I Am God

I am God. Today I will be handling all of your problems. Please remember that I do not need your help. If life happens to deliver a situation to you that you cannot handle, do not attempt to resolve it. Kindly put it in the SFGTD (something for God to do) box. It will be addressed in My time, not yours. Once the matter is placed into the box, do not hold onto it.

If you find yourself stuck in traffic; Don't despair. There are people in this world for whom driving is an unheard of privilege.

Should you have a bad day at work; Think of the man who has been out of work for years.

Should you despair over a relationship gone bad; Think of the person who has never known what it's like to love and be loved in return.

Should you grieve the passing of another weekend; Think of the man in dire straits, working twelve hours a day, seven days a week to feed his children.

Should your car break down, leaving you miles away from assistance; Think of the paraplegic who would love the opportunity to take that walk.

Should you notice a new gray hair in the mirror; Think of the cancer patient in chemo who wishes she had hair to examine.

Should you find yourself at a loss and pondering what is life all about, asking what is my purpose? Be thankful. There are those who didn't live long enough to get the opportunity.

Should you find yourself the victim of other people's bitterness, ignorance, smallness or insecurities; Remember, things could be worse. You could be them!!!!

Fear Factor

"Only those who dare to fail greatly can ever achieve greatly."
~Robert F. Kennedy, former U.S. Attorney General

The moment your fear of not trying overrides your fear of failure
in that one spectacular moment -- the pathway to success is
cleared of all debris and you take the first steps toward a
magnificent future. Never let fear stop you when it can just as
easily push you forward.

The Real Love Of God

I want to tell you what I've learned about the real love of God by sharing a story that happened to me.

When I was a teenager at Bible Temple, I remember going to a Generation Gathering with my youth group. Bob McGregor had gone on the "mean streets" of downtown Portland and interviewed many young people about their view of God.

He had us watch a video. There were these kids with spiked hair, earrings in odd places talking about God being a ball of energy or God being like a friendly alien and other ideas of God. At the time, it was pretty amusing and the whole youth group was hysterical....even through the last part, which was an explanation of God's love and acceptance of all of us and how to be saved.

Then Bob McGregor got up and he was very angry.

Here is what he said, and I'll never forget it:

"I am completely ashamed of you. I invited those kids here to learn about the acceptance of God, His love for them and what He did for them. I hope none of them showed up."

See, they were the outcasts of the church, the sinners like me that God came to save. I was horrified but my Bible Temple friends just blew it off like it was no big deal.

Then, my dad left my mom. I was no longer church elite. I was an outcast like them. I was on the other end now. My righteous friends wouldn't talk to me. They were ashamed to be seen with a kid of divorced parents.My mom left town with us, in shame.

And you know what I discovered? The most friendly people who showed the most love to me were the outcasts like me. They wore punk hair, dog collars...or their parents were divorced... people that I know Bible Temple youth would have been ashamed to be seen with.

So, I don't hate the institutional church. And I do cherish very special memories. But I do think that they will never show God's love to those who need it most until they step off their church pedestals and realize that Jesus came for the sinners, not the saved.

I'm a divorced single mom...and He loves me just the way I am. And I thank Him every day that He let me fall from man's grace so that I might fully experience His true grace.

And that is something the CBC leaders and most of my old friends have never experienced. They've never experienced what it feels like to be shunned by "men of God." So, even though I no longer attend CBC, I'm the lucky one. For I have experienced pain and suffering that led me to the foot of the cross.

Having Sons

You find out interesting things when you have sons, like...

1. A king size waterbed holds enough water to fill a 2000 sq. ft.
house 4 inches deep.

2. If you spray hair spray on dust bunnies and run over them with
roller blades, they can ignite.

3. A 3-year old Boy's voice is louder than 200 adults in a crowded
restaurant.

4. If you hook a dog leash over a ceiling fan, the motor is not
strong enough to rotate a 42 pound Boy wearing Batman underwear and a
Superman cape. It is strong enough, however, if tied to a paint can, to
spread paint on all four walls of a 20x20 ft. room.

5. You should not throw baseballs up when the ceiling fan is on.
When using a ceiling fan as a bat, you have to throw the ball up a few
times before you get a hit. A ceiling fan can hit a baseball a long
way.

6. The glass in windows (even double-pane) doesn't stop a baseball
hit by a ceiling fan.

7. When you hear the toilet flush and the words "uh oh", it's
already too late.

8. Brake fluid mixed with Clorox makes smoke, and lots of it.

9. A six-year old Boy can start a fire with a flint rock even
though a 36-year old Man says they can only do it in the movies.

10. Certain Lego's will pass through the digestive tract of a 4-
year old Boy.

11. Play dough and microwave should not be used in the same
sentence.

12. Super glue is forever.

13. No matter how much Jell-O you put in a swimming pool you still
can't walk on water.

14. Pool filters do not like Jell-O.

15. VCR's do not eject "PB & J" sandwiches even though TV
commercials show they do.

16. Garbage bags do not make good parachutes.

17. Marbles in gas tanks make lots of noise when driving.

18. You probably DO NOT want to know what that odor is.

19. Always look in the oven before you turn it on; plastic toys do
not like ovens.

20. The fire department in Austin, TX has a 5-minute response time.

21. The spin cycle on the washing machine does not make earthworms
dizzy.

22. It will, however, make cats dizzy.

23. Cats throw up twice their body weight when dizzy.

24. 80% of Women will pass this on to almost all of their friends,
with or without kids.

25. 80% of Men who read this will try mixing the Clorox and brake
fluid.

We Had Drug Problems Too

The other day, someone at a store in our town read that a
methamphetamine lab had been found in an old farmhouse in the adjoining
county and he asked me a rhetorical question, ''Why didn't we have a
drug problem when you and I were growing up?''

I replied: "I had a drug problem when I was young!"

I was drug to church on Sunday morning.

I was drug to church for weddings and funerals.

I was drug to family reunions and community socials no matter the
weather.

I was drug by my ears when I was disrespectful to adults.

I was also drug to the woodshed when I disobeyed my parents , told a
lie, brought home a bad report card, did not speak with respect, spoke
ill of the teacher or the preacher, or if I didn't put forth my best
effort in everything that was asked of me.

I was drug to the kitchen sink to have my mouth washed out with soap if
I uttered a profane four-letter word.

I was drug out to pull weeds in mom's garden and flower beds and
cockleburs out of dad's fields.

I was drug to the homes of family, friends, and neighbors to help out
some poor soul who had no one to mow the yard, repair the clothesline,
or chop some firewood;


and, if my mother had ever known that I took a single dime as a tip for this
kindness, she would have drug me back to the woodshed.

Those drugs are still in my veins; and they affect my behavior in
everything I do, say, and think. They are stronger than cocaine, crack,
or heroin; and, if today's children had this kind of drug problem,
America would be a better place.

Tips For Staying Young

1. Throw out nonessential numbers. This includes age, weight
and height. Let the doctor worry about them. That is why you
pay him/her.

2. Keep only cheerful friends. The grouches pull you down.

3. Keep learning. Learn more about the computer, crafts,
gardening, whatever. Never let the brain idle. "An idle mind
is the devil's workshop;" the devil's name is Alzheimer's.

4. Enjoy the simple things. When the children are young,
that is all that you can afford. When they are in college,
that is all that you can afford. When you are on retirement,
that is all that you can afford!

5. Laugh often, long and loud. Laugh until you gasp for breath.
Laugh so much that you can be tracked in the store by your
distinctive laughter.

6. The tears happen. Endure, grieve, and move on. The only
person who is with us our entire life, is ourselves. Be alive
while you are alive, don't put out a mailbox on the highway
of death and just wait in residence for your mail.

7. Surround yourself with what you love, whether it is family,
pets, keepsakes, music, plants, hobbies, whatever. Your
home is your refuge.

8. Cherish your health. If it is good, preserve it. If it is unstable,
improve it. If it is beyond what you can improve, get help.

9. Don't take guilt trips. Go to the mall, the next county, a
foreign country, but not to guilt country.

10. Tell the people you love, that you love them, at every
opportunity.

AND ALWAYS REMEMBER, Life is not measured by the
number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take
our breath away.

Great Expectations

On the first day of school, a teacher was glancing over the roll when she noticed a number after each student's name, such as 154, 136 or 142.

"Wow! Look at these IQs," she said to herself. "What a terrific class."

The teacher promptly determined to work harder with this class than with any other she ever had.

Throughout the year, she came up with innovative lessons that she thought would challenge her students, because she didn't want them to get bored with work that was too easy.

Her plan worked! The class outperformed all the other classes that she taught in the usual way.

Then, during the last quarter of the year, she discovered what those numbers after the students' name really were: their locker numbers.

****With hard work and determination, anything can be accomplished.****

Procrastination

A painfully shy man fell in love with a young woman.

He sensed that she felt the same way, but he couldn't find the courage to ask her out.

Finally he decided he would mail her a love letter every day for one year, and then ask her for a date.

Faithfully, he followed his plan, and at year's end he was courageous enough to call her...

Only to discover she'd married the letter carrier.

Moral of the story?

If you love someone, let them know.

And...

You snooze, you lose!

Secrets To Happiness

The secret to happiness and well-being is no mystery. All it takes is the ability to do the following:

Forget.
Forgive.
Apologize.
Avoid mistakes.
Listen to advice.
Keep your temper.
Shoulder the blame.
Make the best of things.
Maintain high standards.
Think first and act accordingly.
Put the needs of others before your own.
Follow God above all else and in all situations.

Seem like a tall order?

Then try slipping as many of these "secrets to happiness" into your day
as possible. You'll soon be rewarded with a more positive outlook on life.

Only One You

by John Fischer

Mister Rogers was right after all: There is only one you. But this information is much more important than just boosting your self-esteem. It should help you better serve others by being more confident about your God-given role in life.

No one else fits your shape. No one else has your blend of gifts, talents, and natural abilities, making you very important in the whole scheme of things. 'God made our bodies with many parts,' Paul wrote, 'and he has put each part just where he wants it.' (1 Corinthians 12:18) And as it is with the human body, so it is with the Body of Christ, which is the corporate collection of all who believe.

But this uniqueness goes beyond giftedness; it reaches as well into the depth of each of our experiences in our life of faith. No one else has your life. No one else has your pain, your hardships, your joys, or your sorrows. Everything in life shapes us and we are shaped by everything for a reason, so that we can touch others in a unique way based upon who we are and what we've been through. God is amazing. He doesn't waste anything in our lives.

Every piece of our lives and experiences can be used by Christ to touch someone else. We were made for each other; we live for each other; we even die for each other by 'dying well,' as it was once referred to in a memorial service I attended. We die with hope so that others who live might see the reality of Christ in even the darkest of hours. See? God uses everything.

Are you just getting by, or are you living for a reason? Think about your unique gifts and ask yourself how those gifts are benefiting others. What specific way is God using you to touch others in the Body of Christ? Do you seem to have an extra measure of wisdom, or mercy, or discernment, or knowledge, or administration, or desire to serve? These will help determine how you can look for opportunities to help others.

And then, think about the things you have gone through so far in your life, especially the difficult or challenging things where God has met you with his faith. That information is not just for you, it's for you to empathize with and encourage others who have encountered similar struggles.

God isn't messing around here. There are no accidents with our lives. Whatever we have received and experienced has shaped who we are, and because of that, we are qualified. There is truly no one else like you, for a reason.

A Story To Live By

My brother-in-law opened the bottom drawer
of my sister's bureau and lifted out
a tissue-wrapped package.

"This," he said,"is not a slip. This is lingerie."
He discarded the tissue and handed me the slip.
It was exquisite; silk, handmade and trimmed
with a cobweb of lace. The price tag with an
astronomical figure,on it was still attached.

"Jan bought this the first time we went to New York,
at least 8 or 9 years ago.She never wore it.
She was saving it for a special occasion.
Well, I guess this is the occasion."

He took the slip from me and put it on the bed
with the other clothes we were taking to the mortician.
His hands lingered on the soft material for a moment,
then he slammed the drawer shut and turned to me.
"Don't ever save anything for a special occasion.
Every day you're alive is a special occasion."

I remembered those words through the funeral and
the days that followed when I helped him and my niece
attend to all the sad chores that follow an unexpected death.
I thought about them on the plane returning to California
from the Midwestern town where my sister's family lives.
I thought about all the things that she hadn't
seen or heard or done.
I thought about the things that she had done
without realizing that they were special.

I'm still thinking about his words, and they've changed my life.
I'm reading more and dusting less.
I'm sitting on the deck
and admiring the view without fussing about
the weeds in the garden. I'm spending more time with
my family and friends, and less time in committee meetings.

Whenever possible, life should be a pattern of
experience to savor, not endure.
I'm trying to recognize these moments now and cherish them.
I'm not "saving" anything; we use our good china and crystal for
every special event-such as losing a pound,
getting the sink unstopped, the first Camellia blossom.

I wear my good blazer to the market if I feel like it.
My theory is if I look prosperous, I can shell out $28.49
for one small bag of groceries without winching.
I'm not saving my good perfume for special parties.
Clerks in hardware stores and tellers in banks
have noses that function as well as my party-going friends'.

"Someday" and "one of these days" are losing their grip on my
vocabulary. If it's worth seeing or hearing or doing, I want to
see and hear and do it now. I'm not sure what my sister
would have done had she known that she wouldn't be here for the
tomorrow we all take for granted. I think she would have called family
members and a few close friends. She might have called a few former
friends to apologize and mend fences for past squabbles.
I like to think she would have gone out for a Chinese dinner,
her favorite food. I'm guessing-
I'll never know.

It's those little things left undone that would make
me angry if I knew that my hours were limited.
Angry because I put off seeing good Friends whom
I was going to get in touch with-someday.
Angry because I hadn't written certain letters that I intended
to write-one of these days.
Angry and sorry that I didn't tell my husband and daughter
often enough how much I truly love them.

I'm trying very hard not to put off, hold back, or save
anything that would add laughter and luster to our lives.
And every morning when I open my eyes,
I tell myself that it is special.

Every day, every minute, every breath truly is...a gift from God.
You've got to dance like nobody's watching,
and love like it's never going to hurt.
People say true friends must always hold hands,
but true friends don't need to hold hands
because they know the other hand will
always be there.

-Anne Wells

Step From the Shadow

"Man stands in his own shadow and wonders why it is dark."
~Zen saying

We stand in the shadow of our lives every time we tell ourselves
that something cannot be done because we are not good enough, or
strong enough, or rich enough, or young enough or thin enough, or
anything else enough. It is only when we boldly declare, "I am
enough!" that we are able to step from the shadow and into the
light of a beautiful new day.

Happy Fall

Being a Christian is like being a pumpkin. God lifts you up, takes you in, and washes all the dirt off of you. He opens you up, touches you deep inside and scoops out all the yucky stuff-- including the seeds of doubt, hate, greed, etc. Then He carves you a new smiling face and puts His light inside you to shine for all the world to see.

Happy Fall and God bless all of you!

Starfish

Once upon a time there was a wise man
who used to go to the ocean
to do his writing.
He had a habit of walking
on the beach
before he began his work.

One day he was walking along
the shore.
As he looked down the beach,
he saw a human
figure moving like a dancer.

He smiled to himself to think
of someone who would
dance to the day.
So he began to walk faster
to catch up.

As he got closer, he saw
that it was a young man
and the young man wasn't dancing,
but instead he was reaching
down to the shore,
picking up something
and very gently throwing it
into the ocean.

As he got closer he called out,
"Good morning! What are you doing?"

The young man paused,
looked up and replied,
"Throwing starfish in the ocean."

"I guess I should have asked,
why are you throwing starfish
in the ocean?"

"The sun is up and the tide is going out.
And if I don't throw them in they'll die."

"But, young man, don't you realize that
there are miles and miles of beach
and starfish all along it.
You can't possibly make a difference!"

The young man listened politely.
Then bent down, picked up another starfish
and threw it into the sea,
past the breaking waves and said-
"It made a difference for that one."

There is something very special in each and every one of us.
We have all been gifted with the ability to make a difference.

Butterfly

Once upon a time in a land far far away.
There was a wonderful old man who loved everything. Animals, spiders, insects....

One day while walking through the woods the
nice old man found a cocoon.

Feeling lonely he decided to take the cocoon home
to watch its beautiful transformation from
a funny little cocoon to a beautiful butterfly.

He gently placed the cocoon on his kitchen table, and
watched over it for days.

Suddenly on the seventh day the cocoon started to move.
It moved frantically! The old man felt sorry
for the little butterfly inside the cocoon.
He watched it struggle and struggle and struggle!

Finally the old man feeling so sorry for the cocooned
butterfly rushed to its aide with a surgical scalpel and
gently slit the cocoon so the butterfly could emerge.

Just one slice was all it took,
and the butterfly broke free
from its cocoon only to wilt over in a
completely motionless state.

The old man did not know what to think.
Had he accidentally killed the little butterfly?
No, it's still moving a little bit.! Maybe it's sick!

Who the heck would know?
He was dumbfounded, and quite perplexed!
What should I do, he said. Well he felt so sorry for the little creature
that he decided the best thing he could
do for the butterfly
was to place it gently back into its cocoon.

He did so, and placed a drop of honey
on it to seal the cocoon,
leaving the butterfly to nestle
in its natural state.

Well the next day he noticed that the
cocoon was moving again.
Wow, he said! It moved and moved and
struggled and struggled.

Finally the butterfly broke free
from its cocoon and
stretched its wings out far and wide.

Its beautiful wings were filled with
wonderful colors! It looked around and took off!
It was flying! Its so beautiful!
The old man was jumping with joy! Wow!

Go Baby, Go! And that wonderful butterfly did that just that,
it flew and flew till it was almost
out of the old mans sight.

What a joy, he exclaimed!
But then he started to think.
What did I do wrong by trying
to help that beautiful little butterfly out at first?

The old man went into town.
Found the library, and
read every book he could on
butterflies and cocoons.

Finally the answer appeared.
The butterfly has to struggle and struggle
while inside the cocoon.

That's how it gets its strength.
That's just what they are designed to
overcome in order to be strong and beautiful.

Well needless to say the old man was shocked,saddened, and somewhat relieved.

Now he knows the reason why they do what they do.
It was only his perception that made
it appear that the butterfly was
having a hard time.

Well from then on the old man knew that loving
something sometimes means to
pray for it and cheer it on!

He realized that God was wonderful, and
that sometimes appearances aren't what
they seem to be.

That we all are beautiful butterflies,
even though we have our apparent struggles in life...

Spread your wings and prepare to fly
For you have become a butterfly.

Fly abundantly into the sun.

If you should return to me
We truly were meant to be,

So spread your wings
and fly, Butterfly.

Oatmeal Kisses

A young mother writes:

"I know you've written before
about the empty-nest syndrome,
that lonely period after the children
are grown and gone.

Right now I'm up to my eyeballs
in laundry and muddy boots.

The baby is teething,
the boys are fighting.

My husband just called and said
to eat without him, and
I fell off my diet.

Lay it on me again, will you?"

Okay.

One of these days, you'll shout,
"Why don't you kids grow up and act your age!"
And they will.

Or, "you guys get outside and find
yourselves something to do...
and don't slam the door!"
And they won't.

You'll straighten up the boys'
bedroom neat and tidy:
bumper stickers discarded,
bedspread tucked and smooth,
toys displayed on their shelves.
Hangers in the closet.
Animals caged.

And you'll say out loud,
"Now I want it to stay this way."
And it will.

You'll prepare a perfect dinner
with a salad that hasn't been
picked to death and a
cake with no finger traces in the
icing, and you'll say,
"Now, there's a meal for company."
And you'll eat it alone.

You'll say,
"I want complete privacy on the phone.
No dancing around.
No demolition crews.
Silence!
Do you hear?"
And you'll have it.

No more plastic tablecloths
stained with spaghetti.
No more bedspreads to protect
the sofa from damp bottoms.

No more gates to stumble over
at the top of the basement steps.
No more clothespins under the sofa.
No more playpens to arrange a room around.

No more anxious nights
under a vaporizer tent.
No more sand in the sheets or
Disney movies in the bathroom.

No more iron-on patches,
rubber bands for ponytails,
tight boots or wet knotted shoestrings.
Imagine.

A lipstick with a point on it.
No baby-sitter for New Year's Eve.
Washing only once a week.
Seeing a steak that isn't ground.

Having your teeth cleaned
without a baby on your lap.
No PTA meetings. No car pools.
No blaring radios. No more washing her hair
at 11 o'clock at night.

Having your own roll of Scotch tape!
Think about it.

No more Christmas presents out of
toothpicks and library paste.

No more sloppy Oatmeal kisses.
No more tooth fairy.
No giggles in the dark.

No knees to heal,
no responsibility.
Only a voice crying,
"Why don't you grow up?"

and the silence echoing,
"I did."

-written by Erma Bombeck

Eyes Of Wonder

"Look at everything as though you were seeing it either for the
first or last time. Then your time on earth will be filled with
glory."
~Betty Smith

When was the last time you stopped and really looked at the world
around you? I mean really looked. Beginning today, commit yourself
to spending time seeing your surroundings through eyes filled with
wonder. When you do, you will quickly discover the world you see is
wonder-filled.

Be Special

A group of frogs were traveling through the woods, and two of them fell into a deep pit. All the other frogs gathered around the pit.

When they saw how deep the pit was, they told the two frogs that they were as good as dead.

The two frogs ignored the comments and tried to jump up out of the pit with all of their might. The other frogs kept telling them to stop, that they were as good as dead.

Finally, one of the frogs took heed to what the other frogs were saying and gave up. He fell down and died.

The other frog continued to jump as hard as he could. Once again, the crowd of frogs yelled at him to stop the pain and just die.

He jumped even harder and finally made it out.

When he got out, the other frogs said, 'Did you not hear us?'

The Frog explained to them that he was deaf.

He thought they were encouraging him the entire time.

And the moral of this story?

1. There is power of life and death in the tongue. An encouraging word to someone who is down can lift them up and help them make it through the day.

2. A destructive word to someone who is down can be what it takes to kill them. Be careful of what you say. Speak life to those who cross your path.

The power of words ... it is sometimes hard to understand that an encouraging word can go such a long way. Anyone can speak words that tend to rob another of the spirit to continue in difficult times.

Special is the individual who will take the time to encourage another. Be Special to others.

Tater People

Some people never seem motivated to participate, but are just content to watch while others do the work.
They are called "Speck Taters".

Some people never do anything to help, but are gifted at finding fault with the way others do the work.
They are called "Comment Taters".

Some people are very bossy and like to tell others what to do, but don't want to soil their own hands.
They are called "Dick Taters".

Some people are always looking to cause problems by asking others to agree with them. It is too hot or too cold, too sour or too sweet.
They are called "Agie Taters".

There are those who say they will help, but somehow just never get around to actually doing the promised help.
They are called "Hezzie Taters".

Some people can put up a front and pretend to be someone they are not.
They are called "Emma Taters".

Then there are those who love others and do what they say they will. They are always prepared to stop whatever they are doing and lend a helping hand. They bring real sunshine into the lives of others.
They are called "Sweet Taters".

The Apple Of His Eye

A well known speaker started off his seminar by holding up a $20 bill. In the room of 200, he asked, "Who would like this $20 bill?"

Hands started going up. He said, "I am going to give this $20 to one of you but first, let me do this." He proceeded to crumple the dollar bill up. He then asked, "Who still wants it?" Still the hands were up in the air."

Well," he continued, "What if I do this?" And he dropped it on the ground and started to grind it into the floor with his shoe. He picked it up, now all crumpled and dirty. "Now who still wants it?" Still the hands went into the air.

"My friends, you have all learned a very valuable lesson.

No matter what I did to the money, you still wanted it because it did not decrease in value. It was still worth $20. Many times in our lives, we are dropped, crumpled, and ground into the dirt by the decisions we make and the circumstances that come our way. We feel as though we are worthless.

But no matter what has happened or what will happen, you will never lose your value in God's eyes. To Him, dirty or clean, crumpled or finely creased, you are still priceless to Him.
Psalm 17:8 states that God will keep us, "as the apple of His eye."

I've Learned

-that we don't have to change friends if we understand that friends change.

-that no matter how good a friend is, they're going to hurt you every once in a while and you must forgive them for that.

-that true friendship continues to grow, even over the longest distance. Same goes for true love.

-that you can do something in an instant that will give you heartache for life.

-that it's taking me a long time to become the person I want to be.

-that you should always leave loved ones with loving words. It may be the last time you see them.

-that you can keep going long after you can't.

-that we are responsible for what we do, no matter how we feel.

-that either you control your attitude or it controls you.

-that regardless of how hot and steamy a relationship is at first, the passion fades and there had better be something else to take its place.

-that heroes are the people who do what has to be done when it needs to be done, regardless of the consequences.

-that money is a lousy way of keeping score.

-that my best friend and I can do anything or nothing and have the best time.

-that sometimes the people you expect to kick you when you're down, will be the ones to help you get back up.

-that sometimes when I'm angry I have the right to be angry, but that doesn't give me the right to be cruel.

-that just because someone doesn't love you the way you want them to doesn't mean they don't love you with all they have.

-that maturity has more to do with what types of experiences you've had and what you've learned from them and less to do with how many birthdays you've celebrated.

-that it isn't always enough to be forgiven by others. Sometimes you have to learn to forgive yourself.

-that no matter how bad your heart is broken the world doesn't stop for your grief.

-that our background and circumstances may have influenced who we are, but we are responsible for who we become.

-that just because two people argue, it doesn't mean they don't love each other And just because they don't argue, it doesn't mean they do.

-that you shouldn't be so eager to find out a secret. It could change your life forever.

-that two people can look at the exact same thing and see something totally different.

-that your life can be changed in a matter of hours by people who don't even know you.

-that even when you think you have no more to give, when a friend cries out to you will find the strength to help.

-that credentials on the wall do not make you a decent human being.

-that the people you care about most in life are taken from you too soon.

Wisdom Thoughts

Maybe God wants us to meet a few wrong people before meeting the right one so that
when we finally meet the right person, we will know how to be grateful for that gift.

When the door of happiness closes, another opens, but often times we look so long
at the closed door that we don't see the one which has been opened for us.

The best kind of friend is the kind you can sit on a porch and swing with,
never say a word, and then walk away feeling like it was the best conversation you've every had.

It's true that we don't know what we've got until we lose it, but it's also true
that we don't know what we've been missing until it arrives.

Giving someone all your love is never an assurance that they'll love you back!
Don't expect love in return; just wait for it to grow in their heart but if it doesn't,
be content it grew in yours. It takes only a minute to get a crush on someone,
an hour to like someone, and a day to love someone,
but it takes a lifetime to forget someone.

Don't go for looks; they can deceive.
Don't go for wealth; even that fades away.
Go for someone who makes you smile because it takes only a smile to make a dark day seem bright.
Find the one that makes your heart smile.

There are moments in life when you miss someone so much that you
just want to pick them from your dreams and hug them for real!

Dream what you want to dream; go where you want to go; be what you want to be,
because you have only one life and one chance to do all the things you want to do.

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

Always put yourself in others' shoes.
If you feel that it hurts you,
It probably hurts the other person, too.

The happiest of people don't necessarily have the best of everything;
they just make the most of everything that comes along their way.

Happiness lies for those who cry, those who hurt, those who have searched,
and those who have tried, for only they can appreciate the importance of people who have touched their lives.

Love begins with a smile, grows with a kiss and ends with a tear.

The brightest future will always be based on a forgotten past, you can't go on
well 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 that when you die, you're the one who is smiling and everyone around you is crying.

Happiness Fairy

Overcoming Wounds Of Rejection

When He had come down from the mountain, great multitudes followed Him. And behold, a leper came and worshiped Him, saying, “Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean.” Then Jesus put out His hand and touched him, saying, “I am willing; be cleansed.” Immediately his leprosy was cleansed. (Matthew 8:1-3)


I was watching a television program this week with the woman who won The Swan. The Swan is a reality television program based on the classic story of The Ugly Duckling. The ugly duckling was really a swan. But before his metamorphosis into a swan he was unsightly to the other ducklings. And because of the way he looked, the other ducklings despised him and rejected him. He was an outcast. And nobody wanted to play with him until he went through a radical transformation and became a swan. This story is a metaphor for the superficial, looks conscious, lust driven, competitive popular culture in which we live.


The woman who won The Swan was plain and average before she underwent four months of cosmetic surgeries. But after her transformation she was beautiful and stunning. However, she never got over the hurt and the pain of the rejection she felt when she was plain and average. Even though she went through a radical external transformation, her internal communication was still the same. “I’m ugly. Nobody wants me for me.”


Consequently, she was rejecting potential relationships. She wasn’t giving them a chance to get to know her and wasn’t giving herself a chance to get to know them. Her internal wounds were so deep that her rejection manifested into rejecting others. Rejected people reject people. And although her body image had changed, her self-image remained the same. She may have looked like a swan on the outside, but she still felt like an ugly duckling on the inside.


Many times when we come to Christ we get saved, but we still have some deep wounds that need to be healed. Rejection is a part of life for every human being. And for most people the wounds are quite difficult to overcome. Why? Because rejection is a demon spirit that Satan releases to destroy your life and systematically breakdown your mind, will, and emotions, until you cease to effectively function in society.


And even once you get delivered from rejection, you still have to be able to handle rejection in life. Deliverance from rejection does not mean that you get so delivered that you never feel the sting of rejection again. Deliverance from rejection means that you got delivered from a demon of rejection and now you can experience and encounter rejection, but not live your life being controlled and dominated by it.


And not only must we overcome the demon of rejection, but we must learn to love rejected people.


The spirit of rejection works two ways. It causes you to feel hurt, because someone is doing something and acting a certain way that is rejecting you. Or it causes you to feel hurt, because you are doing things and acting a certain way that causes people to reject you.


Many times we’re too caught up into our relationships with people and what they think of us that we don’t have a healthy and balanced walk with God. You’ve got to have a daily prayer life, a daily Word life, and a daily worship life. You’ve got to be so connected to the Father that no matter what comes your way you know that He loves you. The closer you get to God the less rejection will bother you.


Jesus was the most rejected man who ever lived. Isaiah 53:3 says, “He was despised and rejected by men.” Mark 8:31 says, “And He began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things, and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again.” Jesus knew that He would be rejected, and that He would be betrayed, and that He would be crucified. But He never came under the power of demonic control. Jesus never had a demon spirit. He was sinless. Every time He ran into rejection, He ran to His father in prayer. And it was His connection to the Father that sustained Him during times of rejection.


Jesus loved rejected people. And here in Mathew Chapter 8 Jesus is ministering to a rejected person. This man was an ostracized outcast banished from society, because he had leprosy. To be a leper in the Bible was very traumatic. This man was rejected and discarded by his community, his culture, and his religion. He was despised and to be avoided. Everyone was afraid of him and nobody wanted to be bothered with him. He was a reject. He didn’t belong. He had no right to expect acceptance, love, friendship or kindness. He was to be refused and thrown away like yesterday’s garbage. He was a leper. And to be a leper was the epitome of rejection. The spirit of rejection was moving against him everyday of his life. He couldn’t escape it. It was apart of who he was. You can only imagine how it undermined and destroyed his self-esteem, his purpose, and his potential.


And just as Jesus finished His big message, the Sermon on the Mount, and ministering to the multitudes with the cheers of the crowd still ring in His ears and everyone jockeying for some face time with the preacher. Behold this leper, a social outcast, a religious misfit comes before Him. A man rejected by society. A man rejected by the church. A man discriminated against by his community and his culture. And he’s saying to himself, “He ministered to all of them, but will he minister to me? I’m a leper. He preaches to multitudes, but will He touch me? I’m a reject."


And he drops to his knees before Jesus in an attitude of humility and in a position of desperation and brokenness to worship the Lord. He heard the sermon and now he’s responding to the altar call. Desperate for deliverance and risking rejection once again, he said, “Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean.” You can hear the nervousness and the timidity and the pain of rejection in his voice. “Lord, I don’t know if You want to, But if You want to maybe You could heal me. Maybe You could make me clean. Maybe you could remove this stigma, this shame, this disgrace from my life. I just want to be loved and accepted and received. Lord, if You’re willing, You can make me normal. I just want to be normal and regular like other people. Will You receive me? Will You love me? Will You accept me?”


And Jesus reached out to the leper and touched him and said, “I’m willing, be cleansed.” The despised and rejected Savior was willing to deliver the despised and rejected leper. Jesus was willing to take the time to minister to someone who nobody else wanted to be bothered with.


Why did this man come to Jesus? Something drew him. It was the love of God that compelled him. Jesus was willing to reach out and intimately touch someone who no one would touch. Compassion (love in action) will have you reach out to the rejects and love the unlovable and touch them with the mercy and the miracles of Christ. Once we can come to the knowledge and understanding that God loves us it breaks the root of rejection and draws us to Jesus Christ.


And immediately the leper was healed. Jesus touched an untouchable and in that moment, in that instant he was delivered from leprosy. One touch of from Jesus (love manifested in the flesh) removed his stigma and his pain. He was cured. He was cleansed. And he was free. All the external and internal wounds were a distant memory.


God is no respecter of persons. He loves the unlovable. He loves the leper. He loves the reject. And He loves you. Jesus loves you enough to reach out to you, to touch you, and to set you free. The ministry of deliverance has the power to pull you out of bondage and demonic control. In one moment this man went from being a reject to being recognized and received by Christ.


If you have a wounded heart or a broken spirit, Jesus loves you. He draws near to them that have broken heart and saves as such that have a contrite spirit. And nothing can separate you from His love. He’s willing to heal you and make you whole. He that cometh to Jesus, He will no wise cast out. He won’t reject you. You are accepted in the Beloved. You are received and loved in Jesus Christ. Remember that you are no longer an ugly duckling. You are a beautiful swan. If you can see yourself the way that God sees you, you can overcome.