XOXOXOXO
AMY
I FOUND ANOTHER LOVELY BOOK, HARD BOUND, FOR .35 CENTS AT THE THRIFT
STORE. LUCKY FOR ME, THEY ALWAYS PUT THE CHRISTIAN BOOKS ON SALE.
THIS BOOK IS TITLED 'GOD'S ABUNDANCE-----365 DAYS TO A SIMPLER LIFE.
WOW! COULD WE NOT ALL USE A SIMPLER LIFE. I KNOW I DO.
BEFORE I EVEN FOUND THIS BOOK, I WROTE DOWN ON A PIECE OF PAPER
EVERYONE THAT HURT ME, ALL THE THINGS THAT HAD HELD ME BACK
BECAUSE OF BEING ANGRY AND HURT...FOR AS FAR BACK AS I CAN
REMEMBER AND THEN I ASK GOD TO FORGIVE ME FOR HARBORING THIS
HURT AND ANGER. THEN I TOOK THE PAPER AND FOLDED IT AS SMALL AS I COULD
AND BURIED IT IN THE FLOWER BED......."NEVER TO BE REMEMBERED AGAIN."
THEN I FOUND THIS AMAZING BOOK.
GOD'S TIMING
~ROSALIE J. G. MILLS
GOD'S WILL, DONE GOD'S WAY, BY GOD'S APPOINTED
PERSON(S), IN GOD'S TIMING, WILL GET GOD'S RESULTS.
~RON SMEDLEY
"IS IT TIME YET?" THE BUDS ANXIOUSLY ASKED THE MASTER AS HE WALKED
THROUGH HIS GARDEN, GREETING EACH ONE IN TURN. THEY'D BEEN TOLD
OF THE GENTLE BREEZE WHICH, AFTER THEY BLOOMED, WOULD DELICATELY
BRUSH BY, CARRYING THEIR FRAGRANCE TO EXPECTANT NOSES EARNESTLY
ANTICIPATING THE FIRST SIGNS OF SPRING. "NOT QUITE," CAUTIONED THE
MASTER, THEIR CREATOR.
"I WANT TO BLOOM!" COMPLAINED ONE IMPATIENT BUD. "IT'S TIME."
"NOT QUITE YET," CAUTIONED THE MASTER, "JUST A LITTLE LONGER."
"BUT I WANT TO BLOOM NOW!" RETORTED THE BUD, PUSHING OUT OF HER POD.
"I HAD GREAT PLANS FOR YOU," SIGHED THE MASTER.
SUDDENLY A BLAST OF FRIGID AIR CAUGHT THE NEW FLOWER BY SURPRISE.
SHE TRIED TO RETURN TO HER POD, BUT WAS LEFT AT THE MERCY OF THE
MERCILESS WIND.
"MASTER, HELP ME!" CRIED THE LITTLE FLOWER, SHIVERING IN THE COLD.
"I CAN'T," HE REPLIED SADLY. "YOU BLOOMED TOO EARLY, AND NOW MUST
ENDURE THE COLD UNPROTECTED."
THE LITTLE FLOWER SHIVERED AS HER PETALS FELL, VICTIMS OF THE LAST
FROST. "IF ONLY YOU HAD WAITED," WEPT THE MASTER. "IF ONLY YOU
HAD LISTENED."
SOON THE MASTER'S VOICE CALLED, "COME TO ME MY FLOWERS. IT'S TIME TO
BLOSSOM." A FEARFUL BUD PEEPED OUT CAUTIOUSLY. HE HEARD THE
MASTER, BUT HIS EYES FELL ON THE FALLEN PETALS OF THE IMPATIENT
FLOWER AND HE PULLED BACK INTO HIS POD. I'LL WAIT HERE UNTIL I'M SURE
THE FROST IS OVER, HE THOUGHT.
NOW DEEPLY SURROUNDED BY HIS FEAR, HE COULDN'T HEAR THE MASTER'S
FINAL CALL, "THE WINTER IS OVER, COME TO ME AND BLOSSOM, MY
FLOWERS.
AS HE SAID THIS, ONE PATIENTLY WAITING FLOWER HEARD A MELODY SO
SWEET THE BIRDS HUSHED THEIR SINGING. STRETCHING OUT OF HER POD,
HER RADIANT BLOSSOMS FLOODED THE AIR WITH FRAGRANCE AND THE
AFTERNOON BREEZE CARESSED HER PETALS WITH LIFE-GIVING WARMTH AS
SHE BASKED IN THE MASTER'S PRESENCE.
"I'M HERE, LITTLE FLOWER, TO ADD YOU TO THE BOUQUET AT THE FATHER'S
TABLE." THE NEW FLOWER QUAKED WITH DELIGHT AS THE MASTER GENTLY
CUT HER LOOSE FROM THE BUSH. "WE'RE MISSING TWO FLOWERS," HE SAID.
"ONE BLOOMED TOO QUICKLY AND FROZE IN WINTER'S FINAL BLAST, AND
THE OTHER WILTED, AFRAID TO COME OUT OF HIS BUD. BUT YOU HAVE
BLOSSOMED EXACTLY ON TIME, AND TO PERFECTION. THE FATHER
WILL BE VERY PLEASED."
HE LOOKED SADLY AT THE FROZEN PETALS AND THE WILTED BUD; BOTH HAD
FALLEN TO THE GROUND. AS HE STOOPED TO RETRIEVE THEM, HE SAID,
"STILL, I CAN USE THESE TO FERTILIZE THE GROUND FOR NEXT YEAR'S BLOSSOMS."
AND HE WALKED INTO THE FATHER'S HOUSE, CARRYING THE BEAUTIFULLY
BLOOMING FLOWER.
HOW OFTEN DO WE IMPATIENTLY PUSH AHEAD, NOT WAITING FOR THE LORD'S
PERFECT TIMING, OR WE PROCRASTINATE, AFRAID OF FAILING? INSTEAD
LET US BLOOM RIGHT ON TIME. IF THERE'S AN AREA OF YOUR LIFE IN WHICH
GOD SEEMS TO BE WORKING TOO SLOW, CAN YOU BELIEVE HE KNOWS THE BEST
WAY? THEN YOU'LL EXPERIENCE THE ABUNDANT LIFE, ELIMINATING DISTRUST
AND HURRY.
BUT I TRUST IN YOU, O LORD;
I SAY, "YOU ARE MY GOD."
MY TIMES ARE IN YOUR HANDS....
~PSALM 31:14-15
PLANT YOUR FAVORITE FLOWER SEEDS AND MEDITATE ON SOME AREA
OF YOUR LIFE WHERE YOU'RE NOT WAITING PEACEFULLY FOR THE
FATHER'S "GO-AHEAD."
THERE ARE SO MANY FRIENDS IN NEED OF PRAYER:
GYPSY LULU, NOELLE, JANNA, ELISABETH & ROY, TERRY'S MOTHER, STRENGTH
FOR TERRY, LADY KATHERINE, SHARON AND BARBARA, ANASTASIA, BEKAH,
JEFF & ROBBI, GINA, PAT, SHAUNA, JACKIE, TERESA, ARCHEE, JOHNNY, JOHN,
MICHELLE, CLYTIE, LYNN, BETTY'S SON, PASTOR MARNEY'S DAD, KRISTIE, CAROLE,
NITA, JAMIE, BEVERLY, SWEET ANN, TED'S JOB, HOLLY, WILL, CASS, GLORIA, JESSIE,
LEILA AND KORBI, ME AND MY DH, OUR DOG SAMMY, ALL THOSE WHO NEED A JOB,
ALL THOSE WHOSE HOMES ARE IN FORECLOSURE, HAITI,
WE LIFT EVERYONE OF YOU INTO GOD'S THRONE ROOM OF MERCY AND GRACE,
INCLUDING OUR PRECIOUS MILITARY.
AS ALWAYS GRACIE ANNE AND I THANK YOU
FOR SPENDING A PART OF YOUR DAY WITH US.
YOU ARE SO VERY IMPORTANT TO US AND WE HOPE
YOU FOUND SOME ENCOURAGEMENT TODAY AND FELT
THE LOVE OF THE LORD.
SIMPLY DEBBIE