J D Canter E Books

Can You Spare A Minute Or So 11/12?

The north wind and

 the sun argued which was the stronger. 

On seeing a traveller they agreed a suitable test would be to strip him of his cloak. 

First the wind blew with all his might, but the more he blew, the more than man wrapped the cloak tightly around himself. 

When the sun’s turn came, he gently beamed at the man, who loosened the cloak. The sun shone brighter still, and the man threw off his cloak.

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Quote:

“Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy.” — Matthew 5:7

Message:

Mercy is one of the purest reflections of the heart of God. To be merciful means to show kindness even when someone doesn’t deserve it, to forgive when it’s easier to hold a grudge, and to lift someone up instead of pointing out their faults. Mercy doesn’t mean you ignore truth or pretend wrong never happened—it means you choose compassion over condemnation.

When we show mercy, we release others from the debt of their mistakes—and in doing so, we set ourselves free, too. Every time you give mercy, you plant a seed that will one day grow back toward you in your own time of need.

Think about how many times God has shown mercy to you. He didn’t have to—but He did. And that same mercy He extended is the one He wants you to pass on.

Today, let mercy guide your words, your reactions, and your thoughts. Be quick to forgive, slow to anger, and generous with grace. You never know how one act of mercy could change someone’s life—or your own.

Scripture:

“Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful.” — Luke 6:36

A Little Humor:

A man prayed, “Lord, give me patience—and I want it right now!”

Sometimes showing mercy feels the same way—we want to be kind, but we need help doing it!

Takeaway:

Mercy isn’t weakness—it’s strength wrapped in kindness. When you show mercy, you mirror the heart of God to a world that desperately needs to see it.

11/11- Can You Spare A Minute?

What to do when something or  someone tries to buru—-I heard the story about a man who had an old mule that he really loved. One day the man couldn’t find the old mule and he began to panic. He checked the fence to see if got out, but everything looked good.  Then he remembered the big, deep hole he had had dug just a few days earlier.  He ran as fast as he could to the hole, and sure enough his fears were confirmed.  The old mule looked up at him from the bottom of the hole. The only thing he knew that was left to do, was to just put him out of his misery.  So he go a shovel and began to throw the dirt down on top of the mule.  When he went to get the second shovel full he was amazed.  The old mule just shook off the dirt and packed it down with his feet.  He quickly started shoveling as fast as he could. Each time the mule shook the dirt off and packed it down, until before long the old mule was at the top and just walked on out. So when someone digs a hole and puts you in it, and tries to bury you with dirt….just shake it off, pack it down, and walk on out.

11/11–Start Your Day Off Right Series 

Happy Veterans Day

Quote:

Character 

Story:

11/11–There was a man standing on a hill looking down on a man in the valley. The man on the hill said to himself I am here and the man in the valley is there. I don’t want to be here, I want to be there. I will just go join the man in the valley and then I can be there too! 

So the man on the hill hastened to join the man in the valley, for he had always longed to be there. When he finally got to the man in the valley he was so happy he exclaimed to the man I am finally there.

The man in the valley said no my son you are here. The man on the hill said please tell me where there is so I can finally be there. The man in the valley said you see that hill you just came from? Well that is there and you are here. 

So, when you long to get there in life, life will let you know you haven’t arrived. 

When I get $1 million dollars, get married, get my drivers license,you think, I will finally be there. You get married and then feel like it will take a child before you are finally there. Then you think when I get this child raised and through school….. well, you get my point!

We seem to never be there because we are always here!!

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Scripture:

2 Timothy 2:3-4

Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier.

Humor:

 How does a Taco Grace the table?

Lettuce Pray

Quote:

“Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life.” — 1 Timothy 6:12

Today, we pause to honor the brave men and women who have fought for freedom — those who stood in the gap, faced danger, and gave of themselves so that others might live in liberty. Their courage, sacrifice, and endurance remind us of a deeper truth that applies to every one of us: life itself is a battlefield, and we’re all called to fight the good fight.

Veterans know something that many forget — that victory doesn’t come from comfort, but from commitment. It’s not the absence of struggle that defines a hero, but the strength to keep going through the struggle. Likewise, in our daily lives, faith calls us to stand strong — to keep believing when it’s hard, to keep loving when it’s not returned, and to keep doing right even when no one is watching.

Maybe your battle isn’t on a foreign field — maybe it’s in your mind, your health, your home, or your heart. But take courage. The same God who stood beside our soldiers in the trenches stands beside you today. You are not alone.

To fight the good fight means to stay faithful — to keep showing up, to keep trusting God’s plan, and to never surrender your hope. The Apostle Paul could say at the end of his life, “I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith.” That’s the kind of victory that never fades.

Scripture:

“I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith.” — 2 Timothy 4:7

A Thought to Carry:

Honor the veterans today by living as a spiritual soldier — disciplined, courageous, and faithful to the mission God has given you.

A Touch of Humor:

They say the best soldiers never retreat — unless it’s from the dessert table after Thanksgiving dinner!

Closing Thought:

So on this Veterans Day, salute those who have fought for freedom — and remember that you, too, are in a battle worth fighting. Stay strong, stay faithful, and fight the good fight.

11/10–Start Your Day Off Right Series 

Quote:

11/10

Believe In Yourself

Story:

Life is a pressure cooker. The pressure keeps mounting and building until you can’t take it anymore. You are ready to explode, blow up. Everywhere you turn there is pressure. The greater the pressure, the more things cook on the inside. There are pressures because there are more variables in your life. There are more people and more responsibilities. There are more people who need you than ever before. 

There are more people who have your phone number, both home and cell, your email address, etc. Your world is bigger, you know more people. 

External pressures you can separate from, but internal pressures are difficult …. your marriage, your children, etc. External enemies are one thing, but internal things are connected to me. 

You can kill the wolf, if you don’t kill the wolf it will kill you. You can’t kill what you are connected to…. your marriage, your child, etc. The internal pressure keeps mounting and you try to say “I’m fine, I’m just fine”, but all the time you are dying on the inside. The pressure is killing you. You’d probably be shocked at the people reading this that are smiling, but on the inside, they are about to explode. The things you can’t talk about, the secrets that you have held inside for so long. All the while the pressure is building on the inside until it has reached the dangerous levels. When you are responsible people count on you, and when they count on you it brings on responsibility and pressure. We would also be surprised at the depressed people reading this. 

The world has pressures and some of them kill themselves. Children of God have pressures and it kills them. We wake up tired because all night long the issues have been churning in our heads all night long. The things you can’t talk about, you can’t tell anybody. Nobody knows that your finances are bad, your marriage is strained. We have pressures and we can’t talk to anyone not even our spouses. We are too tore up, we think, to talk to God. But talking to God is the answer for me . 

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Scripture:

Matthew 6:28-33

And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith? Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.

Humor:

11/10–From Sister Joyce Bokina 11/5/21

If you can’t find five minutes, can you spare one or two?

Someday Isle

Someday I’ll do this or that. 

I wonder how many has been marooned and stuck on Someday I’ll? 

Like Tom Hanks in the movie Castaway. 

The cemetery is one of the richest places in the world. It has more riches that Fort Knox. Songs never sung, speeches never delivered, love never revealed, and talents never used. 

I want to do, as the motivational speaker Les Brown encouraged, and to “Live Full And Die Empty” 

I do not want to take anything with me I want to use it all. I don’t want to die never letting my friends and loved ones know how much I truly cared. 

I want to be like a wet cloth that you take and wring very drop of water out until there is nothing else left inside!

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In a world full of noise, one of the greatest gifts you can offer is your ears. Everyone wants to be heard, but not everyone takes the time to truly listen. Listening is more than hearing words — it’s understanding hearts.

The Bible reminds us, “Let every person be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath.” — James 1:19.

That verse isn’t just good advice; it’s a roadmap for peaceful relationships and wise living. Too often we’re quick to speak, eager to respond, and ready to defend our point. But when we pause long enough to really listen, we invite wisdom, healing, and unity into the moment.

Listening shows love. It tells someone, “You matter enough for me to stop and care about what you’re saying.” When we listen, we learn — about others, about ourselves, and about what God may be whispering to our hearts.

Sometimes God speaks in a still, small voice — and if our lives are filled with constant chatter, we can miss His gentle guidance.

Think about Jesus: He listened to the blind man’s cry, the woman at the well’s story, and even the silence of those who were hurting. He wasn’t too busy to hear.

What if we followed His example today? What if we listened more and talked less? We might discover that listening opens doors that speaking never could.

So today, take a deep breath. Slow down. Look someone in the eyes and truly listen. You’ll not only hear their words — you’ll feel their heart.

Quote of the Day:

“Most people don’t listen with the intent to understand; they listen with the intent to reply.” — Stephen R. Covey

Scripture: James 1:19

Clean Joke:

Why did the man bring a ladder to the barbershop?

He wanted to get a high hearing! 👂😄



The Meaning of Numbers: The Number 12

Twelve can be found in 187 places in God’s word. Revelation alone has 22 occurrences of the number. 

The meaning of 12, which is considered a perfect number, is that it symbolizes God’s power and authority, as well as serving as a perfect governmental foundation. It can also symbolize completeness or the nation of Israel as a whole.

For example, Jacob (Israel) had twelve sons, each of which represented a tribe begun by a prince, for 12 princes total. Ishmael, who was born to Abraham through Hagar, also had twelve princes.

God specified that twelve unleavened cakes of bread be placed every week in the temple with frankincense next to each of the two piles that were to be made. The priests were commanded to change the bread every Sabbath day (Leviticus 24).

Christ called and choose twelve men to bear witness to what he did and to spread the good news of the gospel to the entire world. 

After he was raised from the dead, Jesus told the eleven disciples (Judas had killed himself) that God had given him ALL power and authority in both earth and heaven (God’s divine authority – Matthew 28:18).

Twelve thousand from each tribe of Israel (144,000 total) will receive salvation during the end time’s Great Tribulation (Revelation 7). A set of 144,000 (12 x 12,000), possibly the same as those in chapter 7, will be taken from earth in order to serve and follow the Lamb of God (Revelation 14:1 – 5). Christ’s bride in Revelation 12, the church, wears a crown containing twelve stars.

The New Jerusalem, which is made in heaven and brought to the earth by God himself, contains 12 gates made of pearl which are each manned by an angel. Over each gate will be one of the names of Israel’s twelve tribes. The walls are 144 cubits high (12 multiplied by itself – Revelation 21:16 – 17), with the city itself being 12,000 furlongs square.

Appearances of the number twelve

There are twelve names in the Bible that have only two letters. They are Ai (Joshua 7:2), Ar (Num. 21:15), Ed (Joshua 22:34), Er (Genesis 38:3), Ir (1Chronicles 7:12), No (Jeremiah 46:25), Og (Num. 21:33), On (Num. 16:11), Pe (Psalm 119:129), So (2Kings 17:4), Ur (Genesis 11:28) and Uz (Genesis 10:23).

The twelve patriarchs from and including Shem (one of Noah’s sons saved in the Ark) to Jacob (Israel) are Shem, Arphaxad, Salah, Heber, Peleg, Reu, Serug, Nahor, Terah, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

Solomon appointed twelve officers over Israel.

How is the number 12 related to an anointed service?

Twelve people are specially noted in scripture as being anointed for a unique task or responsibility. They are Aaron and his four sons to serve as priests (Exodus 29:7 – 9) and Saul (1Samuel 10:1), David (1Samuel 16:13) and Solomon (1Kings 1:39) to serve as kings over a united Israel.

David’s son Absalom, who wanted to take the throne of his David but was killed (2Samuel 19:10), was also anointed by some to be king. The remaining three specially anointed are King Jehu of Israel (2Kings 9:6) and Kings Joash (2Kings 11:12) and Jehoahaz (2Kings 23:30) of Judah.

Additional info on the Biblical Meaning of 12

The Scripture’s first recording of Jesus’ words occurs when he is twelve years old (Luke 2:42).

The high priest’s breastplate, also called the breast-plate of decision, had twelve stones embedded in it. Each stone represented a tribe of Israel. The Urim and Thummim were part of the High Priest’s breastplate. They were primarily used to consult God regarding important matters (1Samuel 28: 3 – 6, Numbers 27:21 and so on). Both the first century historian Josephus and the Talmud identify the Urim and Thummim with the breastplate stones.

Of all the numerals found in scripture, twelve, along with three, four, seven and ten, are unmistakably used in a symbolic fashion in God’s word.

The Meaning and Significance of Number 12 in the Bible

We can probably draw examples right away from instances where we see the number 12 used in Scripture. Jesus appointed twelve disciples; Israel had 12 tribes.

Twelve, as described in this article, tends to mean authority or (similar to 3 and 7) perfection.

We can typically see the number twelve used in governmental or authoritarian positions. 

Twelve minor prophets preached the word of God, twelve sons of Jacob formed the twelve tribes of Israel, and the disciples helped form the early church.

– 12 spies scout the Promised Landp

– Nebuchadnezzar’s Dream (Daniel 4) fulfills 12 months later

– 12 baskets remain full after Jesus feeds the 5,000