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~pt. 2~DONKEY TRACKS" ~~
Who you are Do you really want what you think you want? Or are you just following a borrowed dream? The world will suggest for you plenty of things to pursue. The trouble is, those things can't bring fulfillment. When following a dream that isn't even yours, there's no passion to propel you forward. Even when you do somehow manage to reach it, the prize will be empty if you never really wanted it. Stop listening to what the world says you should want. Start listening to who you are. Let yourself discover what truly brings you joy. Let yourself live, not to impress others, but to follow the values you hold most dear.Real success comes when you realize that the mere tokens of success have little meaning. Real success comes when you can be who you are. All of who you are You are the living embodiment of every joy you've ever experienced. You are the accumulated wisdom gained from every difficult challenge you've ever faced. You are the child who danced gleefully in the bright morning sunshine. You are the wonder, the curiosity, the thrill of each new discovery. You are so much more than just the circumstances of the moment. You are all the life you've known, all the days you've experienced. You carry with you the joys from the good times and the strength that the difficult times have forged. You've gained confidence when things have gone your way and determination when things have not. The positive value in your life right now is more than can be measured. And all of it is yours to use as you move forward. Remember all of who you are. Make from it the very best of who you now can be. -- Ralph Marston
~TRAILS of LIFE~
Anvil Time
By Max Lucado
On God's anvil. Perhaps you've been there.
Melted down. Formless. Undone. Placed on the anvil for ... reshaping?
I know. I've been on it. It's rough. It's a spiritual slump, a famine.
The fire goes out. Although the fire may flame for a moment, it soon disappears. We drift downward. Downward into the foggy valley of question, the misty lowland of discouragement. Motivation wanes. Desire is distant. Responsibilities are depressing.
Passion? It slips out the door. Enthusiasm? Are you kidding?
Anvil time.
It can be caused by a death, a breakup, going broke, going prayerless.
The light switch is flipped off and the room darkens. "All the
thoughtful words of help and hope have all been nicely said. But I'm still hurting, wondering..."
On the anvil.
Brought face-to-face with God out of the utter realization that we have nowhere else to go. Jesus in the garden. Peter with a tear-streaked face. David after Bathsheba. Elijah and the "still, small voice." Paul, blind in Damascus.
Pound, pound, pound.
I hope you're not on the anvil. (Unless you need to be, and if so, I hope you are.) Anvil time is not to be avoided; it's to be experienced.
Although the tunnel is dark, it does go through the mountain. Anvil time reminds us of who we are and who God is. We shouldn't try to escape it.
To escape it could be to escape God.
God sees our life from beginning to end. He may lead us through a storm at age thirty so we can endure a hurricane at age sixty. An instrument is useful only if it's in the right shape. A dull ax or a bent screwdriver needs attention, and so do we. A good blacksmith keeps his tools in shape. So does God.
Should God place you on his anvil, be thankful. It means he thinks you're still worth reshaping.
~TRAILS of SCRIPTURE~
"Though he brings grief, he will show compassion, so great is his unfailing love. For he does not willingly bring affliction or grief to the children of men." â Lamentations 3:32-33
God's Narrow and Wide-Angle Lenses When my paralyzing accident happened, I know the Lord took no pleasure in it. I believe it pained his heart to see me hurt, just as any father has compassion on his children. Yet I also know it pleased the Lord to permit my accident. He was as delighted then as he is now to work it all out for my good and his glory. Sound confusing? I can understand why: In some scriptures, God is described as grieving over affliction; in others, it doesnât seem to bother him. Dr. John Piper explains it this way. God has the capacity to look at the world through two lenses, a narrow lens and a wide-angle lens. When the Lord looks at a painful event through the narrow lens, he sees the tragedy for what it is in itself, and he is deeply grieved, as Ezekiel 18:32 says, "For I take no pleasure in the death of anyone, declares the Sovereign Lord...â He hates the isolated incident of disease, crime, or violence. But when God looks at a painful event through his wide-angle lens, he sees the tragedy in relation to everything leading up to it, as well as everything that flows from it. He has in mind Romans 8:28, â...in all things God works for the goodâ and Ephesians 1:11, â...according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will.â The connections form a mosaic stretching into eternity. This mosaic, in all its parts of good and evil, dark and light, brings him delight. God often wills what he despises because he has two lenses. You can trust him today that your painful trial is part of a pattern. One day you, too, will put on that wide-angle lens. When you do, what a beautiful mosaic you will see. --Joni Eazrekson Tada, (diving accident in 1967 left Mrs. Tada a quadriplegic )
~TRAILS of PRAYER~
Dear Lord, help me to remember that even in the depths of my despair, You are there. Help me to remember to rejoice and praise You even then, believing that there is a purpose in everything that happens. Give me the strength to turn my life over completely to You and to mean it, not dictating answers to my prayers, but being willing to listen and to sincerely put You in charge of my life. Give me courage to speak honestly in love, not shying away from reality, or lacking the courage to face the painful. Help me to know that You are my only real security and that You will not fail me. Guide me in the paths that I should walk, both for Your sake and for mine. In Your holy name I pray. Amen. Â 2000 by D. L. Hammond
~TRAILS of a RIDER ofGRACE~
Thank you again for your prayers and support. Things here are getting back to normal. My pacemaker is supposed to last up to 13 years. I hope they know what they are talking about.
Praise the Lord for answering our prayers.
I have been back , teaching . the adults , Sunday School class for the last two weeks. I was really blessed my hearing a great sermon on the morals of our country from the Rev. James Knight. It was truly a message from the Lord , I think. I will be going to the doctor for an appointment tomorrow , and again this Friday. I pray that I will get a good report.
I hope that you received a blessing from today's Donkey Tracks. Please tell your friends . so we can spread the Word. God bless you all, and Thank you again. http://www.youens.com/mccoy/
"The White Donkey Society"
Internet Ministry of Grace for those that are disabled both physically & spiritually.
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