Dance

When I meditated on the word Guidance, I kept seeing "dance" at the end of the word. I remember reading that doing God's will is a lot like dancing. When two people try to lead, nothing feels right. The movement doesn't flow with the music, and everything is quite uncomfortable and jerky. When one person realizes that, and lets the other lead, both bodies begin to flow with the music. One gives gentle cues, perhaps with a nudge to the back or by pressing Lightly in one direction or another. It's as if two become one body, moving beautifully. The dance takes surrender, willingness, and attentiveness from one person and gentle guidance and skill from the other. My eyes drew back to the word Guidance. When I saw "G: I thought of God, followed by "U" and "I". "God, "U" and "I" dance." God, you, and I dance. As I lowered my head, I became willing to trust that I would get guidance about my life. Once again, I became willing to let God lead. My prayer for you today is that God's blessings and mercies be upon you on this day and everyday. May you abide in God as God abides in you. Dance together with God, trusting God to lead and to guide you through each season of your life. This prayer is powerful and there is nothing attached. If God has done anything for you in your life, please share this message with someone else, for prayer is one of the best gifts we can receive. There is no cost but a lots of rewards; so let's continue to pray for one another. And I Hope You Dance

God's Tool Box

God's Tool Box

I dreamed I saw God's tool box
In Heaven on a shelf.
I asked if I could look inside,
He answered, "Help yourself!"
I lifted the lid up slowly
And peered inside to see
What kind of tools He uses
To work on humanity.

But when I looked inside,
I was surprised at what I saw;
After studying each of them,
I looked at Him in awe.
"This is what You use, Lord,
When dealing with Your own?
I expected tools more gentle,
Not chisels and grinding stones."

"Yes," He said, "My work requires
That I use tools like these --
To smooth the jagged edges
Left by selfishness and greed.
Nothing works like hardship
To bring men to their knees,
So they will turn from self and sin
To seek fellowship with Me."

"That one over there is pain,
But I use it only when I must;
It makes the spirit stronger
By building faith and trust.
And I call that one affliction;
I must use it from time to time
To soften hardened hearts
And make them more like Mine."

Then He reached inside once more
And pulled out a satin glove.
"This one is my favorite," He said,
"For I call this tool Love.
I use it to soothe the heartaches
Caused by your fellow men;
So you'll remember that I love you
And share that love with them."

"Now do you see, My child,
Why I choose to work in this way?
I'm only making you stronger
When I whittle sharp edges away."
Then He gently closed the lid
And I woke up from my dream.
But after looking inside His tool box,
How different this world seems!

Copyright ©1997 by Jan McIntosh

fr everett corvera, corvera everett, everet corvera

GOD LED ME TO YOU

From Daryl
The man slowly looked up. This was a woman clearly accustomed to the finer things of life. Her coat was new. She looked like that she had never missed a meal in her life. His first thought was that she wanted to make fun of him, like so many others had done before.
"Leave me alone," he growled.
To his amazement, the woman continued standing.
She was smiling - her even white teeth displayed in dazzling rows.
"Are you hungry?" she asked.
"No," he answered sarcastically. "I've just come from dining with the president. Now go away." The woman's smile became even broader.
Suddenly the man felt a gentle hand under his arm. "What are you doing, lady?" The man asked angrily. "I said to leave me alone."
Just then a policeman came up. "Is there any problem, ma'am?" he asked.
"No problem here, officer," the woman answered. "I'm just trying to get this man to his feet. Will you help me?"
The officer scratched his head. "That's old Jack. He's been a fixture around here for a couple of years. What do you want with him?"
"See that cafeteria over there?" she asked. "I'm going to get him something to eat and get him out of the cold for awhile."
"Are you crazy, lady?" the homeless man resisted. "I don't want to go in there!"
Then he felt strong hands grab his other arm and lift him up.
"Let me go, officer. I didn't do anything."
"This is a good deal for you, Jack," the officer answered. "Don't blow it."
Finally, and with some difficulty, the woman and the police officer got Jack into the cafeteria and sat him at a table in a remote corner. It was the middle of the morning, so most of the breakfast crowd had already left and the lunch bunch had not yet arrived. The manager strode across the cafeteria and stood by the table.
"What's going on here, officer?" he asked. "What is all this. Is this man in trouble?"
"This lady brought this man in here to be fed," the policeman answered.
"Not in here!" the manager replied angrily. "Having a person like that here is bad for business."
Old Jack smiled a toothless grin. "See, lady. I told you so. Now if you'll let me go. I didn't want to come here in the first place."
The woman turned to the cafeteria manager and smiled. "Sir, are you familiar with Eddy and Associates, the banking firm down the street?"
"Of course I am," the manager answered impatiently. "They hold their weekly meetings in one of my banquet rooms."
"And do you make a goodly amount of money providing food at these weekly meetings?"
"What business is that of yours?"
"I, sir, am Penelope Eddy, president and CEO of the company."
"Oh."
The woman smiled again. "I thought that might make a difference."
She glanced at the cop who was busy stifling a giggle. "Would you like to join us in a cup of coffee and a meal, officer?"
"No thanks, ma'am," the officer replied. "I'm on duty."
"Then, perhaps, a cup of coffee to go?"
"Yes, ma'am. That would be very nice."
The cafeteria manager turned on his heel. "I'll get your coffee for you right away, officer."
The officer watched him walk away. "You certainly put him in his place," he said.
"That was not my intent. Believe it or not, I have a reason for all this."
She sat down at the table across from her amazed dinner guest. She stared at him intently. "Jack, do you remember me?"
Old Jack searched her face with his old, rheumy eyes "I think so - I mean you do look familiar."
"I'm a little older perhaps," she said. "Maybe I've even filled out more than in my younger days when you worked here, and I came through that very door, cold and hungry."
"Ma'am?" the officer said questioningly. He couldn't believe that such a magnificently turned out woman could ever have been hungry.
"I was just out of college," the woman began. "I had come to the city looking for a job, but I couldn't find anything. Finally I was down to my last few cents and had been kicked out of my apartment. I walked the streets for days. It was February and I was cold and nearly starving. I saw this place and walked in on the off chance that I could get something to eat."
Jack lit up with a smile. "Now I remember," he said. "I was behind the serving counter. You came up and asked me if you could work for something to eat. I said that it was against company policy."
"I know," the woman continued. "Then you made me the biggest roast beef sandwich that I had ever seen, gave me a cup of coffee, and told me to go over to a corner table and enjoy it. I was afraid that you would get into trouble. Then, when I looked over, I saw you put the price of my food in the cash register. I knew then that everything would be alright."
"So you started your own business?" Old Jack said.
"I got a job that very afternoon. I worked my way up. Eventually I started my own business, that, with the help of God, prospered." She opened her purse and pulled out a business card. "When you are finished here, I want you to pay a visit to a Mr. Lyons. He's the personnel director of my company. I'll go talk to him now and I'm certain he'll find something for you to do around the office." She smiled. "I think he might even find the funds to give you a little advance so that you can buy some clothes and get a place to live until you get on your feet. If you ever need anything, my door is always opened to you."
There were tears in the old man's eyes. "How can I ever thank you?" he said.
"Don't thank me," the woman answered. "To God goes the glory. Thank Jesus. He led me to you."
Outside the cafeteria, the officer and the woman paused at the entrance before going their separate ways. "Thank you for all your help, officer," she said.
"On the contrary, Ms. Eddy," he answered. "Thank you. I saw a miracle today, something that I will never forget. And ... And thank you for the coffee."
If you have missed knowing me, you have missed nothing. If you have missed some of my emails, you have missed a laugh. But, if you have missed knowing my LORD and SAVIOR, JESUS CHRIST,you have missed everything in the world










fr everett corvera, corvera everett, everet corvera

The Parable of The Twin Boys

Once upon a time, twin boys were conceived in the same womb. Weeks passed and the twins developed. As their awareness grew, they laughed for joy and said, Isn't it great that we were conceived! Isn't it great that we are alive!â
Together the twins explored their world. They found their mother's cord that gave them life, they sang for joy, "How great is our mother's love that she shares her own life with us".
Weeks stretched into months, and the twins noticed how much each was changing. "What does it mean?" asked one. "It means that our stay in this world is drawing to an end," said the other. "But I don't want to go," said one. "I want to stay here always." "We don't have a choice," said the other.
"But maybe thereâs life after birth," said the one. "No, we will shed our life cord. How is it possible to live without it??" replied the other. "Besides, we've seen evidence of others who've come before us and gone on. Yet none of them have come back to show that there is life beyond. No, this IS the end."
And so, the one fell into deep despair saying, "If conception ends in birth, what's the purpose of the womb? It's meaningless! Maybe there's NO mother at all. "But there has to be," protested the other, "how else did we get here? And, how do we remain alive?" "Maybe she lives only in our minds."
"Maybe we made her up, because the idea made us feel good," replied the discouraged twin. And so the last days in the womb were filled with deep questioning and fear.
Finally the moment of birth arrived! And when the twins had passed on from their world, they opened their eyes and cried. For what they saw - exceeded their fondest dreams!!!

fr everett corvera

st michael's parish, remuera, auckland new zealand

God waiting for us as a Father

The boy walked along the ocean shore . . . trying not to stray. He looked up to his father saying, “Dad, I want to play.” His father looked upon him, with love showing in his eyes. “Do what you want to, my son . . . but do not leave my side.” “I would never leave you Daddy, I love you way too much.” But the boy took a step away, out of his father’s range of touch. He walked through the surf, the waves tickling one toe. “If I take one more step in .. .” he thought, “Father will never know.” His father called out to him, “Son, remain close to me!” The boy thought . . . “At the moment I don’t need you!” His father felt a sadness, but he held his tongue. Sometimes lessons need to be learned . . . even when so young. The boy stepped out a little further . . . the water covering his waist. His father spoke with urgency . . . “My son, come back to me,” he said, “The day is almost done!” “Not yet, Dad,” the boy yelled, “I’m having fun!” The boy did not have his father’s insight . . . so he could not yet tell, the tide was coming in fast . . . there would be no time to yell. “Father!” he tried to scream, as the water covered his head. “I need you now, Daddy!” was what the boy had said. And in a single instant his father was by his side. “I thought you left me, Daddy . . . I thought you went to hide.” The father looked upon his son . . . a tear streaming down his cheek. The boy looked upon his father . . . and cried the sobs of the meek. “I would never leave you son . . . for I love you just the same.” “I was only waiting . . .for you to call upon my name.”

Author Unknown

visit St. Michael's Parish, Remuera, Auckland, New Zealand

JUST TRYING TO BE LIKE THE FATHER

The Reverend Bob Stamps is a delightful man with a good sense of humour. He is also bald. One night Bob and his wife decided to go out to dinner. So they hired a babysitter to take care of their little children. While they were gone, the babysitter got interested in a television program and wasn't watching the children very carefully. Their little boy Peter, got into his father's electric shaver and shaved a big landing strip right down the middle of his head. When Bob came home, he was furious. He said, "Peter! I told you never to play with my shaver. Now you are going to get a spanking that you will never forget!" He was just about to administer that spanking when Peter looked up at him and said, "Wait until you see sister!" Bob said that he and his wife were horrified when they went into the next room and saw their little four-year-old daughter with all of the hair shaved off of her head. She looked like a little skinned rabbit. By this time, Bob was really furious. He grabbed up Peter and said, "Now you are really going to get it." Just as he lifted his hand and started to bring it down, Peter looked up at him with tears in his eyes and said, "But Daddy! WE WERE JUST TRYING TO LOOK LIKE YOU!" There was one little boy who didn't get a spanking that night. Instead he got an explanation and a hug.
Adapted From a sermon by Dr. Joe Harding, quoted in A New Daddy, from Eight Habits of Highly Effective Families, copyright 1997 by Seven Worlds Corporation.