In grateful memory of all those who served

John 15:13  Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.

Empty

Empty

Longing

In my soul

Needing

Something

To be whole

Fleeting

Feeling

Comes and goes

Always

Comes back

I suppose

Simple

Surrender

I give up

I receive

God's

Great love

Now

I know

What it was

I was

Missing

Holy love

Removing Stains

Basic Guidelines

• Treat the stain while it is fresh
• Avoid hot water on an unknown stain.
• Test fabric for color change.
• Use removers sparingly - many brief applications are better than one long one.
• Spread liquid remover unevenly around stain.
• Rinse well - never let a liquid chemical dry on cloth.
• Dry rapidly to help prevent rings.

Greasy Stains

      If washable, rub detergent into the stain. Then rinse with warm water. If stain persists, try carbon tetrachloride. Heavy substances such as pitch or asphalt, should first be softened with petroleum jelly.

     If non-washable, use cornstarch or white talcum powder. Dust powder on the spot to absorb grease, then brush off. An effective paste-like cleaner can be formed by mixing a grease solvent or cleaning fluid with talcum powder.

(adhesive tape, asphalt, butter, candle wax, cream, cream soup, gravy, margarine, meat juice, milk, oil, pitch, soot, road oil, tar)

Non-Greasy Stains

     Sponge with cold water. Then rub glycerin into the stain and let stand for 30 minutes or longer. Rinse thoroughly with water and hang in the sun while dripping wet.

(candy, catsup, cherry, chocolate, coffee, ice cream, mustard, peach, pear, plum, soft drinks, tea, tomato juice)

Other Stains

Acids
Act quickly to prevent damage. Wash stain with cold water and rinse several times; then apply ammonia water or baking soda. Have white vinegar ready to apply if color changes. Rinse well.

Blood
Soak in cold water until stain turns light brown in color. Then wash in warm soapy water. If stain persists, use hydrogen peroxide.

Chewing Gum
Rub gum stain with ice, or put garment in plastic bag and freeze. Scrape or rub hardened gum out of cloth.

Dyes and Running Colors
If washable, soak material in cold water for several hours. Wash in heavy suds, then dry in sun. Bleaches can be effective on some white fabrics.

Egg
Sponge with cold water. If stain remains, sprinkle with pepsin powder. Let stand for 30 minutes, then rinse.

Fruit and Berries
For cherry, pear, peach, or plum stains, use NON-GREASY treatment. For discoloration from citrus fruits, use ACID treatment.

Grass
If material is washable, work detergent into stain and rinse. If stain remains, use hydrogen peroxide or chlorine bleach. On unwashable fabrics, sponge with alcohol, if it is safe for the material.

Ink (Ball Point)
Sponge repeatedly with alcohol, if safe for fabric. Rinse immediately.

Mildew
Treat while spots are fresh. Wash thoroughly and dry in sun. Or moisten stain with lemon juice and salt and place in sun.

Oil Paint and Varnish
Treat quickly. If material is washable, remove fresh stains by washing with plenty of soap. If the stain has dried, soften it first by rubbing in petroleum jelly.

The Most Troublesome Stain

Why bother with stains?  We get rid of stains so we may have a clean acceptable appearance. But there is something worse than stained clothes - a stain that makes us unacceptable in God's sight. That stain is sin.

The Bible declares that "all have sinned and come short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23). And it takes just one sin to stain your soul and make you unfit for God's heaven.

But God offers a way - the only way - to completely cleanse the stains of sin, whether many or few. "Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool" (Isaiah 1:18).

The New Testament gives unmistakably clear instructions for removing sin's stains. First God identifies the only effective sin-eradicator: "the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin." Then we are told how this wonderful cleansing is obtained: "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness" (1 John 1:7,9).

Receive this cleansing now!

Bible Character Tombstones

The poems below could have been engraved on the headstones of famous Bible people. After reading each one, try to guess who is being described.

1. To me, Christians were worse than debtors; I would chain them up in iron fetters. But God changed my name, forgave my blame, had me travel and write letters.
2. You know me as the girl God chose to bear his only Son. I was scared but bravely dared to let his kingdom come.
3. My sheep knew me as shepherd. The king enjoyed my strumming. But when I was anointed by Sam, Saul's behavior became unbecoming.
4. When my boss died I took over. We crossed over a dry riverbed, and the walls of the city we conquered collapsed just the way that the Lord had said.
5. I learned the hard way it doesn't pay when God says, "Go!" to run away. Your boat may toss, the wind may blow, and a giant fish may swallow you whole.
6. I used to pray three times a day, windows open, facing the east. How would I know I'd end up thrown into the den of a beast?
7. I lived in a garden. My wife made me glad. I never had a mother, and I never had a dad.
8. The hair on my head grew long as can be. And strong were my muscles, 'twas easy to see. But I had quite a temper and liked pagan maids, which cost me my eyes and wondrous braids.
9. It really was a tiring chore to build a floating zoo. But I was the Lord's "yes man" for sure, and I did what he said to do.
10. When I was a baby, I lived in a boat that my mother had made from reeds. Rescued by royalty, I lived a fine life till God called me to do his deeds.

To see the answers, click link at top of page.

Jigsaw Puzzle Lessons

First the most important lesson:

Jesus Christ is the missing

 

to life's puzzle

(graphic designed by Della Smith)

Here is a list of lessons from Pastor Tim at http://www.cybersalt.org

Here's some life lessons I've learned from jigsaw puzzles:

Don't force a fit. If something is meant to be, it will come together naturally.

When things aren't going so well, take a break. Everything will look different when you return.

Be sure to look at the big picture. Getting hung up on the little pieces only leads to frustration.

Perseverance pays off. Every important puzzle went together bit by bit, piece by piece.

When one spot stops working, move to another. But be sure to come back later (see above).

The creator of the puzzle gave you the picture as a guidebook.

Variety is the spice of life. It's the different colors and patterns that make the puzzle interesting.

Establish the border first. Boundaries give a sense of security and order.

Don't be afraid to try different combinations. Some matches are surprising.

Take time to celebrate your successes (even little ones).

Anything worth doing takes time and effort. A great puzzle can't be rushed.

 

Innocent Blood

If you believe the Bible
That the word of God is true
You know the blood of innocents
Will bring a curse on you

Blood that's not atoned for
Cries out from the ground
For when there is injustice
There's no rest until it's found

Remember back in Eden
When the serpent was so subtle?
His strategy to twist God's word
Has caused a world of trouble!

He loves to make you question
The wisdom of God's ways
Surely YOU are wiser
Than the most Ancient of Days

Please consider carefully
What you believe or don't
Have you turned your back on Truth
Because of what YOU want?

If you're really seeking
The truth will soon be found
But if you're really hiding
You're treading shaky ground

There is a blood that cries out
The most innocent of all
That breaks the curse of all the rest
The curse from Eden's fall

It cries for true repentance
It cries out for the lost
It cries to every listening ear
It cries out from the cross

The blood of Jesus covers
With mercy ever new
The blood of Jesus cries out
Will you let me cover you?

~Della Smith 5/14/10

And the LORD said unto Cain, Where is Abel thy brother? And he said, I know not: Am I my brother's keeper? And he said, What hast thou done? the voice of thy brother's blood crieth unto me from the ground. And now art thou cursed from the earth, which hath opened her mouth to receive thy brother's blood from thy hand; Genesis 4:9-11

And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel. See that ye refuse not him that speaketh. For if they escaped not who refused him that spake on earth, much more shall not we escape, if we turn away from him that speaketh from heaven:  Hebrews 12:24-25