Encouraging YOU, with Something to DO

Who are you encouraging today?  

Might it be important to them?

Is it worthwhile for you to do?

Take a minute to think this through. . . 

Would you just speak some words

that can encourage him or her?

Could you write some good words

so they can read them over again? 

And, here’s the biggie one for you:

is this something that someone could do

and send encouragement to you?

Just consider what those words would do. 

      Should?

            Could?

                 Would!!! 

Yes, of course, I WILL do! 

by Elaine Hardt ©2016

You Will Remember THIS December

You’ll remember this December

If you’ve found that holiday peace

That comes from a personal quiet time:

A new satisfaction will increase.

You’ll give yourself the bold honesty:

Ask God about your uncertainties;

Yes, speak directly to the LORD,

Tell Him your perplexities.

You’ll gift yourself with thoughtfulness

When you treasure a time of prayer;

This can meet your greatest need,

And of course, you certainly do care!

Why now?  (Obviously, a busy time)

Because He is the only Creator who

Has declared in the Bible what He has 

Done to give His love to you.

Open that mostly-neglected book:

What Jesus did, what He said, you need to see.

What makes the difference?  It’s love!

The LORD is not an imaginary deity.

It’s forgiveness, tied up with a red ribbon,

Vital for your future after you die;

It’s a new dimension starting today

When you question yourself, “Why?”

This December brings celebration,

You don’t want to miss the important part;

Christmas peace can start right now!

Welcome God’s presence in your heart. 

By Elaine Hardt ©2012 

It's Almost Christmas 2016

We’re getting ready for our annual celebration;

we’re putting up our old, favorite decorations, too. 

And it’s fun to write, having anticipations 

to hear one of these days from you.

The stores are full of decorations for December,

Newspapers, magazines show lots of stuff on sale,

Social media is keeping very busy,

And there’s all those ads that come in the mail.  

The real meaning, the origin of Christmas,

Has been pushed way out of everyone’s view;

It’s not a popular thing to mention Jesus,

But I’m going to; and how about you?

The Jewish people had ancient Scriptures:

A miraculous birth predicted for years,

A Savior would come, a wondrous occasion,

A time for redemption, set free from all fears.  

We thank God for providing us salvation;

Grateful to have eternal expectation —

so, of course, we pray His blessings for you.

Join us in this wonderful celebration!

                          + + + 

by Elaine Hardt ©2016

Goodbye, Frustration! Hello, Celebration!

You’re too busy?  Ticked off?  Depressed?

Look at the Bible, take a little time.

You’ll be impressed, you’ll be blessed!

Read how much God loves YOU.

There’s nothing to pay, nothing specific to say,

No earning God’s forgiveness;

No specific words you must pray —

Read how much God has done for you.

What’s right you want to do, and find what’s true,

Your Creator sees and knows and loves YOU.

Jesus died for your sin, to cleanse your heart within,

And life in Heaven after dying waits for you.

The Gospels tell the life of Jesus, you’ll see. 

You are wondering how?  Don’t read the whole Bible now!

The small book of Acts gives a short history;

You need to find out for yourself, and do it soon. 

Life is full complication! Avoid resignation!

Give yourself some time to find information. 

Go from frustration to celebration;

So, what do YOU say?  Today’s a great day!

by Elaine Hardt ©2016

Global Warming? Or ?

Yes, here comes winter

and Pixel is one happy dog!

A fur coat isn’t enough

when they go outside and jog.

So, planning ahead

Here’s the new winter suit;

Pixel seems satisfied

and does look very cute.  

Of course, Peter plans ahead,

and winter will be cold.

So, people, bundle up!

At least that’s what we’re told.

by Elaine Hardt ©2016

YOUR Assignment That Will Help YOUR Kids

Two reasons why you don’t want to do this.  (It’s a challenge, but you can certainly do it.)  

It will take a little time.

You will need to check the spelling and punctuation to make it look nice. 

Two reasons why you should do this now — that means this week.

Your kids deserve to know it.

It is a display of your love and your concern.

One big benefit that you will no doubt receive when you do this.

The LORD will bless you in some wonderful way when you sincerely pray   
       about it and sit down and DO it.

So, what’s the assignment?

Write down on a piece of paper how and when you decided to become a  
          Christian.

Elaborate:  how old you were, what motivated you to ask God for   
          forgiveness.

Explain how you invited Jesus into your heart.

  Describe what led up to this decision, then describe what happened 
          afterwards.

You can do it.  Search your memory.  Choose the words to use.  Write down 
          version one.

Give it a couple of days, then read it over and make any little 
           improvements.  Save one copy of it for yourself. 

Now, present it to the first person the LORD brings to your mind. Smile.  
      Pray.      
      Let them read it and share any comments with you.

Which kid, or which sibling, or which friend comes to mind now?  Copy it for 
      them. 

Etc. — etc. — etc. 

                                                             + + + 

         by Elaine Hardt ©2016  

OH! THE TRAFFIC ! ! !

’Tis the season to go shopping, and oh!  the traffic.

Here’s what we say, what we pray,

when we are backing out of the garage

on even a not-so-busy day.

“Dear LORD,

No accidents, no incidents,

no tickets, no troubles, 

not even see an accident. 

Get safely home again today.

Thank You, Father in Heaven!"  

by Elaine Hardt ©2016

Thanksgiving Day Was Yesterday . . .

Did you count your blessings?

Could you name at least a few?

Is this thankfulness a good idea?

Is this attitude important to you?

Yes, the world’s in quite a mess,

and we hear it all day in the news;

bad things are caused by bad people,

but at Judgment Day they lose.

Of course, you and I know what to do:

we pray about these situations;

we can’t individually solve them

or handle these complications.

But our Heavenly Father knows 

and He has a loving plan

to forgive those who confess their sins —

each youngster, each woman, each man.

Open your Bible, you know where it is?

Take time to read and review,

Start at John 3:16, that chapter;

be thankful for His love for YOU.  

by Elaine Hardt ©2016

Trying to Get to Sleep?

Ever have a night when you don’t seem to slip off to slumber?  As you’re snuggled in bed try some of these ABCs.  And, invent some categories of your own. 

1. Edibles

A = apple pie    B = banana bread   C = cabbage  (Can you make it to Z?)

2.  Girl’s Names

A = Ann            B = Betty             C = Christine     (You’re on your own!)

3.  Things you’re glad you DON’T have

A = arthritis  B = broken bones C = claustrophobia      D =  etc.

4.  Subjects you took in high school

A = algebra B = biology C = chemistry             D =  etc.  

5. Names of cities in the USA

A = Atlanta     B = Bismarck C = Carson City          D =  etc.  

(There are 7 more creative categories on the next page.  Take a look here: 

Good News Today, Tomorrow and Afterwards, Too

Jesus is with me here and now

and everywhere I go;

I read God’s Word to be assured

I’m glad He loves me so!

What a comfort it is to know.

So, friends, open your mind and heart;

I want to share the good news.

Your eternal future

You decide how to choose;

Jesus’ love do not refuse. 

Amazing love for each of us,

Every person, child, woman, man.

Read the Gospel of John;

it won’t take long — do it —you can.

It’s God’s wonderful plan! 

***This is what it says in 1 Peter 1:3-5 ***

"All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

It is by His mercy that we have been born again, 

because God raised Jesus Christ from the dead.

Now we live with great expectation,

and we have a priceless inheritance —

an inheritance that is kept in heaven for you,

pure and undefiled,

beyond the reach of change and decay.

And through your faith, God is protecting you by His power

until you receive this salvation,

which is ready to be revealed on the last day for all to see."

You Are a Special Person

        Our new 16 page booklet is completed.  "You Are a Special Person" is #87 in our list of booklets, compiling some articles, stories, and poems to encourage, challenge, and bless each reader.  Look down the list on right hand side on this home page and find "Booklets Published" info. 

83 Words to Read

This is what you need — so take heed:

“Strong, courageous —not afraid, not dismayed.

Your way will be prosperous — you will have good success.” 

Read it, speak it — meditate on God’s Word;

Remind yourself:  this is what you heard.

“God’s laws you are to obey,

remember this every day.”

This is what he said, take a look; 

read the first chapter of Joshua’s book. 

“Do not be discouraged; God is with you wherever you go.”

Believe it for His Word tells you so.  

+ + + 

by Elaine Hardt ©2016

Testing, Trials, Tribulation

Situations are becoming more serious!

These are tests to determine the faith of you and me.

Assess, acknowledge, appreciate God’s help,

Doing what He says, obediently. 

Wars and rumors of wars are increasing,

More threats and lies and dastardly deeds;

People more wicked than we can imagine,

It’s not more empty promises anyone needs. 

Bad weather, terrible storms are increasing!

Believers, let’s get this message clear; 

God warns us to repent, so let’s do it now,

The Bible tells about it, the end times are here.

His judgments are surely coming upon the world,

Sinfulness grows worse, people’s hearts growing cold;

The LORD enables believers to stand strong,

Thankfully, He continues to make us bold. 

Our example, our words to everyone

must point them to Jesus, Savior of all;

The Judgment Day brings the final word,

so now heed and obey our LORD’s call. 

+ + + 

by Elaine Hardt ©2016

I Changed My Mind

I’m in such a hurry now —

Such a stressful day!

Too busy to read God’s Word,

Too busy to pray.

Later . . . I will meditate,

Close my eyes, then snooze;

Meanwhile, my computer calls,

I must read the news.

But . . . I do remember . . .

How Really Important Are YOU?

Did you talk to the President, the Pope, the Prime Minister today?

Or, did you personally speak to the Creator in Heaven when you pray?

Did the Governor, the Mayor, the Head of the FBI invite you to chat?

Did anyone "special" look forward to hearing from you about this or that?

Why did Jesus invite YOU to pray

and tell you how and show you what to say?

To some people you may not rank high on their list as a friend,

but Jesus invites you to a love relationship that will not end!

Not only that, but you can talk to Him any hour of night or day,

And best of all, the Bible says He listens to what you say.

Of course, the key to expressing yourself to the LORD is honesty,

And yes, what's in your life, and in your heart He knows already.

"But if He already knows everything, then what's there for me to say?"

Well, expressing your love and concerns to Him is good to do every day.

Don't neglect this amazing privilege to pray, it helps you to grow!

How do I know?  Read it for yourself. The Bible tells us so!

Your Discovery, Your Decision

   

 For 99 cents you can have a copy of my 122 page book, "Your Discovery, Your Decision" which was published by Amazon in May 2013.   The stories encourage the reader to face life's challenges with faith and determination.  Take a look at the sample pages here https://www.amazon.com/Your-Discovery-Decision-Elaine-Hardt-ebook/dp/B00CMVCEAE/ref=sr_1_2/152-7384266-3603144?ie=UTF8&qid=1474840165&sr=8-2&keywords=Elaine+Hardt+books 
You might recommend it to a friend, too.  

Look at Those Other People

Good Morning!

             See our new booklet, "Good morning" in the Label list on the right side of this page.  It's 12 pages, short and focused on helping each of us start out the day with a great positive attitude.  All of our booklets are FREE.

Looking Again at 9-11-01

Shocking, horrible, unprepared 

to face the truth behind the attacks

we saw the devastating crashes replayed over and over

on television, written in newspapers, magazines, posted on internet.

We look again back at 9-11

from our viewpoint of 2016. 

Now, new buildings have been erected there

and people want to forget the trauma

of such unexpected evil.  

We want to emphasize the rebuilding

and stepping up, starting anew, 

with pride in how we have survived these foreign attacks.

The terrible terrorists’ attacks of 9-11-01 

on the World Trade Center in Manhattan in New York City, 

and the Pentagon in Washington D.C,

and the crash in a Pennsylvania field

which killed 2,977 victims,

with 19 hijackers committing suicide in the assaults. 

Lots of details are outlined on the Internet.

If you have time to review: here are three pertinent sources:

http://www.history.com/topics/9-11-timeline   = detailed outline day by day — 

http://www.wanttoknow.info/911/9-11-facts   = has links to major media websites 

uncovering lots of 9-11 facts that were hidden, not broadly publicized — 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Airlines_Flight_93  = more is described

So, how do you deal with this hideous, barbaric, hateful act? 

Hurry past and find something positive to come from it?

This was a huge wakeup call for America.

Pray for our nation to repent of sins and turn to God.

Worse, brutal events may be in our future.

Pray today . . . pray now.

•  by Elaine Hardt ©2016

Today is a Holiday

Today’s a holiday!  

They named it Labor Day,

so what do we say?

How thankful each of us can be;

each of us has talents, can you see?

One person’s ideas sparks others to

do stuff that by yourself you can’t do.

Like parts, all those parts inside a car,

without each other we wouldn’t go far,

and today we can pause . . . 

and be thankful because . . . 

We each can do and we each can learn!

For some of this some wages we earn,

but consider the attitude of your heart

and pray for each other, that’s a start! 

by Elaine Hardt ©2016

Think About This, Thankfully

In the good times . . . 

In the hard times . . . 

Remember all the time

God cares about you;

God cares for you.

You have been blessed . . . 

You are being blessed . . . 

Remember why Jesus came.

He wants to save you;

Remember to be thankful.

He hears your prayer.

Be honest to confess . . .

Be honest to request . . .

And do all of this

All the time.

     + + + 

                                                  by Elaine Hardt ©2016

Two Short, But Strong Words

Recently I heard two words, and saw what they meant to Carol.  For her, buying the house from a nice old lady turned out to be a lot of work.  For the old lady the two words brought relief.  

I thought of these two short, but strong words when it came time to wash the windows outside.  It was a lot of work to do.  But I smiled when those two words came to mind.  I’ll remember to announce them when the time might come to sell this house and move.

That would have been the end of it, except for the bright revelation I had last night, stretched out in bed, waiting for sleep to overtake my busy mind and tired body.  A deeper connection dawned on me, and I fell asleep with a smile.  I do have something to write about, a little gem to pass on to my family and friends.

On the scale of 1 to 10 see what score you’d give these words.  And see what spiritual application comes to your mind; then I’ll tell you more.  The words are simply, “As is.”

To sell her house so she could move to a senior apartment community Mrs. Gregorio advertised it, “as is.”  She didn’t try to redecorate, repaint, or even pull out the refrigerator to dust behind and underneath.  She smiled and said, “The price is so reasonable because I must let it go, as is.”  
        And Carol gave her offer, and soon the house on Autumn Lane was hers.

Since perfection is so hard for me to achieve the meals I serve for company are also, “as is.”  The Hawaiian Haystack ingredients are put on the counter.  Those invited dish up for themselves, add this or that or all of it, in amounts they prefer.  No worry for me about over-seasoning it or serving shredded coconut on top for people who don’t like that flavor.  

The best part about “as is” has to be this: