LOCKED DOORS By Sally I Kennedy

The door slammed shut. We were having dinner, and even with the animated chatter I could hear it bang closed.

When we have family get-togethers, it's a fun time for the kids to turn the workshop room into their clubhouse. Handwritten signs soon decorate the door: "Keeep Out!!", "No girls allowed", "boys only".

I headed back to check things out. Although we have a 'management rule' about locking doors, that sometimes seems to get ignored. Sure enough, the clubhouse door was locked. They were having a great time. The cookie stash was in one corner, and they were making all kinds of spy and stakeout plans, very busy indeed.

In our lives, don't we too, have locked doors? Places we have unknown secret desires, hopes, hurts? Locked away. Kept at bay, unspoken. When I think about that, I realize that is true for myself.

Still, God is the God of the breakthrough. He can step into closed off, locked doors and areas in our hearts, and in our minds. And when He does, He says, "Peace be with you". Peace be with YOU.

Come, Lord Jesus. Come today through locked doors, even those we may not realize we have. Thank You for coming with a breaker anointing, love, and healing. Amen.

THE 10 MOST IMPORTANT THINGS ARE... Author Unknown

LOVE
The Special Feeling That Makes You Feel
All Warm And Wonderful.

RESPECT
Treating Others As Well
As You Would Like To Be Treated.

APPRECIATION
To Be Grateful For All The Good Things
Life Has To Offer.

HAPPINESS
The Full Enjoyment Of Each Moment.
A Smiling Face.

FORGIVENESS
The Ability To Let Things Be
Without Anger.

SHARING
The Joy Of Giving
Without Thought Of Receiving.

HONESTY
The Quality Of Always
Telling The Truth.

INTEGRITY
The Purity Of Doing What's Right,
No Matter What.

COMPASSION
The Essence Of Feeling Another's Pain,
While Easing Their Hurt.

PEACE
The Reward For Living
The 10 Most Important Things.

JIGSAW PUZZLE By Sally I Kennedy

Do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself.....each day has enough trouble of its own. Matthew 6:34

Life was a slow, easy pace, at the cottage on the lake, where I spent many summers as a child. There was always a jigsaw puzzle on the cardtable. Somehow it was like a magnet, drawing me as I passed by, "Sit down, and put that one piece in."

Early on, we had photos of puppies and kittens in baskets with large pieces. Later, country landscapes with tiny pieces. As soon as we'd finish one, we'd begin another. Dump out the box. Save any pieces already stuck together for a head start. Prop up the lid so the finished picture was visible.

Soon puzzle pieces would be scattered everywhere on the table top. Mom taught us, "Separate the pieces with straight, outside edges. Find the four corners, and make the frame before starting the rest."

What if there had been no cover picture to guide us and help put the pieces together? We don't have a lid to look at, with a finished photo, for the puzzles of our lives. God, however, knows exactly and precisely what the picture looks like.

I recall my sister would pick up a piece and determinedly say, "This fits!", as she forced the cardboard into the space. How often I try to sqeeze something into my life that is not supposed to be there, not designed for that particular time and place.

One day at a time, as we turn our lives over to Him, the Lord give us a piece for the day. "It's a puzzlement!"...the King of Siam, to Anna, in the musical, The King and I. Yes, well, not to Someone.

That's good news with heavenly hope.

THE THORN OF ANXIETY By Marion Smith

I enjoy puttering in the yard, so clipping the rose bushes was enjoyable. I picked up the clippings, discarded them and removed my “yard” clothes and shoes.

A problem happened a few days later as I was puttering in the yard barefooted. I stepped into the rose garden to pick up a few dead clippings I had missed and I felt the sting of the thorn even as it pushed through the bottom of my foot. Limping away, I assumed it would work itself out. No such luck.

By that evening the spot was very sore and red, and I could see a small black dot (thorn) embedded in the sole of my foot. “Time to get the needle out”, I thought. I prodded and picked, only pushing it deeper into my foot.” Ouch! That really hurts,” I thought, as I now could bear no weight upon my heel. Something so small… causing so much pain. The pain was personified with each step I took. I actually had to limp around the rest of the day. I tried several other remedies to rid myself of the painful thorn which had invaded my body, and, finally it worked itself out.

I have also had a thorn of anxiety in my life. Have you? Something unwanted invades your life and…boom!....the pain begins. Self help methods didn’t remove the thorn of anxiety. Reading the Bible didn’t help, either. (sorry to say) Listening to praise music, or singing praise choruses weren’t working either. Prayers of friends were appreciated, but didn’t seem to cure my pain. Meditating on a particular scripture was beneficial, but the thorn of anxiety still remained. I was limping around in my daily existence, feeling the pain of the thorn of anxiety. I knew what I had to do, and finally- once and for all- I gave my thorn of anxiety to God. I asked for His peace to fill me and to realize- once again- He was, and IS , in control.

Jesus told us - “Be anxious for nothing”. In this life we are hit with circumstances from right and left that can cause us anxiety- mild to severe. No matter the size, the cause, the circumstance, the bleak outlook or the weight we feel on our shoulders,we HAVE to “give it to God” (problem) and allow Him to take care of it.

Amen? Amen.

BRING THOSE BABIES TO CHURCH Author Unknown

My heart goes out to the parents of small children. I know first hand the kind of problems they face. Training up a toddler in the way he should go is a constant job, a continuous battle, seven-day-a-week task, not to mention an awesome responsibility.

After six days of their whining chorus at home and three hours of embarrassment while shopping, the last thing some young mothers want to face is an hour of agony and humiliation at church. Many young mothers have asked herself, “Why do I keep bringing them to church?” As she enters the auditorium she utters a silent prayer that the kids will be good and the sermon short. The service begins. While mother is picking up toys, drying eyes, wiping noses, swatting, scolding, trying to sing, listen, and pray, the toddler is pouring juice on her dress. To the toddler, church is an exciting adventure. Songbooks are a challenge to take, stuffed toys make great missiles to launch over four or five rows, and the collection plate would make a great hat. Young parents take heart! Let me assure you of this:

1. Your children do not disturb others nearly as much as you think they do.

2. If people without children are determined to sit at the back of the church, then they deserve any distraction they get.

3. Most people really do understand your plight and remember back to the days when their children were infants and toddlers.

4. Remember that you are both wanted and needed in the worship service.

5. Have faith that the hand, which now hurls crayons, will one day spread the seeds of the Kingdom.