Brad, Rhonda and Everybody,

Thanks for sharing.  Wonderful words.  Words of life.  I just say AMEN!

Haven't studied Joseph's life for a very long time.  Good suggestion.

Vicki

----- Original Message -----
From: "BD" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Sunday, November 21, 2004 5:07 PM
Subject: Re: visiting family on Thanksgiving


> Rhonda,
>
> Your words, so eloquently stated, on words themselves, their power by
those
> who use them to create or destroy, certainly gives support for your
> decision to stay home for the holiday. At times of life when folks are
> going through obvious challenges,  need encouragement,  hope,
> opportunities,  and trust in those they respect and love, not rehash of
> what our minds have already created in our weak moment apart from the
peace
> of God. Our pastor use to say so many people have a gift of pointing out
> the blatantly obvious.  However, what is obvious at the moment does not
> make it permanent. Pointing out the blatantly obvious takes no courage, no
> trust, no faith, but relies only on what we can see from our current
> vantage point. Abraham's blatantly obvious situation was he was 100 years
> old and his wife 99 and they were to have a child? His promise from God
> took 25 years was it? And then when it finally came true God called him to
> the hill with  his son with the notion of sacrificing him. What blatantly
> obvious notion was going on there? God you tell me I'm going to be a
father
> of many nations with my one boy  I waited so long to get and now you want
> me to kill him? Imagine what others would have said if they knew what
> Abraham was up to? But in a matter of a few precious seconds God turned
the
> entire situation around and we see after the fact how Abraham's promise of
> being a father of many nations came true. We can never judge our successes
> or future from our current position. I've been studying the life of
Joseph,
> in fact you might wish to log in at
> http://www.digital-beaker.com/30steps.html and look at the elements which
> made Joseph quote, successful, unquote in God's plan for his life.
Joseph's
> life is the epitome of picking yourself up off the ground and jumping on
> the back of life for another ride.  I find great comfort, wisdom, and
> tangible attitudes exampled in his life and they are so applicable yet
> today thousands of years later.
>
> Brad