condominium complexes hugging the white stretch of beach bordering the deep blue sea of the Atlantic Ocean.

As we passed over Fort Lauderdale, I looked down at the twinkling lights reflected in the many canals and waterways and realized why our city is referred to as the Venice of America. I never tire of the beauty of South Florida.

I settled down, grateful for the quiet, Suddenly I noticed dark, ominous clouds off the left side of the wing. Soon bolts of lightning began to streak across the dark clouds.

I sat mesmerized by this vicious storm only a few miles away.

It was frightening, yet fascinating. It brought to mind many of the tempests I had experienced in my life. Financial storms, physical storms, emotional storms, relational storms, So many different types of storms with varying degrees of intensity.

Some had been as fearful and terrifying as this large thunderhead, others had been sudden; some storms had resembled a weather front that moves in and won't go away.

As I sat there contemplating the severity of the weather outside the window, and the storm that had raged within my own life, I suddenly saw beyond the storm.

There, along the horizon, was one of the most magnificent sunsets I had ever been privileged to witness, brilliant gold blending with deep crimson fading into multiple shades of yellow, peach, apricot, and rose. What absolute, breathtaking beauty.

I watched with wonder and awe.

From the vantage point of 42,000 feet up, I knew that at any moment this formidable thunderstorm would probably hit our home west of Fort Lauderdale. But I could also see beyond the storm, and knew that in just a short space of time, those who would be hit by the storm, would also experience incredible beauty.

I was suddenly aware of how God must look upon the storms that hit our lives.

Often I have been in the midst of a fearful squall, and like the disciples, cried out, " Lord don't you care? Don't you see that I can't take any more?"

Of course He cares. In 1 Peter He reminds us that he cares for us. That we are his personal concern. But, from his vantage point, He also sees the glory that is to follow.

His message?

Don't be discouraged in the midst of life's storms. Be assured that God cares and that his plans for us include a future and a hope.

Featured Illustrations are items well suited for illustrating or inspiring a point in a sermon, speech, or devotional. Funny, moving, or perhaps even graphic, the point of them is the point you make with them.

Susan Page writes . . . . 

- photo by Susan PageThe colour pink has never been one that I particularly favour. However, one morning, arriving at the program where I volunteer, I was eagerly greeted by several of my special friends adorned in pink shirts, and they looked fantastic.

I was enthusiastically informed that it was Pink Shirt Day and was asked to take their photo.

Just as the group was being arranged in formation in the hallway, a few stragglers wandered out of the classroom. This group of latecomers were not adorned in pink. They were bluntly told they could not be in the photo, as it was only for the people in pink. This did not sit well with me, especially when I saw the disappointed faces of those who had been rejected.

The Cybersalt Digest is a ministry of Pastor Tim and Cybersalt.