More Food For Thought

Burdens may be what keeps us going

BECKLEY — Editor's Note: This column by the late Bev Davis originally was published in April 2002. Davis passed away Aug. 1, 2010, of a sudden illness. The Register-Herald will continue to publish her previous columns. 

 

 The older I get, the more I complain. Little things I used to overlook seem to become mountains.  Routine activities become burdens.  Maybe I was due for a little story I heard this weekend. 

  An old grandfather clock had stood through three generations in the parlor of a quaint country home.  A great-great-grandson who inherited the property was looking at the clock one day. Amazed that it had never missed a minute, he wondered how the aging timepiece could function so well with the heavy weight attached to a chain in the center.  Hoping to remove a burden from the cherished heirloom, the boy removed the weight.  The clock stopped.  "Why did you remove my weight?" the clock asked.  "To relieve you of your burden," he answered.  "Put it back, please. It's the very thing that keeps me going," the clock replied.  Well, there you have it. Burdens are the very things that give our lives meaning and purpose.

Rita

Food For Thought

A teacher was asked a question by one of his students who had come across Deuteronomy 6:6 that says, "These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts." The student asked, "Why does it say to put God's commandments upon our hearts instead of in our hearts?" The wise teacher responded, "It is not within man's power to deposit truth directly into his heart. All we can do is place truth on the surface of the heart so that when the heart breaks, it will fall in."  

Rita

I made the Stuffed Pepper soup this evening and it was good :) I put the 6 cups of water in and it seemed like I had so much liquid/soup compared to the meaty part of the soup. I think next time I make it I may leave out a cup or two of water or add 1 more cup of rice to it. Ruth and the others that are fasting, that is a great thing you are doing. I don't know if I will join you in the fast but I will join you in prayer. Does anyone have a link, from their church maybe, that has a yearly Bible reading guide on it that I can print out? I used to have a link from our church conference that had one on there but now I can't find it. I wonder if we will wake up to any snow in the morning? It flurried a little today but that was all. Michelle, hope you, Joe and the girls are soaking in all the fun, love and excitement you can :)

Ruth
I'll take that challenge as well.

Janet, it was not for Fayette Co. it was for a job with Brake Supply Co. in the industrial park where Matthew works. He is still praying about it so please continue to pray also. Thanks

Bobbie, I am not going to dictate the type of fast one should go on, because for health reasons, some people might not can go on the same one. Let the Holy Spirit guide you. I am not quite sure what one I will do. According to Jentzen Franklin, there are three Biblical fasts: an absolute fast, a normal fast and a Daniel fast. In his book, he cautions one about an absolute fast, since you can neither eat nor drink, and that would not be healthy for some people who have other health challenges. The Daniel fast is the longest, but it does allow one to eat certain foods and to drink water. Let me know what the Holy Spirit directs you to do.

I will! I'll take that challenge! Is this the Jenson fast? A total fast? For how long?

I feel compelled to go on a fast specifically for our unsaved family members, and I will probably begin it on January 11. (I can't pass up a New Year's dinner on Sunday at Mel and Ina's. They postponed it for us so we could go to West Virginia on New Year's Day. And, it is always sooooo good!). A fast is stronger spiritual warfare than just prayer. And some battles can only be won with prayer AND fasting. (However, I do not know what battles require the fasting also, so the way I figure it, why not fight with both guns blazing!) Anyone want to join me? The way I see it, the more warriors we have, the more likely we are to be victorious. (Fasting without prayer is only a diet, but weight loss seems to be a nice side effect of prayer and fasting, and after all that wonderful food over the holidays, who DOESN'T want to lose a little fat???)

Great Food For Thought.

Food For Thought

From Devotional:

Far too often I seek God's blessings instead of seeking God. I seek His hand instead of His heart. Like a child with a long Christmas list, at times I run to my heavenly Father as if He's a celestial Wal-Mart purposed to satisfy my every want. Instead of leaning in to hear the whispered will of the Lord, I selfishly shout my will - my desires - my demands. I'd rather have relief from life-pressures than gain the strength to endure them and the lessons I'm intended to learn from them. When I'm desperate to fill my over-sized heart-cart with things that I think I need, I rob myself of what really matters: the pursuit of God and the blessings found in Him alone.  God wants your love before your list.
~Rita~

Teresa~  Would Steve's job be night shift?  Is that the one for FCBOE? 

We will just keep praying for Steve's Job , that something will work out.

Emily thanks for asking about Steve, his interview went really well it lasted 1and a half hours. I sat in the car the whole time I didnt think it would last that long or I would have taken a book. He was offered the job right then and there and the benefits are great the pay he said they could discuss if he decides to take the job, but the hours are horrible 5pm-3:30am. We would never get to see each other because if I get a job I was hoping I could get one with the school system as an aide for the next school year(that was my hopes anyway).

Last night I dreamed Grandma and Grandpa came from Heaven for a visit with us...to come to our New Year's get together. They looked so good! They looked as I remembered them...because they pretty much only looked that way as long as I've been around I guess...though Grandpa did have his cane. They were getting around really good and laughing and talking and hugging...it was nice. I almost asked Grandpa what Heaven was like but decided not to for some reason...I wish I had! I'm curious about what dream Grandpa would have said. =) Then after a while, they both stepped in through a closet door...apparently that's how you get back to Heaven, lol. Nice dream. =)

Teresa, how did Steve's job stuff go?

Janet, sorry about no baby. =( At least Matt is maybe prepared for another now? lol.

Michelle, Joe and girls...if you happen to look at the blog, hope ya'll are having a great time all together!

I have not seen the movie Simon Birch, but I read the book A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving on which it is loosely based, and I really liked it, so I am sure I would like the movie.

Love the golf ball story! You would think the path of no resistance would take it the farthest, but then it would have no character when it got there. And what good would that do anyone!
Janet and Mathew, I was so looking forward to another little one for you guys. Did you ask that Doctor how many times he, himself has been wrong? But God's plan is still best! On a lighter note, Janet this could only happen to you! :) God knows you can handle it! He knows how He made you.
Speaking about God having a plan for us all, has anyone watched the movie Simon Birch yet? You have to see it! Almost forgot my praise! Marleigh went to sleep with a fever of 102.5 last night. I anointed her little head with the sign of the cross in that name above everything else and she awoke this morning just as cool! Good is good ONE MORE time!

Food For Thought

When golf balls were first manufactured, their covers were smooth. Golfers soon discovered that after a ball had been roughed up a bit they were able to get more distance out of it. Manufacturers then began producing golf balls with dimpled covers. Life is a lot like that. It takes some rough spots to make us go our farthest. It takes some storms to teach us that God is faithful. When was the last time you threw a party to celebrate a trial or storm in your life?   

~Rita~

Janet I'm sorry to hear about you not being pregnant but

I'm also relieved that nothing was wrong with you or what you thought was a baby. You and Matthew will just have to try harder(oh what a shame). Love and prayers to all!

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Teresa Valentine tree!
Sent from my U.S. Cellular BlackBerry® smartphone

Well~  I appreciate your prayers today.  It has certainly been a roller coaster of emotions.  Turns out, I was not even pregnant.  I assumed that once a doctor told me I was~  that was the green light.  I also had several positive tests.  Who knows?  Well, if nothing else "positive" came out of this, Matthew said that he had gotten used to the idea of having a baby:)