MOULDING is a PAINFUL...PROCESS

John Vincent, a Methodist Episcopal bishop of the late-nineteenth and early twentieth centuries and a leader of the Sunday School movement in America, once told of being in a large greenhouse where clusters of luscious grapes were hanging on each side. The owner of the greenhouse told him, "When the new gardener came here, he said he would not work with the vines unless he could cut them completely down to the stalk. I allowed him to do so, and we had no grapes for two years, but this is now the result."

There is rich symbolism in this account of the pruning process when applied to the Christian life. Pruning seems to be destroying the vine, and the gardener appears to be cutting everything away. Yet he sees the future and knows that the final result will be in enrichment of the life of the vine, and a greater abundance of fruit.

There are many blessings we will never receive until we are ready to pay the price of pain, for the path of suffering is the only way to reach them.

Friends...is it easy? No. Is it just for a week? No. I do not have the answers for those qns(s), but i can tell u, you are not alone. God is moulding me just as he is moulding you. You know...the past few days has been tough. Tensions has been going on around and it's not really good. I have ppl laughing about me, making fun about me...indirectly making comments about me. But you know what, I won't be fighting back. Even though the samuel inside so wants to get out and give em a punch in the face, but, no. The real sam aint gonna do that. Because he's not just representing his country, but also his God. God will judge. I keep asking for patience, to help me love him. Words like "childish" and "immature" floods my mind at the thought of him...but I keep asking God to help me love him. I'm learning how to not take his words personally, how not to get caught in a tension with him. Its not easy u know...really. I still love him, because God first loved me. I always thought to myself, what would Jesus do...if Judas came back to him and said..."Lord, forgive me! Will you take me as your disciple again?" Haha...just a thought. I'm not sure bout the latter but i'm sure Jesus will say, "My son...I have already forgiven you." Unbelievable huh? I believe God is moulding us...but just like the sharing above, he is the new gardener, we're the vines, he has to cut us to the stalks because he know what our future holds...you wouldn't know would you? He does. Was the result immediate? No. 2 years w/o grapes remember? But what happened after? LUSCIOUS GRAPES. Think about it.

Hang in there k? My beloved Godpa sent me these 2 text msgs...it was seriously v.encouraging.

"Even when the hour of trial is darkest, we can expect God's dawn of deliverance...heaven's delight far outweighs earth's difficulties. Stay cheerful, my friend"

"Does this help? No service in itself is small; none great, though earth it fills. But that is small, that seeks its own; n great that does God's will."

Ponder about it and feel free to share with me how you feel. Blessed week my friends. =)

dieu est amour (God is love)


Dear heavenly papa,
I commit my brother John unto you, I thank you for blessing him with the gift of music and I ask that you multiply his talents. Thank you for opening the doors for him and I ask that even as he serves, that you'll open his eyes to see your wondrous beauty of what worship can do. Worship that heals...worship that touches...and worship that loves. Grant him the heart of worship Lord. When he play, he'll not be focused on his instrument, but on you. For your spirit will just guide him, let him be sensitive to you as he continues to seek your face. In his studies/work, may you continue to be that presence that calms his heart, that assures him of his needs. I thank you for my brother and I ask that you protect him and bless him and his family. Thank you pa. Amen.