I planned an exclusive party.
I worked on my plans lavishly.
The theme of my party was "pity"
And the only guest was "poor me."

I dwelt upon each hurt and sorrow,
And probed all the problems I faced,
While each of the slights I had suffered
Around me I carefully placed.

I spent endless hours in my misery,
Recalling the depth of each pain,
As each reappeared it grew larger,
Thus causing more pity to gain.

The longer I stayed at my party,
The more I felt sorry for me.
And the lower I sank in depression,
The less of real hope I could see.
I reluctantly opened my Bible,
And read of God's love and His grace.
The Lord touched my heart at that moment,
As tears coursed their way down my face.

I started to count all my blessings,
And realized as never before,
That when I think they're all numbered,
The Lord keeps on giving me more.

Sorrow looks back
Worry looks around
Faith looks up

By: Staci Stallings

Judge not, lest ye be judged.Matthew 7:1

The call was controversial - just as all really close calls in baseball are. Full speed the runner slid home and thinking he had just scored a game-altering run, he stood up only to face the words, "You're out!"

Now you know how it is when you've given your all to an effort and you stand up, only to hear the ump say, "You're out!" Just running for home when the play could be that close takes confidence and determination, not to mention a certain amount of competitiveness that doesn't just evaporate when you stand up. And it didn't with this teenager either.

Furious, he threw off his helmet and ran over to explain to the ump in no uncertain terms why the call was wrong, why the ump needed glasses, and why he was clearly home and nobody could miss that call so badly. Before his temper really got out of hand, someone pulled him away, and he walked to the bench - livid.

God sees not as man sees, but the Lord looks at the heart.1 Samuel 16:7

If this first spectacle was all you saw of the matter, don't fret - it was all almost everyone saw. But now, as Paul Harvey would say, "The rest of the story."

Long after the coaches, players, and fans had gone home, this typical teenage boy realized the impact of his decisions at home plate. Like most of us do when we are faced with the embarrassment of our actions, he could very well have made the logical next choice and just let it slide, reasoning: "Everybody does it." "The ump's probably heard that stuff a million times."
However, in the silence of his heart, this young man knew that just because everyone else does it, that doesn't make it all right. And so, long after his buddies had gone home, he tracked that ump back up to the school - not to vandalize his car and not to further harangue him. No, this typical teenage boy tracked this man down so he could tell him face-to-face: "I'm sorry, Sir. I was wrong."

It takes true courage to stand up in the face of those everyday indiscretions we all make and say, "I was wrong. I'm sorry." What makes this apology even more unique is that it wasn't meant for the world to hear, it wasn't meant to make the apologizer look better in the eyes of anyone else. It was meant simply as a way to stay true to his own heart.

In reality the story may well have ended there, and no one would have been the wiser. However, on the way out of town, the ump saw the superintendent and flagged him down to express his appreciation and surprise at the boy's apology. But the ump wasn't the only one who was surprised. The superintendent later talked to the coach to say how impressed he was that the coach had sent the boy to apologize.

Only problem: The coach hadn't sent him and knew nothing about the apology until that very moment.

A few days later the coach ran into the boy's father and remarked how impressed he was that his parents had sent the boy to apologize. You guessed it - they knew nothing about it either!
Our truest actions are those that come from the heart -not what someone makes us do because it's the right thing. I know, however, that although the parents didn't intervene on this occasion, they had intervened enough times in the past for this boy to have the ultimate courage and try to remedy a situation when it would have been easier to reason, "He'll get over it."

The truth is at one time or another we have all been this boy - acting out in rage, saying hurtful things, and feeling justified for doing so. The real test comes later when we are presented with the choice to make amends or to walk away thinking, "Ah, they'll get over it."

Maybe the "they'll" is a co-worker, a customer, a friend, a sibling, a child, or a spouse. Whomever it is, don't pass up the opportunity to get right with your own heart. Don't let them walk off the field and drive out of town, thinking, "Oh, well. No big deal. They'll get over it." The time for apology is now!

Courage is a matter of the heart. I wish that every person in the whole world had the courage of this one typical teenager. If they did, just imagine what "typical" might come to mean! (And a last caveat: The whole world starts with YOU!)

I made little bees
To make honey that's sweet,
So that my children
Could have a treat.

I bent the trees
A certain way,
Then sent a breeze
So they would sway.

I made the sand
And oceans too,
A beautiful rainbow
In a sky of blue.


The fragrance of a flower
I would carefully prepare,
And every detail of creation
I intended to share.

And I pictured you
And how you would be,
And I made you
Just for me.

I chose your moment to come
And your time to go,
I have nourished you
Made you blossom and grow.

And you did bear fruit
That we will share,
You have nurtured the blossoms
I put in your care.

And as you look back
Down memory lane,
I want you to know
Your greatest gain.

It's your memories of harder times
That you can look back on today,
And truly cherish
In a special way.

Memories of pleasure
Memories of strife,
Opportunity for Me
To work in your life.

And the love of your children
In a beautiful way,
As it blossoms more
With each passing day.

The love of your family
Of each and every friend,
That will be with you
Til the very end.

And when your new life
Will finally begin,
Those memories and that love
Will be deep within.

For no thorns or thistles
Have hindered the way,
My roots have grown deeper
With each passing day.

And I AM the potter
And you are the clay,
I have made you perfect,
In every way.

And what you have reaped
You will sow,
And you have helped
many Hearts to grow.

So please don't ever
Be afraid to die,
You'll never hurt
You'll never cry.

You'll see this world
With all it's strife,
But you'll want to go on
And live you're life.

For the angels will be singing
With one accord,
And you'll see Me
You're Savior and Lord.

And you'll be reaching
Out to Me,
And there'll be so much Love
that you'll see.

You will feel My presence
Gaze at My face,
Overflow with My love
And be filled with My grace.

I will hold you tight
We'll walk hand in hand,
And My lovingkindness
Will flow through the land.

Heaven is wonderful
And you'll want to stay,
For you'll be by My side
Day after day.

So I'll be waiting
Until that day,
When you see My Glory
Coming your way.

So please don't ever
Be afraid to die,
For you will be
With God on high.


-- Cathy Henrie

This pretty much says it all!

Count Your Blessings



Unknown Author

I've never made a fortune,
and it's probably too late now.
But I don't worry about that much,
I'm happy anyhow.

And as I go along life's way,
I'm reaping better than I sowed.
I'm drinking from my saucer,
'Cause my cup has overflowed.

Haven't got a lot of riches,
and sometimes the going's tough.
But I've got loving ones all around me,
and that makes me rich enough.

I thank God for his blessings,
and the mercies He's bestowed.
I'm drinking from my saucer,
'Cause my cup has overflowed.

I remember times when things went wrong,
My faith wore somewhat thin.
But all at once the dark clouds broke,
and the sun peeped through again.

So Lord, help me not to gripe,
about the tough rows I have hoed.
I'm drinking from my saucer,
'Cause my cup has overflowed.

If God gives me strength and courage,
When the way grows steep and rough.
I'll not ask for other blessings,
I'm already blessed enough.

And may I never be too busy,
to help others bear their loads.
Then I'll keep drinking from my saucer,
'Cause my cup has overflowed.

When I think of how many people
in this world have it worse than I
I realize just how blessed I am
Thanks to the man up in the sky

When you complain of work on a Monday, God is blessing you with a job others can't find.

When you complain about traffic, God has blessed you with eyesight to drive while others will never get that experience.

When you complain about family and friends, God blessed you with a gift many will never know.

Remember, the Lord made shadows to showcase the sun.

"Can I see my baby?" the happy new mother asked. When the bundle was nestled in her arms and she moved the fold of cloth to look upon his tiny face, she gasped. The doctor turned quickly and looked out the tall hospital window. The baby had been born without ears. Time proved that the baby's hearing was perfect. It was only his appearance that was marred.

When he rushed home from school one day and flung himself into his mother's arms, she sighed, knowing that his life was to be a succession of heartbreaks.

He blurted out the tragedy. "A boy, a big boy ... called me a freak."

He grew up, handsome for his misfortune. A favorite with his fellow students, he might have been class president, but for that. He developed a gift, a talent for literature and music. "But you might mingle with other young people," his mother reproved him, but felt a kindness in her heart.

The boy's father had a session with the family physician. Could nothing be done? "I believe I could graft on a pair of outer ears, if they could be procured," the doctor decided.
Whereupon the search began for a person who would make such a sacrifice for a young man. Two years went by.

Then, "You are going to the hospital, Son. Mother and I have someone who will donate the ears you need. But it's a secret," said the father. The operation was a brilliant success, and a new person emerged. His talents blossomed into genius, and school and college became a series of triumphs. Later he married and entered the diplomatic service. "But I must know!" He urged his father, "Who gave so much for me? Icould never do enough for him." "I do not believe you could," said the father, "but the agreement was that you are not to know ... not yet."

The years kept their profound secret, but the day did come ... one of the darkest days that a son must endure. He stood with his father over his mother's casket. Slowly, tenderly, the father stretched forth a hand and raised the thick, reddish-brown hair to reveal that the mother -- had no outer ears.

"Mother said she was glad she never let her hair be cut," he whispered gently, "and nobody ever thought Mother less beautiful, did they?" Real beauty lies not in the physical appearance, but in the heart. Real treasure lies not in what that can be seen, but what that cannot be seen. Real love lies not in what is done and known, but in what that is done but not known.

Pain is Inevitable
Suffering is Optional

You hear, O LORD, the desire of the afflicted; you encourage them, and you listen to their cry.

Psalm 10:17

The Man in the Glass

When you get what you want in your struggle for self,
And the world makes you king for a day,
Just go to the mirror and look at yourself,
To see what that man has to say......

You may fool the whole world down the pathway of years,
And get pats on the back as you pass,
But your final reward will be heartache and tears,
If you cheated the man in the glass

Which are you? A Carrot, An Egg or A Cup of Coffee?

A young woman went to her mother and told her about her life and how things were so hard for her. She did not know how she was going to make it and wanted to give up She was tired of fighting and struggling. It seemed as one problem was solved, a new one arose.

Her mother took her to the kitchen. She filled three pots with water and placed each on a high fire. Soon the pots came to boil. In the first she placed carrots, in the second she placed eggs, and in the last she placed ground coffee beans. She let them sit and boil; without saying a word.
In about twenty minutes she turned off the burners. She fished the carrots out and placed them in a bowl. She pulled the eggs out and placed them in a bowl.

Then she ladled the coffee out and placed it in a bowl. Turning to her daughter, she asked, "Tell me what you see."

"Carrots, eggs, and coffee," she replied.

Her mother brought her closer and asked her to feel the carrots. She did and noted that they were soft. The mother then asked the daughter to take an egg and break it. After pulling off the shell, she observed the hard boiled egg.

Finally, the mother asked the daughter to sip the coffee. The daughter smiled as she tasted its rich aroma. The daughter then asked, "What does it mean, mother?"

Her mother explained that each of these objects had faced the same adversity: boiling water.
Each reacted differently. The carrot went in strong, hard, and unrelenting. However, after being subjected to the boiling water, it softened and became weak. The egg had been fragile. Its thin outer shell had protected its liquid interior, but after sitting through the boiling water, its inside became hardened. The ground coffee beans were unique, however. After they were in the boiling water, they had changed the water.

"Which are you?" she asked her daughter. "When adversity knocks on your door, how do you respond? Are you a carrot, an egg or a coffee bean?

Think of this: Which am I? Am I the carrot that seems strong, but with pain and adversity do I wilt and become soft and lose my strength?

Am I the egg that starts with a malleable heart, but changes with the heat? Did I have a fluid spirit, but after a death, a breakup, a financial hardship or some other trial, have I become hardened and stiff? Does my shell look the same, but on the inside am I bitter and tough with a stiff spirit and hardened heart?

Or am I like the coffee bean? The bean actually changes the hot water, the very circumstance that brings the pain. When the water gets hot, it releases the fragrance and flavor. If you are like the bean, when things are at their worst, you get better and change the situation around you.
When the hour is the darkest and trials are their greatest, do you elevate yourself to another level? How do you handle adversity? Are you a carrot, an egg or a coffee bean?

May you have enough happiness to make you sweet, enough trials to make you strong, enough sorrow to keep you human and enough hope to make you happy.

The happiest of people don't necessarily have the best of everything; they just make the most of everything that comes along their way. The brightest future will always be based on a forgotten past; you can't go forward in life until you let go of your past failures and heartaches.

When you were born, you were crying and everyone around you was smiling. Live your life so at the end, you're the one who is smiling and everyone around you is crying.

May we all be COFFEE!

unknown

If Jesus came to your house
To spend some time with you,
If He came unexpected,
I wonder what you’d do.

Oh, I know you’d give your nicest room
To such an honored guest
And all the food you’d give to Him
Would be the very best.
And you would keep assuring Him
You’re glad to have Him there–
That serving Him in your home
Is joy beyond compare.

But when you saw Him coming,
Would you meet Him at the door
With arms outstretched in welcome
Thrilled down to the core

Or would you have to change your clothes
Before you let Him in
Or hide some old magazines
And put the Bible where they’d been

Would you hide your worldly music
and put some hymn books out?
Could you let Jesus walk right in,
or would you rush about?

And I wonder – if the Saviour spent

a day or two with you,
Would you go right on doing,
the things you always do?

Would you go right on saying,
the things you always say?
Or would life for you continue
as it does from day to day?

Would you take Jesus with you
everywhere you go?
Or would you maybe change your plans
for just a day or so?

Would you be glad to have Him
meet your closest friends?
Or would you hope they stay away,
until the visit ends?

Would you be glad for Him
to stay forever on and on?
Or would you sigh with great relief
when He at last he was gone?

It might be interesting to know,
the things that you would do,
If Jesus came in person,
to spend some time with you.