Inspiration

"God, I lift up to You the areas of my life that are overwhelming and burdensome. I've not come to You to complain, but rather to seek Your help. Where I've tried to handle everything in my own strength instead of depending on You, I ask Your forgiveness. I pray You'll take each burden of my heart and enable me to rise above every challenging situation in my life."

- Stormie Omartian

By Saralee Perel

Gracie, my beautiful 13-year-old shepherd/collie mix, has found her purpose.

Six years ago, when I came home from a Boston hospital after my spinal cord injury, I was wearing a huge rock-solid brace that went from my chin to the middle of my chest.

When my husband Bob helped me to our couch, Gracie hopped up to give me her usual 3 million "Yippee you're home!" kisses. But before she landed her sloppy tongue on my face, she abruptly stopped herself upon seeing my brace and, I believe, sensing my pain.

"Never let your common sense become so prominent and forceful that it pushes the Son of God to one side."

- Oswald Chambers

A woman was asked by a co-worker, "What is it like to be a Christian?"

The woman replied, "It is like being a pumpkin. God picks you from the patch, brings you in, and washes all the dirt off of you. Then He cuts off the top and scoops out all the yucky stuff. He removes the seeds of doubt, hate, greed; then He carves you a new smiling face and puts His light inside of you to shine for all the world to see."

This was passed on to me from another pumpkin. I liked it enough to send it to all the pumpkins in my patch.

- Author Unknown