[rosalee]

It seems to me that a lot of people are down and discouraged right now, maybe this will help, these two stories were sent to me in my email, and have remained amoung my favorites. Long, but worth reading. Rosie

Nothing is impossible if you believe, Jesus said so.

Positive Thinking

The only survivor of a shipwreck was washed up on a small, uninhabited island. He prayed feverishly for God to rescue him, and every day he scanned the horizon for help, but none seemed forthcoming. Exhausted, he eventually managed to build a little hut out of driftwood to protect himself from the elements, and to store his few possessions. But then one day, after scavenging for food, he arrived home to find his little hut in flames, the smoke rolling up to the sky. The worst had happened - everything was lost. He was stunned with grief and anger. "God, how could you do this to me?" he cried.

Early the next day, however, he was awakened by the sound of a ship that was approaching the island. It had come to rescue him. "How did you know I was here?" asked the weary man of his rescuers. "We saw your smoke signal," they replied.

It's easy to get discouraged sometimes when things appear to be going badly. But we shouldn't lose heart, because God is at work in our lives, even in the midst of pain and suffering. Remember, next time your little hut is burning to the ground, it just may be a smoke signal that summons the grace of God.

For all the negative things we have to say to ourselves, God has a positive answer for it.


You say, "It's impossible."
God says: "All thing are possible". (Luke 18:27)

You say, "I'm too tired."
God says: "I will give you rest". (Matt 11:28-20)

You say, "Nobody really loves me."
God says: "I love you". (John 3:16 - John 13:34)

You say, "I can't go on."
God says: "My grace is sufficient." (II Cor. 12:9 - Psalm 91:15)

You say, "I can't figure things out."
God says: "I will direct your steps." (Proverbs 3:5-6)

You say, "I can't do it."
God says: "You can do all things in Me." (Phil 4:13)

You say, "It's not worth it."
God says: "It will be worth it." (Romans 8:28)

You say, "I can't forgive myself."
God says: "I forgive you." (I John 1:9 - Romans 8:1)

You say, "I can't manage."
God says: "I will supply all your needs." (Phil 4:19)

You say, "I'm afraid."
God says: "I have not given you a spirit of fear." (II Tim. 1:7)

You say, "I'm always worried and frustrated"
God says: "Cast all your cares on ME (I Peter 5:7)

You say, "I don't have enough faith."
God says: "I've given everyone a measure of faith." (Romans 12:3)

You say, "I'm not smart enough."
God says: "I give you wisdom." (I Cor. 1:30)

You say, "I feel all alone."
God says: "I will never leave you or forsake you." (Heb. 13:5)

Pass this on; you never know whose life may be in need of this today. There are some weeks (and days) that we ALL feel our huts are burning.


AND IF THAT ISN'T ENOUGH...


Several times my daughter had telephoned to say, "Mother,
>>you must come see the daffodils before they are over." I wanted to go,

>>but it was a two-hour drive from Laguna to Lake Arrowhead . "I will
>>come next Tuesday, " I promised, a little reluctantly, on her third
>>call.
>>
>>Next Tuesday dawned cold and rainy. Still, I had promised, and so I
>>drove there. When I finally walked into Carolyn's house and hugged and

>>greeted my grandchildren, I said, "Forget the daffodils, Carolyn! The
>>road is invisible in the clouds and fog, and there is nothing in the
>>world except you and these children that I want to see bad enough to
>>drive another inch!"
>>
>>My daughter smiled calmly and said, "We drive in this all
>>the time, Mother."
>>
>>"Well, you won't get me back on the road until it clears,
>>and then I'm heading for home!" I assured her.
>>
>>"I was hoping you'd take me over to the garage to pick up
>>my car "
>>
>>"How far will we have to drive?" "Just a few blocks,"
>>Carolyn said. "I'll drive. I'm used to this." After several minutes, I

>>had to ask, "Where are we going? This isn't the way to the garage!"
>>
>>"We're going to my garage the long way," Carolyn smiled,
>>"by way of the daffodils." "Carolyn," I said sternly,
>>"please turn around."
>>
>>"It's all right, Mother, I promise. You will never forgive yourself if

>>you miss this experience."
>>
>>After about twenty minutes, we turned onto a small gravel road and I
>>saw a small church. On the far side of the church , I saw a hand
>>lettered sign that read, " Daffodil Garden ."
>>
>>We got out of the car and each took a child's hand, and I followed
>>Carolyn down the path. Then, we turned a corner of the path, and I
>>looked up and gasped. Before me lay the most glorious sight. It looked

>>as though someone had taken a great vat of gold and poured it down
>>over the mountain peak and slopes. The flowers were planted in
>>majestic, swirling patterns - great ribbons and swaths of deep orange,

>>white, lemon yellow, salmon pink,
>>saffron, and butter yellow.
>>
>>Each different-colored variety was planted as a group so
>>that it swirled and flowed like its own river with its own unique hue.

>>There were five acres of flowers.
>>
>>"But who has done this?" I asked Carolyn.
>>
>>"It's just one woman," Carolyn answered. "She lives on the property.
>>That's her home." Carolyn pointed to a well kept A-frame house that
>>looked small and modest in the midst of all that glory. We walked up
>>to the house.
>>
>>On the patio, we saw a poster. "Answers to the Questions I Know You
>>Are Asking" was the headline.
>>
>>The first answer was a simple one. "50,000 bulbs," it
>>read.
>>
>>The second answer was, "One at a time, by one woman. Two hands, two
>>feet, and very little brain."
>>
>>The third answer was, "Began in 1958."
>>
>>There it was, The Daffodil Principle.
>>
>>For me, that moment was a life-changing experience!
>>
>>I thought of this woman whom I had never met, who, more
>>than forty years before, had begun - one bulb at a time - to bring her

>>vision of beauty and joy to an obscure mountaintop. Still, just
>>planting one bulb at a time, year after year, had changed the world.
>>This unknown woman had forever changed the world in which she lived.
>>She had created something of indescribable magnificence, beauty, and
>>inspiration.
>>
>>The principle her daffodil garden taught is one of the greatest
>>principles of celebration. That is, learning to move toward our goals
>>and desires one step at a time - often just one baby-step at a time -
>>and learning to love the doing; learning to use the accumulation of
>>time.
>>
>>When we multiply tiny pieces of time with small increments
>>of daily effort, we too will find we can accomplish magnificent
>>things. We can change the world.
>>
>>"It makes me sad in a way," I admitted to Carolyn.
>>
>>"W hat might I have accomplished if I had thought of a wonderful goal
>>thirty-five or forty years ago and had worked away at it 'one bulb at
>>a time' through all those years. Just think what I might have been
>>able to achieve!"
>>
>>My daughter summed up the message of the day in her usual direct way.
>>"Start tomorrow," she said. It's so pointless to think of the lost
>>hours of yesterdays. The way to make learning a lesson of celebration
>>instead of a cause for regret is to only ask, "How can I put this to
>>use today?"
>>
>>So, stop waiting...
>>
>>There is no better time than right now to be happy.
>>Happiness is a journey, not a destination.
>>So work like you don't need money, Love like you've never been hurt,
>>and dance like no one's watching.


We can do it! One bite at a time, instead of one bulb at a time, we are creating our vision, and changing our worlds! ..Rosie

[mi-herb]

Thats very inspirational. Thank you!! I see God working in my life all the time and I think a few times my "hut" has burned down

[rosalee]

Thanks mi-herb, I know I needed these just when God sent then to me, through whoever emailed them of course. I hope they can help others too. Rosie

[Juice26400]

Rosalee, that was so beautiful it made me cry. Everything you posted is so true. I thank God for God