Our Plans and God’s Plans
Many are the plans in a man’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails. - Proverbs 19:21
Have you ever heard of someone who spent years of preparation for one vocation only to end up doing something completely different? Perhaps this could be said of you. Quite often we have in our minds what we believe we want to do only to have a course correction. Often the course correction comes through a major crisis that forces us into an area that we would never have considered.
Such was the case for Samuel Morse. Born in 1791, Morse grew up desiring to be an artist, and he eventually became very talented and internationally known. However, it was difficult to make a living as an artist in America during that time. A series of crises further complicated his vocational desire when his wife died; then his mother and father also died soon after. He went to Europe to paint and reflect on his life. On his return trip aboard a ship, he was captivated by discussions at dinner about new experiments in electromagnetism. During that important occasion, Morse made the following comment, "If the presence of electricity can be made visible in any part of the circuit, I see no reason why intelligence may not be transmitted by electricity." In the face of many difficulties and disappointments, he determinedly perfected a new invention, and, in 1837, applied for a patent that became what we know today as the telegraph. He also created Morse code. It was only later, after many more setbacks and disappointments, that his projects received funding.
Samuel Morse later commented, "The only gleam of hope, and I cannot underrate it, is from confidence in God. When I look upward it calms any apprehension for the future, and I seem to hear a voice saying: ‘If I clothe the lilies of the field, shall I not also clothe you?’ Here is my strong confidence, and I will wait patiently for the direction of Providence." Morse went on to create several other inventions and can be recognized today as the father of faxes, modems, e-mail, the internet and other electronic communication. ["Glimpses," Issue #99 (Worcester, Pennsylvania: Christian History Institute, 1998).]
God’s plans may not always seem to follow our natural inclination. Perhaps God has you taking a path that may not lead to His ultimate destination for you. Trust in the Lord, lean not on your own understanding, acknowledge Him in all you do, and He shall direct your path (see Prov. 3:5-6).
Taken from Os Hillman, 9-5 Window daily devotionals.
Uncategorized | Comment (1)Remembering God
I have been reading quite a lot these few days. This is because I guess I m starting to manage my time better ever since I m adjusting back to a "different status" lifestyle. I still have alot of this things-to-do pending in my list but yea…right now, I just want to read and read and read..
Came across an article from a devotional by Pastor James Smith. Thought of sharing it :-
Remember the Lord Nehemiah 4:14
We remember Him because He first remembered us. He is also the great author of your faith, and the only proper object of your love and worship. Remember the promises He has made, the deliverances He has wrought, the blessings He has conferred, the invitations He has given, and the relations He now fills. Remember Him in calamity to trust Him; in prosperity to praise Him; in danger to call upon Him; in difficulty to expect His deliverance. Remember to obey His commands, to attend to His exhortations, to keep His company, to seek His blessings, and to aim at His glory in all you do.
Remember Him, for it is your duty, your priviledge. Remember Him in order to strengthen your faith, as an antidote to your fears, as a source of encouragement to your souls, as a preventive against sin. Remember He is holy, just and good; and He will be glorified in all them that draw nigh unto Him.
Whatever or whoever you forget, always "Remember the Lord". He is your life, your strength, your portion, your God, your all. Remember Him for He never forgets you; cleave to Him for He will never forsake you.
Aaahh… 
There is no better way to talk about God than this.
Decisions! Decisions!
In my 27 years of existence, I have never made a harder decision than I had this year. What do decisions mean to each one of you? For ppl like me who dont like making big ones, it could be a hell of a time 
Decisions which are close to my heart are the ones hardest to make.
When I read through what most celebrity said in their interviews " I have never regretted in making those decisions no matter how bad they were", I thought how ignorant can they be. We make decisions, and they turn around and make us. It is the consequences of those decisions made that will shape our lives.
Whose hands do you submit the wisdom of your important decisions to? Some professionals who are as human as you? Someone older and wiser? But older and wiser advises which based on their lives experiances dont always apply to ours. Better education? But why do smart people do not-so-smart things? Time after time we hear sad stories about people with high IQs who fall short in the area of moral discernment, leading to tragic results. Obviously, a good brain isn’t enough to keep a person from making bad choices.
Call it crossroads or crisis of faith, we all face difficult decisions in some part of our lives. Some ppl said they can live with the consequences of bad decisions made. But why bother living and facing up consequences from a bad decision when you can live with total peace and joy made from making a good one?
Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. Proverbs 3:5 (King James Version)
The ability to make good decisions demands a heart devoted to God! May we all make good choices and decisions that will shape our lives now and in time to come.
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