~Church and Demons~

So, I was at church Sunday, me and my guests, you know my little personal demons, namely, resentment, distrust, anger, distraction, just to name a few.  I have this problem alot here lately at my church, trying to put aside the fact that I really don't like all of the changes that have taken place in my church over the last year, and focus on all that I do like about it.  Sometimes my "guests"(you know ... the demons) talk louder than the music, louder than the minister, louder than the person trying to shake my hand and say hello during the meet and greet time, that I have to just tune out.  This particular Sunday, when these voices were disturbing my ability to worship in His house, I took a time out, sat down and turned to a couple of verses in the Bible which come to my mind alot here lately ...  namely:

Revelations 4:6-11

... In the center, around the throne, were four living creatures, and they were covered with eyes, in front and in back. ⁷ The first living creature was like a lion, the second was like an ox, the third had a face like a man, the fourth was like a flying eagle. ⁸ Each of the four living creatures had six wings and was covered with eyes all around, even under its wings. Day and night they never stop saying:
“‘Holy, holy, holy
is the Lord God Almighty,’^[b]
who was, and is, and is to come.”
⁹ Whenever the living creatures give glory, honor and thanks to him who sits on the throne and who lives for ever and ever, ¹⁰ the twenty-four elders fall down before him who sits on the throne and worship him who lives for ever and ever. They lay their crowns before the throne and say:
¹¹ “You are worthy, our Lord and God,
to receive glory and honor and power,
for you created all things,
and by your will they were created
and have their being.”

I've been thinking how overwhelming and powerful that must feel to be in the middle of all of that praising, love and worship, so anyway, I started reading this passage, actually read it several times, then God began to place people in my heart and I began to pray for them, people that aren't my friends, just people I "know" and some that I have just been told about, one whom I only met for one quick weekend about 15 years ago, for our ministers, our music leader, for me, and more,  and as I continued to pray, and I could gradually feel my load begin to lighten, my guest demons were slowly releasing their talons and slithering off my body and hopefully out of the building, and then I became more aware of my surroundings and the sounds around me and was amazed to hear the  music, they were singing:   "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come ...."  my verses which God took me to were being sung back to me  - now just how awesome is that?  I think its pretty awesome.   My church service went much better after that.

Click on it, be blessed with me.

Revelation Song

Til later y'all!  V

~ Three Trees ~

Once there were three trees on a hill in the woods. They were discussing their hopes and dreams when the first tree said, "Someday I hope to be a treasure chest. I could be filled with gold, silver and precious gems. I could be decorated with intricate carving and everyone would see the beauty."
Then the second tree said, "Someday I will be a mighty ship. I will take kings and queens across the waters and sail to the corners of the world. Everyone will feel safe in me because of the strength of my hull."
Finally the third tree said, "I want to grow to be the tallest and straightest tree in the forest. People will see me on top of the hill and look up to my branches, and think of the heavens and God and how close to them I am reaching. I will be the greatest tree of all time and people will always remember me."

After a few years of praying that their dreams would come true, a group of woodsmen came upon the trees. When one came to the first tree he said, "This looks like a strong tree, I think I should be able to sell the wood to a carpenter," and he began cutting it down. The tree was happy, because he knew that the carpenter would make him into a treasure chest.

At the second tree the woodsman said, "This looks like a strong tree, I should be able to sell it to the shipyard." The second tree was happy because he knew he was on his way to becoming a mighty ship.

When the woodsmen came upon the third tree, the tree was frightened because he knew that if they cut him down his dreams would not come true. One of the woodsmen said, "I don't need anything special from my tree, I'll take this one," and he cut it down.

When the first tree arrived at the carpenters, he was made into a feed box for animals. He was then placed in a barn and filled with hay. This was not at all what he had prayed for. The second tree was cut and made into a small fishing ! boat. His dreams of being a mighty ship and carrying kings had come to an end. The third tree was cut into large pieces and left alone in the dark.

The years went by, and the trees forgot about their dreams. Then one day, a man and woman came to the barn. She gave birth and they placed the baby in the hay in the feed box that was made from the first tree. The man wished that he could have made a crib for the baby, but this manger would have to do. The tree could feel the importance of this event and knew that it had held the greatest treasure of all time.

Years later, a group of men got in the fishing boat made from the second tree. One of them was tired and went to sleep. While they were out on the water, a great storm arose and the tree didn't think it was strong enough to keep the men safe. The men woke the sleeping man, and He stood and said, "Peace" and the storm stopped . At this time, the tree knew that it had carried the King of Kings in its boat.

Finally, someone came and got the third tree. It was carried through the streets as the people mocked the man who was carrying it. When they came to a stop, the man was nailed to the tree and raised in the air to die at the top of a hill. When Sunday came, the tree came to realize that it was strong enough to stand at the top of the hill and be as close to God as was possible, because Jesus had been crucified on it.

The moral of this story is that when things don't seem to be going your way, always know that God has a plan for you. If you place your trust in Him, He will give you great gifts. Each of the trees got what they wanted, just not in the way they had imagined. We don't always know what God's plans are for us. We just know that His ways are not our ways, but His ways are always best. (Author Unknown)

~ Struggles ~

Has anyone ever offended, embarrassed and humiliated you so bad that you go out to a private place and cry for a good 20 minutes before you can even be seen in public again without totally losing it. And then, after you get past the crying part, ANGER TAKES OVER, and you plot your revenge, or what you should have done/said or will do/say, etc. Only to have God block your path to that evil side of your pesonality. And, even knowing that it is GOD blocking that evilness, you struggle to find ways to get around HIM basically!

Yeah, that is me, it happened VERY recently. And to be truthful, I am still having a hard time with forgiveness, even knowing once I truly forgive this person in my heart, the struggle with my evil side will not be so hard, my pain of this hurt will lessen because God will be sharing it with me and will take it from me. I am only hurting myself, not the offender. Now just writing this TRUTH is helping. I just have to take the next step with it. I will. Soon. Today. Now.

Why is it sometimes so hard to do though?