Do not grow weary

Good Evening, or whatever is the best greeting to you, in your part of the world!

It has been several days since I last wrote a post. 'Well' (there is that word again - I wrote a tidbitz post, methinks June 13/07, on that - 'well can be a deep subject'), there has been a lot of 'water under the bridge.' Alan and I have had some unbelievable challenges and He has quite literally AND majestically Prevailed! That does not mean to say that the 'trials and tribulations' are over and done with; however, we can appreciatively reflect upon His Goodness and Grace He Gives to us. He IS our Advocate in helping us Overcome our obstacles. 'ALL Things Are Possible" with Him.

We are still 'plugging away'; eventhough there have been some bittidz delays, disppointments, and yes, even some disenheartedness, dismay, and discouragement. However, the verse from Galatians 6:9 - " And let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we shall reap if we do not grow weary" keeps ringing in my ears and singing in my heart! That message helps me from giving up on our dreams. As it happens, Alan and I are a lot further ahead this week, than last week. Hopefully that is of some bittid consolation to those of you, who are feeling war torn, weary, and weak in spirit.

As an extra tidbit of encouragement, when you are the 'recipient' of an array of 'curve balls', flying at you from 'left field', you can take joyfully take heart by knowing you are on the right track in His Service. ie. Romans 8:29 "And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose." Immediately gratefully say in Prayer: 'Thank You'; and shout OUTLOUD, joyfully and confidently -'Praise Him In ALL Things!'

On Sunday, I watched some of the many wonderful ministerial programs offered on Vision T.V. ie. 'Hour of Power; (www.hourofpower.org), and 'Door of Hope'(www.doorofhope.ca); amd they have delighted me with some special ephifanies. Also, when I read online 'Enjoying Everyday Life', (www.joycemeyer.org), Joyce shares several uplifting insights. If there are some of you, who are feeling downtrodden, dissolutioned, 'down in the dumps', etc. check out Joyce's website. It may impact and change your life (as well as others you know), for the better! Here are a couple of messages / tidbits that I appreciate totally.

ie. Matthew 6:26 (Amplified Bible) - "Look at the birds of the air; they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father keeps feeding them. Are you not worth much more than they?"

"The enemy wants you to be fearful of tomorrow. So your main goal needs to be to enjoy the life Jesus died to give you today. Do what you can to live in righteousness, peace and joy, and trust Him to do the rest."

All the above pretty much sums up the 'valleys' that Alan and I have been going through; and particularly as of late. (Psalm 23 is a most comforting solace).

A pink (Queen Elizabeth Rose climbing rose) is incredibly blooming in our garden! A wonderful Blessing, particularly at this time of year, methinks! Took a bit photo; however, as we have been experiencing a tid of trouble with our computer; the picture will have to wait.

Also, I LOVE this heartwarming story of the 'cracked pot.' Thank you Joyce, for sharing it in abundance!

"Doing Your Best with What You Have
by Joyce Meyer

Do you have joy in your life every single day? This is God's will for you, and He has provided the keys that will bring happiness, contentment and joy regardless of your circumstances.

Are you convinced that your particular circumstances make happiness and enjoyment impossible for you? Well, it’s not true! The keys that God offers you are designed to open doors that you may have thought were locked forever.

Learning to be happy with yourself is a very important key to enjoying your life. If you know that God wants you to enjoy life, why does it sometimes seem impossible? Could it be that you’re unhappy with yourself because you're not perfect? God doesn't require us to be perfect—He made us, and He knows we’re human and will make mistakes. Our job is to get up every day and do our best to use the keys He has provided for us. And when we fail, we must get right with God, receive His forgiveness and go on. We need to quit being so hard on ourselves and enjoy our lives right where we are.

Many people feel that God can't use them because they’re not perfect—this is a lie. God (the Potter) uses cracked pots (that's us) to do His work. As Christians, we are containers that God wants to fill with His goodness and light. Then we’re to carry that goodness and light to a dark world, sharing it with people everywhere we go. Don't be afraid of your flaws; acknowledge them and allow God to use you anyway. Quit worrying about what you're not and give God what you are.

I once read a story that beautifully illustrates the value of cracked pots:

A water bearer in India had two large pots hanging at the ends of a pole that he carried across his neck. One of the pots was perfect and always delivered a full portion of water at the end of the long walk from the stream to the master's house. The other pot had a crack in it, and by the time it reached its destination, it was only half full. Every day for two years the water bearer delivered only one and one-half pots of water to the master's house. Of course, the perfect pot was proud of its accomplishments—perfect to the end for which it was made. The poor little cracked pot was ashamed of its imperfections and miserable that it could accomplish only half of what it had been designed to do. After two years of what the imperfect pot perceived to be a bitter failure, it spoke to the water bearer and said, "I am ashamed of myself, and I want to apologize to you."

"Why?" asked the bearer, "What are you ashamed of?"

"Well, for these past two years, I have been able to deliver only half a load of water each day because this crack in my side allows water to leak out all the way back to the master's house. Because of my flaws, you have to do all this work without getting the full value of your efforts," the pot said.

The water bearer felt sorry for the old cracked pot, and in his compassion he said, "As we return to the master's house, I want you to notice the beautiful flowers along the path." Indeed, as they went up the hill, the old cracked pot noticed the beautiful wild flowers on the side of the path. But at the end of the trail, it still felt bad because half of its load had leaked out once again.

Then the bearer said to the pot, "Did you notice that there were flowers only on your side of the path and not on the other pot's side? That's because I've always known about your flaw and took advantage of it by planting flower seeds on your side of the path. Every day as we walked back from the stream, you watered those seeds, and for two years I have picked these beautiful flowers to decorate my master's table. Without you being just what you are, he would not have had this beauty to grace his house."

Like that cracked pot, you too can accomplish wonderful things. You can make somebody happy. You can encourage, edify and exhort those around you. You can use your gifts and talents to serve God—and as a bonus, you’ll learn to have joy in every area of your life."

To add some further thoughts / bittids. The red Poppy is that much more meaningful to me as each year passes. Perhaps it is because the older (seasoned) we become, the more we reflect upon the sacrifices that others made for our freedom. At this particular time, I ASK Him to Bless all those who unwearingly gave of their lives for our freedom. I thanked the old 'vet' who pinned the poppy on me; and told him, that may the future younger generations (who did not experience the two world wars etc - neither did we, for that matter) also continue with the supportive tradition of wearing a red poppy in genuine rememberance of November 11th. We all have much to be Thankful for.

Peace and God Bless!