A Poem from Sara

Often times as we reach out to love and encourage others.....

we are the ones that receive the greatest encouragement.

 

A  POEM  FROM  SARA  BENTON

 

Spring has come with hopes of sun; instead, it just brought rain.

And still the winter doldrums stayed with all my aches and pain.

Then one day in the mail, there was an envelope bright.

Someone who prays and cares for me had decided a note to write.

Their words were welcome with encouragement, showing God's love that day.

And then, an added message---they knew it was my birthday !

The next day, a few more cards appeared in the mail.

Lavendar and pink and yellow and green; spring colors did prevail !

And then the cards did "grow" like seeds from a garden flower.

The blessings were multiplied, showing more of God's love and power.

Oh, what joy they bring me that the Son was shining through,

That God is again blessing me from the card that came from you !

Please keep your blessings growing as seeds you planted here and there

To many others who are in need: It's God's love that you share !

 

........and once again Sara Benton has multiplied blessings.....

and returned them to us.....

As she dances on streets of gold.....with our Savior's hand to forever hold.

 

Worship Spotlight 5 17 10

Babies, babies everywhere!! What joy these little innocents bring to our hearts, our spirits, putting smiles on the most stoic faces. Who can resist those tiny little fingers and toes, the soft pink skin and those gurgling noises that infants tend to make? They fill us with hope for what their lives will bring. They bring us back to a few carefree moments when all we want to do is see them smile or yawn or sleep and for a moment it brightens our day – lifts our spirits.

Psalm 42: 11 Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me?
Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God.
God wants our hope to be in Him. He wants to be the source of our strength and our joy. Yet, we focus on our trials and troubles, and as the world presses in we allow it to squelch our joy. Then God sends us a friend who makes us smile. He paints the sky with a double rainbow for us to “ooh” and “ah” over. He sends a song on the radio that speaks to our sorrow. God, our heavenly Father, knows our situations intimately – and He sees the hope of what we CAN be – what good can come from our sometimes overwhelming circumstances.

2 Cor 4: 16Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. 17For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. 18So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

“Praise You in This Storm” -words by Mark Hall/music by Mark Hall and Bernie Herms



Psalm 52:8b—9: I trust in God's unfailing love forever and ever. 9 I will praise you forever for what you have done; in your name I will hope, for your name is good. I will praise you in the presence of your saints.

See you Sunday!!!

Eternal Impressions by Tana LeMay

The email arrived in my in-box Monday as I was closing up shop. It had been a tough day. One of our co-workers had lost her mother unexpectedly over the weekend and our hearts were grieved for her. The subject line of this email indicated more bad news. I was tempted to leave it for tomorrow, but couldn’t. Upon reading it, I learned that one of our department’s leaders was leaving the company. Brooke had accepted an executive position elsewhere. I have to admit my immediate reaction wasn’t one of happiness for her, but rather sadness for me and my co-workers. Brooke is one of those exceptional people who truly lives to help others. Her goal is to ensure those she works with are successful in reaching their goals. That attitude wasn’t only served at Yellowbook, but also in the community as she works with several non-profit organizations.

Over the next several days, everyone I spoke with mentioned Brooke’s leaving. All expressed how much she would be missed. I spoke with Brooke the day before she left. She said she was overwhelmed, almost uncomfortable, with how everyone shared their opinion of her to her. She had no idea she had left such a positive impression on everyone.

I think most of us are aware of how we impact those we are close to; those we live with and those we share most of our life with. This experience has me thinking about the impact I make on those who aren’t part of my daily life. What impression do I leave with those whose path I cross occasionally or even rarely? My attitude tells a lot about my internal soul. If I am continually bitter, I leave an impression of someone who is unhappy, living a life without joy. If I am constantly angry or hateful, I represent someone who isn’t full of goodness or gentleness. When dealing with someone who is difficult, I need to remember there may be a reason for her negative behavior. She might have received bad news from a doctor, or been told by her husband that he doesn’t love her anymore.

As I go about my day, I need to remember that my attitude does have an impact on those I come in contact with. Dear Heavenly Father, help me to be your ambassador as I go throughout my day. I pray that my words and attitude are honoring to you and uplifting to those I meet today. Help me to leave them with a smile on their face and joy in their heart. Amen.

31So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. 32Do not cause anyone to stumble, whether Jews, Greeks or the church of God— 33even as I try to please everybody in every way. For I am not seeking my own good but the good of many, so that they may be saved.
1 Corinthians 10:31-33

A Mother's Tears - by Donna (Ensign) Woods

Much of life is seen through a Mother’s tears,
Flowing from the heart over the years.
Beginning with tears of joy, at her baby’s birth,
The most precious delight, found on Earth.
Followed by tears of prayer-filled fatigue,
As she struggles to meet each child’s need.
As the bus drives away on the first day of school,
Mom stands waving good-bye, in a tear-fed pool.
Her tears console many little heart-breaks,
Through many twisting turns each life takes.
When her child is hurting, tears fall as she prays
Asking God to heal them, as He blesses their days.
Flowing over disappointments, pain and fears…
Is a Mother’s love, reflecting through tears.
When teenagers seem to forget all that they learned,
A Mother cries tears, that frustration has earned.
Pacing the floors, she fights back tears late at night,
Prayer filled tears that combat the evil they must fight.
As children grow up and leave her home,
A Mother’s tears fall….when she is all alone.
Her tears remember each wonderful child…
And each little face that lovingly smiled.
Mother’s tears are often very hard to explain…
They are wrapped in joy, desperation and pain.
But a Mother’s tears always mean love….
Another gift, from God above!!!

JOY! by Joyce Schafer

God has been talking to me lately in a single word-Joy. It seems like everywhere I turn I see and hear this word. One of my friends gave me this advice “Don’t let conflict take away your joy in the Lord." Another friend gave me a candle with the word Joy and scripture verse from Psalms 118:24. “This is the day which the Lord has made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.”

A scripture lesson I read recently was from Philemon 1:7 “Your love has given me great joy and encouragement because you, brother, have refreshed the hearts of saints. "

Then when I mentioned to one of my SACC Write Sisters that I was writing about joy she gave me this verse by Anne Morrow Lindberg-"For happiness one needs security, but joy can spring like a flower even from the cliffs of despair."

The finishing touch was when our minister talked about Awe and Joy. God is truly speaking to me and I can only assume that God wants me to have Joy in my life.

It is so easy to feel joy when you are experiencing the good times, but so hard when you are sick, a loved one is dying or when there is a conflict in your life.

I have come to realize that these bad times are necessary because they bring me closer to God. I pray more, I read my Bible more, I seek counsel from my church, family and friends, and finally I am able to give my worries and problems completely to God. Only then do I experience that deep inner peace and take to heart the promise that God made in Psalms 31:5

"Weeping may go on all night; but in the morning there is Joy."

Assertive by Joyce Schafer

We had found the perfect retirement home in the country. Our dream was about to come true – a cabin for me and a 2 car garage/workshop for my husband. Then the floods came and our place-to-be became a victim. God was being very assertive in telling us – this was not the place for us.

One of my favorite verses has always been Proverbs 13:12: “Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but when dreams come true at last, there is life and joy.” I take comfort in this verse. I know that God will take care of us and has an even better dream for us. All we have to do is be patient and wait.