O LOVE THAT WILL NOT LET ME GO

(Use in your personal or church newsletters) (365 stories a year)

Serialization of Neil’s Internationally Distributed Novel (Rust On My Soul) (Published by Bridge Press (1985) starts on his blog Wyrick’s Writings Tuesday April 13th and continues each Tuesday until finished. Thursday and Sunday will continue to cover a variety of subjects.

To view the blog that has this serialization CLICK ON THE FOLLOWING URL
http://wyrickswritings.blogspot.com/

IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO SEND THIS BLOG TO A FRIEND GO TO THE BOTTOM OF THIS BLOG AND CLICK ON THE ENVELOPE.

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George Matheson who wrote, “O Love That Wilt Not Let Me Go” went blind at an early age.

The woman he loved most almost tore his life in two.

But George Matheson still wrote this magnificent hymn.

Beethoven, great master of music, at the very summit of his career went stone deaf. He could not even hear his own last symphony played, but Beethoven did not run over in a corner and pout or play out the rest of his existence in an extended nothingness.

Rather, he stayed in the stream of life writing even more brilliantly than before.

Henry Van Dyke who knew his share of pain wrote…

“With eager heart and will on fire,
I sought to win my great desire.
“Peace shall be mine, “I said, but life
Grew bitter in the endless strife.

My soul was weary, and myh pride
Was wounded deep. To heaven I cried
“God give me peace or I must die.”
The dumb stars glittered no reply.

Broken at last I bowed my head
Forgetting all myself and said;
“Whatever comes His wil be done,”
And in that moment peace was won.

They loved life and met their challenges with action and attitudes that said “I will give my best even on those days I feel my worst.” And we are blessed by such fortitude as were they.

"Be Wise"
“Be very careful, then, how you live--not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord's will is.” Ephesians 5:15-17

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Below are recent Titles on Neil’s other blog Wyrick’sWritings blog To read them go to Google and where it says “Google Search” type in “Wyrick’s Writings”

May 27 2010 …DO YOU HAVE A PHD IN COMPLAINING?
May 23 2010…WHAT IS A FOOL?
May 9 2010 …WHAT IS MEEKNESS?
May 6 2010 …HOW HEAVY WAS THE LAST GRUDGE YOU HELD?
April 15 2010 …DO YOU BELIEVE IN DEVILS?

Have you considered sharing this site with family or friends? ANOTHER WAY OF DOING THIS…

Just have them go to Google Search and type in “Neil Spiritual Vitamins”

DO YOU HAVE A BLOG OR FACEBOOK? IF YOU ENJOY THESE WRITINGS COULD YOU CALL ATTENTION TO THIS BLOG? IF YOU DO, THANKS IN ADVANCE

NEIL’S 9TH BOOK “THE SPIRITUAL ABRAHAM LINCOLN” IS AVAILABLE ON Amazon.com’s KINDLE READER.

ONLY A CHILD OF FIVE

(Use in your personal or church newsletters) (365 stories a year)

Serialization of Neil’s Internationally Distributed Novel (Rust On My Soul) (Published by Bridge Press (1985) starts on his blog Wyrick’s Writings Tuesday April 13th and continues each Tuesday until finished. Thursday and Sunday will continue to cover a variety of subjects.

To view the blog that has this serialization CLICK ON THE FOLLOWING URL
http://wyrickswritings.blogspot.com/

IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO SEND THIS BLOG TO A FRIEND GO TO THE BOTTOM OF THIS BLOG AND CLICK ON THE ENVELOPE.

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This is a long ago story…

He was the founder of a flourishing Christian community in India, although he had never been out of England.

To the amazed listeners he said that when he was five years old he wanted to give a penny to the missionaries but strongly objected to putting it in a brown box.

He had no proof that it ever went abroad.

The local minister was a friend of the family and also the friend of an Indian missionary. So the minister, to please the child, sold him a copy of the New Testament for his penny and directed the boy how to post it to the missionary in India, having first written on the flyleaf an inscription giving the name of the boy.

The missionary gave it to a poor native who had walked miles through the jungle to procure a testament, but who couldn’t afford to buy one.

Nothing was heard of the incident for twenty years.

Then another missionary, preaching in a jungle village to people whom he thought had never previously heard the gospel message, noticed that his words were causing excited delight.

Pausing in his preaching to ask questions, the preacher found that the people knew a great deal about Christ and that many were serving him.

No preacher had ever been to the village before.

The little Christian community had been born through the love and life of the native who had been given the Testament…the Testament which was sold for a penny to a child of five.

“We are therefore Christ's ambassadors…” Corinthians 5:20

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Below are recent Titles on Neil’s other blog Wyrick’sWritings blog

To read them go to Google and where it says “Google Search” type in “Wyrick’s Writings”

May 27 2010 …DO YOU HAVE A PHD IN COMPLAINING?
May 23 2010…WHAT IS A FOOL?
May 9 2010 …WHAT IS MEEKNESS?
May 6 2010 …HOW HEAVY WAS THE LAST GRUDGE YOU HELD?
April 15 2010 …DO YOU BELIEVE IN DEVILS?

Have you considered sharing this site with family or friends? ANOTHER WAY OF DOING THIS…

Just have them go to Google Search and type in “Neil Spiritual Vitamins”

DO YOU HAVE A BLOG OR FACEBOOK? IF YOU ENJOY THESE WRITINGS COULD YOU CALL ATTENTION TO THIS BLOG? IF YOU DO, THANKS IN ADVANCE

NEIL’S 9TH BOOK “THE SPIRITUAL ABRAHAM LINCOLN” IS AVAILABLE ON Amazon.com’s KINDLE READER.

EXCESSIVE PRIDE

(Use in your personal or church newsletters) (365 stories a year)

Serialization of Neil’s Internationally Distributed Novel (Rust On My Soul) (Published by Bridge Press (1985) starts on his blog Wyrick’s Writings Tuesday April 13th and continues each Tuesday until finished. Thursday and Sunday will continue to cover a variety of subjects.

To view the blog that has this serialization CLICK ON THE FOLLOWING URL
http://wyrickswritings.blogspot.com/

IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO SEND THIS BLOG TO A FRIEND GO TO THE BOTTOM OF THIS BLOG AND CLICK ON THE ENVELOPE.
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Excessive Pride must always sit at the head of the table.

One young snob suggested that excessive Pride was really only “Enlightened selfishness.”

Excessive Pride is the donkey that carried Christ into Jerusalem and thought that all the loud hosannas were for him.

Excessive Pride stands in the vestibule of the church and does not say, “Let me tell you what my Lord has done for me.”

Rather, it shouts, “Let me tell you what I have done for the Lord. Indeed, let us see if I can find my pedestal; I always speak better when I am standing up there.” Excessive Pride is a loud mouth that doesn’t know when to shut up.

What are the causes of Excessive Pride ?

Excesive Pride of birth? Was not Christ the Son of a carpenter?

Excessive Pride of wealth? Did not Jesus have but one seamless garment to his His name?

Excessive Pride of reputation? This Son of man, did He not eat with publicans and sinners?

Excessive Pride of self? In the garden, did not this Master Workman of the race pray, “Not my will but Thine be done.”

Excessive Pride in death? Was not “Jesus the Nazarene” crucified on a cross between two thieves?

“Humble yourselves [feeling very insignificant] in the presence of the Lord, and He will exalt you [He will lift you up and make your lives significant].” James 4: 10

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Below are recent Titles on Neil’s other blog Wyrick’sWritings blog To read them go to Google and where it says “Google Search” type in “Wyrick’s Writings”

May 27 2010 …DO YOU HAVE A PHD IN COMPLAINING?
May 23 2010…WHAT IS A FOOL?
May 9 2010 …WHAT IS MEEKNESS?
May 6 2010 …HOW HEAVY WAS THE LAST GRUDGE YOU HELD?
April 15 2010 …DO YOU BELIEVE IN DEVILS?

Have you considered sharing this site with family or friends? ANOTHER WAY OF DOING THIS…

Just have them go to Google Search and type in “Neil Spiritual Vitamins”

DO YOU HAVE A BLOG OR FACEBOOK? IF YOU ENJOY THESE WRITINGS COULD YOU CALL ATTENTION TO THIS BLOG? IF YOU DO, THANKS IN ADVANCE

NEIL’S 9TH BOOK “THE SPIRITUAL ABRAHAM LINCOLN” IS AVAILABLE ON Amazon.com’s KINDLE READER.

FOOLS COME IN SMALL PACKAGES THAT CONTINUE TO SHRINK RIGHT BEFORE EVERYONE’S VERY EYES (more on envy)

(Use in your personal or church newsletters) (365 stories a year)

Serialization of Neil’s Internationally Distributed Novel (Rust On My Soul) (Published by Bridge Press (1985) starts on his blog Wyrick’s Writings Tuesday April 13th and continues each Tuesday until finished. Thursday and Sunday will continue to cover a variety of subjects.

To view the blog that has this serialization CLICK ON THE FOLLOWING URL
http://wyrickswritings.blogspot.com/

IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO SEND THIS BLOG TO A FRIEND GO TO THE BOTTOM OF THIS BLOG AND CLICK ON THE ENVELOPE.
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Mascagni hated Toscanini, one of the greatest conductors of all time.

They had never met but he was so envious it would sometimes make him ill for days on end. He could not stand the thought that anyone would think Toscanini better than or even equal to him.

And then one day there came to be a gala festival in Milan honoring the composer, Verdi.

Both men were asked to conduct.

Mascagni’s response was to be expected. “I will not conduct unless I am paid more than my rival. It need be no more than one libra but it must be more.

The management agreed.

The festival was a success.

Mascani received his fee…at least one lira more…in fact that is all he received, for Toscanini had conducted free of charge.

The Bible is full of case histories concerning Envy.

Cain and Abel, Joseph and his coat of many colors, Christ and the Chief Priest and Scribes.

There is, of course, Christ’s parable of the elder brother at the redemption of the Prodigal Son.

Envy is not kind. The Canterbury Tales were quite correct when they represented envy as “sorrow at other men’s goodness or joy at other men’s sorrow.”

“ But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,” (Galatians 5:22-26.)
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Below are recent Titles on Neil’s other blog Wyrick’sWritings blog

To read them go to Google and where it says “Google Search” type in “Wyrick’s Writings”

May 27 2010 …DO YOU HAVE A PHD IN COMPLAINING?
May 23 2010…WHAT IS A FOOL?
May 9 2010 …WHAT IS MEEKNESS?
May 6 2010 …HOW HEAVY WAS THE LAST GRUDGE YOU HELD?
April 15 2010 …DO YOU BELIEVE IN DEVILS?

Have you considered sharing this site with family or friends? ANOTHER WAY OF DOING THIS…

Just have them go to Google Search and type in “Neil Spiritual Vitamins”

DO YOU HAVE A BLOG OR FACEBOOK? IF YOU ENJOY THESE WRITINGS COULD YOU CALL ATTENTION TO THIS BLOG? IF YOU DO, THANKS IN ADVANCE

NEIL’S 9TH BOOK “THE SPIRITUAL ABRAHAM LINCOLN” IS AVAILABLE ON Amazon.com’s KINDLE READER.

ENVY VS. MERCY AND MAY THE BEST THOUGHT WIN (This is a continuation some ideas on Envy written yesterday)

(Use in your personal or church newsletters) (365 stories a year)

Serialization of Neil’s Internationally Distributed Novel (Rust On My Soul) (Published by Bridge Press (1985) starts on his blog Wyrick’s Writings Tuesday April 13th and continues each Tuesday until finished. Thursday and Sunday will continue to cover a variety of subjects.

To view the blog that has this serialization CLICK ON THE FOLLOWING URL
http://wyrickswritings.blogspot.com/

IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO SEND THIS BLOG TO A FRIEND GO TO THE BOTTOM OF THIS BLOG AND CLICK ON THE ENVELOPE.
*************************************************************************

Paul fully sense that envy and pride were like a gruesome twosome, standing on a corner, plotting against their next victim.

In Christopher Marlowe’s play “THE TRAGICAL HISTORY OF DOCTOR FAUSTUS” Envy defines itself. It says, “ I am Envy. Begotten of a Chimney sweep and an Oyster wife. I cannot read and wish, therefore, that all books were burnt. I am lean with seeing others eat.

Oh, that there would come a famine, through all the world, that all might die, and I, live alone. Then thou should see how fat I would be.

Envy is a God-complex. It is the self- appointed Kingship. It refuses the right of any other individual to have more talent, more money, more intelligence, more of anything.

St Thomas Aquinas said, “Envy is the direct opposite of mercy” and if this is true then Mercy must be the antidote for this terrible sickness.

If Energy is self-love, coupled with fear…then mercy must be other-love coupled with compassion.

If envy cannot stand for others to prosper, then mercy must rejoice in others prosperity.

A heart at peace gives life to the body, but envy rots the bones. (Proverbs 14:30)
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Below are recent Titles on Neil’s other blog Wyrick’sWritings blog

To read them go to Google and where it says “Google Search” type in “Wyrick’s Writings”

May 27 2010 …DO YOU HAVE A PHD IN COMPLAINING?
May 23 2010…WHAT IS A FOOL?
May 9 2010 …WHAT IS MEEKNESS?
May 6 2010 …HOW HEAVY WAS THE LAST GRUDGE YOU HELD?
April 15 2010 …DO YOU BELIEVE IN DEVILS?

Have you considered sharing this site with family or friends? ANOTHER WAY OF DOING THIS…

Just have them go to Google Search and type in “Neil Spiritual Vitamins”

DO YOU HAVE A BLOG OR FACEBOOK? IF YOU ENJOY THESE WRITINGS COULD YOU CALL ATTENTION TO THIS BLOG? IF YOU DO, THANKS IN ADVANCE

NEIL’S 9TH BOOK “THE SPIRITUAL ABRAHAM LINCOLN” IS AVAILABLE ON Amazon.com’s KINDLE READER.

CAN WE LEARN FROM THIS?

(Use in your personal or church newsletters) (365 stories a year)

Serialization of Neil’s Internationally Distributed Novel (Rust On My Soul) (Published by Bridge Press (1985) starts on his blog Wyrick’s Writings Tuesday April 13th and continues each Tuesday until finished. Thursday and Sunday will continue to cover a variety of subjects.

To view the blog that has this serialization CLICK ON THE FOLLOWING URL
http://wyrickswritings.blogspot.com/

IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO SEND THIS BLOG TO A FRIEND GO TO THE BOTTOM OF THIS BLOG AND CLICK ON THE ENVELOPE.
***********************************************************************

Can we learn from this?

How can we help but learn from this?

What will we do with the learning?

The liberals and the conservatives were at each others throats. Both sides were blessed with love of liberty, but neither side was willing to give it to the other.

They treated non-essentials as a matter of life and death.

One side argued for the spiritually irrelevant custom of fasting; the other side was created long-winded debates about special dates and seasons.

They fought over Sabbath days and servants, old customs and new innovations. Instead of living together as Christian, they fought like pagans.

When Envy got tired, Pride took over. When Pride grew weary, Envy stood ready, to take up the cudgel, again. Into the MIDST OF THIS FOOLISHNESS, STEPPED THE Apostle Paul, saying in essence, “Hope, love, faith, these are what count. If you’ve got all that energy to burn, don’t waste it arguing among yourselves. Go out and argue against the pagan. Go out and argue for God.”
“For where envying and strife [is], there [is] confusion and every evil work.” James 3:16.

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Below are recent Titles on Neil’s other blog Wyrick’sWritings blog

To read them go to Google and where it says “Google Search” type in “Wyrick’s Writings”

May 27 2010 …DO YOU HAVE A PHD IN COMPLAINING?
May 23 2010…WHAT IS A FOOL?
May 9 2010 …WHAT IS MEEKNESS?
May 6 2010 …HOW HEAVY WAS THE LAST GRUDGE YOU HELD?
April 15 2010 …DO YOU BELIEVE IN DEVILS?

Have you considered sharing this site with family or friends? ANOTHER WAY OF DOING THIS…

Just have them go to Google Search and type in “Neil Spiritual Vitamins”

DO YOU HAVE A BLOG OR FACEBOOK? IF YOU ENJOY THESE WRITINGS COULD YOU CALL ATTENTION TO THIS BLOG? IF YOU DO, THANKS IN ADVANCE

NEIL’S 9TH BOOK “THE SPIRITUAL ABRAHAM LINCOLN” IS AVAILABLE ON Amazon.com’s KINDLE READER.

SELFISHNESS, THY NAME IS CHAOS

(Use in your personal or church newsletters) (365 stories a year)

Serialization of Neil’s Internationally Distributed Novel (Rust On My Soul) (Published by Bridge Press (1985) starts on his blog Wyrick’s Writings Tuesday April 13th and continues each Tuesday until finished. Thursday and Sunday will continue to cover a variety of subjects.

To view the blog that has this serialization CLICK ON THE FOLLOWING URL
http://wyrickswritings.blogspot.com/

IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO SEND THIS BLOG TO A FRIEND GO TO THE BOTTOM OF THIS BLOG AND CLICK ON THE ENVELOPE.
*********************************************************************************

I did not write what I share below. I was not there in some person’s study or living room or at the foot of a tree as they penned the lines…but they are priceless and their thought has survived.

What a blessing.

“When a man loves faith in God, he worships humanity; when faith in humanity fails he worships science, as so many are trying to do today.

When faith in science fails, man worships himself, and at the altar of his own idolatry he receives a benediction of vanity.

Hence the tedious egotism of our day, when men and women are self-centered and self-obsessed, unable to get them selves off their hands.”

He was an old and selfish and self-centered and he prayed…

Lord, bless e and my wife,
my son John and his wife,
us four, no more.

And down the street a childless couple prayed…

Lord, bless us tow,
and that will do.

Around the corner an old bachelor set a prayer in motion…

Lord, bless only me,
that’s as far as I can see.”

And then there is the prayer that is prayed or a prayer much like it…and it is a blessing to all who are touched by it or participate in itl

“Lord help all who live upon this earth
and give them faith and proper mirth.
From day to day help me to daily see their needs
and have no bad thoughts that are mental weeds.

Romans 15:1 “We then that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak, and not to please ourselves.”
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Below are recent Titles on Neil’s other blog Wyrick’sWritings blog

To read them go to Google and where it says “Google Search” type in “Wyrick’s Writings”

May 27 2010 …DO YOU HAVE A PHD IN COMPLAINING?
May 23 2010…WHAT IS A FOOL?
May 9 2010 …WHAT IS MEEKNESS?
May 6 2010 …HOW HEAVY WAS THE LAST GRUDGE YOU HELD?
April 15 2010 …DO YOU BELIEVE IN DEVILS?

Have you considered sharing this site with family or friends? ANOTHER WAY OF DOING THIS…

Just have them go to Google Search and type in “Neil Spiritual Vitamins”

DO YOU HAVE A BLOG OR FACEBOOK? IF YOU ENJOY THESE WRITINGS COULD YOU CALL ATTENTION TO THIS BLOG? IF YOU DO, THANKS IN ADVANCE

NEIL’S 9TH BOOK “THE SPIRITUAL ABRAHAM LINCOLN” IS AVAILABLE ON Amazon.com’s KINDLE READER.