Comments for the blog of pastor diehl http://www.ralphdiehl.com Weekly thoughts from New Hope Christian Center Wed, 20 Aug 2008 22:55:21 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.3.3 Comment on Faith of a Child by adam http://www.ralphdiehl.com/2008/06/04/faith-of-a-child/#comment-402 adam Sun, 08 Jun 2008 04:36:25 +0000 http://www.ralphdiehl.com/2008/06/04/faith-of-a-child/#comment-402 lol. well said. lol. well said.

]]> Comment on Priorities by Tara Lilly http://www.ralphdiehl.com/2008/05/09/priorities/#comment-399 Tara Lilly Sat, 10 May 2008 01:03:50 +0000 http://www.ralphdiehl.com/2008/05/09/priorities/#comment-399 Thanks for the advice, I can use it to work on some areas of my life. My only thoughts that would be in disagreement would be where our "priorities" as we know them become more important than people. I think God puts people ahead of most of the tasks I think are extremely important. In my own growth I am finding that if I am listening, the Holy Spirit is often trying to sidetrack me from my busyness to be a good Samaritan, or stop and pray for someone when it was "outside" my plans for my own time. This is a delicate balance, but it's not impossible with the Lord's help. There is a middle ground between flying by the seat of our pants all the time without structure, and being so results-oriented that we are too busy to recognize when God is calling. Maybe I'll never get there but I'm trying. It seems like there are people and responsibilities pulling in every direction all the time, but the only thing that is really fulfilling is the stuff God wants me to do-and that stuff never seems to be on my agenda! I welcome your additional thoughts! :) Thanks for the advice, I can use it to work on some areas of my life. My only thoughts that would be in disagreement would be where our “priorities” as we know them become more important than people. I think God puts people ahead of most of the tasks I think are extremely important. In my own growth I am finding that if I am listening, the Holy Spirit is often trying to sidetrack me from my busyness to be a good Samaritan, or stop and pray for someone when it was “outside” my plans for my own time. This is a delicate balance, but it’s not impossible with the Lord’s help. There is a middle ground between flying by the seat of our pants all the time without structure, and being so results-oriented that we are too busy to recognize when God is calling. Maybe I’ll never get there but I’m trying. It seems like there are people and responsibilities pulling in every direction all the time, but the only thing that is really fulfilling is the stuff God wants me to do-and that stuff never seems to be on my agenda! I welcome your additional thoughts! :)

]]> Comment on The Choice is up to Me by mike http://www.ralphdiehl.com/2008/04/08/the-choice-is-up-to-me/#comment-396 mike Thu, 10 Apr 2008 19:05:10 +0000 http://www.ralphdiehl.com/2008/04/08/the-choice-is-up-to-me/#comment-396 It is really easy for us to be deceived at times. We can be drawn in so easy as to think it is beautiful outside but the temperature isn't as warm as it appears to be an there is a consequence to pay. God will turn the bad to good if only we love Him and we are called to His purpose. It's a good thing that God supplies our need and not our wants. When we try to do it for Him, it doesn't always turn out right. It seems today as we look around that so many bad things happen to good people. I don't just mean "good people" but righteous people. I am thankful for the new job God has provided for me! It wasn't easy applying for 40 jobs and wondering why I wasn't good enough to get at least one of them. And GOD out of the clear blue uses my Godly sister-in-law to speak to her Godly brother-in-law and I was just the one he was looking for. I spent hours on the computer and applying for a job I would hear about and just about the time we are ready to give up, guess who shows up. It is so hard to be patient when you have bills to pay and people counting on you to come thru for them. We always have to be careful to seek God first and then the "things" will be added. My Pastor so wisely said: "we can't control the cards we are dealt but we can be wise in how we play them". I pray for wisdom for us all. The bad truly does come with the good. It's the bad that really makes me appreciate the good. Good things come with a price and we all have to be willing to pay the price. I'm glad I'm not God. A farmer on one side the fence prays for rain and the farmer on the other side prays for sun to dry his hay. Both are righteous but one has to sacrifice for the other. We win some, we lose some. I'm glad God knows what's best for the overall picture. We will not give up!!!!! It is really easy for us to be deceived at times. We can be drawn in so easy as to think it is beautiful outside but the temperature isn’t as warm as it appears to be an there is a consequence to pay. God will turn the bad to good if only we love Him and we are called to His purpose. It’s a good thing that God supplies our need and not our wants. When we try to do it for Him, it doesn’t always turn out right. It seems today as we look around that so many bad things happen to good people. I don’t just mean “good people” but righteous people. I am thankful for the new job God has provided for me! It wasn’t easy applying for 40 jobs and wondering why I wasn’t good enough to get at least one of them. And GOD out of the clear blue uses my Godly sister-in-law to speak to her Godly brother-in-law and I was just the one he was looking for. I spent hours on the computer and applying for a job I would hear about and just about the time we are ready to give up, guess who shows up. It is so hard to be patient when you have bills to pay and people counting on you to come thru for them. We always have to be careful to seek God first and then the “things” will be added. My Pastor so wisely said: “we can’t control the cards we are dealt but we can be wise in how we play them”. I pray for wisdom for us all. The bad truly does come with the good. It’s the bad that really makes me appreciate the good. Good things come with a price and we all have to be willing to pay the price. I’m glad I’m not God. A farmer on one side the fence prays for rain and the farmer on the other side prays for sun to dry his hay. Both are righteous but one has to sacrifice for the other. We win some, we lose some. I’m glad God knows what’s best for the overall picture. We will not give up!!!!!

]]> Comment on Winter Doldrums and Discouragement by Todd Helmkamp http://www.ralphdiehl.com/2008/03/07/winter-doldrums-and-discouragement/#comment-388 Todd Helmkamp Sun, 09 Mar 2008 14:15:47 +0000 http://www.ralphdiehl.com/2008/03/07/winter-doldrums-and-discouragement/#comment-388 Thank you for this post! February is the hardest month of the year for me!! Thank you for this post! February is the hardest month of the year for me!!

]]> Comment on Winter Doldrums and Discouragement by lee_d http://www.ralphdiehl.com/2008/03/07/winter-doldrums-and-discouragement/#comment-387 lee_d Fri, 07 Mar 2008 17:52:14 +0000 http://www.ralphdiehl.com/2008/03/07/winter-doldrums-and-discouragement/#comment-387 I, too, am one of those that is getting cranky and impatient. In fact, just today I was ranting about it while in school. This was an entry that was needed and I already feel contentment knowing that spring is right around the corner. It's supposed to get warmer midway through next week! I, too, am one of those that is getting cranky and impatient. In fact, just today I was ranting about it while in school. This was an entry that was needed and I already feel contentment knowing that spring is right around the corner. It’s supposed to get warmer midway through next week!

]]> Comment on Hit the Bull’s Eye by Dennis Kutzner http://www.ralphdiehl.com/2008/02/22/hit-the-bulls-eye/#comment-385 Dennis Kutzner Wed, 27 Feb 2008 16:54:24 +0000 http://www.ralphdiehl.com/2008/02/22/hit-the-bulls-eye/#comment-385 As usual Pastor Diehl is a capable word craftsman who can take a novel live action situation and practically apply it to the spiritual workings of Providence. Excellent, indeed! As usual Pastor Diehl is a capable word craftsman who can take a novel live action situation and practically apply it to the spiritual workings of Providence. Excellent, indeed!

]]> Comment on Nutrition Facts by Tara Lilly http://www.ralphdiehl.com/2008/01/30/nutrition-facts/#comment-373 Tara Lilly Thu, 31 Jan 2008 05:03:18 +0000 http://www.ralphdiehl.com/2008/01/30/nutrition-facts/#comment-373 This is so true! It reminds me of your sermon point this week when you said that your wife takes many things you wouldn't eat alone and bakes them together to make something delicious. I underlined in my notes, "God WILL make something good out of the bad!!" Satan wants us to forget that and go spiraling out of control when things aren't going well. But I am challenging myself to see what good God is up to when there are negative circumstances for me or my family. Thanks! :) This is so true! It reminds me of your sermon point this week when you said that your wife takes many things you wouldn’t eat alone and bakes them together to make something delicious. I underlined in my notes, “God WILL make something good out of the bad!!” Satan wants us to forget that and go spiraling out of control when things aren’t going well. But I am challenging myself to see what good God is up to when there are negative circumstances for me or my family. Thanks! :)

]]> Comment on NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTION by Penny http://www.ralphdiehl.com/2007/12/26/new-years-resolution/#comment-372 Penny Thu, 27 Dec 2007 17:01:16 +0000 http://www.ralphdiehl.com/2007/12/26/new-years-resolution/#comment-372 What opened our eyes to the tithe was Jim Clifford's Sunday School class back years and years ago, focusing on sowing the seed. He said alot of very interesting things in that class, things that made you think about sowing and reaping; the tithe and the importance of it. From then on, we've tithed as we were supposed to, and we've reaped the benefits from that, both tangible and intangible, in a way that we will never go back to the way we were. I've often wished you'd have another class like that, so that others will get a clear understanding of it like we did. He made us understand the meaning of "you can't afford not to tithe." As you know, the big thing these days is "the church is only after our money". Jim presented this in a way that you didn't walk away with that feeling, at all. Coming from someone that's not the head of the church also makes the medicine easier to swallow, as you would say. What opened our eyes to the tithe was Jim Clifford’s Sunday School class back years and years ago, focusing on sowing the seed. He said alot of very interesting things in that class, things that made you think about sowing and reaping; the tithe and the importance of it. From then on, we’ve tithed as we were supposed to, and we’ve reaped the benefits from that, both tangible and intangible, in a way that we will never go back to the way we were. I’ve often wished you’d have another class like that, so that others will get a clear understanding of it like we did. He made us understand the meaning of “you can’t afford not to tithe.”

As you know, the big thing these days is “the church is only after our money”. Jim presented this in a way that you didn’t walk away with that feeling, at all. Coming from someone that’s not the head of the church also makes the medicine easier to swallow, as you would say.

]]> Comment on NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTION by Kelly Otis http://www.ralphdiehl.com/2007/12/26/new-years-resolution/#comment-371 Kelly Otis Thu, 27 Dec 2007 13:41:44 +0000 http://www.ralphdiehl.com/2007/12/26/new-years-resolution/#comment-371 We're behind you 110%! I'll be joining you in praying and expecting that visitation of the Spirit in 2008. It will be exciting to watch and see what happens. We’re behind you 110%! I’ll be joining you in praying and expecting that visitation of the Spirit in 2008. It will be exciting to watch and see what happens.

]]> Comment on Merry Christmas by Tara Lilly http://www.ralphdiehl.com/2007/12/19/merry-christmas-2/#comment-370 Tara Lilly Thu, 27 Dec 2007 07:16:55 +0000 http://www.ralphdiehl.com/2007/12/19/merry-christmas-2/#comment-370 We try to make sure the Biblical Christmas story is read in our house, usually in different forms (using Children's books and devotionals--Max Lucado has some great books for kids!) With small children in the house it can be hectic but they are receptive to almost anything you do to include the "true" meaning of Christmas. A few suggestions for other parents of things we have done: being sure to do at least one service activity where we do something for someone else, having an advent wreath, with a book that we can read about the meaning behind each candle lighting, and a new thing we did this year, we had a decorated cake that I put "Happy Birthday Jesus" on, and we actually put a candle on it and sang Happy Birthday to Jesus! My kids loved doing this and talking about how it is Jesus' birthday, but we get the presents, because Jesus wants to bless us so much! My three year old asked what presents Jesus gets, and my seven year old told him that when we give Jesus our heart that is the best present for Him. I have to admit that one made me cry! Thanks Pastor Diehl for being so good about sharing the love and message of Jesus at this time of the year! We try to make sure the Biblical Christmas story is read in our house, usually in different forms (using Children’s books and devotionals–Max Lucado has some great books for kids!) With small children in the house it can be hectic but they are receptive to almost anything you do to include the “true” meaning of Christmas. A few suggestions for other parents of things we have done: being sure to do at least one service activity where we do something for someone else, having an advent wreath, with a book that we can read about the meaning behind each candle lighting, and a new thing we did this year, we had a decorated cake that I put “Happy Birthday Jesus” on, and we actually put a candle on it and sang Happy Birthday to Jesus! My kids loved doing this and talking about how it is Jesus’ birthday, but we get the presents, because Jesus wants to bless us so much! My three year old asked what presents Jesus gets, and my seven year old told him that when we give Jesus our heart that is the best present for Him. I have to admit that one made me cry! Thanks Pastor Diehl for being so good about sharing the love and message of Jesus at this time of the year!

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