To You (Us) Who Are In The Ministry

Please be reminded,

While it is true that busyness doesn't always mean productivity, it can also be very true that having a ministry doesn't always mean spirituality.

We are apt to think that when a person is being involved in ministries, he is becoming more spiritual. While this can be one of the many manifestations of growth coming from the desire to serve God, having a ministry doesn't guarantee spirituality.

You can be leading others while your own spirit you cannot control and lead. You could be singing in the choir and yet not having a heart that is really praising God. You could be teaching others while you yourself aren't learning from what you are teaching. You could be winning souls but behind it is that subtle desire to be admired. You could be preaching already but are failing to practice that which you preach. You could be so busy doing that you forget, the ministry is also about "being."

You could look so spiritual with all your public ministry performances and yet so carnal within your private life's allegiances.

This is one of the most dangerous pitfalls of having a ministry: forgetting that the heartbeat of it is in its motives of glorifying God. And when the motive isn't right, anything done, no matter how beautifully they were performed, is but a mask hiding the reality of what is happening inside the heart.

What could be happening inside one unexamined heart while in the parade of its ministries?

The worst.

It could be at its worst state of self-deception believing that he is still pleasing God when the truth is, none of his works, when they go through the fire of God's furnace of testings, will count as gold but will be burned to nothingness as they were but impurities.

It could be at its darkest state of blindness towards its spiritual decay thinking he's still running on the race he was called to when in reality, he is competing carnally for an earthly trophy of men's applause. He could win it, but what gain will it be compared to a reward eternal?

It could be at its soul's scarcest drought, being deprived of the abundance of the real blessedness that comes from an intimate fellowship with his God. He is so busy with his accomplishments he forgot that the real accomplishment of one's soul is God Himself, not his fruitfulness, not his usability, not his legacy, but having the reward of each of life's unhurried moments alone with God.

It could be that person you actively see in church, it could be you.

It could be any one of us if we will not be careful to remind ourselves from time to time that just because you have a ministry doesn't mean you are living a life of spirituality.

Let's make it a rule to ourselves to always view our spiritual progress and productivity not by our accomplishments, but in the light of our intimacy towards the One whom we tend to forget to be the heartbeat of our ministry - that above all, we stay in love with our God.

Because anything that is done in love for God remains.

 

some people are just SO GOOD with words...

 

reminiscing...

 

from Donna Ashworth

As time goes by,

You will loosen your grip on that rock,
The one you always thought was home,
And you will realise that home is not a place,
It’s a state of mind.
Let it go.

As time goes by,
You will learn to see yourself more clearly,
The girl who was always too much of one thing,
And too little of another, was actually
Everything she needed to be.
Let her out.

As time goes by,
You will let the simple things become the big,
And you will allow the big things to become the simple,
And that readjustment will be,
The day you really start to live,
Let it be.

As time goes by,
You will be forced to say goodbye many times,
And your soft little heart will shatter but,
It will still beat and that will bring you,
All the purpose you need.
Let it beat.

As time goes by,
You will stop choosing wealth over peace,
You will stop choosing money over time,
And you will see that the treasures you need,
Are in the smiles and the laughter.
Let them in.

As time goes by,
The moments you remember when your life flashes past,
Are never the awful memories my friend, it’s the joy,
The summer nights, the lazy days with loved ones,
The midnight chats and the morning hugs,
Let them happen.

Let them all happen.

From ‘The Right Words’:

this comforts my heart...

Don’t feel sorry for or fear for your kids/grandkids because the world they are going to grow up in is not what it used to be. God created them and called them for the exact moment in time that they’re in. Their life wasn’t a coincidence or an accident. Raise them up to know the power they walk in as children of God. Train them up in the authority of His Word. Teach them to walk in faith knowing that God is in control. Empower them to know they can change the world. Don’t teach them to be fearful and disheartened by the state of the world but hopeful that they can do something about it. Every person in all of history has been placed in the time that they were in because of God’s sovereign plan. He knew Daniel could handle the lions' den.
He knew David could handle Goliath.
He knew Esther could handle Haman.
He knew Peter could handle persecution.
He knows that your child can handle whatever challenge they face in their life. He created them specifically for it! Don’t be scared for your children, but be honored that God chose YOU to parent the generation that is facing the biggest challenges of our lifetime.
Rise up to the challenge. Raise Daniels, Davids, Esthers and Peters! God isn’t scratching His head wondering what He’s going to do with this mess of a world. He has an army He’s raising up to drive back the darkness and make Him known all over the earth. Don’t let your fear steal the greatness God placed in them. I know it’s hard to imagine them as anything besides our sweet little babies, and we just want to protect them from anything that could ever be hard on them, but they were born for such a time as this.

~Alex Crave

The Clothesline...

Having grown up in the days when we still hung our clothes outside to dry, this is especially poignant...

A clothesline was a news forecast to neighbors passing by,

there were no secrets you could keep when clothes were hung to dry.

It also was a friendly link, for neighbors always knew,

if company had stopped on by to spend a night or two.

For then you'd see the fancy sheets and towels upon the line,

you'd see the company tablecloths with intricate design.

The line announced a baby's birth to folks who lived inside,

as brand new infant clothes were hung so carefully with pride.

The ages of the children could so readily be known, by watching how the sizes changed, you'd know how much they'd grown.

It also told when illness struck as extra sheets were hung,

then night-clothes and a bathrobe too, haphazardly were strung.

It said "Gone on vacation now" when lines hung limp & bare,

it told "We're back" when full lines sagged with not an inch to spare.

New folks in town were scorned upon, if washing was dingy grey,

as neighbors raised their brows & looked disgustedly away.

But clotheslines now are of the past, for dryers make work less,

now what goes on inside a home is anybody's guess.

I really miss that way of life, it was a friendly sign,

when neighbors knew each other best by what was on the line.

from a dog's point of view...

Walk with me; don’t just walk me. Slow down and see the world as I do. I know you’ve got things to do, places to be. But out here, with the ground beneath our feet and the sky above us, there’s a whole world worth noticing.

The autumn chill is in the air today, crisp and full of new smells. It’s different from yesterday, and different from the day before. Every day is new. The leaves crunch under my paws, and I stop to breathe in the rich, earthy scent of them. To you, it might just be a pile of leaves, but to me, it’s a story—one I can’t help but dive into, nose first.

There’s a squirrel somewhere nearby, I can sense it, darting up a tree, its tiny heart beating fast. And the wind carries whispers of things far away: a family cooking dinner, the trace of a cat that passed by early this morning, and the faint perfume of flowers holding on to their last bit of summer. It’s all here, swirling around us if you just take the time to notice.

To you, it might be just another walk, a daily routine to tick off the list. But for me, every step is an adventure. Each scent is a clue, each sound a piece of a puzzle. When you walk with me, really walk with me, you’ll see it too. The world is bigger than what we’re rushing toward. It’s right here, in the small moments, in the quiet spaces between your thoughts.

So, slow down. Breathe. Let the chill fill your lungs and the colours fill your eyes. Walk with me, don’t just walk me. See the world as I do, if only for a little while. It’s all waiting for you, just beneath the surface.

You tug on the leash, eager to move on, and I can tell you’re thinking about something far away from here. But when we walk, truly walk, you and I can be in this moment together. Feel the cool air brush against your skin, let it wake you up. Notice how the sun filters through the branches, casting shadows that dance on the pavement. Hear the crunch of the leaves beneath our steps, like a secret rhythm just for us.

Natalie P

remembering my Mom who loved this poem...

The Touch of the Master's Hand
Myra Brooks Welch

'Twas battered and scarred, and the auctioneer
Thought it scarcely worth his while
To waste much time on the old violin,
But held it up with a smile.
"What am I bidden, good folks," he cried,
"Who'll start the bidding for me?"
"A dollar, a dollar. Then two! Only two?
Two dollars, and who'll make it three?" "Three dollars, once; three dollars, twice;
Going for three…" But no,
From the room, far back, a grey-haired man
Came forward and picked up the bow;
Then wiping the dust from the old violin,
And tightening the loosened strings,
He played a melody pure and sweet,
As a caroling angel sings. The music ceased, and the auctioneer,
With a voice that was quiet and low,
Said: "What am I bid for the old violin?"
And he held it up with the bow.
"A thousand dollars, and who'll make it two?
Two thousand! And who'll make it three?
Three thousand, once; three thousand, twice,
And going and gone," said he. The people cheered, but some of them cried,
"We do not quite understand.
What changed its worth?" Swift came the reply:
"The touch of the Master's hand."
And many a man with life out of tune,
And battered and scarred with sin,
Is auctioned cheap to the thoughtless crowd
Much like the old violin. A "mess of pottage," a glass of wine,
A game — and he travels on.
He is "going" once, and "going" twice,
He's "going" and almost "gone."
But the Master comes, and the foolish crowd
Never can quite understand
The worth of a soul and the change that is wrought
By the touch of the Master's hand.

Thank you, dear bees!

 Did you know that:
- one spoonful of honey is enough to keep a person alive for 24 hours
- one of the first coins in the world featured a bee symbol
- honey contains live enzymes. The metal spoon kills these enzymes. The best way to consume honey is with a wooden spoon, if not, you can use a plastic one.
- honey contains a substance that helps the brain function.
- honey is one of the few foods on earth that alone can sustain human life.— at White Gate St Helena.
- bees saved people from starvation in Africa.
- propolis produced by bees is one of nature's most powerful antibiotics.
- honey has no expiration date.
- the bodies of the world's greatest emperors were buried in golden coffins and then covered with honey to prevent them from rotting.
- the term "honeymoon" comes from the fact that the young couple consumed honey for fertility purposes after marriage.
- a bee lives less than 40 days, visits at least 1,000 flowers and produces less than a teaspoon of honey, but for her it is the work of a lifetime.

Shakespeare’s Most Famous Quotes

1. ‘To be, or not to be: that is the question’ (Hamlet Act 3, Scene 1)
2. ‘All the world ‘s a stage, and all the men and women merely players. They have their exits and their entrances; And one man in his time plays many parts.’ (As You Like it Act 2, Scene 7)
3. ‘Romeo, Romeo! wherefore art thou Romeo?’ (Romeo and Juliet Act 2, Scene 2)
4. ‘Now is the winter of our discontent’ (Richard III Act 1, Scene 1)
5. ‘Is this a dagger which I see before me, the handle toward my hand?’ (Macbeth Act 2, Scene 1)
6. ‘Some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon them.’ (Twelfth Night Act 2, Scene 5)
7. ‘Cowards die many times before their deaths; the valiant never taste of death but once.’ (Julius Caesar Act 2, Scene 2)
8. ‘Full fathom five thy father lies, of his bones are coral made. Those are pearls that were his eyes. Nothing of him that doth fade, but doth suffer a sea-change into something rich and strange.’ (The Tempest Act 1, Scene 2)
9. ‘A man can die but once.’ (Henry IV, Part 2 Act 3, Part 2)
10. ‘How sharper than a serpent’s tooth it is to have a thankless child!’ (King Lear Act 1, Scene 4)
11. ‘Frailty, thy name is woman.’ (Hamlet Act 1, Scene 2)
12. ‘If you prick us, do we not bleed? If you tickle us, do we not laugh? If you poison us, do we not die? And if you wrong us, shall we not revenge?’ (The Merchant of Venice Act 3, Scene 1)
13. ‘I am one who loved not wisely but too well.’ (Othello Act 5, Scene 2)
14. ‘The lady doth protest too much, methinks’ (Hamlet Act 3, Scene 2)
15. ‘We are such stuff as dreams are made on, and our little life is rounded with a sleep.’ (The Tempest Act 4, Scene 1)
16. ‘Life’s but a walking shadow, a poor player, that struts and frets his hour upon the stage, and then is heard no more; it is a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing.’ (Macbeth Act 5, Scene 5)
17. ‘Beware the Ides of March.’ (Julius Caesar Act 1, Scene 2)

18. ‘Get thee to a nunnery.’ (Hamlet Act 3, Scene 1)
19. ‘If music be the food of love play on.’ (Twelfth Night Act 1, Scene 1)

20. ‘What’s in a name? A rose by any name would smell as sweet.’ (Romeo and Juliet Act 2, Scene 2)
21. ‘The better part of valor is discretion’ (Henry IV, Part 1 Act 5, Scene 4)
22. ‘To thine own self be true.’ (Hamlet Act 1, Scene 3)

23. ‘All that glisters is not gold.’ (The Merchant of Venice Act 2, Scene 7)
24. ‘Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears: I come to bury Caesar, not to praise him.’ (Julius Caesar Act 3, Scene 2)
25. ‘Nothing will come of nothing.’ (King Lear Act 1, Scene 1)
26. ‘The course of true love never did run smooth.’ (A Midsummer Night’s Dream Act 1, Scene 1)
27. ‘Lord, what fools these mortals be!’ (A Midsummer Night’s Dream Act 1, Scene 1)
28. ‘Cry “havoc!” and let slip the dogs of war’ (Julius Caesar Act 3, Scene 1)
29. ‘There is nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so.’ (Hamlet Act 2, Scene 2)
30. ‘A horse! a horse! my kingdom for a horse!’ (Richard III Act 5, Scene 4)
31. ‘There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy.’ (Hamlet Act 1, Scene 5)
32. ‘Love looks not with the eyes, but with the mind; and therefore is winged Cupid painted blind.’ (A Midsummer Night’s Dream Act 1, Scene 1)
33. ‘The fault, dear Brutus, lies not within the stars, but in ourselves, that we are underlings.’ (Julius Caesar Act 1, Scene 2)
34. ‘Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day?’ (Sonnet 18)
35. ‘Let me not to the marriage of true minds admit impediments.’ (Sonnet 116)
36. ‘The evil that men do lives after them; The good is oft interrèd with their bones.’ (Julius Caesar Act 3, Scene 2)
37. ‘But, for my own part, it was Greek to me.’ (Julius Caesar Act 1, Scene 2)
38. ‘Neither a borrower nor a lender be; for loan oft loses both itself and friend, and borrowing dulls the edge of husbandry.’ (Hamlet Act 1, Scene 3)
39. ‘We know what we are, but know not what we may be.’ (Hamlet Act 4, Scene 5)
40. ‘Off with his head!’ (Richard III Act 3, Scene 4)
41. ‘Uneasy lies the head that wears the crown.’ (Henry IV, Part 2 Act 3, Scene 1)
42. ‘Misery acquaints a man with strange bedfellows.’ (The Tempest Act 2, Scene 2)
43. ‘This is very midsummer madness.’ (Twelfth Night Act 3, Scene 4)
44. ‘Some Cupid kills with arrows, some with traps.’ (Much Ado about Nothing Act 3, Scene 1)
45. ‘I cannot tell what the dickens his name is.’ (The Merry Wives of Windsor Act 3, Scene 2)
46. ‘We have seen better days.’ (Timon of Athens Act 4, Scene 2)
47. ‘I am a man more sinned against than sinning.’ (King Lear Act 3, Scene 2)
48. ‘Brevity is the soul of wit.’ (Hamlet Act 2, Scene 2)
49. ‘This royal throne of kings, this sceptred isle… This blessed plot, this earth, this realm, this England.’ (Richard II Act 2, Scene 1)
50. ‘What light through yonder window breaks.’ Romeo and Juliet Act 2, Scene 2)

as i keep telling my husband...

 this is the reason why i will NOT remarry, if he dies ahead of me... 

this made me cry...

This is what a king looks like in his last moments of life 🦁

The scene was captured by photographer Larry Pannell, who released this shocking photo in 2018 📸

"We found him lying in the grass, exhausted and unable to move. We were no more than a meter away from him as he died in the shade of a tree. Dropping my camera, we stared at each other, closing our eyes for what seemed like an era. I just wanted him to know that he wouldn't die alone as he struggled to breathe, his chest only gets hurt from time to time. Then one last tickle, his last breath, he was gone. The king was dead."

Life is short. Power is ephemeral. Physical beauty is short-lived. I have seen it in lions. I have seen it in old people. Everyone who lives long enough will become weak and very vulnerable at some point.

Therefore, let us be humble. Help the sick, the weak, the vulnerable and most importantly never forget that we will leave the stage one day.

oh yeah...

A grandmother knows that children grow too quickly and the time will soon come when they will no longer ask you to play with them.

A grandmother knows that it is more important to dedicate your time to them instead of taking care of the house.

A grandmother knows that listening to them without haste is for them the best gift.

A grandmother knows that their tantrums are sometimes requests for help.

A grandmother knows that you never go back and I will really miss their little hands around my neck.

A grandmother knows that sometimes a day never passes and the years fly by...

A grandmother knows...

A Woman Should...

"A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE ...
Enough money within her control to move out...
And rent a place of her own even if she never wants to or needs to...
Something perfect to wear if the employer or date of her dreams wants to see her in an hour...

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE ...
A youth she's content to leave behind....
A past juicy enough that she's looking forward to retelling it in her old age....

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE...
A set of screwdrivers, a cordless drill, and a black lace bra...
One friend who always makes her laugh...
And one who lets her cry...

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE ....
A good piece of furniture not previously owned by anyone else in her family...
Eight matching plates, wine glasses with stems, and a recipe for a meal that will make her guests feel honored...
A feeling of control over her destiny...

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...
How to fall in love without losing herself..
How to quit a job...
Break up with a lover...
And confront a friend without ruining the friendship...

When to try harder...
And when to walk away...

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...
That she can't change the length of her calves, the width of her hips, or the nature of her parents..
That her childhood may not have been perfect...
But it's over...

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...
What she would and wouldn't do for love or more...
How to live alone...
Even if she doesn't like it...

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...
Whom she can trust...
Whom she can't...
And why she shouldn't take it personally...

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...
Where to go...
Be it to her best friend's kitchen table...
Or a charming inn in the woods...
When her soul needs soothing...

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...
What she can and can't accomplish in a day...
A month...
And a year..."

Pamela Redmond Satran

There is healing in Jesus...

 I didn't write this, but having experienced some of what she wrote about, i can definitely relate...

Today marks 10 years to the day that life as I knew it forever changed. My 16-year marriage shattered to betrayal, and I lost my family unit, my home, my job, and my ministries.

Ever since I surrendered to the Lord as a young person, I thrived on being joyful and spreading joy.

But my joy was gone.

I wanted to believe God could heal me, but the pain cut so deep that healing seemed impossible.

Now, 10 years later, I want to shout it for all to hear -- there is healing in Jesus! Though you may be hopeless and broken today, Jesus can and will heal you.

Today I'm sharing 10 things I've learned about healing. No matter where you are on your journey, I pray this will help you.

1. Healing takes time. They say, "Time heals all wounds." But I say, "Time + Jesus + Work heals all wounds."

2. Healing is difficult, but it's worth every agonizing step.

3. Healing doesn't require the restoration of what was lost. My marriage was not restored, but Jesus still healed my heart.

4. Forgiveness is not a one-time event. You may need to forgive 1,000+ times in your journey of healing.

5. Bitterness will destroy you. It is a chain we forge with our own hands, a prison we build around ourselves, and a poison we choose to drink. But forgiveness sets us free.

6. God's Word and prayer are powerful. Saturate your life with both, and healing will come.

7. Going to church, small groups, and Bible studies may hurt like crazy at first, but never stop going. The devil wants to isolate you. Don't let that happen.

8. Music is very influential, with power to lift you up or tear you down. Choose wisely.

9. Healing is very difficult to accomplish alone. Reach out to family, friends, and your church family. You were never meant to walk this road alone.

10. God never wastes pain. When you are healed, He will send others with the same brokenness you've experienced, and you will be able to help them like no one else can.

I know the journey of healing seems endless. I have cried until I had no more tears, screamed my pain into the blackness of the night, and slept with my Bible on the empty pillow beside me.

I have known the depths of hopelessness.

But Jesus never left me.

It took time, but He healed my heart and filled my life with joy and purpose once again.

There is always hope and healing, my friend.

Don't ever give up.

"Thou hast turned for me my mourning into dancing: thou hast put off my sackcloth, and girded me with gladness." (Psalm 30:11)

"Weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning." (Psalm 30:5)

#gemsofjoy #kimberlyjoydevotionals #healing #healinginjesus