"For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, works for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory." (2 Corinthians 4.17) Do you ever feel your trials are like wearing a crown of thorns? Be faithful...As you trust in God, your crown of thorns will be taken away and He will hand you a crown with stars instead. Remember to thank and praise Him. Do you feel like you are over loaded, your hands filled with heavy cares? Be faithful...As you keep trusting in God, He will take away your heavy cares and place a harp in your grasp, so you may sing glory and honor to God for all He has done. Remember to thank and praise Him. Do your garments feel soiled with dirt and grime from struggling in a sin~sick world? Stay faithful...He will replace them with clothing that is shining white. Remember to thank and praise Him. Hold on and do not despair. There will be a time when you look back and your trials will seem as nothing in light of the many answered prayers, miracles, and evidence of God's glory and grace. When we meet in heaven, our adversities will become strangely dim in the shadows of God's unfailing love. Remember to thank and praise Him. "In everything give thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus.." (1 Thessalonians 5:17)

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The next time you feel like GOD can't use you, just remember... Noah was a drunk Abraham was too old Isaac was a daydreamer Jacob was a liar Leah was ugly Joseph was abused Moses had a stuttering problem Gideon was afraid Samson had long hair and was a womanizer Rahab was a prostitute Jeremiah and Timothy were too young David had an affair and was a murderer Elijah was suicidal Isaiah preached naked Jonah ran from God Naomi was a widow Job went bankrupt Peter denied Christ The Disciples fell asleep while praying Martha worried about everything The Samaritan woman was divorced, more than once Zaccheus was too small Paul was too religious Timothy had an ulcer...AND Lazarus was dead! And Don't forget, Jesus Helped them all! Now! No more excuses! God can use you to your full potential. Besides you aren't the message, you are just the messenger. And one more thing...Share this with a friend or two J In the Circle of God's love, God's waiting to use your full potential.

The principal use of Grandma's apron was to protect the dress underneath, because she only had a few, it was easier to wash aprons than dresses and they used less material, but along with that, it served as a potholder for removing hot pans from the oven. It was wonderful for drying children's tears, and on occasion was even used for cleaning out dirty ears. From the chicken coop, the apron was used for carrying eggs, fussy chicks, and sometimes half-hatched eggs to be finished in the warming oven. When company came, those aprons were ideal hiding places for shy kids. And when the weather was cold, grandma wrapped it around her arms. Those big old aprons wiped many a perspiring brow, bent over the hot wood stove. Chips and kindling wood were brought into the kitchen in that apron. From the garden, it carried all sorts of vegetables. After the peas had been shelled, it carried out the hulls. In the fall, the apron was used to bring in apples that had fallen from the trees. When unexpected company drove up the road, it was surprising how much furniture that old apron could dust in a matter of seconds. When dinner was ready, Grandma walked out onto the porch, waved her apron, and the men knew it was time to come in from the fields to dinner. It will be a long time before someone invents something that will replace that 'old-time apron' that served so many purposes. It can be a good history lesson for those that have no idea how the apron played a part in our lives. REMEMBER: Grandma used to set her hot baked apple pies on the window sill to cool. Her granddaughters set theirs on the window sill to thaw. They would go crazy now trying to figure out how many germs were on that apron. I don't think I ever caught anything from an apron. BUT LOVE

If God answers our prayers He is increasing our faith. If He delays He is increasing our patience. If He does not answer He has something better for us! Stand fast in the faith. In everything give thanks.

Spend time with those whom you love making memories that will last a lifetime. It is the greatest blessing to have fond memories of our friends and loved ones that bring back emotions that brighten up our day. Many people can attest to the fact that time really does fly by and before we know it, we who were just children yesterday are now adults going towards middle-age and soon old age. It is for this reason that we should never take for granted the special time that we have with our families, grandparents, parents, siblings, cousins and friends. We are to enjoy the time that we have with each other showing our love and care for one another as God has intended from the beginning of Creation. Be encouraged to slow down and enjoy this day to its fullest with those who mean so much to you. (Nehemiah 8:10) I marvel at the way God knows when to send a special gift of encouragement our way at just the right time! It might be in a dream, a lost letter, a memory, something found that we'd forgotten about, something in His Word, or during a devotional that really speaks to us. Romans 12:10-14 “Be kindly affectionate one to another with brotherly love; in honor preferring one another; Not slothful in business; fervent in spirit; serving the Lord; Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer; Distributing to the necessity of saints; given to hospitality. Bless them which persecute you: bless, and curse not.” 1 Thessalonians 5:11-13 “Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even as also ye do. And we beseech you, brethren, to know them which labor among you, and are over you in the Lord, and admonish you; And to esteem them very highly in love for their work’s sake. And be at peace among yourselves.” Psalm 34:1-4 “I will bless the LORD at all times: His praise shall continually be in my mouth. My soul shall make her boast in the LORD: the humble shall hear thereof, and be glad. O magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt His name together. I sought the LORD, and He heard me, and delivered me from all my fears.” 1 John 4:7-11 “Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love. In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us, and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another.”

Realize that life is a school and you are here to learn, pass your tests. Problems are simply part of the curriculum that appear and fade away like algebra class but the lessons you learn will last a lifetime. Life isn’t fair, but it is still good.

You cannot control what happens to you, but you can control your ATTITUDE toward what happens to you, And in that, you will be mastering change rather than allowing it to master you.

Commit your works to the LORD, and your plans will be established. Proverbs 16:3 Do you want to know that your plans are going to work out, that things are going to work out the way you planned and the way you’ve made preparation for? There is a way that you can know that. It’s by committing your works-everything you do, everything you are responsible for-to the Lord. Turn to the Lord in prayer. Say, “I’ve got this job, I’ve got this responsibility. This is something that requires my attention. I’m not sure I know how to handle it. I’m not quite sure that I know how it will work out, but Lord, I’m committing it to You. I’m putting it into Your hands; I’m asking You to take charge of it. I’m not relying on myself. I’m not depending simply on my own judgment. I’ll do the best I can, Lord, but I know that the best I can do is not good enough, so I’m committing my works, my responsibilities, my activities to You.” In the original Hebrew of that Scripture, the word “commit” is “roll.” You see, your works; your responsibilities are like a heavy burden you’ve got on your back and you don’t know how to get it off. And, you know, the best way to get a heavy burden off your back is to just roll it off and dump it. And that’s what that word means. Roll that responsibility off your back. Dump it at the Lord’s feet, and ask Him to take charge of it. And He says He will take charge of it-that if you commit your works to Him, your plans will be established. You don’t need to be wondering and pondering all the time if things are going to work out. Just commit your works to the Lord.