From: "Dwayne Savaya" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Gods Work Ministry Inspirational and Encouragement E-Mail
Dear Friend, We should never go through the negative or unpleasant situations in our life thinking there can never come any good from them. Every day that we are alive we are guaranteed to learn something new and grow in wisdom and understanding. A quote that many people adhere to simply says "live and learn". We must look back at what we went through in the past and count those situations as lessons learned to better our life and understanding presently and in the future to come. The Bible declares in Proverbs 9:9-10 "Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be yet wiser: teach a just man and he will increase in learning. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the Holy is understanding." (2 Corinthians 4:15) I hope you are both encouraged and challenged by this light hearted story to allow yourself to learn and expand from what you don't already know. MEAT AND LEAVES BOILED There was only one thing I didn't like about Mom's corned beef and cabbage: the cabbage. The corned beef part was great. I didn't even mind the fact that it was cooked with the cabbage. I could deal with that, but the cabbage part...no way! Not that I had anything specifically against cabbage. Mom made a coleslaw that was out of this world, and I liked raw cabbage as part of a salad. So I was not intolerant of cabbage as a general rule, but in corned beef and cabbage, the cabbage is cooked -- boiled, to be more precise. Evidently there are parts of the world where boiling cabbage is thought to be a good idea. But to me it was like... I don't know... boiling lettuce. And whoever heard of eating boiled lettuce? Oh, and in case you're wondering, spinach is different. It's the Popeye Factor. We've seen spinach slide out of the can into Popeye's mouth so many times we've pretty much forgotten that it begins as a crisp, leafy vegetable, as opposed to the limp, slimy canned concoction it eventually becomes. Of course, Mom didn't buy any of that. "There's nothing wrong with cooked cabbage," she said every St. Patrick's day, when she filled the house with the pungent aroma of the traditional Irish dish. "In many parts of the world it is considered a great treat, almost like ice cream." I don't think Mom actually believed that any more than we did. But Dad always ate every bite of corned beef and cabbage, even the cabbage part, with such undeniable relish that I wondered if maybe I was missing out on something. So every year, I tried it again, usually with some new twist intended to trick my taste buds into thinking I was eating something other than a boiled leaf. One year I measured every forkful to make sure I had exactly twice as much corned beef as cabbage. The problem with this technique was that I was out of corned beef by the time the cabbage was only half gone. Another year I tried drowning the cabbage in red wine vinegar, which only succeeded in replacing one strong, unpleasant taste with another. Year-by-year, I kept tweaking with different additives and combinations. Some worked, most didn't. One time my big brother Bud had me convinced that corned beef and cabbage was just a fancy version of hot dogs and sauerkraut, and the whole dish would taste like a trip to the ball park if I covered it with ketchup, mustard and relish. Bud lied. Still, Mom made me eat all of it while Bud watched, and laughed. The interesting thing is that, somehow through all those years of trial, error and ketchup-covered tragedy, I seem to have developed a taste for corned beef and cabbage. I don't know if my taster matured to the point that I could finally appreciate the heady mix of textures and flavors, or if it finally succumbed after being drowned in a sea of mustard and red wine vinegar. For whatever reason, every year about this time I get a hankering for meat and leaves...boiled. Looking back, it seems there are a lot of things I didn't really appreciate in my youth that I later grew to enjoy, even to savor: Going to church, Frank Sinatra, sitting in a room with loved ones and just talking, hugging and being hugged. As we grow, we learn, and as we learn, sometimes we change. Even if it isn't always a treat, like ice cream. By Joseph Walker Read and meditate on these scriptures: Proverbs 1:7-9 "The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction. My son, hear the instruction of thy father, and forsake not the law of thy mother: For they shall be an ornament of grace unto thy head, and chains about thy neck." Proverbs 3:13-16 "Happy is the man that findeth wisdom, and the man that getteth understanding. For the merchandise of it is better than the merchandise of silver, and the gain thereof than fine gold. She is more precious than rubies: and all the things thou canst desire are not to be compared unto her. Length of days is in her right hand; and in her left hand riches and honour." Psalm 145:14-19 "The LORD upholdeth all that fall, and raiseth up all those that be bowed down. The eyes of all wait upon Thee; and Thou givest them their meat in due season. Thou openest Thine hand, and satisfiest the desire of every living thing. The LORD is righteous in all His ways, and Holy in all His works. The LORD is nigh unto all them that call upon Him, to all that call upon Him in truth. He will fulfil the desire of them that fear Him: He also will hear their cry, and will save them." Psalm 37:4-7 "Delight thyself also in the LORD; and He shall give thee the desires of thine heart. Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in Him; and He shall bring it to pass. And He shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light, and thy judgment as the noonday. Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for Him..." All of these scriptures can be found in the King James Version Bible. Today's Selected Poem: EVEN IF Click here to read --- http://www.Godswork.org/enpoem108.htm Today's Selected Testimony: TESTIMONY OF GOD'S LOVE Click here to read --- http://www.Godswork.org/testimony150.htm ========================================================= Gods Work Ministry Inspirational and Encouragement E-Mail Dear Friend, We are to always keep in mind that today is the best day of our lives. No matter the struggles or hardships that come our way, we are to see the good in every situation and do our best to get the most out of what we've been given. It is easy to think that our happiness and sense of peace lies somewhere in the future, and in a certain moment of time we will be content and completely fulfilled in our life. We need to realize that in this day is where our happiness lies and where our peace is waiting to be received. Jesus says in John 14:27 "Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid." The Lord who has worked all things out for our good wants for us to stand in our peace and know that He has well-equipped us to prosper and be blessed in this day. The Bible says in Psalm 118:24 "This is the day which the LORD hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it." Be encouraged to see the good and know that within your spirit lies every tool that is required for you to receive and rest in your peace, joy and contentment. (2 Timothy 3:14-17) (John 16:23-24) (1 Timothy 6:6-8) I hope you are encouraged by today's message to stand in who you are today and fulfill every dream and aspiration that is within your heart. BLOSSOM WHERE YOU ARE The church was packed for the Easter Sunday sermon that Reverend Pat Henry was about to deliver. It has been said that Rev. Pat has the gift to heal the sick through prayer. Many years ago, I was in the hospital recuperating from abdominal surgery and experiencing great pain in the process. With the laying of the hands, Rev. Pat prayed over me, and when he left my hospital room that afternoon, I remember feeling a calmness wash over me I'd never felt before. So there I was, years later, fully recuperated and healthy, surrounded by the beauty of Easter lilies, but feeling a bit depleted in spirit. As a writer, my creative confidence was on the wane. I hadn't written anything fulfilling in weeks, which left a jumble of mismatched stirrings that had no focus, only a source of frustration, as I'd sit down to a blank computer screen. When Rev. Pat finished reading the Gospel that Easter Sunday morning, he stepped away from the podium and walked toward the center aisle of church. With out-stretched arms, he faced the standing-room-only crowd of church goers and simply said: "Blossom Where You Are." He then bowed his head for a moment and returned to the altar. There was no lengthy sermon, just four little words that spoke volumes to my depressed outlook. And in that moment, I realized God had done it again! Whenever I doubt myself, as I did that morning, I ask God for a sign, and He never disappoints in sending me a message that lifts me up and keeps me going. It was then that I was reminded just how blessed I truly am. Thanks to His gentle nudging, I have persevered in my writing career, even though there are times I still imagine my mentors fulfilling every moment of their lives with a wealth of creativity. God has given me a gift, blessing me with a love for words and a venue to share what's in my heart. And when I doubt my abilities, He finds a way to reach my heart and touch my soul, as He did with the soft spoken Reverend whose healing came with the words to lift my sagging spirit. We cannot look to others to define ourselves. We all possess the rays of hope and potential that cause our own personal stars to shine. How brightly they shine is up to us. The Lord chose the day we celebrate Jesus' rising from the dead to compel me to rise above my own stale set of circumstances that were weighing me down. "Blossom Where You Are!" Those words of wisdom give me reason to look in the mirror each morning and thank God for His constant guidance and for His unending patience to help me not only accept the person I am, but to strive to be the best of who I've yet to become, so I may fully appreciate the person I'm meant to be. By Kathy Whirity Always keep in mind that today is the best day of your life. Never believe the lie of the enemy that your happiness is waiting for you in some future event that is yet to take place. Your happiness is waiting for you to take hold of it now and receive all that God has in store for you. Read and meditate on these scriptures: Psalm 40:1-4 "I waited patiently for the LORD; and He inclined unto me, and heard my cry. He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings. And He hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God: many shall see it, and fear, and shall trust in the LORD. Blessed is that man that maketh the LORD his trust, and respecteth not the proud, nor such as turn aside to lies." Psalm 37:3-5 "Trust in the LORD, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed. Delight thyself also in the LORD; and He shall give thee the desires of thine heart. Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in Him; and He shall bring it to pass." Joshua 1:9 "Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the LORD thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest." 2 Timothy 3:16-17 "All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works." All of these scriptures can be found in the King James Version Bible. Today's Selected Poem: DON'T LOOK BACK Click here to read --- http://www.Godswork.org/enpoem152.htm Today's Selected Testimony: FROM PRISON TO PRAISE Click here to read --- http://www.Godswork.org/testimony8.htm In Christ's Service, Dwayne Savaya Gods Work Ministry Please feel free to visit the Website to read more Encouraging and Inspirational stories, poems and testimonies. Our E-mail Archives are available as well to read the messages that have been sent in the past. You can also send Free E-cards to friends and loved ones with the many choices available. You are also welcome to post your prayer requests in our Prayer Forum. All this and more available at --- http://www.Godswork.org You can also send prayer requests to --- [EMAIL PROTECTED] Add your E-mail address if you'd like correspondence with the prayer partners. . 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