Absolutely Precious!

This is absolutely precious! And to think, we claim WE can't memorize scripture!

Ummm....Lord?

I love these sort of emails...a friend sent it to me and I want to share...

“Pardon the interruption, Lord, but I have a question...

Being omnipotent and all powerful as You are, able to make impenetrable mountains and raging seas, umm...can You please explain why You made me so weak and faulty?
I try so hard to be good, and yet I make so many mistakes and fail for all the world to see. And the inside is even a bigger mess than the outside.
I am as weak-- as dust scattered in the wind, as needy as a newborn.

Any chance for a recall?”

“You want to question My design?”

“Uh, that’s not what I meant…”

“You are exactly the way I made you to be. The earth and the sea have no need for Me. Yes, you are fragile in comparison, but you have something they don’t. You have a need for My grace and Mercy. It’s a need that you fight now and then; yet it is one that you can not avoid. Yes, you are as weak as dust, but I made you that way so that you would need Me. "

“But look at this dust all around me. I can’t clean it up…”

“I know. Do I look worried? I have the only broom you’ll ever need.”

"Are You sure? I’m a big mess.”

“I have a big broom.”

Dancing with God

When I meditated on the word "Guidance"
I kept seeing "dance" at the end of the word.
I remember reading that doing God's will is a lot like dancing.
When two people try to lead, nothing feels right.
The movement doesn't flow with the music,
and everything is quite uncomfortable and jerky.
When one person realizes that, and lets the other lead, both bodies begin to flow with the music.
One gives gentle cues, perhaps with a nudge to the back or by pressing lightly in one direction or another.
It's as if two become one body, moving beautifully.
The dance takes surrender, willingness and attentiveness from one person and gentle guidance and skill from the other.
My eyes drew back to the word Guidance.
When I saw "G": I thought of God, followed by "u" and "i".
"God", "u" and "i" dance."

God, you, and I dance.

As I lowered my head, I became willing to trust that I would get guidance about my life.
Once again, I became willing to let God lead.
My prayer for you today is that God's blessings
and mercies be upon you on this day and everyday.
May you abide in God as God abides in you.

Dance together with God, trusting God to lead
and to guide you through each season of your life

How to Forgive

One day a while back, a man, his heart heavy with grief, was walking in the woods. As he thought about his life this day, he knew many things were not right. He thought about those who had lied about him back when he had a job.

His thoughts turned to those who had stolen his things and cheated him.

He remembered family that had passed on. His mind turned to the illness he had that no one could cure. His very soul was filled with anger, resentment and frustration.

Standing there this day, searching for answers he could not find, knowing all else had failed him, he knelt at the base of an old oak tree to seek the one he knew would always be there. And with tears in his eyes, he prayed:

"Lord- You have done wonderful things for me in this life. You have told me to do many things for you, and I happily obeyed. Today, you have told me to forgive. I am sad, Lord, because I cannot. I don't know how. It is not fair Lord. I didn't deserve these wrongs that were done against me and I shouldn't have to forgive. As perfect as your way is Lord, this one thing I cannot do, for I don't know how to forgive. My anger is so deep Lord, I fear I may not hear you, but I pray that you teach me to do this one thing I cannot do - Teach me To Forgive."

As he knelt there in the quiet shade of that old oak tree, he felt something fall onto his shoulder. He opened his eyes. Out of the corner of one eye, he saw something red on his shirt.

He could not turn to see what it was because where the oak tree had been was a large square piece of wood in the ground. He raised his head and saw two feet held to the wood with a large spike through them.

He raised his head more, and tears came to his eyes as he saw Jesus hanging on a cross. He saw spikes in His hands, a gash in His side, a torn and battered body, deep thorns sunk into His head. Finally he saw the suffering and pain on His precious face. As their eyes met, the man's tears turned to sobbing, and Jesus began to speak.

"Have you ever told a lie?" He asked?

The man answered - "yes, Lord."

"Have you ever been given too much change and kept it?"

The man answered - " yes. Lord." And the man sobbed more and more.

"Have you ever taken something from work that wasn't yours?" Jesus asked?

And the man answered, "yes, Lord."

"Have you ever sworn, using my Father's name in vain?" The man, crying now, answered - "yes, Lord."

As Jesus asked many more times, "Have you ever"? The man's crying became uncontrollable, for he could only answer - "yes, Lord."

Then Jesus turned His head from one side to the other, and the man felt something fall on his other shoulder. He looked and saw that it was the blood of Jesus. When he looked back up, his eyes met those of Jesus, and there was a look of love the man had never seen or known before.

Jesus said, "I didn't deserve this either, but I forgive you."

It may be hard to see how you're going to get through something, but when you look back in life, you realize how true this statement is.

If God brings you to it - He will bring you through it

.

Sandpaper

When life makes you have to put up with
mean and hateful people,
think of them as sandpaper.
They may scratch you,
rub you the wrong way,
but eventually
you end up smooth and polished
& the sandpaper ....
is just going to be worn out and ugly!

This is so true, isn't it?