Who are You?

Written by Joyce C. Lock


When standing before our Maker, it'll be just us and Him. So, just incase God asks, "Who are you?" You might want to have prepared your heart to answer.

"So, who are you?"

"My great grandfather wasrepparttar President of our denomination of believers."

"Wow, that sounds quite impressive. But ... who are you?"

"Oh, I am among a family of renown Biblical Scholars."

"Oh, really. Well, you have a good heritage, then! But, WHO are you?"

"Um, I'm a grandson ofrepparttar 139729 guy that won 144,000 people for you, Lord."

"Oh, my stars! I think I know your family! But, who Are you?"

"Me? I studied Christian education, but that's as far as I got."

"That's nice, too. But, you still haven't answered my question. Who are YOU?"

Uh ...

Ok, so, I'm nobody, Lord. I stumbled, lost my way, and really messed things up. I don't have anything special to offer and don't deserve your grace. In fact, I haven't done anything worthy of standing before you, here, today, and I don't know how I'll ever be able to make it right. Only, in spite of all that went wrong, I still love you, Lord.

No More Frustration: The Thorns of Opportunity...Part II

Written by James Smith


The Thorns of Opportunity...Part II

The quest forrepparttar ultimate victory.

In part one I shared with you how not knowing what you don't know, much likerepparttar 139672 "thorny" gardener, can rob you of your time, and keep you from enjoying and livingrepparttar 139673 life you want.

You also learned how a seemingly accidental event can instantly change your life, as you experiencerepparttar 139674 magic of an "ah ha" moment.

Do you ever find yourself saying "Why bother!" or asking "What'srepparttar 139675 point?" I mean you put inrepparttar 139676 time and effort only to end up with a result you don't like or worse yet, a result you know others won't like.

How many projects have you left incomplete, simply because you didn't likerepparttar 139677 results?

Read on and learn whyrepparttar 139678 frustration of incomplete projects doesn't have to happen.

In this story you will learn that perfection often has little to do with being perfect.

Today I am going to tell you aboutrepparttar 139679 third field of roses and howrepparttar 139680 gardener of that field tended torepparttar 139681 1000's of rose bushes inrepparttar 139682 third field.

Much likerepparttar 139683 "thorny" gardener,repparttar 139684 third gardener was constantly clipping buds fromrepparttar 139685 rose bushes.

Working from sun up to sun down it took every ounce of energyrepparttar 139686 third gardener had to cliprepparttar 139687 1000's of rose buds. Weeds were constantly a distraction.

There was never enough time to tend to bothrepparttar 139688 rose buds andrepparttar 139689 weeds. Still,repparttar 139690 gardener tried.

So, why is it thatrepparttar 139691 third gardener was clippingrepparttar 139692 rose buds? Unlikerepparttar 139693 "thorny" gardenerrepparttar 139694 third gardener was well aware ofrepparttar 139695 bud's purpose and very much wantedrepparttar 139696 rose to bloom.

In factrepparttar 139697 third gardener focused every waking moment on making surerepparttar 139698 rose bloom had every opportunity to bloom to perfection.

You seerepparttar 139699 third gardener was not focused onrepparttar 139700 thorny bush nor wasrepparttar 139701 gardener inspired byrepparttar 139702 possibility of a field filled with 1000's of colorful blooms.

The third gardener,repparttar 139703 "perfect" gardener, was not focused on having a field of roses. The "perfect bloom" wasrepparttar 139704 focus ofrepparttar 139705 "perfect gardener."

With all ofrepparttar 139706 "perfect" gardener's effort it was still true, more often than not, thatrepparttar 139707 field was filled with nothing but thorny bushes, without a single bloom.

Ifrepparttar 139708 "perfect" gardener" wasn't examining a bush and clipping it's buds,repparttar 139709 gardener was tending torepparttar 139710 weeds.

On many occasions you could findrepparttar 139711 "perfect" gardener digging up a rose bush to make room for a new and improved rose bush. You see, onlyrepparttar 139712 best rose bush could produce repparttar 139713 perfect bloom.

After allrepparttar 139714 "perfect bloom," wasrepparttar 139715 "perfect" gardener's dream.

To even be considered as a contenderrepparttar 139716 bloom must have a certain shape, quality of color,repparttar 139717 right number of pedals, and that one of a kind and alluring fragrance.

The "perfect bloom" started withrepparttar 139718 "perfect bud." The "perfect" gardener was always asking, "Could this bud producerepparttar 139719 perfect rose?

Few buds survived being clipped.

As life would have it, in a forgotten part ofrepparttar 139720 field; in an area whererepparttar 139721 soil was riddled with rocks and was dry more often than not, stood a thorny bush.

This bush was different and it was not easily seen. The little bush was surrounded and nearly smothered byrepparttar 139722 many weeds.

Still, withoutrepparttar 139723 attention and care ofrepparttar 139724 "perfect" gardenerrepparttar 139725 rose bush inrepparttar 139726 forgotten part ofrepparttar 139727 field, would grow.

Cont'd on page 2 ==>
 
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