My Message

MY MESSAGE

In Through Season of the Heart, John Powell writes, “There’s an old Christian tradition that God sends each person into this world with a special message to deliver a special song to sin for others, a special act of love to bestow”.

“No one else can speak my message, can sing my song or offer my act of love. This is my responsibility; this is entrusted to me”.

Ø     A bit frightening, isn’t it? Especially if I have to answer for how I carried out my mission.

Ø     I shall pass this way but once. Any good deed that I can do, any good word that I can say, let me do it now, let me say it now- for I shall never pass this was again.

Warts and All

WARTS AND ALL

This story is told about Oliver Cromwell. He was sitting for an artist, who was painting a full-length picture of him. When the painting was complete, Cromwell looked at it and saw that the painter had gone out of his way to make Cromwell more handsome than he actually was. For example, Cromwell had warts on his face, but the painter had opted to omit this.

Cromwell would not accept the finished product. He insisted that that the painter do one more portrait, only this time, he was ordered to paint Cromwell, “warts and all”.

ü     We don’t like the ‘warts and all’ part of who we are.

ü     We could easily prefer the painter who can make us look better than we really are.

WHEN JESUS ENTERS

WHEN JESUS ENTERS

A working man was strongly drawn toward a beautiful vase, he saw in a stall down in the town market. He bought the vase and brought it home. The vase was so beautiful that it made his front room look drab, dull, and indeed, plain ugly. So he got bright paints and transformed the whole room. He got colourful curtains to match the paint, a brightly patterned carpet and he even stripped down and varnished the furniture….  Because of the beauty of the vase, the whole room was totally transformed.

ü When Jesus enters my heart, the areas in need of attention become oh, so obvious.

ü Holiness consists in discovering that I’m a much bigger sinner than I ever thought I was! The closer I came to God, the more obvious the contrast. 

Shaped By Life

SHAPED BY LIFE

So big is a novel by Edna Ferber. In the story a young architect named Dick falls in love with a young artist named Dallas. Dallas admits that she lies Dirk, but she just does not love him enough to marry him. The problem she has with Dirk is that he has never had to struggle in his life that he has always got everything handed to him.

She goes on to say that struggle is very necessary for personal growth and wholeness. It gives a person a very special kind of lovable- ness, and it can even be detected in a person’s handshake.

ü        Any compassion I have is direct result of my own struggles and pains.

ü        Any worthwhile growth in my own life has taken place during times of struggle and conflict.

ü        To the fool it’s a problem, to the wise it’s an opportunity.



GOD'S PLAN 4 US

GOD’S PLAN FOR US

Once upon a time three young trees were growing side by side in a huge plantation. With typical youthful enthusiasm, they shared with one another their hopes for life when they reached maturity.

One hoped to be used in the building of some mansion, so that its grain and quality would be admired by the great and the famous.

The second hoped to form the tallest mast in the most beautiful sailing ship, thus gaining full attention as it sailed into any port.

The third hoped to be part of some big public spectacle, well out in the open, so that passer-by would stop and look on in wonder.

The reality for the trees according to the legend was:

-                           The first was cut down and part of it was used to make a trough for animals and it later became a manger in a stable.

-                           The second was cut down, and part of it was used to make a very simple fishing boat that spent a lot of its times tied up on the shores of the Sea of Galilee.

-                           The third was cut down and part of it was used to form the beams of a cross, which was used for crucifixion.

Ø Despite the dreams of each individual tree, God had a personal plan and purpose for each.

Ø The ideal is to be available for God to use me in any way He chooses to establish, to promote and to build up the kingdom of His Son Jesus Christ.

Preaching the BIBLE

PREACHING THE BIBLE

A chaplain on a battlefield came across a young man who was lying in a small hole, seriously wounded. “Would you like me to read you something from this book, the Bible?” he answered, “I’m thirsty; I’d rather have a drink of water”, the soldier said. Hurrying away the chaplain soon brought the water. Then the wounded man said, “Could you put something under my head?”



The chaplain took off his overcoat, rolled it up, and gently placed it under the man’s head for a pillow. “Now”, said the suffering man, “if I just had something over me – I’m cold.” The chaplain immediately removed his jacket and put it over the wounded man to keep him warm. Then the soldier looked the chaplain straight in the eye and said, “If there’s anything in that book that makes a man do for another all that you have done for me, then please read it, because I’d love to hear it.”



 If my actions don’t speak of Gospel values, be sure my words never will.

 What affects people most is often caught rather that taught.

Determination 

You have got to get up every morning with determination if you are going to go to bed with satisfaction. 

- George Lorimer

Failure will never overtake me if my determination to succeed is strong enough. 

- Og Mandino

the difference between the impossible and the possible lies in a man's determination. 

- Tommy Lasorda

There is no chance, no destiny, no fate that can circumvent or hinder or control the firm resolve of a determined soul. 

- Ella Wheeler Wilcox

Determination is the wake-up call to the human will. 

- Anthony Robbins