Every Good and perfect Gift

The bible says that every good and perfect gift comes down from the Father above.
Sometimes the gift is wrapped so peculiarly that we do not recognize it as something good we receive it there is a loathing that comes over our souls.
But still its a gift and God only gives gifts that are useful doesn't waste time on the trivial.
Take for instance the earthworm not very beautiful but oh so useful our gardens helps break down things in the soil and fertilizes the ground.
Its not beautiful to look at like a peacock or Cardinal but still it has its purpose.
The same is true for the rabbit that so irritates all the Farmer McGregors in the world .They are also useful for fertilizing the fields and
pruning things.They are great for pot roasting.But somehow they just don't seem as useful when they have just enjoyed your new row of peas or carrots.Or when you go out to pick the cabbage and there are bunny marks all over it.
Things that bring change may sometimes bring destruction as well.
An old dilapidated house may be a family heirloom but then it may also be
despised by the neighborhood.
So can it be with gifts from God.
The gift of the Holy Ghost is our ticket to heaven.Its the special gift purchased by the grace of Jesus Christ.The death of Jesus did not seem so wonderful to those who stood near the hillside of Golgotha that day.The beatings and abuse our Lord endured were not the image of benevolence.But on the third day when He arose from the tomb and was seen in the city and beheld by the disciples there was great joy.That gift that seemed so destructive had brought forth a miricle.
The beautiful flower has to die in order to bring forth the precious seed for the next seasons gift of glorious array.
The same with us.We have to die to self in order to live as Christ.
What seems good in the sight of man may very well be the thing that needs to be
destroyed in their hearts in order to become what God has instore.
I love this scripture.
Psalms 116:15
Precious in the sight of the Lord[is]the death of His saints.
Death in its magnitude is not pretty.In facts its one of the ugliest things in the world.Many people die a gruesome death.But to Jesus when one of His children dies it is not gruesome but precious.
Gods gifts are not all easy to look upon but all are necessary and
all are in His plan.
Be blessed and learn how to thank God in every situation and for all things.
One day we shall see Him face to face and all shall be revealed.

The Smell of Success

The Smell of Success

Wow! What is that smell I ask as we arrived
at church for prayer meeting?
The doors and windows of the church were swung open
wide to let the fresh air in.
I found a chair and began to send up my chorus of
praise and worship to Jesus yet the hindrance of
that smell continually assaulted me.
I kept thinking about what to do to escape the
wrath of it all.
Finally I decided to use kleenex and pray
with it sufficiently folded up over my nose.
I am sure it was a sight to those around me but
I never have cared much about appearance to others
as much as how I appear to God.
I looked over at my pastors wife and she was doing
the same thing. It was such a funny sight that
I ended up hiding my face mostly behind the kleenex
to keep from laughing publicly.
Low and behold I leaned over to my friend and
whispered, “This would really preach wouldn’t it?
We could entitle it Stench in the Nostrils of God.
Or better yet since we are praying we could stop and
prophecy against the Dung Gate."
Then I really had to hold my kleenex just right because peels
of laughter roared forth. And being a ministers wife

I need to uphold a certain standard.
Isn’t that just like God to take a bad situation
and make something good out of it?
The bible says laughter doeth good like medicine.
Jesus knows I sure could use the laughter and medicine
right now as I have been going through an
especially fiery trial of faith.
Hours slip into days and days slip into
years and I know that like the smell left the
premises this too shall pass.
Oh yeah, and the plumbing is fixed now so we
Can get back to serious prayer.

The Special Place

There is a place before the throne of God
and I know that when I pray that I go there.
Its a special place where I can sense the smoke rising from the incense
and I can feel a holy hush all around me.
I can see in my mind the shine of the sea of glass.
I know that the Cheribums are in attendance.
Its the special place where I am alone with my Savior.
Its a place waiting for me daily.
All throughout the day I feel a calling to the special place.
Things are done routinely just to take up the day awaiting for the
chance to to arrive at that place.
No one else is there but God and I and all the cares of the day
disapear as I focus on the Master and tell Him of my love.
One day I won't have to leave that special place anymore.
I will be able to worship for eternity.
For now I will have to be satisfied with visits but one day
I will reside forever in
that special place that Jesus has prepared.

Gods Mail

I had this awesome thought while I was praying at church.
What if we had to sort through Gods mail?
I began to imagine what it might consist of.
Surely it has to mostly be requests.
"Dear God,
I need you to give me the money to pay my utility bill by Friday or they are cutting me off. Love always," Susie.
"Oh God","Oh God","Oh God please don't forget about me.You know the bible promises you would never leave me nor forsake me.Love always and I know you are going to stick by your word," Eddie.
"Dear God can you give me five hundred dollars by tonight? Always your servant, " Joan.
Well this really began to sink deep inside my heart until
I decided that my prayer meeting tonight would take a turn for the best.
Instead of coming to God belly aching and begging and asking tons of things
I decided to come before him like the bible says in praise and thanksgiving without a hidden agenda.
I mean face it all the prayer seminars I have been to could have been easily
summed up in one statement,"How to extract just what you need from Jesus
in five easy steps."
Just so this doesn't turn into a Dave Barry type commentary(and hey no disrespect) let me add that I am sure God gets tired of it as well.
What if every time you met with someone for coffee they were asking you
to give them money or do something for them?
The conversation never turns to good things but always one sided and then without even waiting for your answer they just get up and leave and you even get to pay
the bill.
Whew! I feel convicted about all those times the free coffee drinker bore a likeness to me.
So anyway I have decided to pray more positively and spend genuine time talking with my friend Jesus.After all the whole reason I am a christian is not because I want everything handed to me.Its because I want to hold the hand of the most
awesome and only God in the whole universe.The neat thing is He wants to hold mine back.I am convinced of it.I just need to learn that this relationship is not onesided and Jesus is not my bellboy.lv Dana

Dana's Garden

Dana's Garden