I HAVE BEEN HOME TODAY - A SUNDAY - WHICH IS VERY WEIRD FOR ME, AS A PASTOR!  I HAVE A "SPRING COLD" AND IT SEEMS THAT THEY ARE THE WORST KIND OF COLD TO HAVE! SOMETIMES WE HAVE TO BE WISE, AND REST, WHEN OUR BODY IS CRYING OUT FOR REST.  SO...SINCE I DIDN'T DO THAT, MY BODY MADE ME!! HA!

I'VE BEEN REFLECTING ON THE WEEK.  WHAT A BUSY, BLESSED WEEK, WE HAVE HAD.  THE WEEK BEGAN WITH EASTER - THAT BLESSED DAY THAT WE CELEBRATE THE RESURRECTION OF OUR LORD, JESUS CHRIST.  WE HAD A GREAT SERVICE OF PRAISE AND COMPLETED THE CELEBRATION REMEMBERING WHAT HE DID FOR US AT CALVARY BY SHARING COMMUNION TOGETHER.  IT WAS BLESSED AND THE PRAISE WAS OVERWHELMING.  THE ONE SONG THAT WE SUNG HAS STUCK IN MY HEAD FOR WEEKS BEFORE AND THIS WEEK SINCE...WHEN WE WATCHED "THE PASSION OF THE CHRIST" ON THURSDAY NIGHT, IT WAS HUMBLING TO THINK OF HOW HE LAID HIS LIFE DOWN FOR YOU AND ME - NO ONE TOOK IT - HE CHOSE TO DO THE WILL OF HIS FATHER.

AND THEN, FRIDAY NIGHT...SHENANDOAH VALLEY SERVING SISTERS WAS HELD AT THE RAY OF HOPE PENTECOSTAL HOLINESS CHURCH IN HARRISONBURG.  I HAD THE HONOR OF SPEAKING TO A GROUP OF ABOUT 73 LADIES.  GOD GAVE ME AN ANOINTED WORD FROM JEREMIAH 18:1-6 ABOUT GOING DOWN TO THE POTTER'S HOUSE.  AS I STUDIED THE WORD, I REALIZED THAT THE LORD HAS A SPECIAL POSITION FOR EACH OF US - HE MAKES US, WE ARE MARRED BY SIN, AND THEN HE MAKES US AGAIN, WE ARE REBORN!!! AND THEN HE USES EACH OF US AS HE SEES FIT!  SEE, IT DOESN'T MATTER WHO PEOPLE SAY YOU ARE, IT JUST MATTERS WHAT THE POTTER CALLS YOU...WHAT HE DECIDES TO USE YOU FOR.  IT DOESN'T MATTER HOW MARRED OR BROKEN YOU ARE, HE DOESN'T THROW THE CLAY AWAY!  I AM SO GLAD! HE WOULD HAVE THROWN ME AWAY A LONG TIME AGO...INSTEAD, HE HAS DRAWN ME CLOSER TO HIM THROUGH THE TRYING TIMES.  AND WHEN I AM SO OVERWHELMED AND FEEL LIKE I AM GOING IN CIRCLES, I MUST REJOICE, THAT I MAY BE SPINNING AROUND AND AROUND, BUT I AM STILL ON THE WHEEL AND HIS HANDS ARE STILL ON ME!   REJOICE AND BE GLAD!  IF YOU HAVEN'T ATTENDED THESE LADIES' GATHERINGS, LET ME ENCOURAGE YOU TO GET INVOLVED.  THEY ARE A BLESSING!  THE NEXT ONE IS AT THE LILY OF THE VALLEY CHURCH AND THEY ARE USUALLY ON THE LAST FRIDAY OF THE MONTH.  IF YOU WANT MORE DETAILS, LET ME KNOW. MY EMAIL IS pastorbarbhensley@yahoo.com.