The Carrot, The Egg, and The Coffee

These are not my thoughts...my mother emailed me this story...and I thought I should share it with you...check it out...

A young woman went to her mother and told her about her life and how things were so hard for her. She did not know how she was going to make it and wanted to give up. She was tired of fighting and struggling - it seemed as one problem was solved, a new one arose.

Her mother took her to the kitchen. She filled three pots with water and placed each on a high fire. Soon the pots came to a boil. In the first she placed carrots, in the second she placed eggs, and in the last she placed ground coffee beans. She let them sit and boil; without saying a word.

In about twenty minutes she turned off the burners. She fished the carrots out and placed them in a bowl. She pulled the eggs out and placed them in a bowl. Then she ladled the coffee out and placed it in a bowl. Turning to her daughter, she asked, 'Tell me what you see.''Carrots, eggs, and coffee,' she replied.

Her mother brought her closer and asked her to feel the carrots. She did and noted that they were soft. The mother then asked the daughter to take an egg and break it. After pulling off the shell, she observed the hard boiled egg. Finally, the mother asked the daughter to sip the coffee. The daughter smiled as she tasted its rich aroma.

The daughter then asked, 'What does it mean, mother?' Her mother explained that each of these objects had faced the same adversity: boiling water. Each reacted differently. The carrot went in strong, hard, and unrelenting. However, after being subjected to the boiling water, it softened and became weak. The egg had been fragile. Its thin outer shell had protected its liquid interior, but after sitting through the boiling water, its inside became hardened. The ground coffee beans were unique, however. After they were in the boiling water, they had changed the water. 'Which are you?' she asked her daughter.

'When adversity knocks on your door, how do you respond? Are you a carrot, an egg or a coffee bean?' Think of this: Which am I? Am I the carrot that seems strong, but with pain and adversity do I wilt and become soft and lose my strength? Am I the egg that starts with a malleable heart, but changes with the heat? Did I have a fluid spirit, but after a death, a breakup, a financial hardship or some other trial, have I become hardened and stiff? Does my shell look the same, but on the inside am I bitter and tough with a stiff spirit and hardened heart? Or am I like the coffee bean? The bean actually changes the hot water, the very circumstance that brings the pain. When the water gets hot, it releases the fragrance and flavor.

If you are like the bean, when things are at their worst, you get better and change the situation around you. When the hour is the darkest and trials are their greatest, do you elevate yourself to another level? How do you handle adversity? Are you a carrot, an egg or a coffee bean? May you have enough happiness to make you sweet, enough trials to make you strong, enough sorrow to keep you human and enough hope to make you happy.

The happiest of people don't necessarily have the best of everything; they just make the most of everything that comes along theirway. The brightest future will always be based on a forgotten past; you can't go forward in life until you let go of your past failures and heartaches.

When you were born, you were crying and everyone around you was smiling. Live your life so at the end, you're the one who is smiling and everyone around you is crying. It's easier to build a child than repair an adult.

This is so true...

May we all be COFFEE...

God is enough!

We live in a world of instant gratifcation...Our cars come with GPS navigation...that can help us get to our desired destinations the quickest way possible...we can shop from our desktop...and email from our cell phones...we live in a microwave society...we want things ASAP...the sooner the better...patience...is a virtue not high on our list...Now is great and later is frowned upon...

In this age of now...we apply this mentality to every aspect of our lives...we want great money...now...we want the perfect spouse...now...we want our degrees...now...that promotion...now...we want everything...now...now...now....

As Christians, what should we do? When everyone else around us...prospers...everyone else seems to have the things we have been working so hard for...When your patience is tested...and the ungodly shine...what do we do???

David says...wait...in Psalms 37:34...the psalmist tells us, "Wait on the Lord, and keep His way, and He shall exalt you to inherit the land; When the wicked are cut off, you shall see it." The 37th number of Psalms...speaks of how we should not "fret" when we see "evildoers" prosper...David urges us to rest in the Lord...and wait patiently...verse 34 says...wait on the Lord...keep His way...and he will exalt you...to inherit the land...simply put...God is enough!

God is enough...when we wait on Him and honor Him with our obedience....God will lift us up in the presence of our enemies...and give us that which we desire...The wicked will be cut off...and you won't miss it...It is God's desire that you prosper...that you live a full life in obedience to Him. He will reward us for keeping His way...in this age of now...wait on God...allow Him to order your steps...and He will show you that He alone...is enough!

Let's pray...Lord you are so holy...we desire to be more like you...Help us to keep your way...show us what you would have us to do...now...so that you may get the glory in our lives...Lord forgive us of all our sins...that we may please you in all that we do...we need you Lord...and we love you...and it is in Jesus' name we pray...Amen!!!

Have you lost your mind???

Have you ever been asked this question before...no really...have you??? Maybe it was an angry parent that was seeking to understand your thought process...or a rhetorical question posed by a friend...better yet...have you ever asked yourself this question as you stood in the mirror after a long night of bad decisions...whatever the case...the question still remains...Have you lost your mind???

Well, the apostle Paul, sure hopes so...in Romans 7:23...Paul speaks of the struggle with sin that begins in our mind...read his words... 23But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. In chapter 7 of Romans...Paul tells of the struggle to do what Christ has called us to do...due to the weakness of our flesh...in Romans 12:2...Paul gives us the solution to this problem...check it out...2And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. Be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind...a renewal of the mind...replacing the old with the new...Paul says that by renewing your mind you can be transformed into that man or woman that understands God's good and perfect will...His will for your life...His will for your ministry...His perfect will...

So again I pose the question...Have you lost your mind? I sure hope you have...Paul doesn't quit with these two passages, but also in chapter 8 of Romans...Romans 8:6-7 says... 6For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. 7Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. To be carnally minded means to follow after your own mind...to follow after your flesh...to move as impulse leads...to follow your own mind leads to sin and death...but to have the mind of Christ means life and peace...verse 7 simply means that your mind can't even submit to God...it has no desire to obey God's commands...so even at your best...you would bust Hell wide-open...

We need the mind of Christ to understand the things of Christ...1st Corinthians 2:11-12 says...11For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the man's spirit within him? In the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. 12We have not received the spirit of the world but the Spirit who is from God, that we may understand what God has freely given us. We need the Holy Spirit...to show us...to teach us...to develop the mind of Christ in us...We need to lose our minds and ask God to come into our hearts...and help us to understand His will...

Let's pray...Lord...forgive us of our sins...help us to lose our minds...so that we might please you...Do a new thing in us...a total renewal of the mind...that we may be transformed into the Christian men and women that you have called us to be...you are so holy...and it is our desire to be just like you...so do it now Father...help us to please you...help us to make sense of the mess we find ourselves in...so that we can forever bring glory to your name...we love you Lord...and we need you...and it is in Jesus' holy name we pray this prayer...Amen...

He's my friend...

I was looking a Jesus' life...He was as much a human as you and I...I was thinking about his family reunions...Can you imagine Jesus playing kickball with John the Baptist??...they were cousins...around the same age...He had to be a pretty popular guy...because some bride and groom invited Him and his friends (the disciples) to their wedding...kind of cool...huh? That same Jesus...that same nice kid from Nazareth...died for my sins...He wanted to be my friend...I don't know too many carpenters, but there is one that knows my name...my every weakness...my every mishap and mistake...and He still loves me...He still wants to be my friend...

Let's pray....Lord you are so awesome...I don't know why you chose to be our friend...but you did...and for that we are grateful...Lord we don't deserve anything, but death...and your grace and mercy keeps us from pulling the plug on our own life...thank you for Jesus...thank you for allowing Him to know exactly what we struggle with...for meeting us where we are...and offering us an eternity with you...so Lord teach us your ways...show us how to love you back...help us to guard ourselves from the temptations of this world...you are so awesome...you are so faithful...we know you can do it because you have done it so many times before...thank you for the call on our lives...thank you for always requiring more of us...so we ask you Lord to make sense of our mess...and allow us to draw even closer to you...we need you Lord...we love you Lord...and it is in Jesus' name we pray this prayer...Amen...

How to handle your haters...

This is not my original work...but it sounds a lot like a sermon I preached last month...check it out...

A hater is someone that is jealous and envious and spends all their time trying to make you look small so they can look tall.

When you make your mark, you will always attract some haters... That's why you have to be careful who you share your blessings and your dreams with because some folk can't handle seeing you blessed...

It's dangerous to be like somebody else... If God wanted you to be like somebody else He would have given you what he gave them.

You don't know what people have gone through to get what they have... (The problem I have with haters is that they see my glory, but they don't know my story...) If the grass looks greener on the other side of the fence, you can rest assured that the water bill is higher there too.

We've all got some haters among us:

Some people don't like it that you can

* Come to church

* Get your praise on

* Bless His Holy Name

* Haters don't want to see you happy

* Haters don't want to see you succeed

* Haters don't want you get the victory

Most of our haters are people that are supposed to be on our side.

How do you handle the haters who you at least expect to have your guard up against?

You can handle your haters by:

1. Knowing who you are & who your true friends are

2. Having a purpose

3. By remembering what you have is by divine prerogative and not human manipulation.

Purpose does not mean having a job. You can have a job and still be unfulfilled. A purpose is having a clear sense of what God has called you to be. Your purpose is not defined by what others think about you.

You will always be trying to get stuff because the more stuff you have will improve what others think about you, but what others think will last as long as the stuff last.

When God gives you favor, you can tell your haters,

"Don't look at me...Look at who is in charge of me..."

Remember, it ain't about you, but it's all about God.

Prayer will fix it everytime...

So the lesson I learned today...is PRAYER CHANGES THINGS...when we ask for supernatural help...we get supernatural results...if we try to "fix" life's tough situations on our own...we may find ourselves in a bigger mess...

God has got our back...we should walk in the knowledge of this victory...it is like the pro basketball players...when the team is up by 30 in the fourth quarter...the coach takes the stars out of the game...and ice their knees...

Well...it's late in the fourth quarter...Jesus is already on the bench with his knees wrapped in ice...God is calling the plays...You are the point guard...the awesome thing about this is...you are not on the court alone....the Holy Spirit is your big man...and the two of you are running out the clock...The game is already won...The VICTORY is already yours...You don't even have to do anything...Just let God call the plays...and when you feel pressure...pass it to the Holy Spirit...and it is a slam dunk...everytime...

Let's pray...Lord thank you for Jesus...thank you for sending him to give us the victory over sin and death...we need you Father...to prune us...that we might bear the fruit you desire...strengthen us so that we may begin to walk in the victory you have predestined us to experience...we love you Father...we need you...and it is in the matchless name of Jesus...we pray this prayer...Amen!!!

Fasting...Our greatest weapon...

In my walk with Christ...I have found that through fasting...I have gained greater insight into God's will for my life...I consider fasting our greatest weapon in our battle against Satan...the sad thing is not many Christians fast...a lot of times it is due to our spiritual immaturity...not realizing that through fasting a lot of the answers we seek from God will be reveal to us with great clarity...

I define fasting like this...fasting helps us to put our "flesh" in subjection to our "spirit"...fasting helps us to put God's will over our own will...in doing so...we find ourselves more sensitive to God's pull on our hearts and minds...

In preparation for a fast...I googled "fasting" for more insight...and I came across a webpost by a Dr. Bill Bright...in this webpost Dr. Bright introduces an interesting concept...the concept of Spiritual Breathing...much like natural breathing...Dr. Bright says that Spiritual breathing is a process of exhaling the impure and inhaling the pure...You exhale by confessing your sins immediately when you become aware of them, and you inhale by inviting the Holy Spirit to re-take control of your life...

Fasting properly means that your motive must be right....you should not fast to find God's hand in the midst of "life's ups and downs", but you should fast in order to seek God's face...as an act of worship...True spiritual fasting focuses on God...

You should allow God to speak to your heart concerning fasting...and allow Him to move you toward a greater committment to His will for your life...

Let's pray...Lord you are so good...you are so faithful...forgive us of all of our sins known and unknown...allow us to grow closer to you...do not allow us to be hindered by anything...as we seek to be closer to you...Lord help us to learn how to fast properly...so that we may stand in the gap for our families, churches, communities, and the world...we need you Lord...we love you...and it is in Jesus' name we pray this prayer...Amen!!!

For more help with fasting check out Dr. Bill Bright's webpost...

http://www.ccci.org/growth/growing-closer-to-god/how-to-fast/index.aspx

Thinking of the Master's plan...

Today...I was helping out at my church...The Youth Department had a Back to School Bash...for the youth of our church...it was a very successful event...I had the opportunity to sit in on a seminar facilitated by a local elementary school principal...after a dynamic presentation...the two of us began to talk...one thing lead to another...and I accepted an invitation to speak to the entire elementary school on their first day of school...which is this Wednesday...

So here I am...with absolutely nothing to say...I have no idea what I could say to a body of small children...I have no problem speaking to my peers...I have no problem speaking to teenagers...but the little ones...intimidate me...I have imagined myself hearing "the crickets chirp" as I try to rely a relevant message to the mass of Hannah Montana and Spongebob fans...

As I struggle to find the words for my speech...What would you say? If you had the opportunity to speak to the masses...now Wednesday my "masses" will be a group of students grades K-5...but everyday...we cross paths with our "masses"...at work...at church...at school...in the grocery store...and God has charged us to be ready at all times to speak an encouraging word into the lives of our "masses".

Our Sunday school lesson this week...deals with James 1:22-27...Being Doers of the Word...

22But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. 23For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass: 24For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was. 25But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed. 26If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man's religion is vain. 27Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.

Hearing the Word of God and not doing it...James says...is like looking in the mirror and forgetting what we look like...The Word tells us what we should look like, but we forget what it says we should do...James says in verse 26 "If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but decieveth his own heart, this man's religion is in vain."...We have been charged to talk right...to use our voice for God's purposes...for we seem to be religious...we have a form of Godliness...when we choose not to speak an encouraging word to our neighbor.

James is begging us to put on holiness...to seek to be more Christ-like...allow the word to show you how to live your life...give in to His authority...Let's pray...

Lord...you are so holy...we desire to be more like you...we want to everything you have called us to do...Allow us to grow in you...give us a boldness for you...a desire to intercede on behalf of our "masses"...God we love you...we need you...Thank you for Jesus...Thank you for grace and mercy...Have your way in our lives...that you may get all the glory and your kingdom be advanced...it is in the matchless name of Jesus...we pray this prayer...Amen!