I Have A Dream

This is a powerful story that proves, no matter who or where you are, no matter what has happened in your past, no matter what people think or say, God has a special plan for you.

Enjoy,

J.W.

The Story of the Three Trees

Author Unknown

Mar 24, 2008

(As posted in "The Daily Encourager" by David Langerfeld)

THE STORY OF THE THREE TREES

Once there were three trees on a hill in the woods. They were discussing their hopes and dreams when the first tree said, "Someday I hope to be a treasure chest. I could be filled with gold, silver and precious gems. I could be decorated with intricate carving and everyone would see the beauty.

"Then the second tree said, "Someday I will be a mighty ship. I will take kings and queens across the waters and sail to the corners of the world. Everyone will feel safe in me because of the strength of my hull."

Finally the third tree said, "I want to grow to be the tallest and straightest tree in the forest. People will see me on top of the hill and look up to my branches, and think of the heavens and God and how close to them I am reaching. I will be the greatest tree of all time and people will always remember me."

After a few years of praying that their dreams would come true, a group of woodsmen came upon the trees. When one came to the first tree he said, "This looks like a strong tree, I think I should be able to sell the wood to a carpenter" and he began cutting it down. The tree was happy, because he knew that the carpenter would make him into a treasure chest.

At the second tree a woodsman said, "This looks like a strong tree, I should be able to sell it to the shipyard." The second tree was happy because he knew he was on his way to becoming a mighty ship.

When the woodsmen came upon the third tree, the tree was frightened because he knew that if they cut him down his dreams would not come true.

One of the woodsmen said, "I don't need anything special from my tree so I'll take this one", and he cut it down."

When the first tree arrived at the carpenters, he was made into a feed box for animals. He was then placed in a barn and filled with hay. This was not at all what he had prayed for.

The second tree was cut and made into a small fishing boat. His dreams of being a mighty ship and carrying kings had come to an end. The third tree was cut into large pieces and left alone in the dark. The years went by, and the trees forgot about their dreams.

Then one day, a man and woman came to the barn. She gave birth and they placed the baby in the hay in the feed box that was made from the first tree.

The man wished that he could have made a crib for the baby, but this manger would have to do. The tree could feel the importance of this event and knew that it had held the greatest treasure of all time.

Years later, a group of men got in the fishing boat made from the second tree. One of them was tired and went to sleep. While they were out on the water, a great storm arose and the tree didn't think it was strong enough to keep the men safe. The men woke the sleeping man, and he stood and said "Peace" and the storm stopped. At this time, the tree knew that it had carried the King of Kings in its boat.

Finally, someone came and got the third tree. It was carried through the streets as the people mocked the man who was carrying it.When they came to a stop, the man was nailed to the tree and raised in the air to die at the top of a hill. When Sunday came, the tree came to realize that it was strong enough to stand at the top of the hill and be as close to God as was possible, because Jesus had been crucified on it.

The moral of this story is that when things don't seem to be going your way, always know that God has a plan for you. If you place your trust in Him, He will give you great gifts. Each of the trees got what they wanted, just not in the way they had imagined.

We don't always know what God's plans are for us. We just know that His ways are not our ways, but His ways are always best.

To Whom Much It Given

This past weekend, Michele and I went to a marriage seminar called the "Weekend To Remember" Conference in Allentown, PA. In attendance were over 160 married and engaged couples from all different backgrounds. Some, like us, were just starting out on their journeys and looking to refresh their marriages. Others, like one couple, had been married for over 50 years and looking to renew their marriages. Others were still engaged and looking to prepare for their upcoming nuptials. Many, however, came because they were having serious challenges in their relationship and were looking to restore their marriages.

Going into the conference, I was a little hesitant because I didn't really know what to expect. Though it came highly recommended by many of the married couples we know, including my parents who sent us to the conference, I still wasn't sure about it. Would I be forced to emotionally expose myself to a room full of strangers, I thought to myself. Would this be 3 days of icebreakers and trust exercises, and end with us all sitting in a big circle singing kumbaya around a camp fire? Being the introvert that I am, I wasn't really looking forward to interacting with too many people this weekend, especially if my idea of the conference was correct.

My experience at the conference, however, was completely different than what I expected. Because most of the weekend was spent either listening to instruction on various aspects of marriages by renowned speakers, or working with our spouses on the projects that were assigned to us by our instructors, the majority of our time was spent isolated from the other couples in attendance. And while the conference certainly helped to strengthen our own relationships with God and each other, it wasn't until the very end of the conference, when we got a glimpse into lives of the other couples, that Michele and I learned our biggest lesson of the weekend.

When asked by the instructors to stand and share one thing that they were committed to changing in their marriage as a result of the things they learned at the conference, one by one, people stood with tears in their eyes, and lumps in their throats, revealing the pain that was healed, the yokes that were broken, and the fences that were mended over the course of the weekend. It was then that we realized the truly amazing things that God had done in the lives and marriages of the couples around us and how incredibly blessed we were to be where we are as a couple.

While Michele and I are far from perfect, and far from having the perfect marriage, we found that the small issues that we go through were nothing compared to the toll that emotional, mental, and sexual abuse had taken on the marriages there. One woman spoke about never having touched her husband in a loving way because of the sexual abuse she experienced growing up. Another woman spoke of never having said I love you to her husband because of the emotional abuse in her past. Yet still, one man stood up and apologized for not being forthright and honest with his wife in the past.

In getting just a small glimpse into the lives of these people, and the burdens on their marriage, Michele and I both felt an overwhelming need to share our lives and our stories with other couples who may be struggling in their marriages. To be given such a gift in each other, as we have each been given, we possess a duty to be a blessing to other people, to help those who may be in need, and, most importantly, to act as an example to those who might be struggling in their relationships. To whom much it given, much is required, and as such, we have no excuse in not sharing our lives and our knowledge with others.

Likewise, each of us as individuals who has been blessed by God to be where we are in life has a duty, an obligation, to be a blessing to someone else. God does not grant blessings for you, and you alone, but that you might pass His blessings on to others. Everything you do affects the people around you, and whether you know it or not, people are watching you.

So, be a positive example today. Impart kind words to someone on your job. Say hello to that person you pass on the street. Tell your family you love them. Mentor a young person. Pass on your knowledge, wisdom, and testimony to someone else today. After all, that's what Journal Your Journey is all about.

God bless,
J.W.

Fight The Power

God put us all here for a reason. Whether your reason is to be a famous singer, or a doctor, or an entrepreneur, or teacher, trash collector, or security guard - whatever your purpose is - you are ultimately called to use those gifts and talents given to you to help someone else.

And as such, here's one opportunity for you to do just that.

On the weekend of May 3rd, my sister-in-law, Leslie, will participate in the annual Avon Walk for Breast Cancer in Washington, D.C. The walk is a two-day event, in which she will participate, along with thousands of other participants, in a 26.2 mile walk to raise money for breast cancer research.

In order to participate, however, she needs to raise $1,800. And while she is more than half way there, she needs more support.

So, if you feel so led, please donate whatever you can to the cause. It doesn't have to be a huge amount. It can be $20, $10, or even $5. You can even pay in monthly installments over 3 or 5 months. Whatever you can do will not only help her reach her goal, but it will also help in finding a cure for this oftentimes deadly disease.

All proceeds from your donation will go to the Avon Foundation Breast Cancer Crusade, a non-profit charity whose mission is to provide access to care and to work toward finding a cure for breast cancer. According to the National Cancer Institute, over 3 million people in the U.S. either have or have had breast cancer. And 30% of these people are African-American.

With all the rights and privileges that we have as Americans in this country, it's time for us to stand up and put a stop to this deadly disease and others like it. Health care is a big issue in this Presidential election and the numbers above show why.

The news of Patrick Swayze being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, one of the deadliest forms of cancer there is, this week ought to wake us all up to the fact that life is way too short for us to not act now.

So, what would you say if you stood before God and He told you that you had the opportunity to save someone's life today, and yet you chose not to? Would you wish you would have acted when you could?

Fight the power of disease today. To donate, simply click the link below.

http://info.avonfoundation.org/site/TR/Walk2008/WashingtonDC?px=3898862&pg=personal&fr_id=1430&s_tafId=295875

Or if you don't feel comfortable paying online, just comment below or send me an e-mail and I will give your her mailing address.

God bless,

J.W.

The Rope

Click the link below to read the story about the mountain climber and his rope... It's very thought provoking.

http://www.ticz.com/homes/users/bob/The-Rope/The-Rope.htm