Carla stirred Jello into boiling water, added cold water and put the bowl with the watery mixture in the refrigerator to set.
"Didn't Dana ask you to come over to play this afternoon?" asked Mother after Carla had finished washing the dishes. Carla shrugged. "Yeah," she said, "but I don't feel like playing with her. I'm beginning to think she's hopeless. She always wants her own way, and she says mean things about other kids--stuff like that." "Hm-m-m-m. That's too bad," said Mother. "Well, maybe it's time to check your Jello." Carla went to the refrigerator. "It's getting there," she said. "It's ready for the fruit." She added apples and bananas to the Jello while she continued to complain about Dana. "Tell me something," said Mother. "Dana became a Christian just recently. Has she improved at all since then?" "Oh, sure." Carla nodded. "She used to be just awful--nobody liked her. Now, she's not as bad, but she still has a long way to go." "Like the Jello," said Mother. "The Jello?" repeated Carla. "What do you mean?" "The Jello has improved since you started it, but it has a long way to go, too," explained Mother. "It isn't hopeless, though. In time it will be set and ready to eat. It reminds me that Christians don't usually 'set' all at once, either. It takes time. As Christians grow in the Lord, they improve in outward behavior. We need to be patient with them." "Maybe we can add some 'fruit' to help them." Carla was enjoying the comparison. "Like... we can pray for them, and we can be friendly." "Good," approved Mother, "and let's remember that you and I aren't finished yet, either. Let's grow together." HOW ABOUT YOU? Do you know Christians who need a lot of improvement? Are you praying for them? Are you helping them by being friendly and encouraging them to attend church and study God's Word? Do you set a good example for them? God finishes what He starts. He'll finish what He has begun in them - and in you. When I kept things to myself, I felt weak deep inside me. Psalm 32:3
Ask yourself two questions: Is there any unconfessed sin in my life? Confession is telling God you did the thing he saw you do. He doesn't need to hear it as much as you need to say it. Whether it's too small to be mentioned or too big to be forgiven isn't yours to decide. Your task is to be honest… Are there any unsurrendered worries in my heart? "Give all your worries to him, because he cares about you" (1 Peter 5:7). The German word for worry means "to strangle." The Greek word means "to divide the mind." Both are accurate. Worry is a noose on the neck and a distraction of the mind, neither of which is befitting for joy. When God Whispers Your Name (Max Lucado) A young and very successful executive was traveling down a neighborhood street. He was going a bit too fast in his sleek, black,12 cylinder Jaguar XKE, which was only two months old. He was watching for kids darting out from between parked cars and slowed down when he thought he saw something. As his car passed, no child darted out, but a brick sailed out and... WHUMP!... it smashed into the Jag's shiny black side door! SCREECH!!!! Brakes slammed, gears ground into reverse, and tires madly spun the Jaguar back to the spot from where the brick had been thrown. The executive jumped out of the car, grabbed the kid and pushed him up against a parked car. He shouted at the kid, "What was that all about, and who are you?! Just what the heck are you doing?!" Building up a head of steam, he went on. "That's my new Jag, and that brick you threw is gonna cost you a lot of money! Why did you throw it?!" "Please, mister, please... I'm sorry! I didn't know what else to do!" pleaded the youngster. "I threw the brick because no one else would stop!" Tears were dripping down the boy's chin as he pointed around the parked car. "It's my brother, mister," he said. "He rolled off the curb and fell out of his wheelchair and I can't lift him up." Sobbing, the boy asked the executive, "Would you please help me get him back into his wheelchair? He's hurt and he's too heavy for me." Moved beyond words, the young executive tried desperately to swallow the rapidly swelling lump in his throat. Straining, he lifted the young man back into the wheelchair and took out his handkerchief and wiped the scrapes and cuts, checking to see that everything was going to be OK. He then watched the younger brother push him down the sidewalk toward their home. It was a long walk back to the sleek, black, shining, 12 cylinder Jaguar XKE, a long and slow walk. That young executive never did fix the side door of his Jaguar. He kept the dent to remind him not to go through life so fast that someone has to throw a brick at him to get his attention. "It was not with perishable things such as silver and gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your forefathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect." 1 Peter 1:18-19 A young soldier found himself in a terrible and hopeless battle. The
enemy was soundly defeating this young man's army. He and his comrades found themselves hastily retreating from the battle field in defeat, running away in fear for their very lives. The enemy gave chase. This young man ran hard and fast, full of fear and desperation, but soon found himself cut off from his comrades in arms. He eventually came upon a rocky ledge containing a cave. Knowing the enemy was close behind, and that he was exhausted from the chase, he chose to hide there. After he crawled into the cave, he fell to his face in the darkness, desperately crying to God to save him and protect him from his enemies. He also made a bargain with God, one which I (and perhaps you too?) have made before. He promised that if God saved him, he would serve Him for the remainder of his days. When he looked up from his despairing plea for help, he saw a spider beginning to weave its web at the entrance of the cave. As he watched the delicate threads being slowly drawn across the mouth of the cave, the young soldier pondered its irony. He thought, "I asked God for protection and deliverance, and he sent me a spider instead. How can a spider save me?" His heart was hardened, knowing the enemy would soon discover his hiding place and kill him. And soon he did hear the sound of his enemies, who were now scouring the area looking for those in hiding. One soldier with a gun slowly walked up to the cave's entrance. As the young man crouched in the darkness, hoping to surprise the enemy in a last-minute desperate attempt to save his own life, he felt his heart pounding wildly out of control. As the enemy cautiously moved forward to enter the cave, he came upon the spider's web, which by now was completely strung across the opening. He backed away and called out to a comrade, "There can't be anyone in here. They would have had to break this spider's web to enter the cave. Let's move on." Years later, this young man, who made good his promise by becoming a preacher and evangelist, wrote about that ordeal. What he observed has stood by me in times of trouble, especially during those times when everything seemed impossible. He wrote: "Where God is, a spider's web is as a stone wall. Where God is not, a stone wall is as a spider's web." Being organized has never been a negative for anyone, in fact being organized leads to success more often than not! But how about organizing life like we organize everything else? What about our life's TO DO list. Here are something we should not miss out on! Make time for yourself: Yes, you had struggles to get through, troubles to overcome, loved ones to deal with, and goals to achieve. But a break from it all is more than necessary. It's perfectly healthy to stop and let the world spin on without you for awhile. It's good for you to spend time alone. It gives you an opportunity to discover who you really are, and to figure out why you truly are always alone. Credit your effort despite the result: Failure keeps you grounded, success keeps you alert, but only faith and determination keeps you going. So stay focused, and celebrate your efforts, not your outcomes. Challenges are what make life interesting, overcoming them is what gives life meaning. Remember that the opposite of failing is not succeeding; the opposite of failing is trying. React right: If you can change your thinking, you can change your life. You have a thought process which you ride on when you are alone and quietly thinking. The worth of your life to yourself and others, as well as the happiness it brings, depends upon the way your process works, the baggage it carries, and the emotional space through which it travels. Between life's stimulus and your reaction is where this space exists; within it is your power to choose how you react, and in your reaction lies your growth, freedom, and happiness. Listen to your inner voice: Some people will kill you over time if you let them; and how they'll kill you is with tiny, harmless phrases like, "be realistic." When this happens, close your ears and listen to your inner voice instead. Remember that real success in life isn't what others see, but how you feel. It's living your truth and doing what makes you feel alive. Exercise Positivity: You deserve a day when worries don't get in the way of your happiness. A day where, even if some people are insensitive or unkind, you're not going to mind because you realize that the blessings you received are far more precious than the burdens you once experienced. You can create a day like this for yourself. There is power in positivity. Focus on the next logical step forward: There are no hopeless situations; there are only people who have grown hopeless about them. So keep your hope alive. Don't dwell on what went wrong. Instead, focus on what to do next. Spend your energy moving forward toward a solution. If you take full responsibility for yourself and your current situation, you will develop a hunger to accomplish your dreams, and you will discover a way to get there. Be kind: The best choice you can make is to be genuinely respectful and authentically kind. Though your kindness will not always be returned, it will certainly be noticed. And even when it's not fully appreciated by others, your kindness will always inject more positive value into your own life. What you give comes back to you in ways that are impossible to predict. So give your kindness as often as you can, and enjoy the more positive world you are helping to create. Appreciate people, those that have earned it: You develop three kinds of friendships in life: friends for a reason, friends for a season, and friends for a lifetime. Take note of who these `lifetime friends' are and never overlook their worth. Just because they are reliable and there when you need them, doesn't mean you should fail to give thanks and appreciation on a regular basis. To value someone too lightly is to risk missing their goodness before they're gone. Be grateful for blessings: We often take for granted the very things that most deserve our gratitude. What if you gave someone a gift and they neglected to thank you for it? Would you be likely to give them another one? The daily events in your life respond the same way. In order to attract more of the blessings that life has to offer, you must be grateful for what you already have. Enjoy yourself: In between all your goals, priorities, obligations, and everything else that might appear on one of your upcoming to-do lists, there are moments called `life' that still have to be lived and enjoyed. The trick is to make the best of each moment, and value it for what it's worth. In other words, don't wish all your time away by waiting for better times ahead. Smile, right now, because you can. David Morse, American missionary to India, became great friends there with the pearl-diver, Rambhau. Many an evening he spent in Rambhau's cabin reading to him from the Bible, and explaining to him God's way of salvation.
Rambhau enjoyed listening to the Word of God, but whenever the missionary tried to get Rambhau to accept Christ as his Savior, he would shake his head and reply, "Your Christian way to heaven is too easy for me! I cannot accept it. If ever I should find admittance to heaven in that manner... I would feel like a pauper there... like a beggar who has been let in out of pity. I may be proud, but I want to deserve, I want to earn my place in heaven... and so I am going to work for it." Nothing the missionary could say seemed to have any effect on Rambhau's decision, and so quite a few years slipped by. One evening, however, the missionary heard a knock on his door, and on going to open it he found Rambhau there. "Come in, dear friend," said Morse. "No," said the pearl-diver. "I want you to come with me to my house, Sahib. I have something to show you. Please do not say 'No'." "Of course I'll come," replied the missionary. As they neared his house, Rambhau said: "In a week's time, I start working for my place in heaven; I am leaving for Delhi... and I am going there on my knees." "Man, you are crazy! It's nine hundred miles to Delhi, and the skin will break on your knees, and you will have blood-poisoning or leprosy before you get to Bombay." "No, I must get to Delhi," affirmed Rambhau, "and the immortals will reward me for it! The suffering will be sweet... for it will purchase heaven for me!" "Rambhau, my friend... you can't. How can I bear you to do it... when Jesus Christ has suffered and died to purchase heaven for you!" But the old man could not be moved. "You are my dearest friend on earth, Sahib Morse. Through all these years you have stood by me in sickness, in want... you have been sometimes my only friend. But even you cannot turn me from my desire to purchase eternal bliss... I must go to Delhi!" Inside the hut, Morse was seated in the very chair Rambhau had specially built for him... where on so many occasions he had read to him the Bible. Rambhau left the room to return soon with a small but heavy English strongbox. "I have had this box for years," said he, "and I keep only one thing in it. Now I will tell you about it, Sahib Morse. I once had a son..." "A son! Why, Rambhau, you have never before said a word about him!" "No, Sahib, I couldn't." Even as he spoke the diver's eyes were moistened. "Now I must tell you, for soon I will leave, and who knows whether I shall ever return? My son was a diver too. He was the best pearl diver on the coasts of India. He had the swiftest dive, the keenest eye, the strongest arm, the longest breath of any man who ever sought for pearls. What joy he brought to me! Most pearls, as you know, have some defect or blemish only the expert can discern, but my boy always dreamed of finding the 'perfect' pearl... one beyond all that was ever found. One day he found it! But even when he saw it... he had been under water too long... That pearl cost him his life, for he died soon after." The old pearl diver bowed his head. For a moment his whole body shook, but there was no sound. "All these years," he continued, "I have kept this pearl... but now I am going, not to return, and to you, my best friend... I am giving my pearl." The old man worked the combination on the strongbox and drew from it a carefully wrapped package. Gently opening the cotton, he picked up a mammoth pearl and placed it in the hand of the missionary. It was one of the largest pearls ever found off the coast of India, and glowed with a luster and brilliance never seen in cultured pearls. It would have brought a fabulous sum in any market. For a moment, the missionary was speechless and gazed with awe. "Rambhau! What a pearl!" "That pearl, Sahib, is perfect," replied the Indian quietly. The missionary looked up quickly with a new thought: Was not this the very opportunity and occasion he had prayed for... to make Rambhau understand the value of Christ's sacrifice? So he said, designedly, "Rambhau, this is a wonderful pearl, an amazing pearl. Let me buy it. I would give you ten thousand dollars for it." "Sahib! What do you mean?" "Well, I will give you fifteen thousand dollars for it, or if it takes more... I will work for it." "Sahib," said Rambhau, stiffening his whole body, "this pearl is beyond price. No man in all the world has money enough to pay what this pearl is worth to me. On the market a million dollars could not buy it. I will not sell it to you. You may only have it as a gift." "No, Rambhau, I cannot accept that. As much as I want the pearl, I cannot accept it that way. Perhaps I am proud, but that is too easy. I must pay for it, or work for it..." The old pearl-diver was stunned. "You don't understand at all, Sahib. Don't you see. My only son gave his life to get this pearl, and I wouldn't sell it for any money. Its worth is in the life-blood of my son. I cannot sell this... but I can give it to you. Just accept it in token of the love I bear you." The missionary was choked, and for a moment could not speak. Then he gripped the hand of the old man. "Rambhau," he said in a low voice, "don't you see? My words are just what you have been saying to God all the time." The diver looked long and searchingly at the missionary, and slowly, slowly he began to understand. "God is offering you salvation as a free gift," said the missionary. "It is so great and priceless that no man on earth can buy it. Millions of dollars are too little. No man on earth could earn it. His life would be millions of years too short. No man is good enough to deserve it. It cost God the life-blood of His only Son to make the entrance for you into heaven. In a million years, in a hundred pilgrimages, you could not earn that entrance. All you can do is to accept it as a token of God's love for you... a sinner. "Rambhau, of course I will accept the pearl in deep humility, praying to God that I may be worthy of your love. Rambhau, won't you accept God's great gift of heaven, too, in deep humility, knowing it cost Him the death of His Son to offer it to you?" Great tears were now rolling down the cheeks of the old man. The veil was beginning to lift. "Sahib, I see it now. I have believed so many things about Jesus for the last two years, but I could not believe that His salvation was free. Now I understand. Some things are too priceless to be bought or earned. Sahib, I will accept His salvation!" I like the story about the fellow who went to the pet store for a singing parakeet. The store owner had just the bird and the next day the man came home to a house full of music. When he went to feed the bird he noticed for the first time, the parakeet had only one leg. He called the store and complained. “What do you want,” the store owner responded, “a bird who can sing or a bird who can dance?”
Good question for times of disappointment. What do we want? It’s what Jesus asked the disciples when they complained. And in Luke 24:27 Jesus began to tell them the story of God’s plan for people, “starting with Moses and all the prophets, and everything that had been written about Himself in the Scriptures.” Jesus’ cure for the broken heart is the story of God. So what do you want? If you’re disappointed, turn to the story of God. He’s still in control! I've recently experienced a tumultuous experience that stripped me to my
core. I've never questioned my faith; or the meaning of life more. But in the end, I realize that it was not an accident. Just like everything I've been challenged to face throughout my journey, this too, was a learning experience. One that I didn't think I'd overcome... In one horrible, frightening night in October, my daughter and I lost our family, our financial support, my advocacy, and our home. I packed up said daughter, dogs, and all the belongings I could fit into my van and drove off from my childhood home, never to return... Yet undaunted, I vowed to continue the program that I hold so dear to my heart. I counted on an outpouring from friends, community members and past audience members to get me through this difficult time. But that never happened. What did happen was everyone got busy in their own lives, figuring that I was okay once a trusted friend took us into their home. They didn't realize the torment and loss that I was going through, and didn't take notice that no news, was in fact, not good news. Busy in their own lives, I can't fault them for knowing the hell I was enduring. I felt out of sight and was obviously out of mind. I grew resentful, because in the past, when I'd had my accident and wasn't "whole" anymore, my friends deserted me then, too. I started thinking that I was only deserving of friends when I was whole and my life was on track; but that when my life was in shambles, I was so very much alone... scared, lonely, isolated and sick. At first, I was hurt...then hurt turned to anger, and finally dispassion. I had to worry about feeding my child without enough food to last through a month. I had to figure out a way to get medical attention to my dogs; and stretch dog food. I had to try to get my brain to work through an entire day, when after an hour of being awake, it threw in the towel. It was during one particularly lonely, pain filled day I found myself on my knees, praying to God. Tears that had been held off for weeks spilled unchecked down my face as I confessed the true fears of my heart to the One above. I told him how much the absence of my friends hurt me. How I felt that no one cared about the hell I was going through... and asked Him to comfort me and bring me peace. It was very shortly thereafter that I got an answer. I realized that in order to grow in this trying time... I needed to depend on Him, and Him alone; just as it was following my accident. Leaning on others would only have served to make me dependent... leaning on Him would make me grow. Things are still really rough, but there is help on the horizon now. Messages from friends I haven't heard from in months are beginning to trickle in, and I realize that God took me aside for a reason. When we are stripped down to nothing, and are facing incredible challenges, this is when we turn to God. I had gotten away from Him. I got busy and forgot to include Him in my everyday challenges. But I realize now that I can not accomplish this goal He has laid out before me without Him alongside me every step of the way. Sometimes we feel as though everyone has abandoned us, including God. I realize now, that those times are actually the times when He is closest to us; calling us and inviting Him to be an intricate part of our lives. Psalm 103:2-3
'Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits, who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases.' - Forgiveness and healing are part of God's plan for you. - Often forgiveness and healing go hand in hand. - Receive His forgiveness and His healing in your life and body. - He is the God who forgives and heals you. PRAYER: Lord, I receive Your forgiveness and healing in my life today. I desire to experience the release and health that You have made available to me. Amen. |
Ana & Andre Schoonbee God uses us to motivate and encourage the body. Authors
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