Shine Like the Pumpkins

Normally I don't like e-mail forwards.


But this one I thought would work as a great devotion, especially for use with young children!


Being a Christian is like being a pumpkin.   
God lifts you up, takes you in, 
and washes all the dirt off of you.   

He opens you up, touches you deep inside 

and scoops out all the yucky stuff-- 

including the seeds of doubt, hate, greed, etc.    

Then He carves you a new smiling face 

and puts His light inside you to shine 

for all the world to see.

Isn't that great? I thought I would share it. It's so true too. 

I not only consider sin to be the yucky stuff- but also some of the gunk we have to go through. Like, this time last year. Since this span of time last year was erased from my memory and lost, I can't tell you exactly how I was feeling.

But I know it was bad. Really bad. It was awful. I had all those awful seeds of mistrust, uncertainty, fear, and hopelessness.

But eventually, when it was my turn to be carved, God scooped all of that gunk out. And now I'm still a pumpkin with a strong glow! Sometimes it feels like I've got those seeds in me, but when it's my time, God will scoop them out, and I keep shining bright!

I hope you feel empowered to do the same!

These last two days have been just awesome! Here's a run-down...

-I have been getting a lot of feedback about my message at the praise service the other night! So many people told me I was a powerful speaker and I would make a good motivational speaker some day.... hmmmm...

-I love my literacy instruction class. I can't really say much more... Other than, it really makes me want to get my PhD in literacy instruction... like, within the next 5 years... (If people aren't laughing at your dreams, you aren't dreaming big enough, right?) 

-I got my Teacher Work Sample done. Don't know what that is? Basically the long division of a unit plan that I taught. It ended up being nearly 30 pages. But it is turned in!

-I got invited to help with a poverty simulation next month!

-I saw my co-op today at her house to plan for next week. I really, really miss visiting with her one on one every day. She was just awesome.

-My Pandora music station is now playing Christmas music. Don't be hatin'....

-My co-op also informed me of free giveaways for educators at Barnes and Noble bookstore. So I grabbed a few other children's literature fanatics and we rushed down, and I came out with a sack-full and some new books!

-This weekend is going to be awesome! Going to a pumpkin patch tomorrow with some friends, and then tomorrow night, one of my best buddies and I are going to try a new pizza place and hang out. It's going to be great!

Life is awesome! No one will tell me otherwise!