From: "Dwayne Savaya" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> God's Work Ministry E-Mail
Dear Friend, No matter how old we may sometimes feel the Lord has us alive in this day for a reason and a purpose. Never believe the lie that your best days are behind you because you have this day and the days ahead to impact your family, neighborhood, state and world for the better. The Bible says that we are more than conquerors through Christ and no weapon formed against us will prosper. We have the ability within us to go out and make great changes where both our life and the lives of those around us will be made better because of our choice to move forward and live as God has intended. Be encouraged to renew your mind and allow your spirit to be revitalized and see yourself enjoying life, helping others, creating beautiful memories and simply making God proud by opening yourself to be used of Him. The Lord is searching for vessels. Make yourself available to Him today. (Acts 26:16) (Psalm 37:23-27) (Romans 8:37) (Isaiah 54:17) (Isaiah 6:8) I hope this message both inspires and challenges your heart to continue living your life no matter how young or old you may be. The Lord has you on this earth for a purpose and it is your duty to seek Him and search Him for that purpose to be made clear. (Jeremiah 29:12-13) MIDLIFE CRISIS A glance in the mirror. Simple. Yet altering somehow. I am not the child I once was - yet I can still see him there - bright - happy - outgoing. But wait, I pause to truly see the me I am today - lines and crevices mar the unspoiled face of childhood mirroring the many paths I could have chosen. I am not sixteen, I am not twenty, and I am no longer thirty-five. Time has marched across my features and I can scarcely remember the Never Neverland of childish imaginings. Yet as I continue to gaze in the reflection I see the features of family older and wiser in the shape and contour of my face. These family members gaze at me knowingly and understand the path I tread. A few of these family members remain while others reside in my memory only. One day these gathered in my mind will be the stuff of legend with a bit of fable thrown in. Family stories will be passed along to those who never knew the flesh and blood reality. Given enough time most will be forgotten. This chance encounter with the me in the mirror brings about a mid-life crisis of sorts. And I find myself needing to make a choice. I can attempt to mimic the me I recall in faulty memory or I can attempt to honor the memory of those I have known by being more like them. Yet neither choice seems entirely agreeable. Perhaps there is another choice. The good old days are often the best of memories sifted often and embellished with time. The future holds much - promise, dreams, adventure, danger, new generations who do not see eye to eye with the past, declining health, perhaps loss of job, loss of memory and loss of my spouse. My life is neither at the beginning and it may not be at the end. God delights in the heart of a child, so I choose that heart - God delights in maturity, so I chose this path. God gave Moses his greatest assignment at the age of 80, Abraham became a parent at 100, Paul and John wrote significant words later in life. Through aches and pains - flesh thorns and heartache God used these men. I will not cower at the thought of the coming years. I want to run eagerly to my Savior's side and take His assignments gladly. I want to do so willingly. Rather than looking back at the way things were, I want to look ahead to the way things could be. I want the heart of a child and the maturity of a wise man. I want to greet each day with a willingness to pursue the adventure called life. I won't do it by acting like someone half my age - I will do it with the help of an ageless God who loves me and understands that I am created from dust. I will associate with younger people - I will need to know what they think and how they see their world. I will surround myself with older people - I will need the wisdom they can offer. And I will not contribute one dime to the widening of the generation gap. The me in the mirror is not what I once was. The me in the mirror is not the final word on who I will become. The me in the mirror is simply a reflection of today - a day that the Lord has made for my enjoyment and, more importantly, His purpose. I walk away from the mirror with a smile on my face. I have things to do - crisis averted! By Glenn A. Hascall Read and meditate on these scriptures: Psalm 103:1-5 "Bless the LORD, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless His holy name. Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits: Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases; Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies; Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle's." 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..." Psalm 28:6-8 "Blessed be the LORD, because He hath heard the voice of my supplications. The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusted in Him, and I am helped: therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth; and with my song will I praise Him. The LORD is their strength, and He is the saving strength of His anointed." Philippians 1:6 "Being confident of this very thing, that He which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ." All of these scriptures can be found in the King James Version Bible. Today's Selected Poem: MY DECISION Click here to read --- http://www.Godswork.org/enpoem12.htm Today's Selected Testimony: AN ANGEL BY MY SIDE Click here to read --- http://www.Godswork.org/testimony194.htm ================================================ From: "Dwayne Savaya" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> God's Work Ministry E-Mail Dear Friend, The Lord in His infinite wisdom has created the heavens and the earth and all that is within them, yet many people trust in the theory that all things came together by chance to work together in perfect harmony. It is like saying a Rolex watch with all its many gears, springs and intricate pieces all came to be by chance and happened to fit perfectly together to work in harmony and function without flaw. This is a ridiculous theory, yet some people believe that about this world and all that is within it. Common sense tells me that if there is a building, then there is a builder. If there is a painting, there is a painter. If there is creation, then there is a Creator. Be encouraged to believe God and not the nonsense of man. He is the Supreme Being who has created us all for His good pleasure. (Genesis 1:1-2:3) (Jeremiah 33:2-3) (Isaiah 45:18) (Romans 3:4) (Ephesians 1:5) I hope this message encourages your heart to trust the Lord in every area of your life and know that He is the One who has made us and not we ourselves. The Lord deserves the Glory, Honor and Praise for everything He has done. NOBODY MADE IT Many years ago Sir Isaac Newton had an exact replica of our solar system made in miniature. At its center was a large golden ball representing the sun, and revolving around it were small spheres attached at the ends of rods of varying lengths. They represented Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, and the other planets. These were all geared together by cogs and belts to make them move around the "sun" in perfect harmony. One day as Newton was studying the model, a friend who did not believe in the biblical account of creation stopped by for a visit. Marveling at the device and watching as the scientist made the heavenly bodies move on their orbits, the man exclaimed, "My, Newton, what an exquisite thing! Who made it for you?" Without looking up, Sir Isaac replied, "Nobody." "Nobody?" his friend asked. "That's right! I said nobody! All of these balls and cogs and belts and gears just happened to come together, and wonder of wonders, by chance they began revolving in their set orbits and with perfect timing." The unbeliever got the message! It was foolish to suppose that the model merely happened. But it was even more senseless to accept the theory that the earth and the vast universe came into being by chance. How much more logical to believe what the Bible says, "In the beginning, God created the heaven and the earth." The Word also declares, "The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God". (Psalms 14:1) Addendum - Genesis 1:1 "In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth." Author Unknown Read and meditate on these scriptures: Isaiah 40:28-29 "Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the LORD, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? there is no searching of His understanding. He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might He increaseth strength." Psalm 19:1-2 "The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth His handywork. Day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night sheweth knowledge." Jeremiah 51:15 "He hath made the earth by His power, He hath established the world by His wisdom, and hath stretched out the heaven by His understanding." John 1:1-3 "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by Him; and without Him was not any thing made that was made." Colossian 1:16-17 "For by Him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by Him, and for Him: And He is before all things, and by Him all things consist." Hebrews 11:3 "Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear." All of these scriptures can be found in the King James Version Bible. Today's Selected Poem: MY DECLARATION OF DEPENDENCE Click here to read --- http://www.Godswork.org/enpoem86.htm Today's Selected Testimony: WITH OR WITHOUT GOD Click here to read --- http://www.Godswork.org/testimony92.htm In Christ's Service, Dwayne Savaya God's 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 now hear our stories and poems right on our website. Volume One contains 15 messages that can be heard and enjoyed at Godswork.org. To hear our messages, please click on this link: http://www.Godswork.org/Audio.htm 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.
