Book #2

The Use of Adversity
by: Carlfred Broderick

he states " The gospel of Jesus Christ is not insurance against pain. It is resource in the event of pain."
I love a book that has a silver lining.
This was a talk Bro Broderick gave a women's conference a few years back and I wish I had been there.
I love women's conference it is such a recharge. This talk would have been on my must go to classes.
Stories of hard times and the blessing that come from them. A look at other lives that are hard, and how we can grow from their stories.
I sometimes need help finding the silver lining in my hard time. This book reminded me that there is ALWAYS one. Blessings always come from trial. That is how we grow.

A Great Read

I have just worked through three new books, and I must say I loved them all, but I will only let you know about one at a time.
First
Take Two Chocolates and Call Me in the Morning
by, Emily Watts
12 Semi-Practical Solutions for the Really Busy Women

What a great book. Reading this was more like talking to a friend then reading a book. It was wonderful, full of wisdom we all know somewhere in the back of our heads but never can quite pull it out.
AT first I thought am I really so slow that I needed someone to point out the obvious, and then I thought yes. It wasn't that I am slow but maybe that I am not slow enough.
Most of the information in this book requires me to slow down. Pay attention. enjoy the ride.
I have to say that my favorite chapter is Quit Trying to Finish the Laundry. When I read this book again (and it will be soon) I think I will just start with this chapter and then get back to it when I go back to the beginning. I love the fact that she reminds me that there are things I can get done and things I can not. I should stop trying to get done the things that have no end, and stop making myself feel bad for not getting them done.
I have to say if you feel you have to much to do, your plate may be getting smaller, a nap is something that happens between 11pm and 5am this may be the book you need to slow down for.
That Emily Watts is a smart smart cookie.

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 50 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, and if we ask God to show us that person the way He sees them, 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
friendships because the gems were hidden in bits of clay. May we see the people in our world as God sees them.

Author Unknown