In God's Will

As I awake today where shall I go?

When I get there will I even know?
What does God want me to see?
I wonder, just what He wants me to be?

I long to just serve Him and not to seek fame.
I want Him to love me and know me by name.
I'll swim any river or climb any hill
I just want to please him and be in God's will

JMc

Please go to this web site for a wonderful movie about God's Will.

http://www.inspiringthots.net/movie/wog.php

The Trap

A mouse looked through the crack in the wall to see the farmer

and his wife open a package.

What food might this contain?

He was devastated to discover it was a mousetrap.

Retreating to the farmyard, the mouse proclaimed the warning,

"There is a mousetrap in the house! There is a mousetrap in the

house!"

The chicken clucked and scratched, raised her head and said,

"Mr. Mouse, I can tell this is a grave concern to you, but it is

of no consequence to me. I cannot be bothered by it."

The mouse turned to the pig and told him, "There is a mousetrap

in the house."

The pig sympathized but said, "I am so very sorry, Mr. Mouse,

but there is nothing I can do about it but pray. Be assured you

are in my prayers."

The mouse turned to the cow. She said, "Wow, Mr. Mouse. I'm

sorry for you but it's no skin off my nose."

So, the mouse returned to the house, head down and dejected to

face the farmer's mousetrap alone.

That very night a sound was heard throughout the house; like the

sound of a mousetrap catching its prey.

The farmer's wife rushed to see what was caught. In the

darkness, she did not see it was a venomous snake whose tail the

trap had caught.

The snake bit the farmer's wife. The farmer rushed her to the

hospital and she returned home with a fever. Everyone knows you

treat a fever with fresh chicken soup, so the farmer took his

hatchet to the farmyard for the soup's main ingredient.

But his wife's sickness continued, so friends and neighbors came

to sit with her around the clock. To feed them, the farmer

butchered the pig.

The farmer's wife did not get well; she died. So many people

came for her funeral that the farmer had the cow slaughtered to

provide enough meat for all of them.

So, the next time you hear someone is facing a problem and think

it doesn't concern you, remember when one of us is threatened,

we are all at risk.

In the book of Genesis, Cain said this about Abel, his brother,

to our God: "Am I my brother's keeper?"

We are all involved in this journey called life. We must keep

an eye out for one another and make an extra effort to encourage

one another.

REMEMBER: EACH OF US IS A VITAL THREAD IN ANOTHER PERSON'S

TAPESTRY; OUR LIVES ARE WOVEN TOGETHER FOR A REASON.

~Author Unknown~

Expect The Unexpected!

"Beware in your prayers, above everything else, of limiting God, not only by unbelief, but by fancying that you know what He can do. Expect unexpected things, ‘above all that we ask or think’. Each time, before you Intercede, be quiet first, and worship God in His glory. Think of what He can do, and how He delights to hear the prayers of His redeemed people. Think of your place and privilege in Christ, and expect great things!" - Andrew Murray



Pray possibility into the impossible, hope into the hopeless, strength into the weak, healing into the terminal, and love into the unloved ... Wait for His response, being alert, and be prepared to give thanks to Him for the unexpected ways that He will answer your prayers.

A CHOSEN VESSEL

The Master was searching for a vessel to use;

On the shelf there were many - which one would He choose?

Take me, cried the gold one, I'm shiny and bright,

I'm of great value and I do things just right.

My beauty and luster will outshine the rest

And for someone like You, Master, gold would be the best!

The Master passed on with no word at all;

He looked at a silver urn, narrow and tall;

I'll serve You, dear Master, I'll pour out Your wine

And I'll be at Your table whenever You dine,

My lines are so graceful, my carvings so true,

And my silver will always compliment You.

Unheeding the Master passed on to the brass,

It was wide mouthed and shallow, and polished like glass.

Here! Here! cried the vessel, I know I will do,

Place me on Your table for all men to view.

Look at me, called the goblet of crystal so clear,

My transparency shows my contents so dear,

Though fragile am I, I will serve You with pride,

And I'm sure I'll be happy in Your house to abide.

The Master came next to a vessel of wood,

Polished and carved, it solidly stood.

You may use me, dear Master, the wooden bowl said,

But I'd rather You used me for fruit, not for bread!

Then the Master looked down and saw a vessel of clay.

Empty and broken it helplessly lay.

No hope had the vessel that the Master might choose,

To cleanse and make whole, to fill and to use.

Ah! This is the vessel I've been hoping to find,

I will mend and use it and make it all Mine.

I need not the vessel with pride of its self;

Nor the one who is narrow to sit on the shelf;

Nor the one who is bigmouthed and shallow and loud;

Nor one who displays his contents so proud;

Not the one who thinks he can do all things just right;

But this plain earthy vessel filled with My power and might.

Then gently He lifted the vessel of clay.

Mended and cleansed it and filled it that day.

Spoke to it kindly. There's work you must do,

Just pour out to others as I pour into you.

~Author Unknown~

God has a positive answer ...

"Nothing I can do will please Christ more than
my joining Him in daily prayer. And when I do, something happens
in the world that could not happen through any other means."

Dick Eastman

HANDY LITTLE CHART - God has a positive answer:

You say: "It's impossible"

God says: All things are possible

(Luke 18:27)

You say: "I'm too tired"

God says: I will give you rest

(Matthew 11:28-30)

You say: "Nobody really loves me"

God says: I love you

(John 3:16 & John 3:34 )

You say: "I can't go on"

God says: My grace is sufficient

(II Corinthians 12:9 & Psalm 91:15)

You say: "I can't figure things out"

God says: I will direct your steps

(Proverbs 3:5-6)

You say: "I can't do it"

God says: You can do all things

(Philippians 4:13)

You say: "I'm not able"

God says: I am able

(II Corinthians 9:8)

You say: "It's not worth it"

God says: It will be worth it

(Roman 8:28 )

You say: "I can't forgive myself"

God says: I Forgive you

(I John 1:9 & Romans 8:1)

You say: "I can't manage"

God says: I will supply all your needs

(Philippians 4:19)

You say: "I'm afraid"

God says: I have not given you a spirit of fear

(II Timothy 1:7)

You say: "I'm always worried and frustrated"

God says: Cast all your cares on ME

(I Peter 5:7)

You say: "I'm not smart enough"

God says: I give you wisdom

(I Corinthians 1:30)

You say: "I feel all alone"

God says: I will never leave you or forsake you

(Hebrews 13:5)

"Waiting To Talk To You'”

As you got up this morning, I watched you, and hoped you would talk to me,even if it was just a few words, asking my opinion or thanking me for something good that happened in your life yesterday. But I noticed you were too busy, trying to find the right outfit to wear. When you ran around the
house getting ready, I knew there would be a few minutes for you to stop and say hello, but you were too busy. At one point you had to wait fifteen minutes with nothing to do except sit in a chair. Then I saw you spring to your feet. I thought you wanted to talk to me, but you ran to the phone and called a friend to get the latest gossip instead.

I watched patiently all day long. With all your activities, I guess you were too busy to say anything to me. I noticed that before lunch you looked around, maybe you felt embarrassed to talk to me, that is why you didn't bow your head. You glanced three or four tables over and noticed some of your friends talking to me briefly before they ate, but you didn't. That's okay. There is still more time left, and I hope that you will talk to me yet.

You went home and it seems as if you had lots of things to do. After a few of them were done, you turned on the TV. I don't know if you like TV or not, just about anything goes there and you spend a lot of time each day in front of it not thinking about anything, just enjoying the show. I waited patiently again as you watched the TV and ate your meal, but again you didn't talk to me.
Bedtime I guess you felt too tired. After you said goodnight to your family you plopped into bed and fell asleep in no time. That's okay because you may
not realize that I am always there for you… I've got patience, more than you will ever know… I even want to teach you how to be patient with others as well.

I love you so much that I wait everyday for a nod, prayer or thought, or a thankful part of your heart. It is hard to have a one-sided conversation. Well, you are getting up once again. Once again I will wait, with nothing but love for you. Hoping that today you will give me some time.

Have a nice day!

Your friend, GOD

Can You Hear Me Now?

Remember the commercial for a cell phone company where the guy walks into all kinds of different places to see if his voice can be heard from each location? Also think of the expression on his face as he asks the question "can you hear me now". When he asks the question there is a look of uncertainty on his face and he stops to wait for a reply. When he hears a response, a confirmation that his voice has been heard, a smile comes to his face and he begins to move forward again.

This is how many people view their prayers to God. They stop just long enough to question if God hears their prayers; they wait for a tangible reply before they move on - satisfied that their prayers have been heard. If they don't get a tangible reply immediately they think that God hasn't heard their prayers. They question if they were somewhere down the path of life where "the signal" was distorted by local disturbances.

Unlike sometimes-unreliable cell phone transmission, our loving and faithful God hears every prayer lifted to him in faith, at any time (even nights and weekends), from any location. It is in the faith of that ever present line of communication we can depend and know without a doubt that God has heard our prayers. If we don't get a response right away it doesn't mean that God hasn't heard the prayer or that he will not respond. This delay of transmission just means that God has selected a perfect time, different than what we are expecting, to respond to our prayers.

As we learn to trust that are prayers are always heard and will be replied to we can walk along the high paths and the low paths of our lives with a smile on our face that God is walking beside us listening and replying to our thoughts of praise and concern. We need not cease our forward movement to wait for a reply - we need only to listen and respond.

He could hear you then, He can hear you now, and He will hear you into eternity - loud and clear!

JMc

How can I pray for you?