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He has chosen to put those riches in vessals of clay...

Clay  Balls
A man was exploring caves by the  seashore. In one of the caves he
found a
canvas bag with a bunch of hardened  clay balls. It was like someone
had rolled
clay balls and left them out in the  sun to bake.

They didn't look like much, but they intrigued the man,  so he took the
bag
out of the cave with him. As he strolled along the beach,  he would
throw the
clay balls one at a time out into the ocean as far as he  could.

He thought little about it, until he dropped one of the clay  balls and
it
cracked open on a rock. Inside was a beautiful, precious  stone!

Excited, the man started breaking open the remaining clay balls.  Each
contained a similar treasure. He found thousands of dollars worth of 
jewels in the
20 or so clay balls he had left. Then it struck him.

He  had been on the beach a long time. He had thrown maybe 5! 0 or 60 of
the
clay  balls with their hidden treasure into the ocean waves. Instead of
thousands of  dollars in treasure, he could have taken home tens of
thousands, but he
had  just thrown it away!

It's like that with people. We look at someone,  maybe even ourselves,
and we
see the external clay vessel. It doesn't look  like much from the
outside. It
isn't always beautiful or sparkling, so we  discount it.

We see that person as less important than someone more  beautiful or
stylish
or well known or wealthy But we have not taken the time  to find the
treasure
hidden inside that person.

There is a treasure in  each and every one of us. If we take the time
to get
to know that person, then  the clay begins to peel away and the
brilliant gem
begins to shine  forth.

May we not come to the end of our lives and find out that we  have
thrown
away a fortune in friendsh! ips beca use the gems were hidden in bits  of
clay. May
we see the people in our world as God sees them.

I am so  blessed by the gems of friendship I have with each of you.
Thank you
for  looking beyond the clay  vessel.

Thank you Ron for that insightful  post. I never thought of it that way.

Well Pat I still cannot see any of the  little temperature things. So I gues I will just have to  live with that.We are having another speaker today, tonight and tomorrow night. His name is Robert Fort. Our Pastor used to work for him when he (Danny) was a youth pastor.

TTYL

Hi Everyone!

Where is everyone today?  It's nearly 3 o'clock in the afternoon here.

Sorry, Marilyn, that you can't see the little icons.  I see yours.  So I guess it's something in your settings. 

Hi Ritz!  Great seeing you here today.  Thanks for your "Clay Bells".

Let's hope that everyone is out taking photos or something and that things will get back to normal tomorrow.

Talk later, folks!

Will someone tell me what to do with my settings so that I amy see the little icons too. I am running win XP.

Marilyn, I don't have any advice for you but I will say that I can see your (and others') icon only it's blank --- no weather or time showing.   I used to see them on Pat's but now not even there.

Hi everyone. 

It is 4:35 and I have just arisen from resting for a couple of hours after we got home from church and eating out.  We went to eat with two other couples and had a good meal and even  better conversation.  It is looking more and more like rain here and it should start soon.

Nothing much to write about today.  Pat, I do want to thank you for the Devotional today as well as the URL for the weather graphic.  I will try to add it as soon as I complete my posting.

Janet, it sounds like you are totally enjoying having your grandchildren with you.  Sorry it is so cold.  Pat's sister lives in Independence, Missouri, and they are expecting from 3 to 7 inches of snow.  I am sure Beth is looking forward to her first ride in your new van. 

Jeanne, what a cute idea to include your little ones in the cow project by letting them choose name for them.

Ritz, the flapjacks yesterday were very good.  I seldom eat them as syrup often makes me feel very "loggy".  However, they had some good sugarless syrup and so that didn't impact me.

My son did get over yesterday afternoon and completed all the items on the list, including checking over and tightening the bolts on my overhead garage doors.  I thought the easy part, which we left to last, would be to fix a couple of things on my computer.  Instead it turned into a nightmare that resulted in us losing our home network for awhile and finding that my USB2 card seems to be useless.  So I will need to get a new USB2 card and install it.  Always something with a computer.  We did get the network reestablished.

Hope everyone has a good evening.  A special "HI" to all those posting that I haven't mentioned.  I equally enjoyed your postings.

Hapy Sunday afternoon to all of you!  It is misty, moisty here today!!   And the forecast is for several inches of snow tomorrow!!   If that materializes we will all be very happy and thankful.   Even if all we do is stay in and  .

Yes, I am enjoying the grandsons.  They are both quiet boys, and really love each other.  Addison sticks so close to Justin you would think he would get irritated at him, but he doesn't seem to mind it at all.  Sweet kids.  (Yeah, I know.....I sound like a grandma. )

Beth likes the new van, had no trouble riding right up into it, and out again.  It is wonderful how much easier it makes things for Darrel and me.  She has a doctor's appointment this week, plus the three services of our ladies retreat, and a wedding thing, so I'm really glad we have it here.

Ritz, I like that story about the clay balls.  May the treasure of Jesus shine out through the clay of each of our vessels.

I had such a slow day yesterday, and pretty much today, hope I don't become lazy!    I didn't even do any walking toward my Walk Kansas goal.  But it feels good not to be so pressured for a little while.

Pat, it would be nice to have the weather icon, maybe I will have time to try to put it in later.  I see the others, but Marilyn's is just blank.

Woo-Hoo!  I now have a weather "thingy" too! 

Mega thank yous to that special person who does magic with the computer! 

Well, you never heard such enthusiastic ringing of cowbells as two young girls did this morning!     We discovered that our three cows on the wall had come partly down and someone had tried putting them back up - all crooked and lopsided.     But we had time before the service began to fix them and I think from now on we'll add a staple or two instead of just duct tape to hold the clips on the poster board.  We live and learn!   

This morning our daughter, Beth, took me to church.  We had a great lesson and worship of God.

Beth was here over the week end. She went back to Knoxville this afternoon. James and their daughter, Ruth, have gone with a group on a medical mission to Ghana, in West Africa.

Ruth is finishing up Medical School in May. We are planning to go to Memphis for the graduation where she will get her M.D. It seems like yesterday that I was telling you that she was starting Med. School. They will be moving from Memphis to Philadelphia where she will doing interning and residency at a children's hospital. She is going to be a pediatrician.

Cornelia continues to improve and we believe she will be able to go to church next Sunday.  It has been a difficult six weeks since she had her heart attack.  I don't think she will ever be as strong and active as she has been in the past.  But I thank God that she is still here with us.  When we took her to the hospital the second time with the cardiac arrest the doctors thought she would not live through the night.  But she DID.  I believe the prayers of hundreds of people were answered.  Some of those prayers were mempers of CP, and I thank you again.

2 Cor 1:10-11
10   He has delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us. On him we have set our hope that he will continue to deliver us,
11   as you help us by your prayers. Then many will give thanks on our behalf for the gracious favor granted us in answer to the prayers of many.   (NIV)

Papa John             

Papa John, I praise our Heavenly Father for Cornelia's continued improvement.

Thanks for the devotional, Pat.  I have not had a chance to look into the temp. thing...feel free to add it for me!  Cold and sunny today.  I went for a walk in the bright sunshine...and froze  

Robins are busy in the area and lots of little birds around.  Misty has taken to climbing the trees with birdhouses....so will have to come up with something to stop that before nests get built!   Possible choice might be to put wire around the tree...?  Suggestions, PLEASE!   

I have been leading a quiet life, did manage to go Carpet Bowling on Thursday.  Had a nice time and we had a cake for a couple who have just had their 60th Anniversary.  They are quite amazing for their age and deadly bowlers.

Not much to say so here is a tiny smile:

An engineer, a psychologist, and a theologian were hunting in the wilderness of northern Canada. Suddenly, the temperature dropped and a furious snowstorm was upon them. They came across an isolated cabin, far removed from any town. The hunters had heard that the locals in the area were quite hospitable, so they knocked on the door to ask permission to rest.

No one answered their knocks, but they discovered the cabin was unlocked and they entered. It was a simple place ... 2 rooms with a minimum of furniture and household equipment. Nothing was unusual about the cabin except the stove. It was large, pot-bellied, and made of cast-iron. What was strange about it was its location ... it was suspended in midair by wires attached to the ceiling beams.

"Fascinating," said the psychologist. "It is obvious that this lonely trapper, isolated from humanity, has elevated this stove so that he can curl up under it and vicariously experience a return to the womb."

"Nonsense!" replied the engineer. "The man is practicing the laws of thermodynamics. By elevating his stove, he has discovered a way to distribute heat more evenly throughout the cabin."

"With all due respect," interrupted the theologian, "I'm sure that hanging his stove from the ceiling has religious meaning. Fire LIFTED UP has been a religious symbol for centuries."

The three debated the point for several hours without resolving the issue. When the trapper finally returned, they immediately asked him why he had hung his heavy pot-bellied stove from the ceiling.

His answer was succinct. "Had plenty of wire, not much stove pipe."

                                 

I like your new picture, Marilyn.

Pleasant Day/Evening all and God Bless.

Liz

Thanks for that little comic relief, Liz.  It has one serious side - oh that we would all approach everything from its simplest aspect FIRST!

Last night I went to an Irish stew night for St. Patick's Day.   One day late, but it was quite enjoyable.   A women came who was a ventriloquist.  She was very good, could talk with 2 dummies at once. A little old man and women who carried on a conversation with out a break.   I made a stew and every bit was eaten.  I guess they liked it. 

My heart seems to be pounding hard today.  I'm waiting for another Echo.  Have to wait for Friday.  Would appreciate your prayers.   Thank you   

Love Ruthie

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