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[email received today ... powerful] Did you ever hear of the legend of the Cherokee Indian youth's rite of passage?
His father takes him into the forest, blindfolds him and leaves him alone.
He is required to sit on a stump the whole night and not remove the blindfold until the rays of the morning sun shine through it.
He cannot cry out for help to anyone. Once he survives the night, he is a MAN.
He cannot tell the other boys of this experience because each lad must come into manhood on his own.
The boy is naturally terrified.
He can hear all kinds of noises.
Wild beasts must surely be all around him.
Maybe even some human might do him harm.
The wind blew the grass and earth, and shook his stump, but he sat stoically, never removing the blindfold.
It would be the only way he could become a man!
Finally, after a horrific night, the sun appeared and he removed his blindfold.
It was then that he discovered his father sitting on the stump next to him.
He had been at watch the entire night, protecting his son from harm.
We, too, are never alone.
Even when we don't know it, our Heavenly Father is watching over us, sitting on the stump beside us.
When trouble comes, all we have to do is reach out to Him.
Moral of the Story:
Just because you can't see God, doesn't mean He is not there .
"For we walk by faith, not by sight." ~ 2 Corinthians 5:7 ~
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God Creates and We Nurture! Creation is the biggest miracle ever. Ask any mother how she felt while carrying a child within her, and her first reaction to her new born child. It is a wonderful, unimaginable miracle. But how does God create? God creates by His Word. He spoke things into existence. 33:9 For he spoke, and it came to be; he commanded, and it stood forth. I heard this story on a TV show I was watching late at night. I don't remember the show, or who told this story, but it gave me a clear understanding about how God creates. Now on to the story... Let's say that I wanted a watermelon. I can take a packet of seeds, open the packet, and pour out the seeds. But does that give me a watermelon? No, they are only seeds. A scientist can examine the seeds. He can tell you the chemistry make-up of the seeds. But does that give me a watermelon? No, he can't make a watermelon. If I plant the seeds, they are still seeds, but buried in the ground. I can nuture the ground... water and weed the ground... to help the seeds grow into watermelon. But even then, I may not get a watermelon. What these seeds have that produces watermelon goes back to the beginning of time. What makes these seeds into watermelon is the voice of God that says, "You are a watermelon, grow and produce watermelon." 33:9 For he gave the word, and it was done; by his order it was fixed for ever. Now the growth of a plant from a seed is a miracle of God's doing, but you must prepare the ground, weed and water the area. Otherwise, the plant dies of thirst, or is choked and crowded out by the weeds. Miracles are God's doing, but we must nurture them to make it complete. 2:15 And the Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to do work in it and take care of it. God created you! You are a miracle! But you need to be nurtured. You need to be weeded and watered. Are you growing closer to God? Are you being nurtured from God's Word? Are you weeding yourself, so that you flourish and grow?
1:5 Now therefore thus saith the LORD of hosts; Consider your ways. 1:6 Ye have sown much, and bring in little; ye eat, but ye have not enough; ye drink, but ye are not filled with drink; ye clothe you, but there is none warm; and he that earneth wages earneth wages [to put it] into a bag with holes. 1:7 Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Consider your ways. As you live your life as a follower of Christ, make absolutely sure you are doing what you can to allow the miracle to flourish within you.
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MOTHERS and MOMS
This is for the mothers who have sat up all night with sick toddlers in their arms, wiping up barf laced with Oscar Mayer wieners and cherry Kool-Aid saying, 'It's okay honey, Mommy's here.'
Who have sat in rocking chairs for hours on end soothing crying babies who can't be comforted.
This is for all the mothers who show up at work with spit-up in their hair and milk stains on their blouses and diapers in their purse.
For all the mothers who run carpools and make cookies and sew Halloween costumes. And all the mothers who DON'T.
This is for the mothers who gave birth to babies they'll never see. And the mothers who took those babies and gave them homes.
This is for the mothers whose priceless art collections are hanging on their refrigerator doors.
And for all the mothers who froze their buns on metal bleachers at football or soccer games instead of watching from the warmth of their cars..
And that when their kids asked, 'Did you see me, Mom?' they could say, 'Of course, I wouldn't have missed it for the world,' and mean it.
This is for all the mothers who yell at their kids in the grocery store and swat them in despair when they stomp their feet and scream for ice cream before dinner.
And for all the mothers who count to ten instead, but realize how child abuse happens.
This is for all the mothers who sat down with their children and explained all about making babies. And for all the (grand)mothers who wanted to, but just couldn't find the words.
This is for all the mothers who go hungry, so their children can eat.
For all the mothers who read 'Goodnight, Moon' twice a night for a year. And then read it again, 'Just one more time.'
This is for all the mothers who taught their children to tie their shoelaces before they started school. And for all the mothers who opted for Velcro instead.
This is for all the mothers who teach their sons to cook and their daughters to sink a jump shot.
This is for every mother whose head turns automatically when a little voice calls 'Mom?' in a crowd, even though they know their own offspring are at home -- or even away at college -- or have their own families.
This is for all the mothers who sent their kids to school with stomach aches, assuring them they'd be just FINE once they got there, only to get calls from the school nurse an hour later asking them to please pick them up. Right away.
This is for mothers whose children have gone astray, who can't find the words to reach them.
For all the mothers who bite their lips until they bleed when their 14 year olds dye their hair green.
For all the mothers of the victims of recent school shootings, and the mothers of those who did the shooting.
For the mothers of the survivors, and the mothers who sat in front of their TVs in horror, hugging their child who just came home from school, safely.
This is for all the mothers who taught their children to be peaceful, and now pray they come home safely from a war.
What makes a good mother anyway? Is it patience? Compassion? Broad hips? The ability to nurse a baby, cook dinner, and sew a button on a shirt, all at the same time?
Or is it in her heart? Is it the ache she feels when she watches her son or daughter disappear down the street, walking to school alone for the very first time?
The jolt that takes her from sleep to dread, from bed to crib at 2 A.M. to put her hand on the back of a sleeping baby?
The panic, years later, that comes again at 2 A.M. when she just wants to hear their key in the door and know they are safe again in her home?
Or the need to flee from wherever she is and hug her child when she hears news of a fire, a car accident, a child dying?
The emotions of motherhood are universal and so our thoughts are for young mothers stumbling through diaper changes and sleep deprivation....
And for mature mothers learning to let go.
For working mothers and stay-at-home mothers.
Single mothers and married mothers.
Mothers with money, mothers without.
This is for you all. For all of us...
Hang in there. In the end we can only do the best we can. Tell them every day that we love them. And pray and never stop being a mother....
'Home is what catches you when you fall - and we all fall.'
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8:28 We know that in everything God works for good with those who love him, who are called according to his purpose. 8:29 For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the first-born among many brethren. 8:30 And those whom he predestined he also called; and those whom he called he also justified; and those whom he justified he also glorified.
Even though we have ‘free will’ are we still predestined to follow the path God has set before us? We make choices with what the Lord sets before us. Sometimes our choices may not be His choices, yet many times He uses our choices for His benefit. Does that mean we are following His predestined path for us?
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Kelly and I have decided that some of the comments we hear from the ankle biters are too rich not to share....
it's a new blog theme, and this is the Number One entry:
"My daddy has a really bad headache and a tummy ache today, 'cause he drank too much pop last night!"
(Sometimes, it's hard to keep a straight face!)
We've got tons of these....I'll just shoot them at you as I remember them!
PS - I wonder what kind of "Pop" that was?!
OH yea, another one:
On Sunday we get to go to church and sit in the Cemetery! (aka "Sanctuary")
Hmmmmmm......sorry Pasor Bill!
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