Let Go...

I have not always been a cup. There was a time when I was just a lump of red clay that the Potter rolled and pounded into shape . I yelled, "I don't like that! Please stop!!" but He only smiled and gently said, "Not yet."

Then WHAM!! I was placed on a spinning wheel and was spun around and around. "Stop it! I';m getting dizzy" I screamed. But He only nodded and quietly said, "Not yet"

Then He put me in an oven-- I had never felt such heat! I yelled, "Help! Get me out of Here!" Finally the door opened and He took me out and carefully placed me on a shelf. AsI began to cool, I thought, "Oh that feels so good!" But just when I least expected it-- He picked me up and began covering me with paint. The fumes were terrible! "Please stop!" I cried. But HE only shook His head and softly said, "Not yet"

Then he put me back in the oven and this time it was twice as hot! I cried and screamed, convinced I'd never make it. Finally the door opened and He took me out and agian placed me on the shelf. When I finally cooled He handed me a mirror and said, "Look at yourself." Looking in the mirror I said, "That's not me; that couldn't be me. why, I'm beautiful!"

Quietly He said, "I know it hurt to be rolled and pounded, but I needed to mold you into just the right shape. I know the spinning made you dizzy , but if I had stopped the wheel too soon you would have crumled into pieces. I know it hurt to be in the oven, but withought th e heat you would have cracked under the slightest pressure. ANd I knoqw the paint fumes were awful, but the paint mde you resilient and brought color to your life. And I put you in the fire again not to harm you, but to bless you with an inner strngth and jouyful radiance that will never fade."

So when life is pounding you almost beyond endurance; when your world seems to be spinning out of control; when life really stinks and you can hardly catch your breath; when you feel trapped in a fiery furnace of trials, try this: the next time you fill your favorite cup with your favorite drink...sit down.. and have a little talk with the Potter.

something i found here: http://barlowgirl.com/soundpost/forum_posts.asp?TID=17878&PN=1&TPN=1

Something really cool that I found, it was too long to copy on here, so heres the link: http://www.positivethoughts.com/inspirational_greeting_card_theroom.htm take the time to read it if you are interested.

Hey, so I thought this was really cool! I received it in an e-mail, anyone who is interested should sign up for a daily  e-mail from www.positivethoughts.com its really cool, but so anyways:

http://www.positivethoughts.com/inspirational_greeting_card_24things.htm

Have you ever gone hiking? When you’re walking in the sunshine, it’s usually pretty easy. Because you can see the path and any obstacles in your way, you can enjoy your surroundings. You can appreciate the beauty of the trees and the plants and the animals. But have you ever tried hiking at night? Most people haven’t. Why not? It’s hard. You can’t really see anything. It’s hard to stay on the path. It’s nearly impossible to avoid the obstacles—you’re likely to run into logs and branches and boulders and who knows what else. It seems crazy that anyone would go hiking at night, doesn’t it? But that’s exactly what God expects us to do.

                 Check out Romans 13:11-14. Here, Paul is talking about how we should conduct ourselves. But notice how he describes the “present time.” What symbol does he use? Hopefully, you’re saying “night.” Now look at what Psalm 84:5 says: “Blessed are those whose strength is in you [God], who have set their hearts on pilgrimage.” Do you see what I’m getting at? God is calling us to a pilgrimage or journey through this world, which is the night. God wants us to go hiking in the dark!

                 At first, that sounds a little crazy. Doesn’t God know how evil this world is? Doesn’t He know how dark it can be? Doesn’t He know how hard it is to stay on track in the dark? Actually, yes—He does. But instead of giving up on the idea, guess what? He’s given us a light. Think about it. If you have a flashlight of lamp when you go hiking in the dark, it’s a lot easier to stay on the path. You can see the obstacles before you run into them. You can even find joy in the hike. God knows that! So He gave us the brightest light He has.

                 What is it? Many of us have heard Psalm 119:105 before—“Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path.” That verse is telling us about that bright light that God has given us. Can you guess what it is? That’s right—it’s the Bible!

I wouldn’t be surprised if you groaned inwardly at that. Most of us would think, “The Bible? I don’t want to hear this.” But stay with me for a second. And check out Proverbs 6:23. Uh-oh! This verse is basically referring to the rules in the Bible. Now, most of us don’t really like rules. We don’t want to follow every command in the Bible. We often wonder why some people would say that we should. But I’ll let you in on a little secret. Are you listening? These rules are only there to help you. “Yeah, right,” you’re probably thinking, “I’ve heard that before.” Try taking it to heart. The only way you can stay on track with God is by using the light He’s given you—by reading your Bible and following everything it says.

Really, that sounds pretty hard. Thankfully, God’s given us the answer to that problem too—“I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength” (Philippians 4:13). With God’s help, we can read our Bibles every day. We can follow the instructions God gives in His Word. If we don’t, we cannot stay on the path God has called us to. We’ll end up doing exactly what Solomon advised against in Proverbs 4:14 when he said, “Do not set foot on the path of the wicked or walk in the way of evil men.” Isn’t it best to follow God?

Sure, it can seem like a pain to follow every command God gives. Sure, you’ll have to change. Sure, it will be hard. But don’t you want to follow God’s plan for you? Don’t you want to do His will? That’s the real reason God wants you to read His Word every day and follow what it says. He wants you to be able to do what He desires. It’s your choice. God’s given you a light for your journey through the dark—will you use it?

by: Jaylynn W. @ www.barlowgirl.com/soundpost

Thought for the Day:

What is beautiful is not always good,

but what is good is always beautiful.

http://www.positivethoughts.com/goodbeautiful.htm

	Wait For Me Rebecca St. James
	I am waiting for Praying for you darling Getting married is something nearly everyone hopes to do at some point. The popularity of dating services and online matchmakers should be proof enough of this. But this is an area where it is very difficult to trust in God’s timing. And when God says wait, it’s easy to want to ignore him. But waiting doesn’t mean giving up; waiting should be a very active time. Even if you haven’t met the spouse God will bless you with, you can pray for him or her. Pray that God will be preparing this person for that day when you meet in the wedding chapel. Pray the same for yourself, and work on building godly character in your life. Take time to serve God in your local church. Take time to learn God’s definition of love. Remember also, "Whatever is good and perfect comes down to us from God our Father" (James 1:17, NLT). Waiting for God’s gifts is far greater than chasing after your own.

Thought that was kinda cool, got it from the devotions section on www.barlowgirl.com/soundpost

http://www.positivethoughts.com/inspirational-greeting-card-thingstokeep.htm

http://www.positivethoughts.com/inspirational-greeting-card-today.htm