Dart Test

I got this email from a very dear friend of mine and I thought I'd share it to y'all. I felt a slight pinch in the heart after reading this. I wonder if you will too. Here goes...
A young lady named Sally relates an experience she had in a seminary class given by her teacher, Dr. Smith. She says that Dr. Smith was known for his elaborate object lessons.

One particular day, Sally walked into the seminary and knew they were in for a fun day. On the wall was a big target and on a nearby table were many darts. Dr. Smith told the students to draw a picture of someone that they disliked or someone who had made them angry, and he would allow them to throw darts at the person's picture.

Sally's friend drew a picture of who had stolen her boyfriend. Another friend drew a picture of his little brother. Sally drew a picture of a former friend, putting a great deal of detail into her drawing, even drawing pimples on the face. Sally was pleased with the overall effect she had achieved.

The class lined up and began throwing darts. Some of the students threw their darts with such force that their targets were ripping apart. Sally looked forward to her turn and was filled with disappointment when Dr. Smith, because of time limits, asked the students to return to their seats. As Sally sat thinking about how angry she was because she didn't have a chance to throw any darts at her target, Dr. Smith began removing the target from the wall.

Underneath the target was a picture of Jesus. A hush fell over the room as each student viewed the mangled picture of Jesus; holes and jagged marks covered His face and His eyes were pierced. Dr. Smith said only these words...

"In as much as ye have done it unto the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto Me." Matthew 25:40

No other words were necessary; the tears filled eyes of the students focused only on the picture of Christ.
This is an easy test; you either score 100 or zero. It's your choice.

Happy Easter

While growing up, I was made aware of several beliefs that "must" be followed during the holy week. Most of these beliefs are, for me, questionable if not senseless. But believe it or not, there are still a number of people here who abide by these do's and dont's. Here are some of them:

~ One shouldn't take a bath on Good Friday (Yikes!)
~ One shouldn't eat meat during the holy week (I do and I'm still in one piece)
~ One shouldn't be happy during the holy week, especially on Good Friday and Black Saturday (So I have to wear a long face for 48 hours)
~ One shouldn't be doing fun activities during the holy week (This is why I used to hate holy week a lot)
~ One shouldn't get wounded on Good Friday or it won't heal until the next holy week (This is crazy!)

Not that I have any intention to step on anybody's foot here but if I did, I'm sorry. I used to dread holy week but not anymore. Now, I love holy week and this is why I do.

The Father gave His only Son to die on the cross to redeem us, to save us from eternal death. That is how much love He has for us. Jesus Christ died only once and now He lives. Because of this, we have all the reasons to rejoice. Now that I understand this truth, I no longer have to wear a long face during the holy week. I can now engage in fun activities because He lives! I use these days to relax, reflect and have fun! I think you should too. HAPPY EASTER!!!



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My Redeemer Lives

I know he rescued my soul

His blood has covered my sin

I believe, I believe

My shame He's taken away

My pain is healed in his name

I believe, I believe

I'll raise a banner

'Cause my Lord has conquered the grave

My Redeemer lives, my Redeemer lives

My Redeemer lives, my Redeemer lives

You Lift my burdens

I'll rise with You

I'm dancing on this mountain top to see your kingdom come.

The Horror!

I had my tooth extracted last Saturday. The horror!

I'm scared of dentists and that's a fact. I had a traumatic experience with a dentist as a kid. Though I only had one extraction in the past, it sure scared the crap out of me. I never wanted to go back to the dentist ever again. Of course, that wasn't possible because I was always dragged by my parents to the dentist for my dental prophylaxis. Those drills, it pains my ears!!! It made me squirm on my seat. And it still does now!

I didn't have a choice, my tooth cracked while eating french fries. Yes, french fries! I knew I had to visit my dentist again because I needed to have it checked. As she looked at it, she said that she needed to remove the tooth. Good heavens! I immediately turned white as snow, even my dentist noticed it. Haha!

I take good care of my teeth because I hate visits to the dentist. Well, I guess this time that wouldn't suffice anymore because I was asked to go see her again after six months. The horror!

Waiting

"I wait for the LORD, my soul waits, and in his word I put my hope." Psalm 130:5

Faith Renewed

I know that God is in control, that He has good plans for all of us, that He's faithful to His promises and knows what's in our hearts. Unfortunately, I didn't feel quite hopeful about anything last Friday morning. I was happy, sad and agitated... all at the same time. Happy because I've got friends like you who patiently listens to my ramblings. Sad because this grief-stricken feeling and the pain... they're nothing but real. And agitated because I hated what I've felt!

I had a talk with Pastor Sonny last Saturday after the dedication rites of my friend's daughter. He prayed for us, quoted some scriptures and told us not to give in to the lies of the enemy. "We can't control the thoughts that goes in and out of our minds but we can control what thoughts we will entertain," he said.

You think I didn't know that? Well, of course I do! It's just that sometimes I get so drained with negativity that I start to believe the enemy's lies and my hope begins to deteriorate.

Thank you for your prayers and for always being there for me. I needed to let off steam and I'm sorry for ranting. Now my faith is renewed. If there's a very important reminder I got from this experience, it's that our mind is the battlefield. It's the enemy's job to confuse, to trick and to mislead us. But that's all he can do. The truth has already been said and they're all written in the Bible. We have to stand firm on that truth and keep our faith burning by constantly reminding ourselves of God's promises.

Easier said than done? Maybe... but it's worth trying, don't you think?