The Picture says it all....

Appreciate your friends for what they are and hold on to them dearly!!

"Let your hopes, not your hurts, shape your future." -Robert H. Schuller

When I read this quote tonight - I knew it was something I had to write about. I talked to someone earlier that had been so hurt by something that had happened to them in the past that they let it dictate what they were doing today. It's easy to do. When we are hurt so deeply - we retract into ourselves and shut everyone out. Especially anyone that might slightly resemble or be able to hurt us the same way as the one that has done so in the past. But sometimes we really need to stop and think about what is shaping our tomorrow? Is it our hope? Is it the hope from the Bible? Is it the prospects of living forever? Or is something holding us back? Have we been hurt so badly that we cannot move past a certain point? We may not even realize what we are doing or NOT doing. So think for a minute about the hurts you have encountered. Are they stopping you from reaching out to a friend? A brother or a sister? Are they hindering the time you could spend in the field ministry? Are they making you think thoughts about yourself that are not true?? Many times it is not the hurt that holds us back as much as ourselves. We allow it to hold us back or use it as an excuse. But who does that hurt? Not just us - what about our family members? Our parents? Our siblings? OUR CHILDREN? More importantly.. are we taking it out on Jehovah?? Is it hurting Him? Or our relationship with Him. This is worth our time and our examination. It can open up a lot of opportunities for us for many blessings. So, whatever you do, don't let your hurts shape your future. Lets all keep our hopes bright before us. Its the only thing (along with Jehovah) that will get us through to tomorrow!

Thought this was an appropriate cartoon for today. Fits the day perfectly. Rain rain rain..... April showers and such nonsense.. I suppose. Only here in KY we don't need the rain. Its actually inhibiting our crops from growing. Ah well, it all works out in the end. Have a super Monday!

Happy Spring!

Well, looks like spring has finally made its appearance here in KY. It was a beautiful, warm day. It is sad to see the trees trying to bloom - and all the broken branches putting forth leaves. Makes me realize how resilient Jehovah's creation is. I also wonder what the future brings for these trees. Will they survive past the devistation they have experienced? Will they die? I guess time will tell. I also think it is a great lesson about survival for all of us. Some of us go through life with so many bumps and bruises and even some broken limbs. But we survive. We keep going. We give it another try. We could never do that without Jehovah God's help and support. We would be so much more frail and break so much easier. We would lack the strenght we need to face another day. So many are lost and falling apart bit by bit. We must reach out to them and help them see how they too can get the strength they need to survive. These ones may even be among us in the congregation. Look around at the next meeting. Are there some that are buckling under the weight of the ice build up on their branches. Can you help them find a way to melt that ice? Can you help them do so? What are you doing to assist? By focusing your attention on others... that is another way to make you stronger to bear the weight of your own burdens. Remember to hang in there.. Soon Jehovah will make it right.. whatever we have lost in this system or whatever damage we have sustained. It will soon be a thing of the past!