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Plain Brown Wrappers
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Flower bulbs all look more or less alike..... plain brown. They just aren't particularly attractive. But hidden inside each bulb is a special identity which will cause it to be a certain color or have a certain fragrance.
When planted the bulbs will sprout and make an appearance above ground, soon becoming beautiful flowers and bringing forth fragrance.
Then, as the flowers fade, if the bulbs are left in the ground, they will multiply, and the following year there will be more bulbs and more flowers.
And so it is in life. As we are "planted", the flower that is within us will come forth and bloom. We have the opportunity to bloom in many ways and many places. As the Lord leads us, we may bloom in our family, our workplace, our neighborhood, our church..... wherever we are planted.
Those around us may only see the plain brown wrapper, but as we serve
Him, fragrance will come forth, and He will multiply our efforts.
Our wonderful God can take something very plain-looking and turn it into a thing of great beauty.....
"Let the beauty of the Lord our God be upon us,
And establish the work of our hands for us....."
Psalm 90:17 NKJ
© 2004 Arlene Schwartzkopf
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A Lesson Learned
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A Children's Poem
Bobby yelled, Suzy hit me,
Jason took my toy.
When I have these kinds of days,
It seems I lose my joy!
I should try to like these kids.....
Sometimes it isn't easy!
But then I have my bad days too,
When I just feel uneasy.
When I go to Sunday School
They teach me to be good.....
That Jesus helps us boys and girls
To act the way we should.
So I forgive my little friends,
No matter what they do.
If I'm nice and kind to them,
Maybe they'll be nice too.
"Love suffers long and is kind."
I Corinthians 13:4 NKJ
© 2005 Arlene Schwartzkopf
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True Worship - A Vision
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A Vision
The church was full that morning.....
As the service started, the people moved quickly into praise.
As we moved from praise into worship the singing was glorious..... hundreds of voices in harmony, with hearts and hands raised to our Living God. I looked across the auditorium, seeing a sea of faces and hearing the awesomeness of the worship, and I was deeply moved.
Then my eyes were drawn upward..... and I began to see what was going on in the Spirit. The auditorium had a high, beamed ceiling. The space above the worshippers was totally filled with fine silver threads, strung in every direction..... almost like spider webs. I could see currents of energy pulsing through the silver threads, with sparks of fire everywhere. If I had reached up, my hand would have bumped some of the threads because there were so many going in every direction.
I was literally seeing the power and movement of the Holy Spirit in that room. The air was alive with the presence of God. And I knew that lives were being changed and people were being healed.
How great and awesome is our God.....
"Exalt the Lord our God, and worship
at His footstool; For He is holy."
Psalm 99:5 NKJ
© 2004 Arlene Schwartzkopf
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Expressions Of The Heart
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The words of the heart are written in
the countenance and expressed in one's actions.
What is hidden there will reflect in that life, and
steer it in the right or the wrong direction.
What is there will "keep" the heart or destroy it,
stunt it's growth and cloud it's vision, or cause
it to prosper and fulfill God's intended design.
How wonderful the imprint of Jesus
on a heart... to keep it tender and pure,
and cause it to blossom and smile.
For a smiling heart is a gift from Him,
and it speaks of His love and beauty.
"Let the words of my mouth and the meditation
of my heart be acceptable in Your sight,
O Lord, my strength and my redeemer."
Psalm 19:14 NKJ
© 2005 Arlene Schwartzkopf
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