Marion Gaskins

Psalm 23:1-6 "The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.   He maketh me to lie down in green pastures; he leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. Thou prepares a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anoints my head with oil; my cup runneth over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever." What a perfect picture of contentment!  It is also about the wonderful dynamics of a relationship between a Shepherd and His sheep.  What does the shepherd provide for the sheep?  Satisfaction...... contentment. Contentment doesn't mean that in life we won't or don't have desires for additional commodities or better relationships.  It m...

                                                    C ourtesy - Do you treat others as you would like to be treated?  When dealing with others do you try to understand where they are coming from and what problems they may be facing?  Be courteous! Another one of my courtesy "pet peeves" is Thank You notes.  For some unknown reason people have forgotten how to use them.  When people are kind enough to give you a gift;  Christmas, birthday, graduation, whatever - send a thank you note!  It takes 2 minutes.  If you are invited to a party, a shower, a wedding, etc. - RSVP.           Being courteous is contagious.         Try it. C ommunication -  Seriously, c lear communicate helps life go so much smoother.  Say what you mean and do what you say you'll do.  Ta...

I love those nights when God awakens me so that I may communicate with Him in a special way.  Last night was one of those uplifting occasions.  His words to me were.... "If "I" be "lifted" "up" - "I" "will" draw all men unto me."   These words are not unusual or foreign to a Christian believer but God spoke these words over and over to me and I felt compelled to repeat them over and over within my spirit.  It seemed that God was emphasizing each and every word - wanting me to understand their meaning and purpose.    Today it is my desire to expound upon my experience last evening and share what I feel God was trying to communicate with me.  Let's start with some definitions (Merriam-Webster dictionary)...... Lifted - (verb) "to raise from a lower to a higher position (elevate)"                        "to raise in rank or condition"           ...

Every year we have 525,600 minutes to "Make A Difference."                                                        Does that sound like a lot of time?  It really isn't.  Time seems to be flying by and it appears that more people waste or misuse these valuable minutes.  Are you using your time as wisely as possible?   There are little things that everyone can do every single day - 60 minutes per hour - that will make a huge impact on our world and those people with whom we come in contact with. I will list a few of my favorite, but please take a few minutes and add some ideas of your own.  Then, strive to use your time more effectively.   #1 - Volunteer.  Your help is needed.  Contact The Red Cross , a nearby animal shelter, your local church, nursing homes, etc.  The list of facilities and ...