Malachi 3:3  says: "He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver."

This verse puzzled some women in a Bible study and they wondered what this statement meant about the character and nature of God.  One of the women offered to find out the process of refining silver and get back to the group at their next Bible Study.

That week, the woman called a silversmith and made an appointment to watch him at work. She didn't mention anything about the reason for her interest beyond her curiosity about the process of refining Silver.

As she watched the silversmith, he held a piece of silver over the fire and let it heat up. He explained that in refining silver, one needed to hold the silver in the middle of the fire where the flames were hottest as to burn away all the impurities.

The woman thought about God holding us in such a hot spot; then she thought again about the verse that says:  "He sits as a refiner and purifier of silver."  She asked the silversmith if it was true that he had to sit there in front of the fire the whole time the silver was being refined.

The man answered that yes, he not only had to sit there holding the silver, but he had to keep his eyes on the silver the entire time it was in the fire. If the silver was left a moment too long in the flames, it would be destroyed.

The woman was silent for a moment. Then she asked the  silversmith, "How do you know  when the silver is fully refined?"
He smiled at her and answered, "Oh,  that's easy -- when I see my  image in it."

If  today you are feeling the heat of the fire,  remember that God has his eye on you and will keep watching you until He sees His image in you.

BURNED BISCUITS

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When I was a kid, my Mom liked to make breakfast food for dinner every now and then.  And I remember one night in particular when she had made breakfast after a long, hard day at work.  On that evening so long ago, my Mom placed a plate of eggs, sausage and extremely burned biscuits in front of my dad.  I remember waiting to see if anyone noticed! Yet all my dad did was reach for his biscuit, smile at my Mom and ask me how my day was at school.  I don't remember what I told him that night, but I do remember watching him smear butter and jelly on that ugly burned biscuit.  He ate every bite of that thing... never made a face nor uttered a word about it. When I got up from the table that evening, I remember hearing my Mom apologize to my dad for burning the biscuits.  And I'll never forget what he said: "Honey, I love burned biscuits every now and then." Later that night, I went to kiss Daddy good night and I asked him if he really liked his biscuits burned.  He wrapped me in his arms and said, "Your Momma put in a hard day at work today and she's real tired.  And besides - a little burned biscuit never hurt anyone!" As I've grown older, I've thought about that many times.  Life is full of imperfect things and imperfect people.  I'm not the best at hardly anything, and I forget birthdays and anniversaries  just like everyone else. But what I've learned over the years is that learning to accept each other's faults - and choosing to celebrate each other's differences - is one of the most important keys to creating a healthy, growing, and lasting relationship.

Be  Still

This prayer is powerful and  prayer is one of the best gifts we receive.
There is no cost but a lot of rewards. Let's always pray for one another.

Father,
Thank You for each and every day You have blessed  us here on earth.
Thank You for Your tender mercies.  Thank You for giving  us friends and family to share these Internet joys with.  I ask You to bless  my friends, relatives and those I care deeply for who are reading this right  now.

Where there is joy, give them continued joy,
Where there is pain,  give them your peace and mercy.

Where there is self-doubt, release a  renewed confidence.
Where there is need, fulfill their needs.

Bless  their homes, families, finances, their goings and their comings

In Jesus' name, AMEN! 

GRANDMA'S HANDS

Grandma, some ninety plus years, sat feebly on the patio bench. She didn't move, just sat with her head down staring at her hands.

When I sat down beside her she didn't acknowledge my presence and the longer I sat I wondered if she was OK

Finally, not really wanting to disturb her but wanting to check on her at the same time, I asked her if she was OK. She raised her head and looked at me and smiled. "Yes, I'm fine, thank you for asking," she said in a clear voice strong.

"I didn't mean to disturb you, grandma, but you were just sitting here staring at your hands and I wanted to make sure you were OK," I explained to her.

"Have you ever looked at your hands," she asked. "I mean really looked at your hands?"

I slowly opened my hands and stared down at them. I turned them over, palms up and then palms down. No, I guess I had never really looked at my hands as I tried to figure out the point she was making.

Grandma smiled and related this story:

"Stop and think for a moment about the hands you have, how they have served you well throughout your years. These hands, though wrinkled shriveled and weak have been the tools I have used all my life to reach out and grab and embrace life.

"They braced and caught my fall when as a toddler I crashed upon the floor.

They put food in my mouth and clothes on my back. As a child, my mother taught me to fold them in prayer. They tied my shoes and pulled on my boots. They held my husband and wiped my tears when he went off to war.

"They have been dirty, scraped and raw , swollen and bent. They were uneasy and clumsy when I tried to hold my newborn son. Decorated with my wedding band they showed the world that I was married and loved someone special.

They wrote my letters to him and trembled and shook when I buried my parents and spouse.

"They have held my children and grandchildren, consoled neighbors, and shook in fists of anger when I didn't understand.

They have covered my face, combed my hair, and washed and cleansed the rest of my body. They have been sticky and wet, bent and broken, dried and raw. And to this day when not much of anything else of me works real well these hands hold me up, lay me down, and again continue to fold in prayer.

"These hands are the mark of where I've been and the ruggedness of life.

But more importantly it will be these hands that God will reach out and take when he leads me home. And with my hands He will lift me to His side and there I will use these hands to touch the face of Christ."

I will never look at my hands the same again. But I remember God reached out and took my grandma's hands and led her home.

When my hands are hurt or sore or when I stroke the face of my children and husband I think of grandma. I know she has been stroked and caressed and held by the hands of God.

I, too, want to touch the face of God and feel His hands upon my face.





BE GLAD

NO YEAR'S RESOLUTION


This is the time of year when we sit down and write or print out our New Year’s resolutions for the coming year.  Common New Year’s resolutions include ways to make us look better and get healthier by setting goals to lose weight, quit smoking or begin an exercise program.  Maybe our resolution is to have more or give more, or just to get along better with others.
 
However,  as good as our intentions are to keep our resolutions, we usually fall short... probably sometime early in February.  And, when we fail to keep these resolutions guilt follows close behind.
 
This year may our New Year’s resolution be to not make any New Year’s resolutions.  Because when you think about it, our lives are in God’s hands, not ours.  We have no idea what the new year will bring.
 
May I suggest, in lieu of New Year’s resolutions, that we, first of all focus, on our relationship with Jesus.  Second, value the eternal above the temporal.  And, third, let God—not self-interest—guide our lives.
 
It was said that a certain office supervisor decided to post New Year’s resolutions from the staff.  One woman got upset when hers were accidentally omitted.  She complained bitterly.  The supervisor checked and found her list buried on his desk.  Her first resolution: “I resolve not to get upset about little things.”  She might just as well not have bothered making resolutions.