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Devotional:

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"The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.   He makes me to lie down in green pastures.   He leads me beside quiet waters, he restores my soul..."   Psalm 23: 1-3.

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Commentary:

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Do you ever get down and don't know which way to turn?  Sometimes life situations overwhelm us.  One thing piles upon another and before we know it, we find ourselves in despair and feel it would take a miracle to turn things around.  Our joy is gone, peace of mind can not be found, and life just doesn't hold the enjoyment it once did.  Have you ever felt that way?  Well, I'm here to tell you that Jesus Christ "IS" that miracle.  Psalm 23 tells us that God wants to restore our soul, and bring us back to the way things once were.  But what does that encompass.  You are made up of three parts; your spirit, your soul and your body.  The part of you that encompasses your soul is made up of your mind, your will, and your emotions.  Your spirit is the part that lives for all eternity, but your soul and your body are what you have while you live here on earth.  Your soul is where the enemy (Satan) can have the greatest impact.  He tries to hurt you, and hold you back from being the person God wants you to be, and he will do that by bringing chaos into your life.  If you let him, he will rob you blind, stealing your joy and your peace of mind and taking away every sense of normalcy that you once knew.  But God has promised that He will change all that.  Your soul may hold brokenness, hurt, and disappointments from the past; but, when God restores your soul, He brings healing to these broken places and makes you whole again.  He washes His love over you and seemingly, in an instant, your soul is renewed and you are even better than you were before.   

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Psalms goes on to say that He maketh us to lie down in green pastures and leadeth us beside still waters.  What a comforting, peaceful thought that is!  I remember as a child walking through the pastures behind my grandparent's home and listening to the quiet streams of water that flowed through the creeks along their house.  Being there at that moment, and feeling the joy of the memory that is with me now, conjures up thoughts of rest, relaxation and total peace.  How awesome it is that God has promised to heal our brokenness and fill our souls with peace.  Only God can bring that restoration.  Only He can make us whole.   Don't let the busyness of life keep you moving at such a pace that you don't take time to stop and rest.  Take time to be still before the Lord, to meditate on His Word, and rest in His presence.  As you do, He will restore and heal your soul, He will give you HIs joy, and you will be happier than you ever thought possible.  ~ Pam Powers Moore    

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Meditation:

Father, we thank You for Your goodness, and we thank You for Your love.   We ask you Lord to meet us right where we are, restore us to the people you created us to be and fill us with your peace.  Your Word says that Your joy is our strength and we  give you our hurt and brokenness, Lord, believing that you will replace them with the fullness of your joy.  We ask you Lord to rejuvenate our tired hearts and fill them to overflowing with your Almighty love.  In Jesus' Holy name we pray.  Amen.

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Stories to Touch The Heart and Warm The Soul:

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                                                                                                  The Pink Dress

                                                                                                   ~ Author Unknown ~

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There was this little girl sitting by herself in the park.  Everyone passed by her and never stopped to see why she looked so sad.  Dressed in a worn pink dress, barefoot and dirty, the girl just sat and watched the people go by.  She never tried to speak.  She never said a word.  Many people passed by her, but no one would stop.  The next day I decided to go back to the park in curiosity to see if the little girl would still be there.  Yes, she was there, right in the very spot where she was yesterday, and still with the same sad look in her eyes.  Today I was to make my own move and walk over to the little girl.  For as we all know a park full of strange people is not a place for young children to play alone. 

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As I got closer I could see the back of the litle girl's dress.  It was grotesquely shaped.  I figured that was the reason people just passed by and made no effort to speak to her.  Deformities are a low blow to our society and, heaven forbid if you make a step toward assisting someone who is different.  As I got closer, the little girl lowered her eyes slightly to avoid my intent stare.  As I approached her, I could see the shape of her back more clearly.  She was grotesquely shaped in a humped over form.  I smiled to let her know it was OK; I was there to help, to talk.  I sat down beside her and opened with a simple "hello".   The little girl acted shocked, and stammered a "hi", after a long stare into my eyes.  I smiled and she shyly smiled back.  We talked until darkness fell and the park was completely empty. 

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I asked the girl why she was so sad.  The little girl looked at me with a sad face and said, "Because, I'm different".  I immediately said, "That you are!"; and smiled.  The little girl acted even sadder and said, "I know".  "Little girl", I said, "You remind me of an angel, sweet and innocent".  She looked at me and smiled, then slowly she got to her feet and said, "Really?"  "Yes, you're like a little Guardian Angel sent to watch over all the people walking by".  She nodded her head yes, and smiled.  With that she opened the back of her pink dress and allowed her Wings to spread, then she said, "I am".  "I'm your Guardian Angel", with a twinkle in her eye.  I was speechless, sure I was seeing things.  She said, "For once you thought of someone other than yourself.  My job here is done".  I got to my feet and said, "Wait, why did no one stop to help an Angel?"  She looked at me, smiled and said, "You're the only one that could see me", and then she was gone.

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And with that, my life was changed dramatically.  So, when you think you're all you have, remember, your Angel is always watching over you. 

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* Submitted by Pat Hopkins. 

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 I would like to thank Pat for submitting this story and invite you to send me your favorite story, as well.  Thank you for visiting my site and I hope God will bless you richly.

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