Thursday, August 31, 2017

Pedal


I used to think of God as my observer, my judge, keeping track of the things I did wrong, so as to know whether I merited heaven or hell when I die. He was out there, sort of like a president. I recognized His picture when I saw it, but I didn't really know Him.

But later on when I met Christ, it seemed as though life were rather like a bike, but it was a tandem bike, and I noticed that Christ was in the back helping me pedal. I don't know just when it was He suggested we change places, but life has not been the same since I took the back seat to Jesus, My Lord. Christ makes life exciting. When I had control, I thought I knew the way, but it was rather boring, but predictable. It was the shortest distance between two points.

But when He took the lead, He knew delightful long cuts, up mountains, and through rocky places and at breakneck speeds; it was all I could do to hang on! Even though it often looked like madness, He said "Pedal!" I was worried and anxious and asked, "Where are you taking me?" He laughed and didn't answer, and I started to learn to trust. I forgot my boring life and entered the adventure. And when I'd say, "I'm scared", He'd lean back and touch my hand.

He took me to people with gifts that I needed, gifts of healing, acceptance and joy. They gave me their gifts to take on my journey, our journey, my Lord's and mine. And we were off again. He said, "Give the gifts away; they're extra baggage, too much weight." So I did, to the people we met, and I found that in giving I received, and still our burden was light.

I did not trust Him, at first, in control of my life. I thought He'd
wreck it, but He knows bike secrets, knows how to make it bend to take sharp corners, jump to clear high rocks, fly to shorten scary passages. And I am learning to shut up and pedal in the strangest places, and I'm beginning to enjoy the view and the cool breeze on my face with my delightful constant companion, Christ.

And when I'm sure I just can't do any more, He just smiles and says ... "Pedal."

-- Author Unknown


Wednesday, August 30, 2017

Eagles In A Storm


Did you know that an eagle knows when a storm is approaching long before it breaks?
The eagle will fly to some high spot and wait for the winds to come. When the storm hits, the eagle sets its wings so that the wind will pick it up and lift it above the storm. While the storm rages below, the eagle is soaring above it. The eagle does not escape the storm. It simply uses the storm to lift it higher. It rises on the winds that bring the storm.
When the storms of life come upon us – and all of us will experience them – we can rise above them by setting our minds and our belief toward God. The storms do not have to overcome us. We can allow God’s power to lift us above them.
God enables us to ride the winds of the storm that bring sickness, tragedy, failure, and disappointment in our lives. We can soar above the storm. Remember, it is not the burdens of life that weigh us down, it is how we handle them.
The Bible says : “Those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles.”  – Isaiah 40:31.

Tuesday, August 29, 2017

The Map

A father wanted to read a magazine but was interrupted by his little girl.  She wanted to know what the United States looked like.  Finally, he tore a sheet out of his new magazine on which was printed the map of the country.  Tearing it into small pieces for each state, he gave it to his daughter, and said, "See if you can put this together. This will show you our whole country today."

After a few minutes, she handed him the map correctly fitted together with tape.   The father was surprised and asked how she had finished so quickly.   "Oh," she said, "on the other side of the paper is a picture of Jesus. When I got all of Jesus back where He belonged, then our country just came together."

Can I hear an AMEN!!!!!!


Thursday, August 24, 2017

Beautifully Stated

As we grow up, we learn that even the one person that wasn't supposed to ever let you down probably will. You will have your heart broken probably more than once and it's harder every time. You'll break hearts too, so remember how it felt when yours was broken. You'll fight with your best friend. You'll blame a new love for things an old one did. You'll cry because time is passing too fast, and you'll eventually lose someone you love. So take too many pictures, laugh too much, and love like you've never been hurt because every sixty seconds you spend upset is a minute of happiness you'll never get back. So send this to all of your friends (and me) in the next 5 minutes and a miracle will happen tonight  
 
Don't be afraid that your life will end, be afraid that it will never begin.  
~anonymous~ 


Wednesday, August 23, 2017

Rite Of Passage

Do you know the legend of the Cherokee Indian youth's rite of passage? 

His father takes him into the forest, blindfolds him and leaves him alone. 

He is required to sit on a stump the whole night and not remove the blindfold until the rays of the morning sun shine through it. He cannot cry out for help to anyone. Once he survives the night, he is a MAN. 

He cannot tell the other boys of this experience, because each lad must come into manhood on his own. 

The boy is naturally terrified. He can hear all kinds of noises. Wild beasts must surely be all around him. 
Maybe even some human might do him harm. The wind blows the grass and earth, and shakes his stump, but he sits stoic ally, never removing the blindfold. It is the only way he can become a man! 

Finally, after a horrific night the sun rays warm him and he removes his blindfold. It is then that he discovers his father sitting on the stump next to him. He has been at watch the entire night, protecting his son from harm. 

We, too, are never alone. Even when we don't know it, our Heavenly Father is watching over us, sitting on the stump beside us. When trouble comes, all we have to do is reach out to Him. If you liked this story, pass it on to someone you are thinking about. If not, you took off your blindfold before dawn... 

Work for the Lord – The pay isn’t much but the retirement is out of this world!!!