Planting a Garden

Plant Three Rows Of Peas - For The Garden Of Your Daily Living;
1. PEACE Of Mind
2. PEACE Of Heart
3. PEACE Of Soul

Plant Four Rows Of Squash;
1. Squash gossip
2. Squash indifference
3. Squash grumbling
4. Squash selfishness

Plant Four Rows Of Lettuce;
1. Lettuce be faithful
2. Lettuce be kind
3. Lettuce be patient
4. Lettuce really love one another

Now No Garden Should Be Without Turnips;
- So Plant 3 Rows Of Turnips;
1. Turnip for meetings
2. Turnip for service
3. Turnip to help one another

Finally Dear One, Your Garden Must Have Thyme;
1. Thyme for each other
2. Thyme for family
3. Thyme for friends
4. Thyme for prayer

Water Freely With Patience & Cultivate With LOVE. There should be much fruit in your garden, after all "We Reap What We Sow." Therefore "Happy Gardening!." Amen.

All My Love & Prayers,
Pastor Allen

God's Messengers

Christianity.Com
May 22, 2009

Sharon Glasgow <http://www.crosswalkmail.com/ihcckkbdpc_rqsmzsrsskz.html>

"Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God's grace in its various forms." I Peter 4:10 (NIV)

Devotion:

God uses His people as messengers of hope to those in need. Every dark storm I have been through is chronicled by someone God sent to help me through it.

This past year our family experienced extreme hardships: our daughter and her husband's baby died at birth; six weeks later she was in the hospital hemorrhaging from complications of the birth. We experienced financial stress. A dear friend of ours lost her job, found out she had cancer and needed a place to live, so she moved in with us. We had a fire on our property that burned down barns, fences and animals. We had a flood in our house...and this was not all! I cried out to God for help. He heard my cry and sent helpers.

I can imagine God sounding the alarm in heaven when we pray for His help: the angels standing to attention ready for their ministering orders, and the Holy Spirit quickly nudging people in the path of the needy saint with urgency and direction. The ones who have become accustomed to obeying the Holy Spirit's leading quickly follow and run to help.

When we were going through our hardships, our help came in various forms through different people. Some sent money, others prepared meals, some helped with the funeral. One friend came and cleaned our bathrooms; others sent notes and cards of encouragement with verses that spoke God's promises of hope. Friends came and helped remove rubble from the fire, while others sent gift cards to help us get through, and some even helped anonymously. Every act of grace was needed and got us through our darkest of days.

In the Bible, there are many examples of people who helped serve others faithfully. In Acts 6, we read that Stephen, a man who was martyred, was chosen to serve tables! In Acts 9, Dorcas was full of good and charitable deeds. In Exodus 17, Hur held Moses' arm up and the battle was won. These are just a few of the servants mentioned in the Word who helped others.

God watches the servants' hearts that follow the call and sacrifice for the needs of others, and He is well pleased. I believe all of Heaven watches and applauds the one who carries out God's assignments. God commands everyone to serve others, but not everyone moves to action when nudged by Him.

Everyone has different abilities to help with - never underestimate what your ability is. God created you to use your ability for His glory for His people. Many people are going through hardships today. There are people in need living next door to you, working with you, going to church with you. Strangers that you meet and even your own family may be those who need help.

God's words tell us to be constantly alert for what God wants us to do. It is required that we show love in action - not just in our words, but in deeds and in truth. When we wake in the morning, let's ask the Lord to help us hear His voice more clearly, to have spiritual eyes to see, and to give us His ability to carry out the mission He has for us this day.

I will be forever grateful for all the grace given to our family this year. After this year, I see the urgency to keep my eyes open to God's call to helping daily. Can you imagine what the world would look like if we all obeyed the call to serve others daily?

Dear Lord, I want to be faithful when You call me to help someone. Help my spiritual eyes and ears to become more acutely in tune with Your leading. Help me not to be so controlled by my own plans that I miss Your assignments. Thank You Lord. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Pecans in the Cemetery

On the outskirts of a small town, there was a big, old pecan treejust inside the cemetery fence. One day, two boys filled up a bucketfulof nuts and sat down by the tree, out of sight, and began dividing thenuts. "One for you, one for me. One for you, one for me," said one boy.Several dropped and rolled down toward the fence.

Another boy came riding along the road on his bicycle. As he passed,he thought he heard voices from inside the cemetery. He slowed down toinvestigate. Sure enough, he heard, "One for you, one for me. One foryou, one for me." He just knew what it was, so he jumped back on hisbike and rode off.

Now just around the bend he met an old man with a cane, hobblingalong. "Come here quick," said the boy, "you won't believe what I heard!Satan and the Lord are down at the cemetery dividing up the souls."

The man said, "Beat it kid, can't you see it's hard for me towalk." When the boy insisted though, the man hobbled to the cemetery.Standing by the fence they heard, "One for you, one for me. One for you,one for me..." The old man whispered, "Boy, you've been tellin' thetruth. Let's see if we can see the Lord."Shaking with fear, they peered through the fence yet were still unableto see anything.

The old man and the boy gripped the wrought iron bars of the fencetighter and tighter as they tried to get a glimpse of the Lord. At lastthey heard, "One for you, one for me. That's all. Now let's go getthose nuts by the fence and we'll be one."

They say the old man made it back to town a full 5 minutes ahead ofthe boy on the bike!

AuthorUnknown