Apron Strings Devotional for10/13/99

10/13/99

Good Morning....
Jesus loves You!!

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If we will humble ourselves before God, He will thwart the enemy's attempts and forgive us any complicity in allowing the enemy to gain footholds in our lives.
-Wayne Jacobsen-

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Hi Dear Friends!!

I pray your week is going well in our Lord Jesus! I know this one is early, but I had it ready and decided to send it on.

We had a tragedy recently and this week's commentary is a follow-up along with not one, but two interesting revelations. ( smile )

Our cat Tigger was hit by a car last week, and I discovered him right after it happened. No external injuries, but his neck was broken, as well as my heart. It was a very sad time for us, but yet a chance to explain some things to the boys. Joseph, ( 9 ) took it really hard, but he still took the time to thank God for the moments we had with Tigger. Tigger inspired a devotional last year and here is the link if you would like to check it out sometime.
Apron Strings Devotional for 12/23/98

God bless and see you at the end!

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20/20 VISION

I read a story about a woman
who, by a genetic defect, was born blind.
After forty years a cure was found.
What a wonderful joy to regain her sight!

Imagine what it must have been like
to walk around in a world of darkness.
How beautiful the world must now appear
and how much this woman must feel blessed.

In a spiritual sense, this is how I felt
when I asked the Lord to come into my life.
After all the years of spiritual darkness,
I have finally come out into the light.

Once this happens, there is no turning back.
A person with sight will never want to lose it.
Once Christ is in you, you can't live any other way.
You'll forever want to preserve it.

By: Lori Campisano - Poet4JC@aol.com
Keep it up, Lori! It only gets better!

Matt 6:22
The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light.

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Me again!

Yesterday Sam ( 6 ) and I went to run some errands and we found ourselves near the Humane Society. When we approached the entrance, I slowed down as I noticed a volunteer walking one of the dogs in the driveway. I stopped and asked info ( costs, etc. ) and she informed me that October is "adopt an adult dog month," which meant a great discount on all adult dogs. At this point, she was holding the dog she had been walking, and stated, "She's available for adoption!" I glanced at the scraggly lookin thang and decided to weigh ALL my options before getting too hasty! ( What a lesson I was about to learn! )

So Sam and I proceeded down the long driveway to the kennel. As we walked through the doorway, the smell hit us head on, and Sam had his shirt up to his face. He looked like that character on those Bazooka Joe bubble gum cartoons! I seriously thought about doin the same thang! As we entered the "selection parlor" we went from pen to pen, reading the info cards and noting their behavior patterns. At least that's what I was doing. Sam was hanging around the pups, trying to produce a Norman Rockwell moment. He was quite successful!

I finally had the choices narrowed down to three, and the scraggly one that we met in the driveway (who was back in the pen by this time) was choice number three. I think in the back of my mind I was considering her as a "possible" last resort. I looked at the info card attached to her pen, and she was named "Hobo," which was appropriate if one named her only by her appearance.

I got on the cell phone and called my oldest son Ben, (14) and told him to be ready, along with Joseph and Noah. I was coming home to pick them up and bring them to the kennel. It was democracy time! The ladies at the kennel thought for sure they were being invaded when all my boys came bouncin in! Joseph ran straight to the cats and announced he wanted another one, but I found myself hesitating greatly when it came to paying for a kitty, because in Alabama they are a penny a dozen! And most of the time they are free!

I took the boys to the doggie area and asked Ben to see if he could "figger out" which three I was considering. He came pretty close, but he didn't even consider Hobo. He was eyeballing the stout, healthier ones. I looked at Noah ( 2 ) and asked, "Which one do you want?" Noah scoped the place with
those big chocolatey eyes, and pointed at this huge "horse" that had been barking "at" us since we walked in. That one was marked down to 20 bucks. I think Noah was looking for one that he could saddle up and ride. It was no doubt a beautiful dog, but I found myself steering Noah toward the ones that we could accommodate and still have enough grocery money left over! ( laughing )

There I stood once again in front of Hobo's pen. I got on my knees and got a closer look at her and for the first time, really looked into her eyes. They were the kindest, most loving eyes you ever saw. She had such a gentle spirit about her, and even in that brief moment, I realized that she was the one that would give my family her unconditional love and no matter what she looked like, we would do the same for her.

My next obstacle was Jimmy. We discussed getting a dog, but I wondered how he would respond to her because I wasn't so sure she would make a good "first impression." He was standing on the front porch when the gang and I arrived on the scene. The kids disembarked the van and ran toward him with our "news." I was amazed as I watched an instant bond take place as he protectively held her, while speaking ever so gently. My Sweetheart never ceases to amaze me with the way he rarely judges by appearance, in spite of the fact that Hobo was certainly a test of that God-given attribute.

So, to make a long story longer, "Daisy" has made herself at home in less than 24 hours. Jimmy bathed her and I clipped her, and we discovered that the scraggly appearance was mostly due to an unprofessional attempt at clipping the mats out of her hair. ( Not that my attempt was professional, mind you.. I just grabbed a clipper guard and prayed for the best! ) And when all was said and done, she was BEAUTIFUL!

As this whole scenario was unfolding, I kept thinking about the story of the Ugly Duckling. Sometimes we go through life never seeing the beauty in others, never seeing the inner man that is yearning to come out and be what God has called him or her to be. Too many times we prejudge instead of allowing the Holy Spirit to use us to draw out the potential that He sees in others. I almost missed it with Daisy because I immediately noticed the "outside" and sized her up accordingly. If I did this so easily with an animal, it made me wonder how often we do this with people. I notice that when I am so in tune with Christ and so in touch with His Spirit, He pours Himself through me, and I don't weigh the outer features or take them into consideration when sharing His love.

Remember the ending of the Ugly Duckling? After all the taunting, teasing and rejection he received, he noticed his reflection in the pond after a season, and saw a beautiful creature. Hold that thought and consider the possibility that we, as Christians could hold that mirror up for many rejected souls, if our hearts are willing.

We have the opportunity to reach into the hearts of the precious ducklings that God puts in our path and share the good news that Jesus loves them so much. And He wants to take them, just the way they are, and bathe them in His love, and clip off the unwanted locks of rejection and inner turmoil that they receive in this world, and then He wants to hand them a mirror that reveals the reflection of His likeness.

Before we can hold that mirror up for them, however, we must look into it ourselves. Only a free person can speak from the outer side of the prison bars. And only Jesus Christ can bring that freedom. His blood washes away the stains of the past and His Holy Spirit fills us with a warm oil that brings such peace. It's there for the asking and it's there to pass on to others.

Ps 51:7
...wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.

Daisy is resting next to me at the moment in her new sheepskin bed and she looks content. The Hobo is no longer wandering around digging in the garbage cans of this world to survive. She is home and she is most welcome. How much more as children of the kingdom, will our loving God receive us or anyone that calls on His Name?

Now as you chew on that perspective, I have a surprise for you. Go refill your cup and come back to read my Jimmy's short and sweet version of this same situation. He mentioned this point of view as I was typing the devo and I asked him to share it with you, so here it is:

( Psst.. Hey Darlin.. You're on! )

Whenever I get an opportunity to share I never turn it down, so I am thankful to my Sweetheart for giving me a chance here. I guess you all, or Y'all as we say here in lower Alabama, are following the "Daisy" saga. I thought I would share from a man's point of view. I know Carol has given you all the info, but here are a few more.

When Carol came home I walked out to the van to meet her and the boys. As the Skipper tribe piled out of that van it looked like the Marines storming the beach. They were grinning from ear to ear and I'm thinking, "What has she done now?"

Then my eyes catch a glimpse of this dog. She is scrawny, matted and afraid. It's hard for me to be mean to someone or something in trouble, so I reached down and picked her up. Carol looked surprised as I turned around and walked inside with her.

Now, here comes the spiritual part. After holding her for a few minutes, I set her on the floor beside my throne. You know, the big recliner we real men have in the living room. As I watched, she looked at me with those big eyes, laid prostrate before me, eased up and licked my feet. I smiled real big and realized she wanted to be held some more. So I picked her up again. As she looked at me I thought of two verses:

James 4:10
Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.

John 4:23
But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him.

Look at the meaning of the word worship from Strongs concordance.

4352 proskuneo (pros-koo-neh'-o); from 4314 and a probable derivative of 2965 (meaning to kiss, like a dog licking his master's hand); to fawn or crouch to, i.e. (literally or figuratively) prostrate oneself in homage (do reverence to, adore):

I saw in her, true worship and humility. When we hurt or are afraid, we have a Master we can come to. All we have to do is look up to Him, and He will reach down to us, lifting us up, holding us firmly, yet so gentle. He is not a God that cannot be touched by our afflictions or infirmities, but one we can come to any time of any day.

Heb 4:15-16
For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.

Some of you may feel like "Hobo," lost and unwanted. But there is One that has paid the price for you, and wanting a "Daisy" to bloom, and His name is Jesus.

God Bless You All!!
And remember..
Jesus loves you and I do too!

In Christ!!
Jimmy and Carol
RevrndSkip@aol.com
Justaservn@aol.com

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