The Wooden Bowl

I was meaning to post this but kept on putting it off until now. I first read this story last Monday, November 5 in David Jeremiah's Turning Point. Then I saw it again. It broke my heart and had tears welling up my eyes as I read on.

A frail old man went to live with his son, daughter-in-law, and four-year old grandson. The old man’s hands trembled, his eyesight was blurred, and his step faltered. The family ate together at the table. But the elderly grandfather’s shaky hands and failing sight made eating difficult. Peas rolled off his spoon onto the floor. When he grasped the glass, milk spilled on the tablecloth.

The son and daughter-in-law became irritated with the mess. “We must do something about father,” said the son. “I’ve had enough of his spilled milk, noisy eating, and food on the floor.” So the husband and wife set a small table in the corner. There, Grandfather ate alone while the rest of the family enjoyed dinner. Since Grandfather had broken a dish or two, his food was served in a wooden bowl!

When the family glanced in Grandfather’s direction, sometime he had a tear in his eye as he sat alone. Still, the only words the couple had for him were sharp admonitions when he dropped a fork or spilled food.

The four-year-old watched it all in silence.

One evening before supper, the father noticed his son playing with wood scraps on the floor. He asked the child sweetly, “What are you making?” Just as sweetly, the boy responded, “Oh, I am making a little bowl for you and Mama to eat your food in when I grow up.” The four-year-old smiled and went back to work .

The words so struck the parents so that they were speechless. Then tears started to stream down their cheeks. Though no word was spoken, both knew what must be done.

That evening the husband took Grandfather’s hand and gently led him back to the family table. For the remainder of his days he ate every meal with the family. And for some reason, neither husband nor wife seemed to care any longer when a fork was dropped, milk spilled, or the tablecloth soiled.

Our parents were once like us. And time will come when we will be their age too. Think about it, would you have the heart to do the same to your own parents? Sometimes they just need a little something to make them smile.

People will forget what you said ... People will forget what you did ... But people will never forget how you made them feel.

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Please don't forget to join us on our 2007 Christmas Ornament Exchange.

Pot Of Gold

I was craving for fettuccine last night while watching HBO. Good thing Jen just lived in the other building so she cooked for me and brought me some pasta. I really admire people who can concoct a meal from whatever they have in their cupboard. I always wonder how on earth do they do that?

An hour or so after feasting upon my pasta, Jen and I talked about her concerns in life. I was kinda surprised of myself when I started giving her advices. I mean, I can already sense some maturity in me which I knew never existed before. I shared with her a part of a preaching I've heard that morning. It was said that wherever we are now, even if we don't understand why we're going through whatever it is we're going through now is essential to where God wants to place us. We can be sure though that God only wants the best for us. If we want our pot of gold, then this is the route we ought to take. Along the way there would be lots of pruning. I remember the verse in Matthew 7:13-14 which says, "Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it." When the appointed time has come, we can be sure to be ready for the role God wants us to play in this life.

I know this is easier said than done but believe me, I know how hard this is because I'm also passing by the same road. One thing is for sure though I'm trusting a living God that can bring me to the next level.

Who do you trust?

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Please don't forget to join us on our 2007 Christmas Ornament Exchange.

Christmas Ornament Exchange Update

Hi everyone! For those of you who joined in, here's an update. Please refer to rule number 4. And for those who haven't joined yet, you still have time to participate.

Deadline: 12:00 p.m. MT, Friday November 16

Here are the rules:

1. The drawing for names will be on the 16th of November. This gives you plenty of time to find or make that perfect ornament. Kathleen will be making a list and each person will be given a number. She will then use Random.org to see who gets who. Once she knows she will email you the name and addy of the person you have.

2. An ornament can hang on a tree or be a decoration on a fireplace, mantle, or a figurine to decorate the lawn. It's your call. If you want to play Santa and include other little goodies as well, that is also your call ☺

3. Once the drawing has been completed Kathleen will notify everyone ASAP. Then the real fun begins. Get to know the person you have drawn - so be sure to check out their website, find out what they like, what they collect, etc... Or you can bless them with something from your neck of the woods, something they wouldn't find where they live.

4. Please mail your package by Friday, December 7. For international participants, you may want to mail your package a bit earlier.

5. If you would like to participate leave a comment and E-mail Kathleen at kogrone@gmail.com and include your name, address, email addy and blog URL.

Spread the word and enjoy the experience. God bless y'all!!!

Don't Let The Enemy Steal Your Joy

Do you have joy in your heart? You see, with all the things that's happening in my life right now, God gave me joy in my heart. I heard this small voice that said "trust me" while I was still in bed one morning and was crying my heart out to the Lord. The words that were spoken to my heart were so clear. I knew it was from the Lord. It gave me great comfort to know that He hasn't forgotten me yet.

I used to fear laughing out loud, you know, being really happy, because I believed then that if I laugh so hard or if I'm too happy, I'd be crying later on. And I don't want that. The enemy made me believe this lie for years. I've learned that it is God's will for me to be happy, to live a victorious life. God wanted me to enjoy my season. But of course, the enemy didn't want any of that. He wanted to make sure he steals my joy. You know, he almost did. Yesterday I was on the phone with my friend Paz. I was telling her how tired I was with life. I started questioning God's purpose for doing things the way He does. Then she said something like, "Don't let the enemy steal your joy. He wanted to suck up all the joy in your heart so you'd be miserable. Remember, God already gave you His word. He's making you question God. Stop that!" Then she prayed for me.

After hanging up, I knelt down on the side of our bed and repented. I still wasn't feeling right after praying but I told God that I will praise Him even if I didn't feel like it. Early that morning, around 2:30, I woke up because I thought I heard the doorbell rang. I knew I heard it, but I didn't get up to open the door because I wasn't expecting anyone. I waited for it to ring a second time and then I'll get up. But there's none. After a while, I heard water flowing from our bathroom like somebody was taking a shower. I raised up my head a bit to make sure I was hearing what I thought I was hearing. I mean, look, it's 2:30 a.m., I can even hear my own heartbeat. I knew it was the enemy. Whether he did those things to scare me or he's playing with my senses, I don't know. What I knew was that greater is He who is in me than he who is in the world.

Do you have joy in your heart? Don't let the enemy steal your joy.

Job's Birthday Treat

We celebrated Job's 4th birthday last November 1. We had an early dinner together prepared by Paz and Allan. By the way, yummy treat guys, thanks! Almost everybody was there. It was like a reunion of our cell group batch. The kids were so happy to see each other again. They played games and watched The Highschool Musical. What used to be a solemn day turned out to be a joyous one.

Belated Happy Birthday, Job!