Purpose
My intention, my purpose, my prayer in launching this site is that it will be a source of inspiration and enlightenment for anyone who visits. It is meant for everyone visiting these pages and allowing me to share my thoughts with them. And you will see that most of what I have to share is about my faith, or more specifically my relationship with God. And my relationship with Christ. So what am I offering? Please don’t take this the wrong way, but I’m not trying to save your soul; I’ll leave that up the pastors, priests, ministers, and reverends of the world. And I’ll leave that up to you. I don’t believe that anyone on this earth, other than me, can save my soul; well there was one man that could have saved me, but it’s been a long time since Christ was here. I believe that it is through Him that my soul will be saved. I’m not here to instruct you on how to be a Christian (I'll try to show you through my actions), how to be a good person (I believe that we all know the difference between right and wrong in our hearts), how to get to heaven (you may not believe in it), how to love God (love can’t be taught), or why you have to read the Bible (but I'll tell you that it is THE Word). Another good friend of mine, Kris (who has a website of his own….actually two sites) asked me to best describe The Seed of Hope using one word, i.e. faith, business, inspiration, etc. It had been his experience that a site with a clearly defined “purpose” is more likely to be successful, as it can be identified with and fueled by a specific market. After hearing Kris’s advice, and being a believer in the adage “experience is the best teacher”, I attempted to come up with one word for what The Seed has to offer….. Li-GOD-fe No, I didn’t invent a new word! Take a closer look….what you are seeing is life with God in it (God being the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit). That’s it; life with God in it is what The Seed of Hope is all about. I want to share my life, past and present, with you. I want to tell you about my life before I turned 53 and the incredible change that has occurred since I began this walk with Christ. I want to share with you what I’ve learned about believing in God, believing in yourself, and how the two go hand in hand. I want to talk to you about religion and spirituality, and the difference between the two. We’ll talk about fear, and all the negatives that fear brings into our lives. We'll talk about life...life as a Christian. Within these pages I will tell you everything there is about me; my hopes, my dreams, my good traits, and my bad ones; I’ll leave no stone unturned. I’ll tell you what I feel about things, how I feel about things, and how I choose to live my life. Hopefully you will find inspiration and hope in what I have to give to you. You can take what you want, and leave the rest. So what’s the purpose of this sharing? Do I believe that the world needs to know about Sam Maniscalco? Or that I possess some nuggets of truth that no one else has? Do you think that I’m seeking my “fifteen minutes of fame”, or under the illusion that I know-it-all? The answer to the questions is No, No, and No. Actually, it’s all about purpose, as in finding the purpose in one’s life. There are several books on the topic. Probably the most widely read of these is Rick Warren’s The Purpose Driven Life. If you question why you’re here, or what your role in life is, I suggest that you invest the time to seek what Mr. Warren has to offer. I believe that my purpose in life, my reason for being here, is to help others by helping them to know God, using the gift of communication with which I have been blessed. I believe that The Seed of Hope is one of the vehicles that I am to use in sharing this gift. I have also come to the realization that if you believe in heaven or a ‘hereafter’, life is not just about our ultimate destination; it’s about the journey! If we can walk through life with our eyes fixed on spending eternity with God, all the while being thankful and joyful for what we have today, how can we ask for more? I’m inviting you to take this journey with me; I’ll gladly tell you where I’ve been, but only God knows where we go from here. "You are the light of the world. a city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before me, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven." Matthew 5:14-16 The changes that I have made in my life, in my world, but most importantly my walk with Christ, has resulted in a heightened state of love, happiness, satisfaction, and peace of mind, which has consequently altered the course of my destiny. It is my blessing, my privilege, and my honor to share all that I have with all that will listen. Contact me: sam@theseedofhope.com
Jerri Waterhouse wrote on 12/29/08 6:25 PM
Dear Sam:I’ll never forget the genuine warmth you extended to me on my first visit to the shop. I quickly learned this kindness was not contrived, but comes directly from your heart. With tears in your eyes, you eagerly shared with me that God made all this possible. I appreciate the ministry God has called you to do. I’ve enjoyed reading “The Seed of Hope”. The Lord has provided many opportunities for you to plant “seeds” for Him. You wrote (paraphrasing) that life is not just about our ultimate destination; it’s about the journey. I would be remiss if I fall short offering what’s in my heart. It is about the journey, but first and foremost it’s about the ultimate destination. If we don’t have Christ, the journey doesn’t matter. "And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature." (Mark 16:15)
We are all called to be witnesses to spread the Gospel thru God our Father. God opens doors and provides opportunities and speaks thru us. He doesn't require formal training. I sincerely appreciate the inspiration you’ve brought to my life and this venue to share your thoughts and life experiences. You remind us to allow Christ to direct our paths to happiness and peace. I hope you will consider sharing the Plan of Salvation, as the foundation of your ministry. It may be the only “seed” planted in someone’s life, that gives them eternal life...
I appreciate your friendship, encouragement and particularly benevolent spirit during difficult times.
Thank you for allowing me to share my thoughts.
May the Lord bless and keep you. The Lord shed His light upon you and give you peace.
Jerri Waterhouse
Jesus said: "I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father but by me." (John 14:6)
Good works cannot save you.
"For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast." (Ephesians 2:8-9)
Trust Jesus Christ today! Here's what you must do:
Admit you are a sinner.
"For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;" (Romans 3:23)
"Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:" (Romans 5:12)
"If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us." (1 John 1:10)
Be willing to turn from sin (repent).
Jesus said: "I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish." (Luke 13:5)
"And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent:" (Acts 17:30)
Believe that Jesus Christ died for you, was buried, and rose from the dead.
"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." (John 3:16)
"But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners. Christ died for us." (Romans 5:8)
"That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved." (Romans 10:9)
Through prayer, invite Jesus into your life to become your personal Saviour.
"For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation." (Romans 10:10)
"For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved." (Romans 10:13)
What to pray:
Dear God, I am a sinner and need forgiveness. I believe that Jesus Christ shed His precious blood and died for my sin. I am willing to turn from sin. I now invite Christ to come into my heart and life as my personal Saviour.
"But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:" (John 1:12)
"Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new." (2 Corinthians 5:17)
If you have received Jesus Christ as your Saviour, as a Christian you should:
Read your Bible every day to get to know Christ better.
"Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth." (2 Timothy 2:15)
"Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path." (Psalms 119:105)
Talk to God in prayer every day.
"And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive." (Matthew 21:22)
"Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God." (Philippians 4:6)
Be baptized, worship, fellowship, and serve with other Christians in a church where Christ is preached and the Bible is the final authority.
"Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:" (Matthew 28:19)
"Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching." (Hebrews 10:25)
"All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:" (2 Timothy 3:16)
Tell others about Christ.
"And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature." (Mark 16:15)
"For though I preach the gospel, I have nothing to glory of: for necessity is laid upon me; yea, woe is unto me, if I preach not the gospel!" (1 Corinthians 9:16)
"For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek." (Romans 1:16)