Sunday Words of Encouragement July 18, 2010

Our Pastor  spoke on Renewing Your Passion today. The verses are 2 Timothy 1:3-12.  It was an excellent message which culminated with "Do not despair; never lose hope. Live with Passion." It was certainly upbeat and a "never quit" type of message. Don't forget that God has a purpose for you.

On a second theme- today was our daughter's 23rd birthday. The DH was disappointed that she wasn't coming over today to celebrate. She had her best friend in from out of town and they wanted to go to the beach (an hour away) with the children.
This reminded me of the following:

On Children
 Kahlil Gibran
Your children are not your children.
They are the sons and daughters of Life's longing for itself.
They come through you but not from you,
And though they are with you yet they belong not to you.
You may give them your love but not your thoughts,
For they have their own thoughts.
You may house their bodies but not their souls,
For their souls dwell in the house of tomorrow,
which you cannot visit, not even in your dreams.
You may strive to be like them,
but seek not to make them like you.
For life goes not backward nor tarries with yesterday.
You are the bows from which your children
as living arrows are sent forth.
The archer sees the mark upon the path of the infinite,
and He bends you with His might
that His arrows may go swift and far.
Let your bending in the archer's hand be for gladness;
For even as He loves the arrow that flies,
so He loves also the bow that is stable.

I found this video for our daughter. 

She likes Carrie Underwood and this song. It has a message that is good for all of us.

A verse for today:

2 Timothy 1:7 (NIV)

7For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline.

I prayed today for blessings for our children - that they might know God more clearly in their lives and that He might bless them and bless others through their witness.