Yes! Yes! Yes!

The shepherds were frightened by the sudden appearance of an angel of the Lord announcing the birth of the Messiah, the Savior. The night sky erupted as a vast host of the armies of heaven burst forth in praise, "Glory to God in the highest heaven, and peace on earth to all whom God favors" (Luke 2:14 NLT). The shepherds, now exhilarated, rushed into Bethlehem to see God's wondrous gift. Everywhere they went they shared the good news that God is here with us.

Let us do likewise.

A Prayer begins . . .

Thank you God for sending your very best!

You can surf all over SoAmazing.com just by clicking the banner or one of the five Bible verses in the left column. Every verse leads you another page with a color SoAmazing Card you can print off in mulitiple copies to give to your friends and two more selected book quotations to enjoy! Finish reading this page, then pick a Bible verse and Clickle away!

Two selected book quotations begin . . .

The Call Of The West

Janette Oke, When Calls the Heart, Bethany House Publishers, 1983, pp. 25, 26. SoAmazing.com

Category: Fiction
ISBN: 0764225324
Keywords: soul searching, teaching, students, decision, church, pendulum, prayer, Joshua 1:9, Lord, God, Bethany House Publishers, Oke, Janette Oke

"The next few days were full of soul searching. I was so preoccupied that I sometimes wondered if I were actually teaching my students. They didn't seem to notice any difference in me, so I guess that I was at least going through the proper motions.

As she promised, Mother didn't press me; but I could sense that she was anxiously waiting for my decision. I knew that she was praying too. I did hope that she truly was leaving it to the Father's will and not merely pleading for Him to 'send me forth.'

I wavered--which was unusual for me. One moment, I would think of all those that I loved: my family, my students, my church friends; and I would inwardly cry out, 'I can't go, I just can't!' The next instant I would think of that part of my family in the West. Something invisible was drawing me to the older brother whom I had never really known. I also thought of all those children without a teacher, and I knew that they, too, wished to learn. I even considered the great adventure that this new opportunity held, and I would find myself reasoning, Why not? Maybe this is the the answer to the restlessness within me. Maybe I should go . . . .

Back and forth my feeling swung, like the pendulum on our grandfather clock.

After considerable debate and prayer and thought, I felt directed to Joshua 1:9: 'Be strong and of good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee withersoever thou goest.'

I repeated the passage out loud and felt my anxieties relax into peace. I would go."

SoAmazing Review: When Calls the Heart is a romantic adventure by prolific author Janette Oke. The setting is Western Canada and occasionally, a red-coated Canadian Mountie comes calling."

Buy When Calls the Heart Now!   Amazon, Barnes&Noble, Christianbook.

Divine Help Needed

Charles M. Sheldon, updated by Jim Reimann, His Brother's Keeper, Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1999, pp. 3, 4. This is the long-lost novel from the author of In His Steps, a book which has sold over 30 million copies.
SoAmazing.com

Category: Fiction
ISBN: 0785269487
Keywords: problem, history of labor, demands sufficient wages, walked out, rights, peacefully, crowd, human wisdom, divine help, Lord, wisdom, Jesus, prayer, miners, heart, Thomas Nelson Publishers, Sheldon, Charles M. Sheldon, Reimann, James Reimann

" 'What's happening here? What's the problem?' Stuart asked the men around him. 'What's Eric doing up there?'

Before anyone could answer, the young man standing on the bench began to speak. His words came very slowly, as if every one of them was being thought out carefully. He stopped moving and stood perfectly still. The large crowd in the square was so quiet that it reminded Stuart of a special service he had once attended in an English cathedral. Four thousand people had knelt in total silence before the service began.

'Brothers,' said Eric, 'this is no ordinary event in the history of labor. What we have done, and are about to do, carries serious consequences. We have made demands for sufficient wages to comfortably sustain us and our families during this coming winter. It has been refused, so we have walked out of the mines determined to defend our rights-strongly, yet peacefully.' Eric paused a moment, and Stuart noticed how his grip on the roof post appeared to tighten. As he continued, the crowd seemed even more quiet.

'Brothers, we need more than human wisdom at a time like this. It is fitting that we bow our heads and seek divine help.'

Every head was uncovered as each person removed his hat for prayer. Then the speaker's voice rang out clearly and strongly above the crowd.

'Lord, we need Your help today. We ask for wisdom and to know Your will, O Lord, keep us from lawlessness in our protest! Keep us all from drunkenness, violence, and injury to anyone's life or property. We ask simply for our rights as men, and for sufficient wages to live in basic comfort. Show us what to do, and keep us from evil. Lord, bless these men who work with their hands, and bless our families. We ask this in Jesus' name. Amen.'

As Eric finished his prayer, he raised his head, and the miners then put on their hats. Stuart peered out over the heads of the crowd and up to Eric. His eyes then looked beyond the town to the pine-covered hills dotted with mining engine houses and stockpiles of ore. He noticed the smoke curling from the furnace smokestacks and said to himself. 'The pumps must still be running.' The whole scene was very vivid to him. The crowd, the churches, the park, the stage, the hills, the mines, and that familiar face of his friend above him--every detail of this human drama seemed to pierce his heart. But the greatest shock to his nerves was that brief prayer. It seemed so strange and unusual--much like a story--not real life."

SoAmazing Review: In His Brother's Keeper, Charles Sheldon uses fiction to explore the ethics of both sides in a labor dispute.

Buy His Brother's Keeper Now!   Amazon, Barnes&Noble, Christianbook.

If you can run fast, jump high, shoot the lights out, pass a football exceptionally well, play lacrosse, jump over your head, or capable of joining the women's pro golf tour you are eligible to join our SoAmazing.com community. If you can't do any of those things, you are also eligible. We are an equal opportunity proponent! And, we want you!

Please become a participating member of SoAmazing.com and enjoy, as one terrific member benefit, our award winning, free-by-email SoAmazing Letter! Clickle the Signup button below!