“From Empty to Full” – Part 3 “What Shall I Do for You?”

“As the hart pants and longs for the water brooks, so I pant and long for You, O God.”  

Psalm 42:1 Amplified Bible

EXPLORATION:

“From Empty to Full” – Part 3

“What Shall I Do for You?”

“Fullness” – Containing all that is possible. Complete in every detail.

What do I have of “value” within myself?

“God does not love us because we are valuable. We are valuable because God loves us.”

Fulton J. Sheen

INSPIRATION:

“It is the heart that makes a (woman) rich. (She) is rich according to what (she) is…not according to what (she) has.”

Henry Ward Beecher

Bound to Happen

Written by Julie Cosgrove

When the unexpected comes, it can help to talk about it. But when you don’t have someone to talk with, contact an online mentor, and receive a personal & confidential reply by email.

“When he summoned a famine on the land and broke all supply of bread, he had sent a man ahead of them, Joseph, who was sold as a slave. His feet were hurt with fetters; his neck was put in a collar of iron; until what he had said came to pass, the word of the Lord tested him. The king sent and released him; the ruler of the peoples set him free; he made him lord of his house and ruler of all his possessions, to bind his princes at his pleasure and to teach his elders wisdom.” (Psalm 105:17-22)

This is the way the Psalmist describes what happened to Joseph in the Book of Genesis. His jealous brothers left him to die. He was sold into slavery, but lived. God eventually raised Joseph up to be second only to the King, just when his brothers needed him the most. It was in a time of famine and Egypt, because of Joseph’s wise reliance and trust in God, had obediently stored grain away in advance.

There Is A Miracle In Your House!

by Jeanniene Lee

Are you in need of a miracle? Within your house, within your hand, within your possession is the seed for your miracle. Yes, beloved, today you have within your possession the seed for the miracle you need right now. The seed for your future harvest is in your possession today.

The harvest you are reaping today, whether good or bad, is a product of the seed you sowed yesterday. Whether your yesterday was last week, last month, last year or ten years ago. You are reaping the harvest from the seeds you sowed in days gone by.

Galatians 6:7 warns us not to be deceived concerning God's law of sowing and reaping - "Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap." Whatsoever means just that - what-so-ever.

Money Matters

by Darren Hewer

“41 Jesus sat down opposite the place where the offerings were put and watched the crowd putting their money into the temple treasury. Many rich people threw in large amounts. 42 But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins, worth only a few cents. 43 Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said, ‘Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. 44 They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything—all she had to live on.’” Mark 12:41-44

Do you ever feel anxious when the collection plate comes around? Paul somewhat surprisingly tells us that “You must each make up your own mind as to how much you should give.” Not only that, but giving should be joyful, not forced: “Don’t give reluctantly or in response to pressure. For God loves the person who gives cheerfully”

Why So Many Women Yearn to Be Wives

Despite the fact that it's the twenty-first century and women can earn their own money, go to a sperm bank to have a child and lead a satisfying social life without a man, the role of wife remains compelling.

Young women are more self-assured than ever, not necessarily in search of a boyfriend and comfortable focusing on their own goals. They know that sex can be a sport and men can be adjunct, perhaps fungible. Yet what I've found is that at a certain point for these women, usually by their mid to late-twenties, being engaged and getting married becomes important.

Choosing Change

 Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go. Joshua 1:9

      

Recommended Reading Ruth 1:16-17

Do you like change? Some people dread the very word. Change can be as life-altering as a job relocation. Or it can be as simple as someone sitting in "your" seat at church or your grocery store rearranging its aisles. But even creatures of habit must admit that some changes are beneficial and, in fact, life changing.

One of the most unassuming characters in Scripture is a heroine who radically changed the course of her life, impacting the Davidic messianic line. Widowed at a young age, Ruth could have returned to the protection of her mother's family. But Ruth didn't pick the easy way. Facing enormous obstacles, this brave Gentile woman committed to a big change: "Your people shall be my people, and your God, my God" (Ruth 1:16). By embracing change, Ruth was blessed far beyond what her finite mind could have imagined. Her son would be part of the messianic lineage.

Throw Open the Door

"Jesus sat over against the treasury, and beheld how the people cast money in.... And there came a certain poor widow, and she threw in two mites.... And he called unto him his disciples, and saith unto them...this poor widow hath cast more in, than all they which have cast into the treasury: For all they did cast in of their abundance; but she of her want did cast in all that she had, even all her living." (Mark 12:41-44)

Have you ever wanted to get God's attention? You can, you know. There's a certain kind of boldness, a certain kind of faith in giving that will get His attention every time. You can see that in Mark 12.

Read that chapter and just imagine the situation it describes. Jesus was sitting by the treasury watching as people put in their offerings. Don't you know there were some sanctimonious displays going on with Him there watching? There was bound to be plenty of pharisaical robe swishing as those wealthy leaders walked up to put in their gifts that day.

The Temple Courts: Slapping Down the Sadducees

Dr. Ray Pritchard

“He is not the God of the dead but of the living, for to him all are alive” (Luke 20:38).

Ever met a Sadducee? Me neither.

That’s not surprising considering that the last one died 2000 years ago. And even back then, there were never very many of them. It was always a very select group, like a club for the very wealthy. If you lived in Jericho, you were much more likely to run into a Pharisee than a Sadducee. They were a very small group with some very strange views.

Will Gina Rinehart Be the World's Richest Person? Female Billionaire on the Rise

By Piper Weiss, Shine Staff | Secrets to Your Success

Mexican telecommunications mogul Carlos Slim is the world's richest person. But that could change in day, according to Bloomberg's new Billionaires Index. On Monday, the business news outlet launched a daily site that tracks the fortunes of the world's wealthiest. According to their analysts, Gina Rinehart, a 58-year-old Australian mining heiress worth $20.4 billion, is "on the rise". With the daily fluctuations of wealth now traceable, the mother of four could break into the top 20 ranked billionaires any day now, and even one day top the list. 

Already the richest person in Australia, Rinehart's wealth stems from her dad's discovery of the world's largest iron ore deposit in 1952. An only child, Rinehart studied economicsand worked with her late father, Lang Hancock, before his death in 1992. 

When he died, she inherited the royalty rights to a portion of thermal and iron-ore deposits throughout the country. More recently, the "soaring demand" for coal and iron ore from China has turned Rinehart's holdings into a goldmine and earned her about $2.9 billion in the past year alone, according to Bloomberg's report. In addition, she holds a significant stake in two of Australia's major media outlets. 

Much of her philanthropic work appears influenced by her gender: She's funded a girl's orphanage in Cambodia and supports a human rights organization dedicated to combating sex trafficking. 

But Rinehart's wealth hasn't come without its problems. The twice-married widow was engaged in an epic 14-year legal battle with her dad's last wife, who also happened to be his maid. Three of her own children are now fighting to have her removed from presiding over her family's trust fund. More recently, Rinehart claimed to be concerned over her personal safety, as her very public battle over the family trust wages on in court. These days she lives with the only child with whom she's not locked in a legal battle, daughter Ginia. 

"I don't think you understand what it means now the whole world thinks you're going to be wealthier than Bill Gates," Hope Welker, one of Rinehart's four children, wrote in an email to her mother. 

As of the March 5 launch of Bloomberg's Index, she hasn't surpassed Gates or even made it into the top 20 yet. 

Today's list of billionaires is dominated by men, with the top slot held by Slim. Hisfortune is valued at $68.5 billion, about $6 billion ahead of Gates. Only two of the 20 richest people are women. 

Christy Walton, heir to her late husband's Walmart fortune, clocks in at 14 with a $24.9 billion fortune. Liliane Bettencourt, the 89-year-old principal shareholder of L'Oreal, is number 20 with a $22.4 billion  fortune. But that could all change in the next few years. 

In a recent profile, The Daily Beast's David Leser projected the very real possibility of Rinehart's fortune ballooning to $100 billion, given the right global industrial climate. That would make her not only the richest woman on earth, but the richest person. Imagine that. 

http://shine.yahoo.com/secrets-to-your-success-20120120/gina-rinehart-worlds-richest-person-female-billionaire-rise-203700658.html

95-Year-Old Bride and 98-Year-Old Groom Become the World's Oldest Newlyweds

By Bridal Guide | Love + Sex

When Lillian Hartley, 95, and Allan Marks, 98, tied the knot this week, they unknowingly became the world's oldest newlyweds. Their combined 193 years broke the previous record of 191 years.

"Honest to God? Oh, I can't believe it," Hartley told The Desert Sun about breaking the record. "Oh, I'm impressed with myself."

Lillian Hartley, 95, and Allan Marks, 98.

The happy couple met 18 years ago at temple on Yom Kippur in Palm Springs. He complimented her dress, and their relationship grew from there.

"I believe in fate and destiny a little bit and I think that was meant to be," Hartley told ABC News. "I had been a widow for six years and I really loved my freedom. …I said, 'Oh, I don't want a relationship,'…and then he came along, and somehow hooked me."

The couple moved in together soon after they began dating. Over the years, they had discussed marriage but, because of their busy lifestyle-they love to travel, go to temple, and watch the Los Angeles Lakers-they didn't find the time until Leap Day (guess that extra day really does come in handy!).

"We don't know for sure what's going to happen, so I'm not taking any chances. I want to be with Allan for the rest of my life," Hartley said.

Marks agrees: "I want to be with Lillian for the rest of my life."

Watch their sweet wedding ceremony!

As for their honeymoon, they're in no rush. "We celebrate every day," Hartley told The Desert Sun. After a pause, she added, "I might go to Swiss Donut and have one of the nice donuts."

-Kristen O'Gorman Klein