Glory Versus Shame

WHAT MATTERS

3/31/2016

Dr. C. Branker

Being ashamed of illegal and immoral acts is something of the past.

From the latter part of the twentieth century till now, some people who are accused of crimes, enjoy the publicity.

Pablo Escobar, once the world's number one drug King pin, got very angry with his competitors. His pride was being number one, and didn't want to give up that title.

'El Chapo' Guzman, Mexico's notorious drug Lord, met with Hollywood's Sean Penn for a secret interview, to discuss making a film about his life.

Jessie James, Al Capone, Pretty Boy Floyd and many others, were not ashamed of their crimes, as much as loosing territory operating their illegal business.

It is the same today, the only major problem is that the activities are not happening in remote areas but neighborhoods.

Teenagers stand before judges, swearing, barking, rolling the eyes without remorse nor shame of their crimes.

Their glory is in their shame. Phil. 3: 19.

DCB.

Hold On To What You Believe

WHAT MATTERS

3/30/31

Dr. C. Branker.

When you believe something is possible, do not relent because of the faithlessness of others.

I met a young man who had planned his wedding day with his fiancée. Two days before the wedding, the caterers called him and broke the sad news that the island did not received the weekly supply of beef, chicken and pork due to a break down of the delivery boat.

The couple was devastated because there would be no food at the reception, especially since they live on a small island.

The following day, the groom got a couple of his friends together, borrowed a fishing boat, and set out to sea.

After several hours, they caught nothing and his friends were packing up to head back to shore. 

He pleaded with them, but their mind was made up to call it quits after a long day catching nothing.

He dropped one final line over the side of the boat, and before it sank, he got a three pound snapper. He quickly got it into the boat and threw the line out again only to catch another one, and another.

His friends noticed there was a school of snappers circling the boat waiting for more bait (food). 

He told me, his wedding, was the only wedding on the island that served whole snappers to all the guest.

He also told me, they couldn't bait their lines fast enough as there were so many snappers around the boat.

His hands were all cut up from the nylon lines used instead of fishing rods.

A week later, he went back to the same spot in the ocean, but there was no snappers.

Believe and Wait with Expectancy.

DCB

FIND YOUR SUNSET TODAY

WHAT MATTERS

3/29/2016

Dr. C. Branker

Recently I was driving down a dark, lonely road with no houses, no flowering plants, no other vehicles and no humans.

There was absolutely no beauty until I looked in the distance and saw the sunset. 

With the excitement of a child entering a playground, I quickly stopped my vehicle and snapped a photo of the picturesque sky ahead.

When I got back into the vehicle, still excited, I felt like I was just blessed that moment.

There are so many precious and beautiful things around us every day. 

We may have to look beyond our present position and situation to find them, but they are there.

Look beyond your path today.

DCB.

PERFECTION

WHAT MATTERS

3/28/2016

Dr. C. Branker.

There are many judges of human skill, talents and character.

Judges of art, performance, design, talents and voice. Each one critiquing based on his or her ability. It is hardly left up to the individual to determine perfection.

Professors can reject a student's work over and over, declaring it short of perfection.

Perfection is, broadly, a state of completeness and flawlessness.

I have in my collection of precious things given to me by my children when they were very young; drawings of things and objects expressing their love and skill. These are perfect to me, I have the only copy and it was made for me.

Perfection should be judge like art. None better than another, but each has it's uniqueness.

We all strive for perfection. However our model should be our HeavenlyFather.

Perfection from within weighs greater than anything else. Matt.5:48.

DCB.

EASTER

WHAT MATTERS

3/25/2016

Dr.C. Branker

Growing up as a little boy, Easter was a very special holiday season.

It actually was a holy- day. Businesses would close on good Friday and open on Monday.

Everyone was taught about the crucifixion and resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Children drew Him on crosses, adults attended church services a week before, everyone with a palm branch in hand. 

The radio played sacred music and the television showed religious movies. 

We ate fish and did not spill the blood of chickens nor any other animal as we remembered with passion our Lord bleeding on the cross.

Sadly today, businesses make a great deal of money and children hardly know the meaning of Easter.

The stores are filled with eggs and rabbits but not many crucifixes, and crowns of thorns. 

There are Easter parties, Easter sales, Easter games, Easter bingo and Easter drawings at the casinos.

Where have all the believers gone?

If you are a believer, please sign your name by commenting on this blog.

www.artostoday.com

DCB.

YOUR HISTORY IS VALUABLE

WHAT MATTERS

3/21/2016

Dr. C. Branker

Kintsugi  is the Japanese art of repairing broken pottery with powdered gold, silver or platinum.

As a philosophy, it treats breakage and repair as part of the history of an object, rather than something to disguise it.

The ancient piece could easily be thrown away with memory and lost, but the repair with gold only adds more value to it with its history.

Life has taught us many hard lessons, but each one makes us better. 

We have been broken many times by failures and silly mistakes shattering hopes and dreams.

The gold dust of determination, now outlines and repair with character, beauty and value.

Our Creator purifies us from the inside out with pure gold, even though our value had been tarnished and destroyed.

Be bold and display your beauty.

DCB

GREAT IS THE LORD

WHAT MATTERS

3/17/2016

Dr. C. Branker.

God has made everything beautiful for man to behold and live.

He gave us sight to see colorful things, food and water to preserve life on earth for many generations.

He sustains the earth in its orbit and make seasons come and go each year and they are not the same.

Sometimes colder, sometimes hotter, yet He knows His creatures depend on Him.

He brings the spring in its season, new crop bloom and beautiful sunsets at the end of each day. 

He is our only hope.

He is the Lord, and His glory is with Him because of who He is.

DCB.

YOU MAY HAVE TO MAKE SOME CHANGES

WHAT MATTERS

3/15/2016

Dr. C. Branker.

Everything we see around us, eventually go through some kind of change.

The only unchanging one is God. Malachi 3: 6 " For I am the Lord, I change not"

People change, the earth change, the sea, the seasons, sun and moon all go through changes but God remains the same.

The need for change could mean survival for the human race on the planet.

However, God is perfect, always present and futuristic. He needs no adjustments, nor does He need to conform to anyone or anything.

He is the same from beginning to end.

First and the last. Alpha and Omega.

DCB.

MAKE WISE DECISIONS

WHAT MATTERS

3/11/2016

Dr. C. Branker

If you are waiting on the Lord to bring you out of trouble, more than likely He will not use your highway to get to you.

Many times in life, we create our own difficult situations. Whether motivated by lust or lack of wise counsel, we mortgage our future with tremendous burdens and unnecessary mental strain.

So many people are stuck in financial obligations for years. Bad deals and contracts that they thought were blessings from God, turned out to be heartache and misery.

Your deliverance may also come with a price tag of waiting long and setbacks.

Learn the lesson of reason and discipline with patience.

Unless you really don't need it, leave it alone, if you cannot afford it, do without it.

Use your gift, talent and skill to get you out the hole you are in, and make better decisions for your future.

DCB. 

HIS MERCY

WHAT MATTERS

2/10/2016

Dr. C. Branker

MERCY. The compassion or forgiveness shown toward someone whom it is within one's power to punish or harm:

GOD'S MERCY, HIS continual loving kindness toward humanity after having made the greatest sacrifice of  redemption from all unrighteousness.

1Peter 1:3-4 “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you.”

Be full of mercy to others.

DCB.

FREE YOUR MIND

WHAT MATTERS

3/9/2016

Dr. C. Branker

The human mind can be the prison of its own free soul.

The right for every human to dream and envision better things in life, can only be harnessed by negativity, fear and doubt.

Humans are conquerors by nature, and nothing stands in the way when clever minds work together to accomplish things.

Creativity is the basic function of mankind, as man would not have survived since the beginning.

Though famines and floods, heat and cold, sickness and diseases have plagued the world for centuries, life on earth continues.

We are all free to accomplish great things and introduce new ones to others.

We are part of a greater puzzle than we imagine. Only perseverance with hope and belief will reveal the greater part.

BE FREE AND MOVE BEYOND LIMITATIONS. 

DCB.

 

STAY FOCUS

WHAT MATTERS

3/8/2016

Dr. C. Branker

Twenty four hours in a day, part of which we face all the issues concerning life and our mortality. Our daily needs, activities, families, associates etc.

We are so consumed with the present and each passing moment, that we loose sight of the greater picture; the journey before us.

Present time, is part of the road that lead us to an exit for which we were born.

We cannot get distracted by road bumps, delays and unfavorable situations which only seem to set us back.

The truth of the matter is, the journey of your life never stops.

If you believe in divine purpose and destiny, then realize that your calamity is the part chosen for you.

Never give up your dream, always believe that God's will is perfect for you. 

Never focus on the moments of distractions, lift your head and look ahead.

Joseph was despised for his dreams.

Sold out by his brothers.

Lied upon by Potiphar' s wife.

Innocent, yet imprisoned.

Forgotten by the cup bearer.

Promoted by God into his purpose.

DCB.

TRUE LOVE

WHAT MATTERS

3/7/2016

Dr. C. Branker.

True love must be greater than the hurt and pain others have caused you.

So many times we place a measure on love, on how far we will extend our love when we are hurt by someone we love. 

Whatever the situation you are experiencing or have already gone through, the pain and discomfort could be overbearing and troublesome. 

An abused lover, a spouse or family member can at times cause great pain on the people in their lives, consequently putting a great strain on love and lovingkindness towards that person.

True love is able to move beyond all the pain, embarrassment, obligation and cost that someone may have caused you.

True love is ready to forgive and forget.

True love is ready to continue the relationship as it was before the pain.

True love wants to immediately heal the past discomforts.

True love wants to fortify the relationship stronger than before.

True love wants to last forever.

DCB.

GOD IS AWESOME

WHAT MATTERS

3/4/2016

Dr. C. Branker

It Is Always Good To Trust In God.

Each day we feed ourselves by the food we store in our homes or what we can purchase from a local store. We seldom awake with empty cupboards and nothing consumable around us. Thanks be to God who give us strength to  work and purchase the necessities of life which sustains us.

Psalm 105, reminds us of God's love and covenant with Abraham. 

It reminds us of all He did for His people when He brought them out of Egypt.

He brought them out with silver and gold.

He brought them all out with strength ( even the elderly got new strength for the trip)

He cover them with a cloud by day as the sun kept them warm

He sent a pillar of fire by night to give them light and comfort.

They ask for food, He delivered quail.( self delivery quail).

He dropped fresh bread from heaven ( manna).

He gave them fresh clean cool water from a huge rock.

The water became a river so they could take a bath and refresh.

The wilderness is where you go to die, but God cared for His people and their needs.

DCB.

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GOD's GOODNESS

WHAT MATTERS

3/3/2016

Dr. C. Branker

The goodness of God is all over the earth.

Though the heart of man is wicked and harmful toward one another, the blessings of God outweigh the evil.

The daily news around the world describe a generation of murderers, thieves, vicious and indecent people. 

Yet, the faithfulness of God's love abounds.

He renews the face of the earth, and all His creatures eat and live.

The fish of the sea have their provision, the wild animals multiply, birds and flowers maintain their beauty and colors and humans eat to the fullest and are overweight.

Let us always remember, He Jehovah, He alone is God and worthy of all praise.

He is Lord and provider to everything under heaven, Give Him Praise!

He sent His Son Jesus to express His love to all mankind.

Give Him Glory and sing a new song to Him today.

DCB.

BE HOPEFUL

WHAT MATTERS

3/2/2016

Dr. C. Branker

The path of destruction has become the path of recovery and hope.

Some years ago, after a huge storm, I led a team with supplies to those who were cut off from the bear necessities.

When we got on the ground, it was not difficult to see which way the storm had past.

There was a line of destroyed homes that cut across neighborhoods, streets and canals. We saw roofs, cars, and other household items along the straight path of the storm.

We noticed neighbors walking along the path identifying and recovering each other's property ; some a block or two away.

This gave them hope as they picked up pieces of their belongings.

When we face calamities in life, some may never see hope at the seen. However, it becomes the new foundation for rebuilding.

We must embrace hope before we need to have or find it. If we loose everything today, hope will transcend the present situation into a brighter tomorrow.

DCB. 

ARM YOURSELF

WHAT MATTERS

3/1/2016

Dr. C. Branker

"We have disarmed the potential threat." 

This is a statement use by law enforcement officers every day, when a situation can get nasty. They rather use their judgement and respond to calm a situation than risk the lives of innocent citizens.

Do you know innocent, unarmed, people  are profiled every day by strangers and fellow workers, who seek to disarm your gift?

Not that they  you are threat, but simply because they do not like you for who you are.

Your skill, intelligence, and wholesomeness threaten their poor minded and undisciplined lifestyle.

Do not allow these kind of people to disarm you by their demeanor.

Your goodness is a threat that they want to disarm. 

Be wise in your accomplishments and expand your borders with likeminded friends who always seek the best for you and themselves.

DCB

THIS BLOG claims no credit for any images posted on this site unless otherwise noted. Images on this blog are copyright to its respectful owners. If there is an image appearing on this blog that belongs to you and do not wish for it appear on this site, please E-mail with a link to said image and it will be promptly removed.]