November 29, 2002 V1N3
Hi, welcome to the third issue of R4A. It's my prayer that you will be blessed by this issue and encouraged to keep your eyes on Jesus and develope a closer relationship with Him. If you have anything to submit, including but not limited to: testimonies, articles, poems, quotes, prayer requests, memory verses, or anything else you think can think of, or you have friends you think would appreciate this magazine, just e-mail ready4anything_2003@yahoo.com.
The main article this time is with Thanksgiving in mind.
THANKSGIVING ROSES
Sandra felt as low as the heels of her Birkenstocks when she pulled open
the florist shop door, against a November gust of wind. Her life had been as
sweet as a spring breeze and then in the fourth month of her second
pregnancy, a "minor" automobile accident stole her joy. This was
Thanksgiving week and the time she should have delivered their infant son.
She grieved over their loss.
Troubles had multiplied. Her husband's company "threatened" to transfer
his job to a new location. Her sister had called to say that she could not
come for her long awaited holiday visit.
THEN! Sandra's friend suggested that Sandra's grief was a God-given path
to maturity that would allow her to empathize with others who suffer. "She
has no idea what I'm feeling," thought Sandra with a shudder. "Thanksgiving?
Thankful for what?" she wondered. "For a careless driver whose truck was
hardly scratched when he rear-ended her? For an airbag that saved her life,
but took her child's?"
"Good afternoon, can I help you?" Sandra was startled by the approach of
the shop clerk.
"I.... I need an arrangement," stammered Sandra.
"For Thanksgiving? Do you want the beautiful but ordinary, or would you
like to challenge the day with a customer favorite I call the 'Thanksgiving
Special'? I'm convinced that flowers tell stories," she continued. "Are you
looking for something that conveys 'gratitude' this Thanksgiving?"
"Not exactly!" Sandra blurted out. "In the last five months, everything
that could go wrong has gone wrong."
Sandra regretted her outburst, and was surprised when the clerk said, "I
have the perfect arrangement for you."
Then the bell on the door rang, and the clerk greeted the new customer,
"Hi, Barbara...let me get your order." She excused herself and walked back
to a small workroom, then quickly reappeared, carrying an arrangement of
greenery, bows, and what appeared to be long-stemmed thorny roses. Except
the ends of the rose stems were neatly snipped: there were no flowers.
"Do you want these in a box?" asked the clerk.
Sandra watched for the customer's response. Was this a joke? Who would
want rose stems with no flowers?
She waited for laughter, but neither woman laughed. "Yes, please,"
Barbara replied with an appreciative smile. "You'd think after three years
of getting the special, I wouldn't be so moved by its significance, but I can
feel it right here, all over again." She said, as she gently tapped her
chest.
Sandra stammered, "Ahh, that lady just left with, uh.... she left with
no flowers!"
"That's right, said the clerk. "I cut off the flowers. That's the
"Special"". I call it the Thanksgiving Thorns Bouquet."
"Oh, come on! You can't tell me someone is willing to pay for that!"
exclaimed Sandra.
"Barbara came into the shop three years ago, feeling much as you do,
today," explained the clerk. "She thought she had very little to be thankful
for. She had just lost her father to cancer; the family business was failing;
her son had gotten into drugs; and she was facing major surgery."
"That same year I had lost my husband," continued the clerk. "For the
first time in my life, I had to spend the holidays alone. I had no children,
no husband, no family nearby, and too much debt to allow any travel."
"So what did you do?" asked Sandra.
"I learned to be thankful for thorns," answered the clerk quietly.
"I've always thanked God for the good things in my life and I NEVER
questioned Him why those GOOD things happened to me, but when the bad stuff hit, I cried out, "WHY? WHY Me?!" It took time for me to learn that the
dark times are important to our faith! I have always enjoyed the 'flowers'
of my life but it took the thorns to show me the beauty of God's comfort!
You know, the Bible says that God comforts us when we're afflicted, and from
His consolation we learn to comfort others."
Sandra sucked in her breath, as she thought about the thought that her
friend had tried to tell her. "I guess the truth is, I don't want comfort.
I've lost a baby and I'm angry with God."
Just then someone else walked in the shop. "Hey, Phil!" the clerk greeted
the balding, rotund man. "My wife sent me in to get our usual Thanksgiving
arrangement...twelve thorny, long-stemmed stems!" laughed Phil as the clerk
handed him a tissue wrapped arrangement from the refrigerator.
"Those are for your wife?" asked Sandra incredulously.
"Do you mind telling me why she wants a bouquet that looks like that?"
"No... I'm glad you asked," Phil replied. "Four years ago, my wife and I
nearly divorced. After forty years, we were in a real mess, but with the
Lord's grace and guidance, we trudged through problem after problem. The
Lord rescued our marriage. Jenny, here (the clerk) told me she kept a vase
of rose stems to remind her of what she had learned from "thorny" times.
That was good enough for me. I took home some of those stems.
My wife and I decided to label each one for a specific "problem" and give
thanks for what that problem taught us. As Phil paid the clerk, he said to
Sandra, "I highly recommend the Special!"
"I don't know if I can be thankful for the thorns in my life." Sandra
said to the clerk. "It's all too...fresh."
"Well," the clerk replied carefully, "my experience has shown me that the
thorns make the roses more precious. We treasure God's providential care more
during trouble than at any other time. Remember, it was a crown of thorns
that Jesus wore so we might know His love. Don't resent the thorns."
Tears rolled down Sandra's cheeks. For the first time since the
accident, she loosened her grip on her resentment. "I'll take those twelve
long-stemmed thorns, please," she managed to choke out.
"I hoped you would," said the clerk gently. "I'll have them ready in a
minute."
"Thank you. What do I owe you?"
"Nothing. Nothing but a promise to allow God to heal your heart. The
first year's arrangement is always on me." The clerk smiled and handed a card
to Sandra. "I'll attach this card to your arrangement, but maybe you would
like to read it first."
It read:
My God, I have never thanked You for my thorns. I have thanked You a
thousand times for my roses, but never once for my thorns. Teach me the glory
of the cross I bear; teach me the value of my thorns. Show me that I have
climbed closer to You along the path of pain. Show me that, through my tears,
the colors of Your rainbow look much more brilliant."
______________________________________________________
My View of Abortion
by Lisa Root
He is a human being, that's plain to see
He has a heart that beats, just like you and me.
With fingers and toes, ears and eyes,
Knowing this, why believe those lies?
He is a little human, with a little brain
When jabbed with scissors, he does feel pain.
Any child knows, no higher than your knee
"He's a baby human, just like you and me!"
So why kill the baby? what's there to gain
'Cause after you've killed him, you'll still feel the pain
Of an empty spot not filled, by a fetus?
No! But of a little baby human, just like us.
submitted by Douglas Mast
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Memory Verses
Suggestions are always appreciated!
Psalm 29:11
Isaiah 40:8
Ephesians 6:10-18
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Prayer & Praise
This week I would like to put in a special request for the Hollingshead family. Last Saturday (Nov. 23) their third oldest child, Brandon (14), colapsed and didn't revive. He was born with heart trouble, and they had everything ready and waiting for a call to come in with a heart and lungs transplant. The funeral is Nov. 29. If you could pray for the family they'd appreciate it. If you want to send a condolence card the address is: Hollingshead Family, 9682 Spring Valley Rd, Marysville, CA 95901
Well, the kid got his new heart. Just wasn't what everybody was hoping it'd be.
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Word Study
Many times in the Bible we are told to 'watch and pray', different people through the Bible plead with God to '' put a watch'' over them. Jesus said'' Watch therefore and pray, lest ye fall into temptation.'' Let us then be ''vigilant'' and '' keep a guard'' over our hearts, thoughts and actions.
God be with you all!
Watch:
To be attentive or vigilant; to keep guard; to be expectant;to observe closely in order to check on action or change; on the alert for; A state of alert and continous attention.
Psalms 130:6
Psalms 141:3
Matthew 24:42
Matthew 25:13
Mark 13:35-37
I Corinthians 16:13
Colossians 4:2
I Thessolonians 5:6
2 Timothy 4:5
Hebrews 13:17
I Peter 4:7
Revelation 3:3
Watch and Pray
Matthew 26:41
Mark 13:33
Mark 14:38
Luke 21:36
Acts 20
SMILEY
There's a story of a Jewish rabbi, Baptist preacher, and Hindu holy man that were traveling together when their car broke down. It was late, so they asked at a local farmhouse if they could stay the night. The man and wife said sure, but they only had room for two; someone would have to sleep in the barn. The rabbi volunteered, but five minutes later he was back. "I can't sleep in there; there's a pig in there and pigs are unclean animals." So the Hindu holy man goes out to the barn. Five minutes later he's back. He says, "I can't sleep in the barn, there's a cow in that barn and cows are holy animals." So the Baptist preacher says, "Okay, I'll go out there." Five minutes later there's a knock on the door. They open in, and the cow and the pig are standing there.
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And so wraps up R4A #3. God bless and keep looking to Jesus!