Change takes time

Nancy and I recently bought a Gaither DVD set from the South Africa Trip they took a couple of years ago. One song written by their son Benji, which has a wonderful South African feel to it, really impressed me. They perform the song with a South African Children's Choir. It's a great song with a great message. The lryics are below:

We're as different as night and day
But we're the same in different ways it's true
Just look at me and you
We can change the way we are
The power lives inside our hearts
We can be anything we wanna be

If coal can turn to diamonds
And sand can turn to pearls
If a worm can turn into a butterfly
Then love can turn the world
Oh, love can turn the world

The God who made you made us all
Big and little short and tall and that's fine
'Cause it takes all kinds
If He had made us all alike
It sure would be a boring life
But He knew
What a little time could do

If coal can turn to diamonds
And sand can turn to pearls
If a worm can turn into a butterfly
Then love can turn the world
Oh, love can turn the world

How does coal turn into diamonds? With heat, pressure and lots of time. How does sand turn into pearl? Dealing with something very irritating for a long period of time. And how does a worm turn into a butterfly? By spending a long time isolated, constricted and alone and allowing the true beauty on the inside to struggle to be freed from the tight space it is in. The process of change is never pleasant, but the product of change is always something of real value and beauty. Time for a change?

Have a great week! By the way, here is a link to a YouTube video of this awesome song.
Enjoy!! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nfDKwL-Na6k&feature=related

Dead or Alive

During church yesterday, God was dealing with me about the gifts He has given me and how He expects me to be using them. One of these gifts is exhortation which can be widely defined but in this case it simply means to be an encourager. I hope this will be an encouragement to you!

In Israel, the biggest river is the Jordon. It originates in the mountains and feeds into the Sea of Galilee. The Sea of Galilee is teeming with life: abundant fish, lush vegetation surrounding it and is a principal source of fresh water for the nation.

The Jordon then continues out of the Sea of Galilee and finally empties into the Dead Sea. It is called the Dead Sea because nothing lives there. The salt content in the water is very high, even higher than the oceans. It is also the lowest spot on earth, hundreds of feet below sea level.

It is the same river that feeds these two bodies of water, so why the big difference? The Dead Sea receives water only. Other than evaporation, once the water gets there, it has no where else to go as there is no place lower to flow to. The Sea of Galilee is constantly refreshed because it takes water in and flows water out. It is cleansed and replenished daily, but it has to give water up so that more can flow in.

Like these bodies of water, our lives can either get very stale and stagnant if we keep everything we get to or for ourselves, or we can be renewed and refreshed every day if we take whatever we get and give it away.

Hope you have a great week!! Don't keep it....give it away!