Beginning With Him (Feb-2001)

BEGINNING WITH HIM
February, 2001 Edition

As is the continued tradition, the first E-Mail Ministry (EMM) message
of the month is my chance to talk to all of you about E-Mail Ministry
and other related items.

TABLE OF CONTENTS FOR TODAY’S MESSAGE:
[eGROUPS MERGED WITH YAHOO] [UPDATE E-MAIL ADDRESSES]
[SUPPORT E-MAIL MINISTRY] [CHRISTIAN SITE OF THE YEAR 2000]
[GIVE CREDIT WHERE CREDIT IS DUE] [CLICK TO HELP OTHERS]
[JUST BEING A CHRISTIAN] [MY FRIENDS]
[LIFE IS A THEATER – INVITE YOUR AUDIENCE CAREFULLY]
[CHRISTIAN WALK AND OUTREACH WEB RING] [LINKS PAGE]
[POLL QUESTIONS] [USAGE OF E-MAIL MINISTRY MESSAGES]

* * *
eGROUPS MERGED WITH YAHOO

eGroups merged with Yahoo in August 2000 and have now become Yahoo
Groups. All the features from eGroups have been incorporated into Yahoo
Groups. All eGroups email and web addresses will continue to work, but
you may want to update your bookmark(s). All of the group membership
information has been maintained. For FAQ’s on Yahoo Groups visit:
http://help.yahoo.com/help/us/groups/info

* * *
UPDATE E-MAIL ADDRESSES:

Due to the merger of eGroups with Yahoo Groups, the subscribe and
unsubscribe e-mail addresses have changed as follows:
SUBSCRIBE:
Send a blank e-mail to: EMailMinistry-subscribe@egroups.com
UNSUBSCRIBE:
Send a blank e-mail to: EMailMinistry-unsubscribe@egroups.com
CHANGE OF E-MAIL ADDRESS:
– UNSUBSCRIBE from the old e-mail address: Send a blank e-mail
message from the old e-mail address to:
EMailMinistry-unsubscribe@egroups.com
– SUBSCRIBE from the new e-mail address: Send a blank e-mail
message from the new e-mail address to:
EMailMinistry-subscribe@egroups.com

* * *
SUPPORT E-MAIL MINISTRY
I would like to thank those who have sent in a donation to support EMM.
I ask that you prayerfully consider supporting E-Mail Ministry.
Starting this month you may make donations by credit card at:
https://www.emailministry.org/ccbill/index.htm Credit card donations can
be made as a one-time donation or as a monthly recurring donation.

You can also make a donation by check. Checks can be sent to:

E-Mail Ministry, Inc.
P.O. Box 944
Garden City, MI 48136-0944

This ministry is 100% supported by subscriber donations. Donations will
be used to offset the growing costs of this ministry. It is my
intention and prayer that, like God’s grace, EMM always remains free.
Many thanks to those who have already sent in a donation!

* * *
CHRISTIAN SITE OF THE YEAR 2000
I just recently discovered that EMM is one of three finalists for
“Christian Site of the Year 2000” on the Christian Internet Resources
web site. To vote for EMM simply go to/click on:
http://ajcorp.tripod.com/cir/poll.html
VOTING ENDS ON FEBRUARY 3RD SO DON’T WAIT!! Do it now. EMM is in
second place by only a handful of votes – and I’ve been told there will
be no recounts! 🙂

* * *
GIVE CREDIT WHERE CREDIT IS DUE

– The message “Are There Any Questions” is an adaptation of a story by
Robert L. Fulghum. Various sources were sent to me as to where the story
in its original form is published. I was unable to confirm which source
was correct.

– The author of “Traveling On Your Knees” is Sandra Goodwin Clopine”.
I received the following from Sandra Goodwin Clopine’s sister-in-law (an
EMM subscriber)
‘Dear Sirs, Greetings in Jesus’ Name! I have been so blessed to receive
items from your ministry. I wanted to give you the correct information
on the author of the poem, ” Traveling On Your Knees”. She happens to
be my sister-in-law, Sandra Goodwin Clopine. The poem was written while
she was a student in Southwestern Assemblies of God University in
Waxahachie, TX, during the 1950’s. She had a fervent burden for Africa,
married a fellow student who was a missionary’s son (my husband’s older
brother), and they went to Ghana, W. Africa with their little daughter
in 1962. Unfortunately, six weeks after they arrived, on Christmas Eve,
Sidney, her husband was preparing for a great outdoors Christmas Eve
service far in the interior of Ghana, when the generator they were using
for lights exploded, burning over 90% of his body with 3rd degree
burns. He died on New Year’s Day, 1963. Sandra and her young daughter
continued ministry in various parts of Africa for several years after
that. In 1970 Sandra published the book of poems dedicated to her late
husband that contains the poem, the correct title of which is
“Traveling On My Knees”! In 1982 Sandra remarried a precious godly man,
and they continue in ministry today.

– The author of “A Soldier’s Playing Cards” is T Texas Tyler.

As I have mentioned in previous ‘Beginning With Him’ newsletters, a vast
majority of the stories I receive have no author information. If author
information is available, I include it with the message. Also, I do not
have the resources to investigate the author of the messages. If anyone
has a source I could use, I would be happy to take advantage of it.

* * *
CLICK TO HELP OTHERS
I hope, each month, to highlight a “Click to Help Others” site. These
sites allow you to click on them to donate money, food, etc. to their
cause.

This month’s site is The Breast Cancer site at:
http://www.thebreastcancersite.com/

By clicking on their site, your donation will help provide 37
underprivileged women with access to a mammogram this month. Your
‘donation’ is actually paid by the site’s sponsors so take the time to
support the sponsors. It costs you nothing but a few seconds of your
time.

To ‘Click To Help Others’, go to our web site at:
https://www.emailministry.org/clicktodonate.htm

As you may be aware, On July 29, 1998, the U.S. Postal Service issued a
new postage stamp to help raise funds for breast cancer research.
>From stamp issuance, 06/29/98, through 12/03/99:
Total National Sales: $ 55.1M
Raised for Research: $ 10.1M
Total Number of Stamps Sold: 137.7M

For more information, visit your post office or go to:
http://new.usps.com/cgi-bin/uspsbv/scripts/content.jsp?D=22494&B=-10496

* * *
JUST BEING A CHRISTIAN

If we could get arrested for being a Christian, would the police officer
have enough evidence to bring us in?

Why is it so hard to tell the truth but yet so easy to tell a lie?

Why are we so sleepy in church but right when the sermon is over we
suddenly wake up?

Why is it so hard to talk about God but yet so easy to talk about nasty
stuff?

Why is it so boring to look at a Christian magazine but yet so easy to
look at a nasty one?

Why is it so easy to delete a Godly e-mail but yet we forward all of the
nasty ones?

Why are the churches getting smaller but yet the bars and dance clubs
are getting larger?

Do you give up?

* * *
MY FRIENDS

Did anyone ever tell you,
Just how special you are.
The light that you emit,
Might even light a star.
Did anyone ever tell you,
How important you make others feel.
Somebody out there is smiling,
About love that is so real.
Did anyone ever tell you,
Many times, when they were sad.
Your e-mail made them smile a bit,
In fact it made them glad.
For the time you spend sending things,
And sharing whatever you find.
There are no words to thank you,
But somebody, thinks you’re fine.
Did anyone ever tell you,
Just how much they love you.
Well, my dearest “Online” friend,
Today I am telling you.
— Author Unknown

Note from doug: Well, watching “It’s A Wonderful Life” as well as
several other reminders started me thinking. We don’t tell the people
who have impacted our lives how much we have valued them. Take a few
minutes to write a letter to a significant person in your life.

* * *
LIFE IS A THEATER – INVITE YOUR AUDIENCE CAREFULLY….

Do not be misled: “Bad company corrupts good character. – I Corinthians
15:33 (NIV)

Not everyone is healthy enough to have a front row seat in our lives.
There are some people in your life that need to be loved from a
distance. It’s amazing what you can accomplish when you let go of, or
at least minimize, your time with draining, negative, incompatible,
not-going-anywhere relationships/friendships. Observe the relationships
around you… Pay attention!

– Which ones lift and which ones lean?
– Which ones encourage and which ones discourage?
– Which ones are on a path of growth uphill and which ones are going
downhill?
– When you leave certain people do you feel better or feel worse?
– Which ones always have drama or don’t really understand, know or
appreciate you?

The more you seek quality, respect, growth, peace of mind, love and
truth around you, the easier it will become for you to decide who gets
to sit in the front row and who should be moved to the balcony of your
life.

“If you cannot ‘change’ the people around you, change the people you’re
around.”

— Author unknown

* * *
CHRISTIAN WALK AND OUTREACH WEB RING
The “Christian Walk and Outreach” web ring is intended to hook together
Christian internet sites which promote Christian lifestyles, aid
Christians in their walk with Jesus and reach out to seekers. The web
ring is up to 10 sites. If you have such a site, please join this web
ring by using the link found on the web ring table:
https://www.emailministry.org#Webring

* * *
LINKS PAGE
Thanks to all of you who submitted a link to be added to the EMM Links
Page. To recommend a Christian site, please use the ‘Add a Link’ form
at: https://www.emailministry.org/links/index.htm#AddALink

You can add a link from your web site to E-Mail Ministry. Simply copy
the following html code into your web page using your html editor:

Enhance your Christian walk. Come visit
E-Mail Ministry!

* * *
POLL QUESTIONS
The results of the January poll questions can viewed at
https://www.emailministry.org/pollresults.htm. Here are the February
poll questions (Go the web site at: https://www.emailministry.org/#Polls
register your vote!! Please do NOT send me an e-mail with your vote!)

Q1: Do you agree with President Bush’s ‘faith based’ funding of
social-service groups?
Q2: Do you plan on seeing the “Left Behind” movie in the
theater?

PLEASE NOTE: The banners on the guest book, poll questions and
referral do NOT support E-Mail Ministry and E-Mail Ministry does not
support them.

* * *
USAGE OF E-MAIL MINISTRY MESSAGES
As always, feel free to send these messages on to others as the Lord
leads you. I do have one request (and it is an optional request) if you
use these messages in your church bulletins, sermons, bible studies,
etc., it would be nice if you put “Message distributed by E-Mail
Ministry (https://www.emailministry.org)” at the bottom of any material
you use. That way more people will become aware of this ministry.

* * *
I pray this finds you all growing in the understanding of how God loves
you. And once again, HAPPY NEW MILLENNIUM!!

— doug
Founder, Editor, Webmaster & ‘Chief Bottle Washer’ of E-Mail Ministry