Encouraging message

 Every once and a while, a ewe will give birth to a lamb and reject it. There are many reasons she may do this. If the lamb is returned to the ewe, the mother may even kick the poor animal away.
Once a ewe rejects one of her lambs, she will never change her mind. These little lambs will hang their heads so low that it looks like something is wrong with its neck. Their spirit is broken. These lambs are called “bummer lambs.” Unless the shepherd intervenes, that lamb will die, rejected and alone. So, do you know what the shepherd does? He takes that rejected little one into his home, hand-feeds it and keep it warm by the fire. He will wrap it up with blankets and hold it to his chest so the bummer can hear his heartbeat. Once the lamb is strong enough, the shepherd will place it back in the field with the rest of the flock. But that sheep never forgets how the shepherd cared for him when his mother rejected him. When the shepherd calls for the flock, guess who runs to him first? That is right, the bummer sheep. He knows his voice intimately. It is not that the bummer lamb is loved more, it just knows intimately the one who loves it. It's not that it is loved more, it just believes it because it has experienced that love one on one. So many of us are bummer lambs, rejected and broken. But He is the good Shepherd. He cares for our every need and holds us close to His heart so we can hear His heart beat. We may be broken but we are deeply loved by the Shepherd.  John10:14-16
-Author unknown

*60 BENEFITS FROM READING THE BIBLE DAILY*.

1. It teaches us forgiveness. 
2. It brings us joy. 
3. It provides clarity to/about many things. 
4. It opens our eyes to see. 
5. It directs our steps. 
6. It teaches and demonstrates love. 
7. It teaches mercy. 
8. It gives us strength. 
9. It blesses and teaches the way to be blessed. 
10. It counsels. 
11. It revives. 
12. It gives us courage. 
13. It sheds light in the dark. 
14. It breathes life into that which was dead. 
15. It heals our body from any form of diseases, either physical, health wise, spiritual etc. 
16. It delivers us from evil. 
17. It offers a better solution to every problems. 
18. It shows the better way to access God. 
19. It transform lives. 
20. It keeps us focused. 
21. It pushes us forward. 
22. It guards my thoughts. 
23. It fights temptation. 
24. It provides peace. 
25. It builds better relationships. 
26. It provides a greater perspective. 
27. It empowers. 
28. It changes our outlook. 
29. It fills our mind with affirmations. 
30. It gives us confidence. 
31. It reminds us of who we are. 
32. It feeds our soul. 
33. It sets us free from deceits. 
34. It satisfies our thirst. 
35. It organizes our priorities. 
36. It motivates us to help others. 
37. It relieves stress. 
38. It exchanges our guilt for His grace. 
39. It helps us conquer addictions. 
40. It helps us maintain a healthy lifestyle. 
41. It teaches us stewardship. 
42. It keeps us out of debt. 
43. It helps us discover our purpose in life. 
44. It equips us to live out our purpose. 
45. It settles our anxieties.
46. It arms us with truth. 
47. It strengthens our
 relationship with God and man.
48. It preserves. 
49. It protects. 
50. it help us know the will of God.
51. It sanctifies.
52. It makes us to know the mind of God.
53. It helps us walk in the light as he is in the light.
54. It help us walk in righteousness and holy.
55. It makes us have God Spirit and be like him.
56. It help us not to sin.
57. It makes us wise as we interact with others.
58. It help us to be patient and self control.
59. It makes us live long on earth
60. It makes us please God and enjoy eternity.

*Be a Bible reader*

The value of giving

From Katherine Hepburn

Once when I was a teenager, my father and I were standing in line to buy tickets for the circus. 

Finally, there was only one other family between us and the ticket counter. This family made a big impression on me.

There were eight children, all probably under the age of 12. The way they were dressed, you could tell they didn't have a lot of money, but their clothes were neat and clean.

The children were well-behaved, all of them standing in line, two-by-two behind their parents, holding hands. They were excitedly jabbering about the clowns, animals, and all the acts they would be seeing that night. By their excitement you could sense they had never been to the circus before. It would be a highlight of their lives.

The father and mother were at the head of the pack standing proud as could be. The mother was holding her husband's hand, looking up at him as if to say, "You're my knight in shining armor." He was smiling and enjoying seeing his family happy.

The ticket lady asked the man how many tickets he wanted? He proudly responded, "I'd like to buy eight children's tickets and two adult tickets, so I can take my family to the circus." The ticket lady stated the price.

The man's wife let go of his hand, her head dropped, the man's lip began to quiver. Then he leaned a little closer and asked, "How much did you say?" The ticket lady again stated the price. 

The man didn't have enough money. How was he supposed to turn and tell his eight kids that he didn't have enough money to take them to the circus?

Seeing what was going on, my dad reached into his pocket, pulled out a $20 bill, and then dropped it on the ground. (We were not wealthy in any sense of the word!) My father bent down, picked up the $20 bill, tapped the man on the shoulder and said, "Excuse me, sir, this fell out of your pocket."

The man understood what was going on. He wasn't begging for a handout but certainly appreciated the help in a desperate, heartbreaking and embarrassing situation. 

He looked straight into my dad's eyes, took my dad's hand in both of his, squeezed tightly onto the $20 bill, and with his lip quivering and a tear streaming down his cheek, he replied; "Thank you, thank you, sir. This really means a lot to me and my family."

My father and I went back to our car and drove home. The $20 that my dad gave away is what we were going to buy our own tickets with. 

Although we didn't get to see the circus that night, we both felt a joy inside us that was far greater than seeing the circus could ever provide.

*That day I learnt the value to Give.*

*The Giver is bigger than the Receiver.* 

*If you want to be large, larger than life, learn to Give.*

*Only if you Give can you Receive more. The Givers heart becomes the Ocean, in tune with the Almighty - The Source*

*Love has nothing to do with what you are expecting to get - only with what you are expecting to give - which is everything.*
Happy and blessed day💐🎊🎉🍏🍎🍐🍊🍋🍌🍉🍇🍓🍈🍒🍑🥭🍍🥥🥝🍅

GARDENING FOR LENT

First plant five rows of peas:

Preparedness
Promptness
Perseverance
Politeness
Prayer

Next to them plant three rows of squash:

Squash gossip
Squash criticism
Squash indifference

Then plant five rows of lettuce:

Let us be faithful
Let us be loyal
Let us be unselfish
Let us love one another
Let us be truthful

No garden is complete without turnips:

Turn up for Worships
Turn up with a smile
Turn up with a new idea
Turn up with real determination

Then see what a wonderful garden you can grow.

*Have a meaningful LENT*

I killed Jesus

"I killed Jesus by Christina Mead"
  
While I read the story of Christ’s passion and death in the gospel of Matthew, I was looking for myself in the story. Which character am I? What is God trying to teach me? Well….
I think that I am every character in the story of the passion and death of Christ. And I think that’s the whole point.

I am the apostle

I am an apostle, sleeping in the Garden of Gethsemane (Matthew 26:40). I’m prone and give in to laziness in the presence of holiness. I don’t put up a fight against the pull of distractions or sometimes even sleep.

I am Judas

I am Judas. Jesus has every right to call me both “friend” and “betrayer” barely 30 seconds apart (Matthew 26:46, 50). My heart is fickle and weak and sometimes my commitment to being Jesus’ friend is blown off on the whim of an emotion.

I am Caiaphas

I am Caiaphas, the high priest. I want Jesus to prove Himself to me (Matthew 26:63). I want signs and wonders to know that I really can trust Him. I want my prayers answered in my way. I want concrete proof over humble faith.

I am Peter

I am Peter. Sometimes I deny Jesus (Matthew 26:72). I deny Him in the face of the homeless when I chose to look away. I deny Him when I am afraid of being judged and condemned by those around me.

I am the Crowd

I am in the crowd yelling, “crucify Him” (Matthew 27:21-23). And I say it again and again every time I knowingly choose to sin.

I am Barabbas

I am Barabbas. I am chained in sin and holed up in the prison of my own pride. And instead of suffering the full punishment for my sins for which I am guilty… Christ takes my place (Matthew 27:26). And I often forget to thank Him.

I am Pilate

I am Pilate. I want to give up when life is too challenging (Matthew 27:24). I’m ready to wash my hands of Christianity when being a follower of Jesus means pursuing virtue over mediocrity, a life of prayer over a life of pleasure.

I am Simon of Cyrene

I am Simon of Cyrene (Matthew 27:32). I suffer reluctantly. I will take the cross but I won’t seek it. I’ll only take it if it’s been placed on my shoulders… and I don’t love it.

I am passer-by

I am a passer-by. These passers-by mocked Jesus while He was hanging on the cross (Matthew 27:30). How quickly they had forgotten all the good works He had done among their cities and towns. When popular opinion about Jesus changed, they followed suite. How quickly I  forget the good He’s done for me. In a brief moment of pain all my gratitude is forgotten and replaced by resentment.

I am one of the Roman soldiers

I am one of the Roman soldiers (Matthew 27:35). I killed Jesus. My sins were the reason He was nailed to that cross. It was my fault and I know it.

But sometimes…

I am the centurion. My eyes are opened to who Jesus is in my life (Matthew 27:54). My heart swells with the truth that God became man and died for me. And this knowledge brings me peace and a resignation to amend my life.

I am one of the women standing by the cross (Matthew 27:55-56). When I’m open to God’s grace, I can be a faithful and constant Christian. In the midst of pain and suffering, I can stay close to the cross. Jesus, my beloved, is my strength and He’s all I need.

I am Joseph of Arimathea (Matthew 27:59). Again, only by God’s grace, I can be selflessly compassionate, putting others’ needs before my own. Moved by God, I will use what He has given me in the service of others. My time, talent, and treasure are all for Him.

Sometimes I am every character in the story of the passion and death of Christ.We have to apply it to our lives today because the reality of it’s events matter today.

I killed Jesus. But I am also the reason He rose from the dead.