The Cracked Pot

by:  RJI (http://rishikajain.com/2011/03/28/the-cracked-pot/)

A water bearer in India had two large pots, each hung on each end of a pole which he carried across his neck. One of the pots had a crack in it, and while the other pot was perfect and always delivered a full portion of water at the end of the long walk from the stream to the master’s house, the cracked pot arrived only half full.

For a full two years this went on daily, with the bearer delivering only one and a half pots full of water in his master’s house. Of course, the perfect pot was proud of its accomplishments.

But the poor cracked pot was ashamed of its own imperfection, and miserable that it was able to accomplish only half of what it had been made to do. After two years of what it perceived to be a bitter failure, it spoke to the water bearer one day by the stream.

“I am ashamed of myself, and I want to apologize to you.”

“Why?” asked the bearer. “What are you ashamed of?”

“I have been able, for these past two years, to deliver only half my load because this crack in my side causes water to leak out all the way back to your master’s house. Because of my flaws, you have to do all of this work, and you don’t get full value from your efforts,” the pot said.

The water bearer felt sorry for the old cracked pot, and in his compassion he said, “As we return to the master’s house, I want you to notice the beautiful flowers along the path.”

Indeed, as they went up the hill, the old cracked pot took notice of the sun warming the beautiful wild flowers on the side of the path, and this cheered it some. But at the end of the trail, it still felt bad because it had leaked out half its load, and so again the pot apologized to the bearer for its failure.

The bearer said to the pot, “Did you notice that there were flowers only on your side of your path, but not on the other pot’s side? That’s because I have always known about your flaw, and I took advantage of it. I planted flower seeds on your side of the path, and every day while we walk back from the stream, you've watered them. For two years I have been able to pick these beautiful flowers to decorate my master’s table. Without you being just the way you are, he would not have this beauty to grace his house.”

RESCUE

SCRIPTURE: Psalm 107

Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble, and He delivered them from their distress.
- Psalm 107:6

Surely the Lord will rescue us in times of troubles. Look what happened in Psalm 107. He always save those His own. He always made a way to deliver the ones who acknowledge Him as God. He provides and continue to bless.

Are you in trouble? Do you need a rescue? Call on God. For whoever calls in His name will be saved. Nothing is impossible with Him. Like a rescuer team in times of calamity you have to trust and wait for Him. He will surely answer.

I Needed to Be Perfect

by Todd Hertz (http://www.christianitytoday.com/iyf/truelifestories/ithappenedtome/4.31.html)

Giving Up a Dream: For as long as she can remember, Katie Giguere wanted to be a singer. But she didn't tell anyone her dream—not even her parents—because she figured it would never come true.

"I've always been overweight," Katie says. "But 99 percent of the people you see in music are perfect by the world's standards. I thought, I might as well give up that dream."

Katie's weight didn't only affect her dream to sing. Her low self–esteem and insecurity made her avoid drawing attention to herself or even talking to people.

Singing for a Stranger: One night, a family friend came over to visit Katie's parents and brought over two friends who'd worked in the music industry. Katie was intrigued to learn they'd worked with singer Stevie Wonder. She wanted to hear their stories but was too shy to start a conversation, so she slipped away to her room.

An hour or so later, Katie tried to sneak down to the kitchen to get dinner. As she walked in, her dad spotted her and mentioned, "You know, Katie sings in church." One of the guests, Bonita, was very interested in this. Before Katie knew what was happening, she and Bonita were chatting about faith and singing. And then, Bonita asked: "Do you dream about singing professionally?"

For the first time, Katie told someone her dream—but quickly added that it would never happen. Bonita ignored Katie's doubts and asked her to sing.

"You Can't Be Shy": After Katie sang, Bonita explained she was starting a program to work with high school students who were dealing with various tough life issues. She'd been praying to find a young artist to start the program with, and she believed Katie was that artist.

Just months later, Katie was in L.A. recording some sample songs for a CD. After completing one song, Bonita invited Katie to a birthday party for Stevie Wonder's son and played Katie's song for everyone—including Stevie. When the song ended, Stevie said, "You have a beautiful song, and a beautiful voice. You can't be shy with a voice like that."

More than Appearance: As Katie began to realize how many people supported her singing, her thinking slowly changed. "Seeing that everyone believed in me made me realize that they must see me the way God sees me," she says. "I couldn't see my potential because I was caught up only on what was on the outside. I was denying my gift because of things I didn't like about myself."

Last year, as Katie recorded and released her inspirational pop album, Bringin' Me Hope, she says God helped her realize she has nothing to fear. She felt him saying, "If you're walking in my will, you should be confident."

Now that she feels like she's serving God with her album and with her new book, Being the Fat Girl, she isn't so shy anymore. "I still sometimes have this tendency to want to hide from any attention," she says. "But I know God doesn't want me to be so insecure about how I look that I shy away from doing his will. It's in obedience to God that I say, 'I will be confident in the way you made me.'"

More than Believing

SCRIPTURE: John 11: 38-44

Then Jesus said, "Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?"

Ano bang ginagawa natin para maniwala sa atin ang isang tao? Sa sales, mga discounts and promos yung ini introduce natin, di ba? How about sa pagkain? Siyempre patitikman natin sa kanila, pa eexperience natin ang langhap sarap ng isang dish. How about sa faith natin? How can we encourage to believe others to Christ?

Mary was hopeless kahit na andun si Jesus. Although natuwa siya na dumating si Jesus but her worries never gone. Kaya nasabi ni Jesus, "Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?" This pertains Mary doubted Jesus' power di ba? What Jesus is trying to convey to us is trusting Him is not just believing but more than that. More than believing. He wants a commitment in which we hold on to, panghahawakan natin kahit anong mangyari. And then we'll see His glory.

Trust is a big word. This is not just a worldly perspective but more on the spiritual aspect. How to build trust to someone? How to see the glory of God not just believing but more than believing? Here are points to ponder:

SURRENDER
It's hard to surrender kung alam mong may magagawa ka pang paraan in times of trouble. Karamihan kasi sa atin prayer is just an option. It must be a choice. We have to surrender our troubles through prayer nang sa ganun malabas mo lahat ng bigat sa puso mo.

RECALL
Remember what Jesus did to you in the past. The joy of your salvation. If God brings you to it, He will brings you through it. Remember how good He is until now. He never left you before mas lalo na ngayon na anak ka na Niya. Mahal ka ng Diyos kahit ano pa yung nakaraan mo.

SUBMIT (James 4:7)
Submit to His will. His will be done, kahit si Jesus nga di ba ganun. Mayroon talagang dapat isacrifice kung ano man yun tiyak na mabuti yun para sa iyo dahil God knows what's best. Hope for the best. At maging handa sa outcome gaya ng kapag nagpapasa tayo ng project sa teacher natin. Kung ano man yung maging score ay nakasalalay kay Jesus. Everything has a reason.

ACCEPT
Tanggapin kung ano mang nagyayari sa buhay natin. Mas luluwag yung kalooban natin. Di na tayo mag woworry at bawas wrinkles. Maging kontento tayo sa ibibigay ni Jesus.

HOPE (Job 13:15)
Negative or positive man yung nangyayari sa buhay natin dapat tayo ay magkaroon ng pag-asa. Dahil habang buhay tayo ay may pag-asa. Hope is in the Lord. And surely He will never fail us.

Believing is not only in our minds. It's an action word. We have to step out in faith. Marami pang miracles na gagawin si God sa buhay natin at sa mundong ito. Let's live and experience His promises.

One Year To Live

http://www.goal-setting-for-success.com/one-year-to-live.html

Anthony Burgess war 40 when he learned that he had only one year to live. He had a brain tumor that would kill him within a year. He know he had a battle on his hands. He was completely broke at the time, and he didn't have anything to leave behind for his wife, Lynne, soon to be a widow.

Burgess had never been a professional novelist in the past, but he always knew the potential was inside him to be a writer. So, for the sole purpose of leaving royalties behind for his wife, he put a piece of paper into a typewriter and began writing. He had no certainty that he would even be published, but he couldn't think of anything else to do.

"It was January of 1960," he said, "and according to the prognosis, I had a winter and spring and summer to live through, and would die with the fall of the leaf."

In that time Burgess wrote energetically, finishing five and a half novels before the year wad through (very nearly the entire lifetime output of E.M. Forster, and almost twice that of J. D. Salinger.) 

But Burgess did not die. His cancer had gone into remission and then disappeared altogether. In his long and full life as a novelist ( he is best known for A Clock-work Orange), he wrote more than 70 books, but without the death sentence from cancer, he may not have written at all.

Many of us are like Anthony Burgess, hiding greatness inside, waiting for some external emergency to bring it out. Ask yourself what you'd do if you had Anthony Burgess's original predicament. " If I had just a year to live, how would I live differently? What exactly would I do?" 

Stop Judging

SCRIPTURE: JOHN 7:14-24

Stop judging by mere appearances, and make right judgment.
- John 7:24

Lahat naman siguro tayo guilty nito. We judge others by their appearance, how they talk, walk, etc. Minsan di maiwasan especially yung isip natin. Nakakahiya ano? Tapos tingnan natin sarili natin ganun din. Nakakatawa.

Jesus was also judged by people during His time here on earth. Kasi di ba sinasabi Niya na He is the Son of Man, Son of God, King pero mahirap Siya. Tatay Niya si Joseph and mama Niya si Mary. Who would ever believe it? Merely appearance noh. Stop judging, sabi Niya. Tama nga naman. Yung taong pinipintasan natin mas magaling pa sa atin, mapapahiya lang tayo. Gaya ng nangyari dito sa kuwento. Let's make a right judgment. Yun bagang nakakatulong sa tao at sa sitwasyon. Hindi yung puro pamimintas lang.

Sarrah

By: Connie L. Coppings

We moved to a small town where my husband was assigned as a minister to a local congregation. I was unpacking one day when the phone rang. A voice on the other end said, “Your name was given to me as a possibility for a mentor in our school.” Knowing very few people in town, I tried to imagine who might have volunteered me for this.Realizing the lady was waiting for an answer, I replied, “Let me think about it and call you back.”I returned to my unpacking, but my mind was busy going over all the reasons I couldn’t be a mentor. I wasn’t even a parent, so how could I work with kids. I wouldn’t know what to do. I don’t really have the time. What if the child didn’t like me? My list of excuses (uh, I mean reasons) was growing by the minute and I did a pretty good job of talking myself out of it.
Suddenly a thought entered my mind. Connie, do you remember all thepeople that have taken time for you over the years? I knew this hadcome from God, certainly not from me, as I was too busy being selfishat the time.
Faces of family, friends, teachers, and coworkers crossed my mindand all that they’d sacrificed to help me. I was a shy child and Godplaced many loving, patient people along my life’s journey. He knewwho I would need at various points to help me through that particularperiod of my life. Could I do any less for someone else?
I was still hesitant, but placed a call to the school and agreed to bea mentor. The lady in the office said, “I have a fourth grade girl whoreally needs some help. Just sign in at the school office and we askthat you come one hour each week.” The only other things I knew wereher name, Sarah, and that she came from a poor home situation.
I was nervous as I arrived for our first mentoring session. I was shownto Sarah’s classroom and introduced to her. A room down the hall wasavailable for us to meet in and off we went. I sensed this was going tobe a “long” hour. Nothing prepared me for what happened that day.
Wanting to put Sarah at ease, I said, “Let me tell you a little aboutmyself and then you can tell me about yourself.” So, I rattled offsome facts and then waited for her to talk. Total silence greeted me.Her long hair hung across her face and she didn’t even look at me whenI was talking. We sat in silence for a few minutes and it soon becameobvious she wasn’t going to share any information about herself. I hadto think of something quick.
Questions—wasn’t that how you got information from others? “Tell meabout your family.” When that didn’t get any response, I tried, “Whatare your favorite subjects in school?” Then I ventured, “Do you haveany favorite foods?” Nothing. Not even a faint shrug of her shoulders.All my fears that I would fail at this came rushing in at once. Howcould I help a child when she wouldn’t even speak to me?
Not knowing what else to do I said, “Why don’t we go back to youclassroom?” She almost bolted from the room and was down thehall and back in her class before I could even say good-by to her.I prayed about this over the next week and decided to give it alittle more time.
I went back over the next several weeks and the scene wasrepeated over and over. I asked questions; she sat in silence.Her teacher assured me Sarah was benefiting from these sessions,but I failed to see what good I was doing. Then one week,something different happened.
I had just asked Sarah another question when she looked at meand said, “You ask too many questions.” After I recovered fromthe shock of hearing her speak, I told her that one way to get meto stop asking questions was for her talk. From that time on, webegan to make progress in our relationship.
Bit by bit, she began to share about herself. I want to be a beauticianwhen I graduate from high school,” she would often tell me. Sincemost of her family never went beyond ninth or tenth grade, this wassurprising to hear from her. We celebrated such things as improvedgrades and the fact that she was becoming more assertive in expressingherself. On the rare occasion when I’d see her parents, they would tellme that Sarah talked about me all the time. I was thrilled to watch herblossom and I hoped that one day we might even be able to talk aboutChristianity.
Sarah knew that I was a pastor’s wife, but I did bring up matters offaith with her as I didn’t feel that was my role with her in that setting.As we grew more comfortable with each other, she would occasionallymention church, but nothing deeper.
Sarah surprised me one day by greeting me with, “Can I call you onthe phone sometime?” I was pleased she felt that safe with me andagreed she could call once a week. When she did call, there wouldbe a period of silence and then I’d hear, “Hi,” followed by more silence.After some discussion about how to have a telephone conversation,she began to be more at ease on the phone and would sometimeschat with me as if we were girlfriends. The staff at school couldn’tbelieve she was calling me and sharing herself so freely.
Sarah and I began our relationship when she was in the fourth gradeand continued till she was in high school. We moved at that time,but I still got the occasional phone call from her to fill me in on whatwas happening. One day I received a very special call from Sarah.
In numerous phone calls Sarah had mentioned that she was goingto a church near where she lived. I had encouraged her to keepdoing so, but really hadn’t pushed her to make any kind of commitment.In one of her last phone calls to me she stated, “I went forward atchurch and accepted Christ last Sunday and was baptized.” Whata joyous announcement that was to hear!
I haven’t heard from Sarah in quite some time, but she is always inmy heart and my prayers. Sometimes I reflect on the fact thatI almost didn’t take the time to be a mentor to Sarah, it grievesme to think that I thought there was no time in my life to help her.
I pray that Sarah’s life will continue to move in positive directionsbecause of our relationship. She certainly blessed my life.
I hope you will consider giving of your time and talents to a childin need. Please let a child know that someone believes in them.I think of it as an investment in our future. Be a mentor!
I wonder where would I be today without the support of somany wonderful people. And, where would this child be if I hadn’t taken. . .

Don't be afraid

SCRIPTURE: JOHN 6:16-24

A strong wind was blowing and the waters grew rough when they had rowed three and a half miles, they saw Jesus approaching the boat, walking on the water; and they were terrrified. But he said to them, "It is I; don't be afraid."
-John 6:18-20

When we are in trouble, minsan lumalayo tayo kay God. Nadadala tayo sa malakas na hangin ng problema. Takot ang nararamdaman natin. But what the Scripture is trying to say to us saan man tayo magpunta, ano man ang gagawin natin ang Diyos ay parating nandyan. Di man natin Siya maramdaman in times na almost malulunod na tayo sa mga paghihirap natin, di Niya tayo hinahayaang masaktan dahil mahal na mahal Niya tayo. At ito ang sasabihin Niya, "Huwag kang matakot, andito lang Ako." Kailan man di nawala si God because He is everywhere and with us whatever we do.