BUTTERFLY

A man found a cocoon of a butterfly. One day a small opening appeared. He sat and watched the butterfly for several hours as it struggled to force its body through that little hole. Then it seemed to stop making any progress. It appeared as if it had gotten as far as it could, and it could go no further.

So the man decided to help the butterfly. He took a pair of scissors and snipped off the remaining bit of the cocoon.

The butterfly then emerged easily. But it had a swollen body and small, shriveled wings.

The man continued to watch the butterfly because he expected that, at any moment, the wings would enlarge and expand to be able to support the body, which would contract in time.

Neither happened! In fact, the butterfly spent the rest of its life crawling around with a swollen body and shriveled wings. It never was able to fly.

What the man, in his kindness and haste, did not understand was that the restricting cocoon and the struggle required for the butterfly to get through the tiny opening were God's way of forcing fluid from the body of the butterfly into its wings so that it would be ready for flight once it achieved its freedom from the cocoon.

Sometimes struggles are exactly what we need in our lives. If God allowed us to go through our lives without any obstacles, it would cripple us.

We would not be as strong as what we could have been. We could never fly!

I asked for Strength.........

And God gave me Difficulties to make me strong.

I asked for Wisdom.........

And God gave me Problems to solve.

I asked for Prosperity.........

And God gave me Brain and Brawn to work.

I asked for Courage.........

And God gave me Danger to overcome.

I asked for Love.........

And God gave me Troubled people to help.

I asked for Favors.........

And God gave me Opportunities.

I received nothing I wanted ........

I received everything I needed!

Trust in God. Always !

Author Unknown

Don't We All?

DON'T WE ALL

I was parked in front of the mall wiping off my car. I had just come
from the car wash and was waiting for my wife to get out of work.
Coming my way from across the parking lot was what society would
consider a bum.
From the looks of him, he had no car, no home, no clean clothes, and no
money. There are times when you feel generous but there are other times
that you just don't want to be bothered. This was one of those "don't
want to be bothered times."
"I hope he doesn't ask me for any money," I thought.
He didn't.
He came and sat on the curb in front of the bus stop but he didn't look
like he could have enough money to even ride the bus.
After a few minutes he spoke.
"That's a very pretty car," he said.
He was ragged but he had an air of dignity around him. His scraggly
blond beard kept more than his face warm.
I said, "thanks," and continued wiping off my car.

He sat there quietly as I worked. The expected plea for money never
came.
As the silence between us widened something inside said, "ask him if
he needs any help." I was sure that he would say "yes" but I held true
to the inner voice.
"Do you need any help?" I asked.
He answered in three simple but profound words that I shall never forget.
We often look for wisdom in great men and women. We expect it from
those of higher learning and accomplishments.

I expected nothing but an
outstretched grimy hand. He spoke the three words that shook me.
"Don't we all?" he said.

I was feeling high and mighty, successful and important, above a bum
in the street, until those three words hit me like a twelve gauge
shotgun.
Don't we all?
I needed help. Maybe not for bus fare or a place to sleep, but I
needed help. I reached in my wallet and gave him not only enough for bus
fare, but enough to get a warm meal and shelter for the day. Those
three little words still ring true. No matter how much you have, no matter
how much you have accomplished, you need help too. No matter how little you
have, no matter how loaded you are with problems, even without money or
a place to sleep, you can give help.

Even if it's just a compliment, you can give that.
You never know when you may see someone that appears to have it all.
They are waiting on you to give them what they don't have. A different
perspective on life, a glimpse at something beautiful, a respite from
daily chaos, that only you through a torn world can see.
Maybe the man was just a homeless stranger wandering the streets. Maybe
he was more than that.

Maybe he was sent by a power that is great and
wise, to minister to a soul too comfortable in themselves.

Maybe God looked down, called an Angel, dressed him like a bum, then said, "go minister to that man cleaning the car, that man needs help."
Don't we all?

Author Unknown

The Tiny Rosebud God Picked To Bloom In Heaven

THE TINY ROSEBUD GOD PICKED
TO BLOOM IN HEAVEN

by HELEN STEINER RICE



THE MASTER GARDENER FROM HEAVEN ABOVE
PLANTED A SEED IN THE GARDEN OF LOVE,
AND FROM IT THERE GREW A ROSEBUD SMALL
THAT NEVER HAD TIME TO OPEN AT ALL.
FOR GOD IN HIS PERFECT AND ALL-WISE WAY
CHOSE THIS ROSE FOR HIS HEAVENLY BOUQUET,
AND GREAT WAS THE JOY OF THIS TINY ROSE
TO BE THE ONE OUR FATHER CHOSE
TO LEAVE EARTH'S GARDEN
FOR ONE ON HIGH WHERE ROSES BLOOM
ALWAYS AND NEVER DIE.
SO, WHILE YOU CAN'T SEE YOUR PRECIOUS ROSE BLOOM,
YOU KNOW THE GREAT GARDENER
FROM THE UPPER ROOM
IS WATCHING AND TENDING
THIS WEE ROSE WITH CARE,
TENDERLY TOUCHING EACH PETAL SO FAIR.
SO THINK OF YOUR DARLING
WITH THE ANGELS ABOVE,
SECURE AND CONTENTED
AND SURROUNDED BY LOVE,
AND REMEMBER GOD BLESSED
AND ENRICHED YOUR LIVES, TOO,
FOR IN DYING YOUR DARLING
BROUGHT HEAVEN CLOSER TO YOU!









OUR SOUL WAITS FOR THE LORD;
HE IS OUR HELP AND OUR SHIELD.



PSALM 33:20
NAS



COME QUICKLY! HELP ME,
O MY SAVIOR.



PSALM 38:22
TLB



GOD IS OUR REFUGE AND STRENGTH,
A VERY PRESENT HELP IN TROUBLE.



PSALM 46:1
NRSV



HELP ME, O LORD MY GOD;
SAVE ME IN ACCORDANCE WITH YOUR LOVE.



PSALM 109:26
NIV



SEARCH FOR THE LORD AND FOR HIS STRENGTH,
AND KEEP ON SEARCHING.



PSALM 105:4
NLT



NOW I KNOW THAT THE LORD
SAVES HIS ANOINTED;
HE WILL ANSWER HIM FROM
HIS HOLY HEAVEN,
WITH THE SAVING STRENGTH OF HIS
RIGHT HAND. SOME BOAST IN CHARIOTS,
AND SOME IN HORSES; BUT WE WILL BOAST
IN THE NAME OF THE LORD, OUR GOD.



PSALM 20:6-7
NAS



THE LORD IS MY LIGHT AND MY SALVATION;
WHOM SHALL I FEAR?
THE LORD IS THE STRENGTH OF MY LIFE;
OF WHOM SHALL I BE AFRAID?



PSALM 27:1
NKJV



O LORD, DON'T STAY AWAY. O GOD MY STRENGTH,
HURRY TO MY AID. RESCUE ME FROM DEATH;
SPARE MY PRECIOUS LIFE FROM ALL THESE EVIL MEN.



PSALM 22:19-20
TLB



SUMMON YOUR MIGHT, O GOD;
SHOW YOUR STRENGTH, O GOD, AS
YOU HAVE DONE FOR US BEFORE.



PSALM 68:28
NRSV

There's Peace and Calm In The Twenty-Third Psalm

THERE'S PEACE AND CALM
IN THE TWENTY-THIRD PSALM

by HELEN STEINER RICE



WITH THE LORD AS YOUR SHEPHERD
YOU HAVE ALL THAT YOU NEED
FOR IF YOU FOLLOW IN HIS FOOTSTEPS
WHEREVER HE MAY LEAD,
HE WILL GUARD AND GUIDE AND KEEP
YOU IN HIS LOVING, WATCHFUL CARE,
AND WHEN TRAVELING IN DARK VALLEYS,
YOUR SHEPHERD WILL BE THERE.
HIS GOODNESS IS UNFAILING,
HIS KINDNESS KNOWS NO END,
FOR THE LORD IS A GOOD SHEPHERD
ON WHOM YOU CAN DEPEND.
SO WHEN YOUR HEART IS TROUBLED,
YOU'LL FIND QUIET PEACE AND CALM
IF YOU OPEN UP THE BIBLE AND JUST
READ THIS TREASURED PSALM.





THE LORD IS MY SHEPHERD, I SHALL NOT WANT;
HE MAKES ME LIE DOWN IN GREEN PASTURES.
HE LEADS ME BESIDES STILL WATERS;
HE RESTORES MY SOUL.



PSALM 23: 1-3







BUT THOU, O LORD, ART A
GOD MERCIFUL AND GRACIOUS,
SLOW TO ANGER AND ABUNDANT
IN LOVINGKINDNESS AND TRUTH.



PSALM 86:15
NAS



BUT I HAVE TRUSTED IN YOUR MERCY;
MY HEART SHALL REJOICE IN YOUR SALVATION.



PSALM 13:5
NKJV



HELP US, O GOD OF OUR SALVATION,
FOR THE GLORY OF YOUR NAME;
DELIVER US, AND FORGIVE OUR SINS,
FOR YOUR NAME'S SAKE.



PSALM 79:9
NRSV



DO NOT REMEMBER THE SINS OF MY YOUTH
OR MY REBELLIOUS WAYS.
REMEMBER ME, O LORD, IN KEEPING WITH
YOUR MERCY AND YOUR GOODNESS.



PSALM 25:7
GOD'S WORD



LET ME TAKE REFUGE IN THE SHELTER
OF THY WINGS.



PSALM 61:4
NASB



THE UNFOLDING OF YOUR WORDS GIVES LIGHT;
IT IMPARTS UNDERSTANDING TO THE SIMPLE.



PSALM 119:130
NRSV



YOU MADE ME AND FORMED ME WITH YOUR HANDS.
GIVE ME UNDERSTANDING SO I CAN LEARN
YOUR COMMANDS.



PSALM 119:73
NCV



FOR WITH YOU IS THE FOUNTAIN OF LIFE;
IN YOUR LIGHT WE SEE LIGHT.
CONTINUE YOUR LOVE TO THOSE WHO KNOW YOU,
YOUR RIGHTEOUSNESS TO THE UPRIGHT IN HEART.



PSALM 36:9-10
NIV



BLESSED IS THE PEOPLE THAT KNOW THE
JOYFUL SOUND: THEY SHALL WALK, O LORD,
IN THE LIGHT OF THY COUNTENANCE.



PSALM 89:15
KJV