Not Letting Go

Some years ago on a hot summer day in south Florida a little boy decided to go for a swim in the old swimming hole behind his house. In a hurry to dive into the cool water, he ran out the back door, leaving behind shoes, socks, and shirt as he went.  He flew into the water, not realizing that as he swam toward the middle of the lake, an alligator was swimming toward the shore.

His mother, in the house, was looking out the window, and saw the two as they got closer and closer together.  In utter fear, she ran toward the water, yelling to her son as loudly as she could.  Hearing her voice, the little boy became alarmed and made a U-turn to swim to his mother.  It was too late.  Just as he reached her, the alligator reached him.  From the dock, the mother grabbed her son by the arms just as the alligator snatched his legs.  That began an incredible tug-of-war between the two.  The alligator was much stronger than the mother, but the mother was much too passionate to let go.

A farmer happened to drive by, heard her screams, raced from his truck, took aim and shot the alligator.

Remarkably, after weeks and weeks in the hospital, the little boy survived. His legs were extremely scarred by the vicious attack of the animal. And, on his arms, were deep scratches where his mother's fingernails dug into his flesh in her effort to hang on to the son she loved.

The newspaper reporter, who interviewed the boy, asked if he would show him his scars.  The boy lifted his pant legs.  With obvious pride, though, he said to the reporter, "But look at my arms.  I have great scars on my arms, too.  I have them because my mom wouldn't let go."

You and I can identify with that little boy.  We have scars, too.  No, not from an alligator, or anything quite so dramatic.  But, the scars of a painful past.  Some of those scars are unsightly and have caused us deep regret.  But, some wounds, my friend, are because God has refused to let go. In the midst of your struggle, He's been there holding on to you.

God loves you.  If you have God in your life, you have become a child of God.  He wants to protect you and provide for you in every way. But sometimes we foolishly wade into dangerous situations.  The swimming hole of life is filled with peril - and we forget that the enemy is waiting to attack.  That's when the tug-o-war begins, and if you have the scars of His love on your arms be very, very grateful.

He did not - and will not - let you go.

 

Refiners Fire

Malachi 3:3 says: "He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver."   This verse puzzled some women in a Bible study and they wondered what this statement meant about the character and nature of God. One of the women offered to find out the process of refining silver and get back to the group at their next Bible Study. That week, the woman called a silversmith and made an appointment to watch him at work. She didn't mention anything about the reason for her interest beyond her curiosity about the process of refining silver. As she watched the silversmith, he held a piece of silver over the fire and let it heat up. He explained that in refining silver, one needed to hold the silver in the middle of the fire where the flames were hottest as to burn away all the impurities. The woman thought about God holding us in such a hot spot then she thought again about the verse that says: "He sits as a refiner and purifier of silver." She asked the silversmith if it was true that he had to sit there in front of the fire the whole time the silver was being refined. The man answered that yes, he not only had to sit there holding the silver, but he had to keep his eyes on the silver the entire time it was in the fire. If the silver was left a moment too long in the flames, it would be destroyed. The woman was silent for a moment. Then she asked the silversmith, "How do you know when the silver is fully refined?" He smiled at her and answered, "Oh, that's easy -  when I see my image in it." If today you are feeling the heat of the fire, remember that God has His eye on you and will keep watching you until He sees His image in you.   Pass this on to everyone you know. Right now, this very moment, someone needs to know that God is watching over them.  and, whatever they're going through, they'll be a better person in the end.      "Life is a coin. You can spend it any way you wish, but you  can only spend it once."

 

Six Ears Of Corn

One day I needed to make a quick run to the hardware store. I gathered my four sons, who had been playing in the dirt, and we drove off in our old faded green Plymouth. They boys looked pretty grimy and I didn't look much better, but I wanted to get to the store before it closed.

On the way home, I noticed a weathered man and his plainly dressed wife selling vegetables out of the back of a beat—up station wagon that looked even older and junkier than our Plymouth. But the corn looked fresh and tasty, so I stopped. Their hand-lettered sign read, "Homegrown —— 8 ears for $1.00." I realized I had spent nearly everything at the hardware store. All I had were a few coins. Undeterred, I asked, "How many ears can I get for sixty-one cents?"

"How many do you need'?" the man asked.

"Well, there are six in my family, but I'm a little short here," I replied.

"It's a deal," he said and stuffed six big ears of corn into a used paper bag.

After we got home my kids showed me a paper sack on the floor by the back seat. Inside were several beautiful tomatoes, two cucumbers, a couple of green peppers and some beets. Surely the man and his wife needed the money that could have come from the sale of those vegetables. Why had they done it?

Then it dawned on me: old car, dirty kids, no money. The couple had assumed we were in need and had responded with compassion. Their generosity was humbling because they had given from what little they had.

That night as we bowed our heads and said grace, I gave thanks and a special prayer. "God, if others can give out of so little, help us always to do the same."

~Howard Urband~

Las Vegas, Nevada

Windshield Message

Unknown Author

One rainy afternoon I was driving along one of the main streets of town, taking those extra precautions necessary when the roads are slick. Suddenly my daughter, Aspen, spoke up from her relaxed position in her seat, "Dad, I'm thinking of something." This announcement usually meant she had been pondering some fact for a while, and was now ready to expound all that her six-year-old mind had discovered. I was eager to hear. "What are you thinking?" I asked.

"The rain;" she began, "is like sin, and the windshield wipers are like God wiping our sins away." After the chill bumps raced up my arms I was able to respond. "That's really good, Aspen." Then my curiosity broke in. How far would this little girl take this revelation? So I asked... "Do you notice how the rain keeps on coming? What does that tell you?" Aspen didn't hesitate one moment with her answer: "We keep on sinning, and God just keeps on forgiving us." I will always remember this whenever I turn my wipers on.

Friends

A story tells that two friends were walking through the desert. During some point of the journey they had an argument, and one friend slapped the other one in the face.

The one who got slapped was hurt, but without saying anything, wrote in the sand: TODAY MY BEST FRIEND SLAPPED ME IN THE FACE.

They kept on walking until they found an oasis, where they decided to take a bath.

The one who had been slapped got stuck in the mire and started drowning, but the friend saved him.

After he recovered from the near drowning, he wrote on a stone: TODAY MY BEST FRIEND SAVED MY LIFE.

The friend who had slapped and saved his best friend asked him, "After I hurt you, you wrote in the sand and now, you write on a stone, why?"

The other friend replied "When someone hurts us we should write it down in sand where winds of forgiveness can erase it away. But, when someone does something good for us, we must engrave it in stone where no wind can ever erase it."

LEARN TO WRITE YOUR HURTS IN THE SAND AND TO CARVE YOUR BENEFITS IN STONE.

They say it takes a minute to find a special person, an hour to appreciate them, a day to love them, but then an entire life to forget them.

Take the time to live!  Do not value the THINGS you have in your life, but value WHO you have in your life.

Unemployed Graduate

An unemployed graduate woke up one morning and checked his pocket. All he had left was $10. He decided to use it to buy food and then wait for death as he was too proud to go begging. He was frustrated as he could find no job, and nobody was ready to help him.

He bought food and as he sat down to eats; an old man and two little children came along and asked him to help them with food as they had not eaten for almost a week. He looked at them. They were so lean that he could see their bones coming out. Their eyes had gone into the socket. With the last bit of compassion he had, he gave them the food. The old man and children prayed that God would bless and prosper him and then gave him a very old coin. The young graduate said to them 'you need the prayer more than I do'.

With no money, no job, no food, the young graduate went under the bridge to rest and wait for death. As he was about to sleep, he saw an old newspaper on the ground. He picked it up, and suddenly he saw an advertisement for people with old coins to come to a certain address.

He decided to go there with the old coin the old man gave him. On getting to the place, he gave the proprietor the coin. The proprietor screamed, brought out a big book and showed the young graduate a photograph. This same old coin was worth 3 million dollars. The young graduate was overjoyed as the proprietor gave him a bank draft for 3 million dollars within an hour. He collected the Bank Draft and went in search of the old man and little children.

By the time he got to where he left them eating, they had gone. He asked the owner of the canteen if he knew them. He said no but they left a note for you. He quickly opened the note thinking it would lead him to find them.

This is what the note said: 'You gave us your all and we have rewarded you back with the coin,' signed God the Father, The Son and The Holy Ghost. 1 Kings 17:10-16; Matthew 11:28-30

PRAYER:
Here is your financial blessing! It's a simple prayer, you've got 30 seconds. If you need a financial blessing, continue reading this e-mail.

Heavenly Father, most Gracious and Loving God,
I pray to you that you abundantly Bless my family and me. I know that you recognize, that a family is more than just a mother, father, sister, brother husband and wife, but all Who believe and trust in you.

Father, I send up a prayer request for financial blessing for not only the person who sent this to me, but for Me and all that I have forwarded this message on to. And that the power of joined prayer by those who believe and trust in you is more powerful than anything.

I thank you in advance for your blessings.
Father God, deliver the person reading this right now and those who will read it in the near future from debt and debt burdens. Release your Godly wisdom that I may be a good steward over all that You have given me Father, for I know how wonderful and mighty You are and how if we just obey You and walk in Your word and have the faith of a Mustard seed that You will pour out blessings.
I thank You now Lord for the recent blessings I have received and for the blessings yet to come Because I know You are not done with me yet.
In His name, I pray,
Amen

Phillip's Egg

Phillip was born with Down syndrome. He was a pleasant child. . Happy it seemed but increasingly aware of the difference between himself and other children. Phillip went to Sunday School faithfully every week. He was in the third grade class with nine other eight-year olds. You know eight-year olds. And Phillip, with his differences, was not readily accepted. But his teacher was sensitive to Phillip and he helped this group of eight-year olds to 10\e each other as best they could, under the circumstances. They learned, they laughed, and they played together. And they really cared about one another, even though eight-year olds don't say they care about one another out loud.

But don't forget. There was an exception to all this. Phillip was not really a part of the group. Phillip did not choose, nor did he want to be different. He just was. And that was the way things were.

His teacher had a marvelous idea for his class the Sunday after Easter. You know those things that panty hose come in, the containers that look like great big eggs? The teacher collected ten of them. The children loved it when he brought them into the room and gave one to each child. It was a beautiful spring day, and the assignment was for each child to go outside, find the symbol for new life, put it into the egg, and bring it back to the classroom.

, would then open and share their new life symbols and surprises, one by one.

It was glorious. It was confusing. It was wild. They ran all around the church grounds, gathering their symbols, and returned to the classroom.

They put all the eggs on a table, and then the teacher began to open them. All the children gathered around the table. He opened one and there was a flower, and they ooh-ed and aah-ed. He opened another and there was a little butterfly. "Beautiful' the girls all said, since it is hard for eight-year

old boys to say 'beautiful.' He opened another and there was a rock and as third-graders will, some laughed, and some said, "That's crazy! How's a rock supposed to be like new life?" But the smart little boy who'd put it in there spoke up: "That's mine. And I knew all of you would get flowers and buds and leaves and butterflies and stuff like that. So I got a rock because I wanted to be different. And for me, that's new life." They all laughed.

/

The teacher said something about the wisdom of eight-year olds and opened the next one. There was nothing inside. The children, as eight-year olds will say, "That's not fair. That's stupid! Somebody didn't do it right." Then the teacher felt a tug on his shirt, and he looked down. "It's mine, Phillip said. It's mine."  And the children said, "You don't ever do things right, Philip. There's nothing there!"   "I did so do it right!" Phillip said. "I did do it right. The tomb is empty!"

Pine Tree Crosses

Spring on a Sunday afternoon we took one of our "nowhere" drives thru the country. My husband was quietly driving along some back roads. I was occupied in the front passenger seat watching out the window as the scenery went by.

I noticed out of the corner of my eye that my husband was straining to look out my window. This startled me, since his eyes should be on the road in front of him. I asked him what he was looking at out the windows, and he quietly replied, "Nothing. " He could have said he was looking for pine tree crosses for Easter. His eyes went back to the road in front of him.

After a few minutes, I looked over at my husband and noticed a tear running down his cheek. I asked him what was wrong. This time he told me, "I was just thinking about Pop and a story he had once told me." Of course, because it had to do with his Pop I wanted to know the story, so I asked him to share Pop's story with me.

Pine trees know when it's Easter...

Begin watching in the tops of the trees about two weeks before Easter. Usually about the first week of April, depending on the weather and the spring growth as to when the little yellow shoots will begin to sprout and then branch off and form a cross as shown in the photo. When Easter Sunday arrives you should be able to see the little crosses on top of the pine trees. As literally millions have seen the little crosses on top of the Pine Trees about 2 weeks before Easter....being another witness of HIS AMAZING GRACE to the human race!

Pass this on to your little children and teach them that the Pine Trees know when it's Easter! ~ Blessings And I, if I be lifted up from the earth,
will draw all men unto me. JOHN 12:32

He said, "When I was about 8 years old, Pop and I were out fishing and that's when he told me that the pine trees know when it is Easter."

I had no idea what he meant by that, so I pressed him for more information.

He continued on... "The Pine trees start their new growth in the weeks before Easter -- if you look at the tops of the Pine trees two weeks before Easter, you will see the yellow shoots. As the days get closer to Easter Sunday, the tallest shoot will branch off and form pine tree crosses for Easter. By the time Easter Sunday comes around, you will see that most of the Pine trees will have small yellow crosses on all of the tallest pine shoots."

I turned to look out the window and I couldn't believe my eyes. It was a week before Easter, and you could see all of the pine trees with the tall yellow shoots stretching to Heaven.

The tallest ones shone in the sunlight like rows of tiny golden crosses.

Giving Blood

Many years ago, when I worked as a volunteer at Stanford Hospital, I got to know a little girl named Liz who was suffering from a rare and serious disease. Her only chance of recovery appeared to be a blood transfusion from her 5-year old brother, who had miraculously survived the same disease and had developed the antibodies needed to combat the illness.

The doctor explained the situation to her little brother, and asked the boy if he would be willing to give his blood to his sister. I saw him hesitate for only a moment before taking a deep breath and saying, "Yes, I'll do it if it will save Liz."

As the transfusion progressed, he lay in bed next to his sister and smiled, as we all did, seeing the color returning to her cheeks. Then his face grew pale and his smile faded. He looked up at the doctor and asked with a trembling voice, "Will I start to die right away?"

Being young, the boy had misunderstood the doctor; he thought he was going to have to give his sister all of his blood.

Attitude, after all, is everything.

Eagles In A Storm

Did you know that 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 thestorm. 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.

The Dart Test

A young lady named Sally relates an experience she had in a seminary class, given by her teacher, Dr. Smith. She says that Dr. Smith was known for his elaborate object lessons. One particular day, Sally walked into the seminary and knew they were in for a fun day. On the wall was a big target and on a nearby table were many darts. Dr. Smith told the students to draw a picture of someone that they disliked or someone who had made them angry, and he would allow them to throw darts at the person's picture. Sally's friend drew a picture of who had stolen her boyfriend. Another friend drew a picture of his little brother. Sally drew a picture of a former friend, putting a great deal of detail into her drawing, even drawing pimples on the face. Sally was pleased with the overall effect she had achieved. The class lined up and began throwing darts. Some of the students threw their darts with such force that their targets were ripping apart. Sally looked forward to her turn, and was filled with disappointment when Dr. Smith, because of time limits, asked the students to return to their seats. As Sally sat thinking about how angry she was because she didn't have a chance to throw any darts at her target. Dr. Smith began removing the target from the wall. Underneath the target was a picture of Jesus.

A hush fell over the room as each student viewed the mangled picture of Jesus; holes and jagged marks covered His face and His eyes were pierced. Dr. Smith said only these words... "In as much as ye have done it unto the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me." Matthew 25:40. No other words were necessary; the tears filled eyes of the students focused only on the picture of Christ. This is an easy test; you score 100 or zero. It's your choice. If you aren't ashamed to do this, please follow the directions. Jesus said, "If you are ashamed of me, I will be ashamed of you, before My Father." Not ashamed ... pass this on. Ashamed ... delete it. One day Satan and Jesus were having a conversation. Satan had just come from the Garden of Eden, and he was gloating and boasting. "Yes, sir, I just caught the world full of people down there. Set me a trap used bait I knew they couldn't resist. Got 'em all!" "What are you going to do with them?" Jesus asked. Satan replied, "Oh, I'm gonna have fun! I'm gonna teach them how to marry and divorce each other, how to hate and abuse each other, how to drink and smoke and curse. I'm gonna teach them how to invent guns and bombs and kill each other. I'm really gonna have fun!" "And what will you do when you get done with them?" Jesus asked. "Oh, I'll kill 'em," Satan glared proudly. "How much do you want for them?" Jesus asked. "Oh, you don't want those people. They ain't no good. Why, you'll take them and they'll just hate you. They'll spit on you, curse you and kill you!! You don't want those people!!" "How much?" He asked again. Satan looked at Jesus and sneered, "All your tears, and all your blood." Jesus said, "DONE!" Then He paid the price. Isn't it funny how simple it is for people to trash God and then wonder why the world's going to hell. Isn't it funny how we believe what the newspapers say, but question what the Bible says. Isn't it funny how everyone wants to go to heaven provided they do not have to believe, think, say, or do anything the Bible says. Or is it scary? Isn't it funny how someone can say "I believe in God" but still follow Satan (who, by the way, also "believes" in God). Isn't it funny how you can send a thousand jokes through e-mail and they spread like wildfire, but when you start sending messages regarding the Lord, people think twice about sharing. Isn't it funny how the lewd, crude, vulgar and obscene pass freely through cyberspace, but the public discussion of Jesus is suppressed in the school and workplace. Isn't it funny how someone can be so fired up for Christ on Sunday, but be an invisible Christian the rest of the week. Are you laughing? Isn't it funny how when you go to forward this message, you will not send it to many on your address list because you're not sure what they believe, or what they will think of you for sending it to them. Isn't it funny how I can be more worried about what other people think of me than what God thinks of me. Will YOU pass this on? .... I did

Lunch With God

A little boy wanted to meet God. He knew it was a long trip to where God lived, so he packed his suitcase with Twinkies and a six-pack of root beer and he started his journey.

When he had gone about three blocks, he met an old man. He was sitting in the park just staring at some pigeons. The boy sat down next to him and opened his suitcase. He was about to take a drink from his root beer when he noticed that the old man looked hungry, so he offered him a Twinkie. He gratefully accepted it and smiled at him. His smile was so pleasant that the boy wanted to see it again, so he offered him a root beer. Again, he smiled at him. The boy was delighted! They sat there all afternoon eating and smiling, but they never said a word.

As it grew dark, the boy realized how tired he was and he got up to leave, before he had gone more than a few steps, he turned around, ran back to the old man, and gave him a hug. He gave him his biggest smile ever.

When the boy opened the door to his own house a short time later, his mother was surprised by the look of joy on his face. She asked him, "What did you do today that made you so happy?

"He replied, "I had lunch with God." But before his mother could respond, he added, "You know what? He's got the most beautiful smile I've ever seen I"

Meanwhile, the old man, also radiant with joy, returned to his home. His son was stunned by the look of peace on his face and he asked, "Dad, what did you do today that made you so happy?"

He replied, "I ate Twinkies in the park with God." However, before his son responded, he added, ''You know, he's much younger than I expected."

Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around. People come into our lives for a reason, a season, or a lifetime.

Embrace all equally!

Special Sauce

I was sitting at the drive-through window at McDonald's this weekend.  I did the usual thing; I drove up to the menu and ordered.  I proceeded to the first window and paid, then drove to the second window and waited for

the order.  After sitting there for a few minutes, the clerk slid back the window and asked, "Will you please pull over to the side; your order is not ready."

"I was a little upset and even impatient, but I pulled over and waited.  I thought, "How come other folks ordered and drove straight through and I have to wait."  I waited for another two or three minutes.  It seemed like hours. Just as I was about to give up and drive away, the clerk finally ran out, tapped on the window, and handed me the order.   Of course I asked,  "Hey,

what took so long?"  She replied, "You wanted the Special Sauce, which meant it had to be especially made for that sandwich, it doesn't usually come with that one."

This scene is a reflection of our prayer life.  We make our request to the Lord. Our menu is His Word, where He has listed promise after promise. We stand before Him and request and plead and, sometimes, even beg.  We go to the first window and pay, sometimes with fervent prayer, sometimes with prolonged suffering, sometimes with obedience, and sometimes not at all.

We then move to the second window and wait for our order.  If God doesn't answer within a few minutes, we become upset.

You know the phrase, "Jesus, it's 5:00 p.m. Friday; I prayed to You yesterday, and You still haven't answered.  I can't wait much longer." Why is it taking Him so long?  I've seen people drive up before me and they received their orders right away!  We even go so far as to tap on the

window and ask if He has forgotten our order.  We become impatient.  We become

upset.  We become downright mad.  Lord I asked for a mate ten days ago and I don't see him/her anywhere.  Lord, I've been asking for a new job for two years; others have passed me by.  I've been waiting on a financial blessing for ten years and I still have more months than money.

Where are You why haven't you blessed me? And just when you think He is giving you the answer. He pulls back the

royal curtain of Eternity, and states, "Please pull over to the side and wait a while longer."  This once frustrated me to no end, made me mad, made me want to give up, made me want to holier; that is, until the clerk brought out my sandwich.  Then, the revelation became clear.  Do you know why the Lord has put you on the side?  Do you know why you have had to wait for this blessing longer than before?  Do you know why He has put you through more this time than ever?

Do you know why it seems as though He has not heard you and He does not care?  Do you know why it- seems like you have had to go through more tears, more pains, and more struggling this time?  Because this blessing is a Special Sauce Blessing!  This is an Overflowing, Pressed-Down, Shaken Together, Blessing!  You made a Special Order and God has been putting

together a Special Sauce Blessing for you and He has to prepare it for you!

That man you wanted . .  .

He's putting together a Special Sauce!

That job you wanted . . .

He's putting together a Special Sauce!

That financial blessing . .  .

He's putting together a Special Sauce!

That peace on the job . .  .

He's putting together a Special Sauce!

That house . .  .

He's putting together a Special Sauce!

That deeper anointing . .  .

He's putting together a Special Sauce!

That promotion .  . .

He's putting together a Special Sauce!

That .................

He's putting together a Special Sauce!

For I know the thought's that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give  you an expected end .  .  .  [And a Special Sauce].  Jeremiah  29:11

How many people have driven away before the clerk brought their food, and how many people have missed their blessings because they did not wait?

Hang in there.  Keep on waiting.  You made a Special Order, now wait on God's

Special Sauce!

"But they that wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run and not be weary, and they shall walk, and not faint."  (Isaiah 40:31)

Let Go And Let GOD

God never tells us that OUR need to forgive is contingent on another's genuine repentance. Christ didn't die ONLY for those who would be REALLY sorry. He didn't forgive ONLY those who could eventually prove their worthiness. And He certainly didn't set up a record-keeping system for tracking our screw-ups! Once forgiven, ALWAYS forgotten. And forgetting is the essence of true forgiveness: the sweat aroma that melts resentment and builds love.

Remember back to that first time you felt unconditionally accepted by someone who REALLY knew you. That acceptance could not have been possible if resentment had grabbed a foothold. Resentment amounts to hatred, and that resentment would have been against YOU!

I love that old maxim, "Let go, and let God." It's the things we can't handle that God promises to take on for us! WE don't have to learn to overcome or overlook someone else's shortcomings, that's God's job. WE are called to love. WE are called to forgive. Once we realize this, what a heavy burden is lifted from our shoulders!

If by chance, the FACT that you're right and someone else is wrong is your justification for harboring resentment, remember the principles of love in

I Corinthians 13: 4-8:

"Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. Love does not demand its own way. Love is not irritable, and it keeps no record of when it has been wronged. It is never glad about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance. Love will last for ever."

With this in mind, dare we waste any more time harboring resentments and burying our heads, when we should be enjoying life, embracing love and living more fully? Let's do ourselves a favor - let's let go. and let God!

Steve Goodier, publisher of Your Life Support System

A Prayer For Time Management

Dear God,

Sometimes I find it hard to manage my time well. There is so much to do. Please help me to prioritize my daily activities to align with your will, your plan, your purpose, and to do what is most important as well as the little mundane tasks that must be done. Help me to know when to say "no" to projects and requests that come along that would overwhelm me or take away from what you want me to do. Please help me to always love and care for those lives you have entrusted to my care and circle of influence.

In Jesus' name I pray, amen.

   

Hold The Rope

A party of botanists... spent their vacation in the Swiss Alps collecting specimens of rare flowers. They started out one morning from a small village and after a several hours' climb came to a precipice overlooking a green valley dotted with a peculiar flower, which, examined through field glasses proved to be of unusual value. From the cliff on which the party was standing, to the valley was a sheer drop of several hundred feet. To descend would be impossible, and to reach the valley from another approach would mean a waste of several hours. '

During the latter part of their climb a small boy had attached himself to the party and had watched with interest the maneuvers of the botanists. After discussing the situation for several minutes, one of the party turned to the boy and said, "Young fellow, if you will let us tie a rope around your waist and lower you over this cliff so that you can dig up one of those plants for us, and let us pull you back up, without harming the plant, we will give

you five dollars."

The boy looked dazed for an instant, then ran off, apparently frightened at the prospect of being lowered over the cliff by a rope. But within a short time he returned, bringing with him an old man, bent and gray, with hands gnarled and calloused by hard labor. Upon reaching the party of botanists the boy turned to the man who had made the offer and said:

"Sir, this is my dad. I'll go down in the valley if you'll let my dad hold the rope."

Your Hut Is Burning

The only survivor of a shipwreck was washed up on a small, uninhabited island. He prayed feverishly for God to rescue him, and every day he scanned the horizon for help, but none seemed forthcoming. Exhausted, he eventually managed to build a little hut out of driftwood to protect him from the elements, and to store his few possessions.

But then one day, after scavenging for food, he arrived home to find his little hut in flames, the smoke rolling up to the sky. The worst had happened; everything was lost. He was stunned with grief and anger.

God, how could you do this to me!" he cried. Early the next day, however, he was awakened by the sound of a ship that was approaching the island. It had come to rescue him. "How did you know I was here?" asked the weary man of his rescuers. "We saw your smoke signal," they replied.

It is easy to get discouraged when things are going bad. But we shouldn’t lose heart, because God is at work in our lives, even in the midst of pain and suffering. Remember, next time your little hut is burning to the ground it just may be a smoke signal that summons the grace of God.

For all the negative things we have to say to ourselves, God has a positive answer for it.

You say: "It's impossible"

God says: All things are possible (Luke 18:27)

You say: "I'm too tired"

God says: I will give you rest (Matt 11:28-20)

You say: "Nobody really loves me"

God says: I love you (John 3:16 & John 13:34)

You say: "I can't go on"

God says: My grace is sufficient (II Cor.12:9 & Psalm 91:15)

You say: "I can’t figure things out"

God says: I will direct your steps (Proverbs 3:5-6)

You say: "I can't do it"

God says: You can do all things (Phil 4:13)

Listen Carefully

The man whispered, "God, speak to me" and a meadowlark sang.

But, the man did not hear. So the man yelled "God, speak to me"

And, the thunder rolled across the sky. But, the man did not listen.

The man looked around and said, "God let me see you."

And a star shined brightly. But the man did not notice.

And, the man shouted, "God show me a miracle"

And, a life was born. But, the man did not know.

So, the man cried out in despair, "Touch me God, and let me know

you are here" Whereupon, God reached down and touched the man.

But, the man brushed the butterfly away and walked on.

Don't miss out on a blessing because it isn't packaged the way that

you expect.

I Wish You Enough

Recently I overheard a father and daughter in their last moments together.  They had announced her plane departure and standing near the security gate, they hugged and he said, "I love you. I wish you enough." 

She in turn said, "Daddy, our life together has been more than enough. Your love is all I ever needed. I wish you enough, too, Daddy."

They kissed and she left.  He walked over toward the window where I was seated. Standing there I could see he wanted and needed to cry. 

I tried not to intrude on his privacy, but he welcomed me in by asking, "Did you ever say good-bye to someone knowing it would be forever?" 

"Yes, I have," I replied. Saying that brought back memories I had of expressing my love,
and appreciation for all my Dad had done for me. Recognizing that his days were limited,
I took the time to tell him face to face how much he meant to me.

So I knew what this man was experiencing.  "Forgive me for asking, but why is this a forever good-bye?"  I asked.

"I am old and she lives much too far away. I have challenges ahead and the reality is, the next trip back would be for my funeral," he said. 

"When you were saying good-bye I heard you say, ’I wish you enough.' 
May I ask what that means?" I asked.

He began to smile.  "That's a wish that has been handed down from other generations.
My parents used to say it to everyone.

"He paused for a moment and looking up as if trying to remember it in detail, he smiled even more.

"When we said 'I wish you enough,' we were wanting the other person to have a life filled with just enough good things to sustain them," he continued and then turning toward me he shared the following as if he were reciting it from memory.

"I wish you enough sun to keep your attitude bright. 
I wish you enough rain to appreciate the sun more. 
I wish you enough happiness to keep your spirit alive. 

I wish you enough pain so that the smallest joys in life appear much bigger. 
I wish you enough gain to satisfy your wanting. 
I wish you enough loss to appreciate all that you possess.
I wish enough "Hello's" to get you through the final "Good-bye".

He then began to sob and walked away. 

My Friends at this happy time of year ... I Wish You All ... Enough!

© By Bob Perks