Sandra's Rosepetals: Space Travel

Redemption Roses

There was a bouquet of roses thrown in the trash - wilted, near dead, heads bowed low. I lifted each head and looked into their "faces". Two of them still held the look of life and promise. Quickly I took them from the trash, put them in the sink with cold water and with a sharp knife, cut away much of their long stem and placed each one in a simple, paper cup.

Thank You, Father, for rescuing me from the "trash" and for lovingly and gently cutting away those parts that were sapping away my life…

When I arrived at work the next morning, the roses were vibrant and alive - glowing with new life. I took them home and placed them in the refrigerator to keep them fresh and to preserve them.

Thank You for giving me new life and for sometimes putting me in cold, dark and lonely places to preserve me.

Sabbath morning, I put each one into a clear glass bowl of cold water and took them to church. There were lots of bumps and curves on the road, but the roses floated gently on top of the water.

Thank You for reminding me that You don't always make the road smooth and straight, but as long as I am in Your arms, I am safe.

One rose took its' place on the pulpit while the other graced the organ. These beautiful roses brought joy and blessing with their message of redemption.

Thank You for bringing me to Your altar, for redeeming me and using me - a rose from the trash - to bring joy and blessing to the hearts of others.

--S. Gail Sweet
August 19,2003

Monday, July 7, 2008

Space Travel

One day

Not far distant

Earth's bounds

Will fail to hold me

And gravity forgotten,

I shall climb the skies of Heaven

Past spinning constellations,

Through the Milky Way--star studded,

Through the gateway in Orion

Nebula of brilliant glory,

Right into the gates, wide open,

Right before God's awesome Presence

Where in thankful adoration

With all earthly fears forgotten,

I shall wing my way at will

Through all eternity.

--Lillain Hoover Lester

"For the Lord Himself shall descend from Heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air; and so shall we ever be with the Lord."

1 Thessalonians 4:16, 17

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Rose Petals

I love roses... They look and smell so beautiful. When this one really began to die, I took off a few of the outer petals and put them in the biggest book I had and I hung the rose upside down to dry..and I thought about roses - how special they are - and how often we either press or dry the petals to save them...how rose petals have a silky smooth texture that is so exquisite - and how the scent often remains for years.

In our experiences with Jesus, the Rose of Sharon, He often leaves a memory behind to remind us that He was there - like our rose petals... Can you think about His "rose petals" in your life?

Experiencing Grace

I left work early so I could have some uninterrupted study time right before the final in my Youth Issues class. When I got to class, everybody was doing their last minute studying. The teacher came in and said he would review with us for just a little bit before the test. We went through the review, most of it right on the study guide, but there were some things he was reviewing that I had never heard of. When questioned about it, he said that they were in the book and we were responsible for everything in the book. We couldn't really argue with that.

Finally it was time to take the test.

"Leave them face down on the desk until everyone has one and I'll tell you to start," our prof instructed.

When we turned them over, every answer on the test was filled in! The bottom of the last page said the following:

"This is the end of the Final Exam. All the answers on your test are correct.You will receive an 'A' on the final exam. The reason you passed the test is because the creator of the test took it for you. All the work you did in preparation for this test did not help you get the A. You have just experienced...grAce."

He then went around the room and asked each student individually, "What is your grade? Do you deserve the grade you are receiving? How much did all your studying for this exam help you achieve your final grade?"

Now I am not a crier by any stretch of the imagination, but I had to fight back tears when answering those questions and thinking about how the Creator has passed the test for me.

Discussion afterward went like this: "I have tried to teach you all semester that you are a recipient of grace. I've tried to communicate to you that you need to demonstrate this gift as you work with young people. Don't hammer them; they are not the enemy. Help them, for they will carry on your ministry if it is full of GRACE!"

Talking about how some of us had probably studied hours and some just a few minutes but had all received the same grade, he pointed to a story Jesus told in Matthew 20. The owner of a vineyard hired people to work in his field and agreed to pay them a certain amount. Several different times during the day, he hired more workers. When it was time to pay them, they all received the same amount.When the ones who had been hired first thing in the morning began complaining,the boss said, "Should you be angry because I am kind?" (Matthew 20:15).

The teacher said he had never done this kind of final before and probably would never do it again, but because of the content of many of our class discussions, he felt like we needed to experience grace.

Have you thanked your Creator today because of the grace you have experienced?

Copyright 2002 Denise Banderman

Note: This is actually a true story and happened on 4/30/02 in a youth ministry class at Hannibal-LaGrange College in Missouri.

Sandra's Rosepetals

Redemption Roses

Monday, July 7, 2008

Space Travel

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