ARE YOU WILLING TO LET GO AND LAY IT DOWN?

HI...

ARE WE WILLING TO LET GO OF THINGS THE LORD HAS BEEN PROMPTING US TO LAY ASIDE?
MAY BE IT'S A HABIT, A RELATIONSHIP, A HARMLESS ACTIVITY THAT'S TAKING TOO MUCH OF OUR TIME?
A TELEVISION PROGRAMME WE ARE TOO ADDICTED TO?

 A COMPUTER GAME?

TOO MUCH OF NEWSPAPER READING, WATCHING TELEVISION NEWS THAT WE FIND NO TIME TO READ GOD'S WORD AND PRAY?

HAVE SOME FRIENDSHIPS TAKEN TOO MUCH OF OUR TIME, THAT WE FIND NO TIME TO TALK TO GOD?
IF GOD'S BEEN PROMPTING US TO LET GO OF THINGS ACTIVITIES, FRIENDSHIPS THAT HOLDS ON TO US...
LET'S TODAY PRAYFULLY LET THEM GO.
ANYTHING THAT COMES BETWEEN US AND GOD IS AN IDOL.
LET'S REMOVE ALL IDOLS FROM OUR LIVE.
LET OUR LORD & SAVIOR BE OUR FIRST LOVE ALWAYS.HE DESERVES OUR BEST.
LET'S LET GO OF THINGS THAT SO...ENSNARE US AND RECEIVE HIS BLESSINGS,

THE THINGS WE HOLD ON TO MAY BE HARMLESS BUT STILL GOD HAS SOMETHING REALLY BETTER, IF HE'S ASKING TO LAY IT DOWN, IT'S ONLY TO FILL US WITH HIS ANOINTING, HIS PRESENCE AND ALL THE GIFTS HE HAS TO OFFER. LET'S NOT LET GO OF THESE RICH HEAVENLY BLESSINGS, HOLDING ON TO VAIN EARTHLY PLEASURES AND THINGS THAT KEEP US FROM DOING GOD'S WILL ON EARTH.

THE STORY I READ THIS MORNING MINISTERED TO ME. HOPE IT BLESSES YOU.

I DON'T WANT ANYTHING I AM HOLDING ON TO, PREVENT GOD FROM GIVING SOMETHING BETTER.

I'M LETTING GO TO RECEIVE FROM GOD??

I'M WILLING TO LAY DOWN SOME PRICED POSSESSIONS TO TAKE WHAT MY SAVIOR HAS FOR ME. I CAN'T EXPRESS HOW MUCH THIS STORY MINISTERED TO ME.....
HOW OFTEN I HAVE STUBBORNLY HELD ON TO THINGS...WHEN THE LORD ASKED ME TO LET GO..EVER SO...GENTLY.......
TODAY I JUST WANT TO LAY IT ALL AT HIS FEET TELL HIM..
" LORD TAKE AWAY ALL THAT'S NOT REQUIRED AND REPLACE IT WITH THINGS FROM YOUR HANDS...."

IT MAY BE PAINFUL TO LET SOME THINGS GO AND LAY SOME STUFF DOWN. BUT WE NEED TO DO IT.

ARE YOU WILLING TO DO THE SAME?

YSIC,

JULIA

" GIFT OF PEARLS "(A touching story...)

The cheerful girl with bouncy golden curls was almost five.
Waiting with her mother at the checkout stand, she saw them: a circle of glistening white
pearls in a pink foil box. "Oh please, Mommy, Can I have them? Please, Mommy, please?" Quickly the mother checked the back of the little foil box and then looked back into the pleading blue eyes of her little girl's upturned face."A dollar ninety-five. That's almost $2.00. If you really want them, I'll
think of some extra chores for you and in no time you can save enough money to buy them for yourself.Your birthday's only a week away and you might get
another crisp dollar bill from Grandma."   As soon as Jenny got home, she
emptied her penny bank and counted out 17 pennies.After dinner, she did more than her share of chores and she went to the neighbor and asked Mrs.McJames if she could pick dandelions for ten cents.
On her birthday, Grandma did give her another new dollar bill and at last she had enough money to buy the necklace. Jenny loved her pearls.They made her feel dressed up and grown up. She wore them everywhere - Sunday School, kindergarten, even to bed.The only time she took them off was when she went swimming or had a bubble bath.
Mother said if they got wet, they might turn her neck green.
Jenny had a very loving daddy and every night when she was ready for bed, he would stop whatever he was doing and come upstairs to read her a story.

One night when he finished the story, he asked Jenny,  "Do you love me?" "Oh yes, Daddy.You know that I love you." "Then give me your pearls." "Oh, Daddy, not my pearls. But you can have Princess - the white horse from my collection, the one with
the pink tail. Remember, Daddy? The one you gave me. She's my favorite."
"That's okay, Honey. Daddy loves you. Good night." And he brushed her cheek with a kiss.
About a week later, after the story time, Jenny's daddy asked
again, Do you love me?"  "Daddy, you know I love you." "Then give me your pearls." "Oh Daddy, not my pearls.But you can have my baby doll, the brand
new one I got for my birthday.She is so beautiful and you can have the
yellow blanket that matches her sleeper." "That's okay. Sleep well.
God bless you, little one. Daddy loves you." And as always, he brushed her cheek with
a gentle kiss.
A few nights later when her daddy came in, Jenny was sitting
on her bed with her legs crossed Indian-style.As he came close, he noticed
her chin was trembling and one silent tear rolled down her cheek.
"What is it, Jenny? What's the matter?" Jenny didn't say anything but lifted her
little hand up to her daddy.
And when she opened it, there was her little
pearl necklace. With a little quiver, she finally said, "Here, Daddy.It's all yours ."   With tears gathering in his own eyes, Jenny's kind daddy
reached out with one hand to take the dime-store necklace, and with the other hand he reached into his pocket and pulled out a blue velvet case with a
strand of genuine pearls and gave them to Jenny. He had them all the time.
He was just waiting for her to give up the dime-store stuff so he could give her the genuine treasure. So it is with our Heavenly Father.He is waiting for us to give up the cheap things  in our lives so that he can give us beautiful treasure.Isn't God good? Are you holding onto things which God wants you to
let go of??Are you holding on to harmful or unnecessary partners,
relationships, habits and activities which you have come so attached to that it seems impossible to let go?   Sometimes it is so hard to see what is in the
other hand but do believe this one thing...

God will never take away something without giving you something better in its place !